Cherish the Milestones

January 8, 2013 by Featured Author

By Maddy Olson

I don’t know about everyone else, but 2012 has been a pretty rough year.

But here’s the thing: I feel like the higher powers are trying to teach me some lessons. Why? Because I have become complacent with my family…taking them very for granted and allowing life to pass us by. He knows I am full of love for them, but in the routine we get into, I don’t always make special time to build relationships.

My husband and I have a whole clan. I’m serious. I have four sons, he has four sons and a daughter. Since we have been married, we have acquired two daughter-in-laws, a son-in-law, and have a baby girl on the way. Recently, we lost a little grandson. I told you we were an enormous family!

Snap out of the normal goings on of your life and wake up to the vibrancy and love that encompasses you.

[Read more…]

Five of the Most Memorable Speeches in History

January 4, 2013 by Scott "Q" Marcus

Writing and delivering a great speech relies on understanding human psychology, crowd behavior, communications principles and leadership skills. Hundreds of speeches are delivered each year, but only a rare few are remembered in history. These stand out from the rest because of who the speaker is, his or her chosen topic, the current cultural and political climate, the sincerity of the speaker’s delivery and whether the speaker truly motivates listeners to act. The following five speakers both achieved greatness and earned their place in history because of a single opportunity to address a crowd with a timeless speech.

Martin Luther King Jr. “I Have a Dream”

Martin Luther King Jr. is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest orators of all time. The key to his success was, in part, his consistency. He was consistently passionate, consistently committed and consistently clear with his every word. King also strived to be relatable, no matter what angle his speech took. For instance, his “I Have a Dream” speech moved listeners for different reasons. Some listeners found the subject of racial equality was the most important. Others found that listening to King challenged them to commit more fully to their own dreams. King transcended the political realm into what motivates people: dreaming of, and pursuing, a better life.

Susan B. Anthony “Women’s Right to Vote”

A single act of disenfranchisement started Susan B. Anthony’s crusade to win women the right to vote. She used that moment to craft her speech “Women’s Right to Vote.” She delivered the speech many times over the course of her career. Anthony’s speech references the most significant moment in American history — when “we the people” formed the Union. She used this moment to remind listeners of what they share in common, temporarily erasing the sense of gender divisiveness her campaign was causing. Through its unifying words, Susan B. Anthony’s speech swayed public opinion and eventually led to ratification of the 19^th Amendment.

Jesus Christ “The Sermon on the Mount”

No speaker will ever go wrong by taking his or her main points from literary classics. In the case of “The Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus’s most famous speech, he directly draws from the Old Testament’s Ten Commandments. In this speech, Jesus not only reviewed and referenced the Commandments but he also expanded the teachings and provided examples from his listeners’ daily lives to help them connect with each Commandment. The information Jesus offers in the Sermon is directly applicable in his listeners’ lives, allowing the speech to transcend time. [Read more…]

Really Cool “Resolution” Idea

January 1, 2013 by Scott "Q" Marcus Leave a Comment

One of my dearest friends, an excellent speaker, and the founder of the Double D Diner (a charity to which I regularly contribute) is Rich DiGirolamo. He puts out a bi-weekly newsletter. If you’re interested in attitude, change, morale, or just want something to make you think – subscribe to it. It’s free. However, if you do not, I am reprinting – with permission – today’s newsletter on a really clever “resolution” idea for this year. Let him know what you think.

It starts here:

For those of you who have been with me for a while you know my views on New Year’s Resolutions. We all know the statistics. We all have failed and not met the goal. We all have set the same resolution year after year. I gave up resolutions years ago. After resolutions I chose a word or phrase to hold onto as an anchor to dictate decisions and actions. It was a fun approach. Then my Shiny Bright Object Syndrome kicked in and I got bored with that.

This year I am taking a different approach to accomplish some of the things I want to get done. But most importantly the approach I am taking is about changing the way I work and creating some new habits.

Two weeks ago I wrote 2013 on a piece of paper and sat staring at if for a while. Then I got up from my desk drew a line down the center. I don’t know why I did this. I just did. I sat down. I stared some more. And then I realized something.

How many of you reading this get bored easily? Distracted? Find yourself looking for the next thing to move onto? I’ll bet a lot of you reading this are shaking your head. My attention span to most things, probably is about 20 minutes.

And then it hit me. Today I offer you:

20 Minutes. 13 things. And make the New Year Happy!

It’s pretty simple. I’m committing to spending 20 minutes each day doing these things:

Write – A blog entry. A portion of your upcoming newsletter. A thank you letter to a client or a vendor. A poem. A diary entry. A proposal. A few paragraphs of your book. Just spend some time writing.
Play – A game. A sport. Color. Draw. Do arts and crafts. I keep modeling clay on my desk. Maybe you should too! You’d be surprised how playing stimulates the mind and creativity.
Exercise – twenty minutes to clear your mind, stay in shape and give yourself that pat on the back that we all need!
Market – people often tell me they forget to market their business. I remember a woman many years ago telling me she hates marketing. So every day she spends the first 30 minutes of her day doing the thing she hates most – marketing. Now as I am going to share in an upcoming Marketing Teleseries (geared for Parks & Recreation peeps, but good for everyone!), marketing when made fun will make you look forward to the task.
Review & Implement – You’ve read books; and even took some notes. You’ve attended seminars and planned on implementing some of the ideas. All these notes and ideas got filed somewhere. Pull out several resources that really excited you. Review them and start implementing. Today. Every Day.
Share your story – If you’re like me you probably don’t tell enough people about your work. But I’ll bet you’re world is full off narcissistic, me, me, me types. You know the ones. Make it a point every day to spend time telling people what you’re doing and working on. This can be done in person, via email, on your social networks, however. Just commit to telling people what you are doing. Just don’t be arrogant about it.
Ask for help – Perhaps this one and #6 should be chunked together. We all need help. We all have a personal or business challenge that could use another set of eyes, ears or brainwaves. Ask and you’ll usually receive. And if the narcissist starts making it about them and not you, be bold and tell him or her that today is your turn.
Research – What interests you? What about your work is important. Maybe you have an interest in painting? Car repair? Thai cooking? In 2010 I knew nothing about the charity/nonprofit work when I founded The Double D Diner; The World’s Only Virtual Diner Fighting Hunger. I’m still learning about nonprofits – mainly because I want to do just the opposite; to break the jello mold on boring and depressing approaches to charitable work. Spend 20 minutes per day researching a fun interest or business related topic and watch how fast you become an expert or acquire a new hobby. Great way to suck up to the boss too!
Read – Magazines. Books. Articles. Not Facebook posts. Fiction. Non-fiction. Children’s books.
Dream – You’ve got dreams. I do. We all do. Spend 20 minutes each day dreaming about that vacation, relationship, new business idea. Get a journal and jot down the ideas. Create a dream/vision board. Update it. Spend some alone time with it. Try to make your dream bigger, better and more outrageous each day.
Be of Service – There are so many ways to volunteer. In person. Virtually. Joining discussion groups and just offering assistance. Do it from the place of seeking nothing in return.
Clean up a mess – It happened. Again. Those piles on your desk. The last 20 minutes of my day, every day is going to be about cleaning up the pile of open messes that accumulated during the day. Will be nice to sit down at my desk and not experience anxiety as the pile grows.
Celebrate your success – And who says 13 is an unlucky number? Each day celebrate an accomplishment. Throw a party for yourself. Go out for a cup of coffee. Buy a small gift. Or just spend some time acknowledging that you’re moving forward.

Don’t know where this is going. Don’t know what it will deliver. But I’m excited because I see the potential and possibility. l see a new (fun) method of keeping me on task.

Can you do more than 20 minutes?

Of course? Do you need to do all 13 things every day? Of course not? But above is 4 ½ hours of time spent well. And that’s not a bad way to start a new year.

What do you think? Wanna join me? Change the 13 if you need to do so. Align them with your life.

Happy New Year!

See you in two weeks.

Rich

Did you know that Rich gives 10% of his speaking fees back to a hunger relief agency in your community?

Rich DiGirolamo
http://richdigirolamo.com

Is your organization ready for a “Recess” from a so-so employee experience? Employees first; customers second. Cuz if employees ain’t happy; no one is!

Keep yourself engaged. Subscribe to Rich’s Bi-Weekly Newsletter
Rich DiGirolamo ● PO Box 584, Marion CT 06444 ● 203.470.3388
Web: http://richdigirolamo.com
Twitter:@richdigirolamo and @RecessAtWork
Skype: richdigirolamo
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My journey from the sofa to the gym

December 28, 2012 by Featured Author Leave a Comment

Exercise was not something I enjoyed.

Instead of standing up to file papers, I’d scoot over to the file cabinet in my rolling office chair. After work, I flopped on my sofa where I sat contentedly until bedtime. I was living a sedentary lifestyle to the max and loving every minute of it.

As Newton’s Law of Motion explains, a body at rest tends to stay at rest. Even though my office building had a gym – and I had a free membership – I just kept finding reasons to not work out: I was too busy to work out on my lunch break; too tired to work out early in the morning; too stressed out at the end of the day to stick around. Then my boss started a four-week fitness challenge. He offered cash prizes to the team with the most exercise hours logged. The coworkers in my department insisted on participating, and they really wanted me to join in. And, well, I can’t pass up an opportunity to win cash.

I didn’t look forward to working out, especially at work. All I could envision was getting sweaty in the middle of the day or looking foolish in front of my coworkers. When I walked into the employee fitness center, though, I couldn’t believe how clean and fresh it smelled, and how welcoming everyone was. I decided I’d try to keep an open mind, although I wasn’t optimistic that I could stick with any exercise program.

The challenge begins

On the first day of the challenge, we met in the gym during our lunch break. Thankfully, we started out easy. I warmed up with five minutes on the treadmill before hitting the elliptical for 15 minutes. My legs were killing me, but I didn’t want to let my team down.

Showering after working out is important to me, and I thought we wouldn’t have time to shower before returning to work. I was wrong. With the quick workout, I had plenty of time to shower. I even had time to eat the salad I had packed for lunch!

Every day, we kept up the same routine. After a week of regular workouts, I noticed I didn’t feel as sore afterwards. Each week, I felt my body progressively growing stronger as I tried out different machines. I actually started looking forward to our daily workouts.

Not so bad, after all

A few weeks into the fitness challenge, I noticed I felt a lot less stressed out. I was sleeping better, waking up refreshed in the morning and looking forward to work. I stopped making excuses for why I couldn’t work out, because I actually wanted to go to the gym! And I started rewarding myself when I achieved a goal, which helped me stay motivated.

Because I felt so much better physically and emotionally, I made working out a priority, even after the fitness challenge ended. And just to make sure I don’t fall back into my old bad habits, I bought a few pieces of exercise equipment so I can work out, even when I don’t really feel like leaving the house.

I can’t believe how important daily workouts have become to my life.

Just making myself show up that first day of the fitness challenge was the hardest part. After that, working out became a habit.

It’s easier than you think to get off the sofa and into the gym, and the physical and psychological benefits are amazing. Take that first step; you’ll be glad you did.

About the author: Danielle blogs on behalf of Sears and other brands she uses. She’s following her own advice and sticking to a regular exercise routine this holiday season. She’s happy about that and feels the best she has in years.

Five Fun Ways to Incorporate Exercise into Your Lifestyle

November 30, 2012 by Scott "Q" Marcus

Exercise is an important part of weight loss and a healthy lifestyle, but if the term “exercise” summons images of endless hours at the gym, think again! There are plenty of ways to make exercise a part of your life that are not only fun, they’ll actually make you look forward to getting those workouts in.

Try one of these five tips to make working out work for you:

1. Take a class.

There is a nearly endless list of classes out there to suit just about any interest – and a surprising number of them don’t meet anywhere near a gym. Depending on what’s available where you live, you can have fun and burn calories by taking outdoor classes, such as rock climbing, paddle boarding or even horseback riding. For a gym style workout class that is still outdoors, there are outdoor boot camp-style exercise classes, for instance.

However, if you do prefer to exercise in a more climate-controlled environment, there is an array of classes offered at your local gym, ranging from spinning to step aerobics, dance classes and beyond. Martial arts or self-defense classes are not only a fun exercise option, but also teach you important skills you can use to protect yourself.

2. Get competitive.

You don’t have to be in high school or on a professional sports team to enjoy the benefits of competitive sports. Signing up with local intramural teams is not only a great technique to have fun and exercise, it can also help you meet new people and let your competitive streak out.

Not into team sports? That’s okay, too. Training for races such as triathlons or foot races of varying lengths is also an effective way to stay motivated and enjoy your workouts. Even better, many races benefit local charities, so when you participate you’re not only improving your fitness, you’re helping out others as well.

3. Get a Fitness Buddy.

Part of the reason classes are both a fun and effective exercise option is because you’re not going it alone. When you get all your friends moving with you, it’s a lot easier to keep moving yourself.

If you don’t have any close friends available nearby, grab your closest classmate or roommate and make a deal to exercise together at least three times a week. Take turns picking activities, or make a list of quick exercise ideas and inspirations.

4. Count it out.

Pedometers are a fantastic way to keep track of how many steps you’re taking throughout the day. According to James O. Hill, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado at Denver, adding just 2000 extra steps a day to your usual activity level can keep the pounds off.

Watching your steps add up on a pedometer is fun, because you probably already walk more than you think. Seeing immediate results by watching the numbers increase as you go about your day is extremely motivating. Before long, you’ll be finding ways to add steps to your day to see how quickly you can reach your goal number.

5. Enlist a furry friend.

Fido needs exercise just as much as you do, after all. Walking your dog means walking yourself and that’s good for both of you. The benefits of dog walking go beyond simply adding steps to your day (aren’t you glad you have that pedometer with you now?). According to a recent article on WebMD, multiple studies have shown that pet ownership can help reduce depression and elevate mood, in addition to improving overall health and well-being. That alone is reason enough to take your four-legged friend for a stroll.

Don’t have a dog? Volunteer to walk a friend’s dog or even better, volunteer as a dog walker at your local animal shelter. Who knows? You may just find yourself a permanent companion.

Exercise Doesn’t Have to be a Chore

California weight loss programs can be an extremely effective way to lose those stubborn pounds, but it also helps to have a program that you love. With these five tips, you’re sure to find multiple ways to fit exercise into your life and enjoy it as well!

About the Author: Andi Walker is a contributing blogger and exercise enthusiast. When not blogging about wellness-related issues, Walker enjoys anything and everything outdoors, especially rock climbing.

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