ESSENCE is defined as “the basic nature of a thing; the quality or qualities that make a thing what it is”.

We may also refer to essence as our authentic self, true nature or spirit, our core values.

I believe our essence evolves as we do, and if we allow it, it becomes truer, richer, more distinctly ‘US’.

Finding myself at the busy intersection of Who Am I Now, Who Was I, and Who Do I Want to Become, I realized my decisions would have two different outcomes.

My choices contribute to me becoming more of me or less of me. 

I alone influence the strength of my essence.

With this revelation, I have a powerful vetting system for actions and relationships.

In this episode, I reveal more about my journey to self-discovery and some of the process and tools I use.

I am happy to share one of my essential Encore tools with you!

Get your free copy of my Personal Currency Evaluation and Unlock Your Vault of Lifetime Accumulated Value.

www.myencore.me <<< easy to remember, tell a friend!

About the Host: Isabel Banerjee - Your Next Business Strategist and Transformation Catalyst

Dynamic, a self-made entrepreneur who overcame obstacles with an unrelenting positive nature, a farm girl work ethic and a conscious choice to thrive rather than survive, Isabel Alexander Banerjee cultivated an award-winning, $10 million+ global chemical wholesale business and grew it from dining room table to international boardrooms.

Isabel’s strengths include the ability to initiate & nurture strategic relationships, a love of lifelong learning and talents for helping others maximize their potential. An inspiring speaker within both industry and community, she is a driving force behind those with the courage to follow her example of thriving against the odds.

With 50+ years of business experience across diverse industries, Isabel is respected as an advisor, a coach, a mentor and a role model. She believes in sharing collective wisdom and empowering others to economic independence.

Founder of the Lift As You Climb Movement (https://www.facebook.com/groups/liftasyouclimbmovement)

Chief Encore Officer, The Encore Catalyst (www.theencorecatalsyt.com) – an accelerator for feminine wisdom, influence, and impact.

Author & Speaker ‘Who Am I Now? – Feminine Wisdom Unmasked Uncensored’ (www.IsabelBanerjee.com)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabelalexanderbanerjee/

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Welcome back!

On today's episode, I'd like to explore one of my theme...

" Es"...the letter E and today, it's Essence...

that's on my mind.

Essence, as in our authentic self.

What are the characteristics, values, behaviors, super-powers, quirks,

unique attributes that make us...

Us?

Because that's, what's been going on.

We've been evolving as women through our lifetime becoming more of us.

Most of the time.

I know, I certainly can think back on times where, I didn't feel like it was

me authentically, but I was obligated to fulfill a role or responsibility,

or carry on in a persona, that I didn't feel was fully truthfully me, but I

did it out of necessity and obligation.

All the women that I know have shared stories of different times

in their lives, where, we were scripted into a part or a role.

We were cast there by someone else or directed by someone else to do a

job, be in a relationship, step into uncomfortable spotlights for a while.

That's who we are as women, we show up.

And we do.

The part about this is that most of our lives, we have been evolving by,

refining and honing our unique essence.

And that...

Today you are more of you than you were yesterday or the day

before or the decade before.

That process continues while we breathe, because after all, if we've

stopped changing and growing, then we are starting to decay and we are

starting to contract in our life.

That's sad.

It doesn't mean that it's always comfortable, or welcome on this

journey through womanhood wonderland.

To be going...

Oh my God...

Who am I now?

Who am I now at this point in my life, in this relationship, in this business,

in this career, in this passion project, that is still unfulfilled for me.

I had a conversation with my girlfriend we talked about how...

yeah...

We were teen moms.

We were single parents.

We grew up in shoes that were too big for us.

And we grew into them.

As entrepreneurs and leaders of our companies and leaders in our communities.

We continue to grow and evolve because that was our essence, that was our nature.

To always want to learn more, expand our capability, have a greater impact.

To be a very positive influence with the people around us, to the

extent that we could every day.

She, and I, and many of my friends have taken that on as a privilege

and a responsibility in our lives to be constantly growing and expanding

so that, we could lift others as we were climbing in our personal

lives and professional lives.

Remember...

We don't have two separate ones.

All of us is one.

That's part of the essence philosophy that I have as well.

How you show up, in your personal life, and how you show up in your professional

life, cannot be two different essences.

There is only one of you.

When you reach an age in your life, or a stage in your evolution where you have

more time to start to think about...

Hmmm...Okay, I did what I had to.

I did what was put in front of me, to provide and to...

not only survive, but to thrive in my life.

Now, I have the opportunity to think a little more about

what I choose to do next.

As wonderful as that privilege is, it's also a little intimidating, because

for much of our lives, we've been going, hell bent for leather, getting

everything done that we had to do.

I know when there is that pause, the opportunity to go...

Okay.

I get to choose.

It can strike a little fear in the hearts of entrepreneurial

women, evolutionary women to go...

Hmm...

Now, I have to consciously choose and I'm responsible, for a 100% of what I decide.

How do you do that?

Well, for me, it was a, it was a journey for sure, after stepping out of, or being

given a little push out of, the identity, the persona, that I had lived for decades.

Selling my business in my late 50s, moving to a new country, starting

a new relationship and realizing...

Oh my Goddess...

I don't know who I am now.

I used to have a very clear picture of who I was.

I had a business card that told me every day that I was the CEO of my company and

that set out my mode of operation for the day, told me what I needed to show

up as, and who people expected me to be.

Suddenly.

I was only answering to myself, about who I expected me to be.

And I found myself in a place of having to break up involuntarily

with that old, comfortable persona, because I've gotten used to her.

I didn't always like her.

Let's be truthful about that.

There were some days...

Wow...

I really didn't like myself, but now I found myself in a new place, where

saying goodbye to who that Isabel was, and creating, being responsible,

for deciding my new role in life, how I was going to show up, and

writing the script for that character.

Creating my next starring role in life, was a journey, and I

didn't have, any expectation that I was going to have to do that.

I didn't think ahead.

I didn't have a plan to say...

The day that you stop living that life...

those habits, that community, those routines, those people in your life...

What are you going to do?

How are you gonna do it?

Who are you going to be?

So...

I know that I am in good company, because there are millions of us baby boomers,

that have worked a lifetime and followed along with the societal script of go to

school, get a job, get married, buy a house, have children, save a little money.

You know, work yourself up the ladder...

or build your business...

With an expectation of that's your retirement nest egg.

And then, I never thought...

What am I going to do with decades more time?...

So that I feel...

valued, and that I have a purpose every day that makes

me want to get out of bed...

and supports me in the decisions that I will make to...

How will I grow?

What will I learn next?

What will be the legacy that I want to live, while I'm here, while I'm present?

To influence it, and to enjoy it, and experience it.

And when I have decided that...

When I have decided...

What is the legacy that I choose to live now and notice, I didn't say

forever, because we are evolving and things change and opportunities

will present as we learn and grow.

When I choose what my legacy is now and how I live it,

how will that impact others?

How will I be able to lift others as I'm climbing as a human woman on this planet?

And how will I empower others to create and live their legacies?

It's a lot to wrap your mind around...

How do you do that?

How do you break up with your old self?

How do you decide who you are next, and how do you choose the actions that support

you every day to be more of yourself?

What are the actions that you have to remove from your behavior in your

lifestyle that are supporting or causing you to be less of who you are now?

That's my thought process right now is...

What am I doing?

What do I choose to do?

That makes me more of who I am, more of me today.

Not the me of yesterday or years or jobs or relationships or personal

growth and confidence of time gone by...

But more of me, as the woman that I am today, recognizing that who I am, is this

accumulation of my life experience, the mistakes that I've made, the wins that

I've had, the learning that I've been open to and the ambition I have to...

Have an impact, to influence others in a positive way to love, and be

willing to let go of the need for reciprocation in love and to be lovable.

It's all part of how we evolve, and become who we are today.

Our true essence, our authentic self.

It's all part of the Encore plan that I created for myself...

And recognizing that each aspect of what I just mentioned, is part

of building out that new character, that next and best role in my life.

So that I feel like I can really stand in the spotlight and shine and feel

like I'm the star of my life that I've created, to be able to give that same

gift of framing it that way to others.

So that's what I'm all about right now.

And I'd love to know what you're all about, and what you are learning about

this true essence of you now, and...

Were there any surprises?

Did you realize that you needed to break up with some of your old paradigms about

yourself, to allow yourself the freedom to really grow today and into the future?

One of the ways that I have been able to work through this process is.

The opportunity to look at my life as an accumulation of lifetime value, tacit

knowledge, strengths, skills, lessons, that I learned from the things not to do.

All of that adds up to me into like a tremendous treasure

vault of who I am going forward.

The things that I did well, the experiences I've had, the travel that

I've done, the skills that I acquired, all of that is the foundation, a very rich

foundation for the future that I choose.

Living my legacy and being more of me.

I'd like to share that with you.

I have a Free PDF that you can download.

I call it Unlocking Your Vault...

Because you do...

You have a vault of accumulated lifetime value.

I'd like to share with you today.

One of the tools that I created in my Encore process, it's a very important one.

It's one that I use at the beginning of this whole...

creating my new script.

I call it unlocking the vault, because each of us has through

our lifetime accumulated this vast treasure trove of lifetime value.

Value that we've accumulated ourself and curated in terms of our experience, our

education, our skills, our strengths.

Everything that we've learned about ourselves, that we are

best at, and want to do more of.

Even the things that we have learned, we don't like...

Those were mistakes.

We don't want to repeat that.

Or that was, then this is now.

It is all part of personal currency that is unique to you.

It's really a marvel about the treasure that you have accumulated as you.

Your authentic you, throughout your life.

In the show notes, I'll give you a place to sign up, to get a free

PDF worksheet and guide to help you work through that process.

I'd love to know if you got any surprises about the incredible treasure you are.

So for now, You have a great day!

Great life!

Live your legacy.

I look forward to the impact that you create.