Between my dates with Ben & Jerry and the Vanity Fair, I noticed that I’ve learnt a few things from life’s experiences. I’ve learnt that kisses aren’t contracts and presents aren’t promises, and after a while even sunshine burns if you get too much..

Life’s too short to wake up with regrets. Can’t spend it looking through the review mirror. A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn. Love the people who treat you right, leave the ones who don’t. Believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance take it, if it changes your life let it. Nobody said it would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it…

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery

Today is a gift, that’s why we call it the present

Things will look up again

Loved #45. What’s your favorite?

1. Falling in love.

2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.

3. A hot shower.

4. No lines at the supermarket.

5. A special glance.

6. Getting mail…from someone you know.

7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.

8. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.

9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.

10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.

11. Chocolate milkshake (vanilla or strawberry).

12. A bubble bath.

13. Giggling.

14. A good conversation.

15. The beach

16. Finding a 20 dollar bill in your coat from last winter.

17. A long massage.

18. Looking into their eyes and knowing they Love you

19. Midnight phone calls that last for hours.

20. Running through sprinklers.

21. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.

22. Having someone tell you that you’re beautiful

23. Laughing at an inside joke with friends.

25. Unexpectedly overhearing someone say something nice about you.

26. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.

27. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner).

28. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.

29. Playing with a new puppy or kitten.

30. Making out.

31. Sweet dreams.

32. Hot chocolate.

33. Road trips with friends.

34. Swinging on swings.

35. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.

36. Making chocolate chip cookies.

37. Having a friend send you homemade cookies.

38. Holding hands with someone you care about.

39. Talking to an old friend and realizing that some things never change.

40. Making someone’s day.

41. Watching the sunrise… or sunset.

42. Getting out of bed feeling grateful for another beautiful day.

43. Knowing that somebody misses you, cares about you and loves you.

44. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.

45. Knowing you’ve done the right thing, no matter what other people think.

This year I’m making Thanksgiving about giving thanks.

I was very nervous when the stocks started to plummet. I watched in horror what I had diligently put away start to dwindle. Then I was inspired by some incredible stories of endurance, persistence and the prevailing force of human willpower.

Through Heroes Against Diabetes in Africa ( www.hadia.info ) I learnt about 4 children with type 1 diabetes in Kenya. Shiela, aged 5, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes three years ago. Every month her mother walks 11 miles to get to Naivasha Hospital, Shiela strapped to her back, to get her daughter’s insulin supplies. During this visit Shiela gets her blood sugar checked – the snapshot glycemic reading patients with Type 1 diabetes ought to take at least 3 to 5 times a day to determine how to much insulin to use. She may even get an A1C, if supplies are available

John aged 17, volunteers every Saturday and Sunday at Naivasha Hospital to get insulin supplies for himself and two of his younger siblings, aged 13 and 11. They too were diagnosed with diabetes in early childhood.

Insulin and other diabetes supplies in rural Kenya cost only 2 dollars a day but for the 23% of families that live off a dollar a day that fee is astronomical. They still use glass syringes that need boiling with each use and the large needles that become dull with each shot. They use the older types of insulin and often have no reliable access to a refrigerator. Sometimes having that insulin means doing without other necessities. Yet these patients dutifully do whatever it takes to comply.

These stories are a reminder that even as we brace ourselves for the harsh turmoil of the economic nose dive, there are others who have it harder yet push past their obstacles everyday and endure.

In reality, only 6 % of the population of the world enjoys some of the economic privileges we often feel entitled to. Tough times force us to recreate ourselves and seek new solutions. So even in the face of uncertainty and fear, I’m learning to take time to be grateful – for good health, the wealth of good friends and the spirit of hope and optimism that is in us.

Read to me riddles, read to me rhymes,

Read to me stories of magical times
Read to me tales of castles and kings
Read to me stories of fabulous things
Tell me of pirates, knights and counts
Teach me of gory modern day touts.

Tell me of travel, and life’s little twirl.

Open my eyes to a whole new world.

BUSINESS BEST SELLERS

Blink, Malcolm Gladwell

Good to Great, Jim Collins

The Shock Doctrine, Naomi Klein

The Wealthy Barber, David Chilton

Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki 

The 4-hour Work Week, Timothy Ferris

Now, Discover Your Strengths, Tom Rath 

Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell

Rules of Work: A Definitive Code for Personal Success, Richard Templar

The Wall Street Journal Complete Money and Investing Guide Book Dave Kansas

25 Sales Habits of Highly Effective Sales People Stephan Schiffman

Cracking the Corporate Code

Obama: Promise to Power

Say it right the First Time

Crucial Conversations

Breaking Through

Basic Black

Influencer

BLINK, Malcolm Gladwell

Blink is about the first two seconds of looking–the decisive glance that knows in an instant. Gladwell campaigns for snap judgments, persuading readers to rely on the “adaptive unconscious” – -a 24/7 mental valet — that provides us with instant and sophisticated information to warn of danger, read a stranger, or react to a new idea. Nevertheless he includes includes caveats about leaping to conclusions: marketers can manipulate our first impressions, high arousal moments make us “mind blind,” and shows focusing on the wrong cue will make us for a handsome but hapless president.

GOOD TO GREAT, Jim Collins 

A corporate culture that rigorously found and promoted disciplined people to think and act in a disciplined manner. This was the common characteristic that distinguished good from great. Based on rigorous research to determine what makes a company go from good to great, this book shows the transition doesn’t require a high-profile CEO, the latest technology, innovative change management, or even a fine-tuned business strategy.  Collins and his team narrow a list of 1,435 companies to 11, looking for those that made substantial improvements in performance over time.

THE SHOCK DOCTRINE, Naomi Klein

Klein’s coherent, comprehensively researched and footnoted assertions attempt to make a  credible case that savvy politicians and industry leaders nefariously implement policies that would never pass during less muddled times. She demonstrates this reprehensible game of bait-and-switch isn’t just some relic from the bad old days. It’s alive and well in contemporary society. The result is a powerful populist indictment of economic orthodoxy that has received mixed reviews.

THE WEALTHY BARBER, David Chilton 

An excellent beginners guide to financial planning, the book revolves around 3 characters. Dave, a teacher, Cathy, his self-employed, wealthy sister , a landscape business owner), and their friend Tom, a plant worker.  The 3 have monthly meetings with Roy, the town barber. As they get their hair cut,  Roy teaches them a tidbit on financial planning. The topics covered include The Ten Percent Solution (fun money for retirement), Wills and Life Insurance, Planning for Retirement, Real Estate Investment, Saving, and Taxes. 

THE 4-HOUR WORK WEEK, Timothy Ferriss 

The book is loaded with fascinating  business and lifestyle information from the author’s personal experience and his interactions with other “New Rich.” 

NOW, DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS, Tom Rath 

The author proposes a unique approach to managing and motivating people: focusing on enhancing people’s strengths rather than eliminating their weaknesses. An online questionnaire developed by the Gallup Organization instantly enables reader to discover their top-five inborn talents. 

OUTLIERS: THE STORY OF SUCCESS, Malcolm Gladwell

In this book Gladwell poses a provocative question: why do some people succeed, living remarkably productive and impactful lives, while so many more never reach their potential? He challenges the cherished belief of the “self-made man,” making the democratic assertion that superstars don’t arise out of nowhere, propelled by genius and talent. He shows they are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages, extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn, work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot. He examining the lives of outliers like Mozart and Bill Gates, building a convincing case that successful people rise on a tide of advantages, “some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky.”

RULES OF WORK, Richard Templar

Deemed a definitive code for personal success, this book discusses how to get things done and get ahead without compromising your principles; project the air of confidence and energy that wins respect; carve out a powerful niche for yourself; handle conflict without alienating the warriors; read your corporate culture; and when to speak and when to remain silent; when to stay late and when to leave early; and how to capitalize on the key moments that can supercharge your career.

FAVORITE PICKS FOR 2008

The Toyota Way

Audacity of Hope

The Tipping Point

The Snowball

Infidel

CYBER GUIDES

2009 Internet Directory: Web 2.0 Edition (Compiles, organizes and describes an abundance of resourceful websites)

Grown Up Digital

Groundswell

RAVES & FAVES FOR MY AFRO SOUL

For hundreds of years African writers have written of their lives, experiences, culture, and history. They have written in diverse forms, styles and  in many languages; This sections is a celebration of  that extraordinary Afro originality, and flair, a response to the sentiments of my African soul.

Black Firsts Jessie Carney Smith

Beautiful Black Hair Shamboosie

The Good Stuff Michelle Stimpson

Your Girlfriends Only Know So Much: Relationship Advice from Man’s Perspective Finesse Mitchell

The Get ‘Em Girl’s Guide to the Power of Cuisine: the hip hardworking woman’s kitchen guide  Davis

In Search of Our Roots: How 19 extraordinary African Americans reclaimed their past Henry Louis Gates

My Best Friend & My Man Cydney Rax

Dear G Spot Zane

Magnolia without Moonlight

Stand and Deliver Yvonne Bynoe

From Rage to Reason: Fredrick Douglas

Whose Gonna Take the Weight  Powell

Innocents Lost: When Child Soldiers go to War  Jimmie Briggs

I can’t pretend I know much about the War in Iraq, even though I’ve read Richard Clarke’s Against All Enemies, and Bob Woodward’s Plan of Attack Well, I had to read the latter for a class in college that I really can’t remember. I even read Michael Gordon’s CobraII – yea, obviously I have too much time on my hands.

Still there’s definitely one thing that gets me – the cost of the war. What would I spend my tax dollars on if I had the choice?

Cost of War: 720 Million/Day

How would you spend it?

FOR THAT PRICE, YOU COULD PROVIDE:

34,904 FOUR-YEAR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
1,153,846 CHILDREN WITH FREE SCHOOL LUNCHES
1,274, 336 HOMES WITH RENEWABLE ELECTRICTY
95, 364 HEADSTART PLACES FOR CHILDREN
6,482 FAMILIES WITH 3 BEDROOM HOMES
12, 478 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS
423,529 CHILDREN WITH HEALTHCARE
163,525 PEOPLE WITH HEALTHCARE
84 NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

EVERY DAY

“THE COST OF WAR” PROJECT
Based on the work of nobel prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and colleague Linda Bilmes.

For more information check out: http://www.afsc.org/cost/default.htm

Or Blog at: http://www.howwouldyouspendit.blogspot.com/

MAJI MAZURI

Maji Mazuri, which means “good water” in Swahili, strives to allievate poverty by empowering people to transform their own lives. Through building cross-continental awareness we hope to bring a voice to the world’s poor; people who suffer because they lack the simple resources they need to escape the bondage of poverty and become self-sustaining. Our goal is provide basic tools and critical assistance to help people improve their lives in a meaningful way and end the cycle of poverty.

Want to get involved? Contact info [at] majimazuri.org. We are always looking for people who crave a challenge but also have a passion for helping others. Through your participation, we can successfully accomplish our goal of enlisting a new generation of committed global citizens who want to make a difference. Let’s bring more transformational opportunities to those in the impoverished slums of Mathare Valley and beyond. To learn more visit www.majimazuri.org

ALLIANCE FOR PHARMACEUTICAL ACCESS

The mission of the Alliance for Pharmaceutical Access, Inc. is to provide access to prescription medications through online patient assistance programs.  The goal is to bridge the barriers (technology, language, literacy levels) experienced by the uninsured, low, and very-low income community to secure costly medications in coordination and partnership with their health care providers. To learn more visit Alliancepa.info

HEROES AGAINST DIABETES IN AFRICA

Heroes Against Diabetes in Africa was founded by the parents of a child with diabetes.  Diabetes is a devastating disease that inflicts enormous healthcare costs on a nation and untold pain and suffering on millions of people. For people living with diabetes in Africa and other developing regions of the world, the consequence of poor access to health care is an extremely high risk of complications and early  death.  For a child with type 1 diabetes, the mortality rate is as high as a few weeks. Children with diabetes suffer because insulin and other diabetes supplies are not affordable. Scarce family resources are diverted to purchasing medication and medical care for the child, often depriving the other siblings their basic necessities.

It takes $2 a day to support a child with diabetes in Kenya. This covers the cost of insulin, strips, syringes, lancets, home visits, HBA1C and bi-annual check-ups. The annual cost per child is approximately $440. Additionally, we see the potential in salvaging useable products and equipment that would otherwise end up wasted in a US land fill. To learn more about how you can get involved visit Hadia.info

This is my year to be the woman I’ve always wanted to be. This year I will put Wandia first.

Starting 1/1//2008. I will focus on taking the steps to achieve my goals.

This is my year to achieve 4 goals:

1. My ideal body weight, my best health

2. Success in my career – achieve excellence at work

3. Solid steps to grad school (GSB or Oxford)

4. Financial freedom

Negative steps real or imagined will no longer be obstacles to my success.

I know I will be successful. I will realize my dream. This is my personal 2008 pledge to myself. I will live the wonderful life I fully deserve.

A happy work environment is a productive one, so follow these tips to make sure you’re happy with your work at home.

1. Do what you love: Do what you love, and you won’t mind working.

2. Go out for lunch every once in a while: Even if you mostly eat at home for lunch, it’s good to get out and visit with a friend or colleague occasionally.

3. Listen to music: Keep your creativity flowing with upbeat music throughout the day.

4. Stop working: Set 3 important priorities you must complete each day and when that done, stop working and don’t come back until the next day.

5. Make notes for yourself if you need to remember something.

6. Work in a group: Study or work with a group of people to support each other.

7. Just say no: If you don’t have the time or resources to do a task, just don’t do it.

8. Get out and enjoy the weather: Take advantage of your flexible schedule and carve out some time to enjoy the weather, a special event or opportunity to learn.

9. Reward yourself: When you’ve finished an important task, reward yourself with something quick but enjoyable, like a walk around the block or a check on social media sites.

10. Watch TV:  Work in highly productive bursts of 90 minutes. Then take a ten minute break. Set lunch at whatever hour you want, and if there’s an inspirational show you want to see, do it then. Take advantage of the fact that you can work when you choose, and do what you like at certain times during the day. Optimize your workflow with your most productive cadence, not the cycle determined by the 9-5 corporate workday.