Learn How and When to Trust?
Trust is an interesting thing. For some of us, trust comes very easily, however, for others it takes time and effort to earn their trust. I’m someone who trusts others right away. I always think the best of people, and can’t imagine they would lie to or disappoint me. In my mind, honesty is the best policy even though the truth hurts sometimes.
When my kids were younger, I always asked them to share their challenges and difficult situations with me. I also told them to never lie because once that trust is broken, it would be quite difficult for them to earn it back. All of us have experienced betrayal in our lifetimes and the painful challenges one must go through to overcome it.
My friend David Horsehoger teaches on trust and the first time I heard him speak about it, I thought, “Yes, it is important, but is it that important?” He then shared examples of what it looks and feels like for a celebrity to betray trust. For example, when Tiger Woods lost his endorsements or Michael Jackson lost his fans, both of their careers were arguably ruined because they betrayed someone else’s trust.
These examples show when we are working or in a relationship with someone long enough they may eventually disappoint us or betray our trust. When we can’t trust someone how do we align with them? We also know people like to do business with those they know, like and TRUST.
Self-reflection is an exceptional way to be honest and build trust with ourselves. This week I encourage you to think deeply about your own products, services, and
Trust is an interesting thing. For some of us, trust comes very easily, however, for others it takes time and effort to earn their trust. I’m someone who trusts others right away. I always think the best of people, and can’t imagine they would lie to or disappoint me. In my mind, honesty is the best policy even though the truth hurts sometimes.
When my kids were younger, I always asked them to share their challenges and difficult situations with me. I also told them to never lie because once that trust is broken, it would be quite difficult for them to earn it back. All of us have experienced betrayal in our lifetimes and the painful challenges one must go through to overcome it.
My friend David Horsehoger teaches on trust and the first time I heard him speak about it, I thought, “Yes, it is important, but is it that important?” He then shared examples of what it looks and feels like for a celebrity to betray trust. For example, when Tiger Woods lost his endorsements or Michael Jackson lost his fans, both of their careers were arguably ruined because they betrayed someone else’s trust.
These examples show when we are working or in a relationship with someone long enough they may eventually disappoint us or betray our trust. When we can’t trust someone how do we align with them? We also know people like to do business with those they know, like and TRUST.
Self-reflection is an exceptional way to be honest and build trust with ourselves. This week I encourage you to think deeply about your own products, services, and relationships and try to determine whether you believe people see you as trustworthy.
What does living your exceptional life look like to you?
Do you trust people at first meeting or do you need to be around new people for a while before you believe them trustworthy?
How do you stay safe and still open to trusting others?
Once trust is broken, what are the keys to rebuilding it?
Be the Exception, 7 Keys to Transformation, Rewrite your Story, Break the Cycles that no longer serve YOU!
Being The Exception
It’s interesting to me how people respond when I talk about being the exception. Some say, “Wow, you really are the exception! You’ve overcome so much while staying positive and being generous.” Other times, people call me out and say, “You don’t always live an exceptional life or have it all perfectly together. I’ve heard your stories.”
The truth is, I believe we’re all a work in progress; the magic doesn’t just happen overnight. Being the exception, breaking cycles, and rewriting my story is daily work and some days are definitely better than others.
The 7 Steps, which to me seem more like The 7 Ways of Being, give me something to work on every day. As I navigate through the steps I have to remain mindful in order to be intentional with my thoughts, words, and actions.
Step 1, be honest, may be the biggest challenge for me. This step requires me to analyze my thoughts, judgements, and stories then ask myself, “Is this true? Does it serve me? Does it serve others?” We all carry stories in our head and those stories often become our truths.
Step 2, be open, applies to opportunities, new perspectives, mentorship, and so much more. By being open, all of us have had moments in life where we’ve learned a great deal from others. By doing so, we have the chance to apply it to our own lives and share our new knowledge with even more people.
Step 3, be healthy, can be a slippery slope for someone who loves treats. I have to actively make different choices and remind myself how it will positively impact my body, mind, and spirit.
Step 4, be flexible, is accomplished for me through the serenity prayer. It reminds me that I’m not able to be in charge of everything and that life will always be changing.
Step 5, be gentle with your story, looks like practicing an abundance of grace in my world. Each of us has a story, none worse or greater than another. We all have stories of success, failures, and challenges in our lives. It’s how we talk about our story that determines if we embrace where we came from and where we’re going next.
Step 6, be courageous, means looking fear in the eye and saying, “I can do this anyway!” It means not only overcoming my fears to help myself, but overcoming my fears to better sever others, too.
Step 7, be authentic, may be the other biggest challenge for me. It’s especially tough when there are so many others telling me I’m either too much or not enough. It takes a lot of practice and being present in the moment to be authentically myself though with each day, I know who I am more and more.
This week, I encourage you to join me in being the exception! We aren’t going to do this perfectly, but we are going to do it intentionally. Together, we’ll use these ways of being to bring awareness to our thoughts, actions, and words. I’m a work in progress and so are you! Won’t you continue alongside me as we journey toward being the exception? What does living your exceptional life look like to you?
Do you feel like you’re the exception? Why?
What does living authentically mean to you?
Which of these 7 Ways of Being is easiest for you? Which one challenges you the most?
Gratitude Goes On
Gratitude Goes On
November is just beginning and a grateful heart never has to end! I loved spending the last month focusing on and reading everyone’s gratitude posts. From the little things to the big things, and the many things in between, there’s an abundance of things for us to be grateful for each and every day, no matter how simple.
I hope as we move into the final month of this year, we don’t stop counting our blessings just because Thanksgiving has passed. Waking up with, living with, and sustaining a grateful heart can be challenging but is achievable by all and oh so worth it! When I focus on all I have and not what’s lacking, especially this year, it brings calm and joy to my day and my life overall.
A heart that’s full with gratitude overflows, creating an abundance mindset leading to practicing how to live from a place of generosity. For me, the first step is always gratitude which is quickly followed by generosity. It’s a place where I focus on all that I have which leads me to wanting to share with others.
Through COVID and spending more time at home I’ve found myself slowing down and noticing the smaller, beautiful moments I have to be grateful for. I love my early morning walks as the sun rises and my late evening walks under the moonlight. As I walk, I think about how I can share the calm and joy I feel. I often ask myself, “What can I give from my heart that’s so full?” Through that question, I ‘m able to determine what I can share and teach with others in my life that day and how I’ll serve them.
During this holiday season, I encourage you to choose someone to show your gratitude for through service to them or a donation to an organization in honor of them. There are so many people in our lives who are in need at this time. I believe showing them your gratitude will help fill their hearts, too!
What does living your exceptional life look like to you?
Do you think of ways to be generous daily? What are they?
Let Annie know what you think! E-mail her at:
Annie@AnnieMeehan.com
Who will you serve this holiday season? How?
Let Annie know your plan! E-mail her at:
How will you carry your gratitude mindset into the new year?
Tell Annie what life you’re living! E-mail her at:
H3 Cultures in the workplace where people are Healthy, Hopeful and Happy
H3 Cultures is the Key to bringing your office back as you recognize, appreciate and support your employees as they move forward from the challenges of last year. H3 Cultures is about bringing Health, Hope & Happiness back to the workplace. Showing your team you care and support them as you bring me in to Present some positivity and ideas around getting Healthy so you can bring your best to the workplace #h3cultures #healthyhopefulhappy #BeTheException #mentalhealthmatters #wellbeing #selfcare
From Hate to Hope
Staying Hopeful can be a challenge but it helps me focus on what is possible rather that what is happening, How do you stay in Hope?
From Hate to Hope
Two little letters are all it takes to change us from hate to hope. It seems some people are more likely to get stuck on hate and what someone has done to them in the past, or what someone hasn’t done for them. In order to move forward from hate to hope they must first grow their vision and belief that the future can be better than the past or the present have been.
Hope speaks to us differently and reminds us that even if we’re feeling stuck or constantly working through hard things, that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. While it may be a blinding light at times or a candle flame at others, the light of hope is always there in some form if we’re willing to believe.
Life will be hard for all of us during different seasons, some of which may last much longer than others. When you encounter these seasons, I implore you to think like a victor, not a victim. Practice directing your thoughts toward hope, positivity, and the belief that something better is coming next in your life.
When I’m facing tough times, I focus on eliminating my excuses to help lead me to hope! Sure, there are always going to be details that are out of our control but there are going to be just as many that we can control if we’re willing to do the work and see the change through.
With everything going on in the world recently, I think it’s vital for us to look to the future together with a vision of hope and how we can all play our part in creating positive solutions. When I think of the words hate and hope, there’s just two tiny letters that make the difference. It can’t be that hard to move the AT to an OP, can it?
This week, as you encounter your next challenge, I encourage you to choose hope instead of hate. By making the conscious effort to choose hope versus hate in smaller aspects of our daily lives, we will have the ability to enhance our vision of the future and how we can make a difference as our newfound hope continues to spill over into even larger buckets!
What does living your exceptional life look like to you?
How do you practice hope and looking toward a positive future?
Was there a time in life where having hope changed the situation? How?
Are you more likely to show up with hate or hope? Why?
Tell Annie what life you’re living! E-mail her at:
Annie@AnnieMeehan.com
