Blisstory Journal Question - Page 20

Did you have video games as a child?

Thirty some years ago (I choke at that thought) I played my first home video game. We didn’t have one in our house. With six kids, the last thing my parents would spend their dollars on would be a video game. My friend had one though. (He had everything!) We spent hours at his house playing “PONG”.

For those of you that don’t remember, “PONG” is one of the first home video arcade games, in black and white no less, two dimensional and is a video version of Ping Pong, created by Atari. Check out the picture of the original box. No interaction, simply pushing the buttons or turning the knobs to block the “ball” or bounce it back to your opponent.

Fast forward to 2009. Yesterday was Valentine’s Day. My husband bought the family (himself, mainly) the Wii. WOW!!!!! WII is Nintendo’s three dimensional home video game system that detects movement with wireless, handheld controllers. Talk about an advancement. The box, compared to the Atari Pong, is so small I didn’t even see it next to our TV.

Everything is so realistic. I woke up this morning sore in places I haven’t felt in years. We spent the day bowling, golfing, and playing baseball. The best part was, the whole family played; so did our guests. Everyone that came in got to create their own character, a Mii, and start playing. My niece, at 25, was so excited with the bowling. Her comment was, “I suck at real bowling! This is a great tool for building one’s self esteem.” She had the highest bowling score she’s ever had. (Maybe self esteem building should be Nintendo’s new sales pitch.)

A cool feature that I love is the way Nintendo created the team players and the crowds. Bowling is created in the likeness of a real bowling alley. There are bowlers on either side and the crowd sits behind you and cheers or boos, with comments like, “Good spare” and “Turkey” when you throw three strikes in a row. Baseball includes the characters you’ve created on your own system and apparently the crowd does the wave. What I love about the golf game is that it highlights the wind speed and you can adjust your stance accordingly. I bet Tiger Woods could certainly improve his game (if that’s even possible).

There are way too many features to get into in this blog. It’s amazing how advanced the games have become. Close your eyes and imagine where they will be in another 30+ years! Whew!!!!

Your Business On-Line: What's on your Website?

by Shanna K Moore on January 26, 2009 at 3:31am in Tech Talk for Websites & Bloggers, Marketing On-Line at the Mommy Millionaire Community

It does not take a technical genius to figure out the basics of a website. When you hit the home page of most sites, you will find a common structure of pages/buttonology, a few content pages which depend on what type of business/site you have, a contact page, links, blog, about us, etc..

No matter what your site consists of, the key is to allow visitors to become comfortable with who “you” are (you being the business). There are still a number of customers out there who need convincing that their on-line purchase is legitimate and that you are not going to sell their private information to the highest bidder. That among other reasons, such as the growing number of on-line competitors, I can safely tell you that the more your viewers get to know you, the more likely they are to make a purchase.

Just about everyone can afford to add one page to your website that gives your viewers something new to learn and see! I continually speak of newsletters, newsletters are an effective means of communicating with your target audience and most recently I wrote a piece on the importance of e-mail (see the latest mm magazine edition coming soon). Your website is one great opportunity for marketing, and a great place for “Newsletters”. It should be added as a regular feature from your home page. Make sure that the content on this page is 75% helpful information and 25% sales pitch. Content should be kept relative to your product or service. For instance, if you are selling lipstick, you don’t want to tell your customers how to type a thesis, or how bored you were at Aunt Mae’s last night. You should be talking about beauty tips, offering helpful information about how to relax and de-stress.

Why not offer an inspirational quote or a helpful tip? Make sure it’s a useful AND interesting tip, women who wear bright red lipstick will not be interested in your words of wisdom if you are posting “diapers are useful for small children under age 2”. Women who wear red lipstick want to read “Your lips will look 3 times their normal size if you mix cinnamon and lip balm and apply minutes before you put on a layer of luscious red lipstick”. With information like that, they will be sure to return for more!

Feature a helpful links (be sure to “swap” links with the sites you are listing—great marketing opportunity), these links should be helpful to your target audience and relative your business, WITHOUT being too competitive. If I were selling lipstick, I might add links to, Lancome, Tiffany’s, Lexus and ask them to return the favor (hey, anything is possible).

Give-Aways: Items should be relative to your product or service. I swear to you, that I was on line with a great site a few months ago. I loved this site, told my friends about it, told people I saw in the line at the grocery store. One day I entered a contest, and won! I honestly expected a free bath set or a yoga mat, as the nature of the site was relaxation, etc.. Imagine my surprise, when in the mail, I received a key chain flashlight. Talk about a let down. If I have a store selling lipstick, then I am going to give away a free makeup mirror, or a great makeup bag. These are things that cry for a red tube of lipstick to accompany it (this smacks of marketing effort, right?)

Another great opportunity is special offers. Victoria Secret has one special offer I never pass up, and that is the annual sale on their bras! Wouldn’t it be a famously fun idea to have a one day a year sale on the most fabulous red lipstick known to womankind? I would hold the sale the day before Valentines. During that sale, I would offer vouchers on my website, offering 5 tubes for $40! Right below the coupon announcement, I would feature some great items to accompany these tubes, such as hard to resist evening bags, lovely lighted mirrors, an amazing fragrance.

If you have gone to a site repeatedly, regardless of how appealing the site looks, if the site is never updated with new information, what are the chances that you will keep returning? Finding the time to update a site can be a challenge. I am guilty of this and most recently I have added updates to my calendar, scheduling routine updates is as important as any other appointment I have.

If you are a product oriented business, then featuring a new product on a regular basis is important. The home page of your site is a great place for a feature product, or on your “What’s New” page. You might consider posting a creative photo in a frame that draws attention. Add a descriptive paragraph.

So, as I continue growing my lipstick business, I realize the importance of creating opportunities to market my product on line, not only by way of links from other sites, or blogs, but by cross-selling opportunity, maintaining site traffic, and generating interest in my product, simply by fostering a relationship with my customer.

These are simple common practices, you most likely already knew about, but I felt compelled to highlight points maybe you have forgotten about, or hadn’t recently considered. I hope you have been inspired'

Blisstory question: What has been your most embarrassing moment?

This is “Priceless”

We’ve all had it, that sudden urge to “pee” at the wrong time. (If Oprah can say it so can we!) You know how it is after 4 cups of coffee and a long morning drive. This week, in the middle of Shawne Duperon’s (of Shawnetv.com) amazing presentation on Media, I had that unfortunate feeling over come me. As soon as I saw her turn around and get ready to go into her next subject I seized the opportunity to make my get away to the Ladies Room.Whew, what a relief (I know you know exactly what I'm talking about!)

Little did I know Shawne decided, in that moment, to do something she had never done on stage before. She graciously waited for her guest to return. Wow! That was an honor! She altered the process of her “spiel”- counting the minutes until I returned. Thank God I only had to “pee”.

Many people would have been embarrassed. Not me. Shawne Duperon has such amazing stage presence and delivers her information and message with so much enthusiasm and excitement that I didn’t want to miss a thing. During her presentation she shared unlimited resources and tips on how to get on T.V. and how to present yourself when being interviewed. She raced around the room in “reporter” fashion and truly gave us the perfect example of what happens in the day of a reporter. I was always on the edge of me seat, not because I had to “pee”, but because I was wondering what was coming next.

I am forever grateful to Shawne not just for honoring me but for leading me ever closer to my dream. We rehearsed with a real camera, at which time Shawne guided (not so gently) on stature, facial expression, tone of voice and so much more. As a perpetual student of life, I appreciated the words she delivered regarding, “where I need to be with myself before I jump in front of the camera.” I am embracing the “assignments” and “lessons” she gave all of us and know that when my time comes to be in the “limelight” I’ll be a little bit more at ease – thanks to Shawne.

Thanks for the “priceless pee moment", Shawne, and for sharing your incredible knowledge with us all! I’m sending love right back at ya!

Oh, and I would totally embrace Bruce Springsteen stopping his preformance so I could go to the ladies room! Woo Hooo...go Pittsburgh

Confirmed Chocoholic

Chocoholic

Yes, I will stand on the podium and confess – I am a chocoholic! In an effort to become healthy, for over two years my husband and I stopped eating sugar all together, including chocolate. We gave up everything processed. This year, though, on Thanksgiving, we decided we’d binge a little. Both of us have been binging ever since – that’s almost seven weeks ago.

We’ve made a commitment to each other to go back to that lifestyle; however, I’m not giving up my weekly dose of chocolate. And the perfect place to feed my addiction is Sweet Essentials, located in downtown Berkley, Michigan.

When I was growing up my brother brought my mom Sydney Bogg ‘s Chocolates on special occasions. To my mom, I’m sure every weekend was a special occasion. I remember them so well – sweet, creamy, gooey and delicious! The look on my mom’s face was orgasmic! Guess what ladies and gentlemen, Sweet Essentials is the only place you will find the original recipes from Sydney Bogg 's Chocolates. The owners, Lisa, Gary and Debbie, grew up working at the chocolate factory and relive their childhood every day, in a big way! They are the best chocolatiers in town, maybe even the Universe!

My friend Kim and I stopped at Sweet Essentials this week. Kim was awestruck; she didn’t even know you could still grab a Sydney Bogg’s Turtle. She had never tasted anything so delightful. As I watched her savor every last tiny morsel of her mint wafer, I took my vow to not give up chocolate and make Sweet Essentials a regular stop on my way home. I believe I will create my own chocolate of the month club. This month, of course I brought my husband turtles, but I also couldn’t pass up the chocolate cashew cluster. WOW! The perfect mix of chocolate, cashews and caramel! My husband said it was better than Bear Claw Ice Cream – now that’s a compliment!

Here’s to Sweet Essentials – anyone interested in joining my chocolate of the month club? I’m thinking the first Saturday of the month works pretty darn good, maybe the second, third and fourth Saturday’s too…No Chocoholics Anonymous for me!

Better get started on that Valentines Day order. Don’t forget to have some ordered for me!!! Just tell Sweet Essentials The Bliss Lady sent you!!

http://www.sydneyboggs.com/

http://www.theblissnetwork.com/

Home of the Blisstory Journal - the perfect companion for your box of Sydney Boggs chocolates.

An answer to a Blisstory question

"Write about the loss of someone close to you…"
submitted by Bliss Networker, Jeff Williams

I never thought about it much before reading this question, but I guess I should consider myself very lucky. Until this year I had never experienced the death of someone close to me.

I’ve witnessed car accidents where people have died, but I wasn’t close to them. I’ve been through hurricanes, tornadoes and all sorts of natural disasters, and people have died there too, but I wasn’t close to them. In high school some kids died in a car accident, but I wasn’t close to them either.

As a kid my Aunt died of cancer when she was 40, but I wasn’t close to her. My sister died when she was an infant, but I wasn’t close to her. My Uncle died of some rare disease he contracted while he was fighting in World War II, but I wasn’t close to him. All my Grandparents have died, one by one over the years, but I wasn’t really very close to any of them.

Through my line of work I have seen people have heart attacks and strokes, been stabbed or shot, cut in half by a train or burned to a crisp in a fire…but I wasn’t close to any of them.

You see, it isn’t that I haven’t seen more than my fair share of misery in my 47 years, it’s just that I’m really not that close to very many people.

This year though, my streak has sadly ended.

In August my Mother died after a short, but devastatingly painful bout with cancer. She was not young, like so many of the others that I have witnessed dying were. She was not a victim of a crime or a natural disaster. To the firefighter who transported her to the hospital, I’m sure that like so many times in my life, she was just another patient that he knew wouldn’t make it.

I won’t go into the details of her death, that’s not what really matters. What really matter are the details of her life. She was a friend, companion and wife to my Dad for 33 days shy of 55 years. She was the Mother to four children, three of which were at her bedside as she drew her last breath. She was a Grandmother, an Aunt, and a Sister. She was a devoted religious woman who’s last words uttered were the prayer of Last Rites.

To me she was more than a Mother; she was a friend and confidant. Even though we were at opposite ends of the political spectrum, we respectfully argued our viewpoint, knowing of course that each of us was right. We both loved to cook and often shared recipes or tips. We both enjoyed spirituality, again very differently, but with a mutual respect for each others different take on life.

Yes, my Mother was a lot of different things to a lot of different people, but to me, this year, she was the first person that I was truly close to that I have lost.

Living Blissfully

When I think about the year ahead, my thoughts are on spending 2009 with as much bliss as possible. I am determined to steadily move in the direction of my dreams.

How do I do it? I had a great teacher!

My father was with the same company for 36 years as an analyst. He was also actively involved with the union, as a benefits representative. Every day before he left for the office he brought me breakfast and coffee, with a smile. He “chauffeured” anyone to the office that needed a ride. He would drop everything when a co-worker needed a hand and still accomplish his own “goal” of finalizing each project, with excitement and enthusiasm. He gave me an incredibly solid foundation for building a bright future; a future that includes supporting my work “team” to the best of my abilities.

My top ten tips for living and working blissfully are:

B Believe - Believe in the possibilities
L Live - Live your day as if it’s your last
I Inquire - Ask lots of questions. Knowledge is power
S Smile - Smiling is contagious
S Supportive - Be of help to others in your environment.
F Feed - Start your day with a healthy breakfast
U Upbeat - Embrace each day with enthusiasm and excitement
L Laugh - Laugh at life, it’s supposed to be fun
L Love - Love for yourself, love for others
Y Yes - Say yes more than you say no

Make a choice to live your life with more bliss than you can possibly imagine.
By setting that intention, you will find that your day, whether at work or play, is much more enjoyable!

As Joseph Campbell said, “Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls!”

Bliss List

For the last seven years I have spent my New Years Eve sitting in a fire station, waiting for the annual fireworks at midnight. It’s the one night a year that is a mandatory “work night” for my husband. Some years a few of our children join us; most years it’s just the two of us and 2009 other crazy people watching the clock in the city square as it ticks away to midnight.

While he was out inspecting, I took the opportunity to focus on my “Bliss List”, everything bliss past, present and future. Some of the “bliss full” thoughts that came to mind were; coffee, chocolate, good books, helping friends, sending smiles, walks in the cold (with my husband to keep my hands warm,) crying at good movies, New York with my daughter, chatting with my son, the best play I’ve ever seen, Wicked, Christmas with my family, girl talk, remote car starters, puppies, comfy sheets, amazing elections.

In 2008 I loved a job, left a job, found myself back at my kitchen table and wrote a book. I honored my niece on the one year anniversary of her life changing accident, by giving her the first copy of The Blisstory Journal; hers is truly a bliss full history, a Lifetime Movie in the making. I watched my son leave for the military and rejoiced when he returned home, for good. I celebrated homecoming nomination with my 17 year old daughter. I made snow angels, went hiking, laughed hysterically, ate cake and drank espresso. I grieved for friends lost and celebrated with new found friends. I loved beyond my wildest dreams and am here with my husband to share it all!

This is my Blisstory. What’s on your bliss list? Send it on to: Sharemybliss@theblissnetwork.com

Blissfully yours!!! Teri