Self-Care: Key to Living a Balanced Life

/1 Comment/in /by

I believe self-care is critical to our overall well-being, especially when our daily routines are turned upside down. HealthCorps posted a Venn diagram on its Instagram that illustrates the importance of this concept.

The diagram shows how mental, physical, and emotional care intersect to contribute to self-care. Self-care is, according to Oxford, “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health.”

HealthCorps shared this image on its Instagram on April 14, 2020. It demonstrates how self-care is at the center of our overall wellbeing.

HealthCorps shared this image on its Instagram on April 14, 2020. It demonstrates how self-care is at the center of our overall wellbeing.

It’s a concept that I try to keep top-of-mind. However, it’s also something that can be easily forgotten or brushed aside. Nearly half (44%) of respondents in a 2019 Harris Poll (PDF) believe self-care is only possible for people with “enough” time. I take that to mean that outside influences are demanding so much of their time that they don’t have any left for themselves.

Yes, we’re all busy and many of us are stretched in countless directions. But, for the sake of our own well-being, we should all strive to make time for self-care.

To get in the right frame of mind, I often ask myself these questions:

  • What activities am I performing daily that enrich my health?
  • Am I taking time for me to refuel and recharge after encountering stressors?
  • How do my interactions with others contribute to not only their well-being but also to mine?

Self-Care is Not Selfish

As you might remember, earlier this year I wrote about kindness. In that article, I focused on how we can be a little kinder, a little happier, and a little better in our relationships with others. Obviously, that’s still very important.

But we also should remember to be kind to ourselves.

I’ve heard stories recently about how parents with school-age children are feeling especially overwhelmed right now. With schools closed in many areas, the home now doubles as the classroom. Students are feeling increased pressures to adapt to a new learning environment. And parents, who are also under a tremendous amount of stress, are beating themselves up for not being able to excel as parents and teachers. Nevermind that the adults in this scenario are trying to do this while also navigating a challenging time in history. (It’s also a good reminder that we should be extra-kind to the teachers in our — and our children’s — lives).

If you’re feeling this way, I encourage you to give yourself a break. It might help to explore various self-care exercises.

Though this What’s Up, USANA? article explored self-care from a new-mom point of view, it still provides tips for all of us.

A Forbes article highlighted ways we can practice self-care as well (read the 10 ways). It also explains why taking care of ourselves — physically, mentally, and emotionally — is so important. Among the reasons:

  • It allows you to know your own worth, reminding you and others of your importance
  • Taking time for yourself naturally aligns your work-life balance
  • Developing self-care habits helps you to reduce stress

I believe it’s necessary for us to continue moving forward in uncertain times. It’s important to keep looking ahead. Yet, it’s equally as important to reflect on where we’ve (metaphorically) traveled in our life, what we’ve accomplished, and how we’ve made a difference in the lives of others.

For me, this type of reflection is a key part of my self-care.

What I’m Reading: Don’t Feed the Monkey Mind

/0 Comments/in /by

As you know, one question I’m often asked is: What books are you reading? If you’re following me on Facebook or subscribe to my e-newsletter, you know that I recently read Don’t Feed the Monkey Mind: How to Stop the Cycle of Anxiety, Fear, and Worry.

Don't Feed the Monkey MindAuthor Jennifer Shannon published the book two years ago, but its message continues to resonate. A lot is happening in our world right now. And before I continue, let me just say: I hope this message finds you healthy, and it finds you safe.

Don’t Feed the Monkey Mind, among other things, explains the importance of employing effective strategies to better deal with uncertainties. That’s to say, understanding what’s within your control and filling your mind with “I choose to…” statements.

For me, I choose to remain positive. I choose to do things that make me happy. I choose to live life forward.

I’m encouraged by all the positive messages I’ve received, and that I continue to receive, from many of you. I believe it’s so important to stay positive in uncertain times.

Please Share Your Positivity

I’d love to hear from you. As you encounter positive messages in your daily routines, whether you find them in books or in conversations or in real-life examples, please share them with me. I want to continue filling my mind with messages of goodness and hope and positivity.

Here’s a video I shared on March 18 with my social media followers. It touches on my mindset following a 5.7 magnitude earthquake in Salt Lake City. In it, I also share a few thoughts on USANA as we navigate these unique times:

Finally, below are the two quotes — mentioned in the video — that I believe are especially relevant to today’s uncertain times. My hope is that we can all live forward and look to the future.

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

— Albert Einstein

“Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.”

— Soren Kierkegaard

I wrote about this notion of positivity in my e-newsletter than went out to subscribers in late March. If you’re not yet subscribed, I invite you to do so here.

Fine-Tuning the USANA Foundation

/0 Comments/in /by

The following post features information about the USANA Foundation I included in last month’s e-newsletter.

One of the most important tasks musicians perform is tuning their instruments. In All the Right Reasons, I talk about “harmony” vs. “dissonance” as it relates to music and life. In fact, the book’s subtitle says it all: “12 timeless principles for living a life in harmony.”

When something is out of tune, it just doesn’t sound right. When that happens, it might take only a few minor adjustments to once again create beautiful music.

The USANA FoundationFor the USANA True Health Foundation, that’s exactly what it took — a little fine-tuning to ensure its mission rings true for years to come.

Brian Paul, the president of what is now the USANA Foundation, explains in the video above (or here) a few steps the organization has taken recently to fine-tune its mission.

“We are rebranding,” he says. “There’s a new look and feel but it’s much more than that. It’s us fine-tuning our mission. It’s us giving you more of a tangible way to donate to the Foundation and helping you understand how you are making a difference.”

A question I get asked frequently as I travel is: “Why the name change?” Brian explains the reasoning behind that as well.

“A lot of times when people talk about the Foundation, they say ‘True Health Foundation.’ USANA quite often gets lost. We really want people to understand what the heart of this Foundation is. And that is our USANA Associates, Customers, and Employees around the world.”

I encourage you to visit the USANA Foundation’s website to read more about all the good work this organization is doing. And give them a follow on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to keep up-to-date on everything related to the USANA Foundation.

Benefiting the USANA Foundation

All the Right Reasons: 12 Timeless Principles for Living a Life in Harmony is available on Amazon. All proceeds benefit the USANA Foundation and its mission to feed hungry children. Each book purchase helps to provide 40 meals. Help us as we strive toward our goal of 2 million meals.

SWEET: Successful Women Empowering Entrepreneurs Together

/1 Comment/in /by

SWEET Retreat 2020

Hundreds of successful female entrepreneurs gathered in San Diego last week for SWEET Retreat. The annual event, organized by the USANA United States Sales Team, is critically important.

SWEET, which stands for Successful Women Empowering Entrepreneurs Together, is designed to bring together entrepreneurs from all walks of life. Lori Truman, USANA’s Vice President of U.S. Sales, says the retreat helps “SWEET Sisters” empower one another and lift each other up.

It’s a unique event that I think is absolutely amazing.

From what I saw on social media and in hearing from others personally, a strong lineup of speakers, including keynote and bestselling author Elaine Welteroth, were not only inspirational and motivational, but they also offered practical advice to help others succeed — in business and in life.

Members of the USANA management team, as well as top Associate leaders, offered personal insight on a range of topics. Communicating effectively, providing an exceptional customer experience, and creating a clear vision for your success were just a few of the presentations that seemed to resonate with attendees.

While I (obviously) didn’t attend (Dan Macuga and I did come close, several years ago…), I’m certain I could feel the energy emanating from SWEET.

SWEET Retreat 2020 Elaine Welteroth

SWEET: Learning, Empowerment

As I’ve traveled around the world so far this year, I’ve spoken a lot about the value of emotional intelligence. How do we as leaders connect with others in their space? More specifically, how do we better empathize with those facing challenges personally and professionally?

An event such as SWEET, which combines learning and empowerment and camaraderie and outright fun, is critical to USANA as a company. It’s who we are, and who we strive to be.

Direct selling in the United States is a $35 billion industry. And, according to the Direct Selling Association, women make up 75% of the direct sales force.

Continuing to recognize and empower our female leaders is of utmost importance. I’m grateful USANA has strong, talented women leaders who exhibit emotional intelligence and who encourage others, as I like to say, to live life in crescendo.

As Elaine Welteroth emphasized in her SWEET keynote, three keys to success are:

  1. Have a clear vision
  2. Have faith in yourself
  3. Get support from other females

Judging by the popularity of SWEET over the years, and by the successful women entrepreneurs who have attended, I’d say we’re on the right path.

It’s the People You Meet

/0 Comments/in /by

A jingle from a lifetime ago about people popped into my head the other day.

Oh, who are the people in your neighborhood?
In your neighborhood?
In your neighborhood?
…
Well, they’re the people that you meet
When you’re walking down the street
They’re the people that you meet each day.

That’s right — Sesame Street. It’s a song that introduces children to a variety of people and professions.

Meeting with members of the media in Beijing.

Meeting with members of the media in Beijing.

As you might know, I’ve been traveling non-stop since the first of the year. If you’re following me on social media, you’ve seen me post pictures from Taiwan, Beijing, and Korea. I’ve spent time in New York and Chicago, and now I’m home in Salt Lake for a few days.

A selfie with some of the people I met in Taiwan in January 2020.

A selfie with some of the people I met in Taiwan in January 2020.

Though they live outside my literal neighborhood, I’ve been thinking about the hundreds — possibly thousands — of people I’ve met over the last three weeks.

The people I’ve met.

Yes, many were familiar faces. But a lot were friendly strangers I met for the first time. It’s amazing how much I’ve learned from them — about their diverse cultures, their expertise in all aspects of life, and how they’re going about achieving their goals and aspirations.

Throughout the trip, I’ve spoken frequently about the value of emotional intelligence. How we connect with people “in their space,” so to speak. It’s what experts say distinguishes great leaders from good ones. Researchers have boiled emotional intelligence down to five key components, one of which is empathy.

Empathetic people are skilled at attracting and retaining talent, they have an ability to develop others, and they possess a sensitivity to cross-cultural differences.

Doesn’t that sound like the kind of person you’d like to be? It’s the kind of person I strive to be.

If you read my blog post from earlier this month, I spoke about kindness and how we each should try to be a little kinder to one another in 2020. Well, as I’ve traveled all over the world and experienced all sorts of cultures, I’m impressed by the people I’ve met — in terms of kindness and empathy.

It’s the people we meet each day that could have a major effect on our lives (and us on theirs). It’s the emotional intelligence we demonstrate in these everyday interactions that will have a lasting impact.

Here are a few more pictures from my recent travels. Thank you all for making me feel so welcome wherever I go.
So grateful for the individuals who attended my book signing in Taiwan.

So grateful for the individuals who attended my book signing in Taiwan.

A warm welcome in New York. Thank you!

A warm welcome in New York. Thank you!

Celebrating the grand opening of the new offices in USANA Korea.

Celebrating the grand opening of the new offices in USANA Korea.

A version of this post originally went to my e-newsletter subscribers. If you’re not yet subscribed, please do so here.

A New Year of Possibilities Starts with Kindness

/1 Comment/in /by

A new year is upon us and with it a world of possibilities. Many of us make resolutions and set goals — lose weight, advance in our careers, eat healthier, etc. But at the start of 2019, I invited readers to join me in one important quest:

Let’s work toward becoming a little kinder, a little happier, and a little better in our relationships with others.

Now, at the start of a new year: How did we do?

Evaluate and Assess

Facebook - All the Right Reasons Announcement 3Each December, I evaluate and assess what I accomplished in the previous 12 months. I’m also honest with myself and write down what I’d hoped to accomplish, but which I didn’t.

I wrote about my process in a blog post last January. That process includes a tactic I picked up from Benjamin Franklin. As a teenager, Franklin wrote down important things that he wanted to pattern his life after. We think of those as our values. For me, my goals and objectives are closely connected with my personal values.

So we write down our goals, but it’s not enough just to write them down and stuff them in a drawer. Rather, as Franklin did, we must track how we’re doing. Franklin tracked in his notebook how well he did in following one of the 13 virtues he considered to be most important to him. (Incidentally, a more in-depth description of this is included in All the Right Reasons. Not surprisingly, the chapter’s called The Ben Franklin Principle.)

Looking Ahead

Toward the end of 2019, I participated in an important challenge called Commit to You: 90 Days of Health. In addition to writing down my commitment, I recorded it on video and shared it publicly. I committed to living a life more present. To live in the moment rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.

And that’s how we circle back to the invitation at the top of this post. By committing to being more present, I became more aware of how my actions affected those around me. I instantly thought about how I could be a little kinder. Interacting with those I love and care about helped me to become a little happier. All of the above helped me to become a little better in my relationships with others.

But just because we flipped the calendar doesn’t mean we’re done. As we embark on another new year, I ask that we continue to strive for more kindness and happiness in our lives.

As Gary Vaynerchuk, who spoke at the 2019 USANA Live event, wrote on his social media: Kindness is the word of 2020.

All the Right Reasons includes 12 timeless principles for living a life in harmony. Book sales benefit the USANA Foundation to help ensure impoverished children and families reach their fullest potential.

USANA Kids Eat: Serving Our Community

/0 Comments/in /by

USANA Kids Eat - No Child Should Ever Go Hungry

We recently officially opened USANA Kids Eat. It’s a food-packing facility where volunteers will fill backpacks with food for children who don’t have enough to eat (for background on the program, please see my previous blog post or visit usanakidseat.org).

You’ve heard me repeat the quote, attributed to Winston Churchill, often:

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

USANA Kids Eat Ribbon Cutting

The USANA Kids Eat facility officially opened on Dec. 19, 2019.

Giving is so important. And that’s what USANA Kids Eat, in conjunction with the USANA Foundation, allows us to do. We’re providing millions of meals to children and families across the globe. But now, we’re able to better serve those in our local community.

Helping to Feed Hungry Children

I get choked up when I think about kids going home for the holiday break to empty cupboards. Just the other day, I joined several USANA employees in packing food for one particular school.

We were able to help make sure those children went home with backpacks filled with enough food to get them and their families through the long winter break. One in five Utah children goes home to insufficient or no food every day.

“With each backpack containing seven meals, we are filling and distributing 800 backpacks each week,” said Brian Paul, USANA Foundation president. “For long holiday breaks, we fill over 3,000 extended-break food kits so kids will have enough food. We welcome the public’s help to reach the goal of filling and distributing 1,000 backpacks per week, which will total 300,000 meals for hungry kids in our community in 2020.”

Making a difference is part of our vision and culture at USANA. And we’re looking forward to making an even bigger difference in the days, weeks, months, and years to come. Our goal with the program is to fill and deliver 1,000 backpacks each week to hungry children.

Thank you to our special guests and dignitaries who joined us for the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 19. And thanks to each of you for your continued support of the USANA Foundation — and now USANA Kids Eat.

Media Mentions

The following are media mentions connected to the USANA Kids Eat program, as well as to the grand opening on Dec. 19, 2019:

To learn more about USANA Kids Eat, please visit usanakidseat.org. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

What I’m Reading — Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

/0 Comments/in /by

In the video below, I share a story about an interaction I had recently that illustrates “mindset.”

An employee greeted me as I walked through the front door at work recently. I asked how she was doing. She looked at me right in the eye and said, “You know, today’s going to be a great day.”

It struck me because I thought to myself, today is going to be a great day. And it’s going to be a great day because I think it’s going to be a great day. It’s where I’m at.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

I’ve spoken recently about the power of mindset. In her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, author Carol S. Dweck does a phenomenal job outlining the concept.

I’m often asked about the difference between leaders who succeed in USANA and those who don’t.

It boils down to two things: growth vs. fixed mindset.

Mindset - Growth vs. FixedIn Mindset, Dweck discusses two different ways of thinking about things. We can either have a fixed or growth mindset. Those who are successful and continue to grow are those who employ a growth mindset.

In contrast, those who have “fixed” mindsets aren’t seeking to grow. They aren’t interested in learning new things. They’re content living their life in the same way they always have lived it.

I encourage you to think about your own way of thinking. Is today a great day? Did you decide it’s going to be a great day? Because you’re the only one who can decide.

One thing I’ve learned is this: the only person I have control over is me. My mindset is so critical to my performance and to my happiness.

I challenge you to take a look at this book. Think about which bucket you fall into. Is it “growth” or “fixed?” Are you open to trying new things? Or is “operating as usual” more comfortable for you?

For more on What I’m Reading, please visit my other blog posts.

 

USANA Kids Eat Set to Open its Doors

/0 Comments/in /by

USANA Kids Eat Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony • Dec. 19, 2019

 

We at USANA are always looking for ways to give back to our community. The USANA Kids Eat initiative is one way in which we’re striving to do that.

Kids Eat - Kevin GuestAs I mention in the video above, we’re celebrating the opening of the beautiful new food-packing facility on Dec. 19, 2019. Several dignitaries — including Dr. Oz — are planning to join us.

The event starts at 11 a.m. and is open to the public. So if you’re in the area at 11 a.m. on Dec. 19, I’d love for you to stop by. You can tour the new facility and even pack a backpack or two.

Located next to USANA’s corporate offices at 2538 South 3850 West in Salt Lake City, the center promises to make a big impact within our community.

USANA Kids Eat: An Important Initiative

For those who haven’t heard, several months ago the USANA Foundation acquired two local charities to help in its mission to feed hungry children — worldwide and in our own backyard.

USANA Kids Eat is a USANA Foundation initiative that strives to eliminate childhood hunger in Utah by providing food to at-risk youth. Already, the community’s come together to pack food for kids to take home with them on weekends and holiday breaks.

And now, with the opening of the new facility next week, we’ll have a dedicated spot to better serve children.

Recently, USANA Kids Eat earned Mountain America Credit Union’s “Pass it Along” recognition, which recognizes local nonprofits making a significant impact in the community.

To learn more about the program, please take a look at this article on What’s Up, USANA? and be sure to follow the organization on Facebook and Instagram.

The Holland Principle: Find Opportunities to Serve, Then Act

/0 Comments/in /by

This time of year is always special for me. It’s a time to reflect on what’s truly important in our lives, to give thanks and to express our gratitude. It’s also a time to serve others. I’ve been thinking recently about The Holland Principle, one of 12 principles included in All the Right Reasons.

All the Right Reasons | Kevin GuestEach of us has a great capacity to help others, to make someone’s life better. That, in a nutshell, is The Holland Principle.

Find opportunities to serve, then act.

When we serve others, we are ultimately working to improve ourselves. I speak a lot about the notion of “giving vs. getting.” Often, we’re so wrapped up in our own busy lives, that we forget the importance of helping others. If we can focus more on serving others, I think we’ll live a life of abundance.

Speaking of helping others, in less than two weeks we’ll be opening the doors on the brand new USANA Kids Eat food packing center. I wrote about the program in my e-newsletter last month (you’re welcome to subscribe).

People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

As we put a bow on another year, I thank you for commitment to helping make the world a better place. I’m grateful for the many blessings in my life and I wish you a healthy and prosperous 2020.

Please consider contributing to the USANA Foundation. Its mission is to ensure that impoverished children and families reach their fullest potential by providing food and nutrition.