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! 

You've earned it . . . .

Take a deep breath. It's been a crazy week and we all need to decompress. Don't let the stresses of the week overpower you. It's the weekend, and it's time to make room for relaxation. If your passion and joy went by the wayside this week due to stress, you owe it to yourself to bring the pleasures and energies that feed your soul, back into your life. Do it for your own well-being......for health's sake! Learning how to relax is so important! It brings a balance in our life that allows us to be more productive, and helps to keep burn out, stress-related illness and insomnia at bay. I mentioned in an earlier post about how it's so easy for us to fill our free time with errands and busy work, so the first thing we need to do is recognize that we need to make time to relax. It's not always necessary to fill our time busying ourselves with things that can wait! If you don't make the time, it won't happen. I promise, Monday will show up soon enough.  C'mon.....you've earned it.  Take a few minutes to regain that sense of peace that you so deserve. Slow down. Restore your body with healthy choices. Feed your soul with the things that matter most to you. Take a long walk. Listen to your favorite music. Pamper yourself. Take a long, hot bath. Lose yourself in a good book.  Smile, or better yet, laugh! S-t-r-e-t-c-h. Find your personal paradise, and enjoy.

"Sometimes the most important thing 

in a whole day

 is the rest we take between breaths."

-Etty Hillesum

Happy Friday my friends.

Have a wonderful (and relaxing) weekend!

xo

A little out of whack . . . .

As much as I talk about how important it is to have balance in your life, I too am guilty of getting out of whack. It happens to all of us! I begin to let things pile up in my office, and I literally can't think. When I'm disorganized, I can't focus. I let the summer get the best of me, (no complaints!), and I'm finding that I've left too many things  unattended. I have so many things I want to share....wonderful thoughts, bits of information, encouragement, and just good stuff, but in order for me to do that, I have to de-clutter my own cocoon!  What I really need right now is a  streamlined environment to be creative, to find new inspiration, and to have clarity. When I look at the photo below, I can begin to feel the cobwebs being cleared from my head, and this is exactly the kind of organization I need to give me back the sense of balance that I'm looking for. I'm heading happily in to the rest of the week knowing clarity lies ahead!

"Clarity of mind means clarity of passion; this is why a great and clear mind loves ardently 

and sees distinctly what he loves."

-Blaise Pascal

Top photo via Google Images

Bottom photo via Apartment Therapy

I'm getting there . . . .

• Get back on track after a long holiday weekend.  √
• Find new inspiration.  
• Complete one random act of kindness......(anonymously).
• Eat healthy after a weekend of complete indulgence.  
• Say thank you - (out loud).  √
• Pay attention.  √
• Give one thing away.
• Nurture one friendship.  √
• Fix something.
• Laugh.  √
• Clear my inbox.  
• Enjoy the journey.  √

Have a wonderful day!  √

Just breathe . . . .

Are you feeling like there are too many pressures and demands on you? As you know, those pressures can cause stress. As a matter of fact, stress can be caused by a number of life factors that are quite common, and if you don't know how to deal with it, it can wreak havoc on your well-being....both physically & mentally. The negative consequences on your health can be substantial. Your health is your responsibility and you owe it to yourself to learn to relax. There are so many relaxation techniques that will help you slow it down, get clarity, and begin again. Try doing what you can to be more positive. I know....it's hard sometimes, but you will reap so many benefits from it; probably more than you realize. Spend less time with people who try to guilt you in to doing things, or tell you that you're not good enough. And the same goes for those people who are constantly complaining or miserable. Stop feeling guilty. Guilt is a potent source of stress. Take care of yourself. Make healthy food choices and exercise regularly. Laugh! Laughter is the best medicine, so go ahead and rent that hilarious movie that you've been wanting to see.  Spend some time alone doing what you love, whether it's reading a good book, taking a hot bath or listening to your favorite music. And last but not least....breathe. Close your eyes, and just breathe.

"Smile, breathe, and go slowly."

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Photo via Being Brazen

Finding balance in you life . . .

I don't believe that 'having balance in your life' means that everything in your world is perfect. In my opinion, it simply means that you are giving enough attention to the things that are important to you. . . . consistently, regardless of what your circumstances are. We all know that life gets hectic. It just does! We are all trying to figure out how to balance our work life, our personal lives, raising kids, taking care of our aging parents AND ourselves. It's a lot to manage, but finding balance in the midst of our daily responsibilities can be done. It takes focus, and the willingness to set priorities. First, try letting go of the need to be in constant control. It is a sure-fire deterrent to managing stress and having balance. Also, we can rest assured that things in our life will change, no doubt.....life is ever-changing! Try being more open to inevitable changes and it will greatly reduce your daily stress.

If you are doing too much, or saying yes when asked to take on yet another project, understand that it is okay to say no. Otherwise, it WILL take a toll on you physically, mentally, emotionally & spiritually. One of my favorite coffee mugs has a saying on it that makes me laugh every time I read it. It says ...."No, I cannot make 4 dozen cookies. Next question." Believe me, when my boys were in school, I made my share of cookies, but I realized that I didn't have to say yes every time I was approached. If you really want to help, make it easy on yourself and buy them instead. The kids will love them just the same. Saying no more often will make room in your life for the things that are more meaningful to you. Invite simplicity into your life, and realize that it will present you with a chance to have balance, a sense of peace, certainly less stress, and much more joy. And by the way, having a sense of humor can't hurt either, so lighten up!

"A well-developed sense of humor

is the pole that adds balance to your steps

as you walk the tightrope of life."

-William Arthur Ward