yanguinn publishing

me:  i did the whole "go on a date with every kind of person in cincinnati possible" thing three years ago, and then i was so bored/annoyed, i decided to date kellogg instead. but i guess i'm breaking up with him in 41 days and 5 saturdays. he was way too needy and time consuming.

mr. imagination:  oh, kellogg. you aren’t the first to succumb to his temptations. he lures you in with promises of a better life. “stick with me baby, i’ll make you a star!” you hesitate at first, reluctant to make such a huge commitment. at times you just wanted to stop and take a break. “come on kellogg, give me just one weekend to myself!” you could see a change in his eyes. the glimmer of support and encouragement had now turned to rage and disgust. “you think this is easy? you think i let just anyone into my world? i got women beating down my door just trying to get a taste of the kellogg-life. and now you say you want a break? if you walk out that door, i don’t ever want to see you come back. i’ll replace you in two seconds. i don’t need you, you need me! now go fetch my slippers and my pipe. daddy’s gotta relax.”

can anyone tame this beast? you thought you could. you thought you could bring light to where only darkness resides. you thought you saw characteristics of love and compassion behind kellogg’s rough exterior but now, after months of abuse and ridicule, you begin doubting whether kellogg is the love of your life or merely another project to “fix”. his bad-boy image was more a product of his environment than his genetics. his father, absent as he may have been, was a brilliant plastic surgeon/stock broker who had no time for family. both kellogg and his mother were spoiled beyond imagination until the day the fbi kicked in their door. it seems the good doctor was trading insider business information for nose jobs. kellogg had already developed a disdain for his hands-off parental units and now had an unhealthy contempt for higher levels of authority. he took to the streets. drugs and women were his game. he bought low, sold high and kept a tight reign on his stable of women. yet through all of the dirt and grime, kellogg always carried a photo of his one true love, esmeralda, his family’s portuguese maid and winner of kellogg’s virginity at the age of twelve. The fbi deported esmeralda after his father’s arrest, further strengthening his hatred for his family and the law.

to be continued...

i am rosemary's granddaughter

this week is do the right thing week at work.  it's just a friendly reminder on things like security, privacy, and other important things that we live day in and day out, but sometimes can be often forgotten in the busyness of daily life.  i wonder how many other companies out there in the world want people to do the right thing so much that they literally name a week after it.  does yours?  this is why i love p&g - it always pushes you to be a better person.

it's a good reminder for life outside of work too.  there will always be temptations and other people who put their own needs before doing the right thing, but we need to be better than that, even if it means losing a friend.

is it the kindness we see in the eyes of a stranger?

“things which matter most should never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” - goethe
robert k. cooper presents priorities for life™
leadership: uncommon reminders for bringing out the best in yourself and others.

leadership is…
*the act of making a difference.
*the ability to achieve results through people.
*who you are when no one else is looking.
*knowing what you’re best at, what brings a light to your eyes, and what you most love to do – and then doing it.
*honoring the greatness – and uniqueness – in others.
*knowing how deep the place is from which life flows.
*connecting everyday to your deepest and most enduring values.
*doing whatever it takes to honor your word.  doing whatever it takes to care for your family.  doing whatever it takes to making a difference through your work.  doing whatever it takes to give hope to the people around you.
*experiencing life not by looking in from the rim but front and center.
*making adversity your ally.
*greatness is born during tough times and unexpected circumstances.
*knowing that from time to time you have to look backward to see forward.
*excelling instead of competing.  no one has to lose for you to win.
*knowing when to come up for air.
*having an irrational sense of hope.
*being grateful for every genuine effort.  being grateful for every act of kindness.
*knowing your most unused potential and committing yourself to liberating the other 90% of your hidden capacity.
*knowing that everyday you have the same number of minutes as edison – lincoln – galileo – thoreau – king – davinci – Gandhi - Mother Teresa – mandela - einstein
*aligning your daily efforts with big dreams and great goals.
*glancing farther ahead.
*viewing life as a laboratory instead of a stage.
*challenging times are meant to be a test of spirit, not theatrics.
*knowing that the gap between what can be imagined and what can be accomplished has never been smaller.
*learning faster than the world is changing.
*constantly discovering and applying new strengths, talents, and passions.
*valuing even the smallest moments of inspiration.
*facing the truth about weaknesses – first in yourself and second in others – and managing the weaknesses out of the way.
*learning from every stumble and setback. no blaming. no defensiveness.
*trusting enough to be trusted.
*having a curious mind. having a listening ear. having an open heart.
*acknowledging that every day is a battle for control. not of the world around you, but of your responses to it.
*envisioning how your choices and actions today may influence the next ten years.
*never forgetting from how far back a human being can come and still make a difference.
*knowing that your path has a purpose beyond where it leads.  knowing that the biggest risk in life is not to risk at all.
*being fun to be around. the way you used to be when you had no money.
*knowing that home is where the great are small and the small are great.
*doing all you can to have the heart of a lion, the skin of a rhino, and the soul of an angel.
*living so that when other people think of integrity, enthusiasm, commitment, and caring they think of you.
*knowing you were born an original.  knowing you were born to make a difference in the world.  knowing you can’t play it safe.  knowing you can’t sit this one out.
*the time is now.  the leader is you.  if not now, when?

taking life in its broadest sense

today my friend christine saved me.  she saved me earlier this afternoon, i mean really saved me.   when i was on the verge of falling apart, christine saved me.  she put me together, i took a deep breath, and went back to preparing for my meeting.  my friend kreena stood by me on saturday, she held my hair back.  my friend stacey gave me the courage and reassurance i needed last night.  i miss stacey, it's been a long time since i've seen her, but we always can pick up so easily where we left off because we live in parallel worlds.  all in all, this past week or so, i've been reminded that i have the most incredible friends.  i am so unbelievably lucky. 

so later tonight, christine invited me over, and we chatted and watched two week's notice.  in this movie, sandra bullock played this woman who believes in helping the community and making a difference, and of course there's a boy, hugh grant.

at one point, hugh says to her, "you are a cause.  you make Gandhi look like a used-car salesman...none of us can keep up with you.  that's probably why all those other guys bolted.  because you're intolerable!  no one wants to live with a saint.  saints are boring."

i've been told before that i'm too nice.  i've been told before that it's boring when there's never any fights.  i've been told before that i'm too happy all the time.  i've been told before there's nothing enjoyable about the rain.  it's so easy to believe all that because when i've been told this, these people have genuinely meant it.

but through this past week or so, i've been reminded by all sorts of people that i am the person i want to be (for the most part, there's still a lot more life i have to live, a lot more growing).  i've been told that i'm amazing as i am, that i have a profound effect on people, that i live life how many often want to, that i have an enormous ability to take life in its broadest sense.  and the people in my life, tell me not to change, that i inspire them because of who i am.  even my marketing director told me don't change, don't stop playing, don't start wearing shoes.  play.  indulge in life.  believe in neverland.  be happy, spread happiness.  this is who i am, all that i believe in, this is what makes me, me.  and someday, i'll find someone who wants to be a part of it all.  the one big change that i am making is installing some needed filters in my life to protect myself because at the end of the day, i still live in reality.

anyways, the next few weeks in india should help re-center me.  it'll be a time for me of much needed self-reflection.

and in case you are wondering, sandra bullock does win hugh grant in the end:
"i need your advice on one last thing, then i promise you will never hear from me again. you see, i've just delivered the first speech i've written entirely by myself since we met, and i think i may have blown it. i want to ask your thoughts. okay? then i will read it to you. i'd like to welcome everyone on this special day. island towers will bring glamour and prestige to the neighborhood and become part of brooklyn's renaissance. and i'm very pleased and proud to be here. unfortunately, there is one fly in the ointment. you see, i gave my word to someone that we wouldn't knock down this building behind me. and normally, and those of you who know me or were married to me can attest to this, my word wouldn't mean very much. so why does it this time? well, partly because this building is an architectural gem and deserves to be landmarked and partly because people really do need a place to do senior's water ballet and cpr. preferably not together. but mainly because this person, despite being unusually stubborn and unwilling to compromise and a very poor dresser, is... she's rather like the building she loves so much. a little rough around the edges but, when you look closely, absolutely beautiful. and the only one of her kind. and even though i've said cruel things and driven her away, she's become the voice in my head. and i can't seem to drown her out. and i don't want to drown her out. so, we are going to keep the community center. because i gave my word to her and because we gave our word to the community."

someday, a boy will find me perhaps somewhat intolerable and a little rough around the edges, but also absolutely beautiful, maybe even stunning, only one of her kind.  in the meantime, i'll be loving life in every other way.

just gonna stand there and watch me burn

i learned some really important lessons today from an incredibly smart person.  since it's been awhile since i've written and since today i've learned some things that i'll remember for the rest of my life, i figured i'd write them down. 

Our lives are not events to sit back and watch and we cannot pick and choose what will happen.  We only choose our responses.

The realities of our lives play apart whether we want them too or not.  And in order to find genuine happiness we must deal with our realities both good and bad.

Be careful - ideals and dreams and hopes are wonderful things but you need to remember the realities that we all have.  The realities that make those hopes and dreams possible - something we can actually have and achieve not just wish for.  And sometimes if we wish for too much we forget how much we already have.

There is a wonderful joy and satisfaction that comes from people trusting us.  However, as i have grown older I learned that it is sometimes dangerous to know too much.  And that we need to pick and choose who we are close to as emotions and feelings  often take on a life of their own when we get too personal.  

so as i figure out life and my life's purpose, i'll always remember these. 

the bare necessities of life will come to you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ogQ0uge06o

mowgli:  where we goin', baloo?

baloo:  well, uh, it's uh... um... well, it's sorta new and, uh...

mowgli:  oh, i don't care, as long as i'm with you.

baloo:  mowgli, look, buddy, uh, there's somethin' i gotta tell ya.

mowgli:  tell me what, baloo?

baloo:  oh, gee whiz. now, how did ol' baggy put it? uh, uh, mowgli... ha! you wouldn't marry a panther, would you?

mowgli:  gee, i don't even know what you're talking about.

baloo:  mowgli, don't you realize that you're a human?

mowgli:  i'm not any more, baloo. i'm a bear like you.

baloo:  little buddy, look. listen to me.

mowgli: [play fighting] come on, baloo

i'm published

http://thisibelieve.org/essay/69766/

work much?

well, here's the end of week two.  if you haven't seen me in the last two weeks, it's probably a good thing.  so i always thought that i worked a lot, but i've never worked more in my life than the last two weeks.  if you didn't think it was possible for me to work more, it is, i've definitely proven it.  well thankfully it'll all be done on march 5th.  i'll be good then, i hope so at least.  

plus, i have many rewards coming to keep my chin above water:  i have my first initiative.  i'm leading an awesome training on march 19th.  my sister is getting married in april.  my pet project is going to be on shelves.  my best friend is getting married in june.  i'm going to india in september with my best friend in cincinnati and my little sister.  i graduate in december.  i say my goodbyes to the van.  i learn to ski.  i do my bike ride from chicago to cincinnati in june 2011.  my best friend in cincinnati is getting married.  my scholarship goes live.

i try not to ask for much, but i'm here asking that you do this, please

hello to anyone who is reading this.  a very good friend of mine has a sister, lindsay, who has cancer.  she's 21, just graduated from duke in industrial engineering, and could have a long life ahead of her.  she's been fighting lymphoma for over a year now, and she desperately needs a donor for peripheral blood stem cells (pbsc).  to see if you're a match, join the "be the match" bone marrow registry.  it's really a simple process:

1.  go to http://www.marrow.org/join/join_now/join_now.html.

2.  fill out the form and request a kit

3.  follow the instructions in your kit to take a swab of cheek cells

4.  send kit back to register
5.  if you're a match, lindsay only needs pbsc, so it's simply transferred through an iv

let me know if you have any questions. please seriously consider joining.  thank you from me and all of lindsay's family.

please also pass this around to anyone you know, as the more people that sign up, the more likely lindsay will find a match!

a little inspiration to kick off 2010

a new decade kicked off in the perfect way:  family, friends, ridiculousness, adventure, inspiring conversation and of course, great food.  "there's nothing you can't do, now you're in new york.  these streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you."

this is the year of survival.  i had a great start to the year, which will set the tone for the 12 months to come.  what to expect?
*work, more work and even more work on top of that.  go puffs!  five years, four weeks of vacation and vested.
*last year of school, 44 more saturdays, 88 more van rides, no more finance, and hopefully some learning.
*change.  mother teresa has me inspired. 
*meghan's and alexa's weddings, two of the most important people in my life starting a new time in their own lives.
*india with kreena, bobby modi, and the little schmellie one.  so excited for this trip, it'll be incredible.
*15 pounds of weight loss to eliminate the 15 pounds of weight gained in 2009.
*developing a routine for real.  this will be the only way i will be able to survive.
*reduced spending habits due to having extremely large car payments since i wanted to pay the jetta off in only three years.
*taking care of my health, specifically sleeping more. 
if i can make it through this year, i know everything will fall into place.