Dreaming at Camp Richotte

So last night a few of us got together to hang out ,child-less, with good food, drink and company.  Friends and getting together is always fun but this morning I am feeling especially grateful for the people that were put in our path.

Starting with the gals and guys from last night: at one point of the night, someone said "When will you know you've made it?  What will be the defining moment that you know all of your work has paid off?"  And then one by one, everybody answered, and everybody listened.  It was so refreshing to be with friends who were talking about the future - talking about where they were going and how they were going to get there - believing in each other and in the promise of the future. 

In all, I'd say that I'm feeling good about the people in my life.  As I take a mental roll, each one of them are pretty special in their own way.  It's nice to be surrounded by like-minded, creative, dreamer, loving people and I think I'll thank the universe for them today.  <3

Love and Peace,
SR

Focus on building yourself up... Not someone else down.

As you get closer to the top, there will always be someone there to try and stop you.  There's always someone there that tries to burn out your light so they can deflect from the fact that their own light is dim and flickering.  (As Success Magazine puts it:  If you're getting kicked in the rear it means you're out in front.)

Why is this?  Because it is EASIER to focus on bringing someone down than it is to FOCUS on your own insecurities and short-comings. 

This seems really appropriate, given all of the events going on in our community right now (as well as in my own personal life).  But please take note:  bullying others, focusing on ripping them to shreds and talking non-sense (even to yourself) does absolutely nothing for your own self image / self worth.  It temporarily makes you feel better about the stuff that you aren't getting done.  In fact, all of your constant insults are a reflection of yourself looking in the mirror.  It takes a lot of energy to focus so hard on other people - it's energy you can not afford.  If you spent half of that energy on acknowledging your own insecurities, then you would automatically feel better.  Because let's face it...  tearing me down only gets your blood boiling, it doesn't actually fix anything.

Parents, friends and families - let's work hard at building up our own self worth.  Let's teach our kids to focus on feeling good about themselves so they don't feel the need to bash others in order to feel powerful.   Let's agree that with true self-confidence, our kids can grow up with a clear head, fair approaches, lik-ability and happy.

You are what you wear.

Would you agree that your daily style is coordinated to the way you are feeling (up or down) or the way that you WANT to feel?

My Aunt Karen gave me this huge piece of advise 5 years ago when Jordan was still a little baby: "Get dressed everyday."  She was referring to the utter exhaustion I was complaining to her about.  "Just by putting on some clothes that you feel beautiful in and a little make-up - that will make you feel better."  There could not have been truer words said.

Now that you know this little secret, go ahead and set up your day by choosing the right outfit! May I suggest Jersey Sexy?

Brainwashing : Success like Apple:Pie

Yesterday someone said to me "You're brainwashed, nobody is always that happy."

I said: "You know what, you're damn right.  I am brainwashed to be happy.  I'm brainwashed to be successful and in love."

Ever hear the comment "Whether you think you can or think can not, you're right." ?  I believe so whole-heartedly in this statement and I'm careful to think I "can" every day.

Nature:
Ever wonder why the children of rich people usually end up being rich themselves?  A lot of people would love to "blame that" on inheritance or daddy and mommy giving them everything they want.  I believe that from the day we are born we are brainwashed to be like the people who we are around.  Children of business owners learn on a first hand-basis how to be "The Boss".  Children of parents who are never there and party all the time learn how to be reckless and careless.  Children of  financially responsible parents make financially sound decisions.  And so on....

Nurture:
Some people grow up and re-wire their brains.  They see something that they really want (love, money, career or whatever), and they literally have to rewire themselves in order to get what they want!  It is possible.  I'm a prime example : I'm totally brainwashed for happiness. I can confidently say that my "brainwashing" was more a factor in my ability to succeed than any degree I've gotten or could get, money I had or didn't have or situation I was in or wasn't in.  Brainwashing is the key ingredient to having your pie and eating it to.  




QUESTIONS FOR THE DAY:


What are you Brainwashed for?  What consumes your daily thoughts?  Are those thoughts in line with your real goals and desires?  What are willing to do/change in order to be where you REALLY want to be?


Love & Peace,
SR

Dreaming. Why did you ever wake up?

Remember when we were kids and we didn't just dream of becoming rockstars?  Remember not just thinking about it but actually feeling it and visualizing yourself already there?

Did you ever:
- Sing at the top of your lungs with the door shut and imagine that the object of your affection was secretly watching you? 
----- Yes.  Still do on a pretty regular basis.

- Have full out conversations / run a speech  etc. out loud as  if you were really in the moment?
----- Oh yes.  Everything from actual speeches, how I would approach a new client to how I would deal with a difficult person and more.

- Go through an entire day with a friend as the two of you pretended to from some totally different place?  
-----  Thom Boyer.  We went to see HMS Pinafore in NY.  We were from England all day long.

- Play house?  Play Lawyer? Play dress Up?
-----  Life is a game.   I believe a friend of mine put it best. "We're not really grown up.  We just play house and dance studio."


- Draw out your life alone or with a friend? 
-----  Many times and with different people.  The first time I did it was alone.  I was going to be like Mariah Carey but not as tall.  The second was with Meg Donhauser.  We were going to live in an awesomely crummy little apartment in NYC during the day and perform on Broadway at night.  We also planned on decorating the walls with random paint brush art that we created on Mr.K's computer during periods we should have been in class.  Another was with a different friend.  This time we were going to live in Pleasantville with white picket fences and a local YMCA.  And now, I plan with my 3 main boys (Ry, Jor and E) and we are planning for 3 pads: One here, an apt in NY and one in Miami.

-Imagine yourself at the top of your field?  As a new teacher or business partner?
------  Yes.  I've always imagined myself at the top of my game.  Now I imagine myself creating the game. 


- Falling in love in far away places?
------  I have and I do again and again every single day.

________________________________________________________________________________

To stop dreaming would be to stop living. 

I'm not suggesting that one can not ever be happy with where they are at.  What I am suggesting is that dreaming is what makes us feel most alive.  Even if it is an oxymoron,  I do believe we can be happy while dreaming of more and of the next thing.  In my line of business, we often get to share in other people's dreams.  It's quite special to hear about what is important to other people, where they want to go and how they feel about their current situation.  Sometimes, it's a little sad because I've actually met people that have to re-learn how to dream.  Some part of the monotony of every day life drained away their own ability to dream.

My advice for the day:  Day Dream.  Dream While Your Awake.  Visualize Yourself In The Exact Place You Want To Be and Never Settle. 

Your Dreams and your Thoughts are more powerful than any thing else you have in your toolbox - so start there.  

Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.

Love and Peace,

SR

Charge it.

I want to be first to admit that I once fell into the rut of charging things that I reallllllly wanted but could not pay cash for.  Over the past two years, we have exercised extreme restraint and have ultimately become a lot happier.

Too many people are living a false lifestyle because of a credit limit on their cards.  There is this need to have flashy things to project an appearance that everything is going well in your lala land.  I know, I've done it, I've been there.  Eventually it all catches up to you and you are drowning in endless debt and stressing out over.....things that you thought you needed.  Buying can be a very emotionally charged and dangerous event.  If you are feeling unsatisfied in other areas, you can try to make up for it by changing your "outward appearance."

- Someone messaged us the other day and said "I don't have crazy money like you guys.  It's harder for me to invest in my future...." 

- The secret: it is not and never was about what you don't have.  It's about what you choose to do with what you do have.  This past spring when our refrigerator broke, we could've purchased a $2,000 fridge with an ice box but we chose not to.  We could have charged it or paid cash.  Instead, we purchased something that would fit our needs and keep more money in our account.  Why?  Because there are better uses for our money than a fancy refrigerator.  Your current and future financial position directly correlates with your spending choices.  It will have a lot LESS to do with the amount of money that you make.
  I guarantee it - you will never fix money problems with money.  You fix it by changing habits.
 
We need to wake up and stop charging our lives away.  Eventually you have to pay for all that stupid stuff you didn't really need.  Can you go an entire month without charging something?  If not, try it.  Try to find joy in what you have.  If what you want is a more elaborate lifestyle - that's great - build one.  But at least build it right so that you don't choke on your bills at the end of every month.


My gift to you,
SR

I hate money...

I have always hated money.  It's stupid and people obsess over it.  Money determines what you eat, where you live, what you wear, what your drive, where you go, who you can go with, who can talk to at certain hours of the day and for how long, who you spend time with, when you spend time with people and pretty much everything you and I ever do.

As a person who hates money and never wants to think about it, I have learned one thing:  If you don't want to care about money then you have to have a lot of it.

Think about it:  how crazy is it that a boss can deny you time off because your child is sick and you need to be with him/her?  Is it fair that some companies actually require a death certificate to prove that the deceased person's funeral you attended was a "first relative"?  Who ever came up with what your hours were worth?  What are your hours worth to you or the people you care about? 

Even further:  WHY DO PEOPLE CHOOSE to work for some random company for more hours out of their lives than they choose to spend with their spouses, friends or family? 

When your working, if it feels like work than you are in the wrong field.  I also truly believe that if people were given the chance to choose to work in any field - regardless of the compensation plan - than we would have a happier society and people that were devoted and passionate.  Seriously, if you knew that your finances were totally set for life, would you not feel less "held down" by your job?  Would you not choose to work somewhere that you felt happy to be part of the team?


THE TRUTH.  If you want to be happy in life, you have to choose to do things that make you happy. You have to believe that what you do every day has a purpose that fits into the purpose you determine for yourself.

THE BIG QUESTION:  This is your last five minutes, what do you wish you did more of?  Is it work more hours at your job?  Is it make more money?  Probably not.  Your answer probably evolves more around a specific person you wanted more time with, a project you had dove into or a place you wish you had seen. While both options seem to be opposites they are directly related.  In order to pursue the latter, you must conquer the first.  

While there is no "right answer" for everyone, I do believe that this question merits serious thought and consideration.  Now that you are directly aware of what stand in your way, what do you plan to do to get to the place where you belong, to the grand place you are meant to be?

Be the Star of your own Life.

It seems that many people - myself included - have gotten so caught up in the plethora of reality shows that are on today. How can a person really be happy watching the "drama' and events of someone else's life day in and day out? What about our own lives? When did it become ok to be an "extra" in our own movie?

You have to believe that you are great. You have to believe that you have purpose. You have to believe that purpose is subject to change. You have to star in your own show and remember that you get to write the script.

What will this week's episode be about?