Tag Archives: positivity

Do You Love The First Day of Summer, Too?

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Going 100 East, Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Today was a near perfect day in Maryland.  The sun has been high and glistening, adding a slight warmth to the skin but not a burn, the occasional wind has rustled the trees in the yard, even the bumblebees hummed a bit louder it seemed.  Well, maybe just to me.  

Yes!  I am that girl.  The year begins and ends for me on the first day of Summer.  I always wished my name was Summer.  There was that one girl I knew growing up and…oops, already digressing away from my point.  THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER! #FDOS

I can remember staying outside so late and waiting for the sun to finally go down.  It was precious as the pink and amber head of glory slipped behind the range of Orange mountains near my family home in New Jersey.  Shoes were optional, double dutch and hopscotch were desirable and ice-cream from the neighborhood truck “Eskie’s” was mandatory.  

So tonight I grabbed a handful of my best memories to sprinkle on my kids and we rode up the highway, windows down, breezes flowing in, talking and laughing.  As we headed east through the county, the weather threatened disagreement with my plan, and the raindrops began to fall light and steady in nearly transparent sheets, like the beads we hung from our doors to separate us from the outside world and create a false sense of privacy.  The sky behind us was brilliant, gorgeous, shiny and bright.  And I tossed the memory of riding on Route 280 in West Orange, 32 years ago in my red 1978 Ford Pinto, so low to the ground I felt like I need to use my heels to break, like Fred Flintstone.  On that “First Day of Summer”, the sky behind my head was so utterly gorgeous that it nearly devastated me. Literally!  I kept turning around to peek at it.  I was so afraid that I would miss out on its beauty – like it might never happen again.  I stared hard over my right shoulder until I lost my focus and had to drive the rest of the way home with  those huge spots blurring my vision.

Today with the sun and rain coming at the same time, I have the wisdom that keeping my eyes on the road, my heart and mind in the present, and my memories in the past, but close enough to fondle, is the best plan of action. So I kept my eyes straight ahead and bounced my childhood onto my kids in the back seat.  They laughed.  Asked questions.  Were genuinely interested, or at least acted like it.  

Just as the rain stopped, and the sun was beginning to stream through the dark clouds, I reminded them about the wonderful Rainbow promise that God made, and told them to look for the rainbow.  Like clockwork, it appeared (pictured above)  We clapped and snapped and a new #FDOS memory was made.

Special moments surround us every single day.  Many of our great days and best memories are behind us.  The tendency to constantly peep over our shoulders to look for them is strong.  But don’t miss the rainbow looking for the sunshine at your back.  Allow the best parts of your past experiences to warm you, and keep looking forward for the miracles that are waiting.

Happy First Day of Summer!

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Chatone Morrison                   Certified Professional Coach   ChatoneMorrison.com

 

 

 

 

Ready to get your positive energy back in check?  Looking to clean up your self-talk, create a personal affirmation plan or ease your way into releasing your negativity so your positivity can reign?  Complete the questionnaire for a free coaching strategy session.

 

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Is Information Overload Stealing Your Positivity?

Posted in Communication, emotions, Positive Thinking, positivity, Strategy, Uncategorized by

IMG_7625Are you simply trying to juggle way too much information? Think of all the blogs, vlogs, Facebook posts, tweets, Instagram and Pinterest pics, Snapchat, Periscopes…the list goes on and on.  It can get to be an over the top habit that moves from serving you to enslaving you. Don’t get me wrong.  I am a lover of knowledge.  I contribute and I consume.  But what happens if you start to feel that you need ALL of it for your success.  How can you know what is for you?

“OK Chatone”, you say.  “We hear you Princess…but what if I need the information for my big idea?  What if I’m building a new brand or company or product and I need to research and figure out what to do to be successful?  What then?”

You are right.  When you researching, learning, and growing into something that you have never been before, knowledge is key.  Bear in mind, though, that all data is not good data.  If you need something very specific, working with a coach…a great coach…is generally where you need to look.  For the last 15 years I have consistently worked with one coach or another and it has helped me to make great strides in grabbing my goals.

However, one of the greatest advantages has been the ability to learn to quickly decipher what information out here is for me and what is not for me.  That level of discernment has served me in such a big way!   You know the feeling of buying the wrong thing on line with all the promises but then nothing happens?  You feel nothing.  You do nothing.  You have no resonation.  No soul-ping at all.  Why?  Because the information did not serve you.  It just seemed like it. For me, working with various coaches helped me to memorize the sound of the ring of truth.  Then it’s easy to buy the right records and sing along.  

What about you?  Still searching and unsure?  Haven’t made the coach/mentor/consultant investment yet?  Well until you do, I’m here to help!  Check out these 5 ways to quickly evaluate information so you don’t have to waste your time or your money!  (See if you can find the poem…)

Is it 100% True?  Pick Good PEARS. Look for Proof, Experience, Authenticity and Realistic.  It should be easy to do this.  But the information out here is in overload format!  And when you want success, there is a fantastic claim about everything ranging  from how to trim fat from a raw chicken to how to trim fat from your thighs!  Tip:  If the information sounds too good to be true, it generally is!

Is it Really For You?  Every Guru isn’t for you.  Every gift is not meant for you to open.  For example, you read about an amazing writing coach who is offering a program.  She has 10 best sellers under her belt and has helped with over 500 clients to become best sellers also.  Wow…she must be for you, right!  No!  Not if you hate writing.  Haven’t read a book in 15 years. And the thought of a bookstore gives you hives.  What excites today will demoralize tomorrow if it’s not for you.  Buyer beware!

Does it Make You Feel Blue?  Great question, right?  Take a good look at who or what you watch the most.  Perhaps it’s a top coach or trainer well renown in his/her professional.  Content is flowing 24/7 and you know they must have what you need…look at their success?!  But do you feel uneasy, annoyed, frustrated afterwards?   Is their mode of motivation positive or do you sense an element of condescension?  We are all gifted with the ability to almost automatically pick up on the energy of others.  We just have the tendency to justify it.  If you want your positivity to show up and stay up – Shift Accordingly!

Would You Share it With Your Crew?  Sharing is an integral part of the fabric of our society.  We specifically share what serves us personally.  Think of the last time you had an amazing dinner at a hidden gem restaurant.  Think about the last motivational book or article that you loved.  Even think about the diet or exercise program that you feel truly served you.  What was the first thing you wanted to do?  SHARE!!  Sharing is the social lifeblood of today’s media. So, if you consistently that you would NEVER share with anyone in your inner circle…simply ask why?

Afterwards Do you Feel Like You Grew?   If you are able to get through the first four “poetry points” you have chosen great content so absorb on!  Right?  Well…there’s just one more thing.  Let’s bottom line all of this.  Growth is the key reason for taking in information. We are growing or dying.  It’s that simple.  Without it you might as well just  sit on the couch and look out of the window instead of expending the mental energy needed to examine and apply the content that you have chosen.  So pick morphy material!  If the material is stagnant and can never be applied to anything new or is the same old, same old don’t expect anything to change.  

Chances are, the volume will only increase.  But equipped with these 5 steps you can turn up exactly what you want to hear and mute the rest.  Be well!

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Summer Positive Vibes

Ready to get your positive energy back in check?  Looking to grow or do something you haven’t done in a long time?  Complete the questionnaire for a free coaching strategy session.

 

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Don’t Miss The Weekly Sunday Corner Show on YouTube:  Bit.ly/ChatoneYT

Coaching Website:  ChatoneMorrison.com

Facebook:

@chatonemorrisonconsulting

@princessofpositivity

@chatonemorrisonMK

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Actually, You Are Your H.A.I.R. After All!

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HAIR can change EVERYTHING!

Hair stands for how we often feel about ourselves as women.  What we see when we look in the mirror.  What others see when they look at us.  How many times have you changed your hair after a rough period, the end of a relationship, a move, a new job…and the list goes on!  Of course, even though I have an Independent Mary Kay biz and I love beauty and all things girly, this blog is not about hair – we truly are not our hair. But, H.A.I.R. does make a huge difference.  Here’s how.

H is for Health.  When you move and eat in a way that supports your health you feel good.  Happy.  Ready for more.  When you are stagnant, eating fake processed food, too much sugar, too much alcohol, you feel sluggish.  Tired.  Not up to your best.  Now everyone should “overdo” it every once in a while…after all life’s gotta have its crazy moments.  But how are you doing with your health overall?  Are you supporting it with your food choices?  With your movement?  If you have a health condition, are you keeping it in check?  If you do, even if your health isn’t 100%, you will have the peace of mind that you are doing all you can.  Living in positivity isn’t about perfection.   But it is about striking out at what we can do.  So in the infamous words of Nike – Just Do It!

A is for Attitude.  What’s your overall attitude?  Does it get an “A” or an “F”?  Are your grumpy? Easily annoyed?  Often irritated?   Your attitude affects everyone around you.  Most of all you!  When you are moving through life barely going through the motions everyone sees that.  When you have an overactive anger gland, take things way too personally, run toward defensiveness instead of openness or quickly become impatient, you ruin more than your co-workers or spouse’s day…you could be ruining your body.  Conversely, one Harvard Medical School journal stated the following: “Do you look forward to the next week? Do you feel younger than your age? Do you have a sense of purpose? If so, you may already have done something to reduce your risk of degenerative diseases and may even be adding years to your life.”  Changing up your attitude, is not as easy as changing your hair, but working at it could make a profound difference – Just Try It!

I is for Inspiration.  Inspiration is where the rubber meets the road.  Without it all your goals, bright ideas, thoughts and ambitions are mere fantasy.  Dreams are good – Actions are better.  So, how do you stay inspired?  One thing that is vital is to look at who you hang around.  If the top 3-5 people you are in association with drag you down, don’t understand where you are going “with all this”, think you are crazy for being outside the box, or feel you are “just too positive” (OK, yep…I get that one often) it might just be time to find another group.  Inspired people inspire people.  Period.  Uninspired people kill inspiration.  People, music, news, social media, family, workmates, reading material, all have a purpose.  Test it out.  Spend the next few days monitoring how you feel after certain activities or being with certain people.   If you feel less inspired or worse yet defensive of your uniqueness – Just Move On!

R is for Rules.  Rules are needed, and Rules are not needed.  Yes…both are true and this is not some strange math formula.  Bottom line is, if you live by rules that support your goals and growth, you are on the right track.  If not, it’s time to decide what to keep and what to tweak.  For example if you recently started down a healthy living path and that is now you new rule 80-90% of time, that means you have to drop some other rule.  Did you used to revel in late night  pints of Chunky Monkey washed down with Bailey’s?  That probably won’t fit very often into your new healthy living rules.  But since it’s worth it –  Just Tweak It!

Being able to redirect your bad HAIR days takes confidence.  It’s not always easy to figure out what to do!  Brush it back into a bun?  Wear it loose in a ponytail?  Wear a cap? Stick a wig on?  The answer is we do Whatever Works!  So make a plan to support your Health.  Change up your Attitude.  Reinspire your Inspiration.  Tweak your Rules.  Shake your H.A.I.R. loose and be free!

Chatone Morrison – 2/27/17

Pictures feature hair by Michelle Blackwell, Gifted Stylist in Baltimore, MD.  Check out her site:  www.chelleandmyka.com

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Connect with me!

Weekly Sunday Corner Show on YouTube:  Bit.ly/ChatoneYT

For Coaching Information:  ChatoneMorrison.com

Facebook Coaching/Consulting:  @chatonemorrisonconsulting

Facebook Mary Kay:  @chatonemorrisonMK

Shop Mary Kay:  marykay.com/chatonemorrison

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Getting There Without Getting Stuck

When is the last time you got Stuck?  It’s a yucky feeling, right?  Trust me, I’ve been there!  There are many reasons for getting Stuck.  Unfortunately it’s a real place.   An actual location on the map, and for one reason or another, our internal GPS thinks Stuck is true North.  There are no road signs or mile markers showing that you are approaching “Stucksville” (borrowed from my Daddy, the late, great Linwood Curley.)  It’s hidden between the crevices of our busy-ness, uncertainty and confusion.  Stuck is where we end up getting, when “There” is elusive.  So where is “There”? 

  1. Where do you want to go?  You have to set your destination with intention, if you want to avoid getting get Stuck.  Is it a promotion at work?  A new level in your MLM business?  Is it a different dress size or a completed marathon?  Are you after a more peaceful relationship with your teenage son or middle school daughter?  Would you like to write a book or start a blog or create a painting?  Does getting along with your elderly mom resonate with you?  Or do you see yourself getting your financial future in order?  Where are you wanting to go?  The destination is not the point.  You get permission to set that.  So take a few days and set a goal to where you want to be.  Because where is never the issue.  It’s in the why and how that Stuck takes over.
  2. Why is this important?  Why is always a toughie.  Why questions you and wants to know right away.  Why shows you absolutely no mercy.  and when you cannot figure out your Why in any and every given situation, Stuck is sure to ensue.  Why?  (See, I’m not even kidding on this!)  Because without the answer of Why there is no drive.  No motive.  No fire.  No energy.  And absolutely No Positivity.  It’s as if a “No Trespassing” sign were nailed over the destination to your goal.  Even if you attempt to tread lightly in the direction of your goal, without the answer to Why…you will very likely call the cops on your very own self.  You won’t believe you belong there, so you arrest yourself.  Yep, it’s not a pretty sight.  Imagine you holding yourself with your hands behind your back…Miranda rights being read…head bowed as you get in the police car and get dragged further and further away from your dreams.  Just figure this one out and you will spare yourself this dramatic scene.  Now all you have to think about is How – and that is the easiest one of all!
  3. How are you getting there?  OK, so I was teasing just a bit.  How has its challenges but nothing like Why.  How is challenging simply because there are so many different ways to do what you want.  And if you have already struggled with Why, chances are the How you will reach your destination without getting Stuck is going to take time.  The funny thing is, no matter what the sense of urgency is, time is never really an issue.  In this day and time we are beings that rush.  We are working to cram as much life in as we can.  Period.  So the best scenario is to take the needed time (not too much time, lest Stuck make an ugly appearance) and make the best decisions you can.  Want to lose weight?  How does it make you feel to work alone?  Would a food or health coach make sense?  Do you like groups?  How do you feel about the gym?  Would you prefer to run on the street or the treadmill?  How do you feel about trainers?  Get what I’m saying?  Each of these choices will most likely get you to your destination.  Taking the time to determine in positivity how you will get there, is a cornerstone to  arriving with minimal detours, roadblock, u-turns and avoiding “Stucksville”.  

What NOT To Do

  1. Get overly busy.  
  2. Belittle yourself.
  3. Forget to sew into self-worth.  
  4. Take action without thought or based on someone else’s agenda.

What TO Do

  1. Program your GPS Where you want to go according to your highest intentions.
  2. Discover your Why.  
  3. Examine How you want to get there.
  4. Pick only one mode of transportation at a time.

Along your many journeys and adventures this year, don’t visit Stucksville.  Instead grab your most colorful push-pins and put them into the Destination of your Dreams and enjoy the ride!

Chatone Morrison – 2/13/17

 

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Connect with me!

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Four Ways to Know You Have Fallen And Can’t Get Up & What To Do About It

Posted in Discovery, Moms, positivity, Strategy by

screen-shot-2017-01-10-at-2-20-45-amWhat is UP for you?  For me UP is Unapologetic and Positive.  Does it seem like you have fallen and can’t get UP?  

Is the house too loud?  Does the cellphone never stop ringing?  Is your work cafeteria lady against you, only giving you the heel of the bread?  Then after you get the butts of the bread, are there  no empty tables for you?  Perhaps you are married.    You have three children.  But are there also 8 neighbors, 5 sisters, 4 parents, two cats, 1 dog, and about 67 people at work, that all need you?  Seems like you are surrounded; like “come out with you hands up, and we won’t shoot”, surrounded. Your answer is yes…always yes.  And you wake feeling burnt out and tired more often than ever before.  You would love to have just a little quiet.  But it seems to come less and less frequently.  Yikes!!!

How does a woman today navigate all the required highways still stay relatively sane and in her positive right mind?  Who reprogrammed the GPS so that it started driving you down instead of UP?  

The simple answer my friend…you did!  You did it in the name of progress.  Of love.  Of caring.  Of doing.  And now you are stuck in a negative rut.  But not to worry, I just might have a teeny tiny plan that you can implement today.  As in right now.  Right this very minute.  Why be stuck in the name of progress?

Our activities and choices  used to be like painting a wall.  You would look at paint chips, take them home, put them on the wall to try them out, then pick the one that was best suited for your room.  You threw out the rest because they didn’t fit.  You might have liked them but you made a best choice decision.  Now it seems that the way to “paint a life” is to throw various paints from a distance on a small wall, during a drive by, and then get surprised and dismayed when a masterpiece doesn’t appear.  

It doesn’t work. Women can’t do it all and feel 100% happy.  We can’t outsource it all and feel 100% connected.  We all want to feel positive and determined about the decisions we are currently making and living, yet we continue to fall, get stuck and can’t get UP!

But I’m not stuck!  I’m haven’t been in a rut since I had that bob cut with bangs!  Not me!  I’m great!  

Is that the best way to handle this?  Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about positive thinking.  But if it’s based on nothing but a list of lose ideas grabbed from someone else’s playbook – it won’t work!

How to Know If You Have “Fallen and Can’t Get UP?

No matter what your social media pictures and posts say, it’s time to face the truth.  Let’s get you crawling, walking and finally running, all int he next few weeks!  Ready.  Get Set.  Go!

Self-Assessment

  1. Do you feel an overall loss of energy or enthusiasm about work or home life?  Especially things that you use to enjoy?
  2. Do you often feel as if you are losing control when trying to get everything done?
  3. Has negative thinking or self-demeaning thoughts become commonplace?
  4. Are you demotivated to eat right, exercise, take care of basic necessities?

Which of these resonates with you?  Even just one can indicate that you may be about to hit the floor.  

Creating An Action Plan

  1. Isolate and Identify The Problem.  Where are the demands coming from?  Is it work or home?  Is it your spouse or your kids?  Is it your weight or your health? (Notice that these are different!)  Which weighs heaviest on your energy? Make a short list, no more than 3 items to start.  More than that will cause great overwhelm.  You can always  come back and do this step again.
  2. Seek Clarity & Seek Solutions.  You have your list in hand and it’s time to get clear on what and how you want to change.  Working with a coach at this point is excellent because as a neutral 3rd party they are invested in your success, not in the specific way you get there.  (For information about working with a coach, see my website:  chatonemorrison.com)  Not yet ready to work with a coach? Creating a vision board (poster board, pictures/words from magazines, glue stick are all you need) can help with steps 1 and 2  at the same time. Sometimes with so much crowding you need to allow a space for your mind to get clear and feel free.  While moving to a deserted island by yourself with no one but a personal concierge to bring you Mai Tais all day and night, while you seek clarity, probably isn’t an option, I’d bet a 2-hour window to play “hide and seek” with  yourself is quite doable. Never created one before?  Hit me up in the comments below and I can give you some quick suggestions.
  3. P.S:  Make One “PDC” Each Day.  Your quest for “Personal Space” and “Personal Slow-Down” will take time.  So along the way it’s vital to have a daily “PDC”.  Permission Driven Choices are an amazing way to start feeling whole again. It could be as small as getting the cup of coffee you want and taking 5 minutes to drink it while looking out the window.  It could be leaving your office and sitting outside in your car and screaming away the stress…although make sure you don’t park too close to the building if you choose that one!  Back in the day when I was still at my corporate job, one of my PDCs was to simply stop “holding it”.  TMI…but true!  The point is to do one thing each and every day, that was formerly off limits.  Try it for a week.  Get your Power Back!
  4. Just Ask & Saying No.  As soon as you read this, think about something you want.  What would you love help with?  If you assertiveness volume was turned all the way up, what could you say?  Just Ask.  Say No. Do it.  No holding back.  Not ready to tell your boss to take his last minute deadline and throw it where the sun don’t shine? (I would not recommend; neither the most positive nor motivating thing to do!)  But could you ask for an extension?  Being asked again to be the only chaperone for the class trip, to make the cupcakes or be the pot luck coordinator for the next family get together, and also by the way, have it at your house?! Wrap your tongue around Saying No!  I guarantee if said with a twinkle in your eye and just the right amount of lift in your voice, 9 times out of 10, your assertiveness will be met with respect.  The best part is you get to feel  better… Quick!

The earth spins and so do our worlds.  Just like we cannot jump off the Earth, we also cannot slow everything down to suit our needs.  But you can start to reset your GPS to take short cuts and avoid traffic patterns that are roadblocks to your destination – POSITIVITY!

Chatone Morrison – 1/10/2017

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Connect with me!

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Featured Image Courtesy of Google Images & GabbinGirls