Episode 27 Show notes
Another fun day from Apple as they announced new software and products. We discuss how these products will help our community. I will add more show notes soon. For now, go here to see why I’m rushing tonight 
Links:
Apple Keynote Address October 20, 2010
Episode 26 Show notes
Paul shared his incredible story about how his life changed after a gravel truck hit hit car when he was seventeen years old. It was in the late 1970s and he has learned a lot of lessons over the years about what changes in life and what stays the same. He finds a lot of support in journalling. He has had many challenges over the years, and also discovered many unexpected gifts. We are glad that we got to talk to him. Thanks, Paul!
We talked about rumors of a Verizon iPhone in production, since factories are leaking orders that sound like iPhone parts for Verizon. Fingers are crossed.
We’re still trying to work with Apple and other tech companies to bring you the latest and greatest advancements in accessible technology. Paul had great reviews of the iPad, which makes reading enjoyable for him again.
We shared our recent experiences with Amazon Prime, which has some new incentives for moms and dads here. Pretty cool program. The Prime membership for everyone costs $79 a year. You receive free 2 day shipping. There are also options like subscriptions, which delivers an item to you at regular intervals (like our baby’s diapers once a month). With the mom-club, and a subscription, you get 30% off items you use frequently, which is an amazing deal. It’s a great shopping option as we come to the holiday season, if you’re like me and the stores are exhausting . Amazon is selling a lot of products these days, including cleaning supplies, groceries, and more. May be worth looking into
I’m also playing with the trial of Photoshop Elements, which is more in depth than Lightroom for photo-art-effects. I’m deciding whether I have the time to invest in learning new stuff. It does amazing things for photos. It seems like a companion program to Lightroom, not a replacement, because it does layers and special effects, but it isn’t as intuitive as Lightroom. I can see using a few photos with Elements to really play with . . .
Anyone use Elements with hints for me?
Oh, and Nook’s Pubit is live. Publish your books for Nook readers.
Have a wonderful, healthy week!
Links:
Amazon Moms and Dads Club (sign up and you can get benefits through the holidays )
Episode 25 Show notes
Hurrah for Episode 25! What a fun journey. Tips and tricks from our concert adventures over the weekend. We saw Arcade Fire at the Greek Amphitheater in Berkeley.
Apple TV is a fun media-consumption device. Info from Apple here.
Follow Giovanni’s tech insights on Twitter at @weatherguru.
We’ll try to add more details in the next few days. For now, we are family non-profit media and the kids need to be tucked in good night
Good night!
Episode 21 Show Notes
Sorry, this episode does not have show notes.
Links:
iPod Nano Accessibility Features
iPod Touch Accessibility Features
Episode 20 Show Notes
Links:
A Cold Dark School with Zombies at the Gates, short story by Lenka for Kindle
A Cold Dark School with Zombies at the Gates, short story on Lulu (free)
New Free Computer Wallpaper, featuring sunflowers, Photography by Lenka, Password is disability
Welcome to Episode 20! In the commentary, I say Episode 19 because I checked the archive page and the links to Episode 19 never made it into the archives.
Which is an appropiate window into life these days. School is back in session. I teach part time. The beginning of the year is a flurry of preparation and energy as we establish community with our new students. It’s fun and very busy. So it makes sense that a few little details slip past me
We started the show talking about Apple. I tried the Apple Magic Trackpad at an Apple store recently. I was pleasantly surprised. I expected it to be a like a laptop mouse-pad with the sensitive pressure tapping with drives me crazy. But the trackpad had a click feature with a slight give and an actual click. I could see it being a great feature for navigating around the computer, especially if gripping the mouse becomes an issue. It is a little expensive, $69. May be worth the investment.
We received an email from Paul with additional hints about iMac shortcuts: Because of my visual fluctuations I find by pressing the CONTROL key and moving my finger up on the magic mouse the screen gets bigger — and likewise the opposite. I also like moving web pages with using 2 fingers left or right on top the magic mouse. Also do you know when entering text and you see a checkered line under a misspelled word — pressing the CONTROL key and putting the curser over that misspelled word and pressing down on the magic mouse you will have words listed to correct the error?
Thank you, Paul! He also asked if we have contacted Apple about screening products or receiving help bringing you information. And if we could have support making the show more interactive with call-in features. I have contacted Apple a few times over the summer. Still waiting to hear back . . . must be busy over there
We do enjoy the Live Shows. They are simply tricky to organzine consistently with the kids being so little. When the kids get older, it will be easier. For now, we do the best we can
Giovanni joined me to talk about Pandora.com, a radio website that makes custom stations for you. I discovered Pandora a couple of weeks ago and I love the ease of use and the creative music. I discover all sorts of new artists. Very cool.
Around 33 minutes, I talk about extraordinary kids returning to school. I share my thoughts as an extraordinary teacher and former extraordinary student .
I am feel the pressure of all the newness these days. The emotional journey of new routines and schedules tires all students. So our extraordinary kids need a little (or a lot) of extra support and planning.
Education is a journey. Enjoy the adventure.
Episode 19 Show Notes
Welcome to Episode 19! The iMac is here! It’s been a fun week learning this pretty new machine. I had Macs in high school and college, then had PCs for the past ten years. My last experience with Macs was the candy-color computers in the late 1990s. Those computer struggled with easy tasks and spoiled my towards Macs in general.
No longer. This machine is slick, fast, powerful. A thoroughbred computer. This computer breezes through tasks that made my old PC whine and spin faster and faster. It’s pretty fun. I will have a good time with photo editing.
Some of our challenges here are the mixed platforms on our home network. We found a parallel program that opens a virtual PC inside the Mac environment. Giovanni says the new iMac is the fastest PC you’ll ever own. He’s right. All of my old documents and photos are right where they should be. I’m writing again. Using Fireworks to make new covers for stories.
As for Accessibility Features, I do not need visual or preferences changes to use the computer. Over the next couple of weeks, I plan to learn more and share it with you as a video. I want to explore and find all the good stuff. I know Apple is a leader in the field of Accessible Technology.
For myself, I love the Magic Mouse and the iMac keyboard. The mouse is smooth and responsive. The keyboard is ultra-modern and light-touch. Perfect for me. The old PC keyboard was starting to cause numbness through my hands after typing for a few minutes. This new keyboard is like a cloud, or silk, or a whisper. Very quiet and gentle. Works well for me.
I discovered that Apple’s mail program and iCal (calendar) can sync with gmail though simple google searches. The easy directions now have my life, literally, at my fingertips. Very cool. I look forward to taming the 5000 unread emails in my inbox (mostly catalog announcements). According to my husband, I should declare email bankruptcy.
We did have trouble networking older (a couple of years old) equipment to the new machine. The printer responded erratically. The scanner didn’t like communicating either. Luckily the price of new, wireless printer/scanner/copiers has really become affordable. So rather than struggling, we updated. Domino effect.
Exciting changes. I did finish the epub conversion and posted The Goblin Queen to Lulu. I chose Lulu because they are an iPad partner, working with the iBookstore. Their submission process for that bookstore is a little muddled, so I’ll let you know how that works out. Right now you give them the number of your project and 4-6 weeks later, you should see it in the iBookstore. If you own an iPad. Which I don’t. So we’ll see. It’s an adventure. The story is not a disability story, but it has themes of belonging, healing, and self-awareness. With pirates and goblins. Hurrah.
This week I want to get the zombie story up for free downloads. Check back here for the official release date. I found a cool graphic for the cover. You get to be the first to see it!
I like her. I really do. She’s from iStockphoto as well.
I also have played with my own photos as background, or wallpaper, images on my computer. I’ve even been asked if the image is mine, or came with the computer. I want to make the world more beautiful and fun. So I’m giving the photos away for free. Yes, free. No spam, no email collecting, no bots or Trojan horses or zombies on your computer. Real free stuff. Here. The gallery is password protected so the link-farms don’t pick up the opportunity. The password is disability. Because I want to build positive associations with the word disability. Not about loss. It’s about giving . I didn’t even watermark them with my name or website. By clicking on a photo, you can download it in a few different resolutions. Share and enjoy.
Sample Wallpaper Photo: My Current Computer Background. Free!
The same goes for all of my ebooks. I am not copy-protecting the electronic files. You can copy to all of your devices. Share with your family. Friends too. Just don’t make copies to sell on your front lawn . I keep the stories affordable because I believe we like to support our artists. Your support means everything to me. Thank you!
Around minute 30, we go to Family Gatherings.
The family gathering. Perhaps a family reunion, or a wedding, or a graduation. Most of us will meet with family for fun, celebration, or grieving. Families can be our biggest support. And our biggest trigger. The gatherings can be rewarding or exhausting. Or both at once.
I have a huge family. We’re tight. We get together as often as possible. I love my family. And still, over time, I need strategies for enjoying our time together.
Family knew us from the beginning. They knew us as children. If our challenges are caused by an accident, or worsening symptoms, they remember us before the changes. They may measure us against our former selves. We may bring sadness, or worries. And to mitigate the effects of our challenges, we may take on more activities than we should. We may work harder just so they won’t worry.
At the same time, we can build resentments if we feel people don’t believe our challenges. We may have stories of insensitive moments. We may feel overlooked.
And we have logistical challenges. Travel arrangements. Car rides, airplanes, hotels, scheduled days. There may be traditional sports or hikes. Early mornings and late evenings. Kitchens to clean and kids to wrangle. A lot more than our usual routines at home.
So how can we balance the realities of our ever-changing worlds with the many challenges of a family gathering?
By paying attention, being prepared, and heaping an extra helping of kindness on the day.
Advocate: Before the event, talk to a trusted family member. A spouse, sister, cousin, brother, parent, someone you trust to look out for you. Not take care of you necessarily. They need their own fun, too, but someone who can add your concerns to a conversation, or remind you of your own plans like don’t stay up too late. An advocate helps keep you honest. I’m prone to agree to all sorts of plans and activities in the moment. Hike to the lake, sure, sounds fun. It’s not that far, is it? And afterwards I wonder why. Talking to my husband or my cousin beforehand helps me stay focused on myself even in group dynamics. Now, it is important that this person is a helper, not a handler. They should not carry a battle flag and feel a need to defend your interests at any given moment. Nor should you blame them if plans do not go your way. Also, be realistic and respectful. Why did you let me stay up so late? is not fair. We are adults. They are a support, not a knight.
Planning: Travel arrangements need to be realistic. I have come to a place where camping is a lot of work. So we rent a hotel room near the campgrounds when we can. I don’t expect everyone to stay in the hotel with me. It’s part of that flexible living that we must become so good at creating. Planning may also mean traveling for less time if that keeps you healthier.
Stick with routines: As much as possible, stick with what works. I made a disasterious error at our last family gathering. My son has a sensitive tummy, but he’s been doing better so I thought he’d outgrown a lot of the sensitivities. This great 100% juice was on sale so against my misgivings, I let him drink some. He had miserable rash for the entire trip. Neither of us slept. He was in a good mood, but he was also miserable. I felt awful. And I kept kicking myself. Why, why would I change what worked away from our usual routines and expectations?
We don’t always make rational, logical choices in the moment. So whenever possible, stick with proven strategies.
Snacks and water: Group decision-making can take awhile. Or perhaps a restaurant is crowded. Or the barbecue is taking a lot time to heat up. Have some healthy snacks on hand, especially if you take medications. That way you don’t have to worry when the choice between Chinese and Mexican inspires a fifteen minute discussion.
Schedule downtime afterwards: Try to keep an empty schedule for a day or two after arriving home. Even the best events take effort. And recovering is just as important as preparing.
The closing thought is that our family is the thread connecting us to time. Or a close circle of friends. These are the people that we knew as children, who will know our children (should we have children). I helpd little baby cousins when I was a teenager. Those babies are taller than me now and attend college. The unfolding of time together is a beautiful thing. Our shared stories are everything. When we get past the logistics and baggage, we have time. And that’s all we have. And that time is fast and fleeting. We need to make the most of the moments we are given. So go. Invest the energy and time. Take the risks. And be with people you love who also love you.
For future episodes, I want to talk about extraordinary kids returning to school and what we, as parents, teachers, community, can do to support them in a new classroom.
On a completely different topic, I have ideas about pain. My own pain is fussy these days so it gets me thinking about how we handle, hold, cope with pain. How it makes us and breaks us.
September will also be the first ever CMT awareness week. I’ll bring news about that as well.
A lot going on. And it’s close to my evening tech-curfew (so I won’t stay up too late). Take care and best wishes for a healthy, fun week!
Episode 18 Show Notes, August 1, 2010
This week, I am revisiting a post that I wrote during our road trip. It may be worth passing along to someone you know
Awhile ago, I thought, what if we abandoned the sad diagnosis? What if a doctor didn’t arrive with a heavy sigh and bad news? What if he said, congratulations? Your life is brand new today. And you are joining a community of creative, dynamic, powerful people. You are truly special. You get to put yourself first. You get to make very conscious choices about your life and your future. You will bring tolerance and compassion to your relationships. You are stronger than you ever guessed. And you will learn so much about yourself. You will open doors that you cannot even see today. But you will change the world. Just as your world is changing forever. Starting today.
What if?
That is my dream for our future, one that is alongside the mainstream story, equal in importance and contributions, with respect and potential. Where we are enriched by our challenges instead of being diminished by them. Where it’s okay not to be okay. As part of this vision, I have simple advice from my years of hearing one tough diagnosis after another.
Grieve Let the feelings be real. Yesterday’s world is over. And saying good-bye is important. Feel the depths of emotion, because going dead inside or numb will only postpone those feelings, not make them go away.
Write your own story Read the books, learn the facts, then know that your body has its own story to tell. Just because statistics say one thing, it doesn’t mean that will be your thing. Getting overwhelmed and fearful will not change the facts today. You are not controlling your story, but you can decide how you write it. Do you notice the darkness, or the dawn?
Connect and Support There are so many of us out here supporting you. We have been on the other side of that difficult news. We have grappled with pain, medication, uncertain futures. Find people who understand your story online or in your community. You do not have to speak up, but reading their stories may help you gain perspective on your own. We are an incredible resource for each other.
You do not Need to Beat This I have heard how I can beat a lot of my challenges. Oh, you’re stronger than other people. You’ll figure out a way to overcome. And the reality is everyone who has heard bad news decided to fight the odds. No one chooses to have physical challenges. And having challenges is not a reflection on inner strength or positive intentions. You can be emotionally healthy, strong, and happy. And you can still be sick. And that’s okay. You do not have to spend every day fighting to overcome your obstacles. A tree that can bend in the wind will grow taller than one that stiffens and breaks.
Be Kind to Yourself Your body works so hard. Even if it’s breaking down, it’s trying its best to survive and thrive. Be kind. Give rest. Give good food. Give kind thoughts. Because as angry and disappointed as we may feel, our body is not trying to punish us. It is not trying to upset us. It is doing the best it can under the circumstances The more we can be on the same team, the more our body can give us in turn. Every day can be a battle. Or a dance. Try to listen. Treat yourself well.
Love is Love is Love. Yes, times will be tough. Relationships with change. There may be strain and challenges. At the same time, love is deeper and stronger than any physical changes. Love goes beyond how far we can hike, or how many chores we can finish in a day. Love knows us as us, and holding onto that makes the challenges a lot more manageable.
This garden has thorns, yes, but flowers too.
For you, new to our community, I wish you strength, and patience, and beauty. People may say time heals all things, but you and I know that’s not true. Time will not heal us. Time will change us. I have known fear and pain and loss. I have also known joy and fun and adventure. We have the perspective, the knowing how fragile we really are day to day. We do not take a moment for granted. We know intuitively how quickly the world can change. We appreciate small moments. We understand the wonderful gifts that comes from spending quality time with people we love. And in that way we are the lucky ones. Congratulations. And welcome to our community!
Huge thanks to the good people at chronicbabe.com for inspiring this post. Their excellent forums for connections and support are here.
At this point, Giovanni joined the show for our technology discussion. We’re excited because we are getting a new iMac this week. We found workshops through our local Apple store that helped me learn new tricks and tips for the iMac. These workshops are free and awesome. Click here for the scoop from Apple. The computer arrives on Tuesday so we’ll have more to report next week! Learn about the iMac here.
We strongly advocate bringing technology news to our community. So much is happening with technology and information. If we can catch the wave and make our voices loud and proud, then we can play a big role in the futures of these technologies.
I researched epublishing this week. I’m currently figuring out the complexities of submitting work to the various e-bookstores. I’ll let you know how progress goes. There is a price war with the Kindle and Nook that benefits all readers. The Kindle is releasing a new edition and their prices have dropped to as low as $139. Kindle scoop here. The cheaper version uses wifi so you can download through your home network. The 3G model, which can download books almost anywhere, is here. The Nook also dropped prices. Their scoop is here. My full review of the Nook is here. Ereaders have not suffered from the iPad being released to the market. In fact, the ereaders are thriving. You can download apps from Barnes and Noble (Nook) and Kindle (Amazon) for any smartphone or iPad. They want you to buy books more than sell the reading devices. This is great for us readers.
Amazon makes it very easy for authors to post stories in the bookshop. You simply upload a doc file and a cover image and you’re published! It makes for a very dynamic online store. You can read my own book, The Goblin Queen
The main differences between the ereaders are screen and interface. The iPad has a lit screen while the other readers (Kindle, Nook, Sony Ereader) have electronic ink, which is not backlit and doesn’t cause eye strain. This is a big reason that the dedicated ereaders are doing so well. Die-hard readers are not having trouble switching to the ereading format. The other big difference, which matters for accessibility, is the way pages are turned. The iPad is touch-screen, so swiping a finger across the screen turns a page (great for challenges). The other readers have a button to press. They are all powerful machines that can store thousands of books. The iPad can do other things (like watch movies) as well. And it’s priced higher because of that. Find the scoop on iPads here.
We see a real shift in how people respond to technology these days. The Apple store was buzzing with energy. An entire world is growing and changing around us. As a community, we have a real chance to use this tech, and the communities it creates online, through gaming, through stories, to enrich and inspire our journey. Then, in turn, we can educate and change perspectives of ourselves in society. The fun is just beginning!
All of the diversity in publishing is only going to help our stories be told. It’s quite an adventure! Have a wonderful week!
Episode 17 Show Notes
We’re back! The two week family vacation was a wonderful, exciting trip. We sure learned a lot. We used a lot of technology to make the trip better. My birthday present was a Garmin GPS. The GPS was a great resource, not only for the maps. It can search for nearby gas stations, restaurants, and more. You can use search fields to find specific places. We did learn a lesson about traveling with tech. Always have backups. On our first day of driving, our GPS froze up on the GARMIN screen. If we hadn’t had backups of our hotel reservations, we could have really gotten lost. We also bought the GPS through the mail, so when it died, we couldn’t return it anywhere.
In Vegas, we used Google Maps on our Android phones to find a Costco near Vegas. Buying at a Costco gives us room to return it if that error happens again. Turns out that error is a known problem, and an update for the new GPS downloaded within a week of buying it. The Garmin Nuvi1490T has crisp resolution and easy navigation. A fun feature is that you can choose your vehicle, including a horse and a pirate ship, and narrator’s voice.
The dedicated GPS helps with accessible travel because it allows you to plan effectively and find resources when you need them. You can find pharmacies easily. Added features take the stress out of travel, which is good for everyone. The Garmin gives traffic updates. It will route you around traffic snarls. It advises lane choices so you don’t have an offramp sneak up on you. When directions go awry, you can blame the machine instead of each other
Really, most of the directions are perfect. We were led to a few phantom-locations where the gas station must have closed. There are updates that will continue to keep information as current as possible.
We also used our Netbook, the Nook, and Android Apps to make the trip easier.
We found Vegas without a problem. Vegas was a fun and challenging adventure. Luckily, we asked for a room near the elevator. Nothing could have prepared me for the scale of Vegas. The halls, the casinos, the pedestrian bridges were all bigger than life. It took ten minutes to walk to the pool. We stayed in a hotel that looked next-door to my brother’s hotel on a map. Getting there though involved a couple of elevators and a pedestrian bridge.
Las Vegas is very prepared for wheelchairs and scooters (except for the one time the pedestrian bridge elevator was broken without any alternate way down). There were plenty of ramps and accessable features. For mobility challenges, not so much. Arriving at the hotel, we found a long snaking line to check into our room. I asked an employee if we could get a return-time ticket so I could sit down. No such thing. I ended up sitting on an upturned suitcase by a wall. Not a bench in sight.
Another time, with a buffet, I tried to go sit while my husband waited in line. The buffet wait was anywhere from an hour or longer. No one had any plans for mobility challenges. There are five-star, diamond club, exclusive VIP lines that are noticeably shorter, but those are not for disability access. So I took the kids to go sit somewhere. We crossed the casino floor. Found the lobby. Nothing. End of the day and I was painfully-tired. So I sat against a wall out of the way. Ian soon found a ramp that he ran up with a happy squeal. I clambered to my feet (not a graceful business- getting up from the ground is an increasing challenge) and ran after him.
He stood in the middle of a fancy bar with soft-light tables. The bouncer walked toward me with a what are you thinking letting your child run wild? expression. Sorry, I know. I grabbed Ian’s hand and convinced him that down the ramp was awesome, too. I gathered up Anika and plopped Ian in the stroller and walked back. We saw a lovely dance performance on top of the slot machines.
And rejoined the line. Waited 45 minutes to pay. And then they were full. So we waited again. Another 20 minutes where I sat against the wall.
I believe the lack of benches anywhere is to highlight all of the nice seating by the slot machines. But when you have two kids, that convenience is irrelevant. So a few challenges.
But we loved the spectacle of it all. My favorite was the Conservatory in the Bellagio. Glass flowers and real-flower arrangements create an oversize garden scene. Photos will be posted soon.
Then we went to San Diego and Disneyland. We had a great trip to Disneyland. Disney has worked hard to make the park accessible. There are wheelchairs and scooters available to rent for a fee. We visited Downtown Disney the evening before. We stayed at the Tropicana hotel right across the street from the park, which was perfect. A few years ago, we stayed in a hotel where we had a shuttle. The shuttle dropped us off almost exactly where the Tropicana hotel was located.
After Vegas, the scale of Downtown Disney felt downright cozy. The stores are close together. Benches are everywhere, hurrah. We could rest anytime we wanted. Lots of eating choices and of course entertaining stores for the kids. Good stuff.
Our first stop inside Disneyland park was Guest Services. I had a discouraged feeling because the line was long. But it moved quickly. Disney uses stamps to give accommodations. I had a stamp that allowed me to use wheelchair entrances and avoid stairways in lines. I have not researched all of the stamps, but I’m sure resources online could share more about specific stamps. For me, the accomodations made all the difference.
We had a kid-centered day. Peter Pan, Small World, the Tiki Room. No big roller coasters for us, which is fine. The older rides are actually easier for me. With those, you enter through the exit. You still wait. It’s a myth that you go on first. Usually there is one car on the circuit for the accessible line. The wait is often shorter. But I don’t expect a shorter wait. I don’t mind waiting. It’s the switchbacks winding lines that exhaust me. The newer rides are built to accommodate wheelchairs, so everyone goes through the same entrance. I saw a gentleman on a scooter negotiating around those windy curves. He was doing fine, but it would have made me nervous.
So we like the old rides (they’re my favorites anyway). We take a lot of breaks. There are shaded places to eat or watch shows. We had a fantastic day.
Except for when we went to Mickey’s house, which didn’t mention a line. And we didn’t see a Disney cast member to ask about what we were getting ourselves into. So we thought we’d let the kids play in there. But we went through room after room and each time we thought this is the last room and, surprise! Another room. And people in the line were getting grumpier. I suppose that Mickey was at the end for a picture. We never found out because we escaped through the first Exit we saw.
The day was so much fun. Anika talks and talks about the adventures. Well worth the planning and next-day exhaustion.
And stay for the fireworks
We’re back! This Sunday, from 2-3pm Pacific Time, call in and join the fun! We’re talking about traveling and amusement parks, including what we learned at Disneyland and Las Vegas. Trust me, we learned big lessons that I wish I knew before we hit the road.
We’re also sharing the best travel gadgets, from GPS devices to Smartphone Apps for Andriod and iphones. Giovanni, the technical guru, will be on the show! Ask him anything techy. Try to stump him. I dare you.
And we’re taking your calls and sharing your stories! Email your story here or leave a comment for me to read on air. We will be broadcasting live on the internet and recording the podcast. Check back for the phone number and direct links to the show. Let’s get the party started!
I thought my husband was crazy. He won me an advance copy of Tony Hsieh’s (pronounced Shay) new book, Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose. All I knew was it was the story of Zappos.com. And the CEO, Tony Hsieh.
You can write a review, my husband said.
Why? I said.
Why not? he said.
The book arrived.
I started the book wondering how I would ever connect it to our community. I mean, people with disabilities work at Zappos, but that doesn’t mean the book is relevant to us. I did find connections (more soon). But the real moment caught me in the last chapter. He wants to change the way we think about happiness. About business. And by changing how we think, we can change the world.
Sound familiar?
So his perspectives relate to a business model, and an idea where putting people first just might be profitable, too. I hope he inspires a lot of other businesses.
At times I think our world is moving collectively to a better place. Hurrah.
The book is easy-fun-reading where millions of dollars are being earned and lost within months. Tony Hsieh is a dynamic, creative innovator. He made millions soon after leaving college with Link Exchange. However, he soon found the fat bank account was not making him happy. Having things wasn’t his magic. Doing things was magic.
The first third of the book chronicles Tony’s life up to his involvement at Zappos. A refreshing perspective is how he learned from his mistakes. He is a model of resilience. Which is refreshing, to remember how much work goes into making dreams real.
The second half of the book follows the story of Zappos, a new model of business that focuses on customer service and employee satisfaction. People. Not money. And how that was a radical idea. Until it worked.
And now he hopes to inspire change on a larger scale as well. Spread the good word. I support that word.
The other big connection I saw for our community is the idea of core values. A few years in the development of Zappos, they agreed to core values. Ideas like I Create Fun and a Little Weirdness and Do More with Less. They are touch-stones for real living, not some lofty goals to gather dust on a brass plaque.
I thought this was highly appropriate for our community. What are our core values?
What are the expectations of people outside our community? What core values are projected on us?
And then personally, what are my core values? I’m going to spend some time thinking, because I can get so buffeted by daily life, by new symptoms or fatigue or pain. It can be easy to drift. Get lost in it all.
My core value today: Live Your Truth
Which means bedtime for me. I am so grateful for the opportunity to read this book. I would not have sought it out. It barely seemed relevant to my life. And yet the vision is my vision. The premise, the profound investment in a better world, all that is great reading. And I learned there is a lot to business and investment that I didn’t know before.
Tony is an engaging and direct writer who kept the pages turning. Thanks for letting me be part of the experiment and the journey. We can find great ideas in unexpected places. Good stuff.
Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle,
and the life of the candle will not be shortened.
Happiness never decreases by being shared.
-Buddha
Disclaimer: I did receive an advance copy of Delivering Happiness and these are my honest thoughts about the book.
On Amazon: Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose
