Reflections and Resolutions

I have spent this morning catching up on the other blogs that I follow. It being the end of the year many are writing about the past year and the new year approaching. One of the best blog posts, 'Are You Ready for 2010?,' was from Bonnie Ross Parker, CEO and Founder of The Joy of Connecting. I think she put into words most of what I was thinking.

We are not only embarking on a new year, but on a new decade! Do you remember all the hype about the new millennium? Y2K? Seems like yesterday. My how 10 years has flown by. What did you accomplish in the past ten years? What do you think the next 10 years will bring?

With a new year comes new resolutions for changes. What are your New Year's resolutions, goals, aspirations? Whatever they are, write them down and review them often. Wikipedia states Goal Setting involves establishing specific, measurable and time-targeted objectives.

We all need to be reminded to use the SMART method in goal setting:

S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Attainable
R = Realistic
T = Timely

Goals should be straightforward and emphasize what you want to happen. Specifics help us to focus our efforts and clearly define what we are going to do.

Another highly successful method to achieving success is to activate your Reticular Activating System - or RAS. Your RAS plays a vital part in your ability to achieve goals. Your reticular activating system is like a filter between your conscious mind and your subconscious mind. It takes instructions from your conscious mind and passes them on to your subconscious. First, you can deliberately program the reticular activating system by choosing the exact messages you send from your conscious mind. For example, you can set goals, or say affirmations, or visualize your goals. I recently heard a personal trainer state not to let the bad weather keep you from your daily exercise routine. He said to exercise in your mind. Close your eyes and go on that walk in our mind. That we can visualize our daily walk and get the same effects because our body will react to our thoughts.

Another good blog I read was about 'Change Mastery' by Tracy Brinkmann. Resolutions are all about change and I think Tracy's advice about change goes hand in hand with our making our goals and resolutions for the new year. If after a few weeks you're not getting the change and results you want, don't give up and quit, review and tweak. Don't be to hard on yourself. You didn't get this way overnight. Make changes. Adjust your sails. Rome wasn't built in a day. How do you eat an elephant.....one small bite at a time.

I remember hearing Zip Ziglar speak many years ago about his starting his exercise routine. On his first day, he walked to his mailbox and back. The next day to the neighbor's mailbox. Each day he would walk a little further until he had increased his daily walk to several miles.

Think about the things you want to accomplish. Write them down. Develop an action plan. Translate your goals into affirmations that have already been accomplished. Read them often. Everyday is best. Have visual reminders. Send yourself reminders in the way of emails or cards. Set a specific time to review what's working, what's not, and make the necessary changes to get back on course.

We would love to hear what works for you with achieving your goals.

Wishing You a Very Happy and Prosperous 2010 and Beyond!

In gratitude,
Annette
Painted Lady Enterprises
"Helping You and Your Business Look Good"

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History of Greeting Cards

Sending greeting cards to friends, lovers and family is a tradition that goes back over 200 years. While the first greeting card actually dates back to the early 1400's, greeting cards became popular in the mid 1800's when the cost of color printing dropped, and cards could be delivered for just a penny.

Sir Henry Cole is credited with coming up with the idea for the first mass produced greeting card, which turned out to be a Christmas card he had created by his good friend, John Calcott Horsely. That year, Cole was late sending his usual holiday greetings letters to all his friends and relatives for Christmas. He contacted Horsely to ask if he was able to hand colour and engrave a thousand cards for him with a seasonal message which could then be sent to everyone. Horsely accommodated him, and thus began the tradition of sending holiday greeting cards.

And so the first modern Christmas card was born. It depicted a young boy with a red scarf and the greeting 'Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year'. Sir Henry was delighted with the result. He even sold the left over cards in Old Bond Street for a shilling each! With the help of the penny post, which had been introduced in England a few years earlier, the practice couldn't help but catch on and grow.

By the 1860's, Americans were importing most of their greeting cards from Germany, but in 1906 a gentlemen from Cleveland by the name of Jacob Sapirstein started his own greeting card business. With a $50 loan acquired at a local bank, Sapirstein began selling penny postcards greeting cards at local drug stores, and quickly became a success. After his death in 1918 his son and wife continued the business and grew it to enormous success.

As the concept of greeting cards grew, people found many occasions to send them, including holidays, birthdays, or just to say hello. The greeting card then became a fixture in American culture, and has continued to grow ever since.

In the 1980's the greeting card market was growing by 10% per year. Small publishing houses were establishing themselves and specialist card shops, also selling giftwrap and associated gifts were springing up on nearly every high street and shopping mall.

By the 1900's the Post Office was having to handle an extra 11.5 million letters in Christmas week alone.

Today, the greeting card business grosses over $7.5 Billion dollars per year, with literally millions of cards sent annually. All of that adds to the wonderful feelings we hold for our friends and family members and we reach out to let them know how we feel about them!

Information taken from Make Loyal Customers

How many greeting cards will you send out this year? What type will they be? i.e. Custom, family photo, handmade, specialty, business, etc.?

I love to send greeting cards all year and especially for the holidays. I would love to help you with your card sending.

In gratitude,
Annette
Painted Lady Enterprises
"Helping You and Your Business Look Good"

How Do You Choose to Celebrate

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

The holiday season is here. We received our first greeting card yesterday. Every where we turn we are bombarded with constant reminders from every possible angle. Given the past year's tough economic state, lots of people are finding creative ways to celebrate the holidays. How are you celebrating this year? What traditions are special for you?

For me each holiday season is a time to be with family that we don't get to see often enough. It is a time to reflect on how truly blessed we are to live in this country and to have the freedom to celebrate however we choose. Let us especially be thankful for those past and present who have helped to give us the gift of freedom.

Listed below are the holidays, besides the obvious ones, for the upcoming month according to the Earth Calendar. We have also included the quirky ones from Wellcat.com.

December Events

December-5	Day of the Ninja
December-7	Pearl Harbor Day
December-10	Human Rights Day
December-10	Nobel Prize Day
December-12	Poinsettia Day
December-15	Bill of Rights Day
December-16	Boston Tea Party
December-20	Louisiana Purchase Day
December-21	Forefather's Day
December-23	Festivus
December-25	Christmas Day
December-26 to December-31	Kwanzaa
December-31	New Year's Eve

Month Observances

Occasion Link

Safe Toys and Gifts Month Prevent Blindness America
National Stress-Free Family Holiday Month Parenting Without Pressure
Universal Human Rights Month International Society of Friendship & Goodwill

First Full Week
Occasion Link
Aplastic Anemia Awareness Week Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation

Third Week
Occasion Link
Human Rights Week United Nations
International Language Week International Society of Friendship & Goodwill

From WellCat.com - The Quirky Holidays

Dec 1	Bifocals At The Monitor Liberation Day -- Our hearts fill with compassion today for co-workers stuck wearing bifocals at the PC. Shed a tear as their heads bob up and down, in and out, trying to read the monitor, trying to decide which set of lenses to use.
Dec 5	Bathtub Party Day -- Almost everyone nowadays takes showers, so here’s a day to recall some of the luxury of days gone by. Invite a few friends.
Dec 13	Pick A Pathologist Pal Day -- Pathologists and coroners are an especially jovial lot, and befriending one of them offers an ongoing reminder than “tomorrow” is not necessarily a guarantee.
Dec 15	Cat Herders' Day. If you can say that your job, or even your life, is like trying to herd cats, then this day is for you, with our sympathy.
Dec 16	Barbie and Barney Backlash Day -- If we have to explain this to you, you don’t have kids. It’s the one day each year when mom and dad can tell the kids that Barbie and Barney don’t exist.
Dec 21	Humbug Day -- Allows everyone preparing for Christmas to vent their frustrations. Twelve humbugs allowed.
Dec 29	Tick Tock Day -- Time runs out! All those dreams you've had, all those fantasies? It's time, friend. Do it!
Dec 30	Falling Needles Family Fest -- Now that the Yuletide tree’s been up for weeks and hasn’t been watered since a couple of days before Christmas, gather the gang around and watch the needles gently fall one by one. Live it up! Dance barefoot.

We wish each of you and yours a Happy Stress Free Holiday Season.

Sincerely,
Annette
Painted Lady Enterprises
"Helping You and Your Business Look Good"