Archive for August, 2010

August 31st, 2010

Turn On the Lights Series

I love community living. I’ll take a walk and meander through the town popping my head into the neighborhood stores. I like to check out the scene without committing to anything.

Yet, I get sad when I see a few of them.

Their wares our so beautiful and unique. Yet, no one would ever know that.

Why?

Because they forgot to turn the lights on.

Their stores from the outside look dark and uninviting. There are no stores, no beautiful window displays, nothing that makes me want to creep in out of curiosity. So I don’t.

And I walk away sad wishing they just did something to make their storefront more exciting.

The same thing can be said about your website or your newsletter or anything else you are producing with your name on it.

I know you got the good stuff. And you know you got it too. read more »

CategoryHow to Make Your Business Better Series | Comment1 Comment »

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August 27th, 2010

Are You Living an Authentic Life? 5 Questions to Ask Yourself


Do you sometimes think you feel empty and not sure why? You’ve got a great job, a loving family and a pretty happy life, but still something’s missing and you just can’t put your finger on what that is.

Well I think I might know the answer.

Take a look around at your life and ask yourself these questions:

1. Who Do You Surround Yourself With? Think about who your friends are. Who you choose as your support system will tell you a lot about yourself. When I think back on my life, the friends that I had at every age of my life reflected what life stage I was in. There’s a reason, for example, why some people are only in your life for a season. A drinking buddy or party all night pal may turn out to be a long-term friend if they’ve grown with you but if not, they’re only fun until you’ve outgrown them and gone on with your life.

2. What Are You Doing With Your Life? Are you happy at the job you’re in? Or are you going through the motions and feeding your unhappiness with food, shopping, video games, etc.? Living your life unconsciously will inevitably lead to dissatisfaction and a lack of meaning in your life.

3. Are You Living a Lie? read more »

CategoryBeing Authentic | Comment2 Comments »

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August 26th, 2010

5 Ways to Get Off Your Butt and Get Motivated


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There’s a WHOLE WORLD out there! Yet, do you feel like you want to crawl under the covers and hide?

You may be right on the edge of pure inspiration. But you’re sitting there, unsteady and ready to tip. Will you fall head first back into bed? Or will you jump in eyes wide open as an eager beaver filled up to the brim with excitement, inspiration and immense passion?

I have to admit that even I fall into the former category on some days.

On those days, I need an extra push to get me tipping in the right direction.

What do I do?

read more »

CategoryUncategorized | CommentNo Comments »

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August 26th, 2010

A Business Q to Ask Yourself: Are You Fighting an Uphill Battle or a Losing One?

Sometimes on your quest to be great, you run into a little obstacle.

Okay maybe a BIG one!

The question is, “Is it an uphill battle you’re trekking or a losing one?”

What’s the difference?

One is worth fighting for.

How do you know the difference?

That’s the big question isn’t it?

Should I keep going or should I quit while I’m ahead?

You may be on the straight and narrow towards your dreams. Working hard to accomplish a goal or fulfill a purpose. But you keep encountering new problems, feel burnout and things just don’t feel like they are fitting into place.

This is the time when you need to make a decision.

read more »

CategoryHow to Make Your Business Better Series | CommentNo Comments »

August 19th, 2010

Daily Inspirations

It’s Tuesday. A heck of a day. One you could easily wish away, cover your head under the covers and dream it to be over.

But then. There was, as there always is, inspiration.

And a shimmer of something inspiring is like a diamond sparkling behind the glass window.

So I’m thankful for this first post. And for today’s daily dose of inspiration:

The beginning of a star. Rewinding the life of someone successful makes me as excited as a rabbit about to sink his teeth in a banana (if you’re a rabbit owner you know how much they love sweets). I get tingles. A happy feeling inside the pit of my stomach and goose pimples up and down my arms. What can I say? I’m a sucker for happy endings.

Tonight I got it again-watching Anthony Bourdain (a quirky, foul-mouthed fellow), the star of No Reservations. The year was 2000 and he was as quirky and foul-mouthed as ever, maybe even more so. But I was sucked into the story because although I am a N.R. (No Reservations) fan and see him as a chef and a TV host, I barely knew him as a writer.

Everyone has a dream. But it was inspiring to see that Bourdain went from a rebellious bus boy to eventually a chef. Yet, these were secondary tasks, for his real ambition was to write. And write he did. read more »

CategoryDaily Inspirations | CommentNo Comments »