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By Changing Your Thinking
By Unknown
By Changing Your Thinking,
You change your beliefs;
When you change your beliefs,
You change your expectations;
When you change your expectations,
You change your attitude;
When you change your attitude,
You change your behavior;
When you change your behavior,
You change your performance;
When you change your performance;
You Change Your Life!
Freedom in America
Freedom in America
Isn’t really free;
We often pay a price
To keep our liberty.
Remember those we loved,
Who fought for us, and died;
And those we never knew
For whom others mourned and cried.
At home our “war” for freedom
Is sadly overdue;
We’ve let corruption stage
A sad and grievous coup.
No longer can we brush off
Dishonesty and greed,
Lust for wealth and power;
We can’t, we won’t concede.
Complacency is weakness
Patriots can’t afford;
We have to act on wrongs
That cannot be ignored.
We must give up some time,
Spent on other pleasures,
To restore America’s freedom,
To keep America’s treasures.
Money spent on trifles
Must now go to our cause:
Get rid of the offenders,
Constitutional outlaws.
Freedom in America
Isn’t really free
It’s up to American patriots;
It’s up to you and me.
By Joanna Fuchs
In today’s media cycle there is an overwhelming imbalance in terms of the number of positive messages that are emanating from mainstream media relative to negative messages we hear every day.
In today’s more challenging environment the explosion of doom and gloom is simply unparalleled, and to be newsworthy or to get air time or to be in print, it must be negative.
Now, I am not expecting to see media outlets to suddenly flood us with good news; I believe we just need some balance. This proliferation of negativity has induced fear into many people’s psyche and certainly altered their view of reality.
Unfortunately, despite all of the opportunities that are before us, we live in fear. That fear grips us until we are afraid to try, afraid to think big or explore the doors that are open to us. We stare at the closed doors telling ourselves we cannot do what we would like or need to do, and we feel boxed in and suffocate the creativity we were born with. Negativity and fear robs our lives of vitality until we reach the point that we just do not try anymore.
So it’s time to take action and become the guardian to your mind.
We need to become the gatekeepers to our minds and allow in only positive and constructive information. Delete the mind numbing negativity at its source and actively go out of our way to save ourselves from its onslaught.
Our subconscious acts like a computer so “garbage in, garbage out”. Some calculate that about 60,000 thoughts zip through our minds on a daily basis – 90% of those are the same thoughts as the previous day. Obviously, if we continue with the same thought process we can expect the same results. We can’t be negative! It is time to fill our minds with positive thoughts and create positive changes in our lives.
Start today and be a positive sponge. What a difference it will make!
Jamie Paolinetti
You Can Be Whatever You Want To Be!
Donna Levine
There is inside you
All of the potential
To be whatever you want to be;
All of the energy
To do whatever you want to do.
Imagine yourself as you would like to be,
Doing what you want to do,
And each day, take one step
Towards your dream.
And though at times it may seem too
difficult to continue,
Hold on to your dream.
One morning you will awake to find
That you are the person you dreamed of,
Doing what you wanted to do,
Simply because you had the courage
To believe in your potential
And to hold on to your dream.
The man on the bench is the man for me
He’s not the star, but he’s the key .
Without his aid and help each day,
I doubt if there would be a play.
Every run by a team on “big game” day
He holds the dummy and shows the way when
The other team runs that certain play.
When not being clocked, he’s chasing punts.
Or shagging fly balls, and fielding bunts,
Or a hundred and one other useful stunts.
He’s always the “skins” against the “shirts”,
And the night of the game he sits and hurts,
He helps with equipment, and picks up balls.
Sets up the hurdles, and takes the falls,
But is always ready when some coach calls.
He’s not on the sports page every time
When a “dollar” is waiting, he’s the “dime”
He comes to the banquet with a little prayer,
Hoping this year the “letter” is there.
As he squirms wishfully in his chair.
And he suffers a little along with his coach,
As the names are read and no approach
Is made to him there is a wrench
In his heart. But his teeth will clench,
As he says, “next year”, this man on the bench.
What happens to all the men like these.
Who seem, all elbows, thumbs, and knees.
Don’t feel sorry for their frustrations,
They are the men who head corporations,
And sit on the councils of great nations.
They learn the value of raw sheer grit,
The determination that won’t say quit.
The value of facing rugged strife
To face the gun with just a knife,
They learn how to make a fight in life.
To the man on the bench I give my hand
With the greatest respect, cause he’s my man,
Please don’t worry, he’ll go far
Be it jet propulison or motor car,
Somewhere in life, he will be a star.
Author Unknown
Once again, we are on the threshold of another year. What is on the horizon for you this year? Will it be the success as you have imagined? Or will you suffer failure, repeating the same behaviors and habits from the past with no positive results? If that sounds like your past, then you may be in a rut! 
No matter how hard some people are working to make their lives great, no matter how much they have accomplished, or how good they feel about themselves, there is almost always one area of their lives where they feel powerless to create the next level of success. If a person is honest with themselves, they will undoubtedly find one or more excuses which hold more power over them than their commitment to their stated goal.
Some of the excuses are obvious and some are so subtle that it takes a very keen eye to expose them. Some messages are loud enough for all to hear, while others whisper quietly in our ears: “It’s not my fault.” “I couldn’t help it.” “My family needed me.” “I am waiting on this or that to happen first.” “I can’t do it.” “It’s a big project.” “I don’t have enough money.” “I’m too stressed out.” “Business is terrible for everyone.” “I’ll do it next week.” “I’ll start tomorrow.”
What we must recognize is that our excuses are automatic. They take no thinking or creativity. We all have them, we all use them, and we all pretend that we are rendered powerless by them.
Excuses like these are the proverbial back door that we leave open in case the pursuit of our goals is harder than we anticipated and we want to take a time out. It is our attempt to “excuse” ourselves from fulfilling our objectives and behaving like the responsible, powerful, creative human beings that we are. The excuses we offer transfer all of our inner power over to outer circumstances we deal with and strip away our ability to create results. They sabotage our dreams for the future and keep us tethered to the past. Excuses are just excuses not to begin something, not to succeed, and not to go beyond your comfort zone. Going outside of your comfort zone isn’t easy and you may have to endure some short-term pain, but isn’t that worth it if you ultimately achieve your goals?
The first step in becoming successful is to make the decision that you have had enough of your current life – that it isn’t working for you and you’re willing to do what it takes to make serious changes that will lead to success. Then decide what goals are worthy to be pursued. Next, convince yourself that you can achieve those goals.
If you look back to a time when you produced breakthrough results you will most likely find that success was achieved in part because you didn’t allow yourself to use the excuses that are stopping you now. You could see them, and were perhaps momentarily seduced by them. But, ultimately you chose not to use them. You consciously or unconsciously declared that area of your life as an excuse-free zone. While you may have had moments when your progress was halted by excuses, in the end you remained more committed to your vision than to your reasons, excuses, and justifications. And, if you’re really honest with yourself, you’ll see that having a current vision for your life – one that deeply inspires you right here and now – is the best antidote to the chronic use of excuses.
The challenge is to take on the area of your life where you’re not making the progress you desire and identify the top five excuses you use to justify your current reality. Be honest with yourself and overcome those excuses that hold you back and rob your life of vitality and success.
Remind yourself that at every moment you have a choice to align with your greatest vision for your life or to align with your excuses. Then take back your power, and consciously claim this area of your life as an excuse-free zone. When you look back at your life and see what you accomplished it will be well worth it. You can make it happen!
How Do You Think
Author Unknown
If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don’t!
If you’d like to win, but you think you can’t,
It’s almost certain you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost;
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will;
It’s all in the state of mind!
If you think you’re outclassed, you are;
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself
Before you’ll ever win the prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man;
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the person who thinks he can!
Is it just me, or does it seem that fairness and equality are two terms that are totally foreign when it comes to the American workforce?
CEOs of some of the biggest companies in America are getting paid very well to:
1. Run their companies into the ground while
2. Laying off, downsizing or shutting their doors.
This has become very apparent over the last few weeks while the entire country has struggled with a massive financial sector bailout. We have yet to see how the $700B “fix” will be implemented and whether some financial institutions will continue to pay exorbitant salaries and offer golden parachutes for their CEOs at the taxpayer’s expense. AIG certainly seems to think spa treatments and golf outings are an acceptable way to use taxpayer dollars. 
In 1980, the average CEO of a major corporation made 42 times the average hourly worker’s pay. By 2000, the average CEO salary reached an incredible 531 times that of an average hourly worker.
Is tying executive compensation to the financial success of the company realistic? Does anyone honestly believe that all or most of the appreciation in the value of a company is directly related to the CEO’s talent?
24/7 Wall St has done an analysis of companies whose CEO’s need to see the writing on the filing and get ready to do some job hunting. Regardless of this type of projection of imminent demise, these CEO’s will probably enjoy a separation package that will soften any smack from hitting the pavement.
One such CEO was Michael Ovitz who enjoyed a $140 million paycheck for 14 months of work at Walt Disney. Shareholders sued but a Delaware judge ruled that the board did nothing wrong in awarding that huge severance package.
But Disney continues to be a solid company. Some boards award large packages to CEOs even as the executives trash their shareholders’ investments. Take, for example, Gary Smith of Ciena whose shareholders lost 93% during a four-year period, 2001-2005. His compensation during that time? $41.2 million.
Anderson Cooper has begun reporting on a new list, “10 Most Wanted: Culprits of the Crash,” featuring some of the most outrageous and egregious acts of greed on Wall Street, naming names of CEOs who have taken advantage of their companies, the bailout, taxpayers and their own employees.
These outrageous compensation packages do not seem to have anything to do with the level of responsibility, or with how well a company is run. 
I know investors can vote with their feet – leave the dog that won’t hunt. And some activist shareholders fight overly generous pay. But another approach is to look for companies that have great performance and reasonably paid leaders. That is a sign that boards and top managers feel a responsibility toward shareholders, says Michael Brush, in an article on MSN Money. Brush includes a list of some of those companies as well.
But wouldn’t it just be easier if boards and search committees would hire people based on previous performance and – even more important – compensate more in line with what the company, and shareholders, can afford to pay?
Have you ever lost out because your company’s stock dropped, while the CEO was landing softly on a pile of cash? What are your thoughts?
http://money.aol.com/investing/ceos-who-have-to-go?icid=200100397x1206422760x1200354294
Click here: The 5 most outrageously overpaid CEOs – MSN Money
Whatever happened to customer service? 
Yesterday, I walked into a restaurant and the hostess took me to a booth to be seated. Noticing that there was water on the seat I asked the hostess for something to wipe it up with.
Now, had I been the hostess I would have gotten a cloth and wiped it off for the customer. But the hostess returned with two paper napkins and handing them to me said, “Here ya go.”
That’s just a small, but telling, example of the extent of the decline in customer service that exists in the US. Restaurant customers should not have to clean up the table (or seat) from the previous customer. This young hostess probably didn’t even realize that what she was doing was asking the customer to finish busing the table. But in effect she was.
Other areas where poor customer service seems to be rampant: long delays in doctors’ waiting rooms even though you have an appointment; auto technicians who fix your car just enough to get it running while ignoring other obvious problems (because they are swamped or it’s not the issue you brought it in for); office workers who continually give priority to the customers on the ringing phone even though you walked up to their desk first. This is not a condemnation of all those employed in these occupations, but only a few examples of common challenges that customers face in getting service every day.
Regardless of how often social media sites say they “get it” when it comes to audience engagement and interaction, customer service seems to be a challenge for them as well. Despite the popularization of incidents like Dell Hell, there seems to have been little impact on many companies in the technology realm in terms of paying attention to customer service or making it a priority. Although Dell managed to turn around it’s customer service issues (see IdeaStorm), many sites expect customers who have questions or problems to use FAQs, help forums started and maintained by other customers, or an outside company that may or may not respond to your question (there are no ramifications for them if they don’t respond since it’s not their site that you had a question about).
It used to be that companies thought about how to handle customer service before they launched, before they even opened their doors. Now, it’s left up to the customers to either figure it out on their own, or spend hours looking for a company representative to talk to who may have an ulterior motive (sales) for talking to you.
All this to say that the status of customer service in the US has declined to an alarming low and there doesn’t seem to be any end to it.
In my book, that’s not service.
What do you think? What has your experience with customer service been like?
What a mess! Not only is the economy crumbling around us, but the government bailout that was supposed to help homeowners stay in their homes, has become an unprecedented one-two punch that is taking the wind out of taxpayers.
No one wants to see the financial crisis worsen, but the idea behind a bailout was to help the people who were ending up in foreclosure or without a job because businesses couldn’t borrow even enough money to make their payrolls. Now it seems as if the bailout – which was railroaded through Congress – may not be designed to help those in real need at all.
Blogger Amey Stone (www.BloggingStocks.com) hit the nail on the head with her list of “Eight ways the Wall Street bailout is adding insult to injury”. According to Stone these are a few of the egregious ways that the companies benefiting from the bailout, keeping taxpayers from benefiting at all (heavily edited – see full text here):
· Not only are Wall Street financial firms getting bailed out but they get to keep their big bonuses too. Estimates anticipate that as much as $70 billion (of the $700 billion bailout money) will get paid out in bonuses to bankers this year.
· After getting an $85 billion bailout, AIG sent salespeople on a lavish retreat at the St. Regis resort in Monarch Beach, Calif. It cost AIG $440,000 but AIG execs should have put a stop to such unnecessary spending, not just because it was a potential public relations nightmare, but because it was the wrong thing to do for a company that could not make ends meet without burdening taxpayers.
· Some Lehman executives got signing bonuses to stay at the banks that acquired their divisions in bankruptcy proceedings. Nomura, which bought Lehman’s European and Asian divisions, gave bankers cash equal to last year’s bonus if they agreed to stay at Nomura for a year, for example. Shouldn’t keeping their jobs have been compensation enough given the massive firings on Wall Street?
· CEOs of failed financial firms still get a golden parachute to soften the blow. Even though their firms’ profits have been essentially wiped out, most will still be making millions at taxpayers’ expense. 
· Banks that are sharing in the $700 billion bailout money are supposed to use it to keep the economy humming, right? Nope. It turns out that banks can use the money however they want. Banks that are getting government bailout money are contemplating using it for other things — like buying other banks — not adding it to the lending pool so they can make more loans and end the credit squeeze.
So, the question is: What can be done about this entire situation that has become a train wreck for every taxpayer?
Where does the greed and corruption stop? Who will be held accountable in government and at every corporation that now has its greedy hands out begging for more so they get their lavish trips, bonuses and golden parachutes?
Enough is enough!
As a taxpayer, are you fed up with this? Please, share your thoughts.
We’ve all done it – while driving we see someone speeding, weaving through traffic, or tailgating and we think, “Look at that idiot. He’s gonna kill someone.” 
But according to a new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Americans blame other motorists for unsafe driving, even though many admit to doing the same dangerous practices themselves. Take red light running for instance.
The Foundation’s 2008 Traffic Safety Culture Index says that more than 70 percent of motorists rated red light running as a serious problem, yet over half of those same individuals admitted to speeding up to get through yellow lights, and 5 percent even admitted to having run a red light on purpose in the past month.
Every 13 minutes, someone dies on America’s roads, but Americans seem complacent about this incredible statistic. If someone died every 13 minutes from a disease, that disease would be considered an epidemic.
Some communities are instituting red light cameras that take a picture of vehicles as they run through red lights, and send the vehicle’s owner a ticket. This seems to be working to cut down on violations at traffic lights. For instance in Charlotte, NC, the red light camera program has cut the number of red light runners by 70 percent in one year, and crashes dropped by 10 percent throughout the city.
But in other cities, lawmakers and local officials have not installed the cameras because they believe the cameras impinge on drivers’ privacy rights or because critics say the cameras cause more rear-end crashes. In 2005, Virginia Beach cut off its red light camera program and crashes at the four intersections where they had been installed more than doubled in the first six months, according to local police.
So if not red light cameras then what? More police at intersection? Stiffer penalties for those who get caught? Or do the cameras invade a driver’s privacy?
Please share your thoughts and tell us what’s happening in your area.
Click here: The National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/346365/off_camera_redlight_running_rises_in_virginia_beach/
AIG – Bah Humbug!
GM – Ford & Chrysler - Bah Humbug! 
Banks – Bah Humbug!
It seems everyone today is in search of a bailout. Everyone is asking, but the people who really need it -people – everyday, hardworking people like you and me are not! Yes, there is something wrong with this picture.
Yes, I agree there are many industries that are hurting, but the bailout money cannot go very far if everyone keeps putting their hands in the cookie jar. Especially when everyone wants to get their piece of the cookie and then not have any regulation or oversight as to what happens with the money once they have it, like AIG. A company that has hidden where the money is really being spent on lavish outings and retreats, all at the taxpayers expense. How far are they willing to go in paying out bonuses this year for high level executives? I sincerely do not believe they are going to come clean and be open about where the money is really going.
It is a shame…..I mean it, a real shame that it has come to this. But, here we are and what we need to do is decide what we are going to do next about the situation. What’s next? Who is next?
The ”Big Three” automobile manuafacturers have all been in Washington with their hands out begging for a bailout, but not one of the companies have a plan to make any changes with their companies to get back on the right track or to get financially stable. It is not that anyone wants the automobile industry to crumble in America, nor do we want to have any ancillary businesses and suppliers to go bankrupt, but at some point, until the automobile industry get’s it, there will be a continual spiral downward. But, if a bailout of any kind is to be given there must be changes. Big changes with oversight on every dollar spent so that the taxpayers do not take another bath without any benefit like we have been doing. 
Spend some time contacting your elected official to add some voice to this situation. Yes, many companies are in trouble, but if you want a handout there has to be some oversight and not just a free ride for failing miserably in their responsibility of fiscal financial obligations.
Speak out! Please!
Take some time. Take some real time with family, friends and yourself to focus on the good things in life. 
Yes, we are faced with many difficulties, maybe even insurmountable. Most of these self-inflicted wounds will take some time to find solutions to get back on track. But, until that happens we must all work together and put our faith in a higher power and hopes in one another to take care of each other.
There is hope. There will be another day, despite the darkness this country, your family and business may be going through right now.
Foucus on a positive – any positive – and let that be the inner source that drives you to safety. Do not despair. Life marches on and hope can flourish with your spark of faith. 
Let me hear from you on your hopes, your solutions, or even fears and let’s work together for resolutions for 2009. This is a forum for you to vent or maybe even share a comment of hope or good will. Either way, let me hear from you.
Happy Holidays and best wishes for a brighter future for all of us.
Well, here we are. 2009 has arrived and just how ready are we to tackle the difficult issues we will be facing this year?
Let’s review 2008 shall we?
1. Financial catastrophe, where trillions in personal wealth have been lost to poor company management and greed.
2. Overpaid CEO’s who cared more about their own personal gain rather than their employees’ welfare or their companies’ performance.
3. Lack of oversight from this Administration and Congress on company and CEO spending abuse.
4. The continuation of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
5. No real answers to health care in this country.
6. Exceedingly high unemployment rates like we have not seen in decades.
So, what are we going to do about it? Where are we going to get the answers we need to address the issues we will be facing in 2009? We cannot wholly depend on the new administration to solve all of these problems. We need some great minds to come together and entrepreneurs to get their ideas formulated to create jobs for this country. And we need it soon!
What do you think — who do you think would be the best person to lead the charge to financial freedom for this country, or to solve any of the other problems listed above? What would you like to see happen?
Let’s hear from you today. Come on, just go ahead and vent!
We will see if this recent stimulus package and second round of the bailout money to shore up the banking institutions will have some oversight to make sure that the money will be used as intended.
Post your thoughts and comments.
I have to say, I’m less than impressed with the way the $700 billion bailout has been handled. Didn’t this whole mess start with a complete failure of the mortgage industry due to its prolific writing of really bad loans to people who they knew couldn’t possibly pay them back? And when those loans (many of them interest only) adjusted, wasn’t it the mortgage industry that insisted they get money from the government (or taxpayers) to pay their own bills, while the homeowners who were defaulting on the badly written loans are just left to fend for themselves? (Nevermind that they are the same taxpayers that the mortgage companies are taking money from.) 
Well, I have a solution to the issue that I believe is simple, direct and gives everyone what they need. (President Obama, you can take this idea as your own. I don’t mind.)
First, loan the banks what they need in increments. Let’s say $100 million to start. But don’t just hand over the money. Instead, make the lender sit down with the borrower and figure out what they need to be whole. For example: Let’s say Joe Citizen bought a home for $200,000, interest-only loan, no money down. Now that home is worth $150,000. Then Joe gets $50,000 of the $100 million to pay down his mortgage, but the money goes from the government to the lender. The lender is then required to write a new mortgage for Joe, at current rates and NOT interest only.
Only after the lender can prove in writing that they have spent $100 million assisting individuals with their mortgages, and that new mortgages have been written at current market rates (low), and that the homeowners are capable of repaying, will the lending institution be given any additional funds. And they must prove that ALL of the money went to help homeowners – no bonuses, big raises, or conferences at swanky hotels.
If the first $100 million isn’t spent within a year then whatever money is left over goes back into the pool of money earmarked to help homeowners stay in their homes. In other words, if the lending institution wants to hoard the money instead of using it for good, then they get nothing. They will fail, and a bank that is more willing to help Americans stay in their homes will be there to pick up the slack.
What’s the result? People have mortgages that they can afford. Banks aren’t left holding the bag for the correction in the housing market. Individuals will have more cash at the end of the month to spend on rebuilding the economy. Banks will have the cash flow they need to feel more secure about lending to businesses again. Businesses will feel more secure and be able to expand and hire more workers. And on and on.
Don’t tell me it’s more complicated than that – I know it isn’t. The issue is to get money flowing, and this solution is designed to do just that. It really is that simple.
To confront the serious economic challenges our nation faces, there have been some bold initiatives presented to this country. And of course, Wall Street to Main Street is watching impatiently to see what will work and what will fail. 
It has been presented as a new era of responsibility and cooperation. So, do we look beyond the short term political calculations and rhetoric to reinvest back into this country our hard earned cash? And these days it is definitely hard earned. We are promised if we do, our investments will make America stronger and more prosperous moving forward.
Through the Recovery Act, the Stability Plan, and the Housing Plan, we are told that immediate measures are being made to assist families and working people. And we are told there will be transparency in every thing that is done and that we can track all monies given as bailout remedies at www.Recovery.gov
We are promised a renewed commitment to transparency in government and after what we have seen thus far with taxpayer money being wasted on greedy CEO’s and banking institutions, I hope we see changes immediately. And if transparency shows that the American people are still getting ripped off, who will hold these institutions accountable? We should all take the opportunity of holding our representatives fully accountable for the decisions they make.
So, as I am venting I hope you join with me and really make an effort to be watchful of monies being wasted and make others aware that we are all in this together, and we need to really stay conscious of what is said and presented by both parties and this administration, CEO’s and the banks that hold our money hostage. 
Please stand up and speak out. Let me know what you think about the bailout plans, the Recovery Act, and other plans. Will they work? Why or why not? Will the process and results really be transparent? Share your thoughts and vent your feelings. If we really want change, let’s create it together.
Vent, Baby, vent!
Well, here we go again. After an incredible $170 billion dollars has already been given to AIG for their bailout, they add fuel to the fire and a slap in the face to every American with their bonus payout program. To the tune of $165 million dollars! Their reasoning is that they are contractually obligated, and that they do not want to lose the best and brightest from the industry. Where are these so called bright people going to go? Who will hire them? Are they not the same individuals who participated in creating this mess in the first place? I believe they are. 
The bonuses will be paid to executives in their Financial Products division. This is the same unit that wrote trillions of dollars’ worth of credit-default swaps that protected investors from defaults on bond backed by subprime mortgages.
Remember, of all financial institutions that have been supported by taxpayer bailout money, AIG has received the most dollars, and honestly it is infuriating as to how the executives are handling this situation. So, what’s next? Who is next and where will it end? 
Seriously, at what point do you stop rescuing companies and greedy CEO’s and executives that really care nothing about the average person?
Speak up and out, and let me hear your thoughts. We should all be outraged! Write your Congress person and make your thoughts known to this Administration. It is time to use your voice and influence to get America back on track.
I am just saying….”Just let me vent!”
Here are a few thoughts I would like to share. Please feel free to comment and expound. Yes, you can vent!
1. What are your feelings about the many gun shows with limited or no background checks for individuals to purchase assault weapons? Yes, you have a right to bear arms, but do you feel this is the right way to do it and do you feel safe?
2. There were many “Tea Parties” last week. Did you participate and if you did can you share your experience? What message do you want to send to this Administration and Congress?
3. What can the U.S. do to protect the freighters on open waters against piracy? 
Are they doing all they can do? What should be done to the pirates once apprehended?
4. Were we sold a lie when we voted in state lotteries? If they are so great and contribute so much to our school system, why are our schools in such a mess financially?
5. Why do we pay sports figures so much? Wouldn’t it be better if they were paid based on their production and not just because they have a contract? 
More of an incentive-based pay structure. Baseball, basketball and football players should be paid more like golfers. If golfers don’t play well, they don’t get paid. That’s an incentive!
6. Ever scramble to get to a scheduled doctors appointment and then sit for an hour? Maybe we should receive compensation or a reduction on our bill when you wait more than 15 minutes. What do you think?
7. Why are drivers terrible everywhere? 
Are we too busy and distracted to grant courtesy to other drivers? What about just being safe on the roads today?
8. It kind of bugs me that sports figures claim they are not role models. Well, no matter what you say, kids will try to emulate everything you do. So whether you like it or not, you are a role model. But what kind of a role model are you?
9. Have you ever noticed when watching television that all the commercials are synchronized? It is a conspiracy to stop viewers from channel surfing. I still surf!
10. Why do so many people in Hollywood, especially many women, love the bad boy example of men? What happens to all the good guys?
11. What has happened to customer service? Yes, the economy is bad and unemployment is at record levels, but it seems that common courtesy and customer service would help bolster business especially in this competitive environment.
12. Why is it that in any given sport, the final match is never as good as the playoffs? Makes you wonder how some teams got there in the first place.
13. What has happened to homeowner associations today? 
They have got some of the most ridiculous rules. You can hardly be yourself anymore. Oh, OK, now I see why that could be a problem. Just kidding!
C’mon, share your thoughts and feel free to vent about these or other thoughts. Talk to me.
Here is a thought to consider.
The Business Section asked readers for ideas on “How Would You Fix the Economy?”
Here is one of the responses:
Dear Mr. President,
Please find below my suggestion for fixing America’s economy. Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan. You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan:
1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings – Unemployment fixed.
2) They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered – Auto Industry fixed.
3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage – Housing Crisis fixed.
It can’t get any easier than that!
P.S. If more money is needed, have all members in Congress and their constituents pay their taxes…
Hmmm…
It might be difficult to fathom, but an epidemic of homelessness among children has gripped this country like never before. But who is listening and who really cares? Well we should! All of us! 
Every day another child has their life turned upside down by this economy. Families displaced by foreclosures and unemployment have created tent cities everywhere. While the problem may be worse in some regions, foreclosures and job losses are taking a very harsh toll on families nationwide, and creating a growing issue with implications for a “damaged” future generation.
The number of homeless people in the U.S. is the subject of much debate and disagreement. But many experts agree we are approaching or have exceeded one million homeless Americans, and more than 40 percent of those are children. 
Research has shown us that homelessness often hinders a child’s ability to socialize and learn. Not only do they suffer from hunger, stress, insecurity and exhaustion, but they also have a hard time performing in school and are confronted with traumatic experiences that keep nearly half of homeless children from graduating with their peers.
Because of their environment, many homeless kids tend to have learning difficulties, emotional problems and delays in their development.
With the challenges of transportation, supplies and food, and with the threat of imminent cutbacks, school districts are overburdened and overwhelmed with the need, unable to be truly effective. School districts say they are seeing more students from middle-class, working-class and working-poor families being pushed into homelessness.
Many families that desperately need help are unwilling to acknowledge their living situation and therefore do not receive assistance from schools or communities. Families with children living in emergency shelters, pop-up campers, cars and tents can be charged with neglect by Child Protective Services workers, and are afraid to speak up or reach out for assistance.
So, what can we do? How can you help? If you do have reason to believe that a child is homeless, make sure to look for signs with every child that possibly could be in peril. Donate to shelters and assist wherever possible to ease the pain by giving and donating food, articles of clothing, school supplies and money.
Even though times are difficult … if we all do our part we can get through this crisis together. Let’s all make a difference!
Nearly five months after Democrats used their majorities in Congress to push through the stimulus, the two-year package has had little impact. Americans have watched the country’s unemployment rate surge to 9.5 percent, and it is expected to go higher.
Although we have been asked to have patience, when you have no job, no money, no food to feed your family or a home to provide shelter, it is difficult to wait and hope for the best. Continually being asked to wait raises doubts that the first stimulus package was implemented properly and about its ability to stimulate the economy. 
The Obama administration expected the U.S. unemployment rate to peak at around 8.0 percent when it pushed through the $787 billion plan. But unemployment could hit 11 percent and the country may need a second stimulus package, according to news reports.
It has been reported that only about $100 billion of the $787 billion has been spent so far, and in the coming months a more rapid pace of funds may be released. It cannot come soon enough!
Warren Buffett, the billionaire founder of Berkshire Hathaway, said in an interview on ABC’s Good Morning America that we have suffered “a shock to the system” from the economic problems in the last quarter of last year but felt we had started to rebound.
“We’re not in a free fall, but we’re not in a recovery either,” he told Good Morning America.
“I think a second one may well be called for. It is not a panacea. A stimulus is the right thing. You hope it doesn’t get watered down,” he said.
“We’re going to come out of this better than ever. The best days of America lie ahead but not next week or next month,” Buffett concluded.
Maybe we need a different approach. Maybe this second stimulus package, if selected, should be given directly to the people: you and me and every other tax-paying American. I’ve shared this before, but perhaps we should consider a simpler approach like the one described in an article in the St. Petersburg Times.
The Business Section asked readers for ideas on “How Would You Fix the Economy?” Here is one of the responses: 
Dear Mr. President,
Please find below my suggestion for fixing America’s economy. Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan. You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan.
1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings – Unemployment fixed.
2) They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered – Auto Industry fixed.
3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage – Housing Crisis fixed.
It can’t get any easier than that!
Do you have children? Grandchildren? Niece or nephew? Maybe you’ve bonded with some of the neighborhood kids. Just for a moment, think about a time when you enjoyed a special connection with a child that you’re close to. Maybe it was at a ballgame, or during the holidays, or just playing hopscotch on the sidewalk with the kids on your street. Think about that special time and hold that thought while you read this:
“Most kids are lured into sex slavery because they do not know the deceptive tactics of traffickers. They really think they will be models or 
waitresses. Their parents buy the lies of traffickers.
“‘Just sign here,’ they tell the parents, who never see their daughters again.
“What if we could warn children and their parents ahead of time? What if we could teach them about the lies traffickers use – and how to stand up against them?
“The rate of trafficking would drop and millions of kids would be saved from ever entering the dark world of trafficking.” Excerpt from “The Born2Fly Project” brochure.
Wow. So now, thinking about that special child in your life, what would you do to make sure they are safe from a fate that enslaves 100,000 children in the U.S. today? A trafficker will pay about $300 for a child. What would you do to keep your child — or any child — out of the hands of traffickers? Read on. You’ll find out that safety is not nearly that difficult or expensive.
10 Questions with Diana Scimone, director of Born2Fly
1. Tell me about your business, charity or cause.
The Born to Fly Project works to stop child trafficking, both globally and locally. Each year more than a million kids are lured into modern-day slavery where they’re raped for profit 30 or 40 times a night—night after night. Some of them are just 4 years old. Many are right in the U.S.
Most kids are lured into sex slavery because they don’t know the deceptive tactics of traffickers. What if we could warn children and their parents ahead of time? What if we could teach them about the lies traffickers use—and how to stand up against them? The rate of trafficking would drop and millions of kids would never enter the dark world of trafficking.
That’s what the Born to Fly Project is all about: educating kids and their parents about the dangers of trafficking, with the ultimate goal of ending it. The centerpiece is a wordless book that teaches kids to make wise choices—wordless so we don’t have to translate it into hundreds of languages. A companion curriculum will reinforce the important concepts in the book.
Right now the artist Leah Wiedemer is finishing illustrations for the wordless book, and I’m working on the curriculum. This fall we’ll scan all Leah’s illustrations, and a designer will do the layout. Then we’ll be ready to print…and finally distribute!
2. What keeps you up at night?
Ideas! I’m definitely an idea person, and sometimes it’s hard to shut off the idea machine. I end up doing a lot of middle-of-the-night writing and emailing—just so I can get things out of my brain and onto paper (or someone else’s desk), and then get back to sleep.
3. Who gives you the best advice about your business, charity or cause?
I read a lot of blogs—Beth Kanter, Chris Brogan, Seth Godin, and John Stanko. John is on my board. All of them have different advice and always useful; I may not need it right away, but hopefully it’s filed away somewhere in my brain for when I do need it.
Three books that have really impacted me are Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t by Jim Collins, Leaving Microsoft to Change the World: An Entrepreneur’s Odyssey to Educate the World’s Children by John Wood, and Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin.
4. What accomplishment are you most proud of?
Hanging in my office are 16 framed photos of children I’ve met around the world—Sudan, Zimbabwe, Thailand, China, and elsewhere. I know the names of only a few of them; one is a baby named Han, whom I cared for at an orphanage in China where I volunteered 15 years ago. I’ve been to more than 40 countries as a journalist writing about issues of justice—and I’ve taken an awful lot of pictures, but no matter where I go, when I get home, it’s the photos of kids that jump out at me.
Most of these photos were taken long before Born to Fly was born, but it’s as if these kids were calling out to me way back when saying, “You took our picture—now don’t forget us. You might not be able to help us, but there are others you can help.” Some of those countries were not easy to travel to or visit, but I knew I was supposed to go and tell the stories of people who live there and endure so much. It was on those trips—particularly to India and Thailand—where I began to learn about child sex trafficking and knew I had to do something.
5. What would you like to see happen with your business, charity, cause?
I’d like to be out of a job! Someday I hope we can remove the words “child trafficking” from the dictionary. Call me crazy (and people have), but I think we can do it. I wouldn’t do what I do if I didn’t have hope.
6. Share a failure and a triumphant outcome to something you have faced in your life. 
How much room do we have? One that jumps out at me is Han—probably because I just told you about her. The orphanage where she lived was pretty awful, and the staff were doing the best they could under grim conditions, but let’s just say it was not a pleasant place. Han was very sick and the meager medicine she was getting was not really helping her. The day our team left was very difficult. You can imagine how hard it was for us to leave these kids, knowing we were going back to our nice, clean homes.
About 9 months later the director of the charity called me from China to say that Han had died. He wanted me to know that someone was holding her and rocking her at the time—that she wasn’t alone like so many other orphans when they die. That was some small comfort.
At the time I got that call, I’d just finished an article for a major Christian magazine about orphans in China. Han was, of course, a big part of that article. I called the editor and asked if we could add a few lines about her death. We already had a blurb at the end with an address where people could donate to the charity. We squeezed in her photo and a few lines about her death. That article raised more than $15,000 for the organization I helped with. It was almost as if Han’s death—a child no one knew on the other side of the world—had a purpose. She wasn’t forgotten. (Han is pictured below.)
7. If you were in charge of everything in the world for a day, what’s the first change you would make?
I’m pretty big on prayer, so I’d probably have everyone stop, drop, and pray for a day!
8. What surprises people about you?
That I love sports—not participating but watching. I love football, love the NFL (go Redskins), and after 25 years of living in the south, I’m finally learning to love college football. I love soccer, too, and went to one of the World Cup games when it was in the US in the 1990s. Every four years when the World Cup rolls around, I have my schedule right by the TV and watch as many games as I can. In 2006 I was in Mexico when their national team played in the World Cup, and it was so fun to be there and watch the entire country shut down as everyone huddled around TV screens in malls, streets, and anywhere they could. I was right there with them!
9. What has surprised you recently?
Being named as one of the Top Ten Women Warriors of Twitter! That was a surprise (and a nice one) to find myself on the same list as Oprah and Queen Rania of Jordan. I think I’ve finally started breathing again.
10. What are some hidden talents [or interests?] that people don’t know about you?
I love dance. I studied ballet when I was 3, but a budding career was ended at 5 for unknown reasons. I picked it back up again in my mid 30s and one day came to the tragic realization that the New York City Ballet simply did not have me on their radar screen. Today I take Funiq twice a week—a “fun and unique” workout that combines Latin dance, hip hop, kickboxing, cardio, Pilates, and more. In my dreams, I’m in Swan Lake.
Let’s get back to Born To Fly. Tell us about the 09-09-09 Twitterthon, and how our readers can help.
It’s a 1-day fundraiser for the Born to Fly Project to stop child sex trafficking: 9,000 people each giving $9 on 9/9/09.
The books and curriculum are nearly complete so we’re raising funds to print them and give them to at-risk kids and parents around the world. We’re asking people to:
Diana Scimone is a journalist who has traveled to more then 40 countries including Sudan, Zimbabwe, Thailand, and India. She founded Born to Fly to respond to the critical needs she has seen among the world’s children. Born to Fly has helped AIDS orphans, street kids, and children devastated by earthquakes, hurricanes, and the tsunami. Today our sole focus is working to stop child trafficking in the U.S. and abroad.
You know what bothers me about the health care debate? Well, lots of things bother me, but here’s a few of them.
1. Dismissing other people’s concerns
President Obama, some Congressional leaders, media and even some very forward-thinking, community-embracing writers, completely dismiss the valid concerns of those who may have less influence in this particular argument. Instead of trying to find out why there is persistent belief that “death panels” will become a reality, or that government will pay for treatment for illegal immigrants, they seem to take the position that, “Those people won’t matter when this comes to a vote, so we’ll just belittle them in public and hopefully they’ll be too embarrassed to speak out again.”
It is a reality that health care is rationed in other countries based on the length of time a person is expected to live. Why is it so hard to believe that as health care costs rise, at some point our government will also determine what type of care will be provided based on whether a person is likely to live another 5, 10 or 15 years?
And if Obama says that his new plan will not pay for health care for illegal immigrants I believe he is being disingenuous (or naïve – either way, not good for a president). Right now, if an illegal immigrant goes to an emergency room for treatment the hospital will charge the cost to Emergency Medicaid. Obama has not mentioned that, or whether that would change in the future. 
Democrats cannot expect to win agreement on their plan when they continually refuse to admit that others have legitimate concerns that deserve to be fully addressed.
2. Lack of details
President Obama gave a 40+ minutes speech and still no details. The White House website has few details. The paucity of information makes people nervous. People want to know how a new plan will affect their own pocketbook, and without more details no one can figure that out. After all these months it seems someone would have information on the major points, such as whether a public option would be a part of the final plan.
3. Say what you mean 
And speaking of a public option, it used to be a deal-breaker; now, not so much. The plan was supposed to be done before the August break. Then it was okay to go home first and talk to constituents about it. Now, if it takes until December, that’s okay, too. Obama seems to equivocate on other issues as well such as employer insurance mandates, and levying new taxes to pay for plan.
I understand that this outline of specific goals without details for achievement is designed to allow Obama the ability to compromise when it comes time to make a decision. All this waffling does not inspire trust in the decision-making capacity of the person who is supposed to be leading the country. Even lawmakers in Obama’s own party have asked for additional guidance. But you can’t leave the decisions on the most sensitive issues to the end of the game. That will likely cause further disruption, confusion and, yes, even more debate.
It would make more sense for each side (including Blue Dogs and Independents) to designate some representatives to sit down at a table with true, workable ideas and hash out a plan that takes into account everyone’s concerns. Then present identical bills to both the House and the Senate and work out the differences.
4. What’s the rush? 
Presidents have been calling for health care reform for decades. Why do we need to get it done today? What’s so special about 2009?
Isn’t it more important to take the time to make sure it’s done right? To make sure that the solution doesn’t bankrupt the country? That everyone who wants to be included, is included? That we get better health care, not just more health care?
I think these goals are important enough to take the time to breathe deep, consider all the options, ask for more solutions to the really tough problems, and think through the consequences of potential decisions.
Whatever decisions are made – right or wrong — we are likely to be stuck with them for decades. Let’s make reasonably sure that we did everything possible to ensure that the decisions don’t cause more harm than good.
5. Where is our focus? 
It seems that so many leaders in America are so busy trying to solve the problems with health care that everyone’s forgotten that there are other, perhaps more pressing, issues to be concerned with.
Has everyone forgotten that the economy is in the gutter? That people continue to lose jobs at an alarming rate? That banks are still not lending to small businesses at a time when those businesses are trying to stay afloat?
It seems that the most urgent problem, the one that is affecting people on a global scale today, has been set on the back burner to simmer as if it will get done all by itself. Getting business back on its feet and people back to work would reinvigorate a failing economy and that should be the priority for Congress. 
Okay, so that last one doesn’t really have to do with health care, but I wanted to include it anyway. What about you – what do you think? Did I leave something out? Do you have a different opinion about the healthcare debate? Let’s hear it!
10 Questions for Cindy Papale
What’s your favorite part of a typical day? 
My favorite part of the day is around 5:30 PM when I am finished working and heading off to the gym for a fantastic work out. As a breast cancer survivor it has been proven clinically that exercise can help prevent the recurrence of breast cancer.
What part of your day would you gladly give up?
Actually, after having had breast cancer I treasure getting up each day. I enjoy life to its fullest. I really do not have any part of the day I would give up as I cherish each moment of every day.
Tell me about your business, charity, or cause?
I became a Board Member to The Kristy Lasch Miracle Foundation after having the honor of meeting Kristy’s parents, Tom and Lynn Lasch, through her friend Laura. Kristy Lasch was diagnosed with breast cancer at only 22 and lost her battle at 26. I learned the Foundation was having a fund raising event while I was writing my book, “The Empty Cup Runneth Over,” and decided to have a portion of the proceeds benefit a foundation in need. Kristy’s story touched my heart and I contacted Laura, Kristy’s friend, who in turn introduced me to Kristy’s parents. They told me that Kristy had kept a journal and if she had lived she would have written a book. I asked if they would give me the honor of putting her journal in my book. They were happy to let me do this and it was then that they asked if I would like to become a Board Member. The Kristy Lasch Miracle Foundation helps women under the age of 30 with medical related expenses. As Kristy knew only too well, even with insurance, treatment and medications can be extremely expensive.
What keeps you up at night?
Wow, this is a wonderful question. My day begins at 4:15 AM Monday through Friday and ends at 11:00 PM some nights because I am constantly on Facebook and Twitter networking. I have met fantastic people who helped me promote my book. I met people who have invited me on their radio and TV shows, and even met journalists who put my story in well known magazines. The exciting thing is I have met other cancer survivors who have great web sites. To date, I am linked to over 45 web sites, which I call The Link of Hope.
What also keeps me awake some nights is lying in bed trying to figure out my next project and who else I can help. I belong to many organizations and foundations, will be writing another book, and in the process of writing a movie screen play. Therefore, arranging my priorities in my head keeps me awake some nights.
Who gives you the best advice about your business, charity, cause?
I have met thousands of people on Twitter and Facebook and many have offered advice in so many ways. For example, I had four women, all breast cancer survivors, link my website to theirs and in return I have their sites on mine. I have learned a lot from these other breast cancer survivors who I am now very close friends with today. My IT person, Philip Augustyne from Nexteck Technology, has created a wonderful website for me. Philip and his staff are a huge support to helping make “The Empty Cup Runneth Over” as educational as possible for other cancer survivors in their fight against breast cancer. I am blessed to meet wonderful people from all over who have helped me on my journey including many who helped donate to The Kristy Lasch Miracle Foundation.
What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?
My best accomplishment is the writing of my book, “The Empty Cup Runneth Over,” which ultimately led to another book and a movie screen play.
I am also proud that I actually had the nerve to be part of a breast cancer fashion show where I literally got up on stage and modeled a bathing suit in front of over 1,000 people. Now I am a member of The Day of Caring that put on the event. I am also proud of all the help I have given back to other breast cancer survivors through my book, and through all the lectures I have given since the birth of my book.
What would you like to see happen with your business, charity, cause?
My ultimate dream is for my movie screenplay to be picked up by a Director/Producer. Also, I would like to see more funding for The Kristy Lasch Miracle Foundation as Kristy’s parents, Tom and Lynn Lasch, receive many calls from women seeking financial help because their insurance company co-payments are not enough to cover chemotherapy treatments and medications.
Share a failure and a triumphant outcome to something you have faced in your life.
I will begin by saying that surviving breast cancer has taken me on a different path in my life. I now know that breast cancer has no boundaries. About four years ago after being diagnosed with breast cancer, my 20-year marriage came to an end. I was totally devastated. Not knowing what to do or who to talk to made everything harder for me. I felt like “Humpty Dumpty” shattered and thought I could never be put back together again. It took about three years before I could even date, and that was not so great. I find dating a challenge because most men are visual. Me not having real breasts definitely affected my self esteem. However, to date I can happily write that I am doing very well. Staying active and surrounding myself with positive, fun-loving people is truly important. One must never give up hope. 
I had one person ask if having had breast cancer is a gift because I am doing so much by helping others. I feel it is and it is not a gift. The part that is not the gift is that I lost both my breasts to cancer and my 20 years of marriage ended. On the other hand, I consider having breast cancer a gift because I am helping so many others overcome the effects of breast cancer, and to be there for support when and if they need it.
If you were in charge of everything in the world for a day, what’s the first change you would make?
Okay, make gas prices cheaper, organic foods reasonably priced, and on a serious note, to help get the homeless off the streets. Every time I see a homeless person, it truly breaks my heart.
However, the first thing I would to is to make health care affordable for cancer patients. The pre-existing clause needs to be changed. Many young and old cannot get insurance after being diagnosed with cancer and ultimately die because they cannot get treatment.
What advice would you give to anyone diagnosed with breast cancer?
I would let people know that being diagnosed with breast cancer is not a death sentence. One should never give up hope.
Losing a breast or even both breasts as I did, can be devastating. I feel it is important to look at the positive in everything. While difficult after losing both breasts, we must always move forward, surround ourselves with positive, loving people. Get rid of all negativity, and remember that having faith and hope is important.
Cindy Papale is a nine-year survivor of breast cancer and author of “The Empty Cup Runneth Over”.Cindy’s story is a moving account of how one woman has taken many traumatic experiences and from it found new meaning in her life. Cindy has touched the hearts of many through her book, public speaking, and by finding funding for The Kristy Lasch Miracle Foundation. Cindy has been featured in articles in Miami, Coral Gables, South Miami and Kendall newspapers. Cindy also made the cover of The Miami Medicine Magazine, has appeared on channel 6 South Florida Today Show, the 101.5 LITE FM Radio, and was selected for the 2007 Strike Out Cancer Hall of Fame newsletter.
_______________________________________________________________
1> 
In light of cuts in our University system with increased tuitions, should colleges rethink the salaries of coaches in college athletics?
2> Will Congress pass an acceptable health care reform bill this year? Your opinion requested. 
3> Will a $250 check really compensate seniors for not getting a Social Security cost-of-living adjustment?
4> Should U.S. Representative Alan Grayson be muzzled? Are some of his rants and statements out of line? 
5> After receiving trillions of dollars in taxpayer bailouts, the nation’s major banks have spent more than $35 million to fight measures aimed at helping individual consumers. Is this right? Let me know your opinion.
6> The nation’s banks complain that if they do not pay bonuses to their executives they will leave. Some of these executives were the same people who were part of the financial downfall. The bank’s contention is that if these executives take their talents elsewhere it will leave the banks in a vacuum. Maybe it should. There are many well qualified people who are capable of losing billions like their predecessors. C’mon give them a chance at those juicy jobs. What’s your opinion?
7> Is the BCS system for college football the best system for every college competing in the NCAA? Weigh in and share your thoughts.
8> Should the U.S. stay in Afghanistan and fight? Should we spend the lives of thousands of young soldiers and our nations treasure on a government that we cannot trust? What are your thoughts?
9> What should we do with California? During this rough economic chapter in the state’s history, our nation’s future may depend on it. What can be done now to get California back on track from financial disaster and are other states in danger of doing the same thing? 
10> Will pharmaceutical companies be the real decision makers with health care reform? In the first six months of this year, the pharmaceutical industry spent approximately $609,000 a day to influence lawmakers? Weigh in and give your opinion.
11> Has the stimulus package helped you where you live? Share your thoughts of the money spent or not spent and what you think should happen. Weigh in now. 
FEEL FREE TO VENT!
As the United States celebrates Thanksgiving this week, a lot of Americans will be asking themselves what they have to be thankful for. With record unemployment of 10.2%, 23% of Americans upside down on their mortgages and many retirees wondering what happened to their savings, it would seem that there’s a lot to be upset about.
Adding salt to the wound is the continuing debate over the astronomical bonuses that some in the financial sector continue to receive even though their companies have taken taxpayer bailout money.
So what is there to be thankful for this year?
I can’t speak for everyone, but as for me, I’m gleefully happy to say I’m still among the ranks of the employed. We didn’t get raises this year, but that’s ok. I’m also glad to be working with a great group of people who go above and beyond to give to others every year. This year they have collectively donated more than $70,000 to charity as well as providing labor to numerous organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Relay for Life, and many more. I know I’m blessed to have such kind and generous people to work with every day.
I’m happy to have a nice, safe home in a good neighborhood that is clean and in good repair. Yes, we got slammed like everyone else did when home values plummeted. But we didn’t have plans to move anyway and are blessed that we don’t have to. My prayers are with those who haven’t been as fortunate.
We’re also blessed to have a healthy and growing family. We may not get to see each other as often as we like, but everyone is safe and happy. We’ve had our share of illness and risky situations this year – everything from swine flu to falling through ceiling from the attic – but everyone’s OK. Together we got through it and we are blessed that we have each other to depend on.
But enough about me and my family. I want to hear from you. Tell me, what are you thankful for this year? Remember, blessings come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they remain hidden for while. Look around, think about what has happened over the year, talk it over with friends and family. Then let me know. I can’t wait to hear from you!
This is a wonderful time of the year. But too often we forget what the season is all about and forget about those around us. We are in such a hurry to get everything done that we do not take the time to really connect with people. We need to take the time to notice people, children, co-workers, pets, the elderly, military families and the homeless. Think about what you can do for the next 31 days. Try it and see what happens. If these ideas do not fit your lifestyle, start your own list and make a difference starting today.
I’ve created my list for December and here is what I will strive to do each day this month. Starting today!
DECEMBER :
I hope that I will be successful with my list and I will make every effort to do so.
Please make your own list and please share with me what you may be doing to make a difference over the next 31 days. I would love to hear from you and share with others what you are doing. Write me and good luck!
If I told you that the past 31 days were life changing that would be true. If I told you I accomplished everything on my list over the past 31 days that would not be true. (See my 31 Days blog post.)
Yes, I tried every day to accomplish everything or something listed, and on some days I doubled up on some activities. Unfortunately, there were a couple of things that I will be doing in January. I must say by following the 31 Days list, it made me more aware of needs around me and my perception of priorities became paramount.
Instead of following my schedule, I was looking at my 31 Days list looking for opportunities to make changes or to help. I believe there should be times where we change our schedule and daily routines to take others into consideration. Yes, I realize we are all working more hours, and doing more with less just to make ends meet. But, at the end of the day, it still is all about people, family, friends, acquaintances, and business associates. Real people that are in real need are virtually everywhere.
I will be working on my list and hope that throughout the year I’ll find a way to make a difference. You can make a difference, too. Just look around, and then get involved.
Happy New Year
As you know there is much futility in making New Year’s resolutions since we abandon most of our well intended promises long before we make them a reality. But we still list them and out of tradition I suppose we will continue to do so every year.
So, here are some thoughts with a few Zig-isms from Zig Ziglar to consider as we begin 2010.
Change Your Thinking ~ As you well know and as you probably have experienced in your lifetime we are constantly barraged by negative thinkers all around us. In fact we have those same negative thoughts that permeate our minds on a daily basis. How many times were you told as a child that you cannot do something or you cannot achieve some goal? The problem we face is that when you are told over and over again that you cannot do something, you end up believing it. We have a battle within ourselves for the rest of our lives that we must “sell” ourselves on accomplishing anything of value within our lifetime. As Zig Ziglar says “Get rid of stinkin’ thinkin’” and ”Give yourself a check-up…from the neck-up.”
Quit Whining And Be Thankful ~ Yes, we are trying to right the ship from a terrible economic situation and I am sure we are still very frustrated by the injustices of the banks, excessive CEO pay and bonuses, and unemployment, but at some point we must stop whining and make a concerted effort to make new changes in our lives that will drive us toward success. At some point we must start giving thanks for what we have and although you may feel like you are only “surviving,” we need to be thankful for what we do have, as there are many who are don’t have enough to survive. Start celebrating 2010 and look with optimism toward what this year can bring and what you can do in 2010 to make a difference. “Of all the ‘attitudes’ we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important and by far the most life changing.” Zig Ziglar.
Get Your Business On Track ~ It’s a great time to do a reality check on your business. You must look at what you’re creating/marketing/selling and make the corrections needed to fit this economy and the business need. Check to see if you and your staff are being as productive and efficient as possible and that you are anticipating targeted market changes and preparing for growth over the next year. Remember everybody sells….everybody! As Zig Ziglar says, “Your business is never really good or bad ‘out there.’ Your business is either good or bad right between your own two ears.”
Make A Difference ~ All of us are hard pressed to meet the needs of family and loved ones, but in 2010 you can make a huge difference by reaching out to those around you that are in need. It may be an employee, a co-worker, a service person you do business with, or a stranger. Donating time and money can make a real difference. It does not have to be a major campaign. It may just be an act of kindness that could change someone’s day. My wife and I are constantly looking for ways to make a difference or assist in some effort that can change someone’s life. As Zig Ziglar says, “When we do more than we are paid to do, eventually we will be paid more for what we do.” Sometimes the “payment” is in terms of something more valuable than money.
Listen ~ There are times that people around you just need for you to listen to them. We are so used to tuning the world out and through that habit we tune out people who just need us to listen to them. Just let them vent, explain or share their problems. Be more aware this year to people around you and their needs. It could be your spouse, your children, friends, co-workers or employees. It is what sets us apart from all of God’s creation, the ability to listen, care and act upon needs that someone may have. Zig-ism, “Take time to be quiet.”
Enjoy Life ~ If you are fortunate to be employed you are probably finding that you are working more hours and wearing more hats at your company or workplace. We work too many hours and we do not have enough outlets or stress relievers to where we can enjoy life. Make a commitment today to have more fun this year and enjoy your family and friends so you can start living life to the fullest. Life is short enough, so live and enjoy and be thankful for every day. Another Zig-ism states, “Most of us would be upset if we were accused of being silly. ‘Silly’ comes from the old English word ‘seilig’ and its literal definition is ‘to be blessed, happy, healthy and prosperous.’”
Get Healthy ~ I know we all make New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, stop smoking or get rid of whatever vices we use to help us cope, but then we get caught up in the same old routines and the great intentions we had at the beginning of the year flash by us as a whim and we dismiss them as a bad idea. Well, it is not a bad idea. It is time to make changes with our health. This entire country is plagued with unhealthy people. It is time if at all possible to take responsibility for your health. Build awareness. Visit your doctor if you are fortunate to have health care, read and update yourself on possible treatments either through medication or holistic methods. Above all strive to make yourself healthy so you can enjoy life with those who love you. According to Zig “You don’t drown by falling in water; you only drown if you stay there.” Make a change today.
Be Joyful And Happy ~ Life is a gift. Please do not abuse it. Strive to enjoy every day and be thankful. Make an effort in 2010 to find that silver lining and be joyful and happy in every situation. If you are starting this New Year and decade with negativity you will miss out on so many great things that will happen to you. Start smiling. It is infectious! Be helpful. “When you see a person without a smile, give him yours.” Zig Ziglar
“You can get everything money will buy without a lick of character, but you can’t get any of the things money won’t buy- happiness, joy, peace of mind, winning relationships, etc., without character.” Zig Ziglar
I am sure that all of us have seen or experienced devastation. Our own country over the years has suffered national disasters that we would not want repeated. In Haiti devastation and extreme loss of life and suffering is being experienced by both young and old, rich and poor.
We ask ourselves, “What can I do?” Often we see reports of devastation from the constant barrage of newscasts that surround us. What has happened recently in Haiti is no different. We try to escape it. We occupy our thoughts with other things and the mundane of life, but in the back of our minds we know there is suffering everywhere.
What can I do? I can’t go. I can’t help. I can’t assist in the search for lost people. But not being there does not mean you cannot help. We have all known someone who has suffered the loss of a loved one or known someone who has been devastated by disaster. Sometimes we are at a loss for words as to what we should say to that person to comfort them because we really do not know what they are going through. But you know what that person will remember without you saying a word? It is your embrace! I cannot go to Haiti. I cannot be there to help. I watch the news reports and say to myself, “Do something!” I cannot physically be there, but I can do something. 
I can give money, offer prayers, and assist in packaging up goods and food that will be taken there by others. I can do something! All of us together can “hug” that country. We can “embrace” those who are suffering with whatever we can contribute.
I can help. I can make a difference! You do not have to stand on the sidelines and not get into the game. All of us can do something. All of us can make a difference. Please start today. (Please check out to the best of your ability, the charity you are contributing to so that your money is really being used for the cause.) Check out any organization at sites for the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org); the Foundation Center (http://foundationcenter.org), or Charity Navigator (www.CharityNavigator.org). Don’t use Web sites that ask for detailed personal information, such as your Social Security number, birthdate or bank account and pin information.
Find a way to donate money to Haiti. Join a group, church or synagogue that is packaging up food, clothing, and personal hygiene packages to be sent to the needy and suffering people of Haiti. There are groups forming all over this country who are packaging up goods, food, water and clothing that will be shipped to Haiti.
There has been extreme loss of life, loss of family, monetary means of support and that will continue for weeks and months and years as the country gets rebuilt. Who is going to do that? You are! All of us together can make a difference that will last for generations to come. Do something today! Please.
As you are well aware, a year ago President Obama signed into law a very controversial stimulus package to the tune of $787 billion dollars. This plan was to stimulate business and save jobs in all 50 states. So, how is that working where you live?
Here is what is happening in Florida.
Last year, the state of Florida was awarded $5.54 billion in federal stimulus money and has spent about 19% or $1.03 billion dollars.
| Agency /Department | Purpose | Spent | Jobs Created/Saved |
| Education | Employ teachers | $778.4 M (24%) | 25,912 |
| Transportation | Build roads/bridges | 93.4 M (7%) | 866 |
| Agency Workforce | Training/child care | 96.5 M (36%) | 2,881 |
| Environmental | Improve water/sewer | 15.3 M (7%) | 330 |
| Community Affairs | Low-income weatherization | 16.5 M (8%) | 196 |
| Office of Governor | Energy efficiency programs | 6.9 M (4%) | 60 |
| Law Enforcement | Law enforcement support | 2.8 M (3%) | 81 |
| Children & Families | Homeless/Domestic Violence | 4.8 M (17%) | 87 |
| Agriculture | Expand wildfire control | 3.1 M (22%) | 18 |
| 10 other agencies | 13.4 M (43%) | 115 | |
| TOTAL | 1 B (19%) | 30,647 |
STATE SPENDING RATES
In 2009 the federal government sent stimulus grants totaling $161 million to state and local governments. Here is the spending rates compare for the states that received the most money.
| Agency | Stimulus Money Awarded & Spent |
| 1. California | $7 B (50%) |
| 2. New York | 991.8 M (9%) |
| 3. Texas | 1.3 B (15%) |
| 4. Florida | 1.2 B (14%) |
| 5. Illinois | 2.5 M (36%) |
| 6. Michigan | 1.8 B (25%) |
| 7. Pennsylvania | 939.1 M (15%) |
| 8. Ohio | 1.1 B (18%) |
| 9. North Carolina | 1.1 B (21%) |
| 10. Georgia | 1.3 B (29%) |
| 40 other states | 19.7 B (24%) |
The process is definitely slow and of course the need is great every where. Hopefully the “shovel-ready” projects will get started soon in every state and get some people back to work.
How is the stimulus project working in your state? Please let me hear from you.
*Through December 31, based on preliminary reports.SOURCES: Florida Office of Economic Recovery and U.S. Recovery/Accountability and Transparency Board
Orlando Sentinel
*NOTE: Florida’s totals, obtained from federal data, differ from those being reported in Florida’s state reports.
** Also includes District of Columbia and 7 territories
SOURCE: U.S. Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board
Sarah is running in one of her ultra-marathons today in California. Keep her in your thoughts and tweet her good wishes @sarahstanley. Thanks.
Recently, emphasis has been placed on a serious epidemic concerning childhood obesity in the US. In the past 30 years the number of obese children in our nation has tripled. First Lady Michelle Obama brought the issue to the forefront of consumers’ minds when she recently launched her “Let’s Move” program. But long before Obama joined the ranks of those encouraging children to shape up, Sarah Stanley had devoted her life to fitness, with a passion to teach young people to get active. Through her lifestyle as an endurance athlete and through speaking engagements, Stanley endeavors every day to reach out to young people to show them how important fitness is so they can lead healthy and productive lives.
10 Questions – Sarah Stanley 
1. What’s your favorite part of a typical day?
My favorite part of my day is two-fold. First, interacting with my fan base and finding out what they are up too and, how their day is going. The second favorite part of my day is training. I love to sweat. I love to push my body. I enjoy running on the trails and enjoying nature. When I train it gives me time to reflect on how I can use my life to have a positive impact on others. I also love the way I feel after I workout. I think I have experienced a “runner’s high” a few times. I want to share this passion with everyone!
2. What part of your day would you gladly give up?
How great would it be not to worry about sponsorships!
3. Tell me about your cause. Share your passion.
My life mission statement is: “How can I be a blessing to someone, somehow, some way, somewhere?” This is how I run my life. No pun intended. I’m an endurance athlete (mainly ultra running). I am also a humanitarian. What does this mean? To me it means doing something I am passionate about and helping others by it. I use my running as the platform to encourage, inspire and motivate young and old alike. I breathe, sweat, and bleed (hey, running ultra’s will do it to ya) health, fitness but most of all, relationships with people. I count it an honor to share my life, my passion of athletics and a healthy life style and most of all my love of running. And let’s not forget a healthy side of making people laugh and smile! 
Most recently I launched the Run Ride Inspire project. If you have not heard, the number 1 cause of death in the next 9 years in the USA will be obesity. This breaks my heart. So given my history of helping others and living a healthy, active life I thought it would be a great platform to be a real, positive role model and show the next generation (and the current) what it means to walk the talk, or should I say run/ride the talk? I will be doing a combination of running and cycling 50 miles. In 50 states. Make sure you visit www.runrideinspire.com and become involved!
4. If you could change anything you have done in your cause, what would it be?
To be a smarter athlete. I push myself almost too much. I need to learn that it’s okay to rest and recover. Seriously.
5. What keeps you up at night?
Figuring out how I’m going to get everything done.
6. Who gives you the best advice about your cause?
My friend Brian ( a small business owner & entrepreneur). He always tells me to keep climbing that mountain and make goals. Don’t look too far into the future. Focus on today. Also, another person who inspires me is my aunt. Her encouragement, love and pep talks motivate me to do anything!
7. What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?
I am most proud of facing my fear of water and learning how to swim at the age of 26. When I was a kid I had some friends drown. Let’s just say it didn’t motivate me to jump in the water! So my goal in 2006 was to do a triathlon. Well, I kind of needed to know how to float! And I did. I went from learning how to float to jumping into 18 feet of water in 6 weeks. And a sprint triathlon 6 weeks later.
My second thing I am most proud of is running and finishing my first 100 mile ultra marathon. Yes, running 100 miles. In. A. Row. No stopping (except for aid stations). No sleeping. No showers. Just me and the trail. Well, and a bobcat ( I didn’t see it, but another runner told me about it. Thank God!) I finished in 24 hours, 58 minutes, 8/21 women. I ran this on the my 30th birthday. Why? To show the world that you can celebrate positively. I think I made my statement. 
8. What would you like to see happen with your cause?
1. To lower the current obesity statistics.
2. To have people embrace my life mission statement for themselves.
3. To get active!
9. Share a triumphant outcome to something you have faced in your life.
I started running when I was 14 to deal with a stressful childhood. Instead of turning to drugs or alcohol I rolled out of bed at 4:30am weekday mornings and ran. It was a time where I could just be present. Enjoy the darkness. Watch the sun rise. And face my day ahead. Today I look back at that moment and I’m thankful that I was able to have the where-with-all to turn a negative into a positive. Running saved my life.
10. If you were in charge of everything in the world for a day, what’s the first change you would make?
No media, no TV, no frivolous reality TV shows. Instead, have each person help someone else and embrace this: “More compassion, less complaining. More service to others, less things. More caring, less judgement.”
To read more and get involved in sponsorships go to: www.runrideinspire.com
Photo credits:
The “Nike black shirt” photo and the “track” photo are by Doug Kean The “orange vest” head shot and “orange track” photo are by Matthew LoftonEvery day of our life we are faced with negative talk and negative thinking. Have you also noticed that negative language and negative self-talk is so disempowering?
Only 10% of our mind is conscious while 90% is unconscious. The conscious mind is our rational, logical and analytical mind and is said to hold our temporary memory. But our unconscious mind on the other hand is irrational and it is where we form our beliefs and habits. We store everything we have ever learned in our unconscious mind. It is also the compartment of our emotions. All behavior is considered unconscious and all learning and change happens at the unconscious level. Your unconscious mind is just like a robot and it takes all the commands you direct it to. Your unconscious mind is doing the best job it can with the directions you are providing it. So say it the way you want it. Direct your thoughts. Pay attention to what you are saying and thinking and therefore communicating to your unconscious mind. Another key fact about the unconscious mind is that it does not process negatives. Therefore it does not hear or process the word “not.” Consider this example. You say to a 4-year-old child, “don’t touch that stove, it’s hot.” What does the 4-year-old do? He or she is curious and reaches to touch the hot stove. Why? Because we just put that idea in the 4-year-old’s mind. So, think of your unconscious mind like that of a child. In order to have your child obey your command you have to say something like “leave that alone.” It’s the same message, but yields two very different results.
Do you ever listen to the language people are using? When you listen very carefully, the language that people use tells us so much about themselves and what is going on in their heads. You may have heard some of these negative phrases. “Work is driving me crazy.” “Get off my back.” “He is a pain in the neck.” “You’re killing me.” “You’re giving me a headache.” “You will never amount to anything.” Sound familiar? You get what you think about, so say it the way you want it. Listen very carefully and pay close attention to the words you are using. You must realize the message you are sharing with your children, family, friends and co-workers. What are you really telling your unconscious mind? Say it, the way you want it.
Practice turning negative, disempowering language into positive, empowering language: When someone asks you “how are you today,” instead of saying “not bad,” say “fantastic” or “unbelievable.” You will immediately begin to feel great, even if you weren’t feeling well to start with. When someone says “thanks,” instead of saying “no problem” say “you are welcome” or “anytime.”
Think about this:
~ Think and then verbalize what you want your results to be. Your words are like gifts that you give out and take in.
~ When you catch yourself saying something negative, replace it immediately with something more positive. For example. “I feel sick today” is replaced with “I’d like to feel better.”
~ Eliminate the words “should” and “have to” from your self-talk. These words imply obligation and will build resentment over time.
~ Avoid using the word “try” which implies potential failure.
~ It takes time to establish a habit, so practice positive self-talk every day.
~ Remember to say it the way you want it!
“We all need a daily check up from the neck up to avoid stinkin ‘thinkin’ which ultimately leads to hardening of the attitudes.” Zig Ziglar
Given the speed with which information travels on the Internet, company leaders can no longer remain in secluded enclaves when company information leaks. When a misstep causes an uproar, it’s amplified by the abundance of channels, the ease of no-cost information sharing, and the imperative some feel to share/spread information and opinions widely via social media.
“What’s really going on here is that the fundamental rules that have governed how relationships work are being re-written…” says Charlene Li in her new book, Open Leadership: How Technology Can Transform the Way You Lead. 
The imperative for business, then, is to redefine how those relationships will operate, according to Li, since “devolving into chaos or, worse, letting things take their natural course are certain recipes for disaster.” Foremost in an organization’s list of things to do should be to develop guidelines and specify the commitment they expect from these new relationships.
Li, co-author of the popular Groundswell which she collaborated on with Josh Bernoff in 2008, is Founder of Altimeter Group, a California-based strategy consulting firm.
In her latest book, Li takes businesses step-by-step through building and executing on an open social strategy. From demonstrating the need for companies to become more open; to defining what that means with the 10 Elements of Openness; creating an openness strategy; measuring the benefits of being open; detailing the guidelines, policies and procedures some companies are using to be engaged; through to the nuts and bolts of managing an open strategy, Li’s style and interesting real-life examples keeps readers engaged in this process.
But even the perfect strategy isn’t enough without leaders who are open to execute it, Li explains. “Leadership will require a new approach, new mindset, and new skills. It won’t be enough to be a good communicator. You will have to be comfortable sharing personal perspectives and feelings to develop closer relationships.”
Li details characteristics and skills necessary for effective leadership, identifying and nurturing this talent in an organization, and how to lead and recover through a failure. The book wraps up by examining how leaders are transforming their organizations to be more open out of economic and marketplace necessity.
You may have heard sometime in your life that you were not planned. That you were “an accident”. We have heard that from parents and relatives and sadly, that stays with a person through their life. A statement like that — if it is believed – can cause people to live their lives accordingly. They go to work, come home, experience mediocre events, and hang around waiting for something extraordinary to happen, but it can’t or won’t, because they are just accidents. Right? Wrong! Nothing extraordinary happens out of the blue or just by accident. Everything happens for a reason, including you. 
The truth is, no one is an accident and every person on the globe has a purpose. Now that may be hard to believe, but it is true! Life is a journey that you take to find and “fulfill” your purpose. Regardless of where you were born, who your parents are, how you were raised, whether you were poor or rich, your gender or color. None of that really matters. Everyone has a purpose.
Unfortunately, most people don’t realize this and they spend the majority of their time living an un-purposeful and un-eventful life. We work jobs we hate; put up with people we can’t tolerate, and settle for paychecks that can’t cover our bills. Why? Sometimes we just don’t understand our purpose. Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that you won’t ever find yourself in a position where you hate your job, are sick of people, and accept peanuts (paycheck) thankfully for your compensation. I am not judging anyone for doing that. I have found myself in those predicaments on several occasions. Yet, when a person stays in those type of situations with no plan to do better, be better, or live better — that is a clear sign they don’t understand their purpose.
There is a famous proverb that says “a person’s gift will make room for her”. That means that when a person finds their gifts or what they are good at in life and pursues it wholeheartedly, it (gift) will make room or open doors for that person. In other words, there is something on the inside of every one of us that is medicine for others. We all have gifts. They will be different from someone else’s but nevertheless they are gifts. Gifts are doorways to a person’s purpose. Making people laugh is a gift. Not everyone can do it. Keeping others cool and calm in chaotic times is a gift.
Many will be challenged and use their gifts as stepping stones to their purpose. Others waste or do nothing with their talents. Still others will not realize their purpose until they start to explore those simple gifts more. The moment a person starts to take risks and begins to explore and display those gifts is the moment they become unsatisfied with the normal life. When people become passionate about using their gifts to help others, they will realize that there just might be more to life and perhaps they are integral to making life better for themselves and others.
Sadly, few people have realized their purpose in life. Some are still searching, hoping. Longing to find where they fit or what they can do to make a difference. Those that are on track or have discovered their gift have started on a venture that has changed their communities and in some cases, changed the world. When one truly understands and knows their purpose, nothing deters them from fulfilling it. Staying on the simple path of purpose brings perfect peace, fulfillment and everything they have need of. So, find your purpose and share it with the world and forever write your name in the history books of life. Remember, you are not an accident. You are here for a reason and you CAN make a difference.
All of us are capable of experiencing various emotions. We can be sad, depressed, 
confused, overjoyed and happy or we can be mad or angry, railing at the world. All of these emotions are natural and normal because we are humans. But we all express emotions differently and many of us are capable of expressing feelings effectively while others struggle daily.
I truly believe, unless a medical problem exists you can choose to control your emotions. Some people choose to be angry. Angry at everything and everybody. Our anger is communicated through words and actions. When our expression tends to cause more harm than good, then we have a problem with managing our anger. It is healthy to release your anger as it enables you to eventually rid yourself of it. But you must be careful how that anger is expressed outwardly. When you tend to be overwhelmed by your emotion, and express it destructively, then it is wise to seek anger management.
Anger management involves a clinical approach to addressing the problem. A psychiatrist, or whoever you choose to consult with, would first help you identify the triggers that tend to make you mad. And then analyze your reactions. Based on your responses, they will then come up with suggestions and concrete steps to improve your reaction guided by their expertise. Until you find what triggers outrage and anger, until you find what makes you mad at everyone and everything, you cannot find the peace or happiness that you seek. Remember, you may have to undergo some tests to accurately validate if you have a problem. Let the experts determine any treatment.
Some problems can be approached in a simpler fashion. You can learn to develop and maintain a more positive attitude. Encourage a healthy environment. Being angry is normal; we all have our moments, but you must channel that anger into a more constructive form of expression and communicate your feelings in a manner that is more relaxed. Talk it out. Pray about it. Release that pent-up anger through dialogue -– not argument — and then divert your attention to things that will not make you angry.
Getting angry is part of human nature. We all cry out against injustice, incessant greed, reckless drivers and more. There are so many reasons or excuses to get angry. You just have to make sure that you are able to handle your emotions whenever the situation calls for it. Anger management is controlling and dealing with those emotions that take us out of ourselves and causes harm and hurt to family, loved ones and co-workers. We must exert the effort to stay mentally fit and mature to address our situations effectively.
So, what can you do to end the anger?
1. Suppress negative thoughts. Don’t allow yourself to dwell on negative thoughts and play the scenario over and over in your head. It will drive you mad.
2. Be positive. Count your blessings and be positive. Dwell on the thoughts that will make you feel happy.
3. Learn to mediate. Mediation can be very productive for reducing or stopping your anger. Pause and breathe to calm yourself.
4. Get busy. Do not dwell on anger. Get busy with your body and mind on another task that will absorb that energy. Exercises, do aerobics or some type of mental challenge.
5. Walk away. You continue the anger when you maintain contact with that person or situation. Take a walk and cool off.
Anger is OK. Rage is not.
• Recognize your anger
• Identify the cause
• Resist jumping to conclusions
• Realize underlying causes
• Control the energy of your anger
“When angry, count to ten before you speak. If very angry, count to one hundred.”
Thomas Jefferson
How Can You Stay Inspired? 
When you are inspired you find it easy to do most anything. You can diminish your work load and hit your goals, no matter how difficult the tasks happen to be. But then there are those times when you lack the motivation and desire to get you going. Here are a few tips to gain inspiration.
Go For The Gusto!
When you know what you want the rest is easy by comparison. But we don’t always clarify what it is that we truly want out of life. So first give yourself a clearly identifiable goal. Next, focus your mind on accomplishing that tangible objective. When you can formulate a clear goal and stay focused on it, you will have sufficient inspiration to keep yourself excited enough to do what it takes to get what you want. Go for the gusto. Stay focused and cautious, but remember, no regrets!
Be Positive. Stay Positive.
You must continue to believe that you will eventually receive what you want. To stay on course disregard setbacks and failures. They will come. They will combat your life, but you must stay on course. Setbacks, distractions, detours will present themselves. These setbacks are only good for gaining experience. Study your mistakes with the intention of learning from them and you may discover alternative methods for hitting your goals. If you continue to believe you can achieve. Explore the options and make it happen.
Revisit Your Goals Regularly. 
We all need something to drive us to take action. Revisiting your goals on a consistent basis reminds you where you are and what must be done. If your mind can see and believe in your goals you have a better chance to achieve them, so write them down and read them often. Talk about your aspirations to yourself and to others who support you. Keep reminding yourself why you are sacrificing and working hard. Focusing on your dreams will give you the necessary inspiration to achieve your dreams and goals.
“The major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it. What it makes of you will always be the far greater value than what you get.”
Jim Rohn
There are regions in our world that have a dire need to bring technology to it’s people. CIOs Without Borders focuses their attention to promote the health and welfare of societies less fortunate than ours. It is a way for CIOs and other IT professionals to give back by helping those on the wrong side of the digital divide. The organization provides brief periods of intensive technology advice, along with hardware, software, and other products.
10 Questions for Atefeh (Atti) Riazi 
What’s your favorite part of a typical day?
From a work perspective, it is when my work, or my team’s work, has helped resolve real life social issues. There has to be purpose and meaning in the outcome.
From a personal perspective, my favorite part of the day is waking up in the morning and seeing my twin daughters.
What part of your day would you gladly give up?
It is sitting in meetings where the focus of the discussion is how to preserve things as they are, and not how to move forward and break the barriers to change.
And I would gladly give up saying goodbye to my twin girls.
Tell me about your business, charity or cause. Share your passion.
I founded an organization called CIOs Without Borders. CIOs Without Borders is a global nonprofit organization that uses technology to provide education, healthcare and infrastructure services to under served areas around the world. We bring together the IT community in a novel philanthropic effort to apply technology to solve everyday human problems.
If you could change anything you have done in your business, charity, cause, what would it be?
It would have been the timing. We formed the organization at a very difficult time for the economy, in which many nonprofits are having a very hard time raising funds.
What keeps you up at night?
What keeps me awake at night is alignment and risk. Is innovation in alignment with the human life and the environment? Do we fully understand the impact of innovation and technology and can we plan for its impact on a long-term basis? Serious risk is not like the Titanic hitting the iceberg. It is not visible. We can easily plan for visible problems, but have lesser sophistication in understanding and predicting the long-term impact of our innovations on human life and the environment. 
Who gives you the best advice about your business, charity, cause?
My husband is my best adviser, even though I may ignore him the first time he tells me something that is right but difficult to do.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
My family is what I am most proud of. Other than that, establishing CIOs Without Borders, and having the IT community become active in a cause that is aimed at directly improving human life.
What would you like to see happen with your business, charity, cause?
We would love to see the Rwanda initiative we are sponsoring in partnership with the Stevens Institute receive full funding. This is a critical project designed to bring basic health care to those without any care. Rwanda has over 10 million people, and only 400 doctors. Many never see the doctor and die from disease and infection that is easily treatable. Technology can play a critical role in helping save lives in Rwanda.
Share a failure and a triumphant outcome to something you have faced in your life.
I fail every day, trying to convince people of the value of those that bring no economic value to them: the people of the underdeveloped world, and the environment. I triumph every night, knowing that I have spent the day doing what I love to do.
If you were in charge of everything in the world for a day, what’s the first change you would make?
I would want a global distribution of wealth to close the gap between the poor countries and the rich providing global health care and access to education.
Atefeh Riazi’s bio
Atefeh (Atti) Riazi is a senior IT executive and a philanthropist. She has served in both the public and the private sector as a CIO, managing large scale technology projects and initiatives. She is now the Executive Director of CIOs Without Borders – a global not-for-profit organization, focused on using technology and innovation for the good of humanity.
She was recently the Senior Partner and Global Chief Information Officer of Ogilvy and Mather Worldwide, a leading global Marketing and Communications agency with 497 offices in 125 countries supporting more than 2,300 clients. Atti was ranked #49 amongst the top 100 global CIOs. Under Atti’s leadership Ogilvy and Mather has earned a place on InformationWeek’s 500 list of innovative IT organizations.
Atti has a graduate degree in electrical engineering. Most recently, she was Vice President and CIO of Technology for MTA New York City Transit responsible for implementing the $1.5B MetroCard in New York City.
Fear can be a great motivator in your life as well as a great equalizer. But fear can limit, fear can kill dreams and fear can cut your life short from reaching your most cherished goals.
Fear is a sense of loss projected into the future. And that fear comes into play when you have something to risk. So what are you risking? 
It all comes down to ownership. In our modern society we make a big deal about ownership. But what does ownership mean? In reality we are only caretakers and temporary ones at that. Our bodies, relationships, environment, homes and a host of objects we like to call “possessions” are ours on a borrowed basis. When we lay claim to any object, defining it as ours, we fall prey to ownership ego.
Once that thirst grips us, we risk becoming lost and wander aimlessly when, in truth, we have nothing to lose. By attaching ourselves to things, people, or ideas about ourselves and reality, we set the conditions for fear. Many of us are guilty of this especially with loved ones.
Ultimate fear is a fear of loss of something we believe we own. But remember, nothing is permanent. Things, attributes or relationships are all temporary and fleeting. So then, fear comes from our clinging to the way things are; really the way things were.
Ultimately, this is the fear of change. Change can potentially require you to lose what you have grown accustomed to, what you think is yours. And many people have experienced that in their work and personal lives. Jobs that we cherished or took for granted were lost in this economic downturn and many people have had difficulty righting the ship. People have lost their homes to foreclosure and most everyone has had some significant financial losses. We become paralyzed and fear keeps us from moving forward and risk taking a chance to believe again; to try again. We lose the desire to be challenged and stop doing what we used to do because we fear we will lose more. So what happens? We do nothing at all!
Losing your job or losing your home is devastating. Downsizing is painful and sometimes humiliating but those changes do not define you as a person. They are setbacks or problems you deal with so you can get back to living.
To overcome the ultimate fear you must choose. You can detach yourself from everything and everyone – a strategy countless lonely, isolated people live by. Or you can accept that nothing is permanent in this physical reality, everything is transitory. From this state of mind you come to accept that though you might suffer the anguish of a temporary loss you remain ever expectant and welcome new joyful encounters.
And old preacher once told me when I was complaining to him about my problems looking for consolation. He told me emphatically; “I should be thankful for problems. Because problems let you know you are alive. Dead people do not have problems.”
Remember, life is an adventure. It need not be filled with fear. Choose to live free from fear and embrace the new adventures life brings.
“Overcoming fear and worry can be accomplished by living a day at a time or even a moment at a time. Your worries will be cut down to nothing.”
Dr. Robert Anthony
To be motivated and release your full potential involves strong mind power. 
It is believed that most anything can be achieved using the tools of the mind! This involves using positive thinking and will power to motivate you toward a goal. In a person’s lifetime you will have many goals to aspire to and challenges to overcome, and it is important to make sure that you keep motivated in order to live life to its fullest!
Positive thinking is one of the key elements to getting motivated. This tool can be used in every situation. It is common when faced with a problem or challenge to think negatively about the situation. Usually it is the first thing that pops into our heads, which makes it hard to think about it in a positive light, but that’s exactly what we have to do: just find a positive, no matter how minute it may be and focus on it. It can be the most difficult task to focus on something positive when we are faced with devastating situations in our life, but we must overcome negative thinking and replace it with positive thoughts so we can release our full potential.
To get yourself motivated toward something you want to do, keep it small at first. Many people for example when they are trying to diet will try to do it all at once. This unrealistic plan can lead to failure. If small steps are initially taken such as cutting out the snacks for a week or cutting back on red meat the next week, the small steps may more easily add up to the ultimate goal of weight loss. Small successes are important to keeping yourself motivated.
I taught my children to not look at projects they were assigned all at once, lest they become overwhelmed. I told them to break it up into small segments and attack those tasks individually. When they did that they found they could overcome their fear and reluctance and reach their goal.
Another creative idea is to grant yourself a reward for staying motivated. Kids get rewards all the time, but what about adults? Is it wrong to reward yourself? No, it is not! Attack your tasks, release your potential, accomplish your goals and the rewards will come.
Motivation can be achieved and potentially unleashed…it’s all in the way you think and feel about it!
“Ineffective people live day after day with unused potential. They experience synergy only in small, peripheral ways in their lives. But creative experiences can be produced regularly, consistently, almost daily in people’s lives. It requires enormous personal security and openness and a spirit of adventure.” Stephen R. Covey
We asked our friend Diana Scimone to guest post for us this week. Diana is director of The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. B2F educates at-risk children and their parents about the dangers of trafficking through a strategic 6-week community campaign called The B2F Project. B2F creates awareness about child trafficking with the ultimate goal of ending it.
We wrote about Diana and The Born2Fly Project last year: What is a Child Worth?
This Sunday, Born2Fly is sponsoring the 10/10/10 Twitterthon to raise funds to fight child trafficking. The goal is 10,000 people giving $10 each to help stop child trafficking. We’ve already donated—and wanted to let you know why.
Begging
By Diana Scimone 
Director, The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking.
I can’t get a picture out of my head. Maybe you can help me. Recently I met with an anti-trafficking colleague who does great work rescuing trafficked kids in Cambodia, Ethiopia, and even in the US.
A few months ago he and his colleagues were in Ethiopia in a red-light district rescuing girls. They could rescue only a certain number of girls because that’s all the room they had in their safe houses.
But more girls showed up. A lot of them.
And this is the picture I can’t get out of my mind: They ran up to him carrying all their worldly possessions in little plastic bags—and they begged him to take them away from the horror.
And he had to say no. I can’t even imagine the pain in his heart at having to do that. I cried for days after he told me.
You might say, “Why didn’t he just take them all? Figure out what to do once he had them.”
Easy to say from your comfortable computer chair reading this. Where would you take 100 traumatized little girls? You can’t just hail a cab. You can’t just show up on someone’s doorstep and say, “Can you take a girl or two? Feed them, clean them, house them, heal them, love them?”
When my colleague told me this story, we talked about another kind of begging—that we constantly feel like we’re begging for money to fund our projects to help kids trafficked for sex. I spend as much time fund-raising for Born to Fly as I do on the actual project. It’s sad but true. He’d tell you the same thing.
Last year someone accused me of constantly begging for money for Born to Fly. “Something must be wrong if you’re always begging for money,” this person graciously wrote in an email. “I’m going to ask God what’s wrong in your life. There must be sin somewhere that He’s not blessing your efforts.”
Ooookay.
I don’t mind begging for money to help little girls like the ones I can’t get out of my mind. This Sunday—10/10/10—we’re hosting our second annual Twitterthon to raise funds for The B2F Project to stop child trafficking so that girls like the ones in Ethiopia never get trafficked in the first place.
Our goal is 10,000 people giving $10 each on 10/10/10. The only problem is I don’t know 10,000 people. And maybe you do not either—but all of us working together probably do.
So here’s what I’m asking you to do:
Traffickers think kids are commodities. On 10/10/10, tell kids they’re priceless. All it takes is $10.
Forgive me for begging…but if those little girls can do it, so can I.
Diana Scimone is director of The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. She blogs at http://www.dianascimone.com.
An interview with Molly Mattessich
What’s your favorite part of a typical day?
Getting to the office is something that I look forward to every day, because it is when I feel most connected to people. First thing in the morning, I spend about 15 minutes checking in with online communities, and get the jolt of energy that comes not just from my cup of coffee but from reading what everyone else is up to and inspired by.
Are there any words of wisdom that help guide your work or your life?
I’ve spent a lot of time, decades in fact, pondering my vocation. Ultimately, I had to make that choice and find, “where the world’s greatest need meets my greatest bliss.” In my current work, I have found that. I also read Parker Palmer’s book, “Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation.” His words inspired me and I continue to ask myself every day, “is the life that you are living the same as the life that lives in you?” Having my actions be congruent with my thoughts and desires is not an easy thing to do, but to me this is the challenge for each of us: to do what we are meant to do and not always what is expected of us.
Tell me about your business, charity or cause. Share your passion.
Eight years ago, I lived in a rural village in Mali for two years serving as a Peace Corps volunteer and it was the most transformative experience of my life. Many of those months also were the loneliest of my life and when I felt completely disconnected to friends, family, and everything that was familiar. Now, I’m making up for the disconnect by managing the online communities for the National Peace Corps Association, the leading nonprofit organization that supports and engages serving and returned Peace Corps Volunteers to help them continue being of service to their communities and the world. In this role, I launched and still manage Africa Rural Connect (ARC), an online platform that gives a voice in the international development community to those who may not previously have been heard. On the ARC site, we’re trying to come up with solutions to the agricultural challenges faced by people living in sub-Saharan Africa. So far, it’s been rewarding to see the creative, thoughtful, and practical plans proposed by people participating from over 130 countries and the partnerships being formed that are helping the ideas to take shape.
If you could change anything you have done in your business, charity, cause, what would it be?
Get rid of the cynics in the development space. It’s easy to criticize an idea but don’t do it unless you can offer an alternative plan in the same breath. I wish that people would continue to be positive and support ideas, partnerships, and initiatives. Negativity is the easy way out. I’d rather engage with problem solvers.
What keeps you up at night? 
The concept that it’s hard to build something, and so easy to destroy it. This equation has to change. I also wonder who I should be talking to or connecting with that I don’t know about.
Who gives you the best advice about your business, charity, cause?
On a professional level, I get lots of feedback from my advisor, a man outside of my organization who served in the Peace Corps nearly 40 years ago and has a breadth of knowledge about business, service, and international issues. Personally, I get advice from a close circle of intimate friends and my boyfriend, who doesn’t let me rest too long after any success, but encourages me to think creatively and move on toward the next goal.
What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?
I took this position never having managed the launch of a large-scale website. I dove into the projects and was able to draw on my knowledge from other very different jobs and volunteer roles to make all of the pieces come together and succeed with the constraints of a nonprofit budget. I’m proud of hiring a hard-working and committed team of people to help make it happen.
What would you like to see happen with your business, charity, cause? 
I’d like to see the National Peace Corps Association become as much of a recognized brand as Peace Corps, the government agency. People generally serve no more than 2 years in the Peace Corps, but they are a returned volunteer for the rest of their lives. Our mission is to help volunteers prolong that Peace Corps experience by offering opportunities to teach about it, share stories, continue serving others and perpetuate the rise of caring and connected global citizens.
If you were in charge of everything in the world for a day, what’s the first change you would make?
I would want to make it mandatory and possible for everyone in the world to travel to another country if they haven’t already. We can all benefit from a little perspective on our lives, no matter where we are from.
Bio: Molly Mattessich launched and now manages the online platforms for the National Peace Corps Association: AfricaRuralConnect.org and Peace Corps Connect.org. She also leads many of NPCA’s public relations, marketing, and business development initiatives. Her work on Africa Rural Connect is profiled in the just published book Empowered: Unleash Your Employees, Energize Your Customers, and Transform Your Business by Josh Bernoff and Ted Schadler of Forrester Research.
From 2002-2004, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali, where she initiated a market clean-up venture, educated villagers on how to prevent water and food-borne illnesses, and became fluent in Bambara and Malinké.
Molly earned a degree in psychology from Wellesley College. She is Co-Chair of the Wellesley Women in Nonprofits network in Washington, DC. You can follow her on Twitter at @MollyMali. Find Africa Rural Connect on Twitter @IdeasforAfrica and the National Peace Corps Association @PCorpsConnect. 
I believe for so many of us, 2010 has been a very tough year. Global economic struggles, health concerns, and war still loom. And the list goes on, but despite the difficulties we also have much to be thankful for. Try not to dwell on the negatives this year, but look to the positive and spend some time spreading good cheer and optimism.
I hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday. Please take time to enjoy, love and share with family and friends.
Thanksgiving
(Edgar Albert Guest, 1881-1959)
Gettin’ together to smile an’ rejoice,
An’ eatin’ an’ laughin’ with folks of your choice;
An’ kissin’ the girls an’ declarin’ that they
Are growin more beautiful day after day;
Chattin’ an’ braggin’ a bit with the men,
Buildin’ the old family circle again;
Livin’ the wholesome an’ old-fashioned cheer,
Just for awhile at the end of the year.
Greetings fly fast as we crowd through the door
And under the old roof we gather once more
Just as we did when the youngsters were small;
Mother’s a little bit grayer, that’s all.
Father’s a little bit older, but still
Ready to romp an’ to laugh with a will.
Here we are back at the table again
Tellin’ our stories as women an men.
Bowed are our heads for a moment in prayer;
Oh, but we’re grateful an’ glad to be there.
Home from the east land an’ home from the west,
Home with the folks that are dearest an’ best.
Out of the sham of the cities afar
We’ve come for a time to be just what we are.
Here we can talk of ourselves an’ be frank,
Forgettin’ position an’ station an’ rank.
Give me the end of the year an’ its fun
When most of the plannin’ an’ toilin’ is done;
Bring all the wanderers home to the nest,
Let me sit down with the ones I love best,
Hear the old voices still ringin’ with song,
See the old faces unblemished by wrong,
See the old table with all of its chairs
An I’ll put soul in my Thanksgivin’ prayers.
~~~~~~~~
I recently read a poem by Rose Marie Rideout and wanted to share this wonderful poem with you. Please think about your Christmas this year and what you can do to share the Christmas warmth and cheer with someone in need.
By Rose Marie Rideout
The streets have gone to silence,
Even the poor has laid their heads to rest.
Tonight Santa remembers all,
Each year he’s put to test.
The list gets larger every year,
No one wishes for peace and love,
No one takes the time to remember,
We celebrate Baby Jesus birthday up above.
How many think of our loved ones away,
Who give their all for us this day,
The hungry who are homeless and alone,
With no food and no place to call home.
No comfy pillow, no blanket to hug,
Just an old dampened box, and no one to love.
The beauty we see on the streets every year,
The lights and the soft glow glitter we share.
Just give a dollar, a pair of old worn gloves,
A scarf you don’t wear to show off your love.
The smiles and laughter show that we care,
If we’d take the time to wipe away another’s tear.
Buy an extra coffee along your way,
Reach out to a homeless cold person this day.
Let them see someone really does care,
Stop them before they shed another tear.
A pair of wool socks that sat in your drawer,
A coat that’s just not your style anymore,
It can keep another one warm from the cold,
Your heart will be happy inside I’m told.
Close your eyes and thank God up above,
For helping you know the meaning of love,
For making a difference to someone today,
By sharing a little throughout your day.
In order to begin 2011 successfully and to excel in your life, you need to start setting smart goals. In short you must have a plan; a decisive strategy of reaching your goals. The strategy must be comprehensive and must provide proper guidance in all situations so that you always know what to do, no matter what. 
When setting smart goals, you must ensure that they are worth the effort. Consider the specific advantages that you will enjoy if you succeed and the consequences if the choices you make are wrong. This is what should inspire you to right away begin setting smart goals which are also achievable. This way you will know what you want and where you want to be this year and not wait until the end of 2011 looking back with regrets.
Look at your current position and then see where you want to be in future. Ask yourself the question; is there anything that can hinder me from being successful? This way you are creating the right mentality to tackle challenges. Then set smart goals and always remember to review them periodically. Do not wait until it is too late to achieve your goal for 2011 or accomplish what YOU need to excel in your life.
Remember, you will encounter difficulties and road blocks as you maneuver throughout the year. Whenever those problematic situations rise up in life, always consider what motivated you in the first place. Do not lose sight of your vision for what you imagine for yourself. This will help raise your spirits to soar above your predicaments, thus the importance of setting smart goals. This is very necessary because challenges tend to make one lose focus and procrastinate. But, if you are determined to change your situation, and rise above the dust and make your goals a reality you must reinforce your mind and focus on what you really want in your life. Do not let anyone or anything detour you. 
The level of commitment to a particular cause is a matter of what is important to you and what is not. If something really matters to you then you will take it seriously and not let that desire or goal escape your reach. You must not yield to negative influence on your vision and plans. Connect with like minded people that are supportive and are willing to help you reach your goal as they too achieve their own. In addition, make a practice of reminding yourself about your goals and what they mean to you. When you value your goals and understand their importance to you, you will surely excel.
“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”
Henry Ford
There is a great quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson that says, “Nothing can bring you happiness but yourself.” 
We have all heard it before, “Happiness comes from within.” These words are true, but reality is most people endeavor to seek happiness outside of themselves. They look for some thing or some person to bring them happiness or wait for a climactic event or milestone to occur in their lives and then they hope that will bring them happiness.
People say, when I buy a house, when I get a new car, when I change jobs, when I fall in love, when I get married, when I get divorced, when I graduate, when I lose some weight, when I get my job promotion, then I will be happy!
But the truth be known, people will come and go, possessions will get old, marriages work, marriages fail, new jobs do not pan out, relationships change, fortunes are made and fortunes are lost. Everything changes. Life is fluid. So, how do you find real happiness and how do you hold on to that happiness so it does not easily escape your every day living?
Real happiness comes to you by starting from where you are right at this moment in life. Not tomorrow, not some time “if” or “when” something happens. To be really happy you must take stock of what you already have, and truly appreciate what is right in front of you and learn to be grateful for everything you are and have. Why put your life on hold waiting for some one or some thing to make you whole or bring you happiness when all you have to do is open your eyes and look around you? All we really have is today. Right now! Now you may choose to chase the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but life and happiness isn’t just about attaining something. It is all about enjoying the journey while reaching your destination. Learn how to detach yourself from the outcome and enjoy the ride to wherever it is you want to go or whatever it is you want to have. 
It only makes sense to figure out how to tap into your internal joy and not rely on external events to supply you with it. Don’t depend on something to happen to bring you happiness. Happiness, true happiness, is within you. Experiences in our lives change daily. Situations change, but you can live now. You can enjoy now. You can be happy now. It’s your choice!
“Happiness is not in our circumstance but in ourselves. It is not something we see, like a rainbow, or feel, like the heat of a fire. Happiness is something we are.”
John B. Sheerin
Enough people to populate a small city — over 100,000 — are waiting for an organ donation in the United States. Unfortunately, thousands will never receive the call saying that a suitable donor organ, and a second chance at life, has been found. Each day 18 people will die waiting for an organ. Did you also know that one donor can save up to eight lives and enhance the lives of up to 100 others? Every 10 minutes another name is added to the transplant list waiting for a life-saving phone call. What can you do about it? Here is Kim’s story.
10 Questions with ~ Kim McMahon
Tell me about your business, charity or cause.
My son William “Will” McMahon was an active, healthy, 16-year old honor student. During the last week of 2004 he suddenly developed flu-like symptoms. Less than a week later, Will was diagnosed with unexplainable liver failure. 
He was flown to Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fla. in critical condition, with only 24 hours to live. Miraculously, he received a donated liver in time to save his life. Following his transplant on Jan. 2, 2005, Will fought bravely to recover and successfully returned home to resume his schoolwork, along with his passions of surfing and playing the guitar. Five months later, however, my son developed complications and was placed back on the organ waiting list, in need of a second liver transplant. Unfortunately, he passed away on May 19, 2005, as he waited. Following his passing, I founded http://www.donate4william.org in his memory with the purpose of educating and supporting the need for more registered organ donors. My son might be alive today if more than 35% of eligible citizens were registered donors. During my time away from my job as a flight attendant I speak to schools, civic groups, and other audiences encouraging everyone to become an organ, eye, and tissue donor and to share their wishes with other family members.
What’s your favorite part of a typical day?
Visiting my son’s grave at the cemetery in the afternoons as the sun sets. His golden retriever accompanies me and we run together through the little roads inside the memorial park. It’s my quiet time to reflect on my son’s life, draw inspiration and think.
What part of your day would you gladly give up?
The never-ending errands! Trips to the grocery store, the post office, etc. I would gladly relinquish the basic daily errands in order to focus more on the non-profit foundation or time enjoying life. 
If you could change anything you have done in your cause, what would it be?
I would really like to meet and thank the family of my son’s liver donor but I’ve never been able to locate them. Because of their generosity during the worst time of their lives I was fortunate to have five more precious months with William.
What keeps you up at night?
Knowing that every day 18-20 people die waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. Over 110,000 Americans are currently on the waiting list, yet less than half the population has registered as organ donors. We don’t need a cure; the organs are out there. The year my son passed away, there were 2.5 million recorded deaths in the U.S. alone. Organ donation doesn’t cost anything. We just need to educate people about the subject and create awareness.
Who gives you the best advice about your cause?
Family and friends are always extremely supportive. However, I find that the groups that I speak to and interact with, particularly the teens, inspire me. The look in their eyes and hearing their response tells me that I am reaching them with my message. They really feel empowered that they can make a difference too! I approach every speaking event as an opportunity to grow and learn. People also share their own personal transplant stories with me which I am grateful to hear. It always drives me that much harder to get the word out about organ donation. 
What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?
I’ve been a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines for over 33 years now and thoroughly enjoy my work. I’ve traveled the world and have been fortunate to be able to experience other cultures and lifestyles.
What would you like to see happen with your cause?
I would like to have a greater impact on a larger level. As a non-profit, I do what I can with the funding we receive but I often wish I could reach more people with the message. Organ donation is accepted by every major religion in the world, and it crosses every economic, social, and racial barrier. I’d like to get that message out on a national scale!
Share a failure and a triumphant outcome to something you have faced in your life.
My son’s donor liver failed, and he went back on the transplant waiting list. We weren’t able to get him a second transplant in time to save his life. I feel a small sense of triumph each time I learn that my son’s story has inspired someone else to register as an organ donor.
If you were in charge of everything in the world for a day, what’s the first change you would make?
I would make the U.S. organ donor registry “opt out” versus “opt in.” Typically, countries that assume everyone to be an organ donor do not have lengthy waiting lists like we have in the U.S.
Foundation Web Site: http://www.donate4william.org
Will2Live Documentary: http://www.vimeo.com/13873856
Throughout our lives starting in childhood we deal with self esteem issues. Unfortunately, many adults do not recognize the significance of their interactions with children and they miss opportunities to increase self esteem as they grow and develop. Lack of self esteem may not always be apparent but it can have enormous impact on quality of life. Children who suffer from low self esteem often have a lack of confidence in their abilities that follows them into adulthood. 
The good news is that there are many tips to building self esteem that can help all of us.
6 powerful ways to build your self esteem:
1. Recognize that you are valuable. All of us have something to offer this world. And you have something special that adds value to other people. It may be your words, your ideas, or your soothing demeanor. Recognizing what is special about you and using that to help others is an excellent confidence building strategy.
2. Examine the internal self. Take a close look at YOU. Recognize what is important to you and articulate your personal values. When you know what is important to you, what captures your attention; it is easier to overcome a lack of self esteem by focusing on what you want out of life. Focusing on your goals and objectives gives you the motivation to move forward and increase confidence. It is a powerful way for boosting self esteem.
3. Take care of yourself. Boosting self esteem starts with self awareness. You must take the time to care for your mind and body. When you live an active lifestyle and take time to meditate and think, it makes you more aware of yourself and is a huge boost for confidence and self esteem. What better confidence building action is there than to take care of yourself?
4. Be observant. Your confidence comes from being aware of your surroundings. Observe and examine what is happening and listen to what is being said. You will discover that you can identify ways to help others that you never realized before. Therefore, instead of worrying about your self, you can do something good by observing and helping others. You finally see beyond yourself and by doing that, you discover what you are meant to do.
5. Walk confidently. There are many ways that people demonstrate their self confidence. The way you walk and carry yourself and your physical appearance says volumes about your self confidence – or lack thereof. Stand tall, be assertive, and reach out to others. Speak clearly and succinctly. People who slouch, whisper, and sit back from the group are often believed to have a lack of self confidence and low self esteem. Take control and walk confidently, and you will boost your self confidence and increase your self esteem.
6. Focus on others. When you focus only on yourself and your perceived flaws, you lose sight of others and their needs. When you listen to what people say, you learn and you perceive and you can help. But just as important, you can encourage and make a difference. You can feel like you contribute to their welfare which in turn, makes a difference within you. You can become alive and effective when you can encourage others to reach their goals. Encouraging others make you feel more powerful and increases your confidence.
Don’t allow a lack of self esteem to keep you from enjoying life. These 6 powerful tips will go a long way towards confidence building and helping you overcome fears and anxieties in life. They will give you the basis for boosting self esteem so you can live a life filled with adventure and excitement. The best way to go forward in life is to move ahead with confidence.
“To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are.”
Maryanne Williamson
by: Unknown Author
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit.
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns
As every one of us sometimes learns.
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out:
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are.
It may be near when it seems so far:
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.
Q&A Series ~ With Patrick and April Emrich
In 2008 Patrick and April Emrich were ready to start a family and ecstatic when April became pregnant with twins. But the overwhelming joy turned to fear and sadness when April was hospitalized. The twins — Patrick and Savannah — were born prematurely, and baby Patrick passed away just three weeks later. Although the experience has been devastating, Patrick and April have found strength by working to help prevent premature births through the March of Dimes, and they tell their story below in this latest Q&A in a series on charities that are worth your time and consideration.
Every day, babies are born too soon or very sick and start life in newborn intensive care. When doctors and nurses are focused on their little patients, the March of Dimes is there to help support families. Join March for Babies and walk for a baby you love to raise money to support programs in your community that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies and research to find answers to the problems that threaten our babies.
Walking into Savannah’s room in the morning when she first wakes up. She often loves to greet us both with a big smile which is a perfect start to the day. We have our own little routine as she likes to stay in bed for a good 10-15 minutes playing with her animals and rolling around.
What part of your day would you gladly give up?
The hustle and bustle of everyday life is something that I would give up in a minute. There are often times that I wish I was able to press a pause button and just freeze life. I want to enjoy watching my daughter grow up and remember all of the things that pass by so often. It is exciting to see her reach milestones but I long for the days when I could cradle her in one arm. Often times, we as a society get caught up in the next big thing or working towards the next promotion when in reality it is the small things in life that truly matter.
Tell me about your charity. Share your passion.
The March of Dimes is an organization that we discovered a little less than three years ago and one that is very near and dear to our hearts. The March of Dimes supports research into the prevention of premature birth and infant mortality which is something that we have experienced firsthand.
On November 6, 2008 and at only 31 weeks pregnant, April gave birth to boy/girl twins. Patrick weighed 1 lb. 7 oz. and Savannah weighed 2 lbs. 11 oz. They were both rushed to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit where we expected them to stay for a number of weeks and possibly months as they continued to get bigger and stronger. Even after being born 9 weeks early and as tiny as they were, neither Patrick nor Savannah showed any major issues due to their premature birth. (Notice little Patrick wearing his father’s wedding ring on his tiny arm above.) They were both treated for jaundice and Savannah had a minor bleed in her brain which ultimately resolved itself. The biggest hurdle for both Patrick and Savannah was their size which would take lots of time and food to fix. Unfortunately, 25 days after they were born, Patrick developed an intestinal condition that attacked his little body and slowly shut it down. On November 30, we held Patrick for the last time as his body was not strong enough to fight off the intestinal damage that had been done. We feel strongly that without the research that the March of Dimes has completed over the past 70 years, it is completely possible that Savannah and Patrick may not even have been born and Patrick may not have lived as long as he did.
If you could change anything you have done in your charity, what would it be?
Every year, we raise money for the annual March of Dimes March for Babies which is an event that takes place on the same day throughout the country. As honored and proud that we are to be one of the top teams in Florida, I wish that we could have a more personal impact. I wish that we could meet families that have recently experienced the birth of a premature child or the loss of an infant due to premature birth and help them walk through the challenges that they are facing. Although each circumstance may be unique, every family that has lost a child can relate in some way to each other and we would like to be able to provide a shoulder for other families to lean on.
What keeps you up at night? 
The biggest thing that keeps me up at night right now is wondering how we are going to explain to Savannah that her twin brother did not live and that he is in heaven. We talk about him all the time and Savannah knows that he is in heaven but she really cannot grasp that concept at only 2 ½ years old. I pray that when the day comes that Savannah realizes the magnitude of what happened to Patrick, I have the right words to explain everything to her and that she does not feel guilty for living while her brother died.
Who gives you the best advice about your charity?
The Hillsborough County, Florida chapter of the March of Dimes has a great support staff and they have all been extremely helpful and generous with their time and insight.
What would you like to see happen with your charity?
In the short-term I want to continue to grow our team and our fundraising efforts on a yearly basis. Currently, we are one of the Ambassador Families for Hillsborough County, Florida and we would like to continue that role and continue to share our story at local events. A long-term goal would be for Savannah and us to be the National Ambassador Family. This prestigious position is generally a child that was saved by the March of Dimes research, programs or educational campaigns. This may be a few years down the line but would be an amazing honor.
Share a failure and a triumphant outcome to something you have faced in your life.
April was originally admitted to the hospital at 21 weeks pregnant and the doctors immediately informed us that the babies would not even be viable for another three weeks. April and I had to have faith in God’s plan, each other and the doctors in order to survive those first few grueling weeks. As it turned out we made it 10 weeks before the babies were born but those 10 weeks were certainly some of the longest weeks of our lives. I am extremely proud of the strength that April and I received from each other during that time. It could have been very easy to pull away from each other as we both grieved in our own way but it was our continuous support and love that allowed us to make it though that season of life. 
If you were in charge of everything in the world for a day, what’s the first change you would make?
I would encourage everyone to open their eyes about the loss of a child which is still a taboo subject. It is a very unfortunate event but it happens every day. If you know someone who has lost a child I would encourage you to not shy away from them because you are uncomfortable, but instead embrace them and help them during their grieving process.
Every day there are needs to be met in this world and every day you have an opportunity. Find a cause, find a charity and endeavor to make a difference. You will be glad you did.
I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. ~ Edward Everett Hale
The one thing we can count on in life is change. We usually have an aversion to, and even a fear of, change. Sometimes change is inevitable. Sometimes change is needed and should be accepted. Why then do we resist it so much? 
I think the answer lies in control. We have difficulty with change because we perceive it to be a loss of control. Change is not bad and at times is a source of rejuvenation. It provides zest in our lives. It challenges what it touches, forcing adaptation and improvement. It realigns you with your values.
How then do we accept change and incorporate it into our life so that it is acceptable?
1. Recognize
2. Reflect
3. Release
4. Replace
5. Reprogram
6. Re-Integration
First, recognize that change is necessary. It may manifest itself as discomfort, either physical or emotional. You may notice tension or stress, or disrupted sleep. Your appetite may change or you may become impatient, frustrated or discontent. This lets you know that something must change in your life. The question is then asked, “What must change?”
This is a good time to reflect on your life. What is the source of the discomfort or stress? You must discover what is affecting you emotionally and physically in a negative way. Upon reflection you must remind yourself of your purpose. Discover what is not in agreement with your values or what contradicts or inhibits your growth and pursuit of your purpose.
After you have identified what stresses you or inhibits your life, release it. You must let go of that which is holding you back. When you release this frustration and stress you will notice a change and a difference within you, a spaciousness of freedom.
Now, this sense of spaciousness may in fact begin to feel like an emptiness that needs to be filled. You have the option to replace the negative which wasn’t serving you, with a positive: something that is more aligned with your core values. You must make the choice to be positive and proactive in filling that emptiness.
Once the detrimental aspect has been replaced with something positive, reprogramming is necessary. You must learn how to incorporate this new dynamic into your life. You have the opportunity now to reprogram the way you think and live more positively, relieving your life from stress and frustration you have been dealing with. Once completed you will experience more ease, more fulfillment and happiness in your life.
Over time and with application you will discover that reprogramming your thoughts, feelings and actions will bring you to a place of re-integration. The positive changes you have made will be seamlessly incorporated into other aspects of your life. Change is often a necessity in our lives and should not be perceived as bad. We resist what we do not understand and we deflect change because we have fear of what may happen. But please realize that change can be good. Staying proactive and allowing change when needed is not losing control. It allows you to stay in control of your life so that you can be happy, healthy and wise, pursuing new levels of freedom in finding your purpose for living. 
“Change is in the air. This change reminds us that we are made and beautifully sculpted by the same power that is orchestrating this transition. Let this be the season you embrace and align your self with this change.”
Steve Maraboli
My Comfort Zone
Unknown
I used to have a comfort zone
where I knew I wouldn’t fail.
The same four walls and busywork
were really more like jail.
I longed so much to do the things I’d never done before,
But stayed inside my comfort zone and paced the same old floor.
I said it didn’t matter that I wasn’t doing much.
I said I didn’t care for things like commission checks and such.
I claimed to be so busy with the things inside the zone,
But deep inside I longed for something special of my own.
I couldn’t let my life go by just watching others win.
I held my breath; I stepped outside and let the change begin.
I took a step and with new strength I’d never felt before,
I kissed my comfort zone goodbye and closed and locked the door.
If you’re in a comfort zone,
afraid to venture out,
Remember that all winners were at one time filled with doubt.
A step or two and words of praise can make your dreams come true.
Reach for your future with a smile; success is there for you!
Sometimes our lives just don’t seem “fun” anymore. You don’t want to get out of bed, let alone go to work! We all have experienced this pattern: Get up, go to work, come home, take care of the family, watch TV, check your Facebook or twitter pages, cell phone, and go to bed every single day! At what point do we get fed up with the routines of life making us feel depressed, lethargic, empty and miserable? Do you need to find ways of improving your life? If you are “stuck in a rut” and obviously not enjoying your life anymore, surely it’s time to do something about it. You may not even have noticed the gradual decline of your life’s “quality,” just sort of drifted into a daily routine where most of your actions are performed on “autopilot.”
I know it will not be easy to make changes in your life, nor will you suddenly wake up happy. But if you do not take the necessary steps to improve your life, you only dig that hole deeper in your life and you will stay miserable every day. Also, your misery will affect your relationships with your partner, your family, and even your work.
If you feel you are in that routine, or miserable state of life, now is the time to start improving your life. So how do we do this?
Here are some tips that will gradually help you regain your interest and improve your life.
• First of all, think about your daily routine and identify at least one thing you could do differently. It can be something as trivial as driving a different route, or shopping at a different store. It doesn’t matter what it is, the idea is just to do something different. Try to notice different things, or experience different feelings during the course of your day. Remember, the goal is to break the routine.
• Second, consider taking up a new hobby or sport. Find something you might be interested in, or that you used to do, but never seem to get around to anymore. It must be something interesting to you. Try a new sport, start exercising, read a book, donate your time to a charity, eat at a different restaurant, put date night back in your marriage or relationship, take a walk; anything that is new or different or forgotten to get you thinking about a new way to enjoy your day.
• Third, spend five minutes every day dwelling on something in your life that’s positive. Your children, spouse, friends, a beautiful sunset, the fact that you have a job when so many others don’t. Whatever is positive in your life, let your mind seek it out and dwell on it for five full minutes everyday. Train yourself to look for a new favorite positive each day from the smallest gift to the biggest blessing: No red lights on the way to work? Celebrate! Your daughter texts you, “I love you” for no reason? Cheer! Practice looking for the positives and spending time with them and that will brighten your attitude on a regular basis and soon you’ll be seeing positive outcomes everywhere you look.
Bear in mind that these tips only represent “a start” to improving your life. As you change things little by little, your life will become more and more interesting, and you will begin to look forward to the next day, and doing new things. Those around you will also regard you differently, and want to be around you more, and trust me, you will be happier with your new, improved life. Remember, the goal is to discover something different or new that can break that routine and make you look at your life differently and start enjoying every day. Life is a gift. What are your ideas for improving your outlook on life?
Do you remember the dreams you had as a child? Maybe you wanted to be a fire fighter or a police officer or a nurse. Or maybe you wanted to sail the oceans or fly like a bird. Whatever your dreams were, can you remember how you felt if anyone tried to tell you that you could never achieve that dream? That can be devastating for a child. This holiday season, how would you like to help make a child’s dream come true?
We spend so much of our income and treasure on things that are soon forgotten after the holidays. While we live in a land of abundance, we use so little of what we have to make a difference in others’ lives. Now you have an opportunity to do something that will not only change lives, but also save lives. Read on to see how you can make a difference in the life of a child, starting today.
“Blossom is in big trouble. Her grandfather warned her not to go beyond the village gates. After all, no caterpillar in Twig Valley has ever ventured there and returned to tell.
“For centuries the caterpillars of Twig Valley have lived with a Dark Cloud over the land. For as long as anyone can remember, no caterpillar has ever become a butterfly. In fact, no one thinks about being anything more than a bug that crawls in the dust of the ground.
“Until Blossom.”
Born to Fly is an illustrated children’s book about pursuing your dream. The story features a strong girl as the hero who faces not only the evil Dream Thieves but also her own fears. In her quest to follow her dream, she learns valuable lessons (the hard way, of course) that will inspire girls and boys alike to pursue the dreams in their own hearts.
Born to Fly is published solely as an ebook and is available for iPad, Kindle, Nook, Sony, and other readers. Proceeds go to the Born2Fly Project, a 501c3 nonprofit that works to fight global child trafficking.
Born to Fly author Diana Scimone is a journalist whose work chronicling human rights and justice has taken her to more than 40 countries from Sudan to Zimbabwe. She founded The Born2Fly Project in 2003 to meet some of the many needs she has seen among the world’s children. 
Today, Born2Fly’s only focus is working to stop child trafficking through an awareness and prevention program currently being tested in five countries.
“Each year more than a million kids get lured into trafficking including in the U.S.,” says Scimone. “Some are just five years old. Our goal at Born2Fly is to reach kids before the traffickers do — and we’re hoping that sales of this new book will help us do that.”
If you would like to help Born2Fly make a difference in a child’s life, here’s what you can do:
kibler
jgraziani
