Self Development
Appetite for Success
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Welcome to Mini Miracles from Minor Moments, where suddenly your daily events begin to overflow with great joy.
This is Linda Gullo and I’m happy you are joining me this week for a short update on some recent activities. If you’d like to join me in the future or have stories to share, feel free to connect at lindagullo.com. In the meantime I hope you enjoy this weeks story! I hope it inspires you to forge ahead.
Today I’d like to talk about the Appetite for Success. Some people are programmed from early on to be achievers and become perpetual learners. I don’t know how old you are? But, I think this is a very good topic for all ages. Especially in a culture that keeps changing. We do need to keep the values of concern and kindness for each other. It is amazing how little things effect who we are and how we react.
Short cuts work for temporary fixes, but the more determination we have and the work we do, the more it seems to pay off. Small achievements go big. That has been the essence of this blog since its inception. Little steps move us ahead.
Short cuts lack substance. Pushing ourselves to show up is one of the greatest accomplishments there is. Yesterday I showed up for an event that I had said I would participate in. I was part of the Okner Symposium at The University of Wisconsin in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It was my first time visiting the Campus. I must admit that the shift in temperature was a big disappointment or I would have surveyed the Campus more if it wasn’t rainy and cold.
Never-the-less, I was invited to do 3 small breakout sessions with students interested in Podcasting. The day included a keynote speaker, a career panel of successful past students, breakout sessions, and opportunities for networking. The topics covered at the event will included blogging, podcasting, and social media sites. I would have enjoyed attending some of the other breakout sessions.
The Okner Symposium is an Annual Event that rotates between Universities. Each hosting it with a Special Theme. This years Theme was obviously Tools in Digital Marketing. I find this area a very interesting one given that I have never considered myself a good marketing person. My business has done well thanks to other ways of being known. Most of my interacting, prior clients, and community contacts kept me in business. Recently with my interest in keeping up with technology and learning new things (obviously I am a life long learner!), I have realized that marketing is going into a new direction. The students kept telling me it is evolving daily. I can really agree to that and the need to know more and more is relevant.
So first a big shout out to all the students who came to my “break out” sessions. Thank you. I hope I planted seeds that will grow into helpful arenas for you as you enter into jobs in Marketing. The one thing that hit me yesterday was that education done formally gives us a formula for success. It teaches us a system of how to make things work for each person. We come to know ourselves better and are lead along course by course. But as we know, the formal process is only one way to learn and we must recognize that.
We need to create our own systems and continue to create them for ourselves. Set up small repeatable actions that will get things done. Jobs can teach us those tools too. Setting up systems to complete tasks can be as easy as making worthwhile lists of prioritizing what we need to do.
The season of Lent begins next week on Ash Wednesday. Live it up on Mardi Gras Tuesday when one celebrates with Carnival-like enthusiasm, and then put into action a new system for the Lenten Season. Maybe it is an approach to eating, studying, or work. Something as easy as having a salad for lunch each day without bread, chips, or carbs. Coming into work a half hour earlier could be helpful. Perhaps praying more each day or attending a Bible study. It may mean sacrificing.
Linda lists a few options for Lent. check the podcast to hear them.
So that wraps up today’s podcast. Please take time to relish all the Mini Miracles that continue to shower and bless you. We’ll be back next week so please check in. Thanks!
As a College Student
As a college student, I spent a few years working at an artificial flower company during the summers. I saw that the flowers were being shipped into the United States from other locations. As they arrived into the warehouse, they’d be sorted, glued, and assembled into beautiful arrangements. Some of them were sorted, marked, and sold to dozens of big chain outlets. These would be comparable to the Walmart’s, Target’s, and Hobby Lobby’s of today.
It was a hot factory where people were thankful to have jobs. In the morning when I arrived, I punched into the company in that area of the building. I got to meet many hard working and lovely people. Already temperatures were soaring and hot at 7:30 in the morning. Do you work in a factory? What are the conditions of where you earn your living? Are the people pleasant or resentful and negative?
Each summer I worked there I had a different job in the offices. Creating billing, typing manifests, following up on orders, and working on an International Switchboard. I learned a lot there and grew. Jobs create opportunities for our mental well being and tech us to be relational. We don’t always make a monetary gain, but hopefully we benefit ourselves and other people. For me, it helped me pay for the next semester at school.
If you are in business, a wife working at home, or a student, chances are you are far from being self centered. We learn along the way that we are to live for others. Our happiness comes from doing things for other people and serving in our communities. And when we put ourselves in the shoes of others, we become more compassionate.
Lent is around the corner and a time to be more self sacrificing. It is a time to do more outside our comfort zone and to learn from our mistakes. May your flower arrangements become those of the living kind. Present bouquets of kindness during the next 40 days. It may mean keeping silent with criticisms. Or reaching out to those less fortunate even though you don’t want to do so.
Maybe it is time to take a personal inventory of what you are doing habitually. I hope to indulge less in the things I am tempted to do, like drinking diet coke or taking the car instead of walking.
Whatever you do decide, “Delight in Living” and share that with others.
In Search of “QUALITY”
Quality items may appear to give us good value, but not necessarily. Some people associate the price with quality, but it doesn’t always play out. If one purchases a suit, but it looks terrible on you, that isn’t a good value at all! Even if you spent several thousand dollars on it it may be quality fabric and design, but it doesn’t serve you well! So when something is expensive it is wise to decide if the value for you is there.
Furniture is a good example. Solid furniture lasts forever and it is usually heavy. This chair and table set is old from 1940. It has served for years with use in various rooms and still is solid. Although it may not be the style of 2017, it is functional. I have no idea if it was an expensive piece in its day. It is still used daily and matches the room it is in. My parents who bought it would be excited to see it is still used.
Quality thinking includes a bit of investigating too. Knowing what is needed before we put money, energy, and time into something doesn’t hurt. One needs to talk to others, see what is available, and then make healthy decisions.
I know many people who have spent thousands of dollars on a college education, but have just spend time and money on learning material they didn’t enjoy. They were either directed to go into a profession someone else pushed them into or into a school where they didn’t really fit. Although I believe education is important, sometimes learning a trade, or education by learning a hands-on skill may be a better value and use of time. We are all so different and our needs, talents, and pursuits should match.
If you ever watch Funniest Home Video’s, you’ll see people trying ridiculous pranks or stunts that end up badly. We all laugh at the mishaps and are startled by them. We don’t see the physical pain or scars from their mishaps, but I hope they heal and learn along the way. It may teach us to be more prudent in our activities.
Not only must we think more long term to have quality thinking, but we must slow down. It isn’t bad to have check points where one accesses what they are doing. Am I in a profession I love? Am I doing what someone else picked out for me? Would it be better to move to a location closer to my family? Is it the money I am making that matter more than the relationships I may be losing along the way with my spouse. Clear thinking helps us make decisions that are win, win for everyone.
Enjoy finding “quality”in your life and “delight in living” along the way.
Beating Decision Fatigue
Everyone of us has a unique way of working. Some of us are better at being efficient at different times of the day. When it comes to being creative, I usually find it good to have silence and be alone. It is usually past the hour of 10 at night when the house is quiet and the dog is resting nearby. My mind seems to be free to wander and dream into the “land of possibility.” Because I am not under pressure to excel; I just come up with ideas. I also have known for years that this was NOT the ideal time to deal with major issues. I used to tell my family not to discuss major issues past 9 pm. I was just too mentally fatigued.
I learned when my oldest child was born, that I should never exercise later in the evening. I took a water aerobics class late in the day when he was a toddler. It totally backfired. Even though I had a second wind that went into effect about that time, exercise seemed to make me alert until the wee hours of the morning and then the next morning I was fatigued.
So I want to address here decision fatigue. I read an article in the SUCCESS Magazine (November 2016) issue on it. Visionaries like Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, and Matilda Kalh were mentioned. The article commented on how they all had the same wardrobes so that they would not waste precious time making the decision of what to wear. They had a flawless appearance without worrying about what they looked like. 
I can see the value here. It is the whole idea that many parochial schools turn to so they cut out competition among students or their parents trying to out do one another. It saves financially in the long run too. Many companies market themselves nicely having a uniformity dress solution that identifies their brand. But this idea of having a pattern in place saves energy for making decisions. The mind can focus on more important issues with clarity.
Do you have practices that are habitual and intentional to keep yourself from wasting energy thinking about things? Perhaps it is the way you take notes, or follow up on things. Is it using the app Evernote, a means of clipping and storing information you’ll need in the future?
The article called ON AUTOPILOT by Jeff Vrabel suggests making important decisions early in the day. Knowing how you function is a relevant factor here. A fellow businessman I know is an early bird. He along with people like my spouse always got up at 5:30. Knowing your internal clock can make you very efficient. By the way, if you are having sleeping issues, one of the best ways to conquer problems is to go to bed and rise up at the same time each day. It is often difficult if your job has varied hours.
Vrabel suggests that if you are not able to make a decision, put it off. Postponing a decision may provide extra clarity. It is better not to rush. Rest may be the ingredient you need to make a good choice.
The bottom line for beating decision fatigue may be a combination of things. Whatever works well use it and throw out what doesn’t. Have a great day and the energy you need to pursue your passion. “Delight in Living”
Happy Presidents’ Day!
Where is your FOCUS?
Do you have the life you really want? Are you working really hard in a profession you hate? When are you happy? Do you have to be with other people to be happy? Are you looking all over for answers? Is making money the only thing that drives you forward? Where is your focus?
Knowing the answers to these questions is great. You have a starting point. You know what is important to you now. If you are driven to make money, why and what is being sacrificed in the meantime? I once knew a man who was all about his business of selling other people on a product and making money for his future. Unfortunately, he became ill with cancer and died a few years ago. He was extremely driven and everyone loved him. I think though of a conversation I had with him some 15 years ago and he could not focus on anything else. In the last years of his life, his health issues drove him into doing more with his family and being spiritual. That was the person that I really saw in front of me many years ago.
Comic Characters influence our lives!
Who knows what is ahead of any of us? We are all driven to feed ourselves, to provide good housing, and be steadfast. I am no different and I want that for others. I think of my father-in-law who I loved dearly. He worked really hard and after several heart attacks, and heart surgery, he retired from business. He then enjoyed almost 15 years of life in better health and was more relaxed. I have always looked at those years as a blessing for him.
My own father also had a hard life that took a toll on his health. I look back and felt so secure on what he provided for our family. He did well in providing for us. We don’t know how great we have it as a kids. We didn’t have to work. We got most of the things we wanted and there were boundaries set up all around us to protect us. We had built in schedules and expectations. We’d gather together on Sunday afternoons for dinner and to rest. We’d receive the Sunday Chicago Tribune and read the comics. Dick Tracy and Peanuts were among them. Life was simple.
I really enjoy life without all the pressure of a job. Yes, I have a business and I enjoy trying to help people. I don’t think of it as a job; it is something I am equipped to do. I guess people would say I have a passion for it. I want that for the people I coach too. I do like to keep a schedule and be on target with goals. That is a big help!
I want you to be successful and keep your own identity. I want you to blossom. That is why I coach business people and counsel on a regular basis. Think about why you do what you do and what you’d like to do differently.
Hoping today is a great day for you! DELIGHT IN LIVING and see the many miracles that are being offered to you. Call if you need help and we can arrange a plan to fit your needs.
What Kind of Investigator Are You?
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Welcome to Mini Miracles from Minor Moments where you’ll find small insightful incentives to blossom.
Here is a page of a cut out magnifying glass that was in my Journal. What do you see when you look through it?
Hi, I am Linda Gullo, your Host and I come to you on a weekly basis. Sometimes I am alone and other times with a guest. Today I am alone. And I thought about investigating and finding solutions. So what kind of an investigator are you when it comes to finding solutions? Do you automatically know where to turn for answers? Well I don’t! I need to reflect–even if it is just for a short time. I think first of all the people I know who could be resourceful. People who I trust that can resolve the issue or point me in the right direction. I need to understand the whole picture before making a decision.
Here’s an example of “purchasing a desk.” Please follow along to the end of this 10 minute Podcast to figure out a few clues! Listen to some of the possible strategies to resolve issues. After all, evaluating ideas can be fun and enlightening. Happy navigating this week no matter how you choose to go about it!
Here are some sites to check out Calming music:
Focus Music: Find it on the Internet!
www.relaxingrecords.com
www.focusatwill.com
www.webmd.com/balance/guide
Have You Ever?
Have you ever felt like you were in the midst of a puzzle? You were a piece in the middle of a bigger picture, but you couldn’t figure it out? Well you are part of a bigger picture.
You are important. You were put here to serve and to help others find their roles and identity too. We may feel like a dot when one looks at all the other people in your home, your community, or your state, but you hold a prominent place in life! I am convinced that we a
re here with an internal spirit of joy. We may never know why, but we are to forge ahead with conviction, and drive.
We are being nurtured and schooled from the time of our birth. Each person so unique and skilled in some area. Perhaps you are the comedian in your family? The class prodigy in school? The efficient worker at the company you created? Are you contributing to your community food pantry and helping to feed your neighbors? Are you the prayerful person who helps support others during their trials with medical issues, schooling, or decision making? Are you one of a large family? Or are you alone?
I am obviously a puzzle fan. I find great clarity in assembling something from a bunch of pieces. It is what I do for a living! I listen to stories and help people with their life’s direction. I help them sort out what is a priority at any given time and to put a healthy spin on it for them. I help them to re-frame the picture
In other words, what we have learned along the way, allows us to grow in that realm. I am not a linguist from I know a few people who excel in languages; they help others communicate. I know people who are excellent in math or science and see the world in numbers and disease control. Delight in whatever skills you possess. Use them and share the quality of life you have and seek with other people.
Look for the mini miracles around you, for the people who are nurturing you, and for the opportunities that keep presenting themselves.
How Did You Do That?
Well this morning I was walking into my office with my protein drink, which I always put in a fast food plastic cup. It was in temporarily tucked in between my body & my arm. I also had two bags on the same arm and keys in hand. I got through the two doors after negotiating the locks, alarm system, and suddenly felt the drink falling. I stood still and looked down.
It had fallen upside down into one of my cloth bags. It had not dumped. I literally said “Praise God”. What a gift from above! I would have had a big orange mess of froth and juice all over the place. Now that is a mini miracle. And it had not opened into the bag either or all my papers would have been doused. ! 
Next I went to return calls and had to check on something important for the office taxes. Wow, I got through right away and even had someone who knew the answer to my question. Mini Miracle 2 just played out.
Little victories in life help make us more tolerant and focused on the resolutions of other problems. Everyone reading this has had annoying things happen and when they do our dispositions are often turn grumpy.
As we enter into Mid-February, our days may be gloomy; the sunshine may be taking a vacation. It becomes harder to stay on task. Maintaining a good workout or any other New Year’s resolution might be harder to stick with each day. It is easy to get soured.
In the last few days, I have been praying for many people. 4 individuals dealing with cancer, 4 people with vision issues, young people struggling, and then a list of other concerns. I will look back months from now and see so many of these prayers were answered in wonderful ways that I wouldn’t have expected. I try to go back and highlight the blessings to remind myself how well things go when we pray believing.
Years ago when I taught High School Religion, I taught them that technique to illustrate that we are truly blessed in many ways. I am also very thankful when things are average. Average is good and reminds me how “off script” life can be when our health, jobs, and other variables go astray. When things do go wrong, offer prayers of gratitude for the things that haven’t changed. Graditude carries us forward & creates hope.
These may include: 1- Good prayerful friends to help power you forward. 2- A house to shelter you. 3- Family that is supportive. 4- Financial status to pay today’s bills. 5- A working car even if it is old that gets you around. 6- An education that no one can take from you. 7- Professional help like a doctor, counselor, CPA, or other person knowledgeable about the situation.
This list can go on, but you get the idea that there is always something to help keep us humble and thankful. I also like to think that when one is in the dumps, there is another person who isn’t in the dumps to help us out!
Have a great month my friends and forge onward. Look for the Mini Miracles!
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Vintage Circus Posters
A few months ago, during the Holiday Season, I went to get postage stamps and bought a sheet of these of the Ringling Bros. Circus. I have enjoyed looking at them and had them on the bulletin board above the desk. Now that the Circus is permanently folding its tents, I have glad I still have them. 
I am not sure how long I will hold onto them, but I will use them eventually. One tends to keep things that give us a good feeling and helps us remember good times. In college, I kept matchbook covers of places in the City of Chicago that I went to for dances. It was something that eventually held little meaning to hold on to and other things took their place.
What do you hang onto? Are they physical things like matchbook covers, photos, or other collections? What will become of them? Will you will them to your children, donate them to a museum, or will they be tossed out?
What kind of legacy are you leaving behind? We aren’t all famous people, but we can leave a legacy of kindness or something others will benefit from our presence. Every now and then I go for a walk in a cemetery (usually during the Lenten season) and think of the contributions each of those beneath the headstones has made. I find it rather humbling. I remember the first time I did that was as a teenager in North Judson, Indiana. I was walking from town to my aunt’s house and we began looking at tombstones. The names always fascinated me and the dates of their deaths seemed to tell a story.
This past week a Franciscan nun I knew died. She was 91 and had done wonderful things in her life. In recent years, she lived at the Mother Home where she was being cared for as she had Parkinson’s. One of 13 children, she and 7 others had pursued religious positions. A very inspirational family filled with mercy, kindness, charity, and hard work.
She believed that it was important to either be praying or working. We’d go together to visit shut in’s, because she believed 2 or more should be teamed up for safety and to be conversational. She’d remember the elderly and take them flowers or food or something they needed. She was a great cook and listened well.
She worked in an orphanage in Alaska early in her vocation. Weather often kept planes from coming in for months on end and she had many stories to tell. It was a special mission for about 14 years that she was called to do. Later she went on to other works that were equally or more difficult. I learned a lot from her and felt blessed to work at her side. She insisted on eating lunch on time; and always had lunch ready for those there. No doubt her disciplines kept her energized and healthy for many years.
Who and what were you taught by a mentor? What do you need to learn or replicate to make your life better?
Do You Want to Change?
“One single step may put you on the escalator of success.” by Linda Gullo
Do you want to make changes in your lifestyle? You do know that life is ever changing. We have no say in the matter. At fast as I type this, the clock has changed; seconds spinning into minutes. My ideas are solidifying into words and the weather outside has gone from fog to foggier.
People are being born as others pass away. As soon as a child is born, its senses and ability to accommodate to the temperature, light, and sounds shifts. The skin begins to acclimate, eyes adjust to light, and changes from the womb to the world are made. It brings joy and new experiences to everyone around. The mother is changed too. She has to adjust her thinking to care for the child, care for herself, and begin the lifelong journey of changes. She has a new role in addition to what she already claims.
Anyone who is a parent can tell you that changes are obvious and transforming. In scripture, we hear of how Jesus in his first miracle changed water into wine at the request of his mother during a wedding. He showed us in that situation not only His abilities, but many other things as well. He showed us how to respect our parents, how to provide for others, and how changes would happen. Often they would be to our advantage and other times out of our control. We would have to learn to trust.
When we make a choice to start a business, purchase something expensive, take a job offered to us, or move across the country, we may be the one initiating the transition. Those changes are usually welcomed and exciting, because we are in charge. It gives us a sense of power to make choices. Like all choices though, we are the ones that who pay the consequences. They may provide good opportunities or bleak results. We need to face them, or even make changes to alter the business model we are using to be fruitful.
Trying to keep clear in our thinking is important. We need to make changes that are valuable. Valuable for ourselves, for our families, and for our world. Also important for the success of businesses! It may call us to sacrifice time, money, and services in order to look out for the greater good.
Let’s all recognize how valuable change can be for ourselves and one another. Embrace your faith and stay connected with your values as you recognize the mini miracles emerging in your day. Know yourself well. Embrace the changes that occur we the attitude of gratefulness. Good things come out of even the worst situations. “One does not want to erase adversity. Properly channeled mistakes and times of heartache can become opportunities to learn, to help others, and to become influential.” (TAKEN FROM: Erasing Adversity by Linda Hnetynka Gullo)