Think BIG and Never Say You Can’t
Sheri Barnes, aka MAMA, decided to think big and make a bold career change after 35 years in Advertising and Design. At the age of 55 she decided to pursue her other passion in life—Health & Wellness. During her extensive career in advertising, Sheri found that long hours and job related stress had a debilitating effect on the health and wellbeing of herself and those around her. She found that this “stress effect” was ubiquitous in the workplace, which lead to her beginning the journey to become a Health & Wellness expert and speaker in 2008. She first obtained her Personal Trainer certification and from there authored a health and fitness book—MAMA KNOWS FITNESS: Bells, Balance & Your Body—about finding time in your life to exercise, the importance of being healthy and fit, and her amazing exercise tool of choice—Kettlebells.
Today Sheri has incorporated her Health & Wellness expertise, along with her experience working in Corporate America, to empower people to TAKE CONTROL and REINVENT THEIR LIVES. Whether she is speaking about Boosting Your Energy, Sitting Too Long or Career Reinvention, her underlying message is holistic fitness—of the mind, body and soul. According to Sheri, it is nearly impossible to face life’s challenges without physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual fitness.
SHOW UP AND SHINE Questions:
If you boiled life down to one philosophy that brings meaning and adds value to your life no matter what circumstances you face, what is that philosophy for you?
“I KEEP BREATHING. Because tomorrow the sun will rise and who knows what the tide will bring in.”
This is a quote from the movie Castaway, starring Tom Hanks. It is a precious gem of a movie with the message of hope, love, perseverance, tenacity, and the will to live. I use this little quote as a mantra whenever life gets tough and everything seems to go wrong or whenever I’m just thinking about what may happen tomorrow.
What are one or two keys to success for you?
CONSISTENCY—When I think about the tortoise and the hare, I am definitely the tortoise. Slow, methodical, and deliberate in my actions. When I look back on everything I have accomplished it has been because of consistency—whether it was writing a book, building my savings back from nothing, earning a Master’s degree, or finding the love of my life through Internet dating—it has all been about consistency.
RISK TAKING — If you never venture away from what is comfortable, you will miss the many opportunities our world presents. I think long and hard before I take risks, so I guess you could say I’m a calculated risk-taker—BUT I take them none-the-less. Completely changing my career at the age 55 to become a speaker is probably the biggest risk I’ve ever ventured upon. To take risks involves being able to confidently push through your fear, accept the unpreditability of life, and most importantly believe in yourself.
What is one of the biggest mistakes you've made and what did you learn from it?
Not fully believing in myself. When I look back over my life I’ve accomplished incredible things and yet with my newest venture, speaking, that little voice tells me I’m not good enough to really make a success of it. What I’ve learned is to face that fear head on, forge ahead, be okay with making mistakes, and celebrate the victories.
What is your best advice for people who want to SHOW UP AND SHINE? What would you say to help people live into their bigger story?
Think BIG. Push the envelope. Never say you can’t! Commitment, consistency, and tenacity will get you to where you want to go.
Question: Sheri's advice is to think big. What helps you think big?