Bethenny Frankel: How She Never Gave Up!

I don't watch much TV. In fact, we don't even have cable in our house and that is very intentional.

I guess that in the process of not watching TV, I missed a social phenomenon: Bethenny Frankel.

I never watched reality shows as it has never been something that fed me spiritually, but I did end up learning about Bethenny Frankel recently when a friend of mine gave me her book: A PLACE of YES. I loved her book and found it very inspiring. Now I know that Bethenny is a very controversial figure and that she might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I have come to learn that she is an incredible business woman and could teach us all about being true to oneself and to keep going.

I highly recommend reading her book: I couldn't put it down and she inspired me — who would have thought?

Here is what I learned from reading Bethenny's book:

• She was always, more or less, honest to herself. This is a woman that owns her quirks, her weaknesses and her strengths. She does not apologize for who she is authentically and because of that, she connects to people. There is something REAL about her. That is what I got from reading her book. 
• She was always willing to work hard. All of the stories about her life show what a hard working woman she is. This is someone willing to work for free and try many jobs even thought she knew she could do "better". Instead of having a vision and sitting on the couch crying about not having gotten it yet, she always went out there and tried new things. Bethenny Frankel is a fighter.
• She always had a vision and business savvy personality. From her first cashmere scarf business, she knew how to take advantage of market opportunities. Even thought her first ventures didn't end up being "IT" - she kept plugging away and doing different things. Despite many disappointments, Bethenny KNEW she had to keep going and to pursue her vision.
• She took the time to lick her wounds, but would then get back on the horse. No matter what happened in her life (and seems like she had many disappointments), she would take the time to reflect and honor the loss. Most people get stuck here and never get out of the valley, but Bethenny always found a way to get up and keep going. 
• She is incredibly resilient. This is where I especially connected with her writing: every time she got knocked down, she got stronger and she had a new perspective on things. I now know that, from my own life, every thing that hurts me is a great lesson and it is entirely up to me to find the gift in it and do something with it. 

Stay tuned for more lessons on how to keep going despite life getting in the way. —JB