Meeting Planner

Are you living a “drive-by life”? Do you enjoy moments or rituals during your day? Are you able to find enjoyment during your daily routines? The 21st Century has introduced living a “drive-by” life where it is easy to form the habit of simply going through everyday motions without enjoying the journey or living in the moment. Our past and our attitude play a huge role in framing how we spend our time. What can we do today to make changes to fully enjoy and celebrate our lives? 

Are you looking for joy in your life? Joy plays an integral role in all of our lives.  It’s the feeling of great pleasure, happiness, and peace, but it’s not an innate feeling. Maintaining joy will have a positive effect on your life. Our journey through life can be challenging; we need to build resilience to fill us with the mental, emotional and physical stamina necessary to manage daily trials and tribulations to hold on to our personal joy.  Developing strategies to retain our joy throughout the day is a must. We cannot allow people or circumstances to “steal our joy”.  Each of us needs to discover our own unique personal strategies to remain positive and joyful.

Are you practicing gratitude throughout the year or just at Thanksgiving? Do you take the time to appreciate all that you possess in your life or do you practice entitlement?  Research has proven that having an attitude of gratitude is the most effective action to improve all facets of our lives. Gratitude must be practiced, it’s not instinctive. You have to cultivate gratitude in your life. Sometimes it comes through adversity. The difficult things in your life can help you gain perspective on the good things you have. When we practice gratitude we’re focusing on the positive which encourages us to be appreciative and not take life’s simplicities for granted.

Do you consider yourself an optimistic person? Are you hopeful and confident about your future? Optimistic individuals can see opportunities in every challenge. Research indicates that optimism can improve individuals’ immune systems, prevent chronic disease, and assist with managing ill-fated news. Gratitude and optimism are closely connected and work together to encourage optimism. Optimistic people can approach problems differently to encourage a positive. Positive thinking can help you take your professional and personal life to the next level, to achieve what you really want.

Do you practice excellence in your professional and personal life? Excellence is a habit and is achievable for all. It’s a way of life that requires commitment, inimitable passion, and energy and can be developed into a natural habit. The journey to excellence is more challenging than we might think. We must put forth great effort to develop practices to be the best we can be, both in our careers and our personal lives.

Do you respect other individual’s differences? Understanding what respect is and why it’s important is very relevant because it’s a crucial component of a successful relationship in both our personal and professional lives. How we respect and treat ourselves determines how we treat others with respect. Our interactions with others determine who we are and in many circumstances dictate our potential in life. Respect is the adhesive that supports, builds and strengthens our connections and relationships.

Is laughter a part of your life? Laughter primes the soul to experience the joy that surrounds us—and joy is everywhere if we are open to it. Laughter is a universal connection that transcends all cultures --we all laugh in the same language.  It’s a tool that boosts our energy, diminishes pain, and protects us from the damaging effects of stress. The benefits of laughter are numerous and research has proven the abundant health benefits of laughter and why we need to take time out to smile and laugh.

What does leadership mean to you? What kind of leader are you? To meet the challenges of today’s world we must all lead in one way or another. You may not choose to be a leader in the traditional fashion but during your day you will lead in one way or another. Self-awareness which is part of your emotional intelligence plays a part in how you lead.  Emotional intelligence is a trending topic and it determines how effective you are as a leader. Learn the elements of emotional intelligence to be the best possible leader in whatever you do.

How healthy are your personal and professional relationships? Strong relationships not only make us feel good they also make us so much more productive personally and professionally. We generally desire positive relationships with others because of the many benefits that we receive from them. When individuals get along with each other, they accept change more easily and are more inspired and innovative. Positive relationships keep the focus on moving forward instead of wasting time working through negative issues. Building and sustaining trust is paramount to maintaining all relationships. Since relationships are an extremely important part of a person’s life, it’s critical that we focus on developing healthy relationships. 

What does legacy mean to you? Are you living your legacy? Every day while we are here on this earth, we’re creating our living legacy – it’s the direct result of what we do daily that leaves a lasting impression. The effect we have on the people in our lives is an enormous part of our legacy. It’s tied very closely to our integrity; who we are is defined by what we do when we think no one is watching and what others say about us when they observe us interacting with others, socially or professionally, this is legacy building. Undoubtedly our actions define our legacy! You can write a new chapter of your story; the way you wish to live it. Will you be deliberate about the legacy you’re creating while you’re alive?