Have you ever wondered how some women make it through the roughest times and not only survive but become stronger? Here are four pearls of empowering wisdom I’ve gathered from women, just like us, who have been there, done that and thrived.

1. True happiness begins in the heart.
No one can “make” you happy, you are responsible for your own happiness. Many people mistakenly believe that happiness is an outside force that can miraculously arrive and change life from dull to happy. True and lasting happiness doesn’t ride up on a white horse; it begins within the heart and works its way out into your world.

Happiness is an emotional habit. It begins with your day-to-day choices. You can choose to look at your world as dark and uninviting or bright and full of promise. Happy women share a common how-to for happiness: They consciously work to change their thoughts of sadness to ones of happiness. When you are feeling down, think of and focus on those things that bring you joy and pleasure. Look at a flower in bloom, listen to children laughing and choose to focus on the beautiful things in life.


2. Never give up before payday.
If something is so important that it will change your life for the positive, don’t give up before payday. Payday is that self-satisfying day when your emotional, spiritual and physical life come together to form an inner contentment and “completeness.”

It’s your responsibility to determine what motivates you to keep going forward when the going gets tough. It takes soul-searching and inner contemplation. Only you can find your inner motivators. Start by filling in these blanks: This creates joy in my life ____; This helps me feel complete _____; I smile when I think about ______; My greatest talent is ______; I look forward to _______; My life’s mission will be fulfilled when I _________.

Inner motivation is a powerful gift you can give yourself and your future. When you’re able to tap into your inner motivators you’ll powerfully motivate yourself to go forward, one positive step at a time.


3. Stay true to yourself and your core values.
Have you made time to list those values in life that are most important to you? Values are those guiding principals in which you have an emotional investment and this investment is so powerful it can unconsciously and consciously direct day-to-day activities. When you go against your core values, life seems off balance and out of sorts. Examples of core values: Respect, success, acceptance, achievement, happiness, family, etc.

It’s important to decide and make quality quiet time for discovering and writing your core values. What qualities or values are vitally important to you as a person? Staying true to yourself is staying true to your most important values.


4. The only person you can change is yourself.
Change is a choice. The only person you have any control over changing is yourself. A person has to be willing and able to change. You cannot make someone change by nagging, threats or anger – it doesn’t work and it doesn’t last.

If something isn’t working, you have choices. You can keep doing what you’re doing and getting what you’re getting or you can change your own emotions, thoughts and circumstances. You have the power within you right now to change your attitude, mind-set and life!


I know you’ve heard this before and it may even sound a little trite but the thing I’ve learned from the wise women is, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

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To read more self-empowerment strategies please visit my web site: SharonMichaels.com