Earth Day is tomorrow.  Unless you live under a rock, you have probably heard at least some of the negative effects our behavior is having on the environment.  Whether it’s excessive water use, using plastic bottles, or any of the many things we do, the good news is we can change!

With the dawn of the internet and the vast amount of information at our fingertips, it’s easy to learn new tricks and tips.  And since nearly everyone has Facebook (or some social media site) it’s easier than ever to spread the word.

Here’s some easy things you can do to minimize your carbon footprint.

1.  Bring your own bags.  When you are asked, “paper or plastic”, proudly reply, “neither, I am trying to save the world!”  Some grocers now offer a discount if you bring your own bag.  Love that!  Save money and the planet. 

2.  Bring your own coffee cup.  Kudos to Starbucks for their “Make a Difference” campaign they ran last week.  They offered a free coffee to anyone who brought their own mug.  Can you imagine how many trees we would save if we just brought our own mugs everyday?  WOW - mind boggling really.

3.  Avoid plastic.  I know we live in a plastic world and trying to eliminate all plastic would be very difficult.  Heck, EVERYTHING comes in plastic now.  But there are some easy products you can eliminate.  For example, don’t buy bottled water.  Bottle waste is enormous and since plastic is photo degradable, those bottles will be with us forever.    See my blog post from April 5th if you want to know more about how damaging plastic can be.

4.  Take public transportation.  I know, it’s not always possible but when you can take public transportation, do it!  It saves you money, saves wear and tear on your car, it’s efficient and saves the planet.

5.  Go paperless.  Get direct deposit set up.  Pay your bills online.  Get online statements.  Just the online statements will save several pieces of paper per month per person.  What would that add up to if we all did that for a year?

6.  Recycle everything!  Don’t just think about paper and cans these days.  Recycle your clothes and household items you no longer use by donating them to a worthy organization.  Especially in these challenging financial times, many people could use a little extra help - and you may just be the person to provide that!

7.  Check out your local environmental programs.  We have a local program that allows you to bring paint cans, cleaners, and chemical products to a drop off site for free.  You can also pick up items for free.  So if you just need a small amount of something, check locally first - you may be able to get it for free!

8.  Embrace the library.  If you love to read, consider borrowing books instead of purchasing them.  It will cut down on the paper use and might expose you to a whole new world of interesting topics.

9.  Most importantly, make a plan and stick to it.  No matter how small you think the steps may be, every little bit will help.  Enlist your family and friends in your plan.  Post your plan on Facebook.  And spread the word.

Happy Tree Planting!

I took French for several years in Jr. High and High School.  The problem is, I never went to France (or Quebec) and High School was about a hundred years ago.  So, needless to say, the few words I do recall are virtually useless in any type of conversation I would attempt.  I just can’t imagine the conversation turning to green hats!

I am, however, a big believer in feeding your mind.  So I decided earlier this year that I would relearn my French - at least enough to help me in my travels.  Now I don’t really have a trip planned to France or Montreal but you never know when I might decide to just hop on a plane and go - so best to be prepared right?

It doesn’t matter what you want to learn - just commit to learning something!  Pick an area that you are interested in that you either know nothing about or haven’t done in a million years.  Don’t limit yourself!  Maybe you want to learn how to kayak.  Find an outfitter and go for it.  Maybe you want to knit - buy some needles and teach yourself or take a class and get knitting (I need a new hat by the way).  Maybe you always wanted to learn Frisbee Golf - go to your local cheap store, buy one and hit the Frisbee links! 

What to expect on your new learning adventure?  Here’s a quick course on the learning curve.

Step one - you know nothing and don’t even know enough to know what you don’t know.  Sort of a blissful place really though you don’t really know anything.  Unconscious Incompetence.  An extreme example - you know there are other languages but never heard of French.

Step two - you know something about the new area of interest but have no idea how to actually DO anything.  Conscious Incompetence.  Example - you know French is spoken in France and Quebec (and a few other places) but you don’t know how to speak any French at all.  Sort of a frustrating place because you know there is more out there to learn but aren’t sure how to start.

Step three - you are learning a new skill but you have to consciously think about your new skill and the steps you are learning in order to perform your new skill.  Conscious Competence.  Example - you are learning to speak French but you have to really THINK in order to get the right words and grammar structure to form a proper sentence.  This place can be both very satisfying and very frustrating at times.

Step four - you are able to do the task without even thinking about it.  Unconscious Competence.  Example - someone asks you a question in French and you reply automatically without thinking about the proper use of words or grammar.  It just seems to come “naturally”.  Great place to be!

The great thing is that no matter WHAT you want to learn, you will go through those same steps.  I know you have heard it before, but in order to learn or “get better” you have to TAKE ACTION!  TAKE ACTION!  TAKE ACTION!  Just thinking about what you want to learn won’t transform those brain cells.  Only focused action will get you from point A to point B. 

So have some fun.  Learn something new.  ENJOY life to it’s fullest!

Au revoir! Bon apprentissage!

Frankly, this appals me.  The Pacific Gyre is an area in the Pacific Ocean that bascially accumulates garbage - specifically plastic.  The Great Garbage Patch moves with the currents and can move as much as a thousand miles in a season.  And the size?  Estimated to be TWICE as large as the State of Texas.  Got that?  TWICE as large as Texas.  Now for you geography flunkies - that’s huge.

The problem?  Plastic.  Plastic is photo degrading.  Meaning it breaks down into smaller pieces but the same amount of plastic remains.  So while it might look like the plastic is going away, it really isn’t.  A plastic bottle is still a plastic bottle even if it is in 1000 pieces.  So all that plastic just remains in the Great Garbage Patch only now all those little pieces look like plankton and get ingested by all the lovely animals.  Not good.

Follow the chain here.  If all those lovely animals - specifically fish and birds, are eating plastic for dinner, what are you eating?  Well, if you are eating fish, you may very well be eating plastic as well.  In case you didn’t know, plastic as a food source isn’t exactly gourmet dining.  In fact, it is downright hazardous to your health.

Want to learn more?  Here are a couple of great videos that give more information on the Pacific Gyre.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnUjTHB1lvM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-CVRFzLoEY&feature=fvsr (warning - strong language)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a4S23uXIcM&feature=related

Either way, it’s clear that we have some changing to do.  I encourage you to start with your own house.  Stop purchasing plastic goods as much as possible.  Use your own water bottles and fill them yourself rather than adding to the garbage pile.  I LOVE a good beach - but I sure don’t want it to be all plastic.

I had lunch with a friend recently and was bemoaning the fact that I had too many things going on.  I told her about the IRS, the death of my father-in-law, the enormous changes at my job (yep, that was like walking into work one day and being told from now on we will speak German - huh?), the ending of one business, the starting of another…and just day to day life.  Frankly I am surprised she stayed for her meal!  But after she patiently listened she gave me the best advice ever.  She said, “you just need to celebrate the Tibetan New Year.”

Well, I am not Tibetan but I got her message.  She was reminding me that I had choices.  And I could CHOOSE to just start fresh.  So that’s what I decided to do.  Admittedly, denial is my personal favorite when it comes to defense mechanisms, but these things were a little too big for my enormous powers of denial.  So I needed a plan.

Here it goes - maybe it will help you celebrate the Tibetan New Year as well.

1.  Purge all the crap you don’t need related to the issues at hand.  For me that meant cleaning my office and getting rid of everything that was related to my old business and anything related to the way I used to do my job.  Since the IRS woman reads my blog - have no worries, I didn’t purge any financial or business documents (that’s a little creepy by the way).

2.  Put your focus on what matters and what you can control.  I can’t change the fact that my father-in-law died, but I can focus on how to best help the family.  I can’t control the changes at work but I can do what I can to learn the new system to alleviate my stress.  I can control how I work my new business and set my goals to achieve success.  Let go of what you can’t control.

3.  Surround yourself with positive.  Whether you like to read or watch TV - make sure they are positive.  Watching the evening news does NOT qualify.  Well really TV doesn’t qualify in general.  Be around happy and positive people.  If you hang around a bunch of gripers you will find yourself focusing on all the negative rather than the positive.  Who wants that?

4.  Plan some fun.  It’s easy to have an extended pity party but really that doesn’t do you any good at all.  Go to a REAL party instead.  Have fun and get excited about all that life has to offer. 

5.  Consider volunteering your time to a worthy organization.  It is proven that people who volunteer are happier people.  You will feel good about what you are doing and probably leave feeling very appreciative of all that you do have in your life.

So, do as my friend says and celebrate the Tibetan New Year.  Well actually, it’s past, but you get the idea.  Make your own fresh start and feel good about your decision to CHOOSE to start fresh.

Now, I am not a particularly manipulative person and wasn’t sure I could really use the techniques he taught even though, I have to admit, they didn’t FEEL very manipulative and I am quite sure they are effective.

So as I sat and pondered how I could or would use my new-found manipulative communication skills, I thought about a few key phrases he used.

1.  “I’m curious…” - Geared to get people talking openly.

2.  “Would it be okay if…”  - Geared to get people to say yes.

3.  “There are two types of people in the world…” - Geared to get the person to pick the option that sounds more socially acceptable.

Then the light bulb went off.  You see, I have the very unfortunate opportunity to speak with the IRS about my 2007 tax returns.  Now mind you, they were prepared by a professional accountant and all the “i”s are dotted and “t”s are crossed.  So I am really not all that worried.  Our records are sound.  But nonetheless, it will no doubt require hours of putsy meetings, calls and who knows what and over how much time- something I frankly don’t have an excess amount of.

So here’s the plan.  During our first meeting, I’m using Big Al techniques.

“I’m curious, Mrs. IRS Tax Lady, why would you want to audit someone who has impeccable records?”

Or how about…

“Would it be okay if we charged you for our time and expense?”

Or my favorite Big Al technique…

“There are two types of people in the world.  Those that pick on small business owners who have always worked, always paid their taxes and always contributed positively to society and those who appreciate a hard working family when they see one.

Honestly, with all the corruption we have seen in the headlines doesn’t the IRS have anyone more…substantial to pick on?  Geez.

So hats off to Big Al.  The presentation was good and I’ll be trying my new-found techniques any day now.  I know that wasn’t the intention of the presentation, but I see no reason why the communication skills I learned can’t be applied to all aspects of life.

To learn more about Big Al and all his really wonderful (I mean that) teachings, visit www.FortuneNow.com

She has been exposed to many personal development masters, including Michael Clouse whom she had the honor to meet.  It was shortly after this meeting that she really started to think about her dreams and put them on paper and in her dream book.  Thank you Michael for inspiring that!

Here’s her paper…

Once Upon a Dream

The first time I walked into that open arena my eyes lit up like the suns hello in the morning. I couldn’t believe that we were in the third row. This would not be my first time seeing them but every time they came back they got better and better. It’s a kind of attraction when I see they’re coming.   I wonder,  “what will they bring this time?”   Like Santa Clauses’ present bag, they would reach their hands into red velvet soft bag and give me a show that makes smile from ear to ear. The show was amazing how this person could do that, and how smooth it was, like they have done it a thousand times, which they probably have. But to them it’s another day to make a little girl like me smile. Every act was like a new day to me; the way they would move and do their tricks amazed me. I was like a little girl in a candy shop with a million dollars, the possibilities were endless. This is the cirque life and this is just the beginning.

A dream is merely an image you see when you are sleeping.  Or an ambition, a cherished desire in your life.  Well most of us at this age are starting to think about colleges and our future, well I could say I have known for awhile and yes I could tell you what college I am planning on going to but you wouldn’t believe me. I was at the age of 8 when all of this started. It wasn’t my first Cirque show but it was still amazing. But this time it made my mind click, like it was a clock that had been broken for many years and then all of a sudden started working again. Right then and there, at the show, I decided I wanted to be a Cirque performer when I grew up. Well all of us have had dreams, like when we were all little we wanted to be a little ballerina who wore the little pink tutu, or a police man who had that golden shinny badge that you thought was the coolest thing ever. And now you have this idea in your head that you were really going to be a fireman or whatever you dreamed of when you were little. And I still to this day want to be a Cirque performer and I am living my dream, taking those steps to reach my ultimate goal!

The months went by like normal and then one day my mom said are you ready for circus camp, and I thought she was joking. I thought there was no such thing as a circus camp, and she was crazy. But she wasn’t lying.  We were driving past all this new scenery to me, the trees green as new grass and the road as smooth as the sky. The whole way there I was excited. And when my mom turned into this empty parking lot with this big green building in the back I started to laugh.  I did not think that the little green building was a circus. There was no pinstriped tent or clowns.  The crowds of people were here for the same reason I was. As I stepped into the building I was just ready to get through the day. But as the day went on I really started to love circus more and more. Like with a mom and a newborn, the love grew on me over time. So the week went by, every night I would go to sleep early hoping that I would be able to get to circus faster. In the morning I was like a hummingbird. The way its wings move so fast you can’t even see them, I felt amazing.  Well the week ended and so did camp, and all my family came over for dinner one night. And there was something missing.  A piece of me was left behind. It was like when you eat a pizza without cheese or the sauce, it doesn’t work without the other.  And that was me.  I was the pizza with no sauce.  My mom says that the night my family was over I wasn’t with everyone; she couldn’t find me. So she came up to my room and found me crying, the tears rolling down my face like the tires on a car.  She says that I was upset that I didn’t have circus camp anymore and I said I wouldn’t ever come out of my room. Well it turns out that the place that held circus camp also has a year-round circus school! When those words came out of my mother’s mouth it was like I was reborn. I swear I could hear angles singing like they do in those cheesy Christmas movies you watched when you believed in Santa Clause. My life was finally complete; my pizza found its sauce.

My dream was coming together.  I was taking those steps.  I went from an audience member to a want-to be to a performer, to a performer. I only have two more steps; to become a student performer, and a professional performer. Like I said before I already know what I want to do with the rest of my life, I’ve known for awhile. I know what college I want to attend and how to get to where I belong. I’ve even had those people who think your dream sucks and will fail. In the 8^th grade I rode my unicycle in front of my whole 8^th grade class. And only 5 people clapped. I went home that night and cried. After that people teased me throughout the year calling me a freak and other horrible names. I would go home from school almost every day and cry. I tried to switch schools many times but it just wasn’t worth it. And I am finally opening up again hoping people will accept me for what I do and won’t go back to what they use to do. I’m never going to let other people push my dreams around; they are my dreams, not theirs. So my next step is to get into a circus college. And even though I’ve gone through rough parts and am where I am, it gave me character, it made me who I am today, and I hope other people learn from my experiences and take my same steps.

As most people say, “reach for the stars” and don’t stop until you reach your dreams, and if things get in your way just push past. Today I am living my dream or at least most of it.  I have circus practice three days a week, and every time I’m there it’s like another chapter in my dream story. When I perform, it’s like I am that person in the Cirque show that made me want to become what I am today.

Bravo girl!  I am proud of you and excited for you to see your full dreams come true.

Love, Mom 

My next Toastmasters Speech…

Life is Like a Circus

Some Moms are soccer Moms. Some Moms are hockey Moms. Me, I am a circus Mom. I spend about 10 hours a week at the circus. The real circus. My 16 year old daughter has been going to a program in St. Paul called Circus Juventas for about 10 years now. She started by riding a unicycle and now takes many classes including Flying Trapeze. So over my 10 years I have had the privilege of learning many lessons from these talented students that apply to everyone’s life.

1. Take balance – just as my daughter learned to balance on a unicycle, we all have to learn balance in our lives. This sounds so much easier than it really is. But without balance, life loses some of it’s zest.

For several years I worked in the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office as a victim advocate. My caseload consisted of child sexual and physical abuse cases, working with children who had witnessed domestic violence and homicide cases. I really enjoyed this job but over time I lost my balance. Often we don’t really realize we are out of balance until something happens. In my case, I was standing in line waiting to order my daily large, skim vanilla latte with no foam when the lady in front on my turned around and said, “Hi, how are you?” Now, to most everyone else in the world this would be deemed as a nice comment. Me? I instantly thought the woman must be mentally ill. For nobody is THAT nice. Now I immediately realized my flawed thinking and laughed at myself – and put in my 2 weeks notice shortly after that.

We all need balance. In our physical health, mental health, family life, spiritual life, and fun! Without it – well, we think everyone ELSE is mentally ill!

2. Juggling – sometimes life just throws a lot our way and we have to decide which balls to catch. And even with our best efforts we may not catch them all. But organization and planning DO help. If you can look ahead a bit and plan for what’s coming your way, you are more likely to be able to juggle the many tasks at hand. Forget that multi-tasking idea. That was developed by some Corporate mucky-muck as a way to get more done. But in truth, steadfast focus will help you with all your juggling needs. After all, you don’t see a juggler multi-tasking! If all the balls were thrown in the air at once he or she would surely miss most of them.

3. Believe you can do anything! Well almost anything – we do want to avoid that whole mental illness aspect! Watching these kids try new acts and new equipment always amazes me. They go in believing that anything is possible. That they can fly through the air. That they can do aerial tricks 40 feet in the air. And it’s their belief that propels them forward. How often have you wanted to start something new but had that nagging voice in your head tell you “it’s just not possible.” Learn to ignore that dream stealer and believe that you can achieve your dreams and goals.

4. Take risks. I don’t mean the kind that are going to land you in prison so forget the bank heist. But think about your daily life. When is the last time you really took a risk and stepped outside your comfort zone? Probably not often if you really think about it. We are really creatures of habit and stepping outside of your comfort zone requires taking a risk and frankly that’s not usually all that comfortable. But without taking risks you are hindering your own personal growth. Now the kids at circus often have safety lines attached to them as they take risks but they still have to get past the mental aspect of taking the risk. As adults, we usually don’t have real safety lines but often have a support system that acts like a safety line, encouraging and cheering us on as we learn and grow.

Most, if not all of us, are in some type of business that requires interacting with people. What would your business look like if you took a risk and met just 2 new people a day? Got 2 more business cards a day from people that you aren’t currently doing business with? Would your business grow if you could expose your business to 250 new people a year? Would your sales be up? While taking risks can be scary, the benefits can be enormous!

5. Celebrate your success! As adults we often downplay our achievements. We may go out for dinner when we receive a promotion. Or we may get a pat on the back by a boss. But we really need to CELEBRATE! To achieve your goals you have had to put in a lot of time and effort to see the goal become reality. It’s not just a celebration of the end result but the journey along the way. Just as in circus where the students practice and practice, endure blisters and muscle pains, face their fears and do it all over again and again, we do the same when trying to accomplish our goals. So how do you get your “standing ovation?” What do you do to really acknowledge your journey?

6. And finally, have FUN! Make the most of any situation. If the situation just isn’t positive, find something to learn from the event. FIND something positive however small. There is almost always SOMETHING positive and let’s face it, fun is just more…fun!

So enjoy your own circus. As adults we tend to get wrapped up in the mundane. Take some time to think about your life. Do you live in balance? How’s your juggling? Do you believe? Are you taking risks? Are you celebrating your success? Are you having fun? If not, perhaps a visit to the circus is in order as the circus always brings out the best. And as they say at circus, “May all your days be circus days.”

No single effort can change the world.  It truly does take a community.  A commitment.  A dream.  I believe we have heard those very words before.  But Chicago is fortunate.  They have a unique program that IS working to end the violence.   From their website, www.ceasefirechicago.org

CeaseFire is an evidence-based public health approach to reducing shootings and killings. Our methods for reversing the violence epidemic use highly trained street violence interrupters and outreach staff, public education campaigns and community mobilization. CeaseFire is one of the only proven techniques for making neighborhoods safer.

Anyone who knows me knows I want numbers.  We can hypothesize until we are blue in the face, but without the actual numbers, there is no way of knowing progress is being made.  And since this progress saves lives it’s high on the importance scale.

I sometimes don’t like my j.o.b.  Not my business - that’s all great.  But my actual j.o.b.  But I have NOTHING to fuss about when you consider the jobs these folks are doing on a daily - and no doubt nightly - basis.  Having worked in Social Services for the majority of my adult life, I get what it means to be outreach staff and educators.  I can only imagine the stress these folks have.  But even the concept of “street violence interrupters” gives me shivers - and I am not a fearful person.  These folks are IN IT.  They are immersing themselves in the most dangerous situations to save people physically and psychologically.  What an incredible feat.  And it should not go unnoticed.  Because it is this very “hands on” approach that IS most effective.  Sitting down at a conference table just isn’t going to cut it.

So for all the families who have experienced violence - and those who have been so very fortunate to not have experienced violence, just know there are people who are trying to do the right things for the right reasons because the BELIEVE in the cause.  My hats off to all the people who fight this good fight.

I have a friend whom I admire a great deal.  She is a strong, smart woman.  Who is married to a man who became ill.  As if the initial diagnosis wasn’t stressful enough, I am certain she would say “dealing with the system” was at least as stressful if not more so than the actual illness.

Case in point.  She was informed by the insurance company (yes, she is one of the fortunate who have insurance) that she needed to check every statement for accuracy.  Well if you have ever tried to read a medical statement you know they might as well have sent it in Russian.  Looks slightly familiar but who knows what it says.  She was, however, able to read a couple lines, one of which was a charge for $18.00 for 2 Tylenol.  Straight up over the counter - no codeine added.  $18.00 for 2.  Not sure about you, but I can get a bottle of something like 500 at my local Sams Club for 8.99.  Figure roughly 250 doses at $18.00 is $4500.  Yep, I had to do the math twice.  So for a bottle of Tylenol, the hospital is eventually collecting $4500.  Excuse the language, but that is a HELL of a profit.

So needless to say, if Tylenol costs $18.00, the actual treatment cost significantly more.  The hospital’s solution?  They told her she needed to turn over the Deed to her home.  This is so fundamentally wrong it makes my blood boil.  Here are hard working, smart, upstanding citizens who are basically being exploited during a time of crisis in their lives.  My friend, as I said, is strong.  I stand corrected, she is tough as nails.  I have no doubt she told them exactly what region of the universe they could relocate to.  And she didn’t turn over the Deed to her home.  But how many others aren’t that strong willed?  How many, in the face of crisis just do what they are told because they are worried about the life of their loved one?  Personally, I think this should be criminal.  As in a chargeable offense.  And I DARE a hospital to tell me ever to turn over the Deed to my home.  Trust me, I am a lot of things but quiet and passive aren’t two of them.

So, as you listen - and I hope you are - to the continuing debate, don’t forget the bigger picture.  While you may feel secure with your current health care situation, at any given moment, your family or friends may be faced with the unimaginable situation.

So it is always very interesting to me when I am speaking with a “possibility thinker” about starting a new home based business when they say, “But it’s going to cost me money.”

This is where I bite my tongue.  I WANT to say, “Did you REALLY think you could start a new business without any investment?”  Or, “Have you taken your medication today because you are obviously actively delusional!”  Or, “Tell me again…you want to make a million dollars a year without putting any money into anything to get you started?”  Or, “So you were planning on starting a business but not actually MAKING any money?”  For I am CERTAIN that my ears must be plugged.  I couldn’t possibly be hearing such statements.  We are, after all, living in a real world, with real people who presumably have real brains.

But what REALLY, REALLY gets me is that these folks are not seeing the big picture.  And it makes me sad.  They are looking at their business as an expense rather than an investment in their future.   They are not seeing their business as a money making opportunity.   They are not viewing their business as the link between their real world and the world of their dreams.  At this point, there are really only 2 options…

1.  Really work on your mindset.  Evaluate your goals.  Consider your aspirations.  Do your homework.  In order to be successful in business you MUST - there is no room for wavering - you MUST consider your business an investment.  If you can’t get yourself to that point, then you have option 2.

2.  Quit.

I know.  It’s not pretty is it.  And I could soft-shoe it and make it sound a little more glamorous, but, well, I’m not going to.

Now don’t get me wrong.  I am not suggesting you max out every credit card you have to get your business going.  Havng a business budget is not only responsible, it’s critical to your long term success.

But I am suggesting you consider your mindset.  Do you view your business as an expense or an investment?

I can provide you with support.  I can provide you with a solid “system” that will move you toward success.  I can provide you with 1:1 coaching.  I can provide you with free online resources.  I can send you a CD that will give you the secrets to success.  But ALL those things won’t help you a bit if you don’t have the right mindset.  That is THE critical component.

So, that said, do you believe your business is an investment or an expense?  And which of the 2 options are you choosing.