From a Galaxy Far, Far Away...

As you begin this new year, let's take a moment to look back, way back, to a time when you had dreams and goals and excitement about reaching them. It may seem far away in the past. It may seem like they've been left in a galaxy far, far away...unreachable.

Today, I encourage you to dust off those dreams. A new year is a brand new opportunity to begin again. It's a great time to leave the past disappointments, the past broken promises, the past failures, all those broken New Year's resolutions right where they belong. In the past.

Some of us begin each new year with a list of resolutions. One of my long-time favorites is: I will lose weight this year! As you can imagine, before the first 30 days are up, I've reverted back to my old habits. So, this year, I decided to trick myself, to not wait until January 1st to make that resolution, but to begin working toward it in November, the day after Thanksgiving. That's right. Black Friday. There could be no better name for the day I began working out than that.

It all started when I learned how to use the Wii. The Wii Fit Plus to be exact. The cool thing was, I decided to trick myself into thinking this was 'just for fun.' I knew if I could keep myself thinking it was fun, I was more apt to use it and thus to get in shape and, even possibly, lose a little weight.

If you've ever used a Wii Fit, you know that, once you've created your Mii character, you then step up on the board and it weighs you. And it did. There was no lying to the thing. Immediately, my little Mii became a slightly bigger Mii. (Okay, I was being kind. It was more than 'slightly.' Oh, so much more!) And that was motivation enough. Now I'm on a mission to make my Mii thinner. And the only way to do that is to make this 'me' thinner. So, for me, this is what 2012 holds.

Of course, there are other goals I've resolved to accomplish. I want to grow personally and professionally and help others do the same. I want to move past my big 'buts' (those things that are holding me back). And, the cool thing is, I know I can.

What's even better is, I know YOU can. Whether you make a New Year's resolution or not, I encourage you to use this new beginning to begin anew. To dust off those dreams, those goals. To reach into that galaxy far, far away and resolve to live your best life, right now

I wish you a very happy, very successful new beginning. Today is yours. Make it so.

Jean

Can I Have a Do-Over?

Have you ever done something, something really, well, let’s just say it: something really stupid. And you wished so much that you could have a do-over? That happened to me just this morning. Well, really, last night. Let me explain.

It all started a few days ago when the strap of my purse broke. I had just received it last month for my birthday from mom. It really wasn’t the purse’s fault. I have a tendency to overstuff my purses until they cry for mercy. Apparently, I didn’t hear the cries of this one until it was too late. (If you’ve seen my You Tube clip, you know I’m not the most organized person when it comes to what I keep in my purse!)

So, having no purse, I decided the next best thing (at least until my next purse-shopping trip) would be to put all my necessities in my pockets. As you can imagine, I really had a hard time making the choice of what to take with me: house keys, car keys, driver’s license, debit card, lipstick, ink pen….you get the picture. By now, my pockets were full. In fact, bulging. From time to time, when I’d sit down, things would fall out and I’d have to recover them and stuff them back in.

Last night, it was time to do the laundry. It was way overdue so the washer was pretty full. (Not to worry; I don’t stuff the washer like I stuff my purse!) It had my best dress pants and blouses in there and a little something that I didn’t discover until the next morning when I took a few things out of the dryer. A little something I’d left in my pocket: a tube of lipstick. Red lipstick.

Only now, the tube was empty.

At that moment of discovery, oh how I wanted a do-over!

I gingerly pulled out each item, separating them into piles of clothes that were okay and clothes that had red lipstick marks on them. Fortunately, only about a third of the clothes were marked.
Sometimes we do things, unintentionally, that have disastrous, or at best unsatisfactory, results. Sometimes we wish we could have a do-over. Sometimes it’s a lot worse than having to replace part of your wardrobe. Maybe you took a career path that didn’t satisfy, voiced an opinion that hurt someone, lost a treasured memento. The key is to move forward. While a do-over would be great, it’s not going to happen. My mother used to say, “Don’t cry over spilled milk.” She encouraged me not to stay in that moment, the one where I messed up, but to move forward and be proactive. Once something has happened, all we can do is move forward, clean up the mess, apologize to the one we hurt or remember to check our pockets before putting clothes in the wash!

So, today, as I write this, I have some of my favorite clothes, lipstick-stained, soaking in the washer. And while I’m hoping that will remedy the situation, I’m prepared to hit up the local thrift store if it doesn’t. (I love thrift store shopping, but that’s a whole ‘nuther story!)

Or, as a friend suggested for a solution, maybe I’ll just Google it!

Rock on,
Jean
www.jeanbaileyrobor.com

Black Friday Sale: Buy One, Get One (limited time)

Tony Robbins, motivational coach, says “The secret to living is giving.” In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday (and Black Friday shopping), I am offering, just for 11/24-11/25/2011, a ‘Buy One, Get One Free’ of my latest book, SHE HAS A BIG ‘BUT’! GET PAST YOUR EXCUSES & REALIZE YOUR DREAMS. The idea is to give you the opportunity to put the secret into practice. Buy a book for yourself and you’ll automatically get another to pass along to a friend.

According to Tony, 34 years ago, all he had was a vision of wanting to make a measurable difference in the lives of others. Now, looking back, we can see how well he realized his vision as he has helped and continues to help motivate thousands as they go from mediocre to magnificent. (Read more about Tony on his website)

There’s no better time than today to partner with me to bring hope and inspiration into someone’s life. In giving someone a copy of SHE HAS A BIG ‘BUT’! you’ll share 15 stories of women who overcame challenges, their big ‘buts,’ and found success and joy in life. From the woman who faced a breast cancer diagnosis to the woman who defied medical science to save her son’s life. Plus, there are 4 bonus sections which help you find your:
1) Joy
2) Inner Peace
3) Life
4) Dream

This is your chance to make a measureable difference in someone’s life today! (And in your own!)

Email me with B1G1 in the subject line for details! jean@jeanbaileyrobor.com
Offer ends 11/25/2011 at midnight, EST.

Celebrate life! The secret to living is giving!
Jean

Join The Big 'But' Give

Be a part of THE BIG ‘BUT’GIVE!

In an effort to reach every woman who has ever had a challenge, an obstacle, a big ‘but’ standing in the way of her dreams, Jean Bailey Robor introduces THE BIG ‘BUT’ GIVE. During November 17, 2011-December 25, 2011, she will promote the idea of sharing the book, SHE HAS A BIG ‘BUT’! GET PAST YOUR EXCUSES & REALIZE YOUR DREAMS with a friend, acquaintance, colleague (or even a stranger) to pay it forward, to encourage at least one other person to live a joy-filled and successful life and to know that there is a way.

Here’s how it works:

If you’ve purchased the book on Kindle you can do it for FREE! SHE HAS A BIG ‘BUT’! is available to loan, one time, for a 14-day period. To loan, all you need is the email address of the person you’re loaning to; log into your Amazon.com account, click on “Manage Your Kindle” under Digital Management. When your Kindle library is displayed, under the “Actions” drop-down, click on “Loan this title” and fill in the fields. During the loan time, you’ll be unable to access it on your Kindle but it will be available to you again after the loan period has expired. (By the way, this works for other Kindle books, too, provided the publisher allows them to be loaned out.)

If you have not purchased the book on Kindle, visit Amazon.com to purchase then follow the steps above.

Not a Kindle user? You can still be a part of THE BIG ‘BUT’ GIVE. Simply pass along (or loan) your paperback copy of SHE HAS A BIG ‘BUT’! GET PAST YOUR EXCUSES & REALIZE YOUR DREAMS by Jean Bailey Robor. You CAN make a difference! Haven’t purchased your copy yet? Click here.

Now, that’s not all…..
Once you’ve participated, be sure to post that you are a part of THE BIG ‘BUT’ GIVE on the SHE HAS A BIG ‘BUT’ Facebook page. Together, let’s change the world, one page at a time.

If your business, church or civic organization is interested in participating on a larger scale, contact the author for quantity discounts on the paperback SHE HAS A BIG ‘BUT’! GET PAST YOUR EXCUSES & REALIZE YOUR DREAMS and/or to bring the author to your town. Contact Jean at jean@jeanbaileyrobor.com. And be sure to visit www.SheHasABigBut.com.

(This is the first year for this and I hope to make it an annual event that begins each year on my birthday, 11-17, and ends on Christmas day. Thanks for your help in making it happen! -Jean)

Chick-fil-A and Other Good Things about Today

Snowed under. No, there’s no snow outside, but inside…you know what I mean. A to-do list a mile long with no end in sight. That’s how today started. Not really a bad thing, but definitely busy. So busy that, when lunchtime rolled around, I knew I needed to escape for a bit. Get in some me-time so I could be better when I did get back to that to-do list.

Fortunately, just around the corner is a nice little restaurant that’s perfect for lunch. It’s called Ariel’s Diner and offers different specials several days a week. Today’s was baked spaghetti. Yum! I couldn’t resist. I’d brought a book with me which made it even sweeter, especially since I seem to be having difficulty in finding time to read these days. (I’m a bit of a nerdy girl.)

The book I’d chosen is by Martin Brossman and Anora McGaha. Martin had taught a class I’d attended recently so I was eager to see what he had to say on the subject of Social Media for Business (which, by the way, is the book’s title). And I discovered something really cool. Tweetbeep.com. If you haven’t discovered it yet, be sure to check it out, especially if you’re a business owner. According to the site, it's like Google Alerts for Twitter. And there’s lots more cool stuff where that came from: in the book.

Those are some of the good things that happened to me today.

And there’s more…(haven’t gotten to the Chick-fil-A part yet)!

The afternoon went well as I made some headway through my list. I don’t know about you, but I like to check off tasks as I go. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment. So, on my whiteboard, I list (or add to the list) each morning and watch it dwindle as I mark through each item (or most items) before the end of the day. Of course, after a few hours, I realized I’d been sitting at the computer way too long. I decided to take a short walk around the downtown Burlington area. You’d be surprised how rejuvenated it can make you feel just to walk around a few blocks. Makes it even better when you see people you know (or even those you don’t know) and share a word, a smile, a comment about the beautiful weather.

Just as I rounded a corner, a vehicle with two young men swings over to the curb and one of them says, “Hey, would you like a Chick-fil-a cow?” The other one is grinning and holding, you got it, a small toy Chick-fil-a cow out the window. My response, “Sure, I love Chick-fil-a!” Which is so true. They hand it to me and I can see they have more. They pull off and head on down the road. So now as I write this blog, the little cow sitting on my desk reminds me to Eat Mor Chikin’.
But as I continued my walk before coming back inside, I wondered at all the good things I’ve let slip by me. Today, for some reason, I chose to notice all those little things that make up a day, that brighten up my days. And I’m convinced more than ever that it’s those little things that make the biggest difference. A kind word, a smile, a nice meal in a pleasant atmosphere, an unexpected gift, and all those to-do’s that are checked off at the end of the day.

Were there some bad things today? Oh, a few. But when I weigh the pros and cons, the good things outweigh the bad by a mile. So that’s what I choose to focus on: Chik-fil-A and all the good things about today.

By the way, I have inside information that Ariel’s special on Wednesday is chicken pie and then, there’s always chicken at Chick-fil-A. The little cow has convinced me; let’s Eat Mor Chikin’!

Jean

Check out Ariel's Diner on Facebook!
Check out Chick-fil-A on Facebook!

Butterfly Kisses: A Father's Day Tribute

On this Father’s Day, in my rush to get ready for church, I heard a song on our local radio station, WBAG. This song, Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle, always moves me to tears. And when I say always, I mean always; it gets me every time.

My dad never gave me butterfly kisses—I don’t think he knew what they were—but he certainly gave me moments of joy. And even though he was a man of few words, and I didn’t hear “I love you” very often, it was evident that he did love me and all his children. To paraphrase the song, “I couldn’t ask God for more. This really is what love is.”

When I think of my dad, it’s hard not to think of our Heavenly Father. Whether your dad was the best or not, it’s comforting to know that our Heavenly Father loves us and will never let us down. Today as we celebrate Father’s day, let’s make sure dad’s appreciated but also be sure to celebrate our Heavenly Father, our Creator. It’s just another opportunity to worship and adore Him.

This year daddy would have been 100 years old. As Bob Carlisle croons, “There’s two things I know for sure…” I know two things are true about dad: he was sent here from heaven and I’ll always be daddy’s little girl. Maybe when I get to heaven, we’ll catch up on those butterfly kisses.

Happy Father's Day,
Jean


To see Bob Carlisle’s Butterfly Kisses, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwlAdEnT-do

Memorial Day: More Than a 3-day Weekend

Today, the day before Memorial Day, I visited a church where the pastor took time to recognize veterans in the congregation as well as those who had served in the United States military, giving the ultimate sacrifice. As each name was given, I had a moment to reflect on what that means, the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives for our freedom. Each name was not just a name but a representation of a person who cared enough to make a difference.

As we celebrate Memorial Day here in the United States, we have another opportunity to remember those who serve and have served our country well. In World War II alone, over 60 million people, civilian and military, were killed. And in that war, there was a man by the name of Arvil who served in the US Army in the 82nd Airborne Division. Arvil saw action from Africa, Sicily, Italy and Holland. He was a PFC and a paratrooper. In his combat jumps, he and his fellow paratroopers would jump from an altitude of 600 feet. Pretty low for a jump. But with good reason. This allowed less time for the enemy to shoot at them before they landed. After one particular combat jump, Arvil noticed bullet holes in his canteen and his pack but not a scratch on him. During his military career, he saw a lot of combat and he was wounded on several occasions. After a 4-month stint in the hospital, he could have been assigned light duty but Arvil wouldn’t hear of it. He wanted to be back with his own outfit, in combat. To hear Arvil tell it, it was because soldiers develop a deep sense of comradeship and those you fight with, side-by-side, often become closer than a brother. Before all was said and done, Arvil was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, parachutist Badge, Combat Infantry Badge, WW II Victory Medal, and others.

Closer than a brother. Do you have friends that you feel this way about? Maybe it’s because you’ve weathered some hard times together. Maybe it’s because you’ve shared some good times. Maybe it’s because you’ve shared some time on the front lines. Closer than a brother.

In Proverbs 18:24, the Bible says, “A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Because of these that did stick together closer than a brother, we can celebrate life. We can enjoy the freedoms they fought so hard to give to us.

On this Memorial Day, won’t you take a moment away from the picnic, the cookout, the time on the beach to reflect on what Memorial Day means for you?

When I think of those that cared enough to make a difference, it’s humbling. And it gives me an even greater reason to celebrate life. They died to make a difference. Let us live in such a way to make sure they didn’t die in vain.

As we enjoy this 3-day weekend with friends and family, let’s celebrate life! Let’s enjoy it! But let’s also remember the reason we have the freedom to celebrate and enjoy and follow our dreams.

But, for now, I invite you to take the next few moments to reflect and remember those, like Arvil, who served and why they served. And to thank God for men and women, from today and yesterday, who gave all. For us. Always remember; never forget.

(For a beautiful rendition of Taps, click here).


Jean

It's the End of the World as We Know It

This week, I was on vacation at the beautiful North Carolina shore. When I’m on vacation, I take a break from everything. It’s the best way to rejuvenate my spirit and ensure that I’m more productive when I return to the real world. So, in the few moments I did turn on the television, I stayed away from the news channels. Mostly. Until my last vacation day when, while channel surfing, something caught my attention. It was (drum roll, please) the end (dramatic pause) of the world.

As I took my last walk along the coast, which in theory could be my ‘last’ walk if Harold Camping’s prediction is right, I pondered what I had heard. Apparently, as with any doomsday prediction there were people who whole-heartedly believed it and people who found it to be a good excuse to go out and party. Then there are those of us who find it interesting, not really believable, but an opportunity to reflect on questions such as, “If this were my last day on Earth, how would I spend it so I would leave with no regrets?”

Feeling the sand between my toes and the sun on my face, I had to admit that I would have no regrets in leaving. I know, without a doubt, that those I love (my family and friends) know that I love them. I harbor no ill will toward anyone in my heart. And when it comes down to the end, the fact that I never owned a Lexus or a Versace won’t really matter all that much.

I realized what really matters is my relationship with God’s wonderful creations- people. It’s true that, when it comes to material things, you can’t take it with you. But the way we treat others, that’s what we’ll leave behind as our legacy. For good or for bad. So, I had to ask myself: Am I leaving behind a legacy of kindness and forgiveness? Are you? And if not, what can you do about it?

Realize that it’s not too late to make a change. Maybe, like me, you don’t really believe the world will end on 5/21/2011 at 6pm. But, if it did, wouldn’t it be great to make your exit performing an act of kindness for someone else rather than drowning your sorrows and regrets in a bottle? And, if it isn’t the end, how much better will it be to wake up the next day with a joyful heart rather than a painful hang-over?

Is this the end of the world as we know it? I hope so. Let tomorrow be a better day, a day where kindness and forgiveness abound. It doesn’t take a disastrous prediction to make that happen. All it takes is you to either make a change or affect a change in someone else. You CAN make a difference!

Now, just in case you’re wondering why I don’t buy in to these types of apocalyptic predictions, it’s because the Bible clearly states that no one, not even the angels or Jesus Christ himself, knows the hour when Christ will return. Only God knows. (Refer to Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32). For me, it’s that simple.

Of course, I may just wait a few days to cut the lawn. After all, no use wasting my time. So, as I hum that tune, “It’s the End of the World as We Know It,” I feel fine.

Jean

Limiting Yourself?

"I'll never lose weight."
"I'm sure I won't win."
"I can't."
"I'm too ___ to succeed."

Have you ever been guilty of limiting yourself? Of thinking negative thoughts, speaking negative words that hold you back from your full potential? If so, it's time to put them aside and get on with it!

Realize how much better life can be when, instead of tearing yourself down, you build yourself up. There is enough negativity in the world coming at you every day. Don't wait for others to build you up; do it yourself. Realize YOU are a child of God, made in His image, and in order to go about His business effectively, you need a good self image, confidence and belief in God and His creation: You!

Limiting beliefs can hold you back from your dreams, can lessen your influence with others and can lead to a mediocre life that had the potential of greatness.

Today's challenge: Whenever you begin to belittle yourself, take a moment to replace those thoughts/words with something positive. After awhile, you'll find that your negative thinking is gradually being replaced. You'll feel better about yourself. You'll be a better friend, a better spouse, a better parent, a better business person.

But, don't take MY word for it. In the words of Nike: Just Do It!

Positively yours,
Jean