How one simple email turned around my entire day and more...

Here's What's New How one simple email turned around my entire day How To Make Homemade Refrigerator Cookie Dough 3 Marks of a Healthy Financial Relationship Simply Tuesday: On Doing Less & Sleeping More :: How one simple email turned around my entire day Last Monday, I was having a really difficult day. I had a bad attitude. I was tired. And I simply did not want to do Monday. Instead, I wished that I could have three more restful Sundays. Anyone else ever felt like that?? But I couldn't have three more Sundays, so instead, I had to dive into work - whether I wanted to or not. I had a long list of business to-do's to complete early on in the day and a lot of projects that needed to be taken care of as soon as possible. My attitude spilled out into emails I was sending about these projects. I wasn't rude, but I certainly wasn't being warm and gracious. Instead, I was businesslike and straightforward in my emails. No, "Thank you so much!" closings or kind words sprinkled throughout the emails, like would be my usual way of writing. The Email That Made All the Difference I didn't even realize I was doing this. But one woman whom I was emailing about some of the pressing projects did. And she emailed me and said something to the effect of: "Are you okay? Because it doesn't seem like you're okay. You just don't quite seem like yourself today." I Needed An Attitude Adjustment That email stopped me in my tracks and made me realize that I needed an attitude adjustment. When I took a moment to think about her questions, I realized she was right. I wasn't doing well, I wasn't having a good attitude, and I hadn't started my day well. I had charged right into my day, and I hadn't taken the time to prepare myself - spiritually, mentally, emotionally, or even just practically. After receiving the e-mail, I read it to Jesse and we talked about it. He helped me to step back and feel less overwhelmed by the to-do's and then he suggested some things I could delete off my list and some other things I could delegate so that the day didn't feel so daunting anymore. Within just an hour of getting that simple email, I felt completely different. I was calm and cheerful instead of stressed and frazzled. That one simple email where someone took the time to ask if I was okay completely changed my day. Because someone took the time to care, notice, and ask what was wrong, it made me step back and examine what was really going on inside my own head and heart. And it motivated me to stop rushing ahead while feeling frazzled. That email reminded me that I need to be more observant of other people's lives and feelings, too. I need to ask more often, "Are you doing okay?" when I feel like someone isn't acting like themselves. Today, take time to ask how someone really is. Take time to smile. Take time to speak a kind word. Take time to look into someone's eyes and listen - really listen - to what they are saying. Write that note, send that text, make that phone call, invite that person over, or do that little extra something to let someone know that you care and that they matter. We can't do everything, but we can do something. We can't help everyone, but we can help someone. We can't change the entire world, but we can make a difference in one life. You never know what it's like to walk in someone else's shoes. You don't know the heavy burdens they are carrying that maybe they can't even share. Take time to notice people today - to ask a question, or to say you will pray for someone. You never know what kind of huge difference it may make in a person's day. :: How To Make Homemade Refrigerator Cookie Dough Heavenly Homemakers shows us how to make homemade refrigerator cookie dough. :: 3 Marks of a Healthy Financial Relationship My husband and I are blessed to come from families where good financial principles were modeled. Unlike many of our friends, we went into marriage knowing that it was possible to have a healthy financial relationship. We've now been married for 12 1/2 years (can you believe it?!) and we've grown and struggled and learned a lot through those years. Today, I wanted to share three marks we've learned that signify a healthy financial relationship: 1. You're on the Same Team To win in life and in finances, you've got to be on the same team. This means that you leave the me versus you at the door. Drop the phrases "his money" and "her money" and replace it with "our money." Because if you're going to be a team, you need to join hands - and assets. 2. You're on the Same Page Once you are willing to be on the same team, it allows you to be in a place to get on the same page financially. There's so much momentum and excitement that comes from working on your finances together. This requires mutual trust and open communication. It's a heart that says, "We are in this together - sink or swim. We are FOR each other and we are working on the same goals together." In order to work on the same goals together, you have to openly discuss your finances. This means talking about everything regarding finances - not just the fun stuff but also the nitty-gritty hard stuff, like where your financial pitfalls are and what parts of your budget are coming up short. 3. You're Willing to Compromise If you want to stay on the same team and the same page, compromise is essential. You aren't always going to agree all the time. In fact, you are more likely to disagree much of the time. This is why you need to be willing to compromise. A strong and healthy relationship requires give and take, with both parties being willing to give up what you want for the other's good. What do YOU think are some marks of a healthy financial relationship? This post was underwritten by the Allstate Foundation Purple Purse - a public awareness and fundraising campaign aimed at creating long-term safety and security for domestic violence survivors through financial empowerment. Did you know that domestic violence is at an epidemic level in this country? Statistics say that one in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime - that's more than breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and lung cancer combined! Most people think only of physical abuse when they consider domestic violence. Yet, financial abuse happens in 98% of all cases of domestic violence and it's an invisible weapon that keeps victims trapped in abusive relationships. I'm so excited to be partnering with the Allstate Foundation Purple Purse over the next few months to bring you some posts on the topic of how to take ownership of your finances and prevent financial abuse. Through these posts, I want to provide women with practical encouragement and tools to empower you to have healthy financial relationships. :: Simply Tuesday: On Doing Less & Sleeping More Reading Simply Tuesday while waiting at the DMV for a very long time today. Section two of Simply Tuesday was so, so good. Words that my soul needed to hear and be reminded of. I had trouble narrowing things down to just a handful of quotes to share. "Effort toward excellence in my work can silently morph into effort toward perfection in my soul." That packs a punch! Striving for excellence is good, but if I start striving for perfectionism, praise, and to please people, I have missed the mark. Here was another powerful quote: "When I'm performing for my own acceptance, burnout is always the result." If you're feeling worn down and worn out, take a step back and examine if any of the exhaustion is a result of trying to earn someone else's acceptance. Are you only saying "yes" to that opportunity because you want someone to like you? Are you only volunteering or sending that email or showing up for that event just so someone else will be impressed with you? This is something I'm really working on in my own life. I want people to like me. I want people to think highly of me. And I don't want to disappoint people. But I just can't do it all. I can't even come close. I'm really working on focusing on being wise, not awesome. For me, this means that I'm slowing down, streamlining, and stepping back. I'm doing less and resting more. I'm accomplishing less and sleeping more. It feels less productive, but it's restorative… and that's what my soul and body need right now. Two more quotes from this section I especially loved: "In my own life, I recognize my tendency to look over at the work of others rather than down at the work in front of me." "The best way to sabotage my own success is to be obsessed with someone else's." Did you read the second section of Simply Tuesday? If so, I'd love to hear what sections impacted you or challenged you. Tomorrow, we'll read section 3 (pages 117-157). You received this email because you are registered on www.moneysavingmom.com with the email address panatllc1.kate@blogger.com. If you believe this has been sent to you in error, you can easily unsubscribe here. Money Saving Mom 2020 Fieldstone Parkway, Suite 900 #313 Franklin, TN 37069 © 2008-2015 Money Saving Mom, LLC. All rights reserved.