Kung Fu Fondue

There is no English equivalent for the original meaning of kung fu. In short, 功夫 (gōngfu) means "achievement through great effort". Originally, to practice kung fu did not just mean to practice Chinese martial arts. Instead, it referred to the process of one's training - the strengthening of the body and the mind, the learning and the perfection of one's skills - rather than to what was being trained. It refers to excellence achieved through long practice in any endeavor. You can say that a person's kung fu is good in fondue; saying that a person possesses kung fu in an area implies skill in that area, which they have worked hard to develop. For several years, now, our family has worked hard to develop Fondue Kung Fu. We own several fondue pots and each year it has become a tradition for our family (and a few friends) to get together on New Year’s Eve for an evening of fondue. I think it is ridiculous, how the art and practice of fondue has fallen out of favor. That everyone thinks it the same way they do avocado green appliances & shaggy burnt-orange carpeting. However, fondue is fun. And it is truly is the ultimate party food. Fondue comes with traditions; one being, if you drop the tasty morsel of goodness that you have on the end of your stick into the hot cauldron of oil – you have to kiss the person next to you. At our party, we’ve created a variation of this tradition that simply requires the fumbling fondue(r) to answer a question about themselves that most people at the party might not know about them. Another budding tradition involves playing the wii baseball, boxing, et cetera (I won’t go into detail, because I lost badly last year). This year, I feel like adding a new tradition that involves exotic fried items; and in honor of Kung Fu and the young “grasshopper” I think I’ll start with a treat I’ll dub “fried hoppers”.

A couple of questions remain:

1. Where to get grasshoppers? I wonder if the local Thai grocery will carry them?

2. Will the little hoppers taste better in chocolate or honey? My guess is honey, since John the Baptist seemed to prefer insects that way – good enough for John, good enough for me.

3. Who at the party will end up eating these things? I hope I don’t have to gorge myself with an excess of fried hoppers – waste not, want not. Have a Happy & Prosperous New Year! CAP

"Ich dien"

How do you get more out of life? I can give you a few guesses. Do you get it by complaining and criticizing? Nope... How about wallowing in self-pity and demanding to be the center of attention and everything center around you and your needs? No...Not even close.

I've noticed, that we've become a "soft serve" society. We have every possible service available to cater to our needs. The only thing missing, for the most part, is "self serve". Often we're "hard" on our service providers, but "soft" when it comes to serving others ourselves.

I've mentioned before, that I'm reading a book, titled, "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" (HSW). Before you jump to conclusions, no, I'm not a worry wart. However, since I work in a "people business", and it's on my reading list of books to read in the next year, I thought I should make sure I'm not worrying about stuff I can't control -- other people. Consequently, I've been reading HSW, almost every night, about 15 mins. at a time.

Tonight I came across the motto of the Prince of Whales: "Ich dien" -- "I serve." To put the mention of the above motto in context, the author of HSW used an illustration of service to others as a way to cure depression in 14 days. You see, there seems to be a healthy inner glow in a man with purpose, a mission. There's a joy of knowing that one is being used by an idea far more nobler and more significant that oneself. Alfred Adler, psychiatrist, would prescribe the following exercise to all his patients: "Try to think every day how you can please someone." The prescription came with a guarantee that, if they follow Dr. Adler's instructions, they would be cured from their depressed state in 14 days.

Most people know that, between Christmas and New Year's Day, many people can become depressed, some even commit suicide. However, I figured we don't have to be depressed to take on Dr. Adler's 14-day challenge. Will you join me in forgetting ourselves enough to become more interested in others? For the next 14-days (and hopefully for the rest of your life), do a good deed that will put a smile of joy on someone's face. I'd love to hear from you on how you are demonstrating "Ich dien" to the world (in big and small ways).

CAP

*Note: This blog was not intended to discriminate against those who like soft serve. I, for one, love soft serve. Generally, soft serve is lower in milk-fat and tends to allow the taste buds to detect more flavor. If you are in need for a soft serve, please go to: joshandjohns.com and find a location near you. In fact, if you take the 14-day challenge and comment about your experiences, I may treat you to a soft serve some time.

People You Don't Know That Changed Your World

This is the start of a series I call:

"People You Don't Know That Changed Your World"

(Question: Like the title? Give me a better suggestion, and I'll give you a free book!

Comment on this post, send me an e-mail, twitter me, post on my facebook, call me, or just tell me in person!)

Carl F. Rehnborg, while living in China in the early 1920s, noticed, amid unforgettable malnutrition and disease, an important connection between the foods people ate and their overall health. In farming communities, where fresh fruits and vegetables were plentiful, people were much healthier overall. In the cities, where diets included far more sugar, salt, and fat, Carl noted that there were many more instances of critical diseases, such as scurvy and beriberi. During political unrest in Shanghai, Carl was isolated in a protected enclave. There, he conceived the idea of using nutritional elements missing from the typical diet as a way to improve overall health. Carl supplemented his meager diet with soups from what was available: local herbs, grasses, and vegetables, along with rusty nails (for iron), and lime stone and ground-up animal bones (for calcium).

He shared his broth with a few friends, although the flavor was far from palatable. Months later, Carl and his friends who ate the nutrient-rich broth emerged from their enclave much healthier than those who had eaten only army rations. Returning to the United States, Carl set up a small laboratory on California's Balboa Island, where, over the next six years, he conducted experiments using different plant varieties. He developed a way to dry these plants while still preserving their important nutrients. He created a formulation of alfalfa, watercress, and parsley, which became the basis of his first product.

Prior to 1934, there were no multiviatiam/multimineral supplements. People found it difficult to know if they were getting enough nutrients in their daily diets. Ultimately, pioneer, Carl Rehnborg created the first multivitamin/multimineral supplement sold in North America. Since 1934, when the first NUTRILITE product was introduced, the company has become a leader in nutrition research, development, and innovation. Because they are made from whole plant concentrates, many NUTRILITE supplements contain a wide array of phytonutrients.

Throughout his life, Carl Rehnborg believed this was the optimum way to achieve good nutrition the way nature intended. Manufacturing operations in Buena Park, California, and Guangzhou, China, produce up to 10 billion NUTRILITE tablets, capsules and softgel capsules annually. Carl began selling his new supplement person to person, friend to friend, through word-of-mouth referrals. When some of these early customers began referring new customers to Carl, he suggested they sell the product themselves, rewarding them with discounts on their purchases.

Carl Rehnborg's innovative work was the start of a multi-billion dollar company. (Source: Nutrilite.com)

http://www.surfmyshops.com/ /twitter.com/chrisaperez/facebook.com: Christopher A. Perez

Getting Dirty

Every year, around this time, people begin to look back at their year and say, "I can't believe it's almost Christmas! This year went so fast!" As they contemplate the fleetness of their days, the song Happy Christmas, by John Lennon and Yoko Ono rings out, "So this is Christmas, and what have you done? Another year over, and a new one just begun..." Next, there's the pangs of their conscience, as they lament over lost time, and lost opportunity to change for the better. The sit- ups they stopped doing, the friends they forgot to call, the spirit-man they didn't strengthen, the finances they didn't fix--all these miscarried goals flood their mind. In my home office (the war room), I have a quote by Thomas Alva Edison that reads, "Most people don't recognize opportunity when it comes, because it's usually dressed in overalls and looks a lot like work." If only there was a magic pill, magic bullet, or magic trick, that you could pick up at the local magic store--and POOF--your life would be magically delicious! Everything nice, neat, and pre-packaged. For a moment, there's the bright idea to ask for the magic gift for Christmas! Last week, you remember seeing an info commercial offering the magic gift in your choice of color. About this time, you realize that your God-given goals and dreams don't come in a nice, neat box. They are found in seed and soil--sometimes covered so only you can see them. You have to get your hands dirty. You have to work with the seed and soil. I'm not talking about a toilsome work. Rather, I'm talking about diligence--steady and earnest in application to a subject or pursuit. God says that the hand of the diligent will be successful. As we approach 2009, and you map out your goals, dreams and desires for you and your family, here are some instructions we can learn from an old cotton farmer that might help you in the process: Preparation: A. Till your soil, eliminate weeds, and add compost. B. Next, drag a garden hoe in a straight line the length of the garden to create a row for planting. If making more than one row, make them about thirty inches apart from each other. Then pre-moisten the soil with a good deep watering. C. Plant. Application: What are some weeds that you've allowed in your soil? Take action to eliminate the weeds immediately. Renew your mind daily to ensure the soil is rich to grow a strong harvest. If you have dreams and goals, make sure you give them room this year to grow properly. Don't crowd your dreams with so many activities, clubs, commitments, and committees that you hinder any one thing in your life from truly reaching it's God-Size! Get familiar with the word, "NO". It's OK, go ahead and say out load--No! Staring at the compelling distractions on a television screen is one of the major consumers of time. You can enjoy and benefit from the very best it has to offer in about seven total hours of viewing per week. But the average person spends more than thirty hours per week in a semi-stupor, escaping from the priorities and goals he or she never gets around to setting. The irony is that the people we are watching are having fun achieving their own goals, making money, having us look at them enjoying their careers. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you've wasted in the past, you still have an entire today, month, year. If you've just frittered away an hour procrastinating, you will still be given the next hour to start on priorities. Time management contains one great paradox: No one has enough time, and yet everyone has all there is. Time is not the problem; the problem is separating the urgent from the important. Clear your calendar to get your hands dirty doing what God has uniquely called you to do this year. Take time prior to Jan. 1, 2009 to pre-moisten the soil with a good deep watering at a one-day retreat. Book it in your calendar now, get out of the house and dream cast, pray, seek God (alone). If you are married, spend time alone with God and schedule a portion of the day to come together with your spouse and discuss what God's prompting each of you to accomplish. A few ideas--my friend rents a room at "Glenn Erie" each year, walks the grounds, brings paint brushes, paints and canvas, his guitar, his Bible, lots of paper, and meets his wife for a dinner date later in the evening to discuss, etc. Cultivation: A. Check the soil temperature using a soil thermometer. B. Refrain from watering the newly planted seeds until four to five weeks after the plants emerge. Then water the small plants through the summer months about every ten days. C. Stop watering the cotton plants sixteen weeks after planting. Soon after they stop receiving water, they will start to dry and shed their leaves. The cotton bolls, or pods, will split open allowing the cotton fiber inside to dry. Application: Get a game plan and follow it. Check on your dream seeds on a regular basis. Give your dream seeds time to take root. It's all about the slight edge. Sometimes (OK, maybe all the time), the tendency is to over do it, and want to see fruit on day one. Example: you want to lose weight, so you join a gym, and on Jan. 1st you go in and "over water" by lifting too much, for too long. The next day, you get up and your body is screaming! Your body is stiff and sore from all the lactic acid rushing to rescue your muscles, so you don't go back to the gym that day. Day three the soreness hasn't subsided, and you're feeling sorry for yourself. You can't even raise your arms above your head, and you don't want to cook, so you order McD's for dinner on the way home from work. After downing a Big Mac, a biggie fry and a large strawberry milkshake you feel guilty, fat and sore, with clearly no results in sight. The next day you sleep in and say, "I'll start again next week." Next week turns into next month, and ultimately next year. The key is daily, diligence and monitoring. There is a problem with even a little bit of neglect. Neglect starts as an infection. If you don't take care of it, it becomes a disease. And one neglect leads to another. Worst of all, when neglect starts, it diminishes our self-worth. Once this has happened, how can you regain your self-respect? All you have to do is act now! Start with the smallest discipline that corresponds to your goal/dream. Harvest: A. Harvest the cotton when all the bolls have cracked open and the cotton is a ball of fluff. Application: Celebrate the harvest! People will see the fruit and so will you! Something good is going to happen in 2009! IDEA: Get a cotton ball and put it somewhere you can see it daily (put it on the dash of your car, tape it to your computer monitor, keep it in your pocket, etc.). Make the cotton ball a visual reminder of the dreams you're cultivating, to be diligent, to be ever-monitoring and to get your hands dirty! CP

icareaboutorphans.org

Learned about an awesome movement of local churches, non-profit-faith-based orgs teaming up to solve problems the goverenment was never meant to fix. We took our kiddos to an adoption summit this weekend just to get information and see the good work that's being done in this social cause. I think one of our dreams, as a couple, is to adopt in the next few years. 5 kids sounds like a good number! We have three now, so two more... With every dream/vision, there needs to be plans, so our first step this weekend was to simply get information on the subject. Christians have a clear command to care for orphans, and there are many ways to get involved-like praying, giving, mobilizing your church, or adopting. Whichever you decide, there is planty of guidance and support as you walk down this incredibly rewarding path. So embrace the call, avoid the trap of thinking "someone else will help," and let's make the US a place where every orphan waiting in foster care has a family. Question: What vision do you have? What simply, first, steps are you taking to make your dreams/visions real? Start today with your first step (research, interview people, go to a meeting, pray, etc.). A wise mentor of mine once said, if you do something, something will happen--every time! So, if you have something that God has placed on your heart--do something about it! CP

Win a FREE book! National grown-up super hero costume day!

Fall is here, and fall festivals abound. I do let my enterprising kids run around the neighborhood in search of deliciously, sweet, jewel-like loot (my son Edan, and my two daughters Cienna, aka Wonder Woman and Brianna bottom right pictured above). My only requirement is that my kiddos adorn themselves with costumes of characters they should aspire to be--no witches, dead people raised from the dead or goblins in my household. Super heroes are a perennial choice. This fall, there's a lot of doom and gloom and surprisingly it has nothing do with Halloween. This fall, we've had visitors coming to our houses, well in advance of Halloween, doing more tricking than treating. If you listen long enough, you might get a little pessimistic, sarcastic, and as gloomy as a average fall day in the Midwest. Many people are asking where's superman?! Where's superwoman?! Won't someone come to our rescue? The answer is simple. No. You are the hero. I'm NOT talking about some naturalist notion. I know where our true source of power comes from (GOD). However, living in a country that is blessed by the Big Guy empowers us to prosper (in every area of our life). We can't let the "bad news" mentally bum us out. We need to dream. Ronald Reagan, after losing his first bid for the presidency, wrote this note on the campaign ticket of a Sr. Advisor for his campaign: "We fought, we dreamed, and we dreamed some more...". The next Presidential election Mr. Reagan won. We need to dream, and dream some more. When I was a kid, I had "underoos". Underroos were underwear with super hero graphics! I went to bed every day as some form of super-human-mutant (Aquaman, Green Lantern, Superman...). However, the dreaming didn't just happen when I was sleeping. As a little man, my whole day was about living the dream, playing the dream, acting out. It was evident in the things I watched, the people I played with, the clothes I wore, and the tools/toys I played with daily. I was listening to the President's Weekly Radio Address to the Nation (yes someone listens to this stuff) and I love the closing remarks from 'W' : "...We are a country where all people have the freedom to reach their potential and chase their dreams. This has defined our nation since its founding. This promise will guide us through the challenges we face today and this promise will continue to define our nation for generations to come..." So I've been thinking about that I'm going to take advantage of 10/31 and dress up! I figure since everyone else will be publicly playing dress up, it won't weird anyone out. Underoos would be a little more concealed, but they don't come in grown up sizes (I checked). How many of you are in? Will you join me in my declaration that we are the heroes! Individuals in this country still has dreams! Post your pic from national grown up super hero day, we'll vote and I'll send you a free book to the winner!

fight

A mentor of mine, when speaking in front of thousands of people has read this quote that he was made to memorize while attending the Air Force Academy. At the time, he admits, he didn't really grasp the significance of this message. "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." John Stuart MillEnglish economist & philosopher (1806 - 1873) This quote isn't just about the fighting our brave men and women are doing overseas, it's about you and me. What are we willing to fight for? I have a few ideas, and I'm in a fighting mood.

Mission Statement

Mission Statements are everywhere. For example, here's Taco Bell's Mission Statement: "We take pride in making the best Mexican style fast food providing fast, friendly and accurate service. We are the employer of choice offering team members opportunities for growth, advancement, and rewarding careers in a fun, safe working environment. We are accountable for profitability in everything we do, providing our shareholders with value growth. " What about Starbucks (we call it Fourbucks, because you can't get out without spending $4): Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles as we grow.The following six guiding principles will help us measure the appropriateness of our decisions:Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity.Embrace diversity as an essential component in the way we do business.Apply the highest standards of excellence to the purchasing, roasting and fresh delivery of our coffee.Develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time.Contribute positively to our communities and our environment.Recognize that profitability is essential to our future success. Pretty boring stuff (no wonder people need so much caffeine to get going in the morning, and mid-afternoon). The only mission that really matters is something like: "My mission statement is to participate in the end of suffering." The greatest people/organizations in the world are taking up the mission to end suffering. A person will do anything to end suffering in their life. Consequently, if you dial into suffering in any arena and help to end it, you'll create a movement of people that want to participate. If I take it up a notch, my vision statement is to "destroy spiritual, relational, emotional, physical, and financial poverty worldwide." What's your vision? What are some ways you think I can accomplish my vision?

What's up with you?

The Hardest Person to Lead It doesn't take long to realize that leadership is hard. You should be able to conjure up the names of at least five people who make that a true statement. All kinds of things make leadership difficult, but certain people are one of those things. As the picture of those certain people comes to mind, take a minute to let that picture fade. Because of all the difficult people you will lead, the hardest person to lead will be yourself. Call it whatever you want-the discipline of a leader, self-leadership, managing yourself-you've got your work cut out for you. The journey of leadership is as much inward as it is outward. Leadership, done well, will continually be a force that drives you back into the center of yourself to find out what you are really made of. Great leadership occurs when you understand your own motives, your ‘dark side,' what you want to misrepresent in order to look better than you really are. One of the things I believe deeply is this: Leaders ought to be the most self-aware people in the room. Sure, who doesn't agree with that? Especially if I clarify that I am not talking about a narcissistic self-awareness. You know the kind: The people who know only two pronouns: I and me-no, not that kind of self-awareness. I'm talking about the kind of self-awareness that makes you comfortable in your own skin. You know who you are and who you aren't. You lean into and lead out of your strengths. You have words for your brokenness, and while you may wish you had none, you know that you do, and you know what they are. And you know that other people know. You wouldn't have it any other way. Taken from Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands by Nancy Ortberg. Copyright © 2008 by Nancy Ortberg. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Give, Receive, and be the second chance

I fail a great deal. If I fail, it means I'm trying. Trying something! A mentor of mine once said, "If you try something, something will happen." Generally, I like something happening more than nothing happening. However, if I try, I generally fail. It's not a matter of if I'll fail, but when. One second I'm taking a chance, the next second I need a second chance. I'm a part of The People of the Second Chance, which is a community of individuals who advocate radical grace and second chances. We champion lost causes and think that a second chance is a human right.People of the Second chance have 3 core values: 1. People of the Second Chance are individuals who are fast to forgive. In a culture that believes in revenge and payback, we rebel with grace. 2. People of the Second Chance receive second chances in their own life. When we have experienced personal, professional, or relational failure, we refuse to be defined by our mistakes. We learn, we grow, and we have the courage to move on. 3. People of the Second Chance serve in places where people need second chances. We advocate for the vulnerable and fight for equality for the poor, the prisoner, and the voiceless.These three values can be simply summed up by:Give, Receive & Be the Second Chance.

Questions

I recently read a book titled, "How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Selling" and I was intrigued by a chapter about "questions". Instead of making so many positive statements, you should put your conversation in the form of questions the author added. The author of the book went on to describe how in one day he generated more sales then he had anticipated for the entire year! The epiphany of simply asking questions changed the entire trajectory of his sales career! It made me think about how the principle of asking questions is so important to direct selling too. If I were looking into a direct selling opportunity for the first time here are a few questions I would ask my potential sponsor: 1. Is the company you represent debt free? 2. Is the company privately or publicly held? 3. How long has the company been around? 4. Is the company registered with the BBB? 5. What % of company sales go back to the business owners in the comp. plan? 6. Does the company have a global footprint? 7. Is the company an innovator (how many patents, awards, etc. are they responsible for)? 8. Is the product line limited by a specific category? 9. Where do they rank in their category (are they a leader)? 10. How are they investing in the future? 11. How many products do they offer to sell? 12. What are their annual sales? 13. Do you use your own products? These a few questions I would ask. How about you?