Author Archive

Appreciating Diversity During the Holidays: It’s about more than just a simple “Happy Holidays”
by Simma Lieberman

Guess who’s not celebrating Christmas this year? Millions of people in the US.

That’s right. Tens of millions of Americans don’t celebrate Christmas religiously, either as followers of non-Christian religions (Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Jews) or as individuals with no religious affiliation. Because many stores tap into the cash value of Christmas with their plethora of Santas, ornaments, and Christmas fanfare at your nearby mall, we can easily overlook the depth of the diversity present in America during this season. In reality, many different events, both spiritual, religious, and tradition based, are being celebrated in many different ways during these times.

It used to be that being inclusive meant sending out PC “Happy Holidays” greeting cards and changing Christmas office parties to “Holiday parties.” Today, it’s about more than just changing labels and titles. It’s about using a time to be with friends and family to build understanding and awareness about others.

Three Ways to Build Your Awareness and Create an Inclusive Holiday Environment

1. Learn about other celebrations. Carve out some time from online shopping or a Holiday TV show to learn about another culture’s celebrations during this time. Watch a TV special on other celebrations, do a Google search on a holiday, or check out books at your local bookstore while gift shopping. Share your learning with others, and use it as a chance to expand the conversation at parties and at the dinner table.

2. Make no expectations. Realize that people celebrate a variety of holidays during this time of year, and some people choose to celebrate none. Be respectful of these differences by taking interest in other people’s traditions and making them feel welcome. Don’t be afraid to ask people what holidays they celebrate . Find out what they do during this time of the year that is special. Let it be an opportunity to learn about different cultures and religions and the traditions that accompany them.

3. Mark your calendar and your address book. If the calendar or PDA you use does not list holidays like Kwanzaa, Hanukah, Ramadan, and Diwali, find out the dates and record them as reminders. Many programs like Outlook allow users to add calendar dates for celebrations from different parts of the world automatically, making this task quick and effortless. Take a few minutes to mark your address book with the holidays that people celebrate. When writing holiday cards, recognize their holiday, and include a little hand-written note acknowledging their celebration.

A Note for Employers:

Here are a few extra things employers can do to make their workplaces more inclusive during the holidays:

- Make sure your Holiday party isn’t a Christmas party in disguise. Decorations and food should be general, and non-specific to any religion.

- Consider having a New Year’s Party instead of a Holiday party. This type of party can get everyone on board with the company’s mission and vision for the New Year.

- Post holiday greetings on your webpage and intranet for many religious holidays.

- Be respectful of these special dates, and plan events and meetings around various holidays.

- Display a multi-cultural calendar to help all employees stay aware of important cultural events for the rest of the year.

- Be flexible with the needs of different employees.

- Encourage employees to share their celebrations through stories, decorations, and foods that they can bring to their workplace.

Simma Lieberman helps organizations create environments where people can do their best work and be successful. She specializes in Diversity and Inclusion, Diversity Dialogues, and Eliminating Fear and Self-doubt. Simma is the co-author with Kate Berardo and George Simons of the book “Putting Diversity to Work.” She can be reached at http://www.simmalieberman.com

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I know this isn’t my usual post, but this baby is hilarious!

Hope you liked it! :0)

~ Sheri

I’ve had a few people ask me why the ebooks are free. The answer is simply that I don’t have time to be bothered with selling them right now and wanted to get them online so people can use them. Yes, I’m aware they are worth money, but I’m not worried about that right now. Eventually, when I have time to do the research and figure it all out, I may sell them as downloadable goods. However, for now they are free and I’m fine with that. I will be working on ways to help my website be more financially helpful down the road, so I may indeed charge a small fee for them at a later date. But, if you’ve already downloaded for free, you won’t have to worry about that.

If you’d like to make a small donation to help me keep the products and services on my website that are currently free to remain free, please consider donating to our site …

Today is my little boy’s first day of first grade. It’s so weird to have my day all to myself. I can’t say that I’m complaining … it’s just different. I will be able to get so much more done. My headaches have gotten much better, too. I’m feeling pretty good! Well, I didn’t feel very good when I was leaving my baby in his classroom … he cried. This is such a big change for both of us. He is so used to spending all day with me. Even last year, Kindergarten was only a half day. I plan to take him out for ice cream after school.

Hey Everybody! My website redesign process has been going a little slow, but we are making progress. Since my husband is my webmaster and doing my site free of charge, my site is not first priority. But he has finally figured out how to incorporate my free readings program into my new site. There are a few finishing touches that need to be made before it can go live, but soon those pages will match my new site design. I’m excited about this because we didn’t think we’d be able to do this since Wordpress (my new site program) is completely different than my old program.

Things seem to be going well here, so I hope all of you are doing well. My son will be having his birthday in a few weeks, so I need to plan a little party for him. He will also be out of school soon, so that may change how often I’m able to offer in-person sessions.

Well, that’s my update for now. Everyone stay safe. I’ve become a little nervous about this whole swine flu thing. There’s been a case reported one county over from mine. Yikes! I have faith that things will get under control soon, though.

Angel Blessings,

Sheri

A SPIRITUAL CONSPIRACY

On the surface of the world right now there is

war and violence and things seem dark.

But calmly and quietly, at the same time,

something else is happening underground

An inner revolution is taking place

and certain individuals are being called to a higher light.

It is a silent revolution.

From the inside out. From the ground up.

This is a Global operation.

A Spiritual Conspiracy.

There are sleeper cells in every nation on the planet.

You wont see us on the T.V.

You wont read about us in the newspaper

You wont hear about us on the radio

We don’t seek any glory

We don’t wear any uniform

We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles

Most of us work anonymously

We are quietly working behind the scenes

in every country and culture of the world

Cities big and small, mountains and valleys,

in farms and villages, tribes and remote islands

You could pass by one of us on the street

and not even notice

We go undercover

We remain behind the scenes

It is of no concern to us who takes the final credit

But simply that the work gets done

Occasionally we spot each other in the street

We give a quiet nod and continue on our way

During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs

But behind the false storefront at night

is where the real work takes a place

Some call us the Conscious Army

We are slowly creating a new world

with the power of our minds and hearts

We follow, with passion and joy

Our orders come from from the Central Spiritual Intelligence

We are dropping soft, secret love bombs when no one is looking

Poems ~ Hugs ~ Music ~ Photography ~ Movies ~ Kind words ~

Smiles ~ Meditation and prayer ~ Dance ~ Social activism ~ Websites ~

Blogs ~ Random acts of kindness…

We each express ourselves in our own unique ways

with our own unique gifts and talents

Be the change you want to see in the world

That is the motto that fills our hearts

We know it is the only way real transformation takes place

We know that quietly and humbly we have the

power of all the oceans combined

Our work is slow and meticulous

Like the formation of mountains

It is not even visible at first glance

And yet with it entire tectonic plates

shall be moved in the centuries to come

Love is the new religion of the 21st century

You don’t have to be a highly educated person

Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it

It comes from the intelligence of the heart

Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings

Be the change you want to see in the world

Nobody else can do it for you

We are now recruiting

Perhaps you will join us

Or already have.

All are welcome

The door is open

~ Brian Piergrossi
From the book “The Big Glow”
Get your own copy of Brian’s book at TheBigGlow.com!

An article I recently read on USA Today suggested that psychics are making a fortune off our current economic crisis. To be honest, this article makes me concerned for a couple of reasons.

First, of course, I can guarantee that not all psychics are currently making a fortune. That statement kinda made me feel like my profession was being lumped under the title of “money hungry vampires sucking what’s left of the life out of people”. Not good. For one thing, for me, only a certain number of appointments are allowed per week. Connecting can take a huge toll on a person physically and emotionally. Psychics who don’t respect their own body and ability may become ill and unable to do their best for clients. And, any psychic that makes you feel like they’re doing it for the money is either outright crazy or is not doing their job correctly. Run!!!

Secondly, I am very concerned that some people are likely to be taken advantage of during this time. I have seen some psychics raise their prices by as much as 50%. Yeah, maybe one can argue that everything else is going up so it’s the way of the times, but how does that help? Keep in mind that more expensive does not necessarily mean better. I went to a psychic about a year ago who is actually semi famous. She told me that I should consider becoming a professional psychic medium because I seem to be really gifted. That made be feel pretty good coming from this person, especially since I was already in said career. However, she also was very off about a couple of things in my reading. These things weren’t as major. It’s possible she was misinterpreting what she was seeing, too. Overall, I was pleased, but I don’t think my half hour reading was worth the $200 I paid. My point is that her accuracy was similar to that of a psychic I’ve been to that would have cost me $50 for that same time period. My advice is to just be careful what you’re spending on a reading and where you’re getting it from. The online sites like Keen and California Psychics are great for people who want a reading right now without having to wait for an appointment, but you never know what you’re going to get. I prefer to go to psychics who do not know me or my work because It’s so easy for me to discount what they say and think, “Oh, he/she is just being nice to me. They already knew that about me…” So, I have personally tried online psychics. Let’s just say that I was unlucky in my trials. Maybe going to someone a friend has referred you to is a better idea.

I do agree that more people are asking about money versus relationships now. As for the economic crisis itself, things are going to slowly get better. We are climbing out of a bit of a mess. It’s important to remember that we can’t actually get out of the mess without climbing. It’s not going to happen over night. It will be a process. Even the Law of Attraction isn’t solving this problem as it once might have. Yes I know, I may be struck down by a few spiritual leaders now. The truth is that the Law of Attraction works much better when there’s actually something to attract. If a job isn’t available, it’s difficult to attract it without first booting the current occupant of said job. Let’s be clear, the Law of Attraction is not useless, but I wouldn’t recommend putting all your eggs in that basket. Also, you have to remember, it’s not just your attitude affecting the outcome. There are lots of other people and outside influences involved in making things happen. Yeah, you could be a great candidate for a specific job and be meant to take it, but then what happens when the top floor decides to cut the department? The job is no longer available not because you weren’t the best candidate but rather because of another influence. Let’s say it finally looks like you’re going to sell your house. You’ve consulted a psychic, the offer is made and accepted. But the week before closing, your buyer loses his job and can no longer buy your house. Things happen, and those things seem to be happening to many more people much more often.

Here are some suggestions …

1. Take it one day at a time. If it works, great. If not, let it go and keep moving ahead. Remember that it’s not always possible to be in complete control all the time. This is where we say, “Let go and let God”.

2. Investments aren’t the best idea, unless you are really really really sure. Buying Silver and Gold isn’t a bad idea, but don’t spend your last dime on anything shiny.

3. Think of learning new marketable skills or learn to market your skills in a different way. I have heard of auto workers moving to the alternate energy business and stay at home moms making some extra cash selling things on Ebay.

4. Visit resale shops, especially for kids clothes. People that would normally toss clothes are trying to get what they can at resale shops instead. You might be surprised what you find there.

5. Be wary of sales and coupons. Take it from a person with a retail background, sales are not always as great as they appear. Some companies have embraced the practice of raising ticket prices and then offering a discount taking it back to the regular price. There is actually no sale, it just seems that way. If you don’t buy Coffee Mate, don’t cut out the coupon just to save a quarter on something you don’t need. Of course, however, utilize real sales and coupons.

Basically, now is the time to save our money as much as possible. I know many of us are barely treading water, but please just hold on! I know it’s easier said than done, but keep your head up. Hold onto your hope, your faith. You’re probably not going to win the lottery. You may not be able to sell your house for any kind of profit at all. You may be stuck or unemployed. However, things will get better. Overall, there will be positive changes implemented this year both nationwide and closer to home. There will be some help from the Federal Government, but I’m not yet sure how quickly that will make a difference. We will notice much more of a difference in 2010. I know it’s difficult to hear that and may seem so far away, but there will be other things that can help in the meantime. Mortgage companies will be forced to make changes and work with homeowners, or they will lose much more than they already have. (Believe me, I know it’s frustrating when you call and get people in India that suggest you get another job to pay your house payment, but keep calling and writing until you get someone who can actually do something for you.) Other markets are going to be forced to lower prices further.

As I see it, there is one sure fire way for our country to survive … As a people, we will all need to embrace our humanity on a much deeper level. It is so easy to pull away from those we love during times like this; we want to curl into a ball and hide inside ourselves, but that is more than just self-destructive. Maybe you don’t have a job and can’t afford to help the single mom next door financially, but maybe you could help her mow the lawn. Maybe your a single mom and can only afford a babysitter 3 days a week so you can work, maybe you can work out a schedule with another mom to save money on babysitters. Maybe that mom has a husband who can offer some side work to the man down the street who was let go in an email after 30 years of service to his company. Maybe the little things we manage to do for each other will inspire greater changes in the hearts and minds of those who can make an even bigger difference. Things are difficult, but don’t discount what we can do.

Thanks for reading!

Angel Blessings & Light,

Sheri

For more information on the article in USA Today, click here.

This is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a long time. Animals always inspire me, but I have to say this is awesome!

Here’s something that will make anyone smile …

A friend sent this to me recently, and I think it’s pretty cool. Check it out …

Birthday Calculator – http://www.paulsadowski.org/BirthDay.asp

Numbers in Your Name – http://www.paulsadowski.org/Numbers.asp

Enjoy!