Life is short. Even for those that get to live long ones...it still seems so short.

So, when a young soul is taken, I think...how unfair. It is heart-wrenching. The news headlines on the shootings of elementary school kids have weighed heavily on my heart and I am beyond words. I can't even imagine what the parents of those children are going through. I ask everyone to send prayers and loving thoughts their way. Light a candle to remember those lost.

When I read these stories, it sent shock waves through my body...reminding me to be grateful that I still have my life. I feel grateful that today I was able to get up and breathe, that my heart is beating, and I'm safe and warm at home. We take these magical moments and mere instances in our lives for granted. Take the time to tell someone you love them genuinely today, give your child the biggest hug you've ever given them, tell a friend how much you appreciate them, or congratulate a colleague on a job well done. Life is short. Spending your time acknowledging others and being grateful needs to take priority in our lives, so make it a priority every day. Leave the small differences behind. Open your heart to give and fully appreciate what you have. 

In celebration of your Illumination!

Creating content regularly is a strongly recommended marketing activity. 
One of the best ways to stay top-of-mind is to regularly post fresh new content in front of your target audience, community, and tribe. 
Of course, the content you produce has to be valuable to your audience. 

Here is the dilemma: What exactly is valuable content? Putting forth relevant, useful, actionable information is of utmost importance. Ask yourself...does the reader gain something from applying the information you are sharing? You should make an impression on them even if they decide never to buy from you. That is how you decide what is valuable content.

Take out a lot of the guesswork. Here are some ways to figure out what your target audience or community will value...​

Okay...late-night blogging sessions have already lost their luster for me. Wait, I never did dig them very much! I'm going to have to make a change. I must say, writing when all other things are off your plate, does feel good. But, not getting enough sleep...this does NOT feel good. So how to address this dilemma? Which one has negative consequences in the short AND long term? 

Lack of sleep is detrimental to your health. Your body does important rejuvenating work when you are sleeping. When you sleep less, you rejuvenate less. Eventually, this catches up with you. For some, the effects can take longer, but others suffer immediately...

Development of time management skills is essential when you are running your own business. Over the years, I've read nearly every book written on time management. You could say I'm sort of obsessed with the topic. I do actually enjoy reading about the various ways you can carve out time to do the things you need to do. Almost every book I've read has had some relevance to it. 

When I became a mom, boy!...did that time management knowledge come in handy! I will confess though, there were days where nothing I learned or knew helped. I just had to give in to my day and let it take me where it needed to go. But overall the biggest thing I learned is to make use of every minute of my day. 

As many moms out there can relate...I'm not JUST running a business, I am a mom, first and foremost. And then I have a house I need to keep clean and orderly as best as I can. Finally, there are other responsibilities like taking the baby in for her shots, getting the groceries, etc... Completing ALL of my tasks for the day requires lots of pre-planning. So, here are the top 4 time management tips from the tip jar. But the BIG tip from the jar today is...