The Magnificent Palm Tree

The Palm Tree is a wonder of the World.

Tall, yet thin.

Its roots planted deeply into the soil.

As it grows, it matures and requires little care.

When the rain comes, it soaks it up like knowledge and stores it.

One branch may wither and break in the wind, only to be rebirthed again.

The Palm Tree stands the test of time, is challenged, yet fiercely survives.

One can uproot it and replant it.

It knows its place, its purpose.

It is a magnificent beauty to the World.

If only human beings could be so strong.

The lesson to be learned…

Be like a Palm Tree, stretch tall and branch out.

Cause like a Palm Tree, you were planted here on Earth for a reason.

Find your own magnificence.

Know it. Love it. Believe it.

LIVE IT!

- Beckie Jorgensen, Gallup Certified Strengths Coach

THE TRUTH ~ Myth #3: I MUST STRIVE TO BE WELL-ROUNDED

Once upon a time, the animals came together and founded a school with six subjects: swimming, crawling, running, jumping, climbing, and flying. At first the duck was the best swimmer, but she wore out the webs of her feet in running class, and then couldn’t swim as well. The dog was the best runner, but he crashed in flying class and injured his leg. The rabbit started out as the best jumper, but he fell in climbing class and hurt his back. At the end of the school year, the class valedictorian was the eel, who could do a little bit of everything, but nothing very well. (Andrea Sigetich and Carol Leavitt, MBA. Play to Your Strengths. New Jersey. The Career Press, 2008).

It is a deep rooted belief in our society that being well-rounded is the greatest path to success. But, what is forgotten in that philosophy is that, as complex human beings, we all have weaknesses. In my recent post, THE TRUTH ~ Myth #2: I MUST FIX MY WEAKNESSES; I came head-to-head with this universal truth.

I will not argue that at a young age, we need to be exposed to a variety of things. Sports, education, religion, music, art, boy/girl scouts, family traditions…the list goes on. But, the expectation that we should or will excel at everything is unrealistic. Rather, exposure to a variety of activities and experiences growing up tells us one thing – what are our strengths and what our weaknesses are!

As time goes on, we mature and develop our talents. We understand what we are good at and what we are not good at. We should feel no remorse or regret over our limitations. Yet, societal pressure calls upon us to focus our time and energy on fixing our weaknesses so that we become well-rounded.

The definition of well-rounded is, “someone who is skilled, capable or knowledgeable in a lot of different things”, that I can live with! But, when growing up, at least from my own experience, that was not the intentwhen people spoke about being well-rounded. The intent or message was, “in order to be successful, you must perfect yourself in all areas of life.”

Perfectionism! And, oh boy, did I try. I was in sports, went to girl scouts, attended catechism, studied hard in high school, worked at an early age at my parent’s business, went on to college, furthered my education with Graduate school, kept a clean house and learned to cook, read books, took personality/character assessments to learn about myself, read self-help books, kept to-do lists, created goals, …. All with one goal in mind – to be perfect!

UH-OH!

I suck at math, have no sense of direction, can’t read a map, am a horrible singer, don’t play a musical instrument, not artistically (painting/drawing) talented, and get bored with routine, methodical tasks. I drove my family nuts trying to overcompensate for my weaknesses and be perfect! As a young adult, I was labeled by those who knew me as a “perfectionist.” But, this belief that I had to be well-rounded, meaning excellent at everything, wasn’t what I learned from those closest to me growing up…it was from a much larger influence. It was based on what I read in magazines and books, watched on TV, learned from educators, and “what I heard to be true.”

Not only did I drive everyone around me crazy, but I drove myself nuts too! In actuality, it took me having my child to stop the “spin cycle.” I was exhausted trying to be “all that,” a wife, mom, daughter, sister, successful career professional…and “do it all to perfection.” Something had to give! I finally realized that I could not be perfect!

Success is not about being well-rounded or perfect; it is about clearly identifying our strengths and leveraging them to be the best of who we were born to be! It isacceptance of both our strengths and weaknesses.

One year and 7 months ago, I took StrengthsFinder and engaged in coaching to learn how to align my strengths to my personal and professional life. It was, by far, the best investment of my life. The insight and clarity, confidence and calm that filled my soul transformed my life. I felt as if the “weight of the world” was lifted off my shoulder. For the first time, I accepted ME!

Identifying, accepting, and intentionally using our strengths every day, and managing around our weaknesses, are the absolute keys to our success! The emotional and physical benefits are joy, happiness, fulfillment, success and HOPE!

H – Happiness
O – Opportunity
P – Purpose
E – Excellence

Are you ready to find fulfillment? Are you ready to create a roadmap to play to your strengths?

“When you play to your strengths, you may not be well-rounded, but you will be extraordinarily successful!” – Excerpt from the book, Play to Your Strengths

And might I add, happy, confident, and filled with a sense of PURPOSE! My friends, it is time to get on the bus. If you are ready to join the Strengths Revolution, I am here to coach, train, and guide you every step of the way!

Forget about being well-rounded; just learn to be the BEST of whom you were born to be!”

– Beckie Jorgensen, Certified Strengths Coach

“

Poem: The Talent of a Butterfly

There she lay paralyzed by her own thoughts of weakness.

She was unable to see the beauty of her own self-worth.

Until, she heard a voice.

Then suddenly, she uncloaked from beneath the dark shadows.

This voice gently reminded her of her own unique talent.

She began to stir.

Standing tall, she stretched upwards and her wings unfolded.

The light from above shimmered down upon her.

There she stood filled with power, confidence and beauty!

It was a sight that nobody would believe.

Those wings were her talent that when used gave her strength.

There was nothing standing in her way.

She had unlocked the key to her truest potential.

From there, she flew away!

- © BeckieJorgensen.com 2016

We all possess innate talents. We all have a unique calling. When we tap into our talents and develop them into strengths, we transform our lives to be the best of who we were born to be! - Beckie Jorgensen, Certified Strengths Coach

THE TRUTH ~ Myth #1: I SUCK! I AM NOT GOOD AT ANYTHING!

“You suck! You are not good at anything! You will never amount to anything! You have no talents!” 

-OR-

“I suck! I am not good at anything! I will never amount to anything! I have no talents!”

How many times have you heard people say this? How many people in your life have told you this? How many times have you said this to yourself? Well, what if I told you - scientifically, this is simply, humanly NOT TRUE?

You may respond,

“Yeah Right!” 

“Whatever!”

Do I have your attention yet?

Before you read on, please take a moment to STOP everything you are doing. Please do not bypass this step.

Take three deep breaths. As you breathe in, I want you to feel the energy of air filling your lungs. As you breath out, I want you to release any negative emotion or thought for the moment. Repeat 3 times…

Now, you have permission to read on…

If you are reading this right now, you are ALIVE and have a BRAIN, which means you are GOOD at something and that you have TALENTS! So reverse what I said, “scientifically, this is simply, humanly true!”  Let me prove it, in a simplified way, as I am not a scientist.

From conception, our brain develops a hundred billion neurons, or cells that begin to build the raw material of the mind by creating connections called synapses. A synapse is a connection between two brain cells that enables the cells to communicate with one another. By age three, each of your hundred billion neurons have formed fifteen thousand synaptic connections with other neurons. During the next ten years or so, your brain refines, focuses, and begins to ignore some of these connections. The stronger synaptic connections get only stronger, while the weaker connections simply break and die. By the time you wake up on your sixteenth birthday, half your network is gone. What remains is a unique network of connections that represent your talents.

Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton, in their book, Now, Discover Your Strengths (The Free Press, 2001) define talents as our “recurring pattern of thought, feeling, or behavior.” Your talents, your strongest synaptic connections, are the most important raw material for building your strengths. Strengths?

YES! WHAT YOU ARE NATURALLY GOOD AT!  

So you see, it is impossible not to be good at something! We are all unique. We are all born with talents. Unfortunately, many of us walk through life without ever really knowing what our innate talents are. Instead, from birth, we are told about all the things that are “wrong with us.” Therefore, we focus our time and energy on fixing our weaknesses only to yield mediocre results in return. We lose all sense of identity, become confused about who we are, and develop self-limiting beliefs and perceptions about ourselves, which sets us up to fail or not try!

Why Know Thy Talents?

It is not about who you are not.

It is who you are.

It is not about what you need to fix.

It is what you strengthen.

It is not about what you did wrong.

It is what you do right.

It is not about learning something new.

It is what you naturally do.

It is not about a situation.

It is your destination.

-Beckie Jorgensen

Believe me!  I know all too well, how at a young age, I constantly compared myself to family members and other people and it caused me to wonder, "Would I ever be good at anything?"  I desperately wanted to be good at something, whether musically, artistically or at a sport.

BE CONFIDENT. Too many days are wasted comparing ourselves to others & wishing to be something we aren’t. Everybody has their own strengths & weaknesses, and it is only when you accept, everything you are & everything you aren’t, that you will truly succeed in life. – Ritu Ghatourey

I continuously searched, trying different things, until I discovered my talent as a long distance runner in High School. But, as I was laid-up in a hospital bed for a week my Freshman year in College with a severe kidney infection, I came to the realization that my “legs” and the ability to run wasn’t necessarily a “talent” that would carry me through life. By Sophomore year, I had switched my major from Sports Medicine to Social Work. I graduated, went on to Graduate School, and became an Child and Adolescent Therapist. Three and a half years later, I found myself in the same place, wondering … am I really good at anything? As an adult, I reverted back to my search, just like I did as a child.

I researched different career fields, hoping to justify a career change, especially after taking out heavy school loans to complete a 2-year Master’s program, which I knew I would be paying back for the next 30 years.  However, I knew one thing, I loved working with people. But, I could not really nail down “why” being a Social Worker was not right for me. Ultimately, I chose the field of Human Resources and spent 15 years in this career. Until about 2 years ago, when once again, I found myself in that same place, wondering…

That was, until September 2014, when I took StrengthsFinder and invested in Coaching. Yep, at 42 years old, two months shy of becoming 43, I discovered my natural born talents.

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis

I didn’t just discover my talents, put my StrengthsFinder report in a drawer, and move on. No, it was much, much, much more than that. I began a journey of self-discovery to learn how to apply my talents to my personal and professional life. Not only did I study the research, read books, invest in coaching, and study successful people, I observed and studied myself. My life!

 What did I gain from this? ANSWERS!

This is why in April of 2015 (a year ago this month); I became a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach. Because, like many of you, I spent many years searching, trying different things, and asking myself the hard questions … all in the attempt to discover one thing, “What am I really good at?” But, this journey has answered much more than just, "What are my talents?"

It revealed to me…My PURPOSE in life!

In both my personal (mom, daughter, friend, partner, colleague) and professional roles (coach, consultant, educator, trainer, writer), my purpose is to inspire, motivate and empower people to discover their natural talents, turn them into strengths and take action to maximize their gifts to be the best of who they were born to be (personally and professionally).

Hence, why I recently published my book: Live Your Life: The Art of Leveraging Your Strengths to Live Your Purpose. Are you ready to find YOUR answers? To learn more and connect with me, please visit: beckiejorgensen.com.

Coming soon: THE TRUTH ~ Myth #2: I MUST FIX MY WEAKNESSES

Why Know Thy Talents?

It is not about who you are not.

It is who you are.

It is not about what you need to fix.

It is what you strengthen.

It is not about what you did wrong.

It is what you do right.

It is not about learning something new.

It is what you naturally do.

It is not about a situation.

It is your destination.

 – Beckie Jorgensen,Certified Strengths Coach

Called to Coach with Beckie Jorgensen – Video Replay

On March 4, 2016, I appeared “live” on Called to Coach with Gallup to discuss my transformational journey as the result of discovering my talents, turning my talents into strengths, and the transformational journey that led to my decision to become a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach.

Watch the video replay to gain insight into this amazing journey where I reveal tips on using StrengthsFinder and learn more about my new book Live Your Life ~ The Art of Leveraging Your Strengths to Live Your Purpose (available to order on Amazon.com).

Is She Really Just a Daydreamer? The Truth Be Told

“Stop daydreaming,” my mom said. “Pay attention,” my teachers said.

Growing up, these directives were often given to me. I never really understood why I was considered a “daydreamer,” and as a child, I perceived those words as criticism. I often found myself sitting and just staring into space dreaming about “what could be.” Until, someone or something jolted me back to present moment awareness.

It was not until much later in my adult life that the truth was revealed. What I did not know then that I know now is that daydreaming was, in essence, my talents showing up in the rawest form. Meaning that I had not yet learned to appropriately regulate or develop my talents for productive use. Let’s face it, daydreaming can be quite therapeutic for oneself, but perceived by others as you lacking focus, being preoccupied, or having “your head in the clouds.”

In 2014, I took StrengthsFinder, which identified my top 5 dominant talents as Strategic, Maximizer, Responsibility, Futuristic, and Positivity. A few months later, I received my full report of all 34 talent themes in rank order. In my top 12 talent themes, I have Learner (#6), Ideation (#9) and Input (#12).

So what is the significance of this information as it relates to daydreaming? Everything. To help you better understand, I am going to provide a simple definition of each of these talent themes as reported by StrengthsFinder.

• Strategic – people who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.
• Maximizer – people who are especially talented in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.
• Responsibility – people who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.
• Futuristic – people who are especially talented in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.
• Positivity – people who are especially talented in the Positivity theme have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.
• Learner – people who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them. 
• Ideation – people who are especially talented in the ideation theme are fascinated with ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.
• Input – people who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.

So, here is my simple formula to relate my talents to the topic at hand:

Strategic + Futuristic + Learner + Ideation + Input = Daydreamer

(or better term "THINKER")

I am a thinker. Not just any thinker. A thinker of future possibilities! My mind’s eye paints clear pictures of a better future and I sort through information, options, experiences and data in my head to create a clear path in order to turn dreams, whether my own or someone else’s, into reality. These are my natural born gifts. 

Have either one of these scenarios ever happened to you?

1. You are driving home from work. You are on the same route you drive every day. You know exactly where you are going and how to get there. But, today, you happened to miss your exit. All of a sudden you realize that you have been driving way to long and that you are 2 exits past the one you were supposed to get off. Your reaction, “Huh? How did I do that?”
2. You are sitting at your desk thinking about a problem and devising up a solution in your mind. You find yourself staring out the window. Your eyes are fixated on a particular spot, but it is not the tree or brick wall you actually see. In fact, you see nothing at all. But, if a colleague were to walk into your office and look at you, they would assume you are staring out the window at something very specific. He or she may even ask you, “What do you see out there?” Abruptly you come back to reality and embarrassingly respond, “Oh, um, nothing…I was just thinking about….”

If you experience these moments like I do, I am sure you can think of a hundred more scenarios of where you caught yourself or have been caught daydreaming. But the lesson taught here is this:

Learn to put your daydreaming to productive use and, BAM, you can visualize and devise innovative, creative and solution-focused ways of doing things for a better tomorrow, a better future, or even a better World!

Now that is TALENT turned into STRENGTH!

Ever been criticized for doing something over and over again, but yet never really understood why? It may very well be an underlying talent that could hold the key to your greatest potential for success! Want to learn more, please visit www.beckiejorgensen.com.

“We all possess innate talents. We all have a unique calling. When we tap into our talents and develop them into strengths, we transform our lives to be the best of who we were born to be!” – Beckie Jorgensen

Live Your Life Purpose: Tips and Tools for Coping on a Bad Day!

I am going to be frank and honest here. Discovering your life purpose is hard work. It requires a lot of inner work to change limiting beliefs, stay grounded, and keep a positive attitude despite all the noise around you. I refer to noise as life situations that challenge you consciously and subconsciously. You know…those bad moments, days, or weeks that derail your positive mindset and forward progress. It could be a financial difficulty, poor interaction with someone you care for or love, or mounting moments of rejection (not getting a client, being told you didn’t get that job or promotion, or a refusal when asking for help). Whatever the situation is, it leaves you feeling defeated, angry, irritated, anxious, and disappointed…you name the word, emotion, or reaction that resonates with you.

Well, despite positivity being my # 5 strength as identified by StrengthsFinder, I too have those back in THE PIT moments. I wrote about THE PIT in my previous Blog, Confront Your Real Story: The Power of Persistence. The PIT was referred to as the depths of darkness where you experience thoughts of despair, failure, and unworthiness and feel depressed, stressed, and utterly exhausted. You find yourself paralyzed and wanting to give up all HOPE.

I had one of those weeks. Yes, TGIF! But the good news is that whatever challenge, negative emotion, or limiting belief you are experiencing right in the moment, it is temporary.  The key is to develop proper coping skills so that you get “unstuck.”

In this Blog, I am going to share with you some of my methods and resources used to get back up, dust off, and persist on.  Now, I know that everyone has their own ways to cope and that success with these methods is going to be different for everyone. But, humor me here! I have tried many different coping skills and, by far, the following list really works for me. So, I said to myself, Why not share?

1. If you have taken StrengthsFinder, take out your assessment results and read it again. Pay close attention to the words and phrases that resonate with you the most. Remember, your top 5 Talent Themes are your gifts, what makes you unique, and drive your purpose in life. You can NEVER, in my opinion, read your report too much. It is a good reminder to intentionally use your strengths and definitely a way to “ground” you back to reality! If you have not taken StrengthsFinder and would like to know more, visit me at www.beckiejorgensen.com.
2. Meditation. Clear your MIND. Get rid of the noise. Give yourself a break from your racing thoughts. For me, meditation gives my brain a break, renews my hope, and increases my positive spirit. I typically do a meditation exercise before I go to bed. It really helps me clear my head and get a good night rest. Click here for a 108 Meditation Techniques from The Meditation Society of America.
3. Affirmations. Take time to read and recite inspiring affirmations. I love to search the internet and Pinterest for inspiring quotes. I make it a daily routine, first thing every morning for about 15 minutes, to collect, pin, or post inspiring quotes on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites. You can also create a quote board and display your favorite affirmations in a visible area to read daily. I love using Inspired Living Affirmations as a resource. Here is a link to their website and Facebook page. On Facebook, you can even request a FREE E-book download full of quotes!
4. Essential Oils. Essential oils play a powerful role in emotional healing. Essential oils assist in healing the physical body, healing the heart, releasing limiting beliefs, increasing spiritual awareness and connection, and inspiring the fulfillment of our life’s purpose. As part of my own journey of healing and inner work, I have incorporated essential oils as a natural and healthy part of my life to find emotional balance, increase my energy levels, and improve my sleep. I have been using essential oils for just over a year with great results! If you would like to learn more, just e-mail me directly at beckiejorgensen@gmail.com.
5. The Law of Attraction: Learn and practice the law of attraction. I will admit I am new to this one. I have started to learn how to incorporate this in my daily “time for me” routine. I believe that it is so important to schedule time for yourself on a daily basis to reflect, give gratitude, and attract good things into your life. The law of attraction is the name given to the maxim "like attracts like" which in New Thought philosophy is used to sum up the idea that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts a person brings positive or negative experiences into their life. Visit The Law of Attraction 
   website or Facebook page. On their Facebook page, you can sign up and download a complimentary Law of Attraction (LOA) Tool Kit.
6. Get a Coach. NO JOKE! Yes, I am a Coach, but even trained professional coaches, like me, need a Coach. The power of hiring a Coach, Mentor, or Accountability Partner is so valuable that I consider it priceless. Having an objective person to talk to, guide you, and hold you accountable for being your best self is key to living out your purpose. Observe and/or read about any successful person you know or follow and you will recognize that they did not get where they got by doing it alone! HIRE A COACH!

My list could go on and on. Of course, reading books, writing, journaling and yoga/exercise are important to add to the list as well. However, for me, I need at times to shake things up a little. Therefore, I am sharing some of my favorite “unconventional” approaches to coping with life situations. Whatever healthy coping strategies you have, try adding one or two different approaches. It is always a good idea to have different tools in your toolbox.

What other coping strategies have you had success with? Visit me atwww.beckiejorgensen.com , post a comment, or send me an email to beckiejorgensen@gmail.com. I would love you hear from you!