My Purpose... 

 You hear about everyone blogging these days. My question, what is the purpose of these blogs? Then I started to question myself---what is the purpose of this blog? I spent time mulling over why this blog? What is it's purpose? Who can benefit? How will they benefit?

 That's when it really hit me, the purpose solidified. This blog is to help you develop a new attitude, to build you up and encourage and be the start of your transformation.

 Recently my husband and I were talking about those in life who remain stagnant, never growing and developing into all that God has for them. We were thinking about those who once done with school never pick up another book, attend another class or work on themselves. I'm sure you know people like this.

 Sadly, I was born into a family like this. Hence, I never knew about goal planning, developing action steps,dream boards, or personal development. I was taught you go to school (college), get a good job and get married. You stay in that job until retirement and you have a pension.

 I am so blessed that almost 10 years ago I was introduced to something better. The ability to dream again. The possibilities of better tomorrows. Most of all--- the lessons of personal development.

 My challenge to each of you my dear friends today is:

 What are your goals for the new year? 

 How many books are you going to read? 

 What courses are you going to take? 

 Most of all, what do you want to be at the end of this year and 

what are you willing to do to get there? 

For things to change you must change. What steps will you take?

 God Bless, may each one of you have a Blessed New Year and may this be the year of Personal Development!

The Land of And

I recently read an article that summarizes the problem many of us have....how do you do good and make a living at the same time?

Read this article....if this is your situation please let me know because I found a way that you can have it all.

Happy reading!


Strawberries AND Ice Cream
By Dan Miller
Remember how many times in your life you’ve been given a choice. You can go to the party OR you can study for your test tomorrow. You can start generating income now OR you can go to college. Were you really forced to choose only one?

Recently I was on a radio show where a caller presented this choice. She had been teaching at a Christian school where the parents were supportive, the kids were excited and there was a match with her own personal values. But her pay was extremely low. So in order to contribute more family income she took a teaching position in another school. Now the kids were rebellious, the parents non-supportive and there was a mismatch in values, but the pay was excellent. Her question – which environment should she choose?

Does that really need to be a choice? Is it unreasonable to think a position exists where the environment is great AND the pay is excellent?

In his new book Great by Choice, author Jim Collins clarifies this artificial choice. He says people who end up “great” don’t oppress themselves with the Tyranny of the OR, which pushes people to think things must be either A OR B, but not both. Instead, these people liberate themselves with the Genius of the AND.

You can

• Start making money AND go to school
• Have a job where you love the environment AND get paid very well
• Be disciplined AND creative
• Set goals AND be spontaneous
• Live out your passion AND make extraordinary income
• Go to college AND stay debt-free
• Drive a fun car AND be responsible

Don’t get caught in artificial OR choices. In most situations you can look for AND solutions and enjoy the best of both. Remember the Genius of the AND.

What choice did you make where now you see you could have had both?

Achieving Success by Expecting Success (Zig Ziglar)

I absolutely love Zig Ziglar. Please read the following. Enjoy! Gail


When you plan and prepare carefully, you can legitimately expect to have success in your efforts. When you recognize and develop the winning qualities that you were born with, the winner you were born to be emerges. When you plan and prepare to make a sale, for example, you can legitimately expect to make a sale. Although not all your expectations are going to come to pass, you give yourself an infinitely better chance of succeeding by taking the proper steps. Regardless of your goal—losing weight, making more sales, furthering your education, earning a promotion, saving money for a new home or an exotic vacation—you can expect to achieve your goal if you plan and prepare for it.
Also understand that the path from where you are to where you want to be is not always smooth and straight. The reason for the twists and bumps is simple, and it has nothing to do with you. It has more to do with the fact that not everyone is as interested in your success as you are. Some people may accidentally hinder your efforts; others who are in competition with you and have little or no integrity may try to sabotage your efforts.
Keep in mind, though, that when you hit those roadblocks, your character, commitment and attitude are the determining factors in your success. Carefully review your plan of action, seek wise counsel, and be particularly careful to feed your mind good information. An optimistic, positive mind is far more likely to come up with creative solutions than a mind that dwells on setbacks and difficulties.
Bottom line: expect success and you can achieve it!

I absolutely love Valorie Burton. Check her out at www.valorieburton.com.

This is taken in it's entirety from one of her recent newsletters.

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Clarity is Power! 5 Coaching Questions to Get Clear About Your Vision

When you find yourself stuck, the issue is often more than a simple case of procrastination. Procrastination is sometimes a sign that you lack clarity about what you are aiming for - and you don't move forward because you're not sure exactly where you are headed. Whether you are trying to figure out your next career move, a relationship dilemma or make an important decision, clarity is power. Once you have it, the fog clears and you can forge ahead. Where do you need clarity right now? Whatever your dilemma, your answer could be just a few questions away. Use these five coaching questions to guide yourself towards a clear, compelling vision:

1. What aspect of your vision is unclear right now?Pinpoint exactly what it is that needs clarity. Don't get distracted by lesser issues. Instead, take a bird's eye view of the situation and ask yourself, "Where am I most lacking direction?"

2. What would clear your mind and give you perspective?Just because you want to know the vision doesn't mean you'll be able to see it right away. Sometimes you need to step away, give it time, or just do something else for awhile - something that gives you a flush of positive emotion - so that you can see things differently. Research confirms that you make better decisions when you are in a positive state.

3. What precisely are you aiming for?After you've cleared your mind, be clear about what you want. Write it down. Paint a vivid picture. This vision will get you back on track when you veer off course.

4. Who or what will help you get there?Identify the people or things that will help you get where you are trying to go. Seek advice. Get the insight of those who've reached your goal. Ask for help if you need it.

5. What's your next step?It's not enough to know where you're going. You need to start moving in the right direction. Identify your next step, then take it! Until next time ...
Warm wishes,P.S. Encourage your friends and family by sharing this newsletter and invite others to subscribe!
Just send them to www.valorieburton.com, where they can enter their email address on the home page.

Wisdom for Living

My husband Tom is an avid fan of John Wooden. May I encourage you to check out some of his writings....


"Adversity is the state in which man mostly easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.

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.

Be prepared and be honest.

Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights.

Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.

Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but what you should have accomplished with your ability.

Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.

If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes.

Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters.

Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.

Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.

There are many things that are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, and one of the most important is faith, which cannot be acquired without prayer".

John Wooden

Lives Changed through the gift of Shaklee!

I had the pleasure meeting Richard Greene last year at a job fair in Pa. Since starting Shaklee, he and partner Linda are reaping not only tremendous health benefits but also financial benefits as well. I’ve asked Richard to share his story. Linda will share next time. Gail

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One of our major financial and emotional burdens up until recently was my failing health. I was diagnosed with what the doctors called “Progressive Migraine Syndrome” that at times was so severe its looked like seizures. I was on several different migraine medications, a couple more for pain and finally one for nerves. I could count on two or three trips to the Emergency Room every month after a spell because I would invariably hurt myself as I fell.

In addition to this, while at work several years ago, I experienced severe burns to the lining of my lungs after inhaling chemical fumes. Even the simple act of cleaning the house now became much more complicated. To have the house cleaned meant that I had to rely on others, since the fumes would seriously interfere with my breathing. In fact, the house had to be completely aired out before I even returned home.

Yet despite all the medications and hospital visits—I was getting worse. No one seemed to have any answers other than more medications.

Then, in September of 2007 I had the great fortune of winning a basket of Get Clean by Shaklee. Little did I realize how this was going to change my life.

You can imagine my surprise to find out that these products were not only non-toxic to us but also the earth and on top of that they really worked! Now I did not have to leave the house when my family cleaned. In fact, I can now help clean and am frequently the first to dive into a project with Basic H in hand. And the miracles don’t stop there....

Knowing how important proper nutrition is and also recognizing how nutritious our diets are not, I jumped into Shaklee’s Vitalizer when I had the opprotuntiy. Coincidently, shortly after starting I developed a cold. However, my colds generally lasted two weeks or more with the need for medication and hence lost work. This time, however, I was amazed! After two days I was on the upswing and within five my sniffles were completely gone!

Within one month after beginning the Vitalizer System, I realized that I had not had any of my migraine spells, and within two months I was off all migraine medications! Vitalizer was a huge part of that miracle!

I am now healthier than I have been in years. My mind is functioning the way it is supposed to and my memory is back. Happy? You Betcha! Thankful? Amen!

Next time hear the difference Shaklee has made for Linda and how they are growing a business that will provide for their future years....

Dreams Become a Reality

My family and I are involved in a not for profit ministry. Unfortunately, the term “not for profit” so aptly describes the continuous fiscal state of our ministry. Five years ago, finances were unusually severe. We were preparing for a large fundraising walkathon yet the months before we were not able to be paid. Yet God was there and He provided. A dear supporter of our work dropped off a freezer load of leftover food from a family reunion. A few months later we again saw God’s hand. After the walkathon, my family was exhausted and in need of a vacation-- but how could we afford it? A dear family in Vermont heard of our plight, they opened their beautiful 50 acre mountain top home retreat to us. They provided us with phenomenal hospitality and home cooked meals --all FREE. It was through this experience that God gave us a glimpse of our future. You see, we have always opened our home to anyone in need and lived our lives as a ministry unto others. Yet we were often limited by finances.

It was during this time that the doors opened for my husband and I to get involved with Shaklee. We always enjoying helping others--- now the possibilities were endless! As a result of our homebased Shaklee business, my kids actually have a bank account for the first time in their lives. We can now think of college as a possibility for our three homeschooled children; Josiah, Lydia and Hannah. What a tremendous joy to be able to be with my children during these early formative years.

Best of all, because of our Vermont Mountain Top Retreat Experience-- the door has been opened for us to being able to provide respite to weary travelers-- especially those in need of vacation, but limited by funds. We have just purchased
171/2 acres in the Endless Mountains of PA. We hope to build our loghome retreat in the next few years. What I should have said, prior to all this, as of 4 years ago, my husband and I had no retirement plans for the future. After all working for a not for profit ministry, retirement and pension plans is something that was never a possibility. With Shaklee, we can actually see how God has provided for our future. He provides for those who seek His ways.

What a blessing Shaklee has been as we pursue living our lives as a ministry to others.

PS. This is a picture of our land in the beautiful Endless Mountains of PA