Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Wek - May 21, 2024

 A positive attitude can really make dreams come true - it did for me. - David Bailey

Today is blog post 500…Wow! Almost ten years of writing has definitely been a growth opportunity for me. As I spent time reviewing previous blog posts to write the last six lessons, I saw the difference in my writing from when I started until now. If anyone questions the benefits of developing oneself, read my first blog post and my 498^th. What a difference!

Over the last month or so, I highlighted topics that I thought were important and I wanted to remind readers of. All five hundred (500) blog posts can be found at: https://tuesdaytipoftheweek.blogspot.com.

Thinking about this final blog posts, I had a number of ideas about what to say, quotes to use, etc. However, I decided to stick with ten tips to help everyone as they continue on their journey to accomplishing their dreams:

ü  Smile:

Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, how you leave others feeling after having an experience with you becomes your trademark. – Jay Danzie

 

ü  Develop and implement a personal growth plan: 

Growth is the great separator between those who succeed and those who do not. When I see a person beginning to separate themselves from the pack, it’s almost always due to personal growth. - John C. Maxwell

 

ü  Never give up:

No matter how hard it gets, never quit: Never, never, never give up. - Winston Churchill

 

 

ü  Keep moving toward your dreams.  You have no idea how it will turn out:

Different than what I Thought, Better than I Imagined. – Lynette Lewis

 

ü  Develop a growth mindset:

Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction. - Germany Kent

 

ü  Simplicity

Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication. - Leonardo da Vinci

 

ü  Develop yearly goals and track progress:

Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one. – Brad Paisley

 

ü  Dreamers are leaders:

The true measure of leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less. – John C. Maxwell

 

ü  Create your personal purpose statement and review when making major life decisions:

Success is knowing my purpose in life, growing to my max potential and sowing seeds that benefit others. – John Maxwell

 

ü   Dream the impossible because one day it may come true:

All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. – Walt Disney

Action: Keep pursuing your dreams and never give up!

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - May 14, 2024

 I have full confidence in your courage and devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory! Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking. - Dwight D. Eisenhower

 

The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. - Dwight D. Eisenhower

 

Today, when people thank me for my service, I figure three years of my time is a cheap price to pay for this country. Nobody owes me a thing.  - Lieutenant Buck Compton

The author’s favorite post was from June 6, 2019 as she wrote about her adventure to Normandy, France:

As we will be honoring the 75^th anniversary of D-Day this Thursday June 6, 2019, I took time this past weekend to reminisce about my time in Normandy, France in 2014. 

D-Day was when the Allied (U.S., British and Canadian) forces coordinated an assault on the German forces on the beaches of Normandy called Operation Overlord.  According to the D-Day Center, the Allied forces were prepared for the large assault with:  

·        6,939 Ships & Landing Craft

·        10,440 Aircraft

·        156,115 Allied Troops

Normandy had many historical sites and interesting stories.  It was a very moving experience to walk on the beaches of Normandy where D-Day occurred, look up on the enormous cliffs that the Allied forces climbed to attack the Germans and then to see the houses on the top of those cliffs.  The tour guide said that some people stayed in their homes during the assault.  Also, it was very moving walking the hallowed-ground at the Normandy American Cemetery viewing the crosses representing a grave for each of the 9,387 American soldiers buried there.

However, one story stood out to me more than any other.  As we walked the beaches, the tour guide said that today people actually sunbath on the Normandy beaches.  I was absolutely appalled.  To me, that was where men had died during war and I thought the beaches were hallowed-ground and needed to be respected.  The tour guide said she understood my perspective; however, she said that she once asked a veteran that fought at Normandy if he thought it was appropriate for people to sunbath on the beaches of Normandy.  His response was, “I fought for people to be able to do that.”

CHALLENGE: As most readers know, my passion is to serve the United States Military and that will not change as I start this new season of my life.  I challenge each reader to remember the amazing men and women that serve our great country.  They protect this country allowing each of us the freedom to purse our goals and dreams. 

To see my pictures of Normandy, France, here is the Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/terri.flow.3/media_set?set=a.10152428980207294&type=3.

 

Resources

·        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY597CZZW30&feature=youtu.be&utm_source=ONTRAPORT-email-broadcast&utm_medium=ONTRAPORT-email-broadcast&utm_term=Newsletter&utm_content=Commemorating+the+75th+anniversary+of+the+D-Day+landings.+Mission+Matters+-+May+2019&utm_campaign=05302019

·        https://www.history.com/news/why-was-it-called-d-day

·        https://www.history.com/news/d-day-normandy-wwii-facts

·        http://www.dday.center/

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - May 7, 2024

 The secret of success is consistency of purpose. – Benjamin Disraeli

 Success is knowing my purpose in life, growing to my max potential and sowing seeds that benefit others. – John Maxwell

 A career is what you get paid for.  A calling is what you are made for. – John Maxwell

 

As the author reflected on the near five hundred blog posts she has written, she knew there was one important lesson that surpassed all others. Everyone needs their own personal purpose statement. The reader may ask, what is a personal purpose statement? According to Manifest Your Potential:

A life purpose statement describes in clear and full detail the reason you exist, why you are here now and how you see your life unfolding.

Over the years, the author has gone through many ups and downs. Some ups include travel to foreign countries, military volunteer opportunities, a new job, and many adventures on the east coast and Texas. Along the way, there were many downs including being unemployed for two years, an apartment fire, the death of both the author’s parents within nine months of each other and many heartbreaks. Through these times, the author found strength and solace because she had written a “Personal Purpose Statement.”

The author learned about a Personal Purpose Statement when she lived in Austin, Texas almost fifteen years ago from a speaker at a Christian conference. The speaker talked about how she kept her life on the right track by reviewing her Personal Purpose Statement every time she had a major decision to make.  

A Personal Purpose Statement is not about the reader’s job, career, or even their dreams and goals. It’s about the reader’s Purpose. According to the Oxford Dictionary, Purpose is defined as: “The reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.”  

When the author had a hard decision to make or questioned why she was encountering more tribulations and asking why for the one thousand time, she would remind herself of her Personal Purpose Statement and would reacclimate her mind for why she was on earth. The author’s Personal Purpose Statement is a pithy and succinct declaration of who she was created to be.

Here are five (5) steps to help create a “Personal Purpose Statement”:

1. Write down the words and phrases that best describe the reader’s strengths, abilities, interests, and passions. It might be helpful to ask a close confidant how they would describe/identify the reader.

2. Consolidate the list of words and phrases with those of similar meanings.

3. Prioritize the words and phrases from most important to least important in describing oneself.

4. Identify the problems that the reader is strong at solving.

5. Combine the passion words and phrases with the words that describe the reader to create a “Personal Purpose Statement.” It can read something like: “Terri Flow exists for ….” or “To…”

 

ACTION:  If over the years, the reader has not created their personal purpose statement, take an hour or so this week to create it. It will be life changing and provide direction for your future.

 

Next week, the author will repost her favorite blog post.

Resource:

http://www.manifestyourpotential.com/self_discovery/5_discover_life_purpose/life_purpose_statement.htm

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - April 30, 2024

 Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance. – Coco Chanel

 

Over the last couple of weeks, the author has been recapping lessons from almost ten years of Terri’s Tuesday Tip of the Week.  Lessons discussed include:

1.      Know when to end something.

2.      To accomplish anything, an individual has to start.

3.      The importance of a growth mindset and mental toughness.

In 2020, the author spent a couple months discussing simplicity. Dictionary.com defines simplicity as the state, quality, or an instance of being simple; freedom from complexity, intricacy, or division into parts; absence of luxury, pretentiousness, ornament, etc.; plainness; freedom from deceit or guile; sincerity; artlessness; naturalness; lack of mental acuteness or shrewdness.

The author’s quest for simplicity started while watching a sunrise in Virginia Beach, Virginia and then hearing a podcast by Patrick Lencioni. In that podcast, Lencioni quoted Leonardo da Vinci:

 

Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication.

 

Over the years, the author has continually worked on her journey to simplicity. Through this journey, the author has tried to remove the complexity in life and make situations simpler. Simplicity created peace in the author’s life, and she added elements of a beach paradise in her home in Fort Worth just like she had her apartment in 2020 to remind herself to continue on the journey of simplicity.

 

The author’s role model for simplicity has been Audrey Hepburn. Her style was always known as simple sophistication, but her life also revealed simplicity.

 

Only simple people know what love is. Complicated people try so hard to make an impression that they soon run out of patience. – Audrey Hepburn

 

Simple is not a bad word. Simple people are usually known as the most sensible individuals and know how to focus on what is important in life: love, family, faith, and others.

 

Our society today is fast-paced, technology-driven and pressured to accomplish the next goal, dream, or big thing. In life, it is so important to remember the simple things as they are what really matter and make a difference.

 

ACTION: How do you have simplicity in your life?

Resource:

https://exploringyourmind.com/7-inspiring-quotes-audrey-hepburn/

https://totallyhistory.com/the-timeless-elegance-of-audrey-hepburn-a-life-of-grace-and-resilience/

https://catherinerobinsoncashmere.com/the-essence-of-simplicity-audrey-hepburn/

 

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - April 23, 2024

 Becoming is better than being. - Carol Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

 We like to think of our champions and idols as superheroes who were born different from us. We don’t like to think of them as relatively ordinary people who made themselves extraordinary. -  Carol Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Our minds and thoughts are one of the biggest issues we must overcome to accomplish our goals and dreams.

In July 2014, the author read Mindset by Carol Dweck and decided it was time to develop a growth mindset. Through the process, she learned that it is easy to try new things and it is just as easy to resort back to the previous negative mindset. When we decide to move to a growth mindset, we must remember during transitions to notice the changes in ourselves even though we may not see a complete change.

In the fixed mindset, everything is about the outcome. If you fail—or if you’re not the best—it’s all been wasted. The growth mindset allows people to value what they’re doing regardless of the outcome . They’re tackling problems, charting new courses, working on important issues. Maybe they haven’t found the cure for cancer, but the search was deeply meaningful. - Carol S. Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

A growth mindset is a belief that a person’s skills and talents can increase over time if one puts forth the time and effort to improve.

Picture your brain forming new connections as you meet the challenge and learn. Keep on going. - Carol Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

This growth mindset will help develop mental toughness, which the author discussed for a number of months in 2021. A Navy SEAL trains for his purpose, but is also flexible and adaptable to help his teammates because of his training and mental toughness.

Mental Toughness is a personality trait that determines your ability to perform consistently under stress and pressure, and is closely related to qualities such as character, resilience, grit and perseverance. – David Goggin

 

People think SEALs are cold-blooded, heartless, wound-up, brainwashed killers. They imagine you can just point a SEAL in a direction and say, 'Go kill.' The truth is you're talking about a bunch of kind-hearted, jovial guys. The only thing that separates them is mental toughness. – Howard E. Wasdin

ACTION: Our mindset makes the difference in every situation. Do you have a growth mindset? Do you have mental toughness? Do you believe that you can improve and develop over time if you put forth the effort? Do you have the persistence and tenacity to push forward to accomplish your goals and dreams? Your mindset is what will catapult you to your future.

Resource:

https://www.bing.com/search?q=growth+mindset+definition&cvid=9cf2a24057c64eed936a7c85bf553bd6&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQABhAMgYIAhAAGEAyBggDEAAYQDIGCAQQABhAMgYIBRAAGEAyBggGEAAYQDIGCAcQABhAMgYICBAAGEDSAQg0ODYyajBqNKgCCLACAQ&FORM=ANAB01&PC=HCTS

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - April 16, 2024

 If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it. - Olin Miller

 There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting. – Buddha

 

The next lesson the author has learned over almost ten years of writing the blog: To accomplish anything, you have to start.

A great example is this week’s blog post. The author has the topics she wants to cover over the coming weeks, but had a crazy last twelve days and had to develop how to write this. A couple times the author had ideas, but never jotted them down. Once she finally took the time, she was able to write the post and then let it set and made updates and improvements.

Rarely is something perfect on the first try. A new idea takes time to percolate and make improvements. Dreams are seldom accomplished on the first try or first thought. Start and see what happens. 

Another hindrance to starting is fear. To overcome the fear, just start.

 ACTION: What have you feared and not started. This week, start the task, goal, or dream.

Resource:

https://pastorrick.com/take-a-step-of-faith-in-spite-of-your-fear-3/

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - April 9, 2024

You can do anything, but not everything. – Jon Acuff

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. –

Seneca

I started this blog because I was leading a lady’s group at my church, and it was suggested to me that I should write a weekly blog to encourage ladies and share my wisdom. That was in July 2014. In the almost 10 years I have been writing Terri’s Tuesday Tip of the Week, I have lived in Austin, Texas, Arlington, Virginia for 5 years and now Fort Worth, Texas. There have been many life changes, some amazing and some sad. Throughout, I have shared what I learned from each event and how it moved me closer to accomplishing my dreams.

Now, I share that I have decided to end this blog after at my 500^th post. My life is changing, and new doors of opportunity are opening for me that need my full attention. Over the coming weeks, I am going to highlight some of my favorite blog posts I have written over the years.

For today, the lesson is to learn when to end something. This decision has been coming for over a year. I knew I still had more to share, but I also knew the end was coming. As I continue to recover from perfectionism, ending at my 500th blog seemed fitting.

 Unfortunately, perfectionism dies slowly. It’s persistent and particularly dangerous because it masquerades as excellence. - Jon Acuff

 

ACTION: Is there something in your life that you have known for a while you need to end? This task/action may still give you joy or it may not. Other priorities may need to take the top spot in your life. What steps do you need to do to end the task/action?

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - April 2, 2024

 Carve out and claim the time to care for yourself and kindle your own fire. - Amy Ippoliti

Self-care is a deliberate choice to gift yourself with people, places, things, events, and opportunities that recharge our personal battery and promote whole health—body, mind, and spirit. - Laurie Buchanan, PhD

Welcome to April!

To finish up the first quarter update from the author, the author continues to focus on meeting new people and networking. As she discussed last week, the author has been going to different activities with friends. Some of the events attended provided the author the opportunity to network with local business owners, business leaders, political contacts, etc. Networking can occur at any activity and intersects in various ways.

In addition, the author has worked on her style in the first quarter by reading articles, going to stores to view the current trends, etc. The author knows the best attire for her body and knows that she wants to have a simple, sophisticated style like Audrey Hepburn, and she continues to strive toward that.

Lastly, the author analyzed her goals for the first quarter of the year. The author is listening to podcasts, going to events, hanging out with friends, and volunteering. With the various activities and work, the author does need to focus on her reading goal. Also, the author will focus on visiting new places now that the weather has improved since spring has arrived.

ACTION: How are your goals progressing this year? What changes will you make in the next three months to catapult you to success at the end of 2024?

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - March 26, 2024

 Be kind to yourself.  You are doing the best you can in this moment. – Ella Sommer

Self-care is not selfish! It is the only way we can give our best to the world! - https://www.pinterest.com/pin/164311086391664086/

As we are approaching the end of the first quarter of 2024, it is time to start analyzing the year to determine our progress and decide if changes need to be made to move us towards accomplishing our goals.

For the author, she is amazed at how the year is going for her.

Work is keeping the author extremely busy even though she is only doing one job this year! Even with this busy schedule, the author is determined to keep the promise to herself for self-care. 

As an update on self-care for the author, she is doing well. For the first update, the author’s health. She continues to work out each day and continues to research ways to improve her sleep. Second, the author is embarking on new volunteer opportunities. In early March, the author became an honorary commander for a group at the local joint reserve base. The author is so excited as she met with the colonel this past week to discuss ideas and has already started working on her first opportunity to help the airmen/airwomen.

Third, the author is working on socializing and her friendships. Since the author moved back to Texas, this area has been a challenge for her. A friend of the authors said it took her three years to make friends when she returned to Texas and the author would agree that it has taken close to the same amount of time.

ACTION: How are you doing with your goals and focuses for 2024? Are there any changes you need to make to accomplish your goals this year? Determine what tweaks you need to make in your life to put you on a path to accomplish your goals and dreams.

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - March 19, 2024

 Out of clutter, find simplicity. - Albert Einstein

A place for everything, and everything in its place. - Benjamin Franklin

Spring starts today. Adventures await. New opportunities are on the horizon. Dreams are ready to be fulfilled. Is the reader ready?

This past weekend, the weather was dreary in Texas, so the author took the opportunity to clean out her house. Yard work was accomplished. Files were cleaned out, floors scrubbed, and the closet was organized! The closet had been on the author’s mind for a month, and she had started it, but never finished. She placed tasks on her to-do list, but never accomplished them. Now, it is clean, and space is available. Walking into her closet the author smiles as she sees the space and organization she created.

The objective of cleaning is not just to clean, but to feel happiness living within that environment. – Marie Kondo

Why is it important to have a clean home? There are many reasons, but here are a couple for the author:

·        When the author’s closet was cluttered, she did not sleep well. After organizing the closet, she felt calm and was able to sleep.

Clutter smothers. Simplicity breathes. - Terri Guillemets

·        A cluttered home with papers all around disrupts accomplishing your goals and dreams.

·        One must have a life that is ready for new opportunities when they knock. John Wooden said:

When opportunity comes, it’s too late to prepare.

ACTION:   How will you declutter your home in March?