Enlightened Purrs...pective Cancer!

Enlightened Purrrs…pective by Cat

Cancer !
(This one is dedicated to Cathy Salvaggio)

Hold up! Where is she going with this one? Did I open the wrong email?
No you’re reading correctly!
Cancer what a negative word right! Would you consider this word to also be inspirational? Until last night I never thought about it that way either. But hear me out!!!
My dad died of cancer April 26, 2007. Even though it’s been a little over 2 years he is an inspiration to a friend of our family. On my Face Book page yesterday, a childhood friend whose father worked with my dad in the industry shared that my father, to this day, inspires his father to fight the battle of cancer. My dad was given a short three weeks to live, yet he wasn’t going to give in to his sentence. We were blessed to enjoy 7 additional months with him because he stayed positive, prayed and loved every minute of his remaining days and fought till his very last breath.
Last night I had dinner with a friend who was diagnosed with brain cancer 4 or 5 years ago. I don’t know exactly how long ago because it doesn’t matter to him. It’s just something he has to live with. Yes, he has chemo treatments, radiation and yes there are signs of deterioration in his walk, speech and motors skills, but you know something it doesn’t stop him from smiling, laughing and enjoying life. His son has had a beautiful baby, his youngest daughter just recently married; he has a semi-successful flooring business (Just kidding). He is living his life to the utmost. Positive inspiration he is!!!
Cancer is not just a medical disease. Cancer can creep into your attitude. And if you allow it, it can creep into your workspace or home. Negativity is a cancer.
Let’s say you’re on your way to the office or on the way home, and some knucklehead cuts you off and you have to swerve into the other lane and your hub cap flies off. Don’t, I repeat, don’t enter the front door of either your home or business. Leave it in the driveway or parking lot. Cause if you do, you’ve just brought the cancer into your environment. It can destroy the mindset of everyone around you.
Stop it!
Don’t let it destroy you.
Don’t focus on the negative. Rejoice with the positive. So what, it’s a hub cap. You’re alive, you have a job and a family and a door to open!!!
So, cancer right? Where does the inspiration come into the picture?
Have you ever looked at our Pink ribbon Welcomes mats? The word HOPE is visual on at least one of the designs. When you attend a walk for the American Society you will see the words:
HOPE, FIGHT, STAY STRONG, JOIN US, COURAGE, SUPPORT, BELIEVE, FAITH, LOVE!
I think those are pretty inspirational words don’t you?
So, the next time you hear that bad, evil word Cancer, fight the temptation of giving up, getting upset, feeling loss. Focus on the here and now and enjoy every minute you have. Cherish the present don’t focus on the what if or when.
To my inspirations- Dad I know you will always love me, Paul how do you do it? I am so proud of you and Alan you are my everyday C1 inspiration. I love you!

“Life isn’t fair but it’s still good!”

Keep climbing!

Cat

Enlightened Purrs...pective - Just Smile!

Just Smile!

“Light up your face with gladness, hide every trace of sadness. Although a tear may be ever so near, that’s the time you must keep on trying. Smile, what’s the use of crying? You’ll find that life is still worthwhile... if you just smile!”

The most infectious, the least expensive, the easiest gift you can give someone is a smile. It may be the most difficult time in your life, you maybe be struggling in business or at home or within your own personal heart, but when someone grants you the gift of a smile you can’t help but to find somewhere deep inside you, that one little smirk that just aches to surface.

Those of you who know me probably think I walk around all day with this smile plastered on my face. I’ve heard people think I am on drugs most of the time. Really and truly I am not.
Can you imagine me on drugs? Watch out!
Seriously, I just want people to be joyous. Life is a gift we’ve been granted. Those things that we struggle with, the lose of friends or family, the economic hardships, the physical ailments and all the trials placed upon us throughout our life are stepping stones of strength. Each day is preparation for the next. What makes us stronger won’t hurt us!!
But that simple frown turned upside down can change your entire day’s purrs…pective.
Try one on for size!

“I’ve learned…That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.” – Andy Rooney

Keep Climbing!

Cat

*The picture above is Sally Kelly & I as we waited in line to be seen on the Today Show in NYC! We were building "Brand Island". Thanks Sally for one of my best memories. I love smiling with you!

Enlightened Purrrspective by Cat

Sing!

When was the last time you broke out in song?
Come on how many of you have sung in the shower at the top of your lungs or maybe in your car to the radio not caring about anything but how cool it would be to be in a band and just singing, losing yourself in the musical beat!!!
You don’t have to answer all at once! But if you have never ever done that, you are so missing out! There is nothing like singing a song. It puts a smile on your face and in your heart. It could be a love song or a break up song, maybe a song from your favorite musical or movie. I bet many of you remember your first love and the song that was playing on the radio.

Music is a magical thing.

People dance, cry, fall in love and fall out of love to music. It’s a part of who we are culturally. Just look at what we’ve all been experiencing over the past few weeks with the death of “the King of Pop” culture, Michael Jackson. For the past 40 years his music touched people across every corner of our world. You can’t deny that music has played an important role in America’s history.
But singing…it’s magical. Come on how did you get your kids to fall asleep at night? You probably sang them a lullaby and I bet your little baby could care less if the song was out of tune or “pitchy” (sorry I had to add a little American idol terminology).
Have you ever gotten up on stage at a bar and sang Karaoke? What are you afraid of? I guarantee everyone in the audience is jealous of your bravery and deep inside they wish they had enough nerve. And so what if they laugh at you because you sound like a cackling hen. You’ve just made someone laugh and they may not have laughed in a very long time. You could have just made their day by singing horribly!!!

If “Oscar the Grouch” can sing, why not you?
So…

“Sing, sing a song. Sing out loud. Sing out strong. Sing of good things not bad. Sing of happy not sad. Sing. Sing a song make it simple to last your whole life long. Don’t worry if it’s not good enough for anyone else to hear. Just sing!”

Keep climbing!
Cat

The Edge !

The Edge!
This was my father’s one liner!
He used to tell me, because of who I am, I have “the edge”. There is no one like me! No one with the same eyes, or smile, curly blonde hair, strong legs (he used to ask me to trade legs with him because he walked with a cane since I was 13 years old from an automobile accident). There was no one else who thought like me, laughed like me or danced like me. There is only one me on this entire planet. That is the miracle of “god”. And because of that I have “the edge”.

Just like me, there is only one “you”. You too have the same “edge” but, in a totally different way.

Together though, you and I have a shared edge!

Carpet One Floor & Home

Trust me this is not a testimonial for Carpet One. No one put me up to this one so hear me out!
Do you realize just how special you and I are?
We have a support system with advertising, merchandising, communication, financial know-how, brand awareness, showroom presentation (visual merchandising), computer technology, training, installation programs. The list goes on and on. There is no one like us. Yes, it’s true there are other flooring retail Co-ops, but they are imitators of us. They don’t think like us, they don’t network like us, they don’t have showrooms or warrantees like us, they don’t share the 25 years experience that we have thanks to three wonderful forward thinking men. And because of this, we have “the edge”.

My father had many “words of wisdom” for me. One that stands out is “We can’t predict the future, but we can revel in the present.”

We don’t know where the next few months or years are going to take us, but we can remain who we are. A company with “the edge”. The best flooring retailers, forward thinkers, networking together to build a stronger company for our future.

Andy Rooney once said, “I’ve learned…that simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.”

Thanks dad for giving me “the edge”.

Keep climbing!

Cat

Just Play the Game

Just Play the Game!

I know, I know it’s only July 22nd but seriously do you know what’s just around the corner?
Football season!
Not just any sporting season but college football! This is where the true heart of the game is played.
This is where passion flows, determination to be the very best, to win and not come in second.
The competition is tough and it just makes you tougher!
Oh yes, and you can’t leave out the team colors everywhere you turn , the cheering crowd, the bands, the tailgate parties, the smell of hotdogs (even though I don’t eat that stuff) you have to admit there is nothing like that overwhelming smell on the grills.
Can you feel it?
The energy! The enthusiasm! The comradery amongst the people in the stands no matter where they have come from and no matter who they are rooting for they all have something in common…
Winning the game!
To be number ONE!
I can feel my heart beating faster just thinking about it!

This is how you should go to work everyday.
This is the feeling you should awake to!
Can you imagine how your staff would react amongst each other and to our clients?
Can you feel the positive energy? The desire to win the customer!
The goal of being number 1!
But to be number one there must be teamwork, desire, passion, commitment, discipline, faith, habit, mental toughness and truth !!
No matter how hard the opponent is, no matter what their season winning record is, no matter how big they look on the field, no matter how cool their mascot is (BTW Sparty Rules), no matter how smart their plays are…
You have to play with your heart, every fiber of your body.

I know it’s tough out there guys! I feel your pain and the difficulty of running a business today. I am right there with you on the sidelines. But, please stay strong, play hard, plant your feet on the ground, remember who you are and how far you have come, don’t quit, there are people out there rooting for you, you have teammates all across this great nation playing on the same field as you, running for the same goal…to be number ONE !

“I’ve learned…that life is tough, but I’m tougher. –Andy Rooney

Keep climbing !

Cat

Enlightened Purrrspective by Cat

To those of you who have kids or remain to be one… this one’s for you!

When was the last time you had a little fun?
And I understand everyone’s perspective of fun is different, but seriously.
Having fun could be as simple as scraping the Rice Krispies off the spoon filled with sticky marshmallows, or a midnight run to 7-11 or Dairy Queen, what about playing that golf tee game at Cracker Barrel or even a card game of WAR, remember that “one war” was never so much fun (as bizarre as that may sound) ! J Whatever your description of fun is and whatever the minimal amount it is to make you laugh, it is a necessity in life to do just that. Smile and laugh!

Get away from the daily grind of work, paying bills, mowing the lawn, doing laundry, cleaning the toilet bowl. Just step away and be a kid!

Go fishing with your kids, go on a 3 day camping trip, find the closest amusement park and see just how amused you can actually get. I guarantee a deep chuckle or smile or even scream!!!

“It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else”!

-and

“Your children get only one childhood with you”!

Keep climbing!

Cat

Enlightened Purrrspective by Cat

When was the last time you stopped for a moment and had a break?

Maybe you have been in the office working on a project and the stress has gotten to you. It’s not just you. It has probably affected everyone around you. Don’t feel bad it happens! Get up out of your chair, walk down the hall, grab one of your co-workers or two, go outside and take a walk and maybe plant yourselves at an outdoor café and chat for a bit. You’ll be surprised how better you’ll feel. So will the people around you!
I receive an email newsletter from a “champion in positive attitude”. He is a retailer like you and I in New Jersey. And his latest newsletter reminded me of a little exercise that I do and have suggested to friends many a time. “Finding your happy place” is what I call it. John called it “Breathe For Clarity”. Maybe you’ve been dealing with an unhappy client or simply feeling out of sorts because you had a bad tee shot. No matter what the case, this exercise will help you think and see more clearly, while increasing the positive feelings to help move you through your day with ease. You can make it a habit. Practice it whenever you feel stressed or overwhelmed.

You can do this seated or standing:
Think of someone, something or someplace you love.
Experience the joy that accompanies thinking about that person, thing or place.
Close your eyes. (Yes, you can do this at your desk! It only takes a few seconds).
With your mouth closed, take a deep breath in through your nose. As you inhale, feel the breath extending down all the way to the base of your spine.
Picture the person, thing or place. Keeping your mouth closed, release the breath slowly through your nose.
Repeat this exercise three times.

Now, don’t you feel better? Where did you go? Who did you see? I guarantee the rest of your workday or golf game will go more smoothly. Plus I promise your game has to be much better than mine would be. I’ve just started. Hey I have an idea, let’s go golfing. I know you’ll feel better about your game playing next to me ! ! !

Keep climbing!

Cat