My Daily Routine
I don’t even remember what it was like before I was married and had kids. Did I have a daily schedule? I’m sure I did because now it’s such a big part of my life. But I also could have learned about the importance of routines on my journey of personal development. Who knows what I was like 20 years ago, but now I have a pretty solid routine. Yes, it’s changed over the years as my needs have changed. Yes, I’ve learned about the different kinds of schedules and had to find the one that worked best for the kids and I. We add and take away as needed…
5 Simple Ways to Get Inspired
Do you ever have days (or weeks) when you feel un-inspired? I’ve been feeling that way all week. Usually I have ideas of what to write about for this blog or what to post on Instagram and Facebook. But for some reason I’m just not having the great a-ha moments I want and the plan I made just isn’t feeling right. So what can you do when you’re lacking inspiration? Here are a few simple ways to get the creative juices flowing. GET INSPIRED WITH MUSIC There is something magical about a good song. I have a playlist of a few songs that pump me up, get me moving, and…
100 Reasons to Love Yourself
On a scale of one to ten, how in love with yourself are you? How come we are so quick to believe people when they say unkind things to or about us, but reject all the amazing and kind things others say? I believe it is because our feelings of self-doubt are stronger than our self-love. So, if that is the case, how do we overcome these self-doubting beliefs and increase feelings of self-love? #2 I consistently exercise 5 times a week #5 I listen to podcasts when getting ready in the morning Life coach Jody Moore teaches that it is OUR job to love and approve of ourselves, NOT…
Teaching Commitment
Our homeschool group did another activity where we focused on a hero attribute. The goal with these activities is to help the kids (and moms) become everyday heroes. Commitment was the attribute we focused on, but we started by reviewing a few others from our list of 12.Karma—you get back what you put out thereKindness—be kind to othersGratitude—being grateful for what you haveBelief—believing in yourself, the good of others, and a higher power I asked everyone to define commitment. I got answers like doing what you say you will do and being dedicated to finish a task. My favorite was doing what you said you would do even when you…
3 Things I Learned from Beauty and the Beast
On Monday, a couple of the kids and I went to see some friends perform Beauty and the Beast at a local theater. The actors did an amazing job. I loved seeing them use their talents to entertain others. I’ve seen Beauty and the Beast several times—the Disney version and the Broadway musical—but this time there was “something there that wasn’t there before.” Here are 3 things I learned from watching this performance. It’s OK to be different The opening scene of the play starts with Belle in the village square. As she goes about her business, with her nose in a book, the villagers sing about how odd she…
8 Quotes that Inspire Me
I love a good inspirational quote. My journals are full of them from conferences I’ve attended or podcasts I’ve listened to or books I’ve read. I love to share them on Instagram and Facebook or write them on post-it notes and stick them on the walls and mirrors around my house. I want to inspire others and myself with the ideas encapsulated in the quotes. Here are a few of my favorites. Our challenges make us strong. They are what make us who we are so we can do what God has called us to do. Just last week, I was exhausted and ready for bed, but I hadn’t done…
Divine Discontent and Habits
I gave a little presentation at a church activity last week about creating habits to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be. A lot of speakers call the feelings we feel in the gap “divine discontent”. Divine discontent comes when we compare what we are to what we have the power to become. Brian Tracy, in his article Listen to Your Divine Discontent, compares our emotional state to our physical state. He teaches that our physical bodies express pain when something isn’t right. In the same way our emotional bodies express unhappiness when something is awry. “Just as the natural physical state is health…
10 Easter Traditions to Do With Your Family
This Sunday is Easter, and I’m looking forward doing some of our favorite Easter activities this week. Do you have Easter traditions? Here some of the activities we have done over the years. EGG DECORATING Even as the kids have gotten older, this is an activity that we always seem to do. The old stand-by is dye in water and vinegar, but we’ve also decorated with markers and shaving cream. We might try something new this year or we might just do the vinegar dye. EXTENDED FAMILY EGG HUNT My mom and dad like to host an Easter party around this time of year. They hide a bunch of plastic…
6 Important Leadership Skills for an Emergency
Happy Wednesday, friend! I hope you are enjoying the nice spring weather. Recently, my youngest son wanted to learn about mines as part of his homeschool, so we picked up a few books from the library. One of the books was the rescue story of the 33 miners trapped in a mine in Chile. It was actually an interesting book and we learned a lot, but there was a paragraph at the end that made reading the whole book especially worthwhile. A little background first… The cave-in at San José Mine in Chile occurred on August 5, trapping 33 men 2,000 feet below ground. For 17 days the miners are…
3 Books You Could Read More Than Once
“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” CICERO Even though I love to read, I will rarely read the same book more than once out of choice. I will sometimes read it again if it’s assigned for a class or it’s for of a book discussion. But there are a few books that I read every year or two that have been impactful and provide a good reminder. If you need a dose of inspiration or a change in perspective, then grab one of these books. 1.Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the box by The Arbinger Institute I first read this book while on a…
