David, Joelle and Johnnie Besnette

Staying Afloat Amidst the Spin
Taking Things Personally

Every time you interact with others, you have the choice to listen to, acknowledge, and let go of their words, or you can take what they are saying personally. Taking things personally is often the result of perceiving a person’s actions or words as an affront or slight. In order to take something personally, you must read negative intent in an individual’s words or actions. But what people do and say has no bearing upon you and is usually based on their own experiences, emotions, and perceptions. If you attempt to take what they do or say personally, you may end up feeling hurt without reason.

If you are tempted to take a comment or action personally, creating some distance between yourself and the other person can help you. Try to determine what is at the root of your feelings. Ask yourself if the other person’s words or actions are just reinforcing some insecurity within you or if you can really be sure that an offense was intended. You may even want to ask them what they meant. Finally, put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Instead of taking their words as the truth, or as a personal affront, remember that whatever was said or done is based on their opinion and is more reflective of what is going on inside of them, rather than having anything to do with you. You may have been an easy target for someone having a bad day, and their comments may have been offered with no ill intentions.

When you recognize that what anyone says or does doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with you, you will no longer feel hurt or attacked. While it’s easy to take things personally, you should never let anyone’s perceptions or actions affect how you see yourself or your worth. Your life is personal to you, and it is up to you to influence your own value and sense of well-being.

From the Dailyom.com

Joelle and I were talking last night about who ‘decides’ if something is in or not?   We know that if Oprah says that the color of mold is in, then everyone would be looking awfully moldy.   I wondered about who made Crocs a fad, since by almost anyone’s opinion, they are ugly and cheap looking.    Sometimes those types of things take off.   I remember Moon Boots being a bit silly looking but every kid had a pair when I was growing up.

So the next one we were wondering about was Ugg Boots.  The boots themselves aren’t really that ugly – some of them are actually downright classy looking.  But, when you wear them with a bikini, or a pair of cutoff shorts, or a skirt, that’s where I start to become befuddled.   Who first started this trend?  Was it because this person forgot their shoes when they went out, and remembered that they had a pair of Uggs in the trunk when they got to the beach party?

That theory might not be too far off.   Yesterday, I read one account, and even saw a photo of Pamela Anderson back in her Baywatch days sporting a pair of Ugg Classics with her red bikini, ready to hurl herself into the perilous waters to save some poor drowning soul.  I mean, you need warm feet and a fashion statement when you are doing the ‘breast’ stroke through the seaweed, right?

Anyways, I do still do a little work for my favorite shoe store, the Pedestrian Shops, and we have had UGGs on the site for years, and they are still really popular.  I guess they have outlived ‘fad’ status, but I still can’t excuse a pair of winter boots worn with a thong.

Obama/Biden vs McCain/Palin, what if things were switched around?…..think about it.

Would the country’s collective point of view be different? Could racism be the culprit?

Ponder the following:

What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, including a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?

What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?

What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?

What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?

What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severe disfiguring car accident, when she no longer measured up to his standards?

What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?

What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?

What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five? (The

Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)

What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?

What if Obama couldn’t read from a teleprompter?

What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?

What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many occasions, a serious anger management problem?

What if Michelle Obama’s family had made their money from beer distribution?

What if the Obamas had adopted a white child?

You could easily add to this list. If these questions reflected reality, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are?

This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in another when there is a color difference.

Educational Background:

Barack Obama:
Columbia University – B.A. Political Science with amSpecialization in International Relations.

Harvard – Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

Joseph Biden:
University of Delaware – B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law – Juris Doctor (J.D.)

vs.

John McCain:
United States Naval Academy – Class rank: 894 of 899

Sarah Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University – 1 semester
North Idaho College – 2 semesters – general study
University of Idaho – 2 semesters – journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College – 1 semester
University of Idaho – 3 semesters – B.A. in Journalism

Education isn’t everything, but this is about the two highest offices in the land as well as our standing in the world.

You make the call.

I have worked for the Pedestrian Shops for about 7 years now – and currently, I work out of my home for them updating and maintaining their website.   I have to say that I don’t have a “thing” for shoes – it’s not really in my blood – I mean, I can’t even tell you off the top of my head what a Euro 41 converts to in US sizes.   I guess I retain information that I really need to know, and other stuff just falls to the wayside.

But, I have to say, in the time I have worked there, I do know that there are a handful of shoes that, year-after-year defy the fads, and remain in our bestseller list.   One of these shoes is the Dansko Professional clog.  This clog (I have 2 pair) is amazing.  Mine have lasted over 5 years, and I consider them really my “dress up” shoes.  But, you can still wear them with jeans or casual pants.  The great thing about Danskos is that they are really supportive and ergonomically shaped, so they keep your posture in-line if you are on your feet all day, and keep your feet happy, especially if you have a high arch like I do.   They are easy to maintain, and they even look better as they get some “mileage” in them.

The holday season is coming up, and if you are completely blank on a gift for your sweetie, I recommend maybe a pair of Danskos.  They are unique, and very versatile, and they also come in red holiday colors!

To find out more about Danskos, you can visit the Dansko Site here

Taking on the Energy of Others There are times when you may find that being around certain individuals or groups of people leaves you with feelings of discomfort. It may be that spending time with a particular friend feels draining or that dealing with a specific coworker exhausts you. Being around toxic or angry people is also draining. And you may even find that being surrounded by a crowd of people lowers your energy levels rather than perks you up. This is not that unusual. Each of us radiates energy and is capable of being influenced by the energy of other people. It is important to learn how to shield yourself, so you don’t unknowingly take on someone else’s energy. While some people know how to instinctively protect themselves from being adversely affected by energy, most of us need to discover and practice the technique that works best.

While it is important to know how to shield yourself from energy, there are those energies that you may not want to shut out. The energy of laughter from a newborn baby, the feeling of joy radiating from someone in love, and the frequency of calm emanating from an enlightened teacher are just some of the energies coming from others that you may want to have around you.

From: The Dailyom.com

This is quite something….

MASSENA, N.Y. – A group of parents and religious leaders in upstate New York want yoga classes out of public schools, saying the instruction violates boundaries between church and state.

Two high school teachers began using yoga last year to help students relieve stress before exams. Special education teacher Martha Duchscherer and Spanish teacher Kerry Perretta also were developing a districtwide program.

But those plans were halted after parents and others in the community complained students were being indoctrinated in Hindu rites.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27008935/?GT1=43001

I have been helping out with a site that deals with assisted living.   It is a national site that basically lists facilities’ photos and information.   The site is starting to include articles about assisted living in terms of news, or informational articles for people who are looking into assisted living for a loved one or for themselves.

The article that I contributed recently was “How to open an assisted living facility“  and has already started getting some positive comments.   One of the most common questions the site gets is “How do I open a facility.”

Since assisted living isn’t federally regulated, each state is different in terms of laws and red tape.  The article is meant to be a starting point for anyone and lists some good resources for people to look at.

Obama Promises To Stop America’s Shitty Jobs From Going Overseas