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Happiness will never come to those who don't appreciate what they already have #quote #truth6 hours ago
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Filling your brain | What are you a student of?
Published January 11, 2012 | Over the holidays I took some time to fill my brain with good movies, books and of course basketball 
. In the evenings Ron, Zac and I have been snuggling up on the couch with blankets and popcorn to watch movies with hot cups of tea. That’s been awesome.
I believe that we are all students of something. There is something that interests us enough that we just can’t get enough of it. Sometimes it’s not present 100% of the time, but then it will show up again and pull our attention from everything else. It will make us want to have the emails, phone calls and text messages stop coming at us furiously so that we can just study … take in every bit of it … get lost in it.
Zac has been recording College Basketball games and I hear the constant drone of shoes on the floor, crowds chanting and then him pausing and rewinding to study a move that someone in the game performed. Then he tells me to watch as he performs it and adds it to his repertoire. He does this for hours at a time sometimes.
He is a student of the game of basketball … that’s for sure. he LOVES it and has high aspirations in it. (Which I believe he will achieve.)
I, on the other hand, am a student of people, learning and figuring things out. I love learning about people – why they do what they do … who they are … how they got that way. I do this in person, in reading books and in movies. I study life!
Over the holidays, I read two books about mental management that were awesome and made SO much sense to me. They specialize more in sports, but can easily transition over to business and life. I flew through those reading one completely over Christmas day in the car out loud to Ron and Zac on our marathon of driving.
The other book is a guilty pleasure that I decided to dive into. I haven’t read a fictional novel since early last year when I finished Steig Larsson’s trilogy of novels. I enjoyed those so much that I didn’t know what could possibly replace them in my mind – haha. I’ve been looking at books and wanted to find another series that I could try. Stumbled upon Hunger Games before Christmas and tried to buy it on iBooks, but they didn’t have it. I asked for an Amazon card so I could get it through the Kindle app. I started it less than a week ago and I’m already over 50% done with it. I know there is a movie coming out about it and as I turn each page, I can see how it would make a great movie. I truly hope they do it justice. So now I’m hooked and will read all three of the books in this series. Each morning I am trying to chisel out an hour (at least) to read more of this story. I find myself loving the words on the page and savoring them because I know that I’m already half way through the book and I don’t want it to truly end … but I do want to know what happens.
… so … my DAMN Question for you today is …
What are YOU a student of?
What makes you tune everything else out and just study it … practice it?
Happy 2012
Published January 9, 2012 | Happy 2012 everyone!~ I know that many people at the first of every new year feverishly write down resolutions for the year.. Personally I am not a resolution person, I look at the new year with huge excitement as an opportunity for change!
So here is my DAMN question: What opportunities for change are in your 2012 Future???
Coo Coo Clocks … where’s the DAMN snooze button on this thing?
Published December 1, 2011 | 
So last Spring out of the blue, we got this little yellow bird that started visiting us. Each morning before the sun came up, he’d start hitting the window and then he’d fly up the window beating his lil wings against the window all the way up. He’d do this for about 5 – 10 minutes .. and then go into the tree for a bit and start over.
He seemed pissed … really pissed. We couldn’t figure out what the heck he was mad about. We have our very own ANGRY BIRD!!
So we decided to really piss him off and give all the trees a HUGE cut back. Not just a trim either … there was trunks exposed in the back yard and we could actually see all the neighbors.
Mr. Yellow Bird left shortly thereafter. That was 8 months ago.
… and now that the trees have grown back in … he’s back and even more pissed off. Now he chirps as he beats the windows. Not sure what we did … but he’s definitely NOT happy.
Check out the video we took from our bedroom window.
… so today my DAMN question is this …
Why is this Mr. Yellow Bird targeting us with his hate crimes? … and why so DAMN early and often?
Any ideas?
… help Mr. Yellow Bird find his DAMN answer already so he’ll leave us alone.
Hellooooo Recovery… Where are you???
Published November 17, 2011 | Another one bites the dust……… It seems every time I turn on my computer my AOL or MNS home page is screaming another retailer is filing BK or closing there doors. Today’s economic climate has really got me spooked and re-evaluating many things. I am a business person who has a very crazy brain and I am an entrepreneur in spirit and it breaks my heart to see so many “peoples” closing their doors. My Crazy brain has been affected by the magnitude of the shift of wealth particularly over the past year. I have seen so many of my friends who were once jamming along with successful businesses that have now come to a screeching halt. In my local SCV community there are business’s that have been staples here for many years are now vacant and or with going out of business signs plastered over their once colorful and alive windows. I know that these economic ups and downs are normal and are just part of the “circle of life” but for me this is like nothing I have ever seen or experienced before.
I recall my Father struggling in the mid 80’s and certainly the dot com explosion was a biggie but this seems different to me. Peoples spirits are low and excitement about the immediate future is flat. It seems like more and more people are just trying to survive and are “hopeless instead of hopeful”. To me this is not America: this looming “cloud” of despair that so many are living under is not what we are. We Americans have substance, we are tenacious, we are driven and motivated and it breaks my heart to see so many who are defeated. Where are the days where we would pick ourselves up by our bootstraps and move forward?? I have enough business experience to fundamentally and logically know that the Gas Prices will ease – Housing will settle and that American Spirit will return….
My DAMN question is When???
Posted in The Damn Question, The Root of All Evil | 
American Spirit, BK, Economy, Recovery, Struggles | 
1 CommentOne Question Answered at least for Me ~ Peace finally.
Published August 12, 2011 | 
Last week I snuck away for a few days to Maui. Hubby bought me a guilt ticket to hang with my girlfriend and her family for a few days and I gratefully accepted. Backing up a smidge, Hubby has had a ton of guy trips this year including the one he is on now to Alaska and he was well… feeling guilty 
During my few days of R and R my girlfriend had a book sitting on the table of the condo where we were staying called “Heaven is for Real” by Todd Burpo. I was intrigued by the name and was instantly drawn to the cover and this adorable little man who’s smile was so big and so bright. Now I confess that my literary skills are very low these days and to me reading a book is usually better than a Tylenol PM. For some reason though, call it divine intervention this one was really tugging on me and for good reason.
Now, I don’t want to give too much away but the long and the short of it is this: A little boy named Colton was in emergency life threatening surgery and miraculously survived. Truly though, the incredible part is what happens during recovery and the story that emerges over the many months that followed ~ a story detailing Coltons trip to heaven and back. Now this little Man, Colton who is not even 4 years old begins telling his Mom and Dad what heaven was like. His account and story it is truly remarkable. The knowledge he had was unthinkable and at times head scratching, as much of what he shared he could not have even know unless he was actually in heaven. OK no more insight into the book I don’t want to give too much away 
Here is where my AH HA answer for me comes in: About 13 years ago I had a miscarriage at about 14 weeks and it was heartbreaking for me, as it is for anyone. Over the years I played that very dangerous “what if ” game, DAMN do I hate that game and I am sure you can imagine there has and always will be a very big hole in my heart from this loss. Well, in the story Colton tells his Mom that he met his Big Sister and he loved her, he was missing her and he wanted to know why she did not have a name. Come to find out a little later that Coltons Mom had a miscarriage and him having knowledge of this was impossible as he was only 3 and well that is not something you discuss with a child. They never named the baby but from what I gather from his story “she” knows that someday she will be with Mom and Dad again and that they will finally give her a name. It was like a wave of relief came over me as I was reading that part of the book ~ That my unborn child really is still very much alive and that someday I will meet him or her. I know that I am not doing a great job articulating how this felt to me at that moment but tears streamed down my face and a huge sense of peace came over me. You see I was not able to try again or have a child due to many circumstances but at least now due to this book and my faith I really do feel that someday I will be a Mom.
I am still searching for many many more answers in this crazy thing call life ~ but thankfully I am happy to share that a big one at least for me has been answered.
The Book again is “Heaven is for Real” A little boy’s astonishing story of his trip to Heaven and back
By Todd Burpo AKA Dad
Posted in Check This Out, The Damn Question | books, heaven, Heaven is for Real, Todd Burpo | 3 CommentsElections are over – Now what?
Published November 3, 2010 | OK so this is not going to be a political rant or a party rant as I am really not in love with one party over the other. I am more of a people and policy type voter. This is more of a plea to those who were just elected: Please stop all the BS, finger pointing and mud slinging and get to work. We elected you to work on behalf of the people not for your own gain. It is time for you to step up to the plate and go to work for US the American people who voted for you. Now is the time for positive change well, because DAMN do we need it.
Here is my DAMN question if you were elected what would be top on your list to address, reform and or fix?
My top 3:
Jobs, Jobs , Jobs
Immigration Reform
** (I am fine if you want to come here from other countries just go through the proper and legal channels)
Education Reform
More fun than a Magic 8 Ball
Published April 2, 2010 | 
It’s been a bit since we got a Question submission. We try really hard to reply to each and every one of the “What’s Your Question?” emails we receive. Even when they are a lil crazy (who am I kidding, Lindaloohoo LOVES the crazy ones).
Just to show you what I mean, here is a question we received yesterday from one of our readers:
hi first iam greeting u so please help me iam so glad to meet u so plese can u help me??? and my question is can u tell me my best friend in the world? – Monada
Lindaloohoo surely does not disappoint. She’s even better than having a magic eight ball if you ask me. Check out her reply:
monada,
you realize we’re not the psychic network right?
but if i had to guess, i’d say your best friend is someone really fast, like dash from the incredibles, so they can keep up with your fast pace. am i close? – linda
So … just in case you wonder if you actually get a response when you click that little tab up there :: points :: called “What’s Your Question?” Rest assured … you do … and most of the time, it’s even more fun than the Magic Eight Ball.
5 Reasons I am not a fan of your business on FACEBOOK
Published March 31, 2010 | 
This one is compliments on Letter Girl AKA notgoingpostal.com and I must say when I saw this I could not believe her timing as Kristy and I were just talking about this. Seriously I think Letter Girl is in both of our heads!!
Girl … it’s dangerous in here … you might want to rethink that choice !! HEHE
Seriously … if you are not reading Not Going Postal … you are TRULY missing out. Please make sure and check out her site… she always seems to have incredible things posted!!
So here is her “BRILLIANT” post titled – 5 REASONS I AM NOT A FAN OF YOUR BUSINESS ON FACEBOOK!
1. I’m not a customer.
Don’t get your feelings hurt. Maybe it’s because I just don’t need your services. Maybe you’re a very nice independent insurance agent and my husband already works for the best insurance company in the world. (Not a paid endorsement.) Maybe you sell fertility vitamins and I would gouge out my eyes with a rusty nail before I would try to get pregnant. Maybe you’re hawking high-calorie shakes geared towards helping people bulk up and, seriously? DO I EVEN NEED TO EXPLAIN WHY I’M NOT SIGNING UP?
Of course, it could also be that I’m not a customer because I had a bad experience, like another company better, or think you’re in an industry responsible for eroding the America I know and love.
Either way, I’m not going to fan your page. Because first, I don’t volunteer to get marketing messages from a company I don’t use. And second, becoming your “fan” is a subtle endorsement. And I don’t endorse things I don’t use just to be polite.
2. You’re a tool.
Even if I do like your business, if when I look at your page, you are posting nothing but specials and advertisements, and not really interacting with customers, I’m not becoming a fan. Social media is soft-sell and relationship-based. I don’t want to be looking through my Facebook news feed and see advertisement after advertisement for buy one, get one free widget sales.
3. You’re A No-Show
On the other hand, if I go look at your “fan page” and you haven’t posted anything or responded to any questions from customers, I’m not becoming a fan, either. Don’t get a Facebook page just because someone said you should and then ignore it.
Worst example I’ve ever seen of this? Chrysler. They’ve gone in and cleaned up their fan page, but for a while, it was nothing but angry customers wanting answers about problems with their cars and getting no response. You really don’t want to put up a page where all that’s happening is people talking about how bad you suck. (Which, Chrysler? You pretty much do. But that’s a story for another post).
To read the rest of her hilarious post … go HERE
So here is our DAMN question: DO YOU AGREE????
Call me Crazy … but I want a pothead!
Published March 3, 2010 | Not THAT kind of a pot head – haha. If “I” ran the zoo … I would have a garden design like THIS:
Actually, I would like a few of them to put in a group like this but they don’t have to be exact. I like that he’s got pedestals for some so that they aren’t all the same height etc. and I like that each face is different (as are the plants in the head). It’s kind of like having your very own Mt. Rushmore but with greenery – haha. I found them here: http://stonefacecreations.homestead.com/
What is even MORE fun though … to go through the plant containers here: SHARE YOUR HEAD SECTION.
Talk about unique garden gifts – haha. So who’s with me to be all home and garden in creating a Mr. Rushmore style garden this year?
Intelligent retreat … or going down with the ship?
Published February 10, 2010 | 
I was recently talking with a friend who had to close down their business – VERY sad day. She was telling me that she felt like a failure because she couldn’t make the money to pay her business expenses. She’s not alone. In fact, she’s not the only one. I’ve talked about restructuring my jewelry business early in 2009 to put it a little further back on the burners.
Luckily I am blessed with talents that allow me to roll myself into something that will make money in RKN Studio. I’m not saying that to brag … just that during tough times we have to re-evaluate and figure out a way to make ends meet.
I just read a great little side article in Entrepreneur Magazine this month titled Closing Time. Here are three tips that Jennifer Wang gave to know when it’s time to raise the white flag and do something different:
You find yourself positively spinning–or outright denying–the negative numbers.
Entrepreneurs tend to be optimistic, and in the face of bad results, there’s a tendency to think, “Just a bit longer.” But Barry Staw, a professor at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business who has studied how often escalate commitment to failing endeavors, warns: “Don’t be the person who needs to be hit over the head with a sledgehammer. The longer you keep going, the harder it will be to withdraw–and the more money you’re probably going to lose.”Nobody else thinks it’s a good investment.
Would you put into the business as it is now? Ask others for an honest answer and take the nos seriously. “You should never sit on a stock unless you’re willing to put in new money for it, and the same thing goes for a business,” Staw says. “Many entrepreneurs have both successes and failures under their belts. There’s no point in betting your whole entrepreneurial life on a single venture.”You passed your “quit” threshold a while ago.
Every business is different, so there’s no universal cutoff that marks when you should call it quits. But while things are good, impose a limit on yourself (number of months in the red, a total debt amount, the moment you consider dipping into your kid’s college fund). Write it down and stick to it. Otherwise, you’ll keep changing your story. “It’s far easier to make logical decisions before things start falling apart,” Staw says. “Remember, an intelligent retreat isn’t the same thing as failure.”
After I read this article I re-thought my decision early in 2009 and realized that it was a very smart idea to put My Little Pretty on the back burner. I’m still working to pay off some of the debt that I incurred with doing trade shows, etc. but I never compromised my families livelihood or spent Zac’s college fund. Honestly – I’m still doing SOME business with My Little Pretty … just not as much and one day, I believe I will still be able to sell what I have built to someone who loves the branding and designs that I have already done .
It was (and still is at times) a tough decision to make … but the fact that RKN Studio is growing leaps and bounds since we launched it tells me that we’re on the right track.
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