Taking the time to plant a tree

As I helped out with my son's 6th grade class Tree Planting Day, I looked around at all the other "parent leaders" and noticed the diversity represented in the volunteers. Of course, there were a couple dads, but I was focusing on the moms. We represented the reality of moms today. Some of us work full time, some are full-time stay-at-home moms (SAHMs). Many work part-time. Most all have more than one child. We were a wide range of ages - from early 30s to mid-50s. We were, with our shovels, today's moms. One took a call from work while we dug; another a call from a nurse about a sick child at elementary school.

There are more than 82 million moms in the U.S., (82.8 as of 2004 - and I'm sure there are more current figures but these stats were on the cover story this Sunday for a Mother's Day piece in The Columbus Dispatch.) A full 80 percent of women ages 40 to 44 were mothers in 2006, with each mother having 2.1 births (?). The number of SAHMs in 2008: 5.3 million.

We are a powerful group, and if you're part of it, congratulations! If you're marketing to us, know we are diverse; and if you see one of us with a shovel and a big smile, that would be me.

Do what you love.

Find out what makes you wake up in the morning and smile. Start by listing the activities that you are most passionate about during a typical day at work or home. These are probably the daily tasks that you look forward to—the items on your to-do list that get checked off first. Once you’ve uncovered your passions, it’s easier to make them come to life in your real brand.

I think that Kim Ades, president of Opening Doors and Frame of Mind Coaching , chose this as one of her favorite tips for women entrepreneurs because it has made such a difference in her life. As a business owner, she specializes in thought management, and her goal is to help people attain the opportunities they are seeking in life. She “opens doors” to people, to thoughts, to greatness—and to self-actualization. And she “opens the doors” that stand in the way of great fulfillment—of doing what a person truly loves.

How about you? Are you passionate about what you do in life? Is there a spring in your step? A sparkle in your eye? Start opening the doors to your passion by reading Real You Incorporated.

And don’t forget to share your success stories with the RYI Community!