February 2008

You can only become truly accomplished at something you love.  Don’t make money your goal.  Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you. - Maya Angelou, from SUCCESS Magazine (April/May 2008)

You know full well how much I love books and magazines.  It verges on an obsession, but since it’s a healthy obsession, I just ride it on out - from subscription to subscription and from one bookstore trip to the next.

It’s been a really long time since I came across a new magazine to get excited about.  How long?  Well, I honestly can’t remember the last one.

Too long.

Fortunately, that dry spell just ended with a huge splash in an ocean of excitement and information.

The magazine you see to the left is the Premiere Issue of SUCCESS Magazine. It’ll be on newstands March 2008, and, believe me, you’ll want to watch for it. It’s going to be exciting to watch this magazine grow issue after issue as we, hopefully, grow right along with it.

When I got my copy in the mail, my coffee and I sat right down to see what it had to say for itself.  I literally couldn’t put it down!

It would be easy to say that SUCCESS Magazine “has something for everyone,” but I think it’s more appropriate to say that it has something for every piece of fabric that goes into making y-o-u.  SUCCESS Magazine covers money issues, of course, and does so in a way that’s actually understandable.  Typically, magazines with business on the brain are too stuffy. They read like financial textbooks and I come away having gotten nothing at all out of the experience. 

The financial articles and advice in SUCCESS actually make perfect sense to me.  I kept thinking, “Now was that so hard?  Give me the information, put it in English, and allow me to actually enjoy what I’m reading.“ 

Best of all, SUCCESS Magazine AND the wonderful web site, SUCCESS.com, are beautifully well rounded.  They don’t just have business on their mind.  How boring would that be?  Fortunately, the people behind the magazine and site know that true SUCCESS isn’t all about money.  Sure, money’s a part of a successful life - but that’s all, a part.  There are other factors that make up a successful life:  Relationships, well being, making a difference, etc.  Each of these is covered by SUCCESS by writers who are amongst the best in the business.

I hope you’ll head right over to SUCCESS.com when you leave this blog.  Take a really good look around - I promise you’ll be impressed.  Also, you might want to do what I did - subscribe to Seeds of SUCCESS, a weekly e-mail newsletter.  I can’t wait for my first issue.  The people behind SUCCESS are people I look forward to spending a lot more time with.

Click HERE for an example of one of the articles you can find on SUCCESS.com.  More can be found under the SUCCESS Channels.  Just click on the heading that interests you and bam, instant information, inspiration, and motivation.

Congratulations, SUCCESS!  You’ll have plenty of it.

What worries you, masters you. - Haddon W. Robinson

Advanced Glycosylated end-products is a mouthful. It’s a lot easier to remember the initials: AGE. Those initials are especially fitting since these compounds accelerate aging.

Under certain conditions, glucose combines abnormally with proteins. The result is called an advanced glycosylated end-product. These compounds are very reactive, so they then go on to combine with other proteins. That’s when the damage starts.

AGE compounds have been extensively studied in diabetic patients because researchers suspect they initiate the major complications of diabetes — blindness and kidney failure (diabetes is a leading cause of both). AGEs appear to bind to the membranes of the cells lining blood vessels, interfering with their normal functions.   [ Keep Reading ]

The longer you dwell on another’s weakness, the more you infect your own mind with unhappiness. - Hugh Prather

Before I ever opened the book, I sat staring at the cover for probably a good 2 minutes. The only image is that of a lit match but, somehow, it’s more than enough.  The effect stops you in your mental tracks and you find yourself gathering your thoughts around the fire.  Nice, warm, inviting.

So we went inside. I never go anywhere without my thoughts, but they’ve been known to leave me behind more than once.  An hour.

Spot of Grace: Remarkable Stories of How You DO Make a Difference by Dawna Markova, PHD is a dangerously inspirational book. One never knows where that much inspiration might take them!  It’s filled with stories from men and women as they describe a special person who made them feel that they mattered.  That they had made a difference in the world.

That’s a very important feeling to have, after all!  We all have times in our lives when we wonder if we’ve ever really touched anyone deeply enough to have an impact, let alone make a difference.  The stories, as well as the beautiful words by the author, stir something inside of the reader until she/he realizes that they have indeed touched others.

The best part?  You’re left with only one thing on your mind and in your heart:   To get out there and touch as many more as you possibly can!

When I sat down with the book, we had an understanding.  I had laundry to put away, dishes in the sink to wash, three posts to write, and a bath to fall into.  I would devote 30 minutes to reading, then I’d be on my way.  That would, at the very least, give me a chance to read quite a few of stories.

Ah, the best laid plans.

I couldn’t put the book down, so I couldn’t pick the laundry or dishes up. They were okay with that, as they were perfectly comfortable where they were.

Spot of Grace: Remarkable Stories of How You DO Make a Difference inspires your heart as it uplifts your soul.  It’s a journey you’ll enjoy very much. 

People are like stained glass windows.  They sparkle and shine when the sun is out; but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within. - Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

My handsome friend, the Emperor Tamarin, and I want to tell you how you can become one of the coolest of the cool, hippest of the hip, and baddest of the bad. 

Everyone loves a compassionate, generous, loving person.  Agreed?  And when that person points those traits in the direction of animals (who positively, absolutely cannot help themselves), the value shoots to the moon.  Personally, I’ve always put people into two categories: There are those who love animals and care about their well being, and then there are “the others.”  One of the first things I noticed about Michael when he first came to pick me up for a date was how he acted around my pets.

He passed with flying colors.  My toy poodle thought he was the best thing since Dairy Queen hamburgers and my Siamese cat, Solo (who hated most humans) would crawl right into his lap.  When Michael didn’t panic over “cat hair” on his pants, but actually talked to him and rubbed him, I knew we’d found Mr. Right!

If you love animals as much as we do, the Tamarin and I have something wickedly fun and exciting to tell you about.  It’s not all fun and games, of course - it’s actually very important, serious business.  Some of the most beautiful, magnificent animals in the world are in danger - such as my much beloved polar bear’s fight against global warming - but we have it within our power to help them. 

So, yes, the situation is serious - but try telling that to the Tamarin. He’s all about the fun.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has set up an adoption program featuring these amazing animals, including (of course) the Tamarin and polar bears.  Every donation you make helps save these beautiful animals from extinction and helps support the efforts to improve their lives. 

There are different levels of contributions, and each level comes with its own gifts.  For example, for a $25 adoption, you get an adoption certificate and photo of the animal you’ve chosen.  That, alone, is pretty amazing!  I think making the donation in someone’s name and presenting them with the certificate and photo would be very special.  However, for a $50 adoption, you not only get the certificate and photo, you also get an adorable plush animal which is about 12 inches from head to tail.  You should see these cuties!  They make perfect desk companions for work (a polar bear guides me through my day), car buddies, shelf sitters, and pillow perchers.

Go to the link below and click on each animal that tugs at your heart.  You’ll see a gorgeous picture of him/her, some information, and a chance to see the stuffed animal. (Hover over the thumbnail for a larger view.)  Animal Adoption at the WWF

Tell them the Tamarin sent you.

The stuffed Tamarin!

Before the flu bug plowed through our home like the Cloverfeild monster did its chosen city, I was working on making Self Help Daily bigger and bolder.  It’s grown over the years, that’s for certain, but I had made up my mind to just go all out. Either go out big or stay home, right? 

The self help articles section has grown more this past month.  I have a lot more to type in and add, and I’m excited about that.  I’ll be adding a new article each day - some written by myself, some by others.  I won’t always be able to post about the newest additions, so be sure to check the article’s index from time to time.  (It’s linked in the top navigational row as well as in this post.)

I’m also a 100 percent believer in the power of motivational quotes.  So, starting tomorrow, we’re going to begin each day with a great quote to help fuel your mind, heart, and spirit.  There will be no commentary or extra information, just the quote.  Regular posts will come later in the day.

Finally, I’m working on a Links page.  I’ve been rounding up the best of the best and pinning them down in one place.  Im hoping that it’ll serve as a perfect road map to people and places that’ll help make your world as special as you deserve for it to be.

When it’s complete, you’ll see it linked above as well.

The only other thing brewing around here is coffee.  And it smells amazing, so this is where I make a hasty, tasty exit.

If you’re one of the blessed, lucky few who hasn’t been bit in the butt by this year’s particularly nasty flu bug - maintain a low profile and don’t let him know where you live.  Never one to miss out on anything if I can keep from it, I (of course) had to give it a go.  What?  You say the flu tends to come hand in hand with bronchitis this year and hits harder and lasts longer than normal?  Yeah, baby, sign me up!

For five straight days my fever was an honor’s student (nothing below 100), I had chills so severe you’d think I was a Floridian visiting Iowa in January.  In shorts.  And aches and pains?  My aches and pains had aches and pains of their own.  To compound matters, the overwhelming feeling of weakness leaves you feeling like you couldn’t even fight off a bad idea.  

One of the cutest tricks of this bug is the way it can make you feel like you’re freezing to death one minute (literally underneath 3 covers and still shivering), then convince you that your insides are on fire the next minute.  At this point is where you get really nauseous and most people start throwing up.  I fought off that joy ride and just headed for a blessed tiled floor to wait for the chill brigade again.  When it showed up, back to the couch, living room floor, or computer room floor.  My youngest daughter had it the same time I did, and we pretty much kept the same route.

Oh.

My.

God.

You might just have to trust me on this one.  Starting right now, pretend you’re in a movie.  Your role is a deliciously complex individual with OCD.  Your character washes his/her hands after everything they touch. Heck, they run for soap and water even if they just think of touching something.  If you wash them so much you begin to feel kind of silly, then (and only then) you can assume you’re on the right track.

A few more tips from the flu battlefield:

 1.  If you or anyone you know has the flu, don’t underestimate it’s bite or the suffering that comes from being bitten.  If the victim (and I haven’t meant that word so literally in a long time!) is elderly, very young, or has a pre-existing problem such as diabetes, heart disease, or asthma - take yourself or them to the doctor when the symptoms first appear. Excess tiredness, a scratchy throat, weakness, headache, and aches and pains are the early signs.

 2.  Wash your hands after everything you touch.  That one can’t be repeated often enough.  Also, teach everyone around you to do the same.

 3.  Buy disposable cups, napkins, and plates.

 4.  Make up a lot of tea and stock up on Gatorade or Powerade, Vitamin Water.  You need to drink a lot, and if you can drink and give your body what it’s missing at the same time, you’re a step ahead of the game.  I love iced green tea, so I kept it flowing - I never got anywhere near dehydrated.

 5.  Unless you feel extremely nauseous, keep eating.  You want your metabolism to keep running and gunning, so keep giving it the fuel it needs. Go with whatever sounds good to you.  For me, on days 2 and 3 the only foods I could stand to be near me were applesauce, grape popsicles, and animal crackers.  So I went with a soft, purple circus.  On the last night though, I HAD to have homemade dumplin’s (maybe it’s a southern thing), so I found myself in the kitchen late at night making dumplin’s.  Delicious!

 6.  Spray or wipe down any places where germs may be lurking.  Flu germs can lurk for up to 48 hours - so don’t let them fool you.  Buy a can (or 2 or 399) of Lysol and a container of Lysol wipes and go after sinks, toilet handles, light fixtures, doorknobs, refrigerator door handles, pantry doors, wands to open blinds, remote controls, the computer’s mouse, the keyboard, etc. Of course, use the wipe on sensitive things like keyboards and remote controls - you don’t want to saturate them, jut wipe them off.

 7.  Gargling with warm salt water actually works wonders.  Do it quite a few times a day and you’ll be able to tell a big difference.

 8.  Don’t push yourself too hard because you’ll only suceed in pushing yourself backwards.  If you get the flu, it’s  too late - he won.  You know how they say that when someone has a gun on you and demands your money - the smart thing to do is to give it?  Only an idiot would fight, right? Well, the flu bug has the gun and you’re unarmed - so give him what he wants, which is between 1 and 2 weeks of your life.  I’ve known some people who were down for 13 days or more  - Yesterday was day 6 for me and was the day I felt human again.  I think the majority of cases seem to fall somewhere in between the two.

Trying to rush things is where I messed up, I think.  After about 2 days, I thought my green tea and I had kicked some serious flu bug butt and I got dressed and took off to take care of a few chores.  Common sense found me in the drink aisle at Target and let me know that I wasn’t the heroine I thought I was.  I crawled to my vehicle with my tail between my legs and came back home to assume my rightful place on the floor.

 9.  If you have head and chest congestion, take something over the counter for it.  I swear by Tylenol products and they really helped a great deal. I have asthma, so chest congestion isn’t something I like to mess around with. 

10.  I actually just read something interesting this morning about fever and the flu.  A doctor wrote that if your fever is below 101 and you can tolerate the side effects, don’t take anything for it.  The fever is actually your body fighting off the virus, so I guess when we shoot down the fever, we’re taking out our own soldiers.

Now, go wash your hands, drink your green tea or Vitamin water, and stay well.