This document provides short inspirational messages or "touches" on various topics such as telling your story, being accountable, communicating effectively, embracing uncertainty, shedding old habits, caring for partners, dealing with clutter, and escaping fears by taking risks. The touches encourage the reader to live intentionally and make the most of each day through positive thinking, self-reflection, goal setting, and personal growth.

1. Monthly Touches Words of Inspiration for all to gain insight and motivation to work smarter, not hard and live a balanced life

2. Tell Your Story “You are the storyteller of your own life and you can create the legend or not.” ~Isabel Allende Great quote, don’t you think? It is this kind of thinking that one uses to challenge oneself to raise the bar on how you live your life. Each day your story begins with the attitude and energy you choose to approach the day with. Each evening ends the same way. How will you write your story today? Get started, one page at a time.

3. You Are Accountable How are you doing with your 90 day planner? Are you staying accountable to the changes your committed to? Achieving success and balance are both hard work. YOU can achieve the change you want. Stick to it! Use your planner to guide and encourage you. “Do what experts since the dawn of recorded history have told you what you must do: pay the price by becoming the person you want to become. It's not nearly as difficult as living unsuccessfully.” ~Earl Nightingale

4. Tell Them Now When is the last time you took the time to tell the important people in your life, thank you, I love you, you are a key to my success or you make a difference in my life. Too often we take for granted those we count on when the chips are down. We take for granted that they will always be there. More than likely they will, but they deserve to know the difference they make in your life. Tell them now! “What are your personal anchors—people, things, places, or rituals—that keep you connected to yourself, your sense of well-being, and your feelings? What makes you feel secure in the world? Who or what can you count on for support? Make a list of these anchors so you can access them when you feel stranded and unsure.” ~ Gail McMeekin

5. Communication Is Key Research shows that 80% of spoken words are never heard. Imagine 8 out of every 10 words spoken are missed. Listening is hard work. It is even harder in today’s world of “tweets”, facebook and emails. Most communication is conveyed through body language, voice tone and inflection. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us, when critical communication is being conveyed that we are face to face with either the sender or receiver. We must listen with the ears of our ears, the eyes of our eyes, and the nose of our nose. Only then will you hear the entire message. “In all things, be willing to listen to people around you. None of us is really smart enough to go it alone.” ~ John Clendenin

6. Embrace Uncertainty How can I do this? Is what you are probably asking as you read the title of this touch. Well, the obvious answer is your 90 day Passport Planner. Use it daily to remind yourself what is most important, what is vital to your success and your peace of mind. Remember to hold yourself accountable to what you wrote down as key and vital to your future. “Life is. I am. Anything might happen. You can invest your life with meaning.” Robert Fulghum in his book “Maybe (Maybe Not)” Your planner will ground the meaning in your life.

7. Read A Book Every 90 days in our quarterly retreat we challenge you to plan something to improve your skills, your knowledge and your mindset. By reading a book, you are free to soar and to explore in any direction you like. There are no limits to your being unless you self impose them. Books with their own secret knowledge free you to have no boundaries. With a good book, you can find a good friend. The greatest thinkers past and present wait next to your chair, ready to stretch your mind, challenging you to think, to grow and if you want to, there to transport you to another realm. “Take a whole day sometime, away from your regular activities and spend it with a book you always wanted to read. See what happens.” ~Linda Welther Author

8. Shed Old Skin Your planner asks you to consider breaking 3 habits that are holding you back from changing your mindset. Consider what the author Joseph Campbell admonished. When challenges us to “drop a habit that has kept you from reaching your potential,” he wrote “We must be willing to get rid of the life we planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come out.” What habit do you need to break away from? Make a plan to start today.

9. Take Good Care of Your Partner Every 90 days we ask you to think about spending time with someone who will enrich your life. It is often said we take for granted those who are closest to us. Consider the words of Thich Nhat Hanh author of “A Touching Place.” “Our partner is like a flower if we take care of her she will grow beautifully. On the other hand taken care of poorly, the flower will wither. To help them tho grow well, we must take the time to understand their nature. What do they need to grow? Look deeply into yourself to see your nature, and then take the time to look into your partner to see their nature.” “Give someone you love a gift, a word of encouragement or an embrace.”

10. On Clutter Sometimes we are not aware of the clutter that bogs us down and keeps us from focusing on what is really important. This is even true when that clutter is right in front of our nose, or shall I say, “up our nose?” Consider this from an 11 year old who was quoted in H. Jackson Brown, Jr.’s book “Live and Learn and Pass It On.” He said “I’ve learned that when we are really stressed out, the cure is to put two miniature marshmallows up your nose and try to “snort” them out.” What is cluttering “up your nose” right now that won’t allow you to “snort” what is important?

11. Escape I have written before about dealing with the “FUDS” you know your Fears, Uncertainties, Doubts, and Suspicions. What are those things that are holding you back? When you think about those “FUDS” consider Susan Jeffers comment, “We cannot escape fear. We can only transform it into a companion that accompanies us on all our exciting adventures…. Take a risk a day-one small or bold stroke that will make you feel great once you have done it!” Time to unleash yourself and go for it no matter how small or large a step, it’s time to take a risk. Do It!