September 26, 2013

The Page of Aquarius Redesign

Thanks to the creative services of  Jenny, owner of PBJ Designs. my blog has a new look!  Since I started my blog, I wanted to give it a little more style.  I found Jenny’s information on another site she designed and decided to reach out to her.  I started this blog on a whim and as I begin to write more often, I decided it was time to change it up.

I gave no thought to what I know or did not know about redesigning my blog.  I was probably half way through the process when I realized I had jumped into the project without a clue as to what I needed…and then I carried on and figured it out as I went with Jenny’s help.  I  shared my vision and my sources of inspiration and Jenny produced ideas and suggestions to get us to the final result.  Jenny has been  responsive, patient, and helpful.  She took my literal ideas and translated them into creative ideas.

Aquarius is a water sign and I wanted to incorporate waves into the header or the design.  I looked for pictures to use for the design and found nothing that aligned with my ideas.  When I think of waves, I see the beach and a photograph of waves did not fit what I had in mind.  Jenny did a little research and sent me abstract images of waves and we were rolling.  I loved the abstract approach because it was so different than what I had originally envisioned.   We tried several different abstract images of waves and we decided on what you see at the top of the screen after many email messages back and forth.

The original image was very bright and colorful so I actually passed on it, though I really liked it the best of all the possibilities.   I wanted to keep the aesthetic a little more muted while maintaining a sophisticated color scheme.   After trying a few other images, Jenny decided to change the image you see in my header to grayscale and it was a winner!  I should have gone with it to start yet had not considered the possibilities it presented in spite of the color combination. When something jumps out at you, there is a reason.

Now that this blog design is complete,  I am starting a new project.  It is a brand new project so I have some work to do in the pre-planning phase.  Working on this blog and with Jenny gave me a new perspective on what I need to consider.

 

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September 21, 2013

Are The Right People Around You?

Building upon an idea requires the right people to provide support or to add insight .  My vision is fuzzy when it comes to visualizing color and creative interpretation.  I am working on a blog makeover and when I made the decision to do this, I felt like I was standing in a strange city without a map or GPS.  I was unsure of how to approach my vision.  On a whim, I reached out to someone I found online who has a side business of creative design for blogs and websites.  When I shared my vision, she replied with some abstract ideas that I loved.You know you have found the right person when you see their suggestions and say, “WOW! I love this!”  I can be a very literal person and while I can do many things, envisioning a creative or artistic design is difficult for me.  I can describe what I want and convey what inspires me but bringing that together into a picture can be tedious!  I need someone who can help me interpret my vision or show how colors or patterns can be complementary.

My strengths lie in areas that are less artsy and more logical.  I can envision ideas on a practical level and come up with concepts. When it comes to colors, coordination and aesthetics, it is a struggle.  I knew I had to find someone who could help me with my blog idea.  There are some things just better left to people have skill sets that are different than mine.  Plus, I really have little interest in doing creative design or blog design and much prefer the surprise of someone else’s interpretation and ability to run with a vision or an idea.  Ask me how to solve a problem, I can probably come up with a solution.  Ask me to pick out fabrics or patterns or colors for anything and you may see a blank look on my face.

It brings me to the idea of understanding your “power”.  What are the tools you have intuitively and naturally that you can share with someone else to help them along whatever path they are on?  What do you hold in your hands (figuratively) that you can work with and use that may be stifled or collecting dust?  We all have something and it can vary from ability to fix things to baking cakes to interior design to writing. Recognizing what you do well is really important.  Recognizing where it would be helpful to hire help or to have someone pitch in is always will serve anyone better.  It comes down to knowing your strengths and capitalizing and knowing your weaknesses and accepting them.  It takes so much more effort to try to make a weakness a strength and so little effort to ask someone if they can help when it would be most beneficial. For example, I have a friend who may as well be a professional shopper/stylist.  She has taught me how to incorporate colors and style into my wardrobe in ways that I can repeat on my own.  However, every now and then, I need her assistance shopping because she has a eye for fashion and I do the best I can.  When you ask for help or hire someone, make sure you have people who are excellent at what they do and make sure you choose people who will show up. Consistent. Reliable. Trustworthy. Objective. Present. Supportive. These are the words that come to mind for me when I think of who I want to working with me.  It is important to gather the right people to support your vision else you may find things slow down or do not turn out as you envision.  If you are lacking what you need in the people around you, make a change.  If you find yourself going to a person who understands your vision or can give you helpful objective or even actionable feedback or advice, then you have the right person. Know when to run with what or who you have and know when to bring someone new on board and to make a change to benefit your path.

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September 16, 2013

Self-Doubt Chirping

Working past self doubt is a challenge.  I have this plan for a new blog.  I will be running two, actually.  You are reading my skirt and high heels blog (in need of a make over).  My new blog will be my running shoes and kick up my feet blog.  I am working on a plan to invest money into the appearance and the design of both of my creations versus my usual method of throw the spaghetti up on the wall.  I guess it could be called an investment in my future in spite of the little voice in my head saying, “the future of what?”  Thank you Self-Doubt for chiming in and trying to squish my idea, is all I have to say about that.  This is one of those things that came to me and I felt like running with it; yet Self-Doubt chirps away.

Someone recently observed I fear things and I probably have no idea what it is I am afraid of.  I found that to be a fair assessment as the unknown is a source of fear for me and something about the unknown rattles my confidence.  I have no idea what the unknown holds and that is my own obstacle.  Who cares what the unknown holds?  I am reminding myself to shape the unknown as I want it to be and to allow changes and shifts as things reveal themselves.  I have to remind myself to just take a little leap of faith every now and then, as there is really nothing to lose in pursuing an idea.   I need to focus on what I want to do now and how I want the “now” to unfold.  Self-Doubt needs a mute button.

Taking an idea and allowing it to come to fruition can be a revealing way to let others see your point of view or perspective and to hear your voice (literally or figuratively).  You may learn something new about yourself and others may learn something new about you.  In my case, Self-Doubt can be an annoyance and an idea stopper.   Self-Doubt feeds fear…or does fear feed Self-Doubt?  Chicken or the egg?  Needless to say, the combination can be the source of self imposed obstacles that can stop creativity or progress in its tracks, if allowed.  I suppose it is  natural to hear the chirping of Self-Doubt in any venture or process and it is a lesson in will, I think.  Mute Self-Doubt and carry on.

Filed Under: Believe, business, direction, Go with the flow, Inspiration, motivation, perspective, Purpose, successful venture, thepageofaquarius Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment
September 12, 2013

Do It Your Way On This Day

Remember what is important and remember how good you have it.  How many times do we all forget to relish the times of simplicity in our lives?

Today is a day that reminds me where I was and what I was doing and how I first found out a plane hit the World Trade Center.  I can remember how I reacted, my surroundings and all the things I did that day.  The media coverage was overwhelming at the time.  Since 2001, I have always avoided TV and any kind of news outlets when the calendar switches to the 11th of September.  Like a cattle brand, my memories are burned into my brain (like anyone else) and I need no further reminder. I can remember the phone call from Jersey City informing me of something I actually thought was a mistake at first.   I can envision what I saw from Newark airport a few days following.  I can envision all the missing persons flyers I saw in Penn Station and posted around the city for a time following that day.  I can remember the memorials at the local train stations for the people who never returned home.  People say never forget.  My response is I can never forgot, nor would I forget.  Some times I wonder if it is disrespectful to avoid media coverage of the memorial events each year.  However, I really feel the news media can give anyone information indigestion.  I feel each person should observe this day however they wish, in whatever way is most comfortable. Though I am hardly religious, I woke up this morning and prayed for peace and protection for all the people who lost someone or more, all the people who were lost, all the people who are saddened or sick as a result of events on that day.   “Anyone who needs it on this day, please bring peace and protect the people who have passed and the people who survived or were left behind and every person touched by the events 12 years ago.”  Then I started my day.  I decided to respect those impacted by remembering I am fortunate to drive to work and sit at my desk.  With my usual grace, I spilled coffee on my dress and was grateful that was the worst thing I had to deal with today. I was reminded my “issues” are trivial and for those of us not living through something, whatever that something may be, the rest of us can extend empathy, compassion, kindness and support to those who need it. I found this quote last night and it is a good reminder:  Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.  Be kind.  Always.

Appreciate when you have periods of time in life when things are uncomplicated.  Appreciate when you are the observer instead of one of the affected and help when you can.  Do small things to show kindness because even the little things go a long way.  What goes around comes around. When you need kindness, it will come back to you in ways that likely would surprise you.

I do appreciate the light installation in lower Manhattan.  I saw many pictures on Instagram tonight.  It is quite peaceful and serene.

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Filed Under: Believe, clarity, compassion, Connection, consciously aware, empathy, perspective Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments
September 10, 2013

Trust In What You Know

Inspiration comes in funny ways.  New ideas come to mind at the most random times.  I was working out on Sunday morning and it was a painful workout. I was tired and wanted coffee.  My favorite protein pancakes and an iced latte were on the menu once I got myself out of the gym so I had my inspiration.  Whatever it takes! Sometimes self motivation is simply not enough to get me through my workout!  Pancakes. Coffee. Pancakes. Coffee. Pancakes.  This is what was on my mind as I did mountain climbers and push ups and all of the things in my Sunday morning workout .  While going through my circuits, I started to think about more than just pancakes.  I started to think through various things I have been researching (like protein pancakes) and came up with a new blog idea during tricep dips.  The idea stuck with me so I started to really think it through.  On Sunday night, I sent my idea to my sounding board, aka my brother, and now it is a work in progress.

I am learning to let ideas flourish because it is better let creativity wander than discount an idea as silly or unimportant.  It is a lesson for me.   I have a tendency to think for a long time before doing some things.  Too much thinking opens the door for self doubt.  This causes me to minimize ideas when I find myself with something that takes me outside my comfort zone.  In this case, I came up with my idea and started to work on it that night.  Progress!  I took my inspiration and started to let my brain do its thing in a productive manner.  Some times it is better to work on the What and worry less about the How and trust in what you know.

Filed Under: direction, Go with the flow, Inspiration, Life Lessons, Listening, motivation, thepageofaquarius Tagged With: , , , , , , , , 2 Comments
September 4, 2013

Gratitude Is Easy

Back to work.  The day after Labor Day is always a bit deflating.  The end of summer is near which means bulky coats, boots and dark mornings and evenings are looming.  The end of last week also involved a rather unpleasant client meeting.  Unpleasant as in awkward silences and uncomfortable explanations about a deliverable.  As I started my drive to the same client location this morning, I was cringing a bit.  I am the face to the client so they look to me for answers and explanations and to listen to their pain points. When I am on the spot, honesty is my only route.  I learned early in my years in Corporate America to avoid taking things personally and to be composed no matter how the client is addressing me.  After an unpleasant meeting I always feel weird going back to the client.

As I was waiting in the lobby I was checking Instagram and Twitter, as I always do when I am just waiting.  It is always interesting to see what words of wisdom others are posting.  One person posted a picture of her journal and indicated she writes the things for which she is grateful as a daily practice.  Another posted that she makes note of the good things that happen to her each day before she goes to bed. And another posted her advice to thank yourself when something goes well. After last week, I decided to try to remember the good things at the conclusion of my all day client visit.

Fast forward to 11am when I sat down with one my key client contacts.  She has a daughter my age so it is hard to get anything past her.  She uses mother’s intuition with me so it is futile to think anything will go unnoticed. She started by saying, “I wanted to talk to you about last week’s meeting and how you conducted yourself.”  I cringed in my chair as I waited to hear what was next as I really had no idea how I was perceived by the client after a rigmarole of a conference call.  She said, “Some of the people on the phone were being unreasonable.  You were poised and you listened and your responses were very thoughtful and reflective of the fact that you were listening to what was said.  We appreciated that you were willing volunteered to go to the executive meeting to explain the circumstances.  You did an excellent job given the awkward circumstances and awkward silences.”  WHEW!  I was so relieved and so grateful to receive a compliment from a customer.  I pride myself in advocating for my clients and giving them honest answers and understanding in my interactions.  Most often, when working as a service provider, compliments are few and far between as clients often speak up when displeased.  My client also said, “You either enjoy the abuse (jokingly) or you have learned to take nothing personally.”  To which I replied (in short), “It is business, nothing is personal here and I learned that a lesson many years ago.”  WHEW!  It turned my day around to hear my client validate that I did the right thing and approached business concerns in the right way.  I am fairly confident in my ability, however, hearing how someone perceives me is helpful and enlightening.  I decided to chalk that up to a good thing that happened to me today.

My takeaway is to show gratitude.  It is easy and often effortless.  Always thank the people who do good work.  I tend to thank people in any service capacity because I have had several different jobs in my life.  It is very easy to show gratitude and appreciation when someone works behind a counter or over the telephone.  I find many people forget to do this .  I send notes to senior management when some goes above and beyond.  I have been known to pull over on the side of the road to thank utility workers.  Every day for the last 4 the staff at Starbucks has gotten my drink wrong.  I suspect a lot of people would get annoyed,  however, I just asked them to correct it and thanked the barista for doing so.  I see how hard the baristas work during a rush and no one is intentionally giving me the wrong coffee concoction.  Say thank you to the people who provide service as they deserve to be acknowledged and they deserve to know their work is appreciated.  If you are a regular, introduce yourself and learn the names of the people who prepare your coffee or wait on your table or do your pedicure.  I find it it usually leads to better service and a more positive experience for all parties involved.

Filed Under: blog, business, compassion, corporate america, empathy, experience, Life Lessons, Listening, perspective, practice, thepageofaquarius Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment
September 1, 2013

Thank You. Merci. Gracias. You Get It.

Just say thank you. Two words when used together are often very powerful.  These are the only two words you need to use sometimes. When someone does something nice for you say thank you, rather than objecting.  I was with two friends this weekend and one is in a financial situation that makes me appreciate my steady job and uncomplicated life.  Right or wrong, because I have an income and she is unemployed and supporting her family as best she can, I refuse any gestures involving money out of her pocket. It bothers her that I do this and she snuck in and paid for my smoothie at a take out place on Saturday afternoon.  I thanked her for her kindness and generosity; however, in my mind I wished she had saved the $5 to do something for herself.

I have rules with my friends. In spite of good intention, I try to avoid allowing my friends with financial constraints from spending money on me, even a cup of coffee.  I have the flexibility of spending money in my day to day life and always prefer a person save their dollars until easier days come around or apply elsewhere i.e. groceries or other needs.  Another friend of mine was unemployed a few years ago and working hard to find a new job.  During this time, she was dining home and was feeling bummed out because she needed to restrict her spending.  I insisted on buying her sushi one night to get her out of the house; plus I wanted company for dinner as sushi is always better at the restaurant! She was uncomfortable with this because she is an independent woman and likes to pay her own way; however, she relented because I negotiated with her.  I made a deal.  I offered to let her pay for dinner once she had income feeding her bank account if she would let me make dinner my treat.  I held up my end of the bargain, about a year later, when she was finally employed again.  We met for dinner and she reminded me of the deal we made when the check came.  It made her happy to treat me to dinner after all that time and I thanked her.

I often think about acts of kindness and what we can do for other people.  Sometimes acts of kindness are well served when they help strangers.  Sometimes acts of kindness are well served when friends are in need.  When an opportunity to help someone presents itself, it is hard for me to say no.  To clarify, I am hardly a bleeding heart and truthfully am not the person who gives money to homeless people sitting on the street.  I will, however, donate food to a food pantry or clothes to charity, for example, to ensure my contribution is put to good use.  When I have an opportunity to help, it tugs on me unless I take action.  It may be odd but true.  It takes so little effort to do something for someone else and if the response is ‘oh that is too much’ or something along those lines, I usually say, “just say thank you and do something for someone else when you can.”   Acts of kindness can be money free as well.  A neighbor was recently talking about a business idea he has been considering.  I told him I had been reading on the very topic he was interested in and shared blogs and articles I  had read to provide him with additional resources and possible leads.   Little or big, time consuming or easy to do, identifying an opportunity to help is rewarding and an opportunity to help can inspire the recipient or another person to pay it forward.   It goes along with the what goes around, comes around idea as well. Give kindness and you will probably see welcome and/or unexpected kindness in return. Help and when you need help, it will be returned.  Obvious statements I suppose yet on my mind for the last few days.  Thank you for reading this blog.

 

 

 

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August 30, 2013

Change This, Change That

There are a bazillion things you can do with your life.  There are a bazillion ways you can change things in your life. How do you decide what and when and how?  Change can be difficult without a doubt.  Changing habits, changing patterns, changing beliefs, changing lifestyle, changing your shoes, changing anything you can think of has its challenges.  Some changes are more challenging than others.  Maybe change can be fun, maybe it can be tedious or maybe it is just a necessity.

There are people who know me who will say I am a creature of habit; though I guess I do have a hard time picking things about me that are “creature of habit-isms.” Since the age of 10, I have always appreciated consistency and stability so I guess that is a creature of habit-ism.  It stems from moving.  My family uprooted to a new state when I was 10 and it changed my life so much that I think from then on, I have been inclined towards predictable.  Moving away from what was familiar to an entirely new place was a big deal for me.  I was unable to express how I felt or what was bothering me so my Mom had to deal with a lot of 10 year drama when I started at my new school. Kids in my class were picking on me and teasing me which was opposite of my experience in my prior school. I knew everyone, we all went to elementary school together, I was hardly aware of my height or my braces – till I went to a new school, in a new state and something changed!  When I think about that time in my life, I find myself saying, “Ohhhh maybe that is why I like a home base” or “Ohhhh may that is why it would take a lot to get me to move far away”.  I tend to reflect on life experiences that have given me reason to pause based on circumstance or situation.  I wonder what my perspective would have been if I felt like moving was an adventure as a 10 year old?  Adjusting was something that eluded my vocabulary upon setting foot in New Jersey.  I never knew then to change my perspective about the circumstances at hand.  Change can be forced, change can be weird, change can be tough, change can just happen whether you are ready for it or are asleep at the wheel.

On a lighter note, change with awareness can be quite good.  For the last two weeks, I have been on a perimeter of the grocery store breakfast, lunch, dinner plan with a daily stop at Starbucks (need latte) and the occasional non-perimeter snack.  Call me Captain Obvious but this little change has really made me feel better when I workout and after I workout and has given me more energy in the morning.  I have been researching new things to eat and to prepare and am amazed how much healthier my eating habits have been. Less sugar and less dairy have really given me more energy when I workout.  Hardly rocket science but revealing to me since I considered myself a healthy eater (with a penchant for cookies…and the cake pops at Starbucks). Changing what you eat and how much water you drink, really does a body good. Making a change and seeing positive results is motivation to continue down a path and to look for other things to tweak and modify.  When it comes to how you eat or what you drink, one has to want to change otherwise it feels like a chore.  I remember when my Dad had a heart attack, the next day, while in the ICU, he said, “Well I guess I can never eat escargot again.”  As if he ever eats escargot?  However, he was in a hospital bed thinking of all the things he could suddenly no longer eat because he had a rude awakening into the life of a cardiac patient.  The escargot statement did teach me it is better to make changes on my own volition rather than being forced in another direction by circumstances I could have controlled or influenced.  

Is it possible to feel every change as a good change?  I am unsure, however, it possible that whatever happens, the outcome may always ended up better than expected.  In the case of my grocery store perimeter meals, at first it was quite torturous.  I really felt like it was torture to change my ways and avoid my favorite yogurt and sweet treats for two weeks (Chobani Flips are like dessert yet yogurt, do try). After a full week suddenly the discomfort dissipated and I also found some healthier alternatives to my standard sweet treats.  I survived the change of habit!  I am hardly strict with myself (as noted by the corn bread I ate tonight) as everyone needs a treat here and there!  However, I am liking the change.

 

Filed Under: balancing act, Believe, experience, Life Lessons, motivation, perspective, success, thepageofaquarius Tagged With: , , , , , , , , 2 Comments
August 24, 2013

Turn Your Habits Around

While trying unsuccessfully to use my brain while on vacation, I did find myself thinking about habits.  What habits do you have that really fail to serve a beneficial purpose?  At that moment, I actually had a block as relates to my bad habits and put the idea on a mental shelf.  Sometimes things fall off the mental shelf while I am commuting and that was the case while I was sitting in traffic this week.

One of my worst habits is worrying.  I worry about work matters that are outside my control and how to manage client perception. Worry really is an exercise in futility as there are just some things I can do little about except take it all in stride.  Such is life in Corporate America!  Why keep myself up at night or create unnecessary stress if situations and environmental circumstances are caused by someone or something else?  I am finding it is better to empathize with my clients or be honest with my clients when they discuss pain points.  I try to always tell the truth when something goes awry in a professional, palatable manner. Rather than subjecting myself to worry and stress, I find it easier to take off the business mask and just have a human conversation.  Mistakes happen, nothing is perfect and we do the best we can.  I have been working to shift my thoughts anytime the little worry voice in my head pops up.  Once I realize I am starting down the worry path, I do my best to stop myself and focus on something totally different and positive.  The mind is a really funny thing.

Another thing that came to mind: eating and sleeping habits.  Generally I lean towards healthy foods and I exercise regularly.  There are times when it is just easier to eat chips for dinner or a few cookies for breakfast and slack off at the gym because I am too tired to do anything.  ( I support eating dessert for breakfast because why must it only be served after dinner?)  However, I realized over the course of several months, my work related stress levels have been increasing, my sleeping patterns were inconsistent – staying up too late, getting up really early or sleeping really late. Exhaustion and stress were driving me to want more sweets while also taking energy away from my workouts.  After vacation I decided to give myself a break.  I realized I need to take a step back and be more regimented about how I eat and how I sleep as I had fallen off course sometime in the Spring.  Bed by 10:30pm is my goal so waking up is easier in the morning.  I follow a number of nutrition/healthy lifestyle blogs and found some new food and recipe ideas and noted a few key things:

  • Eat for nutrition, not for fun.  Cookies or breakfast are tasty! I feel much more energetic after a plate of protein pancakes or a bowl of oatmeal or Greek yogurt with fruit and granola.  I knew this and had forgotten somehow?

  • Drink more water.  It is my go to beverage but I have been so busy and preoccupied I really had only been drinking water at the gym. Dehydration = tired.  And hardly economical admittedly – I have been buying 50 oz bottles of water to drink over the course of a day.  I will buy a water bottle to take with me, bottled water has been a stop gap.

  • Figure out what works for you with different resources.  When I cook something, I read many recipes to find the combination of ingredients I want to use to create my own recipe.  I did the same this week.  I read different blogs and found the things that work for me to get back on track.  I was reminded of some things, learned new things about different and new foods  and learned new things about nutrition.   I always find new and different perspective when I read what regular people are doing.  Some of the blogs I read and follow on Twitter/Instagram are:

There are other habits I gave thought to, however, I decided to address those that impact my quality of life first.  I did have a big fat pork chop for dinner last night and shared strawberry shortcake for dessert, so by no means have I given up eating for enjoyment!  However, I went to bed at a reasonable time, woke up at 7:30am and ate a healthy breakfast (plain Chobani with nectarines, strawberries and granola), hit the gym for over an hour, and made a healthy lunch.   Moderation as they always say and avoid deprivation!

I suppose habits that lack benefit to life style, quality of life, health, etc only steer us away from what serves us well.   It happens and when you realize it, it takes little effort to shift things around and get back on the better path.

 

Filed Under: balancing act, clarity, consciously aware, direction, experience, Inspiration, Purpose Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment
August 22, 2013

Branching Out

This is a short one!  Now that I have a blog, I am learning many things about what to do and how to do it.  Something brought me to Bloglovin’ tonight.  I cannot recall what exactly, however, I found it via Google and found it will replace my Google Reader.  I am a little delayed in replacing Google Reader, however, better late than never!  I am adding a link for anyone who uses Bloglovin’ to track blogs.  It is very helpful to have a single source to access my favorite blogs even though I follow many on Twitter!

Thank you for reading!

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