Drive, Don't FLY!

First, I have to say to the woman that was behind me this morning on SR9 from Hurricane UT, What the Bleep?  Yep, I said Bleep!

SR9 is a 2 lane road and connects the town of Hurricane to the I-15 Freeway.  I was leaving Hurricane, returning to my office in St. George, when this woman was behind me flashing her lights at me to pull into the outside lane.  Now, I travel this road enough to know that the modest speed limit of 55 is a bit low, but going up the the hill near the jail, it is more than enough for most.  I too can be seen traveling 60 mph like the good ole' days, but I also know that since the jail is right there, inevitably there will be police in the area.

There was a car on the inside lane, that if I pulled in behind him, I would have to brake.  That is exactly what this woman wanted.  She didn't care, she just flashed her lights at me repeatedly.  At first, Road Rage sort of took over, I admit, and I wanted to do anything but accommodate her.  I then thought, well maybe it is an emergency, should I judge?  Nevertheless, I maintained my position and when I came around the top of the bend, there was a police officer coming down the hill, she immediately slowed down and behaved! What????

Just after she was FORCED to slow down by conscience, an RV got in front of me as we headed to the freeway entrance and she was very anxious and tried to get around all of us.  It didn't work, by the way.

I have no idea what her emergency was, but when she hit the freeway, she was gone.  I usually travel 80 mph (yes just a hair fast, I know!), but she was out of there, long before my speedometer could show me 80!

It is drivers like that, who drive with NO patience for WHATEVER reason, that cause the accidents we read about every day...that behavior changes lives and NEVER for the better!

So, when you get behind the wheel, remember that you have a license to DRIVE, not FLY, because I would like to make it home to my family and hug that grand daughter of mine.  YOUR choices can adversely change MY life....please remember that!

This video may be hard to watch, but people need to see it!

Living on the Edge!

I found this video on Youtube and I have to say, at first I was stunned. I found myself gasping and holding my hand over my mouth to keep my jaw from hitting the ground. The pure thought that someone would risk their lives to do this was pure insanity! In fact, seeing them flying around in the air, like rag dolls, limp and voulnerable was something that borders madness in my book.

I watched it again, then again and then again! I found myself so intriqued by it, that I just couldn't stop. I then began to wonder, what would that be like? What would being that free be like? I don't have to strap myself to a rope and throw myself off a cliff to feel free. I can just let go of the things in life holding me back! I can wrap a rope around them and throw them off the cliff and let the wind and sky take me to places I have never soared!

If I let go and live on the edge (the edge that I have created for myself), it can free me from the thoughts, feelings and perceptions that bind my mind, body and spirit! Now how to let go?

Practice and forcing yourself to step out of your comfort zone, even if it is just one toe over the line, forward is the ONLY direction. Some day, with little steps, I will be propelling myself forward without the slightest of hesitation. If you think that something isn't working in your life, create momentum by doing something you can not even imagine yourself doing....something bordering madness and either propel yourself forward or step one toe over the line! It is the ingredient missing in the recipe, I promise!

The Power of "Thank You"

Gratitude is over stated and under practiced! There I said it! In the past I have felt gratitude but never expressed it and never truly felt it. But, now, I embrace gratitude and give thanks every day for feeling gratitude and feel gratitude for even the simplest things in my life. I know, it sounds like I am preaching, but I am not. I am just stating that now instead of just saying it, I truly feel it, which has changed my life.

The same could be said for saying the words "Thank You". They are used often, but seldom with true meaning behind them. As children we are taught to use "please" and "thank you" as ways of being polite. How has that turned out for us? Well, please and thank you never stopped a war, hasn't stopped a crime and hasn't stopped lies. When do they have meaning?

Think about the words "I'm Sorry". Ouch! Those words, when said repeatedly as an excuse to misbehave, are empty words. For these words to have meaning, I feel that there needs to be a gesture and a feeling that accompanies such words, or there is absolutely no point in saying them!

So, as we teach Miss Mariah to use these words, I want her to use them in a way that truly means something. Every time she asks us to do something, give her something or help her with something, she is so precious and politely says "Thank you Nana!" And for now, at age 2, that is about all I can expect of her. But, in the future, I want her to feel gratitude for the world she lives in, even when it seems as though all gratitude is lost on her. It will be the backbone that helps her hold her head high, dream BIG dreams and live a fulfilling life!

Practice Gratitude! Feeling it every day will fill you up inside and when you are full of gratitude, there is no room for the negative feelings.

Have a Grateful Day!

It's All About the Bunny!

Today was a fantastic day, as Mariah was met at the park by her Easter Bunny. There were children on the carousel, but when they saw Mariah's special Bunny, they flocked to it. However, Mariah, was having a special moment with her Bunny as they danced to the music of the carousel, hopped around the grass and played with the beautiful colored Easter Eggs. She immediately told the kids, "MY BUNNY". Then, she generously let a few of them get pictures with her Bunny. When the kids backed off, it was just her and her Bunny while Mommy and Daddy watched. It was a beautiful time in the park!

So, if you see a big white Bunny this Spring, remember, take the time to walk, dance and hop with him. The moment comes and goes so quickly and others want to play too. Happy Spring and Happy Easter!

Day #5 - Relax!

Last night I attended a wonderful Anniversary Party for Elan Woman Magazine. It was a beautiful night, with tons of great people I haven't seen in a while, great food, tons to see and learn as well as a wonderful Chinese Face Reader! For 5 minutes, she gave me the summed up version of her reading.

She couldn't have pegged me more! I am amazed by people that have that ability. I am seriously considering a more in depth reading very soon! She said the one thing about me that I have known for some time....I have trouble saying NO! WOW! On the money with that one. She gave Kellie a reading as well and nailed it!

What a great night. A great way to continue my High Energy year! She said I was wrapping up a 9 year cycle and boy I am sure glad to be done with that one!

Today, I finished up my chores by mid day and relaxed on the couch for the rest of the evening. That is how I like to spend my Sunday's! Now back to work Monday!

Oh! she also said I don't like to get up in the morning....I am sure I will prove her right again tomorrow :)

Grateful for Sweetness In the 365 Days of Me!

In the past months, I have been on a journey of gratitude. I have been learning and growing from this awesome experience. As I set forth in a daily routine of recognizing things that I am grateful for, I have been led to a different journey called awareness. After all, you must be aware of your surroundings and feel them, to experience the gratitude of it all. Being aware has led to some astonishing revelations!

First, I marvel at my grand daughter, of course I am grateful for her in my life, but I am truly amazed at the amount of love that is born into her. From the instinct of loving the person(s) who brought you into the world to everything that is new.

She hugs and kisses everything, even the vacuum that she fears the most. She has respect enough for the vacuum to know its place and be sure its there from time to time. When she opens the closet door to be sure it is resting, she is quick to give it a hug and kiss too. Or the phone, she hugs and kisses it along with the iPad. I have even seen her lay on the floor spread out and kissing the floor. As I watch her, I laugh, but I can't believe all the things that she shows gratitude for, just because they are new and exciting to her.

When you think about the things that you are grateful for, they don't have to be big things, in fact it is the little things that we rarely notice that are the most significant in our lives, yet we don't notice them enough.

So, today, on my 4th day of the "365 days of me" it is yet another excuse to be grateful for something, so I choose to be grateful for the carpet! Yep! I know it sounds weird right? But, the carpet is so many things to us all. It quiets the echos in your home. It offers a cushioned landing for all the things that we hate to drop. It makes for warmth under your feet. BUT, what I am grateful for most of all, is that it is a comfortable place to sit or lay so we can enjoy coloring or playing with our favorite little ones that we cherish the most.

It seems that little Mariah has been an excellent teacher in the art of Gratitude. Someone we could all take lessons from! So here's to all the things that bring Sweetness into your life! I hope they bring you peace and comfort and gratitude!

Day 2!

Ok, only Day 2 and today was a transforming day. Day of decisions. Day of Action! Love it. Made some decisions on my future, stay tuned to see what they are! More importantly, I decided to try Zumba today and got my BuTT KiCkeD! But it feels so good.

Today's luncheon at the Women's Council of Realtors was so inspiring. First, Chef Imi of the Riverwalk Grill catered our meeting with an incredible meal, real silverware and cloth napkins, we sure felt pampered from the start!

Once the meeting began, it moved with importance and we got a lot of business out of the way, and that led to our speakers of the day. The Latin Ladies of Fuego House of Dance were the speakers, sharing their path to "Creating a niche in a diverse market". The challenges they met in their business and how they decided to treat their "customers or clients" set them apart from the rest of the crowd. Service, warm and friendly environment and follow through. Not new information, but at times we need a swift kick in the pants to remember why we do what we do.

At the end of the talk, they shared some incredible photos of all the community work that they do and the fun that is had. It was infections and contagious. So much so that they decided to treat us all to a taste of Zumba that is offered at their studios. They made us all get up and try it and everyone did it. It was amazing to see so many enjoying it and really getting into it.

After the meeting, several of us got together and decided to try a full class tonight. It was hard, hard, hard, but it was fun! My body is sore right now, but I am going to go back! I talked a bunch of girls into going with me and they are going back too! So, here's to health, good friends and tons of fun!

Incredible day!