Wednesday, May 25, 2016

It's OK to Be a NOOB

Now don't get slick on me. Everyone's a NOOB at some point in their lives or careers...

We aren't born knowing how to do very much. So don't be shy just because you know you have to face that awkward stage where folks may notice that you are just an entry level amateur noob.

There "ain't nothin' wrong" with moving ahead with a project even if you know it's not going to come off as pro or epic "mastery".

As I've blogged about before....just because you will never become a concert pianist doesn't mean you should never learn to play the piano. Playing the piano for many years at an "entry" level is totally cool in my humble opinion.

And the same goes for many other things you may want to do online. Yes, you will most likely improve with practice at most of the things you do.....but that doesn't mean you should hesitate to do something just because you aren't yet slick at it.

For example, you may be a novice writer. You just LOVE to write, but have never published anything publicly and are terrified of being bashed or trolled for putting something out there that isn't polished or professional. What would my advice be?? I'd say...GO FOR IT ANYWAY!

Yes, it's hard to put out work that you know is not yet straight AAA STAR studded quality. But that doesn't mean I regret any of the stuff I have put out there online. I'm very proud of all my "noobish" ebooks and awkward blogs and regrettable tweets. Why? Because I had the courage to be out there in all my "noobish" glory....being willing to make epic fails in public, for the sheer purpose of knowing that
"nothing risked...nothing gained". All the gains I have made in life, have been because I have been a risk taker. I have been willing to take risks, without knowing whether I would succeed or flop. Thankfully, most of my efforts have been fruitful.

And so....I continue.......to improve. I continue to grow....and eventually, with God's help....I will reach mastery of those skills I have put my hands to. But the bottom line....the point I really want to make to you my beloved readers is this.......I keep moving forward because I am not embarrassed to put work out in public that is less than awesome. I keep producing high volumes of work, because I know that through the sheer volume of projects I create, I am giving myself  MASSIVE LEVERAGE that will eventually tip the scales in my favor.

What have you given up doing just because you couldn't go public with something less than perfect?
What can you move forward with, now that you have the courage to be a noob?
Looking forward to reading your comments in the section below.

Peacefully productive,
Carla.




Monday, May 23, 2016

Your Own Genius

Well, our childhoods don't last forever....and no matter whether those years were positive or negative, there comes a stage in adulthood, where one begins to realize that we need to
  protect and nurture those qualities about ourselves that we value most.

For example, if you want to continue to play the piano that you learned as a child, you are going to have to keep a keyboard or old school piano around in your dwelling somewhere and keep at it. Even if you only play it once every three months or so, you will keep your skills alive and fresh in your short term memory.

What you attend to regularly will stay fresh in your mind and remain a part of your life.

So...back to my original thought.

If you want to keep your genius......... we are going to have to figure out how to nurture it. It's one thing to nurture the genius in your own child, as they are young and still under your care. But it is a whole 'nother thing to nurture the genius in yourself, as you age and embrace middle age.When your lifestyle and life stages change, your strategy for self-care needs to change too.

What is THAT going to take? How are we going to nurture our own genius, continuously as we age?
How can we incubate the genius that is lying dormant within us?
Well, I don't pretend to have the answers....but here are a few random ideas:

1/ Protect your fave "think" spot. Maybe it's a quiet room in your home. Maybe you need to protect it from
some other household purpose and preserve it for your thinking time.
 (hint:don't let the vaccuum cleaner be stored there :)
It's called your own personal THINK TANK. It's important. It's personal. Guard it and protect it.

2/ Make it a priority to simply feed that wonderful brain of yours with empowering mental "food".
Yes, I have loads of ideas about that, but it's not about my opinions, it about what nurtures
YOUR genius.....not mine. What nurtures my genius is not the same as what makes your brain explode with creativity. The authors that make my mind thrive are not the same as yours.

By the way, one hurdle I had to overcome, as I began to explore new thinkers and authors, was to allow myself to read and learn from people with whom I had HUGE personal differences.
You see, I used to think, that in order for me to able to glean any quality information from a writer/thinker, I had to be in 100% agreement with the lifestyle and beliefs of that particular writer/thinker.
Boy, it was a huge relief to get free from that VERY VERY limiting mindset.
For it was literally IMPOSSIBLE for me to find the information I was seeking from ANYONE who believed the same things I did. Therefore, I changed my mindset and am now free to learn from whatever person or source I choose, no matter if I have REALLY big personal differences and belief systems than that particular writer or thinker.

3/ Protect your 'Noggin. Literally. Your brain is your greatest asset....and it's not going to help you if you split your wig in a bicycle accident, because you just didn't wanna protect your brain with a helmet.
Protect your brain whenever you play aggressive sports too.  A puck to the head is not going to help you nurture your genius. Guard that brain of yours with physical barriers to impact. Wear your seat belt when you are in a vehicle. It makes sense.

Well,that's all for now.
In peaceful productivity,
Carla.

Friday, May 20, 2016

Hey McDonalds Canada...... We want Gluten Free Burgers Too

I was surprised and inspired to read in an online MSN article
that McDonalds serves GLUTEN FREE BURGERS in several European countries!
To be specific, the MSN article stated that McDonald restaurants in Italy, Finland, Norway and Sweden offer a gluten-free burger..

That's great news for Europe....but hey ...what about us???

There are plenty of Celiacs and Gluten Intolerant people in Canada....would it be so hard to set aside a few special gluten free burgers for us?

If you click Here you'll be able to see for yourself all the varieties of menu items that McDonalds has developed across the globe. Can you find your country or regional flavors listed?

If you feel strongly about this issue, maybe it's time to drop a line to your own McDonalds headquarters.....
and ask them to offer some delicious gluten free items.

Contact McDonalds Canada

Contact McDonalds USA