Let go of the stress and unleash your creativity.
Joining us this morning with some tips for making that possible are authors of "Stimulated", Andrew Pek and Jeannine McGlade.
You get 200 emails a day, your phone is constantly ringing and you are stressed out. How is it possible to still be creative when you are so overwhelmed?
Creativity is a state of being.
A.Trust your creative impulses (to help you prioritize your activities and direct your energy).
- Not every email or phone call is important. Handle those that are aligned to your purpose or passion
B.Keep yourself in a relaxed state of being
- Find a cozy spot, chair or place that will help you to relax. Play some soothing or inspiring music that will help maintain a positive out look. A tense mind and body will not produce effective results and will only lead to more stress
C.Be courageous and confident.
- Einstein said: "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction. Using your creative genius sometimes means that you take an unconventional route to solving a problem. So for example, consider responding first to emails that begin with the letter "A" or to emails from people you don't know. Make the challenge of managing information fun and playful and not a chore that will suck your energy.
You talk about getting "unstuck". What do you mean?
Routine hardened activity can result in stale and tired thinking. Breaking out of your typical patterns and trying new ways helps to bring freshness, excitement and energy into your daily life.
Many people are required to come up with fresh, new ideas… whether it's at work, or you're the head of your mommy's group and you're putting together a fundraiser. Is there any easy place to draw inspiration from?
A.Travel and explore new places.
- Anyone can look for fashion in apparel store or health tips in fitness center. The creative scout looks for fitness tips on construction site or fashion in an airport
B.Read a magazine or book you would not normally consider
C.Go to a zoo and watch animals play
D.Download and listen to some new and different music
E.Buy and try on a new pair of shoes. Actually buy an outrageous pair of shoes that places you in a playful state of mind
In organizations, there must be a bottom line purpose for innovation, creativity and getting employees "unstuck". How does getting "stimulated" help the bottom line?
A.Being stimulated helps leaders and teams spark fresh new ideas that can often lead to new products, new customer experiences, new services and technologies
1.Example: Nike waffle shoe
2.Example: Listerine Pocket Paks
B.Stimulated individuals tend to be more energetic and engaged in their work and committed to generating innovative results. There are many studies that show that engaged employees are more productive and results oriented
When your boss gives you a tight deadline on an important project, what are the first three things an employee should do to get the ball rolling and the creative juices flowing?
A.Find an inspiring place and meditate on the project or task silently first...take a nap even and then as soon as you are done meditating or awaken from your slumber (20 minute power snooze is recommended) write down the first thoughts that come to your mind...and don't edit yourself.
B.Put on a pair of sneakers and take a walk outside or around the building for 15 minutes... (Fresh air can help produce fresh ideas)
C.Call a colleague or choose a random person to bounce some ideas of him or her
When I think of dealing with stress, I typically don't think about "being creative" at the same time. How can a stressed-out employee get beyond the anxiety and get work done?
Stress expressed differently is a creative block. You are stuck and it is sucking energy out of you and consequently preventing you from being creative. Something is causing you negative energy, anxiety, pressure or "dis-ease" and therefore put yourself in a more stimulating place or space or try a different approach or celebrate even a failure and by doings so you may unleash your creative genius and feel less stressed.
You describe five habits that help shape our creative genius: scouting, cultivating, playing, venturing, and harvesting. How can we continuously develop these habits in order to keep our creative juices flowing?
A.Creativity (like exercise) is a daily discipline. Be consistent and open about obtaining and attracting stimulus e.g. meet new people, keep an open mind, try new things
B.Shake things up. Be diverse in your approach to solving problems. For example, every week go to a new place to have breakfast or a new bookstore or take a new route to work.
C.Take risks and expect to fail more than succeeding
As creative consultants, what advice do you give your clients in terms of taking risks and overcoming fears of failure?
A.Believe in yourself
B.Just try new things and do not put pressure on always having a spark moment or big idea
C.Watch or hang-out with other creative people
D.Take a positive approach - tell yourself you are creative are going have spark moments
What do you think are the biggest obstacles people encounter when trying to find their creative genius? Any advice on overcoming these challenges?
A.Stiff, risk averse cultures
B.Past failures
C.Fear of failure
D.Your creative impulses are perceived to be silly or stupid
E.Most of obstacles are self imposed, however you might find yourself in a situation in your life or your organization where you have to get yourself out of that situation
Do you have a creative muse in your life? Who or what do you look towards for inspiration when you are feeling dull or unoriginal?
A. Art work
B. Travel
C. Music of all kind
D. Food of different tastes and textures
E. People of all kinds who bring positive energy into the universe
For more information, go to www.novesinc.com.
-----BRIGHTEN YOUR SMILE-----
Improve your smile without plastic surgery. We're joined this morning by Dr. Jennifer Jablow of Park 56 Dental Group with ways to brighten your smile and the foods you can eat to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
These are great examples of how doing a "smile facelift" procedure patients can look years younger. We slightly build out the sides of the back upper teeth which gives more support to the skin on the face so it looks less saggy. Also a sign of youth is lighter teeth, more teeth displayed when smiling and talking, and full upper lips. We create more lip support from this procedure too.
Better to visit the dentist first before your plastic surgeon!
Antioxidants have dental applications and overall body health applications. Some examples of antioxidants are green tea and cranberry. These have been shown to help fight inflammation (underlying causes of disease) and to prevent bacteria from sticking to the teeth. Raw fruits and veggies that are crunchy such as carrots, apples etc also are great because they create a natural brushing action.
-----SAVE ON 2007 TAXES-----
April 15th is right around the corner, are your taxes in order? It's not too late to save some extra money on your 2007 return.
Joining us this morning with some last- minute tax deductions is Alan Kahn, president of AJK financial group.
Can You Still Make Contributions to IRAs?
1. Individuals - IRA's - By April 15th
2007Individual & Non-Working Spouse $4,000
Catch Up $1,000
$5,000
(2008 Contribution $5,000 + $1,000 catch-up = $6,000)
2. Small Business Owners - SEP IRA's - By Oct. 15th
(May be established and funded at the time of Tax Return Filing - which also includes extensions --- October 15, 2008)
Business can utilize these funds until their Extended Tax Filing!!
A 25% DEDUCTION MAY BE OBTAINED UP TO A MAXIMUM DEDUCTION OF $45,000.
2007 = $45,000
(2008 = $46,000)
What Are Some Commonly Missed Last Minute Tax Deductions?
-Long Term Care Insurance
-Individual Medical Expense Deduction- Eligible for the medical
expense deduction subject to the floor of 7.5% of adjusted gross
income.
-Self-Employed Tax Payers- 100% tax deductible.
-Corporate Tax-Deductible Business Expense
-Refinance Mortgage by December 31, 2007
-Deduct Previously Amortized Points
3. SECTION 529 Plans: NYS & CT Plans
$5,000 Individual Tax Deduction Up to $10,000 State Tax Deduction (Married Couple)
- NJ - No State Tax Deduction
For more information on this, go to www.collegesavings.org
4. Net Investment Losses
You can deduct up to $3000 per year!!!!!
You can also carry forward balance!!!!
5. Charitable Donations:
~ Cash Contributions ~
Starting in 2007, all cash contributions require receipts.
~ Non-Cash Contributions ~
Donated items, such as cars, clothing, and household goods, must be in "good used condition".
6. Tax Incentives for Energy Efficiency:
- Go Solar ~ 30% Credit Up to $2,000
Allows you to claim the cost of installing solar water heating, or fuel-cell equipment in your home.
** No Credit is Allowed for a Swimming Pool or Hot Tub.**
- Make Your Home Energy-Efficient ~ 10% Credit Up to $500
Lifetime credit of up to $500 for making qualifying energy-saving improvements to your home:
a) Installation
b) Windows and doors
c) Electric heat pumps
d) Central air
*Items must be placed in service before January 1st, 2008!!
-----CRAZY SEXY CANCER-----
A documentary just out on DVD takes a look into the varied emotions, hard work and questioning that comes with the discovery of cancer.
Kris Carr documented her fight against an unusual form of the disease in a the DVD called "Crazy Sexy Cancer." She's with us this morning to share her story.
In your film, you say that one day you thought you had a hangover, only to learn on Valentine's Day that you had stage 4 of a very rare cancer. What was that moment of discovery like for you?
I took a deep breath, embraced my diagnosis and made a game plan to live life to the fullest.
The screenings of the film have been overwhelmingly positive because people love the sass and the humor you attach to cancer. What do you think the title "Crazy Sexy Cancer" brings to your story?
It makes Cancer less scary. I'm not saying Cancer is sexy but the people who have it are still whole humans who can live their lives to the fullest.
For more information, go to www.gaiam.com or www.crazysexycancer.com
-----NY PHILHARMONIC-----
It was a performance unlike any other. People from around the world were focused on the New York Philharmonic when the orchestra made an historic trip in February to North Korea's capital city of Pyongyang.
It was the first- ever performance by an American orchestra in the democratic people's republic of Korea.
Joining us this morning are principal oboe Liang Wang and principal timpani Markus Rhoten.
