I was beating egg whites this morning for French pancakes.  I realized the other day that this is the first place I have rented in 19 months that has an electric  hand mixer, so I decided to make some recipes that I haven´t been able to make while traveling. 

As I watched the clear jelly like blobs form this beautiful white mound of fluff in the bowl I wondered who discovered this phenomena.  Who had the creative spark in them to experiment with what would happen if you separated a yolk from the white and then beat it for five minutes? 

Similarly, my partner Greg and I were discussing the creation of blue cheese as we were eating it in our scrambled eggs one morning.  I mean if you saw blue mold growing on your food, would you eat it, decide it was delicious and then go and replicate the same bacteria?  Hardly!  I´d throw it in the garbage. 

But as I was thinking that I would never have thought to beat egg whites into fluffy meringue or create a delicacy called Roquefort Cheese, I realized that I had my own inventory of accomplishments. 

Back in September 2004, I attended a pole dancing party and started the first home pole dancing company for everyday women that became a huge success.  I pole danced live in front of millions on Breakfast Television in

Toronto.  Who´d have thought, especially as that was the year I was ordained as a minister? I went to South Africa on my own and volunteered in a primary school in a rural village for 8 weeks.  That took a lot of faith, trust and courage! 

I was a missionary in Ecuador, South America for four years and was mobbed by 100 very angry people, robbed 7 times and survived a serious bout of Dengue Fever.  Yet I learned the language, impacted hundreds of people in my ministry and helped build a beautifully functional meeting place in a very rural village with very limited resources. 

I sold Ford dealerships in western Canada almost ¾ of a million dollars of products for people with disabilities until Ford (mostly because of me) shut down the program because it was costing them too much.

I´ve written two books in less than 6 weeks each and self-published very professional looking books that get rave reviews. 

I´ve now lived “on the road” for 19 months and had a blast living, working and traveling in some amazing places. I just rented an incredible home for the winter on Lake Atitlan in

Guatemala, a place I had never even heard of until 6 weeks ago.  As I laid by the pool this morning and thought about some of these interesting accomplishments, meringue and blue cheese didn´t seem like such a big deal.  Taking an inventory of our accomplishments once in a while is probably a very good idea because it´s easy to forget what we have done, where we have been and what we have created. 

Greg often talks about becoming the lead singer in a rock and roll band and the “hottest guy” in town when the previous year he was wearing braces, had a crew cut, dorky clothes and a face full of acne.  He was also told by his music teacher in grade six that he could not sing.  But he went on to lead a band to such success that he was offered a very promising music career which he ultimately turned down.  

He also didn´t have the grades to get into medical school because he had been so busy with the band.  His counselor laughed at his idea of becoming a doctor.  But Greg got into medical school and became the most successful podiatrist in the county, curing diseases that other doctors said were incurable. 

As we sat on the patio talking this past week, he had tears running down his face as he recalled a wrestling incident where despite being injured, he cried to go back into the ring and finish the fight.  The coach said no but because of his tenacity and determination, his team went on to beat the number one team in the competition.  As the new guy in the ring, he had inspired an entire team to victory.  He weighed a whopping 105 pounds when he did this. 

Greg talks about these things with passion and fervor because it reminds him that he has already accomplished what others said were impossible.  It fuels the fire for him to go on with his dreams despite the looming odds.   

What about you?  I suggest that you take your inventory of what you have accomplished to date.  Get out a piece of paper or sit down at the computer and start writing.   

You see it´s easy to think that everybody else but us has accomplishments and miracles.  I´m being mentored by some very powerful female entrepreneurs right now and I can sometimes catch myself thinking that I don´t have anything to offer that´s amazing like they do.   And then I realize that I am underestimating myself and allowing limiting beliefs to stop me from moving forward.  I bet you are too. 

It´s when I go back and read the testimonials of how my books have changed somebody´s life or a teleclass shifted a huge belief system or a healing call got rid of someone´s chronic pain.  It´s then I remember that I too have something to contribute.  I have own my meringue discovery and blue cheese miracle. 

I know you do too.   Take your inventory.  Play with this one as you remember the amazing, wonderful, fun things you have done in your lifetime.  Did you star in a musical as a child?  Were you ever the one to score the winning goal?  Did you overcome a physical challenge or a learning disability?  When did you persevere despite the odds?  Have you birthed or fathered a baby and brought new life into this world?  Has anyone ever sent you a thank you note or a testimonial of how you impacted their life?   Did you help change a policy at work or in your community that made life better for everyone?  Start thinking.  

There´s so many things you´ve already done.  It´s time to remember those accomplishments, those victories and those discoveries.   

You´re worth a lot more than you think you are.  Your contribution is far more valuable than you believe.  You´re staying smaller than the world deserves of you.  By taking an inventory of your life to date, I know you´ll walk taller, think bigger and dare to dream even grander dreams.  And that is a very good thing. 

To Your Outrageous Success!

Jan

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