by Cherie Ray | Apr 19, 2021 | Coaching, Inspiration
Just the presence of her boss would set her off like a firecracker. With every interaction, she suffered a litany of “feeling criticized,” “getting hooked into her bad feeling,” or “watching my self-esteem erode under my feet.” Working in such an overwhelmingly toxic environment painted the picture to her that this is just the way it is when you work for someone else. She could only see two options: suck it up or quit. And she had tried sucking it up for long enough; there was no space left to stuff the stress. She was mentally and physically exhausted from dealing with the dissatisfaction in her work life – that had annoyingly wormed its way into her home life as well.
Jean came to me because she was at the end of her rope. Wearing an unyielding scowl on her face and with her hands frequently thrown into the air in frustration, she didn’t know how to maneuver her only apparent choices. She was not at her magical retirement age, nor was she financially prepared to stop working altogether. But Jean just couldn’t imagine sludging along, ticking the days off her calendar until it was finally time to cue up Johnny Paycheck’s glorious song, “Take this Job and Shove it” as she went a-walkin’ out the door.
When Jean and I began working together, I invited her to temporarily shelve the idea of quitting. We knocked around the idea of using her present situation as a laboratory for her learning. This was a challenging and problematic task because Jean wanted to feel “100% happier,” which she was certain could only happen if she exited her current circumstance. She reluctantly agreed to give it six months.
Our next conversation began with Jean declaring, “I quit. I couldn’t take it anymore.” With a glimmer of hope, she wondered what was next. Was there another way to eliminate the stresses and struggles she was up against?
Through our work together, Jean achieved results that are out of this world! She negotiated a re-hire with a 30k annual pay increase. She added 300k – minimum – to her retirement bucket by staying in the workforce longer. She had previously wasted 80% of her day distracted by the office culture, which only allowed a small portion of her time to be spent performing her duties. Today, efficient work blissfully dominates her workday – only 20% is distraction!
Jean is now leading a satisfying, centered, successful life and career. This is exactly why my clients come to me. Bringing a deep understanding of the way people universally operate and a keen capability to transform complex mountains into simple molehills, I offer creative solutions and fresh perspectives to eliminate struggle and inspire true living!
by Cherie Ray | Mar 24, 2021 | Coaching, Inspiration
How are you? I hope this newsletter greets you with a fresh excitement for Spring. The clock did its jump forward so fresh newness can’t be far behind. Here in Texas, this is the time when the wildflowers start to introduce brilliant colors on the highways and fields with the presence of bluebonnets. I love this time of year because Mother Nature pulls out all the stops and starts to re-colorize the landscape.
Seeing the natural cycles of freshness and new growth in the landscape is a very outward sign of what’s happening inside you, all of the time. Luckily, you are designed to have fresh ideas, insights, and inspirations come to you all year long and not just in the spring. These new ideas and inspirations colorize your personal world.
Just recently I had a few fresh insights come to me that were not ‘topic specific’ but the truth and wisdom that dropped in will serve all areas of my life. I smile and chuckle when this happens because the depth and breadth of an insight of any size can shift how I see the world, effortlessly. It’s like getting a free upgrade for a higher functioning life. I’m both amused and very appreciative when this happens.
The best news of all? This system works the same in every human being on the planet! This includes YOU.
I’d love to support you in understanding more about eliminating struggle from your life and receiving the solutions you’re looking for. Let’s connect for an exploratory conversation, Cherie@CherieRay.com.
I’d love to connect with you and catch up.
Sending smiles,
Cherie
by Cherie Ray | Mar 10, 2021 | Coaching, Inspiration
Can you believe it’s March? It was one year ago that I was volunteering with the Horticulture Committee at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo when one of the rodeo’s directors walked up to the team and asked us to quietly collect our things and leave the rodeo complex. I remember thinking it felt just like an old-school fire drill but there would be no returning in 15 minutes! The rodeo was officially cancelled for the remaining 3 weeks! This was the day when COVID-19 started making its impact in Houston. What a packed 12 months it has been.
With all the changes in the world and workplace, I felt a very strong desire to invite my friend and colleague, Gina Anastasi, to do a webinar with me. I thought it would be beneficial to learn what puts you in a leveraged position to never look for work again and to learn what qualities are needed to take a leadership role your career and personal life. The qualities are the same for both!
Gina is the founder of Gina Anastasi, Inc., (GinaAnastasi.com) which provides advisory and coaching services to executives and companies at all stages of development. Her passion is to provide guidance to maximize financial results and reach strategic goals through leadership support and operational efficiency.
Gina’s most well-known company is Rent.com, for 6 years through launch date through acquisition, she led the company as COO through a major internal restructuring and growth increasing revenue from $2MMto $60MM. Rent.com became the #1 rental site in the U.S. and was acquired by eBay in 2005 for $435MM. This is just one achievement in Gina’s phenomenally successful career.
Having been an employee and an employer, I’ve always been a witness to success in the workplace. As a coach, I want my clients to experience the richest experience possible in both their careers and their personal lives. If your desire is to move ahead or be sought out, we will share what it takes to be advanceable, invaluable, and desirable.
Invite your friends, loved ones, and colleagues to join the conversation. Bring your questions! Complete webinar information is below. Advance registration is necessary.
Let’s have some fun and connect! I look forward to seeing you Friday.
Smiles,
Cherie
I teach people how to eliminate struggle from their lives. Let’s have a free exploratory conversation, cherie@cherieray.com.
by Cherie Ray | Feb 24, 2021 | Inspiration
Here you are! February is wrapping up and March is just around the corner. When I think about March being just around the corner, I’m even more amazed at the crazy weather that hit the country last week. I hope you’re doing well and navigating what’s required to get your world shored up! When I think of March, I think of spring and warm sunny days. Hopefully, they are on their way.
Valentine’s week I hosted a webinar titled, “Are Your Relationship Concepts Getting in the Way of Real Relationship?” Lots of people mentioned that they thought the webinar was about romantic love relationships and didn’t feel it applied to them because they aren’t in a romantic relationship right now.
Romantic relationships are just one in a basket of many. Like it or not, you are in relationship with everything and everybody. You are in relationship with yourself (most importantly), your friends, neighbors, customer service reps, vendors, employer, siblings, parents, children, checkout clerk, spouse/partner, and so many others.
Do you carry a lot of ideas, definitions, and concepts about the rights and wrongs in these relationships? These personal truths get in the way of creating and experiencing REAL relationship. If relationships are a sore spot or a struggle for you, please check out the webinar,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oNEJ0wBqFo. It’s also available on my podcast, Connected Living with Cherie Ray on Spotify, ITunes, Google.
I hope you’ll take a listen and I hope you hear something helpful. Getting real and eliminating struggle is what I do with my clients. If you are living in struggle, you don’t have to. Let’s connect.
Sending smiles,
Cherie
by Cherie Ray | Jan 27, 2021 | Conversations, Inspiration
What’s new with you? I hope you’re doing well and exploring new inspirations that are coming to you in the richness of possibility that seems to come with the beginning of a new year. Possibility and potential are ever present, but the attention of the world seems to highlight this as we greet January.
What I’m seeing new in the balance of this pandemic is INVITATION. So much has been taken off the table that was innocently leaned on to feel OK, to distract, or bring comfort. With all that’s been edited in your life, there’s a fresh invitation on the table to locate your peace and joy. Not within your circumstances, by having the right partner, job, living arrangement, location, but where it has always been and will always be. Beneath all of that in the depth of your being. Isn’t that intriguing? You can tie your well-being, peace, and joy to your circumstances, but you don’t have to. Isn’t that a rich invitation?
I would love to hear from you on this topic. Kindly RSVP by January 31st. LOL!
Have you or someone you know, “Lost that Lovin’ Feeling” for their work, their current life, or their relationships? I would love to connect with them. Big changes on the outside aren’t necessary to experience the joy you seek.
Sending smiles,
Cherie
