Happy St. Patricks Day

Here are some ideas to help us go green and save money too!

1. Recycle gray water, water gardens plants, flush toilets etc.

2. Use scraps for fertilizer (not meat or dairy) Banana peels are great. Just throw them under your bushes.

3. Save scraps of soap to put in a mesh bag, makes a great skin scrubber.

4. Buy a filter for your tap water, bottled water is expensive and so much plastic.  If you need to you can use chlorine to purify water. (8-16 gtts per gallon)

Auld Lang Syne was partially written by Robert Burns in the 1700’s, it was first published in 1796 after Burns’ death. Early variations of the song were sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to produce the modern rendition. An old Scotch tune, ‘Auld Lang Syne’ literally means ‘old long ago,’ or simply, ‘the good old days.’

Here are the lyrics: however, many people seem to remember only the first verse.

Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

It’s that time of the year where some of us (fewer I hope) make those New Year Resolutions that we often break leaving us feeling like failures.  Why is that??  I wonder if it is because we often try to make ourselves into something or someone we are not.

I love this quote from Steve Jobs of Apple.
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. ”

In thinking about this I realized that as I have gotten older I am more and more sure of and ok with, who I really am.
But knowing who you really are takes thought and time.

Happy Holidays

I was being silly here mostly because I was with a friend who has 5 year old twins.  Kids can always put me in the holiday spirit and make the world seem better.  If you are not feeling so jolly its ok,  you are not alone!

Here are two references that  might help you

The first is a professional article that offers scientific evidence for alternative and complementary treatments for depression.

Below you will find my answer to a question about holiday blues.

Hope you find something helpful here.

If you are interested in sustainable energy or  Bio- Gas in general take a look at my video on a Bio-Gas system.  I interview Zack from an orphanage in Kenya about their Bio-Gas system which turns cow dung into gas for cooking and manure for gardens.

By the way to clarify what I say in the video 30,000 Kenya Shillings  is about $ 390.00

If you are looking for a unique useful gift for the helper or health care worker in your life, consider a copy of my book Behavioral First Aid: Managing Emotions During Emergencies. It will be appreciated for its practical information and advice. Free shipping till Christmas! Buy it now

It is at this time of year that we all get increasingly stressed and at the same time put more pressure upon ourselves to have a perfect holiday. Well that is not possible. No one has a perfect holiday. Setting realistic expectations for yourself, others and the holiday is the best advice I can offer. Here are some tips about how to do that and avoid family crises.

• Make plans well ahead of time.

• Ask others what they would prefer to do on the holiday.

Check out some pictues of my work in school in Kenya www.flickr.com/photos/43476477@N08/

I have always been thrifty as I grew up in a poor family.  As a professional I used to be somewhat embarrassed at my thriftiness. NO MORE!  I am now personally cutting back even more in my life, downsizing and trying to not WASTE money. It is nice to know I am not alone.  I am sorry for those who are being forced to downsize  due to the economy, but I sense that some of us are enjoying it also. 

 If you haven’t read Seth Goden’s blog you should check it out.

Seth is a marketer and non-business readers might think they would have no interest in what he has to say. Beside his marketing savvy what I like about Seth is his humanity and philosophy.  He has a great sense of humor, a terrific instinctual understanding of people and what they need and like, and what motivates them. He is practical not pretentious at all, speaks to you with respect and offers what I see as truly practical advice applicable in business and life. Seth incorporates social justice in his marketing practices.