My family and I are taking a little vacation from Texas and enjoying all the beauty of Tennessee.

While we are here we are visiting the Smokey Mountains, trying new restaurants and enjoying the cold weather.

We’re also contemplating the New Year and envisioning what we want this next year to look like.

Our daughter will be graduating college, our son entering his senior year of High School and we know that more quickly than we can imagine, it will be time for something new in our lives.

So I think this New Year is the perfect time to consider baby steps of trying something new.

Are you up for it?

Are you someone who seeks out new adventures and opportunities or someone who wants to stay where you are?

There’s really nothing wrong with the status quo…as long as it’s intentional!

If you’re staying still or treading water because you want to…good for you! Enjoy!

If you’re doing it because of fear of the unknown…well, I’ve got an encouragement for you.

Maybe this is the year you step out and try something new and fun.

–A new volunteer position.

–A new job.

–A new hobby (Pickleball anyone?).

–A new friendship.

–It could even be as simple as a new book.

The common denominator all these have is that these actions are moving you towards more of what will make your life fuller and richer. More of what you were put here on earth to do/be.

Let me encourage you to take the step this week. I promise, it will be worth it!

Cheering you on…with a southern twang,

Christy

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As I write this, the tail lights of Christmas are dimming and the bright splash of New Years is calming down and I have to ask myself, “If we were having coffee at the local Starbucks right now, and you asked how my year went, what would I say?”  The first thing that comes to mind is that I want you to know how thankful I am to have you in my life.  YOU, our friends and family, are the best part of our lives. Your friendship means so much to us.  That’s the key take-away from this holiday letter – so if that’s all you needed to hear, go ahead and toss this right now.  If, on the other hand, you are curious about what has filled our lives since we last talked, then read on…

You didn’t get a card last year because…oh bother, I guess I was just too disorganized!  We celebrated my 50th birthday in October with a long vacation in Hawaii and it threw everything into a tailspin.  What was I thinking?  The kids missed school so we took their work with us.  Big mistake.  Note to self.  Don’t do that again. But the sun was hot, the resort was cool and all that made turning 50 just nifty. (Where are my hair color and tweezers?!?)

The kids are still enjoying school at Redding School of the Arts.  Graham is in 2nd grade and Amelia is in 5th grade.  They are both in the full Mandarin Immersion program which means they have half the day in English and half in Mandarin.  They also have a full plate of music, art, and all the rest of the regularly scheduled programming, so they’re stretched.  They are also taking piano lessons and that makes for a fun time of chasing them around the house hollering for them to practice magical music at all hours in our house.  Soccer in the spring and swim team all summer keep us in tip-top-shape…as supporters.  The kids love it and we love watching.

On the extended family front, my Mother and Dad are well and doing as much traveling as they can.  My Mother took a few cruises and my Dad took trips to Dubai, Australia, and London. I can’t wait until the kids are big enough to go with them.  We all celebrated together as my brother Craig (who lost his wife to cancer almost 3 years ago) got married in June to a darling woman, Diana.  After such loss before, the celebration was all the sweeter.

When our local Veteran’s Home opened their skilled nursing facility in July, we moved Tom’s Dad up here from his long-time home of Moraga.  It has made for an interesting year as Tom figures out how to juggle the responsibilities of primary care giver for his Dad with those of being husband and dad to his own family.  He’s doing his usual exceptional job with it all. (In my humble opinion.)

Tom celebrated his 30th! year with his company this fall.  He still loves his job and looks forward to going to work.  The forestry and natural resources world is full of exciting challenges – so it’s pretty neat to see all the opportunities unfold.  He has also managed to fit in finding an occasional geocache – one of his favorite long-time hobbies.

2014 was my big, huge, major, changing year.  I decided that I was going to get back to my first love of public speaking.  Wowzer! Had things ever changed in the 8 years I had been away.  So, rather than just get out and speak, I spent my year starting a blog/website, a podcast, which you can find on iTunes, while continuing to host a local TV Show, The Forum, (episodes available on You Tube), writing a book (check my website and Amazon after January 15th), and filling in with speaking as much as I could, including a terrific Spring Women’s Renewal Retreat at my church.

Oh, and I also ran the San Jose Rock and Roll 1/2 marathon and was chosen to be one of Michael Hyatt’s testimonials for his goal setting program 5 Days to Your Best Year Ever.  I think a highlight was having Michael’s film crew come from Canada to film for the day.  When they filmed me running down our street, it was too much for our hyper-vigilant cautious neighbor and he almost ran us off the road with his dually truck – insistently questioning us what we were doing filming on the street!  Excitement all around. Ha.

We wrapped up the year with a Christmas cruise to Mexico and a few days in San Diego.  It was a relief to let Princess Cruises do the decorating and cooking.

So with all of this we are thankful.  Thankful for the December rains, thankful for healthy kids and family, thankful for you!  We love hearing your updates and seeing you when you pass through.  Please don’t be a stranger!

Our homebase for all social media platforms and to stay connected is www.christylargent.com  Be sure to sign up for my email list to keep up with all our happenings!

Much love and hugs from all of us!

Tom, Christy, Amelia and Graham

The post New Year’s Greetings! appeared first on Christy Largent.

It was December 2003 and my husband and I had been married almost a year.  In light of the fact I was 40 and had also experienced some infertility issues in my 20’s we knew our time to conceive was limited.  My sweet husband Tom wanted children.  All I had ever wanted was to be a mother, but by this point, I had just about given up that dream and was really enjoying my life as it had turned out.  Lots of travel, a speaking career I loved and lazy Sunday afternoons were my norm and I wasn’t in too much of a hurry to change it.  In addition, I had an aversion to adoption.

But doggone it, during a lovely December week in Maui, Tom made it clear he wanted to explore our options.  So since I was teaching this thing called “Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone” I knew I must not be a fake and I better live what I was teaching.  So I bought a book.  (Of course!)  That book, Adoption For Dummies, was just what I needed to get the conversation started.

Interestingly, it was one of my audience members who helped me make the shift.  During a program in Boulder, mid-December of 2003, he had volunteered the fact that he was an adoptive Dad.  When he spoke of his 2 girls, he literally “glowed”.  As he was leaving that day, I stopped him at the door and asked if I could get a bit more of his story.  He lovingly described how he and his wife had adopted from both Korea and Vietnam, and how the adoptions had enhanced their lives more than they could ever have imagined.  He highly recommended we look into international adoption.

International adoption.  Now that was interesting to me.   I had always loved to travel and had spent a high school summer in Spain and a year teaching english in Hungary.  So with a renewed focus I continued my research and discovered that China was a perfect fit for us.  At that time, Chinese international adoption was a smoothly running machine.  In addition, their adoption requirements were a perfect match for Tom and myself.  They liked older, financially secure, stable couples.  So China was our choice.

But where to get more information?  In those early internet days, information was spotty and in our small town, even more so.  But in a way only God could orchestrate, I was actually in town, speaking to a group of women when I mentioned I was looking into adoption from China.  At the end of my program, a woman came up and said she recommended I call a friend of hers who she believed had adopted from China already.  I called the woman that afternoon and discovered her children were adopted from Korea, but that they were going to participate in a Chinese New Year celebration THE NEXT NIGHT right there in Redding.

The timing was impeccable.  Not only was I home that week (at that time I was traveling 2-3 weeks a month), but the fact I had connected with her just 1 day before the once a year event was just beyond words.  The next night we headed to the event and met 40 other people who had either already adopted from Asia, or were in the process.  We also met a couple who had just signed up with an agency we had not heard of before and they were generous to share all their information with us.

The Chinese New Year celebration was the last weekend of January 2004.  We signed with the agency in February.  Our paperwork went to China in May.  December 20, 2004, in Chongqing, China, we met our daughter Amelia.  It was the best Christmas ever.

So now, 10 years later, our travel has included an additional trip to China in 2008 to adopt little brother Graham, and is mostly family trips.  My speaking career no longer includes non-stop travel and Sunday afternoons are rarely called lazy.  But motherhood.  Now that’s another post.  It’s really been the Best. Thing. Ever.

Question:  What do you think about adoption?  Have you ever considered it?  Would you ever consider it?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Please comment below.

The post Our Adoption Story-The Beginnings appeared first on Christy Largent.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I find myself just kind of “in a funk”.  Leaving the house in a rush and escaping to a restaurant to read and write and work because I don’t want to say a truthful thing to a house guest who hurt my feelings.

I fall into the same pattern of behaviors that have ill-served me over the years.  Apparently I’m pretty good at persuasive communication and not-so-hot at honest, vulnerable communication.  So instead of saying, “Wow, that behavior of yours hurt me,” I grab my computer, books and rush out the door to drop the kids at school and escape the uncomfortable feelings bubbling up inside me.

I am obviously bothered by these feelings because I woke up this morning at 2:17am just in time to watch the Amtrack train cross the trestle heading south.  And when I couldn’t go back to sleep by 3:30, I slipped to the kitchen for my cure-all, Advil, and went back to bed deeply breathing my mantra “God made me enough” over and over again.

And these feelings rage around inside of me and I can’t figure out how to say it nicely.  And then I read the blog posts of my most current wonder-woman Crystal Paine and think how little I”m producing and how slow my progress and all the other not-enough lies that come from comparison and I wonder if any of my dear readers ever feel this same way?

Do you have an agenda list 2 miles long and somehow just can’t seem to get accomplished what you want to get accomplished?  Do you have things to say and instead of being Brave (Brene Brown) or a Warrior (Glenna Melton) you suck it back inside and smolder?  I’m sorry if you do this.  I’m sorry I do this.  I want to be the woman who bravely speaks and lives her truth.

You might even look at me and think, “Christy is a clear communicator,” “She speaks the truth in love,” but then you would be looking at my outside and not my stress-induced rash or my marriage that’s in a hard spot or my sadness with some of my most personal relationships.

My dear sisters.  We are on a journey and I want to encourage you on yours while I encourage myself on mine.  I will write this post and maybe post it, and then I will create my own list of 3 4 things I will do to pull myself out of this pit and get busy doing what I was put on earth to do.

1. Remember that your mission is uniquely your own.  The journey you are on only you can travel. You are the right person for the right job.  Claim your mission with thankfulness. Here’s mine.  God first cliche, but true – Oh how He loves you and me! My Husband, love him unconditionally.  My children love them without expectations.  My work/health.  Programs to write, people to encourage, miles to run.
2. Revisit your Goals.  What is the most important next step?  See programs to write, above.
3. Get busy doing something of value that will move you towards those goals.  Don’t check Facebook or read over other (better) blogs.  Get busy producing.  I always feel better when I produce.
4. Ignore the other 3 things until you face your fear.  Say the uncomfortable thing you need to say.  (More action!)  Today I will be brave.  I promise you I will figure out the words to say.  I will not try to convince.  I will be honest and vulnerable.  Yuck.  Just thinking about it twists my gut into a knot.  But I will do this today first because I want to grow.  I want to start defaulting into the better choices instead of the old ones that produce negative results.  And I know I have to practice to get better.  Today I will practice.

And so I offer to you these thoughts.  My heart hopes you will not judge me too harshly.  Instead, I hope you find some encouragement in my struggling path for your own path.  Maybe you will even feel better because this is not your struggle.  You got this!  Be thankful, and pass this along to someone in your life who is struggling.  Because maybe she needs to be reminded that she really is the right person for her right job and the world is waiting.

Deuteronomy 31:6  “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Question:  I’ll leave my results from today in the comments section. I’d love to hear your results too!  Please encourage me by leaving your comments below.

The post Practice Makes…A Life appeared first on Christy Largent.

Driving down the coast of California with a 7 and 10 year old in tow, making periodic stops at California Missions does NOT a fairytale make.  I’f you’d been with us, here’s a bit of what you might have heard…(see if you relate)

“Pay attention and  look at this view! People come from all over the world to see this beautiful landscape!”

“Stop hitting your brother!”

“There’s a statue of Father Serra – let’s get another a picture”

“Don’t you dare touch your sister again!”

“No, we’re not going to the beach until the end of the day”

“Write this down, this will be good for your report on the California Missions this fall.”  (You would hear muttering in response.)

“Please be quiet, we’re going to stop in just 2 hours a few minutes!”

Needless to say, as I sit here in the hotel room this morning (the pool is closed for maintenance, the beach has no beachside cafes and the one umbrella topped tables is full of HS girls in their pajamas playing on their i-phones). I figure there must be something good from all this I can share with you.  The must be a lesson here somewhere.

Because you see, I woke up early with my heart racing thinking of the things I left undone when we left for vacation.  Those items are still sitting on my computer in my inbox.  The phone calls still need to be made.  The emails still need to be returned.  The blog posts written.  The sheer volume of WORK!  It’s overwhelming.

This re-starting a business has been a lot harder and slower than I anticipated.  I envisioned a quick turnaround.  I pictured myself as a speedy jet boat, making a swift, powerful, unencumbered 180, then racing quickly in the other direction.

I guess the reality is that I’m more of a cruise ship.  Loaded down with husband and kiddos and activities and responsibilities.  With that in mind, I’m taking a big breath and going to share with you a few ideas that helped me this morning.  Maybe they will help you navigate your circumstances too.  I’m writing this in first person, so please put your name in here and feel free to make it your own.

I’m me, not anyone else.  In the midst of my anxiety this morning I opened an email from a very well know and extremely successful female speaker.  She has started a world-wide ministry, written a bazillion books including 2 NY Times best sellers, has an enormous online and in-person following, adopted like 10 kids from Africa, has a bedazzling marriage….well, you get the picture.  What trap did I fall into again? That’s right.  Comparison.  I had to remind myself that I’m me.  The end. My story can only start when the comparison ends.

Work with what I’ve got.  So I’m not sitting by the beach being awed by the wonder of God’s creation as I type these words.  My kids are in and out of the room.  I’m sitting at a fake wood table by the wall AC that’s blowing fast and furious.  That’s ok.  This is all the time I have, so I’m going to make the most of it.  I have a feeling this is a message you might need to be reminded of too.

Break it down.  When I’m overwhelmed, it’s easy to let my mind run crazy with ALL the things that are not happening.  I find when I take the time to list down what these things are, it releases some chemical so I feel better.  It puts it in perspective. It gives me a chance to see what the gaps are and what the REAL (not imagined) needs are.  Breaking it down gives me the bigger picture.

Experience your moment.  I must admit my temptation is to fret and stew this vacation away trying to fit work in every bit of alone spare time I can grab.  Instead, I’m going to finish this post.  Shoot out a few fast emails that say I will get back with them after my vacation is over next Monday.  I’ll do a min-podcast tomorrow morning early before everyone is up and get it posted on Thursday, but other than that, I’m going to enjoy the rest of this vacation without regret.

There will always be more work.  But I will never, ever, have another week with my sweet little chickens (as I call them) like this week.  So I’m going to embrace it and enjoy it.

I have a feeling all the expectations I had for this week will be way blown away by the memories we actually make.  And when I get back to the work, my hunch is that it will be with fresh eyes and a renewed spirit.  Happy Summer!

Question:  What part of this post do you relate to?  Please let me know I’m not the only one!!

The post I’m So Overwhelmed! And I’m on VACATION! appeared first on Christy Largent.

But today, because my son was adopted into an American home, he is free to spend the day lying on his bed reading to his heart’s content.  He is free to enjoy angry birds and the power rangers in equal measure.  He’s free to dream and then live out those dreams unencumbered.

Today is a sad day for the thousands of children who have been pouring illegally into the United States over the past few weeks.  No matter how they got here, my guess is that they were longing for freedom and opportunity.  Today they are housed in large cages waiting for our government to figure out what to do with them.

My heart breaks for those children.  I wish I could do something, anything, to get them out of the kennel for people and into homes where honest, hard working, god-fearing people would love them.  Although I’ve contacted my congressmen and both senators, I’ve heard nothing in response.

So today we Americans celebrate our freedom with bike rides and pool parties and picnics and book reading.  We’ll wrap it all up with baseball and fireworks.  It’s so easy to take it for granted isn’t it.

But I don’t and I hope you won’t.  I hope you will take the time to be thankful for what you have and the people you have in your life.  If you are American, you have blessings and abundance that the majority of the world can only dream of.  Let’s show our patriotism by being thankful and grateful and generous.  God Bless America.

The post Happy July 4th America! appeared first on Christy Largent.

First things first.   Yes, this was written on my whiteboard by my Amelia.  I love how she spells, and I really love how she is focused on what is important.  As I mentioned at the end of May, my weight loss challenge was a  “failure”.  The month was really GREAT in other areas…but…

Do you ever do that?  When the one thing you really want to achieve doesn’t happen, you write off the whole month?  That is SO MUCH my tendency.  But I’m learning and growing and so today I celebrate all the good things that happened in May.  My podcast launched!  I made it to iTunes New and Noteworthy thanks to all the amazing reviews!  I kept up with semi-regular blogs.  I recognized that I have a focus on perfectionism.  This is actually the first time I’m figuring out that I really am a perfectionist in quite a few areas of my life. Yeah! Growth! The book The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are is really helping me (and I think it would help you too if this is your struggle).

My girlfriend told me about a trainer who helps you re-set your metabolism.  Seriously, I have tried everything (too many to go into here) and I’m sure my metabolism is as sluggish at the pink goop McDonalds uses for it’s chicken nuggets.  So, as soon as I finish this blog post, I’m going to call him up and get an appointment.  Can’t hurt, and it just might help.  I’ll keep you posted!

Now to the really important stuff.  The “I’m running around like a chicken with my head cut off” syndrome that mysteriously reappears every June.  If this is something you can relate to, here are my top 5 ideas for getting back on track.  I’m going to start them right after I finish this post and call that magical trainer…

1.  Write down what you want to accomplish. When everything is going crazy, the easiest thing in the world is to forget what you really need to do.  The urgent jumps up to the top of your mind and you lose track of the important.  Writing it down will give you clarity and free up your brain.
2. Prioritize.  My guess is that your list is crazy long.  Everything from put in a load of wash to contact that client.  I find that prioritizing is a huge help since I RARELY finish everything on my list during the day. I feel really good when I can check off each item and know the most important thing has been done.  If you struggle with prioritizing and procrastinating, I’ll encourage you to read Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy.  This book is full of great practical suggestions for how to get the hard stuff done. I re-read my copy at least once a year to keep me on track.
3. Keep the list handy.  I sometimes write a list and then close my notebook and forget about it.  Don’t do that!  Keep it open and handy so you can check off things as you do them.  It also helps you stay on task.
4. Set aside 40-50 minutes to work without distractions.  Do whatever it takes to be uninterrupted.  Work while the baby is asleep.  Get up early. Stay up late.  Shut the door.  Turn on the TV for heaven’s sake.  That’s why PBS was invented!  You get my drift.  Set the time and work undistracted.  You will be amazed at how effective and productive you will be in such a short amount of time.
5. Celebrate your wins!  You did it!  You accomplished something today.  Go kiss your kids, pet the dog and jump in the pool. You’re going to need it ’cause tomorrow it starts all over again.  Big hugs from sunny, hot (105!) and summery Redding.

Question:  How do you handle the challenges summer brings?  What are your best practices?.  Share please.  We’d love to know!  Just post your ideas below in the comments section.

The post 5 Steps to Stop Running Around Like a Chicken With Your Head Cut Off appeared first on Christy Largent.

And thank you Dad for your service as an officer in the United States Air Force.

Both of you served to keep our nation free.  In more than words we are thankful.

The post Memorial Day Thankfulness appeared first on Christy Largent.

Crazy, isn’t it?  I know!  I laughed so much and actually thought, so darling, but seriously, so tacky!   I then shared it with some of my best girlfriends.  And then one girlfriend said something that rocked me.  She said, “What a cute invitation, I’ll bet it’s going to be a really fun wedding.”  And she’s exactly right.  It will be a super fun wedding.  The people are great fun and I love them.  They have an awesome sense of humor (see above example), and it will be a time of celebration and joy.  So what if the invitation is not my preference? (Tiffanys, engraved on cream paper if you really want to know).  But thanks to a shift in perspective, that invitation went from tacky to terrific.

What if, when I looked in the mirror, or tried on my clothes, or got ready to leave in the morning, I gave myself a perspective shift.  How about a perspective that says thank you God for my sturdy legs that will carry me far.  Thank you for a healthy heart that beats with love and excitement for others.  Thank you for soft arms that hold my husband and children tightly.  Thank you for diligent hands that wash dishes and correct math homework and type encouraging words.  Thank you for a full belly that is testimony of your gracious abundance.

When we are thankful, our hearts and minds are full.  There’s no room for “not enough” in a mind and heart full of gratitude.

 A perspective of discontent comes from focusing on what we don’t have.   What’s not enough.  Whether it’s our backyards, our bodies or our backgrounds.  Not enough outside seating to invite the neighbors for dinner.  Not skinny enough to look good in those fancy jeans. Not enough experience to…(fill in the blank.)  Not enough is a big, fat, ugly lie.  We are all enough.  We are all enough.  Just.  As. We.  Are.

And maybe Mother’s Day is a good time to let go of the lie that my own mother was not enough.  She was enough.  She did the best she could with what she had.  She always loved me unconditionally and still tells me I am more than enough.  My own ears hearing the not enough from her mouth in regards to herself and others, was my own insecurity rearing it’s ugly head.  (I love you Mother!)  She is enough.  She did enough.  More than enough.

And when I realize that, suddenly I’m freed to be enough in my own life.  I’m enough of a wife.  I’m enough of a mother.  I’m enough in all my 186 lb glory.  I’m enough because God made me enough.

I’m on this public quest to shed some weight.  I don’t know what the end goal is.  It’s been almost 15 years since I’ve been at what I deemed my “perfect” weight, so now at age 50 I don’t know what my happy place weight will be.  For today, if I can shed 20 lbs, lower my blood sugar and have more energy, I’ll be encouraged.

Can I be enough now and yet get better? Of course!  That’s called growth.  But we don’t have to wait to be “better” to live life fully enough.  Let go of the lies that are telling you you are not enough.  You are enough.  Today.  Right now.  You are enough.

Let’s change our perspectives together.  Let’s live our lives fully no matter what the number on the scale says. We can focus on gratitude rather than lack.  Because when we’re thankful for being enough, and we let go of the ‘not enough’ in others and become thankful for who we are and what our bodies are, then we’re free to focus on others.

 Mothers, I don’t have to tell you our lives are full of doing for others.  And the paradox is the more we pour out, the more we are filled.  It’s beautiful.  You’re beautiful.  It’s enough.  You’re enough.  Happy Mother’s Day.

Question:  Do you know you are enough?  What keeps you from celebrating that?  How can you begin celebrating your “enough-ness”?  Please leave your comments below.

The post Celebrating a Mother’s Day ‘Enough’ appeared first on Christy Largent.

So I decided today to just let you know I won’t be posting this week – but will get back with you next week when school starts.

I’m wishing you a very Blessed Easter Weekend with those you love.

The post Spring Break Time! appeared first on Christy Largent.

For the past 9 years I have been focused at home.  Raising my long-awaited children.

and working a home business in the nooks and crannies.  My passion for speaking had not abated, I just put it put on the back burner.

Taking stock while vacationing this summer in the beautiful Oregon countryside

I realized I needed to get busy doing what God put me on earth to do.  With the help of some terrific books, Put Your Dream to the Test: 10 Questions to Help You See It and Seize It
and The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
I decided to relaunch my professional speaking business.

The Dream  This is the dream that emerged.   I’m committed to helping people all over the world Create Positive Connections and Cultivate Purposeful Living.

The Reality  I quickly discovered the business world has changed a lot in the 9 years I’ve been away from professional speaking.  Thankfully, I discovered Michael Hyatt at just the right time!  The former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers has the most extraordinary website www.michaelhyatt.com as well as book, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World.
The book is a step-by-step guide to launching whatever business you want to.  I memorized it immediately!

The Plan  I will be speaking, writing, and using social media to connect.   My plan is to blog 3 times a week with regular topics.

Mondays I’ll offer insight for dealing with the various personalities in your life.  When I speak on the personality styles, it’s always a favorite, so I think you will like too.

Wednesdays I’ll cover tips, tricks and strategies for successful communication.  By Wednesday you’re usually sick to death of those irritating people you have to work with, so I figure that’s a good time to help you strengthen your communications skills.

Fridays, in the interest of honest transparency, I’m going to write about my lifelong challenge interest in fitness, wellness and nutrition.

I have a lot of other exciting ideas, so in between the scheduled posts I’ll be adding videos and podcasts and tools to help you create positive connections and cultivate purposeful living. I’m so excited!

Question:  My theme is “Positive Connections. Purposeful Living.”  With that in mind, what topics would you like to see me cover this year?  What are you most interested in learning about? Please leave a comment below!

The post The Beginning – What’s this all about? appeared first on Christy Largent.

My History with The Personalities

Mid 70‘s:  A book called Spirit-Controlled Temperament by Tim LaHaye was making the rounds and as a pre-teen I picked it up and read it.  Didn’t understand a thing, but loved the idea of the various personalities.

Late 80’s:  Small, tight singing groups (think Wilson Phillips and First Call) were all the vogue.  In the interest of getting tighter, the director of my group introduced us to Please Understand Me: Character and Temperament Types
Well, I gobbled that book up and discovered I was an ENFJ, my husband was an ESTJ, and we were actually quite incompatible.  That’s about all I learned, (not helpful) but I still loved the idea of the various personalities.

Mid 90’s:  20 years and one divorce from my first exposure to the concept of personality styles.  I was no closer to understanding myself, much less what went wrong in my marriage, but I still loved the idea of the various personalities.  Thankfully, that’s when I was introduced to Personality Plus: How to Understand Others by Understanding Yourself by Florence Littauer.  Now HERE was some information I could use! Practical and full of application for everyday life, I dove into that book like the lifeline it was.  I even got trained by Florence herself on how to teach the material and I started shouting it from the rooftops any chance I had.

Interestingly, this passion for understanding how people get along was the start of my speaking career.  I had fun with, and was good at, teaching the information in a meaningful way.  Most importantly, people were eating this info up with a spoon!  And a career was born.

Current Day:

As I’ve taught this material, over the years a few key ideas have emerged

• Deep down, most people really want to understand and get along with the important people in their lives.  (Husband, wife, kids, parents, coworkers and clients.)
• People are hungry for tools to understand and engage positively with these people.
• The knowing (understanding) is actually fairly simple.  It’s the doing that’s difficult.
• It’s long process and no matter how much you practice it’s still difficult to get out of yourself and into the other person.  (I’m selfish and I want to do things MY WAY!)

The doing can be learned…you just have to want to do it.

What about you?  Are you interested in this subject? How would your life change if you were able to connect more effectively with those in your life?

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