Your Very Best Life

Dear Friend,

I hope that you had a fantastic 4th of July week ~and this finds you refreshed and recharged.  For many of us, we celebrated our country’s Independence with festivities that included people we love ~ friends & family, young & old, near & far.  Maybe your holiday was steeped in tradition ~ a parade, Great Grandma’s famous potato salad, a water balloon fight at dusk before the night sky was illuminated with brilliant bursts of glittering light.  Perhaps this year marked a new chapter and your celebration was a spontaneous one, or the beginning of new traditions to carry on in the years to come.    No matter where or how you spent your Independence Day, I would bet that you heard the sounds of laughter, voices  of loved ones catching up and visiting.  It’s likely that at least one person told you they loved you, and if you were anywhere in these United States of America, you heard the telltale BOOMs as fireworks erupted in every direction as the last light faded from the sky.

I’d like you to do something for me.  Close your eyes for a moment, and replay your day, all that you did, with all those around you, however, imagine that you couldn’t hear the laughter, couldn’t hear the conversations taking place around you, couldn’t hear the voice of someone expressing their love for you.

Now….. Imagine………. being able to give someone the GIFT of hearing.

I would like to invite you to join me in declaring the month of July as Independence Month, and together, playing a big game with one common goal…..SO THE WORLD MAY HEAR!
The Starkey Hearing Foundation is a remarkable organization dedicated to making a difference in the world.  As Bill Austin says, “Alone we can’t do much, but together we can change the world”, and you can see from their videos they are in fact changing the world each and every day.  I am certain that once you see what I have seen….your heart will be just as touched, just as moved, just as inspired.

Here is a link to view some of the missions that the Starkey Hearing Foundation did ~ One of my personal favorites, if you click on “Africa”, and then “Nairobi 2010”.  To experience witnessing the exact moment that these children hear for the first time – it takes your breath away.
Please take a moment right now, and click here:

http://www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org/hearing-missions.php?video=12

This is my request…. I know, that together, by opening our hearts, and giving what we can, whether that is $1, $5, $10, $100…. and by sharing this email with your networks, friends, colleagues, etc…and asking them to do the same, we can raise at least $10,000 in the next 3 weeks…. and, by leveraging the matching gift that has been granted to us, each dollar will actually turn into $5. So, by our raising $10,000, that becomes $50,000, and THAT my friends changes the lives of 200 children forever……
So, please join me, let’s rally, and together, make a difference….. SO THE WORLD MAY  HEAR.
Here is what to do next:

You can make a check out to:
Starkey Hearing Foundation

Please include your full  name & address along with

donation, and mail to me at the following address:

Riana M. Bennerotte
11346 Eagle View Terrace
Woodbury, Mn 55129

You can donate online by visiting:
http://www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org/individual-gift.php

When you get to the follow sections, please use these instructions:

Under “Gift Selection” and “I would like to donate for” -

SELECT : Million Dollar Club

Then, at the bottom, you will see a heading called “Tribute Information”
In the drop down box, SELECT:  Honorarium

In the box to the right where it says NAME: type:  Riana M. Bennerotte

Thank you for BEING Extraordinary…..

Thank You for Giving from your Heart

…so the world may hear!

Stand firmly in the space of honor.  Celebrate who you are and who you are not….. Commit to yourself right this second that you will NO LONGER settle.  Not in your career.  Not in your friendships.  Not in love.  Not in life.

If “it” makes you feel “less than”….consider it’s time to give “it” up and let it go.

Risky?  Maybe.

Scary? Likely

Worth it?  Absolutely…Your life depends on it.

I guarantee you, whatever is on the other side, is better than be burdened with waking each morning with a sense of misery and disdain as you go to work at a job that you despise.

I promise you, it will be better to be alone, than with a lover that does not cherish and adore you….has it ever felt amazing to be someone’s 2nd choice or worse yet, invisible?

I assure you, it will be better to let go of toxic friendships with those whom only encourage and support dreams and lives as big (or usually as small) as their own.

let your light shine…Bright. BIG. Blinding.
You deserve it you know…

Welcome to your Monday.

I LOVE Mondays…it’s a new week:  fresh, clean, energy is high with possibilities.

If you play your week like a game, you can experience multiple wins.

It could look like this:

• Make your Game Plan :  Break your week into 5 or 6 major categories ( work, family, health, appointments, fun, personal development/spirituality, etc)

• Block out your calendar to reflect the times you are allocating to the categories you created.  (rule of life #316:  if you don’t plan it, it won’t happen, so, yes, put “morning walk” or “call my girlfriend Jules & catch up” or “read something that will matter” IN YOUR CALENDAR!)

• Jot down the 5 most important things that need to happen this week to move you in the direction of your dreams. Put a copy of this list in your car, on your desk, on your bathroom mirror, places where you will see it multiple times a day.
• Make a “master task list” for the week… Fill in the allotted time with tasks, spread over the week, including scheduled appts, calls, etc…

• Pick a theme for the week (or each day if you prefer) & be intentional about it.

For instance, today, my theme is energy & completion.  So, I have created a quick playlist in Itunes this morning, filled with music that gives me energy. As I am listening (and occasionally singing really loud because it’s just me and Bella the cat here this morning), I have entered my master list into my task list & set reminders for my calendar.  It’s one day at a time, one hour at a time… I will deviate, I will fall off track, I will get sucked into an email, which takes me to a website, which I will click through and then, I will realize it’s been 30 minutes…. and I’ll get back on track. I realized long ago, a plan is critical, without one, forget about it… whatever “it” is, isn’t going to magically happen.

However, I’ve discovered it’s equally critical to realize in every plan there has to be some flex, and the ability to let yourself off the hook when you stray… Give up the drama around it… take a breath, and get back to it… You have to be able to roll with it, or you will forever feel like you are drowning.

Play with it….set it up so it makes sense and works for YOU… so much more rewarding than working “someone else’s system/agenda” and always feeling like you are just running blind, and never get there…

So, my wish for you, for today, this week, and moving forward… that every Monday from here on out, You Create Magic instead of Managing Mania….. and live Your Very Best Life.  Cheers.

Much Love,
R

07 White Christmas

I am sitting here on this snowy Christmas Eve morning in my living room, listening to the soft sounds of Christmas music, and enjoying the warmth of the fireplace and the sparkly glow from the lights on the tree.

For some, this is truly the most wonderful time of the year…celebrations abound, joy and cheer overflow with friends and family, the uninhibited giggles as little ones gaze upon the gifts under the tree ~ wondering if they will hear Santa as he magically slips in during their sweet slumber.

This day of the year has always been about magic for me… for as long as I can remember.  Since my birth, I believe there was only a single Christmas Eve that was not spent at Grammy & Bumpy’s house.  Mama and I would pack up the car, and the 90 minute drive would seem endless.  We would pull into the driveway, and it was as if mother nature had created the scene straight out of a Thomas Kinkade painting.  The enormous pine trees beautifully flocked with crystal snow… the horses in the pasture, who would run along the fence as we drove in, their winter coats thick and full, the lights in the trees in the front the the house, all leading up the moment when the front door would open wide when they saw us drive in, and the smells of Christmas, and family, and Tradition would envelop me in a the warm hugs of their arms.

After church, the rest of our family would come back to the house, uncles and aunties and cousins….our family tradition on Christmas Eve has always been Hors d’Oeuvres for our meal, usually a little champagne toast, and wonderful conversation and laughter as we catch up and talk about what is happening in our lives, the world, and reminisce about things we remember from when we were young….

When the excitement was too much to bear any longer, we would all move to the living room and the fire would crackle, and we would say a prayer, or read a special story, and then, the sounds of paper tearing and squeals of excitement filled the house.

On Christmas morning, when I was a little girl, Bumpy would take me up on the roof (it was flat!), and to my amazement there were always sleigh tracks, tiny hoof prints and either a tiny little halter or a jingle bell or two that was “left behind”…..   That, was pure MAGIC.

As a mommy, it makes my heart full to pass on some of that magic to my little girl…. wouldn’t you know ~ last year, “Donner” happened to “throw a shoe” when Santa’s sleigh landed on our deck…. thankfully, it was covered with magic Christmas glitter, and it caught Madi’s eye glistening in the sun.

I know that for some, this is the hardest time of year, missing loved ones who are no longer with us, longing for tradition and connection but spending the holidays alone, grieving the loss of a marriage and feeling as though there is an empty space in their heart.  It is for you, I share this next wish….Know that those who are not here are here in spirit, and live on forever in the love that you had for them…when you look into the night sky, see them in the stars, as they twinkle and shine bright in the darkest dark, they are there…..loving you right back.  When we give love, we open up our hearts to receive love.  When we comfort another, we open up our spirits to receive comfort ourselves.  When we create magic where there was none, we open up our life to see the magic all around us.

Wherever you are on this day, however you are spending this night, when you awake tomorrow morning, let your heart be filled with love, your spirit soft with comfort, and be present to the magic in your life…..

Merry Christmas from my heart to yours….
I am sending you love and magic

Always,
~R

So…..Now What?

We’ve all been there….you put something together, from idea to execution, feel like all bases are covered, details completed, stars are aligned ~ and then…. Along  comes a 30 foot wave of disappointment, which then crashes down so hard, you aren’t sure which way is up.  Now What?

It is said that success isn’t determined by what happens to you in this life, it’s how you respond to what happens….  It is my belief that in that moment, is where our future lives.

Give In. Give Up. Move On. You Tried.

That is one option. One that I would say largely dominates because it gives us permission to comfortably, justifiably, lick our wounds and move in the direction of what some may describe as “safe.”  I invite you to consider that moving in that direction, is most likely  opposite of moving in the direction of your dreams.

In the same sense that allowing ourselves to believe that life “is what it is” (i literally cringe when I hear people say this, as it is such powerless statement, drenched in “victim”, and topped with a sprinkle of cynicism), there is another equally powerful “trap”….. the one of staying stuck and doing nothing because the fear of being “wrong” or “failing” is greater than your current ability to see beyond that fear.

Here’s is what I know….. Success, most always, comes only after there have been some considerable “failures” ~ or, as I prefer to call them, “Rehearsals.” How do you get better? How do you get beyond what isn’t working?  You tweak, you alter, you fine tune….and you do it again.  and again. and again.

Keep your eyes and your heart focused on the impact that pursuing and achieving this goal / dream will have on your life, your family, your community, your world.

Do not allow negativity and doubt to steal your passion and vision.

Do acknowledge what is true and present for you in this moment…be sad, angry, deflated, anxious, frustrated, embarrassed, whatever it may be, give yourself a specific and limited amount of time to process and then be done.  Pick yourself up, grab a pen and something to write on and reaffirm what it is that you are creating and what this accomplishment will give you.  Get clear and definite about your purpose.  Create your reality with your thoughts and your language…the two most powerful tools we have.

Surround yourself with people who are better, smarter, more spiritual, wealthier, more successful, more focused, more loving than you are….as we are all the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with…limit your time with those who try to keep you thinking, speaking, living in the realm of what is “common”, rather than supporting and encouraging you to shift your thinking, speaking, and living into the realm of what is possible.

Imagine if Thomas Edison had listened to all those folks who kept rallying for him to “Give Up. Give In. Move On.” after 10,000 “rehearsals”, he created the light bulb.

What will be your light bulb?

Shine.
Live, Love, Give…….

~R

Every person deserves to be cherished, honored, appreciated.
Ever soul had the divine brilliance to light the world.

Let go of fear, step into your greatness
it is your birthright to love, be loved
& create the life you dream of.

Prosperity
Success
Vitality
Love
Joy

Focus all of your thoughts, words, intentions, actions on only the positive
Banish limiting beliefs and petty negativity
Realize and Remember that your playing small has never served you or this world….

Live Love Give

Much Love,
R

There are typically two kinds of people when it comes to being in the kitchen.  There are those that follow a recipe and hope that when they put all the ingredients together, it ends up looking like the full color glossy in Martha’s latest cookbook.  Then, there are those that take a basic staple, and then create from there, usually based on what is in the pantry and the fridge at that moment.  These “creations” generally fall on one side of the spectrum or the other……. Incredible, or Inedible.

I would say that for most of us, we could liken who we are in the kitchen, to who we are in our business, our relationships, our lives….  I know, it’s a fairly big leap, but think about it for a moment, see what comes up.

In this new era of economics, where the old rules no longer apply…… I think there has been a piece of the conversation that has been lacking.  For many of us, who have chosen careers on a ‘nontraditional’ platform such as business owners, entrepreneurs, coaches, network marketing professionals, etc etc etc….. we have already been living in the space of “there is another way”, “another option besides working to create someone else’s wealth”, “creating a life around what you love, and molding your work to fit in, vs. working on someone else’s timeline, and trying to squeeze a few moments a day with those you love, doing things you love” .

However, I would say, that in this shift, in this new way of doing things, there needs to be another element, even for those of us who are already “Outliers” (if you haven’t already, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Outliers”…. Fascinating stuff).
I believe that a blending of a tried and true recipe that has long been a family favorite for generations, with a dash of this, a little less of that, and maybe pairing it with a great Prosecco instead of the traditional Merlot you have always served……and voila’ ~ the best of both worlds, no?

My point is, unless you liken yourself to an Emeril or the Barefoot Contessa, likely your off the cuff creations will lean more toward the inedible side of the spectrum.  Conversely, if you only make what you have always made, and are afraid to add a little cayenne to something sweet or a pinch of brown sugar in a red sauce…. You may just end up missing out on what could be the new family favorite for the next generations to come……

Don’t be afraid to add you to the mix.  Just because you have been taught and trained by the  chef’s of the world (ranging from your Nana, to your crazy Italian auntie, to Ingrid Hoffman & Julia Child), doesn’t mean there isn’t room for the next Rachel Ray or Bobby Flay….. Capice?

Be Bold. Be You.

Delight in the Details.

Live Love Give….    ~R

When you wake in the morning, and think of your “job” or your “career”…do you feel energized or exhausted?  When was the last time that you really evaluated what lights you up?  I have an invitation and a challenge…..
in the next 24 hours, schedule some time (as in BLOCK OUT YOUR CALENDAR) for an appointment with yourself.  Quiet, free of distractions, (if you have to jump in the car, drive to a park and walk into the “woods” to get away….do so) and LISTEN…
What do you hear when you ask the question…if I could do anything for a career, what would it be?  What would you do if time, money, space, were not considerations?  What are you passionate about?  What is as natural to you as breathing?  What gets you jazzed when you have the opportunity to do that?  Is is fly-fishing? Cooking? skydiving? scrapbooking? golf? photography? writing? painting? gardening? etc etc etc…
I urge you……………………. I beg you………………….. FIGURE IT OUT…. and find a way to make your work match up with your passion…
~When passion and opportunity meet…. MAGIC happens.

Much Love,
R

Last night was extraordinary. It was one of those nights that I fell asleep very tired, slept for about 3 hours, and woke up wide awake and with more electricity in my brain than a lightning storm mid summer.
When I opened my eyes to look at the clock, I had literally hundreds of thoughts and ideas and fragments streaming in my head….it was like the conveyor belt at the beginning of Laverne and Shirley. Given that I am no stranger to utilizing the quiet hours when the rest of the world is dreaming…I got up and went down to my office to put this barrage of creative chaos on paper in hopes that would give me the ability to recapture the state of sleep. Two hours later, I lifted the pen from the many pages of paper and realized that what I was looking at was the blueprint to a significant “ah~ha” moment. I’ve been reading a classic… “Think & Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill (the 21st century updated edition). One of the most powerful things that has crystalized is the critical importance of definiteness of purpose…. If you aren’t clear what it is that you want….you will sit in mediocrity hell for decades and wonder why you aren’t getting the “secret”. The other thing that I have gotten present to again is paying attention. How many times do you get a “nudge” or a “flash” or a “feeling” about something and brush it off as not possible, or worse, insignificant? I have ignored those flashes for too long… so caught up in guilt and shame and frantic exhaustion around the “should haves” that I couldn’t see the gifts of brilliance and opportunity coming from my heart of hearts. My wish for you tonight is that you stop. listen. feel. look. see……and when you have flashes of inspiration…grab it. Fairy Dust and Fireflies may just set you free…..

Live Love Give.

~R

I found myself up in Northern Minnesota (very Northern…48 miles to the Canadian border northern).  We rented a cabin that sat directly on the majestic Great Lake Superior.  The water crashing against the rocks just below the deck was an amazing sound….familiar like the waves of the ocean, but instead of the soft, warm, lull, these waves had an icy, cold, almost aggressive presence.  The 25 degree temperature change from the city was semi-shocking, but the moment that the cabin door opened to a crackling wood burning fire in the fireplace, it was like a surprise treat that you didn’t realize you were going to get.  Settling in,    getting unpacked, plugging in the chargers for the various devices that need charging….I noticed that my Iphone said “No Service”.  Hhmm… well, no big deal, likely, I will turn it off, turn it back on, and it will reset to the network up here.  Not so much.  Maybe if I go stand out on the deck, it will find it’s signal.  Nada.  Ok, I know, I will walk up the beautiful tree-lined hill of the driveway, as the dense forest of trees surrounding the cabin must be blocking the tower.  No dice.   After the initial feeling like my chest was a little tight, my breathing a little labored, and my anxiety showing up in  that plaguing feeling of what if someone is trying to reach me, and they need something, and I don’t know that they are trying to reach me, and and and and ….

wow.

Hours of uninterrupted time, to walk through nature, capture moments in time with my camera, snuggle Madi on my lap reading books, no status updates, no tweets, no emails, no texts, no voice-mails.

Just being present, and totally in the moment….completely disconnected from the strings of technology, and extraordinarily connected by the strings of the heart……….. ♥ ♥ ♥