Maybe you commune with nature, maybe the thought of a warm sauna and room service thrills you. Whatever your inner nature, we all have ways in which we say “Yes!” to life, knowing that when we do, life works for us. Try and find an idea from the following list that appeals to you and implement it in your life. Then, acknowledge to yourself that you already say yes to life in many ways, and give yourself credit, especially if your past includes a struggle through depression or loss.

• Instead of rushing headlong into your day, take your cup of coffee on the porch and watch the birds play. Even if you are not religious, you will be reminded of a promise: If even the sparrows are cared for, how much more are we? They don’t show signs of anxiety, worry or fear. Only we humans experience the travails of the ego.

• Post your favorite inspirational quote somewhere in your house or car. If you can’t think of one, write the following words: Everything Is Okay. I have a friend who has that on their garage wall! It reminds them there is nothing to fear.

• The next time someone at work or home offers a criticism, try not to respond defensively. Note your anger, but don’t react to it. Experiment with the freedom that comes from this. Just allow your negative feelings to be. Tell them, “Thank you, I will take your comments into consideration.”

• When a friend calls with an invitation, say Yes! If you are tired, modify the plans but find a way to give yourself the good things, i.e., love and friendship, and not be mired in routine.

• If you find yourself stocking up on necessities on sale, note that you are saying Yes to life! I had a friend who, during a serious depression, wouldn’t stock up on anything because she didn’t feel certain that she would be around to use them. When she stocked up again, she knew she was getting better.

• Feng Shui your house. Add bubbling water fountains and chimes. Create your own sanctuary. Check out websites or magazines for inspiration and give yourself beauty everyday.

• Vary your routine! Don’t always follow the same well worn paths through life. Even if it is one small change a week, awaken the inner child who is somewhere inside there, wanting to play.

• Ignore the ads that say you need to be and have more. If you use retail therapy to cope, opt out for a period of time and say Yes to life by acknowledging it already has given you everything you need to be happy!

• Don’t put yourself, however, on sale. If you are self employed, charge what you are worth. If you are long overdue for a raise, prepare a list of your accomplishments so you can discuss them with your boss. If you are doing too much for your children, stop. Often that is an attempt to fulfill something inside of us, and doesn’t help them at all.

• Ladies, take care of your bones with good quality calcium supplements and weight bearing exercises. Our bodies have served us through illness, babies, and menopause. Invest the time in taking care of them in turn.

• Consider a silent retreat, organized or not. If you do not do the laundry for one day, the world will still turn. As we grow older we are going to drop a ball or two anyway. Embrace nothingness for a day!

• Buy a dry erase board and list your dreams. Or cut images from a magazine and mount them on a poster board. Place it where you can see it, perhaps in that sanctuary you created for yourself. These “dream boards” can be powerful vehicles to bring about our desires and are a big Yes to life!

• Learn to let go. When the car behind you is on your bumper, move and let them by. They will find someone else to bother. Don’t be disturbed by the actions of others life a weak leaf in the wind. Realize that there is a steady drumbeat of calm at your own core, and rely on it.

• See your customers as real people with problems you can help solve rather than as burdens placed on your already stress-filled plate. When you give them your attention, you transform your work into joy.

• This works with children, too. The more you shoo them away, the more they will resist your efforts. Whatever the Universe gives you at this moment, accept and say Yes.

• Stop resisting change. It’s coming anyway. Whatever change is occurring is there to serve your growth, and all is well.

• Smile. It’s a powerful attracter of good, and affirms to Life you have something to share.

• Save for a rainy day and pay attention to your 401K. Dare to learn about money. Nothing says Yes to life more than the belief that there is a future to plan for.

• The next time you hear a conversation bemoaning the state of the world, the price of gas or the war, walk away. Dare to believe in a world that endures and is safe.

• Oftentimes in our hurry we pass by our fellow travelers here like they are street lamps on the road. Say Yes to Life today by making eye contact with whomever Life places on your path.

• Begin a daily routine, even if it’s brief. Start with a favorite prayer or moments of stillness. Say “thank you” to Life for what is. Leave prayers that beseech the Universe to give you what you want behind for a time. Gratitude brings us what we need.

For those who were counting, that was twenty-one. You already are saying Yes to Life, so share what you know with others. Strengthening each other is the biggest Yes of all!

I for one have been practicing this being present and in the moment concept since last summer and I can tell you when I am really, really present it is the most amazing place I can be. I love the feeling of looking someone in the eye and actually hearing what they are saying, or sitting on my patio and hearing the birds sing and the sound of the wind as it blows through the trees.
The other experiment in being in the moment is turning off the radio while I'm driving. If you listen to the hum of the tires, the squeeks of whatever is going on under the hood and well just the sounds of the road and other traffic presents you with a totally different view of the world traveling by you.

If you are present in this moment than all you are doing is reading this blog post and perhaps pondering what your present moment feels like. I want to tell you it is a very cool place to be! - JoAnne

When I was a child, my neighbor's mom used to serve cake with coffee
every Friday afternoon. She would get the whole street together for a
chat. It was great. Not just the cake, but also the chatting. I remember
how much I used to enjoy listening to people's stories and getting to know
them better. Even today, every time I smell coffee, I feel an
atmosphere of peace and friendship.

Things have changed with time and today, when people meet someone, the first
question they ask is: "What do you do?" meaning, "What do you produce?".
I find people are mistaking themselves for machines. They want to produce more and do it faster.
We can see this affecting our relationships, some couples instead of making
love they are contented with "a quickie". ( I don't know any of these couples, I just heard about it. LOL.)

Stop the world... I'm getting off! I don't know about you but I want to have the time to sit with people
and listen to them telling stories rather than listen to them boast. I want
to love without hurry, I want to produce without losing sight of myself and
I want cake with coffee!!!

I don't want to be those people who only look back at the past and do nothing about the present. I'll take the first step to change all that and I'll start today, actually, I am going to start now! After I finish this article, I'll rush to the kitchen and make a delicious banana cake, call some friends up and chat away.

Well, I just remembered that I don't have any baking powder. Well I can get some
from my neighbor... Uh oh... I don't remember her name. I think it is Steph, or Pat, or Tina...
Maybe it's a good time to introduce myself to her after so many years. Who knows, maybe she is the
daughter of my grandmother's aunt who went missing and by a turn of events come from Brazil like me and bought the house next door. Just like a good soap opera.

Ok, I' l leave you now and wish you a week with lots of work,
accomplishments, joy and, if at all possible, find time to have a cake with your coffee. You
deserve it!!!
Beijos!( kisses) Tchau!

I have reflected on the many women in history as well as those in my circle of strength who have influenced my life. I am grateful and blessed to be amoung the company of amazing women. So let's take a moment to honor women in history this month and remember those who have gone before us to blaze trails of opportunity for us today.

On my computer I have the following inspirational quote I read every day, "I get up every morning determined to both change the world and to have one hell of a good time. Somedays this makes planning the day difficult." by E.B. White

Who or what inspired you today?

JoAnne Funch

Do you ever feel stuck? Maybe feel stuck in a job or a life you really aren't happy with? Do you ever think that "someday" I'll do what I want? Or maybe "someday" I'll like my job or my life or my partner or...

Sometimes you just feel a sense of "well, I'm not sure what it is I do want, but I'm pretty sure this isn't it." So you find yourself slugging into work every day, kinda' gritting your teeth and wondering when you're going to start liking your life again.

I've felt that way, too, and I know so many friends and co-workers who do too. I know that when I quit the corporate rat race (more on that later), I was fairly stunned by the number of people who came to me and said that if it weren't for (fill in the blank), they'd do what I'm doing in a heartbeat.
They filled in the blank with kids, college, health care, bills. You name it.

You know, the older I get, the more I realize just how precious life is, and how quickly it all goes. I started realizing that "someday" might just never happen if I didn't start now. I know so many people in my parent's generation who worked all their
life and denied themselves the things they wanted until "someday," only to find themselves retired, sick and gone before they could enjoy life.

I'd like to encourage you to really think about this. Ask yourself. "Am I stuck?" "Is this the life I'd choose if I could choose anything I wanted?" And then ask yourself the big one. "Am I willing to take a risk to change to a life I really want?"

Amazingly enough, many of us (me included) hang on to what we have because we're afraid to change. For the last 10 years I was in the corporate world, I knew I wanted to be an
entrepreneur. Yet I stayed in there, moved to two
different companies and tried to feel happy about it all. After all, I was making very good money, had good jobs, worked for good companies. What's not to like?

Relax and use your hands, this may be your ticket to stress relief.

Having time for yourself is so important to your overall health and having a passion in life keeps you young.
Things to consider next time you are longing for "me" time.

JoAnne Funch

Well, if you haven't seen it, the premise of the story is about two men who are hospitalized with cancer. They befriend one another during their treatment. One of the men writes what he calls his bucket list after he is told he has terminal cancer. The other man finds the list and after he too has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. He adds to the list and offers to take his new friend on a trip to do all the things on the list.

The story is very thought provoking.... I thought about those things on my "Always wanted to do before I die list" and wonder why I have't crossed more off my list. Life goes so quickly and one day in your advanced age you ask "what happened to the years?"

Since my husband died I have found reason to work on my bucket list, I have a sense of urgency about my life now.
How about you? Don't wait for a medical diagnosis that pushes you into doing those things you always wanted, start to do those things on your list now! Choose one or two and year and just "do it" (to coin a Nike phrase) If you have the will, there is always a way!

2008 is upon us and with that the opportunity to write down all of the goals you would like to intentionally achieve in the New Year! Most people get extremely motivated this time of year, aggressively write down all of their goals, and then wait with anticipation. Soon, though, life kicks in and they forget about all about their "list". At the end of the year, they pull the dusty list out and realize that they only achieved a few goals, or maybe none. Feeling down, they wonder why they even "tried" in the first place.

Sound familiar? Most New Years Resolutions are never achieved. Why? Is it because we're too lazy? No. Is it because we don't care? No. Over the years I have found two simple reasons why people don't achieve their goals and I wanted to share three tips with you to change all of that and live intentionally in 2008!

People don't achieve their goals for two reasons. The first reason is because deep down they don't believe they can achieve it or they don't think they deserve it. Second, they aren't intentional about the goals they choose. Instead, they choose so many goals that they don't put enough energy into the goals they really want to achieve.

Bhutto had declared her intention to return to Pakistan within 2007, which she did, in spite of Musharraf's statements of May 2007 about not allowing her to return ahead of the country's general election, due late 2007 or early 2008. It was speculated that she may have been offered the office of Prime Minister again. Bhutto spent her entire life representing the People’s Party and was assassinated December 27, 2007 at the age of 54.

What I heard and observed around me was incredibly eye opening because they were me! Those who were rushing from one job to the next, talking intently about how bad the economy and housing market was, saying there was never enough time to get everything done, wondering how their schedules have become so overbooked, always stating that they needed to start saying no more often, complaining about spouses, children, employers and employees, stating “We should get together sometime” – right, and sometime never came. Whew… exhausting isn’t it? No wonder so many people are sleep deprived, emotionally spent, physically out of shape and unfulfilled.

I’ve learned to have a lot of “me” time and that quitting work at 5:00 is really valuable. I pick up the phone and actually speak to those who I want to connect with, a voice is so much better than an email. I invite people over for dinner frequently, because I enjoy their company and want to stay connected. I never eat fast food, I always sit down and enjoy a meal whether I cook it or someone else does. I keep in contact with those who really are important to me - I now live deliberately, because sometimes there is no time for do overs.

You can make all the excuses you want for why you can't stop to enjoy the holiday season but I challenge you to try a little more joy, pay it forward to the sales clerk who isn't real happy about coming to work at 5:00AM or the postal workers who are flooded with packages and people who are rude and in a hurry.

Spead some joy, it is contagious!

Every day is a day to be lived well! As a once in a lifetime treasure,
today will be reborn at tomorrow's dawn as a "cherished yesterday".

Thanksgiving is an excellent day to acknowledge and be grateful for the
family values by which my generation was raised. The gifts of our cherished
yesterdays brought us to who we are today. The morals and traditions woven
through the tapestry of our youth were presented with loving hearts, strong
parental convictions, focused "can do" attitudes, and consistencies specific
to that time in our country's history.

Many gifts have been bestowed upon the women of my generation. We have much
to be grateful for, and a legion of heroines to thank. Many women have
gone before us blazing trails through the worlds of business, sports,
science, performing arts, fashion, medicine, journalism, education,
literature, politics, economics, religion and more. They tore down the
walls of sexism and racism one brick at a time with their bare hands to
achieve their goals. We bask in the aftermath of their sacrifices, and in
the radiance of their triumphs. Personally I bow to each of them. Their
accomplishments are truly responsible for the successes we all share as
women today. Take a breath, ponder that, and say "amen" and "thank you"
ladies.

So, here we stand today in 2007 with all these freedoms and choices. We can
be what ever we want to be when we want to be. But, do we try to do too
much? Are we trying to pack too many options into our lives? Do we try to
wear too many hats, the trousers, and the push-up bras all at the same time?
In the rush of life, are we trying to take advantage of so many
opportunities that we're losing sight of the values of our youth? Are the
truly important things in life slipping through our fingers? Have some of
us perhaps created a sense of self-importance to feed our egos, and our need
to be needed? Or, have we just simply gotten caught up in the whirlwind
life style of today's electronically fast paced society.

In this hurried atmosphere we live in, "what will you really be bringing to
this year's Thanksgiving table?" Will you be so engrossed in preparing the
perfect supper table and special feast that you lose sight of the
opportunity for togetherness this Holiday affords? Will you be an observer
on the sidelines of life spending too much time capturing "Kodak moments" on
film? Or, will you be an active participant in the day's photo ops?

Where will your freedom of choice take you this Holiday season?

Will you need to do it all? Or, will you order bakery pies, and let a guest
bring a dish to share.

Will you give yourself the gift of a day lived to its fullest, to hold in
your tomorrow as a cherished yesterday.