July 29, 2009, Vol. 7 Issue 9

Dear Friends,

I hope you read our last issue – special edition – where we announced our “Party Like It’s 1999” Celebration. If you missed it, here’s the scoop — Over forty of our phenomenal speakers have agreed to do one program at their 1999 fee.  We are talking huge savings here. Many 1999 fees represent a 60-75% fee reduction. This innovative idea was co-created by the speakers and myself as we searched for ideas to help ease the budget strains our clients have been experiencing.  As my friend Jana Stanfield says, “You might have a sub-standard budget in these economically challenging times, but you don’t have to have a sub-standard speaker.”  We’re here to help.  Please give us a call (503-699-5031) and let’s see what we can co-create!

Meantime, it’s time to break out the marshmallows. Summertime and S’Mores make me proud to have grown up as a Girl Scout. Actually, the only way I can stomach marshmallows is with chocolate and graham crackers, but, oh, the campfire memories —  burnt, golden or dropped — that’s what summers are made of. I thoroughly enjoyed this S’Mores-stimulated article by Teena Cahill, Psy.D., Princeton, New Jersey,  and she agreed to let me share it with you in this issue. Teena is an internationally acclaimed speaker on resilience, aging, leadership and caregiving. She is the radio host of “Nurturing the Nurturers: A show for caregivers,”  TV host of “Wisdom and Beyond with Dr. Teena Cahill” (seen on Verizon Cable and TV 30 in Princeton, New Jersey)  and she is the author of the popular book on caregiving, The Cahill Factor: Turning Adversity into Advantage.

S’Mores – Lessons for Summer

by Teena Cahill

The other night my grandkids roasted marshmallows over a fire pit we have out back in the yard. I watched them laugh with delight as they grabbed the chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers (while doing much finger licking) and assembled their favorite summer dessert…S’Mores.

I had just returned from a speaking tour that took me from the Palm Beach Convention Center in Florida to the Shaw Convention Center in Edmonton, Alberta Canada, and along the way many people had expressed fear and concern about today’s difficult economic realities.

Suddenly, I thought to myself, “I think this is the kind of moment my friends across North America need.  Adults also need to ‘break into summer’ and find something that will take their minds off what they see as stressful situations.”

We can all eat only so much chocolate (as hard as that is to believe) and I am sure medical experts would not like it if we spent the summer gorging on marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers!  But we could spend some time each day having a “Virtual S’More!”  Maybe a yummy “Dessert for the Mind” is what we need to help us remember that we all need to take a break and have some fun!

So, I made myself a “Virtual S’More.”  And sure enough, I started laughing. I forgot about the pressures of the day. I was just living in the moment and laughing! So, here’s my recipe and I hope you like my “cooking.” (Trust me…my virtual cooking is way better than the real thing!)

Dr. Teena’s  “Dessert for the Mind”

Virtual S’mores!

S…Stress is part of life.  The trick is to learn to manage the stress so that you feel less DISTRESS.

‘….OMMM…Put thumb and for fingers together and “hum” while creating a relaxing picture of yourself  sitting cross-legged on a beautiful sun-filled mountain top.

M…Myths — such as the idea of having balance in life — are unrealistic. Toss this myth off the mountain as you head back to your home base. Smell the aroma of nature, and replace the myth of  balance with the model of  resilience.

O…Opportunity can usually be found within adversity. Pay attention to the moment and listen to the wind…and you may see or hear “hope”…which is the first step to opportunity.

R…Resilience is our innate ability to bounce back from adversity.  A resilient life is about trying different paths.  We are capable of turning adversity into advantage. We just need to keep trying until we find the right path.

E…Engagement in life, caring about others, and weaving our “webs of connectedness” is one way we can increase resilience, while making a positive contribution to those around us. Look for a way to contribute, and remember, “The wider our webs of connectedness, the higher we bounce!”

S…Strengths that are unique to us, are often our greatest assets in tough times.  Look at what is right, not wrong, with yourself and the world around you and then build on what you see.

If you get the idea that Teena is a positive person, then you get the picture. She knows what she’s talking about. She is a card-carrying member of the sandwiched generation, as well as a wife, mother, stepmother, grandmother, and caregiver to her husband, a former Marine Corps fighter pilot and commercial aviator, who is now disabled. She’s not talking from the mountaintop, she’s talking from real life. Every woman facing challenges both at work and at home, can benefit from Teena’s humor, enthusiasm, and accessible solutions.

Whatever you do this summer, have some fun  — with or without the marshmallows — and take care of yourself for your well being and those you love.

Yours truly,

Barbara

PLEASE NOTE: The information shared in this e-news is designed to help you make informed decisions about speakers and the programs they offer. It is not intended as a substitute for any treatment prescribed by a doctor. If you suspect you have a medical problem, seek competent medical help.