The Gift of Life

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Each new day we're given is a privilege, not a right~
Give thanks for the gift of another day, even when you’ve cried~
And before you settle in and go to sleep for the night~
Share all the love in your heart; never keep your feelings inside~

~Shell

I've decided to try working on my creative writing again and the above short poem is my first stab at it.  

We should all feel so blessed when we wake up each day because simply waking up is a precious gift.  It's such a simple concept and yet, so often taken for granted.  We don't think about the potential that we may not wake up tomorrow.  We don't consider that maybe today was our last opportunity to spend time with a dear friend or a member of our family.  We don't plan for tragedy.  Obviously, we don't want to live our lives with the constant fear of doom and gloom, but we also should consider the potential that tomorrow will be too late to do those things we keep putting off.  A simple phone call to a loved one to let them know we love them or miss them or are thinking about them is often put off until another day. This is normal behavior for all of us because we assume tomorrow will be just like today.  

Sadly, tomorrow is not promised. With that in mind, it only takes a moment of your time to pick up a phone or send a quick message to someone close to you letting them know how much they mean to you and that you're thinking of them.  It's a little thing that will likely be the most important thing you do on any given day.  I know what it does for my spirit if someone I care about suddenly takes a moment to contact me and let me know that they are thinking of me.  

Life moves so quickly and before we know it, we're wondering where the time went.  Sometimes, we don't get that last opportunity with our loved ones before they are suddenly taken away from us.  Losing our loved ones is NEVER easy but imagine how painful the regret would be if you had only taken a couple of moments out of your day to let them know you care, but you missed that opportunity.  

So, who have you been neglecting lately? It only takes a minute to make a world of difference!! 

 ~Shell

Thinking of Others in Need

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I've recently learned of quite a few people who are going through life changing events that many of us can't even fathom.  Can you imagine getting the news that your child has Cancer? Sadly, a few of my acquaintances have had to bear that awful burden. Below is the link and story for one little girl who is going through the fight of her life. Her parents have gotten the horrible news that she has very limited time left in  her precious life.  Please visit the link, offer your kind words and prayers and, if you can, make a donation to help these courageous people make this little girl's remaining days as wonderful and joyous as possible.
  
http://ning.it/oZHO4e Stella was diagnosed at the beginning of July with brain stem glioma. This is an aggressive tumor that has wrapped around her brain stem. The tumor is inoperable, and also is widely regarded as being untreatable through chemotherapy or radiation.

Let's put our own small worries and concerns aside for a brief time and realize that things could really be so much worse! 

God bless & remember life is a precious gift that we should never, ever take for granted.

Life's a Gift

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Some events transpired this past weekend that brought back to the forefront of my mind the harsh reality that life can and will throw us scary curve-balls!  We often go about our daily lives complaining about the little inconveniences we deal with.  We tend to get so caught up in our day-to-day routines that we forget about the most important things in this life.  We get angry with friends and/or loved ones and say things we should never say.  We forget to pick up the phone just to let family know we're thinking of them. We close our eyes, hearts & minds to the people around us and miss the signs that they might need a compassionate ear.

Life can be cut short so quickly and if we fail to realize the gift we've been given each day, we could be left with a heavy burden of regret & sorrow. Take a moment each day and give thanks for the many blessings in your life. Realize that, even though you may be going through a difficult time, things truly could be much worse.  Take a moment to say "I was thinking about you and wanted to let you know I care about you". Pick up the telephone and call distant friends and family just to say hi. 

We've been given a gift with every new day. Show your gratitude by being grateful & helping others realize the good in the world. The simplest little things can make all the difference! Today is the best day of your life so far......

Walk a Mile in Someone Else's Shoes

We all face tough times in our lives. We all have bad days, myself included. We all have our own little pity parties, sometimes.  Take a moment to feel bad about whatever bad luck you've had or whatever little obstacle you've faced. After you've taken that brief moment to wallow in self pity (which is OK to do) get back up, brush yourself off, and snap out of it. So many people dwell forever on the small little trials & obstacles & annoyances in life instead of taking things in stride and moving on.

There are so many people in the world who are going through much more painful trials, devastating health issues, natural disasters, or numerous other obstacles that make our little complaints look like a single grain of sand. While you may be complaining that your so swamped at work, someone else is desperately trying to find a job, any job.  While you're complaining about that cold you caught, someone else is fighting cancer or some other deadly disease. While you're complaining that your food took too long to come out to you at a restaurant, someone else is just wishing they could put food on their table.

Step back from your own life & look around you.  Take a moment to reach out your hand to help lift someone else up from despair.  People may be smiling on the outside but look deeper and you may find they're drowning in fear, hurt, or pain.

Smile at everyone you pass & offer a warm hello.  You may just make all the difference in the world.

Trying to draw people to your product?

When you are trying to promote a product or survey people as to why they use a particular product, you need to remember that you are dealing with people who have genuine feelings & emotions & reasons for using certain products. You need to approach the subject of why they choose one product over a similar other product with compassion, understanding & a genuine desire to learn more about the consumer.  You should always ask your questions carefully & make sure you are not condescending or confrontational while talking with a consumer.  People will immediately put their guard up if they feel they are being attacked by you in the survey process.  You then run the risk of losing a potential new customer simply because you made them angry or you made them feel inferior or less than intelligent because they use a certain brand over another.  I had a person survey me about why I drank a certain beverage over another.  The conversation started out alright, with the questions being about why I purchase a certain "vitamin enhanced" beverage over another.  I was asked if I believed in the claims touted by the beverage makers and I was asked if price and/or taste played a larger role in my purchasing decisions.  These were all good questions and I had no problem giving my honest opinion.  Then, the questions became quite condescending & confrontational & honestly, made me feel like I was some kind of irresponsible consumer.  At that very moment, I lost the desire to even speak with the person surveying me & even worse, I have a negative opinion of a product that I haven't even had a chance to try yet. Do you want to lose a customer before you have even had a chance to get them to try your product?  I would think not. 

Bottom line, even as business people, all customers are emotional human beings first.  The moment you make a potential customer feel like they've been attacked or "talked down to" is the very moment you just lost a business prospect. And in that same short period of time, you should realize that bad word of mouth travels so much faster than good word of mouth. Is that a chance you want to take? 

Choose your words carefully!

The world is bigger than each of us individually

The world is so much bigger than each of us individually. Take the time to think of others in need even when you're struggling in life. You may realize your problems are just a grain of sand compared to the problems of another person. Lend a hand or a compassionate ear & you'd be amazed the difference you can make!

I saw this post from a friend on Facebook today. There is a young lady named Stacy who is fighting a battle with Cervical Cancer after it had been in remission for 9 years. I don't personally know her, but I know if it were me, I would want as much love & support & encouragement as possible while I battled the disease. I felt compelled to help spread the word.  Please check out the page dedicated to helping her through this difficult time.  

https://www.facebook.com/StacysCrusade

Even if you don't know her, offer her some words of encouragement. Isn't that what this world should be more about anyway?

It Only Takes a Moment To Make a Difference

In life, so many of us neglect to speak the feelings in our hearts & minds. This may be because we're so busy with our day to day lives that we simply forget to express the love & caring we feel for family and/or friends.  I've been guilty of this on many occasions but, over time, I have realized that the feelings in our hearts need to be expressed, and frequently.

Have you taken the time to contact your family, friends, or loved ones today just to say hello & ask how they've been? Have you noticed that a loved one has been struggling in their personal or professional life but neglected to lend them even a compassionate ear?

When you take the time to let someone know that you've been thinking of them, or that you've noticed they seem to be struggling in some aspect of their life & you want to be there for support, you would be amazed at how you can improve a person's life. A simple act of lending an ear so someone can vent about what is bothering them can make the biggest difference. Wouldn't it feel good to know you made someone smile because they realize that they aren't alone during trials in their life? Or even better, wouldn't it be wonderful to know you're thoughtfulness & concern helped them overcome an obstacle they were facing?

I make it a point in my life to express caring & compassion towards everyone in my life, even if they are someone I may only see once in my life.  Take a moment to smile at everyone you pass....even a stranger walking by you. You may bring someone a renewed sense of optimism & make their day so much brighter all in a split second.