What is your best advice for meeting new people at networking events?

As a student or professional, these days we are constantly selling ourselves when we go to networking events and online. Whatever your purpose, you are going there to make a positive impression and connect with people. When meeting someone new, you introduce yourself and describe what you do. This is your chance to set a first impression and leave an impact on the other person. It is a time to celebrate yourself, to speak up about the contribution you’re making to the planet. Trust me, positivity makes a difference!

During the winter months, the opposite of ‘moving’ or ‘doing’ occurs. Many people don’t feel motivated to do anything except sit inside by the fire and get warm. The lack of sun and cold temperatures prompt people to stay inside and enter hibernation mode. Growing up in Canada, you get used to long winters and learn to adapt to the snow and cold temperatures. You learn to have fun despite the harsh winter months. Still, we Canadians are always excited for spring to come!

Imagine you had a tough day and are feeling bad about yourself. What would you do to make yourself feel better?

Do you take it upon yourself to get better? Or, do you reach out to others and speak from the heart?

Other than talking them out, writing has been the way I release my thoughts. I love keeping journals; this has been a habit since I was a young girl.  Perhaps it is why I love blogging so much, as I love sharing the lessons I have learned through keeping a journal.

Last weekend, I found old journals from my youth. Reading them made me remember earlier times which had faded from memory.  The pages of the old journals were filled with my thoughts and emotions about daily life.  Writing the words on the page is like expressing your innermost thoughts with a trusted friend.

I believe role models are individuals who have the courage to be real, to be vulnerable, to be themselves, and to share their journeys. For the past twenty years, the Backstreet Boys have been my role models. As you may know from reading Arianna’s Random Thoughts, I am a huge Backstreet Boys fan.  They provided encouragement and love through the highs and lows of my life.  For me and many other fans out there, they are “Larger than Life.” (Backstreet Boys fans will get this reference.)

It has been raining like crazy on the West Coast this weekend. Hope everyone affected by the storm has stayed safe and dry. I thought I would share 5 of my favourite quotes to brighten up a grey day. As you may know, I love combining my 5 favourite  motivational quotes with beautiful photographs I take throughout the world. Happy Monday Everyone! Enjoy!

Each day since the beginning of time, the sun has risen from the darkness to the highest point in the sky for all to see. This summer, the early morning rays of the dawn have been waking me up as the sun rises to brighten the day. It seems the beams are at peak brightness, waking me up and causing me to pay attention to them. The sun doesn’t care if you aren’t ready to wake up, or if you dislike the intensity – it keeps its brightness – it keeps shining – it wants to be seen! We can all learn a lot from this notion.

Movies are great sources of inspiration. I went to go see "Epic" several weeks ago and this quote stood out to me.  Therefore, I'm sharing it with you :) I really do recommend this movie if you haven't seen it yet - go see it - it is so powerful!

From my personal journey over the past few weeks, I discovered a common thread: I need the courage to stop feeling intimidated by others.  I must develop the courage to speak my truth to everyone – no holds barred. With most people I can freely communicate what’s on my heart; but with a select few, I lack the courage to express how I feel.  

With these people, I keep my thoughts and frustrations locked inside. I get worried that if I share how I feel or think, they will not like what I have to say. Sometimes I have been excluded for my views, even though I spoke politely.  I have also had others get upset, or change the topic when I speak. Most often, I would respond by keeping quiet, playing down my views, or agreeing with them. Whichever way you look at it, I lacked courage to stand up for what I believed with these people. I have come to realize that I ‘gave up’ on my views because I like to make others happy – more so than myself. I guess I’m a ‘people pleaser.’

Is there a common theme to the life lessons you are learning lately? I find that when I’m being taught something important, the message is usually repeated in different situations throughout my life. That way, I’ll pay attention – even if I don’t want to!

This happened recently at a personal development seminar where I was a participant.  We were asked to list personal obstacles in our life journeys. Like a reflex, I wrote down ‘COURAGE’ and circled it. Though I didn’t understand why this word mattered to me, I was soon to get inklings.

Participants were asked to discuss the meaning behind what they had written down with others close by.  We helped one another; I was shown that my ‘courage’ meant developing the strength to speak my story on a general level.

Jac McNeil is a certified professional coach and a self-leadership expert for women solopreneurs. She completed her training and earned her credentials through The Coaches Training Institute (CTI) and International Coach Federation (PCC). Her work helps women unearth their own powerful business truths so they can do more of the work they love and feel called to do. Through the lens of self-leadership, she helps women bring their unique strengths, gifts and powerful potential more fully to their work and create thriving, integrity-based businesses. She created the transformational business-building program In Your Element and the digital program Your Personal Business Retreat Kit (to be released in April 2013). She lives in Fall River, Nova Scotia, with her husband Matt, little girls Sophie and Emilie, and their Bernese Mountain Dog Guinness. 

On a walk this past weekend and seeing all the beauty that surrounded me, I started to think about my blog.  The “random” thoughts going through my head centred around how can I make my site a better foundation for all of us to grow.

This spring shouldn’t just be a time for flowers to reach their full potential; we should take their cue that it is our time to rise up.

Instead of looking to myself for the answers, I am reaching out and asking for your input; we are on this journey together.  You are a vital part of this community and your “random” thoughts matter.