I MUST tell you a perfect story, of how when you go the extra mile, you leave a lasting impression on someone’s mind.  In this story, a particular individual has forever left an impression on my mind.

Many of you know that my fiance’ (Dave) and I got married in Costa Rica a few weeks ago. It was a BEAUTIFUL wedding!  Everything went just perfectly! Most of you don’t know however, how our trip began and the story of how one person really stood out and went that extra mile for us.

So here is the story.  We started our travels at 8:00pm on a Saturday night in California and arrived in Costa Rica about 11:30am on Sunday morning after a series of stops in-between.  Dave had a small back pack on him with some small items in it. And for me, I had my purse along with my wedding dress and Dave’s wedding outfit.  The first thing we said to each other as we landed in Costa Rica, was that we couldn’t wait to clean up, take a shower and put on some fresh clothes, once we got to the place we were staying. So we get off the plane, it was about 95 degrees out and we were waiting for our luggage… and we’re waiting… and we’re still waiting. After several minutes we look to each other and know it’s not coming.

Knowing very little Spanish, we try to communicate our situation to airline personnel and they pretty much tell us we need to put in a claim and go from there. So knowing there wasn’t much we could do, we get into our rental car and off we go to the place where we were staying at.  I am in a t-shirt with long black yoga pants and Dave is in a black adidas shirt and cargo shorts.  After many phone calls to the airline and talking with people at the hotel, we learn that our luggage is ‘likely’ in Panama City and there were only two flights a week that come into Liberia airport in Costa Rica, and the next one was scheduled for Thursday (4 days from then and actually the day of our wedding).

Well, reality set in late on Monday night, that we were probably without all of our stuff until at least Thursday of that week and there was a possibility of us never getting our luggage.  We definitely didn’t let this damper our time (we were having SO much fun), but it sure would have been much more convenient with our stuff!

So, here comes the good part of the story!  One of the people that worked at the front desk was ‘Leo’. Leo had a fantastic personality and when he heard what happened with our luggage, he exclaimed ‘that this could not happen’ and that he was going to look into this for us.  We were appreciative but were realistic that we still may never get our luggage.

So, now it is about 7:00am on Tuesday morning and Dave and I were down at the hotel breakfast area, drinking coffee, getting a bite to eat and planning out our day. All of a sudden, we hear the sound of rolling luggage! Could it possibly be ours? Were we just hearing things? We were hearing things but it was in fact the rolling of OUR luggage! We couldn’t believe it. And guess who was working at the front desk at the time when it arrived? Leo!  I remember looking at him and he had a big smile on his face, nodding his head in pure satisfaction that our stuff arrived. And all I remember after that is running up to the front desk and giving him a big high five!

Leo absolutely went the extra mile for us. Leo took it upon himself to get on a mission to get our luggage. It was true that flights from Panama City to Liberia, Costa Rica only occurred twice per week, but Leo found out there were flights to San Jose, Costa Rica every day from Panama! So he arranged to get our luggage sent to San Jose which was about 4 hours away from where we were staying and one of the staff at the airport drove our luggage hours to get to us at our hotel.

Leo was absolutely the best! We never could have done it without him and he was just so humble and thoughtful. And it was clear to me that this was what he was all about. Excellent guest service and going that extra mile in all that he does.  Dave and I can’t say enough great things about him. With Leo going that extra mile, it will forever be a lasting impression on our minds!

So I ask you, are you going the extra mile in your personal and professional life? What things do you do to leave a lasting impression on someone’s mind?  I can’t wait to hear from you!

SmartChic is all about inspiring you to make smart and confident decisions while living the life you want and deserve! For your next big conference or team member retreat, have Cynthia as your keynote speaker. She will inspire your team! And get them up and out of their seats! Cynthia@smartchic.me

So a little about me.  I grew up in a very small town in Massachusetts; there was one blinking light in town, one gas station, one general store and there were about 200 kids in my entire high school.  It was a very rural town, a conservative town, not much going on, but it was a very beautiful and quaint town.  I had a nice life….. So fast forwarding through my life; what did I do with my life? I did things that were not so quiet and quaint as the town I grew up in! In college, I did an internship at a maximum security prison in Connecticut, then decided to work for them for about a decade, both because it was exciting and a bold career move at the time. Then…I decided I needed to pack my bags and move out to Las Vegas to reach my goal of moving to a warm climate and also pursue new and exciting career opportunities in the investigations field. And now… I am a California gal, still working in the field I love (investigations) while building on my passion; my company SmartChic!  And guess what?  I am loving every second of it.

So why am I telling you my story?  Because I could have easily played my life ‘real’ safe.  I could still be living in my hometown, or some place close by. And I would have had a good life.  But for me, it just wasn’t what I really wanted.  I always dreamed of big things and always wanted to expose myself to lots of experiences in life.  So if I stayed in my comfort zone, I know that I would have limited my options in life, and for me it would have been a less than fulfilling life.

So, a question for you.  Are you living too safe of a life?  Are you not stretching your horizons, not going for it in life, not striving for what’s possible for you in life?  You’ve got one life and I do not want you to live with any regrets in life. Know that there will be challenges…I’ve had them! But guess what. I got through them. And so can you.  So I challenge you to live on the edge a little! Get out of that comfort zone and go for it in life!

Question: How are you going to start living life a little more out of your comfort zone; living a little more on the edge? How will you start living today to ensure you never have any regrets in life?  I would love to hear from you!  -Cynthia

SmartChic is all about inspiring YOU to make confident and smart decisions while living the life you want and deserve!  Hire Cynthia as your keynote speaker for your next big conference or team retreat. She’ll get everyone inspired and up out of their seats! http://smartchic.me

1. Exercise – Start your day by stretching, going for a walk or run, or doing some weight training. By starting your day in this healthy way, you’ve got a jump start in positivity and feeling good for the rest of the day.
2. Read Something Positive – Get inspired by reading the word of others. Read an inspiring blog, magazine article or chapter of a book today.
3. Talk to Your Mentor – Reach out to that person in your life that always pumps you up, gets you inspired, motivated and challenges you to go for it in life. That person will make your day.
4. Pay it Forward to Someone Else – Sometimes there is no better feeling than making someone else’s day to get you inspired in your own life. Do something really nice for someone today.
5. Write Down What You Are Grateful For – Write down all the things that you DO have in life, and take a moment to feel that appreciation for the great people in your life.
6. Break Up Your Routine – Make Things Fun – Just changing up your routine or environment, might just be the spark you need to get back refocused and inspired to get things done during the day.
7. Put Yourself On a Timeline – Positively challenge yourself to get things done by a certain time of the day. It helps for accountability; putting a little positive stress on you to get it done during the day.
8. Write Down Your Goals – By putting down on paper or on a list on your computer what you want to accomplish, you are more likely to be focused and task oriented to want to get it done during the day. There’s also a great feeling of crossing things off your list once you get them done and move on with your day.
9. Journal What You Have Accomplished – Journals are great for so many purposes, but I have found that when you look back at where you’ve been and where you are now, you appreciate all the experiences you’ve been through and how strong you really are. Sometimes looking back and appreciating what you’ve gone through will give you that extra boost of energy to move onward and forward.
10. Reward Yourself Along the Way – What fun is it in life if it’s all work and no play? We all like to be rewarded for our work and good deeds. Be sure to be really good to yourself and reward yourself along the way in your days. You work hard, so you deserve to have enjoyment in each and every day.

We are surrounded by people and things that can influence our behavior in life.  The reality is, we live in times that there are a lot of outside influences that could put us on the wrong path, in both our personal and professional life.  And many people do go the wrong way; good people too, and it often destroys part or their entire life.

Integrity is one of those things, that you either have it or you don’t.  To me there is no middle ground. Having integrity is key to loyalty and if you don’t have loyalty and integrity, others are going to see that in you, and you’ll appear not trustworthy.

None of us are perfect.  Perhaps you have done some things in life that you might not be proud of.  Can you turn things around? Of course you can!  But you need to make the necessary changes and understand that having integrity is not just an action, it’s a lifestyle, a habit, a consistent pattern of behavior.  It’s willing to stand up, stand out and do what’s right, even at times doing it alone.

Need a little convincing?  Here are my reasons as to why having integrity will get you far in life.

Why Having Integrity In Life Will Get You Far In Life

1. The Truth Needs No Memory – When you have integrity, you are acting in a loyal and truthful manner. And when you need to recall events, it’s easy, because you have nothing to hide or make up.
2. You Can Sleep More Soundly At Night  – When you are doing the right thing, you can sleep soundly at night, because you don’t have worries about whether you are going to get caught for doing the wrong thing.  When you have integrity and do the right thing, the right people will support you in what you do.
3. No Need to Look Over Your Shoulder – With integrity, comes a lighter emotional load. You will not have that weight on your shoulders or that ‘feeling’ that someone might be on to you, because there is no need to.  You are free with integrity.
4. You Will Be Trusted -There is no better feeling than people trusting you for all that you do in life.  If there is a pattern of loyal and good behavior from you, better things in the long run will come to you in your professional and personal life.

So in summary, it is my belief that having integrity is the key to having an authentic and successful personal and professional life.  What are your thoughts on integrity?  I would love to hear your comments today.

SmartChic is all about inspiring YOU to make smart and confident decisions while living the life you want and deserve! Check out all the blogs, services and products SmartChic provides, right here! www.smartchic.me

1. Take a Breather – Stop what you are doing for 5 minutes and take a break to breathe! I mean really breathe. Close your eyes and take a slow breath in for 5 seconds and then breathe out for 5 seconds. Repeat as needed!
2. Walk it off! – Get away from the area that is causing you stress for a few minutes. It’s amazing how a little fresh air can soothe the soul!
3. Listen to Some Tunes – Distractions are good at times to get your mind off things, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Crank up some of your favorite tunes and get away in a zone for a few minutes.
4. Have a Laugh – You know those people that just have a way of making you laugh no matter what they say? When having a stressful day, seek that person out. It’ll help lighten the mood!
5. Say to Yourself This Moment Will Pass – As we all know, things will pass. Say to yourself that this stressful day is temporary and that you are doing the best you can do, and that’s all anyone can ask of you!

What are some of your distractions when you are at work or doing a project at home? Things that easily get you away from your focus of a project, something you need to get done? Do you constantly check emails throughout the day? Is Facebook keeping your attention away? Are you constantly getting interrupted by phone calls or people walking in to talk with you?

You’ve got a lot to do! In order to stay focused on a task at hand, you’ve got to eliminate the distractions that get the best of you!

SmartChic Action Tip! Starting today, while working on projects, keep focused by taking the necessary steps to keep distractions away. Do what you CAN do. Examples: Check emails only a few times throughout the day; let people know that you need some time to focus on a project and can meet later in the day; do what you can not to take phone calls, returning them later in the day.

Most people have no idea of the giant capacity we can immediately command when we focus all our resources on mastering a single area of our lives. -Tony Robbins

SmartChic is all about inspiring YOU to make smart and confident decisions while living the life you want and deserve! Check out all the blogs, services and products SmartChic provides, right here! www.smartchic.me