Turn Down For What

READY…  “Not merely an absence of noise, Real Silence begins when a reasonable being withdraws from the noise in order to find peace and order in his inner sanctuary.”  ~ Peter Minard

AIM… Turn Down For What is the title of a popular song by Lil Jon and DJ Snake that ended up being the 7^th best selling track of 2014.  With its catchy dance beat and synthesized groove, you can’t help but turn UP the song in your car when it’s on the radio.  However, this song title also makes me think about all the “noise” we allow in our lives that inevitably drowns out the things that matter most.  All that extra noise causes stress, discontent and anxiety. 

So, why should we turn down the outside influences and eliminate all the distractions that capture our attention?  Let’s face it, we can all admit there are things in our world that cause us to focus less on our priorities and more on nonsense.  Agreed?  Need a few examples?  100 extra unsolicited email advertisements, vacation promotions and coupon offers in your inbox; every day.  Video games and gaming apps.  200+ cable or satellite TV stations (and still nothing worthwhile to watch.)  Facebook.  Instagram.  Twitter.  Google +.  Tumblr.  Snapchat.  Get the idea? 

When was the last time you left your phone at home (without feeling naked) and stepped outside to listen to the wind whisper through the leaves in the trees or the birds welcoming spring with their sweet songs?  Just that thought, brings a sense of serenity and peace to my soul.  So why in the world can’t we turn down the noise?  It’s a choice.  It’s the new phenomenon called FOMO - fear of missing out. What in the world are we afraid we are going to miss; Sweet Susie’s meatloaf dinner picture or an episode of Modern Family?  We must choose to disconnect and turn down or turn off the things that cause us stress and strife, and choose to plug into the means that enable us to feel joy and peace. 

Shhhh, listen!  It’s the sound of silence.  Ahhh…..

FIRE!  This week, choose one area where you can turn down the noise in your life.  Make a commitment to delete something unnecessary.  You will feel relieved and free, guaranteed! 

Be Excellent!

Lori 

Procrastination

READY… “The best part about procrastination is that you are never bored, because you have all kinds of things that you should be doing.”  ~ Anonymous

AIM… I have a confession to make.  I am a procrastinator.  I don’t intend to procrastinate.  I simply have too many things on my to do list and inevitably some of those items get pushed off the to-do list and onto the will-eventually-get-to-it list.  Truth be told, I have gotten much better in my wiser days about preparing and organizing things ahead of time and not waiting until the last minute to get things done.  However, with the additional demands of my children, it’s difficult to prioritize my schedule around their activities and daily needs.  However, there is always room for improvement in this particular area. For now, I need to get this message emailed to my editor so I can publish it for you, my loyal readers.  Well, maybe I’ll get to it…later…after I take the laundry out of the dryer…

FIRE!   There’s no better time than the present to get started tackling your list of priorities.  Someday is NOT a day of the week, so start TODAY and check those items off your list.  You’ll be able to breathe a sigh of relief when you head to bed at a reasonable hour tonight.

Be Excellent!
Lori

Balancing Act

READY… “Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance.” ~ Brian Tracy

AIM… I apologize to all my loyal readers for my unexpected two-week absence. Thank you to all of you who checked in to make sure things were okay and made sure I was going to continue writing my Arrows of Integrity messages for you to read. I needed to take a break to enjoy a few days of fun with my children as summer kicked off, but I also needed to observe how out of balance my life gets from time to time. Life is good; no worries, I assure you. However, I’ve been innately aware of the need to reprioritize how I address my daily activities and my approach to family life. Sometimes you just need to be able to take a step back and look at your situation from a different perspective. I’m happy to say that I have good intentions of moving things around in order to accomplish all I want to do on a daily basis. But I also realize that my life is never going to be perfect, look perfect or have complete and total balance. It is at those moments when the balance is off that I will need to pause, reflect and take action to keep my life in order. Ahhhh…a life in balance is true bliss. Perhaps one day I will feel as such, until then, here’s to my feeble attempts at creating harmony in my heart and home.

FIRE! Make a list of all the things you do on a daily basis. What activities get the majority of your attention? If your priorities are out of balance, start today by adjusting your schedule and redirecting your focus. Feel it? There is peace in a balanced life.

Be Excellent!
Lori