Tag Archives: smile

The Impact of One Kind Word

Drop a Pebble in the Water Drop a pebble in the water: just a splash, and it is gone; But there’s half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on, Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out to the sea. And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be. Drop […]

Will That Help Me Get Better?

Today I had the opportunity to interview someone about their professional and personal journey as an entrepreneur. Having the chance to hear other people’s stories is such a blessing because you can learn from their life lessons without having to go through the actual experiences yourself. It happened that the entrepreneur I interviewed today has […]

Some days you just have to create your own sunshine

I woke up this morning so excited to go out into the warm spring sunshine…I put on my short sleeved shirt and sandals, and I opened my door to find ridiculously cold wind and rain! NOOOOOO!!!…. Back inside I went to change my sandals for winter shoes and put on my warmest sweater. I was […]

It’s the first day of Spring AND it’s International Day of Happiness…coincidence…I think not!

I love that there is an international day dedicated to being happy! And the fact it falls on the first day of Spring is perfect because Springtime makes me happy! In honor of the holiday I felt it only appropriate to talk about being happy. Did you know that research has shown that happy people: […]

Profit From Failure

You probably read today’s title and wondered how it is possible for anyone to profit from failure. It is success we profit from, is it not?  The profits from success may be far more obvious to everyone, but I would submit that we can profit just as greatly from failure if we choose to. My […]

Changing From The Outside In. It works!

Today I was at the annual meeting for the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business Advisory Board I serve on. They invited renowned speaker, Jack Zenger to speak to us over dinner. Jack Zenger is the founder of Zenger Folkman, a professional services firm that provides leadership development programs and Jack is considered […]

You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy shoes, and that’s kind of the same thing

When I saw that quote today: “You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy shoes, and that’s kind of the same thing.” I busted out laughing …and frankly after the icky week I have had I desperately needed a good laugh because laughter is supposed to be nature’s best medicine!  And I need all the […]

A Bad Customer Service Experience Gets Remembered For A Long Time

Tonight I have literally been going through a customer service nightmare. No Joke. It started with a cruise I had booked for my family later this year. I had spent a week with the cruise company getting the room reserved that my whole family could be together in. Day after day they would tell me that […]

When you get to the end of your rope…

Growing up there was a poster on one of my siblings bedroom wall that they got for free when they ordered books from the scholastic book order forms we used to get back in elementary school (ps. I loved those book orders!). The poster had a picture of a kitten that was barely hanging onto […]

The Best Feeling of Happiness is…

“The best feeling of happiness is when you’re happy because you’ve made someone else happy.” We all want to be happy. We read books and articles and we even go to seminars on how to be happier. We all want to have more happiness in our lives. It is a universal desire and a tremendous […]

Life Is Life A Roller Coaster.

“Life is like a roller coaster. It has its ups and downs. But it’s your choice to scream or enjoy the ride.” That quote is great because it makes it so easy to visualize what it is saying. Yes life is indeed like being on a roller coaster. We can’t control the ups and downs […]

My Christmas Wish For You

I cannot believe that tomorrow is Christmas! I am SO EXCITED!! But not because of any presents I will get…I’m excited because tomorrow I get to talk on Skype to my daughter Ashley who is away serving her 18 month mission for the LDS Church. We only get to talk to her once on Mother’s Day […]

It’s What We Do For Others That Makes Us A Success

There is a fabulous quote by Calvin Coolidge that states: “No person was ever honored for what he received, but what he gave.” That is so true!  What impresses me most about people isn’t what they have received in their life, but for the fact that they use what they have to reach out and […]

Be Prepared…In Advance!

How many of us will find ourselves still awake at 1:00 or even 2:00 in the morning still assembling Christmas presents and getting them wrapped and putting bows on them?  How many of us will be tired and worn out instead of feeling relaxed and rested so we can enjoy this holiday week? There is […]

We Are Not Human Doings, We Are Human Beings

Today I was involved in the President’s Leadership Council board meeting down at Brigham Young University. As part of the program a great speaker named Brad Wilcox gave an inspiring talk. There were a few comments he shared that really stood out to me and I couldn’t wait to share them with you. First he […]

DARE TO BE!

Dare to Be When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully. When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light. When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it. When something seems difficult, dare to do it anyway. When life seems to beat you down, dare to […]

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…

When we look back at our lives, what do you think we will remember the most – the best of times or the worst of times?  I was looking through old blogs I had posted for my employees before the blog became public and I came across a posting that answered that question for me – in […]

Focus on what you can control

Focus on what you can control, not what you can’t. We only have so much energy to expend each day and every second we waste focusing on things we have absolutely no control over we are wasting that energy and our time. Instead we need to put our entire attention toward focusing on the things […]

The Service You’ve Given Mankind

Supposing today were your last day on earth, The last mile of the journey you’ve trod; After all of your struggles, how much are you worth, How much can you take home to God? Don’t count as possessions your silver and gold, Tomorrow you leave these behind, And all that is yours to have and […]

You Never Know the Impact You Can Have On Someone

I have to start tonight’s blog off by saying I am the luckiest mom in the world and here’s why – Today I was asked to give two keynote presentations for two different groups down at Brigham Young University. The groups I spoke to were both awesome and amazing and I loved every minute of […]

Put a little love in your heart!

So last week I had a crazy week full of meetings where I had to get up super early each day and then I was up late each night. Thursday afternoon as I was battling to get through the traffic on the ridiculously crowded freeway with all the construction going on, I was definitely feeling the […]

A Simple Gesture

Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball hat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they […]

Life’s Tug of War

Life’s Tug Of War  Life can seem ungrateful and not always kind. Life can pull at your heartstrings and play with your mind. Life can be blissful and happy and free. Life can put beauty in the things that you see. Life can place challenges right at your feet. Life can make good of the […]

The Value of YOU!

“Your value does not decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.” –unknown I LOVE LOVE LOVE that quote and I think everyone in the world needs to hear that quote and know that it is true. Far too often we allow other people’s opinions to impact our own feelings of self-worth. I especially […]

Worth While

I really appreciate poems and quotes and talks that remind me of truths we all know, but too often forget. This poem was written over a hundred years ago but its message is still relevant to all of us today: Worth While  by Ella Wheeler Wilcox It is easy enough to be pleasant, When life […]

The Most Amazing Advice Ever!

A young girl just starting High School this fall emailed my daughter Ashley (19 yrs old) to ask her what advice she could give her. My daughter sent her the following letter and as soon as I read it I instantly knew I had to share it with everyone! Every single one of us needs […]

Eventually all the pieces fall into place

“Eventually all the pieces fall into place. Until then, laugh at the confusion, live for the moment, and know that everything happens for a reason….”   -unknown For anyone who is currently going through a time of uncertainty, or working hard to make something happen, or trying to figure things out…so pretty much all of us…this […]

Things My Father Taught Me

Today is Father’s Day and it is the day we pay tribute to our Father’s and Grandfather’s and the men who have impacted our lives for the better. I thought a great way to pay tribute to my own Father is to share some of the things my Father has taught me: *Integrity matters most. […]

#Blessed

Well hello there sunshine! How are all of you? Can I just say that I LOVE sunny days and summertime!  I mean really, they are the greatest!  There is something about the feeling of sun on your skin that just makes you happier…am I right?! Today I am thinking a lot about all the good […]

When You Can’t See The Positive Anymore…

Today was one of those days when I REALLY needed an inspirational quote to help keep my spirits up. The truth is that it has been a rough week this week for many reasons and I found myself getting to that point where you really need a motivational lifeline to help you get your head […]