Are You Using Pinterest to Promote Your Website?

Are you using Pinterest to promote your site?  If not, have you considered it?  It's such a wonderful way to share what you are up to with the visual nature that appeals to most of our readers.

One of the biggest benefits to using Pinterest over another form of social media is how little you need to actually do to have success driving traffic to your site.  This is because others do the work for you by pinning your images.  Here are a few things you want to consider:

• If you haven't, you need to set up an account.


• If you haven't, you need to verify your website for best results.  This also allows business accounts to post Rich Pins which include your logo.


• Have pinnable images on every page.  This means attractive images and, ideally, with a watermark or some other reference to your website.


• Have a Pin It button available so people can easily click it and post your image to Pinterest.


• Share images from other sites that you feel your readers would be interested.  It's nice to share the love and promote others as well.


• Keep an eye on what images have been pinned from your site by logging into your Pinterest account, and going to http://pinterest.com/source/domain.com/ and replace domain.com with your website's domain. Then you'll see all of the images people have pinned from it. This will help you know what your readers are loving.


• Read this article for some great tips on creating great images for Pinterest and more.


• Read this article for more creative ways to use Pinterest for your business.

I'm always looking for easy ways to promote and share and Pinterest is definitely one of them.

 

Bonus! Need help creating a button or widget for your site?  Check out this resource.

If you are looking to use Pinterest and are a client with Be Inspired, we can help you verify your website for best results for just $35 - well worth the money.  Contact Michele at michele@michelebergh.com with your Pinterest log in information, we'll send over an invoice and get 'er done for you so you can focus on what you love to do!

Life Lesson 41: Beauty + Grace Make Life Enjoyable

Last night, as I drove home from spending the day with my grandson, I just had to pull over when these magnificent creatures crossed my path. I pulled over and gently walked closer and closer until I was about 10 feet away from the 4 of them. They didn't seem to mind although they were definitely aware of my presence. I spoke softly to them as I took a few pictures and I thanked them for allowing me to share their space. It was just a nice way to begin my little adventure this weekend.

You see, I'm off for a few days to Chicago with a friend. Traveling with just my backpack, which I have never done before. I'm a bit of an overpacker...you never know what you might need, right!?

But this weekend is all about adventure and trying new things. It's about living with grace and ease and about seeing the beauty in all things. That's why I had to skimp on clothes...I had to make sure there was room in my backpack for my camera, lenses and all. Even though I don't need a fancy camera to catch those special moments, it sure is nice. With my $80 ticket, no carry on bigger than the backpack is allowed. One of my goals this weekend, as well, is to have an adventure without spending an arm and a leg.

I'm so excited to see where this journey goes. Good or "bad", it will be fun and filled with wonderful experiences because that's how I choose to see it. Seeing beauty and living with grace is a choice. I can't wait to share how it goes!

So what are you doing to live your life seeing the beauty and living with grace? Will you make the same choice?

Suzanne McRae - October 2013

Our member of the month feature is a great opportunity to get to know more about the members of Be Inspired U and show them a little extra love that month by doing little things to make them feel special.

October's Member of the Month is Suzanne McRae.  Congrats, Suzanne!  I had Suzanne tell us a few fun facts about herself…

Q: How would your best friend describe you?

My best friend would describe me as a great listener as well as a genuine person that shows compassion, is wise, open-minded, spiritual and inspiring.

Q: What is your favorite thing about yourself?

The favorite thing that I love about myself is that I have found the courage and burning desire to uncover the real me behind the many layers I have accumulated in my life. The idea and possibility of unveiling the real me as God intended me to be, really fuels me to keep working on my issues and doing the healing work that is needed while living my everyday human experience. This spiritual journey has been way beyond any of my wildest dreams.

Q: When do you feel most joyous?

Spending quality time with my family doing the things that we love together is what brings me the greatest joy. That can be anything from a ukulele sing-along at a campfire, to a family vacation or just plain ol’ silliness and laughter.

Q: If you have a business, what would you like to tell us about it?

Last year I created an online presence after taking career coaching. I felt a strong urge be this to do something that was solely for me. I wasn’t sure what it would look like. Writing and creating with my hands were the two things that really stood out for me during those months of being coached. To fulfill that dream, I began to write and blog a year ago, and I also opened an Etsy Shop. In my Etsy Shop I sell whatever I wish to create. Next I’m about to begin exploring how to share about some amazing products I have been using that Young Living Essential Oils company. I absolutely love their products. I’m an independent distributor with this company for the past 3+ years and would love to share about the many benefits that they can bring to your well-being.

Twenty-four years ago I made the decision to be a stay-at-home Mom. At the time we only had our daughter. I thought that we had our life figured out and that I would be a working Mom… AH! Someone else had a plan for me I believe. I love being at home, so for me to do something from home while being there to support our son is what makes sense. My focus has always been family and now equally as important is for me to do what I’m passionate about with the possibility of being rewarded for it financially. I’m opened to all possibilities that fit perfectly with my reality and also with my goals and dreams.

Q: What’s the #1 thing you’d like others to know about you?

I’m quiet, I think of myself as an introvert and am definitely highly sensitive. I’m the mother to two adult children in their early 20’s. Both are unique in their own ways and they journey through life off the beaten path. They have been my greatest teachers. When God gifted me with our son little did I know that at age 3 that he would get diagnosed with autism. It’s been 20 years since his diagnosis and a lot has changed since that day. The challenge I was presented with forced me to dive into the autism world at that time and learn all that was needed to help him. I did that for well over a decade until I felt like I was drowning in the autism world, something needed to change and it was me. Once I made the conscious decision that I had had enough and wanted to find a different way of being, that’s when I discovered Reiki. A door opened for me that day, it was a portal that I chose to walk through that has completely transformed my life and way of seeing my reality, the world, myself and especially my son. This spiritual journey has brought me places that I didn’t know existed. It has gifted me with knowledge and wisdom that only by looking back can I now see more clearly today how it’s enriched my life and that of my family.

Alternative and complimentary therapies as well as energy healing played a big part of that journey since learning about Reiki. I became a Reiki Master and eventually studied with a different teacher and became also a Karuna Reiki Master. There was also Sphe-Re (Sacred Peace Healing Energy), Reiki Crystals, Crystals, Acupressure that I chose to study. Our family also did alternative therapies: Heilkunst, Homeopathy, and Bowen as our choice of healthcare, and I use EFT. Having chosen to walk through the portal on that day several years ago has been unbelievable and even miraculous to me in looking back with how my world would change. Today I try to focus on what needs to be changed and improved still in my life. I work at transforming the energy and continuing to awaken to greater truths. I think of myself as a very ordinary woman living a very ordinary life, yet this whole new world that opened up for me makes me wonder some days who have I become? Yet I believe that I know.

Looking a little deeper you’d likely find all of the following too that reflects more of me… Cleanses, Detoxes, Essential Oils, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), prayer, Angels, Archangels, Ascended Masters, Violet Flame, Animal Totems/Medicine, Symbols, Mandalas, Sacred Geometry, The Law of Attraction, Singing Bowls, Numerology, Astrology. I love photography, gardening, painting, genealogy, knitting, reading, learning and travelling with my family. There are days where I have to pinch myself to see if all of this is really my reality or not. It is.

I’m a truth seeker. I love being at a place in my life where I’m learning to connect more deeply with my Soul and finding the Goddess in me is something that I’m also learning and to be able to reconnect with parts of me that have been hidden and reclaim my inner power.

I live in a little town in Ontario, Canada with my husband, our two adult children and our family dog. I live in the same community that I was born and raised in. I feel very blessed to have the life that I was given, the lessons and gifts that came with it and the family that supports me.

Her Websites

• Suzanne McRae


• Suzanne's Young Living Essential Oils Site


• Suzanne's Etsy Shop

You Can Also Connect Here

• Facebook


• Twitter


• Pinterest

And just how can you make a difference today?

• Connect with her above.


• Comment on one of her blog posts.


• Subscribe to her blog.

Share this post on Facebook, Twitter, or wherever you feel guided!

Life Lesson 40: Go with the Flow + Enjoy Life

Here is it...my birthday already.  I committed to 47 lessons, one for each year of my life, and that commitment remains...it will just take a bit longer than I planned but that's okay.

The lesson I'm sharing today is that sometimes we just have to go with the flow.  Life isn't neat and clean and sometimes gets in the way...sometimes in a good way and sometimes, not so good.  I want to talk about the good things that get in the way.

I am committed to enjoying life and sometimes that means that things come up last minute that really make a difference in the quality of my life and my relationships and so I definitely don't want to miss a thing - the reason this series is taking a little longer - and I'm okay with that!  The time I spend with those I care about is really important to me.  It's also important to do things I really enjoy, both planned in advance and spontaneous as well.  This past weekend included staying at a friend's place, a street dance, and two boat trips on the river - one with friends and one through a company that provides them to the public.  It was so much fun to let loose and play...to meet new people...to spend time with friends...to spend time in nature.  I was exhausted (still kind of am) but it was so worth it.  Soon winter will be here and I'll have these memories to tide me over until the weather is warm again and we can create more memories like this.

Winter has never been a great season for me...I don't enjoy being bundled up and I don't enjoy being really cold but that's going to change this year.  I'm going to do my best to enjoy the weather and find activities I enjoy so I'm not wishing an entire season away before it even begins.  I realize I can create all kinds of memories...the key is being committed to enjoying life and that's where I am at.  If you are a winter person and have activities you love, please share them here.  I'd love to hear what you enjoy...who knows, it might be the perfect activity for me as well.

So allow life to happen and actively be a participant in it.  Go with the flow and have some fun!  You only live once, right?!

[caption id="attachment_8496" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Beautifully free...[/caption]

Life Lesson 39: Sex Is Fun

Well, this is a different topic for me and I really questioned whether I should write this post but the truth is, it's a big lesson I've learned over the years.  I'm not going to go into a lot of detail or anything but I think this lesson is one that should not be overlooked...it's that important, in my humble opinion.

Not only is sex fun and meant to be explored, it is imperative that it occur regularly in a relationship for a relationship to flourish.  Most couples who begin to grow apart find their sex lives decrease around the same time.  In this case, it isn't necessarily sex specifically but it is the intimacy that occurs as a result of sex.  Sex brings two people close together.  It creates connection.  It provides an opportunity to get to know your body in a deeper way and to appreciate it and love it, which improves confidence.  It releases chemicals in the brain that make people happy and reduces stress...all so beneficial in our lives.

We need connection.

We need happiness.

We need to eliminate the negative effects of stress.

We need to have fun and feel alive!

Whether you are in a relationship or not, sexual activity provides so many benefits; it should be a part of your regular routine.  While I am sure there are varying reports out there, I think the last one I read said 4x a week or more is best.  I wonder if that sounds like a lot to you...

When it comes to a relationship, I realize withholding sex was one of the biggest downfalls in my marriage.  It is not a bargaining chip.  Denying each other and myself pleasure was just plain wrong.  It's difficult to feel close to someone without a physical connection.  And when we no longer feel so close, we care less and less about making things work.  All relationships require effort and intimacy is one really important factor in creating and maintaining a sense of intimacy with another person.  Even if we aren't withholding out of anger...maybe it's just being tired...once you get started...it's always fun so why not just say yes?!

And keep it fresh and exciting.  Try new things so you don't fall into a rut.  Laugh and play and experiment.  If it doesn't work out, you still got to have fun and it will create opportunities for even more fun in the long run.  And you can't know what you really, really like unless you try it.

So go out now and get yourself a punch card to Fantasy Gifts (did you know they teach classes as well??).  Go when you have some extra time and ask one of the clerks to show you around, give you suggestions, explain some of those items you may be looking at wondering what the heck is that for.  They've heard it all and there's nothing you could say or do that will shock them and they are quite knowledgeable on the subject of sex.

So get that punch card, bring home some new toys and have some fun!  You'll be glad you did.

[caption id="attachment_8403" align="aligncenter" width="880"] I know I've shared this image before but I couldn't resist sharing it again. Love yourself and others fully.[/caption]

Life Lesson 38: Changing Reality

I've been troubled for some time now. Lots of thoughts rolling around in my mind about something that happened several months ago. What happened didn't involve me really. It wasn't about me at all but it involved someone I cared about a lot.

I've wondered if I'd ever get past it...ever get over it. I've wondered if I wasn't letting it go as a form of self-sabotage...not being able to fully appreciate the good in this area of my life that exists today because this negative experience is nagging, always nagging, me in the back of my mind...in a way, keeping me safe...keeping me from loving fully. I've wondered why living in that pain seemed to be necessary, somehow, for me right now.

Yesterday I read something about how we could change - or neutralize - our negative feelings by imagining a different outcome or different experience as something more positive. It got me thinking about what I would have preferred happened all those months ago.

Interestingly, through all my reflection, I was able to really see and feel deep in my heart that what happened was perfect. The experience is part of what has gotten me to such a positive place in my life in this area. I kind of wished it had ended differently but I wasn't able to come up with something I would prefer until this morning...

And then the answer was there. The truth was there. Truth. Not the crap we make up in our head. Not the assumptions we make based on partial information or no information at all. But the truth. It had been there all along...I was just so wrapped up in the hurt and pain that I didn't see it. How it truthfully ended was exactly what I would have wished, if I'd been able to write the story myself. I can't believe I missed those facts. They were there in print...in black and white...available for me to see all along. But I didn't see it...I wanted to feel like a victim. I wanted to wallow in my self-pity. Why? I have no idea but it was serving me somehow. And now I could let it go.

This lesson ties into the lessons I've learned about perception...how powerful perception can be whether it's truth or not. It ties into our ability to manifest. By stepping off that wheel of fear and into my heart, my reality changed. The outcome of that situation was perfect in every way. It always was. I just couldn't see it before.

Today my heart is full of love and appreciation for the truth.  For being able to see it.  For being able to love fully, without hesitation and without feeling a need to keep myself safe.  Because I am safe in every way simply because I allowed myself to open up to the truth and shift my reality.

[caption id="attachment_8492" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Life is a journey. Be willing to step across the bridge.[/caption]

Life Lesson 37: Kindness is the Only Thing That Really Matters

Kindness is really the only thing that matters in our quest for happiness and joy.  Kindness of self and of others.  Here are a few quotes to inspire you...

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love. ~ Lao Tzu

A warm smile is the universal language of kindness. ~  William Arthur Ward

A part of kindness consists in loving people more than they deserve. ~ Joseph Joubert

Truth is a deep kindness that teaches us to be content in our everyday life and share with the people the same happiness. ~ Khalil Gibran

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. ~ Aesop

[caption id="attachment_8486" align="aligncenter" width="686"] Honoring nature on a road trip I took spur of the moment this summer.[/caption]