As you may know by now, I try to rhyme my daily posts and today the word mellow popped into my head.  I’m not so sure I can say that my Monday has been mellow.  Nope, in fact, it’s been a little hectic.  I think most Monday’s are that way – and Tuesday, and Wedn…. You get the point.

So, why Mellow Monday?  I think it is my subconscious reminding to mellow out.  As I find myself cranking through my to-do list, I find myself typing faster, abbreviating words and pausing only long enough for bio breaks.  And it hit me… checkout this post I did back in April 2009:  Spinning Wheel-Getting caught up in the spin cycle of life. 

I’m off to mellow out a bit and maybe even take a little nap…

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Your thoughts and comments are welcome.  Thank you!

A Mother’s Love

There are times when only a Mother’s love

Can understand our tears,

Can soothe our disappoints

And calm all of our fears.

There are times when only a Mother’s love

Can share the joy we feel

When something we’ve dreamed about

Quite suddenly is real.

There are times when only a Mother’s faith

Can help us on life’s way

And inspire in us the confidence

We need from day to day.

For a Mother’s heart and a Mother’s faith

And a Mother’s steadfast love

Were fashioned by the Angels

And sent from God above.

– Author Unknown

If there is one thing certain in this world – all thanks needs to start with God and our Mothers.

If you have a loving relationship with your mother, rejoice and let her know how much you appreciate her for bringing you into this world.  After all, like it or not, she didn’t have to.  You were a choice.  Even if you were adopted, you may have even more reason to rejoice as the choice was to have you and then give you as a gift to a family who wanted you even more.

You may not know your mother, you may not like your mother, you may not understand your mother, but without your mother, you wouldn’t be able to be feel abandoned, neglected, disappointed, or confused.

If your mother is no longer with you in the flesh, she is with you in spirit.  I believe she is by your side right now wishing you all the happiness and love in the world.  Take special private time today to tell your mom how you feel.  Tell her you miss her and love her and appreciate everything she did for you in her life.  You will see your mom again someday and then you too may be the one your children talk to in the quite moments of their day.

Many blessings, much love and above all, I honor all mothers out there!

~ Angie

How many of us use the phrase, “Thank Goodness It’s Friday!”?  All of us at one point at another, right?

Do you realize that Friday is just another amazing day of the week?  There really isn’t anything any more special about Friday than the poor little left out Tuesday.  Why don’t we wake up Tuesday morning and say, “Yay, it’s Tuesday!”?  Instead, we think things like, “Only three more days until Friday…<sigh>.”

Friday is a great day, but so is every other day of the week!

The real reason people count down to Friday each week is because they can’t wait to get away from their day-to-day drudgery so that they can find joy over the weekend.

Here is the secret about making the other six days of the week as special as Friday… do something you love and then no matter what day of the week it is, you will be enthusiastic and motivated.  If you do what you love, you may notice that Friday doesn’t even stand out as much as before because the weekdays and weekends begin to blend together – in a good way.

I encourage you to find joy in what you do and treat Friday (and every other day of the week) as a Fun Day full of promise and possibilities!

~ Angie

“Most people are not really free. They are confined by the niche in the world that they carve out for themselves.They limit themselves to fewer possibilities by the narrowness of their vision.” –V. S. Naipaul

My wish isn’t to mean everything to everyone but something to someone.” – Unknown

What is a wish? A wish is a hope or desire for something.  Some cultures have customs in which people are encouraged to “make a wish”, such as blowing out the candles on a birthday cake, seeing a shooting star at night, tossing a coin into a wishing well or fountain or breaking the wishbone of a cooked turkey. Many believe such wishes can only come true if you keep them a secret from other people. (source: Wikipedia)

We all have wishes, dreams, goals, hopes… Some we share and others we keep secret.  I think it is a myth that for your wishes to come true you have to keep them a secret.  The more you put your wishes/intentions out into the universe by sharing it with others, the better chance you have of finding someone (a hero) to help you fulfill it.

The focus on Wish today is because tonight on The Angie Strader Show, I will interview Dave Girgenti, founder of Wish Upon A Hero and we will be talking about the power of putting your wishes out there and allowing people (heroes) to become involved in your life to make your wish come true.  We will even grant at least one wish live on the show tonight, and that my friends makes me very HAPPY!

Everyone has a wish.  Anyone can be a hero.  ~ Wish Upon A Hero

Tune in and listen to today’s inspirational message!

Today’s Quote

“It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.”  ~ Dale Carnegie

Today’s Tip

Is your inner voice or negative self talk sabotaging your life?

To help control your mind instead of your mind controlling you, do this simple exercise for twenty one days.

Take just ten minutes a day to focus and concentrate on a particular item. For example, focus on a flower. Use all your senses to observe the color, scent, texture and design.

At first, your mind will wander, but eventually you will be able to take back control of your mind and focus only on what you decide to focus on.

This will change your life forever.

Have a great week!

~Joanie and Angie

Thoughts? Comments?

E-mail the Happy Wednesday Ladies at HappyHosts.com

We would love to hear from you! Make it a “Happy Wednesday” for everyone & share the Happy Wednesday Broadcast to a friend!

Tip 1

Drink your coffee – The Harvard School of Public Health study of 125,000 individuals who drank 6 to 8 cups of caffinated coffee daily actually found it lowered the risk of type II diabetes risk 50% in men and 30% in women

Tip 2

Get your sleep – Everyone needs sleep. Sleep allows the body to rest and affects both physical and mental health. The amount of sleep a person requires is affected by the person’s age. As people age, they tend to need less sleep.

Tip 3

Learn to forgive – Studies show that people who forgive are happier and healthier than those who hold resentments and the more forgiving people were, the less they suffered from a wide range of illnesses.

Happy 1st Monday in May!

Okay, it’s 5 months into 2010.  That means that we have 1 more month and we’ll be half way through the year.  For me, that means in 1 month I will do a reality check on my goals for the year and face facts.  I have one month to step up the pace on those goals so that when that 6 month check-in comes, I can honestly say I have made progress or moving towards those goals.

Do I suggest this method of goal achievement?  No.  But, I am also realistic and I know that most of us need little mind games to keep us motivated and moving forward, even if it’s just baby steps.

One of my goals is to do a 5K race this year.  I was hoping to do a spring event, but since that isn’t going to happen, I think a late fall/early summer race will do.  I am tracking on my other goals and feeling good about the path I’m on.  Still work to do – always work to do – and I’m motivated to continue making positive things happen.

Now go take a look at your 2010 goals and take the steps necessary to get one step closer to making those goals a reality.

Get going and get motivated today!

I want to wish my Mom a very Happy Birth Day today!

It isn’t my Mom’s birthday, it’s mine, but she is the one that gave birth to me.  It is her birth day just as much as it is my birthday.

You may find this strange, but I believe that we pick our parents.  A little far fetched belief for some, but when I was a little girl I watched an old black and white movie and I remember a scene with these little cherubs up in heaven picking out their parents down below.  Since that time, I have believed that to be so – and I like believing it.  I have a daughter that I thank God for every day as she has been such a blessing in my life and I choose to believe she picked me to be her Mommy as well.

So, today is my 43rd Birthday!  I can honestly say that I am loving my life so much more than I could have ever imagined.  Is it perfect, um, no.  Would I want it to be, um, yes, I mean no.  If my life was perfect, what would I have to strive for?  I enjoy working hard to make things happen.  I love the feeling of accomplishment when I have overcome something or made something work that didn’t seem possible.  The lessons I have learned from my imperfect life have brought me to where I am today and made me who I am today.  I think the idea of a “perfect life” is overrated anyway.  I don’t want perfect.  Great isn’t perfect, and I’m very happy to say I have a great life!

A special message to my loved ones:

To my Mom – Thank you for willing me into existence and for always believing in me.  Even when I made some some not-so-good relationship decisions, you gave me room to grow and learn from those decisions.  It took me a while to get it right, but I did (and how!) and the third time is a charm!  Thank you for all you did over the years to give me everything you could, I do appreciate it!

To my Dad – Thank you for being the most loving Father a girl could ever ask for.  You rarely told me no, but when you did, I knew you really meant it.  I have many fond memories over the years, but the one that really stands out to me right now is when you walked (or as Mom says, ran) me down the isle to marry Tommy.  The time we had in the back before that will always be in my heart.  Thank you for stepping in and being the best male role model a little girl could ask for.

Felecia – Thank you for choosing me to be your Mom!  I was young (and still am by the way) and I know I made mistakes along the way, but you were patient and accepting even when we had to struggle.  I am proud of the young woman you have become and see amazing adventures and accomplishments in your future.  You have an unlimited future ahead of you.  I hope you grab hold and get every drop out of life possible!

Tommy – Thank you for your determination and persistence – although some may call it stalking!   I mean it when I say that you make me want to be a better person.  You are the most loving and giving person I know.  You have given so much love to me and Felecia these past ten years and you have taught me what true love really is.  I am grateful God’s plan came together and we found each other.

To Myself – Thank you for taking good care of yourself over the years.  You may have had some tough times, but those times are what made you who you are today.  Your intentions are good and you strive to always do the right thing – even when that thing sucks.  Your integrity is your prized possession – never let it go.  You are right where you are supposed to be and things are only getting better.  Hold on and enjoy the ride!

Happy Birthday to me and many blessings to you!
~ Angie

The other day I was outside soaking up a little of the spring sunshine and enjoying the sounds of birds and watching a butterfly fluttering around the flowers and this song popped into my head.  All I knew was the chorus and now after reading the whole thing, I like it that much more.  I hope you find a little sunshine on your shoulders today or sometime soon!

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy

Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry

Sunshine on the water looks so lovely

Sunshine almost always makes me high

If I had a day that I could give you

I’d give to you a day just like today

If I had a song that I could sing for you

I’d sing a song to make you feel this way

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy

Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry

Sunshine on the water looks so lovely

Sunshine almost always makes me high

If I had a tale that I could tell you

I’d tell a tale sure to make you smile

If I had a wish that I could wish for you

I’d make a wish for sunshine all the while

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy

Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry

Sunshine on the water looks so lovely

Sunshine almost always makes me high

Words by John Denver, Music by John Denver, Dick Kniss and Mike Taylor

If it’s not fun, tell me, why are you still playing?

Think about that for a second…

Okay, realistically, we cannot have fun 24/7 – at least not in the world most of us live in, but think about the things we do that we don’t enjoy and we don’t even have to do.  Why do we continue to do them?  I bet there are a few people in your life that drive you crazy, drag you down, or just plain annoy the crap out of you, right?  I also bet that when they call, you answer.  When they ask you to lunch, you go.  When they need something, you help.  That’s because you are a nice person.  A nice person doesn’t always have the most fun.

What is fun?  The dictionary defines fun as activities that are enjoyable or amusing.  I can see how hanging with a neurotic Debbie Downer can be amusing – or at least make you feel better about your own life, but the experience and time investment may not be enjoyable.

Who is a friend?  The dictionary defines a friend as a person you know well and regard with affection and trust.  Let’s key in on the affection part.  If you are hanging with people you don’t have a positive feeling of liking for, then don’t do it.  Just say no.  Maybe “No thank you” might be nicer.

Think about those in your life that you should probably let go and let be so that you can enjoy your time with those that actually do bring you joy.  I find that I would rather be alone or in the company of my pets than to be with an energy zapper.  I like myself and even find I can have a lot of fun all by myself.

As we go into the weekend, think about your friends and who you really enjoy socializing or playing with and make a plan to get together and do something fun – like roller skating, bowling, put-put golf, hiking, play a board game, go to a local attraction or event… there is so much to do and it really doesn’t have to cost much to have fun, especially when you are with good friends.

Happy Friday!

~ Angie