5 Steps to Adding Beauty, Brains and Brilliance to Your Life. Part 2 Brains!

Brains, baby!  That's what we're talking about today.  And I don't mean your IQ, either.  I'm talking about your awareness.  Your decision making ability.  Your environmental scan.  All of these things go into the discussion about BRAINS.

Are you willing to stop and THINK?  Many people just aren't willing to sit still for a few minutes and take the time to actually think about what they need, what they want and love.  These people are living their lives by default.  They are on Auto-Pilot, just going about their day moving mindlessly through tasks.  Going through the motions, not feeling much of anything.  Is this you?  No problem, my dear!  Perhaps it won't be you by the end of this post!  We can only hope!

When you take the time to use your beautiful brain, you will find that the world opens up for you.  Once you discover what you truly love, you can begin to bring those things, feelings, people and places into your life!  Sound good?  Let's get going.

The first step to using your brain is to recognize what is going on around you.  Pull yourself out of auto-pilot mode and pay attention!  Don't make any big changes right away. Give that computer in your head a few days to calculate what is happening in your life.  As you move through your day, pay attention to how you feel.  You might even want to pick up a journal to record how and what you are doing, as you begin to slow down and think!  You can get a kick-a** journal right here!  Write it all down!  What you are doing.  How you are feeling. Do you feel as though you are wasting time?  Do you LOVE what you're doing?  Do you HATE it?  How are you feeling in your surroundings?  Do you feel empowered?  Do you feel as though you are surrounded by beauty?  Comfort?  Keep track of all of it for at least three days.  Once you go back and review what you've written, you'll be able to make some decisions about what you REALLY want in your life!

The second step is to consider your decision-making ability.  Remember that like all of us, there will be a few things you cannot change.  Paying bills, working with your children, going to your day job, for example.  Well, you can't change them right away.  But I am here to tell you, there is ALWAYS a way to make an unpleasant task more enjoyable. Always!  Here are some examples of the types of decisions you will be making as you go through this process:

1.  Do I love my surroundings?  How can I modify them to reflect who I really am and what I love?  This is highly important!  This is where you create your world!  This is where you can change what you are allowing into your life.  We create beauty by managing our surroundings.  Maybe you can clean your house a bit better - or save up so a cleaning lady can come in now and then!  Maybe you should re-cover your sofa and chairs as a way of updating them.  Maybe you should replace that old poster of AC/DC that you have on your wall with something more beautiful.  Maybe you need to declutter your home.  Get rid of all the junk you've been accumulating!  Have a yard sale and use the money from that junk to update things in your home.  And remember, nothing needs to be expensive!  Go get a $5.00 bouquet at the grocery store and a $2.00 vase at the dollar store.  Instant Glamour!!!

2.  Do I love my job?  Some days, I'm sure you do, but are you doing what you LOVE?  Do you need to add a hobby into your life so you feel more fulfilled?  Do you need to look for a new job altogether?  Only you can make this decision, but remember, the world is your runway and you can make any decision you want to make!

3.  Are there other areas in your life where you are feeling depleted?  Do you need to find someone else to pick up your children from school?  Do you need someone else to do your shopping?  There are lots of online services that will send your groceries right to your home!  Yes, this will be more expensive, but would it be worth it to you if you didn't have to perform that task any longer?  Maybe, and that is a decision you have to make. These are decisions that you can make which will immediately impact your life!

4.  Do you need to go back to school?  Finish your degree?  START on your degree?  No one ever said you have to go full time, even taking one class at a time will give you the feeling of making progress!  If this is something you are interested in, begin looking into it right away!  It's NEVER too late to start.  (I did the 25 year part-time plan!)

5.  Which other areas of your life are in need of some decision making TLC?  Make yourself a list of what you've chosen.  Prioritize that list and make some decisions!  YOU CAN DO IT!  And the more decisions you make, the easier it will become to continue making them!

Now, let's quickly discuss your environmental scan.  I have a friend who makes me laugh every day.  Any time I am with Libby and someone would act oblivious, extra loud, or otherwise inappropriate, she would say they had no environmental scan.  That has stayed with me for years.  Do you have a good environmental scanner?  Do you walk around in a daze, bumping into furniture, tripping over nothing (I've done this!), being too loud because you haven't noticed what is going on around you?  Now, I'm not saying don't be yourself.  I'm just saying be aware of what is happening around you.  For example, it would be horrible to tell a risqué joke at a funeral.  It would be horrible to laugh excessively loud in a hospital or a library.  Once you learn that your environmental scan is your friend, you can use it to determine what you love, who you love, what you don't love and what you do and do not want in your life.  Your environmental scan is your ability to pay attention to your surroundings.  For your sake and the sake of others, please develop your ability to pay attention to what is happening around you!  

I am putting this information under the category of Brains because I believe that if you pay attention to what is happening, you'll be better equipped to make decisions and move yourself forward - towards the life you've always wanted to live.

I have a feeling that once you begin to stop and take the time to think about what you truly want your life to look like, the steps to create that life will become clear to you.  And once you begin operating this way, aware of your environment, using your brain, you'll find more and more things that you are capable of doing that you never thought about before!  All it takes is a little time and a little brain power!  You are WELL-EQUIPPED, so let's get going!

Love,
Donna

PS.  If you would like some more information and inspiration, please visit my website:
www.brilliancefactor.com where you'll learn how you can work with me to start taking action on creating the best life possible!

And please leave me a comment below.  I'd love to know what you think about this post!
Stay tuned for next week's Part 3.  BRILLANCE!!!

10 Steps to Adding Beauty, Brains and Brilliance to Your Life. Part 1 -Beauty

How important is beauty to you and to your life?  Do you see Beauty as frivolous and unnecessary?

Let me begin by sharing this quote with you:


 
"Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself."  Coco Chanel 


Let me ask you this question.  What is beauty to you?  Do you look all around you and see beauty in your children, in your pets, your spouse, your friends?  Do you look at your home and see beauty that is created by YOU?  When you look into your closet, do you see a wardrobe that you have curated into a beautiful selection that reflects your personal style?

Beauty can mean very different things to different people.  It is always in your best interest to determine what beauty means to you.  And once you've done that, it is also your responsibility to create that beauty in every area of your life.  I'm not suggesting you do this in order to look better than anyone else, or to feel superior to anyone.  I'm suggesting, no, insisting that you determine what is beautiful to you and surround yourself with it.  Surrounding yourself with beauty will create a feeling of happiness and contentment that is only for YOU.

Where you find beauty in this life is most likely, completely different than where I find beauty.  When I choose to add beauty that I into my life, it is only for me.  For me, to create beauty is to create a feeling, an atmosphere, a way of being that reinforces who I want to become.   I have spent a great deal of time seeking out and choosing what I find to be beautiful in the various areas of my life and then implementing those things into my daily life.  By doing this, I wake up every day surrounded by beauty and embodying that beauty, just for me.  When I live my life and go about each day enjoying the beautiful things in my life, I am living a life I've chosen for myself - not one that I've stumbled upon accidentally, or inherited from someone else's ideas.

By living on purpose, and allowing only the exquisite - suelement l'exquis - into my life, I am choosing the way I live my life.  I am selecting what I allow into my life, and I am very particular about what that is.  I am referring to food, people, things, ideas, clothes, shoes, decorative items, jewelry, all of it.  Only the exquisite.  And that's just me.

Once we are able to choose who we want to become, and surround ourselves with those things that represent the life we want to live, we will begin to feel that the life we want is already ours!  And when we live this way, everything will begin to show up for us.

Please believe me, I am not suggesting that you run out and purchase things you cannot afford.  What I am saying is slow down!  Don't purchase things just because they are a "good deal."  Curate what you allow into your life very carefully and begin to weed out what doesn't feel exquisite to you and doesn't represent who you are becoming.

Here are some things that have worked for me when adding beauty into my life.  I think they may work for you as well.

1.  Give yourself a little more time in the morning when you are getting ready to begin your day.  Take a few extra minutes and put on some make up, fix your hair, make a conscious choice about what you're going to wear.  Then ask yourself if what you've done represents who you would like to become.  If not, make some changes.  Try again tomorrow, and again and again until you feel exactly the way you want to feel as your begin your day.

2.  Clean your house!  That's right!  I don't mean just dusting and vacuuming.  I mean rid yourself of all of the excess that clutters up your home and your mind.  Clean up the kitchen.  Put things away.  Declutter your brains out!!!  Clarity is  power and simplicity is freedom.  Lighten up your load of "junk" so you can open yourself up to lightness and creativity.

3.  Clean out your car!  Seriously!  Burger wrappers and stray fries in the backseat?  Children's toys, I totally get that, but at least put them in a tote bag behind one of the seats!  You can tell a lot about a person by looking into their car.  What is your car saying about you?  And I don't mean the Make/Model.  I'm talking about the cleanliness.  Your attention to detail!  Give it some thought and get it cleaned out!

4.  When is the last time you cleaned out your makeup drawer?  Wash those brushes!  Even if you are the only one using them, they need to be cleaned at least once each month.  Baby shampoo works great, so does dish washing liquid.  Are you hoarding makeup from 5 or 10 years ago because it was expensive?  Say bye bye to that old, expired stuff!  You don't need it, and anything you've held onto for that long, you haven't been using.  Again!  Bye bye!!!

5.  Put some fresh flowers in your house.  Flowers are Nature's Chanel.  They create a beautiful mood and atmosphere wherever you put them.  They don't need to be expensive!  Costco has them, your local grocery store has them.  Even your local gas station probably has them.  Get yourself some flowers and put them where you can see them, them write a comment below and let me know how they make you feel.

6.  Get yourself some beautiful candles!  These don't have to be expensive either!  TJMaxx HomeGoods has TONS of them!  So does the Dollar Store!  Create a beautiful mood with some candles in your bathroom, on your dining table, in your bedroom!  If the flame freaks you out, get some flameless candles.  You won't get a great scent from them, but the ambiance will be there!

7.  Find some beautiful music to listen to!  Just some pretty background music when nothing else is going on.  This is another great way to create ambiance and beauty in your home.

8.  Put a beautiful picture of someone you love on your bedside table.  Use a beautiful frame.  I also believe you should get yourself a beautiful water glass for your bedside table.  The Red Solo Cup does not scream BEAUTY!  Get something pretty that makes you feel special!  I have a Baccarat Crystal Tumbler.  Just one!  It makes me feel like a queen!

9.  Clean off your bathroom vanity!  Is everything you own out on display?  Let's get that stuff put away, my beautiful creature!  Only keep what you use every day around, and put everything else in a cabinet or in a pretty box somewhere.  Declutter, declutter, declutter!  Put a pretty candle on your vanity!  Clean it up even if no one but you sees it!  This is not for anyone else.  Just YOU.

10.  When you have dinner, use your prettiest serving dishes, your prettiest china.  Use real flatware and NOT plastic!  Get yourself a few cloth napkins.  Glam it up, baby!  This will make mealtime much more elegant and enjoyable.  Those cloth napkins will go nicely in your laundry when you're done!  Light the candles, put on some music and create the feeling of elegance and beauty when you dine!


"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."  Virginia Woolf


These are just a few of my ideas for adding beauty into your life, and I admit that they may take a bit of work to create.  Some of them are quick fixes and others will take some thought.  However, when it comes to creating beauty in your life, this is a wonderful place to start.

Please leave me a comment below and let me know what you think about this week's post!

Next week:  BRAINS!  my love!  BRAINS!

Have a Beautifully Brilliant Day!!

Donna

Please visit my website.  Here you will gain more inspiration and learn how you can work with me to create your most beautiful life!  

www.BrillianceFactor.com

The Day I Got a Migraine from Rolling My Eyes!

THAT was a fun day.  It was my 9th day in a row of working.  We were having a huge event with a huge goal and each day was a marathon.  Every day required super-hero strength and energy.  And every ounce of my being was fighting back.

Yes, I try to stay healthy, eat well, drink plenty of water, enough sleep, etc.  But for this event, there wasn't time for anything like that.  It was go-go-go time.  And my body was screaming stop-stop-stop!

Then the day started.  

I got to work a bit early so I could be prepared for my day with supplies and anything else I might need.  Then, as soon as I walked into the building, our Loss Prevention Manager stopped me and asked me to read and sign a document that outlined an update to our Employee Discount program. (Eye roll #1). I've been in this business for nearly 40 years.  I get it. The discount is not to be shared with friends, blah, blah, blah.  

I tried to get out of reading it and just sign the form, but he called me on that and made me stand there, with 6 other people, reading the form and then signing the document in his presence!  (Eye roll #2).  Was he afraid that I'd sign someone else's name?  Seriously!!!

Then I went to the elevator to bring my supplies to my floor.  ELEVATOR.  BROKEN.  AGAIN.  (Eye roll #3).   So being the team player that I am, I lug all of my things up 3 flights of stairs.  Maybe I can take a quick breather when I get to my floor.  

Wait!  There is a department meeting going on and everyone sees me come in with too many bags of stuff!  Late!!!  

"Sorry I'm late, I had to sign......."  Interrupted.  Keep the meeting going.  Some middle manager is telling everyone the importance of repeating the words: "Would you like to use your **** credit card to take care of your purchase?"  (Eye roll #4)  Now memorize that.

And while we're at it, let's role play saying it to each other.  (Eye roll #5)

After my ninth day in a row, absolutely everything was driving me crazy.  The cackling of the older women talking about the state of the store.  Bursting into unnecessarily loud laughter.  I couldn't take it.  My mind, body and spirit were worn down to a nub.  (Eye roll #6)

Yes! I loved the job I had at the time.  I enjoyed everything I did from day to day.

But this was just too many days in a row. Too intense.  Too high a goal.  Not enough traffic in the store to warrant the high goal.  And NINE DAYS STRAIGHT??? (Eye roll #7)

That day, I went home with the worst headache of my life.  I felt like someone had been chasing me around all day demanding more and more from me.  When I finally was able to leave for the day, I felt as though I was crushed like a Pinot grape.

I rushed home as fast as I could that night.  I didn't eat, I drank a bit of water, washed my face and dragged myself into my bed.  Turns out I wasn't helping myself by rushing to bed the way I did.  If I had known then what I know now!  (Eye roll #8)

END OF THAT DAY.  END OF THAT EVENT (We did make our goal!).

Now.  In 2016, I choose to spend a respectable amount of time making sure I am doing well. I pamper myself when called for.  Mani/pedi, the right amount of sleep, clean, good food, and I use music to change my mood when necessary.  I also spend a great deal of time alone with my thoughts.  Doing this allows me to monitor how I am feeling.  To be aware of what is triggering my thoughts and actions.

So if I'd had that horrible day how up in my life now, I would be well equipped to manage my energy and my attitude.  Equipped to deal with my internal dialog and my external aching feet!  To manage my sweaty armpits and the dark circles under my eyes!

If this day were to show up now, I'd laugh with the Loss Prevention Manager about how seriously he's taking a most likely unenforceable document!

If this day were to read it's ugly little head now, I would remind myself that I was getting great exercise during the time the elevator was out.  I'd reward myself by taking it easy that night!

If this day were to happen again, I would be the loudest role player at the meeting, just to make everyone laugh!  I would either participate in, or walk away from the cackling ladies.  I would remind myself that they are happy ladies and I should be happy for them, rather than impatient.

I also would be smart enough to schedule a massage for a pedicure, so I could stop on my way home that day.  I'd have lots of water around at all times.  I'd make sure I got some exercise in and a good meal before flinging myself into bed.

I would remember to be grateful that I have a job I love, where I get to roll my eyes!  I'd be grateful for the nice people I am blessed to work with every day.  And finally, I'd be grateful for the beautiful life I get to live.  The beautiful place where I get to live!

And then finally, I'd be grateful for LeMetier de Beaute Peau Vierge Corrector/Concealer in Shade 0 because it covers all the ugly spots!  I'd hold my head high, know that I work very hard, and I'd take pride in my accomplishments.  Even the sweaty, difficult ones.

So GO BE GRATEFUL for every second of your sweaty, sticky, cackling, frustrating life. And be grateful that you get to manage those days into exactly what you want them to look like.  Be grateful that life is wonderful!!!

Love,
Donna

And if you'd like some additional inspiration, visit my Website at:

www.BrillianceFactor.com

It is here that you will learn how you can work with me and create the life of your dreams, with no shame, guilt or EYE ROLLING MIGRAINES!!!