“It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.” – Zig Ziglar

Great quote, right?  But, let’s be honest, sometimes we don’t want to get out of bed, we don’t want to take action and there may be times when you could care less if your follow through with anything.  Am I right?  Here’s the deal though… no matter how bad it is (an ohhhh it can be BAD!),  we cannot give up!  We may need to rest.  We may need a break.  We may even need to hide out and lick our wounds for a little bit.  But we CANNOT GIVE UP!  When the time comes that you need a break from the world of happy people, take the break and then dig deep, find that “character” Zig referrers to in his quote and get going again.  I know this is tough sometimes - trust me, I know as I am speaking from experience.  The past few months have been extremely challenging for me and my family, but we keep going.  One thing we know for sure is that things will eventually get better, easier, rosier, happier… Where there are lows – there are also highs!  Hooray for the highs!  So let’s suck it up, put on a happy face and KNOW that with ACTION, COMMITMENT and DISCIPLINE we will FOLLOW THROUGH!

~ Angie

There will be times when times are tough.  Even though we don’t sign up for the tough times, they do happen.   When things go wrong or someone pisses us off, we have a choice on how we are going to react.  We can run, hide, sulk, pout, get mad, get even, or just give up.  We could also stand tall, face facts, smile, be happy, be positive, and take action.  It’s completely up to you on what you will chose to do.  I suggest you hang in there and take the positive route.  Even if things don’t get better quickly, the more focused you are on the good and right in any situation, the better it feels while going through it.  ~Angie

Within You Is The Strength
To Meet Life’s Challenges!

You are stronger than you think,
remember to stand tall.

Every challenge in your life
helps you to grow.

Every problem you encounter
strengthens your mind and your soul.

Every trouble you overcome
increases your understanding of life.

When all your troubles weigh
heavily on your shoulders,

remember that beneath the burden
you can stand tall,
because you are never given
more than you can handle…
and you are stronger than you think.

~ Lisa Wroble ~

Is that a leaky faucet I hear?  Aren’t those weeds in the flowerbed getting just a tad bit out of control?  Is there any end to that stack of dirty clothes in the laundry room?  Is there any hope to paying off that credit card if you keeping making only minimum payments?  Are you ever going to get in to see the dentist about that bad tooth?  How long has that petrified french fry been on your car floorboard?  The dust on the ceiling fan blades is hanging on for dear life!

These are just a few of the things we ignore, but never go away.  They loom over our heads whether we are consciously aware of it or not.  Those little things add up and start to drag us down.  We begin to lose our energy, our focus and our joy and we may not even know why.  Now you know!

Over the weekend I want you to write down a list with all of the little things that need your attention.  Dig down and write down every thing you can think of.  Ask your significant other or your children for help with this.  Get it all down on paper.

Now prioritize your list. What is the most important thing you should get done first?  If it is something that is costing you money, then do that first.  Something as simple as a leaky faucet is costing you money.  If it’s paying bills late or only paying minimums, set a calendar alert to remind yourself when to pay and find a way to pay a little extra on those bills with the highest interest rates.

Get some early wins. Take on a few things on the list that are easy, but you just keep putting off and get them done right away.   Feel how good it feels to get things done and then move on to the next items on your list.

Make the list a competition with a prize. Whether it is a solo competition with yourself or if you divide the list with someone else, set some challenges to addressing everything on the list and set some rewards for finishing the list within a specific time period.  We all like to be rewarded for our accomplishments – and it’s okay if you are the only one who knows what you accomplished.

Delegate or hire help. Don’t try to do it all yourself, even if you are physically capable.  Just because you can doesn’t necessarily mean you should.  Pay for that which will take you more time than money to do.  Then use your time to do things you cannot pay for or delegate.  Now you are doubling your efforts and before you know it – you are done!

So, if you are feeling gloomy, get off your butt and get things done! If it to be, it is up to YOU!

Enjoy today’s quote and be happy! It’s a choice!

Today’s Quote

“Enjoy your life and be happy. Being happy is of the utmost importance.  Success in anything is through happiness. More support of nature comes from being happy.

Under all circumstances be happy, even if you have to force it a bit to change some long standing habits. Just think of any negativity that comes to you as a raindrop falling into the ocean of your bliss. You may not always have an ocean of bliss, but think that way anyway and it will help it come.

Doubting is not blissful and does not create happiness. Be happy, healthy and let all that love flow through your heart.”

~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

*** Maharishi Mahesh Yogi developed the Transcendental Meditation technique. In the late 1960s and early 1970s he achieved fame as the guru to the Beatles and other celebrities.

Changing the world… One person at a time, one dollar at a time.

Tommy and I went out Saturday night with the intent of giving away money to complete strangers.  See why here:

As I start my day and working on my to-do list, I am reminded again that I need to focus on what matter most and put those things first.  I know that so often I find myself jumping from thing to thing and then at the end of the day, week or month, I haven’t taken the time for those things that matter most.  I am working on it.  I remind myself to keep things in perspective and to take the time for Family, Fun, Fitness and Friends – my 4 F’s.

I’m curious, what matters most to you?  How do you keep those things that matter most a top priority?

My best to you for a Happy Wednesday! ~ Angie

“No matter how one may think himself accomplished, when he sets out to learn a new language, science, or the bicycle, he has entered a new realm as truly as if he were a child newly born into the world.” ~Frances Willard, How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle

Let’s talk about the importance of continuing education.  I’m not necessarily talking about the formal job-specific required CEU type of training – although that is important.  I am talking about learning that stretches us and makes us step out of our daily lives to learn and do something we wouldn’t normally do.  I am also talking about personal development by attending inspirational or motivational seminars as well as reading motivational books and magazines and listening to inspirational content on your iPod or in the car.

There are far too many people in the free world walking through life just getting by.  They are such creatures of habit that the rut they have made is so deep, they can barely see above it.  Day in, day out they do the same things.  They eat the same things.  They go to and from work the same way.  They talk to the same people.  They watch the same things on TV every week.  In that world of doing the same things over and over again they have lost their “color.”  To me, that person has become black and white in a world that is vibrant and in High Definition 3-D!  Don’t let that be you!

Break free from the dullness and try something new and please venture off the beaten path at least a little bit – I promise you won’t get run over.  To get started, I encourage you to write down three things you would like to change or do differently and WHY.  The why is critical!  Do this step quickly.  Don’t over think it.  Go with your gut.  It doesn’t really matter what you write down either, it may be a small step or could be a huge leap – it’s up to you!  Once you have the list, pick one and write down three action steps you can do to start the change process.  Maybe you want to learn a new language.  Okay, do you want to learn it in a classroom setting or would you prefer an home-study audio system?  You decide and then do what it takes to make it happen.  Don’t wait – do it now!

If you want to see a change in your life, then you need to make that change.  It’s that simple.  With each new step towards doing something new or learning something new, you will grow and become more fulfilled.  You will get your color back!

As a final note: If you aren’t willing to learn and grow, then stop complaining about things in your life like your job, your paycheck, your weight, your spouse…  Oh, that was harsh!  Right?  I meant it to be.  You – and only you – can decide to learn, grow and make the choice to be happy.  That may take some work, but hey, you may find that the work itself brings you joy.

Be the change you want to see in your life!  ~Angie

Hello there! I made it back! I have been in this strange far off land called Votesville, which is governed by one of the most powerful women in the world, Oprah Winfrey. This place had many people manically asking, pleading, shaming and coercing people into voting for their video audition so they might have a chance to be the next television star on Opray Winfrey’s new network – OWN. I have never ventured into a land like this before and I am grateful I didn’t have to go it alone. It was crazy there! I even found that I lost my own mind and did things I thought I would never do and yet, I survived! Not only did I survive, I came out stronger than before. Sure, I’m tired and I KNOW a few (or more) of my family and friends are tired of ME, but I just had to do it. Once I ventured in, I had to go in all the way! Thankfully I had a team of amazing people who made regular visits to Votesville and kept me company.

I would like to individually thank everyone who supported me over the past six weeks through their views, votes, and sharing, but I don’t know where to begin. I have a pretty good list of those that I know voted every day, but as the competition got more intense, I found that more and more people were part of the action and I lost track. If you are one of the maniacal Team Vote Angie voters, THANK YOU! Because of your hard work and belief in me, we made it to 14th place out of 9,504 contestants! That is AWESOME!! I would like to give a BIG virtual HUG to everyone who cast even one vote as each vote MADE A DIFFERENCE!

Friendship isn’t a big thing – it’s a million little things. ~Author Unknown (A million little things revealed as votes!)

All my best to you! ~ Angie

What is surprising about this Saturday?  Well, since my professional life seems to be narrowly focused on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) “Your OWN Show” video audition, you can imagine my surprise is related to the competition. I am surprised by the number of people coming together to dedicate a portion of their day – every day – to vote for me! It’s a humbling experience and also an exhilarating ride in which I am eternally grateful!  Of all the things I have ever done in my life, campaigning for myself is NOT one of them.  I’ve always been the one to lift up others, to promote others, to encourage and shout from the roof tops for others’ causes.  Not now.  Right now it is about ME.  So why would I do this now?  Am I changing?  Am I beocoming self-absorbed?  I asked myself the same question, and then I realized that I haven’t changed my point of view at all.  What I’ve done is realize that through a bigger media platform I will be able to serve others better.   I put on the thinking cap of “What would I do to help promote someone else?” and then apply that to my OWN campaign.

So, here I sit day after day voting, tweeting, Facebooking, and emailing family, friends, and associates asking for their support and reminding them to VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!  I know that getting a show on OWN is a long shot, but I am known to make the long shots.  I also know that the more people who see my audition video the more that will checkout my existing shows and that will help gain more listeners and viewers for my current guests.

There is something bigger out there for me and this is a chance for me to Make a Difference myself!

“Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.” -Pamela Vaull Starr

Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others,

It is because we are different that each of us is special.

Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important,

Only you know what is best for you.

Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart.

Cling to that as you would your life, for without them life is meaningless.

Don’t let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or the future.

By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.

Don’t give up when you still have something to give.

Nothing is really over … until the moment you stop trying.

Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect,

It is the fragile thread that binds us to each other.

Don’t be afraid to encounter risks, It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible to find.

The quickest way to receive love is to give love.

The fastest way to lose love is to hold on too tightly,

And the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

Don’t dismiss your Dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope.

To be without hope is to be without purpose.

Don’t run through life so fast that you forget where you’ve been,

But also know where you’re going.

Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored every step of the way.

- Author Unknown