Happy Holidays, Season's Greetings, Joyeux Noel and Merry Christmas to one and all!




Everyone loves to receive an invitation, and the Christmas season is full of them. Open house invitations in our neighborhood, dinner invitations with long time friends, and festive party invitations to celebrate the season....with my favorite red dress and a champagne cocktail.

This year, I've been lucky enough to have many invitations come my way as a result of my book, Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom. Here's a peek at 2011 in review:

• Kansas City area speaking opps: Our hometown community continues to invite The Butcher's Wisdom into their lives, and I met several new friends as a result of my presentations to area schools, professional associations, local businesses and networking groups. A very special thank you to Barnett Helzberg for welcoming me to the Helzberg mentoring (HEMP) organization.

• Keynote addresses to national associations and high profile organizations: Speaking engagements across the country found me in Chicago for the American Heart Association's annual meeting, in New Orleans for the American Staffing Association's national conference, and even in Washington, DC to address the Federal Reserve with my father's wit and wisdom.

• Funds in support of the American Heart Association tribute center created in honor of my parents have now reached $18,000. I invite you to click on the Hearts We Leave Behind site to find out more and to consider donating generously.

• Career shift: After a five year sabbatical from full time work in the corporate world, I was asked to join the Staffmark organization as Chief Resource Officer this past summer. Staffmark is the undisputed staffing industry dynamo with over 300 offices in 32 states. I am now part of their executive leadership team and love every minute of it. To learn more, visit www.Staffmark.com

• One of the largest publishing houses in the country invited me to sign with them to give my book more "ooomph." After careful consideration, I declined, opting instead to make an impact with my father's life lessons the only way he knew how.....one person at a time. While I'm grateful for that opportunity, I know I made the right decision for the book, for its readers and for me.

• And to end the year on a high note -- and a British accent -- an invitation from across the pond in 2012. That's right. The Butcher's Wisdom will be presented in London next May, as I address the Recruitment and Employment Confederation World Employment Conference, the professional body representing the UK's international recruitment industry. Bangers and mash, anyone?

Exhausting, exhilarating, exciting all at once.

All of these events lead me to consider life's other invitations. Things we receive throughout the day, throughout the year, throughout our entire lives that we may not recognize as being special invitations. Yet indeed they are!

When we begin to view life's little "asks" as an engraved, gilt-edged invitation to throw open life's doors, behind them you'll find opportunity, abundance and gratification. Look closely to recognize these important invitations.....and say "I accept" whenever possible. These invitations represent life's daily possibilities to create new relationships and share new experiences. They are invitations to live life to the max.

As for me? That's easy. I invite each of you to enjoy time with those you love, a good book and champagne cocktail this Christmas season.

Cheers!

Mary