Start Quote

Fear and loathing is not too strong a description

of the visceral reaction many of us experience

when a business trip looms. 

Actually, the anticipation of the trip 

is often more horrendous than the reality...

But no matter what faces you on a business trip,

if you intuitively plan for yourself 

the way you would for a child 

about to go away on her first week long camping trip 

- preparing both for the unexpected 

and for maximum comfort - 

you'll not only cope, but have a very good chance 

of enjoying the change of scene. 

Here are some soothing strategies 

for easing hectic moments so that your trip might be

pleasant and productive...

[1]

Pack as lightly as possible, leaving room in your suitcase 

for your favorite sleeping pillow...

[I ALWAYS bring my pillow, even going to my mom's house.

I can't sleep on any other pillow, I know from experience, 

and I need my sleep! Just don't forget to pack it when you leave.

My dad has lost too many pillow to count on one hand

just because he forgot them in his hotel room.]

modobag

[2]

Your airplane carry-on bag should be large enough to hold a complete outfit appropriate for business, as well as your cosmetics, toiletries, and vital business papers in a portfolio if you're not carrying a briefcase. Should your luggage be lost or delayed, you can manage, at least for a day.

 

Snow in August! 

You never know.

[3]

No matter what the season or where you're traveling,

pack at least A FEW [items for the unexpected. 

You NEVER know what will happen.

Be prepared.]

[4]

Create a comfort bag for traveling...

[5]

Many hotels have gyms and swimming pools;

don't forget [to bring stuff to work out!

Make the time to take care of yourself.]

[6]

If you're attending an all-day conference or convention

and won't be back at your hotel until night, 

tuck the following lifesavers into your briefcase or backpack:

headache relief, a small bottle of water or juice and nibbles

in case you miss lunch; and a travel-size toothbrush, 

toothpaste, mouth wash, and a string of dental floss.

[7]

Remember to pace yourself as much as possible. 

If your day is spent in back-to-back meetings, 

try to squeeze in mini-breaks;

you need fresh air as much as you do 

a cup of coffee and trips to the ladies' room.

When your days are crammed with appointments, 

one quiet night on your own is essential.

[8]

Build breathing space into your schedule,

ESPECIALLY if you think you can't possibly do it.

Get up an hour earlier than you really have to.

Lie in bed quietly to collect your thoughts,

and then luxuriate with breakfast in bed.

It may be the only peaceful hour of your day... 

If you have evening engagements, 

try to return to your hotel beforehand to revive.

Lie down for twenty minutes, take a quick shower,

put on fresh makeup, and change for dinner.

You'll feel a surge of new energy and enthusiasm.

Try to arrive at your hotel the day before meetings begin

so you can settle in; pack up your room the night before 

you go home so that you don't have a mad-dash departure.

 "Warriors don't take potty breaks!" 

 

[9]

If something has started to annoy you but isn't quite a nag

- a sensitive tooth or a twinge when you go to the bathroom -

check it out before you leave. 

There is absolutely nothing worse than needing 

an emergency root canal or having a 

urinary infection flare up while traveling.

[10]

Always travel with different [books]:

serious, light, trash, and inspirational. 

You can't predict what your mood will be...

[11]

Pack at least one collapsible bag to fill up

with anything you might want to bring back...

[12]

Carve out a couple of hours for a solo creative excursion...

Above all, enjoy your trip as much as possible

- the solitude of your hotel room, the luxury of room service, 

not having to worry about cooking or carpooling,

the novelty of different newspapers and scenery. 

Be grateful for the opportunities to meet new people,

see new places, enlarge your horizons...

End Quote

I have not had the best experiences packing for trips...

Last year when we went to Pismo I forgot my sneakers. 

My feet would have been very cold if my mother-in-law 

had not been prepared for every type of weather

and had two of everything.

I also forgot pants for Jacob. 

He was freezing.

This year I packed for super cold weather,

you know, like it usually is at the beach in September.

NOPE!

This year they hit record high temperatures, 

and then it rained. 

First, check the weather online.

Then, pack for what you think it'll be,

and then the unexpected too. 

I've gotten pretty good at packing,

practice makes perfect. 

I always forget at least one thing, 

no matter how careful I am.

Anyone have any good traveling stories?

***

Gratitude Journal

***

1) Conference! I learned so much today. My favorite talk was Elder Holland's about the commandments. While I was writing Robbie was watching Priesthood session and I listened to Elder Eyrings, and I loved his too.

2) Cool mountain weather.

3) Mud. Lots and lots of mud.

 This was the best picture...

the others they had their mouths open 

and there was food in them...

Ew.

4) Nana.

5) Sourdough pancakes, sourdough biscuts, and learning about sourdough starters. Grandma's had hers going for basically her entire adult life. She was so funny, she said something like "you better keep it going after I die." Yes ma'am, we will continue to make sourdough pancakes and keep that starter going just for you.

September 29th - On The Job

"When we truly care for ourselves, 

it becomes possible to care 

far more profoundly about other people.

The more alert and sensitive we are to our own needs, 

the more loving and generous we can be toward others."

-Eda LeShan 

 

Start Quote

Rituals of self-nurturance are 

the mortar that holds the day together... 

Think of a favorite cup and indulgent brews

that can be warmed in the microwave...

Set aside ten minutes at your desk with your cup

 and a closed door before the day officially begins; 

it can center you as you thoughtfully review 

what needs to be done. 

Ten minutes of quiet at the end of the day, 

straightening the piles on your desk, 

looking over tomorrow's agenda, 

can help bring an orderly closure to your day 

before you shift gears. 

Ten minutes in the morning, 

ten minutes at night.

No matter how busy we are, 

we all can invest twenty minutes to preserve 

the precious resources of time, 

creative energy, and emotion. 

Create a pleasing and pretty workspace...

[flowers, plants, pretty pens and paper, 

a pretty cup to put them in...]

Little civilizing details can make a tremendous difference.

Now create a comfort drawer.

Fill it with everything you ever wanted at work and didn't have:

a small sewing kit; safety pins; tampons [etc]...

Tuck in breath mints, a chocolate bar, 

and a couple blank greeting cards 

for quick notes to distant friends...

[A toy box, a cosmetic bag, aromatherapy...]

Stretch twice a day, especially if you work 

at a computer for long periods of time...

Remember feng-shui...

Every week or so, bring in something good to eat

(it doesn't have to be fattening)

in a pretty tin or basket to share.

Treating yourself well on the job is not impossible.

It can serve as a source of inspiration to bring out your best.

When starting a new project, ask yourself,

is there anything I can do to make this task more pleasurable?

If there is, do it.

The therapeutic value of treats in the workplace 

is probably the last thing employers think about as a benefit,

but it shouldn't be. 

Working happier accomplishes much more

than working harder.

End Quote

There is one thing that I will always need to learn and relearn,

how much I need to take the time for self care.

I remember in Seminary trying to learn

how important it is to read your scriptures and pray every day.

High school was extremely time consuming for me,

and so quite often I would make the argument

that in order to succeed in my studies 

I didn't have time to read or pray.

I couldn't afford it.

But the truth is, 

that we can't afford NOT to take the time.

Life is ALWAYS going to be busy.

There is always going to be something pressing, 

it will always feel like there's never enough time in the day

to get everything done that you want to or that needs to get done.

If we don't take the time for self care,

to feed our souls and nourish our spirits, 

we WILL wither away. 

But you won't take the time, 

unless you believe it's important. 

And you won't believe, 

until you take the time to take care of yourself 

and see if it makes a difference. 

On Monday when you go to work, 

give it a try.

For those of you who work at home, 

the same rules apply. 

Life should be enjoyable,

but it will only be if you make it so.

***

Gratitude Journal

***

1) It's Friday! I'm so glad this week is over. 

2) Conference weekend! 9 o'clock you know where I'll be tomorrow.

3) Uncle Harry's strawberry bagels. 

4) Robbie's office had a bbq this afternoon for lunch, because they try to apply the principles in today's blog, and the leftovers came home with us. I am so grateful that there was hot and delicious food, because by dinner time I was so done we were going to have cereal...

5) Book series. I'm on book 6 of the Jack Reacher novels. I love them.

September 28th - A Time And A Season

Start Quote

You cannot raise 

happy, secure, emotionally well-adjusted children,  

revel in a fabulous marriage,

AND work a sixty-hour week. 

You want to, I know.

So do I.

But we can't. 

It is physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually

 IMPOSSIBLE. 

We have tried.

We have failed.

We CANNOT circumvent the laws of Heaven and Earth

just because it would be convenient.

Just because it would fit nicely into our plans.

We have tried.

We have failed.

When we cannot do it ALL at the same time,

we ARE meant to do only SOME of it.

In order to find out what the "some" is to be, we need to ask:

What is it I truly want right now?

What is it I truly need?

How do I get it?

How much does it cost in life's currency?

This might be the season for you to wipe a runny nose.

That doesn't mean the season of 

running your own business won't occur. 

This might be the season of living out of a suitcase.

That doesn't mean the season of 

restoring a colonial farmhouse will never come. 

Making deals doesn't mean that 

someday you won't be making school lunches. 

The seasons of life are not meant to be frenetic, 

just full.

"You probably CAN have it all,"

Anna Quindlen muses. 

"Just not all at the same time.

And...you might have to make certain compromises

when your children are small.

But your children are going to be small

for a very short period of time...

it will go by in a blink of an eye..."

Blessed is the woman 

who knows her own limits.

End Quote

***
Gratitude Journal

***

1) Today is Thursday. That means tomorrow is Friday.

2) Having a productive day. Finally getting some stuff done!

3) Listening to the kids playing nicely.

4) Routines.

5) Music.

September 27th - Follow Your Heart

I've mentioned the mommy wars before, 

and how women lately have been 

extremely judgemental of each other.

 

These women actually believe that 

their way of living is the only right way, 

and if you're not living according to their beliefs

then you're doing it wrong

and you're an awful human being.

These women have some serious issues. 

But so do the women that judge themselves

and think they're failing when

they don't live up to others expectations.

Start Quote 

When Anna Quindlen, 

the Pulitizer Prize-winning columnist 

for the New York Times, 

stepped off journalism's fast track to devote her 

time, emotion, and creative energy to 

writing novels and raising her three children full time,

her peers were aghast, 

and her women readers were astonished.

Half her readers

- women who had decided to put family before career -

applauded her choice.

The other half 

- women who were trying desperately 

to raise happy kids and work full time - 

felt betrayed.

Anny Quindlen was not just Supermom, 

but the archetype for women who wanted to have it all.

Her personal decision resurrected the old debate between 

mothers with careers versus mothers who work at home.  



 If she couldn't take the juggling any longer, 
what hope was there for the rest of us?

But Anna Quindlen's creative choice 
wasn't about career versus family.

It was about worldly success versus authentic success.
She dreamed of writing novels instead of newspaper columns.
 She wanted to be there when her children came home from school. 
She wanted to live by her own lights.
She wanted to listen to her heart. 
And she had the financial means to do so.


Only the heart knows what's working in our lives.
The heart is our authentic compass.

If we consult her, the heart can tell us 
if we're headed in the right direction.

But the heart also tells us when we've 
made a wrong turn or when it's time for a U-turn.  

For a lot of us, this is information we don't want to know. 

Knowing might mean choice, 
and choice often means change.


I don't doubt that there are ten million women 
who would love to make the choice that Anna Quindlen did,
but they're not in the financial position to do so.

But just because you can't do it 
today or tomorrow
doesn't mean you can't ever do it.

Dreams deferred come true every day.
Delay doesn't mean denial.

The heart does not charge for consultations,
conversations, creative brainstorming sessions,
or carrying a dream from conception to delivery,
no matter how long it takes.

"Dreams pass into the reality of action,"
Anais Nin reassures us.
"From the action stems the dream again;
and this interdependence produces 
the highest form of living."
End Quote
 



Live and let live. 

Follow your heart,
and let others do the same. 

Keep chasing your dreams.




***
Gratitude Journal
***

1) Halloween costumes this year are going to be epic! Well, they've always been epic. The first year with Jacob Robbie and I were scare crows and Jacob was a jack-o-lantern. The second year I was in the hospital with the twins so Jacob had halloween with his cousins.  The third year we were Dr Seuss's Cat in the Hat, Jacob was the cat, the twins were thing one and thing two, and Robbie and I were the boy and the girl. Last year we were the minions from the Minion Movie, Jacob was Kevin, Riley and Chase switched between Stewart and Bob, and Robbie was Herb and I was Scarlett Overkill. Any guesses as to what we're going to be this year? Here's your first clue.

2) I got the laundry done. It was monsterous.

3) My night off! I started Jacob's costume. I'm so excited!

4) Did I mention I got most of the laundry done? And not just done, put away! All that's left is some stuff that needs to be stain treated, and the ironing. And then to do it all over again.

5) Exercising. 

September 26th - Patience, Perseverance and Persistence

"Nothing in the world can take the place of 

Persistence.

Talent will not; 

nothing is more commonplace than unsuccessful men with talent.

Genius will not;

unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.

Education alone will not;

the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and Determination alone are omnipotent."

-Calvin Coolidge 

Start Quote

Patience is the art of waiting.

Like all high arts, it takes time to master,

which shouldn't be surprising, 

since patience is the knowledge of time. 

How to use time to your advantage, 

how to be at the right place at the right time,

how to pick your moments,

how to bite your tongue.

Patience is discovering the mysterious pattern of cycles 

that cradle the Universe and ensure that everything 

that has happened once will recur. 

Perseverance in life is being steadfast;

persistence is being stubborn.

Persistence is grittier than perseverance.

Perseverance is achievement's perspiration;

persistence is its sweat.

Persistence is knocking on Heaven's doors 

so often and so loudly on behalf of your dreams 

that eventually you'll be given what you want, 

just to shut you up...

The potent alchemy of patience and persistence,

which together become endurance, 

must have been what the Lebanese poet 

Hoda al-Namai was meditating on when she wrote:

I have not withdrawn into despair,

I did not go mad in gathering honey,

I did not go mad,

I did not go mad,

I did not go mad.

If you are determined to gather life's honey, 

to stick your hand into the hive

again and again and again,

to be stung so many times that you become numb to the pain, 

to persevere and persist 

till those who know and love you 

become unable to think of you as a fairly normal woman,

you will not be called mad.

You will be called authentic.

End Quote 

***
Gratitude Journal
***

1) Good friends who send you power cords when yours breaks.

2) Shopping. Retail therapy is awesome. 

3) Candy. We took a trip to a candy store in the mall today, turns out they were the only ones with these kinds of suckers in stock.

4) Hearing Robbie help someone out. 

5) Cafe Rio and a chick flick. Random date night in the middle of the week. Sometimes you just need it.

September 25th - Role Models

"I've always believed that one woman's success 

CAN ONLY HELP

another woman's success."

-Gloria Vanderbilt 

I firmly believe this.

We have this idea that has seeped into our hearts that 

if someone else has succeeded 

that their success somehow lessens 

whatever we do, or even who we are.

It's rampant on social media. 

Whether its fitness, cooking, baking, sewing, singing, 

crafting, decorating, doing cute videos or pictures...

you name it, it's there.

Someone's doing something AWESOME,

and they're probably doing it better than you.

And instead of thinking

"I'm really happy for them and that they are successful"

we think

"why can't I be that cool?"

It doesn't have to be a competition.

It's only a competition if YOU make it one.

Why not instead be happy for their success,

and then try to be happy and successful in your life,

and in YOUR own way.

This is what Sarah's talking about today.

Start Quote

If there's something you want to do with your life

and another woman has done it before you,

there's NO reason you can't achieve it too.

And if no woman has ever done what you dream of doing,

there's NO reason you can't be the first.

Someone has to be.

Who are the women you most admire?

Why?

Find out everything you can about their lives 

because they have secrets to share with you

In 1908, Napoleon Hill was a college student 

and a fledgling freelance writer. 

He obtained an interview with Andrew Carnegie, 

who was then the world's richest man. 

Hill wanted to write a profile that would reveal 

Carnegie's secrets for accumulating his vast fortune. 

Carnegie was so impressed with the young man that the 

initial three-hour interview stretched into three days.

During this time Carnegie asked Hill if he 

would be willing to devote the next twenty years 

to one of the millionaire's pet projects: 

interviewing other successful entrepreneurs 

and distilling their success secrets into a formula that 

average men and women could use to achieve their dreams. 

Carnegie offered Hill no financial incentive 

but he did promise him introductions to 

such famous men as Thomas Edison, 

Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, and Luther Burbank. 

Hill jumped at the chance.

The result was an immensely successful writing career 

that eventually led in 1937 to the publication of 

Hill's philosophy of personal achievement, 

Think and Grow Rich. 

Coming as it did in the midst of the Great Depression, 

the book's uplifting message, 

"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe...it can achieve," captured the country's imagination. 

Hill's book eventually became one of the most 

influential ever published, selling over ten million copies. 

It spawned the self-actualization publishing genre.

One of the secrets that Hill discovered 

was that many successful dreamers enjoy 

personal reveries with their role models. 

Hill suggests creating an imaginary council 

with a group of "Invisible Counselors," 

composed of the people you most admire. 

At night before you go to sleep, 

close your eyes and conduct success strategy sessions 

in which you seek the advice of your heroines. 

While the meetings are "purely imaginary," 

Hill believes they make us more 

"receptive to ideas, thoughts, and knowledge" 

which reaches us through our sixth sense, intuition. 

If your role models are alive and achieving, 

think of them as clearing the brush for you. 

Follow their tracks. 

Research everything you can about their personal journeys. 

Do they make personal appearances, give lectures 

or workshops you can attend? 

Join women's business associations, network at conferences, 

ask for advice and occasionally look down at the floor. 

Someone has laid down a path for you to follow.

End Quote

I talked about something like this in

The Gift of Failure.

I talked about how it's a blessing to know our weaknesses,

and to be receptive to other people trying to help you.

Now lets acknowledge and praise other people's 

successes, wisdom, knowledge, techniques, 

and their failures too. 

And lets learn from them.

I have a lot of fictional characters that I love. 

Dagny Taggart 

Sarah 

Valentine Wiggin 

Hermione Granger 

I'm sure I'm forgetting characters...

And I'm going to have to start compiling a list

of real people...

Who do you admire?

Please share, because obviously my list is lacking.

Men and women,

lets hear it!

***

Gratitude Journal

***

1) Therapy. My gosh I'm learning so much. Tonight I learned a lot, but to sum it up I learned that you need to parent yourself. 

2) Food. I love food.

3) Cool weather.

4) Whole house fans.

5) Being able to laugh about a terrible morning where everything that could go wrong did go wrong, and not letting it ruin my day.