“Remind yourself regularly that you are better than you think you are. Successful people are not superhuman. Success does not require a super-intellect. Nor is there anything mystical about success. And success isn’t based on luck. Successful people are just ordinary folks who have developed belief in themselves and what they do. Never — yes, never — sell yourself short.” ~ David J. Schwartz
Cerdanya Valley
Most of you who know me, know that my most spoken mantra is that of living with an attitude of gratitude, and taking time each morning to reflect on the fact that you have been granted one more day and to refect on a few things in your life for which you are grateful. Starting the day with a feeling of abundance opens one’s psyche to experiences and opportunities to relish and eliminates the negativity that can rob one of those experiences.
A simple example… I awoke in the lovely home in the picture below, thankful to be in such a beautiful location. Did it matter that it was raining? Not a chance! I threw on my sweater and jeans and set off for a walk in the countryside. As the raindrops glistened on my face, I “chatted” with the horses, picked wild flowers, marveled at the great old trees, listened to the rippling stream, played with the curious puppies, and just enjoyed the moment. It was truely a glorious morning! Ahhh…gratitude!
A mind that is stretched by new experiences can never go back to its old dimensions. –Oliver Wendell Holmes
The past two days have been quite enlightening for me. The founding of La Dolce Vita Retreats has most certainly been a personal journey of enrichment. Inadvertently, it has thrust me into the deep waters of the unknown, and I’m not talking about lands undiscovered. I’m referring to technology, quantitative analysis skills, basic office and marketing skills, and a certain knowlege base that resides on that ”other half” of my brain that is less developed.
I have had to learn skills and figure things out in a most basic manner – trial and error. I have had to force that notion of ” I can’t” out of my psyche and convince myself that “I can” – if I break it down into small bites. Does it take me longer? Of course! Will I forget the new found knowledge easily. Not a chance! It’s imbedded.
Throughout the journey though, I have garnered a new level of appreciation for those many services and skills that I have taken for granted over the years. I have also gained a sense of independence and freedom, as well as humility, through my struggles. It has become crystal clear that each of us and our particular talents and skills plays an integral part of the whole.
We talk about getting past the fear to discover our freedom. It’s so true and it often begins with the little things. This journey has shown me that I am never really lost – detoured perhaps – and that I can find my way if I open my mind, look at the challenges as opportunities to learn, eliminate the word “can’t” from my vocabulary, and most importantly, ASK. Ask questions, ask for help, ask for that which you need or want and be ready to offer the same to another on the learning path.
As most of you know, gratitude is how I choose to begin my day. I’m blessed in so many ways and believe me, I don’t take a single one of them for granted. From being alive today to having mastered mailmerge, I am grateful for the opportunity to be on this earth one more second. From the perspective of gratitude, both the challenges and the opportunities are blessings.
Until tomorrow!
Janice Briggs
Seeking fluent Italian or French speaking individuals to form a Walk & Talk group in Orange County, CA. (Newport Beach/Irvine areas.)
Oh God! Sometimes I’m not as organized as I think I am. I just realized I scheduled a walk at the same time I have my cleaning crew coming. I totally forgot that it was Tuesday. The one thing about owning your own business is that often times, more than not, I work seven days a week, 14 hours a day, and therefore lose track of what day it is. Don’t take me wrong – there is balance even though I work such a pace as I also play with the same intensity. It’s just that instead of taking off two days per week, I take off a few months per year. Statistics show that fewer, longer vacations are more beneficial to your health than more frequent mini-vacations.
Having said that, I still need to fit the basics into my schedule, exercise being at the top of the list. But I’m still not finding time for my daily language study, which is becoming quite frustrating. If only I could find 2 walking partners – one that speaks fluent French and another that speaks fluent Italian, then I could walk and “talk” and get my language practice in. Even better would be the situation that those individuals had an interest in learning English! Then it would be a win-win. Actually, forming a “Walk & Talk” group would be great fun!
In fact, that’s not a bad idea! I’ll have to look into posting that on Twitter and Facebook.
One more thing to add to the “to-do list”! But definitely worth the time!
