Word-Of-the-Week #799: Thankful
November 28, 2019 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #799: Thankful
Thankful – appreciative and grateful.
Are you appreciative and grateful for all that you have? Do you acknowledge and thank people when they do something that is of benefit or favorable to you? When you do something kind or giving to someone, do they thank you? How does that make you feel?
Today is the day we give thanks and I am sharing “words of wisdom” that really resonated with me. This from SD Tribune Neil Senturia on “9 reasons why this columnist is thankful on Thanksgiving.” I’m only listing #9 today to keep it short.
“The Challenge. “May you live in interesting times,” is an old saying. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Embrace the insanity, because it is exactly that which keeps you sane.
My final thanks are personal. I am reasonably healthy, and I deeply acknowledge the good fortune that I have received. And so I give thanks that I can continue to try to do better, to improve the lot of others, to make people laugh from time to time, to remain engaged in this world — in other words, I am thankful to be alive.
I am always deeply moved when I read the New York Times Neediest Cases stories. They have been doing this for 100 years, but you don’t have to travel to the Big Apple to see this world. Those stories are right here, right now, up close and personal. Do not give up. The journey always starts with the first step. And finally, remember that there but for the grace of God go all of us.”
Rule 655: Count your blessings.
This from Bill Marvin, “You have enough on your plate right now (pun intended), but while we enjoy our abundance, many in the world are hungry today … and with what has to be one of the best uses of the Internet that I know of, you can do something about it.
Go to The Hunger Site, click on the “Donate Free Food” button and somewhere in the world a hungry person gets a meal to eat, at no cost to you. The food is paid for by corporate sponsors who gain exposure in the process because you’ll see their logos, but all you have to do is go to the site and click on the donate food button. It literally takes a second … and you can do it once a day. Pass the word.”
- And being thankful has its health benefits. Researchers at the University of California-Davis, Cornell and the University of Michigan found that people “who have a plethora of events for which they feel grateful bounce back more quickly from trauma, can undo the negative effects of stress and have lower blood pressure.”
A USA Today article said to, “Notice small things. Experts almost universally agree that some of the most significant blessings are also the most seemingly insignificant acts. Take note of a nice day, a spectacular sunset, a moonlit night.”
I personally am so grateful for all that I have in my life. I am thankful to have been able to travel and experience so many different cultures. And I am very thankful to live in the “best place on the planet” with an abundance of everything. (And great paved roads) I have wonderful friends and family and the love of my life! I don’t think it can get any better than that!
This week focus on being thankful. What are you grateful for in your personal and professional life? When was the last time you told your customers, guests, clients, members, friends and family how much you appreciate having them in your life? This week make it a point to thank someone and then notice how they respond. And have a Happy Thanksgiving!
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Word-Of-the-Week #798: Holidays
November 21, 2019 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #798: Holidays
Holidays – that “special” time of year that brings joy and/or stress.
How do the holidays make you feel? Do you travel to be with your family? Do you spend time with family that lives out of town? Or do you leave town, so you don’t have to be around any of them?
Since we are in the beginning of the Holiday Season, I am taking the liberty of running this past WOW. Long time subscriber John always makes me belly laugh when he replies to my WOW’s. This is what he wrote after my WOW on family.
“I recall a quote from an elderly Aunt of mine back in the 50′s that always stuck in my mind which occurred after a family “tiff” during the annual Thanksgiving family get-together many, many years ago.
Three members of the family were particularly known for getting on each others last nerve. During a particularly “animated discussion” my Aunt, who was known to enjoy her homemade Elderberry wine, stood up and proclaimed, “A toast to Thanksgiving, that special time of the year that we get together to remind us why we all moved apart.”
The saying goes, “You don’t get to pick your family, but you do get to pick your friends.” You may not be able to control their behavior, but you can control yours. You can either choose to not be reactive or to not be around them. My mother used to tell me to “ignore your brother” a lot. As I have gotten older, I am seriously questioning that statement. Is it in anyone’s best interest to ignore certain behavior? What message does that send?
This week’s focus is on the Holidays. Do they make you feel festive and/or joyous? Or do you feel stress? In a perfect world what could you do to make them more joyful? What behavior could you change to reduce your stress?
And just for a little FUN, stressed spelled backwards is desserts! Maybe we all need more of those. Here’s to having a wonderful Holiday Season!
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Word-Of-the-Week #797: Attraction
November 14, 2019 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #797: Attraction
Attraction – the magnetic power of the Universe that draws similar energies together.
How lucky are you? How much of it are you creating? Are you fully engaged and aware with what is going on around you?
Once again, Steve Strauss, author of STEVE’S 3-MINUTE COACHING, sent a very thought-provoking piece!
Distinction: Attract vs. Make Happen
(Distinctions are subtleties of language that, when gotten, cause a shift in a belief, behavior, value or attitude.)
“There is plenty of satisfaction to be received from making things happen. You can get your emotional needs met, accomplish meaningful outcomes, prove your self-worth, and stand out from the pack by bowing your back and taking up the slack! Woo-Hoo! I made it happen! I’m a winner!
On the other hand, we also can be people who have things simply show up, seemingly by magic. You know the people I’m referencing. They’re ‘lucky,’ ‘in the right place at the right time,’ ‘the chosen ones,’ and such. We look at them with either awe or disdain. 
Beyond merely lucky what they are is – in the flow of their life. They resonate with the flow. In harmony. And most importantly they have removed the obstacles to experiencing that flow.
The other folks who are busy making things happen are doing so by efforting over their own hurdles.
Keep in mind that people who attract may also be very busy dawn-till-dark workers. They are engaged. Attraction is not passive. And people who attract what they want also use what they attract. That’s why they attract it. It fits into and supports the flow of their journey.
Coaching Point: What are you attracting?”
See all past issues and subscribe here Steve’s 3-Minute Coaching
Copyright © 2019 Steve Straus, All rights reserved.
This week’s focus is on attraction. Are you one of those people who just seems to always be “in the right place at the right time”? Are you in harmony and fully experiencing the flow of your life? Are you attracting what you want?
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FUN-video: Colonial Mexico Trailer
November 12, 2019 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-video: Colonial Mexico Trailer
We had a FUN & fabulous time with all the festivities happening for Día de Muertos! 😊
- We don’t usually do tours but this one was great! The company is A Closer Look Tours. And our guide Eric has a B & B in Guanajuato plus does custom trips. He treated us to a Mezcal tasting and served us lunch there too!
FUN-photos: Colonial Mexico
November 12, 2019 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-photos: Colonial Mexico
- We flew into Guadalajara and out of Mexico City from Tijuana – as that was the only way to fly non-stop – which saved us time and money. We opted for a tour and fortunately we were a small group of 14.
- Traveling by bus we visited Tequila, Morelia, Pátzcuaro, Quiroga, Tzintzuntzan, Guanajato, San Miguel de Allende, Dolores Hidalgo, Queretaro, Taxco, Cuernavaca, Xochimilco, and Mexico City.
- And the highlight was being able to experience Día de Muertos! The Day of the Dead—is a holiday celebrated on November 1st & 2nd that honors the dead with festivals and lively celebrations.
FUN-fact – Assured that the dead would be insulted by mourning or sadness, Día de los Muertos celebrates the lives of the deceased with food, drink, parties, and activities the dead enjoyed in life.
