TODAY IS ELECTION DAY!!!
Not tomorrow, . . . TODAY! November 4th!

If you have concerns about:
The Economy
Global Warming/Climate Change
Health Care
Taxes
The Troops
Your Job Security
Your Family’s Well-Being
The National Deficit
Gas Prices
Retirement
Gun Control
Your Freedoms
Our Country and Its People - YOU

This is YOUR opportunity to be heard.

YOUR VOTE COUNTS!!!

No matter who you support and what you believe, voice your concerns by casting your ballot today. Take Action! Because . . . .

YOU MATTER.

And if you’re worried about the long lines - carpool with a few friends and “talk story” while you wait, bring a good book or that magazine that you’ve been wanting to read, take your ipod and listen to podcasts, meet a new friend on line. . . Don’t let anything get in the way.

Voting is your right as a US citizen. It is a privilege. It is a service. It is a gift.

I’ll see you at the polls!
Susan

Anger is a good thing.
Or rather, it is an emotion that can have positive benefits that too often (and perhaps too readily) are looked upon negatively. Anger can be unnerving and uncomfortable, but totally getting rid of anger would mean that you won’t have that certain mechanism to help self-preservation, establishing healthy boundaries, determining wants and needs, and just not getting hurt overall.

Anger can protect us from that which may be harmful.

The “problem” or issue of anger comes into play when people react with anger inappropriately or for manipulative and self-serving reasons; when anger becomes abusive. Oftentimes when we react “in anger” the result is a shift from anger to a feeling of guilt, resentment, embarrassment or even more anger. Then THESE emotions can feed on themselves and exacerbate the problem. Other times you might derive a sense of relief and release from the stress.

Either way, understanding your emotions and being able to process and control them is a part of Self Care. It follows that when we take care of ourselves, we are mentally and emotionally better able to address various challenges throughout our day. However, on the flip side, understanding our own patterns of emotions, especially anger, allows us to practice Self Care more fully as well.

The key is to understand where the anger is coming from, identify it and then learn how to appropriately express (or not express) that anger.

What are some ways you “manage” your anger?

Make Happiness Yours,
Susan

Last month PARADE (the Sunday paper insert) featured an article, “The Truth About American Marriage” by Leslie Bennett. Initially,  I thought, “uh-oh!” In the media we often hear about break-ups, affairs, divorce, and other unsettling stories of betrayal in all kinds of relationships across our country.

Whenever I hear about more negativity in relationships, I wonder, “What is going on?”
I have a wonderful relationship with my husband, . . . well, today. . .
I say that with tongue in cheek. but more so because that’s the way relationships work - there are ups and downs; some days he’s Mr. Wonderful, other days he’s “the last straw” but EVERY day I love him and we are both committed to each other, no matter what track of the rollercoaster we happen to have fallen that day.

This is just as true in a friendship just as it is true in any intimate relationship.

So, as I sat to read, I braced myself for some more negative news. . . but then, I was pleasantly surprised! Read the rest of this entry »

Usually this time of year makes me think of learning and creating. I think with school starting, I’ve always identified the Autumn with something new and exciting - a new class, a new teacher, new experiences. There’s a change in the air.

However, now that I am no longer in school, I create ways of learning and bringing new experiences to my life.

Someone once told me that once you stop learning, you’re dead.

I’m sure there are several ways to read that statement, but to me, it means if we cease to grow, to expand or to learn, we cease to exist. If you’ve ever been in a “rut” of any kind, you know what I mean. You feel stagnant, bored, tired. The memory might conjure up feelings of being one of the “living dead;” walking around and “doing” without actually LIVING.

In order to stay inspired, to take action and to move toward what you REALLY want in life, oftentimes it entails learning - learning something new, different or just discovering something within ourselves.

Recently I joined a book club and that has inspired me to read books that I normally would not have otherwise. I have to admit sometimes it takes a little while to build up the momentum, but once it starts to roll, it’s great!

I encourage you, especially if you ARE in a rut, to take the opportunity to create some excitement in the air by learning/doing something new.

It will open doors to new worlds and most likely will be fun!

Share your ideas to get inspired, find creativity and get motivated!
Would love to hear how YOU get out of your rut!

Looking forward,
Susan
Susan Kim Coaching
Supporting You To Take Action!

We have some friends in town who just completed what’s called a Channel Swim. If you’re not familiar with this, it is an open water swim where you start from one island and swim to another. In this case it is the Maui Channel Swim, an event that starts from the island of Lanai and finishes on Maui. The distance is about 9 miles and our friends are on a team of six who are swimming as a relay.

Some people think they’re CRAZY!
I think they’re AMAZING!

Based on my own experience with open water swimming - it is NOT easy.
You have to contend with the waves, the current, the wind and the depth (which personally freaks me out!). And then there are the critters (like sharks) that you hope won’t come up from under you and say “hello.”

Swimming the Channel is not only a physical challenge, it is definitely a MENTAL one as well.

Watching the Olympics last month, I saw this phenomenon happening again and again. . .

So this post is simply to say “You ROCK!”
To anyone that has faced their fear and beat it.
To anyone that has beaten the odds.
To anyone that has done something that many others are unwilling to do.
To anyone that has been called crazy and persevered.
To anyone that has overcome a physical challenge with mental strength.

You TOTALLY ROCK!
You’re a HERO!
And an INSPIRATION.

What are your stories of amazing feats?
Share them here and spread the inspiration!

With Thanks,
Susan

“Talk Story with SCORE” Where We Support Akamai Business.
Maui’s ONLY monthly radio show that offers an informative half hour of business information and resources in the state of Hawaii focusing on the county of Maui. Hear business advice and shared experiences from local business resources, SCORE counselors, and business owners who have successfully started a business with the help of SCORE.

OCTOBER 1st, 2008
GUEST - Steve Rose, Business Enrichment Consultant and SCORE Counselor
Steve Rose and Susan Kim will discuss marketing and how to leverage different strategies during economic high’s and low’s.

WHEN TO TUNE IN:
DATE: Wednesday, October 1, 2008
TIME: 12noon
LOCATION: KAOI, 1110am Radio (Maui)

“Talk Story with SCORE” Where We Support Akamai Business.
Maui’s ONLY monthly radio show that offers an informative half hour of business information and resources in the state of Hawaii focusing on the county of Maui. Hear business advice and shared experiences from local business resources, SCORE counselors, and business owners who have successfully started a business with the help of SCORE.

SEPTEMBER 3rd, 2008
GUEST - Jeanette Tan, Quickbooks Expert and SCORE Counselor
Jeanette Tan and Susan Kim will discuss “money” - keeping track of your dollars and cents and how to utilize best practices in your business.

WHEN TO TUNE IN:
DATE: Wednesday September 3, 2008
TIME: 12noon
LOCATION: KAOI, 1110am Radio (Maui)

Talking about technology this month has brought out the “geek” in me – who doesn’t like the bright and shiny objects that dangle in front of us? However, sometimes we purchase the “upgrade” just because it’s there, not necessarily out of purposeful intention or because it is a good choice.

The important questions to ask yourself are:
How does it benefit your life TODAY?
Does it upgrade your lifestyle?
What systems in your life need to be “tweaked?”

Distinguishing between trinkets that serve you and enhance your life VS. those that make your life more difficult and stressful, is a great tool to have. It helps you to make choices on a daily basis that suit you and makes life EASIER for you.

Make Happiness Yours,
Susan

Technology used to benefit our self care can make a huge difference in how we organize and plan.

1 1/2 years ago when I changed from carrying a separate cell phone and palm pilot to ONE Palm Treo that served both for me, it was the best thing I could have done! I had always utilized various systems to help me organize - Franklin Covey, Day Planners, the Palm Pilot – but the Palm Treo helped me take it one step further and really helped me be more efficient throughout my week.

The fact that I have all my contacts in one place makes it easier to update/revise and/or access my contact information. It was cumbersome to maintain when I had three separate places for my contacts: my pda, my cell phone AND my contact software on my laptop. Now it’s all in once spot, saving me time, energy and sweat! With the extra time, I do a little more yoga or walk my dog.

TAKE ACTION! CHALLENGE:
Life does not have to be hard work. Instead of working hard to maintain technology, let technology work hard for you.
How can you improve your daily “system” to incorporate technology for you to enhance your life, to “upgrade” life?

Another example would be my coffee maker. I purposely bought a coffee maker with the brew timer. It’s easier for me to set up the coffee the night before and have fresh brewed coffee ready for me in the morning when I wake up! Now I just have to get someone to bring it to me in bed. . .

Make Happiness Yours,
Susan

Sometimes technology doesn’t serve us, no matter how bright and shiny the object might be. Sometimes we “upgrade” just for the sake of upgrading, which doesn’t always benefit us.

Made me really stop to think about some other things in my life that I do on “automatic” that does not serve me TODAY. For example:

• Membership renewals – some I don’t take full advantage of the membership.
• Cell phone package – I can find a better, more efficient minute plan based on my usage.
• Our recycling bins – we tend to save up more bottles before we drop them off (we don’t have local pick up), and our old system just doesn’t work any more.

It could also be “bigger” things, like financial planning. Usually we just plug in money to our retirement plans and forget about it. This is something that is also on automatic that may need a little “tweaking” TODAY – depending on your lifestyle and financial goals.

TAKE ACTION!
What other things in your life need a little tweaking?
Getting into “automatic” mode can be beneficial when we set up systems to make our lives easier. However, sometimes we get comfortable and continue along the same path, even if it doesn’t necessarily make sense any more. It’s always a good idea to periodically review and revise so that you keep what is relevant to your life TODAY – and discard those things that are not.

Make Happiness Yours,
Susan