AMAZING Life Manifesto: Surround Yourself by Incredible People

Amazing Life Manifesto, Dreaming  //  24th September 2012

We received this advice a long time ago from one of our mentors and it is advice that we hold close to our hearts always.  Surround yourself by incredible people.

Jim Rohn said that, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”  Think about that.  Think about the 5 people that surround you the most and consider whether or not you want to be like them.  When we first did this exercise and thought this through a few years ago, we realized that the 5 people we were spending the most time with was not necessarily our family and friends… but it was our co-workers.

When you think about it, sometimes you spend more time with your co-workers than you do your immediate families.  That is CRAZY!  Sometimes it is not an easy answer, but truth be told… this is something you can do something about.

Think about the people that surround you and then think about the people that you wish made up those five people.  If those two lists are not the same, take action to make it the same.

There are people in your lives that will build you up and do anything to assure your happiness.  There are people in your lives that bring you smiles and help you relieve stress.  There are people in your lives that are doing amazing things and are having positive impact on the world around them.  If you ask us… those are the incredible people that you should surround yourself by.

Take some time this week to consider who those five people are in your life.  If they are not people that you want influencing your life… make change.

It could be as easy as making a phone call and/or scheduling a get together.  Now is the time.  Surround yourself by Incredible People. Have an AMAZING week!

AMAZING Life Manifesto: Pay it Forward

Amazing Life Manifesto, Dreaming  //  17th September 2012

The other day we were at Spoons enjoying some coffee and brunch after beautiful wedding the day before. We were chatting about the wedding when I overheard a lady at the bar ask for another mimosa and explain that she was coming off a full 2 week period of being full time momma without a break. She went on to explain that life as a single parent is not always the easiest, but she has a beautiful young daughter to go home to that makes her incredibly happy.

It was at that moment that I turned to Ryan and again thanked God for the amazing blessings in our lives.A little while later, the same lady asked for her check. The waitress replied that the young woman sitting across from her at the bar had already taken care of her bill. A look of shock and amazement immediately filled her face. She was in disbelief and immediately asked how she could reach the young lady to say thank you.We had just witnessed an amazing example of Paying It Forward. A complete stranger took the time to listen and do just a little something to make her day just a little bit better!

A simple gesture, such as paying for someone else’s meal, offering to watch a friend’s kids to give the parents a night out, or carrying a box for someone who looks like they could use some help can go such a long way. For the lady in Spoons who was on the receiving end, it restored her “faith in humanity.” One simple gesture can do so much!

This week, it is our hope that you find a way to Pay It Forward. Go out of your way to do something nice for someone. Let us know how you bring a smile to a stranger’s face this week! We can’t wait to hear.

AMAZING Life Manifesto: Have an Afternoon Dance Party!

Amazing Life Manifesto, Dreaming  //  10th September 2012

We are not exactly sure how it started, or why it started, but one day, I decided it would be fun to have an afternoon dance party.  So I stopped what I was doing, turned on some music, and preceded to have an afternoon dance party!  Liz looked at me like I was crazy and quickly began to laugh uncontrollably.  At that moment, I knew I had succeeded!   Because what is life without a little laughter and fun!  I pulled her out of her chair and we had an afternoon dance party in our living room.  It was probably one of the most fun afternoons of work ever!

Still not convinced? Research has shown that dancing reduces stress, increases energy, and lowers your risk of heart disease.  Plus it is super FUN!  And that is truly what makes an AMAZING life.  So get up and move, turn up the music and have an afternoon dance party!  And if you think you look silly, who cares!  Just watch our dance moves, yours can’t be any worse than ours! :)

As part of our brand re-launch, we asked all of our friends and family to have their own dance party!  We were so excited to see all the FUN videos from everyone so we wanted to continue the party!  Check them out on our Facebook Page! Get out your iPhones, Droids, 5D Mark II, or anything else that records video.  Celebrate your AMAZING life and share your moves with us on our Facebook page for your chance to win an iTunes gift card!!!

Plus, we are always adding to our dance party playlist, leave us some comment love and let us know what songs get you moving!!!

Congratulations to Ryan Ray, the winner of our Friday Favorites giveaway! 

An Intro to our weekly AMAZING Life Manifesto videos

Amazing Life Manifesto  //  5th September 2012

As we prepared for the launch of our new site, we took some time to think hard about what it is that we do and why we do it. The overarching theme that we came back to over and over again was “to live an amazing life” and help others live their own amazing life! We have been blessed in so many ways to seek out our passions and live out our dreams everyday. Life is not always easy, but if we go back to the basics and concentrate on the positives in our life… it is pretty darn amazing!

We are firm believers that everyone can live their own amazing lives! It is our goal to help people realize what makes their own lives amazing! We want to encourage people to seek out their dreams and the positives that surround them everyday!

Every week we will be sharing a video with you. The video will focus on a specific piece of our Amazing Life Manifesto. We hope that it will serve as a reminder to everyone to live your own amazing life daily!

We decided to start off our Manifesto Videos by highlighting “Dream BIG Dreams and Make Them Happen” because this is exactly what we are doing right now. The launch of this new site is exactly that: a BIG dream! Our dream is to create a platform where we can inspire the world to celebrate the positives in life and live the amazing life that people dream of.

So often people ask us how we got started doing what we do. We hear comments like, “gosh, I wish I could make food like Ryan makes” or “I wish I could start my own business and do what I enjoy everyday.” And the reality is that everyone CAN! Honestly, we are firm believers that anyone can DREAM BIG DREAMS AND MAKE THEM HAPPEN. We promise you… it is not luck and it does not just happen overnight. But, if you take the time to dream and you pour your heart and soul into something… saying prayers along the way… God will take care of you!

Everyone has dreams. Deep down, there is something in your mind that you “wish” you could do. Whatever that dream is, we hope that you will take time this week to write it down. Say it out loud. Tell a friend and ask them to hold you accountable. Take the time this week to dream. Turn the TV off, go to a coffee shop or sit under the stars and literally let your mind wander. Wherever it takes you, please write it down and take a step to make it happen! One step at a time… you will get to that dream. Sometimes the end result is not exactly how you pictured it originally… but that is God working his magic and one day it will all make sense! ;) In the meantime… enjoy the ride!

Cheers to Dreaming BIG Dreams and Making them happen!