Sitting on Pins and Needles

YIKES! That’s a painful picture! But if you think of the meaning it explains a lot:

It means feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense. Someone who is “on pins and needles” is very anxious and nervous. This not necessarily a negative emotion although the phrase is sometimes used in that way, it is usually used to describe someone who is in great anticipation of some event that they have been looking forward to.

OK, so maybe saying I’m sitting on the edge of my seat is better:

If a story keeps you on the edge of your seat, it is very exciting and you want to know what is going to happen next.

Hmm, well in my case I guess I’ll have to stay with the pins and needles thing. You see, the other day (2/7/12) I had a follow-up EEG. I haven’t had one in years – when you don’t have insurance you sort of let things slide. I won’t find out the results of the test until I see the doctor NEXT Friday – 2/17/12 – hence the pins and needles thing.

Yes, I have been living with my epilepsy since 1991. Yes, I have been taking meds all this time. A person gets tired of taking medication – especially when those meds make you tired all the time, and still fog up your brain. I’ve been having the feeling of late that the more foggy feeling is because I either don’t need as much of the medication, or I don’t need it at all.

Wouldn’t that be fantastic?

Since I had the surgery putting electrodes directly on my brain in August 2007 for testing, then removed and everything closed back up, I haven’t had anymore seizures. This is a major record for me. I truly want to be one of those rare people whose seizures stop because the brain’s environment changed.

Yes, I know there will always be some damage – face it having seizures causes some brain damage to the area where the seizures originate. But, some research I’ve read on fighting early stages of dementia suggest that Vitamin B12 and learning new skills (like more things for my business) can help build brain cells. I’ll be asking if this will work in my case.

So, here I sit (figuratively) on a BIG helping of pins and needles waiting for next Friday and to find out the test results. As I usually spend my prayers on many other folks, I’m going to be a bit “greedy” and ask that my hopes come true. That’s not a bad thing. Right?

Create your own safety net on the web

Unfortunately, you can never be too careful – you HAVE to protect your personal information as best as possible. Hackers, spammers, phishers, et al are out there to ruin your life just so they can have some money/fun.

Rule 1:     DO NOT ENTER FINANCIAL INFO AT A PUBLIC COMPUTER.
Rule 2:     Do Not repeat passwords across all of your sites. I know this is easy for you – but it’s easy for the ilk out there to steal from you.
Rule 3:    Be careful at those wonderful Wi-Fi hotspots, I’d have to say do not run personal transactions from them. You don’t know who can be watching. Not a problem you think? Remember when camera phones first came out and there were people taking pictures of credit cards? You can be a trusting soul – but don’t let people steal from you when you can prevent it in the first place.

This next one has been one of my BIGGEST peeves. Scammers use email to (in some cases) convincingly get their victims to send them money. You may have noticed these scammers have crawled their way on to the social network pages – turning your friends against you. According to Joe Ferrara, president and CEO of Wombat Security Technologies in Pittsburgh, “To ensure safe social networking, never connect with anyone you haven’t met, verify the identity of new friends and look out for scam messages, even from trusted friends, which could indicate an imposter.” ALWAYS ask yourself: does the offer make sense, do you have to spend money to get the “great deal”, does the verbiage sound like your friend, how’s the typing? Although, the typing thing could be problematic – as the “Smart Phones” spell checkers have some very strange overrides. But you get my meaning.

Now here’s something I didn’t know. Keeping your software up-to-date isn’t just to get all the new bells and whistles – it can be another way to protect you online! When it was explained, I thought “Duh!” When your software isn’t current it leaves holes – and that’s just one of the things cybercriminals look for. Keep in mind you’re updating ALL the security fixes for all of your software – not just the anti-virus programs. When you update: Microsoft automatically sends updates and they happen. For other programs, it’s recommended going to the software company website to ensure safety.

Here’s a “goodie” – if you’re going to plop money down on something, and/or release any personal information – double check that URL! Looking at the link should truly happen before you even click on it (you got it in an email and not from a trusted source). Always look out for typos/irregularities to make absolutely certain you’re going to a legitimate website. Now about that plopping money down/personal information thing, ALWAYS look for the letter s on the end of that http. That s let’s you know it’s a secured site.

OK, now for those mobile apps. Sure your smart phone is great for all sorts of things, but be careful what you’re using the apps for. Sure, you want to be able to manage your banking from your phone (looks great on the commercials…), but be smart about it – only use the apps from your financial institution. The 3rd party apps may not have the same privacy protections. Now, having said that, there are experts out there who still advise AGAINST mobile banking apps – until there’s better security for all of the apps. WHY? Some of the apps continue to run – even when you exit, running the risk of keystrokes and touch screen selections to be intercepted. So, until there’s better security, be the opposite of the Nike slogan – Just DON’T do it.

Last but not least, for those of us who use shortened URLs – posting on Twitter and character limitations, we need to be careful with those as well. Only open those from trusted sources. However, experts say even then to “proceed with caution, you do not know what the actual Web address is until you click.” Scammers will also use shortened links to lead victims to a malware site. The experts suggest going the extra steps to expand the link to see the full address, but they do admit it isn’t easy. Many of the services providing shortened URLs guard against spammers, but it’s still a good idea to use a tool to safely open the shortened link. TinyURL.com is one place suggested.

Liz is Wickedly Chic!

Liz Nonnemacher is someone with a tendency towards a warped personality and a big heart (not necessarily in that order). We are VERY similar personalities with very different businesses. So in my own unique way, I’ll tell you about Liz and Wickedly Chic – don’t you just love the business name?

Wickedly Chic? Just what is it, what does Liz do with/in her business? Well, Liz created her website in 2006 with the goal of serving the independent business owner and bring their shops/services to a wider audience. She promotes, markets and supports indie businesses. Her tagline is Where Indie Business & Savvy Shoppers Meet.

So, now that you know what she does, you may wonder just what possessed her to start her business, especially since she’s mentioned she didn’t start Wicked Chic to make money. (didn’t start it to make money????)

Well, her oldest daughter was going off to college and Liz needed to do something. (not big on that sitting around not doing anything – boring!!!) Liz tells me that the “whole thing just fell into my lap through a series of events and I thought it would be a ‘nice little hobby.’ But I quickly began to realize that there was a market out there, that I had way too much to learn and yet there was plenty that I could do with the ‘nice little hobby’ including creating a viable business and making a living.” It’s always great when you can find something you enjoy/love AND earn a living while doing – why not? Many people have been doing just this kind of thing for YEARS!

I have wondered for some time now, just what are some of the strangest/quirkiest companies Liz promoted? You know, what types of services/products? I can only imagine there could be some doozies out there. I just loved the answer to that question! “Hmmmm…I have a regular advertiser who has some very interesting tee shirts – I always have to make sure that the ones actually featured on our website are the ‘squeaky clean’ versions. I’ve also featured shops that have adult-pleasure items but those sites have been very tasteful.”

“Really, you can send your grandmother to Wickedly Chic and she’ll be perfectly safe. Maybe she’ll have less money after she sees the fabulous shops and services that we represent but she’ll be safe.” Safety in shopping is a good thing – everyone wants a great time shopping!

So, what’s the one thing (item, business) that gets Liz really excited? What makes her glad she started her business? Well, remember that big heart I mentioned at the beginning? Liz has loved (nearly) every business represented. But the occasional one? Well that was only because they just didn’t mesh – but it’s usually the business owner, not so much the business. But Liz says honestly they all get her excited. She’s always happy to help them gain more exposure and be able to offer more services. What’s not to get excited about?

So now I had to ask Liz a tough question. As you know, my blog is geared for people with challenges (primarily health) and letting them know that with drive and determination – and the occasional place to vent – anything can happen. So, even if you don’t have any health issues, what gets you most excited about your business? What get’s Liz Nonnemacher, crazy, fun woman out of bed and ready to start your business day?

It turns out that Liz is NOT a morning person! That really doesn’t matter for an internet business – that can be done at various hours and no one would necessarily know. Perfect! Liz has found she works best later in the day, she’s more efficient. She does all the “other” stuff first, like run errands, go out to lunch or hit the beach (I’m jealous – especially today – it’s only 5 degrees outside my door!) THEN she works – she’s got her batteries charged! The point she’s making: what works great for one person is not necessarily the best for another. Liz is (unlike me) a “large believer in the power of working in your jammies.”

Liz does have and struggles with asthma. And like with anything else in life, there are good days and the not so good ones. Having her own business allows her to adjust her time around the crappy days and still be productive.

Now about those daughters mentioned earlier? Well, Laura (the oldest) has graduated and is working as a social worker and has a part-time job. Her other daughter, Claire is a full-time college student. So, the ladies are keeping busy while Liz keeps busy. Ain’t life SWEET?

I’m so very glad Liz allowed me to share her story. I hope this helps you in some way. At the very least, you NEED to check out her website: http://www.wickedlychic.com remembering all the while there are GREAT things to purchase. Also, this is a great way to advertise YOUR business. You can also follow her on Twitter and facebook: http://www.twitter.com/wickedlychic http://www.facebook.com/liz.nonnemacher and http://www.facebook.com/wickedlychic

Resolutions/Goals – Huh???

For as long as I can remember I’ve not been good at that thing. I mean, EEWW, EEWWWW!! But, being tied down to something I have to be responsible for? Something that affects me directly? (I have no problem with the commitment of marriage/relationship – we celebrated our 25th anniversary in 2011)

I’m one of those folks who, yes I know what I want. I have a general idea of how to get what I want. But I have a challenge when it comes to setting up goals and sticking to them. I have a friend who came up with an answer that really seems to fit for me. She had noticed that I am creative in nature. I do LOVE my photography, I love to design a look for my clients’ reports, etc. She told me I suffer from a form of A.D.D.

Huh???

In her definition A.D.D. = Artists Dreaming Daily. In this case artists can see the path they want to take. Can see what the final outcome can/should be. But dang it, can’t always see just how to get there – can’t see the steps it takes to get to the goal.

BINGO!

I suppose I should be “ashamed” to say that this is me. I suppose I should say that I need to overcome this “affliction.” But then I worry that if I do learn to be (at least) somewhat rigid and follow goals, I’d loose my creative side. This may sound like a bit of a cop-out, but since my seizures and the lovely (yes there is sarcasm here) medications and the surgery, a bit of my personality has changed. I do, on occasion, have issues with focus. It seems that the times I have issues with this is when I have to concentrate on something more concrete. Like something I need to do for me/my business. Concentrating on those “technical” things – you know the stuff that when you read seem dry. The text book kind of stuff. EEWW, EEWWWW!! Or should I say, “Oh look, I could do…”?

I have identified my flaw. I have at least learned not to let my form of A.D.D. negatively effect my work. I am concerned that this will be a bit of a challenge for me, but that sooner or later I will get beyond this fear and then be able to create goals that I can stick to and have a better/clearer path to where I’m going. How about you?

Let’s all have an amazing 2012!

Your Health is Important

As I have stated before, I have epilepsy. In 2007 I underwent surgery placing electrodes directly on my brain to try to determine just where the seizures originate. Turned out there were either too many locations firing all at one time – or too far inside to safely perform any surgery.

The amazing news, I apparently am one of those rare people that the act of opening the skull and changing the environment of the brain has made quite a difference. I’ve been seizure-free since then.

But like anyone (perhaps you know yourself) who’s broken a bone can tell you, every time the weather changes the bone hurts where the break was. In my case I get some nasty skull aches – the vibration from chewing hurts, even smiling/laughing hurts. Then if my sinuses are also affected – I’m really in trouble! When that happens I do my best to stay away from people. Why? Because I have a very short tolerance level. I know that I will say or do something I will regret later.

In life that’s bad. For a business?? Worse! One cannot have quality client relations when suffering through a day I just described. Chances are your clients don’t know your medical history, why would/should they? Normally I can perform my work for my business without issue. This kind of debilitating pain is comparable to someone with chronic migraines. This is the kind of situation that if one can work around the situation and not have contact with people (but can still work – like I can), then this is actually a good thing. However, I also know from experience that this type of pain can be very distracting – it’s hard to think to just do “normal, everyday” things and you may not be able to work at all. I’ve been there too (just the other day in fact).

So, dear reader when it’s possible, please take the opportunity to take care of your health. When you can, rest. Do not do or say something that could turn around and “bite you in the butt” at a later date. You’re already stressing over a side-effect of your health, don’t set yourself up to make your health worse. As in my case, if I were to stress too much I could cause a seizure. I have been blessed with four seizure-free years; I do not ever want to experience another seizure. Ever.

Know your limits and work within them – but don’t let them hold you back! Don’t ever let someone tell you that you can’t do a thing because of your health. You know your body. You know what you can get away with. Do not feel sorry for yourself and lock yourself away – that solves nothing and only makes things worse.

Do you believe in Christmas?

I’m one of those loons who wish for a white Christmas – but not so much that people are injured because of the snow – but the fun let’s play stuff. I don’t want anyone in the hospital for Christmas because they had a heart attack from clearing snow.

Now for my question.  Do you believe in Christmas? Wow, that can be a loaded question – for some! My belief has always been celebrating Christmas is being with family and friends and enjoying the companionship. I feel it is a blessing to be with those I love and cherish – especially since some are not around…for various reasons. I celebrate the gift of love and pray for peace. It’s watching kids have fun and the wonder on their faces. Just as I still believe in the spirit of Father Christmas, St. Nicholas, Santa Claus what ever one wishes to call the basic core feeling/belief. You may be thinking, well Liz you can do that any time. You’d be right, because the feeling/spirit of Christmas should be year round.

Let me share with those of you who may not know the original story of St. Nicholas or Father Christmas as some call him. In the 4th century (despite being living in a time where Christians were ruthlessly persecuted) Bishop Nicholas of Myra became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships. It was said that he came from a wealthy family and he wanted to help those in need. Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of St. Nicholas’ life and deeds. These accounts help us understand his extraordinary character and why he is so beloved and revered as protector and helper of those in need.

Depending on your beliefs, Jesus Christ was merely a prophet and a good man. To some, like me, our religious beliefs tell us he was the Son of God. Either way, for his deeds, and the good He inspired people like Bishop Nicholas of Myra and many others to do throughout the centuries, you really can’t fault a belief that names a season Christmas.

So, yikes I got very serious here! But to me celebrating those I cherish, the companionship of friends and family, watching kids have fun and the wonder on their faces, eggnog, cookies, snow, and all that stuff – you bet I’m a happy camper it’s Christmas time!!

I wish for you all to have a wonderful time doing what ever it is you do this time of year. And now I’m greedy and/or nosey – Do you believe in Christmas?

P.S.: Do you know the etymology of the word Christmas?

• The word Christ stems from the Middle and Old English word Crist meaning the anointed one, the Lord’s Anointed.  It is borrowed from the Latin Christus and from the Greek Christos also meaning the anointed one.  The Greek is a translation of Hebrew mashiah meaning anointed of the Lord or Messiah.  In the word Christmas, the suffix mas evolves from the Old English word maesse meaning festival, feast day or mass.  (Source: All Experts ~ expert: Carol Pozefsky – 12/17/2003)

So folks, this is a festival, a feast day. Not a day to be working (a business), a day to be with family and/or friends. Enjoy!

What do the holidays mean to you?

When I was a kid, we lived in Detroit and my Mom’s parents lived in Newark, OH (outside of Columbus). So, we made a lot of trips to Ohio and they made a lot of trips up here. Those trips were for Easter, my birthday (in May), my brother’s birthday (in June), 2 weeks every summer with my grandparents, Thanksgiving and of course Christmas. My Grandma always signed cards Love, G & G – it was always special to see that!

The holidays were wonderful, magical times – even when I got older. I miss those days.

Thanksgiving was OK, a chance to get together with G & G – and the catalogs! We had to mark what we would like to have.

For Christmas, there were the gifts from each other – with clues so we had to guess what was inside, and gifts from Santa. Santa was always great – no clues on those gifts! During my junior and senior years of high school (because I was taking French) my Grand Mere put ALL of my clues en francais! It took longer, but I got them. (good thing I got As and Bs in French class!)

There was even the year when Santa made a special trip to my Grandparents house so we could meet him! That was a wonderful treat – I never did learn who it was they got to do that, but it was great.

They had a small 1 ½ story house with a full, finished basement. Grandma always had 2 trees, one in the living room and one in the basement/family room. She would put the gifts for friends under the living room tree and all the rest were in the family room. Grandma would always find the most elaborate/creative way to wrap a gift and they were always beautiful – we all hated to open them! Grandpa always spent time in the darkroom making their Christmas cards – those were fun, no one could wait to see what he would come up with next!

Then I had the chance to move to Colorado. That Christmas we drove home and spent time with my parents and Kim’s parents (he’s now my husband). But by that time my G & G had moved to Florida – better weather for their health. That’s when Christmas lost a little bit of its magic for me.

I would mail gifts to G & G and they would mail to me with the understanding that we couldn’t open our gifts until we were on the phone and could hear each other’s reactions.

With Kim being the youngest of five there are a LOT of nieces and nephews besides his siblings, and parents. I was so glad when we went to the drawing of names so we could get the perfect gift for that person (and his parents), it was a lot easier. We always had a lot of fun getting together – I enjoyed every bit of it! (especially chasing the kids and having my Mother-in-Law yell at all of us to stop!)

But, Christmas has changed a lot for me over the years. My Mother died in 1990. For Christmas of that year I had taken one of her dolls and had her cleaned/re-strung. I made a dress for her and that was my gift to my Grandparents. Their clue? We haven’t seen each other in a very long time. I remember all the fun I had, and am so happy to get to be with you both again. Wouldn’t you know it? My Grandmother started crying and told me which of Mom’s dolls I’d sent! G & G both died in 1995. Both of Kim’s parents are gone. So, we only get together with my brother, Dad and his wife (Maryanne). Then we get together with his brother Al and his wife Colleen. We don’t exchange gifts. None of Kim’s family get together anymore. Yes, I do miss those wonderful, fun, special Christmas times. But this year? This year will be incredibly special. You see, Kim was diagnosed with cancer in January and (Thank You God) he seems to have beaten it! So, no matter what happens, I will have a wonderful Christmas because I will still be with my husband.

So, what do the holidays mean to you? I do wish you wonderful Christmas memories!

How do you find Happiness?

I saw this statement on facebook today: I find Happiness in the simplest of things. It didn’t attribute an author to the statement but it made me think. Yes, I do find happiness that way.

Simple things can be different for everyone. It can be something as simple as the payment you were putting in the envelope slid right in – no “fighting” to get it to work. Paying cash for something and actually having the exact (coin) change so you didn’t end up with a fist full of coins. Sitting at your desk and having your pet come up and “demand” attention. (Having your spouse do that works too.) Having my husband – who thinks giving anyone flowers is a waste – surprise me by picking flowers for me.

Sometimes when I’ve had a rough day, just having “stuff” work when it’s suppose to, is a simple thing that brings happiness. As in, rough day stopped on the way home to get some groceries, walk in the door and your spouse is there to help. Or, you walk in a room turn on a light and it works. After your rough day, coming home and everything is humming along just as it should. Now, there’s some happiness for you!

Always remember, there’s a reason we’re told to stop and smell the flowers. It has a calming effect. Our brains, minds, whole bodies need that moment of rest, happiness, joy, calm, etc. It doesn’t matter if you have health issues or not – we each have to learn to find the Happiness in the simplest of things. Don’t wait to find a “big” thing to help you find happiness – the little things are very important.

I wish you all kinds of simple things heading your way.

Power of Words

You know you’ve heard about the power words can have on a person.

• The pen (words again) is mightier than the sword
• Be careful what you wish for – it might happen
• Speak your belief out loud – it will happen

What happens when you good naturedly joke?

A Facebook friend mentioned last night (only October 27th) that she was cold. I asked her what was she going to do when it really gets cold – picturing the coming winter with snow, wind and ice. Well apparently the typed word effects karma the way a pen would. I woke up to 30 degree weather and frost everywhere!

I realize that it’s just a coincidence – it was forecasted to be that cold anyway, but hmm I wonder… if I find someone muttering about too much (client) work and joke with them, will karma send more clients my way and give me too much to do? Wouldn’t that be great? I could live with that.

But then there’s the concern that it could backfire. YIKES! Definitely don’t want that one. So, perhaps it’s best to stick with the belief that life is what you make it. One can’t always hope that the thing they say will bring about the change they want/need. Physical action is needed as well.

So, don’t trust your life, health and business just to Fate – you have to take a hand and responsibility for the outcome.

Enjoy and I wish for you a happy and prosperous life.

OMG I’M Outside My Comfort Zone!

How many times have you said/thought that?

Well thinking about business – I’ll be honest with you, I’m almost always outside my comfort zone. You may be thinking “OK Liz, what kind of crap is this?” Well I was comfortable working all those years in the corporate world. Someone else was in charge and had to make all the decisions. All I had to do was show up for work, and do what I was suppose to do. I liked doing that – I enjoyed many of the things I did.

But now?

Well now my business is that of a virtual assistant and doing many of the things I used to do along with some new things I’ve learned. This is my joy and bliss. But there’s all the other business things that have to be done:

• Getting/retaining clients
• Paying bills
• Getting noticed
• Marketing (wait that’s part of the getting noticed thing) – working on my own newsletter and blog page.
• Oh, let’s not forget the email advertizing (crud – that’s part of the marketing/getting noticed stuff) – following a schedule.

Whew! That’s a lot of stuff for someone to have to do – and I’m only scratching the surface. Talk about being waaay outside my comfort zone!

But, even though there are days when I get scared and wonder why it was I started a business in the first place, I think of the phrase “put on your big girl panties and deal with it.” When I have projects for clients I think about how much I enjoy what I’m doing – a sense of peace sort of washes over me. Kinda like wearing a warm fluffy bathrobe! During this time I think WOW, this is why I have my business!

Then there are the times when I don’t have any client work – the slow times. We all have them. This is when panic sets in and I get nervous. I’m back outside my comfort zone. Yes, the day will come with my business that I’ll have staff to do the things I don’t like to do. At least one person will be in charge of keeping me visible and getting new clients interested. The rest (for this particular stage) is fairly easy for me to handle. But then again, once I get staff, I’ll need to put my accountant to work! But, until my dream becomes reality I need to be the one to do all of the things that need to be done. I need to learn to be comfortable stepping out of my comfort zone. How else am I going to create my empire?