COLOR

 If energy cannot be created nor destroyed, then a picture creates a thousand words is quite apropos when it comes to color.  Color: the color of your eyes, the shades of makeup, the color of your skin and hair, and your clothes.  These are most memorable to the people you meet.  They may not remember all of them but, I can guarantee something about the colors you wear will permeate their memory storage unit.  Color can give you a certain vibe and provide a dynamic contrast. 

Color has meaning, definition, and initiates emotion.  A red tie worn by a man-particularly when worn under a dark suit accompanied by a crisp, white shirt sends a message.  I feel powerful-look at me-what do you see and hear?   A woman wearing a fiery red or cobalt blue dress or gown; elegant and gorgeous.  Color draws attention-especially, amongst a crowd of monochromatic colors of browns, blacks, and greys. Color possesses an audience.  Color attracts attention.  Color brings vibrancy to a dull look.  Color will  enhance and effect your skin tone, the iris of the eye, as well as your mood.

Try on two outfits.  One of monochromatic shades of brown or black.  Add a brilliant orange or red shirt. A single step may be all you can handle.  No worries; you are going in the right direction.  Perhaps a pair of fancy or bright colored socks to wear with those loafers.  Maybe go bare and no socks!  Go even further and compare an outfit of bright colors-add a few dazzling accessories and VIOLA!  You feel great, you look great, and others will both notice and remember you.  

Whether you are attending an important business event, going on your first date, meeting some very important people, or just meeting a friend for coffee; don't forget to wear your color!

ENERGY

 Look around you; not in your home.   But, outside-behold the beautiful scenes of mother earth. The grass is turning green.  The early tulips have peeked through the soil; their leaves formed and growing skyward.  The daffodils have already bloomed in yellow and cream colors enveloped in long, green leaves. The buds on the trees and landscaping bushes are formed.  Even the gardening plants, started indoors with artificial light, have been placed outdoors to enjoy the natural sunlight and fresh air.  It takes energy to make these things take place: formed from water, nutrients in the soil, and sunlight.  Energy; the first law of Thermodynamics-it cannot be created or destroyed.  Think about that for a moment.  Pause here.  Think about what has gone into those plants and trees and how sources of energy such as the suns power propels life; to thrive and grow.  

Your energy.  What propels you?  Do you have enough energy to get you through your day?  Now; are you serious about making a change or two to get more of it?  As a parent, you realized two significant aspects of life.  One; your children have endless energy and two: you have barely enough energy to get  to bed time. I'm sure there is a parent out there that may beg to differ; I applaud you.  If you don't have children you may have witnessed their little bodies scurrying across a playground while squealing in delight.  You may have smiled in admiration just wishing you could bottle it for consumption later.  Since energy theoretically cannot be created or destroyed you have access to a  variety of foods or sources of energy to complete your daily tasks.  It is the routines in our life and constant changes commanding strain on the body and depletion of energy.  The foods and liquids we ingest break down into nutrients and fats; the excess excreted and some stored while others give us the fuel to complete our tasks.  Sleep and rest allow the body to heal and replenish the blood, repair muscle tissue, and generate new cells to do it all over again the next day, and the next, and.....

I see my friends and others around me.  They can't sleep; they pop a pill.  They have high blood pressure; they pop a pill.  They have lower back pain; you get my point. That is their choice.  I watch as they walk slumped over in the early morning; their joints achey.  I see others with bloated faces and bodies from taking anti-anxiety medicine.  Their energy levels have declined.  The liver detoxes what you intake; the vital organs work harder to maintain function and largely suffer from the long-time usage.  May I suggest making an appointment with a nutritionist next time you feel run down or are concerned about your overall health.  They will be able to establish a plan of diet specifically for your health needs.  This could be a great enhancement to your quality of life and provide you with a return of energy unlike what you have experienced.  

If you feel your energy levels decline early in your day or form bursts throughout the day, perhaps a change in diet, exercise, or restructuring your activities will balance your mind and body.  I also realize genetics plays a significant role in our health.  Working consistently on diet can help offset some of the genetic predispositions.  My predispositions are belly fat, high cholesterol, and what was termed by my neurologist; fancy migraines.   Debilitating migraines. I have worked toward changing these genetic traits and will continue to do so.  I have found increasing water just by a couple of 12 - 16 ounce glasses in my day plump up my skin and reduce my desire to snack on sweets.  Although, anyone who knows me certainly has witnessed my preference to dark chocolate-in moderation. Life has too many simple pleasures to ignore.  Make some changes; even a small change-become amazed with your new energy level.  

CHALLENGING PERSONALITIES

 I grew up in a family with one member having a very strong personality.  He was not necessarily of the good sort.  He was the second son of six siblings.   Not very bright and had a serious jealousy streak of the siblings following him.  There were times I thought he was of criminal mind growing up.  He lied a lot.  He took every opportunity to take things from people.  No one else in the family was like this.  And, he had a mean streak that took you by surprise without a moments notice. He was my mentor of a challenging personality.  But, one thing he also taught me was bad people can have redeeming traits as well.  He would always be the one to get flowers for our mother on those special occasions.  She melted with his toothy grin, his smile showing the slight space between his two upper teeth, and forgave him for all things bad.  Christmas time was his most favorite time to buy her the most expensive gift and beautiful card.  I would meet his many life lessons through time.  

In my late twenties, I owned a retail business with multiple locations and was quite strict with the employees on their time to report for their schedule.  They had a heavy work schedule of six days a week from 10 or 11 in the morning to 9 or 10 in the evening.  They were also paid rather well and a high school education and honesty were the two major skills needed to be hired.  One young man spoke to me after being a bit harsh on him.  He was in his early twenties and was getting married soon.  He said, 'you will get more bees with honey than vinegar.'  I did not take his comment lightly.  My retail career lasted about seven years.  It collapsed due to a recession-I had grown to big too fast-I never looked back.

Most of my life has been working with the public and with multiple other employees.  I realized very young how difficult others could be as well as how difficult I could be.  I learned there are methods and useful tactics to compromise.  I wasn't taught that in my family growing up.  In the real world of working, there have been memorable managers.  I found the female managers the most difficult to work with.  I prefer a male in command.  They don't possess the estrogen laden decisions.  Don't get me wrong, two of my women managers I highly respected.  And, one of my male managers was an ignoramus at best.  He was a flip-flopper.   He said one thing-and did quite another.

Working with challenging personalities has become commonplace.  Most people leave their jobs-not because of their pay-but, because of their supervisor.  The workplace should not be a battle ground of wins and losses but, a mutually respected environment of problem solvers and producers.  For help, reach out to co-workers (not complainers) or a trusted mentor.  Reading literature on effective ways of communication and goal setting can be extremely rewarding.  Becoming consistent and practicing skills will help create positive outcomes for your future and the building blocks of a strong focus in your career.  Your family and loved ones will welcome the change!

READING IS FUNDAMENTAL

The ability to read is an ever changing life skill.  As a young child, the elementary school I  attended - Reisterstown Elementary- offered a subscription of Highlights to the students.  This magazine started in 1946 and is still available today.  When we received the magazine, there was so much excitement in the classroom.  It was inspiring and offered a variety of topics, stories, puzzles, and word games.  Receiving this subscription made me feel so special.  The excitement grew in the classroom of happy faces as the teacher handed out the magazines.  I enjoyed going to the library - picking out mostly horse books and other children's books.  My favorite was C.W. Anderson's books about Blaze.  A beautiful horse series filled with adventure and friends.  As I matured, I recognized the power of books and magazines.  I read love stories, Nancy Drew mysteries, teenage magazines, the news papers, and Edgar Allan Poe novels until 3 am.  There were times I just could not put his novels down and could not wait until bedtime to read again.

In my forties, I began reading college books for my classes and later began reading self-help, motivational, and inspirational  books.  I attended motivational speaker symposiums to listen to the stories and achievements of well known people like Rudy Giuliani, Zig Zigler, and Colin Powell to name a few.  I have attended small and large author speaking events; my latest was Nicholas Sparks of the movie and book - Notebook.  I read industry related information about real estate, banking, and finance.  I also read novels and aspire to write full time some day.  The pleasure and knowledge derived from reading is one that never grows old.  Reading helps build the foundation of a healthy mind and can take you away from the harsh realties or lack luster day into a world of fantasy or science and history or high crimes and misdemeanors.  Successful people read with regularity.  

I just purchased a 4 book series by Ernest Hemingway.  The experience of reading them today is quite different than having to read them in school. There are several offerings of books; audio, paperback and  hard back or Kindle.  The ease of listening to a topic or story while driving is becoming quite popular.  Even learning a new language has been simplified.  

Whatever your interests, whatever your age - start reading today and transform your life - you will be glad you did.  And if you already are an avid reader, begin your own neighborhood book club.  Build a post with a box on top with sliding plexi-glass doors to stave off the weather or small critters and display multiple books to share and trade. 

 WRITING LISTS

Several years ago, I was in a small group of individuals: three men and myself.  It was formed because one of the men and I had Friday morning coffee and donuts together.  We struggled with a concept: the phone both dictated and interrupted the course of our day.  We both agreed we were out of control every day and did not accomplish what was originally planned.  He suggested we engage a few other local entrepreneurs/business people in the community.  We started meeting for breakfast.  One of the men dropped out.  We met twice a month at 7 AM- no matter the weather.  Our spouses could not appreciate the importance of these meetings.  We certainly did.  You learn a lot about people when you meet twice a month for 7 years.   Our focus and core thread was our desire to make good choices, follow through with customers, build a stronger business following, and learn new ideas.  We also shared many similar traits. We shared business practices, challenges, selected books to read and review, and a few personal characteristics. We were willing to reach out to the community and sometimes work together to bring the community together for meetings and special events and fund raisers.  

Our tasks, meetings, and ideas could not have been accomplished without having lists.  One of the men kept a small notepad and pen in his pocket.  He wrote the items he wanted to accomplish each day for his store and crossed them off his list as he completed them.  He made sure he finished his list by the close of business.  The other man created his list on Sunday evening for the work week.  His list included his clients, meetings, calls to be made and he was strict about ending his day at 4:30 pm.  I developed my list on a lined sheet or note pad each day.  I highlighted my accomplishments - they were easy to read at a glance.  I also used an agenda-a weekly planner each year-and kept record of all my appointments and meetings.  I used sticky notes in my home.  I placed them on my bathroom mirror and on my kitchen cabinet so I was exposed to my primary annual target.  My note:  'Why 90?' - very simple.  It meant the minimum magic number for annual sales I strived toward.

Outlook is another method of creating lists.  I usually prefer my written lists.  I have been successful with them and generally practice using the 'sun down' rule of getting everything done by the end of the day.  I struggle with this one due to the nature of my business which can be 24/7.  I will strive for more efficiency and know much of my continued success throughout many years has been the result of my handwritten lists.

 STARTING YOUR DAY

I am sure you have heard that little jingle for coffee; '..the best part of waking up...'.  Well, I am here to say how you start your day when you wake up matters.  Before your eyes fully open, before, you are truly conscious of the weather outside, and before you even get out of bed - it is important to get the blood circulating. Stretch your body while laying down.  Turn your feet side to side, up and down several times.  Stretch your calf muscles. Turn your head side-to-side and tilt it back then toward your chest holding it in place for a few seconds - then turn  it to the left, center, and right and repeat several times.  Arch your back; push your shoulders down.  Stretch out.  Now, you can start your day.  The oxygen in your blood is circulating faster through your brain and body.    

I have two fused discs in my neck, had two rear-end collisions resulting in concussions, and had started to feel so sluggish.  I started this regimen a couple of years ago and I do not experience any tingling when I first step out of bed and my day just seems so much better.  Of course there are other things to do before you shower or get ready for your the rest of your day.  For me, it is a bathroom routine including brushing my teeth and hair. Find a good multi vitamin and drink 10 to 16 ounces of water. I almost have to have coffee and on the weekends use about a teaspoon of Bailey's Irish Cream to celebrate.   Next, I read or write or check out some news and once a month - pay my bills to get it behind me.  If you are inclined to exercise, the morning before food is when you are going to get your body in prime shape for the day AND get your metabolism jump started.  

My brother died in November of 2004.  I had already broken up with a significant partner in March.  I lost a lot of weight and just could not eat in the morning.  I felt nauseous of the smell or thought of breakfast.  Over the years, I ending up gaining the weight back and then some.  I put my body in starvation mode and it hung on desperately to all that excess fat.  It wasn't until April of this year when I entered into a workout challenge at a local gym where I discovered so much more about myself and my body.  I lost about 25 percent body fat and about 9 inches.  I lost only 7 or 8 pounds but, built a whole lot of muscle.  My core was stronger; my mind felt more alert, and I discovered the importance of eating breakfast to stop to fat storage issue.  My trainers taught me diet  was 80% of my overweight problem.  

Start your day off right.  Develop a routine which works for you.  Be consistent with your sleep, increase your water intake, and discover both the physical and mental benefits.  

Where Did Your Passion Go?

When I was a young girl, I was very passionate about my girlfriends and spending time with them meant everything to me.  Getting punished for not doing my chores was bad enough but, when my mother added not being able to have them over to my house or vice versus I felt much worse.  My heart ached to be with my friends and ride bikes or roller skate together or just having girl time together watching I Love Lucy.  In later years, my interests turned toward boys and my girlfriends became a close second.  I  was so passionate about both and remain close to those girlfriends today.  The boyfriends drifted away from my life.  After several more 'passionate' relationships, I eventually found myself as a single mom with three children-all by the same father...just for clarity.  I suddenly found out my children did not feel like our rental home was 'home'.  One summer, each of them  individually of one another, expressed these feelings to me.  Actually, I had planned to move to a southern state once they had gotten out of high school. But, I ended up buying a house for them nearby so they could remain in their school through graduation and be with their friends.  It was a modest house with three bedrooms, a basement large enough for my eldest daughter, one and a half bathrooms and a yard big enough for us to have bon fires.  The latter was extremely important to all of us.   Through the years, we spent many nights sitting around bon fires and connecting with family, friends, and neighbors.  I didn't care what the house looked like.  After looking at a half dozen houses on the market, I made a decision.  I was too busy working 10 to 14 hour days to much care; as long as the house met those very basic criteria.  But, when I went to pick out furniture - my old low-lying dark green sofa for the living room and mattress and boxspring on the bedroom floor - just wouldn't work for me anymore.  I realized I had lost my passion.  The rental walls were a flat white paint-I never painted them, the carpet was a nubby berber oatmeal color-neutral, and I had beige sheers at the windows.  My clothes were all shades of brown, black or grey.  As I searched for furniture for our new home, I realized most of the furniture in the show rooms was brown or some monochromatic shade thereof.  I wanted a red sofa.  I needed passion in my home.   I had been living without passion for far too long.  I was passionate about my children and passionate about my work but, when it came to my home I was  not.  Home is where the heart is.  Home is the reflection of your life, your soul, and a visible expression of what you love and care about.  Not only did I find a beautiful burgundy red sofa but, an oversized chair, and chaise lounge too.  All very unique pieces of furniture and the fabric wore like iron.  And, I took my passion to the bedroom and bought a queen sized sleigh bed.   Life took a turn for not only the better but, seemed to have more meaning and I felt a huge sense of accomplishment.  I began saving more and investing more.  For whatever reason, and there were many events over the years causing me to change from the person I once was, I finally found it - I got my passion back.