5 Ways to Love Your Work More

Do you wake up excited and anticipating the day ahead?

If the answer is yes on most days, great! Keep it up. For too many Americans the answer is NO. In fact, did you know the most common day of the week for a heart attack is Monday?

Here at ‘Love Box Land’, our mission is to teach people how to love their family, work and life more. As an entrepreneur and consultant for 22 years, I know there are things we can do to help us on our quest to a loving work life.

Let’s look at 5 ways to love your work more.

Build a Loving Team. Working with people you respect and trust is a whole lot of fun. Create respectful and kind relationships with a team of people who ‘have your back’. Make an effort to like co-workers or better yet, love them. You may not want to be married to them, but you do want to be ‘engaged’. (Yes, pun intended.)
Mix Your Talents with Meaning. Work at a position that matches your skills and talents with work that is meaningful to you. Change the way you work so you can enjoy the work itself and find it more interesting. If possible, explore cross training to see how the company works in different departments. Explore how your job is making a difference and fits into the big picture of the organization and your life. Keep in mind, the realistic expectation that you probably won’t like everything about your work. If you’re an entrepreneur and in charge of everything, delegate the work others can do.

3. Compensation. Make sure your pay and benefits are in line for you. Take advantage of the benefits your company offers including perks and 401 K matches. If you believe you are being underpaid, consider negotiating for what you’re really worth.

4. Check your Security & Recognition Levels. Security is about feeling safe and secure with your position and your future at the organization. 83% of employees are motivated by recognition so if you don’t know how you’re doing or have a tight-lipped boss, ask for specific feedback.

5. Be Grateful. Focus on the positive parts of your job and be grateful. The old adage: Count your blessings helps you be more positive. Change your outlook to appreciate of the opportunities and people around you. Also, look at how your job is making a difference and fits into the big picture of the organization and your life.

There’s plenty of good evidence that employees who love their work have lower turn-over rates and increased productivity. We spend a lot of time and energy at work, so let’s do our best to love our time there.

Here’s to you – growing in love at work and home.

If you are interested in training or coaching about this topic, please contact:

Christine Martinello, www.originallovebox.com

e: info@christinemartinello.com

Small Note – Big Impact

A love note doesn’t have to be long to make a big and lasting impact in someone’s life.

Original Love Box Notes

Why? Because a love note comes from the heart and touches another person in their heart. Yes, it’s a heart to heart connection.

“The Divine Voice is not always expressed in words. It is made knows as a heart-consciousness.” ~Unknown

Keep on creating cozy moments of love.

5 Worst & Best Heartfelt Valentine’s Day Gifts

Let’s Love More!

Valentine’s Day is coming. This is your chance to grow in love or watch it wilt in three days. We’re committed to helping your love blossom. Here are some do’s and don’ts.

5 Worst Gifts
1. Nothing. We know you’re busy and sometimes forgetful. If you truly value love, you need to put some time and effort into it.
2. Appliances. Nothing kills romance faster than a new toaster. Yes, we may very well need a new one, but not as a Valentine’s day gift.
3. Grocery store flowers. Don’t rush in after work, with a token gift. If it’s going to wilt in 3 days, think again.
4. Dinner at a fast-food restaurant. She doesn’t care how busy you both are. If you can’t make it on V-Day, plan for a lovely dinner on another day.
5. Sporting event tickets. I can hear you guys . . . “But she loves sports.” Make 100 % sure she really loves sports & isn’t just trying to make you think she does.

5 BEST Heartfelt Valentine’s Gifts

Original Love Box Kit

1. Original Love Box filled with hand written love notes and her favorite sweet treats. When you read her the notes aloud, surrounded by candlelight, her heart will melt.
2. Share a picnic and feed each other your favorite foods & drinks. If the weather is bad outside, set it up in a quiet part of you home. A the very least shut off the TV & put on love songs. Add a dance under the moonlight to romantic music.
3. Engraved jewelry that has a special message or date on it.
4. If you’re going to get chocolates, make sure they’re her favorites and that there are plenty.
5. Write a poem or song, & sing it to her – just for her ears only.

As you can see, these gifts are heartfelt and take some time to plan and deliver. When you make the effort to create something she’ll love, Oooohh, la la – Love is in the air.

Hope you feel surrounded by LOVE!

Ok ladies, feel free to send this to a guy you know.

Love Box Land is Growing

2016 – what a year filled with new ways to learn and love.

One of the reasons I became an entrepreneur 22 years ago was so I could raise my 3 kids with lots of love and time. So, when my 3rd child flew out the nest in August, (My hubby & I are in the ‘Free bird’ phase.) I thought life would slow down (& it did for about a moment).

Quickly, it became clear that many people and families want to grow in love with their life, work and family.

Love Box event

‘Love Box Land’ is growing! It’s a land flowing with more ‘Love Agents’ & enthusiastic supporters. We hear many stories of families growing closer together, healing, hope and renewed relationships.

In Sept. we launched the Original Love Box – people write love notes & read them for every special occasion – from birthdays to baby showers, weddings to anniversaries.

Original Love Box Kit

We gave to 7 charities and gave a lot! Our giving focused on helpingwomen and children who are recovering from domestic violence or substance abuse. We also had love note campaigns for children battling cancer and victims and 1st responders involved with the Orlando shooting.

Love Your Neighbor

2016 has also been filled with bringing light into the darkness and showing that love unites us all. We have seen doubt, rejection, darkness & the enemy trying to thwart our efforts. We’ve faced new trials & worked diligently to grow in love rather than let strife take hold.
That means facing, entering into, exposing & forgiving the darkness. Always shining more light.

We’re ‘fired up’ about exciting plans for 2017:

– We’ll offer more education events and opportunities to learn.
– Partnering with sponsors.
– Sharing the Original Love Box with more non-profits and church groups.
– Expanding the team and our marketing efforts. This movement takes a team of merry ‘Love Agents’.

We’re going to be playing bigger next year. It has become clear – people need a lot more love!

We look forward to building a foundation of love for families, companies, and communities – one love note at a time.

What an exhilarating time! Thank you for joining us.

We’re all in search of a happy life. What if you knew just what to do, to have a happy and successful life?

Would you focus on it with all your time, money & energy? Probably.

Do you think the secrets are; Having plenty of money, a happy marriage, experience, your dream career, being a philanthropist, having a strong work ethic, or being raised in a happy childhood?

Some fascinating research reveals the secrets to a happy and successful life. The Harvard-Grant study was conducted for 75 years at a cost of over 20 million dollars to conduct.

Dr. George Vaillant, the lead researcher, notes there are two pillars of happiness:
“One is love. The other is finding a way of coping with life that does not push love away.”

The study directs us to a five-word conclusion:
“Happiness is love. Full stop.” Vaillant says.

Love means everything. A person can have plenty of money and luxuries, but if love is absent, they ultimately feel unfulfilled deep down inside.

“Our relationships with other people matter, and matter more than anything else in the world,” writes Vaillant in a 2009 Positive Psychology News article.

Your earliest relationships impact your long-term happeness, specifically the relationship you have with your mom. Business Insider highlights a connection to the fact that men who had “warm” childhood relationships with their mom we more likely to earn more money, have professional success and were less likely to develop dementia in their later years.

We know healthy relationships set a foundation for overall life contentment but also career satisfaction. Vaillant says that having a meaningful connection to the type of work you’re doing is more important than achieving traditional success.

This research confirms ancient wisdom.
“In as much as love grows in you,
So in you beauty grows.
For love is the beauty of the soul. ~St. Augustine

“Don’t underestimate the power of love, because it’s the key to happiness.” Vaillant writes. LOVE. Yes, we’re talking about loving relationships.

Value & cherish love above all else.
Grow in Love.

So, the next time you have a choice between going shopping for a little ‘retail therapy’ or indulging in other ‘escapism’ activities, take a moment to think of a new way to love. Ultimately, growing loving relationships and forgiving, will make you happier in the long run.

Does this resonate with you?
How do you value & invest in love?

National Love Note Day!

NATIONAL LOVE NOTE DAY BRINGS FAMILIES CLOSER TOGETHER

We all want a caring family and closer community, but with all the difficult happenings in the world, creating close relationships can be challenging. Fortunately, there’s something positive for families to do together to grow in love.

National Love Note Day is coming and we will celebrate by bringing families, friends and non-profits together at ‘Love Notes Live!’ events. Currently two events are planned. One event is in Flowery Branch, GA on Sun., Sept. 25th from 3 – 6 pm at Mocha Moes coffee house. The other one is in Dayton, Ohio.

People will participate in the Original Love Box tradition by writing love notes to family members, friends and 300 women in five local charities. Martinello says, “Let’s come together and celebrate love, peace and community.” The Martinello’s will speak about “How to grow in Love.”

Creating closer families and communities takes some time and effort. We’ll provide an opportunity for everyone to express their love at the ‘Love Notes Live’ event. We are excited to see the love flow and the lifelong impact that heartfelt notes provide.

The Original Love Box creates an experience for people to love one another in a new way and love their neighbor too. With everything going on in the world, don’t you think it’s time to invest in each other and love?”

We sure do! Hope you’ll join us.

It’s a complimentary event. RSVP: www.lovenoteslive2016.eventbrite.com

If you love what we’re doing and want to be a sponsor or get a ‘Love Booth’ visit: www.tinyurl/lovenoteslive2016

“The Original Love Box is the perfect way to lead your family in a tradition of love and gratitude for each other.” -Rachael Bodie, Mom & John Maxwell Co.

10 Ways to Not Feel Lonely

When you feel sad and lonely, the thing you want most is relief. Fast. You want to feel loved and connected again.

Know you are not alone. The National Science Foundation reported that unprecedented numbers of Americans are lonely. A study of 1,500 people in face to face interviews found that 1 in 4 people said that they have no one they can talk to about their personal troubles and triumphs. That’s a lot more than in the past.

Sharing isn’t always easy because we have different needs. One part of us seeks deep connection with another person who really sees and knows you. On the other hand we want freedom to be independent. America has always prided itself on independence and individualism.

Ultimately we need each other in order to:

Have strong families
Develop close and mature friendships
Have kind communities

Here are 10 ways to Not Feel Lonely

Pray. Ask God to bless you with friends that are good for you. Realize that God is always there for you and he promises to “Never Leave You or Forsake You.” Also ask God to clearly show you why you feel lonely and what you should do next.
Go out! Get out of the house one way or another.
Call or text friends and make plans. If you want to make new friends, go to Meet-up.com. Join a group exercise class, church group or club.
Limit social media. Too much social media makes you feel like everyone else has somewhere to go and something interesting to do. Realize you are only seeing mostly good moments from their day.
Smile! Smiling releases feel good hormones, increases your metabolism and reduces stress. Go out and smile at others and you’ll feel better.
Volunteer. Serving another person makes you feel connected and just plain good. It’s a win-win for you and the other people you’re serving.
Immerse yourself in a hobby or interest. Taking photos connects you to your subject. Looking at old photos makes you feel good because it reminds you of all the good times you’ve had. Reading fiction helps too as you get involved with the characters lives.
Dance. It’s helps to listen to music and get moving and groovin’.
Write Original Love Notes. It makes you feel closer and more connected as you write and read love notes to others.
Write in a gratitude journal. List as many people, places and things you are grateful for and before you know it, you’ll feel less lonely.

We hope this helps! Mother Theresa said it so well,

“Let us always greet each other with a smile – for a smile is the beginning of Love!”

How can you help yourself and someone else not feel lonely?

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How to Promote PEACE in America

I know you care.

The fact that you’re reading this means you’re committed to growing and learning about love.

Today I want to talk with you about promoting peace and leading with love. With everything that has happened recently, many are wondering, “What is going on?” Our hearts have grown weary of the violence. The question I want us to consider together is, “What can we do?”

Here in ‘Love Box Land’ we’re praying and promoting ways to #Share More Love. Don’t you think it’s time we increase the frequency and intensity of love with our family, friends and communities? You know, LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR. We believe it’s time to counterbalance fear with faith, peace and love.

Mother Theresa said, “What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” That’s the place to start. “You must see that there is love at home and at your next-door neighbor’s and in the street you live in, in the town you live in and only then outside.

You see, we’re all family – brothers and sisters in God’s family.

There are many things we can do to promote peace and love – from random acts of kindness, to getting to know your neighbors to speaking up and one of my favorites whispering or holding our tongue instead of yelling. Love is slow to anger and rich in compassion.

What has helped our family build a foundation of love and celebrate differences is the ‘Original Love Box’ tradition. Before even writing a love note you need to think about the other person and answer these 2 questions.

What do you love about the other person?
How is the person a gift to you?

Love Your Neighbor

When you take some time to reflect on these questions and then write love notes, you are creating a precious gift and intimate connection. When you write your feelings down and then speak it to the other person, you’re creating tighter bond. Then when you re-read the notes over and over again, you are multiplying your loving feelings and re-living the loving moments.

I pray it continues to heal and build up others. We are humbled that thousands of people have done the tradition so far. Last week we got a shipment of NEW Original Love Boxes. In a limited quantity. You can find out more on the shop page.

Let’s be #Love Agents who are on a mission to love others. Bigger. Broader. More. We can do this by loving others with our thoughts, prayers, words and actions.

Let’s turn up the heat on Love.

Love is the only force that will overcome hatred and ultimately, unite us.

I wonder, “How can we build a ‘Love Revolution’ that will sweep across America?” I certainly don’t have all the answers but I would like to talk with you about the question. I would love to hear your thoughts and explore if you would like to align efforts.

So the final question and challenge is: What are you doing to GROW love in your family or community?

We’re all going to need to pitch in to SEE CHANGE. I KNOW we can do this.

Christine M. Martinello

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How Will You Change Your World?

Showing Support for Orlando

A few weeks ago, I went to a car-racing event with my youngest son and family in Georgia. We sat down on the bleachers and as I looked at the woman sitting to my left, I noticed she had a black handgun in a holster around her waist. Along with her husband and two children under the age of three.

Typically, I look at strangers and smile. Not this time. A jolt of fear shot through me. I chose to sit still and wondered. Why? The gun separated us. No one else smiled either.

A week later, we heard about the shootings and tragedy in Orlando.

So, I decided to DO something. The ‘Love Agents’, my family and I got together and prayed for all those affected in Orlando. Then we wrote love notes for the people injured, relatives and 1^st responders. We wrote until our hands ached. My heart was breaking – especially for the mothers.

We invited our friends and social media friends to write love notes also. Immediately, the love started flowing in and a few days later we had 232 handwritten, heartfelt love notes! We sent a box overflowing with ‘Original Love Box’ notes along with Love Box books and extra blank notes to Catholic Charities in Orlando.

Can’t tell you how good it felt to send some love and light into the darkness.

We know the story isn’t over. The battle between good and evil is playing out each and every day. Love will ultimately win. You and I need to help.

Are you concerned too? The rise of fear, violence and lack of caring for our neighbors is disturbing. It’s just not right. We know God calls us to ‘Love your neighbor’. We are invited to provide provision, healing and hope in desperate situations. In order to love, we must be compassionate toward our neighbors and understand their pain and plight.

Here’s what I know. If each and every one of us DO something, we will see change.

Use whatever gifts and talents you have to encourage, connect and uplift others. Maybe it’s by praying or making a meal or music. Maybe it’s by sending a check. Maybe it’s by writing love notes.

Original Love Box Notes

At times, I feel sad that we live in a culture that exposes us to shootings, death and fear. To me, this is the loss of freedoms for ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness’.

Sometimes I have hope. I see good people connecting, rising up and doing more.

We can build stronger communities filled with peace and love. It’s time to look up from our phones and SEE one another. If we’re going to re-build families and communities, we need to know, care for and provide for one another. Whether it’s making a meal for a sick neighbor, visiting elderly folks, painting an inner city school or writing love notes.

So, we are faced with choices. We can cower in fear, panic and refuse to see the needy around us. Or we can stand up together, in faith and service.

When my eldest son turned 21 I gave him an engraved watch. It says, “It is time to change the world.” My kids and I definitely feel the pressure to do more good for others.

By all means, let’s pray that these violent acts will open our eyes to the evil that exists and be the impetus for loving change. Let’s do something also.

Ask yourself the question: “What’s the next LOVING thing I can do?” Then do that. Our children and grandchildren are depending on us.

Perhaps you’re already doing much good. I would like to hear how you and your family are ‘Changing the world’ – for the better.

Love Agents send Love Notes to Orlando

The terrible tragedy in Orlando has touched us all. The pain and grief is overwhelming.

So many of us want to do something but aren’t sure how to help. Here’s one way to send comfort and healing. Let’s surround Orlando with love!

The Original Love Box team has decided to take action and send heartfelt ‘Love Notes’ to those impacted.

Christine Martinello, creator of the Original Love Box and the ‘Love Agents’ are on a mission to surround Orlando with love. Love notes have flooded in from all over the United States and Prince of Peace Catholic Church has joined the effort. Christine and her ‘Love Agents’ will send the notes on Monday, June 20^th.

If friends, companies, churches, or community members want to write love notes, they can send them to Christine Martinello.

Love has the power to unite us all, whether we’re living near or far. Can we, as a nation, band together to show our love for our neighbors?

You can send Love Notes to: info@christinemartinello.com or call: 678-960-4123