From the Desk of Janet Barclay

A few months ago, I wrote about Bobby Assadourian, Owner of Triple R Inc., who attributes his success to his organizational skills. Bobby recently contacted me to let me know about his involvement in a very special project.

QuickContractors.com and Cambridge Insurance Brokers, with the help of Triple R. Inc. and CNS Renovations, are teaming up to provide a Barrier Free Home Renovation to the McQuinn family of Guelph, who were selected from 180 applicants. Amanda McQuinn was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of three. Doctors were able to remove over 95% of the tumor, but Amanda was left paralyzed on the left side of her body due to a stroke during surgery. She is now five years old and able to walk with the aid of her walker, but  unfortunately, the doorways at the McQuinn residence do not accommodate the width of the walker, and Amanda is forced to crawl in order to access the entire house. With the expense and time consumed caring for Amanda, The McQuinn family is unable to afford the costly modifications needed to make their home accessible for Amanda, but thanks to the Accessible Home Renovation Project, they are now receiving the help they need. This project is the culmination of the commitment of community members who feel we should all assist people with physical disabilities to maximize their independence, personal empowerment, and community participation.

I’ve taken off my Organized Assistant hat to let you know about the project, and to ask you that you help out in one of the following ways:

• Make a cash donation via PayPal
• Sponsor the 2nd Annual Accessibility Awareness Golf for Charity Tournament
• Participate in the Golf Tournament on September 10, 2007

Thanks for your support, and for thinking about the people in need in your community.

Last time I wrote about how indecision had been keeping me from moving forward with certain things, as well as keeping me up at night. Just becoming aware of that challenge has helped me to overcome it.

Which brings me to the topic of this month’s message on my motivational calendar:

CHALLENGE

They can conquer who believe they can.

William Dryden

I haven’t heard that particular quote before, but it reminds me of this one:

If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.

 Henry Ford

I can think of quite a few times, in both my personal and my professional life, where I reluctantly attempted something which took me outside my comfort zone, such as public speaking, attending a large networking event, or opening my eyes under water. In most cases, it was much easier than I expected to be. But even on those occasions where it was as difficult, or even more difficult, than I anticipated, I had the satisfaction of knowing that I had given it a shot. Then, when faced with a similar situation in the future, I would be able to decline because it was something I chose NOT to do, rather than something I didn’t think I COULD do.

A few months ago, during a conversation about my business, the person I was speaking with commented on the fact that I was receiving a lot of coaching. I’ve been working one-on-one with a business coach for two years, in a law of attraction group for several months, and have taken advantage of a few free coaching sessions.

Recently as I pondered the future direction of my business, I wondered if signing up with a VA coach would be a good investment. As I struggled with that and other pending decisions, it finally dawned on me that I don’t need more coaching; what I need is to learn to be confident enough to make decisions and carry them out. Although there is no harm in seeking advice from experts, ultimately I know what is best for my business and my clients. With that realization, I have been able to move forward with three issues that were keeping me awake at night.

So, for my own benefit and that of any readers who also struggle with decision-making, I am posting the following quotations:

  If you put off everything ’till you’re sure of it, you’ll get nothing done.
Norman Vincent Peale

In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing,
the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.
Theodore Roosevelt

When you cannot make up your mind which of two evenly balanced
courses of action you should take - choose the bolder.
William Joseph Slim

The man who insists upon seeing with perfect clearness before he decides, never decides.
Henri-Frederic Amiel

A peacefulness follows any decision, even the wrong one. 
Rita Mae Brown 

Although every man believes that his decisions and resolutions involve the most
multifarious factors, in reality they are mere oscillation between flight and longing.
Herman Broch 

What decisions are keeping you awake at night? What is the worst that could happen if you made the wrong decision?

Can you believe that May is nearly over? Spring is my favourite time of year and it’s never long enough, with winter dragging on long past March 21st and summer usually underway well before June 21st. So here it is, time to share this month’s quote from my motivational calendar.

 VISION

Some men see things as they are and ask, "Why?"
I dream things that never were, and ask "Why not?"

George Bernard Shaw

This is the secret behind many successful businesses: having the vision to develop new ideas, and the perseverance to bring them to fruition.

Here it is, already the end of April (where does the time go?) and I haven’t yet written about this month’s message on my motivational calendar:

ATTITUDE

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.

Winston Churchill

Although it’s a pretty obvious statement, it’s worth reminding yourself from time to time that your attitude is a powerful thing.

If you expect things to go wrong, they probably will. And if you expect someone to be unpleasant,  they probably will, if only because your expectation will show in the way you treat them.

Keep that in mind and try instead to have a positive attitude! If you expect things to go right, they will! And if you expect someone to be pleasant, they will, again because you will be more likely to treat them with kindness.

How is your attitude?