By Cheryl Clark with Clark Strategies

Hindsight is 20/20 they say.  I am grateful Cindy Rose worded this prompt as she did!

“Perceived” setback!  Key word being perceived!  It’s not factual, it often is not even a ‘setback’ and yet in the moment boy oh boy do we think the world is ending and life as we know it is over!  Yes, maybe a little dramatic on the word choices here but that sure has been many people’s thought process a time or two!

I want to share I’m slow to get to the ‘life is over’ aspect of any event.  I have this ability or uncanny ability (scary at times, I might add) to disconnect and just flow in the event and/or circumstances.  I think of this as an asset really – if you were bleeding to death in front of me, I’d be able to control myself and the situation, and then once you were okay ONLY THEN would I go holy crap I could have died with you!!!  However, I don’t view this as a healthy asset at times. 

My largest ‘setback’ or life-changing moment was for sure my detainment in Arizona for 295 days.  I was safe, fed, clothed, and cared for.  I met some amazing people that I am so grateful for.  I learned so much, witnessed so much, and experienced so much that YOU may never experience or learn without having ‘been there’. 

The ‘setback’ of all this experience was not the detainment itself.  I can say that 5.5 years later.  The ‘setback’ was not even having to relocate back to Canada – Though I will say that was ABSOLUTELY a huge struggle and to this day it still is!  Why?  Because I lost my sense of ‘home’.  (Tears well up even typing that for this blog.)  That is one of the internal awareness moments from this whole experience. 

Sure, there were MANY other awareness moments that being detained as an illegal immigrant and coming back to a country I had not been part of for over 16 years brought to me.  There were, and still are, also MANY opportunities from this ‘setback’.  The knowledge, the speaking, the reinventing, the evolving, the making new connections, the restart and so much more. 

Internally though the opportunity to define ‘home’.  To analyze what ‘home’ is and to push aside what society has maybe programmed me/us to think of as ‘home’ has been such a deep ride for me.  I’m still on that ride. 

Life has taken 90% of my material possessions not once (my first move to Arizona), not twice (detainment), but three times.  Are possessions what make a home?  Being surrounded by the ‘known’ does provide a sense of security and comfort, and let’s face it, looking around at material items also brings with it a sense of accomplishment – all you own and have bought. 

Are any of us secure in our living quarters?  Natural disasters, financial issues and more could pull from us these quarters at any time. 

So, what is home? 

My perceived setback has given me the opportunity to dig in and really search for a home.  This search continues – it’s an opportunity within me. I am not necessarily happy with this moment all the time, but I am well aware of the fact it is providing me with learning that I only have as a result of my so-called ‘setback’.  They have all… Led Me To This.

The post February 2024 appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Cheryl Clark with Clark Strategies

Hindsight is 20/20 they say.  I am grateful Cindy Rose worded this prompt as she did!

“Perceived” setback!  Key word being perceived!  It’s not factual, it often is not even a ‘setback’ and yet in the moment boy oh boy do we think the world is ending and life as we know it is over!  Yes, maybe a little dramatic on the word choices here but that sure has been many people’s thought process a time or two!

I want to share I’m slow to get to the ‘life is over’ aspect of any event.  I have this ability or uncanny ability (scary at times, I might add) to disconnect and just flow in the event and/or circumstances.  I think of this as an asset really – if you were bleeding to death in front of me, I’d be able to control myself and the situation, and then once you were okay ONLY THEN would I go holy crap I could have died with you!!!  However, I don’t view this as a healthy asset at times. 

My largest ‘setback’ or life-changing moment was for sure my detainment in Arizona for 295 days.  I was safe, fed, clothed, and cared for.  I met some amazing people that I am so grateful for.  I learned so much, witnessed so much, and experienced so much that YOU may never experience or learn without having ‘been there’. 

The ‘setback’ of all this experience was not the detainment itself.  I can say that 5.5 years later.  The ‘setback’ was not even having to relocate back to Canada – Though I will say that was ABSOLUTELY a huge struggle and to this day it still is!  Why?  Because I lost my sense of ‘home’.  (Tears well up even typing that for this blog.)  That is one of the internal awareness moments from this whole experience. 

Sure, there were MANY other awareness moments that being detained as an illegal immigrant and coming back to a country I had not been part of for over 16 years brought to me.  There were, and still are, also MANY opportunities from this ‘setback’.  The knowledge, the speaking, the reinventing, the evolving, the making new connections, the restart and so much more. 

Internally though the opportunity to define ‘home’.  To analyze what ‘home’ is and to push aside what society has maybe programmed me/us to think of as ‘home’ has been such a deep ride for me.  I’m still on that ride. 

Life has taken 90% of my material possessions not once (my first move to Arizona), not twice (detainment), but three times.  Are possessions what make a home?  Being surrounded by the ‘known’ does provide a sense of security and comfort, and let’s face it, looking around at material items also brings with it a sense of accomplishment – all you own and have bought. 

Are any of us secure in our living quarters?  Natural disasters, financial issues and more could pull from us these quarters at any time. 

So, what is home? 

My perceived setback has given me the opportunity to dig in and really search for a home.  This search continues – it’s an opportunity within me. I am not necessarily happy with this moment all the time, but I am well aware of the fact it is providing me with learning that I only have as a result of my so-called ‘setback’.  They have all… Led Me To This.

The post Cheryl Clark appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Cheryl Clark with Clark Strategies

I’m chasing a dream.  It’s not a goal yet. 

What is the difference?  To me, the difference is – the dream I can see, almost experience, and feel the joy, happiness, and positive feelings it all brings.  The goal – I see a goal as having a path to attain it, a list of tasks or resources to accomplish it.  So, for now – this is my big dream and it’s twofold.

One-fold is for others.

The second fold is for me.

Part one of my dream is to be instrumental in assisting two very different populations of humans to move forward and shift from survival to living. 

The first demographic is the immigrant population, and the second demographic is the incarcerated population.  Both populations are frowned upon for different reasons, both populations are not supported with tools and skills, however, both populations are living and breathing humans on our planet.  Both populations are misunderstood – in my opinion.  Both populations are labeled, with not such pretty labels. 

The second fold of my dream is to spend time traveling and loving on these people! 

Speaking OF them, speaking TO them, and bringing awareness and support to all. 

Those who have never been an immigrant or detained – need to understand what detainment means, feels like, and how it changes you. 

To those who are immigrants or have been detained – they need to feel seen, heard, valued, and supported, they need to feel they matter and are not their choices.

Imagine a space where the two meet.  Can you picture the Aha moments and see them with your heart? 

The immigrant being embraced and given some tools to secure themselves and protect themselves. 

The detainee being seen as human and not the choices that led them to being incarcerated and provided tools to help their mindset and reintegration back into the ‘real’ world. 

Then add into this the ‘real’ world having their eyes opened and accepting those in both these categories and being interested in the stories of hope, survival, and resilience!  WOW.

My dream – This is the world I want to live in.  This is the world I want to help create.  This is the world I am part of already – I just need you to join me in it.

The post Cheryl Clark appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Cheryl Clark with Clark Strategies

I’m chasing a dream.  It’s not a goal yet. 

What is the difference?  To me, the difference is – the dream I can see, almost experience, and feel the joy, happiness, and positive feelings it all brings.  The goal – I see a goal as having a path to attain it, a list of tasks or resources to accomplish it.  So, for now – this is my big dream and it’s twofold.

One-fold is for others.

The second fold is for me.

Part one of my dream is to be instrumental in assisting two very different populations of humans to move forward and shift from survival to living. 

The first demographic is the immigrant population, and the second demographic is the incarcerated population.  Both populations are frowned upon for different reasons, both populations are not supported with tools and skills, however, both populations are living and breathing humans on our planet.  Both populations are misunderstood – in my opinion.  Both populations are labeled, with not such pretty labels. 

The second fold of my dream is to spend time traveling and loving on these people! 

Speaking OF them, speaking TO them, and bringing awareness and support to all. 

Those who have never been an immigrant or detained – need to understand what detainment means, feels like, and how it changes you. 

To those who are immigrants or have been detained – they need to feel seen, heard, valued, and supported, they need to feel they matter and are not their choices.

Imagine a space where the two meet.  Can you picture the Aha moments and see them with your heart? 

The immigrant being embraced and given some tools to secure themselves and protect themselves. 

The detainee being seen as human and not the choices that led them to being incarcerated and provided tools to help their mindset and reintegration back into the ‘real’ world. 

Then add into this the ‘real’ world having their eyes opened and accepting those in both these categories and being interested in the stories of hope, survival, and resilience!  WOW.

My dream – This is the world I want to live in.  This is the world I want to help create.  This is the world I am part of already – I just need you to join me in it.

The post January 2024 appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Cheryl Clark with Clark Strategies

I had to stop my brain from making the first response to this blog prompt – I am going to make 6 figures.

I had to stop my brain from making the next response to this blog prompt – I will be debt-free.

I had to stop my brain…

Did you have to pause? Did you have the same sort of thoughts when you stopped and thought about your goals, plans, and intentions for 2024?

I preach money is a result.  (Often a result of a LOT of action, steps, and tasks.) Yet, here I am writing out goals, plans, and intentions around a result!  A result I have no control over – frankly.  I can however control my actions, steps, and tasks! 

So, with all that being said:

In 2024, I will have two business adventures flourishing!

Clark Strategies will serve the entrepreneurial community with connections, training, classes, group accountability sessions, and networking opportunities.

Led Me To This will serve those with a story.  It will serve those with a whisper, a platform where their voice and journey will be given a microphone in a safe environment for real, raw, and deep sharing.  It will serve the incarcerated being freed, the immigrants that lack so much compassion and understanding, and the addict and how they are not their choices and are doing what they know and can do merely to survive.

Both businesses will find me on a variety of stages with speaking opportunities to share and engage with others.  The speaking opportunities will create awareness, educate, and empower others.  Compensation for my speaking will come in many forms including monetary returns, donations for causes important to me and others and so much more.

Both businesses will have a team working with me (not under me) to create a larger ripple than I could ever imagine or do alone.

Both businesses will be recognized and fully translated into at least two languages, English and Spanish, for the year 2024.

I will be fluent in Spanish in 2024.

I will spend time traveling to ‘work’ these businesses and reach people in person in a variety of locations and countries.

I will have at least one office front that is a positive feel-good space holding all my paperwork and décor.  The staff will love being in that space and it will be an open door for many and meet many needs with its resources and connections.

Oh 2024, I am ready.

The post Cheryl Clark appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Cheryl Clark with Clark Strategies

I had to stop my brain from making the first response to this blog prompt – I am going to make 6 figures.

I had to stop my brain from making the next response to this blog prompt – I will be debt-free.

I had to stop my brain…

Did you have to pause? Did you have the same sort of thoughts when you stopped and thought about your goals, plans, and intentions for 2024?

I preach money is a result.  (Often a result of a LOT of action, steps, and tasks.) Yet, here I am writing out goals, plans, and intentions around a result!  A result I have no control over – frankly.  I can however control my actions, steps, and tasks! 

So, with all that being said:

In 2024, I will have two business adventures flourishing!

Clark Strategies will serve the entrepreneurial community with connections, training, classes, group accountability sessions, and networking opportunities.

Led Me To This will serve those with a story.  It will serve those with a whisper, a platform where their voice and journey will be given a microphone in a safe environment for real, raw, and deep sharing.  It will serve the incarcerated being freed, the immigrants that lack so much compassion and understanding, and the addict and how they are not their choices and are doing what they know and can do merely to survive.

Both businesses will find me on a variety of stages with speaking opportunities to share and engage with others.  The speaking opportunities will create awareness, educate, and empower others.  Compensation for my speaking will come in many forms including monetary returns, donations for causes important to me and others and so much more.

Both businesses will have a team working with me (not under me) to create a larger ripple than I could ever imagine or do alone.

Both businesses will be recognized and fully translated into at least two languages, English and Spanish, for the year 2024.

I will be fluent in Spanish in 2024.

I will spend time traveling to ‘work’ these businesses and reach people in person in a variety of locations and countries.

I will have at least one office front that is a positive feel-good space holding all my paperwork and décor.  The staff will love being in that space and it will be an open door for many and meet many needs with its resources and connections.

Oh 2024, I am ready.

The post December 2023 appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Cheryl Clark with Clark Strategies

What a topic!  Habits!  I can see all the quotes and written words of amazing people sharing how habits make or break us.  Habits show our priorities.  Habits are key to success.  Habits are important. 

With all this coming to my mind – I must wonder what habits I have INTENTIONALLY set, taken control of, and made happen.  What habits have I created that work to my benefit, growth, and success?  What habit have I formed that was 100% calculated and intentional?  Why am I struggling to come up with one I can articulate for this blog?

My next brain wander is to all the habits that are not serving me well.  Procrastination is at the top of the list.  I don’t procrastinate tasks so much as I procrastinate implementation!   I recognize that so maybe that is half the battle. 

Let’s talk about this habit of mine, shall we?

My habit – is I am slow to implement.  I procrastinate. I overthink. I overanalyze. I drag my heels (me wearing heels – picture it!).  Why?  I could word this to the positive and say my habit is being calculated, cautious, and sure before I ‘do’.  Nice word plays there! 

Crazy enough most of the time when I do finally give in to the implementation process, I regret not doing it sooner!  I see the value in the implementation almost immediately.  I swear I’ll never procrastinate implementing something again!  Yet here we are….

How did this habit form?
What is this habit feeding? 
What am I getting from it? 

Must be serving something within me or else I’d let it go… is my thought process.

Fear of change?
Lazy?
Lack of priorities?
Busy versus productive?
Time management issues?
Happy with how things ARE?
Lack of trust?

Interesting to ponder. 

In my case, it is the mountain out of a molehill thought process that beats me up and sustains this habit of not implementing till I am often forced to. 

So how do I change this habit?  Calendar what needs to be implemented!  I do have a positive habit of living by my calendar – so use a good habit to help break a not-so-good one!  

What a great thought moment this blog topic has been!  I know I do have a few good habits – loving people, seeing positives LONG before negatives, showing up for my business and myself, being attentive to others… I just don’t know how they formed!  They just are!  These habits are part of me – yet when did they come in?  How did they become a habit? 

Oh, the mind weaves….

The post November 2023 appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Cheryl Clark with Clark Strategies

What a topic!  Habits!  I can see all the quotes and written words of amazing people sharing how habits make or break us.  Habits show our priorities.  Habits are key to success.  Habits are important. 

With all this coming to my mind – I must wonder what habits I have INTENTIONALLY set, taken control of, and made happen.  What habits have I created that work to my benefit, growth, and success?  What habit have I formed that was 100% calculated and intentional?  Why am I struggling to come up with one I can articulate for this blog?

My next brain wander is to all the habits that are not serving me well.  Procrastination is at the top of the list.  I don’t procrastinate tasks so much as I procrastinate implementation!   I recognize that so maybe that is half the battle. 

Let’s talk about this habit of mine, shall we?

My habit – is I am slow to implement.  I procrastinate. I overthink. I overanalyze. I drag my heels (me wearing heels – picture it!).  Why?  I could word this to the positive and say my habit is being calculated, cautious, and sure before I ‘do’.  Nice word plays there! 

Crazy enough most of the time when I do finally give in to the implementation process, I regret not doing it sooner!  I see the value in the implementation almost immediately.  I swear I’ll never procrastinate implementing something again!  Yet here we are….

How did this habit form?
What is this habit feeding? 
What am I getting from it? 

Must be serving something within me or else I’d let it go… is my thought process.

Fear of change?
Lazy?
Lack of priorities?
Busy versus productive?
Time management issues?
Happy with how things ARE?
Lack of trust?

Interesting to ponder. 

In my case, it is the mountain out of a molehill thought process that beats me up and sustains this habit of not implementing till I am often forced to. 

So how do I change this habit?  Calendar what needs to be implemented!  I do have a positive habit of living by my calendar – so use a good habit to help break a not-so-good one!  

What a great thought moment this blog topic has been!  I know I do have a few good habits – loving people, seeing positives LONG before negatives, showing up for my business and myself, being attentive to others… I just don’t know how they formed!  They just are!  These habits are part of me – yet when did they come in?  How did they become a habit? 

Oh, the mind weaves….

The post Cheryl Clark appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Cheryl Clark with Clark Strategies

June 3, 2017, was a pivotal day in my life!   I had never ever been on Pinterest prior, and I had never ever owned a glue gun!  The blingy things and ribbon I’ll explain later – they were my ‘getting carried away’ moment.

I fostered a newborn baby for the first 13 months of her life.  Her mother was still very much a part of her life, and this foster story has a happy ending – thankfully.  For a few reasons though, Rachel was not able to breastfeed.  It took us a bit to find a formula that worked for the baby and well lo and behold the formula came in a neat can.  I had so many of these cans after a few months!

I kept the cans!  At one time they were going to be used to sort screws and various hardware items like that.  At another point in time, they were being saved just to be given away to anyone who may need them and have a use for them.  I have no idea what led me to Pinterest (up until this day and to be honest from this day till now I had/have avoided Pinterest for fear of the rabbit hole grabbing me and not letting me go).

I want to add at this time in my life I was loving my bullet journal!  The coloring, the creative side of layouts, just had me hooked and I could lose myself in it when the baby slept and or Rachel had her.  As a result of this journalling, I had so many-colored pens, colored pencils, washi tapes, stickers, scrapbook papers, and more.

All these supplies were tossed in a shoe box that I would grab and spread out across the table every time I went to play in my bullet journal.

Baby formula tins, a shoe box of supplies meet Pinterest, and a glue gun!  A few hours later, with a few glue gun ouch moments, I had created 3 ‘daisy’ storage units!  This is when I got carried away!  I did a store run for some ribbon and bling and more glue sticks and now I had personalized my ‘daisy’ storage compartments. 

I literally took these ‘daisies’ and screwed them to the wall near my working/writing table and sorted my colored pens, pencils, and box of creative stuff and each pedal on the daisy held something different. 

It’s funny to me that here we are 6 years later and this blog topic without a doubt prompted this memory and moment.  To this day it’s still my favorite thing I ever created and crafted. 

I have painted buildings, offices, and rooms and done some creative moments in home repairs and office setups, but this Pinterest Project just felt and still feels so different for me. 

My DIY – Decorating moment.  Funny, almost makes me want to search out friends who have a newborn and see if they have some of these cans lying around – I’d make them again!  This round I’d even use more ‘bling’. 

The post Cheryl Clark appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Cheryl Clark with Clark Strategies

June 3, 2017, was a pivotal day in my life!   I had never ever been on Pinterest prior, and I had never ever owned a glue gun!  The blingy things and ribbon I’ll explain later – they were my ‘getting carried away’ moment.

I fostered a newborn baby for the first 13 months of her life.  Her mother was still very much a part of her life, and this foster story has a happy ending – thankfully.  For a few reasons though, Rachel was not able to breastfeed.  It took us a bit to find a formula that worked for the baby and well lo and behold the formula came in a neat can.  I had so many of these cans after a few months!

I kept the cans!  At one time they were going to be used to sort screws and various hardware items like that.  At another point in time, they were being saved just to be given away to anyone who may need them and have a use for them.  I have no idea what led me to Pinterest (up until this day and to be honest from this day till now I had/have avoided Pinterest for fear of the rabbit hole grabbing me and not letting me go).

I want to add at this time in my life I was loving my bullet journal!  The coloring, the creative side of layouts, just had me hooked and I could lose myself in it when the baby slept and or Rachel had her.  As a result of this journalling, I had so many-colored pens, colored pencils, washi tapes, stickers, scrapbook papers, and more.

All these supplies were tossed in a shoe box that I would grab and spread out across the table every time I went to play in my bullet journal.

Baby formula tins, a shoe box of supplies meet Pinterest, and a glue gun!  A few hours later, with a few glue gun ouch moments, I had created 3 ‘daisy’ storage units!  This is when I got carried away!  I did a store run for some ribbon and bling and more glue sticks and now I had personalized my ‘daisy’ storage compartments. 

I literally took these ‘daisies’ and screwed them to the wall near my working/writing table and sorted my colored pens, pencils, and box of creative stuff and each pedal on the daisy held something different. 

It’s funny to me that here we are 6 years later and this blog topic without a doubt prompted this memory and moment.  To this day it’s still my favorite thing I ever created and crafted. 

I have painted buildings, offices, and rooms and done some creative moments in home repairs and office setups, but this Pinterest Project just felt and still feels so different for me. 

My DIY – Decorating moment.  Funny, almost makes me want to search out friends who have a newborn and see if they have some of these cans lying around – I’d make them again!  This round I’d even use more ‘bling’. 

The post October 2023 appeared first on Led Me to This.