I have been asked to facilitate a woman's circle in Dallas and in LA so that success-oriented woman can come together to provide support and strategies to help each other. I am excited about the opportunity to be a part of something so incredibly powerful. In preparation, I decided to share some of the strategies outlined in my book "Journey to the Top." These are success principles that I have learned over my 20 plus years as an attorney, business owner, non-profit leader and now in my new role as author and TV lawyer. I am always pleased when I get reports that someone used one of the strategies and indeed had success. I will also be posting shorter versions on my Face Book page as so many women are online talking about how to improve their lives and to make a difference in the lives of others.

So here we go--Strategy No. One--Find Out What You are Made Of--this may seem like a no brainer. But before you can begin any serious endeavors, you must know your own strengths and weaknesses. This sometimes involve painful analysis of one's self that most of us would rather avoid. However, imagine if the President had not done some serious soul searching before throwing his hat into the race two years ago. If he wasn't absolutely and positively should that he had the stomach for the criticism, the high level of scrutiny, the grueling travel schedule, the time away from family and the shear rigors of a presidential campaign--he clearly would have lost the election. Quite simply, there are no short cuts and no way around doing some soul searching if you are serious about achieving anything new and different in your life. So start today--enlist some trusted friends and family members. Ask them to help you make an assessment. Write a list of your strengths and on the other side of the paper--list your weaknesses. This little simple exercise should tell you a lot about yourself and what your future prospects. Take your time, dont be afriad to laugh and to cry--and by all means, be brutally honest with yourself--after all, this is your journey to the top.