Quote of the Day

"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."
~WINSTON CHURCHILL~


I thought this quote was most appropriate following yesterday's post.

You will notice a new link above my picture on the left column, Center Pointe / Holosync. I just got my free demo CD in the mail the other day and I am pretty excited about it. The book that I am currently reading ("Thresholds of the Mind") explains the effects of meditation on the brain waves and neuro-chemicals released in the brain. It is really quite interesting. If you are curious, follow the link and get your free demo. If you are interested in the book check out amazon, "Thresholds of the Mind" by Bill Harris.

'Tis the Season to Clean Out the Closets

We have all heard the phrases; "You get what you give." and "What goes around comes around." right? These are saying we have heard since childhood. In "The Science of Success" James A. Ray dedicates a whole chapter on "The Power of Giving". He explains how the simple act of "giving" sets forth the feeling and vibration of abundance. The more you "give" the bigger and better you feel and in return you attract to yourself more things that make you feel bigger and better. It is a boomerang effect. We have all experienced this feeling of abundance when we have given something to someone that has made them extremely happy.

The great thing is, we don't have to give thousands of dollars to receive the positive effects of giving. Now is the perfect time to go through our closets and donate the things we have not worn or used in the last year. An end of the year cleaning will be good for the soul. We can start 2009 fresh with a feeling of abundance.

Just a week or so ago my husband came home from work and asked me if I had any clothes that I did not wear anymore. I said "umm yeah, why?" and he preceded to tell me a sad story about a teenage girl that a lady at work knows. She only has 2 pairs of pants and a few shirts and the other kids at school make fun of her, so now she doesn't want to go to school anymore. Rod was looking for some clothes to give to her so she wouldn't get picked on at school. I instantly went to the closet and filled one of those huge Old Navy bags full. I took the bag out to his car and put it in his front passenger's seat (so he wouldn't forget to bring it to work). It felt so good to get rid of those clothes, especially when I knew they were going to somebody who needed them. It has been over a week now and I will tell you that I have not missed one piece.

If you think about it, we all have our favorite jeans and a few favorite shirts that we wear most of the time. What does it hurt to give a little something to somebody else, especially if it doesn't fit anymore. If you don't know an individual to donate to you can always donate to the Goodwill or Salvation Army or call a church or school and see if they know of a family in need. Lets start the New Year with clean closets and an overwhelming feeling of abundance.

Quote

"One person caring about another represents life's greatest value."
~JIM ROHN~

The Vision Statement is Working

If you go back in the archives to Oct 13th, you will find my good friend Danielle's vision statement. Read it over and you will sense a woman with ambitious goals and a definite direction in life. It has been only 10 weeks since she finished her vision statement and already things are changing for her.

She has received an amazing promotion at work with a very substantial pay raise. And most recently she passed a major State test that she had to take for work. It seems as though things are just falling into place for her. I can not guarantee that Danielle carries her vision statement with her at all times and reads it 3 times each day. But I can guarantee to you that she did take more than a few days to seriously think about what she wanted and she then took the time to actually put it on paper. She put her request "out there" and her subconscious mind is guiding her in the right direction to get what she wants.

Just the other day I asked Danielle if she was ready to start trying for a second baby and she had an amazing response. She said "No, No, No, Tmarie (that is what she calls me) I have a list of goals that I have to get done before we try for another baby." I said "Oh, I thought that once you passed your test you were going to try." And she responded with "Oh no, I have a whole list of goals that I need to accomplish first, then we will try."

I love it when things go right for my friends and family. I am so happy for her and even happier to hear that she has a list of goals that she is working on. With the New Year right around the corner it is the perfect opportunity for me to remind you how important a vision statement is. Get your vision statement written. If you want or need help call or email me and I will help you. Lets make 2009 a year to remember for all of us.

Quote of the Day

"Happiness is not an accident. Nor is it something you wish for. Happiness is something you design."
~JIM ROHN~

Where is Tonya?

I am "here".... I must apologize for my absence this week and I will not lie and say I will be here more in the week to come. Truthfully, I think it will be safe to say that my time on the computer will be limited from now until the middle of January. Christmas is mine and my husband's favorite time of the year. With two small children we have so many things we want to do with them. We are paving the way for our "special" family traditions. The children always come first.

I will still be blogging, but like I said, my time on the computer will be limited. I have lots of great stuff in store for you. I hope some of you are getting excited about the portable vision board party that I am having in January (no formal date has been set yet but probably after my marathon, which is Jan 11th). I hope you have been cutting and saving some good pictures to use.

I am going to leave you with this quote from Brian Tracy. It fits in nicely with the previous posts on goals.

"Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off your goals"
~BRIAN TRACY~

Purpose VS Goals

All goals need a destination. This is why I can't say enough about the importance of our vision statements . Taking the time to write a vision statement forces us to have a purpose. Without a purpose we are just wandering aimlessly through life hoping something good will happen.What would happen if we went to the bus station or airport and asked for "a ticket" and that was all the information we could give? Chances are we wouldn't end up where we wanted to go. And if we ever did end up where we wanted to go, it would take a lot longer to get there than if we would have just been specific in the first place.

Lets expand on the "trip" metaphor for a moment.
Goals = the preparation for our trip; buying our tickets, booking a motel, packing our suitcase, etc...
Purpose= where we are going, our destination

Our goals may be the set of our sail, but at some point in time we need to decide where we are sailing to.
To be truly fulfilled we need to have a purpose in at least 3 areas of our lives (home, social, and work). Home, of course, being the most important. What type of parent do I want to be? What type of relationship do I want to have with my spouse? What type of house do I want to live in? What State or Country do I want to live in? What will be the important life lessons that I pass on to my children? These are all important questions to ask when trying to give ourselves a purpose.

Socially we need to ask ourselves questions like; What do I want to do for fun? What type of friends do I want to have? What will I do in my free time? What charities will I support?

The third component is "work". What type of job do I want? How much money do I want to make? How will I contribute to society? What investments will I make? What risks will I take?

Once we decide on our destination/purpose it will be easier to figure out what goals we will need to get there. It is a step by step process, one goal at a time. And remember, once we have that burning desire and throw some emotion into the mix our subconscious mind can take over. When our consuming thoughts are positive and focused on our purpose the creative ideas will come to us more readily. Our subconscious mind is continually working on something, why not let it work on "our purpose".

Quote & Thought

"When you choose to be pleasant and positive in the way you treat others, you have also chosen in most cases, how you are going to be treated by others"
~ZIG ZIGLAR~


The holiday season is upon us. With end of the year deadlines arriving, shopping to do, presents to wrap, decorations to put up, baking to do, increased traffic, and decreased tolerance it is easy to forget how to act. I thought this Zig Ziglar quote would be a perfect way to start the week fresh. Lets remember to stay focused and positive towards others this holiday season. If somebody gets short with you; let it go. It probably has nothing to do with you. More than likely they have a list of 20 things they need to get done and they are just frustrated with themselves and their own time management skills.

*****

Many thanks to everybody who made it to the Christmas party on Saturday. The donations for the homeless were great! Robin and I went through them this morning and could not believe how much great stuff we got. I am very proud of all my friends. You guys really did a great thing by helping us collect the items we needed for their Christmas backpacks. Thanks guys!!!

~~~REMINDERS~~~

Just a few reminders for the local readers; this Saturday is our Christmas party. It starts b/n 6:30 & 7pm and goes til about 11pm. Santa will be arriving ~ 8pm. Need to know a definite head count on the children. Address is 6129 Sanctuary Garden Blvd in P.O. Guests are to bring their favorite holiday dish and a donation to the homeless, most of you have already gotten a list of the items needed. But if you have lost it, it is things like soap, washcloths, shampoo, snacks, juice boxes,toothbrushes, toothpaste, neosporin, etc.... Basically the things we use everyday. Myself and Mary Kay are providing deodorant and razors, some jackets and some toothpaste and raisins. Trena bought some jackets and Ellen bought 50 pair of socks. I think Mona is bringing tooth brushes, but I am not 100% sure.

Also Sunday is the last Leukemia / Lymphoma fundraiser. It is being held at the Artic Zone Ice Arena, 2400 S. Ridgewood Ave in South Daytona. It starts at 2pm and goes til 5pm. Cost is $7. If you and your families are free on Sunday you should come out and join us. It will be fun!! There will be Christmas music and hot chocolate. The owners are donating 50% back to us for our fundraising.

Quote

"The walls we build around us to keep out the sadness also keep out the joy."
~~JIM ROHN~~



As I was looking for the perfect quote to leave here tonight, this one just jumped out at me. We all probably know at least one person who has built a protective barrier around themselves so they "don't get hurt". It is sad to think that because they are living on the defense they wont/can't experience life's joy. Share this quote with anyone who you think can benefit from these words of wisdom. Jim Rohn is so great at saying a mouthful in so few words, that is one of the reasons why I love his work so much.

The Importance of Goals

By nature, humans are goal oriented creatures. We like the satisfying feeling we get when we accomplish even the smallest of tasks. That is why writing a "to do" list each day and crossing things off as we go is so helpful. The sense of accomplishment we feel as we cross off each task is as good as a pat on the back. But lets look a little farther ahead than the end of the day. Lets look 1 month, 1 year, 5 years, or even 10 years into the future. Where do we want to be and what goals do we need to reach to get there.

Our goals are like the wind in our sail. They give us the umph we need to get busy. Goals give our subconscious mind an invisible road map to follow. Lets think about the major areas of our lives and figure out where we could use some new goals. We've got financial/work, relationships/family, intellectual/mental, physical, and spiritual. Where are we under performing? I know there are a few areas in my life that could benefit from a goal remodification.

Lets all make a list of at least 2 goals in each area that we want to accomplish by the end of the year, that will give us almost a month. They don't have to be anything major, just something you can write down and cross off as you accomplish them. I'll throw out a few ideas to get your mind moving in the right direction.

financial/work: take a 3 day weekend off, open a savings account for the kids or if they already have one; ut $20 into their accounts instead of buying another toy, count the change in the nightstand drawer....

relational/family: call an old friend, call your grandparents, send out Christmas cards, buy a toy for Toys For Tots, take your kids to look at Christmas lights, put on a jacket and go for a walk on the beach (if you live on the coast), go to a movie with your spouse/kids, get some sidewalk chalk and play hop scotch in the driveway, ask your kids what their goals are.....

intellectual/mental: go to the museum, read a good book, register for a cooking or sewing class at the local community college, think of something you want to learn about and research it online, take your kids to the library.....

physical: go to a salon and get your hair cut/colored/highlighted, go to the gym, go for a walk in the neighborhood, get a massage, get a manicure, go to the dentist, go to the doctor for a physical, get an eye exam, go 1 day with out soda.....

spiritual: go to a quiet place (outside...like a park, the ocean, the woods, etc) and just sit still for 30 minutes (with no phone) and just breathe, say a prayer someone, go to church, tell God what you are thankful for.....

That is a pretty good list to start with, now read it over and pick a few or come up with a few of your own ideas. Make your list and actually write it down and as you accomplish your goals go ahead and cross them off. It really does feel wonderful. This little exercise will put us all in a great goal oriented mindset for the new year.