suddenlysinglewomen

It’s the New Year, many blogs and posts are sharing positive thoughts and plans for 2013.   Since we survived the Mayan Calender, the end of the world, and the Fiscal Cliff, we must look forward to 2013, right?

To follow those I shared the other day, here is another set from renown designer Bill Stubbs.  Enjoy and take note!

Ten Classic Achievements for 2013

Posted on January 2, 2013 by 1glimpsesoftruth1

 

This Christmas with my Daughter Courtney and her husband Robert Hunter and my son Chad Stubbs. Remember, the blessings begin at home.

1. Be a blessing – There are so many ways we can bless one another without having to change our daily MO!  It’s so important that we acknowledge those around us– those people in our lives that we see every day–with a warm smile and hello.  I know how I feel when someone looks through me like I don’t exist!  Of course, there are many ways to bless others, but establishing a connection is a great place to start.  And it segues so well into the next achievement on my list.
2. Give more – We were created to give.  It’s in our very DNA.  So why do we hold on so tightly to our resources?  Once we get in the habit of giving—time, talent and treasures—it heightens the desire to give.  I have always found when I feel in need, or fearful about money, giving is the antidote and a return to abundance.
3. Embrace technology – The world doesn’t have much patience with me when I say I’m not “techno-savvy”.  If a two-year-old can pick up an IPad and navigate, so can we.  There are a number of resources when you purchase your gadgets—check those out first.  Apple’s success rate has a lot to do with the Apple store model of helping buyers set up and operate their purchases and return any time they have a question or problem.
4. Mentor young people – None of us make it on our own.  Although you may like to say you’re a self-made person, at the end of the day, there were many people lending a helping hand along the way.  So, don’t ignore the young people in your life.  They are eager to learn, they are bright, and you can help them avoid cynicism from the get-go when they remember that once upon a time, someone saw something wonderful in them.
5. Pace yourself – I have been known to say, “You can sleep when you die” when people ask about my rapid pace.  And I still believe you need to wring out every ounce of life in a day, but, to be my best, I realize that prioritizing allows me to operate in a more purposeful mode, which makes for more creativity and more interesting times.  I would still rather wear out, than rust.
6. Ramp up your products/services – The design business has to be one of the most fascinating in the world, but it moves at a dizzying pace.  So I am always cognizant of the importance of adding value to my work—whether it is focusing on the tiniest detail, or creating the unexpected, but highly appreciated décor for my clients.
7. Set goals with timetables – Just like you, I have a ton of goals!  But what good are they if we don’t review along the way, and stick to our drop-dead deadlines.  This year my goals will not be launched without a deadline attached to them.
8. Celebrate the beginning and ending of each day – My days always go better when I wake up with an attitude of gratitude.  And even after a bad day, I can always find an accomplishment that made its way into my day!  So my focus is on all the good things I am going to do and then at the end of the day, I focus on the ones that were actually achieved.  Try it, it will surprise you how many wonderful things you do achieve in a period of 24 hours!
9. Diversify – This has become a byword for the 21^st Century.  And it’s such a cool thing—because it allows us to erase those self-made boundaries we’ve drawn, and expand them to let in all kinds of new people, places, foods, ideologies, games, and philosophies.
10. Establish/retool my personal style—at home, at work, my wardrobe – I like to think that I am an evolving, growing individual.  As the years go by, our likes and dislikes begin to fit us like a comfortable shoe.  But in 2013, I want to do things differently.  I want new textures, and new sounds and new colors in my life.  I want to spread my wings a little bit and dare to be unpredictable, in a tasteful way of course.  Better to be a flowing stream than a stagnant pond.

I hope these ideas will resonate with you in 2013.  Isn’t it wonderful to live in a great big beautiful world, where our only limitations come from within?  Happy New Year to you and yours!

 

Whether you’re male or female, divorced or not, we all want to be able to start our day on a positive note.  If we don’t, it never seems to get better as the day trudges along.  I hope these things I find and share don’t make you wonder if I’ve tired of writing original ideas.  Not true at all.  But when I see things that resonate, I like to share.

You haven’t gotten rid of my ideas and thoughts yet.  : -)   Hopefully this link will help you along to a happier day, especially at this crazy time of the year end!  Wishing you ALL happy days ahead in 2013.

9 Daily Habits That Will Make You Happier

smallbusiness.yahoo.com

These minor changes in your daily routine will make a major difference in your life and career.(See more articles »)

This was forwarded to me the other day by a single friend.  Many days we wonder if trying to have a man in our lives is worth it after all this time.  No matter your opinion, hopefully this will bring a smile to your face and some levity to your day!!  Enjoy:

For all those men who say, Why buy a cow when you can get the milk for free. Here’s an update for you: Nowadays, 80% of women are against marriage, WHY? Because women realize it’s not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage.1. Men are like Laxatives. They irritate the crap out of you. 2 Men are likeBananas . The older they get, the less firm they are. 3.Men are like Weather . Nothing can be done to change them. 4.Men are like Blenders. You need one, but you’re not quite sure why. 5. Men are like Chocolate Bars … Sweet, smooth, & they usually head right for your hips. 6. Men are like Commercials . You can’t believe a word they say. 7. Men are like Department Stores… Their clothes are always 1/2 off! 8.Men are like . Government Bonds …. They take soooooooo long to mature. 9. Men are like .. Mascara . They usually run at the first sign of emotion. 10.Men are like Popcorn . They satisfy you, but only for a little while. 11. Men are like Snowstorms . You never know when they’re coming, how many inches you’ll get or how long it will last. 12! . Men are likeLava Lamps . Fun to look at, but not very bright. 13. Men are like Parking Spots. All the good ones are taken, the rest are handicapped.

Stormy seas, rocky shores, waves crashing,  black skies and starless nights – such calamities awaited sailors before there were lighthouses built to guide them safely into port.  Some days I feel like the only things out there facing me are stormy seas that I cannot see how to navigate through.  I search for my lighthouse beacon and I cannot seem to locate it.  Do you ever have days and nights like that?

I’ll get frustrated and rant and rave in my brain because I do not understand why such bad things happen to a good person.  I am a good person, I do the right thing even when it causes me pain.  I live and play by the rules because I think those rules are there for a reason.  Yep, I am a rule follower.  If it says “No Left Turn”, then I drive out of my way to turn left where there IS a left turn allowed.  If I know I’m exiting the freeway in a mile, I’ll go ahead and move over to the right in preparation.  I do NOT cut in at the last minute.

“Why do bad things happen to good people?”  I’ve heard that expression my entire life and have never heard an answer to it.  My friends have lost their husbands, really good and loving men, to cancer and I wonder why?  I look around and see men my age leaving their beautiful wives, women my age, for younger models and I wonder why?  Last year my city was heartbroken when three young children were left as orphans when both their parents were killed in an automobile collision coming home from a family vacation and we were left to wonder why?  What had these children done to deserve this?

The answer?  Absolutely nothing.  Sometimes there are no clear cut answers to why things happen.  We can totally drive ourselves crazy trying to figure out the “why” when there really isn’t an answer.  I believe in a higher being, and I have to believe that he/she knows the “why” and it just hasn’t become clear to me yet.  That higher being has to be my lighthouse beacon in the dark, helping me to find a safe port in any storm that life may throw at me.  I believe I would call that having “faith” that I can get through anything that’s thrown at me.

So I will continue to follow the rules, and I will still always try to do the right thing because it brings a certain stability to my life that I need.  But fair warning, if you try to cut me off at the last minute to make your exit and you haven’t waited your turn in line, I just may not let you in – – – just sayin’!

I have many friends who enjoy puzzles, especially those with second homes and busy grandchildren!  I remember doing puzzles as a child, but not so much as an adult – that is until I started visiting those people with second homes and busy grandchildren.  It can become an obsession to get one finished.  Just a few more minutes . . .?

What do they do with the puzzles that have been “done”?  They box them up (hopefully with all pieces included) and give them to the next person, and so on and so on and so on.  Somewhere down that line of “puzzle passing” is yours truly.  A couple of months ago I received about a dozen “done” puzzles from one of those friends.  Never one to turn down a freebie, I gratefully accepted them.

A week later came the Ziploc baggie . . .

with the pieces she had recovered from the carpet under the puzzle table.

She has no clue which puzzle they belong to, or if in fact they belong to the SAME puzzle.  Hmmmm, now that’s “puzzling”!

And you guessed it, I just couldn’t resist making the analogy of the missing puzzles pieces to my “post divorce” life.  I know you’ve felt it too.  Some days you just can’t see how you fit into the giant puzzle of life.  I thought my puzzle was well designed and put together with no missing pieces.  I didn’t see that in reality my life puzzle had pieces that were being lost or removed or put in the wrong places.

People who do a lot of puzzles sometimes use this certain kind of pad on their tables to keep the pieces from sliding off or getting lost.  It literally holds the pieces together – non-skid!  Though I had tried to hold the pieces of my marriage and my life together, my pieces were skidding right off the edge of the table and falling to the carpet below to be picked up at a later date.  Once I got those pieces picked up, I wasn’t sure where they belonged or how they would ever fit together again.

As of today I still haven’t figured out which puzzles those pieces in the Ziploc belong to, and I still haven’t figured out where some of those missing puzzles pieces of my life belong – I still need . . . “just a few more minutes!”