snowy quote...

It's absolutely stunning outside - white, crisp and so perfectly sunny. Days like this are why I adore winter.

SNOW!

On this beautiful day, I leave you with this gem:

We are dying from overthinking. We are slowly killing ourselves by thinking about everything. Think. Think. Think. You can never trust the human mind anyway. It's a death trap

Anthony Hopkins  
(Source: that kind of woman)

Much love,
mxo

ease...

As I was saying in my last post...




... except she said it better. :)

Much love,
mxo

unstuck list...

Good morning!

I woke up this morning with a bit of a hangover from last night's teary-ness. Rather than wallow, I decided to shift my energy! I decided to practice this joy business. :)

So, I got busy:

• I made the most delicious lemon and ginger elixir, and followed it up with a "Peep in My Step" juice (recipe below).
• I did my exercises and stretches.
• And enjoyed a few minutes of silence.
• I had a super healthy breakfast, and took every possible staircase I could to work.
• And now this, liquid joy:

Americano from Mercatto, made by Alice. Joy.

It's almost three hours later and I feel new. Brand new. It's that simple. :)


OH, and yes, this:

Last night I stumbled upon Robin Sharma's 62 Tips to Get Unstuck in 2013 and absolutely loved it.

Here are the top 25 that really resonated with me:

1. Start your day with 20 minutes of exercise.
2. Stop watching TV. (Bonus points: sell your tv and invest the cash in learning and self-education).
3. Remember that your diet affects your moods so eat like an athlete.
4. Spend an hour a day without stimulation (no phone+no FaceBook+no noise).
5. Write in a journal every morning. And record gratitude every night.
6. Do work that scares you (if you’re not uncomfortable often, you’re not growing very much).
7. Smile more (and tell your face).
8. Do a collage filled with images of your ideal life. Look at it once a day for focus and inspiration.
9. Plan your week on a schedule (clarity is the DNA of mastery).
10. Stop gossiping (average people love gossip; exceptional people adore ideas).
11. Do a nature walk at least once a week. It’s renew you (you can’t inspire others if you’re depleted yourself).
12. Do something that makes you feel uncomfortable at least once every 7 days.
13. Remember that to double your income, triple your investment in learning, coaching and self-education.
14. Achieve 5 little goals each day (“The Daily 5 Concept” I shared in “The Leader Who Had No Title” that has transformed the lives of so many). In 12 months this habit will produce 1850 little goals–which will amount to a massive transformation.
15. Write handwritten thank you notes to your customers, teammates and family members.
16. Use the first 90 minutes of your work day only on value-creating activities (versus checking email or surfing the Net).
17. Breathe.
18. Keep your promises.
19. Brain tattoo the fact that all work is a chance to change the world.
20. Spend more time in art galleries. Art inspires, stimulates creativity and pushes boundaries.
21. Read a book a week, invest in a course every month and attend a workshop every quarter.
22. Remember that you empower what you complain about.
23. Become the fittest person you know.
24. Become the kindest person you know.
25. Know your “Big 5″–the 5 goals you absolutely must achieve by December 31 to make this year your best yet.

Hope you can find something that inspires you this morning.

So much love,
mxo

P.S. My "Peep in My Step" juice involved apples, kale, celery, swiss chard, and lots of ginger. Yum!

it's in the details...

Boy, oh boy. What an interesting two weeks it has been!

I spent a day in the hospital, and several days miserably getting ready - everything is fine, I assure you. But there's nothing quite like lying in a hospital bed, in a rump-exposing hideous gown, connected to some ghastly IV to make you really think about life.... regardless of how routine the entire ordeal may be.

So that's where I was this past week, really thinking about life. 

And here's what I've realized: happiness doesn't have to come from grandiose sweeping changes. Happiness is often in the details, in the small day-to-day things we often take for granted. 

If you let yourself look, you'll often see it there. :)

So today I wrote a list of the small things that make me happy, the things I will do more of:

• More yoga.
• More dinner dates and wine parties.
• More pretty clothes and painted nails.
• More (much more) chocolate.
• More guilt-free sleep-in days.
• More reading and movie watching.
• More tea and coffee dates.
• More dresses and sparkly shoes.
• More magazines and art.
• More time with inspiring friends.
• More yummy, delicious food. 
• More fun!

What's on your happy list?

As for Thrifty Thursday, today I painted my own toes (horribly) as opposed to getting a pedicure. I also put off getting those gorgeous spring shoes until... well... probably tomorrow. :) But seriously, I watched No Impact Man yesterday. I'll write about it next week...

Hope you've had a lovely week!

I missed you.

Happy tumbles and stumbles!

mxo