Happy Compliment Day

24 Jan

hudson-hintze-382573-unsplash

Stop what you are doing right now! It’s time to express your gratitude to the most important people in your life. Give the gift of a sincere compliment.

Write down the names of five people who mean a lot to you.

Next to their name, write one of two qualities that they exhibit that make your life richer, better or simpler. Examples would be: Compassion, acceptance, dependability, diligence, hospitality, sincerity, wisdom.

Craft a sentence or two giving a specific and personal example of how that quality has impacted you and your future.

Here is an example of a gratitude statement (compliment) for my husband:

Rodney I am grateful for your compassion, dependability and diligence. When I am down you listen carefully and that is healing my heart. Your dependability and diligence to clean up my messes in the kitchen allow me to LOVE cooking and exploring healthy ways for us to eat AND save money. You are a gift to me!

Text these sentences, email them, direct message, or call the person with a sincere compliment.

Let me know how it goes or, better yet, send me a video of their reaction to a sincere, heart-felt compliment.

Karen Sebastian is an author, blogger, corporate trainer and gifted speaker who transparently shares the hope she has found in the darkest times of her life.  She is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded HOPEpreneurs, a consulting firm dedicated to helping women succeed personally and professionally. Karen is known as The Hope Lady because she  takes every opportunity to inspire hope by sharing her rich life experience with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world.

Adventure Awaits

23 Oct

Adventure Awaits HP

Entrepreneurship reminds me of riding the rapids. It seems like we often start out with a plan of handling the challenges and having it all under control. Then something happens that you never could have anticipated. It can all escalate to the point that you are ready to give it all up.

Here’s a word of advice – stay the course. Get perspective. Ask for help. Consider it an adventure. One day this could be your best story to tell when you share your life message.

What has been the greatest challenge you have ever faced as an entrepreneur?

Karen Sebastian is an author, blogger, corporate trainer and gifted speaker who transparently shares the hope she has found in the darkest times of her life.  She is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded HOPEpreneurs, a consulting firm dedicated to helping women succeed personally and professionally. Karen is known as The Hope Lady because she  takes every opportunity to inspire hope by sharing her rich life experience with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world.

Women in Technology

9 Oct

Ada Lovelace Day - WIT

What an interesting day it is today…

Ada Lovelace was an unlikely heroine and role model for women in technology. Born in the 1800’s she became convinced that there were better ways of doing things. They were using a punch card system and so Ada could be considered the very first computer programmer.

Do you know women in the technology field?

Do you encourage the young women in your life to develop their interest and skills in the STEM arena?

There are no limits unless they are self-imposed.

Karen Sebastian is an author, blogger, corporate trainer and gifted speaker who transparently shares the hope she has found in the darkest times of her life.  She is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded HOPEpreneurs, a consulting firm dedicated to helping women succeed personally and professionally. Karen is known as The Hope Lady because she  takes every opportunity to inspire hope by sharing her rich life experience with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world.

Happy Selfie Day

21 Jun

Happy Selfie Day

One of the biggest challenges of entrepreneurship is feeling alone.

I want to challenge you today to do more than take a selfie. Today is a great opportunity to connect and reward your customers.

Here are some initial ideas:

  • Get out to see as many of your customers as you can and take a selfie with them.
  • Pull up some selfies from the past and honor those who are there with you.
  • As you take the time to take selfies remember those who are most important in their lives by sending a text or calling them.
  • Post your selfies on your social media and ask others to do the same.
  • Connect, connect, connect!

What ideas are you going to implement today and the rest of the summer?

You are never alone when you reach out to help others. The rewards are amazing. The lifestyle you are building is your own. Keep up the good work. Implement new ideas that make others the hero.

Karen Sebastian is an author, blogger, corporate trainer and gifted speaker who transparently shares the hope she has found in the darkest times of her life.  She is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded HOPEpreneurs, a consulting firm dedicated to helping women succeed personally and professionally. Karen is known as The Hope Lady because she  takes every opportunity to inspire hope by sharing her rich life experience with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world.

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Using this Week Wisely

26 Dec

use the gift of time

This is the week when a lot of people take off work because they are done for the year. As a Hopepreneur you need to think differently. You are not an employee. Use the gift of your time wisely to prepare for the greatness ahead in the coming year.

Here are some suggestions for what to do with your extra time:

  1. Mindmap (or list) some hard lessons from last year
  2. Mindmap (or list) victories from the last quarter of the year
  3. Prepare a way to make significant changes to stop what led you to the perceived failure or resulted in the recent victory
  4. Make habits of what will prevent the hard lesson or promote the victory

This is a week to reset yourself mentally for a great new year.

Please share how it goes.

Karen Sebastian is an author, blogger, corporate trainer and gifted speaker who transparently shares the hope she has found in the darkest times of her life.  She is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded HOPEpreneurs, a consulting firm dedicated to helping women succeed personally and professionally. Karen is known as The Hope Lady because she  takes every opportunity to inspire hope by sharing her rich life experience with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world.

 

Celebrate Taco Day

4 Oct

Happy Taco Day on October 4th.

I am fascinated by the growth of Torchy’s Tacos. I live in the North Dallas area and there are so many places to eat tacos that you might think it’s not worth the competition. Well, you are wrong. It is thriving. What are they doing that you can learn from?

Passion

A personal friend first spoke to us about Torchy’s Tacos about six years ago. They had started in Austin and were branching out to the Dallas area. He was working for them and loved their approach to doing business. He felt excited to be a part. The founder, Michael Rypka, started out as a fry cook at Popeye’s. He wanted to elevate the level of tacos available. He started small and handed out samples to all who would take them.

Hope Tip

As you grow, make sure everyone retains the passion of the founder.

A fresh approach

These are not your tia’s tacos. They are unique and delicious. They have weird names like Tipsy Chick, The Democrat, The Republican, Trailer Park, etc. The ingredients are fresh and made to order. For that reason, it can take a little longer than some places, but it is worth the wait.

Hope Tip

Take a fresh approach to your branding and product.

Great customer service

One of the most refreshing parts of going to Torchy’s is that the people who work there seem to like doing so. They were crazy busy when we were there and yet kept checking on us. Even when they make a mistake, they correct it.

Hope Tip

Provide superior customer service consistently.

Personal recommendation

I am always looking for tacos because it was my first husband’s last meal before he had to go on a feeding tube. Now, if you ever needed to have an excuse to eat tacos – I just gave you one. Here we are celebrating his birthday at Torchy’s.

If you have a Torchy’s Tacos in your area, do yourself a favor and go visit them. You will not be disappointed. What is your favorite place to eat tacos? Why?

Karen Sebastian is an author, blogger, corporate trainer and gifted speaker who transparently shares the hope she has found in the darkest times of her life.  She is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded HOPEpreneurs, a consulting firm dedicated to helping women succeed personally and professionally. Karen is known as The Hope Lady because she  takes every opportunity to inspire hope by sharing her rich life experience with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world.

 

Happy National Coffee Day

29 Sep

coffee day

I remember growing up in a coffee producing country. Yep! I grew up in Costa Rica. I was fascinated with the beautiful coffee plantations with their red berries. I loved the smell of coffee and was fascinated with the way they poured coffee through a sock filled with the dark grounds. The only problem I had as a kid was the taste. Yuck!

Then one day I was introduced to Cafe con Leche (the Spanish version of a latte). The milk was heated and served in a separate pitcher. The coffee was thick like syrup. The key to liking coffee came in filling 3/4 of the cup with the steaming milk and then pouring in a smidgen of coffee.

What’s your coffee drinking story? How do you like your coffee? Are you addicted to coffee?

FYI – there are several places that are serving free coffee today. Check out this link for more information: http://fortune.com/2017/09/29/national-coffee-day-free-coffee-deals/

Karen Sebastian is an author, blogger, corporate trainer and gifted speaker who transparently shares the hope she has found in the darkest times of her life.  She is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded HOPEpreneurs, a consulting firm dedicated to helping women succeed personally and professionally. Karen is known as The Hope Lady because she  takes every opportunity to inspire hope by sharing her rich life experience with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world.

World Listening Day

18 Jul

worldlistening day

Happy World Listening Day!

Wow! Who knew? I sure didn’t. I have been having fun with crazy holidays like World Listening Day. There was no history on this particular one. The really crazy part is that all the graphics associated with graphics seemed to have someone with a headset on listening to music, podcast or watching a program on their phone or ipad.

I would prefer to make World Listening Day about listening to people without distractions. This is a rare gift. Give it to someone you care about.

Ask questions and then listen up.

Karen Sebastian is an author, blogger, corporate trainer and gifted speaker who transparently shares the hope she has found in the darkest times of her life.  She is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded HOPEpreneurs, a consulting firm dedicated to helping women succeed personally and professionally. Karen is known as The Hope Lady because she  takes every opportunity to inspire hope by sharing her rich life experience with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world.

‘Be a kid again’ Day

9 Jul

Be a kid againI love this thought! Happy ‘Be a kid again’ Day to you! That might mean a lot of things to different people depending on your childhood and how happy you were then. I am going to tap into the best parts of my childhood and challenge you to do the same…

Live in the moment

Kids are able to enjoy the precise moment they are living. It is a unique gift that seems to fade as we start to feel the responsibilities of life and the pressures of supporting ourselves and our families.

Live in the Moment Challenge

Make a list of things that you really enjoy doing and have not done in a long time. It can be simple things such as – Eat an ice cream cone or make something out of play dough. Set your timer for 20 minutes and devote yourself completely to the process. In the world of multi-tasking, it is important to enjoy what you are doing at this precise moment without the encroachments of doing 10 other things.

Recapture awe and wonder at small things

When did you stop looking up at a full moon with a sense of awe at its beauty? The patterns of life can become routine and monotonous. As a kid I would howl every time I saw a full moon. I did that the other night. I know it sounds goofy but it makes those around me laugh and I can join them. When did you last see a beautiful sunrise (or sunset)?

Regain Awe & Wonder Challenge

Start writing down or drawing what brings you awe and wonder. It may be the grip of a newborn’s tiny fist, the chirp of a cardinal or the pink cotton candy clouds of a sunset. Stop for a second and savor that sense of awe.

Express how you feel and let it go

One of the challenges of raising children is seeing how raw their feelings can be when something goes wrong. They will boohoo loudly and carry on. What I admire most about them is how quickly they forget those few seconds and move on to the next laugh.

Let it Go Challenge

Does a sense of injustice or anger at someone have you all tied up in knots? Take a cue from the kiddos and release it. Yep, even if the those who are guilty do not apologize or say they are sorry. If they don’t get it, they may never get it. It’s alright! There’s a reason that song is so popular and the cartoon gets watched over and over again.

Stir up healthy curiosity

Curiosity is refreshing. Children want to know about everything and ask lots of questions. When did you stop asking questions? One reason is that you may assume to know what others are thinking. I great way to lead into a good conversation is to say, “Tell me more about the reasons you ….” Listen carefully and enjoy the expansion of your relationships with others.

Ask More Questions Challenge

Instead of assuming what others are thinking, ask them more questions. Opening your heart to discover what motivates another person can help you better their understand their actions and desires for the future. For the elders in your life, get them started by asking, “How did it feel when…? or What was it like to…?”

Restart the Tickle Box

I loved to laugh when I was a little – so much so that I would beg my brother and sister to tickle me. When they tickled me I would laugh so much that my sides hurt. Then, somewhere in my life I stopped being ticklish. Maybe it was that I felt the weight of the seriousness of life. I am happy to report that I by choosing hope I am able to laugh freely once again.

Laugh Freely Challenge

Every day look for laughter opportunities. They abound if you are looking for them. I may be that you need to laugh at yourself and your own antics. I struggle with the punch line of jokes yet can get a crowd laughing when I tell stories on myself.  My satisfaction with my life grows as I fully enjoy the memory of events that did not start out as being funny yet are transformed into humorous anecdotes as I share them with others.

What else can you do to regain the joy of being childlike? Please share.

Karen Sebastian is an author, blogger, corporate trainer and gifted speaker who transparently shares the hope she has found in the darkest times of her life.  She is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded HOPEpreneurs, a consulting firm dedicated to helping women succeed personally and professionally. Karen is known as The Hope Lady because she  takes every opportunity to inspire hope by sharing her rich life experience with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world.

 

Happy International Joke Day

1 Jul

Happy International Joke Day

One of my fondest childhood memories is sitting around the dinner table while my brother told his newest joke. He would start out with a serious tone as if to make sure he remembered every detail. I remember leaning forward ready to learn the joke so I could proceed to share it as well. It never quite worked out that way, however, because at some point my brother would get tickled. He would start to laugh and we would join in. Before long, all of us would be laughing without even knowing why. Laughter is contagious!

As you face the challenges of owning your business or advancing your career – keep the following on your to-do list: “Laugh heartily every day.” No wonder the good book says in Proverbs 17:22 — “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.”

Laughter benefits you in the following ways:

  1. Eases physical pain
  2. Gives you a cardio workout
  3. Opens up avenues of hope and possibilities
  4. Lift the weight of depression
  5. Banishes stress and the effects of cortisol on your system
  6. Lowers your blood pressure
  7. Boosts your immune system
  8. Tones your abs (when it’s a side-holding belly laugh)
  9. Protects you from chronic diseases
  10. Releases creativity

I easily forget the punch line of the jokes others tell, but I will never forget the warmth I experienced in laughing together with my family. My jokes may fall flat yet I can laugh every day. Many times the joke is on me – like the time that I wore two different shoes to work or responded in a silly way. Laughter releases you from the day-to-day grind and elevates your spirit to soar in new and exciting ways.

Make the commitment with me to laugh often, laugh heartily and laugh with a hope-renewing faith that the difficulties you encounter are temporary, the cranky people in your life can transform you and the best is yet to come.

So… have you heard the one about … Oh – I forgot the punch-line. It doesn’t really matter does it?

Karen Sebastian is an author, blogger, corporate trainer and gifted speaker who transparently shares the hope she has found in the darkest times of her life.  She is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded HOPEpreneurs, a consulting firm dedicated to helping women succeed personally and professionally. Karen is known as The Hope Lady because she  takes every opportunity to inspire hope by sharing her rich life experience with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world.

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