The problem is that they also brought the dog home. To their house. Where I’m visiting soon. And, I’m afraid of dogs.

I never had pets growing up. Well, that’s not entirely true. We had goldfish, but I’m not sure that counts. Most of my friends had dogs or cats. My husband’s family had a dog. Pepper was very well-behaved and friendly. None of these animals really bothered me too much.

Today I am thankful that, even as a “seasoned” adult, there are still opportunities to overcome fear.

Over thirty years ago, when I was pregnant with our firstborn, one of our friends had a “crazy” German Shepherd. This dog was HUGE and very jumpy. Several times, during thunderstorms, the dog even jumped through a porch window! During one of our visits to their home when I was nearly nine months pregnant, the monster dog jumped up on me, knocked me off balance, pulled a hole in my shirt, and scared me half to death.

I haven’t gotten over that experience.

A lot of people just don’t get it. I hear things like, “It’s just a puppy.” “That was thirty years ago.” “Get over it.” “Why won’t you try?”

.

Sigh.

We’ll see what happens. I know I want to see my grandson much more than I want to avoid the puppy. Maybe I’ll have a breakthrough. Or, maybe I’ll just manage my fear. Either way, I won’t let it get the best of the grandma in me.

I like to collect sayings on different topics.  You never know when a little extra inspiration might be needed!  Below are a few of the items I’ve pinned to my “Positivity” board.  Enjoy!  (Then, go set up your own Pinterest account and start pinning!)

Tuesday Tidbits are weekly messages I send to my leadership team. They are generally short & sweet, often focused on leadership or teamwork, always positive and, hopefully, motivational. I hope you also find some meaning in them.

The movie is the true story of recently widowed father of two, Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon), who decides to buy a run-down wildlife park and move his family there to give everyone a fresh start away from sad memories.

Of course, memories aren’t so quickly left behind and running a zoo isn’t easy, either!  This heartwarming story takes viewers through the evolution of the family’s grief and recovery, with a sprinkling of humor.  One of the life lessons in the story is something handed down from Mee’s father to him, and from him to his children:

You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.

Think of these words when you’re about to have a difficult conversation; be brave enough to say the first words.  When attempting to do something you’re unsure of, twenty seconds of courage will get you started.  When choosing a new path, bravely take that first step.

When making New Year’s resolutions later this week, be brave enough to think big!  What do you want to change?  What do you want to start?  What do you want to stop? Remember, all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage.  Something great will come of it.

Happy 2012!

Tuesday Tidbits are weekly messages I send to my leadership team. They are generally short & sweet, often focused on leadership or teamwork, always positive and, hopefully, motivational. I hope you also find some meaning in them.

On her website, Emily Post offers some great tips on everyday manners.  What I like best is this line:

It’s not just about knowing these manners,  it’s about being intentional in their use.

As she also says, no one wakes up deciding, “Today is the day I’m going to be rude to everyone I meet.”  Yet, in all the hustle and bustle, bargains and giftwrap, menus and garland,  it’s easy to forget the love and generosity at the center of the season.

What can you do?

Smile at people you meet.  Let the woman with the restless kids go ahead of you in line.  Hold the door for the person behind you.  Let someone else park closest to the store.  Be patient with seasonal help at the mall.  Say Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas as you checkout.

You can serve others simply by intentionally sharing common courtesy.  Make this last week before Christmas a merry one!

One of the harder things to measure and impact is a person’s attitude, yet it can be one of the most important things that contribute to a favorable reaction.  You may have heard this story before, but it is a favorite illustration about positive attitude:

Many years ago two salesmen were sent by a British shoe manufacturer to Africa to investigate and report back on market potential.

The first salesman reported back, “There is no potential here – nobody wears shoes.”

The second salesman reported back, “There is massive potential here – nobody wears shoes.”

Both salesmen saw the exact same thing.  Nobody wears shoes.  Yet, one salesman viewed that circumstance as an overwhelming challenge to success while the other saw it as a clear opportunity.  Their attitude toward the situation made all the difference.

How do you look at challenges that face you?  What attitude do your team members observe in you?

Tuesday Tidbits are weekly messages I send to my leadership team. They are generally short & sweet, often focused on leadership or teamwork, always positive and, hopefully, motivational. I hope you also find some meaning in them.

Today, I will do what others won’t so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t. ~Jerry Rice

Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity. ~Louis Pasteur

Much good work is lost for the lack of a little more.  ~Edward H. Harriman

Most people, upon reaching the top, look down and enjoy the view.  The smart money is on looking up and finding new mountains to climb.  ~Jeb Dickerson

Happy December!

Tuesday Tidbits are weekly messages I send to my leadership team. They are generally short & sweet, often focused on leadership or teamwork, always positive and, hopefully, motivational. I hope you also find some meaning in them.

Many of us will be doing the same thing today; taking a moment between turkey and touchdowns to be thankful.  Some of us may consider our good health, happy families, steady employment, or comfortable homes.  We may simply be thankful for the food on our table today.  Perhaps we are enjoying the day with friends and neighbors and are thankful for their presence in our lives.

Some of us might be in the middle of a health crisis, but appreciate the support of doctors and caregivers.  We might be in a financial crunch, but have enough to feed our children today.  Perhaps we’ve been enduring a personal struggle, but we see the light ahead.  Even in difficulty, one can find reason to give thanks.

But, what happens tomorrow?

I am challenging myself to not only give thanks today, but to live thanks every day.  Over the last year, I have found that concentrating on the practice of gratitude has enriched my life in many ways.  My emphasis on gratitude has also positively impacted other people. Some have read the posts and commented about them, or observed my practice and chose to adopt it, or even in just one situation realized gratitude mattered.

Attitude is a choice, and I choose gratitude.  I hope you’ll join me.

Give thanks today and live thanks tomorrow. 

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is no to utter words, but to live by them. -John Fitzgerald Kennedy

To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live in gratitude is to touch heaven. -Johannes A. Gaertner

At its most basic level, the beauty of a stained glass window comes when light shines from the inside darkness.  The dark colors of broken and fragile glass are transformed to glowing richness; beauty radiates.

So it is with people.

In Stained Glass Hearts, Clairmont shares personal stories, biblical quotes, suggested readings, musical and artistic resources, helping readers see that what may appear to be broken chards of life can actually be put back together to create new beauty.

Clairmont’s background as a Christian women’s inspirational speaker certainly comes through loud and clear.  Each chapter draws in the reader with an everyday life story that is easy to relate to.  However, when the story takes a sad or confusing turn, Clairmont reminds readers they can pull through the brokenness, seek grace and guidance, and transform ugliness into beauty through prayerful faith in God.

I enjoy reading books in which the author takes real life experiences and puts a positive and forward-looking spin on them.  Successfully getting through life’s challenges and tragedies often depends on the attitude with which you choose to approach them.  Clairmont inpires her readers to choose a healing, spiritual, positive approach.  By doing so, a broken life can become a thing of beauty.

If you would like to buy the book, click HERE to order it on Amazon.com or HERE to order it on Barnes & Noble.

It’s hard to believe that it’s November already! There are only sixty days left in the year. Seventeen of those days fall on the weekend. Subtract Thanksgiving and we are left with just forty two work days remaining in 2011.

How will you make the best of those remaining days? Worrying and fretting about where the time is going? Or, buckling down and getting the most out of them?

Have you reached your 2011 goals, yet? What about your personal development; have you explored something new? You know what they say; if you aren’t growing… What about your co-workers; any team goals that haven’t been met, yet? How are your peer relationships coming?

Time is short. Make the most of it.

Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein. -H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Tuesday Tidbits are weekly messages I send to my leadership team. They are generally short & sweet, often focused on leadership or teamwork, always positive and hopefully, motivational. I hope you find some meaning in them.

Today, I am thankful that I stumbled across Ben’s blog post.  For one year now, I have been enriched by fulfilling my commitment to write this weekly post.  Giving focused attention and consideration to the many things I have to be thankful for always makes my week better.  I have become more aware of signs, books, and articles about gratitude.  I have shared with others the difference that living in gratitude has made for me and now they have taken up the Thank you Thursday idea in their own way.

My most recent gratitude find is a wonderful little book by M.J Ryan, “Attitudes of Gratitude, How to Give and Receive Joy Every Day of Your Life.”  After an introduction about the joy of gratitude, the book is divided into three key parts: The Gifts of Gratitude, The Attitudes of Gratitude, and The Practices of Gratitude.  It’s a collection of wonderful ideas, short stories and reminders of how to give and receive gratitude.  It’s one of those great books that I can pick up, read a short chapter or two, be refreshed and carry on with renewed inspiration.

What about you? How do you stay fully present in gratitude? What would be possible if all the world were intentional in thankfulness?

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. -William Arthur Ward

Will you join the gratitude movement?