I started reading in the evening, and could not pull myself away from my computer (as it was an e-book) until the dark hours of the early morning. I was drawn into the story so deeply that I was continually anticipating what would happen next and where this journey would take her.

Sasha’s journey, which spanned over many years, included what she called her “7 years of hell.” At one point, life was great and had everything she needed and wanted. In a short period, her life drastically changed and she hit rock bottom except for her children by her side.

The inspiration comes from how she changed her belief system and her quest to find peace and happiness once again in her life. Despite her challenges, she raised 6 wonderful, happy and successful children who also learned and applied the secrets to her success.

This story will make you cry, and at times will make you angry. However, in the end, you will be inspired at Sasha’s courageous journey through, what appeared to be, insurmountable obstacles spanning over several years. Her story teaches lessons on how to face challenges, change thoughts and beliefs, and rise above the most heartbreaking adversities. It is a story of pain, suffering and loss, but also a story of spirit, faith, gratitude, and tremendous love for and devotion to her children.

I challenge you to go to www.outrageousmastery.com to find out more – I highly recommend it. If you do purchase the e-book (well worth the price of $17), please come back here and let me know what you thought. I’d love to hear about it!

Tiger is, by far, my favorite sports figure of all time, and is the only person who has the ability to keep me glued to the television for any length of time.  I watch very little TV, but when Tiger is on, I am totally captivated by the game, and rooting for him every step of the way.

Today ended the Buick Open in Michigan where Tiger Woods added another win for his 69^th career PGA Tour victory.  At the age of 33, he trails Jack Nicklaus’s record by 4, and Sam Snead’s by 13 – two all-time greats in golf history.  I have never seen anyone so focused on their work as Tiger is on his golf, which is why he is the #1 golfer in the world.

So why does this sports icon get my undivided attention during his game? I believe it is his commitment to the sport, his ethical values and his focus on the game.  In regards to his focus – he has the ability to tune out distractions and strategically strike a golf ball, sending it sailing to his determined location.  Does he miss? Yes, of course.  He wouldn’t be human if he didn’t now and then.  But, when he does hit the ball off the fairway, or miss an 8 foot putt, you’ll hear me say, “Focus, Tiger, focus.”  He is all about focus.

He has mastered his game better than anyone I have ever seen, in any sport.  Along with extraordinary focus, Tiger has purpose, commitment, goals and vision.  But also, he demonstrates impeccable ethics and values, including integrity, honesty and philanthropy.

In 1996, he and his late father, Earl Woods, established the Tiger Woods Foundation to help youth reach their goals.  His foundation offers programs, scholarships and grants to support youth and help their dreams become realities.  Exhibiting his family values of “caring and sharing,” his philanthropic efforts extend much further than his foundation.

Tiger Woods – a man with big dreams, focused goals, extraordinary skill, unswerving integrity and a tremendous heart.  He is a true example of someone who has put their goals into POWERDRIVE!

For more information about the Tiger Woods Foundation, go to http://www.tigerwoodsfoundation.org/

Like any child growing up, I used to dream about what I wanted to be when I grew up.  I would pretend that I was either a nurse or a teacher (chalkboard and all), and have my friends come over to my house to play school.  I not only liked being the center of attention, but learning was very important to me.  I admired and respected my teachers (except for a substitute I had for 3 weeks in 5^th grade who swore a lot and threw erasers across the room).

Years later, I graduated from high school, where I was heavily involved in music,  and began the music education program at Arizona State University.  I switched to elementary education after the first semester, and was on the road to becoming a teacher.

After graduation, I secured a teaching position in Phoenix, but later moved up north to a cooler climate with my husband and children.  It was there I began working in the College of Education at Northern Arizona University, while obtaining my master’s in Educational Administration and post-graduate work in Educational Leadership.

My work experience there included teaching undergraduate students in the teacher education program, and serving as a teacher for the county’s juvenile detention education program.  However, I was also involved in developing a mentoring program for women faculty, staff and students in my spare time.  Do you see a pattern here?

After several years, my interests started shifting toward emergency medical services. Following in my husband’s footsteps, I went to school to become a paramedic.  I loved teaching, but was drawn to the field of emergency medicine.  So what did I do?  I invested my time and energy to taking care of the sick and injured, but also to teaching and training in emergency services, and coaching and mentoring new employees.  I couldn’t get away from it because it was part of who I was and still am today.

We moved up to the beautiful Pacific Northwest and continued work as a paramedic.  Heavy lifting started taking its toll on my back, so I was able to secure a position at a county 9-1-1 center because of my background in emergency services.  I was, once again, teaching and training, but was also involved in mentoring employees.

I sought out an organization in which to associate in order to keep up with current trends and research in mentoring.  It turned out to be all about coaching, and it was there I discovered what I was truly meant to be.  That was to be a coach.

My career, although appearing to be very diverse, was never really far off track from where I started.  My passion for teaching and helping others was part of my personality, gifts and talents, but it also paved the way to finding my purpose.  Everything I did revolved around educating, coaching and mentoring, so I became a certified coach and left the 9-1-1 center to start my coaching business.

After raising 3 children, who produced 7 beautiful grandchildren, and dedicating my career to coaching, we moved back to Phoenix where we took in our daughter and grandson for various reasons.  I became a grandparent raising a grandchild, and my purpose became even clearer to me.  This is how I discovered my purpose:

• My dreams as a child: teacher
• My strengths, gifts and talents: teaching, coaching and mentoring
• My personality type: imaginative, communicative, caring and compassionate
• My values: family, education, service, safety, success and harmony
• My current roles: wife, mother, grandmother, coach and trainer

Now, I am helping baby boomers overcome the challenges of raising grandchildren, so grandfamilies can find meaning, understanding and success in a safe & nurturing environment.  I have built my business around my purpose and passion.

Now, I want to ask you, “Do you know your purpose?” Look at your background and experience, what you wanted to be as a child, your core values, your personality type, your gifts and talents and your current roles at home, in the community and at work.  If your purpose is not clear, you may very well find it in your past and what you are doing right now.

Your power in life is your purpose.  When you find your purpose, magical things can transpire, which includes living the life of your dreams.  So I ask you again, “What is your purpose?”

The unfortunate thing about goals is, they can become very overwhelming.  You may have big dreams in mind, great aspirations, and the desire to achieving them, but you may get stuck in trying to put them into action.

Some people only think about setting goals during the holidays when they are prompted to set their New Year’s resolution.  Those usually don’t last more than a few weeks, and most are put out of mind after the first few days.  I have heard that only about 5% of people carry out their resolutions.  The problem with setting goals once a year is that a lot of times, there is no plan of action.

Over the holidays, have you ever made a resolution such as, “I’m going to quit smoking,” or “I’m going to lose weight,” or “I’m going to spend more time with my family and friends?”  Okay, that’s a start, but I can bet that was as far as it went.

Now you’re probably saying, “What’s with the New Year’s resolutions, Kay? It’s only July!”  Yes it is, but I’m preparing you to get a jump start on 2010 because there’s no time like the present to get started. Right?

Now, here it is…a plan of action.  I have incorporated 10 strategies in my POWERDRIVE to Success method of achieving goals.  These are the 10 steps that are missing from 95% of people who make New Year’s resolutions, and those 10 steps are in the form of a plan of action.  These will work whether you are 25 or 95.  Goals don’t have to be focused around changing careers or moving up the corporate ladder.  They can be personal goals such as taking up a hobby or getting organized around the house.  So here they are:

P – Purpose.  Your purpose in life has a significant correlation to your success in achieving goals.  When you know what your purpose is in life, everything you do from that point forward that is directly related to your purpose has value and meaning.

O – Optimize your time.  Understanding your internal clock and when you are most productive during the day can significantly affect how quickly you achieve your goals.

W – Write it down.  You must write down your intentions.  Unless you write down your goals, you will probably not achieve them.  Remember, out of sight – out of mind.

E – Empower yourself.  We all need to be empowered, but we must also learn to empower ourselves.  Accepting responsibility for our own destiny and achieving our goals is empowering.  When we allow others to steal our dreams, we risk giving in to our own negative self-talk and self-destructive behavior.

R – Release negative thoughts and fears.  Our fears are often unrealistic and created from “dream stealers.”  Learning to control our negative thoughts can help us move forward with our goals.

D – Dream Big!  What we want, we can have. So if your dreams are small, you will get small things.  If you are going to dream, dream big so big things begin to happen.

R – Relationships. Building relationships and connecting with people who see your vision and support your success helps you stay accountable for your actions.  This brings greater success.

I – Immediate action.  Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today? Procrastination is our enemy. Take action and do it now.

V – Visualize success.  Have your dreams and goals visible to you everyday so you can be constantly reminded of what you want in life.  Again, out of sight – out of mind, so know what you want and visualize it daily.

E – Everyday.  Success comes from creating daily positive habits that contribute to your success.  Doing something every day toward your goals will only create success that much faster.

Now, are you ready?  If you start now, there’s no telling what you can make happen by January 1, 2010.  Your dreams may have already manifested into reality.

For more information, go to www.powerdrivetosuccess.com.