Many times we look at other people and make judgments. People choose how they dress, how they wear their hair, and who they associate with.

If we look at all of the reality TV shows, and their current popularity, it can paint a rather gloomy picture of where we place our priorities. When we watch shows that glorify the exterior and pay little or no attention to the interior, it tends to minimize the value of how we are inside. What makes us who we are certainly is not what we wear, but it seems to be the focus of Hollywood and the people that are attracted to it.

The old saying of “money is the root of all evil,” is interesting. People tend to believe that if you have a lot of money, you have no problems. But I think there is quite a bit of evidence to the contrary.

People who have a great deal of money are not always happy. For many of them they don’t know whether their friends like them for who they are or for what they have. That can’t be a very exciting existence.

We all know people who have been successful and “you would never know it.” They don’t brag or dress in an attention seeking way. They are natural, kind and easy to relate to. Those people have learned how to put success in perspective. Life is not all about money. It sure helps to have it, but it shouldn’t be the only driving force in the choices you make.

Think about the choices you make. How often do you do for others? Where do your priorities lie? I am a firm believer in “what goes around comes around.” Spend today being the person that gives of themselves.

Whether you know it or not, you are on your way to success. You have what it takes to be rich in spirit today. Develop it. Nurture it. Be it. “Now, let’s get going!”  xo Sally

Life is busy, but people are important.  It is easy to get so caught up in what you have to do in your daily routine.  In that process it is often easy to set aside your needs, and the needs of family, just because you have a “to do list” that seems like a mile long.

Remember that each day is an opportunity to do the right thing.  Try to adjust your feelings and attitude throughout your day and remind yourself that it is easier to love than hate. You spend less energy smiling and looking for the positive light in a negative situation. 

You do not need to love “everybody.”  There are people out there that are hard to love. Some of them make it that way.  But to follow this line of thinking you need to remember that you keep your trust in people limited to those that have shown they deserve your trust. 

You will do yourself no favor making yourself vulnerable to people that you have not developed a relationship with, and have demonstrated through actual experience that they are “trustworthy.”  

The important thing to remember is to “do wrong to none.”  Work on being that person that learns how to walk away from a negative situation, and not create drama about it.  It isn’t helpful. It isn’t necessary.  Be grateful. Be kind.  It goes a long way.

“Now let’s get going,” xo Sally

The words we speak can have more power than we realize. We can be a positive force in people’s lives or a negative one.

It should be our goal each day to challenge ourselves to be the best we can be, and in doing that, choose the words we use with thought.

I know that it is hard when a situation is emotionally charged, to come up with words that are meaningful and convey the right level of thought and energy.

But we should realize that we already know that it is hard, and take a few extra minutes before letting the words come out of our mouth to pass this little test of three questions:   Is what I am going to say:  TRUE?   Is it NECESSARY?   Is it KIND?

So many times things are said in the passion of a moment, and we regret it afterwards. Try to picture three gates in your mind, and make your words pass through each gate as you go through your thought. If something you are going to say is something you heard, but don’t know if it is actually True, you become part of the problem.  You may end up being associated with saying something that ends up not being true. Don’t lower yourself to that.

If something you are saying is not Necessary, why say it? How do you know if something is necessary? Think about the value that it adds to a conversation. If it brings no value, then don’t be associated with it.

Finally, is what you are saying Kind? You may find yourself in situations where you have to deliver a message or have a conversation where things need to be said that aren’t kind, but necessary and truthful. An employee performance evaluation is a good example. The skill behind delivering statements or information that will not be perceived as kind by another person can be framed in a learning experience format. That will allow you to convey the information with a sense of concern and awareness that your words may cause an individual to be uncomfortable. You can still be kind. In fact the person may walk away and understand your message, just because it was delivered with thought and consideration.

It’s a skill that requires practice. Start practicing this weekend. Let me know how you do. Are you able to use these three “gates” to measure your words? Have a great weekend! “Now let’s get going!” xo Sally

Look at the shape of an arrow. It is made to point forward and push forward towards a target. But an arrow stays in the same place unless a force that is greater than it is, launches it forward.

We can be like an arrow. The challenge is; that we have to internally create the force to propel US forward. One way to do that is to associate with like-minded people. When you do that, you generate a force that is larger and more powerful than you are alone.

Never underestimate the influence and strength you gather from positive, like- minded people, that want you to meet your goal.

There are people all around you that can have the opposite effect. There is nothing more powerful that can stop you from believing your dreams can happen, than having your immediate circle of your friends and family, tell you that you won’t make it. That your dreams are not possible. You don’t have the money, education or “connections” to make it happen. Do not believe them.

Start this weekend. Make a list of things you can do to meet the people you need to meet, to help you build your dream into a reality. It takes work. It takes time. It isn’t easy. You are worth it and your goals are worth it. You may not have the financial resources right now to reach your goals easily, but you may get to your goals in a different way. Stay open to new ideas. Surround yourself with people who give you the energy to “shoot yourself forward like that arrow!” Your dreams depend on YOU. Never give up. Hit that target! Reach your goal.

Tell me what your goals are. Leave your comments below this message at Sallycares.com. Someone else will benefit from your support. Connect with other positive people. Use this weekend to make that plan!

“Now, let’s get going!” xo Sally

“If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.” If you think you have nothing to offer, you are wrong. We can all help in a small way.

Every day you see someone struggle. It may be trying to open a door, needing a helping hand to find something on a store shelf, letting someone go ahead of you in a line, helping someone with a bag on a plane. There are examples everywhere.

Helping people in a small way can make a huge difference in a person’s day. By just being kind you never know how you can turn someone’s day around, not to mention inspire them to feel better. Helping another person can make your day brighter as well.

We never know what struggle a person is going through. Never think that your problems are worse than your neighbors. What we need to do is keep our eyes open and see what is actually happening around us. It is easy to get lost in our own problems. We feel surrounded by things that are wrong and if that is where our focus is, that is where we stay. During those times, we can’t possibly give off positive energy or encourage others.

Make an effort to recognize what is happening around you and start to participate in a positive way. No one is expecting you to do more or be more than you can be. Remember that doing things in a small way will impact you in a great way too.

Let us hear from you. Tell us what you are dealing with. Better times are ahead and you will notice the change as you try new things! “Now, let’s get going!” xo Sally

Everyone can remember how it feels to take a “test.” It isn’t very comfortable. There is a sense that your response to a select group of questions, chosen by one or more people that may not think quite like you, will dictate the next step you take in a class, a promotion for a job, any number of things.

Life gives us tests every day. We don’t necessarily consider an illness “a test,” or a problem marriage “a test,” but they are. We learn lessons through the experiences we have. Some are positive, some aren’t, but whether the experience is good or bad, we have to adjust and work through the experience.

You would think that once you have lived through a negative experience, like choosing a poor partner, that you would not ever make that mistake again! People say that. But isn’t it odd when you see friends or relatives get out of one bad situation and in a short period of time, find themselves in another relationship with a similar type person? What in the world are they thinking?

The problem is that they are not thinking it through. They are not trying to change the choices that they make; in fact they are choosing to make choices that are in their comfort zone because it is familiar to them. It may not be good for them, but it is what they know.

Don’t settle for less than you deserve. Believe that you deserve more. Don’t allow yourself to think you are not worth a better life. You are worth it. Maybe you don’t know how to make the changes that need to be made. Let us know what you are thinking. Send us a message through Contact Us.

We are here to help you! “Now, let’s get going!” xo Sally

We all worry. We worry about our children, our family, our friends and the list is endless. Worry is defined as: thoughts, images and emotions of a negative nature in which mental attempts are made to avoid anticipated potential threats. As an emotion it is experienced as anxiety or concern about a real or imagined issue, usually personal issues such as health or finances or broader ones such as environmental pollution and social or technological change. (Source: Wikipedia)

So, if we all worry and it can be considered a natural reaction to events we experience in our daily lives, what do we do about it? Can we stop worrying? How do we stop?

Whenever we recognize an emotion or behavior that we engage in, we usually can control it or modify it. The problem is more difficult if we don’t recognize the extent that we convey worry to those around us, and someone points out that we need to “stop worrying.”

Here is what you need to remember: Try to fix the issue that you are worried about. If there is not a fix available, try to develop a better process to manage what worries you. Don’t ignore the problem. Adjust and adapt, in an attempt to manage the issue better. Let us know what you are worried about. Send us a message through Contact Us.

We are here to help you! “Now, let’s get going!” xo Sally

“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”  Les Brown

We have all had the experience where we would have “wished” we had said something different or done something different, when we were put in a situation that we didn’t stand up for ourselves.

When that occurred we did not feel good about our situation or ourselves.  People can push us to our limit, and then some.  They can be friends, family, neighbors or co-workers.  They can also be the people you are dealing with who are working with you, on your medical team that is treating your loved one or you.

As you are learning from Sallycares.com, this business of taking your health care seriously and being your own advocate, requires organization, education and a desire to have some peace of mind when it comes to your healthcare, your loved one’s healthcare and you.

Do your job and be part of the solution.  Do expect your medical professionals to guide you with their best effort to improve your situation.  DON’T expect everything to be done for you and/or blame anyone in your immediate circle of support with a “woe is me” attitude, because your need(s) did not get met.

Get up, look for answers, and ask questions.  What is the worst thing that can happen?  Someone will say NO?  Well that isn’t a problem.  Where there is someone standing in your pathway, blocking your view from the education and information that is out there, make a detour.

That person who was standing in your way isn’t moving.  You are.  That’s the whole point.  Keep your head up and move forward.  Don’t get stuck and think there is nothing more to learn.  You may have a disease that is limiting your ability to move and function, and you want to be able to do more.  Maybe your disease is under the best possible control and you need to work on changing your attitude toward what you aren’t able to do, and learn now to modify things to do more.

Join www.Sallycares.com and let us help you figure out what your options may be, with the struggle you are having!  Become a member and write us through Contact Us!  “Now, let’s get going!”         xo Sally  

“Change your thoughts and you change your world.” Norman Vincent Peale

There is no amount of preaching that I can do to impress you with how important this concept is.  Your world is that space that immediately surrounds you.  People can escape their world by reading thrilling novels, watching soap operas, listening to the news or any number of things.

The point is that if you allow your world to be limited by your feelings of sadness or frustration, sadness and frustration will continue.  When you open your mind to look for the positive, you allow change to enter your world.

Some people love to be negative, well maybe they don’t actually love it but they sure perpetuate it!  Why is that?  I think the answer is different for each person.  What I have found in my experience is that being negative is secure.  It is comfortable.  It reassures you that you have an answer to all of the bad stuff that is happening to you. 

When you choose to let some of that go, knowing you don’t want to let it all go at once…that is too scary J… you open yourself up to an unknown feeling.  If you can’t run back to what was secure, what do you use to fill up that void?

Start with picturing yourself in a peaceful surrounding.  Reassure yourself that the peace you are looking for is possible.  When you are called to “action” by the person you care for, and you feel knots in your stomach because in your mind the tape that plays is, “here we go again,” make up something funny.  Do it like this:

Patient:  “Hurry up and come here, I need you to get me ________ (fill in the blank)”

You:  (in your head)…Isn’t that sweet, they need me…and smile to yourself when you say that.

If you can lower your anxiety level when those moments occur, you will be on your way to developing a greater sense of calm. 

Remember that this takes time.  Find a smile.  Let’s decide how to support you!  Join the Sallycares.com Family today!  We look forward to hearing from you! “Now, let’s get going!”  xo Sally