Margaret's Notes

This blog has moved

2011-03-17T08:07:00.000-04:00

Welcome -

Please join me on the new site Margaret's Notes

I look forward to seeing you there!

Namaste'
Margaret

Kindness and Care

2010-07-16T08:24:00.000-04:00

I attended a meeting last night where the speaker was asked, "What is the one word that could improve business?" She answered, "Passion." I could see her point, but when the gentleman asked that question, I wrote down "CARE."

CARE about: the people who work with them; care about their customers, clients, patients; the work environment; their communty; their families and those of their employees.

When you truly care about all of those things, you show your passion for the business, for life, for your co-workers (employees). It ripples out just like a stone thrown into a still lake, it creates ripples that flow for a long time.

So I suggest to you, show more CARE and Kindness to everyone around you. Can you imagine that if everyone did that what a difference in our communities, businesses, and families.

Tell someone today that you CARE about them, be kind to everyone - a smile could make the whole day for someone!

Have fun with it!

Margaret . . .
. . . bringing peace, joy and fulfillment to the lives of others
through Coaching / Speaking / Training

STRESS RELIEF WEBINAR - July 7 & 14

2010-06-24T15:24:00.005-04:00

Feeling Stressed? Overwhelmed? Tired? Blah?

This program is for you -
All Stressed Out and Nowhere to Go?

You can find your Relief here! That's right, real RELIEF - NOT management!!!

Offering: 2 session webinar on Stress Relief
Wednesdays, July 7th and 14th at 8pm EDT.

Is YOUR life full of stress?

Are your employees feeling the demands of high performance requirements?

Truly successful people don’t trade personal satisfaction for professional achievement. They know high performance depends on learning how to balance the stress and rewards of both. Companies and Organizations that understand this very important connection between work and personal life will attract and keep these highly productive employees. Those companies and organizations that don’t will be at a competitive disadvantage.

SIMPLE ♦ UNIQUE

While stress is a fact of life, this program helps people understand that it is how they respond to stress that makes it a positive, negative, or neutral force in their lives. Addressing stress in a holistic manner makes it much more likely that overall health and emotional well-being will be improved. In this presentation, you will explore the nature of all types of stress and how you are affected by and respond to these stresses.

Learn how to:

• Discover your individual stress issues in all areas of your life

• Minimize or eliminate common daily stressors

• Develop flexibility in responding to change

• Distinguish the relationship between stress, coping resources, and overall life satisfaction

• Apply simple and easy techniques to your daily life to relieve stress

Sign up today and learn to use the very simple tools that relieve your stress in the moment!

Only $49 for 2 sessions.

Click here to register:

Facilitated by Margaret Martin, Stress Relief Expert, a Licensed HeartMath provider

If you have questions or concerns be sure to contact us.

Look forward to seeing you soon!

3 Things . . .

2010-06-05T08:29:00.000-04:00

Health, Wealth and Happiness

Have you ever noticed how many things tend to come in three’s? It is something of which I have recently been reminded.

This morning while sitting on my balcony enjoying a cup of coffee with the view of our small lake, I had the pleasure of watching some of the bird life that is a wonderful part of the experience of living on a lake.

Today I was fascinated by the ducks, geese and our Moorhen which is an interesting bird / duck like little feathered friend.

As I looked over the railing there was the mother Moorhen with her 3 babies. They were wandering along the shore line and onto the grass searching for food. A short distance away out on the lake was a female mallard duck and her 3 ducklings as they came closer to the shoreline searching for their breakfast as well. Further out on the lake were 3 Canada geese. The geese don’t live here, they seem to arrive in the morning and only stay for a few hours and are then off to points beyond . . .

The 3 babies of these lake friends reminded me of the fact that much around me is in “3’s” – I have 3 children, in decorating, I usually will have 3 candles instead of just two, I will buy 3 roses, not 2 or 4 and I live in a 3 story townhouse. Perhaps the fascination of things coming in “3’s” comes from my early years at my church hearing stories of the Holy Trinity. Or perhaps it is a Feng Shui fascination.

These days I happen to think of Health, Wealth and Happiness when I see things in “3’s.” I put 3 candles on a birthday cake or pie for wishes of Health, Wealth and Happiness.

In order to have any of these 3 things – which are available to all of us – we simply have to make the choice to “have them.” I can already hear you saying, “Sure thing, Margaret. Were it that simple.” Yes, my friend, it is that simple.

Sometimes we experience ill health to slow us down and to recognize what the “real” message is the gift of illness. Maybe it is then that we slow down long enough to realize that we have gotten off track of our real purpose. Perhaps we have had previous messages from Spirit that has suggested to us to slow down and change course and if you are anything like me, perhaps a little stubborn at times, I don’t really heed the message until a major situation comes along and forces you to either listen to the message, to “see” where you need to be going (when you have no real eyesight to do so).

You see, I choose health each day by my mantra “I am grateful for my healthy body that is fit, toned and flexible,” I make good eating choices, I get exercise and rest. So why in the world we a major health issue come along and grab me (or you) and almost immobilize either of us? To remind us that we haven’t been listening, we have gotten off track and it is now time to get back on target. At least that is my revelation.

And why am I not financially wealthy off the charts if I really want to be? Well, I don’t consciously each day make that choice. Do you? I get focused on the bills to pay, from where my next speaking engagement will come, how to better market and all that stuff – probably very similar to you. Well, I made some changes in my daily mantra about wealth and financial success – I look in the mirror each morning at me and say "I am worthy of success, I deserve success, I am successful." Then I take steps each day toward that success. I focus on the success and don’t “worry” about the bills. Remember, what we focus on, we manifest – bills/debt or wealth – what do you choose?

And now happiness. That one is easiest for me; I choose each day to be happy no matter what. Do I have a bad day every now and then? Yes, I do and when I do, I reach out to a friend and tell them so they can help me get back on track. Do some people seem to never be happy and some depressed? Yes, is the answer to that and here again, I suggest that they choose each day to be happy and practice it at least two times a day, their life will improve. A mantra something like: “I am happy. I am worthy and deserving of happiness. I choose to be happy.”

I go along with the philosophy that our famous president Abraham Lincoln said, “People are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” I couldn’t say it any simpler.

So today I send to you my greetings of the 3 Things – Health, Wealth and Happiness. I encourage you to make those choices and take the appropriate action each day.

Love, Light and Joy,
Margaret

Also - I think of “love, light and joy” which describes who I am.

Self Importance, A Commentary

2010-05-14T12:19:00.002-04:00

“You are absolutely free when you are not consumed with your self importance. You are free when you no longer stroked, coddled and approved of by everyone; you are no longer offended by the actions of others.” – Wayne Dyer

This offers an interesting opportunity to ponder how you would evaluate yourself from this perspective. I don’t think this statement means to not consider that you are an important part of the world community. To me, self importance means, considering myself more important than others, that “no one compares to me” or “you are not as important as I am” type of thinking. I do think that each one of us is very valuable, that we are here to contribute to the betterment of the world in our own important way.

From my perspective, I agree that we are free and have true confidence when we don’t need the approval of others or to be stroked / coddled in a way of over importance. When we go about our work in the world to make the world a better place, creating no harm to others, doing the best job that we can, given our daily circumstances, all we really need is our own satisfaction of a job well done. If others compliment or congratulate us on the job we have done, we must remind ourselves to simply say, “Thank you.”

My thought about, “you will no longer be offended by the actions of others,” is that this is sometimes very hard to do. To not take the negative actions or words toward us in a personal manner is a difficult thing to do. People are responsible for their own actions and words; no one else can be. Many times they try to make us responsible, but when we remember that those actions / words have nothing to do with us, it is only a projection of where they are in life at this moment, then we cannot be responsible for their words / actions and it is in our best interest not to take them personally. We might have said something that triggered their action or their words, but we are not “the cause.” When we truly remember this, then we can really be free of the thought that we might be the cause of someone else’s behavior. We will also know that we are totally responsible for our own words and actions, thus freeing ourselves of needing to latch on to others to blame.

What are your thoughts on this phrase and my commentary? I would love to hear from you.

Meeting Joanne . . .

2010-05-06T11:16:00.002-04:00

Hi and welcome back, Several months I had the pleasure to work with a wonderful lady who has a unique talent. She is a seamstress who makes these wonderful shawls and scarves that are called Soul Stoles. These stoles are beautiful and truly an inspirational creation by her. So I decided to talk with Joanne and share a brief version of her story with you. This all began when she was living in New Mexico. She was making quilts and showing them at art shows and while at the various shows became friends with several women who are also artists displaying and selling their creative talents. During this time, Joanne realized that she needed to move on beyond making quilts, but wasn’t quite sure yet what would evolve. She made a shawl as a gift for one of her friends who used it as a backdrop to display her jewelry. At that particular art show, her friend sold $400 worth of jewelry and had many people inquire about the stole. As we all know, life takes us on many journeys, some of these are physical trips and others are the changes we make in our lives. In Joanne’s situation, she took a journey that included both; moving to a new place and changing to a new creation of her talents. As she was preparing to leave her wonderful friends, there are 3 of them, she wanted to give them a special gift, something that represented their friendship and that was unique to each of them. Thus, Soul Stoles began. I encourage you to go to her website www.soulstoles.com to read and hear more of Joanne Osburn’s story and view some of her beautiful stoles. But before you do that, there are a couple of other things to tell you about Joanne. One of the things Joanne learned as she was trying to figure out what to do as she was moving on from quilt making, was to trust her gut. Trust her intuition to move forward and not be afraid. She also learned the importance of surrounding yourself with people who will support you as you follow the inspired guidance. Joanne’s friends totally supported her in her new venture, not just because that is what friends do or because they had received one of the wonderful creations, but because they believed in her and what her mission / purpose is in this part of her life. Folks, would we all love to have that kind of support? We can and do; sometimes we just have to ask for it from the people we know will help. We also need to be aware that we may have friends who may be naysayers, who haven’t yet learned to trust their own “gut” or intuition. My advice to anyone who experiences that, do not listen to them. They probably mean well, but you want people around you who support you, move on from those who do not. And by the way, sometimes we get the support we need from others that we don’t know so well, but just have to appreciate what we do in our creative venture. Which can be a total surprise to us, be sure to not them slip away! Remember, people come into our lives for a reason, enjoy them while they are here. Joanne is a joy and shares her creative talents well, I am grateful she came into my life. Feel free to contact her and talk with her more. And if you are looking for a special gift for someone, she can create just the right Soul Stole for you. Whether it is a light scarf that is so popular today or a wonderful shawl size stole, just let her know what you prefer. Okay, now you can go visit her site: www.soulstoles.com . Enjoy today, make it your choice to do so. Thanks for taking time to share some time with me today. Margaret

Life’s simple things . . .

2010-03-27T16:47:00.000-04:00

Life’s simple things . . .

It is amazing what a few hours in the sunshine can do for your spirits! How it heals the body, mind and soul.

Today, after months inside because of the cold, yes, we had a very long winter in Florida, and being sensitive to the light, I did adventure outside for a few hours in the sun. I have a chaise lounge on my 3^rd floor balcony, so I took my pillow and little eye pillow which is filled with lavender and adventured to the chaise.

The eye pillow protected my eyes from the brightness of the sun and the perfect temperature of the sun basked me. As I lay there, I listened to the sounds around me: the moorhens and other birdlife on the lake, the birds singing, crows cawing, the children playing in the park next door and the mild hum on the traffic on the nearby streets of people heading for their various destinations. The gentle breeze from the lake would stir around me from time to time. It all filled me with pleasure, simple pleasure.

So what ever your weekend or week day entails, don’t forget to take a few moments for some simple pleasure in your life. It might not be lounging in the sun; it might be just having a few moments at the end of a day being quiet, allowing all the stress and business to leave your body so that you can enjoy a beautiful night’s sleep.

Just make sure you take time for YOU. I did!

Experiencing Joy

2010-02-19T16:03:00.002-05:00

“There is far more joy that I experience when I see the results of my labors along with all the good that these efforts are doing in the world.” Wayne Dyer

This phrase struck me today as I reviewed the week’s activities and it occurred to me that I received excellent comments back from my clients on the positive impact that our working together has produced for them. This always does three things for me: 1) warms my heart and brings me joy to know that they are doing well, being more productive, accountable or whatever their goals have been to accomplish; 2) they are making a positive difference in the world; and 3) encourages me to keep doing my work, that it does have a positive impact.

What are the things you have accomplished this week? I know that many of you have made huge strides and accomplished so much - congratulations. I also know that there are those of you who have accomplished so much, yet have not yet given yourself credit for it. So take time right now to say to yourself, your co-workers, your family, your friends – “I did a great job this week!” Then do something to celebrate.

Sometimes it may appear that we haven’t made any successes in the week and I will suggest to you to join me in a new habit that I have just started. As I write my gratitudes each night, yes I write 3 – 5 things each day for which I am grateful), I now add any accomplishments that I have made. It is very helpful to be able to realize that “yes, I actually did get something good completed today or that my work made a positive impact.”

If you don’t currently write your gratitudes, it is an excellent way to end your day on a positive note. Pick out a special journal, one that brings you joy when you pick it up, and a great pen, then keep them on your bedside table to do right as you go to bed. I bet you will find that you will sleep better when you start making this a part of your routine.

Let me know what impact it has on your life. I always love hearing feedback.

Wishing you a fabulous day or evening

Questions to Ponder

2010-01-29T08:19:00.004-05:00

I thought you might enjoy some fun this Friday morning, so here are some questions to ponder. And if you come up with any answers do let me know.

The Top Questions to Ponder aka 10 Unanswerable Questions

Why is the word abbreviation so long?

Why is the word phonetic not spelled fonetically?

Why isn’t there another word for synonym?

Have you ever imagined a world without hypothetical questions?

Is a near hit and closer than a near miss?

Why do we park on driveways and drive on parkways?

If 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why are there locks on the doors?

Does a chicken have lips?

Why is it when you transport something by car it’s called a shipment, but when you transport something by ship it’s called cargo?

Why is it called the roof of the mouth and not the ceiling of the mouth?

I am sure that you have seen these before, but I thought a little humor would brighten your day!

Enjoy today, for the present is all we have , , ,

Thoughts for a Friday . . .

2010-01-22T11:40:00.002-05:00

This statement “If I didn’t have a healthy body, I wouldn’t have anywhere else to live” by Wayne Dyer in his book Excuses Begone! gave me pause today – I do make a concerted effort stay healthy by exercising, eating well and keeping a positive outlook / frame of mind, but I never thought of my health from that perspective.

I do know that if I don’t make the effort I won’t be healthy and live as long and as well as I plan and that statement presented me with a different perspective about it.

This statement might actually help those people who are not maintaining or even making an effort to be healthy get themselves in gear to make the changes necessary to get healthy. After all, it is us who make the determination of our health by what we eat, our attitude and perspective on things, whether we get out and walk around the block at lunch time or continue to say, “I can’t exercise, I just don’t have time.” Is that really true? Is your day so jam packed that you just can’t fit 5 minutes in to put on the radio / cd and dance? Or take the stairs instead of the elevator? There must be something you can do to at least begin . . . the road of 1,000 miles begins with the 1^st step and does not have to be accomplished in 1 day.

Same thoughts about eating well. Do you eat “real” food? Foods such as fresh vegetables, fruits, butter instead of the various margarines, use half-n-half or milk in your coffee/tea instead of the various chemical concoctions, sugar instead of the chemical substitutes or even the some-what natural substitutes, why not just use the real thing?

Some people say that their families won’t eat whole grain bread, a real cereal or these types of foods, they will if you don’t provide them alternatives. I have been through that with my family and if they wanted toast or a sandwich, then they ate the whole grain bread, if they didn’t want to eat that type of bread, well, no sandwich or toast. We can all learn to incorporate new foods into our diet - - yes, even me, I have learned to eat brussle sprouts and turnips again.

At a recent meeting one of the presenters was speaking on health and he reminded us that there in basically no real food in the middle of the grocery store – mostly packaged products that have a long list of ingredients that include only a small amount of actual food. I had not thought about the food buying from that perspective.

And some days, the best time for me to exercise is at lunch, besides it is great to get outside after having been inside all morning. It gives me the fresh air I need and actually energizes me for the afternoon.

Now as you think once again about the statement, “If I didn’t have a healthy body, I wouldn’t have anywhere else to live” what comes to mind for you? What changes might you take today to begin to have a healthier place to live?

I would really like to hear your thoughts . . . .

continuing on . . . .

2010-01-06T21:56:00.002-05:00

Well folks, it's already 2010 - who knew it would come this fast? Only yesterday it seemed like 2000 and that was a huge milestone! So what are your plans for this year? Same ol' same ol'? If so, that's OK, if you don't want anything new in your life - - - just keep coasting along. Nothing will change and you can blame the economy, the president, the neighbors or whoever and in another 11 months, you can rant and rave that you got a raw deal. Or. . . . . you can decide that you will do something productive, responsible, helpful or caring this year. As we all know, each day is our choice. Yes, we each day make a decision as to how we will live our life, whether we show up to work at a job we love and do our very best or show up to a job we tolerate and just mark time - - - what a life! Which would you rather do? Are you going to take some action today, this week, this month, this year to help make your world a better place? One that you enjoy more? Simple things make such a difference - - - just smiling and saying good morning, allowing someone in front of you in traffic, simply being courteous and kind can make such a difference. Again, what action will you take? Share your thoughts and actions . . . . Thanks, Margaret

Consequences . . . .

2009-11-13T12:39:00.002-05:00

In rereading one of Richard Bach’s books, Running from Safety, recently, this phrase struck me and I thought I would share it with you.

“Life does not require us to be consistent, cruel, patient, helpful, angry, rational, thoughtless, loving, tolerant, wasteful, rich, down-trodden, gentle, sick, considerate, funny, stupid, healthy, greedy, beautiful, lazy, responsive, foolish, sharing, pressured, intimate, hedonistic, industrious, insightful, capricious, wise, selfish, kind or sacrificed. What life does require, however, us to live with the consequences of our choices.”

What a great reminder! We do actually choose every action and emotion we have – whether we realize it or not. When bringing this to people’s attention from time-to-time, they often tell me that someone else has caused them to feel or act in a certain way.

Well, as much as I wish it were so, it isn’t. Oh yes, there are times I would sure like to blame somebody else for my circumstances or feelings I’m having about something, I can’t!

Actually, if everybody would participate in that reality just once a day what a better world we would have. And if we made the commitment to practice it 2 or 3, much less all the time, think of the impact that would have!

WOW, the changes we would make for ourselves, our families and it would just ripple right on out!

I wonder if you agree or not? Love to have your feedback.

Enjoy a great weekend . . . .

Success

2009-10-09T12:01:00.002-04:00

Here is a thought about Success that I found while reading a book of "Favorite Poems." "Success is speaking words of praise, In cheering other people's ways, In doing just the best you can, With every task and every plan, It's silence when your speech would hurt, Politeness when your neighbor's cut, It's deafness when the scandal flows, And sympathy with others' woes, It's loyalty when duty calls, It's courage when disaster falls, It's patience when the hours are long, It's found in laughter and in song, It's in the silent time of prayer, In happiness and in despair, In all of life and nothing less, We find the one thing we call success." . . . . Anonymous What are your ideas of success? It is always an interesting subject to discuss. Love to hear from you. Have a Successful day, week, month, life!

2009-09-11T12:18:00.006-04:00

Attitude

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact

of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than the past,

than education, than money,

than circumstances, than failures, than successes,

than what other people think or say or do.

It is more important than appearance,

giftedness, or skill.

It will make or break a company,

a church, a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday

regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.

We cannot change or past . . .

we cannot change the fact that people will

act in a certain way.

We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string

we have, and that is our attitude. . . .

I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me

and 90% how i react to it.

And so it is with you. . . .

by Charles Swindoll

What is your attitude today? Are you willing to change it if is not a good one? It is up to you.

Margaret
Check out Mike Dooley's book - Infinite Possibilities on Amazon

Courage

2009-08-27T11:14:00.003-04:00

This morning I received an email from a friend which had been forwarded by others and was a political bashing of another party. These types of emails bother me! You see, I think we need to spend more time honoring each others differences rather than bashing each other simply because they don't agree with us. For one thing, which one of us is really right? Hmmm, now that is an interesting question. My theory is Congress and the Nation need a HUGE teambuilding activity! We are all in this city / state / country / world together and the more we can do to help each other do better, the better life will be for all of us. I encourage you to give this some thought and then decide what you can do to respect and really listen to the opinions of others, give people the benefit of the doubt. And one gift you can give someone is to agree to disagree. I am very thankful everyone doesn't always agree with me (the real truth, well most of the time I would like them to). I can't imagine what kind of world this would be if we all agreed on everything - pretty boring! The biggest gift you can give someone is to send them love, whether agreeing or not with them. Remember that famous quote, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Now that is darned hard some days, but stretch yourself and see what happens! It is simply a change in ATTITUDE! Make it a fun project! I bet it will be life changing for you. Keep me posted. With love and a grateful heart! Margaret

Last of the Lessons . . . . from The Alchemist

2009-07-31T13:57:00.002-04:00

I do hope that you have enjoyed these posts. This will be the last of the series. "Before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that we learned along the way. It does this, not because it is evil, but so we can master the lessons we've learned as we have moved toward the dream. That is the point at which most people give up." "The darkest hour comes just before dawn." "There is one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve, the fear of failure!" "When you strive to become better, the whole world becomes better too." "Love is the force that transforms and improves the Soul of the World." I recommend that we share more of the love within us, by doing that we can make such positive changes in our communities, our lives and the world. Start today, Margaret

2009-07-03T10:24:00.002-04:00

More lessons from The Alchemist . . . . "People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel that they don't deserve them or that they will not be able to achieve them." "Fear of suffering is worse than the actual suffering." "No heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and eternity." "Everyone has a treasure that awaits them. Unfortunately, very few follow the path laid out for them - the path to their Personal Legend and to happiness." I hope you are enjoying these simple yet profound lessons. Perhaps inspiring you to take action toward your dreams, your Personal Legend. Let me know what inspires you! Make it a great week . . . . Margaret

Continuing - - Lessons from The Alchemist

2009-05-25T09:40:00.003-04:00

If you are just reading the blog for the first time, I am writing about the lessons I learned from reading the book The Alchemist. So, continuing with the lessons . . . . . "The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. If you improve upon the present, what comes later will also be better." On speaking of the consumption of wine and other alcohol when banned by religion, It is not what enters [men's] mouths that is evil. It is what comes out of their mouths that is. "Wherever your heart is, there you will find your true treasure." "Don't think of what you have left behind. Everything is written in the Soul of the World and it stays there forever." "One way to learn is through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey." "Listen to your heart, it knows all things." ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ My hope for you is that you have taken a few of these lessons to your heart for your journey in this amazing life! We have one opportunity each moment of each day, to live or to muddle through, what is your choice? Enjoy a great week! Margaret

More lessons from The Alchemist

2009-05-14T07:09:00.003-04:00

Continuing the Lessons Learned: "When you want something with all your heart, that's when you are closest to the Soul of the World, it is always a positive force." "Don't live in the past or the future, if you can concentrate always on the present you will be happy." "Life is the moment we are living right now." "In pursuit of your dream, you will constantly subjected to tests of your persistence and courage." Hopefully these thoughts will assist you with living your life at it's greatest and highest level. Make it a beautiful day! After all, the choice is yours . . . . Margaret

Lessons from The Alchemist continued . . . .

2009-04-24T09:25:00.004-04:00

More lessons and I hope you are enjoying these as well as I am . . . * "When you lose all your money, you can choose between thinking of yourself as the poor victim of a thief or an adventurer in quest of your treasure." * "When you make a decision, you are really diving into a strong current that will carry you places you never dreamed when you first make the decision." * "Intuition is a sudden immersion of the soul into universal current of life where histories of all people are connected and we are able to know everything, because it is written there." * "People need not to fear the unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need and want." Hope you enjoyed. Remember small actions taken can make a huge change. Joy and love, Margaret

Lessons from The Alchemist - 2

2009-04-21T07:19:00.002-04:00

More lessons I learned from reading The Alchemist . . . . "The secret to life - fall 7 times, get up 8." "When you are young, you know your Personal Legend - everything is clear, everything is possible." Your thoughts on those lessons? Margaret

Lessons from The Alchemist

2009-04-20T07:40:00.002-04:00

I just completed reading of The Alchemist, a fabulous little book by Paulo Coelho, thanks to my son, David who gave it to me for my birthday - what a wise man he is. I would say that it is a must read. Over the next few days, I will be posting my lessons from The Alchemist and hope that you will enjoy some of what I learned or was reminded . . . . . . "Warriors of light must be prepared to have patience in difficult times." "Know that the universe is conspiring in your favor." Your thoughts??? Margaret

Change

2009-02-27T08:28:00.003-05:00

I recently wrote in my email newsletter that it is time to recognize that if you want change in this world then you need to make the effort to change yourself. As Gandhi said, "You must be the change you want to see in the world." If there is one thing I have learned in my life, it is this: I cannot change anyone else! But I can do small things, say encouraging words that may have the effect that initiates and encourages someone else to make changes. A couple of thoughts for you to ponder: Believe that you can make a difference. - just remember how Mother Teresa approached her work, helping one person at a time and just look at the great things she did. Change can be messy! - Don't wait for things in your life to be perfect - remember that perfection is only perception! "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Teddy Roosevelt. "All meaningful and lasting change starts first in your imagination and then works its way out. Imagination is more important than knowledge." - Albert Einstein Choice - there is always a choice about everything you do. You may not particularly like the choices, but there is always a choice. Choose to start somewhere! You must make changes. Again, you can't change others; you can only change yourself. And when you change, everything changes - in doing so, YOU can be the change you want to see in the world. Don't wait for others, start today! Even if it is only taking a few moments to send love and healing energy to the world, just allow it to ripple out from your heart to your community and across the country and the world; especially the areas that have so much strife! Just think what an impact that would make if everyone did that at least once a day! Make a choice today to make a change! Sending you loving and healing energy! Margaret

A New Year - again!

2009-01-12T23:12:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone, Well here we are in the second week of the year 2009! So how's it going so far? Feeling good about where you and what you are doing? If so, great! I commend you. Keep up the good work! If not, it is way early to make those decisions anyway! Here are some thoughts that might help! Focus on what you want for the year - if it is only just 1 thing - keep your focus and your attitude on what you want! Also, cut yourself some slack when you occasionally stray - you are human, say to yourself that it is ok for this moment, BUT I don't plan to stay is this place. Make a choice to change your attitude, get back on track!! It is really pretty simple! Just do it! Decide what you want! Focus on it! Do it! There you have it - that's what I'm working on! Also, remember that I have a fabulous presentation on "the Power of YOUR Word" - which I am sure will be perfect for your organization! Just email or call me for more information. You can also check out my website for more information. Enjoy this year, this month, this week, this day and most of all . . . . this moment! After all, it is all we have. All the best! Margaret

One thing or another

2008-10-20T15:49:00.001-04:00

It occurred to me the other day that we have a lot going on right now. . . .

Everywhere around us people are feeling very stressed from one thing or another - and we certainly have one thing or another going on in the US these days. So here are a few of my thoughts on one thing or another.

One thing - stress! Stress is part of our lives and just for a reminder, there is no good or bad stress, it is still stress. I can share the information about what it does to us chemically, but I won’t (if you need the info, email me and I’ll provide it for you). What I will offer here is that the effect that stress has on you is related to your perspective and your attitude about the circumstances that cause the stress. I’ll say it again, the effect the stress has on you is determined by your attitude and your perspective. So here’s a $1M tip to help you with your stress: Change your attitude! Change your perspective of the event(s).

Another thing - politics! We certainly have enough of that going on around us. My point is about what we voting Americans need to know - the issues and how they will propose to solve them. I don’t care which candidate you support, please encourage them to stick to the issues and not attack each other. We have enough negativity going on these days, let’s help them to understand that they need to play nice! Remember those rules we all learned in kindergarten (that so many people left there), here are a few to remind our candidates: Share everything ~ Play fair ~ Don't hit people (even with words) ~ Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody ~ Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you ~ When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.

One thing more - Love. All most of us want in life is to be loved. So tell people that you love them, give them hugs - we don’t do that nearly enough! (another article coming out about the importance of hugs soon). When people around you start complaining and talking about all the things that are wrong with the country, politicians, the world, etc., share with them just 3 things that are right about the world, the country, them. Can you imagine how that just might change their perspective, even if for only a moment? Let them know how important they are to you in your life! Share the love, laughter and joy that you have within you. Not only will you make the world a better place, you will feel better too!

Love, laughter and joy to you my friends, Margaret

What a whirlwind!

2008-08-25T10:35:00.002-04:00

Hello again, Wow! The last few weeks have been absolutely full with all kinds of great energy, different emotions and wonderful opportunities. So I'll give you a quick review! August 9 - 16: I had the fabulous opportunity to be part of the assisting team with Jack Canfield and his 7-day workshop, Breakthrough to Success. There were 400 participants from 26 countries including the US. This is such a great workshop. It was an honor to be part of the assisting team and to help people through their processing. The assisting team consists of people with interesting / wonderful backgrounds and work; it was a joy to get to know them better. I returned home briefly on the 17th to leave on the 18th to be with my sister and brother-in-law while my sister had surgery - a mastectomy! This took us all by surprise as no one in the family has had cancer, much less breast cancer. To date, she is feeling great and healing well - the power of prayer, healing energy and a positive outlook on life plays an integral part in all of this. In the meantime, tropical storm Fay decided to pay and extended visit to Florida. I am blessed that my area was not affected except with a little rain as compared to the extensive rain experienced on the east coast around Melbourne and Orlando as well as the Tallahassee area. Thankfully she's providing some much need rain to other areas of the south! Aug 23 & 24 I had the pleasure of being part of a team of facilitators for the University of Tampa's MBA Fast Start program. I worked with 10 people (students) who had never met each other up until the night before and what a great team they made! I am thrilled to have met such talented and focused individuals and am honored to have played a small part in their first MBA experience at UT. And by the way, they had to give a power point presentation and they won the "creative" category as selected by my colleague facilitators. So this week I am back in my office to have a somewhat normal week for the first time since the end of July! I wish you and outstanding week! Remember to REACH ~ DREAM - LOVE Love to you all, Margaret

Telling Stories

2008-08-04T11:11:00.006-04:00

While looking for various quotes to go in my book, the Power of YOUR Word, I came across one that I have not yet included, but want to share with you . . . . . . The tiniest story in your life can deeply touch another. You cannot know the effect your story might have. Sark That reminds me to share stories about our adventures, our learning experiences, our journey and more because we do not know how it will impact others. I will caution you however, not not become your story. I think we know about people who tell the same story over and over again, usually one as a victim or blame, those are never fun or interesting. These people become their story, it is who they are. Tell wonderful stories! Share them with your friends, children and grandchildren! Even strangers! You never know what a difference you might make in someone's life! Enjoy!

Happy 4th of July!!!

2008-07-04T18:50:00.002-04:00

I hope everyone is enjoying the true meaning of this holiday. This morning I took time to think about the men who wrote our Decloration of Independence and what a task they performed. I think that they were "men before their time" of sorts as great thinkers. I have had a great day - spent the morning at the beach with my granddaughters - perfect and the water temp was perfect as well. Lots of fun in the sand/sun/water! Soon I'll be headed back to the beach causeway to watch the fireworks - probably with masses of people, but that makes it fun! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Living in Joy

2008-06-20T12:40:00.002-04:00

Today I feel surrounded with joy! As I am writing this, I ponder how and why I have this feeling. Not to figure it out, but to observe it and how it evolved. It must have come from the wonderful feeling and high energy that developed during a mastermind conference call this morning. As has been said in the scriptures and we've been reminded through the years that when 2 or more come together and have the energy of God or higher power among them, good things happen. This particular group meets once a week via phone conference and it is wonderful to be able to support others in their dreams and goals, help them when they need encouragement and celebrate when they have wins. I would encourage you to form a mastermind group if you are interested in being part of a group that will assist you in getting your best out of life. If you are not familiar with the mastermind concept or need more information on how to start a group then just give me a call and we'll talk! In the meantime, surround yourself with love, laughter and joy! Celebrate each day, each moment of the day because, folks, this is all we have - this moment right now! Love, light and joy, Margaret

Time - where does your go?

2008-06-02T16:58:00.002-04:00

Ask anyone what are the biggest issues they are facing and for the most part they will answer: TIME and MONEY Does that ring a bell with you? If so, I have a couple of resources for you to assist you with the TIME area. Take a look at where and how you are spending your time, is it effective? Are you getting the most out of where you are spending your time? In other words, ask yourself: Is this the best use of my time at this moment? If the answer is NO, take time to evaluate where you are spending your time and how you can be more efficient to get the things completed that are on your plate (schedule, list of things to do, etc.). Certainly you want to live your life with harmony and balance where you are doing the things that are important to you and completing those to do's in a timely manner. Should you want to really dig down and get a handle on things then check out this link to a webinar on time management Click here! In the meantime, do the hardest job first. It's sorta like eating that elephant, one bite at a time! And don't forget, take time to have some fun this summer! Margaret

Feel the fear and do it anyway!

2008-03-20T11:45:00.005-04:00

Hi Folks, I recently wrote in my ezine about taking risks and why we really don't take risks! Most every time it comes down to the FEAR of doing it! Recently on several occasions people have told me about things that they have done to overcome their fears. One friend told of her adventure to jump out of a perfectly good airplane with the Golden Eagles just to get over her fear of heights! A client told me about overcoming the fear of flying by becoming a pilot and overcoming the fear of what I call "the briny deep" (oceans) by becoming a master sailor. Most of us get caught in fear at one time or another. But I think that one of the most important questions to ask here is, "Does this fear immobilize me? Keep me from moving forward to accomplish . . . . ?" How do you answer that question? Do you allow yourself to get immobilized? Do you realize you have a choice about it? Well, you do! The first thing to accomplish is awareness - being aware that you are in fear! Acknowledgment is the first step to getting anything accomplished. The second thing is to acknowledge what causes your fear! I am afraid to move forward because . . . . The third thing is to be at choice about this fear - will you choose to confront and overcome as my friends have? Or will you choose to continue to let it hold you firm/immobilezed? Will you choose to seek assistance to move out of fear because you just may not know what or how to do? The answer is always up to you! You are at choice at every moment of the day. What is your choice today? As always, I welcome your comments. Margaret

Silver Alert System

2008-03-06T16:15:00.003-05:00

Hello all, Well, our missing lady was found and without going into details, the situation was not positive. So the family and friends as well as many others are now aware of the fact there is no alert system in the country for missing people with the exception of children. Mary's family is supporting the Silver Alert system and I support them in this project. And you will see more here later. One other thing I would encourage, is an alert system for missing people of any age - perhaps with different colors for different age groups or something. There are a lot of missing people in this world and there needs to be a better way to let everyone know. It took Mary's family 4 days to get media attention - and we think that was way too late! Give it some thought and determine how you can support this project! All the best! Margaret

Hugs

2007-07-27T10:47:00.001-04:00

I wrote in my ezine the other day about the importance of hugs. It seems that research shows that we need at least 4 hugs per day in order to survive! Amazing but true! Virgina Satir, noted psychotherapist, did the research many years ago and came up with this: "Daily Hug Prescription" Daily - 4 hugs for survival 8 hugs for maintenance 12 hugs for growth How many hugs a day do you get? How many do you give? Perhaps we should include hugging in our random acts of kindness! There are so many single people these days of all ages which includes a large elderly population who rarely, if ever get a hug. Maybe ALF's, retirement and nursing homes should include hugging in their daily activities !!!! What a great energy boost! And I think that all world leaders should hug before and after they have their talks and meetings! Wouldn't that be cool? Just my thoughts! What are yours??? ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ another "little" thought: "You have to believe in yourself when no one else does. That's what makes YOU a winner." - Venus Williams, tennis champion ~~~~~~~ Make a great life! Margaret

Summer Reading

2007-06-21T13:16:00.001-04:00

Hi all and thanks for your continued support and comments on the blog! Todays post is about summer reading! How many of you had to do the summer reading list while in school? Well, all of my children did, but when I was in school, they hadn't thought of that requirement yet! But we did a lot of reading in my family and summer was about the fun and interesting stuff that you didn't "have" to read. (And it could be because one of my aunt's was an English teacher, so she always had something to read to us or for us to read.) Since then, summer has been the time to make sure that I include fun or as I call it, trash reading! Oh I still continue to read the business stuff that is stacked up, but I make sure to take some time almost each night and some time on Saturday and Sunday to read! So tell me what are your favorite books to read? No business stuff please - we will address that another time! I've just finished reading 2 of Carl Hiaasen's books and found them fun and entertaining! Now I'm starting a book one of my neighbor's loaned me, The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seirstad. Now I'm sure that it's not ging to be quite as entertaining as the previous books, but I'm looking forward to it and know that it will be informative!! I look forward to knowing what's on your nightstand! I'm sure I will probably want to add those to my list of things to read - which is never-ending!!! Thanks again for the imput!

Manners - some people have them, a lot of people don't!!!

2007-06-11T11:13:00.001-04:00

Thank you to those of you who have visited the blog and commented on my new adventure!! Today's topic should stir some thoughts and comments! It seems that in much conversation recently, many people have complained about the lack of manners in folks in general, especially when it comes to a simple RSVP. From people in business not bothering to return a quick call or even send an email response to folks not responding to party invitations. Recently, a business coach colleague and I hosted a breakfast to introduce the business community to utilizing coaching to help in retention in their businesses. We invited 55 people with a hand addressed invitation and interestingly, only 5 people called or emailed their RSVP. Then when I did a follow-up call and left a message, only 5 of those bothered to call me! Now after the breakfast, in following up with the people who attended, having left a message, people still don't return phone calls! And last weekend was my granddaughter's birthday and my daughter-in-law sent out party invitations and only a small percentage of people called to RSVP! What's with people these days??? Do they just NOT care? Are they so self-absorbed that it doesn't matter in their life that other people have taken the time to write out an invitation, or even call or email them to invite them to an event; to be included in our personal or business lives, yet they can't take 2 minutes of time to let us know if they will come!!! As you have probably picked up by now, this is a very sensitive topic with me! One of the things I now do, is to not include these people in my parties any more! And you know, there are some people with whom I enjoy spending time, but won't include any longer! If you don't have the courtesy to call me, why should I bother to prepare food and celebration to include YOU!???! And for those people in business, what kind of message does it send out to other business owners if you don't respond to phone calls or emails? Who really wants to do business with YOU! Folks it is time to be responsible in life! What are we teaching our children and grandchildren if we can't bother to let people know! As always, I welcome your comments! Margaret

Margaret's Notes

2007-06-08T16:30:00.000-04:00

Introducing Margaret's Notes - Here I will add thoughts for the day, other types of inspiration and even tips of various sorts. I hope that you will join me in this new adventure of blogging! It won't be a diary of my life, but I might add some of the fun things that happen along the way. It's mostly about joy, living life well and having fun along the way. So I'll begin with one of my favorite quotes: "Work as if you don't need money, Love as if you've never been loved before, and Dance as if no one is watching!" Your thoughs on the subject are welcome! Margaret