I was watching the Academy awards on Sunday and thoroughly enjoyed it. Not because Jon Stewart was particularly funny, or because of what people were wearing. I could really care less what people are wearing on the red carpet. But I enjoyed watching the faces of the winners, because in that moment, their life changed. George Clooney even said it in his acceptance speech; ‘Forever I will be known as Oscar winner, George Clooney’. And, it’s true. You don’t hear people in the entertainment industry being introduced as ‘People’s Choice Award winner’ or ‘Golden Globe winner’, but you will hear ‘Oscar winner…’ attached to their name for rest if their life. And, in that moment on Sunday, I witnessed it over and over again; the excitement, the shock, and the realization that they have reached the pinnacle of their career.

Then I got to thinking.

When was the last time I had a life-changing moment? When was the last time I felt that excitement? Was there ever one moment, when time felt as if it had stopped, and my life would never be the same? I did have one recently in my personal life. On November 19th, 2005, I was married to Yves de Boisredon. The wedding was a beautiful traditional catholic wedding and Yves surprised me during the ceremony. At the moment when we both said ‘yes’ during our vows, Yves took out his new watch that I had given him as a wedding present. It didn’t fit him, so he had it in his pocket. Later after the ceremony, I asked him what he was doing when he pulled out his new watch from his pocket, and he said “I wanted to know exactly what time it was when we became husband and wife.” I think that counts as a moment that changed my life.

What about you? Have you had anything in your life that you can remember as being a moment that changed you forever? When I published my latest motivational book “Why Settle for the Balcony? How to get a Front-Row Seat in Life”, I included stories of people who shared what their front row seats were. Lou Heckler wrote that his favorite front-row seat was watching the birth of his only son. Beatrice van der Voort wrote that she was driving a stick shift to a clients house on the famous crooked street in San Francisco and she was paralyzed with fear. However, she overcame her fear, successfully navigated the street and from that day forward she felt as if she could do anything.

I love to hear stories of life-changing moments. Feel free to write a comment to this blog and share your moments of inspiration and hope. If you can’t think of a life-changing moment, then it’s time to start creating them. What would it mean to be at the pinnacle of your career? What connection do you need to make in order realize you are living your life in the front-row?

If you can’t think of what it would take to be in front-row, if you can’t imagine what a life-changing moment would be for you, then let me help you right now. I learned this from Mark Victor Hansen, the co-author of the New York Times best selling book series ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’. He told me to take 20 minutes and write down 101 goals for myself. Now, whenever I am speaking on goal setting and getting out of a comfort zone, I always tell my audiences to do this exercise. Here’s what happens. After about 15 seconds, people are already done with their ’standards’. Those are the 4 most common goals people have every year for new year’s resolutions. Lose weight, stop smoking, exercise more, and earn/save more money. Then it gets a little harder. People now have to think about things that they really want in their life, and 101 is a big number! Then people start to get creative, and they really start to get crazy around nubers 65-70 on the list of 101! That’s the whole point of doing this exercise. That creativity stimulates energy which stimulates action, and action is what motivates people. Especially, action that helps you move toward your goals.

Try it! Create a list of 101 goals, go through your list and focus on the one’s that are most important to you. Organize them by priority, and then set a time table for action. Get excited about the possibility of creating your own life-changing moments! Then, when that goal becomes your reality, you have your own ‘Oscar’ moment!

Have fun with this, let me know how you are doing by commenting on this blog and pretty soon I’ll see you in the front-row!

Marilyn Sherman

UpFront Presentations - Helping people get a front-row seat in life! www.MarilynSherman.com Info@Marilynsherman.com

Today, being Ash Wednesday, my husband and I went to mass. Ash Wednesday is the first of the 40 days of Lent. This is the time where catholics are preparing their hearts for Easter. This is commonly known as the most important time of the year for catholics, a time for spiritual renewal.

Many people, when they talk of Lent, ask: “So, what are you going to give up this year?” But going to mass today, the message had quite a different slant to the typical cliche of these 40 days of Lent. The priest included in his homily an anonymous quote to illustrate his point and I loved it! Immediately after church, I asked the priest if I could have a copy of it. He said; “They are making copies of it in the office.” I went to the office and there were 25 people waiting for copies!

I am posting this in my BLOG under my ‘Spirituality’ category, but it could also go just as easily under other categories as well.

What I especially liked about the following words is that you don’t have to be catholic to connect with them. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did today.

“Lent is a season of fasting. We can use Lent to fast from certain things and to feast on others. An anonymous author has pinned these words regarding fasting and feasting:

Lent is a season in which we can:

Fast from judging others; feast on the Christ dwelling in them

Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on the unity of life.

Fast from thoughts of illness; feast on the healing power of God.

Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that purify.

Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.

Fast from Anger; feast on patience.

Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism.

Fast from worry; feast on trusting God.

Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation.

Fast from negatives; feast on positive.

Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.

Fast from excessive self concern; feast on compassion for others.

Fast from personal anxiety; feast on divine providence.

Fast from facts that depress; feast on truths that uplift.

Fast from discouragement, feast on hope.

Fast from lethargy; feast on enthusiasm.

Fast from thoughts that weaken; feast on promises that inspire.

Fast from shadows of sorry; feast on the sunlight of serenity.

Fast from gossip; feast on purposeful silence.

Fast from problems that overwhelm; feast on prayer.”

This is inspiring! Now, if anyone asks you what are you giving up, you can say something from above and also mention what you’re going to feast on!

I know I am going to try to fast on several of these. Hopefully, this is a fast that will last for more than 40 days!

Enjoy and I’ll see you in the front-row!

Marilyn Sherman

www.MarilynSherman.com

Marilyn@Marilynsherman.com