Anonymous quotes on Dreams....

"Keep your heart open to dreams. 

For as long as there's a dream, there is hope, 
and as long as there is hope, there is joy in living." 
Anonymous 

On the other hand

"No dream comes true, until you wake up and go to work!" 

Anonymous

Ambition

Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.

Bill Bradley

Read more:http://www.brainyquote.com

Making mistakes

Have you ever made a mistake?

I believe we all have at some point, but it is how we handle the mistake that defines the type of person we are. Our character.

When you make a mistake, do you:-
a) blame the other person?
b) refuse to accept you did something wrong, but rather stand your ground - kicking, screaming till the end...
c) own up and apologize
d) say nothing, bury your head in the sand and hope the mistake disappears

Mistakes can occur in every sphere of life - in relationships, at work, in school....It takes a strong character to take ownership and responsibility and admit that something went wrong....

How do you handle mistakes?

One day at a time

Another version of one of my favorite songs...One I listen to, when I'm feeling overwhelmed and rushed off my feet, as it reminds me to take one day at a time....

One day at a time - Lynda Randle

So was it worth it?

 Click on the links for some of the stories that made headlines as a result of Black Friday..

Waffle Maker

Pepper spray

Fighting

So, was it worth it??????

Savvy Shopping

So, it's Black Friday and a massive shopping day in the USA.

Actually, if you're reading this and you're in the USA, then it could mean 

• you don't really care about the bargains
• you do most of your shopping online
• you're reading this on your phone, while standing in line, waiting to checkout your amazing bargains?!
• you've just come back from the midnight shopping spree and this is your last act before you head back to bed!

I came across this post online and decided to share this with you today. The writer is actually suggesting doing the reverse this Black Friday day which makes sense... Do enjoy!

Click here to read. 

I am thankful for...

I am thankful for:-

Life,

Love,

Family,

Health,

Friends,

Work,

Shelter,

Safety

.....

What are you thankful for today - and always?

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Black Friday approaching.....

It's really proving exhausting keeping up with all the upcoming sales. 

Every shop in North America is offering extraordinarily amazing discounts and some shops are so eager to get the business, they'll even open on Thursday evening at 10pm (yep, Thanksgiving Day!) to make sure shoppers can come. (Bless 'em for their thoughtfulness!) Apparently, this Thursday evening offer is targeted at those shoppers who might want to have a lie-in on Friday morning. 

Trying to keep track of who has what where, is giving me a headache (and some really weird itching) and somehow I have the inkling that I might just end up stuck in traffic all day, as I try to navigate from one store to another, in search of that exclusive bargain.

The thought of heading out the door early enough to be one of the 1st 100, who will get yet another additional 50% percent off, is wearing me out! With any luck, I might actually not spend a dime, if I just set the alarm right!

OK. Tomfoolery over. Is it really worth it? Are those mad 5am dashes to the stores really worth it? The prospect of trading germs with fellow shoppers (many of which skipped the basic hygiene routine this morning in order to get ahead in line)? The early morning dog-breath (much more pronounced when the weather is crisp and cold at 5am)? The prospect of catching a cold (or something more contagious) from being exposed to the elements, so early in the day? 

I'm not sure. 

I also know I am getting 'older' and it takes a wee bit longer to recover from ailments, so, I'm going to go with a different strategy this year. I am going to go at my own pace. On whichever day I please. At whatever time I please. To whatever store I please.

Too bad, if I miss the fantastic discounts. Too bad if I don't get that special gift. Just too bad! 

State of mind...

Courtesy www.networkwithjen.com

I couldn't have found a better picture than this one online to describe my current state of mind. (and even this excludes the day to day figments of normal living as well!)

So much to do, so little time. And waking up earlier isn't really going to make a difference either! (I'm up at 5am anyway - weekends inclusive!)

What to do??

Have a great Tuesday.

REPOST - Losing Stuff

Because I know we are constantly on the move (and probably will be for a few more years) I try not to have too many personal items. OK, I TRY!

My advice would be to keep your baggage minimal whilst you travel, because it makes it easier to pack up and go, when it is time to move on to your next move.

With most corporate relocations, the company will arrange for your possessions to be boxed and transported, yet, there is still confusion on Move Day as the movers invade your space.

Where does this go? Can we pack up this room? What is staying or going? Have you done the labels?

In between all that, you are struggling to keep an eye on your valuables (children inclusive!) and also ensuring that the really important items (passports, birth certificates etc) are not packed up for shipping.

I'm writing this because I did lose some important documents about 11 years ago and accepting this 'carelessness' has always been a problem for me. 'I'm the organised one' 'I have a foolproof filing system'

I was able to replace them (somewhat) - not in the fancy format they originally came in - rather a printed A4 page that acknowledged that I did own the original at some point. (I have a few awkward moments through the years, trying to prove that the A4 piece of paper is really, an original legal document and not one I printed off at home!)

It's always been a low point in my travels when I think about those documents. What could I have done differently? Where did I keep them? Maybe they are hidden somewhere in one of those boxes that we haven't opened up - yet? Occasionally I go through phases, where I spend the whole day going through boxes, hoping that I will find them. So far, I haven't had much success....

So my advice would be -

a) if you are constantly on the go, keep it lean and mean. If you can't, then rent some storage and keep some of your stuff there.

b) certificates, passports etc are GOLD. Keep them safe!

Faithful

God is faithful!

Power

Being powerful is like being a lady. 
If you have to tell people you are, you aren't.

Margaret Thatcher

Courtesy: http://www.brainyquote.com

C'est la même chose

All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.

Albert Einstein

Courtesy :http://www.brainyquote.com

Heigh ho!

Have a great Thursday!

Fast..

The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says 
"it can't be done" 

is generally interrupted by someone doing it.

Elbert Hubbard

Courtesy :http://www.brainyquote.com

The Postage Stamp

"Consider the postage stamp; its usefulness consists in the ability 

to stick to one thing until it gets there." Josh Billings 

(Courtesy www.ordinarypeoplecanwin.com)

How about that, for a lesson in perseverence?!   Have a great day! 

Elusive Blogging Inspiration (E.B.I.) - 5 major signs

5 major signs that show that blogging inspiration is elusive.

• You use pictures only as your daily post
• You use famous quotes solely for your daily post
• You reference other posts without any comments of your own
• You 'steal' other posts and repost them as yours (quel acte diable!)
• You just don't blog! (even worse!) 

When life catches up with you and blogging, what's your survival strategy?

I choose to blog daily - by hook or crook. And I could sit here at the computer and keep writing all day (seriously, I could), but then there are a few minor distractions that stop me from doing that:-

• a family that needs my attention (bless those kids for keeping me fully occupied!) 
• a house that needs my attention (so exhausting keeping up with the chores et al.) 
• food that needs to be cooked (or else get thrown away and I hate waste!) 
• a life that needs to be lived (despite everything, we do still need physical contact with people, because the blogosphere isn't everything...sadly!)

I've always said I find blogging therapeutic, so you can only begin to imagine how chaotic things are right now. Not in a bad way, but just utterly and stupendously, chaotically mad!

I'm looking forward to my next great post, but until then....Be. Right. Back!

The lost get found - Britt Nicole

Another memorable date

11/12/11

Surely, there's got to be something magical about this date 'sandwich' ...and the rest of November really!

C'mon people, make some more wishes!

November is National Wish Month (...just made that up!)!

11-11-11

Naturally, I had to delay this post to make sure it came out exactly 

on:- 

11/11/11 

at 

11:11am

Happy Veteran's Day everyone! 

Delivery and installation included...

When you buy an appliance and you pay for delivery and installation, what do you think it covers?

1. delivery to your doorstep only
2. delivery to your doorstep and placement in the required area
3. delivery to your doorstep, placement in the required area, unpacking and installation (provided it is not complex)
4. delivery to your doorstep, placement in the required area, unpacking and installation (regardless. The customer is always right.)

If you said 4, then you obviously are not in the Appliance Installation business(!). The correct answer is 3.

Apparently, when items are to be 'delivered and installed', this is just a 'basic install'.

Any installation more complex than using a screw-driver to attach a few screws, is seen as a non-standard install. Any deviation from this entitles the service provider to charge you extra to complete the job (despite the fact the you already paid a huge premium for delivery and installation) ....

I see a lot of this minimal contribution, maximum expectation rearing its head in modern day living and it consistently astounds me. It doesn't make sense to me, but this is fast becoming the norm.

I don't work in price setting or supply chain, but I do know that if I decide to set a price for a service, I will make sure it covers all incidentals. Sometimes, I'll get lucky (as with a 'basic install') and other times I might actually have to do some work (heaven forbid!), Either way, I'll break even ultimately.

And, my customers will be assured of the best quibble free service possible each time they sign up for my service - guaranteed! Surely that should be the goal of any reputable company, seeking customer retention?

I am wiser now and more informed about which organizations to do business with.

My only regret in this 'learning exercise' is that I haven't perfected my 'seething-with-barely-controlled-anger-yet-speaking-in-a-calm-tone' voice, as I failed woefully today.

I'm still hoarse from shrieking 'Are you kidding me???!!! Pay more? Why?????' in my shrill 'I-am-really-really-really-mad' voice!

6 types of dancers

I don't really watch Dancing with the Stars a lot, but when I do, I am amazed at how ordinary people (are we allowed to call the stars that??!) are suddenly transformed into near-pro dancers in a matter of weeks. (Yes, I know. Some of them probably took dance/act/sing classes for years in preparation for their big showbiz career, but still....)

I love dancing, but I'm not really much good at it. I wish I was though. I feel like I'm moving and doing all the right things ... until I see my reflection in a mirror!

Ellen Degeneres is another person who dances a lot. She recently had Rachel Maddow on her show who confessed something I had been thinking a lot about myself. Rachel Maddow is a chair dancer, just like me...

What's that - I hear you ask? Keep reading....

What type of dancer are you?

Chair dancer - Dances in her chair only. Looks very competent until she gets up....and then it's a disappointing finish, because this person can't really dance!

The Pro - Gifted and skilled. Life and soul of the dancefloor. A treat to watch. (and envy!)

Military dancer - Stiff dancer. Looks like he's marching. Minimum exertion, no sweat. Can go on at this pace for hours.

Wallflower dancer - Shy dancer. Always on the edge of the dancefloor - in the dark. Never quite makes it to centrestage. Freezes when the spotlight is on her.

Textbook Dancer - Has watched the music video for every song. Has memorized all the dance steps and will NEVER improvise. It has to be EXACTLY the way the music video portrays it or else...

The Clown - There's one in every party. Thinks they are really dancing and entertaining the crowd. Sweaty, comical, sometimes clumsy. The crowd is laughing - sadly at him, not with him.

What other dancing styles have you seen recently? Where do you place yourself?

Quote for the day - 8th November 2011

Be kind whenever possible. 

It is always possible.

Dalai Lama

Courtesy :http://www.brainyquote.com

Quote for the day - 7th November 2011

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. 

And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them."

Dalai Lama

Courtesy http://www.brainyquote.com

No matter what - Kerry Roberts

Love in a hopeless place - Rihanna

I love this song. (Another one for the Ipod playlist)

However, I found the music video just too intense. Deep. Painful. Should relationships be this complicated?

So, do you find it as intense or in the words of a soon-to-be 14yr old 'The best music video everrrrrr!'?

Have an awesome weekend.

Thursday and then Friday

2 Great Business opportunities

Good business opportunities are hard to pass up on. And yesterday alone, I saw a couple staring me in the face.

Scenario A - Costumes or Candy 
Trend
Naturally, this will be seasonal.

Business plan
Offer a door to door service for the last-minute shoppers who are so desperate, they will pay any premium to get what they want. Drive around neighbourhoods on Halloween night ready to replenish the candy stash for those who have exhausted theirs early. (I swear I saw about 100 children on a neighbours driveway. There is no way he would have had enough candy for everyone, so he would have been quite happy to buy from me to meet the demand, if only I was selling!)

Target Market
I will focus my advertising around pre-K - 8 schools (ages 3 - 14 really). Should I target the schools directly? (Errm maybe not - I'd hate to be arrested for stalking a school playground. There are so many sick people on the planet today!)

Proposed income projections

From what I saw yesterday (and every year), loads of $$$$$. There's something in the air on the night of the 31st October that makes people go crazy. (and it's not just the sugar in the candy)


Scenario B - Marriage and Reality TV
Trend
So long as I can start and finish this in less than 365 days, this will work.

Business plan
Create a winning Reality TV brand and you're on the right track. A good publicist, some crappy products to promote (shoes, perfume, clothes - anything) and a strong brand name. It's all about the branding here. Not much talent is required. A brand name that rhymes with Alsatian will really work.

So I find a famous basketball player (currently on lockdown, of course) to marry, cause a big media stir-up over our relationship, have a really lavish wedding from which I make tons of money, remain married for 72 days (I'll make mine 70 days) and then divorce him.

Target Market
Impressionable people (like myself - really) that believe all we see on TV and that marriage is meant to be taken seriously! Pooh - what a silly, irresponsible thought - no?!

Proposed income projections
Loads of $$$$$. The publicity from the wedding, the E! exclusive, the People magazine exclusive all add up to a pretty tidy sum. (Shhh - I could even make some 'profit' from the wedding!)

Either way, I will be laughing to the bank pretty soon. What say you???

The stash...

A bit slow this morning, and will have a proper post up later. But in the interim, I couldn't resist sharing a picture of the 'spoils of war'! Enjoy.