I'm out of town the next two weeks and taking a break from the MIBE Message.  While I'm out, enjoy the guest posts from two of our awesome Footers' team members.  This weeks' message is courtesy of Erin Young, who is one of our sales coordinators and shares wisdom inspired by her grandmother.

Have you ever had someone cross your path that was just… well… different? These special people leave such a lasting impression, that you cannot help but to change the way you live just by knowing them.

My Grandma Marie (or ReeRee as we called her) was as special as they came. And although she is no longer with us, she still has a lasting impact on my day-to-day life.

I recently put pen to paper as to why her presence was so remarkably different. You see, she didn’t have the most “successful” life as defined by today’s society. She lived in less than 5 homes her entire life, drove one car, had one partner, and traveled very little. She never won any awards, was never publicly recognized for anything, and yet my Gram was the most joyful, loving, kind and forgiving person I had the privileged of knowing.

I’d like to share 10 simple reasons I witnessed to make my Gram who she was:

1. Eat chocolate daily. Yep, that right… daily! Don’t deprive yourself of this tasty goodness, and as Gram would say, “it’s good for you”.

2. If you’re going to watch TV, make sure it is something that fills your soul. Gram was Ellen’s #1 fan, and although she may not have always known what day it was, she never forgot that Ellen was on at 3 PM.

3. Relax. Not only physically but mentally too. Slow down, breathe and trust that everything will work out.

4. Go for a walk. Leave the air pods, podcasts, and music behind and just take in the sounds around you.

5. Laugh daily. This is free medication, and the side effects are oh so healing.

6. Make eye contact and smile at strangers. We are all fighting a battle no one knows about. You never know what a smile will do for someone.

7. Hug your loved ones. Like laughter, this is a free medication that will boost your energy.

8. Surrender control. Gram didn’t always have it easy and as each challenge came up, I watched her surrender and let go of the outcome she wanted.

9. Forgive quickly and often. And make sure you start with the person in the mirror.

10. And last but certainly not least, dance! Gram was movin' and groovin' every chance she had, and the joy that came with it was contagious.

As easy as these may seem, I can honestly say that I am still working on mastering several. I hope one or two of these resonated with you and you will join me in enjoying the simple parts of life!

And if my sweet Gram were here today, and I were to ask her what the secret to living the way she did was, I feel confident she would say, “Dolly, stop trying so hard, it’s not that complicated”.

MIBE Awards are open!  In addition to Heart Leaders of the Year, Best Employee Recognition Program, and Best Activation of Mission or Core Values - we also have Best Internal Company Event.  We want to hear about the awesome events you are putting on for your team, so make sure to gather those photos and submit, you might just be up on stage receiving an award at our annual MIBE Summit in January!