This is a new perspective for me to consider! "Tax Time" which should have been organized and finished for me a while ago, is a BIG source of Chaos for me. No matter what - every year I get tightened up about having to organize my tax info, share it with our accountant (who is a lovely person) and pay the government to make decisions about where my money goes (UGH). So when our newest member @Ted Simmons shared this murky photo of an employment ad for an accountant's office, I had to laugh! A new perspective. Usually, a visit to our accountant (again, lovely person) spins my Chaos. But thinking of that person as a solution to my Chaos was a new possibility. And it make sense. Without a trustworthy accountant, getting through tax time would be impossible for me. So that's my perspective shift for today. And I needed it! What's yours?

How do you feel about speaking in front of an audience? As Speakers, Jim and I have dealt with some wild interruptions and mishaps in front of audiences. And even if you don't consider yourself a Speaker by trade, maybe you've been in the position where all eyes are on you while you are teaching, interacting, sharing info with any type of group, team, or organization. It can be daunting to be in the "hot seat" when materials don't get delivered, or Wi-Fi cuts out, your practiced talk doesn't align with the visual presentation (hint - practicing too much can make us sound rote and rob us of the natural interactive tone an audience responds to best). Here's a thought to beat the imposter syndrome that might creep up on you: Audiences are generally pulling for you to succeed, and they don't live in your head. They won't know if you've left something out or had to pivot in an unexpected direction. They aren't spending time beating up on you, so you shouldn't either!

Hi Friend! What Julius Caesar didn't notice and brushed off on a long-ago March 15th cost him dearly. It appears he was so certain of himself that he didn't listen to dire warnings. I'll let you look that one up, if you'd like. Things aren't quite so dire today, but I'm taking an opportunity to listen to what @Lisa Burke said in her comment on the Mar. 12 post. She is wise indeed to remind herself and all of us that asking for help when we're stuck is a good plan. Immediately upon reading her comment, I was reminded of a book I keep on my nightstand for when I need some gentle, happy thoughts to help me sleep. "The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse" is a sweet reminder to care for ourselves and each other, by artist Charlie Mackesy. I highly recommend it! The Boy asks the Horse when he has been at his strongest, and the Horse tells him it's when he's been brave enough to show weakness. "Asking for help isn't giving up," said the Horse. "It's refusing to give up." I have felt like giving up on technology this week, but I'm going to find solutions, instead. When and how have YOU refused to give up?

Hey My Friend! Friday got away from me in hours of technology torture. I worked with a friend to try and solve my newsletter CRM issues and figure out why my Calendly shut me out. Stupid Human Tricks! After reflecting on this experience a while, I realized that I have learned a ton of functionality on tech since I started using it to build my online presence. And though that is true, my understanding is elementary when compared with what some of my needs require. What I realized is that when it come to internal Chaos, this is my biggest challenge. Being stuck in the tech swirl is what causes me the most angst in my personal world at the moment. Today I'm working on some concrete solutions to this predicament, so I can reduce my stress around it. It took me a little while to move from marinating in overwhelm, to calming myself with EFT Tapping and Jin Shin Jyutsu, to solutions-based thinking. I'm wondering - Have you been through a similar process on a repeated stressor? Or might you have worked through something in another way?

First, let's welcome Rachel Cox - our newest member. She has hiked most of our Nat'l Parks! And I really missed making sure to welcome each of you as you jumped in with us. Sooo, let's fix that! Pick someone you haven't met yet, and say WELCOME! Here we ALL are! I'm so glad you are all here. Together, we can calm the chaos... Jody Marken - Horse trainer and dressage show judge Christian Phipps - Construction Guru and Cat Herder Michele Clark - Empowering Breast Cancer Survivors Les Landes - Landes & Assoc - continuous improvement systems Susan Miranda - Nurse Case Manager for folks with intellectual disabilities Ted Prodromou - Tahoe skier and author of Ultimate Guide to LinkedIn for Business Rozalind Murray - Mom, songwriter, and poet yearning for farm life Andrew Ruiz - Chef extraordinaire Sharon D Brown - Founder of Self Care You Academy Heidi Beckett - Autism mom, caretaker, cat lady, party animal Judith Coletti - founder of Two Old Broads podcast Hana van Campen - Crazy cat vet and thoroughbred horse Mom Freddy Cicerchia - Endurance cyclist, 9th-Dan Uechi Ryu martial artist Dr Jim DOC Weathers - Biohacking Doc for pro and elite athletes Kevin Whitacre - Mechanical engineer and Colorado horseman Jessica Rose - Mystical therapist and Guide Feather Berkower - Child sexual abuse prevention educator/author Halima Davidson - Military veteran and award-winning human resources leader Allison O’Neall - Textile artist and lover of the natural world Dawn Hogan - Business Marketing and Strategic Coach Melissa Riley - Former special educator and rabbit rescuer Lisa Burke - DC fan of Calm Your Chaos and cat wrangler Karin Antoni - Personal trainer, horse Mom, nutrition guru Jane Rauscher - Former D1 basketball player, pickleball aficionado Scott Dresser - Construction contractor, wilderness EMT, praying for snow