{Life Lessons} Part 2: live, love, do

Our dear friend Jerry was going to be 75 on the 4^th of July.  What an amazing day for a birthday…just imagine the celebrating he did each year.  If you knew him, you would say…It’s so fitting he was born on this day.

He LOVED life

He LOVED what he did for a living {he would never say it was a job}

He LOVED to travel

He LOVED his family

HE LOVED to play and have fun

He didn’t get caught up in the day to day mumbo jumbo…he LIVED!

LESSON TWO: LIVE like you’ve never lived before

How do you live your life?  Constantly scheduled and not taking time out with your family and friends…always saying…I’m too busy…I don’t have enough time?

Do you like what you do?  Are you so busy making excuses why you can’t do this or that…but DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU DO?  That is the big question.

If you spend the majority of your time working – you better like what you do…don’t you think?

So there were two instances this weekend where this came up for me…the FIRST time, I was reading a blog post by Emily Ley of Emily Ley Creative.  She said something in her video that really hit home for me.

{If you’re not excited about what you’re doing ~ nobody will be}

{If you’re not producing from the heart ~ it will be obvious}

Then she asked a couple of questions…

{What fires you up?}

{What makes you get out of bed each morning excited?}

Interesting statements and questions that really made me think…

The SECOND time was listening to Jerry’s family and friends talk about Jerry and how he LIVED and LOVED…

So the question for me…do I love what I do?

Yes – I absolutely LOVE events.  I love to dream about them and create them.  Am I using my creativity to it’s fullest potential…YES for the events that I’m doing…but I want more…I want to do more and utilize my creativity to it’s fullest capacity.  I'm growing and evolving and that means my creative expression is too.

If I’m going to be honest ~ I would say…I need to have more fun…be more spontaneous…do things…remember to stop and smell the flowers…listen to the birds chirp in the morning.  Just sit and be.

So what fires me up?  FAMILY, FRIENDS, EVENTS, DESIGN

I bought a plaque this weekend that is sitting on our mantle and the saying sums it up…

Happiness Is Not A Destination

It Is A Way Of Life

My promise to myself…LIVE like I’ve never lived before, LOVE like I’ve never loved before and DO like I’ve never done before.

What’s your promise?

xoxo,

Caryl

{Life Lessons} How Many Faces Do You Have?

A very dear friend of the family passed away recently and today was the celebration of his life.

At his celebration, I was {re-introduced} to a couple of very important concepts.  It’s something that you know – but I think getting caught up in life…one forgets.

LESSON ONE: He had just ONE face

Did you know that the majority of people out there in the world have many different faces/personalities they show different people?

            Face #1: You show to friends

            Face #2: You show to your family

            Face #3: You show to strangers

            Face #4: You show to yourself

It takes a very special and unique person to only have ONE face.  It’s the same face that they show to everyone they see, meet, know and love.

Why is it that you can be so nice to a perfect stranger, yet you might snap at your sister?  Are you not being your true authentic self when you are talking to the stranger or sister?

Or you put on that happy face when you’re talking to a client, but when someone on your team walks in the door, you don’t say hello?

Do you have different faces for different situations?  Yes, there are times when you need to be stern or happy or angry – but shouldn’t everyone receive the same recognition from you? 

I’m not saying that you can’t be angry or happy…I’m saying be your true self to everyone.

If you feel that you are a loving person…be that loving person everyday to everyone with honesty and sincerity.

Our friend that past away – he only had one face.  You knew where you stood with him…he was genuine…he was authentic…he was sincere….he was honest.

I want to have just one face that everyone sees – strangers, friends, families and me.

How many faces do you have?

xoxo,

Caryl

Tomorrow – LESSON TWO…it hit me like a ton of bricks!