Motivation is contagious. Start spreading it.

Happy Tuesday, all!

Here’s a quick story about the power of perspective:

“Two workers were approached by a reporter. The reporter asked the first worker, “What are you doing?” His response was to complain and that he was virtually a slave, an underpaid bricklayer who spent his days wasting his time, placing bricks on top of another.

The reporter asked the second worker the same question. His response, however, was quite different. “I’m the luckiest person in the world,” he said. “I get to be a part of important and beautiful pieces of architecture. I help turn simple pieces of brick into exquisite masterpieces.”

They were both right. The truth is, we see in life what we want to see.”

-An excerpt from Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, by Richard Carlson, Ph.D.

There you have it. When it all comes down to it, attitude is everything. We all experiencing different life occurrences and are dealing with unique trials and tribulations, but as humans we all have something powerful in common: we are in control of our attitudes and the way in which we see the world around us.

How can you view your life today through the eyes of the second worker above? How can you choose to see the beauty in your surroundings, instead of finding reasons to complain? Give it a try and understand that changing your perspective takes time and habitual practice. An easy way to get started is to frequently ask yourself, “What are benefits in this situation?” or “Where is the good in this?” or “How can I look at this occurrence from a more positive perspective?”

It’s up to you to turn ordinary moments into extraordinary ones and to find beauty in what appears to be ugly life happenings. Even when it feels so much easier to sulk around be negative, does it actually do you any good? Does being pessimistic make any situation better or more enjoyable to go through? Last time I checked, it doesn’t. Being positive is at times extremely difficult but is never impossible. Have faith that you can become more of an optimist each day and that your journey will be well worth it.

Happy seeing what I choose to see,

Jordan Brown

I stumbled upon the picture above recently and wanted to share it on my blog this beautiful Friday morning. It definitely gives us all something important to ponder… are you using your time wisely? Are you spending too much time on things that aren’t in alignment with your values, passions, or purpose? Are you making the most out of each day, by doing what you love, appreciating each moment, and living in the present? I hope you’ll take some time to think deeply about these questions this weekend.

Time is one of the most precious gifts we can receive. Without it, you wouldn’t be here right now. To pay your thank for this blessing, you can choose to spend and use it wisely. Time cannot be returned, exchanged, rewound, fast forwarded, or taken back. You cannot control how you have spent your time in the past, but you can choose to start making the most out of your time today.

Have a great weekend, y’all, and don’t forget — the clock is always ticking. Choose to make the most out of today and every day.

Happy using my time wisely,

Jordan Brown

Hold the wrapping paper -- a compliment needn't be wrapped!

Earlier this week at work, we had our typical weekly meeting, where we share new ideas and talk about how things are going. During the meeting, I brought up an idea I that I had been thinking of for a future event at our club. Later that day, one of my co-workers came up to me and said, “Jordan, that was a really great idea today in the meeting. Thanks for sharing.” Because of this woman’s sincere praise, I felt happy and proud of myself for the duration of the day. It was such a simple thing for my co-worker to do but her kind words meant so much to me and supplied me with a great boost in my mood.

This quick story brings me to the topic of this post: the power of compliments. One of the best ways to boost someone’s mood (and self-confidence!) is to gift them with a compliment or two. Compliments make us smile. They help make us feel good about ourselves. They give us a sense of reassurance that may be needed at times. Since you probably know how great it feels to receive sincere admiration, I suggest you do the same to others. You know when you’re out and about and you see someone’s shoes or outfit you love? Or you’re in a work meeting, and a co-worker has an idea that you think is brilliant? Tell them! Smile and share with them that you admire their style, their vision/idea, etc.

I challenge you to start giving at least three compliments a day. While nice comments serve as gifts to others, this challenge is not completely selfless. When you share your admiration with another you simultaneously created happy feelings inside of yourself. Practicing this random act of kindness will usually give the receiver an elated feeling, which will provide you with a sense of joy in return. Giving a genuine compliment is a sure and simple way to make your day, and the day of someone else, a little brighter.

Happy gifting compliments,

Jordan Brown

I recently finished reading Put Your Big Girl Panties On and Deal With It by Roz Van Meter, and while this book wasn’t my absolute favorite, Van Meter does make some crucial and valid points throughout the text. There was one idea in particular that I highlighted while reading because of its helpfulness and importance and wanted to share it with you all today.

Throughout the book, Van Meter discusses how many of us all too often blow situations out of proportion, which then leads to unnecessary frustration and discontent throughout our daily lives. To steer clear of over reacting to minor problems, Van Meter has created something called “The Big Deal Scale”. She suggests that when something negative happens in your day, before reacting in a over-the-top-freak-out way, ask yourself, “How would this rank on The Big Deal Scale?” Van Meter writes, “A big deal is how big a deal you make out of something. Here is how the scale is calibrated: on a scale of One to Ten, One is nothing. Ten is Nuclear Holocaust.” She continues, “Here is the good news: you get to decide how big a deal something is to you. That will give you more control over your life than you can imagine. I honestly believe the reason for most people’s conflicts is a poorly calibrated Big Deal Scale.”

The next time something goes wrong in your day, before you huff and puff and allow your entire day to be ruined because of a minor inconvenience or petty issue, ask yourself, “How would this rank on The Big Deal Scale? How can I react to this situation in a way that benefits me?” I think you’ll be surprised at how much clarity and peace you’ll find and how much stress you’ll bust from putting your problems into perspective. And, always remember this: sometimes you just gotta put your big girl panties on and DEAL WITH IT!

Happy putting my big girl panties on,

Jordan Brown

Feel free to visit my book list.

A reoccurring message has become clear to me these past few days… As stated above, life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful. I think that many people get so caught up in trying to make things “perfect”. We want our relationships, job, closet, bodies, make-up, hair, life, etc. to be ideal. Maybe I’m generalizing when I say “people” but I definitely know some (myself included at times) where anything less than perfect is considered wrong or inadequate. What does perfect even mean? Who decides what perfect is? Why do we try so hard to make things perfect?

Something that I’ve been realizing lately is this: just because the road of life isn’t smooth and doesn’t always go the way that we had planned or expected, does not mean that it can’t be completely wonderful the way that it is. And in some weird, crazy, nonsensical way… life’s imperfections make it more interesting and enjoyable. Instead of stressing recklessly and trying make everything just right in your life, tilt your head back and have a good laugh. You’re tryin’ for nothing. Slow down a little and enjoy the ride.

Life will never, ever be perfect and will never work out exactly as we had planned or hoped. Accept this. Open up your mind to this idea. Revel in it. It’s what makes our life beautiful in its own crazy, unique way.

That’s all today folks, have a GREAT weekend!

Happy being imperfect,

Jordan Brown

Love is in the air this month, and yesterday’s chocolate-filled holiday sure was a happy one for me. Since my last post was dedicated to all you single folks out there, I wanted to take the opportunity today to share some insight for my “taken” readers.

While I’m currently in a happy and healthy relationship, it hasn’t always been this way for me. I’ve had turbulent years of dating experience (as I’m sure we’ve all had) and although the journey wasn’t always easy, I appreciate each step of my past, as it has lead to me where I am today. To continue the Valentine’s celebrations, I put together a list of tips to help you have happy romantic relationships, which I have personally found true. Enjoy, and feel free to add your own into the mix!

10 Tips for Happy Relationships

1. Do your own thing. Do activities that provide you personally with joy, that do not directly involve your partner. Space is a good thing, especially when you’re each utilizing this time to do something that you love.

2. Communicate. If something is bothering you, talk about it. Holding our anger inside can easily lead to even greater feelings of frustration, resentment, and unhappiness. Also, try not to talk when you’re angry. Cool down and come back when you’re calm and collected and can have a constructive conversation (wow, that was a lot of C’s in one sentence!).

3. Don’t sweat the small stuff. This can sometimes be tricky, but remember: no one likes to be nagged. You’re not someone’s parent, you are someone’s partner. We all make little mistakes here and there, understand this. We’re humans — not superheros.

4. Appreciate the little things. Whether it’s a sweet text message, a home-cooked meal, the trash taken out, a random bouquet of “just because” flowers, let him/her know often that you’re truly grateful for them.

5. Trust each other. Without trust, a relationship is diddly-squat. Trust is very hard to repair after it has been broken, so work together to build a strong foundation of trust in the beginning.

6. Love yourself first. When you love yourself, you know the type of love you deserve and won’t settle for anything less. Also, when you’re confident in yourself, you know that your partner is lucky to have you and won’t worry as much about him/her straying.

7. Admit your mistakes and say sorry. Sometimes, you’ve gotta let go of your pride and just take the blame. It may frustrate you at first to admit that you are/were wrong, but you’ll both feel better in the long run.

8. Be silly, weird, and funny together. Let loose and be yourself. If you’re not laughing together often, it’s time for you to switch things up and try something new.

9. Appreciate their past. It’s not just or fair for you to be mad at him/her for something they did or someone they were dating in the past. Leave the past where it belongs: behind you. Appreciate every person/experience in his/her past, as they have all somehow led your lover to you.

10. Say, “I love you.” At least five times a day.

What others tips would you add to this list? Please share them in the comment section below! Have a great day and thanks for reading!

Happy in love,

Jordan Brown

Last year on Valentine’s day, I was single. For some, this may seem like your worst nightmare. For others, this ain’t really a big deal. Fortunately, I was part of the latter. Instead of feeding into the pessimism of others on my Facebook feed and whining, “All those happy couples can suck it!” or “This holiday freakin’ SUCKS! Screw love” or “Blah, blah, blah, I am so unhappy being single”, I decided to be a ray of sunshine for my friends and offer my fellow singles a change of perspective on this love-it-or-hate-it holiday. I posted a status on Facebook along these lines: “I have the best Valentine’s this year… MYSELF! To all those people who are single… take some time to love YOURSELF today! You can be alone without being lonely! Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!”

No matter your relationship status on this year’s holiday dedicated to love, don’t forget to love, cherish, and appreciate the one that matters most: yourself.  If you’re taken tomorrow, celebrate the romance in your life with your partner and with yourself. You cannot fully feel secure in your relationship unless you are first secure with yourself, so appreciate that your self-love enables you to have a happy and healthy relationship with another. If you’re single tomorrow, instead of moping around and falling into a depressed funk, take some time to appreciate the relationship you have with you. If you feel the need, even go all out and buy yourself roses and chocolates or write yourself a love letter. You deserve it, as you are your own #1.

Regardless of who you’re celebrating tomorrow’s holiday with, I put together a few of my favorite quotes on self-love to help inspire you to love yourself every day, including Valentine’s Day:

“You can explore the universe looking for somebody who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and you will not find that person anywhere.”
-Anonymous

“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” –Lucille Ball

“Happiness comes from within. Not from men.” -Unknown

“If you put a small value on yourself, rest assured that the world will not raise your price.” -Unknown

“If you are lonely when you are alone, you are in bad company.” -Jean-Paul Sartre

Single or taken, the most important Valentine you’ll ever have is yourself. When you can learn to love and accept yourself just as you are, a whole new world of ever-lasting happiness and endless opportunities opens up to you. When you place a high value upon yourself, you will know how great and magnificent you are and will create the type of life you believe you are worthy of. You can climb to your full potential and live your dream life by learning to love and accept yourself for who you are. You cannot fully be happy without first being happy with yourself.

With that being said, hope you all have a wonderful, happy, loving Valentine’s Day tomorrow! Celebrate!

Happy loving myself,

Jordan Brown

The best piece of advice I’ve ever received was from my Grandma Joanne, written in a high school graduation card to me. Underneath the printed poem she wrote, “Follow your bliss.” This short but sweet piece of advice has stuck in my mind since. I called my grandma recently, almost five years after she gave me that card, and asked her why she wrote that specific piece of advice. She shared, “I wanted you to know that you should choose to do what you care about, and what you enjoy, not what other people want you to do. Everyone will have opinions and ideas for you, but you must stay true to yourself. Follow what makes you happy. Don’t follow the money, prestige, or pressures. When you follow your bliss, all of that follows. In order to fulfill one’s full potential, they must be doing something that they love.” Her words will forever stay with and inspire me.

When setting and achieving your work-related and career goals, it is of great importance to follow what you are truly passionate about. Even if you are currently unaware or unsure of your true bliss or are still searching for your “dream job”, have faith that you will discover them with time. By trying out many different jobs and experiencing new things, have hope that you will find what tickles your fancy and determine what occupation fits you best. Also, keep in mind that even if you are not working at your “dream job” right now, know that every job you have in the meantime serves a purpose, as they all help lead you to the career of your dreams. Believe that you’ll get there one day and that your journey will be well worth it in the end. Have faith.

Happy following my bliss,

Jordan Brown

“Your life is in your hands. Handle it carefully.” Here’s a quick story for you this morning, taken straight out of my upcoming book. Enjoy!

“For some quite some time, my life was caught in a constant downward spiral. I felt I had no control over my circumstances and that my lack of luck was the reason for my lack of happiness. I couldn’t find a job and blamed it on the economy. I was constantly getting my heart broken and blamed it on men taking advantage of me. I continuously experienced unfortunate situations, and I blamed them all on having bad luck. One morning, sipping my coffee in the midst of my distaste towards my life, I felt I had hit rock bottom. What am I doing with my life? I thought, there has to be a better way to live. I so badly strived for a better job, better relationships, and a more fulfilled life in general. This deep yearning enabled me to start paying close attention to my actions and decisions. I started applying to new jobs online daily, and found one where I could utilize my unique talents and abilities. I started to raise my standards of men, and in turn found a man that loves me as I am. I threw the word “luck” out the window and started creating my destiny. Ultimately, I learned this: your life is in your hands. Handle it carefully”, shared Shaylah, a young woman who I interviewed.

If you like this short-but-sweet story, I have a feeling that you’ll greatly enjoy my upcoming book. I like to consider it a modern version of Chicken Soup for the Soul, filled with my insight and inspiring stories of women of all ages. I can’t wait for it to be finished and released, but in the meantime, I’ll be sharing bits and pieces on my blog.

Today, I challenge you to create your own luck, as Shaylah has, by making wise choices, taking responsibility for your actions, working your hardest, and maintaining a positive attitude while doing so. Make the choice to start handling your life with more care, as it’s the only one you’ll get. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

Happy editing,

Jordan Brown