Hello world! From Kathy at Self Development and Growth

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Kathy from Self Development and Growth

It’s funny how when you start a blog using WordPress for the first time, there is a default post called “Hello world!”

I know that most people probably overwrite that title – but it occurred to me that I really AM saying “Hello world!” After all, I’m putting myself “out there” for the whole world to see – and so I figured I’ll just keep that one!

If you read that “About Kathy” page, you already know that I’m WAY into Self Development and Growth – whether you call it “Self Improvement” or “Personal Development” or “Self Realization…” whatever it is you call your particular journey – I’m on it.

I guess that if you have found me here, you are on this journey as well.

From what I’ve been learning from people who do a lot of blogging, I’ll best serve this particular blog by putting posts in specific categories. For example, if I find some good information about a particular practice such as “visualization techniques,” I’ll try to have a “Visualization Techniques” related category. We’ll see how that goes! 🙂

My Experience (well, some of it…) that may Help You or Interest You…
Some of the things that I am into and have had a great deal of experience include:
=> Career Development (including helping people figure out what they want to do for work, help develop resumes, cover letters, interviews, etc),
=> Goal Setting, Planning and Attainment,
=> Motivation and Inspiration,
=> The Sedona Method and the related Release Technique – both similar but taught by different experts,
=> Law of Attraction information (that is, going beyond the pop culture fluff part of it),
=> and a lot more.

What I do…
My primary work takes place online where I develop my websites selling all sorts of various things (from cheap kids clothes to awesome family vacation memberships to portable garages and shelters to – of course – self development and growth related products).

Some of my General Interests…
Some general interests I have that you may find me writing about include walking/hiking, gardening, alternative health, alternative cooking (which to me translates “cooking from scratch without using junk ingredients”), travel, music, spirituality, and a lot more!

My greatest gifts include listening, writing, singing, and doing things from my heart. And that includes this blog. Everything I do and write comes from my heart.  So, I truly do hope that you enjoy your time here, and that you will offer your own thoughts as well!

I only have one request from readers who wish to comment – and I truly do hope you will comment – and that is this:
While I do not mind you putting your own website link to link to your name, please use a real name instead of just a keyword, and please – I ask this from the depths of my heart – please do not post “comment spam.” I want all my readers to gain value from one another. Spam does not give anyone value. Please make a comment that shows you 1) have read the post and 2) are genuinely interested in offering your thoughts and impressions. Oh… ok, so I have TWO requests… The 2nd request is that you be kind in your comments. Thank you!

Please enjoy your stay here, and visit often!

🙂 Kath

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And yet another person gets fired due to a Facebook rant

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Kathy from Self Development and Growth

What is it with people and their Facebook rants anyway? As a former career coach, I have explained to people – over and over – to NEVER, EVER say nasty things about others on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media platform. In fact, I’m pretty sure that my standard advice is to never say anything nasty, period. At all. I wrote about this pretty extensively here on this very site in this career advice article.

But there ya go. Yet another disgruntled person posted something about how she “wished” to get fired. Wow. So, I guess the boss saw it and pretty much said, “Fine. You’re wish is my command. You’re done here bucko.” The person was fired, thanks to that great post on Facebook.

How is it even remotely possible that people are still being so naive about this? Do they still honestly think they can continue writing stuff like this on public sites and expect to advance in their careers?

Or, since I’m on the subject, and on my own rant, how about people who use cuss words in their posts and updates? I may be old-fashioned… no. Strike that. I AM old-fashioned. Old-fashioned in the sense that I still believe that certain things are “right” and certain things are “wrong” when it comes to manners, and I think that displaying good manners in social media forums is wise. Not just for keeping our jobs, but for keeping our self-respect as well.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t voice opinions – I’m just saying that we should be polite and civil. Save the arguments for when you meet up with someone in private.

Frankly, I don’t blame the boss. If I were a boss and saw my employee say that in public, I’d fire her or him as well.

Although I have an account on Facebook, I’m not terribly active on the platform (note: I do have a page these days on Facebook for one of my companion sites. I’d love to see you over there! Personal Transformation With CASedge)  . It makes me cringe when I see posts that bash other people’s religious or political beliefs. I kind of look at Facebook as a cocktail party gone bad – where, instead of refraining from talking about sports, politics and religion, that’s ALL some people tend to talk about without considering the audience. And, when it comes to maintaining a professional profile if you want to get or keep a job, it really is best to avoid certain topics.

A good rule of thumb might be to consider whether or not you would be ok if your boss (or your mother or father) were to read your post.

Another good rule of thumb before posting something is to consider the classic “4-way test” made famous by the Rotary Club:
1. “Is it the truth?”
2. “Is it fair to all concerned?”
3. “Will it build goodwill and better friendships?”
4. “Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”

So, even if the boss IS a jerk (the “truth” in someone’s mind), I’m guessing that saying so in a public forum probably doesn’t meet the criteria for the other 4 statements.

Obviously, it’s a free country, and someone can say whatever he or she wants – but, just remember that as much as we have the right to say as we please, others have the right to react to it as THEY please.

So, if you want to 1) GET a job, or 2) KEEP a job, or 3) ADVANCE in a job, then a great place to begin is by being more careful about you post or say out loud.

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Happy New Year! And a little reflection…

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Kathy from Self Development and Growth

So it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything around here! I was just at a marketing forum called “Warrior Forum,” where I occasionally visit to get some advice or to see what people think about various products. I get inspired there, too at times.

Today was one of them. I found a forum thread that was talking about a guy named Greg Morrison, and a product that he had launched a few months ago called “One Man Gang Machines” or “OMG” – which I still chuckle over, because “OMG” always comes across as “Oh My God!” to me. (Maybe that is intentional? I’ve never asked Greg about that!) Rather than talk about that here, I’ve made a totally different article about my journey in marketing HERE. I’ve also put in the video I just made for the “men in my life.” Hope you enjoy that!

Anyway, I mention this because it got me thinking about the path I’ve been on professionally over the last 5 or 6 years, and how it has wandered, changed direction, hit some obstacles like trees falling over and blocking the trail in the woods…

A Bit of a “Back Story”

Back in 2006 or 2007 (it’s hard to remember, actually), I walked out of a place where I had been working on a grant-funded project. The grant was coming to an end, and I – along with the executive director of the program at the time – had written what I felt was a compelling case for continued funding of what we were doing. Then, this particular director left the program, and was replaced by someone new. This fella was jovial enough, and I thought, pretty up-front, and had the agency’s best interests at heart.

So, this one day, I left – there wasn’t any more money there to pay me – but I kept popping back in to see what developments there were regarding the grant. Every day, I got the same response: “We haven’t heard anything back yet…”

This went on for a few weeks. THEN, something very odd happened… I stopped into the office and he said the same thing: “No word yet…” So I went into the adjacent office to see one of my co-workers to say hello. She had a funny look on her face, and sort of an “eye over my shoulder” type of look… I turned around to see the director … well, “lurking” is the best word I can come up with. He was standing outside the door, looking in on us with a weird little smile on his face.

So, I went downstairs to say hi to a couple of other co-workers, and what do you know? This same director was in the doorway – looking at the others, with that same odd “smile.” I felt very uncomfortable, and said goodbye.

I don’t recall if it was later that day or the next day, but my assistant on the project came to my house and said, “I cannot keep this quiet anymore Kathy! You didn’t get the grant!” I was completely floored and astonished! She continued, “We were all told by (director) not to tell you!” Incredulously, I asked, “Why on earth not? It’s ok if we didn’t get the funding, but why not tell me?” She had no explanation.

To tell you I was utterly devastated by hearing this in such a way – with my co-workers being told not to mention anything to me for no good reason – well… it’s beyond anything I had ever felt.

That’s a long way around explaining why John & I decided that I would begin building an online business. All the work I had in that area had been grant-funded. Grant funds run out. That’s just the nature of the beast.

But the way that particular director treated the situation was unacceptable to me. I hear he’s no longer with that agency, by the way. At the time, I honestly did not know what to do, or who do go to. So I never went anywhere or told anyone officially. Frankly, I don’t even think I had a formal “last day on the job” with them.

It was just downright weird.

It was around then that I was just really ramping up my self development knowledge. Because of my job situation and other things going on in my life, I really wanted to make some improvements.

That’s when I was watching “The Secret…” I was re-reading Autobiography of a Yogi. I was reading Napoleon Hill, Deepak Chopra, Eckert Tolle, etc… One thing lead to another.

Career-wise, I really got into Internet Marketing. I think that THAT particular “reflection” might be better posted HERE, under my “Internet Marketing Education” page.

Finally, I ran across the teachings of Ernest Holmes (of Science of Mind fame), and one of his students, Joseph Murphy (Power of Your Subconscious Mind), and Esther Hicks (Abraham).

There is so much wisdom in these books, that as I write this post from my current winter quarters in North Myrtle Beach, SC (this winter, anyway), those self-development tools are the only things I have with me. Well… except for anything new I pick up at yard sales!

My entire method of thinking has changed. I’m also extremely blessed to have a husband who is into it, as well as a really good friend, Martin, who I do some work with and who is also on this path.

It brings me to this very interesting place. I love this place. My life is quite good, and I also realize that had certain events – such as that kind-of-bizarre ending to my last job not happened, I don’t know where I would be spiritually.

Anyway, I just wanted to shout all this out – and it’s all because I got spurred on by Greg! LOL!

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Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead – One Awesome Movie!

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Kathy from Self Development and Growth

Fat Sick and Nearly Dead DVD cover (from Amazon)Even though we don’t have TV at our house (at least in the summer house), we do enjoy watching movies on occasion. I just watched a movie yesterday that actually made me cry – it wasn’t a movie with a plot, it was just a documentary about a filmmaker from Australia named Joe Cross who recorded his struggle over being “fat, sick and nearly dead” (hence the name of the film).

He begins his journey weighing in at well over 300 pounds, and coping with an autoimmune condition called Uticaria, which is a nasty condition that manifests in itchy and/or painful hives. As part of his treatment for this condition, he is on the medication called Prednisone, which I believe is a steroid of some sort. Whatever it is, it’s not a pleasant medication (I know because I had to take it a long time ago while “they” were trying to figure out what my skin was reacting to at the time… Turned out I was allergic to a few active ingredients in many sunscreens.).

So, Joe decides to move to a plant-based diet, but starts off with a 60-day juice fast (a lot of people who recommend juicing prefer to call them “juice feasts”). During this journey, Joe travels to the US, and hits the road talking with people about fasting and juicing. The reactions are varied as there are people in this country!

Along the way, he runs into a truckdriver named Phil Staples who suffers from the same disorder (Uticaria) as Joe, and is also morbidly overweight (turns out he tips the scale at about 429 pounds).

I won’t ruin the whole story for you – it is definitely worth watching! Suffice it to say that Phil becomes a major part of the movie, and you will be cheering him on while you watch. You can probably find it online – I don’t know if Netflix has it or not – but if you can’t find it on line, you can easily grab it here at Amazon for an instant download: Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.

The whole point of me bringing this up is to say I’m getting more interested in plant-based nutrition. For example, in the movie, I learned that there are “micronutrients” which are found in plant based foods, and “macronutrients” which is everything else. And what our cells REALLY need are the micronutrients…

Anyway, I will be writing a bit more often, I think, on the healthy living tips topic. I’m becoming almost obsessed with it. So please stay tuned!

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Things I’m Grateful For – Reminder to Ponder THOSE

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Kathy from Self Development and Growth

Quote from Elbert HubbardI just finished writing one of my newsletters, where quite a bit of the topic centered around being grateful.

It reminded me of a day a few years ago, when I was in a job that occassionally took me downstate, to Concord, NH, to the headquarters of the project I was working on was hosting a meeting.

For some reason, when I left my home about 2 hours north of Concord, I decided to find things that I was grateful for, and keep focusing on things I was grateful for as long as I could.

By the time I reached Plymouth, NH (which was about an hour and a half away), I was still listing things.

I noticed something else rather peculiar that day. For some reason I found myself in an almost spiritual place – nothing was bothering me, every thought I had was overflowing with a vague feeling of joy.

It was downright odd.

As I was writing in my newseltter, while it seems easy to find things to be thankful for on a sunny day when everything is going our way, it also sometimes seems difficult to find something to be thankful for if something has gone wrong.

It is when something is awry that it’s even MORE important to find things to be grateful for. It may be difficult for a moment or two, but once we find one or two small things that we can honestly be thankful for, it gets easier and easier.

And then, as I pointed out in the newsletter, it seems as though our circumstances begin to lighten up as well!

Here is an example of a fairly extraordinary thing that I heard someone be grateful for (I talked about this in the newsletter) – a homeless woman needed a safe place for the night, and was exceedingly grateful to come upon an outhouse that had a lock on the inside of the door. Just enough to make her feel safe, she stayed in there the whole night, truly giving thanks.

So, if someone can be thankful for that, can’t we ALL find something – no matter how seemingly insignificant or small – to be grateful for?

Here are a few “small” things to start the ball rolling. These are all things within my current and immediate reach, as I sit here typing:

I am thankful:

  • that I have a car that runs and is paid for
  • for my home – it is easy to heat, and doesn’t take much oil
  • for the fact that glasses were invented so that I can still see and function without much help
  • that I can smell the lilacs in front of my house
  • that I can hear the hummingbirds zipping around the feeders right now
  • that the water I’m drinking is clean
  • that I can stand up and stretch or exercise my legs right this moment without someone telling me I can’t
  • for a sense of humor, and that I can laugh like an idiot at a video of a cat licking a hamster (ahem… when I should be working. But I digress…)
  • that I can look at mountains out my window while I type this entry…

So, if we take this a step further and look at the Elbert Hubbard quote, above, the more we ponder the wonder in our lives, it will be easier to “never forget the things that made you glad.”

Try the experiment for yourself, and see if you don’t find your day going better if you begin it with some time contemplating the many things that you can be thankful for in your lives.

It definitely works for me.

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Overcoming Procrastination with The Procrastination Cure

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Kathy from Self Development and Growth

Reading the Procrastination Cure by Jeffery Combs - Click here to read my EXTENSIVE Review...Hoo boy… Once again, I have totally put my heart out on my sleeve and have talked about one of my personal demons – Procrastination.

If you read my earlier post a couple of months ago about how I got a copy of the book “The Procrastination Cure – 7 Steps to Stop Putting Life Off” (by Jeffery Combs), you’ll know that this is a VERY important – if not somewhat touchy topic for me.

WHY do I have to spill out my guts every time I sit down to write? I honestly do not know.

It just happens. I cannot seem to help it, and I cannot seem to stop it.

This stuff touches quite a nerve with me, because (as you’ll see when you read my review), procrastination and I have a long relationship. Oh yeah, we go waaaay back.

For example – and this just came to me: WHY did I fail at being a Girl Scout? It wasn’t that I didn’t WANT to earn badges. But, I kept putting off doing the work. So, I never got the girl scout badges, and my Girl Scout career ended on a less-than-satisfactory note by 4th grade.

(It’s actually quite the story… More of a confession, actually: Suffice it to say I forged some initials on Girl Scout Badge Pages in the Handbook, and then blamed my little sister for it. The scout leader somehow knew I lied, and my sister was off the hook. Sadly, I was not. That was my last day at Girl Scouts. See what procrastination can do for you?)

There are some things that I put off because I’m afraid to do them. Afraid or not – it’s still procrastination.

There are other things that I put off because I’m still mired in emotions about them. “Should I? Shouldn’t I? Will it be GOOD? Will it be BAD?” Yikes… what a chocolate mess cowtowing to procrastination can caucse!

The worst type of procrastination – I think – is something that you’ll read about in my article – which started out primarily as a review about Jeff Combs’ book “The Procrastination Cure…”

The worst type is when you put something off for so long that there comes a day when it’s actually just too late. You couldn’t complete the activity if you ate your Wheaties, drove a Ferrari to the site, or even if you were handed a million dollars on the spot to do it.

Because it’s just too late. The person is no longer living, and it is a physical impossibility to now complete the activity that was put off for so long.

So. There you have it.

As I was writing my review of the book, I thought about WHERE on this website I should place it. Should I place it under “Personal Goals and Motivation?” Or perhaps “Life Strategies for Success?” Surely, the article can fit in either of those categories.

But for the moment, I have placed it under “Entrepreneurial Strategies” and here is why: I truly believe that procrastination has hindered my success in business in the past more than any other contributing factor. And that hinderance affects other parts of my life as well.

And I have a feeling – especially after reading the book – that procrastination is a toughie for other entrepreneurs as well. I explain this more in the full article. I’ll definitely link to the article from my other sections of the site, because I feel it is so incredibly important.

I would rather not see others feel the pain of not completing something that they really COULD have completed.

Enough is enough. Let us all succeed. I always talk about taking action. Let’s take some together.

So, let’s move on. I now invite you to read my review and discussion of…

 The Procrastination Cure – 7 Steps to Stop Putting Life Off… To read it, please click HERE.

 http://selfdevelopmentandgrowth.com/?p=1097

 

Posted in Entrepreneurial Strategies, General Posts, Life Strategies for Success, Personal Goals and Motivation, Self Development and Growth | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A Little Daydreaming on “You Know What Would Be Great??”

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Kathy from Self Development and Growth

I Know What Would Be GreatAfter reading an inspiring little lesson from some successful guy who talks about how he was inspired by his 6-year old, the idea came to me.

This guy’s little 6-year old started the day with “You know what would be great?” And he proceeded to tell everyone how great it would be to all pile into the car and go to breakfast before school and work.

Before you knew it, this little guy had everyone practically tasting the pancakes… And the parents, who previously wouldn’t have given it even the most remote consideration to such an idea on a school or work morning pretty soon had the kids in the car. Off they went for a fun breakfast.

Now, that particular essay has absolutely nothing to do with MY essay today. But, it inspired it. It inspired it by having me ask myself, “You know what would be great??”

Then, I thought of the cool things that would be great.

Along came a few more ideas… and then some more.

Well, one thing led to another, and I traced some “You know what would be great” ideas back to a different source. That of taking action.

So once again, I find myself on this topic! I hope you’ll join me over at You Know What Would Be Great? Another Essay On Taking Action here at the Entrepreneurial Strategies section of the site.

Now, you do not have to be an entrepreneur to get something out of this. I think that the words are true for any situation.

I hope you enjoy my latest thoughts – and please add your own when you’re done reading!

Please click here to read “You Know What Would lBe Great? Another Essay On Taking Action.”

Posted in Entrepreneurial Strategies, General Posts, Inspiration, Life Strategies for Success, Personal Goals and Motivation, Self Development and Growth | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Little Bring the Fresh Up Review Update

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Kathy from Self Development and Growth

Bring the Fresh is Fun and Effective Internet Marketing Education - Click Here to AccessSince writing about Bring the Fresh over at my Internet Marketing Education page a while back, I thought it might be time to give a little update on what has been going on regarding my personal experience with the program.

Updated 2023: To my knowledge, Bring the Fresh is no longer offered.

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3 Great Minds – Mike Geary, Catherine Ebeling & Isabel de los Rios

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Kathy from Self Development and Growth

Click Here to get your copy of The Fat Burning Kitchen EBook by Mike Geary and Isabel De Los RiosIt’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Isabel de los Rios (of “The Diet Solution Program” fame). Her common sense approach to nutrition and healthy eating just completely resonates with me (if you haven’t read a couple of my articles about her here at the site, you can do so HERE at the Healthy Living Tips section of the site.)

Anyway, I got an email from Mike Geary (of “The Truth About Abs” fame, and another highly respected expert in fitness and nutrition), and he announced that he cowrote an EBook with Catherine Ebeling (an RN) called “The Fat Burning Kitchen.” As part of the package, he is including a 6-part “Fat Burning Nutrition” course on video by Isabel de los Rios! Continue reading →

Posted in Healthy Living Tips, Life Strategies for Success, Personal Goals and Motivation, Self Development and Growth | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment