Archive for February, 2010
Just Be.
27 years ago, I got my first job teaching children. I loved working with kids, singing songs, playing games, doing art, learning, and growing. I did not know at the time that taking care of children would become the theme of my life.
Over the years, I have been a mentor and teacher to thousands of children and adults in the United States, Spain, Japan, Korea, and most recently Africa, all the while knowing that my deepest wish was to be a mother.
I kept waiting for the right circumstances, the right husband, the right place, or the right timing to be a mom.
But in one life-changing moment, I realized there is never a “right” time.
Last July, I got a phone call that my closest friend had suddenly passed away during the night–no warning, no preparation, no nothing. It was one of the saddest moments of my life. I felt like I had been shot in the heart. That week, I called a friend crying and she consoled me by saying “if you become who your friend was for you, you will never lose her.”
Who was my friend for me …?? She was the mother I had always wanted to be.
Everything changed from then on. I understood that life is too short to wait for the perfect moment. There are no more excuses and no more fear.
I asked myself, if I want to be a mom, where are there children who need a mother?
And the rest, as they say, is history. On December 14th, I flew to Uganda to meet the children of the Good Hope School (www.goodhopeschool.net). I had never been to Africa and I flew there alone. The universe brought me to the people who helped me get there and to the people who needed me. Everything divinely came together.
In Uganda, they call me “Mugisha”, which means gift. They think I am a gift to them. But the real gift is who they are for me. There, in a small village near Kabale town, I met over 100 children and my Ugandan family. Many of the children are orphans. Their village has no electricity and no indoor plumbing, but it has an abundance of laughter, community, connection, and love. Everywhere there are children, they run out of their houses to greet me, and hug me, and sing to me.
I could not choose just one child to love, so I chose to love them all–all 186 of them! And now they all have a “Mama Mugisha”. They have someone who will make sure that they get what they need to prosper and flourish. And oh so perfectly, they allow me to be who I have always wanted to be.
So if there is someone or something that you want to be:
Don’t wait. There is no day but today. Find someone who wants what you have to give and just BE. The universe will take care of the rest. I promise.
_____________________
For pictures of the children : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sX2_yvaBNw
For information : www.goodhopeschool.net
To get involved, contact : micaela@miraclecatcher.com
This story is dedicated with love to Meg Athon, Donna K. Gottlieb, and my mother Marilyn.
Thank you to the wonderful mamas in this world who love us. You are all a gift!
In gratitude,
Micaela Bellopede
The Miraclecatcher Foundation
Welcome a new guest writer Micaela Michele Bellopede
Micaela Michele Bellopede has a M.A. in Education and a MIEM in International Economics and Management. She teaches English and Business Communications at UCSD, and runs Miraclecatcher Photography and the Miraclecatcher Foundation, a non-profit organization promoting creativity and empowerment for children. She has lived in the USA, Canada, Spain, Italy, France, Japan, and Korea, and visited 45 countries as a student of life. Her biggest passion is connecting with people from all over the world and learning from them.
“By believing in miracles, we create them.” MB
Amazing awaits
The Olympics is regarded as the most elite sporting competition in the world. A chosen few who excel with both the right mindset and peak physical form compete against the best in the world. With combined physical and mental training, Olympic athletes are known to be the finest specimens of athletic performance in the world. A winning attitude and a winning body make for a winning team.
Successful athletes truly believe they can win because world class athletes are determined to win. It is also their dedication to their sport and in the manner that they train. They do not give up and often map out their training schedule over a period of several years, not week by week. They have to be mentally tough as they are separated from their families for long periods of time. They must often compete against their close friends they have trained with for years in order to make it to the top.
Thinking like an Olympic athlete can help you get the most out of every workout. If you find yourself losing momentum or motivation, remind yourself how much discipline it takes for an athlete to make it to the Olympics. Just a fraction of that discipline will keep you going every day. Here are some suggestions both professional athletes, weekend warriors and those just getting back into the gym may use to achieve fitness goals:
· Be specific in your training – A professional runner must possess incredible endurance and strength in order to complete a marathon. Training involves specific activities such as distance, speed and strength training. Make sure your training complements your specific performance goal. If you’re goal is to run faster you should practice all disciplines on how to increase your running speed. Simple!
· Perfect you form - In whatever activity you engage in make sure your form is perfect. If you’re running, stand tall, keep equal balance in your lower limbs and relax your upper body. If you’re lifting weights, perform slowly against gravity to reduce momentum and control the movement of your weights so the proximal and distal joints of the muscle you are training remain still. Having perfect form requires you to focus on what your body is doing, rather than trying to distract yourself from the pain. If you are in pain then simply lower your weight as it is correct form, versus weight, that will properly condition your body.
· Resting is part of training – Professional athletes have learned how to master the proper time line between peak performance and recovery time. Resting is crucial because it gives the body the time necessary to rebuild broken down tissue the occurs during training. Overtraining can mean the difference between winning and losing for an Olympic athlete. Adequate rest and sleep (8-10 hours a day) are essential to our bodies as is balanced nutrition, proper hydration and physical conditioning.
Posted on the door when entering the Olympic training center in Chula Vista, California are the words “Amazing Awaits.” Amazing is available to anyone who chooses to be…
Written by Dr. Mindy Mar
The Business Formula – Part 2
Lets talk PSI!
- Product
- Service
- Image
The PSI formula ensures that you have thought about who really needs your idea, and how you want them to think about it!
When considering your product, the most important question you’ll have to ask yourself is : “How do I know they’ll want it?” You must be absolutely sure that there is a market for your idea. You can hire firms for this step, or you can do some of your own independent research, but you must have a firm idea of how many people will be interested in your product/service. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, you can even resell other products or services and simply add value to them. You can hire a bakery to make bread for your sandwich shop, you can resell software and offer installation services and support, you can even hire out your accounting work! Once you’ve decided on the size of your market and the parts of your business that others can take care of for you, then you will need to focus on the value you can bring back to yourself. Is there any way for you to save money in your process? Are there some extras that you might like to offer, but cost more than they make? You must bring as much value to the table as you can, but never give yourself the short end of the stick. If it can’t make financial sense, then you must rethink your implementation. Also, remember to consider the DETAILS of your project. Now is the time for deep thought. Take your time, and get it right on paper before you ever put a dollar into your idea.
Service means taking care of the client. We ALL know what good service feels like, and your goal should be to replicate that feeling in all of your customer’s minds. You should operate with integrity, consistency, and most of all a sense of urgency. Remember that every customer that you’ve created a good feeling in is a chance for an upsell. Do not waste the effort you put into customer service by neglecting to upsell every time you talk to a client! The only way to true give good service is to delegate. Most people would think you have to do everything yourself to ensure good service, but the opposite is true. You can not do everything yourself. You MUST delegate every aspect possible and then follow up to ensure it’s being done properly. The key is to hire the right people, train them well, let them do it and follow up, follow up, follow up. In other words…tell, show, do, review.
I saw it over and over again with my successful Franchisees and stores. They All had this in common. All of the stores that were failing were run by operators that had to have control and do everything themselves. What happened in every, single case, is that because they couldn’t do everything themselves, things didn’t get done and many aspects of the P,S,I, suffered; thus they failed. Again in EVERY, single case in the successful businesses, the owner fluttered around overseeing the entire operation while their team took care of the details. Works every time, no matter what the product or service is.
Your image has to be desirable to a client. Think of what it is you want to portray. Whether it’s a uniform, marketing material, a retail outlet, or words you use; do you want it to be fun, clean, colorful, conservative, trustworthy, safe, creative, and different? Think about what you want people thinking and talking about. If you have a hotel, do you want people to feel safe, have comfortable beds, think your place is clean, affordable, or high end? If you have a restaurant do you want people to think it’s clean, do you want them fed fast, or to have a slow leisurely experience. What ever you want to portray, be clear on those objectives and be consistent everyday. Communicate these objectives with your team and make sure they understand what you mean by them. Think “Brand”. A brand can be created around a single person or a multi-until corporation. There’s a restaurant around the corner from my house that does this beautifully. They only have one restaurant, but they are so clear on what their brand is. The restaurant is called Cowboy Star. Everything from the floor boards to the ceiling to the drinks they offer, to the uniforms, to their printed material goes with the 1920′s cowboy theme. Even the paper bags they send you home with your leftovers is simple with a stamp that looks like the brand a cow would get on it’s hide. It’s not an expensive item but it is exactly what they’re all about. What is your brand?
In all of the above PSI details, one thing is most important. Consistency! If you use a font on your menu, use it on your advertising and flyers. Keep one single “voice” on your webpages and blogs…be consistent!! I know I say that a lot, but consistency is one of the most important if not THE most important thing to incorporate in any business. Even MacDonald’s is consistent in their mediocrity. They’re successful because people know what to expect!
Consistency and delegating would be the 2 top things to really master if you want to be really successful in any business. YOu may be wondering, how about a doctor or a dentist, a makeup artist, or a housekeeper? Well even a doctor (or any of these professions) can delegate. My doctor does it brilliantly. You see a nurse (delegate)for the majority of your visit, then he pops in for about 5 min for a brief summary (follow up) and to see if anything was missed. I feel completely taken care of, actually more so than any of my previous doctors, because he is so thorough. I felt like doctors in the past didn’t have enough time to spend with me to do a proper job. I had to ask for things to be checked when they kept trying to leave to get to the next patient, where at my current place, the nurse takes their time, asks all the questions, makes sure all is good and then I get a second repeat insurance from the doc. It’s great!
Stay tuned next time for some more advice on the business formula. We are going to talk about building and nurturing your team!