Last week, I had the honor of being interviewed by Dr. Claudia Six from “Six on Sex.”  (I’m still having trouble uploading photographs, but if you click on the link above, you will be able to see Dr. Six). Dr. Six and I both attended the same school for Sexology, it turns out, though she went on to get her doctorate; she has her Ph.D. in Clinical Sexology and is Board Certified by the American Board of Sexology.

Dr. Six has a great podcast, which is about Erotic Integrity. She interviews local personalities about what Erotic Integrity means to them, and how Erotic Integrity shows up in their work and in their lives. As stated by Dr. Six, “Erotic Integrity is about the humanity of sex, not the acrobatics. It’s about being true to one’s erotic self.”

I strongly recommend downloading and listening to her podcasts. Dr. Six is a fantastic person, and a wealth of information! Not only that, Sheila Kelley’s S Factor has offered anyone who listens to the podcast and mentions it to their local S Factor half off on an introductory S Factor session through 2008. I discussed how working out at S Factor really has helped me to release my “Erotic Creature,” and S Factor has generously offered the ability to any of Dr. Six and my listeners!

Here are a couple of other links that we discuss in the podcast:
Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz’s website (put “sex” in the Search Box in the very top, blue bar to get some of the sex facts that we discuss in the podcast)

Sheri’s Ranch website link

Click below to listen to the interview:

 

 Interview on Six on Sex [27:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I told you that I was clearing out all the stuff that’s piled up! Here is another new Bond Girl Coaching Cards link. These are free for you to print out (instructions are on the printout).

Click on the link below, to download the cards.

 Bond Girl Personal Development Cards Set 6: Download

Please check the note on Set 6 - my publisher and I would love to have your help, and credit you for your efforts!

Hey! I might as well post everything that has been piling up, ready to go!

Here is a link to the next set in the Bond Girl Coaching Card series. We plan to ultimately have a boxed set of all the cards for sale. But these are free for you to print out (instructions are on the printout).

My publisher and I were discussing the cards the other day, and she came up with a great idea. If you would like to send your own personally-created card/action steps from the book, we will incorporate them, and give you credit for the cards you submit when we print the boxed set. Whaddya say?

Click on the link below, to download the cards.

 Bond Girl Personal Development Cards Set 5: Download

Hello! I know, it’s been quite some time since I did a regular podcast. Amazingly, this is my 35th podcast, but that includes the hynotherapy podcasts, interviews, vodcasts, etc. So I am calling this “Podcast 11″ since it’s the 11th one where it’s me, just me…

The picture at left is Special Agent V and her sexy James. They live in Switzerland, as you will hear, and are planning a round-the-world trip! Special Agent V asked for tips on looking Bond Girlish (not schlumpy) when living for nine months out of one suitcase. If you’re curious, she found BeABondGirl.com this way:

“I was home sick in bed for 4 days and I am a fan of James Bond (I have the whole collection on DVD ). Since I was already in bed with my laptop surfing endlessly, I was wondering what exactly the Bond Girl names were and to know if they had a character story beyond what you see in the films. I started my search and found you online. And then loaded up a podcast… and yeah, got hooked. Better than knowing a Bond Girl is to be one yourself ;-)”

Secret Agent V and I had a long-running email tail about how, and what, to pack for her trip, which I go into in abbreviated fashion on this podcast. I also had an email from - Mr. Bond himself! Yes, I did… though it might not be what you think!

Next, here is the information from “Mr. Bond” on his venture into podcasting - it is Episode 33 on the Nursing Show blog, and if you click here, it will take you to it.  Mr. Bond is interviewed on being an E.R. Nurse after being an EMT/Paramedic for over a decade (his interview is actually at the 12:30 mark). What a great podcast! It’s amazing, there are podcasts for everything…with great resources, articles and links.  This is a super one! Go Bond… Paul Bond!

Finally, this BABG podcast deals with how we Bond Girls make our money. Using Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Kiyosaki as a template, we discuss the differences between being an employee, self-employed, a business, and an investor, and how being a “real” business (versus being self-employed, which is just being an employee, with yourself as your boss, janitor, marketer, bill collector, and chief bottle washer!) can ultimately lead you to the cashflow upon which to retire.

As part of discussing cashflow and business, I talk quite a bit about network marketing and my experiences with many such companies, including my current one, SendOutCards.com. Because I really believe in networking marketing as a way to control your destiny money-wise, I am offering anyone who writes to me a copy of Beach Money by Jordan Adler. If you’d like a copy, listen to the podcast and let me send you one!

Please let me know if you would like more on wealth-building or any other topics. I will likely talk a bit more about finances, wealth creation, and the like in the next few podcasts, but my subjects are really guided by what you’d like to hear. So speak up - don’t be shy!

As I noted in the podcast, unfortunately I have lost my previous call-in line. Yes, it happens to the best of us. The New Number for Listener Feedback is 206-350-1867.  You can now reach me both on doubleohsandy [at] yahoo [dot] com (which comes to my Blackberry), or sandy [at] BeABondGirl [dot] com, my new direct email address.  Finally, you can always Comment below. I hope you enjoy this episode, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Click the red button below to listen:

 

 011 Listener Feedback and a Chat about Cashflow: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The amazing and wonderful Collabo-writer Sallie Goetsch-rhymes-with-sketch  at Author-izer.com sent me a link that definitely belongs here:  50 Things You Should Know How To Do from Marc and Angel Hack Life.

This website is wa-a-ay too addictive. I’d definitely suggest adding it to your RSS Feedreader (if you don’t have one or don’t know how to do this, email me and I’ll ’splain — it’s super easy and you will LOVE it once you get it set up). Archives include:

25 Daily Suggestions to Guide you toward the Good Life;

10 Handy Numbers for your Mobile Phone (particularly notice the FREE 411 through Google);

33 Inspirational Videos from YouTube (including the “Last Lecture,” laughter yoga, the original Hoosiers motivational speech, the Braveheart “Freedom” speech, and wow, wow, wow, SO MUCH MORE!…check this one out about an autistic guy singing the National Anthem at Disability Awareness Day in Fenway Park in Boston if you want that throat swelling/eyes tearing up moment…);

20 Things the Millionaire Next Door does NOT do (fantastic list. I cover this in my book, based on the actual book “The Millionaire Next Door” - but read this and BE HONEST - what stops you from being a millionaire? My biggest issue is #9 - impulse buying - as Erin Doland and I discussed in our podcast, this is the “Shiny! Shiny!” problem. I actually do NOT do this at the mall - it’s always at things like silent auctions for charities. I figure it’s for a good cause . . . but hello, it’s not good for my pocketbook! I just did this yesterday at one of my favorite charities in the world, Women’s Initiative for Self-Employment…just shoot me.)

Check out this site! It’s great!  Thanks again, Sallie!

This podcast is a recording of the new Thursday Night Fempowerment Lifestyle Training group’s Second Session. These Grrls have agreed to have their first meetings taped and made public, to instruct those of you who are curious about the process.

The second teleconference in each month is not based upon Curriculum. It is based upon what came up for each Bond Grrl during the previous 2 weeks, as a follow on from the first session of the month and the Weekly Update. If you are following along, you have heard Session One (based on the curriculum), then read the Weekly Update (and the Testimonials), and now we are to Session Two. It deals with setting Goals and Steps for accomplishment - because the Thursday group had some issues with respect to how exactly to do just that.

Each member uses her “Bond Grrl Name,” which I have found helps women really be truthful, honest, and forthright in what she discusses with the group.

My Bond Grrls were asked to post their weekly information and questions here in Comments to share their process, but it’s been a wee bit too private for that! So as you can see, most of the information on the Blog is just from Yours Truly. I am sure that you understand. But you can certainly hear their processes during the Teleconferences.

If you have comments or questions, please call my private line at +1 (206) 350-3537, or e-mail me at doubleohsandy [at] yahoo [dot] com. You can also leave a Comment below.

Enjoy… click on the button below to Play. It has about six seconds of silence at the beginning, so just wait a few counts, it will come on.

 

 Fempowerment Lifestyle Training Call 2: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This Coffee Chat podcast is with Alison Armstrong of PAX Programs Incorporated. PAX, which is an acronym for Partnership, Adoration and Xtsay, creates peace between the sexes by providing unique and immediately useful information to women on understanding men. Their products, CDs, DVDs and workshops can be found at UnderstandMen.com.

As stated on their website, “PAX…is passionate about altering our society’s culture by transforming the way women relate to men. [PAX provides] extraordinary information with which women can profoundly affect their relationships with men of all ages and in all circumstances. [PAX is] dedicated to having this priceless information in the hearts and minds of one million women. [PAX intends] to accomplish this with fun, integrity, intelligence, courage and in partnership with both masculine and feminine forms of power.”  Read more about PAX’s mission by clicking here. Sounds like fEmpowerment, no?

As promised, please find the links to:

* Alison’s website
* writing to Oprah about how you felt hearing about Alison in this Podcast;
* watching Alison on Utube:
- “How Women Speak: There Is No Point!” (part 1 of 3)
- “How Women Speak: Life-Threatening Details” (part 2 of 3)
- “How Women Speak: It’s All About Flow” (part 3 of 3)

- “How Women Think: What Focus???” (part 1 of 3)
- “How Women Think: How Do You Get Her Attention?” (part 2 of 3)
- “How Women Think: Multi-Tasking During Sex?” (part 3 of 3)

- “How Women Feel: Crashing The System” (part 1 of 2)
- “How Women Feel: The Rage Monster” (part 2 of 2)

- “How to NOT Change A Man: Why Criticism Doesn’t Work”
- “How To Change A Woman: The SLIGHTEST Criticism Will Do”

 I hope you enjoy this podcast, and please let me know if there are other experts you might like to hear interviewed on our Coffee Chats.

If you have comments on this episode, call the Listener Comment Voicemail at +1 (206) 350-3537, e-mail sandy [at] beabondgirl [dot] com or leave a comment below.

Click the red button below to listen.

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 Interview with Alison Armstrong, UnderstandMen.com: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This post carries on from the Podcast of our first fEmpowerment Lifestyle Training call on May 8th with my “Thursday Evening Bond Grrrrls.” Each member has agreed to let the process be open on this Blog, so that others can see what fEmpowerment Coaching is all about.

One issue that I did not bring up in the Weekly Update but I will likely bring up in the call on May 22nd was the “belching issue.”  A couple of the women on the call mentioned this specifically. If you have listened to the podcast, you will hear an enormous belch about 3/4 of the way through. It was while one of the Bond Grrls was speaking in the Masterminding session. (If you haven’t listened to the podcast, bet you’re going to do it now, huh? :-) ) The belch was definitely an adult - it was not one of the Bond Grrls who was attending with her baby. To me, it actually sounded like a man’s belch.

So it was one thing, or the other.  Either it was one of the Bond Grrls letting out a ripper of a belch, or one of the Bond Grrls who was on the call had her “significant other” come and belch literally in her face while she was on the call. If the first, that’s fairly easy to correct - it’s a disgusting sound, it’s unnecessary, and it’s definitely not Bond Grrl to belch like a toad on overdrive. If it was a “James” making this sound, it is either one of two things: (a) a power play, or (b) an “endearment.” In either case, the Bond Grrl has given some sort of signal in her life that this is “OK.”

We do train our men - we all know that. If we say “Oh honey that’s disgusting! (Tee hee hee)”, we are actually signalling that we are OK being treated like that. If we get angry, again, we have allowed our James to see that something “pushes our buttons,” and so he can use it as a power play against us.  Here a way to handle this.

Show no reaction at the time. (This is critical - remember, he’s trying to get you off your game.) Then, after the call, sit down very seriously and say, “James, are you really someone who belches in his woman’s ear? Is that the real you? Can you please help me to understand what you were thinking when you did that?” Then just be quiet.

He’s going to have to say whatever he “thought” - and you need to stay non-reactive. If he says “oh, I thought it was really funny,” don’t just counter with a huffy “Well I sure don’t!” Try instead “To me, it’s an inappropriate way to express yourself. Just like telling an incredibly prejudiced joke, that belch reflects upon you. Is that what you want to be remembered for?” or perhaps “When you belch in my ear when I am on an accountability call, it makes me feel disrespected. I feel embarrassed because the other women on the call can hear this. I would rather that belching is not part of our relationship repertoire.” Just do NOT go the direction of “When you belched in my ear, you disrespected me.”  Because he will say “No I didn’t,” and you’re in a fight. Always stick to how YOU feel. Do NOT get into “his body” or “his head.” You can ask what he was thinking when he did it, or what that signified to him, but when it comes to your reaction, ground it in your own feelings or you’re setting yourself for an “I did not,” “You did too” type fight. 

Whoever is the Grrl that had this happen to her has allowed this in her life. No one here is a Victim. How you are treated is a manifestation of how you have shown that you want to be treated. ‘Nuff said.

As for the call in general, it brought up some private issues that a few of the Bond Grrls wanted to work through with me on email, as their Coach. As you can see, we do not have that many Comments thusfar - those who had immediate issues decided to keep them private between coach/Bond Grrl (which I have respected, of course), and others were too crazed in their lives/schedules to learn how to Comment/post. The best part about fEmpowerment Lifestyle Training is that you show up however works best for you - so if there’s just not enough time to work the Curriculum, or something big interrupts your call-in time, then you can always “catch up” through the Weekly Updates and Recordings. 

If you have any questions, you can call my private line at +1 (206) 350-3537, or e-mail me at doubleohsandy [at] yahoo [dot] com. You can also leave a Comment below.

Click below to download the Weekly Update document. It is in PDF format, so you may need to obtain the Adobe Reader if you do not have it on your computer already (it is free on www.Adobe.com).

 Fempowerment Lifestyle Training Weekly Update 5/15/08: Download

I was asked by KOMO Seattle, a TV program that is trying to decide whether to have me as a guest, to compile the “Top 10 Tips” for a fempowered lifestyle. What do you think?

The overall theme of my book and coaching practice = live your best, most passionate life. So these are the Top 10 Tips that came to me:

1. Clean House. Declutter your life of belongings, friends, commitments, and the like that do not feed your passion and fempower your Inner Bond Girl. (Empty your glass of beer to get champagne in there!)

2. Donate. Support fellow Bond Girls in your community by allowing the items you have freed from your life to reach their “next best use” with others. (Pour your beer into another grrl’s glass with water in it!)

3. Be Congruent. Coax Your Inner Bond Girl out by matching what you wear and the way you walk, talk, laugh and listen with who you are becoming.

4. Be Present in your Luscious Body, Now. Accept, love and nurture her as she is now, and explore her fempowered nature through sensual dancing, pole dancing, or the like.

5. Be Ready. Take advantage of every adventure and opportunity that comes your way, and structure your life to facilitate it. Learn to travel light and get out of Dodge in minutes.

6. Block out non-negotiable You Time. Give yourself a minimum of 10 minutes/day to dream and move that passion forward. Join a fempowerment group to move your life to the next level.

7. Be Adventurous. Do something you’re not good at, and stretch your horizons and your sense of humor.

8. Go Lean & Green. Fempowered women are not credit card-wielding, debt-accumulating consumers; they save and invest their $

9. Flex your Femininity. Be The Girl in your personal relationship, and take the lead in nurturing it - sex included

10. Be Self-Sufficient & Appreciative. All Bond Girls run their own businesses, live in the tropical paradises that Bond drops into as a government employee on an expense account, and take care of themselves BUT, they also know that men feel good taking care of them and are sensitive to it and appreciative. (Let him open the door, or the jar, when he offers.)

What would you add? Change? Let me know!

I have received many emails and queries from Bond-Girls-To-Be regarding what fEmpowerment Lifestyle Training “is like.” This podcast is a recording of the first meeting of a new Thursday Night group. These Grrls have agreed to have their first two meetings taped and made public, to instruct those of you who are curious about the process.

Each of these women completed a Fast Start document that discussed her life, the energy she is putting towards her goals (or towards things that she ranks as actually unimportant)… it covers financial issues, relationship issues… the works. She filled it out as completely or as quickly as she found time for. Nothing is ever mandatory. Each woman also completed two items of Curricula. The first discussed how to turn Adversity to Opportunity; the second deals with changing languaging skills by uncovering ”Psycho-Euphoric and Psycho-Phobic” words used in your business or your daily life.

Each member uses her “Bond Grrl Name,” which I have found helps women really be truthful, honest, and forthright in what she discusses with the group.

For the next two weeks, I will be posting here the information that I would normally have in a private, password-encoded file for the group. I have also asked them to post Comments here instead of sharing their process in a private forum, so that any readers who are interested can see what a typical first two weeks entails.

The first meeting of a group is always a little different than the subsequent ones. Each meeting uses a breathing exercise as an opener, then usually discusses the Curriculum for the week, then moves on to the Mastermind sessions for 1-2 of the participants. As the ‘homework’ behind the first meeting includes not only the Fast Start documentation but also 2 items of Curricula, it is always a bit more general and less focussed than the subsequent meetings.

If you have comments or questions, please call my private line at +1 (206) 350-3537, or e-mail me at doubleohsandy [at] yahoo [dot] com. You can also leave a Comment below.

Enjoy… click on the button below to Play. It has a second or two of silence at the beginning, so just wait a few counts, it will come on.

 

 Fempowerment Lifestyle Training Call 1 [56:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This week’s San Francisco S Factor Newsletter had a great article by Sheila Kelley (the Founder) called Meanderings. I will link it here, but they “go away” every week, so I will also cut and paste the bit I’m talking about right here:

I’m at this global think tank. I have no idea why they call it a think tank, it’s really just a big old lecture series. I just went to a panel on the changing face of the Muslim world. I’m obsessed with women who wear veils whether of their own volition or because of laws that make them or the culture they ascribe to or the religion they belong to. One of the panelists was this beautiful scarved woman named Dahlia. The revelation about Islamic nations was stunning and humbling and exhilarating. The details are too numerous to go into right here in the middle of the convention hall but suffice to say I sure would like to go to Saudi Arabia someday.After the panel I was standing in the room, full with about 90% men in business suits, when this vibrant woman walked up to me and told me that she was an S Factor student. Another young woman standing nearby heard “S Factor”, turned quickly and said, “I want to do that, how can I do that?” The S Factor student said, “Oh it’s incredible. It will change your life!” The young woman whispered, “I’ve heard, I cannot wait, I’m so excited to take it.” Now you have to get the image in your mind’s eye, there was almost nothing but a sea of men, just men, milling about everywhere. There was a total of maybe six women in the entire room, three of them talking about the secret world of S Factor when Dahlia, the Islamic panelist who had been talking to some guys next to us turned around and asked, “What are you talking about?” En masse the three of us turned slowly toward her and said almost in unison something to the effect of, “Oh my god…”. Then the S Factor student continued on with, “It’s the most amazing thing you could ever do for yourself as a woman…”. Seeing my chance, I dove in to explain S Factor as an “organic feminine movement class”. I didn’t bring up the words “striptease” or “poledancing” as I’ve seen them scare certain women off completely.As I move further down the road into my own “S”-ness I find that the striptease/poledancing definition just doesn’t do the “S” justice. It has all of those elements but it is so much more. When people query me now I speak of the “tease” and the “pole” in the same breathe as “natural and organic feminine movement” and “floor work”, “mat work”, and “standing and wall work”…all are elements of what comes wholesomely from a woman’s body moving into her own “S” shape.
Dahlia perked up as she listened intently and intelligently, nodding her head up and down. She was intrigued. She asked how she could take “such a class”. I invited her to visit one of our studios across the country and asked her where she lived…DC, here I come!

—————————————————–

The italics above are mine.  I’ve been doing “The S” for a little over 2 years and yes - I even have a pole in my own home. It’s been very interesting to see how “Talk about The S” has become more empowerment, and less tease/strip, over these 2 years.

I love it, because I actually came to S Factor after one of my fEmpowerment teachers (Susan Bremer/Sensual Dance For Real Women) was un-chosen for the Oprah show in favor of Sheila Kelley, years and years ago. Susan was pretty bitter about it, and “refused” to watch any of the S Factor DVDs, etc. I, of course, wanted to see what the difference might be, and bought the DVDs (back then, there was no S Factor in San Francisco, it was mainly one L.A. studio).

“The S” is sooooooooo different than your usual “striptease thang.” It was even very different than Susan’s “Sensual Dance for Real Women” - though they both come at it from the same “mindset” … That you’re doing this for yourself and your “inner erotic creature” (or Inner Bond Grrl) not for anyone else.

The biggest difference between the S and other DVDs, books, and classes I have now attended or connected as a kinda pole dance/strip tease training collector? The S is a HARD workout!  Holy cow!  The first hour is just warmup, including abs, pushups, legs, stretches, arms, you name it. Then you learn some Pole Moves (which get harder as you progress - I’m a multiple Level 6 now). Last, you just let it go, and let your “inner erotic creature” take over to a song of your choice (at higher levels - at lower levels, you are taught a “routine” that you slowly, ever so slowly, let your Erotic Creature morph her way out of).

I just love that Sheila used the words “Natural and Organic Feminine Movement.” I would also say “fEmpowered Movement.”

It’s still fun at cocktail parties or business networking functions to find a way to drop in the fact that I have a pole in my house. It’s even funnier though to realize that a lot of the things that I do, workout-wise, with my life are to get me a smidge closer to being able to actually do a “Spinning Helicopter” or a “Climb and Flip” or a “Pole Cat.”

Pole dancing is part yoga, part Pilates, part balance, part strength, and all beauty. Check out the S Factor DVDs and if you live close enough - go to an Intro at one of their studios! If you write me a Comment, I can see if I can get you a comp’d Intro class ($40 value) - no promises, but I can try! You can click to go to their website to see locations.

Soli

In this podcast I am extremely honored to offer you another full induction from Master Hypnotherapist Susan Bird. The final of three full inductions, this session builds from the clearing and cleansing you did in the first induction, and the growing of your Manifestation Tree from the second induction. In this culmination of the three episode set, you examine, prune, and nurture your Tree and your Lake into the heathiest, best, most energetic manifestation of your Goal to live your Best Life in the Now! 

If you have comments on this episode, please call the Listener Comment Voicemail at +1 (206) 350-3537, e-mail sandy [at] beabondgirl [dot] com or leave a comment below.

Click the red button below to listen.

 

 Hypnotherapy Podcast with Susan Bird (3 of 3): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I wanted to give a quick shout-out to Zandria’s blog on BlogHer. I am woefully behind on all my blogs, podcasts, RSS feeds and the like… it definitely takes discipline to scan through them every day. I know I need to set up a page where all the feeds, blogs, etc. “go” - but I haven’t quite gotten around to figuring out how to do that (Hi Sallie - yes, I know, you can’t believe it. I will. I swear.)

Today I was catching up on Zandria’s blog, and one of her comments was on being Single, and “doing something you’re not so good at/trying something new.” I wrote about this in my book, and she has a great perspective.  

When I was single, I did sort of a “regression analysis” (hey, I’m an attorney, so sue me) on the best places to “meet guys.” I had been bashed by relationship and was “older” then (late 30s) and really liked being “in relationship” so I wanted to figure out how to get back into one without doing something insane like hitting the bar/dance club scene. What it came down to was basically NASCAR and golf as being super man-rich “environments.”

I went to NASCAR with a grrlfriend and - yikes, boring beyond ALL boredom (if you’re a NASCAR fan I apologize), and SO LOUD.  But golf, even though I am AWFUL at it, was a GREAT thing. You can just go out and hit balls at a driving range, take some beginner classes (they’re always dead cheap — they try to ‘reel you in’), go to Play It Again Sports and get a golf set for not that much… and you really DO NOT have to be good.  There is a golf course in EVERY country (even Madagascar), and going and playing there you will ALWAYS meet guys, and it’s fun. The pro shop will have clubs for you to borrow.  If you decide to be a little more “interesting,” you can get a vintage putter for example, and just bring that -that’s the club that folks will comment on. (I have one from Scotland that was made from the rudder of the Queen Mary.)

Remember - I am TERRIBLE at golf.  But so long as you don’t hold the rest of your 4-some up (just pick the ball up, and tell them you owe them a beer… they’ll love you), it’s a GREAT place to meet guys, and you can tell their actual personality right off, too. (A guy I was kinda interested in threw his CLUB when he was upset at a shot he made and it BROKE - a handmade graphite club - NO THANKS. Step a-waaaaaaaaay from the Crazy Man…)

There are also groups just for women (e.g., EWC - Executive Women’s golfing Club) nationwide, where you get together with other professional women, usually on like a Tuesday or Wednesday after work, play a round and then have a glass of wine and laugh. It’s a fantastic networking thing, too.

Remember tho - it’s a game…. :-)

 S

PS:  My husband doesn’t play golf (figures, huh?) and so I’m a little out of practice now, but it’s on my “list” to get back to. It was such a great way to meet people and it’s good exercise too, if you don’t ride a cart.

In this podcast I am extremely honored to offer you another full induction from Master Hypnotherapist Susan Bird. The second of three full inductions, this session expands on the mythological reference of a Woman as a Lake. It builds from the clearing and cleansing you did in the first induction and utilizes your past as a springboard for your future, ultimately giving birth to your Manifestation Tree. 

If you have comments on this episode, please do call the Listener Comment Voicemail at +1 (206) 350-3537, e-mail doubleohsandy [at] yahoo [dot] com or leave a comment below.

Click the red button below to listen.

 

 Hypnotherapy Podcast with Susan Bird (2 of 3) [25:22m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this podcast I am extremely honored to offer you a full induction from Master Hypnotherapist Susan Bird. The first of three full inductions, this session uses the mythological reference of a Woman as a Lake to help you clear and cleanse your life to become fully present and ready to accept your best life going forward.

Hypnotherapist Susan Bird:

If you have comments on this episode, please do call the Listener Comment Voicemail at +1 (206) 350-3537, e-mail doubleohsandy [at] yahoo [dot] com or leave a comment below.

Click the red button below to listen.

 

 Hypnotherapy Podcast with Susan Bird (1 of 3) [34:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I received some information the other day from the DailyOM that I’d like to share with you. I think it goes very well with my Decluttering and Green podcasts.

The article described the Native American tradition of the “potlatch.” It is a tradition that values generosity above all else.  A potlatch, which is a very grand ceremony, is an exercise in giving away material possessions, food, and money.

Apparently, it is not uncommon for the host of a potlatch to give away so much of their own resources to guests that the host ends up with nothing. However, the host can regain this wealth by attending potlatches as a guest.

 In this way, a potlatch validates generosity and encourages the flow of resources in a community, while at the same time continually reaffirming the importance of community ties.

This paragraph really made me sit up and take notice, because it reminds me of what I learned from “John Jr.” in my car ride with him, as detailed in Podcast 9 on “Living Green”:

“When we are held in a web of trust and connection, we can give generously, knowing that when it is our turn we will be supported. In this way, our whole sense of ownership becomes less individualistic and more communal. Resources are in an acceptable state of flux, moving within the community through the vehicle of the potlatch, which serves the additional function of strengthening community ties. This seems clearly preferable to isolating ourselves from one another and hoarding our resources.”

Isn’t it time to create a community in which a flow of resources happens in this way, in which we support one another to be generous?

The “Give Away Girls’ Nights” listed in my book is an example of a potlach - having fun, and giving away an object that is dear to us. By doing this, perhaps we can inspire someone there to throw their own potlatch. And so on, and so on - by starting this out, trusting, and loving, perhaps we could find ourselves with a tradition that supports and validates generosity even as it creates a safety net for leaner times.

Don’t just think about it - do it.

As you’ve probably surmised, today is a day for me to post a bunch of stuff I have been holding onto. Here is another link, to The Story of Stuff, with Annie Leonard.  It’s 20 minutes long, but I think it’s a very good reminder… especially if you’re feeling a little down and want to cure that with “Retail Therapy”!

 I was particularly interested in some of the quotes about “planned obsolescence.” I also had to ruefully smile when Annie points out that, after 9/11, the President could have asked us to grieve, to be compassionate, to come together… instead, what he told us to do was Shop. (True!)

I’m not particularly political, but I do have a strong feeling that we’re getting to that Al-Gore-Nobel-Peace-Prize “point of no return” when it comes to our resources.  This should lead to a change in priorities… and to having a good, long look at our lifestyle. One of the things that Annie points out is that the two biggest leisure activities in the U.S. are watching TV, and shopping.  And if you’re watching TV, you’re getting exposed to commercials, which are basically telling you that “You Suck” (her words, not mine) and that you need to buy their products, to “Not Suck.”  So you go to work, or maybe work two jobs, to buy the Stuff that the advertisements say will make you Not Suck, and then you’re so exhausted when you get home, all you can do is watch TV… when tells you that You Suck (dot dot dot)

I was also very interested that the whole “planned obsolescence”/concentration on Consumerism thing started in the 1950s — which was the “peak” of our Happiness Graph as a society (it’s fallen since that time).  Gee, maybe because instead of using stuff until we’re done with it, having extra time to spend with our families, etc. we are being bombarded with advertising that says We Suck, news that says The World Sucks, and feeling that the only way for it all to be fixed is — surprise! — to buy more!

Have a look — I think it would be great to watch this with the kids, too, and be ready for some hard questions from THEM, about how YOUR household fits into this mix.

I had a profound reaction to watching this video. It is 18-minutes, and is an astonishing glimpse into the magic and danger of left/right brain function. Dr. Jill Taylor is a neuro-anatomist who specialized in brains because her brother is schizophrenic.

I am completing a podcast interview with Eve Abbott, the Organizer Extraordinaire from ABrainNewWayToWork.com. She sent me this link after our interview, and it really is amazing. Do set out enough time to watch it. It starts a bit slowly, but you will be totally glued to the screen at the end, waiting to hear “what happened next.”

 – Solitaire

This is the description from the hosting website:

This is an absolute must-watch. Set aside 18 minutes and prepare to be floored. Consensus among TED’sters is that this may be the most memorable and important TED Talk ever. It was certainly the most talked-about presentation among those at TED2008. Enjoy and share with others. And let Jill’s experience inspire, motivate, and change the way you look at life.  http://www.microclesia.com/?p=320   I guarantee you will be rewarded by investing 18 minutes on this video of Dr. Jill Taylor presenting at the TED conference.

This podcast is about this wonderful period from Winter-to-Spring. It’s a great time to look at your life, and see what is going to need a little… you guessed it!… Spring Cleaning.

I also received some Listener Feedback on our Listener Feedback line — I love it! Please call, keep me company! :-) This was from Clementine (her Bond Grrrrl name) on the Yankee portion of the East Coast somewhere. Her Mom has a GREAT method of sorting through all the bits of personal “stuff” that we all gather each year, and Clementine shared. Kudos to her and to her Mom, a Bond Grrrrrrrrrl family!

Finally, I talk a bit about bringing Ritual into your life this year. Rituals are so wonderful, and they are very much a part of the human culture. It could be thanking your teeth as you brush them, a Grace at every meal that you really pay attention to, or something of your own. If you have your own Rituals or make up one that you love, please share!

xoxoxo Solitaire

P.S.: So now, my James has to figure out how to post the Podcast. It seems highly likely (as, since you can see, we are on a new server and “such” now) that it’s not going to be pretty. I better go and shake a martini or three! :-)

If you have comments on this episode, call the Listener Comment Voicemail at +1 (206) 350-3537, e-mail doubleohsandy [at] yahoo [dot] com or leave a comment below.

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 Episode 8: Initiating Life-Affirming Rituals to Welcome Spring [41:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Podcast 007 had to do with the Year of the Rat, and also the Victim Loop. This is the Chinese Year of the Rat, and I find it easier to set “goals” (not “resolutions” —hate that word) on or about this time, with whatever the Chinese new year is supposed to signify as a subject goal. As you will hear in the podcast, this year is a year of the rat, which keeps a clean nest, is clever, knows when to get out of trouble, and is a guardian of abundance.

Oui, it is I, Solitaire, posting whilst on holiday with my James! It’s his birthday, and we’re driving down Highway 1 from San Francisco to Laguna Beach. Well, let’s say we HAVE been driving down the coast… I had great thoughts of blogging and podcasting my way down, and there has been absolutely N-O reception along the way. So, we’re here (Laguna Beach), after a bit of receptionist-wrangling (awful awful terrible dark room for our 3-day stay) and “stirring not shaking.” My James is off to get supplies (bless him) and so… here I be.

So what’s really on my mind now is Travel. I can’t get over how much easier it is to get out and about when I have my “gym bag” (with necessities) and my “makeup bag” all set to go. I took my own good advice (was that Podcast 3? Who can remind me?) and have put my contact lens fluid, conditioner, etc. in smaller bottles, and am dutifully chalking off the sides as we use them each day. I’m still working on the right bag for my makeup stuff, brushes, and the like. My dad gave me a bag for Xmas that I thought might work (because I want to use it… because he gave it to me…) and it’s just too big. Pfffft. Oh well.

Thusfar, we have stayed at an Inn in Carmel, and went to Clint Eastwood’s ranch/inn place for cocktails one evening. It was beyond a hoot. They do sort of cowboy karaoke, and most of the folks there are locals. If any of the pictures came out, I promise to burn them—oh, I mean post them. :-)

We went from there to Cambria, a WONDERFUL little town, and stayed at the J Patrick House. At their suggestion, we ate at Robin’s Restaurant — fab, fab, fab — at least we walked there so we could just roll ourselves home and spend a few calories at it.

Then we headed to Hearst Castle — a friend is the District Superintendent (read: Big Ranger Kahuna) at Hearst. He got us on a tour, and we were able to catch him between meetings. He said that Hearst was his first posting where he had to have “not one, but two tuxes.” Apparently the Governator likes to use it as his own private party spot, especially at Christmas. And who can blame him???

We met some folks at the Cambria B&B who suggested we stay at the Montecito Inn, in the “expensive part” of Santa Barbara. Lovely, lovely, though the walls were a bit thin. Amazing gym! We walked over to the Four Seasons/Biltmore Santa Barbara and had cocktails in front of their roaring fire—wow. We snuck in a “back way” so we didn’t have to come in the front door — we came in a side — and whether or not that really made a difference I don’t know.

If you have comments on this episode, call the Listener Comment Voicemail at +1 (206) 350-3537, e-mail doubleohsandy [at] yahoo [dot] com or leave a comment below.

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 007-The Year of the Rat and the Victim Loop [34:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download