Trapped in the Economic Cave-in for too long

It seems to me that the rescuing of the miners trapped for so long is analogous to so many who have been trapped in the hole of this recession: We were all just doing our work when suddenly the world caved in around us -we know there is life going on above us (we read of the tremendous profits and bonuses that large finance/investment companies are receiving) but somehow we are trapped in this dark hole. Perhaps, the miners will inspire us all and give us hope, perhaps this recession that is officially over will soon reach the depths of the cave that has held so many captive for too long. Too much time has been spent telling those who are trapped in this economic cave-in, what they should have done to prevent it or just throwing them day-to-day survival support. When what we need to do is to concentrate on providing a “phoenix” to raise those economically trapped into the sunlight. They, too, deserve, to be lifted out of the hole and onto solid ground.

The Award is in those I am privileged to work along side (click for link)

It is an honor to serve the Arizona Supreme Court through working at the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education. And, a privilege to work with the people I do - our board, staff, the courts, the State Bar, our volunteers, our grantees - each and all, strive for equal access to justice for Arizonans. Thank you so much for opportunity to work along side of you.

The Price of our three day weekend - July 4th

My husband just forwarded this email to me, and it is worth sharing... many men, women, and children paid a great price for this coming holiday...

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men
who signed the Declaration of Independence ?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors,
and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.
Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army;
another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or
hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes,
and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants,
nine were farmers and large plantation owners;
men of means, well educated,
but they signed the Declaration of Independence
knowing full well that the penalty would be death if
they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and
trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the
British Navy. He sold his home and properties to
pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British
that he was forced to move his family almost constantly.
He served in the Congress without pay, and his family
was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him,
and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer,
Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown , Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that
the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson
home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General
George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed,
and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed.
The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying.
Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill
were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests
and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his
children vanished.
So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and
silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: freedom is never free!
(author unknown)

Mothers' Day thoughts - The Greatest Gift

I have been blessed with enjoying life with ten children. Seven I gave birth to and three were the precious gift of my marriage. I love them each dearly. They are all just really good people with tremendous minds, hearts, and sense of humor. They are without a doubt the greatest gifts, my husband and I, could ever give or receive from this world. To the two kids that I lost before they were born, I lift my love and I am grateful to have had you with me, even for the short while you were here. To my mom, thank you for life and all the love you have given. To all mothers, I hope this day is just one which celebrates the gift you have given (and received) all the other days throughout the year! Happy Mothers' Day!

My son, Will, was musing this morning about women and shared,

"Girls love the Tin Man and the Scarecrow but never the Cowardly Lion."

Unintended Consequences

The government gave the banks large amounts of money to encourage lending and spur the economy. The large influx of funds, though, decreased the banks' need for deposits and thus, lowered the interest rates offered to the general public normally used to encourage increased deposits. Now, with the lower interest rates, the general public's funds are no longer generating interest - their money is not making them money. So, with this loss of income, people are being more careful about spending money. . . It makes me wonder how this was intended to work and where it went wrong.

Health Insurance Coverage

A news report recently stated that a great majority of uninsured adults are under 30 years of age. Wouldn't a large segment of this issue be resolved if the allowance for children to stay under their parents' health plan was expanded beyond the time in school? It seems that if we allowed children to be included under the parents' plan until they were able to secure their own health insurance, the solution would be simple. Why is health insurance eligibility tied to the IRS definition of dependent? Where is the correlation? Couldn't it be easily changed to have eligibility defined as (for example) -
in the last twelve years has been claimed as a dependent in at least two years consecutively - or, a natural, adopted, or stepchild covered under your health plan prior to reaching the age 18 and has not married, reached the age 30, and/or is not eligible under another group plan.

Or perhaps, we could encourage greater scope of school health insurance with an affiliate relationship offered to alumni.

I just wonder why it seems that national programs need to be developed without first just considering a simple solution within the system.

A Cultural Survey of Professions

Please add your 'view' to our current Professional Culture Research Study. The research team needs your help, click the following link and take this survey - it is under 10 minutes of your time and will assist many for years to come in understanding their work environment and understanding others.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=TvROsJAT_2bSczKhaxe8z_2b3A_3d_3d

Let the Credits Roll

You worked all week and into the weekend on a project. You even had your staff working overtime. You present the finished work to your division head and are invited to attend the board meeting in case there are any questions when the project plan is reviewed. At the meeting you sit off to the side and wait. There are no questions but plenty of praise..all being given to the division head! Not one comment mentioned about your work or your team. You were robbed the opportunity to shine.

When you don't get the credit you deserve, realize that you are building your credibility as the expert and reputation as loyal. Thank your team in a separate meeting and let them know the good words about the project. Your expertise has been sharpened, your division head knows he/she needs you (even though it may not be admitted), and you have motivated your team with the praise they deserve. Don't mention who the Board credited.. let that roll.

Holiday Preparation

This morning after Thanksgiving I sit in my recliner stretching the morning for as many hours as possible. I watch the news reports and see the masses circling the stores in search for the best holiday deals. Thousands of people seem to be enjoying what I would find so stressful. They dart in between strangers, reach to grab the last prized item, stand in long lines, and melt into a humanity of people on a quest for what they don't have and want to give... all in celebration of the holiday of peace...

I marvel at their ability to smile through it all.. how they seem to enjoy the rush.. and wonder why I have no desire to join them.. I would rather shop online or at a small mom & pop store in a smaller city downtown area for the one of a kind gift..

I wonder how black Friday became a tradition.. I understand our economy depends on it... I am grateful to those willing to step up and shop creating the needed economic indicators... I salute them all with my second hot cup of coffee cuddled comfortably in my favorite chair!

Intimate Strangers

We are crowded in an elevator facing a metal door, we stand behind each other with baskets in a check out line, we sit in a crowded doctor's waiting area, we stand with baggage through security lines... waiting... spending moments or hours together but politely isolated... who are these people I have spent so much time with... who are those taken off balance by a smile and suspicious if a comment is made.. who clutch their bag more tightly if a movement accidentally places us too close... I suppose I will have to wait to know..

Southwest Airlines A - B - C

Southwest Airlines offers "A" seating where the passenger is allowed to board the plane first. In this initial group there is the best chance that you will get premier sitting of your first choice and have a comfortable trip to your destination. What gives me cause to wonder, though, is when the fellow passengers, who will be joining me in the 2 hour trip, will stand in the "A" line for 2 hours to ensure they have the very first choice in comfortable seating for the 2 hour flight.... it just makes me wonder...

Breaking the Thundering Silence

Have you ever been in a situation where the silence was deafening? I have found in those situations a gentle gesture or touch or kind act speaks louder than words and eases the transition back to healing communication.

The next 5 minutes

There will be days, in most of our lives, that moving that next step seems impossible. Just plan for the next 5 minutes. that is all.. If that is too much go to 3 minutes. And, take one of those minutes to say, "I did it, I can do it again" ... things will get better, but they may get a lot worse before that too. My son says, it always ends up okay, so if it is not okay then it isn't the end.

I am sorry it is hard. That can be what is real for these 5 minutes, and maybe the next .. but don't take care of it except for by those minutes so maybe, just maybe it will get easier the next five... and remember you made it through the last.

The Power of a Question

Being in charge isn't so much about having all the answers: It is knowing the right questions and who (and how) to ask...

When an employee asks you a question, even if you know the answer off the top of your head, take the time to show them where to find the answer.. explore it with them. Those few minutes, will save hours in the long run and you can make certain, through the conversation of exploring, that the employee came to you with the question that really needed answering.There are times that the question being asked is not what will solve the real problem at hand.

My sister told me once that you have to let people go three questions deep to get to their real question. She said that the first two are just testing the water to see if they trust you not to make them feel stupid. She advised me to ask a follow up question that opens the door: why did you ask?.. does that cover it all? .. is the project hitting some bumps? etc.. I have found, that my sister is right.

When someone makes an error statement in their report presentation, you won't put them in the position of having to defend an inaccurate stance, if you ask a question rather than telling them they are wrong - give them a "this is your way out" question. For example, "You may not have had the latest figures - was the report given to you?" "Did you get a chance to talk to XX?" Did I let you see XX?" .. each question allows the person to back down from their mistake without a reflection on their work.

Most often people will take that opportunity. It saves you time from listening, arguing, and/or correcting; they go back and work on the information; and, they feel respected because they didn't feel belittled. With those people who don't back down, it becomes clear that not only do they not know when they're drowning, but they will sink a life preserver when it is thrown to them. They may not be the one you want sailing your boat...which is a good question to have answered.

Saturday cleanup

A point of view does create much insight. We must be careful though as it often seems to cause one's sight to go inward and stop. Perhaps it is best if we move ideas around, dust off our thoughts, and look out for viewpoints that may be blocking us from new ideas. It could be our point of view is up front protecting our feelings (those which stand guard in front of fears or pride or guilt). Every now and then we should have a cleaning day of viewpoints we hold as fact.. just to make sure that we are really sharing our view instead of hiding from ourselves.

Who I am vs Who I want to be

My son told me it isn't being published which makes one a writer; it is being rejected and deciding that you will keep writing... I like that.

He also quoted someone else who said - suffering is temporary but quitting is forever.

Maybe we are who we want to be as long as we don't quit trying.

The problem is that there is an "I" in FAIR

We probably have all heard the adage.. "There is no I in Team"

......some may have heard my husband's favorite response to that adage which is to ask , "Do you know what phrase has two 'U's?" That response, though, is probably best saved for private jokes and no way out, desperate situations where all that you have left to win is the satisfaction of having the last word...

But, as we were discussing... there is no "I" in TEAM and there really shouldn't be in FAIR.. too often that "I" goes first when people are measuring the fairness of an action or decision at work and really shouldn't. I truly don't think one can make a 'fair' decision because it will change with each person's "I". Perhaps we would be better served to attempt to reach decisions in justice. While there is a "U" in justice, there is also an "I" and maybe the two is what balances the scales.

Friday plans

All the chatter centers around 'plans' for the weekend. It is almost as if there was a competition which measures social success based upon the number of activities scheduled in that two day period. If that be so, then I proudly take last place. I love the silence of these two days. I love having my thoughts wander, the mundane tasks completed that had been neglected through the dash of the week, the meandering exploration for treasures at neighbors' garage sales, having time with those I love, and the writing of thoughts to a vast cyberspace crowd of really no one... now that is a great weekend.

A Grateful Heart can't harden

It seems to me that gratitude is the greatest gift you give to yourself. It is one of those boomerang presents.. you offer thanks and your heart is filled with the gratitude sent. I love those kind of gifts, where you really don't know who gave the present because both are so overjoyed with the sharing. It is easier to learn to love yourself when you find the boomerang gifts...