In recent weeks Nola has been teaching me how to move on from conflict. She is a pro, but do I have it mastered? Not even close! However, I do feel like my response to a recent event was a great first step to mastering this craft. In my last post I mentioned my success leaving behind a bad experience I had. Here’s what happened… On my way to the gym, I was trying to turn right at a red light. There was a lot of traffic that day, intensifying my impatience. When I finally saw an opening, I quickly...
In my last post I marveled at how easily Nola is able to immediately let go of another dog’s aggression toward her. I even gave myself a little pat on the back for being so relaxed about it too… as if I’m always so calm, cool, and collected. It wasn’t until I read this comment from a reader, that he reminded me that I’m not always as skilled as I’d like to think I am at “shaking it off.” He said: If dentistry taught us something, its being able to move on after that last excruciating conversation with someone who’s...
Last week I wrote about the human decency that we can learn from (ironically) dogs. Later that same day 2 interesting things caught my attention. First, on a walk with Nola, we ran into her old acquaintance, Lady, whom we hadn’t seen in a while. Deep down Nola always wants to jump on everyone she sees, but somehow she has learned a little about how to greet other dogs. She usually knows to come in slowly for a more smooth greeting. She often cowers down, puts her bum on the ground, and sometimes even rolls over on her back. It...
Isn’t it great when small things make your day better? One of my favorites is seeing happy, friendly people when I’m out and about. I love it when someone thanks me for holding the door, holds the door for me, or even smiles as they walk by. Those simple gestures have the power to quickly lift my spirits. Life seems a little bit easier when we allow these small joys to help carry us through our days. Okay okay, I know I sound like a hippie, but it’s true. My Crazy Nolabees (yes, she’s Crazy with a capital C,) needs...
You may have noticed I haven’t written any blog posts in a while… or maybe you haven’t. Either way, I’ve been a little distracted lately. I have been working on some really cool things, and one in particular has taken up a lot of my time. Her name is Nola, or as we sometimes call her… Nolabees! (more…)
Today’s post is a little different. Last week I had to say goodbye to my dog, and I’m crushed. Nothing can prepare you for the loss of a loved one. It’s so permanent. No matter how much you want to change things, you can’t. It just feels like a heavy weight crushing down on your chest. And you can’t think or focus. You just sit in silent disbelief replaying how it all went down.Ruby was my husband’s dog. I met her when she was 3, and I’ve always thought we had a cute little story. (more…)
I never thought I’d say this, but I’m actually having fun with my new business. Work isn’t generally something we associate with “fun,” and I didn’t choose to do this because I thought it would be “fun.” I’m sure there are people who choose this for that reason alone. People decide to go into this type of business for all sorts of reasons. Some do it for the money. Some want to dream big. Some are lonely and are just looking for social interaction. Some even do it for the personal development. I have a friend who did it because...
Remember how I said you cannot do this business alone? Well, I’m about to contradict myself. You have to do this business alone. Wait! What? First I said you cannot do this alone, and now I’m saying you have to? Well, they’re both true. You have to do it alone… when you are not relying on your teammates, which is most of the time. Most of the time, you are doing the behind-the-scenes work that sets you up to work with others. If you don’t lay the ground work for your business, there is nothing for your team to help...
This week I’m lucky to get to share some words of wisdom from the wonderful woman who had a huge role in helping me leave an unhappy career over two years ago. I know like many of you, I’m really hard on myself when I make a mistake, so it always helps to remember the perspective Melanie offers here. Treat Yourself as You Treat Others Growing up, I was told to treat others as I would like to be treated. You’ve probably heard some version of this principle. And yes, it’s a great principle. Treating others well is respectful, kind...
After I decided to take another scary leap out of my comfort zone, I then had to figure out how to get started. I had no idea how to do network marketing, and because of previous experiences, I was really insecure about it. I had never done anything like this before. I secretly felt really excited about this new challenge, but at the same time, I was torn. I had a lot of old feelings and negativity to undo. I was so uncomfortable with the fact that I was starting a relationship marketing business, that I’m not sure I approached...
