This page provides past issues of our newsletter.

October 2008
September 2008
December 2008

Thoughts for December

MONEY: This is another hot topic of the day. In December, we will have a guest speaker to discuss how to prepare for both now and the future. A couple of tips though until then.

Put your trust in God, not man. Man will always fail. If you seek God first and his righteousness, then you will have everything you need. Everything is everything.
Stop watching TV. If all you watch is the news, then you will be discouraged. Read some good books,
If you are in a financial bind, get some wise counsel from someone who knows and lives by good sound financial principles. One suggestion is to go to Dave Ramsey’s website (www.daveramsey.com) for some information. I know there are churches in town who have offered his Financial Peace class. You can also listen to Dave Ramsey on The Star 99.5 from 1-3p and 8-10p weekdays.
Decide this Christmas not to overdue it. Don’t go in debt. The bible says to owe no man anything except love. Your kids need your love more than anything else. If they are anything like my kids, they love one or two of the gifts we buy, then the rest goes into the closet for the remainder of the year. A tip for next year: most banks have an option for you to set aside money every month just for Christmas. You can’t touch it till Christmas time. I’ve been doing this the last couple of years so I have cash to pay for everything.

5. Spend less on Christmas and give more of yourself... invest quality and quantity time in your family and friends. Give to those who are hurting and lonely. Bring them a meal, buy them a gift, give a word of encouragement, pay for someone’s groceries, visit the children or elderly in the hospital.

Manage Your Stress: Ten Ways to Ease Stress

Date updated: February 04, 2007
Content provided by Cleveland Clinic

1. Eat and drink sensibly. Alcohol and food abuse may seem to reduce stress, but it actually adds to it.

2. Assert yourself. You do not have to meet others' expectations or demands. It's okay to say "No." Remember, being assertive allows you to stand up for your rights and beliefs while respecting those of others.

3. Stop smoking or other bad habits. Aside from the obvious health risks of cigarettes, nicotine acts as a stimulant and brings on more stress symptoms. Give yourself the gift of dropping unhealthy habits.

4. Exercise regularly. Choose non-competitive exercise and set reasonable goals. Aerobic exercise has been shown to release endorphins (natural substances that help you feel better and maintain a positive attitude).

5. Study and practice relaxation techniques. Relax every day. Choose from a variety of different techniques. Combine opposites; a time for deep relaxation and a time for aerobic exercise is a sure way to protect your body from the effects of stress.

6. Take responsibility. Control what you can and leave behind what you cannot control.

7. Reduce stressors (cause of stress). Many people find that life is filled with too many demands and too little time. For the most part, these demands are ones we have chosen. Effective time-management skills involve asking for help when appropriate, setting priorities, pacing yourself, and taking time out for yourself.

8. Examine your values and live by them. The more your actions reflect your beliefs, the better you will feel, no matter how busy your life is. Use your values when choosing your activities.

9. Set realistic goals and expectations. It's okay, and healthy, to realize you cannot be 100% successful at everything at once.

10. Sell yourself to yourself. When you are feeling overwhelmed, remind yourself of what you do well. Have a healthy sense of self-esteem.

Thoughts for October…

Balance I just attended a seminar and one of the sessions was an introduction to life planning and learning to live a balanced life. This seems to be a discussion among many these days. One thing I know balance takes is purposing to live a balanced life. First you have to determine what you want your life to look like. Take time to evaluate all areas

of your life...your career, your relationships, your health. I remember hearing once that your life is on a see saw. If you see it teeter tottering one way, look what’s on the other side and put some effort in there to bring the see saw back in the middle.

DECIDE on what your priorities are. Use Deborah Minck’s 80/20 Rule

The 80/20 Rule means that in any set of things (workers, customers, etc.) a few (20 percent) are vital and many (80 percent) are considered trivial.

The value of this principle is in reminding us to stay focused on the “20 percent that matters”. Of all the tasks performed throughout the day, one could say that only 20 percent really matter. Those tasks in the 20 percent very likely will produce 80 percent of our results. Thus, it’s critical that we identify and focus on those things. When the fire drills surrounding the “crisis of the day” begin to eat up precious time, remind yourself of the critical 20 percent you need to focus on. If anything in the list of activities and action items has to fall by the wayside – left undone – be sure it isn’t listed in that critical 20 percent.

It’s not only important to do things right, but also to ensure you’re doing the right things. It’s not just important to “work hard” and “work smart”, but also to work smart on the right things.

PLAN: Make a plan on Sunday for the week and prioritize what needs to be done. Remember you don’t have to say yes to everyone who asks you something. Once you know what you want your life to look like, it will help you to say no to things that don’t line up with your priorities.

BE ACCOUNTIBLE: Ask your spouse, child or a friend if they think your life is in balance. Discuss ways to improve and get that seesaw back in the middle.

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE UP: Living a life in balance doesn’t come without a price. Many of us try to put too much on our plate and we wonder why we can’t do it all. Maybe it’s because we bought the lie that we can. You may have to give up something good in order to get the best life has to offer. For example, I’ve chosen to cut back in business October-December because I feel it is necessary to focus on my family, my home and invest some time in preparation for the future. Without a vision, the people perish.

So what am I giving up, the potential to make additional money on a short term basis

I certainly don’t have all the answers on this one. Just like you, I’m a work in progress.

So let’s help each other. We now have a message board on our WOI website. This month, let’s discuss, Life Balance. Feel free to share what is working for you. WWW.womenofinfluence.info.

Next WOI meeting is November 10th, Monday, UF Hilton, 11:30a-1p

Self-Defense for Women: Professor Stephen Levi

Did you know that in today's life and times, we face a higher risk of dealing with a violent assault than being in a serious car accident? Fortunately, learning to protect ourselves is much less complicated than learning to drive a car.

After 9/11, the founder of U.M.S. taught to more than 5,000 flight attendants and pilots the same techniques that you will learn in our six week program. These are proven techniques that are based on realistic situations. Professor Levi will give us an introduction on using self-defense to get away from an assault. What he teaches works well for different life situations and ages.

Please RSVP: Jill @advantageads.info or call 332-2618 by November 6^th.

WOI Needs: Women of Influence is looking for someone with graphic design experience who will donate their time and expertise and help us create a logo and letterhead. If you are willing to help, please email Jill Nash, Jill@advantageads.info or call 332-2618.

Door Prizes: If you or your business would like to donate door prizes, please contact Judi Donovan at Judi at 871-6239 or you can email her at Judith.donovan@wachovia.com

Book Suggestions:

Visioneering by Andy Stanley : $15

Visioneering is the engineering of a vision. It’s the process one follows to develop and maintain vision. “Vision,” writes Andy Stanley, “is a clear mental picture of what could be, fueled by the conviction that it should be.”

In the bestselling Visioneering, Stanley builds a compelling case for the necessity of a clear, God-ordained vision for each of the roles of your life. Whether you’re a parent with a vision for your children or a CEO pursuing a corporate vision, Visioneering is the perfect tool to help you develop and maintain God’s unique purpose for your life.

The 3 Big Questions for a Frantic Family, by Patrick Lencioni On sale for $19.95

A Leadership Fable about restoring sanity to the most important organization of your life.

This is a guidebook for frantic families who want to reduce stress, tension & pressure and make the adventure of family life more exuberant according to Frances Hesselbein, chairman and founding president of Leader to Leader Institute.

If you would like to order a copy and pick this up at our next luncheon, please email Jill@advantageads.info, by October 29^th.

Thoughts for September…

Summer has come and gone and before you know it, fall will be here. It is amazing how time flies. As I went through some past newsletters, I was reminded of a few things that I want to share.

Slow down. You don’t have to experience all life has to offer in one day. You don’t have to get everything done in one day. If you are stressed like I was this summer, then take some time for you. Slow down. One day, I was praying and I felt God tell me to rest. All I could think of was how much I needed to do and where was I going to fit rest in. So, I asked him, what do you mean by rest? He said, “Cease all activity”. Wow. Couldn’t be much clearer then that. So, the next day, I took a two hour nap and watched an hour of a movie and did NOTHING else. I’d like to say I didn’t feel guilty but I did.

The next day, I watched Joyce Meyers and she said how it’s important to plan your day so you don’t waste it, but it’s also important to build in times of rest. She said there are days she does NOTHING, because she plans to do nothing.

So, in the midst of your busy life, I encourage you to slow down, relax, have some fun and rest. You deserve it!

Friends: The second thing I thought about was if I was making time for my friends? Our last luncheon was about the importance of friendship and then I realized I had gone the WHOLE summer and the only time I got together with a friend was over vacation. The rest of the summer I didn’t have time. Hmmm, I didn’t make the time. So I changed that too and purposed to set up some key time with my friends. It was very refreshing!

Part of that time with my friends was meeting with a woman that I consider to be my spiritual mother. In the midst of talking to her about my busy life and considering what I should take off my plate, she reminded me as she always does to keep God first, my hubby second, my children third and then everything else.

Balance in all we do is important. Sometimes, the pendulum swings one way, then the other, and we do our best to keep it in the middle.

Be Prepared for the Storm:
This week most of us have taken some time to prepare for a possible tropical storm. We’re out buying water, food, medicine etc. just in case. I wonder how many of us do the same preparations for the storms of life. Just like tropical storms and hurricanes, each life storm is different. Some have lots of rain, some have a lot of wind, some move through quickly and some like Tropical Fay just hang out and you wonder if they are ever going to end and if the sun will shine again.

I hope you will be able to join us this month when Chris Harrell and Patsy Cook share two storms they have gone through. We can learn from them how to prepare for a storm, what to do in the midst of the storm and receive encouragement that the sun will shine again.