https://www.anniemeehan.com/2023/02/what-memories-help-you-stay-hopeful/
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Do you focus on Obstacles or Opportunities?
We’re Moving…Will The Next Chapter Be Exceptional?
For the last 30+ years I’ve talked about moving south. I love the feel of summer weather all year, the heat of the sunshine, the beauty of the ocean, and all the people who love to spend their days outside.
This past winter, we spent two months living on Fort Myers Beach. Each day we enjoyed two to three walks on the beach, bike rides, tennis, and time in the pool which are all things I love doing outside. Even on the only rainy, cold day we experienced, we still got a couple dog walks in.
In my mind, the thought of moving has always been simple as I felt like if I just do it, everything will work out. However, I learned during our time there that it might be more complicated than I thought. When you’re close to the beach, many things are very expensive, not everyone loves dogs, and not all beaches allow dogs. I also started to think about our need to find a new church, doctor, dentist, vet… and the list continues.
Then I started thinking about all our opportunities to experience new beginnings, making new friends, discovering new places to hangout, and getting to know new neighborhoods. For someone like me who loves change, it can be hard to stay out of trouble sometimes. Following the last year of loss in many areas, I’m ready to make a change and say yes to a new chapter in Florida!
Before we made our decision, we talked to each one of our kids to be sure they were alright with where we wanted to go next. We were blessed to have their excitement and full support surrounding us which I’m incredibly grateful for.
We’ve made offers on two homes so far though we lost out on both; but by the time this hits your inbox, we may have found the place to call our new home! It’s easy to let fear of the unknown stop us from making moves in any area of our lives. However, I believe there’s always something better waiting on the other side. While we go through the process, I’m going to work hard to focus on the good while acknowledging the challenges and facing them head on.
This week, I encourage you to challenge your fear of the unknown and say yes to whatever move you’ve been waiting to make whether it be big or small. You never know what could be waiting for you right on the other side!
What does living your exceptional life look like to you?
What move have you been waiting to make? Are you ready?
When was the last time you made an important move? What motivated you?
What was the best part about the last move you made? Why?
This blog is from a while ago and now a new chapter back in MN will start the end of this year as I launch my Small Business Vistage group in MN. I just felt that this blog was a good reminder, life is always changing we can focus on the Obstacles or the Opportunities. I am so excited for my next Exceptional chapter ; )
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?
Education, Educators and Students
As we close out another school year lets celebrate our amazing educators in the classroom and in our homes that are educating & encouraging the next generation. Lets celebrate our students hard work and dedication to focus in the midst of a very distracting world. What Student, Educator or Parent can you thank and encourage this week? A great honor I have experienced three times not is doing a commencement speech for 2 colleges and 1 high School, Oh what an honor to celebrate all the hard work of all those involved in education
What an unexpected hot button topic this last year. Are kids being homeschooled or are they distance learning? Does it really matter what we call it? I think the most important part is that kids are still being educated and finding opportunities. My kids have attended private, public, STEM, and charter schools. I even tried homeschooling them for a year and a half once; luckily, they made it to adulthood and are doing well!
I believe as loving parents we do what’s best for our kids, not what’s easiest, whenever possible. As my kids have grown up, I’ve done whatever I can to educate and help them learn. I loved finding creative ways to teach them math through cooking, baking, cards, and cribbage.
One of the best things I heard in 2020 is that kids had more time to imagine, create, and become. They had opportunities to use their gifts and personal learning styles beyond the structure of a classroom. Many of our kids don’t fit in a traditional box or like to sit at a desk.
Some of the smartest, most talkative, active, or creative people in the world don’t fit into a traditional box which is why they excel. In a time where their learning styles finally shine, it’s important to celebrate and encourage their strengths in this environment! With a little encouragement, they could become some of the most successful people in the world one day.
This week, when the going gets tough, I encourage you to celebrate your child’s strengths and support their inner creativity! Take time to pour into what they’re excited about and help them keep building on it!
What does living your exceptional life look like to you?
What will you celebrate about the kids in your life this week?
What creative ways are the kids in your life excelling?
What’s your favorite thing to teach the kids in your life? #mentalwellnessexpert#celebrateeducators#schoolsoutforsummer#celebratestudents#graduation2022
Blog from above the Palm trees People Love Dirty Laundry
Why is it that people live for other people’s dirty laundry? It baffles me that some love to watch a tragedy on repeat or feed off of another person’s misfortunes. Is it our own fault as a society?Whether it’s an awful car accident at the top of the nightly news, or seeing something burn to the ground, tragedies seem to get the most attention. If you listen, even with half an ear, you’ll often hear others seeking out more details or gossiping about someone else’s failures rather than hyping up their successes and cheering them on.As someone who advocates for encouraging and supporting others, sharing our stories for the better, and showing kindness to all, it breaks my heart when I hear others taking joy in someone else’s pain. In order to overcome this, I believe each of us needs to take responsibility and start putting emphasis on checking ourselves when we go too far.The next time you catch yourself gossiping about someone or something else ask yourself, “Why are we fueling this? What could we do to be helpful instead?” By working toward simple shifts in your thinking, such asking yourself how you can help versus harm, you not only have the opportunity to bring positivity into your life but to the lives of those around you.As I get older, I see more and more that what we focus on we find in our own lives. This week, I encourage you to be mindful of your conversations and to start asking yourself and others how you can help versus harm. Through practicing this disruption, you may be amazed by the positive shifts you’ll see in your life! What does living your exceptional life look like to you?Do you love other people’s dirty laundry? Why?What will you focus on this week that you want to find more of in your life?How will you disrupt your thoughts about other people’s dirty laundry to refocus on being helpful instead of harmful? #AbovethePalmtrees#mentalwellnessexpert#h3cultures
