Fortune Cookie Friday: Success!

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Greetings my fellow bee-peeps!

First of all, I want to thank all of you who reached out and congratulated me on positively b.e.e.’s Liebster Award. Whether you emailed, commented on social media, or commented on the blog, you all really made my week! =)

After all of that excitement, though, I am definitely ready for a fortune cookie, aren’t you?

(For those of you who are new here, welcome! I have a regular feature called Fortune Cookie Friday, where I use a fortune to kick off a topic. You can read more about how it started.)

Ready? Okay, let’s go:

For success today look first to yourself.

Pretty much does what it says on the tin, doesn’t it? 

When I look around me, I see a lot of blame-shifting in our culture and society, in general. I’m not pointing to specific people, but for instance, when we process the things or events in our lives that are going wrong, we have a natural tendency as human beings to “explain” why things went wrong or didn’t go our way, but what we’re really doing is “blaming” someone or something instead of taking responsibility. 

Yes, sometimes “stuff happens,” and it’s out of your control. But those events are few and far between; the majority of the time, it was in your control. (Generic "you" here, guys!)

That said, be honest with yourself: does this resemble you?

It sure resembled me, for a very, very long time. 

For me, it really took a swift self-kick in the tuckus to start disrupting those old patterns of blame in my life and shift my energy more towards: enlightenment, learning, self-awareness, responsibility, and ownership. 

I hope this inspires you to take a look at your patterns, too. Knowing that we are the key to our own success is an empowering thing! 

Have a great week, everyone! 

 ~positively b.e.e. is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Follow me there!~

Want to learn how to be successful having a proofreading income? 

Fortune Cookie Friday: Small Steps

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Hello everyone! Welcome to the first post and first fortune cookie of 2019! I want to start by wishing you all a very happy new year! 

I hope it is everything you wish it to be! Which brings me to today's fortune: 

A journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step. 

This fortune is from a meal that Fred and I shared with my parents the other day.  

I decided to post this as the first fortune of the year because of its message. It's appropriate for the new year, don't you think? 

With each new year, we're culturally primed to do a bit of a "reset"—we set resolutions, start new projects, create new goals, or wipe the slate clean from the year before. So this seems like the perfect time to consider our journeys.

So what do I mean when I say "journey"?  Well, that really is up to you. We could be talking about your entire life, or we could be talking about one portion, like a dream you have, something you've always wanted to do with your life.

Big or small, every goal or dream is able to be broken down into actionable steps, and every step is worthwhile, no matter how small. And that's why this fortune really spoke to me.

Let me give you an example from my own life: I always felt like I'd want to start my own business, but I was a little wary of the steps involved. I didn't want to have to deal with paperwork and taxes and all that jazz.

And then I saw an online course that really spoke to me, so I took it.

Taking that course was only beginning of my journey to entrepreneurship. My business started with just one small, simple step:  I took a course to learn new skills.

Since then, there have been more steps, too: I built a website (something I'd never done before). I made business cards. I started telling people about my dreams. I joined professional societies. And I've taken many, many more steps since then.

And I'm happy! Life is good! Isn't that what our journey in life is about? To do the things that make us feel fulfilled?

Sometimes, things have been difficult, but it's WORTH IT. I just keep taking small steps forward on my bigger journey, and they are starting to pay off.

I hope this gives you some food for thought?

Tell me, what journey are you on? I'd love to hear about your small steps, too. And if you'd like to read more about my own business journey, you can read about it here. We can learn from and inspire each other!

Have a great week, and a wonderful journey!

 ~positively b.e.e. is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Follow me there!~

It's All About Perspective

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Today I would like to share with you the story of Brother Orange.

But before we get to the story, let me ask you some questions: how would you react if your iPhone or other costly device were stolen? 

Would you panic? 

Get angry? 

Feel violated?

Or would you embark on an adventure to the other side of the world and make a new friend for life?

Wait ... WHAT did I just say? 

I happened upon the CRAZIEST story on YouTube the other day, and it got me thinking about how sometimes a bad thing can turn into a good thing, and what we get out of it is all about how we perceive it. Additionally, how we choose to respond (not react) can make all the difference in the world. And finally, that human beings are capable of connecting and forming strong bonds regardless of background, culture, or language barriers...which then got me to thinking: why don't we ALL do that, all the time? 

Anyway, here's the story:

This guy, Matt Stopera, was out at a bar with some friends one night, and he had his iPhone on the table in front of him. After a few drinks, he'd forgotten about it sitting there, and next thing he knew...it was GONE! 

He went to buy a new iPhone the next day, and thought nothing more about it. Quite some time later, Matt noticed some photos being uploaded to his iCloud account. The photos were all of this one guy who appeared to be in China, posing in front of an orange tree.

Matt did a bit of digging, and then, because he's a writer for Buzzfeed, he started writing about it. And then Twitter exploded with people trying to find the guy who had Matt's phone. It went absolutely viral!

Here, just watch Matt tell the story in his own words:

(Disclaimer: parents, use discretion; there is bleeped-out language in the video.) 

This story was so heartwarming! Here are two guys from totally opposite ends of the planet: different life stories, different cultures, different languages...and yet, they formed a strong bond, like that of brothers, and it all came to pass because something bad had happened to one of them, but he embraced it instead of resisting it.

Imagine if we all just saw the world not as who has wronged us, or why someone's political opinion is wrong, or how someone's religion isn't right. Imagine if we just stopped painting people with broad strokes.

What if we all just CONNECTED, human to human, soul to soul, and took the time to see the beauty in the other person, no matter a language barrier, or a different political or religious belief, or any of that other stuff that really just doesn't matter?

Can we really shift our perspective?

These guys just proved it's possible. Instead of being mad that his cell phone was stolen and assigning blame to Brother Orange, Matt Stopera kept an open mind and made a new friend for life.

It's a beautiful story, in my opinion, and I hope you'll take something away from it. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, too, so drop me a comment below and let's start a dialogue!

~ Shift your perspective. ~

🍊

~ Just BE love.  ~
💛
~ The rest doesn't matter. ~

🐝

 ~positively b.e.e. is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Follow me there!~



More sources: Buzzfeed / Buzzfeed / Huffington Post / Ellen Show

Fortune Cookie Friday: Always a Valley

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Howdy, all! We're going to use a little creative visualization this week. 😁🚴🌄

So there you were, cruising on your bike, feeling the breeze against your face and coursing through your hair. You're enjoying a ride in a beautiful valley, taking in the scenery as you casually pedal through the countryside. 

And then:

Always a valley before a hill.

...there was that hill in front of you. 

So what do you do? 

You shift gears, pedal harder, and you get up that hill, right? You know there'll be another valley on the other side of that hill. 

See the valleys as a gift: they give us an opportunity to rest, regroup, enjoy our surroundings, and be ready for the hills ahead of us. Life will always have its ups and downs, but what we make of them is up to us. We can appreciate the easy ride in the valleys and push through to conquer the hills when they happen. Being able to shift gears is a useful skill, too; it allows us to aim our resources where we need to when presented with challenges, giving us a more effective path to success.

What does this week's fortune mean to you? It can be read a few different ways, but the above is what shouted the loudest to me. I'd love to hear what shouted out to you, so please drop me a comment below!

Have a great weekend! 💛🐝

 ~positively b.e.e. is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Follow me there!~

I've linked to a book that may help, below.

Fortune Cookie Friday: A Clean Conscience

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Hi everyone! A little housekeeping before we get to this week's fortune: there will not be a Fortune Cookie Friday next week due to my travel plans. Instead, I hope to be able to make an update or two from the Mountain Gypsies' Gathering 2018, either on my Facebook page or here. I hope you'll tune in for some updates instead of a fortune next weekend. :)

Ok, now that that's out of the way, let's look at our fortune for this week:

A clean conscience is a good pillow.

I love that I got this one this week, because the other day I was fretting about something that was making me mad, and it was getting pretty late at night. I didn't want to go bed angry, so I just... LET IT GO!

I slept great, too!

You see, while I believe having angry feelings may be normal, it does not need to take up my brain space or my soul space beyond the initial moments in which I have that feeling, so I just stopped. Once I empowered myself by setting some emotional boundaries and decided that I get to choose my reactions, I was able to clear my mind and rest.

I chose to rest.

So while the word in this fortune is "conscience," I'd take that one step further and replace it with the word "mind." If you have something on your conscience or mind, don't let it fester.

Before you go to bed each night, consider some of the following:

• Saying I love you.
• Saying I'm sorry.
• Being grateful.
• Not going to bed angry.
• Asking for forgiveness.
• Forgiving YOURSELF.
• Smiling.

When we engage in simple steps like these, we raise our positivity and gratitude quotients, leaving less room for the ugly stuff. We can truly let our souls and our minds rest and rejuvenate while we sleep.

What are some of your tips for a clean conscience or rested mind?

Drop me a line and let me know! I'd love for you to share them. Have a great weekend, everybody! Get some rest! 💛🐝✨

 ~positively b.e.e. is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Follow me there!~

Fortune Cookie Friday: Riches Coming

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Greetings, fellow fortune lovers! I hope this week has treated you well!

Today's fortune was sent in by a reader, and not only is it a good one, it looks delicious, doesn't it? I don't think I've seen a chocolate-covered fortune cookie before I saw this one!

There are riches headed your way.

(If they meant rich chocolate, they weren't kidding!)

Anyway, all joking aside, I think this one is about what we value in our lives.

How do you define "riches?"

To me, "riches" doesn't refer only to money or tangible goods. It can mean many intangible but worthwhile things, such as family, friends, and experiences.

I've said it before: our mindset will set our expectations. I'm not the only person out there who knows that words have power, or that how we think affects our reality.

To apply those concepts to this fortune: if we value things other than money, we'll always be rich.

For instance, I believe I am rich because:

• I am loved.
• I have friends.
• There are beautiful flowers blooming and spring is finally here!
• There's a really cute bunny in my yard right now.
• I have 40+ years of experiences to reflect upon, with more new ones to be created each day.

These are just a few examples.

I know this is one of those mind-bendy things that is so simple it seems hard. I didn't always think this way, and it has taken me some years to get there. It started with a regular gratitude practice and then went from there.

But I'll let you in on a little secret: from that work has come more peace. 🕊

And for me, peace is one of the most valuable of the "riches."

Thanks to the reader who sent this one in! If you'd like yours to be featured, please send a clear photo of your fortune cookie fortune through the Facebook page. Drop me a line and let me know what you think of this one! I'd love to hear what riches are in your lives! 🐝

 ~positively b.e.e. is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Follow me there!~

Fortune Cookie Friday: If It Seems Fates Are Against You

(This post may contain affiliate links, by which I may be financially compensated. See Disclaimers & Policies on my About page.) 

Hi everyone! Buckle in, because today's fortune cookie may SEEM like a doozy, but I think if we get out of the box and really think about it, there's a great message here:

If it seems fates are against you today, they probably are.

💥*needle scratches on the record* 💥

Wait a minute... WHAT?!

Isn't this supposed to be a positivity blog?

I have to admit, when I opened this cookie the other night, I was a little mad that I'd gotten it. I didn't want to post about it. I thought it was "too negative" and wondered about the manufacturer letting something like get into a fortune cookie.

But then I realized that I was just playing into a story that some slip of paper wedged into a crispy, delicious, baked novelty was saying and I was taking that story WAY too literally, so I stopped with all that and instead got thinking about "How can this cookie possibly disrupt negativity?"

Well...let me break it down here.

What we THINK is going on ISN'T ALWAYS what is going on. 

Let me repeat that:

What we THINK is going on ISN'T ALWAYS what is going on.

If you "think" the fates are against you, they always will be, but we can change how we think.

If it "seems" the fates are against you—then change your fate. Things aren't always as they seem.

Our inner monologue will directly affect our outlook, perception, and experience. In order to have the result we want, we need to CHANGE our inner story, CHANGE what we're telling ourselves, and not play into a negative mindset. It is so easy to just slide into a "woe is me" about a situation sometimes, but it doesn't have to be that way.

What's the worst thing that can happen if you choose your reaction to something instead of just reacting? If you choose to smile when you're sad? If you choose to reach out to a friend when you're hurting? If you choose to take even one step in the direction of bettering yourself?

Yeah, I know, feelings are normal. Look, I'm not perfect. I get negative feelings, too. It's normal to feel them. To suppress them wouldn't be ideal, and you can't simplify this to one blog post, wave a magic wand, and say "All better now!"

So go ahead: feel them...and then choose to move past them and put your wishes out there into the world to feel better, to feel empowered, to feel like you can do something about a situation—whatever the case may be, where you're feeling like the fates, the world, the universe—whatever—is against you.

You might be surprised at how the fates suddenly align when you align your thoughts.

So, I mentioned that this cookie made me mad, initially, but now, I like it! I think it's a good reminder to us all to keep our thoughts square with how we want our lives to be.

Drop me a line on social media or a comment below and let me know: how did this cookie make you feel? Do you have another take on it? As always, I'd love to know! 🐝

If you want to have your fortune cookie featured on positively b.e.e., send me a message through Facebook with a photo. Want some fortune cookies of your own? You can order them here!


~ positively b.e.e. is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Follow me there! ~


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Fortune Cookie Friday: Define Your Own Life

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Hi everyone, and welcome back to Fortune Cookie Friday on positively b.e.e.! Some readers have sent in a few fortunes, so you'll be seeing those in coming weeks.

Here's a good one that just came in:

Accept no other definition of your life, accept only your own.

This one is so empowering, and I wholeheartedly agree! Live life on your own terms, not on someone else's.

Leave a comment and tell me: how do you define your life, or, if you want to redefine your life, what do you think you would do first?

For me, I've finally learned that just being myself is enough, and I'm happy with that. I have less focus on being what others want me to be, and more focus on being who I want to be, instead. This is part of what made it easier for me to decide to leave a traditional job setting and go about things a bit differently.

If you want to contact me there is a form on the front page, or reach out on social media! If sending a fortune cookie, you can reach me on the Facebook page and send me a picture of your fortune.

Have a great—and empowered—weekend!

🐝

 ~~ positively b.e.e. is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Follow me there! ~~

Fortune Cookie Friday: Watch One's Thoughts

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Greetings, fellow fortune cookie lovers! Today's fortune is a good one, once again.

Watch one's thoughts, as they become actions. 

There's a theory out there that what we think is what our reality will be. I know this holds true for me. Anyone who's read The Secret or practiced mind over matter would probably know what I'm talking about.

I like to "keep a clean house," mentally. I find that if I start using certain language, that language does have the power to affect my perception of the world. This cookie reminds me to keep my thoughts aligned with how I want my life to be.

What does this saying mean to you? Comment below or on social media. I'd love to hear your thoughts! 🐝


 ~~ positively b.e.e. is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Follow me there!

Fortune Cookie Friday: Make Your Life A Mission

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Ok guys, if you read the last Fortune Cookie Friday post, you'd have seen that that one referred to life being a play.

And then:  THIS cookie was the next one I opened:

Make your life a mission, not an intermission.

What is up with the theatrical references lately?! That's pretty neat!

Just last week, we talked about how, if life is a play, that you should choose the role that you want in it, before the curtain comes down.

This fortune is a great follow-up to that, isn't it?

And it's pretty simple, to me: don't treat life like an intermission. Life isn't simply a break where you run and get some coffee or a beer, or maybe go stand in line for the bathroom before the lights flicker, signaling that it's time to rush back and re-take your seat for the next act. Blink, and you miss it. Intermissions always go too fast.

Treat life like your mission. Don't waste it on mundane things. If you don't like where life is going, then make a plan and tackle it. Start by writing a mission statement. What would you change in order to feel like you were living fully?

A mission statement can be a simple one-sentence statement, from which other things can then grow. I'll start with the sentence that I had in my head when I started this site:

My mission at positively b.e.e. is to disrupt negativity by focusing on positivity, light, joy, and gratitude.

And now it's your turn: what's your mission? 

Comment below or on social media if you want to share your mission or any additional thoughts! And if you want any of your fortune cookies to be featured on Fortune Cookie Friday, feel free to send me pictures of your fortunes.

Have a great weekend! 🐝



~ positively b.e.e. is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Follow me there! ~

Fortune Cookie Friday: Life Is A Play

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Hello, and welcome back to Fortune Cookie Friday! And welcome to our new readers, too!

If you're new to positively b.e.e., the idea is simple: I will be using some Fridays to post bits of wisdom that come from fortune cookies I have opened, or ones that you share with me. I use the saying inside to think intuitively, and then share those thoughts with you. If you'd like to play along, make sure to get some cookies the next time you get Chinese food, or you can order some here.

Alright, let's get started. Today's is a good one, and I was so excited when I opened it!

Life is a play. It's not its length, but its performance that counts. 

So, I have some questions for you:

Are you the playwright? Are you writing the script and deciding how the storyline will progress? Are you dictating how the characters interact, creating relationships, and figuring out what plot points will move the story forward?

Photo by Wei-Cheng Wu on Unsplash

Or are you an actor, following someone else's script? Maybe someone else wrote it, and a director is calling the shots, giving you notes, and telling you how to play it, but you can bring your interpretation and motivation and emotional range to the play and make it a moving and memorable performance that wows your audience.

Maybe you're the stage manager. Someone else may have written the script, and other people are out front making that script come alive on stage, but you take the necessary actions behind the scenes to make it all happen. You create the unseen magic and make others look good, while providing a seamless, enjoyable experience to the audience without them even realizing that you've done it. You're a bit of an unsung hero.

Or maybe, just maybe: you're the director. You see the plan set out by the playwright, and you have a vision for it. You can interpret it and harness the creative and technical resources to make the play happen beautifully. It becomes a masterpiece under your expert guidance.

All of these roles, both figuratively and in life, are valid and meaningful. Everyone, no matter what their role, brings something of value to the table. Each person has something to contribute, as long as they show up.

But if life is a play: are you happy with your role, or do you want to change it up? Are you contributing to your life in the way that you want to? Who do you want to be: the playwright, the actor, the stage manager, or the director? Or someone else?

We don't know how long the play will be. It could be a one-act play, or it might have several acts with intermissions, but no matter how you play it or what your role is, ENJOY IT. Take charge of your own happiness and play the role YOU want to play. After all, we are only promised RIGHT NOW.

This play is the play we're in, so let's make it the best-produced play ever, okay? 

Live your best life always.

Oh, and one final thought: who cares about the critics or what they say—some will love you, and some will hate you, so just live your best life anyway...

...before the curtain comes down.

Photo by Rob Laughter on Unsplash

💛🐝


Comment below or contact me through social media (links below) and let me know if you have any fortunes you want to share!

 ~ positively b.e.e. is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Follow me there! ~

Your Monday Inspiration: Mr. Blue Sky

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It's been raining like the dickens in Pittsburgh! Sometimes I wonder if we'll ever see blue skies again. Someday the outside will look more like the one to the right...right?

Taken on a much nicer day.

I don't know what it's been doing wherever you live, but I learned something about my adopted city this year. I learned that some years, Pittsburgh has fewer days of sunshine than Seattle, a city known for its rain!

According to one of my local newspapers, there has been precipitation of some kind on 19 of the first 23 days of the month of February. And according to my local weatherman, we are more than 4 inches above average for precipitation for this month, as well!

At any rate, rain tends to make us a bit down and depressed and dreary, doesn't it? Plus, it's Monday, which I know can be rough on some people. So without further adieu, here's a song that always makes me happy!

According to the Wikipedia article about this song, Jeff Lynne was inspired after being holed up in a Swiss chalet with nothing but miserable weather—and then the sun came out and he wrote an entire 14-song album in 2 weeks!

I'm so glad he wrote it—I can't help dancing in my chair right now!

Hope you enjoyed this little Monday pick-me-up! Have a great week!


🐝

 ~~ positively b.e.e. is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Follow me there!

Staying Chipper While Chipping Ice Off Of The Windshield

So I don't know about you guys, but it's COLD here in Pittsburgh. We are lucky to get into double digits. The East Coast is currently being slammed by something called a "bomb cyclone" (WHAT??? is that????) The South is experiencing icy temps. And people are generally just trying to survive it all. I've heard so many tales of dead batteries, car doors not closing, and pipes freezing that it's kind of unreal.

But you know what? We might be entering the time of year that bitter temps are prevalent in certain areas, but I noticed something else: it's after 5 o'clock and still light out. :) And when I drive to work in the morning, it's not totally "o'dark thirty" -- there's actually some light for part of my commute! This is exciting! I'm gonna hold onto this for now!

So take hope, guys! We'll get through it! In the meantime, I'm bundling up and repeating my "words have power" mantra to myself and telling myself I'm totally warm right now!

I took a "current situation" photo today to cheer someone up, so why not, I'll share it with you, too. Here's my "But I don't WANNA get out of the warm truck to go outside!" look. 😄

Wherever you are, stay safe and warm and remember this will pass, ok? ❤️🐝 Comment below to let me know how you are coping!

positively b.e.e. is on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest! Follow me there!