Investment Advice, Good Karma Style

Along with sending letters in the mail and talking on phones with a handset and a curly cord, I enjoy listening to the radio. I like the variety--and the live voice on the other end of the airwaves. And a few mornings ago, when I had the radio on while getting ready for work, two things caught my attention--a public service announcement and a song--both of which have been floating around in my head ever since.

"For each hour of regular exercise you get, you'll gain about two hours of additional life expectancy." --American Heart Association

"Where you invest your love, you invest your life." --Mumford & Sons, "Awake My Soul"

Each thought is profound on its own. Invest in your life--for your heart's sake. Invest in your heart--for your life's sake. But together? They deliver a terrific jolt of present-moment awareness.

The secret to living the biggest, richest life possible? Hit the gym. Unroll your yoga mat. Chase the puck. Romp around the park with the dogs. Take a long walk. Speak from your heart. Pursue your dreams. Teach. Listen. Say I love you. Make the time. Rinse, lather, repeat.

*~*~*~*~

P.S. Here's where you can find that stat from the American Heart Association--and a youtube link to "Awake My Soul."

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©2012 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because it's never to late to begin investing in yourself. (Photo by Makena G via Creative Commons.)

Redoing the To-Do List

“There is much to get done; therefore, we must go slowly.” I can’t remember who said it first, but boy was he (or she) right!

When the to-do list is a mile and a quarter long (And, really, whose isn’t?) the only chance we have of really getting things done is to slow waaaay down.

Less is more. Remember?

Today, instead of rushing to work to get crackin’ on that to-do list, I chose to hit the coffee shop. After getting my drink, I pulled out a blank sheet of paper and started writing. I wasn’t just wrapping my head around what I had to do; rather, I was getting clear on how I was going to do it. More intention, less agenda. Fifteen minutes later, I was ready to face my workday.

With a clear intention, we stand a much better chance of getting to the items on our own to-do lists—even when other people are adding their own items to it.

Want to re-do your to-do list? Here's my approach for getting things done:

• Start with a blank sheet of paper and take a few minutes to unload whatever thoughts are jumbling around in your head.
• Remind yourself of your intention. (What are you working toward? What gets you energized?)
• Create a short to-do list for the day. (3 to 5 items is realistic.)
• Review each item and ask yourself, “If this was the only thing I got done today, how would I feel?” Make sure that something on your to-do list is fueling your intention.
• Take a moment to think about how you’d like to feel (Calm? Productive? Connected?) and imagine yourself doing each of the items on your to-do list in this manner
• Go out there and live your day.

If things don’t go as planned, that’s okay. Tomorrow you get to try all over again.

“Love of bustle is not industry.”                                   --Seneca

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because less on your to-do list can make you more productive. Whodda thunk? (Photo by Shereen M via Creative Commons.)

Quotation: On Taking Action

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”                                                                                                               --Theodore Roosevelt

I recently came across a to-do/goals list from a few years ago—and was stunned to see just how many of those items I was still working toward. Lofty ambitions, largely untouched. And I suspect, if I looked through my old notebooks, these same things would be on my wish list.

What if I had tackled these things in small bits—bird by bird, as Anne LaMott would say—where would I be now? What amazing feats could I have accomplished?

What I’ve finally learned is that there is no such thing as the “right” time. Perfectionism is procrastination. If I give myself permission to do things imperfectly, I get things done. And the funny thing is that the outcome is usually pretty darn good.

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because you never know unless you try. (Photo by other cities via Creative Commons.)

Gratitude Roundup: Summer Lovin’

Alas, (not to be confused with  “at last”) it’s fall. Sweaters and pumpkin spice lattes are just around the bend. Scarves, too. (I love scarves!) And even though the calendar still says we have two more weeks of summer, I’ll always associate September 1 with fall’s unofficial start. Maybe it’s the latent meteorologist in me . . .

But before I usher in autumn, I must pay homage it its spunky little sister. This year’s summer was filled with things to love, both big and small. Such as: 

• Park trips aplenty with the pups and my beloved
• My best pal moving back east
• An indulgent, two-hour yin + vinyasa workshop with YogaThree’s Chanel Luck and Bonnie Argo
• Upleveling my life with creativity coach extraordinaire, Christine Kane
• An outdoor yoga class in the DeCordova sculpture park
• Learning how to hold ’em and fold ’em
• A new car (after a year-plus of being a one-car family)
• Hosting a fancy-pants dinner party at the Liberty Hotel (even though the hotel lost our flowers)
• My hair got crazy long
• Perfecting the art of cold-brewed iced coffee (thanks to smallnotebook)
• Front-row seats to see Willie Nelson at the House of Blues (and access, to the fancy-pants Foundation Lounge)
• Laughing in yoga classes with Boston’s omgal, Rebecca
• Cupcakes and iced coffee on the porch of a yellow Victorian with my best pal
• Discovering lovely, serene sittin’ spots around town
• Getting my geek on with this uber-addictive card game
• Digging my toes in the sand while sitting beneath my beach umbrella
• Taking lunchtime walks and snapping photos (like the one above) on my cell phone
• Falling in love with croonsmith Ray LaMontagne
• Playing bocce (win!) and mini golf (let’s not talk about that score)
• A leisurely, cloudy morning spent at a harborside coffee shop (with a new notebook in tow)
• A foodie gift bag from a friend, which included the most lovely jar of dandelion honey from Italy
• Trying new flavors at the ice cream stand up the street from my house (graham central—yum!)
• Eating raspberries in the parking lot at Russell Orchards, fresh from the field, still warm from the sun

I’m a simple pleasures kinda gal. Sure, a week on an island would have been lovely. But my memory of those raspberries is priceless . . .

"That much gathers more is true on every plane of existence."                                                                     --Charles Haanel

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because, so often, the little things can add up to something spectacular. 

Quotation: On Slowing Down

"There is much to be done; therefore, we must proceed slowly."                                                                                        --Buddha

It's a three-day weekend. Slow down. Hit the park. Pick up a book. Take a nap. Do yoga. Buy an ice cream cone. Whatever feeds your soul.

Prioritize. Nurture yourself now so that you've got the energy to get things done later.

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because being busy and being productive are not the same thing. (Photo by Ed Yourdon via Creative Commons.)

Good Boy

 A coworker who’s involved in dog rescue posted something on our intranet that caught my attention. It was about a Navy Seal who’s also a photographer in Iraq and was looking for pet food donations to help care for the countless stray cats and dogs who were hanging around—and winning the soldiers’ hearts. That’s him in the photo above with a couple of the pups.

People and animals alike, there are so, so many in this world who need a helping hand. I wish I could do more to help everyone. For now, a grassroots plea will have to do.

Can you help?

Here’s what’s needed:

• Cat food*
• Dog food*
• Heartgard
• Frontline
• Medicated shampoo

*Dry food should be emptied into a durable plastic garbage bag and sealed tightly. It’s a good idea to also include the label from the packaging.

Note: Collars and leashes are a no-no. It’s a death sentence for the animal if an Iraqi soldier knows an animal is being cared for by Americans. (That’s just wrong.) 

Perhaps you have some cat food in your cupboard that your finicky feline won’t eat. Or maybe you wouldn’t mind picking up an extra bag or two of pet food when you’re at the store. Or perhaps your vet would have some food or supplies to donate. The flat-rate box cost $11.95 to ship—not so bad, considering how far away it’s going.

The address is:

MC1 Jayme Pastoric SOTF-W DET RAMADI Unit 43501 FPO AP 09367-3501

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."                                   --Margaret Mead

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Making space on the ol' to-do list so that a few sweet furry creatures might be able to live happily ever after. (Photo from Jayme Pastoric's Facebook page)

There Are Heroes in the Seaweed

Wednesday afternoon, my Power Lunch reading buddy bobbed her way through the school lunch line, a smiling whirl of braids and barettes, and presented me with an orange tissue paper flower attached to a popsicle stick.

The flower looked like the type you'd find adorning a platter of sweet & sour chicken at a Chinese food buffet. It's the sort of thing I would have slipped into my pocket and brought home with me when I, too, was 8 years old. In fact, I still hold on to pretty scraps of this and that. Colorful strips of satin ribbon and lightly creased slips of pretty tissue paper dominate my collection of gift wrap. Odds and ends that make their way to me among the everyday jumble.

"Did you see the news?" she asked me as we climbed the stairs to the library. I had, of course--and knew the exact story she was referring to: the major earthquake that hit her family's native home of Haiti just the day before. I'd seen the coverage online. The wreckage and chaos. An immense amount of sadness. The phone lines were all down, so her parents weren't able to get through to their relatives. I cannot imagine.

When I got back to the office, I spent some time online reading about the aftermath and the relief efforts and the countless people who had risen to the occasion, helping in whatever way they can. Indeed, beauty has a way of presenting itself in heartfelt gestures among the ruins.

 "And she shows you where to look among the garbage and the flowers."                                                                                                                --Leonard Cohen

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Making the space--one heartfelt gesture at a time--to live happily ever after.

On New Year's Resolutions and the Soul of 9

I've always loved the new year and its promise of a fresh start. Ironically though, I've been making the same resolutions for the better of 20 years now. Eat more vegetables. Watch less TV and read more books. Get more exercise and more sleep. Write more and submit my work for publication. 

I'd outline grand and precise plans in these areas, all designed to help me succeed. And then, when I'd get the slightest bit off track, I'd cast that goal aside and move on to something I could accomplish. Like watching every episode of House Hunters and What Not to Wear or walking to get a vanilla soft-serve cone with rainbow sprinkles on top for dinner.

I'm not lazy--nor am I a slacker. But I've always had trouble sticking with things. Even things that I enjoy. Turns out, it's my Soul of 9 that's holding me back.

Let me back up a bit: A few weeks ago, my kundalini yoga teacher was talking about the 10 bodies--a way of understanding and restoring balance in your life. Tantric numerology offers a window into our own bodies. Ever the curious one, I went online, entered my birthdate, and out popped my tantric reading.

My soul number--which identifies what's at the core of my consciousness--is a 9. It says that I'm very hard on myself (yep) and that I have a tendency to give up on things after a short period of time rather than sticking with them and mastering them (yep). It goes on to explain that, "without mastery, life is a mystery" to me and that "my joy in life will come from mastering things." On the one hand, I feel like this is just generic enough to apply to most all of us; but I have enough experiential evidence to know that my internal critic is snarkier than most.

So, how can I overcome this? The numerology report recommended a 1,000-day meditation. Just seeing the words "1,000 day" made me want to reach for the remote and flip on HGTV. But the perfectionist in me isn't willing to give up quite that easily this time.

After years and years of resolving to do all of these lofty and ambitious things and only making marginal success, I've decided to change my approach. In the spirit of Christine Kane's Resolution Revolution, my goal for 2010 is simply to finish.

Finish. That's it. Just one word. The goal being to infuse anything and everything that I aspire to with this intention. Those unread and partly read books on my shelves? Finish. My to-be-written essay ideas? Finish. My desire to eat vegan for two meals each day? Finish. My plans to run a 5k? Finish. You get the picture.

With just one word to aspire to, there's no room for drama, backstory, or excuses. Just do it.

"Don't fear the long road."                                                                                              --Michael Franti, Never Too Late

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because less is more--especially when it comes to setting a clear New Year's resolution. (Photo by Flowery L*u*z*a* via Creative Commons.)

All the Details

It has been a week of simple pleasures--the type of things that, all too often, I take for granted. Such as . . .

• Marveling at the clean blanket(s) of snow
• Accompanying Inky on his Caring Canines visit
• Buying holiday presents for a child whom I've never meet
• Enjoying the glow of my beautiful Christmas tree
• Cozying up on the couch with a loved one (pups nearby)
• Making breakfast for dinner (accompanied by a glass of malbec)
• Devouring my homemade calzone (even better the next day)
• Rearranging my end tables
• Adding 2010 plans to my cute new agenda book
• Accomplishing a big professional goal at work
• Fortifying myself with fresh-squeezed orange juice
• Savoring a bowl of tomato soup with parmesan croutons on a cold winter's night
• Receiving my first holiday card of the season
• Discovering a new (to me) musical group: the Vitamin String Quartet
• Making yoga + brunch plans with a good friend
• Attending my first kundalini yoga class with the gong
• Staying healthy (knock on wood and take my vitamins)
• Laughing together (oh, hello ab muscles)

How about you? What are some of the little pleasures that you've been taking for granted?

"The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life."                                                                                                                     --William Morris

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2009 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because everyday things can be pretty special, too.

Should We Talk About the Weather?

One of my least favorite topics of conversation is the weather--only because it's usually riddled with complaints. Too hot, too cold, too sunny, too grey. I do my best to avoid ganging up on Mother Nature, even though she can be a tempramental lady sometimes. Occasionally though, she's a saint--delivering us an unexpected, gorgeous day.

Today was 72 degrees and sunny. Today. December 3. In New England. Oh, Mother Nature, I could kiss you for this unexpected treat. I (almost) don't care what tomorrow brings. Or the next day. Those torrential downpours this morning on the dog walk are a distant memory. Because today I ate my lunch outside. In a short sleeve shirt.

New England: this is why I love you!

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilirating; there really is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather."                                                                                                                       --John Ruskin

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2009 Good Karma Housekeeping. Making the space--mentally and physically--to live happily ever after . . . no matter the weather forecast. (Photo by David L. Ryan/Boston Globe staff.)