Lauren Card Live

I have three trees. I didn’t plant them, none the less they are mine. Guardians on a hillside they watch and wait silently for me. I always know they are there and I believe they know the same about me…waiting for the next time I come to visit.  I’ve watched them go through seasons of change, from summer to winter when they lose all their leaves, beautiful in their nakedness. From the dead of winter to the beginning of spring, embracing the new life within. They are truly magnificent, but someday, like me, they will die.

Two years ago, I went through a life-changing event that made me more reflective. On a walk in search of solitude, I found my trees on a hillside near my home.  I felt heard and understood as I told them my troubles.  They made no judgments, they offered no suggestions.  Instead they encouraged me to be my natural self, as they are.

It occurs to me that it is time to plant trees.  A child somewhere, warm in their bed, is on a collision course with fate.   There will come a day when this child is desperate for friendship and understanding.  I want them to have their own experience with a tree they may come to call their own.

It’s late now, and I am done.  Three small pots from the nursery…carefully installed into the hillside behind my home. These trees, a gift from a giving universe are already pushing their roots down as I get ready for sleep.  Each day and night they will grow stronger and taller, in preparation for the day that they are needed.

I am a bit older now…and I still visit my trees on a regular basis. It’s fall, their colors are changing and they are starting to lose their leaves. I love lying down underneath them, watching and waiting for just one leaf to fall.  I see my own change reflected in their change.  As their branches grow and leaves fall, so do mine.

It’s 10:00 Monday night.  You have a giant presentation in morning and you’ve been working all day long to get the Powerpoint just right.  As you finish up slide number 38 you congratulate yourself…they’re gonna love it.  For some strange reason, your keyboard stops responding.  You press the SAVE key, once, twice and then it hits you…your  computer is locked up.  You are going to have to reboot.   A cold chill creeps up your leg…when was the last time that you saved your work….OH NO…you realize that you NEVER SAVED your work.  The entire presentation is going down the toilet.  NOOOOOOOOOOO!

Feeling a bit of stress are you?  Are your nickers in a twist?  Well there Ms. Entrepreneur, what are you going to do now?  How are you going to fix this mess?  More importantly, how are you going to save from the  stress of burning the candle at both ends?  The problem is not technology, it’s one of perspective.

First of all, cut yourself some slack.  This kind of stuff is going to happen from time to time.  If it’s just now and then, have a glass of wine, and get ready for an all-nighter.   “But wait” you say,  this kind of stress happens all the time!  If it isn’t cashflow, it’s grumpy customers, slow sales, tough competition, you name it…your LIFE IS STRESS.

So when is some stress too much stress?

• When it’s 4AM and your dog looks at you thinking “Can I PLEASE go outside?”
• When out of the corner of your left eye you see a blinding light and you realize its the sun coming up.
• When the nervous tic in your eye starts to sync up with the YouTube video you’re watching.
• You turn the Redline can over for the ninth time, hoping for just one more hit of caffeine.
• When you just keep reading the same paragraph over and over again.

If you are a stress train wreck, here are some suggestions on how to unwind and enjoy the Entrepreneur ride:

• Stop what you’re doing, get up and go for walk
• Take a five minute mediation break
• Call a friend, your Mom, and get outside yourself
• Take the damn dog out for a walk
• Go make yourself a milkshake
• Put on a record and dance in your underwear
• Go soak in a hot tub

Break the pattern, celebrate yourself, find some balance.  You can do it, and you deserve it.

When I was a little girl, it was a happy day when I found a penny lying on the ground.  A penny was real money…it could buy bubble gum or five pieces of those wax candies with juice inside,  Better yet, it could find a home with other coins in my piggy bank.  It always seemed to me, to be a honor to find and pick up a penny.  It was after all, real money, real cash!  It was almost un-American to leave one lying there on the sidewalk, the Universe had given me a gift.

As the years have passed, the value of the penny has dwindled.  So much so, that I hardly ever see a penny on ground any more.  The Federal government still makes them and I see them in cash registers, but on the ground?  Not so much.  My guess is that credit cards and debit cards, and 25 cent pieces of bubble gum spell the end of the penny.

Today, it’s a different story.  We’ve forgotten the value of cash, in favor of concepts like balance sheets, and lines of credit.  After all, why use your own cash when you can charge it?  Don’t those big businesses depend on having oodles of credit?  Oops…that was yesterday.  The events of the last two years have put an end to easy credit, even for the big banks.  It’s not so easy to charge it any more.  Cash matters again.

So what’s an Entrepreneur to do?   Should we use cash to pay for things, or assuming we still have access to it, should we use credit?  The answers are not so simple.  Spending cash may make us feel legitimate, and it means that we don’t have to worry about big monthly recurring payments to service the debt.  On the other hand, using up all of your cash can be a real problem if you’re a small (or big business).  Cash is King and not having cash on hand puts a business at risk.

As I thought about it, I realized that the answer lies in the penny.  There’s no one strategy that will fit for everyone.  Some should use cash, and some should use credit.  Everyone, on the other hand, should respect, honor, and build up cash reserves.  Cash is good, cash is real, and cash can save the day. I’m grateful for every penny I pickup and I hope you will pick them up too.

Music takes us back in time and so does food… especially comfort food. Smart marketers know that in times of stress we will return  to the familiar with very little concern for cost.

Of all my favorite snack foods, chips and salsa reign supreme!  Because of this and being a graphic designer, I am very open to their homespun marketing message.

White Girl Salsa for me is comfort food. The combination of their retro logo and video, of  founder Julie Nirvelli’s darling daughter, makes me feel like I’ve been a customer of theirs for decades.  That kind of brand recognition is something big time marketers lust after and pay dearly to create.

Consider how your product or service can become Comfort Food.

Check out White Girl Salsa Facebook page and video …you have to see it!

The idea of having a family game night is nothing new. Families have been playing together since they could place stones in holes. However, modern families are competing with video games, web surfing and of course the television. Board games are no match for a virtual character traveling through time and space, collecting gold coins. It may take some convincing to bring your kids on board, especially the older ones. After time, you may find yours, like mine, actually look forward to a designated family time and you’ll no longer feel jealousy, or guilt as you walk down the game aisle of your department store. As a matter of fact my kids took me to Target last Mom’s day to buy me 2 new games to add to our collection!

Why start a family game night?

• Family time of course.
• Game play teaches sportsmanship and good healthy competition.
• Playing together promotes communication.
• Family game night is inexpensive. Traditional parlor games are free!
• (see below for suggestions)
• Family game night creates life long memories!
• Heck – it’s just good old fashioned fun!

GETTING STARTED

Set a consistent day and time. You’ll need to schedule 1 – 1 1/2 hours. If every week is difficult, try twice a month to start;mark it on your calendar and make it a priority.

If you don’t already have games in a closet somewhere, purchase a few to get started, and then gradually add to the collection. We like many games and have a fun collection. Our favorites…Scattergories, Monopoly, Abundance and our newest favorite since Mom’s day…Cranium Whoonu Game. Great game for kids 8 and up and a really fun way to get to know each other better.

Select games that everyone will enjoy. Often this is difficult if there is a large age difference between your children. Parents or older siblings canteam up with little ones or you can create a variation of a more challenging game.

Kids or no kids, schedule a game night, invite your friends and have some FUN!

Are you a passionate Entrepreneur? Do you find yourself dragging on a regular basis as you get up too early and go to bed too late, frantically trying to get “everything done?” If so, don’t feel alone. Self-torture by sleep deprivation is a very common problem!

So what happens when you don’t get enough sleep? Plenty of bad stuff. Some of your organs stop functioning, you may become pre-diabetic, you function at an impaired level, and much much more. With all this being well documented in the medical journals, why are we so inclined to cheat ourselves of nature’s gift of sleep? The answer may lie in our shameful ignorance of the magical machine we live in.

Friends, your body is a temple! It is more sophisticated by a factor of 10, than anything that we can build. It’s also the only body that you have, so why not take care of it? In addition to good nutrition, the proper amount of sleep is ESSENTIAL to your body’s health and longevity. Six (6) hours is the absolute minimum requirement for a normal adult. Less than that can wreck havoc with the body’s immune system, bringing the opposite of productivity…sickness!

So what do do?
• Give yourself a bed time, and stick to it.
• Let your family and friends know your bedtime and give them “don’t call after” time
• Learn about ways to make sleep productive…yes you can actually solve problems while you snooze
• Recognize that one way to measure success is to plan your business so that you can actually stop working from time to time. Sleeping enough could lead to other big banana steps like paying yourself a salary, working out at the gym, and God Forbid, a vacation every now and then!
Remember that no one can take your healthy night of sleep away from you. Only you can give it away!

I don’t know about you but I’ve really noticed the beginning of the change of seasons. I love Fall for many reasons… the colors, the flatness of the light, the crispness of the morning and the beautiful sunsets. It’s an anticipation of transition.

As it is in nature it is in you. Could it be that your season is ready to change? Have you noticed yourself being anxious because a new person, situation or job has been flooding your mind? Are you intrigued at the possibilities that a change in your image, new hobby, or a noble cause might bring?

Frustration or excitement may be signaling that a new season is upon you. Don’t miss the importance of these telltale clues…dig deeper, get curious!

I’m guessing as you read this some of you might be resistant to change, it’s scary…right? Change is inevitable. Like a river you can try to swim against the current but you will get very tired quickly instead of going with the flow.

Nature requires change as part of the process of renewal and rebirth. While some things pass new life is always coming into existence.

Do not mourn the death of bad habits, worn friendships and the old stories we have held onto that no longer serve us. Become pregnant with new ideas,  lofty goals and fresh relationships including the one with yourself.

For most of us, it’s natural to acknowledge those that we love and appreciate. We do so with words of kindness, but not necessarily words that explain how we really feel. An example is “I love you!” This is a powerful statement to be sure…but why do we love someone? Why do we value them in our lives? Stopping short of explaining the “I love you” is a missed opportunity.

With this in mind, let’s take a whack at telling the rest of the story:

• I love you because you took out the trash –  Translation: I was needing cooperation and consideration and you gave it to me.
• I love you because you listened to me – Translation: I feel heard and understood
• I love you because you were there for me –  Translation: I felt at risk and now feel more secure with your support
• I love you because you lost weight – Translation: You taking care of yourself is important to me

Can you see the value of being complete in your communications? Would you enjoy your next “I love you” a little more if you were to share with your loved one a complete thought like the ones above? It takes a little more time and a little more introspection, but the outcome can be amazing. Here’s how they might respond in a more complete way:

• In the future, I’ll take it out every day! Translation: I’m really aware of your needs and I want to contribute.
• I like listening to you. Translation: – You’re interesting and I learn a lot from what you have to say.
• I’m was happy to stand up for you     Translation: – I appreciate, love and support you.
• I’ve lost 30 pounds and I feel great. – Translation: I feel supported and acknowledged.

The goal is to give more information…get curious. Ask them what’s up? The extra time and energy that you devote to being complete in your communications will return great dividends to both you and your loved ones.