Lessons for your Sunday

Monday, MLK day, the bank was closed but I wasn’t off work. Every year our bank hosts what we call BTU, BankTexas University. All the employees from the bank attend an all-day banking seminar and since we don’t get our regular holiday the bank gives us a day we can use any other time during the year in its place. The day began with a great motivational speaker, Rick Rigsby, that really got me thinking. He made some great points that were directed at how we can make ourselves and in return the bank or any workplace better. Although he was there as a career based speaker all the points and stories he told really made me think about my own personal life and how I needed to implement some of his ideas. By the end of his stint I was ready to hop on the change wagon and begin making myself better. In our BTU guide book there was a bio of Dr. Rigsby and his website, which early that morning I noted to myself I would visit that evening and check out his books. Our boss surprised us all at the end with an announcement that we all would receive a copy of his book. I was excited to be receiving a copy and can’t wait to get time to read it. One of my co-workers has already started and really likes it. I think it will be a great learning tool and hopefully just as enlightening as his talk.

I’m so glad he told gave us some great points that took him years to realize and apply because when he talked about them the light bulb went on like…

OMG he is right….

no wonder….

now that makes sense….

 

Let’s see if the light bulb goes off for you too.

 

 

You make you happy!

Other’s just add value to your happiness.
 

This is a great point and yeah I know that I need to do what I need for me to make ME happy but I’ve never thought about it like he put it and when he said this I was like well that’s nice to know. How I took what he said was this…say you’re in a relationship and you aren’t happy, most people (me included) turn to the other person and blame them or expect their actions toward us to make us happy and that’s stupid. In the end what happens….? You get rid of your partner because THEY don’t make you happy when really it isn’t their responsibility to make you happy it is your own job to make sure you are happy. I can apply this to my own life so many times over….I just move on past certain relationships and start something new because “it just isn’t working” or “It doesn’t fit because they don’t make me happy”. In reality I do know that I am the only one who can make ME happy and that unless I am happy with me I can’t make anyone else happy. I don’t know why that clicked when Dr. Rigsby said that but I was like….I need to quit blaming all my so called unhappiness on others and take responsibility for it and figure out what I’m really “unhappy” about or am I just living in society’s version of happiness which really ends up being not so happy at all!? Ok so I got a little deep there but still I think it’s a valid point and I took it to heart. Just being in this bubble of knowing this already makes me happier and see others for how they add value to me and what I need to do to make me happy.
 

Don’t judge…

you short circuit your own growth 
 

We all know that we shouldn’t judge and even though we all try it is really hard. I know that I have had to eat crow plenty of times because I judge someone and then after getting to know them I have a complete opposite opinion. That’s what I get…it’s not my place to judge. What Dr. Rigsby is saying is that when we judge others we pretty much won’t give them a chance from there on out and by doing that we are diminishing any possibility that this different person could be used to make ourselves better and help us grow. I can use this circumstance in life but more in my career. When I have a problem employee I do try to help them grow as an employee but after so long I’m done and I’m ready to ship them out. I’ve never looked at it in the sense that when I’m trying to help them be better I need to take that as an opportunity to learn about myself and learn from them to have more patience or what not.
 

 

 

What could you accomplish if you increased your discipline by just 5%?
 

This was more a question he posed to us and just got you to think about what all you could accomplish, at work mainly, if you increased your discipline by 5%. At work I do really well. I could strive to learn more aspects of banking I suppose but for my job itself I think I’m good. At home is a different story, if I increased my discipline just 5% I would be getting up a bit earlier so I could workout, do things around the house, or just relax a bit before work rather than jumping out of bed and running around at mach 5 all day long then crashing at night. I could get more homework done in a more timely manner because if I was more disciplined I wouldn’t procrastinate as much. Overall it is safe to say that I NEED to increase my discipline at home at least 5%. I bet I would feel so much better and I know that it would help me in all areas because I wouldn’t be as wound up all throughout the day.

His last piece of advice was a mantra that he made us repeat over and over and then write it down. It’s something to go by and help you remember to always do a great job.

 

 

Good enough isn’t good enough if it could be better; Better isn’t good enough if it can be BEST!

 

 

Not only was my Monday made great by a motivational speaker that sparked all sorts of thoughts….but when I was relaxing at home that night reading through blogs I saw THIS post on The Every Girl blog about future tripping. It made me realize I do that EXACT same thing. To tell you the truth I bet most women do. Yes, I’m a super planner so I love future tripping and of course I want to be married and have babies so I’m constantly thinking when is that going to happen or I wish I was in place that those events were possible but as we all know and as The Every Girl writer points out future tripping doesn’t do anything but take away from HERE and NOW. I also liked her point that by every big event that she would look forward to after the event was over she’s constantly looking for the next milestone and I can really relate to that. I do that right now especially with school. Her suggestions on how to live more in the present are great and I’m going to try to keep those in mind. By focusing more on today before you know it you’ll be in the future you want. I don’t want to miss opportunities that could be available today because I’m worried about tomorrow.

 

 

 

Check out Dr. Rick Rigsy’s website and also The Every Girl

Tuesday's Travel To Do- Costa Rica

Since returning from our vacation in Ruidoso I have been revved up and ready to go on another vacation. So ready that I’ve already pretty much planned the whole thing and am hoping this year will be good to me and allow us to go on this little adventure. I love traveling... DUH.  And as much as I would love to see….well everywhere the expense and time needed to travel East is not available right now but the time and expense to travel South is right on target.

I wanted an adventurous, hot, beach-y, location for my next trip and Costa Rica seems to fit the bill. I have several friends that have been to Costa Rica and they all rave that it’s so relaxing; tons of things to do, and you get a lot of bang for your buck. You can go from the beach, to deep in the jungle exploring active volcanoes, to hitting up the night life in San Jose all in one day if you want.

My plans so far consist of this…..

Stay:

I love the Marriott resort for my hotel pick because ya’ll know I’m a firm believer in only staying in the Marriott chain. This resort would be amazing and from what I can tell the location is the perfect distance from everything that you would ever want to do. The two downfalls are that the price is the Marriott standard price but for Costa Rica there are equally great deals for a fraction of the price. Also the Marriott makes it too good for its customers. This resort looks so amazing I don’t know if I would even get out and do all the fun activities that the country has to offer I would just lounge and enjoy the amenities of the resort. No matter the cons the Marriott will never fail me so it’s always a go to place to stay no matter the trip.

http://www.marriott.com/default.mi

Another option that I have wanted to try is booking a place to stay through AirBnB. I have heard of this website before and if my mom and I would have taken a trip I had planned a couple years ago to Paris, London, and Amsterdam I had found the perfect flat in Paris to stay in. Since I bought a house instead and didn’t go on vacation that didn’t happen but this trip is the perfect opportunity to get a whole space to yourself for either the price of a hotel or way cheaper just depending on what is available and what you prefer.  The good thing about this website also is there are a ton of listings with various prices, various amenities, and all over the world. The one downfall I see with going this route is the uncertainty of it all. I mean with a hotel that your familiar with you know what you are getting when you go into it, with this option really it is a tossup if the experience is going to be a great one or not. I would suggest relying heavily on the reviews to be sure you pick the right choice.

https://www.airbnb.com/

Do:

Like I said earlier Costa Rica has really so many options.  If you want a relaxing vacation then hit the beach or wonder the exotic and culture intensive streeT of any city.  If you want adventure then go scuba diving, rappel down a waterfall, go hiking in the rain forest to find wildlife, view the rain forest from high above from the hanging bridges or experience them on a high speed ride through various ziplines.  Arenal was active until just a few years ago but from my research is probably the most famous volcano and definitely still beautiful.  I would love to do all of these fun things.

http://www.rainforestadventure.com/

 

 

So after those few bits and pieces of awesomeness how could you not want to take the all around relaxing/adventurous vacation IMMEDIATELY!!!

I hope to take make this dream come true as soon as possible.

HAPPY TRAVELING

Me from A to Z

On my way home yesterday I was playing around and took this cool picture of the reflection that was in my sunglasses. Now you see what I see! 

 

 

I saw this on Emily's blog earlier this week and thought it was cute so I decided to steal it!

Addictions: Pizza and Pretty Little Liars
Bed size: queen
Chore you hate: putting away and hanging up laundry
Dogs or cats: 2 dogs Hercules and Tyson
Essential start of your day: coffee on my way to work
Favorite color: changes to what I prefer but loving grey
Gold or silver: Silver
Height: 5'7"
Instruments you play (or have played): Clarinet in 6^th grade
Jobs titles you've had: milker, teller, customer service rep, teller supervisor
Kids: none yet
Live: East Texas
Mom’s name: Kathy
Nickname: Meg or Magan
Overnight hospital stays: none that I can remember
Pet peeve: bad table manners
Quote from a movie: …the entire Pretty Woman script {that movie is my favorite}
Right or left handed: right handed
Siblings: 2 younger brothers
Time you wake up: around 7
Underwear: Victoria’s Secret
Vegetables you dislike: none really
What makes you run late: not getting out of bed

X-rays you’ve had done: mouth at the dentist, arm when I broke at 5 yrs old and foot sometime in my awkward years
Yummy food you make: not to toot my own horn but I think everything I make is yummy LOL but I say at this time I love my American Chinese creation
Zoo animal: I love the smell of the zoo and my favorite are the big cats

Still Holding On

thought this was pretty and calming for a Sunday. 

I wish...

 

 

that I was this excited to do my homework that I have put off all week long...and am now cramming for the past and upcoming week

 

that my child is as awesome and free spirited as this one...I die.  LOL!

 

that I was a billionaire so I didn't have to work and could focus on traveling and making all these awesome dreams that I have in my head come true

 

that I was done with school...but all in good time. I'm closer every day

 

This and That

It's been sort of quiet around here lateley....I've been soaking up the last few days of relaxation before my life got turned upside down again due to a new week starting and school....so here's a few things that have been happening or just randomness.

First off...Blogger doesn't even give me an option to upload from my computer any more...which is crap!  I'm having to go this long way around through Picasa web albums then upload them from there to Blogger??? Is this the way ya'll are having to do this now too...I know several people have posted about this.

We had a white Christmas this year.  It snowed! It was pretty for a day or so then it's just a mess and I was ready for it to go back to normal. LOL

 

 Last week when I went to the grocery store to pick up some coffee I noticed a reusable filter for my Keurig. I had been wanting to find one so I could save a few dollars on my K cups. I love my Keurig but those little things add up, 1 box of 24 count K cups is around $9 so I am guessing that I should save about $6 a month. I bought the reusable filter and not only am I saving myself money but saving the extra trash and stuff as well so it’s “greener”. I have been drinking Folger’s K Cups for a while so I chose the ground Folger’s coffee in Black Silk. I used to buy that all the time but then my grocery store quit selling it. SSOO…now that I’ve written a whole paragraph on coffee…your caught up with that. LOL

Lincoln and I had a relaxing weekend of browsing and shopping. Saturday we got ready and headed to Dallas so Lincoln could use all his gift cards he received for Christmas. We hit up Bass Pro and then headed to Frisco. He intended on coming home with some special Clark’s shoes that he wanted but he ended up having to order them from the warehouse and they are being shipped. He wasn’t happy that he didn’t come home with an actual pair of shoes but he is getting them one way or another and he got to try them on which was the main objective so it was a win win. I also won because we stopped in Dillard’s and I bought myself a new Fossil purse in celebration of my yearly raise which was a nice bump. J I love it and although it was a tink expensive. It has a long adjustable strap that can be attached so not only do a get the daily hobo look but I can also use it as a cross body bag so it’s really two purses in one and that cuts the actual price in half right…? Right!

I meant to take pictures and talk about this a while back but I never did then Christmas came and went and now it’s just too late but I can tell about it anyways since Valentine’s Day is coming up. I was reading one of my regular blogs Little Chief Honeybee and Kaelah had made a datevitation book for her hubby and thought it would be a perfect addition to Lincoln’s stocking. Visit Datevitation and check them out. It’s awesome. They have a ton of fun dates from go cart riding to adult playtime. ;)

 

 

School starts back today! I am taking 4 classes again 3 are online and I actually have to go to the college for the other one on Tuesday nights. I haven’t taken a class in a classroom setting in at least 6 years, probably more. Even though I have been taking online classes I’m nervous to go and actually sit in a room with other students…it’s been so long I’m going to feel like an old lady going back to school even though I’m the same age as the rest of my class.

 

Relationship Training

As a child we start school, some of us, at the ripe age of 3 years old and continue for 15 years until we are 18. Now remember that this is only to get us ready for the minimal wage real world, if we want to really better ourselves we must get further training/ schooling for up to 8 years. Of course some of these values are less or more depending on the person but you are guaranteed a good 12 years of education while growing up, this is a law!

 

So why, pray tell, do we get trained on the things of the brain but not of the heart like love, relationships, heartache, failures, and so many other emotional roller coasters.

I think that we should get relationship training from a young age all the way until we die.  Relationships are like anything else... work.  Yes, it’s rewarding work but work none the less and would be a lot easier if we knew how to handle situations of the heart sometimes.  If we knew how to communicate better, love more selfless, and be a better partner a lot of our lives and relationships would be so much easier.  We could worry less and have fun more.

Over the past few weeks some relationship trials have come up in my life and it got me wondering how are you suppose to know how to be better if you were never taught or trained to BE? 

 

Now not only do we have to learn about someone else and how to help them but we also have to learn about ourselves and how we can help the relationship.  And quite quickly before it all falls apart.    

All in all relationships are tough and no matter the reward it would help if we were a bit more prepared going into these big things!

Personal Plans for 2013

It’s that time of year again when we all say what we want to do better or start new projects on ourselves. I know I did a resolution post last year and I’m pretty sure that I didn’t do or improve on any of those things. It’s almost like we make resolutions because we know they will be broken!

This year, NO MORE!

I am not calling them resolutions nor am I going to think of them like that…they are simply things that I would really like to get in a habit of or work on and if they happen then great if not then no harm.

* Take better care of my body!
àDiet, as in what I eat, not restrictions on food. I would like to eat more raw and organic foods. I do real well I think already but I can always do better. I need to for sure amp up in the fruit department. I love all fruits but it seems like every time I buy fruit at the grocery store I let it go bad.
àDrink more hot tea. When I returned from Egypt a couple years ago I was in a habit of drinking hot tea just because of the type of people I was around that was normal.  I think it’s so different and sophisticated so I really wanted to keep that up once I returned home.  Plus it is so relaxing.  I could see myself drinking a cup of hot tea and reading my Kindle.
àCut the sugary drinks.  I don’t drink a whole lot of sodas but I do drink enough that I know they aren’t the best choice and I would really like to make a conscience effort to cut them out all together.
àTake better care of my skin.  I always wash my face and moisturize it.  I don’t abuse my face with tons of makeup…I actually don’t wear any except a little blush, eyeliner, and mascara but I have such dry skin and I really would like to get in the habit of putting lotion on my entire body after every shower or bath.
àWorkout at least 3 or 4 times a week

*Read different genres of books. 
àI seem to read the same sort of mystery/thriller fluff and although I read it because I love that type of book I would really like to expand my reading material to include more literary works and books of substance. Last year my goal was to read 50 books and I almost made it but thisyear I think I can really do it.  Even though it sounds like a lot I read over 35 books in 2012 so now 50 doesn’t look so unattainable.

*Work on not procrastinating
àI have always been a wait until the last minute type of gal and it really isn’t the best method. Although it seems to work because I have yet to not be successful at something that I’ve procrastinated on but as organized as I am you would think I wouldn’t wait until the last minute on things but for some reason I do.  The organization methods are really the only reason that procrastinating does work for me but the stress of it isn’thealthy.

*Double duty in finishing school
àI am finishing up the last full semester before I have to decide on a master’s program and prepare for that.  After this spring semester of school I will have like 2 straggler classes and I can hopefully start a master’s program in the fall!  I have worked so hard to get to this point but now that it’s almost here I don’t know if I want to continueon and get my MSA in Accounting or just take my BBA in Accounting and continue on with an MBA.  Any who I have emailed and gotten replies from both my undergrad and graduate advisors so I just need to think it over and decide what path would be best for me and the future Iwant.

*Vacation, vacation, vacation!
àTake a major vacation with Lincoln…cough Costa Rica, cough cough….. and a couple mini trips with Lincoln, girlfriends,and my mom.

*Do better at the laundry
àI probably keep one of the cleanest, neatest houses of anyone I know…not bragging just saying I’m OCD about my house but my one downfall is laundry.  It isn’t so much washing and drying it as it is folding and hanging it up.  I hate doing laundry! I have no idea why and I really need to just get over it and do it.

*Be a better person
à Just in general be a better girlfriend, friend, daughter, sister, employee, and boss

*Find a church home

*Have more date nights (at least one a month that is designated actual “date”night)

*Participate in more outdoor activities
à I love like hiking, camping, bike riding, kayaking, and all other outdoor fun and I would really like to make time to do more of those activities.  Even though it is hard with school if I would not procrastinate I might have a weekend afternoon here or there to do some of these fun things

*Do more DIY projects and projects around the house
à I wrote this post a while back and still have to complete all those items on that list, so that is a major must. Plus I am always lookingfor another fun inexpensive project and I want to get a lot of those done in2013

*Throw more parties/gatherings
àI’m staring this one off pretty right as I was asked to head up one of my best friends and for sure my oldest friend’s baby shower and I am beyond excited.  I also would like to have more gatherings and little themed parties at my home.