Wow, What Have I Been Up To

I can't believe it ... I haven't made an entry in about 3 weeks. 20 lashes with a wet noodle. Remember that saying .. it's makes me feel like I"m 16.

I've been out of commission. I'm so sorry. I was traveling for 11 days .. to San Francisco, Denver and then Reno, NV and then back home in NYC for the past 5 days.
I was busy, overwhelmed, jet-lagged.

And, now I'm back in commission, ready to rock and roll and take on life.
Here are some random thoughts.

1. I loved going to San Fran for this great seminar I take .. it's about making a huge promise for the world. My promise: That all people as they age find passion, courage, fun and fulfillment and use that as a catalyst for action for making a difference in the world.
All of my work is committed to this promise and sets forth my agenda for the rest of my life. It's exciting.

2. I spent a couple of days with my niece and her husband in Denver. I loved being with them and the time was short. I ended up leaving early to go to Reno because of a huge snowstorm moving into Denver. Point: Somethings just can't be controlled.

3. I went to Reno to be the opening speaker at a Baby Boomer Festival. While it was exciting, it turned out to be a "bust." Hardly anyone attended. I was disappointed. However, I'm sure a few people were moved and inspired by my talk and will hopefully begin to shift their priorities for their lives. I made up a new saying: Make the REST of your life, the BEST of your life.

4. Since returning to NYC, the weather has gone from upper 60's and sitting outside to low 30's and windy. No wonder we all walk around sick. It's so windy today that it's hard to even walk.

5. I'm feeling frustrated and challenged as to how to get people to buy my book. I'm open to all ideas for making that happen. I know there are at least 30-40% of those 77 million boomers who could benefit.

6. I'm feeling anxious and worried about the economy; however, I'm eternally optimistic. The challenge of being self-employed with no real safety net creeps into my consciousness.

So, that's it for a windy, cold Saturday afternoon in NYC. Just wanted to make an entry.
Let me know what's on your mind.
ann

Random Thoughts ... the economy, the election and more

Hi there,
Well, I can't believe it's been about two weeks, actually a little longer, since I last wrote. I have no excuses .. altho I could make some. I was traveling, speaking, entertaining a house guest from Tokyo, having some anxiety about the economy, watching the political debates. But, other than that, no excuses.

Because of all my involvement with personal transformational seminars, I am no longer able to make excuses. I always take responsibility for things that happen in my life. Sometimes I hate that ... I want to blame others; but alas, it's all up to me.

Let's talk about the economy. For the last two weeks, I've been avoiding the television and newspapers; only wanted to hear the basics and no detail. But, alas, I'm not able to avoid it any longer. So, I've sent an email request to talk to my financial planner tomorrow and see where I stand. I'm afraid ... but I guess I need to be a big girl, grit my teeth and just know the truth. I'm also worried about my work. I don't have a lot in the hopper in the moment ... need to book more speeches, get a marketing plan in place, get on the phone. But, I seem paralyzed.

I spend a lot of time living in the place I call "the land of not knowing." I've written of this before. In my steps to reinvent myself ... I talk about having a plan to be with "uncertainty." Well, for all of us .. that's where we're at. We don't know when the market will bounce back. We don't know who will win the presidential election and if that person will be able to make an impact. Heck, we don't even know if it will rain tomorrow. There's a lot that is out of our control and our emotions are volatile. My classic question .. how do we handle it all?

I ask you ... what's your plan for dealing with it all?
Mine ... easy. First I do whatever I can to create some laughter ... to engage my sense of humor. But, when I'm on overload or feeling like I can't get a handle on it .. I go to a movie. Sometimes it's a comedy so I can laugh. Tonight, it was a tear-jerker, so I could cry. Either way, it taps into emotions and gives me a release. I come home more energized and focused to work.

What's your coping strategy?

As you face difficult decisions of the time ... what to do with your money OR lack thereof, who to vote for, what to make for dinner -- engage your coping strategies. Take time to laugh, love, experience, do something different yet meaningful.

Remember, we're the boomers. We are adventurous, daring, risk-taking, compassionate, focused and purposeful. Let's help the other generations tap into those aspects of themselves.

I'll be back at you soon.
Ann

Thoughts on a Saturday Night

Wow, what a week. Political craziness, Wall Street crises, Bailouts.... what does it all mean, how will it impact all of us?

I've lived in this country my entire life (well, except between 1970-72 when I lived in Japan) and I've been on the planet a lot of years.I've voted in a lot of elections, I've been through tough economic times. I'm not sure why, but I feel more "angst" and discomfort with all this now and thought I would explore some of these feelings with you. Chances are you feel some of it too.

While I was married, I didn't depend on my husband for financial support. I was actually more of a breadwinner than he was. But, none-the-less, he did contribute and did provide health insurance. So, being on my own creates a bit more uncertainty and insecurity .. financially.

As a self-employed person, there is anxiety about whether the work will steadily come in. I'm way to "old" to seek a job ... haven't been in the job market for over 20 years AND what I do is valuable and necessary ... but will corporations and associations still pay for me to Speak and coach? Or, will the economy impact that?

As for politics, will the candidate I support get into office? And, if he doesn't will the one I don't support come around to the position I think we need to turn things around? And, before we even vote in 6 or so weeks, will I be so turned off by the negative campaigning that I'll even care?

I truly dislike the election process. I hate that they both campaign with the intent of destroying the reputation of the other and not on what they plan to do. They both seem to be talking heads to me now -- saying what they think we want to hear. Saying what they think based on what the other says. Don't they get how we dislike it all? Is there any way that we, as average citizens, can tell them how much we want them to stop that?

So, I guess I've succumbed (at least for now) to the negativity. Truthfully, I haven't been watching the news. I get depressed. I prefer to keep my head in the sand as much as possible. Now, I know that's not what I "should" be admiting. I'm a highly enlightened and transformed woman ... and here I am admitting that I'd rather avoid looking at the world around me right now. But, hey, it is what it is. I'm being honest and authentic with you.

I'm wondering how you feel about all these things? What's important to you and on your mind as we go into week two of some truly tough times?
Please comment and let everyone hear from you.

Keep the faith. I also know from being on the planet for 62 years that everything eventually works out. The market swings back up, the election happens and ends campaigning for another several years. I know that if the "other" candidate gets in, I'll survive. No, I'm not threatening to leave the country and live elsewhere ... so I'll learn to cope. I've done it before. I'm resilient and so are you...
Onward an upward. Keep your chin up and have a great week.
Ann

It's Not the Economy Stupid

Morning,
I expect I'll be ranting here a bit, but then I'll have some solutions or at least ideas.
First, more than ever before, I realize how much the constant news feeds the "worry frenzy." I visited my sister last week and while staying with them, they had the news on ALL DAY LONG. It was CNN and MSNBC -- and they continually talked about all that is "wrong" with the world -- from the political stuff, to the enconomy, to the bad weather trends, to who knows what. There were no positive stories -- only anxiety-producing material.

Now, I also know that some people accuse me of wanting to stick my head in the sand and NOT face some of the reality. Hey -- it's better than doing drugs -- I'll put my head in the sand as long as I can breathe.

I realized that when I hear all this How Bad it is stuff -- I get anxious. And the only reason I hear it is because of the media frenzy that highlights it.
When I'm at home, I watch the morning news or check online just to see if there's anything important to know about and to get the weather report. After that, it's quiet while I work ... or maybe I play background music.

Are there some challenges about the economy how? Yes ... of course. Have we seen economic challenges before? Yes, ... of course. Have we overcomed, moved through, moved on past them before? Yes.... of course. Will we again? Yes.... of course.
It's NOT the ECONOMY --- it's the frenzy.

Instead of talking about how expensive gas is, why don't we report on solutions or things each one of us can do individaully? Like, carpool, take trains or buses. How about working an hour or 45 minutes extra each day so that one of the 10 days in a two week period could be done from home? Wouldn't even not driving one day make a difference? How about people consolidating their errands to conserve drive time? How about families working together about how to consolidate or take public transportation together (where possible). It's back down to what can each of us do?

In other aspects of the economy -- food prices for example. How about people start eating at home more? How about families coming together with potluck meals... more sharing and stretching to make food go further. These are great idea and great for building family connections as well.

The point: Each of us can take personal responsibility to do things a little differently in order to impact our own pocketbooks. Boomers are great at this -- we are the acitivists from the 60's and 70's -- let's remember how we loved to make a difference and tap back into that spirit.

And my last point --- what have you done for someone else lately? You know, when you spend all your time whining about how bad it is for you, you forget that it's much worse for others. How about a commitment to volunteering in some way -- as a work team or as a family team -- to help those less fortunate. The upside -- it helps them, of course, but it also helps you. There's no better cure for depression (except "legal, prescribed" drugs maybe) than getting outside of yourself and being of service to others.

Boomers -- align. Go out and do some good.
End of rant.