by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | May 15, 2014 | Life Thoughts, Time Management
How often do you tune out and turn off technology?
While you all “live” online, conducting your business and connecting with others, it’s important to be able to disconnect and be in the present moment as this is where real memories are made. Granted, your digital presence is essential to creating the online experience for your customers, colleagues and network, but there are times when you should be truly present in the real world experiencing all that it has to offer. There are no do overs or scrolling back through posts and articles to see what you missed.
I was gifted with an incredible visit from my dad and his girlfriend for 6 whole days. It was their first visit since my move to North Carolina almost 5 years ago. As a virtual assistant with a few secret weapons and a VA of my own, I managed the fundamentals, scheduled client work and planned way in advance, enabling me to step away and thoroughly enjoy time with family. Sure, I worked some in the very early morning and in the evenings, but time is too precious to let it slip away with an incessant need to be connected, troll social channels, read industry articles or waste valuable moments online.
We ate, shared, laughed, loved, hugged, rested, visited tourists spots, beaches, stayed overnight with friend, shed a tear and made new memories.
Treasures of a lifetime. Irreplaceable.
When we were leaving a restaurant on our last night together, we walked by a couple, not talking or engaging, but glued to their phones. I looked at them and said to the young woman as she looked up and caught my gaze, “I hope you are texting each other.”
Oh the horror of my comment!! She looked at me, sneered and grunted some type of response.
Prioritize what you value most. People. Family. Loved ones. Friends. These are what matters most and when given the opportunity to be in their company, what transpires online cannot compare to the rich relationships you can nurture. It isn’t just merely out of respect to put down your phone, but the sheer value of spending personal time, engaged and sharing real communications.
The love of one on one. Eye contact. A personal touch. Body language. Intimate nuances that can’t be reproduced by a keystroke.
Unplug!
Do yourself and those in your immediate presence a favor and tune out.
Turn off the notifications.
Live in the moment.
Share the love of those you are with.
Time passes too quickly and in a flash, can be lost while you are too busy being engrossed with technology.
There is no replacement for human interaction and a good solid hug.
Love the ones you’re with!!
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Sep 14, 2013 | Life Thoughts
This blog post stems far from the norm of my usual banter of social media, inbound marketing,virtual assistance, time management or productivity and I trust that is acceptable. A few of other my other posts discuss branding, people buy from people, be real, be authentic and transparent. Well this is one of those posts. Sharing a little bit of me, further adding to the human touch. I am not just a virtual robot managing your online business. I think sometimes we forget that there is a human behind the content.
Today I am writing about family and the strong bonds that tie us together. Are you interested? I am not really sure but I will share anyway because sometimes we all just need a voice.
I began this company after both my mother and sister passed away from breast cancer. I knew that I needed more and wanted to be able to share my passion for giving back and helping others. I spent 6 months researching businesses and initially discovered the personal assistant/errand and concierge industry. My role expanded into 100% virtual when I joined Twitter and it has only grown from there.
So that is part of my story. Today I am traveling to Miami Fl to say my last goodbyes to my 34 year old niece; my sister’s daughter. I don’t know how much time she has left but all I know is I must get to Florida. I certainly let US Air know this too, with lots of very big words and 3 hours of trying to book matching connecting flights with my daughter. I didn’t want her to make this flight alone.
We now have three generations of women in my family battle this dreaded disease and lose their fight.
My point here?
There is nothing more sacred than family. Cherish them while they are here. Tell them every day how much you love them and never take them for granted. Life is too short to miss these opportunities.
Your job will always be there or another will. Make sure you have a very healthy work life balance enabling you to MAKE time for the important parts of life.
How many hours do you spend at the office, behind a computer or on your mobile phone? Is it all that vital? Do you ever shortchange the people in your life because of work? We all need financial stability, but at what price.
Rethink your day today. Your time with friends and family and please do me this one favor: make more time for them. Put down the phone. Close the computer and truly be present and engage!! Give them a hug. Share the love because you never know when a life could end.
If this post resonates with you, please share it with your community, your network. I appreciate it very much. “Pay it Forward!”
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Jun 27, 2012 | Life Thoughts
No, it isn’t today nor should it be any other day.
When we judge others, it is based upon our preconceived notions of what is right, proper or otherwise fits into our narrow mold of the perfect human being or situation, as we perceive it. While we are so caught up in our own misconceived perception, we risk stagnation. We actually find ourselves caught living in a world of hate and criticism, which only propagates to fill our lives with the same.
For those who believe in karma, focusing on the judgmental and hate filled thoughts opens the door to ‘bad karma’. People can find themselves wallowing in negativity every day, often not realizing they’re creating their own mess. On top of this, complaining that life didn’t turn out the way someone wanted is moot; it gets them nowhere. Taking a step back and evaluating past choices, decisions and lifestyle can do a lot to offer clarity. Thought process leaning toward beauty, opportunity and love can be considered ‘good karma’. You get back what you give out.
“By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Why, on occasion do we find ourselves so righteously perfect that we cast such a negative biases on someone else? Does race, creed, sexual preference, color, religion, clothing style, weight, body type, height, living arrangements, or even family skeletons determine the heart and spirit of a person? Are others any less deserving of kindness and respect than us?
“It is just as cowardly to judge an absent person as it is wicked to strike a defenseless one. Only the ignorant and narrow-minded gossip, for they speak of persons instead of things.” Lawrence Lovasik
Unfortunately, we’re not mind readers and aren’t privy to the personal and internal trials and tribulations of the passerby. Without getting to know them, without asking for more information, how can we make an informed assumption? What a different world this would be if we based opinions on fact or action, not on appearances or other superficial stereotypes.
What if we all tried to view someone using our heart versus our eyes?
When we judge and ridicule others, we speak volumes about our own flaws.
Shush our inner critic for a while, dig deep for compassion and understanding and open our hearts to the possibility there is more beauty within others than we can see.
