8:21: Lisa Nichols, motivational speaker takes the stage. She is giving the motivational keynote at the Women of Power Summit, replacing Susan Taylor, who was unable to make it today because of the snow storms on the east coast.
MOTIVATIONAL KEYNOTE: BUILD A LIFE, NOT A RESUME
True success is a moving target with an ever-changing roadmap for reaching it. But when you focus on what matters most to you in every aspect of your life, you will always be clear on your definition of success as well as how to attain it. Listen as our dynamic speaker shares pearls of wisdom about the value of filling the gaps in your life over filling the blanks in your resume.
Lisa Nichols exploded on the stage at the Summit with a force that was as powerful as her colorful red and black tie-die maxi dress.
“I am not that woman I was in 1984, so who cares what high school I went to.
“I don’t care what you’ve done, I care who you be,” says Nichols.
The women–and the few men–in the audience are pumped, and giving Nichols a “Yes! Yes!” in place of an “Amen” as if she were a preacher giving a sermon.
“I’m having my strongest financial year because I decided not to check yes to the Evite to the recession.”
8:35: What’s she up to now?, everyone is wondering as Nichols asks for a cup, saucer, plate and water. Hmm.
Here’s a new mantra from Nichols: “I choose to give myself what I need. First. First. It is not a luxury, it is a necessity. ” Yes! Yes!
Sometimes the truth may not be so comfortable. Goodness knows too often we surround ourselves with people who will tell us what we want to hear, and not what we need to hear. Those people may be healthy for you and you need to reconsider those relationships.
“Some of the main messages that we’ve learned are the ones we need to change,” Nichols continues. “2010 is the best time to have holistic success. Financial success does not mean holistic success. ”
OK, now she has given a demonstration about the cup and the saucer. She has filled up the cup with water and is saying that as you fill up your cup with your abundance of time, riches, love, time, and yourself, we give too much of ourselves. She says to only use the overflow from the cup–the water that has is splashing in the saucer–for others. “I serve only from my saucer and not my cup. That belongs to me,” says Nichols.
8:54: Nichols took questions from the audience about careers and even about her foundations. Someone asked her about her bra!
She’s wrapping up now, and I think I could listen–and learn–from her for hours. Hours.
“You get to give yourself a 1,000 chances and when you get to 999 you get to press reset.” I take that to mean that I don’t have to beat myself up all the time when I don’t get it right the first, second or 10th time. Where is my reset button?
“I love who’ve you’ve been … and I’m excited about who you’re becoming.”
Deborah Creighton Skinner is the editorial director for BlackEnterprise.com