I ask myself, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?  Actually, who am I not to be? I am a child of God. My playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around me.

I am meant to shine, as children do.  I was born to make manifest the glory of God that is within me. It’s not just in me; it’s in everyone. And as I let my own light shine, I unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As I am liberated from my own fear, my presence automatically liberates others.

~Marianne Williamson

PS:  Originally, this quote was “Author Unknown.”  Thanks to Elizabeth Aleccia for identifying the author.  The title and text have been corrected to exactly match the author’s quote.

To learn more about Norman Vincent Peale’s philosophy, read his book The Power of Positive Thinking

1. Learn to remember names.  A person’s name is very important to him or her.
2. Be a comfortable person so there is not strain in being around you.
3. Learn to be easygoing so things won’t bother you.
4. Don’t be egotistical; don’t give the impression that you know it all.
5. Learn to be interesting so people will want to be with you and get something stimulating from you.
6. Get the “scratchy” elements out of your personality.
7. Drain off your grievances.  Honestly try to heal every misunderstanding you have.
8. Work at liking people until you learn to do so naturally.  Sure, everyone has faults; overlook them.
9. Never miss a chance to say “congratulations” or to give support at a difficult time.
10. Delelop a spiritual depth in yourself so you have something to pass on to the people you know.  Learn how to share this strength with others.

In all the hustle and bustle of the Holidays,

we sometimes forget the true meaning of Christmas.

May you celebrate this beautiful season

with joy in your home,

peace in your world,

and love in your heart!

Today is the 2nd annual Free Shipping Day. Hundreds of merchants are offering free shipping today with delivery by Christmas Eve. Visit my free shipping offers at . . .

• Babies and Children’s Vitamins and Personal Care Products
• Prescription for a Healthier Life
• Non-Toxic Cleaning Products

No matter which product line you start with, ALL products are eligible for free shipping.  Happy shopping!

Now that you’ve watched mine - Thank you very much! - Click here to make your own.  And be sure to come back and post a comment with a link, so I can watch yours.

I worked for a local telemarketing company.  I was able to work from home and be there for my kids - Something that most moms want.  I made courtesy calls for newspapers all across the country.  It was a very pleasant call to make.  I just needed to confirm that the problem they reported had been resolved.  Most everyone was polite and thanked me for following up on their complaint.  UNTIL I called someone with a chronic problem.  Then, I got an earful.  But, that was my job:  Identify the people who still need a solution to their newspaper delivery problem.  The “almost not selling anything” refers to the question that was asked on every call.  “Do you know anyone who would like to deliver the paper?”  That was a long time ago.  I burned out after 2 years of completing 1,000 calls a week.

For several months now, I’ve been getting telemarketing calls from 3 different numbers.  I haven’t answered any of them, thanks to Caller ID.  The voice is different every time, but the message is always the same.  They want a certain person, the same name every time, to return the call.  I googled the phone numbers and found I’m not the only one getting these calls.  It’s a collection agency, or so they say.  Everyone who reported the call was asked for a different person.  Those who returned the call to say it was a wrong number were interrogated.  They want all YOUR information and won’t tell you who they are or what they want.  They’re even rude enough to accuse you of hiding the person they say they are calling.

I want no part of this call.  I’m glad I researched it before I returned the call.  According to my credit card company’s security and fraud department, the call is a phishing scam.  They’re not calling the person they ask for.  They just want you to return the call.  They only want YOUR information.  They’re “phishing” for it.  Then, they can charge your credit card, steal your identity or whatever you give them access to.  Identity theft is big business today.  We all need to be careful not to fall for telemarketing scams.

I’ve written down those 3 phone numbers right next to the phone.  And there might be others.  I’m at a point where I don’t answer the phone if the caller isn’t identified.  Many of the telemarketers identify themselves on caller ID with a city and state.  I get a lot of calls from Denton TX.  Another call is from 800 Service.  Most don’t leave voicemail messages.  There’s plenty of time to return a call if it’s a customer for my business.

What kind of telemarketing calls do you get?

Happy Thanksgiving Animations provided by MySpaceGraphicsandAnimations.net

From our house to yours …

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

In grade school, students are taught to print each letter and number.  Little first graders strive to make perfectly round O’s and straight line I’s and 1’s.  By third grade. students are practicing endless diagonal lines /////// and rows of spiral circles.  Rows usually alternated between the two.  They reminded me of clouds and rain. In Catholic school, the nuns expected perfection.  An almost impossible task for this little 8 year old left hander.

But now, I realize I hardly ever write in cursive, except to sign my name.  And that can hardly be called the Palmer Method.  Years ago, I learned to print as fast as others write.  At least I could read it, well most of the time, anyway.

In an age of computers, who writes anymore?  Not me.  Maybe an occasional thank you note, but mostly a note to myself.  Is penmanship dying?  It’s still taught in school, but even young children use a computer.

So, does anyone care?

 The Best Of The Most Relaxing Classical Music In The Universe
 

I Love the 80s, Vol. 1 (1880s)

 If you find more free music at Amazon, add the link in your comment.

Oprah Winfrey is featuring Marcus Buckingham and his new book “Find Your Strongest Life.” I took the test. It reinforced some things I knew about myself and pointed out some things I didn’t know.  When you take the test, you’ll find out where your strengths are.

Links:
Download Chapter 5 of “Find Your Strongest Life” from Oprah’s site.
Follow Marcus on Twitter
Connect with Marcus on Facebook