The Lifesquire logo says it all: a crown above the “Q”. If you’ve ever wanted to feel like a queen (or at least less like Cinderella before the fairy godmother saved her), then having a personal assistant, a “squire”, may be what your busy life calls for. Today I’ve asked Lifesquire founder Valerie Riley, another fab Oklahoma Cityite, to come up for air in my Mermaid Mojo series, honoring women who live boldly and deep dive for their dreams. If you’re new to my series, I hope you’ll take some time and visit the other lovely mermaids I’ve featured and click “follow” to get the new feature in your inbox each week, all year long. Their strength is also in their vulnerability – real people who have struggled and risen above and keep going back for more. I’ve bolded some Pearls of Wisdom for us to chew on.

ML: Tell us about the moment you made the deep dive for your dream in starting what is now Lifesquire.

VR: It’s not real sexy or inspiring, honestly. I have “activator” as one of my top 5 strengths which means if I have an idea, it’s hard for me to not act on it. I worked solo in Dallas servicing 4-5 clients and quickly realized that wasn’t sustainable. I read the E-Myth and made the choice that if I wanted to grow, I needed to think about hiring. I moved to OKC and created a plan that would lead me to where I am now – after a lot of bumps and bruises along the way for sure! Failure isn’t scary to me. I’m not afraid to make poor decisions as long as I’m at least moving forward. That plays out in good and bad ways, haha!

ML: Congrats on making that leap. Each week I ask our mermaid what brings a smile to her face. 
Gratitude is one of the keys to happiness, I think, and I love to hear what brings people joy. 

VR: I actually write down 3 things each night that I’m grateful for in my day. I believe that gratitude leads to contentment, which for me, is much more meaningful than happiness. Things that make me smile unequivocally: my dogs and cat, my nephews, the sunshine, coming home to my little, cozy house, seeing staff members find themselves at LifeSquire and my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

ML: What’s been the biggest challenge in your life and what did/do you do to overcome fear and deal with adversity?

VR: Most people don’t know this about me, but I am a child abuse survivor. I had a very volatile childhood and wasn’t told that I was loved or that I could “do anything I put my mind to”. I learned very early on that if you want to change anything, you can always change yourself. I focused on what I didn’t like about my family and decided that I could make those changes as an adult. God rescued me out of a very difficult situation just by giving me a heart of tenacity and forgiveness. It’s how I still operate to this day. I believe everyone deserves lots of second chances, lots of grace and lots of kindness. I also believe that if you work hard enough, are honest in your work and treat people well, you will achieve success.

ML: Thank you for sharing that, Valerie. I’d love for every reader to take some time this week and really think about the narrative in their lives. What story are we telling about our life? Is it the one they grew up with? What false beliefs might still be playing? No matter our age, we can assess and create a better life for ourselves. Valerie, you and your company thrive by getting things done – hard work and great service. What are your personal favorite tool(s) for enlightened living (presence, intention, action)?

VR: I start my days with quiet time with God. Ideally I would do this before ever looking at my phone but I’m human and a business owner, so I struggle there a lot. My best days are when I focus on where He is leading me, not where I’m trying to push myself to go.

Wishing you much continued success, Valerie! Mermaids, here’s how you can follow Lifesquire on the net. Simply find “Lifesqure” on these platforms. Links below. 

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Let’s make our intention this week observing what we should focus on and alternatively what we need to let go of. Often our “too busy” lives are a result of unrealistic demands on our time. Seek out those “helpers” in our lives whether that’s things our kids or mate could do or learning to say “no” to things that take our attention away from our priorities. If you live in a market with Lifesquire, talk to them about how they could help get some things off your plate. Finally, I hope you’ll take Valerie’s lead and spend some quiet time each day in stillness and feel you return to self.

To living in the deep,

Malena