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Now here's a neat idea!

Posted on Aug 2nd, 2006 by Tracy Phaup : CFO/CLO - Chief Fun and Leadership Tracy Phaup

Di over at http://journeytaker.zaadz.com/ has a fantastic idea that I'm heartily in support of...

To quote:

Blog It Forward!

Reach out and touch someone new!  Why not find three blogs each week not on your current list of friends and leave a comment in the ones that resonate?  You may make a new zaadz friend as well, along with honoring the words and thoughts of another.  The positive exchange of energy is what makes zaadz so special to me, and being a part of the flow can really make someone's day.... Including your own!


Thanks for the idea, Di - I'm Paying It Forward!

Who are you going to Pay It Forward to today?

Your partner in saying "YES!" passionately to life,
Tracy A. Turner
http://www.tracyaturner.com/

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A Life That Matters By Michael Josephson

Posted on Aug 2nd, 2006 by Tracy Phaup : CFO/CLO - Chief Fun and Leadership Tracy Phaup

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else. Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.

So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away. It won't matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end. It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured? What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave. What will matter is not your success, but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught. What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example. What will matter is not your competence, but your character. What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone. What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you. What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident. It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice. Choose to live a life that matters. It really matters!

A Life That Matters By Michael Josephson

Your partner in saying "YES!" passionately to life,
Tracy A. Turner
http://www.tracyaturner.com/

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My Technorati Profile

Posted on Aug 2nd, 2006 by Tracy Phaup : CFO/CLO - Chief Fun and Leadership Tracy Phaup

My Technorati Profile - a way to keep track of all your favorite blogs!

Your partner in saying "YES!" passionately to life,
Tracy A. Turner
http://www.tracyaturner.com/

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Tagged with: blog, blogging, technorati

Ahhhhh... Hurricane season! There's nothing else quite like it!

Posted on Aug 2nd, 2006 by Tracy Phaup : CFO/CLO - Chief Fun and Leadership Tracy Phaup

Another Postcard from Florida

For a redux of some classic hurricane humor drop in and visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/tracyaturner/sets/72157594222335838/

Your partner in saying "YES!" passionately to life - even during hurricane season and staring straight down the barrel! (smile)
Tracy A. Turner
http://www.tracyaturner.com/

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An update on the adventure!

Posted on Aug 5th, 2006 by Tracy Phaup : CFO/CLO - Chief Fun and Leadership Tracy Phaup
I know I disapeared off the radar for a while; I hope you all don't mind but I need to take a second and share so I can get a greater sense of accomplishment out of the long days this week that I've been spending banging on the keyboard.

I'd gotten my blogs set up this week for both the "Take The Coaching Challenge" (the description is still under construction) and the "One A Day" Thought For the Day, as well as http://www.tracyaturner.com/  and 300 quotes pages in everybodygoes.com - and THEN as the subscriptions were coming in realized that the way I'd done it just wasn't going to work.

(If you're interested in signing up you should be able to at any of the sites listed below (crossing my fingers and hoping I didn't overlook anything)).

So - last night I hit undo (only took about 4 hours!) and redo (another 6 or so - insert a glass of sherry (all right - maybe two) here!...) - but I'm done!

And they work!

And imagine - now I can actually focus on developing content or write an article or something crazy like that....

Sooooo....

http://www.famous-quotes-and-inspirational-quotes.com/  - still needs some love on the copy - any and all suggestions appreciated...

http://everybody-goes.blogspot.com/

http://tracyaturner.blogspot.com/

http://quotes-famous.blogspot.com/

I also set up an account at Flickr.com this week and was able to write out the poem that accompanies it in Flickr and with a click of the button it sent it all along with the the thumbnail image of the peacock to the love quotes blog - it's a beautiful thing!

You can check out the result at http://love-quotes-quotations.blogspot.com/

I've also set my blogs up so that I can simply email the content and don't have to actually log in to them except to fru fru it up.

So - now I just get to go finish setting up the newsletters.

What a ride!

Thanks for listening...

Your partner in saying “YES!” passionately to life,
Tracy A. Turner
http://www.tracyaturner.com/
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When was the last time you....

Posted on Aug 6th, 2006 by Tracy Phaup : CFO/CLO - Chief Fun and Leadership Tracy Phaup
...built a sand castle?

...turned off your cell phone or pager?

...rode bumper cars?

...camped out under the stars?

...walked barefoot in the grass?

...were kissed by a puppy?

...played with the kids?

...went skinny dipping?

...ran through the sprinklers?

...laughed and cried while watching life?

...read poetry out loud to someone else?

...hugged your neighbor?

...went out of your way to make sure the people you love “got it”?

...walked in the rain - with no umbrella?

...kissed your partner while standing in the rain?

...watched the sun set?

...felt ocean spray on your face?

...fell in love? Or let yourself fall in love all over again?

...laughed so hard your face hurt?

...really appreciated a hot shower? ... or a short line at the supermarket?

...sent someone a special card?

...took a drive to nowhere just because?

...turned down a road to take it just because it was beautiful?

...played your favorite song?

...lay in bed listening to the rain outside?

...used hot towels fresh out of the dryer?

...drank a Chocolate milkshake (or vanilla or strawberry)?

...took a leisurely bubble bath?

...giggled?

...laughed at yourself?

...were on a midnight phone call that lasted for hours?

...ran through the sprinklers?

...laughed for absolutely no reason at all?

...had someone tell you that you're beautiful?

...told someone that they were beautiful?

...laughed at an inside joke?

...really, and I mean REALLY!, told your friends how much they mean to you?

...really appreciated waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep?

...thought about your first kiss?

...went out of your way to make a new friend?

...took a road trip with a friend?

...drank hot cocoa in front of a fire?

...went swinging on the swings?

...took chicken soup to a sick friend?

...sent someone homemade cookies in the mail?

...just sat and watched the sun rise?

...just sat and watched it set?

...felt grateful for another day on earth?

...did the right thing in spite of what other people would think?

...went to the beach?

...took a trip to the mountains?

...took a bubble bath?

...laughed at yourself?

...laughed so hard your face hurt?

...talked on the phone for hours - just for fun?

...laid in a hammock?

...read a good book?

...had a pajama party?

...did something silly to brighten someone's day?

...performed a random act of kindness?

...played "Secret Santa" for somebody just because?

...really expressed love when you made love?

...took a picnic basket to the beach?

...decided not to answer the phone because you were having dinner with your family?

Isn't it time you...?

http://www.everybodygoes.com/articles/when-was-the-last-time.htm  

Your partner in saying “YES!” passionately to life,
Tracy A. Turner
http://www.tracyaturner.com  
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The 100th Monkey By Ken Keyes, Jr.

Posted on Aug 8th, 2006 by Tracy Phaup : CFO/CLO - Chief Fun and Leadership Tracy Phaup
A story about social change

The Japanese monkey, Macaca fuscata, has been observed in the wild for a period of over 30 years. In 1952, on the island of Koshima scientists were providing monkeys with sweet potatoes dropped in the sand. The monkeys liked the taste of the raw sweet potatoes, but they found the dirt unpleasant.

An 18-month-old female named Imo found she could solve the problem in a nearby stream. She taught this trick to her mother. Her playmates also learned this new way and they taught their mothers, too. This cultural innovation was gradually picked up by various monkeys before the eyes of the scientists.

Between 1952 and 1958, all the young monkeys learned to wash the sandy sweet potatoes to make them more palatable. Only the adults who imitated their children learned this social improvement. Other adults kept eating the dirty sweet potatoes.

Then something startling took place. In the autumn of 1958, a certain number of Koshima monkeys were washing sweet potatoes—the exact number is not known. Let us suppose that when the sun rose one morning there were 99 monkeys on Koshima Island who had learned to wash their sweet potatoes. Let’s further suppose that later that morning, the hundredth monkey learned to wash potatoes.

THEN IT HAPPENED!

By that evening almost everyone in the tribe was washing sweet potatoes before eating them. The added energy of this hundredth monkey somehow created an ideological breakthrough!

But notice. A most surprising thing observed by these scientists was that the habit of washing sweet potatoes then jumped over the sea …Colonies of monkeys on other islands and the mainland troop of monkeys at Takasakiyama began washing their sweet potatoes!

Thus, when a certain critical number achieves an awareness, this new awareness may be communicated from mind to mind. Although the exact number may very, the Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon means that when only a limited number of people know of a new way, it may remain the consciousness property of these people. But there is a point at which if only one more person tunes-in to a new awareness, a field is strengthened so that this awareness is picked up by almost everyone! …

You may be the "Hundredth Monkey"…

http://www.everybodygoes.com/coaching/stories-that-coach/100th-monkey-by-ken-keyes-jr.htm
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Top 10 Ways to Create an Integrity Day

Posted on Aug 9th, 2006 by Tracy Phaup : CFO/CLO - Chief Fun and Leadership Tracy Phaup
By Tracy A. Phaup

An integrity day is an afternoon or day that you come together with a group of people that all want to accomplish things that will bring you all into in integrity with your selves and others. Often, these are things that you’ve all been putting off.

Ideally you want to set up the integrity day to last for at least four hours, but no longer than an ordinary day. You’ll have conference calls scheduled throughout the time set aside for the integrity day.

The day starts by coming together on the call, telling everyone what you’re going accomplish within the next hour and they cheer you on – you listen to what they’re going to accomplish and you cheer them on - and then the race is on to see how much you can get done before the next scheduled call.

Great way to be held lovingly accountable and to use the synergy of the group to get things accomplished that’s both fun and powerful.

Here’s how to Create Your Integrity Day:

1. Create a list of S.M.A.R.T goals that can be accomplished in the time frame set up for the integrity day.

So, if the group is working for four hours, what can you accomplish in those four hours?

(A S.M.A.R.T. goal is a goal that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Tangible.)

2. Plan what your reward will be for accomplishing your S.M.A.R.T goals.

Keep the reward in proportion to the goals – that increases the likelihood of another successful integrity day the next time you create one.

3. Set up buddies ahead of time for the integrity day.

Everyone in the group should be working with a buddy throughout their integrity day. If you have an odd number of people you can simply set up a buddy threesome. The buddies should create a plan to check in with each other in whatever way works best for them – phone or email – in between the times the entire group is scheduled to call. So, if the conference calls are set up for every two hours then the buddies will be connecting at least every hour.

4. Use your buddy ahead of time to plan your integrity day.

It’s sometimes easy to misjudge the amount of time or effort that a project will take. Setting up the buddies before the integrity day and coming to the first call already fired up to go is an awesome way to start. Finding out in the middle of an integrity day that the goals were either too impossible for the time frame or even too easy saps the momentum of the entire group. Working with your buddy before the day even starts means that you’re not only working on creating a more intimate relationship, it means that your buddy has an opportunity to give feedback or advice about adjusting your goals for the Integrity Day. Make estimations about how time consuming each goal is, and work from there.

5. Pick goals that are about YOUR accomplishments.

Life is a team sport, but an Integrity Day isn’t a day to make promises for other people. It’s YOUR day. If other people have to do their part in order for you to accomplish the goal then you might want to rethink it. Maybe the goal can be doing your part and it’s just the icing on the cake if they do theirs.

6. Debrief.

At the end of the day debrief with your team and then more privately with your buddy right after.

7. And during the debriefing - celebrate the successes.

Whether the goals are entirely accomplished or not it’s about celebrating the successes. Sometimes tackling a goal means that the first stage turns out to be about finding out what the unknown obstacles were to getting it accomplished. THAT’s an accomplishment, too!! So, now you may have other goals to accomplish before that one will be complete, but that’s ok. An integrity day is about nothing but pom poms, woo hoo's and “go get ‘em tiger’s”!

8. Learn the lessons.

What are the lessons you’ve learned from your integrity day? If you could have anybody in the world – from anytime throughout history – coach you about how your integrity day went, how do you think they would coach you? What would they say? What would they acknowledge about your day? What would they say the lessons are for you?

9. Rinse.

Surrender to whatever the day was for you and let it pass behind you.

10. Now repeat.

Create another Integrity Day. Twice a week is the recommended dosage.

 
Your partner in saying “YES!” passionately to life,
Tracy A. Phaup
http://www.Tracy-Phaup.com

This article may be redistributed freely as long as it is reproduced in it’s entirety and fully and properly credited. If you wish to redistribute a shorter version, please contact the author.
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