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Greetings!
Christmas trees have been sold commercially in the
United States since about 1850 and are grown in all
50 states including Hawaii and Alaska. 77 million
Christmas trees are planted each year with more
than 1,000,000 areas of land used to plant Christmas
trees. While the celebration of Thanksgiving has a
special place in my heart, some of my most treasured
memories fall in during the Christmas season. One in
particular involves the Christmas tree – KIRK.
My family always invested in a live Christmas tree.
My mom picked a date to take the annual drive to a
local tree farm and select the perfect one. We
scoured the field, looking at the color and texture of
the branches and, of course, the price! After we
made our decision, my mother would have it cut
down and tied it to the roof of our car as we sang
Christmas carols on the drive home.
When the tree was inside and all of the lights and
garland were wrapped around, we would each be
given a section of the tree to hang our personal
ornaments. (You received an ornament each year,
therefore, if you were 15 years old, you had 15 or
more ornaments. If you were only 6 years old, you
had six ornaments.) One year, my brother Ed who is
about 9 years younger than me, realized that he had
less ornaments than everyone else. As the tree was
brought inside the house, he yelled, “I want that
ornament. That ornament is mine.” My parents, sister
and I looked at him, not knowing what he was talking
about. Hanging on the tree was a blue & white
plastic tag that said “KIRK” and my brother was
claiming it as his ornament. We all laughed and, over
20 years later, “KIRK” still hangs on the tree and
remains a wonderful Christmas memory.
While Jim & I will be celebrating Christmas quietly, it
will truly be a celebration. We will celebrate the many
amazing clients and friends that have been sent into
our lives, his incredible staff at the AMOC, the many
speaking engagements and other opportunities that
have been presented to me throughout the year and
the blessing of a supportive family and a healthy
body.
I encourage you to make a list of all you have to
celebrate in your life. May your list be long as you
identify all of the connections that have come your
way throughout 2006. To my friends, colleagues and
business associate new and old, l thank you for
bringing much joy to my life ~ Merry Christmas &
Happy Holidays!
All the best,
Lisa Marie Platske, President
Upside Thinking, Inc.
| Featured Business with an Upside Attitude |
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Ms. Susan Goodson began her career with Mary Kay
Cosmetics in 1973, when she was recruited from an
Orange Julius stand in South Coast Plaza. While she
enjoyed the work, because of personal and
professional challenges in her life, she gave up the
freedom and stress of entrepreneurship for a steady
full-time job. Five years later, she was reintroduced
to Mary Kay. The challenges she faced hadn’t
changed, however, someone saw something
wonderful in Susan and knew that she would be
successful.
That was 27 years ago. A consultant for 2 years,
Susan became a director at the age of 26. Despite
many personal challenges, she’s always had a smile
on her face, product in her car, appointments on her
books while simultaneously caring for three young
children. By living in the present, taking life one day
at a time and trusting in God, Susan became a super-
star.
Her leadership motto is to be of service to others,
not only as an incredibly talented beauty consultant
and leader but as a strong woman. Susan openly
shares her personal story of domestic violence with
other women and provides counsel, guidance and
support.
Susan is an upside thinker who finds unlimited
possibilities in all she does which is why she recently
formed a non-profit 501(3)c organization, “Angels to
Action" whose mission is to give support and comfort
to those who are struggling with physical and/or
emotional trauma by providing an Angel Blanket to
wrap themselves in as they travel through this
difficult time.
Ms. Goodson has a wide selection of holiday gift
baskets, including custom gifts designed specifically
for all your clients, family and friends with prices
ranging from $12.00 to $299 She can be reached
at (951) 321-6347 or (951) 683-2195.
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| Upside Quotation Station |
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“Time is limited, so I better wake up every
morning fresh and know that I have just one chance
to live this particular day right, and to string my days
together into a life of action, and purpose."
Lance Armstrong (1971 - )
U. S. cyclist, 7-time winner of the Tour de France
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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 The Present: The Secret to
Enjoying Your Work And Life, Now! by
Spencer Johnson (because one of the most important
lessons in leadership is to live in the moment).
If you're in the mood for popcorn and a
movie, try Miracle on 34th Street
(because to be a good leader, you've gotta believe!
~ And, it brings back fond memories because I
watched it with my grandfather every day during the
Christmas season when I was a little girl).
And, if you're feeling lucky, answer
our December
trivia
question! When was the 1st tree placed at
Rockefeller Center? By Whom?
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
September - Dustin Ubrun, Anser Coding, Inc.
October - Andy Culver,Viasys Healthcare
November - Patricia Hinojosa, AG Edwards
* Please visit Lisa Marie's website to add your
comments to her blog - especially about your
favorite Christmas memories!
Click here to go to Lisa Marie's blog
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| Need Help Being a Gift to Others? |
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Interested in learning more about how to develop
your clear leadership vision, increase your sphere of
influence/clientele and improve your long-term
growth and steady profits? Call Lisa Marie today to
learn more about our Upside Thinking coaching
packages!
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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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| Save the Date: Visonary Business Conference |
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Creating Business From the Inside Out
At the conference you will learn to:
Build a visionary business
Bring your soul to work
Become a visionary leader
Connect business and spirit
Implement spirit-driven strategies
Make a living & Have a life
SPEAKERS:
Rev. Margaret Shepherd * Jamie Walters * Jack
Barnard * Dawna Jones * Linda Landon * BJ
Gallagher * Chellie Campbell * Stewart Levine * Lisa
Marie Platske * Michael Peter Langevin
FEBRUARY 1, 2, & 3
LAX Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles
FEE: $497 / $597 after January 15th
For more information/register:
www.speakerservices.com/visionary.biz
310-822-4922
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| NAFE News |
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Lisa Marie had an article entitled "5 Tips to Help Make
Your Group Excellent" featured in NAFE's November e-
newsletter. If you are a NAFE member make sure to
check it out at www.nafe.com.
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Being a Gift to Others |
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When I was a little girl growing up in Allentown, PA, I
had a very special friend – my dog Edison (or Eddie
as my sister and I called him before we “inherited”
our brother, Ed). He was wonderful because no
matter what I experienced during the day he was
always there for me. If I had a particularly bad day,
or good day, at school and wanted to tell someone
all about it, Edison would listen patiently until I
finished the entire story. If I needed someone to
play with or take a walk with, Eddie would be at my
side without protest. And what I remember most of
all is that when I came through that door after
school each day, he showered me with unconditional
Love. No questions or demands, he was there for
me to hug, squeeze and pet.
When I reflect upon these childhood experiences with
Eddie, I believe there are some leadership lessons
that we can integrate into our personal and
professional lives. As a husband, wife, father or
mother, when you walk in the door after a long day
to whom do you give more unconditional Love – your
spouse, your children or the dog? How intentional
and sincere are you at turning off the wants, needs
and expectations you have for your spouse and
children and giving your undivided attention to them,
for their needs?
Last month’s trivia question was, “According to a
recent study, what is the #1 reason why most
Americans leave their job?” and the answer which
came from the U. S. Department of Labor
was, “Because they don’t feel appreciated. In the
workplace, if you’re serving (yes, serving) in role of
executive, manager or supervisor, do you turn off
the “taskmaster” long enough so your employees see
you when you walk through the door each morning –
full of greetings, smiles and cheer? Or do they dread
seeing you each morning because they know that
before they can settle into their chair and get their
day planned you will be bearing over them with
another work-related question or task?
This is a great time of the year to take inventory of
our behavior and how we interact with family, friends
and co-workers. Have you ever thought about what
they think of your behavior or how you are perceived
and what you could do better? I encourage you to
ask them as they’re the ones you interact with most
and they’re the best source of valuable feedback on
how you can become a better person in your
personal and professional life. A positive change in
your life just might be the best present you could
give someone this Christmas season.
Did you know?
December is the 12th month in Gregorian calendar.
In Latin, decem, however, means "ten" because
December was the tenth month in the Roman
calendar until a monthless winter period was divided
between January and February.
Busiest day to shop: Although many believe the
Friday after Thanksgiving is the busiest shopping day
of the year, its rank varies between fifth - tenth.
First place typically belongs to the Friday and
Saturday before Christmas.
Even though commercial cards were not available at
that time, in1822 the postmaster in Washington, D.C.
was concerned about the volume of mail at Christmas
time. His preferred solution to the problem was to
limit by law the number of cards a person could send!
During the Christmas buying season, Visa cards alone
are used an average of 5,340 times every minute in
the United States.
In an effort to solicit cash to pay for a charity
Christmas dinner in 1891, a large crabpot was set
down on a San Francisco street, becoming the first
Salvation Army collection kettle.
Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and
trees that remained green all year had a special
meaning for people in the winter. Just as people
today decorate their homes during the festive season
with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancient peoples hung
evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In
many countries it was believed that evergreens
would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and
illness. (Excerpt taken from www.history.com)
Find out more....
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