Business

The Value of Relationships Enables Us to Be More

Just a few words about Relationships and how Linda used Linked-In.   We all need to stay connected to a wholesome community of business people.   We need to serve one another and grow. In this short Video clip, Linda shares how a quick call following a Linked-In message is now one that she can use to help other people.   With all the wonderful ways of staying connected online and onsite, we are able to help one another grow, find solutions, and meet.   How fortunate we are to have Zoom, Go to Meeting, Webinars, and other means to stay united.   Have a great weekend.

Navigating the Path You’re On

Some people are so good at navigating the path they are on.   They seem to know what roadblocks are ahead of them or what to expect along the way.   An example I’ll share is about a family based business that was well structured and set up during the 2nd World War.   Sales rallied because of government contracts at that time and their excellent President rallied his workers with him.   He continued to know who his target audience was and to build a healthy clientele for the next twenty years.   Eventually the man sold his business to a partner and then sold off property that was owned for storage over the years following.   He also planned well for his family and sought a more relaxed lifestyle for himself and his wife.  He lived well and enjoyed reading in his final years.

Finding a new path and purpose!

It dawned on me that this is not the case for so many people.   Layoffs, job changes, health challenges and family disruptions cause many people to set up franchises or seek other lines of work.   Their path, although once thoughtfully set into play, just seem to tumble and fall apart.  Every day is a search and rescue existence to make money, pay bills, and stay well.   How does one earn money?  How does one pay for medical issues? Is one able to drive or access food, shelter, and other people with ease?

Taking time to plan is good.   It can be a series of steps set into place.  Perhaps putting aside a small amount of money monthly.   It may include adding to ones education or skill set.   It may mean relocating to a smaller home, eliminating costs, or reversing plans that just don’t add up for a long term resolution.   Maybe it is getting involved with other people and building new relationships.  Design the path you want to pursue and then it will begin to develop naturally.

In talking to a wealth management person I learned that many people are not able to go to the next level of life because they have failed to plan beyond the present.   If it is one thing I have learned from being a psychotherapist, it is that we need to have a purpose.   That purpose may change as we age.   We may devote more time to new hobby, travel the world, or volunteer teaching a second language.   It may mean moving to a new area to be in touch with family so one can be in a more metropolitan area.  Or even moving to a smaller country setting and starting a garden.

One thing to keep in mind in pursuing changes is to think things out well.   What is the long term focus for making the changes.  Is it to save money?   Is it to be with more people you love?   Is it to have a place to run your new business or hobby?

So today’s simple exercise is to: #1.  Get outside your comfort zone.  Make new friends and connect with older ones. Start with just one.  #2.  Decide on something you want to do and seek information on doing it.  #3.  Listen to those around you and see how you might benefit from their experience.

Have a great day and take that one step forward, it may put you on the escalator of success!

Linda is an Educator, Counselor, and Catalyst that will help you inspire you to live 
your life the best possible.

3 Ways to Spell Contentment

I watch Rosy as she navigates through the day showing me there is a way to find contentment.   She has slowed a bit, but just long enough to observe what I am doing before she charges up the stairs behind me.  She waits to see if I am running back down them again or staying there.  She is the clue to the first way to spell contentment.   #1.  Know what it is you really want to accomplish before expending the energy to do so!

Watching efficient and productive people shows us the second way to find contentment.   It is simple.  People who accomplish a lot of work have learned how to prioritize and do it well.   They perform one task at a time and finish it.  Then they sit back for the moment to appraise the situation and salute themselves for a job well done.

Pay Attention

Focusing

 

The third way to find contentment is to stay active and show up to the events that mean a lot to you.   These may be personal or business related.  Contentment comes from appreciating the good things in life.   Gratitude and a spirit of recognizing how others have touched your life is by taking an active part in their activities.  It is recognizing how others have succeeded.   We need to stay joy-filled and happy with the accomplishments of those around us.

The next time you feel frustrated or discontent with with yourself, ask “why am I dissatisfied?”  Perhaps it is a restless feeling for something you have yet to achieve.  Perhaps it is because you have not reached out to those around you.   Do you need a break from your responsibilities?  Maybe it is time to sit back and watch like Rosy often does to just reevaluate if it is worth the effort to run up those stairs again!

Linda is a Counselor, Educator, and Catalyst.  She helps people navigate through the tough times and achieve their dreams.   This summer she is offering one-on-one tutoring for students.   She’ll help them learn to organize and focus.  In the Fall, when it is time to return to school, they will hopefully be more engaged having practiced a few basic skills.

 

Finding the Ideal Mentor

Finding an ideal mentor can be around the corner.   Often they seem bigger than life and unreal in many ways.  Unlike Snoopy, Leprechauns, the Easter Bunny, or Santa, mentors are not whimsical.   Mentors are usually real people or those who have died.  They have had  a successful track record.   They set an example for us and taught us moral and excellent principles to live by.  They were natural teachers for us and gave us inspiration.   Mentors give us shortcuts and a proven way to exceed beyond limits.

In business we are always looking for the next opportunity, the next connection, and chances to connect with active and engaged people.  Do you have a mentor? Where have you looked for one?   Do you scour the neighborhood or look for online for connections?   Do you literally go from one activity to another?   Do you meet people for lunch?  Is there a business you’d like to mimic?

Mentors are sometimes bigger than life!

Bigger than Life

I have found that a mentor  can  come in any size or age.  There have been many for me along life’s journey.   I was lucky to have a great professor who mentored me into the teaching profession.  She was confident, knowledgeable, and loved keeping children safe and spirited.   Her openness to teach, exemplify, and share stories still resonate.  She even had a television presence and taught us presentation skills that helped her.

I was fortunate to have a great Spiritual Director when my children were teenagers.  She had studied the material I was learning.  She had raised her family and been a student at the same time.  She was non judgmental and supportive.   Her values and sense of humor was one that I needed.  She died several years ago.  I was blessed to have her in my life as a mentor.

Two women with large families set examples and helped me through the adventure of raising  children.   I needed these people, because my own mother had died when my children were babies.  Both were available and I didn’t even realize their impact until years later.  They taught me the concept of being flexible and how to flow with changes.

As I journeyed through my teaching and counseling career, I found the best mentors were actually children, teenagers, and people willing to work through difficult moments.  Their attitude and gratitude to  improve helped me  to learn.  In some cases, they taught me to play again.  Their ability to adapt to technology with ease and fearlessness has encouraged me to podcast and learn software programs.   Children attempt lots of sports, games, and try things without reservation.   Their openness to trusting others and enjoying life is contagious.  Adults who have failed develop a resilience that is more than admirable.

Take the first step forward and begin looking to people around you.  Perhaps there are several men or women in your past that led you to this point in time.   Put yourself on the escalator of success in helping others.

Leadership Can Be Hard


Leadership can be hard! I was reading an article in *Scientific American Mind about a student from Brown University who in 1984 was studying in Israel.  He and two friends were walking while on a camping trip and he was ahead of them.  Suddenly he was minus a foot! He stepped on a land mine.  Leadership can be hard and in this case, it really was painful!   It takes stamina and a great mindset to move forward when accidents happen.  Or when one loses money on a business idea it can be difficult to bounce back.

A few thoughts came to me as I read this article. The first was that stepping out ahead of the others is a daring adventure. Leaders put themselves in a position of being risk takers. Secondly, when confronted with adversity, people are forced to be resilient and push themselves to move forward, even if they think they cannot. Thirdly, good leadership is always available to find through referrals and mentors.

If you are an active business owner, you are often we are watching high achievers in business.  High achievers who risk putting their own reputation and safety out there for others to follow.   And we do follow them, because we don’t want to reinvent the wheel.   We see how someone has accomplished what we are striving to do and we try to duplicate the format.  We look at the system that has propelled them forward and we go to them for success.

Unfortunately, we don’t see all the obstacles they’ve endured. When I watch the Olympics, one of the best parts of it for me is hearing the stories of how the athletes have come to succeed. Quite often they have endured many injuries, personal set backs, or losses. It is great to hear their interviews.  Most of the time they take responsibility for the risks they take and move ahead.  They do not give up. They get up over and over again.

I am watching a grandson now who is an excellent soccer player and wrestler.   In a tournament game, he injured his ACL, LCL, and Meniscus.   These are major injuries that needed surgery.    He presented to a surgery center that works with a professional team in Chicago to have the repairs.  He will be undergoing 8 months plus of therapy to get back into the sport of soccer that he loves. The injury has temporarily changed his pathway to going into college sports for the next year.  It has not deterred him, but strengthened his resolve to move forward.

Injuries can turn our plans into temporary detours.

As the author of Erasing Adversity,  I  say that adversity can make us stronger.  It isn’t the experience of success or failure that makes us; it is what we take from the experience that gives us personality and value.   Experience alone can sour people, but keeping a healthy mindset and determinations to reach a goal is the secret.

It amazes me how well some people are able to overcome problems.  As a counselor and educator I’ve learned not only through my own experiences, but vicariously from other people. The ability to focus on one thing at a time helps. We need to keep things simple. The next time you are feeling stuck or frustrated, take a simple task and complete it. Maybe it’s cleaning out the dishwasher or sweeping the garage floor. Do it and finish the project. A simple task completed well will help you break the cycle of inaction.  Create your own healthy system made our of habits to conquer a problem head on!

Another thing that one can do to be successful is to engage with others. Social isolation is unhealthy. Although not everyone is Mr. or Mrs. Congeniality, having purposeful tasks and relationships compel us to be better. We tend to dress the part, take responsibility and smile more when things are going well, but good leadership is open, humble, and honest. We learn to trust people and socialize. In doing so we contribute to the lives of other people; we volunteer; we share and give away our talents.

*Special Collectors Edition Scientific American Mind Spring 2018

 

The Reality of Business

Would you believe?

Easter Eggs are Blooming!

The Reality of Business can be so different than what we perceive to be the truth.  Are the entrepreneur’s you deal with providing the service you need?  Where is the evidence of a good business deal?   Are the people you represent honest?   Are you giving the quality service or product follow up that your customers expect?

So do eggs really grow in a pot? Of course not. It’s fake news. Even though we can see by this photograph and might like to think it is a quick way to reproduce eggs, obviously this is not the case.  The reality of a good egg comes from a healthy chicken!  And eggs are edible, not plastic!

So often the things we would like to be as a reality are not so.  This goes for the business we would like to have or the people we would like to meet.   That is not to say that we can’t get that particularly client or that the situation is not one we can claim, but it might mean we have to take a different approach from what we are currently doing.

With all the help online there are many businesses that give more than they promise.  They do so with delight and with the hope of truly being a reputable and excellent business.   Others seem to promise so much and give back so little in return for your money or time.   The trick is to be able to discern the good from the bad.

Some of the best businesses have to prove their worth.   As an Affiliate to Amazon (just click on any of their photos on these pages) I have come to find their services worthwhile.   I order things that seem to have disappeared from the marketplace.   I can find electronics, foods, and just about every toy there is around.   In this time of online services, they have done well to fill orders quickly.

Just this last week I got a virus trying to get a book thru a U-Tube Advertisement.   I was really annoyed and decided that if the local Barnes & Noble did not have the books I want, I’d use Amazon hereafter.   They are quick, dependable, and deliver as promised.  So I guess we all have to figure out where reality service plays out.

And that goes for who shows up, too.   I had a business meeting this morning and the person forgot to show up or connect with me about their intentions.   Do you think I will or should promote or waste more time with this connection?    Even though I have known this business person for many years, I  had personally stopped using their services, because of other reasons.   Guess the evidence of good business shows up in many ways!

Take a reality check on the businesses you use and endorse.   Note where you shop and who you connect with on a regular basis.  This one step may put you on the escalator of success.

Have a great week!

The Pitfalls of Faulty Thinking

The Pitfalls of Faulty Thinking affect many of us.  Welcome to Mini Miracles from Minor Moments.   It’s the minor moments in life that allow us to make giant leaps forward.  It’s the minor moments in a conversation with a friend that opens up clarity and insight for you.  It’s those minor moments that bring us joy and mini miracles in our lives.

Welcome to Podcast #85 on the Pitfalls of Faulty Thinking and how these thoughts affect all of us.  This is your Host Linda Gullo and my Co Host, Kate Halma.   “Good morning Kate!”

“Good morning Linda.

Today we are going to open the can of worms called Faulty Thinking.   It is a large one so let’s jump in.  Kate starts in with sharing a story about a friend from her wellness business.  It was all about a misperception and how not having all the facts created faulty thinking.   Listen and enjoy this ongoing conversation as Kate and Linda discuss faulty thinking.  Listen to their ongoing stories and enjoy them.

Here are the two quotes the ladies mentioned:

“There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.”  (William Shakespeare)

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”  (Henry Ford)

Check out the book, The Itchy Soul by El Edwards that Linda was reading.   It is available through our Affiliate link here at Amazon.

Powerhouse Phrases to Help You Grow

Powerhouse phrases to help you grow can be a bigger part of your life.   Today Linda Gullo and Kate Halma discuss sources of energy, strength, and encouragement.

“You can do it!”  “That’s awesome!”   “You’re the best!”  “Good job!”   “I appreciate you!”  “Count on ME!” 

Linda tells the story of a lady she volunteered with at a local resale shop many years ago.   The lady who was a mother of many was also a mother for her that day.  She mentored for Linda in a powerful way.   Check out the story and how she reminded Linda to “hold her head up high.”  She encouraged her to put things in perspective.   Her words became powerful words that still resonate.   People can give us encouragement in when and how they say things to us.

Kate and Linda encourage everyone to think about the value in words.  One of the messages that Kate reminded us to follow is “Don’t own that!”  Listen to this podcast and see just what she was referencing.

Kate also referred to the inspirational sayings that both thrive on as shown in this photo.  This is just one of 3 doors at Delight in Living, Ltd. that help clients and patients to step through the difficult and challenging times in life.

Encouragement changes frequently here at Delight in Living!

Louise Hay who created  Hay House Publications offered Affirmation cards that gave people powerful and positive messages.  Those cards which are still available at bookstores and on line (https://www.hayhouse.com) were encouraging.

Linda quotes Isaish 40:30– “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (NIV).   Verses from the Bible and people of fame often leave us with wisdom in their words.

Finally Kate shares “nothing is impossible; the word itself says I’m possible!”

Put you best foot forward, “just one step may put you on the escalator of success!”  Thanks and have a great day!

 

 

Join the ladies in 2 week when they will discuss, “EMBRACING SAD MOMENTS”  We hope you enjoy these podcasts.   Please let us know by signing in for updates and to encourage us too.   We’d love hearing from you.

Linda can be reached at 815-459-5161 most days of at linda@delightinliving.com

The Secret of Accomplishing Goals

What works is really very simple in accomplishing goals.  The secret of making worthwhile goals is not a secret at all.  It took me by surprise that just a few moments of repeating habits is all it takes to accomplish a big task. The answer comes from scripture!   It is the simplicity that comes through the many AA programs.  We must focus on small steps and do them everyday.   One day at a time has been my mantra since 1980 when my parents were both very ill.   I learned to plan each day as it arrived and with the circumstances that were presented to me.   It helps us get through tough times when we don’t think in “long stretches.”

Many coaches will tell us to use the word SMART to help us in accomplishing what we set out to do.  S is to be specific with our resolutions and intentions.  M stands for something measurable.  For example if you want to lose weight and watch your sugar levels, you might decide to  lose 10 pounds by walking 2 miles a day, and stay off sugar.   You can  measure your success in terms of energy, inches lost, and seeing your sugar levels drop.   M stands for a goal that holds meaning.  What meaning is behind your goal.   Is it for confidence, for health or to learn? A stands for something to achieve. What do you want to achieve?  Is is to learn to drive a car?   Do you want to earn more money?  R is for realistic. If you work a night job, it may not be realistic to pay for a health club membership.   Or it may mean finding one that is open 24 hours to accommodate your needs?  All programs tell us to write things down.   Make them visible for yourself.  We are told not to hide the goals, but to review them daily.    Write down the why’s behind each one. T is for time.  Make what you do timely.   Put your written goals near the computer you use each day.   Make a screen shot of them for your phone.  Post them in your daily appointment book.   Make them visible to yourself!

Just this week I listened to Brendon Burchard and he says to divide our goals into themes.  Productivity, Physiology, Psychology and Persuasive were the 4 themes.   He had us focus on the specific areas were we wanted  to be productive. Maybe it is to find a new job.  Maybe we want to meet more people.   He discussed setting health goals and ways to attain them in physiology.  What do I want my body to look like or feel like in the next 3 months.  Do I want to improve my diet or eat on a better schedule?   In psychology, he addressed doing things with intention. Perhaps you want to continue learning.  If that is the case, will you take a class?   Or are you committing to reading a new book every week?  Is that possible?   Maybe you have little time to read and decide to find 15 minutes every evening to begin a new reading habit? In the area of Persuasiveness, he reminded us to ask others for what they need and to learn what we need.

Over the years I have followed many strategies for attaining Goals.   Some worked well and others not so well.  So here is what I came up with after studying Michael Hyatt, Success Magazine, Brendon Burchard, Mel Robbins, and trying them all.  I found my own system.   You can find yours too.  Pick and choose what works well for you.

Linda’s own mix and match system includes: 

#1. Create your own guidelines by writing them down. Decide on time slots in your regular schedule to add in or replace habits.  Try things, change them for success, and don’t be afraid to rework what you do.

#2.  Decide 3-4 areas to focus to work on for the year and decide to break down the year into quarters.   Each quarter naturally creates a space and time frame to work on each.  Just 2 or 3 goals may make it possible to really attain them.  Fewer things accomplished well is excellent.

#3.  Create a support system that will make each goal doable and fun.  ei.   I plan to walk to work this Spring in order to get exercise.  It’s easy and doable.   The weather will be on my side.   It will be fun!  Once I begin I can carry it through the rest of the year with ease.

#4.  Write down the why for each goal.   ei.  I want to put aside “x” number of dollars every week to buy a bike by June 1st.  I want to be more efficient so that I have more time to walk.   KNOW YOUR WHY!

#5.  Dump all your doubts and talk with someone about how to do this.   If people used counselors for nothing more than being successful in accomplishment their goals, they would be so happy!

#6. Make it simple and doable by preparing.  Plan each day and review your plans the night before.   Gather what you will need ahead of time.  ei.  Packing you gym clothes into the car.    Preparing your lunch.   Making a list of the people you need to call the next day.   Prepare.

This takes me to the summary of making goals work.   Whatever you decide to do or whatever habits you are trying to break and replace,  take one step each day.   If you are quitting the habit of drinking wine, then decide each day to avoid wine.   If you are convinced you need exercise, get up and select what you will do that day.   ei. I will walk around the mall 6 times, or I will go to the YMCA for a swim today.   Make it simple and doable.  Make yourself accountable to a friend.  Be competitive with yourself.

Good luck.  Take the one step that will put you on the escalator of success!  (Linda’s Own)

 

 

Let the Calendar Work for YOU!

A calendar is designed as a way  for us to keep order in our lives.   Without the daily numbering system and the change in the days into weeks and weeks into months, we’d have no way to track ourselves.   I thought about that this morning as I was making out a check to pay a bill.   Once again the filing system is set up for the monthly bills.   It is a way of tracking what we spend and when we spend money.

When I was at Loyola’s School of Ministry in New Orleans, I remember being encouraged to let the process of taking things in order work for me.   I was younger and wanted things done quickly.   I am not sure I have changed completely, but I do understand the wisdom in order and time.  We were to read, follow a syllabus, and do the lessons on a schedule according to the academic calendar provided.  By the end of the term, ideas and concepts fell into place.  We were being taught not only content, but a way of learning that would be of value forever.

January

                           January starts us off!

Ever since that time, those words “let the process work for you” have helped me through daily events.   Stop, look, and proceed with caution.   When I see a long term goal or a far away date, I reflect on the advantage of using the process set in place work for me, not against me.  Applying this principle has been a big help.  I will mark my calendar clearly so I can track how I am advancing.

Sometimes cutting time or skipping steps toward what we see as an advantage isn’t good.   It is good to make the most of minor moments and build on them.  Learning to read instructions is also a process that may protect us from harm.   We are taught to read for a reason.  Whether it is a warning on a gasoline pump or instructions for using a lawnmower, directions keep us safe.

Directions help us fill out our tax papers and pay our bills.   Steps on assembling a chair insure it will withstand a heavy person or a child jumping on it.   Reading and processing goes beyond directions and calendars, but the time and the strategies of monitoring our progress forward is noteworthy.  It is important that we do not ignore the smallest of details, for they may insure safety and be teaching us some skill we’ll need in the future.

Skills that we practice daily help us to learn them.  We gain confidence and can aid other people when we know our crafts and professions well.    We need to buoy up our vocabularies, engage with other people verbally everyday, and write meaningful notes to each other.  Start the month of January off to a good practice of reading, writing, and tracking your progress.   Note the smallest steps toward staying well.   Mark off the money you have saved with coupons or cutting back.   Note your time in prayer.   Use the calendar as a guide and friend in pursuing your New Year Goals.   Have a great New Year 2018.

Remember that “one step may put you on the escalator of success!”