The other day I was searching for a photo for a new picture frame I’d just bought. I sorted through dozens of vacation snapshots—the ones I keep telling myself I will some day put in adorable scrapbooks—but for now they sit in shoe boxes.

As I poured over the pictures I had a few good laughs going down memory lane. The good times, the bad times, and the  what-were-you-thinking clothes and haircuts.

Then I found the unthinkable—an old picture of me in a bikini!  My husband had managed to snap a full-length shot of me on the beach. I was instantly transported back to that day almost 20 years ago. I vividly remembered changing swimming suits three or four times that morning trying to find one I thought best hid my love handles.

As I thought back about the morning, and how self-conscious I felt about wearing a bikini, I feel really stupid. Because you know what—that mother of two looked just fine. And yet I wasted precious energy and time stressing out over my not perfect body. What an idiot!

Twenty years later I would love to have that body back. That very same body I anguished over back then!  It was a real ah-ha moment for me. Twenty years from now I will most likely wish I had the body back that I have today.

The reality is even the women we think have perfect bodies aren’t content. We are ALL spending way too much time on if-only. If only I wasn’t sagging here or there.  If only I didn’t have stretch marks. If only I didn’t have these saddle bags.

The moral of the story is… love the body you have RIGHT NOW.

Think of all the energy we waste worrying about wrinkles, cellulite, belly pouch and gray hair. Does it really matter? NO. Never was that more clear than when I stared at that photo from two decades ago and lamented over the time and energy lost worrying about nothing. I vowed right then and there to spend my time appreciating health and well being instead of berating myself over silly things like stretch marks.

Let’s start today loving and accepting ourselves—lumps and all.

I challenge you to give yourself the gift of perspective. Go get out an old photo of yourself. Remember what you worried about back then… Not so bad, huh. So be gentler with the body you have today.

Don’t waste another minute of your precious time worrying about cellulite! That is what self-tanner is for. Ha!

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

If you read my last posting you know I have been in need of more than a chiropractic adjustment, I needed an attitude adjustment!

I have often said when kids are crabby put them in water. I think this applies to big kids too.

When my kids were little I would instantly put them in water if they were irritable. When they were babies I would give them a bath when they were fussy. As they got older I would send them out to the pool. Their pleasing personalities soon returned.

I am a firm believer there isn’t much a bath won’t cure. Water will go a long way toward improving one’s temperament.

My favorite relaxing technique is floating. Give me a lake, pool or better yet ocean, and something to float on and I am in heaven. That is my ultimate form of relaxation. I actually count it as meditation.

Well, now we have diagnosed the problem, a case of crabby. And prescribed the cure. The doctor orders 3 hours of float time, taken once a day for 2 days. Throw in a margarita for good measure!

Cheers!

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

The other day I was trying to untangle a bunch of necklaces that had become twisted up together in one big ball of knots.    After about twenty extremely frustrating minutes on this mess it became quite clear to me that the harder I pulled on each chain, the more ensnarled it all became.

Half an hour into this tedious project I decided to just relax and work each chain with patience.  Slowly I began to tug at the ball of knotted up necklaces, winding each chain up, back, around and gently through until at long last it was free from the twisted up pile.

It dawned on me when I finished the project and hung up all five necklaces, just how much this process is like life in general.  When we try to force things, pulling too hard in the wrong direction, life fights back.   When we relax and go with the flow, life tends to unfold just how it is supposed to.

The next night as I put one of the necklaces on I felt pure gratification.

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

I was chatting with a friend yesterday who was at the end of her rope.   She said she felt like she was clinging to her last shred of sanity.  We have all been there at one point or another.    As she was sharing her feelings of exasperation it dawned on me that men never seem to feel like they are going “crazy” when they are overwhelmed?  They innately realize what they need is a break, not a break down.

“Over the years, I have often called my dear sister, my lifeline, when I felt like I was crossing the line between sane and crazy—when I thought my own nervous breakdown was imminent.  Every time I reached out to her, she reminds me—over and over again—that I can check into a five-star hotel, order room service, and get a massage every day for a week for a helluva lot less money than what it costs to check into a sanitarium. She should know! She is still trying to pay off her medical bills from her a stay in the psych ward and she says she would have been better off at a resort. She jokes that all she got was bad hospital food, scratchy sheets and poor counseling.

So whenever I am so stressed out I feel like I am teetering on the edge of sanity, I call my lifeline—she reminds me there is a reason so many women feel like they are about to have a nervous breakdown: they need a break. And she gives me permission to take one.”

That was an excerpt from my new book, Oh Thank Goodness, It’s Not Just Me. Available  www.Simple Truths.com

Women, you are not alone!  We share so many of the same feelings and experiences.

A trip to the stress-free beach beats a trip in a straight jacket any day!

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

This is the year I am going to stop fighting nature… I am apparently born to be a bad packer. I have spent a lifetime trying to master the art of packing. I really want to be one of those people who can show up with a small carry-on bag for a 5-day business trip.  Alas, valiant efforts and hundreds of thousands of frequent-flier miles later, I am still a bad packer.

So I am surrendering!  I am giving in to my bad packing ways. This year I am going to embrace my inner over-packing self.  I am going to check in my luggage–filled with too many shoes and too many clothing options, and I am just going to relax and smile when they give me that judgmental look and tell me they need to weigh my bag. I am going to stop stressing out about trying to be a good packer and continue to over-pack—with abandon and joy!

Once I made this life-changing decision, the metaphorical weight of trying to be a good packer was lifted, and the literal weight of my suitcase increased.   I am oh-so liberated!  Now when I get my bag out to get ready for a trip, I no longer kid myself that this will be the trip I leave with only a carry-on bag.  I no longer stress out about it, I simply pack what I want and stop worrying about it.  Freedom!

It got me thinking about all of the things we continually try to change about ourselves.  I have no doubt I lost months of my life while trying to blow-dry my naturally curly hair as a teenager back when Farah’s straight, smooth locks were all the rage.

What areas of your life could you just release and accept?  Perhaps we should stop fighting our quirks and accept them as part of our endearing nature?  What are you going to surrender to?

Loving my liberation!

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

Am I the only one with a growing stack of receipts, credit card bills and IRS forms about to smother me? I think April 15th should be a national holiday—so we at least get a day off. Or maybe it should be April 16^th so we can recover and lick our wounds!

Have you ever noticed Attorney, Accountant, and Agony all start with A? I am kidding…kidding!

I actually really like my accountant. (Craig, you know I adore you.) Yet, honestly I’d rather have a root canal than look at one more bank statement or fill out one more form!

Calling the IRS hotline feels like a set up, you get a different answer every time. I think I will fill out my tax return in pencil just in case…

Happy paper trails,

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

I just heard that internet searches for “spring cleaning” are up over 183%.  I am not surprised.    I think a lot of us are ready for a fresh start.  And our closet is a great place to begin!

I’m a gal that loves order and organization. The bliss of spring cleaning is not just about getting to organize our homes, but also donating the things we don’t need. I am a firm believer that by clearing out our excess we make room for more abundance. As we let go of the old, we open the door to receive the new. Try giving away things with an abundant attitude and watch what happens!

Whenever I clean out my closet I do so with a happy heart, because I know each and every piece of clothing and pair of shoes is going to be put to good use.  No need to cringe when deciding whether or not to give up that perfectly new sweater you never wear.

Mother Nature knew what she was doing when she started the tradition of Spring-Cleaning!          I challenge each of you to free yourself of old baggage—literally and figuratively—that may be hanging around in your closets. I promise you’ll find it liberating!  Be sure to make plenty of room for all of the abundance heading your way!

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

They say the first step is admitting you have a problem…My name is Lisa and I am a multi-tasker and I need help.

I have taken multi-tasking to new and embarrassing heights. The look on my daughter’s face when she walked into my bathroom recently and discovered me with a curling iron in one hand, the cell phone in the other and my laptop on the counter, let me know this was not normal. I guess most people aren’t doing their hair, reviewing spreadsheets and holding conference calls simultaneously—in the bathroom?

Women can do it all, and far too often we do. I have learned to delegate, learned to say no, I’m very organized, and yet I still find myself rushing all the time.

Can you relate?

Is there a rushing rehab? A retreat for multi-tasking mavens? Or do you just have to go cold turkey?

They say if you want something done, give to a busy woman. Well, let’s stop saying that!

Looking for the slow lane

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

The other day I was searching all over my house for a certificate I needed to find.  It was an important document so I thought it might be in the safe.  Yet as I started pulling everything out of the safe, I had to laugh.  What is in my safe wasn’t legal papers or fancy jewelry.  My safe is filled with photo albums and old home movies.

It’s something my husband has teased me about for years.  We have ended up with bigger and bigger safes so I could fit more and more pictures and things of sentimental value—not monetary value, but irreplaceable items.

So as I searched for this document, which alas wasn’t in the safe, I had the pleasure of looking at old photos and flipping through the pages of baby books and such.  I spent time enjoying one of my most cherished gifts, a scrapbook my sister Diane gave me years ago with a collection of stories and letters she gathered from some of my family members.

The things in my safe are the items I most treasure and want to protect.  For those are the things that represent what truly matter to me.

What do you value and what to keep safe?

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

So many of us are counting down the days until 2009 is over, eager to greet a new year with new hope.  If 2009 has you feeling like you’ve been hit by a train, I offer up Hartley’s words of wisdom for us all.

I met Hartley last year while I was on a trip with a group of friends. Early on in the trip, I was at the hotel in the midst of arranging a taxi to pick us all up at a certain time the next morning and trying to find out about a ferry schedule. Okay, I was being my organized type A self when a man named Hartley stepped in. I explained to him I wanted to make sure we arrived at our next destination on time. He just smiled. I tried to clarify that I really needed to know what time we would need to get the taxi to pick us up in order to arrive at the ferry on time. Hartley smiled again and told me not to be in such a rush.

Hartley just kept saying we should fear not. Fear not?

My friends and I ended up talking to Hartley for almost an hour. He gave us quite a lesson in life. A sermon really. Hartley talked to us about the way it is back in his country of Dominica and how much slower and gentler things are. Fear not he preached. It will all work out. Slow down and take time to enjoy life more. Don’t worry so much he said. Learn to fear not.

The rest of the trip was pretty much a series of disastrous events—let’s just say there was plenty to be afraid of on this trip—but we listened to Hartley, feared not and laughed a lot instead!

I have decided with the fresh start of a new year on the horizon I am going to be following the wise words of Hartley the bellman and take this life lesson with me into the New Year. I am going to slow down, take a few breaths, enjoy life more.

Sounds like a great mantra for a new decade, Fear Not.

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

This year I was going to deck the halls, hand-write holiday greetings and actually mail them, make sugar cookies from scratch, and finish all of my shopping before Thanksgiving. Ha!

That didn’t happen.

About this time each year I think most women basically have our hair on fire. There is just so much to do!  The sense of overwhelm is well…overwhelming.  Can you relate?

And by the way what is the deal with Santa Claus getting all the credit?  We know darn well that in most cases it’s Madame Claus that is doing most of the work!

It is the season for giving after all, so let’s try giving ourselves a break.
 How about this holiday season instead all the “should’s” and “have-to’s” on our list we cut ourselves some slack?  Instead of super-sizing our work load this time of year, I dare you to down-size it!   Besides the smaller the tree the bigger the presents will look!

The best gift of all is taking it easy on ourselves. Here’s to actually enjoying the holiday season.

Cheers!

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

I have always been the one to say age is only a number.   My birthdays have never mattered to me.  I have decided that it isn’t actually my birthday but rather my kid’s birthdays that have started making me feel old.

I had managed, thus far, without much fuss to have several birthdays, crossing the threshold of four decades just fine.  However, as my children cross into their second decade, for some reason now the birthdays are starting to hit me—their birthdays!

Well after over two decades of the proverbial kids blaming everything on the parents, I get to blame something on them for a change—it’s their fault I am starting to feel old!   Ha!

My Dad always laughs and says; “I don’t understand how I can have kids turning 50 when I am only 49!”  His favorite joke is finally starting to make sense to me.

Let them eat cake!

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

I have a quote hanging up that says, “At worst a house unkept cannot be so distressing as a life unlived.” Rose Macaulay already had that figured out back in 1881.  She was way ahead of her time!  Follow Rose’s lead and start really living your life.

When was the last time you let the dishes pile up in the sink and went off to play hooky?  If you can’t remember, carve out some playtime for yourself—right now. The work can wait, skip the meeting, let the laundry pile up, and take a break.

I got the most inspiring email from a friend yesterday.  It said, don’t reply to this email, I am not working today, I will be gone all day watching my daughter play in a golf tournament.  It made my heart sing!  I thought now there is a great Mom, and one smart lady with her priorities in the right order!

I was so inspired; this morning I did something I have never done before.  I had tea and toast on my patio—before I checked my office email or voice mail.  I actually took time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast break with my husband and didn’t start working until 9:30 today.  And do you know what, the world didn’t even come to and end!

Women seem to have forgotten the being part of human being. We somehow bought into the human doing theory.

So if your last belly laugh, ice-cream cone, chick flick, or leisurely walk in the park is a distant memory, it is way past time for you to have some fun.

It is easy to forget that we are multidimensional women, and we need to nurture all aspects of our lives. And that includes pleasure.

You are the only one who can schedule down time for yourself.  Make it a priority.

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

Funny as it sounds, I’m a big believer in the power of procrastination. I used to spend a lot of time agonizing over projects I was dreading. That alone was a waste of time. Now, when I don’t feel like looking at spreadsheets or some other less appealing part of my business, I throw myself into something else as mundane as cleaning out a closet. Some of my most productive moments happen when I’m in procrastination mode. You would be amazed at how much you can get done when you are trying to avoid doing something else.

Next time you have a project that you are dreading move on to something else you have been putting off.  If you have been thinking about organizing the spice cupboard in your kitchen for months but never seem to have the time, move that to the top of your list when you are trying to procrastinate doing your quarterly taxes.  Then get your quarterly taxes done when you are procrastinating scheduling your annual pap smear.  See how effective this method is!  Eventually everything gets done because there is always something worse than the next thing!

Just when you think that spreadsheet is looking bad there is always a root canal waiting around the corner!  Ah, the power of procrastination!

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

With three businesses and two kids I’ve learned quite a few lessons about balance. Like most of us, in the beginning I thought I could do everything. I cut back on many of the things that I loved. Reading for pleasure, nights out with friends, vacations, they all fell by the wayside. I struggled to regain my equilibrium as my business grew. For a long time, I was really just a two dimensional person. It was about work and family for me, and it stayed that way for a long time.

I always thought of balance as a state of peace and stillness. I now believe that balance is really more like being on a balance beam. You’re always making little movements here and there to stay centered and stay on the beam. You’re never completely still.

I understand there will never be such a thing as perfect balance in my life.  Instead, I’m constantly re-adjusting my schedule and shifting my priorities. Maybe I’m not spending an equal amount of time on each part of my life at any given time, but I feel pretty comfortable that every area is getting a fair share. It’s my cheesecake system for balancing life!  Sometimes work is getting a bigger slice, sometimes my kids are getting a bigger slice, but eventually they all get their share of the cheesecake.

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®