Feeling Thankful for Support, Encouragement & Recognition!

This article is devoted to encouraging others with a vision or goal to pursue and persevere!  No doubt, life is filled with challenges, and these stressors often derail those inspired moments when we dare to consider another path.  Yeah.  We all have them!  Those ideas and passions that make us excited and cause us to lose all sense of time.  Perhaps it is a social cause, something bigger for which the impact will impact larger society.  What is your BIG thing?  This leadership blog is mine, and I am feeling gratitude!

Gratitude Propels Us Forward

Think about a time that someone you had never met made your day.  Maybe, they “Paid it Forward” and bought your coffee while waiting in line, or let you go first in the never-ending checkout lane at the grocery store – when you were running late for day care or school pick up. Or, perhaps it was that kind man with the warm brown eyes that changed your flat tire when it was blustery and raining last month.

We all have them! Those moments.

The ones that have the power to completely change our day.  The events that catch our breath in awe. We feel a surge of sheer gratitude erupt, quickly followed by happiness that likely bathes us the remainder of the day and evening.  Yeah.  Those moments are the ones I want to chat about today.

Recently, I had one of those experiences!  Graciously, a previously unknown-to-me blogger nominated Diane Kubes Leadership Circle for The Global Aussie Liebster Award 2017! This is a peer recognition initiative to discover and encourage new blogs. My thanks to Sarah Guiler, a seasoned traveler who shares photography, stories, tips and information on her blog, The Wanderlust Writer.  Sarah made my day with her  nomination!

Sarah states that she desires to bring her readers the best travel and lifestyle content, as she discovers and reveals fresh places, trends and experiences.  She identifies The Wanderlust Traveler as “Your source for trusted travel experiences, little luxuries and authentic advice.”  I love the photography she shares – one of her recent posts is about Aruba.  This Minnesota gal found that tropical scene pretty enticing as we just had our first snowfall a couple days ago!

Sarah has an opt in box allowing you to subscribe to her newsletter.  She uses her newsletter to share, “travel and lifestyle tips, beautiful photos and honest reviews.You can learn more about Sarah and check out her blog, The Wanderlust Writer at https://wanderlustwritings.com

Simply, I am grateful to the blogger who continues to promote and administer this initiative 6 years after inception.  It serves as an example of an individual that follows through on a vision or project that he believes in, with no personal gain, aside from knowing that he is cultivating new bloggers and supporting their goals, time and efforts.

My gratitude is also extended to Sarah!  My blog is in the early stages.  I have just a handful of subscribers.  Knowing Sarah took the time to read my blog and found something of value to recognize, is a boost of support for which I feel grateful.

As a new blogger and aspiring online business owner, I am often victim to “imposter syndrome” and many self-doubts of the value that I can offer through my blog.  Like many of you, I have limited time.  Creatively, I fit this in between other life demands – like a full time career and a busy family that is my first priority.  It is little nudges of encouragement, like this nomination, that propel me forward with gratitude and renewed enthusiasm.

Liebster Award?  What is that?

Those were my exact thoughts and words as I read that I had been nominated. The German word, Liebster, “means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome.”  Okay.  So, what is this award?  Simply, it started in 2011 as an initiative to discover new blogs, while building a blogging community through connection and support of other bloggers.

Bloggers nominate peers’ blogs, and give recognition to the one that nominated them. Of course, there are specific criteria, (okay – rules!) that the honoree must adhere to. Then, on December 31st the 2017 award winner will be announced.  I already feel gratitude for the nomination – even without being the final award winner. The rules can be looked at more closely on the source website.  This can be accessed at the following link:  https://www.theglobalaussie.com/blog/liebster-award-2017

The First Step in Goal Achievement

Think back for a moment on an award that you received.   Even as a child – those participation and merit ribbons felt like a valuable gold  bar- right? Or, let’s fast forward to our school days or our career track.  Certainly, whether it is an A on a graded paper or a label of Outstanding or Excellent on our job performance reviews, we feel satisfaction, gratitude and pleasure.  We feel validated!

Undoubtedly, when we experience a sense of validation, it is likely because we have devoted countless hours, day and night, to building our dream.

I am thrilled to accept this nomination as validation that I am on the right path.  It is my goal to provide readers with inspiration and action tips that encourage all of us to excel as leaders – in our homes, in our communities, in our employment.  Simply, I challenge entrepreneurs and supervisors to communicate with authenticity and act with integrity, while empowering those that they support and work with to feel valued, trusted and competent.

Liebster Nomination Action Steps

• Sarah gave me a list of 6 questions to answer.

Clearly, the purpose of these questions is for you to get to know me better, and to also encourage me to share my authentic self. Seems like that fits well with my mission of this blog! I list the questions and answers below:

1. What is one place you haven’t been that is on the top of your bucket list? A:  Australia
2. What is the most daring experience you’ve ever had?  A:  Para-sailing in Mexico
3. What is your biggest accomplishment?  A:  Becoming a mother and striving to be the best parent I can be.
4. What’s your biggest fear?  A:  The loss of loved ones.
5. What’s a hidden talent you have?  A:  My daughter says it is my cooking prowess, esp with making soups from scratch without a recipe.  I think it may be my ability to do awesome event planning.
6. What’s an activity, craft or sport that you want to learn how to do?  A:  I want to learn how to use my Cricut machine proficiently!

• Through sharing ten Random Facts About Me, you will have an even clearer image of who I am!

1. I am one of 8 siblings, and I claim the middle spot.  I bet those 2 tidbits tell you a lot about me already!
2. My husband and I have been married for 28 years, and we dated for 7 years before that!  Yep – 35 years together!
3. I have worked for the same employer, in various positions, for over 32 years. Yes, loyalty and work ethic are values I cherish.
4. My favorite actress is Sandra Bullock; her humor, confidence and her genuineness appeal to me.
5. I enjoy all types of writing; written plays, poetry, song lyrics, and a short story received honorable mention in a writing contest.
6. I  credit belonging to 4-H as a child with building confidence as a speaker and performer and developing leadership skills.
7. My favorite author is Nicholas Sparks.  I have read ALL of his books!
8. I grew up on a farm. My siblings and I learned our work ethic & overall sense of integrity from loving parents with high standards of expectations – in all facets of what matters most in life.
9. My favorite family vacation was a Christmas cruise to the Western Caribbean – with snorkeling in Belize as the trip highlight.
10. Creativity, challenges, and continual learning keep me energized, interested, feeling productive and happy!

• Discovering other new blogs is fun!

I  encourage you to visit these other blogs. Although, the majority of these blogs do not directly correspond to leadership, to be a strong leader, we need to incorporate variety and balance amidst our other life demands and roles. The blogs I list below each offered one or more posts that I found inspiring, demonstrated the tenets of leadership, or are excellent examples of bloggers demonstrating tenacity and perseverance to reach their blogging goals. Certainly, these blogs offer variety to help balance life. You may find a new blog or two that resonates with you, or offers tips and other content that enriches your life in some manner.  I will list out my nominees below:

1. http://themamaontherocks.com
2. http://www.equippinglife.com
3. http://www.yayas2cents.com
4. http://www.simplefamilytravel.net
5. http://www.heartshomeward.com
6. http://www.jessicachristensenblog.com
7. http://www.randommama.com
8. http://www.awakenhappinesswithin.com
9. http://www.crushingmotherhood.com
10. http://www.radfamilytravel.com

• Eleven questions for the nominees to respond to, along with encouragement to leave links below to your answers, is listed below. You can review the rules of the Liebster Award here.

1. Who is/was the most influential person in your life, and why?
2. What do you deem the most important character trait of a boss?
3. Identify a challenge that you faced and overcame.
4. What is your number one pet peeve – and why?
5. What tip do you have to lead a balanced life with work, family, health, fitness, etc. challenges?
6. What advice do you have for other new bloggers?
7. Name a resource (blog, app, course, etc.) you used and found helpful as a new blogger?
8. Name a creative way to show recognition and appreciation to an employee or team?
9. As a child, what career did you aspire to learn about/become/practice when you grew up?
10. If you were to pursue a second career in your mid-life, what would it be?
11. What is your New Year’s Resolution in 2018, or a specific goal you have set for yourself?

With gratitude and appreciation to the warm blogging community that has provided great encouragement, support and answered many questions in the numerous groups of which I am a member.  Looking forward to 2018 and my growth as a blogger, supporting leaders and those that aspire to be leaders in their homes, communities and in their careers.

If you desire to learn more about leadership, and would like access to leadership tools and resources at no cost to you, please check out my resources page, and my freebies page.  https://www.dianekubes.com/freebies

I have created a journal to start the year off with intention. I intend to use it myself, and thought I would share it with my readers. I have titled it, Focused Intentions of Gratitude – A Journal of Positive Thoughts, Gratitude and Focused Intentions to Manifest Success.  You can also find this on the freebies page here.

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Manifest your dreams and goals by focusing on gratitude using this daily journal.

To Your Success!