The power of one word!

Happy Monday Everyone!

Wow. What a week last week was. I have to say I am on a real journey lately - I can't wait to see where it takes me!

I'm going to go off on a bit of a rant here - so bear with me. I just need to share some of the thoughts and emotions that are propelling me forward these days ...

As some of you know, last year I stumbled across a blog (I have no idea what it was now) whereing the lady had a "word" for the year. In a nutshell each year she tries to find one word that will help her in the comming year - that word is what she focuses on in various aspects of her life. Hmm - interesting. Her thoughts really struck home with me and I thought I would try it. Last year my word was "enjoy". That one word really had an inpact on everything I did. When I found I was in a "mood" I remembered my word and tried to just "enjoy" - Enjoy playing with the children - enjoy the peace and quiet while doing housework - enjoy being able to stay at home - enjoy a nice day ... just relax and enjoy!

 So this year rolled around ... I tried to find a new word. After a few I settled on "Believe". I thought I could use it in my business (Believe that you will succeed) - with the children (Believe you are a great mom) and so on. Hmmm - nice word - wasn't 100% sure though ...

Now - skip forward a week or so. I started listening to some webinars I ordered from "The Mind Aware". Dana Wilde is an AMAZING  Direct Sales speaker and started a company called The Mind Aware. She is all about focusing on the power of the mind and how by simple changing your thoughts you can change every aspect of your life. She teaches people to be aware of their feelings and thoughts and then work towards improving them.

 Enter 2012.  I wanted to start a little "commitment group" with some of my friends.  I call the group "Baby Steps" and essentially people e-mail me with what they are committed to doing for the day, week, month, year ... what ever they need to "say out loud. My idea is that if we "say it out loud" or in this case e-mail it to someone - then we will be more accountable for our actions and will start actually DOING what we say we will do.  We currently have 8 in the group (including me). That's incredible! I thought maybe 1 or 2 people might want to have a little e-mail pal for support but I was blown away by so many wanting to commit to making some sort of change. Now one firend in particular recently e-mailed me and said that I was inspirational. That 1 e-mail has propelled me into a whole other mind set. When she sent me that and I read it I realized that that was the 4th or 5th time in the last 12 months someone has said something similar to me. It was nice to hear that those other times but of course, as women, we tend to dismiss compliments and I didn't really take it to heart. This time I did! ... and it felt AMAZING!!! Really? I inspire people? I CAN inspire people?? And then it came to me. I can inspire people! I LOVE to inspire people. That's is what I have been doing this last year and the feeling I get from that keeps me going ... to inspire again ... and more people! 15 minutes ago I was eating my yoghurt / apple / banana breakfast and listening to the next webinar in my collection and Dana was talking about Mantras. ... a little phrase that helps us ... the tape that runs in our heads.  According to her great mantra needs 4 factors:

• it needs to be in the affirmative
• it needs to be as if it has already happened or IS happening
• it needs to be believable
• it needs to evoke a positive emotion

I can't TELL you how the word INSPIRE makes my heart soar!!! This is my word for the year - INSPIRE! My Mantra itself is "I inspire others to act". The most important part to me is that by inspiring others I am bettering myself! Focusing on OTHER people is how I end up pushing myself further than when I focus on myself. Why did I quit smoking? So I wouldn't leave my children without a mother. Why do I volunteer at the school? So I can ease the workload of others and help out. Why do I offer a friend a meal when they have a sick child to take care of? So they know they have a friend and someone to lean on. So how can I better myself this year? By inspiring others. I want to:

• inspire my children to be more active, more charitable and more appreciative 
• inspire my husband to eat healthier
• inspire my mom to find a hobby she loves
• inspire my friends to believe in themselves and better themselves in their own minds
• inspire my customers to be creative
• inspire people to want to inspire others

... and the best way for me to do all that is to be a role model. I will do these things, others will be inspired and the byproduct will be a better, healthier, happier me. A little ass-backwards but hey - I know myself well enough to know what works. This will get me to where I want to be.

My little support group has ALREADY changed me in so many ways. It has helped me find my "word" and my focus for 2012. It has strengthened my determination to "grow" and "improve".  I challenge each of you to come up with a word or mantra that will help you to focus your energy and thoughts in a positive way.   It's a very, very good feeling!
 

OK - that's my sermon for this week! I hope you can draw something from it that will help you in some way.

So!  Anyone still with me and want to see a card?  *lol*  OK - I DO realize that is why you popped in in the first place ... not to get life lessons from me *lol*  Ok.  Here it comes.

A friend of mine has a daughter who is getting married in July.  She was looking for invitation ideas.  I came up with this card which she absolutely loved ... so do I!

Pretty, no?  I TRIED to keep it simple ... bur of course ...

I started with a whisper white card base then layered it with a slightly smaller piece that I ran through the vintage wallpaper embossing folder.  I then used a smaller layer of the silver card stock, another, slightly smaller layer of whisper white and then ANOTHER smaller layer of whisper white. - so 5 layers in all.  The silver layer and the very top layer are popped up on dimensionals.  The top is stamped in Pretty in PInk CRAFT ink and embossed with clear embossing powder.  I really wanted to use Blushing Bride as I think it was the PERFECT color to match the brides maid dresses but they don't make craft ink in the In Color colors!  Who knew!  I embossed Forever & Always (from the "Loving Thoughts" set in the new mini) in silver emboss powder - OH!  and I used the vanilla Smooch Spritz on the vintage wallpaper layer for a little glimmer.  3 rhinestones and Wa-low!  A simply lovely card (even if it wasn't simple per se!)

Right - it's 1:52 - I still don't have my make-up on or my breakfast dishes done (but I DID do my excercises, rearrange the furniture and listed to 2 webinars!) so off I go. Thanks for reading to the end.  Have an inspired day :)

Tam