“Counting blessings, not my age”

I cancelled my big celebration as I was finding it hard to celebrate my birthday without my Mum and although candles were blown out a torch reminding me of the blessings in my life will forever be lit.

I have always loved celebrating my birthday but this year was different, although it was bitter sweet, I still celebrated because to me it’s a testimony that God has allowed me to see another year through. 

Loosing my Mum in January made me appreciate my birthday even more, knowing we are never guaranteed tomorrow.  So this year in particular I woke up on 7^th May and I counted my blessings because I could stamp my feet, smell, hear, see and had plenty to cherish in my life… Amen!

From 8 to 1 I cried, the tears just poured.  Then just like that, at the hairdressers mum came to me and told me “fix-up” you’ve got to enjoy your day.  It was like she was telling me I’m here I’m by your side.  It made me realise that my mum was still in my life even if it was in spirit.

For me, my birthdays are a time of reflection.  I look at what I’ve achieved, I give thanks for my health, family, friends, my career and I thank God because I know I’m blessed.  I may have lost my mum, but I value the fact that I have people in my life that love and support me everyday not just on my birthday.

Far too often in life we complain about what we don’t have, but we need to be thankful and appreciative with what we do have.  Take it from me, I now understand and value all that I have; we should be thankful.  I’m sure half the time when we say “I want this” they aren’t really things that we need.  When we compare those wants and needs to the wants and needs of people who  have no water, are ill, are homeless, have no food, we really have to feel blessed with what we have.

Yes were going through a recession, but if things are hard right now and we don’t have certain things we are alive, so we can achieve it again.

Oh… and for all those asking how old I am?  Well as I said I counted my blessing but not my age I stopped counting at the age of 21.  So, in answer to your question I’m 21; and anyway… what happen to ‘never asking a woman her age.’

Regardless of your age, live your life, enjoy what you have, count your blessing.  We all have plenty of things to be grateful for and to value, the question is what do you count your blessing for?

‘You’ are your brand

Mention the word branding and what do you think of?  Logos, business cards, websites… well most people do, but let me tell you it’s a whole lot more than that!  Ultimately, YOU are your brand.

Things are changing… the world is growing into a PR frenzy with Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, You Tube and all sorts of online media and everyone’s telling everything to the world; what they’re doing, eating, thinking, feeling… even their shoe size, but what they really don’t realise is that people are judging everything about them. 

The biggest brand, the biggest advertisement for your business or you, is YOU!  With all the technology in the world, sales techniques, marketing strategies, fundamentally people buy from people.  I don’t think that will ever change, the other business activities support the sales process.

How you look is a biggie!!!  People will judge you from the minute you step into a room, rightly or wrongly.  I believe you have 3 seconds to make an impression, from your handshake, to your heels, to the skirt you wear (long or short – not that you can’t wear a short skirt), or the presentation of your nails; it’s how you put yourself together, how you walk, talk and carry yourself matters.

So you have to know yourself as your brand.  That means knowing how to dress appropriately, yes you’ve got to be yourself that’s not what I’m saying, but you need to know what you represent.  How do you want your business, service, or you to be perceived?

It’s not about wearing the latest fashion trend, if the trend doesn’t suit you why are you putting it on?  I won’t be dressing like Lady GaGa… that isn’t me, and if you see me dressing like her please, “lawd a mercy”,  know that I wasn’t in my right mind.  You need to check, how your make-up looks?  Is it too much, or too little, do you need to shape your eyebrows?  Now I know there’s more to us than our looks, but unfortunately we are judged by how we look, it’s the visual.  It’s even how we sit.  How can you represent being a lady and be sitting with you legs open… Oh no, no, no!  Of course not!  Even my Gran would be appalled, that’s not representing a ‘lady’ of professionalism.

Let me tell you a story.  I went to a network seminar and I met a lady that was an ‘image consultant’ and she was not put together right, so do you think I’d go to her to give me advice on my image?  Hell no!  Her lipstick was too much, her blusher too overpowering, and she may just have been having a bad hair day, we’ve all been there, but in that 3 seconds she lost my business.  Maybe my perception was completely wrong of her but as we know in marketing: “perception is the reality in the eyes of the consumer.”

So, to develop your brand you have to develop what you represent to the world.  You need to look in the mirror and ask yourself honestly.  What do I represent?   It doesn’t matter what the reality is, it’s the perception that will make or break you.

Go ahead, take a look in the mirror what do you see?  Tell me your view do you see your brand?