As you know my posts have been absent for the last two weeks (I did give fair warning.) For 12 of the last 15 days I have been on a 1600 mile road trip with my mom and youngest daughter. We visited the gorgeous mountains of western North Carolina, drove through the rolling hills of Tennessee, enjoyed both sides of the great state of Virginia, visited the harbor in Baltimore and ended up on the beach in Virginia Beach.
Throughout the trip we stopped and visited with friends and family … some I had not seen since I was a child - over 30 years ago. What a joy it was to spend time with them again.
One thought repeatedly rand through my mind while I was on this trip, “Wow, this is amazing!” Whether I was standing at the top of a 2280 foot mountain in the Blue Ridge Parkway, at the bottom of a 404 foot waterfall, or sitting on the beach looking out into the Atlantic Ocean I was mesmerized by the beauty of creation. And even though my eyes saw my surroundings I could not fully comprehend the beauty. The more I tired to take it in, the more I realized I just couldn’t digest it all. Thinking of just one color … there are hundreds, if not thousands, of shades and hues of green.
The night before we left for home, I was sitting on the beach watching both kids and adults play in the ocean as the waves rolled onto shore. In the distance I could see a few boats and cruise ships pass by. All the while I was thinking that for as much as I see above the water, there is another world below it as well. A world full of colors and animals I’ve rarely seen.
As I was trying to wrap my mind around this bounty of life, I realized that I am but a minuscule part of creation. In light of the universe I am but a grain of sand. And the “issues” that I deal with are virtually non-existent by comparison. I realized just how small I really am.
And yet, as tiny as I seem I know that nothing matters more to the Creator of this amazing universe than I do. I am not dwarfed by creation in the eyes of God. He sees me, He knows me (warts and all), He loves me, and He is overjoyed by the thought of me. And with everything that happens each second of each day, God is not distracted from me.
The same is true of you. Despite the enormity of creation, God knows the number of every hair on your head. He knows every thought that passes through your mind and every emotion you feel. And amazingly, his love for you never waivers. He loves you with a love that is deeper than the oceans and higher than the tallest mountain.
Choose a Better Life by choosing to embrace your standing in this universe and in the eyes of the Creator. Nothing is more important to God than you are.
About this time tomorrow my mom will be flying in from California (I’m in NC) for a two-week visit. Monday morning she, my youngest daughter and I will be embarking on a 12-day, 1200 mile road trip. Yes, gas prices are high and yes, we’ll have to make compensations for that, but I am expecting the two-weeks to be wonderful.
We will be seeing friends and family, some of which I’ve not seen since I was 8 years old, but we will also be taking things as they come. We have destinations planned and some idea of what we’d like to do at a few of the locations, but beyond that we are just ready for an adventure.
During our trip, I may not have the opportunity to post, but know that I will post the Tuesday after I return, Tuesday, July 1st. In the meantime, Choose a Better Life by choosing to enjoy what comes your way without worrying about all the details.
As Zig Ziglar says in Life Lifters, “Spend time with those you love. One of these days you will either say, “I wish I had,” or “I’m glad I did.”
I find it interesting that when life is the most hectic we tend to cut out the things that are the most beneficial to ourselves – time alone, time to exercise, quality time with our families, time out with friends. Unfortunately, these things tend to fall into the “not mandatory for survival” category.
Yes, it is true that we can survive life without the richness of time spent with friends or family. We can survive without exercise. And we can survive without time alone. But, surviving isn’t living. Living is what makes life enjoyable. It is what makes life fun and eventful. And, living should be our goal.
I have been reminded of this over the past few weeks. I am in the process of re-branding my business – new company name, new logo, new website, new messaging, just about everything is new. Although this process is very exciting it is a lot of work, more than I expected honestly.
And because I have set a deadline for this Friday, June 13th, to have the majority of my messaging redefined and my website content rewritten (I am going to be unavailable for two weeks starting the 14th) I have been feeling the pressure of not enough hours in my day. As this pressure has been building I have been forced to cut some things from my schedule. Unfortunately, I had been cutting the wrong things.
The first thing to go was my morning quiet time. This is time I take to pray, journal, bless those who are brought to mind and just rest in the “peace that surpasses all understanding.”
The second thing I cut was some one-on-one time with my daughter. She is on summer break now and she would love to spend days on end with me. Although I treasure my time with her and recognize it will not last forever, I have been saying no to time with her in lieu of “focused work time.”
But, interestingly, because I have cut two of the most precious things in my life, my “focused work time” had not been very focused. I’ve been struggling to get my thoughts together and have not been nearly as productive as I need to be. So, the pressure continues to build.
Finally, it dawned on me … in order to be productive during the work-day, I need to nurture my personal life - my mind, my spirit and my soul.
So, several days ago I decided that no matter how jammed my day was, I would start each and every day with my quiet time; time to get myself focused on the really important things in life. Then I decided that I would let my daughter pick one weekday, any day before the 14th that would be spent with just her and me. No calls. No email. No work.
And amazingly, but not surprisingly, the pressure has begun to release. I still have the impending deadline and I still have a lot of work to get done, but my mind is renewed. I am refreshed and refocused. I do not have more hours in my days, but my days are much more productive because I work much more effectively.
Choose a Better Life by choosing to keep time to nurture yourself in your schedule. Choose to live life instead of just surviving it.
I recently received a publication from my health insurance company. In this mini-magazine was an article on how to fight stress. Since stress is a part of each of our lives I thought I’d share their tips (and my clarifications) with you:
Make time to prioritize – Are your actions in line with your goals? If not, revisit your goals and determine what it is you really want to accomplish.
Group together similar activities – Pay bills, return calls, run errands, etc at the same time.
Avoid distractions with no value – If you find yourself being distracted from your priorities ask yourself if you really want to take the detour. If the answer is yes, enjoy the distraction. If no, get back on track.
Organize at home – I’ve blogged on this several times. Get rid of the extra clutter in your home and your office space.
Learn to say no – This is another topic I’ve blogged on several times. It is okay to say, “No” to activities and responsibilities. In fact, it is healthy to know your boundaries and defend them. Do not feel guilty saying no to things that encroach upon the priorities you have set.
Say yes to “you” time – As I’ve shared before, try to make time for yourself on a weekly, quarterly and yearly basis. Weekly, take advantage of a cancelled meeting by just doing something fun, or schedule a meeting with just yourself. Quarterly, plan an overnight getaway for just you. Yearly, take time to have a personal retreat; several days where you go away by yourself to clear your mind, rest and restore your spirit.
Maintain a positive attitude – Of all the tips this is the most important. Your quality of life stems from your attitude. Choose to focus on the blessings and enjoy them with gratitude.
Choose a Better Life by choosing to take steps to reduce the stress in your life. You will be better for yourself and your loved ones.
In the first chapter of Life Lifters, Zig Ziglar defines Attitudosis as, “a condition brought on by your neglect of others and their needs and by your extreme focus on and excessive attention to the most minuscule aches, pains, and inconveniences in your life.”
I think at one time or another we have all suffered from Attitudosis. The question we must ask ourselves is whether or not we allow Attitudosis to become a chronic illness in our lives. If the answer is yes, we must take immediate steps to rectify the situation.
Attitudosis not only isolates us, but it makes us bitter, grumpy and boring. And this has a direct impact on our quality of life.
Take a few moments and seriously examine what consumes most of your thoughts. Are you focused on the “minuscule aches, pains, and inconveniences in your life” or are you focusing on others’ needs and the beauty and blessings you’ve been given?
Choose a Better Life by choosing to rid yourself of Attitudosis.
One of the challenges of living in North Carolina is that my allergies can be out of control causing all sorts of havoc in my life. Yesterday was one of those days so I apologize for not posting.
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As I was getting caught up on my magazine reading (we have several subscriptions that come to our home) I noticed an ad that I’ve seen several times before, as I’m sure have you. It is a magazine ad that features a celebrity. The celebrity fills in the blank in the following sentence: “I love my ________ life.”
The reason this particular ad caught my attention was because the celebrity filled in the blank with “complicated.” “How sad,” I thought. I didn’t find it sad that her life was complicated, almost everyone’s is, but because of all the adjectives she could have chosen to describe her life, she chose “complicated.”
This made me wonder what adjective I would choose to describe my life. A plethora ran though my mind, but the first was the one I decided was most accurate … blessed. I love my blessed life!
How would you fill in the blank? Why did you pick that particular word? If your adjective is not positive, what can you do to change it?
My life is not blessed because everything is perfect or without issues – everyone who knows me knows that is not the case. But, my life is blessed because I choose to focus on the good. I choose to look for the God-sightings and I choose to bless instead of curse. As a direct result, I am blessed in return.
Choose a Better Life by choosing to fill in the blank with a positive adjective. Only you hold the power to choose.
This week I have attended two major networking events. The first, Tuesday evening, was hosted by my husband and me. This is our LinkedIn Live event held every other month. At the moment we are averaging 250 attendees. The second, Thursday evening, was a slightly bigger event hosted by a local tech journal.
As I was talking with people both evenings it struck me that many people don’t like networking because they don’t know how to do it … I used to be one of those people. I used to think networking was all about forcing someone to listen to your message while acting nice by bringing up small talk. Oh how I hated these events.
However, now I understand that networking is really all about building relationships, or at least it should be. No longer do I set out to deplete my business card stack as quickly as possible. Instead, I look to meet people who I can help in some way. Many times that is as simple as introducing two people who I think would make a good connection.
One of these introductions occurred this week as a result of our Tuesday networking event. I met a woman who had been recently laid off from her technology job. As it turns out, a friend of mine is a recruiter in the technology industry. So, via email, I made a virtual introduction. Whatever happens next is up to them, but I’m sure it will be a mutually beneficial connection.
Here are a few networking tips to make your next event a good one:
▪ Always be prepared with business cards, but don’t force them on people. Let this exchange come naturally.
▪ Practice your introduction before you arrive. You definitely want to be able to articulate what you do when you are asked.
▪ If someone seems uninterested in what you do, don’t take it personally. It just may not be a good time for that connection.
▪ Always stay positive. Regardless of your situation (you may be out of work), don’t let the conversation turn negative. No one wants to be around someone who is negative.
▪ Focus on the other individual. A natural way to start a conversation is to ask about the other person. Find out what he does for a living and/or what he is looking for. Truly be interested in, and listen to, what he is saying.
And finally, and probably most importantly …
▪ Find out if there is some way you can be of assistance to the person you have just met. Can you introduce him to another connection? Do you have information that will benefit his career? At our Tuesday event, a friend put “How may I help you?” under his name on his nametag. Not only was that a great conversation starter, but it allowed him to focus on meeting others’ needs. And in return he made some great connections.
By the way, these tips not only work for business networking events, but also for social events.
Choose a Better Life by choosing to get out and meet people. Don’t be afraid of networking events. After all, the others who are there are probably just as intimidated as you are.
As you know, my husband and I live a “Pay it Forward” lifestyle. We firmly believe that we have been placed on this Earth to, among other things, bless others. So we look for ways – some small, some large – to help.
Unfortunately, many of us feel as if we are too small to make a positive impact. “I am just one person, what can I do?” Honestly, one person can change the world. Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King Jr. are just two examples, albeit well-known examples, of this fact.
“But, I am not Mother Teresa, I don’t have her compassion. And I certainly don’t have Martin Luther King Jr.’s charisma.” Maybe not, but you do have your unique gifts and talents… gifts and talents that, with some creativity can be put to use to make a difference in your environment.
Along those lines, I recently read a blog post (read the entire post here http://www.blogwinder.net/?p=43#comment-10 ) that illustrates how little it would actually take for us to make an everlasting impact on this world and some of its “bigger problems.” This post stated that if just 4% of the world’s population donated just $1 a week we would have a NET of $ 11,094,720,000.00 [Just over 11 BILLION DOLLARS] every year at our disposal.
That $11 billion could be used to provide health care for the poorest families. It could be used to end world hunger. It could provide quality education for the millions of children who never set foot in a school. It could provide safe housing for the world’s homeless. The possibilities are exciting and endless.
However, you don’t have to tackle the world’s biggest issues to make an impact. You can begin by simply meeting the need of a neighbor. Either way, Choose a Better Life by choosing to see beyond yourself and make a difference.
Having spent most of my life in Southern California, tornado warnings are not something I am accustomed to and definitely not something I am fond of. So this morning (a few hours before my alarm clock went off, thanks to my dogs) when I found out my county was listed as one of those under a tornado warning, peace was not the first thing that flooded my body.
After putting my 100 pound Golden Retriever, Murphy, in my daughter’s bed (that is where he sleeps when we have storms – it provides comfort for both of them) I went back to my own bed and tried to go to sleep. Since my husband is out of town I had no where to direct my many tornado questions.
I remembered a friend and former weather man saying that right before tornadoes hit everything gets calm. So, I figured that as long as it was raining hard I was in good shape.
Just as I started to fall asleep the rain stopped. My mind immediately went to what I should do next. Do, I wake my daughter up and do we go downstairs into the laundry room? Will we fit in there with the dogs? How long will we have to stay in there? How will I know if a tornado is coming or not? Will my Blackberry still work? Will I be able to get an updated weather report on it? Should I take food in there with us? What about water? What about my computer? If a tornado hits our house and takes my computer all my work is gone. Will I have enough time to unplug it and get it downstairs?
At this point I remembered that animals have a great sixth sense about them. They always know when something like this is going to happen. So, I decided I’d just go to sleep and trust that if a tornado is coming my dogs will wake me up.
Then it hit me, my dogs aren’t even in my room. They are hiding in my daughter’s room!
“Ok God, you’ll have to come up with some other way to let me know what I should do.” Just as I finished saying that I heard the most amazing sound. I’ve heard this before so I knew exactly what it was. It was a chorus of birds singing in the trees outside my home. I knew that if the birds were singing and not taking cover everything must be okay. They are smart animals. They live outside and they’d know when it was safe. I can trust them.
So, to the melody of a beautiful choir I rested in my bed and fell fast asleep … until the alarm clock went off.
I was hoping to have more information to share with you today, but I will have to post the details at a later time.
However, I will be taping an interview for the America at Work segment. The show broadcasts on VoiceAmerica Business Network on Thursday Noon (EST) and 9:00 am (PST). My segment (Actually, my husband is doing the first half of the show, I’m doing the second) will be broadcast this Thursday, May 8th.
For more information on America at Work visit the site http://debrastamp.com/americaatwork.html
I look forward to hearing your feedback.