You are the Total Female Package

Funny, how a simple phrase like “Take Action” can have influence over one’s subconscious spirit when read over and over again. When I was sixteen, my father gave me my first car as a reward for a stellar report card and qualifying for my driver’s license. His only caveat was that I would promise to always leave a card he made with the words “Take Action” fixed to my dashboard.

The ridicule from my friends did not sway my obedience to my father’s request for what turned out to be “golden” words impressed upon my subconscious mind. As I look back now at what was the half way mark of my life today, I am impressed by the impeccability and influence those words had on the “little action steps” I made in critical moments of my growth.

Elevating My Associations

When I graduated from college I did what most kids did – went to Europe and then looked for a job. What I hadn’t banked on was the dissatisfaction I would experience once I actually landed a position in Corporate America when I realized I was working for someone else’s dream rather than my own. The dissatisfaction gave me pause – it gave me the reason to keep reaching and growing. It gave me the faith to keep moving, even if it was only a slight move for the moment. So I did what most won’t – I looked for mentorship and more growth. I asked myself questions and waited for my intuition to edge me in the right direction. I researched and attended a number of networking events and knew in my heart I would meet the right folks to help me discover my passions.

Life after college became routine and the constant search at clubs and bars to meet new folks became very old. A little voice inside of me told me there was more out there for me and to keep expanding. I picked up personal development books and read out of hunger. From “Think and Grow Rich” to “The Way of the Peaceful Warrior” to “Five Love Languages” I had become a master in tapping into my personal power and understanding the significance of surrounding yourself with the 5 people you want to become an average of in all environments of your life. That’s when I began my quest. I knew I wanted to become a published author and I knew I wanted to elevate my associations. I began to take action.

Once the intention was set and through the laws of the Universe I was introduced to a team of people who were creating a book series called Strategies for Success. They asked me to join them and write about my strategy in manifesting dreams and goals. I made a slight edge decision and became an official published author.

It was at a networking event shortly after becoming published when I was introduced to Jeff Olson’s book “The Slight Edge.” If you can picture the omnipresent path a sunset has on the surface of the ocean – it was as if this book was reminding me of the basic set of keys to unlock the personal freedom we all have access to, as my father had done for me when I was sixteen. Here I was again being reminded of my ability to take action. And since I was on a personal quest to surround myself with 5 people I would want to be an average of in all environments of my life I found myself searching to meet him. Usually, most folks won’t take the time to wait to meet the guest speakers of an event. I classify that as an inability to take action on your dreams. So I searched to meet the author and I found him sitting alone. Go figure! Here were thousands of folks at an event and no one was talking to him at that moment. So I made a slight edge move, made an introduction and it has been one of the best decisions I could have ever followed through on.

Jeff Olson is now a mentor and dear friend. His experience and bits of wisdom give me faith-lifts when I need them. It’s important to have folks like that in your life when you have big dreams. And I did then and still do.

Shortly after my encounter with Mr. Olson, I found myself in a new role at my job. I had been coined the Chief Inspirational Leader and was asked to create personal development curriculum courses for the work place. The CEO had introduced me to Ken Blanchard’s Situational Leadership practices and I fell in love with the new understanding of how to effectively communicate one on one and in developing high performing teams. I enjoyed creating the courses so much that one day the CEO came to me and asked if I had ever considered joining an executive MBA program. It turns out the program he graduated from at USD was in partnership with the Ken Blanchard Companies and he wanted to know if I was interested in him supporting my tuition to enroll.

It took me less than a slight edge moment to say yes. Two months later I was in a 22 month commitment in a master’s program with CEO’s and VP’s of companies who had wisdom and experience beyond my years at the time. Additionally, I established a new mentorship and friendship with Ken and Margie Blanchard. The associations I have now have raised my thinking and quality of life. With my new associations I have more opportunity to play life like a team sport and really be of service to others.

While receiving my education at USD, I began to observe discouraging patterns among women behavior towards themselves and in partnership with one another. During the time of my reflection, I was ending a relationship with a man I believed I could have married and awoke to the realization I wasn’t taking the right action to support myself in partnership with another being. The floodgates of my heart opened. I put my soul on interview and all of the personal development study, practice and growth came to a standstill. I began to notice the voice inside my head was at times different then the one in my heart and in critical moments in my relationship when I could have taken action to share my authentic voice – I did nothing. What???!!! After all of the practice, how could I fail myself in this area of my life?

What I thought to be a failed move turned out to be the best slight edge awareness I could have ever made. From that moment on, my passion to inspire women to live their authentic voice has taken the front seat in my life. I began to write my first solo project called “The Total Female Package.” When I completed the manuscript I went back to the best source possible to ask for feed forward, Mr. Olson. He reviewed and gave me kudos, which gave me the faith-lift I needed to keep going. I then did what others would never dream to do. I quit my job. With six months to live saved in the bank and faith in my dream to inspire women to wake up to the idea they already are The Total Female Package I began my second quest: to turn my passion into service and profits to live from. Within a month, I had met a mentor that would completely change my life: Dean Kosage.

Dean Kosage is a successful business entrepreneur, author, speaker and trains teams that spans into 20 countries. He has built an audience of 60,000 distributors and immediately caught the vision of my passion to inspire women from our first encounter and wanted to help me build an audience. He knew my experience and teaching on self-worth was needed in many platforms and asked me to help his company, Freestyle, teach women how to support one another. With my association to Mr. Kosage, I have been asked to speak in Australia for a company called Team Mak and locally in the states for a company called Team ONE to expand my teachings and be in service. It was a great partnership from the start and by taking action has led me to my present success!

Additionally, since meeting Mr. Kosage, Mr. Olson, The Blanchard’s and members of my master’s program, I have co-founded a women’s empowerment organization called Tribal Truth, which teaches women about The Total Female Package practices to live authentically in your voice and in support of one another. My associations fostered strength within me to share my passions because I knew my actions would be supported every step of the way. And starting your own company truly is the best personal development you can ever really take on.

I created an intention to elevate my associations and the opportunities that manifested within a few months of each other were absolutely magical. The key is allowing the magic to come from taking action with slight edge moves. Right now, inside of you, you may have a really BIG dream and it may seem out of reach. When you break it into bite size chunks, manageable steps, anything is possible. One day with time, you will wake up in the midst of what seems like a quantum leap in your life but in reality was an idea or dream you nurtured by expressing your faith in action.

By my dad making one decision to put a note card on the dashboard of my car that read, “take action” the ripple he has caused is immeasurable. So in this moment, I ask you “What slight edge move are you making today to cause a ripple in your dreams?”

Your Slight Edge Move:

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In Love and Truth,

Novalena J. Betancourt
Author, The Total Female Package