Ever wonder why I use the word bold so forcefully in my life and work? Years ago, when serving as executive vice president of the Long Island Center for Business & Professional Women, I invited business coach Andrea Kantor to deliver a mentoring moment at our monthly dinner meeting. While discussing potential topics with her, Andrea thought to encourage women to be more assertive and avoid giving away their power. We decided her five-minute mentoring moment would be about the need to be bold. Disappointed that I would be out of town the evening she spoke, I began spinning around the concept of being bold in my own mind. What did it really mean to be bold, I wondered? Was I bold enough? Was I giving away my own power? Did I need to be more bold in my own life?

I decided that being bold meant being willing to challenge myself and my assumptions, to step out of the status quo and into new areas of growth and possibility. In time, I developed my own bold formula for doing just that. As I did, I began getting the outcomes I wanted more consistently.

Years before, after graduating college with a degree in psychology, I worked as hypnotherapist. I studied and applied the power of influence communication to bring about change in people’s lives. I realized that we have tremendous power to influence ourselves by focusing on our own thoughts and beliefs. By checking our beliefs and challenging our thoughts and feelings, we can shift our viewpoints, change our  thinking and behavior patterns, and achieve outcomes beyond our wildest dreams. We can rewrite our own stories!

I’ve learned to believe in my power to influence myself and others. I don’t have to stick in a holding pattern. I can choose something else. I began to believe in my right to assert myself, even though I was raised to be seen and not heard. I began to own my own voice. I learned it was possible to be  logical and still operate from my heart at the same time. I’ve found the power in opening to opportunities. I became more passionate about what I do, and I have always been willing to dive in and do the hard work. I learned to integrate these concepts for more success and satisfaction in my life and work. I also learned that being bold means staying on a learning path. The more I learn, the more opportunities I create. The more I learn, the more confident I feel.

Want to learn more, too? You’ll soon be able to learn more about my powerful BOLD formula in the upcoming book, Be Bold, She Said! I believe that anyone can use it to enhance their personal life or to grow professionally. Can’t wait for the book? I can coach you through the process of connecting with more success and satisfaction in your life and your work—if you are bold enough to call me and ask for help. In the meantime, you can start yourself by noticing which of the beliefs you hold are determining your own choices in life. Want to chat about that? Contact me. And tune into BOLD TALK Business Radio on Tuesdays between 1 and 2 PM EST when we share new insights each week.