Where are My Keys?

Where are my keys?  I find myself asking that of myself at least once a day...are you one of "us" who loses your keys every day only to find them where you left them?

As I was driving, where I do most of my thinking, it occurred to me that "Where are my keys" is also metaphorical for other questions I ask myself every day.  "Where is the key" to daily happiness?  "Where is the key" to finding passion projects?  "Where is the key" to losing 5, 10, 20 pounds?  "Where is the key" to finding and keeping true friendships?  "Where ARE the keys?!"

As I ponder this, the answer is where I left them.  Just as I place my physical keys somewhere, I also leave these metaphorical keys in the same place I left off with them.  I hold the keys....EVERY one of them.  But, sometimes, I leave them behind and have to go back to find them, where I left off.  I might put my personal happiness on the back burner for someone else, I know what I love to do but fail to make the time to do those activities because I don't make the time...or am afraid to fail (A-HA!), I know how to lose those pounds and I know who my friends are, the true blue kind who are there at my ugliest and still love me as I love and cherish them.

This week I am mindful of the keys in my life and that I own every one of them.  I just have to remember to pick them up where I left them, physically and metaphorically, and put them in the ignition and GO.

It's not that easy all of the time, especially trying to keep the key ring full, active and jingling.  However, knowing that I have the keys is ONE step closer to unlocking all of those goals, dreams and happy days.

I hope you pick up your keys tomorrow and unlock something good in your life!

The Women's March-January, 2018

First and likely last post that even borders being political because I know your posts won't change my mind and any post I write won't change yours. I'm tired of the divided country and sad for the divided friendships. However, this one is food for thought for marchers yesterday. I'm all for peaceful demonstrations to educate, teach, and create "entry points" towards further understanding and positive action. I looked up the mission statement of the Women's March and thought it was worth sharing. To see women, men and their children, some toddlers, carrying hateful, mean, derogatory messages on poster boards dismissing the office and our government is anti-American and doesn't align with the mission statement, "lntersectional Education." Peaceful protesting IS American, our freedom and right. But do it kindly, with respect. Seeing children carrying their parents' message(s) is outrageous and, in some cases, downright cruel-how does this achieve education for anyone, establish a good example for kids or create "entry points" for their future? To name just a few of the gems I saw (and there were many) "Fat Ass" President. He "picks boogers." "Orange Face." "Hamburger Head." Many references to him being a "sh-thole." This is bullying and you'd be marching right into school if your kid was referenced to anything resembling these posters' comments. Hell, you'd be marching into your manager's office if you were being called names.

Now that the march is over, for another year, what's the action plan for further "training and outreach?"

These are not my words, these are the words of the mission you marched for yesterday.

I truly would like to hear responses, I'm all "in" on learning, you know that if you're reading this.

Abundant Work Life Balance for Women -Kathleen Byars (Notes)

#EHFAR

I was invited to sit in on a seminar about the 5 Shifts women, specifically, need to take in order to be in control of their happiness as it relates to work and life balance. It was a very powerful reminder, those of you who need to hear it now will find it worthy of 5 minutes, I provided the top-line notes for you below!

5 Shifts

Be Authentically You

- Genuine and Transparent

- Easy to lose yourself

- What do you really want?

- Clear Vision

Sell Your Value (Not Your Soul)

- High Value Influencer, not High Value Workhorse

- What is your REAL talent?

- Are you delivering this daily or just doing the “work?”

- Be a Problem Solver not a Face Timer

Widen Your Focus

- Work life (Can’t work like this)

- Law of Seven Universal Human Needs

- Work-Family-Health-Self-Esteem-Purpose-Leisure (now)

- Work-Health-Family-Self-Esteem-Purpose-Leisure (future)

Tame Your Scripts

- Major Roadblocks,likely formed in childhood

- (ie.“only way to make money is to work harder)

- Do you feel better taking care of others?

- Do you earn and save and not enjoy the fruits of your labor?

- We are not guaranteed tomorrow

Invest in Guidance

- Everyone should have a mentor

- A mentor who gives ideas and holds you accountable

Grateful

grat·i·tude

ˈɡradəˌt(y)o͞od/

noun

1. the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

   
   

   
   

Every day, I am faced with a new one.  I am grateful for each new day, a new beginning.  I am grateful for the sun put in every day and when the clouds are out, the promise of sun.  I am grateful for my #trueblue friends who let me love them and love me, regardless.  I am grateful for the unwavering love and support of my family.  I am grateful for the unknown.  I am grateful I feel all of my feelings-the happy, the sad, the scared, the cautious, the love....I am grateful for a partner who supports, cares and loves me through thick and thin.  I am grateful for Keith's children, for giving me a sliver of what "motherhood" looks and feels like.  I am grateful for taking a quick 5 to be thankful.

Big Talk. No Walk. Until Winter Storm Niko Blew Through Town.....

WOW. It was really snowing in the Northeast today!  I'm sure, if you're like me, you were inundated with snow pictures so, forgive me, I am not here to share the weather or news....I am simply painting a picture for you....snowed in, fridge stocked, computer fully charged and nowhere to go.  A perfect day to hunker down and (1+ yr. later) finally walk my BIG talk on Interior Decorating.  It wasn't my intent to write an inspirational blog (see Work/Life Balance previously) and then fail, miserably.  You see, I have always had a problem with starting small. I look at a project and want to tackle it head on and just OWN it.  And, I have unrealistic expectations that I'll be good at it.  Right off the bat.  2016 proved to be a year that I couldn't juggle it all and, even more so, proved to be the year where my greatest strengths exposed themselves as well as my fair share of weaknesses.  It was a tough but beautiful year.   More on that one day....

Like I said, I don't know how to "go small."  Truth.  I am IN or I am OUT.  There has never been much balance in my life, especially when I am holding down a full-time job -one I love with all of my heart-one I am passionate about-one where I know I make a difference -one where most people would give their "right arm" to have-one that clients really look to me as their go-to in good times and bad and -one that I, ultimately, gave more to than myself.  I am learning...and trying. I really am. At the turn of 2017, I settled down-tried to quiet my mind-to take personal time to let ideas, dreams and projects marinate while I take care of my personal health.  Everything and everyone was getting a piece of me in 2016 but I had zero in the tank-much like the message in last year's one and only entry. Telling, huh?  I went BIG!  I was going to be a BLOGGER!  I was going to be a Sales Manager at a leading tech company AND an Interior Decorator!  I was going to work during the day and study at night.  Wrong.  I went too BIG.  Again.  Fail.

So...here I am...I'm allowed to hit reset, isn't that great?   We can fail and try again...that is exactly what I'd tell my best friend and, finally, I am starting to heed my own sage advice.

So....back to Interior Decorating.  It has been gnawing at me for at least 4 years officially, I know this because it came up in my Facebook Feed THIS week as a memory.  Ouch.  Nothing like stalling on a passion project. Ideally,  I'd like to take this course and crush it.  However, just taking some time every day to dedicate my energy to this new craft is more than I have been doing so I am going to take this day by day, "go small" and see where it leads me.

Today I completed 90 minutes of uninterrupted Interior Decorating.  Unit 1 in the books!  I learned a lot in that hour and a half and, if you are interested, I wanted to share what I learned and will learn throughout. Feel free to pass on and/or share, this is VERY beginner and meant for anyone interested in pursuing a passion in decorating-even if it is for your own home!

For starters....did you know there was a difference between an Interior Designer and an Interior Decorator?  I didn't either!  It depends on jurisdiction, city/state, etc....but, technically, an Interior Designer designs commercial and residential. For example, they would be responsible for understanding and knowing city codes. An Interior Decorator is for residences only. Up until about 30 years ago, these two job titles were interchanged. Who knew?!

As we get more and more overwhelmed with options, an Interior Decorator is incredibly important for many reasons but here are the two main ones:

1)  Choice is Overwhelming, a good decorator will help sort and edit based on your initial consultation
2)  Visualization and Explaining, a decorator-even in training-has the "eye" for design and will help translate the vision for the room and/or home you will be decorating together.

As true in many businesses, trust and financial responsibility is key to earning and keeping clients. Referrals won't come unless a designer is highly dependent and treats your money like it is theirs, always adhering to an agreed upon budget.

There are three simple guidelines to keep in mind when tackling a project:

• A successful room is functional
• A successful room expresses a mood (a coherent mood), a general look and feel you want to express
• A successful room exhibits a sense of harmony

These are three simple rules to apply to your own home and to a home you might want to work on with a friend, neighbor or client.  And, to build on harmony:

• Every element should be harmonious in mood.
• Every element should be harmonious in scale.
• Every element should be harmonious in quality.
• Every element should be harmonious in color.

Essentially, harmony refers to planning an interior so that all of the elements “work together.“ A decorator will help edit the furniture, color, lighting, etc...that does not fit within your desired "feel" for a room

All in all, a great overview and some simple reminders on how to look at magazines, showrooms, hotels, lobbies, etc....differently moving forward. I'll keep you updated as I learn and hone my craft. Thanks for following along!

**Reference:  New York Institute of Art and Design, Interior Design Online Course

Finding My Passion(s)

It's the eve of going back to what I love to do-my career, a job that pays the bills at the #1 company to work for in the world.  I was fortunate to take a six (6) month break as I have been burning and churning for 23+ years in the corporate world and needed a time out.

The time out has been an incredible learning experience, I will share often in this blog.  One of the outcomes of my time off was exploring NEW things.  My job was always my #1 priority and, frankly, when people have asked me over the years, "what are your hobbies?" I never had a great answer.  In fact, I didn't have an answer that was more original than "dining out, travel, blah blah blah."  I'm not that boring, am I?  Keeping up with my friendships and family relationships-I mean I even collect stationary for that perfect snail mail moment-was where I spent most of my time if I wasn't at my day job.

But....in my time off....I really threw myself into uncomfortable, yet fun, projects.  I prepared meals, I water painted, I spray painted MANY articles inside and outside my home, I read, I walked, I took pictures, I spent time with children, I napped, I called friends on the telephone (!), I had visitors from all over the country and I decorated my new beach home.   WOW.  I had so much fun doing it.  I had done my NYC apartment several years ago and felt good about it but this was a house with more rooms....could I do it?  From picking out paint colors to backsplashes, I did it all.  It was fun, I was passionate about it....and still am.  But I don't have any more rooms to work on so I began to think...how can I incorporate this passion into my life when I go back to work?

I decided to enroll in a beginners online class for Interior Design.  I've been complimented before with things like "you have a good eye"  or "your home is so cozy" but it is just what makes me happy, could I do it for others?  Could I apply my passion to a home that isn't my style and/or taste?  I'd never know unless I went for it!

So....I am embarking on a new journey.  I am excited to learn.  I've always been a student of life.  I am curious and excited!   Design Trends, Color Theory, Concepts of Scale and Proportion, Furniture Styles, Architectural History, Lighting and Fabrics.

I've started another instagram account @mohawkbeach and this is my first-of what I hope-many blog posts.  I'd love for you to follow along.  I hope I can impart some of my learnings to help make your home more YOU and I will continue to look to YOU for any inspiration and/or motivation.

I will certainly keep my day job.  Like I said, I love it and can't wait until tomorrow to see my Google Family.  I think this balance will make me even better at what I do day to day.

Thanks for reading, here we go.....

X.

Jen