The Good Life

“There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning and yearning.”
- Christopher Morley

Make it a Magical Monday!

What Do You Want?

Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and ask yourself this question, “What do I need most today?” Perhaps you’d love to take a nap, treat yourself to a scoop of ice-cream, go for a walk outside on your lunch break or join a friend for an afternoon matinee.

It may feel selfish to think of yourself before others but don’t confuse self-awareness with self-absorption. Self-awareness will expand you and keep you connected to the world around you. Self-absorption will keep you stuck in your own little world.

There are things you must do in order to keep your life running smoothly but are you really being productive or just staying busy? There IS a difference. Busyness will keep you in motion, but knowing what you want and acting on it will keep you moving forward.

Are you making choices based on what you want, or what you think you should do? We often fill our life with the things we think we should do and we don’t take time to consider what it is we really want.

Now, what do you need today? What do you want? Knowing what you want in your life begins with knowing what you want today.

Tune into the Magic

"Miracles: You do not have to look for them. They are there, 24-7, beaming like radio waves all around you. Put up the antenna, turn up the volume - snap... crackle... this just in, every person you talk to is a chance to change the world..." -Hugh Elliott, Standing Room Only weblog, May 6, 2003.

Do what you can do today and enjoy the Magic!

Summertime Follow-up

Autumn officially begins on September 22nd this year. That leaves only four more "summertime" Follow-up Fridays to finish this season strong. I have a list of projects I'd like to finish before the weather turns cold. What about you?

What have you been putting off this summer? Review and update your Follow-up Friday list. Be sure to include the end-of-the season projects and anything else that is "in your space". Remember, the things you leave undone and unsaid consume precious energy and leave you feeling tired and drained.

Follow-up, do what you CAN do and let's win this season together!

Beyond Belief

"Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit. " - E. E. Cummings.

According to Merriam-Webster, to believe is to have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something. What would be possible if you believed in your own goodness, efficacy and ability?

Make it a Magical Monday.

Win at Life One Season at a Time

Summer is winding down and fall is fast approaching. How do you feel about the way you've spent your summer months? Are you satisfied? Disappointed? Did you take the time to do some of the things you really wanted to do? It's not too late.

Remember the list I asked you to create last week of the 25 things you wanted to do or would do once you retired or won the lottery? Did you take time to create your list? Did you find this exercise difficult? Did you have trouble coming up with 25 things and only listed 5? Did you blow the whole thing off? Life can slip through our fingers as quickly as the seasons do, and you can win at life one season at a time.

You can win THIS season by making the next few weeks count. Take another look at your list and choose one or two things you can do now, and go do it! If you think you can't afford it, be creative. It is possible to have fun and stay within your budget so don't use your finances as an excuse. Do what you CAN do and enjoy your sweet victories.

You Never Know Where Each Week Might Take You

"It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door," he used to say. "You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to." ~J.R.R. Tolkien, "Three Is Company," The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 1954

Step into your week and enjoy the magic!

Are you winning this season?

Welcome to another Follow-up Friday. At sweetvictories.com we like to break down the year into 4 seasons, and we are halfway into our 3rd season. How is your season going? Have you set some clear goals for yourself based on what is most important to you? Do you still feel overwhelmed at the thought of trying to reorient your life around your values? Follow-up Friday is about taking the small consistent steps that will transform your life, overtime. I want to pose one question for you to ponder this week: What is it you are looking forward to doing in your life after you pay your dues, put in your time, retire, etc. In other words, list 25 things you would do if you won the lottery tomorrow. Hold on to this list because we will use it next week. Now follow-up and let's win this season together!

"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see."
- John Burroughs

Everyone has a "TO-DO" list these days but how about keeping a "TA-DA" list? This is a list of the people and activities that add the spice to our life, and it addresses the very basic need we all have for variety.

Here is a glimpse of my Summer 2009 list:
1) Watching Star Trek episodes with John (On DVD with NO commercials)
2) Visit a winery in Sedona with Mary Beth
3) Camping with John and the kids
4) Hiking and swimming in Hawaii
5) Picnic with family and friends
6) Visit family near the east coast
7) The midnight showing of Harry Potter
8) etc, etc...

Some of these I've done and others I haven't....yet. I have quite a reserve of spices and it feels wonderful. And my to-do list still gets done.

Start your list and enjoy the magic!