Minty Mondays: A Hero is Born – Tomorrow!

02/20/2012

 A Mini Minty MoMINT

 “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” – Christopher Reeve

 My mom says that her brother, Jeff is a hero because he never gives up… AND I LIKE IT!

 Life is Minty Fresh!

 

 

 

 

xoxo

 

02/19/2012 – No Data

02/18/2012 – 6,258 Steps

02/17/2012 – 4,044 Steps

02/16/2012 – 7,662 Steps

02/15/2012 – 5,067 Steps

02/14/2012 – 3,080 Steps

02/13/2012 – No Data

Good morning, Mintdom!

Tomorrow, my youngest brother, Jeff, will turn 50 years old. It is so hard to believe. I remember when he came home from the hospital, shaking head, and that was 50 years ago – I barely feel like *I* am 50 much less having a ‘little’ brother who is 50.  Last night our family and close friends celebrated Jeff. He is an amazing young … ooopps I cannot say that anymore. LOL Seriously, Jeff is a miracle. While he was in high school, had a serious medical issue that left him legally blind (he sees a quarter out of each eye and only in black and white) along with other challenges. These challenges have not stopped my brother from doing what he wants to do in life. It did not stop him from graduating from high school or the University of Santa Barbara. It has not stopped him from getting married and being a GREAT father to his children. He is unable to drive a car; however, it has not stopped him in business or from traveling all over the world, even in places like India and Russia where it might be difficult for lots of us! Best of all, I have yet to hear my brother complain or feel sorry for himself.

Last week, I read a blog from a young woman who had a diving accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down.  Of course, you cannot compare the injuries; however, as I read her blogs, it was clear that she was unable to accept her condition even with the support of her family. On her 31^st birthday, she writes that every birthday is a bittersweet reminder of what she does not have. In fact, most of her blog centers on what she does not have or what she is unable to do. In the end, she made the decision to end her life by refusing treatment and food.  I thought about my brother, when I read this, and how his focus centers on the things he has, and the things he CAN do. He is an inspiration and a joy to be around!  Happy birthday, dear brother, you are one of my heroes and I am looking forward to the next 50 years

AffirMINTion:  I appreciate those around me every day!

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

PS The headline for February 20, 2012 (the day before you were born) was for another hero of that time, John Glenn

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Minty Mondays: More Change!

02/13/2012

A Mini Minty MoMint

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” – Reinhold Niebuhr

 My mom says… ask for wisdom when you are in a pickle… AND I like it!

 Life is Minty Fresh!

Long Ears

 Short Ears

That’s a Change xoxo

02/06/12 – 4,553 Steps

02/07/12 – No Data (did not wear)

02/08/12 – 5,268 Steps

02/09/12 – 6,278 Steps

02/10/12 – 5,934 Steps

02/11/12 – 7,962 Steps

02/12/12 – 4,988 Steps

Good morning, Mintdom!

There are some big changes coming soon to my life as my parents and one of my sisters prepare to move out of the area in the spring. I am so glad that Minty reminded me of the Serenity Prayer. It gives me some direction and some control over how I deal with the change. I thought that I would take this opportunity to ask you how you feel about ‘change’. Do you naturally embrace it or do you fear or dread it? I think I am closer to the fear or dread most of the time, although I would not go that far. I am fortunate to have a strong faith that God will work it all out for my own good; although I have to say, I also fuss with Him before I come around to accepting the change!  LOL Taking an inventory with this little prayer helps me on the road to acceptance. I do not think you have to be a Christian in order to use this prayer as I often said it BEFORE I was one.

Do you have other ways that you deal with change? Even good change can be stressful at times. I would love to hear your thoughts.

AffirMINTion: I ask for wisdom to help me deal with change.

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

Minty Mondays: Victory and Celebrations

02/06/2012 

“What is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory – victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.” – Winston Churchill

 A Mini Minty MoMINT

 My mom says…when we reach our goals we can celebrate… AND I LIKE IT!

 Life is Minty Fresh!

 

 

 

 

xoxo

Ready to Party!

 

02/05/ 2012 – 5,972 Steps

I love this quote from Winston Churchill and have it on my bathroom mirror to remind me to be bold, persistent, and diligent in working towards my goals. It also reminds me that victory does not come easily and/or quickly.  I know that my aim is to lead a healthy lifestyle. This quote reminds me how serious I need to be when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle, for without it, there is literally no survival. Of course, Minty reminds us to celebrate when we achieve our goals. Sometimes I think that Fun is really her middle name and not Fresh!

What are your aims? Do you take them seriously? Are you celebrating your victories?

AffirMINTion: I live a healthy lifestyle and celebrate my victories!

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

Minty Mondays: Life’s a Party!

01/09/2012

A Mini Minty MoMINT

I have decided that the stuff falling through the cracks is confetti and I am having a party! – Betsy Canas Garmon

My mom says… cleaning up after a party is not so much fun, but having the party with family and friends is worth it… AND I LIKE IT!

Life is Minty Fresh

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s Party!!!!!

PS – My mom says that this is a good song to get you moving… AND I LIKE IT!

http://www.tinyurl.com/aparty2nite

Good morning Mintdom!

So nice of Minty to give me a little excuse for letting some of my obligations fall through the cracks – at least it is a nice visual. I am finding it a little difficult to keep up with my life these days. I actually missed a party this weekend – now you KNOW I am a little overwhelmed if I missed a party. I actually fell asleep and when I woke up – it had already started . I was SO looking forward to it! I also missed a writing deadline – yikes. That is some of the confetti and even though Minty makes it look somewhat pretty, it needs to be cleaned up. Today, I will prioritize my list both short term and long term items. In addition, I finally bought a new planner and that will help. When I am overwhelmed with confetti, re-planning and prioritizing helps me!

“How you think about a problem is more important than the problem itself – so always think positively.” – Norman Vincent Peale

Forgive the brevity of this post, but today is the last day of Grand Jury Duty for me and I and I am running out the door (luckily I am not leaving any confetti behind me ha ha).

AffirMINTion: I am organized in 2012!

Make is a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

Minty Mondays: Duty

12/12/2011

“Rights that do not flow from duty well performed are not worth having.” – Mohandas Gandhi

My mom says that she is proud to have jury duty… AND I LIKE IT!

Life is Minty Fresh!

xoxo

My Serious Face 🙂

As Minty said, I have jury duty today. It is not just jury duty; it is Grand Jury duty, which means that we will only hear from the prosecution. We need to decide if there is enough evidence to go to trial. It will be interesting. Since it is all VERY top secret, I will not be able to talk about it, which will be the most difficult thing for me to do. LOL! Anyway, I am excited to be able to participate in something that is so important to this country and to make a tiny contribution to the BEST country in the world!

AffirMINTion: I am happy to be part of the process of the freedom we enjoy in the best country in the world!

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

Minty Mondays: Mattering

11/21/2011

A Mini Minty MoMINT

“The  purpose of life is not to be happy – but to MATTER, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all.” – Leo Rosten  

My mom says that I matter and that I make a difference to her… AND I LIKE IT!

Life is Minty Fresh!
 

xoxo

 

 

 

 

Good morning Mintdom!

In the past two weeks, I have attended a new church. So far, I like it a lot. The handout they gave out at the door included a little brochure called Gifts that Give Hope 2011: Help Build Hope Today. This brochure listed EIGHT separate opportunities to help others during the holidays. What struck me is the fact that SO many people in our community and in the world do not have the things that I have – most of which I often take for granted. There are so many people in need that it overwhelmed me. These people are from all walks of life and range from infants to seniors. The other thing that struck me was not just the request for monetary gifts and gifts, but also the requests for help in the warehouse (there is a warehouse!), help distributing to needy families, mentoring, and help people shop for gifts. There are gifts that are going overseas to our soldiers and to their families that are here. There are gifts for children in Haiti. There are gifts and activities for families that have parents in prison and there are gifts and activities for those that are in shelters.

In just the few moMINTS that it took to read this brochure, I felt convicted and grateful all at the same time. After the service, I picked up a couple of things that I will gather and give in the name of my two grandchildren. I am doing it, not because I feel guilty, I am doing it because I am so grateful for ALL that I have. I have my faith first. I am healthy and getting healthier. I have a wonderful family and amazing friends. I have a safe, clean (most of the time ha ha) warm, place to live. I have a GREAT job that I love and that is close enough to go home for lunch and to take care of one of my biggest blessings – Minty. I put that brochure on my bulletin board at my desk at home to remind me of all that I have and to remain grateful.

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” – William James

This is a sweet video but BEWARE – the music will stick with you!  LOL!  http://tinyurl.com/wechangetheworld

AffirMINTion: I CAN make a difference in the world

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

Minty Monday: Just Do It and Do It Now!

11/14/2011

A Mini Minty MoMINT

“Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin.  Beginning makes the conditions perfect.” – Alan Cohen

 My mom’s friend, Deb and Nike says, “Just Do It”… and I like it!

 Life is Minty Fresh!

xoxo

 

 

 

 

 

11/09/2011 – 4,559 steps

11/10/2011 – 4,793 steps

11/11/2011 – 5,961 steps

11/12/2011 – 5,530 steps

11/13/2011 – 5,153 steps

Good morning, Mintdom!

Do you ever say to yourself things like, “When this happens, I will start” or As soon as I have this (fill in the blank), I will do that”? I had breakfast with my friend and author of  The Path to the Springs (available on Amazon.com), Deb Saunders last week. We had a GREAT discussion on just this question. I know that there are times that I am guilty of this kind of attitude; it does not serve me well. I love Deb’s attitude that we need to start where we are right now. Nike sums it up with its “Just Do It” slogan.

Since that breakfast, I am more aware than ever when I am “putting things off until tomorrow” attitude because tomorrow never comes.

AffirMINTion: I am working on my goals right now, today
Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

PS I was finally able to buy a new Weight Watcher pedometer (they are the BEST) and I am back at counting steps! I feel like I have my groove back!

Minty Monday: Starting Again is OK

11/30/2011

 Mini Minty MoMINT

 “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” – Dolly Parton

My mom says… I can start my day over at any time… AND I LIKE IT!

Life is Minty Fresh!

I think I need to start my day over

Good Morning Mintdom,

I love Dolly Parton’s quote. I think that sometimes I get married to an idea that is not working because it is comfortable, instead of being open to new ideas. I know there are also times that I go impulsively through my day without giving a lot of thought or planning to my day UNTIL it starts spinning out of control – Yikes!

The days that I stay in my quiet time a little longer instead of plunging into the day’s activities go a lot smoother. The days that I make a plan in advance are more productive than when I wonder aimlessly through my days. I just read during my quiet time the other day that a great athlete takes time to prepare mentally before the competition.

Do you have a quiet time each day? Do you plan (it is not written in blood) your day in advance? OR you have to start paving a new road often? I like the idea that I can start a new road; although I do not want to have to start too many that do not go anywhere. I think that quiet and planning time is crucial to any day, any goal, and for living a healthy lifestyle. If you are in the middle of a day that is not going well, remember that you CAN start your day over any time you choose to.

 AffirMINTion: I love my quiet time each day.

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?
http://tinyurl.com/watchawaitn4

Life is good!

Minty Monday: Self-Talk

10/24/2011

A Mini Minty MoMINT

If you had a friend who talked to you like you sometimes talk to yourself, would you continue to hang around with that person? — Rob Bremer, Speaker

 My mom speaks nice to me all the time and that teaches me to speak nice to myself. My mom is very smart… and I like it!

 Life is Minty Fresh!

 

I am very smart and oh, so cute!

 

 

 

 

 

xoxo

 

 

 

Good morning Mintdom!

I just had a conversation with a friend last week about our self-talk. Minty’s choice of quotes is exactly how I feel about the subject. My self-talk is much better than it used to be. I have worked on it though. Although, I do not think that I ever called my kids names, if I knew about this then, I would have been more purposeful about speaking positive messages to them.

How is your self-talk? If you do not know, listen to the things that you say to yourself. If you are saying negative things to and about yourself – stop it! When get rid of my negative self-talk, I not only felt better, I also accomplished more.

If you are still not a believer, try listening to this video. www.tinyurl.com/NegSelfTalk I have read Shad Helmstetter’s book, What to Say When You Talk to Yourself but I just saw that he wrote another book, Self-Talk for Weight Loss that is now on my book list!

AffirMINTion: I am a very smart and capable person… and I like it too!

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

 

It’s Minty Monday Time!

10/17/2011

A Mini Minty MoMINT

“In all planning you make a list and you set priorities.“ – Alan Lakein

My mom says… she loves spending time with me… AND I LIKE IT!

Life is Minty Fresh!

My Mom even spends time with me in the car!

xoxo

Good morning Mintdom!

I know that I am on a time kick; it is because I keep seeing photos, quotes and articles on time, therefore I am going with it! LOL!

Do you ever think that there is not enough time in the day? I know that there are those days when I think that I just do not have enough time to do what I want to do. When I honestly look back on that kind of day, I can see where I wasted time even though I sure seemed very busy!

“It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?” – Henry David Thoreau

I love quote by Henry Thoreau because I know when I set my priorities in advance for the day, I can get a lot accomplished. I even have time left over to spend any way that I like!

One thing you can’t recycle is wasted time.” – Author Unknown

The next time that the thought comes to your mind that you do not have enough time in the day, take a look back and prioritize your To-Do List OR make and prioritize your list BEFORE your day starts slipping away.

AffirMINTion: I make the most of my 24 hours each day!

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!