Lead With Passion and Purpose ~ #MoreBizWomen Twitter Chat with @StaplesCanada

With International Women’s Day approaching, I’ve been reading  a lot about ways we can celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women.  This brought me to thinking of how we can lead with passion and purpose.

International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.  (United Nations website)

One thing I have always believed in is that people should support one another.  I believe that women, especially should make it a point to encourage, support, and lift each other up.

Have you ever noticed that leaders who thrive have a passionate purpose in the work they do? They also exude positivity, and positivity is contagious!

They also benefit from strong informal and formal networks which are focused on the creation of collaborative opportunities. Most importantly they recognize the importance of maintaining their energy and drive to excel.  (www.womeninbiznetwork.com)

Find your passionate purpose

Have you ever stopped to think about what you are truly passionate about?

In the past year, I’ve had numerous conversations with other women about finding out what our passionate purpose is.  Strong women, entrepreneurs and savvy business women, philanthropists and I have discussed at length about living a life filled with intention.  The past year has been a life-changing one for me in terms of my own personal growth.  Family illnesses and my own eye-opening health issues have caused me to re-evaluate every aspect of my life.

2016 is the year I am claiming to lead with passion and purpose. Recent events have caused my family to re-evaluate our priorities and though the circumstances are unfortunate, there is a silver lining. Our eyes have been opened and things have forced us to make some changes and live a life with intention.

Take care of yourself

As women, daughters, mothers, sisters, aunts, friends (and so much more), I’ve learned that we need to take care of ourselves before we can take care of others.  We do so much for everyone else, but if we do not take care of ourselves, we cannot take care of others.  This means learning that we cannot fill our plates with commitments and things to do — lest all of those things start to pile up so high on our plates that they begin to fall off.  We need to learn that it’s okay to say no and that we do not have to do it all.  Simple things like getting enough sleep and drinking enough water each day, and making time to workout or go for a walk can all help us feel energized.   When we are feeling energized and good, it can help us beat feeling burnt out.

I have realized that the key to success in business is to  that mix of balance in passion and personal strengths as well as focusing on the meaningful purpose and positive change you are creating for those you serve.  An excellent post to read here.

Nurture and cultivate your relationships and utilize your social networks

Back in 2008, I was put on strict bed rest during my pregnancy.  What was supposed to be the most exciting and happiest time of my life turned out to be the most terrifying and even depressing time of my life.  I had a high risk pregnancy and doctors were worried my baby would arrive very early.  They were right.  Little One arrived at 28 weeks and weighed 980 grams at birth.  The weeks of bed rest leading up to her birth were filled with worry.  I couldn’t even sit because doctors said it was too much pressure on the cervix.  With many weeks laying prone/on my back, I  had nothing to do but watch daytime TV or surf the internet.  That was when I really started blogging and the support and encouragement from my online networks really helped me through that challenging time.  I received daily messages, emails, comments on the blog, letters and even phone calls from people (mainly other women) in my social networks.  To this day, I don’t know how I would have gotten through those early days.

After Little One arrived, she spent 72 days in the NICU.  The support of my family, friends, other NICU parents, and  women in my networks kept me going.

It was through this experience that I recognized the incredible opportunity social networks had to collaborate, gain strength and support.  All of those are how I treat social networks when it comes to my personal and professional life.  My online community is important to me.  I always say there’s a reason the word “social” is in social media.  For me, the most important thing about social networks is the relationships that we cultivate and nourish.  This goes for personal and business.

Over the past few years, when work is involved, I have collaborated with many incredible women on projects and campaigns. I’ve had some amazing mentors and in turn I have been able to mentor others.

Kindness and helping others don’t cost a thing, but are worth so much.  We gain strength from each other when we support each other.

#MoreBizWomen with @StaplesCanada Chat Mar 7th, $500 in prizes

Celebrate with us!
Join Staples Canada to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th by visiting your local Staples store. Each store will be showcasing local entrepreneurs making a difference in their communities. Enjoy and save at these events with a 10% savings coupon.
Remember Staples Canada has everything a business needs to succeed. Discover how Staples products and services can help support your business needs throughout these events .
Tweet with Us and Win ! – Our chat will focus on Leading with Passion and Purpose
Join @StaplesCanada for the #MoreBizWomen Twitter Chat at 9 pm EST March 7th to celebrate #IWD2016 and a chance to win over $500 in prizes

RSVP TO BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN PRIZES