Mother's Day - A Day of Celebration

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Happy Mother's Day the kids are shouting and squealing with delight at the prospect of all the secret ideas the have concocted with dad to spoil mom on this special day.

Oh the childish excitement and giddyness that flows through the house, as the kids are trying to keep quiet making breakfast for mom, setting the table, perhaps even cutting flowers from the garden to decorate with.

Shhh, she's coming they whisper so loud the neighbors can hear. But she takes it with a smile and plays along with her family knowing that they know she knows too.

How fun, and what a happy day - Mom is treated like a queen for a day, along with all the wonderful treats and surprises only kids could conjure up with true creativity.

Will the boxes she opens be a string of pearls, or a diamond ring? No, most likely it will be those special drawings and paper wrapped boxes that are called to be the caretakers of Mom's Jewelry that will be the delight of her life. Made with love, by her children, she embraces and lovingly touches each one as if they were indeed precious gems.

Her children surprise her with flowers in a vase and a box of chocolates, which they handpicked, and now are eagerly awaiting the unfolding of the covers that reveal this wonderful delicacy, which they want to partake of with her.

A family, safe, secure, blessed, enjoying the wonderful gift of children that God has given them.

Now, its Dad's turn; he kisses his wife in front of the children, (security for the kids, knowing that Dad and Mom love each other). He gently puts an elegant long stemmed rose without thorns into her hands and a card. As she opens and begins to read it, tears well up in the pools of her eyes. Her husband in the best way he knows declares yet again his undying love, devotion,. and faithfulness to her and the family He thanks her in front of their children for being his wife and the love of his life! It may have been a difficult year with challenges that brought them close together, but together they are stronger and their relationship is bonded by the Christ-centered vows they made to each other on their wedding day.

Sounds like a fairy tale, but it is also real for so many women who have developed strong relationships with their husband and children to celebrate this day.

I hope that you will find your day full of wonderful treats and blessings to savor and keep in your heart, till next Mother's Day.

Enjoy and celebrate today as a Winning Woman that you are!

Winning the Time & Stress Battle; with a little help from a Friend

Time it's the most precious commodity we have, yet we never seem to have enough. A ledger balance sheet which divided with two columns that on one side says TIME, the other side says STRESS, and we find our balance sheet is out-of-balance almost daily.

STRESS = Shifting To Extreme Super Strength

I say extreme, because it seems that we just adjust to the tension and stress by shifting into this hyper-mode to get everything done; which can wreak havoc to our minds and body.

Stress has invaded and become a prevalent part of our lives. Time seems to just slip out of our hands,almost like someone has taken the steering wheel from us and we have lost control.

When stress attacks, it snowballs and we become a slave to it. Because it consumes our thoughts, we panic and try to play catch-up only to find ourselves exhausted from the perpetual list of things that still have to get done. Our efforts seem to yield little more than a headache, more worry, and more stress. We can become depressed and feel defeated that we just can't seem to gain control over it all.
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Regardless of how much we meditate, push things aside for quiet time, re-organize our schedules, do yoga, exercise, have finances in order...stress still hits us square between the eyes. The mind like a magnet absorbs everything that can trigger a stress response and sticks to us.

If you are not sure about whether stress lives in your life, take a look at this list of the top 10 stress triggers/events in women's lives;
Marriage
Pregnancy
Marital separation
Divorce
Death of spouse
Death of close family member
Personal injury or illness
Loss of job due to termination
Marital reconciliation or retirement
Change in financial state

It is by no means definitive, and are the most common that most of us are aware of and/or have happened in our lives at one time or another.

I believe that balancing home and career is one of the most difficult challenges women face today. In order to avoid falling into the "SuperWoman" syndrome,(which can plunge us deep into the stress territory), there needs to be a paradigm shift in the way we approach and handle things in life.

If you have worked outside the home, you know that there are rules and timetables set in place for you to accomplish your work. Similarly, these types of rules can be applied to our life and home. Managing time and routines in a succinct and orderly manner requires thought and planning, but when finished, you have gained control over the stress monster. A deep breath and sigh of relief comes over you knowing that this area is not pressing against you uncomfortably like a tight waistband.

One of the main keys to accomplish this is having yourself duplicated so you can do all these things and not run out of energy, yet still achieve your goals.
Duplicate myself - how?

As a Winning Woman, you want to be effective and efficient in all areas of your life. Get some help, a Virtual Assistant; having a VA is like having a personal Valet, Concierge, Administrator for your life. If you are a business executive, you have an Executive Administrator or Executive Assistant. You know and understand the value of this service. If you run a home, and a home-based business, this service will help you to be most effective with what you are trying to accomplish - growing your business and maintaining a well-functioning household.

Wondering how to get started and if you can afford it? I have listed several VA professionals around the country, so you should be able to find one close to you. Discuss your needs your need and see if she can be of help to you. She can get you organized and set things into motion until you decide to take it over yourself. Quite frankly, after a while, you won't want to give her up, she is like another you but far enough away to not be distracted and stays on target to accomplish the list of things you need to get done.

Save time, be efficient, be effective and concentrate on what you do best. You will be amazed at all you can accomplish.

Happy Valentines Day!

This is a great day to wish everyone you see a "Happy Valentine's Day" greeting. It is known all over our country, evidenced by the flowers and gifts given. However, with the gloom hanging over us like a cloud ready to break open and pour out it's bounty - we can still take this day and and enjoy it.

No matter the age, a smile, a hug, and I Love You go a long way. You will fill their hearts with warmth and feel lighter if just for the day.

Here's to a winning Valentines Day to you - Winning Woman!

Enjoy the day.