A simple thanks!

We live in a world that is fast paced, on the move, and it would seem that we are trying to get from one place to another as fast as we can. Along the way there are times we may need something, or someone does something kind for us to help us along our way.

I enjoy helping others and it is something that typically makes me happy. I ask for nothing in return, but what I do expect are two words and those are, "Thank you!" In the past month I have helped a few people out, taken time out of my day to get them the information and advice they needed, and not one thank you. I don't know if it is the way of the younger generation, entitlement, or if they grew up where parents jumped to give them all that they needed. I do believe that many people expect people to help, but when they have received it they are not truly grateful or appreciative. Again, the help is just expected.

I work at a retailer as a part-time job and many of our customers complain that they have not received a thank you letter for the gift that sent for a wedding gift. When it's sent they want to make sure it was delivered on time because they have not received that all important thank you. That is where I sometimes have to explain that yes the package got there, and typically a bride or groom is given 6 months to send a thank you card out. Sometimes it is past 6 months and all I can do is say, "I hope you will be receiving a card very soon!"

A thank you can go a long way. It can make the person who helped you feel appreciated, and it can make them more apt to help you in the future. In our day and age of technology, if we have time to go to the restroom then we have time to text a thank you. If we have time to watch a show on television then we have time to e-mail a thank you. What's even more special especially in our fast paced world is a hand written thank you note. I have always called it a "simple thanks" because that's what it is: simple. Those two words can go a long way, so why not take the time to let people know you appreciate what they have done for you? They deserve a simple "thank you."

We are all made uniquely beautiful.

Our country focuses and has talks about self esteem, and yet has a high percentage of people who get plastic surgery or enhancements.  I find this ironic.  Around the globe, certain traits are deemed beautiful and people (both men and women) strive to have those traits from skin color, eye shape, noses, chins, cheekbones, and body frame.  In America, television, the media, and the sex industry tells our youth and adults what is beautiful.  So our youth and adults strive to have the body that we see on the screen.  What they fail to realize is that with magazines bodies and faces are altered by computer programs.  That flawless look is obtained by the skill of an artist with a deft hand.  On television an actor or actress may have great bone structure but still will go through an hour or more of make up time in order to look the way we see them.  Is this natural?  No of course not, and it is one of the reasons I can walk around the mall and see women wearing what I call "stage make up".  Everything is so caked on and flawless, and their eye lashes are about a half inch long which to me is distracting.  Whatever happened to make up just enhancing the natural beauty that is there?  Why is it deemed beautiful that women look like they are going on stage?  I know this is just my view, and I do know that there are still people out there that still like the "natural" look versus the "stage" look. 

 

Will we ever get away from superficiality and what we see on the outside?  No, not really but it's about time we accept the inherent beauty in each person.  I believe that differences are what makes a person beautiful and unique.  Why do we all have to look a certain way to be deemed beautiful?  I had a friend ask me if I would ever consider getting surgically enhanced.  My answer is no.  I like my body the way it is, and I also accept that this is how my Creator made me.  The media seems to be dictating what is "normal" and their "normal" is body altering.  Why are we buying into it?  Bleaching, waxing, enhancements, injections, breaking bones, surgery, etc.  God made us with purpose and the way He wanted us to look.  Why are we questioning/altering His marvelous work?  It reminds me of the verse in Romans 9:20, "But rather "O man, who are you who answer back to God? Shall the thing molded say to him who molded it, Why did you make me thus?"

I do not want to conform to what the media deems as beautiful, and while dating I want a man to accept me for who I am and what I look like.  I hate to think that women and men's perception of "beauty" is attributed to what the media is portraying.  That we expect people to "look" a certain way because that's what we see in magazines and on our televisions.  There are things that we can control like our level of fitness and trimness, and other things that we cannot control like our bone structure, and physical features.  I think if a person wants to get surgery then they should ask themselves why they are doing it.  If they truly think it would be life altering or make them truly feel better about themselves then fine, but if it is to conform to what the world deems as beautiful then that is another thing.  I think we will all still go through moments of insecurity about our physical appearance, but I do hope that we can take pride in the beauty that we were all born with and see that in others as well.  

2014 - focusing on gratefulness and thankfulness!

After talking to a few friends prior to the start of the new year I realized even more that we have a choice in life in regards to our outlook and happiness.  I have seen friends wish for things that don't happen and what results is bitterness, anger, sadness, and sometimes a "woe is me" attitude.  I think we all experience these emotions in life when things don't happen the way we want them to.  I've had moments where I'm down and I always tell myself that I'm allowed to feel that way for a few days, but after that I need to get with it.  No, it's not always easy and I'm blessed to have friends and family to help cheer me up and to pray for me.  I can say that having their support and prayers has meant the world to me over the years.  

I have read some of my friend's Facebook posts that center on the negative, and I've always thought, "Instead of focusing on the negative, why don't you name one thing you are grateful/thankful for?"  I thought it was a great idea myself so I started a thankful journal where I would write one thing that I was thankful for each day.  I can attest to the fact that it does make a difference to find something that makes you grateful each day.  So while driving to my friend's place on New Year's Eve I thought about my year and everything that I was thankful for.  I thought about my life, the amazing trips I've gone on, all that I experienced in 2013, my friends and family, God in my life, the food I've had the opportunity to eat, and all the simple and small things that make my life wonderful.  

What I realize is that each day is a choice.  A choice to center on what is positive in my life or a choice to center on what I don't have and want.  It is up to me to choose what to focus on.  This doesn't mean I won't have down times or sad times, but it does mean that I can still focus on the little things or big things that I should and can be grateful for.  So I ended 2013 feeling happy and thankful, and I started 2014 feeling the same way.  My hope is that I continue to count my blessings and make the choice to focus on the positive each day.  

Be true to yourself!

I was talking with a friend the other day and she mentioned being a different person to hopefully be more “liked” by a person or a group.  She was telling me how exhausting it was and asked if I had ever felt like this.  I think as humans we all have the need to feel included, liked, a part of a group, etc.  The question is how far we will go to feel that way?  I think in a group setting there are always compromises we’ll make like, “Sure I’ll have Mexican food versus the Italian food I was craving.”, but will we compromise what we truly like and who we truly are to fit in? 

I am reminded of the Runaway Bride movie where the character does not know how she likes her eggs cooked because she likes whatever kind of egg the man she is dating likes.  In dating I have had men assume I like a certain kind of music, or how I want them to be to please me, and then they come off as disingenuous.  I have had to tell some of them, “Please just be yourself.”  How am I supposed to see if we are truly compatible if I don't really know who they really are?  

I still remember years ago working as a human resource manager where we were having a fun off-site event planned.  One of the employees came to my office and said, “We’re going to have so much fun and we’re going to get you drunk.”  I will have a drink or two, but I have personally made the decision in my life to never get drunk.  It is a choice.  I don’t want to lose judgment, I don’t need liquid courage, I don’t need to feel hung over, nor do I want to pass out.  Most of all, I don’t need to drink to have a good time.  This is a personal decision and I told my co-worker that I had made the decision never to get drunk in my lifetime.  I remember him walking away and looking disappointed.  At that moment I thought to myself, “If he is a true friend then he will accept me for who I am, and if he does not then he is not a true friend. “  He and his group of friends were still my friends after I said that. 

Let’s face it, we all want to be accepted for who we are, and so why not be to others?  Not being authentic is exhausting, and by being true to ourselves we come off as authentic and genuine which then comes off as confidence.  Everyone likes a confident person, and in the end we want to surround ourselves by people who like us for who we are and not for who we pretend to be.  So go forth and be true to yourself!  Authenticity is one key to happiness!  

Tie up those laces and start walkin'!

I know it's been ages since I've written.  A lot of things have happened since I last wrote, like a trip to Iceland in the summer of 2012 which was amazing, and this summer I went to Europe.  Europe is the country of walking and when you travel to Europe you know you're going to be spending a lot of time hitting the pavement.  Before I left in June I thought I'd get a cool pair of Converse tennis shoes.  They seemed comfortable, they were a hip purple blue, and everyone wears them right?  The answer is yes, and I saw a ton of them while in Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany. Well I wore them for one day while I was on a trip in Idaho and I could not see myself walking for miles in them.  Yeah, they're a cool shoe and all, they are comfy to a certain extent, but they are on the heavier side and with little arch support.  

So while I was in Idaho I happened to be at Silver Creek Outfitters and voila there was "the shoe".  I picked it up, it had arch support, it was the lightest tennis shoe I've picked up thus far, and it had color.  I haven't worn all white athletic tennis shoes probably since high school and that is one travel tip I've always gotten when planning to travel to another country.  Never wear white athletic tennis shoes!  It screams, "I'm an American!" and sad to say us Americans aren't loved in all nations.  So I try this Merrell Mix Master Move Glide (quite the mouthful eh?) in orange and gray, and it's fantastic.  There's enough room in the toe box so that when your feet get swollen from walking there's plenty of room without pinching.  It seems light as air, and I was sold.  Ironically my good friend and best travel buddy ever bought the same shoe (without knowing I bought it) the very same weekend.  She got them in bright blue.  Good friends see eye to eye on a lot of things, even good tennis shoes! 

So did they pass the European walking test?  Yep, they became a fast favorite!  They were comfortable, hip, light, and I didn't have to "break them in".  I have gotten to the age that when a salesman tells me that the shoe will take awhile to break in but leather always softens up quickly, I just sort of look at them thinking..."You just want the sale buddy and I'm not stupid enough (anymore) to fall for that line."  Enough pinched toes, the starting of bunions, blisters, and cutting into my feet have taught me how to say, "No, I think I'll keep looking."

Not only did these shoes pass the European walking test but I decided to take a 25 mile walk in them one day this month.  I work for a retailer part-time and joined what is called the Global Corporate Challenge which has participants worldwide.  Global Corporate Challenge is a 4 month challenge where we wear a pedometer that counts our steps each day.  We log in our steps, and are in teams of 7 people.  The hope is that we would walk at least 10,000 steps per day which is equivalent to 5 miles.  We have mini challenges, we get trophies for hitting weight goals, step goals for the month, and we compete against teams around the world.  A few weeks ago the mini challenge was to walk 100,000 steps in a week which is 50 miles.  So me being me, I decided to walk what I thought was 20 miles. I figured it would be an experience since I had walked 12.5 miles in a day in Italy, so why not 20 miles in California?  It turned out that it took me 12.5 miles to get to my goal destination and 12.5 to get back. Can I just say that my leg muscles cramped up like crazy, I was in pain, but as a former athlete in high school I kept telling myself, "Mind over matter, just push it. Push past the pain."  I hate giving up so I trucked it all the way home.  I was even crazy enough to think that I could put in 1.2 more miles to make it marathon length, but my legs were giving out.  So what is the point of that whole paragraph? That I wore my Merrell shoes during that crazy walk, and they were still comfortable to the very end.  So to anyone who plans on doing any type of long distance walking, you definitely need to check these shoes out.  Oh and you may ask how they are if you run in them?  All I can say is that when I sprinted 1/2 miles in the Frankfurt airport to catch my flight to Rome that they performed great!  Sidenote:  I did catch my flight!  

A pic of our awesome Merrell shoes taken
at
LAX airport prior to taking off!  

2012: May it bring all good things!

Welcome 2012, and after a short hiatus I’m getting to the point of why this blog was even created.  Now I’ve often wondered why they’ve made pants that zip off around the calf so you cool off, but why oh why haven’t they made jackets that have zip off sleeves?  When I work out I often layer because it’s cold starting out, but about 15 minutes into my workout I have to take off my jacket.  Sure it’s okay to run or cycle with a jacket around your waist, but really who wants the extra flapping in the wind?  I sure don’t. 

So I found a tour jacket on the Athleta.com site and bought it.  It's now on sale!  It fits well, and the sleeves stay on by zippers and magnets.  I'm amazed at the design and how easily it is to zip the sleeves on and off.  It's such a great idea and I’m glad clothing like this exists for those of us who need exercise clothes that are multifunctional.  So I’m sharing the goodness with you all. 

Photos taken from Atheleta.com - Convertible Touring Jacket

Props to the graphic artist!

So I wanted to give the graphic designer some props for the winning logo I chose.  I would say that the other graphic designers definitely took my creative brief and ran with it, but I didn't get what I had envisioned.  I kept telling my friends and family when it comes along it'd just hit me.  At one point, I truly thought the contest was going to end once again without a winning design.  So without further ado, let me tell you a little bit about my winning designer.

Desynz, as she is known on 99 designs, or otherwise BJ, began designing at 8 years of age. Her first memorable design was a formal for her Barbie doll and her designing continued from there. Her first job in designing was as an Assistant Manager of a small local newspaper where she had to create the layouts of ads.  From that point on she was hooked and a career of 25+ years in the graphics industry followed. She says, "My sense of design just comes naturally and all the software I use I learned by doing. Although, I have learned some rather awesome Illustrator techniques from the tutorials on the internet."

 BJ's design aesthetic is one that prefers curves to angles and abstract or impressionist to literal.  She loves color and gravitates toward jewel tones, purple being her favorite color.  However, that said, she is able to put aside her own preferences and works with a client to achieve what the client envisions.  I can attest to this because I asked for BJ's opinion in regards to her favorite design for me, but I still went with what I wanted.  I’m stubborn that way!  I loved her input and that she was very honest in how she felt design wise.  She is accommodating and listens to her client.

Graphic design is not her only talent, she's made jewelry, and clothing on which she has hand-painted original designs. Right now her alternate creative outlet is jewelry made from reclaimed jewelry parts and lots of chains. She has a couple of shops on Etsy, but has not been very attentive to them lately due to designing for 99 designs. To see them, you can go the following websites: www.essentialluxuries.etsy.com and www.girlshoppe.etsy.com  She tells me she is also currently setting up a web site for her and her daughter's art called Arts Desyre.

I asked BJ where she draws her inspiration from and she says that when she reads a creative brief she waits to see what comes or doesn't come.  With my brief she immediately saw the idea, and thank goodness she did!

BJ joined 99designs because she loves to design and needs a creative outlet.  She has been a professional designer for over 25 years and plans to continue designing.  BJ said, creating/designing is her life energy.  So far her experience on 99designs has been positive and she is hopeful it will help her to create contacts for future work. I'm providing a link to her portfolio on 99 designs http://99designs.com/users/503572 and you may contact her directly at bj@artsdesyre.com.