Midlife’s A Trip

The Fork in the Road

Posted on 22. Sep, 2009 by Karen.

Do you feel like you are the proverbial “fork in the road” these days – vulnerable, uncertain and not sure which way to turn next? With the current economic situation still so volatile, many people around the country are just plain afraid about the future and wondering:  “Will I be laid off tomorrow? Will my company go under? How will I pay my bills? Did my dreams for the future just get left by the side of the road?”

But if history repeats itself (as it often does), times of great economic crisis like the Great Depression and this current recession can bring greater opportunity to people who can move past fear and uncertainty to try something new.  Just take a minute and consider that perhaps it’s fear – and not the recession – that’s holding you back from a success in life.  Fear can show up in your life in unexpected ways that you simply don’t always think about:

• Fear of the unknown
• Fear of failure
• Fear of change
• Fear of lack of support
• Fear of the worst case scenario
• Even fear of success

A wise person once said that fear is “False Evidence Appearing Real” – something in the future that may or may not happen if we take or don’t take some future action. Well when you are afraid of what the future may bring, the fear will keep you from taking action that can help you get ahead. And that can’t be what you want.

So if you’re feeling like the fork in the road has turned into a dead end, take a long hard look inside to see if fear is holding you back? Just shining the light on fear is the first step to getting past it and back on the road to what you really want out of life.

Are you ready to turn on the light?

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Antidote to An Unlived Life

Posted on 12. Jul, 2009 by Karen.

As I start my Sunday – first day of the week, day of new beginnings, I’m renewed by a wonderful passage from author and poet Dawna Markova:

“I will not die an unlived life.

I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire.

I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me,

To make me less afraid,

More accessible,

To loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise.

I choose to risk my significance, to live so that which came to me as seed goes to the next as blossom,

And that which came to me as blossom,

Goes on to fruit.”

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Life Lesson From A Conversion Van

Posted on 01. Jul, 2009 by Karen.

Do you know what a conversion van is?  Well in my neck of the woods here in the Midwest, it’s a van that’s been converted to include beds, sinks and other stuff you’d find in a house. No disrespect to those readers who have conversion vans but washing up at the sink looking out of a van just isn’t my idea of fun. Yet I’ve found that these vehicles carry a very important message for me.

See when I’m driving around town going to appointments and running errands, I’ve been know to rush – and be impatient. It’s a bad habit I’m working on and the Universe is helping me out. How? Well everytime I’m driving a little too fast, the Universe plops a slow-moving conversion van right smack dab in front of me on the road. You think I’m nuts?

No it’s true. I start driving a little faster than I should and sure enough that conversion van shows up – different color, different trim – going 10 miles under the speed limit. Aaaaaaaaaaargh!! Or that used to be my reaction. But now – I just smile because I know it’s the Universe’s way of telling me to just take a chill pill. And these days, I get the point and – chill.

What’s the trigger that gets you to slow down when you’re moving too fast through life?

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Can You Make A Difference?

Posted on 15. Jun, 2009 by Karen.

If you’ve ever questioned whether one person can make change happen or make a difference in more lives than just our own, watch this:

Then ask yourself – “what makes me unstoppable?” I’d love to hear your answer:-)

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Even More Karen’s Favorites from Britain’s Got Talent

Posted on 30. May, 2009 by Karen.

OK, now don’t say I didn’t warn you but this video will melt your heart as little UK songbird Hollie Steel gets a case of the nerves during her performance in the semi-finals. But surprisingly, she got a second chance from none other than tough as nails Simon! He really has a heart:-) She made a courageous comeback and then went on to the finals. Go Hollie!!

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More Karen’s Favorites from Britain’s Got Talent

Posted on 30. May, 2009 by Karen.

11 year old Aiden Davis is a star in the semi-finals of Britain’s Got Talent. Have to say that the UK has some off-the-chart talented kids. Watch Aiden and see if you agree with me!

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Karen’s Favorites from “Britain’s Got Talent” Finals

Posted on 29. May, 2009 by Karen.

I’ve become a huge fan of the UK talent show “Britain’s Got Talent” – the place where Simon hung out before American Idol. This week are the semi-finals and I’ve been watching via You Tube.  Since the finals are tomorrow, I thought I share my favorites here on Midlife’s A Trip. Funny how this show and the amazingly talented performers have touched my heart and inspired me. Hope they do the same for you.

First up is Julian Smith – a teacher, dad and kick-ass saxophonist.  If you like Kenny G, you’ll love this:

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My Un-Complaint Against Zappos

Posted on 26. May, 2009 by Karen.

Last week I ordered 2 pairs of black cargo shorts by Jag for the summer that’s finally coming to Michigan.  So why do you need to know this. Work with me here because these black shorts led me to a mind-blowing experience with a little known phenomenon called great customer service.

I placed my order with online retailer Zappos, known for their wide variety of shoes.  I’ve ordered from them before because they often carry shoes in narrow sizes. If you wear a narrow shoe size I don’t have to explain why this is a big plus, do I?  In the past whatever I ordered was available in my size and arrived as promised – end of story.

But when my Zappos package arrived today, I was disappointed.  There were 2 pairs of black shorts inside but in 2 different sizes – one not mine. Because Zappos only had 2 pairs in my size when I ordered, I picked up the phone 1) to complain and 2) to see if that second pair of shorts was still available.  This is where the story gets good.

My call was connected to a very cordial Zappos customer service rep, whose name I didn’t get, I’m sorry to say. When I explained my dilemma, she went into action and gave me no opportunity to complain. She checked to see if the other pair of shorts was still available.  The bad news was they weren’t. Darn it but I’ll live.

Then the nice young customer service rep apologized profusely and offered the following solution to Zappos’ mistake in filling my order. Here’s where the good news comes in:

1. She emailed me a return label for the UPS package AND a return form completely filled in with all the details of my wrong size black shorts. No need to fill out the form while trying to find a SKU number somewhere on the garment.
2. She enrolled me in the Zappos VIP program which gets me an upgrade of 1-day shipping on any future orders.
3. When I decided to order another item for $7 more than the shorts, she told me she wouldn’t charge me for the difference.
4. And finally, she gave me a $10 coupon I can use for future purchases.

I’m still picking myself up off the floor.

I’ve heard about the brilliant strategies of Zappos’ innovative CEO, Tony Hsieh but hadn’t experienced what that means to a real customer until now. Like many of us, I’ve been known to complain when things aren’t right, so I wanted to make sure to give acknowledgment when things go well, like here. So Tony and the amazing Zappos team who really get what customer service is all about -

Thanks for making my day:-)

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Stuff For Sale

Posted on 18. May, 2009 by Karen.

This past weekend was my neighborhood-wide garage sale.  Motivated by the camaraderie and the need to clear some space in my little bungalow, I set up shop with my sister, MenoMom and my niece, the Peanut.

We put together all our collective junk, um I mean treasures. Then we labeled each with a bright pink sticker and anybody’s best guess on the value that someone would pay for what we didn’t want anymore.

Our family garage sale rule is that “what goes out of the house for sale, doesn’t come back in”. So for 2 days, MenoMom and I sat and sold.  The Peanut served very capably as a quasi-Walmart greeter as people came and went.

By day 2 of the sale, MenoMom and I were really gung-ho about getting rid of everything.  So we gave away toys to little kids who came through (this strategy was particularly tough on the Peanut who wasn’t as committed to getting rid of her stuff). And we gave away books:

Buy one thing – take some books free.

Overall we did pretty well. By 3:30 on Sunday afternoon, not much was left.  We boxed the last few things up and made it over to the Salvation Army to make a donation before they closed. My tally after the garage sale was about $100.

But as I think back, it really wasn’t about the money.  It was about being outside in the fresh air, hanging out with family, laughing with neighbors and making life a little less cluttered – a little simpler.

What can you do to simplify, simplify?

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Time to Get Through These Tuff Times

Posted on 15. Apr, 2009 by Karen.

Hope you’ll join me on my first teleseminar.  It’s about how to get through these tough economic times and move into a place of opportunity and hope. Watch the video below for more details.

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Think Green

Posted on 26. Mar, 2009 by Karen.

If you can’t think of a reason to go “green”, watch this beautiful video:

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Putting a Gag on the Voice of Doom and Gloom

Posted on 11. Mar, 2009 by Karen.

If you hate your job these days or something else in your life, this video of motivational guru Zig Ziglar is a must-see.  What he points out is that a lot of the “doom and gloom” we experience takes place in the conversations we have with ourselves–not in the outside world.  So if you’re ready to put a sock in it, listen up.

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A Midlife Valentine

Posted on 14. Feb, 2009 by Karen.

I was thinking this morning that commercialism has conditioned us to think that if we don’t have candy, flowers and someone to cuddle up with on Valentine’s Day there’s something’s wrong.  Well it’s time to throw that thought out the window because you have a lot more than chocolate-covered cherries to be happy about today.

You have friends who are thinking about you – whether they’re close by or out here in the blogosphere.  Count me as one of them and listen to this song from Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, the late Luther Vandross and Whitney Houston on what we should focus on today:

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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