Time 'N Time Again

Strength

Why do we surround ourselves with the people that we do? Is it so they can make us feel better about ourselves or because we want to make a difference for them? Is it a conscious choice or are we inherently drawn to our circle of friends because of our life circumstances or our desire to be someone different or better than whom we are?

I choose to believe that our life is our testimony of who we are and who we want to become. And, that when we open ourselves up to the possibilities of “what if”, we are drawn to the people that make it “what is”.

“Like the elephant, we are unconscious of our own strength. When it comes to understanding the power we have to make a difference in our own lives, we might as well be asleep. If you want to make your dreams come true, wake up. Wake up to your own strength. Wake up to the role you play in your own destiny. Wake up to the power you have to choose what you think, do, and say.”

~Keith Ellis,  Bootstraps

Share on Facebook

“There are only two lasting bequests we can give our children …  one is roots, the other wings.”   ~ Stephen Covey

Leave a Legacy

 What are the 3 most important things you will  teach your children?

Share on Facebook

Life's Road Map

A few years ago, I took my daughter and granddaughter on a road trip from Houston to San Antonio, TX. Because we planned to spend the day exploring San Antonio, we didn’t schedule any sight-seeing stops along the way. As we were driving along I10, huge billboards with a cute little beaver mascot named Buc-ee and the most original quotes compelled us to stop and visit this glorified convenience store. By the time we arrived at its location, we were so curious, we couldn’t pass it up. Yes, it was a small detour from our original plan but what a treat it turned out to be! We left the store loaded down with the best beef jerky (according to my granddaughter – the beef jerky expert), Buc-cee T-shirts and a few other souvenir. It was and remains to be the highlight of the trip to San Antonio.

When you take a trip, especially someplace you’ve never been before, do you take a map, Google and print the directions or if you are like me; make sure you have a GPS system on board? In addition to your directions, do you take time to plan for scheduled stops and things you don’t want to miss? Even with plans, are you the adventurous type amd sometimes make unexpected stops and discover treasures that you weren’t aware even existed?

Sadly, many people take more time to plan a trip than they do to visualize and design the life of their dreams.  They fail to set up expectations and establish guides and have not determined the direction or planned for their most important journey – the road trip of their life.

Have you ever asked yourself, “How do I get from where I am now to how I want my life to be?”

Do you have plans for your life destination and the guides in place that you need to get you there? Or, do you just take life as it comes and make decisions as you go? To quote Dr. Phil, “How’s that working for you?”

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you had a built in GPS system for life? A program created just for you that would caution you several times in advance that your exit is approaching, instruct you which way to turn, let you know when you miss your exit to make a u-turn and give you directions that make it possible for you to get back on the right road for your personal journey.

I believe that you have a built in GPS system – your heart wisdom. Just like the one used in our cars, it won’t give you directions unless you have a definite destination, programmed it with your values and priorities, let it know if you want to take the shortest or the longest route, turn up the volume and then be prepared to listen and follow the direction that it gives you. Knowing that it can put you back on track when you make an unexpected stop along the way will make your journey even more enjoyable. You will probably discover that these stops are where you will find your best life lessons and your biggest blessings.

Here are a few questions and suggestions to help you determine and plan for your most important road trip:

• What is your vision for your Life’s Road Trip?
• Write your vision on paper and keep it where you can refer to it daily.
• Where are you now in your life in relation to your vision?
• What plans do you need to make for your vision to become a reality?
• Create a list of resources that you need in order for your vision to become a reality.
• Set up expectations of when, where and how you will accomplish your dream.
• Share your vision with someone that will encourage you and hold you accountable.

Why not take some time right now to create the plans for your Life’s Road Trip so that you can live a life that you design?

Before you leave, please leave your comments and share with your friends by clicking the retweet and facebook buttons.

Share on Facebook

Share on Facebook

What are your thoughts about celebrating Thanksgiving every day? Although I certainly wouldn’t complain about having turkey, noodles and dressing more frequently (as long as I didn’t have to fix it); what I’m really talking about is making a conscious effort to take time everyday to pause, come together with thankful hearts and express our gratitude for family, friends, health, freedom and the many other blessings that are abundant in our lives.

Rather than focusing on why the day didn’t go the way we planned, our ups, downs and disappointments; what if we took just a few minutes every day to say “thank you” to those we appreciate and to express our gratitude for even the smallest of blessings in our life that day?

What if, while sitting at a red light, we expressed at least one thing that we were grateful for that day rather than being frustrated that we missed the green light?

What if we made a conscious effort to let at least one person know that we appreciate them for the way they made our day better?

What if we really did at least one random act of kindness everyday – not expecting anything in return?

My daily life is a cornucopia of blessings – both big and small. How about yours? Every day there are opportunities to say thank you and many times I am guilty of  ignoring the importance of expressing gratitude and let them slip right by me. I’m making a commitment to today to be more aware of these gratitude opportunities and to acknowledge and act on them rather than let them pass by as insignificant. I want every day to be a Thanksgiving Day. Will you make this commitment with me?

What a difference these daily expressions of gratitude can make in my life, your life and in our world.

“You will pass through this world but once.

Any good thing, therefore, that you can do,

or any kindness that you can show to any human being, do it now.

Do not deter it or neglect it, for you will not pass this way again.” 

~Unknown

Share on Facebook

Take a minute, listen to your heart wisdom and ask yourself …

“What are the 3 most important Key Values in my life and what do I do to make sure they are a priority in my daily life?”

Before you go, please share your thoughts and then click on the Facebook and Twitter buttons and share with your friends.

Share on Facebook

Mind The Gap

Several years ago while visiting London, a friend and I used the Underground Railroad known as The Tube to get around the city.

As you approach the railroad cars, the first thing you notice is a big yellow line between the door and you.  And, every time the doors open, the recorded message “mind the gap” can be heard as a caution to watch your step entering and exiting.

As a working mom and career woman, wouldn’t life be great if we had a recording that reminded us to watch our step as we make our daily decisions? A voice that cautioned us to pause, look around and consider the consequences of our choices, actions and words as we step into our life every day.

I believe we have an inner voice that we can tap into and use as our own personal “mind the gap” warning. But we have to really listen, hear and take the time to discover what it is telling us.

The life strategy that I most often recommend to access your inner voice is a 10 minute me time every morning and a few minutes of journaling to get your thoughts on paper.   What you gain by this strategy will be heart wisdom. Really listening and hearing from your heart will go a long way in helping you make the choices and decisions that are best for you.

If you would like tips and ideas on how to journal, Click Here.

Today and everyday…  don’t forget to Mind the Gap!

If this was a valuable insight for you, please share it with your friends by hitting the Facebook and Retweet buttons below. Thanks!

Share on Facebook

Sometimes a visual is all that's necessary.

 Photo Source

If this was an “ah ha” moment for you, leave a comment and be sure to share with your friends by clicking on the Share on Facebook and Retweet buttons. Thanks and have a great day.

Share on Facebook

“Watches are so named as a reminder – if you don’t watch carefully what you do with your time, it will slip away from you.” ~Drew Sirtors

 As a working mom and career woman, your to do list is the “picture on the front of the puzzle box” that you use to put your puzzle pieces in the right place at the right time. Consider it a tool to maximize your time so that you can accomplish the things you want and need to get done and so that you can enjoy it when you do.

The most important benefit of your to do list – it will reduce stress. In the chaos of everyday living, if reducing stress isn’t a good enough reason to prepare a daily list or at least a weekly list, think about the relief that you will feel when you know you won’t have to try and remember every little thing.

Taking a few “planned” minutes every day to write down your list will allow you to create a list of the absolutely most important tasts that you need to complete. You will realize that you are spending less time running around in circles and being caught up in trivial tasks that keep you from achieving your daily goals. You will be more in control of your time.

Here is a list of other benefits that you can enjoy when you implement a “to do” list into your day:

• It will allow you to be more creative in the way you plan your day – when the task needs to get done, how it needs to get done and who should be doing it. 
• It will help you determine what tasks can be delegated as well as the ones that you need to personally attend.
• It will eliminate last minute frustrations because you forgot something that you needed or wanted to do.
• It will increase your flexibility and create more choices because it will free up your thoughts. You will know exactly what you need to accomplish.

Would you like the flexibiity of being more focused on the more important things in life – your family, personal and career goals? Martha’s Tele-class: Calendar & Time Mastery for Working Moms could be the information that you have been searching for.

Share on Facebook