8 Fictional Places I would like to Visit

If you know me, then you know that I am a writer; if you have ever been to my desk, then you know that I am a reader. I believe as a writer that it is important for me to read, and as a reader I believe it is important to keep an eccentric reading list. I read everything from self help, personal growth, chicken soup, financial management, inspirational types of books to all of the most popular Fiction titles. I am also a huge movie buff, so I love nothing more than seeing my favorite stories make their way to the big screen and seeing some of my favorite places in physical form.
With that being said, there are some of my favorite settings from film or pages that I would love to be able to visit, and I'm sure some of you would too.
This list is in no particular order, just a whimsical list that I put together for your enjoyment:

The Hundred Acre Wood

I used to (and still secretly) adore these stories. Stories of adventure and friendship and in most cases team work in every situation. The Winnie the Pooh stories are filled with loving characters that go on great adventures that take place in the Hundred Acre Wood. What I would give to accompany Pooh on a honey hunt, or help Eyore find his tail, or run from Hephalumps with Piglet.

Hogwarts

I tried to read the Harry Potter stories, but could never make it without falling asleep. However, the movies are a favorite of mine. I would love to have roamed the halls of this amazing school, and even though I hear really great things about Universal Studio's new park dedicated to the setting of the books I know nothing can touch the elaborate place where Harry, Hermione and Ron were taught their skills.

Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory

I had the amazing opportunity to play Violet Beauregard in a community production of this beloved story, and turned into an exploding blue berry with the amount of grace that only I could. The cast and I had a ton of fun re-creating this amazing place, but we didn't have a real chocolate river, and our walls were not scratch and sniff, and even though I chewed through every line (because Violet was a champion bubble gum chewer) I never really had a piece of the full course meal gum. It would be awesome to visit that factory and I'm sure anyone would agree, no matter your age.

Never Never Land

Easily one of my top three favorite stories would be the story of the boy who didn't want to grow up. I think anyone could relate with this tale of adventure and fun and ultimately growing up. When I was younger I used to wish to be Wendy, and fly with my siblings to an amazing place filled with mermaids, pirates, fairies and Indians. If you can't have fun in Never Never Land, then you really do deserve to grow up.

Where The Wild Things Are

Recently, the author of this amazing story, Maurice Sendak, passed away. I adore this story of a boy who just can't fit in, and so runs away to this amazing place where he is king of the Wild Things. Spike Jones created the film adaptation of this amazing story and it is beautifully captured. However, I would love to be King Max for a day and play a part of the "wild rumpus".

Gotham City

I am a closet nerd, even worse, a comic book nerd. And my all time favorite character is Batman. I am also a huge city girl at heart, and the fact that Gotham City (the film version) was derived from images of Chicago, Tokyo and (of course) New York City is just simply amazing to me. So you can pick fun at me all you want, but I would love to take up residence in Gotham City.

Atlantica

I LOVE The Little Mermaid, always have, always will. My bedroom used to be plastered in The Little Mermaid memorabilia, from wallpaper to bed spread to stuffed characters. Also, when I was a little girl I used to play in my grandmother's pool and pretend that I was the red haired mermaid that I loved so much, I already had the hair, I just needed the tail. I would still love to "be part of that world".

Bedrock

However childish it may seem, I still, to this day, take my Flintstone vitamins every morning. I used to love the cartoon, and I had the PEZ candy dispenser with Pebbles' head to prove it. I would love to travel to Bedrock and teach all of the cave men and women the beauty of gasoline....and shoes!

Gandhi's Top 10 Fundamentals for Changing The World

I came across this list from a wonderful app that works for people like me who love to read and surf different blogs and authors. This app is called Stumble Upon, look it up you iPad owners, it is free and awesome!
This article looked like a piece of notebook paper, with the list scribbled onto the lines, I loved the simplicity of the image, and the list is something everyone needs to take a moment to think about.

1. Change Yourself
If you don't like certain things about your daily life, such as the attitude from people around you, the way you are always tired, or the fact that you can never get things done on time, maybe instead of placing blame on other things, you should take a look at yourself.
Simply look at yourself in the mirror, do look tired, worn out, out of shape, or maybe you make up or outfit may not be in line, you have no one to blame but yourself. Re-evaluate your schedule, and make sure you have some down time, and if the problem is that you have too much down time, make some time to read a self help book, or join a group, get involved in a local volunteer program, you have the opportunity to use your time wisely!

2. You are In Control
Only you have to power to change your surroundings, only you have the power to work harder, (or if the case calls for it) play harder. Learn to take control of your life, after all if you cant control your self, how are you going to control anything else?

3. Forgive and Let Go
This is probably the most important and hardest thing a person can learn. If your heart is hardened by someone who did something to you, or wronged you in any way, I can promise you that someone somewhere is having a problem forgiving you. Forgiveness is a very difficult thing to accomplish, but after you forgive someone let it go, you cant fully forgive someone in your heart, and then bring it up every chance you get to throw their mistakes at them. Think of the golden rule, put yourself in their shoes, if you were in their place how would you like to be treated?

4. Without Action you aren't Going Anywhere
I am a dreamer, I love dreaming about all of the many places I can go and all of the awesome things I can achieve, but I also have to make lists and plans to put my dreams into reality. If you have a true passion for something, pursue it, in a healthy way. Responsibility is a key element in achievement.
Rome wasn't built in a day, but it was built, eventually, with lots of hard work and with a process.

5. Take Care of This Moment
How many times a day do you think, "Oh! I need to remember that thing on Thursday!" or how many times do you go to bed, on time, only to spend an hour thinking about all the things you need to do, or forgot to do. Stop worrying about the future and do not dwell on the past. Learn from mistakes, celebrate achievements and then move on. Worry about the moment, right now, the present, because in reality that is all we really have.

6. Everyone is Human
This goes back to number 3. Everyone is human, everyone makes mistakes, you are no exception.
Never judge someone for a simple mistake, never hold a grudge against someone for just doing what they do. Be gracious of the fact that you are human too, and that there are times when you show just how human you can be.

7. PERSIST
There is a saying that I hate, "Never take NO as an answer." Well, this little nugget of wisdom is wrong. Sometime no is the only, right, correct and true answer. However, don't just roll over on an idea because you get a negative vibe. If you believe in your product, your job, or just yourself, then be persistent with an idea or proposition. You never know what anyone else is thinking, they may just love your idea, or they may have been too scared to voice their idea or opinion and you did it for them. Be honest, and be true to yourself.

8. See the Good in People, and Help Them
We all know the saying, "its a dog eat dog world", this is not human nature. We are not dogs, we are human, we are sinners, but we are capable of compassion, love and forgiveness. We all have had someone wrong us in one way or another, we have all seen how horrible people can be, but we must take the time to seek out the good in people. There are good people in the world, however, these people are human just like me and you, and they will slip up and fall short; but they are still good people.
A very powerful things, that I learned at a very young age, is that we are all role models, maybe we are not all good role models, but there are eyes watching us all, and those eyes see good in us, and it inspires them to be just like us. Make an effort to be a good role model, watch how you act and watch the things you say, because the good we put out is the good that will carry on in others.
Help someone in need, we have all needed something at one point in our lives and in that moment someone helped us out. Pay it forward and be good to people, then the world will be good to you.

9. Be Congruent, Be Authentic, Be Your True Self
This is so simple, yet so complex. Be you! Be good, be caring, be kind, read Proverbs, be patient with people, and love yourself.

10. Continue to Grow and Evolve
Don't settle for anything, you can always be growing and reaching for the stars. Re-evaluate your to-do list, your dreams, your goals and your achievements. Take a class, learn something new, travel, take up a hobby, never settle for less, there is never a deadline to learn something new. Appreciate all that life has to offer.

30 Before 30

Some of you may be familiar with the 30 Before 30 List, for those of you who aren't: The 30 Before 30 List is a personal list of 30 things you wish to accomplish before you reach 30 years of age. There are different variations; such as, 40 before 40, 60 before 60 and so on. Now for those of you who know me, you know I love to write, for those of you who know me even better, you know I love making lists. So here is my 30 Before 30!

1. Write and publish a book
I have written books, I have had even more ideas for books, but I have not had the time to sit down and devote the kind of attention it takes to write and finish a book. However, it is still one of my top lifetime dreams.

2. Have a Leading Role
I love to act, it is my passion and I am in love with getting a role and completely immersing myself into a character. I have had some pretty major roles, but never as the leading lady. I am currently trying to get back into shape and shed those 'Mommy Pounds' for upcoming productions. I don't care if this is on stage, in a musical, or in a film, but I would love to be the leading lady just once.

3. Raise $1,000 for one of my favorite charities
I am a very passionate person, and I follow a few different charities. My favorite would be To Write Love on Her Arms. A few others on my list are The ProLife Campaign, TOMS Shoes, Invisible Children, and many different Ministries.

4. Go To A Movie Premiere
I don't mean a midnight showing at the local theatre, I've done that for some pretty awesome films, I mean one with all the stars, the red carpet, the whole kit and kaboodle. It would just be a awesome experience.

5. Speak at a Public Function
Preferably on something that I am very passionate about. However, just successfully being in front of a bunch of people talking in general would be a big deal.

6. Go On A Mission Trip Over Seas
I would love to go to Haiti, but I am not picky, I would just love to have an opportunity to go on a mission trip. I would love to devote myself to helping others who genuinely need love and support.

7. Visit Disney World in Orlando.
I am a Florida native, and I have never been to Disney World. I am a military brat and I have been to EuroDisney in Paris, (which is awesome, don't get me wrong) but what girl doesn't want to go to Disney World?! It would just be awesome.

8. Learn Sign Language
I have always wanted to learn Sign Language and I still remember the alphabet (thank you Girl Scouts), but I would love to take a class and learn the language. I have had the awesome opportunity to witness my best friend (who learned the language through college) carry on a conversation with a homeless man who approached us one night. It was very moving.

9. Go To An Opera
When my Senior Class took a trip to New York I had the awesome experience of seeing Wicked on Broadway, it was spectacular. I also used to date a guy who's sister went to college for Opera Singing, she was AMAZING. I would love to be able to go to an actual Opera production as opposed to just a musical.

10. Pay for Some one's Meal behind me at the Drive Thru
This is just an awesome 'pay it forward' kind of thing. Who has had the experience of getting to the drive thru and then noticing that you don't have your card, or you didn't have enough money, etc. It would just be neat to give an act of kindness to a stranger with no expectation of getting something in return.

11. Teach Sera to Tie her Shoes and to Walk
For those of you who don't know, Seraphim is my daughter (we call her Sera for Short http://seraforshort.tumblr.com/) I am sure she will walk and learn to tie her shoes well before I turn 30 (I am 20 right now). However, this is on my list.

12. Pray over someone who sincerely needs/wants it
This really demands some explanation, I am the type of person who knows my beliefs. I am not going to push them on anybody, I am not going to try to save every single person I come in contact with, I just love people for who they are. I try to appreciate everyone for every aspect of them, including their faults. I try my best to not judge anyone, because we all fall short, we are all human, and you sin is no worse than mine. I have prayed with many people, I have prayed FOR many people, but the people who need it most are usually the ones who shy away from asking for it. It would just be amazing to give someone that comfort of lifting them up to our heavenly father.

13. Be a Guest Blogger on one of my favorite blog sites
I follow a bunch of blogs, only a handful that I am devoted to on a daily basis. It would be pretty neat to be a guest blogger and read my blog on one of my favorite blogger sites.

14. Make a Full Meal for the entire family for a Holiday
I am a terrible cook, so it would be awesome to cook an entire meal (successfully) for the whole family.

15. Have a Spa Day
nuff said. :]

16. Renew my Vows
On March 13th 2010 I married my very best friend. He proposed to me on Christmas Eve with Taco Bell  sauce packets (you know the ones that say "Will You Marry Me?" on them) We had a beautiful wedding with all of our friends and family and it was tied together with the best wedding playlist you will ever hear. My husband is the greatest guy I know. It would be so much fun to renew our vows somewhere really special.

17. Swim with Dolphins
It is what it is, I would LOVE to go to one of those really cool resorts and be able to swim with a dolphin.

18.Learn to Surf or YOLO Board
Learning both would be great too.

19. Go on a Road Trip
I'm not talking about going to the next city or county and playing tourist. I'm talking about coast to coast, having an adventure, Thelma and Louis style.

20. Go on a Cruise
This past year my whole family went on a cruise, I had to work and my husband started a new job so he could not leave work either. And we have not heard the end of it yet. Everyone talks about how much fun it was, and all the cool things about the cruise. It would just be nice to take a vacation to rub in somebody else's face. I mean that in the most sincerest way possible.

21. Buy/Find my Dream Home
Who doesn't want to buy the perfect home? It would be awesome to find THE Home.

22. Pay off my car and hospital bills
My husband and myself have almost no debt. We are still making payments on my car, and our hospital bills from having Sera are almost done with being paid for. It would be pretty great to be under 30 and debt free.

23. Write a letter to my family members and tell them why I love them
This just seems awesome, I'm not sure where I will find the time, but I will do it. To just brighten their day and express my love and appreciation for all of their support.

24. Pursue our ministry vision
Before Sera came into our lives my husband (who graduated from The Baptist College of FL) and I (with help from lots of our friends) ran a 'hardcore ministry' we threw music shows and brought in bands from all over, christian and non, we brought in good music and the kids flocked to us. It was a great opportunity, but once we got pregnant we decided to pull out of that ministry. I have recently wanted to start a open mic night type of self expression group. We would be able to do so much in our community if we had a building or venue.

25. Witness a Miracle
I contemplated putting this on the list, because I don't think anything can top my daughter being born. That was the most amazing thing I could ever hope of experiencing. But babies are born all the time, and it is a miracle, don't get me wrong. But I would love to experience an unconventional miracle. I know it happens.

26. Go to Comic Con
I know this will come as a shocker to some of you. However, I am a huge geek. I LOVE comic books, the Star Wars movies, classic video games, and the list goes on. So, I would love to go to Comic Con, in full costumes. It would be awesome. I give you all permission to laugh at me now.

27. Dedicate and Sing my mother a song (in public)
I love my mom, so much. We have a song, and we will leave a line of it on each other's Facebook or in cards or just in a random text message. I would love to have the opportunity to sing our song to her. It would mean a lot to her.

28. Dedicate an entire day to reading a book (without guilt)
It would be so amazing to wake up one morning, stay in my jammies, and lounge around the house fully submerged in a book. No interruptions, and no guilt about not getting anything done.

29. Invent a Cupcake Flavor
This is a pretty far stretch, but it would be neat. Like I said, I am a terrible cook, but I love to bake. It would just be neat to invent a flavor and share it with the world! After all, have you ever had a BAD cupcake???

30. Cut off from Technology for a whole day
I am talking 24 hours, no iPad, no cell, no Facebook, no Skype meetings, no blogging, no stove. One whole day of living like a cave man. This could be my husband's favorite on the list.

I hope this inspires some of you to make your own list and fulfill some dreams.

Finding Leadership

Think of your very first experience as a leader or in a leadership position. Did it involve a promotion? Any special benefits? Was it a pleasant experience or were you over exerting yourself? Did you have balloons and a party? Was it for a special event or for an extended period of time? Did you enjoy the experience? Did it teach you alot about yourself?

I came to this subject today as I resumed planning an idea that was put on hold by unfortunate events. I wondered what qualified me? Why would I come up with this awesome event? What makes me think that I am credible to lead in this sort of way?

In my work place I am not a leader, I have no authority, I am a clerk. Now don't misunderstand me, I adore my job. I love working behind my desk. I genuinely love my co-workers. I enjoy helping my customers and dealing with difficult situations. However, I am not any one's boss.

In my personal life I am a mother and a wife. I consider these great positions of leadership, but my husband is head of the household.

This is when I realized that I have never had experience (in the formal sense) as a leader. I am a traditional gal, so I moved straight from my parent's house to my husband's house whenever we were married a mere 2 years ago. I have always been a great team player, but I have never led anything. Then I started thinking about my character and my personality and how I became the person that I am.

When I was young I had many friends with older siblings, and I saw all the movies about the cool older brother who would beat mean kids up and the cool older sister who could teach you how to put on make up and how to talk to boys. I always wanted an older sibling, then when I was 7 years old my little sister came into my life. I didn't know it then, but she taught me how to be a leader. I was not always the greatest leader, but I like to think that I taught her how to be compassionate and that it is always better to laugh than have an attitude. I wanted to be that cool older sister, and I only hope that to her, I was. I saw my friends picking on their younger siblings and leaving them out of beach trips or milkshake runs at the Tasty Freeze and I always tried to make a space for my sister. Sure there were times when I wanted my space, but she taught me to watch myself, because she was always watching me.

There were also times when my sister led me, if I was down or broken my sister was usually the person who came to me first. She holds many of my deepest secrets, and she has a big piece of my heart.

This thought led me to many of my friends and kids that I have mentored through churches or relationships. At the time I had no idea what I was doing, but as I look back I know that when I was just lending an ear or a shoulder, listening and loving and giving advise from personal experiences that I was mentoring, I was leading.

So, now that you have your first leadership experience in your mind, think about who you led and how they are now. How has your leadership affected them in their lives today? Have they, in return, led you in anyway? I think it is important to remember that no age or race or religion is exempt from learning or being led in some way or another. Now think about yourself right now, who are you currently leading? Are they leading you in any way?

Just because you are leader, does not mean that you are not being led. If you look hard enough you may find leadership that you didn't even know existed.

Time

It is Friday morning, I am closing a week that has been sort of rough on me, and I am thinking about last Friday when the rough week started. I got a call Friday morning from my aunt, who had news to share that I was sure of as soon as I saw the caller ID. She called to inform my that my Granny had passed away that morning, something that we had been anticipating for a few weeks. I spent the past weekend with family I haven't seen in a very long time, and I had the pleasure of introducing them all to my daughter. We sat around talking about Granny's life, the difficult days leading up to her death, and strumming banjos and guitars and singing old southern hymns. It was a bitter-sweet time, and after her funeral on Tuesday I returned to work on Wednesday to get back into the swing on my daily to-dos.
One of those daily to-dos is reading the posts for the blogs I follow, a fairly recent one of those is Michael Nichols' Grow on Purpose, today his post was on time and life and what to do with the small amount of time we have, which just fit perfectly with where I am at right now.
We all have a point, I have reached this point many times in my life (and I am only 20), where we think about all of the things we have done so far with our life, failures as well as achievements, and we think that there is so much more we could be doing. Then we wonder HOW, how am I going to fit in an hour of exercise when I can hardly manage dinner most nights, how am I going to squeeze in a early morning devotional, when I hit the snooze button repeatedly most mornings, and the hows go on and on.
I am a very organized person, I love agendas, and I am an avid planner; sure I can be spontaneous when the moment calls for it, otherwise I am structured and planned out. I know how tough it can be to find extra time in your day, there is always something that I wish I could have worked on when I go to bed at night. It is in those times that I slow down, unwind, and remind myself that it isn't about what takes up my time during the day, but the reasons behind why I do the things I do.
This is why I review my agenda on a regular basis, to re-evaluate myself. When I can find the time in my day, I like to whip out one of my many notebooks and take some time to have a little heart to heart with myself, I ask myself some of these questions.
What are the things filling up my time? Why am I doing those things? Are the things I am doing productive? Is there anything I can cut out? Is there anything I would like to add to my schedule? Am I spending plenty of time with my loved ones? Am I doing anything just for fun? Do I have any off time to take care of errands or for down time? Do I have a back up plan, in case anything unexpected happens?
These questions, among other questions, are the things I like to think about when it comes to my time management. It is very important to make sure that you are being productive and taking care of the things that need to be taken care of, but it is also important to remember the people that matter in your life. Make sure you take time to enjoy your family, they are there for a reason. Take time to encourage the people around you, be passionate about something, take up a hobby (and make time to enjoy it!), relax, and learn to fall in love with things.
We all have a clock around us, at any minute the battery can go out, and our time can run out. Make sure that the time you spend, is time that means something to you. Forget about mundane living, I know that we all must work to pay the bills, put other before ourselves, and there are going to be rough patches, and down hill stumbles; but you must find the bright side, and learn to smile, because even if everything is going against you, you still have time.

In Death

I have seen many blogs posted on this passage, however, just yesterday I read Michael Nichols version, and I had to create my own view. Here is the passage:

Imagine that you are about to attend one of the most important occasions of your life. It will be held in a room large enough to seat all of your friends, family, business associates—anyone and everyone who is important to you and to whom you are important. Do you have the picture?

The walls are draped with deep golden tapestries. The lighting is subdued, soft, and casting a warm glow on the faces of your expectant guests. The chairs are handsomely upholstered in a matching golden fabric. And the golden carpeting is deeply piled.

At the front of the room is a platform, and on the platform a large, beautifully decorated table with candles burning at either end. On the table, in the center, is the object of everyone’s attention- a large, shining, ornate box. And in the box… is YOU! Can you see yourself lying in the box? There’s not a dry eye in the room.

Among everyone that has showed up, are the people who matter most to you. Who are they?

Nichols posted that those people were: God, his wife, his daughter, his parents, friends and colleagues.

Then he said to write down how you want each person, or group of people to remember you.

I think this is a wonderful exercise, it gives you a moment to think about the people that are closest to your heart, and how you want them to think of you, and the beautiful thing is that you are still alive to change any opinions you want.

• God- I would love for Christ to remember my forgiving heart, and how much I love to make people happy. I am unworthy of any recognition, but I can only pray that I have lived up to His plans for me.
• My Husband- I would love for Dusty to remember me sitting in the passenger seat singing obnoxiously to our ipod. I would also like to be remembered for my ability to find everything he looses, and the two greatest gifts I ever gave him; myself, and our daughter.
• Seraphim- My daughter, Sera, is only 4 months old right now, but I would like her to remember just how much I am in love with her.
• My Parents- I would like my mother and my step-father to remember that I always tried to make them proud of me. I would like them to remember the goals I have reached rather than the ones that have slipped away.
• Friends- (My Best Friend, Molly; and my Sister)- I have broken this into two different people, my Best Friend, Molly; and my Sister, because I have many many many friends, all of whom I would like to remember me by something different, but these two powerful girls really mean a lot to me. I would like my sister to remember how much I tried to be a good example for her, and that I was always there when she needed someone. I would like Molly to remember me in skinny jeans, a band tshirt, and screaming and dancing at one of our favorite bands, long talks that drug into the wee-morning hours, and that when the rest of the world buckled I was always there standing strong.
• Colleagues- I would like my colleagues to remember that I was a dreamer. I would like them to miss my laugh and personality.

If you would like to read the passage for yourself, here is the link: http://www.michaelnichols.org/one-practical-way-to-change-your-life-forever/ 

Yoda Leadership!

If you know me personally, then you will know that I am a huge movie buff. I was just in a conversation with some of the women I work with earlier today, one of my co-workers asked me if I was planning on seeing any good movies this weekend, and I let her know that I planned to attend the re-release of Star Wars in 3D. Also, my organization recently asked a question "What are the qualities a leader must posses for YOU to be willing to follow him/her?" So, when I came across this blog I just had to post it and put my spin on it!

Your leader may not be a little green man, with a froggy voice, that spouts off little nuggets of wisdom like a monk, but Yoda has many characteristics that embody a great leader (other than having 'the force').

1. You are not the hero, but your Padawan may be.
Yoda is top notch when it comes to wisdom, but he is not the hero of the story, he is a driving force. As a leader you will not get all the credit you may deserve, but as a leader you should find happiness and fullness in knowing that you helped lead a 'hero' to their victory or goal.

2. You may be misunderstood.
Yoda may speak funny and have an odd dialect, but that is not where the misunderstanding dwells from. As a leader it is your job to know and understand that being a servant is better than being the king. In his blog, Ben says, "The servant leader's emphasis on service over power and humility over vanity goes against the popular notion." Because you go against the grain, others may find your leadership odd, but keep confidence in yourself.

3. If you're not careful, your organization may produce a Darth Vader
As a leader you have a whole lot of accountability, it is your job to hire new additions, and to make sure that your new hire does not only embody a team like spirit, but that you make sure that spirit never dies out. Encourage your mentees, but do not boast them into a power trip, or it will cause a kink in your team. And you will be at fault for creating the 'Darth Vader'.

4. You live in the muck
Yoda lived on the Dagobah System when Luke Skywalker finds him. This swamp world is full of mud, muck, grime and filth. The home of Yoda is a tiny mud hut. When looking for a mentor do not look at all of the many THINGS your potential leader has surrounding them, look at their work, a leader that puts quality before quantity is a great leader. Just like a leader, humble enough to live in the 'muck' of the business, will know how to get you through the 'muck' and reach your goals. A true leader is not afraid to get their hands dirty.

5. You're work is never done
Yoda was more than 900 years old when he met his last student (Luke), and even after his death, Yoda continued to coach and mentor the younger Skywalker. A great leader knows that their work is never done. A great leader will invest in relationship with you, and will understand that even when the goals are met that the work is never ending. Always be encouraging and uplifting, always set goals, always keep moving forward.

6. Sometimes, you have to kick evil's butt yourself
Yoda knows when he must pick up the light saber and do battle himself. This goes back to living in the muck, a great leader will invest him/herself in building others to pass on their qualities of service and culture, but knows when they must rise up and join the group to get past the 'muck' for the sake of their organization. Darth Sidious: I have waited a long time for this moment, my little green friend. At last, the Jedi are no more.
Yoda: Not if anything to say about it I have!

7. It's up to you
Yoda was the last hope for the people against the Dark Force. He had to train Luke to conquer the Emporer and Darth Vader. As a leader it is up to you to pass on quality and traditions and wisdom from experience in the business, and to encourage new ideas and innovations to conquer the toxic leadership so many organizations are overcome by today. As a leader you bring the change by leading others to one day become great leaders themselves.

Here is the original blog http://ht.ly/8Ujp2

Valuable over Value

Rich Gee posted a blog that you can read here:
http://richgee.com/2011/12/its-time-we-value-people-over-profits/

Gee's blog is about valuing people (your workers) otherwise known as the "little people" in your business or organization that build your products and put out your company's work. These people, in the past, have been abused, over used, and spat on in one way or another. It is time for business owners to get the hint, if you are having to down size every year, fire loyal workers, cut things from your workers, and still maintain your (personal) way of life something is wrong.
I believe 2012 will be the year when the "little people" rise. It is time for business owners to realize that if you want a product that the public loves, then you must get the people who produce this product to love it too.
So, how do you do this????
The answer is so simple: love your workers. Get to know the people that you sign a check for. Learn what they like, what makes them happy, what their interests are.
The organization I work for have been implementing this way of going about business, and because of this our TEAM is THRIVING!
Once you determine how to make the people that work below you happy, your consumers will be happy also.
Now you may ask, Why?
Why will it matter if the people making the product are happy, how will that affect the consumers?
This answer is simple also: If you strive to work for your workers, your workers will strive to work for your consumers.
When your worker moral is up, and everyone is working for an organization that they trust in and enjoy, then they will strive to put off that image to your public. Your workers will begin to strive to make every single consumer happy, because they want the company they work for to succeed.
Look at it from a personal perspective, when do you work your best? When you are having persona issues, feeling low, bored, or burnt out? NO! You work the best when you are engaged, thinking, producing ideas, and when you feel VALUABLE!
When your workers feel valuable they will value their work, thus raising the value of your team and organization as a whole.

Happy Workers=Happy Customers

Saving The Princess and Slaying The Dragon

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I am in no way, shape, or form capable or writing a blog this morning...or so I thought.
I had a rough night, a late start this morning, and I've had a lot on my mind lately. As my mother has re-assured me, this is a human thing, it only means that I am normal. I am also a new mother, a natural red head, I thrive off of emotions (not always my strong suit), and I am a woman (we are in-fact highly emotional creatures). So, while I am stressed, emotional, and (because of my curse/blessing of a hair color) quick to anger, I am in a pickle; but I am also profoundly normal.
I started out this day with all intentions of getting to my desk, going about my day, keeping my emotions at bay, and getting through the day in one piece.
However, thanks to a blog that I came across this morning, I was put into my place (and I needed that).

I know I have hoisted Michael Hyatt onto a blogging pedestal before, but he really shined this morning. And it must be said, I keep an army of blogs in my repertoire. From Manna for Moms (about faith for busy mommies), to Passive Panda (about making money), to Rich Gee (business and team building), to other personal growth, business, personality, faith, organizational, and couponing blogs. So, I read a lot of things on a daily basis to keep myself on track, and keep the creative side of my brain fed (lets just say that part of my brain can be obese on any given day). So, when I say this blog shined on a day when I was not feeling up to par, I mean it meant something to me.
And I share it because I hope it means something to you.

Anyhow, in this blog Hyatt talks about his 'Dragon' that he wakes up to every morning, and how he goes about defeating that dragon before he begins his day. This dragon has three heads, that Hyatt has found he needs to tackle in a particular order; Spiritual, Physical, and Intellectual. Now, because my husband works very early in the morning, unlike in the middle of the night when I have a nightmare or hear a bump, my husband is not there to help me take on my personal dragon.
I wake up everyone morning, and sometimes I have to rescue the Princess before taking on the dragon. The Princess is my 3 month old daughter, Seraphim, who can wake up at any given time during the morning needing mommy to change or feed her (sometimes both) and I must keep my dragon at bay.
However, when my Princess is rescued she usually falls right back to sleep, and I am able to take on my Dragon. I start off by getting ready for the day/work; this means finding something to wear (which can be a dragon all on its own), fixing my hair and make up, and preparing myself for my job. I usually take on the Dragon once I have the Princess loaded into the car and we are heading to the Castle known as Daycare.
I will say a prayer for the Princess and her day, without mommy there; which leads to the prayer about the Daycare provider and her ability to keep track of my Princess and all of the other kiddos; which leads to the prayer about me and my courage; which leads to the prayer about everything else.
This fight with the Spiritual part of the dragon goes on after I drop Seraphim off at the Daycare, and throughout the rest of my drive to work. But on most days I prevail and defeat this part with ease.
After the Spiritual part of my dragon is slayed, where Hyatt moves on to the Physical part, I move on to the Intellectual part. When I get to work and I sit at my desk, most days I am able to read my daily blogs (I only read the blogs that pertain to my work life while at my desk; personal growth, business and team building, etc.) and this usually sparks an idea for a blog of my own, or an idea for one of my many tasks. I am on a few committees that keep my creativity fed, and keep me working, thinking, and brainstorming constantly. I also take on all of the other tasks that I am responsible for in my office. I adore my job, the flexibility (on most days when we are not swamped) to be creative, to brainstorm, and to stretch myself in ways I would otherwise grow out of shape in if I were not at my beautiful cubicle.

Which makes me think of this magnet I have on my monitor stand that I received as a Christmas present from my fabulous co-worker! The magnet says "My Cubicle is my Secret Land of Make-Believe" and in reality, on most days, it is. I get away from my personal life and I am able to think and reflect behind my monitor.

So, throughout the day I take on the Intellectual part of my dragon, and when my day goes by smoothly without me getting too frazzled at rude customers, or too overwhelmed by daily trials I can say that I defeat that part of the dragon!

After having Seraphim in September of this previous year it became clear to me that I am not like other 20 year old women that I know. I needed to get in shape, gain more energy, and start eating right if I want to be a young, hip mother, who can also keep up with her young'n. So I started researching, I started studying, and I joined my local gym. I found a love of yoga, and a drive to find new recipes and try new things.

I can say I have loads of more energy (which helps with the previous part of my dragon), and I feel better about myself in general. I feel like I don't look like a 40 year old woman worn out from sitting behind a desk and snacking on little debby cakes all day long. I am doing more things, and I feel great.

However, there are days when I leave the office and drive right by my gym on the way home, or I pick a trashy snack over a balanced meal. I can say this is the part when the dragon usually slips its fire laced tongue around my leg and swallows me whole. But I am working on it, and I am finding ways to enjoy this battle, and ways to achieve it.

I feel great about myself, and I can say that on most days I can defeat my dragon. I still have those days when my dragon eats me up, but I always go to bed, and wake up the next morning ready to take him on again. What are some of your daily dragons? and how do you go about defeating them?

Another Seven!

I am becoming a big fan of the number 7, do not ask me why, I just love when I come across an article about Sevens! So, here you go, another Seven!
Here is the link for the article: http://michaelhyatt.com/seven-rules-for-more-effective-meetings.html
If you have not heard of Michael Hyatt, or have never read his blogs, go do so, right now!
The man is a genius, and I LOVE his posts.

Here are, The Seven Rules for More Effective Meetings:

Establish Hard Edges- Meetings have a Start and End time for a reason. If your organization is open to just a Start time with no worries about the End time then you will face 'Air Time' when your group starts communicating on irrelevant subject matter, or the meeting can lead down a pig trail and off of topic, which can steer the meeting in a whole different direction, causing the purpose for the meeting to not be dealt with. Make sure all participants are aware of you Start and End time, this is the very first step to having an effective meeting. If you have tardy participants start without them. (make sure you have an assigned Note Taker or Secretary to make sure nobody misses anything) Even if you tardy participants get the foot notes they will miss the interaction of being a part of the meeting and they will realize that they MUST be there on time for the next meeting.

Create an Agenda- "Leaders must set the example here" Make sure that your Agendas for your upcoming meeting are circulated to all participants so that there can be some brain storming. Also, it is important to finish off with the set date of your next meeting, (this is another reason you should circulate your Agenda prior to the meeting) if there are any discrepancies, then your members can make it known. Be flexible and be ready with a reschedule date, if needed.

State the Desired Outcome- Always start your meeting with a Purpose, let your team know what the purposed of you meeting is, and what you would like to see the outcome be. Leave room for input from your members, and be OPEN! Otherwise, your team will learn that you already have your mind set, and there is no reason for their opinions.

Review the Minutes and Action Items- By reviewing your previous meeting you revisit the things some members may have forgotten, and you give any absent members the ability to feel like they are still a part of the mission, even if they were not there. Get a Report from members with assignments, if you do this your team will know that you expect dead lines to be reached, and that you are aware of the process they are taking. This will also ignite an emotion of embarrassment if they have nothing to report, which will cause them to be proactive and make sure they have something to report at the next meeting.

Take Written Minutes- I already stated the importance of having a Note Taker or Secretary. Make sure that your Secretary is not documenting conversation, but simply letting what the main points of the discussions are be known. This will remind members of the action plan, the decisions that were made, and a list of duties for your members to work on (and report on) by the next meeting.

Clarify Action Items- "At the end of the meeting, the person recording the minutes should read off the action items. It is particularly important that these be stated in a specific format.

• Start each action item with a verb. For example, “Review Milford contract with the agent” or “Call Jim and get latest turnover figures.”
• Specify the deliverable. What exactly do you expect the person completing the action to do. It must be an observable behavior with a specific end-point. It may be a phone call, a written report, or a presentation. It should not be a process.
• Assign a single owner to each action. No action should have more than one owner. You want one person to blame if the action isn’t completed.
• Agree on a due date. Get a commitment from the person responsible. Be realistic but put it in writing. This is a commitment and should be treated as such."

Having your Secretary review the minutes also give you, as the leader of the meeting, the opportunity to add anything you may want to include.

Determine the Next Meeting Date-Like I said, this is crucial. It also forces your team to practice bringing their Calendars, in case you need to utilize your back-up meeting date. This will be one less thing that you will have to deal with later.

It is my personal opinion that without an effective meeting, you will not have an effective outcome. Get your team up to speed. Expect Excellence and you will Receive Excellence. Be open and honest with your expectations, and never leave your team (or any members) in the dark.

Killing Creativity

If you would like to read the actual post: http://www.creativesomething.net/post/25586178

I am a creative individual, I thrive off of ideas and innovation, and I love hearing a new idea! I have been reading a blog called Creative Something, which is a blog for creative inspiration, motivation and ideas; and I came across the Seven Creative Sins you NEED to Avoid, and I thought it would be a great follow up to my blog about The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

So here are the Seven Creative Sins:

Thinking that Creativity is Learned- Creativity is a gift, and it is a gift that we all have. Some people are more creative than others, but we are all capable of new, innovative, neat, and original ideas. Learning new methods of creativity is true, but learning Creativity is impossible.

Thinking there is a Right Way and a Wrong Way-Usually, there is more than one answer for any given situation. There is rarely and honest to goodness 'black and white' situation. When it comes to creativity there is always a black, white, green, yellow, or blue way. (you get what I mean) When you are faced with a problem, let your mind flow over the situation, think about a solution, and then challenge yourself to take a different approach and come up with another solution.

Not Taking Risks-Creativity is all about innovation, and pushing the envelope. If you never step out of your comfort zone, you will NEVER meet your full creativity capacity.

Focusing on Logistics-As humans it is instinctual to go by the book, plan an out come, and go the safe route, but if every creative person did just that, then we would have nothing original! The easiest way to steer clear of this 'sin' would be to break out of you shell, and open yourself up to possibilities, forget about guarantees.

Being Creative Half of the Time-I am super guilty of this, I am the type of person that like to follow the rules and go with the flow, I don't like rocking the boat, or stirring up trouble. However, creativity is about just that! Find new ways to stretch your creativity, and expand your knowledge. Ask questions. Find a new way to do something. Try being creative 100% of the time, even the simplest change can do just that.

Creating and Critiquing at the Same Time-This is another thing I am terribly guilty of. I am my biggest critic. As a Human Being you will find yourself mentally bringing your ideas down. Open your mind (yes, to even YOURSELF) let your mind wonder, come up with a crazy idea, and see it through! Challenge yourself!

Duplicating, not Creating-The BIGGEST Creative Sin there is! Never duplicate someone else's work, draw inspiration from and idea or article or product and create your own spin from it. If you find something you like enough then you will respect it to let it be, and challenge yourself to create something completely different.

I hope you find these helpful. What are some other 'Creative Sins' that you would add?

Powerful Pieces

I have a special kind of love for organising, and it is because of that love that I have a deep addiction to LISTS. I make multiple lists daily, I enjoy organising, prioritizing, and re-organising; which leads to more and more lists! So when I came across this blog from one of my favorite bloggers, Rich Gee, I just had to share it!
http://richgee.com/2011/03/top-10-powerful-pieces-of-advice-to-be-successful/

In this blog Rich lists 10 Powerful Pieces of Advice to be Successful (I should mention that Rich is one of my favorite bloggers because I have another great passion for Self Help and Person Growth reading material) while reading this blog and taking what I did from it, I came across another list and I wanted to expand on that list:

6 Key Learnings:
It is my belief that if you understand and respect these 6 keys, your possibilities open up immensely.
1. Don't be rigid about planning out each step well in advance...it's not possible to do.
-By all means plan and plan ALOT when it comes to big or important issues, but do not dwell on every single conceivable out come or pig trail, you will never answer all of your "what if"s, and that is a fact.
2. Build on what you are good at, and avoid relying what you aren't good at.
-Ever heard of 'play to your strengths'? Sure you have, and it is for good reason too. I am a firm believer in reaching out of your comfort zone to find your niche, you never know what hidden passion you may have lying behind your heart. However, when it comes to your big business issues, or important things do what you are comfortable doing, and get help or advice on the things you know are just not your thing.
3. Focus on what you can do for others (start with the boss) rather than whats in it for you.
-Many people will tell you I am a big ball of warm and bright love. I will tell you this, the more you do for others, the better you will feel. There is some amazing and indescribable feeling that you get when you put everything you can into something for someone else, it is an elating selflessness and I challenge you to strive for that feeling.
4. Keep at it. Practice makes perfect.
-If something isn't meant to work, you will feel it. However, you try for something and at first you don't succeed, try again. Try taking a different approach, and you just may end up surprising yourself!
5. Take on big challenges and learn from them.
-You can't win them all, and you defiantly can't win them all alone. If you find failure, learn from it, figure out what went wrong, and you will do better next time. Do not dwell on your mis-haps, but appreciate them for what they are, learning experiences.
6. Make a difference.
-This is the easiest thing to do. What may seem like an insignificant thing to you, may mean the world to someone else. Reach out in your work place, in your family, in your community. Do what you can, its better than doing nothing.

I hope these lists have touched you like they did me!

Networking by Connecting!!!

If you are like me you are fueled by a generation that is constantly networking, I don't find out what my sister is doing or if my mother wants to go to lunch by calling her, I don't even email them anymore, all I have to do is check my mother's Facebook status to see if she is free, or check my sister's Twitter to see when her next Cheerleading Game is. Some will argue the difference between Networking and Connecting, but to me this is Networking, not Connection.
In the business world, however, it is very important to be very comfortable in both areas. While reading a blog from Rich Gee I came across this very fun way of reminding yourself ways to Connect.

"You are in front of a big, white home. You look down and see the mailbox, you look up and see your whole family waving to you, leaning out the top windows of the house. You look over and see a beautifully, ornate chimney with a huge, yellow, leather work glove sitting upon it with all five finger pointing in the air. The glove is holding an old, wooden tennis racket and a bi-plane (like the one Snoopy flies) breaks through the strings of the racket, flys around your high school, comes to a soft landing on your football field and touches the goal post."

This story is a mnemonic. It teaches you how to connect with someone by encapsulating key questions within an inane, weird story you'll remember. Let me break it down:

• Mailbox - Hi, my name is Erica Beck. What's your name? Where do you live? What part of Walton?
• Family waving to you - Are you married? Do you have kids? (if they say no, don't feel uncomfortable, just say, "Boy are you lucky!"
• Huge leather work glove - What do you do? Where do you work? What is it like to work there?
• Wooden tennis racket - What do you do for fun? What are your interests?
• Bi-plane - Do you travel for business? Did you go on vacation this summer?
• High school - Where did you go to school?
• Football field - What sports are you into?
• Goal post - What goals are you shooting for this year?

 So, the next time you are in a situation where you are trying to mingle and Connect with people, remember this fun little story and it will help you out!

5 Work Place Rules You SHOULD Break

To read the article for yourself here is the link: http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/19/living/break-work-rules-rs/index.html?hpt=hp_bn8

1. Stay Away From Emotional Topics
Sure the old rule of thumb is to shy away from personal type of conversation in the work place, but I believe you can grow closer with your colleagues and even your bosses if you jump into personal conversation with them. Appreciate others for their differences and learn to accept other points of views and I believe once you establish the differences in your team you will be able to appreciate your group even more.
As for awkward situations and confrontational situations GET IT OUT! It is so much easier to swallow your pride and get over the fear of what the other person may say or feel than to keep pushing sour grapes to the side. Approach the other person out of love and to solve the problem, not to stoke the fire. Once you get your personal problems solved and out of the way you will be so much more open to team work and process improvement building.

2. Climb the Career Ladder
Everyone has heard the saying, "Dress for who you WANT to be, not for who you are." What if you are completely happy with who you are, what if you love your current position, what if you are self employed; these are some of the questions many people in the business world are starting to consider, and it is known that having a broad range of careers versus a climbing linear career is more appealing to bosses now-a-days. It is no longer about your title, but about being an asset to your company.

3. Do What You Were Hired To Do
It used to be known that you were hired for a reason, and that reason alone; with fear that if you stepped out of those boundaries you would be in trouble. In the new business world it is looked highly upon if you step out of the lines to expand your worth. Take a good look at your position, forget about what you are supposed to be doing and look at what you COULD be doing. Gain some recognition and let it be known that you are more than your job title.

4. Live At the Office
If you burn yourself out at your office and surround yourself with nothing but job related issues you will do just that, burn out. Get a hobby, learn a new skill, pick up a journal or a musical instrument, or just spend some good ole fashioned family time with your loved ones. It is an essential part of your job to work on your personal goals and aspirations, do the things that inspire you outside of your cubicle. By reaching out into your dreams you are flexing your creativity which will make way for new and innovative ideas for the organization. If you get stuck on a task and you just don’t know where to go, take a moment, breathe, and do something that you love to do. You just may unlock a part of your creativity that will open up your mind to a solution you would have otherwise never thought of.

5. Network 24/7
We are in a whole new technological world; there are numerous social networks that make it almost effortless to network with your personal and professional contacts. Get a Facebook, get a Twitter, or find any other social network that works for you in your profession. These outlets make it so easy to network without going out of your way to talk with your contacts. In this fast paced world it is almost impossible to sit down and have a meeting with your colleagues, but you can follow them on Twitter, or message with them on Facebook, and you can stay in the business loop, without everyone having to sacrifice to keep the organization up to date.

This is a Blog about a Blog

I have become a Rich Gee fan, if you would like to read his blog for yourself here is the link:
http://www.richgee.com/2011/03/grow-your-business-and-have-fun-with-a-blog/

I get asked the question all the time, "Erica, why do you blog?"
Let me answer this with an extremely simple answer...because its fun!

I love being able to read an article or blog and being able to do my own spin of it. I love being able to take a subject and spin it into my point of view. It is so wonderful to be able to read something, or create an idea, or just get on my soap box and vent for a little while. It doesn't really matter to me if someone reads my posts; the thing about blogging is that I do it for me.
I created Believing in Achievement so that I could journal my personal growth progress. I love reading articles about personal growth and understanding personality types and anything for growing in a personal and professional setting. Blogging has given me a creative and helpful outlet to put my thoughts out there. It has also given me a communication tool to use with my co-workers. It is so uplifting when one of the ladies I work with tells me that they read my blog and that they agree with what I have to say.
Believing in Achievement has given me so much, this blog has helped me grow and it gives me a little getaway during my everyday life. I can escape from my customers or whatever crazy situation is going on in my life, and I can just dwell on what I am thinking. I would encourage everyone to start a blog, even if you do not like to write, just jot down a thought or something that happened to you that day. It is fun, helps open your creativity, and stretches you to keep moving forward.
I am currently working on starting a blog for my BeautiControl. I am an Independent Consultant of their products and I love and believe in the products and everything that the company stands for. This blog is going to help me connect with other women who are using the products or have questions about them, and help me connect with my BeautiControl Team.
Remember you can blog about ANYTHING! That is what makes it so much fun, a blog can be as personal or impersonal as you want it to be.

To Grow Your Business, Leave Your Door Open...

To read the article for yourself go to this link: http://www.richgee.com/2010/05/to-grow-your-business-leave-your-door-open-whenever-possible/

Rich Gee talks about the advice from his older brother and how to succeed in college by leaving his dorm room door open. Now, I never had a dorm life, but I can relate with this method by personality. I believe I am an 'open door' type of person; I am an easy listener and I am easy to conversate with, I make friends easily and I can relate to many different types of people.

This method sparked my interest because of my workplace. These are simple, easy to do ideas and they are just a couple of ways to build your business' success.

• Be open to your current clients/customers. You should always be available with someone who is working with you, or someone you are working for. Have different modes of communication, phone, email, or other social media sources such as Facebook or Twitter. If your client cannot get in touch with you, then how are they going to feel comfortable enough to send more people your way, or return themselves? If there is no communication how are you going to accomplish anything?
• Ask for feedback often. Not only is this helpful for understanding the faults of yourself or your business to help build change, but it is also a very helpful tool to understand what your customers or clients enjoy about you and your business, so that you can keep doing what your people want you to do!
• If you can, meet with your clients face-to-face. In my line of work as a Clerk majority of my business is face-to-face. However, I also answer the phones and deal with customers via email and most of my customers always say, "it is so nice to be able to see the face that has been helping me!" and I believe that is so true in any type of work. Sure meetings and conferences can be more convenient over Skype or the phone, but I believe a team can collaborate better when working face-to-face, and this also builds confidence with your customers or clients. Technology is very advanced and it is easy to take care of business without dealing with a human reaction at all, but I believe we all still crave that human interaction.
• Be flexible with your business model. Leave your 'door' open to new ideas, different input, another point of view, and other things that could help build onto your original idea or concept.
• When out in the world, hide the sunglasses, iPod, and newspaper. Keep yourself open to different types of people, you never know what type of business will present an idea that you could use in your line of work. Don't hide from the world, embrace it, and make it fit your business or work place.
• Ensure that any client/customer touchpoint encourages connection and conversation. Just because you have a website with information doesn’t mean your customer or client can’t hear that information from you or a real person. Ensure that you follow your customers or clients through the process of their business with you. Be open and let your customers know that you are open to whatever mode of communication they find best suits them.
• Use social media (like Twitter, Linked In, Facebook, etc.) A lot of people in the business world shunned these types of outlets for a very long time, but they are now realizing that these outlets open up your span of people you have the ability to communicate with. Be open, be willing, and be ready for the possibilities!
• Play your music loud to attract others. The way I took this idea is, find out what attracts your customers, what attracts other people that would otherwise pass by your business, find out what attracts people and make it loud, make it bright, make it bold and throw it into the next level to keep them people coming!
• Teach your colleagues and team to leave their doors open too. If you are the only one leaving your 'door' open your customers and clients will realize that, and they will favor you and your business, but keep in mind they can find other open door businesses very easily. Get your team involved and if you open some 'closed door' people in your group, then your business will have an even greater effect!

Some Motivation for YOU at WORK!

Okay ladies, who doesn’t get stressed? Who doesn’t get worn out by our daily lives? Who marvels at waking up early in the morning? who enjoys sitting in front of the computer for 9 hours, feeling like a tether ball to your desk, or dealing with people who are more than willing to vent their problems onto you (in all of the meanest ways)?
Let’s face it, we all have to go to work, we have to support our family, we have to deal with customers, computers and all of the things that make work WORK. If you are like me there is a divine force that keeps you sane, calm, collected, and gives you the grace to deal with all of those negative aspects of a job. Sometimes I find that comfort through scripture, or from a little inspirational or motivational quote.
I ran across this website one day while trying to find a tiny pick-me-up quote, so I thought I would share it,
http://www.motivational-quotes-for-women.com/work-motivation-quotes.html
It is very easy for me to find inspiration or motivation in a quote from a song, a line from a movie, scripture from the Bible, or even just a little quote (like this website provides) so I hope it will help you also.

Here are some of my favorites:

The very first step towards success in any occupation is to become interested in it.
Sir William Osier

This is so true because, if you have no desire for your work place, organization, or you job in general then you will have no success.

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When people go to work, they shouldn't have to leave their hearts at home.
Betty Bender
I love this quote. Many people look at work or a work place as something they HAVE to do, but it is possible to desire your job. I feel like my organization is filled with people who genuinely love each other, who love the organization, along with all of the things our organization stands for, and who all have a desire to see each other succeed. It is a Blessing to be able to work in that kind of environment.

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Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I like fun.
Colleen C. Barrett

 "It depends on your attitude" that is so true! If you have the attitude where you come to work already in a negative mood, there is no room to rise up. If you have the attitude where you come to work ready and open to all the possibilities your job and life have to offer, then you will not only benefit yourself, but you will also benefit the people you work with.

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Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing perfectly.
Robert H. Schuller

This quote says everything...

23 Qualities of a Great Leader

I wish I could share the link to this article, but I have not been able to find it since the day I printed it out. I found this article on CNN.com (from CareerBuilder.com) and I completely agree with all 23 Qualities. This article is a compilation of just a handful of characteristics from five credible people. These five people include, Rachael Fisher-Layne, VP of media relations, JCPR, a public relations agency; Darcy Eikenberg, a leadership and workplace coach, Red Cape Revolution; Tom Armour, co-founder, High Return Selection, a recruitment firm; Mike Sprouse, CMO, Epic Media Group, and author of "The Greatness Gap"; and Nancy Clark, author of "18 Holes for Leadership".
I am not going to go through all 23 Qualities; however, I will touch on my, personal, top 10. In no particular order;

Honesty-This is such an important characteristic to me, you must always be honest with your team or group, no matter what. If you toss this Quality out of your priorities you will just encourage your team members to do the same thing, and it can be very difficult to lead a group of people that are not honest with you.

Passion-No matter what your vision, mission, or goal is you MUST be passionate about it. If you are not passionate about your mission how can you effectively lead a group of people to meet your goal? Passion is a driving force, a NEEDED driving force when you are trying to lead your team through the process of reaching your goal.

Respect-If you play favorites in your group your members will pick up on it. A group that does not feel respected will not show respect. Respect yourself, respect the members of your group, and respect the strengths and weaknesses of your team.

Confidence-A great leader has got to have confidence, because if you do not believe in yourself, no one will. Have the confidence to know that you are a great leader, and have the confidence in your team or group.

Clarity-You must be clear about your intentions as a leader. It will be very difficult for your team to reach goals if there is confusion about the process or the next step to take, or even of the goal itself.

Care-This Quality is not just about caring for yourself and your group, but you must also care about the business, the work you and your team members do, and the community your business operates in. If you do not care, your team will not grow or build lasting goals.

Integrity- A great leader is not just a person who is respected, but someone that is worth that respect. You must be honest and follow through with the things you say you will do for your team.

Compassion-For this one I must quote the article, “Talented people want to work for leaders and organizations that truly care about their employees and the communities in which they operate." Do not manage your business or your team at the expense of your team members and especially not at the expense of your customers.

Collaborative-A great leader is a great listener. Ask for and listen to feedback and ideas from your team or group. Sometimes you may have to really dig to get ideas from some of your team members, but you never know when a different point of view may breed a revolution for your group.

Supportive-This is close to the most important quality to me. You must be a supportive leader. Be supportive of your team members, goals, input, feedback, and new ideas. If you shut down or ignore your members and their contributions, then they will not be supportive of your leadership.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

If you would like to read the article for yourself: https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit7.php

This Habit is our last Habit, and I couldn’t imagine a better note to leave this subject on. Sharpening the Saw is all about YOU! It is not about improving something or picking up a new skill, it is about taking what you have, enhancing those qualities, values, morals, etc. and finding a balance.
That balance needs to be found between these four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual. You can enhance your physical life by exercising, eating healthy, and simply loving you for you! You can enhance your social/emotional life being social, reaching out to new types of people and interacting with people of different personalities and interests in order to keep you open and accepting. You can enhance your mental self by taking up a new hobby, learning a new process or even by simply reading a new book. You can enhance your spiritual self by relaxing, meditating, re-reading your favorite verses of the Bible, or simply by saying a little prayer.
If you continually renew and revive yourself in these four main areas you are continually growing; and nothing is better than self growth (that is what this whole blog is about!). When you strive to live a life of balance it takes work and time and finding what works for you, when you are working to better yourself, either by understanding or growth it takes time to find harmony. It is important to understand that you can burn yourself out, or over do what you set out to finish.
'Sharpen the Saw' is about taking yourself (in every aspect) and simply doing a little stretching. If you enjoy reading a blog, try reading a book. If you enjoy writing, try another genre. If you enjoy eating healthy, try a new recipe. Keep yourself open to new things, you never know what little divine pleasure you may find in something you never saw yourself doing.

Habit 6: Synergy

In case you would like to read the article for yourself: https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit6.php

Just this morning on our drive to work I was talking with my co-worker, who I car pool with, on this very subject. The habit of Creative Cooperation is a beautiful habit to attain. Two heads are always better that one, in my opinion. However, both of those heads need to be working towards a common goal TOGETHER, not in competition or to beat out the other.

In order to grasp this goal you must first understand that you do not hold all of the answers, ever. You are not the center of process, and yes, your group can go on without you. You must know that your opinion is valued, and like-wise, you must value the opinions of the other people in your group or team.

No matter how many times you have done something, or read about something, or researched a topic, or played out the game plan on your own you must utilize SYNERGY with the other people in your group or team or you will fail. You may reach the goal that you and your team set out to accomplish, but you will fail because you did not achieve your goal as a team.

This can pertain to your day-to-day office environment, or to a new work group, or to your life in general. The use of synergy lets us uncover and discover things we would not have on our own.

At the end of this article Covey says,
"Valuing differences is what really drives synergy. Do you truly value the mental, emotional, and psychological differences among people? Or do you wish everyone would just agree with you so you could all get along? Many people mistake uniformity for unity; sameness for oneness. One word--boring! Differences should be seen as strengths, not weaknesses. They add zest to life."

I would have to honestly say, majority of the time I just want everyone to get along. I believe in order to appreciate people you must appreciate what makes up the person as an individual, and that (as humans) is a very difficult thing to do. I have witnessed one of my co-workers honestly try to understand and appreciate all of the different personalities and personal habits that make up our office. It is a very humbling thing to see, because I can honestly say I do not. On most days I have no desire to understand the women I work with; I just want to get through the day in harmony like we all work inside of a Disney movie. However, that is not reality. In order to achieve harmony (in real life) you must strive for it, work for it, and if everyone is working for that same thing you will achieve it.