A little stab of love

Darcy had an appointment for acupuncture earlier this week, and I decided I wanted to join her and take part in the fun!  I'd never been before, but I'm open to all new life experiences.  There is a wonderful little place in Manchester called Manchester Acupuncture Studio, and they operate under the philosophy that acupuncture is a valid medical option and it should not be cost prohibative.

As such, they price their sessions between $15 and $35 - you choose what you can afford to pay.  To keep costs down, they model the traditional community room setting that was most traditional in acupuncture settings in Asia.

We started by answering a fairly in depth medical questionnaire, and then we met with a consultant and discussed what our goals were, as well as our initial treatment plans.  Then we went into a cozy room with brick walls, high ceilings, lights, plants, and soothing sounds where we relaxed in a recliner and suggled up with a blanket while the hair thin needles were inserted into key locations, based upon our goals.

It was incredibly relaxing.  Many people fall into deep sleep that lasts for hours, and that is encouraged.  Others may just rest for 20-30 minutes and feel that is enough.  We were in that group, though they did warn us that the more we visit, the more comfortable we will be, so we may stay longer and longer. 

I can't wait to go again, and I'm in luck, because I have another appointment this morning!

With a song in my heart

While I do my best to choose joy daily, sometimes the things that take up the majority of my time in life end up souring my outlook, just a bit.  It's probably no coincidence that I have these feelings around the time I PMS, but there will always be those annoying times at life that cause us to choose misery and despair over joy.  It's our job to make sure we fight back.

Last night, I was feeling kind of blah.  I have a never ending pile of work to be done, that I couldn't possibly complete in normal business hours, my classes this semester are a time draining annoyance to me, and I can't seem to find the time to do all the work, I need to spend a lot of time working out to accomplish my weight loss and fitness goals, I need to devote about a month to reorganizing my house to make it work for me, and by the time I'm done with all of that stuff, when am I supposed to do the things I am passionate about?

Well, I truly don't know.  What I do know, however, is that when I feel this way, I need to take a step back and slow down.  If I don't, 10 years will pass and I'll be troubled by the same things. 

To give myself a moment to reflect, I decided to spend sometime outside in my hot tub, staring up at the sky and consider the things I care about.  I know I want to spend my life creating, doing good, being a force of positive change, laughing, loving and spreading joy.  Until I can afford to do that full time, I need to make sure I have time for these things in my day to day life.

Today, I decided to bring my iPod to work with me.  Work can be drainging, but it's a lot more fun if I'm chair dancing.  You should try it.

Sometimes the littlest of things are all we need to get us over a hump until we find our way back to our paths.

A lovely morning

I didn't have to be up early this morning, but I was done sleeping at 5:30 AM, so I headed to the gym.  I know that most people (including me usually!) go to the gym to work out, but I had a different agenda today.  My back and neck are still quite sore, so I just went in for a quick tanning session.  I know that tanning isn't good for you if you do it all the time, but I think if you just do it a few times in the winter, it can't possibly do long term damage...at least that's what I tell myself!  :)

As I laid in the tanning bed, I closed my eyes and pictured that I was lying on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale, with the big green waves crashing on the shore, and the sun beating down on me.  Ahhhhhhhhhh.

This is the first winter (in as long as I can remember) that I haven't planned a trip south (Dallas and Atlanta don't count because I said so).  I know there's still time, and I probably will, but I don't know....Darcy really doesn't have any time off, so it would have to be a weekend thing, and I don't know if I want to risk getting sick on the plane (which ALWAYS happens) for just a weekend away. 

It doesn't hurt that we have Paris and Tuscany to look forward to in April...

So every once in a while, I go for a tan, and I pretend that it's not winter, and that it's the sun making me warm, and not gross synthetic bulbs.  I think we all get a touch of seasonal affective disorder, and it's a good idea to find those things that help us escape the winter blues.

When I came home, I decided to go into the hot tub, and while I soaked, I watched the sun rise over the frozen lake, and I thanked God for all the beauty and the blessings in my life.

Imagine One Voice

As many of you know, I recently created a group called Imagine One Voice to raise up solutions to pressing social issues to political leaders.  Today I will be meeting with some members of Senator Shaheen's staff to discuss some of these solutions.  My hopes for this meeting are really just to leave with a plan to push some of these solutions forward. 

I have drafted a very simple presentation that outlines the objectives of the discussion, as well as some very high level descriptions of possible solutions to the current jobs crisis in the US.  I have a unique skill set, and I think my experience in Human Resources and my interest in the economy and bipartisan political initiatives should suit me well to being part of the solution.

I am willing to wager that there are probably many people like me who have skills and interest to contribute to solving some of our nation's toughest problems.  Right now, too many hands are in the pot in Washington.  Fixing something as simple as no longer offering tax breaks to US companies off shoring work and business, is ridden with implications to agendas on the right and the left. 

We need to take the politics of the issues out of the issues alltogether.  We need to give some control back to the people who aren't worried about getting campaign financing or re-elections or deals that have been made - people who just want to see this country set on a course for success and wellness. 

The idea behind Imagine One Voice is very simple - it's just the concept that one person's voice can be heard.  One person can make a difference.  Right now, our group has 69 members, and we are growing every day.  I'm hoping that the meeting today will lead to new opportunities, and that our voices can unite as we identify real, relevant, meaningful solutions to the issues we face today.

Web site:  http://www.imagineonevoice.com/
Facebook group:  http://www.facebook.com/#/group.php?gid=192305551694&ref=ts

New year, New Clothes

I have been working hard to lose weight, and I want to feel good about myself in the process.  I ended up buying some shoes, accessories, several shirts, a few blazers, jeans...I think that was it.  Here are a few of the items:

I ordered them all on Amazon, so I won't have them for a week or so, but I'm really looking forward to their arrival!!

New Year's Resolutions

I think we all know for the most part that New Year's Resolutions do not generally stick, but that doesn't stop me from taking time each New Year's (and at other points during the year) to assess where I am, where I want to go, and put goals in place for myself.

Let's see how I did on the goals I had this last year:

• Write 4 songs to sell  - I started at least four, and I finished a few, but they aren't ready to sell yet
• Finish Documentary - I need to learn how to use my iMac and iMovie first, but I am about 30% done
• Record a CD - DONE!
• Stick to my budget - Eh...not so much, but probably 80%
• Eat whole, locally grown organic foods - 50% so far
• Spend lots of time outside - DONE!
• Launch my business - DONE!
• Publish 6 articles - DONE!
• Write 2 books in the next 12 months - No, but I have about 60 pages of one book done so far
• Read 3-4 books each month - DONE!
• Write every day - DONE!
• Work out 6-7 days/week - about 25% of the time
• Lose 80 lbs - 0% done

Overall, I accomplished the majority of my goals, and I made headway on some of the others.  I am sure I did more than I would have without the goals, so I will continue setting goals! 

Here are my goals for 2010:

• Complete my current degree program
• Lose 80 lbs
• Complete at least one sprint triathlon
• Complete writing one book
• Complete one film, no matter how short

I'm trying to be more realistic with myself, which is why I have fewer goals this year than last.  I was going to try to just pick one, but that's silly.  The first three items on the list are already done in my head - they are must do's, so the last 2 are the stretch goals.  If I can write a book, complete one film, lose all the weight I have to lose, finish my degree and complete a triathlon in 2010, I will be thrilled.  That will be a good year.

There are other things I hope to accomplish, such as my work with Imagine One Voice, financial goals and career goals, but those ambitions will be the gravy to the core essential goals I've listed above.  I feel it's important for short term goals to match long term goals, and I've been giving a lot of thought to my long term goals recently as well.

I want to be financially stable enough that I am not limited on life choices due to financial obligations, as I am currently.  I own 2 homes, one of which I'm significantly upside down in, and another which I may be somewhat upside down in.  I bought them both right before the market crashed...back when I still thought real estate was a no brainer investment.  Silly me.  Right now, I am tied down to my current location and current income bracket due to my financial obligations.  Someday, I would like to return to the place where I could make life decisions based upon what I believed I should do, not based upon what I had to do.

I am not alone.  I think most people I know are really owned by their homes and debts.  I would like to free myself of any chains that may hold me down.  Thankfully, I work in healthcare, and I find meaning in the mission behind the work I do, but I still know my financial obligations have limited my choices to some extent.

My long term goal is a bit vague...I just want to leave this world a little better off than it was when I found it.  I want the people in my life to live better lives because of the impact I had on them...  I want to always strive for justice and fight for human rights, globally.  I want to help feed people who are hungry, help the unemployed find work, and make peace. 

I know that may sound naive, but that's what I plan to do.  That's what I do now when I can, and I'm hoping that with age, I can spend more and more time accomplishing those goals.

To feed my soul and spirit, I will continue to embrace the arts, search for beauty everywhere, travel to the ends of the earth, continue my spiritual journey, and function as a relentless student of life.

I really sound like an idealistic 19 year old here...it's funny to think that part of me is a 33 year old yuppie, card carrying member of the rat race.  I keep myself from being too grounded by embracing a youthful spirit and wonder, coloring outside of the lines, and taking very little seriously. 

Anyway, I is who I is, and I like myself.  I hope you can say the same for you.  :) 

Happy New Year to all!!

Beating a dead horse...but couldn't help it...

Accenture must want a refund, big time...their whole campaign plays into these jokes way too easily.  Oh well... 

I don't think the fame and money we throw at our celebreties is good for anyone.  It's not good for them, it's not good for kids who grow up thinking they have to be megarich/megasuccessful/megabeautiful to have made it...  What's that song out right now?  Drake? "I just wanna be, I just wanna be successful..."  He sings about how he wants the money and the cars and the clothes, and he equates that with being successful.

I bet Tiger Woods doesn't feel very successful.  He's the epitome of success, but he's failed himself and his family.  I feel for him, though.  If from the time you are young, you are meant to feel like a god, invicible, you're going to start believing it.  It's not healthy.  That's not to say he doesn't have free will, but I think we can find more examples of "successful" celebrities that are really just a big hot mess, than the examples who have used their fame and fortune to live good, healthy lives.  It's human nature.

Our celebrities are kind of like our false gods...yet our worship for them is what ends up destroying them.  It's kind of interesting to see.  We chew them up and spit them out when we no longer have any use for them.

Dance, monkey, dance!

It's no wonder child stars end up being the dregs of society.  What else have they been set up for?  They are hearing they are the center of the universe during their formative years, and then the reality is that no one has any use for them anymore, and the highlight of their life was at age 5 or 8 or 14.  The rest of life is a giant disappointment. 

Part of my job involves compensation strategy.  We look at the market, the job duties, etc... and we deterimine what each job is worth.  Generally, with more responsibility, comes greater compensation.

Not that I think government should regulate compensation, but how is it that a paramedic, responsible for saving lives, is paid half of what a customer service rep at Verizon makes?  Why does the president of the US make far less than a CEO of any old company in the US?  Why do our actors and athletes make millions more than the scientists and researchers who are responsible for curing cancer, or national defense?

Why do we even allow athletes and actors to make 10s of millions of dollars, when we could just take a fraction of their salaries and feed the hungry?  It seems a bit corrupt and immoral or at least amoral, when you look at it that way.

In the mean time, our misguided values will create and destry more Tiger Woods', Charlie Sheen's and Britney Murphy's.