It’s that time of year again where I ruminate for a while on which one word I would like to choose as my overarching guide for the entire following year. I find this practice to be very powerful, yet simple to implement. While having a vision, mission, “SMART” goals, plan, milestones, and accountability are all components of preparing for success, I’ve found that by also selecting just one word as a theme for my whole year, all manner of new opportunities and experiences show up. The Universe responds to your decision.

I’ve been implementing this one-word theme practice for the past several years, and it feels as though each year’s word builds on the last one. My one-word themes so far have been:

2008 – FOCUS (I laser focused on strategically positioning myself as a top Facebook marketing expert).

2009 – INFLUENCE  (I chose to make a personal transition and shift my environment, which caused the floodgates to open in my business).

2010 – TEAM (I switched from a virtual assistant support model to hiring local assistants and built a much more robust team).

2011 – COMMITMENT (This was a tricky one! See below for more – but, basically, this one-word theme precipitated my commitment to getting all the right support in place now for an incredible 2012!)

And now, 2012 is GROWTH.

As I reflect back over these years with their respective themes, each time many significant shifts have occurred for me in my personal and professional lives.

2011 – The Impact of Commitment

I will admit, ironically, selecting Commitment as my theme this year was extremely difficult! As a society, we have so much charge around this word. As I reviewed the various commitments I set for myself when I wrote this post, I have managed to keep many of the commitments I outlined. The one I struggled to keep was publishing two blog posts a week. I realize I need better systems to manage my time and the time I spend on creating content. I’m already implementing systems now that will radically change this in 2012.

When selecting your one-word theme, it’s important to not beat yourself up if you didn’t adhere to the word verbatim throughout the year. Adopt the approach of “correct and continue.” Do your best to use the word as a mantra, an internal guide. Then let go of any attachment to how the outside world is supposed to show up for you.

What is interesting, though, is the fact that in the 11th month of this year, I just made a massive commitment to invest in very high-level support to grow my business in 2012 and beyond. So, it feels like the perfectly natural fit to select Growth as my theme for 2012!

2012 – Growth, bring it on!

For me, Growth this coming year will be on many levels. My primary focus of growth will be in the area of business; stay tuned for developments as I’m able to announce them. Meantime, I can share that my plans are to continue offering social media, Facebook marketing, and relationship marketing speaking services and training for entrepreneurs and small businesses, as well as training for fellow social media professionals. Plus, I am building out a separate division of my business specifically to service the corporate sector, and offering social media consulting, training, strategizing, and management services.

And on a personal, emotional, and spiritual basis, I will continue my path in these arenas through my study with various masters, including my spiritual teacher Esperanza Universal. Over the past few years, I have found that the more internal healing, growth, and transformation I’m able to do, the more my outer world changed and improved as a reflection of my inner world.

Mari Smith and Esperanza Universal

I’ve even had colleagues call me up in the past to ask for the name of my marketing coach, PR firm, or publicist — to which I respond by smiling and simply explaining that my business and financial growth primarily came about as a result of healing my inner world and living into my deepest truth. Of course, I am proactive too — with masterminds to which I belong, and attending/speaking at select events.

Speaking of which, I’m actually writing this post on a short break while attending a special retreat at the incredible Canyon Ranch in Tucson, AZ. I’m here with a small group of forty leaders, teaching leaders about leadership! Our host is Stedman Graham (Oprah’s beau) – leadership expert and author of many books, including You Can Make It Happen. Growth has been a recurring theme here at our retreat.

Mari Smith and Stedman Graham at Canyon Ranch

Stedman talked about Growth as a vital component to success in his presentation on Identity Leadership. And, fellow attendee Sam Silverstein gave a short presentation where he talked about the importance of creating a VACUUM in order to grow. Sam used a wonderful example of clearing out his coat closet in order to house the beautiful big down jacket his daughters bought for him! I’m a huge believer in clearing out the old to make way for the new, in the physical world and mental world. Eliminating what no longer serves you is a huge invitation and opportunity for growth to come forth.

So, I’m VERY excited about what’s in store for 2012. It’s going to be a symbolic and significant year for the entire planet – all of us will be impacted by growth, in fact. Not to get too woo-woo on you (well, depending on your own belief systems!), but many prophets have been predicting for a very long time that a huge shift will happen in 2012.  Apparently it’s the “end of the Mayan calendar” (I think they ran out of stone?! Kidding!)

But, the world is not going to end, it’s nothing catastrophic to worry about. What I do believe will happen is a BIG leap in consciousness. Collectively, we are being called to higher levels of caring, compassion, and kindness towards our fellow humans, to all living creatures, and to the entire planet. The massive prevalence of online social networking is tremendous evidence of our evolution, too. The world isn’t getting smaller, per se. It’s getting more connected. (A recent Facebook study showed that the six degrees of separation have been reduced to four, because of the connectedness of Facebook friendships. Amazing.)

Now, it’s your turn – what one-word theme jumps out at you to guide the coming year in your business and personal life? If you’d like to select two or three words, that’s okay! Let me know in the comments below.

[UPDATE 12/17/11: I recently came across this exceptional article on Harvard Business Review by Dorie Clark: Five Things You Should Stop Doing in 2012. Eliminating these five things that Dorie mentions - especially #1 (stop responding to email immediately it comes in) - feels like lifting a massive weight off my shoulders. In fact, my new business coach is helping my team and me to radically restructure our work days; to implement set times to respond to categories of emails, and to adhere to our scheduled work days even as "boring and predictable" as that might feel. What we end up creating is a much more solid foundation and freedom. Yes, that's right - a predictable, structured schedule actually gives you freedom!

P.S. I first wrote this post on December 10th and meant to save it to drafts during my Canyon Ranch retreat... but ended up inadvertently publishing it before I was quite ready. Oops! I just took time (12/17) to flesh out a bit more of the sections that I wanted to. ]

Each year, I choose a one-word theme that becomes my guide throughout the entire year. Something magical happens in choosing just one word: the word helps guide my decisions and also activates the “law of attraction.” It’s as if all that resonates with my intent with the word comes to me effortlessly.

In 2008, I chose “FOCUS” as my one-word theme, and I mainly focused on establishing myself as a trusted go-to source for Facebook marketing and a leader in social media. I attracted a vast range of opportunities, interviews and joint ventures. (My favorite acronym for “focus” is, “Follow One Course Until Successful!“) To achieve success in a specific field, I believe it’s important not to dilute your efforts with too many extraneous ventures, interests, and web links in your bio/social profiles, for example, and to keep much of the content you share online directly related to your field of expertise. (Of course, we need to also mix in personal elements too!)

In 2009, my theme was “INFLUENCE“ and, whew, was that ever a landmark year!! My mantra was, “Who and what am I allowing to influence me?” Early in the year, I made a difficult personal decision that had been troubling me for several years prior; my primary relationship was no longer influencing me in a manner that supported my highest good. By choosing a different path and beginning a deeper spiritual journey, the floodgates opened up. Ultimately, I created one of the most successful years of my life by living into my deepest truth.

The greatest gift you can give anyone, is the example of your own life working. ~Orin

2010 – The impact of Team!

This year, my word has been “TEAM.” I’d gotten to the point where I had as many as seven VAs (Virtual Assistants) and a local intern. But, I discovered that I’m not that great at managing more than a few people, and spent much of my time doing just that: managing my team vs. focusing on my strengths and passions. I also simply prefer to be able to meet with team members in person vs. virtually.

So, when I chose TEAM as my 2010 theme, what I ended up doing is firing my entire virtual team and enlisted the help of a local recruiter. Previously, I would hire people because I liked them and wasn’t that thorough in writing out job descriptions and carefully matching skills. Working with a recruiter is one of the best things I’ve done for my business! She helped me create the ad (which we placed on Craigslist), screen about 200 applicants, short-list and interview four, then set up in-person meetings with me.

Lori, Mari, Susan - partying at mi Casa

I’m delighted to say my two local assistants, Lori and Susan, are exceptional and an integral part of my successes in 2010. Lori is my Executive Assistant whose official title is “Client Happiness Director.” And Susan is a wonderful Administrative and Personal Assistant. I also have many other part-time team members who I work with on an as-needed basis for specific projects.

2011 – Bring it on!

For the past several years, my one-word theme has come to me easily. As early as mid-November, I begin to meditate and ruminate on what would serve my highest good for the following year. This year has been very challenging to settle on my next word. I kept circling back to the word “COMMITMENT” but was concerned that it would be misconstrued or taken out of context. (Ha, as if I could control that aspect!).

How ironic I struggled to commit to “Commitment” – would I lose face if I publicly committed to something and later dropped the ball? Could I completely trust myself to follow through on all commitments? (See the piece below by Dr. Chérie Carter-Scott for more on this).

In any case, because I had such difficulty choosing “Commitment” as my word, I knew I had to.

"Determination is often the first chapter in the book of excellence."

My 2011 theme of Commitment means:

• First, commitment to myself and my truth. A willingness to share more of me and not allow any limiting beliefs or concerns about others’ opinions to hold me back.
• Commitment to my daily self-care routine, no exceptions. I’m blessed to have an amazing trainer and am committed to my regime whether I meet with her or not, whether I’m at home or on the road.
• I’m committed to helping more leaders in their own emotional, spiritual, personal and professional growth – to all of us uniting to make a bigger difference on the planet together through social media… no matter how scared I might get at times for “putting myself ‘out there’.”
• Commitment to keeping my word 100% of the time – if I say I’m going to do something, you can count on me to follow through every time. (On that note, in early January, I’ll be relaunching my social media consultant training program Mentor With Mari v2.0 which was a huge hit in 2009).
• Even simple things like when I buy a book*, I commit to reading it vs. skimming it now and then.
• Commitment to asking for help when I need it and then receiving help graciously.
• I commit to bringing my “A game” to all that I do… even more so than before! And to sharing more abundantly my experience, wisdom and guidance to mentor others’ success.
• I will set realistic goals and achieve each one, such as:
  • I commit to publishing two blog posts per week (I’d like to publish more, but know I can manage two. I have so much content on my hard drive for blog posts, I think I’m all set for the first several months of 2011!). Be sure to also subscribe to SocialMediaExaminer.com – I’ll continue with my guest blog posts there (I have a very large post on Facebook business apps coming out tomorrow!)
  • I’m also writing two books in 2011 which will both be published by John Wiley & Sons. One will be on the topic of relationship marketing; it’ll be my seventh published book, but my first ever solo-authored book which I’m very excited about! Plus, I’m co-authoring v2 of Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day with Chris Treadaway. I commit to doing all I can to make each one a bestseller!

I look forward to sharing many more goals with you on my journey! The above is what my friend, Darren Hardy, calls a “PDA: Public Display of Accountability!”

*On the subject of buying books, I’m a big fan of SUCCESS Magazine’s book summaries product!

What happens when we commit?

My spiritual teacher, Esperanza, introduced me to a beautiful piece on Commitment by Dr. Chérie Carter-Scott. Here’s a small excerpt:

Commitment is what turns dreams into realities. Your choice is what you want, and your commitment is what allows you to have it. This is the process: 1) You look to see what you want. 2) You choose it. 3) You commit to it.

Commitment makes choice real. Commitment means: “This is going to happen, and I am going to be the one who causes it to happen.” It means doing what you say you will do and having what you want, no matter what the obstacles.

You can commit to anything: a person, a job, a way of life, losing 10 pounds, or a way to spend your weekend. It doesn’t matter what you commit to. What matters is the relationship you develop with yourself by committing to what you want. For people who have a strong investment in not getting what they want, Commitment is extremely uncomfortable and sometimes painful. The painful part is letting go of the attachment to not getting what you want.

You may need to read that last paragraph several times – I certainly did the first time I came across this piece!

I’m committed to making 2011 the absolute best year of my life so far, in all ways and to teaching and touching the lives of as many people as I possibly can. (And, this may resonate with some – 2011 is the final year before the big shift in vibration in 2012 that has been talked about for so many years. Because of this, I feel that 2011 is a very symbolic year).

Providence moves too

You may also be familiar with this wonderful piece by William Murray; it’s so true that “Providence moves too” when we truly commit ourselves.

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: That the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets: ‘Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!’

— William Hutchinson Murray (1913-1996), The Scottish Himalayan Expedition

What’s your word?

Now it’s your turn. What one-word theme deeply resonates with you and inspires you? And, what will you commit to in 2011? Please share in the comments below, I’d love to know. Of course, you don’t have to choose just one word (Chris Brogan has an annual ritual of choosing three words) and certainly it’s important to also have a vision, mission and “SMART” goals too!

Related articles:

• My Theme For 2009: Influence
• My Theme For 2010: TEAM!
• The Spirituality of Social Media – businessesgrow.com
• Choose a Theme for Next Year – Maybe Even Just One Word. (happiness-project.com)

[UPATE: Thank you for your interest in ISMA – this organization is in process of being dissolved. You may read about the transition below. If you were a member of ISMA, you will continue to receive access to all materials via my website on a special platform – please keep an eye on your email Inbox for information.]

This is not an easy post to write, but here goes — after much deliberation, my partner in ISMA and I have decided to dissolve the International Social Media Association. There are many reasons behind this decision and it was certainly a tough one to make.

Mark and I have enjoyed this journey together since September 2009 and are most grateful to our more than 3,000 members. Between the tw

o of us – along with Mark’s entire family – much effort has gone into building ISMA to this point.

However, like I say, for a number of reasons we have chosen to wind up our partnership and ISMA.

All our members received a special, heartfelt email message this morning with details of our announcement.

Live Q&A Broadcast

In order to communicate the transition of ISMA in person and answer any questions our members and other industry professionals may have, I will be LIVE on Ustream TODAY, Friday, April 30th at 1:00pm PST / 4:00pm EST.

Do drop in any time if you can at http://marismith.tv

I will broadcast live for approximately 90 minutes. The show will be recorded and the replay will be available at the same link if you’re unable to join me live.

UPDATE: I have embedded below the replay of the live Ustream broadcast:

What Went Right?

Rather than dig in and analyze what went “wrong,” I’d rather focus on what went right. [Props to Ian Newby-Clark, psychologist at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada for this great reframe in Psychology Today.]

Facebook beginnings

By way of background, I began my journey in the social media industry back in early summer of 2007. For the previous seven years, I was a relationship marketing specialist – focusing on internet marketing, information product creation, copywriting and email marketing. I would travel, speak, consult and lead online trainings – similar to what I do now, sans social media!

When I was introduced to Facebook, I was convinced that I didn’t need yet another online social network to help me network. I’m already a natural networker. However, I dove deep into this  magical world on a team of beta testers for a Facebook app.

Social media = paradigm shift

Of course, what we had begun to experience as a society and beyond was a complete paradigm shift in how we function, communicate and do business on the planet. Suddenly, it was ALL about the relationships. Not what you know, but who you know. And – often more importantly – who knows you.

Words like “authentic” and “transparent” were all abuzz. As consumers, we began to expect that individuals and companies would be more open, more sharing, more inclusive. Social media became “word of mouth on steroids,” as my friend Gary Vaynerchuk calls it.

Towards the end of 2007, I was creating Facebook training products, leading seminars and traveling to speak about Facebook marketing.

Best practices

But, I felt uneasy about what was beginning to look like a giant free-for-all: a new industry without best practices. There were so many unspoken rules of etiquette. With all due respect to the well-intentioned marketers who push the envelope and try new ways of using these new technologies, I just felt strongly about leading by example… and, I envisioned creating an organization grounded in best practices. I had a vision to create Certification Programs and an international community of like-minded, supportive professionals.

Fast forward more than two years on, and last fall – after leading my six-month “Mentor With Mari” program – I co-founded the International Social Media Association with Mark Eldridge, co-author of The Obvious Expert.

Gratitude

What went right is that I followed my heart and took action. What went right is I surrounded myself with a solid, supportive team. What went right is we attracted over 3,000 wonderful members and each week we were able to bring them wonderful industry experts who generously shared their knowledge and expertise.

We built community. We built a special place for loyal professionals to support each other. We spawned new businesses, new collaborations, new relationships.

I will always be deeply grateful for this profound opportunity to go for my dreams and birth an amazing social media association. I couldn’t have done it without the relentless support of Mark Eldridge and his family. And, we couldn’t have come this far without our members.

Closing a door is never easy. Yet, as you well know, another door always opens. This isn’t an ending – it’s a beginning. I won’t rule out other associations in my future. And, I’m certainly open to joining forces with other social media industry leaders… but not before I free up a wee bit more time in my hectic schedule!

My major focuses right now are:

• The launch of my first published book - Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day (Sybex, May 3) co-authored with Chris Treadaway. Do come join us at our virtual launch party on Monday, May 3! Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day is a comprehensive guide for marketers, business owners and practitioners alike. Discover all the ways your business can maximize everything Facebook has to offer, from simple quick techniques to full-on campaigns. Order your copy today and get a free series of online classes!

• My favorite event of the year: the extraordinary online Social Media Success Summit – brainchild of my dear friend, Mike Stelzner – which begins on May 4 and runs for four weeks. (It’s entirely virtual!) The Summit features twenty-four of the world’s leading social media experts, practitioners and leading brand representatives. See my post here for additional details. And, take a look at my video on YouTube: Ten Reasons to Attend the Social Media Success Summit.

• My own two-day live training programs: Social Marketing Mastery Immersion coming up on June 11-12 and again September 3-4 in San Diego. Attend live at a great San Diego hotel, or virtually via webinar!
• A long-awaited collaboration with my dear spiritual mentor, Esperanza, called Conscious Social Media. VERY excited about this – I can share details in just another few days!

• Plus, continuing my travels to speak around the globe on social media success and lead training programs on Facebook marketing.
• Plus, continuing to lead private trainings and provide social media strategy consulting for my dear clients.

I look forward to evolving and growing with you, my peeps!

Do feel free to add your comments, questions, concerns, ideas and feedback below! I’d love to hear from you.

Here’s hoping you had an extraordinary Valentine’s Day! I just flew back home to San Diego after speaking in Nashville at the National Speakers Association Winter Conference. (Definitely a way fun event; made awesome new connections and we even enjoyed a local tweetup last night!) Oh, and props to SouthWest Airlines for all the LUV!

Valentine’s Day surely means different things to different people. In many cultures, it’s a day to express romance to a significant other. In other cultures, it’s more a day to acknowledge friendships of all kinds.

When I was growing up in BC, Canada, I found it odd that all the kids at school would bring in playful little cards for every student in class, along with candies, etc.

Yet, in Scotland, where I later lived for 20 years, Valentine’s Day was more about romance.

Here in the U.S., I think Valentine’s is about romance, friendship, and everything in-between!

As a sidebar, I’d love to know how many Facebook users who have their relationship status set to “It’s Complicated” are in the U.S. – per capita – compared to other countries! LOL. I just tried to find out using the Ads wizard, but it seems advertisers can only target Single, In a Relationship, Engaged or Married. even though there are three other categories of relationship status. heh!

I also see some folks refer to “VDay” as “Singles Awareness Day.”(I imagine someone made this term up sort of in jest, which I find rather sad; if you’re single today, it’s a time to rejoice and celebrate YOU! And to express your love for and to ALL your loved ones!)

Valentine’s Day back in 1999 has much significance to me; I had only lived in California just a few weeks after arriving from my previous home in Scotland. flat broke, and knowing just one person.

I was laser focused on finding a way to earn a living and remain in San Diego. One of my hobbies for many years in my 20′s was decorating cakes. (My dad was a baker and I went to night school for three years to study confectionary!) I had submitted my portfolio to a local bakery just in case I could find temporary work to get me started, and had been praying for a sign that I was supposed to stay in the U.S.

Sure enough, within a matter of hours, the phone rang: it was the local bakery needing help with their Valentine’s Day big rush on cakes and cookies! (The rest, as they say, is history! Hehee.)

By the way, maybe you can relate: I’ve had the great fortune to enjoy a very wide and varied career since I left school and started working at the young age of 15! (I’ll save my journey to becoming a recognized social media evangelist for a different post!)

Another significant Valentine’s event: I got married on February 14, 2001.

However, after 8 years, I made a conscious decision to transition back to singlehood (LOL, sounds more playful than “divorce.”) You’re welcome to read about my personal journey (and how it relates to social media), if you haven’t already on my blog.

So, this is actually my first Valentine’s Day as a “single” person since 1999. And, I just have to share that I’ve never felt more liberated.

I am blessed to have a wonderful spiritual mentor, Esperanza; her work has made a profound difference in my life over the past year.

One of my favorite quotes from Esperanza is:

“The most important relationship you have in the world is the one you have with yourself; everything and everyone is a direct reflection of the quality of that relationship.”

This is so true.

Just this past week, I had a wonderful phone conversation with a friend I’ve known for years. She asked me a very poignant question about what exactly it was that I did to catapult my success and visibility to the “stratosphere” in the past 12 months or so.

She wanted to know the name of my PR Agency, or Speakers Bureau. or??

I began to chuckle.

I told my friend my answer would surprise her. I shared that, in fact, I hadn’t hired any third party publicity support and that all business comes to me via the “Law of Attraction,” if you will.

See, my big boost in success can be directly attributed to my choice to pursue a more spiritual path last year.

I chose to stop playing small, stop the self-doubt and fears. I made myself step further into my power and light. To own my gifts and be willing to share even more.

I’ve always resonated deeply with Marianne Williamson‘s words, but I finally chose to embody: “our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” “.as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”

My friend was astounded by my reply. She was looking for something formulaic; something she could simply plug into and achieve similar results.

Well, the good news is she can. And so can you.

At my speaking engagement this past weekend, I shared the same story right up front with the audience. And I told them I’ve never felt more on purpose during the past three years of my career.

I was deeply touched by the overwhelmingly positive feedback from the audience members on my presentation… and by the number of people who shared how inspired they were by my inclusion of spiritual principles.

See, so many times, we get afraid to talk about spirituality (and/or religion) in the “workplace.” We tend to think that’s part of everyone’s “private” life.

Yet it’s not private at all. (Well, your own beliefs can certainly be held privately!)

We are all, in some way shape or form, regardless of anyone’s belief systems, impacted by energy, spirit, consciousness, God. whatever you want to call it.

SO, my wish for you this Valentine’s Day and beyond is that you, too, stop listening to those doubts and fears. Those voices in your head (that quite often are not even your own!) that hold you back.

And, instead, begin listening to that still small voice that knows who you ARE at the core. Listen to the part of you that absolutely knows without a shadow of a doubt why you came to this planet. And dare to go out and take big, bold action steps.

This, in fact, is also the message from Seth Godin‘s latest book, Linchpin – Are You Indispensable?. I had the great fortune to meet Seth at an incredible event last week and I managed to “livetweet” the bulk of his deeply inspiring one hour keynote. (See tweets here).

I’d love to hear your own thoughts on the pursuit of success and how it relates to your own spiritual path. And your thoughts and feelings about the biggest day of romance and love of the year – what does it bring up for you? Do share your thoughts in the comments below:

Big hugs,
Mari

P.S. Another quote from Esperanza – if you happen to be single (or your S.O. is away) right now: “You can never be alone because you will always have YOU.”

Each year, I choose a one-word theme that acts as a guide in all my major decisions and shapes my entire year.

I start thinking about the theme around the beginning of December and simply set the intention that the essence of the word will come to me strongly and clearly at the right time to serve my highest good and the good of those I serve.

In 2008, my one word theme was FOCUS – which I like to make into an acronym for “Follow One Course Until Successful.” Focus certainly paid off in 2008; it was my most successful year up to that point.

In 2009, my one word theme was INFLUENCE – I would ask myself consciously and subconsciously, “Who and what am I allowing to influence me?“

When I wrote this post on December 29, 2008 about choosing Influence for 2009, little did I know then how much my choice would impact my year both personally and professionally!

2009 far exceeded my business and finance goals with an abundance of national and international speaking engagements, lucrative joint ventures, celebrity clients, meeting Richard Branson and the Dalai Lama, the successful launch of my first social media certification course, Mentor With Mari, the co-creation of the International Social Media Association. all topped off with an invitation to attend the 52nd Grammy Awards and walk the red carpet!

In 2009 in my personal life, I chose to stop traveling the country in a motorhome and transition out of my eight-year marriage, as I shared in this post. I couldn’t have imagined sharing such an intimate experience so publicly before social media. Yet, the process was profound for both me and my community.

Now, as we celebrate the completion of 2009 and dance into 2010, my resounding one-word theme is TEAM! This word came to me as I contemplated where I got stuck most this year – where I didn’t allow myself to grow as much as I wanted.

One of my Achilles heels is delegation. I’m blessed to have several skilled team members and to be surrounded by powerful mentors, mastermind partners, coaches and other skilled experts. Yet I allowed myself to get completely stopped or stymied in several areas (like blog development, membership programs, product creation, book writing!) because my calendar got so backed up and I wanted to do so much myself.

Of course, there’s such a thing as balance, right? Whilst my two blogs may have taken a back seat, my Twitter presence, Facebook fan page, professional network and speaking engagements flourished significantly!

You’ve probably heard of the word “TEAM” used as an acronym for “Together Everyone Achieves More” (or Miracles). I like this. though if you have other creative suggestions, I’m open to ideas!

Now it’s your turn! What’s your theme for 2010?

Privacy is a major concern for many people using social networks. Choosing how much of your personal life to spill into your work life through social networks is up to each individual.

In the context of how transparent to be on Facebook and Twitter, back in February 2008, I wrote about these three areas of life: personal, professional, and private. Today, for a specific reason, I am choosing to move the personal | private line:

When is it appropriate to share more?

For so many of us, our personal lives become inextricably linked with our professional lives. Who we are is our business, our business is us.

However, I always maintain we must still have a private life and choose only to share those things we are truly comfortable with: (1) being on the front page of the New York Times, (2) found in a Google search, and/or (3) proud for our children/grandchildren to see in years to come.

So, when is it appropriate to reveal more? …When your private life doesn’t feel completely congruent with your life in the public eye.

That’s where I’m at right now, and so this may be the most personally transparent blog post I’ve written to date.

I believe in authentic communication and I’ve recently undergone such massive transition in my personal life that it just doesn’t feel right not to share myself more openly with my community at large. One of the main reasons I’m inspired to write this post is to share with you my commitment to authentic, heart-centered relationships – on both a personal and professional level.

Over the past several months, I realize many of my network perceive I’m still living in a motor home traveling the country with my husband, Ty. I was. Up until about September of last year when we returned to Southern California after an 18-month tour of the entire western US and Canada.

My personal journey…

Ty and I met in 1999 not long after I came to San Diego from Scotland, and we married in 2001. We enjoyed many wonderful experiences together, most certainly our mobile lifestyle. But we discovered differences over the years in our outlooks, goals and aspirations. After we returned from our travels, we gave much thought to the future of our relationship.

As I continued to work on myself and grow personally, stepping more fully into my inner power, strength and light, my business success became greater and greater… and I began to see that Ty and I were simply traveling different paths.

Once it became clear our marriage no longer served either of us, Ty and I separated earlier this year and last month we divorced. We put effort into a responsible and caring separation, and we are amicable about the transition.

This has not been an easy choice for me, but it feels like a true choice for Freedom. Since I had experienced divorce with my parents as a young child, I was reluctant to travel that road again. Even though I’ve done a lot of personal and professional development on myself, I still had non-supportive beliefs and patterns impacting my choices.  I kept telling myself I was committed to a new standard of marriage. Now, I’ve realized I’m committed to a new standard of relating regardless of the form of the relationship.

Publishing personal changes on social network profiles

While I’ve been going through this transition over the past few months I kept wondering how I’d manage to change my relationship status on Facebook – and other social networking profiles – from married to single. (I did edit my privacy settings so the relationship change wouldn’t just suddenly go out in the News Feed of all my friends.)

Not only that, but I wondered how my network would respond to this news and, though I’ve shared with many close friends, I just wasn’t sure how to share en masse… or even if I needed to. But any time someone would tweet or write me through Facebook about my mobile lifestyle or husband, I didn’t know how to respond. So, that’s why I’ve chosen to write this post.

Given the very nature of social media and the times we are in right now, I just know it’s more in alignment with my truth and integrity to share this part of my journey with you now.

Resources that made a huge difference

I’m deeply grateful to Esperanza Universal, Master Spiritual Teacher at the S.O.U.L. Institute who leads profound spiritual transformational programs – her work has helped immensely to deepen my relationship with myself and bring out the higher meaning in my transition. Do check out Esperanza’s Web site to learn more about her signature program Mastering Your Life. (I’ll see you there in September as I’ll be attending again!)

Along with Esperanza’s work, Ty and I were fortunate to have the support of Peaceful Divorce Expert, Belinda Rachman. She’s an exceptional mediator who specializes in “divorce-in-a-day,” based in Carlsbad, California.

There are also a few books that I’ve found most helpful not only in my marital transition but in embracing my success at a whole new level:

• The Big Leap – by Gay Hendricks. Incredible book about how we all have an “upper limit” of success, happiness, joy, love, finances and unconsciously sabotage ourselves when we reach that limit until we know how to breakthrough.
• The Secret Code of Success – by Noah St. John. Excellent book that shows how our fear of success is greater than our fear of failure and teaches specific steps on how to overcome this challenge. Great companion to The Big Leap!
• Spiritual Divorce - Debbie Ford. A book I bought years ago but was afraid to read. If you know anyone contemplating divorce, this is a superb book.
• How Do I Tell The Kids – Rosalind Sedacca. A beautiful storybook for couples with children; Roz’s book touched me deeply as an adult child of divorce, even though I don’t have children myself.

Letting our light shine!

I’ve always resonated with these beautiful, inspiring words by Marianne Williamson from her book A Return To Love, and they have helped me greatly most recently to really let my light shine:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves,
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small
does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine,
as children do.
We were born to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us.

It’s not just in some of us;
it’s in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.”

Another gem from Marianne (I saw go by on Twitter recently): “Every change is a challenge to become who we really are.”

How has this impacted you?

My hope for you in reading this post is to feel inspired to live into YOUR deepest truth more fully. To know how powerful beyond measure you are and to step up and play a bigger game in life and business. The world needs you!

I’d love to hear your thoughts – please share how this post impacted you in the comments below.