We’ve often heard who you know is important.  I’ve realized over the years that who knows you and how they know you is more important. Meaning, if you are known as a positive resource concerned about helping others, you’re going to get referrals and attract more positive people willing to help you. However, if you are known as a self-centered person only interested in what people can do for you, you are going to be avoided like the plague and find you are surround by more self-centered negative people.

Today networking is often seen as a way to advertise or market you. Though that may be a byproduct of networking, it isn’t the goal. The goal is to build relationships to create connections.  Connecting is key for you to connect with people and be the person you want to be known as.

But what is a connection? A connection is the ability to relate to someone, to really get to know them. In the recent movie Avatar, we learned the power of the phrase “I see you”.  That is the ultimate connection. To be able to really see someone for whom they are.  To really connect you must get to know a person. This cannot be done by “telling” them about you. It must be done by asking questions and being curious, inquisitive and genuinely interested in the other person.  It’s not about you but growing you by connecting to others.

Over the past several months I’ve really worked on my connections. I first looked at the types of connections I had. Were they positive or negative connections in my life? If they were negative, I “disconnected them”. Then I decided what types of connections I wanted and needed.  I want a deep connection with my team so that I can be a more effective leader. I need connections to people greater than myself so that I may learn and move to a higher level of personal greatness. What connections do you want and need?

So it has been my recent goal to be an active listener and really inquire about those I meet and more deeply learn about those already in my life. I’ve been more thoughtful, said thank you more, said I’m sorry more and checked in with those near me to see how a success or challenge has gone for them.  I still have a long way to go but so far, the results have been amazing. I’ve noticed a deeper connection with my family, team and colleagues. The surprise has been the connections I have attracted. Some are reconnections to my past. I just reconnected with a very good high school friend. She found me on Facebook. Then just last week we connected with very close family friends I had not seen since I was 6 years old.

Other connections are new team members and colleagues that have found me online and via referral. They have proven to be great new friends and really enriched my life. The most unexpected connections are the opportunities that have come my way.  Amazing opportunities I never dreamed possible for me.

When I started this journey, I saw a tweet from John Maxwell about a new book, “Everyone Communicates, Few Connect.” He was asking for fans to preview chapters and comment. I jumped at the chance. The chapters were just what I needed to get me going on my journey of connection.

I forgot about that very cool start until today. I just found out that my picture made the cover of John Maxwell’s latest book “Everyone Communicates, Few Connect”. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!??  I connected to the great John Maxwell, and look what happened. I haven’t read the book yet. In fact, I plan to rush out and buy it just as soon as I finish typing this post! But I’ve been writing this post off and on about connections and leave it to the great John Maxwell, the very inspiration to start connecting, to help me finish my thoughts for you here.

Life happens for a reason and with a purpose if you allow it. So do yourself a favor and connect. Need help? Get John Maxwell’s new book, “Everyone Communicates, Few Connect”. He taught me and is still teaching me. So happy learning and happy connecting! May you enjoy the richer fuller life your connections bring you!! I’m thankful to be connected to you through this blog!  Hugs & High Fives!

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When I was growing up, my mom got me the “Raggedy Ann, Please, Thank You and I Love You” book so I could learn my manners. It was my favorite book!  I never have forgotten that book and in fact probably have it somewhere still.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the power of saying “Thank You” that this book had taught me. Why? I feel as if we are so caught up in our personal lives, struggles and schedules that we fail to recognize the good things others do around us and for us by simply saying, “Thank You“ to them.

By not saying “thank you” you only fall into the rut of negative. Since what you focus on expands, you’ll only get more negative. For example, it makes no sense for a manager to beat down his employees with threat of job loss or other repercussion then wonder why employee morale and motivation is so low, or why he only gets negative responses from his employees. Nor does it make sense for an employee to resent their manager for not being positive, when all they’ve ever said to their manager has been a complaint.

How about saying thank you and acknowledging the things that are being done right? Do you think your work environment would change if you change your focus? What about your home life and relationships, would they improve too by simply saying thank you? I think so!

The power of saying “thank you” is a gift you give others and yourself in return. This attitude of gratitude helps you encourage the behavior you want more of and forces you into a more positive perspective while making someone feel appreciated in the process. Now that’s a win-win-win!

One of the biggest reasons people are dissatisfied with their jobs, is lack of recognition and appreciation. If you’ve watched the new show on NBC, “Undercover Boss “, you see what I mean. This show exposes how bosses overlook good employees and how they risk losing these stars for the lack of appreciation they’ve been given.  All any of these star employees needed was someone to notice their hard work and say thank you!

So ask yourself this, when was the last time you said “thank you” to your co-workers, family or others around you? When was the last time you had someone say thank you to you for just showing up, for doing the dishes, for smiling and saying good morning?

A day should NOT go by without you saying “Thank You” to at least 1 person in your day. Your attitude of gratitude is the BEST way to reduce stress, and improve a negative situation instantly! PROMISE!

So how do you say thank you and not sabotage your good intent?

Ways to say thank you:

-          In Person (Best Way!),  Quick Phone Call,  Written letter (a quick note will do!) or  Email.

Two Crucial Tips for a Genuine Thank You!

1)      Just say thank you.

 Do NOT follow a thank you with a request, favor or update.  So avoid doing this: “Thank you so much for your help today.  I really appreciate it! Please let me know by end of today an update on your project. Thanks again!” In this example, the thank you is lost by the request added. Next time, just simply say “Thank You.”

 2)      Be specific for what you are thankful for.  The more specific the better!

 For example: “I really want to thank you for always making great suggestions for improvement, they really help me decide the best course of action and make me a better leader.  I so appreciate you for this!”

So go out and say a specific thank you to someone in your day, at work or at home and see what positive magic it can create!

I appreciate you taking the time to read and share this blog! It lets me know that you value the tips I share and that I’ve made a positive difference for you.  Until next Monday have a Great Week!

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Below is a recap by Regional Vice President Chris Stuchlak of the Star Studded Spa Event with Ali Landry. I just had to share!! Enjoy!

EVENT RECAP

On the evening of Wednesday, March 24, 2010, Tupperware Brands Corporation and Maloney & Fox (M&F) successfully produced an intimate and exclusive ‘Spa the Stars’ event for BeautiControl at the Los Angeles home of former Miss USA – and BC consultant – Ali Landry.  A total of nineteen of Ali’s celebrity friends and colleagues attended and experienced firsthand the wide variety of treatments and products offered by BeautiControl in an entertaining, spa party atmosphere. Also in attendance were top BeautiControl executives, including President Albert Bosch, and six top leaders from the sales force, who won an all-expense paid incentive trip to Los Angeles to mingle with Landry’s celebrity girlfriends and introduce them to BeautiControl’s product collection. Guests had such a good time and were so excited to sample BC products, that the event continued one and a half hours longer than originally planned.                                                                                                                                  

Celebrity guests included: Allison Sweeney of The Biggest Loser and Days of Our Lives, Paige Hemmis of Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Landry’s former Girlfriends costar, Golden Brooks, Jill Simonian of The Travel Channel, Tava Smiley, formerly of General Hospital and TLC’s Clean Sweep, and Steffiana James, wife of film and TV star, Kevin James.

 EVENT OVERVIEW

 Upon arriving at Landry’s home in the Los Feliz area of L.A., guests were checked in and offered valet parking. They were then directed to the backyard patio, transformed into a tasteful Mexican garden café, complete with Spanish-tiled fountain. There, guests mingled and enjoyed exquisitely crafted drinks and hors’d oeuvres by celebrity chef, Lulu Powers.

 A six-person Mariachi band, led by singer Rafael Renteria, made a grand entrance and performed several traditional songs for the attendees. Immediately after, Ali officially welcomed her guests and conveyed how excited she was to help introduce BeautiControl’s amazing products to the ladies. Ali shared her personal history with the brand, explaining how she paid her way through college by selling BC products out of her mother’s salon in Louisiana and how that inspired confidence in her even to this day. 

Ali welcomed the six BC top sales leaders and also thanked BC/Tupperware executives, including Albert Bosch, BC President, Gary Jones, BC VP, Marketing/R&D, and Elinor Steele, Tupperware Brand’s VP of Global Public Relations for the lovely party. As empty Cheetah caddies were passed out to her guests, Ali invited them to visit each of five BC Spa Stations set up around and inside her house, and fill their caddies with the gifts they would receive at each station after experiencing the products featured there.  Spa Stations included: BC Spa Relaxation, BC Spa Manicure, BC Spa Instant Face Lift, BC Spa Color and BC Spa Margarita.

 Staffing the Spa Stations in coordinating aprons, BC top sales leaders expertly walked guests through the product line, highlighting key benefits and properties of each product. Instant Manicure, the Heated Neck Wraps, and the Instant Face Lift products were favorites among the crowd. 

By the end of the evening, guests’ caddies were overflowing with complimentary BC Pedicure Cooling Foot Salve, Instant Manicure, Heated Neck Wraps with Cheetah Covers, Skinlogics Starter Sets, Cheetah Gloves, 5 Minute Face in an Eco Couture Bag, Margarita Creamy Body Lotion and Margarita Tangy Lip Balm.   

M&F secured an Associated Press photographer to cover the event. The photographer not only posted four photos to the AP Images wire, but also posted more than 160 event photos onto the AP Images Gallery.

Click to veiw AP Images Gallery photos of BeautiControl’s ‘Spa the Stars’ 

 EVENT RESULTS

 Through the ‘Spa the Stars’ event, Tupperware Brands/M&F were able to introduce BeautiControl to a new and influential group of women in a personal, engaging and memorable way. Ali Landry is a natural and relevant spokesperson for the brand and she succeeded in exciting and energizing the BC sales force through her personal story and history with BeautiControl.

Ali has already posted a robust recap of the evening on her web site, http://alilandrylife.com/follow/

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Here in Dallas, temperatures are 70 degrees one day and snowing the next.  With this constant temperature flux our skin and our hair really takes a beating! So here are my 5 easy tips you can do to avoid the typical challenges this time of year creates!

1)      Dry Chapped Hands: 

Super rich or emollient lotions are a must to heal and protect hands. Look for ingredients like Shea Butter, Lanolin and Allantoin to smooth and soften hands. Look for Urea and Alpha-Hydroxy Acids like Lactic Acid to exfoliate and heal skin.  Also look for Glycerin which draws moisture to the skin. My Favorite is Extreme Repair Hand Therapy. Great for those that wash hands often, suffer from chapped skin, or skin irritations.

2)      Frizzy Hair:

More Moisture & less friction is the key to reducing frizz. For a quick fix on the go….apply lotion to your hands and run hands over hair. You are not trying to apply the lotion to your hair but the same lotion that softens hands will tame frizziess too when you’re out and about! Another tip, use silk scarves or wool hats that are silk lined. The unlined, wool draws moisture and creates friction that causes frizzy hair. The silk scarf or lining will not remove moisture and will reduce friction!

3)      Static Cling:

Throw a dryer sheet in your car or brief case to have with you.  When Static occurs, rub the dryer sheet over the static cling to release.  Bonus: Your briefcase and/or car will smell fresh! No dryer sheet, use regular lotion on your hands and rub hands with lotion over static area to release. Same tip for frizzy hair works for static clean too!

4)      Chapped Lips:

Do NOT use lip balms that have menthol long term. If you have a “medicated” lip balm, there’s good chance it has menthol. The Menthol “heals” cuts or cold sores by drying them out. Once healed, continued use of these medicated balms will actually dry out your lips. So use them for cuts and cold sores and then switch to regular lip balm once those are healed. Addicted to your medicated lip balm? Use a lip mask or scrub to exfoliate lips then apply regular lip balm. My favorites: Lip Apeel: Lip mask & balm in one!, Lip Balm with SFP 20  for outdoor use & Platinum Regeneration Age-Defying Lip Treatment for maximum lip repair & therapy!

5)      Dehydration:

Drink more water!  Add lemon, lime or cucumber to your water for a more refreshing change, drink decaffeinated teas, and eat more fruit. You’ll notice less dry skin, reduced chapped lips and dark circles around your eyes minimize. You will also notice you are less fatigued and a reduction of spring time allergy symptoms too!

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Happy New Year!!!

With the promise of a new year comes the “resolve” to do things or change things.  Well, thanks to Darren Hardy of Success Magazine, I now know that resolutions or goals don’t work! Whhhaaat?

At our December Director Summit in Nashville, Darren explained how goal setting puts the focus on the things we don’t have, so a negative perspective. I want to lose weight  focuses on I’m fat. I want to get out of debt puts the focus on how broke I am. Since what we focus on expands. We get more weight gain and more debt. So we end up breaking our goal or resolution within only a few months, weeks or even days of starting.

So then what do you do?

Well, Darren asked us to write down everything we are thankful for in 2009. Then choose the things we want more of in 2010. Now we’re building on what we have and shifting our focus into abundance thinking.

WOW!! This really made sense to me. The light bulb went off and quickly turned into a bright spotlight!  Then my mind raced back to one of my favorite movie quotes: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.” Ferris Bueller in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 1986.

I then recalled how our President, Albert Bosch, had shared with us back in February, that he and his wife have a planning meeting every first of the year. They review the past year and plan the upcoming year for themselves as a couple and for their family.

So I put both Albert’s & Darren’s two wonderful ideas together!

I started two lists. One for what I am thankful for personally and one for what I am thankful for professionally.  A list I am completing today as soon as I complete this post.  From those lists I will create my “more list” for 2010.  I’ve asked my husband to do the same. This afternoon, we will compare notes. Work together to decide what we want more of for each other as a couple and how we can support each other’s “more lists” in 2010.

But I’m not stopping there….

This coming week, I’m also talking to my friends, family and team mates to learn their “more list” and how I can help support them.  Many I’ve already scheduled appointments with to do just that!

So I encourage you to join me in abandoning the frivolous negative focus on resolution setting. Instead, build on what you already have and want more of.  Today is a gift, which is why it is called the present.  Then connect with family, friends and coworkers to learn their “more lists”.  In the words of our Regional VP Charla Gervers, “You have to do something radically different to get radically different results”!  So let’s shake things up and get back to basics. An attitude for gratitude and abundance thinking!

Check out Darren Hardy & Success Magazine. You’ll be glad you did!

Have a SPAtacular Year and MORE of the things that fill your life with joy!

Be more, achieve more and serve more in 2010!!!

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If you are saying “Oh My SPA”  I have NO idea how I’m going to get everything done in time or if you are feeling overwhelmed…then these tips are for you. 

Here are my best tips for surviving the last minute crunch time before Christmas ~ Stress Free!!

1)      Wear Comfortable Shoes! Yep, if you are wrapping gifts, cooking, baking, cleaning house for company, running errands etc. Make sure you are wearing well supportive & comfortable shoes. Even indoors! Your feet, knees, hips & back will thank you!

2)      Surround yourself with music! In your car, at work and at home, play music that makes you smile. Holiday tunes, get up and dance tunes, calming holiday hymns, and tunes that make you sing along! Music is very calming and uplifting. So enjoy the opportunity to enjoy the sounds of the season or whatever your favorites are! XM radio broadcasts through my DirecTV stations, so I like to mix it up when I can and listen to different stations. Check your cable or satellite provider and see if you have these channels you didn’t even know about! Of course, A Charlie Brown Christmas is always a favorite to make you smile!

 3)      Laughter reduces stress instantly! If I’m not listening to music, I like to play holiday classic movies that make me laugh like Home Alone or A Christmas Story. Many of these are running on TV all day so you can just put them on, get your “things” done & laugh away!

4)      Stretch! Make sure to take frequent breaks and stretch your body. You don’t need to take long breaks, just enough time to stretch arms, hands, neck, waist, lower back & legs. Remember to breathe deeply while stretching. The minor adjustment in position and stretching will reduce muscle tension. The added deep breathing will reduce stress and increase focus & clarity.

5)      Drink Plenty of Water! Our bodies need extra hydration when we are “hustling” about. So make sure to have water with you everywhere you go. For an added twist…add a peppermint candy, red hot candy, or slice of lemon or lime to your water to naturally flavor it. Makes it more fun to drink that way!

6)      Make wash hand time, massage hand time! Washing hands frequently is common while cooking and cleaning. So take advantage of this to massage hands and activate key reflexology points. To massage your left hand, use your thumb on your right hand. Start at your wrist and run your thumb up your hand and up each finger ending at the finger tips. Repeat for other hand. Fist and un-fist hands, wring hands and massage wrists. You can do all of this with soap on so you are disinfecting while de-stressing. You can even use a good hand scrub every so often to exfoliate as well.   Follow with a good hand crème. Shea butter & Alpha Hydroxy are great ingredients for softening over washed hands. My favorites that I keep by my kitchen sink are:  Show of Hands Instant Manicure & Extreme Repair Hand Therapy.  Click here for details.

 And my BEST TIP:

Pursue Participation not Perfection. This is a BIG one. It is more important to participate in the holidays than to have the perfect meal, gift or décor. So make sure you are enjoying family, friends and company, and not spending all of your time cooking, baking or cleaning. Keep things simple so you have time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

At Thanksgiving, this one was a hard tip to practice. After our meal, typically my husband and  I would clean up and return our home to clean perfection.  Afterwards, we’d hear of all the great conversations and “updates” we missed while cleaning. So, this time, we asked everyone to leave their dishes at the table. We’d clean later. Everything sat in the Dining Room. We put up food, but that was it. Instead, we enjoyed the company of our friends & family that were with us. Mind you the thought of dirty dishes still in the dining room almost killed me. But the enjoyment and fun was well worth it!

This year for Christmas, I wanted to learn how to make tamales. So I had my mom come and help “guide” me through the process. Fortunately they came out awesome!! We finished late last night!. As I write this, I know that adding this extra step to my holiday preparation sets me back time wise. But that’s ok. I enjoyed making them with my mom. We got to enjoy memories of making tamales with my Dad & Grandfather when they were still with us. So now I’ve added a new tradition. I’ve already simplified my cookie baking menu & holiday menu so that I’m not too overloaded the next couple of days. But I wouldn’t trade that time with my mom for anything. Had I NOT done that, I’d regret never sitting down with her to learn and enjoy.

So participate in traditions, create new traditions, make memories, play with the kids, enjoy friends and family and remember to sing, dance and laugh your way to a FABULOUS Christmas! It’s the memories you’ll keep forever.

Stay tuned for Stress Free Holidays Part 3….

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Well the countdown begins…to Christmas & The New Year that is!! Is it me or did 2009 go by in a blink of an eye? WOW did this year go by fast! 

To help with the frenzy of the holidays I thought I’d start a series of posts to relieve stress, enjoy the season and step in to 2010 ready to go!

So to start…I’m helping out my fellow wheat & gluten free sisters & brothers.  I’m allergic to wheat so from Thanksgiving on …eating during the holidays is a challenge. No, bread, pies, stuffing, cookies, green bean casserole …basically nothing good!

 For those of you who aren’t familiar with wheat free or g-free eating…Wheat is in everything! Toothpaste, some dips, beer, canned soups, most liquor (rum is your friend), detergents, shampoos, mascara, etc. Read the labels, you’d be surprised…

Gluten is an elastic protein which is in wheat, rye, barley & oats. So if you are on a g-free diet adjust your recipes to remove all of these grains. Thankfully, I only have to be concerned with the wheat.

By removing wheat you are also removing the wheat gluten or binding agent for your recipes. So you must add “glue” to hold the recipe together. That is where Xantan Gum comes in. (Pronounced Zanthun Gum)  It replaces the “glue” power from the missing gluten.

After much trial and error with rice, tapioca, potato flour & specialized recipes…I have come to a solution that is the more cost effective than having several specialized ingredients AND most importantly….actually tastes good too!

My Secret???

Use your family’s recipes, your favorite recipes or one’s you find in magazines. It’s ok! Just use the following substitution…

For regular Flour use the same amount of Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose, Gluten Free Flour.  So in place of 1 Cup of Flour use 1 Cup of Bob’s Red Mill. TIP: Sift the flour through a strainer to prevent clumps in your recipes.

Then add Xanthan Gum as follows:

1 teaspoon for cakes

2 teaspoons for breads or pizza

1 teaspoon or none for most cookies (so far most all my cookies need at least 1 tsp.)

 The above substitution works for replacing regular all purpose flour or whole wheat flour in recipes. I haven’t had it work too well in recipes calling for cake flour….still working that one out. So stay tuned.

 You can find Bob’s Red Mill in the specialty aisle of Kroger, Tom Thumb & Safeway. Sprouts & Whole Foods are also great options.  Click here for details on Bob’s Red Mill Flour & to order online

Typically you’ll find Xanthan Gum next to Bob’s Red Mill Flour in the stores. Click Here for details

The only catch is that the flour is more expensive than regular flour and the Xanthan Gum is pricey too. However, this substitution is far less expensive than having to use multiple special ingredients. Especially when cooking for family & large groups. Now you can cook for yourself, share & no one will know the difference!!  Bob’s Red Mill flour is the perfect blend of a variety of flours that I cannot seem to duplicate. You may notice a nuttier flavor to your recipes but good luck really detecting it.  

For thickening gravies, use corn starch instead of flour. You can also add Bob’s Red Mill flour to gravies for taste.

ATTENTION Bob’s Red Mill: If you’re reading this…THANK YOU for FINALLY offering your flour in a double sized bag!! WHOHOO!

So off I go to make my holiday cookies…sugar cookies…Reese’s Peanut Butter Chip Chocolate Cookies  & Butter Cookies!!  And my new favorite no flour recipes…Monster Cookies & Lace Cookies! YUMMY!

If you need more tips, feel free to contact me as I LOVE TO HELP!! Not being able to eat wheat shouldn’t keep you from participating in the holiday fun with friends & family!  So read your labels when you cook & enjoy your favorite holiday recipes!

Stay tuned for Part II of my Stress Free Holiday Blog Series!!

Laura Morlando ~ The Stress Commando

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Have you ever been on a journey that you know is leading you to something greater than yourself? Well, I’m currently on that journey as I help launch our new Chain of Confidence Forum 9/25 in Dallas! By simply coordinating and promoting this event I have learned one valuable lesson….there are A LOT of women that NEED confidence. Regardless of background, upbringing, social status, current situation or age…ALL women need a confidence boost and positive support system. 

But what is confidence? I hadn’t really asked myself that question before. So I reached out to my social networks for the answer. I found many definitions of confidence but this one says it best….” When women come from a place of strength – all things are possible.”  WOW!!

So if that is true for one confident woman, what can be accomplished when many women link together in strength and confidence empowered to build confidence in themselves and others? I honestly don’t think words could describe that one!!! As I invite and share this event, I am overwhelmed by the responses from husbands wanting their wife to attend, women thinking of a friend that needs this so badly, leaders sharing this with their staff, mom’s sharing this with their adult daughters and strangers at Kinko’s asking me about the event on the poster I am creating. Everywhere I go the groundswell of  interest, excitment and sharing grows. Now you see why I quickly realized I was on a much more important journey than I first thought!

My new friend, CJ Small, shared Saturday at our Thrive with Five Event, that we each have greatness inside of us waiting to be realized. He is so right! So why don’t we realize our greatness?? Lack of confidence. I often battle the fear of failure, fear of looking stupid, fear of success and fear of not being worthy.  Guess what? They are all derived from a lack of confidence. 

At my ABWA meeting on Monday, our president Lauren, asked this interesting question: “If you knew you could NOT fail, what would you achieve personally and professionally?”  The answers were varied but quite telling. Lack of confidence really holds most all of us back from being totally fulfilled!!!

So why NOT fail…if you believe John Maxwell in “Failing Forward” (a great book by the way), then you know that you fail only when you quit. Isn’t that the same as not attempting anything at all???

So unleash the greatness inside of you. Be a more confident you each and every day!! Really look inside to see what lies beneath the chaos of your life. Not sure how to do that?  Well….you’re like everyone else I have met recently. So you’re not alone!

Details for the 9/25 Women of Confidence Event is on my Events page. The next event is in Phoenix 9/28. So join my Chain of Confidence, share with me your definition of confidence, step out of your own way, stand tall, smile big, link with other confident women and be a more confident you!!

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Did you know that it only takes “5 minutes” of me time to reduce a woman’s risk of cardiovascular disease by 20%?? It’s true! I learned this information from a cardiologist that spoke to our ABWA group during the Go Red for Women Campaign!

So, here is a quick way to recharge your internal battery in just 5 minutes…This is good for BOTH men and women. Stress Commando Challenge: Try this daily for 1 week and report back your results! This is great to do in the morning, after lunch or at bedtime.

5 minute Breathing & Relaxation:

• Play a CD of soft music or natural sounds.
• Close eyes. Optional: cover with eye pads or warm moist towel. Eye Pads available at stresscommando.com
•  Breathe deeply through your nose for 4 counts and exhale slowly through the mouth for 8 counts.
• Fully expand your abdomen with each inhale.
• Tighten and contract your abdomen with each exhale.
• Relax all the muscles in your body.
• Do not hold any tension in the face, jaw, shoulders, neck, hands or legs.
• Visualize yourself inhaling strength, energy and vitality.
• Visualize exhaling all of your physical and mental stress.
• Imagine that you are in a place that gives you peace. Like your favorite destination
• Engage all of your senses…what do you see, hear, smell, feel and taste.
• After 5 minutes, open eyes, stretch your body and return to normal activity refreshed, recharged and more focused.

Having trouble focusing through this exercise?

Then schedule a spa appointment to experience this first hand.

Have a Stress Free Week & A More Healthy Happy Heart!!
Laura Morlando ~ The Stress Commando

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Last weekend I was at my BeautiControl Celebration Conference. The Chain of Confidence was launched there by Chief Confidence Officer, Brooke Shields. This powerful movement aims to positively change lives by connecting women through confidence. How cool is that? Or are you saying so what?

So what you say? Well I challenge you to try an experiment for the next week. Smile and positively greet or compliment at least one person every day. Take note of their reaction and of how it made you feel. Take note of how your greetings and interactions change throughout the week. Then let me know your results.

I have found that the easiest way through negative is to be positive.  If the ONLY good thing that happens in my day is that I made someone’s life brighter, then it’s been a good day. So what that means is instead of simply waiting for positive to happen to me, I will make it happen around me.  This becomes my bullet proof vest for all of the negative that surrounds me in any given day. It also shifts my perspective off my negative by forcing me to actively look for positive moments to greet or compliment someone. Often positive is all around us but we are too blinded by our own negative to see it.

Still not convinced? Well at my recent New Director Training we heard about a research study with monkeys. One monkey was placed in a cage and subjected to negative feedback. Like handing a banana to the monkey and then taking it away before he could grab it. The result: the monkey died. No known cause. The experiment was done again, only this time, two monkeys were in the cage. The Result: both monkeys lived. Why? Because they had each other to ward off the negative and support each other. Now though this story saddened me because an animal died, I do see the powerful meaning in it all. The need for each of us to have our own monkey to fill us up and keep us going amidst the negative we all encounter. Your monkey should be someone that knows you better than you know yourself and will hold you accountable to being positive and moving forward. So who is your monkey?

Don’t have one, you need to find one.  Remember, the power of a smile, the power of a positive greeting, the power of a kind word and the power of encouragement is all it takes to connect with your monkey or to be a monkey in someone’s day. Just think of the game “ A Barrel Full of Monkeys”. You start with one monkey and link arms with another monkey, then another, then another. Until you’ve linked all of your monkeys into a chain.

I didn’t realize how much I needed connections. Particularly sisterhood connections until I attended that New Director Training. Though I had created a great sisterhood with my team, it wasn’t until I heard that monkey story that it all made sense. Couple that with the life long bonds I made with all the other Directors in that meeting, my now BC Monkeys, that I realized how much I needed those connections.  But those connections only happened when I reached out, smiled, said a positive word and gave a hug. So take my challenge to create a connection by lifting one person up a day for one week and see what happens. Make sure to let me know your results. Good luck creating your own “chain of confidence” with each positive gesture you give away!

Have Fun and Happy Connecting!

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