Category Archives: Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous is an adjective defined as 1. consisting of members or elements of different kinds; of mixed character 2. having various qualities, aspects, or subjects (source: dictionary.com)

Susan Who?

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I know this is old news, but the message of it is timeless and it felt sort of “right” to post about it this week. :)

Remember Susan Boyle?

Back in 2009 her courage to follow her dream inspired millions.

If you don’t know who Susan Boyle is then take 5 minutes to watch: Susan Boyle – Britain’s Got Talent ’09.

Too many of us would have clammed up under the skepticism and undisguised ridicule she faced from the moment she walked out on that stage up until she started to sing her song “I dreamed a dream”.

Who would have believed that it was even possible that this 47 year old woman from some village somewhere had what it takes to be a star?And yet she did and she took the chance to prove that she could shine as brightly as any of them.

If you don’t agree that she was outstanding during her performance that’s OK. The point of it is that scads of others who watched her were changed a little after watching her – and there precious few who can say that they have been able to give that kind of genuine inspiration during their 15 minutes of fame.

So, what is your gift?

You know what it is. It is probably even definable in a single word like: William Shakespeare: story-telling, Albert Einstein: intelligence, and Martin Luther King Jr: leadership.

However, the gift/word itself had very little significance.

It was the mindfully strategic use of those gifts that actually changed the world.

If it wasn’t too late for Susan Boyle to show off her talent, then it certainly isn’t too late for you either.

“What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” – Robert H. Schuller

Use Your Life to Serve the World

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I’m not Oprah Winfrey’s #1 fan or anything, but I do believe that she is an exceptional woman. I have seen my share of of her shows over the years, but I really don’t watch any talk shows on a regular basis.

There are some people who worship Oprah and then others who believe that she is pure evil who only does anything for self-serving purposes. I think both reactions are silly.

Oprah’s success is due to the fact that she is very human and capable of great things or terrible mistakes.

Whatever your opinion of her, you cannot deny that she has changed more lives and inspired more charity than any other human being alive.

What would it be like to know that about yourself?

Oprah’s Final Words of Her Final Show Transcribed

We all are called. Everybody has a calling, and your real job in life is to figure out what that is and get about the business of doing it.

Every time we’ve seen a person on this stage who is a success in their life they spoke of the joy and of the juice they received from doing what they knew they were meant to be doing.

A calling lights you and lets you know that you are exactly where you are supposed to be and doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing. And that is what I want for all of you. Live from the heart of yourself. Know what sparks the life in you, so you in your own way can illuminate the world.

You will receive in direct proportion to however much you give. You have the power to change somebody’s life. You carry whatever you are supposed to be doing. Carry that forward and don’t waste anymore time.

Start embracing your life that is calling you, and use your life to serve the world.

- Oprah Winfrey during her final episode of the Oprah Show

Transcribed from What Oprah Knows for Sure video.

I am not really a big bible quoting person or anything, but I do always remember one particularly wise passage regarding gifts. In the middle of Luke chapter 12 verse 48 it is stated that

“For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required”

And isn’t that the truth?

Oprah has given a lot over the years. She has also received a lot in return. I can’t help but wonder what she has actually given up to be Oprah.

What would it be like to never go anywhere without being surrounded by masses of people who either love you or hate you.

What is it like to have millions of people expecting great things from you and millions more just waiting for you to mess up royally so that they can self-righteously judge you for all your shortcomings?

Beautifully Unedited Tangle of Words

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This is probably the most random of my posts in quite a while. However, I always post about subjects that have dominated my thoughts or attention throughout the previous week. And I must say that I have never really noticed so much as I have this week how it is such a cursed blessing to be a writer. Sometimes the words flow so easily from my fingertips without much effort at all and other times it is agony to find the words to communicate my points effectively .

Because I usually write about professional and informational subjects, I confess that too often I find myself re-editing my work until there is hardly a trace of my true style left in the finished product. But today, I’m not going to do that. The reason is because my target audience for this post is those aspiring and passionate writers who settle in a career as professional bloggers, content, and press release writers like myself. You are the only ones who will actually get what I am talking about.

Words
Every single piece of written material we produce is limited to the confinements of etiquette and the educational limitations of our target audience. It has to be. And yet I cannot help but wonder if the unwritten (or maybe they are written somewhere) rules cause too many of us to lose out on really reaching our audience in an impactful way.

I love to write about my work and about world issues… and yes, even the often perceived as less significant home life. I love to play devil’s advocate and shine light on a completely different angles of my subject at hand. All my life, writing has been both the thorn in my side and my faithful crutch I’ve used to try to make sense of the world.

The ridiculous myth that disables some writers:
Real writers who really give value to the world are those who do not surrender to the myth that nothing is original. Some actually give up on writing because they hear and actually believe this. I refuse to accept that.

It is such an absurd contradiction of the daily growth in languages all around the world. New words are added to the dictionary all the time. New phrases are getting perpetually rehashed in every high school or office building anywhere. New songs are written everyday.

What if Shakespeare has decided this was true? If he had, then we wouldn’t have the 1600 or 1700 beautiful words he contributed to the English language. Words like: amazement, compromise, dwindle, submerge, and torture are all words that were first recorded in his plays. There are many more… see: Words Shakespeare Invented

I have piles of notebooks and hundred of scrap pieces of paper with statements that compelled me to record and appreciate, resonate, or incorporate in our later work. (Again only a writer would understand what I mean.)

We servants of diction are forced to take mental notes and sometimes repost the most enlightening or meaningful of them on Facebook and Twitter. – On a side note… so many beautiful, powerful, and motivational things can be said in 140 characters or less.

I have promised myself to go ahead and bravely use more of our precious vocabulary in more of my writing from now on. I assure you I will probably not write quite this dramatically on a regular basis, but it truly feels refreshing to not edit myself… this time.

Dollar Store Anti-Aging Secrets

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I was just watching Dr. Oz and they had a little segment about anti-aging stuff you can get at the dollar store. Who knew? So, I took some notes and now I am passing this along.

Aging Zone #1 is the Epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin)

Pumpkin Pie Filling and Exfoliating Mitts – This fights a dull appearance of your skin or blotchy complexion.

  1. Rub the pumpkin filling into your skin with the exfoliating mittens and the pumpkin apparently has an alpha-hydroxy acid that smooths the skin. The kind they used on the show was organic.
  2. Leave it on your face for a few minutes.
  3. Then scrub it off.

Even Livestrong.com has a post about How to Make Your Own Alpha Hydroxy Mask; one of the ingredients is pumpkin pie filling! :) Maybe there really is something to it!

Aging Zone #2 is the Dermis (the layer of the skin that looks saggy and wrinkly)

Face Lotion with Ascorbic Acid and Vitamin C – Read those ingredients and make sure you find both of them in your lotion. This helps because the collagen is falling apart in the dermis. Anti-oxidants and Vitamin C on your skin is a great way to firm and tone them back up.

Apply once a day every morning. The vitamin C will kick in and start revitalizing that collagen.

Aging Zone #3 is the Fat (and you want to keep fat in some places… like your lips.)

Lip Plumpers look for them with Tribehenine

Aging Zone #4 is the Muscles (that cause smile lines)

Ginsing Tea Bags over crows feet etc.

Apparently, certain muscles cause creases in your skin. If you can relax the muscles around your eyes, then you relax the creases as well.

Want to see the the video? Here is Dr. Oz’s segment called: Dollar Store Anti-Aging Secrets.

FW: Why Dogs Bite

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Disclaimer: None of these pictures are mine, but I had them sent to me in an email forwarded by my dad. I have no idea who put all of them together, but these pics were too cute and funny not to share. :)

Click to Enlarge a Photo

Are You Following These Habits????

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A few months back I came across an article written by Sarah Stebbins for “O” magazine, called “The 10 Habits of Highly Organized People.”  Now, I’m not normally an “O” magazine reader, but my mom is and she’ll mention articles of interest to me every so often.  As a matter of fact, I’m astonished she didn’t tell me about this one!  LOL 

At any rate, the article is pretty short and simple, which I happen to like, but makes total sense.  It’s relatable and easy to follow.  So many times when you read something about the habits of successful people, they seem so….unobtainable.  These don’t.   There are ten (10) insightful habits in all, but I’m only going to share a few of them with you.  The rest you can check out for yourself. 

  • Make peace with imperfection – I know this is a hard one, but I promise you, you’ll get the hang of it.  As long as you put forth your best effort, that’s good enough!  Striving to be perfect is exhausting and boring!  Besides, a little imperfection never hurt anyone, right?
  • Schedule regular decluttering sessions – Why wait for a build-up?  Do you like feeling overwhelmed with stacks of paper everywhere?  Try scheduling 10-15 minutes of your time, say at the end of your day, going through your office, sorting through your mail or finally going through that pile of magazines on the floor that seems to continue to grow.  Even the littlest of things that you can put away in their rightful place will help you feel more at ease.
  •  Separate emotions from possessions – Ever heard of the term ‘pack rat’?  Most of us know of someone or is that certain someone who can’t seem to get rid of anything because it reminds us of something or someone else.  Sentimentality has always been my weakness, however, I have learned over the years, that most of the material items I was holding on to were just that…material.  My memories won’t fade if I let go of that old sweatshirt from my father nor will my feelings for my husband fade away if I get rid of the dried up flowers from our anniversary.  There are memories attached to these things, yes, but honestly, I don’t need them and they are just taking up space.  So, I let them go.
  • Never label anything “miscellaneous” – This one rocked my world!  Who doesn’t have a file somewhere labeled miscellaneous?  Do you know what all is in that file?  I sure didn’t.  But, the habit makes sense.  If you go through this folder, you’ll find either things you don’t need or things that should be filed elsewhere.  The article suggests making specific groups and then sorting your files that way.

I don’t know about you, but these habits are extremely easy to understand and follow. I love personal growth articles that only take a few minutes to read and motivate me for personal change.   I am looking forward to re-reading this article again and putting those thoughts out into the universe.

Aquarian Strength

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Somehow, I came across this article on StumbleUpon:

Hobbies That Could Make Money for Your Zodiac Sign
I am not a true believer in the zodiac stuff, but sometimes it’s a little scary how accurate it can be.

Aquarius

Aquarius Pictures, Images and PhotosThis visionary sign can do very well as a columnist, writer, or illustrator. This is because what they have to say is so unusual and seems to come from “left field.” Many are good at writing metaphysical material or science fiction. They also do well as online psychics or phone psychics. Quite a few Aquarians are inventors and many are able to parlay their creations into a lucrative part time job. They are also natural entrepreneurs so they do well in the virtual sales places of the internet. This sign also loves the photographic arts and can sell their photography or videos online. Along with their business savvy comes many creative talents as well. They are good at doing things such as designing their own websites and building a virtual empire. They can also easily parlay these talents into a career at designing sites or web businesses for others for others. They are also natural cinematographers and editors and some Aquarians are very good at scoring music for videos and movies as well. They do better than most signs at being freelancers because they can handle the stress of waiting to be assigned or paid.

27 Years 27 Truths

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This is just a silly compilation of 27 of my favorite quotes. Just because. I am another year older, and none the wiser. ;)

  1. Most people care how much you know, until they know how much you care.
  2. Real friends are people who know everything about you, but they love you anyway.
  3. Love is nuts. ♥
  4. Chances are, if you ever go online to check your email and it says “no new messages”, it will tell you the same thing even if you click on “check mail” again.
  5. 80% of all questions are statements in disguise
  6. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, or what you have. The energy you share at the moment you engage another person (or dog or cat, whatever) in conversation is the same energy that will be reciprocated back to you. So, try to keep it positive.
  7. Confidence is sexy, over-confidence is scary.
  8. Fear will keep you from reaching your potential. If you let it.
  9. You can’t win em all, or you’d never learn anything.
  10. To be highly successful is to think differently and do it better than anyone else.
  11. You won’t “get back to it”, so take care of it as soon as it comes. (Yeah, I’m still totally working on that one.)
  12. Don’t forget where you came from, and don’t deny it.
  13. When you find yourself on a plateau, don’t just think you need to get off of it as quickly as possible. You may end up loosing ground instead of just taking one step at a time toward your goal.
  14. There is no one in the world who can take your place in this life and fit.
  15. Knowledge is power only if you can exchange it, interpret it, and keep it organized so that you can get to it as soon as you need it. 
  16. Privacy is a myth.
  17. Glitter is the herpes of arts and crafts. . . you’ll never get it off of your clothes, furniture, whatever. hehehe
  18. Parenthood is the most thankless and difficult job you can imagine.
  19. Parenthood is the most educational and fulfilling job you can imagine.
  20. Living or at least bringing yourself into the present moment feels good.
  21. Checklists are only useful if you plan to check every single item off.
  22. When you tell the truth, you never have to remember what you said.
  23. Life does not provide you with an “undo” or a “back” button.
  24. Consistency and persistency make things happen.
  25. Gratitude makes you happy.
  26. “Less” is the new “more”.
  27. And time, it really does fly when you’re having fun, or when you’re not. So, enjoy. :)

CoCo’s Last “Tonight Show”

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I’ll be honest, I never really watched the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. His humor was always kind of lame to me. When the Tonight Show was taken over by Conan O’Brien, I started tuning in 3 to 4 times a week. After seven months, NBC has made quite the devastating decision to return the Tonight Show back over to Jay Leno. Are they crazy!?!?! He thanked his staff who is

He used the last precious moments of his show to remind us all to lend a helping hand to Haiti.

  1. Steve Carell (of NBC”s “The Office”) came out to give him an exit interview and “shredded his employee ID”.
  2. Tom Hanks came out and brought Conan a cup of scotch ( actually diet cream soda ) and reminisced about how he was the one who originally dubbed the Conan with the nickname: “Co Co”.
  3. Neil Young came out to sing “Long May You Run” while he played guitar and harmonica.
  4. Conan then said his closing piece of inspiration to his fans. He could have used this last moment to really slam NBC for their stupidity and unfairness, or anything he wanted. However, this is what he said:

    5. “This massive outpouring of support and passion, from so many people, has been overwhelming for me. The rallies, the signs, all the goofy and outrageous creativity on the internet, the fact that people have traveled long distances to and camped out all night in the pouring rain . . . It’s pouring! . . . It’s been pouring for days! . . and they’re camping out to be in our audience. Really, you, here’s what all of you have done. You’ve made a sad situation joyous and inspirational. So to all the people watching ” he said with tear filled eyes. “I can never ever thank you enough for the kindness to me. I will think about it for the rest of my life, and all I ask is one thing. I am asking this particularly of young people that watch: Please do not be cynical, I hate cynicism. For the record, it’s my least favorite quality. It doesn’t lead anywhere.

    Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get, but if you work really hard and if you’re kind, amazing things will happen.

    I am telling you, amazing things will happen.” (The audience roars.) Conan shouts over the crowd, “I’m telling you, It’s just true.”

  5. Will Ferrell came out and jammed with Conan. Will sang and played his cowbell, and Conan played a guitar and very well. They sang “If I leave here tomorrow / Would you still remember me?”

Conan said during the show that he had no regrets. I am pretty sure that Conan will be just fine. I can’t say the same for Jay Leno, in fact, I won’t be surprised to see the severe drop in viewers. Who knows anything?

Good Luck Conan! You hosted the best seven month show in the history of late night. Nice work.

On the “Late Night with Jimmie Fallon” Jimmie began his show in NBC studio 6A – Conan’s Old Studio – and sang a tribute to Conan,  “Its So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday”.  The Roots made a tribute to “team CoCo” as well.