Sticky Notes of Kindness

I just love a fun challenge.  My new blogger friend, Ashley over at The Shine Project challenged her readers to place random sticky notes of kindness around this week.  What a great idea!  When we were little kids my mom used to write happy notes on napkins and put them in our lunchboxes and whenever we were sick she would draw a smiley face on a napkin and say "Feel Better Soon!"  I remember how much I loved those surprise notes.  I do that for my kids too and the funny thing is, they do it for me whenever they surprise me with breakfast.

So, I know what a nice feeling it is when someone does something so simple.  It brightens your day and whether you realize it or not, you carry that happy feeling with you all day long.  That being said, I tried to spread a little happy this week by posting these little notes:

I surprised my hubby by buying his coffee and leaving it in his car before work.

I posted this on the tree in my neighbor's yard the day before she left for college.

I'm going to carry post-its from now on and randomly post sticky notes of happiness as I see fit!

Spread some happy,

Let's Get "Quote"ivated

I don't know about you friends, but I love a good motivational quote.  I mean seriously I search for them like it's my job.  I honestly try to pick one quote every morning to start my day with.  I stumbled upon today's quote last night while I was being busy on the computer and it was very fitting for me {at this particular point in time}.

You see, I am on my way to achieving something great with a company that I am absolutely smitten with.  I've been in sales for many years and I've always liked my job(s) and I've always been very good at them.  However, I never really knew how good I could be until I started selling for Thirty-One Gifts in my spare time.  I am motivated by Celebrating, Encouraging and Rewarding others.  I'm driven, not by money, but by inspiration.  My enthusiasm is contagious and I want to share it with everyone.  That's been the key to my success in such a short time because I truly believe that "nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."

Do you have a favorite quote that motivates you?  If so, do tell and go here to see some of my all time favs.

Be Enthusiastic,

This is Your Life.

What more is there to say?

Live your dream,

Change4Change

I stumbled across a new fabulous blog and I have to share...it's the The Shine Project by the beautiful Ashley LeMieux.  Ashley is "an optimistic writer that knows we all have the power to shine!"  She's trying to see "how many lives we can change and good we can accomplish together."

I am so glad I found her blog, she is such an inspiration.  Ashley is doing a big campaign right now called Change4Change, which I am participating in.  She is trying to get 100 people to pledge to raise 100 dollars by October, so she can help some inner city high school students in Phoenix, AZ go to college next year.

I want to help Ashley make the WORLD SHINE, by paying it foward.  Please watch this short video to see the impact The Shine Project can have on lives.

Pay it forward,

No Such Thing as Perfect

I have a very wise friend who reminds me over and over again that "there is no such thing as perfect."  Why does she do that?  Because I (like many others) put so much pressure on myself to do everything right and to fit the mold of the "perfect" daughter, wife, mother, friend, employee (you get the picture).  But by whose definition??

Merriam-Webster defines Perfect as being totally without fault or defect: FLAWLESS.  Seriously, friends, who do you know that actually fits that bill?  Totally without fault or flawless?  I'm pretty certain the answer is no one.  I have to constantly remind myself of this when I look at the lives of my "seemingly perfect" friends or of people I admire.  Everyone has their faults, or as I like to refer to them as imperfections.  That's OK because that's what make us who we are.

Putting pressure on myself to be like someone else who I view as "being perfect" or as "having the perfect life" is ...well, it's exhausting.  It's makes me tired and it short changes all of the wonderful things that I have going on in my life.  My life is far from perfect, but it is fun and happy and my family is healthy.  Isn't that what it's all about?  I believe the answer is yes!

So the next time you are feeling less than perfect, focus on what is good in your life and count your blessings.

Be who you are,

Crazy Train

I woke up at 4:00 a.m. today with the chorus to Crazy Train racing through my head faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive.  "I'm going off the rails on a crazy train, I'm going off the rails on a crazy train."  Why?  That's a great question.  I'm guessing it's because I'm going off the rails on crazy train.  Too many things, not enough time.

I don't pretend to be superwomen, I just have a tendency to follow my passion and take on too much responsibility.  I introduced my blog to my friends on Facebook yesterday and got lots of great feedback.  Some very sweet comments that I very much appreciated.  There were two comments that resonated with me. 1) "Your time management skills must be over the top" and 2) "Do you stay up 24/7 doing all this?" 

So it got me thinking...as women and as moms so many of us tend to spread ourselves too thin. I do do do until I physically can't do anymore.  That's not the right way to do things, I know, but it works for me OR does it?  I'm pretty sure it doesn't.  I love all the things I do; being a wife, a mom, a hard worker, a blogger, etc.  All these things don't make me Superwoman or anymore special than you.  They make me, well "me."  I think that balance is the key ~ I'm trying to find that balance.

 

"Women need real moments of solitude and self-reflection to balance out how much of ourselves we give away."  - Barbara DeAngelis

 Stay balanced,

Mental Health Break

We've all heard of taking an hour a day to exercise or to read, and these certainly have their benefits. But what about taking an hour a day to do absolutely nothing? That’s right. Nothing.  No productivity, no entertainment, and no problem-solving whatsoever. Forget about time management. Doing nothing is actually a pretty important habit to create in your life.

But in this case, do as I say and not as I do.  You see, I have a very difficult time shutting down.  I am always busy working, planning, running around, taking care of everyone, that I never take time out to do nothing.  I always have this nagging feeling of guilt when I stop and take a "mental health break".  I feel like something is not going to get done, someone's not going to be happy, and that there's something I should be doing.

I know I am not alone.  It seems like everyone always  has to be doing something. It’s like we have lost our ability to relax. The get-it-done mindset means your brain is constantly working around the clock to achieve. I know, personally I look at doing nothing as a huge waste of time. That’s why I have to consciously give myself permission to do nothing. When you clear you mind and simply exist, you’re giving your mind a chance to relax. It’s a great feeling.

Of course, doing and accomplishing isn’t bad. But when you focus exclusively on doing and getting things, you lose sight of the beauty of life.

Taking time out for you, makes a better you.

Hope you had a relaxing weekend,

Why Justin Beiber is More Successful than You

I came across this post by Mark Henson, Chief Imagination Officer of Sparkspce http://www.sparknewthinking.com/ HAD to share it.  I'm sharing it for two reasons; 1) I can totally relate to it because I took my daughter to see the movie on opening night and  we both walked away impressed and inspired AND 2) because I bought the DVD the day it was released and watched it with my husband (a succesful business owner) and my son (a very entertaining first grader) to inspire them both!   

"This week I wanted to share something with you that is short, yet very powerful.

His name is Justin Bieber. Perhaps you've heard of him.

Friday night, I kidnapped my daughter (a.k.a. "Justin's Future Fiance") and took her to see Never Say Never, the documentary about this pop star's rocket ride to fame.

As my daughter sat forward in her seat, completely mesmerized by this boy wonder and his music, I sat back, fascinated by the amazing business and success lessons I was learning. Yeah, I know, I was quite surprised, too. I thought I was going to sneak in one of those luxurious dad naps.

Here are the highlights:

1. There's no such thing as an overnight success. True, he went from complete obscurity to selling out the legendary Madison Square Garden in just two short years, BUT the kid has been playing music and performing for a decade or more. Do a YouTube search if you don't believe me and see how young he is in some of his "pre-fame" performances. He's been working toward this for a long time.
2. Do what you love to do & get really good at it. It is so obvious that Justin loves singing, playing music, and performing. He's not pretending to be a rock star like many of those Mousketeer-turned-pop-star wannabes. He IS a rock star. He really can sing. He really can play. He really can dance. He's the real deal. No auto-tune crap. Just talent, passion, and hard work.
3. Surround yourself with extremely talented and passionate people who believe in you and care for you. Are Justin's manager, vocal coach, bodyguard, tutor, musical director, stylist, band, and backup singers/dancers getting a decent paycheck? Probably. But they all took a risk on this unknown kid because they truly like him and they want him to succeed. 
4. Be likeable. This may be Justin's most amazing talent. He's nice. He's polite. He's friendly. He treats people well. He says thank you. Do this one thing and you will instantly become more successful, I promise.
5. Put your fans (you might know them as customers) on a pedestal. I was a radio DJ for almost ten years. I went to a lot of concerts and took many radio contest winners backstage to meet pop stars and rock bands. None of them treated their fans like Justin does. He connects with them. He plays with them. He even brings one lucky girl on stage in each show and sings to her. They didn't show this in the movie, but they must have paramedics standing by just in case some poor girl's heart explodes.
6. Get the biggest and best mentor you can find. Justin has Usher to thank for much of his success (and he does thank him every chance he gets). Who better to mentor you than one of the absolute giants of your industry? Usher has not just opened a lot of doors for Justin, he's provided guidance, perspective, and an occasional slap on the side of the head. All good, clean mentor fun.
7. Keep your friends and family close. Justin has the world on a string and millions of people wanting his time. So who was he most excited to see show up at his big Madison Square Garden show? His grandparents and his best friends from back home. 
8. Look in the mirror every day. This is related to item #2, but worthy of it's own number. Practice, practice, practice. Justin doesn't just practice in front of his choreographer, vocal coach, and manager. He practices in front of the mirror. How often do you look in the mirror to see how close (or far away) you are to performing at your best?
9. Never underestimate the power of good hair. I'm not kidding. Appearances matter. Just ask my daughter. Justin's hair is a big deal. Your appearance matters. As does the appearance of your employees, your bathrooms, and your marketing materials. 
10. Never say never. Yeah, it's the name of the movie, and it's a little cliché, but the idea is solid anyway. Justin and his team believe in themselves 1000%. Do you believe you can be amazing? Do you believe your business, team, or product can sell out Madison Square Garden, metaphorically speaking? 

People are always asking me for creative teambuilding ideas. Here's one: take your team to see the Justin Bieber movie, then talk about what you can learn and apply. Yes, you may use this article as a guide. At the very least, pass this article along to your team or talk about it in your next staff meeting.

Yes, you will get funny looks when you tell your team you're going to take them to see Justin Bieber. One final lesson from the movie: Take a risk. Do something different. Defy the naysayers. Who knows? Maybe you and Justin will run into each other as you are both laughing all the way to the bank."

Wow!  Never Say Never,

Five Simple Rules to Happiness

Ironically, I received these five simple rules to happiness in e-mail from my cousin yesterday – the day I launched BellaBud:

1. Free your heart from hatred.

2. Free your mind from worries.

3. Live simply.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less.

No one can go back and make a brand new start.  Anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.

Very fitting post for this blog, don’t you think?  Have a happy Saturday!

Inspiration

Life itself still remains a very effective therapist. -Karen Horney