"Everything we do in life is preparing us for something we will choose or be called to do or will encounter in the future." ~ Connie Ragen Green, responding to the little voice in my head... It's the middle of the night and I hesitate before stepping onto the moving sidewalk at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Then I hear the female voice and I'm soothed into submission. "Mind the gap" she advises as my boot gingerly touches the rubbery surface. The little voice in my head is once again stirring … [Read more...]
Life Lessons From the Avocado Grove
My life experience continues to be fabulous and recently a lesson was in store for me as well. I visited a local honey farm not far from where I live. Joined by a dozen friends and colleagues, this was a way for us to spend time together while safely outdoors. The motto of this farm is "from flower, to bee, to hive, to jar" and I like the simplicity of this, don't you? This business is family-owned and operated and the couple met while they were working for NASA forty years ago! Little did I … [Read more...]
Perceptions Make the Difference
How Others Perceive Us Determines Our Bottom Line This week I’ve been thinking about the perceptions we all have... about other people, a specific book, a course or product, and about ourselves. While I was working as a classroom teacher and in real estate, my perception of myself was mostly negative. I believed everything I wanted in my life was difficult to achieve and out of reach for me. Others picked up on this and formed their own perceptions about me by reflecting what I gave out in my … [Read more...]
Humble Beginnings Lead to Success
My Humble Beginnings Helped Me Later On It took three people to teach me to drive. Three brave people. It was 1971 and I'd turned 16 that summer. I was so ready to trade in my blue Schwinn Stingray for something more befitting a mature, sophisticated young lady I could talk of nothing else. Little did I know that humble beginnings lead to success. My mom didn't drive, but my uncle offered to teach me in his '67 Ford Fairlane 500GT. Do you remember that model? Saturday finally arrived and … [Read more...]
New Year… New You in 2022
New Year... New You in 2022 The past two years, beginning in March of 2020 have been challenging for all of us. My first name, Connie, is taken from the Latin and means constant; never changing. For years I said that this was the reason I did not care for change and took my time adapting to almost anything new in my life. But over the years I reframed that in a way that better served me: I welcome change into my life and acknowledge that I have control over most of the changes that occur. If … [Read more...]
Believe in Yourself to Live the Life You Love
Throughout my years as a human in training, I can recall and count on one hand the times I've been asked my opinion that led with "and what do you believe?" from the person in authority at that moment. This includes my two decades as a classroom teacher, even longer than that as a real estate broker and residential appraiser, and all of the interactions in my professional and private lives over the past half century or so. When you believe in yourself, everything shifts focus and you create … [Read more...]
Tuesday Morning Choices
Tuesday Morning Choices Become Tomorrow's Reality It was a Tuesday. He'd dropped me off in the parking lot just as they were opening. I didn't look back after I heard the car door shut behind me. I heard my mother's voice in my head... "You come in to the world alone and you go out alone." It didn't feel like anything, as I lay sprawled out on the table. Legs akimbo and me staring at the ceiling so as to avoid the bright light shining overhead. Then voices, and a very tall man is standing … [Read more...]
They Vaccinate Dogs, Don’t They?
Two decades ago I had a very smart boyfriend. He was the smartest person I'd ever met, at that time. He was also aware of how he was perceived and often stated matter-of-factly that he was typically the smartest person in the room in all settings. He insisted that I be included in his Saturday night Poker game, even though I hadn't made that request. Winning more often than the rest of the guys put together made him something of a legend. So I showed up and took my seat at the opposite end of … [Read more...]
Tale of Two Cities: Choosing to Live a Unique Life
Tale of Two Cities: Why I Choose to Live a Double Life When I started my online business in 2006, I moved 30 miles north of where I'd been living for much of my life to a newer city called Santa Clarita. It was the northernmost suburb of Los Angeles and in the TMZ - the 30 mile zone - making it popular for film and television production. That first summer brought record-breaking heat and I decided to drive to Santa Barbara to spend the entire day a couple of times each week. It took about 80 … [Read more...]
Getting Involved
Getting Involved Is Life Itself Life is to be lived and loved and experienced, I firmly believe and practice with each breath I take. It's not possible to achieve these goals unless and until you are willing to go all in, and that means getting involved. Be vary of those around you who prefer to take the opposite path, as they are the people who have voted to take rather than give. Getting Involved to Connect with Others I'm an introvert. But somewhere along the way I made the effort to … [Read more...]