Greatest Inspirational Quotes, by Dr. Joe Tichio, is one of the most useful motivational tools I’ve used in a long time. It’s easy-to-view and straight forward approach is just the beginning of what’s so great about this book.

Even if you already own a book of quotes from some other source, you won’t regret purchasing this one. It’s available on Amazon and in either print or digital format, with both versions being extremely affordable. What I like most about it is that it has many useful quotes that I’d never heard before, even if I knew of the person quoted.

So why am I targeting salespeople? Because we’re the ones who find ourselves most often in need of self-rallying. You know what I’m talking about. There’s a lot of drama going on around you not to mention the drama you left this morning that is still chattering in your head. You’re on your first call and you’re ready to walk out the door after the first “no thanks, I’m not interested.”  You get back into your car and realize, “wait a minute, these people really need what I’m selling.”

You realize you’ve got to pull yourself together, but where do you turn?  (HINT: (especially for all of you non-salespeople out there) NOT YOUR SALES MANAGER!)  While every company out there will tell you that your manager is your best friend and there to pull you up when you’re feeling down, we all know that they’re actually the first to kick you when you’re down.  I’ve done it myself as a sales manager, so please don’t send me any emails about this!  (I know you’re going to - I’ll just delete them.)

No, the salespeople who last are the ones who realize that all they have in this world is themselves and their own good mind.  You MUST have your own tools, whether it’s a song on your digital device, a certain person that you call just to hear their voice, or a book of words of wisdom from the greatest thinkers of our time, YOU have to find a way to pick yourself up. I strongly suggest that you have a toolkit of all these things to choose from, as any of them will invariably let you down at some point.

On any given day I have a new favorite from this book.  Lately, I keep coming back to #12 from H. Jackson Brown, Jr.:

“Seek Opportunity, not security.  A boat in a harbor is safe, but in time its bottom will rot out.”

For some reason, this continues to get my attention.  I can relate to it, as my bottom is still in repair.

But, (ooh - no pun intended!), that’s a post for another day which I shall get to in time.  In the meantime . . .

Live Joyfully!

I began to wonder - what if every day were Valentine’s Day? What if we took some time out each and every day to celebrate our love for something? Even if it’s just one thing?

Here’s today’s challenge: Get your list out from yesterday. How many items did you have on it? How many can you add? Now, how many days could you go into a year focusing on just one thing you love per day without starting over?

Not that you’re going to forget everything else you love and only love that one being on that day. (Please don’t email me with comments like that!) You know what I’m talking about here - you’re going to find something every day that you love and send him/her/it a mental Valentine’s day card. Get it?

And if you do have to repeat things, so what? I’ll bet that if you started spending just 20 minutes a day to focus on why you love one particular thing you’d start finding a whole lot more things to love.

Try it. I dare you!

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

But what an exercise! I mean, I’ve taught for years the value of keeping an appreciation journal and doing that exercise as often as possible, but today’s Love entry took it to a whole new level.

So instead of sharing my list that may or may not be of any interest to you, I’m instead going to challenge you to come up with your own list. Remember, it’s okay to LOVE anything, because it’s the energy that counts. Loving is loving and that energy is never wrong. Love uplifts us, wherever it comes from.

What do you love?

Until next time,
Live Joyfully, In Love

So today I thought I’d just write about what I appreciate about winter and see if anyone out there agrees with me.

1. I love big white fluffy snow flakes.  Like the kind that are coming down right now outside my window as I write this. Beautiful!
2. I love having a really good excuse to relax and take it easy.  “Stay off the roads.”   Okay!
3. Comfort food!  In the Summer, I love to grill, but in the Winter, I like to make things that take forever to cook since I’m indoors a lot.  The extra time really pays off in flavor.  Slow cooker recipes, chili, vegetable soup, mahi-mahi with an orange beurre blanc sauce, yum!  (Anything with beurre blanc sauce - YUM-O!)
4. The Super Bowl.  (And what a game this year, huh?)
5. The ramp-up to March Madness for basketball fans. (Go Cats!)
6. Mardi Gras.
7. It’s the only time that we, as a society here in America, stop as a collective group and reflect on our lives and lifestyles.  Whether you participate in the Lenten season or not, whether you make New Years resolutions or not, we all take some time during the winter to reflect and make course corrections as necessary.  Just listen to conversations at the water cooler or go online - just about everyone has made some sort of decision lately.  You don’t hear that in the summer.
8. I love the smell of my tanning bed lotion as I prepare for beautiful skin come Spring!
9. I spend a lot less money in the Winter - not going out as much, and not driving as far.
10. Winter is the best time to get organized.

Of course, the obvious thing to appreciate about winter is what everyone says, “If it weren’t for Winter, we wouldn’t appreciate Summer as much.”   Which is likely true.

I’d love to hear from you and what you appreciate about Winter.  To post a comment, simply click on the title of this post and scroll to the bottom.

In the meantime,

Live Joyfully!

Naturally, I’ve been struggling to find my way, establish a new career path, and discover how I can financially support myself doing what I love, helping others, and maintaining a sense of balance.

To be starting over at 44 is a struggle, to say the least, and yet, I find myself in good company, as well as the envy of many.  (More about that in another post!)

While looking for guidance and direction, yesterday I felt compelled pick up one of my Speaker Magazines (from the National Speakers Association).  I was wondering if I should hire a coach.  The book fell open to a “No Excuses” article written by a (supposedly) million-dollar a year speaker and coach who quoted Earl Nightingale:  “You are where you are because that is where you really want to be, whether you’ll admit that or not!”

In that moment, I realized how perfect my life is right now.  I am loving my life each and every moment, and it seems as if each day brings at least one new thing to love.

Isn’t that success?  Why, I believe it is!

Here I’ve been beating myself up for not having a new career all figured out and for feeling depressed sometimes about all the things I had to leave behind, while in the meantime, I was staring down the barrel of why I left in the first place - freedom to be myself, and the opportunity to discover all I can become.

I don’t know if today’s post is a random event, or if I’m back for good this time - time will tell - but I’d love to hear from you:  In what ways are you living (and possibly overlooking) your successful life?

Live Joyfully!

P.S. To post a comment, click the title of this post and scroll to the bottom.

In my desire to create a post for you, however, I realize that without my own clarity, I cannot lead others.  So, for today, I want to leave you with this quote that is resonating with me as I make my decisions:

You can only become truly accomplished at something you love.   Don’t make money your goal.  Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.

-Maya Angelou

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

You have a deadline to meet that you’ve known about for a month.  It’s now 2 days before you have to make your presentation and you’re just getting started.  Some call it classic procrastination, but you know that you’re really not a procrastinator.  And you can’t use the excuse that you’ve been utilizing your time more effectively on other projects, because, in your heart-of-hearts, you know better.

Think you need a better “To-Do List?”  “If I could just get control of my to-do’s!”  Nope.  That’s not it.

Think you need a new gadget, to become more technologically saavy, “I need the cloud!”?  Nope.  That’s not it.

(Although, home girl here does L-O-V-E the cloud!)

This has happened to all of us at one time or another and I am the proverbial pot calling the kettle black in this situation because I have been guilty of this a time or two (wink-wink) myself.  But it happens to me rarely now and I’d like to share with you why I believe I’ve been able to avert this particular time management issue for some time.  (I’m writing this hoping that my friends who call me at 1:30 in the afternoon while I’m getting a pedicure will stop hating me for it - THIS IS HOW I CAN DO THINGS LIKE THAT - FOR REAL!)

Over the years on this blog, I’ve shared many of my success tips.  But the single, most important tip I have around time management and avoiding the time crunch trap is this:  Set goals.

Now, I’m getting ready to link you back to some old posts that will throw you into information overload on goal setting.  And I know you think you know this stuff already, (’cause you do - yes - I’m talking to YOU), but i want you to read it again anyway.  Why?  Because we all get away from the basics sometimes.  Professional athletes are guilty of it, spiritual gurus are guilty of it, and it’s easy to get wrapped up in bigger, brighter, prettier, shinier, newer ways of doing things and forget the basics.  So a review is called for every now and again and today is your day - congratulations!  (You wouldn’t have been drawn to this post if you didn’t need to do this, so don’t even think about bailing on me now.)

Here’s why this is so important and why I want you to re-read goal setting articles.  First, setting goals for yourself helps you say no to projects that don’t fit within your value structure.  But you have to know what your goals and values are before you can separate the wheat from the chaff.

Second, if you don’t have goals of your own, you’ll get caught up into everyone else’s.  Have you ever noticed that when you’re focused and have your priorities in order you have more personal time and freedom?  That you live life more joyfully?  Why is that?  Because you’re not taking on the problems of the world.  Guess what - you’re not supposed to anyway!  When you’re not focused you become a target. Things get dumped on you because you appear aimless and the fact that you say “yes” to every request has a lot to do with it, too.  It all comes down to how you project yourself, which starts with how you view yourself.  If you view yourself as important and a person with a mission, you’ll act as such, and you’ll be treated likewise.  Don’t believe me?  Prove me wrong.

Now, rest assured, I do have some new titles coming around time management skills, such as, the power of focusing, the 80/20 principle, always working from a calendar, using action to inspire your vision, and much more, so stay tuned for these updates, but in the meantime, get back to the basics - set some goals.

So without further ado, here are some of my top-rated posts on goal-setting.

How to Set Goals You Can Actually Achieve

The Value of Interim Goals

Determining Your Values

How to Write Your Personal Mission Statement

5 Ways to Use Your Time More Efficiently

How to Maximize Your Personal Productivity

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

Coupled with the sincere desire to want to help is the knowing that there really is not much that I can do.  I can try to lead my loved one to thinking better thoughts, thoughts of relief, or trying to get his/her mind off of the problem, but you know how it is - when in you’re in that kind of mood, you’re just not interested.  I’ve found that the only thing you can really do in this situation is give your friend the space she needs to get over the issue herself, and have faith that she will.  After all, we all want to feel good, and we always find a way to survive.

So what if you’re the one down in the dumps?  Ah.  That’s where I can help.  ‘Cause if you’re willing to read this, you’re ready to improve your mood, your situation, and your life.  So let’s go.

Being in a bad mood is nothing more than the result of focusing so much on your problems that you can’t see the solutions.  The only time we’re in a bad mood is because we think we have no way out of our current situation.  We’re wallowing in our sorrow.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just flip a switch and our bad mood was instantly replaced with a good mood?  Well, you really can.  If you really want to do so.

The law of attraction says that “like attracts like.”  You bring about what you think about.  You are the creator of your life experience and you create through the balance of your thoughts.  When you see or experience something you do not like or that does not feel good to you, you instantly have a desire to attract something different into your experience – something that you do like and that feels good to you.

Whatever it is that you are wanting to manifest, whether it’s a million dollars, a healthy body, spiritual peace, a loving relationship, or an improved work environment, you will attract it faster if you find ways to get on a vibrational level with that desired result more frequently.  Let me explain.

This thing that you want, whatever it is, you obviously desire it because you believe that it will bring you relief.  “I want a better job because I am so sick and tired of this one.”  “I want to make more money so that my kids have the things that make them happy.”  “I want to be well so that I’m not sick anymore and burdening everyone around me.”  So the emotion driving the desire for this thing you want is relief.  Right?  Okay then, so what we need to do, is find ways of experiencing relief now, so that our vibration is in line with this thing we want. Like attracts like – relief attracts relief.

So in the interest of feeling some relief and getting your mood turned around, here is a list of simple things I like to do to feel good right now.

1. Listen to upbeat music. My favorite is Al Jarreau’s Boogie Down.  I’m a Believer by Smash Mouth gets me going too.  Practicing music, if you’re at all musically inclined, works as well.  Just be sure to keep it upbeat and positive – remember, this is supposed to raise your vibration, so no tearjerkers or anything remotely sad.  Got it?
2. Dance.  Close the office door, put on that music, and let it all hang out!  Get your groove on!  Feel silly?  That’s the point.  Just a few minutes of relief is all it takes, plus, the endorphin kick alone will boost your spirits.
3. Watch favorite TV shows. Good ones – funny ones – old ones – like the Cosby show.  There’s just something about Bill Cosby that always makes me laugh.  I love his clean, positive humor.   I especially like smart comedies.  Seinfeld is another good one.  Big Bang Theory reruns always make me laugh.  Anything that lifts your vibration will work, and if at any moment it starts to not feel so good, just turn it off – move on to something else.  I had this saying when I was on my diet:  “It’s not worth the calories.”  As in, when something didn’t taste good, I would save the calories for later to use on something that did taste good.  You can do the same with television.  There’s certainly plenty of it out there, and there are plenty of other ways to utilize your time and raise your vibration.  So don’t waste a second on anything that doesn’t feel good.  It’s not worth it.
4. Watch favorite movies. Same idea as above, except a little longer for those days when you have the time.  And if there are any parts of the movie that “bring you down,” just fast forward past that part.  After all, you already know what happens, don’t you?  I have an emergency copy of Legally Blonde in my archives.
5. Write an entry in the gratitude journal. I’ve talked about gratitude journals before and by now I’m sure everyone has heard of them.  Unless you’ve made it a daily habit, though, I thought you might need a little reminder of how well it works. Just start listing everything that you are grateful for right this moment.  If you’re having trouble with a particular person or situation, focus on that, and write everything you appreciate about that person or situation.  Keep writing until you feel better.  Trust me, this works.
6. Focus on love. It can be anyone or any thing that you love.  Not feeling so happy with your significant other right now?  That’s okay – we’ve all been there!  Write about your cat.  Or your new car, or your old car, or your pretty wall paper, or your new desk chair, or your favorite pen, or the fact that it’s Spring, or that it’s snowing outside, or . . . get the drift?  I know a person who says you can’t love something that can’t love you back.  That’s silly.  Love is an emotion and the more you feel it, the more you will bring things to love into your experience.  So love what you love and love that you love it.
7. Get out in nature. Go barefoot in the grass, sit under a tree, feed the birds, smell flowers, listen to a waterfall or waves crashing against the shore.  There’s something about nature that lifts our vibration.  I believe it’s the connection with millions of other living things that nature provides.  The vibrations offered by plants and animals in nature are so pure, so unassuming.  The tree you sit under might by hundreds of years old while the flowers have only been up a few weeks.  Most things in nature co-exist peacefully.  There’s no competition, no worry, no doubt; just the basic assumption that all is well.  Spending time with these beings of nature will help you pick up on that vibration.
8. Exercise. Walk, run, swim, jump up and down. Sometimes we just need to get our blood flowing.  Exercise of any kind, whatever you like, will energize you on all levels, including your vibrations.  If you have some sort of medical condition where exercise is impossible, do whatever you can to shake up your aura.
9. Drink something.  Eat something. Skipping meals and being hungry or dehydrated are sure ways of lowering your mood.  My personal favorites are chocolate,  and large, juicy-ripe blackberries.  What are your favorite little food gems that you know will lift your spirits?  Stock up!
10. Do something nice for someone – spread love and joy. This will get you in a good mood fast.  The other person doesn’t even have to know you did it.  When you see someone else’s mood lifted because of some action you chose to take, it will send you soaring to the joy category.  It’s okay if they know you were responsible, but it’s also okay if they don’t.  My favorite things are the unexpected, like giving the garbage man a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day.
11. Play with a pet. This is a double-whammy because not only does the play raise your vibration, but a pet will teach you how to focus.  Seriously, watch your cat or dog the next time you fidget with that string or throw that ball.  There might as well be nothing else around.  We need to focus like that when we’re creating.  Watch, learn, and lift.
12. De-clutter something. Did you really think you were going to get a list from me that didn’t include something about how clutter around you creates clutter in your brain?  It also lowers your vibration and I can prove it.  Clean off your desk.  There.  Doesn’t that feel better?  Told you so.  Want to feel even better?  Clean out the basement, the garage, the car, all the closets . . .
13. Act “as if.” I love this one.  Go through your situation in your mind and act as if the solution has already been achieved.  Ah.  Doesn’t that feel better?  Now focus on that feeling a little longer.  Longer.  Hold it.  Try to hold the feeling of that relief until the solution comes to you.  This little gem often works for me!
14. Get a massage. Need I say more?
15. Take an hour off. This concept is counter-intuitive for most of us because we rush around trying to get everything done only to drive home from work in a really bad mood.  I discovered a long time ago that if I take an hour off, especially one hour of solitude, I end up getting much more than an hour’s worth accomplished in return.  This is probably due to the fact that taking that hour raises your vibration and you can always get more accomplished from a joyful mindset than from a feeling of being overwhelmed.
16. Read something motivational. So why did you buy all those Brian Tracy CD’s and Steve Chandler books?  And don’t you have a “To Read” pile somewhere?  Oh, and please remember those web articles hanging out there in your favorites.  Steve Chandler is my favorite for a quick pick-me-up.  His book, 100 Ways To Motivate Yourself: Change Your Life Forever, always puts me higher on the emotional set-point scale.  If I’m in the car, anything by Brian Tracy will make sure I arrive at my destination with a smile on my face, ready to work.  And if I have the time and want to be challenged intellectually, I’ll head over to Steve Pavlina’s site to see what he’s been up to lately.  The important thing here is to know what works for you and keep it handy.  Then use it!
17. Light some aromatherapy candles. Preferably, you’ll only utilize this one when you are at home.  I find fragrances to have a huge impact on my mood.  Now, we’re not all the same in that a scent that works for me might be horrible to you and you might not respond to scent at all, but you won’t know until you try.  Experiment a little.  You’re worth it.
18. Open a window. The smell of fresh air works for just about everyone.  Getting stale air out and fresh air in is good feng shui, good housekeeping, and good vibrations.
19. Take a nap. If you’ve ever had little ones around, you know how they can get cranky in the afternoon if they haven’t had their nap.  Well, do we really ever grow up?  When I catch myself in a particularly cranky mood, I take a nap.  It helps.  Just 20-30 minutes and I awaken as a completely different person.  Well, not completely, but my vibration is much better and when nothing else works, it helps to do this first, then get up and listen to Al Jarreau.
20. Go shopping. I remember saying to a friend one day, “I’m depressed.  I need to buy something.”  She thought that was hilarious.  And I suppose it was.  But I was serious.  I caught on when I was a teenager that spending money somehow made me feel better.  It doesn’t have to be something expensive, and even if you live in a rural area you don’t have to get in the car – you can buy things online and get an immediate shift in your mood.  Isn’t technology wonderful?!  Part of it is just being good to yourself, and part of it is putting a little $ in circulation that will benefit someone else.  Now, you know what I’m talking about here.  Going online and running up all your credit cards is NOT going to raise your vibration to the point of joy.  But finding the perfect pair of spring sandals at Talbots.com – AWESOME!  I’ve come to know this as “retail therapy,” and I L-O-V-E it!!!
21. Create your own “vibrational lift” list. You know what works for you and I have to say that after creating this list, my vibration is at a pretty high level right now.  Just thinking about feeling good and ways to feel good will make you feel good.  Did you catch all that?  Great – now go feel good!

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

I know, I know.  Too perky.  Way too perky.

But that’s me!  And hopefully by the end of this article, it’ll be you, too.  Why?  Because there’s nothing like feeling great on Monday morning.  So here are 3 quick ways to get your week off to a great start, right now.

1. Make a plan. What obligations do you have this week and to whom?  Having a well-laid-out calendar is not only rewarding, but brings peace and a more relaxed state of mind.  So list out all of your scheduled meetings, special events with family and friends, and any deadlines that are set for this week.  Add some time for yourself and remember that all-important flex time as well.  Don’t give this exercise longer than it needs.  Three to five minutes should be long enough to check your calendar and identify any necessary changes.
2. Envision a great week. Utilize the power of visualization to imagine your week turning out exactly the way you want.  What would that look like?  Picture it now and start making plans toward that end.  What would need to be added to your schedule?  What would you take away?  Again, 3 to 5 minutes is plenty of time to complete this exercise.
3. Count your blessings. Sincere appreciation for your life, your job, your family, your friends, and all the things good in your life will put you in a good mood for sure, and being in a great mood is definitely a good way to start the week.  So take 3 minutes to just jot down 30 things you appreciate.

If you’ve completed just one of these suggested exercises you’re on your way to a fabulous week.  Enjoy!

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

Ah, the “bad day.”  I don’t need to define it for you, but what I can do is give you a few ways to cope when, in hindsight, you wonder if getting out of bed was the best decision.

1. Maintain your perspective.  I’ve somehow managed to trigger a response in my head that when something happens, this little voice says, “This too shall pass.”  It’s one of the advantages of being in your 40’s; you’ve lived enough life to know that this saying is very, very true.  So, in the grand scheme of things, this situation that has you upset right now, is it the end of the world?  No.  I can say with confidence, it’s not going to be the end of the world.  (Okay, if you’re a nuclear engineer and reading this, perhaps we need to talk, but the rest of you can relax.)
2. Take control. Do what you can, and accept that.  The problem might not get resolved today.  Do what you can, and if that’s nothing, it’s nothing.  Let’s face it, sometimes things are just simply out of our control.  Own up to your mistakes, if necessary, apologize, do what you can, but then move on.
3. Take a  nap.  Sometimes, this really will “break the spell.”  Thinking you got up on the wrong side of the bed?  Take a nap and get up on the other one - no kidding!  When there’s nothing you can do, changing your habits, or just doing something differently, will psyche you into believing that things are going to change.  And once you believe that . . .
4. Forget your troubles, come on get happy.  Dance, sing, read a motivational book, go to an amusement park, go shopping for something fun, (NOT grocery shopping), ride your bike, take a yoga class, or anything else that you enjoy doing that will take your mind off of everything that’s going wrong.  The advantage of this invokes the law of attraction.  The more you focus on what’s going wrong, the more things will go wrong.  So stop thinking about it.  But how do you stop thinking about the pink elephant? By imaging a green giraffe.
5. Laugh.  Shift your perspective by finding humor in the situation.  There is usually at least a little chuckle to be ascertained in even the most serious of mishaps and pivoting your perspective to see the humorous side is very healthy, emotionally, and physically.  If you can’t find humor in the situation, find humor somewhere.  Take a break and watch a comedy.  Sometimes we have trouble finding the better perspective because we’re too close to the problem.  Watching George Costanza finagle his way out of another tough spot might be just the push you need to see the light in your own situation.

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!