A Theory in Practice.

Some flower guides from yuecrossing who’s on instagram and twitter

This is my first photo with BUB next our last photo together.

On the morning of Sunday, December 1st 2019 we lost the purest, kindest and most magical living force on our planet. BUB was cheerful and full of love laying in our bed with us Saturday night, but unexpectedly passed away peacefully in her sleep.. I have always been fully transparent about BUB’s health, and it was no secret that she was battling a persistent and aggressive bone infection.  Even knowing this, we weren’t expecting her to pass so soon or so abruptly without warning.  I truly believe that she willingly made the decision to leave her failing body so that our family would not have to make that difficult decision ourselves. 

It is impossible to put into words the profound effect that BUB has had on my life, on the lives of thousands of homeless pets, and on the lives of those of you that have cared for her as if she were your own family. She taught me everything that I know about unconditional love, she brought my wife Stacy and I together, she’s the reason we have our beautiful children Rosco and Lula, and she has been a constant source of warmth and love in our lives for the past 8 years. To say that our family is devastated would be an understatement. But most importantly, BUB has made a huge difference in the world of animal welfare, and in the lives of millions of people worldwide. She has literally saved thousands of lives (both pets and humans), she started the first national fund for special needs pets, she was the subject of groundbreaking genetic and biological  research, she’s helped raise over $700,000 for animals in need, and has spread a message of determination, positivity, and perseverance to people all over the world. And even though my heart is absolutely crushed by her graceful departure from planet Earth,  I know that her sprit, magic, and overwhelming energy are still with us, reminding us every day to be better.

<3

make your bed to immediately make your room look more put together

water first, then coffee or tea

pray or meditate, even just for ten minutes, to set the tone for your day

browse the news headlines ( & read the articles that interest you when you’ve got time)

wear something you feel b o m b in

listen to music while doing your daily activities-commuting, cleaning, cooking, exercising

smile at at least two people

smile at YOURSELF

call or message someone you love

eat food that makes you feel radiant

make lists of things you need to accomplish for the day

stretch for 10 minutes

record in your phone the positive thoughts you have so you can remember them

carry water with you (always always always)

shut off your phone for an hour and have some ME time

take a hot shower or bath at the end of a stressful day

try to make plans to spend time with someone at least once a week

think about 3 things you are grateful for at the end of each day

do something calming, relaxing, and non-electronic 30 minutes before you sleep

My career advice has been the same for years: your colleagues are not family, and no matter how much you love your job or your boss loves you, you are still just an employee. Never forget that in 99% of the cases, the bottomline will always be more important than you. So what do you do? You stay prepared. Keep your resume up-to-date. Keep receipts. Every time you accomplish something at work, write it down on the same document. Pursue your passions. If you don’t have any passions yet, keep trying new hobbies. You want to be well-rounded, not only because it makes you a strong candidate, but it could open you up to new fields. I was a project manager early in my career, and I wrote on the side. Then, years into doing both, a job at my company opened to run their blog. It was only because of both skill sets that I was able to nab the position.

As for passive aggressive people, I suggest coming up with your “How I work” principles. Mine are simple: don’t engage in needless gossip, don’t play games, be forthright with feedback, say what you actually think, and be kind. As long as I adhere by my own code, and react in line with those principles, I go home knowing I did right by myself.

Of course, some of those are luxuries of being ten plus years into my career. The last time someone was passive aggressive to me at work, I put down what I was doing, looked at them and said, “it sounds like you’re upset. I don’t think I have all the information. Could you tell me what’s troubling you?”

The Prince: Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts -

Enchantress:

complimenting at least one person a day

looking after yourself by actually scheduling it into your day

making time to talk to friends/fam

looking at the bright side of things

finding productive things to do when you’re free instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media

getting a hobby that engages you and helps you relax

stretching and meditating

taking care of your skin

smiling more

doing more of what you love doing

exercising more

being in nature often

hydrating and moisturizing

taking long walks

going to concerts, parks and museums

reading interesting books

petting smol animals