Yikes.. don't throw out the baby with the bathwater.

As an entrepreneur I am always looking for ways to improve my business. I have read hundreds of books, I talk to people I respect, I watch webinars by hugely successful people and have spent plenty of money on coaches and seminars in the past. I also believe the phrase that "we are exactly where we need to be". I have been researching business coaches, and generally kind of beating myself up. And then....

I decided to surrender, not quit, but to surrender and wait for some answers. Because what I am beginning to really grasp, it that I already have the answers. Then one sunny day I met a friend who was also out riding her bike and a great conversation happened on the side of the road, with a suggestion of a mastermind with 2 women who also were searching for support and answers. After 2 meetings I felt like I have hit the jackpot. Hope they feel that way as well.

One of my favorite events during our Edmonton summer, is the Symphony under the Sky concerts. We sit outside in one of our beautiful river valley parks and listen to the most beautiful music. This year, we choose to attend the Simon and Garfunkel series. Oh the memories, the music brought to me. The band that was playing with the Symphony, also shared some history and things about the team of Simon and Garfunkel. And this is where the aha moment happened for me.

Simon and Garfunkel had poured their creative souls out writing and recording a song they thought was something special and unfortunately the world and charts didn't agree. Feeling totally destroyed they went on their separate ways, feeling that maybe this music things wasn't for them. While they were away, the producers of their music remixed the song, decided to add additional instruments to the acoustic only song and kabam, the song jolted the world. They had become superstars. So you are probably wondering what the song was... it was "The Sound of Silence." Click here to hear it. https://youtu.be/--DbgPXwLlM

So why did this jolt me, you ask? It got me thinking about how many things I have done that were successful and the things that weren't. I hardly give myself credit for the success and am very hard on myself for the ones I consider a failure. How many times did I almost throw out the baby with the bathwater, by quitting or thinking of quitting. Maybe all I needed was to make a little shift, add just something little, or for that matter, change something very little. The inspirational quotes say, "that we are just around the corner from success".

Sandra Yancey (founder of eWomen Network) quoted at a recent EWomen meeting, when things are rough, choose to "breakthrough instead of breakdown". Wonderful advice.

What if the producer had shelved the song, or the genius of Simon and Garfunkel left the music world. What a loss that would have been for us.

Do you hear what I am saying?

You owe the world to keep trying, shift a little, add a little, just make a slight change, breakthrough, you could be one song away from changing the world. Celebrate your wins, and surrender to the losses. A huge lesson for me.

Dianna Bowes is the creative director of Fabulous@50 and editor of Be Fabulous! Dianna is also the author of The Fabulous@50 Re-Experience - Refresh your mind, body and spirit. Available here