A couple weeks ago, I found myself in line at Starbucks, in the middle of the afternoon. As I was daydreaming of the food in the bakery case, the man in front of me started telling me about how he woke up early to beat the heat of working in the middle of the day and now he needs some tea to stay awake.

I listened to his plight with sympathy. I mean…really, who wants to do hard work in the California sun?

To my surprise, after he ordered his drink, he said, “And whatever she’s having…I’m buying” as he gestured toward me.

I was a little confused. Up until this point we had a very short interchange of words. I’m not sure I would even qualify it as a real conversation. And I’m pretty sure he wasn’t trying to hit on me. I didn’t get it. So I asked, “Why would you do that?”

“Because I want to,” he said with the grin of an accomplished earlybird who caught a worm. I think, quite simply, he was feeling good and he wanted to share that with others.  And…it worked. His gesture made me feel good, too.

This reminded me of a Maya Angelou quote: “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them FEEL.”

Sometimes making someone feel good can be accomplished by simply sharing your smile. If that doesn’t work…you might want to try buying their drink.

Watch the video below. It was inspired by Maya Angelou’s quote and a man I met, in line, at Starbucks.

Have you noticed that there is a fine line between “being busy” and “being overwhelmed”? Have you ever been so overwhelmed with life that you couldn’t get anything done? Did you know that we all have different thresholds for overwhelm?

Find out the difference between “situational” and “self-imposed” overwhelm. Whether you’re interested in preventing overwhelm or you’re smack dab in the middle of it, I think you’ll find my “Escaping Overwhelm System,” empowering.

If you would like to discover how to escape overwhelm to awaken and reveal more of the TRUE YOU, come check out my free video series and Escaping Overwhelm System, just click here. 

Sometimes in the midst of chaos it can be difficult to imagine a future in which you see things going smoothly or dare I say, just how you would want them to be.

Well, one excellent way to help pull you out of the “chaos vortex” is to find some “Hope for a Compelling Future.” And if you already have some going on…well, it doesn’t hurt to add more to it, right?

“Hope= the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best”

“Compelling=to push or drive; applied figuratively, meaning to apply a strong motive or incentive toward a certain end”

If you have a situation in your life that feels hopeless, you might have a hard time imagining a compelling future in that particular area. Here’s a suggestion: Don’t start with that area. For example, if you have a situation at work that feels hopeless, start adding some hope to a different area of your life. Maybe, find a new hobby, join a club or take a class on something that you always wanted to know more about.

Will this help your work situation? The short answer is “yes” and “no.” No, it might not directly effect your work situation (immediately). But “yes,” it might add a little extra “pep in your step” or give you a stronger incentive to spring out of bed. Once you have more of this happening in your life, it will be easier to find some movement and imagine some hope in your work situation. Sometimes, you will be amazed at how changing something in a totally different area of your life can alter your original hopeless situation.

I challenge you to give it a try. Find something that will give you something to look forward to, something to be involved with, something that you truly enjoy and take some action on getting that in your life within the next 24 hours. That doesn’t mean that you are actually doing whatever it is by tomorrow (although, I applaud you if you do). It does mean that you are at least taking steps towards getting more information, making a phone call or writing out a plan.

Are you still reading? Go now…start creating your compelling future. It’s within your reach! Oh wait, before you go…you can start by writing in the comments below what you would like to add to your life that you think you might enjoy. I can’t wait to read what it is.

I’d bet that nurturing others comes easy for you. I imagine that a large amount of your time and energy is spent in doing this for those around you that you love. I commend you on that. The world needs more of what you’re giving. That’s why it’s extremely important to ask yourself, “In what ways am I nurturing MYSELF?” The more that YOU are nurtured, the more nurturing energy you will have to give to others.

Webster’s Dictionary defines “Nurture” as: to feed and protect; to support and encourage, as during the period of training and development.

Here are 3 powerful ways to nurture yourself, so that you might become an even stronger nurturer of the ones you love:

1. Ask for what you want- This could mean tangible items but what I’m really focusing on here is more of what you want within specific situations. For example: If you’re tired of doing too much of something, instead of spending time thinking resentful thoughts about how no one helps you and how you have to do everything yourself…ask for HELP. That is what you want, right? Ask for it.
2. Give yourself permission- Practice becoming aware of what you need, as you need it. Sometimes you might need to get a project finished and it’s important to power through it because you really need it done. Other times, what you really need is to turn the world “off” and take a nap. Don’t wait for someone else to give you permission for what you need. Become aware of your changing needs and give YOURSELF permission to do what you need, as you need it.
3. Reward yourself- This might include “retail therapy” or it could be something as simple as an hour with a good book without feeling guilty. Are you aware of activities that calm the “inner you?” Do you know which activities make you feel alive? Find them and reward yourself.

While we might not think twice about nurturing others in these ways, it can sometimes be challenging to nurture ourselves. I’m pretty certain that the challenge is worth overcoming because when we are feeling nurtured, it helps us to offer more of that to those that we love.

So, practice asking for what you want, giving yourself permission and rewarding yourself. And just in case you really need it…I GIVE YOU PERMISSION.  

It happens to all of us. It starts out as a great idea that we are so jazzed up about, and then…it just stops, stalls out, falls flat, goes nowhere. Do you have any projects that come to mind? I know, I do.

Keep in mind that not every stalled project, plan or goal is worthy of revival. Some may have been mere delightful daydreams, fun fantasies of the mind. But if you have a stalled project that is worth pursuing (you know, the kind that will add value to your life) here are 7 steps to give your old project CPR and bring it to life, once again:

Step 1. Review what’s already been done- Since this was once a “live” project, take a good look at what you’ve already done on it. Even if you haven’t taken massive action on it, you must at least have a plan, a thought or a desire. You’ve devoted some energy to it already. Take an inventory of exactly what that is.

Step 2. Get in touch with why you want it done- What is this finished project going to do for you? What will be different about your life? Will this make a difference for anyone else? How will you feel when it’s complete?

Step 3. Find the one thing that moved the project into the neutral- Take a moment to reflect on the one thing that moved this project into neutral. Did you run out of time, money or energy? Were you missing some skills, resources or support? How will you address that challenge,now?

Step 4. Forgive yourself for stalling, take a deep breath and let it go- It’s difficult to move forward if you’re spending energy beating yourself up. Forgive yourself and let it go. Life happens…move forward.

Step 5. Plan out a “road map” to get it done- Plan out what is required to get from where you are now to “finished project.” PS- This means writing it down (it’s amazing how much of the “big and scary” factor is lost, just by writing things out).

Step 6. Break it down into small steps- Take your written “road map” from step 5 and break it down into small steps that you can tackle one at a time. Write out the steps and put them on your calendar.

Step 7. Take action and get moving on your steps- Take some immediate action within 24 hours. Even if it’s a small step…get moving. Make a phone call, put your steps in your calendar (the sooner the better), tell a friend about your plan. Get moving!!!

One of the reasons I wrote this is to remind myself of the steps I need to take to revive MY stalled projects. But if you’ve been inspired to revive a stalled project, tell me about it in the comments (it helps me feel as if I’m not alone).

When was the last time you took an assessment of “the stuff around you?” Have you  considered lately, the effect that the stuff in your “physical environment” has on your “mental environment?”

I’d like to challenge you to find the connections in your own life (because everyone is unique). Some are affected by what’s around them much more than others. Understanding where you are in this, can clarify for you, how to best arrange the physical space around you, in order to maximize your mental and emotional potential.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself. You might even consider writing your answers down.

Take notice of how you feel when your living environment is “as you would like it to be.” What about that feels different than when your physical environment is “not how you’d like it to be?” What changes do you notice in your feelings? your thinking? your attitude?

Here’s a big one: What are you “tolerating” in your environment?

Webster says that TOLERATING is “to put up with; to endure.” What are you “enduring” in your physical environment and why?

If you’re waiting for permission to STOP the enduring…here it is: I give you permission to STOP IT!

Not only that, but I CHALLENGE you to exert some control in this area. You can do that by finding something that you have been “enduring” or “tolerating” in your physical environment and take 15 minutes worth of action on it…TODAY.

Share your thoughts in a comment, below.