Five Tips to Help You Fall in Love with YOU!
I’m delighted to share with you a special Valentine’s Day edition of Beaming Bohemian. While you may be enjoying a romantic getaway or a single’s party with your best friends, I hope you’ll stop to take a moment to realize how much you are loved. Your partner, friends and family, as well as all those cheerleaders and supports in your life love and appreciate you so much. I hope that no matter your plans for this romantic holiday, you recognize how much love you have in your life!
With all this love floating around us, I must ask the question, how much do you love YOU? I hope you enjoy a healthy level of self-respect. Self-love is the foundation of how we treat others, how we behave and how we communicate. (I promise I’m not too far off the topic of communication today. See #4.)
For those of you who need a boost of self-esteem, I share with you on this Valentine’s Day…
Five Tips to Help You Fall in Love with YOU
1. Begin your day with love, positivity and purpose
For those who follow my blog or tweet with me, you have seen my daily statement. Before I get out of bed in the morning, I ponder what the day holds for me and say out loud:
“Today will be a great* day. I will listen, speak and act from the goodness of my heart. I will accept others as they are and treat everyone with kindness and compassion.”
*Sometimes I change this to fun, productive, traffic-friendly, amazing, successful, happy or whatever word best fits the day I have in store for me.
When I say this, I make a commitment to myself about how I will conduct myself that day, as well as remind myself that I am a good person with honest intentions. It is a strong-willed statement filled with love and respect.
2. Accept yourself to own your potential
You are awesome! You are amazing! You are unique. Out of the more than 7 Billion people on this planet, there is NO ONE like YOU! You have unique qualities and characteristics that no one else has. You have something to offer the world which the world craves. Take some time to write yourself a love letter and tell yourself what you love about you. Once you accept yourself for the way you are, the way you were uniquely created, you will have the ability to own your potential and make that significant contribution the world needs and desires.
3. Play your own game of life – no comparisons
How often do you find yourself comparing your life to others you feel have “more” than you? STOP! Your life is yours to live. And remember, you have unique qualities that those other people wish they had. I found this quote which sums up the negative impact comparisons have on our self-respect:
“The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.” – Steve Furtick
How true is that? We look as the messy parts of our life and compare that to someone else’s best moments. How is that a fair comparison? It’s not. So stop. Everyone has their own pain and struggles. No one is as polished and perfect as their highlight reel.
Your life is a solo performance. You are not in a band. Think of your life more like a game of golf versus a team sport like baseball. Your life is yours. Own it.
4. Do what honors and respects you – be true to yourself
When you maintain healthy levels of self-love and self-respect, everything you do should be a direct reflection of your true self. Your hobbies and activities, your work, the people you hang out with and what you communicate.
And on that note, be mindful of how you communicate. We see so much hateful, hurtful and mean speech, words filled with negativity. This is particularly true online. You have to ask, “Is this comment/post/tweet the real me? Am I being true to myself?” Make a point to communicate with honor and respect. The majority of people (and the good people you want to associate with) will appreciate you.
Whenever you get that “this is not me” twinge, stop what you are doing. Stop talking, stop doing, leave the party…whatever it takes. Say to yourself, “I love me more than this.”
5. It’s an adventure everyday.
This video and post will not instantaneously make you fall in love with yourself. And I admit that I have to work on this everyday. We all do. There is no quick fix for a healthy level of self-respect. Another quote for you:
“Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.” Margaret Runbeck
And that is the same for self-love. So with these tips in hand, let’s travel together, every day, in self-love and respect, in kindness and compassion, in positivity and purpose.
Happy Valentine’s Day. I wish you a day filled with lots of LOVE!
How to Have a Great Day
I was just reading some business and social media news as well as a few motivational articles. I came across this one in Inc. Magazine called “7 Ways to Start a Great Day.” I remembered that I created a great graphic with my daily mantra. The first line? “Today is going to be a great day.” It’s all about attitude, right? If you believe it’s going to be a great day, it will be. The article had some other great tips to wake up on the positive side of the bed, so I encourage you to click and soak it up. Here’s my daily mantra in all it’s glory. It definitely pushes me toward greatness. I hope it works for your too!
Happy 2014!
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2014! I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season and rang in the New Year in style. I certainly enjoyed the holidays with my family but also used this downtime for a healthy strategy session. I have lots in store for you for 2014!
For those of you who know me, you know that I do not make New Year’s resolutions. Instead, I like to develop a personal theme each year. Last year’s theme was, “Knuckles down, chin up, GAME ON!” This year’s theme is a little bit different, and I’ll tell you why. I noticed that most of my previous themes have been something I’m striving for. But this year, I wanted to develop a theme that is a statement I’m going to live. So the 2014 personal theme of Shanna Bright is (drum roll please) … I am abundant in health, wealth, joy and sparkle!
Of course, health and wealth have deeper meanings. For example health is not only a healthy lifestyle but also a healthy attitude, healthy relationships, healthy business etc. And wealth refers not only to good fortune but a wealth of gratitude, a wealth of experience, wealth of knowledge, etc.
The word “joy” is pretty self explanatory. Joy is a wonderfully descriptive word and and awesome emotion to live in. The word, “sparkle” was chosen after I had a conversation with one of my good friends. He said to me, “Shanna, you know, you are the only person who understands what I mean when I say, ‘I want my soul to sparkle’.” I really loved that idea and so I wanted to make sure to put the word sparkle into my personal theme for 2014. Plus, with the last name of Bright, I always feel a bit of pressure to shine.
One of the reasons I choose a personal theme is that I’m not making a promise I could possibly break. In fact, it’s not a promise at all. I’m meant to emobdy this theme each and every day.
So tell, me … What’s your personal theme for 2014? Do you like this idea, or are you still a firm believer in resolutions? If so, what are your resolutions or goals for 2014? How to do plan to achieve them? Leave a comment below and let’s learn from each other.
No matter how you plan to make it a great year, I wish you a spectacular 2014 filled with all the love, laughter and success you can stand. All my best to you!
2013 Personal Theme
Happy New Year! Indeed, the roller coaster that was 2012 is behind us. I am grateful. As the clock struck midnight on 12/31, I was eager to welcome 2013. From everyone’s posts on Twitter and Facebook, it seems you are equally enthusiastic about a clean slate. Without going into tremendous detail, I will simply say that 2012 was not my favorite year. I am enthusiastic for this New Year and a refreshed spirit.
One thing to know about me… I do not make resolutions for the New Year. Sure, I’ve set a few personal goals about health and exercise, even deciding that I would not eat a bite of fast food this year, but I prefer to determine a theme for the New Year and let everything I do speak to that theme. While resolutions are easy to break, it’s not so easy to “break” your theme for the year.
My theme for 2012 was Rise & Shine and that largely had to do with my business. My life continues to revolve around my business and is dictated by it’s every breath. Still in its infancy in 2012, I suffered the growing pains many entrepreneurs who are operating on a shoestring budget experience. I made great progress in 2012, even though there were some struggles mixed in the bag. What matters most is that I ended 2013 on a high note and am poised to carry my shiny torch into the New Year.
And so with that, I wanted my 2013 theme to embody the spirit of momentum and moving forward. “Onward & Upward” was under consideration as was “As The Crow Flies.” In my search for the meaning of certain words and phrases, I discovered a great site which explains the meaning, origin and history of many of these types of sayings (Click HERE).
What I zoned in on, was a theme with a sports reference, a competitive spirit and that determination I need to carry me through the year on a very bright note. Ladies and gentleman, my 2013 personal theme is, “Knuckles Down, Chin Up, GAME ON!” Think of a football team’s offense at 4th and inches, getting set on the line of scrimmage. The game-winning touchdown is at stake and as they put their knuckles down on the grass, lift their chin with the positive attitude and belief they will score, and dig deep inside their own being as they wait for the signal from the QB. Once they hear it, it is totally – Game ON! And that moment, that energy and impetus is what I want to capture and strive for and maintain in 2013.
I have much – so much – to accomplish this year, both personally and professionally. You can bet your bottom dollar that with this fire in my belly and my eye on the endzone, that I will exceed my goals. Yes, it is a Happy New Year and I look forward to a 2013 full of W’s.
Have you ever thought of creating a personal theme? If you were to chose a theme for 2013, what would it be? Share your themes, goals, and resolutions in the comments.
A little reminder
Sometimes, life throws events at you unexpectedly. That was the case last week. I was in the middle of the weekly #smsportschat when I got a call from my mom. My dad had gone to the doctor earlier that afternoon and ended up being sent to the hospital.
Several tests and a life-saving procedure later, Dad was able to come home on Saturday and we all enjoyed a relaxing and appreciative Father’s Day weekend.
We tend to get caught up in a lot of little things in life – we know this, right? We focus on issues that probably don’t really matter in the long run, that don’t add real value to our lives. This health scare with my father shook me to my core. Needless to say, my mind has been racing at a million miles an hour and I have been contemplating life with a new perspective.
I’m not going to go into some long and sappy story or life lesson here. I just want to remind you, as I was reminded over the last few days, that there is really nothing more significant or valuable than the people in your life… those who you love and who love you. Hold on to that thought today (and everyday) and let the people who matter to you know how much they mean to you.
If Every Day was Graduation
Today was a great day. My adorable nephew, Jason, graduated from high school. As the first grandkid, this was a very special occasion. There were lots of happy tears, many shared memories of when he was just a little tyke, and all sorts of excitement for this next chapter in his life.
In the midst of the ceremony, I couldn’t help but think, “People should approach every day like it is their high school graduation.” And why not? The graduates feel such a sense of accomplishment. They are full of energy and excitement, they are confident and exude optimism and potential. They are eager for tomorrow. They are ready to hit the GO button. Graduates carry a healthy sense of “now what?” kind of fear, just enough to keep them on their toes and ready to rebound. They are full of pride and positivity. They are joyful. They have the whole world and every possibility at their fingertips. And they know this. That vitality shines through every happy expression on their face.
Why wouldn’t we want to approach every day with that kind of pep? If we felt as invincible as high school graduates at commencement – imagine what all we could accomplish!
Here’s to grabbing that energy and spirit and infusing each of our days with that insatiable zest for life and the next adventure. Congratulations to all the high school graduates. You are amazing! May you never loose all the hope you have in your heart on this special day.
And here’s me with my awesome nephew! LOVE him! So proud!
Have I? Have You?
Lately I’ve been reading the online magazine Inc. which is geared toward small business owners and entrepreneurs. I’m loving the tips and advice and chance to learn from others’ experiences. Today I found this fabulous article which really hit home. It is a completely different concept of achieving success – asking yourself 10 questions. Once you read the list, I believe you will see how checking in with yourself every day and being focused on results will push you to achieve more. The article is below or you can read it on the Inc. site – HERE.
10 Questions That Create Success
Think that success means making lots of money? Think again.
Pictures of dead presidents have never made anybody happy. And how can you be successful if you’re not happy? And buying things with that all money isn’t much better. A new car, for instance, might tickle your fancy for a day or two–but pride of ownership is temporary.
Real success comes from the quality of your relationships and the emotions that you experience each day. That’s where these 10 questions come in.
Ask them at the end of each day and I absolutely guarantee that you’ll become more successful. Here they are:
1. Have I made certain that those I love feel loved?
2. Have I done something today that improved the world?
3. Have I conditioned my body to be more strong flexible and resilient?
4. Have I reviewed and honed my plans for the future?
5. Have I acted in private with the same integrity I exhibit in public?
6. Have I avoided unkind words and deeds?
7. Have I accomplished something worthwhile?
8. Have I helped someone less fortunate?
9. Have I collected some wonderful memories?
10. Have I felt grateful for the incredible gift of being alive?
Here’s the thing. The questions you ask yourself on a daily basis determine your focus, and your focus determines your results.
These questions force you to focus on what’s really important. Take heed of them and rest of your life—especially your work—will quickly fall into place.
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