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What I Learned in 2006
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Being as a mom
Terrible 3 doesn`t really end when he turns 4, or 5 ... it`s endless!
it is such a blessing when my child is being taught by an inspiring and patient teacher.
It`s totally okay if I leave the dishes in the sink overnight.
Being as Meitzi
It has been so much fun to write a business plan!
I can do so much!!
It builds up my self-esteem greatly when I treat myself as if I already am what I`d like to be.
Being as an immigrant, people would back off when I make myself law-ledgeble.
Yoga does wonder! Both physically and mentally!
Being as SuN Member
Thank God I found SuN!
Don`t ever try to argue with CraigL
Being as a daughter
It doesn`t matter if I am close to 40 or I am a parent myself, in my parents` eyes I am still a young girl who needs to be scolded from time to time.
Don`t ever try to cook or offer to cook when mom is here.
Overall, 2006 has been a wonderful year. Way better than 2005, not to mention 2004!
The #1 thing I have learned in 2006 is that I want a better life for my children. My sons have given me a new perspective on how I wish to live my life and how I want to conduct my businesses. I look forward to a healthy and wonderful 2007. It`s going to be a GREAT year!!! PDW2006-12-25 14:30:14
Earlier this year I purchased a 64 foot long conveyor belt oven for our
bakery on eBay. Carol and I made a visit to Chicago to assess how long
it would take and how much help we`d need to disassemble and ship it.
We had access to the building from 9 to 5, Monday to Friday only. Not
that I`d ever done anything like this before, but my gut said three
days, three helpers and one 48 foot flatbed.
At 9am Wednesday morning of moving week we arrived to start the job. I
gave Carol a scraper and a hammer and set her to work removing 40 years
of accumulated paint from screw heads. The guys we bought the oven from
just shook their heads in disbelief. I started removing the stainless
steel mesh belt, wrapping it around a steel pipe like a 500 pound spool
of ribbon. Then I marked and removed trim and other small parts.
At 9am Thursday morning our three helpers arrived. I set them to work
unbolting the 20 foot long sections of the oven. On Thursday afternoon
we found some rusted bolts that we couldn`t get loose. I got on Yahoo
and found a welder only 6 miles away. When I called he said "I can be
there first thing tomorrow morning." I said "tomorrow morning is too
late. I need you this afternoon." He said "I`ll be there in half an
hour." By the end of the day all the sections were apart and ready to
go out the door.
Friday morning the flatbed is parked outside the building on Montrose
Avenue, a very busy city street. Our three helpers arrive. Our plan is
to pick up each oven section with a forklift at each end and roll it
out the door. When we get to the street a person stops traffic in each
direction. We`ll roll the section into the street and along side the
trailer, set it down and one forklift will come in from the side, lift
it and set it onto the trailer. The first time we do this Carol is
standing in the street waving a red tee shirt like a flag and the first
car waiting in line is a Chicago police officer. He didn`t say a word.
Our confidence level is building. One section was loaded just as
planned. There were two more big sections and a ton of smaller parts.
By 5pm Friday everything was out the door and loaded on the flatbed
with not a square foot to spare.
As they left the building, the guys we bought the oven from just shook
their heads in disbelief. Later Carol told me what one of them said.
"If we had him working for us we`d still be in business." I consider
that about the best compliment I`ve received all year. Any time things
get difficult I remember what that man said and look for a way to make
it happen.
Frozen, I particularly liked what you had to say about slowing things down and learning to accept that things are not always going to happen just the way you want them to. My family took several hits this year with some serious medical issues, which has caused me to step back and examine what really matters most in life. I was guilty of taking life way too seriously before. Now, I am learning to roll with life`s punches and laugh at myself and my mistakes. I still learn from them, but do not dwell on them.
Keycon, I liked what you said about taking a genuine interest in people and asking questions. I have learned to do more of that myself. The results have been very positive. I know so many people who are so completely wrapped up in themselves that a person cannot get a word in edgewise. It`s exhausting to try and talk with someone like that. Thus, I refuse to be like that. Plus, I think people are more comfortable with someone who is fully engaged in what THEY have to say. I think it earns you more respect, too.
Mostly, though, I have learned to accept things just as they are. It`s difficult to do, when most of us usually have at least some notion of how we would like things to turn out. I truly believe that applying a more Zen approach to both my personal and business life has made me more productive and a far happier person.
Thanks for all the insight. I look forward to reading more.
And, Happy New Year to you all!
moved to a beautiful home in a even more beautiful place and then...
decided to work smarter and not harder. I learned from my husband to take
small steps each day instead of looking too far down the road. I learned
from my niece to always remember what`s "nice about me". I learned from
my best friends - my dogs - to run hard and sleep hard and set goals.
So, I am beginning a new adventure with a graphic design company - a very
talented designer - doing photography, marketing, design. We are so
excited to be building this business and learning....
Thank you for making this forum available. I hope we be a positive addition
and learn with everyone else on this journey. Thanks, Carolyn (at
jwdesigncenter)
invoice through the different departments and get it signed off so I`d get
paid in days, not weeks!!
Without the help of Marie Ortiz, I would have had a lean holiday!!! But
because we had a good working relationship she was willing to hand walk
my bill through accounting rahter than have me wait for weeks or MONTHS
to get paid.
Receptionists, clerical staff, administrative assistants--it can be more
producting to send them a little thank you of Godiva than send those
higher-up the food chain the Sam`s Club size of popcorn!!!
As an administrative person for an engineering firm (my day job)...I would like to give major KUDOS for this particular quote!!!! You have NO idea how often the efforts and bending over backwards I do on a daily basis goes over looked. An occasional thank you would be nice from some of our clients. It is amazing how often you hear that the Admin/Recep/Etc. is the most important job in the company...and yet we get forgotten when it comes time to recognize! So thank you anika...I appreciate you comment very much!!!
Wow, and I thought we had a tough year in 06`. Kudos to you for making it through everything you have an still being able to see the positive.
As for moving to Boston, I`m glad it was the right thing for you. We lived in NH for almost 6 years and were all too happy to leave there. I guess we are Western or Mid-Western people at heart.
I`m truly sorry that you lost so much in 06`. I hope 07` is a very successful and much happier year for you.
Kind regards,
Kim