Thankful Thursday: Focus

Today I am thankful for having focus….

Life with MS can be difficult – not usually physically for me but mentally.  Focus is defined as “a center of activity, attraction“. On any given day brain fog makes focusing on anything next to impossible.

Since stopping my Co-paxone (the doctor said it wasn’t helping with the change in diagnosis), I find I am having more days where I can focus.  On those days Negative Nellie and Doubtful Debbie pay a visit and I don’t need to tell you what happens then.  A mini-pity party starts and NOTHING gets done.

Some days, I loose focus because I try to get too much done in one day.  Sometimes I just wake up in a fog.  I keep a list in my planner and am grateful I am able to tick off more things getting done.  I love seeing the pink highlighter line meaning I have completed a task.  Some days I squirrel.  Yup, I have a plan and then get side tracked by something else.  Now, it could be something which also needs to be done BUT instead of being grateful to get another task done,  I look at the fact I am behind schedule.  Tell me I am not alone, right?

I listened to a John Maxwell program where Les Brown talked about focusing on what we have and not what we don’t have.  When we do this, we will get more done.  WOW!  What a way to change perspective.  Instead of thinking about all of the things I don’t get done and how behind I am – cleaning, errands, making phone calls, creating new angels, shipping orders, following up with customers, etc. You get the picture right?

I need to STOP and think… I am blessed to have customers to call, people who want to place orders, the ability to create things and a space to do all of this in.  The truth is the more I focus on the negative, the worse things get.  So I have asked Negative Nellie and Doubtful Debbie to leave. I am ready to restart my day with a change in my focus.

I never lose sight of my overall goals but when I focus on what I don’t have versus what I do have, they seem unattainable.  Life may toss you a load of lemons but it is what you do with them that makes the difference.  Will you make lemonade and share with everyone or will you grumble about the fact that it takes too much time and energy to make the lemonade?

What are you focusing on this morning – what you have or what you don’t?  Change your focus and see what happens.

Have a blessed day!

 

What is YOUR Limit?

It is one week till Christmas and the mad rush is on.   It was one of those mornings when I wasn’t sure what to write about.  I know, amazing, right?  Then I listened to “Minute with Maxwell” on LIMITS!

The definition of LIMIT is a restriction on the size or amount of something permissible or possible.  There are limits for our own protection – like speed limits.  Restrictions can help to keep us safe from the world around us.  We limit our kids when they are growing up to protect them as they learn to set their own boundaries.  As adults though, do our LIMITS prohibit us from stepping out of our comfort zones?  Do we LIMIT ourselves in our dreams, when setting goals and as a result LIMIT our potential to achieve all of the blessings God has in store for us?

At the end of John Maxwell’s video, he issued a challenge – share this word with someone and ask THEM if they have placed LIMITS on themselves they need to lift?

WOW!  This was something I needed to hear this morning.  I dream big, set goals and share them with all who will listen (or who are reading my blog).  Honestly, internally, I place LIMITS on things.  I allow Doubtfully Debbie and Negative Nellie to hang on the edges of my dreams just waiting for the chance to find a crack in the door so they can enter.

I LIMIT myself without even realizing it sometimes when I hesitate and wonder “what will people think”.  I LIMIT myself when I give Doubtful Debbie even a moment of consideration before doing something.  My self imposed limits may have kept me from reaching my goal weight or recruiting new team members or event growing my business – not allowing myself to reach my full potential.  I know this is ALOT to think about with Christmas just around the corner BUT this may be the perfect time.

Many will be setting New Year’s Resolutions over the next two weeks.  Will your resolution be limited or will you let yourself dream big stretching your limits?

What are your limits?  Are they self-imposed to keep you from reaching YOUR full potential?  Does your self-imposed limit keep you in your comfort zone?

My challenge to you today is to FIRST, listen to Minute with Maxwell.  I take one minute ever morning to hear his motivating words which sets the tone for the day.  SECOND, identify YOUR self-imposed limits and work on lifting them so you can reach YOUR full potential.  The “Sky’s the Limit”  reminds you: “Nothing will be impossible for you!” So, shoot for the stars! If you fall, you’ll land on a cloud!

I would love to hear your thoughts on the word “LIMITS”.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

What are your LIMITS

It is Monday morning, the Christmas rush is on and believe it or not, I wasn’t sure what to write about this morning.  I know, amazing, right?  Then today’s word with “Minute with Maxwell” popped into my inbox.. LIMITS!

Let’s start with the definition of LIMIT which is a restriction on the size or amount of something permissible or possible.  There are some limits that are for our own protection – like speed limits.  The restrictions that help to keep us safe from the world around us.  We limit our kids when they are growing up to protect them as they learn to set their own boundaries.  As adults though, do our LIMITS prohibit us from stepping out of our comfort zones?  Do we LIMIT ourselves in our dreams, when setting goals and as a result LIMIT our potential to achieve all of the blessings that God has in store for us?

At the end of John Maxwell’s morning video, he issued a challenge – share this word with someone and ask THEM if they have placed LIMITS on themselves that they need to lift?  WOW!  This was something that I needed to hear this morning.  I dream big, set goals and share them with all who will listen (or who are reading my blog).  Honestly, internally, I place LIMITS on things.  I allow Doubtfully Debbie and Negative Nellie to hang on the edges of my dreams just waiting for the chance to find a crack in the door so that they can enter.  I LIMIT myself without even realizing it sometimes when I hesitate and wonder “what will people think”.  I LIMIT myself when I let give Doubtful Debbie event a moments consideration before doing something.  My self imposed limits may have kept me from reaching my goal weight or recruiting new team members or event growing my business – not allowing myself to reach my full potential.  I know that is ALOT to think about this morning, especially on a Monday.

What are your limits?  Are they self-imposed to keep you from reaching YOUR full potential?  Does your self-imposed limits keep you in your comfort zone?

My challenge to you today is to FIRST, listen to Minute with Maxwell.  I take one minute ever morning to hear his motivating words and it helps to set the tone for the day.  SECOND, identify YOUR self-imposed limits and work on lifting them so that you can reach YOUR full potential.  The “Sky’s the Limit”  reminds you that: “Nothing will be impossible for you!” So, shoot for the stars! If you fall, you’ll land on a cloud!

I would love to hear your thoughts on the word “LIMITS”.  Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Focus

This morning my minute from John Maxwell word was “FOCUS” with his guest Les Brown.  For those of you who have never heard John Maxwell, this is a great start to the morning.  Each day, he or his guest choose one word and share perils of wisdom.  I look forward to them because they are usually something that I need to hear.

Today was one of those days.  I don’t know about you but I tend to loose focus then time management becomes a problem. Negative Nellie and Doubtful Debbie pay a visit and I don’t need to tell you what happens then.  I was on the border this morning – you know that kind of morning when you have a plan in place and then you get side tracked by something else.  I was set to come to the office and work diligently when I noticed the bathroom needed to be cleaned.  So I stopped, cleaned it and then went for coffee and the office.  A slight detour but I had been saying I was going to do it for two days – now it is done.  So instead of looking at what I had accomplished, I was looking at the fact that I was behind in my schedule.

As I listened to Les Brown, he  talked about focusing on what we have and not what we don’t have – we will get more done.  WOW!  What a way to change my perspective this morning.  I came down to my office this morning thinking about all of the things that I didn’t get done and how behind I was in making calls, following up with customers, okay, you get the picture right?  Then this message made me stop and think… I am blessed to have customers to call, people who want to have parties and an amazing new computer with a new lightening speed router.  Yes, there are bills to pay.  Yes, parties postponed which change “my plan” for earning the company’s latest incentive.  The truth is the more that I focus on the negative, the worse things get.  So I have asked Negative Nellie and Doubtful Debbie to leave and I am ready to restart my day with a change in my focus.

I have never lost sight of my overall goals but when I focus on what I don’t have versus what I do have, they seem unattainable.  Life may toss you a load of lemons but it is what you do with them that makes the difference.  Will you make lemonade and share with everyone or will you grumble about the fact that it takes too much time and energy to make the lemonade?

What are you focusing on this morning – what you have or what you don’t?  Change your focus and see what happens.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

#hope