Archive for the ‘Useful Random Information’ Category

I would like to share this story by Dr. Alan Morinis about Itzhak Perlman. The story highlights how gratitude can be found in any situation; it all depends on how you look at things.

There is a story — maybe an urban legend, but full of truth nonetheless — concerning the famous violinist Itzhak Perlman. One evening, Perlman was in New York to give a concert. As a child he had been stricken with polio and getting on stage is no small feat for him. He wears braces on both legs and walks with two crutches. Perlman crossed the stage painfully slowly, until he reached the chair in which he seated himself to play.

As soon as he appeared on stage that night, the audience applauded and then waited respectfully as he made his way slowly across the stage. He took his seat, signaled to the conductor, and began to play.

No sooner had he finished the first few bars than one of the strings on his violin snapped with a report like gunshot. At that point Perlman was close enough to the beginning of the piece that it would have been reasonable to bring the concert to a halt while he replaced the string to begin again. But that’s not what he did. He waited a moment and then signaled the conductor to pick up just where they had left off.

Here’s what I think…

When you are open to gratitude you see clearly and perfectly how much good there is in your life. Gratitude affirms that very fact.

We will always be faced with challenges in our lives. Life provides the ebb and the flow no matter how much we try to resist it. There is no limit to what we don’t have and if we focus on the lack in our lives, we will inevitably be filled with an abundant amount of pain and dissatisfaction. But when we can look at our lives, businesses, and family situations with a focus on what is right, we experience gratitude.

Like other attitudes, gratitude can be cultivated. We don’t have to wait for our fairy godmother to shower us with presents to feel thankful. We can develop gratitude by reflecting on the gifts that we already have. Gratitude is the memory of our own heart I once heard someone say. It is therefore an expression of love and abiding friendship which transforms itself into deed.

I try to cultivate gratitude every day and when I feel it – when I am grateful for my body and mind, for the world in which I live, for my family and friends, for my business – I know that my spiritual path is in order. When I don’t feel it, I understand that I am off and I try to right myself.

Gratitude is profound – it takes us to the edge and beyond.

Wishing you a phenomenal Thanksgiving,

Join us for the Shopping and Networking Event
of the Holiday Season!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Salvatore’s
354 Merrimack Street • Lawrence, MA

Are you ready to experience the premier event of the
Holiday Season that showcases what’s phenomenal
in the Merrimack Valley?

Enter to win over 50 exciting raffle prizes. Grab a phenomenal gift bag filled with awesome products, samples and special offers if you are one of the first 200 people in the door.

Order one of the scrumptious drinks available at the cash bar or better yet, come early and dine at Salvatore’s then pop in and mix, mingle and shop to your heart’s content.

Participate in a special raffle to benefit the children of Dare Family Services and you could win a $200 Cash Prize!

Grab your friends and come enjoy all of the phenomenal vendors while networking with the most dynamic business owners, designers and entrepreneurs this side of the Merrimack River!

CLICK HERE to RSVP for the Holiday Extravaganza

The Holiday Extravaganza is happening again!

Networking, Shopping, Gift Bags, Raffles and More!

December 7, 2010
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Salvatore’s Restaurant • Lawrence, MA

Hope you are marking your calendar for Tuesday, December 7th so you won’t miss the Holiday Extravaganza of the year!

2009 DARE To Be Phenomenal’s Holiday Extravaganza SOLD OUT!  With over 400+ men and women in attendance and 67 businesses in represented it was a great time.

Here’s what last year’s attendees had to say:

“It was phenomenal. Great people! Very receptive to my business and obtained new clients.” ~ Susan Caldwell

“Wonderful and exciting. Good that people from outside the group were allowed to attend to increase exposure of member businesses. Thank you for all of your hard work, Maureen.” ~ Kerry Wiley

“Loved perusing the vendor tables. I bought some nice holiday gifts, too!” ~ Elizabeth Covino

“The event was wonderful; a lot of different people took part in the event. I made a lot of connections with new prospects and business women. Maureen did a fabulous job coordinating this event. Thanks, Mo, for all your hard work. I can’t wait for next year.” ~Connie Doto

“Maureen, you did an incredible job with this event…..you thought of every detail to make it enjoyable for vendors and guest alike! Hope you take a well deserved bow and the REST!” ~ Karen Kallie

“What a great turnout! I was able to get some Christmas shopping done as the event offered a wonderful variety of gifts! I enjoyed it very much.” ~ Mary Honan

“It was fantastic! The room was buzzing! As a vendor, I felt the shoppers were genuinely interested in our products. I can’t wait to do it again, next year!” ~ Maria Murphy

“Had a fantastic time. Thanks so much, Maureen, for putting together such a great event. Your hard work and dedication is amazing! ~ Trudy Lawler

“Great time! Nice way to kick off the Holidays!” ~ Karen Kaloustian

Do you have your table yet?  We are 80% SOLD OUT and tables are getting snatched up pretty fast. So, contact me today if you want a table at this great holiday event.

Just wanted to post a short update on what’s been happening at the Diva Toolbox Conference for Women.

First, what a ball!  I have met some of the most wonderful business women at this conference from all over the world!  People like Merideth Liepelt, Kathy Garland, Barb Girson, Angie Strader, Lisa Reynolds, Cindy Morrison and so many more.  Watch for snippets, pictures and insights from these phenomenal women!

I presented yesterday and today and discussed…what else but money!  We develed into our money stories and I witnessed some amazing money breakthroughs from the participants.

Tomorrow is the closing and more great things are happening.  Check back next week to hear all the details of what happened and what we all learned.

Today, they all ended up on the front page of the New York Post.

For the last two years, Janet Powers, Owner and Founder of the Diva Toolbox has been diligently building her business, spreading her mission to empower and inspire women everywhere!

I had listened to Janet proclaim many,  many times she would interview Helen Reddy and she did!  And what did the dream do for her?

Today, she ended up on the front page of the New York Post referenced in the same article with Helen Reddy and Madonna.

Several months ago Janet contacted  Reddy and requested an interview.  Although, Reddy hadn’t done many, if any interviews in the US  she agreed.

In the interview, Reddy makes some interesting comments about Madonna and appears to blame her for not being able to find a decent bra.

In terms of the article in the New York Post, Madonna’s rep was quick to respond. You can see the full article here:  http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/helen_bra_vado_over_madge_2PaPLEKfpcUM2yyjzvm9PL

This article has put Diva Toolbox out in the spotlight.  The View, Huffington Post, Madonna herself and many, many others have been tweeting all day about this story.  In the end, this has created invaluable exposure for the Diva Toolbox and The Diva Toolbox Network.

It also means the hundreds of radio hosts that are part of the Diva Toolbox community gain valuable exposure as well.

Are you  interested in having your own radio show on Diva Toolbox Radio Network with me and hundreds of others? To find out more details, head to http://www.DivaToolbox.com.  Call Janet today and find out what having a show can do for you.  Make sure you mention my name for an extra special gift.

Last night I attended the Celebration of Excellence sponsored by Enterprise Bank.  Although I was honored to be nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year, I was really impressed with the individuals who made it to the finalist stage and ultimately won. Entrepreneurs to truly emulate!

Tedy Bruschi was the keynote speaker and he gave a great speech on never giving up.  After suffering a stroke, Tedy came back to not only completely recover from his stroke but went on to play again for the New England Patriots.  His story was truly remarkable and full of humor and highlited the strength that we all have to overcome adversity.

Which brings me to my point…we will all be faced with adversity at one point in our lives.  How we handle that adversity is what will set us apart.  It might be cancer, or a stroke or possibly death of a loved one.  No matter what it is, we have a choice on how we handle those tought times.

Tedy Bruschi is a true role model on how to come out of adversity and come out on the other person stronger than ever!

This past Thursday and Friday I had the opportunity to attend the Simmons Leadership Conference with my good friends Janet Powers from Diva Toolbox and Lisa Honka, Development Director for the Wyndham Hotel.

On Thursday evening I had the opportunity to meet Ali Brown.  Ali Brown is a self made millionaire and  business coach.  I have been following Ali for at least a couple of years and am always impressed with what she is doing.

She was the guest speaker at a pre-conference event on Thursday night where she spoke to a crowd of 300 women.  What struck me the most was how many of these women in the audience where NOT business women but instead worked in the corporate arena.  Despite that fact her message was relevant to anyone listening.

In a nut shell, her message was do the best job you can do no matter if you are working for someone else or you have your own business.  Give it your all!

Besides having the opportunity to meet Ali and speak with her and her business partner, I also had the great pleasure of hearing a host of speakers that were fantastic.

If you have never attended the Leadership Conference I highly suggest that you consider doing so next year.

I haven’t posted a thing all week.  I was traveling to San Antonio on Monday for a one day Create Your Association Training and Conference with Sheri McConnell.  That’s a picture of the group of us…don’t we look like we’re having a phenomenal time?  It was a fantastic experience meeting with like minded, creative, women entrepreneurs all interested and motivated to create a thriving association.  I am thrilled to have met them and look forward to helping them promote their association when the time comes for the full fledged launch.

Until then, keep a look out on the association I intend to launch in the very near future.

While I was away I fully and totally realized how much I hate traveling.  I always knew I was a home body but it really sunk in like never before.  I have to say, I don’t know how the countless men and women do it who have to travel all the time for business.  My hats off to each and every one of you!

This weekend I attended the Maximizing Success Wealth Retreat in Boston at the Hilton.  What an event!

First I was thrilled to be a sponsor of this event with my good friend Janet Powers from Diva Toolbox (check out her out at www.divatoolbox.com) and was able to attend the event with several of my very good friends.  We really had a ball.

I invited so many people to attend this event and unfortuatnlely if you didn’t attend you really missed out on some incredible inforamtion, resources and great contacts.

The event was filled with ample opportunity to network with other like minded, success oriented individuals and to meet some of the greats like Robert Allen, author of The One Minute Millionaire and Tracy Rupcheck one of the top ten female internet marketers in the world!

Watch my blog all week for great pictures and stories about the presenters!

As many of you know I came down with pnuemonia this weekend.  What a signal that I needed to slow down and take care of myself.  I am not always able nor willing to sit back, relax and do nothing.  It’s just not in my nature.  So for the last several days I have been struggling with doing nothing, resting, catching up on some reading and some extra sleep.

I have received countless suggestions from friends and fans about how to go about taking the time necessary to heal my body.  I have been blessed with daily deliveries of hot soup and fresh bread.  Been the reciepinet of regular phone calls from friends and family checking to see how I am recovering.  And still I want to get out of bed and go about my day.

Since I have so much time on my hands I figured I would go back to the basics that I learned when I was in coaching school and revisit the concept of extreme self care.  The concept is simple but easy to forget when you are not focused on practicing the skills.

What is extreme self care?  It is the practice of fully committing to a nurturing lifestyle and then following through to make it happen.

Here is a list of self care stategies that I am going to focus on over the next several weeks:

1.  Focus on feeding my body healthy, nouroushing foods to speed my recovery

2. Make sure I make time EVERY day for quiet meditation.

3. Get enough sleep each night.

There are plenty of other self care strategies I can list here and while I am recovering I am going to take the time to further develop my list.  In the mean time why not start developing your self care strategy.  I’m going to finish mine right after I wake up from my nap.