Are YOU a Risk Taker?

We all have people we admire and I am guessing you are no different. For me, people such as Lance Armstrong, Barack Obama and Angelina Jolie are just a few people I admire, do you? These are people who many others admire to.

What do these people, and others like them, have in common? They are all risk takers to some extent.

They have taken what life has handed them and run with it. They have all decided to say to themselves, I am going to reinvent myself and they did.

While you may not consider riding the Tour de France as a risk, it really is when you look closer at it. Riding for many days one end, on a bicycle through the French countryside sounds pretty risky and the crashes each year, confirm it is.

Barack Obama could have taken the less risky route and stayed in a job in Chicago, but he stepped outside his comfort zone and ran for congress and then president. Think of the risks he took. 

Angelina Jolie took the risk and went to Hollywood. It is a town where a high percentage of people don’t make it, but she did and is at the top of her peer class, setting a great example to others due to her extensive volunteer work.

As for me, I was a ‘girly girl’ who first put herself out there to run for Miss Illinois even though I had never ever walked  a cat walk before yet I placed 25th out of 205 women. That was a risk, as well as joining the military, not to mention the years spent as a police officer in Chicago, doing undercover roles and as a memeber of the SWAT team.

Whatever you consider a risk, remember nothing is really worth it, if it is just handed to you. Being motivated enough to work for it, and take the risk to achieve it, is all part of the accomplishment at the end of the road to help you reinvent yourself.

While these risks may appear extreme to you, there are other aspects which you may discover which allow you to take much smaller risks, many are already waiting for you in your own suburban back yard. Learning to take risk, even small ones, may make your life more rewarding along your stepping stone to success.

Many people get petrified at the though of public speaking. Getting up in front of people to speak is a huge fear for many people. However, did you know that many people who do this everyday for a living, were once just as scared as you about public speaking and many still get so nervous each and every time they take the stage.

They take that risk every time they approach the podium to deliver a speech, but they discovered how to overcome their fears.

What risks do you consider taking?

What  dreams do you have which are holding you back because you deem them to be too risky for you to even consider?  Maybe you would like to write your life story or write a book on a topic you have considerable knowledge in. Have you considered skydiving, but consider it too risky? Maybe you would like to run in the New York Marathon.

Any dreams you have which are holding you back from achieving them due to the risk factor or your fears . . . have you ever stopped to consider these may all be risks which are worth your whiel.

You may know of the reality TV show, Fear Factor, this is a perfect example of people whose dreams and fears were stifled, yet they overcome such fears by taking the risk and finally saying ‘YES’ before their brain automatically kicks in and says ‘NO’ it’s all too risky.

Reach outside your comfort zone and see what you can achieve and discover how to reinvent yourself.

Only you can be the one to push yourself beyond your self limitations, the ones your mind has set for yourself. Expand your horizons and reinvent yourself. Reach for the stars because you can do it..

Warmly

Lisa Lockwood
PS. My whole life, I have kept challenging my own mind and asked, "how can I continually reinvent myself" and if you can just ask yourself the same question, you will easily reinvent yourself, overcome fears and obstacles, the same ones which have been holding you back.

 

 

 

How To Prepare Yourself For The Unexpected

In your life, you need to prepare for the unexpected.

Why?

Because it’s going to happen.

Let’s face it, you may of had the best of plans worked out for you and your loved ones - then life stepped in, slapped you across the face, mucked it up and you were left bewildered.

When this happens, at this point, you have several options available to you.

The question is, which option you choice is up to you. When you discover how to deal with the unexpected events in your life, and begin to think on your feet, your life will change - you will have started the process of how to reinvent yourself. 

This is a life skill you need to cultivate.

Reflecting on certain aspects of my own life where I was a  Police Officer, an Undercover Hooter’s Girl and in the military for example, this provided me with plenty of opportunities to discover this one skill and then fine tune it. These aren’t the only places you can discover these how to prepare for the unexpected. 

Take advantage of your own life opportunities. From a line worker, to an executive to the newspaper delivery boy, we all have opportunities which  teach us, including you. You are NEVER too old to reinvent yourself.

Being prepared for the unexpected may include planning ahead for the goals you want to reach in your life and making detailed plans on how to get there is crucial. It may include what to say and do when you go in to a situation you have never been in before, such as a social event. or like in my case, when I was infiltrating the Chicago Mafia where I went undercover as the eye candy, exotic dancer girlfriend of a mafia member .

Regardless of your situation, it’s always good to go with a plan and know ahead of time what you can expect.

Even though you plan, something may happen which will catch you off guard and you need to think on your feet.  What you do at this point can go in several directions. Many of you will choose to take the safe route. Sometimes it is the very best choice to make.

Others will choose to think on their feet, moving swiftly with the change of plans and turn a potential bad situation, on it’s ear and back in their favor.

Now this isn’t always the wisest decision. You have to learn to weigh the pros and cons of each course of action you take. In other words to think, not just react. Often just reacting will just make a bad situation worse.

What would you do?

Preparing for the unexpected is more than just planning.

It can be a mental attitude as well. Going into a situation which you can handle, regardless of what happens is an attitude, not just planning. Tell yourself  - ‘you are a strong individual’.

In life, in many situations, you would not even be there if fate, or your supervisor, boss etc.  did not think you were fully capable of handling the situation - regardless of what crops up.

Remember this: Those around you in your life, have the faith in you to complete your job or mission. Do you?

Only you know your circumstances.

As an example, your  mission could be completing the paper route on a cold snowy day when you tire goes flat or like in my real life case,  convincing a mafia member that you really are arm-candy and not a police officer or going undercover as a Hooter’s Girl for a drug bust.

I look forward to hearing how you reinvent yourself.

Warmly

Lisa ‘Phoenix’ Lockwood
PS. Just like the mystical Phoenix bird which live for 500-600 years, then ignites itself and arises from the ashes to reinvent itself - you to can reinvent yourself. You can get started right now by subscribing to my 24 Success tips and Newsletter or take my blog RSS feed. 

 

 

 

I Have a Dream to Reinvent Myself - Do You?

Martin Luther King’s famous speech - "I Have a Dream" has been changing people’s lives across America and the world ever since he uttered those 4 powerful words. In reality, people chose to reinvent themselves.

Your Dreams can be fickle things.

They sit in the back of your mind pretty inactive, until you do something about them. Some people never will do anything. All their lives the dreams of achievement just sit there doing nothing.

Dormant, when the truth is, you have no excuses. Results count, reasons do not.

Others take on lives of their own.

Sitting down and putting your dreams for your entire year on paper is a great exercise.

Write out what you want to achieve.

Go ahead dream big. Write down the very details of your dreams.

Do you want to be the next contestant for the beauty pageant in your state? Write it down and list the details.

New Years is a great time to do this, but don’t let that hold you back. If it’s June make it a June’s Resolution list.

Writing down your list of dreams isn’t enough. Set goals. Make a plan. You have a list there right in front of you. Start making it happen. Take that list and start dividing it down into bite sized pieces so it doesn’t seems to daunting. 

Set your manageable goals with a timeline. You want to make that goal of promotion to a certain rank, break it down into the steps leading to that promotion. Give each one of those steps a date. Remember though these need to be realistic dates. You aren’t going to go from private to sergeant in 6 months.

You may have to do your homework to see what is a realistic time.

Then start working on your dreams.

Seize the opportunities that will make those dreams a reality. Achieving your dreams will not just come to you. You have to go out and make it happen. Sure, there are those that seem to get lucky, however, there really is not such thing as luck and the majority of people who have dreams come true are those that work at them.

Your dream/goal list is your framework.

Work within it.

Cross off the steps as they are achieved and celebrate! If you don’t achieve a step, know it isn’t the end. It is only a stumble in the road, and these do happen.

Remember it is your dreams, your goals, you can change and make that dream come true, regardless of setbacks. Readjust your time line and keep going.

Dreams do come true. You can reinvent yourself, reinvent your life and make all those things you have dreamed about a reality. All it takes is you and your ability to work at your goals.

Never give up on yourself. Never give up on the dreams that you hold.

Warmly

Lisa Lockwood
Author - Undercover Angel
PS. Go ahead, make today the day you choose to reinvent yourself. Start dreaming and put your dreams, thoughts and desire down on paper.

How To Reinvent Yourself

How many of you have stepped outside of your comfort zone and tried something you never thought you’d ever do? Congratulations to all of you thrill seekers! To those of you who didn’t, guess what? You have, but probably have forgotten about it.

I shared in my book, that in a million years, I never would have pictured myself driving a tractor trailer, let alone doing it in the military during Operation Desert Storm.! I was a girly-girl for Pete’s sake! What I’d like to challenge you with today is a fun exercise that I did with my two girls recently that made me and them realize how far we’ve come.

Chart your own Reinvention Tally sheet by listing experiences you thought you’d never do or have. Take a look at mine to use as an example:

 

SCUBA Diving Skydiving Hangliding Hot-air ballooning Para-sailing Flying Trapeze NASCAR driving Marathon running Swam with Dolphins Drove a tractor-trailer Gulf War Veteran SWAT team member

Undercover Agent-various roles Step-mom to three children Fire-walking Fire-eating Board Breaking Zip-lining Author Speaker Reinvention Expert Guest appeared on Nat’l TV programs Interviewed on over 100 radio programs Contacted by an Oprah Producer!

 

Start building your list and let me know how you’ve done. I can’t wait to share your wins!

 

 

Undercover Angel - The Next Erin Brockovich?

Hollywood’s interest in making a movie based on the true story of real life Charlie’s Angel, Lisa Lockwood is heating up and the question is, could this Pretty woman with handcuffs story be as successful as Erin Brockovich?

Lisa Lockwood, endured welfare beginnings and an abusive marriage to become a decorated soldier in Desert Storm, a police officer, undercover narcotics detective and the first female SWAT team member on her department’s team. She documents her tale in Undercover Angel: From Beauty Queen to SWAT Team, her memoir, which is gaining national recognition at an amazing rate. 

As an undercover agent, she went deep undercover as an exotic dancer and ‘eye candy’ for the mafia and also as a Hooter’s girl and much more risking her life to bring down the bad guys.

Lisa is now gearing up to try her hand and reinvent herself again, this time as . . . an Associate Producer for the movie based on her real life.

She is now meeting with interested parties who want to claim their financial or expert stake in Undercover Angel-the movie.
Lisa said she knows one thing for sure, there’s a very good chance the title will change, ala Erin Brockovich, Antowne Fisher: Finding Fish and Chris Gardner’s The Pursuit of Happyness, which she has no objection to.

Lisa said, Just like when she wrote her memoir, she realized the easy part was putting the story idea together, the tricky and most challenging part will be the marketing, raising capital, getting accomplished stars to commit to the project and having a great studio want to produce it.

When asked who she would like to play her in the lead role, Lisa said it’s her desire to have Scarlett Johannson as the lead and Philip Seymour Hoffman opposite her. She also said she isn’t too picky and would be overjoyed to have any of the A-list production companies in Hollywood produce it.

Any interested parties can contact Lisa directly at: Lisa@lisalockwood.com

PS. Watch Lisa’s video to give you an insight into why her life story could be a huge hollywood blockbuster.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io9_dSZegB8

Overcoming the Emotional Roller Coaster

Lisa pulled herself up from the roots. With a fire in her belly she was determined to make something of herself. Listen closely as she reveals how she was able to boost her self confidence allowing to excel in her career in law enforcement.

 

Getting started as a Reinvention Expert

 

Lisa explains what being a reinvention expert means to her. And why it is so important for her to get her message out to those in need.

 

Infiltrating the Mafia

 

Lisa goes deep undercover as the "eye-candy" for the mafia. Listen as she takes on the role need to catch the bad guy.

 

3 Life Principles

 Discover the tools Lisa uses on a daily basis to keep her like on track. If you follow principle #3 you life will change almost overnight.
 

 

Developing Thick Skin

 Discover how Lisa was able to develop "Thick Skin" and succeed in a male dominate occupation.