Dance Like There's No Tomorrow

As I unenthusiastically climbed into my car this morning to head to work, I sensed that I wasn’t feeling like my normally chipper self. I attribute my mornings blue mood to lack of sleep and dreary weather.

To top it off, I had the pleasure of crawling along the freeway in bumper-to-bumper traffic. I began studying my fellow driver’s multi-tasking. It was mind-boggling. One woman was talking on her cell phone, holding what looked to be directions spread across the wheel in one had and had a coffee in the other hand. I also witnessed a black Honda cut off a driver in a green minivan. An eruption of honking ensued followed by hands with lonely fingers flying in the air. I took in a deep breath and realized that it’s up to me to change my outlook for the day.

So, I reached over to the console, let my fingers channel surf, and found an energetic tune on the radio. Surprisingly, it just happened to be one of my favorites. Slowly, my fingers started tapping the steering wheel and my head started bopping to the beat. Before I realized, my hips were shaking, my shoulders were shimmying and my body was moving. Next, the song started flowing from my lips. I belted out the words as if I was singing for my life on American Idol. I felt like a star.

Just as the second chorus started I became startled, and as I surveyed the cars next to me, found that I had an audience. Sheesh, what have I gotten myself into now? My mind raced back to my college speech class, feeling as if I was standing on the stage, completely naked, out there for people to see, to judge me and to laugh. It was devastating. I had a choice in front of me, I could succumb to the feelings that made me cower with embarrassment, or I could choose to put myself out there and dance like there was no tomorrow. So I did. I was rocking out, singing as loud as I could. It felt great, refreshing, my lungs felt invigorated. Surprisingly, one of the suits in the car next to me, let out what looked like a good laugh. Hey, if I could inspire a chuckle or two in someone’s day, it was worth it.

As I neared the last corner before turning in to the parking garage at work, I felt a sense of relief. It was a blissful feeling. I blurted out an enthusiastic “GOOOD Morning” to the parking attendant, who usually has a frown on her face, and waved to her as I drove up the floors to park and start my day. Today, I said to myself, will be a great day!

Appreciate You

The flavor of the day was a Coconut Crème coffee with a splash of low-fat milk. It reminded of a sun-kissed tropical day, lying on the beach, feeling the warm sun smother my entire body, sipping on a Pina colada, and hearing the waves crash against the beach…okay, back to reality! As I thought about my dreamy virtual vacation, it made me realize that it doesn’t take much to appreciate what we have and appreciate ourselves.

Learning to appreciate ourselves can be a difficult venture. A good first step involves having self-respect and a good self-esteem. A close friend of mine recently sent me the lyrics to the song “Realize” by Colbie Caillat, which prompted my topic for today. The song talks about taking time to realize about what is right in front of us. But, how can we accomplish this with the demands of our every day existence? We can start by becoming aware and appreciating ourselves, to be cognizant of the demands we place on our life that contribute to self-doubt or lowering our self esteem.

In my efforts to find a way to taking the time to realize, I stumbled across this amazing website, and although it is geared for K-5 learning, it included in a very simple and succinct format, the steps of learning “How to Appreciate Yourself” and I thought it was worth sharing today. So, take a few minutes, breathe in deeply and remember these simple steps to appreciating you.

• Be careful about comparing yourself to other people. Sometimes that can make you feel good or even inspire you to improve in some way. But sometimes it can make you overlook what's truly good about yourself and cause you to feel bad.

• Think about times when you've done something good. Include those times when you've made a difference to somebody else by being helpful, kind, or thoughtful.

• Take part in activities that make you feel good such as hobbies, reading, sports, or spending time with good friends.

• Don't be so afraid of failing that you're not willing to try something new. New experiences can help you grow and discover wonderful new things about yourself.

• When you do fail at something, don't get down on yourself. Think about what you can learn from the experience and how you can do better next time.

• Think about things you do well. Take pride in your successes.

• Remember, the most important thing about people is what we're like inside, not what we own or what we've accomplished.

(Copyright Elkind+Sweet Communications / Live Wire Media. Reprinted by permission. Copied from http://www.goodcharacter.com/.)

Unbreakable Bonds

Friendship amongst two individuals is the single most complex and beautiful union between the heart, mind and soul. The bond of true friendship can withstand very difficult times and experience the closest bond two souls could ever feel. It truly is part of the meaningful energy that keeps us going.

I have found that the demands of a friendship vary over the course of ones life. It is at these defining points that your friends may require more support, care and love from you than at other junctures. Or, perhaps you are the one in need of their passionate energy. This unconditional response is one of the greatest benefits of true friendship. A true friend is completely available for you through life’s ups and downs; however, you are most vulnerable with your friends because of this interdependent reliance.

As I sat, sipping my Irish Crème coffee this morning before getting ready for my daily grind, I thought about some of the qualities that describe true friendship:

v Loyalty
v Support
v Trust
v Caring
v Commitment
v Love

It is the combination of these qualities that creates this intertwined existence between two people, called ‘Friendship’. The emotional and mental exchanges that occur between friends can be felt similarly in every language and culture. Even the unspoken word allows true friends to connect on several levels, such as the friendship bond between an individual and their beloved pet or the kiss you give your mate. Friendship is one of the greatest gifts that you can give, and the ultimate gift you can receive.

There are so many emails that are forwarded about friendship, but when was the last time you opened up and told your true friend how YOU feel. Life’s too short to sit on the sidelines. Use today to communicate how you feel and be thankful for people or pets in your life that are your true friends!

Happy, Happy Times

“The foolish person seeks happiness in the distance; the wise person grows it under his feet.”
James Oppenheim

I ran across this quote at a very interesting website: http://www.worldofinspiration.com/. It’s a simple site where you can click on the category of your choice and find inspiring quotes with which to live by.

I chose the theme of happiness today because this one, powerful emotion has the ability to govern the attitude we outwardly portray to our family, our friends, and our business associates. How we each define happiness for ourselves can be the attitude we ultimately project on our lives. It can alter our life’s path or provide the map for our lives. The choice is yours.

Some of us live in the past, concerned with what we should have done differently, ‘I wish I had gone to college, my life would be different now’. Some of us tend to live in the future, ‘after I get that next promotion, I’ll be happy and life will be good.’ Where we should be living is in the ‘Now.’ Let go of the past and create a vision for the future, but live in the present. Here are a few mantras with which to remind yourself:

1) Treat yourself kindly; treat others kindly and with respect. This goes back to the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
2) Focus on the perceived reasons for your unhappiness. Whether it’s anxiety, a low self-esteem, or depression, isolate the issue and work to repair these negativities.
3) Give yourself the compliments you deserve and reward good behavior.
4) Simplify your life and remind yourself of what you’re really living for. Refer to your PMS or Personal Mission Statement.
5) Lastly, be in the present. Wear that perfume you keep saving for a special occasion, tell the special people in your lives how you feel about them and tell them often and lastly, give smiles often. You’d be amazed at how one little smile or hello to a stranger creates a chain reaction and 99 out of 100 times, you’ll get that smile right back.

Living happily is a state of mind, an emotional well being and it’s within your grasp. Let yourself live!

Green Dreams

It was Sunday afternoon and time for the dreaded weekly grocery shopping excursion. I enticed my husband with the bribe of a Pikes Place Roast coffee from Starbucks on the way, if he were to accompany me to this wondrous event. Coffee to him is like candy to a baby. Just as I suspected, he willingly agreed to go and be the cart pusher, happy as a clam sipping his liquid gold.

As we waded through the madness and finally checked out, we both had a happy glow on our faces for our use of our new found ‘green’ shopping bags. It felt great as we strolled out of the store, knowing that we were helping to preserve the environment. I could almost here background music playing, announcements over the intercom, yes, ‘thank you, thank you’ I would say to all the people commending our green ways. All this, until we came to an abrupt halt at our large gas guzzler SUV. Okay, maybe we’re not there yet, but one step at a time.

I stayed back as my husband surveyed the trunk. His wheels turning, speculating at how he was going to fit our groceries in with the Costco load that we had picked up at the stop before. Usually, I’d just start in putting sacks in the back, moving things around as necessary, but this time, I decided to wait and watch. Within 30 seconds, the two backseat doors were open and bags were flying everywhere. It was like musical chairs, only with our bright blue ‘green’ bags. I sipped another taste of coffee, felt the breeze on my face and the warm sun on my head and took time for a moment of reflection as I watched him in his efforts to organize the bags perfectly for our five minute trip home.

Once finished, I gave him the congratulatory ‘I’m proud of you’ smile and parked the cart. It’s moments like this that really make me realize how much I love that guy!

Sticky Future

“The past cannot be changed, but the future is still in your power.” I’m not sure who to give credit for in regards this compelling and introspective quote that sits on a sticky note adhered to my laptop at work. I find myself pausing to reflect on it often, especially today, as I savor my daily selection of a French Vanilla blend of deliciously roasted java. It really is an inspiring quote. The future is truly in our own power and with God’s help it’s amazing that once we set our minds to something and visualize it, it’s very likely within our reach, especially if we can see it happening in our mind and ponder the steps of personally achieving it.

I try to envision this quote in my mind when I’m making decisions in my life and whether or not my decision will work to create balance for me. I can easily get bogged down with the hustle and bustle of my every day responsibilities and commitments, and lately, I’ve actively tried to think, prior to committing to an event or block of time, if it truly 1) supports my personal mission statement and 2) if it contributes to embracing balance in my life. This is a challenging feat for me at times.

It’s true that at certain points in your life, the slices of the balance pie of career, family, relationships, and community weigh differently than at other times, as it should. But making sure you allocate time for yourself in that pie is ever so important. How are you able to give back to your family, your career, your relationships and your community if you, yourself, are spent?

I have found, through my life’s journey, that being organized at home and work is a good start. I recently ran across a website with a plethora of information on organization: http://www.getorganizednow.com/. The site, founded by Maria Gracia, provides excellent tips, organization treasures, and a blog on how to get your life organized. This coming from a gal who can spend literally hours in Office Depot. Okay, maybe I’m an organization nerd. Did I just really admit that?

Once your home and workspace are organized, it will feel like a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders and might even spark a bit of creativity in your life to pursue that passion you’ve put the way side. Until next time…make the most of today!

PMS

Today’s delectable coffee choice was a steamy choco-raspberry flavored coffee that I grabbed in the lobby of the building where I spend each week day. As I headed up to work, I took notice of people rushing around with snarled faces, brisk moves and unfriendly postures. I’ve heard that it actually takes more energy to frown, than it does to smile. I remembered that today was the first day (of the rest of my life) and that I was going to read my personal mission statement at the start of each day. This daily ritual will help me to visualize how I want my life to be and how I want to be remembered.

Speaking of being remembered, you know all those emails that go around and most of the time where you just end up hitting delete? Well, I read one the other day that talked about how life is about the dash in between your years. So that when you cross to the other side, people won’t remember what kind of car you drove, how much money you had or even what prada handbag you carried, (okay, the Prada may be something to leave to your fav gal pal), but they will remember the kind of person that you are and how you spent the years between your birth and your death, in other words, the dash.

In creating my Personal Mission Statement, or “PMS” as I like to refer to it, I thought about the dash. How would I want to be remembered? There’s lot of great research on the internet about creating a Personal Mission Statement, just Google it. I started with the process of determining my Core Values from a lengthy list of values given to me by a good friend who really helped to explain this process to me:

CORE VALUES: Peace, Integrity, Power, Wealth, Joy, Influence, Happiness, Love, Justice, Success, Recognition, Spirituality, Friendship, Family, Career, Fame, Truth, Status, Authenticity, Wisdom, Acceptance, and Health

You may have other Core Values that are important to you, but not on the list, go ahead and add them. The process is to go through the list and choose those items that are meaningful to you. Once completed, go back through the list and narrow it down to only the six most important. Lastly, go through the list again and narrow it down to three. These would be the three most important things in your life.

Take each of the three values individually and answer the question of how your personal satisfaction will be measured by fulfilling the expectation of living up to these values. This is the hard part. Once you’ve done that, hop on your laptop and meld the three together into a PMS. This part may take some time, but be patient, it will come to you.

Having finished my PMS, I felt a sense of renewed enthusiasm for life, a surge of energy and a sense of well-being and calmness. It was like the pieces of my life that I truly cherish were blended together in a refined statement of happiness. My hope is that each day when I read my newfound purpose, I will feel all those feelings and tingles inside knowing that I’m living my dash to the fullest!

(A special thank you to http://www.octopz.com/ for the great photo on this post!)

Doggonit

Girl’s best friend, or should I say, my loyal Jack-a-loo, as I like to refer to him. Jack’s almost 2. His birthday is July 20th. He’s my devoted and spunky yellow lab. Aside from the teething years and the residing we still have yet to complete due to his munching on the outside of our house, Jack’s a great dog. Talk about unconditional love, if we could just all be like Jack, giving love all the time, never getting angry, even when your dinner’s late, being a best friend, giving out kisses like there was no tomorrow…our lives would be like a slice of heaven.

This morning, as I stumbled still half asleep down the stairs towards Jack’s room, as I do each morning, I greeted Jack with a groggy hello and although he had just woken up himself, his tongue was already out and tail was wagging as if he’s telling me he’s ready to go for a run. Using his four-legged body, he bumps into my legs and just about propels me across the room as I reach to give him his morning hug. As I’m sitting on the linoleum, I feel wet kisses over my face and hands. This is how it is every morning. Jack needs his daily dose of love. Don’t we all?

How is it that dogs have such a friendly and loving demeanor, and I mean, all the time? Or, maybe it’s just my Jack? As I filled his doggy bowl with some morning munch and gave him some fresh water, it made me visualize what coffee selection I’d choose today. It also caused me to reflect on my prior day’s event, which was creating a personal mission statement. More about that later. Time to get primped for my day.

Where's Your Passion?

Have you ever really thought about the meaning of the word "Passion"? How many words in our English language can provoke multiple emotions from one word? Passion is referred to in thoughts of love and desire, plots for romance novels, various hobbies and interests, the Last Supper and Crucifixion of Jesus, and can be described as a single, intense emotion.Passion is an ingredient to life that many people seem to lack. I see it everyday, people get up, go to work and lead lack luster lives just wading through each day, waiting for the road to happiness. Why is it that some people find the passion in their lives and others just strive for mediocrity? How do you find passion in your life?

The answer to that question lies within. The first step is to take some time for your self. Use this time for deep soul-searching. Create a journal and write down your thoughts. What is it that you enjoy doing? What interests you? What motivates you? What captivates your thoughts? If you listen to the thoughts within, you will find the clues.

Next is turning those clues into a positive energy that creates an inspiring plan for your life. Maybe your plan is not something that is achievable today, but what are the steps you need to do now to get to where you want to be so that you can fully enjoy what life has to offer? Create a life goal list. What are the goals you want to achieve before your time on earth is up? Think hard about this one. It's not that you have to pick up the dry-cleaning or take the dog to the vet, what will bring happiness to your life? Vizualization is an amazing guide to achieving what you want to do in life. Write down a list of things that interest you and read that list often. Tell yourself, this is where I will be. Is it sports, being a resource to others, writing, painting, family, or spirituality? What is it that compels and inspires you?

Whatever your passion is, use the energy derived from those emotions to create a better life. Take the risk and let your energy help to guide you. Create a timeline and achieve one task at a time to lead you to your ultimate goal. Procrastination is the enemy, but by taking one step at a time and setting a realistic first goal, the achievement of that goal will put you on the right path and motivate you to achieve a second goal, then a third goal. If at first you don't succeed, try again. Don't give up.

One thing to remember as you waltz down your path to passion in your life, if you veer off the road it's okay, maybe it's your inner energy leading you a slightly different way. Listen to your thoughts, and remember that only you can make the difference in your life, only you can change your reality!

Ping Envy

What is ‘Ping Envy’? It has nothing to do with Pong. It has nothing to do with male ego. Ping Envy is the emotion you feel when you hear the whack of the ball off the tee…when it’s not your tee! It’s the cringe and tightness you get in your shoulders when the other half of your two-some throws their arms in the air and let’s out a self-congratulatory wail. It’s the brief moment you close your eyes trying to mentally calculate your lye while begrudgingly sputtering out your obligatory ‘Way to go Man’.

Ping is a good thing when you own it. It’s what you live for and dream about the minute your spiked foot hits the green. It’s the sound you visualize as your tee is inserted into the earth and your ball is set up.

What is this simplistic game that requires so much inner concentration and repeatedly challenges one’s self and one’s ego? It’s the game of GOLF.

‘Ping’ is the savory sound the club makes when it smacks that little white ball in what feels to your body like the most technically intelligent shot of your life. When you see your ball cradled as it makes its way through the clouds and your ball sails in for a landing just short of your next birdie shot. You don’t have to be an expert at the game to feel the shot, you know it was a good shot or not the second that sound radiates from the club. There’s good Ping and bad Ping and we’ve all felt it.

SIDE NOTE FOR THE LADIES: The old adage that GOLF stands for ‘Gentleman Only, Ladies Forbidden’ is no more. This game is fair game for everyone. And Ladies, we do have an advantage. While men’s egos’ are crushed by slices and hooks, our outlook remains steady. Sure, we would love to be the next Annika, but we know there’s always another hole ahead of us and the game doesn’t get our spirits down. Walking the course, smelling the fresh mowed green, hearing the birds chirp, feeling a slight breeze over your body, feeling the sunshine on your head…it’s the best kept secret in the world and now we’ve got a piece of the pie. A word to the wise for you gals though, barbering is not a good thing. So, in other words, don’t partake in a mocha before you play. This game requires mental concentration and it’s not good to gab. So, if you want to hang with the gents, don’t get bent.

Parting is such sweet sorrow, as is the last hole played. What can I say, until next time…may good PING be with you.

Mocha Reality

The power of a mocha...It is always so interesting to me how a mocha can transform my mood. I may feel down, or just blah, but when I make the decision to buy a mocha my mood gets an immediate perk.

Entering the coffee shop is the beginning of the ritual. One step in the door and the whiff of coffee, chocolate, and sounds of chatter sends tingles to the senses. The sound of the bean grinder, the churn of the mocha machine, the recognizable sound of the whip cream canister sends me into another place. I forget about everything I was thinking about before I entered the shop and my only focus now is that first sip.

Isn't it also interesting that you never see people arguing at coffee houses? You don't see frowns or bad moods (ok, maybe standing in line to get the coffee, before the caffeine hits), but not at the tables. I think it's the power that coffee has over people. The jolt to your senses, the sure feeling of knowing how you'll feel after that first few sips. The conversation starter it creates.

Coffee is a link of communication between friends, family and lovers. It's a daily ritual, a weekend treat and most of all, it's a mood enhancer all for the price of $3.50.