Eight Days A Week

Eight Days A Week

It is Saturday morning. I have to share with you what a great weekend I am having already.

It started yesterday with having lunch with a wonderful friend for 4 hours. We exchanged all sorts of thoughts and ideas and both left feeling inspired through our deeper connection – and very full. Cracker Barrel definitely provides an abundance of comfort food.

This morning I was awake early enough to see the sun burst through my living room window. It filled the entire room with it’s brilliance.

Soon after, I made coffee and had my first ever cinnamon crumpet. It toasted perfectly, and as I savored each bite, my senses were filled with warmth and the aroma of cinnamon. My husband joined me in the kitchen and I toasted a crumpet for him to enjoy. It was a lovely start to what will be a perfect day!

The song “8 Days A Week” by the Beatles is running through my mind. “Ain’t got nothin but love babe – 8 Days a Week”.

Would you mind an 8 day week if every moment of it were filled with love? What if you experienced love overflowing… more love than 7 days can hold?

Last weekend I attended an event w/my brother. The event was in Chicago and I was able to personally see the Green River! But I digress.  At the event they spoke of the Daily 8. The concept was to take 8 specific actions everyday to build your business.

What if everyday we took 8 actions with love as our intention? What if our purpose was to have everyone we encounter feel loved? What would happen in the world if everyone of us did this at least “8 Times a Day“? (hear the song)

An edited version from Wikipedia: “An agent’s intention in performing an action is his or her specific purpose. ”

 Bob Picha, a Master Teacher and mentor of mine, recently gave a marketing presentation where he spoke of the necessasity of intention and attention when selling.

More from Wikipedia: “Attention is the cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things. Examples include listening carefully to what someone is saying while ignoring other conversations in a room or listening to a cell phone conversation while driving a car.”

Let’s be logical for a moment as we think about this emotional intention. Consider the last time you did something for someone purely because you love them. An example, this morning I wanted to share my crumpet experience with my husband, so that his day would have a  pleasant start. I already love him.

What if you started the morning off with the intention of love? Love for yourself, love for nature’s beauty, love for the people you encounter. How would you focus your attention if this were your intention? How would your actions change? What if instead of driving through Starbucks while on your cell phone discussing your next big  to do or unresolved problem – with the intention of love, you gave your attention to the person who is handing you your coffee. How would you connect with this person? Would you take a moment to make eye contact and smile? What would you say?

How do you provide your product and/or service with love? Recently I had a bit of a weather crisis happening less than 12 hours before our annual trade show was to open. It was scheduled to be held in a venue that was essentially outdoors. It became very evident very quickly that we were going to have to take drastic measures to move the event. With the help of key people who love what they do, and, I believe care very deeply about me and the success of our events, not only did we move the event but it was so seamless to our exhibitors and attendees it has been proclaimed nothing short of a miracle.

Isn’t that what love is – the key ingredient to miracles? Isn’t it love that drives you to want to leap tall buildings in a single bound?  Where can you show love this weekend? Can you allow it to overflow into next week? How will your actions show your intention of love? Will your attention to others and their needs define your purpose? 

I am so excited about this idea – I am overflowing with love for each of you. Toast a crumpet and join the conversation.  

And until next time I remain lovingly and ….

Joyfully yours,

Mary Elizabeth

Albert Einstein said …

Albert Einstein

“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”  – Albert Einstein

What if you woke up every morning with passionate curiosity? Can you imagine the things you might discover? What new things might you learn if you allowed yourself to be open to new perspectives?

Jim Rohn said, “it’s simple, not always easy”. Being curious all day is not necessarily easy. But what if it were – what if you went through the entire weekend being curious and then acting on your curiosity?

Saturday morning, instead of starting your day in the usual manner, stop and smell the coffee – literally! Take a few moments as you prepare your morning ritual to be in reverent curiosity. Remember as a child when you didn’t know what you didn’t know. Someone, usually an adult, would do something that appeared out of the norm for you and you would ask, as any child would, “why?”.

My niece, Kailey, has a natural curiosity and zest for life. She wants to try EVERYTHING – at least once. And she questions EVERYTHING – at least twice. She is naturally curious. And her innocent curiosity reminds me of what it is like to not have to “know” everything – but instead to be in wonder.

I remember when my nephew Christopher asked me why I didn’t know where the cup holder was in the back seat of the car I was driving. At first I felt a bit foolish that I didn’t know – until I realized it was a rental car, and a model I had never driven before. Once I explained to him why I lacked this bit of knowledge, I regained his confidence in me. He became more curious and investigative about finding the cup holder than wondering why I didn’t know the answer. We had great fun searching and being curious.

Isn’t that the challenge – we put this expectation on ourselves that “somehow we should know”. Oh how we miss the opportunities of discovery whenever we laden ourselves with that type of guilt.

So you guessed it – my request of you for this weekend’s attitude adjustment is to allow yourself to be curious. Be passionately curious. Take nothing for granted but instead, as my friend and mentor Patty Jo Cornish says, “just notice”.

Just notice as much as you can this weekend and then be curious about it. What makes it work that way? What is that fresh aromatic blend in your coffee? How come you feel so good wearing that comfortable pair of jeans and your favorite t-shirt? What is it about those cars attached to shopping carts at the grocery store that bring such joy to the chidren who ride in them? How can your imagination best serve you today? When was the last time you sat back or laid in the grass and wondered about the clouds floating overhead?

I am so curious to hear from you and learn about your experience of being curious. Please be sure to take a few moments to let us know what you discovered.

Until next time, I remain curiously and….

Joyfully yours,

Mary Elizabeth

Green is in the air

Chicago River

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. Chances are good that where you live there is some sort of “wearin’ o’ the green” celebration.

In Chicago, my kinda town, the river is turned green. Growing up it seemed to me that it was green anyway, but for St. Patrick’s Day – you guessed it – even greener! In the past they released 100 lbs. of green vegetable dye into the river, keeping it green for a week. Today they  only use 40 lbs., keeping it green for several hours.

Whether it’s the Chicago River or the grass outside your front door, “green is in the air”.  Have you noticed the tiny buds of spring flowers popping up through the soil? Some of the trees in Charlotte, NC are already filling in their leaves.

What will you do this weekend to Celebrate the Green? Do you have a family tradition that you would be willing to share? My mom used to make  corned beef and cabbage for dinner. I’ve never made it, but thought I would attempt it this year with the help of my trusty crock pot.

Find a reason to celebrate “the green” this weekend. Will it be using green frosting on those home made cupcakes? How about a walk in the park? Maybe you will be spending some green, perhaps on a salad filled with lots “o’ leafy greens”.  You could make a lunch date with that friend you keep meaning to call.

Remember, Kermit the Frog said “it’s not easy being green”. Let’s make being green easy this weekend – find fun ways and enjoy “green”. Then drop us  a note and tell us how you did it!

Until next time, I remain…

Joyfully yours,

Mary Elizabeth

The Weekend Attitude Adjustment Returns…

It’s a time of returning to the basics while attempting to create a thoughtful plan for our future.

To all our friends we are returning to our basics while supporting you to create a thoughtful plan for your future. Hence the return of the S.T.A.R. Resources Weekend Attitude Adjustment.

My dad once said when attempting to quit smoking, “buckle up it’s going to be a bumpy ride”.  How has your ride on planet earth been lately?  For many of us “bumpy” only begins to describe our experience. Our “Attitudes” are  getting more than their fare share of bumps and are in many cases in dire need of “Adjustment”. We are adjusting our attitudes about our staff size, our cash flow, our retirement, our strategic plans, our children’s college funds, our dreams of tomorrow and the realities of today. 

The return of  the S.T.A.R. Resources Weekend Attitude Adjustment is an opportunity to stop and reflect as you go into the weekend. We believed then and still believe it today that if you go into the weekend with a great attitude then odds are you will carry that experience right on into the following week.

We are beginning with this post which is actually being written this week at the end of the weekend – Sunday afternoon.

As we start this new chapter of the S.T.A.R. Resources Weekend Attitude Adjustment we invite your feedback. Please join our community through this blog.  

How did you “adjust your attitude this weekend? Was it filled with rest and relaxation? Were you busy running around handling chores, taking care of personal business that just can’t get to during the week? Did you help to stimulate the economy by dining in a great new restaurant? In Charlotte, NC where I live IKEA opened. It was a  big deal, just ask the many that camped out for days before the opening! I’m sure they had BIG Fun!

Post your comment below telling us how you “Adjusted Your Attitude”? In the meantime we will prepare a fun, inspiring, and thoughtful attitude adjustment blog post for the upcoming weekend. You can expect to see it around Thursday – that’s usually the day our thoughts turn toward the weekend ahead. How about you, when do you begin thinking about the upcoming weekend? Please post your thoughts below, we would be honored to hear from you…

…and as always and until next time I remain ….

Joyfully yours,

Mary Elizabeth