Hope

Celebrating Gratitude and A Challenge

Gratitude

Sheri here –

Did you know that September 21 every year is designated World Gratitude Day – since 1965.  A day dedicated world-wide for expressing appreciation for all we’ve got to be thankful for.

Until recently I didn’t realize that Gratitude had an “official” day.  For me, gratitude is a daily practice.  It is an opportunity to pause, look around my own life and acknowledge all of life’s blessings – no matter the circumstances.

Gratitude Practice

Ciscero, a Roman senator and philosopher who lived around 60 BC was an early advocate of gratitude. He called Gratitude “the Queen of all Virtues and the parent of all other virtues.”  While the language is a bit archaic you get the idea!

Gratitude is also basic premise in each of the world’s major religions.  So, there must be something to this gratitude business.

Yet, I was clueless until my mid 30s about this major life principle.  It took some personally tough times to discover the value of gratitude.  But we learn what we need to learn, when we need to learn it – maybe now is your time.

Maybe your experience was different, and you already know about the benefits of a gratitude practice.  If so, then may this just be a reminder!

If not, why not try an experiment?

Count Your Blessings

Try a gratitude practice for 30 days and see if things don’t change for you. What have you got to lose?

It’s remarkably simple.  Once a day, either in the morning or evening or both if you are really ambitious, take a piece of paper and write 3 things for which you are grateful.

These three things could be as simple as having a bed to sleep in, food in your refrigerator, a roof over your head, a beautiful sunset or flower.  You get the idea.

It can be the simple blessings in your life. It could be the kindness of a stranger. The everyday blessings, that you take for granted every day and that go relatively unnoticed until you focus.

When you look closely you will find lots of blessings surrounding you. The more you look, the more you’ll see.

Giving Thanks and The Benefits

Acknowledging your blessings are a way of thanking the Universe, of thanking God, and the more you thank, the more you are given to be thankful for.

What is your response when you are appreciated and thanked, aren’t you likely to be even more generous?  It’s been my experience after using a regular gratitude practice, that the blessings flow – so God or the Universe must also appreciate the acknowledgment.

Maybe we just notice the blessings in our life more; but, maybe there really are more.  Do you want to take a chance on missing out?

Who knows what blessings may come your way when you say thank you?

It’s simple, just try the gratitude practice – writing 3 to 5 things you appreciate for 30 days and see what changes.

Even if your circumstances don’t change, your attitude might be more positive.  Maybe you’ll find you’re a bit happier or you’re smiling more.  A more positive attitude makes dealing with the rest of life just a little easier! Who knows what could happen?

What do you say? I challenge you – keep track in writing for 30 days, 3 to 5 things a day that are blessings in your life. See what happens!

Ciao,

Sheri

P.S. Leave one or two of your favorite blessings in the comment below! 

P.P.S. If you’d like a little more information on Gratitude you can check it out here

We Will Never Forget

Change

Sheri here –

Whenever I see the date September 11, my heart does a stutter. In that moment, I remember – I will never forget.

There are some events we will never forget.

Here it is 19 years later, and I still get stopped.  This is one of those dates in history, that you remember where you were and what you were doing.

One of those dates we remember forever.

Each of us has those dates and times.

Those dates that we never forget

Those are days that change the world or at least our personal world. 

Those are the days that time stands still, that we hold our breath and wonder. Wonder what is next.  Wonder how do we make sense of this? 

Slowly, things sort themselves out.  We grieve for the world that was and move on.

Hope and Opportunity

These are the times we seek comfort in our spiritual relationship with our God, Higher Power, the Universe.  The source we lean on for strength and clarity as we take the next indicated step.

As we reflect on an anniversary, can we use that reflection to instill hope and see the opportunity in our lives in a world once again changed?

As a species, we adapt.  We are survivors.  That is the hope.  See the opportunities.

Share your reflections, your hope, and your opportunities in the comments below.  Or send me an email at [email protected]. 

Ciao,

Sheri

 

Hit Your Goal Reset Button

Goals

Sheri here –

Ok, 2020 has already been a year or two long with everything that has happened. Most of it wasn’t in our plan!

The good news is that you can reset your plans. You can start where you are and redefine your goals to still make major headway on your goals and plans – your dreams.

Create SMARTER Goals

New Years resolutions are always low on my list because they almost always get abandoned early in the year.

Earlier this year, I posted a blog about creating SMARTER goals, instead of resolutions. You can check it out here.

When I’m having a bad day, I will frequently start the day over. That’s right, start the day over, even if it is late afternoon! Have you ever tried that?

You can do the same thing with your goals!

What do you want to do by the end of the year?

  • Lose 5 pounds? Maybe 10?
  • Pay off some debt?
  • Write a book?
  • Find a new job?
  • Heck, kick start your own business – live the “Laptop Lifestyle”?

Each of the goals you define, have their own first steps. Some may be more obvious than others.

One Step at a Time

These are all possible, but wishin’ don’t make it so. It takes a series of repeated action on your part.

Possible some new habits, new focus, new learning.

Small steps done regularly will take you a long way to reaching your goal.

Once you’ve set yourself some SMARTER goals (see blog here), then its up to you to take that first step.

For instance, if you want to lose 10 pounds, do one thing today toward that goal. That could include things like replacing that cookie with a piece of fruit, a walk around the block, finding a food plan and/or a health coach. (Need one, I know a couple I could recommend…)

Just one thing today, another one thing tomorrow. One foot in front of the other!

Celebrate, Celebrate, Celebrate!

Celebrate yourself – nooooo, not with food. Find something else, maybe a bouquet of flowers or a good book, or scented bath salts.

Celebrating yourself sends your subconscious mind a positive message. This allows you to acknowledge yourself. To give yourself positive reinforcement. Allows you to experience and express the gratitude that you have for the blessings in your life.

Ciao and hugs,

Sheri

P.S. Drop a comment below and let me know about your goals and how I can help!

Where Are Your Dreams, Now?

Dreams

Sheri here –

Life has shifted a great deal the last several months and then again, the last couple of weeks.

Priorities, desires, and goals have changed pretty dramatically too, for ALL of us.

Do YOU want the same things you wanted 6 months ago, or have you discovered new dreams?

Hope Takes Action

Hope was the subject of Deepak Chopra and Oprah Winfrey’s most recent meditation series. One part of their meditation said “hope tells me anything can be transformed, but to make hope effective, takes action”.

I can only change myself, my attitude and my actions. I know changes in my attitude and actions creates room for others to change and grow.

What Do You Need To Change?

Recently, I found myself looking deep into my heart and asking what needed to change? Treating others with dignity and respect has always been important to me. But can I do more?

What has shifted in your heart? Some things may have stayed the same, but are you still focused on your life purpose?

How will you put the action into your hopes and dreams?

Before everything changed in 2020, it was easier to put off your dreams until someday. Now, it’s different, we’ve received several wake up calls.

What Action Can You Take?

Dreams come in all shapes and sizes – what are yours? What small step, what action can you take today toward that dream?

Maybe now is when you finally create your own business.

Or grow your business so that you can be of greater service and make a bigger positive impact on the world?

Or get more comfortable with a location-independent dream business that allows you to work from anywhere?

Position that dream business for success, get my complimentary ebook “10 Secrets for a Successful Business” by clicking HERE.
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Til the next time,

Ciao and hugs,

Sheri

P.S. Would love to hear how your dreams are doing now – leave a comment below.

Making Change – SMARTER Goals!

Goals

Sheri here –

Well here we are, well into the new year and a new decade. 

Did you decide where you were going to start?

Write SMARTER Goals

Did you write any SMARTER goals?  As I mentioned last week SMARTER is an acronym, which sets out the actions for goal setting:
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Realistic
T – Time-Bound
E – Evaluate
R – Readjust

These have a higher success rate than New Year’s resolutions. 

Where to begin?  Frequently losing weight and reducing debt are two that are high on the list.

These both have a lot in common.  They require focus, intentionality, and tracking.

Goal Success Requires Focus; Maybe New Habits

With food, some of the best success rates that I’ve experienced have come with daily food tracking – either in an app such as My Fitness Pal or the old fashion, manual diary. 

The most important thing is to keep track of what you are eating, then followed by PLANNING what your food consumption will look like.

Oh my, does that sound like a lot of work or what.  Well, if you are just starting, yes, it is work, because you are changing patterns – creating a new habit.  Changing habits is frequently at the heart of weight loss and fitness.

Even the commitment to do exercise daily or 5 days a week may be a change in pattern for you.  I know it is for me.  It starts with desire and intentionality.  Being committed to achieving your goals, whether it is weight loss or just to feel better.

It does take effort.

Changing your spending patterns are much the same.  It takes a written plan (aka budget) and tracking your actual spending daily.
This can also be done using an app, manually on paper or even using a spreadsheet.  It takes a commitment to do the work to make a change.

As you track your daily spending, you get a LOT of information about how you spend money.  You may begin to see ways you could reduce what you spend – either in cash or on credit – and make real differences in your life.

Adopting new habits, no matter what they are – changes in eating, exercise or spending requires some dedicated focus.  It might also require a coach, a trainer or an accountability buddy. 

Change Requires Action

Many of our goals requires change. Wishin’ don’t make it so – changes require action.

Are you committed to change, thinking about it? 

What changes are you focused on making?  Share with us in the Facebook Group Reinventing You, just click here! 

Nothing changes until something changes.  It can be a dream, that becomes a goal, that becomes an action.  It can be one small step on a journey that will, over time, change your life.

Need some help – all you need to do is ask…

Ciao and hugs,

Sheri

P.S.   If you really want to change and you know you need some help, let’s talk, you can schedule some time to chat right here with this link.   

Resolutions – Not! Make Goals Instead!

Goals

Sheri here – 

Are you making New Year’s resolutions?  Don’t waste your time! 

What you say?  Don’t try to change?  Don’t try to improve yourself?
Only 8% of the people who make resolutions are successful – that is a pretty sad success rate!  Many don’t even survive the WEEK, let alone the month.

Make a Plan

I am not advocating that you don’t strive for personal growth or improvement.  But use a method that WORKS!

There are studies (well, purportedly, there are studies) that say 3% of Harvard grads that made written goals WITH A PLAN, made 10 times the money their fellow grads made who either had no goals or had goals with no plans.

Create Goals

So, as I said, don’t make New Years’ resolutions – make written goals with a plan!

I remember years ago when someone had told me about goals, I decided that I would write a set of goals that I wanted to achieve during my lifetime.

I spent quite a bit of time working on them.  I wrote them out.  I wrote out STRETCH goals, the kind that seemed possible but really stretched me. Life got busy.  The piece of paper with my goals got buried in the clutter of everyday life.

One day when I was moving, several years later, I came across the piece of paper and was stunned to see that I had already achieved a number of those goals.

Once again they got buried in the move and resurfaced again, years later.

This time, I realized that I had achieved every single one of those goals that I had written down.  They had been acting as a rudder for my actions over the years.

Make Them SMARTER Goals

I’ve become an advocate of goal setting.  But…I have discovered, there is a method to assuring greater success with your goals.

That method is setting SMARTER written goals.  What you say – SMARTER written goals?  What on earth is that?

It is an acronym, which sets out the actions.  Here ya go:
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Realistic
T – Time-Bound
E – Evaluate
R – Readjust

So get a piece of paper and write out your SMARTER goals – not New Year’s resolutions!

Try it.  It might make the difference you have been looking for.

I’d love to hear your top 3 SMARTER goals for the year.  Share it with us in the Facebook Group Reinventing You, just click here!

Whether you write goals or not, spend a little time reflecting on the year, even the decade that is ending and dream a little about how you want next year to be.  Then, maybe write some goals!!

Have a safe, wonderful New Year’s celebration.

Sheri

P.S.  Ok, so you like the idea of written goals and how they could make your dreams more realizable, but you are still BAFFLED by SMARTER goals.  If you’d like some help, let’s talk, you can schedule some time to chat right here with this link.

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