Stand Out

April 30, 2012

I've been reflecting on a line from a movie I was watching this past weekend.  Like so many gems in life, it was hidden among so many competing scenes.  It posed an important question for all of us to consider.  Why do we try so hard to fit in when we are made to Stand Out?  Think of the time, money, and energy we spend complying with the ever-changing expectations set by others.  I believe we are so much more powerful and independent when we are made to answer the person staring back at us in the mirror.  Why judge ourselves through the lens of others views and thoughts?

We've all been blessed with individual talents and appearances.  Therefore, any "one size fits all" approach does not provide the custom fit for all personalities and challenges.  Certainly we can learn from others and emulate those we truly admire.  Conforming to pack standards, however, will never provide the opportunity for growth and personal development that comes from standing apart from the crowd.  Have you given away your self-determination to a total stranger or some group?  Rather than working so hard on fitting in, wouldn't you rather spend peaceful company with a person who matches your own style?  I say give yourself a pat on the back for wearing those comfy shoes or for striking out in a new direction.  Life is too precious to allow others to live it for you.  It is my hope that you take control and feel good about yourself before trying to please the crowd!

GO Stand Out!


World Wish Day

April 29, 2010



What do Justin Bieber, John Cena - WWE Universe, Miley Cyrus, The Daily Show's Jon Stewart, Buddy Valastro, Nigel Barker's Beauty Equation, and Tiffani Thiessen all have in common? They are all wish granters, celebrating World Wish Day 2012. Today is World Wish Day, an international celebration of wish granting. This is the day the very first wish was granted to the very first child to receive such an honor ~ on April 29, 1980! Chris Greicius' wish to be a police officer came true just days before he lost his life to his major health disease. Since that day more than 280,000 wishes have been granted around the world. YOU can help us grant wishes by getting involved today. Donate $5, donate frequent flyer miles, start on online fundraiser, or get your company involved as a corporate sponsor. Anything and everything helps!

Thank you for supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation!  Click HERE to learn more!

Potholes in Life

April 27, 2012

While I didn't encounter any real potholes this morning, part of a recent conversation spurred the notion of how we all need to repair the holes in our lives.  Have you encountered a personal pothole on your journey of life?  Perhaps you have a chronic or sudden health issue, trouble with a loved one, or challenges at work.  Like real potholes, they continue to grow and erode the pleasure of a rewarding experience on our journey.  Rather than skirt the damage from personal holes, we must eventually face the menace with something other than simple patches.  Have you ever seen the same pothole, filled with a temporary patch, only to discover it a short time later in a worsened state?  Our dentists know that a strong and sturdy filling must first address removing underlying decay.  Capping something that is rotten or dead in our lives is a recipe for repeated trouble on our journey.

Perhaps the personal hole in your life can only be corrected through comprehensive change.  While some repairs in life cause pain and inconvenience, the answer really comes in thorough examination and solutions that remedy the source of our holes.  Maybe we need to take jack hammers to parts of our lives, rooting out the problem, and replacing a whole section of the journey.  Only by repairing problems, rather than using bandaids and pain killers, can we find peace, health, and contentment.  It is my hope that you can plan and execute whatever actions are needed to restore that part of your journey that can bring lasting JOY and happiness again.




Women Empowered

April 18, 2012



One of my favorite all-time mentors has always been Maria Shriver.  She's pretty terrific; don't you agree, Ladies?  Well, I've been following and supporting her for years and have always been amazed by her "Architect of Change" platform.  In addition to that she developed her very own WE programs that directly empower women 365 days a year.  I owe Maria all the credit in inspiring me to develop my very own WE idea called ~ WOMEN EMPOWERED.  If you're anything like me then you lead a very busy life full of family, friends, work, volunteering, working out, and occassionally competing in a pageant competition every so often.  Whew, that's a lot!  So, I created this super cute logo from scratch as a means to represent the modern day woman (all of us) who is doing just that.  Stay tuned for upcoming blog posts for further WE info.  In the meantime, please click on the little Facebook logo below to take you to my Facebook page and "Like" my new neat idea.