Performance News - November 2005

WP ANNOUNCEMENTS

A few positive thoughts from Valerie Lunden I would like to first offer my thanks to each and every one of you. This is the fifth edition of Performance News, and the positive feedback continues to inspire and improve each new issue. The Subscriber feature is now functional on the WP website, and I would welcome all referrals. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to those you think might be interested. A personal note with your E-mail really inspires new subscribers! Thanks again. This year (2005), has literally marched forward at a clipped pace. I don’t know if I’m overly pleased by the rate it is disappearing, or elated by the prospect of 2006 being right around the corner. From a Writeperformance.com perspective all is bubbling along as it should. The website is starting to look, well - like a real website, and within a few weeks it will also be functional and productive. Another huge thank you to Suzanna, my Web Designer. Lookout for our Fall/Spring line-up of Write Performance events and workshops. January kicks off with our theme Renewal, and in February Write Performance will offer FREE Weight Performance workshops. If you've been searching for a fresh perspective on weight loss, more details will be available in the December issue. Any enthusiastic writers out there? I am considering adding a guest writer column in the January issue. For anyone interested, please send a 250-word outline to Info@writeperformance.com. This newsletter strives to create informative articles that contribute to the success and performance of adults, please keep this in mind when you decide on your topic. Those selected will be notified by November 30. No compensation is available, however a by-line and 60-word bio will be added to the selected column entitled My Positive Performance. This month's editor's column focuses on Regeneration. Having recently returned from a short trip overseas to visit my family, and with Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, I am inspired by all things being possible. For me trips back home (the place where I was raised and acquired my formal introduction to culture and education) is a rewarding change of pace. Like many of us who have experienced this, I tend to feel at ease surrounded by familiar things, places I love and kindnesses bestowed without obligation. Old friends appear as if by magic and the otherwise hectic hullabaloo is replaced by some other pace – one that for the life of me I can't fully describe, but it is almost akin to being asleep in one's own bed, comfortable and at peace. I have no intentions of rambling on or reminiscing, but I'm sure you can relate. Home (for me), has a regenerating quality, a place where renewal is bestowed through familiar cherished memories. Perhaps that is why we celebrate Thanksgiving: it is dissimilar to Christmas because it is based in complete gratitude. I would like to offer Thanksgiving gratitude to my family and friends at home. Thank you for taking such great care of me during my visit. In keeping with the theme, regeneration, I am adding a poem of my own creation. I wrote this a few months ago for a special group of people and now I wish to share it with all of you. Wishing you performance with excellence, Valerie The Breath By Valerie Lunden A rose is awakened by a gentle breeze, And the snow has melted away. A silent willow tree is silent no more And the lone bridge stands bare. The sky is moods that emerge with change And echo the call of the wind. A breath fills the heart, the lungs and the blood, And life stirs, a whisper from within. A moon smiles at the night, And stars fall to the earth, unhindered and without grace. A wave brushes against the tide, And sand is drifted away. Then darkness covers the world And morning emerges again. The breath calls out to the day - unfold! And life become a miracle unveiled. A sovereign day and spring is here, A ritual returning with a kiss. A lovebird sings lyrics remembered, And nature exhales a wish. A crack pierces a shell And a warm body emerges. Breath has returned to the world, And life has again been rewarded. Link:Writeperformance.com

PERFORMANCE NOTICE November 8, 2005 California Special Statewide Election Remember, your vote ALWAYS counts! Elections & Voter Information

WEIGHT PERFORMANCE Why am I so thirsty? By Valerie Lunden Dedicated to Linda If you haven't seen the movie Batman Returns then you're missing out on a super flick. In this latest rendition, Gotham City (and Batman), are battling the evil water-zapper, a high tech machine that evaporates water. As you might imagine this becomes a significant problem for our caped crusader, who realizes early in the plot that water makes up more than two-thirds of the weight of the human body, and that the fate of the human race now rests in his bat gloves. Batman’s problems could mirror our own, water is elemental to life. Even explorers who get lost in deserts rely more on water supplies then food rations for survival. But if consuming water is so critical to humanity then why don't we take it more seriously? For those die-hard folks who can't abide the taste, flavor and texture of water, well this is not too difficult an argument. Drinking water is purported to have no taste, flavor or texture. Maybe this is the point. Flavorless and tasteless - why even bother drinking the stuff? As significant as the menu during any dining experience, water could be considered a relevant part of any meal. Much like a punctual dinner guest (we hate those, don’t we?), water is often the first to arrive at the table and the last to leave. Let's not forget that water is also one of the only FREE items in the restaurant (not counting the ketchup, steak sauce, and sugar packets). Whether the water arrives plain, iced, or with lemon, there seems to be an unspoken message being passed along regarding the relevance and necessity of water in our diet. But again, why do other other beverages rank higher? Is it more fashionable to order something else when water is without a doubt the best choice? Well, whatever the reasons for water-disdain, even our forefathers never knew drinking H20 was key to longevity and on-going health. They didn’t even know that the standard drinking requirement is 8 (8 oz) glasses of water a day (as most nutritionists and commercial diets recommend). According to the Environmental Protection Agency, water serves as a lubricant and is the basis of saliva and the fluids surrounding the joints. Water also regulates body temperature through perspiration. It even helps prevent constipation by moving food through the intestinal tract. In short, we must have water for proper circulation and to avoid chronic ill health. Are you convinced to drink more? Not yet! Here's something else to consider. If surveyed, how many of us drink eight glasses a day? And those of us who drink other more fashionable beverages: do those count as far as the daily requirement is concerned? Perhaps a thought to keep in mind here is that the body recognizes consumed beverages (other than water), as foods that need digesting. Beverages like coffee, (lattes, espressos, etc.), tea (hot and cold), soda and wine often have more then one ingredient, so the body identifies them as digestible foods. In contrast, water seems to be the exception. When water is consumed, because there are virtually no ingredients and very little processing, it immediately enters the bloodstream and is circulated then eliminated. For argument's sake, let's take a moment to examine just where water isn't needed. It would appear that there aren't too many places. The skeleton (all bone), takes up the remaining body mass. However, in the final analysis, even this might not be accurate. Even though the skeleton might not directly need water, it does rely on muscles and ligaments – which do. On this subject (bones), let's not forget osteoporosis and all those calcium supplements it is suggested we add to our diet. Water is required to dissolve calcium and then transport it to ours bones. Calcium is a mineral that is particularly hard to digest, and if we don’t drink enough water, well you get the picture. The list of water must haves is of course much longer. Let's start with the vital organs. This includes the heart, lungs, kidneys, pancreas, liver, stomach, male and female reproductive organs, eyeballs, tongue, and let's not forget the appendix. The ligaments follow – all of them, and then muscle tissue, the nails, ears, skin (all), and of course the lips. In all probability some important body part got left off the list, but you get the general idea. When the body is over exerted (excessive manual labor or exercise), more water is needed to avoid dehydration. During these conditions it would be plausible to suggest that even more then the recommended eight glasses is needed for replenishing and rebuilding. Let's not forget those “other” beverages – the ones that need digesting. Although most of these have water as the main ingredient, as mentioned digestion impacts water absorption and can even create retention, which means that drinking other beverages could mean we are consuming LESS WATER. When the beverage contains alcohol, the amount of water absorbed is even less significant. Taking all this into consideration, the next time a nice waiter or waitress stops by your table to deliver or refill that all-important AND FREE glass of water, give that person a warm smile and remind yourself that today the number of glasses of water left to drink has been reduced by one glass - or perhaps even two! Water: How much should you drink every day?

MONEY PERFORMANCE Customer Service – The Battle Lines of Change By Valerie Lunden Welcome to Wal-Mart! How can we help you today? Don’t you love the sound of great service – well, who doesn’t? But in reality customer service can either be very good or very bad. Often when given an opportunity to receive service face to face, the impulse to wear a little tin badge on one's lapel that reads "Yes, I am YOUR Customer" might create just the right opportunity to get some competent attention. But what does customer service have to do with becoming wealthy? Well, when it comes to money and finances, customers should get the best service, not just the best, but the very best. Phone calls not returned, E-mails not answered, the omission of basic courtesies cost all of us – BIG! Over the last twenty years U.S. manufacturing has traveled to far off shores. For the most part this nation has become service-oriented. Where we bank, whom we invest with and whom we decide to do business with is a personal decision. Often we seek out referrals because there are just too many choices. However, wherever we end up doing business, it seems more and more evident that the age-old practice of smiling, acknowledging customer problems and offering an expression of human understanding has become a neglected part of business. Indeed, in recent years companies have spent millions on a new type of customer service that is not even focused on customer needs, but focus instead on data accumulation. This new type is the installation of elaborate phone trees and most recently, the hiring of overseas call centers in India and Australia. These new services have reduced the level of personal contact to the bare minimum, and often consumers end up exasperated with their experience rather then satisfied. In contrast there are a few organizations who have gotten it right and made lots of money in the process. Where Customer Service is concerned, Sam Walton of Wal-Mart fame seems to have made a significant impact. The idea of initiating a greeting to patrons when they enter one of his stores has translated into a national and international retail expansion of massive proportions. Sam appears to have built a lucrative retail empire by simply acknowledging his customers. Indeed, tapping into the human experience seems elemental at Wal-Mart and customers shopping here have responded to being noticed, have responded to having their needs met, and most of all, they have responded to being appreciated. Another success story is the retail chain Nordstrom. Where Sam Walton has built his reputation delivering a simple greeting, Nordstrom continues to deliver superior customer service throughout the buying experience and beyond. Great service translates to wealth, expansion, identity and revenue. Acknowledging each sale, writing thank you cards, returning phone calls, calling for no reason at all - this seems to impress. If companies want your business, want your money, want your loyalty, perhaps they need to use contact methods that get your attention - in a positive way. Where many businesses have come and gone, even those investing millions in expensive technology and elaborate phone trees, it is clear that there has never been a substitute for a simple and well-delivered acknowledgement! The tin badge concept might not be necessary. Returning phone calls within 24-hours is a good thing. Returning E-mails within 24-hours is effective and efficient - the very least amount of effort. Saying hello to a client for no reason at all may feel awkward, but it can maintain and build the relationship. Phone trees have their place, but positive human contact can make all the difference when it comes to making business relationships lasting and memorable. Do you have clients that need to hear from you? Are you a client waiting to hear back from a vendor? Maybe today is a good day to send that client that E-mail you've been meaning to send, or even better, just call them and offer a quick hello! Link:Writeperformance.com

SPIRIT PERFORMANCE Decorated with Love By Ruth Karch Including our initial move when we first got married, our family has moved three times and is about to enact the fourth in 17 years. The other moves were difficult, but with this one I am in overwhelm. It happened too fast, and as one beloved friend once observed about me, I require a long gestation period. As a prelude to packing, I took a long soul-eyed look around. I was rewarded with an unexpected gift: the realization that I have made this house into a home. For the three years we lived here, I have been in constant guilt for not creating the nest I aspire to: Like my mother’s house in Pennsylvania, or my sister’s house in Ohio. Because the building itself does not suit our family’s needs (husband is a photographer, daughter is an artist, and I won’t bother to list the numerous inattributes because I have now come to love each and every one of them), I was frustrated in my attempts at homey-ness and warmth. I thought I had given up. It has only been in the last week – the first heart-clutch of saying good-bye – that I see that something sacred has taken place right before my closed eyes. This is a home of the first order, a cathedral, a site of miracles. Under this roof (that may or may not be leaking depending on how the wind is blowing the rain), we have had an 80th birthday, and also a 50th, 13th and 16th. Landmarks of endurance and blessings. We have written books and stories, drawn countless portraits, eaten hundreds of meals together (not all that easy since we have one vegan, one vegetarian, and one not). We have been healed of health and heart problems, great and small. We have royally entertained visitors in our humble surroundings, and maybe some of them have been angels. We also have complained and wished for better, and the universe responded. We are moving to a newer, more adequate house. Contracts have been signed; money has been exchanged. But our hearts don’t recognize legalities and signatures. They live here and aren’t quite ready to visit this place only in memory. Still something inside us is saying the time is right to move. Friends are saying to have faith, to have trust, to believe that all will be well. And while I’m a little worried about making the new house look nice and cozy, our old house has taught me that true warmth has nothing to do with furniture. Our family has its own interior design, and we’re going to take it with us wherever we go. Link:Writeperformance.com

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