Blog
Brains, Heart, and Courage
Tonight I went to see our friend Lexi Walker ( http://lexiwalker.net/ ) perform as Dorothy in the play The Wizard of Oz at the amazing Hale Center Theater in Utah (www.hct.org ) . Lexi is an incredibly talented young woman who is also an absolute sweetheart. Lexi first came into the spotlight at the age […]
Tagged a brain, alex boye, america's got talent, Amy Rees Anderson, brains heart courage, character, courage, cowardly lion, disney, dorothy, frozen, good mom, hale center theater, happiness, humility, inspire, integrity, let it go, Lexi Walker, lisa walker, millions, not in kansas anymore, off to see the wizard, parent, raising a child, scarecrow, singer, songwriter, sony entertainment, talent, the wizard of oz, tinman, viral video, wizard of oz, youtube sensation
The Lie You Told Yourself
You told yourself “Life will slow down once we get through the holidays” …then you realize you have been telling yourself that about pretty much everything for years now… “After this event things will slow down”, “Once I finish this project things will slow down”, “As soon as we get through this holiday things will […]
Tagged accomplishment, Amy Rees Anderson, be better self-improvement, completion, crossing the finish line, do better, enjoy the journey, enjoy the process, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, focus, forbes, forbesbooks, goal, goals, going forward, gordon b. hinckley, learn to manage it better, life doesn’t slow down, life is to be enjoyed not just endured, life never slows down, life will slow down when, move forward, once I finish this, once this is over, one of my weaknesses, someday, stressed out, sucks the joy, the lie you told yourself, weaknesses
When You Find Yourself Going The Wrong Way On A Freeway Onramp
Following a lunch meeting with two business associates that had come in town for a meeting today I offered to drive them both down with me to our next meeting so we wouldn’t have to take two cars. Now before I tell you what happened next, in my defense I have to say that this […]
Tagged accidents, agency, angels watching over, bad driver, be aware, confusion, consequences, construction, could have died, craziness, detours, Dumb decisions, embarrassing story, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, flip a u-turn, frontage road, going the wrong way on a one way street, good advice, head back in the right direction, headed in the wrong direction, it happens, make good choices, mistakes, scared to death, stupid things, surrounded by people who will tell you, university, we all make mistakes, you are heading in the wrong direction
Keep Your Eyes On The Wall
Have you ever had a daydream about doing something really incredible? But then you quickly dismiss it because you are almost afraid to admit to wanting it because people might think you were nuts for wanting something that may appear so out of reach? We’ve all been there… But here’s the thing – what’s would […]
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, barriers, barriers melt away, bhag, big goals, canyon walls, cross the wake, do something, don’t be afraid to set big goals, don’t hesitate, don’t hold back, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, go for it, goals, have courage, huge wave, ignore the haters, insurmountable barriers, jealous, jealousy, just make a start, keep your eye on the wall, lake powell, move ahead, no fear, people make fun because they are jealous, Rollin, success, try, you can achieve, you’ve got this
Welcome to 2019 And The First Day of the Rest Of Your Life!
2019…can you believe it?!?! It’s 2019! And today is the first day of the rest of your life and it’s going to be AWESOME!!! Happy New Year everyone! My family rang in the new year by busting out a bottle of sparkling grape juice only to find it was fermented, which caused my son and […]
Tagged #goalposter, 2019, accomplishment, Amy Rees Anderson, anything is possible, bhag, courage, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, expect the impossible, faith, forbes, forbesbook, forbesbook author, future, goal poster, happiness, happy new year, hope, it works, kickstart your year, leadership, motivation, self-improvement, success, the first day of the rest of your life, the year of awesome, try it, visualize your goals, write down your goals, year of awesome, you can do it
Steel Going Strong
For Christmas this year my husband made me THE coolest Wonder Woman sign that he made for me out of steel, which is also super fitting given that it’s our 11 year wedding anniversary tomorrow (December 31st) and the 11th anniversary just happens to be our steel anniversary! Perfect right?! Then from the scraps of […]
Tagged 11 year anniversary, Amy Rees Anderson, apologize, be best friends with your spouse, be quick to say I'm sorry, best friends, build each other up, cody, communicate, criticism, eleven years of marriage, flirt, goals, happy anniversary, happy marriage, hold each other accountable, hopes and dreams, husband, insecurities, laugh, love, make an effort, marriage, new years eve, set goals, set goals together, steel anniversary, superman, ups and downs, weaknesses, wife, wonder woman
Sky Castles and Goal Posters
When my children were young we would lay down on our backs on the trampoline outside in our backyard and we would all three look up at the sky together and play a game we called “Sky Castles”. In our game we would take turns building our pretend sky castles by saying what we saw […]
Tagged #goalposter, Amy Rees Anderson, ashley, ashley dalton, childhood games, confidence, courage, create a goal poster, culture, Dalton, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, goal poster, importance, looking forward, magic, passion, public speaking, Rollin, self-improvement, sky castles, sky castles and goal posters, success, tell everyone
Day After Christmas Woes
Twas the day after Christmas, and all through the house Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse. The cookies I’d nibbled, the eggnog I’d taste At the holiday parties had gone to my waist. When I got on the scales there arose such a number! When I walked to the store (less a walk […]
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, amy rees anderson award, ate too much, christmas goodies, diet, fattening, feeling fat, food, happy new year, meals, my diet starts tomorrow, overeat, twas the day after christmas
Guaranteed To Bring The Spirit Of Christmas
Every year at Christmas there is one tradition that is always guaranteed to bring the spirit of Christmas. It’s watching this quick (less than four minutes) scene from the movie Mr. Krueger’s Christmas where actor Jimmy Stewart beautifully portrays a scene where he is there on the night the Savior Jesus Christ was born and […]
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, baby jesus, holiday, holiday wish, it's a wonderful life, Jesus Christ, jimmy stewart, love for the savior, merry christmas, mr. krueger's christmas, nativity, sacrifice, savior, the miracle of christmas, wise men
My Merry Christmas Card To All Of You
I have never been able to plan ahead early enough to get family photos taken and printed out, gather updated addresses for everyone, and then send the photos out to everyone with a nice letter. Yet I love it when I receive other people’s cards because it’s so fun to see their families grow and […]
Tagged alex andersion, all i want for christmas is, Amy Rees Anderson, appreciate, appreciation, ashley anderson hill, attitude, blessings, children, christmas photo, culture, Dalton Anderson, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, family, family chirstmas, family photo, family portrait, Flynn anderson, gratitude, happiness, happy holidays, love, my christmas card to you, Rollin, the most wonderful time of the year, ugly christmas sweaters, we wish you a merry chirstmas
The Thrill Of A Close Game
Tonight my husband and I were invited to join our friends in their suite at the arena for the Utah Jazz versus Golden State Warriors basketball game. It was a neck and neck game right down to the last minute when the Utah Jazz won the game. As we were heading home from the game […]
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, blow out game, business, challenge each other, close game, competition, competition makes us better, don’t fear competition, don’t shy away from the competition, down to the last second, entrepreneurship, friends, fun times, fun to watch, golden state warriors, last few seconds of the game, neck and neck, obliterate, sports, stiff competition, talent, team, the thrill of a close game, the thrill of the game, Utah, Utah Jazz, vivint smart home arena
Sometimes People No One Imagines Anything Of Do The Things That No One Can Imagine
“Sometimes it’s the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.” I love that quote from the movie The Imitation Game and I love what the meaning of the quote conveys. To me it stands as a reminder of two things: One: We should never underestimate people. We should never pre-judge another […]
Tagged abilities, ability, acknowledge, attempt, believe, capacity, change the world, changing the world, confidence, courage, courage is contagious, different, discount, diversity, don't discount others, don't discount yourself, don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have, embrace, excel, expect, failure, fear, handle, hope, imagine, imagine the very best version of you, importance, judge, judgment, let go, life, new things, pre-judge, problems, purpose, recognize, self worth, skill, Sometimes it’s the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine, strengths, success, talent, the imitation game, try, underestimate, value, worth of others
How To Excel In Business And In Life
This morning I was interviewed for by Mary Crafts-Homer for her podcast, Crafting A Meaningful Life. Mary was the founder and CEO of Culinary Crafts, an incredibly successful catering business (she’s done events for many of the rich and famous like Oprah Winfrey, George W. Bush, Sir Elton John, etc), that she grew and recently […]
Tagged amazon, amazon books, amazon.com, Amy Rees Anderson, blog, CEO, ceo perspective, Crafting A Meaningful Life, culinary crafts, forbes, forbesbooks, george w. bush, interview, life lessons, mary crafts-homer, new book, oprah winfrey, podcast, pre-order on amazon, rich and famous, sir elton john, the most valuable things I've learned, valuable life lessons, what awesome looks like, work/life balance
Make Yourself A 2018 Key Highlights List
As this year is close to coming to an end, this is the perfect time to take a look back over this past year and write down key highlights list – sort of a year in review quick summary. Now don’t panic thinking this has to be a big writing project or that it will […]
Tagged 2018 year in review, accomplishments this year, Amy Rees Anderson, don't forget, forgetful, journal, key highlights list, learn from the past, leave a legacy, life history, love to do it again, never do it again, personal journal, prepare for the future, review the past, take time to write it down, top five lessons, top life lessons, top memories, top three accomplishments, travelogue, trips you took, vips, what made your year meaningful, what was accomplished in 2018, year in review
Some Things Are Just Going To Have To Wait
It’s a pretty terrible feeling when you realize that you’ve waited too long to order your Christmas gifts and even with the beloved Amazon Prime account you still won’t be able to have all your gifts delivered in time. How has this month gone by so fast already?! I’ve still got so much to get […]
Tagged amazon prime, Amy Rees Anderson, appreciation, attitude, blessings, buying presents, can’t do it all, don’t stress, family, friendship, going crazy, goodwill, gratitude, love, make a snow angel, peace, put first things first, rush, self-improvement, service, sharing, shopping, some things are going to have to wait, spirit of christmas, take a moment to breathe, take time for yourself, time, time management, too much to do
Everything Looks Different From A Bird’s Point Of View
Have you ever looked out the window of the airplane as its coming in for a landing and been amazed at how differently things appear from up in the sky? That’s because everything looks different from a bird’s point of view. I’ve thought about that many times when someone frustrates me or when something happens […]
Tagged act as if you do, act as if you love them, act as if you love them and eventually you will, advice, Amy Rees Anderson, annoying, be kind, bird's eye view, C.S. Lewis, change your perspective, do not waste your time bothering whether you love your neighbor, everything looks different from a bird's point of view, fake it til you make it, forbes, forbes author, forbesbooks, give the benefit of the doubt, hard to love, if you knew the whole story, it's that simple, kindness begins with me, love, love them anyway, misjudge, offensive, perspective, respect, rude, secret to success, see things differently, soften your heart, success, take offense, treat others with respect, treat people with love, what awesome looks like, what awesome looks like how to excel in business and life, when you are behaving as if you loved someone you will presently come to love him
In Pursuit Of Perfection
Around the time I sold my company I started a foundation called the IPOP Foundation, which stands for In Pursuit Of Perfection. I was recently asked why I chose that name. Here’s my answer: Perfection. It is an intimidating word for sure. One which can be the cause of discouragement and anxiety for many who […]
Tagged a fulfilled life, after all we can do, all the difference, Amy Rees Anderson, at peace, author, capable, church, constant failure, correct interpretation, discouraged, divorce, empowered, expectation, expectations, forbes, forbesbooks, god will make up the difference, happier, how to excel in business and life, In Pursuit of Perfection, inadequate, IPOP Foundation, measurement scale you can live up to, misinterpreting the teachings, never enough, parents, single mother, strong, succeed, success, successful, sunshine, try and fail, we aren't expected to achieve perfection, we just need to live in pursuit of perfectoin, you can do this
I Double Dog Dare You
If you’ve ever watched the movie A Christmas Story then you know exactly what the term ‘double dog dare you’ means. If you haven’t watched the movie A Christmas Story then what in the heck is wrong with you?!?! I mean, you gotta watch it! It’s a holiday classic that needs to be watched every […]
Tagged a Christmas story, Amy Rees Anderson, attitude, be kind, choice, courtesy, cry, culture, double dog dare, double dog dare you, endure to the end, eternal love, forgiveness, guaranteed to make you cry, happiness, holiday classic, it takes commitment, its a choice, kindness, lick a frozen lamp post, love that lasts forever, loving marriage, man describes wife to sketch artist, marriage, ralphie, relationships, true love, watch it without crying
Faith Will See You Through
In 1861, the same year the Civil War began, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow lost his wife when she was melting wax to preserve a few locks of her daughter’s hair in an envelope and her dress caught on fire. Henry tried to extinguish the flames with a rug and when that didn’t work he used his […]
Tagged american poet, Amy Rees Anderson, christmas, christmas bells, christmas carol, cling to faith, death of a loved one, depression, don't lose faith, faith, faith will see you through, God is not dead nor doth he sleep, god lives, grief, he loves you, henry wadsworth longfellow, holiday, i head the bells on christmas day, keep the faith, mourning a loved one at christmas, overwhelming grief, peace on earth good will to men, poem, the right prevail, the story behind the song, the wrong shall fail, you aren't alone
Life Advice From The Amazing George H. W. Bush
It was a week ago that Former President George H. W. Bush passed away. I have always had tremendous respect and admiration for George H. W. Bush and that only grew when I read this letter that was discovered by news anchor Bret Baier when he was combing through emails received during the coverage of […]
Tagged advice to future generations, Amy Rees Anderson, be ind, bret baier, don't be afraid to shed a tear, don't blame others for your setbacks, don't brag about yourself, don't talk all the time, fox news, funeral, George bush, george h. w. bush, give someone else a hand, ibm, ibm ceo, life advice, listen and learn, manifesto, news anchor, nobody likes an ovverbearing bigshot, out of adversity comes challenge and often success, pray, president bush, sam palmisano, say your prayers, show that friend you care, thank those who help you along the way, words of wisdom, words to live by
The Difference One Very Determined Person Can Make
Today I had a luncheon and board meeting for the Stella H. Oaks Foundation board that I serve on. The mission of the foundation is bringing hope to single moms through education. Let me explain why the foundation bears Stella’s name. Stella H. Oaks was a single mother of three after her husband died of […]
Tagged #gofundmom, @stellahoaks, all you need to know about life you can learn from a leprechaun, Amy Rees Anderson, anxiety, attitude, businesswoman, change the world, child guidance clinic, Columbia university, dallin h. oaks, depression, determination, evelyn moody, finish your degree, get your education, government leader, masters degree, mental health, merrill oaks, one person can make a difference, one very determined person, single mom, single mothers, stella h. oaks, the difference one very determined person can make, the importance of education
Baby It’s SO SO Cold Outside!
It is SO COLD outside! I couldn’t wait to get home to my warm house tonight after a long day of work. See, here’s what you have to know about me – I cannot stand being cold!! As much as I love December, I do not love the cold weather that comes with it. Of […]
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, baby its cold outside, chilipad, compromise, don't argue, fighting over the temperature, footies, freezing cold, hot cocoa, how to save a marriage, husbands and wives, jumpinjammerz, negotiate, negotiation, onsie, perfect Christmas gift, perfect gift, snowy weather, stay warm, the best way to settle things, winter, winter weather, zipper blankie
There Is No Shame In Admitting You Need Help
There is no shame in admitting you need help. In fact, your life will get so much better when you do. Between 9am and 10am this morning I got a phone call from my daughter who was calling from her college campus where she had arrived to her class building to find emergency responders and […]
Tagged abuse, admiration, Amy Rees Anderson, atrium, be strong, BYU, child abuse, counseling, courage, critical condition, depression, divorce, don't give up, emergency responder, fell from balcony, fortitude, it takes courage to admit you are struggling, jumped to her death, just need a hug, low self-esteem, mental anguish, mental illness, need to talk to someone, no shame, pray for them, prayer, ptsd, show of strength, struggling, suicide, tanner building, the value of counseling, traumatic, witnesses
Look Up And Enjoy The Lights
December is here and it just happens to be my favorite month of the entire year! I love Christmastime SO MUCH! I love singing along to Christmas music on the radio. I love watching Hallmark Christmas movies with my hot cocoa and whipped cream. I love the spirit of Christmas in the air. I love […]
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, anxiety, appreciate, appreciation, attitude, blessings, Christmastime, daily effort, december, does it really matter, enjoy the holiday, family, forbes, forbesbooks author, goal, hallmark christmas movies, holiday baking, holiday decorations, holiday parties, hot cocoa with whipped cream, how to excel, inspiration, its about time, keep things in perspective, let it go, look up and enjoy the lights, make time, motivation, perfectionist, relax, self talk, stressed, success, take a deep breath and focus on what matters, take time, time management
Join the #LightTheWorld Day of Service
December 1st is #LightTheWorld Day of Service! That day kicks off week 1 of the #LightTheWorld campaign. Over 300,000 people worldwide have already opted in to join the campaign this year and the number is going up in droves each day! The campaign goes throughout the month of December and its purpose is to encourage […]
Tagged #lighttheworld, acts of kindness, appreciation, christmas, day of service, do good, do unto others, embrace the season, good deeds, happy, hashtag, Jesus Christ, jolly, joy, justserve.org, kindness, light the world, light your community, light your faith, light your family, love, serve others in need, service, share happiness, social media, spread joy, the light of the world, the true meaning of Christmas, tis the season, worldwide day of service
It Must Mean There Is Something Better
For the past several months we have been house hunting to help my son and his wife find a home that can accommodate their growing little family…and I am all about helping them find a place because the faster we find it the faster they can start filling it up with more adorable grandbabies! And […]
Tagged alexis, Amy Rees Anderson, attitude, bummer, buying a house, Dalton, discouraged, don't give up, family is forever, finding the perfect house, grandbabies, grandchildren, growing family, large family, look for the positive, negativity, Optimism, optimistic, perspective, see the good, see the positive, the perfect house, uplift
Give The Gift Of Nostalgia
Last Sunday I had to give a talk and in part of my talk I mentioned my memories of the day I left home at 17 to fly from Tennessee to Utah where I would be attending college at BYU. I shared how I remembered sitting on the airplane listening to music off a cassette […]
Tagged 80's, a team, Amy Rees Anderson, BYU, cassette tape, donkey kong, dukes of hazzard, forever, fun dip, give the gift of nostalgia, growing up in the 80s, hairspray, i melt with you, jolly ranchers, katrina and the waves, kenny loggins, knight rider, lan lines, magnum pi, mix tape, modern english, mork and mindy, nostalgia, pac-man, silver spoons, songs to make out by, sony walkman, talk in church, the fall guy, the greatest american hero, u2, walking on sunshine, walkman, why i love the 80s, with or without you
Be #UNselfie Today
Now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are behind us we can turn our attention to #GivingTuesday . Giving Tuesday is a day when we are encouraged to give of our time, give of our money, give of a gift, or give of the power of your voice – it’s a day we should find […]
Tagged #givingtuesday, #unselfie, Amy Rees Anderson, attitude, be unselfie, blessings, facebook post, find a way to give back, get involved, give a gift, give of your money, give of your time, give of your voice, giving tuesday, join the unselfie movement, joy, just one can make a difference, leadership, linkedin, love, one life can make a difference, one smile begins a friendship, one touch can show you care, one voice can speak with wisdom, post an #unselfie on social media, social media, twitter
Children are great imitators so give them something great to imitate
Welcome back! I hope you had an amazing Thanksgiving holiday! If you ate even a portion of the food I consumed over the weekend then you too are wondering how in the world you will ever fit into your normal pants again to go back to work tomorrow! It’s been so nice to wear elastic waist […]
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, attitude, be more aware, children are great imitators, culture, family time, Flynn, future, give them something great to imitate, goals, leadership, magic, memories, mimicking, motivation, our example to children, put down the cell phone, self-confidence, self-improvement, set an example, soaks everything up like a sponge, spend quality time together, take it all in, we are teaching them
For Everything Thy Goodness Sends
For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, for love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson As we celebrate Thanksgiving remember to give thanks for every blessing in your lives. Remember to express gratitude to those you love. Remember to set […]
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, be present, eat food, express gratitude, family, focus on family, give thanks, grateful, HAPPY THANKSGIVING, laugh, live, love, make memories, norman rockwell, paper plates, play games, quality time, ralph waldo emerson, sing, social media, start enjoying, stop worrying, tell stories, thanks, thanskgiving
