Author:bluelollipoproad

stop making me wait woman!

…(that’s what a friend and reader said to me yesterday about not seeing the site changes here yet.) Believe me- I am very eager to share, but we have been working hard on getting it all just right. Beauty takes time people! 🙂

I just got the wireframe design/outline for the new site from my awesome web guy Bobby and I squealed when I saw it. It’s so cool to see hard work come to a visual life- especially when you’ve been working at something for years and finally feel like you’ve etched a great little spot for yourself. When I started Blue Lollipop Road in 2008 I never imagined It’d grow into what is is now. I also never thought I’d spend thousands and thousands of hours essentially running a full on entity for free, but It’s been worth every minute and then some. Growing and changing into this next phase of the BLR is the most exciting time yet for me!

You will see here:

*New tagline, mission/vision and BLR look

*Surprise big news about the BLR 8/18/12 Reunion Soccer Weekend in Vermont

*Launching of a fundraising campaign so I can keep this puppy running. (Yes, that means this site.)

*Introduction to a client I’ve been coaching through her process of  huge life change; Corporate high-powered burn out career to following her passion for working with animals.

*More

So yes, long waits and promised updates that have been delayed. Fear not. BLR is here to stay and growing bigger and better each day!

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lots of dirty jobs

I’ve always been a big fan of Mike Rowe.

Prompted by a book I am reading this week, I just watched Mike’s TED Talk On celebrating all kinds of jobs:

The fact that he’s hot and funny are just extra icing bonus points to how smart and real he is. (I so dig that.) My favorite part of this video is just after minute 12 when Mike talks about Pig Farmer Bob in Las Vegas:

“He stepped back and watched where everybody was going, and he went the other way.”

Well there’s something for us all to chew on for today!

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there’s no such thing as aimless wandering

I wander around alone in silence a lot.

I always feel incredibly powerful, capable, and hopeful when I take the time to.

People don’t believe me when I share that most of my hundreds of thousands of road miles have been spent in silence with only the sounds of the wind passing by my ears, but that’s the truth. There’s something that’s magical and empowering that happens when you let yourself wander and see your surroundings without interference.

Last week I was sitting at my desk, attempting to knock out a mile-long list of to-do’s and assignments and I was just not feeling in my groove. So? I got up and left my apartment to wander and get air in hopes for an energy boost. After a mile or two of walking, I became enamored with the bright sun, clouds, and blue sky reflecting off various buildings:

Downtown Chicago buildings with blue sky

Downtown Chicago buildings with blue sky

Downtown Chicago buildings with blue sky

Downtown Chicago buildings with blue sky

Downtown Chicago buildings with blue sky

Chicago street springtime flowers

(…and some bright spring flowers too.)

I got that energy boost I hoped for and then some, to go back and knock out that pile of work I had. Quiet wander time relieves me when I am stressed, inspires me when I can’t seem to get creative, and it gives me giant injections of anything is possible feeling.

As adults, we don’t encourage or allow ourselves to be curious, or to wander to take in that zap of often needed healthy energy. Why? What’s the cutoff age for curiosity anyway? Why do we push kids to try, try, try everything, explore that field of flowers, play that game for hours, or look up at that plane in the air to imagine where it’s going, but never look up at it ourselves?

Blue Lollipop Road promotes travel for education and self-empowerment. When we allow ourselves to be curious and wander (aka travel), we learn heaps of valuable information, and we become incredibly smart, resourceful, confident, and self aware. (Talk about a rock-solid foundation to build off!) Travel doesn’t have to mean far off lands around the globe. It could simply mean just getting up and out of whatever place you’re sitting in when you feel like you’re not growing or being productive. Just taking some time to step out and feel passion or re-energize. Like I did last week when I took this photos.

All who wander (and let themselves be curious) are definitely not lost.

 

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oh the places you will go

As I’ve been working with my talented, patient, and generous web guy Bobby sending him information, photos, links, etc. for the BLR face lift we are doing, I found this link from A Skirt! Magazine issue I was featured in before I drove to Alaska.

My, my, the things that have happened since this photo and article. Oh the places we have been.

This BLR-mobile got different license plates, added branding on the bumper, it drove all the way up to the Gateway to the Klondike:

The BLR-mobile at the Alaska border in Skagway

…and went through the Inside Passage of The Last Frontier, then all the way down the west coast spending nearly 5 months total on the road with an extended work stay in Napa, back east, then a move to Chicago, travels back east again, back to Chicago, back east once more and just back to Chicago this week. (With so much in between.)

Phew!

I don’t think I’ve ever shared here after that Skirt! photo shoot, I left the east coast headed for Alaska with only $600, a fresh oil change, a few paper maps, and all my belongings in the trunk. (As in everything I owned.) If you do any sort of calculations on mileage and gas, $600 is not even enough money for gas to get to Alaska let alone any other expenses. I made it there and back and then some as listed above because at the time I wanted to make that journey happen so badly I would’ve walked there if I had to. Not only was I safe, happy, and did I have an amazing time, but I didn’t have to walk there. Why? Because along the way things just happened. 

It’s so fun to look back and have those hell yeah- I did that! moments.

When you take a step towards life (and work your ass off) the universe responds. That is no joke, and this photo above is a perfect example. There are no secrets or superpowers I have that you don’t have too.

Is there a “place” that you want to be so badly, you’d be willing to walk there? What’s holding you back from starting that walk?

This calls for a little Dr. Seuss moment:

Oh the Places You’ll Go:

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.  And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets.  Look ’em over with care.
About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you’ll head straight out of town.

It’s opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don’t worry.  Don’t stew.
Just go right along.
You’ll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

You’re right Dr. S!

We have brains in our heads, we have feet in our shoes, and we can steer ourselves in any direction we chose!

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10 days out…

…from giving up my full time paying gig to focus here for free, and I have made more behind the scenes progress than I have in months.

That’s paycheck enough for me right now.

Timing, focus, and clarity are amazing things. Especially after laying a solid foundation.

Whoop Whoop!

Can’t wait to share the goodness very soon. It’s all coming together baby…

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worth the 700 mile drive…

…and then some:

View from Seneca Lake work morning

This was morning coffee today. Talk about a great view to get a bunch of work done on our lake retreat!

I’m happy to share that we are getting a big ol’ face lift as part of the transition that’s happening here so watch your screen over the next few weeks for our makeover! I’ve already begun a few little changes you can see at the top page tabs.

Until more exciting announcements about our growth…

 

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road trip!

Time for a BLR work retreat and meeting of the minds. We have mountains to move and things are rolling!

Eastbound I go, where I will have one of my favorite people greet me, and more to join. There will be music made (surprise on that soon,) fresh food eaten, wine for sipping, hills to run, a dock for sitting, and mornings to wake up and be utterly inspired to get things done.

No better place to have kick off to the new life of Blue Lollipop Road than here:

Blue Lollipop Road feet on my favorite dock in the world

Where do you get inspired to do your best work?

 

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be one audacious person

A couple of years ago, an old boss tossed a book my way after returning from a convention, respectfully sassing me with a “Here- this guy talks about the same crap you do all the time.”

It was autographed:

Diane~ 

Let love rule

As you advise Tim. Thank you, and yes I will- always.

The Book was Love Is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends by Tim Sanders. I gobbled it up in one afternoon and became a big fan. Since then I have recommended this book to several people and loaned my copy too. I follow Tim’s blog occasionally and while poking around tonight clicked on this post about being audacious. (Amen to that!) I particularly liked this portion of the post:

3. Be Tenacious – It’s going to take some time, and some serious persistance if you want to change the world.  You’ll need a long term plan, and a thick skin to withstand criticism and adversity. 

Isn’t that the truth.

As I start my first week with BLR as my full on, full time gig- no other job to interrupt my work flow, I am happy. So happy. I’ve already been working my tail off all weekend barely leaving my apartment because I love what I am doing. (That is a great feeling.) I want to change the world, and the last thing I am afraid of, is putting in lots of hours and being persistent to do it.

How are you being the power of one? How are you being audacious and tenacious?

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