Friday, January 28, 2011

Guest Bloggers: Bette James Laughrun and Kathie Nelson

Please join me in welcoming the mother-daughter writing team of Bette James Laughrun and Kathie Nelson as the special guest bloggers here at Thoughts in Progress today as they make a stop on their virtual book tour.

The pair co-wrote, I WANT WHAT SHE’S GOT! THE SECRETS OF CREATING AN OUTRAGEOUS LIFE.”

They have stopped by today to discuss “Have you settled for less than your dream?”  According to them, “It is never too late to create an outrageous life.”
  
There is a time when every woman questions her existence. She wonders “Am I really making a difference?  Is this the way my life is always going to be?”   

At the end of the day, we only have one life to live. We are born wired to love, innately geared to thrive with a homing beacon that draws us to be more … to become that person we were created to be. The longing for significance, to contribute, and to have deep relationships is essential to our fulfillment factor. But somehow, along the way we hit some bumps in the road and life happens. The choices we’ve made, and those of others, impact our current state. We settle into routine or mediocrity.   

You have the power to make new choices that will re-chart your course. I flipped the switch at 62. What about you? 

Here are a few questions you can ask and answer for yourself:


1.  My Purpose:  Why am I here? How do I live my life with purpose? What should I be doing less of? More of? What is the current focus of my life? What do I want it to be? What legacy do I want to leave? If you don’t feel you know your purpose, find someone who is doing something you really believe in and partner with them until you feel your purpose beginning to surface. Just begin to make a difference somewhere.

2.  My Gift Mix – What talents or value do I bring to the world? (Besides my famous Jello salad?) What are my strengths? How do I use them in my life? It starts with you. The more you begin to recognize and take ownership of your uniqueness, strengths and the value of your experiences, you can in turn, reach out and offer this kind of encouragement to others.

3.  My Vision- Beyond what I can see today, what’s in store for the rest of my life? Is there something that stirs my heart but I am not sure I can accomplish it? Who is telling me I can’t? Why? You are never too old (or too young) to pursue what’s on your heart. I was recently inspired by the quote “If you can ‘see’ it you can have it” by Kong Hee. I began to imagine myself traveling, having amazing experiences, spending wonderful times with my family, writing my book and more. Put your ‘dream-maker’ side to work to have some fun imagining. Now is your day to start making new choices. 

You have the power to make choices that will move you toward your ideal life. The journey starts with a single step. An outrageous over-the-top life is not just for others, it can be yours too.

Bette and Kathie, thanks for blogging here today. Starting our life out in a new direction does start with that single step. After that, each step gets a little easier.

For more on Bette, Kathie and their book, check out their website.

What are your thoughts on creating an outrageous life? Do you stop and take stock of where you are and where you want to be?


14 comments:

  1. Bette and Kathie, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us today. Sometimes we all need to take stock of where we are to better understand where we're going. Best of luck.

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  2. I love mother and daughter teams, since I have a mother and a daughter and both are quite special to me.

    Many times, I think we give up without knowing our potential or living our dream life because we get to busy or because it seems too overwhelming a goal to reach. We all have talents and within ourselves--we have the means--if we try.

    Thanks, Mason for hosting.

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  3. Mason - Thanks so much for hosting Bette and Kathie.


    Bette and Kathie - You make such a strong point that it's how we see ourselves and what our vision is for ourselves that can be freeing. Once we take a hard look at the assumptions we have about ourselves, we can change them - and our lives.

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  4. I like the idea that we move toward our ideal life through our own choices. It puts the responsibility for living our choices into our own hands. One choice at a time steers us in the right direction ... Thanks for the inspiring interview.

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  5. ah, I will never have an outrageous life unless I win a million dollars on lottery!

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  6. Life's too short. Be outrageous as much as you want to. Have fun. Great to see a mother daughter team being successful!

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  7. Thanks for hosting them, Mason. I know someone this book is PERFECT for.

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  8. I think both men and women reach that point in their lives. Often it's called a mid-life crisis!

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  9. These are questions we should be asking ourselves throughout our life. It's too easy to become waylaid by a poor choice. But if we continue to ask and challenge ourselves, new paths can be forged. It's never too late.

    Thanks for hosting Bette and Kathie, Mason.

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  10. Their questions are exactly the ones I have asked throughout my life, and continue to ask! Thanks, Mason, for hosting them. I will now check out their website.

    And thanks for stopping by and commenting on my snow poem!

    Have a great weekend!!
    Ann Best, Author

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  11. Good questions. I wish you all the best with your book. And keep writing.
    Nancy
    N. R. Williams, fantasy author

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  12. What a great book! Those are some interesting questions. I'm fortunate to live the life I want.
    CD

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  13. I followed Mason over from Glynis' blog.

    What a wonderful opportunity to write a book with your mother/daughter. Great questions for assessing ones life and taking positive steps forward.

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  14. Enjoyed the post. I want to read this book. It is on my TBR book list.

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's post. Thanks for dropping by.