As we begin another year, I am reflecting on what happened to me 23 years ago TODAY! I made the decision to start my home business in direct sales. I called my representative at the time, and she came over on New Years Day and explained how to get started. I am so glad that she did!

You can read more details of my story of how this all came about, but today I want to share a few lessons that I have learned along the way for you.

1. Always have a goal, and don’t keep it a secret. You can’t hit a target that isn’t there, now can you? There is no such thing as a secret goal. The goal starts to gain power when you share it with others.
2. You have to step up to the plate and swing that bat. I have had my share of strikeouts along the way, but paralysis by analysis is so much worse. You can learn from your mistakes, so don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
3. We learn in the valleys. Although I have had huge victories along my journey, the times when I thought it was discouraging, even hopeless  is where discipline has to take over and you continue one step at a time!
4. The Golden Rule really works, not the rule of gold. Always treat others the way that you would want to be treated. Be a giver. It always comes back to you in the most amazing and unexpected places, so be waiting for that!
5. My measure of success is the number of lives that I have touched along the way, starting with my family. They grow up quickly, so I always used them as a reason rather than an excuse.  As I have moved forward in my reach of others, I consider it one of life’s greatest joys to empower or encourage someone who needs it.
6. Never forget the power of persistence. You can learn everything else along the way, just never, ever quit!

May your journey be filled with abundance and shared with love and others. Happy New Year! Make it a great one!

Technorati Tags: happy new year, home business beginning

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The anticipation leading up to the holiday is not only with children, but adults (the young at heart) as well. This year I was so busy up until the day before Christmas eve. Then the reality of how close we were to the holiday set in for me. A flurry of activity around our house included last minute shopping, wrapping gifts, and a marathon cookie baking session! As we were rushing to get ready for the holiday, our excitement grew.

On Christmas eve morning, we quickly packed our car and headed out to our destination- my son, daughter-in-law and two grandchilden where we are spending the holiday season. The drive to our destination quickly changed from excitement, to anxiety. Although the temperature was 32 degrees and rain was predicted, it was icy for over half the journey, causing us to have to drive slower than normal and our anticipation changed to the temperature rising enough for the ice to turn to rain. When it did, it was heavy and consistent.

Even though our journey took twice as long as it usually does, all of that was quickly forgotten when we were greeted by my two beautiful granddaughters! From that point on, everything was perfect from my perspective. The rain finally stopped when we went to church for the Christmas eve service. Since our family had to travel in separate cars, we were already seated when my grandchildren arrived. When my youngest granddaughter Anne noticed me across the aisle and shouted “grandma”, it melted my heart!

After the service, eggnog and some light refreshments while the “assembly” process began. The children went to bed with excitement and anticipation of Santa, but mom and dad had hours of work before they could rest! Morning came all too quickly for me, but the beautiful smiles of my two little granddaughters telling me that it was Christmas morning was so cherished!

In those moments everything is perfect. The things that weren’t completed didn’t matter, none of the family had too much to drink, and everyone is happy. The moments of driving in less than perfect conditions are already forgotten, replaced by the new memories of the smiles of children is as close to perfection as possible in this lifetime. It was as though time stood still. The perfect Christmas really and truly still happens!

It was a lovely holiday – there will never be another like it – because children grow, and some family members are getting older and may be their last. For now, it is one to be stored in my memories forever!

I have just a little more time to enjoy with my family before the journey home to reality and everyday life continues. For me, I want to treasure the moments that I have and enjoy them. Isn’t that the way that holidays are meant to be? The magic of Christmas with children is one of the most incredible pleasures of this life!

I hope that all of you had lots of wonderful holiday experiences to store in your “memory bank” as well. Thanks for sharing your time with me here on my site!

Tags: Christmas, holiday memories, holiday traditions, family holiday

Technorati Tags: Christmas, family holiday, holiday memories, holiday tradions

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http://budurl.com/adoptagrandparent on 12seconds.tv

This charity project provides gifts to the elderly in the Pocopson Home without family. It is the only gift that many of them receive. I have been doing this for 5 years now. What started out as a unit project became just me this year when a key consultant who worked with me every year was recently diagnosed with cancer. Instead of letting those people down, I decided to use social media to promote it and work towards still providing gifts for all 275 residents for their holiday party on Monday. You can help by donating any amount here.

Thanks so much to those of you who have already donated, or published this on their blog or even offered to help me assemble and deliver. The joy will come back to you for helping those who are less fortunate!

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This time of year, we tend to have so much to do, that at times it becomes overwhelming. Since I have worked from home for 23 years now with the same direct sales company, I have learned a few tips that can make you holidays less stressful and more fun. Here are a few-

1. Each night compile a list of the six most important things to accomplish the next day. ( not sixty) This allows you to prioritize and take whatever you did not accomplish today to be added to the list for tomorrow.
2. If your direct sales business includes products that you sell, consider giving those as gifts to your friends and family. I did that since the very beginning of my career. One year, I thought that maybe they were tired of those kinds of gifts, so I bought other gifts. Everyone complained! They really did like getting my products for gifts, and I could afford to give better gifts when I pay wholesale prices.
3. Shop online whenever possible, after the kids are in bed. Many companies are offering special “online discounts”. That saves you not only money , but your valuable time.
4. Put all of your children’s holiday commitments on your calendar as soon as you are informed so that you can schedule around it. I attended every holiday party, field trip, concert, etc. that my children gave me advance notice. I can only think of one time where I had to miss a concert because my son didn’t tell me about it until that day. (I still felt terrible because I had scheduled something else that I couldn’t change)
5. Make family traditions and findtime to do them every year. They create memories. For example, I took my children on the train into Philadelphia each year to see the light show at Wanamakers, and visit Santa. They looked forward to it, and loved it!
6. Prepare a double recipe of each mealand freeze one. It doesn’t take any extra time to do that, and it gives you choices of quick meals.
7. When making a gingerbread house, buy a “kit”. We got one this year at Walmart, and it was so much fun and much less time consuming and stressful- plus it looked terrific!
8. Spend 20-30 minutes a day doing your holiday decorating. That eliminates having to set aside an entire weekend to do that.
9. “Freecycle” any of your decorations that you have become tired of, and look for others who are doing the same.Even though we have a few favorites, it’s awesome to get new things each year, and we don’t have room for all that we have accumulated.
10. When time to do your baking, decide on all of your recipes first. Then do your shopping. You can create stations for dry ingredients, moist ingredients, baking, and cooling and make many recipes in one day. A good source for cookie recipes is here at the Northpole !
11. Consider doing demonstrations or open houses with other direct sales businesses toallow your children to do their shopping. This also works for the dads.
12. Don’t forget to schedule some pampering time for yourself this season! A massage, manicure, pedicure or other special treatments will go a long way for making your holiday bright.

Don’t forget the day after Christmas to pick up any wrapping paper or accessories for next year. Do you have any other time saving ideas to share with us? I’d love to hear from you!

Technorati Tags: balancing family and business, holiday time savers, make each day count, one minute time manager, timemanagement

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In my direct sales company, the law of the harvest is one of the principles that the company was founded on, and it comes straight from the Bible! The lesson of abundance can be applied to any business model. Here is one of my favorite quotes explaining that-
“The seeds you plant in the hearts and minds of others will be what you receive in return. Sow good. Receive good.” ~~MKA

Did you notice that there is no mention of giving money if or when we have enough to give.  The harvest is when we recognize the abundance of our lives and feel the rich rewards that come from sharing that abundance with others. By focusing on what you have instead of what you don’t have you begin to live a life of abundance.  An abundant life will allow you to discover that you will always find a gift you can give exactly at the time that it needs to be given.  Remember, we are not necessarily talking about money. The giving can be time, talents, abilities or other resources.

I believe that it is impossible to out-give a giver! For some people, it is much more difficult to accept a gift than to give one. I understand this completely. The year after my severe car accident, it took some real personal growth for me to become comfortable with being the recipient instead of the giver. When you decline an offer to receive a gift, you are preventing that person from experiencing that joy. “Everything that you send into the lives of others, comes back to you tenfold”. This is the way that I try to live my life and run my business. That includes doing it when it is difficult, or inconvenient as well.

For the past five years, I have been doing a project called “Adopt a Grandparent”. It started out as a unit project, where my local independent beauty consultants all pitched in and provided 10-20 gift baskets for a local home for the elderly. Customers and other business owners each “adopted” a grandparent by purchasing one or more of those baskets. They received a receipt for the donation and their business card was attached to each gift that they sponsored. The consultants did the work of putting together the baskets, collecting the donations and delivering to the Pocopson Home. The first year we met the goal of providing a gift for each of the 275 residents!  Each year the number of participants dropped, but I decided to continue the project, even though it became more difficult. Last year, the project was completed with only myself and another consultant with the help of many generous local businesses and individuals.

Recently I discovered that the consultant who worked with me in the project last year was diagnosed with cancer. I had a decision to make at that point. Should I attempt to follow through  with this project alone, or abandon it? This time of year is extremely busy for me. I have a big customer base that I provide personal shopping appointments to help them with their shopping. I provide corporate gifts for several local companies in the area. I continue to educate and lead by example my unit of independent beauty consultants. I have private and group coaching clients, and also maintain two different blogs and a weekly talkshoe internet radio show. It would be extremely easy for me to say simply, ” I don’t have time”.

However, I made the decision to go on faith, and continue this project again this year. Using social media, I am attempting to get the word out so that others can join in and help provide gifts for the elderly. When I was told that many of these men and women don’t receive any other visitors or gifts during the holidays, I just had to give it my best shot. At this time I have 85 baskets completed for the grandparents who are now “adopted”. There are 275 residents in this home, so we need the generosity of others to reach all of them in time for the delivery date of December 22. A local school for auto mechanics,(Universal Technical Institute) who has contributed this year and last year has agreed to deliver the gifts in time for the resident’s holiday party.

How can you help?
Forward this link to all of your friends, colleagues, members of your church or synagogue.
“Adopt a Grandparent” for $25 each, or you can contribute any amount.
If you have a blog, write about it, with a link to the page where they can contribute.
Tell your local businesses who may be looking for a last minute tax deduction.

I like to think of the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” as another example. Jimmy Stewart’s character helped people any chance that he could. Then when he needed help, the gifts came flooding back to him. This of course, is only a movie, but I believe that it’s an example of the law of the harvest in action! Why not find out for yourself? Give and produce your very own wonderful life!.

Technorati Tags: Adopta grandparent, holiday charity programs, law of the harvest

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