Jeanette Joy Fisher

Category: Inspiration

  • I’ve Been to the Edge and Back!

     Hello from Jeanette JOY,

    This photo was taken by me in Melbourne, Australia from a place called The Edge. What’s interesting to me, I googled The Edge Melbourne Australia and came up with my forgotten old blog post about my visit. More on that post at the end of this.

    I want to share my journey from Depression to Joy.

    Some of my readers know my personal story and how I choose life instead of driving off Ortega Mountain. The still, small voice told me I could turn my life in a new direction, so I did. I turned my Mustang convertible to follow the road. I made new memories and had fun.

    Just when I thought I had everything figured out, I got slammed again. Has this ever happened to you? How many times have you reinvented yourself?

    2016 was a big year for me. It started out with another bout of extreme depression caused by grief. My low point, like the edge of a cliff, a knife edge, or the edge of night–a black hole–seemed to shroud me so I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t pray or meditate. One day, I sang childhood hymns. My voice is so out of tune, I had to laugh. I asked God, “What do I do to stop these painful life lessons?” The answer came to me, like a father scolding a child. “Jeanette, get over yourself and go help people.”

    I reconnected with old friends and started going to events again. Helping others made me happy! More friends began calling me Joy. I faked Joy until I became JOY!

    I’m uniquely qualified to help others because of the tribulations I had. I’m helping friends and entrepreneurs with free publicity. All my hacked websites are being rebuilt for Joint Publicity and Content Marketing.

    Twitter was grief therapy for me. “Tweeting my life away” means I can promote with influence today. Tag your tweet with #JOYexpress and I will follow and retweet you.

    I hope you never endure the pain I felt. If you ever do, try singing, dancing, anything to get yourself laughing. Ask God for your direction to a happy life. And, it may even be time for you to get over yourself and go help others.

    How can I help you? Please answer below.

    Love,
    JOY!

    PS The other blog post on The Edge in Melbourne, Australia  (Does Google only list this post when I search?)

  • Turning Thoughts into Things

    before-lawn“Put your thoughts to sleep, do not let them cast a shadow over the moon of your heart. Let go of thinking.” — Rumi

    “We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.” –Buddha

    “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” — Philippians 4:8 King James Bible

    “Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionately to their occupancy of your thoughts.” –Mary Baker Eddy

    “Everything necessary to the full and complete expression of the most boundless experience of joy is mine now.” — Ernest Holmes

    From How to Have Better Sex, Lose Weight, Make Millions, and Eat Chocolate.com:
    Ponder a moment about all the world’s civilizations. Without knowing about each other, in different ways, societies came to the same conclusion—there is a creator, a higher spiritual power. Ancients knew how to meditate and turn their desires into prayers and into objects. They created beautiful pottery out of sand that lasts for thousands of years. All the material exists in the universe to create everything you see manmade. Man has not learned how to create the sand, the Earth, or mankind. Man creates objects from existing resources. We can learn to use prayers, meditation, and thoughts to make things we desire to create a life of our dreams. –Jeanette Joy Fisher

    Don’t you love taking a blank slate and creating something glorious? I’m so grateful for my home, which came with plain dirt surrounding the house. This wall was built from my imagination using God’s materials.
    garden-wall-planter

    after

  • New Thought & Positive Psychology in Reverse

    New Thought & Positive Psychology in Reverse

    We’ve all been told to stop dwelling on the past and on things that make us unhappy. You don’t need to be a New Thought or Oprah Unity follower to see the positive vibrations emanating outward from Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and even the more business-directed Linkedin. I love this exciting, uplifting, spiritual energy!

    But, what do you do when sadness wells up and you feel like crying? I’ve been in the depths of darkness with my broken heart hurting so badly I had trouble breathing. I wanted my heart to burst so I would die. After all, it felt like a real heart attack. Why not let it kill me and put me out of misery? You may not have lost a child and a husband, but you most likely have lived through a broken heart.

    Besides tragedies, everyday hardships cause endless suffering. When we pull ourselves up by leaning on each other and concentrating on the goodness surrounding us, we feel happiness. You get what you concentrate on, so why not think about the flowers, birds, and loving friends? Perhaps you desire so many things that you concentrate on your personal material goals and wonder why you’re still not happy.

    Positive Psychology in Reverse

    Try this easy, quick (only three questions) exercise without cheating yourself and reading ahead. Get a piece of paper or open a new screen. If you take the extra seconds to write down each question by long hand, your brain helps you fill in the answers.

    Dwell for a moment on your discontent.

    1. What makes me feel discontented? Write down a few things that make you restless, unhappy. Don’t over-think. Just jot.

    Stop and Smell the Roses

    2. What do I desire to ease the discontent? Next, write down what you long for to replace your discontent.

    Eat-Chocolate4s

    3. What are my decisions to take action to change? Base your decisions on what’s your highest sense of good for others, for you, for your life, for your business.

    Your decisions form your destiny! Some days, it pays to let your unhappiness help you change your life. Discontent shapes desire. Desire sparks decisions. Decisions structure destiny. It’s your life. Chose joy!

    Join us for a fun day of self-discovery at my home and celebrate. Click on the photo below after you share–>

    What did you learn about yourself?

    Please share your thoughts below in the comment section. It’s also Sweet to Share on Twitter, Facebook…Thank YOU!

    Click on the postcard and experience my new book fun day retreat with chocolate & champagne…

    How to Have Better Sex, Lose Weight, Make Millions, and Eat Chocolate.com. My late husband Brian inspired the title.

    howtohavebetter (2)

  • Joy to Detroit! Change Agents Bring Hope to Blight

    Don’t you love the way we learn about good news online? One story takes you to another great source and you just keep going deeper.

    First I read The Christian  Science Monitor’s Change Agent article:

    Detroit charity turns blight into gardens, parks, and homes

    Motor City Blight Busters is fighting to bring Detroit back one abandoned building and one vacant lot at a time. The nonprofit demolishes abandoned buildings that are beyond repair, renovates homes, and cleans up parks and illegal dump sites….

    This article  by By Nicole Wallace originally appeared in The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

    Motor City Blight Busters reminded me of people I call “Change Agents” in Detroit. I met  Myrtle and Wayne Curtis, founders of “Feedom Freedom” organization in Detroit, Michigan. I wondered how they were doing after all this time, so I looked them up on Facebook and found their organization thriving. I’m thrilled for them and for Detroit.

    Here is the video we filmed…

    Tweet Me Right: Feedom Freedom, Detroit from Joy TV on Vimeo.

    Who do you think should be honored as a “Change Agent?”

     

  • Joy!

    Iron and Wine “Joy” from Hayley Morris on Vimeo.

  • Moonrise by Alden Blake

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Meet my grandson Alden Blake and listen to his music!

    http://soundcloud.com/aldenblake/moonrise

  • Meet The World’s Leading Authority on Architectural Art Glass Design – Ron Wood

    Experience the architectural art of the original and ultimate glass projects leading authority, artist Ron Wood. He creates large, significant one of a kind projects worldwide. Using Light in all of its myriad behaviors, such as reflection, projection, focus as the major palette in these works, Ron has been “Lifting the Human Spirit” through worldwide excellence in architectural art since 1972.

    Watch for a new book coming soon!

    What would you like created for you?
    Visit Ron Wood Architectural Art Glass for IMAGINATION INSPIRATION MANIFESTATION

  • Be Happy! Living in the Past, Future, and Present

    Do you want to know an easy way to be happier?
    Think about where you live in your thoughts.

    Do you dwell in your past thinking about what you should have, could have, or would have done differently?

    Living in the past brings sadness. Constantly reliving sad events or things that turned out badly only makes you depressed. Take your life lessons, remember the ways you can do things differently next time, and forget the misery.

    Learning to let go of my sad moments took a new way of thinking about the past. Instead of remembering my precious daughter’s pain and hospital stays, I set those terrifying memories aside and, instead of ignoring Sara, I replace the excruciating memories with happy moments. Now, when I remember Sara, I think about times like the morning she took off flying in her power wheelchair giggling, with her braids in the air, as she headed for the St Johns River. Her game meant I had to run and turn her chair before she landed in the water. Or, going even further back in time, the day she won a swimming race at her Huntington Beach school by kicking harder than the other kids, even though she couldn’t walk. I learned to remember the joy of her living. These memories make me happy. The only way I could think about her was to slowly replace all the bad memories by concentrating on the good moments.

    Perhaps you can learn to concentrate on today instead of your sad past by turning every painful memory aside and thinking about happy things instead.

    Do you fret and feel anxious about what is going to happen to you? 

    Living in the future causes worry. Living in anxiety makes you feel terrified, scared, and leads to insomnia, which causes a viscous cycle of worry and depression.

    Like many people, I would wake up terrified and worry about what could happen next in my life. After losing my daughter and husband, I would wake up in the middle of the night wondering what evil thing lurked around the corner. Living in fear (False Evidence Appearing Real) is no way to live. Dwelling on some mysterious future doesn’t do anyone any good. I learned to replace worry thoughts with prayers, meditations, music, uplifting spiritual books like Raymond Charles Barker’s The Power of Decision, and happy thoughts of visions I would like to see come into my experience. The old saying, “What you think is what you get” means more to me than ever. My terrifying fears did not come to pass. Thank God. Now, when I begin to be afraid of the future, I give thanks for my many blessings and think about something good I want to experience.

    When you catch yourself worrying about the future, turn your focus to things that make you happy in the present moment. Replace the untrue painful visions of the unknown future with daydreams of what you want to have. Without dreams, nothing happens. Makes sure your dreams are good ones! And, make an action-step plan of what you can do today to improve your life. Don’t worry. Be happy!

    Living in the present gives peaceful joy. The only time you really live is right now. What happened is over; what’s coming is future. You live your life in the middle. Become aware of the joyful, precious moments surrounding you this instant. Give thanks for your good. Feel the joy of living in every breath you take.

  • Melbourne, Australia from The Edge

    One thing about traveling, you always find an unexpected view.
    Suspended almost 1,000 feet above the city of Melbourne in Australia is a glass cube which sticks out almost ten feet from the skyscraper. “The Edge” has glass walls and a glass floor.

    This last photo was taken from a boat on the river.

    Where do you want to go?

    I’ve been to The Edge & Back!

  • I’m So Excited!

    I wish I could sing that song…

    Check out the book trailer of a book my daughter wrote for her grandmother… my mom.

  • Tweet Me Right Charity Road Trip on the Road Again

    Joy TV Network sponsors road trips across America and Canada to highlight volunteers and their creative solutions to today’s problems.

    This week, Jeanette Joy will be in New Orleans, Louisiana and then Austin, Texas.

    From the “Sock It to Me” program in San Diego, California, to Kitchener-Waterloo’s, Ontario Canada’s fun “Captain Kindness,” Jeanette Joy interviews non-paid people making a difference in their communities.

    If you have a story to share, please email Jeanette in care of JoyTVNetwork.com

     

  • Oh, the Magnificence of Water! Niagara Falls

    My son and I had a fabulous mini vacation last year. Much of the video was taken from the Sheraton Falls Hotel in Canada. Watch for the tour boats… it’s funny!

    Where in the world do you want to go?

  • Vernal Pools – Santa Rosa Plateau Hiking

    California’s Ancient Vernal Pools Remain a Vital Ecological Resource

    Vernal pools are important natural resources, especially in California. Vernal pools are flooded depressions in areas of ancient volcanic mudflows, hardpan, and claypan, all of which retain water longer than their surrounding uplands (though they generally dry up as warm weather approaches). It’s not unusual for vernal pools to go through several fill-and-dry up cycles during a rainy season, which means only plants and animals that are specifically adapted to such cycles can survive in them.

    As spring rains fill the pools, various freshwater invertebrates, crustaceans, and amphibians begin to emerge. A number of indigenous plants begin to sprout, as well, some of which have evolved unique floating leaves and air-filled stems in order to stay afloat. The pools also attract a great many birds who rely on the abundant plant and animal life found there for food and shelter.

    Over the centuries, vernal pools have played a significant part in human history, as well. A great many ancient stone food preparation tools have been unearthed surrounding many modern day vernal pools, suggesting that Native Americans used those pools as a food source for vegetables such as coyote thistles (related to modern carrots). As the season progressed, Native Americans also ground various seeds from around the pools into a seed stew they called pinole, grinding the seeds with stone mortars and pestles.

    Birds were hunted at the pools through the use of nets that were fastened to poles and stretched across the water. Ancient hunters chased birds into the nets where they became entangled.

    Many native species of plants that have thrived in and around vernal pools for millennia have begun to provide modern humans with potentially important resources, as well. For example, meadowfoam has recently shown promise as a source of oil that could replace animal-based oils in a number of industrial applications.

    California’s Central Valley, home to many vernal pools, is a part of an annual migratory bird route known as the Pacific Flyway, which extends from Alaska to South America. Every spring sees thousands of migrating birds resting and feeding in the Central Valley’s network of vernal pools, and protein provided by the crustaceans and invertebrates that inhabit the pools represents an important food source for migrating and native bird populations.

    Another important function of vernal pools is their ability to moderate seasonal flooding in the spring, which helps prevent a great deal of agricultural and urban contaminants from entering California’s water system. The overall importance of this fact alone is difficult to calculate, but there’s no doubt that vernal pools play a major role in helping to keep California’s water clean.

    There are a number of state, local, and federal laws that regulate activities in and around vernal pools, all of which are designed to minimize any danger to the various threatened or endangered wildlife and plant species who make those pools their home. The California Environmental Quality Act also requires public agencies to consider the effect on those biological resources before any proposed actions are carried out.

    There are a number of other environmental laws and policies affecting anyone seeking to engage in activities in and around vernal pools that have been passed by the state of California, but by the federal government to further protect that vital resource. Some of the policies that have been instituted include: the Federal Clean Water Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the California Endangered Species Act and California Fish and Game Code, the Endangered Species Act, and the California Environmental Quality Act.

    All of those environmental laws and policies were passed in order to make it mandatory for both agencies and private landowners to become keenly aware of the potentially harmful effects of their proposed actions on vernal pools or other environmental situations. The overall intent is to have anyone proposing to engage in activities in or around vernal pools study the potential impact (well before any action is taken) to make certain that no less damaging alternative exists. Mandating permits and compliance with strict guidelines forces agencies and individuals to carefully consider their actions before moving forward.

    With careful management and constant vigilance to make sure they’re left as undisturbed and natural as possible, California’s ancient vernal pools will continue to provide a vital ecosystem for a wide variety of plants and animals, as well as protecting California’s citizens from further pollution of water, which is one of the state’s most precious resources. The important thing is to educate the public as to the importance of those pools and to make certain that the various policies and laws that have been passed to protect them aren’t diluted over time. Like everything in the natural world, California’s vernal pools can only survive if their overall importance is acknowledged and protected.

  • Katie Fisher’s “How Much Love” Music Video Starring Finn and Lily

    “How Much Love” by Katie Fisher from Kirk Fisher on Vimeo.

    How Much Love written and performed by my daughter Katie. Filmed in Fullerton and near my home in SW Riverside County by my son Kirk. Finn and Lily are my grandchildren. Enjoy!

  • Merry Christmas

    Merry Christmas from the Blake Family from Alden Blake on Vimeo.

    “Carol of the Bells” performed, recorded, and produced by Alden Blake.

    Video by Alden Blake and Kirk Fisher.

  • Tweet Me Right: Jeanette Joy Meets Canada’s Captain-Kindness


    Joy TV presents Jeanette Joy Fisher and Canada’s mascot for the most tweeted about event in 2010.

    Meet Captain Kindness, head cheerleader for “Spreading Kindness – Random Act of Kindness Day.”

    The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation improves the quality by building community endowment, addressing needs through grant making, and providing leadership on key community issues.

    Tweet Me Right Charity Road Trip in Canada filmed on location in Waterloo by Simone Blum for Joy TV.

  • Tweet Me Right Charity Road Trip in Canada Celebrating Random Acts of Kindness

    Tracy and The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation

    Besides promoting “Spreading Kindness – Random Act of Kindness Day,” The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation improves the quality by building community endowment, addressing needs through grant making, and providing leadership on key community issues.

    Joy TV presents Jeanette Joy Fisher and Tracy Van Kalsbeek, Manager of Marketing & Communications. More information at kwcf.ca.

    Tweet Me Right Charity Road Trip in Canada filmed on location in Waterloo by Simone Blum.

  • Tweet Me Right: Community Justice Initiatives with Chris Cowie


    Jeanette Joy interviews Chris Cowie, Executive Director of Community Justice Initiatives, a non-profit organization, known world-wide for starting the first Restorative Justice program. CJI provides services in conflict resolution, group support for persons impacted by sexual trauma, and reintegration support for women returning to the community from prison.

    Restorative Justice offers a way of addressing conflict and crime that engages the person who caused the harm, people who were affected by the harm, and the community. For more information please visit
    http://cjiwr.com

    Filmed by Simone Blum in Waterloo, Canada for Joy TV’s Tweet Me Right Charity Road Trip.

  • Tweet Me Right: Kiwanis Peanut Drive, Dearborn


    Joy TV presents “Tweet Me Right” Charity Road Trip. Jeanette Joy Fisher interviews Al Holmes, Kiwanis Club of Dearborn, Michigan about supporting community services, especially children’s programs, by selling peanuts.

    Filmed by Vicky Akins, MidLifeRoadTrip.tv for JoyTVnetwork.com

    More information about Kiwanis Club of Dearborn: kiwanisclubdearborn.org

    Short Link to post: https://jeanettefisher.com.s201420.gridserver.com/?p=473

  • Tangled by Leslie Early, Video by Kirk Fisher


    A lovestory between a shoe and the shoelace that was thrown away. Video created by Kirk Fisher. Starring the feet of Meghan Fitzgerald.

  • Tweet Me Right Charity Road Trip in Detroit Interviews Feedom Freedom

    Joy TV presents “Tweet Me Right” Charity Road Trip featuring Myrtle and Wayne Curtis, founders of “Feedom Freedom” organization in Detroit, Michigan. See the Curtis’ amazing garden project to help their community.

    Interviewed by Jeanette Joy; filmed by Vicky Akins, http://MidlifeRoadTrip.tv

    For more information, check out http://facebook.com/FeedomFreedom

  • Tweet Me Right Charity Road Trip, Literacy Chicago

    Jeanette Joy interviews Jessica Keller about Literacy Chicago, a nonprofit organization that empowers individuals to achieve greater self sufficiency through language and literacy instruction.

    Filmed by Jean Pickering with TheTektiteGroup

    More about Jeanette

    Edited by Kirk Fisher for Joy TV

  • Tweet Me Right Charity Road Trip, San Diego: Stand Up For Kids

    Cut and Paste Link: http://bit.ly/TweetMR1

  • Tweet Me Right Charity Road Trip Updates

    WHY
    To inspire loving and prosperous friendships leading to greater local community support. People want to help each other. Showcasing giving volunteers and charities gives other communities ideas about what and how to help their neighbors. Also, Tweet Me Nice videos promote people’s businesses and spur the economy.

    WHO
    Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ Super Stars and Media Mavens
    Let us know if you want to join us.

    WHAT
    Activities
    Interviews with Social Media Network friends who also share their photos, blogs, tweets, videos etc.
    Interviews with Volunteers who give time and ideas, nominated by tweets, Facebook and Google+ posts
    Interviews with nonprofit charity leaders in local communities who also share the videos, photos, and press.

    Tweetups, meetups, parties, book signings for local authors. Bring small products and business promotional materials to share. This increases attendance, inspires joint ventures, and gives everyone more publicity.

    Fun days promoting US landmarks and venues

    Publicity
    Tweets: Massive amounts of photos, videos mentions of #JetBlue @JetBlue# Cadillac and other designated hashtags and accounts

    Google+ huddles and posts
    Flickr
    Facebook Group
    Articles (Jeanette Joy Fisher has almost 2,000,000 views of her articles on ONE article directory.)
    Blogs
    Press Releases

    WHERE   Tweet Me Right West via Jet Blue from Long Beach direct to the following cities:

    From Chicago, we’ll pick up a GMC vehicle and drive to Kitchener, ONT, Canada and then down the East Coast.



    WHEN
    August to December 2011

    RESULTS
    1,000s of tweets, mentions, hashtag mentions for 3+ months
    Photos on Facebook,Twitpic, Flickr, Picasa, Google+, kFrog, etc
    Videos on YouTube, Vimeo, Flickr, Facebook, Google+, JoyTVnetwork, Media Super Star Blogs
    Facebook posts
    Google+ links and mentions
    Local meetings and events draw locals to appreciate new venues, JetBlue, and GMC.

    *** Published book recapping volunteer stories and road trip events with photos and accolades to volunteers, participants, charities and limited sponsors.

    PARTICIPATE
    “Like Us! We Like YOU!”
    Tweet Me Right | Charity Road Trip
    Meet us along the way…
    NOMINATE volunteers who deserve a spotlight!
    RIDE Along and or MEETUP

    Share this article with your friends: Tweet Me Right Charity Road Trip http://bit.ly/tweetmeright

    Please SHARE your ideas in the comments below. Thank you!

  • Tweet Me Right Charity Road Trip

    It all started a long time ago in Twitterland with a tweet from Diane Tate about a virtual road trip party on Twitter.

    After Katrina, we tweeted about the volunteers feeding the hungry in New Orleans. While tweeting my heart out for four years, I’ve met so many amazing people and traveled around the world. It’s time to give back.

    Joy TV, a new website set up to showcase people making a difference to bring about peace through friendship and prosperity, is sponsoring the Tweet Me Right Charity Road Trip.

    View Larger Map
    This is a tentative map of the upcoming road trip also posted on TweetMeRight.com

    Who: Twitter friends will ride along in segments. Besides the Twitter Elite, we have folks who volunteer and also international Twitter connections flying in to share their stories.
    What: Joy TV interviews charities and volunteers helping those in need in their communities.
    Where: We’ll visit cities in the US with a stop in Canada.
    Why: We hope to inspire others to help local people in need by see what others are doing.
    When: Joy TV is interviewing volunteers in California in July and August. The road trip begins September 1 in Detroit, America’s Motor City.

    During the road trip, we’ll host tweetups, meetups, showcase organizations and individuals for Joy TV Tweet Me Right videos.

    Tweet Me Nice videos will also be filmed showcasing Twitter users.

  • From a Double Vision Dream to Centerpiece

    Grinding fire rock
    I am the luckiest mother. I have wonderful children who share my love for a beautiful home. My son Kirk Fisher, a neuroscientist who could be doing so many amazing things like studying more medicine at Columbia to writing the next best seller, took a week off to drill a hole through a rock and grind a recession for a fire ring.

    We were told the boulder weighed about 300 pounds. It was difficult to launch it off the back of the truck to the ground where it sat for months waiting for inspiration.

    The double vision dream inspiration Kirk and I shared began with “wouldn’t it be neat to have a fire reflect on the pool? Wouldn’t it be fabulous to have fire come up out of a rock that looks like it was always there? Wouldn’t it be splendid to have a rock sphere for the flames to shimmer?”

    Like most people, we started researching online. This wonderful old, outdated, but effective website kept capturing our attention. Their links kept showing up in our Google docs. (I’ll share the link in a bit. You’ll disappear before you comment and spend a lot of time entranced.)

    After the hole drilling and grinding with new tools, the boulder would not budge on the dolly which had two flat tires. A new piano dolly and four strong young men hefted the rock through my double doors, over my walnut floors, across the patio, to the pool courtyard garden where the propane pipe waited. The four BIG boys could not lift the rock. I’m talking about young men who moved furniture like a piano, a slate pool table, and huge cabinets.

    We rented a motor hoist. The boulder swung too fast and broke the propane pipe. After digging up the garden, moving heavy stones, trips to Lowe’s for parts (a story in itself…LOVE Lowe’s!), re-plumbing… it took 3 hours to set the stone in the right spot, one inch at a time.
    Garden Boulder Installation

     

     

    Sometimes a difficult dream, like a long birth, wears you out. In the end, when all turns out well, you feel splendid.

    first-fire-rock short video

    Please come back and see the stone with the black sphere and the replanted garden.

    Joy to your home!

    Jeanette

    What is your dream vision?

    Oh, yes the link to FirePit Glass Rocks & Balls You know how to find Lowes. Did you know they tweet? Lowes on Twitter

  • 500 days of blogging!

    MEDIA RELEASE – PROJECT ME DAY 500


    500 days of blogging

    It all started with Meryl Streep and Amy Adams…  Julie and Julia, the Oscar-winning film about a woman who blogs every day for a year, is the spark and inspiration behind one of SA’s most popular blogs. Jodene, a writer and life achievement facilitator, decided to put her life online in a daily blog, appropriately called Project Me. The aim was – and 500 days on, still is – to take the time every day to reflect on what has happened in her life and to focus on becoming absolutely goalless and totally purposeful. And, as an aside, she hopes that one day a movie will also be made about her with Amy Adams playing the lead role. Like Julie in the movie, Jodene just started blogging, not knowing where it would take her but knowing that it’s something that she needs to do.

    Jodene stays in touch personally with her readers through social media like Facebook and Twitter. She has become somewhat of a blogging celebrity as a result of her commitment to blogging daily and the openness with which she blogs, and has been featured on an international blogging community, as well as on the South African blog She’s The Geek as a woman who makes a difference through technology. Her Twitter following has grown to nearly 13,000 because of her personal interaction, believing that every tweet and comment must receive a response. The blog receives on average 650 hits per day. There is also an international audience with one of the blog’s most ardent fans being in the USA.

    Like on any journey there have been ups and downs. Jodene herniated and sequestrated a disc in her lower back in August 2010. This injury had her bed-ridden for a month and a half in extreme pain, yet the blog had to continue. Jodene says, “During this time I knew that if I didn’t blog then I’d be missing the point of Project Me. I only missed two days where the combination of the pain and the medication meant I wasn’t lucid enough to blog and I asked a friend to fill in for me. It was during this time that I realised that Project Me was going to continue for more than the initial 365 days.”

    There have been many milestones along the way. On day 100 Jodene wrote about the 100 things she had learnt up to that point. There was the moment she was approached by her first sponsor and realised that her blog was moving onto another level. Day 366 was also momentous, as she then knew the blog was limitless, having superseded the original goal of 365 days. Now there is day 500 (trending as #D500 on Twitter), which was celebrated with a cocktail party on 15 May at Café Culture in Fourways. Highlights at the party included blog comments from around the world and a live Twitter feed.

    Jodene says, “The results have proved to me that anything is possible if you tell your truth and live your life asking yourself, ‘if the whole world knows this about me, will I still be able to hold my head high?’ This moment has answered my question: Yes!”

    Project Me has inspired readers from around the world and shows the power of everyone telling their own story. As a result there is now a section for successful South African personalities to do an online interview that tells the readers a little about their journey to success while also promoting a charity organisation close to their heart. Another popular feature is Your Project Me Story where readers can submit their own stories of living with courage, consciousness and a sense of humor.

    Jodene continues to tell her story and hopes that everyone will do the same for themselves because we all have a story as unique as we all are.

    Blog address: http://jodene.co.za/projectme

    About Jodene and Lifeology

    Jodene is a 30-something Joburger with her finger on the pulse of social media. She’s an accomplished writer, blogger and speaker with a passion for watching people flourish, especially while eating ice cream! She is a passionate advocate for taking responsibility for your own life, your happiness and most importantly your choices. She is co-owner of Lifeology, a company that encourages courage, consciousness and a sense of humour as the main ingredients to happy living.

    Telephone:                  082 781 7570

    Email:                           jodene  AT lifeology.biz

    Twitter:                   @jodenecoza

    Website:                  http://lifeology.biz

    The Day 500 event is proudly sponsored by 6 on THIRTEENTH and Café Culture.

    About 6 on THIRTEENTH

    6 on THIRTEENTH is a boutique store stocking New York designer Kathy van Zeeland’s must-have handbags.  Located off Parkhurst’s main strip, at 6 13th Street, Bev and Matt will play host and personally introduce you to Kathy and her latest trends on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 10h30 – 14h30, or by appointment.

    Contact:  Bev 082 330 9562, Matt 082 298 9770

    About Café Culture

    Café Culture is a Bistro Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge. Open Monday to Sunday from 11am till Close. Situated in Pineslopes Shopping Centre between the Keg and Thai Restaurant (same Centre as Billy the Bums).

    Speciality meals are Pork and Merlot Pie, Fillet with Gorgonzola, Caramelised onions on baguette & Tempura Hake and Rosemary Potato Wedges, Amazing Salads and Sinful Desserts.

    Café Culture is a social place to meet your friends and enjoy a sundowner or have a homely meal. Get there early to get your couch! At night it becomes your house party away from home.

    Contact: Kerry 082 894 6114 or email kerryrsvp AT gmail dot com

  • Alaska

    Alaska

    I interviewed my friend Captain Bob Stephens about his luxury yacht and Alaska.

    Alaska – 5 Reasons Why Many Call Alaska the Last True Frontier

    Many consider Alaska the last true frontier because the rugged climate provides an unspoiled natural landscape backdrop. Like the Wild, Wild West of the 1800’s gold rush days, Alaska promises adventures in an untamed wilderness.

    Alaskan Winter

    Imagine the hearty residents of Alaska during the winter. These permanent families and individuals call Alaska their home. They share the frontier with bears who hibernate most of the winter, deer who forage and make-do with minimal food until spring thaws, wolves who stalk their prey and take whatever opportunities that present themselves, and various other wild creatures.

    Spring into Alaska

    Each spring, after an extreme Alaskan winter, the landscape transforms and refreshes like no other state in the union. This annual transformation takes place because of high winds along the shores, snow measuring 3 to 8 feet in depth, and the shortened time-span of the winter sun–which brightens the day with five to six hours of light.

    Alaska Flourishes with Tourists and Support Services

    In late spring and throughout the summer, Alaska flourishes and becomes a major destination for tourists and those who make their living providing tourist services. Juneau averages six cruise ships a day, which average 2,500 to 3,000 tourists per boat and a crew of 1,500 to 2,000. Add to this the small motor yacht charter fleet of perhaps ten to twelve yachts, which only carry eight to twelve guests plus a crew of four to six.

    Unique and Up Close Experience

    One can readily see Alaska “up close and personal” for a unique, once in a lifetime experience. The choice to vacation aboard a private yacht charter provides greater nature exposure than any other means of Alaskan sightseeing. The prime window is in late May through the end of August, before the winds begin to howl for the up coming Fall season, which brings dark clouds, torrential rain, and heavy snow as early as October.

    Experience Wild Life and Wild Scenery

    Imagine Alaska…

    Picture the beaches, whales, and wild life, and taste the freshness of the salmon — the delicate backbone of the Alaskan fishing industry. Experience the real Alaska and the thrill of fishing for king salmon, halibut, rockfish, crab and shrimp. See eagles soaring the skies above and bears feeding on the countless rocky outcrops and secluded beaches. Witness the extraordinary sight of whales staring and glaciers calving. Feel the warmth of hot springs with serene views of waterfalls surrounding and nature at your fingertips.

    Want to go on a luxury writer’s cruise?