It’s 200 Years Old Today

Professional Speaker-Personal Development-Positive Attitude

Yippee ki-yay! Bring out the bubbly and help me celebrate this 200th blog you are reading right now. Who would have guessed – especially with my tumultuous relationship with technology.

It all started with using my rule of three…

First, my friend, Paul, called and asked me to help him with his blog. I immediately answered:

“Sure! As long as you know I have never written a blog, or even read one.”

Second, this same friend then sent me a blog about writing blogs: https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/category/blog/. They have changed the format somewhat over the past few years, however, when he first sent it to me, I became intrigued. I immediately googled the word blog to figure out what he was talking about.

And here it is – number THREE. I visited my brother, and there on his desk is a book about writing blogs. I was quite surprised and asked: “Are you thinking of writing a blog?”

“Nope” he answered. “My daughter gave it to me. If you want it, take it.”

And there it was, my rule of three! Now I HAD to look into writing a blog. As it turned out, I was leaving on trip to England so I took that book with me.   There, sitting on the Thames River, sipping a Guinness, my first blog was born. When I returned home, I hired someone to set up everything I needed to begin posting my blogs. Since then, I have never missed a week. This is the picture I posted along with my first blog on May 4, 2015.

I truly hope you have found some joy or inspiration or peace in reading my blogs all these years. Each and every one has been written with you in mind.

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My Perfect Facebook Life? HA!!!

Professional Speaker-Personal Development-Positive Attitude

My life is not Facebook perfect. Personally, I don’t know anyone who does live a Facebook life. Yet it seems that every time I open my page, the whole world is on vacation or celebrating something special. There are lots of smiles and hugs and sunsets and rainbows. Be honest, don’t some of those photos and messages just drive you crazy!

For me, Facebook is one small snapshot of my life. Along with that comes stress, feeling overwhelmed, and yet another pair of pants that just don’t fit. However, we don’t post those images on Facebook. We don’t tell the world about our struggles and disappointments. Heck, that wouldn’t be as much fun to read about.

So, I caution you about Facebook and the messages you read there. Yes, I know it’s a great way to connect and share messages, but please be aware that everyone else experiences the same anxieties and doubts as you do. You are not alone. So, if you find all those accomplishments and perfect selfies depressing, I encourage you to close your computer, put your phone down, and call a friend. Find some comfort in the knowledge that you are human and everything does not have to be perfect in your life. I could not have said it better than the insightful Steve Jobs:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”

 

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Ageless Beauty

Professional Speaker-Personal Development-Positive Attitude

You are as old as you choose to feel. Really, I mean it! Of course, there are some factors that come into play as we age: a few more aches and pains, not as much flexibility, maybe a bit of a memory lapse now and then. I’m not denying that there are challenges as we get older. One of the biggest ones? People telling you: “you’re too old for that.” After some time, you begin to believe it yourself.

A perfect example of this is the hilarious movie titled Book Club. It’s a hysterical story of four “older” women who refuse to let their age dictate the way they want to live their lives. Each of them have chosen to write the final chapter of their life the way they want it to be. And you know what? You can do the same. You, also, can write the story of your life so it will bring you all the happiness and joy that you can possibly handle – with no judgment. After all, there are many limitations that are placed on us as we get older, but never let the number of your age be one of them

Recently, I was lucky enough to meet a wonderful woman named Jodi Lyon-Grams who started a series titled Your 50 Forward Story. I am honored that she included me to tell my story.  I hope it helps you feel comfortable with your age and enjoy every single minute of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvHtQr2twew.

 

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Lean Into Joy

Professional Speaker-Personal Development-Positive Attitude

How do we bring more joy into our lives? How can we feel more fulfilled?

That is the 64 million-dollar question. And it’s a difficult one to answer because joy means something different to all of us. One thing is certain, though: I’ve never known anyone to experience joy unless they find purpose in their life.

You know, we all have jobs that pay the bills. Some of us are lucky enough to find passion and purpose in our career. But if that’s not you, then you need to find something that does bring you joy in addition to your work. If your day job feeds your family, you must find something that feeds your soul.

Here’s an example: for years I went to a chiropractor. She helped me recover from a car accident and cured me from a neck pain that I thought would haunt me for the rest of my life. She was the best darn chiropractor I ever had. Then one day I noticed her earrings and complimented her. She said she made them herself, then led me into her back room that was filled with beads and wires and clasps. THAT is what she loved doing in her spare time. Her chiropractic business fed her family; her hobby of making jewelry fed her soul.

The website Etsy is filled with homemade wares that fill someone’s purpose. I’ll bet you that most of the people selling their handcrafted items have full time jobs that are not related to what they are selling on Etsy. Yet they have found a way to cultivate meaningful work. They have found a way to bring purpose into their life. And if arts & crafts isn’t for you, what about volunteering? What club or organization can you become involved with that brings joy into your life.

So, maybe it’s time to let go of “supposed to.” You’re supposed to be miserable at work or you’re supposed to work only at what brings in money. What else can you do, in addition to your day job, that makes your life meaningful.  What else can you do to lean into joy.

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