Category Archives: Inspiration

10 things really happy people do

24th May 2013

I have a thing for smiling incessantly, I’m certain it annoys someone somewhere. Jeff Hilimire wrote a blind post this week entitled “15 things you should give up to be happy,” and boy is it a day maker, that guy really has a knack for telling people like it is, in a fantastically contagious way. He encouraged myself and Drew Hawkins, a former coworker and also one of the most positive people I know, to do the same and write a blind post of our own on the topic.

But then, multiple Facebook friends shared this with me:

And I couldn’t help but dwell on this line:

Life is really simple, all you have to do is try to make people happy.

Since I already cheated on Jeff’s challenge, having read and commented on his post, I’ve reworked the topic a bit. In no particular order, 10 things really happy people do (myself included, most of the time).

1. They give up the naysayers: Don’t let someone else’s negativity drag you down. One of my all time favorite quotes comes from Marcus Aurelius, ““If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” It’s your decision to let other effect you, not theirs.

2. They find people who challenge them: I’m going to brag for just a second here because I know he doesn’t read my blog often, but the best thing about my boyfriend of six years is his ability to push me to do more. He is one of the few people I know who constantly encourages me to step out of my comfort zone and lets me know in 100% honesty when I can do better. I appreciate that more than he will ever know. Find people who challenge you to become a better you, because you won’t get there on your own.

3. They work to become better people, not just work to produce great results: There’s a difference here and it comes down to the execution. Yes, results matter, but relationships matter more. Follow your passion and you’ll find the results fall into place over time.

4. They take breaks: I’m honestly the WORST at this one, but working on it. Take time to stop and chat with coworkers, find time to go to lunch, then find ways to prioritize and maximize the rest of your day to still be productive. Rest doesn’t always mean wasted time.

5. They eat cupcakes: OK, so maybe it doesn’t have to be a cupcake, maybe you really love apples. For me, it’s almost always a cupcake. Take time for sweet indulgences, whether is a treat, a reality TV show or a made for TV movie, when you feel the guilt closing every once in a while, shove it away.

6. They have animals: If you are having a bad day, just head to the animal shelter (or here). If I can love something 0.1% as much as my dog loves me someday, I’ll have succeeded.

7. They are never the most important person in the room: I have a client who has an incredible knack for this one. He is high in the ranks at one of Atlanta’s most well-known companies, has been in this business for many more years than myself and is undoubtedly smarter, but he always makes me feel like an equal. Stay humble and empower the people around you to be great.

8. They exercise: You don’t have to be a runner. Be a walker. Be a dancer. Just be something. Endorphins aren’t just made for movies, they are real and your mental and physical health will thank you.

9. They worry less: I’m a self proclaimed worry-wort in recovery. You can read more on that here, but whenever the stress creeps in, just reminder yourself, stressing about a situation will not change the outcome, only action will.

10. Lastly, if I haven’t convinced you to turn your day around and you really don’t think you can mange a smile, bookmark this, I refer to it weekly.

What have I missed? Would you add or take anything away from this list?

Five Truths

18th May 2013

While I’m certainly behind on sharing this post, I’m so honored a dear friend of mine, Lauren with Mason Jar Moments, included me in her post for the “Five Truths” Challenge. And a challenge it was! It took some thinking, but here are my five truths in no particular order:

Truth one: I’ve always been a big bow kinda girl.

I try my very hardest to keep a smile on my face throughout the day, and I guess you could say my “big bow” past has a little to do with that. From middle school through my freshman year of college, I spent my evenings (and Saturdays and Sunday afternoons) being tossed around and knocking out countless triple toe-backs (thanks for that Jamie). Truth be told, I didn’t even own a t-shirt until I got to college. Cheerleading seems to be the perfect metaphor of who I still am today: determined to brighten those around me and a little stubborn when it comes to sticking the landing.

Truth two: I wanted to be a fashion designer.

As a child, I made my own barbie clothes. I was determined to head to The Parsons New School for Design in NYC and live out my days in a magazine. While I’m certainly far from that aspiration today, I’m still a big fan of anything DIY-able. You’re certain to find my Dad and I in the garage designing something on the weekends. My most recent interest involves anything where I can get my hands on learning how to use a saw.

Truth three: I’m my family’s number one fan.

I’m the oldest of four and couldn’t be more proud of it. I’m so thankful to be surrounded by two wonderful parents, three fantastic siblings and cousins that I can’t even begin to count on two hands (my Dad is one of five children and my Mom is one of seven). The memories you make with the people with whom you share DNA simply cannot be put into words. Experiences like skydiving for the first time with a cousin from Colorado, simply because a “family tradition” of the exercise was started the morning of another’s wedding, become more than just memories and I am beyond blessed to have that.

Truth four: I can’t go to sleep without matching pajamas.

I have this irrational (or maybe terribly rational) fear that if something were to happen during the night and I had to run outside, I would hate for anyone to catch me in hideous pajamas. It’s silly and slightly embarrassing. There’s nothing more to it than that.

Truth five: There is no better date night than movie night.

I’m certain my Mom passed along this one to me, but I don’t think I’ve ever met a movie night I didn’t like. Between my family and boyfriend, I make it to the theater at least three times a months and movie theater popcorn + Sour Patch Kids are always worth the splurge. It doesn’t stop there either. I still buy DVDs and if it’s raining and a weekend, my sister and I are probably watching Sweet Home Alabama. TV movies always seem like some special treat that can’t be planned, and the commercials are just part of the fun to get things done in between.

So there you have it, thanks Lauren for inviting me to participate in this one. And now, to pass the challenge along to a few of my favorites: Jessica, Drew, Kelly and Abby, you’re up next.

Leadership’s Dirty Little Secret

15th May 2013

There’s a dirty little secret I’m learning about leadership: you’re likely already a leader, whether you like it or not.

Whether you are leading to inspire, leading to drive action, or leading to drive people crazy, well, that’s the part you control.

Chick-fil-A’s annual leadership conference, Leadercast is hands down one of my favorite annual events. As I wasn’t able to attend this year, I found myself eagerly following along via Twitter. The Tweets alone shared a powerful message: Simply Lead. Simply Lead was the theme for this year’s event, and the funny thing is, each time I read the tagline, I found myself reading it as “Lead Simply,” a small tweak, but one that I couldn’t help but stop to think about a little further.

I tweeted my little conundrum and received this in reply from a colleague.

I think he hit the nail on the head and lead to even more thoughts rolling around in my head.

Simply Lead.

A recent conversation with another colleague of mine lead to a conversation around leadership, roles and the growth for the future. As we discussed paths, she shared with me sentiments that I’m not sure I’d ever really, truly accepted: you are leading right now. There will always be someone watching, a conversation somewhere taking place and an opportunity unfolding, it is how you define yourself in those small moments that build leadership skills. In a nutshell, if you want to hold the keys to becoming a leader in your organization: simply lead.

Lead Simply.

To simply lead is only part of the equation. If taking the reigns and helping to calm the chaos is the starting line, defining the route to the finish must be the next 26.2 miles. Leadership is, for a lack of a better word, leading me to two things: humility and patience. Humility is the action required to take a step back and serve those around us. If we expect to better ourselves, we must first tend to the needs of others. As for patience, success and triumph aren’t a matter of winning the lottery, they are the result of dedication, hard work and the flexibility to alter as we go. If we expect to lead simply, we cannot expect the journey to follow the straight line of a guidebook or some pre-determined path up the corporate ladder. Becoming a leader is a team effort in order for each of us to become successful. In other words, it’s going to take a village.

It’s quite funny how a day long leadership conference can be boiled down into two words and leave such a stunning impact. I think those guys are on to something.

*Disclaimer: While Chick-fil-A is a client of mine, all thoughts and opinions in this post are my own. However, I am just as flattered and enamored by those chicken guys outside of the office each and every day.