As you know by now this column is where we keep it really real. Now that’s not to say the other parts aren’t real. In general, life is fabulous, our company is doing well and we’re having a wonderful time creating all that we do.

While I do not dwell on the imperfect parts of my life, I don’t want to give you the impression that they don’t exist.

Yes, spending a month in Italy is absolutely a dream come true for me and I am so grateful to have
that as my experience. But you should know that as with all dreams, sometimes nightmares creep in too.

Normally my trips are a mix of work and play, and I will say that this trip was a little heavier on the work. There were nine back-to-back live event and retreat days as my programs came to a year-end close, plus four days of photo and video shoots. It was a lot of work, but I planned well in advance and was prepared to go for it.

The truth is that there’s no amount of planning that can ensure everything will unfold exactly as you want it to. For starters, I was really thinking the Florence shoot was going to be the best yet, but thanks to some very overcast and rainy weather we did not manage to capture that golden Tuscan sun I was really hoping for. Add onto that a number of unexpected crew and staffing issues that popped up over the course of those weeks, and I found myself challenged in my leadership.

When we’re challenged by unexpected events, the best we can do is to accept things as they unfold and learn to step up when the Universe asks us to. Were there moments where I felt stressed and frazzled? Yes, absolutely. But if I could now choose to have had it happen another way, with everything going according to my perfect vision, I wouldn’t. Being forced to deal with that experience has made me stronger in my leadership, clearer in my voice, and even more ready to create bigger and better things in the world.

So whatever challenges you are going through right now, know they are happening for you not to you, and that you absolutely have what it takes to not only rise above, but grow through them. The year is not over yet and we have the potential to raise our vibration and start 2016 at a whole new level.

All My Love,