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10 Commitments, 100 Discoveries: #6 – Public Speaking
Hi, I’m a self proclaimed commitment-phobe. But, I’m also one that is working very hard to change. Honestly, it’s one of my toughest struggles. But, I am proud to say it is one that I am chipping away at slowly but surely. One day, when I tell my kids of my fear of commitment they will just laugh and say, “No way, not you!”
With the commitment, 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, I’m working to show myself that commitments are like trains; it doesn’t matter where they’re going. What matters is deciding to get on. Discoveries “#60-69″ are about commitments and plans. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 commitments here and the entire project here. Focus on the plans, I sure am!
This is one goal that I’ve been working on for years. But, as I wake from sleeping on an airplane, I realize that this is the year that I’ve started to conquer it, so I’m counting it for the project 🙂 . I’m not perfect yet. And, like a muscle, if I don’t do it often, the fear comes back.
Nevertheless, three years ago I made the commitment to become a better public speaker. Since then, I’ve taken every speaking gig, both internal and external, that was presented to me. I went to Toast Master classes and I would actively ask my bosses to let me speak at internal meetings.
In the past, I would prepare and rehearse my speeches/presentations for days on end. Don’t get me wrong, I still practice. But, these days, I’m a lot more comfortable speaking in front of an audience. Three years ago, when I stood up to give a presentation, my voice shook so hard that everyone in the audience pitied me. Today, people in the audience sarcastically ask, “You’ve done this a few times before, huh?”
My crowning moment came this year when I was able to stand in front of an audience and change my presentation on the fly based on some of the presentations that had gone before me on the panel. Wow. To you, maybe that’s an inconsequential moment, but, three years ago, the thought of even doing something like that was an impossible dream to me.
This is one commitment that has not only paid off in spades but I’m also very proud of accomplishing.
Posted in 10 Commitments, 100 Discoveries
10 Foods, 100 Discoveries: Food 10 – Colorado Wine
Is it true? You are what you eat? Growing up, my dad was always a plain meat and potatoes kind of guy. Thus, my taste buds have never strayed far… until now. In 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, ten of the discoveries are different types of food. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 foods here and the entire project here. Enjoy the flavors, I sure am!
To some, wine might not be a food. But, I’m perfectly comfortable counting alcohol as a whole food group in itself 🙂 As I drove my car out of Las Vegas on a Friday afternoon, my goal was to make it to Colorado by nightfall. Just over the border of Utah, I decided to stop in what I thought would be a small and sleepy town. Pulling into a La Quinta, I was confident that a room would be available even though I hadn’t called ahead nor made a reservation. To my shock, the hotel was full. In fact, every hotel in the town was full. Thanks to the friendly Front Desk Manager, I learned that one of their largest events, The Colorado Mountain Winefest was going on. The event was comprised of 56 local wineries (who knew I had stopped in the middle of Colorado wine country?!), artists and a few artisan food vendors.
I’d like to pretend that I knew about the event and had totally planned this perfectly, but nope. It was a purely random and fabulous coincidence. I think I was meant to stop there simply to be able to take part in this fabulous event 🙂 Finally, I found an Inn that had a handful of smoking rooms left. The smoke permeated the room, but unfortunately, it was my only option for a place to stay for at least 100 miles.
The next day, the rain cleared just long enough to be able to enjoy a few hours at the event. For $50, I got a souvenir wine glass and started walking around and tasting. What a festival! There was even a stilt walker who was dressed as beautiful grape leaves. At the end of the event, I took with me three items – vanilla salted carmel handmade fudge, soft cheese with black truffle oil and mushrooms and two bottles of apricot and peach white wines. All three tastes were to die for. They were also all very rich and meant to be savored and eaten in small amounts.
The times when you slow down to take in the unplanned experiences and flavors around you truly are the best times.
Posted in 10 Foods, 100 Discoveries
Top Ten Reasons Why Vendor Side is Better Than Client
This list is from my BBF:
Jaime’s Top 10 Reasons on why being on the vendor side doesn’t STINK.
10. Unlike a comp # which has no material value off-property, I get to keep my Diner’s Club points that accrue from client wining & dining and it’s only 100,000 points for a $100 flight voucher!! On my way baby!
9. Gym clothes on non-meeting days are perfectly acceptable. In fact, so are pajamas.
8. Home cooking beats EDR any day!
7. Unlike a hotel pool, which is reserved for guests, afternoon swim breaks are encouraged at the Acxiom Las Vegas home office. J
6. I can order my own office supplies and they are shipped overnight to my doorstep.
5. I am a much better negotiated in my personal life becoming quite adept at using phrases like, “yeah, I really don’t have the budget for that” and my personal favorite “I really want to work with you, but I can only afford X”. Amazing how often it works!
4. No basement at the Acxiom Home Office means lots of windows and no risk of a guest accidentally leaving their in-suite Jacuzzi on to flood home office flooding. (Yes folks that happens!)
3. 24 hour IT support via a toll free number is pretty nice.
2. Beer: thirty comes early on Fridays.
AND… the # 1 reason being on the vendor side doesn’t stink…..
1. Entertaining the Travel & Entertainment sector is A-L-R-I-G-H-T!
Posted in Uncategorized
10 Commitments, 100 Discoveries: #5 – Inner Peace
Hi, I’m a self proclaimed commitment-phobe. But, I’m also one that is working very hard to change. Honestly, it’s one of my toughest struggles. But, I am proud to say it is one that I am chipping away at slowly but surely. One day, when I tell my kids of my fear of commitment they will just laugh and say, “No way, not you!”
With the commitment, 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, I’m working to show myself that commitments are like trains; it doesn’t matter where they’re going. What matters is deciding to get on. Discoveries “#60-69″ are about commitments and plans. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 commitments here and the entire project here. Focus on the plans, I sure am!
In college I fell deeply in love with yoga. Sometimes, I would even go to classes twice a day. I got my whole family hooked on it and considered dropping a “real” career to teach yoga full time.
If done properly there’s countless benefits to yoga – more flexibility, better alignment, a calming of the mind, being better attuned to your body, the list goes on. The hardest part of yoga? The 90 minutes that require focusing on just you and yourself. The 90 minutes where you have to turn inward and still your mind. Somewhere in my Senior year I stopped being able to calm my mind. I wanted to, but there was too much turmoil inside. I stopped doing what I love. I stopped for over six years. During those six years, I’d try a class here and there, but I could never turn my mind inward for long.
This year, I was committed to finding a way and a studio where I could practice again. I did. Thanks to Groupon, I found a studio and have been attending weekly classes for over four months. To my disappointment, I’m not nearly as flexible as I used to be, but I’m working towards it. I’m also not nearly as good at calming my mind, but I’m working on that too. It may sound hokey, but having yoga in your life makes it easier to deal with stress. It’s easier to turn inward, ignore the drama and see the beautiful things (and people) in life.
To look inside yourself on a weekly basis takes one thing – bravery. After six years, I’m finally brave enough to look and keep looking.
Namaste.
Posted in 10 Commitments, 100 Discoveries
10 Lessons, 100 Discoveries: #7 – Wanderlust
Are you ready for a secret? Promise not to tell anyone? Okay, here goes… don’t tell… I’m naive and still have many life lessons ahead of me, both big and small. In essence, 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries is actually 100 lessons. But, this project of 10 lessons is about ones that hit me over the head, ones that maybe others already know and ones that will impact my life on a semi-daily basis. You can see all 10 Lessons here and the entire project here. Enjoy the learnings, I am!
As to why this particular “roadshow” is called Wanderlust perplexes me. It has nothing to do with travel and everything to do with yoga. Wanderlust was a 3-day yoga experience at The Cosmopolitan. For lack of a better term, the workshop was taught by John Friend, founder of Asura yoga. John was also the mentor of my all-time favorite yoga instructor, Jordan. When the once in a lifetime opportunity came for John to be in Las Vegas and leading yoga classes that didn’t end in receiving an instructors license or weren’t upwards of $1,500, I jumped at the chance.
In brutal honesty, the event wasn’t quite what I expected, but inspiring nevertheless. For me, during the yoga portions of the day, it was almost like hearing Jordan teach, but not as good 🙂 I always have to smile proudly when I witness a student surpassing the teacher.
Aside from the physical yoga portion, John spent a few hours just talking. You could tell he was an incredibly smart man who saw the world differently than most. During his talks, the takeaways were many. But a few of my favorite lessons and reminders were:
- Lucky people really are the lucky ones. What you put into something and the energy you give out, is what you will receive back
- There is beauty (and purpose) all around us. No matter how you throw apple seeds into the ground, the roots will always grow down and the branches always up. In fact, if you uprooted a tree and turned it upside down, it would “right” itself again.
- Simple. I don’t fully remember the exact words that went with this lesson, but it focused on “drinking” in just enough and not overwhelming yourself.
- Acceptance. There are some things you can’t change – like the pounding music we heard during our outdoor practice. There’s no need to create drama, just accept and adapt.
Posted in 10 Lessons, 100 Discoveries
10 Memories, 100 Discoveries: Memory 3 – NYC Magic
Huxley said, “Memories are a man’s private literature.” Memories are private and you never know which ones will be picked up, stored away and treasured. In 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, ten of the discoveries are memories- fun, sad, happy, I’m not sure what types there will be, but I do know that they will all be treasured. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 memories here and the entire project here. Enjoy the memories, I am!
I’ve been lucky enough this year to travel to New York City more times than ever before. In fact, I’ve even used four NYC experiences for this project here, here, here and here (each in a different group of course). The city is a never ending maze of wonder. I have yet to complete my list of “things to do” in a single trip (or even five). And, each time I discover a new piece of NYC.
This time was no different. Even though I’ve been to Times Square and Central Park a dozen times, on this trip, I discovered two wonders that I didn’t even realize were there. The first was an amazing dinner at The Central Park Boathouse overlooking The Lake. Great company, great food and a great view.
The second discovery was even more magical. In the middle of Times Square inside the Toys R’ Us is a 3-story high children’s ferris wheel! This isn’t just any ferris wheel. For this one, each cart is themed to a different toy. One was Toy Story, another Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. Still another Scooby Doo.
The ferris wheel reminded me that even in the places you’ve been and looked a thousand times, there’s still magic and new things to be discovered.
Posted in 10 Memories, 100 Discoveries
10 Experiences, 100 Discoveries: E10 – Montreal
Albert Einstein said, “the only source of knowledge is experience.” With that in mind, as part of my adventure, 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, ten of the discoveries are about experiences I’ve always wanted to have. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 Experiences here and the entire project here. Enjoy the moments, I sure am!
Visiting Montreal had been on my list of cities to visit since before Day One of this project. After traveling to Quebec, I wasn’t sure how I’d find an excuse to get back to explore Montreal. Luckily, a newfound girlfriend who also loved to travel had Montreal at the top of her list too. She wanted a getaway for the long Labor Day weekend and was looking for someone to travel with. I jumped at the chance, especially since I was still trying to figure out what types of people I liked traveling with. I was also excited because she lauded herself as the “cruise director” and foodie of her friends, meaning she loved planning trips and always had a full itinerary, including restaurants; or so she said.
For this trip however, she had decided to “wing” it. Ugh. I ended up making most of the plans on the fly. The saving grace of the trip is that upon arrival we spent the late afternoon and evening hopping from rooftop bar to rooftop bar. While I remained unscathed the next morning, she spent the whole day sick and hungover in bed. This allowed me to explore and go shopping on my own, which was fun.
Some other highlights of the trip included: climbing to the top of Mount Royal, visiting the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit at the museum of fine art and seeing penguins at the Biodome and Botanical Gardens.
As for my question about traveling alone vs. with a companion? Well, I’m not quite sure I’ve found the answer yet. But, I’m getting closer!
Posted in 10 Experiences, 100 Discoveries
10 Lessons, 100 Discoveries: #6 – Showing Up
Are you ready for a secret? Promise not to tell anyone? Okay, here goes… don’t tell… I’m naive and still have many life lessons ahead of me, both big and small. In essence, 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries is actually 100 lessons. But, this project of 10 lessons is about ones that hit me over the head, ones that maybe others already know and ones that will impact my life on a semi-daily basis. You can see all 10 Lessons here and the entire project here. Enjoy the learnings, I am!
Woody Allen said, “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” Amidst a crazy travel schedule in late August, I showed up to a close friend’s engagement/birthday party in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I was there just short of 24 hours. I flew in, partied, visited the Mall of America and flew out.
Unbeknownst to me until arrival, I was her only friend that did show up. Everyone else was either family or friends of her fiancee. Me being there meant more to both of them than I realized when booking the trip (and choosing not to cancel).
The lesson? Always smile, always send the “Happy Thanksgiving” text, always show up – you never know how much it will mean to someone else. Your little gesture can mean the whole world to the other person. Cheesy, but true 🙂
Posted in 10 Lessons, 100 Discoveries
My Own Airport Infograph
Thanks to TripSq and Foursquare, this is a fun infograph of all the airports I’ve been to this year and how often (according to Foursquare data). My oh my, I’ve done a lot of traveling. I feel blessed.
Posted in Fun, Photography
B is for
I love the letter B. When I babysat, and the kids were learning the alphabet, every time we got to the letter B, I would stop, jump up, put my hands above my head and shout, “B is for Brandie.” The kids would giggle and join in the fun. I’m pretty sure that to this day all the kids I babysat for still say that whenever they come across the letter B 🙂
With my love for the letter B, I’m always on the lookout for giant ones whenever I am out or traveling. Surprisingly, I always manage to find one.
Although I posted this one to all my other social networks, I’m posting it here too because it’s my absolute favorite. I mean, how can it not be? There’s even B’s in the woman’s skirt! The logo is from a store called Beckley Boutique located in The Cosmopolitan hotel. Sadly, I’m not a fan of much in the store, but I wish I was! I also wish I had thought of this logo before them! I want to use it for my stuff!
Posted in Art, Creative, Fun, Photography