Monday Morning Wake Up Call

Monday Morning Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead Forgive Yourself! Today’s message is a very important one, and it’s one that we all need to embrace. Everyone messes up at some point, some more than others. If you have messed up in the past, there’s a good chance you will mess up again because humans are born with the ability to make spectacular mistakes! Dragging around guilt and self-criticism is not healthy and utterly pointless. You won’t be a better person who never messes up again for feeling guilty or bad about yourself, but you will rob yourself of your ability to bounce back. Guilt, shame, and self-criticism are some of the most destructive forces in your life, which is why forgiving yourself is one of the most powerful things you can do. An easy way to let go of something that you feel badly about is to try this simple exercise. Repeat the following: "Holding onto my bad feelings about this does nothing but harm me, and others I care about. It’s preventing me from enjoying my life fully. I am an awesome person. I choose to enjoy my life and I choose to let this go.” Start each day by repeating this phrase until you feel free of the guilt or bad feeling. It might take a week, or a month or a year, but at some point, you will let go of things that still haunt you from your past. Something to Think About We all make mistakes. It’s how you handle it that makes all the difference. Weekly Challenge Think of something that you are carrying around and let it go! Words of Wisdom “Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.” - Oscar Wilde “The truth is unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward.” - Steve Maraboli “One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory.” - Rita Mae Brown “True forgiveness is when you can say, "Thank you for that experience.” - Oprah Winfrey

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

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

Trust your Intuition  Did you ever stop to think about how birds use their intuition to navigate their way to breeding grounds halfway across the world? Deer, rabbits, and other prey use their intuition to avoid running into predators. The average human, on the other hand, will take the advice of a total stranger, or the person who sits at the desk next to them instead of doing what they know, deep down inside, is the right or best thing. How many times have you thought, in hindsight, I knew I should have listened to my gut? Every one of us has an incredible inner guidance that we can use whenever we need it.  When there is an important decision to make, don’t run around asking everyone what you should do. Instead, find a quiet place and give yourself time to feel, think, and contemplate. You have all the answers inside of you. Practice sharpening your intuition, take the time to strengthen your connection to your own inner voice, and trust that you know what’s best for you. The more centered and tuned-in you are, the mightier you will be! Something to Think About A thinking mind is an awesome tool that's meant to be used, but it pales in comparison to that inner voice that you have.  Animals have always relied solely in their instincts. They don’t need to know why, they just do what they know is right, based on their instincts. They trust they will get to where they are going, and they do. Why do humans have such a difficult time listening to their gut or their instinct? Weekly Challenge This week, find a quiet time to sit down and review your goals for this week, this month, and this year—then follow your gut, or your instincts, no matter what! See what happens. Words of Wisdom Intuition is seeing with the soul.” - Dean Koontz “You will never follow your own inner voice until you clear up the doubts in your mind.” - Roy T. Bennett “Our bodies have five senses: touch, smell, taste, sight, hearing. But not to be overlooked are the senses of our souls: intuition, peace, foresight, trust, empathy. The differences between people lie in their use of these senses; most people don't know anything about the inner senses while a few people rely on them just as they rely on their physical senses, and in fact probably even more.” - C. Joy Bell C. “Don't try to comprehend with your mind. Your minds are very limited. Use your intuition.” - Madeleine L'Engle “When you reach the end of what you should know, you will be at the beginning of what you should sense.”  - Kahlil Gibran #motivation #motivationmonday

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

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

Love Yourself! I hope you had an awesome weekend, and I hope that you love yourself, for the unique person that you are and the value that you bring to the lives of others. Too often people base their self-worth on what other people think and allow that to be the ruling belief.   I do however think that the opinions of others can offer us an opportunity to benefit from an outside opinion, especially if they know you well.  We have all heard of constructive criticism, but there is also constructive complementing. If someone close to you tells you that you are always blowing up at people who disagree with you, perhaps you should ask yourself, “Is this true?” If so, use that feedback to make the necessary changes, but if it is not true, let it go! If your friends always tell you that you are a good listener, ask yourself, if that is a true compliment, and if so, how can you use it to better yourself and the life of others?  If it is not true, let it go. Sometimes it’s easier for others to see what we cannot see in ourselves, allowing us to connect with our truths and live better, authentic lives and to contribute to those lives around us! Something to Think About It still ultimately comes down to what is true for you. The more connected you are to your inner truth, the easier it will be the use the outside opinions to your advantage, rather than let them rule your life. Weekly Challenge Love yourself this week and every week, because it’s the Holy Grail of Happiness. Reach out to at least five favorite clients as well and let them know how much you love being their REALTOR. Words of Wisdom “Accept yourself, love yourself, and keep moving forward. If you want to fly, you have to give up what weighs you down.” - Roy T. Bennett “Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out?” - Ian Wallace Love yourself. Forgive yourself. Be true to yourself. How you treat yourself sets the standard for how others will treat you.” - Steve Maraboli “Encourage yourself, believe in yourself, and love yourself. Never doubt who you are.” - Stephanie Lahart “whatever you do be gentle with yourself. you don’t just live in this world or your home or your skin. you also live in someone’s eyes.” - Sanober Khan

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

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

Follow Your Dreams & Fantasies What do you fantasize about when you're staring out the window of a train, or before you fall to sleep at night? What are your thoughts when you’re pretending to listen to someone who is really boring and talking your ear off? Are you on stage doing standup comedy in front of hundreds of fans? Are you surrounded by your beautiful children in a field of flowers, or are you being celebrated for an amazing contribution to the world? Did you know that our fantasies are the most revealing peepholes into who we are and what we think is awesome? No matter how crazy, how “out there” or how impossible they might seem, our fantasies represent our biggest and best version of ourselves. If money were not an issue, and you could do what it is that brings you great joy, versus what you need to do to survive, what would you do? Something to Think About Our fantasies are our realities in an excuse-free world. Weekly Challenge This week when you find yourself fantasizing about something on TV, or in life, ask yourself, why not me? What version of this fantasy could I bring into my life? Then challenge yourself to follow through on some of those dreams. Words of Wisdom “I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living. It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope.”  - Dr. Seuss “Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it.”- Lloyd Alexander “Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisoned by the enemy, don't we consider it his duty to escape? If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we're partisans of liberty, then it's our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!” - J.R.R. Tolkien “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.” - J.M. Barrie “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.” - Albert Einstein

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

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

The Making of a Mentor How was your weekend? Did you have an opportunity to inspire someone this week or to “give back” in some small way?   It’s easy to get caught up in the everyday challenges and “stuff” that comes our way, but the benefits of giving back can be the best part of our week! The question that many people ask is how do you do it? Certainly, there are many opportunities by way of existing charities and outreach programs, but on an individual level, it takes a little more effort. One of the greatest ways to inspire is to serve as a mentor. When considering someone to mentor, you must make sure that your background and experience aligns with what they hope to achieve. More importantly, you must ready yourself to be completely open and honest. When people look at you as a mentor, they believe in you completely. If you aren’t totally authentic in your advice to them, you are doing them a disservice.  If mentoring sounds like something you might want to do, start with a blueprint or outline of what you do and how you do it. If you need assistance in this, please don’t hesitate to contact me. We love seeing agents thrive via mentor/protégé relationships. They are powerful and inspired. I’m here to help! Something to Think About:  You might be thinking that the only time in your life when you can inspire someone or mentor them is when you have achieved greatness or your own dream. That is simply not so. No matter how far along you are on the path to greatness, you are further along than someone else. There is always someone who could benefit from your help and advice. To that person, you can be a great inspiration. When it comes time to giving back, there is never a better time than now. Weekly Activity:  Create a blueprint for success that you can share with someone who could use a mentor. Words of Wisdom: Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently. Maya Angelou I know that I came into the world with what I call 'big dharma' - with a blueprint to teach self-reliance and a positive loving approach to large numbers of people all over the globe. I am ever so grateful for the circumstances of my life that allowed me to be pretty much left alone and to develop as I was so intended in this incarnation. Wayne Dyer If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down. Toni Morrison People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things. Steve Jobs “People who made their dreams come true didn’t simply go after it. They changed the person they were, in order to fit the type of person that would live that type of dream.  Shannon L. Alder

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

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

Inspiration in the Ordinary Were you inspired this weekend, or were you an inspiration to others?  Traditionally, what inspires us most are ordinary people who have done extraordinary things. We appreciate when someone has the ability and willingness to be selfless, creative, innovative, or just dares to be different. Mother Teresa, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. were ordinary people who decided that the world needed their help — people who believed that they could change the world, despite nearly impossible odds and tremendous opposition, and they weren’t afraid to try. The beautiful thing about inspiration of this kind is that “ordinary” part. Each of them came from backgrounds of great poverty and difficulty and faced giant hurdles. They succeeded because they were not afraid to be who they were. They were authentic, and they were passionate about their beliefs. Too often, many of us fail to see the greatness within ourselves. We sometimes assume that a person is only great if he or he makes headlines. But press isn’t necessary. In fact, sometimes the most inspiring people in the world go completely unnoticed. What inspires me are the people who do something to better humanity in their own small corner of the world. They don’t need headlines or accolades. They need only to know that they stepped up to make the world a little bit better. Have an inspired week, and if there is anything I can ever do for you – please don’t hesitate to call! Something to Think About Each of us can be an inspiration to those around us. You never know who you’re going to impact when you give. Giving back leaves a legacy that will live on far longer than you will. You will be amazed at the way inspiring others makes you feel. In fact, it is the only feeling that rivals the one you get when you realize you have achieved your dream. Weekly Activity: Be an inspiration to someone in your world this week. Reach out and connect. If you are not currently doing so, can you consider adopting a charity or cause this year that can be a focus for you as you grow your business, you can also create a legacy? Words of Wisdom Do one thing every day that scares you. Eleanor Roosevelt What's meant to be will always find a way. Trisha Yearwood The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all. Walt Disney If you're reading this ... Congratulations, you're alive. If that's not something to smile about, then I don't know what is.Chad Sugg We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.  Maya Angelou

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

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

Here’s to Healthy Relationships! Happy Monday! I hope you found some time this weekend to spend with that special someone in your life. Or maybe this is the year to find that special someone. Did you know that one of the top New Year’s Resolutions is the find that “special someone”? If you or someone you know is looking for that special relationship in 2018, here are some values to look for in any relationship: 1. Trust is one of the most important factors in a relationship. If you don't trust the person you are with, then it is probably not a healthy, stable relationship and you most likely will feel insecure about it. 2. Being truthful and honest is major when it comes to relationships. If you can’t be honest in the relationship, it’s not the right one! 3. Respect is a must. No amount of love is worth giving up who you are and the respect you deserve. 4. Communication: You need it to express feelings, needs, and expectations. You need it to solve conflicts and you even need it when it comes to intimacy. Without good communication, how can any relationship grow? 5. Relationships aren't always sunshine and rainbows, but the happy times should far outweigh the unhappy ones. Being happy is really important in a relationship and if you are not happy then it is time to move on. 6. Compromise: Healthy relationships need compromise in order to work and to establish happiness between both partners. By the way, having amazing, trusting, mutually-beneficial relationships of ALL kinds are a big key to a successful and happy life. From partners to family to friends – and even business colleagues. Is it time to make a shift in the company you keep this year? I’d love to share with you some of the ways we help support our team members, so they have the best possible foundations for success. Something to Think About: Those traits above are not just for new relationships, but sometimes it’s good to reflect on your current relationships. Are they healthy? Are you respected? Are you happy? Those guidelines apply to all the relationships in your life! Weekly Activity: Reach out to at least ten past clients who’ve been wonderful to you and let them know how much you appreciate them. Make this the year you nurture those valuable relationships in your life. Words of Wisdom: In finding love, I think it's important to be patient. In being in a relationship, I think it's important to be honest, to communicate, to respect and trust, and to strive to give more than you take. Kina Grannis 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 “My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and the courage to accept the love in return.”  Maya Angelou “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” Lao-Tzu “We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.” Sam Keen