When I grow up, I wanna be a...
Do you remember saying such things to yourself when you were a child? Now that I'm an adult, I am so thankful we never fully grow up. It's nice to know you're never fully grown. I think I mislabled this post when I wrote it last year...
http://bikewithjackie.blogspot.com/2007/05/growing-growing-grown.html
What do you think?
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Practice patience revisited
This post was one of my early posts; I hadn't yet clarified the blog description. At least, not enough.
So it's funny to go back and see what I wrote when I was just getting started. For those of you who are new to my BIKE blog, please leave a comment and let me know what has brought you here.
Are you looking for ways to improve your life? Practicing patience is a good way to start. What do you think:
http://bikewithjackie.blogspot.com/2007/05/practice-patience.html.
So it's funny to go back and see what I wrote when I was just getting started. For those of you who are new to my BIKE blog, please leave a comment and let me know what has brought you here.
Are you looking for ways to improve your life? Practicing patience is a good way to start. What do you think:
http://bikewithjackie.blogspot.com/2007/05/practice-patience.html.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Temporary leave
I'll be semi-absent the 100-day Blogathon for a few days. But I'll be back in full force on October 7/8.
Until then, enjoy a few posts from the past. I'll post a new one every day.
Until then, enjoy a few posts from the past. I'll post a new one every day.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Do you know what you're good at?
I was thinking about this very question (What am I good at?) at the meeting with the members of the Arizona Book Publishing Association this week. I'd been invited to speak to the group about blogging.
I arrived ready and prepared to speak. I was energized. I was excited. As I was distributing my hand-outs, a woman stopped me, "Jackie, do you remember me?"
Of course I did. It was Dee McVicker, a writer I know from my past life. She'd actually entered my subconscious mind a few weeks ago, though I can't recall why. So it was with great comfort that I saw her in person. She was a part of a writers' group called The Word Association I'd helped organize several years ago. We disbanded shortly after I became separated from my husband. For me, writing stopped, and I stopped going to the meetings, the same meetings that I had so carefully planned for so many months. It was my baby, and I was very proud of the work we'd accomplished. Through that group--it started out with four or five friends and grew to about 20 writers Valleywide--we were meeting editors, getting more assignments, and feeling more worthy of what we could contribute. I even managed to attract heavy duty guest speakers. It was a very satisfying effort. We never regrouped, however, and my interests changed and grew beyond just writing.
So I was happy that Dee sat near me during this meeting. We had a few moments to catch up. During our conversation, it occured to me that I'm very good at bringing people together and helping them find new opportunities. That's what I was doing at this meeting that night. This kind of empowerment very much relates to my work with the mental BIKE, and my travel, and now the blogging. I told her this. She agreed.
Today, after I wrote an article about organizing a blogathon that will be published in the ABPA newsletter, something else occured to me: my new 30-second commercial. I'm going to write it out for the first time right here:
"I'm Jackie Dishner. Whether through travel, blogging or my special brand of BIKE, I open your eyes to new opportunities."
That's what I do, and I'm proud of my work.
So, now I ask you: Do you know what you're good at, and do you take advantage of that in your personal and professional life?
Post a comment and let me know.
I arrived ready and prepared to speak. I was energized. I was excited. As I was distributing my hand-outs, a woman stopped me, "Jackie, do you remember me?"
Of course I did. It was Dee McVicker, a writer I know from my past life. She'd actually entered my subconscious mind a few weeks ago, though I can't recall why. So it was with great comfort that I saw her in person. She was a part of a writers' group called The Word Association I'd helped organize several years ago. We disbanded shortly after I became separated from my husband. For me, writing stopped, and I stopped going to the meetings, the same meetings that I had so carefully planned for so many months. It was my baby, and I was very proud of the work we'd accomplished. Through that group--it started out with four or five friends and grew to about 20 writers Valleywide--we were meeting editors, getting more assignments, and feeling more worthy of what we could contribute. I even managed to attract heavy duty guest speakers. It was a very satisfying effort. We never regrouped, however, and my interests changed and grew beyond just writing.
So I was happy that Dee sat near me during this meeting. We had a few moments to catch up. During our conversation, it occured to me that I'm very good at bringing people together and helping them find new opportunities. That's what I was doing at this meeting that night. This kind of empowerment very much relates to my work with the mental BIKE, and my travel, and now the blogging. I told her this. She agreed.
Today, after I wrote an article about organizing a blogathon that will be published in the ABPA newsletter, something else occured to me: my new 30-second commercial. I'm going to write it out for the first time right here:
"I'm Jackie Dishner. Whether through travel, blogging or my special brand of BIKE, I open your eyes to new opportunities."
That's what I do, and I'm proud of my work.
So, now I ask you: Do you know what you're good at, and do you take advantage of that in your personal and professional life?
Post a comment and let me know.
Friday, September 26, 2008
It wasn't really a missed opportunity
I love this story. I was still beginning to understand how meaningful my BIKE message really is, how much it's needed.
But I was still finding my own way with it. I loved my motto, but I think I loved my motto too much. It doesn't stand alone. It needs explanation.
So the missed opportunity I mention in this post below, wasn't missed after all. It was really another learning opportunity for me, especially as I re-read the post. Here it is:
http://bikewithjackie.blogspot.com/2007/05/missed-opportunity.html
Can you think of a time when you revisited a memory and learned something new from it that second time around? If so, please share it with us right here.
But I was still finding my own way with it. I loved my motto, but I think I loved my motto too much. It doesn't stand alone. It needs explanation.
So the missed opportunity I mention in this post below, wasn't missed after all. It was really another learning opportunity for me, especially as I re-read the post. Here it is:
http://bikewithjackie.blogspot.com/2007/05/missed-opportunity.html
Can you think of a time when you revisited a memory and learned something new from it that second time around? If so, please share it with us right here.
The Blogathon That Never Ended
After being asked to speak about it publically a few weeks ago, I'm getting a lot more questions about this Blogathon thing. What is it? Why participate in it? How? For those questions, I refer you to this earlier post.
For the two groups that I've participated in this with, it's been such an energy booster. Especially for those of us who weren't posting much on our blogs in the first place. For me, it was a natural route to take, and it follows part of my BIKE philosophy: when you need help, seek it. I needed help to boost my blog, to start participating, to get it off the ground. So when I was invited to participate in my first Blogathon, I jumped.
I'm so glad I did.
A Blogathon is like a shot in the arm for the blogging resisters or those who otherwise would be overwhelmed by the idea. It sort of forced us to start writing, and write regularly, so readers will come back again and again to see what we've posted next. If we're interesting enough or entertaining enough or enlightening enough, you'll come back. If we comment on your blogs, you might come to see what we have to say on ours. If we link to your site, you might link to ours.
That just happened to me this week. Maybe you can see my blog roll on the left-hand side of my blog. It's a list of other blogs I've read and would like to read more of, and do when I can. It's a list I thought worth sharing. There are many other blogs that I want to include there, but I haven't yet taken the time to ask. And you do want to ask permission before posting, because for that win-win you also want to ask if they'll post a link to yours. My latest inclusion is Serenity for the Self-Employed blog. It's written by Heather Boerner, a freelance writer I know from the Freelance Success site--the group that led me to this topic in the first place.
We're building community, that's what we're doing. We're sharing. And, hopefully, we're helping someone somewhere with something.
So, if you're asking, how can I possibly blog daily? What will I write about? Where will I find the time? Here are some answers:
You can blog daily, but only if you consciously decide to make that choice. It's a habit, and it can be learned. A blogathon can help. But you don't have to blog daily.
You can write about anything that is relevant to you and would or could be relevant to your audience. Read the news and comment on what strikes you as comment-worthy. Read a book and write a review, or review a book you've already read. Post about your favorite quote and what it means to you. Ask your readers if they can relate. Post charts, graphs, photos, images, anything that might be meaningful to you and might spark a conversation. You want to inspire dialogue with your blog.
The topics are endless. If you've written a book, especially non-fiction, pick a chapter and write about the research involved in doing the work to complete it. It's up to you. But it also helps to read other blogs in your genre or your niche and find out what others are writing. Try to differentiate yourself, because your point is to add to the discussion, to further it along, to help someone understand something better, or to validate their own believes--for or against.
Finally, to answer the question, "Where will I find the time?" You will find it, when and where you decide to find it. Once you realize the benefits of blogging, you will take as much time as you can. It doesn't have to be daily. It doesn't have to be many times daily as some bloggers believe. It just has to be frequent and it has to be regular. You're creating an expectation, and you don't want to let your readers down. They'll stop coming. They'll stop reading. And you'll have a blog that doesn't work.
If you're like me, you'll become addicted to the blogging effort, anyway, that you're bound to begin blogging regularly. It's so much fun to research topics, to look for ideas, and then to write about them. You'll discover a desire to share what you learn.
Hopefully, you'll also seek balance at the same time. The blogosphere is growing, and you'll want to become a part of it. But it's not all that there is. You still need to participate in the world outside of Cyberspace. That's only going to enhance your life and add to the dialogue.
Any more questions?
And let me tell you, it's a gamble on your time that generally pays off in so many ways.
For the two groups that I've participated in this with, it's been such an energy booster. Especially for those of us who weren't posting much on our blogs in the first place. For me, it was a natural route to take, and it follows part of my BIKE philosophy: when you need help, seek it. I needed help to boost my blog, to start participating, to get it off the ground. So when I was invited to participate in my first Blogathon, I jumped.
I'm so glad I did.
A Blogathon is like a shot in the arm for the blogging resisters or those who otherwise would be overwhelmed by the idea. It sort of forced us to start writing, and write regularly, so readers will come back again and again to see what we've posted next. If we're interesting enough or entertaining enough or enlightening enough, you'll come back. If we comment on your blogs, you might come to see what we have to say on ours. If we link to your site, you might link to ours.
That just happened to me this week. Maybe you can see my blog roll on the left-hand side of my blog. It's a list of other blogs I've read and would like to read more of, and do when I can. It's a list I thought worth sharing. There are many other blogs that I want to include there, but I haven't yet taken the time to ask. And you do want to ask permission before posting, because for that win-win you also want to ask if they'll post a link to yours. My latest inclusion is Serenity for the Self-Employed blog. It's written by Heather Boerner, a freelance writer I know from the Freelance Success site--the group that led me to this topic in the first place.
We're building community, that's what we're doing. We're sharing. And, hopefully, we're helping someone somewhere with something.
So, if you're asking, how can I possibly blog daily? What will I write about? Where will I find the time? Here are some answers:
You can blog daily, but only if you consciously decide to make that choice. It's a habit, and it can be learned. A blogathon can help. But you don't have to blog daily.
You can write about anything that is relevant to you and would or could be relevant to your audience. Read the news and comment on what strikes you as comment-worthy. Read a book and write a review, or review a book you've already read. Post about your favorite quote and what it means to you. Ask your readers if they can relate. Post charts, graphs, photos, images, anything that might be meaningful to you and might spark a conversation. You want to inspire dialogue with your blog.
The topics are endless. If you've written a book, especially non-fiction, pick a chapter and write about the research involved in doing the work to complete it. It's up to you. But it also helps to read other blogs in your genre or your niche and find out what others are writing. Try to differentiate yourself, because your point is to add to the discussion, to further it along, to help someone understand something better, or to validate their own believes--for or against.
Finally, to answer the question, "Where will I find the time?" You will find it, when and where you decide to find it. Once you realize the benefits of blogging, you will take as much time as you can. It doesn't have to be daily. It doesn't have to be many times daily as some bloggers believe. It just has to be frequent and it has to be regular. You're creating an expectation, and you don't want to let your readers down. They'll stop coming. They'll stop reading. And you'll have a blog that doesn't work.
If you're like me, you'll become addicted to the blogging effort, anyway, that you're bound to begin blogging regularly. It's so much fun to research topics, to look for ideas, and then to write about them. You'll discover a desire to share what you learn.
Hopefully, you'll also seek balance at the same time. The blogosphere is growing, and you'll want to become a part of it. But it's not all that there is. You still need to participate in the world outside of Cyberspace. That's only going to enhance your life and add to the dialogue.
Any more questions?
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
100-day count down
The Blogathon is back. One of my fellow Blogathoners, Suzy Graven, a savvy woman herself, got the great idea to re-start our blogathon from July and go on through to the end of the year in what she's calling the 100-Day Countdown. That began a few days ago, and we're now on day 98...and counting.
If you're interested in following us around, I'll find out who all is participating and post links to their blogs as soon as I get all the details.
We'll still be posting daily, or as often as those who chose to participate can. I've also promised to help at least two NSA members get their blogs up and running. So expect to see a few new names.
I also want to note that I'll be speaking about starting a Blogathon, and the benefits thereof, to members of the Arizona Book Publishing Association this week. Gwen Henson, the executive director, invited me to participate after she heard so many good things about the July Blogathon I started with National Speaker Association-Arizona members and candidates. We had a blast kick-starting some of the members blogs and helping people get one started in the first place. We learned so much, though there's so much more to learn and discover.
It's a journey that is becoming more and more a part of mainstream culture. When you hear more and more stories about bloggers quitting their day jobs so they have time to post because their blogs are monetized and earning enough money to support the family, it's hard to ignore. The social media networking frenzy is today's reality. You really want to find a way to jump on board.
So it should be fun to watch the 100-day countdown and see how well we do. For anyone who resists posting daily, post as often as you can, one a week, even. Anything. There really are no strict rules. It's just about showing up and doing the best you can with a limited resource (time).
Please come back and learn more about it in the next few days.
Happy blogging!
Jackie
If you're interested in following us around, I'll find out who all is participating and post links to their blogs as soon as I get all the details.
We'll still be posting daily, or as often as those who chose to participate can. I've also promised to help at least two NSA members get their blogs up and running. So expect to see a few new names.
I also want to note that I'll be speaking about starting a Blogathon, and the benefits thereof, to members of the Arizona Book Publishing Association this week. Gwen Henson, the executive director, invited me to participate after she heard so many good things about the July Blogathon I started with National Speaker Association-Arizona members and candidates. We had a blast kick-starting some of the members blogs and helping people get one started in the first place. We learned so much, though there's so much more to learn and discover.
It's a journey that is becoming more and more a part of mainstream culture. When you hear more and more stories about bloggers quitting their day jobs so they have time to post because their blogs are monetized and earning enough money to support the family, it's hard to ignore. The social media networking frenzy is today's reality. You really want to find a way to jump on board.
So it should be fun to watch the 100-day countdown and see how well we do. For anyone who resists posting daily, post as often as you can, one a week, even. Anything. There really are no strict rules. It's just about showing up and doing the best you can with a limited resource (time).
Please come back and learn more about it in the next few days.
Happy blogging!
Jackie
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Enlightening visit
I've been having very successful BIKE coaching sessions with a client who I am so impressed with right now.
She's been making progress each week, and we're in our third month right now. She did feel the usual resistance coming into the fourth or fifth week. But despite that, what really strikes me is her eagerness to achieve. She'll get stuck on something, but she'll still persevere. She's not fully aware of her strengths and weaknesses yet, but she's picking up on them--and mostly on her own, which I love to see happen.
We are all given tools to continue our personal growth, but we don't always use them, or know how to use them or where to find them. But once all of that becomes clear, I say, "Watch out world! This is going to be a person who makes a difference."
That's what I think is going to happen very soon with my client.
Then again, there are those of us who stick with the status quo and are okay with that. They should be--it's a personal choice.
On the other hand, when you do seek assistance--and we all need assistance in some way or another at some point in our lives--it's good to embrace it, to be patient and see what happens, to find out if there's something in the learning that can benefit us.
Ultimately, this will prove to be true.
For those people who think they are not coachable, I say, "Not so." To me, that implies you cannot learn. I don't believe that's correct. What I believe, instead, is that perhaps you're just not ready or may not feel the need for the growth you have may have attempted to seek. Or, maybe the "fit" isn't quite right. Whatever the reason for continued resistance, it is good to listen to it, to pay attention. That is the healthy thing to do.
And there's never anything wrong with changing your mind. I like a person who can decide on something and realize later that it's not quite what he or she wanted and decide to make another choice, instead. That's personal empowerment, taking care of yourself, seeking what will work best in your life.
So I'm really impressed with my client. She's a doll. She's funny. She's smart. She's got great ideas. What I want for her is to be able to appreciate all that she has to offer herself. I think that's always the goal with this BIKE philosophy of mine.
There's so much to learn when you look within. That's what the BIKE is there for, to remind you of your gifts, that everyone has the capacity to be their Best self, that they can access their Inner strength, that when they pay attention to their thoughts, words and actions, their Killer instinct will kick in, and that when they need help of any kind, our own Expressive voice waits for the call.
I absolutely believe in this. If I didn't, I wouldn't be able to share it with others, nor share it with you.
Have a great day. And if you get the chance, visit me also at The Phoenix Traveler.
All my best,
Jackie "The BIKE Lady" Dishner
She's been making progress each week, and we're in our third month right now. She did feel the usual resistance coming into the fourth or fifth week. But despite that, what really strikes me is her eagerness to achieve. She'll get stuck on something, but she'll still persevere. She's not fully aware of her strengths and weaknesses yet, but she's picking up on them--and mostly on her own, which I love to see happen.
We are all given tools to continue our personal growth, but we don't always use them, or know how to use them or where to find them. But once all of that becomes clear, I say, "Watch out world! This is going to be a person who makes a difference."
That's what I think is going to happen very soon with my client.
Then again, there are those of us who stick with the status quo and are okay with that. They should be--it's a personal choice.
On the other hand, when you do seek assistance--and we all need assistance in some way or another at some point in our lives--it's good to embrace it, to be patient and see what happens, to find out if there's something in the learning that can benefit us.
Ultimately, this will prove to be true.
For those people who think they are not coachable, I say, "Not so." To me, that implies you cannot learn. I don't believe that's correct. What I believe, instead, is that perhaps you're just not ready or may not feel the need for the growth you have may have attempted to seek. Or, maybe the "fit" isn't quite right. Whatever the reason for continued resistance, it is good to listen to it, to pay attention. That is the healthy thing to do.
And there's never anything wrong with changing your mind. I like a person who can decide on something and realize later that it's not quite what he or she wanted and decide to make another choice, instead. That's personal empowerment, taking care of yourself, seeking what will work best in your life.
So I'm really impressed with my client. She's a doll. She's funny. She's smart. She's got great ideas. What I want for her is to be able to appreciate all that she has to offer herself. I think that's always the goal with this BIKE philosophy of mine.
There's so much to learn when you look within. That's what the BIKE is there for, to remind you of your gifts, that everyone has the capacity to be their Best self, that they can access their Inner strength, that when they pay attention to their thoughts, words and actions, their Killer instinct will kick in, and that when they need help of any kind, our own Expressive voice waits for the call.
I absolutely believe in this. If I didn't, I wouldn't be able to share it with others, nor share it with you.
Have a great day. And if you get the chance, visit me also at The Phoenix Traveler.
All my best,
Jackie "The BIKE Lady" Dishner
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Time for renewal
As the summer comes to a close and fall arrives, I've noticed a feeling of renewal within myself.
I took some time off to turn my attention to other things, namely, my book project, but found out that I missed the regular blog posting activity here. Now I'm back with a renewed sense of self. This could be due to the nicer weather outside here in Arizona, and to the fact that I'm hiking again. Exercise can fix a lot of things. But no matter the reason, it's good to feel refreshed, renewed and ready to take on a new season.
I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.
Many times throughout the year (Maybe it's quarterly? It wouldn't surprise me, if that were true.), I find myself needing some time out, or a change of some sort or another. If I'm paying attention to that "need," then I'll step back and attempt to see the whole picture. I usually find that I may be focusing on one thing too much and not spreading out my self-care enough. Think about it. We have to take care of our physical side, our emotional side, our intellectual side, and our spiritual side. That's a lot to care abut. But it's important that we do. When we don't, that's when we start to feel off-kilter. That's when we begin to feel an overwhelm. We forget to think minfully. We're just going through the motions.
After weeks of that, we start to feel sluggish. Bored, even. And if we're not careful, we'll hit a depressed state of mind.
Oops!
We know then that something's missing, right?
That's exactly how I'd been feeling not too long ago. In fact, I was so sluggish, I didn't feel like to going to any of my meetings, seeing friends, or even exercising. It was all I could do to make a date and stick to it. I just didn't have it in me. I was on overload and feeling overwhelmed.
Whew!
I had to get a handle on that, or it was going to pull me down too far, far enough that who knows when I'd get back up again. Luckily, my BIKE calls me on this. It reminds me that I have it in me to overcome this. I have the mental tool to use to get back on the right track. Once I was willing to notice this and act on it, I was able to step back and consider what I was missing. What was I NOT taking care of?
Once I asked myself that question, I had to answer it, of course. It's really very simple. The BIKE is there; listen to it; and do what is says. That's your internal system working, but it needs a tune-up every now and then, doesn't it?
So I started paying attention, answered the questions and realized the first thing I should pay more attention to was my body. It needed exercise. So I got busy with that. And then it told me that I needed to watch my diet. Figures. My goodness, I was eating whatever was easiet. Not good. So I started watching that. Then everything else just seemed to fall into place. More importantly, my attitude shifted.
Paying attention made me become aware. And once I became aware, I could attend to what my body, mind and soul was seeking. I'm now exercising daily again, paying more attention to my diet, and getting connected spiritually. All of this is so important to reconnect with the vigor that is supposed to be my life. Now that I feel its return, I'm good to go. I can get out more. I can call people. I can get back to work and know that I'll accomplish what I need to get done and more.
It was definitely time for my renewal.
Are you need of a renewal as well? Could the mental BIKE assist you. If so, post your comment. I'd love to hear from you.
All my best,
Jackie
I took some time off to turn my attention to other things, namely, my book project, but found out that I missed the regular blog posting activity here. Now I'm back with a renewed sense of self. This could be due to the nicer weather outside here in Arizona, and to the fact that I'm hiking again. Exercise can fix a lot of things. But no matter the reason, it's good to feel refreshed, renewed and ready to take on a new season.
I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.
Many times throughout the year (Maybe it's quarterly? It wouldn't surprise me, if that were true.), I find myself needing some time out, or a change of some sort or another. If I'm paying attention to that "need," then I'll step back and attempt to see the whole picture. I usually find that I may be focusing on one thing too much and not spreading out my self-care enough. Think about it. We have to take care of our physical side, our emotional side, our intellectual side, and our spiritual side. That's a lot to care abut. But it's important that we do. When we don't, that's when we start to feel off-kilter. That's when we begin to feel an overwhelm. We forget to think minfully. We're just going through the motions.
After weeks of that, we start to feel sluggish. Bored, even. And if we're not careful, we'll hit a depressed state of mind.
Oops!
We know then that something's missing, right?
That's exactly how I'd been feeling not too long ago. In fact, I was so sluggish, I didn't feel like to going to any of my meetings, seeing friends, or even exercising. It was all I could do to make a date and stick to it. I just didn't have it in me. I was on overload and feeling overwhelmed.
Whew!
I had to get a handle on that, or it was going to pull me down too far, far enough that who knows when I'd get back up again. Luckily, my BIKE calls me on this. It reminds me that I have it in me to overcome this. I have the mental tool to use to get back on the right track. Once I was willing to notice this and act on it, I was able to step back and consider what I was missing. What was I NOT taking care of?
Once I asked myself that question, I had to answer it, of course. It's really very simple. The BIKE is there; listen to it; and do what is says. That's your internal system working, but it needs a tune-up every now and then, doesn't it?
So I started paying attention, answered the questions and realized the first thing I should pay more attention to was my body. It needed exercise. So I got busy with that. And then it told me that I needed to watch my diet. Figures. My goodness, I was eating whatever was easiet. Not good. So I started watching that. Then everything else just seemed to fall into place. More importantly, my attitude shifted.
Paying attention made me become aware. And once I became aware, I could attend to what my body, mind and soul was seeking. I'm now exercising daily again, paying more attention to my diet, and getting connected spiritually. All of this is so important to reconnect with the vigor that is supposed to be my life. Now that I feel its return, I'm good to go. I can get out more. I can call people. I can get back to work and know that I'll accomplish what I need to get done and more.
It was definitely time for my renewal.
Are you need of a renewal as well? Could the mental BIKE assist you. If so, post your comment. I'd love to hear from you.
All my best,
Jackie
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