Uncategorized

Reminder of The Power of Common Courtesy

beingtiffLeave a comment

Happy Today!

We are in full relocation mode this week but I want to share a post I published on my blog BeingTiff in 2015. The post was originally entitled Operation Common Courtesy. With the state of society and the sadness associated with various situations around the world, I thought it would be a great reminder of the need to demonstrate common courtesy to those around us.

It’s been almost four years since this post was published but I still experience odd looks from people whenever I say “Good Morning” or “Thank You.” But I don’t know their story so I speak and offer a smile of encouragement. If you read this post today and struggle with thoughts of suicide, please contact The National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

Operation Common Courtesy is a repost from BeingTiff.wordpress.com

On Friday I had the honor of hearing the powerful story of a young man who survived what should have been a tragic story of a 19 year old suicide victim.  Thankfully it was the story of a survivor, an advocate, an inspiration and a walking success story.

As I sat and listened to his testimony, I was struck by one recurring theme – “what happened to common courtesy?”  I can’t do his story justice but I am going to try.  This young man sat among and walked among several people of various ages, genders and races and literally cried for help.  

Key word, cried.

Everywhere he went he cried. As he walked he cried. As he rode he cried. People pointed people laughed but no one asked him if he was ok.  And that was the one phrase he needed to hear. “Are you ok?”  

He said to hisself if one person will just ask me if I was ok I won’t go through with killing myself.  Again that thought occurred to me, “what happened to common courtesy?”  I remember a time in which a person could shed one tear and everyone would stop and ask if you needed anything.  I remember when it was unthinkable to walk past a child or woman asking for money for gas or a meal.  “What happened to common courtesy?”

It wasn’t until I listened to his story that   I remembered when I was pregnant and tried to walk in the door at McDonalds, people would push me out of the way.  “What happened to common courtesy?”  I was inspired by that testimony and decided to take up his challenge of giving a smile to everyone I meet because it may be the only one they receive.  That was easy for me so I decided to make it more challenging, I decided to see if common courtesy was still alive. For the sake of my own challenge, I considered common courtesy to be any of the following:

1. “Good Morning”

2. “Hello!”

3. “How are you? Then actually respond”

4. “Have a great day”

5. “You look nice!”

6. “Are you ok?”

I wish I could say that my challenge experience was positive but I was saddened by the number of people that wouldn’t even return “Good Morning” or “Hello.”  I was even more surprised by the odd looks I received just from uttering those words to strangers.  

I guess common courtesy is not as common as I thought.  Now knowing this unfortunate truth, I plan to keep practicing what I am calling OPERATION COMMON COURTESY.  I will model this behavior for my children and put the expectation of a return reply in their minds.  Maybe by demonstrating a little compassion, my family may help another hurting person who is thinking to themselves, “If one person asks me how I am doing, I won’t kill myself.”

What about you? Will you choose to join us in OPERATION COMMON COURTESY?

Til next time,

Give a smile to someone today, it may be the one thing they need to keep them going.

Advertisements
Goal Achievement

The Path to a 5K A Month

beingtiffLeave a comment

Happy Today!

March 2019 did not include the completion of an organized 5K race which means I failed in my attempt to have a 5K a month. However, I am counting March as a 5K triumph because I did continue walking and trying to eat better. Each of these were integral to my preparation for the 5K a month challenge.

If you have been with me this year, you may remember that I created this challenge for myself as part of improving my overall health and weight loss. Ironically I have struggled with being anemic it seems all my life and I am working with my doctor to get my iron levels up (which will increase my energy), so hitting my fitness goals are important to me in More ways than one.

My March race goal was not intentionally missed but because I miscalculated the impact soccer season would have on registering for races, I am disappointed that I didn’t proactively plan better. Thus I forgot my basic rules of planning and my one rule of learning from failure.

1. Conduct a brief analysis as to the circumstances which contributed to inactivity.

March 5K Analysis

This year there is a gap in scheduling between the boys’ games which means we spend more time at the soccer field then we did before. Not to mention, the hubby is coaching this season.

2. Identify the barriers which were embedded within the circumstances.

Barrier

Soccer ends at noon, thus a Saturday morning race is not doable.

3. Specify what you need to remove the barrier

Need

My April 5K should occur on a soccer break or in the evening, maybe Sunday.

These are three ways I use to cope with not meeting a goal. It helps me focus on the journey not the failure. As I keep my focus on these factors and my desire for weight loss, I am sure I will be able to meet my April 5K goal.

What are some ways you use to learn from temporary failure?

Til next time,

“FOCUS – Follow One Course Until Successful” – Robert Kiyosaki

Uncategorized · Weekly Wisdom

10 Quotes On Embracing Change

beingtiffLeave a comment

Happy Today!

Believe in the power of writing things down to make them happen!

There are a few pieces of advice I give everyone all the time and it takes the least amount of time and energy. I believe wholeheartedly in this practice that I began a new tradition each year of buying myself a new journal and gift journals to others.

Write it down!

No matter how small the goal, thought, perceived pain or idea – write it down. There have been a few things my family has written down on an ordinary sheet of paper and forgotten about it. You see we have a habit of taking photos of items we want to purchase and then creating a budget or timeline for when we hope to attain them.

As part of this process, the photo often becomes a screensaver or included on a wishlist somewhere (usually in a journal). Truth be told it’s often forgotten and then found at the oddest times – but the timing of the discovery is always when we have the means to make the purchase we previously desired.

It’s like our own little version of wishing on a star or throwing a penny into a well to make a wish. There are some who would say we used the law of attraction but I prefer to believe in the principle of writing things down to make them happen. So with this thought in mind and our desire to change the things we didn’t like, we made some plans for 2018-2019 and they have taken off like a rocket.

But while I am eternally grateful for the wonderful progress we have made, it is sometimes like we have been teleported into the future like Marty McFly from Back to the Future. Things are moving faster than expected in some areas and slow as molasses in others. Oh well! So is life!

Thus, it seems appropriate to post motivational quotes during a week in which I have been plagued with daily thrives to my productivity and positive mindset.

1. “A strong, positive self-image is the best possible preparation for success.” Joyce Brothers

2. “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” Colin Powell

3. “Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” Oprah Winfrey

4. “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” – Nelson Mandela

5. “Personal development is a major time-saver. The better you become, the less time it takes you to achieve your goals.” – Brian Tracy

6. “Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out.” – John Wooden

7. “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker

8. “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” – Winston Churchill

9. “All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy, for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter into another.” – Anatole France

10. “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” – Lao Tzu

Quote number ten by Lao Tzu spoke to me and my circumstances this week and it has been added to all of my tech devices and my personal cheerleader. Which of these speaks to you? Do you have a quote to recommend? Leave me a comment.

Til next time,

“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.” – Steve Maraboli

Books and Words

10 Things You Can Do In Your Daily Life To Improve Your Personal Development

beingtiffLeave a comment

Happy Today!

Each day I have two scheduled appointments on my calendars which are devoted to personal development tasks such as books, podcasts and online learning.

During today’s first scheduled slot I can across an article from The Ascent entitled 10 Things You Can Do In Your Daily Life To Improve Your Personal Development. This article has common sense but useful reminders for those of us who think personal development and growth requires dedicated blocks of time and money. While money invested in your growth should be a priority the practice of participating in activities which will help you develop and/or enhance your skill set is of more importance.

This is a quick read and I recommended committing to at least two of these tips today.

Til next time,

“Income seldom exceeds personal development” – Jim Rohn

Books and Words · Uncategorized

What Book Is On Your Essential Reading List?

beingtiffLeave a comment

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” — Dr. Seuss

I recite the Dr. Seuss quote to anyone who tells me I read to much. I mean really – who reads to much? Is that really a thing? If it is, then let me introduce myself..

Hi, my name is Tiffany and I read to much.

Before I got married and had kids, a great weekend would be one in which I read three bestselling books from one of my favorite fiction authors – Iris Johansen , Mary Higgins Clark, James Patterson, Lynette Eason, Candace Calvert, and Terri Blackstock.

I still love fiction and find myself reading at least 2-3 books a week due to my trusty iPhone and my reading apps – Kindle and iBooks. This year, I want to read more personal development books and have given myself a goal of 13 books this year.

Here’s the problem, there are various essential reading lists for personal growth, self help, personal development and self improvement that I am uncertain as to where I want to start next.

Which books have you read or plan to read that would be on your recommended reading list? Please share your recommendations in the comments.

Til next time,

“Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.” – Jim Rohn

Uncategorized · Weekly Wisdom

The Best Pep Talk On Belief

beingtiffLeave a comment

Happy Today!

“You can’t just sit there and wait for people to give you that golden dream. You’ve got to get out there and make it happen for yourself.” – Diana Ross

An interesting thing occurred on our daily mommy Uber commute to school. While sitting in traffic and listening to The One Thing You Are Allowed To Borrow episode from The Ken Coleman Show, my Win said – “mommy can you rewind to the part where the man is talking about belief.” I was momentarily stunned! Was my five year old actually enjoying and paying attention to what was being discussed? A quick glance at my husband in the passenger seat and we smiled while rewinding to the part he wanted to hear again.

Ken shared a clip from Fearless Motivation which was a pep talk on belief. Win explained to us that “the man wants me to know that I am great and can do whatever I want to and I should not listen to anyone who says I’m not right.” Now there was more finesse and excitement in the clip but I was and am a proud mama knowing my 5 year old Win had heard and understood a valuable life reality – when we believe in ourselves, others’ perception won’t matter.

My baby boy reminded me that he was a sponge willing and able to absorb every empowering thought we could give him. I want my children to always believe in themselves and understand they have potential which is only limited by their inaction. In fact, not only do we take advantage of teachable moments when they occur, we make a conscious effort to expose them to inspirational materials which will give them a growth and success mindset.

Failure is allowed in our house if you gave it your best and are able to articulate lessons they learned from the experience. We also routinely ask how they can achieve something instead of telling them an action is out of their reach. I guess that is another reason why we enjoy listening to the Ken Coleman Show, he reinforces his callers belief that they can obtain that “sweet spot” career. It’s been a few weeks since we heard the episode The One Thing You Are Allowed To Borrow but Win asked to listen today and we had an opportunity to listen once again to belief by Fearless Motivation.

Take a minutes to listen to this episode or visit the Fearless Motivation Website. I am certain you will find something to appreciate and add to your arsenal of resources.

Til next time,

“Always be yourself and have faith in yourself. Do not go out and look for a successful personality and try to duplicate it.” – Bruce Lee

Books and Words

Rachel Hollis Made For More

beingtiffLeave a comment

Happy Today!

“You have a desire for something more. You have a hope for something more. You have a spark, a little dream in your heart….” – Rachel Hollis, Made For More Documentary

Those were the opening words from the documentary Made For More. A great way to get your attention – right?

She goes on to say:

“But if you have that desire inside of you, I think it’s there for a reason.” – Rachel Hollis

Again, her words resonate because they remind her audience of facts which are known to be true but are often overlooked when it comes to personal application.

The Made For More Documentary is a behind the scene view of what occurs at her Rise Conference. The movie was shown in theaters and is now available for anyone with an Amazon Prime account.

So who is Rachel Hollis? Rachel is an author, podcaster, speaker and blogger who describes herself as a person who built a multi-million dollar media company with a high school diploma and a google search bar. Her target audience is women but her message applies to everyone.

While the movie is an interesting view of how the team put together their conference, it also serves as a marketing tool for the coaching sessions Rachel Hollis began offering January 2019. Being armed with that information does not make me enjoy the messaging any less.

I have never read any of Rachel’s books but have seen the titles on various book lists from Pinterest. I am a fan and listener of her podcast Rise. I find Rachel to be inspirational because of her humility and relatability.

The documentary was entertaining and I feel confident everyone can get something out of watching it. All you need is an Amazon Prime account or purchase the video for $4.99. Amazon offers a free 30 day trial period for customers interested in becoming a member.

If you are looking for something to watch this weekend, include the Made For More Documentary as an option.

Til next time,

“But if you have that desire inside of you, I think it’s there for a reason.” – Rachel Hollis