It’s summer! For many of us that does not change much what we do and means mainly that it will get hot. Here are some Hope Strategies to assist you in making the most of the daylight hours:

Summer Hope Strategies

1. Enjoy what others complain about  – okay, I know it’s hot and that weather is a safe topic to commiserate with total strangers. Stop complaining … period. Replace the complaint with gratitude for the season. What do you like best about summer? I love that the kids get to stay up later and we can share fun times.
2. Exercise every day – swim, walk at sunrise or sunset, buy a DVD so you can exercise indoors. Do not hide behind the excuse of “It’s too hot…” You will feel great and will find renewed stamina and energy. 
3. Seize every opportunity to create unique memories – Seek out free concerts, new  parks, run in the sprinklers, buy a ‘slip-n’slide’ and use it, or buy a kiddie pool. It may be as simple as eating popsicles in the backyard where it doesn’t matter if they drip on the ground.
4. Take lots of pictures (and create a photo album) – capture the fun with lots of selfies, pictures and then do something with them. Create a slideshow or a photo book. Make sure you are in a lot of them also.

What other ideas do you have to share? Would love to hear from you!

Karen Sebastian is an author, blogger, corporate trainer and gifted speaker who transparently shares the hope she has found in the darkest times of her life.  She is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded HOPEpreneurs, a consulting firm dedicated to helping women succeed personally and professionally. Karen is known as The Hope Lady because she  takes every opportunity to inspire hope by sharing her rich life experience with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world.

Take the leap!

Go for it!

Jump!

Some times I just need the reminder the get back up and go for it. I don’t know about you but sometimes I just wish I was not an entrepreneur. It’s only for a few thoughts and then I go back to all that I enjoy about I what do and the incredible ride I have had in my life.

To all HOPEpreneurs out there – today is your day to be reminded why you have not given up on your dreams.

Hope Strategies:

• Pick up that big project that was overwhelming you last week. It’s okay to take a break every once in a while. Remember, you can get it all done — just not at the same time.
• Rethink what looks impossible. There is a reason that you are attracted to the possibilities. What would you do if you could be certain that there was absolutely no way to fail. Here’s the secret… Treat it all as lessons learned for the next time and GO FOR IT!
• Take out your ‘Some Day List’ and plan the next one. Jump higher even if it’s just on a trampoline. Or go sky diving – at least in the indoor one. Enjoy the ride.

What are you doing today? What are you encouraging others to do?

Karen Sebastian is an author, blogger, corporate trainer and gifted speaker who transparently shares the hope she has found in the darkest times of her life.  She is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded HOPEpreneurs, a consulting firm dedicated to helping women succeed personally and professionally. Karen is known as The Hope Lady because she  takes every opportunity to inspire hope by sharing her rich life experience with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world.

Secret to Success #5

Breathe

It sounds so simple until you can no longer do it. My late husband suffered from Muscular Dystrophy. This muscle weakening disease affected his core so that during his last years with us he could no longer breathe on his own. He became dependent on a ventilator for his very breath. What is so interesting about this issue was that his lungs remained strong. So what happened?

At the beginning of this process we tried a multitude of solutions. None of them worked. The main lesson that I learned from this experience was to stop trying to second-guess what is wrong and get input from an expert. He landed in the hospital and finally went to ICU. It was a great thing because it was there that the experts were able to diagnose exactly what was going on. His diaphragm stopped working and, although everything seemed fine, he could not take a deep breath in or out.

Get the help you need to analyze your business problems today. Surround yourself with those who can see with eagle eyes what you may not see as you are so close to the situation. It may take some drastic measures or it may be something simple.

Even if everything is going well stop for a few minutes to take a deep breath. If you can do that, extend a word of gratitude to your creator for keeping you healthy enough to do that. Slow down the process by breathing through your nose, hold the breath for 10 seconds and exhale slowly through your mouth. Do this every time that you feel stress building up!

This is another secret to your success – BREATHE!

Karen Sebastian is an author, blogger, corporate trainer and gifted speaker who transparently shares the hope she has found in the darkest times of her life.  She is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded HOPEpreneurs, a consulting firm dedicated to helping women succeed personally and professionally. Karen is known as The Hope Lady because she  takes every opportunity to inspire hope by sharing her rich life experience with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world. 

Forgive Freely

Why is it so hard to let go of the things others have done against us? They become padlocks on the gate to our next steps.

Start the new year with a fresh slate by choosing to forgive those who have wronged you. They may have not ever apologize or even be aware of what they have done. So why are you holding on to it.

Find a quiet spot and explore the ones you need to forgive. Maybe it’s yourself for not accomplishing all that you had proposed to do. Make a list of each one and the main offense you feel against them.

Here is the key step in this. Make an action plan to speak to them if that is appropriate. If not, you can set them free completely from your side. Let go of the expectation of how it should look and allow yourself the freedom to move forward.

Please let me know if this has helped you. I would love to celebrate your victory over false expectations and lies about needing to please everyone as you move forward.

Karen Sebastian is an author, blogger, corporate trainer and gifted speakerwho transparently shares the hope she has found in the darkest times of her life.  She is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded HOPEpreneurs, a consulting firm dedicated to helping women succeed personally and professionally. Karen is known as The Hope Lady because she  takes every opportunity to inspire hope by sharing her rich life experiences with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world.

Today I am grateful!

Gratitude is your biggest weapon against failure because it allows you to embrace the current situation. When you look around with gratitude, you see opportunities rather than offenses. You see the imperfections of those around you with greater kindness as you see their efforts on your behalf even if the result was less that you had hoped for. You are on your way.

So to be successful in the New Year – start every day with gratitude. I am grateful for opportunities, challenges and breakthroughs.

What’s on your gratitude list? Please add at least one in the comments section of this post.

Karen Sebastian is an author, blogger, corporate trainer and gifted speaker who transparently shares the hope she has found in the darkest times of her life.  She is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded HOPEpreneurs, a consulting firm dedicated to helping women succeed personally and professionally. Karen is known as The Hope Lady because she  takes every opportunity to inspire hope by sharing her rich life experience with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world. 

Success is to spring to meet the day with a thrill at being alive. It is to go forth to met the  morning in an ecstasy of joy – Lillian Whiting

How do you define success?

Karen Sebastian is an author, blogger, corporate trainer and gifted speaker who transparently shares the hope she has found in the darkest times of her life.  She is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded HOPEpreneurs, a consulting firm dedicated to helping women succeed personally and professionally. Karen is known as The Hope Lady because she  takes every opportunity to inspire hope by sharing her rich life experience with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world.