R.I.P Mushu

She had a unique personality that no one messed with. She never bit anyone, but she sure let you know that she felt you didn’t belong in our house. She didn’t immediately warm up to you, but eventually, she honored you with her presence and allowed you to pat her on the head … once or twice. Then she moved on to her spot on the floor, where she could watch your every move.

In the winter of 2000, we went to check out this little puppy that my uncle decided he couldn’t care for. We already had two 8-month old puppies, already house-broken, kennel-trained, heel-trained, playful, lovable, and pretty much perfect. Why would we want the work of adding an 8-week old puppy to our family? But we went for the visit and instantly fell in love with the pup. We walked into my uncle’s apartment; and there sitting on the sofa was this little tiny animal that looked like a miniature bear cub, with a black fluffy coat, a patch of white on her chest, and big gigantic black eyes. She looked like a child in an orphanage, trying to sit still, behave, waiting for some parents to adopt her. Taz and I looked at each other and knew that we had no choice but to take her home. We named her “Mushu” (sometimes calling her Mushi).

For the first six months, it was house-breaking Hell. She wouldn’t stop pee’ing in her kennel. So we bought a smaller kennel; then a smaller one. Then one so small that we practically had to shove her in. Taz was giving baths in the middle of the night, in the morning, at lunch break, when he got home from work. She just wouldn’t stop. Doesn’t she know she’s a dog and isn’t supposed to want to pee in the place where she sleeps?? It was so much work. We tried to find another home for her. Then suddenly, at about 6 months … she stopped. Hallelujah. She soon became our favorite. My, how things change.

Mushu was the best watch dog ever, always perched at the top of our stairs, so that she can always look out the front window for any unnecessary visitors, the postman, or anyone walking by the house. When someone came up to the porch, you would think we had a junkyard watch dog in the house. She was small and stocky, but her growl, bark and teeth would often keep people from coming on to our porch.

But Mushi was so sweet, loving and cuddly. She loved the few kids who visited. She didn’t play a lot with the other dogs, because she was just too cool for them. Why would she chase after a dumb ball, when we’re just going to throw it … again. In fact, she really didn’t care where you threw the ball, as long as it wasn’t at her.

At the park, the other three dogs couldn’t get to the lake fast enough. They loved swimming, fetching the water toys, playing and chasing with other dogs. Mushu couldn’t be bothered. Her face had a steady “YOU’RE GETTING ME WET!” look, as she continued wading in water only up to her paws. She didn’t want to get wet, but she wasn’t about to move from a space where she was FIRST.

When she was 5 years, we adopted another puppy. Mushu had been enjoying five years of being the youngest. Now someone else was taking her place … on the bed. Mushu wasn’t real happy about it, but she maintained some patience. It only took about four years before she would actually play with Ming. I think it’s because she did set the rules for Ming, and Ming (bigger than Mushu) was a little intimidated by her … exactly what Mushu had planned. Still, she always gave us a look, that seemed to be saying "how much longer is that yellow dog going to stay?"

As you may have determined, Mushu had total attitude. She “allowed” you to enter the house. She “allowed” you to embrace her. She “allowed” you to love her. She “allowed” you into her life. She was such a mystery. There was always some little scab or patch of hair missing. But she never seemed to be bothered. Her greatest charm … her tail was ALWAYS wagging.

In early 2009, Mushu was diagnosed with cancer. But through care and medicine, her cancel went into remission in late 2009. She’s had other physical issues, but we never knew unless we were probing her body. She was a tough one.

Sadly, this month, she blew out her leg, apparently weakened by the cancer prevention medication. As long as she was on the cancer medicine, her leg was not fixable. And if she wasn’t on cancer medicine, the cancer would return. The vet was also concerned about other parts of Mushu’s body, also weakened or deteriorating due to the medication. She was suffering in pain. On October 5, 2010, the heart-wrenching decision was made to let Mushu go.

She will be so missed.

Don't be weak sauce!

While I was on vacation early this year, I met a young street artist who screen-printed his artwork onto t-shirts. His company had a slogan of “Don’t be weak sauce.” I asked, “What does that mean?” He told me that he originally applied this to his love of extreme sports, but now believes it applies to life in general.

• Push yourself to the limits.
• If you fall on your face, get up and keep going.
• Take a good look and re-design yourself.
• Don’t be weak sauce.

I loved it! I decided that I wanted THAT to be my own personal slogan. “Don’t be weak sauce.” That would be my mission statement for life. Then I bought a t-shirt from him.

I decided that this is my year of NOT being weak sauce. This year, I made a conscious decision to try new things, step outside of my box, dare to be different, do something that’s difficult for me, challenge my fears, and have a lot of fun.

Today, I’d like to share some of my adventures, in hopes that it will encourage you, motivate you, and excite you to do the same.

Now, I ask myself … what have I done to satisfy my desire to NOT be weak sauce? What have I done that’s difficult for me?

The first thing on my list was to get fit and lose a little bit of weight. I’ve always been a small person, and watching what I eat has never EVER been part of my lifestyle … until I turned 40. THEN, it seemed every 5 years, I gained 5 pounds. That was not good, and it’s very difficult to break old habits. However, I begrudgingly decided to try this new concept called “exercise and healthy eating. “ This has been such a life changing experience for me, and I am committed to stick with this way of life for a long long time.

It will definitely be tough, since I LOVE to eat, but the benefits dramatically outweigh the sacrifices. I dropped 3 dress sizes, and my husband lost 60 lbs. Nearly all of our health issues have gone away, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, back pain, leg pain, and, my favorite, my husband stopped snoring. Hallelujah!

Then there’s the “try new things” decision.

This new and improve healthy living has now allowed us to participate in activities that we never thought would be possible. We ran in two fundraising events … Race for the Cure for Breast Cancer and Beat the Bridge for Diabetes. Run for 3-4-5 miles? We couldn’t even consider walking, but now we do. We volunteer a lot in our communities, without the fear of getting too tired and quitting. And if we get tired … well, we just don’t quit. That, in itself, is a feat.

With this new look on life; I decided it was time to put this new energy to work. I have been exploring Seattle by venturing outside of our neighborhood, trying new restaurants, and visiting numerous spas around the Greater Seattle area.

Then there are the activities. The root of this word is “active.” I’ve discovered so many fun things to do but never thought I was “that type of person” to try such things. I was weak sauce. I decided “Jump in, GIRL! It’s now or never. You aren’t getting any younger.”

Some fun and/or adventurous activities that I participated in this year are:

• Trapeze flying
• Rock climbing
• Kayaking through the San Juan Islands
• River rafting down the Tieton River
• Taking a helicopter tour around Seattle.

All of these activities are among my adventures. Some were more difficult than others. All offered a little bit of emotional challenge, but I got through every one of them. I’m actually looking forward to doing some of them AGAIN.

What about “stepping outside of my comfort zone”?

Some of you may already know that this past weekend, I entered into an activity that was definitely difficult, new, and outside of my zone. It also falls under the categories of challenging my fears, daring to be different, and of course, having fun.

On Saturday, in collaboration with a fundraiser for the Special Olympics, I rappelled down the side of one of Seattle’s skyscrapers … the Rainier Tower. That was 43 stories … 512 feet high. I still can't believe I did it, and it was one of the most exhilarating, exciting experiences of my life. Not only did I experience this new personal adventure, but I collected $1,200 for Special Olympics. And look! I’m still alive.

Jenny Bouchet, Director of Player Development for the Seattle Storm, said “What you do should not define who you are. Who you are should determine what you do.”

As you can see, I’ve been very serious about NOT being weak sauce, and I’m having a great time. I can’t figure out why I waited so long, but I’m glad I’m doing it now.

I’ve added a little extra to the young artist’s philosophy:

• Don’t always take the easy route.
• Explore. Challenge yourself.
• Go outside your box.
• Have fun.
• Be flavorful and spicy.
• Taste as many aspects of life as possible.
  

Just, don’t be weak sauce.

What is to become of me, Sir?

I’ve had a very strange couple of weeks now. I just returned from an amazing vacation in Playa del Carmen, but returning was very bittersweet and strange.

Two days before I left for my vacation, my boss announced his resignation. He and our CEO notified his direct reports in a private meeting. We were stunned. At least I was. I had no idea this was in the works. But what made it even more shocking was that it was Thursday afternoon, he’d be packing on Friday, and Monday would be his last day. (Incidentally, I would be on my Mexican vacation and would not be able to participate in the proper farewell events.) WTF?!!! I’m still trying to figure out what happened. I will probably never know the real story.

“What is to become of me, Sir?” (Eliza Doolittle to Professor Higgins)

I’m very sad because (1) I had a great working relationship with this man; (2) I was able to create my role and provide value to the organization based on my experience, knowledge and interests; (3) I felt good about my position, because of the opportunities my boss availed to me; (4) I was successful; (5) I was appreciated and felted valued; (6) I now have no supervisor, which is not really a big deal, except much of my work is out the door; (7) I’m a woman without a country; (8) I am floating with nowhere to land; (9) I’m attempting to provide interim value, aka scrounging for work; and (10) he was the best boss in my career … and now he’s gone.

I’ve been told that I shouldn’t worry about my job; that I should be okay; that a replacement for my boss will take between 2-6 months; that they want to keep Marlene. So, it’s good to hear that I still have a job. But is it true?

What do I do? I’ve always felt like a fish out of water when it comes to working beside my peers. I had a very untraditional Executive Assistant role, where my boss actually changed my title to “Administrative Supervisor,” since I have direct reports. I was treated as an integral part of his leadership team. He was always upfront with me, and there to listen to me, and acknowledged value in my feedback and contributions. My job was definitely not a heads-down position. I suspect that the powers-that-be will start working on making my job “traditional.”

So, I’m now back at work, but not sure what to do. Everyone else has had a week to process his departure. I’m still in emotional transition. So, I’m just waiting to see what happens next. There are some internal and external opportunities that may be available to me. I’d rather stay with this company, but I need a job and am willing to leave.

Thanks for letting me vent. Sorry but I'm still crying ... a little.

I have a dream #2

Last week, I attended an intensive 3-day workshop, which primarily focused on emotional intelligence in the workplace. There was a whole lot of stuff on relationships, trust, behavior styles, yada yada yada. I really did enjoy the content, because it allowed me to see myself in a different light, what type of person I am, what I can be, and where I want to be. I was enlightened.

The workshop marked me as a “dreamer.” They say I have the ability to move others to action through my enthusiasm and playfulness. I enjoy helping others. I possess above average persuasive skills and feel comfortable speaking with almost anyone. I am fun to be around, exhibit flexibility, and can adapt to changing conditions.

The workshop also says that I have strong leanings as a "commander." Those are people with the ability to work rapidly and decisively, thriving on the thrill of the challenge and the internal motivation to succeed. They are both assertive and results-driven. They usually speak rapidly, directly and to the point. They can generalize well, while keep their eye on the big picture.

So, if I look back to my last blog entry “I have a dream,” I’ve pretty much made the decision to make some professional changes, if I am lucky enough to have the opportunity. If I was thinking “should I or shouldn’t I?” … I’ve decided that I should. If an opportunity surfaces (which I believe there will be), I am going to take that leap of faith in myself, and see where it takes me. I won’t go into any details here, since it would be a little embarrassing for a co-worker to read this, thinking that I’m looking for another job, which I’m not. I’m just saying, if my dream opportunity is out there, I will take the risk of exploring it.

So, I’m a fast talking dreamer, a persuader, a mover of people, who can see the whole picture, loves the thrill of a challenge, and make decisions.

I think I like that.

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OK, so I’m going to leave the quote below in (that was in my last entry) because it still applies.

“Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.” (Goethe)

Dreams and ambitions can sometimes get a bad rap today. It’s easy to discount the former as childish and the latter as greedy. That’s a mistake. In a way, troubled times can make it easier for people to reorient their priorities. If there was ever a time to dream big, it is today. When the rest of the world says hunker down and try to survive, we say that it is time to thrive. So, go ahead and dream. A dream is a powerful motivator.

I have a dream ... and a job.

In today’s economy and state of the times, I am very grateful to have a job. It is reasonably secure. It has interesting moments and can be fairly challenging. I enjoy working for my boss and with other people who surround my role. I have a wonderful team, who I am privileged to supervise. I like the company I work for. And, it provides a paycheck. The company I work for is going through some tough times right now, and I feel fortunate to have the position I’m in.

Still, sometimes I wonder if I should reach out and take a chance to do something else. I often think of myself as a risk-taker, but I certainly wouldn’t want to risk my employment status. There are other opportunities within the company that might be interesting, and I can’t help but think “should I or shouldn’t I?”

Yesterday, I read an article about a woman who “took a leap of faith … in herself,” stepped out of her comfort zone, and applied for a position that she was not used to but might grow her career. Might. She’s now an executive vice president with a large investment firm.

Now, my dreams do not include becoming an executive. But I am thinking … should I be happy, content, secure and grateful for what I have (the bird in the hand)? Or should I risk it for an opportunity to grow, challenge myself, and take on a new career adventure (2 in the bush)? There’s no guarantee that I would be successful, although I think I could be. And I would not be able to get my old job back, if I’m not successful.

But what the heck!! Why not?

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I am an avid fan of the Carrot Culture™, which teaches me, our leaders, and our employees the value of recognition. They inspire me into taking myself (and my team) to new heights of success in work and life. I’d like to share bits and pieces of Carrot advice in my blog, as they apply to me or you.

“Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.” (Goethe)

Dreams and ambitions can sometimes get a bad rap today. It’s easy to discount the former as childish and the latter as greedy. That’s a mistake. In a way, troubled times can make it easier for people to reorient their priorities. If there was ever a time to dream big, it is today. When the rest of the world says hunker down and try to survive, we say that it is time to thrive. So, go ahead and dream. A dream is a powerful motivator.

Carrot Action: Make a list of your successes. Then make goals for this year that will build on that momentum.

I rode the bus to work today.

I rode the bus to work today, as I often do. But I forgot my earphones to listen to my music, and everyone was driving me crazy.

It was pouring rain and the bus was crowded with very wet people. This guy is wearing a large stuffed backpack, and he won’t move back to make room for more people. But that’s not the real annoying part. He still had his fully stuffed backpack on and was smacking people standing and sitting around him every time he turned. Why doesn’t he take off the pack and put it on the floor before he gives me a concussion? That drives me crazy.

She gets on the bus, like she does every day. She proceeds to dig around in her purse for her bus pass (or fare); she can’t find it; she’s digging, digging, and digging, while people are standing out in the rain, waiting to get on. The people can’t get on the bus because the digger is blocking the door way, digging in her purse, looking for her bus pass. Doesn’t she know that she’s catching the bus, that the bus is coming, and that she is going to have to pay for her ride? Why doesn’t she have her bus pass in her hand when the bus arrives? That drives me crazy.

There's another woman. She’s loud. She’s rude. And OMG ... she’s a yuk-yukker. That just drives me crazy.

And, why do we have to listen to loud people talking on their cell phones? Do you really think we're interested in how drunk you got last night, or what a jerk your boyfriend is, or how your surgery is healing up, or how great your baby is potty training, or ... or ... or ... ??!! And do you think the person you’re talking to has their phone up to his/her ear, but can probably hear you without the phone?! Gees, that drives me crazy!! QUIET!!!

So, with all of that … my day has started out MAH-vah-lous! I hope my carpool driver feels better tomorrow.

I wish somebody would do something ...