Category Archives: Trust Yourself. You Know What To Do.

Your Courageous Confidence

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IMG_1605On this gorgeous May morning, I’m thinking about a question I’ve been asked over the years:

“When it comes to being BOLD, what comes first: Courage or Confidence?”

A thought-provoking *chicken or egg*, isn’t it?

After researching, reflecting, and my favorite way to learn: experience and observation, I had concluded: It Depends. (Yes, the ULTIMATE NOT-SATISFYING RESPONSE TO ANYTHING!) Or, Both:

It takes Courage to be Confident.

It takes Confidence to be Courageous.

Which begs two questions: “How do I become Courageous in a situation if I’m not feeling Confident?” (and) “How do I become Confident if I’m not feeling Courageous?!”

Dr. Maya Angelou recently shed light on this in her wise and wonderful way. She says:

COURAGE is the most important of all virtues. Because without COURAGE you cannot practice the others consistently. 

So there it is.

And here is my 2-step BOLD interpretation for you:

Let your Courage (your ability to do something that frightens you) support, guide and champion your Confidence.

First: Let Courage be your WILLINGNESS to step in… the engine deep inside you that says not necessarily *I can* do this (that will come)… start with *I WILL* do this, fear and all. When you WILL do, feeling the fear and doing it anyway… that’s bravery, that’s Courage. This is where you start.

Next: Your Courage shows up and suddenly you’re ready for your Confidence to kick in… moving you into ACTION… even tiny-step action… to achieve whatever is right in front of you. Confidence is your *can do*, I DID IT! feeling. You’ll build new Confidence by taking Courageous, inspired action on whatever is stopping you.

When it comes to being BOLD… Confidence is the gift in being Courageous.

I hope you find comfort in this next time you have an unsurmountable situation of any size roadblocking you from achieving that next thing. Big or Small. Work or Life.

Trust COURAGE as your stepping stone to fire-up your CONFIDENCE… as you move forward, creating your next Success…

It’s Up To YOU!

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©1993-2013   Ann Ulrich     THE BOLD! FACTOR®     AnnUlrich.com

Photo:  I love colored glass. This vase makes us smile year-round. I move it to a spot where it catches the sun and dances little spots of sunlight across our living room. I’m smiling thinking about it. Note to self: Fill life with simple smile-inducing-ness!

PS. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I hope writings here inspire you to take new action, to Do One BOLD Thing to create new success, as you Lead Live and Love your right-fit-for-you BOLD Exclamation Point *!* Life! Because even tho it may be dressed as Business or Work, it’s all Life.

Fear And Your Non-Negotiable Dream You Will Make Happen Even If It Takes A Lifetime

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photo-35Sometimes, dreams really can take a lifetime.

After a few waves of *what the heck was that?!* of the recent past…

…one thing has become crystal clear:

No more waiting (for any of us!) before claiming and creating our next *it*. 

If you’re waiting until you’re, you know, just a bit further along… or a little more experienced… just that much more *ready*… before you go for it and make your next move… or if you’re holding off on moving forward until the time is finally just right… ask yourself:

Is FEAR holding you back from leading and living the work and/or life you crave?

Life is too precious to waste one moment by not exhaling out of fear.

Try this instead: Risk falling on your face – or stubbing your toe trying – by moving forward one step at a time directly into whatever you’re most afraid of… so you can stop that slowly-sinking-in-quicksand feeling called fear… and start breathing life into your life again… coming ALIVE again!

I hope this favorite quote inspires you as it inspires me, everyday:

“It’s no longer about asking what our world needs. Ask what makes you come Alive and go do that. Our world needs people who come ALIVE!”  –Thurman/Ulrich

Put yourself out there and make something happen.

Claim your dream and make it non-negotiable.

Let us know so we can cheer you on!

What’s your non-negotiable dream you will make happen… even if it takes a lifetime?

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© 1993-2013  Ann Ulrich Inc.    THE BOLD! FACTOR®      AnnUlrich.com

Photo: I love noticing dreamy light fixtures. This lights up a favorite downtown Minneapolis restaurant, Zelo.

What If You Really Are Amazing…

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… just the way you are.

Aaaaand what about when you’re NOT?

photo-27David and I just spent a few days *Up North in God’s Country* Ely MN, where his company has a brilliant team, great community and beautiful office.

I went along for the fresh perspective a change of scenery brings in researching, thinking about, and writing my book.

(With morning temperatures of -25 and -35 degrees… Whoa! That air was pure Caffeine!)

I knew we would have a great time. What I didn’t expect in working on my book was this:

1.  I called BS on myself where I was NOT amazing.

2.  I tossed massive content where my voice has changed and am no longer about *that*.

3.  I thought about YOU – and all the Noise – and all the Should’s – and all the NOT GOOD ENOUGH’s – all the DODODO BEBEBE MOREMOREMORE – and those times when we own our greatness (BRAVO!) and yet what about those times we may need a fresh jolt, a wake-up call… yes, self-included. (see #1 above)

I came away from all that with this thought for you:

WHAT IF YOU REALLY ARE AMAZING… JUST THE WAY YOU ARE.

WHAT IF YOU CLAIMED IT AS YOURS.

AND OWNED IT.

AND WHAT IF YOU ALSO CLAIMED & OWNED THE TIMES YOU ARE WELL, LESS THAN AMAZING…

This is where the gut-check reality comes in. BEING AMAZING INCLUDES TIMES WE ARE NOT ALL THAT AMAZING…

THOSE are the times that present the opportunities head-on: to grow, change, disrupt, re-invent… to be what you know you crave.

Reality check: Nothing shifts or changes or happens with any inspired thought until you apply courageous action.

So go ahead. Jolt your BOLD.  Bring your Amazing … to one situation, conversation, opportunity, presentation, challenge, relationship, work or life. Today: 

IMG_1621Believe It. 

Own It.

Lead & Live It. 

Deny Substitutions!

OK, it’s Monday. Just not feeling it?

Relax… there’s someone in your life who’d cherish your word of encouragement, your nod of *keep going!* or simply your smile.

Find one way to champion THEIR Amazing today. 

See what happens.

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© 1993-2013 Ann Ulrich, THE BOLD! FACTOR®  AnnUlrich.com

Photo:  Apparently lots of hot chocolate with marshmellow drinkers at the Ely Lodge!

Leading At Work. At Home. In Your Community.

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Feeling pulled in a million (or at least a few too many) directions?!

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Sheeshta… No Wonder!

Work. Home. Community.

Family. Friends. Colleagues.

Companies. Organizations. Associations.

Calendars. Schedules. Commitments.

Responsibilities. Challenges. Opportunities………

Now more than ever, you need to take charge if you want to lead YOUR version of YOUR Best BOLD Life.

(The life you crave. Yes, that one. Yes, it’s within reach!) 

Define it. Design it. Deny Substitutions.

To live Bigger… you may need to live Smaller.

Where to start? Here:

Do ONE BOLD THING. 

OWN IT. 

It’s Up To YOU!

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©1993-2013 Ann Ulrich, THE BOLD! FACTOR®  AnnUlrich.com

Photo: These colorful sticks make me smile. They were fun outside in a vase with our tangerine deck furniture, till I brought them inside for the winter with our red leather furniture and propped in my favorite white vase – staying put right here.

Serendipity, Whitespace & Downtime

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photo-2No one hands you:

Downtime.

It’s tough to recognize…and even tougher to indulge in:

Serendipity.

And most important of all

just might be:

Whitespace.

Expanding or shifting your Whitespace may be the ONE BOLD THING you’ll do next time you want to change the trajectory in building your business and loving your life…

Grab a favorite magazine and look closely at an ad. See how the Whitespace allows you to focus right where the advertiser wants your attention?

Now take a look at your business / your life and notice how the Whitespace allows you to focus – or lack of Whitespace distracts you from focusing(!) – on right where you really want to be.

IMG_1586David and I added the Whitespace we craved in our life when we kept our promise to each other (and to our kids, who couldn’t say they weren’t expecting this ;) that at 50 we would sell whatever house we lived in and downsize all the *stuff* to instead live our dream of a simpler, easier and more exciting city condo and lake cabin life.

Even though our goal was crystal clear, the process itself was at times super stressful, requiring an all-in commitment to DO this. We did not want to look back years later and realized we had only talked about it without making it happen.

The impact of that one massive change was immediate, positive and powerful.

The new Whitespace we created in our life gave birth to a whole new world of possibilities.

As in all things Self-Leadership… No one hands you Serendipity, Whitespace or Downtime in your work or life… you need to carve it out, claim it, covet it and OWN IT.

CRAVING NEW SUCCESS?

It’s Up To YOU!

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©1993-2012 Ann Ulrich, THE BOLD! FACTOR®  AnnUlrich.com

Photo:  On a *downtime* getaway to our lake cabin last Fall, I took a long walk through our familiar woods and came across this magical scene. As tho painted right there to light up my day. Funny, it may have been there for years and I just never noticed? The city scene is from our deck – as antidote to our cabin life – when we chose to downsize all the *stuff*.

It’s Up To YOU!

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The Great thing about Self-Leadership?

It’s Up To YOU.

The Tough thing about Self-Leadership?

It’s Up To YOU.

To get the RESPONSE you want…

To create the IMPACT you crave…

To achieve the RESULT…

To build the BUSINESS…

To live the LIFE you’ve imagined all along…

DO ONE BOLD THING.  

OWN IT.

It’s Up To YOU!

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©1993-2012 Ann Ulrich, THE BOLD! FACTOR®   AnnUlrich.com

Photo: The metallic focus-inducing inner circle of this simple beaded coaster has been a favorite for over 20 years.

Self-Leadership in 5.4.3.2.1.

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Confident Self-Leadership in 1 Word:  Ownership.

Focused Self-Leadership in 2:  Own This.

Courageous Self-Leadership in 3:  *I Own This.*

Inspired Team Self-Leadership in 4:  *Let’s Own This Together.*

Contagious Self-Leadership in 5:  *LET’S ALL KEEP OWNING THIS!*

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©1993-2012 Ann Ulrich, THE BOLD! FACTOR®  ANNULRICH.COM

Swing Like A Kid Again

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Next time you’re starting a new project, meeting a new client, building a new dream, blossoming a new relationship, creating a new strategy, putting a fresh new spin on a tired old program, or re-imagining a confident new YOU…

Swing Like A Kid Again!

Free yourself from old expectations you know are holding you back.

Stop caring what other people think.

Toss the instruction manual … pick the beginning, middle, or end … and simply START.

Let yourself Swing Like A Kid Again! Remember the feeling?! Push me higher! Run under my swing Daddy! Let me Soar till my feet touch the clouds!

Let’s free ourselves to Swing Like Kids Again.

Why did we ever stop?!

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© 1993-2012. Ann Ulrich  THE BOLD! FACTOR®  ANNULRICH.COM

It Will Always Be Easier

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photo-24When is the last time you were so passionately committed…

that you were willing to climb to the top of the hill… stand alone…

silhouetted against the sky…

knowing you were in a position to be shot down?!

It will always be easier… to care just enough to toss your two cents in as you walk away to follow the crowd.

It will always be easier… to do just enough to get by, fit in, unnoticed.

It will always be easier… to fly safely under the radar where there are no headwinds creating ripples of new success, much less churning waves of inspired innovation.

WHAT IF you stepped up, stepped out in a fresh new way that forever changed your own view of you? and in that process, expanded your view of what’s possible, what could now be accomplished…

…by this committed, capable, compassionate, confident, courageous…

CONTAGIOUS NEW YOU?!

Go ahead.  Trust yourself.  Climb to the top of that hill.

YES, the one you are most afraid of.

It could be just the place to start!

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© 1993-2012  Ann Ulrich  THE BOLD! FACTOR®   ANNULRICH.COM

with appreciation to Dale Dauten, The Corporate Curmudgeon, for his permission to share in my work our conversation re: leadership and Dale’s powerful vision of *standing alone silhouetted against the sky in a position to be shot down*.

Photo:  Calligraphy art of a strong horse has special meaning honoring my amazing experience in Taiwan in 1990, the year of the horse.

What’s Your Happiness Trifecta?

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photo-17After a few decades leading in Business in roles from Rookie to Executive to the Runway to the Boardroom to Business Owner…

And after a few more decades ;) of exciting and challenging ages and stages of living and loving and experiencing and sharing and curiously observing Life…

I am convinced the HAPPIEST people simply:

CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY!

There is a powerful and winning connection between articulating and achieving the happiness you’re after right now, not just delaying as your future reality… you know, till you somehow *deserve* it then (ever wonder why some people seem to achieve Happy and some it forever eludes?!)

Delaying Happiness Is Simply An Excuse.

Look at the impact you can have TODAY if you CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY!

The BOLD! Factor HAPPINESS TRIFECTA: Discover Yours!

1) Know what matters in your life at this age, this stage,

2) Know what you want most to achieve as your big win, and

3) Know what achieving that big win means for you, right now.

When you know, you define HAPPINESS AS SUCCESS… in YOUR OWN terms.

Here’s Mine (I’m happiest when I walk my talk!):

1) Courageous Self-Leadership (OWN THIS. IT’S UP TO ME!)

2) Everyday Greatness & Good Enough. BOTH.  (AM I PROUD OF MY IMPACT ON THIS DAY? WAS I ACCOUNTABLE TO MYSELF IN IT? NO EXCUSES?! And realizing sometimes, in some situations (not all), Good Enough trumps bringing my A-Game!)

3) Contagious Excellence (DID I SURROUND MYSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO I WANT TO CATCH WHAT THEY HAVE? AM I SPREADING GOOD CONTAGIOUS?! OR AM I SIMPLY INFECTING AND BEING INFECTED BY OTHERS?)

Happiness Is Your Choice!

How cool is that?

<SMILE>

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© 1993-2012 Ann Ulrich  THE BOLD! FACTOR®   ANNULRICH.COM

Photo:  This big-aroma bunch of bright orange roses as a gift from David’s work party inspired adding orange in our condo – in our den and on our deck – and soon to be added to the red of The BOLD! Factor. I’ve always loved Red & Purple – now also love Orange!