Happy Father's Day!

I know it's a day late, but Dad can use an extra day of appreciation. What did you do for your dad over the weekend? My dad passed a few years ago, but I have Dave's dad to honor. I don't know if he knows how much I appreciate him. He's been more like a father to me in the last eight years than my own dad was my whole life. I'm not putting my dad down, he did the best he could. He just didn't have great people skills and the best he had, he used on people who were not his family.

Dave's Dad has been a wonderful friend. We've talked about issues Dave and I went through, he was very supportive while Dave was in Iraq, and he's always putting forth a little extra effort when it comes to keeping in touch with Mason. I'm so lucky to have a father-in-law like Emil Partak. Happy Father's Day!

And for those of you who plan to comment, I know there's a boob-shot here. What better gift can we give the men in our lives? Laughing!

Look Good Feel Better

Look Good…Feel Better is a free, non-medical, brand-neutral, national public service program created to help individuals with cancer look good, improve their self-esteem, and manage their treatment and recovery with greater confidence.

Can you think of a better organization to align yourself with? When I learned about Look Good...Feel Better, I wanted to be a part of spreading the word to those I know who are currently battling this horrible illness. The good news is, as bad as cancer is, there are programs such as this one reaching out to help.

Look Good...Feel Better and the "Women of Hope is Beautiful" contest information is found on page: http://www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org/20thanniversary/campaign.htm.

Check out Look Good...Feel Better for yourself. http://www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org/ See how you can get involved by donating or volunteering. Nothing feels as good as giving of yourself!

For more really great information, check out www.momcentral.com

Don't Forget Dad!

Mom Central has their annual Father's Day Gift Guide out and wait until you see what they have! Great gifts under $25, $50, and over $100. There is something here for every budget!

What's especially cool is that you can click on each link and you are right there, shopping in the "Dad" section of the store! All the great things that guys like, are in one place and in your price range. Check it out and get dad something he's gonna really love!

Go to: http://www.momcentral.com/giftguide/fathersday/ Everything you need is right at your fingertips!


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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!