Tailor-made safaris and travel to Southern Africa

HITTING YOUR STRIDE

All material on this page is copyright Nan Russell (http://www.nanrussell.com/). More information on the book can be found at: http://www.hittingyourstride.com/

Introduction … Insights to this Book

"The highest reward for man's toils is not what he gets from it, but what he becomes by it." John Ruskin

Zebra and giraffe scattered as the six-seater plane taxied on a dirt tarmac in the Linyanti-Savuti channel region of Botswana's Okavango Delta. Brian, our guide, waited in an open Land Rover under an acacia's shade, eager to show us the wonders of Kings Pool safari camp and animal reserve. It was there we met the cheetah and the leopard.

Many people find it difficult to discern between the two, but Brian taught us a bush way. "Leopards are special animals," he said, pointing to the leopard and her cub, basking in what remained of the sunlight, atop an empty termite mound. "You can tell how special," he continued, "because the leopard was given a protective necklace. Take a look." Sure enough, dark markings giving the appearance of a necklace graced her neck.

"But the cheetah wasn't given such a gift," he continued. "That's why she's crying." The next day when Brian spotted a cheetah and the Land Rover maneuvered us near enough to view her face without binoculars, the black tear marks were apparent.

Experiencing the African bush enlarged my perspective and understanding about life's music. So when Capital Book's suggested a cover design that included a cheetah, it delighted me. Of course, I told publisher, Kathleen Hughes, "Our cheetah's tears are tears of joy because she's hitting her stride."

The cheetah may not have received a necklace, but she got a different gift. When she's hitting her stride she's flying, without feet touching the ground, at speeds unmatched. You can fly, too, when your gifts and talents are offered through your work.

My hope is that this book speeds your journey to finding and hitting your unique stride, enhances your work life, encourages you to live your life's dreams, and, in the words of thirteenth-century philosopher, Rumi, helps you find your wings:

You were born with potential
You were born with goodness and trust.
You were born with ideals and dreams.
You were born with greatness.
You were born with wings.
You are not meant for crawling, so don't.
You have wings.
Learn to use them and fly.

"Some people talk about what they want to achieve but remain wishing and hoping. Others, like Nan Russell, quietly do it, achieving their life's dreams one step at a time. Nan will inspire you to realize your dreams, too." Doug Briggs, former QVC President/CEO

STERLING, VA (January 31, 2008) A recent Gallup Poll showed that 70 percent of those surveyed admit they are unhappy with their careers. Nan Russell aims to change that. She rose from a minimum-wage employee to vice president of $4.4 billion dollar QVC, so she knows what it takes to survive and thrive in this “what have you done lately” world. Her motto: “Opportunity is anywhere and everywhere. While wishing and hoping makes you a dreamer, acting and doing makes you someone who can create your own luck and turn your dreams into reality.”

Nan's eColumns, "Winning at Working" and "In the Scheme of Things" appear regularly on more than eighty websites and ezines, such as womentodaymagazine.com, expertmagazine.com, jobseekernews.com, and careernewz.com, and online newspapers, with estimated readership in excess of five million. She is also the host of a weekly program on webtalkradio.net called: Work Matters with Nan Russell. Nan is president of MountainWorks Communications and lives in Montana. Find out more about Nan and her work at www.nanrussell.com.

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