#i need to reach my yearly book goal before i do anything else

[milfygerard]

have u read a long winter by dropdeaddream ? stucky fic that’s always on my mind

i started it and had it open foreverrr but havent finished it i need to get back to it sometime. Stucky fics are so next level i love them

[pastellhunny]

•Under the Red Sky•

Chapter 1. The Introduction

Alastor walked mindlessly down the side walk of a crimson world with an everlasting smile upon his lips. His golden yellow teeth sharp as razors always glaring at passerby's. With all the killing he could do Alastor found himself to be quite bored with things nothing that interesting has happened besides his normal day to day things like talking to Rosie and laughing about the other low life's flooding into hell. That's the thing though instead of evil and tormented petrified souls coming to the place they belong in they're getting fished out like side dishes at an all you can eat buffet. The yearly purge or "cleanse" as it's called due to overcrowding flushes out hundreds upon hundreds of demons every 666 days. Alastors smile stretched as he remembered that the all mighty god and his children orchestrate this event. "How pitiful" Alastor thought to himself. A God who destroys his own misbehaved children by having his well behaved children wipe them out of existence. Ironic maybe..

Alastors thoughts were interrupted by the sound of static and a female voice singing, an annoying sound to him at most, the tv static not the singing. Thanks to his "pal" Vox just hearing the incoherent noises a tv makes in it's void of connection makes him wretch. But still with a smile on his face he turned to the source. Almost instantly demons crowded around the class that guarded the tvs. A flicker of intrigue shined through the red demons florescent eyes as he looked on at the screens. A closer look was indeed needed as the princess of hell herself was beaming upon the screens. Alastor stepped forward his presence alone sent chills down the other demons spines as they swiftly moved away from the radio demon. On the screen the princess of hell seemed to have been promoting that new hotel that was built. yet she was singing about a "happy hotel?" Alastor laughed to himself, "What and absolute sham.." Yet Alastor couldn't shake the feeling of interest the young demoness sparked within him. He certainly couldn't resist after a quite hilarious fight broke out between the princess and one of the demon news reporters. "Oh what a nasty brawl wish i were there in person to see!" Alastor yet again laughed to himself, his mind was made up and his boredom seemed to be quenched, it had found its next source.

Charlie returned back to the hotel which in a sense was her home. Well especially since she lived there after all. After a sh!t show that was the news broadcasts only meant to promote he hotel she felt quite terrible. An overbearing feeling of dread filled her as she suspected her fathers words to be true. Vaggie and Angel were getting into it so charlie just slipped out the front door to make a quick call to her mother. Not that her mother would return it, it just felt nice to at least pretend like someone was listening to her.

Little did she know someone was listening to her. Alastor had arrived at just the right time to see a gleam of dispair shine through the usual happy and giddy princess. A side he figured lingered within her like everyone else but seeing a lady cry never made Alastor happy. Alastor stood proper and prim as he made his way over to the damsel in distress only to have her turn and shut the door on his nose as soon as he reached out to tap her on the shoulder.

Charlie walked back inside and closed the door but not a second later a knock came to the door with the sound of radio static outside. Charlie's eyes widened as she carefully reached for the and opened it to reveal a demon in a red suit and color scheme.

"Hell-" the door closed but charlie's opened it again to make sure what she saw was real.

"lo!-" she closed it again.

"Oh god." she said aloud to herself. She opened the door slowly this time and peered her head around it carefully.

"May i speak now?" the Radio demon said as his smile widened. His eyes lowered to her soft rosy cheeks. "what a sight" Alastor thought.

"Um you may but can i ask are you here to be redeemed?" Charlie asked with a glint of hope and a little smile on her face.

Alastor noticed this little smile it made his eyes soften for a moment before he went back to his usual demeanor. He opened the door with a burst of energy letting himself in. "HAHAHhaha, no ofcourse not my dear!"

Charlie was a bit bewildered, "Then why are you here? Please if you've come to mock me you can let yourself out i know you've probably seen the news anyway." Charlie said as she gestured towards the door with a bit of sadness in her voice.

"What? No ofcourse i don't want to mock you my dear! Why that show was quite entertaining and it's just what i was looking for!" Alastor beamed as he projected his voice enough for the other patrons, aka Angel and Vaggie, to hear.

"Oh yeah and what's that?" Charlie asked referring to what he was searching for.

"Why something to cure my boredom you devilish girl!~" Alastor said whilst spinning round charlie and ending with an arm around her shoulder and his face awfully close to hers

Charlie blushed at the sudden closeness and creeped her way back to her own little bubble. "So you're gonna help with the hotel just cause you're bored?"

"Precisely! Let's call this investment for my entertainment." Al said with a big showy smile on his face once again leaning down to meet charlie's gaze and popping her little personal bubble of space. "I want to watch the scum of the earth and all sinners alike climb the ladder of redemption only to fall back down in the firery pit of failure" Al finished with a red glow in his eyes along with an amused expression at the very thought of it.

"Um Yeah." Charlie brushes off nervously. Just then the other patrons, aka Vaggie and Angel come scurrying you're see who the new person was.

"Oh hey guys." Charlie said with a nervous smile as the tall red demon loomed over her and stared at the other patrons with a sickening smile.

"Oh charlie tell me you did not just make a deal with the radio demon!?" Vaggie blurred out as she drew her spear and pointed it at Al.

"No no relax Vaggie i didn't make any-"

"Unless you'd like to make a deal my dear!" Al quickly proposed as his brow furrowed and his smile widened.

"NO no no deals! Okay?" if charlie knew anything it was to not make any deals with a demon let alone the radio demon himself.

Angel piped in with a little giggle, "What? you scared of this guy. He looks like a strawberry pimp HA!"

Vaggie slapped Angel on one of his arms, "Show some respect he could kill us in the blink of an eye." she said quietly as she gritted her teeth.

A little rumble of static sifted its way through the air around Alastor not before stopping the moment Charlie turn to Al suspiciously.

"Okay so no deals but by the power and status invested in me i hear by ask you to stay and aid the hotel.. for as long as you'd like... and no tricks or voodoo magic or anything got it." Charlie finished as she eyed Alastor up and down.

"You have my word my dear." Al said with an unusually more sinister smile than before. Little did Charlie know his shadow had its claws crossed. Al stood confident as he forged an idea of what exactly he could obtain from this little adventure with the princess. His smile grew ever so widely, his pupils small he had somewhat of a deranged look in his eyes as he realized what he really wanted to do. He laughed to himself quietly as Vaggie and Charlie talked back and forth about their situation. "Those angels will get what they deserve and so will the big man upstairs." and with that thought Al stepped forward and swooped his arm around Charlie as he pulled her forward and away from Vaggie. "Now come my dear enough of this senseless bickering its time to do business!"

(So the rest just follows in suit to what happens in the pilot, like Alastor bringing Nifty and Husk into the whole ordeal.)(to note Charlie and Vaggie are not together in this au but still are really close friends)

A few weeks have passed since Alastor joined the gang. No other demon has showed up to the hotel other than to maybe throw food or make fun of the mere idea of the hotel. Funny thing is even if Alastor has no care for the cause he still scared the living daylights out of anyone trying to tarnesh the hotel and its name. On the outside could be mistaken for Alastors boredom getting the better of him, afterall demon hunting was a fun hobby of his. Yet perhaps it was something deeper than that that kept him around going out of his way to do things for the hotel. Besides what Alastor was plotting, the hotel was rather enjoyable especially when the princess would be around him. He did enjoy her company though and found himself to do things in her favor. Maybe just to please her to get closer to her and his goal or rather something else. Alastor shook away his thoughts when he saw the young princess scurrying around like a madman. "What is she up to?"

Al snuck up behind Charlie as she fumbled around with books looking to be some sort of old phone books.

"My dear may i ask what you're doing?" Alastor said whilst leaning over with a curious grin on his face.

Charlie jumped in surprise, "Oh god you scared me Al"

Al huh a new nickname for him but he didn't appose to the sudden change. He kinda liked how comfortable she was getting.

"I'm just uh sorting through some old phone books to see if i can rent out a place for the hotel" Charlie said as she flipped through pages.

"Space? Don't we have enough of that here! haha" Alastor joked while he spun and gestured to the wide open space of the main area.

"Yes but it's not preferable for dancing." Charlie laughed with a little smile.

A sudden radio blip crackled through Alastor.

Charlie thought to herself "Did that startled him?"

"Dancing? DANCING? Why my dear no need to waste money this room exact is perfect for a ball. Why i'll have this place ready in no time for you my dear-"

Charlie jumped up and put her arms on Als shoulder for just a second then retracted them a little out of fear but just to calm him down. "Hey, hey that's okay look i know we have plenty of room i just don't want the hotel trashed by people who don't even care about it."

Al noticed the sudden jerk of her arms when they retreated. Another blip cracked through him with a little static as he tilted his head to the side with a smile. For a moment Charlie mistook it for sadness in his smile but when she looked again it was gone and back to its normal sinister self.

Alastor hummed in response then took up a few books.

"Hey i need those?" Charlie said with a confused look on her face.

Angel who was passed out at the bar awoke to a giant book being slammed next to his face.

"AGHHHHHHH jeez what'd you do that for smiles?!" Angel cried as he jumped up from his nap.

"Hey you insulant porn star help Charlie look for a dance room or so help me." Alastor threatened as static loomed around him and radio cracks and blips seemed through but this was to no avail.

"Yes sir, i like it when you take charge~" Angel commented with a perverted joke as always and a wide smug smile present on his face.

Alastor pretended he didn't hear that and reluctantly went over to Vaggie. Him and Vaggie haven't gotten along in the slightest since his arrival at the hotel. He glared at her as he handed her the book, Vaggie sneered at him as she took the book from his grasp. And with that Al gave a book to both Husk and Nifty and had the whole hotel staff searching for a place.

⎯

part 2 part 3

[be-better-writing]

Daily Writing - Prompts List

Here is the list of various prompts I am using. They are themed around positive growth, personal and professional. There are also a few that take a little break from growth, but still help with it. There are only 260 right now, but I plan to add more as submitted, and as I come up with new ones. Until then, you can reuse them as you see fit. Used prompts are bold with the date used next to them.(At the time of writing, it’s 1:09AM EST, so only 6 prompts have been used thus far. Also, I started before New Year’s, so I’m ahead of schedule anyway.) I will post the responses soon, and as I go.

How do you define personal growth?   After defining the word, write about why it is important for people to strive to improve themselves. 12/29/19

Write about a time when you were unhappy with the way you responded to a particular situation.   Then, explain what you would do now if you encountered a similar situation.

Think about something big you’ve accomplished in the past year—and write about how you managed to do it.

How can you tell when a person has grown?   Write about the qualities that people who demonstrate great personal growth show on a regular basis.

What is one area of your life that you would like to improve in?   What can you do to better yourself?  

What is one area of your life that you think you already excel in?   Write about why you are so good at that one particular thing, and how you can continue to succeed in that area of your life.

Write about someone you know who has shown great personal growth in an area of his or her life.   How did that person achieve growth?

Why is personal growth so important? 12/31/19

Is it possible to help someone else with his or her own personal growth, or can people only grow on their own?   Why or why not? 12/30/19

What is your best habit?   Why?

What is your worst habit?   Why?

If you could improve any single skill or talent you have, which would you choose?   Why?

Have you ever helped someone else to get better at something in his or her life?   How did you encourage that person?

Think about one way that you have grown over the past year.   How did you accomplish growth?

What is one thing you can do to improve yourself today?   Write about what you will do, and then write a second reflection tomorrow about your experience.

What is one thing you can do to improve yourself in the next month?   Create a plan for what you will do each week for the next month, taking care to think about the steps you will need to meet to reach your goal.

What is one thing you can do to improve yourself in the next year?   Think about what you would like to have accomplished in one year from now, and then consider the one action that would truly make the biggest difference.

Write about a time when someone complimented you for showing personal growth.   How did their recognition make you feel?

When you are working on improving yourself, it’s especially important to recognize your achievements.   Write a congratulatory letter to yourself about one thing you’ve been doing really well lately.

It’s also important to take care of yourself when you are focusing heavily on self-improvement.   Write about one thing you can do to help yourself relax and have fun after working hard.

As a way of growing personally, many people like to focus on growing and developing the relationships in their life.   Choose a friend or family member and write about how you could improve your connection with him or her.

What is the best way to form good habits?   What can you do to make good habits more likely to stick?

Make a list of 10 things that make you happy.   How can you experience these things more frequently?

What is your greatest talent?   How can you use it to help others?

Do you think personal growth is difficult?   Why or why not? 1/2/2020

What is the most difficult aspect of personal growth?   What could you do to make that aspect less challenging?

Think about the part of your life that you are trying to improve right now.   As you get older, how do you think your focus will change?   What other ways will you try to grow in?

In what area of your life have you grown the most over the past three years?   What do you think helped you change?

Imagine that you are talking to your younger self.   What accomplishment would your younger self be most proud to see that you’ve achieved?

Think about the experiences you’ve had while working to improve yourself.   What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned in relation to personal growth?   Why was it so important to you?

What is your life philosophy?   What can you do to ensure that you are living it every day?

What do I need more of in my life?

What do I need to let go of?  (Fears, toxic energy, toxic relationships)

What are some of my limiting beliefs that might be holding me back?

What are 10 things I am grateful for today?

What are 10 positive things about my life?  (Things I absolutely love about my life)

What are 5 ways that I can go out of my comfort zone this year?

What are 7 things I am really good at?

Write out 15 positive affirmations  (ex: I can achieve anything I set my mind to.)

If money wasn't an issue, what would my ideal life be?  (Where would I live, what would my career be, what would my family look like)

What motivates me to keep going? 

How would I describe myself to someone who has never met me before?

What are 3 of my life passions?  (hobbies/things that set my soul on fire)

Where is my favorite place to go? Why?

Who is my biggest inspiration and why?

Where will I be in 5 years?

What does my ideal day look like?

What unhealthy habits do I need to cut out?

What do I love most about myself?  (5 things)

What is something I've been wanting to do but have been too afraid to try?  (Why am I afraid?)

What are my top 3 goals for this year and how can I achieve them?

What do I struggle with the most? 

What are 5 words that describe me best and why?

How can I add happiness to my daily life?

What animal describes me as a person and why?

What do I need to forgive myself for?

What does success mean to me?

How can I show myself more love? 

What am I going to achieve next month?

What negative mindsets do I need to let go of?

Write out 50 things that make me smile.

What would I do if I knew I could not fail?

What do you most desire for your life and the  future?

What is the ONE thing I can do to move forward with my goals? 1/1/2020

List the things you SHOULD do versus the things you WANT to  do.

What is the book you wish you could write?

List 20 things that make you smile

Write about  5 things you are grateful for this week. In addition, you can write a monthly, quarterly and yearly gratitude list!

What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

Reflect on how you have changed since 5 years ago

Are you addicted to social media? Assess yourself  honestly and explore how it impacts your life and what changes, if any, you can make.

What is something that has impacted positively on your life?

How do you maintain balance in your life? For example, are there any changes you would like to or NEED to make?

If you were stranded on a desert island, what is the one thing and the one person you would choose to have with you and why?

Go for a walk with your phone/camera and take some photos. Afterwards, sit down and reflect on one of the photos you took

If you could relive an experience in your life, what would it be?

How was your day?

What does growing older mean to you?

How do you look after your physical health?

When do you feel happiest in your skin?

Where is your favourite place in the world? It could be a country, town, place, room in your house or something else!

Reminisce about your first love. P.S. It could be a car, a person, or something else

My favourite way to spend the day is …

Describe your perfect day

How do you handle a bad day?

Reminisce about your wedding day

What scares you?

How do you look after your  mental health?

Write about your top 3 goals. What are they, how will you feel when you achieve them, and finally, what will your life look like?

List the things you need/want to achieve in the next week

What do you consider your greatest professional success?

What do you consider your greatest personal success?

Who inspires you?

Try your hand and write a poem.

What advice would you give your 20-something self?

My  dream vacation  is

I feel amazing when …

What was the defining moment in your life?

Choose 3 photos of yourself across your lifetime and write about how you feel looking at them. On reflection, what were you doing in the photo and what you were like at the time?

Are you a city, a country or a beach person?

Write a 99 things you love list.

If you could invent something, what would it be?

What was the best concert you have ever been to?

If you won lotto tomorrow, what would you do?

What memory do you cherish the most?

Write about the place you grew up. How has it shaped you?

Pretend you are a tourist in your own town. Head out for a road trip with your camera, take some pics, and write about it

What makes you you?

What is the best gift you have ever given or received?

When you are feeling down, what picks you up?

How do you manage stress? Explore what has worked for you and what hasn’t

What are your top life hacks?

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? How has it shaped your life?

If you had a theme song, what would it be?

Write about a cause close to your heart, and why it is so important to you

What is a habit you would like to change?

What is the best compliment you’ve ever received?

What is your favourite season and why

How does it feel to be the age you currently are?

Write about the first time you saw/held your newborn

Interview yourself or ask someone to interview you

What is on your bucket list?

I couldn’t live without …

What is your biggest weakness?

In what ways have you grown as a person this year? What/who has influenced you? And what have you learned?

What excites you about the future?

Write about a book, movie or song that has made a huge impact on you

What is your earliest childhood memory?

What is your greatest strength?

Name three things you couldn’t live without

What are you really good at?

Head out to a cafe or somewhere public, sit, and people watch. Write about what or who you see. Let your imagination run free. Write about the history of the people you see, what is happening, what they are thinking, what there future will be

Do you have a pet? Write about them! 1/3/2020

Write a letter to your son or daughter

I feel most satisfied when …

What do you wish others knew about you?

What was the funniest thing you saw or heard this week?

Do you have a routine or are you a person who hates routine?

What is the best advice someone has ever given you? Furthermore, what impact did this have on your life?

The most important things in my life are …

List your top wellness tips

Who do you look up to, and what do you admire most about them?

Write a letter to your teenage self

If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

What is your life motto, or what words do you live by?

Write about something you have never told anyone about before

What do you want to be remembered for?

How will you commit to taking better care of yourself next year?

What brings a tear to the eye? (It could be happy tears!)

Of all of the books you have read this year, which has been your favourite, and why?

What does success mean to you?

If you struggle with procrastination, what do you think causes it?

What does it mean to live an authentic life?

What is something you would love to learn how to do?

Are you a spiritual person? Describe your beliefs and how they affect and define how you live your life.

My favourite childhood memory is …

Write the top 5 things in your life that are causing you stress. For each stressor, write what  you can do to change it

Name 4 little things that always make you happy

Do you prefer to read fiction or non-fiction? Why?

What friends are you most grateful for? List what makes each friend so special

What do you love most about your partner? List them

My favourite way to spend the day is …

What are the 3 biggest distractions in your life at the moment, and how can you go about reducing them?

Sit down and do a life audit. Work through every section of your life and assess what is working well, what isn't, and any changes you could make

List 5 things you love about your home

How has each member of your immediate family helped to shape your life?

Describe your dream life.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?

Write a life admin list and then get to work on ticking those items off of your list!

My favorite way to spend the day is…

If I could talk to my teenage self, the one thing I would say is…

The two moments I’ll never forget in my life are… Describe them in great detail, and what makes them so unforgettable.

Write the words you need to hear right now.

Write about a moment experienced through your body. Making love, making breakfast, going to a party, having a fight, an experience you've had or you imagine for your character. Leave out thought and emotion, and let all information be conveyed through the body and senses.

The words I’d like to live by are…

I couldn’t imagine living without…

Make a list of 30 things that make you smile.

Make a list of the people in your life who genuinely support you, and who you can genuinely trust. (Then make time to hang out with them.)

What does unconditional love look like for you?

What would you do if you loved yourself unconditionally? How can you act on these things whether you do or don’t?

When I’m in pain — physical or emotional — the kindest thing I can do for myself is…

Name what is  enough  for you.

If my body could talk, it would say…

Name a compassionate way you’ve supported a friend recently. Then write down how you can do the same for yourself.

I really wish others knew this about me…

What always brings tears to your eyes?

Write about a time when work felt real to you, necessary and satisfying. Paid or unpaid, professional or domestic, physical or mental.

Using 10 words, describe yourself.

What do you love about life?

What can you learn from your biggest mistakes?

I feel most energized when…

Write a list of questions to which you urgently need answers.

What’s surprised you the most about your life or life in general?

What’s one topic you need to learn more about to help you live a more fulfilling life? (Then learn about it.)

I feel happiest in my skin when…

Make a list of everything you'd like to  say no  to.

Make a list of everything that inspires you — from books to websites to quotes to people to paintings to stores to the stars.

Explain what productivity feels like and means to you as vividly as possible.

How do you deal with feeling unmotivated? Are you someone who needs a lot of inspiration to get started on a task?

What is your priority in life at the moment?

Make a list of everything you'd like to  say yes  to.

What are your three biggest distractions, and how do/will you go about reducing them?

List three things you did today that bring you closer to where you want to be in five years’ time.

What is your biggest accomplishment over the last week, and what do you wish to do better over the next?

Name five values you strive to personify.

Talk about an obstacle you overcame today.

What is a habit you want to develop? How will it help your long-term goals?

What lesson did you learn from the last book you read?

Name five people who have inspired you recently, and explain why.

Identify your biggest time management mistake.

List five ways you have changed since this time last year.

Name the last three instances when someone gave you feedback. How did this make you feel, and what did you learn from it?

Give an example of when you helped someone else achieve one of their goals.

Discuss a big decision that frightened you initially, but paid off in the end.

How do you respond to setbacks and failure? Why? How would you like this to change?

Name one way technology enhances and hinders your productivity.

When was the last time you listened to your intuition, and what was the outcome?

Reflect on the happiest moment of your life. Explore where were you, what were you doing, and who were you sharing it with? Reflect on every detail.

What is your most treasured possession and why?

If you could run any business (and the business would be a guaranteed success), what business would you run?

How have you changed from the person you were 5 years ago?

When you think about your future, what do you fear the most?

When you think about your future, what do you hope for the most?

You partner is not giving you something you need. Do you tell them or suffer in silence?

Describe a time you felt especially valued and loved.

When’s the last time you used the word “busy” or “stressed out” about yourself? Is there a way that you could make things easier on yourself?

What have you been complaining about most lately? Is there a way to see that differently?

What brings you joy every single day?

What time of day are you most productive? Why do you think that is?

List the 5 people you spend the most time with, why, and how they’re affecting you — your behaviors, your thoughts, your life.

List the top 5 people you admire, and why.

What is your favorite song/musical piece and why?

What is an affirmation that can help you today?

What was your childhood dream and why? What happened to that dream and why?

Define the following: Success. Wisdom. Love. Faith. Truth. Courage. Joy

List all the things you think you SHOULD do, that you don’t want to do.

If you didn’t have to worry about money or people’s opinions, what would you do with your life?

If your house burned to the ground, what are the top 1–3 things you would want to save? Assume family and pets are already outside and safe.

A mental challenge I want to take on is…

How can you show yourself love?

List all the things you do that you shouldn't.

What is something you haven’t forgiven yourself for? How does it affect you now?

What is something I struggle with?

Create a forgiveness list of those who have done you wrong

How can you show yourself respect?

Name the top 3 emotions you are feeling in this moment and what causes them. If negative emotions, how can you turn them around?

List your top 3 fears and the reason behind them. Do you think you'll overcome these fears? Why or why not?

When do you feel the most at peace?

What gave you energy today? Drained your energy? Can you do anything to prevent the drain? Explain.

In what ways do you still need to invest in yourself?

Describe your environment. How can you improve it?

What steps can you take today to progress your personal growth?

What is the best piece of advice you’ve gotten?

How do you remember your childhood? Does it hold impact on your present self? What can you do to change that?

Describe your self care routine. Below your current routine, describe your ideal self care routine. Are there things you can change?

Describe your morning routine. Are there other habits you can implement for a better day?

Are you living your life authentically? If not, what needs to change for you to live authentically?

Describe your social life and how it impacts your mental and emotional state.

Pick a memory that makes you feel negatively and reflect on it. How did it change you? Does it impact your day to day life now? If so, while you are reflecting on the memory, forgive those involved that caused pain, accept the pain it once inflicted, and leave it in the memory. While you're reflecting, give yourself the chance to see from the other people's point of view, and outside of the situation as well. Imagine what they felt during that moment, how they saw the situation. Define the lesson from that moment in life, and apply it to your life today.Pick a memory that makes you feel positively and reflect on it. How did it change you? Does it help you keep a positive mindset and standpoint? Describe the memory, and the things involved that make you feel good. Reflect how you've changed since you lived that memory, and what you would like to see come from the positive emotions and mindset.

Pick a memory that makes you feel positively and reflect on it. How did it change you? Does it help you keep a positive mindset and standpoint? Describe the memory, and the things involved that make you feel good. Reflect how you've changed since you lived that memory, and what you would like to see come from the positive emotions and mindset.

[rainbowchihuahuabunny]

Tips and tricks for fellow Zebras

Link to website I copied this from below list. I own none of this.

1.) Confirm with a knowledgeable geneticist that you have EDS. If you get the feeling they do not understand or believe you have EDS, then go to another geneticist. I met with three before I was convinced and accepted the diagnosis.

Feel free to use our list of compatible geneticists.

2.)Take Time to Grieve – It’s okay and necessary to allow yourself to mourn the loss of your past life.  Life will move on, but it will never be exactly as you have known it. As you go through that process, remember you need to reach the goal of moving on, live with hope and try to be proactive.

3.) Address pain control – You will need to accept that you can not take this journey on your own. You need to address your pain in order to have the opportunity to attempt to regain some sense of normalcy in life again. You might be like many of us and have trouble metabolizing certain medications.

Many EDS patients respond beautifully to medical cannabis. It can be taken in a simple dose of oil at night, that not only allows you to sleep but also provides pain relief to the body well into the next day.

Here is the recipe I use to make the oil.

4.) Be evaluated and followed by an EDS friendly neurologist for common EDS conditions such as tethered cord, Chiari I Malformation, and instability of the neck. Since this is very important for your safety, every EDS’er should have this evaluation done and be sure to have the neurologist monitor you.

Many of us need to have the tethered cord released to address issues with the bladder, kidneys, pressure in the chest, and issues with legs. If needed, have the tethered cord surgery as soon as possible for not only will you feel much better but it will prevent permanent damage. Also, any physical therapy you undergo after surgery will prove to now progress much more effectively and quickly.

Instability of the neck will cause havoc with your body. It is worth trying strengthening, but if this does not resolve the issue, then consider the surgery. Having my neck fused has been a lifeline for me. It has tremendously reduced brain fog, imbalance, headaches and constant painful neck subluxations.

Chiari I Malformation must also be addressed. Severe headaches are not a positive way to live, so please have yourself examined by a neurologist that understands this condition.

Any or all of these may be an issue for you in time, but please understand that correcting them, when the time is right, will make the difference in your efforts to progress.

Feel free to refer to the list of neurologists on our list.

5.) Find a good manual sacral physical therapist – “Living Life to the Fullest With Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome” is a book written by my manual sacral physical therapist, Kevin Muldowney. He learned by working with many EDS patients at his clinic, that there are safe ways to strengthen our muscles. I have been through the protocols highlighted in his book and have found that they work for me. You’ll need to remain committed to the daily workout, but believe me, I love being proactive and thus, I  so appreciate the progress which is so evident to me – like having the scarum hold! This is your opportunity to take better control of your life by learning, through the guidance of this book and along  with a manual sacral physical therapist, how to successfully help strengthen your muscles which have the additional task of holding your body together.

6.) Develop a network of doctors that understand EDS or are willing to get educated – Feel free to visit my website to see if a doctor is listed near you. Also feel free to contact us if you have a good doctor that we can add to the list.

Remember, we are complicated and given current treatment options complete recovery is not an option. That is a lot for a doctor to want to take on. Be patient and look for compatible personalities and let them learn through you.

7.) Be sure to have a cardiologist – You should have an echocardiogram (echo test) done yearly. The test uses sound waves to produce images of the heart and allows the cardiologist to see if your heart is beating and pumping blood correctly. Many of us develop POTS or dysautonomia and eventually need the care of  a cardiologist to help us take the compatible medication to keep our BP elevated, to prevent passing out.

8.) Determine food allergies – A simple food sensitivity blood test can offer tremendous assistance in reducing reactions and inflammation. By getting these foods identified and eliminating them in your diet, you will in turn decrease inflammation in the body the helps to cause your subluxations. It can initially be heartbreaking to learn a wonderful food you love is on your list, but many times, if you avoid that item for three months, you may be able to successfully reintroduced it to the body.  As difficult as it is eliminating foods, you will find a huge difference in how much better you will feel. There are numerous tests to use but the one I happen to use is called MRT Food Sensitivity Testing.

9.) Determine Drug sensitivities – I wish that years ago I had a clue that there was testing available to see why I had such negative reactions to many medications since birth. A simple DNA drug sensitivity test can help determine what is a safe drug  you should be able to put into your body. If you keep taking medication or eating foods that are not compatible with your body chemistry then you are increasing the inflammation in your system. More inflammation means more pain due to the increase of subluxations! I happened to use Genelex DNA Sensitivity testing. You then have these results to use for the rest of your life – anytime you need to add a new medication, you can determine from your testing whether it will be compatible or not. I contact the testing company to have them check my results to be sure I am safe adding anything new.

10.) Cusack Protocol – I had read about this supplemental protocol. I had no intent to add anything else to have to take but then heard more and more EDS’ers rave about the results. So a year ago, I bit the bullet and started introducing one item at a time to see if I could feel positive results eliminate too. To my amazement, I believe my joints are holding better in place, I am strengthening more successfully and feeling a nice improvement in my health and overall attitude. I found it took a few months for these results to begin to kick in. I have always believed that if something might help me and not hurt me, it was worth a try. This protocol is staying on my to do list and I would highly encourage you to consider trying to add these supplements to your life. Although I am not able to drive, I can order all I need on Amazon!

http://arthritis.talksmedicine.com/welcome-new-members-to-view-the-cusack-protocol-chart-select-the-pinned-post-379602]

11.) Exercise Safely – When you live with chronic pain, you get emotionally and physically worn down and sometimes feel that you have no energy to exercise. However, living with EDS makes it all the more important to do just that. We need to keep our muscles strong and be sure to get a cardio workout to keep our bodies in the best shape as possible. Along with following my daily exercises following the Muldowney protocol, I also add either walking, when the body allows, a stationary bike or have myself hoyeried into the pool. I can’t do stairs presently so this gets me in and out of the water safely and then I kick on my back and/or use a snorkel and kick on my stomach. I had been a master swimmer and didn’t want to give up exercising in the water, my love, despite no longer being able to use my arms or neck with swimming. There are frequent times I have to stop or back up a workout due to subluxations that have had to get corrected and might need time to reduce inflammation before returning to my routine.

12.) Try to not get Isolated – I have found, especially when recovering from surgeries, my contacts in life become very limited. And, due to living with chronic pain and continual issues that arise, it is hard for others to understand that we still need friends. However, many of us have experienced our friendships diminishing due to either being judged that we look fine or just not being able to keep up with activities with our friends. So we have to look for new ways to stay connected and not feel isolated. So, see if you can attempt to locate a local support group, use an online support group or reach out to others that are also trying to learn to cope with chronic issues. Simple acts like visiting a rehab center or nursing home and reaching out to others also struggling helps to put your life into a better perspective.

13.) Candida tendency – We tend to be more sensitivity to candida, the yeast we all have naturally in our bodies. Sugars and carbs feed this condition and cause it to get out of control causing brain fog, fatigue, and weight gain, despite almost starving yourself. This was one of the fist symptoms I developed early on in life. For me, it takes a round of  Nystatin to rid my body of the issue and then lightening up on the triggers that feed it. I usually feel relief within twenty-four hours when I take the medication to kill the yeast.

14.) Taking care of your Gut – Many of us have issues with stomach aches and bowels that can literally shut down. Some deal with gastroparesis and others like me with motility issues. Many of the stomach issues are improved by addressing both the food and drug sensitivities. I had no movement of my gut for two years after my first neck surgery. The interesting thing is when I came down with congestion from a cold this past Fall, I turned to alfalfa tablets, per a homeopathic doctor,  to dry up the congestion since I am unable to metabolize decongestants. Strangely and thrillingly, I suddenly found the gut woke up and has been eliminating daily. I have stayed on the daily use of the alfala to keep this process in action and am thrilled!

15.) Control Low Blood Pressure – Many of us live with lower blood pressure than normal. There are a few things that I have found to be very helpful for this:

Drink plenty of water.

Elevate your bed from the bottom of the frame at your head, 30 degrees.

Salt your food – and use the best salt you can get like REAL Salt that includes wonderful minerals too.

Don’t get to the point of passing out and doing damage. If you feel the above is not working, then see your cardiologist to consider adding medication like Midodrine. I find if I stick with my three doses a day, my BP stays at a safe level.

16.) MAST Cell – This is defined as a cell filled with basophil granules, found in numbers in connective tissue and releasing histamine and other substances during inflammatory and allergic reactions. Those that suffer with these reactions often struggle tremendously. Be sure to bring this condition up to your doctors if you feel you are not reacting normally to foods and life around you. I have not had this issue so don’t want to address this incorrectly and encourage you to talk about this if you are reacting abnormally.

17.) Orthopedic issues – If you develop issues with bones subluxing and strengthening seems to not be helping and there is talk of surgery, please be sure they use cadaver tendons to hold the bones in position, not yours! Remember your ligaments and tendons are not able to do their job properly due to this condition. And also consider using arch supports since many of us deal with flat feet.

18.) Prolotherapy/Vector Machine –

I always have turned to prolotherapy,also know as Non-Surgical Ligament and Tendon Reconstruction and Regenerative Joint Injection, is a recognized orthopedic procedure that stimulates the body’s healing processes to strengthen and repair injured and painful joints and connective tissue. I try this before making the decision to go for surgery. It is safe and can be effective, depending on the damage to your body. If it doesn’t work, then I move on to the surgery.

The vector therapy system is indicated in the US for the treatment of chronic, intractable pain and for the treatment of post-surgical trauma pain. When I tired one treatment for the first time with the machine a number of years ago, I had to immediately reduce my medication for pain for the treatment had rapidly reduced my pain levels.

19.) Low Dose Naltrexone – Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) has been demonstrated to reduce symptom severity in conditions such as fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and complex regional pain syndrome.  LDN may operate as a novel anti-inflammatory agent in the central nervous system, via action on microglial cells. I again did not take the original suggestion to try this medication just because I hated to have to pay for one more thing along with adding to my list of medications. But after hearing the positive results of others with EDS trying this, I broke down and am thrilled I did. I feel that is helps me to maintain a more positive attitude, more pain reduction and functioning in general. Another keeper for me!

20.) General Safe Movement of Body –

A simple thing to always remember to prevent up-slips, is to never sit in a chair or in the car and reach down, leaning to your side, to pick something up. That will easily slip you out of position. Either sift your body to the direction you need to pick up something and then lean forward to get out of the chair and bend your knees to bend down.

Always lean down to the ground by bending your knees, not twisting to the side, to help keep your sacrum in position.

Try to get into and out of a car that you don’t have to lift your butt up high or sink down into the seat to try holding your sacrum in place.

21. Lifting Objects – It is helpful to limit your lifting and weight of objects to help prevent subluxations of your arms and ribs. Try to use a fanny pack to carry items instead of putting a shoulder bag on or carrying something in your hands pulling your arms downward. If you can possibly limit lifting no more than five pounds, it is safer for your body. You don’t want to pull and stretch those ligaments and tendons already compromised.

22.) Pillow – Many deal with issues with the neck. The Therapeutica pillow keeps the head in position during sleep to prevent the subluxations that can occur with innocent movement during sleeping.

If any of y'all have anything else to add or helpful tips and tricks you've found please add them!

[brainfoodgp]

Spring/2019

“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.”-Vincent Van Gogh-

Today is Earth Day and spring has finally sprung here in New York. We have been experiencing warmer weather and April showers have been falling steadily, a sign that bodes well for May’s flowers. NY’s Cherry Blossoms are in full eruption and the Tulips and Daffodils are poking their tiny heads out from the earth, reaching for the sun, and ready to explode into a full array of colors. After the cold frigid winter the prospects of spring always brings me such hope and a feeling that anything I set my full attention to can and will come to fruition, as long as my intention is equally powerful.

The winter was no time for hibernation for me, I’ve often admired and envied the bear for its ability to hunker down for the colder months. For me, there just don’t seem to be enough hours of daylight. Which is probably why the conclusion of daylight savings time, for me, is as much a day to be celebrated as Earth Day itself. One more hour of daylight means one more hour I have to get things done! Self-care is one of those items on my list that I am still working hard to achieve and unfortunately it often gets shuffled to the next days, and the next days “to do”list.

I am still working hard on the Brain Food Garden Project cookbook 33 Delicious Recipes for the Brain. Chef Annette Tomei’s recipe collection is shaping up nicely. And the peer community that have already shared their food and garden related stories of recovery with us are divine. They will enhance the powerful message of the project immensely. We are pushing the publication of the book back to 2020 so that I am allowed time to collect more of these gems of lived experience for its pages.

BioCities founder Kate Bakewell and I finally signed our fiscal partnership agreement at the offices of the Urban Justice Center in February and I look forward to sharing more on our new relationship in the coming months. It is an exciting step in the evolution of BFGP’s development. To learn more about BioCities click here.

I am equally excited to share an interview I gave over the winter to Community Access’s C Magazine for their Spring/Summer Issue recently published. To read the new issue click here. Also, I am happy to announce that I have been developing and scheduling guests for the new season of The Candor Report podcast. To be the first to learn of our first guests, our second season series premiere, and to keep up with all the doings of my co host Sharon Simon and me, like our TCR podcast Facebook page by clicking here.

And finally, in May I have been invited to be a panelist at the May 29th PWC Working Peer Summit. This year’s theme is “Envisioning the Future of the Peer Workforce”. To secure a reservation for this year’s summit check out the flyer advertisement at the end of this issue for more information.

Which leads me to the spring issue of the Seeds For Wellness Journal. In my BFGP Feature for this issue I discuss two of the amazing organizations that I am a part of and their missions. The first, the NYC Peer Workforce Coalition (NYC-PWC), and the second is the NYC Trauma Informed Approaches Learning Community (NYC-TIALC), both of which have been keeping me extremely busy over the winter, and appears that they will be doing the same well into spring! You’ll want to check out What I’m Reading this month, the one recovery tool I’ve been utilizing more than any of my others lately is reading...and I’ve been gorging myself on book after book. I am as always sharing some of my favorite resistance articles in Notes from the Resistance. And in Delicious Recipes for the Brain I’m sharing one of my favorite Chicken and Cauliflower recipes that I’ve eaten all winter and trust me when I say it caries beautifully over into spring.

And on this Earth Day promise to yourself that wherever you are right now that when you walk out your door you will look up, out, and around you, and take a minute to appreciate all of the beautiful nature surrounding you. It is the least we can all do to honor our earth on this day and everyday. It may even inspire you to get into a garden, work to prevent food waste, stop using plastic bags and straws or find some other way to make a difference in healing our planet. The Great Mother needs us...all of us.

Now...read on an enjoy! 

BFGP Feature:

My Way Of Working To Make The Peer Workforce More Equitable

The quote above that I’ve chosen to illustrate this month’s feature is from a talk I gave recently to a group of peers in the workforce. As I discussed in the Seeds for Wellness Journal Winter/2019 feature “My Thoughts on Avoiding the Status Quo Vortex.” I have been thinking and talking a lot recently about how to advance the peer movement. And what I am consistently hearing from working peers out in the workforce is that they continually feel that their voices go unheard and that they often feel unsafe and abused in their work environment. When I speak to peers in the workforce their concerns often reflects more not on their own conflicts and misery but how the peers they serve, our community, are often treated with little decency or respect by the very agencies tasked with enhancing and making their lives better, and this above all else seems to be what challenges and affects working peers more than anything else. It speaks to the collective and empathetic powers of the Peer Workforce and gets to the heart of why most of us chose to enter the human services field to begin with.

Just as I stated in my feature story in the winter issue. There is no one right or wrong path in navigating these pitfalls that the medical model continues to put in our path. However, I am able, like I did in that issue, to share with you one of the ways I have combated toxic work environments and that I have utilized to empower myself as I have worked in these diminishing environments. I will also say that having worked for two such organizations, one a housing program, and the other a program run by a city government agency, that the lessons they have taught have helped me immensely in avoiding such abusive behavior in the crafting of the model and mission I’m building for Brain Food Garden Project. I say this, simply to share, that I truly believe every unsettling event in life is a possible tool for learning. And if one chooses to look at it that way, traumatic events may be used as a powerful source for enlightenment.

Getting involved in committee work, learning communities, and other organizations outside of the medical model structure has become one of my greatest sources for resistance. Being in a room full of other peers, sharing our stories, and believing in a better system of care than we currently have available for each other, and working hard to build a system that amplifies our voices instead of constantly trying to silence us has literally transformed my neural pathways. I have been able to clearly envision for myself what a world might look like where government agencies had to answer to us instead of the other way around. A world where peers hold agencies, hospitals, and government officials accountable for their poor decisions that affects our lives and our health. A world where that old horrible saying that people use without even knowing how disrespectful it is “The lunatics are running the asylum”, actually comes true, becomes a statement of empowerment, and bites them all in the ass. My envisioning of the “asylum” and taking it over has never looked so good!

Getting involved. I can’t speak enough to its healing and powerful vibrations! I’d like to share with you two of the organizations I am currently working with. I’ve mentioned IDHA in this journal before. If you’d like more information on their incredible work and mission click here. For this issue I would like to focus on the NYC Peer Workforce Coalition (NYC-PWC), and the NYC Trauma Informed Approaches Learning Community (NYC-TIALC). Maybe you will get inspired by the work we are doing and join us at an upcoming meeting.

NYC-Peer Workforce Coalition

The NYC-PWC’s mission is committed to advancing the work of peer supporters employed in diverse behavior health settings. We are trained professionals who are dedicated to improving our work environments, breaking down stigma, and advancing the peer support workforce. We are guided by the principles of mutual support, empowerment, and the ongoing advancement of our workforce.

Currently, the NYC-PWC is working to secure our 501c3 status. We have several sub committees including Professional Development that works to assist and empower those looking for work. The NYC-PWC participates in conferences to expand our message within our community including recently sponsoring the Job Fair at last December’s Substance Use Mental Health Peer Conference.

I am currently chair of the ad hoc committee working to create the NYC-PWC By Laws and have recently been nominated for the Executive Committee position of Community Outreach Coordinator which, if elected, in addition to reaching out to our workforce to expand PWC membership will also work to create partnerships with other organizations that share like minded goals for our community and aligns with our mission. As Community Outreach Coordinator starting in 2020 I would also be responsible for chairing the planning committee for the PWC’s yearly NYC Working Peer Summit that takes place every May.

The NYC-PWC has so many exciting goals for our future. A perfect introduction to learn more about our work would be to attend this year’s NYC Working Peer Summit on Wednesday, May 29th. This year’s theme is “Envisioning the Future of the Peer Workforce” the objective of this year’s summit panel is to promote a unique vision of what our workforce might look like in the future. The panel discussion showcases two peers that have created their own organizations (I will be one of the panelists discussing Brain Food Garden Project), a man that has created an organization that provides resources to peers with a desire to create their own peer lead organizations and businesses, and a peer that through a paper he wrote while becoming a social worker himself, hopes to de stigmatize the idea of those in clinical settings from self disclosure. It is going to be an exciting conversation and a great evening!

To Learn more about the summit and to learn how to make a reservation to attend check out the advertisement at the end of this issue. And click here to go to their website.

NYC-Trauma Informed Approaches Learning Community

The NYC-TIALC’s mission is to learn about trauma and its informed approaches, to advocate for the creation of trauma informed environments, to use these approaches in behavioral health as well as substance use communities, and to build public awareness through community education and advocacy.

We do this by building public awareness through community education and information dissemination. We work with policy makers, recipients and providers of mental health services, and the community at large, as no segment of the population is immune to trauma.

The NYC-TIALC are currently working with NY Assemblywoman Solange on drafting a NYS declaration for a Trauma Informed Approaches Awareness Day. We have convened a conference call with stakeholders state wide to discuss ways to advance NYS in becoming a trauma informed state. And I recently completed the creation of a briefing book on behalf of the learning community that compiles trauma-informed data from the federal government and states all across the country creating trauma Informed approaches for their communities. The briefing book is currently being edited and will be delivered to stakeholders by the end of May. I also created and currently administer the NYC-TIALC’s Facebook presence. The NYC-TIALC is a small but wonderful community and we would love to have more peers join us! So much more is coming in 2019 for the NYC-TIALC and I am proud to be a member of this amazing group of peers. If you would like to learn more about the learning community or attend one of our meetings held the first Monday of each month join our Facebook page by clicking here.

Brain Food Garden Project keeps me very busy. However, being a part of organizations that compliment the work I’m doing only makes me more connected. And I love being with like minded people working together to make our community stronger.

What I’m Reading:

I love reading books that inspire me and feed my soul in some way. These past few months I’ve been attending so many meetings that subway time has been reading time. It also helps my anxiety on overcrowded rides and channels that energy into something more positive. I’ve been consuming about a book a week and it truly brings me great joy! So with that being said, picking just one book for this issue was next to impossible, so I’ll be sharing two. One that was a brand new read, and that I use as a wellness tool every morning when I first wake up. And the second a re-read that I’ve used in my work and have read many times, with an even more exciting reason behind picking it up again to read recently.

First, The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life’s Direction and Purpose by Oprah. Does the queen of Super Soul Sunday really even need to add the Winfrey? It is the second companion book to that wonderful show. And like the first book The Wisdom Of Sundays it sits on my bedside table for me to randomly select a passage to read at the start of each day. Like daily affirmations it lifts me up and gets me out of bed on even my worst mornings. And with extraordinary passages like, “I have a number of different callings. and I think it’s possible to be called away from things I have been called to in the past. There are goodbyes as well as hellos in our callings. Because a calling doesn’t have to be for a lifetime.” One of the many delicious quotes, this one for example by Barbara Brown Taylor that keeps me inspired all day, is there any wonder why this new book sings to me just as much as the first one? 

I am excited to announce that the author of my second book selection Fran Sorin will be Sharon Simon’s and my guest on the second episode of the new season of The Candor Report podcast kicking off in June. A beat up copy of Fran’s book Digging Deep: Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening came into my life during my second hospitalization for manic depression. The Metropolitan Community Hospital where I was hospitalized had a library of donated books that patients were allowed to visit and borrow. At the time I had been in the psych ward for about four months and I was getting better. I was starting to lay out my plan for creating Brain Food Garden Project when I found Fran’s beautiful book, and the two days in which it took me to read it, I believed it to be a sign from the universe that the seeds of my idea for BFGP were destined to grow into something powerful. As I reread it recently, I was astonished by how many peer principles the book encapsulates that I absorbed in school and that today are the roadmap for my life and life’s work. I bought my own copy after getting out of the hospital and years later would use many of the books exercises in my first peer garden that I created for an affordable housing program in Queens. I’m looking so forward to interviewing one of my personal sheroes and having a conversation with her about her transformational work.

Notes From The Resistance: 

 If you are anything like me you’ve had to limit your news intake. Some days I don’t even recognize this country I call home. However, that hasn’t kept me from staying informed and reading through the Mueller Report just to fully understand how Russia interfered with our elections and just what role the authoritarian fascist vulgarian played in it. It is so important for all of us as Americans to be informed that this report is number 1 on my Resistance list for the spring issue.

1.  Americans are getting our first look at the Mueller Report give it a read here

2.  The fascist regime is making sure that all the progress we made ensuring our kids were eating healthier in schools is being demolished. However, we aren’t going to take it read here

3.  A NJ Congressman wants the world to know that right wing extremism is one of the greatest threats to America read here

4.  The USDA continues to weaken under the fascist regime. Hormel lawsuit reveals some scary facts read here

5.   Let’s end on a positive shall we...the 2020 Democratic hopefuls seem to be taking agricultural issues seriously read here

Delicious Recipes for the Brain:

Chicken with Cauliflower and Apples

Ingredients:

bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds total)

1/2 head green cabbage (about 1/2 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

4 sprigs thyme

1 head cauliflower (2 pounds), cut into medium florets

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Place chicken, cabbage, thyme, and half the cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and place remaining cauliflower on another sheet. Drizzle each with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Place sheet with chicken on top rack and cauliflower on bottom. Cook until cauliflower is tender, 20 minutes, stirring twice.


Remove both sheets from oven. Let sheet of cauliflower cool, then transfer cauliflower to an airtight container and reserve for Pasta with Cauliflower and Collards. Add apples to sheet with chicken and remaining cauliflower and return to oven. Cook until chicken is cooked through and apples are tender, about 20 minutes, stirring twice. Serve immediately.

This Year’s NYC- Peer Workforce Coalition’s annual Working Peer Summit is scheduled for Wednesday, May 29, 2019 from 6-8 pm. This year’s theme is: “Envisioning the Future of the Peer Workforce”. There will be resource tables with job opportunities, a Q & A with peer innovators, raffle items, and dinner will be served! To make your reservation to attend email. OCA@health.nyc.gov Attn: Willie Flora Gaines or call 347-396-7194 and leave a message. Mention Brain Food Garden Project when you book your reservation!   

[abalonetea]

Sand Shrews

This is my gift for @elenathehun for the @narutogiftexchange! She wanted girl power and geo politics and genjutsu! So I did my best and came up with this!

 The fan is heavier than Sakura’s expecting. Hot to the touch, too, even the grip where the bandages have been wrapped on thick, white torn back to little more than tatters. Her head is pounding and it feels like maybe she’s been chewing on sand for the past three hours. “You didn’t say they could do that.”   “They can’t.” Temari grits the words out. There’s blood on her teeth and she hasn’t gotten up from where she’s leaning against the rock facing. “They don’t.”   Sakura stands up, digging the base of it into the sand. She’s leaning on it more than she’ll admit out loud. “Can’t or don’t? Which is it?”  “Don’t get snippy with me,” snaps Temari. She finally braces one hand against the stone, fingers digging against the cracks for leverage as she stands up. The damp spot on her skirt is caked with gold. “I don’t give a shit about semantics. You’re still a guest here. That means you answer to me.”   “Are we really going to do this right now?” It makes  sense, on some level. Suna and Konoha are still very much trying to figure out how to renew their ties with each other; they’re reeling from the recent draught, the recent uprising of Kumo shinobi claimed as rogue agents, and the envoy was supposed to help renew their friendly connections but it’s just made tensions pull tighter.   Something glints in Temari’s eyes. Smoke and dust and burning green, and she steps away from the stone with one final, lingering push. “Just give me my fan and let’s get moving.”

  It’s easy to follow the trail.   Sand Shrew, as Sakura has come to realize, are not interested in stealth.   They’re interested in feeding, building tunnels, and defending their brood.   The problem, as Sakura has been led to understand, is that this is as far away from their bi-yearly birthing season as they can get. Sand Shrew should still be hundreds of miles under the dunes, half-asleep and peaceful.   Instead, they’ve taken out two traveling nomadic groups and a team of shinobi as they returned from boulder patrol. Instead, they’ve surged out of their tunnels, massive claws and sand caked faces, more violent than any forest creature Sakura’s encountered.   It’s not normal.   Sakura isn’t a Suna shinobi, and even she can figure out that much.

It’s almost dark before Temari announces that they’re breaking for the night. She pulls the fan off of her back, slamming the base of it into the loose sand. It reminds Sakura, distantly, of a peacock trying to posture itself, or the old tom cat that lives outside of Ino’s flower shop, all hiss and no bite.   “We’re going to camp here for a few hours. Sand Shrew are diurnal, so we can pick up their trail easier at night.” Temari shifts, leaning a little heavier against the sand. Her gaze drifts, away from Sakura and onto something towards the east, where a slew of up churned dirt serves as an easy to make trail.   Sakura nods. She half-reaches for a scroll hooked to her hip. “Want a bed roll?”   A pause. Temari actually considers it, long and hard, before shaking her head. “No. We won’t be here that long.”   “Right.” Sakura drops her hand back to her side. She’s a little irritated, honestly, but at this point not arguing seems like the best course of action. “Fire?”   “If you’re cold,” says Temari, amusement seeping into the words. Sakura rolls her eyes and Temari adds, “why not? They help keep the critters away.”   She waits until Sakura has stepped away to start pulling small clusters of dried spider grass into a pile to sit down. It’s only because Sakura is watching out of the corner of her eye that she catches the grimace on Temari’s face, the way that she’s still favouring her left hip.   Biting her tongue, Sakura fishes the lighter out of her kunai pouch. She sets the spider grass ablaze and then does the same to a slightly bent cigarette. There's sand clinging to the white paper, too, and something about that strikes Sakura as incredibly funny. Chuckling, Sakura settles in close enough to the fire that she can keep it burning without getting too much of the heat.   “What’s so funny?” Temari has one arm propped up on the fan. She’s half sprawled out, looking for all the world like nothing’s wrong and she’s just come out of a meeting with the council, albeit a particularly aggravating one.   “This,” answers Sakura, with a broad wave of her hand. “All of it. My team got sent out here for a couple of meetings and the hope of trading a few medical techniques – and don’t look at me like that, Temari, we’re the ones in the middle of a draught and it’s not like my people are used to all this heat so, yes, I was hoping to pick up a trick or too.”   She pauses, takes a drag off her cigarette. It’s a bad habit picked up on a three month long mission with Shikamaru. She keeps promising Naruto that she’ll quit, but the words are empty, more routine than anything else.   They’ve gotten good at routine.   Sakura pushes another cluster of spider grass onto the small fire. “Instead, I get hauled out here with you, tackling some kind of creature that, frankly, looks like it came out of a god damned fantasy novel.” She shifts, cracks a grin at the Suna girl. “And if we’re being perfectly blunt, I’ve got sand places I didn’t realize it could get.”   That draws a snort. Temari’s eyes crinkle at the edges. It’s not a full smile, but it’s the closest to one Sakura’s seen since Kitatu came barging into the meeting, a panting, bloodied mess, and first brought the Sand Shrew to attention.   “I’d say you get used to it, but I’m technically not supposed to lie.”   “I guess you aren’t supposed to be reassuring, either.”   “That’s not part of my job description, sweets. Sorry.”   “Sweets?”   Temari bares her teeth when she smiles. “We should eat,” she says, ignoring the bewildered look Sakura gives her. “If my hunch is right, we’re not going to get a chance to do that for a while.”   Sakura taps the ash off the end of her cigarette. “You going to share that hunch with me?” She uses her free hand to fish a bundle of dried jerky out from her supply pouch. “Or am I just supposed to follow along like some sort of genin?”   “Oh, I’m sorry. Have you been upgraded?” Mocking words, but Temari’s tone is light. She pulls out her own bundle of jerky, breaking off a piece and popping it in her mouth. Her gaze drifts again, back towards the dirt trails. “It might be nothing.”   “With what I know about these shits, a might be is going to be everything.” When she gets back to Konoha, Sakura is going to pitch every last bag of jerky currently sitting in her kitchen cabinet. It’s not that Suna’s jerky tastes bad. In fact, the strips of meat are thick cut and heavily seasoned; coriander, ginger, garlic, cumin, and something else that Sakura can’t identify spread over the meat, the coating thick enough it leaves her fingers stained faintly orange.   Temari sighs. She tilts head back, face turning towards the rapidly darkening sky. Twilight turns the desert into something from a story book, painting the sand dunes with jewel tones. “Sand Shrews aren’t usually active this time of year.”   “Right. That much I’ve gathered.” Sakura is fast running out of nearby spider grass. “They’re supposed to be down in their tunnels right now.”   “We’ve had to deal with two separate rouge groups from Kumo.”   “You think they have something to do with this?”   “I think any animal can turn violent if their home is destroyed. You can’t control the desert. But…you can influence it.” Temari all but sighs out the last few words. She sounds tired. She looks tired. “If the Kumo shinobi destroyed the tunnels, even accidentally, it could have sent the Sand Shrews into a rage.”   Sakura flicks her burnt out cigarette into the dwindling fire. She abandons her attempt to keep it going in favour of moving closer to where Temari is sitting. “Great. So they aren’t just active earlier than they should be, they’re pissed off.”   “Probably.”   “That change what we need to do?”   “Nope. Our goal is to subdue them. They’re either going to smarten up and go back under ground, or Suna’s going to have an excess of meat this month.” Temari slides off her fan, rolling onto her back and pillowing her head on her arms.   Sakura mimics the action, though she’s a little further down. Her elbow brushes against Temari’s side. “Does it give us a plan?”   Temari cracks another tooth baring grin. “Not even in the slightest.”

  They leave at half past midnight, fire firmly put out and jerky carefully packed back up. Sakura stays a few steps behind Temari out of habit – she wants another smoke and doesn’t  want to deal with the sour looks her team-mates generally shoot her way.   The only good thing about this mission is that there’s an easy trail to follow. The mounds left behind by the Sand Shrews are nearly five foot across; this thick, rippled tracks that cut straight through one side of the towering dunes and out the other. Even this late at night, the heat is stifling. It’s the middle of summer and Sakura isn’t used to this sort of weather. Even Konoha at their hottest doesn’t compare.   Sweat runs in rivulets down the back of her neck. When they stop for a drink, the water tastes stale and tinny. Sakura wipes her face off on her hand. “Okay,” she says, between gulps of water. “What’s our plan?”   Temari blinks at her. “Our plan?”   “When we find them,” clarifies Sakura. She puts the cap back on her canteen, double checks to make sure it’s screwed on tightly. “How do we deal with these things?”   “Honestly?” Temari looks more amused than anything else, all toothy grin and half-squinted eyes. “I have no fucking idea.”   “No idea.”   “No idea.” A shrug. Temari takes another swig out of her bottle. “We’ve never had rampaging Sand Shrews before. Like I said, they usually just stay dormant until birthing season. And then we don’t have problems with them as long as we don’t mess with their pups. This is uncharted territory.”   Sakura trades the water bottle out for another cigarette. “Okay…so…are we trying to kill them, stun them, scare them off? Because I’m thinking these tracks are getting fresher, and we should have some idea of – “   “Don’t you think I know that? Stop acting so damn high and mighty. You’re the only reason we’re even having this problem!” Temari slams her canteen back in its leather holster. She takes a threatening step forward, jabbing a finger at Sakura’s chest. “Suna has never had problems with Kumo before. This shit’s only started happening because we’ve got a stronger allegiance with Konoha and they hate your village.”   “Excuse me?” Sakura reels back. Smoke seeps out between her chapped lips. “Are you really blaming these rats on Konoha?”   “Yes! Kumo and Konoha have been at each other’s throats for years. Everyone knows it. Your old Hokage might have tried to keep the Hyuga Incident under wraps, but word travels fast and it travels loud.” Temari’s eyes narrow. Blonde hair clings to her forehead. The kohl under her eyes has been smeared, making her look even more exhausted than she had been before they left the white stone walls of Sunagakure. “Do you really think Gaara’s done something in the last two years to completely ruin our relations with them? We rely on trade with Kumo for a lot of our goods. We wouldn’t fuck it up on purpose.”   Sakura shakes her hand so hard that the cherry comes off the end of her cigarette. She takes a step forward, too, meeting Temari halfway. This isn’t the time or the place to be hashing out politics but sometimes it’s exactly what needs to be done. “Suna’s the one allying with us. That’s a decision Gaara made – “   “ – kazekage to you – “   “ – and it’s a damn good one – “   “ – funny, because we’ve had trade cut back from Konoha – “   “ – that’s because we’re in a draught and nothing’s growing you self centered – “   “ – go on, finish that fucking sentence – “   There.  A crackle, barely heard under the sound of their own voices. Something shifts to Sakura’s right, barely in line with her peripheral vision. She focuses on Temari, keeps her brows furrowed, her lips pursed. “I’ll finish my sentence alright. You’re a self centered – “   Temari draws herself up, shoulders going stiff. One hand shifts, fingers reaching towards the grip of her fan.   There’s another burst of static. It’s louder this time, coming from the opposite side. Temari’s gaze flickers towards the sound, but just for a half-second. Then she’s back, glare that much more fierce. A single finger taps against the wood of her fan.   Tap.   Tap.   Tap.   Sakura blinks back at her, twice, and drops the cigarette. “Bitch,” she finishes, spitting the word out like acid. “Coming out here and helping you with this isn’t my job. I’m supposed to be here on a diplomatic role. You can’t even bring yourself to be grateful!”   “Grateful?” Temari wrinkles her nose. She takes a half-step backwards, rocking onto her heels. This time, when the crackle of electricity flares, it doesn’t end. Three bolts of sharp white light come surging out of the dunes. Temari closes her fingers completely around the grip of her fan, pulling it off her back and swiping it open in a single practiced flick of her arm. Hot wind catches on the reinforced paper and Sakura hunkers down close to Temari’s side.   Two bolts of lightning hit the fan and fritz out with an ear splitting pop. The third catches on the wind gust and surges to the left, exploding into the golden earth.   Temari’s grin is toothy and feral. “I’m grateful that the dumbasses in Kumo can’t tell a trap any better than a hare could.”   Sakura straightens back up, pushing pink bangs out of her face. Her grin is just as sharp as Temari’s. “What do you accept, Temari? They’re about as brave as a hare. Can’t even keep their hitae-ate on for a stunt like this.”   The thunder clap arrows were a dead give away for the exact locations of the enemy shinobi. It’s a smaller group than Sakura had been expecting – two shinobi and a kunoichi, with black bandanas in place of a village hitae-ate. Kumo is famous for sending out military forces under the guise of a rogue nin, just in case the mission flunks.   The Kumo kuniochi sneers. She’s tall and lanky, with scars littering her bared arms that bely many, many battles. “You think you’re in any position to mock us? You couldn’t keep a cool head while you were tracking rodents.”   Temari lowers her fan, letting the open weapon rest lightly on the ground. “Actually, we figured out that you were following us last night.”   “I’ve got a nose for genjutsu,” says Sakura, innocently. She slips a kunai out of her pouch, holding it just slightly above her hip. “And Temari knows this part of the desert better than anyone. Trying to sneak up on us was stupid.”   Of the two shinobi, one is clearly younger. More rash, too, if the way he snarls and rushes forward means anything. His hands flick through seals and suddenly there is lightning forming in the palm of one hand. “Lightning Spear!”   White shocks of light twist into the vague form of a lance. It fries the air that it cuts through, splitting it into the ozone that belies a great storm. A burst of chakra surges to the bottom of Sakura’s feet as she propels herself forward, shoulder hitting the ground in a smooth roll. Temari’s fan is quick to dispel the bolt of electricity once more, and Sakura aims as she pops out of her roll, twisting around to let her kunai fly.   The shinobi jerks backwards at the last minute. A deep cut scores the side of her shoulder all the same. “Fuck!”   “Use your damn head,” snarls the older shinobi, eyes narrowed and dark hair pulled back in an unkempt bun. “We’re here for a reason! Remember our goal, Itsubana!”   “Goal, huh? You mean you’re not just out here trying to get some sun?” Temari raises her fan again. She flips through a series of one-handed seals. “That’s new to me. Well, why don’t you let us help you with whatever you’ve got planned? We’re pretty handy in a pinch.” The second circle on the fan glows. When Temari slashes out with it, sharp blades of wind surge away from it. “Wind saw!”   The blades head towards Itsubana, who’s suddenly scrambling to get out of the way, arms held up in front of his face. At the last moment, they veer to the right, catching the kunoichi in their gale. She screams and Sakura takes the moment for what it is, lunging at her with a knife-hand strike, following up with an uppercut punch, a sharp knee to the gut.   Blood pours from shredded skin. The kunoichi’s hand is trembling when she grabs at a kunai of her own, snapping a hand out in a desperate strike. Her panic lets Sakura step around it smoothly – a crackle of electricity behind her, a cut off male scream – and then Sakura’s chakra coated elbow is slamming into the back of the kunoichi’s neck.   She crumples like a rag doll and doesn’t get back up.   It’s just the older Kumo shinobi, then. He’s drawn dual blades, each one black as sin with twists of metal hanging off the pommel. When he bares his teeth, they’re coated with the desperation that always comes with being the last man standing. “Don’t act like you’ve won. Those two aren’t anything special. They’re skills are shit compared to mine.”   “And you brought them along anyways. Right.” Temari takes a step forward, letting her half-closed fan drag over the sand behind her. Golden granules coat the white paper. “That’s believable.”   “Their only job was to wake up the shrews.” He holds one of the swords in front of his face, pointing the blade at Temari. “It’s my job to apprehend the Kazekage’s sister.”   Sakura snorts, shakes out her hand. The sunlight glints off the metal on her wrist bracer. “Wow. That’s what all of this was about? You guys are even more stupid than I thought.”   “Kumo really sent three shinobi for that? Is your village really that desperate?” Temari holds her free hand up in front of her chest, fingers slipping into the tiger seal.   The response is automatic. “Kumo didn’t send us.” He takes a step backwards, scraping his swords together. The black metal produces a quick, popping spark. “We’re unaffiliated.”   “Yeah, that’s so believable.” Sakura funnels chakra into her hands, knocks her fists together. “You think we’re that stupid?”   “It doesn’t matter what you think. The fact remains I’m not affiliated with Kumo…and you’re not leaving here!” The last word is more of a growl than anything else. He lunges forward, heading straight for Temari, swords clanking together until they are covered in some sort of static.   She flings her fan forward, flipping through two more seals. Hot air wraps around the sand that had been clinging to the blade, propelling it forward like miniature bullets. The shinobi slices through them with broad, electric wrapped arcs of his swords. He drops onto one knee, skidding to Temari’s left, and swiping at her leg.   She barely jumps out of the way fast enough to keep her leg and Sakura darts forward in her stead, slamming a fist against the ground hard enough to make it shake. The loose sand is a disadvantage to most of her more powerful attacks – it’s hard to cause pits to open up when there’s no earth to crack, impossible to send up anything but a shock wave of blinding, choking sand.   The only good thing is that the Kumo shinobi isn’t used to fighting here, either, and the sand swallows his attacks instead of carrying them, and the wind from Temari’s fan is cutting, and the two kunoichi trade sharp, feral grins from across the way because this?   This is going to be easy.

  When all is said and done, Sakura drops down onto the ground, a heap of limbs and hair and blood that is anything but graceful. There’s a nasty cut on her left shoulder, fingers still trembling, just a little bit, from the static shocks. “That sucked.”   Temari drops down next to her, chest still heaving. The fan is closed back up, but left lying a few feet away. “I can’t believe those dumbasses really fell for that.”   “I mean, they did think that waking up a bunch of shrews would be enough of a distraction to get you out here.” Sakura drops backwards, instantly regrets it because the sand is hot and burning. She sits back up with a grimace.   With a breathless laugh, Temari brushes the sand of Sakura’s back. “Kankuro and Baki probably have the Shrew’s put back under. I’d say the retrieval team will be here in – “ Temari glances upwards, to the vulture summon circling over the bound Kumo shinobi. “ – ten minutes, tops. We can just head back to Suna if you want.”   “Gods, yes.” Sakura lurches to her feet and then shoves a hand at Temari, pulling the blonde up too. “I want lunch before we report in. And I don’t want gizzards.”   This time, the laugh is a little more steady. Temari throws an arm around Sakura’s shoulder. “What, you sick of Gaara’s favourite dinner already?”   “I never thought that I would say this,” says Sakura, solemn as she can manage, even with her sand-caked lips pulled back into a grin. “But I’d even take ramen at this point!“

[jessjessjojess]

2018. A mixed bunch.

Settle in for quite a story children... 

So its pretty early in the year for one of these yearly roundups (I can guarantee I’ll be doing another one in like December) but I have the extra time on my hands, so why not. 

2018 can seriously get stuffed, but then also (after I’ve meditated and thought about it) have a little (actually minuscule) cuddle. Let me clarify, this year has been absolutely shite, but it’s given me a lot of time (many thousands of hours) to reflect on who I am, who I want to be, and what I should do. Sense a common theme, its I, of course it is because I’m a millennial (or the one that comes right after that one) so I’m very egotistical (I’m working on it, I bought a book). 

Let me give you a play by play, great January, did my usual tan, beach, sleep, repeat motto, with a splatter of sport in there for good measure. the problem came in February. It was my birthday (5th in case your wondering), and a girl came, we were pretty good friends, but we’d had a bit of an issue over a boy of course (I thought she was a snake, she thought I was pathetic, that fun stuff that girls do to each other because society tells us we are in competition with each other). Anyway she showed up to my dinner, (so did the boy because I suck) and she did not speak to me, which left me so pissed, at least have the decency to say happy birthday. So in response to this I said absolutely nothing (because I���m so freaking British), but I thought some awful things, (which of course left me with some really bad karma obviously displayed by the next weeks events). 

I have my birthday and my kids at school are cute and buy me presents and everything is great until the 8th February 2018, when I quite literally sat down and could stand up again. Skip to the 11th when I am in A&E with a broken ankle, FROM SITTING DOWN, 6 hours, a moon boot, and a pair of crutches later, I’m home not happy. So at this point I am just noticing what a joke my life is, when I realise I can’t drive, its my right foot, I can’t work, drive or walk, happy 23rd birthday Jess. I mean its not really that bad if it was a broken ankle but it wasn’t. One month later I still didn’t have a diagnosis, other than “it’s not broken, but the MRI is showing the joint is really not happy.” The rest of me wasn’t really jumping of the walls either. But let’s leave the ankle for now because 2018 had so much more instore for me.

You know the saying when it rains, it pours, weelllll I’d never really bought it until now, I mean it didn’t hail on me or anything but i was very freaking wet. We are into March now, I get a call from the hospital, I get excited thinking it’s about my ankle (note: it definitely wasn’t), which I still didn’t know what was happening with. I’ve been recommended for a Gastroscopy, (if you don’t what that is, its a camera on a tube that they put down your throat to look at your insides -sounds fun right? It’s not). They want me to have my gastroscopy next week, I have to explain I’m in a moon boot, they really don’t care, but I have something to take my mind of my ankle, this wild minor surgery that has appeared. All is sweet, I don’t really worry too much because its about my anaemia, which honestly is like the least of my health problems. Even the surgeon thinks its a joke that I’m there, quote “it’s weird your here, I probably won’t find anything, this seems extreme”. He was just filling me with confidence, which he promptly knocked down after surgery with “we found something, its not great, we need to run some further tests, you’ll hear from us this week. Oh and your have Coeliac Disease. CATCHYAAAAA.” Okay I embellished the end there, but that’s was it felt like. Upon a lot of googling the words on the piece of paper he handed me, Dr Google informed me I had 2 tumours in my stomach, and an auto-immune disease which meant that when i ate gluten (literally every meal), my body attacked itself. 

I had a week of absolute torture wondering what these tumours meant for my future (also had a breakdown in a supermarket when I realised that Cadbury chocolate may contain gluten!!), but then I got the call, yesssss they were all clear, but I was now booked in for a COLONOSCOPY in a months time. It was basically the same dealio as gastroscopy, but instead of the mouth they use your butthole. Now I’m no prude, people have seen my bum before, I mean I’ve had laser hair removal, but this felt so intrusive. Turned out the colonoscopy part is absolutely nothing, but the colon prep is a whole different ball game. I’m not going to get too gross, but I definitely felt VERY empty afterwards. ANYWAY colonoscopy is something I can check of the bucket list (not that it should ever be on there.) So they say bad things come in threes, I figure ankle, coeliac disease, and tumours, I’ve got to be clear right? NOPPPEEE they found another 2 tumours, I’ll cut to the chase quickly one was clear, one was pre-cancerous. Which means FUN I get to have colonoscopy every 3 years FOREVER, and if you missed it before I’m 23, so thats a whole lot of butt stuff! 

After March, I spent most of April moping, as I couldn’t work, or drive myself anywhere, in the self pity of my bedroom. In May though I finally got to see an ankle specialist, 10 weeks after going into the moon boot, who confirmed I would need ankle surgery. I was torn because I finally had a solution, but i knew I would still have to wait some time for the surgery, in fact almost 3 months. FINALLY on August 3rd I went under for my ankle arthroscopy and reconstruction, I was rapped. Lets be honest surgery and recovery are pretty shit, but at least I was in recovery now and I could get back to normal soon. 

That’s all the bad stuff out of the way now to talk about what made my 2018 a mixed bunch. I’m a high school maths and science teacher at the moment, and don’t get me wrong I love the teaching part of my job, I could spend everyday in the classroom, and never feel like I was working a day. However, I’m a bit like Australia, I’m not very good a politics. As a young woman, who is pretty driven, strong-willed, and kind of loud, I’d never had to deal with too much politics in the workplace. I’d been in hospitality at a theme park for the 5 years prior, as long as you weren’t obviously drunk when you showed up for your shift you were good. But in a school, especially one as big as mine there is a lot of people to please, and not all of those people have opinions and values that match yours, which can be a bit shit to be honest. As I mentioned before I’m not a shy girl, my entire life I’ve been called bossy, annoying and assertive, but I’m rude and I would never go out of my way to make someone else uncomfortable,  but that was not the opinion others had of me. This something we struggle with everywhere, women who are confident and driven are seen as arrogant, and “stuck-up”, and I was a bit sick of it. I started to look inwards towards the end of May, what did I want from life, who did I want to be, and what kind of legacy did I want to leave behind. The answer to most of these questions was not teaching, and I started to think back to high school and university, remembering my dream of becoming a surgeon, and as i did this i realised that was still something I was really passionate about. 

Goals and dreams are such difficult things to deal with, because once you starting thinking about it, it’s like giving away a part of you, you want it so bad you don’t know how you cope if you fail. But here’s the thing I’m learning it’s hard to reach for your dreams but if you don’t give it a crack then you’ll never know, it will always be playing on the back of your mind. I made the decision to start working towards getting into medical school, it’s not going to be easy it’s going to be a lot of work, and a long time coming, but when you feel something is right everything else is easier. 

We are definitely into the second half of the year now, and I’m definitely feeling more positive, I’m happier and lighter to be working towards something I’m passionate and excited about. My next focus is going to be on inner stillness, and finding myself in the present, focusing on living in the now, while creating a better and more exciting future. Moral of this story is you can deal with shit and come out better and stronger, sometimes the hard times are exactly what you needed to create a better you. Be your own role model, work hard, love hard, treat yo’self, and love yo’self. 

Well, if anyone made it this far, thanks for reading my story, I would love any ideas, feedback or advice you guys may have, and I will update you again probably in December!  

[studyfeather]

Hi!! I was wondering if you had any advice for a newbie studyblr / bullet journalist ?

Hello there, lovely anon!! ♥ I actually joined the studyblr community pretty recently (just this month!) so I hope I can answer your question well /// !! Since I’m pretty new, there’s still quite a bit I have yet to learn myself! 

➸ advice for a new studyblr

Don’t be afraid to just start. 

Honestly! There’s no need to feel insecure about your posts, spreads, handwriting, picture quality, stationary - everyone in the studyblr community is so sweet and positive and helpful I begin to feel spoiled. I hope you do to!

Don’t feel self conscious about anything. You’re beautiful, wonderful, and perfect just the way you are. There is no better you than you!

Stop comparing your posts and blog to other people’s. There’s a lot for you to learn, and it won’t all come immediately. Notes, followers - it takes time. 

Reach out to other studyblrs!! 

Say hi, send asks, make friends! Make comments on other’s posts, send compliments or help where you can. Just being active in the community can help you get attention but also give you a wonderful time. A studyblr is to help you grow, and this is a great way to keep you motivated in doing so.

Along the same line, try to find ways to interact with your followers!

Tags, Tags, Tags! 

A lot of studyblrs will track a tag and will often reblog your content if you tag your original posts with it! You can find out what tag to put by checking out a studyblr’s page (for example, I track #studyfeather). You can make a list for yourself if that helps! (: But try not to be too overwhelming or overuse it. Maybe switch up which tracked tags you use from post to post. 

Make a tag for you to track! It would make sense that if you’re using tracked tags to make one for yourself to spread the love. 

Have a tag that is specific to your original content (mine is #featherpost)!!! It will make it nice and easy for those who come across your blog to find what you’re posting about. Having original content helps others have more interest in your blog!

A lot of what you are reblogging can serve as a resource for yourself. I like to reblog posts that inspire me, or have spreads I might try, masterposts, etc. If its important for you to find what you’re reblogging for later, make a tag system for yourself. For example, heres @ / studypetals’ tags page or @ / studyquill’s navigation page if you need any ideas. This is a great idea if other people begin using your blog as a resource as well. 

Take advantage of all the information you see. 

There are so many posts that address procrastination, time management, stress, note taking, school - anything at all - that is made available to you. It’s one thing to see the information, but it’s another to make use of it. (And don’t be afraid to share your knowledge either!) You can even make posts about trying out different advice if that helps motivate you to try something out.

Make an introductory post!

Help others get to know you better by putting together an introductory post! It’s never too late to make one, so don’t worry about making one if your blog has been up for a bit.

From what I’ve discovered, introductory posts tend to have the following information (not every one has ALL of this, it’s up to you what you’d like to add): name, age, school year, why you started a studyblr, your classes, some of your favorite studyblrs, other blogs you have (and other sites you’re on), any anything else you’d like to say/add. 

If you use tracked tags or tag studyblrs you love, it can help get your blog noticed! (:

Post original content!

I touched on this earlier, but this is so important. One of the best ways for your studyblr to succeed is posting your own work and sharing it to the community. You never know how many people will love it, be inspired by it, follow you from it, or contact you because of it.

Be fairly consistent in posting original content. I try to post at least once a week even though I’m pretty busy. It helps motivate me to keep my bujo and studyblr going! You can try out the 100 days of productivity or some studyblrs put together monthly study challenges you can keep up with. As an example, here’s a May Study Challenge I might try out!

In posting original content, make sure you link information you’re referencing to help others that much more!

Queue your posts!!

A great way to keep your blog active is to queue your posts. I have my posts queued at 10 each day and try to keep at least 20 posts in my queue at all times, in case a couple of busy days keep me from adding more. Some people unfollow inactive blogs - and this can be a way to prevent it. 

The only thing I don’t queue are original posts and asks, but it’s up to you if you decide to use the queue system or not!

➸ advice for a new bullet journalist

Real quick!! I would advise taking a look at the bullet journal’s official website to help understand the basics of bullet journaling. 

It’s designed to be quick and customizable way for you to keep information and tasks organized. A great way to make use of this (that I’ve found) is to make a key for each of your logs. You can see my key here. You can also search tumblr for bujo keys to see what others have come up with. If you do want to make a key, make it so that it works for you!  It can be as simple or detailed as you want, with or without signifiers, etc. If you don’t like this system, that’s just fine!

Discover different journal options and where to find them.

There is no set journal to use, however there are popular choices among the studyblr community: Moleskine, Leuchtturm1917, and Muji journals - but it is NOT limited to these. Working with a regular notebook works just fine as well! 

It’s one thing to find and purchase something online - but I like being able to find what I’m looking for in person. It saves shipping + handling costs, and I get to it immediately. And, sometimes, they can be cheaper too! I found my moleskine journal I’ve been using at Barnes and Noble, and have also seen Leuchtturm1917 journals at my school’s book store. (The temptation is real every time I walk past OTL) 

Your bullet journal is for you, so let’s make it that way.

A big part of having a studyblr is to help yourself in becoming more productive in learning and improving a lifestyle (or this may just be how I see it). So! There is no set format for you to use a bullet journal. It’s up to you to figure out what works best for you.

You can take inspiration from other people’s post to help experiment with different spreads and layouts. (Be sure to credit/tag if you do! Just to be safe.) 

You can find out different things that you can add to your bujo! Habit trackers, daily/weekly/monthly/yearly spreads, lists of things to keep track of (books to read, tv shows and episodes to watch, shopping/wish lists, bucket list, etc), anything you’re interested in. Depending on your interests and areas you wan’t to use a bujo to help you with, this can vary. If you want, you can test out different ideas to see if you like it or not. It will take time to find what you like, so don’t stress about it in the beginning. You’re just starting, after all!

There is always something for you to do, it’s just a matter of finding out what that is. If you need any help of finding something to do, feel free to message me! (As long as you don’t mind me asking a bunch of questions haha.)

Don’t be afraid to use pencil first when making your spreads.

Me being me, trusted myself to use pen right off the bat. Boy, do I regret that XD It got to the point where I purchased an erasable pen but I’m finding nothing can beat pencil before pen. But before you erase the pencil - make sure the pen has dried. I can’t stress this enough. I’ve gotten impatient multiple times and go ahead to erase, and instantly wished I hadn’t. You can try to find pens that prevent this from happening, but waiting is the best alternative. Something you can do is make a spread at night, and wait to erase when you wake up in the morning. You can keep your bujo open to the page you worked on for it to dry better.

You don’t need any fancy or expensive stationary.

Seeing the pastel highlighters, wide variety of pens and miscellaneous tools it’s easy to think you need to have it all but . . . you don’t have to have any of it. Especially if you are low on funds, don’t worry about getting anything new. Just work with what you have! I have been using pens I’ve owned for years and have hardly touched to see what I can do with them and am pleasantly surprised! I have a bunch of supplies that I have gotten for school that haven’t been used that I plan on finally putting to use. 

Your basic school supplies with notebooks, highlighters, pens and pencils, post it notes, can take you as far as you wish!

Having a difficult time coming up with a spread? Here’s some ideas! 

Try out different hand written fonts. This can include headers/titles and subheaders/subtitles. Try headers, banners, and dividers too! Here’s some different ideas: x | x | x | x

Give your spread a theme. Disney, movie, music, history, art, cartoon shows, books - anything at all! This can help with finding art to fill in blank spaces to give your spread some more interest. Here’s a post with a bunch of ideas you could use.

Colors! Try out different color combinations! Being an art student, I’m overly conscious of colors. They can help set a mood, evoke certain emotion, some colors work best with others (be smart when using complimentary colors), etc. Here’s a site that covers basic color theory. But . . . this is me being nerdy. This can take quite a bit of thought - but you honestly don’t have to (: !! It’s best if you stick to one or two colors within a page not to overwhelm what others are seeing, especially if you’re wanting to keep things minimal. If you want me to go deeper into this, and talk more about contrast and whatnot . . . I can make a separate post as not to clutter this one ♥

Make goals for yourself! This can be included in a habit tracker, but doesn’t need to be. They can be as small as going on a 20 minute walk each day during this week, being sure to stay hydrated, doing something with a family member or friend, completing or starting a big project or assignment, etc. 

Find some quotes and add them! Here’s some quote masterposts I’ve come across: x | x | x | x

When taking pictures, be conscious of lighting.

The best kind of lighting is natural lighting. Taking pictures outside (or inside) during the day will help your image quality! I know before I said picture quality doesn’t matter much, but this can be a simple and easy way to help improve your posts. 

If natural lighting isn’t helping you the way you want, you can take a look at different apps with photo editing capabilities or filters. I have a horrible app finding ability, and just use Photoshop (you can get PS CS2 for free here) or Clip Studio Paint to edit my photos. My favorite tool to use is the tone curve. However you can see this post to look at other options, like apps (it also links to other posts you can look at)!

Have a good time!

Honestly, I feel this is what it boils down to. As long as you are enjoying what you’re doing and continue to have a passion for studyblr related content, you’ll succeed. Don’t stress about it and take one post at a time.

I’ll start putting together a post of how I started my studyblr in case that may help as well! Thank you for asking, anon! Hopefully this helps, and that I was able to cover everything! T o T Sorry I kinda went on a bit of a tangent in some areas.

[dailyaudiobible]

04/26/2019 DAB Transcript

Judges 6:1-40, Luke 22:54-23:12, Psalms 95:1-96:13, Proverbs 14:5-6

Today is the 26th day of April. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It’s great to be here with you at the conclusion of another work week. Boy we are winding our way down the month of April and we’ll finish up this month. We’re moving our way through the book of Judges, which is, of course, where we are now. We learned of the judge Deborah yesterday and today from the English Standard we’ll read Judges chapter 6 and meet the judge named Gideon.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in the book of Judges today we met Gideon. And this is a famous story, you’ve probably heard the story of Gideon before, at least if you grew up in the church at all. So, we met Gideon and we began one of these incredibly counterintuitive stories in the Old Testament. Things had gotten really hard for the children of Israel again, right? They abandoned God and then and then they're delivered over into the hands of their enemies, which invariably would happen. This is how it would go naturally but it's also what God warned against. And, so, they fell into the hands of the Midianites who oppressed them severely. Every year they would sow their crops to feed their people throughout the land but as the harvest approach than the Midianites the Amalekites would come in in caravans and pillage and feast and destroy everything that's left. So, they were like a yearly plague that would come and basically leave the people of Israel starving. And, so, the Israelites were forced to grab what they could and hide in caves and strongholds and try to survive, which is where we met Gideon. He was threshing out wheat at the bottom of winepress to stay hidden from the Midianites when an angel appeared and told that God was with him. And even though this story is thousands of years old Gideon's response is the same kind of response that happens even today, it's a contemporary response - “really, if the Lord is with us, then why is all this happened to us”. Right? “Where are the miracles that we were told about, that our ancestors told us. Where’s that story?” And, so, we see that the issues that surfaced in the Bible are the same issues that we face, they just have different clothes on, they just happen at a different time and in a different culture, but the Bible is surfacing these issues because they are in us and God's response to Gideon's lack of conviction of faith is what He’s still saying today, “go with strength that you have, I am sending you.” And, of course, Gideon does just like Moses did and starts a list of reasons why it can't happen, why he can’t do it, right? Who is his tribe? Who is his clan? He's from the smallest family from the smallest…he’s like…he's giving all of the excuses and God just tells him, “I will be with you.” Of course, we’re just getting going in the story and the story will have to play out before us in the coming days but if we can remember that, “I will be with you” then what else…what else do we need if it is God that's doing the scenting? And, of course, God gave some signs to Gideon so that he could discern that he really was in fact being called and sent to do this task.

Prayer:

Father, we often forget that piece, “I will be with You”. It’s like the last piece of the puzzle for us often when it really should be the first and only piece of the equation. We should very, very easily be able to say, “if You're not going this direction, I'm not going. Wherever You're going…if You're gonna be with me, that's the only thing I need to know”. But so often it's is the one thing that we doubt the most, that You are with us. And, so, Holy Spirit come. As we watch Gideon's story, as we watch the counterintuitive ways of it we see these patterns appear in the Bible, we see the responses to them, and we see that our own hearts are being revealed into it, our own doubt and fear is being exposed. And, so, we invite You. Come Holy Spirit, show us where You are leading, that we are released to go with what we have with the strength that we have because You are sending us and You will be with us. Come Jesus we pray. In Your mighty name we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, its where you find out what’s going on around here. So, be sure to stay tuned and stay connected.

This is a busy weekend for our family because…ahhh…I can’t even…I can't even hardly say it out loud…because China will be getting married tomorrow. And if she’ll let us, we’ll post a picture or two of that out on social media. She’s kind of grown up in the bubble here, and she's wanted a very private wedding. And, so, that's what she's having  with just a few friends out on a farm and it’ll be beautiful and we’ll have to practice. We’ll have to rehearse all of that today, which…yeah…I don't know…I’m pretty stoic, pretty even, pretty steady person. I usually feel…feel the emotion of a situation much later after it happens. So, I don't know, I may get through this just fine and be a basket case next week or I may be full of emotion or it may be fine. I think she's a wise young woman who has given her life to being invested into the Scriptures every day for her entire childhood. So, I have to believe that the Lord has been speaking to her all of these years, and I do believe that, and that He is in and among all of this and this will be a beautiful union. So, thank you for your prayers as Jill and I kinda turn into this transitional next couple of days. We are profoundly excited, excited for all of this and yet it's bittersweet when you think back of your…over the life of your child and realize, you know, they're starting their own story. So, thank you for your prayers over that.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There is a link that lives on the homepage. If you're using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that is it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi Daily Audio Bible, my name’s Archie I’m 22 years old I’m from London this is my first time calling. I’m quite nervous but I’d just like to thank the lady who introduced me to the Daily Audio Bible I can’t remember her name, but I remember towards the new year I was praying for God to sort of give you a sign and to give me hope that I can have a stronger relationship with him. I wanted to have a strong relationship with him and the third day of January I met a woman who introduced me to the Daily Audio Bible and I haven’t missed a day since. I’d just like to thank Brian, I’d like to thank the community for always staying connected and teaching us new things and sending in prayer requests. I’d like to send out a prayer request for my exams, I’ve got exams coming up, I’m in my final year at University. I’m hoping to, you know, pursue other goals and stuff within like music and radio and I’d like to receive your prayers for that, just to sort of have the confidence and desire in the pursuit of things that God has planned for me. I’d also like to pray for the woman whose father I believe is suffering from cancer for the fourth time and she’s having problems as well. And I pray that God blesses you and I pray that God protects you and just keep on pushing, keep on going. It’s at these difficult times that God really works and puts things in our lives. I’d also like to pray for Nick as well. As a young person it is difficult sometimes to keep faithful because of all the fleshly things that are in the world but brother I pray that, you know, that everything goes well and right in your life, and you have a community here that supports you. And, you know, listening for the first time this year ever has been something that’s been so amazing and being connected with everyone. So, thank you so much guys. I appreciate it. Love you Brian, I love the whole community and I hope to meet you guys soon. Bye.

Hey guys this is Mike calling from New York City and I’m gonna ask for prayer for my old best friends family, the __ in New Jersey. Yeah, my best friends niece, his sister’s daughter who is 17 killed herself last week with the holiday and the wake is going to be Thursday, funeral Friday. And then, you know, it’s just pretty tragic, that kind of stuff in general. I just pray for the family that they can come to comfort each other and not fall into their own depression and demonic attacks. Pray that they come to know you __, that they come to seek You and seek something more and that Jesus answers, that they can ask and find. And I just pray for…it’s a very difficult week and it’s gonna get harder emotionally. And __ done. Alright, thank you.

Hi, this is Julie and I’m calling to thank you all for praying for my brother Juan who had a blood clot on his lungs. He’s doing very well. Keep praying for his salvation and encouragement. Speaking of encouragement, I feel very hopeless today. I’m sad because when my husband died it seems like things sort of went kaput and alot of the kids are taking it very hard and even though it’s been a few years. And especially I would like prayer for Kimberly and Kristin who are my older daughters that really are struggling with their faith and really don’t want to have anything to do with the family. I just want to be an encouragement to them an encouragement to the rest of the family to keep reaching out, but I really need wisdom on how do I reach out when they don’t really want to hear from me? So, I hear other moms calling in with broken hearts over their kids and it just really encouraged me to call in. So, know that I’m praying for you all too. Thank you. Bye-bye.

Hi, my name is Kyla from Texas. I’ve been listening to Daily Audio Bible for about a year now and I’m a born-again Christian for a little bit over a year and I am trying my best to follow the right path of God but I’ve come across a lot of struggles just like I’m sure a lot of you guys have. But right now, I am praying, or  I’m asking for you guys prayers as I’m going through like my mother would call my wilderness as far as my health wise. I’ve been struggling with my left ear, ringing in my ears. And it’s been to the point where I feel so…how do I say…it’s like…I don’t want to get depressed. I’ve gone to the doctor. I have a doctor’s appointment, an ENT doctor tomorrow. I’m taking medication left and right and I just don’t want to go to that anymore. So, I’m just asking for you guys to please, please pray for me for so that this may all go away and I thank you guys for your time and God bless. Bye-bye.

[missnicolealways]

Cataclysm ~ Chp 1-3

Chapter 1                                          Year 2470

 Shaeden woke up with her face in the book she was reading. She loved to read. Reading anything from old fantasy novels to botany books; and at a phenomenal rate. She could get through seven to nine books in one week. Some of it is research for her position in Raven Rock while others were simply for pleasure. She had always been different from everyone else in everything she did.

Shaeden was one of the predecessors, a rare person in their society. There were only three predecessors in all of the bunker. There was the one they called the Elder, Shaeden’s mentor, and a younger boy named Colt.

As babies are born they get an initial shot of Radcon. Every once in a while, the Radcon not only boosts the immune system to deflect radiation but also gives the host an extra ability to learn at an increased rate. There has never been more than three people alive with the extra ability at any given time. The council had decided a long time ago to separate the predecessors out from normal education and allow a freer range of development. The Elder was always the one to share the stories of before the cataclysm and it was Shaeden’s job to remember all the details about the Crust. When the time comes for people to rebirth onto the Crust the vast knowledge of the past from predecessors is what will help them regain a solid foundation.

Shaeden found herself alone in the library, which was one of the biggest spots in the bunker. The library held all sorts of old books and art. It was open to the public at all times since the council wanted everyone to have access to educational materials from the past. Most knowledge shared within Raven Rock was digital. Messages from the council as well as newly written articles could always be easily found but with a bit more maneuvering there was a vast amount of digital information to access.

Her tablet beeped twice and then the recording played as it does every day, “Good afternoon Shaeden, it is your time for reflection. Thank you.”

Most of the population used smart contact lens instead of a tablet, but Shaeden liked the ability to have it in her hands instead of in her head. She got up and began heading to the reflection room. This was really an hour block of time where you are exposed to strong UV lights to keep the population’s vitamin D up. After research, they also found that the time spent meditating helped develop the hardwiring of your brain to allow for a smoother, easier flow of thoughts.

Shaeden turned out of the library and headed for the elevators. Reflection is on the first-floor closet to the Crust. Also on the first floor was agriculture, where all of the plants were grown as well as a fish hatchery and chickens. Everyone played a role here at Raven Rock and no matter your bloodline you could aim to be in just about any position you wanted. Of course, there was a balance system but you can constantly update your list of desired positions as they became available.

The Administration consisted of two platforms of power. First there was the Descendants of the President; it was believed that without their guidance we would not be alive today. The other half of the Administration were common everyday people. The spot to hold a position on the Council rotated among those who chose to put their name in the Elected Box. The drawings were held every six months as to maintain a constant flow of new ideas. They would pick names one by one until that box was empty, at which point they would move on to the second box. There were only two boxes, one they drew from and one placed in the library, where you could enter your name. The Council consisted of seven people with a minimum age of 23.

Shaeden’s thoughts were like a spider web where she would weave different thoughts together until the web was complete. This made her and excellent problem solver. As she entered the reflection room she walked over to her number, which was digitally displayed on her tablet and also on the ground under where the UV light hung. The room looked like sun spots in neatly lined rows. It held over four hundred spots which were in constant hourly rotation with five minutes in-between. Once you got used to where your spot was it became easier to achieve the five-minute goal.

Shaeden sat directly center of her sun spot and crossed her legs. She liked to begin in a meditation stance and then would rotate to lying down on her front and then back. The last five minutes she always spent stretching with her eyes closed reaching up to the light as if it were the sun. Shaeden stood tall with average body weight, and long red hair that ran down her back. Her face was pretty and always gave off a kind expression. Her eyes are what drew people in though; they were stark aqua blue. Many people didn’t talk to her, but those who did knew how her smile lit up her whole face.

Shaeden’s reflection time was right before supper. The Café, with its long wooden tables, would fill up quickly as soon as food was served. At times, the roar of four thousand voices could be deafening when all she wanted to do was eat in peace. Food was line style where you would pick up your premade plate and head to whatever seat you would like. She made her way to her friends. Her current problem to solve for the Council was how to make some new clothing designs. Ideally the outfit would require sleeves and pants that can be easily removed for reflection. Maybe if I can talk to agriculture, possibly up the hemp plants just for a while. Of course, they would need to take the space from some other crop. Her thoughts rambled on.

“Shae!” Shaeden looked up at the call of her nickname. With a smile, her thoughts receded as she approached her friends. “Shae, did you hear that Thorn got promoted into the sentinel?!” Iris exclaimed.

Iris was the chattiest in the group, she always knew the gossip. Iris was beautiful with deep brunette hair that fell into curls and eyes that were light grey. The others in the small group were Camilla and Autumn. Twins as fate would find it. Twins were the only exception to the one baby rule. They looked almost identical but Shaeden could always tell the difference. They went through different phases where they wanted to look nothing like the other but always came back to wanting to be the cute twins. Their skin was smooth and dark like cocoa and they had elegant facial structure. Currently they both had their hair cut short; they had heard gossip from Iris that you absorbed more vitamin D this way.

“No, I didn’t hear about Thorn. That is wonderful for him!” Shaeden replied. She and Thorn had grown up together. They were best friends all through childhood. I wonder why he didn’t come and tell me himself. Then again, we haven’t talked in quite a while, Shaeden thought.

Iris watched her, waiting for some kind of expression to expose how Shaeden felt about the whole thing. After a minute of realizing she couldn’t break Shae’s bubble Iris began to chatter off again. “Yeah, anyways, he is looking more and more attractive each year.” Poking more at Shaeden. Still no reaction. “But you know who else is in guard that I would love to have some one on one time with? Hawke!” Iris giggled with the twins. Iris went on chatting and they all tried to stay interested but it seemed like she could go on for hours.

“The yearly dance is coming up for the Den”, Iris stated.

The Den was a slang term for Raven Rock. Seemed to roll off the tongue easier. “I have already started scraping up materials to make my dress breathtaking.” Iris works in the sewing section of the clothing center. So, it seemed like she always had the best dress. Camila and Autumn then chimed in about their ideas for their dress. Shaeden tuned them out mostly since she never tried to be the most fashionable or one to stand out. Being a predecessor did that for her.

The Midnight Ball was the name for the special event that took place once a year. It was a chance for people to dress up and mingle together. The council implemented the idea shortly after coming to Raven Rock. The ball was a way to not only encourage happiness in a bleak situation but it also allowed people to meet others that may not share their schedule. They also used this as a way to form families, and pushed the fact that it was each individuals’ responsibility to have a child. Once a vow was taken, they would move you to the family living quarters. You would be fully encouraged to have a child. Once someone says their vows then they are partners for life.

After dinner Shaeden set out to go see her father and grandmother. All three of them lived in separate single living quarters. Each living quarter consisted of a small center area that could comfortably fit four people; a small bedroom with a bed and dresser off to the side, and a bathroom. Families got an extra bedroom and slightly larger living quarters.

Shaeden and her father always met at her grandmother’s and visited for about thirty minutes each day. Most families tried to stay connected and all of them generally assembled in the living space of the oldest relative. Shaeden could see her father up ahead waiting for her in a small corner, same as always. A smile found its way onto Shaeden’s face. she loved to spend time with her father and grandmother. Once her mom passed away, family time was something they found time for every day.

“Hey Buttercup!” Steele said.

“Hey Dad!”   Shaeden responded. Steele was tall and toned. He had short chestnut hair that was speckled with grey, and light blue eyes.

“I spent my day studying worms. How about you?”

“The council still has me working on a better design for everyday clothing. Something breathable and light but strong.” Shaeden replied with a sigh. “I thought about talking with agriculture to see what plant options we might have, but hemp seems to be the most viable option right now.”

“Well, we have a pretty strong group of silk worms. I almost have them modified to create the thickest, toughest silk yet. Maybe that’s something you could use?” Steele proclaimed as he and Shaeden walked down the hall toward the elderly living area. Most people worked until death, usually ending in a position as teacher or trainer. However, some people lose the physical ability to continue working.

“Worms - now that could be a great small source of materials.” Shaeden said smiling up at her dad.

“Exactly! We can breed them at a quick rate until we have a steady source. They produce copious amounts within a twenty-four-hour period.” Steel readily volunteered information to help as they strode up to Luna’s door.

“I will draw up some thoughts tomorrow.” Shaeden said as she knocked on the door.

“Good evening Sugar!” Luna exclaimed as she hugged Shaeden.

“Hey grandma.” Shaeden responded with a smile

“So good to see you Steele.” Luna said holding a big smile on her face the whole time. “This is my favorite time of day!” Luna was thin and short. She had white hair and golden eyes. Luna was Rosalean’s mom; Shaeden’s late mother. Steele had easily been adopted by Luna about 30 years ago, when Rosalean and he had gotten married.

Their conversation included new knowledge from the day and each other’s thoughts on the most recent news. Luna always had some sort of cookie or little cake that she had probably held on to from dinner. Raven Rock did not have a strict food policy and no one ever went hungry. Each living quarters had a cabinet for snacks or quick morning breakfast bars. If someone did not show up for work or dinner one of the ‘cheer’ nurses would come and visit with a hot meal. If you were found sick they would then sign you up for daily meals to be delivered as well as medicine depending on the severity of the sickness. If you were found too sick to be alone, you would then be taken to the sanitarium where further evaluations would take place.

As their conversations drew to a close, hugs were exchanged before Steele and Shaeden headed off to separate cabins. Living quarters were arranged by marital status and age. Only a couple of things could make you have to change living quarters. At eighteen you got assigned a room; having a family got you moved to the family section, and getting old or sick beyond work got you moved to the assisted living.  Shaeden finally made it to her door, went inside and dressed for bed. Around seven pm the lights changed from a bright white, to soft yellow. Eventually, around nine pm the same lights turned a soft blue which faded to black as the bed registered the change in body heat. The light settings could also be modified on your tablet. As she was sprawling out in her bed she looked around at the standard room. The walls were a soft green color and her dresser was made of canvas drawers in a metal frame. The lights dimmed to blue and Shaeden turned onto her side as she fell into a deep sleep.

   Chapter 2

 “Good morning, Thorn. The time is now seven am.” The lights slowly brightened to a soft blue. Thorn turned over and gently stretched his muscles awake. He sat up with his legs over the bed. He slowly rolled his head in a circle to stretch his neck. Thorn was tall with sandy blonde hair and soft caramel colored eyes. He had broad shoulders and muscle that showed he worked out. It was normal for Thorn to be stopped by many ‘damsels in distress’. Thorn was a part of the sentinel. The sentinel was the top group of the guard. The guard was the eyes and ears of Raven Rock. The guard ensured peace inside the walls whereas the sentinel focused on the outside of the walls and on special missions. Thorn was currently assigned to a new unit that was being trained an array of new skills. Those who did not make it through training became eliminated and would go back to regular guard duty.

As Thorn stood up he watched the tiles on the ground. As his feet touched the floor the tiles lit up to a light green. Thorn smiled, watching his steps never got old. The tiles in Raven Rock were kinetic energy tiles. The tiles absorbed the energy from each step taken by all of the populous. That was just one of the ways energy was sustained in Raven Rock. The beds also had heat absorbers to turn natural body heat into electricity. Over decades the scientists and some of the sentinel came up with a way to deploy the solar panels that had been built with the bunker. Raven Rock was also equipped with geothermal technology, so energy came directly from the Earth’s core. The bunker was also located on an underwater aquafer from which they drew some hydraulic power; but mainly it was their clean water supply.

Thorn walked over to his tablet and swiped it up onto the wall in the living area. Okay, daily schedule. Reflection this morning after breakfast then down to the sentinel headquarters. Thorn thought as he switched over to the news; Nothing different, he noticed as he scrolled through the feed. He turned and went into the bathroom to prepare for the day. Lastly, he put in his bionic contact lenses and his schedule settled into the top left corner of his vision. The lenses were customizable; slide shows of your family, the day’s food menu, your individual schedule, and articles were just a few things you could view while walking.  

After dressing and grabbing a quick breakfast bar, Thorn was out the door and on his way to reflection. The Den was made up of eight floors. The top floor belonged to food and agriculture as well as reflection time. The second floor was where all meals were prepared and where the dining hall was, as well as a large auditorium where the rare play may be held or speakers come and try to educate others in their field, also called ‘recruiting meetings’ by the teens at Raven Rock.

The third floor held ‘centers’, which is where individuals would go work to contribute in their own way to Raven Rock’s survival. Clothing, small kitchens for food experiments, and computer monitoring were just a few centers held in the Den. The descendants and council also met on this level in one of the larger sections with multiple rooms. Many people had to no idea what was down those hallways.  

On the fourth floor, there were classrooms for the children and the library. Study sessions also took place on this floor, so there were multiple empty research rooms in rows, for free use, anytime. The fifth and sixth floor contained the living quarters as well as a great room, equipped with cards, board games, and puzzles, among other things, for groups of friends to play. Both floors also had a gym with an array of equipment. Challenging exercises like rock climbing or balancing on a tight rope were Thorn’s favorite; although they had trampolines and basketball as well.

On the seventh floor were the labs and the sanitarium. In the labs, various scientists, normally in the top of their field, came together to fix energy problems, water issues, agricultural dilemmas, and experiment on new medicines. Most of the sentinel remained on the third floor but there was also a significant presence of them around the labs.

The eighth floor was reserved for the water chemist and evacuation. It was the strongest section of the bunker, in case of earthquakes or some other natural disaster. The water chemists ensure that clean water is always filtered through Raven Rock for human use. Water recycled from showers and sinks drained into a vat that would then clean the water for reuse on plants, among other things.

As Thorn entered reflection and headed toward his circle. He caught Iris out of the corner of his eye. She was waving at him with the biggest smile she could present. She seemed to be making it a point to talk to him more. He mainly kept to himself except for a couple guy friends. He managed to make it to his spot without being stopped and he pushed up his sleeves and pant legs to expose more skin to the sun. Thorn sat leaning back on his arms with his legs out in front of him as he closed his eyes to meditate.

“Thorn,” Iris said as she nudged him back to reality. It didn’t happen often but on occasion Thorn got trapped in his pondering. He opened his eyes in a casual way as if he meant to sit a bit longer than others.

“Iris,” he responded coolly. Her face turned into a smile.

“Just making sure you weren’t getting lost,” She said flirtatiously. “I heard you got a promotion, I would like to personally say, congratulations!”

“Thank you,” Thorn said as he stood up. “I’m not really sure of all the details yet but I’ll be glad to learn new things”

“Yeah, I always try to learn new things when I make clothing. Learning how to cut fabric, or if green really can go with blue.” Iris stood there looking up to the ceiling as if she was thinking, maybe, a bit too hard. The next group of people were entering for their reflection time. An automatic device sprayed the mat, down under the light, to eliminate any germs from being transferred.

“Well, I have to get to my next station, so I’ll see ya later.” Thorn stated to Iris and then headed out the door toward the elevators. Once inside he hit the number seven.

“Please place your eye before the senor to verify your identity.” Thorn looked into the blue light as it scanned his eyeball up and down.

“Access granted. Welcome back Thorn.” The automated computer system, Ava, ran most of the electronic interactions. Thorn stepped out on to level seven. The seventh floor was made of many hallways with doors, but the walls were a pleasant yellow and well decorated.

“Ava, please give me directions to my assignment,” Thorn said aloud. Ava could respond to requests on tablets or contacts. His top left schedule quickly changed to a map with a light red line indicating which corner should be taken next. Thorn arrived to sentinel lab 2311 and opened the door. He was greeted with smiles and hellos and he reacted accordingly.

“Alright guys, let’s get down to business now that the tardy person has finally showed up.” Ivy stated with a smile. Ivy was the instructor of the group. She was beautiful with long straight black hair and a sleek body type. Everyone took their seats and quietly awaited todays lesson. “Today we will be experimenting with fire. We will observe many plants burning and test to see if the smoke gives us any clues as to what type of plant it is. Also, we have come up with some new designs to ignite fire in almost any situation.”

Thorn was interested. He always enjoyed learning new things and it didn’t hurt that Ivy was the one teaching him. With the thought of learning new things, he was steadily reminded of Shaeden. She had taught him just about everything growing up and tutored him regularly so he could stay in the top of his class. Her father, Steele, had taught Thorn that it was okay to seek knowledge as a man, even though his own late father would constantly remind him of the opposite. Staring into the fire as plant after plant was burned he still couldn’t keep his thoughts far from Shaeden. She never did congratulate me, but I guess it only fair since I was the one to end communication, Thorn thought. Thinking of Shaeden only made him want to go see her more but he also took his position very seriously and having both did not seem like a viable option.

“Alright! This is the part I have looked forward to all day. Alden, could I please insist you be my volunteer for this next demonstration,” Ivy said.

“Absolutely,” Alden quickly responded. Ivy took out a large glass tank and filled it with water from the hose that came to the lab.

Ivy pulled out what looked like a small pack of paper. “These are matches. You may have heard of them from your history classes but they are the most efficient and reliable form of fire ever since the nineteen hundreds.” She opened the fold, “This is a standard pack. It comes with twenty-two individual matches.” She pulled out a box from the drawer of her desk and began passing the matches out for everyone to look at. “Okay. So, take the pack and break off a match. These matches are waterproof and today we will see if we can even light them underwater.” Ivy went on with the demonstration. Also, allowing everyone to light their own match. The match did light under the water. But for a shorter amount of time. She explained how matches were not made with the same material back then and how no one could light a fire in the rain. Rain… like a big shower. I can’t even imagine, Thorn thought as he tried to picture the earth and rain falling down on it.

Class came to a close and Ivy was sure to get all of the matches back. Thorn was the last one left cleaning up when Cedar walked through the door. “Ivy, listen to me, please,” Cedar said before noticing Thorn was still there. Cedar was one of the top agricultural scientists in the Den. As soon as he saw Thorn he uttered, “I’m so sorry, I did not see you there.” Cedar was lanky with brunette hair that looked like it may need to be cut by someone soon or it would be covering his eyes. He was a very kind-hearted man.

“No problem, just finishing cleaning up,” Thorn stated as he stood up and headed toward the door. “Have a good evening” he said with a small wave. As soon as he was out the door Cedar began to plea with Ivy, but Thorn had no interest in hearing other people’s problems.

Thorn headed to the dining hall for his dinner. Lunch had been brought to them in class but for dinner he would not be so lucky. The council insisted everyone eat as many meals as possible together so the community would form a strong bond. With this relationship in place with neighbors, the crime rates remained low. There are always troublemakers, but the more you know the person next to you the less you want to harm or take anything from them.

Thorn headed through the line and grabbed his plate. He saw his friend Flint sitting and talking with a group of the guard. “There is the man of the week,” Flint said. “How is class? No one is being a bully yet are they? Or are you the bully?” Thorn and the guys laughed. They all knew Thorn could not talk about classified information.

Flint was a doctor’s assistant in the sanitarium where they treated deeper problems than just the flu. He was tall with dark hair and dark eyes. Some of the guys went on to talk about the troublemakers they found that day. Most of the time they were under the age of 18. After dinner and a couple laughs Thorn said his goodbyes and headed out. He was on his way to the library to do some assigned research, when he saw Shaeden up ahead. Her face was buried in a book, which made Thorn grin. Well, there is no avoiding her this time, Thorn thought. He was not one to jump and dodge a situation should it occur.

Shaeden looked up and caught Thorn in her sight. Her breath got caught in her throat. Thorn smiled, “Hey Shaeden, how are you?”

“I am good.” Their walking came to a stop when they met in the middle of the hallway. “How are you? I heard about your promotion, congratulations!” Shaeden responded earnestly with a smile.

“Thank you. I’m just excited to be doing something different. Learning new things.” Thorn answered.

“Learning was always your favorite,” Shaeden grinned.

“Hey, listen, I’ve been thinking about the past a lot recently…”, Thorn stopped short as the alarms started to go off, which was a sign for the people to evacuate to the eighth floor. There was no one around them, not many people frequented the library and classes were out. It was just the reverberating sound of the alarm ringing off the walls. Thorn instinctively grabbed Shaeden’s hand and started to run. The earth was growling. It was an earthquake. And from the sound of it one of the largest ones since Shaeden and Thorn had been alive. As they ran down the hall chunks of rock fell from the ceiling. Some pieces so big it was almost like the bunker was trying to fall apart.

Thorn kept dodging rocks and leading them toward the stairs. Shaeden began to slow as the situation started to overwhelm her thoughts. She stopped and let go of Thorn’s hand for just a second. Thorn’s reflexes were incredible but not quick enough. He grabbed her hand and tried to pull her to his chest. The large rock was faster than Thorn’s pull and landed on Shaeden’s leg. She screamed in pain as the rock pinned her leg to the floor.

“I won’t leave you Shae, it’s going to be ok.” Thorn started to push at the rock until he was finally able to flip it off of Shaeden’s leg. Her leg looked bloody and the bruise was already starting to show. Thorn grabbed her up into his arms and continued to the stairs. Thorn’s mind was racing for a plan B, the stairs were still several halls down.

Shaeden looked up at Thorn, “in lab D4 there is a sound proof room for study purposes. It’s also a really strong, well-padded room.” Thorn nodded and ran toward the lab. The alarms were causing a thumping pain in Shaeden’s head as she tried everything to distract herself from it. She began to hum.

Thorn could see the pain writhed on Shaeden’s face. This was a sensory overload for her and he knew it. They reached the lab and as quick as Thorn opened the door, they were in and the door was sealed back behind them. The alarms sounded like faded waves in comparison. Thorn took this opportunity to look at Shaeden’s leg. It was most likely broken.

“We are going to be fine, let’s just wait it out in here and as soon as I get notice I will take you to see a doctor.” Shaeden had no energy to do anything but nod in response to Thorn’s words.

  Chapter 3

 Part of the council sat at the computer main frame as they focused on bringing power back to all of Raven Rock, and recovering any injured. They knew there would need to be clean up which was another thing the guards did for the complex.

“We need to find Shaeden. Colt and the Elder are accounted for but Shaeden is not to be found. Since she insists, on not wearing contacts, meaning we cannot key in her location.” Jay, one of the current powers from the Eden Descendant line, was well aware of how important Shaeden was for Raven Rock. To lose a predecessor is to lose a whole line of memories. Not to mention a waste of incredible abilities. The Eden family all stood tall with a fit figure. Black hair and deep green eyes that would give away their bloodline any day.

“We will find her Jay, she was on her way from the library so she probably found a safe place on that level.” Alaric responded with a cool tone. Alaric was a member of the council, but he also worked with the descendants personally.

They left the message lines open so the population could contact the mainframe and check in as safe. As power was manually turned back on, floor by floor, more and more green dots showed up next to a large list of names on the far wall. The list had the names of everyone in Raven Rock.

“Ok, sending power to the fourth floor now,” said Chip. Chip was one of the best computer technicians in the Den. “I think I may have something over here!” Jay rushed over. It was Thorn and he was carrying Shaeden. She looked injured and in need of attention.

“Send in an emergency response team now.” Jay grabbed the microphone. “Broadcast me to the fourth floor,” he said with a quick glimpse to Chip. With a few buttons pushed he was on the fourth-floor speakers. “Thorn, help is on the way!”

Keep up to date with whole chapters and previous chapters at nicolegrobmyer.com

I will post a chapter or two a week until it is all released on my website. let me know what you think of my work.

[akokosblog-blog]

We need your views on "5 Reasons why New Year Resolutions FAIL" on Akoko's Blog. Pls Comment below, Like and Share.

5 Reasons why New Year Resolutions FAIL

I will tell you why most new year resolution fail. It’s another beautiful year and as always, everyone is celebrating. Along with the celebration happening all over the world is the consciousness of growth and change. A need to do something one can be proud of and hold on to as an achievement by the end of the year.

The “new year, new me” mantra is flying everywhere in the sky and it is wafted by so much energy you would even think a New year fairy cast a spell on people. Everyone seems to be ready for serious work with an “It’s this year or nothing” attitude. 

The whole idea of the new year resolution is the act of re-evaluating one’s life, checking progress and adding new actions to one’s routine in order to produce the desired result by the end of the year. In my opinion, this can be done anytime.

My yearly re-evaluation is mostly done on my birthday cause that’s when I really feel a sense of growth and I am not distracted by the many new year activities like parties, fasting and praying and all. 

Yet even with all the resolutions, we see little or no changes around us at the end of the year. You encounter someone after 5years and you wonder what went wrong.

Of course, his plan was so good, he had it all figured out and when you try discussing what the problem was, you get the line, “Am not competing with anyone. It’s not yet my time”. But this same person was shouting, “My time is now” January 1st, years back. Some also say, “Am waiting on Fate’s call” which is actually very disturbing especially if you are one who hates to feel you have no control over your life.

Some have actually gotten to the point where they have given up on making new plans. They go, “new year, new month, new day,  all are the same”, simply because they see no reason doing something that doesn’t change anything within and around them. It leaves us wondering where all the fire went.

We are looking at some people who don’t have their resolutions work out for them and what they could possibly be doing wrong. I classify them into 5 different teams. I call it the 5 possible resolution fail team. Ever wondered why the new year resolution thing doesn’t seem to work for you? You might just belong to one of these teams. 

No action team

A number of people get to follow up with their plans. Little are even able to hold on to new habits through January, before going back to their old ways after the whole energy of the new year is gone. Sometimes the vibe doesn’t exceed the first week and they end up in a state, worse than before.

Most people here didn’t have a concrete reason, to begin with at first, as they were just going with the flow of the season. Others lose it due  lack of motivation. They have nothing to really give them the push they need. 

Wrong resolution team

These people got a problem with their plans and not themselves. Some of us set goals without properly disintegrating them. Some barely even look at them. The wrong resolution team just focus their minds on the outcome without considering action. They want to build mansions so bad without first laying down the little bricks.

The team don’t want to take the baby steps and so much despise the little beginning. This team is in such a hurry to fulfill their fantasy of flying without first crawling. It becomes too much to swallow, they choke on it and end up disappointed, shifting the plan aside when things ain’t working their way.

Overweight team

They dwell on past failures and have a great problem letting go. “it didn’t work last time. Am tired of giving me false hopes”, they say. They wallow in the pool of disappointment and pain, tired of having their heart broken.

So they just settle with whatever life throws at them at the moment instead of seeing the new year as a new opportunity to make things right.

Read Also: Why we don’t do what we need to do

Repetitive team

They know they’ve got a perfect idea. It’s going to be the heat of the moment when it’s all done. But they are not getting the result they plan. Year after year, they hold on to their plan along with their treasured dream. It looks so beautiful and perfect that they can’t see anything even wrong with the plan.

So they keep doing the same thing all the time expecting a different result instead of changing strategy and seeking help in order to figure what’s wrong. They believe no one else understands their way. 

Lack of discipline team

This team is the head of all fail teams. They can have all the great plans, perfect structure, most beautiful ideas but without discipline, all is nothing. They have difficulties getting out of their comfort zone, breaking habits and sticking to plans. The dangers of indiscipline cannot be overemphasized. This reminds me of the story of Samuel Taylor Coleridge which I will love to share.

“Coleridge is the supreme tragedy of indiscipline. Never did so great a mind produce so little. Samuel left Cambridge University to join the army because he could not rub down a horse; he returned to Oxford and left without a degree. He began a paper called the Watchman, which lived for ten numbers and then died. It has been said of him, “he lost himself in visions of work to be done, that always remained to be done”.

Coleridge had every a gift but one, “the gift of sustained and concentrated effort cast In his hand and in his mind he had all kind of books, as he said himself, “completed save the transcription. I am on the even”, he says, “of sending to the press two octavo volumes”. But the books were never composed outside Coleridge’s mind because he would not face the discipline of sitting down to write them out.”

Read Also: 11 Ways to be a more Romantic Guy

No one ever reached an eminence and maintain it without discipline.

Now being aware of the possible factors preventing us from reaching our goal, we should now look forward to reevaluating our steps and having things done properly this year.

A well written and simple resolution with consistency, a good motivation by the side, patience to see our dreams grow daily, step by step and prayers should help us achieve all we have set to do this year.

Read Also: 7 Reasons Why Being Thin is Awesome

We should not also forget the simple goals like health goals, relationship goals, wellbeing goals, fitness goals, spiritual goals etc. while making the big one. Have some “me” time this year. Make it a duty to spoil yourself occasionally. Take a break and go on vacation. Learn something new outside your work field.

Take care of you because you are the most important goal you have. MAKE TIME for your loved ones as well. They matter too. Then will we really have a beautiful end of the year and move forward to making new plans ahead.

May all our wishes this year come true. Happy new year.

By Spero Rebecca

[unixcommerce]

Nico Acosta of Twilio: Channels Are Converging to Improve Experiences Throughout the Customer Journey

Last month I had the opportunity to check out Twilio’s annual user conference, Signal. Twilio, a platform that allows developers to build communications-enabled (voice, text, chat, email), shared a few stats that really caught my attention:

Twilio sends 50 billion emails a month on behalf of their customers

They send 200 million SMS messages a day

53% of WhatsApp messages Twilio customers sent got a reply

With numbers like these it’s safe to say that Twilio has a pretty good pulse on how current and emerging communication channels are shaping customer engagement, experiences and journeys. And I had a chance to speak with Nico Acosta, Twilio’s Director of Product for AI/ML, to dig in a bit on what they’re seeing in terms of how voice, chat and other new channels are impacting the customer journey.

Below is an edited transcript of our conversation.  To see the whole interview watch the video or click on the embedded SoundCloud below.

Looking at Customer Journey Channels

Brent Leary: I love this phrase that Jeff Lawson said around the customer journey is becoming the company’s brand. And what role does voice and AI play in that journey?

Nico Acosta: What we’re seeing a lot is all the channels are coming together. They’re converging in the same journey, not necessarily together in the same experience, but in the same journey and customers are interacting with businesses for different use cases through different channels.

One of the parts that we’re most excited about in voice is all the conversation of AI; where this goes hand in hand with what we do in the contact center. We believe that when you think about voice, and especially in the context of a contact center, there’s been this very deeply rooted tradeoff between customer experience and operational efficiency. And there’s always somebody inside of companies that has that knob for how many agents should I staff versus how tolerant am I or how long do I want our customers to wait on hold? And there’s always a decision to be made.

Twilio and AI Research

Brent Leary: There’s one.

Nico Acosta: And when we started looking at this at Twilio and doing all the AI research, we started questioning that. It’s like is that a tradeoff that we are going to have to live with forever or can we build a platform that enables a better customer experience with greater operational efficiency? This is a long journey, but we believe we are on that track where we can automate certain experiences that are well-defined, that are repeatable where customers actually prefer self-service and leverage the power of agents in the contact center when you need to.

Brent Leary: When they need it, yeah.

Nico Acosta: And I’ll give you a couple of examples. You think about three types of customer journeys. Booking an appointment. It’s a well-defined task. You can automate it. If you can, customers will prefer self-service.

Part Virtual Assistant, Part Human

Brent Leary: Right.

Nico Acosta: But then, you might have experiences that are hybrid, that are part virtual assistant, part human. For example, buying life insurance. You might want to ask a series of qualification questions up front, use that intelligence to route intelligently, prioritize and cue to the right agent that has the right specialty and then continue the conversation with a human in a much more consultative way. So while you might have automated the questions of what state do you live, what’s your yearly income, do you smoke, how many children do you have?

Then, when you hand off to an agent and that is a prioritize, you can talk about much broader things of what are your life goals and where are you in your financial planning and all these things that are much more suitable for human conversation. So at Twilio, we believe that it’s really the combination of these two that are going to transform voice and that’s what we’re building with Auto Pilot and that’s what we’re building with Flex, really the conversational AI that works in consonance with the contact center.

Engaging Within Customer Journey Channels

Brent Leary: I think there was also a statement that conversations are eating app’s lunch. Is that part of what you just illustrated? Are these conversations, whether it’s voice or via text, they’re coming together over whatever channel it is, but it’s that opportunity to interact in real time, it’s changing the way customer engagement is done and changing the relationship that customers have in general with the vendors they’re talking to?

Nico Acosta: Yeah, when you look at the history of computing, we started with the command-line interface, which we actually shifted to the command-line interface (CLI) is kind of coming back full circle, which is awesome. We started with the CLI’s right, then the Gooey right, then probably could argue the next big user interface evolution was the Touch. But then it kind of hasn’t evolved much since then. The Gooey was invented …

The Power of Conversations

Brent Leary: Like 35-40 years ago.

Nico Acosta: Yeah, so like early 80s, we’re already seeing products with graphical user interfaces. What is powerful about conversations is that it’s a different paradigm to interact with systems. You’re talking to systems in natural language where that’s a virtual assistant or a bot or you’re just interacting with a routing layer that gets you to a right person inside a company. But just the idea of why don’t companies and systems and computers adapt to how we communicate? Not the opposite.

And conversational interfaces, again, whether it’s a bot or a human, they have this unique property that you don’t need to learn how you use them. You just talk, you just say, you just text. And it depends on the customer journey that you want to build. There might be some parts of that journey that are automated, there might be some parts that are handled by contacts and maybe some parts that are handled by a field worker who’s like the person actually delivering or … and that’s the beauty of the software, the intelligence, the channels and the software orchestration that we provide.

How Has Voice Changed Customer Engagement?

Brent Leary: So, what does voice in particular, what does that add or change aside from the other channels that we talked about that are more text based; where do you see voice changing customer engagement or adding something that’s not there in these other channels we’ve talked about?

Nico Acosta: Yeah, so it’s an interesting question. When I talk to a lot of developers all around the world and a lot of companies building all sorts of customer journeys. When I talk to the IVR developers, they’re excited about chat.

Brent Leary: Really?

Nico Acosta: And when I talk to chat bot developers, they’re excited about voice.

Your Channel’s Role in the Customer Journey

Brent Leary: Interesting.

Nico Acosta: It goes to the point of convergence and I think each of these channels will have a role in the customer journey. We truly believe that real-time channels whether it’s voice, whether it’s video, and then you can split voice into yet two other subcategories where it’s like real-time voice where you’re talking to somebody and a home assistant style voice, the Alexa system where in a sync or turn by turn voice.

Brent Leary:  Oh, right.

Nico Acosta: And I think it has, if you take a customer journey, each channel has its spot. You might get car insurance via a text chat. And then you type all the information that is needed and it goes back and forth, back and forth. If you get into a car accident, you need help, you call and you do not want to talk to bot. You want to be connected to the emergency response team, you want somebody on the phone immediately and you want that customer empathy.

When you file the claim and then you’re like when am I going to get paid? That’s something pretty top of mind, right? You might use Alexa, say hey Alexa, what’s the status of my claim? It’s probably easier than doing anything.

Looking for the App

Brent Leary: Calling and yeah.

Nico Acosta: Easier than pulling your phone, looking for the app, right, it’s easier than anything. So, all these channels where it’s voice, where it’s messaging, will all have a spot in the customer journey.

Brent Leary: The last part of the keynote where the use case … it was a pretty funny use case, but where the guy is at the airport and he left something, he left a piece of his luggage and he’s trying to make his connecting flight and so he reaches out in one channel and the person on the other side needs to bring in somebody else [on a different channel], then they start bringing in the pilot [on another channel], they start bringing all … but it was a really fascinating use case of how you don’t need to know what channel somebody is on. You can reach them and you reach the right person at the right time to bring in the right information. How far away are we from that?

Nico Acosta: We’re doing that every day.

Comparing Customer Experience

Brent Leary: Really?

Nico Acosta: So take … compare the Uber experience that we power versus the taxi dispatcher. You want to talk to the Uber driver, you click a button, you talk … you want to know where your Uber is, click a button, you talk to the Uber driver. The Uber driver is the best person in the world to talk to at that point in time. They know where they are. They know if they’re hitting traffic, they know. And if you want to say hey no, on this corner versus on that corner, they’re the right person to talk to. You’re talking to the right person inside the organization.

Take the experience with before with taxi dispatchers. Like oh no, I’m going to call the taxi dispatcher to let them know that I’ll be on this side of the conference hall, not on that side and then they take the message, they try to radio down. So and we’re seeing the same use cases with multi-party where it’s a three-party transaction for example where there’s the food, the customer, the deliverer and it’s a reality today.

Brent Leary: I’m definitely looking forward to getting more of those experiences, having companies create more of those kinds of experiences.

This article, “Nico Acosta of Twilio: Channels Are Converging to Improve Experiences Throughout the Customer Journey” was first published on Small Business Trends

https://smallbiztrends.com/

The post Nico Acosta of Twilio: Channels Are Converging to Improve Experiences Throughout the Customer Journey appeared first on Unix Commerce.

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[bountyofbeads]

‘I was so livid’: Disney heiress visits theme park undercover to see worker conditions

Rebecca Corey | Published July 15, 2019, 5:30 AM EDT | Yahoo News | Posted July 15, 2019 |

“Through Her Eyes” is a weekly show hosted by human rights activist Zainab Salbi that explores contemporary news issues from a female perspective. You can watch a full episode of “Through Her Eyes” every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on Roku, or at the bottom of this article.

As an heiress of the Disney fortune, anything Abigail Disney says about the brand beloved by millions worldwide garners attention. And she’s calling out Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger for his nearly $66 million yearly salary, saying he isn’t doing enough to rectify the huge gap between his own earnings and that of other Disney workers.

“Bob needs to understand he's an employee, just the same as the people scrubbing gum off the sidewalk are employees,” Disney said during an interview with the Yahoo News show “Through Her Eyes.” “And they're entitled to all the same dignity and human rights that he is.”

Iger’s paycheck last year was more than 1,000 times what the median Disney employee made in 2018, according to Equilar.

To understand the grievances of Walt Disney Co. employees, Abigail Disney said she recently went undercover to Disneyland after receiving a Facebook message from a distressed worker.

She said what she found at “The Happiest Place on Earth” was a façade that was about to crack from the pressure of making ends meet.

“Every single one of these people I talked to were saying, ‘I don't know how I can maintain this face of joy and warmth when I have to go home and forage for food in other people's garbage,’” she recalled, adding that this was not the work environment her grandfather Roy O. Disney sought out to create.

“I was so livid when I came out of there because, you know, my grandfather taught me to revere these people that take your tickets, that pour your soda,” she continued.

“Those people are much of the recipe for success.”

Disney says her efforts are part of preserving a work culture of respect that originated with her grandfather and that she says has gradually declined at the Walt Disney Co. “When my grandfather worked there, he hired people there to have a job for life,” she said.

The company has also been accused of sexist pay practices. Earlier this month, four new women joined a major pay-gap case against it, according to the Guardian. They are part of a larger class-action lawsuit, filed in April, alleging that the company systematically underpays its female employees. Disney denied the allegations.

A filmmaker and philanthropist, Abigail Disney does not have an active role in the company her grandfather co-founded. But she says she recently wrote to Iger expressing her concerns.

“I wrote Bob Iger a very long email, and one of the things I said to him was, ‘You know, you're a great CEO by any measure, perhaps even the greatest CEO in the country right now. You

know, your legacy is that you're a great manager. And if I were you, I would want something better than that. I would want to be known as the guy who led to a better place, because that is what you have the power to do.’”

But Disney said that in response to her email, she got “nothing.”

“There was no answer,” she said.

According to the Financial Times, Iger referred Disney to the company’s human resources department, “who cited initiatives such as its $150m funding for employee education,” motivating her to reach out to Iger again. She told the outlet: “That never got an answer, so I had my answer.”

When asked about the pay disparity between Iger and his staff, a Walt Disney Co. spokesperson touted its education initiative, Disney Aspire, which covers 100 percent of all tuition costs, books and fees. The spokesperson said more than 40 percent of Disney’s 88,000-plus hourly employees have signed up to participate so far.

“Disney is at the forefront of providing workforce education, which is widely recognized as the best way to create economic opportunity for employees and empower upward mobility,” the spokesperson said.

The company added: “American workers need meaningful change; they deserve smart policies and practical programs, like Disney Aspire, that empower them to achieve their goals and ensure they are part of the most competitive workforce in the world.”

This isn’t the first time Abigail Disney has called out Iger for his income. She wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post in April, criticizing the “naked indecency” of his salary. And in May, she spoke on Capitol Hill, imploring members of the House Financial Services Committee to rethink the system that allows CEOs to make so much more than other workers.

“The system is the problem, and the people inside of the system who are perfectly comfortable with the system are the problem,” Disney told “Through Her Eyes.” “I don't think any president of the United States has as much power as some CEOs in this country.”

To help jump-start change, Disney says she wants to be taxed more. She and more than a dozen other wealthy Americans recently penned an open letter to 2020 presidential candidates calling for a raise in federal wealth taxes to “substantially fund” things like clean energy, infrastructure and universal childcare.

“I have more than enough,” Disney told “Through Her Eyes.” “And if you've got $1 billion, there's not a thing on this earth you can't afford.”

Disney has gained a lot from her famous grandfather and the fairy-tale world he helped create, but she says she is also cognizant of her family’s darker legacies and how they have hurt people, too. Her great-uncle, Walt Disney, has been accused of anti-Semitism, sexism and racism.

“Sadly, it happens to be the case that there are very nice people who are also racists,” Abigail Disney recalled.

She cited movies like “Song of the South” and characters like Jim Crow in the 1941 film “Dumbo” as examples of her great-uncle Walt’s racist history. Although these films were created before the civil rights movement, Disney says time is no excuse for bigotry.

“We cannot simply say, ‘Oh, everybody was a racist back then,’” she explained. “Many people chose to not be what everyone else was. It takes courage. It takes integrity. It's a very hard thing to do.”

“But if you decide to be a person who creates culture, then you have to take on all the responsibility of that.”

Listen to the full episode of the “Through Her Eyes” podcast, and listen to past interviews with Queen Latifah, Aly Raisman and more from Season 1.

[myfinancialguideme-blog]

The best time of year to buy a car in 2019

New Post has been published on https://financeguideto.com/awesome/the-best-time-of-year-to-buy-a-car-in-2019/

The best time of year to buy a car in 2019

Last week, I gave you the exact systems to help you negotiate lower automobile insurance rates. Now, I want to talk about another aspect of buying a car that many don’t consider: the best time of year to buy a auto.

The best time of year to buy a auto( aka the thing salesman don’t want to tell you ) What if I can’t wait that long ? Are Labor Day/ Memorial Day/ 4th of July/ Hanukkah blowout marketings a scam ? The best day of the week to buy a auto More ways to save money on buying a car How to buy the car of your dreamings with conscious spending

So what is the best time of year to buy a vehicle? The answer is surprisingly simple as long as you understand car salespeople.

The best time of year to buy a auto( aka the number one thing salespeople don’t want to tell you)

For starters, the absolute best month is December.

To understand why December is the absolute best time to buy a automobile, you need to first understand the process and mentality of the humble automobile salesmen.

Like any other salespeople, they have quotas. A Plenty of quotums. They often come in the shape of monthly, quarterly, and yearly aims for the number of cars they have to hit.

This means that your car purchase could determine the difference between their dealership reaching their sales objective and the salesperson receiving a nice annual bonus or…well , not doing those things.

That’s why December( more specifically, the last week of the month) is the best time of year to buy a vehicle. To take it a step further, you should see if you can negotiate a automobile bargain on December 31 st, New Year’s Eve.

According to TrueCar, you can actually end up saving up to 8.3% off the price of a new vehicle if you visit the dealership on New Year’s Eve instead of any other day. This is because this is the last day a trader has in order to construct both their quarterly AND yearly objectives. As such, they have a fat bonus on the line so they want to get the cars out the door as soon as possible.

Let’s say you were looking at a nice utilized car going for about $20,000. If you went in on New Year’s Eve, you stand to slash $1,660 simply because you went in on that day alone. Imagine what you could earn if you compounded it with great negotiation tactics.

Bonus: Want more advice on how to improve your finances? Check out my Ultimate Guide to Personal Finance .

What if I can’t wait for December to buy a car?

Sometimes, you merely need the car sooner rather than later. If this is the case, you can still get a great deal by buying on the last day of another quota.

The next best thing to the end of the year is the end of the quarter. For those of you who don’t think in fiscal quarterss, this basically entails :P TAGEND

March 31 st( last day of Q1) June 30 th( last day of Q2) September 30 th( last day of Q3) And of course, December 31 st( last day of the year, and Q4)

You’ll get a good deal anytime during the last week of a one-quarter, but it’s best if you can go on the exact last day.

If that’s still too long to wait, then the next best thing is to go on the last day of the month.

According to Mike Rabkin, proprietor and founder of From Car to Finish, the end of the month is great due to the aforementioned quotums that car salespeople have to hit.

“When a vehicle needs assist selling, the end of the month is a good time to buy if negotiating the vehicle yourself, ” he says. “Because marketings administrators at dealerships have a monthly quota to hit and get compensated on whether they hit it or not.”

If you can’t wait until the end of the month … then you need to take a hard look at your life! Going on the last day of any given week isn’t going to be much more beneficial than normal, if at all. In fact, Sunday is one of the worst days for savings( more on the best day of the week below ).

My local dealership is having a Labor Day/ Memorial Day/ 4th of July/ Hanukkah blowout sale. Is this a scam?

While those huge blowout sale days might seem more like slick advertising than anything else, they actually offer solid savings if you choose to buy then.

According to Autotrader.com, many car companies offer cash-back deals and good financing for holiday weekends — which allows the dealers to take advantage and try to lure you in to buy a vehicle with sales.

So instead of heading to your buddy’s BBQ for Labor Day weekend, you might want to make a trip down to the car dealer to see what sweet deals you can snag. Then, of course, go to the BBQ after in your new ride.

The best day of the week to buy a car

If you want to further optimize your savings on a car buy, buy your vehicle on a Monday.

Most people do their auto shopping on the weekend. Not many think about going to a car dealership in the middle of a Monday ready to negotiate.

On average, people save up to. 61% more when buying a car on a Monday than Sunday( the worst day of the week to buy a automobile ). This is likely to be chalked up to the fact that EVERYONE goes to buy a vehicle on Sunday.

Check out the chart below to see the average savings on the market price of a vehicle by day.

Sunday

7. 49%

Monday

8. 10%

Tuesday

8. 05%

Wednesday

8. 07%

Thursday

8. 08%

Friday

8. 06%

Saturday

7. 77%

( Source: TrueCar.com)

If the stars align for the last day of the month to fall on a Monday, you can get even more leverage. In 2019, September 30 th( the end of Q3) is a Monday!

The dos and don’ts for purchasing a vehicle

If you want to maximize your savings even more, there are a number of things that you are able to do( and a whole lot you should avoid) when it comes to purchasing a car.

Do buy a good car that’ll last you at the least 10 years

Many people — especially you younger folks reading this — are going to want to prioritize the route a automobile looks over anything else. Instead, you should be focusing on getting a good vehicle that you will be able to drive for a while( preferably around 10 years ).

Cars are long-term investments, people !! This isn’t like a pair of shoes where you’re just going to wear them for a year or two before get a new pair. And like a pair of shoes, a vehicle only gets worse and less valuable over hour. Here’s a complicated graph explaining this.

So look for a good reliable automobile and definitely don’t do what this reader tried doing.

DO investigate recent alumnu incentives

A lot of automobile dealerships and automakers have fantastic programs for first-time car buyers fresh out of college. These incentives often come in the form of great rebates or special financing for new grads with good credit.

Two ways to find these deals :P TAGEND

Google it. This should really be the first step to anything. Do a simple Google search for recent-graduate car incentive program. Actually, I’ll just do it for you.

Ask the merchant. When you’re negotiating with your dealership, be sure to ask them what they offer in the way of new graduate vehicle incentives.

DON’T assume you have to buy a used car

Buying used isn’t the only way to save money on a car. Over the long term, a new auto might actually end up saving you money if you :P TAGEND

Pick the right new automobile Negotiate a low price Drive it for a very long time

I’d instead you get a new vehicle that’s dependable than buying a used automobile that’ll break down sooner.

DON’T stretch your budget for a automobile

Set a realistic goal budget for your car and don’t go over it. Other expenditures will come up — maybe auto pertained, maybe not. You don’t want to end up struggling because you can’t afford your monthly auto payment.

You don’t have to worry about stretching, though, if you have one thing in place: A Conscious Spending Plan.

Bonus: Want more advice on how to improve your finances? Check out my Ultimate Guide to Personal Finance.

Buy the car of your dreams with conscious spending

Though heading to the dealership during the best time of year to buy a vehicle is a great way to save money, you can make sure you have even more money to get the car of your dreams by implementing a Conscious Spending Plan.

The typical route people look at saving money for a big purchase like a auto typically goes like this :P TAGEND

Step 1: Cut out things like lattes and buying lunch every day in the hopes of saving enough fund.

Step 2: Occasionally set a few dollars into your savings account.

Step 3: Cave and go back to buying lunch and lattes every day.

Step 4: Stop saving money for a vehicle at all, feel bad for yourself, and should be going to step 1.

What if I told you there was a system that allows you to know EXACTLY how much you can spend each month, helps automate your savings so you don’t have to do it, and allows you to keep buying your favorite latte every day?

That’s what the Conscious Spending Plan is. This is the exact same system my friend has used to spend five grand a year on shoes.

I can feel your eye-rolling judgment through the computer screen now. How can anyone in their right mind spend so much on shoes per year?

Well consider this:

She makes a healthy wage. She doesn’t expend much on other things. She has a system in place that allows her to know exactly how much she can expend each month.

But most importantly: She merely freaking love shoes.

And her system permits her to buy 10- 15 pairs of shoes each month — with each of them expensing around $300- $500 a pair.

After investing in her 401 k and paying off her fixed monthly pays like rent and utilities, why wouldn’t she use her money to buy the things she loves?

You can use the same system to buy a car. Imagine being able to walk into the dealer and driving off the lot in the car of your dreams, resting easy in the fact that you were able to pay for it.

That’s why I want to offer you a free chapter of my New York Times best-selling book I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

In it, you’ll find the exact system you can use that’ll help you both earn more fund and start saving for an awesome car.

Enter your datum below and get the chapter for free today.

The best time of year to buy a car in 2019 is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

Read more: iwillteachyoutoberich.com

[financingideas-blog]

The best time of year to buy a car in 2019

New Post has been published on https://financeqia.com/awesome/the-best-time-of-year-to-buy-a-car-in-2019/

The best time of year to buy a car in 2019

Last week, I gave you the exact systems to help you negotiate lower auto insurance rates. Now, I want to talk about another aspect of buying a car that many don’t consider: very good time of year to buy a auto.

The best time of year to buy a automobile( aka the thing salespeople don’t want to tell you ) What if I can’t wait that long ? Are Labor Day/ Memorial Day/ 4th of July/ Hanukkah blowout sales a scam ? The best day of the week to buy a auto More ways to save money on buying a car How to buy the car of your dreams with conscious spending

So what is the best time of year to buy a vehicle? The answer is surprisingly simple as long as you understand car salespeople.

The best time of year to buy a automobile( aka the number one thing salespeople don’t want to tell you)

For starters, the absolute best month is December.

To understand why December is the absolute best time to buy a automobile, you need to first understand the process and mentality of the humble car salesmen.

Like any other salespeople, they have quotums. A Lot of quotas. They often come in the shape of monthly, quarterly, and yearly goals for the number of cars they have to hit.

This means that your car purchase could determine the difference between their dealership reaching their marketings objective and the salesperson receiving a nice annual bonus or…well , not doing those things.

That’s why December( more specifically, the last week of the month) is the best time of year to buy a auto. To take it a step further, you should see if you can negotiate a vehicle deal on December 31 st, New Year’s Eve.

According to TrueCar, you can actually end up saving up to 8.3% off the price of a new auto if you visit the dealership on New Year’s Eve instead of any other day. This is because this is the last day a merchant has in order to build both their quarterly AND yearly aims. As such, they have a fat bonus on the line so they want to get the cars out the door as soon as possible.

Let’s say you were looking at a nice used auto going for about $20,000. If you ran in on New Year’s Eve, you stand to slash $1,660 simply because you ran in on that day alone. Imagine what you could earn if you compounded it with great negotiation tactics.

Bonus: Want more advice on how to enhance its finances? Check out my Ultimate Guide to Personal Finance .

What if I can’t wait for December to buy a automobile?

Sometimes, you merely need the car sooner rather than later. If this is the case, you can still get a great deal by buying on the last day of another quota.

The next best thing to the end of the year is the end of the quarter. For those of you who don’t think in financial one-quarters, this basically entails :P TAGEND

March 31 st( last day of Q1) June 30 th( last day of Q2) September 30 th( last day of Q3) And of course, December 31 st( last day of the year, and Q4)

You’ll get a good deal anytime during the last week of a quarter, but it’s best if you can go on the exact last day.

If that’s still too long to wait, then the next best thing is to go on the last day of the month.

According to Mike Rabkin, owner and founder of From Car to Finish, the end of the month is great due to the aforementioned quotas that vehicle salespeople have to hit.

“When a vehicle needs assistance selling, the end of the month is a good time to buy if negotiating the vehicle yourself, ” he says. “Because marketings managers at dealerships have a monthly quota to make and get compensated on whether they hit it or not.”

If you can’t wait until the end of the month … then you need to take a hard look at your life! Going on the last day of any devoted week isn’t going to be much more beneficial than normal, if at all. In fact, Sunday is one of the worst days for savings( more on the best day of the week below ).

My local dealership “re gonna have a” Labor Day/ Memorial Day/ 4th of July/ Hanukkah blowout sale. Is this a scam?

While those huge blowout sale days might seem more like slick advertising than anything else, they actually offer solid savings if you choose to buy then.

According to Autotrader.com, many car companies offer cash-back bargains and good financing for holiday weekends — which allowed by dealers to take advantage and try to lure you in to buy a car with marketings.

So instead of heading to your buddy’s BBQ for Labor Day weekend, you might want to make a trip down to the car dealer to see what sweet deals you can snag. Then, of course, go to the BBQ after in your new ride.

The best day of the week to buy a vehicle

If you want to further optimize your savings on a car buy, buy your car on a Monday.

Most people do their car shopping on the weekend. Not many think about going to a auto dealership in the middle of a Monday ready to negotiate.

On average, people save up to. 61% more when buying a car on a Monday than Sunday( the worst day of the week to buy a automobile ). This is likely to be chalked up to the fact that EVERYONE goes to buy a auto on Sunday.

Check out the chart below to see the average savings on the market price of a car by day.

Sunday

7. 49%

Monday

8. 10%

Tuesday

8. 05%

Wednesday

8. 07%

Thursday

8. 08%

Friday

8. 06%

Saturday

7. 77%

( Source: TrueCar.com)

If the stars align for the last day of the month to fall on a Monday, you can get even more leverage. In 2019, September 30 th( the end of Q3) is a Monday!

The dos and don’ts for purchasing a auto

If you want to maximize your savings even more, there are a number of things that you should do( and a whole lot you should avoid) when it comes to purchasing a car.

Do buy a good vehicle that’ll last you at least 10 years

Many people — especially you younger folks reading this — are going to want to prioritize the style a vehicle seems over anything else. Instead, you should be focusing on getting a good vehicle that you will be able to drive for a while( preferably around 10 years ).

Cars are long-term investments, people !! This isn’t like a pair of shoes where you’re just going to wear them for a year or two before get a new pair. And like a pair of shoes, a automobile merely gets worse and less valuable over time. Here’s a complicated graph explaining this.

So look for a good dependable car and definitely don’t do what this reader tried doing.

DO analyse recent graduate incentives

A lot of automobile dealerships and automakers have fantastic programs for first-time car buyers fresh out of college. These incentives often come in the form of great rebates or special financing for new grads with good credit.

Two ways to find these bargains :P TAGEND

Google it. This should really be the first step to anything. Do a simple Google search for recent-graduate car incentive program. Actually, I’ll simply do it for you.

Ask the merchant. When you’re negotiating with your dealership, be sure to ask them what they offer in the way of new alumnu car incentives.

DON’T assume you have to buy a used vehicle

Buying used isn’t the only way to save money on a automobile. Over the long term, a new auto might actually end up saving you money if you :P TAGEND

Pick the right new car Negotiate a low price Drive it for a very long time

I’d rather you get a new automobile that’s reliable than buying a used auto that’ll break down sooner.

DON’T stretch your budget for a automobile

Set a realistic goal budget for your automobile and don’t go over it. Other expenses will come up — perhaps vehicle associated, maybe not. You don’t want to end up struggling because you can’t afford your monthly auto pay.

You don’t have to worry about stretching, though, if you have one thing in place: A Conscious Spending Plan.

Bonus: Want more advice on how to enhance its finances? Check out my Ultimate Guide to Personal Finance.

Buy the car of your dreamings with conscious spending

Though heading to the dealership during the best time of year to buy a car is a great way to save money, you can make sure you have even more money to get the car of your dreamings in the process of implementing a Conscious Spending Plan.

The typical style people look at saving fund for a big purchase like a car typically goes like this :P TAGEND

Step 1: Cut out things like lattes and buying lunch every day in the hopes of saving enough money.

Step 2: Occasionally set a few dollars into your savings account.

Step 3: Cave and go back to buying lunch and lattes every day.

Step 4: Stop saving money for a vehicle at all, feel bad for yourself, and should be going to step 1.

What if I told you there was a system that allows you to know EXACTLY how much you can spend each month, helps automate your savings so you don’t have to do it, and allows you to keep buying your favorite latte every day?

That’s what the Conscious Spending Plan is. This is the exact same system my friend has used to spend five grand a year on shoes.

I can feel your eye-rolling judgment through the computer screen now. How can anyone in their right mind spend so much on shoes per year?

Well consider this:

She makes a healthy salary. She doesn’t spend much on other things. She has a system in place that allows her to know exactly how much she can spend each month.

But most importantly: She simply freaking loves shoes.

And her system allows her to buy 10- 15 pairs of shoes each month — with each of them costing around $300- $500 a pair.

After investing in her 401 k and paying off her fixed monthly pays like rent and utilities, why wouldn’t she use her fund to buy the things she loves?

You can use the same system to buy a automobile. Imagine being able to walk into the dealer and driving off the lot in the car of your dreams, resting easy in the fact that you were able to pay for it.

That’s why I want to offer you a free chapter of my New York Times best-selling book I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

In it, you’ll find the exact system you can use that’ll help you both earn more money and start saving for an awesome car.

Enter your information below and get the chapter for free today.

The best time of year to buy a auto in 2019 is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

Read more: iwillteachyoutoberich.com

[teritcrawfordca]

How to Achieve Your Goals in Your Small Business

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9pm ET.  This is excerpted from my recent interview with Adrean Turner @coachadrean. Adrean is a Coach, Speaker and Corporate Trainer who provides workforce solutions and career management strategies for individuals and organizations. She is also the author of the book, Fearless. Inspired. Transformed: FIT for Success. For more information visit: www.coachadrean.com

SmallBizLady: Why is it important to set goals?

Adrean Turner: It’s important to set goals so that you have an outline or pathway for achieving the success you desire. By setting goals, you are able to set specific expectations of what should be done and get rid of the guess work. Setting goals can also improve time management skills, reduce stress, enhance performance and increase your motivation to achieving your tasks

SmallBizLady: What are some barriers that prevent small businesses from reaching their goals?

Adrean Turner: There are several reasons why small businesses are challenged in reaching their goals. The following are the top reasons I’ve noticed in working with clients.

Lack of Shared Mission and Vision: According to one employee engagement study, only 42% of employees know their organization’s vision, mission, and values. However, Employees who say the company’s values are “known and understood” are 30x more likely to be fully engaged. Are you communicating and reinforcing your company’s guiding principles and mission? The more transparent you are with sharing information with your team the greater your results and overall productivity.

Fear of Failure: Ask any successful person from Mark Cuban to Oprah Winfrey and they will tell you that they have failed their way to success. In fact, failure is a part of success. You will learn and grow through the challenges you overcome. If you’re not making mistakes you’re not trying. Taking measured risks are important to move forward and excel.

Lack of Planning: Planning without action is futile and action without planning is fatal. Creating a roadmap for achievement is critical for growth and goal attainment. It’s not just hard work that matters, but rather hard, smart work that is important. Using a simple tool called S.M.A.R.T. goals will help you to go beyond the realm of fuzzy goal-setting into an actionable plan for results Create a plan with goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based.

For example: Our goal is to gain 5 new clients by May 15th. This will be achieved through newsletter promotion to segmented audiences and social media posts that highlight quotes about of our services. We will follow up with 6 of our previous clients each week for the next 3 weeks to ask for referrals and offer them an incentive. To do this I will enlist the support of my media planner.

SmallBizLady: What are some strategies or methods for setting goals?

Adrean Turner: To set goals for success I recommend a 5-part strategy:

Set Goals that Motivate You: They should relate to your highest priorities, enable focus and create a “I must do this” attitude and approach. Ask yourself: “If I were to share my goal with others, what would I tell them to convince them it was a worthwhile goal?” It’s important to have a strong, “why” to stay engaged on the task.

Set Goals in Writing: It is reported that people who set goals are 42% more likely to achieve them than those who don’t. The process of putting your goals on paper will force you to strategize, to ask questions about your current progress, and to brainstorm your plan of attack.

Set SMART Goals: as mentioned previously

Make an Action Plan: A goal without a plan is just a wish. Creating a plan for execution is key for your success.

Stick With It! Review your plan and make changes as necessary. This may mean that you’ll need to adjust your goal but don’t abandon it. Stay committed.

SmallBizLady: With so many competing responsibilities, what are the best methods to prioritize goals?

Adrean Turner: Take the time to identify the importance of the goal as it relates to your overall objectives. Perhaps you’ll prioritize your goals based on the impact to your bottom line, or a client need or a productivity enhancement.

Keeping in mind the pareto principle is also helpful when deciding how to prioritize goals and tasks. The pareto principle mentions that 80% of outcomes are generated by 20% of activities. Therefore, once you have determined your prioritization criteria, you’ll now need to identify the most important tasks (MITs) associated with completing the goals. And work on it each before anything else.

As an example, no matter how crazy your days get, make sure you carve out and ruthlessly protect just 90 minutes—20% of an eight-hour day—for the most important tasks. Even if you squander the remaining 80% of the day, you can still make great progress if you have spent 90 minutes on your goals or priorities.

SmallBizLady: You mentioned earlier that it is important to share goals with your team. Can you elaborate on that?

Adrean Turner: Yes. I worked for a Fortune 500 company for more than 20 years. One of the reason I am certain the organization was successful is due to the fact that it was mandated that we set yearly goals to achieve the overall goals of the organization. By creating a system or process of goal sharing, you empower your team for better results. Here are some ideas to get started.

Ensure that team members understand the most important goals of the organization and why they are important?

Enable your team to ask questions and provide feedback

Provide your staff with a goal template or action plan to outline their responsibilities for each goal

Regularly review milestones and achievements

Celebrate along the way! Don’t wait until the entire goal is achieved. Find way to stay motivated throughout the process. Rewarding and recognizing your team goes a long way towards their engagement.

SmallBizLady: Staying focused on a large goal is a big challenge for some small businesses. What suggestions can you provide?

Adrean Turner: Create an opportunity for small wins. As the saying goes, “you eat an elephant one bite at a time”.  Considering the challenges of a large goal can be overwhelming. To stay focused, create mini goals:

Break up large goals into a series of steps

Each step should be specific.

Each step should include manageable tasks.

You’ll feel energized each time you accomplish one of these mini goals. Small wins help to ensure that you aren’t spreading resources too thinly, it feels less overwhelming and makes reaching the ultimate goal much easier. In fact, the more frequently people experience the sense of progress, the more likely they are to be creatively productive in the long run.

According to per the “Progress Principle” developed by researchers at Harvard Business School, credits, making progress in meaningful work as the single most important factor to boost emotions, motivations and perceptions.

Celebrate small wins to stay focused on what’s most important for your success.

SmallBizLady: The most common argument I hear about setting goals is “I don’t have enough time.” What suggestions do you have to assist those feeling overwhelmed in reaching their goals?

Adrean Turner: Your success is determined by how you spend your time. Consider using the “Urgency and Importance” matrix to evaluate time-consuming tasks that may be impeding success to reach your goals. This activity involves dividing your goals and tasks into 4 quadrants:

Quad1: Urgent/Important

Quad 2: Not Urgent/Important

Quad 3: Urgent/Not Important

Quad4: Not Urgent/ Not Important

In addition, reflect on how you manage your time. For instance, what are the three activities you spend the most time on that has the lowest payoff? What is the end result of spending time on low-payoff vs. high payoff activities?

By completing these exercises, you will be able to visualize how you are spending your time and determine what adjustments are necessary to better manage the assignments associated with your goals.

SmallBizLady: What other barriers do small businesses express as a challenge that you’ve heard?

Adrean Turner: Another common distress that I hear from business owners is that they are working IN the business and not enough ON the business, so they are limited in achieving more cost-productive goals. Whether you are a solopreneur or have a team of 50 people it’s best to recognize when and where you need support to move the business forward.

Here are 2 options to manage this barrier:

Option 1: Determine how much time you are spending in the business and how much that is costing you. For example, if your time is worth $100/hr and you are spending 3 hours a day on tasks that could be completed by an assistant at $20/hour, you might want to consider hiring a support person.

Option 2: DELEGATE! Leaders who don’t delegate

….are always behind in paperwork

… have to come in early, stay late, take work home

… see their to-do list grow week by week

… don’t think employees are willing or able to do more

… need to control every aspect of every task

Outline areas of your work and the work of your most productive team members that can be delegated to other staff members. This ensures that everyone has a greater capacity to focus in areas most needed for overall success.

SmallBizLady: In your book, F.I.T. for Success, All Things Are Possible, you mention the “Three Cees for Success” to reach your goals. Of the three “Cees” you outline which is most important?

Adrean Turner: Everyone knows there is no secret formula to success but there are things that successful people do to reach their goals.

The first C is CONSISTENCY. Aristotle said we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit. Consistency is the key that unlocks the door to success. It’s the small efforts repeated day in and day out that will lead you to accomplishing your goals. Consistency is essential—not optional, nothing is achieved without it. Be consistent in your approach, your attitude, communications and actions.

The second C is COMMITMENT. Be passionate about the goals you are pursuing. The most important element in the failure equation is your personal commitment to keep going. In some cases, you must be a self-motivator and self-generator. It’s not how fast you go but whether or not you can stay in the race. Be committed to the process to see your goals through completion.

The third C stands for CONFIDENCE. The more confident you are in your skills and abilities the more likely you will be to reach your goals. If you have to hire more staff, attend a training program, network or rearrange assignments, whatever it is, do what’s necessary to gain confidence in achieving the results you desire. Don’t let fears or doubts keep you from moving forward.

I believe all three, consistency, commitment and confidence are necessary for goal attainment. Without one or the other your chances for success are minimized.

SmallBizLady: Earlier you mentioned the fear of failure as a barrier that prevents small businesses from reaching their goals. How does that factor into the success formula?

Adrean Turner: If you want to achieve greater success, know that there will be times of failure because it’s a part of the process. Here’s how you can fail successfully:

Fail Quickly: If an idea isn’t going to pan out, you might as well figure it sooner rather than later. It doesn’t make sense to invest time and money over 12 months only to realize that an idea won’t work if you could’ve reached the same conclusion in three weeks.

Fail Differently Each Time: Don’t repeat mistakes. Failing loses its value if you don’t learn from it. Each time you fail in a new way, you have the opportunity to improve your approach.

After a Failure: Write down how you can apply that information in the future and next logical steps to ensure you’re getting the most out of it. Keeping a failure journal records your discoveries and new ideas.

Maintain an Accurate Perspective: Failure is an undesired result. That’s it. It’s not a grading of your intelligence, worth, or future. There’s no reason to take it personally. It’s simply an idea that didn’t work out. Stay detached from your results and forge ahead.

It’s important to view each failure as a step in the right direction so that you can keep going.

SmallBizLady: I’ve found success partnering with others to achieve my goals. What advice do you have in that regard?

Adrean Turner: No one achieves success alone. Partnering with others and surrounding yourself with other successful goal achievers is key. I recommend that small business owners should know who’s in their network and how they can utilize those people. I refer to them as D, I, Cs.

The D’s are the DECISION MAKERS. These are contacts who can provide you with direct leads, direct work or bridge you to contacts who can. These might be other business owners, CEOs, hiring managers, procurement personnel, customers or agents who buy your services.

The I’s are INFORMATION SOURCES. These are contacts who can provide valuable insight into companies, industries, trends and people about whom you need to know. For example, some of my information sources are other coaches. They share insightful information and at times will pass along work that does not fit their schedule or interest. I view them as compliments to my business not as competitors.

The C’s are CHEERLEADERS. These contacts can provide references, testimonials and will vouch for you. They also give you support and encouragement. This might be a friend from your past, a business colleague or past client.

SmallBizLady: Procrastination can also be a deterrent for success. Do you have any advice for small businesses on getting over that hurdle?

Adrean Turner: Yes. In her book the, “The 5 Second Rule”, Mel Robbins outlines that there are 2 kinds of procrastination. One kind is productive procrastination which is important part of any creative process. If you are working on innovative idea or goal, research shows that productive procrastination is not only good but it is also important. Therefore, if you’re not getting the results that you want, leave it be. Focus your energy somewhere else, and then come back to the goal later with fresh eyes. That’s important if you are working on a project where you don’t have a fix deadline and you can let your work sit for a few weeks so that your mind can wander.

Destructive procrastination is an entirely different animal. Destructive procrastination occurs when tasks that need to be completed are avoided and there will be negative consequences if the work is not done.  To get past destructive procrastination take these steps, which is a compilation of all the information we’ve shared.

Start with whatever is easy or manageable.

Break into small parts.

Write a goal and plan to accomplish it.

Set a time or timer.

Tell someone.

Plan the first goal/task.

Accept that there is no perfect job.

Change your perception for more energy.

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The post How to Achieve Your Goals in Your Small Business appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

from Teri Crawford Business Tips https://succeedasyourownboss.com/how-to-achieve-your-goals-in-your-small-business/