Live the life of your dreams, local author tells Women of Worth

Madison area author Janet Tyler Johnson by Pamela Gates As a feature of her Women of Worth (WOW) series, Lilada Gee invited local author Janet Tyler Johnson to offer "A Night of Inspiration" to a group of women at Ancora Coffee in Fitchburg. It was yet another cold, snowy night, and the roads were slippery, so those who came had to be pretty determined — which was a good thing, because Women of Worth is all about challenging women to make changes in their lives. As Gee says, "We are about inspiring women to change their lives in meaningful ways, by changing their thoughts, beliefs, and actions." Tyler Johnson, a nationally recognized financial professional who has been quoted in many journals, is the author of "Finding Financial Fulfillment: For a life filled with money and meaning." She has been doing life and career coaching for 25 years, helping people find financial success through the art of lifelong learning. Tyler Johnson began her presentation by asking her audience, "If you could change three things about your life, what would they be?" Responses ranged from losing weight to writing a book to establishing a foundation to support children's causes.  "Most of what gets in our way is us," Tyler Johnson continued. "We've gotten these [negative] messages from others, but we can learn ways to tune out the negative and incorporate the positive." "I've been on my own [self-employed] for two and a half years now," Tyler Johnson continued. "I've accomplished a lot. I had to get clear about what I wanted: What did I really want my life to look like? "I've become more creative and more successful: Most of the time, I come from the heart, not from the head. "We all have gifts that no one else can bring, but it's easy to overlook them," Tyler Johnson said. She recommended asking others what they like about you, to help you get a clearer picture of what those gifts are. "A key is clarity," she said. "Life gets so easy and so wonderful. … I didn't make a business plan [when I started my own business] because I didn't want to be boxed in. I have a passion for what I do, and a willingness to learn from others. "We have the ability to change the way our brains function," Tyler Johnson continued. "It is important to get to the bottom of the question: 'Why am I not in love with myself?' A downward spiral can be corrected. "One of the things that transformed my life,” Tyler Johnson said, “was giving to others, either money or time. We create abundance by being abundant already." In her book, which was published in 2006 by Madison’s Goblin Fern Press, Tyler Johnson has set down her philosophy for living a satisfying life. In this book, she answers such questions as:   "What is financial fulfillment? "What gets in your way of achieving the life of your dreams?" "How can you find more time to do the things you love?" "How do you build a solid financial foundation?" "How can you create your Ideal Life?" "Does your spending support your Ideal Life?" With 24 years in the financial services industry, Tyler Johnson certainly has the knowledge to offer advice. Her book is practical and conversational, easy to read, and includes a chapter on teaching our children about financial fulfillment. She also has the experience to coach people on creating the life they want: She left the corporate world, opened her own business, and is living the life of her dreams, she says, near Blanchardville, Wis. It's important to learn self-validation, Tyler Johnson told the group gathered at Ancora. When we start focusing on our abundance, more abundance will come. Fear can get its grip on us; we have to learn to let go (of fear — or whatever else is holding us back). Work hard, she said, to get your own mind to be quiet, so that you can hear the voice of inspiration. "A successful life happens one step at a time," she said. "Is it important not to be afraid to make mistakes?" Lilada Gee asked. "You learn from failures," Tyler Johnson responded. "Stop beating yourself up. Whatever it was, it was a great learning experience — even the really awful stuff. … You have to have faith that something good will come out of whatever has happened. "You can decide to be bothered by something — or not. … Don't give the negativity any more energy." How we view the world is critical, she said: "We can come from a place of love -— or from a place of fear. If we are bothered by others, it means we have some emotional wound that hasn't healed yet. … We live like we have forever," she added, by way of encouraging people to take steps NOW to move toward the life of their dreams. "We lose a lot of opportunities by dwelling on our fears," audience member Verline Gee-Fleming commented. "Life gets simpler if you focus on the truths," she said, mentioning specifically " forgiveness and compassion." "I find it very encouraging that the human spirit can be healed," Lilada Gee offered by way of conclusion. We are resilient!" she said. Women of Worth Lilada Gee, a pastor at Fountain of Life, has based her multifaceted Women of Worth (WOW) program, which she initiated about a year ago, on that very resilience of the human spirit. Her next event, another Night of Inspiration, will be held Friday, March 28, at Ancora in Fitchburg; speaker to be announced. Gee also wanted to mention a fundraiser for WOW, which is a nonprofit organization: Liberty Mutual Group, 2908 Marketplace Drive, Fitchburg, will donate $10 to WOW for every free, no-obligation quote on auto or other insurance or financial services. Request your free, no-obligation quote by contacting sales representative Rebecca Hill at (608) 422-9191 ext. 56640 or www.libertymutual.com/lm/rebeccahill. Gee also noted that Tyler Johnson, carrying out her own advice to give of oneself, has donated 30 copies of her book to the Odyssey Project, a free University of Wisconsin-Madison humanities class for people who can't afford college. Her gift, like the Odyssey Project itself, is an inspiration to its participants, helping themto move forward in their lives. “Finding Financial Fulfillment” can be ordered from                www.janettylerjohnson.com. ($19.95).