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We've all been there.
Heads down, hustling, grinding away, chasing that next promotion or raise.
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We're told this is the path to success.
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But let's be honest – sometimes, even when we achieve those external goals, we still feel like something is still missing.
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What if I told you there's another way?
A way to not only feel happier and more fulfilled but to actually become more successful?
I'm talking about gratitude.
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Before we dive in, let's take a moment to rethink what success means to us.
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Is it just about the corner office, the fancy title, the overflowing bank account? Or is there something more?
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I'm betting many of you, like me, crave a deeper sense of satisfaction. We want to feel like our work is meaningful, our relationships are fulfilling, and we're making a positive impact on the world. And that's where gratitude comes in.
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So, how can being thankful actually...
Look, I’ve “failed” at A LOT of things. I “failed” the Virginia Bar Exam not once, but twice. I “failed” at getting a foothold in securities law like I thought I would. I “failed” at returning to my old self after giving birth to my twin boys and almost dying in the aftermath. There are plenty of other examples but I’ll leave it at that.
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Why did I put failure in quotes? Because I’m a big believer in that you will continue to have the same challenges until you learn the lessons that you are supposed to learn. To me, it’s only a failure if you don’t, or refuse, to learn a lesson from your failures or mistakes. It's only then can you move forward. Here are the lessons that I learned from the above “failures.”
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Here’s what I learned from the above failures:
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I have a confession to make to you guys. Are you ready?
I failed the Virginia Bar Exam twice. Yep. Twice. Both times by 4 points. The first time I went to live Barbri courses but honestly, I've never had to study like that before so I didn't know what I was doing once it came time to study at home. The second time I still didn't know what I was doing but only that time life threw a curveball at me with a sudden layoff and a break-up weeks before the exam so yeah... things didn't turn out well.Â
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If there is one thing that’s true about me, it’s that I’m one determined woman. I’ll be honest. I was embarrassed about failing the bar exam twice but I’d be damned if I was going to let that embarrassment keep me from trying again. One of my favorite sayings is:
What I had done before hadn’t worked so it was time to change my game plan.Â
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My new plan was to find out what I did wrong, how to correct those things and create and implement a study plan. First, I used a little-known r...
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