Monday Morning Wake Up Call

Monday Morning Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Pay Attention As parents and adults, we tell children to pay attention to those things that are happening around them. Sometimes, we have to say, “Put the phone down and pay attention.” Or, “Look people in the eye and pay attention.” This week, I’m reminded that we should all take our own advice and see the world for a little while through the eyes of a child. Watch with wonder. Pay attention to the world around us and absorb all there is to learn like a sponge, just as little ones do. Look for the adventure and miracles every day brings. Step away from the technology and acknowledge the people and get really present in the moments. What a wonderful shift that would be from the lens so many people watch their worlds through these days. Life is filled with a million little wonderful reminders of our value, worth, relationships, hope, and goodness when those are the things we PAY ATTENTION to. This week, let’s do just that. Something to Think About This really is one of life’s simple realities that really does make a difference. Pay attention, not only to your own life and the things that are going on in your world, but to the ones you love and to what is happening in their world. Weekly Challenge Pay attention to your loved ones this week. Send a card to at least five people you love and imagine them opening it and how much it will make their day. Then turn your attention to past clients. Those VIPs make up your referral base. Make it a point to call at least ten and send postcards to at least 100. Words of Wisdom I truly believe that everything that we do and everyone that we meet is put in our path for a purpose. There are no accidents; we're all teachers - if we're willing to pay attention to the lessons we learn, trust our positive instincts and not be afraid to take risks or wait for some miracle to come knocking at our door. -Marla Gibbs Your children can be around you all day, but if you don't spend quality time with them and you don't pay attention to them and talk to them and listen to them, it doesn't matter that they're just around you. - Brandy Norwood Tell me to what you pay attention and I will tell you who you are. - Jose Ortega y Gasset “Who doesn't want to know that we notice them and value them? And who might respond to us better when they feel that they matter? It probably cannot be overstated – it matters...that people matter.” - Steve Goodier One thing about challenges in life is: through them, we learn how to overcome them. Always Pay Attention!” ? Olaotan Fawehinmi

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

Monday Morning Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Take Your Parents Advice I remember when my mom, or dad, would say, “Don’t do that. You are going to get hurt!” Most of the time they were right, and sometimes I even listened to them. But as we get older and leave that wonderful place called home, mom and dad are not always there watching us and warning us of those dangers that lie ahead. We had to learn when to stop, and which path to take. Most of the time I did pretty well, but on occasion, I pushed the limits and paid the price. As I look back on my life, many of the most important lessons I’ve learned in life have come from slight errors in judgment. I made choices on impulse and did not listen to that inner voice that we all have. Rash decisions sometimes resulted in awkward situations. I wish I could say that I always make the right decisions, but I don’t. That’s just part of being human. What we hopefully learn as we get older is how wise it is to listen to our intuition, tap into that small voice in our heads, and let it help guide our decisions. It’s also important to remember that mistakes and missed turns often are some of our greatest teachers. Life’s always teaching us – it’s our job to look for the lessons. Something to Think About I now understand my parents' point of view much more clearly. It is easier to STOP before you fall, and usually a lot less painful! Weekly Activity Send your mom, your dad or that person in your life who helped guide you early on. Thank them for their guidance and their love. Words of Wisdom Life is too short to spend your precious time trying to convince a person who wants to live in gloom and doom otherwise. Give lifting that person your best shot, but don't hang around long enough for his or her bad attitude to pull you down. Instead, surround yourself with optimistic people. - Zig Ziglar Life is available only in the present. That is why we should walk in such a way that every step can bring us to the here and the now. - Thich Nhat Hanh Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood. - Ralph Waldo Emerson Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us. - Thomas L. Holdcroft Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is bliss, taste it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it. - Mother Teresa

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

Monday Morning Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Pick Your Travel Partners Carefully We have all had our share of “fair-weather” friends. They are the ones who call you whenever they need something, but not available when you need something. They are the ones who call you when they are down or worried about their jobs, love life, or are facing a challenge. They want you to comfort them, console them, and listen, but are often too busy or not available when you need a friend in return. Do you have any friends like that? I used to. I think we all do. But several years ago I told a bold step with a few of my “fair-weather” friends. I released them from my circle. When I thought back to all the times that I had shared with these people, I realized that it was a one-way street. I remember one friend specifically. She only called when she needed something, and those calls might be years apart. When I talked to her, it was obvious that she did not care what I was talking about and was always quick to turn the conversation back to herself. I released that “friend” about five years ago, without regret, or malice, just gave thanks for the time we had shared and closed the door with kindness. She wasn’t a bad person, just not a “good friend”. Good friends fill your cup, not drain it. As we get older, we realize we need fewer people in our circle, and the ones who remain are the ones who truly become our forever friends. Why is it so hard to release people from our life? Even the toxic ones? I don’t have the answer to that, but I can assure you that when you do release them, life changes for the better. Something to Think About Choose to travel through life with friends who take turns driving and enjoy the journey with you. Weekly Activity If you have people in your life who are “toxic”, make the conscious choice to release them from your life. When you do, you make room for the good friends that matter most. Words of Wisdom A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked. - Bernard Meltzer A true friend encourages us, comforts us, supports us like a big easy chair, offering us a safe refuge from the world. - H. Jackson Brown, Jr. It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. - Ralph Waldo Emerson Remember, you don’t need a certain number of friends, just a few good friends that you can be certain about. – Unknown Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses. - Ann Landers

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

Monday Morning Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

No Need to Wait for an Invitation As I look back on my life, there were so many times when we wait for “that invitation”. An invitation to a party, a meeting, to join a group, to approach the boss about a position that I felt I was qualified for or to have coffee with someone who seemed interesting or special. Why is it that we feel that we need an invitation? There are times when you look back at the invites that didn’t come. Or felt as if we wouldn’t be accepted by someone or “fit in” with a group. Here’s what’s interesting – is how many of those times did waiting for the invite mean we missed opportunities that could have changed our course for the better. Like many things, “waiting for an invite” is rooted in the category of “the way things have always been done”. That, my friends, doesn’t mean it still holds the same value, truth, or relevance that it once did. Stop waiting, do the inviting. In fact, invite YOURSELF. To jump in. Ask to join. Participate. Love the moments. When you do, you show others that it’s all right to do the same. Something to Think About Change your perspective. Understand that it’s not just OK to say, “I would love to be a part of this project”, or “Can we have coffee sometime. I would love to talk to you about…”, it could be just the magic moment you’ve been waiting for. Maybe you did not get the invitation because the person did not think you were interested. Weekly Activity Don’t wait for the invite. Pursue those things you are interested in this week! And don’t wait for a “business invitation” from past clients – reach out to at least 10 this week to check in, see if they have any questions, and let them know you appreciate their business and that you are there for them. Words of Wisdom I'm always shocked when I get an invitation. People are always shocked when they see me at a party. Joan Rivers Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here, shall we dance? – Anonymous If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun. - Katharine Hepburn Do not wait; the time will never be 'just right.' Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along. -George Herbert Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. -Charles R. Swindoll

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

Monday Morning Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Change – It’ll Do You Good How many times have you been headed in one direction, only to be surprised by an unexpected event that altered your course? When we are young, we try to control everything. Always checking to be sure we are on the right path. When life knocked us off that path, we fought fiercely to get back on, believing that was the direction we were SUPPOSED to take. However, as we grow older and wiser, we come to learn that change is inevitable and that it’s often the very best thing that can happen to us. Change opens up new opportunities and new life experiences. No matter what happens in life, we’re here to live and learn. When the world throws you a curveball, make an adjustment in your swing, and hit it out of the park! When change alters your path, be ready and willing to take on the unexpected adventures and see where they might lead. While it might be scary at first, you have been given all the tools that you need for this life, so move forward boldly and as Henry David Thoreau said, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” Something to Think About Don’t panic, don’t hurry, and don’t race through life. Instead, appreciate each and every moment you are given, and learn from it. Weekly Activity Take a new path to work this week, I can’t tell you how many times that has led to something fun or interesting. In fact, I know plenty of agents who have even discovered new BUSINESS by altering their routes. Now there’s motivation! Embrace the changes in your life this week and go with the flow. Words of Wisdom Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. -Maria Robinson Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together. -Marilyn Monroe Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change. –Jim Rohn Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” -Mary Anne Radmacher 20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain