Positive Thoughts for the Week: Success through balance

Each Monday I’m greeted in my email box to a great newsletter from John Chappelear.  He always includes positive affirmations.  This one about balance really speaks to me today.

Positive Thought of the Week

I will take time each day to keep myself in balance. I will use Quiet Time to create a positive daily path. I will use Love & Forgiveness to keep me balanced and Gratitude to keep me living in the now and allowing me to see the good that always surrounds me.

Business Thought of the Week

I never let pressure at work effect the quality of the relationships I have with my people. I will be ruled by my positive values and not negative emotions. I will use Service to keep my focus on others. I will focus on helping my people become more successful and then my own success is assured.

Four reasons for healthcare reform

Late last night I got a message from Congress.org regarding the issue of health care reform.  I’m not 100% sure why they framed the question this way, but at least it’s attention getting:   SHOULD AMERICANS PAY MORE FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM?

Although final Congressional action is still many months away, several House and Senate committees this week are holding hearings on health care reform - and the costs associated with it. The nation spent $2.4 trillion on health care in 2008, and yet 46 million Americans have no health coverage at all.

This is the short and sweet message I sent along with my vote:

America needs health care reform and universal access because:

1. Many of those who are already covered are already paying HIGH premiums, deductibles and copays.
2. There are many self employed, small businesses, retirees, underemployed and unemployed who cannot get affordable healthcare.
3. Uninsured care cases are already driving up the costs of insurance and provider fees.
4. Access to health care is a right not a privilege.

Sincerely,
Sandra Sims

Vote at Congress.org and send a message to your senators, congressional representatives and President Obama

Legislative Timeline: Health Care a look back at this issue over the years

Are you throwing money down a hole?

The first time I applied for a car loan, the loan officer at the credit union did everything he could to discourage me.  And I quote, “buying a car is like throwing money down a hole.”  After being stranded on the side of the road many times by my prized Mustang, I already knew that!

Thanks Dad, for the Mustang, and the link to this video! (BTW, the car I bought with that loan - a Ford Tempo. Not quite as glamorous!)

Reflections on the week

Super quick links today…posts on my other sites:

On CauseBlogger America’s Week Blog Roundup: MLK Day and Inauguration Week

Over on Step by Step Fundraising I posted a couple of articles with videos (from YouTube/news sources) In Honor of Martin Luther King, We Must Work and Inauguration Day Celebration for Everyone

Now I’m getting ready for a relaxing weekend.  Will be unplugged at least til Sunday afternoon!

Artist of Iconic Obama Poster also Imagines Inauguration

Shepard Fairey is the artist behind the iconic Obama “Hope” poster in blue/red as well as variations thereof.  A version was on the cover of TIME magazine and now he’s released a special poster for the inauguration.

I caught an interview with Shepard recently on The Colbert Report.  He also talked about one of his earlier projects called OBEY.  Here’s how he described it:

My concept with this was that people actually follow the path of least resistance and frequently are not actually happy with thier lives. But if they are confronted with the idea of having to make the choice to whether obey or disobey,

I think frequently they will at least have an inner dialogue and maybe make a choice to do things the way they think they should be done, rather than the way they are being told to do them.

From an interview on The Colbert Report, January 15, 2009

The idea of thinking and critiquing ourselves and society is a continuing process.  It doesn’t stop when you reach a milestone birthday or when something in particular happens.  We must reevaluate again and again. Same is true with society.  Critique, thinking and questioning must continue into Obama’s presidency.  No matter who is in office in this country, or any other, keeping them accountable and doing what we can to make change, are key.

Okay I’ll exercise already

As I was just saying…

Be happy. Start your day with exercise

New Years Resolutions, Just Say No

My comments on Marilyn’s post When Projects Collide are the closest thing I have come to new years resolutions this year:

One of the things that I did drop off completely in the last few months was working out and yoga. Thinking I didn’t have time for it. Wrong. Even if I’m not training for an event regular workouts are great for combating stress. It helps clear the mind and restore the body. So these are activities that have to start being a priority again.

To combat overwhelm I also need to learn to use these two words more often: NO and HELP! Just saying no from the get-go if I cannot commit fully to a project. Then being able to ask for help from other people more often.

This week I did well on eating healthy, but didn’t get any exercise in.  Raking the leaves this afternoon was as close as I’ve come. There are two gyms in town that I would like to check out.  At one I know the yoga teacher so that will be a good de-stressing activity.

I have already resigned from a committee that I’ve been on for a few years.  It will be good to take a break.  I’m also working with several colleagues to plan ways that we can work together on some projects.  Saying “help” when it’s needed is not just a sanity saver. As I experienced with the recent release of the book I co-authored with Sandy Rees, the finished product can be even better than originally imagined by working with other talented people.