"You owe the world your gifts. You just have to find out how to use them."
- The Amazing Spiderman, quoted in Transformation, page 3
"Our lives are the sum total of the choices we’ve made. Embrace the challenges and struggles. They are a necessary ingredient for victory!"- Author Unknown, Transformation, page 4
No matter their age, did you know 68% of people believe they’ve already lived their best years? Far too often we drift along on auto-pilot, going through the motions and accepting what is. Contrary to these stale beliefs, the author vocally asserts it’s never too late to embrace an audacious vision for your life.
To step out of this conformity-driven mindset, though, the pain of remaining the same must become greater than the pain of change. Only then will the decisions plus choices we make also alter.
"When you make up your mind that ‘the best’ is the only thing you will accept everything else that is less than the best will be eliminated."- Author Unknown, Transformation, page 43
Following your dream no matter what others say, is vitally important if we’re to move from settling or surviving to thriving. One way to do this is to run your own race and never compare yourself to others. When you do, you’re comparing your worst to their best.
Here are some other tips Tobin offers to step into your personal power:
"A person’s true character will always show up during times of question."- Transformation, page 83
From her list of success factors, the author then goes on to reinforce that the best is in store for you, so give yourself permission to be brilliant and excellent. On their road to championship, winners:
Borrowing on the latter point, Shannon adds that even when you think there’s no point to carry on (and even when people say you can’t do it), pick yourself back up. A few months from now you will be so much closer to your goal than you are now. Focus on the road ahead. Do something today for which your future self will thank you.
If I may say, I find it hard not to be ignited by the many thought-provoking insights Tobin offers from her own transformational experiences. As the back-cover testimonials state, she’s not just a savvy business woman with a track record that consistently places her in a number one position within her industry. With her commitment to life-long learning, she clearly possesses a mentor’s heart.
It is her fervent goal to develop and bring out others’ unique abilities so they can realize their dreams. As she extracts from Veronica A. Shoffstall’s poem: “Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul. Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers… You really can endure. You are strong. And you really do have worth.”
Let’s now go out there and be bold with our actions! Have fun living out loud!
As a professional speaker, author, transition coach and mother, Shannon M. Tobin has worked hard to transform her life into one solely based on a positive and empowering model. Using the metaphor of a butterfly, Shannon is passionate about helping others achieve their full potential and discover a dream lifestyle based on a personal journey of spiritual and emotional growth. Freedom to be, do, have, live, give and receive are the fundamental ideals Shannon lives by each day and will use to help you discover your own personal flight pattern.Placing a large emphasis on her role as both a mother and a mentor to woman, Shannon looked as though she had it all. On paper, her life appeared to be stimulating and rewarding as a recognized Top Director at a global cosmetic company, a position she attained through over 21 years of hard work along with her community involvement and family life. However the endless feelings of not living true to herself, and conforming to the mold of others, made her feel more alone and unfulfilled. Trapped in what can now be seen as a toxic marriage, Shannon recognized her responsibilities as a mother and role model to break free and like a butterfly, to soar freely through the sky and capitalize on her individual strengths to improve life for both herself and her son. Shannon went from surviving to thriving each day by first breaking the mold of conformity, which gave her the platform to create and live a dream lifestyle that she now wants to pass on to others by sharing her story with you.Looking to give back, Shannon now run’s a variety of workshops to help other individuals by sharing her journey and teaching the tools that can transform your life with a new and meaningful outlook. As author of the self-help book Transformation, Shannon has created the Dare To Be You Foundation, with the mission of helping to empower women who will then be able to pass that on to the next generation so they too can discover their strength, skills, and talents that make them happy. Dare To Be You focuses on being a constructive outlet for parents and teens to learn about themselves and build the tools for a successful future. The foundation also aims to help both men and women who have been victims of abuse to re-discover their own sense of self-worth, and like a caterpillar inside a cocoon, to re-emerge as a stronger, wiser, and more beautiful creature.
