5 Simple Rules to Live By

Good Morning, as I watch the sunrise over the beautiful lake and enjoy a peaceful morning feeling excited about what the day will bring, I felt inpsired to share one of my most favorite things I've read over the years.

First, I must share with you that I just found this as I was  looking through items I've kept throughout the years. Please note, the Author is unknown.  

I hope you enjoy these rules and find as much clarity and validation as I did when I first read this. Speaking of, I always like to share photo's that have meaning for me as I write. The photo above is from several years after reading  the Rules to Live By and feeling an incredible amount of happiness related to the woman I had become, the mother, business person, friend and each of the roles I play in the lives of those I so dearly love and the role each of these fabulous people in my life play with myself and my son. In this photo is my son -- Xander, my dear friend Amy, her son Christopher and myself. (Two single mothers bringing our boys up with virtue, emotional intelligence and an understanding of happiness, strength and the ability to become whatever you put your mind to).

Now, for the Rules... here they are...(smiles)

1. Learn to be strong, but not rude. It is an extra step you must take to become powerful, capable leader with a wide range of reach. Some people mistake rudeness for strength. It's not even a good substitute.

2. Learn to be kind, but not weak. We must not mistake kindness for weakness. Kindness isn't weak. Kindness is a certain type of strength. We must be kind enough to tell someone the truth. We must be kind enough and considerate enough to lay it on the line. We must be kind enough to tell it like it is and not deal in delusion.

3. Learn to be bold, but not a bully. It takes boldness to win the day. To build your influence, you've got to walk in front of the group. You've got to be willing to take the first arrow, tackle the first problem and discover the first sign of trouble. Bullying is a sign of weakness and insecurity. Boldness is confidence and demonstrates conviction and builds trust.

4. You've to to learn to be humble, not timid. You can't get to the high life by being timid. Some people mistake timidity for humility. Humility is almost a God-like word. A sense of awe. A sense of wonder. An awareness of the human spirit. An understanding that there is something unique about the human drama versus the rest of life. Humility is a grasp of the distance between us and the stars, yet having the feeling that we're a part of the stars. So humility is a virtue; but timidity is a disease. Timidity is an affliction. It can be cured, but it is a problem.

5. Be proud, but not arrogant. It takes pride to win the day. It takes pride to build your ambition. It takes pride in community. It takes pride in cause, in accomplishment. But the key to becoming a good leader is being proud without being arrogant. In fact,  I believe the worst kind of arrogance is arrogance from ignorance. It's when you don't know that you don't know.

Enjoy a beautiful day, a day filled with the promise of all you stand for, all that you believe and all that you aspire to be. And --- smile all day long, believing in your personal wonder and the beauty of of your soul.

This posting is dedicated to Xander, Amy and Christopher with love. Annie

What do you do to recharge yourself?

• Do you go on vacation?
• Do you go to lunch?
• Enjoy meditation?
• How about a massage?
• A little shopping?
• Perhaps read a book?
• Bake cookies?
• Go for a run?

Maybe you forget to recharge your own batteries all together?

Life gets busy and we get busier. We often neglect ourselves because we run out of time.

Creating a simple routine for self-care is one of the most important things we can do.  Our soul loves to be filled with nourishing experiences that helps us see ourselves in the way we want to be known. Creating these experiences brings back the feeling that we are in charge of our happiness. Feeling in control and in charge of our life creates a sense of calm. This calm promotes our creativity and restores hope. Hope always brings happiness and happiness breads more happiness. Although happiness is also a choice, sometimes we need a little help getting there.

Today, take time out for YOU. Create a routine that gives you the YOU TIME you deserve. One of my personal favorite routines is getting coffee in the morning. It floats my boat! Some may call it a guilty pleasure. I say "bring it on". Find the little guilty pleasures that promote your happiness. Soon, you'll find that your remember some of the best parts that make you... YOU. You may find yourself enjoying your own company and giggling at yourself from time-to-time. You may rediscover hidden talents, lost dreams or ambitions. Most importantly, you'll start thinking about making yourself happy, which only makes those around us even happier. We have so much to share with ourselves, our families, friends, co-workers and those in our professional lives that we are obligated to exude our best self.

With smiles and a vote of happiness -- I wish you a fabulous day where you remember just how wonderful YOU are.

Warmly, Annie

Regain Personal and Professional Power



Wondering how your skills stack up?

 The competition for jobs today is at an all time high. You can take control of your future and regain your personal and professional power by focusing on a few key items several times a day.

1. Picture yourself working in an environment where you see yourself happy and fulfilled.
2. Talk nicely to yourself, avoid the inner chatter that doesn't support you.
3. Seek recognition from positive encouragers in your life for the skills and experience you've built up to now.
4. Look for transferability of your skills and validate those throughout your day.
5. Stand up tall with your head up and smile throughout the day.

Lastly, create a routine for yourself that allows you to get out of the house, get involved and learn something that reinforces your transferable skills, provides you with purpose and gives you a sense of accomplishment.

Bravura Training | Bravura Technology Solutions Group passionate about helping others succeed during transition.