Tag Archives: Self Esteem

3 Steps to Move from Mediocrity to Meaning (Part 1)

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Is your life an exciting adventure?

Are you ecstatic about your unique gifts and the exciting and unique role you are destined to play out in this unfolding adventure we are collectively creating called life?  Be careful, you won’t find your unique path by focusing primarily on other people’s journeys.  Your journey will require energy so don’t waste yours backbiting, emulating, or being envious of others.  Yes, we can be motivated, inspired, and even learn from others, but ultimately we must do our own search and learn our own truths.  The map for your success is within you and the map for my success is within me. We will find answers for our journey if we are open, expectant, and actively searching.  But we must search in the right place.  If I search forever, but in the wrong place I’ll never uncover my own treasure.  My book ‘Miner Miracles‘ shares my personal journey through poetry and prose on how I, “mined within to discover my God-given greatness.”

The first of three of  the lessons that I’ve used to move from mediocrity to a life of meaning and purpose: are:

  1. Dig Inside.  You’ve got to search in the right spot to find your own treasures.  You’ve seen the treasure maps that mark the spot of the treasure.   You could put a big old X on your forehead and you’d be marking the spot of the greatest treasure on earth.  Your dreams, your vision, and your gifts and talents are inside you.  You’ll never find them searching outside your own self.  Our journey on this side of the sod begins the day we become conscious and lasts until our very last breath.  We are on this journey together so it is important that we play our part and offer our unique contribution.   Please enjoy my signature poem in this short video, Finding the Jewels Within You. I hope it will inspire you as it has inspired me to continue to dig inside and find my own jewels.

I’m Barbara Talley, The Poet who speaks and inspires.   To find more about me, check out my promo sheet or visit my website.

The First Secret to Moving Beyond Mediocrity

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Do you know what moves a person beyond mediocrity?

It is the size of their dreams.  Puny dreams have no power to propel us beyond mediocrity.  I dare you to dream and to dream big and not find yourself getting more excited and more attractive in the process.  One of the books that inspired me in my youth was, ‘The Magic of Thinking Big.’  While the faithless may try to convince you that you are dreaming too big,  dreaming too big is not usually the problem.  Instead it is not having a dream at all or not dreaming big enough that causes more failures.  My own life attests to these principles.  I was a single mom living in the Projects of Upstate New York, surrounded by naysayers.  Mediocrity was everywhere and was the norm.

I had to consciously dream bigger.

I share this journey out of mediocrity in my book, On Track On Fire On Purpose.  I learned to listen to motivational people and read motivational books.  I still get inspired by others.   Mary Morrissey talks about making a ‘Quantum Leap in 2011′, Les Brown talks about ‘It’s Possible.’ Clif McKnight talks about, ‘If You Can’t Calm the Waters- Learn to Ride the Waves. Inspiration is everywhere. Once we’ve got the right dream, we need the right map, the right mentors, and the right muses.  Stay tuned.

I’m Barbara Talley, The Poet who speaks and inspires.   To find more about me, check out my promo sheet or visit  my website.

3 Ways to Always Win Big

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Nobody Likes Losing

That’s right! It’s game day and time to get your game on! Let’s face it; nobody likes losing, so much so, that many refuse to even get into the race of life.  (Note: I define the “race” as any meaningful goal, wish, desire, or passion that defines what you want out of life.)

Meanwhile the ‘watchers’  vicariously just watch life go by and waste their precious existence watching others (via unlimited connectivity to media) live the lives they wish they had the courage to pursue.  Perhaps that’s why Americans spend as much as five hours a day watching television and the insatiable addiction to following the lives of celebrities.

What grand ideal are you putting off pursuing?

What great goal is languishing because you are procrastinating?  What wonderful wish is remaining, well … still just a wish.  Come on, don’t just watch the race of life, get in a lane, any lane! Most successful people will tell you, that most of the rush is in the race, not in the finish, and definitely not on the sidelines.  Many experience a, “Now what?” after they’ve achieved a goal.  But the real excitement was in the start, in the perseverance, and finally in the moments before and after the finish.

How Do You Know You Will Win?

So, what is it that you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t started yet for fear of losing?  Claim it now and go after it knowing that you will win.  How do you know you will win?  Because you are allowed to change the rules! Read my next three posts on three simple rules to get you started: 1) Redefine what winning means, 2) Improve on your own personal best, and 3) Learn something new and change your brain.

I’m Barbara Talley, The Poet who speaks and inspires.   To find more about me, visit:  www.thepoetspeaks.com

Lessons Learned from Competing #6A: Integrating Faith with Works

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You must make sure you integrate Faith with your Works if you wish to see any significant results.  Faith is our sincere belief in what we are doing.  It’s easier to believe in something when we’ve prayed about it, feel love and have passion towards it, and can see it in our visions.

Our work refers to our deeds and means that we are actively doing something to achieve that which we say we believe in.  It’s so much easier to work at something when we know that it provides a valuable service, excites us, and makes a difference in the world.  But, we need both faith and works to accomplish our goals and be successful in our pursuits.  Performing arbitrary meaningless mundane actions and not really believing in what we are doing is as counter productive as believing strongly in something but taking no action at all.  So before you begin, ask for what you really want and believe it is possible, the rest is in the details.

Faith Is The Absence Of Fear and Fear Is The Absence Of Faith

So, why is it so hard for us to ask for more out of life so that we can reach our highest potential?  Two reasons come to mind when I think about why people do or don’t ask for more out of life, fear and faith.  And, when you really boil it down, it’s only one thing, for fear is the absence of faith and faith is the absence of fear.  Fear and faith are like two sides of the same coin.   You can only see one side at a time, when you flip it over you see the other side, but not both.  So choose!

Faith is the Catalyst to Attracting Success and Supporters

I’d now like to share two quotes from, ‘A Course in Miracles’ on faith, the first, “If you knew who walked beside you, at all times, on this path that you have chosen, you could never be afraid.”

If you only knew who walked beside you at all times, you would never be afraid to reach your potential.  You would never be afraid to ask for what you want and you would never be afraid that you would not receive.  The second quote is, “Alone we are all lowly but, together we shine with brightness so intense that none of us alone can even think of it.” The key to seeing is to integrate faith with works.  You have to take action and do something. Your actions and your faith become the catalyst to attracting your success and supporters to you.

Nothing Happens If You Don’t Act!

When I entered the OWN Show Competition, I only had a 8 days to get the word out and I knew I could not do it alone.  Stan put together the video and made it all possible.  Maxine emailed people, called people, and even passed out flyers at the metro without me even asking.  Maxine, Roya, Tony, and Clif became my online warriors, voting continuously and telling everyone they knew to do the same.  Roya was so passionate about helping me that she inspired her friend Kadijah, who didn’t even know me  to pass out flyers at the metro too.  It was their magnanimous support and love that gave me the courage to get in the game and stay in the game in spite of the odds.  My sisters (Betty and Linda), my husband Gile, and my children voted and asked their friends to vote also.   I was truly blessed by the outpouring of support.  But, nothing would have happened if I did not act first.  Acting is the key to attracting. Click below to continue to Part B of Lessons Learned from Competing: Integrating Faith with Works

(Continued)Part 2: Seven Lessons Learned from Asking

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Click to listen.

4. Asking Is Not Begging, It’s Choosing

So what are you neglecting to ask for?  Is it for more respect or better treatment, a raise or promotion, more help around the house, your debts paid, a new house, a new car, a new career,  or a better way to share your talents and natural gifts through meaningful service? One of the most  exciting things about life is that we get to choose.  But, I think we need to redefine what asking means.  Asking is not begging, or a sign of weakness, greed, discontent, or lack of appreciation for what you already have.

Asking simply signifies that you are taking responsibility for making your life magical, that you have made a choice, and that you are open to receiving your spiritual gifts and blessings.  That’s how polite people get what they want out of life.  They ask, they receive, they say, “Thank You.”  Choosing is a spiritual act that focuses your energy and power and attracts resources to you.

5. Refusing to Ask for Help Is Denying Others

Before, during and after the competition, I had to ask for help.  And, thank God that I was humble enough to ask.   Ric Ocasek wrote, “Refusing to ask for help when you need it is refusing someone the chance to be helpful.” And aren’t virtuous actions the real source of our spiritual currency?  To my surprise several friends came to my aid with a greater commitment than I could have asked for.  I’d learned long ago that I am not alone.  But, even knowing this fact, I too find it hard to ask for help sometimes.  Thank God, that this time I asked.   When I first heard about the competition I needed help in making the decision.  I fortunately had people around me encouraging me to get in the game, affirming that what I had to offer was indeed valuable, and offering their support.  This made it easy to make the decision.  But even then, I still needed a video.

6. Asking is a Sign of Faith, Wisdom, and Trust

I prayed, meditated, and a person came to mind.  I didn’t have the budget for a video at the time, but in faith I put it out there and just asked.  I wanted a high quality video and I had to ask for help from someone who had the equipment and skill that I did not have.  I asked and Stan said, “Yes!”  I asked and I received.  And, by the way, he didn’t charge a dime.  One thing is for sure is that we won’t know if we don’t ask.  So, don’t be afraid to ask for help.  You are not alone.

Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.   It fact, it takes a strong person to ask others for help.   Asking for help does not make you vulnerable.   You can’t receive unless you ask and open yourself up to receive.  Remember, asking for help is not a sign of failure.  It is a sign of wisdom.  It is a sign of faith.  It is a sign of trust.  Trust, faith, and wisdom build character and, you can’t lose when you are becoming more virtuous.

7. Asking Is a Way to Give More

And, finally, getting into the competition was in essence “asking for something more out of life.” But, more importantly for me, it was a way to potentially give more too.  So, why then is it so hard to ask for more out of life  so that we can reach our highest potential?  We’ll cover that in our 6th Lesson Learned from Competing: ‘Integrating  faith and Works.