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You can advertise your business EXCLUSIVELY for only $33 dollars a month!

VIEW CONNECTICUT TOWN WEBSITES HERE

Categories can be added for you, sites are still under construction and should be functional in June.

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Where did we ever get this notion that all of life should fit into our tidy, little plans and that any deviation from those plans represents a “slap in our spoiled, little faces?”  It seems to be a condition that is fairly unique to Americans.  We are so used to our high standard of living and ease of access to many of the comforts in life that we seem to forget that life really doesn’t work that way.  I mean come on, we have to make ourselves stop eating; the temperature has to be between 70-72 degrees; we sit in artificially lit homes typing on computers and God help us if the Internet goes out.  (Again…first world problems) And while I’m so grateful to God that we get to live the way we do, I still can’t help but recognize an unrealistic slant in our expectations.

Real life, much like every good story that was ever written, has a protagonist and an antagonist.  One is working for the good and one is opposing the good.  Our great God never, ever promised that life would be completely free of struggles.  Where on earth did we get that idea?  For every good you encounter there is an opposing force that is either trying to take away your good or bring some bad to counteract the good.  Now that doesn’t mean, as many philosophers report, that you have to accept the bad or get along with the bad or embrace the bad, no, not at all!  But it does mean that you have to take life as it is.  What is, is and whining about it doesn’t change a thing, except you…

Have you ever met someone who sees themselves as a victim?  (Well, if we are honest, all of us have been victimized at one time or another.  Helloooo, there is an opposing force working against us!)  The victim is not just one that has been hurt in life, but is one that would rather carry that “past” hurt into every current situation.  I recently watched an Oprah Life Class about men that didn’t grow up with their father.  It was very sad and very touching, for sure.  But one thing they had in common were the stories they kept telling themselves about how life would have been or who they would have been if their father was around…  Those stories were really just fantasies they kept telling themselves in light of the hurt they received when Pops left.  Iyanla aptly pointed out that their romantic notions about daddy were just stories and that they had no real way to know how things would have been.  What they were doing unknowingly was participating in life as a victim.  A victim, by nature, has no say about how life turns out.  After all, how could they after such and such happened?  Here is a reality check ~ your life is what it is, right now in this moment.  And, the only one carrying that hurt and pain into your present life is you (and me)!  Being a victim, like being a whiner only serves to keep you held down in bondage ~ as if you have no say about how your life turns out.  If that opposing force hurt you bad in the past (and that’s not to minimize the hurt you felt) ~ then allowing it to remain in your mind today is just as if it is happening all over again.  And we wonder why we can still be frustrated in life despite all of our creature comforts?

God has designed life to be glorious and wonderful and ripe with victory, but never said you wouldn’t have any struggles.  He doesn’t provide those struggles (God I wish people would stop saying that) but He will always provide a solution to those struggles if you are willing to hear Him!  You see once we start complaining, we stop moving forward towards the solution!  And related, if we have adopted a “victim” mindset, we are, for all intents and purposes, stuck back thereeeee…  A better approach to life would be to accept the reality that things don’t always go how we planned and to either make a back up plan or at minimum be willing to change course as the obstacles happen.  Our destination shouldn’t change, but we have to at least be willing to take a different course.  Why keep banging our heads on a door that won’t open when we can take a step back, think, and find another door?

In the Dale Carnegie courses I taught, the first rule was to “never criticize, condemn or complain (the three golden C’s)!  (Yeah, I forgot that!)  Complaining, whining and playing the victim simply means that we have bought the lie ~ the lie being that there is nothing we can do about the situation.  With God behind us, there is always something we can do about the situation.  You and I are only in charge of one life, ours…  Make the decision today to stop complaining (you may be shocked by how much you do it) and instead focus immediately on the solutions.  Oh and if you are watching the playoffs and your team is losing, quit complaining about the coach; the players and the refs, and simply sit back and remember the team that believes to win, wins, despite any obstacles!

Win in life…

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To fundraise for this daunting project we needed to establish and create: community dances, an espresso stand, baked goods and hand crafted jewelry. As the assigned leader for this task, I was thrilled to be in charge. In my teenage mind, this unfortunately meant that now I have control over 11 peers and can exercise it to my heart’s content.

There is a danger in taking on a leadership role without the proper humility.  My group was creating a graduation for themselves, not me. No one wants a leader, boss, project manager or director who is taking advantage of their group. They want a parental figure that they are comfortable enough to seek advice from, but yearning to impress.

Here are some tips that I learned through this leadership position:

1.      Do not put the blame on anyone (yourself or others.) If you put it on yourself, you will feel guilty and your group will feel like they can blame you as well. Blaming someone else can be problematic because it may just be your perception. Address the problem as a separate entity and keep things objective.

2.      Never single a group member out. This may sound like the first point, but it differs because this refers to singling a group member out in general (blame or praise, good or bad). If someone makes a mistake or does something well, I found it is more productive to approach this privately. Doing this keeps a strong personal connection with each group member, making each individual feel important and comfortable.

3.      You’re not the only leader. Being in a position of authority, it may be tempting to think that all the weight is on your shoulders. At the same time, it can trick you into feeling that you are entitled to the authority. Yet, the group that you are in charge of is leading you. This is true in any group setting. Without the other people, you would be leading yourself. With community, you are strengthened – so thank your group members.

4.      Be a calm optimist. Another mistake that I made was a façade of positivity: everything was cheery, blissful and the event would be perfect. While it is important to have hope, it is important to see clearly and calmly what the outcome could be. By doing this, you can address any outstanding issues.

5.      Instill an entrepreneurial spirit in your group. You can assign your group various, tedious, menial tasks and take all the glory. However, this will not create a beautiful finished project. What is important is to instill hope and an image of the grandeur that the group is working towards. This keeps the group going- hope, not domination.

There are many methods to being a successful leader and it is important to keep in mind that each situation can be very individual. However, I have found these lessons to be helpful in many areas of my life. What I would like to instill more than anything: every single person leads and inspires in a different way, but it requires effort and initiative to cultivate this quality.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see…by faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death…And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.  By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen…by faith Abraham, when called to go to a place…obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going…and by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who made the promise…by faith Moses‘ parents hid him for three months after he was born…by faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of the Pharaoh’s daughter…by faith he kept the Passover and application of blood…by faith the people passed through the Red Sea on dry land…by faith the walls of Jericho fell….what more should I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of flames, and escaped the edge of the sword… Hebrews 11:1, 5-34

I’ve come across a television show on National Geographic called Brain Games.  It is quite the interesting presentation of the phenomena that occur within our complex human brains.  They present many different “tests” to show the viewer how their eyes or ears or even sense of touch is detecting something different than the truth.  A couple of these tests stand out to me in a remarkable way as a demonstration that we can’t even believe what our own eyes are analyzing as truth, and if we can’t believe our eyes, why should I rely on my physical senses to tell me the status of God’s work in my life?

One “brain game” was to show the viewer a woman saying “gaa gaa gaa” over and over, however the soundtrack playing under it was the same woman saying “baa baa baa”.  If you closed your eyes, you could hear the “baa” but when you opened them and watched her mouth, you “heard” the “gaa” sound.  How is that possible?!? How is it possible that your eyes changed what your ears heard?

Another “brain game” changed what your eyes saw when you heard a certain sound. Showing the same animation the viewer either saw two white balls pass each other or bounce off of each other and when they heard the sound of two pool balls hitting, even if they saw the balls pass each other, they suddenly saw them bounce off of each other.

Well, as I consider those tests as well as the many “brain games” on that show, I realize that if I listen to my physical senses and my perception, rather than God’s, I will go down a path where I’ve already been and experienced the painful, hopeless, dead end.  It really is quite simple and I know that I’m not alone in having to remind myself frequently about what God showed me and to keep my eyes focused on Him and remind us both of His promise.  As I walk in this, I continue to stumble over my own insecurities, doubts, questions, and what ifs.  I continue to cry out to Him to help me, to strengthen me, to give me wisdom.  I continue to search for His face, His glory, and His will.  I will continue to ask Him to renew my faith and like the incredibly wonderful God that He is…he ALWAYS answers and refreshes my spirit.

…It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith…Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. … Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be…”Romans 4:13-22

Although this picture is self-explanatory, I wanted to take a bit of time to expand on it. None of us really know when our time or that of our loved ones will be up on planet Earth, when our time to cross over and become fully that which we are and be with our other loved ones will come. But this post isn’t intended to be about the death of our physical selves. Nor is it intended to be a “downer.” But the quote above is an important reminder because it is true and it’s something some of us unintentionally take for granted. Many of us just assume we will get a chance tomorrow, the next day after that and so on and so forth.

The message I do want to share today is the importance of not only living each day to the fullest, but to tell our loved ones we care about them and show them how much they mean to us. Don’t go to bed angry. Apologize because you value your relationship with that person more than you value being “right.” Say “I love you” often. Hug even more. Embrace your emotions and don’t shy away from expressing them. Live in the moment, be present in the now, create memories that will last forever because now is all we really know we have. The past is over and the future hasn’t happened.

Using your words to tell a person how much you care about them is important and has value, I’m stating the obvious here. But showing someone with your actions is even more important. Talk is cheap. We’ve heard that before but there is much more value in what you do than in what you say. This doesn’t just apply to matters of the heart. It’s easy to say things; it requires a genuine effort to follow up your words with actions. And actions don’t have to be grand gestures of proclaiming your love for someone. They can be, absolutely but it’s not necessary. I think many people can attest to the fact that it’s the little things take up the most room in their hearts.

Who have you told today how much you love and appreciate them? What have you done to shine a bit of light and love into someone’s life? Spread some love today, if you haven’t already and continue to do so all the days of this life – if not only because tomorrow isn’t promised but because you know how much it warms your heart and soul when you feel the love from someone you care about. People will never forget how you make them feel so why wouldn’t you want to be the catalyst for warming the heart of someone else?
http://stephaniedunn86.wordpress.com

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Milky Way (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The World Must Soon Wake Up
Find Our Faith and Hope
On This Edge Of The Milky Way
Or It Will Be Lost Forever
When They Send Us Off To Wars

There’s a Woman For Every Man
So Hold The One You’ve Found
And Scream With All Your Might
You Can’t Separate Us Tonight

True Love Is What They Fear
They Replace It With Power And Greed
With Hate They Bind Us But
Our Hearts Hold The Keys
To Unlock Their Darkest Chains

There’s a Man For Every Woman
But Even If You’re Alone
Scream At The Stars Tonight
And Send The World Your Love

So Open Your Minds Right Now
Release Your Doubts and Fear
Love Must Be Your Candle
When You Open Up The Door
To Find You Spirits Freedom

There’s a Woman For Every Man
Hold Out Your Hand Today
Sing and Dance And Play
The World Will Send You Love

The Truth Is Very Simple
We Are All The Same
We Live, We Love, We Die
Embrace The One’s Your With
So Your Children May Live In Peace

There’s a Man For Every Woman
Forever Love Each Other
Together You Are The Light
When We All Stand Together

An original poem by David Gademan

Green living is something I have been learning more about over the years. When I was a kid, I remember the blue box for recycling being a new thing, and I had my own Kids for Saving Earth club. We did a rainforest walkathon to save however many acres of rainforest (I wonder if those acres are still there??). As I grew up into a young adult, I was leaning more to the greener side of the spectrum of green, but I didn’t actively search out information. Things can sure change in a heartbeat, though! My sister (5 years older than me) was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 31, and we had no history of it in our family. She is my only sibling and my best friend, so it was a huge shock. When she started learning about lifestyle changes to prevent the cancer from coming back, I jumped on board with her. It was overwhelming how much I didn’t know about what was in my food, my skincare products, my cleaning products, my clothes, my bedding, and so on. My sister did a huge purge of her stuff and started seeking out natural and organic products, and slowly I did the same. I started reading labels and keeping those lists of ingredients to avoid in my wallet. It was a steep learning curve, and still is.

When I became pregnant, I worried a lot about what I was doing for the development of my baby. My mother-in-law also had breast cancer in the past, so the fact that my child would have a history of it from both sides of the family was always in the back of my mind. It scared me. But it also inspired me. Because it was an opportunity to have a clean slate. I can’t control all of the things I ingested and was exposed to since I was born – so there are chemicals and toxins in me that will stay there. But with a brand new baby – I would be the one to control what she ingested and what she was exposed to (to a certain point, of course). So when I started thinking about baby cribs and furniture and bedding I started doing research on what was safe. Adria Vasil’s Ecoholic book was a great resource and starting point. And then I started looking at baby soaps and lotions and diaper creams. And on it went. It was a whole new world of learning for me, and it was definitely overwhelming a lot of the time. But it was also empowering to know that I could become informed, and make decisions that made me feel good about what I would be giving my baby.

I wasn’t the greenest mother-to-be or mother. There were things that I couldn’t give up, or couldn’t afford, or just didn’t know about until later. But it’s a lifelong learning process, isn’t it? Being a mommy is a learning process, and learning to live a green lifestyle is too. My child doesn’t eat organic at every meal, but I do my best to give her organic whenever possible. She was at someone’s house once and was offered some Bits and Bites. When I looked at the ingredients, I was shocked to find MSG in there. She had already ingested it! Argh! I didn’t stop it in time!

Living greener can be daunting, because the more I learn about things, the more I learn that things are complicated. But it isn’t impossible. And as cliche as it may be, every little bit does help. Every time I get organic strawberries is one less exposure my daughter has to pesticides. Every time I get cereal with a non-GMO label is one less exposure to GMOs. We have so many opportunities, so many moments of the day where we can choose to be just a little bit greener. And it’s pretty amazing what’s going on with blogging and social media to help inform people and raise awareness about what choices to make. So it’s not easy being green… but it can be. We just have to try.

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Watch as the camera tracks an act of kindness as its passed from one individual to the next and manages to boomerang back to the person who set it into motion.

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The imagery and tone has a James Bond feel to it appealing to men and woman alike, which explains the 27 million views. With each new day is a chance at a new life, be good, have fun!

LYRICS:
Birds flying high
You know how I feel
Sun in the sky
You know how I feel
Breeze driftin’ on by
You know how I feel
It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life
For me
And I’m feeling good
I’m feeling good

Fish in the sea
You know how I feel
River running free
You know how I feel
Uploaded on Oct 26, 2009
© 2006 WMG http://www.michaelbuble.com
Directed by Noble Jones
“Feeling Good” as heard on Michael’s album It’s Time is out on iTunes here: http://wbr.fm/bubleitstime

Connect with Michael:

http://www.michaelbuble.com

http://www.bungalow-b.com

http://www.facebook.com/michaelbuble

http://www.twitter.com/michaelbuble

http://www.itunes.com/michaelbuble

1. You can move on business opportunities much quicker than the big guys. It takes a long time for big guys to get plans developed, politically agreed to and approved.  Large chains of management command, brown-nose politics and communication hurdles have to be overcome internally before they can hit the marketplace. Kill these serpents in your business or they will poison and strangle it.

2. Your close proximity to key opportunities brings your business greater flexibility. You, as the little-guy business owner, probably helped shape the sales and marketing plan and can and should take “hands-on” responsibility for plan implementation and when warranted, plan execution. In the heat of the battle, you can adjust or fix business strategy and tactics. Big guys can’t. Moreover, big guy managers usually distance themselves from market implementation eliminating the potential risk of being blamed for their personal failures, shortfalls and mis-steps. “David vs. Goliath,” a classic article on my website at www.kenlerman.com clearly illustrates this thought. It outlines strategies, plans and actions taken for a client’s large Asian restaurant as the Goliath P. F. Chang’s opened down the street in Wichita, Kansas. We didn’t stop P. F. Chang’s but they didn’t stop us. A win! 

3. Kick ‘em in the knee caps, steal some market share (at least for awhile), then get the “dickens” out of there. Don’t tell Goliath you’re coming, don’t threaten him, just reign havoc on his parade and be prepared to retreat, run and hide. In 1985 Jolt Cola provocatively introduced their new brand with the slogan “All the sugar and twice the caffeine” – leaving potential triers to assume it was positioned against Coca-Cola. For a season they did well – very well!  No Coca-Cola did not buy them. That is corporate folklore. In 2009, as Wet Planet Beverages they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Perhaps they should have run and sold following their early wins!

4. Based on the size and scale, the profit impact of a successful business program brings greater financial and emotional reward to the little guy. And if you’re the owner, most of the reward goes into your pocket. Over time, managers for the big guys don’t get the full reward they might deserve and may not even get a thank you from their senior management. This happens often in typical corporate life and it is demoralizing to the performance of good motivated talent. 

5. FINALLY – BE GUTSY. Take up a position versus the leader. Compare yourself openly to them. Steal their luster, their brand name and image – and associate it with yours. If they smack you – they’ll look like a big bully picking on a little guy. If they don’t, you might have your way with them! Years ago, Avis touted themselves, again in a provocative marketing strategy, as the #2 in “rent-a-cars” and claimed “we try harder” (than Hertz?) When developing market strategy for the old (1985) Taco Tico regional restaurant chain, we introduced our own attractively boxed “kids meals” to draw Saturday morning and afternoon business. At that time, only McDonald’s had a boxed kid’s meal. In our TV and radio commercials, six-year old kids announced “We’re tired of little burgers and fries. From now on it’s Tacos and Crustos for us!” Weekend business gains were huge.

Have a great fight!

I am for business,
Ken Lerman

Copyright. © 2011. Kenneth B. Lerman. All Rights Reserved.
Ken Lerman is an adviser for THE GOOD WORD , a national business growth consultant, a national speaker, management trainer and author for U.S. business across a diverse range of industries. He can be reached at 1668 N. Sagebrush, Wichita, KS 67230. Visit www.kenlerman.com. Email Ken at lermank@kenlerman.com or call 316-733-5800.

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