The road to success is never one we travel completely alone. Behind every success, there is typically a team of trusted advisors and supporters behind us. These special people cheer us on and help us keep our focus. They warn us of potholes we may not see clearly and point out opportunities we might be missing.

When you are in the midst of a challenge, or striking out in a new direction, your support system is critical to your success. It is extremely important that you have the right constellation of trusted advisors. There’s nothing like discovering a dream-stealer or energy vampire among your inner circle of supporters to derail you and send you off into a spiral of self-doubt or fear.

I am blessed to have a circle of trusted advisors who I can call any time of day or night to support me. Some I have known for a few years. Others have known me my entire lifetime (thanks Mom and Dad!). At times I’ve had to let a few people go who, despite how much I loved them, simply weren’t a good fit for my trusted advisor team.

Who are your trusted advisors and can you truly count on them? It may be time to do some spring cleaning and recruiting. Here are some key criteria you can use to help you create your team of support….. Read more »

Q. I am having a really hard time letting go. I still love my ex-husband and don’t know how to let that go so I can move on.

A. Thank you for a wonderful question that many people can relate to for sure! Letting go of any significant relationship requires time, awareness and support. In a marriage, so many elements of your lives become intertwined with one another – children, friends, finances, to name a few. All of those threads must be carefully disentangled now.

It sounds like your relationship is over, but your heart is still looking wistfully back on the past. It’s like you’re trying to drive a car, but you’re just looking in the rear-view mirror to see what is behind you. That makes it difficult to drive ahead without either hitting an unexpected obstacle or taking advantage of the great possibilities that lie ahead of you. Take the time to grieve your loss of your relationship and the dream of a life together, but realize that it is over. It is your work …. Read more »

During the 2010 Winter Olympics, Canada hit an exciting milestone. Alexandre Bilodeau became the first Canadian to win Olympic gold on home soil when he won the men’s mogul freestyle skiing event. It is an incredibly demanding and gutsy sport. To see the hometown crowd go wild when he was declared the winner was a moving moment for me. “How do these elite athletes do it?” I wondered. To win Olympic gold requires not just incredible talent, but depths of perseverance, consistent effort and hard work.

Alexandre, it turns out, has a secret ingredient for his massive success. He credits his older brother, Frederic, who is afflicted with cerebral palsy, as his inspiration and motivation for success. The doctors believed that Frederic’s condition would mean that he would not be able to walk past age 10, and that he would spend his live in a wheelchair. He and his family didn’t want to settle for that limitation. At 28 years of age, Frederic is still able to walk and be mobile outside his wheelchair. To see the brothers embrace post-race, the love and jubilation written all over their faces, moved me to tears.

This Olympic tale is a great example of the power of inspiration to help you unlock your full potential. Here are 3 reasons Read more »

Q. I’m overwhelmed by the legal questions - who to turn to? How do I keep the costs down? How do I really come up with a realistic financial agreement with my spouse? Do I trust what the lawyer is telling my soon-to-be ex?

A. Welcome to the somewhat baffling world of family law! I want to make it clear that I am not a lawyer and cannot offer you legal advice. However, as someone who’s been a consumer of the legal system and have worked to help promote more respectful and cooperative ways of getting divorced, I have a few tips for you. First of all, realize that no matter who you get on your divorce team, you must be the quarterback. One big mistake I see people make is to wander into a lawyer’s office, filled with emotions ranging from deep sadness or profound anger. They are uninformed about their legal options, and expect the lawyer and the legal system to somehow rectify things. This can be a costly mistake. Your lawyer is an expert on the law, but you… Read more »