I meet and speak with the most interesting people in my travels and demos and that is one of the things I notice on a continual basis.  I always try and turn it around for the person, asking what they love to do best and working off of that, but it always interests me to understand why this seems to happen. The best I can guess is that people don't want to seem vain or egotistical in general, let alone to a person they just met.

I wonder though, why can't we see the good in ourselves first on a regular basis? Why can't we hone the good tools we have and slowly but surely pack away the not so good ones. Why can't we allow for the fact that feeling wonderful about ourselves is, well, pretty wonderful!

When we feel positive about a particular something we excel at, it releases the same feel good endorphins that make us healthier and stronger and happier. It makes us appreciate what we have more too, because we realize that we are worth the good stuff. We allow ourselves the healthy food and good drink. We let ourselves take the stress-releasing break. We take time to exercise.

What are your suggestions for looking kindly in the mirror?

That is why I am proposing the "Happy UnHoliday"!

Instead of only being once a year, it shows up every single other day.  It doesn't matter what what your beliefs are, nor what holiday(s) you celebrate, because it falls on all the other days than your own traditionally special days. You get to make the rules.

It's a chance to find joy in the every day things, the comfort and happiness in the routine, the beauty in our journey. What fun to celebrate hundreds of days, rather than just a few. 

Go on, treat yourself.... It's Happy UnHoliday Day!

:-)

Do you take the time to celebrate your everyday joys?  What do you do?

It is a tremendous effort to put this event together on the part of myself and my team and I have often been asked why I do it. I think the best answer I can come up with is why not!?

There are so many ways to give back that it can be done easily and often. Whether donating $1 or hosting an event, or supporting your favorite charity with your time. Whether making phone calls or helping a neighbor or offering a smile, when others have only given frowns. 

The ability to help others is one of the greatest assest of humankind, and I truly believe in the inherent kindness of people. Yes, there is strife, and horror, and cruelty, and hate. But, there is also goodness, and caring, and kindness, and help.

I get so much more when I give that it almost feels "selfish", but I think this guilty pleasure is here to stay.

How do you give back to others and yourself on a daily basis?

Who will you meet today?

There were 4 of us. 1 assistant, who was the true "gal friday" every day of the week; myself as marketing director; one partner who was head of the computer classes and also the liaison between ourselves and the teachers, and finally the other partner who wanted little of the day to day work, but was the cash flow source. The computer teacher partner had worked for a previous adult education school which was a success for 16 years. We thought that gave him enough credibility and knowledge. We even had the full database from the former place and a list of their best teachers. We truly believed the proverbial thought that if we built it, and announced it a few times, they would flock to us the way they flocked to the former place. How wrong we were.

We never built the solid foundation, nor did the proper demographic studies, nor the psycho-graphic research of our students that would have been necessary to determine if the school was worth starting in the first place. We never researched the where it was, only picking its location due to availability. We took the "less is more" approach to advertising, and then hired a PR person based on emotion, not hard facts. The mistakes kept piling up as high as the debt.

After 2.5 years, I had enough of the traveling back and forth watching the debt mount and the student base lessen. I cut my ties and we parted ways. The school never made it and died out completely 4 months after I left.

A little while later, while making body scrub just for myself, I was prompted to start my body care company. I decided to take all I learned about starting a business and use it to my advantage. Everything that seemed to work, I kept, but all the mistakes I knew had been made I tossed out the door and used that information to change the way I ran this business. It was the best decision I could have made.

Yes, I still make plenty of mistakes and am continually learning more and more on a daily basis. I am just beginning the streamlining and standardizing process and am doing my best at combining the entrepreneur with the manager and the production staff. I have come so far and yet have so far to go. But, 3 years later and I still love it as much if not more. I believe I have only just begun to scratch the surface of its possibilities.

Many people to this day will still call my former business a disaster, but to me, it was the fastest "what to do and what not to do" business education I could ever have gotten. So I believe, that in anything you might do, if you learn from it, it wasn't a mistake.

One friend is someone I have known since birth and who has been an active part of my life for the better part of 47 years, give or take a few school and career building years. The other is a woman I met in '78 when we worked at the same summer camp.  We have also had our in's and out's of staying in touch over the past 31 years, due to relocation and family building.

What I loved experiencing with both of them, was the fact that the conversation picked up where it had left off.  With my oldest friend, it was only 2 months since our last visit, when she came up to NY. But with the other friend, it has been 16 years since we last saw each other face to face. It was as if no time had passed and only our children had grown up.

We laughed and shared like we always did at 16, at 26, and at 36!

Friends are in our lives for a myriad of reasons, a multitude of seasons or a veritable lifetime. It always warms my heart when I connect or re-connect with the lifetime friends, even if we missed a season or 64 of them.

Friendship....it's what enriches and enhances my life.

Lately, I've been working on my business plans and strategies with my business coach, JJ Reich, and we have begun to break down the necessary things I have to do to make my business not only grow, but blossom to the next level.  While his suggestions are totally correct and right on the money, my business mantra has always been one of "fly by the seat of my pants". I kept wishing for it to just fall into place, but alas, this was not the case. (What, there are no business elves?)

I knew it had to happen, I just kept putting it off. Then the power of my wish came true!  A friend has spent years working in a field she didn't love, but needed the income and stability, so she stayed. Then they layed her off.  Turns out, so many of her skills are the very ones I need! Yes, I could learn, should learn, but I was always "too busy" creating the business and marketing, that I didn't learn. Not saying I won't, but at least now I have the chance of keeping the wish alive and getting things done the right way!

Wishes are like stars... There are billions, you just have to select a few of the special ones and find the power within them, no matter how hard you have to work to make them come true!

It reminded me of this past summer, when I was inline skating on a particularly rocky patch, and a pebble caught my wheel. I fell in "slow motion", remembered every nano second of the fall, and made sure my teeth and camera were safe before I arose.  I got up from that fall saying the same thing I said today. I was so grateful it wasn't worse.

As I think about it now, I realize I am quite lucky to have been born with an attitude that always leans toward the positive and not the other way around.  When given the chance, I always say,  "life will throw all sorts of garbage at you and the only thing you have control over is the way you deal with it."  To me, being grateful on a daily basis is at the top of that control. It's how I maintain a relatively worry free attitude because it continually reminds me to keep perspective.

When you remember what you do have, as opposed to what you don't, it makes dealing with life and all its foibles a whole lot easier.

What are you grateful for?

One was a metal wave type hanging structure priced at $1400. It's supposedly creates an ionic reaction to the room you sleep in, thereby causing you to sleep deeper and better and rejuvenate your skin in the process.  The Dr. pretty much debuked that theory.

The second product was a new "at home" microdermabrasion kit, priced at $ 200.00 which uses crystal technology and a vacuum attachment. It sucked the makeup right off of Mike's face when he tried it, leaving streaks of white. It was pretty funny to look at to tell the truth. The Dr. didn't give it a thumbs down, but said, "exfoliation is exfoliation and if you want to spend the $ 200 for something like that, instead of going in for a treatment, then go ahead."

The 3rd thing was an anti-wrinkle face cream that the company claims is multitasking for face and eyes andpriced at $ 189.  The dermatologist they had on the program said it was good for face and eyes, so she agreed with that. She also said that similar products could be found for much less money.

Scrubz All Natural Sugar Body Scrub, retails for $ 8.00 for a 4 oz. and $ 25.00 for 16 oz. It is 4 products in 1, being gentle and safe for all skin types and ages. It can be used on your face as a cleanser and gentle exfoliant; on your body as a cleanser and exfoliant; as a pre-shave prep and then shaving oil when the sugar is rinsed off; and finally a natural moisturizer to be gently massaged into skin.  We use top quality and organic oils, with no alcohol, artificial preservatives nor color.

So I wonder, would raising the price make it any less effective? The answer is no!  Would higher pricing make more people perceive it to be better? The answer is maybe. 

But, because the main goal of our company is affordable, natural skin care which can be available for everyone, and not just people who have hundreds and even thousands of dollars to spend, we'll just have keep the price reasonable and stand by our original objective.

So I ask you..." What price are you willing to pay?"

Seeing as this blog is not just about life and business, but about great skin care and health too, I thought I would share one of my favorite all time product secrets and one that figures highly in Scrubz, Oilz by Scrubz and Butterz by Scrubz.

 Coconut Supreme Oil is easily absorbable and thus moisturizes the skin by penetrating into the deeper layers and strengthening the underlying tissues. Itl helps to keep connective tissues strong and supple which aids in the prevention of wrinkling and sagging. It also helps to reduce chronic skin inflammation seen in psoriasis and eczema and soothes and heals other skin irritations. Coconut Supreme Oil has direct and indirect antioxidant properties that help to counteract free radical damage. The oil is absorbed into the skin and into the cell structure of the connective tissues, limiting the damage excessive sun exposure can cause.

 It is fantastic for your hair, helping to condition and control frizz. It is a non-greasy and effective. 

Coconut Supeme OIl has been called the healthiest dietary oil on earth for the following reasons:

Reduces risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease

Reduces risk of cancer and other degenerative conditions

Helps prevent bacterial, viral, and fungal (including yeast) infections

Supports immune system function

Helps control diabetes

Provides an immediate source of energy

Supports healthy metabolic function

Improves digestion and nutrient absorption

Supplies important nutrients necessary for good health

Promotes weight loss Helps prevent osteoporosis

Has a mild delicate flavor

Is highly resistant to spoilage (long shelf life) Is heat resistant (the healthiest oil for cooking) Helps keep skin soft and smooth

Helps prevent premature aging and wrinkling of the skin

Helps protect against skin cancer and other blemishes

Functions as a protective antioxidant

 Coconut Supreme Oil is "pharmaceutical" grade oil with a moisture content so low that no further processing or heating is required. The result is a very light and mild coconut oil with a clean taste and aroma. It is unlike coconut oil produced by any other method and works like a charm to make our products spectacular.

So, now you know! :-)