Out With The Old, In With The New Year Cards

Out with the old (Christmas cards) and in with the New Year Cards! Really, I don't think I am never going to send Christmas cards again. The New Year card is the way to go. Welcome, 2019! #NotFailing #NewYearCards #ILoveThis

Kathy's "Curls Of Wisdom"

With regard to motivation and keeping the momentum. If you find that you can't stay motivated, maybe you are not working toward the right prize. If you don't feel the excitement and joy in working toward a goal, it may not be the goal you originally thought you wanted. Feel free to go back and rethink the things you aspire to and long for. When you are on the right track, motivation builds momentum.

Inspired!

Inspiration is one of those things that I get flashes of. If only I could feel the same inspired feelings I feel after a leadership retreat, or while listening to a really amazing speaker. I had such a weekend recently and today I am asking myself how I can keep those fires burning and apply them to all areas of my life. Here's a few of the ideas I came up with:

• Make a list of words that represent my values and hang it on my bathroom mirror. This will serve as a reminder at the beginning and end of my day.

• Keep a running log of one thing I've done each day to move me closer to my goals. These could be things like making a phone call to someone who could mentor me, sending out media kits to new prospects, or going to a yoga class.

• Continually surrounding myself with inspired people. We are what we think and when we are sharing our daily space with people who are making their dreams come true, you will continue to be inspired.

What do you do to stay inspired after an event that really fired you up? Share your thoughts and ideas, I'm listening!

How Do You Motivate Somebody?

The truth is, you can only motivate someone who wants to be motivated. I'm told on a daily basis that I make a difference in people's lives, and that I inspire people to take action. I love that! I now know that my mission in life to use my ability to communicate and my bright outlook on life to motivate people to make their lives better.

I've met people who simply love to be in my company, but have no desire to do a single thing different in their lives. One person in particular stands out in my memory. A woman called me with a really serious issue. I listened to her tale, felt like I was being sympathetic, and gently offered up a solution. She didn't like that, she had three problems with my one solution. we talked a little more and again, I offered up an idea. No, not that one either. This went on for more than a 1/2 hour. At one point I asked her if what she wanted was for me to just listen or did she want help solving this problem. She assured me that she definitely wanted an answer, and that she appreciated my willingness to help. We went like this a little longer, I'd offer a solution and she would offer 3-5 problems with my solution. She didn't want to resolve this issue at all, she just wanted to spend time being cared for by me. She was caring for her "baby" (I call these problems with no solutions someones baby. They just want to keep it and care for it.) and wanted me to care for her.

It took me a long time to recognize that what makes some people happy is being unhappy. That's a choice but it's not my choice. Unfortunately, people like this don't make good company for those of us taking action, making things happen, and living a happy life. In fact, in my experience, these kinds of people draw from my energy source limiting my ability to motivate those of you who really want to be lifted up and cheered on. In the end, you can't move someone forward who is happy right where they are. My suggestion is to move on and continue to be happy where you are and where you're going, because I know you are on your way to somewhere really wonderful!

"I'm A Yes Man!" - Guest Writer Amie Chilson

On my 32nd birthday I found myself stuck on the JFK tarmac for two extra hours due to a weather delay, en route to Madrid. After playing the, “It’s my birthday” card with the flight attendants, scoring a few free mini bottles of wine, I sat back and started the solo movie marathon on my way over the Atlantic: it was “Yes Man” starring Jim Carrey.

If you haven’t seen it yet…go rent it today! Through its silliness and moments of expected Jim Carey hilarity, the underlying message struck a chord with me. Carey plays a middle-aged, loan officer who leads an unextraordinary life and is accustomed to saying “no” to everything. He’s begun to alienate friends, never moves ahead in his career, and has developed a bad habit of closing himself off to life and all its opportunities. After attending a self-help seminar where attendees make a covenant to say “Yes” to everything…and anything, his life begins to transform in amazing and unexpected ways.

At face value, this flick is a predictably fun, brand of 90-minute, Jim Carey comedy. (And anyone who knows me knows I shy away from the Hollywood drool of endless, formulaic films!) Yet, I chose to watch the film 2.5 times and laughed like an idiot throughout–but why? Because I am “Yes Man” and have recently built my lifestyle around this value system.

2008 was a tough year for me in several ways; I buried two grandmothers, closed both my companies down, and nearly went bankrupt. I retreated into my metaphorical cave and shut down to most of the world. At the end of the year I vowed to make 2009 incredible and milk the most out of every day, while being open to the universe and all it had to offer. I created a “101 Things To Do in 2009” list, naming items as simple as: sampling more international cheeses, indulging in a house cleaner, and reading the Declaration of Independence, to more loftier goals such as visiting Thailand, completing my scuba certification and hiking the Grand Canyon. (The list was easier to develop than I thought…which means subconsciously lurking were all these things I’ve always wanted to experience, learn, and try!) Never again did I want to waste a year, and look back regretfully to say, “Damn, I didn’t do any of the things I wanted to accomplish! Where did the year go? And how utterly unremarkable it was…”

Since I made that covenant with myself at the end of 2008, my life has been purely magical! I recently took my husband on a wonderful month-long vacation to Spain where most of our lodging across the country was free; I’ve been invited to vacation in Fiji , Mexico , and India to study with a renowned Guru. Business opportunities have flooded my gates, I’ve met many new people and made wonderful friends, I find myself in great health and training for one of the hardest Triathlons nationwide, and I live each day with such zest and fascination. Sometimes it feels as if I’ve lived 3 days to the actual 1. As for the 101 List of To Do Items… I’ve been happily knocking them down by the dozens, and even created an ancillary 101 List!

What I’ve learned about myself during this 6-month experiment of saying “Yes to Life” is when I embrace being ‘open’, I expect something good to happen every time and it does. Being authentically ‘open’ also has forced me to become more empathic, less selfish, and more compassionate to others. It’s removed the ability to go through life ‘half-ass’ which is an easy to rut to fall into. We become busy, get comfortable, and even ease into laziness. (I know I did!) The good news is it is simple to pull ourselves out of the “No” coma. It’s as easy as saying “Yes” to little things, like smiling back at a stranger, answering an Unknown Caller ID phone call, or meeting your inbox of Evites with hopefulness vs. impatience.

In the movie, “Yes Man”, Carey changes his life in a matter of weeks and welcomes many new life experiences, people, and opportunities. In addition to falling in love, he gets promoted in his career, reconnects with his friends and inspires many different individuals. His unremarkable life has radically transformed, and he is a happier man for it. Carey also learns there is such a thing as ‘balance’ to strike in life with being constantly open to life and opportunities.

And that balance is important to keep in mind, as agreeing to all things is unreasonable and potentially dangerous. As I find myself mentally and verbally saying, “Yes” to most opportunities that flow my way, I still exercise instinct, fiscal prudence and my own version of life harmony. I will ignore the invite to pierce my nipples, not join a cult, and not invest all my money in what resembles a Ponzi scheme.

What I will do, is wake up tomorrow morning and breathe in the delicious moment of NOW, and energetically say “Yes” to what life has to offer me because I know it will be fantastic! I suggest you try it: who knows, the next “Yes” you say could lead to meeting the person of your dreams, making a new best friend, drop the next incredible business opportunity in your lap, or inspire your biggest idea ever.

Be a “Yes Man” with me.

http://myexistentialmusings.wordpress.com

Much Gratitude,
Amie Chilson

Isn't Time The Best?

Last week was a roller coaster of emotions. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say, I was exhausted by the time the weekend rolled around.

I take comfort knowing that a little bit of time will set my thinking right, take me out of my emotion filled angst, and let me get back to my faith that, everything is as it is suppose to be. I really do believe that, and I've come to be able to recognize what it is I need to learn from a difficult experience in a relatively short period of time. I also trust that as tough as things may get, in the big picture (long time), much of our day-to-day lives is not going to hold much weight in five years.

I won't go as far as to say that I believe time heals all wounds, but it sure provides a nice cushion from the pain, and reminds us that a new day is just that, new. Let go of the old and create today. You get to choose your thoughts, and your thoughts create your actions. Go, choose wisely and make today great!

Yesterday Was Really Bad!

Laughing! Maybe I shouldn't have posted about being grateful when life gets tough! Did I attract that? I'm laughing because I finished crying and can now see that it really wasn't all that bad.

I can honestly say that even though I was in the troughs of despair....little melodrama...I was still able to be grateful that it wasn't worse. And even better, I was able to check with a friend who is battling cancer and if that doesn't put a crummy day in perspective, nothing will.

I am so very grateful for all that I have. I even went as far as to putting an e-mail out to my work associates offering my consulting services at a discounted rate to their clients. I really want to help in these tough times, so why not let the world know. This is just another way that I practice gratitude. How do you show your gratitude and put it into action when times get tough?

Can You Be Grateful When Life Is Really Bad?

Times are really tough right now for many of us. I know my family is not exempt from tight finances, things breaking, and difficult life circumstances in general. No matter what happens, I've found a solid space of gratitude.

Yesterday, while cleaning my very old stove top, it blew up. Literally! Fiery sparks, a puff of white smoke, and a pop! I don't have the money to replace it, but I won't take the chance that this is a fire waiting to happen. As soon as this happened, I found myself uttering, "Thank goodness it didn't catch on fire."

Can you practice gratitude when you are at your lowest? I hope so. The reality is, no matter how bad things get, they can always get worse. I learned a long time ago to never, ever challenge the universe with the words, "It can't get worse than this." I believe as long as I'm dressed in my right mind, no matter what circumstances present themselves, I can do something to better my condition. I usually start with acknowledging and accepting where I am. I try to learn if the lesson is obvious and then I look at what I can do, and I start.

That's my way. What's yours? Can you be grateful when life gets really bad?

Do You Dread Monday?

Are you one of those people who hates to see the new week begin? Not me! I love Monday! Not only do I love the opportunities that come with the new work week, but I love the structure of the weekdays.

Even though I don't go into an office, all the people I work with are doing exactly what I'm doing. We may not be in the same room, building, or even the same state, we're all working together; connecting via e-mail and telephone. Mason is in school and Dave is at his office. We all know where we need to be and what we need to be doing, and it feels good.

If you really really feel a deep disdain for the start of a new work week, maybe you need to ask yourself what you could be doing that you would look forward to. Dave doesn't love his work, but he loves his family, and the job he does provides for us. I look forward to the new week because what I'm doing is moving us one step closer to our dreams of working together in all of our philanthropic goals.

Yes, the new week takes the vehicle out of park and gets us back on the road to success. If you'd rather sit in the parking lot, than think about what you're attracting with a heavy sigh and dread of Monday. Is it what you really want your new week to shape up to be? Whatever you think, you're right!

For All Your Best Intentions

Have you ever worked really hard to make something happen only to find, it didn't go at all the way you planned? I have!

When this kind of thing has happened to me, It's made me really mad! I looked around and thought, what the heck? It's not until later that I realized that the way things turned out was exactly what I needed. Not necessarily what I'd envisioned or planned, but the best possible outcome.

If you can accept that you can only control so much, you can then see that every "not so great" turnout usually holds the door open for something far better. Next time you can't figure out how you landed where you are, turn around and look for the opportunity that is likely smiling a great big "WELCOME" your way!

What Is Your Intention For This Day?

Do you ever think like that? Do you actually intend for your day to be something specific? I do.

It's like your "to do" list only it's specifically about the energy of your day. I'm a list person. I might think it's because I'm getting older and my memory is not as sharp as it used to be, but I've always been a list maker. If I put it on my list, it likely gets done in a timely fashion. I can go about the tasks in my day not having to worry about forgetting anything. As I finish one, I go cross it off my list and start the next task.

I do this as I start each day in terms of, "what are my intentions for today?" I can review my list from yesterday and see what needs to happen, and I take a peek at my calendar and see where I need to be, and from there, I have a pretty good feel of what my intentions are for this special day.

Today I have a long list of things I need to do. I've already finished several of them.

My intention for today is to serve enough people with what I know that will help them, and in turn, see that energy flow back to me in terms of freelance writing work and Virtual Assistant projects.

In essence, you could say I'm listening to the wonderful Zig Ziglar, "You can have anything you want as long as you help enough other people get what they want." I love it.

Now, how can I help you?

The Law Of Attraction Defined

Wikipedia says, "The phrase Law of Attraction, although used widely by new thought writers, has a variety of definitions. Turn-of-the-century references conceptualized the law of attraction as relating to physical structure and to how matter develops. A more modern consensus among new thought thinkers is that the Law of Attraction says people's thoughts (both conscious and unconscious) dictate the reality of their lives, whether or not they're aware of it. Essentially "if you really want something and truly believe it's possible, you'll get it", but putting a lot of attention and thought onto something you don't want means you'll probably get that too."

It's only fair to share the other side as well. Wikipedia goes on to say, "Since many of the claims of the law of attraction appear impossible without violating established scientific principles and our understanding of the universe, it has received criticism from the scientific community. Physicist Ali Alousi, for instance, criticized it as unmeasurable (and therefore unscientific) as well as questioning the likelihood that thoughts can affect anything outside the head. The Associated Press is also quoted as saying that "some medical professionals suggest it could even lead to a blame-the-victim mentality and actually be dangerous to those suffering from serious illness or mental disorders."

This is a very basic definition and those of us who believe the law of attraction is alive and well, know there is so much more to it. Intentional Winning, (LOA plays a mjor part in IW) starts first with taking responsibility for your condition, for better and for worse. You got you where you are, and I believe you can get yourself wherever you want to be!

You know, it's not airy-fairy, think it to be it, it's so much more. It's about first knowing what you want, finding a first step in that direction, taking that step, taking that step, taking that step! Yes, I know I wrote that three times, just as you will take that step three times, four times, ten times, a million times. Taking a step is taking action. When you take action, you move mountains. Resources become visible, people who are living where you want to be, will suddenly be in your life, the question then becomes, are you seeing what's now visible? Are you speaking with these "new" people, or smiling with a nod and moving on? When you determine what you want and start to become aware of how much opportunity is all around you, and then take the steps, you'll see that the law of attraction is alive, well and available to you!

We have started this journey, I'm so glad you're here!

Let's Talk About The Secret

Have you seen it? Do you believe it? Better yet, do you live it? I do, for better and for worse!

Here's my take on the Law of Attraction (LOA), I do believe that we attract what we live. I have areas of my life (or psyche) that take a great deal of work to undo...undo many years of someone else's thinking layered again and again on my young being. Now that I have complete control over what I believe and practice, my life has traveled light years in the direction of success and abundance.

Without as much concentration and work, I can see the call from the producer of a national television show as exciting! I'm on their radar. If nothing comes of the communications, I still have that contact information. It just doesn't occur to me to sulk over the fact that, "It fell through! Darn! I never get the big break." All I can see it that, "It's happening, it's really happening!"

I loved that The Secret opened so many eyes to a new perspective, however, I feel they left out the importance of taking action. You have to DO something to make things happen.

I can go on and on about all the little things I see as the manifestation of the LOA, but I want to hear from you. I want to create a living, breathing forum for people to learn about what to do to really live the Law of Attraction. If it's wine making for you, what did you do, exactly? It it was finding the man/woman of your dreams, again, what action did you take? Share with us and let's build the momentum for all to see, and not just see, but see how-to!

I've got exciting plans for this year and I want you to be part of it. Join me here and I'll share more as we go!

Take Action!

Success does not come to those who merely have great ideas. Success comes to those who have great ideas and who follow through on them.

Your carefully crafted plans bring value only when you put them into action. The best of intentions are useful only when you follow through on them.

During the course of the day, many thoughts cross your mind. Yet just as easily and quickly as those thoughts come, they recede, so it's crucial to begin acting on the best ones right away.

Before a valuable and meaningful intention gets pushed out of your mind by another thought, do something about it. Set the process irrevocably in motion and begin to bring that intention to life.

When you think of doing something, there's a reason why you have that thought. Listen to what the thought is suggesting, and take action immediately.

Don't let the idea or the intention or the vision slip away. Take action and make it real.

Ralph Marston from The Daily Motivator
with permission http://www.greatday.com
facebook: Daily Motivator

I Just Gotta Say!

We all have those days that suck! There's no other way to say it, it sucks. So what do you do? Pout? Cry? Slam stuff around? No, you take a deep breath, look at it for what it really is, and find something that doesn't suck!

If you really think life has just given you lemons, pour a shot of tequila and call it a day! And for the record, lemons work with tequila just as nicely as limes do! When was the last time life dealt you limes? Laughing.