Beyond the Gobble?

Has your kitchen recovered from the Thanksgiving festivities?

I had a wonderful season of thanks and am challenging everyone I know to keep the spirit going all year-long.  I was honored to speak on the topic of gratitude during a community service on Thanksgiving Eve.  I was humbled with the opportunity and the setting.  I have always considered it an awesome job to share a vision with others.  When you are in a place of influence it is an awesome responsibility.  It reminds me of parenting.  There is no greater influence – than the parent – child influence.  This holds true even in religion and the relationship between God and Jesus.  Isn’t this the cornerstone of the bible?

When we think about gratitude and the impact available to us, gratitude can be the most powerful tool in your leadership toolbox.  Gratitude can turn around the most dire of situations and attitudes.  It can take doubt and turn it in to optimism, it can take a downtrodden heart and reveal sunlight and hope.  

Gratitude is more than an annual ritual performed before diving into the Thanksgiving meal. It’s more than a holiday decorations, more than a clever saying that rhymes with “attitude.” Of all the human emotions, gratitude is the most powerful. So powerful is gratitude, it can obliterate fear, hopelessness and doubt. Gratitude can heal a broken heart, slow the aging process and restore broken relationships. Gratitude creates hope and hope brings joy. It is in joy, not fear, that we find strength.

If I could bottle this and put it on a shelf, can you imagine the elixir I would create?  It would make a fortune.

I am grateful for the time, energy and ability to share my passion for gratitude. 

Lastly, I am grateful for my family.  My parents came to my home for turkey and it was so much fun to have them in the house.  They were a huge help and I realized just how very much I have missed them.  I felt a great circle of love between my parents, my husband and children.  I can’t leave out my puppy too.  I am hopeful that we will all march in to each day and be a blessing to everyone we meet.

Go in Gratitude!

Personal Brand Salute

I had the awesome opportunity to speak to the AFCEA Alamo Chapter about the value of networking and cultivating your own brand.  In the audience there were civilians as well as enlisted personnel. 

I was humbled at the thought of being able to help our American hero’s in their next adventure.  I hoped their next chapters would be much safer and fulfilling.  Everyone has valuable skill sets and aspirations.

The audience was enthusiastic and engaged.  We had such a good time together that we ran way over our allotted time and the questions just kept flowing. 

At the very end of the presentation came the biggest surprise of all.  My host stood up to thank me for presenting and he told the audience that in the military it is customary when someone goes above and beyond the call of duty to present the individual with a coin.  He then reached in to his pocket and presented me with my own unique coin. 

I was rendered speechless and I could feel the tears swelling in my eyes as he handed me the coin.  In that one moment I felt the value of the coin was greater than any other form of money on the planet.  I was honored and humbled by the gesture. 

I share this story with you to highlight the value of life experiences and the relationships along the way.  Here I was among men and women who had risked their lives for our country and they were thanking me for a discussion geared towards building a new future, a unique and personal brand. 

I held the coin tightly and guarded it as I returned home.

I proudly share my coin with everyone I see and am looking for a unique way to display it.  It is a great motivator for me to continue sharing the story of networking and cultivating your dream occupation.  It is possible and the tools to do so are improving daily.  I am honored to share this message with others.

God bless our country and protect all of our enlisted men and women.  Thank you for being defenders of freedom.

Morning Moment

Has anyone else had an interesting transition to our time change?

I love the extra sleep however where I could have been getting up an hour early – I have decided to sleep more.  That was until today.  I got up put on a bunch of clothes and took my dog for a walk at 5:30am.

Boy is it dark in the morning.  It was a crisp, brisk and interesting adventure.  As we walked I realized how much I had missed the sights and sounds of the morning.  The sounds of rustling leaves, cars humming and people starting their day.  We even spotted a rabbit this morning. 

The stars were twinkling in the sky and it was a brilliant curtain of diamonds.  The moon is also bright this time of year.  It is filled with a different hue of “cheese color.”

I was grateful I got up instead of sleeping for the additional hour.  Just imagine what I would have missed.  I have also missed these serene moments of time.  I would encourage you to join me one morning.  It’s a magnificent start.

Now it’s time for some green tea (instead of coffee?).

For My Grandmother

The subject of saying goodbye has been the hot topic of many movies, songs and books.

There was even a movie called the “Goodbye Girl.” It is something we will all experience in a vast array of settings with audiences of all kinds.
There are goodbyes that will make us laugh.

Some that will leave us silent.

Others may make us sad.

Then there is the one that is final.

This past week I experienced something that is almost indescribable and yet something people go through all the time.
My grandmother died. She was 86 years young and lived 2 states away from me. I hadn’t seen her in 9 years.
Life sometimes gets in the way and before you know it, 9 years have passed.
My grandmother had Alzheimer’s.
She received amazing care, love and respect. I raced 537 miles to say goodbye to my grandmother. The spirit moved me and off I went.

In the end, I made it.
I was able to say goodbye.
I was able to tell her how much I loved her.
I was able to pray next to her bed and feel the warmth of God’s love and reassurance.
I basked in the glow of  her warm memories.
I reminisced with other family members. Our memories were filled with love and scents of all the “good cooking” that went on in my grandmother’s kitchen.

I have always told my children, my grandmother made the best pies

                                                                                                                                        and cobbler

                                                                                                                                                                     and chicken & noodles…the list                                                                                                                      goes on and on.

We sat in my grandmother’s room,  we talked, we laughed and we cried.

Her memories will no doubt live for many generations to come.

And then we said good-bye.

I love you grandma. Peace be with you.

For Love of the Game?

This time of year is amazing.

The colors of leaves change from vibrant greens to yellows, reds and orange. .  This is not the only place colors are changing during this season.  There is another season that is erupting throughout fields everywhere…..

Friday nights are filled with high school competitions between gridiron teams.  Fans are yelling in the stands and cheerleaders encourage them to yell a little more.  Saturday’s we get an encore with the next level of football and we are entertained with more athletes, pursuing their dreams of a touchdown and victory.  I can hear the distant drum of a band breaking out in song as their team takes the field.  The sights, the sounds the splendor.

Sunday arrives and the football hangover is starting to mount but before it can really take hold, our professional teams take center stage and give us more to cheer for.  

October is especially interesting in that it is also the finale of the other sport; Baseball.  

The World Series.  If you cannot find a team to cheer for during the month of October – you are simply not looking hard enough.  If you are going to be a part-time fan – this is the month.  Pure athletic entertainment every night of the week. 

Let’s take a closer look at these competitions.  Have you ever noticed what an athlete does after a great play?  After they score a touchdown, make a run or perhaps a great tackle – there is an enthusiastic response.

You may also witness them pointing to the sky, saying a prayer and offering thanks to a power much bigger than themselves.  Refreshing.

After an athletic contest, think about the interviews.  What do these players and coaches say?  They usually talk about the blessings of those around them. 

Team sports are a great testament of gratitude.  A feeling of gratitude towards other teammates, coaches, parents and spiritual power.   So who is on your team?  A team could be a family, a work group, a volunteer organization, the possibilities are endless.

As we cheer on our teams and enjoy this festive season, I pray that we will maintain a spirit of gratitude inside.  It is such a blessing to partake in these sporting events.  The athletes, fans, coaches and spectators are fortunate to share in these athletic pastimes.

With a grateful heart – GO TEAM!!

The Case for Faith

In the last couple of days I have been going through a faith overhaul.  I have been reading many articles, watching documentaries and really evaluating the basis for why I believe what I do.  I have found this to be a helpful and intriguing exercise.

I am shocked at the daily barrage of negative messages and ugly news stories that are transmitted through the media in all forms.  If I were to buy in to the headlines, the human spirit is fading in to a memory of yesteryear and today’s version is manipulative and superficial.  If I were an impressionable teen how would I embrace this level of pressure?

It is all very negative and not representative of the world view that I see.  Now mind you, I am of sound mind, get a healthy level of sleep and have had my share of disappointments in life.  However, my glass is typically half full.  I believe in the philosophy of failing forward and making the most of life’s lessons.  I have been reading passages of the bible and have found the flaws amongst God’s most chosen leaders to be far worse than mine and yet these leaders served such an important role in FAITH.

So what about faith?  For me faith is not faith until it is acted upon.  Do I reflect my faith?  Do I go out of my way to put others first?  Do I wake up in the morning focused on how I can help others?  This last thought is a tough one.  How many of us wake up and think about the new aches that emerged overnight or the lack of sleep we got?  Do we really wake up thinking – wow – what can I do to make life better for someone else today?

I realize it sounds like I may be unconscious in this way of thinking but I have never felt more conscious.  That has been a part of my faith journey this week.  I know that in order to establish a new habit I have to do something different for 21 consecutive days and then it will start to weave in to the fiber of my being.  So, I am on a transformation journey.  For the next 21 days I am going to emerge from my slumber and ask myself – what can I do to make life a little better for someone else?

I don’t have the answer to this question…….that’s the beauty of it.

This is an evolving exercise.

It is also the first step in my faith overhaul.  I am excited to see how this one change will manifest in to actions.  I am confident that this will make an impactful change.  Will you join me?

Here is a tip;  a blessing is not a blessing until it is spoken.

For the next 21 days may I am focused on being a living blessing.  Here I come.

Wisdom of the Ages

Blessings come in the most unexpected areas….

Last week I was flying home from a business trip.  While making my connection I was unexpectedly upgraded on the last leg of my flight.  What a treat!  I was excited to have more room and was hopeful I would get some sleep on the way home.

As I entered the plane and looked up, I noticed an elderly woman in the seat next to mine.  Her eyes were large with wonder and probably fear.  She was wearing a cute hat and jeans.  I scooted in to the seat next to her and started a conversation.  I could sense her relief in our discussion and liked her immediately.

As our flight took off I learned that my new friend Dorothy had missed her connection home because they forgot her between flights.  She had spent the better part of the day sitting in the airport waiting for her next flight.  She had a good attitude about this but was anxious to get home and see a familiar face.

She shared stories about her life.  Dorothy went to a country school and walked 2 miles each day to receive her education.  She had relatives involved with the pony express.  I listened to a delightful discussion about history and her experiences. 

I basked in her presence and was grateful for her company.

I also reflected on the fact that I have a grandmother about the same age as Dorothy and she is in no shape to make a flight.  I miss her.  My grandmother lives 12 hours from me.  Will I also benefit from her stories?  There is only one way to find out.  I decided after my encounter with Dorothy I would make it a priority to see my grandmother in the near future.

The elderly people in our lives possess the history and knowledge we need.  They fill in the blanks, answer the questions and solve the mystery of our heritage.  They are a gift!

I will be forever grateful for Dorothy and her amazing heart.  She made such an impression with me and I will be forever blessed with her spirit. 

Who will bless you today?

Homecoming

The simple work homecoming brings all sorts of memories to mind for most.

This year, we created a few more. My daughter is a senior in high school so this year is her last high school homecoming.

The hair, the dress, the shoes, the jewelry, are you starting to feel the stress? It is a lot of planning and fuss to ensure you have the right look for this annual event. It is only second to Prom and possibly your wedding day.

As a mom it brings many challenges. I can honestly say it can be anything from the warmest of blessings and pride to one of exhaustion and frustration.

I am pleased to report that this year was the epitome of fun and excitement. Rarely do you get to see young people dressed up having fun. Last night was that night. The girls looked beautiful and they were so kind to one another. The laughter went on and on. They giggled and truly enjoyed the company of each other.

The parents were beaming as we quickly snapped pictures. The evening was magical. As the girls were warming up for the dance the football team decided to keep things exciting. We won in double overtime.

It was a good, no make that a GREAT night.

I am so grateful for the blessings of parenthood and the energy of young people. We have such a small window of influence in their lives and it’s SO important.

Walking in Gratitude

I am sitting at my kitchen table compiling cards for birthdays, anniversaries and other events for the month.  The feeling that I hold in my heart as I recall events and memories of the person I am acknowledging warm my heart.

Do you know this feeling?  Do you remember the last time you were shopping for another person?  Do you remember the care and attention you paid to their specific needs? 

How did you feel?  

Did your internal light shine brighter?

When I encounter this type of experience, it is usually followed by frustration.  What a conflict of feelings in a relatively short amount of time.  Why?

Why do I experience these feelings – usually in this order?

The answer is simple.  I long to hold on to that feeling.  How do you feel when you put others first?  Write a card, a note or cook a meal and see how you feel inside.  My soul illuminates with love.  It changes everything inside of me.

Again, my challenge is how to hold on to this feeling.  Can I provide myself with a daily challenge?  Is my mind and heart open to such a challenge?  If we all took on this great challenge, can you imagine the change we could experience throughout the world? 

The idea of walking in gratitude is magnificent.  Will you join me?

How will this manifest in your life?

September 11

Do you remember where you were when you heard the news?

September 11, 2001.  3,017 people were killed.

This date is forever etched in our memories…September 11.  One of the darkest days in US history.  In one morning our country became vulnerable, angry and hurt beyond our worst nightmares.  Families were devastated. 

The sting of the events of that morning are still with us.  The missing towers in the New York skyline have left a gaping hole not only in the skyline but in our hearts.  The term ground zero has been reserved for the memories of this tragic event.  Let us not forget the continued saga played out at the Pentagon and the bravery which led to the crash in Shanksville, PA.

Another story emerged on this day.  It was a story of bravery and patriotism.  Americans rallied to help each other.  We held vigils together, prayed together and vowed to fight the enemy of hatred. 

As we remember the events of this anniversary may we all carry a deep gratitude for the bravery of the human spirit which evolved on this day, September 11, 2001.  Strangers rushed in to harms way to save others.  People lost their lives to protect our country, our freedoms and our way of life.

We are obligated to carry on their legacy. 

God Bless America.