Pretty In My Heart

Have you ever thought much about how we live in an age of quantity?

From conversations with our peers to what we see, hear and read we are told that larger, faster, newer and getting more is always better. And, that we need all of it to be truly happy.

How often do you see kids and even adults buying into that philosophy? Yes, much of it is called advertising! Does it bother you? Can you turn it off? Do you appreciate the small things?

Maybe it is with age and challenging life experiences, I am learning that small and inexpensive things can bring great joy into my life. The red beaded ring, that I bought in Costa Rica for two dollars, is one example. I was shopping one night when it practically jumped on my hand. I'd just enjoyed dinner of an 8 oz. of yellow fin tuna, jasmine rice, fresh vegetables and cervesa Imperial. It cost around $8 (would have been $38 in the U.S.) and the meal was fabulous for sure! In the moment, I certainly enjoyed every bite and sip. But...it was gone.

I bought the ring. Made by hand, there is not another one exactly like it anywhere in the world. To make that ring, someone carefully strung the tiny beads together, then sewed the string into a row of beads.

The ring is on my finger today. Not only am I wearing something pretty, but as I look at my hand, the ring brings a smile to my face remembering that evening of a nice meal, window shopping along the streets of Jaco and then going back and showing my treasures to my friend at the Spanish schoole. He said it was muy bonito (very pretty).

I smiled at him in agreement. I thought so then, and still do only it is more than pretty to look at...it is pretty in my heart.

Something small and inexpensive can be as satisfying as something big and expensive. I could be wearing a 5 carat diamond, but I don't know if it would bring me as much pleasure as my red beaded ring.

If we all could take live like this, maybe we would all be happier. A simple meal with a friend becomes more than time shared…it becomes a treasured memory. Sure we open our eyes to see, but look up, down and around...you get many different views. Smile and stop and smell the roses.
Whether a single smile or the beauty of a small treasure - each day I want to pursue the things that certainly are pretty to see, but mostly I want to pursue things that are very pretty in my heart (muy bonito en mi corazon).

Setting Deadlines For Dreams

An illuminating study on goal setting sponsored by the Ford Foundation found:

• 23% of the population has no idea what they want from life. As a result they don't have much.
• 67% of the population has a general idea of what they want but they don't have any plans for how to get it.
• Only 10% of the population has specific, well-defined goals, but even then, 7 out of the 10 of those people reach their goals only half the time.
• The top 3%, however, achieved their goals 89% of the time!

What accounts for the difference between the top 3% and the others?

The top 3% wrote down their goals.

Can it really be that simple?

Dreams and wishes are not goals until they are written as specific end results on paper. In some very real sense, writing them down materializes them.

Goals should be thought of as "dreams with a deadline". Without writing them down how can you know where you are going? How will you ever reach any destination?

Written, specific goals provide direction and focus to actions. This creates a road map providing the directions of when to stop, turn, how fast to go and how far it is to the end. A map keeps you aware of today's location. By knowing your GPS and the specific directions to the destination, it is much easier to know where you have been, serves to guide what is ahead and ensures that you will arrive on time.

In public relations, I create road maps for other people and their businesses. It really is easier to do it for someone else. i.e. "the cobbler's kids have no shoes."

This week, I plan to write down a few of my goals (both personal and professional) with a timeline and set some deadlines for my dreams. Will you join me?