by LT MarathonGirl | Dec 17, 2013 | Uncategorized
The hubby and I enjoyed a feel good movie on date night this week, Delivery Man with Vince Vaughn. Man, he is tall! If you were wondering, just like me, is he really that big or is everyone else puny? Vince Vaughn is 6’5″. As you can tell, it was lady’s choice. Even though it averaged about 2 stars in the ratings, to all the men out there who might not want to go to this movie, you will leave the theater feeling good. Take your wife, girlfriend, significant other…the night will end good for you ;).
There is a part of the movie that really got me thinking this holiday season.
Vince Vaughn’s character visits one of his biological children in a nursing home. The nurse coaxes him with this advice, “just tell him whatever you are thinking.” After spending the entire day with the boy he is leaving the facility and passes by the nurse again. He says to her “I didn’t say one word.” She replies, “you did good.”
There are a lot of people out there who need our help and not just financially. They just need someone by their side. You may know a few. A neighbor, a distant relative, maybe the parent, aunt, uncle, or grandparent of a friend who doesn’t make it home for the holidays anymore. What would it take to ask them to join you for a cup of coffee.
Maybe it’s not someone you know, maybe it’s a stranger. My husband and I were in a Starbucks in the heart of the D. At the table beside us was two men. One, was clearly living on the streets. He wore a shoe on one foot and one half of a boot on the other. His companion had clean clothes and cash. They talked like they were old friends. I marveled at the mutual respect the two men shared. Both left the coffeehouse feeling great about themselves.
I am not recommending that you go to Detroit and befriend the first person you come across on a corner, but for those who want to make a difference, there are plenty of opportunities to do so.
Detroit area volunteer opportunities:
Children’s Hospital Volunteers provide a wonderful gift to patients and their families by offering their time, their presence, their smile, and kind gestures that can draw a smile or even a giggle from the child, making their day as normal and happy as possible.
A Time to Help A Time To Help has staged more than 100 monthly projects ranging from building houses, delivering meals, beautifying city streets, running adoption fairs, repairing homeless shelters, packing food, and hosting an annual Christmas party to a shelter for battered women.
Assistance finding a place to volunteer:
Volunteer Match Find a cause that lights you up. Get in touch with a nonprofit that needs you.
Network for Good Some of the best reasons to give are the ones you may not have considered — the ones that make it worth your while to go that extra step. People who have spent time volunteering for a cause report that they get back in satisfaction and joy more than they ever expend in inconvenience or effort — what you get back is immeasurable.
by LT MarathonGirl | Dec 15, 2013 | Uncategorized
Working in retail for as long as I have I see first-hand how stressed out people become at the holidays. So much to do and so little time to do it. So much to buy and so little money to buy it with. Friends and family too far away to share time with. Friends and family no longer with us to spend time with. It ’tis the season to be jolly, but it does take its toll in the days leading up to the big day.
I also get to see first-hand how generous people are. Salvation Army volunteers freezing the tails off to collect donations. Toys for Tots, Forgotten Harvest, Gleaners Community Food Bank, and so many others making the holiday so much brighter for so many people.
Sometimes it may seem like there are so many that need our help that we give up before we even try. Anything you can do this holiday season will make a difference. One of the biggest gifts you can give is the gift of your time. The food banks are a great place to help out. They need people to sort and box donations that they receive.
A friend shared this video with me that really shows how the holiday can bring out greatness in people. Look at how this team comes together to create a Christmas miracle. They had me with the snow, but they went so much further. I would love to meet the person who came up with this idea.
by LT MarathonGirl | Feb 17, 2013 | Uncategorized
I hear a lot of crazy remarks about my lifestyle. People love to MSU – Make Stuff Up. These same people who make up stuff about how I get things done also make up stuff about why they can’t get more done. What kind of stuff am I talking about? Reading, writing, working out, volunteering, you know the kind of stuff that has the potential to make you more successful and more fulfilled.
I have been subject to lots of imaginary made up stuff about how I can possibly do everything I do in a day: work, kids, life, running… I was talking to someone this week who told me that they shared with other people (really?) that my mom lived with me and took care of the kids, errands, etc. Crazy!!! There is one very easy secret to how I get it done. Once revealed you will see how very easy it is for you to get more done. It won’t be popular with Disney, Lowe’s, Time Warner and the like. Nope, but it is effective at facilitating a more rewarding and fulfilled lifestyle.
Here’s the secret. I don’t watch TV. OK, I watch a little TV. Very little, but I don’t have a regular regimen of can’t miss TV.
Complete this chart of your favorite TV shows watched regularly. Include those you record and watch later. If there isn’t enough room on this chart for all of your favorite shows then here’s some news for you: CNNreports on TV watching.
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SHOW
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LENGTH
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SHOW
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LENGTH
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TOTAL TIME
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SUNDAY
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MONDAY
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TUESDAY
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WEDNESDAY
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THURSDAY
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FRIDAY
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SATURDAY
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Total time spent watching TV each week
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If you have filled in even one box on the above chart then you can say you have a habit. A habit is defined as a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up. Since habits are hard to give up and even harder to start then we rather think of replacing one habit with another. If we can shift our habits from those that are less productive to those that can be more fruitful then we can find more success and fulfillment.
30 minutes watching TV = 35 calories burned
30 minutes walking briskly = 135 calories burned
30 minutes running a 10 minute mile = 300 calories burned
Calories needed to lose 1 pound about 3,500 calories burned
You can watch 3,000 minutes of TV to burn enough calories to lose 1 pound, if you can avoid the TV munchies, or you can walk briskly for 780 minutes, or run for 350 minutes. Heck, you can dance around your living room and burn 240 calories every 30 minutes.
Replace just 30 minutes of TV daily with 30 minutes of reading and you can easily put away a book or two a month. I’m not talking Harlequin or E L James. That’s replacing junk with junk. Read something inspirational, motivational, or educational. Here’s a great resource that can get you on your way to earning your PersonalMBA .
Do more with less time. I found a VolunteerGuide that has recommendations for you to make a difference in just 15 minutes.
Here’s a great Ted Talk on success.
by LT MarathonGirl | Jan 12, 2013 | Uncategorized
A colleague of mine recently posted this in a New Year / New You accountability group on Facebook and I found it so simple and at the same time so powerful that I wanted to pay it forward.
101 Three-Word Success Tips
1.Drink more water.
2.Watch less TV.
3.Action makes traction.
4.Try new things.
5.Hang in there.
6.Get better daily.
7.Begin with enthusiasm.
8.Finish with flair.
9.Celebrate small wins.
10.Eliminate wasted steps.
11.Aim higher sooner.
12.Never stop learning.
13.Start fresh today.
14.Write that letter.
15.Practice deep listening.
16.Pay yourself first.
17.Seize the day.
18.Cashflow is king.
19.Life is good.
20.Eat more vegetables.
21.Thank your Mom.
22.Make others shine.
23.Ask me anything.
24.Think WAY bigger.
25.Focus your energies.
26.Now beats later.
27.Tweet more often.
28.Zig don’t zag.
29.Marketing comes first.
30.Hug your kids.
31.Content before commerce.
32.Never sell alone.
33.Don’t get distracted.
34.Always ask “Why?”
35.Amp it up!
36.How doesn’t matter.
37.Invite and engage.
38.You’re already there.
39.Make silly faces.
40.Get off email.
41.See the sunrise.
42.Simplify, eliminate, outsource.
43.Kiss your dog.
44.Fascinate to dominate.
45.Write it down.
46.Keep on truckin’!
47.Love your clients.
48.Ask for help.
49.Value follows fee.
50.Never give up.
51.Decide, organize, act.
52.Sharpen your edge.
53.Lose some weight.
54.Hammer it out.
55.Doodle more often.
56.Drink hot coffee.
57.Expand your circles.
58.Consider crazy alternatives.
59.Chinese food rocks!
60.Use beautiful things.
61.Not so fast.
62.Get a massage.
63.Unlock, unblock, unleash
64.Go for no.
65.Blow ’em away.
66.More chocolate, please.
67.Fill your buckets.
68.Don’t shy away.
69.Give more generously.
70.Don’t be scared.
71.Freshen it up.
72.Go play outside.
73.Thank your heroes.
74.Respond, don’t react.
75.Sing real loud.
76.Schedule “me” time.
77.Bake a cake.
78.Live the dream.
79.Invest in yourself.
80.Fall in love.
81.Seek the truth.
82.Avoid the obvious.
83.Laminate your kudos.
84.Birds gotta fly.
85.Fish gotta swim.
86.Potential ain’t performance.
87.Relationships are perishable.
88.Kill your television.
89.Make that call.
90.Hire the weirdo.
91.Speak more honestly.
92.Track your progress.
93.Decisions drive momentum.
94.Take notes everywhere.
95.Look further ahead.
96.Stop playing small.
97.Sell the dream.
98.Deliver the goods.
99.Never shortchange yourself.
100.You’re so ready.
101.DO IT. Now!
by LT MarathonGirl | Dec 7, 2012 | Uncategorized
I work in retail so I see first hand how stressed out people can be during the holiday season. Our To-Do lists get bigger and bigger and the days are still only 24 hours long. Here are some tips to help you get through it.
- Make time for good nutrition and exercise. When your body isn’t fueled up properly you can feel more stressed. Stay away from sweets and make sure to make exercise a priority. Don’t hold off until the New Year; get going now. When you attend holiday parties, enjoy the people instead of the treats.
- Take a gratitude walk. Exercise is one of the greatest stress reducers and, according to Jon Gordon, it’s impossible to be stressed and thankful at the same time. As you go for a walk make a mental list of all the things in your life that you appreciate.
- Volunteer or donate. There are so many groups and individuals who need help this year. Raise your spirits and theirs by giving.
- Make lists. Write down everything you need to do and then prioritize the list. This is about efficiency, not memory, but it can’t hurt there either. Lists can help get things done in the proper order. For example: create invitations, send invitations, prepare menu, make grocery list, etc. There is a proper order to get these done efficiently. Lists can also keep you from running all over town or from wandering throughout the mall aimlessly. Write down what you need to shop for. Next to the items write down the most likely place you will shop for the item and then number your list in the most efficient way to shop for the items by location.
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Who
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What
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Where
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Shopping Route
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Mom
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Ugg Slippers
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Mall
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3
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Dad
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Running Shorts
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Dick’s Sporting Goods
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1
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Sister
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Yoga pants
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Victoria’s Secret
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2
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Keep a smile on your face and always remember ’tis the season to be jolly.
