Be-YOU-tiful and Believe in Yourself

I bought this tag at Hallmark. It says Be YOU tiful. When you except yourself and celebrate YOU, you ARE beautiful. When you love yourself and become who you really are, you are happier. When you are happy, you radiate beauty from the inside out.
This is one of the messages I hope to get across at the young women's conference.

Christmas Gift Ideas-Christmas Tip #5

This is one of the nicest and most meaningful gifts I have been given. My daughter saw this idea at someone's house and made one for me on Mother's Day. She later gave one to her dad. I have them both hanging in my bathroom.
Here is how she made it. She printed out words about us in different sizes and fonts and printed them. She cut them out and glued them on a piece of scrapbook paper and framed it with frames that were in my basement. It didn't cost her any money and it was a big surprise. It is fun to see what she thinks of us and the spelling makes it that much cuter. If you click on it, it will enlarge.
I think adding one of these pictures to a kid's bathroom would be a real self esteem booster. I know it makes me feel good every time I read it.
Hanging above my son's bed, where only he can see it, are vinyl letters that say We're Proud of You. I thought that when he saw it, that he might take it down but it has been up for 3 years. He gets made fun of a little when friends see it but it is still there. Every one thrives on love, attention, affirmations and good words said about them.
This would be an easy, inexpensive gift to start working on for Christmas gifts.

I know there are some really creative people out there. If you do this project will you send me a picture? I would like to do some of these for my kids. Thanks!

This is one of my favorite "neighbor" gifts. It is a scripture printed on top of a printed flower picture. It was made on the computer and printed on nice paper. I put it into a fancy frame and it sits on a table in my entry way.

I love these inexpensive vinyl letters.

Here is a list of games my family likes
Cranium
Apples to Apples
Whoonu? (We played this last night. Fun for anyone who can read. You get to know what each other likes.
Phase 10
Pit
Uno

Words to live by

These words of wisdom were written by Barbara St. George.

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 90 in August, so here goes: " -Barbara St.George, aged 89.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously.  No one else does.
5. Pay off you refit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument.  Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone.  It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God.  He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10.  When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'.  You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath.  It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood.  But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie.  Don't save it for a special occasion.  Today is special
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words. 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone for everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything.  Give it time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.  Your friends and family will.  Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loss you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life.  Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative--dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.  Make it memorable.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day.  Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Wouldn't it be great to take the word or an 89 year old and not have to learn all of these lessons the hard way. I found some of them to be very profound

Find Your Top Character Strengths

When I was in coaching school we learned about this free tool. It is a questionnaire that you take online. If I remember right, it takes 30 or 40 minutes. After you finish the quiz you can print out your strengths in order and it explains a little about each one. I think self help quizzes are fun, especially when the answer is how great you are:) It seems like all we think about is our problems and where we need to improve. This tool helps you see just how wonderful you really are. The test helps by showing you your unique strengths.

In life it is best to concentrate on things that we do well. Whatever we pay attention to increases. Why not pay a little attention to your best character traits?
It is called the VIA Signature Strengths Questionnaire. If you would like to take it go to this website:

www.authentichappiness.com

After the page is opened click VIA Signature Strengths Questionnaire and a login box will appear. You will have to give them an email address and get a password. ( I took this test a year ago and haven't received any emails from them. ) It is given from the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

Positive Attitude

One of the challenges to staying in a positive state is being around negative people. The individual who has the strongest emotional level will tend to pull the other person into his or her own emotional state, unless that other person makes a choice not to be impacted by it and strongly resists.
Peggy McColl

Do you have people in your life that like to sing this song?
Gloom, despair and agony on me. Deep, dark depression, excessive misery. If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. Gloom dispair and agony on me.
--Hee Haw Ditty

They say that people who like to hang around complainers, do it so they can take their turn.

Remembering Successes

They say that when you ask someone what they are good at you get blank stares, but when you ask people to list their faults they start listing them page after page.
How sad is that! We should be able to share our victories as well as share our tragedy’s.
How about writing some of the good stuff in your journal. Here are some ideas.

A time in your life when you were at your best.
When you landed a job or got a promotion.
When you succeeded at a hobby, sport or event.
When you had one of your dreams come true.
Something you worked hard for.
Something you overcame.
Something you are proud of.
Something you accomplished.

My Mission Statement

Mission Statements evolve over time. What is nice about writing one is putting it up on your bathroom mirror and reading it each day. When you say these positive things and know where you are going, your day starts out better with clearer direction.

My Mission Statement
I savor each moment of my life as a positive, grateful, happy, wife, mother, homemaker and successful business woman and coach who delegates, serves and helps others rise to greatness.
I am a strong, spiritual, healthy, organized and an energetic whole person who is self disciplined, a goal getter, who has deep, meaningful and fun relationships with family, friends and colleagues.