Guest blog - Caroline
Monday, August 24, 2009 at 09:57PM Here is the guest blog by Caroline Yacu who I am teaming up with for Empowerment Week.
__________________________
This affirmation means a lot to me, especially lately! I am the first to admit that I have had a very blessed life and still do. I have been surrounded by people that love and support me and that means the world to me.
Lately, however, I find myself saying this affirmation more and more. I have done many crazy, “against-the-grain” things in my lifetime. In college I remember telling my parents that I was going to spend 6 months abroad in Australia. They didn’t like the idea of their little girl living so far away, but in my mind it was a done deal. It was a dream of mine and I BELIEVED that I could do it, and I did!
Once I realized that I could do anything I set my mind to, I tested my ability with many other challenges (against the will of many people, especially my worried parents!). I worked abroad in Germany, I moved to San Francisco after college, I even saved my pennies so that I could backpack around the world for a year. These were all dreams of mine that required a lot of personal belief, and in time, I was thankfully able to live them.
My current goal and personal challenge, as most of you know, is building Reflect with my big brother, Drew. Being an entrepreneur has been an incredible journey and one that I am very grateful for, but I must say, I find myself using this affirmation a lot!
Leaving a stable job as a corporate engineer to launch Reflect has made a lot of people gasp, big “what the he$%” kind of gasps! A week does not go by without encountering someone telling me to go back to my corporate job.
“You left your job!? In a recession? Are you crazy?”
You get the picture…lol! I hear these things from the same people over and over and over, and did I mention, AND over. It’s hard to hear. I would be lying if I told you that at times I didn’t doubt myself. Sometimes the thoughts of these people creep into my mind and I wonder: “AM I crazy??”
AND THEN I remember…I absolutely love Reflect and what it stands for. I believe (here I go believing) that it has the ability to change people’s lives all over the world, I truly do! I recognize that I am not the most savvy business owner and that I have to learn things for the first time (like how to enter invoices into QuickBooks or how to analyze an income statement), but the truth is: I believe in myself!!! And I cannot even tell you how many times I repeat this a day. I believe in myself and I believe in Reflect!
When someone questions why Reflect is my full-time job or why I left my degree in Chemical Engineering, I have to listen to my inner voice that tells me to keep going. I have proven to myself in the past that believing can help me accomplish my dreams and I am determined to do the same with this. I believe that I can become a successful entrepreneur, but more importantly, one that positively impacts people all over the world!
So, for those of you trying to accomplish a big goal in your life and have those doubts that creep in every now and then, please know that you are not alone! For the moments when you don’t believe, I will be here to believe in you, pinky swear!!
Imagine what this world would be like if people truly believed in themselves and listened to their heart song! Together we can take a stand, make a difference and all we have to do is believe. I believe in you and I believe in me. Please share your stories so that we can encourage one another to be our very very best!
Love & Belief,
Caroline
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Reader Comments (26)
Thank You Caroline
Inspirational thoughts for all of us to apply to our lives.
Blessings
Bonnie
Caroline~~Thank you for sharing with us on your journey and I hope that we can all share with you as well. Your story is very compelling and honest and I believe in YOU!!! I Believe in Me!
I cannot say that I have been consciously using affirmations as I should...but I do know that the energy that they create is something that has always been present in my world...and now, I need to recognize how to make them BOLD and true in life, as we all do. We have to believe!!! Our perceptions are everything and we create them with the lens we look through...affirmations redirect the lens, and steer our lives. This is so VITAL. xoxo
Thanks again so much for your contribution here today and see you this week!
Lisa..love always!
xoxo
Heike
It may sound funny but it seems as if believing in yourself is often seen as some kind of ignorance or stupidity. When people make drastic changes in their lives due to following their intuition and believing in their own abilities others always try to find a way to knock you down. We live in a society where we rely too heavily on the support of others and have not learned much about our own independence and fending for ourselves and that is why it may seem so hard at times and we may feel outcasted because of it. I believe though that it is real empowerment. I thank you Caroline and Lisa and everone who believes in this, for the support for those who struggle with this. It's very refreshing to hear and be surrounded with positivity and love in a world that places it on the bottom of the priority list. It's taken me years and many battles to find any kind of hope or belief in myself because of the way I was raised. I was put down on a daily basis and forced to believe I would never be good enough for anything. But I finally got sick of it. One day I realized, I am a valuable human being. I do deserve to be happy and alive. I deserve love and hope and peace. I deserve to have faith and belief in who I am. And now I do. I have an unsinkable faith in myself and I will NEVER let anyone take that away. It takes time and healing to change your state of mind but with the faith that life takes you where you need to be it's easier to find harmony. Always remember, whatever happens... NEVER STOP BELIEVING.
Thank you again.
Love and Light,
Amber
Welcome Caroline to being part of Lisas Blog !!! Just look where your "Beliefs and Affirmations" have brought you wow!!!!!!!!!
Your blog is very inspirational and thank you!! I would like to see one of your Reflect shirts with the words printed on it with this.........
" Yes I do believe in Lisa Williams" wouldnt that be an awesome affirmation for Lisa!!!!
(((((((( hugs)))))))))))
Maureen xxxx
Caroline, you are a brave and beautiful person. I hope that you find fulfilment in your present job. It is how you feel that is the most important. I have read before of a lawyer who gave up her job to work with animals. She did this because her job as a lawyer was very stressful and it did not bring her much joy. But she found her happiness looking after and caring for doggies. It filled her up and gave her meaning. When you travel alot, you learn alot about the world. You see things in the world and you learn. It must have been beautiful being in Australia. I was there for seven years and I really loved Australia. I would say that before I travelled, I was a different person. I am so glad that you shared with us today on the blog. I enjoyed reading.
Lisa, whenever I feel down, I like coming here and reading the blogs. It lightens my pain.
Thank you both Lisa and Caroline.
Whoo hoo Caroline!!! Great to see you..hey well done, you're certainly not a woman who sits back and waits for things to happen? Good for you!!! Impressive.....I was the kind who studied many courses and had a very good business mind and powerful drive...But deep in my heart i wanted to be a mum so bad, that i decided to forgo my career and lept into the deep end, the other end of ths scale, so to speak..I decided to trade all those material gains for someone more precious to me than anythiing..Even though i was gifted with a drive needed to succeed in business, i had a deeper purpose, that i knew, was my true calling..And that was to become a mum!!!. I still believe all the study i did ,was me, just filling in time until my real dream came along.....Love S.S. XXX
Thanks Bonnie,
Last week I had a crisis and two thoughts came into my head:
1. What will people think?
2. I have to believe in what I know.
I decided to go with the second one, and did not regret it!
Love
Lana
That was supposed to be thanks to Caroline, but love to Bonnie too! ~ Lana
Hello Caroline, this is a beautiful story giving inspiration indeed. I live in Paris and have planned for some time now to go and live in San Francisco, so your story encourages me ;-)
Your story reminded me of mine as my parents were extremely protective too and when I was in college, I went to England for a year near Birmingham and that was a huge thing for them and for me but I did it. The biggest thing I did for them suprisingly was just to go the south of France by train by myself... yes it's nothing but they just forbade it to me.. but I did ;-)) Like you, I always believed that one can do anything if he really wants too. But I must say as well I received so much love from my father before and I had everything I needed. He was so scared but he didn't know or maybe he knew that he was the one who gave me that self-belief and strength ;-))
Great blog Caroline and thank you for believing so much ;-)
Love,
Lise
Caroline.
I don't think I have the abilities to make some of my dreams come true.
That said, maybe I am not being creative enough.
Then I thought.... I really don't believe or have the energy of that behind me even while I work to find creative solutions to my weaknesses.
So, I need belief. THANK YOU!!
Thank you! The world not only wants to hear inspirational stories like yours, they NEED to hear it. It reminds us that yes we alone can do what we desire. I know it helps me to read these blogs daily to remind myself to stay on track. THANK YOU!!!!!
lisa i was watching you on tele today you are brilliant at what you do hopefully you might come to ireland sometime
megz xxx
Kudos to you for listening to your inner voice! Best wishes to you as you embark on your journey! ~ PJ
Hi Caroline, Thanks for the wonderful blog! You sure led an exciting life and you still are!
It really amazes me how people live their lives. We really do need aspirations to get through the day. I know I firmly need to use themj daily-especially the one that says' I believe in me."
I never really
about saying it but I do know that over the years if I did not believe in me and what I am about I would not be where I am today.
So I thank you my dear and to you my lovely Lisa for giving us what we need in tihis life to get us where we are today.
Love to you both,
Mary
Thanks for everyone's amazing comments!! You brightened up my entire day:-)!
Caroline what an awesome idea and concept Reflect is i think its a true inspirational tool that 99% of us are in need of.
Thanks for shareing your life journey with us you truly are an amazing being and that is truly reflected in your reflection.
Much love & Light and future sucess
Keith aka THEE YORKY PUDDIN
success is not measured by social status or material wealth but in acceptance of ones self and and self worth. Meterial sucess is short lived as they are left behind when you shed this bodily existance but spiritual worth and growth goes with you from the phisical world to the spiritual world and back again. by K.P.Hyatt.......aka Thee Yorky Puddin
Hi Caroline, You've had a wonderful journey and your journey continues with your endeavor with your brother, Drew!! It's great that you believe in yourself and it's because you believe in something that you actually have to put into action in order for it to happen!!! : ) Much Love <3 <3 <3 Jeannine
Dear Lisa,
Just have to tell you that I discovered that you have audios for your shows in Boise, Reno and Vegas. I was so excited when I spotted them because I had been following your blog on those three shows. I chose your Reno show first and about 45 minutes into the show, I go an answer to a question I had been asking for quite a while. This question has also been uppermost in my mind over the last few days, and that question was regarding what happens to a baby that you had either miscarried or aborted and at what point the spirit enters the body. I love your audios. Although many of them are very emotional, some of them are hilarious, and I love the way you talk to them... it's amazing and wonderful. I am in awe! Much love, Jeanette
Dear Melissa,
Would love to know if you found Lisa's article on "Kids With Gifts" and whether it has helped you with regards to your daughter. Hugs, Jeanette
Great Blog Caroline... 'Positive Thinking' is very very powerful. I often tell young ones growing up who are usually undecided and worried about what to become in their lives,
to ask themselves this:
"What is it you would love to do as a volunteer" ...
... and often you would find the path of what they could pursue for themselves to be happy and fulfilled in their life.
Thanks again for your insight into personal happiness and success.
Caroline - what a dynamic and helpful blog post! Your tees are just beautiful and I know you will change lives with them. Bless you for stepping off - the angels shall surely rise up to provide you the stairs.......
Believe in yourself
And what you want to achieve
In your life;
Know who you are
And the reason you’re here.
You set your own goals
And the directions you want
To achieve;
Restore your faith;
Let your passions run free.
You’ll surprise yourself
At how talented you are
In all things;
Hold your head high;
Look the world in the eye.
Be happy with life
And reflect this on others
Who need you;
So that they too
Can pursue who they are!
Susanna
Hi Caroline, what a great story, the time must be right for you to make this change and I'm sure people are ready for it, the world needs good positive people to keep the rest of us mere morals going. It does inspire the people who read your article to do better, be better. I am writing from Australia I hope you really enjoyed your time in our Country when you were younger. It takes some guts to do what you did on your own. Good for you. Have a wonderful time working at something you love, I do volunteer workk, one day at the local public hospital in the cancer unit, I make cups of tea/coffee give out the lunches and chat to people. For some reason I don't treat them like sick people which I think they like just chatting about regular things, I try to make them laugh if I can.
Love Therese
Hi Caroline,
It's so wonderful to read a blog from someone that sounds like they've led exactly the same life as myself. It is hard when you country hop and most other people can't relate and think you're crazy. I've also just resigned from a well paid job in a very wealthy country that most people could only dream of living, so i can pursue spiritual things in the UK. Tell anyone that and they look at me like i'm off my rocker lol.
Good on you for following your heart and I know too that this journey is the most exciting and rewarding as you have full faith in the universe looking after you and helping you to keep aiming high.
Safe journeys!