Spreading the Word Part 2

Okay, I am late with steps 3 and 4, where did my week go during holiday break? To the holidays I guess. Well, I'm here to resume the simple steps we can take to save the Earth!

3. Go for Seconds. Recycling doesn't mean separating your bottles and cans. It can mean using things for a second or third time. That padded envelope you got or the box from Amazon, scratch out the label, tear off the stamp and use it again! What can you use for seconds around the house?

4. Watch your waste. Items you throw away can contaminate the soil and water for thousands or millions of years! Your community probably has special disposal procedures for oil or batteries. Ink cartridges can be recycled where you bought them. And I bet you didn't know this, those new super-efficient light bulbs contain mercury - so proper disposal is critical!

I know Ikea recycles batteries, light bulbs and other items. The Pasadena Library will take your used batteries. There are local organizations that will take used cell phones, I remember recycling mine to The Body Shop where they can refurbish it and use it at Womens' Shelters. And there's http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/ which you can donate your phone for soldiers to use overseas. Also, San Gabriel will have an electronic waste recycling day at the San Gabriel Christian High School on 1/15. I typically have an area for all my stuff and when the day arrives, I just drop it all off! Thanks WWF for all the incredible tips.

Spreading the Word

As an avid preacher of connecting with you community and spreading the word for organizations, I'm compelled to do this. WWF has a list of "10 Simple Things YOU can do to Help Save the Earth".

I am guilty of not doing all of it but it is my commitment to do my part. I'm going to share 2 at a time to give time for all of us to practice it. If anything - spread the word, post it up and talk about it. That's how making a difference starts... by talking about it.

1. Put on a sweater: turning on the heat in wintertime, your furnace is probably burning fossil fuels. We're out to conserve resources and reduce global warming.

2. Put one foot in front of the other: Can you imagine that one hundred years ago, 99.9% of people got by without cars? How can you drive less? I know it may take some planning, but how long does it really take?

Stay tuned for the next steps next week! :)

The Moments that Changed Your Life, or Did It?

I'm a firm believer that there are moments that change your life. There are people that have stepped in my life and took my path to a whole new direction.

As I look back and reflect on what life would've been, I'm astonished. Two years ago, there was a conversation of living in Germany. That did not happen and I'm here today to support my family, be with my students and live for myself.

I recall running for Freshmen Class President back in the day. I remember the moment I gave my speech in the 8th grade asking for votes and it was definitely a traumatizing experience. I still remember the emotion to this day. But what I didn't figure out was that because I didn't become Freshmen Class President, I was able to take Beginning Speech as my elective. The rest is history. (If you don't know, I'm still a part of the Speech program today).

All I did was look at it from a different light. What did you have happen to you that was a moment that changed your life and you didn't realize it?

Remembering 'WHY'

Today, after working with my high school students, I found myself at an impasse. Or, you could say, in similar shoes as them. I find myself in this space often, and finally verbalized it for them to see if my words today will make a difference for them in the future.

Why would we do what we do - day in and day out - and half ass it? BUT the better question to explore this inquiry is why do we do what we do?

At some point there was something that we saw for ourselves that inspired us to pull the trigger and take the action. That's the case for me anyway. And when you get into action, you work at it, the desired outcomes don't happen as quickly or there's more work involved than you originally thought, and the 'why' disappears and everything turns into work. I suffer through what I chose to say yes to! I forget the original reason that had me say yes and therefore life seems mundane - ordinary.

Then something happens to where I"m reflecting on where I am at life and majority of the time I wonder how I got here. 5 years ago or even a year ago, I never thought I would be here today. There's a saying that things will get easier, and I always believed in that. I looked forward to things being easier... but now, I think that's a fallacy. If things were easier, I would just be a coach potato, secluded to my own home and never interacting with anyone, let alone make a difference. I've come to the conclusion that easy isn't what I want. Extraordinary is what I'm looking for. So, I'm left with the inquiry of remembering my 'why' and spending a couple days to look at it. I share this with you to give you a chance to think of your 'why' and maybe bring the fire or the passion back into your life.

How to deal with being overwhelmed?

I was talking to my friend today and he was totally overwhelmed with all the things that are going on in his life. Recently, all these different projects for work started to show up and fall on his lap and he was unprepared to handle it all. I see this happen with a lot of my friends and sometimes even myself. And what's the solution. Obviously is to set up structures to have it all work. As my other friend says, I'd like to have my cake and eat it too. But instead of making a huge to do list and be paralyzed when you're looking at it, there's something to do before that. What there is to do is create a context. Why are you doing these projects?

This isn't the first time I've heard this question before, but there's a twist I'd like to add to it. First, a lot of people will say that they want to be financially free, be wealthy, have freedom... But all of that, is fluffy stuff. It's not something tangible. And what will happen, majority of the time, is the motivation from your why that has you push through all the projects will quickly disappear. Mainly because it's not something you can hold onto, it's not specific and there's no time frame about it.

So here are my guidelines for the WHY.
One, set up a time frame of what you want accomplish in 1, 2 or 3 months. 3 at the most.
Two, set up specific results. Like my last post, I'm looking to generate $15,000 by September 2nd, 2010.
Three, you want to make sure that your result is going towards the bigger idea of your why. Mine is to know that I can do it. And from that point will come freedom, happiness and joy.

There you go, 3 simple steps to increase the effectiveness of your why that no one ever told you about!

Playing to expand the experience

Recently this week I noticed that there was something off for me. There was a certain way I was doing things, completing my tasks and producing results. Just to give some background information, I work for myself as a Real Estate Investor - so I work on my own time. But with no boss, being my own boss is sometimes hard and even difficult. There will be the usual comments that will let me off the hook from making phone calls, scheduling appointments and returning emails. At that point I am producing no results and worse yet, no money. So what is there for me to do about it. What was missing that would make the total difference in how I relate to working for myself.

I pondered and pondered and even called my friend Mike about it, and I got it. I didn't have anything at stake for my everyday activities. There wasn't a driving force behind what I did. Some people in the training and developing world say that it's your "why" and frankly I don't care what it's labeled. All I know is that if I don't have something at stake in what I'm currently doing, my experience of what I'm doing is just ordinary. I don't get to be the super power that I know I can be and have been. With something on the line, I step up the game. Things don't get over looked, I start being intentional, efficient and effective. It's like all of a sudden, because I said that I want to make $15,000 in 3 months and have my life be about myself instead of focusing on others first, every action becomes about making that happen - no matter what action. Be it for business, training for a 10k or even supporting friends. Everything gets done completely and fully.

Once I did that, the next day was a total shift. Things did get done and some more. I had one of those days where I worked really hard and slept like a baby because I was on my way to produce the results I wanted!

In case you run into a Termite problem

I've been meaning to do this for a while, but haven't. And now here it is. Earlier last year, the home I've been living in for 10 years had a little pest problem - TERMITES! Boy was I freaking out! I first noticed these bugs flying in the skylight of my bathroom and I was like what the heck is that. My mom wanted to know if they were termites but quickly concluded that it wasn't because her friend said so. But I looked up some pictures of what termites would look like on google, and that just made my "freaking out" worse. At that point, I started to share with friends and they said it was easy to deal with. Quickly the next day, I had set up 2 appointments for quotes on how to deal with the problem. One with Orkin and the other was a local company that my friend had used, Kilter. Orkin did not help whatsoever. It was very much like a business transaction, they weren't going to guarantee all the termites to be gone unless we exterminated the house and left for three days. (An option my mom didn't want) Kilter on the other hand was awesome! He, Bill the owner, explained everything to me, told me that the termites are swarming and they've been around for about 7 years. Of course I quickly assumed that the structure of my house was threatened but he assured me that it was not. They're also working with a product that does not require us to move from our home. Very green of them. The whole process took less than an hour to do and bam! The termites were dead within a couple weeks. On top of that, I saw some new presence of termites, I called them, they came by to do the treatment again - for free. It was a 2 year warranty that promised the termites would be gone. I'm actually quite satisfied with them that is why I'm writing a whole blog about it. Here is their website: http://bit.ly/aoFBVG and tell them that Jill referred you. Their customer service is hands down, one of the best.

I hear so many people getting into Real Estate deals that are going bad. Get Educated! http://bit.ly/aRfneY

Okay, so I don't really much dabble in stocks but I can never pass up the chance to educate myself. The worst 15: http://bit.ly/bA2Zkp

Can you afford to pay for college?

Can you afford to pay for college?

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Cheap Storage

I enjoy having my things in order, from the room to the workspace. There is definitely something about space that will have me work efficiently or not. Call it Fung Shui or the balance of powers... whatever you like. I just know that it works.

While browsing online to see what I could use that would help me keep my physical space clean, I came across these Multi Purpose Bins that can be used for just about anything! I also found them to be at an amazing price - around $3-$5. It also works that there's sale and if you click Gift you can download a free toolbar and get cashback on your purchases online! With The Container Store, you get 3-6 points per dollar. I personally like the small container the best!

Curbing your lunch?

So my brother is in the middle of his P90X commitment and I'm seeing results. No doubt about it. It's interesting how he's going beyond the workout, by cutting out drinking, watching his food intake and the supplements he takes throughout the day. Personally, I think he's doing more than I would do.

One day, I ate the last apple and he got so upset with me that he stopped talking to me for the entire day. I mean... really? WOW. The reason behind it is that through his research, the apple has the most amount of fiber and complex sugars, or the composition of the apple will curb how much you eat a half an hour later. Something like that. So his routine was to eat an apple 1/2 and hour before lunch and he would get full faster. I thought it was a genius idea, mainly because apples are cheaper than the full bar or the other bars. Therefore, if you want to cut back on lunch, eat an apple exactly 1/2 an hour before. It has worked for him. For me, I'm still testing it, so we'll see.

The Electric Company Pays Us - Kiplinger

The Electric Company Pays Us - Kiplinger

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Thinking of traveling?

I came across this article that may give you the best bang for your buck when looking to travel this year! Check it out!

Free Godiva Chocolate

One of the biggest perks of signing up with Godiva is getting a free chocolate truffle a month! All you do is sign up and go in each month to say you want your free chocolate. You don't have to buy anything. And if you do spend $10 or more, you get a free gift! (It's more chocolate!) I personally like the Hazelnut Praliné Truffle. Click here to get signed up!

Don't sweat it: Canceling a credit card won't hurt your

Don't sweat it: Canceling a credit card won't hurt your score

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