Sweet N Social

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  • Devoted to Success: Managing Knowledge Overload is in Our Control

    Devoted to Success: Managing Knowledge Overload is in Our Control

    “I have been and still am a seeker, but I have ceased to question stars and books; I have begun to listen to the teaching my blood whispers to me.” ― Hermann Hesse

    If we’re overloaded with knowledge, how do we utilize it in a productive way?-Quora

    I liked this question because I don’t think we are overloaded with knowledge; we are overloaded with information and opinions from others which if we don’t learn how to turn it off can cause us not to be productive.

    What comes to mind for me when I think about information overload is that of a water hose. Learning how to manage the distractions or the channels in which the information flows to us, is in our control. By turning the water valve, we can control how much and how fast the water comes out, and that’s what we can do with the information that is coming out towards us too. 

    Here’s how I turn the “information” valve down or off:

    1. Figure out what’s important to me and make that a priority. I have some non-negotiable habits that I make time every day by putting them on my calendar, like daily walks and journaling time. I use this time to get out of my head and collect my thoughts.

    2. Get still – Reconnect to your small inner voice. It gets louder when you get quieter. By reconnecting and staying connected to that small quiet voice within, it can become an important discerning tool in deciding what to listen for and what to let pass by.

    3. Use technology to your advantage – Turn notifications off on your devices so you can concentrate and focus. You are more amazing than you realize!

    4. Let your mind process the information by writing or summarizing information in a daily journal. Information needs time to sink in and take root. Our brains can store information and recall it when it needs too. Like I stated in #3, you are more amazing than you realize!

    5. Pay attention to your water source – As a former food inspector in the military, I learned not all water are potable.

    6. Realize you have a vision that the world needs too – When I started focusing on what I can offer the world, I learned to turn the “information” hose to a trickle so I could work on my divine assignment. 

    When you get focused on bringing your vision to life, it becomes easier to determine what information will help you and what information is worth letting pass you by. 

    Quote Source: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/knowledge

    I would love to learn more about who you are and what you do. Feel free to connect with me through a Meetup group.

    1. Confident Strides Women’s Empowerment Network https://bit.ly/CSWENMeetup
    2. Confident Strides Personal Development Network Group https://bit.ly/CSPDNMeetup
    3. Confident Strides Women’s Professional Network https://bit.ly/CSWPNMeetup

    To connect with me: https://linktr.ee/confidentstrides

  • Year End Advice: How to Make 2022 a Success For You

    Year End Advice: How to Make 2022 a Success For You

    “Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get” ― W. P. Kinsella

    How can I make the year 2022 work for me?- Quora

    I think we can make a big impact in 2022 when we learn first to define want success looks like for ourselves. We can’t make the year work for you if you don’t know what you are aiming for in the first place.  

    Success means different things to different people. My life changed the moment I realized I was living my life based off the standards of others. Here are a few suggestions to help jump start your new year:

    Learn to trust your inner voice. 

    This was a hard lesson for me to learn.  It’s like programing your GPS to your desired location and then wanting to turn it off or doubting it because it’s taking on a whole new route you never traveled before. Once you get comfortable using the GPS, you learn to trust that it knows the best way to get you there. You stop trying to outsmart the navigation system.

    Figure out what you’re aiming for

    I learned to set goals a little more by watching football.  If you don’t know what end zone yours is, you’ll never know which way to run and when you’ve had a touchdown.  Once I started setting goals, my brain went to work looking for opportunities like a quarterback looks for a receiver.

    Stop waiting for approval from others

    Sometimes we are the one who must be the first to lead.  This goes with trusting your inner voice which seems to get louder the more you listen. We all have an assignment to do in life.  You have a special gift or talent that you are equipped with. This is your superpower.  The world is waiting for you to discover and cultivate your special power.  You might have the idea to end world hunger or cure cancer but without you are taking that first step to cultivate your superpower, the world is left with a great loss.  That missing puzzle piece.

    Build a support team

    We don’t have to do everything on our own.  Look for other people who want to also do something in their life. We can be become candles for each other who in turn help to keep each other’s paths lit.  Form an accountability group or create your own.

    As we close out 2021, I always suggest taking inventory of the things that worked for you and the things that you would like to change.  To get to your desired location, you must know where you are on the map!

    I would love to learn more about who you are and what you do. Feel free to connect with me through a Meetup group.

    1. Confident Strides Women’s Empowerment Network https://bit.ly/CSWENMeetup
    2. Confident Strides Personal Development Network Group https://bit.ly/CSPDNMeetup
    3. Confident Strides Women’s Professional Network https://bit.ly/CSWPNMeetup

    Quote Source: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/success

    To connect with me: https://linktr.ee/confidentstrides

  • Transformation Time: How to Become Smarter, More Creative, and Productive

    Transformation Time: How to Become Smarter, More Creative, and Productive

    “Let your creative and imaginative mind run freely; it will take you places you never dreamed of and provide breakthroughs that others once thought were impossible.” ― Idowu Koyenikan

    How can one become smarter, more creative, productive, and intelligent during a lockdown?-Quora

    Depending on the lens you to look through, a lockdown can be like the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly. We have the time to learn more about who we are and what we want, if you choose to.  

    As with any time we deal with change, we may look fantastic from the outside, but the transformation from within feels gruesome deep inside. That’s because we don’t have the distractions that we are accustomed to. We don’t have the availability to run from our decisions.  We are forced to face reality head on. Unlike the caterpillar, we have the choice to use this time to transform into a butterfly.

    During the lockdown, use this time to read, draw and rediscover dormant skills and talents that we have put to the side.  Creativity is not just for a select few, we all have a creative muscle in our body that just needs to be exercised more.  It’s like sleeping in a certain position for so long that our creativity fell asleep. That numbness will eventually dissipate. 

    Life doesn’t stop during a lockdown; it must be looked at from a different angle. 

    Suggestions on how to become smarter, more creative, and productive:

    • Ask yourself what have you been putting off or too busy to do? Have you been wanted to read or exercise more?  There are tons of internet sites where you can download e-books. Many trainers now offer online training programs.
    • Boost your immune system by enjoying nature. It’s doesn’t cost a thing to go for a walk.
      • Walking also is a great way to relieve stress and relax your mind. If your mind is relaxed, it’s easier to gain clarity. With clarity, you can focus more on what’s important therefor making you more productive.
      • Walking is also a great way to let you mind explore ideas which gives you more creativity in solving problems.
    • Use the downtime to write or journal. Explore what is coming up for you during this lockdown. Perhaps you’ll have enough material to write a book or publish a blog.
    • Remember: Creativity can’t be used up, the more you use it the more you gain.
    • One last thing you can do is, use your smart devices to reach out and talk with people.  Replace a text or an email with a phone call.  This helps you to realize that you are not alone, and you perhaps may make a new friend which you can visit once the world opens back up.

    The lockdown may pose a physical limitation, but your imagination/creativity is limitless! 

    For more information on how a butterfly transforms https://www.zmescience.com/ecology/animals-ecology/how-caterpillar-turn-butterfly-0534534/

    Quote Source: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/transformation

    To connect with me: https://linktr.ee/confidentstrides

  • Simply Ask: Your Chances of a Yes Increase by Fifty Percent

    “Always ask yourself: “What will happen if I say nothing?”  ― Kamand Kojouri

    I’m learning that the most powerful thing I can do is to simply ask. Here are three lessons I have learned over time.

    Lesson One: Asking for help or asking for the opinion of others, doesn’t diminish who you are.

    In the past, I have been so afraid to ask people for help or even to simply ask for their opinion. I still struggle at times but I think the older I get and the more I realize I have a purpose here on this Earth, if I don’t ask I am missing out on a golden opportunity to grow and connect with someone else. I have learned over the past few years, the more comfortable I am in knowing who I am, the less threatened I feel by someone else’s opinion.

    One way I got more comfortable with other people’s opinion was during the time I was meeting with another person of faith. Our opinions were different but I focused on what we had in common. We would sit for hours discussing our views on faith. It was during this time, realized, I was comfortable with my views and at the same time could honor they other person’s view without feeling diminished. Eventually we parted ways but our friendship remains.

    Lesson Two: By not asking, we automatically assume the answer is no.

    My youngest daughter was one of the biggest offenders of this mental assumption as she was growing up. She was always getting herself in trouble because she was so sneaky. She would try and sneak cookies and snacks. She would take things from her sister without asking all of the time. It was so darn frustrating because we told her all of the time, “all you have to do is ask.” Asking didn’t mean she would always get what she wanted but it gave the person she was asking the opportunity to either say yes or no. I am now seeing this with my granddaughter.

    Lesson Three: We allow people the opportunity to participate in our lives.

    There are always two people in an equation. Allowing the person the opportunity to participate can be a gift if you allow it to be. Just think about how you feel when someone asks you for your opinion, or ask for your assistance on a project. (We’re talking about healthy boundaries and not people pleasing at this moment which is a whole other subject.)

    Here are a few of my takeaways:

    1. Ask yourself, “what’s the worst that can happen?” If you choose not to ask, you are already assuming the answer is no.
    2. Consider how the other person might feel. Allow them the opportunity to participate.
    3. Seek help and guidance from others. There is someone who has been through the same stuff.
    4. Remember, you are awesome. So give yourself some Grace!!

    I am not trying to pretend that asking is always easy, but it can get easier when you you take small steps. I had to hire a sales coach to help with asking for things regarding my business. I had to talk with a relationships person when I struggle with personal issues. When I need help and I am learning to ask and so can you.

    We are building an empowerment and leadership network via Meetup if you are looking for a group to connect with.

    Quote Source: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/ask

  • How My Boredom Lead to Unnecessary Spending and Unhappiness

    Boredom is the Devil’s delight.” ― Lindsey Rietzsch, 

    I first want to say that awareness is key. The more I stop and reflect, the more I think that life is actually made up of the choices we make in those little moments that we don’t really think matter.

    It’s a late Saturday afternoon as I write this. Usually my husband and I have our granddaughter on Saturdays. It’s been like this since she was born. She is now five years old. And like most Saturdays, we focus most of our activities around her being here at the house. Now that she’s getting older, we can do more things with her outside the home like take her to get her nails painted at the nails salon or take her to play games at Chuck E Cheese. What has been happening in this shift is, my husband or myself having more time for ourselves.

    Here’s where awareness is helping me focus on what’s important to me. In the past, when I had time for myself, I would run out to the local craft store or thrift store to spend money I usually didn’t have to spend. Looking back, this was a way for me to “pass the time.” The first thought that would pop in my head was, “since I have nothing to do, I might as well go browse the thrift store.” Once I got to the store, I could always find something I thought I “needed.” The more I read and learn, this was a way for me to handle anxiousness that arouse in me during time of idleness. In other words, this was a behavioral coping mechanism. My energy is flowing but I had no where to direct it!

    Since taking up time to write, I can now re-direct the energy I was feeling and use it to create something that might help someone who is dealing with the same kind of issue. We can use or energy for “good” or of service to others.

    What would you like to create? A new business or write a book? My challenge is you is to take a step back, see where you are revved up and putting energy into something that’s not producing anything positive for you. I must admit, at times, the desire is strong to got shop but when I take a pause break and ask myself, before I leave out, what’s the purpose? I can re-direct and find something more beneficial and in alignment with my goal in life which makes my so much happier.

    Now that my anxiousness is subsiding, I think I will settle in and watch a movie. I created something!

    Let me know your thoughts. If you like, connect with me through one of the Meetup groups. Here’s a link: https://www.meetup.com/pro/confident-strides/

    Quote Source: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/idleness-quote

  • The Patchwork of Life: Do you Like What You’re Making?

    “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” ― John Wooden

    What I love about this quote is how it breaks down the difference between character and reputation.

    I enjoy doing pre-call interviews with my potential interview guests. Most of the time, the conversation usually begins by them telling me about what they do. It’s always a great way to get to know a person as an ice breaker, but what I’m really interested in is who the person “really” is. I want to know why they chose to do what they are doing. Is this something they are passionate about? What in life put them on this path?

    What I have come to realize, our job title may change but who we are inside doesn’t change too much. When I went to an Oprah event many years ago, and I remember her sharing the idea of an invisible thread. She shared that we can’t see the thread unless we take the time to reflect and look back on our past. What the invisible thread represents to me is our desires, our beliefs and our values. The invisible thread is what ties all of life’s events together.

    I know change is not easy but it is doable. One of the most impactful books on change I read was Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Effective People.” In the book, he asked you to picture guests at your funeral and have you think of what they would say about you. He was encouraging readers to think with the end in mind. That was pivotal for me. Listing out what I wanted people to say about me made me reflect on the kind of impact I wanted to have on people. It made me think about what I was focusing on.

    Here’s my takeaway: You are the co-creator of your life, you have the right to create the kind of life you want, and you can change if you want to.

    I would like to leave you with a few questions to reflect on: Are you on the right path? Are you happy with what you are creating? What would you like to change? What do you want people to say about you at your funeral?

    In case you have not read Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People“, I am including an Amazon Affiliate link to purchase the book: https://amzn.to/3ifkjIV. Definitely a must read for those on a personal development journey!

    Quote Source: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/character

  • Making a Comeback

    “Sometimes the hardest part isn’t letting go but rather learning to start over.” ― Nicole Sobon

    I have been having the urge to write again. I guess it’s something that never really leaves you, perhaps life just causes you to stop and re-evaluate what’s important to you.

    A lot has changed since I first started writing this blog many years ago. I started a YouTube and Anchor podcast last year just before the COVID shutdown. I wanted to see what I could offer to the world during the shutdown. I was on a walk with my dogs when the thought of how we were going to manage this “new normal.” I just keep looking at Chloe who I didn’t really want and I just pondered how this dog ended up in my life. My elderly neighbor was placed in a nursing home and she had asked my to keep Chloe. Chloe would growl and my husband when he would give me a kiss before heading off to bed. Chloe sheds a lot too! But here I was, walking this dog and actually enjoying myself. That’s when I realized that no matter what happens in life, we are always going to face change. Change is inevitable! What makes the difference is how we react to the change that is right in front of us each day.

    Now back to my podcast idea, I raced home and decided to make an offer to the coaches in my network. What advice were they offering to their clients during this time of change? The whole premise of the podcast was to present positive insight by offering the coaches an opportunity to be interviewed by me. My first interview appeared on YouTube in March of 2020. A whole year later, I am still interviewing and sharing positive insight that’s being uploaded weekly.

    My purpose moving forward with this blog is a way to provide positive insight that I gathered through the interviews as well as the insight I get while running. I invite you to join me on this comeback journey.

    Quote Source https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/start-over

  • Share Your Music

    Share Your Music

    One of the best messages I read on the message board out side of the gym was “the only bad workout is the one you didn’t do”.  That message is not only great for workouts but anything you choose not to do in life.  The only bad book is the one you choose not to write, or the only bad song is the one you choose not to record.

    I think about the messages I come across and can listen to now that’s available through YouTube.  Whatever you have an interest in, you can find.  I listen to speakers that no longer are with us but had great messages to share. Think about what you have been through in your life. Only you can share that story because only you have lived that life.

    We all have a message and a story to share.  I think you do the world a dis-service by not sharing you story.  You might be the one with the cure for cancer. Don’t leave this thing we call life with your song still in you. Share your music with the world.

  • Look Into The Mirror

    Look Into The Mirror

    We are all mirrors for each of us to learn something about ourselves. One tool that helped me on my journey was the book “The Seven Habits of a Highly Effective Person” by Stephen Covey. In his book, he walks you through a funeral for yourself. The most profound question that moved me was, “What would you want people to most remember you for?”

    Some of the qualities I want to be remembered for is being a generous, kind and caring person. The next question was, “What do I have to do today to achieve that?” The thing we all can do is determine those things we have the ability to change, or else we can work on our response to those things we can’t.

    The last step is deciding to put into the actions that which will cultivate the qualities we desire to harness. If you want to receive more love, be loving. The more you are, the more you we attract. Life will start to reflect back to you on your progress. Don’t be afraid to look.

  • The Transformation

    The Transformation

    Anything worth value will take time and effort to cultivate.  Like writing this blog post. I started writing several years ago.  Writing has never been something I saw myself doing.  I struggle on many occasions to come up with topic to discuss because like so many of us, I don’t think I am “smart” enough.  The experts were once amateurs. It comes down to realizing that with practice, any of us can develop our skills in any area that we choose.

    A friend of mine always says “the quality of your life is determined by the quality of your thoughts”.  If we hold onto “wormy” thoughts, such as I am not good enough, we will never transform into the beautiful butterfly that is within us.  As with anything, pay attention to those thoughts.  Awareness is the first step in self-creation. The second step is working to changing them.

    The process may sound easy but the concept is not and I understand that. Best believe that changing your thoughts, will definitely change your life. And you are worth it.