If the Shoe Fits or Blah, Blah, Blahniks (a very tall tale)

It started out fairly innocently.  I had just finished up lunch with some friends and had left the restaurant in a hurry.  It’s always good to see the gals, but lunch meetings are always so busy – it’s a juggling act, let me tell you.  You spend an hour trying to catch up with everyone, and then you have to give an update on your life, and don’t forget – you have to look good, ‘cause let’s face it girls, it is a competition – - oh, and let’s not forget we’re in a restaurant and it is lunchtime – so we should eat something!  All this in one little hour?? This is multi-tasking at its best!  There just never seems to be enough time… yet, we’re always up to the challenge.  Anyways, it was getting late.  As a matter of fact, I had only a few minutes left to get back to work and I was pretty sure it was going to take me longer than that, so, walking down the sidewalk, I was passing a boutique, when something in the store window caught my eye.  I gasped – - and stopped dead in my tracks.  I could not believe my eyes.  My heart started pounding faster.  My handbag slipped out of my hands and went crashing to the ground, spilling my makeup menagerie all over the pavement.  I stood while watching my lipstick rolling towards the road as passively as if I were watching a movie scene in slow motion.  A car drove past and honked its horn, which thankfully snapped me back to reality.  I bent over, gathered my belongings; hastily threw them back into my bag and got up, trying to regain some composure.  Back at the window in a flash, I stood there with my mouth gaping open.  OH MY GOD!  There stood the most fabulous pair of shoes I had ever seen!!!  Manolo Blahniks.  I was under their spell!  Before I even realized it, I found myself inside the store walking around with those fabulous shoes on, admiring my feet reflected in the mirrors.  And, as luck would have it – they were on sale – only $340.00!!!  HELLOO!!  Yes, they were way over my budget, but they’re Manolo Blahniks!!  I couldn’t resist, so I quickly paid for the shoes and left the store, exalted in my victory! [doing the happy dance]   And yes, I got back to work… a little late…

Later that day, sitting on my bed, with my new shoes in my hands, I thought about the dilemma I now faced.  Here I was with these gorgeous shoes and I had no idea what I was going to wear with them.  Everything I owned, all my clothes paled by comparison.  So, I did what any other red-blooded female would do- – I went shopping!

I wore my new shoes to work the next day and was the envy of the office.  I looked fabulous.  I was a little wobbly, but figured I just needed to get used to the height my new shoes gave me.  And then I tripped walking up the stairs and landed hard on my pinky finger.  I had to go to the hospital for X-rays and the doctor said it was broken.  So he put a splint on my finger and now it sticks up like this.  I decided not to wear my new shoes to work anymore.

That night, I wore my new shoes on a blind date I had with this guy I met online.  I looked fabulous.  We were meeting for coffee and when he arrived, I noticed he seemed a little uncomfortable when I stood up to greet him.  I was a tee-nsy bit taller than him [try 5 inches], me, in my new shoes, and I tried not to look down at his bald spot, but, I couldn’t help it – - it was right there!  I decided not to wear my new shoes on blind dates anymore.

The next day, I wore my new shoes golfing with the girls. Yes…and they all laughed at me, but I looked fabulous.  I did have a little trouble hitting the ball, me and my new found tallness.  And it was hard to hold the golf club with my finger poking out.  And then my heels got stuck in the grass and I fell over and my golf club hit me in the face and knocked my front tooth out.  I decided not to wear my new shoes golfing anymore.

The dentist fit me with a temporary replacement, which I would have to wear for about two weeks.  My mouth was a little sore and the dentist said I had to be careful chewing with that tooth for awhile, so I went to the grocery store to pick up some fruit for a smoothie.  I was in the produce department when I noticed a familiar-looking guy checking me out.  He smiled at me, so I smiled back, and then – he quickly grabbed his produce and left.  Things got a little weird at the checkout counter, when I realized I was behind the same guy from the produce department.  He had a familiar-looking bald spot and when he turned his head to look up at me, I realized with shock that he was the blind date guy!!!  He said very curtly “You’re much taller than you mentioned in your profile”.  I felt my face burning and I was about to mention my new shoes, when he asked “Hey, where’s your tooth?”  I felt the blood draining from my face as I ran my tongue over the gaping hole where my tooth should have been.  I decided not to wear my new shoes to the grocery store anymore.

The next day, I took my dog for a walk in my new shoes.  I looked fabulous.  While waiting for the light to change at the intersection, a cat sauntered across the lawn beside us, completely oblivious to our presence.  Before I realized what was happening, I was being dragged along the boulevard, my dog in hot pursuit of the cat.  I frantically tried to let go of the leash, but it was caught in my pinky splint and I could not get it loose.  And what’s worse – I was wearing shorts, so my knees were quickly relieved of any skin – right down to the bone!!

[Heavy sigh - - pause...]

I’ve decided not to wear my new shoes anymore. .. As a matter of fact, I think I’ll try to sell them on eBay…they pinch a little…

How to Say It

I’m pretty sure everyone has heard the saying “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me.”  This expression dates back to 1894 and basically means that although a physical attack may hurt me, I don’t care what you’re saying.  Well, that’s great that that person realized that he or she needed to ignore those nasty words, because there is definitely power in words.  Words are powerful.  Words create impressions, images and expectations.  They influence how we think.  Since thoughts determine action, there’s a powerful connection between the words we use and the end result.  Poorly chosen words kill enthusiasm and have a negative impact on self-esteem.  Well chosen words influence thinking.  They can motivate and inspire us.  To emphasize my point, think about the last time someone praised you for a job well done.  Or thanked you for your hard work.  How did those few little words make you feel?  I bet they lifted your spirits, didn’t they?  They boosted your self-esteem and perhaps even made you smile a little.

Studies show that we place our attention on words differently according to what’s important to us.  For example, individuals with eating disorders will place more emphasis on words that reflect their body image.

It is believed that we have between 60 – 80,000 thoughts a day.  Most of those thoughts are repeats of yesterday.  As a matter of fact, on a daily basis, we are so inundated with data and information that 80% of the time we are unconscious of the words we hear and are using.

I was a little startled by that statistic.  If we’re not fully conscious of the words we hear and speak, this leaves plenty of room for error. And if we’re saying something negative, that message has the chance of getting stretched and construed and completely misunderstood. WOW – when did communicating get so complicated?  Well, it’s not really, it’s just that our lives have become so busy, that it makes it difficult for us to pay attention all the time.  And I do have to agree that sometimes I believe I’m just not getting my message across effectively, and there are times when I’ve misunderstood what someone else was trying to communicate.  If I were a negative person, I could easily put a negative spin on anything anyone says.  So, how to say it is important, but equally important is paying attention.  Just like with Toastmasters, we go to Toastmasters to learn speaking skills, but we are also learning to listen.

These days, the English language seems to have gone by the wayside.  Back in the “good ol’ days” we corresponded with each other in long hand.  Taking time to write a letter meant you were able to communicate your thoughts more precisely.  And I don’t know about you, but I know when I wrote letters, I did not waste my time with negative thoughts.  I chose positive words.  How many of us today still write letters to our friends and family?

Now – it’s all about email and text messaging.  For some reason, it’s just not as easy to express myself in a text message as it is in an email. And, as I get older, I communicate mostly through emails and telephone calls and I do realize the importance of the words I choose in my efforts to convey my message.  When I compose or reply to emails, I try to be concise and explicit.  I can’t do that in a text message.

Words are powerful because they have the ability to evoke a certain feeling or emotion. And because they are so powerful, I prefer positive words to negative ones.  Here are a couple of words that I’m particularly fond of – Vitality – vitality means to distinguish the living from the non-living.  It’s robust, healthy, strong, energetic, animated.  I find this word very positive and uplifting.  Another word I enjoy is Abundance – abundance is a relative degree of plentifulness or a great quantity. Who wouldn’t want an abundance of vitality?

On November 7, 2008, Deepak Chopra, one of our world’s most prominent spiritual leaders, took the vow of non-violence in his thoughts, his speech and his actions.  Now I’m not suggesting we all take the same vow, although it wouldn’t be a bad thing – I just suggest we all try a little harder to pay attention to the words around us.  I encourage us all to say it positively.  Whatever our message, let’s try to put a positive spin on it and leave our audience feeling good.

So, in closing, I leave you with these words for you to practice positive speech, if you will.  Remember – positive words beget positive results.

Abundance	Vitality	Confidence
Persistence	Wisdom	Kindness
Love	Happiness	Energy
Laughter	Life	Creativity
Power	Success	Grace
Charity	Freedom	Resourceful
Health	Wealth	Inspiration
Peace	Honesty	Purpose
Achievement	Alive	Delightful
Attractive	Beauty	Delicious

Have you had an experience that clearly demonstrated the power of words?  Please share your thoughts or comments.

Business Support – Virtually a Click Away!!

Virtual Assistance can be defined in two words:

1. virtual – (describes something that can be done or seen using a computer)
2. assistance – (the act of helping someone)

Microsoft’s Encarta World English Dictionary, the definition is:

•  long-distance assistant; somebody who uses computer and phone connections to work from a distance as a personal assistant to somebody else, instead of working in the same office or building

Virtual Assistance was founded in 1995 by Christine Durst in the US.  Virtual assistants log onto their home-based desks for a variety of reasons.  Some have obligations or limitations or preferences that keep them at home (ie children, elderly parents, lack of transportation, physical mobility issues), others are living in areas where meaningful career opportunities are few (ie rural areas, developing countries, low employment), some do so out of environmental convictions, and still others find that being an “employee” simply doesn’t fit.  Whatever the reason, once the decision is made, a successful VA enjoys some great perks:

•  control over her life
• doing only the work she loves
• working only with the clients she chooses
• flexibility in the work schedule for family, friends, and personal interests, and
• no commute!

There are over 500,000 virtual assistants world-wide.  In 2003, Red Deer College became the first accredited educational institute in Canada to recognize Virtual Assistance as a profession and is offering an extensive VA training program.  Well, I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit and previously managed a handmade soap business for six years.  But that’s another story.  I have over 20 years experience in office administration.  I found my profession!  I registered my business – Virtual eAdmin in 2007.  As a VA, I manage projects, make decisions, and solve problems with the click of a mouse.  Using LogMeIn or GoToMyPC, I can connect to your computer, and provide administrative support such as maintain your calendar, enter data into your spreadsheets, organize your files, handle all your correspondence, provide bookkeeping services…the list is endless.  And, I belong to the International Virtual Assistance Association, so I have the resources of expert VAs at my fingertips.  If I’ve been presented with a project outside my expertise, I can subcontract to a VA who has the proficiency.  My goal here is to educate everyone I can to the benefits of being a virtual assistant or contracting one!  You have no idea what you’re missing!!

Organization or Take Control of Your Clutter

In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, organization is defined as “the act or process of organizing or of being organized”, and if we look up organize, we get “to arrange by systematic planning and united effort”.  Other words to express organization could be:

• put in order
• sort out
• manage

Some of us might even remember this famous quote:

“A place for everything, and everything in its place” quoted by a Mrs. Beeton from her 1861 bestseller The Book of Household Management.

Or as Edmund Burke put it – “Good order is the foundation of all things.”  And here’s one word in particular that I closely associate with organization: “de-clutter”.

Now that we’re in our third month of the New Year, and with spring just days away, I’m sure many of you have been thinking about getting “organized” and “de-cluttering” your lives.  “Spring cleaning” is a common phrase used around this time of year.  Why is it we never hear anyone say “Oh, I’m Fall cleaning my house” or “I’m Winter cleaning”.  Spring seems to be associated with cleaning and organizing and de-cluttering, for some reason.

Well, I was a little curious about the origins of spring cleaning, so I did a little research.  According to a few different sites on the internet, spring cleaning is the process of thoroughly cleaning a house from top to bottom once the weather has lost its winter chill.  In the past, the combination of inadequate heating in homes and small living quarters often meant some cleaning had to wait until spring.  For example, pioneers who used straw tick mattresses would wait until spring to refill these in order to get fresh, dry hay.  And those in cold climates had no choice but to wait for warm weather to hang laundry outdoors to dry.  There are also a few suggested origins based on religious practices.  In March or April each year, Jewish folk celebrate Passover or Pesach (pronounced “pay’ sokr”).  Prior to this celebration, the home is cleaned from top to bottom and any unleavened bread, or chametz (kaw METZ’) is removed, which are forbidden foods during the Passover days.  Even crumbs or specks of leftover grains from forbidden flours must be removed from the home and many Jewish families hunt for any possible chametz crumbs the night before Pesach.  Another origin for spring cleaning dates back to the Persian New Year celebration called Nouroz (Nawruz), which occurs at the onset of spring.  Traditionally, Persian women clean everything in the house right before Nouroz begins, including drapery, furniture, floors, walls, and ceilings.  This is called khooneh takouni or “shaking of the house”.  Spring cleaning origins date back to prehistory and represent a time when it was easiest to conduct a good cleaning of living spaces.  Extra light allowed people more time to see the truly messy state of their caves, huts or teepees.

For us today, spring cleaning means different things.  Occasionally, we get afflicted with “the urge to purge”.  Some folks around this time of year conduct a spring cleaning or organizing of their tax materials, as April 15th is the income tax deadline, and although that’s still a few weeks away, for those who have to pay, April 15th always arrives before we’re ready.

So, getting our taxes in order is a good way to spring clean, or get organized.  What else can we do to get organized?  Well, whenever I think of organization, I think of making lists.  I am a list maker.  I start lists for everything.  Making lists has helped me stay organized for years.  I have lists for daily goals and lists for weekly wishes.  I keep lists for doing chores and even doing dishes (just joking…;-))  No, seriously, if you truly want to get organized this year and spring clean, or de-clutter, why not start by jotting down a few things you’d like to accomplish?

A good brainstorming session works wonders for not only getting the imagination going, but it helps to “organize” your thoughts.  Just grab a piece of paper and pen and write down all the things you’d like to accomplish this year.  Don’t limit yourself.  Be BOLD!!  This is your list, after all.  You can write down anything you want.  No one else has to know anything about it.

Now that you’ve got a few ideas on paper, have another look at your list.  I would organize those ideas according to time frame for each one.  For example, my list includes:

• I want to go the the States on vacation this year
• Clean out my storage unit
• I want to paint the interior of my house

Okay, cleaning out my storage unit is something, out of the three goals that I can start right away, so I’ll place that item on my “sooner than later” list.  The other items are on my “later than sooner” list, as they will take a little longer to accomplish and I can’t start them right now.  Now I have two lists.  Starting with my “sooner than later” list, I take my goals (in my case, goal) and write down all the steps it’s going to take for me to accomplish this goal.  For example, in order to clean out my storage unit, I have to first move my freezer, so I would make bullets like this:

• move my freezer to a spot where it can still be plugged in
• flatten all boxes and find a storage spot for them
• place all “unwanted” items in one or two bins to go to the Salvation Army
• install hooks and shelving on the walls
• etc…

Now I have a list with steps needed to clean out my storage unit.  Now we’re getting somewhere.  All of a sudden this job doesn’t seem so daunting.  Before, whenever I thought of cleaning out my storage unit, I thought “Ugh…where do I start?”  Now, it not only seems feasible, but I’m actually looking forward to tackling the project, ’cause I have some ideas for the walls, etc.  Now I have a manageable, step-by-step process for accomplishing this task.  I thought it out and I have a plan of attack, so to speak.  Now I have couple of lists and I feel very organized!

A lot of times, getting organized can overwhelm us, but I believe it’s because we look at the task at hand as a whole, when it would be better to break it down into smaller, more manageable parts.  This makes it easier to achieve.

So, this is how I stay organized.  I make lists.

I hope I have given you an idea or two on how you can organize or de-clutter your lives.

Of course, you can always pay $25 and take an online course called “Take Control of Your Clutter”.  But, however you choose to get organized this year, I hope you enjoy the process and I truly hope you manage to take control of your clutter.

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