A Southerner at Heart: March 2017

Monday, March 20, 2017

Goals - Why I have been having problems achieving my them

(source unknown)

I am normally a planner. I have lists...lots of list! I have a goal list, a bucket list, a daily "to do" list but I had one of those moments this weekends.

(source unknown)

I do not know how I missed this critical part of goal setting...I mean after all...it is a definite part of goal setting. When I set a goal - I need to be able to identify the steps to take to turn the goal into a reality. For instance - for several years now I have had a goal to visit all 50 States in the U.S. but I really did not identify the steps that I need to take in order to accomplish this goal. This in reality was only a wish and not a true goal since I had not have a plan in place to achieve this goal. It took that light bulb moment to turn my wish into a goal. I have now created a list of all 50 States with a tracking list. It shows all the States that I have visited thus far and then identifies the States that I want to visit in 2017. What I have now done is set a goal with a well defined time frame of when I will be accomplishing this goal. ~Voila~ It is written down and I now have finalized a plan.

Some of the steps that I have added to my goal of visiting one new State each year includes:

> Where am I traveling to?

> When am I traveling?

> Adding a pre-determined dollar amount into my travel fund each pay period

These three steps now may my goal of travel to a new State become measurable and I am now accountable for making this happen. I have committed to write this goal down so it is no longer a wish but a well defined goal.

After all these years of lists and lists and goal setting, I realized the missing piece!

How about you? Do you set goals as well as list the steps you take to achieve the goals?

Monday, March 13, 2017

How Essential Oils Changed my Life

Well hello everyone! I had to think hard and long before posting this topic today but after deciding it was too important not to share, I decided that I needed to share with you my newest find!

I have always been a fan of essential oils and I have used them for years. Matter of fact - lavender is my favorite. I love everything from lavender soap and lavender lotion to lavender oils. I have never been too particular about where I bought them because...they are all the same...right? Well..the real answer is "NO"....there is a huge difference when it comes to the quality of oil. How do I know this? Well, it is because I have learned the hard way through using every variety of oil that I can find.

Recently I was re-introduced to Young Living Essential Oils. Many years ago I met a Reiki Master in Sedona, Arizona who used this oil in her meditation sessions. I was immediately impressed with the fragrant oils that she used and asked her what she used. She promptly told me about Young Living Oils and that her belief that they were the best oils in the marketplace.

I didn't think much about this conversation until I kept reading more and more about Young Living essential oils and felt like I needed to give them a try. I started slowly, taking my time learning all about the natural healing powers of these oils as well as how these oils can help rid your home of toxins as well.

The thing that I appreciated the most about Young Living is their "seed to seal" promise. This means that they cultivate their oils from their own seeds, cultivate these seeds on their own farms in a true environmental, toxic free land. They distill their own oils which means that every bottle of essential oil is the highest quality that you can find. There are no fillers in Young Living Oils - each bottle of oil is 100% pure natural oil.

Now - there are many, many ways that Young Living essential oils have changed my life but I wanted to just share two ways today.

I have a VERY stressful job and by the end of the day, I am tired and exhausted. I decided to buy and place a Young Living Home Diffuser by my desk. Each work day, I place a few drops of Young Living Peppermint Oil in my diffuser and "voila" - it is just like magic. The glorious scents of peppermint calms my senses and puts me immediately at peace. Folks - I am telling you...it is

incredible! I don't know how it works but it does...and that is all that matters!

Each night, I place a few drops of Lavender oil in my Aria diffuser that I keep by my bed. I can not believe it but since I started diffusing lavender at night, I have been able to give up the Simply Sleep that I took each night in order to have a full night of sleep. AGAIN...MAGIC OILS!

I am now a firm believer in the powers of Young Living Essential Oils. I am learning something new each and every day about the healing powers of essential oils.

I have another post planned to talk about how to use Young Living Essential Oils to rid your home of toxins. AMAZING!!!

In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about Young Living or even order some oils for your own use, please visit the link below:

Pat's Essential Oil Information Page

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Thursday's Thought of the Day - 03.02.2017

Hello all you beautiful people out there in the world of blogging -

Why do we blog? I started my blog to have a record of family events...an online scrapbook shall we say?

Then - during a difficult time for many of my co-workers, I decided to move the direction of this blog more to an inspirational blog in order to keep my co-worker's spirits up.

Do you know what happens when you try to inspire and motivate others?

As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way.

Mary Anne Radmacher

Isn't that so true? I know in my case it is. While I am trying to provide motivation and encouragement for others, I find my own special place of motivation. I can not help but think that is my purpose for blogging...to continue to create light for others!

I will leave you today with some pictures that make me happy...hope it makes your day too!