by Amy Matthews | May 15, 2018 | Inspiration |
Our brilliant and complex brains are so powerful and help guide us in many ways. But here’s the deal: more often than not, our minds want to be in the driver’s seat, which can lead to over-analyzing, judging and not being present with ourselves and others.
I’ve always loved this quote from Anne Lamott:
“My Mind is a Neighborhood I try Not to Go into Alone.”
When your mind gets on the hamster wheel, first, notice that it is! Take a few deep breaths to get into your body. Do your best to detach from your thoughts. I know..easier said than done.
Then ask yourself, What am I Feeling? And Why?
Most likely, whatever it is for you, it stems from anxiety. It happens to all of us! Feel your feelings and acknowledge them. So many of us weren’t taught to feel and express our feelings – including me – so please, please, be compassionate with yourself.
Once you take a pause, you’ll feel more centered. More grounded. More aware. More at ease. Think about all you are grateful for and all that’s working in your life. It won’t take long to get into your heart.
Get out of Your Head.
Get into Your Heart.
Lead with Your Heart.
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by Amy Matthews | May 13, 2018 | Inspiration |
A friend of mine recently told me new beginnings were in store for her. She knew it – in her heart and soul. She felt she was on the cusp of breaking through to a new identity. A big shift was happening – she just knew.
She had done the work, big time. She took classes. She studied. She prepared. She said no to the things that no longer resonated. She cocooned. Even though she knew, she felt a void because the changes on the outside hadn’t quite caught up with the changes she felt on the inside.
Just like the caterpillar who turns into the butterfly – a dramatic metamorphosis was taking place inside. She was in a process of creating an entirely new being on the outside. But from her perspective, it hadn’t happened yet.
I said:
Accept and Appreciate where You are Now.
You’ve Created Space for the New to Come In.
Trust that “It’s” Happening.
There is nothing more magical than a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. Truly. Real transformation takes time. There are phases. You can’t speed it up, even though you may want to. Little by little, changes happen. Some are subtle, some are not. At times, you’ll struggle or feel trepidation. Or want to throw in the towel. But if you are committed and willing to see it through, your transformation will take place. No Doubt.
You Gotta Trust.
You Gotta Be Patient.
You Gotta Believe.
You Gotta Stay the Course.
Are you ready to become the magnificent butterfly you’ve always wanted to be?
by Amy Matthews | May 10, 2018 | Business, In-Power |
I know what it’s like to lose. A lot.
Here’s my story and why I started Woman UnRuled.
In my first career, I worked for technology companies in sales and sales leadership positions. By the time I was 30, I had a ton of responsibility and managed a national sales team. We worked hard and had fun. At the time, I was making good money, $300K a year plus stock options. Fast forward a few years, as I continued to take on more responsibility, I finally got the VP title. Each year I was with the company, I was granted more options.
The company was acquired by a Fortune 100 and the stock continued to rise. And split. And then it would rise again. Two years after the acquisition, those of us in leadership roles were asked to integrate our teams within the larger company. We had to decide if we wanted to stay with the company and find a new position, or leave with a package. I rose my hand for the package and planned to take a year off before deciding what to do next.
I didn’t sell my stock all at once because I would have had a greater tax consequence. This is what happened next. The stock started to go down.. and down. Even though I was losing equity, I still didn’t sell it, thinking it would go back up. 9 months later, the stock that was once worth $3.2M was worth nothing at all. I felt I had the rug pulled out from underneath me.
Here’s the thing: when I had the money, I thought I didn’t have enough. I lived in my head, not in my heart. As I look back, I understand that I let fear stop me. By losing so much, in an odd way, it gave me a greater sense of freedom. Realizing that I was still okay after that epic loss was a profound learning which has made a huge impact on how I live today. Ultimately, it was empowering.
This sense of empowerment is why I started Woman UnRuled. I believe in living by your own rules and living a life you truly love with exponential freedom and joy – everyday. Woman UnRuled is about living with no regrets and no fear and taking action towards what you truly want. I believe you can be, do or have anything you want. It’s up to you.
If you’re a business woman who’s serious about the next level, I want to talk. Believe me when I say, I’ve been in your shoes. Maybe you’re questioning things in your career or life right now and you feel the weight of wanting more. I want to talk to you.
Would you like to feel more empowered, energized and inspired? There’s no better time than now to start living the big, juicy, joyful, abundant life you’ve always imagined.
by Amy Matthews | May 9, 2018 | In-Power, Mindset |
When I was 5 years old, I shared a bedroom with my older sister. One day after a bath, I came into the bedroom dancing, wet body and all. I was using my towel as a prop. I was giggling and squealing with delight because I was having so much fun.
My sister said to me “you’re going to be a stripper when you grow up”. Whoa. Talk about raining on my parade. I was too young to know what a stripper was, but old enough to know from her sharp tone that it wasn’t a good thing. The message I got in that moment, loud and clear, was that being joyful and moving my body freely wasn’t what “good girls” do.
My sister and I are very close and though I have never asked her, I bet she wouldn’t remember what she said to me that day. But I do. Her comment shut me down. For a long time and even into adulthood, I shied away from expressing myself through my body. I felt shame about my body.
The good news is, I now love to move my body everyday. Daily exercise is my go-to: hiking, yoga, bootcamp, walking, a sweaty spin class – you name it. And I love, love, love to dance.
Has anyone ever said something to you that made you feel shameful that stuck with you?
I’ve moved through the feeling of shame many times. If I can do it, I know you can too.
I say:
Don’t let anyone throw water on your fire.
Don’t let what others say or think stop you from expressing who you really are.
Never minimize yourself, it’s okay to be shiny!
Ready to free yourself from what’s holding you back?
by Amy Matthews | May 8, 2018 | Mindset |
If You Knew You Were Going to Meet the Person of Your Dreams, How Would You Prepare?
Someone asked me this question recently. It’s one of the most provocative questions I’ve been asked in a very long time. What I love most about the question is this: there is no doubt that IT WILL HAPPEN. It’s a fact, not IF but WHEN. As single women, we can waste a lot of time questioning if we’ll ever meet “the one ”. So, just know without a doubt that you will. Know absolutely that you will, direct your energy into preparing for it, envision and create what it is that you really want.
You may not relate to this question as you may be happily married or in a thriving romantic partnership. But guess what? “Person of your Dreams” is just a concept, a stand-in for “The thing you most want but worry you won’t get”. In fact, you can change up the question to apply to any area of your life:
If You Knew You Were Going to Get the Job of your Dreams, Doing What You Loved,
How Would You Prepare?
If You Knew You Were Going to Live the Life You REALLY Want, How Would You Prepare?
If You Knew You Would Be Blissfully Happy, How Would You Prepare?
Fortune Favors the Prepared Mind. Whatever it is that you want, know that It Will Happen.
Be Unwavering In Your Belief.
Prepare.
Take Action.
Stay the Course.
