Here I sit today enjoying the beauty of my son's Scottsdale home, about to celebrate my daughter's Bridal shower to be held here this weekend.

Experience has shown me that what keeps us on the road to greatness, personally and professionally, is to have a set of core tenets that guide us when the going gets rough. Over the years I have crafted a set of quintessential principles that have become the Rules of the Road to greatness for my clients, associates and my readers. You will see them exemplified in people like Coretta Scott King and Betty Friedan.

With the passing of time, the edges of long ago memories soften and blur. But thanks to the visionary genius of two women of greatness, Coretta Scott King and Betty Friedan, I am the woman I am today, and my kids are the incredible adults they are with the world totally open to them... no glass ceiling in sight!

This month Coretta and Betty passed away, leaving a void that has released memories of the years of my own personal emancipation. I wasn't a "bra burner", but I was a vanguard of sorts, being the first woman in my neighborhood to strike out on my own. I started my own successful business, while still a young mom of two.

With the fervent call for emancipation and equality on all fronts, consciousness raising catapulted me out of what was so familiar -- an abusive husband and destructive marriage into a world which was my oyster.:)

The movements initiated and fostered by these two great women allowed the hidden sacred feminine to be released in us all, men and women alike. Two current favorite developmental movements, Emotional Intelligence and Spiritual Intelligence, were offsprings of the peace and social justice movements of the 60's & 70's, heirs to Correta and Betty.

Each month's issue of this Gazette is focused on one of these principles of greatness. This month's issue highlights what I have learned is key to staying ahead of the curve: We must know ourselves, and recalibrate often.

We'll miss you, Betty... Coretta.

Everyone wants long term success. But it is elusive for most.

Ford Motor Co. is a perfect example of an icon teetering. Perhaps if Aaron Brown, ex-CNN anchor, had been recalibrating all along he might still be King of News!

Long term success is dependent on knowing where you are now and where you are headed. Then, closing the gap. Frequently. Continuously. Whether it's your business, your career or your life at home, it's easy to get off track, lose touch, spin out or get buried under. Without a true sense of where you are in the moment, it is impossible to realize your dreams or be a leader in your field.

Read complete feature: Future Cast Your Long-Term Success

Use this assessment like a compass, so you can keep yourself, your career and your firm on target, while your vision unfolds.

Grab a pen and paper. Be sure to find a quiet spot and give yourself the private time to reflect. Write down your answers so you can get a true snapshot of where you are and where you are headed. Then you can close the gap and go with what works!

When you started your career, or your company, no doubt you had a vision of what you wanted to accomplish and how you wanted to live your life. Do you remember what that was? Are you close to realizing that vision? Does it still juice you? The best way to find out is to always recalibrate.

Send your comments, thoughts and questions to Karen!

Wishing you a gentle winter!