Joyful Persistence
My mastermind team is reading a chapter from Napoleon Hill’s “Think & Grow Rich” on the
subject of Persistence. With this, I’m reminded just how important a ‘never give up attitude’ is to ultimate success. I often hear people say, “I just need one break, one chance, but nothing is happening for me.”
Hill says that “breaks” happen to those who make them happen, to those who are willing to continue on no matter what, to those who have an intense desire despite being surrounded by friends, neighbors and media all telling you, “You’re crazy, don’t you know it’s a terrible economy? Stop trying so hard, wait till things settle down and get better.” Wait? If Thomas Edison waited for a better economy we’d still be in the dark. If Henry Ford waited for a better economy we’d all be in better physical shape from walking all the time. No, they continued, they persisted, they did whatever it took to accomplish their burning desire.
Persistence is the key element to success. Breaks come when you continue moving forward in the face of fear, in the face of “no.” Breaks come when you continue connecting and creating relationships with people, when you continue educating yourself. And most of all, remember the JOY is in the journey. Enjoy each step. Enjoy every moment. Be persistent, keep moving forward and believe that with persistence you will achieve your ultimate success. Because you will.
Ahhh, Spring…
Springtime in South Florida…
When I say that, people often ask, “How do you know its spring?” To the untrained eye, it’s always green, sunny and deliciously beautiful here. Well, that’s true too, but we do have one, you just have to notice. When you pay attention, you can fully experience the subtle transition from winter to spring.
While we don’t have the obvious signs like the absence of snow and subsequent thaw, we do have lots of clues that the vernal equinox is upon us. Like the abundant golden yellow bloom on the Tabebuia trees and the sweet-smelling flowers of the Frangipani, both of which are relatively bare in winter. Then there’s the remarkably fragrant Datura tree with long, hanging flowers that look like its common name, Angel Trumpets.
Every day I’m welcomed home with the scents of jasmine and gardenia, the bright colors of impatiens, petunias and pansies. It’s truly a “sense-sensation.” Spring has sprung and I’m sick with the fever. The next time you’re feeling down, take a walk outside and notice spring. It’s everywhere and it’s beautiful! Anyone want to join me for a walk in the garden?
Are You “The One”?
My sister always says, “You never know when you’ll meet ‘The One.” You know, the one person who can introduce you to the CEO you want as a client, or the celebrity you want to meet, or the person who’ll give you your dream job…you get the picture. Until last week, my favorite story about that was when I met a young man at a conference who wanted a job with the Florida Panthers hockey team and he told the event speaker about it. From the stage, the speaker mentioned his desire. A hand went up in the audience, “I babysit for the owner of the Panthers.” Wow.
That was my favorite story until…
I’m at Starbucks ordering a latte. In front of me is a man trying to figure out what to order. Me, being the friendly girl I am, I offer a couple of suggestions and we start chatting. He says he’s an artist and avoids caffeine when he’s working. “It makes me jittery too,” I tell him. What type of art?” I ask. “I’m a photographer,” I ask for more details. “I photograph people mostly,” he says. Still curious, again I ask for more “Well, he says, I’m the photographer for Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band.” My heart stopped. OMG, here, right in front of me — “The One.”
You see, I don’t just like Bruce Springsteen, I’ve been a crazy fan for years. I travel to shows, collect memorabilia, own all the bootlegs! And here’s someone who works for the man we reverently call, “The Bruce.”
Every day people cross your path. Every day there’s the opportunity to connect with “strangers,” people who have the power to bring your dreams to life.
Today treat each person you meet as if they are “The One.” Make a decision to connect with people, to say hello, to chat, to share yourself and share your joy. It’s a small world and when you treat it that way, magic happens! Oh, yes, the photographer and I are staying in touch. I’ve got another “The One” yet to meet…
Are You "The One"?
My sister always says, “You never know when you’ll meet ‘The One.” You know, the one person who can introduce you to the CEO you want as a client, or the celebrity you want to meet, or the person who’ll give you your dream job…you get the picture. Until last week, my favorite story about that was when I met a young man at a conference who wanted a job with the Florida Panthers hockey team and he told the event speaker about it. From the stage, the speaker mentioned his desire. A hand went up in the audience, “I babysit for the owner of the Panthers.” Wow.
That was my favorite story until…
I’m at Starbucks ordering a latte. In front of me is a man trying to figure out what to order. Me, being the friendly girl I am, I offer a couple of suggestions and we start chatting. He says he’s an artist and avoids caffeine when he’s working. “It makes me jittery too,” I tell him. What type of art?” I ask. “I’m a photographer,” I ask for more details. “I photograph people mostly,” he says. Still curious, again I ask for more “Well, he says, I’m the photographer for Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band.” My heart stopped. OMG, here, right in front of me — “The One.”
You see, I don’t just like Bruce Springsteen, I’ve been a crazy fan for years. I travel to shows, collect memorabilia, own all the bootlegs! And here’s someone who works for the man we reverently call, “The Bruce.”
Every day people cross your path. Every day there’s the opportunity to connect with “strangers,” people who have the power to bring your dreams to life.
Today treat each person you meet as if they are “The One.” Make a decision to connect with people, to say hello, to chat, to share yourself and share your joy. It’s a small world and when you treat it that way, magic happens! Oh, yes, the photographer and I are staying in touch. I’ve got another “The One” yet to meet…
Bad to the Bone
Why is it that the things we get the most joy from are labeled “bad for you”? Sometimes I feel like a player on the game show, “You Can’t Win!” I know you can relate…
It’s been cold. No, really cold. Snow is falling in places it doesn’t normally fall, warm, sunny locales are bundled up with the heat on for the first time in eons, and the only way I can get warm is with a long hot shower. Oh. Hot showers are bad for you? C’mon, you’re kidding me, right? I am cold to the bone and covering up with clothes doesn’t do it. Yes, I’m all layered up: t-shirt, shirt, sweater, jacket, hat, gloves, scarf, you name it – I’m wearing it.
And a long hot shower always does the trick. Warms me all the way through, makes me feel finally comfortable. Then I turn on the news and what do I see? Hot showers are bad for your skin, hot water causes you to age more quickly, causes dry, itchy skin. Hmm…itchy, dry skin or freezing cold to the bone? Such a dilemma.
So I go make a cup of coffee. That’ll warm me up. No wait, caffeine is bad for you. I’ll have decaf. No wait, they decaffeinate using a chemical process that’s linked to cancer (What isn’t linked to cancer?) Fine. I’ll heat up some soup. OMG, the soup has sodium and all kinds of preservatives. What to do, what to do?
As I rub my eyes to clear my head, my husband says, “Don’t rub your eyes, it’s bad for you.” I think to myself, “Again?” I’m bristling now. “What do you mean, it’s bad for me to rub my eyes? Have you ever done it? It’s nirvana to give your eyes a good rub.” “Yes,” he says, “but it also causes wrinkles. If you wanna look older, go ahead and rub away.”
OK. I give up. I’ll just go have a smoke, a drink, watch some mindless television and eat cheese doodles. Oh, wait…
Don’t Let the Bast**ds Get You Down!
Ever wonder why despite the ups and downs you continue doing what you do? Why you continue the daily grind, sometimes seeing little in return? Me too. Sometimes I think, “Why am I busting my a** doing this?” Where’s the reward? And then something magical happens to remind me…
It’s our big, annual event, the Prosperity Conference & Expo, a two-day coming together of like-minded, positive, success-oriented people joining forces with the express purpose of building our businesses and building our lives. A lineup of success speakers, millionaire mentors and victim to victory triumphs meant to inspire, educate and motivate. And the ultimate goal – to change lives. Marianne Williamson, author of “Return to Love” among other “Course in Miracles” based books said:
“Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”
That’s the goal of the Prosperity Conference – to demolish fear so that we embrace our power and use it to make our world not just better, but the best we can make it.
This year was the pinnacle. This year the breakthroughs were extraordinary. People sought me out the entire weekend to share their Ah-Ha Moments, the perfect partnerships they created, their epiphanies, that one thing they needed to see, hear, feel that’s now taking them to the next level. It was magical. Really, magical.
They reminded me that the time, effort, energy and work required to make the conference happen was beyond worth it. Putting on an event for hundreds of people is a major undertaking: selling tickets, managing speakers, enrolling volunteers, on and on and on…it was easy to get lost in the details and forget what I was working toward.
I’m changing my world even though I don’t always see it right away. So are you. In every person you touch, you change your piece of the world. You may not have a big annual event to provide immediate testimony, but you are changing your world nevertheless. What’s your vision, your dream? Look right now at your day to day, remind yourself of your vision, your passion, your dream. Keep going. There’s no feeling in the world like accomplishing what you set out to accomplish. It’s magical, it’s powerful and it’s joyful!
Don't Let the Bast**ds Get You Down!
Ever wonder why despite the ups and downs you continue doing what you do? Why you continue the daily grind, sometimes seeing little in return? Me too. Sometimes I think, “Why am I busting my a** doing this?” Where’s the reward? And then something magical happens to remind me…
It’s our big, annual event, the Prosperity Conference & Expo, a two-day coming together of like-minded, positive, success-oriented people joining forces with the express purpose of building our businesses and building our lives. A lineup of success speakers, millionaire mentors and victim to victory triumphs meant to inspire, educate and motivate. And the ultimate goal – to change lives. Marianne Williamson, author of “Return to Love” among other “Course in Miracles” based books said:
“Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”
That’s the goal of the Prosperity Conference – to demolish fear so that we embrace our power and use it to make our world not just better, but the best we can make it.
This year was the pinnacle. This year the breakthroughs were extraordinary. People sought me out the entire weekend to share their Ah-Ha Moments, the perfect partnerships they created, their epiphanies, that one thing they needed to see, hear, feel that’s now taking them to the next level. It was magical. Really, magical.
They reminded me that the time, effort, energy and work required to make the conference happen was beyond worth it. Putting on an event for hundreds of people is a major undertaking: selling tickets, managing speakers, enrolling volunteers, on and on and on…it was easy to get lost in the details and forget what I was working toward.
I’m changing my world even though I don’t always see it right away. So are you. In every person you touch, you change your piece of the world. You may not have a big annual event to provide immediate testimony, but you are changing your world nevertheless. What’s your vision, your dream? Look right now at your day to day, remind yourself of your vision, your passion, your dream. Keep going. There’s no feeling in the world like accomplishing what you set out to accomplish. It’s magical, it’s powerful and it’s joyful!
The Joy in Dieting. Really…
I love to eat. That “Eat, Pray, Love” lady has nothing on me. I can eat with the best of them and I don’t have to go to Italy to do it. I’ve always been one of those people that “lives to eat,” rather than, “eats to live.” I know people like that, eating simply to live, they actually forget to eat. Can you imagine? Forgetting to eat? I don’t know about you but at breakfast I’m planning lunch…and usually dinner too.
For the last 4 weeks I’ve been on a weight loss program where I eat only one meal a day and replace the other 2 with nutritional shakes. I’ve never been a meal replacement fan, I always preferred to eat my calories rather than drink them. Unless you’re talking ‘adult beverages,’ those are OK to drink rather than eat calories. But this time I needed a good jump-start so I tried it. And I’m glad I finally gave in and did. The shakes, which on day one tasted barely palatable, today taste like Dairy Queen! It’s amazing what we can train ourselves to believe. Talk about being joyful! I get Dairy Queen for breakfast every day!
And my meal, my one meal a day, is the best food I’ve ever eaten. Really. The BEST food I’ve ever eaten. See, since I’m only getting one meal, I’m making it myself and I’m making it like Martha Stewart would– cloth napkins, fine china, beautifully plated colorful organic veggies, scrumptious grilled fish, and a bountiful green salad.
Another side benefit, my taste-buds have experienced a re-birth. For the first time in a long time, I not only can taste the food I eat, I know what “satisfied” feels like. And it doesn’t take as much food as I thought it did. So I’m doing great, losing weight, feeling energetic, exercising and enjoying the ride. Will someone please remind me of this when the Holidays are here???
Not Your Average Day at the Beach…
Any day at the beach is a joyful day. I’m so lucky to live in South Florida, where the weather is conducive to lots of beach days!
Last Sunday, my husband Dan and I had a joyful, rare experience just steps away from our chairs and umbrella…
It was the perfect sunny day, white puffy clouds; blue, blue sky…the water was cool and flat, almost like a lake, and crystal clear, just like the Caribbean where you can see everything. It’s wonderful to walk in the water knowing there’s nothing I can’t see lurking under there.
As we stroll out we notice it’s really shallow, and I mean knee-high shallow, for a long way out. There’s this weird, dark cloud in the water and suddenly out of nowhere, we’re surrounded by little, itty, bitty guppy fish. Hundreds, maybe thousands of them, making the water bounce above them.
I thought, “This is so cool! These little fish just swimming around us as if we’re some kind of plankton…maybe they’ll give me one of those new fish-biting pedicures?!”
As soon as we walk through one school, there’s another up ahead. Only following this flurry of fish is a smaller school of bigger fish. “What are those?” I ask Dan, knowing he’ll love having a forum to feature his Discovery Channel knowledge. “Those are ‘Blue Runners.’ They’re chasing the little bait fish who are camouflaging by gathering ‘round bigger things – like you and me.” “Cool. Hey, this is the ‘Lion King’ and we’re a part of it!” The sun, the ocean, nature…talk about feeling Joy!
This fish symphony plays all around us for about an hour when we head back to shore. We continue to see fishes all the way back — walk through one school, see another up ahead, walk through one, see another up ahead — only this time, following behind the bait fish and the blue runners there’s a much bigger fish. “Uh, Dan, was that a…?” “Yes ma’am,” he says, “Circle of Life, where you have little fish, you have big fish.”
Alrightee then, aren’t we joyful that it’s following them and not us! And aren’t we happy we’re back on the beach with a joyful, one of a kind, tale to tell… 
Joyful Revelation!
So here I am, freshly showered, feet aching and tired to the bone. An even better way to describe it would be “spent.” What a day. A full day at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure Theme Park. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is open you know. And this is my niece’s 18th birthday and Hogwart’s is where she wanted to go. Whatever Mimi wants, Mimi gets. Don’t get me wrong – she is truly spoiled. But she’s not a brat. She’s earned everything she gets because she’s responsible, generous, loving, supportive and accountable. She’s a wonderful girl. And I’m so glad we came this weekend despite the 95 degree temperatures, the 98 percent humidity and the constant threat of rain. Not only did I have a wonderful time with my husband, my sister, her 2 kids and her 4-year old grandson, Felix, I officially moved into the world of “Grandparents.”
It was quite a revelation actually. And I’m not just talking about the fact that we were always walking well behind the younger folks. When you’re the parent, or the managing aunt as in my case, you’re the one who has to calm down the kids, keep them happy, carry them when they’re tired, coax them to stop whining, handle their tantrums and on and on and on. But all that’s changed now. See now there’s grown people between me and the 4-year old and I don’t have to do any of that responsible stuff anymore. I can just have fun, I can enjoy taking Felix on the rides, listen to the sound of his laughter, loving every moment of it. And as soon as I hear the slightest whimper, Dad takes over. It’s perfect. All the joy, all the love, all the laughter, none of the parenting.
With that kind of generational progress, can handing off hosting Thanksgiving dinner be far behind? Welcome to the next phase. I think I’m going to like it here.
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The Joy Factor
Welcome fellow Happiness Pioneers! You've come to the right place if you are looking to raise your Joy Factor. My vision is for everyone to live a life aligned with their passions and full of joy. The intention of this site is to offer you juicy nuggets that will increase your experience of joy and delight. Take a look around, grab something yummy and share the joy.
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