Category Archives: Montana Executive Coach

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Creating Cheerio Castles From a Mom’s Heart

Every Business Owner Has a Personal Story

As an Executive Consultant there are several questions all clients ask. The first being, “how do you know”. My response, “I am an observer of others, experiences, and learn something from all of it.” Our knowledge, experiences, and actions within and beyond those give us an extraordinary gift of intuitive education.

As stated by Colin Powel once said as Secretary of State (United States) you have to make decisions quickly and at times you may only have 80% of the information the rest you go from what you know.

I decided to share this story with all of you as last week was a particular tough one. Some dear friends of mine sent a care package with Cheerios. Below is one of my stories and from working with executives to raising a kiddo from hard places just as I do; you too have the ability to build Cheerio Castles.

Creating Cheerio Castles From a Mom’s Heart

What does a mom’s heart have to do with Cheerios and creating a castle? Cheerio castles are those little round bits of cereal you find on the floor, car, and craft projects. My imagination builds beautiful castles with cheerios. I am sharing one of my stories of being careful what you pray for and second, finding God’s answer daily.

I do believe God answers prayer in His timing and not our own. As humans we make prayer and answered prayer more complicated than God intended. Many years ago someone told me: “God’s ‘no’ or unanswered prayer is not a rejection but is for our protection.”  There are many variables to unanswered and answered prayer; when we are present, allowing God to lead the way, we find our prayers are heard and answered daily. This is one of my go-to scriptures for prayer: There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven… He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.- Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11

This past year my husband I opened our hearts and home to a beautiful 12 year old boy. We became parents for the first time by becoming Foster Parents. Becoming a parent found daily there is a learning opportunity about myself and heart. 

Unanswered Prayer | God did not answer our prayer through creating our own family.

Answered Prayer | God brought a beautiful boy to us. This boy is made for us and fits in so many ways we would never pray for; God knows.

Our morning routine settled in to my husband and son waking and getting ready. I tend to stay out of the way. My husband is better equipped to keep our son on track, getting him out the door on time, dressed, brushed, and in a joyful mood.

When the guys are busy I stay in our bedroom and use this time to pray, meditate, and wire my brain for what is on the schedule for the day. One morning during prayer I found myself grieving experiences we as parents would not have, bringing an older kiddo into our home and hearts.

 Prayer: Give all you have to God for he knows what burdens our hearts.

 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose. – Romans 8:28

My prayer this particular morning went to my mind making a list of those things we will never experience such as:  quirky toddler moments, elementary school art projects on the refrigerator, mommy and toddler groups, little guy soccer, peanut butter and jelly faces, to our car would never have the cheerio chaos on the floor and seats, macaroni art, our dogs would not experience food on the floor or from a hand of a little one. My imagination spent more time creating cheerio castles, macaroni jewelry, what containers would store these amazing nutritious rounds of awesomeness, and so forth.

This prayer and meditation continued for about an hour and my logical brain hit me hard; almost an audible slap across the face. I said out loud to myself, “I do not have patience to clean up Cheerios out of the car.” My prayer took me from building Cheerio castles to the reality of patience.  I wrapped up this grief prayer session, not hanging onto what we will miss but considering the joy of messes a pre-teen and teenager brings without pretense.

The guys left for the day so I headed to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. As soon as I entered the kitchen my eye caught the dining room table. There were three Cheerios on our son’s placemat.  This has never happened before and my heart went directly to thanking God for answering prayer. My logical mind and temperament has no patience for such things as cleaning up Cheerios. God knows my heart yearns for Cheerio castles and that left me blessed with an answered prayer.  

God continues to leave me reminders of answered prayer as I continue to find Cheerios in unusual places. Sometimes I am not too keen on our beautiful boy and his shenanigans. God delights in my heart’s desire by leaving remnants of a Cheerio castle built in grief. God truly delights in our heart’s desires and I pray you too find God delighting in yours.

Be careful what you pray for: God knows what is on our hearts and delights in our joy.

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37-4

Look UP & OUT!

Tracy Worley

 

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Be a HERO, Connect Over Coffee

TT TAlk Tuesday's

Tis the season to be crazy.

Be a hero and invite someone for a cup of coffee, hot chocolate, or perhaps a hot toddy. Everyone needs a few minutes of respite…be the hero!

“Create clients, collaboration partners, and community meaningful to you one conversation at a time.” ~ Tracy Worley

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Done vs. Undone: What are you influencing today?

TT Talk Tuesday's

Undone Vs. What is Done

How you view the world is how you communicate to the world. Awareness of self-perception is an ingredient toward your success in influencing the outcome desired.

I often talk about communication, connection, collaboration, and creating community through influence. Through communication consulting, coaching, and creating communities there is always a new ingredient to success. Each group, person, and influencers are different. From industry, personalities, organizational culture, and so on. Every scenario of connection has a variation of an ingredient you cannot create all connections as equals.

There is one main ingredient to influencing; how you are viewing the world, internalizing, and communicating outward.

 

Recently, I found a new awareness with myself. I was viewing certain things in life as undone instead of what was done. Personal case study: at home I became frustrated when a trash bin had not been emptied. The bin was overloaded, heavy and not easy for me to lift and dump in the larger bin outside. What my view of the word at this time was, undone; “why would the person who filled the bin not empty it, they have left a burden for the next person; me.” The next phase of this case study was to influence the outcome and have someone empty the bin. My attitude was not a winning strategy to say the least. Crashing down came the humbling awareness of how I viewed this particular area of my world. I did not see what was done, such as no garbage on the floor; everything was tidy in the bin. I only saw what was undone. Undone was this person did not leave the bin better than the way they found it.

Awareness is always the next step in success. I ask, what area’s in your life are you viewing undone when in fact they are done.

For me and mine, I had a change of attitude and influenced a better outcome of completion of “done” and that is leaving the bin better off for the next user.

Would love to know your thoughts and experiences of done vs. undone.

Look Up & Out,

Tracy Worley

 

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Fire It Up Friday | 9

Summer 2017 Series Episode 9

Oops, I am perfect. Smoke & Mirrors to Civility.

Caveman & Courage

Humans think and say the darnedest things about others! This past week our country (USA) has been rocked with racial tension with both sides name calling. I find it interesting celebrity (media, comedians, politicians) receive so much play in name calling, back slurs, and downright more hate mongering.

I tend to stay away from the news, politics, and other negative scenarios. There is no courage in being of caveman mentality beating each other over the head with words, actions, and deed.

Personally my life is not perfect; my business and family navigate through the gambit of emotions, conflict, love, fear, anger, joy, connection, and community.

I CHOOSE to find value in others before judgment or bias. I CHOOSE to leave my garbage bag of “stuff” outside the door; this creates a clear space to find commonalities, community, and connection to civility.

10 Core Leadership Characteristics of Self: giving you space to lead others without blame.

  1. Take responsibility for your words, actions, and deeds (no excuses).
  2. Model with integral behavior; say what you do.
  3. Self control; slow to judgment and quick to praise.
  4. Wisdom is an integral part of decision making; knowledge experience, community input gives confidence to the process. If it turned out wrong, go back to #1 on this list.
  5. Lead gently and firmly, putting value of humans over all else.
  6. Respect others and live the Golden Rule (we cannot ask others to do what we are not offering).
  7. Do the right thing; even when it is the most painful thing to do.
  8. Trust first so others have a clear path to follow.
  9. Be open to teach and learn; daily be open to teaching and learning.
  10. Create a system; systems create less confusion of expectation, communication, and opens an environment of loving humans first.

Thank you for joining me on our Summer Fire It Up Friday Series.

Look Up & Out, 
Tracy Worley
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Fire It Up Friday | 8

Summer 2017 Series Episode 8

Be the change you desire. Be a change agent and stop pissing people off!

I know the language is not enlightening however it grabs our attention. This weeks series is about being an agent of positive change. Change is anything from stepping up and doing the things you thought you would never do. Facing your fears and getting messy!

This week has certainly been messy in our house as our 12 year old turned 13 last week. Testing the waters of sass, harass, and collapse into a crazy  cycle.

In one conversation our son stomped off into the other room telling me, “all you do all day is just piss people off.” My first reaction was not delicate and I did keep it to myself. In reflection of his perception of me in a moment of frustration fits into this weeks Fire It Up; be an agent of change.

Can I change his perception, surely. We can continue to have dialogue around it and show him how I show up for people everyday as a change agent creating new paradigms of success. Create dialogue in reflection after a conversation with someone (other than him). Ask our son how does he think I made them feel by helping?

Here are a few areas to dialogue with self and with others and ask are you being a change agent in your own life and others:

  • Relies in your desire for growth
  • Surround yourself with others who help you stay committed
  • Do the right thing even when it is the most painful thing
  • We are human, let go of perfection

Thank you for joining me on our Summer Fire It Up Friday Series.

Look Up & Out, 
Tracy Worley
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Fire It Up Friday | 7

Summer 2017 Series Episode 7

Adventure Entrepreneur

Are you packed and ready?

Life is an advance and ordinary life has a way of sweeping us away into schedules where we are over-booked!

We end up over booked and in the “acquiring things” race. Do not get me wrong “things” are great, a privilege, and makes our lives more comfortable.

Adventure is:

  • Finding new ways to connect
  • Going to a new restaurant (change of environment)
  • Taking a new route to work
  • Stepping out of “normal”

Find adventure in the adventure in the messiness of your life. An example is my messiness of area’s of too organized and unorganized. There is adventure in both; choose adventure!

Find adventure in everything, everyday, making the ORDINARY an ADVENTURE!

Embrace  your own adventure, choose messy hair!

CHALLENGE: step out of your “schedule” and pack a bag to find adventure in  your daily everything’s!

Thank you for joining me on our Summer Fire It Up Friday Series.

Look Up & Out, 
Tracy Worley
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Fire It Up Friday | 5

Summer 2017 Series Episode 5

Are the cool kids holding you back? Is comparison robbing you of joy?

You all have unique gifts and talents from your experience, knowledge, education, community, and so on. Your voice matters!

I challenge you to tap deeper into your hearts desires.

  • What is your heart yearning for?
  • Do you feel there is something else?
  • What do you hold back and/or not speak up about?
  • Are you stuck in comparing where you to where others are?

If you answered even a “maybe” it is time to dig deeper into your hearts desires and re-set your own course to joy and a fulfilled life. A known truth is your heart is never wrong.

Still not sure where to start? Join me here every Friday or contact us for resources for your unique need to step on out with your crow bar.

Thank you for joining me on our Summer Fire It Up Friday Series.

Look Up & Out, 
Tracy Worley

Thank you for joining me on our Summer Fire It Up Friday Series.

Look Up & Out, 
Tracy Worley