Curious about New Year's and Year Long Superstitions

Today, at the end of my Fitness Class, I wished everyone a Happy New Year and also suggested that when they awoke on the first day of the month and year that they invoke a saying that will bring them luck for the whole month, at least, and should also help for the year.

A revered professional storyteller from Selma, Alabama, tells everyone that before you get out of bed on the first day of every month, you shout out, “Rabbit, Rabbit!” I suggested this to my class participants. While they were snickering, a young woman who comes from Turkey, said that this was a fact. But, in her country, you only used it for the months that included the letter “r.” And, that if someone was near you when you shouted, you would tap them, thus passing on the luck to them too.

We all started to think about superstitions - that are fun, and may also work. I know that I am “game” - why take chances?

Years ago I was doing house painting to fill in a transition from one job to another. As I was prepping, I found several coins on the top of doors. The woman who lived there told me that they always placed them there before the New Year, so that money would flow through the doors into their home and lives. When I mentioned this to my students, one woman shared that her mother did the same, but put the coins on the window sills.

My “Rabbit, Rabbit” shouting storyteller, who is from the South, also told me that as you drive around her home town, you will see blue bottles hanging from the bushes. You see, demons are attracted by the blue color and fly into the bottles, only to be trapped. This keeps evil from entering your home.

I would love to hear about your superstitions - do you have any you practice and believe in?

That reminds me. I’d better go and get out some coins to place on the top of my doors.

Have a Happy, Prosperous, and Exciting New Year!

Curious about Frantic Free Marketing - Does It Work?

Is it me, or is this year what I would call the “Year of Frantic Free Stuff?”

I have been bombarded by a plethora of Internet Marketers giving away more free stuff than I even have time to download, let alone read or listen to later.

Yes, I did start off thinking that this information would be interesting, might help me plan 2005, and would also introduce me to some new gurus and worthwhile e-newsletters. Because I send out two of my own e-newsletters, I am always scoping out others for comparison.

Frankly, I have discovered that the great majority of the “gifts and presents” were obviously given only to get e-mail addresses, so that the givers could keep reminding me – almost daily for a number of them – that they have great products to sell “at a discount, if you act within 24 hours.” Also, these products will make me wealthy in a couple of weeks.

Now, I don’t want to seem ungrateful and I won’t knock anyone who is working hard at making a living, but I do wonder if others are getting as sick of the e-mails as I am.

Even though I did take advantage of not even half of the presents offered, and even though I will admit that possibly three of the e-newsletters and courses that accompanied them have been well done and have offered some good nuggets of wisdom, I am already tired of the frantic overload.

Am I jaded, cheap (if I had followed through on 10% of the discounted offers, I would be broke for sure), or just too busy with my own projects to appreciate the gifts?

What about you? Have you benefited from all of the free and discounted stuff, or do you wonder if the generous marketers are in panic mode themselves? Or, are they really making money?

Curious about Planning for 2005 - A Change of Commitments?

During the week between Christmas and New Year’s, I follow my tradition of evaluating the year past and planning my resolutions (actually goals) for the upcoming year. This generally means adding new goals and habits to my plan(s).

This year, however, I am approaching the process in a completely different way. I have always concentrated on what I am going to do. The problem is exactly what Brian Tracy says on one of his tapes, “We can never do all that we have to do. And, we will never be able to read all that we have to read.”

So, instead, during my planning process, I am concentrating on what I am not going to do - thus freeing up some of my time for new projects and goals. I started last week, and am already feeling much more confident, excited and “on target.”

Following is a list of what I am not going to do - that I have been doing:

• A portion of my volunteer work: I am the original volunteer. In a meeting, when someone asks if there is a person in the room willing to take on a certain job, my hand automatically goes up. This isn’t a bad thing. A good portion of my clients have come as a result of my volunteer activities. On the other hand, I now realize that many of my duties have lasted for years and do take me away from career projects. So, I have found replacements for several of my volunteer positions. It is a win for me, for the organizations, and for those who are taking over. All are delighted!
• Habits that are disguised as important work: For me, these include reading the plethora of e-mails and e-newsletters that land in my e-mail mailbox daily (even though I start by deleting any questionable and/or junk mail in a webmail before I ever receive them in my e-mail programs). I am a part of several lists, groups and forums, and feel guilty if I don’t read everything. I am finally starting to skim and skip. It is the same with e-newsletters. Being curious and a lifetime learner, I am so afraid that I will miss something. I have learned, however, that a lot of the information is the same-old-stuff, and what I don’t read, doesn’t seem to hurt me (and I don’t know what I missed either).

Other time-thieves:

• Teleseminars: I love the many, many free teleseminars that take place several times a week. Again, I have learned a huge amount this way. But, there are teleseminars that present the same-old-stuff and are obviously disguised sale presentations - there is usually a “great deal” and “bonus” for those of us on the call. We are all working on selling our products, but if this is the main focus of a teleseminar, it is easy to hang up without being obvious.
• Computer challenges: Anyone who works on a computer regularly knows that every program doesn’t always work the way we expect it to. Even when we do the best we can following directions, computers don’t always react smoothly and as predicted. I can’t begin to add up the hours I have spent un-installing and re-installing, creating work-arounds, rebooting, etc. Sometimes, for the sake of time and sanity, it makes more sense to give up (I have just done this with a new program that won’t download properly - I put in an order at a different company).
• Computer games: Yes, I love games, and having someone to play with (my computer) any time of day or night offers a huge temptation. It is easy to rationalize that I am keeping my mind sharp - baloney! I will give them up for now and use that extra hour at the end of the day to catch up on reading all of the books I ordered and paid for in 2004.

So, there you have it! What are you doing to plan for a successful and rewarding 2005? Is there anything you are going to stop doing? I would love to read your comments.

Curious about Choices - Is It True that More Are Less?

As I was in the midst of running errands today, I heard a small portion of a program on National Public Radio (NPR), where Barry Schwartz was being interviewed about his book, The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less.

Before I continue with this topic, my disclaimer is that I only heard close to a total of a disjointed 15 to 20 minutes, and I have not read the book - just a beginning on Amazon - but I am fascinated by the huge number of choices we face daily and how we handle them.

The premise of Schwartz’s book is that we have so many choices that it is easy to become overwhelmed and depressed - he cited college students who are offered huge catalogues of classes, many choices in the area of romance, careers to plan for, colleges to attend, etc. In the beginning of the book, Schwartz lists numbers of products - at the grocery, in clothing stores, at auto dealers, etc. - to choose from. So many, that we don’t know where to start. And, will we ever be satisfied with our choices, knowing that there may have been better ones?

The good news is that this snippet of discussion has triggered much thought today about how lucky I feel I am to have so many choices - not that every or nearly many of the choices I make turn out to be perfect or the best choice.

Choices for me involve discipline, attitude adjustment, knowing myself (strengths and weaknesses), and defining my purpose. What do I mean? Let me share a few examples.

I choose to be fit and healthy, so I exercise regularly (teach 12 fitness classes a week) and watch what I eat. Both take lots of discipline. I choose to have a positive attitude. Because it was so close to the holidays, the grocery store was jammed and lines were long. Some customers chose to be grumpy - it didn’t help them get through faster, and they left the store in a bad mood. One of my weaknesses is I love to buy, so I have to rope myself in when making buying decisions - Schwartz did touch a nerve here because there are so many wonderful choices. He may be right that there are too many.

In my opinion, the best choice we can make is to clarify our purpose and direction - the contribution(s) we want to make to the world. When we are solid and sure in this area, choices become clear and direct. We know when to say, “Yes!” and especially, “No!” This has helped me more than any other choice I have ever made - and continues as my guide.

How about you? What important choices are you making?

Curious about Total Committment to Your Task

As busy as I can be - and it has been close to overwhelm lately - when my new issue of Fast Company arrives, I can’t keep my hands, eyes or mind off it. Even if I read a few pages at a time, in between other tasks.

And speaking of tasks - John A. Byrne, Editor, set the tone of the new January issue in his Letter from the Editor, “Celebrating the Extraordinary.”

When Henry Moore, the famous English sculptor, was asked in his 80th year by literary critic Donald Hall, “Now that you are 80, you must know the secret of life. What is it?”

“The secret of life is to have a task, something you do your entire life, something you bring everything to, every minute of the day for your whole life. And the most important thing is: It must be something you cannot possibly do.”

Byrne responds, “The sculptor’s remarks represent a nicely packaged theory of a productive life: Throw yourself into something big that you believe in. Dedicate your life’s work to it. And make damn sure it’s ambitious enough to stretch you to the limits.”

If you have experienced Henry Moore’s sculptures, then you know that he did have a task that he “brought everything to.” How many people do you know - including ourselves - who throw themselves into something big and dedicate their life’s work to it?

This can pose some thorny questions. Should we only have one task? Or do we attack each new task with dedication? Or should all tasks be in some way related and be comprised by the main task? I have been grappling with these thoughts ever since I read Byrne’s letter. And, then it hit me!

From kindergarten on, I planned to be an artist, writer and storyteller. Yes, if you have read any of my bio materials, I was steered by my parents into mathematics and then the early computers and finally to art school. I realize now that I needed all of these tasks to come together and create the skills needed to work on the big task.

So what is my big task that I believe in and am totally committed and dedicated to? That will be the material for several upcoming blogs. As a matter of fact, it is stretching me enough that it will take all of the year 2005 just to get close.

For now, I urge you to consider your life and direction. What is your big task? What are you totally committed to?

Curious about Customer Service?

Every article, book, seminar or presentation about succeeding in business stresses the importance of “Outstanding Customer Service.” So, I ask you, where is the “Outstanding Customer Service?” Where is “Customer Service” at all?

This thought was brought to my attention today when I finished teaching two fitness classes that were attended by only a handful of students. Usually, my classes are filled with bodies moving, breathing and yelling, but not today. It could have been that we were experiencing our first large snow of the season, or that people were holiday shopping.

Anyway, the few students there thanked me profusely for doing the classes. I told them it didn’t matter how many or few attended - I was there to teach. This is when I learned that it is not so with other instructors. They have to have “at least five” in a class for them to proceed.

I was shocked by this lack of “Customer Service.”

But, then I started to think about all of the poor “Customer Service” that bombards us daily.

• The clerks who are busy on the telephone - obviously on a personal call - when we want to ask a question or purchase an item.
• The waiter or waitress that acts like you are wasting their time, and then lets you know by slamming down your order on the table.
• The telephone operators who put you on “hold” before you utter a word.

Those are some the obvious examples. How about the “Outstanding Customer Service?” It happens, too, and when it does, we become raving advocates. I have a UPS woman who is wonderful - she never waits for me to run down the stairs - she’s halfway up in a flash. There are clerks at the grocery store who are so gracious, I will stand in a longer line to experience their service.

How about you? Whether you work for a company or for yourself, do you give “Outstanding Customer Service” and develop raving advocates? Do send me your feedback. I would love to hear about the good, the bad and the ugly “Customer Service” you have encountered.

Curious about Teleseminars? Are They Worthwhile?

This afternoon I attended an excellent teleseminar co-hosted by Jim Daniels and Stephen Pierce. Actually, it was so good, it lasted - and I lasted - two hours, learning how to “Make 2005 Your Best Year Ever!”

I have always loved attending workshops, conferences and seminars, so getting involved with teleseminars was a natural for me. What I especially like is that I can take part without traveling somewhere. Many are free, except for the long distance charge on your phone (and long distance today is so reasonable!). And, if the session is not up-to-par or helpful, I just hang up (no embarrassing moments like leaving a room).

Just as in past workshops, conferences and seminars, as long as I come away with at least one or two good ideas, the time and minimal charge is worthwhile to me. And, yes, the reason many of those who host a teleseminar do it is to offer a product or service - often at a special price. Very seldom do I jump on the sales, but in the future may subscribe to a newsletter and eventually purchase a program.

I didn’t buy anything today, but I filled several pages with notes, and feel that I came away knowing how to “Make 2005 My Best Year Ever!” I am excited.

Two quick examples of ideas that sound familiar, but made me “sit up and take notice” are as follow:

1. The Two Golden Hours - Jim Daniels suggests having two hours - one the creative hour, the second the mechanical hour that are devoted completely and daily to our biggest and most important project. They can be split between early morning and late night, or used together. If you do this every Monday through Friday, that’s 10 hours a week, 40 hours a month. Just think what you can accomplish!
2. What You Know - Who You Know - Stephen Pierce shone a new and different light on this saying - for me, anyway. We are where we are today or at any time in our life because of what we have learned and know and the group of people we hang out with. If we want to be on the vertical path upward, we need to know more (continual learning) and get to know the people who are at the level we desire (model and make friends with those who are successful).

I hope you will try a teleseminar, if you haven’t, and let me know what you think!

Curious about Storytelling? - Two Interesting Sites to Visit

Storytelling has always been with us, and its power is known by many. And, yet, when I mention to people that I am a professional storyteller, I realize from their reactions that we have a long way to go.

There is a lot of misinterpretation floating around. Many think that I read stories to young children. Others think I tell stories to children - wearing costumes and using props (like puppets). Few are aware that storytelling is known and used by many communities and organizations.

Storytelling is rampant in business, the digital world, diversity training, education, healing, medicine, and sharing of personal stories. There are storytelling festivals all over the world and articles being written about the use and power of storytelling.

You will find 150 recently published articles about storytelling at Storytelling - It’s News! Just visit http://www.storynet-advocacy.org/news/ . There is also a new feature on this website - quotes about storytelling from around the world. Just visit http://www.storynet-advocacy.org/news/quotes.shtml.

Now, if you want to have some fun creating your own fairytales, visit http://www.brown.edu/Courses/FR0133/Fairytale_Generator/gen.html to try the interactive Proppian Fairy Tale Generator, which includes whatever functions you choose, and also reveals the structures of various famous tales (if you click on the list to the right).

Quoting from the website, “Contending that fairy tales could be studied and compared by examining their most basic plot components, Formalist Vladimir Propp developed an analysis that reduced fairy tales to a series of actions performed by the dramatis personae in each story. Propp argued that all fairy tales were constructed of certain plot elements, which he called functions, and that these elements consistently occurred in a uniform sequence. Based on a study of one hundred folk tales, Propp devised a list of thirty-one generic functions, proposing that they encompassed all of the plot components from which fairy tales were constructed.”

Be careful, though, it will hook you. I guarantee that even though it will eat up some of your time, you will have fun and even end up more curious than ever about storytelling!

Healthy Curiosity - It's OK to Be Discounted

In the same December issue of Business 2.0 that I referred to in my previous blog were thoughts from Barry Diller, chairman, InterActiveCorp.

When asked about people viewing as strange his taking over the Home Shopping Network and a handful of piddling websites, Diller answered, “For me, the guiding principle in deciding which route to take in business has always been to follow my own curiosity…. The healthiest thing in the world is to be discounted. If you’re curious enough that no one thinks what you’re doing makes any sense at all, then they’ll leave you alone. If everyone is skeptical, you can concentrate and stay focused. And curious.”

Hurrah! I don’t know about you, but Diller’s words really strike a chord with me. And also make me feel terrific.

Over my years of learning, participating, and investigating, I have discovered that it is OK to be “discounted” and left alone doing my thing. After having my “Portfolio Career” (many different careers and avocations) for so long, others now accept that I am “different” and “that is just the way she is.”

I think it was originally Leo Buscaglia who pointed out that it was OK to be outrageous. Then, when you acted out of the ordinary, people would accept it and say, “Oh, there goes that crazy Buscaglia,” and think nothing of it. He stressed how important it is to be yourself - and unique. Not in any way that would hurt or demean anyone else - just in your own way, being yourself.

I know that when I am being “me” completely, I am at my most passionate, at my happiest and at my best “me.” So, do spend time thinking about who the true “you” is, and whether or not you are covering that special person up or living him or her to the fullest!

And, yes, stay curious!