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Dear Friends of Balancing Act,
What fun it's been this month, reading tales of dogs gone bad - eating everything from stairs to raspberry patches. There could have been no better anniversary celebration of The Dog Ate My Planner. The winner of my "Your Dog Ate What?" Contest is Joan Moos of Westerville, Ohio, who wrote a delightful poem about a dog named Tipper whose eating rampage was sparked by his owners' trip out of town. Click here for her verse about what Tipper ate. If you are not Joan Moos, take heart. There are plenty of other ways to be a winner - from discovering your strengths to prioritizing your time by the numbers. You can even win by helping others navigate the holidays in a more joyful way. Finally, if you're willing to spend 12 minutes on some powerful inspiration, let the oldest Holocaust survivor in the world tell you how music and optimism can bring happiness under any circumstances. Read on.... Pat
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What are your natural talents?
There's nothing like having the wind at your back to make life seem easier. Working from a place of natural talent can make the time fly and keep boredom at bay.
Too often, though, instead of playing our strengths, we focus excessively on the arduous task of fixing our weaknesses.
Enter an assessment tool from Gallup called StrengthsFinder 2.0 that will let you know, based on an online test, what your five top natural talents are and how to use them to advantage in your work and personal life. It can be an especially effective job search tool in cooperation with a coach who can help craft resumes and interview approaches to land positions you'll most likely thrive in.
The tool is already working to make lawyers happier. The Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University offers it to help law students hone in on their best fits in the practice.
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Crazy Busy? CrazyBusy Chart Might Help
 Does prioritizing your activities seem as elusive as nailing jelly to the wall?
If you'd like to try a left-brain approach, Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., has developed one, in the form of a chart that scores each thing you do in terms of time, effort, fulfillment and necessity to calculate what he calls a "Worth-It Factor."
The chart's online if you'd like to give it a try. It provides for a Worth-It score for everything from compulsive Internet use (which he calls "Screen-Sucking") to lovemaking, or you can fill in your own categories.
If you're not into scoring, the book is "worth it" for its interesting discussion on how the disease called modern life approximates the symptoms of attention deficit disorder.
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Alice Still Dancing
 OK. Time is limited. And normally videos shared in this newsletter are no more than three minutes. But in celebration of her 107th birthday next month, please find time to settle in and spend a dozen minutes with Alice Herz Sommer, the world's oldest Holocaust survivor.
Alice, who proclaims that music is God, begins each morning by playing Bach. She's convinced that music and optimism are keys to happiness under any circumstances.
And who can argue with her? It was music and optimism that got her through the rigors of a concentration camp. Sit back and be prepared to be inspired by her strong spirit. This video is a trailer for a new independent film, "Alice Dancing Under The Gallows."
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Holiday wisdom, please....
 It's that time again. Thanksgiving's almost here, then the winter holidays, whatever yours may be.
Does that make you squeal with joy? Squeal with something else? Do you have some survival tips to share?
Since we're all in this together, take a moment to complete the Balancing Tips Holiday Survey, and we'll share our collective wisdom in the November issue.
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Leash Law No. 22: Take Time To Laugh
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Studies show that mirthful laughter, a good, old-fashioned belly laugh, can do wonders for us physically and emotionally. Join a laughter club or become a certified laughter leader (CLL) yourself so you can help others to laugh their way happy and healthy. To find a laughter club near you, or find out how to become a CLL, check the World Laughter Tour website.
Ths is one of 74 leash laws offered in "The Dog Ate My Planner: Tales and Tips from an Overbooked Life."
Copyright 2010 Pat Snyder |
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INSPIRING
LAWYER
HAPPINESS
If you know a lawyer whose life is overloaded and would like to lighten the load, Pat is offering a free confidential coaching session to help sort things out. She'll be using the Co-Active Coaching method, which relies on the use of powerful questions for problem-solving. Pat, a lawyer herself, would like to see more happy lawyers in the world. Please forward this on to your favorite counselor to help spread the word. Lawyers can e-mail her to schedule a 45-minute appointment by phone anywhere or in person in the Columbus, OH area.
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HOLIDAY
STAFF
GIFTS
Stumped on what to buy your staff for the holidays? How about a light-hearted look at life? Pat's offering autographed, gift-wrapped copies of her book The Dog Ate My Planner. E-mail her for bulk rates. Orders must be in by Tuesday, December 14 - while supplies last.
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LIFE BALANCE
PRESENTATIONS!!
Pat's taking bookings now for life balance speeches and workshops, writing workshops, and laughter programs, all described on her website.
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