Something Simple

My success: Teaching a successful, and hopefully fun, program for BNI members last night.

I appreciate: 1. My husband.  2. Small business owners crazy enough to run their own business. :)  3. My beautiful nieces. 4. Electricity. 5. A warm home.

I appreciate my willingness to continually improve myself.

I want more free time.

Largest ROI: 2 proposals.

I promise to finish those two proposals.

1% Shift: Time Tracking

For My Grandfather

An excerpt from my grandpa's dissertation on Folk Healing & Folklore in Iloilo.

The Fairy House

Manoling, a sixteen year old boy home from an exclusive boarding school in Manila once wandered into the vast orchard behind his parent’s mansion in Isabela, Negros Occidental. He saw a beautiful, colorful bird and followed it, hoping to find its nest somewhere.

He came upon a clearing where some children were playing in the yard of a neat looking cottage surrounded by magnificent blooms, the likes of which he had not seen in his mother’s garden. Being the quiet and shy type, he just watched the children from a distance, the search for the bird forgotten. But the noon day sun proved too hot for the boy and so after a few minutes, he decided to head for home.

 He found his agitated mother waiting for him, visibly irked over his delayed return. It was way past lunchtime and the food on the table had turned cold. While eating, he casually questioned his mom about the neat little cottage with magnificent blooms.

“It seems so strange, Mama. I’ve never been aware that there was a house in that area of our plantation. Was that recently built? Who are those people living there?”

Donya Cristina was astounded and for a while thought her son had simply lost his way in the hacienda. But Manoling was insistent on what he saw. It was only then that she noticed his bloodshot eyes. He did not look too well either and so his mother hastily herded him to his bedroom so he could change his clothes and lie down. By this time the young man was already delirious with fever.

 The hastily summoned family doctor diagnosed his affliction as a case of overexposure to the sun coupled with sore eyes. After three days of medication and bed rest, Manoling was as good as new. But the family driver who was also the neighborhood’s manogbulong(medicine man) cautioned him.

 “Unless they decide to show themselves, tamawos as a general rule dont like being seen by human beings. You could have gone blind  or you could have lost your way… people have been known to wander for days in their own backyard. Avoid returning to the same spot this summer.”

It also seems tamawos can  also possess people. It may enter into the body of  a victim and control his behavior, all his physical senses. The victim may even show extra strength, speak in tongues and show clairvoyancy and other manifestations of the occult. 

From a dissertation presented to the College of Arts and Sciences of UP Diliman, (1980) by Dr. Moises Ponteras.

I remember reading parts of it went to the Philippines. I was in awe that it was over 850 pages, hand-typed! Then the blend of herbal medicine, ghost photos, and witch doctor stories gelled in my imagination.

He'd tease me for knowing more about U.S. history than I did. He praised me when I finished every grain of rice on my plate. (Had to unlearn that lesson, Grandpa!)

I was in awe when he climbed a coconut tree with a machete in his teeth to chop down a fresh coconut.

In college I took a Philippine history course and I interviewed him for an assignment. He told me how when the Japanese invaded the Philippines during WWII, he and a friend sold black market food and supplies along the coast. If they were caught, they would have been killed.

When I married Cory, Grandpa would quiz me on Cory's beliefs. "Is Cory Christian?" I evaded the question with, "His parents went to the Unitarian church." "Well, you can pray for him." "Yes, Grandpa."

Grandpa astounded me again when he completed his goal of translating a book of American hymns to his native dialect.

After a few years of marriage, Grandpa asked me every time I saw him, "When are you having a baby?" and I'd have to wiggle out of that.

And then he stopped asking. Because he stopped remembering.

I am glad you're at peace now. I love you.

Legacy

Grandpa's in hospice. His kidneys have shut down and he has a few short days left.

I know he's lived a wonderful life. I'm reliving my memories of him: hiding from the Japanese and selling black market food to his neighbors from a canoe, getting his Master's degree when he was 40, climbing a coconut tree with a machete in his knife, praising me for finishing all the food on my plate (I know! Saving that for another blog.), teasing me for knowing more about U.S. history than I did (when I was 7).

Again, I don't feel like doing this, but I'll journal anyway because I always feel more centered when I do.

My successes: 
Following up on a lot of tasks on Saturday.  Spending time with my nieces.  Buying the Crayola "make your own paint" set for my niece (and also for me).  Only 1 day left of the 21-Day Primal Challenge.  Great team meeting Monday morning.

Gratitude:

1. My family.
2. Flexibility in my schedule.
3. An incredible team in my business.
4. The 81% increase in revenues this past year.
5. Trust in the process.

First time at a craft store. So much to choose from!

A photo posted by Gail Nott (@gailnott) on Nov 11, 2014 at 1:46pm PST

Gratitude for my Husband:

For being there even when I'm not fully here.

Gratitude for Me:

Always moving forward, even if it's an itsy bitsy, flat on my belly, crawl.

Investment:

Listening to Chris Hardwick's book, The Nerdist Way.  Already got these gems:

• Results include getting paid & getting laid.  Who doesn't want that? :)
• Knowledge is useless if it isn't shared.

Learning & Applying:

Choose a goal & focus on it.  Even if I don't feel like it, still going through my goals & journaling.

Integrity:

Complete ads and plan for clients. Visit Grandpa.

1% Shift:

A little bit at a time.

Snow Break

I started another post, but I'm not ready to publish that one.  I'll try again on that post tomorrow.

For my daily journaling:

Successes

1. Networked with other BNI Directors and a graphic and brand designer.
2. Last-minute promotion and reminders for a client's event.
3. Decided on a niche!  More to come on this one on my business blog.
4. Marketing work for my husband's business, Referral Institute Oakland.
5. Recorded videos to help with team delegation.
6. A fun break at the mall with my sister and her family.

Post by Gail Nott.

Gratitude

1. This weird thing called life.
2. The capabilities to ponder this life.
3. The flexibility to go play in the middle of my day.
4. Meeting nice, fun, inspiring people every day.
5. Time to get stuff done.

Gratitude for My Husband

• His humor, the delicious dinners he makes for me, and just being there for me.

Gratitude for Myself

• Giving myself time to process emotion and life purpose.

Investment

• Record videos for team delegation.

Integrity

• Focus on client projects today.

1% Shift

• Realizing I don't work well shifting from one computer project to another.  Instead I'll stick with personal projects in between computer tasks to give myself a break from the computer.

I Don't Feel Like It

I don't feel like journaling today.  It's Monday, late morning, and I don't think I have any successes to celebrate yet.

I'm disappointed that we had to reschedule our camping trip.  I'm pissed that we didn't plan properly and our tax bill was higher than expected.   And I don't  think I did anything fun yesterday.

Ok, that's off my chest. Enough of the one-person pity party.

Successes:

1. I didn't spend money on something I wanted, but didn't need.
2. Organized my sales pipeline.
3. Organized my desk inbox.
4. Prepared a thorough team agenda & I feel good about empowering my team to take care of the day-to-day operations.
5. Went for a walk with Cory & the pets yesterday.  It's been a while since Cory & I've walked together.

I flipped a file box on a side & turned into a monitor stand/daily inbox.

Gratitude:

1. I get to cancel AT&T. Yay!
2. A tip from my friend Sheila Best, a financial coach, has made it easy to save money for fun.
3. The freedom to set my own schedule.
4. Delicious wine to choose from.
5. Fun clients with interesting businesses that we get to help grow.

Gratitude for my husband:

• Cleaning, organizing & cooking this weekend.

Gratitude for me:

• My focus in improving my business, which in turns grows my clients' businesses.

Investment:

• Watch 2 videos for the Advanced Power Editor (Facebook) class.

Integrity:

• I promise to create the team delegation project.

1% Shift:

• Stick to my planned schedule for today.

The 1% Shift

I came across this article yesterday on habits and improving your life, This Coach Improved Every Tiny Thing by 1 Percent and Here’s What Happened by James Clear.

It reminded me of what I heard in marketing seminar once:  changing the direction of your ship by one percent can bring you to a different continent.

In my daily journal, I'll start tracking that 1% Shift to reach my goals.

Lesson Learned

My successes:  Getting through my urgent email.

I am in gratitude for:

1. A business I love.
2. The ever-changing social media industry I work in.  It keeps me on my toes & challenges me to always improve.
3. Women who understand the true power in femininity.
4. This gorgeous state I live in. I'm looking forward to the next camping trip.
5. Giving myself a raise.

Gratitude for my husband: Buying & setting up my new speakers for me.  

Gratitude for me:  My willingness to continue to explore and grow.

What I want more of:  More clients who value abundance, collaboration, and communication.

I invest in:  Continuing to learn more about Facebook's Power Editor. (One lesson at a time!)

My lesson learned:  Clients I give discounts to, discount my value.

Integrity:  I promise to go through my non-urgent email today.

One more thing I'm grateful for... this little birdie always brightening up my day.

Post by Gail Nott.

Daily Gratitude

1. A productive Sunday. Organized my first aid kits & toiletries. #WhatIDoForFunOnaSunday

2. Great bottle of red wine & my week of alcohol abstinence is over.

Enjoyed one of the last bottles last night. So sad that Westover Winery is closing.

A photo posted by Gail Nott (@gailnott) on Nov 11, 2014 at 11:01am PST

3. Lost an in off my waist. (Doing the 21-Day Primal Blueprint Challenge.)
4. Fall back. I love the "extra" hour of sleep.
5. My awesome team for my business.

Gratitude for my husband: Had fun shopping with him yesterday. Found the perfect sport coat for him. He's going to treat me to new clothes too.

 Gratitude for my self: The fact that I'm doing this daily gratitude thing. :)

Appreciation & Gratitude for ME

Double Rainbow in Rohnert Park

Lately I haven't been consistent in journaling.  When I do journal, I'll write about my successes, lessons learned, what/who I appreciate, what did I promise to do, and what can I do today that will bring me the great return on investment (and that's not always about money).

My relationship coach, Katie Macks, gave me a slightly different journal exercise to do:

Write five things I'm grateful for.  Write one thing I'm grateful for about my husband.  Write one thing I'm grateful for myself.

What?  Me?

I criticize everything, but like a lot of people, I'm most hard on myself.  I have a long history of picking myself apart: my business, my education, my home, my office, my body, my decisions.  There's so much to choose from!

It's been a journey of learning how to truly love myself for who I am.  And even as I type that, the cynic in me peaks it's little head out and spits how cheesy that is.

Oh well. It's a process and I'm proud of how much I've grown.

So here's what I'm grateful for today:

1. Gorgeous, cool weather.  I love the changing of the seasons!
2. A lazy Sunday morning. I got to wake up without an alarm, enjoy my coffee, journal, listen to music, paint my nails, and play with my pets.
3. My fuzzy slippers. Perfect for a cold morning.
4. YouTube. You can watch these magical little movies set to music, called music videos.  ;)
   I miss my MTV!  At least I can now create a private playlist of my favorite songs.
5. My crazy parrot singing along to the songs.

For my husband:  I am grateful to have a husband who reaches for his dreams.

And for me:  I am grateful for myself in taking the time to take care of my husband and my nieces.

That was challenging.  I felt myself tighten up while I scanned my brain, trying to think of what one thing I was appreciative about myself.  

Then I paused, took a deep breath, and acknowledged what I already knew.

My Top 3 Favorite YouTube Channels on Organization

I have a secret obsession with organization.  If you saw my home or office today, it doesn't show unfortunately.

As I strive for work/personal life harmony, that will begin to shift.  For now, and for fun, I love watching other people organize.

Here are my top organization YouTube Channels:

1. Home Organizing by Alejandra.tv

Alejandra's videos were the first ones I found on YouTube.  She's like the Rachel Berry of organization and online business.

Her videos are professionally made, and they're not only helpful, they are a great example of using video to market your business.  Which in her case, is an online program called the Power Productivity Program.

I love her cheeriness and rainbow-coordinated accessories.  Some people might be turned off by the amount of joy and slightly-obsessed with details that she brings to her organization tips.

When it comes to self-help, I'm a big believer in choosing what works for you.

My fridge isn't perfect, but it's so much better after watching this video:

Here's my fridge in real life (and yes, that is almost half-a-shelf of mustard. My husband is obsessed with mustard).

 My husband hated the bottom vegetable drawer at the bottom, so we took it out. As typical pilers, the food piled up.  We would forget what was underneath and wasted money from rotting food.

I had the clear, middle bin already. I purchased the two bins in "harvest purple" from the Dollar Store.

2. Do It on a Dime

Here's the opposite of Alejandra.tv in terms of video production and perfection.  

I love this series because it feels much more doable and affordable to organize her way. 

She gives great tips, and she has lots of videos on another new obsession of mine... Dollar Tree Hauls.  (I'll save that obsession for a future blog post.)

3. Life is Organized with Mridu Parikh

Mridu has the Marie Forleo-quality in her videos - silly, high production quality, and of course, great information.

To be honest, the silliness can get on my nerves at times.  I have to be in a certain mood to watch her videos.

Her tips tend to be more focused on organization theories and tips, versus showing examples.  Sometimes I want to see examples; other times, the tips are all I need.



Which organization YouTube channels do you recommend?

The Phaedrus Prayer by Socrates

"...grant that I may become beautiful within, and that whatever outward things I have may be in harmony with the spirit inside me.

May I understand that it is only the wise who are rich..."

- Socrates, the Phaedrus, translated by Michael Joyce,
The Enlightened Mind, ed. by Stephen Mitchell.

For all of you know Me...

"I have put my truth in your innermost mind, and I have written it in your heart.  No longer does a man need to teach his brother about God. For all of you know Me, from the most ignorant to the most learned, from the poorest to the most powerful."

--The Bible from The Enlightened Mind: An Anthology of Sacred Prose. Edited by Stephen Mitchell

It's About Time

I'm surprised it's taken me this long to create a personal blog. I probably have abandoned blogs scattered throughout the web, lonely profiles drifting in cyberspace.

If I find them, I'll move the content over here.  My intention is to write daily. If it's business-oriented it will go to my Bay Area social media web site. Otherwise it will go here.