After a break I’m back in the saddle…post 100!

I turned double nickels while I was away…that’s 55 for those not versed in Vegas lingo. Had an amazing b-day with friends and my kids, the kind that is embedded in your mind for a lifetime. BTW – if you haven’t gone bowling on your b-day you really should consider it !

Life for me has been very interesting in the first 52 days of the New Year. I liken it to a symphony, some whimsical notes, some ominous overtures, a few subtle nuances, huge clashing symbols, thundering drums and delightfully sweet melodies.

As I head down my journey’s path, (not too far mind you), I find that I am coming to some new major choices. Did I mention I like choice? I feel truly blessed to be where I am right now, “The World is My Oyster”… (did I also mention I like these? especially with lots of horseradish, lemon & Tabasco!). I wake up every morning and consciously choose how I want to show up that day. Even if I’m in a foul mood I can decide with the very next step I take, that my perception and my way of being, can change my whole day.

It really is about choice. What will you choose tomorrow morning when you first open your eyes to a new day? A fresh start? Endless possibilities? Roll over and hit the snooze button? Will you choose to live in your past, which is gone. Fret about what hasn’t even happened yet, the future? Maybe you’ll choose to give thanks and be in moment. The choice is solely ours to make…our lives are truly an inside job.

Love this video and thought you might as well…beautiful!
L.

Today more than ever Charities need your help…but before you say, “I am almost a Charity Case Myself…How can I help?” ….read the following mind stretching idea’s that will help YOU give even more than you did before the media started to use the ‘R’ word! (You know the word the one with Recess in it!).

1. What if you exchange your service for a tax receipt…. so, if you have book keeping or accounting skills. Or if you have a legal background… or if you have mad chef skills…. Speak with the charity to see is they would be willing to exchange your service for a little piece of paper that saves you money in tax season.

2. Christmas Jars… (my family and I read a book several years ago by that name.) All year long, we through our change into a jar… then in December, we pick a person or family to give the jar to. We don’t tell them why or who we are…we simply put the jar on the step and run away.

3. Recycle … go through your closets, and shelves..tidy up the shed and the garage… and take that stuff into a shelter or Goodwill or Salvation Army. You’ll help families in need and in some cases..you will get a tax receipt ….or store credit that you can hand to the next person walking in the door!

4. Give Flowers… when we lived in the city, on our trips to Costco, I would buy a bouquet of roses. (crazy inexpensive) then on the way home we would give half of them away. Several times, we would stop at the local coffee shop and my children would walk up to a sweet older woman ..hand her the roses and say something like, “ the universe wanted you to have a special gift today..and here they are.” Hand her the flowers and walk away. She would either have tears streaming down her cheeks or a shocked look on her face…but it didn’t matter. Then the rest of the way home, my kids and I would make up stories about how the rest of the ladies day would go. (This is something that the giver gets so much more out of…than the receiver…try it to see what I mean)

5. Charity Credit Cards… did you know that some credit cards give a small percentage of the money that you spend to charities… for example the Bank of America’s World WildLife Fund Visa gives that charity $100 when you sign up plus .$0.25 for every $100 that you spend. If you are using plastic anyways… might as well give it to a good cause.

6. Speaking of Plastic… why not donate some Air Miles to a charity like Ronald McDonald house so that families can fly to be together with their children when they are having treatments.

7. If YOU work for a large corporation, they may already have a matching charity gift program in place…that way for every dollar that you give.. your place of employment will double the donation. It is worth looking into or encouraging your employer to start.

8. What about sponsoring a child or a family as a group? Have several friends or co-workers come together to sponsor a child… that way people get help..and you don’t have to do it alone. (A World Vision Sponsor is tripling any donation given to World Vision in the month of December.)

9. Most of the time, we really don’t need any more things to add to our already too big “Stuff” collection …so why not ask that the givers on your list..donate to your favorite charity instead of allowing your “Stuff” to take over your space.

10. If you are a business owner and have excess inventory… why not donate it? For examples, if you have a shoe store..donate last year’s shoes to the sports team at school. If you have a jersey store..why not do the same thing? Schools need things like art supplies, musical instruments ..music, craft supplies, games, sports equipment and soo much more. {Need a school / organization to donate to? Here is my favorite.. Team Genesis http://www.teamgenesis.org/ expanding on the core methods of mentoring athletes, academic success, and the overall attainment of personal goals… inspiring the students of today to be the Leaders of tomorrow. }

11. Bikes that your children have out grown…give them to a family that may not be able to afford one for their children. (write a note on it and leave it on their step.)

12. Lots of companies honor their employees that volunteer… some give awards that include a cash gift to the winners charity. If you have a criminal records check done.. you can volunteer as a coach or assistant in everything from cheerleader to basketball.

13. Turn your Christmas party into a fundraiser or food drive…

14. Encourage company management to sponsor the Operation Red-nose campaign …(or whatever you call it in your town.) Local University or College supply’s designated drivers to bring home party goers and their cars…so they don’t drink and drive. It is all donation ‘s to support the athletic department.

15. Christmas Baking… if you are doing it anyways..why not make double the batch and drop it off with a family that may not have the time or resources to bake their own.

16. Coats… if you have winter clothing or blankets that are gently used, drop them off at the shelter to keep other people warm.

17. Gift Books to the school Library… You can add a tag that say’s this book was donated by “insert child’s name and year.” Then as your kids grow, they can she how many children get to check out the book that they donated.

18. Babysit… for a neighbor (unless you live in the UK where it is not legal,) so that they can finish up their shopping without packing the kids to the mall.

19. Helping Hands … Carl Van Haght and some other Earth Angels of HelloHello.net is mentoring people with their ‘online’ skills to help give a hand up rather than a hand out. HelloHello.Net is: A Social Networking Portal where you can upload your profile, search for friends, become friends, upload pictures and videos, chat, blog, email, use Twitter & Facebook on the site, check profiles, update your online status, start groups, post a poll, add an event, and much, much more. Compared to all other similar concepts that make billions of dollars per portal per year and don’t share this revenue with their members, HelloHello.Net pays 60% of all income from different advertising sources on HelloHello.Net back to all members. HelloHello.Net also has a strong mission regarding charity and fundraising that is why helping hands is so successful! 60% of all income from advertising and other ventures will be paid back to the members. 38% of all income will go to HelloHello.Net (administration). 2% will be given to well established and reputable charity organizations. 50 cents will go to charity each time a transaction is made via PinPay (Merchant). Check out http://bit.ly/2ceZFs to Social Network for $$$’s for Charity and YOU!

20. Never underestimate the gift of a smile… holding a door open, or helping someone carry some packages.

21. Clean your child’s room (if you don’t normally do it.)

23. Visit people in an old folk’s home. Adopt a grandparent!

24. Give as you earn Payroll… giving is a simple, tax-efficient way of donating through your salary. Because your donation is taken from your salary before tax is deducted, it costs you less you get the tax credits.

25. Give More...Get More! Want your donation dollars to have the greatest impact possible? Make your contributions to GlobalGiving projects around the globe go further with $250,000 of available matching funds! http://www.globalgiving.org/

26. Give the world & YOUrself the Gift of Peace… by making a conscious choice to Stand for Peace. Download your own unique Peace Certificate at http://www.peaceinourlifetime.org/ all you do is add your name and country…no email… and you can post your own peace certificate proudly anywhere you choose.

So there YOU have it… a little list of how YOU can really make a great impact no matter what your resources look like. Plus…as an added bonus… every time YOU decide to make a difference for someone else, YOU are making a deposit into your Karmic Bank Account… and it never hurts to have some Karmic Cash laying around for the times that you need it. Remember that “Givers, Gain!” No matter how small the amount may be… every little bit of service that you offer, makes a difference for all parties involved. The cool thing about the list above…is that it really doesn’t matter what time of year it is… YOU can still be of service… be charitable with your time, skills, love, and friendship. I promise you that when your heart is in the right place… you are aligning yourself in the flow of abundance. Allow it to flow to you and through you, to create a cycle of giving and receiving.

Step into action this holiday season…you’ll be glad you did!

Time to get off the Hamster Wheel…are you ready? If I have learned one thing over the past year, it’s to not stay frozen like a deer in the headlights, it’s times to take ACTION.

• Be Ambitious
Be passionate about your goals and success would follow. Be prepared to work hard and remain committed at every step. Aligning your passion with goals makes the journey much more enjoyable. Being ambitious fills you with unwavering enthusiasm that is much needed to overcome a bad phase in the journey.

• Invest in Yourself
Keep learning new things every year. While experience is a very good teacher, one should also makes an extra effort to increase their scope and skill set. Learning new and diverse things never harms you because everything in this world holds some basic connection with other. Learning is an excellent way to keep your mind sharp and focused!

• Healthy Lifestyle
A healthy body holds an underlying secret of success and happiness. Never ignore your health and always strive for a healthy lifestyle.

• Be Responsible
You need to be responsible towards you family, society and environment. A careless attitude won’t take you far. There are people who are part of your journey to success and you should give them utmost importance. One has never become successful in life if any part of his responsibilities has ever failed. Make partners in success, derive strength from them.

• Learn From Failures
First of all, THERE ARE NO FAILURES!!…Truth: Failure = Feedback, period. Always do an introspection to get an unbiased view of what has happened and what can be done in future. Once you acknowledge the feedback and prepare for next step, the final destination inches closer to you.

• Patience is the Key
The concept of overnight wonder is a myth. It takes a lot of hard work to achieve your goals and while the journey can be long and tiring, one should be patient about it. Success may eventually come but it tends to follow those that have kept the courage and believed in themselves.

• Never Give Up
This essentially is tied up with patience but with packed with abilities to rise up with every fall. Always give yourself another chance and believe in yourself. Remember, whenever you come up short, it is not about you personally… it’s your approach or idea. Try or take up the next idea and keep moving.

• Remain Positive
Nothing above will hold true if you don’t remain positive. Optimism in itself holds a magic that can help you sail through biggest difficulties of life. Being positive about ourselves, our lives, and our goals brings in us an extra power. It keeps us enthusiastic and committed to our goals. Never ever give space to negative thoughts in your mind.

I actually wear a rubber band around my wrist and snap it when my mind goes to the negative. Doesn’t happen much anymore!

• Celebrate Success
It is important to celebrate success no matter it is big or small. Get success, celebrate it, and prepare for next journey. The breaks are important to keep you fresh and energetic for next day. Keep a mark of things in your journey and get an inspiration from it. It’s okay to be successful!

Don’t let yourself get slack with the holidays nearing…be prepared for 2010 by starting now…it’s not too late!

I have learned so much by being a part of this challenge. I started out feeling nervous, excited, curious, vulnerable and a bit wary how this was going to unfold.

As it turned out my nerves turned into self-confidence, my excitement turned into delight (okay, occasionally I was really tired but I blogged anyway!), my curiosity turned into authenticity, and my vulnerability blossomed into becoming a writer I never knew I could be. What I put out there was who I am. My intention? …to give to others inspiration, laughter, awareness, creativity, reflection, accountability and a sense of belonging. “Keeping it real”.

I’m not the same person I was a year ago, nor am I the same person I was 90 days ago when I started this challenge. I have grown, and continue to do so because I was challenged, held accountable and driven. This was not just by my mentors, but more importantly by me. I believe how you do one thing, is how you do everything.

I want to thank Cheri, Kecia, Cole and the executive staff at Quattro for putting this challenge on. Cory Jim for his creative juices in thinking this whole thing up..(You rock!) and everyone who committed themselves to the challenge. I read some amazing posts and I invite all of you to check out the others who went on this journey as well…click here.

Thank you all for your support, words of encouragement and smiles. I promise to keep the posts coming!
In gratitude,
L.

My 22 year old daughter met a new friend two weekends ago up in Berkley. Fredrick is a creative genius from Sweden. At 26 years old he runs his own company and has a blast doing it. Because I’ve been in the graphic design world for 14 years, I have come to appreciate amazing work, and wanted to share Fredrick’s talents with you so you too can have some fun and play.

I love supporting fellow entrepreneurs, especially relatively new and aspiring ones! This is just one of the games and websites this young man has created with his team. I hope you enjoy Fredrick’s entrepreneur spirit and passion which is evident in his work…I know I do! The game is really fun!!

CLICK HERE

You may be asking your computer screen, “why would Lauren do that?” I am taking a class with one of my instructors from Quattro University, Sensei Ron Tomas, and this was our homework assignment for one of our meals today. Still curious?

I’d like to share with you my experience…

My kitchen is small and I know it well, so the space was very easy for me to maneuver. I decided on a salad, I wasn’t very hungry. The makings for the most part are in the bottom drawer, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, feta cheese (a few drawers up), hardboiled egg, toasted pine nuts and croutons. Okay I’ve done this a million times before, it can’t be too hard, right?

The first thing I noticed after getting it all out of the frig was that I was completely present. I was aware of everything, noises, smell, temperature and the way things felt in my hands. I reached out for the lettuce, cold and crisp and tore it into the bowl. Next came the tomatoes…these I had to cut…”Danger Will Robinson!”… okay I’ve just dated myself. Actually it was really cool to pick the knife out of the knife caddy and feel it’s weight in my hand. I never really noticed that before!

I had just sharpened my knives 2 days ago so I knew they’d be very sharp, I just had to be accurate. I moved much slower than I normally would and proceeded to hear, feel and guide my way to success. After everything else was processed…again much slower that I would normally be on auto pilot I noticed something else. I was actually seeing myself do these things, I was visualizing the whole experience…way cool!

Time to eat. The part that didn’t turn out well was the amount of dressing that was poured vs. the amount I visualized pouring…I realized I had lost focus, my mind went elsewhere. My first bite was none the less amazing. The flavors were so WOW in my mouth, much more intense than I remember. I chewed slowly and was aware that I don’t take the time when I eat to really savor the meal, especially lunch when it’s in front of my computer…which is most of the time.

I was experiencing heightened sensory awareness, I was in the moment and focused. I realized it doesn’t require me to actually go through life blindfolded, but that I can choose to change up just one aspect of my routine. Do it slowly when I usually do it fast, do it left handed when I usually do it with my right, do the steps in reverse…you get the idea. Be aware.

Are you willing to try?

I’m guessing I’m not alone in feeling there are times when my life seems to be on auto pilot. I can react rather than have thoughtful responses to events.

E + R= O: Event + Response = Outcome.

When I do become aware, it’s like a bright light on my dashboard. I realize I’m usually going a million miles a minute, and that it’s time to calm down my chaotic Monkey Mind.

To connect with myself I close my eyes and take 3 deep cleansing breaths and just let everything go. The past is just that… the past, and the future isn’t here yet. What I have is the moment, nothing more, nothing less. I sometimes I stay like this for only a few minutes, or if I’m wanting to it can last for a much longer period of time.

When I open my eyes I really notice what my body is telling me… I generally feel lighter and more relaxed. Colors are brighter and I have a very reassuring feeling all over. Go ahead, try it… “What is alive in You? ”

The question of “what’s alive” is one we ask in Non-Violent Communication language often, it means what are you feeling? Once you have connected with yourself you can then begin to be more fully aware of your true self and surroundings. This is the beginning of “mindfulness”, by not filling your mind rather emptying it…get rid of the monkey!

Okay… I admit, I’m a serial entrepreneur…I have been for over 14 years.

One thing that I occasionally suffer from and did just last week, was a huge drop in blood sugar from not eating. There are times when I’m way busy with whatever I’m doing, and too much time goes by and BAM… I start to feel weird and get cranky…ask my friends and family! Does this ring true for you too? Here are 5 tips that might help. I’ve started to do these in my life and find they really are a benefit.:

TIP #1:  Drink your water, preferably alkaline. Even if you are simply working behind a desk all day, your body still uses water. So don’t wait until you get that thirsty feeling in your mouth. By that point you are already dehydrated, which can impair your physical and mental functioning.

TIP #2: Avoid sugar and simple carbohydrates. Incorporate more proteins and complex carbohydrates into your diet, such as products made with whole-wheat flour, brown rice, etc. They won’t trigger blood sugar highs and lows, putting you more on an even keel.

TIP #3: Eat small meals. Have six small meals over the course of the day instead of three large ones. When you eat a big meal in one sitting, it overwhelms your body, causing it to work harder to digest the food. As a result, the digestive process diverts blood away from your brain and your extremities and uses it in the digestive track. With smaller meals, your body doesn’t have to work as hard.

TIP #4: Take walking breaks. Walking gets your blood circulating, helps you breathe better, and stimulates your brain due to the increased blood flow. Take a five or ten minute walk during the day.

TIP #5: Meditate. Meditation is great for rejuvenating your body. Each time you meditate, you’ll feel like you just took a six-hour nap. By meditating for fifteen to twenty minutes twice a day, you’re keeping your body continually energized. If you do run into the afternoon slump, meditating for a quick five minutes can immediately re-energize you.

Good luck and let me know if these help you!
L.

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!