My Tree

by  Kim Spangler

Many of you know that I live in an oak forest. I have a favorite stately old oak outside my living room window with whom I've become acquainted. She (and I am sure that she is a she!) stands tall amidst many other oaks, of course. While I have been out of the office for 2 weeks (5 teeth extracted and then the stomach flu) I have had many moments to observe her.

My tree is always appropriately dressed for each season and clothes herself in strength and dignity (see Proverbs 31). Now, in winter, all is visible...all the knobs and cracks and gouges marking her bark. She is still beautiful to behold.

But I remember her in all her glory in spring. Adorned with green hope and newness...laughing in the rains revival!  NEW...

As we begin our New Year's journey, I am grateful for my oak object talk. All things new. Beauty in all seasons. 'Just waiting to welcome the new growth. 

Whether it's with our "New Year-New You" event for our clients on Feb 9th or with 11 new volunteers (5 will be trained this weekend). Whether it's new clients graduating from Power Up or receiving job placement (7 grads, 3 jobs thus far) or the a Dean's List certificate for one of our Success Stories...the opportunity awaits for us to pursue the new with our clients and with our personal lives.

Have a super New Year.   My tree sends her love!  

In Case of Raven Attacks

By Kim Spangler

You all know by now how my very small mind thinks. Here is more proof of what many have thought was perhaps a mental health component in my storytelling ventures: my Altoids tin...when I opened my peppermints yesterday I was greeted by a small sentence included in the paper wrapping. 

" Altoids were once used to ease everything from stomach ailments to raven attacks".  

This trivia led me to the Altoid website (yes, I DO have a life!). 

It seems that altoidswere really used for dyspepsia. However, I could find no evidence of their value when one is attacked by crows! Consider the visual: I am sitting on my upper deck communing with nature when the Spangler version of Hitchcock'sThe Birds is enacted by crows swooping down to do bodily harm to my ...whatevers.

Protecting said 'whatevers' involve hand- to- beak combat involving throwing my altoids at each offending bird.

The moral to the story: use appropriate strategies when in "battle"-whether it's ravens or a specific "crow" in your life...thinking 2 steps ahead and choosing the response, not the reaction, can result in a win-win for all. We teach our clients this principle and we often need to refresh our skills, ,as well. I choose not to react, but to respond with a behavior which I have calmly practiced before the issue becomes a battle. How 'bout you?

Turn Down That Dog!

From Kim Spangler

Many of you know that I am a very early riser. I love the stillness of the dawn and the hour I have with my quiet time. Except....yesterday!

You see, there was this dog down by the lake who decided to yap...not a few wake-the-day yaps, mind you, but 15 minutes of constant and irritating yaps!

I tried to focus on my scripture reading.   I shut the window.   I turned on the A/C.  Yaps.  Yaps frequent. Yaps fortissimo. Yaps forever.   I actually yelled (in my home), "Turn down that dog!"   Of course it made no difference, but I felt more empowered.

The point?   We have so many clients who have allowed themselves to pay attention to the "yapping dog" of their minds...the negative, shame-based, limiting yaps which play on endless loops.   Our job at W2W is to turn down/turn off the dog and turn on the TRUTH.

An Excuse for Everything

Some clients have an excuse for everything.   It’s one of the most frustrating things a mentor can encounter.  No matter what you say or suggest, they have a ready answer about why they can’t do that, or it won’t work.

The most effective response to this situation is to ask the woman:  What are you willing to do?   And then wait for their answer.   Do not prompt them.  This is the time when it’s most effective to let a woman come to the realization that she needs to take action to make the situation better.

It’s in our nurturing nature to try to help them fix their situation, but for a woman who has an excuse for everything, the behavior of offering an excuse for everything is a core problem to their ability to move forward.

Coach them through it by insisting they decide what has to happen and then encouraging them to do it.  Resist the urge to get in there and play the game for them.

thinking2stepsahead.com

I'm writing more regularly and posting at www.thinking2stepsahead.com.   I decided to simply post the link here rather than reposting the entire blog entry. 

Please visit and subscribe.  

For Twitter users, follow me @LaurieGrathen.

See you on the other side!

Now Pray

Thanks for the help I got in putting together the submission to nominate Kim Spangler for the Harlequin More Than Words program.   I sent it off yesterday.

Now our job is to pray for favor with the selection committee.  

Help Get a $15,000 Donation for Woman 2 Woman

We have an opportunity to earn a $15,000 donation to Woman 2 Woman through the Harlequin Books More Than Words program (http://www.harlequinmorethanwords.com/about).

I am planning to submit a nomination for Kim Spangler for this award.   Not only will she be recognized nationally for her contribution to women’s issues, W2W will receive $15,000 if she is selected as a recipient.  And a book may be written about her.  I believe the program selects 3 recipients a year.    

The nomination deadline is July 6 so time is SHORT.   The submission includes a couple of questions about how the nominee inspires others to get involved.   I need your input for that.  I want the submission text to be so compelling the Selection Board won’t think twice about whether she’s worthy.   She is sooooooo worthy!!!

After her selection as a finalist, there's another phase where we have to get people to vote for her.   This is where our extended tribes come in.   But we'll save that process and the instructions for when we need it after finalist selection in October.   For those of you who want to know more about the program and contest, here's a link to the official rules.  http://www.harlequinmorethanwords.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/2013-More-Than-Words-Contest-Rules.pdf

But now....

These are the 6 questions on the nomination form.   I am very interested in your input on any or all of them, but especially the last 2 which sorta have more to do with all of us than with Kim.  Remember that Habit 6 is Synergize.  This means that together we're going to submit a much better, stronger, more compelling nomination form than if I tried to do it alone.   Please help me do that.

1. What is the Charity's mission or vision statement?
2. How is the Nominee involved in the Charity's work?
3. What motives the Nominee to help this Charity?
4. How are you inspired by the Nominee?
5. How does the Nominee inspire others to get involved?
6. What impact could this award have on the Nominee, the Charity and the community they serve?

So, please, either comment here on the questions above (and follow this blog by e-mail while you're at it) or, if you're more comfortable giving your input to me privately, e-mail it to me at w2wmentor@gmail.com.   Or any other e-mail address you have for me....I get them all. 

Again, PLEASE HELP W2W garner a $15,000 donation from this program.  It starts right here, right now.