These Joy of Connecting networking events are coming up in April. Find one near you and start connecting!

Vacations are wonderful! There’s something exhilarating about getting away, leaving the routine, responsibilities, and daily stresses behind to enjoy new experiences and surroundings. Being away offers a break from phones, faxes, e-mails, palm pilots, and other interruptions. It’s the time I set aside to explore, read, relax, to make easy decisions and to usually eat more then is required. The problem with vacations is they are never long enough and we don’t take them as often as we should.

We can take shorter breaks besides vacations. Sometimes a day or overnight can be just the divergence I need to clear my head, to look at life from a new perspective, or to experience something different. Taking time out from my usual schedule, whether it’s for sightseeing, to visit with out of town friends, or to play, is a reward I give myself. I am giving myself permission to feel unencumbered and non-productive for a short period of time.

There is, however, irony to this scenario. No matter where I go, regardless for how long, I still experience an overwhelming sense of relief and comfort each time I return to my community, my street, my driveway and my house. When I see that place and the space and settle into the space that is home I am so grateful. Whether I’ve traveled by car or by plane, from a nearby location or from a long distance, as I enter my home I feel the warmth and comfort of familiar surroundings. The feeling of being home again is one of reassurance and safety.

The magic to all of this is to thoroughly enjoy where you are at any given time. When on vacation, feel the excitement of new places and enjoy and celebrate them with gratitude. When it’s time to return home be equally grateful that you have a place that is yours. When I get into my bed after being away, place my head on my pillow, pull the covers up and over me and drift into sleep, I know there is no place like home!

Knowing who you are is vital to your success. Susan Brown’s blog encourages you to have fun while you do your self-discovery work. As a bonus, she provides links to three FREE tests that help you APPRECIATE and USE your unique qualities and brilliance.

…I love taking the kind of tests that reveal more about me and I think you feel the same about yourself.  Why?

TESTS offer a CLEARER PERSPECTIVE of you! 

Tests help UNLOCK the MYSTERY of YOU.

They provide invaluable information as to WHY YOU INTERPRET LIFE  the way you do; the  BEST WAYS TO LEARN; what KIND OF WORK or career best suits you; how to OPTIMIZE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS and create  AUTHENTIC HAPPINESS to name a few.

Tests give you clues as to why you excel, fail or struggle  with  things and people –  in ALL AREAS of your life.

The FREE tests below will help you APPRECIATE and USE the uniqueness and brilliance of you!

I’ve selected three tests that offer information to help you ELEVATE YOUR LIFE.   Have fun with the results and keep in mind:   Angels fly because they take themselves lightly. When we do the same we allow our spirits to soar.— Anonymous

[ CLICK to Read More ]

Ever wonder if there will ever be time for just you? As women we manage many tasks, wear many hats, and are involved in a multitude of activities. There are days when the day ends and I keep going. Finally, when I have the opportunity to do something just for me, I’m too tired to think about it. Something is wrong with this picture!

I challenge you to pick up a women’s magazine that doesn’t address the value of making time for ourselves. There are ads inviting and encouraging us to treat ourselves to a day at the spa, to take a long, luxurious bath with candles while listening to soothing music, to visit the beach, or to go on a trip designed for pleasure and not business. I wonder, how many women REALLY take time to do the things we deserve. Do you?

For me the real issue is priorities. How can I fulfill the constant demands on my time, delegate or eliminate the things I do because I’ve always done them, and provide a window of time that is flexible and fulfilling just for me? What price do I pay on my mental and physical well-being by NOT putting “me” time on my list? The reality is if I don’t make myself a priority no one else will do it for me.

I once read that everything in life we create, promote or allow. If there is something that we don’t like, we have the choice to change it, because we are in the driver’s seat of our life’s journey. That being said, I’ve decided to take time to re-evaluate my schedule and re-prioritize my activities. I choose to feel good about myself, to be worthy of indulgences every now and then, and to eliminate the feelings of guilt when I say “no” to the world’s demands and “yes” to my own needs. I am making a commitment to take time for me. I encourage you to do the same.

Just finished being a guest of Colethea Jenkins BGE Radio show (that’s build, grow and enjoy). Such a great time. Thank you Colethea for the opportunity to share my business with your listening audience!

The program was recorded. CLICK HERE to listen

Build Grow and Enjoy Radio We Deliver Wellness www.blogtalkradio.com. Join Colethea and Working Diva Entrepreneur extraordinaire Mrs. Nancy Ploener as she speaks on a great opportunity for those looking to grow towards the future. It’s time to take control of your future www.buildgrowandenjoy.com.

While they seem the same, there is a huge difference between eyesight and vision. Eyesight is the ability to see what is; vision is the ability to see possibilities of what can be. There are many indicators in our world today the power of having vision. Today’s visions shape tomorrow’s opportunities. The strides we make now are the building blocks to what lies ahead. Remember those individuals who have devoted their lives to world peace, knowing that they may not live to see it’s reality. Look at those in the medical field who continue their research for cures and hold a vision of universal health.

What about educators who devote themselves to eliminating illiteracy? There will always be people committed to a better future because they have the vision to see what is invisible to others.

Successful people are colossal dreamers. They can imagine the future and visualize the outcome. They work daily toward their vision. Visionaries are steadfast in their beliefs and unstoppable in their pursuits. They don’t allow the environment, other people’s beliefs, or their own limitations hold them back from their dreams. Only when one ignores conventionalism can one achieve the unthinkable. Had I considered the continuous challenge of writing this column instead of believing in a vision of how my
experiences might help another, I may have questioned my ability to do so! Moving forward toward uncharted waters when you have faith in a vision for yourself or others creates future possibilities.

People living life by habit refer to life as “same old..same old.” People with vision acknowledge change, welcome progress, and expect great results because it’s what they expect of themselves.

We can’t move forward standing still. Napoleon Hill, author of “Think And Grow Rich” stated it best. “Cherish your visions and dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.” I encourage you to go beyond the reality of what you see at this moment to your vision of what you wish for the future.