Last month, I talked about "Living Authentically". Are you following your bliss? If not, you may be feeling urges to make a change, take a risk, or to make a difference with your life. What is holding you back? It is probably the fear of the unknown. Change is scary. Think about the first time you did something totally new or out of character...how did it feel? Next time you step out into a new area to test the water and begin to get butterflies or feel a rush of adrenalin; use those feelings to push you forward. I always ask myself, "What is the worst thing that can happen to me in this case?" Then I play it out in my head and realize that even if I fail, it worth the risk. Sometimes our best lessons come from our failures! Thomas Edison failed over and over before he created the light bulb!

Try this exercise next time you begin to feel afraid to take a risk or step out of your comfort zone: simply act the idea out in your head like a movie. See yourself in this role and being successful. How does it feel?... Great, right? Now, visualize "what is the worst thing that could happen to you?" and act that out in your head...just like a movie. Now, how does that feel? Okay, now look around...how bad is it? Can you handle it? If yes, then go for it. If you are afraid, tell a friend, your mentor and get some help. This is why we are creating our Smart Women's Coaching Café...so you don't have to do these things alone. You will have access to experts, a library of resources, a forum with message boards and an entirely new community designed to help you take your life to that next level! Stay tuned!

~ Katana

Katana is an expert in helping women prepare for taking care of their aging parents. She has been a featured speaker with the Area Agency on Aging as well as the Federal Reserve Board's Money $mart Week. She will soon be launching a new program called, "The Designated Daughter^TM- Living in the Sandwich Generation." For more information, you can visit her website at www.Smartwomenscoaching.com

We have polled hundreds of women...asking, "What is holding you back from living your perfect life?" Their answers are amazing. We would like to share some of them with you now. If you would like to be part of this survey, please click on the link at the end of this article and sign up for our Free 7-part audio course called, "Your Perfect Life Focus" and you will be asked the question. See what women are saying about what's holding them back:

• Not having the right network and not knowing how to get it
• Low self-confidence and self-esteem
• Getting myself organized to start my home-based business
• Not knowing what my perfect life consist of or how to create it
• Believing that I have the knowledge necessary to be successful
• My creativity keeps coming and coming!
• Not knowing where to start
• 24 hour days!
• I am having difficulty discovering what it is that I really want out of life
• I don't connect with people enough...I have a very closed personality
• Lack of connection (friends, mentors, business acquaintances)
• Fear
• I struggle with anxiety/depression and panic attacks
• Belief in who I am, what I can do, and what direction I should be going in my life
• Stuck in a rut of the same old people, same old bad habits and wishing for something to change
• Fear of giving up financial security
• Finding my power in letting go of what I think I need to control
• Finding my niche, 25 years of working and wanting something new utilizing all of these hard earned skills!
• Staying focused on the important things
• Getting clear on what I want and then taking the first step
• Finding the perfect balance between work & family
• Growing beyond my current position...need to move on to a place where I can contribute more and add more value
• Burdens of caretaking, the stagnant market in Detroit
• Taking care of myself

This is just a partial list...pretty amazing isn't it? You have told us and we are doing something to help you. In May, the doors of the Coaching Café will open and you will be able to meet all the experts, visit the library and begin to connect with women around the world. How will you do this? Look for your invitation next month...the process will be very simple. You won't have to leave your home because this will be a virtual community!

You will also be invited to workshops, classes and programs from experts around the globe...because we are making the connections so these programs are available to you all in one place! Most of these programs will be available over the telephone from the convenience of your office or home. Other events, workshops and retreats will be live and hosted in various parts of the world.

So please stay tuned and be sure to sign up for your free audio mini course now and tell us "what is holding you back from living your perfect life?"

Click here to sign up for fr.ee mini course!

Wednesday, April 25, 2007 ~ 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
eWomen Network
Goldner Walsh Nursery on Orchard Lake in Pontiac, Michigan
Get Ahead by Getting Known!
Jill Jordan, Personal Branding Coach
Click here for more infomation and to register!

Saturday, April 28, 2007 ~ 6 PM
ImaginAide 2007 ~ Lighting the Way Home!
COTS (Coalition on Temporary Shelter)
Boll Family YMCA, Detroit, Michigan
To sponsor, donate an auction item or attend, please contact Jill .

Thursday, May 3 - Sunday, May 6, 2007 ~ 10 AM - 9 PM
International Women's Show - Rock Financial Showplace
Novi, Michigan
Smart Women's Coaching will be available at the MetroChick Radio booth on the 3rd and 4th
Katana Abbott and Jill Jordan
For more information, click here!

Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Michigan Women's Foundation 2007 Women of Achievement and Courage Dinner
Wintergarden, Detroit Renaissance
To sponsor, donate an auction item, or attend, please contact Jill .

For a complete listing, click here!

Dear Friends and Family,

In so many ways my life here is getting easier and easier. A couple of weeks ago the father of the family I live with returned from his job in the mines of South Africa with a huge package strapped to his back. It was a dismantled telephone antenna. Matjeeka and the herd boys installed in on a tall pole by the house and so we now have telephone reception right here! I had little hope that we would actually get a signal but we do. So now, instead of climbing up a mountain on the other side of the valley to make phone calls, I just walk next door. It's simply bloody marvelous.

And then there is my house-cleaning situation. I think I mentioned that it is very culturally appropriate for me to hire help for housekeeping and laundry. The Peace Corps also encourages us to do so. The first young woman who was helping me with both chores was able to save enough money to go back to school. She is a brilliant, beautiful girl of 20 and is now, with a little extra financial help from you and me, attending

Click here to continue...

We would like to thank the new members of our Advisory Board who are joining us in launching the Smart Women's Café. You will be hearing much more from these talented individuals in the months to come! They are:

• Kathy Lucas, business owner and yoga teacher in Michigan www.karma-yoga.net
• Ruth Klein, best selling author, speaker and marketing consultant in California www.ruthklein.com
• Marilyn Schwader, author and writing coach in Oregon www.clarityofvision.com
• Denise Mahnick, business owner and promotional expert in Michigan www.3sixtydirect.com
• Gail Martin, fiction author and marketing consultant in North Carolina www.dreamspinnercommunications.com
• Mike Jaffe, speaker, coach and "human wake up call" in Connecticut www.jaffelifedesign.com
• Jessica Furlong, realtor and property manager in Michigan www.keyrealestatesvcs.com
• Robin Wright King, author and speaker in Michigan www.robinwrightking.com
• Tanya Jordan, virtual assistant and solutions specialist, in British Columbia, Canada www.virtualtemps.ca
• Donna Marie, trainer, consultant and confidante in Michigan, www.donnamarieconsulting.com
• Lori Williams, "legal match maker" in Michigan www.bestlegalresource.com
• Deborah Gallant, website expert and business coach in California www.lifeworkcatalyst.com

We should have a few more board members to announce in next month's issue. Please visit their websites and get to know these talented individuals!

Warmest regards,

Katana and Jill

These materials are the sole property of Smart Women's Coaching^TM and cannot be reproduced. © 2006 Smart Women's Coaching^TM, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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"Katana Abbott, CFP, CSA is a Vision Coach and the Founder of Smart Women's Coaching^TM . For more information on finding a speaker, coach, or learning more about her powerful network of experts and resources from the Smart Women's Coaching Café, visit www.smartwomenscoaching.com."