I've been badly neglecting this blog because I've been a bit pre-occupied with my marathon and fundraising these days. However, I'm happy to report that I'm more than halfway there, both training distance-wise and fundraising-wise!
I've been a bit better about updating my marathon blog, Crawl, Carol, CRAWL!!! at http://crawlcarolcrawl.blogspot.com lately. If you hop over there, you can read not only about my progress, but about my adventures and misadventures along the way, and you get the added bonus of seeing some goofy-looking pictures of me in my running attire. You can also check out my Crawl, Carol,CRAWL!!! Cafepress.com shop
(http://www.cafepress.com/crawlcarolcrawl) while you're there.
Since I last updated this blog, I've participated in my first 10K race (I came in 3,448th out of 3,464, which actually isn't bad, considering that I entered as a walker, and not as a runner), have walked the distance of a half marathon (and lived to tell about it), and have been totally amazed at the kindness and generosity of total strangers. The Universe seems to be totally with me on this effort! Equally amazing are the cancer survivors among our team members. They blow me away and they can kick some serious butt, too!
I still have a long way to go before marathon day, but two years and 85 lbs ago, I never would've thought any of this was even remotely possible! If you would like to make a donation to help support the efforts of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training on my behalf, you may do so at http://tinyurl.com/crawlcarolcrawl Thanks!
As mentioned in my last post, I signed up to walk in the TNT Walt Disney World Marathon with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. I am walking in memory of my late friend, actor Cliff Gorman, who died from leukemia in 2002. At some point, they will also match me up with an honored participant who is someone either currently facing the disease or someone currently in remission.
I have a very ambitious (as in $3,700) fundraising goal to meet between now and December.
If you can help me get the word out and support my efforts by placing a widget on your facebook page, that would be totally awesome! It's easy to do:
Just go to http://apps.facebook.com/lls-fundraising/
On the right-hand side is the option to add the widget to your page in support of a friend. My fundraising page address to enter into the box is is
http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/wdw10/cmartzinek
Allow the application to access your profile, etc. and when it takes you to your facebook page, click the "keep" button to add it to your page. When it's done, you should see a Team in Training box on your facebook profile.
If you have a blog or web page and would be so good as to add a link like this to my Team in Training page, that would help tremendously, too!
Me??? A Marathon Woman??? - Please support Carol as she trains to walk in her first marathon to raise funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. http://tinyurl.com/marathonwoman
Thanks a million! Your moral support throughout this is priceless!
Yup, that's right! I've taken leave of my senses and signed up to walk a marathon. As in a 26.2 MILE marathon for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training.
Between now and the weekend of January 10, 2010, I will be training to walk a full marathon in my favorite place on earth, Walt Disney World. I'll also be working to raise $3,700.00 to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I am walking in memory of my late friend Cliff Gorman, who died from leukemia in 2002.
Please visit my Team in Training Page at
http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/wdw10/cmartzinek
for updates, info and to make a donation in support of my efforts.
Anything you can do to help me get the word out, and raise needed funds in this challenge will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
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Help support Making Strides Against Breast Cancer as a walker or "virtual walker".
Donate and/or join the team by clicking the link.
Help us to create a world with more birthdays! Thank you!
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I just received an e-mail informing me that I've been invited to join Google Voice. This is really cool! You choose a Google Voice phone number, and calls to that number will forward to any numbers you choose. The last 4 digits of my new Google Voice number are 4JOY - how cool is that?
Not only does it forward to your personal phones, it also allows you to screen calls, receive voice mails, set up spam filters for those annoying telemarketers, and put people into groups with their own custom voice mail greetings and other settings. You can also place calls within the US for free!
It's by invite only, but you can sign up to get an invite at http://www.google.com/voice/about
From Here to ARTernity: A Media Metamorphosis for the Time Of Your Life from Artella really looks inspiring! The Pilot Group is open through July 2, with lots of extra bonuses, too. If “time” is a subject you struggle with, you may want to take a look!
I spent a lot of last weekend doing some belated spring cleaning and de-cluttering. It started with clearing out my closets of all the clothes that are now too big for me, now that I'm down about 78 lbs. Then it progressed to clearing out the livingroom closet of all the odds and ends, old holiday decorations and other stuff I never use, and into the kitchen, where I cleaned out still more stuff. When I was done, I had bagged up five Hefty bags full of stuff to be donated. Fortunately for me, I had just received a flyer from a veteran's organization that does weekly pickups in my area!
In the end, I not only got rid of five trash bags full of clothes I'll never wear and stuff I'll never use, but I helped an organization that could truly use my stuff to help others. Not a bad deal, and it felt great to see those bags disappear!
Here's the joy part - when you get rid of stuff you're no longer using, you're also getting rid of the non-joy feeling you get whenever you look at it and start thinking that you should be doing something with it. Like my collection of craft and scrapbooking magazines that still haunt me, seeing them is a constant reminder that you haven't done anything with them, and probably aren't in the near future, either. Eventually, I'll push myself to donate the craft, scrapbooking and old O Magazine copies that I still have. I keep promising myself I'm going to cut out the articles I want, put them in a binder, and ditch the rest. It's been at least three years now, and I still haven't done it, and the likelihood that I'll get around to doing it anytime within the next year is pretty slim. So, I may just have to take the plunge and purge 'em by donating them to my library or something. Wish me luck!
I have registered for AIDS Walk New York on Sunday, May 17th, and am very excited about the event! I have set an ambitious fundraising goal and, if possible, I would like your help in order to reach it!
AIDS Walk New York, the world's largest AIDS fundraising event, benefits Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) and over 30 other tri-state area AIDS service organizations. GMHC is the nation's oldest and most comprehensive AIDS service organization, serving approximately 15,000 people living with HIV and AIDS and their families each year, and countless more through its prevention and advocacy work locally and nationally.
Even though there has been success with drug treatments that are prolonging some people's lives, they don't work for everyone. These treatments can also take their toll physically, and for many cause awful side-effects. I am also concerned that so many young people in New York City are getting infected. There is a dire need for comprehensive prevention programs and services that target youth in their language. And above all, there is still no cure in sight.
I would really appreciate your help. Please sponsor me for AIDS Walk New York. Just click on the link below to visit my personal fundraising Web page. It's fast, easy, and safe to make a donation online with a credit card, debit card, or paypal!
After making your donation, you may be able to double your donation with a matching gift from your company! Please consult your human resources department, or use the matching gift search engine on the AIDS Walk New York website, to find out if your company has a matching gift program!
Thank you for supporting AIDS Walk New York and for helping to put an end to this epidemic.
Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support AIDS Walk New York - http://aidswalknewyork2009.
Thank you for your support!
Download a FREE copy of the Artella eBook, Peace by Piece: Collage Your Way to Inner Peace and Harmony. This workbook guides you through several collage projects, each one designed to bring you closer to your true self and your powerful ability for manifesting your dreams and desires. Download your copy here!
As part of my goal of giving myself away for free in 2009, I have set up a free online community on Ning.com called Fun with Finances 101. While the group won't "officially" launch until next weekend, you're all more than welcome to sign up now. I'm not setting any rules like "you have to post in the forums every day", but as in life, you need to show up. It's a work in progress, and I have no idea where it will lead, but it should be a really fun adventure!
One of the benefits of being a member of the community will be some free group coaching/support/brainstorming sessions via teleconference, details to be announced as soon as I figure them out. This is all available at no cost to anyone who has been impacted by the current economic situation. Whether you've been laid off, have lost an income or part of an income in your household, are trying to make do with less and/or make the most of what you have, you're all welcome on the journey. The only requirement is that you be an active participant.
I've also taken the plunge and registered for a host account with BlogTalkRadio, and my show, once I get around to actually doing it, will be called "Inspiration Soup". This will probably take me a few more weeks to actually get rolling, because I first need to familiarize myself with the workings of the site. Then, I have to get past my fear of committing to a weekly radio show! So, the next few weeks should be loads of fun all around!
Well, almost...
Right now, I have a "day job" that, while completely unrelated to my calling, provides me with just about enough income to keep a roof over my head, food on the table and in the cat bowls, and the bills more or less paid.
Right now, many people don't have what I have, and are struggling to keep a roof over their head, food on the table and the bills paid.
So, after a lot of thinking, I've come to a decision. At least for the forseeable future, for the most part, I will be giving my life coaching gifts back to the Universe. There may be times when I will need to charge a small fee to cover my own expenses, pay a bill, or make sure there's food in the cat bowls, but on the whole, my plan is to donate my services as much as possible to those who really need them now.
The reality is that the people who could really use some coaching and encouragement now are those who are, through no fault of their own, in no financial position to afford the luxury of hiring a coach. Paying someone anywhere from $50-$250 a session is just not an option when you don't know how you're going to pay your mortgage or utility bill. Yet, this is where I can be of the most service. I'm not quite sure exactly how it's going to work, but my initial goal is to focus on providing short-term, immediate future, "get over the hump" coaching, instead of long-term, life design coaching. It'll be different, and it's a bit scary putting it out there, but I think it will also be fun, exciting and very rewarding.
Some of us have probably seen the lengthy commercials for Kevin Trudeau's book, "Debt Cures 'They' Don't Want You to Know About" for $19.95.
Don't go out and buy it. Borrow a copy from the library instead, and start reading. If you don't have a library card, now's a really good time to get yourself one! Even if you only get as far as reading about how credit card and collections agencies work, you will definitely feel a lot better about yourself! Trust me on this. You will feel a LOT more empowered. I feel loads better than I did this morning.
I borrowed a copy from my library yesterday, and have spent the last hour and a half reading it and taking some of the steps recommended in the book. I got my yearly free copies of my credit reports that I'm entitled to, reviewed them, and was very pleasantly surprised. I had thought mine would be a nightmare, but it's actually pretty good.
I'll be sharing some of the stuff I learn here, but if you can borrow a copy of the book, it'll definitely help.
So am I!!!
Who isn't these days? Some of us are facing some pretty bleak situations. Merchants are going out of business, companies are laying off thousands of employees, and then there's all that fun happening on Wall Street. What's not to worry about?
I've been thinking about this over the weekend, and, while it hasn't fully hatched yet, I had an idea. Like I said, it hasn't fully hatched yet, but it involves some phone coaching and a brainstorming group, both completely free of charge. It's my way of using my gifts to give something back to the Universe, and help us all become more empowered during some not-so-fun financial times.
Although it's going to be completely free of charge, it's not completely free. This is only an offer for those equally interested in giving something back in terms of committment and participation. This is not, I repeat not an offer for those just interested in a freebie coaching session, or those looking for someone to "fix" their problems for them. Ain't gonna happen. This offer is aimed at regular, hard-working people who have been effected by the current economic situation somehow.
Stay tuned. Details will follow as soon as I figure out how to make this materialize! In the meanwhile...
Download a FREE copy of the Artella eBook, MoneyMorphosis: Ten Things Butterflies Can Teach Us About Money, which invites you to transform the way you think about money by following 10 metaphorical fables in which butterflies teach us about true prosperity. Download your copy here!
Today and tomorrow only (February 13th and 14th), Amazon MP3 is offering a free download of the quintessential Valentine's Day hit, "Let's Get it On" by Marvin Gaye.
Ask A Spirit E-mail Reading GIVEAWAY Contest
THREE chances to win your choice of an e-mail Archangel Card reading OR an e-mail “Ask Your Guides” oracle card reading (a $25 value). Each reading will be a three-card reading, and they will be e-mailed to the winners by January 31st.
The deadline for this contest is Wednesday, January 21st at 11:59pm ET.
Winners will be chosen at random, and will be notified by Sunday, January 25th.
The first 100 people to register will get a bonus small-group Q&A work on out stuff call with Jennifer, as well as an entry into the "Win 6 months of coaching with Jen" contest - that's six months coaching without paying a dime!
Looking to find calm, comfort and confidence in these uncertain times?
Join 10 fantastic teachers - like Barbara Sher, Michael Neill, Geneen Roth, Steve Chandler- at the "Comfort Queen's" 2009 Virtual Retreat January 16th-19th.
Your host Jennifer Louden delivers a "true retreat" experience to enhance your well-being while teaching you ways to thrive during these sometimes scary times.
Call in live or download over a dozen powerful retreat sessions at your convenience and get the soul-nourishing support you need to make this year "your" year. Click here for more details.
I'm afraid.
Yes, the woman who coaches other people on how to get past fear and live a life that brings them joy is letting her own fears hold her back. Now, how lame is that???
"What are you afraid of?" you may ask. I am afraid of being responsible for all that running my own coaching business entails - the accounting, incorporation and legal issues, and all that fun tax stuff. It scares the crap out of me! Not only does it scare the crap out of me, it's held me back considerably.
Part of it stems from some long-held, at least somewhat irrational beliefs that I have about myself and my ability to manage this type of stuff. Somewhere, buried under a bunch of stuff, is the belief that I am incapable of managing business finances. Granted, my own personal finances aren't always the best measure of how well I can manage things. However, did I mention that my day job is primarily handling finance and accounting for an entire department within the company that I work for? Did I mention that I worked in Corporate Finance & Accounting for over seven years, and was responsible for managing client project financials for a business unit that involved over two million dollars a month in revenues, financial forecasts, all of the invoicing and accounts receivable, Sarbannes-Oxley requirements and (gasp!) annual budgets? Did I mention that, as far as I know, I handled this all quite capably?
So then, why does the thought of managing my own business financials scare me? I think it's because at some point, I was told rather repeatedly, that I could never handle my money. So, I need to do a bit of self-coaching (and maybe some EFT work as well) in this area. The basic underlying belief is that I can't manage my finances, which, if I ask myself "Is it true?", at some level, I have to say "Yes". However, if I ask myself "Is it always true?", the answer is definitely "No". Can I think of times when it has definitely not been true? Absolutely! I've lived on my own and managed to keep a roof over my head and food on the table (and on the floor in a few food bowls as well) for over 15 years! Granted, there have been some lean times, and some periods where I've had to juggle a few bills, but I've come through it, and I'm still here.
So, as I commented today on Jennifer Louden's blog, this is the year I work on overcoming that fear and getting past the paralysis!
Looking to find calm, comfort and confidence in these uncertain times?
Join 10 fantastic teachers - like Barbara Sher, Michael Neill, Geneen Roth, Steve Chandler- at the "Comfort Queen's" 2009 Virtual Retreat January 16th-19th.
Your host Jennifer Louden delivers a "true retreat" experience to enhance your well-being while teaching you ways to thrive during these sometimes scary times.
Call in live or download over a dozen powerful retreat sessions at your convenience and get the soul-nourishing support you need to make this year "your" year. Click here for more details.
Below is a re-post of an article I had posted back in January 2007 about de-cluttering your life.
I've been involved in a rather massive cleaning and de-cluttering project in my apartment for the past few weeks. It's amazing how much stuff I've accumulated over the past few years here. Even more amazing is how much of it is just plain clutter that is taking up space in my home and my life! Letting it go and getting rid of it has been extremely satisfying. It has also made room for things of beauty which bring me joy.
So, too, it is with our lives. We hold onto people, relationships, jobs, habits and other items which take up space in our souls and drain them of energy. We avoid clearing them out and getting rid of them either because they're familiar, comfortable and safe, or because we "might need them someday". If they're anything like half the stuff I finally tossed, "someday" never comes, or by the time it does, you can go out and get a new one.
Now that a new year is upon us, it's a great time to clear out the old so that we can bring in the new.
People and relationships: Clear out the energy vampires in your life who drain and/or exhaust you. Spend more time with the people in your life who support and energize you. Cut back on the amount of time you spend with drama queens, constant complainers, whiners, "meanies", and "gimmes". Start saying "no" to people and committments that no longer fuel you. It'll feel a bit uncomfortable at first, but it will make room in your life for more fulfilling relationships.
Jobs: If you're stuck in a dead-end job that stresses you out, doesn't challenge you, or leaves you feeling like a zombie at the end of the day, the New Year is a good time to hunt for a new one. Update your resumè, cruise the want ads, and see what else is out there! Staying at a job just because it's safe and secure (if there really is such a thing these days) will eventually suck the life out of you!
Habits: Pay attention to the amount of time you spend on habits and pursuits which add nothing to your life. Many of us know the lure of "Collapse", and how one game turns into "just one more game". Before we know it, we've been sucked into hours of trying to get to the next level. Same with "junk TV". I am totally guilty of this, and know from my own very personal experience just how addicting "Starting Over", "Springer", "Maury", and "Judge Judy" can be! I'm not suggesting that you quit computer games and "junk TV" altogether (especially since I know I could never do it myself), just to spend more time doing things that bring you joy.
By de-cluttering your life, you'll have more time and energy for activities which enhance your life and feed your soul in the year ahead.
