More Featured Bloggers

Read about these great folks working on day 3 of the 30 day blog challenge…

Jane Lee (Coach Jane Lee)
http://coachjanelee.com/

“The Law of Dis-Traction” = GREAT POST

“The buzz word out there is the Law of Attraction.
So why do so many of us have a difficult time with following the steps to the Law of Attraction. Is it possible that we are so distracted with everyday mundane thoughts that we become distracted with applying the Law of Attraction into our daily rituals. Maybe there is more to it than just perceiving positive thoughts and the need to take action to get closer to your dream/goal.

The principal of the Law of Attraction is a good thing. Let’s take it a step further. My equation is this-
Mindset—————-> Visualization—————–> Momentum—————–> Produces Outcome

So what does this all mean?

Mindset
Attitude and thought patterns are critical. If you are negative and think negative you are going to be negative. So what do all negative people need to do. Check your attitude at the door. But how? By reconditioning your mindset. How do you know something will produce a negative outcome if you have not attempt to even try? It’s all a perception. So, give it a chance to see what happens before it even happens. For example- Before you meet your blind date, you start thinking the guy is a hairy gorilla with a bad attitude and shorter than you. What do you think is going to happen? You already have a preconceived thought and already passed judgement on the poor guy. The date will turn out horrible because no matter what you will find something wrong with the guy. Now, if you are open with the mindset of “Whatever happens? I attract great guys and we are just sitting down and chatting over a cup of coffee. No pressure.”, then what do you think will happen?

Visualization
Seeing the big picture is key. With athletes they visualize crossing the finish line if they are a runner or the baseball player see themselves hitting a home run. If you see success and feel success then the chances you are successful.

Momentum
Taking action steps to get you closer to your dream and goal. It’s great to think and will Law of  Attraction, but you need to do something to make things happen by taking action. This will then lead to desired results.

Outcome
This is when you look at the results. If they have not been met, then you re-evaluate and implement the necessary actions to get closer to the desired outcome. If they have been met, then look at what is next?”


As I have a book and my biggest issue was marketing – Tara’s blog is near and dear to my heart!

Tara Katchaturoff
http://www.bookmarketingessentials.com/

“Moving forward … even in the tough times …
By Tara Kachaturoff Marketing Coach

We all have good intentions about getting things done. We need to answer emails, return phone calls, and organize our files. And, then there’s that other part to be concerned with … umm… our life. We have our loved ones, friends and others in our life. We have our hobbies, activities, not to mention the day-to-day activities we need to manage in our lives. One thing we know for sure is everything takes time. Yes, many of the things we need to do are really easy. However, there are usually a lot more things to do than there is time in a day.

Sometimes things happen in life. Sudden things. Things that can cause great turmoil — like the death of a loved one, serious family issues and so on. And no matter how much you want to just keep things as they are, sometimes life is going to feel like it’s really out of control. And, that’s the time you need to just let go. Focus on the basics, let go of anything extra. While it’s hard to back-burner favorite projects, obligations to groups, and all the other things that you thought “super-human” you could do, sometimes you just have to deal with life stuff. You need mental space, time to grieve, time to process, and time to just feel the myriad of emotions that accompany life-changing events.

So just for today, know in your heart that God will never give you more than you can handle, but make sure to be ready to let go and just do the basics if and when you may need to in the future.”

or this

“Book Marketing Strategies – Write a Press Release to Promote Your Book
By Tara Kachaturoff Marketing Coach ·

It’s important to promote your book through as many channels as possible.  Why?  Different marketing venues and strategies appeal to different people.  And, the more places you’re “seen,” the better.  This is one reason I frequently suggest authors use a variety of strategies – fee and free, online and offline.

One excellent strategy you can and should use is writing and publishing press releases online.  Not only do they allow you to reach a wide audience, but also they can be picked up by local and national media.  In addition, you can enjoy a link from the press release site back to your site which can be quite beneficial depending on the site’s ranking.  The more links you have back to your site from highly-ranked press release sites (or any site for that matter), the better.

In case you’re new to press releases, here’s a little background.  A press release is a wonderful way to tell the world about your newly published book.  A press release is a media tool that announces all the details about a newsworthy event.  Publishing your book is definitely newsworthy.

When you write a press release, it’s important to include a compelling headline, and then answer all the questions that any good journalist would address –who, what, where, how, when and why.  The press release should be written in the third person and can include quotations to add additional depth to its content.  Nowadays, depending on the press release site, you can include other social media content as well such as audio and video.  To find out more about how to write press releases, search on Google.”


Great info on an important fear we must deal with….

Shelly Lisoskie
Today’s Leader Online
http://www.todaysleaderonline.com/

“Fear of Success
“Procrastination is the fear of success. People procrastinate because they are afraid of the success that they know will result if they move ahead now. Because success is heavy, carries a responsibility with it, it is much easier to procrastinate and live on the ’someday I’ll’ philosophy.” (Dennis Waitley)

I have been saying this very same thing for years and I usually get this response: “Don’t you mean the fear of failure?” To which I give a resounding, “NO!” Fear of success is the only reason people do the same thing, day after day, with the same mediocre results, but who still complain that they don’t have this or can’t do that. If people expect you to fail, you will always live up to their expectations. If they expect you to succeed, then you have  more chance of failing.

I have worked with countless employees, contractors, consultants and students over a 25 year career and I have heard every excuse under the sun about why they couldn’t succeed. It was always someone or something that was in their way. They don’t have any money. The timing isn’t right. School is too expensive. I make it today – I have hair appointment. Blah, blah, blah…”


This is what I love about these challenges – the different types of blogs out there..with really useful info on each of them….

Conscious Breastfeeding Connections
http://consciousbreastfeedingconnections.com

“Breastfeeding Needs A New Marketing Mindset: Part 1

by Máire Clements RN IBCLC

Breastfeeding has been, and remains, the biological norm for feeding human babies since the dawn of time. It is the completion of the pregnancy and birth cycle designed to nurture human beings in their accelerated growth and development after birth. The first 3 months are often called the 4th Trimester because it is during this period that the mother’s milk supply will be established based upon the feedback loop between the baby, breast and brain (pituitary glands).

Early in the 20?th century, drug companies started selling commercial artificial baby milks, aka formula. Gradually women were persuaded that breastfeeding was a choice, rather than the natural food needed to ensure the optimal growth and development of their infants during the first year of life and beyond. In the late 1960’s, formula began to be marketed directly to the medical community and a sharp decline in the initiation and duration of breastfeeding was noted throughout the world. In less than a century, it was no longer the birth right of human babies to be fed their mother’s milk.

What’s a breastfeeding advocate to do to combat the marketing prowess of Big Pharma? For the past 25 years legions of dedicated lactation professionals and breastfeeding women have pondered this question, myself included.”


You know I had to include this one being that I’m such a New York Yankees Fan!

Jeff Wise
http://www.baseballhittingtipsonline.com/blog.html

“How To Hit a Baseball Farther
We’re not going to start talking about weight lifting programs today as we seek how to hit a baseball farther. Strength training programs are good and fine but we need to first focus on hitting mechanics and how to take advantage of that first. If you don’t have good hitting mechanics then you aren’t going to hit the ball very much anyway.

Keep both hands on the bat until …

Contact! Don’t let go of your bat until just after you make contact so that you can get the maximum amount of power while still having that full extension. Right after contact is when you can let go with your top hand. Too many hitters let go of the bat with their top hand way too early and some hitters don’t let go at all.”

And there are many other tips on hitting baseballs


Martha was in the last 30 day blog challenge and did a bang-up job…check her out…

Martha Giffen
http://marthagiffen.com
http://marthagiffen.com/relationship-marketing/

“The new buzz words:  Relationship Marketing

Everybody’s talking about it but what does it mean?

Here’s my take on it:  It simply means you sorta/kinda/really get to know your customers and others who might be interested in your products.  They not only put a name with a face, but they feel a connection!

There is one constant in business that never changes:

People like to do business with people they know, like, and trust.  Period.

This has been true since the beginning of time and it’s not about to change now!  There’s only one good way for people to get to know you (especially with your online biz).  They have to see you often.

Of course, you hope they are visiting your site often but that is really passive behavior on your part.  You have to be pro-active!  You have to put yourself in the forefront of their minds.

You have to know how to keep your brand “out there”!

Use E-mails. Be sure and e-mail your customers and potential customers on a regular basis.  In our business, that means use the autoresponders and “talk” to your list.  Let them get to “know” you in a very friendly way through e-mail.  Of course, be sure and let them know about special offers on your products and new content on your blog, but, you also want to give  useful information in the form of tips or links to other useful sites.  Be helpful!

Newsletters. This is a proven method that works!  If you fill that newsletter full of great info, people will begin to know and like you. If your newsletter is beneficial to your target audience, you will be known in no time!

Social Networking. You knew I’d go here.  It has been the catalyst that has driven my own business forward and I am a firm believer in it!  Be visible!  “Talk” to your customers on Twitter, “friend” them on Facebook, and connect with them on LinkedIn.  The more places you connect, the better!

Be accessible. Make sure that people know you are easy to get in touch with.  Now, I’m not suggesting you let any one dominate your time but you should try to answer your e-mails, respond to comments on your blog,  retweet a good Twitter message, contribute to a FB thread,  and recommend somone’s services on LinkedIn.”


What great advice Tynisha gives here – it would do us all good to take a look at her blog…

Tynisha Thompson
http://www.tynishathompson.com/blog/

“The idea behind this strategy is to find 5-10 people who are centers of influence and get them to introduce you as an expert to their tribe. Many of us have connections to people in our network and we’re not utilizing the connection. So here are a few example of how that works:”

When creating more visibility for your business, attracting more clients using the internet or launching your book you need to ask yourself:

* What are my goals?
* What’s my mission (or movement)?
* Who is my Target Market?

The most effective Steppin’ Out Referral Strategy is the POI or “Person of Influence” Strategy. Now, full disclosure here I got this strategy from my sales coach, Eric Lofholm. The idea behind this strategy is to find 5-10 people who are centers of influence and get them to introduce you as an expert to their tribe. Many of us have connections to people in our network and we’re not utilizing the connection. So here are a few example of how that works:

A Business Book Author: Jane has written a book targeting business owners in Nevada teaching them how to 6 figure business locally without using the banks. Her goal is to sell 50-100 books a month, score a couple of sweet speaking gigs and build her clientele.

Strategy: Jane regularly attended two large local business networking groups which she found through meetup.com. She had been attending the meetings for over three months consistently and felt comfortable approaching the leader of the group and asking them if she could have an opportunity to speak and sell her books, products at the back of the room. They agreed and said yes especially if they were offered a small commission, which was fine with Jane.  If she sold anything back of room, she paid each “POI” a portion of her sales.

She then took this Steppin’ Out Referral Strategy even further and offered her local chamber to sponsor one of her workshops on how to create a quick cash injection, which put her in front of over 100 people in less than a month. This resulted in word of mouth for her business, sales for her book, and major promotion to the meetup group and chamber members, which resulted in a full pipeline of eager business owners wanting to work with her.


Ever hear about the “atta boy’s” – here’s a whole blog about them…LOL

Sally  and Mike Liddicoat

http://www.attaboysolutions.com/blog
http://www.attaboysolutions.com/blog/simple-appreciation-goes-a-long-way/

Check out Sally’s post….
“Surely you have received the same lesson that everyone is taught early in life. Mom is close by. Somebody gives you a treat or does something nice and you hear the ever familiar words, “What do we say?”. Although mom’s voice and tone most likely changed a bit as you grew from two to twelve and beyond, the message is still the same “Don’t forget to say thank you”.

Appreciation. It’s a fairly simple word, yet so many forget all about it. They neglect to express or show it as often as they probably should to the people that impact their life in a positive way. Keep in mind, no occasion is necessary. In fact, small surprises and tokens of your appreciation spread throughout the year help the people in your life feel valued all year long.

Gestures of appreciation can be big and extravagant or they can be very small and subtle. Either way, or somewhere in between, they have a huge impact. Here are some really simple ways to show your appreciation:

1. Send a heart felt thank-you note or card
2. Give a gift certificate or gift card to their favorite coffee shop
3. Have fresh cut flowers delivered
4. Extend an invitation for a cup of coffee or lunch
5. Present a small gift – the gift, and the gesture of providing it, will light up their day
6. Pick up the phone and give them a call – yes, it can be that simple
7. Tell them what you think they are particularly great at and why”

Here’s one by Mike….
“People are creatures of habit -they really do like to go back to the same place whenever possible. There is a certain comfort in the familiar. So why would your customer want to leave you and buy from someone else?

Here are 4 possible reasons:

They are unhappy with the way that they are treated
They are unhappy with the price
They are unhappy with the product/service or
They die, and are no longer buying anywhere
A poor manager or small thinking owner focuses on the second reason and believes that if we just cut our price below our competitor our customers will never leave. However, the main reason for most businesses is that the customers are unhappy with the way they are treated.  How can that be you say? Think about your own buying experience. You don’t shop at the cheapest place. You don’t just look for bargains. You look for a company that treats you fairly, appreciates you, offers great customer service, has helpful and friendly employees and lets you know that you are important to them, even if you spend more than at the store across the street.”


And of course because he’s retired military as am I and because he talks about PLR products which are important for all of us, I picked …..

George Arthur Burks
http://privatelabelrightsforprofit.com

“Hi. My name is George Arthur Burks and I wanted to welcome you to my new blog Private Label Rights for Profit. Before I start my first blog post, you should know I decided to remove my 5 previous posts because I wanted the launch of my blog to coincide with Jeanette Cates 30 Day Blog Challenge that started June 1, 2010. So I will need a total of 35 blog posts to complete the 30 Day Blog Challenge.

My personal history is in my about me page, but briefly, I retired from the military after 20 years of serving my country. I worked for Wal-Mart and some other well known corporations after my retirement but I wanted more. I had toyed around with an online business in the 1994–1995 period and I did make some money, but it was tough. I remember my web hosting account was $49.95 a month. The search engine you wanted to get listed in was AltaVista. There was no one to tell you how to make money online. I decided to concentrate on my military career but I never lost interest in owning my own business.”

He’s got articles on Branding and affiliate products etc…check it out if you don’t know about PLR (and even if you do..LOL)


Boy here’s a guy after my own heart too- he’s got great affirmations..

Bob Crawford

http://bobcrawfordonline.com/growingyourself

“Have you have ever felt like you are backed into a corner and that your choices are being limited? This is a common feeling, and one that does not help you move toward your dreams and desires.

Don’t despair though!

Today’s power affirmation is all about opening yourself up to choice, and finding opportunity in your life.

Yes, there is opportunity in your life right now! It may not appear that way sometimes, but it is there, just waiting for you to take advantage of it.

The truth is that there are always choices – in any situation – but often we get so hung up on one particular aspect of our challenge that we fail to see the way out. We miss the chance, we blow our opportunity.  Then, after the fact, we beat ourselves up for not seeing the obvious.

But by using power affirmations on a daily basis, you can create a winning mindset, a mindset that is always looking for opportunities to move you closer to your dreams.

Here is today’s power affirmation:

I am open and aware of all the many ways that my dreams may manifest in my life. I always choose the most appropriate course of action, and I am ready for the results of my actions. I am grateful for the opportunities that have brought me this far, and I look for, and expect, many more opportunities to manifest my desires, each and every day. My life is full of opportunity!”

Then there’s this post…right up my alley

“How NOT to Succeed in Life – The Law of Attraction at Work

How NOT to succeed… it’s easier than you think!
You might be surprised, but it turns out that it the law of attraction works no matter which direction you decide to point your life in. In fact, as you may have discovered, it is just as easy to attract mediocrity and failure into your life, as it is to attract abundance and success.

There is really no difference!

So, with that in mind, I wrote a short little list for those of you who are tired of struggling to reach your desires and are ready to crawl back into the warmth and safety of your comfort zone.

The following ten tips are guaranteed to help keep success away, and every single tip has been recommended by leading experts in the fields of failure and disappointment.

10 Ways to Make Sure Your Life Does NOT Get Better

Buy self help books… but don’t ever read them.
Read self help books… but don’t try any of the ideas that you read about.
Spend a lot of time talking about changing your life… but don’t ever make changes.”


I love this title and the content of course..

Fiona Bosticky
http://www.abnormalmarketing.com
http://www.abnormalmarketing.com/2010/06/easy-small-business-marketing-planning/

“PART 1 – Getting a handle on the necessary-for-success Marketing Plan

Every small business, or freelancer, who is responsible for generating income must consider the marketing side of their business – ie. how they will find customers.Marketing Strategy

A lot of people go into business from being employed, where they excelled in their profession, but they may not have been responsible for gaining new clients.  So to suddenly be faced with the prospect of mapping this out and doing a “Marketing Plan”.  It can feel a little scary.

This is especially true when, for example, you download your local business help centre’s Marketing Planning template and it is 29 pages long and filled with some scary sections.  So to make it easier, here are some tips to get you started with your Abnormal Marketing Plan.

Length

A Marketing Plan can be as long as you want.  It can be 50 pages or it can be 2 pages.  There are really no rules here, so whatever suits your style and business – go for it.

Who Should Contribute

There is an old stigma that a bunch of guys in suits, sit around the boardroom table, and discuss marketing strategy and planning.  Then once everything is decided, bits of the information get passed to everybody else in the company.

As a small business, I say, get everyone and anyone in the business to contribute, as much or as little as they want.  As a freelancer, it’s just you, so there is no escape.  But once you have employees it is so important they get a chance to participate and present feedback.  And discussing marketing strategy doesn’t need to be scary.  It can even be done over coffees.

Marketing of a businesses products and/ or services, doesn’t just come from management.  It comes from every single person in the business or representing the business.  So it’s important they understand how they fit in and how important their role is.”


How about this name – Want to know about ebay?
Just as important – read about her Run Drama Run…see below

Danna Crawford
http://powersellingmom.com/DannaCrawford/

“Many people that know me know how I feel about drama. I know from personal experience drama can ruin relationships, businesses, and upset close family ties. I do believe there are a few different levels of drama. Sometimes a business can run into conflicts within the business structure which is actually more of a solution solving issue than it is a dramatic type of issue. While trying to solve a business dilemma, it can sometimes feel like drama. Learning to identify this can help trigger solutions rather than disastrous decisions. I suggest business owners take a step back and seek out solutions embracing the issue as a positive challenge.

Family is indeed a part of our life. And as the saying goes “You can pick your friends but not your family members” although this may be true we do have choices. We can choose to support each other in times of trouble or walk away. I do suggest always reaching out to family and supporting all delicate issues in a positive manner. If the drama does get too deep then it may be time to bow out of the discussion and learn to “bite” your tongue a bit more often. This rule can help keep the peace many times over. Sleeping on issues before speaking can save family relationships many times over.
Living a life of trying to be drama free is very challenging. Drama seems to creep in behind the tightest of the sealed shut doors. As a Christian I tend to mumble under my breath “Devil Get behind me, in the name of Jesus” when I feel the pressure of drama close by.  I knew I couldn’t  possibly do this alone so I decided to seek out 100 BLOGGERS willing to share some of their positive energy with all the readers. So far I have about 20 BLOGGERS signed up and today I want to invite everyone reading this to contact me if you would like to participate I will add you to the list of authors. The only rule is to provide positive posts now and then! This is not a big commitment but I do ask to post something at the very least of once a month. Once a week would be great but not a requirement and is welcomed if you dare!”

More from Danna— Great quote:
“Drama will destroy your business, your life and you.
Surround yourself with positive energy, positive people,
positive words and you will go far!”

“Living a life of trying to be drama free is very challenging. Drama seems to creep in behind the tightest of the sealed shut doors. As a Christian I tend to mumble under my breath “Devil Get behind me, in the name of Jesus” when I feel the pressure of drama close by.

A few years ago I purchased the domain name: RunDramaRun.com and I didn’t do anything with it until recently. The idea came to me once again as drama had entered my life once again, all I could think of in the back of my brain was “Run Drama Run” while it was taking place. This is when I became inspired to finally set up a site encouraging everyone that reads it to remain drama free! I knew I couldn’t  possibly do this alone so I decided to seek out 100 BLOGGERS willing to share some of their positive energy with all the readers. So far I have about 20 BLOGGERS signed up and today I want to invite everyone reading this to contact me if you would like to participate I will add you to the list of authors. The only rule is to provide positive posts now and then! This is not a big commitment but I do ask to post something at the very least of once a month. Once a week would be great but not a requirement and is welcomed if you dare!”


Here’s another ebay expert

Suzie Eads
http://www.asktheebayqueen.com/

“Something to Sell on eBay Vintage Photo Albums
In my 12 years of selling on eBay I’ve come across some strange items.  From time to time I think about some of my more unusual sales.  Here is one of them…go to the blog to see the photos…”

Here’s something about her….In fact, since I’m not really an eBay person,I think Suzie’s “About” page is extremely interesting…check it out

“General info:I have 5 children and one grumpy husband. I like to refer to my grumpy husband as  “The Man”.  Because well, he is  the Man.. and a little grumpy.

We live on 40 acres in Kansas. About 30 miles south west of Kansas City. We don’t farm our land.. but we do have lots of turkey and deer that live here. We also have a few domestic animals: 4 farm cats, 2 Hamsters, 11 Degu’s 5 hermit crabs and one DOGUE DE BORDEAUX Porky. When I’m not homeschooling, involved in Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Youth Group or working on my eBay stuff you can find me at a farm/estate auction.”


Here’s a unique but important topic – Cyber Bullying

Judy H. Wrigh
aka Auntie
http://cyberbullyinghelp.com/

“Victims Look Afraid

Teach your children to imagine themselves inside a protective bubble
that bounces off the bullies words. This will give them some control
in a situation where they may feel helpless.

When choosing a victim or target, bullies typically target children or teens
who have few or no friends. Make sure your children have chances to
make friends away from where the bullying takes place.

Claim your free e-course on social skills today at http://www.TheLeftOutChild.com

When Should Adults Step In?

If bullying is persistent, or your child is injured, take action. If
bullying happens at school, take the matter up with a suitable
teacher and work upward until the matter is taken seriously
and addressed. Keep written records which may be used as
evidence.

But remember, You are an adult, so don’t try to bully the
other child or the school. You want to follow the wishes of
your child before barging in to do battle.

You will be glad you did.

“He is picking on me because I have big ears.” “I hate school.” “Nobody likes me.” “My friend called me fat.” “Someone texted lies about me.” “Mom, you have to do something.”

As I teach parenting classes around the country, many lovely well-dressed, calm and intelligent women confide in me that they turn into a Mother Lion when their children are threatened. They are embarrassed to admit to the whole group but share privately that no holds are barred when a bully picks on their baby.

They say that all of their protective instincts rise up and they become ready to do battle. I know how they feel, because I have felt those same feelings when my child was teased or bullied. But my children let me know in no uncertain terms that if I over reacted, they would not share any more confidences with me. This may have happened to you as well.

What’s A Mother To Do?”


All women MUST go to this blog and read about the signs and symptoms of brain attack (stroke) – this is ESSENTIAL – what I pulled below is just an excerpt
I can also tell you this women is brilliant – I just interviewed her tonight!

Joyce Hansen
http://moneywomenandbrains.com/

“Could you be one of the 425,000 women who experience a brain attack/stroke each year?

Yesterday, we covered Your Chances for Having a Female Brain Attack. Today is a follow-up to recognizing the symptoms.

There are two sets of brain attack/stroke symptoms to be aware of.  The first is five classic symptoms that are usually associated with both men and women.  The second is seven symptoms that are unique to women and often go unrecognized for their potential danger. Women lacking awareness of these unique symptoms often dismiss them and delay seeking critical medical assistance.

The five classic brain attack/stroke symptom to be aware of are:

1. Weakness or numbness occurring in the face, arm, leg (usually on only one side of the body)
2. Mental confusion, inability to speak or understand coherently
3. Blurring of vision in either both or one eye
4. Inability to walk, onset of dizziness or loss of balance and/or coordination
5. Severe headache without a known cause”


Mary Pat FitzGibbons
http://www.healthyweightlossforboomerwomen.com/blog/

“Weight Loss and Stress
I share with you yesterday about picking up a blog challenge for 30 days. I have lots of healthy information that I would like to share with people.

Like you I can get caught up in the stress of every day life. Yes, I face the same types of joy’s and challenges you do, dear reader. Here is a little blurb about me.

I am an RN with 37+ years of experience, including Critical Care, Coronary Care, Home Intravenous Therapy, Home Care, Hospice, and management. I am also an Energy Healer in private practice since 1996. I practice Healing Touch, Brennan Healing Science, Reiki, Sound Healing, Emotional Freedom Technique, Essential Oils and Presence to name a few tricks in my bag.

Currently I work part time as a Hospice Nurse at Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton NY. (Yes, I am a real person). I also teach Healing Touch, and classes in Essential Oils. I am developing a Healing School in Harrisburg PA with Emma Newman @ Emma’s Center. We have just completed our first year.”

“Blogging About Healthy Weight (Loss)
Well, I have signed up for another blog challenge.  If you have a blog and you want to join us, join here for Dr Jeantte Cates 30 day blog challenge.

I am going to do this challenge on this blog for weight loss. I am hoping for several results. I want more readers. And I want your input. What do you need to know to attain and maintain a healthy weight?

I invite you all to check out my FREE 5 Success Tips for Weight Loss report here.

I also am looking to make contact with other blogger’s and Internet business builders. We can do together, what we can’t do alone.

Another plus to this challenge is to get me in the regular habit of blogging my helpful information. I can get caught up in every work and life, just like you do. It gets very easy to say, “I write that blog tomorrow”. And “tomorrow” I am just as tired and overwhelmed.”

This is a post I really like –
“Getting Fit with “Wii”
Can a computer game help get you fit? You bet it can. The Nintendo Wii game  gets you up off the couch and having fun.

Wii offers you many choices in fitness games. Programs offer solo and group exercises and games.

The fitness programs include pilates, yoga, strength, training plus, aerobics, and balance. There are a ton of games. You can go bowling. How about golfing? Did you ever want to be a cheer leader? Now is your chance. Be careful not o overdo it. You might just be having too much fun and forget to stop.

Active Life Outdoor Challenge

This is a mixed pack of workout games that you can do with a friend if you want (that’s the challenge element). You’ll need to try a few of the options to find what works best for you. They will all work you hard, and some are also a lot of fun. With Active Life Outdoor Challenge you will be running, jumping, pumping your arms and stretching as far as you could wish.”

More to come….
Terrie

Blog Challenge – Featured Bloggers

As you may know I am participating in my second 30 day blog challenge – this one is hosted by Dr. Jeanette Cates where there is at least one post a day for 30 days. One of the most rewarding things about this type of event is that it brings you to blogs and information you never thought you’d see. So, I thought I would share some of these “Featured” blogs and bloggers with you folks.

 

Ok so we’re on day 3 of the challenge. I suppose I could do a featured blogger at this point but instead I thought I’d mention several that I thought were really sharp. If you’re not on this list toady don’t despair. With at least 200 blogs to look at, I’ve probably missed many and then others fit better with a different theme – or….fill in the blanks…LOL

Here are some I just love and think everyone should look at:

Ely Delaney – http://elydelaney.com/
I had to start with this one – http://elydelaney.com/ – “Loss of a Friend”
Now this intrigued me initially because he “got me to go there” – I thought as I’m sure many of you did “ah, how sad for Ely” (mind you, I don’t know Ely from a hole in the wall although that will change tomorrow night when I interview him – boy am I lucky).

But then I opened his post and saw how poignant it was and what a great thing to do early in the blog challenge because it will reach so many people and as you know, there really is power in numbers. So, if we all start off with this powerful “challenge” of his – we’ll make the world a better place for at least 400 people a day…here’s an excerpt – make sure you try this today – and then every day.

“Just go out and be happy, positive and find some form of random act of kindness you can act of each day. Its not that hard and it’s amazing what you can accomplish with it.

Besides, it’s also really fun to confuse the tar out of people.

So I challenge you to make it a point to just spend one day focusing on the good and positive things you can do for the world. It doesn’t  have to be difficult.

Tell someone that did a great job.
Post a great positive quote on Facebook.
Thanks someone for being such a great person in your life.

So what are you going to do today to that will add positive energy to the world? Me, I’m going to go out and confuse someone with kindness just for the fun of it!”

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Lydia Hall
http://attentiondeficitdisorderinadults.com/

Then I found Lydia Hall’s Attention Deficit Disorder in Adults!
Wow…how special is this topic. We hear all about it with kids but how often do we see serious information on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in adults? Lydia is bringing it home to us.

Check it out – she’s got several posts on it and I particularly like the one where she defines it for folks:

“”The person with the disorder is affected behaviorally due to low and inconsistent levels of certain chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters.  In general, Neurotransmitters serve as brain messengers responsible for sending information to various parts of the brain.  In the ADHD brain the transmission of information is affected by the inconsistent and low levels of the neurotransmitters,”

“Just to summarize, bad communication by the neurotransmitters can lead to the above mentioned functions being moderately to severely impaired.  This impairment shows up in each individual quite uniquely.  The person opting to seek medical treatment such as stimulants for the disorder, may not see immediate changes in the behavior they wish to change.  The reason for this may be due to the inconsistencies in the messages that affect certain functions.  Some days, even without medication, the person with ADHD can focus and function with moderate to minimal effort.  Others days can prove to be very difficult.  It’s unpredictable, and getting the right dosage takes some time.  The right dosage can depend on a wide variety of variables.”

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Jeanne Kolanda
http://jeannekolenda.com/

And if you didn’t suspect it already I could not leave Jeanne off my first group of featured bloggers. You can see so much about life at http://jeannekolenda.com/ – and the latest story (not really but every fact she talks about is a story and that’s a fantastic way to transmit your info) is about something my brother and I have been discussing for a few months now so even though she didn’t know it, she supported my brother – but I’ll never tell him that..LOL…Check out what she wrote on ‘cloud computing’ –

“Here’s what it would solve:

“1. When I travel, I wouldn’t have to pay for a GoToMyPC subscription to logon to my desktop computer in my home office to access my accounting program, (which I access a LOT) or anything else, for that matter. I always travel with my air card modem in case I can’t find Wi-Fi. So I almost always have internet access. I say “almost” because I was in the mountains on a camping trip recently where nothing would work – no Wi-Fi, no Verizon aircard, no cell signal – nada, zip! (I just decided to relax and enjoy myself anyway.)
2. Sometimes, I am in my office so long during the day that I want to work somewhere else in the evenings…so I take my laptop to another room just for a change of scenery. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have to get up and run into the office to get something from my desktop computer – files, passcodes, emails…you name it. I’m beginning to realize that if I used cloud computing, this would all be eliminated, or at least most of it.
3. The expense of software and hardware would be reduced. I haven’t run the numbers on this yet, but I think instead of buying some super-duper mega-terrabyte drive, I could just rely more on the “cloud.”

I am so glad that Jeanne is in this challenge so you get to experience her wit and wisdom.

 

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Melanie Kissell
http://www.solomompreneur.com/

And because there are so many people in need of her service I had to include Melanie Kissell in this group and the best way to show you how valuable her story is was to post about her – I also had the pleasure of interviewing her which you can find on my blog (http://fromthedeskofterriewurzbacher.com/melanie-kissell-interview/ )

“”My Story: I came online about three years ago with the hopes of making a living in my fuzzy bunny bedroom slippers.  I bought into all the hype and hoopla, fell into all the traps, and made all the wrong choices.  My bank account was drained and so was my energy.

I’ve been a single mom for almost two decades and I’ve raised four resourceful, talented, beautiful daughters.  They are my “why” for wanting to get away from “work-to-make-the-employer-rich” job situations.  My greatest desire is to teach my daughters, as a role model, that you can be your own keeper and design a life that has meaning and one that’s right for you.

So I went back to the drawing board and came to the realization that starting my own business was the answer.  I made lists of my strengths and skills, re-examined my life experiences, drew upon my knowledge of the challenges of single parenting, and Solo Mompreneur was born!”

There are plenty of single moms out there that are “tired” and need/want a change. If you know any of them, send them over to Melanie’s blog.

—————————————-

Karen Wilson Wehrle
http://www.homebusinessroundtable.com/

In the business arena I thought I’d pick Karen Wilson Wehrle at

Here’s just a sample of what she has on her blog – check it out

“Hello, fellow or would-be entrepreneur. Welcome to my online business blog. Thanks for stopping by. I’m Karen Wilson Wehrle, a long-time self-employed professional tailor, writer, eBay seller, blogger and now Internet marketer.

Did the world need another online home business blog?

Maybe not so much, but here’s where I’ll share my enthusiasm for life as an entrepreneur and making money online. When I got my first computer, income was my goal. Turns out it was nowhere near as quick or easy as I’d hoped.

If you’ve struggled too, we’re not alone.

I connected with a very successful online marketer who says it took her two years of fumbles before she learned the ropes. What messes us up? Too many choices! Not knowing what we don’t know! Too many folks who offer “help” that isn’t anything we can make head or tail of.

Online marketing is an adventure.

Even the best marketers have failed projects or results that don’t turn out quite as expected. Affiliate marketing is touted as good for beginners, an easy and inexpensive income builder.

Well, yes, it can be—if you don’t miss one of the many necessary steps in the process. Just one weak or missed link wrecks everything!

Let’s roll up our sleeves and follow proven success formulas.

No more chasing after all those bright, shiny easy buttons that promise riches overnight, right? Riches come all right–to shiny-button people who take our money but leave us ill-equipped to accomplish our dreams.

I’m here to help you sidestep mistakes and shorten your learning curve.

I’ll show you mistakes I’ve learned the hard way, so you can avoid many potholes. My goal is to help you cross a bridge over the huge chasm from desperation to success with online marketing.

One top secret–pick trustworthy people as help-mates.

No one can succeed on their own any more. Ask me how I know. I’m experienced, but no guru, not even a top expert. So why should you listen to me? What do I have going for me at last?”

———————————
Melanie Shaeffer
http://thesmallbusinessmuse.com

Another in the business area –
I was interested in her email signature post – here’s a bit of it- see what you think:

“What’s in your email signature? Do you have an email signature or is it one of those things on the list that you just haven’t gotten around to yet?

I’ll admit, I’ve been a slacker in getting a good email signature in place until about a month ago (insert gasp! here).  I use GMail for my email and there wasn’t an easy way to make a pretty signature.  Enter WiseStamp. Let’s dissect!

First, I’ve got my name (yeah, that’s important, right?) and photo there.  Using a photo is totally optional, but it’s a nice way to remind people that there’s a real “you” behind the emails.  You could also use your company logo or another image.  Most email programs do display basic HTML and images now, unless the user has chosen to block them.”

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Piotr Krzyzek
http://www.piotrkrzyzek.com/

Then on to my favoritist guy on the web – I also got to interview Piotr and what a blessing that was (as well as an experience since he’s in Poland). Piotr is an expert at many more things than he says he is and maybe that’s what I really love about him. In this post about customer service you’ll see what  I mean –

“See, near my home in the States there are plenty of mailing options for me to choose from. But I always pick one for my package mailing needs:

I’m a stickler for cheaper prices, I’ll drive around shop around and even buy international if it’s cheaper BUT what keeps me coming back to one place isn’t always the lowest price. Where I live in the USA, I have plenty of mailing options: UPS, USPS, FEDEX and there used to be DHL and a few local biz.

Do I use the local guys…. no. I’d love to, they have neat prices and some decent customer service …. sometimes. But they are sometimes a bit rude.

There is a very small FedEx store hidden away near a main street and you are guaranteed to never know it’s there unless you are looking for it, heck even if you are looking for it you’ll miss it a few times. It’s owned by a older asian lady whose English isn’t exactly up to par. But, she for the most part a) knows that I’m an idiot and have NO clue about mailing anything and b) she’s extremely patient c) is willing to bend the rules enough to keep me very happy.

So, where do I go to send any package? USPS because they are dirt cheap? No, I save that for regular mail. I go to this cool older (not old just older) asian ladies small Fedex store. I know she’ll understand that I didn’t package something right and she’ll fix it, she’ll help me fill out forms even if I mess them up several times.

Customer service and loyalty as I know it have kept her little business, even though it’s hidden away, going strong for many years now.”

Isn’t that a touching and meaningful story?

———————-
Suzanne Holman
http://www.alzheimersinthefamily.com

This is another blog with important information that needs to be brought out to everyone’s eyes. Please take a look and pass the word – you may know someone who is affected by this disease.

“Are you an Ageless Woman…..or just Aging?    http://www.alzheimersinthefamily.com/the-ageless-woman-radio-launches-june-9th-with-alzheimers-program/

How has it been for you since your parent was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease?

I know for me it was a very difficult time when my mother started showing symptoms. My health and business both suffered. How would you like to learn some new ways of coping with this mind-boggling marathon of Alzheimer’s Disease?

Come join me when I reveal some simple strategies that can make the journey not quite so difficult. Find out ways to stay productive in your work as well as in your personal life.”

As if this wasn’t touching enough, today’s post is even nearer to my heart – it’s about aging dogs (one of my Siberian Huskies died 10 months ago and the remaining one is almost 12 years old and she and I have been going through some health issues with her lately – I do NOT know how any of you can be a mother – seeing my ‘baby’ suffer was heart wrenching – I just couldn’t imagine doing it with a human – more power to you Moms)

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Heather Bestel
http://www.magicalmeditations4kids.com

I adore Heather and encourage you to go to her site – her Magical Meditations For Kids is such a terrific product and does so much for kids – listen to my interview with Heather – http://fromthedeskofterriewurzbacher.com/check-out-these-interviews/

This will give you a flavor of how wonderful this woman is….

“Over the years I have worked with children as private clients with issues as diverse as:  mental, physical, emotional & sexual abuse; low self-esteem, fears and phobias, poor concentration, nightmares, nail biting, bed wetting, grief and bereavement, behaviour disorders, eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, image problems, stress and  other mental health problems.

I was invited as one of two psychotherapist to set up the pilot project in Liverpool (based on a Place to Be) of The Quiet Place (run by The Chieron Project & Liverpool University) to enable school children from 4-16 to have a place to go to within their school when they need to deal with emotions or be listened to.

This was very challenging and rewarding work and over the years we helped hundreds of children dealing with very difficult emotions and situations.  By the time I left, we had Quiet Places in a number of primary and secondary schools all over the city and in other schools around the country.  And we didn’t just work with the pupils, but supported the parents and staff too with counseling and massage.

In recent years I have gone back to working part time as a college lecturer with young adults (14+), developing and building self esteem and confidence.  Having grown up with very low esteem and feelings of inadequacy, I understand how important this work is.  At the time of writing, I am working with young people who have the added challenge of being in the care system – something they have to cope with on a daily basis and everything that comes along with that.

What I love to see is how my clients and students grow and develop and I am often touched when they get in touch to let me know how their lives are going and what they are proud of.”

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Mike!

The Reintegration Program
http://reintegrationprogram.com/blog/

Here’s another gentleman who is providing a much needed service to our military folks and their families (I know – I did 30 years in the Navy). Spread this one around to people you know who could use it. And as an aside, the selection of his that I chose to feature is about storms and boy did we have a humdinger of a storm last night

“Storms
There’s a storm front brewing.
I love weather.  Not just sunny weather, but cloudy, rainy, windy, even stormy weather.
I love to feel nature’s strength, to feel a building tremble and see the trees shake when a mighty wind rushes by.
I climbed onto the roof with some coworkers to watch a storm system pass the other day.  (No lighting, of course, I’m not totally nuts!)

But there was rain and clouds in the distance, and we could see the waves of rain and the clouds of dust blowing.  Suddenly, our relatively secure perch began vibrating as the wind began to gust.  For a minute there, I thought that I’d seen enough, but I didn’t want to brave the steep steps while the wind was so strong.
But just as quickly, the wind stopped.  Still, in the distance we could see the dust and clouds blowing along.  but here there was peace.  For a few moments, up on the roof, all seemed to stop.  There was peace right here in the heart of Afghanistan.

It’s like that in our daily lives as well.  The storms come, the winds blow…  We hold on, and the storms pass.
And we can find peace.  At least until the next storm.

There’s a storm front brewing.

I love weather.  Not just sunny weather, but cloudy, rainy, windy, even stormy weather.

I love to feel nature’s strength, to feel a building tremble and see the trees shake when a mighty wind rushes by.

I climbed onto the roof with some coworkers to watch a storm system pass the other day.  (No lighting, of course, I’m not totally nuts!)

But there was rain and clouds in the distance, and we could see the waves of rain and the clouds of dust blowing.  Suddenly, our relatively secure perch began vibrating as the wind began to gust.  For a minute there, I thought that I’d seen enough, but I didn’t want to brave the steep steps while the wind was so strong.

But just as quickly, the wind stopped.  Still, in the distance we could see the dust and clouds blowing along.  but here there was peace.  For a few moments, up on the roof, all seemed to stop.  There was peace right here in the heart of Afghanistan.

It’s like that in our daily lives as well.  The storms come, the winds blow…  We hold on, and the storms pass.

And we can find peace.  At least until the next storm.”

——————

I have many more but I have to get this posted and then head on out to work. I’ll be doing more later….Check these folks out.

Terrie

My "Gratitudes"

My “Gratitudes”

I may have shared this before but it’s never too late to reiterate it since it was such a powerful moment in my life.

I have always been a big proponent of the power of gratitude but I don’t think I ever really applied it with a strong “need” before the spring/summer of 2004.

You see, I had just been “blessed” by getting a job offer in San Antonio – I was living in Virginia then.

Let me digress a bit and explain that part of the story. I was in the Navy and had been for almost 30 years. In 1985 I had been stationed in San Antonio and absolutely loved it. In fact, that was where I became exposed to New Thought. As I was transferred to the East Coast I declared “I’ll be back here” – my friends laughed at me because there weren’t any other Navy opportunities for me in San Antonio.

But, over the years I held on to that idea in the back of my head. In 2003-2004 I began to talk to my friends in Virginia about a non-profit organization that I want to start. They would ask where it was going to be – out of nowhere I replied “Texas” – I have no idea why I said that – usually those types of responses are the ones you must pay attention to.

Anyway, in the spring of 2004 I was at a conference and my boss forwarded me a notice of a job opening in Washington DC (where I was already working) doing the SAME job I was already doing and had been for 11 years. Of course, my interest was peaked. For once, fortunately, I scrolled down and you won’t believe what popped up right up in front of my eyes. There was the same job offer in SAN ANTONIO, Tx – right where I was stationed 20 years prior. Imagine my joy at this.

However, I never imagined I would get the job so I did a very sloppy job of filling out the application, hit send and forgot about it. Several weeks later I received a phone call and the conversation went something like this “Everyone here loves you, Terrie and the job is yours” – how’s that for an interview? The Universe was really working for me. Of course, I said ‘yes’!

So, I flew to San Antonio to try to find a house. I had two dogs and had certain things I wanted to have in my property – I’ll tell you about my “outside access” manifestation in another post. I had four days to find a house. I wasn’t being successful. My realtor was wonderful and she drove me around looking at this place and that place and on and on. Nothing was right. I can’t even remember the reasons they weren’t right but I was getting desperate because I had to return to Virginia and had to start getting ready for my retirement from the Navy and a move to San Antonio, Tx! But, things didn’t seem to be working.

Then I began to question whether or not I should do this, whether or not it was right for me, was I acting too impulsively, etc. I even went so far as to talk to my boss and tell him I wanted to withdraw my request for retirement. Fortunately he told me he didn’t think that was going to to be possible – however, that just increased my anxiety.

So, the next to last night I was to be there, I laid down on my friend’s couch and all these horrible things were going around in my mind. What to do?

Suddenly it came to me. I started to say my “gratitudes” – I remembered that gratitude was the most powerful “action” anyone could take. I told myself that I had nothing to lose so I started in my anxious state to just be grateful for simple things – things that were easy to come up with – my mother, my father, my life in the navy, my health etc. I said “I am grateful for…..” over and over until I fell asleep very calm and serene.

The next morning I woke up still calm and relaxed, I knew things were going to work out – and they did. I found the house of my desires that day. As soon as I walked in that door I knew that this house was meant for me. But more about that in another post.

The primary point here (other than the power of manifestations) is that being grateful and showing that gratitude to the universe brought me everything I needed and wanted at least 10 times over. It took away all the external anxiety and as a result, all the internal anxiety. It allowed a direct route to me from the Universe. It was like a laundry chute. The Universe poured all that good into the chute and once I had said my “gratitudes” I opened the door and put the laundry bin under that chute and all those wonderful, good things fell into my life.

So, next time you’re feeling anxious, try saying or writing your “gratitudes”. You can use the Gratitude Journal that I had made for this purpose. It really works and it means lot to be able to look back and see what it glorious things have happened to you..but the fun part is to also record the small things, the things that happen everyday – “I found a parking space up close to Target” for instance. “I didn’t hit one red light on the way to work this morning” – anything you’re grateful for – put it down.

Enjoy the power of gratitude!

Terrie

My “Gratitudes”

My “Gratitudes”

I may have shared this before but it’s never too late to reiterate it since it was such a powerful moment in my life.

I have always been a big proponent of the power of gratitude but I don’t think I ever really applied it with a strong “need” before the spring/summer of 2004.

You see, I had just been “blessed” by getting a job offer in San Antonio – I was living in Virginia then.

Let me digress a bit and explain that part of the story. I was in the Navy and had been for almost 30 years. In 1985 I had been stationed in San Antonio and absolutely loved it. In fact, that was where I became exposed to New Thought. As I was transferred to the East Coast I declared “I’ll be back here” – my friends laughed at me because there weren’t any other Navy opportunities for me in San Antonio.

But, over the years I held on to that idea in the back of my head. In 2003-2004 I began to talk to my friends in Virginia about a non-profit organization that I want to start. They would ask where it was going to be – out of nowhere I replied “Texas” – I have no idea why I said that – usually those types of responses are the ones you must pay attention to.

Anyway, in the spring of 2004 I was at a conference and my boss forwarded me a notice of a job opening in Washington DC (where I was already working) doing the SAME job I was already doing and had been for 11 years. Of course, my interest was peaked. For once, fortunately, I scrolled down and you won’t believe what popped up right up in front of my eyes. There was the same job offer in SAN ANTONIO, Tx – right where I was stationed 20 years prior. Imagine my joy at this.

However, I never imagined I would get the job so I did a very sloppy job of filling out the application, hit send and forgot about it. Several weeks later I received a phone call and the conversation went something like this “Everyone here loves you, Terrie and the job is yours” – how’s that for an interview? The Universe was really working for me. Of course, I said ‘yes’!

So, I flew to San Antonio to try to find a house. I had two dogs and had certain things I wanted to have in my property – I’ll tell you about my “outside access” manifestation in another post. I had four days to find a house. I wasn’t being successful. My realtor was wonderful and she drove me around looking at this place and that place and on and on. Nothing was right. I can’t even remember the reasons they weren’t right but I was getting desperate because I had to return to Virginia and had to start getting ready for my retirement from the Navy and a move to San Antonio, Tx! But, things didn’t seem to be working.

Then I began to question whether or not I should do this, whether or not it was right for me, was I acting too impulsively, etc. I even went so far as to talk to my boss and tell him I wanted to withdraw my request for retirement. Fortunately he told me he didn’t think that was going to to be possible – however, that just increased my anxiety.

So, the next to last night I was to be there, I laid down on my friend’s couch and all these horrible things were going around in my mind. What to do?

Suddenly it came to me. I started to say my “gratitudes” – I remembered that gratitude was the most powerful “action” anyone could take. I told myself that I had nothing to lose so I started in my anxious state to just be grateful for simple things – things that were easy to come up with – my mother, my father, my life in the navy, my health etc. I said “I am grateful for…..” over and over until I fell asleep very calm and serene.

The next morning I woke up still calm and relaxed, I knew things were going to work out – and they did. I found the house of my desires that day. As soon as I walked in that door I knew that this house was meant for me. But more about that in another post.

The primary point here (other than the power of manifestations) is that being grateful and showing that gratitude to the universe brought me everything I needed and wanted at least 10 times over. It took away all the external anxiety and as a result, all the internal anxiety. It allowed a direct route to me from the Universe. It was like a laundry chute. The Universe poured all that good into the chute and once I had said my “gratitudes” I opened the door and put the laundry bin under that chute and all those wonderful, good things fell into my life.

So, next time you’re feeling anxious, try saying or writing your “gratitudes”. You can use the Gratitude Journal that I had made for this purpose. It really works and it means lot to be able to look back and see what it glorious things have happened to you..but the fun part is to also record the small things, the things that happen everyday – “I found a parking space up close to Target” for instance. “I didn’t hit one red light on the way to work this morning” – anything you’re grateful for – put it down.

Enjoy the power of gratitude!

Terrie