Upgrade Your Brain : Experience Life Magazine

“Stimulating areas of the brain that handle positive emotions strengthens those neural networks, just as working muscles strengthens them,” Hanson says, repeating one of the basic premises of neuroplasticity. The inverse is also true, he explains: “If you routinely think about things that make you feel mad or wounded, you are sensitizing and strengthening the amygdala, which is primed to respond to negative experiences. So it will become more reactive, and you will get more upset more easily in the future.”

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This is of particular interest to me because all change begins with attention.  I will begin this insightful topic with my own experience this last week. To notice how I was paying attention to my world, I chose to go silent for a few days.

I didn’t know why I wanted I wanted to do this. I simply decided to entertain the voice in my head, declaring I should go silent. Open to receiving any lesson(s) along the way, I jotted down these observations:

• Even with the intention of this attention, I would forget to be silent on the first day. A stranger would talk with me and I’d instantly respond, as talking was conditioned in me!
• Silence kept me hyper-aware about my attention and responses.
• Except for my open-minded four year old, my family didn’t understand this choice, nor did they favor it the change. This didn’t stop me. I was excited for their own lessons-to-come.
• I didn’t have to go away on a “silent retreat” to be silent in my world, even in the midst of a busy life.
• My world is APPARENTLY internal. I live in my own mind.

We are making a difference AND generating revenue to continue the change cycle.

Come join us!

CHANGE AGENT TOOLS

Oh, be sure to leave a ransom note. I’m assuming you don’t have the time to cut out letters from a magazine, so here is a free ransom note font to download to your computer.

OPTIONS:
This kidnapping activity can also work great in the office. You can leave a note saying, “Take a lunch today. Or else you don’t get your 3 hole puncher back.”

Quick activities like these can certainly energize the workplace. I remember working at First American a few years back and my boss would gather colleagues to do something to my office after returning from a meeting. I’d return with everything turned upside down or balloons completely filling the walkway so I couldn’t enter the door. I’m sure there are some great ideas like this, helping energize those Mondays…

About this book:

Leadership Unleashed gives leaders a tool to distinguish their mental concepts from two opposing categories, leashed or unleashed. Through 100 metaphorical observations, Jessie Upp, M.S., provides boxes for readers to draw and complete their own epigrams, inspiring them to drop the leash of control and create anxiety-free results in their workplace, home, school and community.

Jessie Upp

Haven’t you noticed? This quote lives in my life with amazing magnitude. We think we’re planning, but Life is busy planning it and us instead. Once I got this, anything could happen at any event in my life and it would be okay.

At the start of a session that may included “controlling” personalities, offer this quote to the group. Spend a couple minutes talking about why this is true. This activity may help lessen the need for control in the room.

1. List 10 things that you would like to do, have, or BE. Don’t worry about being materialistic, if you have enough money, skills, or time, etc. Get really clear on what it is that you want and just write it like it comes to you!
2. Find a partner to ask you questions. Have them ask you “Would you rather have #1 or #2?” If you choose #1, then they ask, “Would you rather have #1 or #3?” If you choose #3, then they continue on with your prioritized answer and the next one…”Would you rather have #3 or #4? Continue until you get to #10. So let’s say it was #5 as your Number One Passion. Set that aside and then do it again, except this time, don’t include #5 in the second round. Do this 10 times so you have your Number One Passion, Two, Three…all the way to your #10 Passion.
3. Make sure you answer QUICKLY. Don’t spend time contemplating the answer or your logic will kick in. Answer from your GUT. It’s a quick draw. If you had to sacrifice one for the other – which one would it be?
4. Circle your top 5.
5. Your Number One Passion is your #1 Prioritized Passion. This means, if you don’t fulfill this, then you simply may not feel fulfilled! Your top 5 are your priorities out in the air now. Find room in your life to make these a priority. The other ones can go to the wayside right now.
6. Now, rate your Top 5 Passions. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being the least fulfilled (you don’t even THINK about this, much less take action on it) and 10 being the most fulfilled (you are on TOP of this in your life right now and have certainly prioritized it. Results are showing up!) This rating activity often brings up some interesting insights.
7. Then, offer to do this activity with your partner by switching roles and ask them to choose.
8. Share what you learned about yourself here! I’d love to hear your comments
9. Prioritized passions can certainly change in a matter of a couple weeks! It’s fun to conduct this activity every 3 months or so. Keeping a journal of this is great also, so you can see how life unfolds itself.

Take the “Passion Test”

A case-study in action, great efforts towards maintaining a carbon-neutral level have gone in to Green Your Theme Seattle! The September 16, 2009, event began with choosing an eco friendly locale, Sodo Park. This venue takes the lead in implementing practices that leave the smallest carbon footprint on the environment.

Next, all vendors involved reflect practices in sustainability. For example, Appel Farms of Ferdale, WA, supplying fresh cheddar cheese curds apply a common sense approach including cover crops to prevent soil erosion and run-off of nutrients. They also have a waste management plan that includes soil testing and injection of composted manure directly into the ground. Injecting allows efficient use so less is needed.

A great deal of CO2 is emitted from paper decomposing in landfills. This event is paying special attention to reducing the amount of paper used, including a simple request to vendors: supply your info for inclusion in the Green Event Directory, a one-sheeter that lists ways to access the caterers, wineries, and event specialists involved in the Panel Discussion.

As the evening progresses, experts involved in the Panel Discussion share solutions they’ve incorporated during such events as Mariner’s Zero Waste Day this past Earth Day.

Recycling is reflected throughout the designs in the Eco-Fashion Show, beer cups are biodegradable, lanyards are reusable and the music for the LED lit dancefloor is digital. Throughout the event, networking will provoke conversations around developing new solutions that protect the natural world while growing the economy.

Finally, to offset the carbon emissions used, three tons of CO2 were permanently retired from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) program, the nation’s first multi-state effort to make measurable reductions in carbon emissions.

Sources:

http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/eco-calculator

http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/agnic/agnic.htm#definition

http://adirondackcouncil.org/

We tend to associate weddings with the color white, but it’s time to shift perspective and start thinking of them in terms of the color green.

Starting with the wedding gown, consider the three R’s; Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Does it really make sense to buy a brand-new dress for a single occasion? Greener alternatives include buying or renting a gently used gown, or borrowing one from a relative or friend. If a new dress is necessary, there’s a wide variety of wedding gowns available in earth friendly, organic fabrics. For inspiration, consider attending the eco-fashion show September 16 at Green Your Theme Seattle! After the wedding, many charities welcome donated gowns (and give a nice tax write-off for the good gesture).

Now, the guests. Some wedding planners suggest that couples utilize e-mail invitations to eliminate paper altogether. For traditional postal invitations, there are options of paper made from 100-percent recycled fibers and printed with natural soy ink. Another great idea is plantable invitations that guests can pop into the ground, where they’ll gradually biodegrade, leaving beautiful wildflowers to grow in their place. These specialty papers are also great for wedding programs, place cards, menus, and thank-you notes.

For bouquets and decorations, look for organic, locally grown flowers and greens. Decorative centerpieces made from recycled and renewable materials such as twigs, scrap metal, and recycled glass are also available. Simple baskets of colorful fruit, gourds, or greenery make great seasonal decorations.

Many couples are marrying with a good many possessions already. Rather than registering for gifts, some are choosing to request donations to a favorite charity or asking for experiential gifts such as dinners, theater tickets, weekend getaways. Wedding planners have a vast array of suggestions for these.

For additional resources and ideas on eco-fashion, local wedding resources, and sustainable gifts, make sure to come to Green Your Theme Seattle on this Wednesday, September 16, at the fabulous Sodo Park venue. The event will feature a panel discussion representing green event case studies presented by The Woodland Park Zoo and The Mariners; opportunities to network with event planners; an eco-fashion show; great tastings of food, beer, and wine; followed by music for the dance floor, provided by Seattle’s first Green DJ.

Check out the Green Event Directory!