V's Must-Haves for Everyone

Always running out of time.... Well, Just Say No!

2009-07-22T01:25:00.000-07:00

For the past several months, I was convinced that I could do everything and anything. Time was the least of my worries.... Well, it wasn't until I actually attempted to do EVERYTHING. As a result, I was sleeping less and was not as effective as I used to be because I was always thinking about what I have to do next.

Am I alone here or can someone relate to this.... :)

So, I finally had to face reality. I told myself, "I am not super-woman, super-mom, super-wife, super-sales person...". You get my point. I was only going to say yes to the things that I could actually accomplish within a reasonable time... Sounds great, doesn't it? Well, it was a nice plan, but I failed miserably.

Then it was time to call in the reinforcements. I spoke to a few friends and one of them gave a great suggestion from a seminar they had attended recently. She said that whatever I do, just "BE WITH" that particular thing, person, etc.... BE WITH...If you think about it, if you stay focused on what you are doing at the present, you can complete that task quickly or if you are with someone, you are actually spending quality time with him or her. They will actually see how important they are to you and not the text message or email that just came in on your iPhone. :)

Another resource presented itself through my pastor. He let me borrow a DVD on time management by Brian Tracy. It was such a great seminar. He teaches this basic principle: Your family is the priority over all and you prioritize work around family time. I don't know why this seems so far fetched for me, but I've always been career oriented. Now that I have a husband and a child, I never really thought about re-prioritizing the focus of my passion and drive.

He also teaches you about creating great habits and how to sort through all of the things that are presented to you.

So, armed with all of this great knowledge, I've started taking things one day at a time and Being with whatever I am doing as well as starting off my day with a prioritized list.

It would be great to hear from anyone else that has some great tools that worked for them.

Thinking of Dad

2009-06-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

This past Father’s Day had me thinking of family and Dad’s especially. I lost my father at a young age so I don’t really know what it’s like growing up as Daddy’s Little Girl…. However, a lot of my friends do know what that means. In the past year, several of my friends lost their fathers. Even though I know how hard it is to lose someone, I really did not understand what the impact of losing a Dad had on someone. Then while watching my husband with our 10 month old, I noticed how much love and joy the two of them were experiencing and then it click.

WOW…. It truly is a special bond that a little girl has with her father. It’s something that you have to live to really know or to be around to see it at first hand.

I am so thankful and hopeful that my daughter will get to experience this joyful bond with her Dad. I also hope that for those that have a Dad, they truly appreciate and take advantage of the time that they have together. To those who have lost their Dad and was not able to get that one last hug this past father’s day, I pray that your wonderful memories provide you with comfort and that same joy you once experienced with him.

You know, when I think about it, even though I lost my biological Dad early on, God put many “Dad’s” in my life along the way to help me through critical moments. I guess God really does provide everything you need.

So....

To all the Dad's who were there for their families and anyone who was around who needed a Dad... Thank you. You help children become balanced, smart, and loving individuals.....

Have a blessed and productive week.
V

Tired and thinking of giving up on your dreams? Well, don't. Don't quit!

2009-06-14T23:49:00.000-07:00

This past week or so, the same theme kept presenting itself to me. No matter how tough life gets don't give up!

This same message came in many forms....

I met a woman who had went through a bad divorce and tried to take her life several time, but thanks to God and her family she was unsuccessful and then got herself together.

I met another woman who went through a divorce and had then struggled to keep her home. Instead of giving up she came up with a creative way to keep her home. She rented out the rooms that her and her daughter didn't use and now she can breath. Even though it was hard to give up her privacy, she still has her home for her family.

Then I received a book from a friend that talked about not giving up on your dream of owning your own business. Most people give up in the first year, but if you keep going and keep focused on the big picture, you will reach your dreams.

Finally, the sermon at church this week was on having dreams that you pursue and focusing on your vision and passion that God put in you. He also said that most people give up when the work begins to get hard and never reach their dreams.

My pastor said something so powerful and yet so simple it impacted me so greatly. He said something to this effect: The mundane man is the man who believes only what he sees, only what is immediate, only what he can put his hands on. He may be a truck driver, a banker, a college president, a clerk, or a junk dealer, - his occupation does not matter. The mundane man lacks depth. He lacks vision. The poorest of all men is not the one without a nickel to his name. he is a fellow without a dream.

No matter if you have money or not, if you don't have something in your life that you are working towards, then what are you doing? Why aren't you doing something? Is it because you are afraid to fail?

Another speaker, actually a college grad, referenced another quote that had me searching for the source. Here it is... Quite powerful, so be open to receive... Ready?

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?Actually, who are we not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others.

Source: A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson, as quoted by Nelson Mandela in his inaugural speech, 1994

Well, alright then..... If ALL of us were born to be great in different ways, why do we give up on ourselves so easy? I know I have so many times, it's pretty embarrassing. But another thing that came up in all of my experiences this week helped me shine light on my WHY and probably yours.

We lose focus on our vision or dream because we get caught up in the small things.... Troubles will arise, that's just life. My Pastor, Dr. Stanley Long, said it best today. We should change our perspective on the problems that arise while still keeping focused on the Vision. View these troubles or issues as stepping stones towards our dream. If you lose your passion and forget the vision, go back to where it came from and ask to get that fire back.

So, this week, I challenge all of us to change your perspective of the troubles in your life and keep your eye and passion towards your dreams. Don't give up, no matter what. If you are one of those people that think your problems are too hard to overcome, remember there is always someone else who has it worse.... It's not always going to be easy, but one day in the near future, you will reap the fruits of your labor.

If you don't know what your dream or passion is, I think it's time you take a pause and really spend time with God and yourself to figure it out.

Post your thoughts...

Living without fear

2009-06-04T02:34:00.000-07:00

This week I've talked to a lot of people around giving and I've noticed that many of us are afraid of what could happen next. I'm guilty of the same thing. What I've learned from all of this is that we are not in control of what happens next... Even though we think we are. As a result, many people are not as giving of themselves as they used to be and people are missing out on their blessings.

A new friend of mine told me recently, "We can't change the past, and we can't predict the future. All we have is today. So stop worrying about something you can't control and just live. Be happy and live!" I love that. It's so simple.

So, that's what I'm going to do. LIVE. Will you join me?

Let's all try to help two people who need it this month. It could be listening to someone with your undivided attention, helping someone get groceries for their family or gas to get to work. It could be taking someone to church with you or just calling someone to let them know how much they mean to you.

Post your progress so we all can benefit from it.

V