I recently spent some time with some O’Day Seniors. I took some very nice aged Vermont cheddar cheese to one old gal I visit and she says, “I like yellow American cheese. Now that’s good cheese.” I took another elderly fellow a really beautiful apple pie from a local bakery. The old dude goes into his kitchen and comes out with an Entenmann's pie and says to me, “Now this is good pie.”
Orange dairy food product. Gummy assembly line pie filled with ingredients you can’t pronounce. I’ll give it to them. They’re super-old. They can eat all the squeeze cheese and apple goo they want.
But the rest of us need to consider, what kind of crap do we crave? What kind of crap do we shove into our bodies?
Have you ever gotten onto a subway in New York City just as school is being let out? It's like being stampeded by a herd of unhealthy fat kids with McDonald’s wrappers stuck in the corners of their mouths. Fattening themselves up for the pharmaceutical companies so they can make a whole lotta’ dough off of their diabetes drugs and Relacor for stubborn belly fat.
“Oh, but Sandra, fresh vegetables are so hard to find. I’m doing the best I can. I’m stressed out!”
Stressed out? It’s time to stress in folks. Look inside. You can’t make things better by popping a pill when you’re playing the crap game! The pill is just another piece of crap.
Take a good look at what you put into your mouth, people. Ask yourself who benefits. And get out of the CRAP GAME.
I look forward to hearing your stories of immense personal struggle, and will continue to inspire you .
E-mail Sandra at PowerofSandra@aol.com
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
The God Game
So what’s your plan for your life? Or are you like most people who have no strategy for their future?
“Oh, I’ll just make a wish, toss this penny into the fountain and see what happens.” I’ll tell you what happens. The guy who cleans the fountain cashes in on your wishes.
Or maybe you’re a “go-with-the-flow” type. “Dude, I’ll just see where the river of life takes me.” Dude, the river leads to the ocean. Then what?
Or maybe you’re one of those, “I’m just gonna’ let go and let God,” types. People, I’m all for faith, but if you can’t even be specific about what you want how can you expect your imaginary friend to provide it for you?
My attitude ruffles some feathers. But I don’t really care. I’m not saying it’s wrong for people to believe in outside forces or a “higher power”. I’m relatively OK with that. But I’m not OK with people sloughing their responsibility off on God.
“I didn’t give up, I gave it up to God.” No, you gave up. You failed so you passed the buck to God. That’s not right. If your spine hasn’t been broken then stand up and get back on that horse.
Figure out what you want, make a plan, set some goals and put all your concentration and energy into making that plan happen. If God is a part of your private cheering section, good for you. But you need to believe in yourself first -- do the hard work and listen to your dreams so that you can make a map for your life and create the life you deserve.
I look forward to hearing your stories of immense personal struggle, and will continue to inspire you .
E-mail Sandra @ PowerofSandra@aol.com
“Oh, I’ll just make a wish, toss this penny into the fountain and see what happens.” I’ll tell you what happens. The guy who cleans the fountain cashes in on your wishes.
Or maybe you’re a “go-with-the-flow” type. “Dude, I’ll just see where the river of life takes me.” Dude, the river leads to the ocean. Then what?
Or maybe you’re one of those, “I’m just gonna’ let go and let God,” types. People, I’m all for faith, but if you can’t even be specific about what you want how can you expect your imaginary friend to provide it for you?
My attitude ruffles some feathers. But I don’t really care. I’m not saying it’s wrong for people to believe in outside forces or a “higher power”. I’m relatively OK with that. But I’m not OK with people sloughing their responsibility off on God.
“I didn’t give up, I gave it up to God.” No, you gave up. You failed so you passed the buck to God. That’s not right. If your spine hasn’t been broken then stand up and get back on that horse.
Figure out what you want, make a plan, set some goals and put all your concentration and energy into making that plan happen. If God is a part of your private cheering section, good for you. But you need to believe in yourself first -- do the hard work and listen to your dreams so that you can make a map for your life and create the life you deserve.
I look forward to hearing your stories of immense personal struggle, and will continue to inspire you .
E-mail Sandra @ PowerofSandra@aol.com
Friday, February 22, 2008
Fire!
An e-mail from an O’Dayer:
Dear Sandra,
I am curious about your affinity with fire. Are you attracted to it for it's qualities of purification or do you just like to watch things burn?
Just curious.
-A fan.
Dear Fan,
It’s a combination of both those things. Basically I’m a pyromaniac. The American Heritage Dictionary defines pyromania as, “The irresistible urge to start fires.” And, I have to admit, that’s me all right! But ever since I’ve been released from prison I’ve curbed my love for the burn and I no longer set anything and everything on fire. I have a wonderful fire pit up at O’Day Camp where I do controlled, within legal limits burns. And yes, I even get permits from the town before I light the fire! So, if you have any old papers you’d like to get rid of –- divorce papers, old tax receipts, bankruptcy papers, love letters, pictures of yourself in sixth grade ... sign up for a trip to O’Day Camp and we’ll get rid of those pesky papers once and for all!
You can e-mail me at PowerofSandra@aol.com
I look forward to hearing your stories of immense personal struggle, and will continue to inspire you
Dear Sandra,
I am curious about your affinity with fire. Are you attracted to it for it's qualities of purification or do you just like to watch things burn?
Just curious.
-A fan.
Dear Fan,
It’s a combination of both those things. Basically I’m a pyromaniac. The American Heritage Dictionary defines pyromania as, “The irresistible urge to start fires.” And, I have to admit, that’s me all right! But ever since I’ve been released from prison I’ve curbed my love for the burn and I no longer set anything and everything on fire. I have a wonderful fire pit up at O’Day Camp where I do controlled, within legal limits burns. And yes, I even get permits from the town before I light the fire! So, if you have any old papers you’d like to get rid of –- divorce papers, old tax receipts, bankruptcy papers, love letters, pictures of yourself in sixth grade ... sign up for a trip to O’Day Camp and we’ll get rid of those pesky papers once and for all!
You can e-mail me at PowerofSandra@aol.com
I look forward to hearing your stories of immense personal struggle, and will continue to inspire you
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Vision Wart
An e-mail from an O’Dayer
Dear Ms. O'Day,
I was at one of your seminars here in LA (you may remember me, I was the one that thought my success was hindered due to the huge wart on my forehead but you told me to look at it as if it's a third eye and imagine that I can see things better, an lo and behold, it worked!) and I just wanted to tell you that this blog is long overdue. Can't tell you how wonderful it is to have daily inspiration from a talented, insightful, pissed-off person like yourself.
Keep up the good work.
Richard P. Johner
Thanks, Richard! Hope that wart/third eye remains fixed on all your goals! Keep up the good work!
E-mail Sandra at PowerofSandra@aol.com
I look forward to hearing your stories of immense personal struggle, and will continue to inspire you .
Dear Ms. O'Day,
I was at one of your seminars here in LA (you may remember me, I was the one that thought my success was hindered due to the huge wart on my forehead but you told me to look at it as if it's a third eye and imagine that I can see things better, an lo and behold, it worked!) and I just wanted to tell you that this blog is long overdue. Can't tell you how wonderful it is to have daily inspiration from a talented, insightful, pissed-off person like yourself.
Keep up the good work.
Richard P. Johner
Thanks, Richard! Hope that wart/third eye remains fixed on all your goals! Keep up the good work!
E-mail Sandra at PowerofSandra@aol.com
I look forward to hearing your stories of immense personal struggle, and will continue to inspire you .
Monday, February 18, 2008
Snow Plowed
I was up at O’Day camp this weekend and the backwoods dirt road that leads to the compound is covered with dangerous snow and ice. The road should have been plowed, but the winter deal I made with my neighbor down the way, who has a plow on his rusted truck, is not being honored. I know I shouldn’t be surprised, but somehow I believed that by being honest, kind and generous toward him and his scarecrow wife it would somehow, magically, make some kind of a positive difference. It didn’t.
I think I put so much trust in the situation because I was raised in conditions similar to those in which my neighbors now live. I grew up in a burned-out, rented trailer, they live in one now. My parents were toothless and chain-smoked, my neighbors are toothless and chain-smoke. When the door to my parents’ trailer opened, gigantic gin bottles rolled out, in the same way that big, plastic no-name vodka bottles roll out of my neighbors’ trailer. My neighbors burn trash in their yard rather than pay to have it collected, just like my parents did.
I think I’ve been trying a little too hard not to judge a book by its squalor-stained cover. While it’s true that I used to live in similar circumstances, I also ran away from home. I was only 13 when I figured out that anywhere else was better than where I was. My toothless, hillbilly neighbors, however, choose to continuously reside in a trashcan.
Bottom line, just because there are exceptions to the rules here and there, it doesn’t mean you should ignore your instincts.
A person who treats his body, home, family and property like trash isn’t going to treat you any better. And they certainly aren’t going to help you keep your road free of snow and ice. Consider it a lesson we all learned together.
I look forward to hearing your stories of immense personal struggle, and will continue to inspire
you .
I think I put so much trust in the situation because I was raised in conditions similar to those in which my neighbors now live. I grew up in a burned-out, rented trailer, they live in one now. My parents were toothless and chain-smoked, my neighbors are toothless and chain-smoke. When the door to my parents’ trailer opened, gigantic gin bottles rolled out, in the same way that big, plastic no-name vodka bottles roll out of my neighbors’ trailer. My neighbors burn trash in their yard rather than pay to have it collected, just like my parents did.
I think I’ve been trying a little too hard not to judge a book by its squalor-stained cover. While it’s true that I used to live in similar circumstances, I also ran away from home. I was only 13 when I figured out that anywhere else was better than where I was. My toothless, hillbilly neighbors, however, choose to continuously reside in a trashcan.
Bottom line, just because there are exceptions to the rules here and there, it doesn’t mean you should ignore your instincts.
A person who treats his body, home, family and property like trash isn’t going to treat you any better. And they certainly aren’t going to help you keep your road free of snow and ice. Consider it a lesson we all learned together.
I look forward to hearing your stories of immense personal struggle, and will continue to inspire
you .
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Lay Low Dos and Don’ts
How you use a Lay Low is the most important part of having a Lay Low period! Here are a few pointers:
Do study, read and see movies.
Do exercise, even if you don’t feel like it.
Don’t start drinking the moment you wake up in the morning.
Do fill up on good ideas and stories.
Don’t hit people. (A good idea for everyday life, too!)
Do read Sandra O’Day books, and explore the archives of this blog.
Don’t call and/or e-mail people you’re waiting to hear from twice a day to, “see how things are going.”
Do get in touch with old friends and colleagues you haven’t heard from in a while.
Don’t call your crazy ex and stir up trouble because you’re looking for something familiar to do.
Lay Lows are a great time to take stock of the successes you’ve had and think about what you’d like to change in the future -- because folks, that Lay Low is going to end! And when it does your life is going to be wonderfully busy.
So let’s ride this February Lay Low out and get ready for some Powerful Positive Change!
You can e-mail me at PowerofSandra@aol.com
I look forward to hearing your stories of immense personal struggle, and will continue to inspire you .
Do study, read and see movies.
Do exercise, even if you don’t feel like it.
Don’t start drinking the moment you wake up in the morning.
Do fill up on good ideas and stories.
Don’t hit people. (A good idea for everyday life, too!)
Do read Sandra O’Day books, and explore the archives of this blog.
Don’t call and/or e-mail people you’re waiting to hear from twice a day to, “see how things are going.”
Do get in touch with old friends and colleagues you haven’t heard from in a while.
Don’t call your crazy ex and stir up trouble because you’re looking for something familiar to do.
Lay Lows are a great time to take stock of the successes you’ve had and think about what you’d like to change in the future -- because folks, that Lay Low is going to end! And when it does your life is going to be wonderfully busy.
So let’s ride this February Lay Low out and get ready for some Powerful Positive Change!
You can e-mail me at PowerofSandra@aol.com
I look forward to hearing your stories of immense personal struggle, and will continue to inspire you .
Monday, February 11, 2008
Lay Low -- Part Three
Wow! Seems like a whole lot of you O'Dayers are in a February Lay Low! Hang in there -- it won't last forever! Here are a few FAQs about Lay Lows:
Q: What is a FAQ?
A: A frequently asked question.
Q: What is a Lay Low?
A: A Lay Low is a period of time when you can’t make anything happen. (Read the two previous posts.)
Q: How long does a Lay Low typically last?
A: On average, two weeks to five months. However, Lay Lows are as varied as the people who experience them. Some Lay Lows may be an intense five days, others may float in and out for a couple of years.
Q: What should I do when I’m in a Lay Low?
A: Relax. Catch up on your reading. Go to the gym. Take a vacation. A Lay Low is a time to rest and fill up on new ideas. Lay Lows are a perfect time to read Sandra O’Day books or invest in an O’Day Workshop.
Q: I’m in the middle of a Lay Low right now and I feel like I’m falling apart. I want to bust out of my skin and run away, but I can’t. Any words of wisdom?
A: Change your you when you can’t change your where.
Q: What does that mean?
A: When you can’t change where you are you can change how you react to where you are.
Q: Can you give me an example?
A: Sure! While I was incarcerated I was sent to solitary confinement and I almost lost my mind. I discovered banging my head against the cement wall wouldn’t change anything, but it would cause hearing loss. Once I adjusted my reaction to where I was, I found a useful way to pass my time. I wrote my first book in solitary, “O’Dayisms.”
You can e-mail me at PowerofSandra@aol.com
I look forward to hearing your stories of immense personal struggle, and will continue to inspire you .
Q: What is a FAQ?
A: A frequently asked question.
Q: What is a Lay Low?
A: A Lay Low is a period of time when you can’t make anything happen. (Read the two previous posts.)
Q: How long does a Lay Low typically last?
A: On average, two weeks to five months. However, Lay Lows are as varied as the people who experience them. Some Lay Lows may be an intense five days, others may float in and out for a couple of years.
Q: What should I do when I’m in a Lay Low?
A: Relax. Catch up on your reading. Go to the gym. Take a vacation. A Lay Low is a time to rest and fill up on new ideas. Lay Lows are a perfect time to read Sandra O’Day books or invest in an O’Day Workshop.
Q: I’m in the middle of a Lay Low right now and I feel like I’m falling apart. I want to bust out of my skin and run away, but I can’t. Any words of wisdom?
A: Change your you when you can’t change your where.
Q: What does that mean?
A: When you can’t change where you are you can change how you react to where you are.
Q: Can you give me an example?
A: Sure! While I was incarcerated I was sent to solitary confinement and I almost lost my mind. I discovered banging my head against the cement wall wouldn’t change anything, but it would cause hearing loss. Once I adjusted my reaction to where I was, I found a useful way to pass my time. I wrote my first book in solitary, “O’Dayisms.”
You can e-mail me at PowerofSandra@aol.com
I look forward to hearing your stories of immense personal struggle, and will continue to inspire you .
Friday, February 8, 2008
Lay Low -- Part Two
Today we continue our conversation on Lay Lows.
A Lay Low is a period of time when you can’t make anything happen. You’re stuck with being stuck in the dirty muck of right now. And you’ll try to get yourself out, but you can’t. So then you’ll spin your wheels and your mind will try to race ahead to the future! “Oh, the future, just get me out of right now and into the future!” But you can’t, because you’re in a Lay Low.
And when you realize that you’ll have to wait to move forward, that you’re stuck in the now, you’ll start to look back at where you’ve been, and pretty soon you’re trying to rewrite the past. “I should have done this, I could have done that. How do I fix the past?”
You can’t. You can never fix the past. Stop looking behind. You’ll never put your life back in drive when you’re looking in the rearview mirror.
The mire of a Lay Low is a great time to focus. You can prepare. Lay Lows are no fun, but when you’re in one, take advantage of the time. Learn to wait. Learn to rest up. Lay Lows are often the calm before the big, beautiful storm.
More on Lay Lows in the next posting. And if you think you might be in a Lay Low, drop me a line at PowerofSandra@aol.com
I look forward to hearing your stories of immense personal struggle, and will continue to inspire you .
A Lay Low is a period of time when you can’t make anything happen. You’re stuck with being stuck in the dirty muck of right now. And you’ll try to get yourself out, but you can’t. So then you’ll spin your wheels and your mind will try to race ahead to the future! “Oh, the future, just get me out of right now and into the future!” But you can’t, because you’re in a Lay Low.
And when you realize that you’ll have to wait to move forward, that you’re stuck in the now, you’ll start to look back at where you’ve been, and pretty soon you’re trying to rewrite the past. “I should have done this, I could have done that. How do I fix the past?”
You can’t. You can never fix the past. Stop looking behind. You’ll never put your life back in drive when you’re looking in the rearview mirror.
The mire of a Lay Low is a great time to focus. You can prepare. Lay Lows are no fun, but when you’re in one, take advantage of the time. Learn to wait. Learn to rest up. Lay Lows are often the calm before the big, beautiful storm.
More on Lay Lows in the next posting. And if you think you might be in a Lay Low, drop me a line at PowerofSandra@aol.com
I look forward to hearing your stories of immense personal struggle, and will continue to inspire you .
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Lay Low -- Part One
An e-mail from an O-Dayer:
Dear Sandra,
I hate February. It’s dark and gloomy, cold and rainy – and nothing is happening for me business-wise. I didn’t get a raise or a bump in my bonus this year, but at least I wasn’t laid off like half the people at my firm. Every new project I try to initiate gets crushed by the higher-ups. And to top it all off, I’m single and I’ll have to endure Valentine’s Day alone next week. Any advice to help me out of this funk?
-Funky Biz Dude
Dear Funky,
Usually I’d lambaste you for being a complainer, but I think it’s more than that. I think you’re in a Lay Low.
A Lay Low is a period of time where no matter what you try, you can’t make anything happen. You can make all the right moves, you can do everything perfectly right, and nothing will seem to move forward. You’re like a kitten mewing at a door or a baby screaming in the crib. All the wind in your body won’t change the way things are.
Here’s the number one thing to remember about a Lay Low -- at some point it will end. Nothing lasts forever, not even a Lay Low.
I’m going to spend the next few postings going over the ins and outs of Lay Lows. In the meantime, if you think you might be in the middle of a Lay Low like our friend Funky, drop me a line.
You can e-mail me at PowerofSandra@aol.com
I look forward to hearing your stories of immense personal struggle, and will continue to inspire you .
Dear Sandra,
I hate February. It’s dark and gloomy, cold and rainy – and nothing is happening for me business-wise. I didn’t get a raise or a bump in my bonus this year, but at least I wasn’t laid off like half the people at my firm. Every new project I try to initiate gets crushed by the higher-ups. And to top it all off, I’m single and I’ll have to endure Valentine’s Day alone next week. Any advice to help me out of this funk?
-Funky Biz Dude
Dear Funky,
Usually I’d lambaste you for being a complainer, but I think it’s more than that. I think you’re in a Lay Low.
A Lay Low is a period of time where no matter what you try, you can’t make anything happen. You can make all the right moves, you can do everything perfectly right, and nothing will seem to move forward. You’re like a kitten mewing at a door or a baby screaming in the crib. All the wind in your body won’t change the way things are.
Here’s the number one thing to remember about a Lay Low -- at some point it will end. Nothing lasts forever, not even a Lay Low.
I’m going to spend the next few postings going over the ins and outs of Lay Lows. In the meantime, if you think you might be in the middle of a Lay Low like our friend Funky, drop me a line.
You can e-mail me at PowerofSandra@aol.com
I look forward to hearing your stories of immense personal struggle, and will continue to inspire you .
Monday, February 4, 2008
Slick as Goose Poop
There are a whole lot of geese up at O’Day Camp right now. Hundreds of them. And seeing all of them reminded me of a saying from my criminal days. (And please pardon the profanity!) “That Sandra O’Day is as slick as goose shit.” Back then, it was a good thing. It meant that I was a very crafty criminal and I was hard to catch. But now, as a former criminal who owns land covered with geese, it means something entirely different. It now serves as a warning. Now it means “watch where you walk,” because goose poop IS very slick – and you could end up in the river.
I look forward to hearing your stories of immense personal struggle, and will continue to inspire you .
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