Tracy Kreck of Photographic Passion asked “what to do about being in the presence of someone who is slathered in fragrance?”

This is where some people get confused, scents are used to attract people not repel them. One of my first management positions was as the Cosmetic Department Manager for a large department store chain so I can’t help but discuss how fragrances work.

Perfumes are made up of essential oils which intensify with heat, hence the reason to either gently spray or dab once or twice your fragrance on your neck, back of wrists, or behind your knees and let your body heat do the work. These are called your body “hot spots” in perfume language. Where some people go wrong is in the amount of fragrance they apply. Less is better; the idea behind scents is to attract someone. You want people to be able to approach you and get close. If you have slathered yourself in the scent then it prohibits others from being close or intimate with you because the scent becomes too overwhelming bringing the exact opposite reaction you were probably hoping for.

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Karyn Khoury, Vice President of Fragrance Development for Estée Lauder Cosmetics also suggests moisturizing your skin before applying your scent to help hold the fragrance longer.

When in the company of someone that has just over done it with the fragrance it is best to pull them aside or whisper in their ear (if you can stand it) and say something like “the scent you are wearing is nice however fragrances trigger headaches for me, so I’m sorry to trouble you but would you mind just wearing a little less and see if that helps?” Some people are just unaware how far their scent travels. When coming from a place of contribution in asking someone to change a behavior the outcome is more likely to remain in a positive vein.

In the movie “Scent of a Woman,” Al Pacino plays a blind man who understands how scents can attract as well as be intriguing. It’s always a good idea to leave a little mystery and let others do the discovering.

I hope this helps!

At the end of every year it is common to hear people discussing their New Year’s Resolutions which everyone including me seems excited about and is determined to make a change for the better in the coming year.

The intention is set, the goals have been pronounced to loved ones, friends, family and maybe even co-workers, the ball is in motion, the New Year is here. We wake up New Year’s Day ready to make the “new me” happen, whether that is through loosing weight, changing an eating pattern, giving up smoking or drinking, forgiving someone, the list goes on and on. But how many of these intentions get thrown by the way side before the month is even up and why? So what’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you?

First off, whenvever we talk about resolutions we also must talk about habits. Habits is described as doing something over and over again until it becomes easy and effortless. With that being said why is it so hard to break them and create new ones? Dr. Wayne W. Dyer in his new book Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao states that it is our negative self talk that stops us from making a change.

In a recent article in Yoga Journal, Kate Holcombe, founder of the Healing Yoga Foundation in San Francisco explains that when we are judgemental toward ourselves in which fear, shame and/or guilt arise it reflects avidya which translates to “incorrect understanding.” In essence you, me, we, are mistaking the behaviour we want to change for who we are, rather than just seeing the habit for what it is, and recognizing that it no longer serves us.

One way to begin change is to come from a place of self compassion.To know, believe and say to yourself “I deserve heatlh and happiness and it’s worth every effort it takes to make that positive change.” Now that sounds better, doesn’t it? Just writing the words as I draft this article makes me feel better.

So my challenge to you, as well as to myself, is to begin each day knowing and beliveing that you and I deserve great things to happen to us. Let’s give it a try together and make the world a better place, one thought at time. What habits are you willing to let go of that no longer serve you?

Where did this tradition come from anyway? What were the ancient Romans thinking? Is it a self defeating prophecy or do people actually stick to their resolutions for the whole year? If there are any of you out there I want to hear from you!

After taking a good hard look at this past year and assessing my successes and failures it became brutally evident to me just how small I played the game of life.

It’s easy to sit back on our laurels when we think that no one is watching to pull a Scarlet O’Hara and put tasks off for just one more day which soon turns into one more week then one more month well you get the picture. Then bam, before you know it a new year is here and more missed opportunities just stroll on by.

So when I started thinking about what my resolution would be for 2011 I decided that it is to be present in all that I do. To stop contemplating about things I should be doing and just do them. Nike is so right on with saying “Just Do It.” To live a year of being excuse free, no story telling, I either did what I set out to or not and the let the results speak for themselves.

That’s a lot to bite off, I know but I’m tired of playing second fiddle in my own life. There is a quote by Jim Rohn that goes like this “stress comes from doing less than you are capable of.” Oh, I so want to be stress free. How about you?

This morning my husband and I hiked North Mountain before starting our day. As we drove into the parking area there were posters and barricades blocking off a large section of the parking lot that is closest to the trailhead. We parked our car and read the poster which said North Mountain Day of Silence.

I was excited to think that I would hike this mountain and be able to view the entire city of Phoenix and take in the breathtaking views in silence. We stopped to ask a Park Ranger what exactly the sign meant and he told us it is just a way to give the parking areas a break. Oh well, it’s a wonderful hike anyway.

The interesting thing that I noticed during my hike was the amount of negative self-talk I had with myself and the negative conversations other people were having. Did you realize that 87% of our thoughts and words are negative? Is it any wonder that you do not have what it is that you say you want, if more than half of your thoughts and words are negative? So today, as I hiked the mountain I listened to the conversations….so and so sent me a nasty message on Facebook, the children I teach are so misbehaved, did you hear about the homicide, my back hurts, and on and on….The conversations ended up sounding like wha,wha,wha.

How can that be in such a beautiful place? How can we as humans take for granted the beauty that is around us? Do we not have anything nice to say about our family, friends, and co-workers? Isn’t there anything positive in our lives worth sharing?

Dr. Wayne W. Dyer has written a great book called “Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life.” Just the title alone is something that I attempt to live by each day. Once a negative thought enters your mind, notice it and thank it for showing it’s dreary head and say to it “thank you, however I choose not to listen to you right now” and change that thought into a positive one. I know, with 87% of our self-talk and thoughts being negative this may be a lot of work for some of us however it will get easier I promise you.

So take the challenge of saying something positive and nice to 10 people to today. Ugh! Did your mind go right to, what will I say, or I can’t do that I’ll look foolish, or what will they think of me? If you did, notice it, say thank you and move on. Something nice….hmmmm…what could that be? You look fabulous today! Have you done something different with your hair, you look great! I’m so glad to see you! I love you so much, you make my life wonderful! The list goes on and on, and will grow exponentially once you focus on it.

What or who are you grateful for, tell the world…TODAY!

Merry Lynch design Garden Delight

When I set out to create this company I started with the end in mind. That end was to have a lifestyle whereby I could run my business from anywhere in the world, make a difference in people’s lives by helping them to communicate in a personal way being comfortable and solid in their beliefs about themselves, to allow the women that work with me to be able to work  from their homes and have a lifestyle that suits their needs in creating wonderful products and services while making a reasonable profit.

I am fortunate to be aligned with Neiman Marcus where my personalized note cards are promiently displayed on their website and in catalogs. My products are also found in other fabulous retailers around the country such as The Village Inscriber in Palm Desert, California and Bering’s in Houston, Texas.

Recently my company was featured in Business News Daily, an on line newspaper for start-ups and small businesses, in an article about American made products and why companies are turning back to the US for their manufacturing needs.

I’m thrilled to be included in this arena of other fine entrepreneurs. What is it that you want to achieve in your life? What if money, other people’s opinions or the risk of failure were not an option, what is it that you would be doing? Let’s make the world a better place, one risk, one breakthrough, one aha moment at a time.

The other day while at a stop light with my car windows rolled down a pick up truck pulled up next to me. I noticed he also had his windows down so I turned my head toward him and nodded a friendly hello. He looked at me, smiled and spit. Let me clarify, he didn’t spit at me he aimed his spit at the ground. I thought to myself, why is it that men spit and women don’t. I didn’t have anything in my throat or did I? Is there something biologically different about us, other than the obvious?

 So, I decided to do some research on the topic and it seems as though Sally Trove  had the same quandary about this topic as I. Sally has found that this act of spitting has been going on with the male species for thousands of years and has many meanings. Who knew that spitting was something of a rite of passage?

 Males use spitting as a way to mark their territory, to rid themselves of a bad feeling; some even think it looks cool. Those that are superstitious and wake up with a bad dream believe they need to spit 3 times to push away the evil demons.

 Armed with this information and having 3 grandchildren that are all boys I decided to teach them how to spit, in a nice way of course, with watermelon seeds. I had no idea that spitting was so hard. By the time we finished eating the watermelon, my grandsons ages 7, 4 and 3 were significantly better at spitting than I was. I attempted to instill in my grandsons that this is not something that is done in public. Girls do not find this cool and if you feel a need to spit then take it inside to the restroom.

For those of you that want to do your own research the next time you find yourself having a picnic be sure to serve watermelon and make a target, get everyone involved, have a few laughs, do your own research, team up the girls against the boys. And while you’re having a watermelon seed spitting contest it would be a great opportunity to talk about spitting and keeping it to yourself.  I think this could be a science project or a thesis. Maybe I’m on to something.

 All in all it makes me think twice about walking anywhere barefoot.

In the age of the World Wide Web it is important to know what is being said about you, good or bad. It not only has to do with information you may have posted on Facebook, My Space or other social media sites, it also has to do with what others have posted.

There really is not any such thing as privacy anymore. A recent survey showed more than 80% of recruiters “google” applicants, and 45% of these recruiters stated they had dropped candidates that would have been in the running if not for some photo or derogatory information found on the web. Recruiters believe “googling” someone is a great way to discern someone’s lack of judgment or their ability to express their capabilities.

A recent article on the “10 Job-Search Mistakes”, Tim McIntyre, President and CEO of The Executive Search Group suggests to follow the ‘three B’s’ (beer, bongs, and bikinis) by getting rid of any pictures or videos that have either of these images in relation to your social media sites.

An article dated June 1, 2010 posted on CNN.com, “Divorce Attorneys Catching Cheaters on Facebook”, discusses attorneys looking to the internet to find the information they need. Recently Ken Altshuler, an attorney in Portland, Maine found the evidence he needed about a clients spouse on Facebook, which lead him to win his case. Don’t underestimate the power of the web.

To see what is being said about you on the internet the easiest place to start is by “googling” yourself. It’s the first few pages that really matter, generally people do not go beyond page 5 however depending on what you find on page 1-4 should help to determine just how deep you go. For me with a name such as Merry Lynch when I am googled people also find information on the financial company Merrill Lynch. So making sure I have current information up is important.

Next step is to set up email alerts for your name so you can see who is talking about you. This will keep you abreast of the good, the bad and the ugly before it gets too out of hand. You can set up alerts at http://www.google.com/alerts or www.trackle.com.

Should you happen to find anything that has a negative connotation or has an inappropriate photo or video make sure to delete them. You can also check your privacy settings which will allow you to share information with those whom you choose. If someone else has posted inappropriate information, photos or videos that you do not approve of you have every right to ask that person to take it down. If for some reason they do not comply and you feel strongly that you need some help in dealing with the situation you can hire a paid service such as Reputation Defender (reputationdefender.com).

To put an extra twist on things, purchase your name as a domain (if it is available). (i.e. joesmith.com) By purchasing your name as a domain or URL, you are then able to set up a personal email or create a website. Should you decide to create a website it could act as your on-line resume, you can think of this as a promotional tool. I use http://www.godaddy.com for domain searches and domain hosting however there are many companies to choose from.

The next step would be to set up all of your social medial sites with your name as the ID or user. You essentially are creating your own brand so be careful not to create funny or cute ID’s such as funtime@partygirl.com or sizzle@cox.net, you certainly would not want to be responding to a potential employer with an email address like that. Creating flattering on-line images and profiles in the age of technology is not only important it is vital to your professional growth and by all means never talk about your employer, past or current on-line. Big brother is watching.

Les Brown "The Courage to Live"

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Les Brown, an internationally recognized motivational speaker, whose topic of “The Courage to Live” was filled with a resounding message of “live full-die empty.”

These powerful words sent a shock wave through my body. I felt like he was speaking directly to me, that he had me by the shoulders and was shaking my very soul. Have you ever wanted something so bad but felt like your feet were in cement? Have you ever wanted something so bad that you actually were pushing against the very thing that you wanted instead of allowing it to come on its own? Well, that is where I have been with some of my dreams, goals and aspirations.

I have, as Les Brown stated “If you do what is easy your life will be hard. If you do what is hard life will be easy.” UGH! That is my life in a nutshell well I mean doing life the easy way, almost like I am doing the dog paddle. I’m a talented woman, how did this happen?

So today as I begin a 30 day blog challenge I will follow my heart and attempt to let things flow to and through me. “When there is a conflict between your heart and your head always follow your heart,” Les Brown stated that time and time again during our visit together. Stop analyzing and start walking into your greatness.

As many companies business models need to change there is one industry that still experiences growth. Check out this video with Carley Roney from TheKnot.com.TheKnot.com

How to eat Shish kabob

Know how to eat what you serve…

Shish kabob is an easy and stylish dish to serve when having guests. There are endless combinations to put together whether creating shish kabob as an appetizer, for the main entrée or just something sweet for dessert, they are always a big hit.

One caveat in entertaining is to always know how to eat what you serve. As the host or hostess your guests will look to you for guidance when they are unsure of what they are doing.

For instance, little appetizer shish kabobs are sometimes no bigger than a toothpick so they can be eaten right off the stick as fingerfood and then the toothpick can be placed in a cocktail napkin and thrown away or placed on the side of your small appetizer plate. No utensils are necessary for this dish.

When serving shish kabob as the entrée your guests will need a knife and fork to eat them with. You wouldn’t want them to have to suck or yank the food off with their mouth, as that is when accidents are sure to happen.

Although you can serve shish kabob out on your patio with paper plates you must think about  how your guests will get the food off the skewer. If your event is very casual and buffet style where people may not necessarily be seated at the table you may want to think about how they will stabilize their plate and if your paper plates (if that is the case) are suitable or sturdy enough.  Summer time cookouts often have guests eating from paper plates so as the host or hostess take the time to think about how you and your guests will manage the menu.  Thinking the details through from the food, to beverages, to seating and eating will create a well planned and accident free event.

To eat shish kabob it is customary to hold the tip of the skewer in your left hand with the opposite tip on your plate. Take the fork in your right hand and gently remove the food from the skewer starting from the bottom first. You may only want to remove a few pieces at a time as that is often easiest to work with. I’ve seen many disasters happen when someone attempts to remove the food from the skewer by starting at the top and sliding is off all at once. It might be easier if you think of eating a shish kabob as “bottoms up.” Once the skewer is empty, you can place it on the left hand side of your plate. Never place the empty skewer on the table as it could soil the linens or tabletop.

If any of your guests seem uncomfortable starting their meal this is terrific sign that they might need some guidance, take this opportunity to grab yourself a plate, sit down and start enjoying the meal. Your guests will quickly follow your lead. Knowing how to eat what you serve will always serve you well….

Happy dining