Our new Adventures In Boldness series has been a huge hit with the ASPIRE Success Club. Through these interviews, we talk with various professional women who have taken bold steps in the direction of their dreams, without necessarily having all the answers or even knowing the questions to ask. By sharing their stories, they inspire and teach others that sometimes, we simply need to take that step, do that thing we fear, and trust that it’s going to lead us in the right direction.
Sheree Clark is a prime example. As owner of Fork In The Road, Sheree is a holistic health and nutrition counselor, teacher, and TV show star. She also has a fascinating story of openness, making tough choices, and taking incredible leaps of faith. While ASPIRE members participate in these calls live (during which we always take pages upon pages of notes!), I wanted to share a couple of tips from Sheree with you as well.
1. Follow your passion. “I started to feel like I wasn’t where I was supposed to be,” Sheree described about one point in her life. “But I didn’t know what to do about it.” She decided to attend culinary school not in pursuit of a career, but because it sounded like fun and she enjoyed food and nutrition. She never would have predicted that training would lead her to where she is today, including hosting her how TV health/cooking show. Pursue your passion and remain open to where it may lead.
2. Avoid comparisons. One of our ASPIRE members taught us a saying: Never let comparison with others rob you of your own joy. Sheree also advises us not to compare against our former selves – something we often do without realizing it. If you can’t run the mile as fast as you once could or burn the midnight oil like you once did, so what? Focus instead on proactively becoming the person you want to be at this time in your life.
3. You don’t have to have all the answers before taking action. At one point, Sheree left her very successful and secure job and ventured into the unknown simply “because it hurt too much to stay.” Sometimes you just have to leap and trust that the net will appear. “Very few things in life,” she reminds us, “are completely irreversible.”
Taking bold steps isn’t necessarily easy. Be prepared to navigate doubt, fear, and uncertainty – but also take on a mindset of openness, curiosity, and faith. Like Sheree says, “Somehow I found the peace in all of this to say, ‘I know I’ll have moments of doubt, but I also know that if I stay the course and keep my heart open, I will be o.k.'”
You can learn more about Sheree Clark at fork-road.com.
What tip would you add when taking a bold step in the direction of your dreams? Share your idea below, on Facebook, or via Twitter!
Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches executives and leaders who feel stuck – whether at an income level, in their leadership abilities, or “spinning their wheels” in the day-to-day – to flourish towards their vision with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action.
Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.
