Drama will destroy your business, your life and you.
Surround yourself with positive energy, positive people,
positive words and you will go far!
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When life get's you down ---> RUN from the DRAMA!
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Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Garden of Life #7

While I was growing up, my "Garden of Life” included a best friend who was always there for me. Elementary school was not the most enjoyable time of my life, especially when I was in the fifth and sixth grades. I was the one the kids always picked on or bullied mercilessly. I remember nights when I’d lie in bed with tears in my eyes, hands clenched in fists, wishing that I “fit in,” that I “belonged.” I kept wishing, but it wasn’t meant to be. There were days when I’d tell my Mom that I wasn’t feeling well in hopes she’d let me stay home. She was a pretty savvy Mom and she would take my temperature, look me up and down and say, “No temperature, dear. If I can go to work when I’m not feeling quite up to par, then you can go to school when you’re not.” I knew she loved me but I sure didn’t love school.

No matter what happened during my school day, though, my best friend always made me feel better. He offered a shoulder to cry on and unlimited love and support. I would sit down with him and tell him all my “trials and tribulations” and he would quietly listen while I worked all that frustration out of my system. I remember a girl named Rebecca who was a new student and befriended me for a little while but then abandoned me to go hang out with the other girls. My best friend never did that; his loyalty was endless. It made me feel better to know that, in his eyes, I was ok just the way I was and that I was actually someone he looked up to. Because of the way he made me feel about myself, I felt the same way about him.

By the way, my best friend’s name was Thunder and he was a beautiful black German Shepherd dog with silver and tawny markings. We loved each other unconditionally for the 10 years I was blessed to have him in my life.

Have YOU appreciated and loved your “pet(s)” today?

Until next time. . . remember the roses.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Turn it UP!

Greetings to you on this mildly warm Monday morning! As your ready yourself for a kickoff, I do hope you had a wonderful weekend with friends, family and yourself. Time is ticking and we are in April. Geesh…and it’s not slowing down. So, today, let’s catch up and turn it up. The “it” of which I am referring to, is our internal voice.
Monday is here and it is truly easy and almost without any effort to fire off our “to-do” list, book meetings, read emails, and schedule other appointments. Pretty soon, you feel the pressure mounting in your shoulders or your mind. STOP! It is now time to include you on your list and listening to your still small voice that is urging you to recognize the voice and realign to hear the voice throughout your day of lists.
  • Recognize the voice – often times when we ignore the voice and do what is contrary to what we “know” to be the right choice. As a result, we now feel guilty, stressed, or tense. To avoid this negative feeling, take a moment to just recognize that small voice by being still for a moment. Even if it’s just five minutes, give yourself permission to honor your internal voice. It will bring you a sense of peace and guidance. Take a deep breath, say an affirmation or prayer, or just sit with silence to truly just “be”. Recognize the voice today in your busyness of life and work to truly connect with what matters and it will in turn allow you to approach your “lists” in a different manner.
  • Realign to hear the voice – As you review your lists of “to-do’s”, take a moment and include this realignment on your coveted “to-do” list. Example: 1) Schedule meeting with boss, 2) write white-paper on eco-friendly office furniture, 3) return emails from my vacation, 4) order lunch for board meeting, 5) schedule site visit for conference, 6) talk to HR about staffing issue…you get the picture. Example of realigned list: 1) Schedule meeting with boss, 2) write white-paper on eco-friendly office furniture, 3) Realign to hear the voice, 4) return emails from my vacation,5) order lunch for board meeting , 6) Realign to hear the voice, 7) schedule site visit for conference, 8) talk to HR about staffing issue, 9) Realign to hear the voice…etc.  By inserting or scheduling in time to ‘realign to hear the voice’, it reminds you to do so. When we fail to realign, we run the risk of being burned out and running in circles without perhaps accomplishing all that we set out to accomplish.  For better performance, today include yourself on your list that will bring a peace of mind and less stress. 


Here’s wishing you a Monday filled with intentional peace and alignment for all you set out to accomplish!
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