Character Q: Bringing Out the Leader in You...

Be the person you want your kids to grow-up to be.

The ten things I'm grateful for over the past week include...

1. My Dad. My dad is awesome. Not only is he a great parent, he's one of my closest friends. Last week was my dad's birthday. While I didn't get a chance to spend it with him as he was moving across the counry, I did get celebrate nonetheless. My relationship with my dad reaffirms a choice I have made: be the person I want my children to be. Thanks, Dad, for being you. I love you!

2. Inkheart. Have you seen this movie? I love it. I've watched it 3 times so far, and each time I'm completely mesmerized. I highly recommend it!




3. CPR. Last Saturday, I renewed my CPR certification (a must when you work with kids!). I learned a statistic that blew me away. Did you know that only 4% of people who receive CPR survive. It can be quite disheartening however that statistic will never deter me from helping someone. This got me thinking about how easy it is to be dissuaded from doing things in life if you think the odds are against you. This is when the habit of perseverance must kick in. Hmmm...I'm feeling a post coming on regarding this topic.

4. A date with my hubby. I love date nights with my husband. With 3 kiddos, a business and his travel, time together can become a rarity. It was such a treat to go out and have dinner, conversation and pie. Mmmm...pie. (see the next post!)

5. Pie! I love pie. Not cake. Not candy. Pie! I had a delicious peanut butter cup pie that was to.die.for. Yum! So grateful for that!!!

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6. A day of nothing. I love days where I the whole fam does absolutely nothing. Sunday was one of those days. It was fantastic. We all stayed in our PJ's and just did as we pleased. Pure bliss.

7. Friends. I love friends - 'nuff said!

8. My babies. Oh my goodness. I spent a lot of time organizing our old pictures this past weekend. I couldn't believe how much my kiddos had changed in just a few short years. I'm so grateful that I've had the opportunity to relish each stage with them.

9. Partnering with Junior Achievement. Have you heard of JA? If not, be sure to check 'em out. They have incredible programs for children from preschool to high school .  I've long admired this organization and I was thrilled when they asked me to teach a high school class for them. I can't wait to get started later this week!

10. Feeling good!  It's such an amazing feeling to start stepping into your own greatness. I feel incredible!

Character, it’s who you are, what you say, and what you do even when no one is listening or watching. But what does that mean to you? What does that mean to your child?

Each day, kids are influenced by hundreds of messages that portray beauty, wealth, pleasure, power and popularity as the “right” path to happiness and success. This is a lonely pursuit that often strips away confidence and self-esteem leaving one feeling unvalued, unappreciated and unmotivated. So, what’s the answer? Character.

Character education teaches the habits of thought, word and deed that help people learn, work and live together as families, friends, neighbors, communities and nations. More than a lesson, character is a lifestyle that enables students and adults alike to make proactive – not reactive - choices. Developing a foundation of responsibility, respect, and integrity bring feelings of genuine happiness and success from within. Character empowers kids to make contributions to their family, their school and their community. Character allows kids to feel valued and appreciated. And, when this happens, everyone benefits. Families feel connected. Kids feel inspired, and incredibly strong schools and communities are built. Throughout history, character education has been a shared responsibility of a community coming together to support and influence positive character development.

Families, teachers, administrators and members of a community are gathering to help children understand the importance of issues such as respect, honesty, and integrity. They are empowering them to be the person they are meant to be. As one young adult shared, “I may not remember who taught my seventh grade algebra class; however, I can name every teacher, coach and parent who taught me to be a better person!”

Each Wednesday you’ll see a new feature here on the blog called Character Esprit. Character Esprit highlights individuals, kids and companies that are truly bringing character to life. I have a stack of profiles that I’ve already selected. However, today, I want to spotlight a few of the leaders on Twitter that I feel really hand-deliver character on a daily basis.  In no particular order, here they are: 1.    Wendy Young (@kidlutions). Sometimes when I see Wendy’s tweets or when we are tweeting back and forth, I wonder is Wendy and I were separated at birth. Her desire to support families shines in her posts, her humor and her general approach to learning and life. She is a wealth of information that is not to be missed.

2.    Sandra Huber (@soulfulparent). I met Sandra a few months ago and instantly felt like she was a close friend.  Her desire to serve and help others pours out of her. She is one woman who is definitely doing more than setting a postive example for kids, she leads it. (I also have a sneaky suspicion that if you put Sandra in the same room with Wendy and me, we’d quickly become three very optimistic, enthusiastic musketeers of mischief.)

3.    Lara Ivey (@growupwithbooks). Lara has this incredible online children’s book rental business. As a mom with kids who **LOVE** to read, I think this is a fantastic idea. More than that, though, Lara is just a great woman, and I know that if we lived in the same town, we’d probably get together several nights a week to play games, chat over books and watch the kids romp around outside.

4.    Amy Hilbrich Davis (@InspiringMoms). Amy is so, well, inspiring. This mom of seven (yes, seven) is dedicated to helping moms around the globe be more effective, more efficient and have more fun. Each time I see her tweets, I smile because I know she spreading such happiness in the world.

5.    Gabe O’Neill (@KidsAreHeroes): I didn’t actually meet Gabe through Twitter. I met him through HARO when he posted a query for kids who were performing acts of service. I’ve gotten to know him better through Twitter.  Gabe is on a mission to empower children to become involved in philanthropy at an early age. Like me, he believes that some of most important life lessons are found in service. Yes, kids are heroes, and so is Gabe.

6. Sarah Cook (@RaisingCEOKids). Sarah is such a breath of fresh air on Twitter. Her enthusiasm for kids, business, learning and life and contagious. She is on a mission to develop entrepreneurial habits in today's youth. I highly recommend connecting with Sarah - she's a true blessing!

7.    Melani Ward (@melaniward) Melani is an incredible individual of the highest integrity. Her no-nonsense approach to life and business is mixed with genuine heart and humor – and running (lots of running).  Several years ago, Melani was featured in Boulder’s Daily Camera under the 30-Second Pitch”. I remember tearing out her profile and thinking it would be a good idea to get in touch with her. I didn’t. Fast forward to summer 2009 when we officially met on Twitter. Within a week, we met for drinks with Sandy Grason and Melani Ward. Today, she’s more than a “tweep;” She’s my friend. So, if you are looking for the real deal on- and offline, she’s it.

8.    Andrea Vahl (@andreavahl) and Grandma Mary (@GrandmaMaryShow)
The world works in strange and mysterious ways. For example, it took Twitter and Facebook for me to connect with one of the most awesomesauce neighbor and friend. I love Andrea’s approach to life. She lives from an amazing place of verve. She’s always the first to join me in my zany ideas. She is also a whizbang with social media, and shares her expertise with such respect and compassion. Plus, Grandma Mary is a hoot!

9.    Sandy Grason (@sandygrason): If I could describe Sandy in one word, it would be FABULOUS.  Then I would follow it with even more FABULOUS. Every time Sandy and I talk, I’m left with the feeling that she totally gets me. So much of what she has shared about herself parallels things I have felt or experienced. Sandy has also mastered the habit of gratitude (she calls is celebration). From her morning cup of coffee to jetting off someplace fabulous, she is always thankful for what each experience offers her.

10.    Mary Kay Morgan (@theinnermarykay and @affwlthpartnr. I love Mary Kay. The first time I met her in person was at Melani and Sandy’s Mojo Retreat. She gave me a giant hug. The next time I saw her was when she stopped by with her kids. She (and her kids) just seemed so natural with my family, so that’s what I think of them. I also love that she is shaking up the world of affiliate marketing with integrity and consciousness.

11.    Alexis Martin Neely (@alexisneely). It’s incredible that such a big heart is housed in such a tiny gal. She exudes love and compassion. Alexis has such a drive for protecting families and children that she created the Family Wealth Planning Institute. She is now shifting to help entrepreneurs protect themselves as well through her LIFT program. (Very cool!) She’s also known for tweeting out powerful messages of faith from Agape when she visits L.A.



Oh my goodness, there are so many more people I could list here (@carlayoung, @ichooselove, @themetromom, @amyporterfield, @carlymayer, @jaygaddis…the list goes on. No worries, because this feature will go on as well. From time to time, I will continue to mix in more Twitter-rific folks who are bringing character to life.

If you have anyone you’d like to share, please feel to tell us about them in the comment section below. Thanks!

Woohoo! I'm so excited that today is here. Why? Today is the day we start start CharacterQ! What's CharacterQ? CharacterQ is more than just a new feature. It's a positive attitude and mindset, a new way to lead and definitely an incredible way to live.

CharacterQ stands for Quintessential Character or the five habits of character, which are Gratitude, Responsibility & Respect, Integrity, Unity and Service. These five habits are not only the foundation of leadership, they are the foundation for life - my life, your life and our kids' lives.

You know, one of the most valuable gifts we can give our children today is the ability to thrive in this ever-changing world of transient role models and ambiguous rules. More than ever before, it is essential to provide our children with opportunities to develop a strong sense of character and teach them to make proactive - not reactive- life choices.

So, how do we do that? Simple. We lead and live by our choices, which means we also must lead and live by our habits. It is up to us to model the lessons we want our children to learn. With consistent modeling, those lessons turn into a lifestyle that allows you and your child to LEAD the changes you wish to see in the world.

Cool, right? 

At this point, you may be saying, "Okay, sounds good, but what does CharacterQ have to do with any of this including me?"

Starting today, March 2, we will be posting a series of CharacterQ tips here on the blog (you can see them on Twitter, Facebook and our ezine too) with simple ideas and insights for you to model the life choices you want for your child. It's that easy!  (You can make it even easier by subscribing via our RSS feed. That way you'll get notified each time a new tip is posted!)

CharacterQ is here to support your positvie attitude and mindset, encourage you to discover a new way to lead and to inspire you to live an incredible life.

So, what's in it for you? CharacterQ brings out the leader in you!

CharacterQ: Bringing Out the Leader in You...

Sometimes you don’t have to say a thing to make a difference. Simply making your presence known does the trick.

Here are ten things I am grateful for from the past week: 


1. Guest speakers at Character Clubs. Last week, Deputy Kris Evers of the Boulder County Sheriff's Department stopped by to talk to the kids about character, community and safety. He brought along his partner, K-9 Ned, who truly captivated the kids (and me!)


2. Villages and children. You've heard the statement, "It takes a village to raise a chlld." Well, I experienced the support of that village last Tuesday. Since I teach on Tuesdays, I arrange for my kids to be picked up from school by friends. This arrangement has always gone off without a hitch. However, we hit a small snafu last week and somehow my son got lost in the shuffle. After several frantic phone calls, I found out that a handful of amazing people stepped in to save the day. Words cannot express how thankful I am to be surrounded with such an incredible village. Creating and cultivating communities of character is something I'm so passionate about, and this was a genuine example of seeing one of those communities in action.

3. A beautiful day. Holy moly, it was beautiful last Friday - sunny, clear and crisp. The kids had the day off from school, so the whole fam (Waffle included!) went for a hike at Chatauqua Park. The hike definitely renewed my spirit and re-energized my soul!



4. Basketball. Finn had his last basketball game on Saturday. It was great to see how the team worked together as, well, a team. In just six weeks, they had developed a great sense of camaraderie and sportsmanship. (A special thanks to Coach Carter for cultivating this!) We can't wait for the next season to start!


5. What's cookin', good lookin'? Those who know me well know that baking and cooking have never been my thing. However, something very strange has happened over the past six months. I shudder to say this, but I'm actually enjoying spending time in the kitchen. (Don't hold your breath for me become the America's Top Chef, tho.) Anyway, while the boys were at the end-of-basketball-season bowling party, the girls decided to see what's cooking. And cook we did! In two hours, we made rice vinegar cucumbers, cabbage salad, red & green salad, spinach salad, ham & cheese sandwiches, and, for the grand finale, a giant two-tiered cupcake and 36 mini-cupcakes. Delicious!

6. More basketball. Saturday was basketball as the whole fam went to see a CU Buffs women's basketball game with my son's third grade class. A handful of kids, my son included, got to go out to center court at halftime to be recognized for reading the most over a three-month period. It was very cool. The rest of the game was spent taking the kids to each concession stand. :-)

7. Those crazy monkeys. Since my son had a friend over and was knee deep in Wii games, the girls and I settled in to watch Wizard of Oz. I remember watching it every Thanksgiving weekend when I was growing up. It captivated me then and still does today.  I'm so excited to share the experience with my daughters. (Those crazy monkeys still freak me out a bit, though.)



8. Mudbud pups. Have you seen any of those buddy movies - Air Buddies, Snow Buddies, Space Buddies, Santa Buddies. The movies feature these adorable little golden retriever puppies who always have lots of adventures. The kids love 'em. Anyway, our new puppy usually looks a lot like Rose Bud, the girl puppy. After our walk on Sunday, though, she looked just like Mud Bud. She was so pleased to be covered head to toe in mud. It was quite a site, and it made me realize just how much I love having a puppy.


9. Happy mistakes. No, not that mistake. (That shipped sailed a long time ago.) My husband mistakenly booked his flight to San Diego at 6PM rather than 6AM. It was nice to have him home for an extra day.

10. Stepping out of my comfort zone. I had gotten way to comfortable with complacency recently. Last week, though, I got feed up with being comfortable and started stretching into the uncomfortable zone. You know what? It feels good. Really good. I'm looking forward to stretching a bit more every day.


There you go - my Ten on Tuesday. Now it's your turn. What were you grateful for the past week? 

An earthquake devastates Haiti, snowstorns plague the East Coast, another earthquake causes a state of catastrophe in Chile, and now tsunamis have threatened the Pacific seaboard. With cable television, it doesn't matter if these disasters are in our town or thousands of miles away; we now experience them in our own living room.

As a concerned citizen, I am captivated by the round-the-clock media coverage. However, as a parent, I must consider the effect of these "disaster reports" on my children.

With the constant images of destruction from the recent earthquakes, my children are no longer asking me as many questions about this weekend's slumber party or our upcoming trip to Disneyland. Instead, they ask why those families don't have home, or why can't the children find their families. They are starting to fear that something will to our home and they'll loose us. They hold our hands a little tighter, snuggle a little closer, and never want to let us out of their sight. It reminds me of how my husband and I felt on our son's first birthday, September 11, 2001. We held him tighter, snuggled a little closer, and never wanted him out of our sight either.

It is difficult to explain to children that accidents happen. However, children need to know the facts about these types of disasters. And, they should hear it from you rather than the sometimes diluted, sometimes exaggerated version they hear elsewhere. Let them know that because we see these things on the television doesn't make them any more likely to happen to us. Explain to them that accidents do happen, though; and while we can't predict them, we can take responsibility for being prepared.

Take the opportunity to your children about what your family can do to stay safe by creating a home emergency plan and preparing a safety kit. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) has a fantastic, family-friendly website (fema.gov/kids) to help parents and kids find ways to discuss natural disasters. Reassure your children that there are many people working to help others in need, and that your family can help too. Encourage them to put the habit of service into practice by brainstorming ways to help. Here's a few ways to get started: 

Penny Drives: Collecting pennies from neighborhoods, classrooms and churches is an easy way to earn funds to help others.
Adopt a Family: Fulfilling the needs of a family in need by providing clothes, toiletries, baby good and more is an activity all family member can do.
Fundraisers: Lemonade or cookie stands for younger children and bake sales, car/pet washers or garages sales for older kids are fantastic ways to earn money for charitable causes.
Community Outreach: Working with local agencies such as your school's Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO/PTA) or church is a wonderful way to reach out to glocal (local + global) families in need by organizing and participating in special events and activities. (Think talent shows, read-a-thons, or movie nights!)

Today's world is filled with unpredictable and unforeseen events that affect our sense of safety and well-being. Children may - and often do - find fear in catastrophic events. They also can find comfort and security in our response to it. With consistent love, compassion and communication, we can alleviate our children's fears and connect deeper with not only our family, but our community, nation and world as well.

Have any thoughts or ideas you'd like to share on this topic? Please post 'em in the comments. I'd love to read/share them.

One of my favorite musicians is Jason Mraz, so it's no surprise that the song "I'm Yours" is one of my absolute favorites. You can imagine how tickled I was when I saw this song paired with another one of my passions - amazing kids. Check it out!


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Mastermind.

That word has been on my mind - probably because I just returned from one of my mastermind meetings. I imagine you’ve probably heard the word as well…a lot.

Napoleon Hill made the idea of mastermind famous in his classic “Think And Grow Rich.”

But there is a lot of confusion and mis-information about how a Mastermind group can cut through the gridlock and help you ROCK your business.

One of my mentors and good friend, Sandy Grason, cuts through the red tape (with a free video to boot!), to show you how a mastermind can indeed work for you and your business. In fact, these same principles can be applied to support your family as well.

Sandy also shows in this case study video how Judy Gilman, a retired nurse, turned network marketer/entrepreneur grew her business, and grew it so FAST, she attained the coveted Sapphire Level in her company…and won an all expense paid trip to Thailand, too.

All from using Sandy’s four secrets of a successful mastermind.

Get your free video here on it. 

Even if you think you know all you need to know about masterminds, give these videos a peek.