Fishapalooza Ice Fishing Tournament!

Yesterday I spent 9 hours out on a frozen lake with 12,541 of my newest acquaintances. It was the Fishapalooza Ice Fishing Tournament in Minnesota!

The preparation that goes into something like this is nothing short of amazing, both personally and for the tournament.

This past week I spent two nights preparing my sled with all the necessary equipment; poles, tackle, gloves, slush scoop, a small axe (to break through the ice) and my list of last minute things such as minnows, license, and food.

I got there around 8am as this was the first time I had done an ice fishing tournament. I paid $10 to park at the American Legion, two blocks away from the ice. I pulled my little sled to the ice and there were guys waiting to check your sled to make sure you didn't have a hidden six pound northern laying at the bottom.

By 8:30 I was checked in and told to pick a hole! 15,000 holes were drilled the night before on probably six neighborhood blocks in the middle of the lake. Where to go? I have never fished this lake before so I had no idea of any structure, depth or hot spots. Should I go left or right? Close to the tents or on the outside edge? All the decisions to make.

I decided to do what my fishing buddy Mike always says and fish were no one else is, so I sat in the middle of a block and watched all the others come out on the ice and go straight to the edge. Now at this time you would think I would be smart enough to know they probably know something I do not know, but I had already cleared out 3 holes around me with my trusty axe and scoop -- so why move!

Around 9:30 I am done setting up and head in to the main area to check out all the dealers. I could buy beer from the beer ladies, pizza from Papa John's, a Polaris ATV, A Fish House, Cheese Curds, a Vexlar system, an Ice Auger, Mini Donuts, Deep Fried Pickle, a fur hat, or a host of other items. Yes, it was a little fair 500 yards from shore!

The people kept coming on to the ice and a big sign went up that said "Pink Bikini Fishing Team"! What? I had to see what in the world this was so I worked my way around all the gawking men to see a dozen or so very fit woman in pink bikini's and white fur boots and hats digging out holes! It didn't take long for some of the guys to jump to the occasion to help, but what a scene. I didn't have my phone camera with so I headed back to my little spot to get it as it was way to interesting to see and share. By the time I got back to the area they were in their warming house (go figure) so I didn't get a picture of them for you.

Okay, back to fishing. I head back to my hole around 10:30 and find I have neighbors. Three men from Iowa have set up camp next to me. Chet, Mark and Gramps. Good old boys to say the least! We chatted a bit and introduced ourselves and it was nice to have a friendly few to talk with while we waited.

They were first timers as well and thought like me to be away from the crowded edge would be best. Even though they knew my name they called me "Minnesota" so everything from there on out was "Hey Minnesota want a beer", "Hey Minnesota see any fish yet", "Hey Minnesota what about that Favre guy"? I didn't want a beer at 10 in the morning, I had seen a few fish on the fish finder and I have no idea about the Favre guy.

11:30am, 30 minutes until the competition starts. The music is playing from the tent, there are kids taking $5 pony rides up and around the fishing holes, and all of a sudden the masses of fishing people approach. It is time to get ready!

11:50am the VFW Color Guard walks out on the ice and everyone stands. 11:55am the National Anthem is bellowed out loud by one of the National Guard Ladies present and at high noon two cannons go off signaling the start of the competition! GO FISH!

Three or four minutes later you hear screaming and yelling as the first catch of the day is running from the outside edge to the weigh in tent. Three hours of screaming, yelling and running go on as I look at my hole. Nothing...not a bite, not a bobber bobbing, nothing.

2:30pm I have 30 minutes left. Chet gets a fish and off he runs to the tent. a .5 pound crappie, but he is on the board. I gave him the Minnesota screaming and yelling routine!

3:00pm the cannons sound again and the tournament is over. No fish for me! I pack up my stuff and head to the tents to see the results. The tension is rising and the people are gathering.

Josh, Josh "something or something" come on up. You caught the winning fish, a 5.49 pound Northern. Josh? This kid about 12 years old walks up on the stage and stands there. The announcer again "Josh we need you on the stage". A guy from the crowd says "he's up there already" and the announcer turns to the kid and says "are you Josh". The boy raises his hand and says "I am Josh". The crowd goes nuts! 12,542 fishing people and the 12 year old from Minnesota wins the tournament!

Josh gets one of those huge checks and as his picture is being taken you can barely see his head over the monster check. It's the interview next:

Announcer -what did you catch him on Josh?
Josh - A hook (crowd cheers)
Announcer - Do you remember what color hook?
Josh - Maybe red
Announcer - Do you remember where you caught him?
Josh - I caught him over there (pointing to the lake)
Announcer - Well Josh you now have something for Show and Tell on Monday - Congratulations!

A life long fisherboy is born!

It was a great day and I wanted to share it with all of you. Here are some of the pictures from the day including my new Iowa friends! Can't wait until next year!

Finding Your Purpose

One of the books I have on my shelf is, finding Your Purpose – A Guide to Personal Fulfillment by Barbara J. Braham (2003). It is from the Crisp Fifty-Minute Book series that makes it an easy read. I always love books that start out by saying “Warning, this book may change your life”. What a great disclaimer!

What is finding your purpose? For many this may mean the type of work you do. This book for instance centers on finding the right job that matches your values and strengths. It looks at the difference between just a job and actual work. This is important, don’t get me wrong, but finding your purpose should be more of a quest than just how you make the ends meet. I still like this book though as with everything you have to take what works and adapt it to your life.

One of the ways you can begin to explore your purpose is to look around you and find people or jobs/work that you admire and have said “I wish I could do that”. Who are these people? What are these jobs? What is it about the people or jobs that make you want to do ‘that’? This is the start of finding your personal purpose.

One of the ways I like to think about finding my purpose is to be a mind map. An organizational chart of what I like and want. My mind map changes from time to time so it is good to revisit every so often to make sure you are on the path of purpose. Things change and each of us changes so don’t feel you need to know everything right now.

My Personal Example:

Ten years ago if you asked me what my purpose in life was I would have stated my vision as “I will be the first woman on the professional fishing tour”. This was a great vision and one that I really got in too. I had a trolling motor before I owned a boat, I had every lure you possibly could imagine, I had more poles than I could ever use, I had never fished in a tournament but spent hours watching them on TV, I had every Tactics of fishing book written, in short I was living my vision of my purpose.

Ten years later I still have that passion and desire, but I have changed. Yes, I still love to fish and if money was no object I would in fact do everything in my power to be a professional fisherwoman, but I want more. I want a purpose that impacts others. I want to help others go through life with purpose, dedication, no fear, and support. It is more than fishing for me now; I want others to feel the sense of peace that comes from knowing how valuable you really are. That is my purpose.

My Vision Statement now reads, “I will find a way every day to make a positive impact on a person, event, animal, or cause”. That is my purpose and I have put as much time, money and energy into this purpose as I have the professional fisherwoman idea. I have earned a PhD in Training and Performance Improvement, I have started a Life Coaching business, I have started this blog, I have found ways every day to have a positive impact on something. This is my purpose, this is my life. If money were no object now I would find a way to be a professional fisherwoman who has a positive impact on something every day.

What is your vision? What is your purpose? If money were no object, what would you be?

Lent

Lent is the Christian season that reminds us to prepare for the future coming of Christ. It is full of purposeful days in the Christian belief; Ash Wednesday, Spy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday and many more.

In early traditions Christians were suppose to prepare for the coming of Christ by praying, asking for forgiveness, giving to the poor, and self-denial. This isn’t quite what happens these days and I have heard many people say in the hallways and bus “I gave it up for Lent”. But what did they really give up?

Coffee, tea, chocolate, wine, red meat, and sex are actually some of the most popular self-denial commitments people make, but it begs the question of “so what” and “what else”? I think if you are giving up one of these things either you are enjoying them a little to much to start with, or you never even have them! I can give up wine very easy as I don’t drink, I won’t comment on a few others, but SO WHAT?

There are four areas of preparation for Lent and self-denial is the last on the list. Look at the others; prayer, forgiveness, and giving. So if you have given up chocolate for lent great, but have you meditated in earnest? Have you forgiving someone and asked for forgiveness? Have you given to someone in need?

Living with purpose at Lent means all four, not just giving up the chocolate. There are about 30 days left in Lent and I challenge you to think about this and prepare yourself not only for self sacrifices but also for self reflection, forgiveness and giving.

What would people think if I was asked “what did you give up for Lent” and I said, I take 20 minutes a day to mediate and pray, I have forgiven and been forgiven, I am volunteering every night at the food shelter, and I have given up sugar. Now that is Lent.

Live with purpose and take the time to reflect on what that means for you. Lent is the perfect season to do just that.

The "To-Do" List

I have been trying for the past two months to not be so anal with my time. If you remember earlier this month I wrote how I kept a 'to-do' list for just about everything. Yes, I was a good Franklin Covey student. I gave up the idea that I needed to track everything and for the past 6 weeks have tried to organize myself in a week to week fashion rather than a day to day method.

It works to a point, but I have found that I am missing to many things. On Monday when I write my "to-do" list for the week I am ready to go, and then Wednesday comes along and my 'to-do' list completely changes and I frustrate myself that I didn't think of that earlier. Bad spiral I get in too.

I thought it was a little funny and probably to insightful that this past weekend when I was up north with my folks they gave me a late Christmas gift (they had just put the Christmas tree away and found it under the tree skirt). The gift was a 365 day note pad of "to-do" lists! Yes, my folks had picked on the fact that I was an anal as I knew I was!

So today I resolve to go back to a method that hopefully organizes me a little more, makes me feel a little more confortable with what I have to do, but also reminds me to lighten up a bit.

Last night I sat down while the dog was eating and wrote my 'to-do' list for the rest of the week.

This morning when I got into work I was able to start checking things off the list as I worked one by one through what I needed to do to feel some sense of control and structure.

I than reminded myself that this was just part of who I am. I do not need to write a list for everything and it is okay to go to the grocery store without a complete list of everything you need.

It's the same thing with life. If we are always looking for an order that things should happen, we will miss out on the possibilities of the day. It is okay to have an idea and direction, but keep that bottom half of the page/life open to what comes up. There is always a Wednesday in our week, so embrace the fact that growth and humility come from the unexpected, not always the planned.

Have a great Thursday.

Another Lake of the Woods Fishing Trip

I promised pictures of the next ice fishing trip I took so today is that day. Last weekend my fishing buddy Mike and I headed to Lake of the Woods, on the Minnesota-Canadian Border.
We headed up around 5:30 and we were fishing by 8am. We were around 18 miles out on the frozen lake and about 5 miles away from the Canadian Water side of the Lake. I have posted some maps for reference as well as pictures of what you see when you go out fishing 18 miles off shore in the northern lands of Minnesota.

First bite came about 8:30am and by the end of the day we had 14 sauger or walleye in the bucket.

Enjoy the pictures! This weekend I am in the "Fishapalooza" Ice Fishing Tournament in Forest Lake Minnesota. Me and 5,000 of my new friends will be fishing for the grand prize of $20,000! All I want is 1 fish that counts. There are 104 prizes given away ranging from $20K to a new Skeeter Walleye Boat. I have a 2007 Skeeter Bass Boat, but would love another. Yes, I am hooked, line and sinker in love with fishing!

Things I learned from my Anna Poopsie

It was a hard night to sleep last night. After 11 years of a routine of feeding, petting, cleaning a litter box, and petting some more I had dreams of her. This morning I went downstairs to take my morning shower and for the first time in 11 years she wasn't howling at the door wanting food.

As I was getting ready for work, I thought how much I have learned from my little kitty and wanted to share that with you all today.

1. Stand up to the Big Dogs - When a Big Dog is chasing you, stop, turn around and whack him in on the nose. Stand up for yourself!
2. Take every advantage to eat ice cream - At all cost take a lick of someone's ice cream. Enjoy it and let them know next time they need to bring some for you as well.
3. Eat like it's your last meal - Enjoy and be thankful for what you have. Every day.
4. Find people who like you and than sit next to them, on top of them, in their laps, or on their hips. Let them know how much you love being with them.
5. Get your purr motor running - It warms the heart when you are so content that you purr.
6. Get your yearly check ups - Even if you don't like the human vet, go and get your shots and checked out. It will add years to your life!
7. Be Childlike - When someone gives you a little catnip, indulge and be childlike. Run around like you are 5 again and enjoy every bit of the feeling.
8. Take care of your appearance - Clean yourself and be clean.
9. Take Naps - Find that comfortable area and position and sleep. It's okay to take a nap and refresh yourself.
10. Love unconditionally - look into someone's eyes and say "I love you" by purring, sitting, cuddling, or kneading. It does your heart good and gives so much to others as well.

These are things I have learned from my Anna Poopsie.

Saying Goodbye to Anna Poopsie

Today is a sad day. After nearly 11 years with my Cat - Anna Poopsie Banana, she could no longer fight the Feline HIV, Leukemia and Diabetes she has been living with. At 4:45pm she went to live in Kitty Heaven.

I want to give you insight into this wonderful little furball. First, names she responded too--Anna Poopsie Banana, Anna Banana, Helga (my Dad's name for her), Furball, Little White cheeks, the Hipster (always slept on your hip), Fluffy Tail, and Anna Gertrude. For those of you that spend a night at our home, you most likely had Anna sleeping on your hip all night and bouncing on you around 5am when she got hungry.

I rescued Anna nearly 11 years ago from the Humane Society in Two Harbors, MN where there was a simple add in the paper that said "This cat will be euthanized unless adopted". Well, that can't happen under my watch, so Anna Poopsie became part of my household.

She has lived in Two Harbors, Ely, and Brooklyn Park Minnesota and enjoyed watching and chatting at the birds, eating as much food as she could get a hold of, and sleeping on your hip when you laid down.

With Anna's FIV and Leukemia she wasn't able to be around other cats as she could transmit both to them so every house she has lived in has had a custom door, window or other disabled kitty setting. She was a cuddle bug and could purr with the best of them.

The last 3 months she has been losing a lot of weight and that is when the diabetes set in. She has been on insulin and special food, but her health got the best of her.

So even though every vet that she has ever had - except our current Vet Dr. Tracey - has given her only 2 weeks to live, she lived to a wonderful age of around 11 or 12. She was a wonderful companion and character and she will be missed.

So, raise a glass to celebrate the life of a wonderful Kitty! Here's to Anna Poopsie Banana!

And the Gremlin is?

I wanted to summarize the Gremlin voting everyone did last week. For all of you that voted it seems many of us have a self-doubt Gremlin living in us. You were allowed to vote for more than one, thus the weird %, but here is the summary.

The Artist Gremlin was 87%, The Big Shot was 67% and the General 3rd at 42%. If you remember the lines these little monsters use they were - you are nothing, you will never be good enough, and you have to do everything right. 16/19 votes for these Gremlin's. That meanat 84% of the survey participants have a self-doubt issue. Sounds like many of us need to have a goal this year of increasing our self-esteem and understand that Gremlin so he/she has no control over you again.

I gave you a few ideas on how to do this, but the best thing you can do is stay focused and pay attention. Focus on the positive you, 365 days a year stay positive. Along with focus, pay attention to your words, actions, behaviors, feelings and emotions. Are they Gremlin filled or are they healthy?

I will remind you to review your Gremlin's later this year when you least expect it. No, I want you to keep them in mind, every day. It is the only way to tame them and escort them out the door.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I know people that are at the Olympics, went fishing, hung out with friends, went to a resort in Duluth area, worked, hauled wood, and recovered from surgery. To all of you, I hope your weekend was memorable and rewarding. Remember to hug someone today.

The Road of Life

One of the assessment tools I used as part of my dissertation research I called the Road of Life. It was a combination of the Wheel of Life (Whitworth, Kimsey-House and Sandahl, 1998, Co-Active Coaching) and the Life Satisfaction Scale (Biswas-Diener and Dean, 2007, Positive Psychology Coaching).

Both of these life satisfaction assessments, ask the client/person to rank on a scale of 0-10, zero meaning completely unsatisfied and ten being highly satisfied, their personal satisfaction levels. The areas that are ranked are common life satisfaction areas of: Physical Environment, Career/job, Finances, Growth and Development, Family and Friends, Partner/spouse, Fun and Recreation, and Health. The areas may change from time to time, but in short if these areas are balanced for an individual usually life satisfaction is high.

I took the best of both assessments and created what I called the Road of Life Assessment. It takes the areas of satisfaction and adds to it what is important. So first rank the importance of each area than rank your current satisfaction level. This results in a road map for your personal life satisfaction. If finance is ranked very high (one of your values) and your satisfaction rating is very low – you have potholes and maybe sink holes. It worked pretty well and with a few adjustments I think it is a valuable tool to really assessment importance and satisfaction together.

What does your Road of Life look like? Remember when we talked about your values and how they should be the ‘drivers’ in your life? Yep, it comes around again as an important point when you look at life satisfaction and your Road of Life. Let me give you my assessment as an example to how this works.

My Drivers: Believing, Achieving, and Giving

My current satisfaction levels ranked highest to lowest are: Growth and Development (9), Partner/spouse (9), Family and Friends (8), Finances (8), Fun and Recreation (6), and Health (5), and Physical Environment (4).

My rank of what is more important to me is: Growth and Development, partner/spouse, health, family and friends, fun and recreation, finances, and physical environment.

Assessment:

I believe that I can achieve great things. Growth and development are two ways to achieve this and I believe in myself and abilities to make a difference. It is important to me to always learn from others and myself as that will allow me to give more of myself.

I believe that to be loved and to love is about giving. It is important to me to give my time, energy and commitment to others and I can do this by believing that I am capable of love as well as have a willingness to share love.

My 3 month road plan is to repave my career into a development and growth opportunity where I am learning more each day about myself, the job, the impact, and the team.

I will need help and will create a support system that understands my goals, supports my goals, and believes in me.

What do you think? Can you describe your road in this way? Can you take your values/drivers, satisfaction levels and rank and make assessment statements? Try it. There are only three parts, values, determine your satisfaction in the areas listed and determine the importance of each area. What can you determine by these three assessments?

Your Personal Pothole Crew

As I look at the potholes I personally keep hitting they seem overwhelming. Work is crazy right now and home life is a bit nuts as well. My ‘control freak’ comes out and says “you must control your surroundings”, but in reality I find I have to have help from others in order to repave.

When they start patching or repaving the roads around here you never see one person driving the truck, getting out, putting tar in the hole, jumping on the big roller thing, than back in the truck and move forward and start again. No you see a crew. People who work together as a team for a common purpose.

This is the analogy I see for life as well. I don’t have to fill or repave by myself. I have friends, family, and experts around every corner that can help and assist and that want to help and assist. I may be driving the truck, but I know who my crew member is that helps with my taxes. I know the person who can fill the potholes, I know the person who can hold the ‘slow down’ sign so no one gets hurt, and I know people who can help drive the big roller truck over and repave those potholes.

What we need to do is develop support systems. People who you trust and can work with you to provide you a better tomorrow. I have to remember that as my life and work are crazy. There are people out there willing, able and ready to help if I just ask.

Do you have a support system?

The Tax Lady Cometh

I don't know what it is about the tax season that always gets my nerves going, maybe it is because I always get an uncomfortable feeling that reminds me that one of my potholes is paying attention to budgets and expenses.

According to my tax lady, I do the absolute "no no" of having more taxes taken out so I get some back rather than getting a little back and keeping my money on a month to month bases. Many of us probably do this as it is always nice to have that extra money in March/April. At least I hope that is the case. I talked to my tax lady again last night about this and it does make sense as to why this is a "no no" as the government doesn't pay interest on the money they 'hold' for you, but credit card companies sure charge interest.

Someday I will get myself out of the mindset that the government is my personal savings bank and I will repave that pothole, but right now I kind of enjoy having the funds all at once to put towards an expense.

So, the tax lady cameth (yes I know this isn't a word, but past tense for cometh) and all is well. I get a little back to put towards bills and a little in savings as well. My goal is to think more about the big "no no" and figure out a way to better utilize the money I make monthly that will enhance the long term goal of living debt free.

I have a WWSOD book (What would Suzi Orman Do) and most I agree with, although I never see myself that hard core, but I can take a few of the coaching tools and put them to work.

Mission - Be debt free by 2011
Goal - In order to be and feel financially secure I will follow a yearly budget that emphasises paying down debt and increase liquid accounts.
Objectives:
1. Review current 2010 and 2011 budgets and adjust pay and payments according to a lower tax refund and more monthly funds available to pay down debt.
2. Review budget bi-weekly to measure success as well as find opportunities
3. Live within my means. Decrease spending in areas that do not lend to the mission.
4. Live life by not being so strict that life becomes work.
5. Establish the appropriate number of tax deductions to have on my salary to ensure that I receive a little back next year and do not have to pay. (Estimate 2010 taxes).

There, SMART goals. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.

Has your Tax lady cometh? What did she say? Do you have a financial pothole you need to address?

Potholes or Sinkholes?

I had a funny thought this morning after this weekend of pothole dodging that I wonder how many people reading this said they had sinkholes rather than potholes in their lives. I know I have had them from time to time and there is no way to patch those things up, you have to go full steam ahead and repave.

It got me thinking that most sinkholes don't just appear, they actually start small as potholes and after years of not repaving they end up to be sinkholes. Kind of just like life! Let a past issue go year over year without digging in and repaving and you hit that big brick wall of "oh crap" and bang---a sinkhole.

I can find humor in my past sinkholes now, but when they were happening I was not a happy camper at all. Everything upset me and I didn't feel like anything was working out. This was of course before I knew what Gremlin's were or that I was accountable and in control of my life, but those sinkholes have made me who I am today.

So, if you have potholes or sinkholes don't avoid them or run over them, rather face them. I guarentee you will come out stronger and more in control in the end. Don't let the fear of a little tar get in your way of repaving. Set a new direction, a new course of action, a new beginning. Tear up and repave!!

Happy Valentine's Day

I can’t let this day go by without saying something about it so I will find more to say about potholes and highways tomorrow.

Valentine’s Day – ah, do you feel the love today? It is nice to have a day that reminds us to love and be loved.

I remember when I was in elementary school and we would hand out those little Valentine’s Day cards of batman or Barbie or whatever was the popular hero at the time. My folks made us give one to everyone in our class; even if I didn’t really like them. It was painful at times giving one of the precious 36 cards to some of my classmates, but I did. Side note: yes my elementary and graduating high school class was 36 people.

What did I learn from this? Glad you asked. I now know that everyone deserves a Valentine when you are 8 years old. Everyone deserves to be loved and to love at 8, 18, 28, 68 and 108.It doesn’t matter how young or old, you deserve to be loved and to love.

My hope for this day is that you and I both know love and show love more than just on February 14th. Valentine’s Day should be a reminder of love, not the only day for love. Go to your local store this week and pick up a box of super hero cards and in 45 days give them out to your friends, colleague’s, and partner. The cards will be 50% off, but what you will gain is the ability to share your appreciate and love more than just today.

What would you do if you got a Valentine’s Day card in July? May sound silly, but wouldn’t that be kind of fun to be shown love? What if you gave one out? You may get a funny look at first, but wouldn’t it be fun to share the love?

Valentine’s Day is a reminder to cherish and treasure those around you. Don’t let the day go by without saying “I love you”. Carry that forward this year. Find opportunities to say I love you, I thank you, I appreciate you, I see you, I care for you. Maybe, just maybe it will be the most meaningful phrase the recipient will hear that day and you will make a difference.

Live with purpose people. Be open to love and share your love.

The Pothole Syndrome

You know when it is close to spring in Minnesota as the potholes start popping up everywhere. I left my axel on Lexington and I-94 last night, I am sure of it.

I usually don’t drive a lot, not a favorite thing for me to do, but last night I went to visit a friend in the hospital so I had to drive one of the busiest sections of interstate in Minnesota – Interstate 94. Now not driving a lot means I have to pay attention to the exit signs so I can leave the highway and traffic. As I was looking for exist 243A the truck was getting bumped around in the potholes. I decided I needed to pay more attention to the highway than the exits to avoid some of them, and I did, well as best as I could.

So what does this have to do with positive and purposeful living? Well, I like to use analogies to explain and connect ideas. I use them a lot in coaching and in writing this blog as I want people to relate to the idea, not fear the big words. I could have pulled out the PhD writing style and completed days of research review and looked really smart, but what good does that do.? I will eventually share my research study summary in this blog as I did find it absolutely fascinating, but not today.

Okay, back to the Pothole Syndrome

Each of us has a life and you can think of it as your personal highway. There are times that you have exited and taken a different road or stopped to be part of someone else’s road for a while, but you always come back to your highway. It is your life’s path. From time to time you may switch directions or all together the road when you learn, grow and change, but that is what makes your highway system. You can look back at where you have been and forward to where you are going. You can plan exits along the way in areas of travel, adventures, education, job changes, relationships and other events as you travel, but you always come back to your own highway and highway system.

Can you see a Google map of your highway? From day one of your life to know what does your highway system look like? Does it have a lot of detours? Does it flow in a straight line never wavering? Does it go around in circles? How many exits have you made? Did you start a new highway or just exit for a while? What does your Google map look like?

For many of us our map may look like a cobweb and for others it may look like a symphony’s music script with everything working together in harmony. Whatever it looks like it is yours and mine to own.

For many of us, I have fallen into this category many times; we start not liking our highway and start planning for getting the heck off! We keep driving forward, but with no plan other than to eventually take a left or right, change something in some way. Have you been there? Maybe your highway had a bad relationship and you were more than ready to just leave. Or you started up in an education program and never finished, or you lost a job…the list of highway exits is very long.

My point is when you got back on your highway did you leave with direction or fear? This is what I call the Pothole syndrome. Yep, I am making a Syndrome out of this, maybe someday I will be known as the Pothole Syndrome lady. Hear me out though.

Every spring Minnesota is faced with nasty potholes. Year after year and always in the same areas with the added bonus of new ones that were never there before, but this year they hit us. The state spends time and money every year sending crews out to patch them up. A little more tar and we are good to go for another year, or are we? What happens next year? Same thing, the seasons come and go and we travel the same roads, and potholes abound.

Now this is different for a stretch of interstate in Minnesota that was completely torn up and put down last year. If you travel that stretch there are no potholes. Not one, it is smooth and enjoyable.

We all face the Pothole Syndrome in our lives. Do you just patch up those holes that keep happening over and over again, or do you tear those sections up and repave? If you had a bad relationship or lost a parent that you hadn’t made peace with, or feel stuck in a job, or lost a job, or are financially unstable, what do or have you done? Most of us just patch it up and hope it doesn’t come up again, but therein lies the Pothole Syndrome! It will come up again until we repave and fix it! Every year we bring out the tar and spend time and energy filling in the hole rather than fixing it.

I want to explore this more tomorrow, but I want to have each of us start thinking about what our potholes are? What issues, concerns, fears, or emotions come up over and over again that we just hope will go away, rather than repaving them? What is in your Pothole Syndrome?

Final Gremlin Thoughts

This is the final post about gremlins. We all have them and we all need to deal with them. Take notice of what they are and how they act. When do they show their faces and what are you going to do about it?

I wanted to share with you some final thoughts about gremlins from the book that I have found very helpful when it comes to spotting when your gremlin comes around as well as how to handle them.

The first step is to notice when they are visiting. This should be fairly easy as you hear the phrases you can’t, you must, you shouldn’t, you need, or you don’t deserve that. All of these are clear gremlin statements. Watch for them and know how to address them if they come for that visit.

Now the strategy of how to address them.

The best way to describe strategies is to show how the negative phrases above can and need to be turned into positive action phrases. Let’s take a few and see what we can do.

You need to take ownership of your positive voice. "I can’t" is a negative voice, it puts you down. What if you changed that to "...until now I haven’t been able to do that". Now you have taken ownership. It is about a positive you, not a negative you.

If you catch yourself saying "you need something" you are not taking ownership of it. How about "I want this or that". Again, you have ownership. I want love, I want respect, I want a new fishing pole….just checking to see how many of you are still reading!

So catch your gremlin voice in your: I can't, I shouldn't, I need, I don't deserve, I don't know how...change them to I could if, I should just, I want, I do, I will...take ownership of your voice!

Change the negative phrases and make them yours. Own them. That is what taming your gremlins is about. Ownership of your feelings, thoughts, actions, and self.

Remember to Breathe

As part of Gremlin taming, the thing you do not want to do is make so many rules around how you find them that you actually end up create one. Yes, we create our own gremlins every day and sometimes by trying to figure them out, we inadvertently create one. Here is an example of how this happens.

This year one of my goals was to relax and not worry about being perfect and organized all the time. I took a look inside and how I viewed my structured ways. Yes, believe me I love structure. I love a clean house, desk, closet, and computer system. I use to make ‘to-do’ list for everything from weekend projects to packing for a day fishing trip. Not that this is bad, but I wanted to try to do less planning and more relaxing through spontaneity.

Two months into this I am driving myself crazy with feeling out of control and in need of serious ‘to-do’ing. Okay, maybe not that bad, but I have created a Gremlin! I went from one extreme of structure to the other extreme of so loosy goosy I don’t know what I am doing. I created a gremlin by taking what I know is me (structure) and tossed it out but now refusing to give up the fight of loosy goosy! My Gremlin tells me “you can’t give up you haven’t given it enough time” and “this was your brilliant idea so don’t blame me” and “If only you had the nerve to stick with it, it would work out”. Woe is ME!

I share this as an example and statement of be careful when looking in to yourself and noticing yourself. Don’t create a gremlin by putting consequences on your end result. I always say failure IS an option in living. Maybe not in all things, but for most of us 98% of the time, failure IS an option. Be okay with that.

Okay, so I have given you my warning so let’s continue.

If you are having problems figuring out what your gremlin is, start noticing your reaction to the positive and negative emotions you feel. Sad, happy, anger, anxiety, fear, loneliness, joy, and all the rest. How do you feel and how do you react? Again, don’t create a gremlin that says “darn, I didn’t notice that” it is okay to miss a few things, but working on this that will all work out.

The book gives you many strategies and applications to help you understand these concepts, so if you want to know more you know where to go.

Next step; put a name and face to your gremlin. George (my self doubt big shot) is a handsome man with just a touch of grey in his hair. He looks like a California surfer with muscles galore and the best tan ever. He has blue eyes and wears those sunglasses you can’t see through. Got his picture in your head? This is my George. Gorgeous and put together and he is the one that is the voice that says “You don’t look like me so you are nothing” and “You are not as good as I am, you are nothing”. Can you see those words from my George?

Put a name and face to your gremlin, it helps when you escort him or her out the door.
So for today, breathe, relax, be aware of your reactions to feelings and start putting a face or name to your gremlin. This will help when you begin to escort him or her out the door. What does your gremlin look like?

Tomorrow will be the last post about Gremlin’s so if you have any questions or thoughts, I hope you will share either in the blog, or send me an email. It is like a free coaching session! I am here to help and assist.

George and other Gremlin Types

In order to start thinking about your personal gremlins you have to understand the two parts of figuring out who or what they are. First you must observe. Who knows you best? You do! To start figuring out your gremlin (s) you have to look at who you are and observe yourself through your eyes. Now I don’t mean looking in the mirror, everyone can see that you. What I am talking about is your inner self, the one that lives and breathes you. It’s the one that no one else knows as well as you. It is your hopes, dreams, feelings, guts, loves, disappointments, and oh so much more. Observe your inner you and record what it says about you.

The other part of the gremlin world is “simply noticing” (p. 7). Yep, that is it. Remember when I talked earlier this year about being still and just noticing. It is the same thing, but rather than noticing the things around you, look again to the inner self and notice how you feel, love, care, or process emotions and feelings. Once you notice the inner you, take it to the outer you. Use all your senses and notice the sound of your fingers typing, or the sound of a boiling pot of water, notice. Get to that level of awareness. That is what simply noticing is.

Okay, you are set. You know to observe and notice your inner self as well as are acutely in tune with your surroundings. Not all that easy if you are trying this for the first time. I remember I was annoyed by myself and the voices in my head, but that became my awareness of my gremlin!

While you go through the next few days observing and noticing yourself, think about some of the kinds of gremlins that seem to come into many of our lives. See if you can relate and I would like to hear from you if you care to share.

The General – The General is the gremlin that has to have everything in an order that cannot be mixed. There are strict rules for the General. He may be seen as the Boot Camp leader from Hell. Yep, that strict so there are no options, no place to grow or go, no ability to try anything outside of the rules that are in place.

The Artist – Carson describes this gremlin as the one that always paints the pretty picture for you, but just when you are ready to finish the picture, he changes the colors and you have to start all over again. It is the gremlin that may be heard saying “if only” and “what can’t I be happy”. This is a good one. The picture of what we want is in our head and we get close and he goes and messes it up.

The Hulk – The Hulk is the bully in our heads that doesn’t want us to be always nice and in order so that we don’t turn into that big green monster and get angry or upset. Remember the show? That is this gremlin. He doesn’t want you to release any strong feelings and rather wants you to sit quietly and say nothing.

The Big Shot – This is my George. Yep, he is the Big Shot. He is the one that says “Janice you are nothing and these people will never listen to you”. He works on my self esteem and talents like no one’s business. Yep, he doesn’t want me to be successful and puts all sorts of thoughts in my head about my ability and strengths.

The Coach – This gremlin takes on many of the athletic coach’s mentality that you and I have seen. The only important thing is to be number 1. Nothing else matters and you step on anything or anyone that gets in your way. If you lose, you are nothing. He will do anything and everything to win, at all costs!

The Grim Reaper – I like to call this one the Victim. It is the gremlin that wants you to believe that being beat up, put down, and walked over is okay. In fact it is the best that can be. It says it is okay to be the victim as it is your lot in life. Everyone else’s needs and feelings must come before yours. Know people who have this gremlin?

These are some examples from Carson’s book but there are many others. What was helpful for me was to come up with a “Woe is me list”. Yep, that’s right. In order for me to understand my gremlin so I could tame the little monster, I had to write the woe is me list.

My Woe is Me List

1.I don’t have as much experience as other people.
2.I just got my PhD a few years ago so I really am not that educated.
3.I’m okay to put others ideas out ahead of mine as they are going to be better anyway.

See the trend? Woe is Me!

What is your “Woe is Me” list? What statements do you have about yourself that are in no way positive? Write them down, look at them, own them.

Taming your Gremlin

I have been a little side tracked the past few days while on vacation, but I want to get back to the post I made about my Gremlin, George. Remember him? My Gremlin is George and he is the self-doubt I have in my head that makes it challenging to find inner peace and satisfaction at times.

Do you have a gremlin or two? Those voices in your head that push the right buttons and stops you in your tracks?

On the right side of the blog I have a link to this book if anyone is interested in purchasing it through Amazon. The book is "Taming Your Gremlin - A surprisingly simple method for getting out of your own way". It was written by Rick Carson and has a copywrite date of 2003.

I first discovered the concept of personal gremlins while taking a coaching course that was part of my PhD program. It was and remains one of the books I use as part of my Life Coaching business as it gives clients the view of thoughts, actions, and events that are getting in their way of satisfaction and inner peace.

This book is NOT here to help you find the answers to life. As we all know there are many pieces that have to come together in order to have a quality life. This book helps me and us do a self assessment on what may stop us from pursuing what we want. It is about getting out of your own way!

I will not be able to go through each chapter of the book, but I do want to spend the next few days helping you gain a better understanding of Gremlins and provide you with an overview of Carson's approach to taming them.

Carson writes, "Taming Your Gremlins is a method for meeting the inner challenge that is inherent in every activity from climbing Mount Everest to getting a good night's sleep" (p. xiv). It is the process of choosing positive over negative and living with or without purpose.

It is a choice each of us has to make; to tame or not to tame.

What are your Gremlins? Tomorrow I will go through a few from the book to give you examples of some of those that seem to be hiding in many of us. This may help you start your personal process of "getting out of your own way".

Watch the words you use!

Do you know that one of the most obvious way to improve your positive attitude and the perceptions of others about you is to watch the words you use? I have been trying to improve the words I chose to describe things, especially things I don’t really care for. I also know that I have tried hard to stop swearing and using words like hate, pissed off, loser, stupid, and a few others. Why? Well, think about it. If I used those words in this blog would they send a sense of compassion, positivity, and self control? Probably not. This is again 365 days of positive and purposeful living blog.

I saw a line of clothing around Christmas time that I decided I would never want to wear. It is the opposite of “Life is Good” and is “Life is Crap”. Now I do believe that the creators were trying to shed some humor on things that sometimes go wrong, but what does it say about you or me if we were to wear it? What does it tell people that may or may not know you?

On the plane ride back from San Diego two women sat in the seats in front and next to us and I really was disappointed in the conversation they were having. Now, perspective here. If you are on a plane where the majority of people are from a certain region or state and you see this from the sea of University of Minnesota clothing products or winter coats on a plan, remember that the words you use are heard by others.

Here is my disappointment story about these two women.

Now if you live here or know anything about where Minnesota is located geographically you know that it is cold in the winter and no big surprise should be that it also snows. Summers are wonderful here with the lakes, trees, clean air, green grass, friendly neighbors, and if you like hot and muggy and don’t mind a few mosquito’s sharing your blood it is a bonus. Spring is great here if you like to watch tulips come up after 5 months of winter, if you like the smell of new tree leaves coming to life and if you don’t mind a little ice and water puddles as you walk in your penny loafers. Fall is amazing here if you like to see every color of the rainbow in the leaves, or if you like to watch the birds migrate south, or if you like the smell of gas being run through snowmobiles and snow blowers for the first time. This is Minnesota! Latitude 45, Longitude 93---welcome.

Okay, so now we all know this right? I have friends who will not visit in the winter as they understand this. Family members who will only visit in the spring or fall after tornado and mosquito season. It is great, they get it.

So, back to the story. The conversation ended in my head ( I turned up the ipod tunes very loud) after I heard the following comments, remember a plane of 180 people all coming home to a state most of us love and two very loud women.

Lady 1: I HATE Minnesota, how can anyone live in this godforsaken area.
Lady 2: I know I can’t believe that people would be STUPID enough to think this was really a place to live.
Lady 1: And it snows every G—D--- time I come here!
Lady 2: Me too…maybe someone is just trying to pi—us off. I am so tired of carrying a coat when I visit.
Lady 1: Thank God Southwest doesn’t charge for bags as I needed a whole new warm wardrobe just to get off the D--- plane!
Lady 2: (Laugh, Laugh)…Not like California, at least WE have some common sense!

At this point I had a decision to make; shut up and put the headsets on or say something.

Of course I can’t shut up so I quietly said “some of us really enjoy our home state” and than I put the headset on and smiled. They didn’t stop, but it got me thinking of how much negativity they were spewing in just a 20 minute conversation and in front of people that actually enjoy everything they were complaining about. I guarantee I would not be friends with such ladies.

So, the point is watch what you say, how you say it, when you say it, and why you say it.
Catch yourself saying words like hate, GD, Pi—off, and others that speak not about your positivity rather your personal fears.

Webster Dictionary:

Hate – Intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or a sense of injury.

I SEE You!

This is the last day of traveling for a while and as I sit at the San Diego Airport watching the palm trees wave in the breeze and the sun shining through the clouds, I people watch.

There are a few movies that I really enjoy. One is Love Actually. The story is good, but it isn't the story that is my favorite part, it is the opening comments when they are talking about the best place to go to see love is the airport. I would have to agree.

I watch people being dropped off and there are smiles, hugs, some tears, and you can read the lips: I love you. Car after car people get dropped off and the same result, hugs, kisses, I love you.

Last night we went to see another movie and although I usually do not like fantasy type movies, last night I dreamt about flying dragons all night, I did like the message. My brother had seen it before and told me that there would be a line in the movie that I should use in my blog "I see YOU". If you have seen Avatar you will understand what this line means.

So what do these two movies and my thoughts have to do with each other? First, I think it is important to remember that seeing people is more than just a outward appearance it is seeing them at their best and looking and feeling their soul. It is the feeling you get when you meet a beloved friend or family member at an airport or place. It is that overwhelming feeling of joy and connection you have. You SEE Them. Not the 20 pounds they have gained, or the grey in their hair, you see them.

It is the same feeling you have when you drop them at the airport or feeling when you give them the hug goodbye, you SEE them.

My second point is that we need to find ways every day to SEE people. There should be more than just an event that makes "I love you" or "I SEE You". My family is not big on the I love you or I SEE You, good Scandinavians I guess, but I feel it when I see my brother or visit my parents; they see me.

My last thought is that we all need to be open to be seen and to see. What a world it would be if we all let down our guard and were open to be seen and to see? How would it feel to look into the souls of people we met not just the color of their skin, shape of their body, or language they speak. What if we could "SEE Them"? It sounds like a fun experience if not a worthwhile one.

SEE someone today! A friend, partner, spouse or total stranger. Walk in their shoes and search their soul. Who knows maybe they will SEE you too!

I see you!

Be Childlike and live with anticipation of excitement!

Have you ever had a day that feels like Christmas when you were growing up? You know that feeling where you can't hardly sleep the night before because you know the next day is going to be really special? Today was that really special day. I was living with the anticipation of excitement.

One of the qualities I really enjoy about myself is the ability to be childlike. NOT childish or a child, but childlike. It's that feeling you get when you are excited about an old memory or a new adventure. I have it a lot, some may say too much, but I don't think so. I don't think you can ever be 'to much' childlike. If you lose this, or have forgotten that it is in you, you become old. Old without the ability to smile or relax or anticipate excitement.

Today, I was childlike.

I received a metal detector for Christmas. Yep, a metal detector. I love to explore, I love finding treasures, I love the anticipation of excitement. It is like the feeling that I still get at Christmas when I see a present under the tree for me, or when my birthday comes around, or opening fishing day, or a time when I just let my guard down and be. It isn't the present, it's the anticipation of the excitement.

The hotel we are in is next to Mission Bay so lots of sand and true to my heart I had to try the metal detector on the beach. Of course I first tried it outside the patio here as my brother had tossed a few pennies for me to find in the grass. I found all three and off we went to the beach to try it out.

Beep, beep, beep...what is it..I dig, beeps again, I dig down a bit deeper and there it is my first treasure...a rusty old nail! Four more times I do the same thing and find more nails...so I was the beach safety monitor and found the nails that could have hurt someone. Okay, not a big treasure, but I was living with anticipation of the excitement.

I adjust the setting on the detector and walk a bit farther, nothing, no beeps. All of a sudden we go over an area closer to the water and beep, beep, beep. Oh my gosh, it can't be a nail as the pitch was higher. What could it be, a quarter, lost pirate treasure (yes my imagination is wild), a five pound bar of gold? I sift through the sand and still it beeps. I dig deeper and no more beep. I have it, but now where? There is a pile of sand next to me so I start sifting through the pile, Beep, beep...I am getting close!

One or two more beeps and bang, my first bounty! I wasn't sure what it was as it was covered with dirt and rust. I have to figure out what it is? I get back to the room and show everyone my bounty. Oh the excitement, oh the funny looks I get, but I am determined. What can it be? I find a glass and pour some diet coke over the treasure. I scrub it and scrap it and at last, I see what it is ---a dime--! Wahoo...my first nugget of treasure! The anticipation of excitement!

Be childlike, as for the brief moment you let yourself go your heart soars. Your thoughts are free and you feel completely alive. Anticipate the excitement!

Do a good deed today

Well it has been a long day. We left this morning at 6:45am on our way to San Diego and after an hour and a few the plane landed in Chicago. Two hours later we are aboard another plane flying the opposite way to San Diego. I never have quite figured out why airlines fly you east to go southwest, but it worked.

The flight was uneventful and between trying to catch some sleep and playing Hangman, after 4 hours or so we landed in sunny San Diego.

Now I have been looking forward to this trip since Christmas when I got a metal detector! Yes, I am an explorer and I can't wait to try and find a 50 pound nugget of gold that no one else has ever noticed on the beach. Okay, so maybe I am setting my goal a little high, but the idea of just looking is what is exciting.

As we get to the hotel it is next to a wonderful sand beach and checking in I see my good friend Suzy sitting in the lobby. It is a wonderful feeling to be surprised, especially when it is someone who means the world to you. Suzy was there when I was learning about business, customer service and technology. All which I use daily now. She drove with me back from Seattle to Minnesota and has always been one of those friends that is only 'a phone call away'. A wonderful surprise. A good deed. Spending time with old friends.

As we get settled into the room we notice an elderly lady sitting next to the beach curb and a man holding her up. She had fallen and was having a hard time standing up. Suzan ran out to help, Suzy calls the anbulance and walks to the front of the hotel and waits, and I stand watching as people come together to aid a stranger. A good deed.

Tomorrow my brother flies in. Not for work but to hang out with his big sister. Again, taking time and money to just be. A good deed.

None of this had to happen, but it did. People doing good deeds just because they are good people.

We are given so many opportunities to do good deeds every day. A smile, a touch, a visit, a phone call, a helping hand, a gentle word. Good Deeds. I hope you experience both sides of one today.

Embracing my Values

This morning I head home to Minnesota after 4 days in Orlando. It may have rained the whole time I was here in “Sunny Florida” but I feel energized and renewed as I get ready to head to the airport.

As I sit writing this, I feel an overwhelming sense of my values. This may stem from knowing I made a difference this week as well as that I feel in sync with my life values.

Giving

The past few days giving was more than my time and money. Giving was about hope; hope that things can get better. Giving was about spirit; spirit that lifts others hearts and minds into a positive yet calming place. Giving was about gaining; gaining respect, new relationships, and confidence.

Achieving

Achieving was more than financial or personal gain. Achieving was about growing; growing my skills, talents and character strengths. Achieving was about knowledge; the knowledge of others concerns and needs through active listening. Achieving was about listening; being still and listening to the peoples hearts as well as their thoughts.

Believing

Believing this week took on a very personal meaning as it was more than a belief in my God, it was a belief in myself. It was believing in the connection between the two. Believing was understanding that my personal values are to be celebrated. Believing was remembering that I have a choice on how every day starts and ends.

Giving. Achieving. Believing. This week I embraced my values and it felt good.

May you embrace your values today!

Happy Groundhog Day

Talk about the a day of potential. Every year we all wait to see what some little groundhog will say about the next 6 weeks. Sun or Clouds determine if we all get excited about the coming Spring or feel a little down knowing that Spring will be a little late.

Year after year we wait and hope for an early spring and most years it seems like many of us are disappointed in the outcome. Did you know that 9 out of 10 times this little guy sees his shadow and runs back into his tree? Yep, we all get one chance in 10 that he will predict an early spring and make us all feel excited. Whoa, I am not sure I like those odds so I think I better take my next six weeks into my own hands.

What if every morning when you woke up and looked outside you determined what your next six weeks were going to be like? Would you get excited or would you be disappointed?

What if every morning when you woke up and looked outside you were determined that the next six weeks of your life were going to be the best, most positive and most purposeful you have ever had? Would that excite you?

The reason I ask these questions is because we have a choice. Each of us, every day, have a choice on how that day, week, month, year, or lifetime is going to be.

Yesterday I chose confidence and knowledge and I escorted George (remember my little Gremlin) out the door. I sat in a room all morning and afternoon listening to the frustrations of others and my confidence increased even more with every hour. I had a choice. I could have taken the 9 out of 10 days groundhog approach and ran back into a hole, or I could have been my own predictor of my hour, my day, my future. I had a choice. Each of us do. Every moment, every hour, every day, every week, every month and year and yes, every lifetime.

So chances are Old Phil saw his shadow again today and he is predicting 6 more weeks of winter. As I always say “Bring it On”. It doesn’t matter.

What does matter is my personal predictions for the next 6 weeks. Here they are.

1. I am going to work hard every day to be a positive influence for those around me.
2. I am going to commit to the work I need to do and achieve the goals I have set.
3. I am going to look for opportunities every day to pick myself up rather than put myself down.
4. I am going to live every day knowing I have a choice on my behaviors, thoughts, actions, and attitude.

What are your personal predictions? Are they positive and purposeful?

Happy Groundhog Day or better yet Happy YOU Day!

The Gremlin of Personal Doubt

Well today is the big day. I have a presentation this morning and one more tomorrow morning to a highly positive yet skeptical group. As much as I hope I am a "Scholar" in my work, I found last night as I was going through my presentations that my personal gremlin of self doubt came to visit.

I will talk more about gremlins this week, but we all have them. Gremlins are those little voices in your head that make you doubt your skills, abilities, thoughts, and actions. They are not gut feelings which usually serve to provide you with insight into what is going on, rather thoughts that serve to derail you from moving forward.

Self doubt is one of my personal gremlins. It questions if I am good enough, or prepared enough, or if anyone will give me the time of day, or if anyone will even care that I am here. Yep, I have him sitting next to me right now. The little stinker got into my head yesterday after meeting the folks I will be presenting to. These folks are here from invitation not desire. This is not to say most of them are here to derail anything, but most presentations I give I have people in the room that actually want to hear what I say and learn from what I say.

So here I sit this morning with George, my self doubt gremlin's name, thinking about how to send him to Disneyworld so I can move forward. I believe there is a bus that leaves in an hour and he will be on it. There is no room in my life for George and I will take him by the hand and escort him to the front door. Literally.

See this is what you have to do with gremlins as they will not leave by themselves. What are your gremlins today? Self doubt, self hate, self consciousness, negative attitude, the list goes on and on. Give them a name and find a bus to send them away.

So off I go. I literally am going to walk upstairs to the front door of the hotel and let George go. I have no time for self doubt or him hanging around today. I am strong, insightful, and full of knowledge. I will lead, as well as follow, today and I will stand tall knowing that everyone here has a passion as well as their own personal gremlins.

Let's send a bus load away today. Everyone now...what do you fear? Walk it to the door and tell them to hit the road!