DESCRIPTIONS OF PRESENTATIONS

Something happens to us when we turn 40. We snap! And things we were willing to do, say, and put up with – well, we are not willing to do, say, or put up with anymore.

Why 40? Because few of us come into “our own” until we turn 40. For most of us, it is 40 before we realize we are good enough to pay full price for something for ourselves, we are good enough to buy fresh cut flowers for ourselves, we are good enough to wear satin pajamas to bed – even when we are alone, we are good enough to wear perfume and cologne – even when we are alone, and we are good enough to burn that pink rose-shaped candle before it turns gray with dust and we throw it out! Why 40? Because it’s 40 before we have much time to devote to ourselves.

This presentation is designed to take a humorous look at the stages and ages of our lives and how we might come to gain self-acceptance a little sooner.

The human brain is a lot more complicated than the brain of the birds or the beasts. And humans do very little by instinct.

If you want to see simplicity and naturalness in a life, look at the creatures. They can teach us to appreciate small and simple things in a very complex world; they can teach us to be honest and true in a world where these traits can be a rarity; and they can teach us to laugh and be happy in a world that is over-taxing and stressful.

Through a humorous animal pictorial, let’s think about lightening up, appreciating the simpler life, and incorporating more humor into our day-to-day.

There is power in positive habits! And, having the habit of being confident and in control are two of the most positive habits we can have. Having self-confidence and self-control are cornerstones to help us build successful business and personal relationships, and, to top that off, they just make us more pleasant to be around. We won’t be going to war with ourselves, but we will be thinking more about discipline and creating better, more positive habits for ourselves.

Living a life of grace, integrity, value and ethics should be a template for each one of us. It’s a package deal of internal anchors that helps us be more successful, productive and happy. In this seminar, some of the elements we take a close look at are pride, industry, trust, and self-esteem, and how we can add to what we already have to increase their effectiveness and utility.

It does not require major changes in our day-to-day. It takes focusing on the small things we say and do to others. After all “the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.”

The Ordinary Miracle of Friendship

Never – and I mean never -- underestimate the value of a woman friend! Yes, sometimes you are sure can’t live with them, but, in all honestly, you can’t afford live without them – at least not well.

Women friends can be the most valuable asset another woman can have because they help us cope with gravity, other relationships, and our world when it seems to be falling apart at the seams. Women do lunch, the Macarena, and the impossible. Women friends help women lower blood pressures, cholesterol, and heart rates.

And, most important, women friends help us laugh at being dysfunctional, obsessive compulsive, and neurotic basically because they are, too.

Dr. Suzanne Metzger has been studying women’s friendship and has found out that friends help make long days seem shorter, and put a smile on our face in the most grave situations. And, having some wonderful friends, she wants to share with us the joys, fun, and benefits of having and being a friend.

Putting the "Fun" Back into Dysfunctional

What is dysfunctional? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? And do we do this? Yes! And are we all dysfunctional? Probably.
We can do little about being dysfunctional; our lifestyle seems to help lead us down this path. One thing we can do is laugh at it and understand most of it.
This presentation is designed for a good time.

Some studies say that nearly 86% of the world’s population are negative, unhappy, and counterproductive. They consider themselves failing. Do you realize that this means that 86% of the people you interacting with everyday don’t want to be where you are, don’t want to be doing what you are doing, and probably don’t want to be communicating with you on any level! Does this make you look forward to tomorrow?

Why do we become negative? We aren't born that way! Why are we surrounded with negative people? It's not really what we want! Let's learn to restructure our outlook, deal more successfully with negative people and situations, mirror ourselves to a more positive group of people, and implement some fun and effective coping mechanisms.

Today, people are starved for positive role models. Not only can we learn to be a more positive role model in the day to day, but we can also start passing that along to other people in our sphere of influence.

We constantly hear about “value added” products. We, as human being, can also add value. But we cannot add much value unless we feel that we have value.

It is difficult for us to live a life that if fulfilling when our hopes and dreams are attained by others and only viewed by us. It is difficult for us to know how to verbalize, plan, and attain those hopes and dreams when we are doing all we can just to keep our heads above water. The goal of the workshop is to help us focus on how we might begin to "acquire, claim, and sustain wholeness."

When we value who we are and what we do, then we can become that “value added” person.

“If you have to eat a bullfrog, do it first thing in the morning. That way, the rest of the day is downhill.”

For the past ten years, I have been quoting my grandmother's down-home wisdom in my presentations. I have shared her candor, strength, philosophies and humor. Now is the time for me to share, in one large dose, my grandmother with others; so, I have developed a new keynote -- The Wisdom of the Grandmother.

Her personal philosophies about blessings, troubles, love, sorrow, and strength, have helped me become the person I am today. She certainly had a refreshing attitude on how to view life. She was thoughtful and emotional. She inspired others and lead the way showing the world what a role model truly should be.