We enjoy receiving gifts. We enjoy receiving compliments. There is so much for which to be thankful.

We also receive pleasure and get satisfaction when we give to others. Sometimes we might even welcome giving more than receiving. 

Knowing your gift will make a difference to the recipient.... Perhaps seeing how people react to your gift....

We can experience real joy in giving. It might be as simple as a smile. It could be a compliment or it could be much larger.

Remember to give.

Create your life.

Big actions show quick results that fade over time.

Little things done over and over, day after day, add up and become big things over time.

Whether it's your diet, working out, running, drinking more water, or smiling more. Focus on doing the little things consistently over time to produce meaningful results.

Create your life.

This question does not have to be overwhelming. It helps me to feel less overwhelmed to think small and break it down, even down to the current week, this day, this moment.

Start by deciding how hard you will work.

Start by deciding what you need to do.

Take baby steps to make it happen. 

Keep practicing, keep taking one step after another, and keep getting better at it.

Decide to be GREAT!

Create your life.

In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius wrote to himself: “You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.”

I attended a friend's funeral this week who died in a tragic accident. Another friend pointed out this is a reminder. Memento Mori. We never know how many moments we have left on this earth. Each moment is a gift.

The point is not to be morbid, but to share a reminder, perhaps inspire you, to live a meaningful life. Oh, and remember to tell people you love them or better, show them. ❤

How are you spending your moments?

Are you living your best life?

Create your life.

A friend of our family died this week. We are still stunned, spinning, asking questions for which there are no answers.

This got me thinking. Really got me thinking about who I love and how I want them to remember our last interaction.

Who do you love?

Tell them that you love them.

Tell them that you care about them.

Tell them one more time.

You might not get another chance.

One day, you may never see them again, they may never return home, you may never return home.

Tell them. Now.

Even better, show them that you love them.

I have some work to do. What about you?

Who do you love?

Create your life.

The awesome thing about Dove chocolate candy wrappers is the quote inside. This showed up with my chocolate recently - Be YOU-nique. What a wonderful reminder that we are special and there is nobody else like us! Reframing that thought, YOU are special. Reframing again, *I* am special.

We are all unique, special, and gifted people. The world needs your unique perspective and your unique talents. The world needs you.

Be amazing. Be you.

Create your life.

Life is about making choices. Some choices will work. Some will not. Your choices will create opportunities to make more choices, hopefully better choices.

Failing to make choices guarantees you will never know what you are capable of achieving. 

Commit to something important. Commit to something new. Commit to yourself.

Your success starts by making choices.

Create your life.

What do you do without any purpose to it? Not everything we do needs to have a purpose. Not everything we do needs an outcome. Sometimes its nice to just sit and do nothing and let yourself "go" for a while.

I find this particularly difficult because I often feel there is SO much to be done. And yet, over the last several weeks, I have found myself much more interested in letting go and doing things without any purpose.

For me, that means watching the television (non-sports) and getting lost in a good story (or even a not-so-good story) or enjoying a good laugh.

Yes, there is plenty to do. Yes, it will still be there waiting to be done. Yes, my mind and spirit are much better equipped and prepared to re-engage when it's time to "work" again.

Take time to do nothing. Enjoy the slow down, even if just for a little while.

Create your life.

Go ahead! Talk to yourself instead of listening to yourself.

This one is hard for me, especially on days when negativity is all around. If we listen, we get caught up in the negativity and doubt ourselves. We let our inner critic's voice get louder and might even believe what it says is true. It's all lies.

When we talk to ourselves, we get to focus on the positive and act with courage instead of fear. We talk from our inner authority, the part of us most connected to what we want, who we are, and who we want to be. We connect to our sage.

So, go ahead and tell yourself how great you are and the great things you will accomplish! That will become your truth. You will make that happen.

Create your life.

That should probably be a sign we all wear on our foreheads. We are all under construction. Who we are and who we are becoming is a work in progress. No matter our age.

The important thing is to keep improving. Continue to build on your foundation. Work hard. Learn new things. Try new things. Practice. Get back up when you fall.

Keep the construction going.

Create your life.

Today I revisit lyrics from the song "Everything is Possible Now" by Clouds and Thorns. As the new year gets rolling, these words seem particularly appropriate!

"As time rolls on, I won't let life leave me behind
I can see the future coming
And man it's such a sight
But time will waste me if I don't stop wasting time
Let's dream out loud 
'Cause all we know
Has been turned upside down
Everything is possible now"

This song's upbeat tempo feels good and the words energize my soul. Everything IS possible now.

What possibilities exist for you today?

Create your life.

What can we control? What's out of our control?

As I think about what happened in our country yesterday, it saddens me deeply. That type of activity happens in other countries, not the U.S.!

One way I'm able to keep the sadness from becoming despair is the recognition that this occurrence is out of my control. I cannot control a crowd I'm not part of. On the flip side, I can control my right to vote. I can control how I respond when hearing and seeing horrible things happen.

It's a choice.

Create your life.

P.S. My word for 2021 is BOLD. I want to show up in my life with a fearless and daring spirit. I want to reveal an ability to take risks and be confident and courageous in who I am and who want to be.

What's your word?

Happy New Year!

Start the year by choosing One Word that will provide you with clarity, meaning, and purpose throughout the next year. One Word will help you personally, professionally, and even while playing. You will build new habits focused around your word.

Skip the resolutions that become forgotten within days or weeks. Reconsider your list of goals.

Choose One Word that will stick the entire year!

Next week, I will share my word for 2021.

What will your word be?

Create your life.

"When we feel humiliated, the best reaction is humility." - Simon Sinek

How often have I reacted less favorably than this when feeling humiliated?! Can I count that high?!

This resonates with me because I often react from a perspective of "I'm right" and that separates me from myself and others.

I do not have to be right. When I react with humility, I give power to the relationship. I see the possibilities that arrive with another perspective.

What possibilities might exist when you react with humility?

Create your life.

The better part of my life has been spent seeking perfection. I often focus on what I did not do well or areas where I could improve. The pursuit is exhausting.

As a recovering perfectionist, it's hard to not notice the chinks in the armor. However, during the last few years, I have tried to shift my focus toward what I do well.

Let's choose to focus on our strengths, not our weaknesses. It's a conscious choice.

Choose to amplify your strengths.

Create your life.