A Different Gift-Giving Perspective

Posted on November 2010 | 1 Comment

Have you started shopping for gifts yet? As we head into the holiday season, I wanted to share a couple of gift-giving thoughts with you. It’s simplified gift-giving to me and helps me be respectful of the vow of simplicity I took a number of years ago. I also want to re-embrace the mindfulness that helps me focus and keep my home clutter-free.

I wrote my family a letter a few months ago. After a garage sale I was ecstatic about all the extra space in my home, so I had a couple of specific requests for gifts this year:

  • Gifts that are consumable. That means it can be “used up,” whether it’s a gift card or food or something shared. With this comes my commitment to giving something away when something is bought. That way, others can benefit and be blessed by it.
  • A focus on experiences over things.  We took a trip to South Padre in June, and it helped me realize that the gift of being with family means more to me than the “stuff.” Hanging out on the beach with them was so lovely, and lazily floating in inner tubes around Schlitterbahn, a waterpark, was perfect.

You may be saying, “But I don’t want to spend extra time with my family,” and that’s okay too. Gift-giving is personal. It should matter to the recipient, but it should bring you joy as well.

That being said, my family doesn’t have to embrace  this mindset. I will happily continue giving them gifts that they want and will enjoy. I didn’t  include my nephew in this because he’s still a kid. If he wants a certain gift at Christmas, why not give it to him? Funny thing is, he’s hitting an age where he really likes gift cards!

One important gift-giving note:  It doesn’t have to be extravagant or expensive. You can be a tourist in  your own town, get cheap seats for a sporting event, or take a day-trip somewhere for sightseeing and lunch. The goal is simply to be together and enjoy each other in a different environment.

Consider changing your perspective on giving gifts this year. Tailor it for your specific needs. Who knows? It could be the beginning of a new holiday tradition in your family.

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Posted in personal growth, simplicity

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A Brief Betrayal

Posted on November 2010 | Leave a comment

I’ve been a little depressed lately. Since my birthday in May my knees have started to ache, neck and shoulder pains wake me at night and, in the midst of a root canal, my jaw gave out.

This feels weird because I’ve been active all my life — cheerleading, tennis, cycling, running, dancing, skiing, flag football and more. I enjoy watching sports (live, of course), and consider myself a flavor-of-the-month exerciser. I’ve felt “the burn” with Jane Fonda  and was practicing yoga before yoga classes came with a gym membership.

Yet in spite of this — or perhaps because of it — my body is rebelling. Having a tantrum. Whining and creaking with every move.

Somehow, I feel betrayed. In spite of my love/hate relationship with its size, I’ve always had a body that worked. Sure, I’d have the occasional injury but with a little rest and ibuprofen, I healed quickly. But since I had a serious fall in 2003, I discovered that speedy healing can’t be taken for granted.

So, what to do?

Get Movin’!
One great thing about stubbornness is that it can be “redefined” as persistence or perseverance and people think it’s admirable. In this case — no matter what you call it — it worked in my favor.

Since my knees prevent any serious at-home workouts, I joined a gym. Now, I’m diggin’ the elliptical machines. I can get in a sweaty workout without knee and back pain. I’m sleeping better, have more energy and am beginning to feel like my old self again (pun intended).

I’ve also committed to regular massages and actually enjoy getting out of bed in the morning. I’m cooking more and eating better, which means my state-of-mind is improving too. And Pilates, yoga and weights are balancing things out nicely. It’s funny how feeling good physically can cure even my worst moods.

Forgiveness and Wisdom
 Author Philip Yancey wrote, “Behind every act of forgiveness lies a wound of betrayal….”

Well, the betrayal has occurred. Now it’s time to forgive. I’ll forgive my body for showing the wear-and-tear of my years. Besides, I hear that with age comes wisdom. Forgiving and accepting seems to be the wisest thing I can do.

What about you? Have you ever had a moment when you realized something had changed permanently? What did you do?

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Posted in personal growth

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New Location of this Blog

Posted on November 2010 | Leave a comment

This blog has been moved to my new blog, “Listening to My Life…” and can be found at http://blog.MichelleZavala.com.

The individual domain name of this blog is http://cleanandkeen.wordpress.com.

Communication and creativity topics will continue to be covered, along with more personal stories and observations. Thanks for reading!

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Simplicity redefined

Posted on September 2010 | Leave a comment

Every now and then I read a blog post that inspires me. This is one of those posts from zenhabits, a brief guide to life.

I like this post because it offers good advice and excellent links. It’s as simple as that. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Have a refreshing and productive day!

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Posted in creative living, creativity, reading

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Are you “that guy?”

Posted on August 2010 | Leave a comment

Communication comes from the inside out, whether we like it or not.  It lets people know what’s really going on inside of us, no matter how good our facade is.

I recently posted this on Facebook:

Michelle Zavala got bumped from behind while in traffic. Fortunately, no damage to car, only to a very upset 16-year-old who just kept saying, “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.” Tried to calm her down, telling her that everyone’s done it at least once and if they said they didn’t, they probably weren’t telling the truth, heh.

My heart went out to her as I remembered my first fender-bender. It was in the high school parking lot, and  I was an absolute mess about it. Fortunately, the guy whose car I hit was pretty calm. That made it all a little easier to take.

This girl was a bit of a mess too, and I wanted to be sure I didn’t upset her any more. I kept things light (and yes, I took her information, just in case). She gave me her number and asked that I call her first if any damage showed up. I said sure but unless something fell off of my car, I probably wouldn’t need to call. She seemed relieved and said, “Thank you for being so nice about all this, thank you so much.”

I said, “No problem” then got into my car. I wondered, was I really that nice? Or was I just being a decent human being?

After my status update I asked, “When was your first fender-bender?” I received a lot of comments from Facebook friends telling their stories (thus proving my comment that we’ve all done it!). One person said there wasn’t any damage to the cars but the guy made a big deal out of it.

That got me thinking. We’re all only one deep breath away from being kind or being “that guy”  (a gender-neutral term).

You know “that guy.” It’s the person who had a bad day at work or has screaming kids in the car and wants to take it out on you.

“That guy” is the jerk who makes a big deal out of the most insignificant thing.

“That guy” is the person who speaks before thinking and is clueless about how foolish his or her behavior looks to others.

“That guy” is the person actively seeking out a reason to rant, rave, turn red in the face and be nasty for no particular reason.

You don’t want to be “that guy,” do you?

Then don’t do it. Next time the option to be “that guy” presents itself, take a deep breath and let it out slowly before you speak. You’ll be glad you did.

Wishing you a refreshing and productive day, without any run-ins with “that guy.”

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Posted in communication, interpersonal communication

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Making the Rule of Three personal

Posted on August 2010 | Leave a comment

In my business blog, I recently posted how the Rule of Three can help your focus at work. Then I started wondering how I could incorporate it into my personal life. What are the three things that keep me focused personally? I think this is the first draft of my 3 things:

1.  Use my “best” time of the day for personal stuff.
I like getting up by 6:30 a.m., whether it’s a weekday or weekend. I’m a morning person and can generally get more done before noon than I do for the rest of the day.

I recently started doing personal stuff like God time, workouts and creative projects in the morning. I run errands and do laundry then too. I aim to be at my desk by 11, even though I generally get there by about 10:30. The rest of the day is committed to clients, without distractions. Much nicer…

2. Take care of the temple.
Eating clean and working out are necessities for me. I can’t function fully without both. I’m amazed as I watch friends eat a lot of processed and sugary foods. I can do it for a little while, but long-term? No way! I guess I’m just a big baby when it comes to food.

I’ve been a vegetarian by choice for 15 years, and gluten-free (not by choice) for 2 years. Though I eat well, I don’t have enough variety in my diet. I recently ran into a friend who is Korean. She was giving me some great ideas for cooking quick Korean meals. I was intrigued and decided to learn how to cook a few dishes. I don’t have a clue what I’m doing but hey, new learning experience, right?

I really liked this post on the five greatest foods for your health. I’ll be learning how to do more with these 5 foods too. I love that I can actually eat all of them!

I think learning to cook a wider range of foods will also help me lose the 5 pounds I gained on vacation. I just want to button my pants easily again!

3.  Creativity, learning and growth.
Making time is the hardest part of this one. For example, I started this blog at the end of May and this is only my 3rd or 4th post. Kinda lame, I know, but I’ll be adding this blog to the creativity, learning and growth bucket so it’ll actually get done.

Those are my three things. Forget work for a minute and think about your personal life:  What  three things do you do that keep you at your best?

It’s your life. Listen well.

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Posted in personal development, personal growth, spiritual growth

Use the Rule of Three for daily focus

Posted on August 2010 | 1 Comment

Brian Tracy said that three things that you do during your work will earn you 90 percent of your income. If you want to maximize your  chances for success, identify those three things and concentrate your efforts on those activities.

I’ve been doing this for a couple of weeks now. Do I hit the goal 100 percent of the time? No, especially when deadlines loom. But I can generally complete at least two a day, and that makes me feel more accomplished when I turn off my computer in the evening. These are my three activities:

1.  Writing.
This is my bread-and-butter, so it’s a significant contributor to my income. I write every day to meet client deadlines, and the amount of time I spend writing is dependent on the number of projects I have.

2.  Marketing.
This is a no-brainer. You don’t market, you don’t eat. I commit 30 to 60 minutes a day to marketing. My marketing includes new and traditional media, along with “keep-in-touch” methods by phone and email. I aim for one activity a day, no matter what it is.

3.  Growth.
Plato said there is no stability, only growth or decay. So if you’re not growing, you’re decaying. This was my wake-up call. I realized that we’re all in a state of continuous change whether we like it or not. If change is inevitable, I’d prefer to grow rather than decay!

For me, this activity can include a variety of things such as researching a new business, improving my current business and writing for myself instead of clients. My personal writing has the potential for income and helps me bring a new level of creativity to my clients.

What three activities earn 90 percent of your income? Let me know — I’d love to hear about it!

Have a refreshing and productive day!

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Posted in Brian Tracy, business, productivity

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