Let the light in…...

“The more light you allow within you, the brighter the world you live in will be.” -Shakti Gawain Good morning! A simple sentence can have so much power behind it. I have always loved the work of Shakti Gawain. I was fortunate to stumble across her book Creative Visualization when I was only fourteen years old. That book taught me the power of my own thinking and how to use affirmations to improve the quality of my life (and eliminate self-destructive habits.) The concept here is simple: each day, we have the power to choose how much light we let in and how...

Putting worry in its place…...

  “The best way to predict your future is to create it.”- Drucker Good morning! Worrying has definitely reached epidemic proportions. As technology offers access to more and more information, it also brings more and more things to worry about! Sometimes we worry about something we have influence over-but more often than not we worry about things that are well beyond our control. While we may not like the way worry feels, it has become a “safety net” for many. Let’s say that one of your dreams is to take up hiking. Well, push a few keys on an...

Getting better every day…...

“Every day in every way I’m getting better and better.” Emile Coue  Good morning! This would be a wonderful quote to add to the routine of how we start our day. What I love most about this is that it reminds us that each day matters, and each day we can improve, and each day we can get closer to our goals. Some days we might take giant strides. Other days or weeks, we might have interruptions – but if we keep our emotional mind focused, and we keep practicing the pillars of the challenge- we are still getting better and better. Your Turn: Add this...

Hero or victim?...

 ”We all live in suspense, from day-to-day, from hour-to-hour; in other words, we are the hero of our own story.” ~Mary McCarthy Good morning! My best friend shared this quote with me and I was very moved by the words. We truly are the hero of our own story. There is very little else to say— except one simple question: Are you living like the hero in your life? Or are you living like the victim? Your Turn: You are in control of your story. What are you going to choose to live? Remember that those around you (including your children) emulate you. So are...

Attitude Check...

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.–Thomas Jefferson Good morning! Take a quick attitude “temperature” check. How is your attitude this morning? Are you ready to have a great day? As we work to make our days consistently brighter, we learn the “tools” it takes for us to have a great day. Each of us has triggers that help us to make the most of our day. Our triggers might include getting up on time, having a healthy breakfast, having...

Airport lessons…...

A woman was waiting at an airport one night With several long hours before her flight She hunted for a book in the airport shop Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop   She was engrossed in her book but happened to see That the man beside her as bold as could be Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene   She munched cookies and watched the clock As this gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by Thinking “If I wasn’t so nice I’d blacken...

Lift the anchor…...

Excellence is caring more than others think is wise; risking more than others think is safe;  dreaming more than others think is practical; and expecting more than others think is possible. Good morning! I fell in love with this quote the first time I saw it many years ago. It resonated with me, because it matches my core beliefs–even though these core beliefs often require walking up to the precipice of life and taking uncalculated risks. Yet I know I must live by these principles in order to experience all that life has to offer. I never want to miss a chance,...

What drives you?...

 ”Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.”‘~ Unknown  Good morning! In 2003 I was chosen as one of the 40 most influential business people under age 40 by the Business Journal. There was a newspaper supplement that featured a 300 word interview with each of the 40. The gist of the interview was, “What is your key to success?” The bold headline below my name read: Coffee, perseverance and faith.  I have always believed that perseverance is a vital component to realizing success in any...

Your built-in kaleidoscope…...

“Life is like an ever-shifting kaleidoscope–a slight change, and all patterns alter.” ~Sharon Salzberg Good morning!  What slight changes you have done for yourself lately? Think about how a happier “you” reflects into the fabric of your family, creating a happier “kaleidoscope” of day-to-day living experiences for all! The change can be as little as always, always, always leaving your car keys in the same place every evening when you come home … only to conveniently find them every morning again when you need them! Or the...

Wasting time…...

“Time is amazingly forgiving. No matter how much time you’ve wasted in the past, you still have an entire today. Success depends upon using it wisely–by planning and setting priorities.”–Denis Waitely Good morning! How wonderful to realize that today is “ours” – no matter what yesterday held. When we greet each morning with that willingness to use the day wisely, plan and set priorities, we can achieve our full potential. Make a .list of three priorities for the day-three things you can do to make today matter. Then complete...