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Feb
07

Take Action #45 – Don’t Give Up

By angela | How to Take action, Take Action in Business, Take Action in Life, Take Action in Relationships

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New Year Blahs

As we creep into February and get past the January hype of setting New Year’s Resolutions and goals, some of us may already be startin

g to slip. Sometimes it seems too hard, too much, too exhausting.  Three things I learned when

Angela Lieb Mountain Climb

climbing the 3rd and 7th mountains in North America:

1) the only way I am going to get to the summit is one foot in front of the other

2) visualize where I am going

3) when you slow down, pause or look back, it takes twice as much energy to get going again

Many times it’s the first hour/week/month that is the hardest.  If you can push through that, it is ama


Determinationzing what you can accomplish.  I never thought I could work out longer than an hour at a time until I climbed for 15 hours straight and  a total of 36 hours in 5 days.  That was crazy – I still can’t believe I did it.  But it sure proves that if  I set my mind to it, anything is possible.

One of the most inspiring women I know is my very good friend Shelly.  She is about 10 years younger and we have known each other for about 13 years.  I was always her mentor just because I had already gone through the stages that she was just entering.  Now she is an example that I only hope to be like.  Shelly has always struggled with her weight.  But somehow, she has managed to lose 145 pounds and is now running marathons and swimming (probably preparing for a triathlon).  The other day she posted this:

“I JUST ROCKED an 800 meter swim!!! 32 laps, 28 minutes of nonstop swimming!! Oh this is so exciting!!! (The best part when I walked into the sauna to dry off and an older man said “are you ready for the English Channel now?” Is it possible that I’m starting to look like a swimmer???) happy, happy, happy!!

I was amazed since I don’t think I could swim two laps and asked her how she was doing it.

Here’s her response:

I seriously have no idea. But I guess I will say hard work…I have been in the pool 3 to 4 workouts a week since Jan. 2. I had to first face the fear and calm down, my husband has helped me with basic stroke and then I have read a lot on the internet. The hardest part was the first 100 meters….now it is a matter of pushing myself and controlling my breathing!!! I have bloodied my nose, skinned my knee, and had a panic attack but I make myself keep going back. Today, I got out and wasn’t even winded, but had to stop because my arms yelled uncle. I have

more in me….I just know it!

As a busy executive who traveled quite a bit, Shelly ate fast food daily.  Not only has she struggled with her weight, but she’s lost 100 pounds at least 3 times in her life.  Shelly is the mother of three and she finally decided when her health was deteriorating at age 32 that if she was going to live to raise her children and not raise children that also struggled with weight, that she had to do something.  In the past, her husband did not participate in eating healthy and working out.  This time, he did.  He lost 75 pounds and this past year they completed 31 races – together.  Fascinating.

Team Work

Notice what she said in her respo

nse:  “the first 100 meters were the hardest.” I remember the first hour of the first climb; I thought there was no way on earth I would be able to finish.  However, I had a team that was depending on me and guides that helped take weight off my back pack so I could get to the first goal of the climb.

I realized that the ONLY way to reach the BIG goals is to have a team.  Whether that is a family member, friend, co-worker or folks with similar goals – you need someone to help push you and keep you in line.  If I was on that mountain by myself, I would have turned around after two hours and gone out for a couple of beers.

Shelly doesn’t have a website – she’s not famous.  She is like all of us.  She works, takes care of her family and she has pushed through some really tough boundaries and shown us all that anything is possible.

YOU CAN DO IT.  DON’T GIVE UP!  Tell me your story – I would love to hear how you are doing on your 2013 goals!

Sep
24

Angela Climbs 4 Kids – Take Action #45 – Challenge Yourself

By angela | Featured, Take Action in Life

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The Challenge

The name "Iztaccíhuatl" is Nahuatl for "White woman"

So, I’ve decided to climb a mountain – or two….  I’ve never climbed a mountain but I am training to take on the Mexican Volcanoes: El Pico de Orizaba, North America’s third highest mountain at 18,880 feet and Iztaccihuatl, North America’s seventh highest mountain at 17,887 feet.

Those who know me would ask “WHY!?!”

Several reasons.

  1. The CEO of the company does this each year and asked if I would be interested after I asked if any women get to go….
  2. We are raising funds for Easter Seals – Century 21′s sole philanthropic partner since 1979. This year, we are proud to continue our support of Easter Seals’ Make the First Five Count campaign to engage the nation in early detection and treatment for the 1.45 Million children under five that currently enter school with learning and health issues, every year.  MY GOAL IS TO RAISE $21,000.
  3. This will be the first time that I am pushing my body to a place it’s never been.
  4. The Experience of the Summit – to take on a challenge so big that when I do it, I know that nothing is impossible.  I will grow spiritually, physically and emotionally – as well as have some great conversations with my team along the way.

Push Yourself

This is me at 6:30 a.m. Not so lovely but Wes gets the job done!

I challenge YOU to Take Action towards something you think might be impossible – maybe it’s losing weight, getting healthy, learning to sail, starting a business, making new friends.

I will be tracking my training progress through this personal blog but will also share links for when we are on the mountain.  I would appreciate your encouragement, prayers and if you can – contribution to Easter Seals.  100% of what we raise goes to Easter Seals.  I am covering the cost of my trip.

Please share the BHAG you are working on!

Angela Lieb

Sep
24

Take Action #44 – Review Your Bills

By angela | Take Action in Life

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Pay Attention:

I am usually good about reviewing my bills before sending in a payment but I have been travelling so much the last six months that I have been paying on-the-go and most of the time at the last minute.  I was reviewing my ATT bill the other day and realized that I had some weird subscription charge of $9.99 on my invoice.  It was for some government grant subscription.  I don’t even think I could have accidentally signed up for such a thing.  I also had a $40 reconnection charge because I was on the road, forgot to pay the bill and the phone got shut off for a couple of hours to get my attention.

So, I called ATT….turns out that this subscription had been on my bill since FEBRUARY!  With no questions and no harassment, the nice ATT operator credited my account $70 for the last 7 months.  And I asked her about how we are notified prior to our phone being shut off so we don’t have to pay the reconnection charge.  She gave me two helpful numbers that I was never aware of – if you want to check your balance, dial *BAL# and you will be sent a text with your balance.  Dial *PAY and you will be connected to ATT to pay your bill.   I didn’t have to ask to have the $40 credited, she offered.

So a big high five to ATT.  A big reminder to me and hopefully you to pay attention to your bills and it never hurts to call.  In 15 minutes I got $110 back!

Also, the company that fraudulently billed my account is BUNE, LLC.  I checked them out online and all I found were complaints about spamming.  Watch out for companies like this.

Have a lovely week!

Jul
29

OK – Time to Start Taking Action AGAIN!

By angela | Take Action in Life

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So it is apparent that the Take Action lady has been too busy Taking Action, that I haven’t been blogging this year. Regardless, the blog is something that is important to me, so I am back and will work on being a regular poster to 111 Ways to Take Action. Feel free to send me an email or post if I start to slack.

The picture above is from a recent vacation in Marco Island. Taking a vacation is Taking Action. This was much needed – I hadn’t taken this kind of time – 7 days – in 3 years. In addition to completely gut-rehabbing a house and moving, starting a new position within Century 21 and having one of my kids graduate HS, this has been the year for work travel. I’ve been to New Orleans, New Mexico, Chicago, Bloomington, Michigan City, Valparaiso, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Florida, Kansas, Texas. Headed to Vegas this week and Dayton the next week. Most of the time it’s only for a few nights so my children don’t think I have completely abandoned them.

Anyway, it is important that we take time away from all the craziness to check out. I loved not knowing what time it was or having any agenda or getting calls. I read The Virgin’s Lover by Phillipa Gregory and The Litigators by John Grisham. Great reads if you want to escape.

Look for more blog posts and mini-take-action ideas via the 111 Ways to Take Action Fan Page.

Angela

Nov
11

Celebrate 11s on 11/11/11 – Take Action #43

By angela | Social Media, Take Action in Business, Take Action in Life, Take Action in Relationships

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111 Ways to Take Action, Angela LiebIt’s all about 11’s.  I have to share because 11’s are everywhere in my life.  I have been seeing them since about 2000 (for 11 years) – meaning I catch them all the time -  exit signs, receipts, clocks, addresses, shopping isles, etc. I happen to catch the clock at something:11 every day multiple times a day.   The address of any business location I have opened has had an 11 in it.

Anyway, back in 2006 I was curious and looked up what 11’s mean.  I am not a big horoscope/numerology person, but I was curious anyway.  So, I looked up my birth name – it’s an 11.  I looked up my birth date – it’s an 11. So I was thankful I was an 11 because:  “People with an 11 or 22 appearing in their name or birth date are endowed with special gifts of leadership and high-level inspiration, but they are also very challenging and highly paradoxical. They radiate enormous potential, accompanied by a high level of inner tension resulting from an overwhelming desire to achieve something extraordinary.” So there you have it!  If you are curious what your “number” is, check it out here

Regardless of the meaning, I like 11’s.  Today is a special day because it is 11-11-11 and it is Veteran’s day and it’s Friday!   Here are 11 things you can do to Take Action on 11-11-11:

  1. Listen to 11 of your favorite songs
  2. Go for an 11-minute walk or run
  3. Get together with a friend or 11
  4. Send 11 friends a kind text
  5. Add 11 new friends to one of your social media sites
  6. Tell someone why you appreciate them
  7. Delete emails that have been collecting dust – at least 1,111
  8. Unsubscribe to 11 newsletters/email junk that clog your in-box
  9. Create your new social media signature block
  10. Buy something fun for you or someone else that’s $11 or so
  11. Hug a Veteran!

Also see my post on 11 Things NOT to say to Your Girlfriend, Wife or Daughter and  11 Ways to Say No

Make it a great day!

Angela, 111 Ways to Take Action

Nov
08

Take Action #42 – Use Social Media to Build Your Face Time

By angela | How to Take action, LinkedIn, Social Media, Take Action in Business, Take Action in Relationships

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Using Social Media to Leverage Face-to-Face Relationships

Although  half of the adult population is using social media sites to connect, communicate and transact business, I still hear from many of my clients that this online stuff is a just a big waste of time and they simply have better things to do than play on a computer all day.   Besides, it’s just a fad and they aren’t “techie” people.   Then I proceed to tell them that was what people said about telephones, car phones, cell phones, etc.  I also tell them that Facebook or LinkedIn may not be around 5 years from now, but this form of communication is here to stay.

I remember 10 years ago when my daughter was “IM-ing” and her 5th grade boyfriend broke up with her with an instant message.  Generation Y has been communicating online like generation X communicates via email, Baby Boomers talk on the phone and Veterans send letters.   We have just added a different layer of communication.  What’s even more interesting is that there are now 4 generations in the work place (X, Y, Boomer, Vets) and we will soon have Generation Z (anyone 16 or younger).

So what does this mean? If you are marketing to anyone in these generations, you better learn how they like to communicate.  Currently there are 72M Generation Y “kids” ages 17-34 and they are buying a lot of services and merchandise.  So, too bad, so sad if you don’t like being online – figure out a way to make it happen for your business.  Oh – I have an idea – how about you hire a Gen Y person to help you?

And I can help you.  The number one question I get every day is “how do I start to implement an online strategy with my business?”  So, I decided to give people what they want and I am hosting a 3- series online and live workshop.  First 2 sessions are online and I will review the why, how and where of your online presence and follow up with a “live” event later in December so we can all connect in person.  Please visit my website to learn more and to register.

Business is about relationships. Developing those relationships has changed in the last 5 years. Social Media is no longer a child’s game. The average profile age on LinkedIn is 40 years, Twitter 35 years and Facebook’s biggest age group of followers is now in the 35-54 range.   Therefore, you need to make sure you are using your Social Media to Build Your Face-to-Face Relationships.   Follow my Fan Page for ideas on how to do this or attend one or both of the online sessions coming up.

Another Take Action idea is to read as much as you can about the subject.  You don’t have to dive in today but just start exploring.  Social Media Examiner and Mashable are two of my favorite sites that not only share current social media trends and statistics but also relevant articles and companies making things happen in this space.

See you online!

Angela

Oct
08

Take Action #41: Get Your Suits Tailored

By angela | Take Action in Business

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Man or Woman – large or small – Get your business suits, jackets, pants and skirts tailored.  There are very few people who can buy a suit or dress off the rack and have it fit perfectly.  Every  “body” is different.    I have seen expensive suits look really cheap because the suit fit like a sack of potatoes.  Even a more inexpensive suit can look like a million bucks if it is tailored to fit your body.   Even if you have lost a lot of weight – don’t be hasty by giving the suit away.  Instead, have it tailored and take out the size tag so it doesn’t remind you of your previous size.

We now have a much more casual work environment, but even button-up shirts and jackets should fit properly.  Also, if you have lost a lot of weight, you look even thinner when your clothes fit properly rather than when you wear those jeans or jacket that are hanging on you.  Look like you walked off a runway rather than a homeless shelter – which brings me to another point.  Even if you find a suit at Goodwill or a 2nd hand store, find someone you trust to get the suit to fit properly.

Below are two articles about the how and why of tailored suits.  I look forward to you sharing your ideas on this topic!

Wearing Clothes that Fit

How Should a Women’s Business Suit Fit

Aug
10

Take Action #40: Get Rid of the Energy Vampires

By angela | Take Action in Relationships

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What is an energy vampire? 

Basically it is someone who literally sucks the life out of another person, family or business.  Ever let an employee go or have a co-worker finally get fired and the entire company took a deep breath and sighed with relief?  Ever walk into an event feeling optimistic and energetic to get stuck talking to the person who says the world is coming to an end, hide all your money, don’t trust anyone and everyone is a liar?  You leave feeling like you just got the wind kicked out of you.  This is an energy vampire.

Many times we can avoid the people.  But sometimes we live with them, work with them, are married to them, parent them or report to them.  In those cases it’s not so easy to just say “it’s time for me to leave – you are sucking the life out of me.”  However, there are a few things you can do to give yourself some peace and not lose your otherwise positive outlook on life.

Take a time out. 

When that person is going into a negative spiral of how horrible everything is, how bad they feel or how much they hate their very existence, politely tell them you need to step away for a minute because you are starting to get anxious or agitated.  I have even said “OK, we are done talking about this.  Next topic – so, where are we going to dinner?”

Train them:

This is harder to do.  You could start helping them see how their negative energy literally zaps the other people around them and that perhaps the reason their friends never call anymore is because of this negative talk.  So ask them if it would be ok to bring it to their attention when this is happening and if they would they be open to feedback.  Ask them to “rephrase” their statement.  Instead of “I really hate this time of year”, they could rephrase to something more positive by saying “I can’t wait until the fall when it is cool and windy”.

Distance Yourself:

If those two tactics don’t work, it may be time to distance yourself from that person – even if they are someone you care about.   I found a great blog post where the author gives ways to protect yourself from Energy Vampires.  Read below and tell me how it works out for you!

11 Ways to Protect Yourself From Energy Vampires

  1. Limit the amount of time you spend with energy vampires. The less time you’re together, the less positive energy you’ll lose.
  2. Learn effective ways to end conversations with energy vampires (eg, “I only have ten minutes to talk.”)
  3. Stay calm and detached from energy vampires. Don’t let their negative energy consume you.
  4. Be honest about your needs (eg, “I need this time to work/read/relax/exercise.”)
  5. Refrain from attempting to rescue them or fix an energy vampire’s problems.
  6. Practice walking away from energy vampires.; the more you do it, the easier it gets.
  7. Limit eye contact with energy vampires.
  8. Avoid being in close spaces with energy vampires (elevators, cars, etc). Negative energy is catching.
  9. Define and guard your personal space from energy vampires.
  10. Tell energy vampires you feel uncomfortable discussing particular people or circumstances.
  11. Stand up for yourself and your boundaries! Your time, positive energy, and resources are precious and should be closely guarded from energy vampires.

Click here for the entire article.

Mar
01

Take Action #39: Choose to be Optimistic!

By angela | Take Action in Life

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With the economy in the pot, gas at $3.19/gallon in St. Louis, world tragedies, hurricanes, tornadoes, cancer, death, uncertain housing market, divorce, foreclosures, debt, politics, and more – what the heck is there to be optimistic about?  At least that’s what my pessimistic friends might say.

I say life is too short to be sad, mad, angry, and crabby.  I’ve got plenty of reasons to be crabby and sometimes I am, but I never seem to feel better after a temper tantrum (I usually feel worse).  I believe strongly that what we think about we bring about.  So if all we ever think about are the negative things in life, then that seems to be what we get to experience.  Bad stuff happens to everyone and some people say “I have the worst luck.  Nothing ever good happens.  I hate my life.”  Whereas someone else that has the same “bad stuff” happen to them might say, “Tomorrow will be better.  That’s ok – it will all work out.  Thank God I have my health….”  It is a choice – period.

Choose How You Think

People will sometimes go on and on about the state of the economy, the horrible things happening around the world – they may be right – facts are facts I suppose, but how are we helping by running in a panic, being depressed, crabbing about it non-stop.  Geez people!  It’s not like we can wave a magic wand and make it all go away.  However, we can choose how we think.

I cannot personally do anything about the state of the economy.  I can however, save, buy gold and silver perhaps and work on creating other sources of revenue besides my job.  Or I can whine, complain, bitch, crab, cry about it.  Sorry – this is a tough area for me.  I have been told that I a may not be the most empathetic person in the world – I just don’t give a lot of energy to sickness, depression, trauma, drama.  If you’re sick, you will likely get better – focus on that!

My dad knew he was dying of cancer.  He was sad, we were all sad, but he kept doing what he loved and that was sketching and reading.  I took advantage of talking to him as much as possible and physically being with him as much as possible – smiling at him, laughing with him, sharing stories.  It was what it was.  Sure we could have done a lot of crying and feeling sorry for ourselves, but the end result was the same – he was going to eventually die and so will all of us.  We never know when our time is up.   Do you want to meet your maker and tell him that you complained about everything in your life or do you want to report that you were thankful for every experience you had – good or bad – because in all of those experiences, there was a lesson.   “Our mess is our message” people!  So if you had a horrible experience in your life – car accident, loss of a loved one, cancer, foreclosure – whatever – it is your job to share with others so they can learn and you can heal and see the positive things that came from that experience.  If you are just going to whine and complain about it, then don’t bother.

Naive or Faithful?

Live is precious.  I have to remind myself everyday – especially when I start to crab at kids for not doing dishes – I can say it in a non-crabby voice and probably get a better result.   Optimists aren’t necessarily “naturally” that way.  We have to remind ourselves every day to shift our thinking because it is just a much more fun place to live in.  I would rather believe that everything is going to work out than the whole world is going to collapse, debt is going to suck us in and our leaders are going to determine our fate.  Call me naive or call me faithful.  Check out this website for optimistic thinkers – http://www.eoptimist.org/

Feb
05

Take Action #38: Find out Your Love Language

By angela | Take Action in Relationships

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Valentine Action

As Valentine’s Day approaches, a great Take Action step for you and your significant other is to find out what your primary Love Language is.  Even if you are single or have children, it is important to understand how others like to be loved and what makes us feel loved.  I have been told by multiple people to read the book The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapan.  I still need to read the book, but I went ahead and took their survey online to find out my top love language.  You can do this too – might help you to have a great Valentine’s Day and year!

What will you find out?  First of all, we tend to love people the way we liked to be loved – which sometimes backfires or never seems “good enough”.  For example, if the way you show love is by doing things for other people, it is probably the way that makes you feel loved.  However, if your mates showers you with gifts and receiving gifts is not what makes you feel loved, the person giving the gifts might feel like you don’t appreciate them.  However, if your mate understood that cleaning out the garage or doing dishes was really how you felt loved, he/she would save a lot of money and grief.

Some people love to be cuddled and kissed; others feel loved by words of affirmation.  Now, once you find out how your significant other, children or family feels loved, then it is your job to love them that way.  Even if you could care less about getting back rubs and kisses, if this is what makes them feel loved, then it is your job to love them that way.  This would be a GREAT thing to find out before you make a lifetime commitment to someone.  Because if they want to be cuddled and kissed and you aren’t the cuddling type, then perhaps you need to find someone who has the same love language.

Here’s the link to the test: http://www.5lovelanguages.com/assessments/love/ 

Take Action today by finding out your primary love language for you, your significant other and your children!

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