Alloy Necklace giveaway . . . .

Today I am very happy to tell you that I will be giving away a beautiful necklace from Alloy Jewelry. I recently had the pleasure of being introduced to a wonderful young mother, Leah from Vermont, who not only makes beautiful jewelry, but has a beautiful story behind what she does and why she does it. First, take a look at this lovely necklace........

This 'Listen to the Surf' necklace is hand stamped on to this 1 1/2" copper bar. The bar is hand hammered to give a rustic texture, and a sterling silver starfish charm and freshwater pearl charm finish it off. Chain length is 16".

And now, please meet Leah. . . . . 

First and foremost, the most important thing I do is take care of my children.  That being said, while I think there's a certain amount of becoming a mother that comes naturally, I think people overlook the aspects of motherhood that DON'T come naturally.   Motherhood was a shock in many ways, and making jewelry (and the myriad of other half-finished creative projects I have strewn around the house) became my daily practice of paying attention to myself, even if it was for five minutes.  I began to see that the more I took care of myself the more patience I had with my kids. I went with it, and soon people started asking if they could "commission" a piece here and there.  I opened an Etsy shop and saved and saved, buying a new piece of equipment with the money from each necklace I sold.  I sent out samples to magazines, relentlessly looked for other ways to market myself and dreamed of the day I would have my own website and be able to call this my "job".  (All this while I had been editing legal books for a former employer as my "profession" and it was just SO not me!)

Eventually, I got an edit mention in Family Circle Magazine, and boy do they have loyal readers there! It made Alloy Jewelry more visible to the public and the business took off from there. I started doing quote and zodiac pieces to make the business more attractive to retail stores since custom work is hard to stock in stores.  I found that the quote pieces were becoming an obsession for me-I have a love of reading and words.  I started to see that as I would choose a quote for a necklace, I would associate that quote with one of my dear friends-for example "be with those who help your being"-Rumi necklace is for my girl, Anne, who lights up our lives even though we are far apart.  The necklaces I made had a new meaning to me now-I wore them and could hold that friend close to my heart-AND I could connect with customers in a different way, because they would ask for suggestions and would tell me the story of who they were buying for and I could help them pick out a quote (or design a new one) that was perfect.  Fun! 

More of her lovely creations.......

"I began to see that the more I took care of myself,

the more patience I had with my kids."

-Leah

All you have to do to win is leave a comment below before 11:59 p.m. EST on May 7th. The drawing will be Tuesday, May 8th and is open to readers worldwide. Good luck!

No better reasons to return to work . . . .

Good morning friends! How's life? I hope it's treating you well. Today I should consider doing a post about how crazy busy life can be, and how it can so easily become a blur if you let it. And that is exactly what could happen to me right now if I'm not careful. I am now back in the workforce again after taking a 7 year hiatus, and as busy as it is, it feels so good to be engaged in our business again. So I'm setting priorities and working hard to make sure I can keep the balance in my life that has proven to be so very vital. (More to come on that topic!)

But today I want to share with you a little bit about why my husband asked me to come back to work. He asked that I reengage in a completely different way. He wanted me to bring a bit of the human element to the business atmosphere that he thought was lacking, and he knew it was right up my alley. I was so willing to do that! I go to work to chat!.......to talk to, and more importantly, to listen to our employees, to talk and listen to our customers, to fix minor annoyances, and to simply pay attention to what we can do to add more of the human touch. We all know that happy employees are productive employees, so I have the awesome task of making sure our employees are happy. I am loving this kind of reengagement! 

So what does human element mean? 

My favorite description comes from Tim Stepp........... 

It means sending thank you cards in your own hand writing even if your writing looks like a 5 year olds.

It means dropping your business to talk to a client/customer/employee about a life issue that they may have, and caring, not just because they're a client, but because they're a human being.

It means stepping outside of your role as a businessman/businesswoman, and extending yourself as a person. 

I believe there are no better reasons to return to work. I'm so happy to be back, connecting, caring, and extending myself in a way that I believe is so important. 

Being happy at work rocks! 

Take ownership of your spirit . . . .

If you've ever attended a concert and watched a performer "put it all out there", you'll know what I mean when I talk about owning your spirit. It can make your hair stand on end when you witness someone living a life that you know comes from deep within their soul. They loose their inhibitions and all concern for what others may think. 


We are the owners of our human spirit, and it's up to us to believe that we have it in us just as much as the performer on stage. You can set yourself free by changing how you talk to yourself about your capabilities. The greatness you see in others is also in you. I promise you that you can find it inside you, no matter who you are, no matter who you've invented yourself to be. 

Allow the passion that is buried deep within you to shine. Tap into it! It's there.

Partial text from the book

Reinventing Yourself

by

Steve Chandler 

"Let your mind start a journey thru a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be. Close your eyes and let your spirit start to soar, and you'll live as you've never lived before."

-Erich Fromm

In life,

you can only ever be scared,

when you believe in limits.

You can only ever feel lonely,

when you stop doing things.

You can only ever become bored,

when you no longer follow your heart.

And you can only ever get overwhelmed,

when you think the illusions are real.

Whew!

Who knew it could be so easy

to get back on track!

Via Notes from The Universe

Fun or Drudgery? . . . .

Can I tell you something? I really do believe that living your dreams or following your passion, does not mean that you need to make HUGE changes in your life. There are so many ways to live a very contented life, and to be the happy person you deserve, just by enjoying what you're doing at the moment. All it takes is for you to live with intention, and to put your heart and soul into how you spend your day. Are you in an office setting, in your own little cubicle, and have no intention of leaving that job? Then I hope you don't feel a sense of dread when you step into that office. I hope you're making the most of your time there. I hope you have surrounded yourself with photo's of your loved ones and things that inspire you. And most importantly, I hope you're proud of what you do and the way you do it. If you're not happy in your job, but have no intention of leaving, then change your perception of the job! I guarantee if you are not happy doing what you're doing, then you are most likely not putting forth the best of your abilities. That's where the change needs to be made. I'm not saying you need to leave your job, I'm merely saying you need to approach it differently. When  you walk in the door the next time, walk through as if it were your first day. Remember that day? You were excited and wanted to do the best job you could do. Approach it with enthusiasm and determination. Be the best you can be. Get psyched again, and give the best of YOU. No one can ask more of you than that!  Bottom line, when you enjoy your job, you have more energy, more fun, and you look forward to Monday.

If, at this point, you still feel like you are going through the motions, if you're mentally exhausted, and no longer feel enthusiasm in how you are spending your day, then perhaps a change of pace is just what you need.

"Work is either fun or drudgery. 

It depends on your attitude. 

I like fun."

-Colleen C. Barrett

Be your own best friend . . . .

You may tell yourself that life is good enough, but if it could get a whole lot better, wouldn't you want to know that now rather than find it out later? I promise you that at this precise moment next year, if you choose, your life could be better  than it is right now. The choice to improve it is wholly and undeniably yours. When chores, routine existence, and just playing it safe become your only purpose in life, there is no doubt that personal growth becomes hampered. If your life isn't working the way you want it to, you have the option to change that. Do you wake up every morning to see how many chores and favors for others you can heap upon yourself? Please don't go through your days ignoring what matters to you. I'm challenging you to take the steps necessary to put yourself in the position of determining the course for your life. It's as simple as just being there for you; about being your own best friend.

"Our lives begin to end
the day we become silent
about things that matter."

-Martin Luter King, Jr.

Partially compiled from a Self Matters calendar

Passion is energy . . . .

What puts a smile on your face? Is there a particular topic that excites you every time you think about it? Do you find yourself devouring certain magazines, or researching the same topic over and over again on the internet? Do you feel like you just can't get enough information about it? This is a good sign that you have a passion. Passion is experienced when you do what you love. Having a passion is what launches you out of bed in the morning, and puts a spring in your step for the day. Albert Einstein once said, "I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." I love that! Passion is energy! It truly is. Once you determine what your passion is, and focus on that, I promise you, you will find new meaning in your life. We all want to live a life without regret, right? I believe there is nothing worse than arriving at the end of our life full of regrets. This is why realizing what your passion is, and doing everything in your power to make it a part of your journey is so important. Live your life so that you do not have regrets! 

"Find your passion, whatever it may be. 
Become it, and let it become you 

and you will find 

great things happen FOR you, 

TO you, and BECAUSE of you."

-T. Allen Armstrong

Live your truth . . . .

How different would your life be if you shaped it based on who you really are and what defines you?  What if you left the expectations of others behind, and began living your life the way you feel is most worthwhile? When we allow others to define us, accepting assigned roles and labels, rather than living our life authentically, it drains us of our life energy. When we accept the labels that others so willingly bestow upon us, we end up repeating the wrong message. The truth is.....labels ignore who you really are! Becoming real is a point in your life when you stop paying attention to those labels, and start listening to your heart. Your heart has been speaking to you for years! The process of 'becoming real' begins when you decide to listen; when you learn to accept and appreciate what it is that makes you different from all the others. As you learn to trust the wisdom of your heart and begin to make creative choices based on what you know is right for you, it is at this point, we grow into ourselves.

Stop burning daylight! Do yourself a favor and get in touch with what you know in your heart really matters.  When you can begin to project who you really are, (and leave the assigned roles & labels behind), you begin making a wonderful contribution to those around you. You put forth the best of who you are!  

Other people's opinion of you 

does not have to become your reality.  

-Les Brown

Photo via Google Images

Love your work, work your love . . . .

"You see, there's so much noise in this world and so many people will try and tell you what they think is right for you. Guess what? Only you know what's right for you. And when you figure it out, when you find that you love, the music gets louder, the car drives faster and the whole world suddently feels, right. You've found your place. You love your work and work your love. And the magic you make is going to shake things up. If not, give me a call and I'll pick you up."

-David Brown 
A very cool guy! Read about him here.

Holiday Matinee

Happy Friday!

Have a lovely weekend!

Graphic via Pennywishes

Cutting the Cord to Materialism . . . .

Note: this post from David Damron of The Minimalist Path.

Let's start with an exercise.....

Write your response to the up-coming question on a piece of paper in one sentence.

Here is your question:

If you had the opportunity to do one activity for one week without any worry about finances, cost, or other outside commitments, what would you love to do for this week?

So, what did you come up with? Was it travel around your favorite Hawaiian Island? Was it to spend a week at Disney World with your family and friends? Was it take that honeymoon you and your significant other missed out on? Or was it watch television while you munched on chips and salsa for eight hours a day, seven days straight? I doubt it was the last one. However, for some reason, the last response should be answered the most. At least by Americans. In 2008, we watched an average of 5.1 hours/day of television and that doesn't include the 3 hours/month average of internet video watching. For Americans, that is a total of 10.92 weeks/year watching television. If that figure doesn't shock you then I don't know what will. Once television became such a monumental part of our lives, we began being consumed by this sedentary form of life that co-existed with unhealthy and unfit lives. 

In many other parts of the world, being active is living. In Japan, Leo Babauta experienced the countering idea to the lives of western cultures. He found that many Japanese lives revolve around basic physical activities like walking and biking and there isn't a focus on exercise. Those that have not accepted the forms of materialism similar to the addiction in America and beyond live longer and are happier. Though this may be for many reasons, such as financial, I like to believe it is for the health and life reasons that many the world over choose the anti-materialism way.

Health is not the only factor in the fight against materialism. You do not need me to tell you about the financial situation the world is in. The abundance of commercials and other highly influential advertising through our modes of electronic communication have caused personal debt to become just as bloated as our waste lines. In American we spend 5.4% of our income entertaining ourselves. That's $2,700/annually that could be going towards savings, retirement and/or travel. How different would your mindset be if you had $2,700 set aside for a random, spontaneous week vacation? If you think that's a lot, we spend $1,881/annually just on apparel and services. Assuming we just cut those two totals in half, we would have an additional $2,290 to our name. 

The point of reducing our sedentary forms of entertainment is not just to save money and lose a few pounds. It is to save our lives! Just imagine how different your life would be if you spent one more hour with your family daily or a few more hours a week chasing your tour card on the PGA or training for a marathon. When we spend our time doing the things we love, it ends up being more valuable than any half hour sitcom can be.

Remember that question I asked you to answer earlier? Your response was only addressing one week. So, if you chose to spend your gifted week at the Great Barrier Reef finding Nemo, imagine what your life would be life if you took just half of that 10+ hours/week spent in front of the television and spent those additional 5 weeks exploring the entire Great Barrier Reef. Surely, your boss may not let you have that much vacation, but without that television being such a major priority, you could do many of the things you dream of doing, whatever they may be.

Being a minimalist and simplifying your life does not mean you need to eliminate all that you somewhat enjoy. I, to this day, like to watch a handful of hours of television per week. However, if you are able to reduce the quantity of time and money spent on that which you just like and apply both to that which you love, you may be able to live a longer, more pleasureful life.

Try cutting your cord to materialism and start appreciating more of the things you don't just like, but love.

David Damron is the author of PROJECT M-31: Simplify Your Life in 31 Days, and chronicles his journey to a more simplified life at The Minimalist Path.

Photo via Anchor Division