Are you a dealer in Hope?

"Leaders are dealers in HOPE."-Napoleon

I loved reading a wonderful article in SUCCESS Magazine recently. This article is written by John Maxwell who is a gifted leader, speaker and author. I always know that I will be encouraged and sweetly challenged by his words.

In this article John Maxwell speaks about, "How to Be a Dealer in Hope" by helping others believe the impossible is possible. He shares that " Hope gives us reason to live. It takes obstacles and transforms them into possibilities. Hope gives us the strength and the courage we need to make the most of life."

In his first book written in 1979, Think on These Things, John Maxwell writes the following words:

What does hope do for mankind?

*Hope shines brightest when the hour is darkest.

*Hope motivates when discouragement comes.

*Hope energizes when the body is tired.

*Hope sweetens when the bitterness bites.

*Hope sings when all melodies are gone.

*Hope believes when the evidence is eliminated.

*Hope listens for answers when no one is talking.

*Hope climbs over obstacles when no one is helping.

*Hope endures hardship when no one is caring.

*Hope smiles confidently when no one else is laughing.

*Hope reaches for answers when no one is asking.

*Hope presses towards victory when no one is encouraging.

*Hope dares to give when no one is sharing.

Are you the kind of leader that is a dealer of HOPE? Do you inspire others to believe that what is impossible is possible. John Maxwell says that, "Leaders help people believe the impossible is possible,which makes it highly probable." A good leader is a dealer in HOPE.

You can read John Maxwell's article on, "How to Be a Dealer in Hope" in the current edition of SUCCESS Magazine. Just go to www.successmagazine.com.

I was a BIG GIRL!

Have you ever had to buy clothes from a store that sells clothes for PLUS sized women? LANE BRYANT, JUST MY SIZE and WOMAN WITHIN are the names of a few stores where you can buy PLUS sized women's clothing. Don’t the names JUST MY SIZE and WOMAN WITHIN scream the words overweight and large to you?

When you Google PLUS size women's clothing, these words are used to describe these clothes: TRENDY, FASHIONABLE, STYLISH and FLATTERING. When you search Google for MISSES clothing you do not see any of these words used to describe the clothing. Why is that?

It seems that wonderful adjectives must be used to help you feel better about wearing BIG SIZED clothing. I was a BIG GIRL! I had to wear PLUS sized clothing. At my largest size, I wore a size 20 Womens. How did this happen to me? Due to an injury my body is immobile and I cannot move easily, so I have a very sedentary life. In my late 20s, I had a spinal cord injury and have spent the last 18 years unable to move like I once could.

With the loss of my body and some other former privileges, I did not make the best eating choices and I ate what I liked (cheese, pasta, bread & butter, more cheese and don't forget the ice cream). I also experienced some uncomfortable health challenges which also hindered my ability to be disciplined in making good choices. Over the last several years I have exercised regularly and changed my eating habits but I could not get the weight off even with making better choices.

After using Mannatech products, I began to feel better . As I felt better and continued to exercise and eat well. I began to realize that I was a BIG GIRL and was ready to do something about it. Today, I can wear a size 12 MISSES clothing. How did this happen to me? I added to my regiment the Mannatech products OSOLEAN and GLYCOSLIM Meal Replacement Shake and continue to exercise regularly and eat well. I am losing fat while staying healthy and protecting my lean muscle.

Now that I am a smaller woman, I wear clothes that do make me feel TRENDY, FASHIONABLE, STYLISH and FLATTERING. I am SKINNIER in MY JEANS and it FEELS GREAT to LIVE WELL. Are you tired of being a PLUS sized woman or man? Take a look at the tab titled SKINNY IN MY JEANS for more information and to order OSOLEAN.

I AM NOT A BIG GIRL ANYMORE! I am SKINNY IN MY JEANS and O so LEAN!
You can do this too! :)

Where are the blueberries?

I've just discovered a wonderful place for incredible information about all things natural and good for you. I have discovered Naturalnews.com. I was looking at different information on this site and stumbled upon a very entertaining video which is a comedy skit titled General Mills Mind Games -Comedy Skit about Total Blueberry Pomegranate Cereal (naturalTV.com).

I was greatly entertained as I viewed this video. After viewing this comedic nutritional video, I asked myself a question "Where are the blueberries?" You see, there is a cereal called Total Blueberry Pomegranate by General Mills. They say they have blueberries and pomegranates in this cereal. Guess what? They are not telling you the truth.

The front of the total cereal box says "100% nutrition." Does the word artificial mean 100% nutrition? How is something artificial good nutrition for the body? There are no blueberries in Total Blueberry Pomegranate cereal. There is artificial flavor and RED 40 (this must be the pomegranates) and BLUE 2 (this must be the blueberries) and other added colors in this cereal that was called in 1961 a "benchmark for healthy cereal." Definitely times are changing. I wouldn't call this cereal healthy or nutritious.

We are so easily misled as consumers. I wonder how people can eat something that says it has blueberries and pomegranates in it when it is just colored sugar. It kind of reminds me of when I was in sixth grade and I bought a pet rock believing that it really was a pet. Why are we so easily misled? Don't you want your Total Blueberry Pomegranate cereal to really have blueberries and pomegranates in the cereal? How do you know if what you are eating is really food? READ THE LIST OF INGREDIENTS on your food labels. Avoid foods that have the word ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR in them.

So next time you buy a box of Total Blueberry Pomegranate cereal don't forget to ask yourself, "Where are the blueberries? "

BACKSPACE and DELETE

I just got finished typing some messages on Facebook. I was noticing how I was being very careful with my choice of words. I would type something and then read it and think about how it sounded. If my words did not communicate what I wanted to say in the way that I wanted to then I could easily make changes in the words I used.

Photograph by Chance Agrella

As I was making corrections on my messages, I began to think about how cool it was to be able to pick and choose my written words carefully by easily being able to make changes quickly by using the backspace key and also deleting. As I would make changes in my written text, I began to think that it was really wonderful to be able to easily change my words and I was wishing sometimes that I could have a delete and backspace button with my spoken words.

Have you heard that saying, "Open your mouth and insert foot." Have you noticed that you sometimes say things and then wish you could take it back? Are you like me in that you wish you could have a delete and backspace button for your spoken words? Do you remember hearing these words, "think before you speak?"

Unfortunately, we do not have a delete or backspace button for our spoken words however, we can take time to carefully choose our words by listening well and thinking before we speak. The next time you are communicating with your spoken words don't forget to take some time and listen well, think, consider and then share your insight.

TERRIFIC

Do you remember the characters Charlotte and Wilbur? These characters are in the classic award winning children's novel Charlotte's Web. This is a great story about friendship and the power of words.

Wilbur is a pig and he is in danger of being slaughtered by a farmer. He spends his time in a barn and develops a friendship with a very intelligent spider named Charlotte. Wilbur and Charlotte have a very special friendship. Charlotte begins to write messages praising Wilbur in order to persuade the farmer to let Wilbur live.

Charlotte writes these words in her web to describe Wilbur:

SOME PIG

TERRIFIC

RADIANT

HUMBLE

These words enabled Wilbur to become famous and everyone had something good to say about him. Wilbur was even awarded a medal for being phenomenal and completely out of the ordinary. His life is spared.

Positive and uplifting words helped others see Wilbur's life as one worth protecting. Good words also helped Wilbur grow in confidence. From this story, we can definitely see the power of words. I recently read a Proverb that says that " the power of life and death are in our tongue."

The words we speak make a difference. Are your words to others positive, uplifting and encouraging? Are you around people who are speaking good things into your life? May we be like Charlotte and speak words that build up and make a difference for others. You will be RADIANT and TERRIFIC as you speak good words to those around you.

Your Success- Delayed Not Cancelled

Can you imagine arriving at the airport at 9:15 PM to catch your 10:35 PM flight home and you find out that your flight has been canceled? What would you do? How would you respond? My friend Philip Blackett recently experienced this. He was leaving a Mastermind event in Phoenix and heading back home to New York City. His flight was canceled and he was not able to fly home until the following morning.

Philip remembers hearing complaints from fellow passengers as they heard the bad news of the canceled flight. Philip decided to respond differently to his delay by looking at it positively. So he enjoyed a free night in a motel near the airport. He was able to fly home the next morning. While on the airplane Philip recorded a short video where he explains how Your Success is Delayed but NOT CANCELLED.
Philip shares some incredible words in this video. You won't want to miss hearing him share about SUCCESS.



(YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO VIEW THIS VIDEO because of Facebook privacy, so feel free to view it on our FAN PAGE-look right to see how to join us.)

Philip Blackett is a Small Business Marketing Strategist for A&E Lifestyle Marketing where he helps Entrepreneurs, Professionals and Small Business Owners get MORE Customers, Clients and Referrals by improving the way they Brand and Market themselves to their Communities. Philip’s mission is helping Ordinary people Create More Abundant Lives and Extraordinary Businesses. You can find him on Facebook and his blog www.PhilipBlackett.com.

FREEDOM

"The freedom to share one's insights and judgments verbally or in writing is, just like the freedom to think, a holy and inalienable right of humanity that as a universal human right, is above all the rights of princes."

These words were written by Carl Friedrich Bahrdt who was a German writer and theologian and lived in the 1700s. I wonder what Carl would have thought of Social Media.  Would he have appreciated the freedom that is demonstrated on Facebook and Twitter, where we can communicate our thoughts, feelings, insights, likes and dislikes freely?  Would he love the fact that not only are insights and judgments shared in writing but they are also shared verbally through video?

You can say anything you want and be heard (and seen) by everyone on You Tube videos.  We definitely enjoy a lot of freedoms on the Internet when it comes to sharing "one's insights and judgments." I wonder which videos Carl would like the most.   And would he prefer to send a Tweet or write on somebody's wall?  Do you think he would accept your friend request?

A lot has changed in 200 + years but it seems that one thing remains the same. We as people have a longing to express ourselves and to be heard. May we continue to enjoy the freedom of sharing our "insights and judgments" which is "above all their rights of princes."

I thought I looked like Angelina Jolie

Yes, you heard me correctly. I did say these words, "I look just like Angelina Jolie."  Actually, I never really said these words. I do sometimes  think that I am cute . And then reality sets in and I see myself on video and say quietly inside my head, "What was I thinking?"

 I definitely do not look like Angelina Jolie.  However, I still really do think I'm cute. However, when I see myself on video,  I become a little critical of myself.  I just finished my first little video for this Blog. It is not always easy seeing yourself speaking. Again, baby steps!

I know that I will get more comfortable with seeing myself speaking on video.  I also know that I will definitely get better at doing this well. During my entrepreneurial journey, I have had to do many things that I was not comfortable doing. If I were unwilling to do the uncomfortable things then I would never be where I am now.

What is next for me in this entrepreneurial journey? Pay attention. You will learn more here. Don't forget to look at my short You Tube video at "Meet Vicki" on this Blog.

 

Here is a question for you.  Is there something new that you need to do to grow in your business or personally but asked haven’t done it yet because you are uncomfortable? What's stopping you?

GO GET IT!

The Pursuit of Happyness in an excellent movie. If you haven’t seen it yet, then I highly recommend that you do. This movie is based on a true story about a gentleman named Christopher Gardner.  Christopher Gardner is a man who was homeless.  He and his son had to spend the night in public restrooms because they had no place to live. Even with these challenging circumstance, he ends up becoming a very successful businessman who has made millions of dollars.

I watched several video clips from this movie on You Tube.  I remember one scene where Chris Gardner is on the phone making cold calls. When I saw this clip, I began to think of my own experience with making cold calls. I can identify with the work that Chris was doing and I definitely can see that what he did to become a millionaire was not easy. Success is not always easy.

Success can be a lot of work and requires right-thinking.  In a scene from the movie The Pursuit of Happyness,  Christopher Gardner  encourages his son to have right-thinking by telling his son to protect his dreams and not let anyone discourage him. He says, "You want something, go get it. Period."   I love seeing this scene because these words encourage me. 

Are you protecting your dreams? Are you guarding yourself from those who would discourage you? Are you taking steps to see your dream realized? 

Enjoy seeing a You Tube video under the "Entrepreneurs" tab from the movie The Pursuit of Happyness.

Dear Dr. King

January 17, 2011

Dear Dr. King,

Today  is a day when a lot of folks are talking about you. On the radio this morning, I heard you say some very profound and challenging things.  I can tell that you are a strong leader with great conviction. You are standing up for injustice and you are a man who is speaking truth. You know that men have been created by God with unalienable rights.  You know what is written in the Word of God and the Constitution. You challenge us by saying, "America be true to what you said on paper!"

You peacefully defend the rights of those who are treated unfairly because of the color of their skin.  You say that you have a dream that your four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.  I want to thank you Dr. King for speaking up and making a difference.   Thank you for what you've done. I am a woman who is not of color so there is much that I do not understand.

It is hard for me to imagine what you and others had to experience. I want to thank you for allowing me the chance to go to school with some of my African-American friends.  Thank you that we now share the same bathrooms and can eat in the same restaurants as well as even work together. It is hard to believe that there was a moment when you were dreaming of a time that would be like this. Your dream is still needed because just a couple years ago for the first time in our history we elected a gentleman named Barack Obama, who is African American, as President of the United States. I guess you could say that progress is slow, but I know that you are grateful that you have paved the way.

I love that you have said that, "Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?"  I was listening to some of one of your speeches on the radio today and you said some really incredible things. I tried to write them down but I didn't have time.  So, I'll have to paraphrase. You mentioned that when you die you would like to not be remembered  for all your honors and for being the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. You said that when you die you want to be remembered for how you fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and visited those in prison.

I can see how you have said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, ’What are you doing for others?"   You are a man who not only speaks these words but you also are a man who lives them out in principle and action. I can tell that you understand the heart of God and want to treat others in a way that is pleasing to Him.  I have really enjoyed getting to know some things about you today. You are such an intelligent man who is willing to speak out so that injustice is challenged and that your dream is realized. Thank you for the way that you have been a man of great conviction and character.   You have made this world a better place.

Sincerely yours,

Vicki O'Neal :)

UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

Sometimes I feel like I should be wearing a sign that says "UNDER CONSTRUCTION!"  Do you ever feel like you should be wearing one of these  signs?  It sometimes takes a lot to become all that we can be.  Have you ever felt like you had made a positive change only to realize that you still have more changes that need to be made?

I have a long ways to go to be all that I would like to be. When I get discouraged about this then I have to remind myself where I have come from.  I am so much better as a person than I used to be.  I will always have things to work on so that I can become a better me. Fortunately, I don't have as much to work on as I did a year ago. This is called growth. I will always be "UNDER CONSTRUCTION!"

I'll constantly be learning and growing and working on being a better ME.  I'm also working on doing a better and better BLOG. This is "UNDER CONSTRUCTION!" as well. I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm learning.  Just keep paying attention to this blog because great things are ahead. The first thing is we need to work on a more appealing background. I need to figure out how to place my contact box. And do also sorts of things to make this blog one that will be interesting and appealing to my audience.

Since I am growing and learning and "UNDER  CONSTRUCTION!",  feel free to share with me any ideas you  may have that can be helpful to me as I work on making a better  blog.  Also, I appreciate your positive feedback as well.  Thank you for your good comments.  Don't forget to "follow" us on the blog!

We All Make These...

We all have many things in common. We do similar things like driving, shopping, dishwashing, laughing, playing and working. We also all make choices and decisions. 

Sometimes we make good choices and sometimes we make poor choices. We all have some things that we can make decisions about. Some things are easier to choose and decide about than others. Our decisions can definitely make a difference in our outcomes.

I was out with meetings today and decided to eat lunch near my meeting places. I had two places that I wanted to eat. One was Monterey Mexican restaurant and the other was Whole Foods grocery (where they also have a hot bar).  I like cheesy quesadillas, enchiladas and burritos. However, I have been working on making better choices and decisions with my eating so to my surprise I chose to eat brussels sprouts at Whole Foods grocery.

Brussels sprouts aren’t one of my favorite vegetables however definitely a good choice.  I still had a little serving of macaroni and cheese on my hot bar plate. (I think you can tell that I must really like cheese.) Overall, my choices for lunch were much better at Whole Foods than they would have been at the Mexican restaurant. I felt really good about my decision to eat healthier at lunch. I also know that it was a good decision for me.

My decision for where to eat lunch was a small one. But I think that making good decisions and choices with the smaller things helps us to make good decisions and choices with the bigger things. Are you choosing well? How are your decisions and choices affecting your outcomes?

Good Words Are Worth Repeating

You see them on bumper stickers, bookmarks, posters, Facebook and  Twitter posts. They are everywhere. Something is always being repeated and said again. Have you heard it said that there is nothing  original. Everything has been said or done before.

Why is it that we like repeating certain things that have been said? I guess it's kind of like this, "good things are worth repeating." What do we call these good things that are worth repeating? Quotations! I think I'm going to make up a quotation and I bet it is already been said. Anyway, here it goes... "If it's been said then it probably has been said before."-Vicki O'Neal

What are some good things that have been  shared over and over again? Here are some of my favorite quotes.

Treat your body like a temple, not a woodshed. -Jim Rohn

People don't stop playing because they get old-people get old because they stop playing.

A heart that is in tune with God is a heart that beats for others.

People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision. -John Maxwell  

Good words are worth repeating. What are some of your favorite quotations? Please feel free to share them with us in your comment to this blog.

Givers Sell More

Selling is giving: giving time, attention, counsel, education, empathy, and value. In fact, the word sell comes from the old English word sellar, which means -you guessed it -"to give."—From Go Givers Sell More

How often have you heard people say, "I don't like to sell!" I know this is something that I have heard others share and I know that this is something I have said myself.  I wonder why I didnt like to "sell". Maybe its because of the old car commercials where you were being talked into buying that awesome automobile by the loud car salesman.  Or maybe it's because I didn’t want to offend someone. Maybe it's because I just didn't like talking to people. I'm really not quite sure why I didn't like sells.

I'm kind of thinking that maybe I didn’t like selling because my thoughts weren’t really accurate about the whole thing. When you hear that selling is giving then it does something to change your thinking. I like the idea that I am not just a salesman but I am a giver. I learned a lot from reading the book Go Givers Sell More by Bob Burg and John David Mann. I learned that selling is about caring about people. It's about listening and valuing the other person.

It's not just about you. It's about listening to and learning what it is valuable and needed by the person you're speaking to. As I read this book, I saw all things that I have been doing wrong in regards to sharing my "conkus of the bonkus."  I have some wonderful things to work on. I'm looking forward to growing at being a better listener and really hearing what someone wants and needs.

I highly recommend reading Go Givers Sell More. 

I DID IT!

Nike commercials have said "Just Do It!" Well I say "I did it!" Did what?  I completed a week of blogging.  Keep in mind that I started out not knowing what I was doing and definitely being very unsure of myself and my abilities. But "I did it!"

Now, there is definitely lots of room for improvement. I would not give myself any big awards for the best blogger. However, I am on my way to writing some really awesome blogs. These are just my baby steps. So be paying attention to what happens here because in the next few weeks and months you are going to see some really neat things here at http://feelgreatlivingwell.blogspot.com .

I would love to hear from some folks about what they like to see in blogs. What kinds of blog posts catch your attention? What things do you like to see written about? What kinds of information  gets your attention? I would love to hear your ideas.

I need to think about my next blog post. What will I write about next...?

We All Need a Little Encouragement

Do you ever wish that someone would just do something nice for you? Do you ever get a little disappointed because it doesn't seem like anyone notices? Don't you sometimes just want someone to let you know they appreciate you?

We all could use a little encouragement. We don't have control over what others do for us however we do have control over what we can do for others.  So next time you're feeling like you aren’t receiving the encouragement that you would like then why not take time to do something to encourage someone else.

Here are some ways that you can encourage others:

a smile and a sweet hello go a long ways

write someone a personal handwritten note

listen well

do a task that would mean something special to them

give a quick call to let them know you're thinking of them

You will enjoy knowing that you have encouraged someone.  Then you will really value the moment where you least expected to be encouraged and were.  How do you like to be encouraged?

feel great living well with Vicki: Making Cold Calls Builds Character

feel great living well with Vicki: Making Cold Calls Builds Character: "Recently, I noticed a blog from a fellow blogger about making cold calls. I remember the blog saying something like 'I hate making col..."

Making Cold Calls Builds Character

Recently,  I noticed a blog from a fellow blogger about making cold calls. I remember the blog saying something like "I hate making cold calls." When I saw this I began to chuckle inside because it reminded me of the many hours I spent making those delightful cold calls. I also understood how this fellow blogger was feeling.

I did not like talking to people on the telephone nor did I want to. So you can imagine that the thoughts of calling complete strangers consecutively for a couple of hours was not something that I was really excited about.  Now you may be wondering, why did I do something that I did not want to do. Well, this is a good question. I guess you could say that I was being stretched.

I needed finances to help pay for excellent nutritional products that I was using. So it was recommended that I just tell a couple of people. I remember wanting to write each person a personal handwritten note with a brochure just so I wouldn't have to speak with them on the telephone. I'm grateful that I figured out that this was not the most efficient way to tell others about my awesome nutritional products. So I began buying leads and making those delightful cold calls.

I was not the best communicator starting out. I was hung up on and heard profanity on the telephone and I am sure I probably cried afterwards. Actually, I cried several times during my year of cold calling. As the hours went by of making those calls something pretty cool began to happen and guess what that was... I became comfortable on the phone and became a better communicator.

I am grateful for being stretched.  It is through stretching that I am challenged and this is when I grow the most.  I would love to speak with you on the telephone. :)

You Just Have to Start Somewhere

Don't you hate it when you have to do something and you don't know how to do it. It can be challenging  to face doing something new.  What kinds of things enter your mind when you are facing a new challenge...

Am I going to make it?

Do I have what it takes?

Will I be successful?

Many times the questions don't get answered before starting something new.  Sometimes you just have to DO IT!  We all just had to start somewhere. Do you remember some of the very first things you ever did? Can you remember  your  first…

steps

day at school

softball game

school play

bike ride

job

time driving

I can remember facing the task of doing some of these things for the very first time. I remember how I sometimes was unsure that I was going to be able to do what was placed before me.  I'm thankful for just taking steps and doing those things that are new. So sometimes the best thing to do when you are facing something new is just to…DO IT!

Yesterday was my first Blog. Today is day two of writing a blog and it is already easier than yesterday. So my encouragement to you is that when you are facing a new challenge is to take time and realize that you can do this.  YOU JUST HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE!

So BEGIN…