Like Minded People Acquaint Themselves with Other Like Minded People

While growing up, my mom always said, “You choose your friends and don’t let your friends choose you” and my dad said, “Associate with people who are smarter than or just as smart as you, so you can learn something from them.” Those are two very profound statements. If you were to take inventory of the list of people you associate with and write down each of their characteristics, including yours (be honest), I am willing to bet that you possess common characteristics that have attracted them to you and vice-a-versa.

Remember:

If you have a friend that’s always gossiping and back-biting…like-minded people acquaint themselves with other like-minded people

If you have a friend that drama seems to follow her everywhere she goes… like-minded people acquaint themselves with other like-minded people

If you have a friend that is unstable minded in every life making decision… like-minded people acquaint themselves with other like-minded people

If you have a friend that is complacent with mediocrity… like-minded people acquaint themselves with other like-minded people

If you have a friend that is always complaining… like-minded people acquaint themselves with other like-minded people

So which like-minded person are you?

XOXO,

Jay

Revamping Your Priorities: Part 2

This post is a follow-up from last week’s article, “Revamping Your Priorities.” Last week I listed an example of a list of priorities that most women would probably prioritize in their life as being life’s most important priorities, but struggle trying to meet the demands of each of these priorities:

·         God or spirituality

·         Family

·         Work

Remember, in life, what you put in, is what you get out. If you don’t spend quality time investing in the most important priorities, then don’t expect worthwhile results.

·         Schedule 30 minutes daily, reading the bible, praying, or worshiping God

·         Schedule time during the week to dedicate to your family and significant other

·         Schedule how much time you will dedicate to post work activities and do not go over your set time frame

Sit down at the beginning of each week and schedule time for life’s most important priorities and then schedule everything else around these priorities. Of course, life will get in the way and people will want to intervene their priorities over yours, but stick to your schedule. Do this for a week and notice how well your week goes: kids are more cooperative, your husband or significant other is helping out more, and meeting work deadlines don’t seem so stressful. If your week goes better than last week, then keep up this routine and revamp your priorities when you start to notice that your life is going hay wire.

XOXO,

Jay

Revamping Your Priorities

If most women were asked to make a list of their life’s most important priorities, their list would probably look like the following:

·         God or spirituality

·         Family

·         Work

However, if you asked them how much time during their day or week do they invest in that list of priorities, you’re mostly likely to get an entirely different answer, which may be similar to this:

5:00 a.m. get ready for work

6:00 a.m. get kids ready for school

7:30 a.m. drop kids off at school

9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. work

6:00 p.m. pick kids up from day care or after school program

6:30 p.m. prepare dinner

7:00 p.m. help kids with homework

7:30 p.m. get kids ready for bed

8:00 p.m. spend time with hubby (maybe) or most likely, work on post work projects until you go to bed

As women, we often become stressed out or frustrated when things in our life don’t seem to go right or as well as we expect: kids are misbehaving at school, husband or significant other doesn't help out enough around the house, or struggling to meet excessive work deadlines. Some stress we cannot avoid such as, family illness, death of a loved one, or our car breaking down; however, other life stresses we can eliminate or decrease if we learn to invest more time in our priorities, instead of just treating them like a to-do-list. Invest, to devote one's time, effort, or energy to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result (Dictionary.com).  If we spent more time investing in our priorities, we can meet our expected end results: children will be more behaved; husband or significant other will be more helpful; struggling deadlines won’t seem so challenging.

Today, make a list of things that you can do throughout the week to invest more time in God, family, and work. 

Remember, life is all about what you put in, "You get out, what you put in."

XOXO,

Jay

Not Forgotten

Last night, I watched this documentary about a young woman named, Joyce Vincent of London, 38 years old who was found dead in her London flat in 2006. Joyce had been dead for approximately three years before the local council had discovered her body, which was because they forced entry into her flat because of unpaid rent. Her T.V. was still on and her decomposed body was surrounded by wrapped Christmas gifts. What I found alarming is that no one reported her missing and of course the neighbors had smelled her decomposed body, but ignored to report the fumes. In the documentary, her friends described her as very beautiful, articulate, an immaculate dresser, and having an outgoing personality.  Joyce did not smoke, drink, or do drugs. Her cause of death is still unknown. None of her friends or family knew of her passing and when they had learned how her body was discovered, they were in complete shock. Somehow, she was forgotten. Her close friends assumed that Joyce was off living the life that they dreamed of because they haven’t heard from her in a while…my whole point of sharing this story is that yes, we as women have very busy lives. We are in such a hurry with our own lives that we sometimes forget to notice  the needs of others, especially if they’re not in our immediate family or close circle of friends of whom we keep daily or weekly contact with. As you go throughout your week, make it a point to let another woman in your life know that she is not forgotten. Call a friend or distant relative that you haven’t spoken to in a while and let them know that you are thinking of them. Take the lady that lives next door to you or across the street from you some flowers. Take the time to lend an ear without being judgmental, just listen. Offer to take one of your coworkers whom you normally don’t associate with to lunch.

NEVER assume that everything is okay in the next woman’s life because she appears to be well put together. Joyce had some issues of her own, just like the rest of us, but was probably too ashamed to discuss them with her friends and family. Just remember that none of us are above having problems and EVERY woman, every now and then, wants to know that she is not forgotten.

XOXO,

Jay