Interest vs. Commitment

We're under a lot of pressure to get things done. When we don't know what to do first, we get stuck. At times, we can even become paralyzed. Then we spiral like the buffering wheel on your computer or mobile device. Next comes judgement. Congratulations! You are now overwhelmed. In this episode, I talk a bit about overwhelm and what we can do about it.

It's not unusual to be interested in a lot of things. What gets tricky is when we confuse an interest with a commitment. Interests can be like the weather; warm and sunny, then cool and rainy. Life is like that sometimes. Being aware of the subtleties between an interest and a commitment can make all the difference. Knowing really IS half the battle. And once you know...you know.

The element of control is often grossly misunderstood and mishandled. There tends to be a lot of confusion with control. In many cases, control is actually manipulation; taking advantage of a situation that increases the likelihood of a certain outcome. But what do we REALLY control? It's been said we can only control ourselves. Some would argue we don't have the ability or wherewithal to do that either. What are your thoughts?

We're not always comfortable saying yes or no to the things in our life. Sometimes, what's before us can be unnerving, unsettling, or just plain scary. Procrastinating or perhaps not even attempting to take action can turn into a paralyzing situation. At some point, we need to "make it happen". In this episode, I talk about a personal experience that had an incredible impact on my life and my business. Because of the choice I made, it taught me a very valuable lesson. Because of this, I'm suggesting to do it, even if it means doing it scared.

Karen Freeman has over 30 years of information technology experience in progressively demanding positions. In 2018, she retired from the Internal Revenue Service as the Deputy Chief Information Officer, Operations. Currently, she is an Executive Advisor to several companies that provide information technology products and services to varying agencies within the U.S. federal government. Karen loves to travel and has visited 5 continents and over 40 countries. Her passion for travel led her to establish KareFree Travel. As an independent travel consultant, she provides personalized travel advice and assistance to busy people who want to leave their vacation details to an expert. She's is a board member of two non-profit organizations focused on education and cooperative economics for the African-American community. Karen is also Director of Operations at The PEACES Collective, where I, along with other great panelists, have the pleasure of participating in the ⁠Wisdom, Wellness, and Wealth program⁠ that provides education and cultural seminars and workshops for community members. Identifying as one of the world’s biggest tennis fans, Karen has attended all four Grand Slam events and most ATP/WTA 1000 tournaments. When she is not traveling, she splits her time between her residence in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and with her family in Maryland. You can find Karen on ⁠Facebook⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠.

Cherie Harris is a certified Life and Career Coach who helps people navigate career decisions and create the life they want for themselves. Cherie has overcome growing up in a really hard New York neighborhood during the Crack Era. She was raised by a single praying mother who kept them grounded amidst their surroundings. Through it all, they walked proudly, went to school, kept their noses clean, and became known as the family not to bother because they were different. One of the many downfalls was seeing past what she saw each day, poverty, filth, poor schooling, absent fathers, friends killed, and coming out of it successful. You can find Cherie on www.thecorpconcierge.net, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Cherie has recently published a self-reflection journal for women "Girl You Better Shine Your Light" available on Amazon.

Ian Markauskas is a tech worker, photographer, poet, activist, comic, and artist all rolled into one handy package who is terrible at writing bios (his words, not mine). As a physically disabled gay man with cerebral palsy, he has faced quite a bit of adversity in his lifetime. From learning to walk twice, to defying statistics and entering the workforce, he doesn't think he will ever get to a point where he can say "Yes, I have overcome all the obstacles, every adverse event is behind me!" Life is always changing. That said, as long as he is here, he isn't planning on giving up any time soon. You can find Ian on www.ian.photos , Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr. Given his wacky sense of humor, Ian is also an aspiring standup comic, so be sure to check him out on comedyian.ca, as well as his recently published parody new website Basically Gay.

Lucy Shenouda is the founder of Foster Essence Inc., a leadership and systemic team coach, coach supervisor and Master Certified Coach (MCC). With a deep understanding of business processes, Lucy fosters coaching conversations across a variety of business contexts such as leader development, operational excellence, team alignment, and resilient leadership. She's also the author of ⁠Tending the Garden⁠ (found on Amazon) and ⁠Leading in a Global Mosaic: A Minority Everywhere I Go.⁠ Lucy models resiliency in who she is and what she does, and shares her philosophy on life in a way that deeply resonates. Be sure to connect with Lucy on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

Dr. Stephanie Brown is a Family Physician with over 25 years of clinical and leadership experience in academic medicine, primary care and urgent care settings. She’s also a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credentialed by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and is recognized as a Top 1% Life Coach by Yahoo Finance. In addition to being a published author, she specializes in working with professional women who desire to show up as their best selves and are motivated to overcome whatever is holding them back in reaching their professional and personal goals.  Her signature coaching membership is called Queens Realign Coaching and is a space for Black professional women to receive coaching, accountability in a supportive group as they learn techniques and tools to help them achieve their goals.   To find out more about Dr. Stephanie, her coaching, and upcoming events, visit her website. You can also follow her on Facebook and Instagram, as well as connect with her via LinkedIn. Her book, "Choose Purpose Over Fear…Win every-time” can be found on Amazon.

Jessica Lightbourne is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credentialed by the International Coach Federation (ICF). She's also the author of "And the Day Came: Daily Transformational Journal",  and creator of the Bermuda Coaching Network, Co-founder and CEO of the International Coaching & Leadership Institute (ICLI), the first all-BIPOC Caribbean Women-Owned Coach Training School. Jessica speaks from a once raw place, having endured the deaths of both her parents, her maternal grandparents, and her marriage. By connecting with her faith, she was able to find an anchor to her higher power. We talk about these experiences and much more!  Be sure to connect with Jessica on her website - jessicalightbourne.com to find out more.