Tag Archives: Gratitude

HOW TO GET MORE: 10 Thankful Quotes

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Happy Thanksgiving Gorgeous!

My belief is we should live every single day as if it’s Thanksgiving. When I shifted from a lifestyle of constant complaining to one of thanks + gratitude — EVERYTHING CHANGED. Not only was I blessed with more goodness to be thankful for, but I began living with more joy, peace and overall happiness. What is your level of gratitude today? Do you focus more on the things you don’t have? Could I have a bigger house? Heck yes. Do I want more shoes + handbags? Umm, of course. But, I am so grateful to have a roof over my head, a warm bed, my cute reliable Jeep and more than enough shoes and handbags…that I never even wear.

Make the shift today and change your focus.

To help you get started, I collected some great quotes:

 

“No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.” ~ James Allen

“You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” ~ John Wooden

“Make it a habit to tell people thank you.  To express your appreciation,  sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return.  Truly appreciate those around you,  and you’ll soon find many others around you.  Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it.” ~ Ralph Marston

“Be thankful for what you have, you’ll end of having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

“It is impossible to feel grateful and depressed in the same moment.” ~ Naomi Williams

“A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.” ~ Saint Basil

“You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you” ~ Sarah Ban Breathnack

“If we magnified blessings as much as we magnify disappointments, we would all be much happier.” ~ John Wooden

“None of those material possessions do anything to make your life any better… I know a lot of people who have a lot of everything, and they’re absolutely the most miserable people in the world.  So it won’t do anything for you unless you’re a happy person and can have peace with yourself.” ~ Lenny Kravitz

“Life is an echo. What you send out, comes back. What you sow, you reap. What you give, you get. What you see in others, exists in you. Remember, life is an echo. It always gets back to you. So give goodness. ” ~Unknown

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Wishing you and yours a beautifully blessed Thanksgiving! Create memories, eat that 3rd helping of green bean casserole and hug your loved ones a few seconds longer.

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P.S. I’m so excited to be a guest on Mornings With Michelle – Facebook Live on Friday, the 25th sharing my journey. Tune in- https://www.facebook.com/mymorningswithmichelle/

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P.S.S. My Tiffirmation Tees will be 30% OFF for Black Friday starting Thurs, 24th – Mon, 28th with code BLACKFRIDAY2016 at checkout. There are limited sizes! SHOP NOW> https://thegivestore.myshopify.com/collections/tiffirmation-tees-by-tiffany-hendra 

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING! My Gratitude List A to Z

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Who is excited for Thanksgiving week? ME! We get a short work week, quality time with those we love, yummy food, naps without guilt and time to focus on what we are truly grateful for. I’m looking forward to sitting on my mom’s couch, turning off my brain and catching up on magazines together. Have I mentioned how much I love being in Texas and able to jaunt down to Houston to see my folks? This Thanksgiving Day marks our 2 year anniversary living in Dallas.

Time has flown.

So much has happened.

Amazing doors have opened. 

My heart is full.

I have to say, this is one of the greatest gifts I am grateful for this week. Like any big move, we’ve had our share of wonky moments- but Dallas has become home and we are grateful for the beautiful souls in the city who have embraced us with open arms. It proves stepping out into the unknown is always rewarding.

Thanksgiving week is the perfect lead in to the holiday season and end of the year. What’s better than ending the year full of gratitude?!? This mindset and practice will set you up for success in the new year. Hello 2016!

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Does expressing gratitude come easy to you or do you find it difficult to focus on your blessings in the midst of your burdens?  Practicing gratitude has become a daily part of my life, but it wasn’t always that way. I was a chronic complainer and my life was a reflection of it. I was a mess, my life was a mess and my thoughts were a mess. It all starts with your thoughts so if you need a little help getting started on living a life of gratitude and changing the way you think- keep it simple with an A to Z list. We all have so much to be grateful for and the more you focus on those things,  you’ll unlock an abundance of blessings to flow to you and chase you down.

Join me in creating a fun list. I am grateful for:

A- Accessories. They are my obsession and add an exclamation point to any outfit.

B- Bible. My favorite ‘self help’ book! Joyce Meyer has a great amplified version:

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C- Coats. They keep us warm on chilly days like today. (If you live in DFW, please drop off your gently worn coats to the Campbell Agency on Oak Lawn & Blackburn for their coat drive)

D- Dogs. My little Zoe has been the best companionship. She’s also been in a pain in the butt, but I love her. She’s a bundle of love.

E- Encouragement. Just this morning I received the most heartfelt email from my Spiritual mentor. Not sure what I would do without her encouragement! #GodSend

F- Faith. Without it, we remain in a hopeless state. Being filled with Faith gives you strength to face each day.

G- God. Without Him, I would be a drug addict, dead, depressed and totally defeated.

H- _________________( fill in the blank)

I- Independence. At times I can be too independent, but I’m so grateful my parents raised me to be an independent woman. It’s important to know you can rely on yourself!

J- _________________(fill in the blank)

K- Kale. It makes my morning smoothie super yummy and packed with antioxidants.

L- Love. My life is overflowing with it. #Blessed

M- ________________ (fill in the blank)

N- Naps. I love them and will take them any time I can!

O- “Oceans”. My all time favorite song by Hillsong.

P- Patience. I’m always running low on it, but getting better with age. Being patient takes away so much stress!

Q- Quinoa. It’s healthy, yummy and a great rice replacement.

R- _________________(fill in the blank)

S- Sisterhood. The women in my life who love me just as I am, call me out on my s@&*, help me shine brighter and pray for me when I’m weak are the sisters God let me choose. Also, this SOS Sistahood has changed my life!

T- Truth. Authenticity and honesty in people are the most attractive attributes to me. I’m always so grateful for people who keep it real!

U- Underwire Bras. Go ahead and LOL… gravity is taking over and they help the “girls” stay cute and perky! Here’s my favorite daily bra by DKNY:

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V- ________________(fill in the blank)

W- Walks. My natural anti-depressant. I started taking long power walks around 12 or 13 when I was approaching my treacherous teen years. Helps keep me sane and organize my crazy creative thoughts.

X- ________________(good luck with that one..fill in the blank)

Y- Yellow. One of my favorite colors. Brightens even the most dreary day.

Z- Zzzz’s. Did I mention I love to sleep? I’m so grateful when I can catch up on sleep on the weekend.

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You’re probably thinking,

“Only on Tiff’s blog can you talk Bibles AND Bras !!” 

Hey, I keep it real. They are 2 things we can’t live without.

Please share your ideas and what you filled in the blanks with! 

Wishing you all a very blessed Thanksgiving week.

I am grateful for YOU!

Love,

Tiff

 

 

No Whiners Allowed on SOS!

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SOS_30 days of gratitude

Happy Weekend Sistas,

How was your first week of November? I am loving getting to experience an actual Fall and the change of seasons for the first time in many years. In LA, it still feels like Summer at this time of year. If you’re active on the SOS Facebook Page – you know I am posting 30 Days of Gratitude this month. Everyday I am sharing one thing I am grateful for. The intention for this exercise is to recalibrate our thinking, our level of joy and how we approach life. Please join us and if not, I encourage you to focus on your level of gratitude and thanksgiving on your own –  especially if you’ve allowed the busyness of life to keep you in a mode of complaining & whining. 

Be honest…

On a daily basis, do you find yourself living consistently in an attitude of gratitude or in the opposite realm of seeing the negative in everything and then complaining & whining about it? 

I am the first person to admit that I battled negative thinking for years. You could have called me Tiffany ‘Moan & Groan’ Hendra! Just like positivity, negativity and complaining is contagious. If you are raised around complainers, typically you will grow up complaining too. This is why it is vital to be conscious of the people you surround yourself with. I’ve mentioned the importance of gratitude several times on the blog and in my candid video blogs on my YouTube Channel. This is because I believe with every fiber of my being that living in a state of gratitude is life-changing. One of the first things I have my private coaching/mentoring clients begin doing daily is to create a gratitude list. It’s amazing how quick someone’s life can change when they realize how blessed they are. 

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 SOS is all about guiding and instigating changes we need to make in order to be the best women we can be. When I created SOS, I wanted it to empower women on many levels not just with beauty and fashion tips. Let’s face it, if you are resonating in a place of ingratitude – no amount of lipgloss or Louis Vuitton’s will bring you true joy.

Your outer reality corresponds to your inner reality! Gratitude creates a miraculous and beautiful inner reality that radiates outward. Then, our outer reality will inevitably change for the better.

Therefore, no whiners or negative Nellie’s are allowed on this internet real estate! It reminds me of that great saying Oprah has on a sign when you enter her office, “Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space”. Make sure to join us on the Facebook Page this month and together, we will raise our level of joy and blaze into 2015 with a beautiful, radiant, peaceful & powerful outer reality. Our light will shine brighter than ever and remember, the world needs YOUR unique light.

Never forget that! 

Love, Tiff

 

 

photo-300Example of 30 Days of Gratitude: 

Today, I’m grateful for my sis and that I get to be a big sister! Like most siblings, we’ve fought like cats & dogs and had the typical growing pains- but our bond keeps getting stronger & stronger as we get older. Natalie aka NatCat is a powerful soul and bright light in this world. I’m so proud of her! WHO ELSE IS GRATEFUL FOR THEIR SISTER (sibling) TODAY? 

#30daysofgratitude

 

BE UNFORGETTABLE: Importance of the Thank You Card

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Hi Gorgeous Girls!

As I sit tonight and write “thank you’s” to everyone who blessed me on my birthday, I thought it would make a great topic for a post. I love to send handwritten thank you cards and it’s an etiquette my mom taught me at a very early age. How about you? Do you take the time to write a note or do you rush and think a text or email will suffice?

Here are the top 3 reasons it’s so important to me: 

1) STRENGTHEN THE BOND between you and the receiver. Whether it’s a business follow-up, personal thank you for a gift or hospitality at a dinner party- people want to feel appreciated. From writing the heartfelt note, stamping then mailing it tells that person you took the time for them.

2) BE UNFORGETTABLE and stand out. I cherish the handwritten thank you cards I receive from friends, family and clients. I received a lovely monogrammed one recently from a dear client which I have sitting right here in front of me on my desk. Her handwriting is beautiful and her words- so very generous and encouraging. I’ll remember her forever.   

3) SHOW YOUR PERSONALITY and choose a card that reflects you and your style. When the receiver opens the envelope and pulls out the card- it’s like receiving a little piece of you and your heart. I always look for thank you cards in random places and find cute ones at Tuesday Morning, TJ Maxx and even Target. It’s great to take it a step beyond and have cards designed with your name, logo and/or company. But, I always seem to find unique, fun styles and like to keep plenty in my desk at all times! I think I’ve always been a bit obsessed with stationary. The ones in the photo above are so me and SOS – don’t ya think? They are by Roobee by Mara-Mi and I found them at TJ Maxx for $4.99. 

Obviously, a text or email is better than nothing, but it’s really the lazy girl’s way out. Expressing gratitude is so important so why not go above and beyond to show your appreciation. Be of excellence.  It’s another way we can practice ‘walking tall’ sistas.  Everything is so instant these days with technology, but the art of a personal handwritten thank you note is an etiquette we should never allow to fade away. 

Share, tweet, comment and give me your two-cents on this topic!

Love, Tiff

MONDAY MOTIVATION: Change Your Bad Attitude to Gladitude (with a must see video)

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You awake and stir in your bed. You roll over – yawn, stretch and moan for a minute. This moment is one of the most critical moments of the day. This moment can determine whether you start the day with a bad attitude or with ‘glad’itude. I am naturally a morning person, but as I get older with more nights of disrupted sleep and ever changing hormones – I find that I wake up feeling exhausted more often than I care to count. Thank God for coffee!!! But, even more important than coffee is being conscious of our thoughts in that very critical moment when we wake up.

Do you feel the flood of thoughts race through your mind from what you have to do that day to how your neck hurts from sleeping on it wrong to that demanding email someone sent you the night before? In that moment, it’s vital to put up a stop sign in your mind and flip your thoughts to things you are grateful for. I try to be diligent with this practice and by the time I’ve pee’d and made it downstairs to the coffee pot- I’m saying ‘thank you’ and feel the exhaustion lift and my attitude transformed. Of course, I’m not perfect at this every single day, but I try my best. That’s all we can do, right- try our best. 

Here’s a few ways to keep a positive attitude:

1) STOP BLAMING: Your attitude is your choice. It’s easy to blame other people (our kids, our spouse, our boss) for why we have a bad attitude. You are giving them power over you. It’s not really about what happens TO you, but what happens IN you. Your happiness is YOUR responsibility. Bad things happen to us everyday, but what counts is our attitude toward it. That ensures we retain the power. 

2) COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS: I know I mention this quite often on the blog, but it truly changes everything. When we focus on our burdens instead of our blessings- inevitably we bring more burdens into our lives. That’s the foundation of keeping a bad attitude. The moment you choose to focus on the many blessings in your life- watch more blessings arrive keeping you in a state of ‘glad’itude! 

3) GO BEYOND LIMITATIONS: All of us face limitations in life like lack of talent, money, from the wrong side of the tracks, learning disabilities or even physical disabilities, but it’s our attitude toward those limits. I grew up in a lower income family in a not so great area outside of Houston, Tx and lived in a trailer park until my little sister was born at age 5. My family was also of mixed ethnicity, but I didn’t know that would be an issue until I was in junior high. Whatever it was within me- maybe a deep desire to see the world- I had a firm attitude that I wanted to go beyond that small town and achieve my dreams. We may start out in a trailer on the wrong side of the tracks, but that doesn’t mean that’s where we have to end up. 

Please take a moment to watch this. This man’s attitude is remarkable. I need to watch this once a month when I start complaining about the cellulite on my legs- at least I have legs! 

It makes that demanding email we got or that massive pimple we woke up with seem so unimportant. Be grateful. Do not energize the things that feed a bad attitude.

I would love to hear your thoughts!

Go out there and strut your stuff sista,

Tiff Xoxo

HELLO NOVEMBER: Thanks + Gratitude

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Holiday season is upon us. Are you gearing up for some downtime with family and friends?  I love this time of year because everyone is getting in the holiday spirit and our attention is turned toward family and the important things in life.  Thanksgiving reminds us how fortunate we are and to give thanks for our blessings although my philosophy is we should live in a constant state of giving thanks, not just in November. 

What is your level of thanks + gratitude on a daily basis?  

Do you find yourself complaining about what you don’t have more often than you give thanks for what you do have?  Living with an ‘attitude of gratitude’ truly leads to a peaceful, joyful and abundant life!   This is an attitude adjustment I have been working on for the past 12-15 years or so and still struggle with it from time-to-time! (Especially when I’m PMS’ing.  Ladies, who’s with me?  I can work myself into a hissy fit of complaining when it’s that time of the month! God help Aaron!) 

My intention is always great first thing in the morning and I whisper “thank you” right when my feet hit the ground.  I also have a serious morning prayer practice and make it a habit of thanking God for all the things I’m grateful for before I give Him a to-do list for the day! LOL.  Then, as the day goes on, with it’s trials and circumstances, we can fall down that slippery slope of griping, moaning and complaining if we’re not careful.  The important thing to remember is you get MORE of what you focus on.  If we focus and complain about the things we don’t have, it keeps us in a prison of lack which is of our own creation.   We all have the key!  A simple flip of your ‘mental switch’ can change everything.  The minute you catch yourself about to gripe about what you don’t have…[STOP] and immediately think of a moment that brought you tremendous happiness.  You will literally feel your energy shift in that moment.  Then start meditating on all the blessings in your life! One of the first tools I teach my lifestyle mentoring clients is to start a daily gratitude list. This tool is highly effective in flipping the switch. If this is an area you struggle with, I encourage you to take a look at the 21 Days of Gratitude FREE online event which starts tomorrow. It could be life-changing! Go to ….

http://www.mentorschannel.com

THIS WEEK I WILL….

  1. Gage my level of gratitude + thanksgiving daily.
  2. Shut myself up before allowing a complaint to slip out of my mouth.
  3. Allow myself to indulge w/o guilt. (extra piece of pumpkin pie anyone?)
  4. Tell myself “thanks girl, you’re awesome!”
  5. Let go of any scarcity mindsets because there is always more than enough.
  6. Stop taking things for granted like my hot bath + all those shoes I never wear.
  7. Realize how fortunate I really am. (key part of the word= FORTUNE)
  8. Start a gratitude journal + watch the abundance begin to flow.
  9. Send a random “thank you for being my friend” text to a friend across the miles.
  10. Never  underestimate the power of those 2 little words, “thank you” even for the smallest of acts or favors.
  11. Do something for someone less fortunate. (It doesn’t have to be feeding the homeless. Perhaps a girlfriend is short on grocery money this month. Have her meet you at the grocery store and pay for her basket full.)

I want to thank YOU for being part of SOS.  We’re on this ‘growth journey’ together and I’m truly grateful for your love + support.

Love,

Tiff

if-the-only-prayer-you-said-in-your-life-was-thank-you

SPEAK LIFE NOT DEATH {Sunday Affirmations}

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Hey Beautiful,

Julie_angelDrawn by Julie, Age 17

How was your first full week of 2013?  I am fueled by all the excitement and energy that’s buzzing around.  I’ve had a wonderful yet challenging week.  My heart is so full of hope for the girls I’ve been mentoring and I thank you all for your prayers.  I know it’s making a difference!  Some day, I will share more details with you, but for now I wish to protect them.  I have become a surrogate mama and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to speak life into a child who needs it.   I have learned many valuable lessons from this experience, but one of the most important is that the power of our words can alter everything for a person, especially a child.   The words we speak over others can create a flourishing life or total destruction.  The same goes for how we speak over our own lives as well.  I have had to reprogram my messed up thinking from childhood.  It’s been a loooong process, but I finally made it to the other side….well, it’s really not the ‘other side’.  It’s the course I should have been on all along.  My authentic course.  Not the one a parent, teacher, grandparent, coach or mentor created for me.

When you were a child, were you told you were smart?  beautiful?  talented?  My dad never said these things to me, in fact he made me feel down right stupid, but thank God my mom reinforced my strengths and made up for my dad’s lack of encouragement and affection.  For the record, my dad only did what his own father did to him.  I love my dad and we have a much healthier relationship now.

Yep, I’m a late bloomer, but better late than never, right.  Now, I am passionate to help others get back on course as well.  I hope it encourages you to know– at any given moment– we have the choice to change our course.  Be diligent in how you speak to yourself and to others.  Choose to speak life not death.

THIS WEEK I WILL…..

  1. Think before I speak.
  2. Shower others with compliments. Even strangers.
  3. Be encouraging instead of critical.
  4. Stay on my authentic course. (No matter what)
  5. Tell myself every single day, “Girl, you are beautiful!”
  6. Forgive those who criticize me. It’s only a projection of their own insecurities.
  7. Not complain. It puts me in a weak position instead of a powerful one!
  8. Silence my Negative Nellie. Even if I have to use the duct tape!
  9. Take a beat and a breath before I let something stupid fly out of my mouth. (We can’t take words back)
  10. Live with integrity 24/7.
  11. Embrace my own pace!  My personal growth path is an ‘at my own pace’ plan.  I will not judge it… no matter how slow it seems compared to others!

Did any of this resonate with you?  I would love to hear your comments + thoughts. Tweet it and share this post with your friends too. I appreciate it!

A big pat on the back to all of you who joined in the “Complaint- Free Weekend Challenge” on the Facebook Community.  I trust it was an eye-opening experience and raised your awareness in how you speak on a daily basis.  By focusing on the blessings in our lives, we unlock the power for even more blessings to flow.  Complaining does the opposite and blocks the blessings.

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.

Love, Tiff

DAILY THANKS {Sunday Affirmations}

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Hi Style + Spirit Sistas!

Are you gearing up for some downtime with family + friends over the Thanksgiving Holiday?  (I know there are several of you who are from different parts of the world and not celebrating Thanksgiving so please bear with me here)  Anyone cooking the bird?  I’ve only done it once before and a bit nervous about attempting it again, but will give it my best shot.  I’m a pro at all the sides, as I should be, being a Southern gal and all.   I make a mean greenbean casserole:-) 

I love this time of year because everyone is getting in the holiday spirit and our attention is turned toward family and the important things in life.  Thanksgiving reminds us how fortunate we are and to give thanks for our blessings although my philosophy is we should live in a constant state of giving thanks, not just in November.  What is your level of gratitude + thanksgiving on a daily basis?   Do you find yourself complaining about what you don’t have more often than you give thanks for what you do have?  Living with an ‘attitude of gratitude’ truly leads to a peaceful, joyful and abundant life!   This is an attitude adjustment I have been working on for the past 10 years or so and still struggle with it from time-to-time! (Especially when I’m PMS’ing.  Ladies, who’s with me?  I can work myself into a hissy fit of complaining when it’s that time of the month! God help Aaron!) 

My intention is always great first thing in the morning and I whisper “thank you” right when my feet hit the ground.  I also have a serious morning prayer practice and make it a habit of thanking God for all the things I’m grateful for before I give Him a to-do list for the day! LOL.  Then, as the day goes on, with it’s trials and circumstances, we can fall down that slippery slope of griping, moaning and complaining if we’re not careful.  The important thing to remember is you get MORE of what you focus on.  If we focus and complain about the things we don’t have, it keeps us in a prison of lack which is of our own creation.   We all have the key!  A simple flip of your ‘mental switch’ can change everything.  The minute you catch yourself about to gripe about what you don’t have…[STOP] and immediately think of a moment that brought you tremendous happiness.  You will literally feel your energy shift in that moment.  Then start meditating on all the blessings in your life!  This unlocks the door for more blessings to shower down on you!  Ready to get drenched? 

THIS WEEK I WILL….

  1. Gage my level of gratitude + thanksgiving daily.
  2. Shut myself up before allowing a complaint to slip out of my mouth.
  3. Allow myself to indulge w/o guilt on Thursday. (extra piece of pumpkin pie anyone?)
  4. Tell myself “thanks girl, you’re awesome!”
  5. Let go of any scarcity mindsets because there is always more than enough.
  6. Stop taking things for granted like my hot bath + all those shoes I never wear.
  7. Realize how fortunate I really am. (key part of the word= FORTUNE)
  8. Start a gratitude journal + watch the abundance begin to flow.
  9. Send a random “thank you for being my friend” text to a friend across the miles.
  10. Never  underestimate the power of those 2 little words, “thank you” even for the smallest of acts or favors.
  11. Do something for someone less fortunate. (It doesn’t have to be feeding the homeless. Perhaps a girlfriend is short on gas money this month. Have her meet you at the gas station on the corner and fill her car up!)

I want to thank YOU for allowing me to share my heart, thoughts + experiences on this blog.  It can be a bit scary and intimidating to put yourself out there on this type of platform, but I do so willingly (I am just a vessel) with the hope that one little thing I may say will help you, encourage you or inspire you.  We’re on this ‘growth journey’ together and I’m truly grateful for your love + support.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Love,

Tiff

What Are You Seeking? (plus need quick beauty video)

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Hola SOS Senoritas!

(I’m making my famous guacamole for a party so I’ve got Spanish on the brain)

Are you ready to have another amazing week? I sure am. I adore weekends, but I’m also excited when a new week begins. New opportunities, new chances to be better, new obstacles to overcome, etc. Many of you sent me beautiful private messages expressing how touched, inspired and moved you were by my last post on GRATITUDE. I want to thank you all again for taking the time to write me and reveal your hearts. We’ve got some pretty darn extraordinary sistas in this bunch with big beautiful hearts. WOW! I want to reach through the computer and hug all of you. {{SQUEEZE}}

This morning I was thinking about the underprivileged young women I mentor and it’s such a shame that so many women are held back in life because they are seeking the APPROVAL of others. It’s like living in a cage. It can really be debilitating and prevent you from trying different things and just GOING FOR IT.  It typically stems from not getting the approval we needed as a child.  Looking back, I craved my Dad’s approval and never really felt like I got it. So, I was pretty much addicted to approval most of my life and I still have to “check myself” from time to time.  It has taken a loooooong time to figure out that looking inward for validation and self-acceptance was true FREEDOM! Woohoo! Yeehaw! Fly little birdie!  We all have the key within us to unlock the cage. How awesome is that to truly be able to live in freedom and not care what other people think about you?!? If you like you….. and you appreciate you……. and YOU APPROVE OF YOU………you are on your way to soaring as high as you possibly can.  WHO WANTS TO FLY? This week, be aware of the people and situations where you feel caged by this needless “seeking” of approval. When I’m feeling insecure, needy or PMS’ing, I can even get stuck seeking the approval of my own husband. Which is absurd because from day one- the man has accepted me just the way I am with all the baggage that I had and my many high-maintenance quirks! We all need to get out of our own way and love + accept ourselves EXACTLY the way God created us and get on with it already……get busy FLYING HIGH! 

How appropriate– I love that this week’s swag bag giveaway item from the fabulous LUSCIOUS SOUL is a glamorous “Couture Key” by Keys to my Castle.  Your own house key can be professionally cut on this beautiful key.

Now let’s totally switch gears here! In the latest webisode, I answer a beauty question from Melissa:

Make sure to join in on the FACEBOOK fun! There’s only a few more weeks of Swag Bag Giveaways.  Share this with your girlfriends too. I love that a few of you are having fun on SOS with your daughters. That’s exactly what I always dreamed of!  Women from all walks of life, best friends, moms, daughters, sisters, etc…..all joining the fun.  Getting better and building our confidence should be fun, right!?

Love, Tiff

GRATITUDE. A love note to you.

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Hi Gorgeous Girls!

Over the past week or so, every fiber of my being has been flooded with HUMONGOUS GRATITUDE.  The kind that gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling complete with goose-bumps, hair raising on the back of my neck, girlie giddy excitement in my belly and a tear in my eye. Have you ever felt such bigtime gratefulness before?  Want to know the reason for mine? It’s because of YOU.  Yep, you girlfriend!

When I began a deep spiritual journey to figure out what the heck I was meant to do- it was exactly 10 yrs ago this month.  In the summer of 2002, I walked away from my TV career in LA, gave away most of my clothes and all my furniture and went back to Texas to get my head on straight. {GRATEFUL} That is when I birthed my idea (well, God really planted the seed) to help women through a community, website and TV show. Can you believe that was 10 years ago? I can’t! I had no idea how to get started or what the heck I was doing, but I just started putting it out there with child-like naivety. I laugh now because I thought I was ready to do a show back then and got totally pissed off that it wasn’t happening faster.  I had to go through MAJOR healing, changes and growth first.  I was a mess, but I had this BIG vision. After a 6 month sabbatical in Texas, I headed back to LA with this new dream!{GRATEFUL}

Within these 10 years, I have hosted several TV pilots geared for young women (one production company spent over $1 Million on our pilot) and they never went to air on TV.  Grrrr!  (This is where I give gratitude for the doors God closes!)  This was long before Facebook, YouTube, Blogs and the Flip camera. Now it’s easy for anyone to start taping their message and blast it to the world. Whew, I wanted to give up so many times, but a God-given dream just doesn’t leave you alone. It really is like you are pregnant with this idea/purpose/vision. I just couldn’t abort this dream!  I had this mad, crazy drive to help women…somehow, someway. I collaborated with several different producers with the hopes something would work. It never did.  When I finally realized it just wasn’t the right time, I decided I had to do something…..ANYTHING! I started teaching a self-development class and created a curriculum for 13-17 year olds as well as working in a fun, girlie boutique on the weekend. Gals would come sit in the boutique and chat about all the different life issues we girls love to talk about. Wish I had a camera in that boutique back then. It was like a talk show in there! Little did I know, these opportunities turned out to be an amazing training ground and preparation. {GRATEFUL} I still hoped and prayed to work on camera again, but shelved my show idea for a while (true surrender) and just lived life…WITH EXPECTANCY!

The reason I’m telling you all of this is the seed has grown slowly over the years (a little too darn slow at times) into a bud and then 2 years ago-this month- I pitched my show idea in front of one of the biggest television producers, Mark Burnett of The Apprentice, The Amazing Race and Survivor, for a show he was producing for Oprah.  Holla!  Yes, I almost crapped my pants that day, but…. I DID IT!  It’s as if it made it all REAL. It was no longer this concept that swirled around in my head driving me coocoo for coco puffs.  I put it out there! There was no taking it back. The universe had a hold of it. I went all the way to the last 20 finalists, but wasn’t chosen for the show. Again, thank God for the closed doors. After I caught my breath from that 3 month audition process, I finally had the guts to start taping my ideas. The only video camera I had at the time was the one on my blackberry. I had no idea what I was doing (I still don’t really), but I had to start somewhere. Then my brave hubby offered his help as camera man and we got a decent little video camera. Our first attempt at a light set up was a nightstand lamp with a white sheet as a reflector. Ha! We have come a loooooong way! {GRATEFUL}

Here we are today. I’m grateful for the ease of Facebook, WordPress, YouTube and the ability to create the community that we have.  I had to stop and send YOU a heartfelt thank you for sharing, joining, watching, subscribing, and reading. Thank you for allowing me to try different things and discuss different topics, all with the pure intention of helping you build confidence, believe in yourself and truly love yourself and your own unique beauty + style. My dream of creating a SISTERHOOD is becoming a reality. Thank You God. Thank You Aaron (my hubby). Thank You Girls.

WHAT ARE YOU TRULY GRATEFUL FOR TODAY?

I highly recommend making gratitude lists on a regular basis. It will change your life. It’s simple:

I AM GRATEFUL FOR___________________.

I AM GRATEFUL FOR___________________.

I AM GRATEFUL FOR___________________.

I AM GRATEFUL FOR___________________.

I AM GRATEFUL FOR___________________.

I AM GRATEFUL FOR___________________.

I hope you can also be grateful for your journey and remember, never give up.

Love, Tiff