A Simple Message We Should All Be Sending

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My Mom (right) and Aunt Dee (left). Their friendship was always a source of inspiration to me.

It’s been a tough few weeks. My Aunt Dee — who is also my Mom’s best friend had several heart attacks on October 12th. Everyday since has been one step forward and then one step back. Sadly she passed away on Monday evening.

A week before her heart attack, Dee sent my Mom a card.

It was just a friendly hello, thinking of you type card. Dee wrote that she wanted my Mom to know that even though sometimes they didn’t talk or see each other as much as they’d like, she was loved and meant the world to her.

What a nice note to receive at any time!

Given the current circumstances — this note has been especially comforting to my mother.

The truth is she and Dee would talk all the time. They have a lifetime of memories, secrets and inside jokes. They would “touch base” as my Mom calls it, almost everyday even if it was just a quick email forward (my Mom is big on those,) an emoji text message, or a funny photo. They always kept on each other’s radar even when traveling or when things got busy.

It wasn’t uncharacteristic for Dee to send my mother flowers as a reminder that she was loved. They even have matching necklaces that say, “You Are Loved.” My mother is wearing hers now to keep her memories of Dee close to her. Dee was an amazing friend, mentor and woman.

Dee did it right. She never let anything go unsaid and everyone around her knew how much they mattered to her.

She always sent cards to everyone for holidays, birthdays and just to say hello. It made the recipient feel loved and special. Especially in this age of email and texting — it always made her stand out. She even would send me Halloween cards even though I’m not a little kid anymore! But it always made me feel loved.

To remember Dee I’m going to do something in her honor.

I went to Papyrus, my favorite stationery store, and bought up a bunch of beautiful cards. I’m sending them off to friends and family near and wide. I have a list of those people who have touched my life in big and small ways and I’m sending them a card to say “You Are Loved.”

I’d love it if you did the same. It can be a paper card, an email or even a text. I’m going to be doing it on social media as well and using the hashtag #YouAreLoved in honor of my beautiful Aunt Dee.

Feel free to use the graphic that I created below to send love to someone special today. You’ll be glad you did.

You are loved

A List Making App For Us!

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17oTr569List makers rejoice! There’s an app just for us!

It’s called The List App — and it’s like Twitter for lists.

You can create and share all your best lists. You can also request a list from users – so you could ask your friend what they favorite food is, or you can ask Snoop Dogg for a list of his favorite movies. (Yes, even Snoop Dogg has an account!)

The app was created by The Office actor and writer B J Novak along with Dev Flaherty. On producthunt.com Novak explains why he created the app:

“I just love ’em. I’m always asking people for lists of favorite restaurants in certain cities, or documentaries on Netflix that are good, and originally wanted a place where people could request and share those types of lists with friends. There’s still a lot of that.

But we’ve also discovered what I think we all knew deep down – that lists are addictive, because they’re the way our brains naturally order things anyway. It enables substance way easier than other forms of writing because it is often the connective tissue that gets in the way.”

The app encourages people to share all kinds of lists, not just shopping lists. There are lists on hot new music alongside lists of favorite emojis! Read more

Stop Searching For Your Passion

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screenshot-300x225Everyone has their “thing” — that one big goal they often dream about, tell their friends about and picture themselves achieving.  For me it was writing a book and it’s been thrilling to reach that goal.  

If you follow this blog regularly you’ve probably heard of my friend Terri Trespicio. I’m especially proud of her for reaching one of those goals that she’s spoken about often and dreamed big about.  

She did her very first TEDx talk in Kansas City a few weeks ago! She talks about finding your passion… or rather not finding it. Read more

The Productivity Hangup You Probably Have Too

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lady drinksA few weeks ago I was invited to a dinner party to celebrate my book Listful Thinking.  My friend and colleague Joya Dass runs a women’s networking group called LadyDrinks and hosted the event.  

So I was thrilled when she asked me to recreate the magic with an afternoon tea theme in Princeton, NJ.  (You know how much I love tea if you read this blog regularly! So I was all in on this.)

Most of the women at the tea were professional moms who juggle careers in industries ranging from technology to medicine. They all had one question – “How can you balance everything?”

It’s not easy, I struggle with this too and it’s only me and my husband at this point!  

One of the pitfalls and mindset issues I noticed coming up time and time again as we went around the room chatting was the idea of setting boundaries. I think mothers who work outside of the home tend to feel guilty about not spending enough time with their families. And then they feel guilty about not working enough when they are with their families.  That’s a recipe for overwhelm and disaster.  

Taking time for yourself is super important for your productivity and for your sanity.  Here’s the fix: boundaries.  Read more

Secrets to Boosting Your Confidence Now

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I don’t believe confidence is something that we either have or we don’t. It’s more of a work in progress.

Even the most confident people occasionally hear those nagging voices in their head telling them they aren’t good enough, thin enough, pretty enough or smart enough.   

These insecurities can be such a pain, especially when they start to hold you back.

So how do we stop putting limits on ourselves and start reaching our potential?

I met a woman named Lori Ann Robinson who is an image and fashion consultant and she is tackling this very question in her “Style You Confident Virtual Summit.”

She asked to interview me on camera for my insights.  We chatted face-to-face via Skype. She’s also interviewed other top-notch experts from all over the world who will share with you their best strategies, secrets and wisdom on how to boost your confidence and make it STICK!   

  • I talked about how lists can help you achieve your goals
  • How lists can boost your confidence and help you be more productive
  • Secret productivity killers that you may not even know you’ve been doing!

Access your FREE TICKET HERE

A little more about Lori Ann — she was nominated for an Emmy award four times! This lady knows her stuff and in her free series you’ll get great insight into how confidence can make you flourish and pull you out of confusion and self doubt.

You will have access to incredible experts who will give advice you can use right away.

This summit is filled with tips and golden nuggets that will assist you no matter where you are in your life.  
Don’t miss out- CLICK HERE to register now!