September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
August 31, 2008 by BloggerNewbie
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Childhood cancer is near and dear to my heart. September 13, 2008 is Childhood Cancer Awareness day. Please post and spread the awareness. Take a peek at my grandson Drake! He was walking for a Cancer relay event. His shirt says ” Cancer can not beat me!” He has gone through more in his short year of life than most people do in a life time.
Franklin P. Jones:
You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.
Marian Wright Edelman:
If we don’t stand up for children, then we don’t stand for much.
Toodles – Blog Happy!
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United States Labor Day – 2008
August 31, 2008 by BloggerNewbie
The United States celebrates Labor Day on Monday, September 1, 2008. Labor Day is observed and celebrated the first Monday in September.
The holiday originated in 1882 as a day off for laborers. The celebration of Labor Day was first proposed as a street parade to promote to the public the strength of the trade and labor organizations. This parade was often followed by a gathering and celebration for the workers and their families. Read more
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Do Something!
August 30, 2008 by BloggerNewbie
Do Something!
I was dropping my step-son off at summer school the other day and observed the other students entering the school. They were all stomping and huffing and puffing as they were going into school. They didn’t want to be there. From their body language I was imagining what they were thinking. “School is stupid. Teachers are mean. I don’t know why I have to come here all summer. Isn’t regular school bad enough?” I was a kid once, I remember all the whining and complaining so I feel confident in saying I know exactly what they were thinking. Oh, they were miserable looking. Poor teachers. It must be hard enough to deal with students who have regular school attitude never mind summer school attitude. I have an answer for their questions. You don’t want to go to summer school? Maybe during the regular school year you could try doing your homework, go to school, get extra help if you need it. DO SOMETHING!
For once I would like to hear someone take responsibility for their actions. Too many people “are not to blame” for anything.
Alcoholics, drug addicts, can’t keep a job – not their fault, it was their childhood. Palease. Get over it (that phrase is annoying) or at least deal with it.
If you are going to complain and use excuses for why things turn out the way they do – DO SOMETHING. I have an analogy in my family; which of course no one likes. I think it’s amusing. I call it “the twinkie” analogy. Let me explain.
One summer afternoon my teenage daughters were flopped in the living room watching television and playing their video games instead of actually doing something constructive or even playing. 
My oldest daughter was “wishing” she was as thin as the actress on the show she was watching. “It’s not fair! How come I can’t be that thin? Why do I have to have extra baggage? She’s lucky!” Now keep in mind, she was laying on the couch and I don’t want to forget to mention – she was eating a twinkie!
So I advised her that maybe exercise and a decent diet might work? That whole “burn more calories than you eat” secret. It’s one thing when you are really trying to accomplish something and for whatever valid reason, your project is just not turning out quite the way you want it to, but it’s a pet peeve of mine that people will sit around and eat a twinkie and complain about whatever they happen to be “wishing” for.
I am sure there are plenty of complaints that are valid but there are just as many that aren’t. So, if at all possible, DO SOMETHING!
Toodles – Blog Happy!
“To accomplish great things,
we must not only act, but also dream;
not only plan, but also believe..
- Anatole France
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What Motivates You?
August 29, 2008 by BloggerNewbie
What motivates you?
What motivates you? What gets you going or keeps you going? I listen to “positive thinking” speakers. One of my favorites is the late Bob Conklin. He once said “you are what you think about all day long.” I am a firm believer in that statement. Think about it. Actually pay attention to your inner dialog today. Your inner dialog is also influenced to some degree by your interactions with other people throughout the day. If someone tells you how nice you look, you add a little bounce to your step. On the other hand, if someone comments how pale or tired you look…guess who is going to need a nap.
I also like quotes. They give me a little boost and a positive thought to carry with me through out the day.
Toodles – Blog Happy!
I don’t feel I should be doing something else…
Popularity: 4% [?]
That is So True!
August 29, 2008 by BloggerNewbie
That Is So True!
SLOW DOWN – Stop and Smell the Roses (I know – corny cliché’). 
But it’s true. At this very moment, I have at least 10 projects started-not very many finished. Am I afraid to finish something? How would that make sense? I can’t think of ANY reason why I would be afraid to finish something. At the same time, I can only come to the conclusion that fear prevents me from finishing my projects or even tasks. What else could it be?
Maybe boredom? That could be it because today at work I was trying to complete a few files and every time I got up from my desk, I found something else that “needed” my attention. Yeah, like there was something else to do that was more exciting!
I need to “stop and smell the roses!” 
That is so true. Slow down, stop, and relax. I need to focus and commit to finishing something. As the “Secret” states – What you think about you bring about. Again, that is so true.
In every corner of my life I have different scattered piles.
At home, I was thinking that I had way too much to do. I don’t have enough time and I am never going to get it all done. I need to clean my floors, start the dishwasher, I have to catch up on my laundry and ugh – I haven’t balanced my checkbook in two weeks, I hope I still have money! Dust? Yeah I got dust – my favorite household chore. I haven’t even looked outside to figure out what projects I am going to start this weekend.
My blog that I love! I really need to finish my posts. I have a few dozen things to do for my blog. I have a writing project I need to do some research on, not to mention a pile of reading I want to do. I have a few web design tweaks I need to tend to. I have to organize my delicious bookmarks. I only have 464 bookmarks. I wonder if that is an overwhelming number?
At work? HA! I can barely finish a file. I can say that problem is most likely boredom. Not to mention I have the internet to distract me. And most of the “stuff” I just don’t want to do so I can easily find things I would rather do. Oh and did I tell you I have three bosses that pull me three different ways. They are almost too funny!
Oh and don’t forget me! Well If I have time left over and I’m not too tired and everything else is done.
Every day in every area of my life I have a plan. And every day it doesn’t happen! The first thing I do is write my “to do” list and fill in every minute of every hour of the day with impossible time limits. Of course this doesn’t work and after a couple of hours I am always so far behind. 
That is so discouraging that I give up on the plan. If the time constraints weren’t impossible, daily events would invariably interrupt my plan. Now what am I going to do. Forget it, I’ll try again tomorrow. (Tomorrow never gets here, tomorrow is always the next day.)
Sometimes it is better to be a little more flexible. Or maybe even have plan b? Of course if you plan for interruptions, you will invariably have interruptions. What you think about you bring about? Maybe we should think about importance. What is really important? What is the worst that will happen if we don’t get this or that done? It is probably a struggle between what you WANT and what you NEED. (I think I just had an epiphany!)
What do you do with your day?
Toodles – Blog Happy!
“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart.
Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens…
~ Carl Jung
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Social Media – What Difference Does It Make?
August 27, 2008 by BloggerNewbie
Social Media –
What Difference Does It Make?
Does it make ANY difference?
Before we can answer that question, we need to know – What exactly is Social Media? According to Wikipedia – “Social media is the use of electronic and Internet tools for the purpose of sharing and discussing information and experiences with other human beings.” In other words, 
Social Media is a form of communicating with others online whether it be chatting, commenting or instant messages, etc to name a few.
When I first started blogging, I tried to learn as much as I could. The top successful bloggers thought it was a good idea to join the social network scene. I took everyone’s advice. Everyone had their own opinions; some the same, some different.
Social Mind from SocialArrow.com is holding a Social Media Marketing Contest. He is asking you to post about your favorite social media. Which one do you use? Why? What benefits do you see?
What social networks are available? Glad you asked. There are a few to choose from. I looked at the following (in no particular order):
- (1) Twitter
- (2) Facebook
- (3) MySpace
- (4) Digg
- (5) StumbleUpon
- (6) Delicious
- (7) Plurk
- (8) Reddit
- (9) Technorati and last but not least
- (10) Xanga
When it was all said and done, I had signed up for 10 social network tools! I couldn’t possibly use and interact with 10 social networks on any regular basis with any quality! So I had to choose just a few. Given the numerous tasks involved in operating a blog, I decided easy and simple was good.
My first choice for socializing with my peers was Twitter. I find Twitter to be extremely easy to use. It’s as effortless to use as it is to sign up. Email address, username and password. You are now officially a Twitter Tweeter! 
They have a ton of various tools to aide you in getting your tweets out! It seems like every time I see a tweet from someone it is coming from a different Twitter application! I discussed my initial review of Twitter a few weeks ago when I first started using this social media. Since that time I have discovered the real ease and benefits of Twitter.
With Twitter, I am meeting a bunch of new people and interacting with my peers daily. I am able to ask questions to a large group and get diverse answers. I can tweet about the posts I am writing and leave links for everyone to check out my brilliant work! I get to explore a wide variety of blogs and people also discover my blog. I have seen an increase in traffic and comments coming from other Twitter Peeps. I actually like the “140 characters or less. Gets right to the point! And more importantly, it’s EASY.
What do you like or not like about Twitter? Do you use something better or more effective? Be sociable – join in the discussion!
Toodles – Blog Happy!
“Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has…
- Margaret Mead
Popularity: 9% [?]
Knowledge Is Useless!
August 26, 2008 by BloggerNewbie
Knowledge Is Useless!
Knowledge is useless. Hmmm. That’s a new concept. Or is it? Maybe it’s just a concept you haven’t heard before. How 
can knowledge ever be useless?
Knowledge is useless when you don’t apply the information that you have towards anything useful. Why would someone go through the process of gaining knowledge then not use it?
Behind it all too often is fear. Fear? But fear of what? A fear of failure, or even (as strange as it sounds) a fear of success. Fear of failure can be painfully obvious to most of us. The shame, the ridicule, the loss, etc.
But fear of success? Does the fear of success scare you so much that it freezes you into inaction? Is that possible? Could there be a negative side to success? Well success or the road to success usually requires a significant amount work.
Also, once you get there, it still requires significant effort to maintain your success. Many times people have trouble creating success, and are held back by self-imposed limitations. Often these limitations are more unconscious than conscious.
I can relate to this because I have been in the same situation. I was a great starter but not so much a finisher. I had to constantly tell myself to stop going from one thing to another, finish what you are doing. I have great ambition, motivation and optimism but I was afraid to follow through. I had unquestionably placed limits on what I was capable of and what was possible. My confidence level was shaky. If I did take a risk I often would unknowingly sabotage the success. Who can keep motivated when they are afraid of the outcome? The fear of the unknown! I would convince myself that I didn’t really want the benefits of this success.
Even in blogging, sometimes it is difficult to maintain confidence. I often get motivated and at the same time get discouraged when I visit popular successful blogs. 
But I decided to focus on a can do attitude – “Yes – I can do it!”. Writing this post with my killer title – “Knowledge is Useless” is an action I committed to do when I read about the challenge on ProBlogger – “Killer Titles – Group Writing Project”. Then I decided I needed to live by a different attitude. “What’s the worst that can happen?”
As I looked back over my life I decided things had to change. I needed to step out of my comfort zone. Was it really my comfort zone anyway? I always wanted more, something was always missing so where is the comfort zone.
I took stock in my characteristics and my confidence in my abilities grew. I gained a new clarity about me and what I wanted to do. I often told myself – Yes I can or Why not me? Other people seem to manage. Somehow, I was able to take action when opportunities appeared, something that had always been difficult for me. I began to see opportunities and opportunities began to see me. I developed a sense that helped me make smarter decisions regarding what path to take in a given situation, and I gradually began to shift my life from one of aimlessness to one of focused purpose. As this happened, my fears diminished and my ability to know what I wanted, and take steps to get it, increased. More importantly, my sense of having a purpose and of having a place in the world began to develop, which dramatically changed the way I felt about my life, and dramatically increased my confidence.
In other words, I stopped sabotaging myself, and you can do it, too. Your ability to consciously see exactly how you are creating your results allows you to begin to consciously choose (and create) 
the very results you want. Where it may have seemed before that a lot of things in your life “just happened,” and not necessarily the things you wanted to happen, you now begin to consciously choose and create what you do want to happen. You become more focused and see or create more opportunity for yourself.
Opportunity finds you – actually comes knocking at your door. There are no magic bullets for success. In every case, a person must have a focused goal and be willing to move toward it. With confidence, the fears and limitations that stand in your way begin to fade, and the balance and clarity (and self-awareness) you need begin to develop.
Since increased confidence and motivation are important, I urge you to build it, create it and it will surely lead you in the right direction. Knowledge is power. We’ve all heard that quote. But if we stop to think about it, is it really true? Does simply knowing a thing make you more powerful? I say that it takes more than just knowledge to become powerful; knowledge creates your awareness of your opportunities to create power. It depends what you know, but yes, on the whole, knowing something is only the beginning and means nothing without action.
What do you do with your knowledge? Do you know more than you do?
Toodles – Blog Happy!
“The more you know the less you need to say…”
~ Jim Rohn
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Dude – Blogging is Sweet!
August 25, 2008 by BloggerNewbie
Dude – Blogging is Sweet!
Blogging is the in-thing on the web. It’s cool, it’s hip, it’s fashionable! It is definitely phenomenal. What makes 
blogging so awesome? Why do people go blogging? Is it Read more
Popularity: 9% [?]
Rut and Routine – A Good Thing?
August 21, 2008 by BloggerNewbie
Rut and Routine – A Good Thing?
Can being in a rut and routine be a good thing? 
Yes and No. Routines are a double-edged sword; they can enhance your productivity, but they can also deprive you of your enthusiasm. There are “dangers” of Read more
Popularity: 4% [?]
Are You Afraid To Blog?
August 19, 2008 by BloggerNewbie
Are You Afraid To Blog?
Does your blog cause you fear? Does clicking “publish” send you into a panic? Does fear stop you from even getting to the publish point of your post? 
What if visitors don’t like my post? What if I make a mistake? What if I write something mediocre? Is it long enough or is it too long? Does the fear of blogging send you in so many different directions you Read more
Popularity: 6% [?]
