No matter what ups and downs we have experienced in our lives, there have always been a million blessings. Sometimes we forget to acknowledge or even recognize those blessings because there are so many other things to easily get distracted by. And when you have always had certain blessings in your life, it’s easy to take […]
Growing up at my house, the love of ice cream was an inherited trait. The entire Rees family, from my father to his father to his father’s father and so on, the love of ice cream was passed from one generation to the next. The fact was that if you didn’t love ice cream then […]
As I sit here at the hospital tonight, following my daughters second ACL surgery that took place earlier today, I am trying to reflect on what lessons I have learned in my life today so I can share those thoughts with all of you. It’s funny how just sitting around in a hospital waiting room […]
In life we all have a choice. We can be pretty good, or we can be GREAT! The difference in those two often comes down to paying attention to the details. I used to keep a sticker on my desk that said “If you don`t have time to do it right the first time, how […]
All of us have worries and concerns in life. Things we are scared of. Things we are dreading. Worries about what “might” happen or what “might not” happen. It seems that there is a truly endless supply of things to spend our time being worried about. Yet, at the end of the day does the […]
Today felt more like a hydrant day then a dog day! Building our dream home is quickly starting to feel like more of a nightmare lately. I won’t bore everyone with the details of all the problems that have happened over this last week other than to say that there comes a point that all […]
I have always been a firm believer in the power our thoughts possess. I believe that our thoughts very much control our feelings. I also believe that we have total control of our own thoughts. Therefore, we ultimately have the ability to control our own feelings by controlling our own thoughts. If you depend on […]
One of the questions I am asked the most is, “How do you do it? How do you balance work life and home life?” The honest answer is, “I don’t.” I don`t do it all. No one can. For years I battled the guilt of not being able to do it all, especially during the […]
Sometimes we get so busy living our lives that we forget to slow down enough to make time for our friends. I have been guilty of that myself over the years, especially with working such crazy hours for so many years of my life. Taking time off this summer to spend with my family has […]
When someone isn’t performing well at their job; or when they aren’t the right fit for a particular position; or when their personality isn’t a match for the company culture, one of the biggest disservices you can do to them is to not tell them the truth. As a CEO, I found that one of […]
I would guess that we have all seen the bumper stickers that say “Mean People Suck.” And the truth is that I couldn’t agree more. I have little tolerance for mean people. I just don’t. I don’t think there is ever a good excuse to be mean or hurtful to another person. Sure we can […]
Life is full of unexpected events, changes, and uncertainty. Sometimes those changes are exciting and wonderful, and sometimes they are devastating, painful and hard. C.S. Lewis is my favorite author. I have learned many important life lessons by reading his books. One of his quotes that has helped me tremendously as I have dealt with […]
One of my very favorite poets is Shel Silverstein, and one of my very favorite books, which he wrote, is called “The Giving Tree”. It’s an amazing story of a tree that loves a young boy. The tree cares for the boy, protects the boy, feeds the boy, and over the years ultimately gives every […]
People ultimately choose to do business with people they like, and everyone likes someone who appreciates them. I once read a quote by the ever so brilliant writer known as Anonymous. It states, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” […]
Today I was reminded of the importance of the smallest kind act: a simple smile, holding the door open for someone, saying hello, giving a compliment, lending a hand, being a friend. So many times we think to ourselves that we want to be a good person and do something kind for someone, yet when we […]
Okay so I saw the best you tube video ever made regarding male and female communications today as it was played on the morning news show. I seriously could not stop laughing when I watched it. It is a MUST WATCH FOR EVERYONE! I kid you not. It is only 1 minute 42 seconds, but […]
The Bridge Builder (by Will Allen Dromgoole) An old man, going a lone highway, Came at the evening cold and gray To a chasm vast and deep and wide Through which was flowing a swollen tide. The old man crossed in the twilight dim; The rapids held no fears for him. But he turned when […]
This past weekend I was able to go with my husband and our daughter to Disney in Los Angeles to see the World Premier of the movie The Lone Ranger starring Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as the Lone Ranger. For those who are not aware, a good majority of the film was […]
I am a HUGE fan of people who go the extra mile in life! Too often these days you see people who seem content to just do the very minimum required to get by. I don`t think I will ever understand that mentality. I grew up in a home where both my parents were going […]
By the time I finish a long day of work my mind is pretty shot and my A.D.D. meds have started to wear off for the day – inevitably there always comes a point each evening where that combination leads to no chance of my being able to sit still and focus. Tonight I had […]
For those who do not have teenagers at home, the word Vacay means Vacation (according to my teen daughter anyway). I am still trying to learn the revised English language used by teens today – Deets means details, Deec means decent, Cray-cray means crazy, Tots means totally, and vacay means vacation. Spending last week at […]
In the brilliant words of Dr. Seuss: “Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.” As we head into a fabulous summer weekend I wanted to remind everyone to not let a single moment get away from you. Life is short and there is so much to do and enjoy! Make this weekend […]
Breathtaking – what a great word! It’s the best word I can think of when I drive up the road toward my home, set into the side of a beautiful mountain in Utah. The weather is amazing, the trees are green, the flowers are blooming and all I can think is…breathtaking! We don’t take enough […]
There are people in all of our lives that lift us up when we are down or help us through when times are tough. There are people in our lives who make us laugh and smile and make us feel better about ourselves. There are people in our lives that tell us we can do […]
“People who say that life is not worthwhile are really saying that they themselves have no personal goals which are worthwhile. Get yourself a goal worth working for. Better still, get yourself a project. Always have something ahead of you to “look forward to“, to work for and hope for.” (Maxwell Malz). I don’t know […]
Last Friday our charity, The IPOP Foundation (In Pursuit of Perfection) www.ipop.org held a business competition with the students of Alta High School. Students were challenged to submit an idea for a new mobile app. We had hundreds of students participate in the competition. They had the option to submit an idea alone or in […]
Ah yes, the famous words of Hannibal on the A-Team. There is little in life that is better than when a plan comes together, especially when the plan itself turns out to be far larger and expansive then any plan you had pictured in your own mind 🙂 Throughout the years of my life I […]
Tonight I took a group of teenage girls on a service project to go to an assisted living center to visit with a group of adorable, lovely Grandmas. We sat the group of our 16 and 17 year old girls in a circle with group of Grandmas, all of which were widows. We asked the […]
This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day in the U.S. It’s the day we remember those men and women who died serving in the military. It’s also become a day to honor all of those who were near and dear to our hearts that have passed on. People place flowers on graves and flags on graves […]
“I’ve learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances.” -Martha Washington I very much believe that statement to be true. Our attitude about things is such a major determination of our happiness level in life. And we control our attitude by controlling […]
