Smart Women Are Nutritious

Last week, on two separate occasions, I had the topic of what I refer to as “nutritious” people come up. I was speaking at a women’s convention and I asked them to write down at least 3 “nutritious” people” they have in their life right now. I also had a conversation with a woman in my Success Circle about the difference between “nutritious” people versus those that can drain you and zap your energy level. You know the relationships I’m talking about-- right?
Let me give you an example. When you are engaged in a conversation with a “nutritious” person, you feel enlightened, inspired, and energized. Compare this with people who you have relationships with in your life that I refer to as the “downward spiral” relationship. When you are in conversation with these people, it tends to spiral downward in a negative, non-productive way. No matter how many times you try to bring it back to the place of possibility thinking, the conversation tends to stay in the negative. When this happens, you always have 2 choices. One, you can take the high road and stay positive. Or, you can take the low road and deepen the downward spiral by joining this mindset of “this will never work” or everything is “doom and gloom.” The problem with the last solution is it tends to set the course for your day and your life into the downward spiral. If you maintain “downward spiral” relationships, it’s a pretty safe bet that your life could become negative and non-productive. I read recently that we are the average of the 5 people we hang out with. If you are like me, your mind acted quickly just now. Wait---who are the 5 people that I hang out with? I strive to maintain relationships with those “nutritious” people who bring a lot of light and wise thinking into my life. Do I have people in my life that are on the “downward spiral?” You bet. It’s unavoidable. What I’ve learned is to minimize these relationships in my life.

In my work with women, we focus on the positive. We explore what’s working and what’s not working and find ways to bring possibility thinking to all areas of their life. Smart women know that in order to live a life full of passion and purpose, they need to be possibility thinkers in their own lives, as well as a “nutritious” person to the people in their world. I think that one of the secrets to being a “nutritious” person in the world is creating a state of presence in your life each day. Begin to notice the simple pleasures that your day holds--a beautiful spring day, a smile from a stranger, an unoccupied parking space in the city of Los Angeles! When you can be present and grateful for the moment, then you can begin to see things in a positive light.

How about you? I invite you to take a moment right now and think about two things: How many “nutritious” people do you have in your life right now? How long has it been since you spent some quality time with them? Second, can you think of any people in your life right now who tend to head into the “downward spiral” in their way of being? If so, I invite you to think about limiting some of your time with these people if you know it could be affecting your life in a negative way. Remember, some of the work of smart women in the world is to be that beacon of light, that ray of possibility thinking to those who find it challenging to see the possibilities in life.

In order to realize your big idea and to live a life full of passion, purpose, and possibility, it’s essential to be a “nutritious” woman and it’s equally important to have “nutritious” women and others in your life to support you in your journey. Summer is just around the corner. The days are longer, with vacations and holidays sprinkled throughout. When making your summer plans, I invite you to make sure that it includes a healthy dose of “nutritious” people.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.