A very Merry Christmas to each of you! We are so grateful for the beauty you add to our life. May 2011 be your best year ever, filled with magic moments and spectacular achievements. Remember to love each person where they are at. Give a smile to each person you meet. Make your days count. Life may not be perfect but it is still a gift. 

The BEattitudes for the Season

BE Grateful

BE Loving

BE Wise

BE Kind

BE Patient

BE Forgiving

BE Happy

BE YOU

We love you. 

The Wisdom of Appreciation...

Appreciation:

The recognition of the quality, value, significance or magnitude of people and things

Recognition of the quality or value of things:

Many people picture a brilliant diamond when thinking of something of value. Recently, I met some wonderful people from South Africa who were enamored with my name. They were giddy when telling me of the world renowned Kimberley Mine in Kimberley, North Cape, South Africa and the Argyle Diamond Mine in Kimberley, in the far north-east of Western Australia. With their eyes, they expressed the value they held of these diamond mines. They conveyed a whole new appreciation for my name and shared such love when talking of my potential inside because I was given such a first name. How humbling that a new acquaintance could have that level of appreciation.

Recognition of the significance of people and their feelings:

Last weekend, we traveled a distance to gather for a family wedding. The joy of the occasion was not enough to overlook a fast moving virus which was attacking my youngest child. I had no choice but to go back to the hotel and give her rest. Her fever soared, her stomach pained and she collapsed in bed. She expelled every ounce of food from her frail body. In her weakness she relied fully on me to ‘make it all better’. I sat on the floor, stroking her hair waiting for her to fall asleep. The tears began to softly fall down her cheek; there was something she wanted to say. The words pierced my heart as would any mother who had spent the last 12 years in sheer devotion to her child who had overcome so much sickness. Her lips quivered as she said “Daddy promised to dance with me at the wedding dance.” I knew how much this meant to her and I too began to sob. So many emotions came forward – but the thing that overshadowed all the grief at that point was my appreciation for her sweet sensitive heart. How grateful I was to be learning from an innocent child: how to appreciate the significance of people.

What quality, value, significance or magnitude do you appreciate in people or things?

Today is a new day…may you find appreciation for everyone and everything around you.

 

Connecting Face-to-Face and Heart-to-Heart...

After months of not seeing each other, a good friend and I met recently for coffee. Our lives travel slightly different roads right now, but there remains a firm foundation in which our values, interests and families are similar. Because of the long absence, there were many updates for each of us to share. However, I was astonished to see that three hours disappeared in a flash. While driving home that afternoon alone with my thoughts in my minivan, I reflected on the special time I just had with my friend. My spirits were lifted, I felt calmer and more at peace. A new energy was present. I was refreshed and ready to get back to my life.

We seem to get so lost in our daily routine and before we know it, days, weeks and months have disappeared. Our first instinct is to throw out a quick email or text to ‘check-in’ with our friend…when deep inside, what we really desire is to laugh, share and connect face to face and heart to heart.

Now you are probably, thinking how can I fit it in? Have you seen my schedule? One thing that might help you get started making more connections, is to make an appointment. Schedule your connection time with your friends just like you would to see the doctor, dentist or go on a vacation. There are a couple of ways I plan my connection time. One group of my friends gets together the last Tuesday of every month. We call it Mom’s Night Out. Husbands and children are not allowed. There are times that some are not able to make it so they just plan for the next month. Additionally, my family knows in advance that I’m unavailable that night because it is on the calendar. Another friend and I meet on the 13th of the month, no matter what day of the week it is. Again, it’s on the calendar.

Putting a priority on maintaining relationship with your friends and family is just as vital as success in business place. A blend of the two areas can create a happier, healthier you. Believe me…YOU are worth it! Flip the Switch and reconnect with someone today.