Just a bright little picture of cloned cats. They make an interesting night light. Sweet dreams blogosphere. 
Since I’ve used Twitter to find and (hopefully) offer inspiration, I couldn’t have been more thrilled to read this post by Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh: How Twitter Can Make You a Better (and Happier) Person. In this post, Tony explains how Twitter:
· Reminds him of his values
· Helps him see the positive aspect of different situations
· Allows him to help other people
· Makes him appreciate more
All beautiful things! I’m better for having read that post, and I highly recommend checking it out if you haven’t. However I can’t help identifying the tweeting elephant in the room: Most people probably want to emulate a little more than his optimistic perspective. They also want his 130,849 followers to grow their business or other endeavors. It’s natural; we all want to be respected and successful. In this economic climate—with most people feeling the crunch in some way—those goals seem far more urgent.
In this post, I want to explore bright side of not being Tony Hsieh, whether you’ll get there eventually or not. (No offense Tony—I really do admire you!) (more…)
OK, I don’t really think it’s awesome that the economy sucks. I’d prefer all my friends and I have jobs—or even better, an ever-growing money tree. But that’s just not reality. Instead we’re faced with two choices: a.) Worry, complain, and go prematurely grey or b.) See reality from a different angle and benefit from this experience. Not sure how to change your perception? Allow me to offer some suggestions.
It’s awesome the economy sucks because:
10. You’ll become more resourceful. I’ve always preferred a barter system to the actual exchange of money (mostly because I like to roll around in dollar bills and I can’t do that if I give them all away.) Here’s an example: the day I lost my job, I arranged to do laundry at my yoga studio in exchange for free classes. You got skills—use them. You never know where you could save a little cash.
9. You can redefine success. Most people file this type of thinking right next to, “My mom thinks I’m special” and “Money can’t buy love.” But really, if you lose your job or take a pay cut, count all your other successes. You have friends and family who love you. You’re awesome at poker. You make a mean bratwurst—whatever! Anything you do well other than earn and buy stuff, appreciate that right now.
8. You have an opportunity to minimize. Buying, having, and maintaining a wide selection of stuff consumes a lot of energy. A bad economy is the perfect opportunity to rethink what you really need. (more…)
