sandying - just being me

A Digital Migration; A Physical Migration

2011-07-26T18:02:00.000-04:00

Greetings.

I know it's been very quiet here on Sandying. So you'll have to excuse me. I have important news to share.

First, if you follow me on Facebook, you may already know the big physical change. I'm moving to the Berkshires at the end of the summer! I will soon be the residence director of the Thai massage school I studied at earlier this year.

That said, I've had a digital change in progress for quite some time. My blog is moving to my new digital home: SandyKalik.com. Come visit me there. This will be my last post on Sandying.

Thanks for reading!
Sandy

System Overload & a Pragmatic Approach to Meditation

2011-05-10T11:02:00.000-04:00

Do you know that feeling when you're doing so many things, you just can't possibly do everything impeccably? Our modern lives often demand this constant multitasking - make this call, type up meeting notes, take out the trash - and we're all toting the hardware (smart phone, laptop, mic'd headphones) to allow ourselves to be efficient enough to do it all at once. Because we're taught that efficiency is time management. Time management is getting everything done in shorter and shorter amounts of time. Push, pull. Run. Run. Push, run, pull, run...

At a certain point, the mind stops being able to hold it all. What was I just doing? Why did I open a new tab on my browser? And then you start forgetting things. The obvious little things. The car keys. The cell phone -- how could you possibly have forgotten your phone? What if you get a text and don't reply right away? Everyone will feel so slighted by your forgetfulness.

You get the idea. It's really all gotten out of hand. Hasn't it?

If you're feeling overwhelmed, the idea of sitting still and "calming the mind" can actually be anxiety provoking. Where are you going to get the time for that? I've got so many other things to do. I can't just sit and do nothing, can I?

Well, maybe someday. But if it's stressing you out to be still, you can notice it and make a study of it. Ultimately though, it just might not be right for you in the moment. So what is a zen-seeker to do?

Write it all down. When your mind is spinning circles on the hamster wheel of nonsense, pull it all out of your head. Start journaling. If you can organize all the thoughts, or simply get them out of your head for a little while, you just might find a little space for calm.

Feel Like Letting Go?

2011-04-08T15:43:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I googled "Letting Go" hoping to find the Nicki Minaj / Sean Kingston track on YouTube. Search is a wonderful tool for instant gratification.

Of course, I got my musical fix, but in the process of googling, I stumbled on these lovely "letting go" related images. On the left, we have reassurance that everything will be ok when you do let go. On the right, a depiction of one of the many thoughts worth letting go of.

"Fear of not being good enough" -- that's one I hold on to for whatever reason.

Maybe it has something to do with the past, maybe it doesn't. Maybe it's just a bad habit or negative thought code. Whatever it is, write it on a piece of paper and let it burn; write it on your hand and let it wash away; write it on a leaf and let it float away.

Do you have a good letting go ritual? Please share!

Of Machines and Men

2011-03-26T17:53:00.000-04:00

Between all the talk of IBM's Jeopardy-winning supercomputer Watson and my speed viewing of the current run of Doctor Who, I've had robots on the brain. The sudden prevalence of robotics, or just the awareness of them, prompted the obvious thought: what if I could have a robot do that instead?

Think about it, as a communications person, I'm sure you've day dreamt about never having to build another contact database or pleasantly smile through a series of media brush offs. It would be nice if for all the times we're expected to be inhuman machines, there could simply be a machine to take on that task.

And what of the demands of modern communication? Scheduled deliverables like blog posts, newsletters, event reminders? Surely a machine would be better at that too, right? They are remarkably punctual.

Machines do remember perfectly. So let's just let them do that for us too. In case we forget how to tell, the computers can remind us when to plant and harvest food. They can tell us when to sleep and wake up, procreate and eat. Why bother committing any sort of trivia to memory? Just Google it. The computer has the answer.

Robots don't get hurt feelings. Robots don't forget. Robots are the future!

Trouble is linear thought and very large databases can only carry you so far. Creation, innovation, inspiration: these are humanity's real gifts. Sure, life is fragile, but so is a commercial power supply. You know what I'm saying?

Part of why the Cybermen are so amusing and frightening as an ongoing Doctor Who enemy is that viewers are forced to review their (our) relationship to the machines we rely on for daily life now. Another reason this consistent foe always gets me is the way they view emotions as a weakness, a human flaw.

Human Flaws
We humans are imperfectly outstanding. Loving and compassionate. Brilliant in our flaws. Sinister and clever. And increasingly, we are reliant on technology. In time, it could be a curse; or it could be our salvation. For this exact moment in time, however, one of our greatest flaws is this notion that we ought to be more like machines. Feel everything. That's our greatest distinction.

At least that's what I'd like to believe. What's the alternative?

Studying and the Future of Sandying

2011-03-22T12:14:00.000-04:00

All's quiet on Sandying these days. You see, I've been off studying a lot, and plotting a super secret thing.

The super secret thing I've been working on is my future digital home. SandyKalik.com is most definitely a work in progress (just like the rest of me). But if you have thoughts or resources on a blogger to wordpress migration, I'd be grateful! Eventually, I'll be moving the blog over to the new site.

For my physical mind and body, I've been doing a lot of studying. My 500 hour teacher training with Daniel Orlansky at the Arlington Center continues; the most recent module was yoga therapeutics with Doug Keller, and before that Daniel taught two modules on Meridian Yoga (you can read more about that system here). In between Meridian and therapeutics, I've been rocking out with Ana Forrest and soaking in the encyclopedia of anatomy knowledge from Ms. Ellen Heed.

A Few Take-Aways
To summarize all these trainings would take me a while, so I'm going to share the top-of-mind goodies. Some these are just amusing, some are terribly practical, some of these might just make you scratch your head. You be the judge.

"Don't be a sacrificial whore." - Ana Forrest

"We're very conditioned by the masculine norm; different does not mean inferior." - Ellen Heed

Scars may heal on the surface skin, but the fascial layers may still be affected. - via Ellen Heed (for more on this watch Gil Hedley on The Fuzz)

"If your body were meant to be sitting all day, we'd be made out of blocks." - Doug Keller

"Feet connect to core." - Doug Keller

"Your roll just might be your closest friend. Who else is going to get that close to your sh*t and stay?" - Ana Forrest (on taking cobra and bow over a rolled up mat)

Somehow Ellen Heed managed to engage a room of adults in conversations about anal massage, gut flora and fisting in a totally clinical and practical way--all of which I would have been incredibly resistant to hearing about or discussing in most any other context. I'm told there's more to it all in her Women's Sacred Anatomy Training. We'll have to see if I can keep a straight face though.

Do you find that training and learning only makes you hungry for more? Right now I'm looking into more Ellen Heed trainings, an Acroyoga immersion in September and a yin yoga teacher training. What are you studying these days?

By Request, Another R&R Playlist Post

2011-03-09T10:42:00.000-05:00

I've been recycling all of my favorite R&R playlists. This playlist, which I played most recently on Sunday, was originally created for back in November. I really appreciate the

You'll see that the majority is comprised of songs by artists ANAHATA and Anugama, but the song that I was asked about was the odd duck. deep sky meditation, by deep sky diver, is an extract that they make publicly available online.

Here's the full list: (song title, artist, album information when available)
Shumayela, ANAHATA
Silent Moment, ANAHATA
Healing Earth (Earth Frequency Meditation), Anugama, Healing (Relaxation Environment)
Flying to Earth, ANAHATA
deep sky meditation (extract), deep sky divers
Sweetness of the Earth, Anugama, Shamanic Dream II
MysticalTrance, Anugama, Shamanic Dream I
Love, ANAHATA

Visit Anahatas.com for links to download ANAHATA's songs. For Anugama, follow the link for the full album (above). For deep sky diver's music, visit that artist's download page here.

What I love about the songs on this particular list is the mix of nature sounds (water, birds, etc.) and soothing tones. Enjoy.

Getting Started is the Hardest Part

2011-02-16T19:12:00.000-05:00

I stumbled on this graphic today while working on a slide deck for a new business meeting we have this week. I had typed objectives into google's image search in the hopes of finding a proper bulls' eye or something goal-related. I found what I was looking for (thank you Google), and passed the deck to the next person, but something about this image struck me.

Whenever I sit down and think about my goals, whether it's to write more on my blog, clean out my closet, or apply to grad school, I might get so far as to put them down on paper, but then I stop. The paper gets buried. Or I change journals. Or I change locations. Or I change focus (work, fella, family, friends).

The first step is the hardest.

Making lofty lists is a great tool for self discovery. But taking steps down the path of dreams can be a daunting proposition if you're content enough with how things are, or even if you're not. Change freaks people out. Doing something different freaks people out. Trying something new? That really freaks people out.

There are a few projects that I've been thinking about now for ages. Many of them are sitting around as scribbles in notebooks or half written blog posts or as conversation pieces. I think it might be time to get started.

What do you think? Is getting started goal-worthy? For what it's worth, I say hell yea!

A Playlist Post: Sunday R&R

2011-02-15T10:38:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, a student requested that I share my R&R playlist. Apologies for the delay, I've been debating the ethics of posting the whole playlist up for download. The jury is still out on the whole sharing vs. stealing issue, but here's the full playlist. And I've included links to the albums that can be purchased online.

Title, Artist, Album
Morning Meditation, Ali Akbar Khan, Planet Yoga - Music for Yoga
three miracles, Vin Mitchell, Chasing God
Zenith, Benjy Wertheimer, Planet Yoga - Music for Yoga
Misty, Kitaro, Music for Yoga
Little Flowers / Speaking in Tongues, Vin Mitchell, Chasing God
Meditation of the Night, Benjy Wertheimer, Planet Yoga - Music for Yoga
Meditations of a Sacred Sinner, Vin Mitchell, Chasing God

Quick searches of Planet Yoga and Music for Yoga returned plenty of torrents, if that's the route you'd prefer to go.

The music on this list is pretty chill and could be used for a home meditation practice as well. I love Vin's guitar riffs, there's simultaneously an old-west feel and traditional eastern elements. Lovely.

For All Your Snow Day Needs - Activities for Indoor & Outdoor Snow Bunnies

2011-02-11T15:22:00.000-05:00

Photo by Arthennessey on Flickr

Us New Englanders have been in the thick of winter for quite a while now. And of course, I'm looking forward to the warmth of spring, and wearing flip flops well before the temperature actually warrants it. However, there's more snow projected for this weekend, so it seemed like a good time to list some activities for all the snow lovers and those less than pleased with winter's dander.

For rhe Great (Snowy) Outdoors

Make snow angels

I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't made snow angels since I was a freshman in college, which really means it's been too long, especially when you factor in how much snow we've gotten this year alone.

Throw a snowball

You really can't go wrong with this one... unless you miss your mark. Oops.

Snowshoe to work (or anywhere you need to go)

Or to the public transit that will get you to your final destination. It's environmentally friendly, a workout, and makes passersby chuckle.

Polar Bear Plunge

Irregardless of the fact that I think people who skinny dip through holes in ice may have lost a few too many marbles, this one goes on the bucket list. May be this year is the year.

Snowman scene

Instead of making a lame and lonely single snowman, create a whole snow family. There's plenty of a snow around, so go big!

The Warmer Indoors

Hibernate

Seriously, sometimes it's just nice to nestle in with a blanket, a book, or a whole season of Mad Men or Rome. (Thanks to @hublawer for that last one.)

Stock up on tea

A hot cup of tea with honey, lemon or even milk, if you're one of those people (I am), warms you from the inside out. Nummy, yum, yum.

Build a fire

A fireplace would be ideal; however, if you don't happen to have one, I hear the MBTA may have a few steel reinforced trash cans they'd part with on the cheap. (Seriously though, do not set a fire in a trash can, no matter how safe it seems. I don't want to get sued. Thanks.)

Prepare food

Get your crockpot started in on dinner when you first wake up. Turn the waffle maker on for breakfast. And get the oven going for all your baking delight. If your food projects don't turn out, you'll probably have heated up the place trying.

Roll out your mat

I suppose you could expect this from a yoga teacher, but one of the best snow days I've had this year was largely because I rolled my mat out well before everyone else woke up and rocked a home practice. And because I had practiced, I didn't mind leading a class in the living room for everyone else a few hours later. If you don't happen to have a yoga teacher spending the night in your place, there are great resources available online (Yoga Zone on Hulu, MyYogaOnline, and Yoga Vermont on YouTube).

If we actually get any more snow, how will you pass the time?

IT Amusement - Educate Yourself Before You Ask for Help

2011-02-10T10:51:00.000-05:00

PassiveAggressiveNotes.com original post

As a social media strategist, people often assume that I know a lot about the deep interworkings of the interwebs, information technology, etc. Admittedly, I probably know more about tech related stuff than the average duck. But I'm no IT expert.

That said, I found this recent contribution to Passive Aggressive Notes to be hilariously accurate. Not only does it summarize basic trouble shooting and customer support, if you've ever been on the wrong side of the blue screen of death, now you know how to troubleshoot for yourself.

Good for a laugh.

Why No More Anonymity Here?

2011-02-04T20:26:00.065-05:00

Yesterday, I made the decision to require some sort of login to post a comment on this blog. It's a step I've been reluctant to take (though I've talked about it some here) because I understand the role anonymity can play in sharing certain aspects of self or personal history; however, I've found with regards to the comments on this blog, anonymity has simply NOT aided in the creation of open dialogue or a candid space to share. Rather, I've found that the majority of the anonymous comments to be posted on this blog are just snide remarks the author didn't want to sign their name on. The most recent of these unnecessary and bitchy comments came in yesterday.

Admittedly, I've been processing some frustrations in my home life that have probably lead me to be a little less easy going than usual. But the specific comment that brought on this shift in policy came in on a post that I wrote in 2008, almost three years ago. As a means to help me adjust to working with a new team, someone I had been working with told me, "you attract more flies with honey." Though I believe the person giving the advise had the best intentions, I was having a hard time adjusting to the overly artificial, saccharine demeanor a few of my coworkers put on. I recognized it was a way to handle a difficult personality that we all were interacting with, and yet the fake-ness of the whole thing made it hard to trust the whole team. In my post, "You Attract More Flies with Honey?"I indirectly sought to explain why I found the phrase irksome, without talking about the work situation.

Although the post was written in 2008, I've received comments on it in April 2010 and one yesterday:

Image from CoolestGadgets.com
Anonymous said...
you attract even more with dog shit so what's the point
April 24, 2010 10:18 PM

Sandy said...
Exactly. The point is, it's a stupid saying.
April 24, 2010 10:21 PM

Anonymous said...
Ok, so replace the target animal. Done. The idea is still valid, obviously.
February 3, 2011 3:16 PM

Sandy said...
I recognize the desire for anonymity from time to time, but to leave a somewhat bitchy comment on a blog post that's over three years old kind of makes me scratch my head. If you've got something bitchy to say, that's fine. If you're kind of a bitchy person, that's cool too. But at a certain point, I hope you realize that that's on you. So own it and sign your name. Otherwise, it's just childish and petty...

February 3, 2011 3:29 PM

Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me
My original post talks about the fact that people don't actually want to attract flies. Flies are pests. Many anonymous commenters are the Internet's equivalent of flies, pests that swoop in, and dump garbage and leave before they can be asked to answer for it.

Even in the real world, flies come and go. And every time they land, they secrete vomit. Gross.

I don't like flies, flies or (Internet) flamers. Who has the time?

Stand in Integrity or Go Away
Comments on this blog now require an openID login. Though my reply to the anonymous comment is rather crass, it pretty much sums up my reasoning. If you're not willing to sign your name to a maligned, passive aggressive or otherwise nasty comment, I don't want to read what you have to say.

Social Media & Rap Music: Airplanes

2011-01-27T10:02:00.001-05:00

I love rap music. You may or may not already know this about me. There was a time when I considered starting a new and comically inappropriate blog (white girl, black music)--but I never had the cajones...

Anyhow, months ago when the song Airplanes first came out, I had an idea. Draw parallels between the music I love and the stuff I'm already doing. The particular song, Airplanes, just made it so easy.

The song has this bit that really resonated with me as a social media marketer / practitioner:

Somebody take me back to the days

Before this was a job, before I got paid

Before it ever mattered what I had in my bank

Yeah back when I was tryin' to get into the subway

And back when I was rappin' for the hell of it

But now a days we rappin' to stay relevant

Replace rappin' with blogging, tweeting or whatever verb you use in conjunction with Facebook, and it totally sings social media. Think about it:

Somebody take me back to the days...

... back when I was [bloggin'] for the hell of it

but now a days we [bloggin'] to stay relevant

How often do you write a post or a tweet just so people don't forget that you exist? There's so much talk about adding value just for the sake of staying in the conversation. Granted people have micro-attention spans, but this desire to stay constantly in front of people was not why we started in on social.

Do you remember when you'd write a blog post simply because the subject made you feel passionate? Because you wanted to share this crazy, silly amusing idea you had? Or because you actually believed that someone would relate to the experience you're having / had?

The song goes on about the politics of the rap game. Really, B.O.B. is talking about how you alter what you're doing or how you actually are when you know people are watching you. He raps:

So can I get a wish to end the politics

And get back to the music that started this shit

As a marketer, I recognize that we have to put information out there, and it's good for it to be helpful. But at a certain point, I find myself really fed up with all this talk about adding value and contributing to the conversation. Here's my plea:

So can I get a wish to end the politics

And get back to the [content] that started this shit

It's idealistic, but I'd like to go back to people sharing stuff they actually care about. And yes, even if they're getting paid to talk about something--how people make their money is of vital importance to how they live and support themselves. @GaryVee has it right. If you're passionate, it'll always show through.

If you're not familiar with the song, you can watch the video here:

Remembering MLK in Quotes

2011-01-18T09:03:00.000-05:00

Image from ISREALLI.org

When I first started dating my fella, I was nervous about introducing him to my family. He's the first man of color I've dated, and up until this point my family had been very keyed into the idea of me dating and marrying a Jewish man--a southern black gentleman couldn't be further from their expectations (or at least their perceived expectations). So I asked a pal of mine who has been in an interracial relationship for years, "How did you handle introducing him to your family?"

I think about her response often. She told me that you can't control people's reactions (can you tell she's a yoga teacher?), and that all I could really do, and what would be most effective was to simply let him stand for himself.

So to celebrate the man that stood for peacefully breaking down boundaries or race, creed and all the expectations therein, I figure I ought to do the same. MLK speaks best for himself.

Image from The Seattle Times

I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

Image from Gawker

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Photo by BET

An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.

The Lay of the Land

2011-01-10T21:29:00.001-05:00

Image from Hljod.Huskona's Flickr stream.

An amusing thing happens when you stare at a computer screen too long. You go completely cross-eyed, ultimately, forgetting what you were looking for in the first place. You see, you start out with the best of intentions, perhaps researching something for a client or a presentation you're working on. A couple of links later you're reading an AP article on Boston.com about human origins, intrigued but confused about how you got here and where you were actually going.

Our minds really like to be kept busy. In addition to feeling all intellectual and worldly, reading about this trend or a cool find, it keeps the neurons firing, the mind buzzing around.

But even with the best of intentions--learning and growing--it's easy to lose sight of the original end-game. It's easy enough to get lost in the great expanse of information, adrift in options and indecision. Distracted.

Can you see the forest through the trees?
I have to admit, it can be a challenge.

Let's say you got to the full blown computer glaze over researching a presentation for work. The presentation is on deadline, you've got a manager to please. But there's this really intriguing tangent you could look into for a few minutes, it might give you some interesting statistic for another project you've got going on... Ah, and you're blown. What are you ever going to do?

If you're lucky, your work nourishes your mind. At minimal, at least ideally, it nourishes your bank account.

But that's only one patch of trees. It's not the whole lay of the land. The forest is so much bigger.

What's the end game?
Do you feel fulfilled? Are you satisfied? Are you happy?

Life gets in way of really seeing the whole scene. What are you missing by watching a patch of trees?

The Week in Between; The Week After

2011-01-01T17:54:00.000-05:00

The Week in Between
Measured anticipation.

On Christmas, there's an air of excited expectation. Gifts galore. Family in town. Stuff to do. People to see. On New Year's Eve, there's a decided plan for recreation. A precise moment in time to take stock. A celebration of culmination. The opportunity to start fresh.

The week in between is strange blend. The hustle bustle of Christmas gives way to a week of returns and penance for overindulgences. Malls are jam packed, presents and cards still coming in, holiday guests are still lingering (special thanks to the "Great Blizzard of 2010")... There's always plenty to do the week between Christmas and New Year's. Somehow it feels both hectic and slow moving. It's the eye of the storm.

The Week After
Resolved reflection.

A joyous celebration on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day is hangover. We're reflecting on the previous year, planning for the new one. Now, there's the optimism of a new beginning. A renewed hope for tomorrow. Comfort that the past, 2010, is gone, done, finished, kaput.

Horay! Let's get started. New diets. New commitments. Everything is new again.

Until next week. When work will resettle. The holiday will guests go home. Things will return to normal. What will make this year different?

For 2011 & Beyond
Measured resolve.

The trouble with traditional resolutions is that they tend to be huge, unachievable things, without a timeline or even an actionable plan. Instead, this year, I resolve to change and grow on a different, more tangible timeline. Instead of one big list of New Year's resolutions, I'm going for one single, realistic goal a week. That's 52 smaller, bite-sized intentions.

This week?
This is partially guided by the fact that I'm reading Tim Ferriss' Four Hour Body and partly because on the advice of gal pal Denise Costello of the Energized Body; this week, I'm going to really try to incorporate protein into every meal (and snack) that I eat. If you know me, you know I have a love for all things carby and delicious, not necessarily nutritious, so this may be quite a feat.

What about you? Are you looking at resolutions differently this year? Share your ideas.

Post Yoga Adventuring Brain Swell

2010-12-22T13:36:00.000-05:00

Do you ever get that feeling that you're so full of stuff, of ideas, of new information to process, when you have so much to say and share, that you could just burst? It's May 17, 1980, just before a quiet St. Helens blew her top; it's the year 78 AD, just prior to the Plinian eruption of Mount Vesuvius that all but erased Pompeii from the map. A moment of seeming calm preserved at the hand of Vishnu, before Shiva brings destruction so Brahma can create anew.

Since mid-November, I've been in a sort of learning mode. Practicing with and learning from all my favorite teachers in the local community as well as some of the bigger names in yoga-land. Over the course of the last month or so, I've studied postural patterning with my local mentor and friend Pat Donaher (check out his blog), practiced with internationally known Shiva Rea, started a 500-hour teacher training with local Kundalini and TriYoga teacher Daniel Orlansky, and got immersed in the therapeutic side Acroyoga.

As a yoga teacher, I immediately look to assimilate all the new good knowledge into class material. But my biggest lessons in all of this have been profoundly personal. As a practitioner, I'm struck time and again by how I'm forced to compassionately confront my flaws, reexamine supposed positive attributes, and let it all be good. All the while, there's this backdrop, a community that generally walks its talk and will pick you up when you do fall down (because there's also a recognition that it happens and it's normal).

Slowly, but surely, it'll all get out of my head on to (digital) paper. Right now though, I'm planning to happily ride and nurture this yoga high...

Gone Droid and Loving It

2010-12-07T09:19:00.000-05:00

I accidentally got myself a gift on Black Friday. Well, I intended to get a Droid, Black Friday made it free. Free is more gift-like than the sans contract, sans holiday discount price creeping towards $400.

Considering the fact that I pretty much use Google for everything, the OS is ideal. Gmail functions nearly exactly as it does in browser, which is a step up from iPhone, where you could accidentally delete messages but archiving with labels was inconvenient.

I was reluctant about the service provider change, not because I had a strong affinity for AT&T mobility. Mostly out of habit, I think; I had been an AT&T customer since it was Cingular; I've never had another carrier. AT&T's loss is Verizon's gain -- the service tends to be more reliable, in my house (which had been a problem), on the way to the studio (also had been a problem), and on the roads I often travel...

And thankfully, all the apps I didn't want to give up from my iPhone are there and much less buggy so far.

Returning to gratitude...
The technological age that we live in is a mixed blessing. It is simultaneously wonderful to have access to instantaneous information and constant contact, and disappointing when we don't connect the way we now expect or believe we should. Our expectations warp around our technology. Hundreds of years ago we relied on horses to carry letters, there weren't phones, voicemail, texts, status updates or tweets; I highly doubt people were wringing their hands waiting for a reply to a letter reply--there was no way to know the original correspondence got to its destination at all. Instant information creates amazing opportunities; I'm grateful to have a phone that enables that. Now, if only I can keep my (interpersonal) expectations in check.

Turkey Flow & The Real Bird of Paradise

2010-12-02T11:39:00.066-05:00

A week ago today, I taught a half flow, half restorative class to prepare folks for the Thanksgiving Day holiday. We had a pretty good time, and a rockin', if not slightly nutters, playlist to practice to... This is one of my more diverse ones, and I had some requests to post it publicly, so here it is:

Devotion, Stephen DeRuby
Brothers in Arms, Dire Straits
Just Dance, Lady Gaga
We R Who We R, Ke$ha
Bizarre Love Triangle '94, New Order
Raise Your Glass, Pink
Letting Go, Sean Kingston & Nicki Minaj
One Tribe, Black Eyed Peas
Like This, Kelly Rowland
Heart of the Matter, India.Arie
Thank You, Dido
Govindah, Rasa
Love, ANAHATA
Gift of Tears, Vin Mitchell
Silent Moment, ANAHATA

The Real Bird of Paradise?
I split my Thanksgiving between the kitchen and the yoga studio. And as such, my fella inevitably made a crack about the bird of paradise, a reference both to the bird I prepared (above) and the yoga pose (featured to the right). The pose is quite challenging -- it's a balancing pose, with a bind, with some serious hip opening; it took me about a year to get the balancing and the bind, without the full extension of the leg. Comparatively, the other bird took four and half hours to cook, and over a week later, we're still munching on the leftovers.

Which is the real bird of paradise? You tell me.

Happy Hanukkah!

2010-12-01T12:06:00.000-05:00

Happy Hanukkah to all of you out there celebrating tonight!
May you eat all the fried goodness you can handle. I know I'll be thinking about sufganiyot, a delicious Hanukkah jelly doughnut. I might just have to get myself to a dunks for an American version of the yummy, Israeli treat.

On Gratitude:
Gifts are always a good reason to be grateful. Last week, I got a NookColor as an anniversary (and Hanukkah and Christmas and my next birthday) gift. Of course gifts are great, but gifts that keep on giving are better. For the bookworm in me, this is truly just that.

I'm still stocking my virtual bookshelves. Book suggestions are more than welcome!

Thanksgiving Week -- Gratitude & Beyond

2010-11-30T11:37:00.000-05:00

Last year, following yoga pal Abby's lead (find her at Perusals), I tried to blog a daily gratitude for the lead up to Thanksgiving. We have plenty to be thankful for, why not think about it on a regular basis? This year, I was more than abundant in the lead up for Thanksgiving. My cup runneth over, so to speak.

I am grateful for so many things. For work that sustains me. For yoga that nourishes me. For my friends, family and colleagues who support me.

Last year at this time, I got a bit of a shock. And as a consequence there have been some massive changes to my family. Without sharing the details of the family drama, I will simply say that the elements I was able to handle with a grateful attitude were much easier generally.

As a sort of attitude coping mechanism for the holiday season, I'm planning to shift my daily gratitude to the month after Thanksgiving, leading up to Christmas-- traditionally a hectic time of year. Join me?

Balance & Pants

2010-11-15T08:53:00.001-05:00

Pants? What pants?

Ah, you see, that's the thing. Until recently, I had been working from home and teaching a lot of yoga. (I'm still teaching a lot, but stay with me.) As a consequence of this constantly moving, computer-juggling lifestyle, I have a more than healthy closet full of yoga clothes (a la OmGal's "Reasons Not to Do Yoga" post). An occupational hazard of teaching a lot of hot yoga, is owning a lot of athletic, stretchy, comfy pants, so you're not rushing home to do laundry in between classes.

But, as you may have guessed, I'm not working from home any more. Well, at least not exclusively. I am now expected to rock a pair of dress slacks and a button down two or three days a week. So instead of wearing yoga pants while I work, and yoga pants while I teach, (and while I practice too), I'm wearing a different sort of pants.

It's been so long since I've gone to an office on a regular basis that only a pair or two of appropriate pants from my old life still fit. Regardless of the fact that the whole thing warrants a shopping trip (ah shucks), the point has more to do with balance.

I'm looking for balance in pants. Though I'm much more at home in a pair of Groove Pants, I think there's something to be said for carrying the ease yoga has brought me through the professional setting, into a pair of sleek, black slacks. I've stocked my closet with yoga clothes to achieve simplicity, and now, I'm hoping these new dress pants can feel much the same.

Wish me luck.

The Consistency of Should

2010-11-07T22:36:00.000-05:00

I really should practice yoga every day. I really should write more, blog more, participate more. In yoga, in social media, in pretty much every sector of my life (personally and professionally, and in all the places that overlaps), I've noticed that I should / could / ought to do more.

When I think about it, I tell myself that consistency is the big challenge. And it's something people often write about in reference to branding, blogging, and pretty much everything else. So clearly this search for consistency is a human endeavor.

But I'm pretty weary of the word should. Should usually tells me something funny is going on. Should usually indicates some sort of judgment call, some sort of negative judgment.

When I say I should do this, be it practice yoga or write a blog post, what I'm really doing is judging myself for doing (or for the inclination to do) the opposite. When I say they / he / she should do this, even if it's probably a good idea (like wearing a helmet while riding a bike), I'm usually judging the fact that the person or group of people is doing the opposite.

Why is it that should seems to be the more reliable constant?

Pay it Forward

2010-10-06T08:49:00.004-04:00

When I was in high school, I read Catherine Ryan Hyde's Pay it Forward. I loved the idea. Basically, do three good deeds for every single good deed that comes to you -- thereby spreading the good out exponentially, (ultimately and ideally) creating a wider social change.

It really is a lovely concept.

Today, someone did something lovely for me. I was rushing to get to the studio, per usual. And I didn't have enough quarters, per usual. It was raining. So I put what I had in the meter and ran inside to grab some change.

But there was a man in the parking lot. A city employee, no doubt. He was there pulling the change out of the meters. He saw me looking around for more silver to put in the meter.

When I ran inside, he actually fed the meter for me. It wasn't a grand gesture. It was a simple quarter, which he had plenty of since he was emptying out the meters. But it put a smile on my face.

So now I'm looking to pay it forward. That's a good place to be: actively looking for ways to help others. Do you need anything? :-)

Now, Where was I?

2010-10-04T08:42:00.005-04:00

I've started three or more blog posts since I've last actually posted (in August -- ). And unfortunately, none of them have survived my recent battles with Firefox. It appears that having a high volume of windows and tabs open is incompatible with blogger's autosave feature.

I lost half a post about practicing / not practicing on an injury, my first experience with the famed Natasha (Rizopoulos), and a little ditty on how teaching (and practicing) different styles has made me better all around.

Losing work is disheartening, but now I'm just behind on blogging my exploits. I need to put my thoughts down on Johnny Gillespie (now two weekends ago). I still haven't written anything about Global Mala / Yoga Reaches Out, and I've been meaning to (three weekends ago). And I've got to share the video of my cousin proposing to his girlfriend because it's amazing!

So, I'm sorry for my techno-fail disappearing act. But there's lots of good stuff coming!

Mysore Week Three: Standing in Change

2010-08-31T15:35:00.006-04:00

I'm on week three of my daily Mysore practice. What have I noticed so far? How am I doing?

Yesterday, I officially made it through the Ashtanga / Mysore standing poses. Although, the power yoga teacher in me knows there are plenty of ways to warm up and integrate movement into my body, I've actually been able to feel my body come alive through the sun salutations, breaking up my body's morning stiffness, going a bit deeper with each forward fold. You warm and open the front and back lines of the body with every full body stretches. You stretch and strengthen your legs and arms--all the big muscles, all the little ones.

Generally speaking, I feel more awake, more energized, on days I've practiced than otherwise. Today is not one of those days. I've been sleepy all day. In fact, I even broke down and had coffee (half-caff) for the first time in months. Oops.

It's funny how even as your body under goes changes, the mind can stand still. Or at least hesitate in changing... Maybe, that's why I've been so sleepy.

(Less Than) Daily Practice: Excuses

2010-08-30T08:34:00.005-04:00

Between last Tuesday's moon day and today, I've made it to Mysore exactly twice. That doesn't mean that I've only practiced yoga twice this week, but it's not far off. I got to Mysore last Wednesday, unheated power on Friday morning, and made it back to Mysore this morning.

Daily morning practice is definitely a tall order. Especially when the practice you've decided on is only available five of the seven days a week. So of the four days I didn't go to Mysore, I only missed two actual Mysore classes.

But let's hear the excuses:

The past two weeks I've fallen down on Thursday. By the time Thursday comes around, after an almost full week of teaching, and a sizable week of practice, I'm just beat. Exhaustion is excuse number one.

Number two is family. This weekend, my cousin came to to visit. Instead of going to Mysore on Sunday morning, we went out for an early breakfast.

Maybe these are totally legit reasons for missing practice. Maybe they're totally lame. I don't know. They seem kind of normal. What do you think? What excuses do you use for missing practice?

A Moon Day; A Day Off

2010-08-28T11:02:00.006-04:00

Tuesday was a moon day. Translation: no Mysore class.

I googled to find out what a moon day was and why it meant no yoga. Granted I didn't read past the first page of results, but all I could find was moon day calendars with short notes on each that simply state that Mysore isn't practiced on new or full moons. An explanation required a more direct approach.

So I asked an ashtanga teacher. He told me that moon energy is very yin, which is very much the opposite of a yang ashtanga or Mysore practice.

Make sense. Perhaps instead of a power / ashtanga / Mysore practice on moon days, perhaps a yin or restorative practice would be in order?

Adventures in a Daily Practice

2010-08-24T07:27:00.004-04:00

Last I wrote, I was in my first week of my (still very new) daily Mysore practice. I was sore and tired, but finding gratitude and strength.

Friday, I walked into the studio for Day Five of Mysore, only to discover that there was no Mysore that day. Oops. I didn't check the schedule because I just assumed there'd be a class. So instead of Mysore, or the Ashtanga class level 2/3 that had just started, I decided to take Peter Crowley's Forrest intensive.

If you don't know anything about Forrest yoga, try a class. You move straight through your midline onwards to freedom--well, that's the idea anyway. We did classical sun salutations (something I only vaguely remembered from theater warm-ups in high school) nonstop for twenty minutes. The whole idea is to flow until all there is is happiness, no pain or anything else, just happiness. Forrest is heavy on the abs, so classical suns until you don't notice that your core is sore is a tall order. But it was amazing! Peter always kill with kindness.

Saturday was another day without Mysore. A bummer. But I already had my yoga adventure planned for the day: Yoga Nidra. What is a Yoga Nidra, you're probably wondering? I had no idea the first time I heard it mentioned. The person who recommended I try the workshop called it a very deep, meditative savasana; according to Wikipedia, it means "yoga sleep." And yes, I did sleep. It was wonderful. Peaceful. Blissful, even.

I was back to Mysore on Sunday morning, then again on Monday too. Ah, so much yoga!

Mysore Day 3 & 4: Thirsty, Tired, Sweaty Edition

2010-08-19T13:35:00.005-04:00

Mysore Day 3
I don't know why exactly people think you need heat to sweat. With five sun salutation As and five sun salutation Bs, I was sweating enough to soak my yogitoes, even without a fancy heating and humidifying system switched on. Don't get me wrong, heat serves a purpose -- it warms you up from the outside, while your breath warms you from the inside. But breathing and sun salutations are enough to get the job done. Nice and sweaty.

It's a little embarrassing to admit that sun salutations had me sore the next day, but after minor adjustments to the flow and alignment from Day 2, my shoulders were really feeling the burn (you could call it internal heat) of all the physical exertion. Where I had been showing off with jump backs the day before, my muscles went on strike just a day later (Day 3). I was having a hard time making it through all the chaturangas, even with my knees down, dropping all the way down to the floor. Ouch.

With child's pose off the table and after being told the day before that practitioners don't drink water during class, I was completely on my own to hold my five breaths in downdog without distraction, break or mental recourse. I actually had to do the work of breathing through the discomfort.

A note on water:
I meant to include this discussion in my previous post... I had been forewarned about styles of yoga that forbid you from drinking water, but I had never actually been told, "don't drink your water." I expected to react strongly against the prohibition. I expected to be indignant. But the instructor said it so casually, made it all seem so normal, that I hardly noticed. Truth is though, for all my anticipated resistance to the idea, without the added heat being pumped in, I really didn't miss my sips of water.

Day 4: Sans Mysore
Although I had intended to only take Sunday or Saturday off of my new found daily practice, I skipped out this morning. My alarm clock actually woke me from a dream this morning. A dream! I honestly don't remember the last time, prior to this morning, that I slept soundly enough to dream. So I somewhat sheepishly, stayed late in bed, much later than I would have expected, to soak in the quality rest. I'm still sore, but my mind feels more awake. Thank goodness.

Mysore Day 1 & 2: Observation & Salutations

2010-08-17T17:07:00.000-04:00

I reached the conclusion sometime recently, after teaching something like 35 classes over the course of two weeks, that I really, REALLY needed to make time for and guard my own practice. There's always plenty of reasons not to, plenty of crap that comes up. But run, run, running, makes it very clear. You can't drive your friends to the party if you're on empty.

Right? Right!

I decided I needed an unheated, early morning practice -- mornings being the only time in my schedule that aren't consistently occupied by teaching, client calls, meetings, and so on, and so on. Despite the fact that mornings are incredibly difficult on my body, this is the kind of commitment that really is required. So I found Mysore on the Back Bay Yoga Studio schedule...

Mysore Day One: Observation
A lesson, perhaps in patience, and most definitely a demonstration of commitment, you're asked to observe your first class. Admittedly, my first thought was to try to weasel my way out of it, "oh, that doesn't have to apply to me. I'm a teacher." But I forced myself to hold my tongue and sit. Ego is so readily available. Beginner's mind, on the other hand, can feel like a scarce resource. This is a brand new (to me) practice, at a somewhat new to me studio, in a space where I'm not a teacher. This is a space I can learn without feeling like I need to be more knowledgeable, more capable. Brilliant. So I arrived early, sat and watched for roughly two hours, and was told to arrive tomorrow between 6:30am and 7:30am for instruction--assuming I could commit to the practice between three and six times a week. Little did my instructor know, that was exactly what I was looking for...

I probably learned more about myself, sitting there watching, then I did about the practice. However, I did notice the slight differences in the sun salutations from power (my home base) and Mysore. My body ached to participate. Run, run, running takes a toll.

Mysore Day Two: Relearning Suns
Sun salutations are like bread. Every culture has some sort of bread, and every one has a unique way of making and enjoying it, be it Ethiopian injera or Wonder Bread. Similarly, each style of vinyasa, the flowy yoga, has its own style or version of sun salutes. And of course, Mysore sun salutations have their own unique qualities. But where the ups and downs differ, even in the alignment minutia, the focus on breathing is consistent.

While I do sun salutations pretty regularly, the slight differences from what I'm used to required I bring a renewed focus to the practice. I tired myself out pretty quickly trying to keep it all straight, stay present and breathe calmly. But it all builds, in time.

Sandying is Vacationing

2010-08-14T08:38:00.001-04:00

I realized yesterday that I haven't taken a day off in three weeks. So today, I'm hitting the road. Here's to a weekend of R&R!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I'd Be Happy If...

2010-07-27T13:42:00.005-04:00

When you're really frustrated, and you're not entirely sure why, it's really easy to start an "I'd be happy if" list. Making a list makes you feel like you're doing something. But really, making the list is a distraction from actually addressing the frustration.

It's hard work to look inward. It's hard work to let the internal monologue run its course and listen long enough to find a truth.

It can even feel like the things that help are distractions. I'd be happy if...

I'd be happy if all my bills were taken care of. I'd be happy if I could get a full night's sleep. I'd be happy if I went to yoga.

Yes, all those things may be true. Trouble is that the perspective doesn't accept the present. Would and if are innately future looking words. So how about this?

I am happiness.

Sandy needs...

2010-06-24T09:32:00.003-04:00

Last week, my gal pal and fellow yoga-goer, Abby Thompson got pressed (ah, the benefits of blogging on Wordpress) with her post What Do You Need? A riff off of a Facebook meme, Abby googled her name followed by needs and posted the first ten results.

When I read through her explanation and then her list, I immediately went and did the same thing. I googled Sandy needs, and here's what I got:

Sandy needs a girlfriend
Sandy needs to decide if she's happy or not
Sandy needs a spliff
Sandy needs pitches
Sandy needs a ride
Sandy needs a reconstructive surgery
Sandy needs some nurses
Sandy needs protection
Sandy needs 83 stitches
Sandy needs to blog

The first one, and the third one too, had me laughing out loud. But the last one hit home... Yes, Google, I do need to blog.

Driving to Florida and Back

2010-06-21T12:34:00.002-04:00

--or Why I'm Giving Up Coffee--

Recently, I drove from my home just north of Boston, all the way to Tampa, Florida. I have family there. I also had heard a rumor that it's generally warmer there than in the Bean. So I hit the road.

The Black Bomber very rarely gets out on the open road. My 1995 Volvo 850 came to me with very few miles and aside from driving from this yoga studio to that one, I haven't added many myself. She's a tank, and a champ, and she loves the open road.

So do I.

Growing up out west, with a long, straight stretch of open road. Driving was always freedom for me...

Until you have to stop every hour or so to use the bathroom or get a fix. There's something about the addiction to coffee itself and the frequent but necessary bathroom breaks that feels anything but freeing.

So after spending 52 hours total in the car in one week, I've decided I'm cutting coffee again.

Photo by Selma60 via Flickr.

This Week: By the Numbers

2010-06-18T14:14:00.004-04:00

2 - press releases written since Monday

14 - yoga classes taught since Saturday
7 - classes taught in the last two days

392 - unread emails in my inbox right now
19 - unread emails on my phone

0 - cups of coffee consumed
5 - cups of tea

32 - times B.O.B.'s song Airplanes (featuring Hayley Williams and Eminem) has played on my iTunes since downloading it this week

26 - cherry pits to my right
4 - cherries left in a bowl to my left

184 - miles on my tripometer (since filling the tank Sunday morning)

It's been a crazy week... I need a nap

Silence is Golden, Except When Blogging

2010-05-17T08:24:00.004-04:00

Quiet feels so nice these days. Between running from here to there, keeping up surface-level connections with acquaintances and handling the personal necessities (eating, sleeping, etc.), silence really does feel like a coveted precious metal or gem.

I find I'm outwardly quiet when I'm keeping secrets -- though that doesn't last very long -- when I'm unsure about something or weighing options, and when I'm content. I have a lot more to talk about when I'm raising complaints, sharing issues, or looking for answers. Disease is fodder for conversation. Contentment doesn't yearn to be understood. It just is.

It's funny that the state of being content and the thing this blog is lacking lately (content) are represented by the same word. What can I say, synonyms amuse me.

Although I still find myself in that pleasantly calm place, I will be aiming to write more.

Patriots' Day -- Happy Marathon Monday

2010-04-19T09:01:00.002-04:00

Happy Patriots' Day!

Since I don't know any Patriots, I'd like to also give a shout to what this holiday means to the New Englanders who are celebrating it. (Please note: I'm separating myself from the pack just a little bit here because where I grew up we didn't even get the day off school. And who wouldn't want another day off school?)

So for all the school-aged folks, bankers and business people:

Happy Day Off!

To those of you wondering why you're stuck in traffic or not able to cross the street downtown:

Happy Marathon Monday!

Or, to all my peeps back at BU (and my pals reliving that time in our lives):

Happy Marathon Drinking Day!

Oh, tradition...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Social Media & the Path to Anywhere

2010-04-12T13:19:00.002-04:00

People like to talk about all the things you can do with social media, all the benefits of being in constant contact with your audience. Social media can bring you leads and sales. Social media can help your customer service team. Social media can.

Or that's what people like to say.

Social media can take you wherever you want to go. Social media is the path to anywhere...

IF, and only if,

you're willing to do the work.

Accepting the Now

2010-04-11T11:56:00.000-04:00

We all have goals, wishes, hopes and desires. Some are more noble -- think world peace -- while others are more practical -- say making enough money to keep a roof over your head. There's nothing wrong with either. In fact, having a general direction is good.

However, wanting something to be true and making it happen are very different things. Regardless of where you stand on deliberate creation, you have to be able to accept the present. It's where you are.

Maybe it's not exactly where you want to be; maybe things could be better. But now is part of your path.

Red lights happen. Some times you just have to stop moving. Stop looking to the next thing. And feel the present. Feel present.

Sometimes it sucks. Sometimes you resist. Sometimes you can see your goal just a little farther in the distance. If only this. Or if only that.

Accept where you are. Leave the if onlys to hang out with the shoulds, coulds and oughts. Red lights aren't good or bad. They just are.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A Tribute to the Sun

2010-04-07T17:21:00.003-04:00

Joy is hiding behind the clouds. It's a gorgeous day here in Boston, and it's an opportunity to remember all the joys of sun.

Driving just a little too fast, windows open, music bumping.

The cooling condensation dripping off fresh home brewed iced tea--all the better if brewed in the light of the sun.

Lazy days that start whenever you wake and drag out on moonlight porches and front stoops.

Growing up under the cover of clouds and drizzling, leaky skies of my hometown in Oregon, the summers were blissful times. We'd bike and hike through the local park. We'd sit by the water of one of the dirtiest rivers around and happily dangle our feet. We'd eat more ice cream than my older self can now stomach. We did the things that made every day enjoyable.

Today is like that. Today is joyful.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone; Photo by James Jordan.

Learn Your Greatest Fear

2010-03-21T22:55:00.004-04:00

The quickest way to learn about yourself is to find out what you're afraid of. Some people are terrified of drowning and stay as far away from pools as they can. Some people are afraid of creepy crawly things and scream very loudly when a spider comes into view. Me? I'm afraid of screwing up.

It doesn't really matter what your fear is. The reaction is usually the same. Your mind races. You start to make excuses for why you can't, why you need out. It's fight or flight. You might even notice some anger building up in to propel you to stick it out.

Fear triggers all your defense mechanisms. It's a physiological response to protect your ego, your person. But sometimes it just causes more problems then we'd like to admit.

You have to know your fears so you can learn to work within them. If you're afraid of water and your plane crashes in the ocean, you're going to need to stay calm and tread water or swim to safety. If you panic or freeze, you use your energy up too quickly or you just sink straight away.

For me, awareness is helpful. If I know I'm scared, I can allow the feeling to take place without acting on it, without it consuming me or becoming dramatic. I can remind myself that I'll be ok and wait patiently for that truth to come to pass.

Fear not, this too will pass...

Viva NashVegas

2010-03-21T08:36:00.000-04:00

Nothing says Nashville like a mechanical bull ride. Right?

That may not be exactly true. But it was a good time, even if slightly peer pressure induced. :-)

___
I was in Nashville this past week for a client. Now, I had never been to Nashville before. I had never really spent any time in Tennessee before. And I can tell you, it is certainly the South. Mechanical bull aside, there was catfish, sweet tea and accents galore. It was great.

Added bonus? I got to see Diamond Rio!

Ramping Up New Clients

2010-03-19T02:37:00.004-04:00

When you begin working with a new client, you must get up to speed as quickly as possible. You have to learn their industry, their place in the eco-system, competitors, suppliers, etc. Without direct access to the decision makers, this can be a very cumbersome. Research loops--reading and more reading--can go on forever.

So this past week was a wonderful opportunity for me. I started working with a new client just three weeks ago, and immediately was asked to travel to Nashville and then Vegas. That's where I was this past week.

Traveling for a brand new client is akin to speed dating. You have to take in new information as quickly as it comes in and then act on it. At the conclusion of your trip, you realize you've gone through the ramp up process much faster than you would have any other way.

What does that process consist of? For now, I've got it down to three major levels.

Existence - Hopefully, by the time you win the business you know the client exists. But you need to understand the "being" of the operation. Put simply, this is the what does my client's existence mean to me as a consumer?
Alphabet Soup - Once you understand the simplified version what your client does, you need to learn the entire industry eco-system. Acronyms and jargon -- in other words, alphabet soup -- are the next thing you need to learn and understand. If nothing else, you need to get yourself a very good cheat sheet.
Confidence - Although it may sound hard to believe at the beginning, eventually you start to feel like you know what you're talking about. You can articulate what you know clearly. And, with confidence, you can also articulate what you don't know.

Travel or no travel, you've got to keep learning to stay smart for your clients.

The plane image comes from Flickr and can be found here.

The Build Up of Minor Irritations

2010-03-07T20:33:00.005-05:00

It's all about the little things. Or so they say.

Over time, little things turn into big things... That's one way to a landslide. The other way is a series of unrelated, but no less irritating, minor frustrations.

Like looking forward to a nice shower, only to have the hot water start giving out after two or three minutes.

Like looking for a quiet place to work and finding instead a barking dog, ambulances and car alarms going off.

It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife...

Ok, even if Alanis Morissette messed up the meaning of ironic, she was pretty clearly ticked off about some stuff. And by the sound of her list of stuff, it had been building for quite some time.

Minor irritations turn into big irritations when you don't address the minor issue, when you're not being honest about it being a minor irritation and when you're not able to let it go. At a certain point, these sort of annoyances can turn a person angry. If it's allowed to fester. I've had more than my far share of irritation recently, but the real issue is that it's starting to fester. It's like an infection. When you're annoyed, every thing is annoying. It becomes impossible to let go of the minor thing, because it's festered into something 10x bigger. We tell ourselves stories and add drama around the initial frustration.

It all needs to refocus, to shift. But man, oh man, it's easy to dwell on it.

Lost in TV

2010-03-05T15:06:00.007-05:00

Lately, I've been completely consumed. When I'm not working or teaching, I've been Lost. I've been completely consumed by Lost. ABC's smash-hit show had taken over my life.

Well, that is until I got current with the series. Now, I'm just bummed that it's about to be over...

Until recently, I had only seen the first two seasons of the show. Then I learned that all of seasons 1-5 (season 6 is current) is available on Hulu.com. For free. Hence my being Lost.

First, let me say, if you've never watched Lost, now's a good time to check it out.

___

Since I've been watching lots of TV online, I know which types of online video ads I dislike least. Advertising is a necessary evil--we can agree on that. Some types of ads are less irritating than other--I suppose we can agree on that too. But it's frustrating to see the same TV ads run online.

Acknowledge the context. If I'm watching TV online, I probably do plenty of other things online too (like shop, read, research, etc.). ING Direct has a campaign running on Hulu that does just that.

Repackage TV ads? Sure, you could do that. But it's a waste. You get a chance to interact with people. So do it!

Interact with purpose. Letting your viewer play a game is a great idea. But TV trivia for an automobile manufacturer left me wondering why.

Options, Options, Etc. Give me a choice. Let me pick between long form or many short ads, or between interacting or just watching something.

Obviously, online ad formats are still being developed, especially for video. I know I'll keep watching. Please keep it interesting for me!

PSA: Negative Mindsets Suck

2010-03-02T15:46:00.001-05:00

Nothing will deplete the human spirit faster than a negative thought pattern. Negative mindsets suck. They suck your energy, your spirit, and leave you dry.

What constitutes destructive thinking? I'd argue it's any line of thought that doesn't serve or help you in someway.

Self doubt - though normal, isn't particularly helpful.
"The people who care about me try to hurt me." - I dated someone who operated from this place. Nothing could have been more destructive to our relationship, let alone his perception of the people around him.
"No body cares about me." - The sad thing about this statement is that you can make it true the longer you operate from that place. The people who do care about you get frustrated and hurt by your belief that no one cares about you when they clearly do. Then, as a way to protect themselves, the people who care about you are forced to distance themselves.

It sucks. Operating from any one of these mindsets just sucks. It sucks your energy. It sucks your confidence. It sucks the life out of your relationships too.

So please stop!

The image is from an OverHall.com article.

Original post draft: 12/27/09

When Searching for Common Ground, Accentuate the Positive

2010-03-01T14:47:00.000-05:00

Everyone is familiar with the statement misery loves company. It's easy to complain and commiserate because finding the negative isn't overly hard. When you look around expecting people to screw you over, you'll likely spend your time stewing over how they have. It's really no mystery.

Trouble is, it's not really a great way to base a relationship. "Life sucks, so let's be friends." Taken to the extreme, when all you speak about is negative, it colors your relationship.

When searching for common ground, it's easy to find the negative. And that behavior, that bonding device, comes in many formats: finding a common enemy (ex. the government, roommates), sharing similar stories of being taken advantage of or mistreated (ex. rape, childhood trauma)... We compare war wounds, battle scares to offer proof that we've been around awhile. That we're human and have lived.

It's much harder to accentuate the positive. When you're focused on the negative, it can be difficult to even locate positive. But even though it starts off as work, happiness is in the positive.

___

This post started off as a way to address a friendship that I could feel being trapped in the negative. When we would get together, we'd only talk about the problems in our lives... It's funny to wrap this post up now, because I bonded with one of my best friends over the fact that 2009 was the worst year ever. From that particularly low point, we've been able to offer each other immense support and perspective for moving forward.

Sad Saucer image from Helgasm!'s Flickr feed.

Original draft date: 6/27/08

Good Acts of Good People: Haiti Relief

2010-02-24T07:17:00.001-05:00

Bad things happen. Natural disasters. Acts of God (if you're a believer). Hurricanes. Tornadoes. Earthquakes... And people get hurt or killed.

Then something amazing happens. Good people all over come together. Haiti is the latest example of the goodness of man.

The American Red Cross raised $12 million by text messages.

Whole Foods of Woburn raised $71,079 as of 1/26 for Haiti Relief.

And Sue Jones of yogaHOPE and Maggie Juliano of Sprout Yoga founded a collaborative project to bring yoga to the trauma victims. The named their efforts Project Haiti and you can read all about it here. On their blog, Yoga4Trauma.WordPress.com, you can follow their progress and efforts.

We can do some amazing things when we put our minds to it.

Earth Lovin' Pictures

2010-02-23T09:04:00.000-05:00

Living green is a lifestyle. Sustainable change is not something that can be done in a single day. We have to force ourselves to think green regularly. These two pictures highlight the specific and ongoing lifestyle choices involved in a green life. The first is all about small and simple changes you can make in your life. The second is a systems view of the lay of the eco-friendly land.

Good stuff.

From scrappindoodles.

From TreeHugger.

Food Network, Now I want to Cook!

2010-02-22T07:53:00.003-05:00

Turned the television on to have background noise while I work my way through my in-box and I clicked to the Food Network. The show started in Portland, so naturally, it had my attention pretty quick.

If you ever visit Portland, Oregon, check out the Byways Cafe--even Food Network gives it a thumbs up!

Watching a show on diner and drive-in style foods reminded me that I need a good chili recipe. So now, I'm looking for recipes for chili online at allrecipes.

I found this recipe for simple turkey chili that offers a good guideline. But when I'm in the mood for chili, I'm not usually going for a healthy variety. I'd sub out beef and probably dump the whole thing in my crockpot for a couple hours...

__

I started this post in 2007 and it's funny to look back on it now. I was just starting to cook for myself more frequently then. Now, I cook all the time, and in many ways I have the Food Network and AllRecipes.com to thank for my culinary education. I'd get an idea at a restaurant or on the Food Network and find a recipe to try out on AllRecipes. It's a great combination for the budding chef, or the curious college student trying to feed herself.

Original Draft Date: 9/9/07

Sorting Through Drafts

2010-02-21T12:58:00.003-05:00

The other day, my pal on Twitter Leah Jones said she deletes more drafts on her personal blog than she publishes. She was talking about how she doesn't blog much anymore, but she got me thinking. I've had this blog since 2007, and I have my fair share of drafts that I never got finished.

I've got 30 some odd drafts that never made it to the finish line. And I'm thinking that sounds like a pretty great way to spend a Sunday. So if you happen to see a post that looks off topic, or seems out of context, look for an "original date" notation... I'm going to go through those old half posts, update them and queue 'em up for publication!

Wahoo! Cleaning house starts with my blog. Ha!

The above photo is from tellumo's Flickr stream.

Patience is Someone Else's Virtue

2010-02-21T11:19:00.000-05:00

Why sugar coat it? Waiting sucks.

Whether it's waiting for a contract to get signed, or waiting for the results of a scary medical exam. Waiting is no one's favorite thing.

People always say patience is a virtue. I suppose it's not my virtue. I like to do. To accomplish. To fix.

It's taken me a very long time to learn that waiting, that being patient, can fix things too. If you just go on living life, the answer that you were waiting for, that contract you were waiting to sign, it'll show up eventually, in its own time. Worrying doesn't help. Worrying and over-thinking won't make the answer, the fix come any sooner.

But ah! It still sucks! :-)

Yoga-venture: The Maiden Journey

2010-02-20T19:41:00.002-05:00

As a yoga instructor, I don't get out much. My practice and my home studio have been pretty consistent for quite some time. I take the same classes with the same teachers I've been familiar with for quite some time. As a yoga instructor, I worry that this truth might make my classes feel stale or overly familiar.

So a while back I decided to start exploring the full depths of yogaland. I'm taking it to the streets, trying new things.

Yesterday, I checked out the free Friday class at Be Yoga in Somerville's Union Square. Aside from losing my wallet on the way in (click here for that story and life lesson), it was a lovely experience. The vinyasa, the physical poses and their order, felt very familiar; the space and the language of the instructor were a delightful change of pace. Jenna used words relating energy and the elements ("feel earth") that had a profound effect on my relationship to my practice. At a time when I otherwise would probably have lost it (re: wallet), Jenna--and my good company--kept me present for practice. It was much needed.

The details:
Be Yoga in Union
Address: 11 Bow Street, Union Square, Somerville
URL: www.beinunion.com
Teacher: Jenna
Cost: 4pm class on Friday is free!

It was a treat and I will definitely be back, hopefully for a full class next time! :-)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

PSA: Know Your Bank

2010-02-19T20:59:00.000-05:00

Today, I lost my wallet. Walking from my partner's car to the yoga studio we were testing out (yoga-venture post forthcoming), it somehow disappeared. I retraced my steps and couldn't find it anywhere, in the car, on the sidewalk or in the yoga studio. No dice. My pal retraced our steps too and found nothing.

So I took the first 20 or 30 minutes of the yoga class calling all my banks and credit card companies, cancelling all my cards.

And the lesson of all of this? Store your banking phone numbers in your contacts! You never know when you'll lose your wallet (or if someone will steal it). So you've got to hope for the best, and prepare for the worst... The faster you get the cards shut down, the less likely you are to have your money stolen.

My story has a happy, goodness-of-man-affirming ending. Someone found my wallet in the street and brought it to the police station. Thank goodness! But it's very clear how easily that situation could have gone differently... So semper paratus!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Crocheting My Way to Nirvana

2010-02-09T17:03:00.002-05:00

Ram Dass tells this amusing story about one of his talks. He was speaking about an LSD induced transcendental experience he had, and there was an older woman sitting there nodding her head as if she understood all of the experiences he was describing. When he spoke to the lady after his formal lecture, he asked how she was able to relate to his experiences. She said simply, "I crochet."

He tells this story about half way through this video:

I crochet. A lot. Especially lately. It's a wonderful stress reliever. And it feels good to create something from scratch. Although I have no transcendental experiences to report, I have plenty of crafts to share--including my first attempt at a hat, an infinite (round) scarf, and a multi-colored scarf made from scraps (but ultimately the prettiest one I've made in a long time).

I've been crocheting so much lately, I'm running out of people to give scarves to. I've been considering starting an Esty store. Would anyone be interested in a hand-crocheted scarf or hat?

Regardless, I've got to keep crocheting. It soothes me.

From the Bookshelf: The Art of War

2010-02-07T08:24:00.007-05:00

When my iPhone was replaced the other day, I spent some time playing in the app store. I always end up with at least one book reader on my phone, though usually I have a hard time reading on it. That was until I downloaded Classics, a free app, from the app store. I started reading The Art of War. I'm not very far along yet, but I came across a quote that stuck out to me about current international events.

"There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare."

~Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Good stuff. I'll have to keep reading.

Restarting the Writing Project: A New Plan

2010-02-02T14:28:00.006-05:00

If you've been following this blog lately, you've probably noticed some time / day notation and topics. I outlined the idea behind this here, but it's time change it up a little bit. The idea is to gradually get me writing more on more regularly, and so far, I've had a hard time getting into it.

So I'm going to start over.

The new plan? Write everyday. Track how long I'm writing everyday, then work to write more the following day. I'll probably max out at some point, but I'll be pushing more thoughts to paper (or to Blogger as it were).

Practice is a funny thing. Every yoga class I take, or teach, is a part of a person's practice. Life is practice. Each blog post is a part of a practice. At least it is once I set the intention for it to be so. Right? Isn't that how intention works?

The photo is from Loungerie's Flickr stream.

Resolutions for 2010?

2010-02-02T09:57:00.001-05:00

I've been meaning to post my resolutions for the coming year since New Year's. No need to reference a calendar, I know what month it is. What's the hold up, you're probably wondering?

Last time I posted New Year's resolutions was in 2008. Last year, was a year of major transitions but it didn't start it off with resolutions; it was just constantly moving. This year has felt much the same--big changes, constantly reevaluating conflicting moving parts to get the best outcome.

The usual resolutions have felt a bit halfhearted or contrived. Yes, I do want to eat healthier. Yes, I want to be better about saving money (and get myself completely out of debt). Yes, I want to write more (hence the writing project). But the truth is, for 2010, my resolutions involve states of being.

I resolve here to be happier in 2010.

That looks simple in text, but sounds particularly difficult. The marketer in me is asking how I'm going to measure that. I don't have an answer for that. How do you count smiles per day?

It's a matter of mindset. A friend of mine used to quote High Fidelity on a regular basis, "How hard is it to decide to be in a good mood and be in a good mood ... ?" It's really easy to get wrapped up in the drama of every day life; it's a lot harder to remain consistently upbeat. I used to think it was contrived when I'd see people behave as though everything was fantastic; now it seems like a fake-it-till-you-make-it mentality. Why not be happier?

Again, easier said then done. Here's how I intend to do it:

Laugh Often
Let Go of Things Quicker -- This one will probably be the hardest for me, as my clan tends to hold onto things for a long time (physical and emotional).
Accept Things as They Are -- I have a strong desire to promote positive change that can sometimes hinder my own happiness.
Stay Active -- Movement helps clear your head. And it makes you feel better physically (yay, yoga!).

I'll keep you posted on my progress.

The photo is a shirt from Threadless.com called "School Taught Me a Valuable Lesson; I'm Still Paying for It."

Music Connects Us

2010-01-30T12:07:00.007-05:00

This post is a part of my writing assignment. For a full explanation of what I'm working on check out this post here.

Day 7: 7 Minutes
Topic: Music

The other day, I was at the store shopping. It wasn't any special store, in any special community. It was just a store filled with strangers. And the something magical happened; George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" came on.

Suddenly, everyone in the store was a chorus member of the same choir. The station that was blasting through the store sound system had united us. We were all singing or humming along.

Hare Krishna, Hallelujah...

It was lovely; everyone--black, white, Asian and Latin--singing along with George Harrison, singing along with an ancient chant from another place and time. Music is an amazing thing. Music has this mysterious power to connect us, with lyrics, with a melody that makes us feel something, with a piercing rhythm that gets us moving in the same tempo. You don't need to know the words to bob your head and appreciate a well orchestrated piece. You just have to want to listen.

You have to want to listen.

__

That's seven minutes, so I guess my time's out.

Catching Up: Writing Practice Day 6

2010-01-28T11:35:00.005-05:00

As it turns out, I don't do so well with rigidness. I started this writing practice idea on January 14th; fourteen days later, I've only managed to get up five days of assignments. That's not very good.

Day 6: 6 Minutes
Topic: Blog Ideas I've Had

Working in social media, every now and again I come up with something or across something and think, "there should be a blog for that." If only there were more hours in the day, right?

Last year, I started a Boston Sushi Blog with a friend of mine. I think we got two posts up. The idea was to write about our sushi experiences all around the Boston area. Whenever we get together, we tend to go for sushi. So it just made sense.

With another friend of mine, I started a blog about chronic illness. There's definitely some back story here, but because of the nature of the subject, we've kept that on the DL. Sharing these types of stories is definitely important though--just wish we didn't have to worry about the repercussions of our openness...

Recently I've been thinking about another blog idea. The concept? White girl, black music. Let's face it, I'm pretty freaking pasty. But I have a love for rap, hip hop and R&B that most people make fun of me for. I figure the combination could make for some seriously amusing writing, or even a serious examination of race, gender, culture and music. Then again, I don't like veering off into the heavy stuff. I try to keep things light around here and on the other blogs I write.

If there were more hours in the day, I would write about the anthropology of social media, and all these other ideas. But I'm having enough trouble getting myself to sit down and write this blog!

__

That's it. Up you go Day 6.

I will likely revisit my holiday gifts topic next. I'd like to close that loop and post something complete about all the craftiness that went into this past season's gifts.

Writing Assignment: Day 5- ?

2010-01-24T09:03:00.001-05:00

Can you say epic fail? I've definitely gotten behind with my little writing project! I'm going to need to do a little catching up over the next couple of days. It never feels good to be playing catchup...

So for today, I'm going to do Day 5 as a mobile edition. I'll come back to my holiday gifts topic when I'm back on my laptop!

Day 5: 5 Minutes
Topic: Excuses

There's a funny thing that happens when a person screws up. It triggers this irrational need to make good, to cover your tracks, to get the story straight. Never mind if the initial commitment was flawed or impossible to meet.

Here are a few excuses that I'm currently questioning the validity of:

"I don't have time." / "I'm too busy"
"I don't know how."

Re: time / busy: you decide to be busy. If something is important, you make the time.

Re: not knowing how: learn, or find someone to teach you. I'm not talking about astrophysics; I'm talking about everyday stuff like cooking dinner or changing a tire.

We make the time for the things we want to do...

Time's up! And I'm off to teach!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Celebrating Martin Luther King Day

2010-01-18T11:33:00.003-05:00

How do you honor a great man? A man who sought to bring civil liberties and equality to our nation? With a bank holiday and a day off!

President's Day, Columbus Day, MLK Day signify three day weekends for anyone of school-age. For the rest of us, these are days to catch up on errands (no bank runs though) and relax... That is, of course, until MLK Day was officially dubbed a day of service.

I gotta say, props to all the folks who went out and did some service. For me, between the snow and the sprained ankle, I was thankful for a day to rest.

Writing Assignments: Day 3 & 4 (Homemade Holiday Gifts)

2010-01-18T09:57:00.005-05:00

Hello there. I'm a few days behind on my writing assignment posts. So I'm doubling up today, and will probably do the same tomorrow.

If you need to get caught up on why I'm doing this, read here. Since day one and day two didn't allow for a lot of time to talk about all the holiday gifts I made this year, I'm going to continue with that topic--though I'm hoping to be done with it soon!

Here are the proceeding "holiday gifts" posts:

Day One: One Minute
Topic: Holiday Gifts

This year I made almost all of the gifts I gave out. For my roommates, I crocheted scarves (out of yarn I had them choose, so I knew they'd like the color). I made scarves for members of my family too.

Day Two: Two Minutes
Topic: Holiday Gifts

I did a little experimenting with crochet stitches while I was home too. Normally, I crochet the width of the scarf first and then just build up the length from there. For the first time, while I was home for the holidays, I made a scarf length-ways. My grandmother got that one. It was two-toned. I would have kept it for myself, because I liked it that much, but I already had one of that color (or at least one of those colors). I made scarves for my grandmother, my aunt and some of my friends.

Day Three: Three Minutes
Topic: Holiday Gifts

I played with stitching variations. And even stole one of my mom's book on crochet stitches -- she's more of a knitter anyway.

The crocheting was a great distraction to all the drama of being home for the holidays. But before I left I took on a different crafty project. I made lip balm / salve. It was kind of fun, especially because of how much of that stuff I go through. I bought all the ingredients needed online through two different wholesalers: Mountain Rose Herbs and Wholesale Supplies Plus.
I needed all sorts of random things you never think about buying--chapstick tubes, flavoring oils, raw mango butter...

Day Four: Four Minutes
Topic: Holiday Gifts
Needless to say, this project took a little more planning than finding yarn and a hook. I had to buy tins and tubes to put my creation in. Also, I took flavor orders. My brother requested nutmeg--he said he'd like to kiss a girl that tastes like nutmeg (I made some for his new lady friend). My mom requested white tea. For myself? I picked up a tinsy tiny container of chamomile essence because I thought it sounded soothing.

The first batch (recipe cut and paste below) was White Tea Mango Butter flavored. So it smelled a little like fruity tea. It was all experimental. I didn't really have the right tools; I had to jerry-rig a double broiler with a metal strainer and bowl. But it worked out. I learned a few things for next time. For example, don't melt hot wax in a container that doesn't have a spout.

Lip balm: First Attempt
1 tbs beeswax
1 tbs mango butter
1 tbs shea butter
½ tbs olive oil
10 drops of white tea oil

Combined beeswax, mango butter and olive oil in double broiler set up until melted. Then added white tea oil and shea butter. Once fully integrated, pour into containers and allow to cool.

Writing Assignments: Day Two

2010-01-15T09:52:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I started my writing assignment project (click here for the post). I'll be writing one post a day for 60 days, with the amount of time spent on each post corresponding to the number of days I've been in this little personally prescribed writing clinic (i.e. day three gets three minutes). While I'm well aware this project will become increasingly more time-consuming and potentially difficult to budget for in my day, I'm really hopping it puts me back in the swing of writing everything down with ease.

For today, I'll continue where I left off on yesterday's post, since I have more to say on the topic. For your reference, here's yesterday's assignment:

Day One: One Minute
Topic: Holiday Gifts

This year I made almost all of the gifts I gave out. For my roommates, I crocheted scarves (out of yarn I had them choose, so I knew they'd like the color). I made scarves for members of my family too.

Day Two: Two Minutes
Topic: Holiday Gifts (continued from yesterday)

I did a little experimenting with crochet stitches while I was home too. Normally, I crochet the width of the scarf first and then just build up the length from there. For the first time, while I was home for the holidays, I made a scarf length-ways. My grandmother got that one. It was two-toned. I would have kept it for myself, because I liked it that much, but I already had one of that color (or at least one of those colors). I made scarves for my grandmother, my aunt and some of my friends.

...

Out of time. It's looking like I can get a couple of days out of this topic. Stick with me and I'll get down to the good stuff (like the lip salve I made from scratch!).

Writing Assignments: Concept & Day One

2010-01-14T08:07:00.005-05:00

Before I was a marketer, before I was a yoga instructor, before I was a public relations student, I considered myself a writer. I loved to write. And I still do, though now, after client work and teaching, I often find myself too drained to do any random writing. I post here on occasion with my ranting PSAs and my rare episodes feature. But in an effort to get back to writing, and practicing writing, I came up with a little assignment for myself. I will write one post a day for 60 days; each day, I will allow myself gradually more time (i.e. day one will have one minute; day 60 will have a full hour). Timed writing, at least from what I remember from school, is a great way to get back in the habit of writing everything down, then editing. I've gotten into the habit since graduating of editing while I write, so writing is rather laborious, as I check and recheck each sentence, rework flow, etc.

Today is Day One.

Day One: One Minute
Topic: Holiday Gifts

This year I made almost all of the gifts I gave out. For my roommates, I crocheted scarves (out of yarn I had them choose, so I knew they'd like the color). I made scarves for members of my family too.

...

Time's up. One minute really flies by. I'll have to continue this thread tomorrow.

Photo by wwarby.

PSA: Parking Tickets are Money

2010-01-13T21:17:00.004-05:00

Parking tickets are so frustrating. It literally feels like you're throwing money away, flushing cash down the toilet or lighting dollar bills on fire -- only less gratifying in a potlatch kind of way.

Parking citations are bogus. While supposedly created to protect and serve local residents, parking tickets equal municipal revenue. The money you lose to parking tickets is actually planned for in city budgets. The Boston suburb I live in is projecting just under nine million dollars in parking tickets and surcharges alone. They expect and plan to make money off of you forgetting it's a tow day or not feeding the meter in time!

And nothing is worse than getting a ticket you didn't actually deserve. It never fails. Regardless of what's posted, if you park at an out of order meter, you get a ticket. Then, depending on where you got the ticket, disputing it could take more time than it would be worth to fight it. It's a lose / lose situation. You're either losing your time resolving the issue or your parting with your money out of convenience. Talk about frustrating.

It all raises some questions. How many parking tickets does a meter maid (attendant) have to write in order to pay for his / her job? Who is dictating how often streets are cleaned? Is it the towing company, the street-sweeper or the parking office? Forgive the cynicism, but someone needs to throw the bullshit flag. Parking citations are not helping the residents of my block; in fact, it's basically an extra tax that many people actually budget and project to spend!

As a driver, the worst kind of parking tickets are the ones that don't get written... Give the jerk that's double parked (and blocking traffic in three directions because they couldn't be bothered to parallel park) a ticket. Serve and protect--stay out of my wallet.

Images by Eye Captain and Sean Future respectively.

Sandying Goes Yogaing

2010-01-10T21:56:00.003-05:00

I teach. I practice. I teach. I practice. Yoga is becoming a bigger and bigger part of my life.

But what have I been up to?

Last month I attempted a 31 in 31 (trying to take 31 classes in 31 days) at Prana Power Yoga. I sprained my ankle and had to give it up, but I've never feel better than when I'm practicing every day of the week. I can't wait till 31 in 31 in May--I'm going to rock that out.

Also in January, I taught at Lululemon in Cambridge. I love teaching at Lulu. Aside from the free top they comp you when you teach at one of their store fronts, it's always a great group of really appreciative yogis. It's a wonderful community.

Yoga in February and Beyond
What's coming up on my yoga calendar?

I have permanent classes now. I've had two in Winchester for awhile, but as my schedule solidifies, I'm going to try to keep folks informed so you can join me if you'd like!

Here is where you'll definitely be able to find me:
Tuesday: 6:30pm: Prana Winchester
Wednesday: 5:30pm: Harvard Business School
Thursday: 4:00pm: Prana Winchester
Sunday: 11:00am: Prana Newton - Kids Class for 3-7 year olds

Teaching the kids is such a blessing. They bring such a playful energy into my day. Of course they have their fair share of challenges, but they just want to have fun. It's definitely not serious yoga time... More on that later.

And yoga-time for me?
February is time for my own personal yoga adventures. I'm planning to do some exploring, to try different styles that I haven't tried before, different studios that I haven't visited before. I'll be sure to blog my yoga-ventures...

The photo is from StephCarter's Flickr feed. It appears as though she's had her own yoga-venture too!

PSA: People Talk

2010-01-05T07:39:00.000-05:00

Communicate early. Communicate often. Right?

Well, apparently not... But today's beef is a little different from the sins of omission and lying I've recently touched on. Lately, I've been hearing a lot of people arguing against open communication. People still believe that you can bottle stuff up and make it go away, that you can control the message. The whole thing makes me a little irate.

I'll cede that there's a time and a place for everything. But beyond matters of tact, I've pretty much had it with people arguing to control communication. You don't get to dictate who other people in your life chose to speak to!

It's just not realistic. People talk. It's normal. You should expect people to talk -- about you, your business, your personal matters, everything. If you can't handle this fact, you could try not to do anything worth talking about, or you could move to the woods and stop interacting with people. But even then, people will probably talk about the crazy hermit that lives down that road...

People try to control information for a couple reasons:

Embarrassment / humiliation / shame;
Pain / punishment;
Etiquette / propriety.

But just because you don't want to talk about something, doesn't mean it isn't important to others. Getting angry with people for speaking about something you've done is pretty stupid too. The "I don't understand why he/she had to know" line is outright ridiculous.

This might sound shocking, but why not try actually getting in front of an issue, instead of freaking out when other people talk about it? You can tell your own story when you're the one doing the telling... Just a little food for thought.

Back in Boston in Time for the New Year

2010-01-02T18:50:00.006-05:00

AKA Down with 2009

I got back to Boston from Oregon on New Year's Eve day. Just in time to compare notes with my roommates on what made 2009 the worst year of all time. Between intense breakups, break-ins, and uncovering family-shattering lies of unbelievable proportions, 2009 was kind of awful. And that's not even mentioning the economic nonsense.

No where to go but up, right?

We celebrate milestones--changing years, birthdays, new moons--because they offer a chance to take stock, reassess and refocus. Collectively, we've been through a lot this past year. The New Year is a great time to look forward with new optimism, new hope.

But, I've got to say it and breath a great sigh of relief... Thank goodness that's over!

*The art is from a PigSpigot (client) greeting card by artist Konstantin Vernikovskiy.

From the Bookshelf: The Death of Sigmund Freud

2009-12-29T13:43:00.003-05:00

With all the plane hours I've recently logged, I had the chance to finish reading The Death of Sigmund Freud: Fascism, Psychoanalysis and the Rise of Fundamentalism by Mark Edmundson. Partly a look at Freud's last two years of life, partly a look at his theories of power and their contextual applications, it was a great read.

One of my favorite history teachers made a point to teach us through storytelling, rather than the recitation of facts and dates. This book takes that tact, outlining Freud's last days in a conversational, but still accurate way.

What makes this book particularly interesting is the way the author handles the historical context. In telling Freud's story, Edmundson also takes on Hitler's rise to power in Germany, his take over of Austria and the fuhrer's subsequent acts of war. In his psychoanalytical works, Freud explains what people get out of tyrannical dictators -- a replacement to the guilt-inducing superego.

Edmundson goes on to apply Freud's theories on power, dictatorships and mobs to present day geopolitical situation. In other words, without going into great detail, he applies psychoanalysis, to terrorism and fundamentalist religious sects in the United States, Middle East and elsewhere.

Piggybacking on Freud, Edmundson makes the case for continual reevaluation of divinity, connections and self. Being self-aware and aware of the forces of the subconscious results in inner tension, the ego constantly battling the superego and the id to create balance.

It's worth a read if you:
a) have an interest in psychology,
b) like history (particularly WW2 era), or
c) need food for thought.

Yogi Under Fire

2009-12-27T18:16:00.005-05:00

The practice of yoga is all about rewiring the fight or flight response we have in challenging moments. Through breath and mindfulness, you begin to change the situations you're in, or at least how you're choosing to perceive them.

That's all well and good for those challenging moments. But what about prolonged situations? How does the aspiring yogi handle long periods of challenging, anxiety-provoking times?

Since Thanksgiving, my family has been managing a fairly consistent challenge. With stress levels already pretty high, I came home for the holidays prepared to give support and broker some sense of calm. A challenging situation from afar; I jumped head first into the fire.

Returning to the question at hand, how do you deal with ongoing stress? Here's what I've been working with in the wild, wild west:

Create space (for you) -- I've had to work pretty hard to find time away from all the madness of the drama at hand. But I've really needed the time and space to have the energy I need to be supportive to anyone else. It's been challenging for a few reasons: logistically, I'm without a car; emotionally, it can be hard to leave someone when they're hurting (even if you don't have anything left to give them).
Perspective -- Although the situation here is admittedly pretty bad, I know it won't always be. It's been really helpful to remember that. I believe things will be better for everyone involved, eventually.
Parse & Prioritize -- While perspective tends to feel like a future-looking worldview, the immediate issues still need to be resolved. Break down the big problems into smaller more manageable pieces; then order them according to importance and linear progressions (this has to happen before that, etc.). If you want to move out of your place, you probably want to find a new place before you pack all your stuff up.
Talk -- Human beings are uniquely social--we need to communicate. It's healing to speak to friends, family, partners and even professionals (therapists, social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, etc.) about what's on our minds. Also, how we feel about any given situation gets molded and refined by our contact with others. Pain, regardless of the cause, has an illness narrative.
Find the Good -- Some people would call this perspective, but I think it's different. When you make the conscious choice to be happy, meditating on the good things -- especially at challenging times -- helps keep you there. This situation doesn't make me happy, but I am (sometimes with a little help) able to find some positive things that have come out of it.

I have a few more days here in the thick of it, so I'm open to suggestions. I'll keep you posted. :-)

PSA: The Kindness of Truth

2009-12-10T10:25:00.007-05:00

Recently, someone I care about hurt someone else I care about. I'll keep the details for that novel I'll write someday. But I at the center of all this hurt was the intention to do no harm and a whole lot of lies to spare a person pain.

In reflecting on the situation and what led up to it, I'll just say this as a public service announcement to all you regular people out there trying to do the right thing:

Honesty is the best policy for a reason. It can seem kinder to keep hurtful things to yourself, but remember: trust betrayed is the worst kind of hurt. Beyond the immediate feeling of betrayal, you damage the person's ability to trust you again, to trust others and to his / her judgment. It's three or four times the pain you would have caused by simply being honest.

Yes, truth is the kinder route. But if that's not enough of a reason to be honest, consider the obvious: it's a whole lot easier to remember the truth than the little lies that build up.

Be kind; tell the truth.

You can find the "Honesty Jar" image in protactinium's flickr stream.

PSA: Crosswalk Safety

2009-12-04T09:35:00.004-05:00

When it's raining out, it's probably not a good idea to walk in front of moving traffic in the hopes that they'll stop for you.

When it's raining out. Visibility is bad. Ask yourself, can this driver see me? Can the driver even see the crosswalk?

When it's raining out. It takes longer for a vehicle stop. Stepping into a crosswalk twenty feet in front of a car that's moving at 30 miles an hour isn't smart regardless of how you do the math.

Whether or not it's raining, it's probably not a good idea to just decide you're going to walk in front of a moving vehicle a) if you haven't made eye contact with the driver b) if the crosswalk isn't marked or c) driving conditions are less than ideal.

You're life is probably more important than being right. But I suppose that's something you have to ask yourself.

Episodes of a Soap Opera and PSAs

2009-12-02T12:48:00.003-05:00

I've struggled with format for this blog for a long time. I am so many things - a social media practitioner, a consultant, a daughter, a yogi, etc. - it's hard to really capture all of that in a way that is meaningful to someone who would be interested in tales from the yoga or my thoughts on social media, but maybe not both.

So to structure my thoughts around some of these things, I'm introducing two different features to this blog: episodes and PSAs.

Episodes is more of a concept for telling random stories. We like to think of life as a timeline, but often times it's specific conversations or timing around a series of events that stands out as meaningful. That is what episodes is for.

PSAs - public service announcements - are typically ad spots that are run pro bono for a cause (think ACS or Red Cross). At Sandying, PSAs will be snarky, ranting commentary for the betterment of others. Basically for amusement, I'll be telling folks how to not be tools (or D-Bags) in everyday life.

I'll still be writing about social media, marketing, and other such topics. However, I will likely be moving that sort of content to the Media Awaken blog in the coming weeks -- I'm still trying to decide whether I should cross post everything here (so that this blog remains a central place for my content). If you have any suggestions on that, please share! I'm not sure what makes the most sense.

Thanksgiving: Today's Gratitude

2009-11-26T13:10:00.003-05:00

Horay for turkey!

I'm thankful for graciously prepared meals.

Daily Gratitude, A Twofer

2009-11-25T08:52:00.002-05:00

11/24/09
Yesterday, I was grateful for community. Yesterday, it was my yoga community. Everyone came together to look out for someone, cover for and guard the reputation of someone. Community brings safety. Community also encourages growth and learning. The communities that I'm party to encourage the sharing of ideas, innovation and creation. In my communities, the social media scene, the yoga and alternative healing community, I've found nurturing and unique knowledge.

11/25/09
Today, I'm grateful for reruns. Something to put my mind to when I'm pushing off tedium.

Today's Gratitude: Follow Through

2009-11-23T14:24:00.004-05:00

There's a saying about under promising and over delivering. We've all been disappointed by people not keeping their word or meeting our expectations.

Today, I'm grateful for follow through. It's wonderful, and unfortunately unexpected these days.

Gratitude Day 5: Smarties

2009-11-22T07:53:00.001-05:00

Friday night, I spent my evening at a Starbucks with a colleague I respect (@johncass) discussing social media and culture. Over piping cups of chocolate infused beverages, we shared our thoughts on the changes in society technology has afforded us, on the sub-cultures that have emerged in new social technologies and more. The whole conversation had me buzzing with ideas throughout and after. I was super charged to get a ton of stuff done when I got home too--although that may have had something to do with the caffeine quatity in my chocolate infused beverage.

Because of that conversation, and the many like it that I've had over the years with my mentors in archaeology, social media and elsewhere along the path I've wandered, I'm thankful for the smarties today. I'm grateful for those people around me that make me think, wonder and question. Thanks!

Day 4 Gratitude Challenge: Music

2009-11-21T08:25:00.000-05:00

I'm going to let you all in on a little secret:

I sing in my car. Loudly. No matter where I'm driving, I give a performance to the passersby.

So for today, I'm grateful for music. Music allows you to connect to your emotions, to others. Music is a way to heal from past hurts and feel communicative when it's hard to be heard.

Gratitude Challenge Day 3: Time

2009-11-20T12:45:00.004-05:00

I woke up today in a bad mood. I didn't feel rested. My personal life felt that way it gets every now and then when I'm outside of the flow of things. And I was running late to an event.

But I had time. I'm grateful for that. To put it in a cliche, time heals all wounds. To put it another way, time provides space from hurt and frustration.

I'm up now and it's been a couple hours... The frustration of my morning is now gone and my day is on the up and up. Time works wonders.

Day 2 of Daily Gratitude: Morning Coffee

2009-11-19T08:12:00.007-05:00

Maybe this makes me an addict, but I'm grateful for that part of my morning routine that simultaneously helps me wake and prep for the day, and puts off headaches (definitely an addict).

Coming soon to a Sandying post near you, "Kicking the Coffee Addiction." It is probably time to give it up again, but I'm grateful for the simplicity of the routine. Every morning, I get up, turn the coffee maker on and do the dishes while I'm waiting for my cup of joe. Doing the dishes that are left over from the previous day, or from my roommates since I went to sleep, is my time. It's almost meditative. Because there's no real thinking involved, I can clear my head by concentrating on the physical task at hand, and maybe begin to clear my day.

Do you have something like that? Something you do every day that allows you to clear your head and refocus on and plan for the bigger tasks? Oh, right. There is yoga. :-) ...We'll have to call this my caffiene asana.

What are you grateful for?

Thanksgiving Challenge: Daily Gratitude

2009-11-18T10:49:00.005-05:00

My pal Abby Thompson got started on the Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge last week. Although I may be coming late to the party, I'll be posting one thing I'm grateful for a day until the big turkey day. Of course, I encourage you to find gratitude too! It's uplifting to focus on the positives, to dwell on the good stuff.

--

For today, I'm grateful for all the listeners in my life. I love to to talk. This I know about myself. I don't know that I could ever show enough appreciation for the people in my life who actually take the time to listen, hear me out and maybe just maybe understand!

Thanks for listening!

What are you thankful for today?

The Break Up Mix

2009-10-25T11:16:00.002-04:00

Over the summer, to cope with the end of my last relationship, I put together a break up mix. I didn't burn it to a CD or record a mix tape; it lives on my computer as an iTunes album. Carefully crafted to acknowledge hurt and disappointment and then also incorporate a more positive outlook, I was hesitant about turning the mix into a Pandora station. But since I've had a few requests for it, I'm posting the break up mix here on Sandying.

1) Landslide, Smashing Pumpkins
2) Foundations, Kate Nash
3) Stay, Lisa Loeb
4) Nothing Better, The Postal Service
5) Blackbird, The Beatles
6) New Soul, Yael Naim
7) Irreplaceble, Beyonce
8) Don't Forget About Us, Mariah Carey
9) Standing Still, Jewel
10) Shake It Off, Mariah Carey

There were a few more songs on this list initially that I pulled off as I refined the mix because they started to get on my nerves or I thought they interrupted the flow. When I Grow Up by Garbage and A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton are two that fell off the list that you may still appreciate.

If there are particular break up songs you've found to be helpful in the healing / coping process, please share them in the comments!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

From the Bookshelf: Men are from Mars

2009-10-20T07:20:00.005-04:00

A friend of mine recommended I read this book, and lo and behold, I found it on the coffee table that very day. I like to think that I'm open to self help books and whatnot. But I know better. I learned during yoga teacher training--while reading books like Ask and It Is Given and You Can Heal Your Life--that I'm quite a skeptic. In yoga, skepticism is just another word for resistance, which keeps us from reaching our true potential.

With that background, Men Are from Mars has been a fascinating read. It's simultaneously freeing and incredibly irritating to think that in order to understand each other we must first accept that we don't understand each other. I suppose you can use that premise of understanding anywhere, but I've always found it particularly frustrating with male / female interactions. I've often found myself asking, "why can't we just communicate about these differences?"

Apparently, we humans make a lot of assumptions. Martians understand Martian, Venusians understand Venusian. We expect to communicate in our local dialect with our mate, but they use and understand their language differently. Interpersonal communication is forever complicated by the fact that when a woman says a phrase and when a man says that same phrase, the two could mean very different things. What fun!?!

I've always been an advocate for a high level of interpersonal communication with a significant other. For women, this heighten communication makes for a heightened feeling of intimacy; according to Grey, this intimacy makes men question their personal abilities and power. We communicate differently; we love differently. Now, I find myself wondering, how do you support someone if you can't relate to their needs?

Indeed, Men are from Mars. I'm about half way through the book, so I guess I'll have to keep reading to find the answer to my question.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: A Cause Bandwagon

2009-10-11T21:15:00.012-04:00

If you're seeing pink ribbons at every corner and you're not sure why, October is breast cancer awareness month. If you didn't know it's October, I don't know what to tell you about that.

Breast cancer and I have history. Not a personal history, but family history. I was named after my grandmother; she died of breast cancer while I was still growing in my mom's tummy. This history is why I've done my fair share of relays and walks to raise money for a cure.

Noting that it's a personal issue for me and many others, I have to say that fighting breast cancer has become one of the most widely recognized charitable causes ever. Aside from the RED campaign to fight AIDs in Africa, I can't think of a more marketed charitable cause. Pink is the new black. Pink is in. Unless you're wearing a pink polo with a popped collar, that's out.

But seriously. As a marketer, I feel compelled to ask how effective is it to hop on the breast cancer bandwagon? With the exception of Yoplait and Avon, if your company is linked to the fight against breast cancer in some way, I'm not going to know about it or remember it. I'm not saying that supporting breast cancer is a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination--of course, I'm in favor of eradicating all forms of cancer. But in terms of supporting your brand, in terms of differentiating your brand, there are other ways to do cause marketing.

With international organizations, like CancerHelpUK, noting that there are over 200 different types cancers, it's tempting to suggest just picking another one. However, you could do better for your brand by choosing a charitable cause or organization that is in someway related to your business. For example, a publishing company could partner with a literacy organization to improve the reading level nationwide.

While choosing a cause that meshes with the nature of your business is important for cause marketing, I imagine the pink cause bandwagon is good for sales. How many people out there own pink shirts (or shirts with a pink ribbon) specifically in support of the breast cancer cause? Pink teddy bears? Pink-ribboned water bottles? Pink anything as a sign of solidarity with the cause?

Pictures by Flickr user Musiclver05: http://www.flickr.com/photos/musiclver05/

Easy Fast and New Year's Milestones

2009-09-29T12:28:00.007-04:00

If you were observing the Yom Kippur fast yesterday, I hope you had an easy one. Fasting is no one's favorite thing, but for one day we give up food (among other things) and ask for forgiveness.

New year's celebrations in any faith or calendar system serve as an opportunity to take stock and prioritize anew. Spiritually, it's a chance for a fresh start and a clean slate. Practically, it's a time to look around a make changes based on what's working and what isn't.

We do it at year's end, we do it at birthdays, month or week's end too. We collect our thoughts and create a new strategy for next time, whatever the duration of time is.

What has the empty plate given you the opportunity to see?

Fasting is a way of taking you out of your most structured routine, to free up time to examine how you treat others, what you want to be doing, etc. I spent yesterday journaling, bringing closure to the events of last year and reorienting myself for the coming one. I also dedicated some time to putting my actual beliefs to paper (screen, really).

When was the last time you actually wrote down exactly what you believe?

The Wedding in Big Sky

2009-08-25T19:16:00.007-04:00

As I discovered in May, Montana is a beautiful place.

The Winding Road

Canadian Flag Over Missoula Mall

Read the Bumper Sticker Over the Bar

It says, "I'm hung like Einstein, And smart as a horse."

That's comically unfortunate.

The Bridal Party

The Wild Wild West: Pictures from Seattle

2009-08-04T22:35:00.011-04:00

Every time I travel west, I wonder why I left this place. Although I'm from the suburbs of Portland, not Seattle, it's the same vibe and it feels like home.

Growing artichokes
Only in Seattle, would you find artichokes being grown as decorative plants in a person's front yard.

Graffiti at TUBS
Art is certainly subjective, but this building's graffiti is delightfully colorful.

Kickball
Apparently, there are three kickball leagues in Seattle. Here Ball Deep (yes, you read that correctly) is leading the Monster Squad, just barely.

Sunset Over a Lake
I've seen some beautiful sunsets in my day. But this one makes me want accidentally miss my flight home.

Don't worry Boston, I'll be back soon. I promise.

Upcoming Travels: Seattle, Montana & NYC

2009-07-24T07:42:00.005-04:00

Sometimes you need to pack you bags and hightail it outta town; other times, you have these things planned for sometime. Thanks to some serendipitous pull of the universe, I find myself with a lot of pre-planned travel at a time when I could really use a get the heck out of dodge vacation.

As most of you know, I am an expatriot Oregonian. So I couldn't be happier to be launching my travels next week in the Pacific Northwest. My first port of call? Seattle--although I was looking forward to the soothing rain of this city, it's supposed to get up to 105 degrees. From there I make my way to a very small town in Montana for my pal Angie's wedding. I'm looking forward to the wide open spaces, mountain backdrop and the ease of conversation of the country...

I get back to Boston on the 11th of August and leave for NYC two days later. My client PigSpigot.com is throwing a launch party on August 14th and I'd love to rally the folks from the Boston to NY Australia Day trip of 2008 for the party--@paullyoung @sarahwurrey, can it be done?

Here are the important dates:

Seattle: July 29-31
Montana: July 31-August 11
Boston: August 11-13
NYC: August 13-17

PigSpigot Launch Party: Friday, August 14 (client)

After August, who knows?!? But I'd love to see you while I'm traveling!

Gratitude: A Meditation for Now (and Later)

2009-07-17T12:52:00.007-04:00

Gratitude is one of those words that comes up in yoga. Depending on how you're feeling towards the spiritual / emotional side of things, gratitude could be what the teacher is talking about while you're holding an awkward pose or it could be a meditation you seek to live by.

Sometimes when I'm feeling a little cynical, I think to myself, "gratitude pose--I'm grateful I can even get into it today." (See photo on right from yogajournal.com.)

When I'm teaching parsvottanasana (gratitude pose), I like to remind the class to be grateful for something external but also something inward-facing. For some reason, self gratitude is often perceived as a lack of humility, as a negative. It can be challenging to retrain ourselves to think, "well gosh, thank you for looking out for me today." Despite all of our external responsibilities, our first priority should always be providing for ourselves (or we can't be as useful to the external world)!

It's a beautiful idea, all this gratitude. But it's easy to forget to be grateful for yourself and others that really are always there should you need them. Right now, I'm incredibly thankful for all my friends.

This post is an incredibly round about way of saying thank you.

The Internet Has a Spine?

2009-07-13T17:30:00.002-04:00

I've been hearing the words Internet backbone a lot these days. And it's a phrase that does nothing for me, save conjure an image of Atlas holding the globe on his shoulders. However, I've learned that much like Atlas, backbone is what holds up the interwebs for us to play on.

With all the recent talk of cloud computing, we think less and less about the physical infrastructure that makes the world as we know it work. Wireless connections support this idea that we don't really need to be tied down to anything. And yet, we're always using backbone somehow.

Internet Backbone is the physical connections between various networks--large corporate, military and educational ones-- that allow information to flow between them.

Logically, it makes sense. The interwebs have to touch, have to be connected. But it is a little mind-boggling to think that we're so locked in, so bound together, even as the networks themselves are like ever expanding stars in the universe. Atlas still holds us up.

Procrastinating Relationships

2009-07-13T10:13:00.004-04:00

Have you ever had something uncomfortable to say that you kept putting off in the hopes that the issue would resolve itself or that you'd come to terms with it in some other way?

It's not a pleasant place to be. It's like cleaning house--you forget to pick up a few things here and there and suddenly the whole place needs a deep cleaning. Relationships are the same way. You can't procrastinate. Once you've let things build up, it can spiral out of control. And no one wants to be stuck with the all the dishes, laundry and scrubbing the bathrooms at the same time.

Whether it's contract negotiations or highly an emotional issue, putting it off never helps.

For better or worse, relationships require at least two people--so what do you do if the other player doesn't contribute? Knowing that the issue needs resolving, how many times can you follow up, ask to talk, etc. without being a nag?

Something I'm thinking about on this Monday morning, because as much as we talk about procrastinating our work. It's procrasting relationships that'll really come back to bite you in the butt.

Idiotic Vandalism: Bathroom Marketing

2009-07-12T13:38:00.005-04:00

Normally in a bathroom stall, you’ll find sad attempts at art, proclamations of love and other scribbles. You often find yourself wondering, don’t these people have better things to do than sit in the bathroom and draw or write random quotes on the walls? Do you know anyone who packs a sharpie with them on the way to the powder room just in case inspiration strikes them? I don’t.

I just saw this in the bathroom at Espresso Royale at BU. I suppose I could point out that societally this marks a shift from phones to blogs as the primary mode of bathroom to outside world discourse (think “for a good time call”). Where before we saw bathroom vandalism as a likely form of harassment, now we find shameless self-promotion. As if the movement towards straight advertisements in the bathroom wasn’t enough evidence of a society over saturated--now even the scribbles in the corner are trying to sell us something.

However, what’s truly idiotic about this attempt at vandalism is the fact that it’s so easy to track back to its creator. When you quote Shakespeare or rock lyrics, or when you write someone else’s number on the wall, maybe someone could speculate, but no one would ever know for sure who it was. Unless you’ve got a truly avid fan—which I highly doubt either of these two bloggers has—it’s pretty clear who vandalized the bathroom.

Then again, it’s ERC. Who would report it?

An Open Note on Auto-Following: Spammers Please Read

2009-07-10T22:48:00.006-04:00

Way back in 2007, when Twitter was new and everybody knew everybody, following people when they followed you was standard practice. It was considered polite and decent. In fact, if you didn't auto-follow back, it appeared as though you weren't on your game, weren't paying close enough attention to your community.

Well, Twitter is a whole new world now, and it's pretty easy to be overwhelmed by the signal to noise ratio of even your friends. I stopped auto-following when I stopped being able to actually keep up with all my followers (the way you would try to keep up with friends on Facebook, the phone or any other platform). In some cases, that means I'm missing out on real people I could be getting to know. In other cases, like the "followers" that prompted this post, I'm not missing out on anything.

Here's the deal: In the past month, maybe a little longer, I've noticed about half a dozen, maybe more, of the same twitters "adding" me as a follower. Why is this annoying you ask? Because they've added me repeatedly, multiple times in a short span of time. I've received enough duplicative notifications since June that it's time to call out some people.

Here are a few quick ways of gauging if someone is a spammer:

They are following a boatload of people and are being followed by substantially fewer.
They have more followers than they have updates.
They have the words guru or god in conjunction with marketing or SEO in their handle.
They request to follow you multiple times, but you have no idea who they are.

To illustrate that last point, it's time to call a few people out. Below you'll find a few recent irritations, people who have followed me multiple times in the last few weeks with the vital stats called out.

@see_the_colors

has followed me 2x sine June 21
As of today, this one has ever tweeted.

@viralmarketseo

has followed me 3x since July 2
Last I checked, this guy has never tweeted.

@theseogod

has followed me 3x since June 15
With under 300 updates, this guy has over 3000 followers.

@themarketguru

If I had prizes for the biggest fail, this would be the winner.
She has followed me 5x since June 18, and the 5th time was this morning
With just over 100 updates, this one has 1200 followers.

If I haven't followed you back--and you're a real person--please say hello with an @skalik and I'll be sure to check out what you're up to. Spammers please stop clogging up my inbox. I'm not going to follow you back unless I'm genuinely interested in what you have to say; I'm not going to support your numbers simply because you've annoyed me.

Stepping It Up a Notch

2009-07-09T08:03:00.001-04:00

I'm sure you've all noticed that I've been quiet these passed few months. On this blog, and on twitter, I've been a little more removed.

As much as I'd like to say that I'm comfortable with a tell all, leave no stone unturned approach for this blog, let's face it: that's not me. I'm a little to introspective to share the juicy bits of my career and personal life, and maybe a little too honest about both of those things to stay out of trouble... So instead, I think it's time I come to terms with the fact that I'm a tell some kind of girl.

You've seen this post in various forms over the past few months. I've talked about struggling to find my voice, changes in focus, conflict (indirectly of course), new goals, etc. Well, I'm a little bit of a lot of things, and my new plan for this blog is to share a little bit of me--the things I find interesting, random stuff I've been thinking about... everything from social media to yoga to current events.

Whatever direction that ends up taking me, I'm stepping it up a notch so I can figure it out!

As always, feedback is welcome. :-)

Changing the World, One Client at a Time

2009-07-08T18:01:00.000-04:00

I got into PR in college because I believed it was the field that had the ability to make change. More than journalism, more than finance, communication changes perception. Yesterday, I wrote about being drawn to writing, how it's inspiring to learn, teach and share ideas. For all these reasons, I believe it is public relations and communications more broadly that promote true shifts of the mind.

Consequently, and despite the ease with which we burn out or become jaded, we communicators must remember that we have the ability to make or break the companies or organizations that we work with.

Working with startups, I see the potential next generation of technologies. It's a blessing and a curse--while the excitement runs high, so does the significance of the work. A single, well strategized media placement can make the difference between a VC signing on the dotted line or needing to find a new job, client, etc.

Technology changes the world everyday. But what if no one had ever heard of the major players we're now familiar with? What if Gates had never been conscripted to create DOS? Would we do without our iPhones?

Communication can make or break a new technology. That's one way to change the world.

Biographical Inspiration

2009-07-07T17:32:00.004-04:00

I flew through Reagan National Airport today and my airline offered its guests free copies of a number of publications. I thumbed through Politico, the Wall Street Journal and pub I haven't looked at since I worked with a mobile technology company, Business Traveler.

The last time I had read through the bios of the reporters and freelance writers affiliated with this publication, I had one goal in mind. Sell, sell, sell the product I was repping in the hopes that they would feature it somehow.

This time, when I read through the bios, I got a sense for people that loved their work. I was uplifted and inspired to read about the business traveler turned travel writer, the freelancer who wanted to be a foreign correspondent for the NY Times at the age of seven.

Why do we write?

Clearly for the writers at Business Traveler the answer is simple--they enjoy doing it. People write to learn, to teach, to share ideas. Communicating is human nature. We get pleasure and validation from being understood.

But what I really took from reading these bios is that we should all walk towards those activities that make us happy--whether we've been pursing them since childhood or following a meandering path towards them since joining the professional ranks.

Redefining Yourself by Lists

2009-06-01T07:28:00.000-04:00

At somewhat regular intervals, I find myself looking around at my day to day activities wondering, "What the heck am I doing?" Goals and priorities change, the minutia circumvent real issues, and it's time to do some real soul searching.

Last summer at PodCamp, I was in that exact situation, somewhat frustrated by what could best be described as a poorly played expectations game. I had started something brand, sparkley new, and thought it would be the best-est thing ever--and oh, what a let down. Anyway, I was in that "what now" funk and a friend of mine, Zach Braiker (@quiverandquill), told me to make lists, lists of lists. Make a list of your priorities and passions, another one for everything you want to do before you die. When all is said and done, you know yourself a little better.

It's about that time again, so I'm starting here and now with a list of the lists I want to make.

A List of Lists

(in no particular order)

All my priorities
Stuff I enjoy doing
Stuff I don't enjoy doing
Daily activities
Places to visit
People I want to see more of
People I want to see less of
Recipes I want to learn
Five year goals
Companies or organizations I admire or want to be affiliated with...

This is one of those posts I will be adding to continually and referring back to as I work my way through this process. Feel free to share your thoughts and stories as well!

Montana Trip: The Better Late than Never Wrap Up

2009-05-27T08:45:00.008-04:00

Montana isn't called big sky country for nothing. It's a beautifully open land, with snow topped mountains just over yonder.

People out there in the Inland Pacific Northwest are different; people are different out west in general. Time moves slower, or at least the people do. And it's not considered a bad thing, or a generalized lack of urgency. There's no need to rush, because people do believe that the pieces will in time fit together, when they're supposed to, in time.

I finished reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance out west. And surrounded entirely by raw, natural beauty, I debated quality of both form and function. I was reminded that being polite should never be confused with putting on a smiley face. True courtesy requires kindness that can't be faked.

Raw and honest. Beyond School of Knowledge snobbery and well past the perfectly manicured lawns, there are still people living with their environment to get by.

Without breaking into a rousing chorus of the Dixie Chicks song Wide Open Spaces, there are nice lessons we can bring back east. First, not everything is a fire drill--better solutions often materialize for people who allow time for ideas to brew. Second, true kindness is actually easier than being polite--you don't need to fake it. Third, and final for now, beauty is everywhere, raw and honest.

Bummed about Blogging

2009-05-06T12:24:00.001-04:00

I just wrote a whole post on my iPhone only to have it disappear when I got to a data network or wifi connection. Ugh!

The moral of the story is that blogging from your phone is limited and a post on iPhone blogging apps is in order.

Alas, that is for another time--once I have rewritten my previous post!