Sometimes the best way to de-stress is with a game or quiz - something silly and fun. Try this one out. And...don't forget to enter the contest! See previous post!

Take the Quiz here!

One World One Heart - Free Giveaway

I've just signed up to participate in the One World One Heart campaign. To learn more about this program, go to http://oneworldoneheart.typepad.com/one_worldone_heart/.

Between now and February 11th, leave a comment on this post (including your email address) and let me know if you would like to be entered in the contest. On February 12th, I will randomly select a winner. The prize? Well, since I am a writer, I will write a short story for you. The story will star your favorite child or children as the main character(s). I will ask you some questions about your child and fashion a story wherein he or she saves the day.

Good luck and don't forget to leave your email address so I may contact you.

An Historic Day

Today history was made as Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States. Once again, our country experienced a peaceful change in power, unlike so many other nations where change occurs only after a bloody coup.

We have much to be proud of and thankful for in this country; however, I have always been proudest of the fact that we are always seeking to be better than before, striving to achieve the ideals of our founding fathers, to give every individual an equal opportunity to succeed, a fair shake in life.

I pray today that we all come together to be the best that we can be, to share our greatest gifts with the rest of the world, to heal old wounds and make a fresh start, united in our desire to regain our stature in the world and form a more perfect union.

May God bless America.

Off to a Good Start

Now that the first full week of January is behind us, how did you do? Did you make any progress toward your goals? If not, what kept you from moving ahead? Did you lapse back into the same old bad habits? What can you do differently to avoid falling into that trap again?

I did pretty well this week. I made a plan for writing a certain amount of time each day and I stuck to it. I promised myself that I would not use my writing time for laundry, dishes, cleaning or any of the other distractions I face working at home. I fell short in a couple of places too, mainly because I had a vague objective with no plan to achieve it.

For example, I want to master this social networking thing. I have pages on MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Live Journal, CafeMom, etc. I signed up for these to promote my writing, but I find I am overwhelmed by the thought of dealing with so many websites and constantly updating each. So this week I will visit each site and evaluate which sites are worth keeping and which to chuck. Then next week, I will post a blog or comment on each site I decide to keep. I will set aside a specific time each day to do this and I will succeed.

This week try setting a specific task for yourself and make a plan to accomplish that task. Write it down - committing something to paper can be powerful - and check your plan each day to see how you are doing. Drop me a line at the end of the week and let me know how you did.

You can do it! You can eat less, exercise more, argue less, study more, stop procrastinating. You can change your life! Good luck!

Resolutions!

A few words of encouragement as we begin this new year.

I hope you have made some New Year's resolutions and I hope they are attainable. If they are realistic, but you are not sure if you will honor them, think about this. The words we use when we think or speak have tremendous power. If we say, "I'll try" or "I will if I can" or "hopefully," the odds are good that we will not succeed. However, if we use the words "I will," "I can," and "I am going to," we have a far greater chance of succeeding.

So here's to a new year full of possibilities and positive language.

Happy New Year!

It's New year's Eve and I hope each and every one of you has a safe, fun and memorable celebration.

Sometimes we make beginning a new year very hard on ourselves. We pledge to make numerous changes in our lives, to lose those extra pounds, to get that promotion, to take that trip we've been planning for years. We swear that this year will be different than the rest, better than before. It doesn't matter that we've made these promises to ourselves for years now; somehow we believe that this year will be different.

And yet somehow it isn't. Why is that? Because:

1) We have too many goals. Change is hard, so trying to change multiple facets of your life all at once is extremely difficult. Prioritize your goals and work on one or two at a time. The others will keep for another day.

2) Our goals are unreasonable. I don't care how much you love horses, if you are a 6 foot tall, 250lb. man, you are not going to be a jockey. Don't give up on your dreams, simply put aside unattainable goals and work on those you have a real chance of achieving.

3) We don't have a plan of action to achieve our goals. You need to map out a plan for reaching your goals on a day-by-day, week-by-week, month-by-month schedule, with firm dates for reaching your goals and milestones to mark your progress.

This year I plan to put these three steps into action. This year I will succeed, because I will follow a plan for focusing my energy on accomplishing what I need to do in order to reach my goals.

May you reach your goals in 2009! Happy New Year!

Stress-Free Holiday

Okay, okay, there is probably no such thing as a stress-free holiday, simply because we insist on packing so much activity into such a short time. Shopping, baking, cleaning, mailing packages, writing Christmas cards, entertaining, attending parties. Whew! It's enough to make anyone dizzy. So, if we can't elimiate stress entirely, here are five ways to reduce stress during the holidays.

1) Make a plan. Instead of running around to several different stores, decide what you're shopping for and where best to find it, then head out. Try to stick to one geographical area at a time - the mall on Friday night, the local shopping center on Sat., etc.

2) Shop during off hours if possible. Take an early lunch one day and get a few things done, or come into work extra early and take off at three. Of course, it helps to have a flexible work schedule and an understanding boss. If you can't swing that, several stores open as early as 7:00 or 8:00 a.m. on weekends and stay open late during the holidays.

3) If you do get stuck in a long line, take a deep breath. Try to use the time productively. Enjoy the lovely music, think of the fun you're going to have with your kids, reminisce about your favorite Christmas, people watch. You're stuck in line anyway, why be miserable? Same thing goes for the cookies that burn or the gelatin that won't set. Don't sweat the small stuff and lose sight of the important stuff.

4) Prioritize. As the holiday draws nearer, you may not be able to get everything on your list done. Decide which items must be done and focus on those. Christmas will still come if you don't get every decoration up or make that extra batch of fudge.

5) Remember why we're celebrating. It should be a time of joy, of love, of opening our hearts to those around us. Don't let little things get you down. Enjoy the time we are given to spend with our loved ones. It's priceless.