MOLLY NECE, Speaker, Author, Legacy Producer
www.mollysunshinegroup.comSyndicate
"Shine On! Create Your Best Life" SunTee
If you think it, you can do it! That’s one of my mantras to creating my best life. Sometimes it takes awhile for ideas to come to fruition, and sometimes it doesn’t. Look for signs to your next success!
SIGNS: These were the three signs led me to the creation of my “Shine On!” SunTee.
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Three women over a three week span Facebooked me when they saw a “Shine on!” T-shirt at Target.
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A dear friend gave me one of her husband’s “JUSTRYIN2 Carpe Diem” T-shirts from his company.
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While I was picking up my "Sunshine Productivity" CDs from Disc Hounds, I noticed the T-shirts he had hanging around his store.
EDUCATION & PLANNING: I asked Mike, the fabulous owner of Disc Hounds, to explain the process. He also made great recommendations if I were to take on this next Sunshine Adventure of making SunTees. I gave John Sweatman, my Legacy Dream Team graphic designer, my vision and mock up for the “Shine On!” SunTee. He took it and ran with it and gave me ten fonts to choose from. I then turned all his “Shine On!” samples into a downloadable poster so that you and others can keep the importance of shining bright front of mind.
CLICK to download your free “Shine on!” poster!
GRASS ROOTS EXECUTION: I’m taking orders for the first official batch of SunTees. When you order your SunTee between now and June 8, you’ll receive it no later than June 20. For those who have met me, I wear a medium, and they are true to size! E-mail Molly@LegacyProducers.com your name, address, and shirt size.
Feel free to be a model and sport the 2012 SunTee at my third Wendell Women and Wine Party from 6:30-8:00pm at Wendell August in Exton, Pennsylvania!
CLICK to register for the June 20 Wendell Women and Wine Party!
Shine on!
Molly
Molly Nece, Motivating Speaker, Author, and Coach of the Molly Sunshine Group
Speaker Platform Consultant and Business Strategist of Legacy Producers
Five Life Lessons I Learned from a Toad
Meet Woody! Tyler and I decided last minute to visit my parents who are living in Hanover, Pennsylvania last weekend. While there, we decided to adventure to the Hanover Shoe Farms to see the new baby foals born to award winning race horses. We got to see seven foals all of which were no more than four days old. Watching the mothers take care of their foals was an amazing sight to see, especially as we celebrated Mother’s Day!
On our walk over to the stallions’ barn, we saw a black cat lying under a tree. When Tyler got within three feet, he quickly grabbed hold of a toad sunning himself next to the cat. Needless to say, it was love at first sight. Because he matched the bark of the tree so beautifully, Tyler immediately named him "Woody." He was full of warts with lots of spunk. In the spirit of spunk, Tyler decided to give Woody a middle name, “Flip.” Tyler began to chant, “How much wood would a Woody Flip wood if a Woody Flip could flip wood.” The next natural question any seven year old boy would ask his mother is, “Can we keep him?” Being a daughter of a man who was raised on a farm, I knew as soon as you named an animal it becomes family and certainly not dinner.
Four days later during his daily morning “outing,” I chose to mindfully watch him. Doing anything mindfully requires you to live in that present moment without thinking of anything from the past or something too far into the future. Surprisingly, a sense of peace came over me.
Later that afternoon, that mindful moment came rushing back to my conscious mind and inspired me to look at life through a toad’s lens with a twist of personification—in other words, projecting human traits onto animals. There were five life lessons that I was able to quickly extrapolate and apply to daily living.
Blaze Your Path through the Grass—This picture was taken that morning. You can only imagine what the world looks like from a toad's point of view. Adventuring into the unknown can be a scary situation. Visualize the possibilities that lie ahead, stay focused on your goal, and do everything in your power to keep it front of mind.
Look before You Leap—Anticipating and weighing your options is a great way to reduce your fear towards anything. Make the time to evaluate and plan, before you start blazing your path to greatness. When you feel you are 80% there, LEAP!
Embrace Your Warts and Shine—We all have limitations and we all have bad hair days. Surround yourself with those who complement your shortcomings, compliment your strengths, and be equipped with mantras that lift you up when you're feeling down, such as, “I feel great,” or perhaps, “Every day is a holiday!” Sometimes we have to fake it until we make it!
Keep Your Eyes Wide Open—You never know where your next meal may come from or when you might be a meal for someone else. Just as I've seen Woody do, be on the lookout for opportunities and aware of situations that may try to take you off your path through the grass!
Seek Shelter in Times of Rain—Shelter and water is a foundational piece of "Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs." When it rains, look inward and choose to reflect on the past and shift to the possibilities of your future. Do you have the support system you need to carry yourself forward in a strong, positive direction? Who do you need to invite to be a part of your campfire? ...and that doesn’t mean putting you on the stick to be eaten!
Next time when you see a toad, think of Woody. Seek life's lessons that surround us in any given moment in time.
Shine on!
Molly
Molly Nece, Motivating Speaker, Author, and Coach of the Molly Sunshine Group
Speaker Platform Consultant and Business Strategist of Legacy Producers
Good Intentions. Negative Rules.
As a child I remember my mother reading books such as “The Real Mother Goose” and Aesop’s Fables. Although they communicated good life lessons, they often instilled trepidation and negative consequences for bad behaviors. Thankfully, I studied to become an elementary school teacher and was introduced to the book “Positively Mother Goose.” As a result, we chose not to read a traditional Mother Goose rhyme in our house.
This past Saturday while preparing for a children’s message at my church, I realized that I could not recite the Ten Commandments. When I googled them, I discovered eight of the Ten Commandments used words such as “no” or “not.” (CLICK to watch my message for parents and children.)
How can we take a “fear not” approach to life when the commandments are focused on negative thoughts, words, actions, and consequences? It comes from a place of guilt, regret, and denial. Why not teach the Ten Commandments from a positive perspective?
As a motivational speaker, I am often focused on giving people strategies on how to see the positive in the most challenging of circumstances. Here is my attempt to see the Ten Commandments from a positive light…
Commandment 1: You shall have NO other gods before me.
Positively Commandment 1: You are not alone.
Commandment 2: You shall NOT make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Positively Commandment 2: Follow the commandments and reap your rewards.
Commandment 3: You shall NOT take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
Positively Commandment 3: Call upon God intentionally for guidance, hope, and gratitude.
Commandment 4: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.
Positively Commandment 4: Invest in your family, friends, and spiritual growth once a week.
Commandment 5: Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
Positively Commandment 5: Give your parents the benefit of the doubt for having your well-being in mind in both good and challenging times.
Commandment 6: You shall NOT murder.
Positively Commandment 6: Every person has been given life and should be granted the ability to live it.
Commandment 7: You shall NOT commit adultery.
Positively Commandment 7: You are committed to working on your relationship in good times and in bad.
Commandment 8: You shall NOT steal.
Positively Commandment 8: Enjoy what you earn.
Commandment 9: You shall NOT bear false witness against your neighbor.
Positively Commandment 9: Speak the truth and nothing but the truth.
Commandment 10: You shall NOT covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.
Positively Commandment 10: Be grateful for what you have. Who are the Jones’s anyhow?
The bottom line is to focus on making a difference by being the difference. Plant positive seeds daily and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Shine on!
Molly
Morning Sunshine Radio: Bringing Hope to Couples and Families
This past week I was asked to be featured on WCHE’s Morning Magazine show with Bill Mason, the General Manager of the station, Doug, and Dr. Lauren. Needless to say, the synergy was high. That Saturday, Bill saw me at a West Chester May Day Festival, and their station happened to be recording live. He asked me to once again be a guest in ten minutes. “Of course!” I answered. Mary Bigham of the Town Dish was going to be airing live with me. What I love about Mary and my story is that while we are a few years apart in age, we were only raised 15 minutes away from one another. Mary was raised in Gettysburg. I was raised in Hanover, and ironically, I was attending Gettysburg College while she was in high school.
I followed up with Bill, the General Manager of the station, on Monday and thanked him for the opportunity to shine and inspire. The following night I met up with one of my intuitive, highly successful mentors. I proceeded to tell him that I can’t help but feel that my husband is supposed to be coming into the Sunshine brand. He was aware of some of the challenges my husband and I faced while I was busy publishing six books and building three companies, while working full-time for West Chester University, and raising a young child. My mentor shared with me a perfect title for whatever “it” was—“A Guide to Molly: My Life from Hell to Bliss.” I absolutely loved it, and I hoped that Dan would too. My mentor and I continued to flush out what exactly “it” could look like, and then it dawned on me, a radio show!
The next morning I couldn’t wait to tell Dan what my mentor and I discussed the night before. Thankfully, Dan loved the idea too! Friday morning I recalled a book and CD I bought a few months earlier titled, “Morning Sunshine,” by Robin Meade. By day, Robin is a news anchor for CNN Headline News’s morning show titled “Morning Express with Robin Meade.” I immediately set up Dan and my “Morning Sunshine Radio” internet broadcast. What happened next was amazing! Two hours after setting up Dan and my radio show, Bill e-mailed me. He wanted me to co-host with him and Doug one Friday a month for a few hours. I said, “As long as I don’t have a paid motivational speaking gig, I’m in!” I also told him about Dan and my “Morning Sunshine Radio” adventure beginning June 1st.
He then inquired about our show and this is what I said:
“Funny you should ask, Bill! Our Morning Sunshine broadcast will focus on relationships, health, career, and spirituality. Being married to a woman such as myself comes with challenges that the majority of men now face. Together we're the whole package for our listeners. We will be covering real topics with concrete experience and time tested strategies.
What's also beautiful is that we compliment one another's style so we're excited to see how it translates to our listeners. Dan is also a certified Health Counselor and one of his passions is getting America to model better health habits for our children and our future!”
Something tells me that there’s something brewing that is going to be bigger than we ever imagined! Stay tuned in for more… Morning Sunshine!
Shine on!
Molly
Molly Nece, Motivating Speaker, Author, and Coach of the Molly Sunshine Group
Speaker Platform Consultant and Business Strategist of Legacy Producers
Join Us for Sunshine Painting in the Vineyard August 4th
Sunshine Painting in the Vineyard
Saturday, August 4
1:00-4:00pm
Penns Woods Winery
Chadds Ford, PA
CLICK to Register.
First come, first served!
Why Should You Come? We'll Give You Five "Dream BIG Shine BRIGHT" Reasons!
1. Shine Bright Canvas Become Van Gogh for a day with Shelly Gephart of Canvas Mixers. Walk away with your own beautiful "Shine Bright" Canvas. CLICK to read the story behind “Sunshine Painting in the Vineyard.”
2. Inspiring JoyRox Paint your one of a kind JoyRox with Bonnie Neubauer. CLICK to learn more about JoyRox.
3. Fabulous Wines Sample and drink the delicious wines of Penns Woods Winery. CLICK to explore the vineyard.
4. Famous Cupcakes Enjoy a Van Gogh cupcake or two from the Food Network Cupcake War Champion, Thais Da Silva of Dia Doce. By the way, Dia Doce means “Sweet Day” in Portuguese and this is certainly what we will have for you on August 4th! CLICK if you want more Dia Doce.
5. Dream Big Music LISTEN to the fabulous voice of Arianne Rox.
Who Should Come? Anyone who is looking to have a good time!
No artistic ability is required. If my seven year old can do it, you surely can! Children must be going into second grade to paint a Shine Bright canvas. People of all ages are welcome to paint a JoyRox!
What Does It Cost? You must RSVP for your Sunshine Canvas Painting experience by August 1. Space is limited! CLICK to register.
Canvas and Tasting: $45/person
Canvas Only: $35/person
Tasting Only: $10/person
Cupcakes, Wine, and JoyRox: Pay as you go!
Music: Priceless!
Have Questions? Contact molly@legacyproducer.com or 484.888.6191!
Shine on!
Molly
Molly Nece, Motivating Speaker, Author, and Coach of the Molly Sunshine Group
Speaker Platform Consultant and Business Strategist of Legacy Producers
Seeing the Sunshine of Stealing Loose Change
Tyler, our seven year old son, and I visited a small post office in a quiet suburban town with only one car in the parking lot other than ours. While I typically lock the doors and put up the windows, today I chose not to. When we returned to the car five minutes later, there was no change left in the cup holder and a yarn friendship bracelet Ty made me was gone!
The first thing I thought was Dan, my husband, must have borrowed my change. When it was confirmed that he didn’t, Ty looked at me in disappointment and said, “That old lady must have taken it,” followed by, “I made that bracelet for you. Why did she do that? She drives a car.” Meaning, if she owns a car, she must be ok financially.
In response, I shared with Tyler that big people can make wrong choices, and that she probably didn’t want to steal, but felt she didn’t have any other choice. I turned to him and said, “There is always another option. How can we see the positive in this?” This is what he said…
- At least you brought your wallet in with you.
- At least nothing else was taken.
- I can always make you a new bracelet.
- She can use the change for food.
- We can pray for her that her that she will make better decisions next time.
- Not all old ladies steal!
When we returned home, Tyler ran to his room and then proceeded to give me a quarter from his piggy bank. “Here Mom, you can start your next collection.”
Sunshine Life Lesson: There will always be people who disappoint you, but it is a choice as to how we respond to these situations. Learn from the lessons and see what you can do to make a greater change in the world. Look outside yourself. Today I inadvertently gave a donation to someone in need and chose my reaction wisely. As a result, Tyler saw an opportunity to give of his own wealth. Model the way… eyes are watching you!
Sunshine Question: What do you need to shift in your own behaviors when faced with a disappointment? What can you do to make a positive change in the world?
Make a difference, by being the difference!
Molly
Molly Nece
Motivational Speaker, Author, and Life Coach
Molly Sunshine Group and Legacy Producers
Bringing Meaning to Life: The Pledge of Allegiance
This morning’s Chester County National Prayer Breakfast inspired me to write this blog. Five years ago I got a tap on my shoulder to go, and I’ve been going the first Thursday of May every year since. This year was not unlike the rest. I always leave having met new people and a feeling of re-newal. Red Skelton shared with us a story that impacted him and has impacted two million other viewers today. “It seems as though the Pledge of Allegiance is getting monotonous to you, if I may, may I recite it and try to explain the meaning of each word?”
Make the time to watch and reflect… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZBTyTWOZCM
While I agree with Red that the “pledge of allegiance” is not a prayer, and that God needs to remain in our pledge because it was those principles that our country was founded upon, I also see a need to be accepting of other religions and spiritual beliefs. Why? Because I see the value in believing in something greater than ourselves.
That said, I realize that the majority of people have been let down by their religion or spiritual leaders, but our faith and what we believe in can never be taken away from us, nor can we afford to lose sight that we do not own the Earth. It is simply on loan to us. That said, the United States of America is in its infancy. We are only a little over 200 years old. It was re-confirmed today that we are young, but yet we’ve quickly destroyed one another’s spirits, joys, and dreams, as well as our land, water, and air. While our intent may or may not have been to do so, today and every day, we need to remind ourselves and those around us, that it is our duty to stand UP, dream BIG, shine BRIGHT, live MINDFULLY, and serve OTHERS!
Jim Maxim was this year’s keynote speaker, and while his story was that which very few have gotten to experience, he held a small globe in his hand, and said that “The Earth is only God’s footstool.” The message I took away from his amazing keynote was, “We are not alone. Let’s keep life in perspective and choose to do God’s work every day. Stop throwing stones and see where we can come together to bring this nation under God back to the way God intended… heaven on Earth.”
With pride of country and gratitude to all... SHINE ON!
Molly
Motivating speaker, author, and coach, Molly Sunshine Group
Speaker platform consultant and business strategist, Legacy Producers
Dream BIG. Shine BRIGHT. Create Your BEST Life.
I Spy a Sunshine Word: A Fun Car Game that Keeps You Happy and Focused
Last week I made a trip to Mansfield, Pennsylvania. It was four hour trip, by myself, through clouds, rain, sleet, and snow. While this is not a typical forcast for this time of year, I had to go. There was no backing out now! People were counting on me to equip them with ways to effectively communicate with one another when times are tough and tension is high.
What I didn't tell you is that any drive over two hours has the potential to make me "partly cloudy!" This trip specifically required me not only to put the Sunshine Cruiser into overdrive (the name of my yellow PT Cruiser above), but also myself! One of the games I played to pass the time and keep me focused on the positive I called "I Spy a Sunshine Word."
Here's how to play! Look for words that represents your personal "brand" or words that make you feel happy, loved, and hopeful. Here was my top 25 list of Sunshine words from my trip to Mansfield. Sometimes you need to "act as if" every day is a holiday. You'll be pleasantly surprised about what happens next! Remember, what you think about... you bring about!
- Unforgettable
- Perfectly balanced
- Fresh start
- Hopewell
- Shamokin
- Prepared
- Family fun place
- Custom built
- Traditions
- Bloomin'
- Professional
- Cultivator
- Broadcasting
- We will rock you
- Gateway
- House of hope
- Ole Dan
- Weiser
- Faith
- Holiday
- Delight
- Grateful
- Sunrise
- Winery
- American
Shine on!
Molly
What a Hot Mess! The Five Steps to Cleaning It Up.
“Attitude is everything.” We've all heard it before, but what do we do about it when we find ourselves in an unpredictable situation... or worse, a predictable one! I’ve been hearing the words “I’m in a hot mess” pop up in articles, on the news, and first hand scenarios. How we choose to approach it makes all the difference! Before we start problem solving, it’s important to stop and define a Hot Mess? As a child we’ve been taught to stop, look and listen before we crossed the road. I want you to do the same thing when a Hot Mess lands in your lap! STOP: Name the emotion you are feeling and ask yourself, “How will this emotion help me move towards a solution to this Hot Mess? Develop your Hot Mess thermometer to keep things in perspective. Above are some sample Hot Messes. How would you rank them on your thermometer? Come up with your own! LOOK: See where you can take ownership. Accept accountability for your part in the Hot Mess. LISTEN: If there are other people involved in the Hot Mess, ask questions that help you gain clarity of their intention and perspective. Seek common ground where you can. CROSS: Once the past has been discussed, look to the present. Formulate multiple solutions, analyze the pros and cons, identify next steps, and assign roles. If you can identify with some of the Hot Messes listed, it might involve some time in order to heal. Rebuilding trust, respect, and confidence takes time. NAVIGATE: Discuss where you want to go next and how to prevent this Hot Mess from happening again! In closing, there are three things to remember… Let’s mitigate those Hot Messes and SHINE ON!
Molly
Art and Sunshine Opens Minds, Ears, Eyes, Hearts, and Doors!
Art and sunshine opens minds, ears, eyes, hearts, and doors!
When Shelly Gephart reached out to me on Linked In because “it” said she should know me, who knew the greatness that would come of it! I clicked on her Canvas Mixers website and fell in love with her business model. It involved empowering everyone she touches with the confidence that they can become an artist and do anything they set their mind to. My kind of people! Her painting parties span businesses, schools, women’s organizations, wineries, and in her studio in Collingswood, NJ.
Next, I checked to see how we were “connected”—my husband!
When I inquired, I discovered that he went to school with her--kindergarten through twelfth grade! Although they didn’t run in the same circles, he shared with me that he believes she was reserved. I followed my intuition and discovered that was no longer that reserved young teenager. I reached out and two weeks later she was hoppin’ on a plane to Philly, pitching a project to LOVE Park, and coming to our house for dinner! Although she calls Georgia home, she travels monthly to her New Jersey studio where her team of eight fabulous up-beat artists and parents help her run the day to day business operations.
On her way north, she discovered an unopened e-mail requesting that I would like a family painting session to experience Canvas Mixers and explore how it might fit into the “sunshine” brand. She jumped on it and said, “Absolutely!” Three hours later she was at our house and Dan, our seven year old son, and I were on our back deck painting, bonding, laughing, drinking wine (excluding Ty of course), and having fun getting out of our comfort zone.
Two hours later, we peeked around one another’s table easel to discover that what we painted were beautiful masterpieces that were uniquely ours because of opening our minds, ears, eyes, and hearts.
Open Minds: Believe in yourself. Open Ears: Listen to the wise-Shelly! Open Eyes: Appreciate the beauty in our differences. Open Hearts: Encourage one another in the journey. It opened the doors to a world of possibilities! While it is common for me to do things outside my comfort zone, my husband was shocked at what he was able to create given his self-admitted struggle with drawing stick figures. Before Shelly arrived, I showed my seven year old what we were painting. His response was, “That looks hard, Mom.” When Shelly arrived, the three of us quickly realized that we were about to experience something that will be a life-long memory!
What I have yet to share with you is that on this memorable adventure, Shelly shared with me that she has terminal cancer that only 800 people in the United States has. No one would ever know it! She has positive energy that rivals and perhaps surpasses mine. Although she doesn’t know how long she will be playing around in this world, she shared with me that her desire is to live a legacy so that when her sons find “the one” perhaps they will have a Canvas Mixer painting in their house.
After we were finished painting, Shelly and I headed out to Doc Magrogan’s Oyster House where I take all my potential clients and Legacy Dream Team members. When we sat down, she quickly laid it out on the table that she wants to do three Molly Sunshine Originals—Dream. Shine. Divine.
I knew Shelly was special, but it became clear that we were meant to create greatness together. Prior to her arrival, I placed on my calendar a brunch with BEN FM’s Women of the Week Host, Marilyn Russell, for the following Sunday. After Shelly left to return to New Jersey, I e-mailed Marilyn and told her that I have someone she has to meet! I brought Shelly into the city for bunch at Reserve, a classy jazz bar and restraunt, the next morning. There was instant chemistry between them. Marilyn exclaimed, “We’re doing a Molly and Marilyn Art and Wine Fest featuring BEN FM, Molly Sunshine, and Canvas Mixers!”
To this date, Marilyn doesn’t know Shelly’s cancer secret, but once she does, I know only more greatness will come of it! That night I also e-mailed Carly, one of the owners of Penns Woods Winery in Chaddsford, and a few other contacts that could help to expand Shelly’s network. Carly exclaimed, “I would love to have some wine and painting events at the vineyard! Thank you so much for thinking of us!”
All I’ve got to say is that the best is yet to come! Ironically, that song is streaming live right now... Thanks Frank!
LISTEN to The Best Is Yet to Come
"The best is yet to come and won’t it be fine.
You think you saw the sun but wait until you see it shine.
We only tasted the wine.
We’re going to drink the cup dry."
Here’s to painting your own sunshine… SHINE ON!
Molly
Motivating speaker, author, and coach, Molly Sunshine Group
Speaker platform consultant and business strategist, Legacy Producers
Dream BIG. Shine BRIGHT. Create Your BEST Life.