Remabulous

Omnivore's Dilemma: a Remabulous Read

Many moons ago, I promised in a newsletter that I was going to read and review the Omnivore's Dilemma. I got a ton of positive responses to this announcement, then promptly got very busy and was waylaid in my reading. 

We keep our promises here at Remabulous, and so here I am a few weeks late with thoughts on the book.

It is a heavy hitter. I had to go to the grocery store today to pick up a few things and found myself reading the entire milk container to make sure I was picking the organic milk from the closest dairy and found myself wanting to visit the dairy to make sure I approved of its practices. When they say the cows get to exercise, what does that mean exactly?

Food is something we take for granted on an increasingly dangerous level in this country. And sadly, instead of learning from countries with healthier attitudes than our own, we seem to pass our own practices on to them.

What does this have to do with business? A whole lot, I think, as much of what has gotten us in this mess is everything to do with business. "It's just business" is the reason behind lots of suffering. I do eat meat, and this book did not send me back to my vegetarian past, but it did ensure that the meat I do eat will come from the farmer's market and a source I can talk to about its practices rather than an anonymous grocery store.

We as entrepreneurs have such a gift we can give the world- our businesses can set the standard for new practices and ways of being in the world that can be shared with many others. Your cause may be different than mine, but these are my thoughts on why it's important to have a cause and what you can do in your business to support it:

image: KdB1.

On Sigur Ros's "Heima" and the meaning of home.

This week, I moved into my new home. As of today, I am back online and am settling into my beautiful and magical new space. It feels a little bit like I have always lived here. This is the first post I have written at my desk in my new office, and still it feels like I have been here before. Moving has been a gift. I am so grateful to have achieved another of my goals in my 31 for 31 list; finding a beautiful new home. Thank you to all who listened, sympathized, and agonized with me as I struggled through the past few months. And thank you so much to those who helped pack and unpack: Ann, Paige, Erin, Tim, and Roz. You are the best. Thanks to all of you and many more I won't list out here, I am starting to feel like a real person again.

Tonight, I must thank my friend Kalyanee, who wooed me over to her place to watch a little documentary called Heima, about a tour the band Sigur Ros did of their home country of Iceland.

I think it might be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

image: still from Heima.

The key to a brand new life.

This morning, I picked up the keys to my new place. It was a beautiful day. After too much packing yesterday, I managed to wrench my neck, so I took the day off from hauling boxes around to play. My last Sunday before my new world begins.

After picking up my keys, I went to a book club meeting in Studio City, Christine Mason Miller's magical book signing in Mar Vista, and then went to coffee and to show my new place to my friend Katherine. After that, sushi, a bookstore romp and on to Vicki Cristina Barcelona. A simple enough day, but it made me realize how rare it is that I let myself wander and follow only the instinct that tells me what to do next and then next after that. I want more of this in my new life. There was very little room for this in the life I was living before. Or at least I talked myself out of needing it.

I am grateful for a good day, for one more day to pack and then, a new beginning.

What new beginning do you seek today? Don't wait. Start it now.

image: Patrick Q via flickr.

Silverlake, here I come!

The apartment hunt is over. I saw it yesterday morning and knew it was my place. By the evening, I had signed a lease. And despite the fact that apparently one of the other applicants said she was going to put a hex on me for taking it, I am thrilled.

A change of scene is a huge gift. I have been in my current place for two years, and my clients have been blessed with the sound of passing fire engines from the fire station throughout our sessions. Now there will be some peace and quiet.

Yesterday morning, I had started to give up. thought perhaps I wasn't meant to move or that I might want to stay in the area I have grown accustomed to. By the time I saw this place, I knew I was ready. I credit my 31 for 31 list entirely. The power to write things down and make them happen is amazing. We know a written contract is more binding than a verbal one. So when we write it down, we are more open to the likelihood of something happening. I have had clients almost afraid of this power once they see how well writing down their goals works.

And despite the fact that my dad read my list and was, shall we say, a bit amused (read: HORRIFIED) by the fact that sex was listed, I stand by the goals I wrote. I can't wait to see the rest of the list fall into place.

Got any stories of writing things down and making them happen? Please share them in the comments!

image: deadeyebart aka Brett via flickr.

31 for 31

As I promised yesterday, here is my list. It was amusing to have people vying for certain items, and when one of them was achieved just yesterday, there was a debate as to whether it should be replaced with another one for the year. I don't feel I am limiting myself to only 31 things. It is more that I feel I sold myself short a little bit last year, and let things happening around me keep me from doing what I dreamed of some of the time. As a coach, I cannot let myself lose the momentum that I hope to nurture and inspire in my clients. So I WILL get these 31 things done this year, as a tribute to myself and to those I work with every week who break out of the box and take scary steps forward all the time. I'm in there with you... so here's my list:

image: Robby Garbett via flickr.