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“If I Would Have Known Then What I Know Now. But I Did, And So Do You.”
She knew she was dying when she wrote the note which read: “Regrets? I have a few. Too much worrying about finding the right husband and having children, being on time, being late and so on. It didn’t matter. It all works out, and it would have worked out without the worries and the tears. …
Tagged a life well lived, And So Do You., are there things you'd like to change, be kind, be less quick to anger, don't take life for granted, dying, eulogy, family, funeral, happiness, have courage, If I Would Have Known Then What I Know Now. But I Did, its about time, joy, live life now, live your dash, make memories, memories, overworked, show appreciation more, stop worrying and start living, the dash between those years, the dash poem, treat others well, we all have a limited time, what will you regret, when your eulogy is read, work life balance
Think You Are Too Small To Be Effective?
“If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in the dark with a mosquito.” —Betty Reese When talking with employees of an organization you will often discover that the rank and file employees within the organization are far more aware of the problems going on then the management is. And …
Tagged advice to employees, Amy Rees Anderson, CEO, communicate openly and honestly, create systems of accountability, discussion board, do what is right let the consequence follow, do your part, duck soup systems, dysfunctional organizations, idea board, inappropriate behavior, leader, leaders have to take responsibility, managers, president, responsibility of leadership, success will come and go but integrity is forever, tell the truth, the onus falls on you, the role of the leader, think you are too small to be effective, tools of communication, use your voice, your integrity is your most valuable asset
“Please pass me that parenting book. I need to smack my kid with it.”
I observed an interaction between a mother and her teenage daughter today and it was all I could do not to bust out laughing. Not because what was happening was funny, but because I knew exactly what emotions the mother was going through in that moment because I’ve walked in her shoes back when I …
Tagged be patient, been there done that, empathy, empty nesters, enabling parent, enabling parents, hang in there, help children become independent, it will all be worth it, let them do it for themselves, memories, mother daughter relationships, one day that teen will grow up, Please pass me that parenting book. I need to smack my kid with it, raising children, Raising teenagers, sassy pants, sympathy, teenage daughter, the struggle of parenthood, understanding what they are going through, walked in your shoes, you are not in it alone, you know you are a teenager when, young adults
Never Take For Granted How Blessed You Are To Still Have Them Around
I was sitting at a corner booth that butted up against the back window at a restaurant today for a business meeting over lunch. The rest of the group was seated on the bench seat with their backs to the window and I was seated at a chair facing the window. As I was in …
Tagged an ice cream cone, appreciate your parents, blessed, caught off guard, don’t take your parents for granted, excited and proud, father, feeling emotional, grateful, happy, happy surprise, ice cream cone, its the little things, Jerry Rees, joy, living parents, looking out the window, love your parents, lucky to be his daughter, mother, my dad, never take for granted how blessed you are, simple joy, tell them you love them, the best dad, the loss of a parent, the power of a hug, what awesome looks like
Working Hard Should Not Be Done For A Goal’s Sake At The Expense Of Relationship With Others
I was working at my office late tonight when a text came through from a friend with a video clip. I was super busy today and wouldn’t normally have stopped to listen to a video clip but for some reason I found myself hitting play. A young man in his graduation cap and gown stands …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, attending to relationships, awesome speech, career, close a chapter of your life, graduation speech, have no regrets, have no regrets in the 16th second, have no regrets in the sixteenth second, humble yourself, Instagram famous, kyle martin, life lesson, mend fractured relationships, never lose focus of your personal relationships, personal regret, personal relationship with jesus Christ, pride, prioritize, put god first, respect parents, self-reflection, social media, start something new, that’s it?, the king’s academy, the stress of a goal, valedictorian speech, video games, what awesome looks like, working hard is good, Working Hard Should Not Be Done For A Goal's Sake At The Expense Of Relationship With Others
You’ve Got To Check Conditions Daily To Make The Needed Adjustments
Today we were discussing holding firm to our values in life. At one point in the discussion the leader of the discussion drew a picture of a boat and talked about the need for an anchor to hold the boat in place. Some may picture a single anchor dropped in the water, but having been …
Tagged acts of service, Amy Rees Anderson, anchor lines, anchoring a boat, be diligent, BeDazzled, change as needed, charitable, charity, choose the right, conditions are constantly changing, conditions change daily, create good habits, daily habits that keep you strongly held to your values, daily prayer, don’t get stuck, don’t miss the subtle changes, firm a foundation, floating aimlessly, forbes, hardworking, houseboat, integrity, invictus, kindness, know your values, lake powell, make the needed adjustments, respect others, scripture study, securely in place, serve others, so the right things, stay secure, stuck in life, trustworthy, what awesome looks like, you actions determine your destiny, you are the captain of your soul
That Sense Of Wonder
I answered the knock at our front door and he came barreling right in yelling “Grandma, Grandma – I’m Spiderman!!!” There he was, my two year old grandson with a Spiderman mask on his face and a Disney Cars backpack on his back. He ran in the door all wide-eyed and full of excitement pretending …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, anything is possible, been there done that, childlike wonder, disney cars, fearless, Flynn, Flynn Dalton anderson, full of possibilities, get excited, grandbaby, i'm spiderman, keep a sense of wonder, lightning mcqueen, magic, mundane, never lose that sense of wonder, never lose your imagination, powerful imagination, see the world through the eyes of a child, spiderman, superhero, superhero cape, through the eyes of a child, wide-eyed excitement, wonder woman
You Couldn’t Ask For More
We were all sitting on the floor opening Christmas presents together when my kids said they had something for me. I waited for them to hand me something to unwrap, but instead they asked me to look up at our TV screen and watch a video they had made for me. As the video started …
Tagged a moment in time, Amy Rees Anderson, as kids get married, ashley anderson hill, Ashley hill, becoming a grandparent, birthday gift, capturing memories, Christmas gift, creative, family, growing family, in-laws, marriage, most treasured moments, my favorite gift, my favorite thing, our growing family, parenthood, preserve your memories, remembering, reminisce, the best gift, the best gift ever, the gift of memories, the greatest gift, video editing, you couldn't ask for more
You Know It’s A Rough Day When…
You know it’s a rough day when first thing in the morning you jump on an early call at home that runs longer than expected so you go racing out the door and make the 15 minute drive to your office because you are now 10 minutes late to meet with the folks that have …
Tagged accept what you cannot control, Amy Rees Anderson, backlog of work, birthday party, catching back up, completely overwhelmed, do what you can, do what you can do, don't get discouraged, don't give up, don't quit, grant me the serenity, hang in there, if it’s not okay it’s not the end, in-laws, it can only get better from here, just when you thought you had things under control, let your best be enough, never quit, push through it, too much to get through, when everything goes wrong, you had a bad day, you know it's a rough day when
How To Combat The Blues
Without a doubt one of the most dreaded things about January is coming back to work after the long holiday break to face all the emails, voice messages, and letters that have piled up during your absence. Seeing all that work that’s accumulated and realizing how long it is going to take you just to …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, attitude, back to school, back to work, backlog, count your blessings, depressed, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, discouraged, feeling down, feeling the blues, gratitude, happiness, holidays are over, make a list of everything you have to be grateful for, perspective, positive self-talk, put things in perspective, recognize your blessings, self talk, what awesome looks like, winter blues
Starting The Decade Off Right!
Welcome back from the holidays everyone! And even more so, welcome to 2020!!! We have officially begun a whole new decade. It’s so exciting! After spending the Christmas holiday with our family here at home, which was fabulous, my husband and I decided to fly down to California to spend a few romantic days alone …
Tagged alex hill, Amy Rees Anderson, Ashley hill, disney, disney castle, disneyland, fireworks, happiest place on earth, happy anniversary, joy, laughter and fun, life is to be enjoyed not just endured, Mickey Mouse, new years day, new years eve, new years resolution, Rollin Anderson, start the decade right, the magic of disney, twelve year wedding anniversary, unplug
And To All A Good Diet
“When what to my wondering eyes should appear but 10 extra pounds onHips, Thighs, and Rear!” I don’t know about you, but when the reality of every piece of chocolate, toffee, cookie, and pie I consumed over the holidays caught up with me in the form of standing on my scale….well, let’s just say it …
Tagged After holiday blues, Amy Rees Anderson, bring on the diet, christmas goodies, diet, don’t look at the scale, get in shape, happy new year to all, healthy eating, holiday weight gain, losing weight, new year weight loss goal, new years diet plan, overeating, putting on weight, start exercising, ten pounds, to all a good diet, weight loss
IT’S 2020 GOAL POSTER TIME!!!
2020 will be as AWESOME as the goals you set for it! 2020 is about to begin and today is the PERFECT day to create your 2020 Goal Poster!!! So grab a posterboard and some glue stick or open a Powerpoint presentation and grab some digital images and start creating a visual goal board with …
Tagged #goalposter, 2020, accomplishment, Amy Rees Anderson, anything is possible, believer, bhag, dream big, embark on a journey, forbes, look back in awe, new year ahead, new years eve, sky castles, start the new year off right, the people you least expect, the power of a goal poster, the secret, visualize your goals, what awesome looks like, you never know what you are capable of, you'll never know until you try
You Are Greater Than You Know
My younger brother Andrew Rees is a Psychiatrist, a Lt Col, and Squadron Commander in the Air Force. Over the holiday break he wrote an article for the Base that was so touching I immediately asked his permission to share it with all of you as well. Here is what he wrote: “You are greater …
Tagged air force, Amy Rees Anderson, andrew rees, believe in yourself, challenges change us, change your perspective, change your thoughts, death of a child, dover air force base, emotionally, George bailey, impact us for good, it's a wonderful life, katie rees, lt colonel, mentally, military, physically, some are true some are not true, sophie rees, squadron commander, stillborn, there is always more to the story, thoughts determine reality, you are far greater than you know, you are greater than you know
Close Your Book of Grievances
I hope you all had an amazing Christmas! I love how Christmas season casts a truly amazing spell on the world. People’s walls come down, their hearts are softened, they notice the needs of strangers, they have the desire to care for their fellow man, and hurts anger seems to get let go and be …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, be kind, Close your book of grievances, forget the past, forgive and forget, forgive others, give the gift of peace, happiness, inner peace, kindness begins with me, leave the past in the past, let it go, look at people’s hearts, love others, move forward, spirit of love, start with a clean slate, the greatest time of year, the most wonderful time of the year
The Christ Child: A Nativity Story
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I’m so excited to have my children and grandchildren with me and my husband this year! There is no greater joy in my life then being with my family… I’m also excited that we’ll have many of my extended family coming over Christmas Eve as well to celebrate with our …
Tagged #lighttheworld, Amy Rees Anderson, atonement, baby jesus, chirstmas miracle, christmas, Christmas Eve, christmas star, eternal life, families are forever, family, Heavenly Father, heavenly mother, Jesus Christ, Jesus the Christ, shepherds, the bible, the Christmas story, The Church of Jesus Christ, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the greatest gift, the nativity, the savior of the world, the wise men, twas the night before christmas, what awesome looks like
My Christmas Gift To You: Recipe for S’mores on a Stick
As a little Christmas gift to all of you this year I thought I would share a fun recipe for an awesome treat you can make that is super easy to make and it tastes awesome! It’s also a fun recipe to make with your kids and/or grandkids and you’ll have a blast doing it …
Tagged a fun dessert, Amy Rees Anderson, chocolate, chocolate covered goodness, cooking, easy recipe, five star recipe, graham crackers, happy holiday, holiday treat, i wish you a merry christmas, marshmallow, merry christmas, my gift to you, s'more lollipop, s'mores on a stick, simple to make, tastes delicious
We Never Really Grow Up, We Just Learn How To Act In Public
“We never really grow up, we just learn how to act in public.” The other day my adult daughter commented she’s noticed that me being a grandmother has really brought out the little kid in me. She said it’s been fun for her to watch me getting down on the floor and playing with my …
Tagged act like grownup, Amy Rees Anderson, appreciation, become a kid again, becoming a kid again, being a parent, Christmas Eve, george bernard shaw, grandchildren, grandparenthood, grandparents, grandparents are like kids, kid at heart, mcdonald's happy meal, parenthood, parents just pretend to be grownup, playtime, savor each moment, we don’t stop playing because we grow old we grow old because we stop playing, We never grow up we just learn how to act in public, what brings us joy, wisdom, wrinkles turn into smile lines, young at heart
A Parent’s Letter To Santa
Last week we took our children and grandchildren to go ride the Polar Express train for Christmas. As I was watching my daughter-in-law getting her two year old son and her four month old daughter ready to go it reminded me of how utterly exhausting it can be to a mother with small children. The …
Tagged adversity, alone time, Amy Rees Anderson, appreciate, appreciation, attitude, balance, believe, believe in santa, blessings, children, christmas, christmas list, christmas wish, confidence, courage, crime family, culture, cute, diet, doctor, family, free time, funny, future, gift, girl scouts, goals, hiding place, holiday, house, joke, kids, letter to santa, mom, mommy time, mother, motherhood, organized crime, parents, peace, playdoh, poem, quiet, santa, santa claus, siblings, sister, spirit, success, television, toddler, weight
Making A List And Checking It Twice…Each Day!
We are getting down to the wire now as we are getting our last minute Christmas preparations done…I can’t believe we’re down to one weekend before the big day! As I sat making my last minute list of everything I still need to do and was checking it twice – buy groceries and don’t forget …
Tagged a gratitude journal, Amy Rees Anderson, blessings, express gratitude regularly, from sad to happy, improve your mood, lift your spirit, list all the things you are grateful for, Make a gratitude list, make a list of blessings, recognize the positive things in your life, thank god, the law of abundance, the powerful influence of gratitude, what awesome looks like, your life is blessed
Happier Giving Or Getting? That is the question…
We’ve all heard the saying “tis better to give than to receive”, but did you realize that’s actually a scientifically proven fact? Cause it is! In an article was posted in Psychology Today titled “Giving really is better than receiving: Does giving to others (vs. the self) promote happiness?” they explain it: “Research by social …
Tagged alexis, Amy Rees Anderson, anticipating, anticipation, better to give than receive, christmas, craft, creating happiness, Dalton, excitement, gift, gift giving, giving, handmade present, happiness, happy, holiday, journal of science, joy, liz dunn, meaningful gift, money, picking out the perfect gift, present, promote happiness, Psychology Today, receiving, research, service, social psychologist, special, spending, spending money, the gift of laughter, the gift of love, thoughtful, tis better to give than receive, what awesome looks like
Tis The Week Before Christmas
I can hardly believe it’s the week before Christmas already! This month is flying by so fast and there is still so much to get done before Christmas next week that its hard not to be freaking out a little bit – and yet if we let ourselves freak out we are going to miss …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, before you know it the moment will be gone, christmas cards, christmas comes just once a year, christmas presents, do you want to build a snowman, don’t stress, Enjoy the season, friendship, going crazy, holiday baking, its about time, mad dash, shopping, snow angels, so much to do, spend time with your children, stay calm, the best use of your time, tis the days before Christmas, tis the season, trying to get everything done
A Song’s Not A Song Til You Sing It
“A bell’s not a bell ’til you ring it A song’s not a song ’til you sing it Love in your heart wasn’t put there to stay Love isn’t love ’til you give it away!” -Oscar Hammerstein That poem was shared tonight at the Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert at Temple Square. For those of you …
Tagged a bells not a bell til you ring it, a songs not a song til you sing it, Amy Rees Anderson, chirstmas, Christ, christmas concert, feel the spirit, hallelujah chorus, handel's messiah, heavenly angels, heavenly chorus, love isn't love til you give it away, oscar hammerstein, sing choirs of angels, tabernacle choir, tabernacle choir at temple square, temple square, the birth of the savior, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the spirit of christmas, what awesome looks like, worlds largest virtual choir
When You Lie Down With Dogs You Get Fleas
Throughout my career I have encountered many people in the business world: Some are honest and good, and some are not. The most important thing to recognize is this – when someone shows you who they are through their actions and their behavior – BELIEVE THEM! If someone has shown a track record of honesty …
Tagged actions, Amy Rees Anderson, attitude, behavior, believe, business, career, character, cheat, clients, commitment, cut corners, dishonesty, don't associate with dishonest people, don't stand for dishonesty, Employees, entrepreneur, example, excuses, firsthand, fleas, friends, gerald rees, hiring, honesty, integrity, leadership, lie down with dogs, reputation of integrity, self-confidence, stand for something or you will fall for anything, take advantage, those who tell the truth, who to fire, who to hire
Leaders: Clean Your Leadership House
“Hire and promote first on the basis of integrity; second, motivation; third, capacity; fourth, understanding; fifth, knowledge; and last and least, experience.” -Dee Hock, founding CEO of Visa International I couldn’t agree with Dee’s statement more. The following is an excerpt taken from a Forbes Article I wrote: “As a former CEO myself with the …
Tagged adventures of a super angel, amazing leaders, Amy Rees Anderson, bad leaders, CEO, character, courage, coworkers, emotional intelligence, empathy, executive team, fire dead weight, forbes, forbes article, help others to excel, hire for values and teach skills, hiring, honest, how to promote, integrity, judgement, leadership, let them go, motivate and inspire, passion, promoting, replace bad leaders, respect, surround yourself with great people, trust, when you lie down with dogs you get fleas, who to hire
Make It Mean A Little Bit More
“Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mt. Crumpit, He rode with his load to the tiptop to dump it! “Pooh-Pooh to the Whos!” he was grinch-ish-ly humming. “They’re finding out now that no Christmas is coming! “They’re just waking up! I know just what they’ll do! “Their mouths will hang open a minute …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, christmas spirit, gifts, kids letters to santas, letter to santa, love, make memories, material things, maybe it means a little bit more, presents, service, the grinch who stole christmas, the true meaning of Christmas
We Are The Sculptor Of Our Attitudes
There is a poem called “The Sculptor’s Attitude” that was written by an unknown author who perfectly expresses the role each of us play in sculpting our own attitudes. The poem goes like this: I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, choose happy, choose what kind of day you will have, choose what you do, complain or be grateful, excited, glass half full, grumble or rejoice, happiness is a choice, happy or sad, perspective, responsibilities to fulfill, see the positive, take control of your happiness, The sculptor’s attitude, we always have a choice, we choose our attitude
The Wealthiest Man In The World
If you were thinking the wealthiest man in the world is Jeff Bezos, or Bill Gates, or Warren Buffett…think again. The wealthiest man in the world is a dishwasher in Tampa Florida and his name is Delywn Collins. “I grew up as a handicapped. I went to a special education school. I had a slow …
Tagged abc, Amy Rees Anderson, angels, bill gates, break the spirit, bullying, christlike service, delwyn collins, dishwasher, forbes, Foster Angels Giving Tree, foster children, generosity, giving tree, god doesn’t care if we’re rich or poor, handicapped, handmade ornaments, jeff bezos, legally blind, millionaire, news story, rich man poor man, richest man in the world, santa claus, someone loves them, Tampa General Hospital, the wealthiest man in the world, warren buffet, what awesome looks like
If You Are Ready For Your Life To Change
“If you really are ready for your life to change you have to make space for something new.” ( quote from a Hallmark Christmas movie) That quote from a recent Hallmark Christmas Movie has really got me to thinking these last few weeks about all of the things I’ve been involved in these last few …
Tagged 24 hours in a day, allow for something new, bringing us closer to our goals, cringe, family, hallmark Christmas movie, have you made space for something new, how are you allocating your time, If you are ready for your life to change, life balance, life goals, long-term happiness, mental pie chart, misery, proud, relationships, service, taking us further from accomplishing our goals, we only get one block of time, which things to eliminate from your life
Hard Times Lead Us To Question
When good people pass away it can cause those left behind to start questioning things – Why did this good person with so much to live for have to be taken too soon? Why would a loving God take them from us when they are so needed by so many here? What good purpose does …
Tagged all the hard times we go through, Amy Rees Anderson, belief in god, believe in god, C.S. Lewis, death, despair, discover your strength, draw closer to god, enduring to the end, faith, families can be together forever, funeral, happiness, hard times, how much you trust it, joy, love, pain, purpose of life, reunited, sadness, testimony, the plan of salvation, the why will be made clear, together forever, trial of our faith, trusting in difficult times
