Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - December 18th


“It certainly is a puzzle.” He turned back to the broken road. “But sometimes to find the answer, you have to take a leap of faith.” ― Dianna Hardy, Summer's End


God's will is like a jigsaw puzzle until you put all the pieces together, you won't be able to see the whole picture. ― Danny L. Deaubé


Dare to ask questions and seek answers to the puzzles of life. ― Lailah Gifty Akita



As I was watching all of the coverage of President George H.W. Bush (41) a couple weeks ago, I heard one commentator say that President George W. Bush (43) did not believe that he would have been president if Ronald Reagan had not selected his father to be his Vice President.  Additionally, in Jon Meacham’s book Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush, Bush (41) did not want to accept the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency in 1976 when President Ford asked him to serve because he thought his presidential aspirations would be forever doomed by holding that cabinet post.  However, the puzzle pieces of life fit together, and he did become the 41st President of the United States. 


Throughout my life, I have encountered various life events good and bad that I did not understand why I had to go through them.  Not until after the life event occurred and I thought about it did I understand how that “puzzle pieces” all fit together to prepare me for the future.  


Lesson Learned: Embrace the Puzzle Pieces of Life! 


CHALLENGE: Think back over your life to find the activities/events/jobs/experiences that have been the “puzzle pieces” for your life and reminisce about how they all fit together now. 



Resources


Meacham, Jon. 2015. Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush. New York City, New York: Random House.


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Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - December 11th


Switch your mentality from “I’m broken and helpless” to “I’m growing and healing” and watch how your life changes for the better.  – amazingmemovement.com 


She’s been through more Hell then you’ll ever know.  But, that’s what giver her beauty an edge…You can’t touch a woman who can wear pain like the grandest of diamonds around her neck. - Alfa


A woman who can take her pain and create something to be used for God's purpose and glory...She's brilliant and she knows how to shine. - A Modern Day Ruth


We all go through trials and tribulations in life.  Those trials and tribulations often cause hurt, pain and bad memories in our lives.  Often times, those memories stay engrained on our minds and continue to affect our lives.  When I met my Marine, a lot of past pain was brought to my remembrance.  To have a good relationship with him, I learned I was going to have to take time to work through those issues.  None of the issues I am dealing with are his fault and I want a healthy relationship with him. 


For any of us to have healthy, successful lives, overcoming our past is important.  It is vital to take the time to overcome the past. 


Lesson Learned: Get Healed from the Past! 


CHALLENGE: Determine the pain from your past and contemplate how you will overcome it.  



Resources

https://www.facebook.com/strongwomen2012/photos/a.314876281900637/1942707559117493/?type=3&theater







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Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - December 4th


Sometimes you have to let go of the picture of what you thought life would be like and learn to find joy in the story you are actually living. - Rachel Marie Martin, Findingjoy.net, The brave Art of Motherhood

Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach. - Tony Robbins

I don't understand why things happen the way they do, but I do know that God is in control and has a perfect plan for every situation. - Unknown

It's never luck or fate, it's God's perfect plan. - Stephen Samuel

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. - Proverbs 16:9

As a dreamer and very goal-oriented person, I create a plan to accomplish the dream/vision and then I implement the plan to accomplish it.  However, that is not life and I learned that this year.  I was absolutely determined that I had met the man of my dreams in 2017.  He met all of the qualifications that I had prayed for and there were things that he did to show his interest.  However, he never made a serious move.  This went on for over a year.  The ups and downs were not good for my emotions.  In mid-June, there was a tall, blonde-haired man that showed up at my church.  I noticed him, but thought he was younger than me.  I asked one of my friends to do “recon” on him for me.  Come to find out, yes, he is younger than me and he is also a Marine with blue eyes.  We officially met on July 15th and by mid-August he made a move and we have been dating ever since.  As of the writing of this blog post, that is about 3.5 months.

I learned that I saw what I thought was the right “opportunity” for me but learned that there was another “opportunity” that exceeded anything I could have prayed for.  I don’t know how this will end up, but I do know that I learned that I have to be open to other options and flexible with how I will accomplish my dreams.  

Lesson Learned: Be Open to Other Options!

CHALLENGE: What have you been determined is the “right opportunity” for you?  Is there a change that you need to make in 2019 to provide the opportunity for new options?



Resource



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Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - November 27th


ndividuals and teams have a sense of ownership, and are focused, disciplined and collaborative, while holding each other accountable for outcomes. - Di Worrall, Accountability Leadership

My experience is that accountability is an extremely powerful tool to align an organization toward its objectives. - Susan Gomez

Good men prefer to be accountable. - Michael Edwardes

Simple organizational structure and clear accountability are necessary conditions for the exercise of effective leadership. - John Adair

A friend can inspire enthusiasm as well as accountability, and that serves to challenge you. - Deanna Cosso; Romuald Andrade, Success Cloning



On January 30th, I blogged that I was going to have an accountability partner for 2018 because someone asked me if I was interested in the opportunity.  I am a pretty disciplined individual, but I thought it might be beneficial to see how the process would work and if it would help me grow.  For this year, my accountability partner and I met in-person the first time and then all other communication have been via email.  We both have busy lives and trying to find time to meet would be to hard, but emails worked great!

Wikipedia defines an accountability partner as “a person who coaches another person in terms of helping the other person keep a commitment”.  For me, having an accountability partner pushed me even harder.  I knew that I would have someone asking how I was progressing on my goals, which challenged me to work more intently on accomplishing them.  Additionally, my accountability partner was very encouraging.  As I went through different parts of the year, I would email my accountability partner and give her updates.  She would be encouraging if I seemed down or if I was not making as much progress with a goal as I had hoped.

Lesson Learned: Accountability is important for SUCCESS!

CHALLENGE: If you found having an accountability partner helpful in 2018, start thinking about who you want to be your accountability partner in 2019.




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Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - November 20th


Always appreciate what you have.  There are people who pray for the things we take for granted.  - Messages for the Soul

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. - Meister Eckhart

Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action. - W.J. Cameron

Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day. - Robert Caspar Lintner

As I was thinking about the second lesson I learned this year and Thanksgiving this week, I thought back to the Pilgrims coming to the “New World”.  In September 1620, 102 people left Plymouth, England with dreams of the opportunity to freely practice their faith, prosperity and land ownership.  After 66 days of perilous and hazardous conditions, they dropped anchor near Cape Cod.  During their first winter, the Pilgrims suffered scurvy and contagious diseases. 

When we hear about Thanksgiving, we often hear about how the Pilgrims made it to the New World and nothing else.  However, it is important to remember that they suffered and struggled for their dreams to come true.  They did not give up because they hoped for a better life but were facing regular trials. Regularly, they were thankful for this new opportunity in the New World with religious freedom and for the relationships they established with the Indians that helped them establish their lives in the New World.

When times were difficult this year, I made myself find things to be thankful for such as finding a great parking spot, completion of all the tasks on my to-do list, encouragement from someone and my friends.  Like the pilgrims, it was a choice to be thankful even during the hard times.

Lesson Learned: Find Something to be Thankful for in Every Situation!

CHALLENGE: Make a list of the things you are thankful for in 2018.



Resource


https://pastorrick.com/an-attitude-of-gratitude-will-lower-your-stress/?roi=echo7-34624216462-53481466-e4f6affcbf1a37e732f5e6afac7187fd


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Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - November 13th


Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. - T.S. Eliot

A good goal is like a strenuous exercise – it makes you stretch. - Mary Kay Ash

By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination. - Christopher Columbus



As 2018 is coming to an end, I have been reminiscing about the year and reviewing my goals.  This has been an interesting year and not what I expected; however, I came up with 6 lessons I learned. 

On January 9, 2018, I challenged Terri’s Tuesday Tip of the Week readers to set “stretch goals”.  When I wrote about the “stretch goal” challenge, I challenged myself to read 50 books, which included the 11 books in a pile that had been sitting on a chair in my apartment (TTTW – February 20, 2018) for way to long.  When I set this stretch goal, I had two concerns:  

ü  Would this stretch goal prohibit me from building relationships?

ü  Would I learn something from each book I read since I would be averaging about a book a week or would I only be reading to accomplish the goal?

I accomplished my “stretch goal” of reading 50 books and I completed the pile of books around mid-August.  Even though I had this goal, I still attended different events throughout the year to build relationships including continuing to attend the after-church lunch group that I had been attending for over a year.  Additionally, shortly after finishing the pile of books in mid-August, I was asked to lead the after-church lunch group, which continually allows me the opportunity to work on leadership skills and relationship building. 

For 2019, I will probably lower my goal for the number of books I am going to read, but maintain a high number of pages to read.  As I was reading books this year, I noticed that I would choose a shorter book to increase the number of books read instead of reading a longer page book that might be more beneficial for learning to help accomplish my dreams and goals. 

Lesson Learned: Take the Challenge!

CHALLENGE: Finish strong with your “stretch goals” and start thinking about what stretch goals to establish for yourself in 2019.
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Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - November 6th


Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country's cause. Honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field and serves, as he best can, the same cause. - Abraham Lincoln

In valor there is hope. - Publius Cornelius Tacitus

How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes! - Maya Angelou



Patriotism - love for or devotion to one's country



Over the weekend, I was talking with a Marine and he told me he chose to serve because of his love and devotion to our country and the desire to defend and protect others. 

As I thought about what he said, I started thinking about all of the men and women that have served this great country in the United States military.  My favorite soldier is my grandfather who flew planes during World War II in the Army Air Corps before it became the United States Air Force.  As I will tell anyone who will listen, I am a sassy Texan because of this great man. 

This coming Sunday, we have the opportunity to thank these amazing veterans who have protected our great country by serving in the United States military.  Because of these amazing men and women, TODAY Americans will be going to their polling locations to cast their ballot to vote in various elections.  These men and women dedicated their lives to protect and defend our great land so that ALL AMERICANS have the right to cast their ballot.



CHALLENGE: Today (Tuesday) – Vote; Sunday – Thank a veteran for his/her service!
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Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - October 30th


Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle. - Michelangelo

Genius is eternal patience. - Michelangelo

There is no greater harm than that of time wasted. - Michelangelo

Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I accomplish. - Michelangelo

Please don't trouble yourself. God didn't make us to abandon us. -  Michelangelo

Michelangelo did not set out to become one of the most famous artists of the Italian Renaissance and forever change European painting, but he did!

As a young boy, Michelangelo was an apprentice to a painter before studying in the sculpture gardens of the Medici family.  In those gardens, he found his passion for sculpting and later in life created masterpieces including David, which today is located at the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, Italy, and Pieta located at the Vatican. 

In his early thirties, Pope Julius II asked Michelangelo to switch from sculpting to painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.  At first, he was going to decline the opportunity because he did not think the project would turn out to be significant.  However, he decided to accept the opportunity and as he started painting his imagination began to come up with creative ideas.  The original plan for the Sistine Chapel ceiling was 12 apostles, but the painting morphed into more than 300 figures.  While painting, an observer asked Michelangelo why he focused so much on the corners of the painting because no one would see them.  Michelangelo’s response was, “God will”. 

There is so much to learn from the story of Michelangelo as we are 2 months from the end of the 2018. 

1.       Even if a project/assignment/goal is not something that you enjoy, put your full effort into finishing it this year because God is watching.

2.       The small details matter. 

3.       There may be a dream or goal that does not make sense right now and has not gone anywhere this year.  However, continue pushing through and finish strong because you could change the world.

CHALLENGE: Finish 2018 strong!



Resource














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Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - October 23rd


Life is an adventure in forgiveness. - Norman Cousins

Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much. ― Oscar Wilde

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. ― Mahatma Gandhi, All Men are Brothers: Autobiographical Reflections

When conflict arises, there are often hurt feelings between the individuals that were involved in the conflict.  This provides a great opportunity for forgiveness.   On Facebook, A Modern Day Ruth recently posted:

You don’t have to rebuild a relationship with everyone you’ve forgiven.  Just because you’re at peace doesn’t mean they’re not still toxic.

Forgiveness is not for the other person, but for YOU!  By forgiving, it provides you the opportunity to move on with life and accomplish your dreams.  As I was thinking about this post, I was reminded of Nelson Mandela.  According to International Business Times, Mandela spent 27 years in prison for trying to use violence to end white-minority rule.  After his release, he spent the remaining years of his life trying to bring unity to a divided country.  Four things that he did to build unity were:

1.       Mandela invited one his jailers to dinner on the 20th anniversary of his release from prison.

2.       Mandela invited a prison guard to his inauguration as South Africa’s president.

3.       Mandela lunched with the state prosecutor who tried to have him killed.

4.       Mandela wore the hated green Springbok jersey when he presented the South African Captain the World Cup Trophy in 1995. 

No matter one’s opinion of Mandela, he showed forgiveness after being jailed for 27 years.  He showed his country that it was time to put away hostility and unite as a country.



CHALLENGE: As the holidays approach, is there anyone that you need to forgive to have peace in your family and the opportunity to finish 2018 passionately and begin 2019 strong? 



Resource










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Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - October 16th


Conflict and resolution are two sides of the same coin. ― Haresh Sippy

Making noise doesn't validate your point. ― Thabiso Monkoe, The Azanian

Conflict will happen and how we handle it is the most important thing.  As I have been researching conflict resolution, I have been thinking about various times I have been in conflict.  We are all going to handle conflict differently; however, there are a few things I have learned that I think can be helpful to everyone.

1.       There are two sides to every story and it is important to take time to listen to the other side.  Alaric Hutchinson said:



Bravery is listening even when you don't want to hear it.



In one relationship in my life, I know that my interpretation of what the person says is often different than what the person means.  To help with misinterpretation of statements, I started saying, “For clarification”.  When I say this, it tells the individual I want to understand what was said and helps defuse any defensive feelings. 



2.       After gaining clarification, it is important to remain mindful of the situation.  According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, mindfulness is “the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis.” 



Mindfulness may help you gain insight into your role in conflicts with others, it won’t single-highhandedly help you resolve them.― Sharon Salzberg, Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection



3.       Ending conflict is important and it is important to find a resolution for everyone.    



Sometimes, God doesn’t send you into a battle to win it; he sends you to end it. ― Shannon L. Alder



I don’t think anyone ever gets completely used to conflict. If it’s not a little uncomfortable, then it’s not real. The key is to keep doing it anyway. ― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

CHALLENGE: What have you learned recently from a conflict that you dealt with?



Resource









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