January is almost behind us... I can't believe it!

Quite an eventful start to the year for me with plenty of travel and new connections that I have completely enjoyed and for ALL of you reading this note I am hopeful you had a FUN 1-11 as well!

I know I have not been so great this new year to date at sharing any food for thought here on this BlogSpot so today I thought I would change that.

Thought for today... SIMPLIFY.

When I saw the TO DO list below on the wall of my Doctor's office recently it really resonated with me and as a result I am sharing here with all of you.

SIMPLIFY

Slow Down

Imagine Doing Less

Make Time for Loved Ones

Practice Patience

Learn to Quietly Say No

Increase Your Quiet Times

Follow Your Heart

Yield to LIFE


My goal for the remainder of 11 - SIMPLIFY.

I'll let you know how I do and in the meantime as always sending my very BEST WISHES to all of YOU!

Let me start this post by making a sweeping generalization:

• If you're 40 years or younger, you're all there in the social media world.

• 40-plus? Not so much.

Ah, the great social media divide.

But this post is for both groups, so please read on.

Social media is here, whether we like it or not. Whether we're familiar with it, or not. Whether we use it, or not. Whether we understand its value, or not. So with this blog post, I intend to convince you of its value....and if you're already a regular user of these social tools, to encourage you to broaden the scope of its use in your daily routine.

Here's a high impact video on the subject from my friend Connie Podesta.

Take two minutes to watch here:

TEXTING HARRY - Connie Podesta

Do you recognize yourself in this context? If you're over 40, maybe you're Harry. Younger? Then perhaps you're grandson, Chad. Of if you're a frequent flyer like me, maybe you're even Connie.

In the not too distant past, I was reluctant to tune in and turn on to the value of  social media. And then I remembered a hard lesson learned....

A hundred years ago -- otherwise known as the 1980s -- I got a call from my Dallas office. My staff there asked for my permission to buy something they called a “FAX machine”, which was cutting edge communications technology at the time.

“We have to start FAXING resumes to our clients or we will lose business” the branch manager shared. "You don't need one," I replied, “FAXING is just a phase; the latest craze. We can conduct business just fine without one."

Almost immediately, we started losing business. Why? Because we were being left behind. Our competitors were far more responsive to clients because the FAX machine allowed them to react so much more quickly.

Taking a longer view, turns out I was right. Faxing WAS a phase.... for a quarter century, that is. Enter all the social media tools of today that don't just give us quick access to customers, friends and family... they give us INSTANT access.

Here's to the powerful connections now available to each of us through today's technology.

Let me hear how things like YouTube, Facebook, Linked In, Twitter and the rest of these tools are improving your ability to connect and communicate.

Till next time I say stay warm, stay connected and stay OPEN to change.....

Cheers!

Mary B. Lucas

Early this morning I took a peek at the Tribute Center I created this past year in memory of my Mom & Dad which raises funds for the American Heart Association (AHA). A magical milestone peeked back at me: So far, we've raised more than $11,000.

Said another way......As of  1/11, we have generously given over $11 thousand at www.HeartsWeLeaveBehind.com. What an accomplishment!

This got me pondering the Power of One -- I have been thinking a lot lately about the Power of One... both personally and professionally. Think about it. Each of us is just ONE person. But together, we are multitudes strong. Each of us creates significant impact on the world around us. That's how positive change occurs.....ONE person, ONE step, ONE dream at a time, all moving in the same direction.

In this New Year of 2011, I remain committed to supporting the important research, education and advocacy work established by my pals at the American Heart Association. They need support from people like us to continue their mission. Every one of us counts!

So here's my New Year's Resolution: Having lost both of my parents to heart disease, I intend to do what I can not only to raise funds for the AHA but also to RAISE AWARENESS OF GOOD HEART HEALTH PRACTICES among my own sphere of influence. Friends, family, colleagues, neighbors......YOU.

This month, 1/11, with this email I'm launching the Power of One Heart Health Awareness Campaign.

Here's how it works:

This campaign is a grassroots educational effort designed to carry the AHA mission virally, relying on our own personal relationships and today's social media communications tools.

It is a simple advocacy effort designed to improve the heart health of individuals -- multiple "ones" -- and encourage each "one" person to share the same wellness info with "one" other.

Together, we can create an open dialogue resulting in an incredible opportunity to affect positive change with every person we come in contact with. Think of the tens, hundreds, thousands of friends, families and others in our sphere of influence we can empower to carry the AHA flag, promote awareness, and instill healthy heart habits "one" at a time? The rippling effect could go on and on and on.

And the results? Healthier hearts and improved quality of life for each of us.

So please click here to learn about some simple and effective healthy heart tips from the American Heart Association www.mylifecheck.org.

Please consider this your one opportunity to make a difference in your own life and the lives of so many others. Join me in the Power of One Heart Health Awareness campaign in 2011. Pass this important information on to every one you know! Trust me, it makes your heart feel good to do so.

Wishing every one of you 72 healthy heart beats per minute in 2011.

Mary B. Lucas, B.D.

American Heart Association Advocate and Founder of www.HeartsWeLeaveBehind.com

Ho Ho Hello!

It SOUNDS like December out there. How can I tell? Radio stations playing constant Christmas tunes. Retailers shouting out sales. Revelers celebrating with holiday parties. The list goes on and on. This time of year, the noise can be deafening.

When did the holiday season become so hectic and harried? Has it always been this way or am I just more tuned in to all the noise this year? Why are we rushing and racing through this annual celebration? If your life is like mine, December is already becoming a blur of endless “to do” lists, buying to excess and missing entirely the real reason for the season. That said...I have decided that this year I'm making different plans.

This year I intend to seek out a very meaningful present for myself: The gift of quiet. Simple, elegant, and all too elusive quiet and for those of you who know me well I can just imagine your laughter right now because as you know quiet is something I am NOT famous for.

So what do I mean by the gift of quiet?

It means that starting today I am going to do my best to tune out some of December's noise and trade it in for time to reflect, remember, and rejoice. My drive time will be spent driving.....not listening to the radio or talking on the phone. My evenings will be spent without the intrusion of TV and instead, whenever possible, curled up with a good book. Rather than multi-tasking my way through the month, I am going to try and slow down, in order to find some quiet and create new family memories with the three best Christmas presents I could ever ask for: Scott, Chase and Nick.

As December makes its debut today, so do two projects near and dear to my heart: Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom is now available in a collectors hard cover edition AND as a three cd audiobook. CLICK HERE to listen to an excerpt.

I'm grateful that so many of you nudged me in this direction, and I am very proud of the finished product. Please remember this BOOK  as a treasured gift for anyone on your list this year. And for yourself, as you look for something to inspire during YOUR quiet time!

May life’s simplest pleasures bring you abundant joys this season. And my heartfelt thanks for your support.

Mary B. Lucas, B.D.

Happy Thanksgiving!

So many things to be grateful for this holiday season and for me... topping the list... the renewed health and well being of my "baby" boy and the fact that we are HOME for the holidays!

I am sorry that I have been so MIA here on the Butcher Block Exchange of late. It has been a long road to recovery with many bumps along the way and as you can imagine piles upon piles to dig out from under post hospital stay.

That said... I am thrilled to be back here with you today once again sharing some food for thought and inspiration about the attitude of gratitude as we head into the holiday season.

First up from Ralph Waldo Emerson.

For each new morning with its light,


For rest and shelter of the night,


For health and food, for love and friends,


For everything Thy goodness sends.


~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Followed by two thoughts that brought it all home for me today...

We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. ~Cynthia Ozick

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. ~William Arthur Ward

Last but not least I will close out with a bit of the Butcher's Wisdom and my appreciation to each of YOU for sharing this special space and place with me as we work together to find ways to grace each day with thanks.

This BlogSpot is Dedicated to Nick

I know I have been pretty invisible of late and I wish I could say it has been for reasons that I wanted to share and write about but that is not the case.

My youngest son Nick has been very ill recently and has been in the hospital for the past 10 days now and although his caregivers are great this has NOT been a fun experience and has been pretty rough on all of us.

To be honest over the past few days it has been especially difficult (as a result of some unexpected setbacks keeping us here longer than expected) and we have had to fight to keep our spirits up.

That said... we do realize that we are very lucky compared to many around us because we KNOW that Nick WILL be just fine overtime and stronger on the other side of this and that's what we try our best to focus on.

Reminds me of an old Indian tale my friend Betsy sent me awhile back that I have read and re-read about 1,000 times over the past 10 days.

So the story goes:

An elder Apache was talking to his grandchildren about life.

He told them, "A fight is going on inside me. It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, prejudice, lies, false pride, compliance, superiority, and ego."

"The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith."

He explained this same fight is going on inside of you, and inside every other person.

They thought about it for a minute, and then one child asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?

The wise old grandfather replied, "The one you feed."

Many thanks to Betsy for sharing this story with me, it has been an incredible source of inspiration of late. Whenever one of us starts to head down the pity-party path our new get back on track line of late has been...

"OK... so which wolf are you feeding now?"

In closing... I am asking for your prayers and positive energy again today as we so hope to get out of the hospital in time to "Howl at the Moon" from HOME tonight!

In the meantime sharing this post as my long over due food for thought and inspiration and asking all you readers...

"Which wolf are YOU feeding now?"