Marathon anyone? Going once, going twice...

Wow.

Who knew Mizuno could be so inspiring? Well, for me at least. Remember my post on my favorite running shoe?

I have a new goal and I've only been thinking about it consistently for about a week, maybe maybe, maybe less. Regardless, I want to run in a marathon but I'd need more time to train.

I work at 5 p.m. today and I'm going to head to the gym at about 3 p.m. so I can get in a 2-mile run and lift weights.

Life is too short to not feeling amazing, interally and feel like a fabulous 'rock star' externally. So that's my new 'plan of action.'

Story time!

Do you have a story you want to share?

I'm looking for people who are doing something to better themselves and/or make a difference for the common good of others. I'm also looking for people who have opinions that have not been heard and don't feel they have a voice.

If you're looking and hoping to make a difference, but you feel like your voice doesn't 'count', contact me by leaving a comment.

:)

Philosophy, gambling and my precious time

Isn't "gambling" fun? Well, when you're not losing much it is. The last time I went to Mystic Lake or stepped foot in any casino, I can't recall. Minus Vegas in May 2009. But that doesn't really count because there's a lot machines you can play the second you get out of the gate areas of where you board/get off the terminal.

We take gambles every day. You gamble when you decide to wake up, make coffee, eat breakfast, take a shower, put one leg through one side of your pants and the other leg through the other side, pull them up, put a top on and then walk out the door into your car.

You've been giving this day to make the most of it. We are not immortal.

I have not had much interaction with people the last 24 hours or so and I'm going a bit crazy, although it is my own "fault" for why this is. I have a dog and she keeps me company along with my cat and I love both dearly. I went for a "run" this morning again with my dog. Yes, a "run."

I took a gamble today when I got up and went for a run. It was gorgeous outside. I also spent about $25 to gamble on Switchfoots deal they made with Bidfire. I did something I'm proud of yet at the same exact time, I'm not so proud of. I literally sat at my computer for two hours waiting for Bidfire to add more servers to their network so I could go in and try win this competition so I can finally meet Chad Butler, Drew Shirely, Tim Foreman, Jon Foreman and Jerome Fontamillas plus hang out with them for four days and record a song with them that will be released on iTunes.

The contest is open to U.S. resident 18 and older.

Guess what? People are STILL bidding and the auction doesn't close for another hour and 20 minutes. It reopens tomorrow at 11 a.m. central time.
I'm about to shock you...yeah you. Because I'm such a huge fan and what I'm about to say might make your head spin round at first, but then you'll probably come to terms and understand what's up. This is the thought process of Rachel Ryan:

If I don't win this contest and I probably won't, I'm OK with that because there's plenty of opportunities to meet these guys. They're five extremely talented individuals who are musicians. I could take the time to play the guitar, bass, drums, harmonica, cow bell, etc., as well as they do. But I need a good enough paying job, so I can take lessons and practice my heart out. I already sing my heart out and make a fool outta myself in the car when I'm driving down Cedar Avenue in Apple Valley anyway...or wherever it is I'm driving.

But here's the thing: my time is precious and I have a life I want to live. I'm not going to stare at a computer screen for hours on end to win something that matters so much to me. Why??? I'd rather have it just.........are you ready for this? I'd rather have it just happen, naturally. I met Jon Foreman "naturally" just days after turning 23 it was October 10 right outside the Target about 11:45 p.m. and I had just enjoyed a drink with a friend went to the concert with me. I was walking down the street and he just hoped out of his tour bus. I didn't scream, but I was DEFINITELY speechless. Got a picture with him though! I think he felt 'invaded' though so it was kind of a weird experience.

Anyway, I'm all about helping (donating) money toward great causes like StandUp For Kids, but I came to terms super quickly today with the reality of this little thing called life.

These guys are human. As much as I love their music, I don't want to waste my time watch the clock go from 47 seconds down to 10 seconds left of bidding to see it jump all the way back up to 59 seconds.

Switchfoot, you make me think, you help me understand the bigger picture(s) and even though I'm still decoding every song of yours, I'm not a fan of this Bidfire thing. You're in Europe right now and I hope that your first experience of surfing in Ireland is amazing as you all are.

For now, that's what's on my mind. I love you. I do. You inspire me, but the clocks a tickin and I ain't getting any younger!

Oh...and I'm one of your biggest (non-obsessive) fans (Friend of The Foot) you'll ever meet.

Love,
Rachel

The messes in our lives don't have to be what they are

"Welcome to planet. Welcome to existence. Everyone's here. Everyone's here. Everybody's watching you now. Everybody waits for you now. What happens next? What happens next? I Dare You To Move."

I've learned that there are bigger things in life than how much money you make.
Imgaine how screwed we'd all be if we had to pay for the air we breathe. Have you ever thought about that??

I've learned that there are bigger things in life than telling someone that your way of teaching a student is the only way that works and if you don't follow their lead, something is gonna have to give.
Not that this necessarily applies but my math professor at RCTC, I believe his name is Terry Knight, was an amazing mathamatics instructor and he had the golden key (his instructing ability) to help me pass a class I literally failed at passing the first time around. I also had a different instructor the first time.

I've learned that if the shoe doesn't fit, don't force it because when you do, people thrive on having someone else to turn and point the blame to.
Yesterday, I heard President Obama taking full blame for the oil spill not having been taken care of yet. Who said you were in control and when did you ever say you knew how to control issues like this??? I'd say the same thing to any President. Dude, how is it your responsibility??? There's no "perfect" way to go about doing anything. There is such a thing as being cautious and listening to warning signs instead of pushing the clock to keep going so you can make your boss happy so he can make even more money off of people who filled up their vechicles. Oh wait, that's my money he's taking. Some guy didn't do his job correctly on the ship and because of a perfect normal (and legit) decision he didn't make, the world is 'screaming' at each other and pointing finges once again.

We aren't here to prove anything to anyone.

(WARNING: I'm about to change subjects . . . because I can.)

But try new things for more than one day so you can see from a different perspective.
Example: the first car I bought, I really bought it for the wrong reasons and if I could take what I know now and apply it to when I turned 16, I would totally listen to my gut.

My first car was a red 1991 Pontiac Grand AM 5-speed transmission. OH MY GOSH. I paid too much for the thing and if someone would have sat me down and explained what the cost was going to be overall -maintance included, I might as well have just saved up enough money to buy a nice gently-used car. At the time, I wouldn't have listened very well. I definitely would have heard you, but my thought process back in the day was "well, this is what I want and I'm just gonna do it." I wasn't thinking into the future, I was thinking about my "right now" time.

What I think about now? What is this going to do for me down the road? Not to reference them AGAIN but Peter Shankman and Jonathan Foreman are two guys I like...a lot.

Why? Because they THINK but not too much. And they both make sense to me. I did a quick search the other day on Jon and he was born in October (my month of birth as well). Peter? I think he was born in April? *double checking* OMG. As I'm checking, I found this hilarious video. It gets a little old toward the end, but I'm saying he's an August baby.

Anywho. I'm not really into astrology, but sometimes when someone is born with the same zodiac sign you have, it's possible you could have similiar thought processes??

Getting back to my point: I could sit down and talk to these guys for hours on end about philosophy, marketing, maybe even create a campaign for a new idea and throw a party with some delicious food and awesome music to make the entire evening memorable. Someday, this could happen. Everything that is supposed to happen will happen in due time.

I dare you to move. What helps make you think? What gets you going? What stimulates your brain?

Do me a favor and don't let anything silence your love. Because lately, I've been learning how to not let that happen to me.

Mizuno; moving forward with positive thinking

This is my running shoe. The brand name is Mizuno. It's perfect for me as I have low ankle bones and other running shoes I've tried have hurt or weren't soft enough or my feet couldn't breathe easy.

I need support, but don't want to be "weighed" down. I wanted a cute shoe and though it's pink, I gave in and bought them since I haven't had a good running shoe or a really good shoe that I could wear daily in...well, I can't remember.

I bought these back in January 2010. Best "daily" shoe ever.

Besides the reasons above, I needed a reason to not have an excuse to exercise.

Getting to the positivity point here in a second, just give me a minute. I ramble sometimes. Hey! At least I admit it! :)

If you haven't noticed lately, I have a few different "obsessions":
One of those is Switchfoot.
Another is Jeep Wrangler Sports. What's pictured is not my exact dream Jeep, but close enough.

The other which is actually the reason behind this blog post Peter Shankman. He's also known as @skydiver on Twitter.
By the way Peter, if you ever do read this blog, I think you are extremely knowledgeable not only in regards to just social media, but you've only traveled the globe for the last how many years and you've seen a lot of places, met a lot of people and done a lot of 'stupid' and 'smart' things such as your PR skydiving stunt. You take chances and have surrounded yourself with more opportunities than the average American ever will simply because you think but not too much. That's what more people need to do in this world.

That's also who I've been choosing to surround myself by recently. People who are willing to take chances...but smart chances. They have a back-up plan.

On page so and so of "Can You Do That?!" Shankman talks about doing various things to get the brain stimulated. One thing he does is he runs.

Tonight, I decided to follow his advice and get positive on my feet. I ran.
In fact, on Monday, I decided that I would do nothing but think positively this entire week.

I have a very rewarding job and I think I take advantage of it more than anyone else I work with in my department at my club. I put smiles on kids faces all the time, I don't have to shower before I go to work, I get to "goof off" while teaching lessons, time flies faster than it would if I were at a register, I make a decent living and I interact with members daily. Conversations are super easy to spark during family swim time considering the amount of students I have. It's ridiculously awesome. Corny, but true. :)
I've had members come up to me and ask me my story...as in my 'background' while lifeguarding because I appear older than everyone I work with. They now approach me when they see me and say hi.

My health could always improve, but I'm thankful to be in the state of health that I am. But that's another reason I went running tonight.

There's more, but I don't want to bore my readers. Afraid I've already done so with my thinking here tonight.

Question:
When you run, do you run outside or indoors? I couldn't for the life of me start out at a decent pace and I sure as hell couldn't keep up a decent jogging pace. I was all over the map with my speed and my dog didn't help at all. She's a runner for sure, but she also wants to sniff EVERYTHING. It's fantastic. If she has another dog to run with it's a different story.

My heart was pumping fast, my throat began burning, my legs felt the workout a little bit and the way I had my hair in a pony tail didn't help much, but it was a good 30-minute workout that I needed to change up my routine, which is another thing Peter Shankman advises in his book.

Indoor running (treadmill): I prefer this. I have to keep going, but I'm at a steady pace, constantly and I feel more of a burn after my 1.5 mile run is complete. However fast I complete it is exactly how long I take to reach my goal.

Outdoor running: I fade so quickly tonight and my workout was so inconsistent that it's made me feel like I've barely gotten the burn I wanted to and tonight I took 30 minutes to try and change up my routine. I failed mierably, but I tried.

The sun is setting and I think I'm going to go to bed early tonight so I can get up early tomorrow, turn on my Switchfoot tunes, head to Life Time Fitness, go running on a treadmill, do my weight-lifting, maybe meet up with a friend for lunch. I'm not sure what the rest of the day will bring.

All right folks. That's enough ranting about running and my thoughts for the night.

I have a date with an amazing book again tonight. You know what I'm talking about. If you don't, that means you should re-read part of this post. Seriously, I've never been more in love with a book in my life. Thank you Peter Shankman. Thank you very much! :)

Twitter: Why should you learn how to use this social media tool

I joined Twitter in January 2009 with this account because a professor of mine recommended I do so. Her name? Ellen Mrja.

In March of 2010, I wanted a more professional account, so I made this one. It's to the point and also reflects my 'professional' purpose on twitter.

Why should you join Twitter though? Well, why did you join band when you were in 5th grade? Why do you run? Why do you like to hang out with friends?

The answer to these questions is simple: each of these (or whatever extra curricular activites you joined was something you were interested in) was an environment (or activity) you enjoyed.
--> Band: you had to learn how the difference between quarter notes, eighth notes and you had to pick an instrument to join band. Oh and duh...you liked music!

--> Running: it makes you feel good, toned and keeps you energized.

--> Friends: Ummm...pretty self explanatory. But hopefully your friends keep you on your toes and keep you wanting more out of life and make you a better person.

Do you see where this is going?

You should join Twitter because it's a tool in social media and you're a person whose curious/into social media...or professor Ellen Mrja told you to. :)

But seriously, it's also another way to interact with someone or multiple people in real time. Think of it like text messaging, except you're on your computer or maybe you're on your cell phone.

There are so many topics people talk about on Twitter as well. One thing you might be missing, but you'll find your way in time? The right people to engage with. Below is a guide, if you will, of the simple steps I've broken down so you can understand Twitter more. Hopefully I didn't miss anything, however, if you have questions, please ask. There's never a dumb question in social media. If you're too embarrassed to ask publicly, e-mail me: rachel.ryan09@gmail.com

Here's a brief overview of how Twitter actually came about. You might be shocked. I was. :)

Basics of Twitter:

Biography:

Here's roughly how your bio should represent you:
- who are you and why should I listen/follow you

- easy to 'digest' and allows your followers to understand what you currently do
- overall; remember to be you

Your bio will evolve as you choose to evolve. Update it and let people know about it, if you wish! You can change it daily if you want but make sure there's a reason you're doing so and every time you change it, it better be reflecting who you really are. Heck, if you don't let people in, how are they supposed to get to know you?! Plus, if you have a blog (or a website) you can include that link in your bio!!

If you sell organic products and you're tweeting about Lady GaGa's performance on MTV more than you're giving helpful advice to your followers (helloooooooo that's why they're following you!!), then you're going to lose credibility fast. Then again, maybe that's a topic/moment you're having with one of your followers. As long as you're tweeting back and forth with someone, I'd say you're in the safe zone but everyone has an opinion. I've done this before...not in regards to GaGa, but hopefully you understand what I mean.

People will always talk and you have the power to give them something to talk about. Make sure you're leaving good karma and when you actually decide to meet people in real life from Twitter, hopefully you've been true to yourself all along on Twitter because that will be the biggest "make it" or "break it" point.
I've met a few great individuals in real life and let me tell you, the relationships I've formed are perfect because I'm learning from new friends and wouldn't trade the experience for anything else. Not even a couple hundred bucks! Keep in mind, I've weeded out the real people versus people who are just there to make noise.

Reasons you should learn Twitter as a tool and the language?
It's simple: you're either choosing to be "in the know" about what people want (social media is one big conversation), what they're interested in and what they're about or you're just there to make noise. Don't be the person who just makes noise. Why not? Click here for the harsh reality.
A good friend of mine, Robert Stanke (Bob Stanke) and I have talked about Twitter the last couple of times we've spoken and we agree that unfortunately, many of the people that are there, are just there to make noise. You have to take the time to weed out those not-so-useful tweeters.

The language (symbols) of Twitter:
# = hashtags
---> What they're for? When you first sign into twitter there's a scrolling list of trending topics. These topics, once in you sign into Twitter have this symbol behind them. Examples: #TigerWoods, #LadyGaGa, #SXSW, and the list goes on and on.
If a topic or word with the hashtag behind it is of interest to you, click on it! It will bring you to another window and you'll be able to click on other tweeps handles and maybe you'll end up wanting to follow them. I tend to talk about @Switchfoot or #Switchfoot a lot as I'm a huge, huge fan.
RT = ReTweet
---> You liked a tweet and you want to share it with those who are following you. Think of it like a silly text message you want to send on to other friends you think might be interested in the message.
@ = the symbol behind the handle
---> @ryanr09 or @RachelRyanPR <-- if you do this and then ask me a question on Twitter, I will receive your tweet but only if I'm following you.

Don't just follow anyone:

I made a BIG mistake, precisely just under four and a half pages long of people I decided were not worth my investment under my "ryanr09" handle. I don't think they care that I unfollowed them or maybe even noticed.

Again, hopefully I didn't miss anything, but if I did or didn't answer a question of yours and you want an answer, leave a comment or e-mail me.

By the way, there's A LIST OF THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT DO ON TWITTER. Follow my advice and your followers will thank you *cough* and me. :)

New day, "new" light!

Note: I wanted to post about a week ago, but I had to jet off to work and had about 10 minutes to write, insert links and post it. Didn't work as planned and I wrote this on a "whim" so to speak!

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to @SarahKayHoffman. You can also find her here. She gave me inspiration the other day. Just because you have 'down' days, doesn't always mean you should allow life to stay that way for longer than necessary.



I also wanted to give @RobertStanke a shout out. You can also get to know him better here. He was kind enough to listen to an idea that I came up with after he told me about a side project he and Sarah have been communicating back and forth on. He pretty much said, "reach out to Sarah and see what she thinks." So, that's exactly what I did.



Another reason I wanted to give these two a shout out is because I've been 'roughin' it the last couple of days and we're here to support each other and give back. Sometimes we do more than we know for someone else just by mentioning them in a post that will give them a good laugh.



So, here's to Sarah and Bob!

My white board meets your brain

I have 10 minutes before I have to get to work.

Therefore I'm keeping this rather short.

Lets say you had an idea for the company you work for, or you're running out of creative juices on a particular project and you're the CEO of your own business.
Instead of looking within the company for new direction, think outside of the box. Literally. This isn't going to reach a ton of people, but as long as I throw this idea out there, that is all that counts.

Here's my thought:
I don't care what field you work in. If you have a new picture painted in your head of what you want but you just cannot put a vision together, contact me via e-mail. I'd love to talk to you about ways we can bring your new vision together. In other words, I'll come up with the pitch.

This is VERY vague I realize. And that's exactly what my point is. Let me do your thinking for you. We can meet in person, we can exchange a phone call, we can exchange an e-mail, or even a tweet.

If you send me an e-mail lable is: "Your white board meets my brain".

It's actually quite simple. :)

Delightfully,
Rachel

rachel.ryan09@gmail.com
Twitter: ryanr09 and RachelRyanPR

Moving: good or bad?

I don't know when, but I'm going to somehow own property in Southern California, someday. Or at least a timeshare

This thought crosses my mind often because I love the sun, ocean, palm trees, sea creatures and exploring different paths in life.

I know what I want, or at least have a good idea as to what I will be doing in five years from now. I'm finding my way which has meant not automatically picking up and moving to the next spot without giving the situation(s) some real thought. That's what I do. I think things through and analyize the whole situation. I'm adventerous, don't get me wrong, but this topic has crossed my mind far too many times to not put it on my blog as a topic.

Many people my age who graduated the year I did seem to be doing a lot of 'moving' around --as in, to a different state-- and claim to either be really happy (according to their Facebook updates), or they're just not quite sure what they're doing with their life. They surround their daily life with activities they enjoy and seem to have formed great friendships with new friends. One of my aquaintences even decided that maybe by blogging it will help her find her way? Um...okay. There's really nothing wrong with that however.

But here is what I don't get: if you don't know what you want today and you really aren't sure what you see yourself doing in five years, then what is it you're going to do so you're not waking up everyday and scratching your head wondering what your next step is going to be

My question for you then is this: what has been your career "ah HA!" moment(s)? :)

Mainly, this is me ranting. I'll do my best to come up with a more "worthy" reading topic next time.

Peter Shankman, I'll let you do the talking ;)

It’s not about the money. It’s about what makes me laugh. It’s also about what gets you going. Feeling the rush? Awesome! Not so much? You’re doing it wrong. Make it right and make you the main focus. Being selfish isn’t always a bad thing. It can be for the common good of others. It’s just about how you look at the picture, even if parts of it are still blurry.

This is short because:

A) It is late and I have to work in the AM.

B) I have a few people in my head who are really living life the way everyone else is afraid of –due to security reasons (i.e. finances): Calley Bliss McDowall (a New York singer), Ryan Schmidt (Comedian), Paul Tran (Franchise Developer/Investment Company Shareholder/Client Ambassador) and Peter Shankman (author). In fact, he’s the main reason I’m writing this blog at a crazy time of ‘day’. Oh and I cannot forget about the lovely and ever growing Sarah Evans (CEO of Sevans Strategy).

If you don’t have a focused story, you’ve already lost your own employees and the work that you’re paying them to do is going to do jack for your company. There, I said it in the bluntest way possible. Notice I didn’t say audience, I said employees. Next thing you must think about in social media? HARO: Help A Reporter Out. Well said Mr. Peter Shankman.

I’m out.

Comments are always welcome readers ;)

Delightfully,
Rachel Ryan

P.S. “Can We Do That?! Outrageous PR Stunts That Work – and Why Your Company Needs Them” by Peter Shankman <-- best investment I’ve made in a while :)