When the student is ready, the teacher will come.

I have found in my life that when I think that I am running the show, I have to have the same lesson presented to me over and over again until I get it. Often times, the lesson has to become more pronounced and the consequences of my failure to learn the lesson become more severe. But then there is that “aha” moment when I get it. And I thank my God that the lessons have persisted long enough and without too severe a consequence and that I now have a new tool in my toolbox.

I think perhaps that is what is happening right now with our economy. We, as Americans have not been paying close enough attention to what is in our best interest. We have become frivolous and glutenous in our consumption of material things.

What better time of year to rid ourselves of those bad habits then the holiday season. This year, just maybe, we will come closer to recognizing the real gratitude lesson that we have given lip service to in the past, but have not held onto once the Thanksgiving meal is off the table. This year my shopping will be with the reality that others close to me cannot shop at all as they have lost their job, their home or are close to doing so. Many of my friends and I will not be gifting each other at all, but rather giving money to charity instead.

I hear people say, we have seen this economic crunch before. May I suggest that the race this time is not going to be a sprint, but a marathon. For anyone who has ever run a marathon, you know that there will be moments of highs and even more moments of lows. Some may find a point where he or she is ready to give up as they are weighed down by the insecurities and doubts that slow us down in this life. Let’s pull together and realize that we are not running this race alone. Let’s surround those who are in this same race but struggling with greater fear and pain. Perhaps together we can learn this important lesson for the last time and live our lives accordingly in the future! Wouldn't that make for a wonderful holiday gift for us all?

Battling the Bulge Once Again!

I have bitten the bullet. I knew I had a little extra weight to lose but when I finally got on the scales it was a bit more discouraging then I was contemplating. I began having nightmares of how much worse it could be if I gained the typical 5 or so pounds that Americans usually gain around the holidays. The thought of starting the new year with an additional poundage on top of the already bulging waist line did not look pretty.

Gold's Gym here I come. Something for everyone there...cardio cinema with new released movies, active classes, restful classes, dodge ball (how long has it been since dodge ball was on your mind?) and a salt water pool along with all the spa facilities. Okay things were looking up. And the price was right! If anyone wants to join me, I have free passes for a one week trial of the gym from my good friend, Antoinne. Just send me an email and I will get a pass to you.

Think I am serious? Yes I am! My next stop was to see Julia Archer at the Metabolic Research Center. A balanced diet, a counselor and accountability. With a guarantee weight loss of 3 lbs a week if I follow the plan, I could be done within two weeks of the New Year! So far so good, my motto is going to be "Nothing Tastes as good, as Skinny Feels."

UPDATED NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

NOVEMBER EVENTS

Wednesday, December 10: CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN NEWCOMERS GROUP holds their annual holiday meeting starting at 9:30 a.m. Meeting is held at the Broadmoor Community Church (not church affiliated), 315 Lake Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80906. Lunch will be served after the holiday program. The Newcomers have 34 subgroups that meet throughout the month based upon varying interests from educational, fitness and health, charitable, card games of every variety and food, food and more glorious food.

Thursday, December 11: WOMEN IN BUSINESS BREAKFAST BREAKFAST HOLIDAY EVENT AT GALLERY TWO TEN (210 E. Cimmarron Street 80903 (719) 632-2132, Thursday, December 11th at 5:30 p.m. Each member is requested to bring a bottle of their favorite wine to share in wine tasting. Hor' deours will be provided. As we all will be busy generating holiday cheer for our loved ones there will be no regular meetings will be held in November and December because our meeting day is on the actual holidays!!!!

Friday, December 12: The AMERICAN BUSINESS WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION EXPRESS NETWORK (CSWEN) will hold a Holiday Gala at Tansi's, the newest and classiest boutique in the springs. Mark your calendars now for Friday, DECEMBER 12th 6 PM to 8 PM. If you are not an ABWA member and would like to attend, please contact me at Cris@Carter.net and I will get an invitation to you.

Mark the evening of Friday February 6, 2009 on your calendar for the ABWA Colorado Springs Express Network's Annual Fund-raiser with a live auction and wine and cheese affair at the Gallery Two-Ten, Colorado's newest and best contemporary art gallery, the venue of which has been extended to us for our use by our member, Marianne Gunter, who is the Director and Owner of Gallery Two-Ten.


GENERAL AND ONGOING OPPORTUNITIES:
Would you like to visit my BNI group? Success Partners meets at The Plate restaurant for breakfast at 8:00 every Thursday morning. Contact me directly if you would like to be a guest.

GET IN SHAPE WITH FRIENDS IN TRAINING. I don't know about you but gaining pounds during the holiday season scares me. So in conjunction with the Entrepreneur Club, you can get a discount on membership at Gold's Gym. Email me at Cris@Carter.net if you are interested.

Colorado Springs Dreaming

Have you heard of DreamCity 2020? It is a new approach to charting the future of Colorado Spring's. It allows people of every walk of life to input ideas as to what we want our Colorado Springs community to be like in the year 2020. From my perspective, this is an opportunity to allow our input to generate ideas about our future, and together inspire, educate and mobilize this community to create a better place for us all to live, work and play. The Gazette, Leadership Pikes Peak, Pikes Peak Library District and COPPeR (Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region) have come together in supporting this landmark visioning project. Please check out www.dreamcity2020.com.

Brand Ascension Group Pilot Program.....free if qualified

The Brand Ascension Group (www.brandascension.com) is looking for Colorado based companies for the PILOT launch of a new program. Participants must be able to speak and comprehend English. Company size is 10 to 50 members. You can email me for the specific Brand DNA webinar syllabus, Application for the Pilot (FREE course), and the Promo flyer (as it would not attach nicely here). If you have colleagues or clients that you believe would ‘fit’ the profile and would appreciate taking this course (and providing feedback to Brand Ascension) contact by email is Suzanne@BrandAscension.com or by phone 719.265.1707. I have seen a Brand Ascension program before and this is a great opportunity. Of course, be sure and tell them you learned about this here on MsCrisCarter's blogspot!

THE MORNING AFTER

So here we go. Many debates, many signs, many votes later. Soon it will be the morning after the 2008 elections. Some of us will feel elated; others will be disappointed. However we will have taken part in a historical election no matter who wins or who loses. If Obama wins, the country will see the first acknowledged President of a mixed race. If McCain wins, we will have a first woman Vice President. There may be recounts, there may be disappointment in the electoral process and there may be the ongoing debate of the delegate system compared to the popular vote. But we will have validated another election and at the end of the day, we must continue to respect the process.

Certainly, this election has brought out deep sentiments this year. People seemed to be more vocal, more involved, more impassioned, than in prior elections. While the spectrum of possible morning-after reactions runs the gambit from complaining to an outbreak of violence, what we must acknowledge is that the future of the world economy and the Iraq war are in the balance.

As Americans the best we can hope for is that the winners do not spend the next four years in continuing petty battles attempting to punish or mete out retribution to the losing party. Our American ethic as people who are strong competitors must yield in order that we can regroup and move forward together. What is clearly more important than who you voted for or who won, is that we stop sneering at each other and reunite as Americans. We must, together, accept the winner, even if things don't go the way we wanted. We have to do whatever is necessary to insure that whoever wins will put nation above politics. And it is our job as the electorate to support our President and not do anything to undermine him.