The road to success is not too far from the road to failure....  with stops along the way like quitting, negativity and naysayers.  It's really easy to get hung up in the stops.  If we examine the options, and really learn the advantages or disadvantages, it might help us become stronger and not get hung up with those things that hold us bad from reaching success.

We should first all understand that the rate or speed in which we reach success is not the same for all of us.  A regulation major league baseball game will normally end after 9 innings, but rain could cut it short or a tie score could cause it to have to go longer.  Only you can determine when you have reached success in your chosen endeavor, and it may be shorter or longer than the time taken by someone else.  It's most important that you do not use time to get there as the measure.

Whether you are a member of the Scentsy Family with me, and I hope you are or will be, see my contact information below, or you are in some other line of business or sales...  there are some things you can do that should enhance your ability to become successful, and perhaps shorten the length of time to get there, depending on how fast you can master a few things.

Get out of your comfort zone.  If you keep doing just the things you like to do or find easy to do, you'll be right where you are now.  There's an old saying that goes something like: If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you've always gotten.  To move forward, you need to keep trying new things.  You might not do them well at first, keep working at it, you'll get better.  Talk to new people, expand you network of people you know.

Do something to make your work space better....  in my case, I just need to clean it up.  Touch papers once when possible.  Read it, take action and discard it or file it (if you really need to). I have SO much stuff that I really don't need.  My best intentions are to pass things along to others who might have use for the "stuff", or I'll deal with it later so it sits around.  It's time to de-clutter.  Take 30 minutes every day to get more organized and toss what you really don't need.

A core Scentsy value is about giving more than you take.  I contend giving more than we take should be a core value everyone should live by.  Try volunteering, doing something for someone else.  Don't ask for, expect or want recognition for what you do...  that only dilutes the goodness into giving only to get.  Give from your heart and walk away.  There is always someone out there less fortunate than you are...  look for opportunities to be kind.

Want to join me in my little corner of the Scentsy Family?  Check out our brands:

Scentsy Fragrance

Grace Adele

Velata

Do you believe in you?

We all have dreams and desires...  do you believe in your dreams?  Do you believe in you and your ability to see you achieving your dreams?  Whether you, and I mean YOU, believe in your dreams makes all the difference.  You must first believe in what is possible, what you dream, then you will have a purpose for knowing what you need to do.

How do you do that?  Start surrounding yourself with people who believe....  who believe in themselves and believe in you.  Share your dreams with everyone.  Jim Rohn said something like if you share your story with 10 people, they will each hear the story once, you will hear it 10 times.  The more you hear your story, the more you will believe in your story.

Two people I love to listen to are Jim Rohn and Benjamin Zander.  They motivate me, they jazz me up... I hope they might do the same for you.  Here's a clip from Jim Rohn:

I love Benjamin Zander's book "The Art of Possibility".  All things are possible that are reasonable for those that are willing to make the effort and take the action necessary.  The problem is that most of us listen to people who don't believe and have little faith.  Let's start by surrounding ourselves with those with similar beliefs and faith and then start making headway, one step at a time.

A Bernice after thought...

May today bring you one step closer to whatever goal you may be chasing...

one step closer to defeating whatever fear you may be facing...

and one step closer to the love you may be searching!! 

Remember life is about taking the steps towards your hopes and dreams and never letting fear keep them from you!! Have a wonderful day!! 

♥ my smile!!! Forever ♥!!!

A Better Me - All the little things add up

Little things add up.  I think many of us really don't give much thought to the little things in life.  Oh we do once in a while with a little good deed here or there, but do you ever reflect back on the culmination of the "little things"?

As I have contemplated on the various aspects of making "A Better Me", I'm coming to see, finally, how the little things do begin to stack up...  and if they are negative little things, that's not good.

I still struggle with figuring out the difference, or the relationship, of the little things we do that define who we are as related to the little things we do that either make people happy, thankful and feel better....  or, those that push them over the edge.  I hope to continue doing more of the little things that make people happy, thankful and feel better than the later.  It's the later i want to strive to eliminate.

A great friend (at least he is to me), Kirk Weisler (@KirkWeisler) writes an amazing blog called "Thought 4 the Day" or T4D for short.  I strongly recommend you sign up for it...  have you teen age kids sign up...  and you spouse or significant other.  Kirk's wisdom, advice and sharing of life stories are consistently inspirational and do nothing less than to provide up a prescription to becoming A Better Me.  Further, this past spring I had the opportunity of taking to his eldest son Jake, an inspiring young man with a great interest in video achievements.  I hope he looks to SCAD to continue his education after high school...  that's just a plug, my son loves it there.  


I mention Kirk and his son Jake because Kirk recently wrote a piece titled "Who Ate the Cake? - Little Things Add Up".  Please go read it.  At the beginning of the blog there is a short video clip Jake produced that is an amazing piece of work, notwithstanding his young age...  (although I wish he'd had his little sister have Lenny the Lamb I sent her in the clip with her rather than her other stuffed animals).  I'd like you to see it too because it really hits home about how the little things add up.  Thanks for the awesome graphical image you have imbedded in my head Jake!


A Bernice after thought...
Should've, could've, would've!!! 

Don't live your life looking back..... today tell yourself, " I shall do this, I will do that, and I can do or be anything I choose!!" 

Incredible people don't always do incredible things they just don't hold themselves back with regrets! You're an incredible person!!    Have a wonderful day!!     ♥ my smile!!!    Forever ♥!!!

A successful postcard project

I have been a little remise in providing an update to those that helped my daughter's class project by mailing postcards from all of the United States. Tina Greeley Grenier posted: We did it!!! We collected 180 postcards from all 50 states (the 50th state-ND arrived June 21st) and a few countries too! Now to scan all of the cards and make books for each of the kids...woo-hoo!!!

A huge thank you to each and everyone one of you that helped by sending her a post card from your home state (and some nearby states). You are the best! Woo-Hoo again!

Thank you!

A Better Me starting with saying "I love you"

I've had a desire to write a book for a very long time.  Several have given me guidance, for which I am very thankful, here I go with how Phil said to start.

I'm writing for me because I need to be better in nearly all aspects of my life, so I'm going tostart by wiritng my own guide.  I'm pretty convinced that there is really nothing new to write about, it's all been said before, I'm just going to pick out the parts that are important to me, make sense to me, import that I do a much better job at, and the things I want to be truly better at.

So, to get started on "A Better Me" I must first remember to say I love you, to mean it and to act like it, every day...  beginning by loving myself.

I often wonder why many treat the people they say they love, or once loved, worst than they treat total strangers.  How soon we forget love.   My friend Becca Levie made a post one night that read: ‎"There is no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal".  While I believe that to be true...  I struggle to figure out why we must suffer under the circumstances until heaven heals us.  Is that part of the process of being better?  Learning to deal with pain and strain, without complaints?

My thoughts for a better me are to remember, even those we love most, will let us down, make us sad or even mad form time to time....  at time, quite often.  The point is, at one point we made a decision to love them, and if heaven can heal all, we should work to allow that and to try to forgive and forget, while we can, and move on to the happiness we once had.

Benjamin Zander spoke about the importance of what we say, the words that come out of our mouth.  He tells of a woman who was one of the rare survivors of Auschwitz. She went there when she was 15 years old with her brother, who was only 8, they had already lost their parents.  She told the story of while on the train going to Auschwitz, she looked down at her brother's feet and saw his shoes were missing. In a flustered, frustrated and angry tone, the way you might expect a 15 year old to talk to a little brother who is not taking care of things as she might, said something to the affect of: what's wrong with you, where are your shoes, can't you keep your things together!  Unfortunately, that was the last thing she ever said to her brother, she never spoke to him again, he did not survive.  She made a vow when she finally left Auschwitz that she would never again say anything that could not stand as the last thing she said to someone.

Can we do that, never speak a bad or negative way?  Likely not, but we can work to be closer to a more positive, loving and caring person.  We could, and perhaps, make the world just a slightly better place than it is today, if we just communicate better, nicer.  I challenge you today to, so to speak, bite your tongue when a negative word is about to come out of your mouth... clear a negative thought from your mind and replace it with anything positive.  Just try to be a better person today.

A Bernice after thought...

Today is your present!! 


Open it with a smile, enjoy it with a passion, and use it all to your advantage because its the only gift that is guaranteed!!! Live, love, laugh with everything you have and leave nothing unspent at the end of today!! 


Have a wonderful day!! ♥ my smile!!! Forever ♥!!!!

School supplies for the Dominican Republic

I'm headed to the Dominican Republic in just over a week, thank you Scentsy for sending me, I might have never gotten there with you!  While there, I hope to visit a local elementary school (I'm not sure if that is what they call it there).

We have been told that school supplies are in great demand and donations will be greatly accepted.  I have a suitcase that I intend to pack to the rim with supplies for them.  I could use your help if you feel so moved.  I went out tonight and made the first purchase so I can start packing (I have to be done by next Sunday, June 17th).  

Here's the list of the most needed items we have been asked for, and of course, any other appropriate items for elementary aged kids would be accepted. I'll deal with the cost of extra suitcases as necessary to get everything there. They need:

Things I have already purchased

Backpacks
Chalk
Child safe scissors
Children's multivitamins
Craft books
Craft glue
Colored pen or pencils
Notebooks
Pencils
Pencil cases
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste

If you are in the western Massachusetts area and want to get things and get them to me, as long as I have them by June 17th, that would be good.  If you want to send funds, I can accept credit or debit cards directly.  I will send you a picture of what I get with your funds and pictures of the donations when made in the Dominican Republic in a couple of week.  

I could REALLY use any help you can provide.  No donation is too small. Call me if you know my number; email me (DrGreeley@gmail.com); message me on Facebook, post a comment to this post....  whatever it takes to get in touch with me.  If you are also a Scentsy Independent Consultant, as I am, this is an awesome opportunity for us to give back...  a Scentsy tradition!



Thanks again, anything helps

Dan

$100 for carry on bags? They deserve it...

When I first heard Spirit Airlines was going to begin charging $100 for carry on baggage, I thought who the heck would be so stupid to pay or even fly on Spirit.  Now that I have read one of the stories on CNN (http://cnnmon.ie/Mv8n2x), it appears that the fee is not for carry on bags themselves, it is for the oversized and other bags that must be checked at the gate.  Hmmm.

I took the picture attached last month while standing in line to board.  Special needs folks were being boarded and this couple passed me en route to the jetway.  In addition to the child the mom was carrying, and I don't have a problem with allowing folks with kids to board early, however, check out what they were packing, and you can't see it all.

Mom had a child and a roller suitcase.  Dad was pushing a stroller with a small carry on, perhaps a diaper sized bag below the stroller, a suitcase in the car seat, sitting on the stroller.  Yes, we had to wait while all this was dropped at the end of the jetway...  at least airline personal had already tagged everything.  I think this is what Spirit is planning on charging for...  for this couples sake, glad they weren't on Spirit after the rate increase....  at $100 per bag checked, it could be an expensive check at the gate option.

Now, on the other hand, these in extra "fees" don't seem to be prorated or fair, across the board.  I normally fly Southwest...  I like their corporate philosophy, their customer service and the fact they don't charge extra for baggage, at the ticket counter or at the jetway.  However, I hate gouging and charging for something that really, is nothing but gouging.  The airlines are not alone in this practice, they just happen to be who I'm pointing it out about right now.