8 Fictional Places I would like to Visit

If you know me, then you know that I am a writer; if you have ever been to my desk, then you know that I am a reader. I believe as a writer that it is important for me to read, and as a reader I believe it is important to keep an eccentric reading list. I read everything from self help, personal growth, chicken soup, financial management, inspirational types of books to all of the most popular Fiction titles. I am also a huge movie buff, so I love nothing more than seeing my favorite stories make their way to the big screen and seeing some of my favorite places in physical form.
With that being said, there are some of my favorite settings from film or pages that I would love to be able to visit, and I'm sure some of you would too.
This list is in no particular order, just a whimsical list that I put together for your enjoyment:

The Hundred Acre Wood

I used to (and still secretly) adore these stories. Stories of adventure and friendship and in most cases team work in every situation. The Winnie the Pooh stories are filled with loving characters that go on great adventures that take place in the Hundred Acre Wood. What I would give to accompany Pooh on a honey hunt, or help Eyore find his tail, or run from Hephalumps with Piglet.

Hogwarts

I tried to read the Harry Potter stories, but could never make it without falling asleep. However, the movies are a favorite of mine. I would love to have roamed the halls of this amazing school, and even though I hear really great things about Universal Studio's new park dedicated to the setting of the books I know nothing can touch the elaborate place where Harry, Hermione and Ron were taught their skills.

Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory

I had the amazing opportunity to play Violet Beauregard in a community production of this beloved story, and turned into an exploding blue berry with the amount of grace that only I could. The cast and I had a ton of fun re-creating this amazing place, but we didn't have a real chocolate river, and our walls were not scratch and sniff, and even though I chewed through every line (because Violet was a champion bubble gum chewer) I never really had a piece of the full course meal gum. It would be awesome to visit that factory and I'm sure anyone would agree, no matter your age.

Never Never Land

Easily one of my top three favorite stories would be the story of the boy who didn't want to grow up. I think anyone could relate with this tale of adventure and fun and ultimately growing up. When I was younger I used to wish to be Wendy, and fly with my siblings to an amazing place filled with mermaids, pirates, fairies and Indians. If you can't have fun in Never Never Land, then you really do deserve to grow up.

Where The Wild Things Are

Recently, the author of this amazing story, Maurice Sendak, passed away. I adore this story of a boy who just can't fit in, and so runs away to this amazing place where he is king of the Wild Things. Spike Jones created the film adaptation of this amazing story and it is beautifully captured. However, I would love to be King Max for a day and play a part of the "wild rumpus".

Gotham City

I am a closet nerd, even worse, a comic book nerd. And my all time favorite character is Batman. I am also a huge city girl at heart, and the fact that Gotham City (the film version) was derived from images of Chicago, Tokyo and (of course) New York City is just simply amazing to me. So you can pick fun at me all you want, but I would love to take up residence in Gotham City.

Atlantica

I LOVE The Little Mermaid, always have, always will. My bedroom used to be plastered in The Little Mermaid memorabilia, from wallpaper to bed spread to stuffed characters. Also, when I was a little girl I used to play in my grandmother's pool and pretend that I was the red haired mermaid that I loved so much, I already had the hair, I just needed the tail. I would still love to "be part of that world".

Bedrock

However childish it may seem, I still, to this day, take my Flintstone vitamins every morning. I used to love the cartoon, and I had the PEZ candy dispenser with Pebbles' head to prove it. I would love to travel to Bedrock and teach all of the cave men and women the beauty of gasoline....and shoes!

Gandhi's Top 10 Fundamentals for Changing The World

I came across this list from a wonderful app that works for people like me who love to read and surf different blogs and authors. This app is called Stumble Upon, look it up you iPad owners, it is free and awesome!
This article looked like a piece of notebook paper, with the list scribbled onto the lines, I loved the simplicity of the image, and the list is something everyone needs to take a moment to think about.

1. Change Yourself
If you don't like certain things about your daily life, such as the attitude from people around you, the way you are always tired, or the fact that you can never get things done on time, maybe instead of placing blame on other things, you should take a look at yourself.
Simply look at yourself in the mirror, do look tired, worn out, out of shape, or maybe you make up or outfit may not be in line, you have no one to blame but yourself. Re-evaluate your schedule, and make sure you have some down time, and if the problem is that you have too much down time, make some time to read a self help book, or join a group, get involved in a local volunteer program, you have the opportunity to use your time wisely!

2. You are In Control
Only you have to power to change your surroundings, only you have the power to work harder, (or if the case calls for it) play harder. Learn to take control of your life, after all if you cant control your self, how are you going to control anything else?

3. Forgive and Let Go
This is probably the most important and hardest thing a person can learn. If your heart is hardened by someone who did something to you, or wronged you in any way, I can promise you that someone somewhere is having a problem forgiving you. Forgiveness is a very difficult thing to accomplish, but after you forgive someone let it go, you cant fully forgive someone in your heart, and then bring it up every chance you get to throw their mistakes at them. Think of the golden rule, put yourself in their shoes, if you were in their place how would you like to be treated?

4. Without Action you aren't Going Anywhere
I am a dreamer, I love dreaming about all of the many places I can go and all of the awesome things I can achieve, but I also have to make lists and plans to put my dreams into reality. If you have a true passion for something, pursue it, in a healthy way. Responsibility is a key element in achievement.
Rome wasn't built in a day, but it was built, eventually, with lots of hard work and with a process.

5. Take Care of This Moment
How many times a day do you think, "Oh! I need to remember that thing on Thursday!" or how many times do you go to bed, on time, only to spend an hour thinking about all the things you need to do, or forgot to do. Stop worrying about the future and do not dwell on the past. Learn from mistakes, celebrate achievements and then move on. Worry about the moment, right now, the present, because in reality that is all we really have.

6. Everyone is Human
This goes back to number 3. Everyone is human, everyone makes mistakes, you are no exception.
Never judge someone for a simple mistake, never hold a grudge against someone for just doing what they do. Be gracious of the fact that you are human too, and that there are times when you show just how human you can be.

7. PERSIST
There is a saying that I hate, "Never take NO as an answer." Well, this little nugget of wisdom is wrong. Sometime no is the only, right, correct and true answer. However, don't just roll over on an idea because you get a negative vibe. If you believe in your product, your job, or just yourself, then be persistent with an idea or proposition. You never know what anyone else is thinking, they may just love your idea, or they may have been too scared to voice their idea or opinion and you did it for them. Be honest, and be true to yourself.

8. See the Good in People, and Help Them
We all know the saying, "its a dog eat dog world", this is not human nature. We are not dogs, we are human, we are sinners, but we are capable of compassion, love and forgiveness. We all have had someone wrong us in one way or another, we have all seen how horrible people can be, but we must take the time to seek out the good in people. There are good people in the world, however, these people are human just like me and you, and they will slip up and fall short; but they are still good people.
A very powerful things, that I learned at a very young age, is that we are all role models, maybe we are not all good role models, but there are eyes watching us all, and those eyes see good in us, and it inspires them to be just like us. Make an effort to be a good role model, watch how you act and watch the things you say, because the good we put out is the good that will carry on in others.
Help someone in need, we have all needed something at one point in our lives and in that moment someone helped us out. Pay it forward and be good to people, then the world will be good to you.

9. Be Congruent, Be Authentic, Be Your True Self
This is so simple, yet so complex. Be you! Be good, be caring, be kind, read Proverbs, be patient with people, and love yourself.

10. Continue to Grow and Evolve
Don't settle for anything, you can always be growing and reaching for the stars. Re-evaluate your to-do list, your dreams, your goals and your achievements. Take a class, learn something new, travel, take up a hobby, never settle for less, there is never a deadline to learn something new. Appreciate all that life has to offer.

30 Before 30

Some of you may be familiar with the 30 Before 30 List, for those of you who aren't: The 30 Before 30 List is a personal list of 30 things you wish to accomplish before you reach 30 years of age. There are different variations; such as, 40 before 40, 60 before 60 and so on. Now for those of you who know me, you know I love to write, for those of you who know me even better, you know I love making lists. So here is my 30 Before 30!

1. Write and publish a book
I have written books, I have had even more ideas for books, but I have not had the time to sit down and devote the kind of attention it takes to write and finish a book. However, it is still one of my top lifetime dreams.

2. Have a Leading Role
I love to act, it is my passion and I am in love with getting a role and completely immersing myself into a character. I have had some pretty major roles, but never as the leading lady. I am currently trying to get back into shape and shed those 'Mommy Pounds' for upcoming productions. I don't care if this is on stage, in a musical, or in a film, but I would love to be the leading lady just once.

3. Raise $1,000 for one of my favorite charities
I am a very passionate person, and I follow a few different charities. My favorite would be To Write Love on Her Arms. A few others on my list are The ProLife Campaign, TOMS Shoes, Invisible Children, and many different Ministries.

4. Go To A Movie Premiere
I don't mean a midnight showing at the local theatre, I've done that for some pretty awesome films, I mean one with all the stars, the red carpet, the whole kit and kaboodle. It would just be a awesome experience.

5. Speak at a Public Function
Preferably on something that I am very passionate about. However, just successfully being in front of a bunch of people talking in general would be a big deal.

6. Go On A Mission Trip Over Seas
I would love to go to Haiti, but I am not picky, I would just love to have an opportunity to go on a mission trip. I would love to devote myself to helping others who genuinely need love and support.

7. Visit Disney World in Orlando.
I am a Florida native, and I have never been to Disney World. I am a military brat and I have been to EuroDisney in Paris, (which is awesome, don't get me wrong) but what girl doesn't want to go to Disney World?! It would just be awesome.

8. Learn Sign Language
I have always wanted to learn Sign Language and I still remember the alphabet (thank you Girl Scouts), but I would love to take a class and learn the language. I have had the awesome opportunity to witness my best friend (who learned the language through college) carry on a conversation with a homeless man who approached us one night. It was very moving.

9. Go To An Opera
When my Senior Class took a trip to New York I had the awesome experience of seeing Wicked on Broadway, it was spectacular. I also used to date a guy who's sister went to college for Opera Singing, she was AMAZING. I would love to be able to go to an actual Opera production as opposed to just a musical.

10. Pay for Some one's Meal behind me at the Drive Thru
This is just an awesome 'pay it forward' kind of thing. Who has had the experience of getting to the drive thru and then noticing that you don't have your card, or you didn't have enough money, etc. It would just be neat to give an act of kindness to a stranger with no expectation of getting something in return.

11. Teach Sera to Tie her Shoes and to Walk
For those of you who don't know, Seraphim is my daughter (we call her Sera for Short http://seraforshort.tumblr.com/) I am sure she will walk and learn to tie her shoes well before I turn 30 (I am 20 right now). However, this is on my list.

12. Pray over someone who sincerely needs/wants it
This really demands some explanation, I am the type of person who knows my beliefs. I am not going to push them on anybody, I am not going to try to save every single person I come in contact with, I just love people for who they are. I try to appreciate everyone for every aspect of them, including their faults. I try my best to not judge anyone, because we all fall short, we are all human, and you sin is no worse than mine. I have prayed with many people, I have prayed FOR many people, but the people who need it most are usually the ones who shy away from asking for it. It would just be amazing to give someone that comfort of lifting them up to our heavenly father.

13. Be a Guest Blogger on one of my favorite blog sites
I follow a bunch of blogs, only a handful that I am devoted to on a daily basis. It would be pretty neat to be a guest blogger and read my blog on one of my favorite blogger sites.

14. Make a Full Meal for the entire family for a Holiday
I am a terrible cook, so it would be awesome to cook an entire meal (successfully) for the whole family.

15. Have a Spa Day
nuff said. :]

16. Renew my Vows
On March 13th 2010 I married my very best friend. He proposed to me on Christmas Eve with Taco Bell  sauce packets (you know the ones that say "Will You Marry Me?" on them) We had a beautiful wedding with all of our friends and family and it was tied together with the best wedding playlist you will ever hear. My husband is the greatest guy I know. It would be so much fun to renew our vows somewhere really special.

17. Swim with Dolphins
It is what it is, I would LOVE to go to one of those really cool resorts and be able to swim with a dolphin.

18.Learn to Surf or YOLO Board
Learning both would be great too.

19. Go on a Road Trip
I'm not talking about going to the next city or county and playing tourist. I'm talking about coast to coast, having an adventure, Thelma and Louis style.

20. Go on a Cruise
This past year my whole family went on a cruise, I had to work and my husband started a new job so he could not leave work either. And we have not heard the end of it yet. Everyone talks about how much fun it was, and all the cool things about the cruise. It would just be nice to take a vacation to rub in somebody else's face. I mean that in the most sincerest way possible.

21. Buy/Find my Dream Home
Who doesn't want to buy the perfect home? It would be awesome to find THE Home.

22. Pay off my car and hospital bills
My husband and myself have almost no debt. We are still making payments on my car, and our hospital bills from having Sera are almost done with being paid for. It would be pretty great to be under 30 and debt free.

23. Write a letter to my family members and tell them why I love them
This just seems awesome, I'm not sure where I will find the time, but I will do it. To just brighten their day and express my love and appreciation for all of their support.

24. Pursue our ministry vision
Before Sera came into our lives my husband (who graduated from The Baptist College of FL) and I (with help from lots of our friends) ran a 'hardcore ministry' we threw music shows and brought in bands from all over, christian and non, we brought in good music and the kids flocked to us. It was a great opportunity, but once we got pregnant we decided to pull out of that ministry. I have recently wanted to start a open mic night type of self expression group. We would be able to do so much in our community if we had a building or venue.

25. Witness a Miracle
I contemplated putting this on the list, because I don't think anything can top my daughter being born. That was the most amazing thing I could ever hope of experiencing. But babies are born all the time, and it is a miracle, don't get me wrong. But I would love to experience an unconventional miracle. I know it happens.

26. Go to Comic Con
I know this will come as a shocker to some of you. However, I am a huge geek. I LOVE comic books, the Star Wars movies, classic video games, and the list goes on. So, I would love to go to Comic Con, in full costumes. It would be awesome. I give you all permission to laugh at me now.

27. Dedicate and Sing my mother a song (in public)
I love my mom, so much. We have a song, and we will leave a line of it on each other's Facebook or in cards or just in a random text message. I would love to have the opportunity to sing our song to her. It would mean a lot to her.

28. Dedicate an entire day to reading a book (without guilt)
It would be so amazing to wake up one morning, stay in my jammies, and lounge around the house fully submerged in a book. No interruptions, and no guilt about not getting anything done.

29. Invent a Cupcake Flavor
This is a pretty far stretch, but it would be neat. Like I said, I am a terrible cook, but I love to bake. It would just be neat to invent a flavor and share it with the world! After all, have you ever had a BAD cupcake???

30. Cut off from Technology for a whole day
I am talking 24 hours, no iPad, no cell, no Facebook, no Skype meetings, no blogging, no stove. One whole day of living like a cave man. This could be my husband's favorite on the list.

I hope this inspires some of you to make your own list and fulfill some dreams.

Finding Leadership

Think of your very first experience as a leader or in a leadership position. Did it involve a promotion? Any special benefits? Was it a pleasant experience or were you over exerting yourself? Did you have balloons and a party? Was it for a special event or for an extended period of time? Did you enjoy the experience? Did it teach you alot about yourself?

I came to this subject today as I resumed planning an idea that was put on hold by unfortunate events. I wondered what qualified me? Why would I come up with this awesome event? What makes me think that I am credible to lead in this sort of way?

In my work place I am not a leader, I have no authority, I am a clerk. Now don't misunderstand me, I adore my job. I love working behind my desk. I genuinely love my co-workers. I enjoy helping my customers and dealing with difficult situations. However, I am not any one's boss.

In my personal life I am a mother and a wife. I consider these great positions of leadership, but my husband is head of the household.

This is when I realized that I have never had experience (in the formal sense) as a leader. I am a traditional gal, so I moved straight from my parent's house to my husband's house whenever we were married a mere 2 years ago. I have always been a great team player, but I have never led anything. Then I started thinking about my character and my personality and how I became the person that I am.

When I was young I had many friends with older siblings, and I saw all the movies about the cool older brother who would beat mean kids up and the cool older sister who could teach you how to put on make up and how to talk to boys. I always wanted an older sibling, then when I was 7 years old my little sister came into my life. I didn't know it then, but she taught me how to be a leader. I was not always the greatest leader, but I like to think that I taught her how to be compassionate and that it is always better to laugh than have an attitude. I wanted to be that cool older sister, and I only hope that to her, I was. I saw my friends picking on their younger siblings and leaving them out of beach trips or milkshake runs at the Tasty Freeze and I always tried to make a space for my sister. Sure there were times when I wanted my space, but she taught me to watch myself, because she was always watching me.

There were also times when my sister led me, if I was down or broken my sister was usually the person who came to me first. She holds many of my deepest secrets, and she has a big piece of my heart.

This thought led me to many of my friends and kids that I have mentored through churches or relationships. At the time I had no idea what I was doing, but as I look back I know that when I was just lending an ear or a shoulder, listening and loving and giving advise from personal experiences that I was mentoring, I was leading.

So, now that you have your first leadership experience in your mind, think about who you led and how they are now. How has your leadership affected them in their lives today? Have they, in return, led you in anyway? I think it is important to remember that no age or race or religion is exempt from learning or being led in some way or another. Now think about yourself right now, who are you currently leading? Are they leading you in any way?

Just because you are leader, does not mean that you are not being led. If you look hard enough you may find leadership that you didn't even know existed.

Time

It is Friday morning, I am closing a week that has been sort of rough on me, and I am thinking about last Friday when the rough week started. I got a call Friday morning from my aunt, who had news to share that I was sure of as soon as I saw the caller ID. She called to inform my that my Granny had passed away that morning, something that we had been anticipating for a few weeks. I spent the past weekend with family I haven't seen in a very long time, and I had the pleasure of introducing them all to my daughter. We sat around talking about Granny's life, the difficult days leading up to her death, and strumming banjos and guitars and singing old southern hymns. It was a bitter-sweet time, and after her funeral on Tuesday I returned to work on Wednesday to get back into the swing on my daily to-dos.
One of those daily to-dos is reading the posts for the blogs I follow, a fairly recent one of those is Michael Nichols' Grow on Purpose, today his post was on time and life and what to do with the small amount of time we have, which just fit perfectly with where I am at right now.
We all have a point, I have reached this point many times in my life (and I am only 20), where we think about all of the things we have done so far with our life, failures as well as achievements, and we think that there is so much more we could be doing. Then we wonder HOW, how am I going to fit in an hour of exercise when I can hardly manage dinner most nights, how am I going to squeeze in a early morning devotional, when I hit the snooze button repeatedly most mornings, and the hows go on and on.
I am a very organized person, I love agendas, and I am an avid planner; sure I can be spontaneous when the moment calls for it, otherwise I am structured and planned out. I know how tough it can be to find extra time in your day, there is always something that I wish I could have worked on when I go to bed at night. It is in those times that I slow down, unwind, and remind myself that it isn't about what takes up my time during the day, but the reasons behind why I do the things I do.
This is why I review my agenda on a regular basis, to re-evaluate myself. When I can find the time in my day, I like to whip out one of my many notebooks and take some time to have a little heart to heart with myself, I ask myself some of these questions.
What are the things filling up my time? Why am I doing those things? Are the things I am doing productive? Is there anything I can cut out? Is there anything I would like to add to my schedule? Am I spending plenty of time with my loved ones? Am I doing anything just for fun? Do I have any off time to take care of errands or for down time? Do I have a back up plan, in case anything unexpected happens?
These questions, among other questions, are the things I like to think about when it comes to my time management. It is very important to make sure that you are being productive and taking care of the things that need to be taken care of, but it is also important to remember the people that matter in your life. Make sure you take time to enjoy your family, they are there for a reason. Take time to encourage the people around you, be passionate about something, take up a hobby (and make time to enjoy it!), relax, and learn to fall in love with things.
We all have a clock around us, at any minute the battery can go out, and our time can run out. Make sure that the time you spend, is time that means something to you. Forget about mundane living, I know that we all must work to pay the bills, put other before ourselves, and there are going to be rough patches, and down hill stumbles; but you must find the bright side, and learn to smile, because even if everything is going against you, you still have time.

In Death

I have seen many blogs posted on this passage, however, just yesterday I read Michael Nichols version, and I had to create my own view. Here is the passage:

Imagine that you are about to attend one of the most important occasions of your life. It will be held in a room large enough to seat all of your friends, family, business associates—anyone and everyone who is important to you and to whom you are important. Do you have the picture?

The walls are draped with deep golden tapestries. The lighting is subdued, soft, and casting a warm glow on the faces of your expectant guests. The chairs are handsomely upholstered in a matching golden fabric. And the golden carpeting is deeply piled.

At the front of the room is a platform, and on the platform a large, beautifully decorated table with candles burning at either end. On the table, in the center, is the object of everyone’s attention- a large, shining, ornate box. And in the box… is YOU! Can you see yourself lying in the box? There’s not a dry eye in the room.

Among everyone that has showed up, are the people who matter most to you. Who are they?

Nichols posted that those people were: God, his wife, his daughter, his parents, friends and colleagues.

Then he said to write down how you want each person, or group of people to remember you.

I think this is a wonderful exercise, it gives you a moment to think about the people that are closest to your heart, and how you want them to think of you, and the beautiful thing is that you are still alive to change any opinions you want.

• God- I would love for Christ to remember my forgiving heart, and how much I love to make people happy. I am unworthy of any recognition, but I can only pray that I have lived up to His plans for me.
• My Husband- I would love for Dusty to remember me sitting in the passenger seat singing obnoxiously to our ipod. I would also like to be remembered for my ability to find everything he looses, and the two greatest gifts I ever gave him; myself, and our daughter.
• Seraphim- My daughter, Sera, is only 4 months old right now, but I would like her to remember just how much I am in love with her.
• My Parents- I would like my mother and my step-father to remember that I always tried to make them proud of me. I would like them to remember the goals I have reached rather than the ones that have slipped away.
• Friends- (My Best Friend, Molly; and my Sister)- I have broken this into two different people, my Best Friend, Molly; and my Sister, because I have many many many friends, all of whom I would like to remember me by something different, but these two powerful girls really mean a lot to me. I would like my sister to remember how much I tried to be a good example for her, and that I was always there when she needed someone. I would like Molly to remember me in skinny jeans, a band tshirt, and screaming and dancing at one of our favorite bands, long talks that drug into the wee-morning hours, and that when the rest of the world buckled I was always there standing strong.
• Colleagues- I would like my colleagues to remember that I was a dreamer. I would like them to miss my laugh and personality.

If you would like to read the passage for yourself, here is the link: http://www.michaelnichols.org/one-practical-way-to-change-your-life-forever/ 

Yoda Leadership!

If you know me personally, then you will know that I am a huge movie buff. I was just in a conversation with some of the women I work with earlier today, one of my co-workers asked me if I was planning on seeing any good movies this weekend, and I let her know that I planned to attend the re-release of Star Wars in 3D. Also, my organization recently asked a question "What are the qualities a leader must posses for YOU to be willing to follow him/her?" So, when I came across this blog I just had to post it and put my spin on it!

Your leader may not be a little green man, with a froggy voice, that spouts off little nuggets of wisdom like a monk, but Yoda has many characteristics that embody a great leader (other than having 'the force').

1. You are not the hero, but your Padawan may be.
Yoda is top notch when it comes to wisdom, but he is not the hero of the story, he is a driving force. As a leader you will not get all the credit you may deserve, but as a leader you should find happiness and fullness in knowing that you helped lead a 'hero' to their victory or goal.

2. You may be misunderstood.
Yoda may speak funny and have an odd dialect, but that is not where the misunderstanding dwells from. As a leader it is your job to know and understand that being a servant is better than being the king. In his blog, Ben says, "The servant leader's emphasis on service over power and humility over vanity goes against the popular notion." Because you go against the grain, others may find your leadership odd, but keep confidence in yourself.

3. If you're not careful, your organization may produce a Darth Vader
As a leader you have a whole lot of accountability, it is your job to hire new additions, and to make sure that your new hire does not only embody a team like spirit, but that you make sure that spirit never dies out. Encourage your mentees, but do not boast them into a power trip, or it will cause a kink in your team. And you will be at fault for creating the 'Darth Vader'.

4. You live in the muck
Yoda lived on the Dagobah System when Luke Skywalker finds him. This swamp world is full of mud, muck, grime and filth. The home of Yoda is a tiny mud hut. When looking for a mentor do not look at all of the many THINGS your potential leader has surrounding them, look at their work, a leader that puts quality before quantity is a great leader. Just like a leader, humble enough to live in the 'muck' of the business, will know how to get you through the 'muck' and reach your goals. A true leader is not afraid to get their hands dirty.

5. You're work is never done
Yoda was more than 900 years old when he met his last student (Luke), and even after his death, Yoda continued to coach and mentor the younger Skywalker. A great leader knows that their work is never done. A great leader will invest in relationship with you, and will understand that even when the goals are met that the work is never ending. Always be encouraging and uplifting, always set goals, always keep moving forward.

6. Sometimes, you have to kick evil's butt yourself
Yoda knows when he must pick up the light saber and do battle himself. This goes back to living in the muck, a great leader will invest him/herself in building others to pass on their qualities of service and culture, but knows when they must rise up and join the group to get past the 'muck' for the sake of their organization. Darth Sidious: I have waited a long time for this moment, my little green friend. At last, the Jedi are no more.
Yoda: Not if anything to say about it I have!

7. It's up to you
Yoda was the last hope for the people against the Dark Force. He had to train Luke to conquer the Emporer and Darth Vader. As a leader it is up to you to pass on quality and traditions and wisdom from experience in the business, and to encourage new ideas and innovations to conquer the toxic leadership so many organizations are overcome by today. As a leader you bring the change by leading others to one day become great leaders themselves.

Here is the original blog http://ht.ly/8Ujp2

Valuable over Value

Rich Gee posted a blog that you can read here:
http://richgee.com/2011/12/its-time-we-value-people-over-profits/

Gee's blog is about valuing people (your workers) otherwise known as the "little people" in your business or organization that build your products and put out your company's work. These people, in the past, have been abused, over used, and spat on in one way or another. It is time for business owners to get the hint, if you are having to down size every year, fire loyal workers, cut things from your workers, and still maintain your (personal) way of life something is wrong.
I believe 2012 will be the year when the "little people" rise. It is time for business owners to realize that if you want a product that the public loves, then you must get the people who produce this product to love it too.
So, how do you do this????
The answer is so simple: love your workers. Get to know the people that you sign a check for. Learn what they like, what makes them happy, what their interests are.
The organization I work for have been implementing this way of going about business, and because of this our TEAM is THRIVING!
Once you determine how to make the people that work below you happy, your consumers will be happy also.
Now you may ask, Why?
Why will it matter if the people making the product are happy, how will that affect the consumers?
This answer is simple also: If you strive to work for your workers, your workers will strive to work for your consumers.
When your worker moral is up, and everyone is working for an organization that they trust in and enjoy, then they will strive to put off that image to your public. Your workers will begin to strive to make every single consumer happy, because they want the company they work for to succeed.
Look at it from a personal perspective, when do you work your best? When you are having persona issues, feeling low, bored, or burnt out? NO! You work the best when you are engaged, thinking, producing ideas, and when you feel VALUABLE!
When your workers feel valuable they will value their work, thus raising the value of your team and organization as a whole.

Happy Workers=Happy Customers

Saving The Princess and Slaying The Dragon

http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=52d5c7778a3adfda535c3b349&id=8eb2dd1ad2&e=a9465016f2

I am in no way, shape, or form capable or writing a blog this morning...or so I thought.
I had a rough night, a late start this morning, and I've had a lot on my mind lately. As my mother has re-assured me, this is a human thing, it only means that I am normal. I am also a new mother, a natural red head, I thrive off of emotions (not always my strong suit), and I am a woman (we are in-fact highly emotional creatures). So, while I am stressed, emotional, and (because of my curse/blessing of a hair color) quick to anger, I am in a pickle; but I am also profoundly normal.
I started out this day with all intentions of getting to my desk, going about my day, keeping my emotions at bay, and getting through the day in one piece.
However, thanks to a blog that I came across this morning, I was put into my place (and I needed that).

I know I have hoisted Michael Hyatt onto a blogging pedestal before, but he really shined this morning. And it must be said, I keep an army of blogs in my repertoire. From Manna for Moms (about faith for busy mommies), to Passive Panda (about making money), to Rich Gee (business and team building), to other personal growth, business, personality, faith, organizational, and couponing blogs. So, I read a lot of things on a daily basis to keep myself on track, and keep the creative side of my brain fed (lets just say that part of my brain can be obese on any given day). So, when I say this blog shined on a day when I was not feeling up to par, I mean it meant something to me.
And I share it because I hope it means something to you.

Anyhow, in this blog Hyatt talks about his 'Dragon' that he wakes up to every morning, and how he goes about defeating that dragon before he begins his day. This dragon has three heads, that Hyatt has found he needs to tackle in a particular order; Spiritual, Physical, and Intellectual. Now, because my husband works very early in the morning, unlike in the middle of the night when I have a nightmare or hear a bump, my husband is not there to help me take on my personal dragon.
I wake up everyone morning, and sometimes I have to rescue the Princess before taking on the dragon. The Princess is my 3 month old daughter, Seraphim, who can wake up at any given time during the morning needing mommy to change or feed her (sometimes both) and I must keep my dragon at bay.
However, when my Princess is rescued she usually falls right back to sleep, and I am able to take on my Dragon. I start off by getting ready for the day/work; this means finding something to wear (which can be a dragon all on its own), fixing my hair and make up, and preparing myself for my job. I usually take on the Dragon once I have the Princess loaded into the car and we are heading to the Castle known as Daycare.
I will say a prayer for the Princess and her day, without mommy there; which leads to the prayer about the Daycare provider and her ability to keep track of my Princess and all of the other kiddos; which leads to the prayer about me and my courage; which leads to the prayer about everything else.
This fight with the Spiritual part of the dragon goes on after I drop Seraphim off at the Daycare, and throughout the rest of my drive to work. But on most days I prevail and defeat this part with ease.
After the Spiritual part of my dragon is slayed, where Hyatt moves on to the Physical part, I move on to the Intellectual part. When I get to work and I sit at my desk, most days I am able to read my daily blogs (I only read the blogs that pertain to my work life while at my desk; personal growth, business and team building, etc.) and this usually sparks an idea for a blog of my own, or an idea for one of my many tasks. I am on a few committees that keep my creativity fed, and keep me working, thinking, and brainstorming constantly. I also take on all of the other tasks that I am responsible for in my office. I adore my job, the flexibility (on most days when we are not swamped) to be creative, to brainstorm, and to stretch myself in ways I would otherwise grow out of shape in if I were not at my beautiful cubicle.

Which makes me think of this magnet I have on my monitor stand that I received as a Christmas present from my fabulous co-worker! The magnet says "My Cubicle is my Secret Land of Make-Believe" and in reality, on most days, it is. I get away from my personal life and I am able to think and reflect behind my monitor.

So, throughout the day I take on the Intellectual part of my dragon, and when my day goes by smoothly without me getting too frazzled at rude customers, or too overwhelmed by daily trials I can say that I defeat that part of the dragon!

After having Seraphim in September of this previous year it became clear to me that I am not like other 20 year old women that I know. I needed to get in shape, gain more energy, and start eating right if I want to be a young, hip mother, who can also keep up with her young'n. So I started researching, I started studying, and I joined my local gym. I found a love of yoga, and a drive to find new recipes and try new things.

I can say I have loads of more energy (which helps with the previous part of my dragon), and I feel better about myself in general. I feel like I don't look like a 40 year old woman worn out from sitting behind a desk and snacking on little debby cakes all day long. I am doing more things, and I feel great.

However, there are days when I leave the office and drive right by my gym on the way home, or I pick a trashy snack over a balanced meal. I can say this is the part when the dragon usually slips its fire laced tongue around my leg and swallows me whole. But I am working on it, and I am finding ways to enjoy this battle, and ways to achieve it.

I feel great about myself, and I can say that on most days I can defeat my dragon. I still have those days when my dragon eats me up, but I always go to bed, and wake up the next morning ready to take him on again. What are some of your daily dragons? and how do you go about defeating them?