Hi all! I awoke this morning with the usual agenda described in my last blog. Something happened on the way to the computer. (Remember that old movie, "Something Happened on the Way to the Forum?" You'd have to be a boomer to remember that!)
Well, I had an epiphany! All these months of soul searching, meditating and researching online marketing is about to be put to use in a very exciting project that will be announced soon on this blog.
You ask what kind of project? It's a project that will extend across the United States, employ people like myself and reach out to help others who have lost their jobs and even their homes. The beauty is that everyone in this country can help, can "pay it forward" with very little effort.
It's a project that addresses the mortgage crisis by directly helping the courageous people who have landed in tent cities. It's a project that addresses the depressed economy and the increasing unemployment rate by gaining attention for these individuals and by putting people back to work. It's a project that brings unemployed professionals together under a common cause of helping others while helping themselves. It's a collaborative project that President Obama has been asking our nation to come together and accomplish.
What catalyzed this epiphany? Last night on the news I saw a story about a drive-through coffee business where an individual started a trend by paying for the person's coffee behind them. It caught on, and now the town's people continue to pay it forward in order to not break the chain of giving. One gentleman explained that buying a $3 coffee for someone already in line probably didn't help the people who really needed it but that the concept is worth holding onto. It unites people who are stepping outside of themselves to be generous to someone they don't know.
This morning, I put that concept together with an idea that has been building in me for some months. So stay with me and get others to plug into this blog. By next week, I'm hoping to have the details complete and ready to announce. You can be certain I will be working on it continuously until it happens.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Fitness or Flab?
So here I sit ( and that's the operative word). Days seems to fly by, yet I seem to be sitting still. Each morning I rise and do my breathing exercises, meditate, go downstairs and consider doing some yoga (although I haven't been able to get motivated to do so except once in a blue moon), clean the kitchen from the day before and sit down at my computer. Then I make the decision as to whether to send out more resumes, work on my blog or????
Each day seems to bring "action items" like chew my son out for acting irresponsible, check my emails for "important" messages and opportunities, place items on craigslist to sell, follow-up on leads for contract work, continue to help my youngest get ready for college including helping her with a summer course to get a head-start (I'm proud of her), walk the dogs, and I could go on, but sometimes progress seems slow toward my ultimate goal of security, stability and, do I dare say, happiness!
As to the title of this blog, Fitness or Flab, it relates not only to my mental state but also my physical state. It's an interesting observation that when determination is high and results seem to be imminent, the motivation to work-out comes much easier. However, when a person has pushed hard, taken responsibility and done everything listed with little to no results, it just doesn't seem very important to say "no" to that bowl of ice cream at night or do yoga in the morning even when we know we'll feel better if we do!
As you can tell, I am not in the best state of mind or body today. So why did I decide to write this blog? To keep it REAL...
All of us have good days and bad. The trick is finding that spark to keep our heads above water, to not go down that rabbit hole or whatever other poetic phrase fits for the day. The trick is to change our perspective so that we can take one small step at a time to make progress even when we don't "feel like it." Giving in is simply not acceptable.
So what can we do? Here's a great site: www.fitnessblackbook.com. Check out this excerpt about taking action.
I am naturally a pretty positive and upbeat person, but don't buy into the whole positive thinking movement. The way I look at achieving goals like getting in great shape or building a successful business is that it is positive actions that matter most. Simply do the actions necessary to reaching your goals, and forget how you feel.
Although I agree that often we need to forget about how we feel, I do believe that keeping a positive thought helps. However, sometimes that positive thought is harder to access, in which case we simply have to rely on taking action.
Here's another great post from the Fitness Black Book:
June 18, 2009
"Mindless Eating" - Why Do We Continue to Eat When We are Full?
Mindlessness is an enemy any way you look at it. Mindless eating, mindless action, mindless inaction. The mind is powerful, and when we don't pay attention to the thoughts accumulating there, it can be destructive.
So when I've seemingly "hit bottom" or when I can see that I'm inching in that direction, like today, I have to stop and think, "what is it that I can DO that will make progress and help me feel better about myself?"
This morning I decided to write this blog entry. It accomplished two things for me:
- it helped me review my thoughts and weed them with the hope that someone out there will find some commonality and find some inspiration or just some tools to use in their day,
- it gets me going so that I can find and take that step today that will help me make progress toward my goals of security, stability and happiness.
In the infinite wisdom of Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss in What about Bob, baby steps are sometimes just the right thing. Always choose fitness over flab even when it's just a small step in that direction.
Each day seems to bring "action items" like chew my son out for acting irresponsible, check my emails for "important" messages and opportunities, place items on craigslist to sell, follow-up on leads for contract work, continue to help my youngest get ready for college including helping her with a summer course to get a head-start (I'm proud of her), walk the dogs, and I could go on, but sometimes progress seems slow toward my ultimate goal of security, stability and, do I dare say, happiness!
As to the title of this blog, Fitness or Flab, it relates not only to my mental state but also my physical state. It's an interesting observation that when determination is high and results seem to be imminent, the motivation to work-out comes much easier. However, when a person has pushed hard, taken responsibility and done everything listed with little to no results, it just doesn't seem very important to say "no" to that bowl of ice cream at night or do yoga in the morning even when we know we'll feel better if we do!
As you can tell, I am not in the best state of mind or body today. So why did I decide to write this blog? To keep it REAL...
All of us have good days and bad. The trick is finding that spark to keep our heads above water, to not go down that rabbit hole or whatever other poetic phrase fits for the day. The trick is to change our perspective so that we can take one small step at a time to make progress even when we don't "feel like it." Giving in is simply not acceptable.
So what can we do? Here's a great site: www.fitnessblackbook.com. Check out this excerpt about taking action.
I am naturally a pretty positive and upbeat person, but don't buy into the whole positive thinking movement. The way I look at achieving goals like getting in great shape or building a successful business is that it is positive actions that matter most. Simply do the actions necessary to reaching your goals, and forget how you feel.
Although I agree that often we need to forget about how we feel, I do believe that keeping a positive thought helps. However, sometimes that positive thought is harder to access, in which case we simply have to rely on taking action.
Here's another great post from the Fitness Black Book:
June 18, 2009
"Mindless Eating" - Why Do We Continue to Eat When We are Full?
Mindlessness is an enemy any way you look at it. Mindless eating, mindless action, mindless inaction. The mind is powerful, and when we don't pay attention to the thoughts accumulating there, it can be destructive. So when I've seemingly "hit bottom" or when I can see that I'm inching in that direction, like today, I have to stop and think, "what is it that I can DO that will make progress and help me feel better about myself?"
This morning I decided to write this blog entry. It accomplished two things for me:
- it helped me review my thoughts and weed them with the hope that someone out there will find some commonality and find some inspiration or just some tools to use in their day,
- it gets me going so that I can find and take that step today that will help me make progress toward my goals of security, stability and happiness.
In the infinite wisdom of Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss in What about Bob, baby steps are sometimes just the right thing. Always choose fitness over flab even when it's just a small step in that direction.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Laid-off and Moving Forward.
For a first-time blogger, this is an exciting step forward! The past 6 months have been a maze of reflections on life, children, work, friends, and, believe it or not, who I am. You see, I am one of the recent statistics, laid off of work "due to the economy."
The first two months were great! I spent time getting back "in touch" with me instead of focusing on work and money. I had a small, but helpful, severance pay that got me through the first month. The shock of unemployment benefits being minuscule was relieved by a combination of events that somehow brought enough money to stay current on bills and rent.
Then, too, I had an offer of employment almost immediately with a nonprofit whose mission was important to me and in which I had experience. However, that, too came to an end. Without reasonable cause, the employment agreement was rescinded after I had moved my residence and signed a new lease agreement. Although I had legal grounds to sue, I opted to move on, rather than lose the valuable ground I had made with regard to finding peace within myself. Instead, I made the choice to leave the nonprofit business sector and to give back to those causes in which I believe through volunteer time.
This is where the Baby Boomer part enters - peace, love and all that. Yes, I'm a product of the sixties as are most of you out there. However, the X, Y and Z generations are closing in fast. I understand, in fact, that there's been a recent baby boom. I contributed to it.
At the tender age of 35, I gave birth to my first child, a stunningly beautiful baby girl named Leta. I remember being entranced by her as an infant peacefully sleeping. Her face was so incredibly beautiful, it was hard to change focus and not stare. No, it is not just a mother's voice saying this. Other people regularly commented on her beauty and still do. She's now 20 years old (almost 21 as she reminds me often).
The other part I remember is her screaming cry, as an infant, that was inconsolable. I would hold her on my tummy into the early morning hours after performing every massage, burping, bouncing, cuddling ritual I researched to relieve infant colic.
Then there was the fact she was impossible to wean even at 12 months old. She would wake me every 3 hours asking to be nursed, and because I was a product of the '60s, naturally I never bottle fed. I even used cloth diapers rather than add plastic diapers to un-ecological land fills. I'm not sure she has ever forgiven me for abandoning her in the middle of the night to her infant screams that I was an awful mother refusing to nurse her. Her dad had to physically hold me back from going to her, and I cried myself silly.
Somehow, that time must have mushed my brains because in short order I had two more children, first a boy and then another girl. I'm finally able to sleep again but not without worrying about where they are at 1:00 a.m. even when dear Leta doesn't live with me any more, my 19 year-old son is convinced I'm the Medusa Mom with snakes radiating out to bite him and hold him back, and my youngest suddenly is expressing concern about leaving me alone. (Hmmm....what could that be about...no sharp knives at hand or plastic bags big enough to cover my head, or is it just she's worried about my entertainment factor? Little do children understand that entertaining oneself becomes enjoyable as we - ooo, I hate to use the term - age.)
Speaking of which, don't ever wait until 35 to have children no matter what "they" say about the benefits of being mature, having lived some life and being prepared to raise children. "They" never say anything about going through menopause while having 3 teenagers! This is a definitely a subject for another blog.
So as I wander along in my thoughts, I really should get back to the original subject - getting laid off of work. So now it's over 6 months since that fate-filled day. It's clear I'm at a crossroad in my life and being given the opportunity to fully review where I've been and where I want to go. Somehow, although I've utilized this time as a true product of the 60s, meditating, doing yoga, reading new age spiritual guidance and personal growth books, I still am a bit lost when someone asks me what I want to do when I grow up.
I don't know whether this loss for words results from a "mom attitude" being lost in the transition from motherhood to watching her children leave home, from the shock of being let go from work in the first place, something I've never experienced before having always been at the top of my game with regard to work and responsibilities, or whether I simply lost myself long ago along the road growing up, or even, perhaps, after several lost loves not the least of which caused the loss of my self-esteem upon recognizing my co-dependent tendencies after finally leaving a sociopathic husband. ("Tendencies" is being kind as I have been told multiple times that I need to be good to myself. Using the word "tendency" is my attempt at doing so.)
So this is the grand kick-off for my blog. I'm hoping others of you out there can relate, and most of all, I'm hoping to provide some resources for and, most importantly, laughter at ourselves.
This is certainly not intended to be a sexist blog as I'm hoping there are some men out there who will find this entertaining or at least educational as to the female baby boomer brain. In fact, I'd love to get some comments from the "stronger" sex, and I'll let each of you determine for yourselves just which sex that is...
Before you leave, one more thought. Since I'm new, I'm learning about links and all, but I can assure you that future blogs will have more "meat" and links to interesting sites and information. Hang in there with me. There's much more to come.
The first two months were great! I spent time getting back "in touch" with me instead of focusing on work and money. I had a small, but helpful, severance pay that got me through the first month. The shock of unemployment benefits being minuscule was relieved by a combination of events that somehow brought enough money to stay current on bills and rent.
Then, too, I had an offer of employment almost immediately with a nonprofit whose mission was important to me and in which I had experience. However, that, too came to an end. Without reasonable cause, the employment agreement was rescinded after I had moved my residence and signed a new lease agreement. Although I had legal grounds to sue, I opted to move on, rather than lose the valuable ground I had made with regard to finding peace within myself. Instead, I made the choice to leave the nonprofit business sector and to give back to those causes in which I believe through volunteer time.
This is where the Baby Boomer part enters - peace, love and all that. Yes, I'm a product of the sixties as are most of you out there. However, the X, Y and Z generations are closing in fast. I understand, in fact, that there's been a recent baby boom. I contributed to it.
At the tender age of 35, I gave birth to my first child, a stunningly beautiful baby girl named Leta. I remember being entranced by her as an infant peacefully sleeping. Her face was so incredibly beautiful, it was hard to change focus and not stare. No, it is not just a mother's voice saying this. Other people regularly commented on her beauty and still do. She's now 20 years old (almost 21 as she reminds me often).
The other part I remember is her screaming cry, as an infant, that was inconsolable. I would hold her on my tummy into the early morning hours after performing every massage, burping, bouncing, cuddling ritual I researched to relieve infant colic.
Then there was the fact she was impossible to wean even at 12 months old. She would wake me every 3 hours asking to be nursed, and because I was a product of the '60s, naturally I never bottle fed. I even used cloth diapers rather than add plastic diapers to un-ecological land fills. I'm not sure she has ever forgiven me for abandoning her in the middle of the night to her infant screams that I was an awful mother refusing to nurse her. Her dad had to physically hold me back from going to her, and I cried myself silly.
Somehow, that time must have mushed my brains because in short order I had two more children, first a boy and then another girl. I'm finally able to sleep again but not without worrying about where they are at 1:00 a.m. even when dear Leta doesn't live with me any more, my 19 year-old son is convinced I'm the Medusa Mom with snakes radiating out to bite him and hold him back, and my youngest suddenly is expressing concern about leaving me alone. (Hmmm....what could that be about...no sharp knives at hand or plastic bags big enough to cover my head, or is it just she's worried about my entertainment factor? Little do children understand that entertaining oneself becomes enjoyable as we - ooo, I hate to use the term - age.)
Speaking of which, don't ever wait until 35 to have children no matter what "they" say about the benefits of being mature, having lived some life and being prepared to raise children. "They" never say anything about going through menopause while having 3 teenagers! This is a definitely a subject for another blog.
So as I wander along in my thoughts, I really should get back to the original subject - getting laid off of work. So now it's over 6 months since that fate-filled day. It's clear I'm at a crossroad in my life and being given the opportunity to fully review where I've been and where I want to go. Somehow, although I've utilized this time as a true product of the 60s, meditating, doing yoga, reading new age spiritual guidance and personal growth books, I still am a bit lost when someone asks me what I want to do when I grow up.
I don't know whether this loss for words results from a "mom attitude" being lost in the transition from motherhood to watching her children leave home, from the shock of being let go from work in the first place, something I've never experienced before having always been at the top of my game with regard to work and responsibilities, or whether I simply lost myself long ago along the road growing up, or even, perhaps, after several lost loves not the least of which caused the loss of my self-esteem upon recognizing my co-dependent tendencies after finally leaving a sociopathic husband. ("Tendencies" is being kind as I have been told multiple times that I need to be good to myself. Using the word "tendency" is my attempt at doing so.)
So this is the grand kick-off for my blog. I'm hoping others of you out there can relate, and most of all, I'm hoping to provide some resources for and, most importantly, laughter at ourselves.
This is certainly not intended to be a sexist blog as I'm hoping there are some men out there who will find this entertaining or at least educational as to the female baby boomer brain. In fact, I'd love to get some comments from the "stronger" sex, and I'll let each of you determine for yourselves just which sex that is...
Before you leave, one more thought. Since I'm new, I'm learning about links and all, but I can assure you that future blogs will have more "meat" and links to interesting sites and information. Hang in there with me. There's much more to come.
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