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Time To Play
Copyright 2005 Deborah Carraro
Vascorp VA Services
http://www.vascorp.com/va

One of the biggest challenges faced by solo-entrepreneurs is
scheduling personal time - time away from the business. It’s
particularly challenging when you’re first starting your
business. Your natural impulse is to throw everything you
have into your business - time, money, energy - but that may
not be the wisest course of action.

Spending your entire day living, breathing (and if you spend
that much time in your business - dreaming) your business,
you’re bound to burn out - or at the very least, not be as
effective as you want to be.

Consider these tips:

Out To Lunch: Whether you work in an office or at home, you
need to take breaks and recharge your batteries. You’re not
going to be able to concentrate on closing a sale, writing a
proposal, or crunching numbers if you forgot to eat lunch
and sugar levels are scrambling your gray cells.

Post Your Business Hours: Sounds pretty obvious but
establishing work hours even if you work at home, sets
boundaries and helps you pace yourself. I’ll admit it, this
is the hardest tip for me to follow in my own business. I
love doing what I do and have a strong workaholic tendancies
and probably a slight addiction to e-mail

I’ve learned, however, that it’s crucial to set business
hours and not give in to the temptation of being available
24/7. Most days I can stick to the hours I’ve posted and
some days I can’t - the trick is learning that the to-do
list will always be there and prioritizing your projects and
deadlines.

Take A Break: Don’t be afraid to enjoy the fruits of your
labor. Take a break and make sure you not too tired to play
with the toys you’ve bought with all that money you’ve
earned. I regularly take myself offline for a few hours once
a week and just catch up on housekeeping (invoicing,
billing, writing my newsletter) and schedule time off one
day per month and spend the day singing, or writing, playing
tourist in my hometown or enjoying a day at the spa.

Why not take a mental health day now and then? In school,
you didn’t think twice about playing hookey. Now that you’re
a grown-up, why not take a day off for fishing, surfing,
shopping, or reading.

For some reason, now that you’re the Boss, it’s harder and
harder to get away and take time for yourself. Try this tip:
schedule a regular appointment with yourself. Block time off
in your calendar and don’t make that time available to
anyone else (clients, family, friends).

Remember: Set your hours and take a day off. All that work
will still be waiting for you in the morning!

——————————————————–
) 2005 Deborah Carraro
Deborah Carraro is the Founder and Owner of Vascorp VA
Services. Vascorp VA Services is the virtual support
specialty company for solo professionals and entrepreneurs.
We work late so you don’t have to! Vascorp brings you the
very best in virtual assistant services: shopping cart
integration, affiliate program management, web design,ebook
design, desktop publishing, business consulting services and
more! She publishes a monthly newsletter Vascorp VA
Advantage. To subscribe or find out more, please visit
http://www.vascorp.com/va.

Five Reasons to Work on Your Scrapbook Today
By Susie Cortright, http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking

I remember, not so long ago, looking at the boxes and boxes of my babies’
photographs and becoming so overwhelmed by the notion that I had better get
them organized and labeled before I lost track of which kid was which.

And then one day, I picked up a particularly poignant photo of my oldest
daughter, and I had an urge to create a scrapbooking page around it. I didn’t
know what I was doing. I just knew I wanted a finished product that would evoke
the same emotion I felt when I took the photo.

I took far too much time on this page (and had so much fun creating for the simple
sake of creating), and when my scrapbooking layout was finished, I showed it to my
daughter. The look on her face told me I had succeeded in doing what I set out to
do. She was touched, and so was I.

>From that day on, I was hooked. Scrapbooking is unlike almost everything
else in my life as a mother of small children. The layouts and cards
that I make stay finished, unlike the dishes and the diaper changes.
When I’m done with a piece, I’ll put it up where I can see it as I walk past,
and I feel a small but sure sense of accomplishment.

And that is one of the reasons I scrapbook. There are others:

1. Scrapbooking offers a connection to the community. Classes and crops are
serving the same social function that quilting bees once did. This is a time
to get together with friends, to share precious memories, to exercise your
artistic expression, and to get something accomplished.

2. When your children leave home, and if they are ever feeling down, they
will look through the scrapbooks you’ve created for them. They will hear
your words and feel your love span across time and space. And, beyond that,
when you are gone, your voice, your memories, and the written and visual
record of your philosophy and your values will live on.

3. Scrapbooking helps us to remember that our life is our art. The time I
spend scrapbooking helps me to remember that every single moment I spend
being a good mom - as well as a good human being - is time spent in positive,
artistic creation. And I have no doubt that if we all spent more of our time
in positive, artistic creation, the world would be a better place.

4. Whenever I spend time scrapbooking, I relish the present moment with my family more
fully as the very moments I seek to capture and celebrate on my pages play out
in my living room. Time spent scrapbooking is time spent in open, ardent appreciation of your
family and the experiences that you have had. It’s a way of honoring the experiences
and people in your life with your time and reflection.

5. A scrapbook is a treasured gift. It is a piece of the real you, the real
artistic, emotional you, which encourages others to show their artistic,
emotional, real selves, too. And you can start today!

About the Author:
Susie Cortright is the founder of momscape.com - http://www.momscape.com -
an award-winning online magazine that helps busy moms find balance. She also
publishes a free weekly scrapbooking newsletter, featuring best of the net
design ideas and advanced techniques: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking
And her online scrapbooking boutique features gorgeous, exclusive kits and papers:
http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/supplies.htm

Make Your Event Memorable

I. Understanding Your Audience/Client

The DJ was wondering why there was no dancing or mingling amongst
the audience. Everyone was just standing around holding their
drinks and eating the hors d’oeuvres.

Imagine a supposedly festive company party turning out to be a dud.
Who does the company blame?

You!! The event planner!

The event planner who also happened to be an employee of the company
was in a panic. What to do?

Luckily, there were numerous employees who were requesting music
that was different from what the DJ was playing. So, he quickly goes
to his van and pulls out a crate of CDs. He starts playing music
from these CDs and instantly the mood of the party changes.

Everyone was dancing and mingling. The party flowed and the event
planner breathed easier.

What went wrong in the beginning?

The average age of the attendees was between 49-60. The event
planner had requested Top 40 music including hip hop which is geared
towards a younger age group.

The planner wanted music based upon her tastes. Even when
questioned about the people attending, there was a sense of “she
knows best”.

What every customer of every business wants to know is: What’s in it
for me? Even you, the subscribers to this newsletter, have asked
that question before signing up for this email.

In the above situation, the audience wanted to know: What’s in it
for me? What music would you play that would allow me to have a
good time?

This is the key to all business success: Find out what your
customers want and solve their problem.

Research as much as you can about their wants and desires, only then
can you “Make Your Event Memorable”.

Copyright 2004. All rights reserved

Keith and Rema Smith book entertainers for all special events.
Authors of the “Discover Entertainment”, a FREE monthly newsletter.
mail to: keith@rhkentertainment.com
http://www.rhkentertainment.com

Listening Strategically

By: Robert F. Abbott

Usually, we’re most interested in communicating outwardly; getting our
messages out to others. But finding ways to hear what’s going on around
us can be just as important.

Let’s start by identifying three different types of listening we do.
The first type - informal listening - comes naturally, as in listening
to another person. I take in what you have to say, and how you say it.

A second type, competitive intelligence, is a systematic process for
monitoring sources and gathering information. That information is
aggregated, processed to bring out the important points, and
distributed to others who can use it to make decisions.

In this article, we look at a third type, a less rigorous approach to
competitive intelligence, one that falls somewhere between simple
listening and formal competitive intelligence. Call it strategic
listening, a relatively simple way to stay on top of issues that affect
your organization.

Let’s start with objectives, which we normally do when looking at
something strategically. Ask two key questions, “Why are we doing
this?” and “What will we do with the information we gather?”

The first question focuses our efforts by putting them into the context
of our overall goals. The second question, “What will we do with the
information we gather?” relates to more immediate issues. It helps us
articulate how we will use the material, and that in turn, affects the
way we see our objectives.

Next, we need a process for gathering, managing, and storing the
information we gather. What sorts of sources? How will we get them?
What will we do with the material? How will we store it?

Once we’ve listened and gathered our information, we need to manage it.
All those mounds of paper and electronic files must be boiled down into
chunks of information that others can use easily.

This part of the process might involve the selection of excerpts or it
might involve writing summaries. It might require an argument or simply
a statement of facts that allows others to draw their own conclusions.

The final step in the strategic listening chain is to provide feedback
to those who provided raw information, and to get feedback from those
who used the processed information (or intelligence) we provided.

Giving feedback to those who provided raw information could be
considered a courtesy, and a way of encouraging them to keep supplying
us. Gathering feedback from those who used the processed information
will help us determine whether or not we met the objectives that got us
started.

In summary, one important form of listening is strategic; that is,
informally gathering and processing information that helps us stay on
top of issues that affect our organizations. The four key steps in this
process are: setting objectives, developing processes, managing the
information, and gathering and getting feedback.

Robert F. Abbott writes and publishes Abbott’s Communication Letter.
Learn how you can use communication to help achieve your goals, by
reading articles or subscribing to this ad-supported newsletter. An
excellent resource for leaders and managers, at:
http://www.communication-newsletter.com

Laser Eye Surgery: To Opt or Not to Opt…
Copyright 2005 Octocat Ltd

If you’re suffering from diminished eyesight in any
capacity, there’s a whole parcel of feelings that go along
with the possibilities of eventual loss of sight versus the
risks of undergoing the treatments that are necessary to
correct the problem.

When considering the delicate nature of the eye, many
people make the decision to put off corrective treatment
until the situation becomes dire - or is no longer able to
be treated effectively.

Laser eye surgery - now quite common as a form of treatment
for eye disorders - is one of the first options that many
folks look toward when they’ve made the decision to pursue
treatment and reclaim their ability to see clearly.

Weigh your options

While there are pros and cons involved in such a treatment
plan, it’s worthy of a thorough investigation before making
such a weighty decision. There are a number of things that
should be looked into, and you should feel comfortable with
the information that you uncover before attempting to take
such a leap.

Here then, are a few safety and risk factors that are
involved in laser eye surgery that you may find helpful in
your quest for information.

Which type of treatment is right for you?

There are two main types of laser eye surgery procedures
that are currently available: Lasik and CustomCornea.

The difference between the two is that CustomCornea
utilizes newer technologies to accomplish what Lasik
surgery can provide and, in either case, there are safety
risks that may be involved. These may include serious
complications which may result in decreased or lost vision,
and there are those who would not be considered as
candidates for such a treatment.

Included among those are:

individuals who are pregnant or nursing

under the age of 21

suffering from Herpes Simplex

currently taking medication that may interfere with the
body’s ability to heal

suffering from severe allergies or diseases

or have a corneal infection or scarring.

Also listed among those who are not considered for laser
eye surgery are those who have had previous eye surgery,
those who have inflammation of the eye or eyelids
accompanied by crusting of the eyelashes, suffer from
unstable refractive problems, currently take medication
that causes them to suffer ocular side effects, those with
Keratonconus, glaucoma or high blood pressure in the eye
region, corneal injury, and those who are taking
sumatriptan for migraine relief.

Some of the risks

Among the more specific risks that are associated with
laser eye surgery are:

lost vision

reduced low-light vision

under-treatment

over-treatment

increased need for reading glasses and severe dry-eye
syndrome.

It’s best to discuss these risks with your physician before
committing yourself to having this procedure performed,
since there will be no way to reclaim diminished or lost
sight when it comes about as the result of laser eye
surgery.

One other consideration that you’ll have to pay careful
attention to is the reputation and success rate of the
doctor who will be performing the surgery. He or she should
be licensed in the area of laser eye surgery and care, and
be able to offer an impressive success rate.

If possible, check with other people who may have undergone
this procedure with that particular doctor before making
that final decision, in order to get their impression of
both the treatment and the doctor, as well as an accounting
of their experiences after opting to have laser eye surgery.

About the Author:

Mike Spencer reviews reviews leading, and sometimes
controversial, approaches to improving and protecting our
health. Here he looks at the pros and cons of LASIK eye
surgery and whether it can offer any real benefits to
improved vision.
http://www.laser-eye-surgery-reviews.com
For more related articlessee here:
http://www.laser-eye-surgery-reviews.com/articles/index.html

The 6 Characteristics of Highly Creative People
By Michelle L. Casto

Thomas Moore said, ?We are all poets and artists as we
live our daily lives, whether or not we recognize our
role and whether or not we believe it.? Human beings
have an innate need to create. Even you! There is a
continuum of creativity, ranging from being slightly
creative to highly creative.
The good news is that you can learn to be more creative by observing creative
people and modeling yourself after them.
Artists, writers, and creative types seem to have
similar characteristics.
Some of the personalitytraits listed below may seem eccentric, odd, even ?
outthere?—but that is where creativity lies— in the
outreaches of our consciousness, in the depths of our
souls.
If you had the opportunity to speak to
Picasso, Walt Disney, or Jane Austen, you would
probably find out that they are ordinary people, much
like you and I. The difference is that they have
allowed more of their soul to come out and play and
have freed themselves of convention and restriction.

Creativity is essentially the art of discovery and an
act of faith. When you create something— a work of
art, book, software program, dance routine, or role
for a play, you discover parts of yourself that you
never knew existed.
Creative people have a strong need to express more of who you really are and
often have to fight for that right. The character Isabelle in the movie,
Fire and Ice, has a great outlook on
what it means to be creative, she says, ?To create, sometimes you must
rebel.?

1. Unconventional
Creative people do not feel the need to conform to
society?s standards. They often swim against the
current and flow with their own way of thinking and
living. They have original ideas that literally turn
the world upside down and right-side out.
Take for example, the 16th century Italian astronomer,
Galileo, who proved that the earth revolved around the
sun (instead of the other way around), which was
revolutionary in his time.

2. Individualistic
Creative people want to find out what the truth is,
and they have a strong need to decide for themselves
what works and what does not. Often they are ahead of
their time, and much of their work is
appreciated/acknowledged after they are dead and gone.
Many writers are famous for marching to the tune of
their own drum, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote
the book, Self-Reliance, and Robert Frost who penned,
?two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one
less-traveled.?

3. Inventive
Creative people live in the world of ideas, and don?t
always have the best interpersonal skills. Because
they are so highly intelligent, and live in the realm
of possibility, they are constantly coming up with
bright ideas. They also take notice of what is
missing in the world and/or what could be improved.
Take for instance, Thomas Edison, who invented
hundreds of things in his time, his most famous
invention being the light bulb. He saw that there was
darkness and then created light.

4. Driven
Creative people cannot ?not do something??they are
almost compulsive until they can bring their internal
vision into fruition. They have that ?fire in their
belly?—a passion to contribute to the beauty and
betterment of the world. Because of their high drive,
they can produce a lot in a relative short amount of
time.
Talk about drive—the material girl herself, Madonna,
has not let public praise or criticism stop her from
being a super star. She is a modern day Diva,
multi-talented as a singer, dancer, and actress who
has released hundreds of songs, albums, videos,
movies, books— all the while reinventing herself as
someone new.

5.Visionary
Creative people have a guiding vision in their head,
heart, and soul that they are often called to bring to
life. Who else but Michelangelo could look at a large
piece of marble and ?chip away at everything that
wasn?t David?? According to him, ?I saw an angel in
the marble and carved until I set him free.?
One of his best-known works is the immense ceiling of
the Sistine Chapel, which took him three years to
complete, where he often had to work upside down for
hours at a time. If you ever have seen any of his
work, you can easily see that it is a vision to
behold.

6. Intuitive
Creative people are very in touch with their inner
selves. They pay attention to the signs,
synchronicities, symbols around them, and make use of
that information in their work. They often act as a
channel, where ideas and inspiration come from a
higher plane. They allow the work to guide them to
where it needs to go. The work clearly originates in
their soul, not from their ego.
Talk about ideas coming from out of the blue, remember
how the scientist, Isaac Newton ?discovered? gravity?
He was sitting under a tree and an apple fell on his
head! Had he not made a connection with his intuitive
nature, he would have missed a major theory about the
world we live in!

As you read this, do you find yourself relating to
some of these traits? If so, it is time to start
creating. Getting started can often be the hardest
part, because we often limit our creativity by
listening too closely to our negative inner voice.
But so did all of these examples of creators. Even
the famous painter Vincent Van Gogh struggled with
that, but he created a remedy for that, he said, ?If
you hear a voice within you saying, you are not a
painter, then by all means, paint, and that voice will
be silenced.?
Robert Henri says, „When the artist is alive in any
person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes
an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressing
creature.‰
Once you have created, you now have to put
yourself out there for all to see. This is where your
faith comes in to support you. Remember that if you
are creating from your soul, it will not matter
whether other people accept your work or not. You are
simply doing what you are called to do as a human
being, create.

Take Charge of Your Life
Copyright © 2005 Stephanie Marston, MFT
http://www.stephaniemarston.com

Not long ago a friend of mine had a baby. As I stared into the
window at the rows of infants lying in their bassinettes, I was
struck with how similar they looked. Yes, some had dark hair,
some curly hair, and some had no hair at all. Some were larger
or weighed a bit more than others, but mostly they were all
pretty much the same. What would they be like, I asked myself, if
they came back as adults for a reunion? What would we find?

Both research and commonsense tells us that we’d find that some
people took life by its tail and made the most of it. Some would
be successes in business or art. Others would be exceptional
parents, teachers, lawyers, nurses, etc. Statistics also tell us
that we’d find others whose futures had taken quite a different
turn. Some would have addictions to drugs or alcohol. Others
somehow would just be unable to make their lives work.

I started to think about what caused these incredibly varied
outcomes: How could all these children who started out so equal
have ended up so differently? Oh, I suppose some of the
discrepancy could be passed off to genetics, but what about the
rest? Did a fairy fly through the room with magic dust and
sprinkle some but not others? No, not unless reality was created
by Walt Disney.

In the last 25 years of my working with people in my therapy
practice and as a parent educator, I‚ve discovered that the
single most important factor that determines whether children
grow up to be happy and successful is their self-esteem. A
child‚s self-esteem affects every area of her existence˜from the
friends she chooses, to how well she does in school, to what kind
of job she pursues, to even the person she chooses to marry. But
what exactly is this illusive, intangible thing called self-
esteem?

Defined simply, self-esteem is the sense of being lovable and
capable. When these two qualities are in sync, a child has high
self-esteem. Children need first to know that they are loved and
accepted for who they are. Then, with this as a basis, their
natural impulse is to take that love and learn to contribute it
to the world in constructive ways. It‚s not hard to see that
self-esteem is the best gift you can give your children.

As you work to give your child this marvelous gift, the most
important thing to understand is this: Self-esteem evolves in
kids primarily through the quality of our relationships with
them. For the first several years of their lives you are their
major influence. Later on, teachers and friends come into the
picture. But especially at the beginning, you‚re it with a
capital I.

We Are Mirrors for Our Kids

Because children see parents as authority figures, they think
that the way you treat them is the way they deserve to be
treated: „What you say about me is what I am,‰ is a literal truth
to your child. Consequently, when children are treated with
respect, they conclude that they deserve respect and, hence,
develop self-respect. When children are treated with acceptance,
they develop self-acceptance; when they are cherished, they
conclude that they deserve to be loved and they develop self-
esteem. Conversely, if they are mistreated or abused, they
conclude that they deserve that, too.

Parents are, in effect, mirrors: What we reflect back to our kids
becomes the basis for their self-image, which in turn influences
all areas of their lives. To put it another way, who our children
are is not nearly as important as who they think they are.

Shower Your Children with Love

Conveying our love to our children is priority number one in
building a healthy sense of self-esteem in our children. It needs
to come before any other aspect of the parenting process, such
as, setting limits or correcting behavior. Your kids need to
know, first and foremost that no matter what they do, while you
may not like or approve of their actions, you continue to love
them.

Children need tangible demonstrations of your love. They, like
adults, need to be told directly and often, „I love you.‰ I‚ve
never had anyone come up to me at the end of a parenting seminar
and say, „Could you please tell my husband to stop telling me he
loves me?‰ We can never hear “I love you” too often. Our children
don‚t automatically feel loved simply because they are part of a
family.

Your unconditional love needs to be the basis of your
relationship with your children. Unconditional love is loving
your kids for who they are, not for what they do. Our kids
shouldn‚t have to earn our love, acceptance, or respect. It is
their birthright and should be given freely.

Unconditional love requires loving your kids regardless of what
you expect them to be and, most difficult, no matter how they
act. By this I don‚t mean that we like or accept inappropriate
behavior, but with unconditional love we love the child even at
those times when we dislike what he or she does.

I‚m not going to pretend that this is easy. It isn‚t.
Unconditional love isn‚t something you will achieve every minute
of every day. But, it is the thought we must hold in our hearts
every single day. The underlying message of unconditional love
is, „I love you no matter what you do. I am committed to you 100
percent, and will be here for you through thick or thin.‰ These
kinds of messages are surefire builders of healthy self-esteem.

———————————————————————
Stephanie is an acclaimed speaker and author. She speaks from
experience. Stephanie is the „go to‰ expert for those who seek
to create quality driven lives. She is the author of Chicken
Soup for the Soul‚s Life Lessons for Women: 7 Essential
Ingredients for a Balanced Life, If Not Now, When? Reclaiming
Ourselves at Midlife and Life Coaching for Parents: Six Weeks
to Sanity. For more information please visit her website:
http://www.stephaniemarston.com

Focus
by Catherine Pulsifer

To have a goal is like having a road map. It shows you where to go,
and where not to go. Would you begin a trip to an unknown city
without first looking at a map? Probably not.

Amazingly though, many people conduct their lives without any
personal road map to success. Goals are like a map. They help us
determine where we want to end up, and give us personal direction on
which to focus our energy.

Once you decide what it is you want, set your sights and start taking
action to achieve it. This “action” is the commitment on your part.
And, once you are committed to a goal, really committed, problems are
short term. With your entire “focus” on your goal, you will reach
levels of achievement that you never thought possible.

Without goals, you will end up going nowhere, or, you will end up
following someone else’s map!
Develop your map today - set your goals and focus!

To quote Alan Pariser: “The sun’s energy warms the world. But when
you focus it through a magnifying glass it can start a fire. Focus is
so powerful!”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Catherine Pulsifer is one of the editors of Words of Wisdom 4 U,
http://www.wow4u.com. You will find a collection of motivational
thoughts, stories, quotes, poems, smiles, proverbs, and more at Words
of Wisdom 4 U!