While you are on your search to live the life that you believe supports your best gifts, the pressure to be in a relationship can be intense.

Society continues to pressure people to believe that you may not be “complete,” unless you are married, in a committed relationship, have children, and the list goes on.

I wish people would not doubt themselves when it comes to their gut feelings. Just because you may have your moments of feeling lonely or you find yourself wishing that you had more in your life, realize that there is nothing wrong with that. It is hard to be lonely. It isn’t a great feeling to see your other friends in relationships when you are not in one. It doesn’t matter how old you are. It doesn’t get easier.

People are naturally social. We need interaction and we need positive relationships that help us continue to grow and learn. We all know people who have been stuck in lousy relationships, and we are always hoping that our friend will come to their senses and have the courage to leave a situation that is dysfunctional.

Know who you are and what kind of people you need to surround yourself with to help you become the person you want to be. Put yourself with those people. You will no longer be lonely and you may also find an opportunity for a good relationship. Don’t give up or give in until you have found people that support you and your goals. Allow those people to enter your life.  “Now let’s get going!” xo Sally

Being flexible is an art. If it is hard for you to be flexible, you need to start practicing how to do it, because it will serve you well.

When people approach you with a problem or an idea, what happens? Whether you are a caregiver, a student or a spouse, the goal you need to strive for is to be a good listener. Don’t anticipate what a person is going to say, and do not finish a person’s sentence. Some people get in the habit of assuming they will know what a person will say or how they will react, so they stop asking. What might be worse is when a person is totally left out of a discussion, because their response is “so predictable.”

If you know someone like that, or if you tend to be like that, start working on changing your reaction to other people. Stop and listen to what they are saying, before you add your two cents. Ask questions. Find out how the other person arrived at the conclusion that they did. Surprise them. Most important: don’t react with a negative comment. Be willing to discuss the other person’s opinion and voice your concerns if you have them.

Leave the door open for more discussion. It’s all about changing the behavior. Meet them half-way.

                                                                                                                                                              “Now let’s get going!” xo Sally

Take a few days to do something that you have wanted to do, and put down your phone. Disconnect from the wireless world and see if you can survive.

I think we are often too accessible. People can have access to us 24/7 if you let them. It was not always that way. Technology has given us many opportunities, but it also has created people that are forgetting how to talk to each other. Communication is a skill, and I feel like it is fading away. Once upon a time automated telephone answering services threw people into an uproar, but now it is an accepted process we all go through, especially when they are configured to not recognize “0” as an option to talk to a live person. J

Talking to people matters. It is how we end up getting things done. We hide behind text messages and emails, and they rarely convey our thoughts as well as actually talking to each other.

How will you spend the next few days? Can you limit the use of your cell phone? Does it really matter to know what is happening on Facebook?

Take some time to appreciate what you have and spend some time with those around you. Read. Inspire yourself to be better and stronger. Use your next few days wisely and enjoy each minute! “Now let’s get going!” xo Sally

Are you finding yourself in the position of needing to convince someone that your opinion or idea is a better way to handle things? Do you feel like you are not being listened to?

It is very frustrating to share your feelings with someone, whether it is a family member or a co-worker and not feel that you are being taken seriously. What can you do? How do you handle it?

One way would be to show them a different way. Behavior is critical. It proves a point.

Let’s take a common example of a patient and caregiver. The person in charge usually is the caregiver, even if you don’t feel very “in charge.” Tempers can flare and people can be upset for many reasons. A common complaint is that a patient is not trying to do things for themselves, and consistently asks the caregiver to do things that the caregiver believes that the patient can do for themselves. You are tired of talking about it and things can get ugly. Keep this in mind: the only thing you can control is what comes out of your mouth.

Before you get ready to say something that will irritate the person you are dealing with; stop yourself, count to 10 and say something like “I will be able to help you again in 30 minutes, let me set this timer and then you will know when 30 minutes is up.” Leave the timer by the patient. The result: you set new ground rules, without upsetting the situation. You have not ignored the need, but you have created an awareness of structure that was not there before. You “confuse them.” Just remember to “confuse them with kindness.” “Now let’s get going!” xo Sally

Are you ever really “doing nothing?” We all need to sit down once in a while. There are some of us who sit a lot more than others. In fact I would guess your definition of “doing nothing,” may be different from someone else’s definition.

For example; a teenager that plays video games non-stop may feel that it is one of the most important things he or she does all day, and you might look at them playing those video games, and interpret that he or she is “doing nothing.” In your opinion, they are “wasting” their time.

Let’s agree that we all need some time to clear our head and “do nothing.” But we do not want to allow ourselves too much time watching those reality shows on TV or playing mindless games on your cell phone or X-Box. You are given each day to make something great happen.

Do not choose to avoid doing things that may appear to require some brain power. Count your blessings that you have your health and the gift to make a difference. Use your gifts. Step out of your comfort zone. Do not choose to “do nothing.” You are amazing. I know you can create more each day, and you will be known for those gifts that you share. “Now let’s get going!” xo Sally

Normal. What is normal? I guess we could say it is the routine response that we have become accustomed to expect. There is a certain amount of comfort we feel when things are “normal.” Will living our “normal” experiences get us where we want to be?

If your normal experiences at work or at home allow you to grow and continue to learn, that is great! Most people usually have to challenge themselves to get away from their “normal,” experiences.

We all learn a lot when we force ourselves to learn new ways to handle situations. When we think there is only way to do something, we have to challenge that thinking. Get outside of what you know to be your “normal.” Start to develop a “new normal.” Open your eyes and thinking to other ways to meet goals that you have.

Whether you are a caregiver, a student, a parent or all of the above; it doesn’t help to close your mind to a new approach to an old challenge. Talk to people and share your questions regarding a difficult problem that concerns you. There is someone out there that has had your problem and handled it in a way you haven’t thought of. Are you having a challenging situation that is taking you away from your comfortable normal place? Be open to change. You never know how much some change may help! “Now let’s get going!” xo Sally

I think humor is a great thing. It definitely gives us a chance to relieve some stress when we try to find some humor in a situation. When we make light of a situation that requires some real effort to change, that is a different story.

You probably know someone who could make major headway in improving their life if they would just develop a “spine.” Some people allow themselves to be used as a door mat. They let people take advantage of them. They may even put up with abusive behavior. When the reality of the situation is pointed out to them, they may even laugh and say they know they shouldn’t do this or that, but they continue to allow a bad situation to continue. To make jokes or laugh with someone who continues to be taken advantage of, does them no favor.

If you want to help them, support their desire for change and growth. Let them know that you will be there for them, if they will be there for themselves. We can’t make someone care for themself if they do not want to spend the time or energy to make the change needed to improve themselves or their situation.

What you need to do is recognize how much time you are spending, trying to get them to see the reality of what they are doing to themselves. If you are spending too much time with someone who shows no sign of wanting to change their behavior and move forward, you better find some new people to be friends with. You have places to go and goals to conquer! Don’t waste precious time. “Now let’s get going!” xo Sally

Get out this weekend and do something healthy for you! Take a walk and get some fresh air. If you can’t get out, plan a healthy day of eating.

Make yourself eat breakfast, and prepare four or five snacks, eating those rather than a big lunch. See if it makes a difference in your energy level.

When you are trying to get into better shape and lose a few pounds, it has been proven that if you “stop eating,” your body frequently will not lose weight. Your system is so smart that when you stop eating, your body’s metabolism reacts by storing fat to survive. So the best way to approach your effort to move toward a healthier eating style is to not eliminate food, but to eat small portions of things that are good for you, every 3-4 hours.

You won’t get hungry and you will have plenty of energy to keep you going! Give it a try and let us know how you do! Make it a productive weekend and enjoy the fact that the freezing temperatures are taking a break! Drink plenty of water! Have some fun…. Start taking care of YOU! “Now let’s get going!” xo Sally

When you focus on positive thoughts, positive things happen. When you dwell on negative things, you get surrounded by negative thoughts and positive energy is not able to penetrate that wall.

I believe that we have a great deal of untapped power within ourselves. God made us that way. We were all given the ability to have the gift of success. Success is not the same for each of us, and we are all entitled to decide what success looks like for us. It may be reaching a specific educational goal, or landing a certain job, or getting out of an abusive relationship. It is different for everyone.

What we need to realize is that we should not waste one day. We are given a chance to make a difference in so many ways. We can help out a friend, volunteer, offer kind words of encouragement to a stranger, you can decide. Every time you do something positive, another positive thing will happen. Give it a try.

The universe supports your effort. If you want to make something happen, you can. Your job is to surround yourself with like-minded people, stand tall and keep moving forward. Those people that don’t support you…look at them in your rear view mirror. You can achieve your goals, no matter what your circumstances. “Now let’s get going!” xo Sally

#Obstacles that get in your way need to be dealt with. How you deal with them is influenced by your situation and your power to change those obstacles into opportunities.

Sometimes we have to work through obstacles and there are other times we have to go around them. There are some things that get in your pathway that you can’t change right now. It may be where you live, your daily routine as a single parent, or the fact that you need more experience or education.

When we decide that we want more, things can change. People can feel threatened by your effort to work on new goals and fear that your “change” may change your relationship with them. The important thing to remember is that you need to build your-self up to reach your goals, and seek out the pathway to reach them. For those that fear your success will not include them, you need to take a step back and decide how healthy that relationship is.

It is time to assess why you are where you are today, and what you can do to move past the point where you are. Single parents need to put their children first, realizing that your children watch what you do every day. They will learn from you. If you tolerate being poorly treated, that will be their normal experience. They will tolerate being treated poorly by someone too. You don’t want your children to repeat your mistakes. You don’t want your friends and family to make the same mistakes you have made. You can be the person that demonstrates that it is possible to move beyond where you are. You are amazing! “Now let’s get going!” xo Sally