Blessed to be living the good life.

Most days there is a moment or moments that reminds me why I have followed and chose my life's path. The path that continues to lead me in living a good life. 

I am blessed to have countless people teach me lessons every day. Sometimes I am reminded to reflect on what impact I am having on others and the lessons I am teaching others. These reminders prompt me to continue improving myself and to work to be my best. Other times, the lessons others teach me guide me to learn something new about myself, about others, or about how to best serve and support others. Ending the day with reflective thoughts or feelings that I have been taught invaluable lessons from others leads me to feel a sense of success in my life. 

I am blessed to have found a career that I am passionate about and gives me a sense of fullfillment. I have found passion in the ability to learn, serve and provide support daily. In living my life to achieve passionate, meaningful professional pursuits, I have provided myself with a fulfilling and therefore successful life. 

I am blessed to recognize that change is inevitable and accept it as a vital part of my life. Change allows me to continue to learn, develop and improve. Change also provides the chance for new opportunities. Although new opportunities may sometimes be disguised as a bump in road or a setback as we follow life's path, they are often times the greatest source of our learning and future success. Change and opportunity are two natural tools as I pursue living a good life. 

I am blessed to realize that I there are moments each day that demonstrate why I was meant to chose this path in life to find happiness and fulfillment. Those moments are fueled by the people that I interact with every day... the people that teach and support me and the people I am privledged to teach and support. These moments provide me with a love for my life and living the good life. :) 

‎"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said that it'd be easy, they just promised it would be worth it." 

"Each man must look to himself to teach him the meaning of life. It is not something discovered. It is something molded." ~ Antoine De Saint-Exupery

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." ~ Benjamin Franklin 

"I challenge you to make your life like a masterpiece. I challenge you to join the ranks of those people who live what they teach, who walk their talk." ~ Anthony Robbins

Nevers to live by.

Always remember what is important, what I stand for and how I want to be remembered and impact others by following the "nevers to live by."

Never quit embracing all life has to offer. 

Never lose sight of striving to succeed and accomplish my dreams and goals through hard work, dedication and passion. 

Never quit learning and helping others learn. 

Never let the sense of adventure dissipate. 

Never quit UNCONDITIONALLY loving and caring for all those that touch my life. 

Be true. Be honest. Be you.

Never stray from be honest and true about who you are. You have the power to represent yourself. You have the power to show others who you are. Your words and actions have an unmatched level of power. Use your words and actions to represent your opinions, values, emotions, goals, desires, and thoughts. As you change through growth and personal development, let your actions and words change to continue representing you as you are. Your actions and words have the power to contradict the words of others projected upon you. Never surrender your power to be honest, be true and be the best version of you. 

"Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth." ~Benjamin Disraeli 

"Truth allows you to live with integrity. Everything you do and say shows the world who you really are. Let it be the truth." ~ Oprah Winfrey 

It's often times the words that are most difficult to say and hear that are the most important to share. Speak the truth. Be honest. 

Be the best version of yourself each and every day. 

Power of choice.

Every person has the power of choice. We have the power to choose what will make us happy, what will make us feel complete, what will fulfill our dreams. We have the power to choose what is right for us and what is wrong. Only YOU know what is right for YOU and what is wrong for YOU... that's why you have the power to choose for YOU. 
With your power of choice, make positive, impactful choices. Choose happiness. Choose your passion. Choose your attitude. Choose to expand your horizons. Choose to create a positive change. Choose to serve. Choose to positively influence others. Choose to smile. Choose to never give up. Choose to succeed. 
You are in control of your life. Choose to define your path. Choose the power to write your own story, a story for a good life. 

"Your life isn't defined by what happens to you; you define your life by how you choose to respond to the things life throws at you. That is the POWER OF CHOICE!" 

"The greatest power ever bestowed upon mankind is the power of choice. Choose to persist without exception. Hold fast to your dreams and stay the course, even in the face of exhaustion, rejection, and uncertainty." ~ Andy Andrews, The Traveler's Gift

**Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/tasty_goldfish/3339640903/ 

I made memories. I laughed until I cried.

Think about the greatest moments in your life. Were you happy? Were you sad? Did you smile? Did you cry? Did you celebrate? Did you laugh?

In the greatest moments of my life, I was living. Living the good life. Sometimes there were smiles, sometimes there were tears, and sometimes I laughed until I cried. I let myself live in the moment and experience true emotion. I did not hold back. I allowed myself to be me. 

In the greatest moments of my life, I made memories. I made memories putting on 'concerts' on the back porch, chasing frogs and pulling the 4-wheeler out of the canal with the Club House Gang. I made memories living the life of a farmer's daughter. I made memories as I ventured through the Redwoods and all over Oregon on RV trips of a lifetime. I made memories as I was pushed overboard from a paddleboat into the Mediterranean Sea. I made memories being swept away as royalty after my strapless gown was unsuccessfully pulled down and my strapless bra was successfully pulled out. I made memories lying on my back counting the stars in the bed of a pick-up truck. I made memories as I left everything I knew to start anew. I made memories as my friends - my Carroll family - and I held each other tight each time life as we knew it changed. I made memories as I watched the "Saints Go Marching In" time after time. I made memories while knelling in honor before a monk in their holy temple. I made memories when I gathered family for memorial trips to reflect and remember those who were dear to us. I made memories when I picked-up and left my life behind again and again. I made memories as I read during pre-trivia prep, sang karaoke, studied my days and nights away, and embraced my peers every minute of every summer day. I made memories when I learned the significance of 'Roll Tide,' 'War Eagle,' 'Sweet Home Alabama,' grits, tornado sirens and y'all. I made memories in 'Club Case'  in the form MJ hallway dances, apology poems, and ASPSA wedding planning. I made memories as I was 'pre-proposed' to just outside the 'Boom Boom Quiet Study Hall Room.' I made memories as I witnessed a 'package check' during an initial visit to Utah when the first ever CLA was awarded. I made memories when I saw the 'A' lit blue. I made memories as Bieber guided our Intern Family to dance our way through Raleigh during a reunion. I made memories during my 'Wild West Adventures' with Walla Walla Kid, Miss Maggie and Aunt Sue. I made memories when I broke the rules and introduced the Montana skyline wedding reception to the Cupid Shuffle. I made memories when I accepted new people into my 'family.' I made memories as I embraced the moments in my life. 

As I embrace the moments in my life, sometimes there are smiles, sometimes there are tears, and sometimes I laugh until I cry.

Don't Miss Out On Your Life

As you go through life there are countless people that make their way in and out of your life. Every person and every experience affects your life story. It is what you choose to learn from each person and each experience that impacts how you are affected. You may not choose how a lesson is taught, but you can choose how you receive, process and reflect on the lesson. You can maximize the lessons learned and other's impact and influence on your life if you are truly present in your life, in the moment. You are present in your life if you move past the running list in the back of your mind about what you are missing out on in other people's lives and who is not present where you are.
If you get caught up in what and who are missing in your present life and how other's are living their life, you may miss out on living your life. If you miss out on your life, how can you live the good life?

"Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same." 

"People come into your life and people leave it... you just have to trust that life has a road mapped out for you." ~Orlando Bloom

Happy Thanksgiving Hand Turkey

I am thankful for... 

Friends and Family:  All the people that I've been blessed to have influence my life.

Challenges and Growth:  The challenges I've faced and the people that have challenged me, allowing me to grow and develop every day.

Support:  The opportunity to help others realize and strive to achieve their potential and goals. And, the support others gave me to reach my goals and strive to reach my potential.

Life’s Adventures:  The blessing of traveling, celebrating or devoting time to my passion of providing support while spending time with friends, family, co-workers and students.

Quotes: They’re multidimensional… they provoke reflection, motivation, humor, honesty, and guidance. 

How do you define success?

Success is unique. It is situational. It is changing, growing, developing. Success is learning.

In my (ideal) world, success is not defined by wins, awards or a transcript with perfect grades. It is not defined by position titles, paychecks or accolades. 

Success looks different for every individual and every 'team.' A continuous effort to meet established goals and perform to the best of your ability contributes to success. As progress is being made to meet goals, every individual and/or team must be constantly learning throughout the process. Whether or not the goal is met, success is achieved in the learning process. Essential to this belief, is that 'failure' to meet a goal, win a game, be promoted, or earn accolades can be the most instrumental contribution to achieving success. What many define is 'failure' is in fact the greatest tool in learning and therefore achieving ultimate success. We learn from our mistakes and failures on an ongoing basis.

Since each individual and 'team' has different goals and abilities and functions within a unique environment, everyone's success looks different. As we continue to learn throughout our daily experiences, our definition of and ability to achieve success is evolving. As we progress through a series of steps and mini-goals to meet an ultimate goal, our process and even goals may change to adapt to ever-changing situations. By allowing goals to further develop throughout changes, you have the ability to implement improvements so success will be found.

Can you say without a doubt that you put forth your full effort? Did you change and adapt to improve your efforts? Did you learn from your achievements, from your mistakes, from your 'failures'?

If you can answer 'yes' to each of these questions, you've done it! You've achieved success.

“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” ~Vince Lombardi 

Realize and strive to achieve your potential; but, in doing so, be honest with yourself about your abilities and happiness. Also, acknowledge that "failure" may be the best thing to happen to you; what many term "failure" is often times the best tool in learning and achieving success.

What's important in living the good life?

I'll be the first one to say I don't represent the best version of myself every moment of each and every day. However, finding success in living the good life comes from recognizing there's always a chance to better yourself and striving to focus on the important things in life everyday. Everyone defines the important things in life differently. We all have different values. We have different goals. We are individuals. And, our 'list' changes as we change. Change is inevitable. Change is constant. Change is positive.

At this point, what defines the important things in life for me? My list can be summed up in a series of words and phrases. The signficance of the list is much more powerful when reflection is used to expand basic thoughts and ideas. Some people may be able to prioritize their list. However, I believe each element of my list is equally as important and often times loses it's impactfulness and powerfulness when not coupled and embraced hand-in-hand with the other elements.

• Trust. Confidence in others. Developed and maintained through honesty and integrity. Often times you cannot have trust without respect and also cannot have respect without trust. The greater trust someone has in you, the greater your ability to positively impact others. And, others have a great trust in you display passion. 
• Integrity. Consistency in character and honesty. Continually acting according to values, beliefs and principles. Serves as a cornerstone for trust. 
• Influence. Ability to positively impact others'. Strive each and every day to have a positive impact on others. Your influence may help others to make a positive change, accept an unsettling reality, and live their good life. 
• Optimism. Having a positive outlook helps you to have a greater positive impact on others. Yes, there is complete merit in being honest about the realities. I live in a world of realities and it's often my job to provide a reality check. But, someone has to be optimistic. You might be the only person that is optimistic about a situation and gives hope to someone who is dependent on your influence. Also, the more positive your outlook, the happier you'll be. 
• Respect. Respect for yourself and for others. You do not have the right to respect; you must earn it. If you first respect yourself, then others will follow suit. Respect is not defined by being liked; you can be revered with great respect by someone who does not 'like' you, your personality, beliefs, etc. 
• Passion. Find true happiness in your actions and interactions. Be passionate about your life and relationships. How can you have a positive impact on those you interact with if you're not passionate about your time with them -- even if only brief moments? Be passionate about your life's work. Find something that makes you happy and work at it, then it won't really seen like 'work' or a 'job.' If you are passionate about your 'job,' you will be able to have a greater influence on others. 
• Family. Blood and marriage do not define family. You can have multiple families whose relationships are defined differently. There are many types of love, and anyone you care about, you love. You still love people even if they frustrate you, make you angry, or upset you. Anyone you love is part of your family. Your family changes as you change. As we move through life, our family grows. Love has no capacity and neither does our family. Often times our 'friends' compose one or more of our 'families.'

Tomorrow the elements and definition of how I live a good life may change, but the foundation will remain the same. Reflection is key knowing and defining how you will live the good life in an ever-changing world. We are all unique individuals, so it's important not to change our definition to mimick someone who we are not. Be you. Be happy. Live the good life. 

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” ~ Howard Thurman