WOW 6th Anniversary & Sale
July 28, 2010 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW 6th Anniversary & Sale
WOW! I can’t believe it’s been six years since I wrote my first Word-Of-the-Week. To celebrate, I am offering my “FUN-damentals of the Secrets of Service” book for only $6.00. Such a deal! For that price you can afford to get one for your friends, family & staff. Just hit the reply button and let me know how many you’d like.
UPCOMING EVENTS –
- August 27th I am speaking for the Community Associations Institute in San Diego
- September 3rd to October 15th we will be having FUN in Africa. We are going to 5 countries and doing 2 safaris. You can follow our adventures at my https://fun-damentals.com/category/travel/ blog
- March 3rd, 2011 – Once again I will be back at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas.
If you want to attend any of my programs just let me know.
I want to thank everyone for the very positive feedback and input you have all given me and I encourage everyone to keep sending me your thoughts.
Until then I hope you have FUN & fabulous rest of your year! Susan
Reader Responses
“Congrats on 6 years! You should be very proud of that accomplishment, i sure enjoy your weekly WOW word I share with my staff weekly. I will take advantage if this great special and take 15 books. I will give each staff member a copy! Keep up the great job, it is very inspirational and motivating for me and my staff.” – Jeff
“Congratulations on your 6th Anniversary! And many more years to come. Please send me 1 book for now. Have fun in Africa… (waka waka hey hey – sorry now when I hear something about Africa, I think of Shakira’s song from the world cup) Talk to you soon.” – Linda
WOW Word-Of-the-Week #313: Narcissist
July 28, 2010 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #313: Narcissist
Narcissist – excessive love or admiration of oneself.
Are you aware of Mel Gibson’s latest media moment? Have you ever been verbally assaulted? Have you ever known a narcissist?
David Brooks of the NY Times wrote an article titled, “The gospel of Mel Gibson.” In it he wrote the best description of a narcissist I have ever seen. “The narcissistic person is marked by a grandiose self-image, a constant need for admiration and a general lack of empathy for others. He is the keeper of a sacred flame, which is the flame he holds to celebrate himself.”
“His self-love is his most precious possession. He is hypersensitive about anybody who might splatter or disregard his greatness. If someone threatens his reputation, he regards this as an act of blasphemy. He feels justified in punishing the attacker for his moral outrage. Everyone gets angry when they feel their self-worth is threatened, but for the narcissist, revenge is a holy cause and a moral obligation, demanding overwhelming force.”
Interestingly there is a book titled, “The Narcissism Epidemic” where they cite data that suggests since the 1970s we have suffered from national self-esteem inflation. “In 1950, thousands of teenagers were asked if they considered themselves an ‘important person.’ 12% said yes. In the late 1980s, another few thousand were asked. This time, 80% of girls and 77% of boys said yes.”
Having grown up feeling that I had to always prove myself, this didn’t really surprise me. If I had a child I would encourage them to have a healthy self-esteem. The key is making sure they have a healthy understanding of empathy to go along with it.
What do you think? If you have been verbally attacked did you take it personally? Can you understand and accept that narcissists really have low self-esteem? Could you view the attacker as someone who lacks empathy? Could you feel compassion instead of anger?
Reader Responses
“I love this one.” – Ken
“At the risk of you thinking I am blowing smoke…this is the BEST piece yet on a narcissiam. I have read a number of articles about this subject…most recently they pertained to our beloved President. However, your use and description did all of us who read… a favor. (The Mel Gibson set up did prompt me to read more thoroughly.” – PC in Tennessee
“Good job! Roger and I really enjoy David Brooks and I just about agree with him on everything. I enjoy his debate time on Fridays on PBS with Washington Week in Review, and on PBS radio. I did read his article on narcissism. He’s got a good one in the paper today. One correction – you probably meant to write sacred flame instead of scared flame. It is important to love oneself in order to be whole. But there is a fine line between the self-esteem that self-love brings and making it your most important possession to the exclusion of the more important love, love of our brotherly man (and woman). I too am guilty of taking things to personally and I am trying to work on it. I pray for others when I feel attacked but it still makes me angry when I feel it’s unjustified. Or hurt. Or both. We all have to work on not looking for insult but trying to look deeper into the issue at hand.” – Elaine
“I love this-we have one in our family!” – Katie
New 7 Wonders of the World Runner Ups: 2005 – 2007
July 22, 2010 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on New 7 Wonders of the World Runner Ups: 2005 – 2007
NYC & Dennis Haysbert
There were twenty-one landmarks that were up for the New Seven Wonders of the World. It is our goal to see all of them. We decided that Timbuktu (once one of the world’s richest cities, in Mali, Africa) isn’t one we care to venture to. But hey, we think we will go there when we do Morrocco since it’s fairly close. Also, Chris and I have collectively seen a lot of the twenty, however, not together. So the rule is, we go back and see all of them together!
1. Statue of Liberty, New York harbor – In June, 2005, we went to New York for the book sellers show and spent a week seeing all the sites and three plays. Ran into Dennis Haysbert at Nobu (who was then playing President Palmer on 24) right after I had just got my first pair of Monolo Blahniks across the street. (Clearly watched too much Sex in the City) LOVE that show and New York City!
Sydney Opera House
2. December 30, 2005, we went to Sydney. I didn’t want to go unless I could see and be a part of the most fabulous fireworks of anywhere in the World. Thanks to the advice of my niece Mary (who had gone the year before) we got to experience them in a boat in Sydney harbor. On top of that, our boat was one of the ones that got to be a part of the Parade of Lights!
Hagia Sophia
3. May 2007, we went to Istanbul, Turkey and saw the Hagia Sophia. Famous for its massive dome, it’s considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have “changed the history of architecture.” It was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520.
4. We left Istanbul and cruised the Greek Islands before we ended up in Athens where we went to see the Acropolis, a flat-topped rock that rises 150 m (490 ft) above sea level in the middle of the city. Known as the “Sacred Rock” it is topped by the Parthenon.
The Acropolis
WOW Word-Of-the-Week #312: Dependent
July 20, 2010 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #312: Dependent
Dependent – relying on someone or something else for aid, support, etc.
Would you consider yourself to be dependent or independent? Do you rely on others for support? Is there anything in your life that you could not live without?
This week I had a big surprise when I read an AP article written by Seth Borenstein titled, “Curbing oil usage could mean some massive sacrifices.” He writes, “Has the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico got you so mad you’re ready to quit Big Oil? Ready to park the car and take up bike riding or walking? Well, your bike and your sneakers have petroleum products in them.”
And so does just about everything we use. Have any fans in your house? How about insulation? I had no idea how dependent our society is on oil.
“Oil is everywhere. It’s in carpeting, furniture, computers and clothing. It’s in the most personal of products like toothpaste, shaving cream, lipstick, deodorant and vitamin capsules. Petrochemicals are the glue of our modern lives and even in glue, too. Because of that, petrochemicals are in our blood.”
“Many of those chemicals are disrupting the human hormone system. They accumulate in the human body and they persist in the environment. The problem is science isn’t quite sure how bad or how safe they are. But plastics also do good things. They are lighter than metals and help create cars that save fuel.” Pretty ironic, huh?
This week think about how dependent you are on oil. Could you live without your computer, cell phone, bottled water or air conditioning? Do you remember the days when soft drinks and milk came in glass bottles and we reused them? Maybe that whole “buy organic and natural” trend isn’t such a bad idea?
“My husband is one of the original recyclers, long before it was popular. His first business, the junk business (or surplus as Alan calls it) was all recycled items before he got into just new metals. My daughter and her husband are into organic and natural big time. Her soaps are organic and natural. I bring the recycled items home from the beach house because the beach doesn’t do recycling. So we might use a lot more plastic but more and more of it is being recycled. I also don’t buy nearly as much bottled water. I put in filtered water at home and I use the filtered pitcher at the beach and give everyone a glass. We all need to be more aware of whatever we can do to use less oil in this country. Thanks for your article. It will make others think on how to improve on the amount of waste we create.” – Elaine
WOW Word-Of-the-Week #311: Rich
July 14, 2010 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #311: Rich
Rich – having an abundant supply.
What does the word rich mean to you? Does rich mean that you have a lot of material wealth? Does rich mean you want for nothing? Does rich mean you have an abundant life? Do you think of yourself as being rich?
This week my ninety-one-and-a-half-year-old father fell. He was outside watering and lost his balance going down two steps. He lives by himself and didn’t tell anyone until the next day. He said, “Oh, it’s just a little sprain.” It didn’t even occur to him to call the doctor. Well good news – his family did!
And bad news – turns out he fractured his ankle. This is his first broken bone and good news – his doctor said, “I see men in their sixties who wish they had bones as good as yours.” But bad news – he can’t put any wait on it for a minimum of four weeks. That means he can’t live alone.
Salina
Good news – my brother found Salina! She is from Kenya and has been in the US for two years and works as a live-in caregiver. She is absolutely delightful and my dad is grateful to have her to help him get around as well as cook for him.
We are going to Africa in September, so Salina and I had much to talk about. But then we got to talking about her life here and her impressions of America. She said to me, “Everyone in the US is rich.” To which I replied, “Why do you say that?” And she said, “Everyone has running water. Everyone has electricity. And no one goes for a week without food like they do in my home town.” And then my husband chimed in, “The reason we are rich is because we have freedom.”
Based on that assessment, then yes everyone in America is rich. And this week I want you to focus on how rich you are. Would you agree that material things don’t make us rich? Do you wake up in the morning feeling grateful that you live here? Are you rich with wonderful relationships?
Reader Responses
“Yes I feel rich, I’m richly blessed to be able to have freedom and peace of mind, and to be able to worship as I please. Many people in this country take a lot of things for granted; many of us need to reevaluate our lives. Glad to hear your Dad will be fine. Have a great day.” – Mona
“I just heard about Whitey. I am so sorry that happened to him but it’s wonderful you have Salina. This was a very good message and Salina and Chris are so right. We’re all rich in this country and it is because we are free.” – Elaine
“God Bless Salina, Prayers and blessings to Salina with the beautiful smile. How rich she made you and your Father’s life. Rich has many great meaning!” – Linda
“Great story, hope your dad heals fast, or at least as fast as a 91 1/2 year can. My mom just turned 90, lives in an assisted care facility, but is generally able to take care of herself. We are very lucky….on so many levels! I guess compared to others around the world, we are very lucky and rich!!!!” – Dick
“Wow, your dad sounds just like my 92 year old grandfather who lives in Corpus Christi, Texas but you wouldn’t think he looks 92 if you saw him. He still works very hard outside and when he goes out, he makes sure his clothes are all pressed and shoes are shined. Even though the Texas Department of Transportation told him he should not be driving, he still gets in his car and travels to San Antonio to visit. He just doesn’t drive at night. But my mom worries about him because he gets bumps and bruises, falls, and we never hear about it until weeks after it happens. Then my mom would ask him, “What did the doctor say?” and he replies, “Oh, I didn’t go, I took care of it myself.” He feels great and he doesn’t believe just because he’s 92 that he should act like he’s 92. Do you know what I mean?” – Linda
“This is the type of perspective more of us need to focus on rather than using material accumulation/designer collections/lavish lifestyle etc. as a measuring stick. Of course, some of this switch in values comes with age so I try to stress the fact that intangibles become much more important as you age to my younger relatives who are caught up in so much of the materialism of today. Thanks for the WOW’s.” – Bonnie