I love to help people and animals. One of my rescues is Peter Parker (aka Spidey). He’s a jumper 😊 I adopted him when he was a few weeks old, and now he’s almost 15 years old.
Same day 12.27.22
This year, a few months after moving into a new place he ate something – I still dunno what. But he went from a playful carefree cat to practically not moving in a day.
I brought him to the vet immediately. His kidneys and liver were failing. Overnight, I picked him up gently, but he was inanimate. The vet was grim. “He’s stage 4 and won’t get better”. No more jumping, no more belly rubs, no more knocking everything off my home desk while playing.
That was the prognosis not the reality.
We brought him home with an IV bag that I learned how to administer to him. We were giving him a few days, and processing what was going on. The next day, he was a little better, and every day for weeks we gave him IV, other medication to entice his appetite, and he slowly became his playful self again.
The vet said, “he won’t make it to thanksgiving”, he did – in fact he’s back to stage 2, thriving, playful, flips over for belly rubs, and playing, he runs to eat food without medication or IV, although it’s standing by if need be. So, don’t accept the worst, better can happen.
Lola left, and Peter Parker right 12.27.22
But here he and his sister are waiting to be fed 16 & 14 years later. Everyday is a gift. They stay by me when I’m sick, they run to the door to greet me when I come home, they nudge their heads into mine when playing – we are family
I may have gone to the animal rescues to adopt them both, but in turn they have rescued me. All these years later I consider every moment good or bad, a gift from the universe.
As this year is coming to a close, I want to acknowledge how much they mean to me. They are part of my family, and as I’m writing this, the boy (old boy now) has situated himself on my lap.
You’ve worked and worked. Shown up, gone above and beyond at work, with friends and family too. You’ve volunteered for the food bank, and local toy drive, helped neighbors with packages, and driven them to appointments they forgot about, and they didn’t want to take a car service.
You’ve gone to holiday gatherings for over a month for work and with friends. You’ve networked with your business contacts, sent notes, emails, well wishes done everything possible to bring good will to others.
Work is great, your friends and family are great, you’ve taken care of your significant other. Now what ?
It’s YOU time, that’s what!
Don’t forget about Yourself. I learned 12 years ago (on my yoga mat) that taking time for yourself is Not selfish, it’s actually one of many self-less things you can do for yourself and others. Ummm hmhmmm – it’s true.
Say what now?
Take one hour for yourself Today in anyway you’d like. A walk, meditate, if you want movement involved – work out (today I worked out, then did yoga, later I’ll play a little golf), listen to music, take a bath, swim, read, write, play an instrument, play /practice a sport, but do it. Yes Today!
You should set aside time everyday for yourself. It doesn’t always need to be an hour, just set aside some “boundary time” (time you will not be disturbed). No kids, no family, no friends, no texting, no social media – just where you’re doing You, unplugged to reset. No bills, no cooking, no cleaning, no kids (even for 5 minutes), breathe…..
This brings you back to you, the best version of you gets to emerge from this practice because not only your wants are met, an intrinsic Need of Re-connecting with yourself occurs.
You don’t know what to pick? It doesn’t HAVE to be any one thing. Pick one thing a day to try. Try something new. I chose yoga, it was the single greatest thing I did, because I didn’t even know at that moment how much I needed it yet. I just wanted to get out of the house, be with people – and try a class at my new gym. This year, learning golf and its process has me in the same zone. It’s amazing.
After the new year I’m taking a 4 day completely unplugged break. No phone, no email, no phone calls (except for emergencies only). I haven’t had a break since COVID began. Working and living at home has crossed some serious time boundaries, every day seemed to run into the next until I set some boundaries.
Exception: In an emergency, “me” time can be interrupted – but the house better be on fire! Ok, maybe not literally on fire, but I think I’ve made my point.
And, if I haven’t made my point. My point is take a break before you do!
Everyone needs even a quick reset, make it a 5 minute a day practice to start (and build from there), I guarantee others will see a positive change in you before you do. You’ll be healthier and much happier.
You’re worth it, believe it, own it, be it. You have permission to just think of yourself for at least 5 minutes a day – for the rest of your life. Then, you can return to your job, following up on tasks, the carpool, doing the dishes, grocery shopping, cleaning up after your pets and loved ones.
This is not a New Year’s resolution. Leave all your worries and things to do outside a virtual or physical door. When I step onto my yoga mat or write, nothing else exists at that moment in time. I can compartmentalize with such focus that nothing else exists, it’s almost like being in a trance. There are hours I’ve easily written through, and stepped onto my yoga mat hundreds of times, hearing just the voice of the instructor, going through the entire class, moving through each Asana, and found myself at the end not even realizing that someone else was in the room with me. It’s transcendent. It’s transformative.
It’s what I didn’t even know that I needed. Permission. Permission to think of just that for that moment in time.
You have permission to break from the task filled universe and be selfish for yourself, then you can be of service and more of yourself with the world.
It’s not about being perfect; it’s about making progress. Every day, we are presented with opportunities to move forward and improve our lives. Sometimes, we take those opportunities and sometimes we don’t. But as long as we keep moving forward, even if it’s just a little bit each day, we are making progress.
As we evolve we hopefully become more self aware. We know what we want, and possibly more importantly we know want we don’t want for ourselves. We can still make “bad” decisions, but I have to believe that each decision one makes is based on a belief system or defense mechanism we each have built for ourselves. A belief platform that tells us over and over again of “how it’s supposed to be”. But is it right? Is there a ”right” way? Only one, or just the one you’ve come to believe in?
Take the holidays. Chanukah, the Festival of Lights. When you were a child it was one thing, as an adult is it another ? Does it mean as much? How have your beliefs changed in what it was or is? Have they changed? The same can be asked about Christmas as well. Goto church, pray, get gifts, gather and eat with family.
How do you deal with the holidays, family, family “friends”, new “friends”? Are you excited, stressed out, evasive, apathetic?
If you’re going to be uncomfortable being with family, you have permission to not go (or host).
In tech, we build software applications and systems, test them, then give them to others to test and “break”. We WANT them to find flaws so they can be fixed before a bigger problem is found. It’s an iterative process. Yes, sometimes frustrating, but usually satisfying especially if it’s an easy fix. No one expects it to be perfect.
Now imagine crafting your life that way. There is no right, there is no wrong, there just is. The good, the bad, the frustration, the elation all will pass, nothing is permanent. A moment from now you won’t be exactly the same person you were a moment ago, so quite possibly the NOW person doesn’t want or need what the person they were a moment ago needed.
My whole life changed again during COVID. One day I was living alone in a condo in northern NJ working 2 jobs commuting to NYC 6 days a week, and on March 9th, 2020 I shut down my section of MLB Advanced Media, a brand new multi-million dollar office, and have barely traveled to NYC again, even for fun. If you told me that – on that day at that moment, it didn’t seem like that something so extreme would even be possible. But it was.
The next day the entire team pivoted to be home based, and we got to work, and we made it work. In no small part of that equation we’re my bosses, who were and are stellar in every sense of the word. Was it seamless and perfect? Not even close. The whole team was clamoring for more work hours, but we all made due with what was given. It worked somehow.
In my off hours, which were now many, I began long walks outside, worked out more, went to the grocery store as little as possible, but when I did I wore my mask, came home took off my shoes at the door, washed the food, all the clothes I was wearing, and took a full shower. It was exhausting, but I didn’t get COVID.
I helped neighbors, and met with friends outside 6 feet apart, took care of my pets, and just kept moving forward. Was it perfect? Again, not by a long shot. I applied to any job I thought I could do remotely for months, I was about to lose my condo when I sold it and moved in with my boyfriend. I then also started a fully remote mainstream job for the first time in years. I was a fish out of water, but I learned about the people, the culture, the job, the technology, and the competition. It was all new like I was a beginner again, because in a certain way, I was. Tech in broadcasting was rapidly changing, evolve or die, I choose to live, and so I did.
Is it perfect now? Nope. It’s progress not perfection. I’m in a New home, with a great guy, great friends and family, a great job, still working out everyday. It got better and still gets better everyday. It’s been a long road but setting expectations and accepting where you’re at in that exact moment leads to a certain peace in life that perfection can’t deliver.
#OfferingHelp: Career Coaching, Volunteer Work, Business Email Writing
As website visitors, we are constantly bombarded with calls to action (CTAs). Some of these CTAs are more effective than others, but one that always grabs our attention is the “learn more” CTA.
Why is the “learn more” CTA so effective? There are a few reasons. First, it implies that there is more information to be had on the topic at hand. This can be appealing to curious visitors who want to know more about what they’re reading about.
Second, the “learn more” CTA doesn’t ask for much from the visitor. All it asks is that you click a button or link to learn more. It doesn’t require any commitment on the part of the visitor, which can be important when trying to convert someone into a customer or client.
If you want your CTAs to be effective, make sure you include a “learn more” option!
High impact emails can help businesses in a number of ways. They can improve communication, increase efficiency, and build relationships with customers and clients.
“All roads in the copywriting world lead back to emails…. “
This quote is from famous copywriter and marketer, Neil Patel. And it’s true! Email marketing is one of the most important tools in a copywriter’s toolkit.
Email marketing allows you to stay in touch with your audience, build relationships, and sell your products or services. It’s a powerful tool that can help you achieve your business goals.
So if you’re feeling stuck or lost in the world of copywriting, remember this quote and keep emailing!
For every $1 you spends on email marketing — you’ll gain $38 back.
The demand has been created from the standpoint that the most effective emails make real connections with real people — by offering to take them to information they’ve asked to see that’s relevant to their needs, wants, and desires.
Spam, clickbait, and other unethical email practices will never work to create personal connections or offer information that is relevant to customers.
Emails that are effective establish a link between what the company has to offer and what the customer needs in order to improve their life. They bridge the gap between businesses and consumers in a way that is mutually beneficial.
If you need help with writing, I would be more than happy to assist you. I offer high-quality writing services and can work with you to create the perfect piece of writing for your needs. Contact me if you’re interested in learning more or if you have any questions. You can contact me @ Nicole.Gabriel@gmail.com, or on LinkedIn.
Be here now. Being present, showing up, paying attention on a personal or work related phone call; Zoom, TEAMs, Chime, Blue Jeans, WebEx conference call where you’re camera is off and you’re muted, and “multitasking”. But are you really? Are you actually retaining the information while eating lunch, cooking dinner, surfing for a cool pair of shoes, or paying a bill? Let’s explore this a bit.
The TV is on with a show you’ve seen a hundred times. You get on your standard 9a call (whether it’s video or otherwise), and the coordinator goes over the agenda, then the meeting really begins. You don’t have to present anything on that particular day, soooooo you zone out, this content is as old as the TV show you have muted (with captions running in the background).
Change the dialog. The only way to do that is to listen, participate, oh and turn on you video camera at least while your asking a question, and especially if your pitching an idea, or presenting new material. It makes an impact. Don’t just literally show up and tune out, actively participate in the conversation, even if it is just in the chat box. You may find out an answer to a question that will help you later on.
This premise doesn’t stop at work, do you “multitask” at home while listening to your family while cooking dinner, Swiffering the floor, or considering where to place the decorations exactly? Did you remember that your spouse or significant other wouldn’t be home for dinner because they had an out-of-town client meeting that was going to run late?
Put down the skillet and spatula, turn off the TV, put down your phone, heck put it on silent mode! Stop surfing the net for that perfect pair of running shoes that are 80% off. Don’t answer every text immediately. It really can wait 5-20 minutes while you actually give the person your connected to the richly deserved time to connect in a real visceral way.
People are feeling more disconnected than ever since COVID. There’s a reason for that, and it’s not just the social distancing and masks. People have gotten so used to being separate, they’ve forgotten to be apart of something too.
This year, I’ve reconnected to many people through sports, but also just calling to say “hello, how are you?”. A simple act, but meaningful. Stringing small acts like that together can create a ripple in an isolated world. Take down the partition. Who cares if your hair and makeup aren’t perfect? It’s the authentic you, and your friends, family, colleagues, even people you haven’t met yet want YOU, the real you who is willing to give them 2 undivided minutes. You never know what the effect will be until you try. They and You deserve it.
If you’re not ready to get out into the full world yet, just pick up the phone, you don’t have to say anything else except “I was just thinking of you, and thought I’d call (instead of texting) to say hello.” What a statement! You’d hear the other person’s voice, tone, inflection, and I bet you’d raise their spirits, and yours as well too.
Don’t be afraid to take a chance. Leave a short message, don’t expect a response, not everyone else is ready / YET. Just take it easy on yourself, go moment by moment, then it’ll be a day, then the next, suddenly it’s months later, and you may have literally changed you life, by simply being present.
That's News To Me 