When was the Last Time...

When was the last time you took a moment to really observe your surroundings?  Do you ever just breathe in the fresh air and observe how your lungs feel as you take that deep breath?  Can you remember when you last savored a meal by really tasting your food instead of just chewing it?  Don't worry, you're not alone if you answered "can't remember" to any of those.  We're all constantly running here and there.

Make time for mindfulness.  Enjoy life and try to live mindfully.  Appreciate the present moment.  It's easier said than done, I know.  However, with practice it gets easier.  Practice makes perfect! Sometimes we get sidetracked, but we can get right back on track.  It's easy enough.  

La vita e' bella!

Enjoy the weekend.

If Opportunity Doesn't Knock, Go Find That Sucker!

Going out of your comfort zone might be scary, but if you really want to make a change it’s necessary. 

The old saying of “opportunity knocks” may be true, but there’s something to be said for creating opportunities for yourself.  The way you do that is by taking proactive steps to achieve your goals. 

A dream isn’t going to manifest into reality without effort.  Wishing for something to happen is not going to make it happen.  Effort and commitment is what makes it real.

If you aspire to do more in your career, it is up to you to make that happen.  Whether it’s taking courses that will help you obtain the necessary knowledge required for your next move, or having a conversation with your manager about your aspirations and career path – it starts with you.  You are as responsible for your success and professional growth as your manager is. 

If you have a talent or a gift for (i.e. singing, acting, dancing) you need to get out there and get in front of people who can help you get the exposure you need.   Stories of people being “discovered” are rare.  You need to put in the effort – and – have a back up plan.  Because the reality is that the entertainment industry is very hard to break into.  So be realistic, have a back up plan, and go into it with an open mind. But make the effort. 

If you like to write and want to write a book, story, screenplay go for it.  But like everything else, it requires effort.  It requires many hours of research, networking, promoting, and a ton of patience.  Not to mention a thick skin.  Because not everyone will like what you write and want to publish it.  Having a thick skin and a realistic approach will keep you sane and help you stay positive during the rough patches- and there will be rough patches.   Many famous authors have stories about all the rejections they received before they finally had a book published.  Stephen King and J.K. Rowling are just 2 examples.   Keep at it, keep writing, and stay positive.  The great news is that today authors can self-publish, so you don’t have to rely on a big name publisher to get your book out.  That being said, you still need to put in the hard work of marketing, promoting, and above all editing/proofreading your work to ensure that you turn out a quality product.

The bottom line is that creating opportunity requires making an effort, and making an effort sometimes means doing things that are outside of your comfort zone.   Big change – even good change – is scary because it means letting go of what is certain for the unknown. 

Embrace the unknown.  Embrace change. 

Don’t wait for opportunity to knock on your door.  Go out and find it!

Happy Saturday

Happy Birthday, America!

To all my followers in the U.S.A., have a wonderful July 4th holiday.

One Thing

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the world is a harsh and horrible place.   If we were to go strictly by what we see on the evening news, we’d likely never venture out of our homes!

Do not let current events and politics taint your view of the world in general.   It is a vast and beautiful place filled with wonder.  

This is not to say that bad things do not happen, and are not happening.   I am not a Pollyanna and I watch the news myself so I am well aware of these things. 

I choose to focus on the good, simply because focusing on negativity doesn’t do my health and well being any favors – nor yours. 

I also believe that we can affect change.  Each of us has the power to do something to make the world better for someone else.  This does not require a huge investment of time or money.  If each one of us did just ONE thing, we could make an impact that could lead to bigger changes.  Think about this for a minute.  Right now there are an estimated 7.4 billion people living on planet Earth.   If everyone took the time to do just ONE thing to help another person, imagine the good it would generate.

I know what you’re thinking.  You are thinking it is impossible for every single person on Earth to do something because of geography, poverty, and other barriers that exist.  Kindness knows no barriers.  Love knows no barriers.  Compassion knows no barriers.

But let’s just assume that not everyone could do something.   Even if a small group of people did something, it would be far better than doing nothing.   Think if everyone in your neighborhood decided to designate a day to perform a random act of kindness.  How many people would be impacted that day?  If you have 100 people performing an act of kindness, then 200 people benefit.  The person performing the act, and the beneficiary of this kindness.

Now let’s think bigger.  What if your workplace or school decided to designate a day to perform a random act of kindness?   If you have 500 people in your company or school, 1,000 people will benefit.

It’s important to celebrate these acts of kindness and to gather everyone together to “report back” on what they did and how it made them (and the beneficiary) feel.   Doing so inspires more action, and could motivate others to follow suit.

Have you ever been in line at the drive through and had the person in the window say “your coffee (or whatever) was paid by the car in front of you”?  Guaranteed that if it has happened to you, you have gone on to pay for the car behind you, and that person did the same for the car behind them.  This is because kindness inspires more kindness.  It’s a chain reaction of goodness. 

Is it possible to change the world?  Yes.

Can one person make a difference?  Yes.

Spread some kindness today.

Happy Saturday

Dream Big

The pursuit of a dream requires courage.  

Things will not always go your way.  Events will not always happen as planned.  People will not always support your vision.  Believe in yourself and trust your intuition.   When necessary, adjust the course to avoid going off of it.  Now get out there and make some awesome!

Happy Thursday

A Little Does A Lot

Summer is a great time to volunteer as a family.  With kids home from school and longer daylight hours it's the perfect time to join together and do something good for the world.  You don't have to go far to volunteer or spend a lot of money to make a difference.  

Inspiration can be found right in your own neighborhood.  Here are some ideas:

• Help an elderly neighbor with chores like housekeeping or lawn maintenance
• Drive an elderly neighbor to doctor appointments or to the supermarket
• Help clean up a park or nature preserve
• Help clean up a beach
• Volunteer at the local animal shelter
• Volunteer to deliver meals to homebound individuals or seniors
• Volunteer at the local nursing home to help with events for residents
• Start a letter writing campaign for troops serving overseas
• Adopt seniors at a local nursing home and write letters to the residents.  Send cards on holidays and their birthdays.

Musical Time Travel

You know that feeling you get when you hear a song that reminds you of a special time or a particular person from your past?  This happened to me yesterday as I was driving in my car.  I was listening to Sirius XM’s “80s on 8” and Billy Idol’s “Eyes Without a Face” came on the radio.  Immediately I was taken back to the summer of 1984 and a club in Italy called Rainbow, where I spent many a Saturday night that summer.   “Eyes Without a Face” was always the first song the DJ started his set with.   Lots of laughs and good times were had in that club. Those summers I spent in Italy were some of the best years of my young adult life.  I made many friends, and connections that still endure some three decades later.   Every time I hear this song it’s as if I’m back at that club. 

It makes me smile every time.

How is it possible for a song to open floodgates of emotion and memories (both happy and sad)?   Is it random, or is there a science behind it? 

You’ll be happy to know it’s not random and there is actually a science to it – neuroscience.  

A study conducted in 2009 from the University of California, Davis mapped the brain while subjects listened to music.  What the study found was that specific brain regions linked to autobiographical memories (memories of specific personal events) and emotions are activated by familiar music. The UC Davis study titled, "The Neural Architecture of Music-Evoked Autobiographical Memories," was published in the journal Cerebral Cortex.

A Finnish study conducted in 2011 actually used MRI technology to observe the brain’s functions while participants listened to music.  What the study revealed was that music stimulates the areas of the brain that are associated with motor functions, emotions and creativity.

In December of 2013, the journal Neuropsychological Rehabilitation published a study conducted by Amee Baird and Séverine Samson, from the University of Newcastle in Australia.  Baird and Samson used popular music to help patients who had suffered severe brain injuries to recall personal memories. 

Music can help with memory recall, it can evoke strong emotions and can stimulate our creativity. In short, music is powerful.

For more on the studies mentioned here and other fascinating facts about the effects of music on the brain, click here.

In the meantime, here’s Billy and “Eyes Without a Face”.

Keep smiling and remember:

La vita e’ bella!

Life is beautiful!

Slacker

Hey everyone,

I'll admit it.  I've been slacking with my blog posts.  Being totally lazy.

You know when you have one of those days, and then one of those days turns into one of many days... and then it turns into a week... and then....   You get the picture.  

No excuse.  I promised I'd be back last week and I didn't follow through.   I'll own up to it.  

Here's the thing though - it's good to slack off every once in a while.  By that I mean take the time to recharge.  Find something that you love to do and go do that.   If that something is doing absolutely nothing, then do that.  My point is, whatever works for you is good.  

In the meantime, here's some slacker reading material to inspire you (or justify your laziness):

The Secret World of Doing Nothing

The Art of Doing Nothing: Simple Ways to Make Time for Yourself

Autopilot: The Art and Science of Doing Nothing

So don't punish yourself for slacking off every now and then.  You're allowed.  As for me, I have lots of blog posts to write.

Keep smiling and remember...

La vita e' bella! 
Life is beautiful!