SOB Cafe Picks of the Week

Need more pizazz for your blog? Liz Strauss selected Tap More Brain Power by Asking Two-Footed Questions amongst others at SOB Cafe this week to help propel your blog's presence. Liz says, "We offer the best in thinking–articles on the business of blogging written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog." Find great tips to improve writing and blogging skills in this week's complete selection listed below:

Problogger is showing us how to make things happen.
5 ways to Increase your Blog Traffic

SuccessCreeations stirs a discussion about Princes of Execution and Visionaries.
Visionary Cat Herding Princes of Execution

Brain Based Biz has jumped in with Both Feet.
Tap More Brain Power by Asking Two-Footed Questions

Logic+Emotion prefers conversation to webinar format and explains why.
Talking to Yourself

Success Begins Today shows us how to make true change happen.
True Change And The Three R’s

Related ala carte selections include

The carnival’s in town over at Working at Home on the Internet.
Working at Home Blog Carnival-Twenty-sixth Edition

Folks, these are but a foretaste of what you'll experience at SOBcon, in Chicago, May 11-12. Why not sign up if you haven't already?

Turtles Challenge Us to Reach Goals

Turtles speed along at 10-12 mph in water or 3-4 mph on land! Surprise you as it did me? We all know the story about the tortoise and the hare in which the hare beats the turtle hands down in reaching the finish line first. Why turtles? Bob Glaza tagged me for the Turtle Meme, and I wondered if turtles were depicted well in fairy tales...

Another fascinating fact about turtles is that snapping turtles can strech their jaws to devour food bigger than their mouths. Ever watched one devour a frog?

With these turtle facts in mind here's my response to the turtle meme. Hmm... what're some goals I'd like to accomplish - things that would be fascinating and fun to do that I haven't done... Here goes...

Goals to swim quickly for:

1. Take the whole family on a vacation. What fun my husband and I would have with our three children, their mates and our five grandsons. It's something I'd really enjoy doing. With lots of planning maybe we can pull it off.

2. Put on a big barbeque for all the folks who have prospered the MITA work Dr. Ellen Weber and I do. Such a party would be a wonderful way to celebrate with others who've helped us grow.

3. Take more Day Hops... [a site visited in a day's time]. There are so many natural and historical wonders in the world close by that I'd like to see and enjoy. One way to refresh and renew is to step out of the ordinary routines and get outside and enjoy our environment. I don't do enough of this and need to target it more weekly.

Goals to stretch:

1. Help people in Third World. I'd like to go to a country in Africa or Asia where I can share practical brain based approaches with people who would like to be "Tigers with Wings." When working in China, a leader told Dr. Ellen Weber and me, Before you came I was a Tiger. Now, I am a Tiger with Wings. I would like to see that happen for people in third world countries who would prosper.

2. Write a book. I've learned much about writing and engaging others on my blog. Next step would be to pick the best and with new additions organize and publish MITA brain based tactics in business as a handy resource for leaders.

3. Grow as a Tech Geek. There are several areas in which my hands have been tied as a blogger because I came with more content and writing strengths than HTML and programming savvy. Though I keep gaining, my progress still looks like the "slow" turtle in Aesop's Fables.

4. Learn to Paint... Though I have mentioned this desire, I have not taken the steps to do it. Writing it here...yet again, is a great reminder. Painting will help me view the world in different ways...it will help me stretch my imagination in new ways.

One more fact about turtles... many are listed as an endangered species. So for turtles to be all they can be, they need help and encouragement of a wider community.

Folks already tagged are: Cord Robyn Cam Sandy Jodee Ben David Liz David Matthew Robert Tully Karin Bob

Here's the rules* - make your post and refer back to this one. Tag one, two, three, five, ten - number doesn't matter - members of your community. You need to tell them they are tagged. Then copy the list of those already tagged to the end of your post. I have no idea how it will work but lets see if turtles move :)

I'm tagging: Bob Hruzek Anna Farmery GL Hoffman Cody Mckibben Ellen Weber

Lavender Boosts Sleep & Contentment!

Do you slide into sleep easily? Lavender's sweet, camphoric aroma may be just what you need to enhance your zzzz's. No wonder our grandmothers filled pillows with sprigs of lavender or placed lavender sachets beside the bed. They were right on track! University of Miami researchers discovered that lavender affects both alertness and ability to think clearly ....

Mood and Alertness: Lavender aromas soothe, boost contentment and enhance drowsiness. People in the lavender group of this study "felt less depressed." And, surprisingly, they were significantly less alert and scored lower on cognitive tasks. And like lavender, the scent of coffee can get your day off to a good start as well.

Memory and Reasoning: Researchers Moss, Cook, Wesnes and Duckett followed brain activity with an EEG machine, finding that the brainwaves of the group exposed to lavender aromatherapy suggest drowsiness. Lavender produced a significant decrease in performance of working memory, and slower reaction times for both memory and attention based tasks compared to participants not exposed.

Hmmm... lavender potpourri might do the trick to slide me to slumber. Think I'll try lavender sachets in my pillow, too. Grandma's wisdom makes lots of sense!

I'll certainly avoid lavender air freshners for my car! Thoughts?

Negative Environments - What Leaders Can Do - Podcast Part II

Ever wonder how brain chemicals affect peoples reactions at work? Anna Farmery, at The Engaging Brand, quizzed me about that in Part II of the Podcasts on Negativity...How does negativity effect peoples' health? What about the physical work space and its effects? How does Seasonal Affective Disorder effect the brain and what can people do about it? These and many other questions are addressed so leaders can learn to work with their brain and others' brains rather than against them....

As I respond to Anna's questions, you'll discover very specific tactics leaders can use to turn negative work cultures around -- tips to prevent negativity from occurring... how to change negatives into positives for you and your teams.

Tune in now...you can now listen on-line or subscribe to the show through Blubrry or iTunes. If you like the show why not leave a review for Anna on your favorite directory site!

Be sure to check out Negativity Part I Podcast...You can access it in the playlist just prior to Part II.

Afternoon Slump? Cinnamon & Mint Kickstart Brain

Does your brain sag after lunch? Here's good news. Recent research shows both cinnamon and pepperment work as a pick-me-up and stimulant for the brain. In fact, one enterprising Maryland Principal gives "mint candies to middle school students with the expectation that it might improve test scores." Think you'll give it a try at work?

Here's a look at the research...

"Peppermint stimulates the area of the brain responsible for alertness," according to Bryan Raudenbush, lead researcher. "And cinnamon increases blood flow to the muscles and brain; with increased blood flow comes increased arousal and attention."

Raudenbush and his team examined the effects of several odorants and found that cinnamon and peppermint topped others in ability to enhance cognitive processing in humans. And it depends on whether you sniff (orthonasal) or chew (retronasal).

Results reveal a task-dependent relationship between odors and the enhancement of cognitive processing. Specifically, cinnamon, administered retronasally and orthonasally, improved participants' scores on tasks related to attentional processes, virtual recognition memory, working memory, and visual-motor response speed.

What's all this mean to us, anyway? Implications show cinnamon and pepermint provide a non-drug route to "enhance cognition in the elderly, individuals with test-anxiety, and those with symptoms of dementia," according to Raudenbaush. In addition, they both help to put the brakes on driver fatigue and road rage.

Ready to jumpstart your noodle this afternoon? I sure could use a lift...Hmmmmm....I recently discovered a great cinnamon tea... and I suspect my drive home could be a little less stressful with some peppermint gum.... Let me know what works for you!

Tap More Brain Power by Asking Two-Footed Questions

Leaders who draw on multiple intelligences find gems in many rooms & across cultures ... Ellen Weber

Are you using more than one or two intelligences at work? What difference does it make? Tapping more of your smarts at work leads to innovation and invention... For starters, why not try it as you blog. How?...

Ask a two-footed question from the perspective of a person who is highly musical, for instance, and see how it changes the way you think. Your question might be...How would key ideas for my topic be expressed by a symphony conductor?

Jot down key words and see where it takes you...

Here's a spotlight on bloggers whose work shines as they tapped a variety of intelligences this week. Ask new questions... See what sparks ideas...

Spatial Intelligence What difference do art, images and cartoons make to you as a blogger? Lisa Gates tapped into the brilliance of using a visual image as a writing prompt on fear. She asked people to "Write What Scares You." Somehow, looking at the image brings more ideas to mind... Does it help you think differently?

Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence Interested in plotting and monitoring your exercise from your cell phone and other devices? Sally at Interactive Health informs us about exciting new possibilities:

A group called Trip Tracker SPORTSMATE are currently looking for willing testers to join their new site and give them feedback on their system. You will need to have a GPS enabled device so that you can upload your .gpx, NMEA or Garmin Trainingcenter history files.

Logical-Mathematical Intelligence - Celebrate and make the most of milestones! Gavin Heaton is doing just that because of his 500th Technorati link. He's a Star that shines in the midst of the Milky Way. If you haven't visited his site, be sure to visit, wish him well and poke around to find amazing posts! And, if you give Gavin a link, you'll send him great link love!

Naturalistic Intelligence What if someone took note that you really care about the natural world? To Bob Hruzek's surprise, people noticed his actions when he cleaned a camp trail of trash to enjoy the outdoors even more and model that for kids. Bob'd volunteered to be a counselor at a children's camp and at the end of his stint, one of the Camp Board members asked him to be the Camp Caretaker. Amazingly, as he reflected, Bob saw that he has smarts he had never really recognized in past. Note his thoughtful question:

Suppose you discovered, quite by accident, that you were really good at some… thing you’ve never done before. Suddenly, out of the blue, an opportunity to do it for real dropped out of the sky and landed right in your lap.

What would you do?

Intrapersonal Intelligence It takes a strong person to admit weaknesses as Terry Starbucker and with fun to boot regarding SEO skills. He described these as "Screw Everything Openly." While many people jump to the forefront to tell you how great they are, Terry Starbucker's humility and fun sure go a long way. That's a sign of high intrapersonal intelligece.

Interpersonal Intelligence Steli tells folks in the blogosphere that he's grateful he has a blog. And he provides links to others who have helped him enjoy his blogging experience. Thanking folks publicly benefits all and really grows community. Thanks, Steli for modeling this!

Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence Do you have an easy way for non-English speakers to translate your text? Mike Sansone discusses some translation tools that provide visitors fast access to their own language. That's smart, Mike and I'm checking it out.

Musical Intelligence A jingle campaign? Evidently Pringles launched a contest for users to create a video of their jingle using musical smarts to take it to the top. Many talk about what makes a great brand... but, have you ever considered ways music might enhance yours? Cord Silverstein "would love your thoughts on what you like and what could be better" about Jingles for Pringles.

Hmmm...what tune comes to mind for your brand?

Try asking two-footed questions that tap intelligences you have never used for developing a project at work this week or even as you blog... Please come back and tell us about it...

Negativity in the Workplace Podcast

Does negativity take over your teams and meetings? Negativity's tentacles quickly smother and suffocate. Anna Farmery, a highly savvy leader, speaker and coach in the UK, wondered how leaders can use brain based strategies to overcome negativity at work. Her curiosity leads to brilliant questions on the Podcast.

Anna told me she's "been given so much" and so she creates Podcasts as a way to "give back." She credits her Dad for much of her wisdom. You'll find her blog, The Engaging Brand, chock full of wisdom and humor, along with stimulating and informative Podcasts. Anna's sharp questions dig deep into negativity's causes, effects at work, physical consequences... and what leaders can do to help turn it around. Here's Anna's introduction...

On today's show we talk about negativity and how it can occur. It is the Part 1 of a 2 part interview and talks about the effect of negativity and starts to talk about how managers can create it within their teams and how they can turn it around.

There's an iPod link to all Anna's podcasts [left side of her blog] and you can listen on-line or subscribe to the show through Blubrry or iTunes ... If you you like the show why not give Anna a shot of serotonin, a brain chemical that enhances well being, by leaving a review on your favorite directory site!

Stay tuned for part two in 3-4 days.