by Apatterson | Feb 3, 2015 | Personal Growth, Vision
“You Have The Power to Change Your Life.”
For many, this statement is nothing new. You’ve heard leaders speak these words from stages all across the world. Yet, for many folks, they still have not been able to actualize and make this statement a reality for themselves.
Now, you’re probably thinking, “Angela, if I have the power to change my life, why hasn’t anything changed yet?” I feel you. Because there was a time in my life when I felt the same way. It appeared that nothing I did was working. I tried everything. I read books, I attended workshops, I prayed, meditated and did my affirmations. Yet, my life continued on an up and down roller coaster of pain and struggle. I simply could not experience any consistency, success or joy in my life and business.
It wasn’t until I applied these 3 simple steps, that my life began to unfold and open in ways I could never have imagined.
I want to share these three steps with you:
1. Awaken to Truth. The truth, I didn’t know who I was. For years, I’d lived my life based on who I was conditioned and programmed to be, instead of who I was born to be. As I began to retrace my life beyond my mother’s womb, I discovered that I was not broken, damaged or needed to be fixed. It’s important to know that your pain will never heal, until you heal your misplaced sense of identity. I began to rise to the image of who God said I was. I began to truly understand that I was a perfect image in the mind of God and that perfection didn’t need to be improved. There were some key processes and techniques that I developed in order to download this truth into my system, into my being, in order for me to grasped this reality. When I captured the “Who I am” deep within me, my patterns of thoughts and behaviors began to shift into that reality. My life took on a newness and that’s when the magic happened.
2. Open Your Heart. Your heart is the entrance to your truth. It’s about moving beyond the fear and the pain that caused your heart to close in the first place. I know this can be one of the most difficult things to do. Because when you open your heart again, you run the risk of being hurt again. Yet, pain is part of the human experience and you can’t spend your life trying to avoid it. When you resist something, or force something, you create more struggle and suffering in your life. Stop avoiding pain, because it’s inevitable. Suffering is a choice. There’s away to move through pain without the struggle and suffering. As I learned how to do this, I was able to move deeper into that space of my real truth. My world expanded and my life was never the same.
3. Change the world. You cannot awaken to truth and open your heart without sensing there’s more. Your desire to make a difference in the lives of others will begin to burn in your belly. It will become undeniable and you will have to take the leap. Leap into your life’s mission, your purpose and your dreams. As you step into your purpose filled life, you will begin to seek out ways to help others and make a real difference in the world. You realize this is why you are here in the first place. You’re here to make a contribution of your gifts and your talents to the world. You become the change, you wish to see in the world.
The above three steps are the basic philosophy in which I live each day. It is my hope that you begin to adopt them as part of your daily living as well. As you do, simply watch your life change. Because Truth, an Open Heart and Contribution are all the gateways to your true POWER!
I’m here for YOU!
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by Apatterson | Nov 1, 2014 | Personal Growth, Vision
Where did the time go? The year has almost gone and the holiday season is rapidly upon us. This has been quite a year for me and I am so grateful for the many lessons I’ve learned, the people I’ve met, the travels I’ve had and the new directions I’ve taken. I wish that I could tell you that it’s been one smooth ride because it hasn’t been. But still I wouldn’t take anything for this journey.
One very important lesson I’ve learned more about this year is “Courage.” When I looked up the definition of “Courage” here’s what I found, “the ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous.” If I were to define the word courage it would be, “the ability to do something you are afraid to do even when you know deep inside it’s the thing to do.”
How many times have you felt a deep abiding knowing on the inside of you that was pulling you towards something that was meant for you to do? Yet, you also felt afraid, skeptical, judgmental and sometimes angry. I’ve learned over the years, that these emotions surface when we are faced with the truth of who we are and what’s possible for us. Because these are your trigger points. The emotions surface to keep you where you are because it’s safe. But when did remaining safe and comfortable get you to the next level?
Everything that you desire lies outside of the realm of what you already know. So, if you want more money, more love, more success, you’ll have to start doing some new things in order to achieve it. Because if you keep doing what you’re already doing, you’ll get the exact same results as you are now.
So what this requires from you in order to achieve something radically new is a willingness to try new things, to step our of your comfort zone, and to be okay not knowing how things are going to turn out. Because that’s literally the ONLY way to take you to the next level.
So ultimately, your path to a more successful life comes from being willing to push beyond your fears, try new things and step into a new space. Courage!
But here’s where you get stuck. When you decide to make that next step, all sorts of emotions will begin to surface. Excuses that appear justifiable will be the first to show up. Excuses such as, “I don’t have the time or the money.” “I’ve got young kids at home or I’ve got to pay for my son’s college tuition.” While all of these reasons appear logical and even justifiable, they are nothing less than excuses designed to make you feel better about remaining in the same place. Then there are the sneaky excuses we tell ourselves such as, “They just want to get my money, it’s always about money.” “Who does she think she is to charge that much, I can do this myself.” “That coaching stuff is a scam and I don’t do scams.” You get angry, judgmental, or skeptical.
I know all so well how this can happen because it has happened to me. I remember being offered an opportunity that was simply too good to be true. The opportunity would have taken my career to it’s height had I taken the deal. I would have instantly became a multi-millionaire because the salary was just that. I would have lived bi-coastal and my name would have been household. My fear and lack of courage found all sorts of reasons why I didn’t need to take the position. I even made it sound spiritual by saying “It’ wasn’t God’s desire for me.” I began to judge the people who made me the offer. I even became angry with them and left them in the meeting at the Empire State Building. I went back to my hotel room, packed, called a car service to take me back to the airport and I flew back home to SC. Never to have that discussion with them again.
I panicked. It was frightening and I was scared. “Who was I to play at that level?,” were my true feelings. In that moment, however, I didn’t know these were my feelings and insecurities. I missed a huge opportunity. Many people tell me that it was suppose to be this way. I don’t believe it. I do believe that in spite of our mistakes that we can turn things around and recover. I believe that new opportunities will come. But on that day in 1999, I blew it and miss a grand opportunity. I don’t have regrets, but I have learned from that mistake because that deal was real!
I’ve learned to never allow my fears to justify why I don’t take the leap. I learned to be courageous in the face of my fears. I’ve learned to stand fearless in the face of my uneasiness, my nervousness, my discomfort because it’s an indication that I’m moving in the right direction onto my next level.
I’ve signed up for coaching programs that appeared to be too expensive. But they resonated with what I knew I needed. I’ve attended events that I knew was not in my budget, but I did it anyway and doubled my income. I’ve take on business projects that I had little knowledge about because I knew it was an opportunity to up level my skill sets. One of my biggest lessons was in 2002, when I stepped out and took another risk on LOVE because deep within my soul was calling for this man and his for me. Together we have an incredible love story that we live each day.
Fast forward to 2014, I am still dealing with the word Courage. Because I’m moving into another uncomfortable space as I expand my company and launch a new one. Stepping into a new space with new fears and uncertainties. But I am fearless because I know deep within it’s the direction I must take. Courage must become our new friend if we are going to be successful in life.
One thing that successful people do that unsuccessful people don’t, is they take action quickly. They make a decision and follow through with an action step immediately to anchor that decision. It’s a philosophy that I’ve lived my life and ran my companies. It’s called “Courage.”
The question for you today, “What key action will you take as a result of reading this?” Go ahead, take the leap and grow your wings on the way up!
by Apatterson | Feb 18, 2014 | Personal Growth, Relationships
In my line of work I get to communicate with diverse women from all parts of the world which I find fascinating. Nothing is more incredible than to listen to their many stories.
Let’s face it! We all have a story to share and it’s our stories that create our life’s experiences. But what I have discovered over the years is that when we rewrite our stories the way we want them to be, we also recreate the life that we want as well.
You are not your story for many different reasons. As a woman you have experienced much pain in your life that, no doubt that was inflicted upon you by people who had their own painful story. These people took their pain and unleashed it onto you and you have somehow made their pain your pain.
But when you find the courage to say, “no more will I allow someone else’s pain and someone else’s story to continue creating the situations and circumstances in my life”, then you will have taken the first step into owning your power. Your power to rewrite your story and recreate a new life for yourself.
Sure the pain of your past was real. You felt it and you experienced it. But when you release ownership of this painful experience and give it back to it’s rightful owner, you will step into a whole new world of infinite possibilities for your life.
How many stories have you claimed as your own but they really belonged to someone else? Don’t you think it’s time you gave it back to it’s rightful owner so that you can began rewriting and, living your own story? But this time on your own terms and this time the way you desire it to be. It’s time for your true story, your love story!
Remember, live authentically, laugh everyday and embrace love as a lifestyle. Because success in life really does begin with love.
