"Life on Your Terms" includes an interview with me, Stacie Tamaki!

If you hate your job and have been dreaming about starting your own company because you would like to live life on your own terms (fearless, expressing yourself, doing what you love, surrounded by people you admire and respect) "Life on Your Terms" could be all of the inspiration you need to take your first steps in moving towards a more contented life.

In January 2009 I read (in a Ladies who Launch email update) that Shann Vander Leek (an inspirational leader who, after eighteen years of serving the television broadcast model of Corporate America, reinvented herself as the founder of True Balance Life Coaching) was searching for inspiring stories by entrepreneurs:

Greetings!

"I am writing a book about extraordinary entrepreneurs and "solo"preneurs who live on their own terms. They likely have achieved extraordinary results... leading to the creation of personal freedom. They are interesting, eccentric, bold, creative, unfiltered creatures of the universe who want to share their story with others to inspire them to follow their dreams..."

I thought to myself, "Hey that kind of sounds like me!" So I sent Shann a short bio and links to my websites.

When she messaged me that I had made the cut and would be one of 40 inspired entrepreneurs she would be interviewing for her book I was thrilled! We spoke on the phone for the interview and Shann decided my story would fit best in the chapter titled "Letting Go of Fear."

And now here we are, a year and a half later and 5 pages of "Life on Your Terms" shares the story of how I became an entrepreneur. But my experience is just a very small part of a very large story about Shann's own experiences and the 39 other entrepreneurs who have also sought life on their terms.

That would be author Shann Vander Leeks autograph, not mine LOL

The one thing I'd like anyone reading this post to understand is that it's never too late to change! Even if your dream isn't to become an entrepreneur it's never too late to pursue trying something new or being a different way.

Recently I attended a bridal showcase event. At the end of the evening I was chatting with my friends Amy and Andrew explaining to them how particularly in junior high, high school and part of college, I became an excruciatingly, painfully, shy art nerd. Thanks to some new friends in college (that two of my girlfriends had made) point blank telling me they wanted me to talk more (or at all) I finally overcame my shyness. Having people tell me they wanted to hear what I was thinking was an incredible gift. It created an opportunity and I changed. It was pretty much instantaneous. Just like that I overcame my fear of speaking my mind, making new friends and sharing my thoughts and feelings with others. Within weeks they were laughing at me that they couldn't shut me up. LOL. The point is, it's never too late to reinvent yourself.

You can live in fear and still experience moments of happiness, success at your job, make friends and achieve great monetary wealth. But living with fear while working at a job you despise will hold you back and deprive you of ever experiencing true contentment. If you decide to tackle your fears just remember that with each step you are moving further away from fear and closer towards contentment. Contentment isn't wholly created by the success of your endeavor, it's also created by leaving the fear behind :)