What is Your Recipe for Life?

The month of May was busy with celebrations and A LOT of reflecting on the past.  Hitting the milestone of 65 and celebrating 4 years was HUGE for me.  I am amazed at how much my mindset has changed over the last 3 years…

On the days I least expect it, I am reminded of the importance of changing your mindset in all areas of your life especially during those woe is me days.  You know, the days we sit on the “pity pot” focusing on the negative instead of counting our blessings.  These kind of days are fewer and far between since I have been working on the steps and me.  They still come but today I have tools to keep them from lasting too long.

It is usually someone around me who notices the negative mindset or the “attitude” long before I do.  Today, I very seldom wait for the third duck before I start looking at whether or not I need to change my mindset.  Let me explain…When I was in rehab back in 1991 (yup this is one thing that has always stuck with me), I remember a saying something like this: If one person calls you a duck – you can toss it aside, if two people call you a duck – it deserves some consideration but if three people call you a duck – you MUST be a duck!”  Have you ever heard this?

Do you need to change your mindset? Do you need to train your brain  to think positively?  Here are a few tips to help you:

• Believe in yourself – remind yourself daily how awesome you are.
• Empower yourself – remind yourself you always have choices.
• Believe in the impossible – remind yourself anything is possible.
• Look for the good – remind yourself to reframe situations using the tools above.

I will admit, this is a struggle for me some days when new situations trigger old memories, the old behaviors want to come out.  I am learning to STOP 🛑 for a moment, usually saying the Serenity Prayer and then move forward.  I look at how far I have come and remember, feelings pass unless I want to hold on to them and dwell in the muck.

Focusing on the good things in my life and practicing gratitude is a big help.  Surrounding myself with positive people instead of the Negative Nellies is key too.  Maybe this will help you in changing your mindset or counting your blessings:

Begin with a case of Joy

Add a heaping spoonful of Gratitude

Fold in a large dollop of Kindness

Stir in a handful of Forgiveness

Sprinkle liberally with Love and cover with Peace

Always serve with a large side of Faith

(Author unknown)

 

What is your recipe for life?  Have an Epic day!

What is Your Recipe for Life?

The last two weeks have been an emotional roller coaster.  Our sweet Baby (fur baby) is nearing the end of her life because of a tumor. Father’s Day causes me to stress because I’ve lost so many memories. Hubby’s pain levels have been higher than normal. Restless nights so my sleep is off.

All of these things tend to leave me feeling drained.  I am by no means complaining, but I guess it sounds like it, right?  LOL.  I will admit, I have found myself on the “pity pot” several times this week which leads to resentments which is never good for this recovering addict.

It always amazes me how listening to a business training call can change my entire mindset.  The topic was “power hour” and I was ready to just mindlessly listen when the importance of changing our mindset was mentioned…. Not only does this apply to business but also in our everyday lives, especially during those woe is me days.  Then while reading my Just for Today… it was all about surrendering. Do you think God is trying to send me a message?

When I was in rehab, I remember a saying something like: If one person calls you a duck – you can toss it aside, if two people call you a duck – it deserves some consideration but if three people call you a duck – you MUST be a duck!”  I am not waiting for the third person because I know I need to change my mindset and get off the pity pot!

So starting this morning, this duck is changing her mindset.  Do you need to change your mindset?

Here are a few questions you can answer which might help:

1. Identify what happened to cause the change
2. Why did it happen
3. How can I use this for my personal growth
4. What changes can I make to improve in the future
5. Where can I find help or who can help

This “recipe for life” was part of a devotion I was reading.  Maybe this will help you in changing your mindset or counting your blessings:

Begin with a case of Joy

Add a heaping spoonful of Gratitude

Fold in a large dollop of Kindness

Stir in a handful of Forgiveness

Sprinkle liberally with Love and cover with Peace

Always serve with a large side of Faith

(Author unknown)

 

What do you do to change your mindset or get off the “pity pot”? Maybe you take a walk and count your blessings.  Maybe you do a gratitude list.  Maybe you put on some music and dance around.  Share your best tip with us!  Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Recipe for A New Life

This month seems to be full of transformations…..It has been 6 years since hubby’s 10 day hospital stay which ended with a defib pacemaker which changed our life slightly.  I just celebrated one year in recovery after a VERY long relapse.  I am feeling like God is setting me up for a change in my life.  I am by no means complaining, although as you can tell by my recent posts, life has been a roller coaster of emotions…

There have been signs all around me about changing my mindset and the importance of it….. from posts on Facebook to conversations with friends to my Just for Today devotionals.  Not only does this apply to everyday life but it I am seeing how it is being applied in my business.

When I was in rehab, I remember a saying which went something like this: If one person calls you a duck – you can toss it aside, if two people call you a duck – it deserves some consideration but if three people call you a duck – you MUST be a duck!”  I haven’t been called a “duck” lately BUT I am seeing some of my passion moving in other directions.  In the past, this has been when I jumped ship at a job – it didn’t happen often especially after I got into Social Work.  For now, I am lookin for my purpose and seeking my passion…

So starting this morning, this duck is going to work on making a change from muddling through the waters to finding my joy.  Letting go of fear and doubt is the toughest thing for me.  The people pleaser in me doesn’t want to let anyone down, and doesn’t want to disappoint anyone.  The problem is, I can’t figure out if this is a temporary thing as a result of some MS issues or if my passion is truly changing.

Do you need to change your mindset?  Here are a few questions you can answer which might help:

1. Identify the what happened to cause the change
2. Why did it happen
3. How can I use this for my personal growth
4. What changes can I make to improve in the future
5. Where can I find help or who can help

This is “recipe for life” was part of a devotion I had read.  Maybe this will help you in changing your mindset or counting your blessings:

Begin with a case of Joy

Add a heaping spoonful of Gratitude

Fold in a large dollop of Kindness

Stir in a handful of Forgiveness

Sprinkle liberally with Love and cover with Peace

Always serve with a large side of Faith

(Author unknown)

 

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

In The Eyes of a Child

Today’s is a re-blog of Vanessa Coppes

YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM A MISTAKE IS IN DIRECT PROPORTION TO YOUR ABILITY TO GET OVER IT

Mistakes…We don’t like them, avoid them, blame them on others, run away from them…(sigh) but they happen. I am the first one to admit to imperfection and if I’ve learned anything in my 35 years is this: when a mistake has been made on your behalf, your opportunity to learn from it is in direct proportion to your ability to get over it. 

Quick example: My 5 year old son missed the school bus the other day. He was playing inside his new fort instead of standing by the window like he’s supposed to every morning 5 minutes before pickup time. His excitement to play in his new fort trumped his responsibility to be ready for school on time.

Now,  you may be wondering where was I while all of this was happening…Well, I was standing right there beside him.

See… I set a timer for him in the mornings because it helps us both stay on track. He knows how much time he has to play before school and I know when to crank up the heat. But he and I have had this “morning drama” more often than not. and since I’ve decided to steer clear from drama in my life, I realized he needed a consequence for his choice. I am trying to teach my son awareness and that there are good and bad consequences for the choices you make.

He heard the timer go off indicating him it was time to go, he ignored my request to go stand by the door… and a few minutes later, he heard the bus drive away from our house…all I could hear was a hysterical “NoOoOoOo!!!!!!”

Later that day, he apologized for not listening to me and said something that left in awe, “Mama, I am going to throw this day away and start with a better one tomorrow.” The next morning I did not have to say a word. In fact he was ready before I even asked him to.

Embrace mistakes as lessons in your personal development. Your opportunity to learn from it is in direct proportion to your ability to get over it.

How do YOU handle mistakes?  In my “previous life”, I was hesitant to admit my mistakes for fear of what people would think.  As we count the hours to the deadline for holiday orders, I pray I will embrace any mistakes I make.  When life gets crazy and we are rushed, mistakes happen… the question is, how will you handle it?

When I became a MOM many years ago, I learned it was important to admit my mistakes and take ownership of them.  I didn’t want my daughter growing up putting mom on a pedestal which could topple and crumble, leaving her filled with doubts and heartache.  It was a great learning lesson for me as I embraced my mistakes over the years.  I know it sounds crazy but some of those mistakes have made me the person I am today.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

On the Road to National Conference

By the time you see this post, I will be on my way to National Conference.  A road trip with two girls from my team and my momma.

What is National Conference and why should YOU go to yours???

National Conference is the biggest party of the year and creates the most amazing energy and excitement.  It is an opportunity to not only meet other consultants, but it is also a chance to fill your cup.  Many of us spend all year filling the cups of others with little time for ourselves – this is your opportunity!

This year over 7,000 Thirty One consultant will converge on Columbus, Ohio to paint the town PINK!  The welcome in Columbus is AMAZING.  I am always surprised to hear there are actually people who have never heard of Thirty One Gifts.  REALLY??

You will want to bottle up the energy so you can take it home to pour on yourself and others when we lose momentum?  It won’t be long and we will be heading into the busiest selling season of the year, so you want to ride the National Conference Wave all the way into the fall.

Did you know????  These are the stats from last year’s Thirty One Conference.  Although the numbers may vary, the same rings try in all direct sales companies.  Individuals who attend conference, are overall more productive during the year.

Attendees, on average, submit more Personal Volume after attending Conference:

New Consultants – extra $2,753/year
Tenured Consultants – extra $1,948/year
Attendees, on average, have more parties after attending Conference:

New Consultants – extra 4.9/year
Tenured Consultants – extra 3.2/year
Attendees, on average, recruit more after attending conference:

New Consultants – extra 1/year
Tenured Consultants – extra 1/year

In addition:

95% of those who attended the Conference 2016 were still active as of October 2016 compared to 69% of those who did not attend  Those who attended Conference last year were 5.1 times more likely to promote. So to summarize, Consultants who attend Conference are overall more productive – more active – more engaged.

And don’t you want this for you and your team?

  So, what can you do to get ready?

Prepare in Advance

I know this sounds like a no-brainer, right? BEFORE you go to conference, you want to decide what you want to accomplish in the three months following the conference.  What will you need to make it happen?

If you are a leader? Take some time to help each of the people attending conference to prepare their plan, too. When you come home loaded with the tools to accomplish your personal goals, you will be catapulted into action.

Be Focused at Conference

Conference is filled with LOTS of information and it can be overwhelming.  If you have a plan for where you want to be in 3 months, it will help you to focus your attention on what YOU need to learn and grow in the areas to make your plan a reality. If your goal is to recruit, gather tips on recruiting. Introduce yourself to the top recruiters in the company and spend time with them. Prepare a few questions about recruiting in advance to ask the people you meet. When you narrow your focus, the information you receive will be less overwhelming.  If your focus is on more sales, look for those who are tops in sales or in hosting parties?  Get some fresh ideas.  Be willing to step out of your comfort zone to try some of the things you learn.

Follow Up

Here are some tips from successful leaders on how to help YOUR team move forward with the information they gathered at National Conference.

• Create a plan to put the ideas you gathered to work before you get home and get caught back up in life.
• Schedule time to make follow up calls to your conference attendees the first week back. Help them get started right away so they don’t’ lose their momentum.
• Have a meeting or team conference/Zoom call scheduled a few days after the conference. Ask each person who attended to share their three best ideas. This will recognize those who attended the conference, help them focus what they learned and the rest of the team will catch the conference wave, too.

National Conference is a big investment for you and your company. Make it make a difference in your life (business and personal) by planning and following up!

Who is going to their National Conference and where is it being held?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!