december 27, 2013

1. That a week of focused networking is plain old fun.

2. Good gear makes a difference.

3. Have more than you show, speak less than you know. 

4. Consistent reflection is necessary tool for self improvement.

5. John Pierpont "J.P." Morgan (the person) bailed out the U.S. Government with a personal check in 1907.

6.  Old traditions can transform to new ones and be equally as special. 

7. Jason Mraz "I won't give up on you"  gets me every time.  Such a sweet song.

8. When you are passionate about something you are working on, others want to see you succeed.  I think we are all inspired by true hard work and passion, despite the subject matter.  I know I am. 

9. There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view once you get there is always the same.
- Chinese Proverb

10. Ready to start this next chapter with renewed energy and positive intention.

december 11, 2013

1. Collect moments not things.

2. It is important to ask for help when you need it.  Your friends & support crew cannot read your mind to know when to offer.

3. The only bad workout is the one that didn't happen.

4. To always be proud of where you come from.

5. "The only commodity you can not get more of is time." - Mark Cuban (via my sister)

6. If you oil your shovel, it will last a life time. Take good care of your things and they will be there when you need them.

7. When I'm excited about something, I like to get others excited about it too.  

8. There is no end to things that can be learned.

9. "When it comes to getting a job, starting a business, finding someone to marry, or just about anything else, all it takes is one person to change your life for the better. People may be saying no all around you. But as long as one person says yes, you’re on your way." - Jenna Gourdreau

10.

december 1, 2013

1. Sometimes, I know with certainty that things happen for a reason.

2. Watching an act of true friendship sparked a re-commitment to my own friendships and the need to lean & be leaned on throughout the seasons of life.  

3. To demonstrate structured thinking. 

4. If you want to be good at something, you have to give it a go and get the first round under your belt.  It's only then that you have something to improve upon.

5. Saying "yes" to invitations as often as you can leads to many unplanned adventures.

6. When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you.

7. Dishes can be done in record time if every single person at the table joins the cleanup team.

8. I realized that I have the big, crazy, loving family that I always wanted.  

Nothing better than the togetherness that comes via controlled chaos in a house full of love. 

9. It is important to always have some things on the calendar to look forward to

near-, medium-, and longer-term.

10. That I'm a bit more serious than I'd like to be. 

A healthy dose of one-liners from my Papa had me dishing it right back - early & often ;)

november 27, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving.

november 26, 2013

1. Naming your company after yourself gives you immediate credibility & perceived importance - no matter how small the venture.

2. People love salted caramel.  This flavor over sold the others by a landslide.

3. Coffee cocoa turned out to be the manly man drink of our available options.

4. Friends who support me in all of my crazy ideas are a big part of the fuel that keeps me going... and dreaming.

5. A good partner is key.  Divide the work and double the fun.

6. It is best to stick with one product and to do it well.  Extra side items are unnecessary.

7. Many people have never considered how marshmallows are made.

8. Food truck technology is remarkable.  Many of them have sinks with running water, full size refrigerators and fully functioning stove tops.

9. There is an unwritten code among food truck vendors to swap products.  Love this camaraderie.

10. I learned to always take on things I’d never done before. Growth and comfort do not co-exist.
- "Ginni" Rommety, CEO IBM

november 16, 2013

Today, lessons from two books I've read recently...

The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho 

1. “The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.” 

2. "When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”

3. “The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.” 

4. "Your eyes show the strength of your soul." 

5. “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” 

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, by Sheryl Sandberg

6. "Knowing that things could be worse should not stop us from trying to make them better."

7. "The promise of equality is not the same as true equality."

8. “Done is better than perfect.” 

9. “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence. (Harvard Business School definition of leadership)” 

10. “We cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change.” 

november 12, 2013

1. Dance floors are filled with happy people.  You can't be unhappy & dance.  It just doesn't work that way.  

2. "You can always tell when two people are best friends because they're always having way more fun than it makes sense for them to be having." - Unknown.

3. It is good to be aware of statements (and people) that say a lot while actually saying nothing.

4. This song makes me smile. 

5. Terrible things happen to good people.  Note to self: Be reminded that tomorrow is not guaranteed.

6. Speed networking is a fantastic way to practice your personal elevator pitch.  Who are you in 30 seconds or less?

7. Taking pictures brings me completely in-the-moment kind of joy.  Perhaps because that's exactly what I'm doing - capturing a moment.

8. Clearly defined goals/timeline are absolutely necessary.  Set them and then stick to them.

9. Why in the world is it so difficult to keep things simple?

10.  Waking up along side a snuggling pup kicks off the day with an extra dose of love.  Can't wait to have my own little guy one day.

november 8, 2013

1. “It is wiser to find out than to suppose.” - Mark Twain

2. According to a good friend of mine, Success = Ability + Effort + Time. 

3. "It's not wandering aimlessly if your aim is to wander." - Lauren DeFillipo

4. Salman Kahn had no idea of the impact he would make when he began tutoring his out-of-state younger cousin over the Internet in 2004.  World-changing ideas are born everyday. 

5. When you are all grown up, younger siblings become your peers & at times, the advice givers instead of advice receivers.  I'm thankful to have such wise siblings :)

6. The best connections are made when you least expect it.  

7. When my life efficiency tools are synced and going strong, life is... well, more efficient.  

8. A good coffee shop draws a good crowd.  And a good crowd is energizing.

9. Free writing is thinking on paper with the benefit of returning to those thoughts at a later time.

10. An opportunity to say hello or to strike up a conversation may never happen again. Don't miss on it.

November 4, 2013

1. A solo morning walk/run provides some good think time.  It must be the fresh fall air.

2. Creating your own website is significantly more user friendly today than even a year or two ago. Thank you to Wix.com and the popular parallax scrolling design.

3. That the set up is the easy part. The follow through is the real challenge. 

4. That I strive for specificity and articulation in my speech and storytelling. People who speak vaguely remind me of my pursuit.

5. When in doubt, always introduce yourself. 

6. That I am a huge fan of open mic nights and local live music. People are so bold & talented and I love to see that.

7. Not to confuse action with progress.  

8. We give little tiny pieces of our hearts to those we are close to along the way. When someone has a piece, they have it forever.

9. We are quite removed from the true source of our food after you factor in all the middle men and distributors.

10. “I used to be afraid of failing at something that really mattered to me, but now I’m more afraid of succeeding at things that don’t matter.”  - Bob Goff (Life Does)

november 3, 2013

1. How you make others feel about themselves says alot about you.

2. I do best with one book at a time. At the moment, I have a stack of half-finished books on my nightstand.

3. Clean sheets are extra cozy.

4. Vietnamese coffee is brewed in a container called a phin filter. I may never go back to my french press again.

5. How to sync my FB calendar with my personal calendar.

6. That being a good climber takes consistent work.  I can't just expect to stroll into the gym on occassion and crush it.

7. I really like it when I make people laugh.

8. That old teammates share a special kind of friendship.

9. That every little thing is gonna be alright.

10.

november 2, 2013

1. That I write for my future self.  There is nothing more powerful than re-reading my own words at a later time.

2. "Love does not consist of gazing at each others, but in looking outward together." 

- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

3. My maid of honor duties are quite fun.  I love side projects and, (so far) Sister is a pretty good boss.

4. I am energized by the productivity of others.

5. FB has undoubtedly changed the world and certainly connected it.  I often wonder what the implications of it will be longer term - esp., all of the babies born whose entire lives will be chronicled...

6. Sweets absolutely must be kept off the premises (especially mom's frozen cake balls).

7. Dahlonega is such a cute southern town.  I'm a sucker for a small town stroll. 

(Note the picture above is from the local ice cream parlor).

8. Upgrading my technology is a serious time saver and, for that reason alone, well worth it. 

Goodbye iPhone 4.  Hello 5s :)

9. A nice red wine reduction is a perfect addition to tomato basil sauce.  Thanks, Kyle. 

10. It is only with the heart one can see clearly. I need to quiet my mind a bit so I can better listen.

october 30, 2013

1. That all good things come to an end.

2. Independent travel is not as intimidating or scary as I once believed.

3. Smile swapping instantly sparks something in me.  Perhaps, the gift of a simple moment of connection.

4. Perception of beauty is so varied among cultures. After admiring the appearance of my new Vietnamese friend, I realized she was doing the same of me - a reoccurring exchange throughout my trip.

5. Good listeners teach me about myself. They are patient enough to hear me out to the point in which I come to my own realizations. Invaluable and so appreciated.

6. Mot, hai, ba...yo! = 1, 2, 3 "bottoms up" in Vietnamese.  Jul moy = cheers in Khmer.

7. I am Wednesday evening born - symbolized by an elephant (no tusks).

8. Being completely open and vulnerable with another person- friend or lover - is what creates the depth in our relationships.

9. I sort of love SE Asia and fully intend to return one day.

10. “The best journeys answers questions that in the beginning you didn't even think to ask.” Yvon Chouinard

october 5, 2013

1. Always ask why.

2. That I prefer a New Zealand accent to a British accent any day.

3. The smiles of Khmer people are possibly the warmest on the planet.

4. To me, traveling is finding my way off the beaten path - at home or abroad.

5. The best bonding happens when there is a shared goal.

6. Perhaps cliche, but time really does heal.

7. Bucket showers are not so bad after all.

8. That I must remember to jump in, fully clothed, from time to time.  

A spontaneous swim is the best kind.

9. "We must be our own before we can be another's." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

10. Rainy season in Cambodia should be called "flooding season." 

I've witnessed the most intense rain that I've ever seen this week.  

september 12, 2013

1. When everyone in my family is in a goofy mood at the same time, there is no place on this planet that is more fun than our kitchen.

2. Watching your best bud try on beautiful WHITE dresses really does bring happy tears, esp. when

you top it off with a vail.  

3. This thing called the grass-is-greener syndrome.  It's real.

4.  I (heart) yoga and am starting to think of it more as a practice versus a class here and there.

5. No matter how much prep you do for a trip, it always feels like you could have (or perhaps, should have) done more.

6. Woodstock, GA is significantly cooler than I ever gave it credit for.

7. I would like to view my side projects more as experiments - and to treat them as such.

  

8. After not driving for several years, I did not miss listening to the radio in the car.  
I prefer my own tunes... or a nice, peaceful silence ;)

9. "Good friends are like stars.  You don't always see them, but you know they're always there." 
-someone wise 

10. "I think when you move past your fear and you go after your dreams wholeheartedly, you become

 free. Know what I'm saying? Move past the fear." 

― LL Cool J

august 30, 2013