In This Issue....  
  • Linda's Tip of the Month:  Don't Do (again)
  • New Feature:  Fact or Fiction?

    Dear Optimal Level Members and Friends:     

    It doesn’t seem as if it is just me because I have heard many exclamations, such as “January’s over already?”  Or, “Has it been only one month since the start of the New Year?”  Boy, that tempis does fugit!  Although I think I do keep the passing of time in mind as I go about my daily to-do’s and stay aware of my goals, yet the realization of a month gone by from this new year does make me feel that I have to stay focused on what I want to accomplish.  Do you feel that way too?

    This February brings a special importance to Black History Month with the poignant balm still with us from the inauguration of our very own 44th President.  Perhaps a visit to a Black History Museum would be a great way to spend a February week-end day.  Then, there is our day for lovers, Valentine’s Day.  This is my favorite card holiday.  I love to send Valentine cards to friends and family.  Which brings us to another fun thing to do this February …

    Optimal Level’s Pamper Yourself Day
    This is going to be so much fun…lots of food, wine tasting, tea bar and demonstration, jewelry, essential oils and healthy chocolate offerings, games, networking – and spa services!  It’s on February 7th from 11am to 2pm.  You can join in on a Yoga class at 9:30am if you let us know as soon as possible that you are interested, plan spa services during the whole day, and stay as late as 5pm if you like.  If you haven’t yet let us know if you will be attending, let us know right away! 

    I am so excited because so many of the wonderful women I know will get to meet one another.  Look for an upcoming email with more details about what to bring, what to wear, etc.

    Welcome to our new members - 
    Chicago:  Gina Frank, Corporate Sales Manager, Chicago Metro;
    Theresa (TJ) Hughes, President, Reo Movers & Van Lines, Inc.

    Spotlight News for Blog – news about our members:       

    Beth Ciesla, Ciesla Media Strategy – Schaumburg 
    Lunch and Learn
    Wednesday, February 25th
    11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
    Northbrook Chamber of Commerce
    2002 Walters Avenue, Northbrook, IL 60062
    “Media Strategies and Public Relations Strategies for Small Businesses”
    We all know that our businesses need publicity to grow.  But in these challenging economic times, it might be difficult to part with money for anything but the essentials.  Former Executive FOX News Producer turned public and media relations consultant Elizabeth Ciesla will tell you how you can get your business noticed and run your own P.R. campaign without dishing out major dollars.  There will be plenty of time for questions and answers.

    She’ll give you tips on how to:
    •    Determine what your company needs from a P.R. campaign
    •    The importance of a web site and using it correctly
    •    Write your own press release
    •    Develop your own media contact relationships
    •    Know that timing is everything
    •    Set aside time for you P.R. campaign

    The cost is $15 in advance/$20 at the door.  For more information please visit www.northbrookchamber.org or call (847) 498-5555.

    Let’s all support our sister Optimal Level member by coming to this event.  We’ll get the bonus of gaining information to help our businesses. (If you have a small business; not all of you do.)
    Shannon Bednowicz, Party Lite, Schaumburg wants us to know that Jack Canfield is coming to Chicago March 7th and doing a 1 day Success Principles Workshop. The cost is $249 for 1 person, $199 for 2 people and $182.33 for 3 people. If 10 people are interested, there is an even deeper discount.  Here is the link for the workshop information http://www.thesuccessprinciplesworkshop.com/#registernow

    Linda McCabe, Optimal Level   
    1. Please come support Linda at the West Suburban Women’s Entrepreneur’s on February 19th  at 8:00, Holiday Inn Countryside, William Tell Banquet, Hall, Countryside, IL,, 708-352-1101.  Linda will be presenting, You Can’t Be An Empress Without Going Nuts.   Do you seem to have this nagging drive to be everything to everybody? Do you find yourself doing everything for everybody and most often wind up feeling as if you are on the bottom of that heap? Find out how to lighten up and, through humor, learn to relinquish some control and feel better, get perspective to gain better life balance, be healthier and enjoy life more. http://www.wswe.org/events.htm, 
    2. Linda is jumping for joy and wonderfully excited about her new business, ILearningGlobalTV.net. This is an incredible opportunity for anyone who appreciates the value of continuous learning.  People spend hundreds of dollars every year on seminars, workshops, and lectures.  This new site employs the talents of experts such as Stephen Covey, Brian Tracy, Bob Proctor, Herb Eker, and Mark Victor-Hansen, etc. to bring you valuable lessons right from your computer – no workshop fees, no driving or flying to hear these professionals; hundreds of in demand  presentations easily available to you. This thing is taking off like wild fire!   To learn more about it, go to http://www.ilearningglobal.biz/OptimalLevel.  Then call Linda.
    Tip of the Month:  Don’t try (again)

    “Do or do not... there is no try.” – Yoda from Star Wars

    Do you feel that there is something in your life that you keep trying to change, fix, or make better?  Do you feel that no matter what you do, it doesn’t change?  Do you keep starting a diet and it doesn’t work?  Do you try finding the right guy and all you get is jerks?  Do you keep trying to find some or better clients, and it feels like no matter what advice you take, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t get them?  Do you try getting along with co-workers or a boss and nothing changes no matter what you do?

    Here are some suggestions to stop the frustration and to get what you want:
    1. Stop trying – never try again!
    2. Commit to a decision – that decision is that if you never, ever get this
      thing or circumstance you want you will survive and be okay.  I know
      that’s a tuffy!  When you break it down, it’s not so bad.  There must be a certain amount of time you have spent trying to get it, and you still don’t have it.
    3. Think about it.  Whatever you have been doing hasn’t been working.  So you can spend another how many weeks, months, or years doing what you’ve been doing and you still don’t have it!  Who wants to spend more time in that frustrating place?  Let it go!  Be okay without it!  Commit to this decision:  If I don’t get [fill in the blank] I am still alive, okay, and fine.  (Don’t worry; this step is only temporary.)
    4. Notice or witness how you feel at this point.  Do not judge, do not compare, do not decide any action, and do not act.  Just be with the way it is now. Just stay in that space and time.  Do this for about three weeks to a month.
    5. Become inspired.  Use the knowledge gained by the experience of letting go and observing your thoughts and feelings to direct you.  You may be directed to similar actions you took before to get what you want; that’s okay.
    6. Now, do the following:
      • Imagine and visualize what you want (no action here; no trying)
      • Talk to anyone you can find who wants to listen to what you want and how you are feeling about getting it.
      • Tell people about it.  (Careful – choose only people you trust.)
      • Ask yourself for any fears you are having.  Write them down.  Take quite some time looking at them and ask again if they are still there.  You can repeat this process several times.  If you still have fears – get a box or a basket.  Take the fears, ball them up, and throw them in the container.  Store the container in your basement or attic. 
      • Ask whoever you find who you trust to suggest ways to get what you want.Just listen; don’t judge.  Stay open.
      • Make a plan based on your renewed knowledge and the advice of others, books, articles, etc.  (Limit your sources by time (example: only one month    of seeking resources) and number (2 books, 3 articles, etc.)
      • Now act on your plan.  Follow the steps.
      • Be happy with any outcome!  Because that’s the way it is supposed to be!

    Fact or Fiction? - Hot water freezes faster than cold water.
    (See the answer at the end of this newsletter.)
     

    Meet Another Member Program  - This is a wonderful way to network.  Who wants to meet another member?  Any one interested this month?  Go to the blog (get your password and user ID from your welcome letter or send email to Sandy, sandraroos@sbcglobal.net for it) and read all the profiles.  Decide who you would like to meet and let me know.  I will send an e-intro.!.

    Member Profiles – Remember, every member's profile is posted on www.OptimalLevelMembers.com.   Your User ID and Password are in the Welcome Letter you received in email soon after you joined Optimal Level.  If you cannot find this information, send a quick email to Sandy, a sister member and my wonderful assistant, sandy@ineedashadow.com, and she will give you this information.  This is another great way to read about all of your sister members and see if you would like to call or email her to have a conversation or get together.  An Optimal Level member mentioned to me recently that so many members have not posted profiles.  We keep asking for them.  Any suggestions how to coax those members to offer profiles?

    Marketing -   Every member is welcome to market by mail, email, phone, etc. to each Optimal Level member.  Get the information by logging onto our member blog, www.OptimalLevelMembers.com.  Search here first when you want a new service or product.

    Library – Would you like to borrow a book from the Optimal Level library?  Check it out on the blog and then send email letting me know which book you would like me to bring for you to your next meeting.  If you have a book out, please return it at the January meeting.

    Monthly Readings – Want to get the book we are reading in future months at our Optimal Level meeting?  Go to our blog site and click on Monthly Readings.  All the books we will be reading are there through the end of 2008.

    Referrals:  If you like Optimal Level and believe in the value you have received, please tell me who you know who would want to get the same kind of help, meet all of our members, and enjoy the camaraderie of the meetings.  Send me your suggestions along with contact information.  Perhaps you might like to call them first and let them know I will be calling them.  I so appreciate all of your referrals. Remember, 3 free meetings off your next enrollment if someone you refer joins Optimal Level.

    “Happiness isn’t about getting what you want, it’s wanting what you got.” – Garth Brooks

    Fact or Fiction Answer: False – If both the cold and hot water are identical in composition, then the cold water will freeze faster.  People tend to think that hot water will freeze faster because they are basing their opinion on real-life experience.  When water is boiled until all trapped air bubbles are released, it will freeze faster than cold water.  But hot water doesn’t freeze faster because it’s hot but because it has a different composition from the cold water that still has the trapped bubbles.  [Do Fish Drink Water? - Bill McClain)

    This Newsletter can also be found at www.WomenBizPower.net.