I tell wonder-filled stories about hope and healing
I’m off for the weekend to stand up for my dear gal pal, Kelly, as she ties the knot to her true love. If off in the distance you hear whoops of laughter and good cheer, feel an inexplicable source of happiness and joy rise up in your own heart, know that it’s from all of us, spreading the love to a circle as far and wide as possible.
Raise your hands in the shape of a heart. Love is always something to celebrate.
There is no end to the number of good causes that can benefit from your time and expertise. In the past, I’ve had a tendency to volunteer my time too freely to community-based projects. When I started my own business, I discovered the true value of my time. I am a big believer in good causes, and it took me time to realize that I must be selective and careful in how I choose to engage.
Pam Slim, one of my mentors and inspirations in building a freelance life, cautions her readers about this in her book Escape from Cubicle Nation. As ambitious, driven people, we know how much of an impact we can make, especially when it comes to good causes in our communities. It’s important to feel connected to missions that make us feel alive. It’s equally important to make sure that we have the reserves to give ourselves to the ideas that matter most to us. To do that, we need to treat our time as irreplaceable. After all, it is.
Happy 4th birthday to the best fuzzy friend a girl could ask for. Love you, buddy!
Seth Godin is the Yoda of modern times. He is well-meaning and honest in his crankiness, and I love him for that. I also love him because despite what the world tells you about personal and professional image, he is unabashedly, unapologetically himself.
His email is sethgodin@gmail.com. His blog, http://sethgodin.typepad.com/, doesn’t even have a vanity URL. His company isn’t some clever title; it’s just his name at http://sethgodin.com. I’ve never seen him give himself any kind of title except “author”. His tagline is “Go Make Something Happen”. (If everyone took that advice, imagine how evolved our world would be!) He thinks all marketers, colleagues in his own chosen profession, are liars and he tells them so; it’s the title of one of his most successful books and he’s not apologizing for that either. His popularity is based upon his inability to tolerate BS in its many forms.
He doesn’t let anyone off the hook for being less than they can be. He doesn’t stand for people who refuse to rise to their potential, nor for people who pump themselves up through image rather than substance. He believes that just because something is hard, doesn’t mean we should avoid doing it.
How do I know these things? I’ve never spoken to him. I’ve never asked him any pointed questions about life, work, and the world. I do read his writing, and this is what I hear in his words: stop waiting; stop making excuses; be authentic; stop pretending to be someone you’re not and be who you are. Those are messages to live and work by.
Today I’m taking a break from the regularly scheduled dose of inspiration to provide a helpful article for New Yorkers because a friend of mine is currently facing this terrible issue. She called me in tears a few days ago because she knew I had some experience with this. I thought many of you may be dealing with this as well, or know someone who is, and I want to share some info on how to get rid of bed bugs.
There are few words that strike fear into the hearts of New Yorkers more than “bed bugs”. Many of my friends have had to battle these pesky intruders, some many times over. I had a scare myself about a year ago. Thankfully, it turned out that I didn’t have them and let me tell you I let out an enormous sigh of relief when that happened!
How to know if you have bed bugs
1.) You might wake up in the morning with bites you didn’t have the night before.
2.) You may see small flecks of black on your sheets.
3.) You may actual see very tiny bugs that you can’t identify.
4.) Your neighbor has them.
If you think you might have bed bugs and you rent
1.) Do not panic and under no circumstances should you try to handle this issue yourself. One of the biggest reasons that bed bugs are such an issue in New York is that many people delay their decision to tell their landlord or management company about the problem. Before you know it, they’re spreading to nearby apartments and the problem mushrooms out of control. Tell your super the moment you think there might be a problem. Your super needs to contact an exterminator immediately to have them come by and check your home. The exterminator is their financial responsibility, not yours.
2.) Look for the bugs. You may find some in the seams of the mattress, though they are masters of getting out of sight in the daylight. If you do find one of them, carefully pick it up with tweezers (do not squish it) and place it in a Ziploc bag to give to the exterminator.
3.) Give the exterminator free reign to search through your apartment while you’re there. You want to make sure they check the mattress, the area around the bed, the molding along the floor, and the electric outlets.
If you think you might have bed bugs and you own your home
1.) If your home is an apartment, contact the super. He or she may have recommendations on the exterminator to call. He or she may also make the appointment for you.
2.) Contact the exterminator and set an appointment as soon as possible. Again, catching the problem early is the key to solving this problem as quickly as possible. Many exterminators such as Terminix Pest Control offer free quotes through their websites.
3.) As with renters, follow step #3 above.
Many people feel embarrassed about having bed bugs. Don’t. To dispel a couple of myths:
1.) Bed bugs have nothing to do with how clean (or dirty) your house is
2.) Bed bugs have been found in every building in New York. Literally. The condition of your building is not related to whether or not you will get bed bugs. Even the Waldorf-Astoria has had infestations of these little buggers.
3.) Natural methods of getting rid of bed bugs sound wonderful. I love the environment, eating organic food, and living a clean and healthy lifestyle. Bed bugs are not to be dealt with kindly and humanely. You need an exterminator and yes, he or she is going to treat your house with chemicals. You need to get rid of these bugs before they literally set up residence in your home.
If you are facing this challenge or know someone who is, I hope this info is helpful. As my friend currently dealing with bed bugs recently said to me, “This is going to be a knock-down drag out fight, but I’m going to be the one who’s left standing.”
Every writer, regardless of genre, benefits from writing and reading fiction. Fiction is the place we go to find light when everything around us seems so dark. It’s our playground where anything and everything is possible. Fiction helps us to connect with our mind’s deepest secrets and desires. It’s a gateway to higher consciousness.
This weekend I started reading The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker. I can hardly put it down and when I do, I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s one of those books that lives with you for a long time. Its bizarre tale unfolds through the eyes of Julia, a grown woman who reflects back on her youth just before and just after a fantastical event that turns the entire world on its head. It reminded me of the value of purely fictional stories and the role they play in our real lives.
Our lives are largely works of fiction – stories we make up, stories we tell to others, and stories that others tell us. The events of our lives run through a filter that colors them, changes them, gives them meaning. That filter is responsible for our individual human experience. In this way, fiction doesn’t mean “false”; it means “with perspective”. The words of fictions are some of the truest words we can ever read or write because they come so directly and purely from the heart. Maybe that’s what makes it so difficult to write; maybe that’s why it sticks with us for so long.
A few weeks ago I went looking for a new place to board my sweet dog, Phineas. I’ve been boarding him at a place in New York City that is expensive and mediocre when I have to go out-of-town and can’t take him with me. I don’t mind the expense, but for what I pay I want stellar service for both of us.
Enter the advice of Abigail Michaels (an apartment concierge service retained by my apartment building management company at no cost to tenants) and several of my friends who are also dog parents. They all told me to check out The Spot Experience. I called the location on the Upper West Side at 72nd Street, spoke with the incredibly friendly staff, and made an appointment for Phineas to take his temperament test the next day.
From the moment we entered The Spot Experience, I knew we found the right place. It was serene, incredibly clean and tidy, and the staff was expecting us. Lucas, the manager on duty, took us back to explore the backyard, complete with plenty of grass and a pool. I was amazed at the space that they have. It was empty as the dogs were inside resting after their afternoon of play.
“Where are they?” I asked.
“You can see them through that window right in front of you. There are about 50 dogs back there right now,” he said.
“How come I can’t hear them?” I asked.
“Because we have a ‘no bark’ philosophy.”
I looked at Lucas, completely confused.
“We believe that while your dogs are with us, we should create a calm and inviting environment for all of them,” he said.
Sure enough I took a look through the window and all of the dogs were relaxed, lounging around on cots, and enjoying their downtime. The Spot Experience has a strict cage-free policy, 24-hour professional care, a complete set of grooming, daycare, and boarding services, and a webcam so pet parents can log in from anywhere in the world and see how their dogs are doing.
Being a true dog’s dog, Phineas passed his temperament test with flying colors and began his plot to figure out how to move into The Spot Experience for good. (I must admit that I was trying to figure out how I could move in, too!) The next day, I had Phineas stay over night at Spot while I went to DC to visit friends. He waltzed in (the staff immediately greeted him by name), got his treat, and never looked back. I had a wonderful weekend with my friends and knew that Phineas was in the hands of expert caregivers. All for the same price that I paid for mediocre service at the other pet services company.
If you’re looking for a place to keep your best furry friend safe and cared for while you’re away, I encourage you to run to The Spot Experience. Phineas and I are glad we did.
I received the link to this YouTube video from the first trainer Phin and I had when I first adopted him. It’s a short clip about the incredible aspects of dogs that make them amazing teachers and companions for all of us.
File this one under things that make me immensely grateful. I looked at my slate of writing for this week and it includes:
1.) Making 9/11 a national holiday
2.) How to ask for help when in the midst of personal crisis
3.) Yoga
4.) Apartment Hunting in NYC
5.) How to maintain top website load times
6.) Health-supportive cooking
7.) Yoga
8.) Doggie daycare and boarding
9.) The value of digital marketing for start-ups
10.) Drones for journalism
11.) Pest control
12.) Voice-controlled image editing
13.) Book reviews – how to get press for your start-up, how computer programmers maintain a healthy lifestyle, and learn to program by building video games
14.) A fundraising appeal letter for an animal shelter
And then I’m going to wrap up the next edits for my first full-length play and work on Your Second Step. This is the life and career I’ve always dreamed of. Gratitude doesn’t even begin to explain how I feel. I wish for everyone, everywhere to have a heart this full.
Have something you want me to write about? I’d love to hear from you!
Things I didn’t care about yesterday:
1.) The heat, humidity, and poor air quality
2.) The noise
3.) The guy in the park who cursed at me when I smiled at him as we made eye contact
4.) The too-loud musicians on the train as I made my way home after a long day
5.) The uncertainty of a freelance life
6.) Being up until the wee hours of the morning writing to meet deadlines
There were over 3,000 people who didn’t get to have yesterday, and they won’t get to have today or tomorrow either. 3,000 people who would give anything to be able to walk these streets that they loved as much as I do. 3,000 people who would have been as happy to see their friends yesterday as I was to see mine.
The term 9/11 leaves an ache in people’s hearts. I can’t imagine that will ever change no matter how much distance we get from that awful day. There will always be something lost. But for those of us who are left, there is something to be gained, too. The inconveniences caused by the cycles of life don’t matter. In the grand scheme all that really counts is that we get today and we get to decide who to spend it with. We are so fortunate to have the time we have and there’s no point in wasting it by filling our heads and hearts with laments about our current condition. Conditions will change; they always do. What’s important is that we make the most of whatever we have before us.
Christa Avampato 