The Blessing Of A Friend

READY... “One good reason to only maintain a small circle of friends is that three out of four murders are committed by people who know the victim.” ~ George Carlin

AIM…  “You gotta have friends.”  “And friends are friends forever.”  “That’s what friends are for.”  There are so many different songs singing the praises and value of a good friendship.  It’s true.  Friends really can be friends forever.  Friends are there to cheer for you in the good times and cry with you in the not so good times.  Friends are there to laugh with you until your stomach hurts or you pee your pants.  Friends are there to pick up the pieces when life crumbles around you and help you put them back together.  Truly, what would we do without our friends? 

I know I am SUPER, EXTRA blessed to have many, many friends.  I have friends whom I have known since my school days and friends I met when I moved to our new town.  I have friends who were at my wedding and friends I hang out with at my kids’ soccer games.  I have friends I enjoy chatting with over coffee and friends I can catch up with over a quick text or phone call.  I truly have the BEST friends a woman could ask for.  When the chips are down, my friends lift me up.  When I’m soaring sky high, I lift my friends higher.  That’s what it’s all about, right?  Besides the simple fact that we have the innate need to love and be loved; friends are there to love us so we can love them right back.

Thank you, to each one of you, for being my friend!

FIRE!   Be a blessing to a friend today.  Write her an encouraging email.  Drop off her favorite treat as a surprise.  Send a funny card in the mail.  No matter what you do, you’ll be adding more cement to your valuable relationship as friends.                                                              

Be Excellent!

Lori

Valentine Pressure

READY... "Anyone can catch your eye, but it takes someone special to catch your heart." ~ Unknown

AIM…  Hi.  My name is Lori.  And I’m a hopeless romantic.  I’m addicted to sappy love songs, hearts and flowers, romantic movies, love notes, small gestures of the heart, slow dances and happily ever afters.  Valentine’s Day really is just another day, right?  Wrong.  Commercialization has blown this simple sweet day to remember your loved one into an expectation of expensive roses, heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, sappy Hallmark cards and for what?  To compare your Valentine gifts to that of the person in the cubicle next to you?  Wow.  Has our society stooped so low that we can’t be the least bit creative on our own that we have to rely on the stores to be able to express our love to our mates?  The answer?  Yes.

The solution?  Create!  You read that correctly, create your OWN Valentine’s day treats.  Oh, but I don’t have time, Lori.  Hogwash!  We ALL have time if we WANT to make time to show our loved ones we care.  Perhaps you are in the middle of a difficult relationship right now.  All the more reason to reach out and create ways to show your mate you really DO love him or her. 

 But how?  Here are a couple extremely simple ways that will knock the socks off your mate’s feet and show him (or her) you REALLY love him. 

1      Write a love note.  Remember back in the day before texting when you had to write notes to each other to express your feelings? (Will you go with me?  Check YES or NO)  Yep, take just 5 minutes to write a love note expressing how much you love and appreciate your mate.  Tears are almost a guaranteed result.

2      Cook a special meal or dessert.  Comfort food usually works the trick for most men and  women, including anything chocolate which releases those good-feeling endorphins.  Not a chef?  Surprise her with carry out so she doesn’t have to cook, whew!  Add a few candles to that take-out treat and voila – instant relief and satisfaction.

3      Show up naked.  Yep.  Doesn’t take much more than that to express your true feelings about your mate.  Think I’m wrong?  Take the challenge!

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow!  I encourage you to be creative this year.  Forget the stores and all their expensive merriment, enjoy some old fashioned fun with love.  Perhaps you’ll start a few new traditions?

FIRE!   Choose at least one of the ideas above to put into action for Valentine’s Day.  Heck, if you’re really feeling the love…do all three!!  Hugs and Kisses to you.

Be Excellent!

Lori

 

Garbage

READY… “Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.” ~ Oscar Wilde

AIM…  All of us have encountered a few folks who have been less than lovely to us at one time or another.  Perhaps you even experienced a short burst of road rage on the way to work this morning.  The following short story is a great illustration of what might be causing those not-so-nice attitudes.

 

~ The Law of the Garbage Truck ~

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car just by inches!

The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy ~ I mean he was really friendly.

So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call:"The Law of The Garbage Truck."

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run all around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointments. As the garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you.

Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, resentments, anger, and frustration; so...........

Love the people who treat you right; pray for the ones who don't. Life is ten percent what you make it, and ninety percent how you take it.

 

FIRE!   If you run into a “garbage truck” person today, smile or wave and keep walking or quickly and quietly exit on the nearest detour.  Here’s wishing you a blessed and garbage-free day!

 

Be Excellent!

Lori