Happily now.

(This blog post first appeared in She Writes, Carol Palmatier’s blog on words for profit, for fun and for the $@*# of it.)

269899 1423801451352 1722211707 656418 5750112 n 300x225 Happily now. My good friend Sandi Maki posted last night about the space between Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After. It got me thinking…do I live for a future, checking my days off a calendar like so many “to dos”? Or do I opt for Happily Now?

I was talking to my “Best Bitch” (aka Maid of Honor) Laurie yesterday; she’s helping me plan my wedding. She’s perfect at this role…keeping me on track, staying focused on what has to happen next, managing me through this process…I love her. Oddly, when we talked, she seemed more excited about the wedding that I am! Of course I’m looking forward to it; I expect it will be a wonderful day, celebrating our marriage with our closest family and friends. I have a fabulous dress, my groom will look so handsome in his best suit, and we will spend time creating a bond between our two families, making one new one, at a lovely dinner.

Yet I couldn’t help but wonder…shouldn’t I be more excited? Shouldn’t I be obsessing over the “happiest day of my life” a bit more diligently? Why don’t I feel completely out of my mind crazed about the idea of getting married? What’s wrong with me for not going Bridezilla??

Then I realize. I am happy now. I am in love now, with my man, with life, with the very fact that I am. My “happily ever after” doesn’t need to be postponed, to begin on some magical day dictated by a calendar or a marriage certificate. Every moment contains the seeds of happiness, and I choose to be blissful right now.

Yes, I am certainly looking forward to getting married; it will be a fun and memorable day. More importantly, I’m looking forward to being married to this man. We began our version of happily ever after the night we met.

Today is what we have, this moment right now. I choose to embrace it fully, not denigrate it somehow by wishing the time away to a future moment. I’ve spent many years doing just that, and even have an entire 18 months or so that seems to have been lived in suspended animation, waiting for things to change.

Once again, I find myself in the middle of transition; planning a move, planning a new chapter in our relationship. It’s easy to let myself be overwhelmed by the details of it. In fact I had a little meltdown this weekend, not because of anything that was happening in the moment, but by my imagining of what might come. Notice I said “might”? Because once I spoke my fears out loud, they became vapor and puffed away. And I was brought back to the moment, where all is right with the world.

Name that fear, as I’ve talked about before.

Anyway, I have lots to do today; my Best Bitch is coming over tonight and we have three big tasks to check off the to-do list. And I’ll do it with joy in my heart, knowing that today is just as important as any upcoming day in terms of living from the heart. Happily now, my love.

Bliss guilt

(This blog post first appeared in She Writes, Carol Palmatier’s blog on words for profit, for fun and for the $@*# of it.)

There’s a tendency in many of us to curb our enthusiasm, dampen our spirits, in order not to offend those who are not as happy. Sometimes we go so far as to complain about trivial things in order to maintain the appearance that life sucks for us, too, not just you. Especially in the last few years, it’s just not seemly to be content, doing well, thriving even. How rude.

I call it “bliss guilt” and I’m done with it.

To be sure, there is a big difference between gloating and being happy. If you are talking to someone who is hurting from a job loss, now is not the time to prattle on about the juicy new project you just landed. Still, you are serving absolutely no one if you drop down to the lowest common denominator. You can be compassionate and empathetic without (consciously or not) denigrating your own level of happiness. To the best of your ability, maintain your own positive vibration. It will not only serve you in reminding you to be grateful, it just may help the person you are with. Those positive vibes do rub off. As you radiate your own positive outlook, it will find root in the tiniest bit of receptive ground.

So while misery may love company, and I’m sure it does, it will find no company here. We are here to experience the wonder and delights of this life, not to wallow in despair and sadness. If you feel that spark of joy, even if only for the occasional moment, share it. Be a spark. Your ounce of love can counteract a million pounds of fear, and may be just the lifeline that someone else needs to see a glimpse of light.

Wag your tail.

Releasing the charge

Me: “What’s the opposite of a hoarding disorder?”
Daughter: “I dunno, but you totally have it.”

It’s called Obsessive Compulsive Spartanism, and once Oprah gets her hands on it, I’m sure it will be a treatable condition. I don’t think I’m all the way there. My daughter is right, though: I do have the need, almost constant, to get rid of things.

I wasn’t always this way. I used to collect with the best of them, and hang on to things I didn’t even like, just because I felt guilty throwing them away. No more. No, my material purging began slowly, accelerated by necessity during two cross-country moves. It picked up more speed as I began to draw peace and calm from a new simplicity of decor. Think Zen meets Pottery Barn.

In all of this unloading, there are only two things I truly regret giving away:

1) the musical Santa cookie jar, complete with peeling paint. I missed it so much the following Christmas that I went on e-Bay and found one almost like it;

2) the metal and wicker fruit basket I gave away last month. I realized, too late, that this basket had great energy, and even though it was a bit rusted, chipped and wicker-rotty, I miss it.

The energy signature of objects is a subject I find fascinating. There is a green shirt in my closet — pale lime green, long sleeve cotton button-up, just perfect for fishing or boating. It mocks me. There’s nothing wrong with the shirt itself; looking at it reminds me of a bad choice I made. Nothing fatal, not even life-threatening, just an unpleasant interlude and a learning experience.

I have been keeping it as a battle of wits (with a shirt! Yes, I know how crazy this sounds!) If I can overcome the emotional charge of this thing, then I win! AND I’ll still have my shirt!

It’s like when people touch a live wire and can’t seem to let go. “Just let go!” we scream, but they clutch tight. So in this very moment, I decide to let go. Let the shirt win; it has beaten me. Or have I beaten it? Either way, it goes into the Goodwill bag tonight.

I wonder if I’ll miss it??

Your resume is part of your energy signature…does it work for you?

Note: this blog post was written by Carol Palmatier and originally appeared in her Brandeur Blog.

Job seeking? We all know the importance of a solid, clean resume…properly formatted, keyword-rich, and designed for easy reading and comprehension of key points. Looking to make more of an impact with your resume? Try Prezi, the online tool that makes it easy to create and share zooming presentations.

What I like about resumes created on Prezi is the ease of navigation, and the ability to showcase actual samples of your work. For many of us who work in creative fields, seeing the work is so much more effective than reading about it. While I doubt I’ll be ditching my Word doc resume anytime soon, I am building a Prezi resume to post and share via my social networks.

What’s your take on this? As a hiring manager, would you welcome this kind of online resume? Would love to hear what you think.

Brand New You…Where to Start

This is a guest post by writer and editor Carol Palmatier.

I’m going to ask you a question about your brand, and I encourage you to reflect on it and answer honestly.

How comfortable are you with your own brand?

In other words, do you believe your own story? Would you buy what you are selling?

If you can’t answer a solid “yes,” it’s time to get a handle on your brand. Because if YOU don’t believe in it, you might be able to sell it, but it won’t have any long-term legs or give you the kind of rock solid reputation you must build in this new economy.

People buy out of need, desire and fear. When you believe strongly in your solutions to their problems, the sale becomes rather easy. So sell only what you believe in, and promote only what you can deliver. I’m not saying don’t stretch yourself; huge business breakthroughs can happen when we are pushed to the limits of our current thinking. No, I’m saying you have to believe in your self, your team, and your ability to BE what you are offering.

So ask yourself now…what do I do that is exceptional, that helps, that serves? Plant your flag and start building there. For me, it’s planting my flag as a writer. In and around everything else I do, I am a writer and I work with words. My clients know this, and it’s my job to teach my prospects that I can put words where they need them.

Where is your flag planted? What do you do? Show us your flag and get some practice saying it out loud!

A basket of blog ideas

This is a guest post by writer and editor Carol Palmatier.

It’s blogging time, and you are fresh out of ideas. You know you have to write a new post, you have that fresh cup of coffee, and the last thing you feel is creatively juiced. What to do?

Take some inspiration from the world around you, and tie it into your business. For example, this week I blogged about snow in April being merely brand confusion. If you are a chiropractor, you might talk about preventing injuries when cleaning up the yard after a windstorm. Had a fender bender? Great time to talk about your planning for emergencies if you are a financial planner.

The funny thing about everyday life is that we all live in it, every day. Pardon me if if that seems overly obvious. We often struggle to sound “brilliant” or create a brand new idea, when some of the best inspiration is right outside our office door.

The next time you are stuck for a topic, here’s my challenge: look out the window and notice something. Anything. Think how it relates to your business or professional life, and write about that. Sure, it might not win the Pulitzer…but it very well may resonate with your audience, and that’s what blogging is all about.

Ready? Go!

April Snow…It’s Just Brand Confusion!

This is a guest post by writer, editor and branding consultant Carol Palmatier of Brandeur Marketing.

Today’s weather had me humming “White Christmas” as I jumped into the shower. Sure, if I looked at the calendar and realized it’s APRIL, I might get agitated. Why all the fuss? It’s simply about branding.

April’s brand is one of green grass, flower shoots, budding trees and Easter eggs. Snow flurries and gray skies belong to the winter months, and it jars the senses and causes a disconnect when things are out of order like this. Just like your company, Spring has a brand and we expect it to hold true to form.

What about your customers? Do you ever jar them by stepping outside your brand? Do you disquiet their notions of who you are and what you do? Sometimes this shake up can be a good thing. A brand anomaly can cause people to pay attention where you once flew under the radar. Be careful though, that it’s not simply about shock value.

If you are looking to jolt your prospects a bit, give them some information about you they might not know. Post photos of your African safari, and compare it to hunting for new clients in this wild west economy of late. Just realize that everything you put out becomes part of the overall brand message. Shock and awe can be a good thing, but, just like snow in April, too much can freak us out.

Blogging with authenticity

coffee1 191x300 Blogging with authenticity This is a guest post by writer and editor Carol Palmatier.

A good blog post starts with an authentic voice. Your writing, especially on your blog and in your social network, has to sound like it’s coming from you. Picture yourself talking with a friend over coffee.

If you find the act of writing in your own voice a challenge, just let it flow…put your words down as they come to mind, with no thought to grammar or style. Then ask someone you trust to review it. Hopefully this person is a grammar geek and catches all the little somethings that escaped your attention while you were pouring out your wisdom. If not, hire an editor to clean it up. It won’t cost much for a standard blog post, and it’s worth it.

Another trick that works for some of my clients is to record your voice as you speak your blog post. It’s often much easier to speak in fluent sentences that to write that way. Let it flow, then send the tape to your editing friend or ghostwrite to turn into a brilliantly written words. This way, your voice will come through loud and clear. That’s where authenticity begins and ends.

Want to be a stronger writer? If some is good…

This is a guest post by writer and editor Carol Palmatier.

If some is good, then more is better, right? Right?!?!?!

Last week, I was drawn into a punctuation conversation at an “after hours” event. (Sipping on neon green martinis and chilling after a long day, we were shooting the breeze over punctuation. These are my friends, my kindred spirits, my fellow word geeks). The question centered on whether or not to use multiple exclamation points to make your point while writing. You know, like this, to show how very exciting and awesome this sentence is!?!?!?!

My answer came quickly: if you feel the need to over-punctuate to make your point, use better words. It’s that simple. If your writing doesn’t have a life of its own, no amount of hyperbolic character usage can breathe life into that dead thing.

Start by avoid the word “very.” If you find yourself using that word, stop. Think about the essence of what you are trying to say, and find a better word. Is she very pretty, or is she striking? Very tired, or beat? Very cool, or hopelessly, tragically hip?

Try it next time you write. You may be astonished the punch your writing packs when you pen more powerful words.

InSights Group

We are doing company launches, brand management, running companies, and in general trying to keep up with you in changing the world!

Happily now.

Bliss guilt

Releasing the charge

Your resume is part of your energy signature…does it work for you?

Brand New You…Where to Start

A basket of blog ideas

April Snow…It’s Just Brand Confusion!

Blogging with authenticity

Want to be a stronger writer? If some is good…