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Greetings!
Large back to school sales have conspicuously been
seen in every department store across America. The
ritual of shopping before heading back to the
classrooms took on a holiday feel for my friends who
have children. My husband, Jim, and I love the end
of summer because
this is when our second vacation season begins, as
we’re spring and fall travelers.
Our destination doesn’t need to be someplace exotic
where the water is clear and I'd find a
bottle floating up on the beach with a genie inside
willing to grant me three wishes. Neither does it
need to take us miles away from our home in
Riverside; however, we typically don’t visit the same
place twice. The word travel has many, many
meanings and definitions, including to be transmitted,
as in light or sound, to advance or proceed, as in
Monopoly, or to go about in the company of a
particular group, i.e. to travel in wealthy circles. In
referring to travel, it could also be defined as moving
along a course, as in a groove or going from one
place to another on a trip or journey.
In April, I shared with you that my grandfather
understood that preparation was the key to reaping
great rewards in business and life. As Jim and I
prepare for our first trip, I will take days laying out
my clothes and jewelry and then I’ll spend hours
rolling each piece and placing it systematically in the
suitcase, prepared for anything that may come our
way. May you be wholly prepared to handle all that
will come your way on life’s journey, enabling you to
accomplish more in your work than you ever thought
possible!
All the best,
Lisa Marie Platske, President
Upside Thinking, Inc.
| Featured Business with an Upside Attitude |
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Peggy Ricks, owner of First Impression, is a California
Certified Image and Color Consultant who assists
individuals who want to look and feel better about
themselves. Ms. Ricks has worked with both men
and women for almost twenty-five years and is still
delighted by the transformation clients experience as
they become more aware and self-confident with
their wardrobe selections following a color
consultation. Explaining one’s skin tones and the
effectiveness of color, as well as the significance of
clothing proportion relating to one’s body dimensions,
Ms. Ricks articulates how you can look your best
when she meets with her clients for a 1 ½ hour life-
changing session. After the initial consultation, she
is also available for personal shopping “excursions”, in
which she will spend 4 – 8 hours shopping with you
or, if you just don’t like to shop, Ms. Ricks will pre-
select items and bring them to your home or office
for approval. As if that weren’t enough, she provides
closet rejuvenation, helping you let go of out-dated
attire. Recently, she added a line of semi-precious
stone jewelry, imported from Shanghai, China, to her
business, enabling you to physically see the
difference in looking good and looking great. In
addition to individual consultations, Ms. Ricks
conducts seminars for groups of ten or more which
provide an overview of the importance and financial
effectiveness of dressing within your color palette.
Because Ms. Ricks believes it is essential to give
back to community that supports her business, she is
an active member of the Greater Riverside Chambers
of Commerce, serving on the executive board for
Business in Action and the East Hills Division, as an
Ambassador and on the Festival of Lights Committee.
Her selflessness makes her the perfect co-chair for
the For You Network – Moreno Valley’s hospitality
committee as she gives of herself to help others
grow their businesses. Ms. Ricks recognizes that by
being a “sharer” of information and professional
connections that the rewards will come back in many
unexpected and wonderful ways.
For more information about how First Impression can help you put your best image forward in business and in life, please contact Ms. Peggy Ricks at (951) 529- 6869.
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| Upside Quotation Station |
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“I am careful not to confuse excellence with
perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is
God's business"
Michael J. Fox
Actor
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| Leadership Tales and Trivia Corner |
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If your feeling like a strong cup of coffee and a good
book, try Oh, The Places You'll Go
by Dr. Seuss (A tale about the highs and lows on
the journey of excellence).
If you're in the mood for popcorn and a
movie, try The Terminal(A tale about
the journey of an upside thinker, Viktor Navorski).
And, if you're feeling lucky, answer
our September
trivia
question! If you were to journey across the
United States, what state is bordered by eight other
states and approximately how many miles would it be
to drive there from Riverside, California?
A prize will be awarded to the 1st person who
e-mails the correct answer to us!
Trivia Winners Circle!
January - Danny Rich, Stellar Financial
February - Ilse DiPinto, DiPinto & Associates
March - Susan Terberg, Riverside Community College
April – Jack Harris, Gilmartin, Harris & Associates
May - Aaron Knight, Amerinet Finance, Inc.
June - Hank Rogers, RCC-CACT (Center for Applied
Technologies)
July - Tom Nightingale, Wells Fargo
August - Dennis Sonney, CA Manufacturing
Technology Consulting
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| Prepare for the Journey! |
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Interested in learning more about how to prepare for
the journey to excellence – developing your
leadership vision, increasing your sphere of
influence/clientele and your earning power? Call Lisa
Marie today to learn more about our Upside Thinking
coaching packages!
Birthday Bonus: Receive 20% off any coaching
or training package booked in the month of
September!
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| About Lisa Marie |
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As the President and Chief Excellence Officer of
Upside Thinking, Inc., Lisa Marie brings enthusiasm
and passion to
her work every day. Committed to transforming
organizations through individual development, Ms.
Platske believes lasting success in organizations
comes from recognizing that people have intrinsic
value and deserve respect, regardless of where they
are in the organizational chart. UTI's leadership
coaching and training programs teach individuals how
to develop their leadership ability, increase their
sphere of influence and strengthen their earning
potential.
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| Inland Empire Women's Conference |
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The Power of Being a Woman!
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, September
27th and join us at the retreat-like setting of
Etiwanda Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga, California.
Treat yourself to a day of empowerment and
rejuvenation... and hear Lisa Marie speak!
For only $65,this full-day conference includes
educational workshops, dynamic keynote speakers,
lunch, networking, giveaways, drawings, awards
program, business expo, and much more! Register here or call (909) 822-
4433.
p.s. Stop by Lisa Marie's booth for a chance to win
a "Show Me the Money" gift basket, including a
leadership coaching package worth over $1000!
Workshop topics include:
* Relationship Marketing...Effective Networking
* Planning For Your Financial Independence: What
Every Woman Needs to Know
* One Voice, One Look: Creating a Consistent
Marketing Message Offline/Online
* Tapping Into the Power of Your True Confident
* Developing Your Leadership Potential - Lisa
Marie
Platske
* Speaking with Ease and Confidence
* Looking Up, When Feeling Down: Positive
Approaches to Managing Depression
* The ABC's of Starting a Business (Spanish
Workshop)
* Achieving Authentic Success - Tools for Being
Successful and in Balance
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Journey of Excellence |
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Whenever I’m asked to present on the topic of
motivation, I outline the nature of work and the
nature of people and state that people don’t come to
work to fail. While this may seem like an odd
statement, I have worked with individuals who don’t
fully believe this statement. Based on the Douglas
McGregor model, they fall under the Theory X
mindset which believes that the average human
being dislikes work and will avoid it at any cost.
Theory X’ers aren’t upside thinkers. Based on my life
experiences, I have reason to trust Theory Y and
believe that no one wakes up and says, “Gee, I hope
I fail miserably today.” or “I hope I’m mediocre.” We
all want happiness, success and meaning; we all
want to excel in life. And, yet, we don’t
because “something” happens along the way.
Excellence is a journey, not a destination. It isn’t a
location that you finally arrive at one day but,
rather, a state of being that requires making
thousands of choices every day as you interact with
others. (I want you to think about those statements
and what the word “vacation” means to you. Is your
life a “vacation”, defined as a period of time devoted
to pleasure, rest, or relaxation or is your life filled
with vacations, destinations/locations which you run
off to, feeling more tired upon your return back
to “real life”?)
An efficient and well-organized plan and the ability to
make good decisions are two critical elements
necessary to help you chart the best course on your
trip, ensuring a successful journey. Being present
along the way will enable you to see that which
many other travelers miss on their excursion.
Whether you own your own business or work for
someone else, to be in a state of excellence you
need a written business plan. Yes, written. Two of
my favorite questions to ask clients are, “Where are
you going and how will you know if and when you get
there?” Write your answers down...now. As my
husband often reminds me, I am a thinker, which as
one of my favorite TV characters, Adrian Monk would
say, “...is a blessing and a curse.” If I don’t write
down my vision and my most meaningful goals, I
would get too distracted by all of the ideas exploding
like fireworks in my head and lose track of what I
truly wanted for myself on my journey of excellence.
The second critical element needed to chart your
course is the ability to make decisions. Back to
another one of the foundational principles of Upside
Thinking, Inc., we are where we choose to be... If
you answered “yes” to any of the three questions I
asked at the beginning of my article in last month’s
newsletter, “Who turned out the lights? What
happened? How did I ever get here?” and don’t think
it was because of decisions you made, think again.
Before I discovered the “secrets” of upside living, I
could rationalize just about anything and blame my
circumstances on external happenings. The logic
that we humans possess enables us to dream up
creative excuses, further wasting our precious
resources. We exert energy to accomplish our daily
tasks and control the energy that is expended in life,
making it exceedingly important to be aware of the
energizing and energy stealing forces in our life.
Our decisions determine where we are today and
many of these decisions foreshadow our future level
of excellence. What are the decisions you should be
making at work (and in life)? Personally, I need to be
reminded of the significance that my right to choose
can have on others. I have a saying on my desk
that reads, ...to be gentle and show courtesy to
everyone...” reminding me that this, too, is a
choice.
Another reminder of the right to choose is my plaque
which reads “Will I make the decision to be right or
to be kind today?”
Keep a list or journal of what inspires you, moves you
and excites you. Make special notes of places
you’ve been, people you’ve met and moments you’ve
experienced. Remember to notice others on your
journey and ask yourself whether you’re living in a
Theory X or Theory Y world. If you’ve read all of this
and desire a more excellent life, seek out a coach to
help you. Coaches can provide clarity and we all
need someone to keep us on track and hold us
accountable (which is why I have a coach). I wish
you well on your journey of excellence and
encourage you to be present and fully engaged in all
that you do.
Dream BIG, be an Upside Thinker and you will
experience Amazing Success on your Journey of
Excellence!
Did you know?
On the journey, the average American makes
184,702 phone calls and receives 3,775 catalogs
through the mail?!
American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by
eliminating one olive from each salad served in first
class.
Damascus (or Dimashq) has the reputation of being
the oldest city in the world, perhaps being settled as
long ago as 8,000 BC.
Douglas McGregor (1906 - 1964) is one of the fore-
fathers of management theory and one of the top
business thinkers of all time. He was a social
psychologist who became the President of Antioch
College. He later became a professor of management
at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Find out more....
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