Personal Connections and a Sense of Community

I was lucky enough to stay at a top-rated, wonderful hotel in Chicago with an incredibly generous friend.  We fell in love with The Langham!!  I had seen bigger hotel bathrooms before, I had better water views in the past; the luxury, food, libations and service were amazing and top-notch, don't get me wrong.  The rooms and amenities are fabulous!!

But the reason we fell in love with The Langham was the service.  We stayed the first time in April of this year (and again in September, thanks to my friend).  The head of the Club Level, where we stayed, made us feel like family!!  He took the time to stop and greet us during our stay; he went out of his way to make us feel special.  He listened to our stories and remembered them.

OK, a "shout out" to Carlos, at The Langham, who acknowledged a life-long friendship that I have with my high school girlfriends. Carlos wrote a beautiful handwritten note to us during our stay that validated us as friends.  I kept the note:)

I know some people like feeling anonymous, as New Yorkers usually don't know most of their neighbors; but in the midwest, we thrive with a strong sense of community.  We take meals to others who could use a "helping hand", my friend just asked me if I needed something from the grocery store, and she doesn't even live in my neighborhood!

I feel so lucky to be part of a community where we share the good and the bad.  I'm not sure if it's a "midwestern" thing, but knowing I am supported makes a big difference in my happiness levels.  I know, that when "the chips are down", that I could ask someone for a favor and she would do it if she could.

Feeling supported and acknowledged are key factors for happiness.  Do you feel supported and acknowledged?  If not, you might consider cultivating those in your life.

There are good times and bad times in all of our lives.  Getting through the bad times is easier with support, and sharing good times is more fun than solitary celebrations.  I am so thankful that I am supported by friends and family!!  I hope you can say the same.

Have a great day!

xo

Conni

Today's Mantra:  I am thankful to have a wonderful support system.

Mantra for Every Day: I choose to send love to all; receiving love back multiplied in infinite proportions, creating and nurturing pathways of love.

Countdown to Vacation, "Anticipation is Making Me Wait"

Did you know that there are positive psychological effects in planning and anticipating a vacation?  We are looking forward to spending some quality time with family and friends soon.  Every time it crosses my mind, I get so excited!!

Tara Parker Pope wrote an article for the New York Times, entitled "How Vacations Affect Your Happiness".  The article states,  "Researchers from the Netherlands set out to measure the effect that vacations have on overall happiness and how long it lasts. They studied happiness levels among 1,530 Dutch adults, 974 of whom took a vacation during the 32-week study period. 

The study, published in the journal Applied Research in Quality of Life, showed that the largest boost in happiness comes from the simple act of planning a vacation. In the study, the effect of vacation anticipation boosted happiness for eight weeks."

So make plans, and make them often.......for an overnight, a long weekend, a sabbatical, or glamping.  Teach yourself to believe you are worth it, practice makes perfect!!  If you always have a vacation on the horizon, even a low-cost, waiting-for-the-deal excursion, you are boosting your happiness quotient.  Schedule time away, even if the destination is a mystery in the beginning.  

There are plenty of low-cost ways to snag an inexpensive hotel at the last minute, plenty of ways to glam up camping and plenty of ways to save for either of these, if money is a concern.  You could do a house swap, or even stay with out of town friends or relatives.  You can pack a vacation box with all of the things you enjoy when you get away:  games, gadgets, a picnic set and your crazy Hawaiian shirt............wouldn't it be fun to see that box every time you go into your closet?  That is the beginning of making it real!!  Enjoy planning and executing vacations, because as Carly Simon sings, "these are the good old days".

Have a wonderful day!

Xo

Conni

Today's Mantra:  I intend to make time to plan a vacation!!

Mantra for Every Day: I choose to send love to all; receiving love back multiplied in infinite proportions, creating and nurturing pathways of love.