Change of blog address ... please update!

Hello, all!
I have integrated my blog into my PRwithPurpose.net website. I invite you to follow my posts at:

www.prwithpurpose.net/blog

My posts continue to be random thoughts on life, God, family, business, encouragement, health & wellness (mental, emotional, physical and spiritual).

Have a fabulous day!
Lisa

Writing can be ...

Theraputic ... get your mind off of other things.

Emotional ... depending on the topic at hand.

Personal ... if you are willing to open your heart and soul.

Exciting ... if you aren't afraid to write the truth, or if you are writing fiction and creating the truth.

Writing is the opportunity to tell a story, share a message. Could be your own story. Could be that of someone else. Could be the creation of characters in your mind.

The project, "Jane", that I am currently working on ... so meaningful.

For me, writing is about the people and their stories. Each one different than the next, yet so many things relevant from one story to the next.

Opening statement for "Jane", the book I am currently writing:

PREFACE

It may take a traumatic experience or even a threat to one’s life or to that of a loved one to learn valuable life lessons. That’s what it took for teacher, Jane Byram, to learn the toughest lessons she has ever experienced. Those lessons began with what could be likened to a classroom of unsuspecting students who were just told to clear their desks for a pop quiz.

           
            Only Jane was told to clear her life – she had acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). 

                                                                     Stay tuned!! 

Impressed by tomorrow's leaders ...

Today was the Annual Youth Day in Springfield, hosted by the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives. Students from around the state, along with their chaperones from the electric cooperatives that serve them, visit Springfield with stops at the Capitol, Old State Capitol, Supreme Court and Presidential Museum. They get to meet with their Representatives and Senators, hear from Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon and Secretary of State Jessie White. It's a great learning experience with opportunities to ask questions, hear new information, make their voices heard!

These students are the cream of the crop and are vying for a place on the AIEC Youth to Washington Tour, in addition to learning about the Capital City. These students are some of tomorrow's leaders ... looks like we will be in good hands!

If you haven't been to these Springfield entities, you really should take time. I think I am going to take my Dad to the Presidential Museum for his birthday in April. Shhhh ... don't tell : )

Blessings!
Lisa

Journey forward ...

Life is a journey, as you know. Mine is taking me into some exciting, new areas.

Writing - more regular blogging, beginning NOW, and working on the books, etc. Major deadline approaching quickly!!
Day job - Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives- taking on new and exciting programs and responsibilities - more business development! Love it ... excited to go to work every day!

PR with Purpose - redesign of website near completion. Mostly me now ... have to update content! Check it out, and watch the progression at www.prwithpurpose.net
Running/fitness - training for an April 27 5k (Blessed by Brenna ...  in Urbana Champaing) and a June 10 half-marathon (Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training) - North Shore, Chicago
Health -  getting back into the swing of things on the eating healthy front
Relationships - trying to connect better with friends/family/God. Life is all about relationships, personally and professionally ... more intentional, real ... not just surface stuff!

So much going on - and it's all good, really!

What is new in your life? Give me a shout! Lrigoni@prwithpurpose.net or find me on FaceBook, Lisa Templeton Rigoni or Twitter @LisaRigoni or LinkedIn at Lisa Rigoni

Have a fantastic day!
Lisa

Happy Valentine's Day!

Life/love is what we make it ...

• Celebrate the blessings!
• Give thanks for the trials ... God doesn't give you more than you can handle ... he has faith in you!
• Love with your whole heart!
• Share a hug today, and every day!
• Make a long-over-due phone call or visit!
• Remind someone how special they are!
• Don't forget to love yourself, too ... God created you in His image, and He created you to be special! 

I am blessed with a wonderful, beautiful family ... husband, Mike who gave me daughters Kristian and Megan, son, Zach. We have a son-in-law, Brian, who loves our eldest, his wife ... we couldn't ask for better children!

Plus, we have an incredible extended family; lots of friends we are thankful are part of our lives, and a church family that we love, and most importantly, a God who loves us unconditionally!

Life really is good ...

Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours!
Lisa

Still awake at 4:07 a.m. ...

and the alarm is set to go off in two hours and three minutes ... probably not a good sign for my Friday, but at least it is Friday!! I'll nap Saturday?! Have a physical this afternoon ... perhaps the no sleeping thing will really mean something when the blood shot eyes are evident : ) Funny, yet not!

In any case, during part of these waking hours I have read the Book of James (NIV). Talk about a life action plan within a book of life action plans!! Simply reading the headlines alone gives an idea of the topics covered, and all within only five short chapters.

• Trials and Temptations
• Listening and Doing
• Favoritism Forbidden
• Taming the Tongue
• Two Kinds of Wisdom
• Submit Yourselves to God
• Boasting About Tomorrow
• Warning to Rich Oppressors
• Patience in Suffering
• The Prayer of Faith

My Bible happens to have devotions intermingled among the pages of the chapters and verses, and the entire Book is still only eight pages. But wow, is it packed with things to consider.

Here's my short, sleepy take on the first headline:

Trials and Temptations: We all have them, and though it's tough, we have to push through! It's hard to swallow when James tells us to "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."

But what if we think ours is already developed to the point it's all we can handle? No more trials, please, really! But thanks, anyway! Not our choice to make, I suppose. So, with that noted, we should keep in mind, it's often the trials that help shape us, make us stronger. It's what helps us move forward. Sometimes, our trials and seeing how we handle it might even be what helps someone else through theirs. I'm just sayin'.

What could some of those Trials include? - People are losing jobs every day, often times completely unexpectedly after years of service. People are losing homes. People are losing money that they planned for retirement or were going to use to help send children to college.  People are stressed to the max and facing serious health issues as a result ... heart attacks, high blood pressure, depression and giving into Temptation which creates more stress ... a vicious cycle.

We have to learn to overcome the temptations. It's not easy, and we are bombarded with them ... they  are every where, every day. All you have to do is start your day and you will be hit ... in the media, in the refrigerator, in the cabinet, at the office, at the shopping center, at the bar, in the medicine cabinet, with that person, at the/in the/with the _______. (Fill in the blank with your temptation.)

That is some of the bad news. You know what that means though? There is also good news!  There is opportunity for reinvention, for rescue, for relief, for recovery! There is hope! There is help! There is life! James says, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." 

Call on God ... to help get you through your trials, to help you overcome the temptations ... to help you persevere! Call a friend, call a healthcare professional, a counselor, a pastor, a rabbi, a priest. There are resources in all communities that can help.

OK ... it's too late to go to bed now, but I think I can squeeze in a workout ... I think I'm going to SNAP! I'm gonna need some energy to get through this day!

Have a fantastic weekend!
Lisa
LRigoni@PRwithPurpose.net

Networking = Relationship Building

Yes ... it's all the same ... at least from my viewpoint. However, in the business world, you can't typically put on the sales report, "Went to a relationship building event. Or spent time at lunch on Thursday working on a relationship with _______, especially if it happened to be a person of the opposite sex. GASP! It doesn't sit well with others, even though it's what you are doing. Right? At least, that's how I perceive networking. So, with that in mind, I thought perhaps I should look up
Merriam Webster's definition.

He says: Networking is "the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions; specifically : the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or busines."

I suppose, yes, though, I really think it runs deeper than that ... it's more of a progression, perhaps in stages:

Networking 101: with a new person you typically go to lunch or meet at an after hours event, for example. There is typically small talk, maybe about the weather, introduce the name of your businesss, your title, your product, etc. It's sometimes awkward. Maybe you feel compelled to give your elevator pitch. And then, if you are in sales, especially, you can't help it, it comes spewing out! You give the sales pitch, all the numbers, all the product details. On the first "date"?? YIKES!!

Networking 201: introductory information was shared during Networking 101, so you are beyond that. Moving on.  It gets more fun. You start learning more about the actual person. Who is he or she? Family? Married? Children? Career track? There is a real person behind the nametag and sales pitch! YAY!

The personal level:
Same scenario, lunch, after hours event, professional organization meeting, etc. Yes, small talk is usually part of it, as well as the normal introductions, finding out what each other does, if you don't already know ...  your titles, if applicable, your products/services, if the topics come up, but maybe not.

What if you actually started by getting to know your clients or prospects or fellow networkers on a more personal level right from the get-go? That way, each time you saw them you would have something more to talk about. You wouldn't have to start with, "Wow, sure is a nice day, sure is cold/hot out there, sure is raining hard, etc., and so on. We've all done it. It's likely that you might even have something in common. 

I'm working to be better at this myself. Not just asking the questions, but remembering the answers : ) Hobbies, kid's names, favorite beverages and foods, places travelled ... places they wish to travel, sports teams they like, the ones they don't ... why? The best part, really, is that it's all part of natural conversation.

So, start talking .... but more importantly .... start listening!! That is always the hardest and most valuable part of networking! Be more interested in the person/people in front of you, than in telling your own story. Eventually, someone will want to reciprocate and hear yours. The other part of networking ... it's a two-way street!!

Any networking tips you'd like to share?? What has worked for you? What hasn't? Would love to hear from you!!

LRigoni@PRwithPurpose.net or FB at Lisa Templeton Rigoni or @LisaRigoni on Twitter.

Explosions of emotions ...

Has it happened to you?

Sometimes explosions of emotions just have to happen! And sometimes it begins before you realize it. It's a bit surreal ... in fact, more than a bit. Then you wonder ... oh, no, what WAS that? WHO was that? Then it hits you, in that very moment, OH NO ... THAT is ME! It's my voice, a bit shaky perhaps, yet strong at the same time. Yes, that's my arm waving, yet I can't seem to make it stop. Yikes! Did I just stomp my foot while trying to make a point?

Yes, a week ago today I had one of those very explosions ... you know when you care about something in your life so passionately that you just have to speak out! Perhaps you have been hanging on to thoughts and words for so long that once you let go, the words just keep spilling out of your mouth, and whether right or wrong, there seems to be no shut-off valve, no volume control, no censoring, no control, until you are at the point of exhaustion and then suddenly, with no warning, just as quickly as the words began flowing, they simply stop.

I turned from the microphone, abruptly, I think, and left. Today ... I felt some of the sting from last week's display; the repercussions of my actions from some, as a result of that emotional explosion. And I also felt love and community from others. And I felt strength and growth. I felt God and his presence in the connection and reconnection of others. Sometimes we have to hit rock bottom before we can begin the re-building process. It's the way life works.

One of my friends reminded me that even Jesus overturned the tables in the tabernacles. Sometimes, we have to stir things up to help get the mix right. The first ingredient should always be God. Sometimes we forget that, thinking we can take care of everything all on our own. We cannot!

I remember taking a deep breath before I initially spoke. And I remember someone else was already talking before me as I marched to the microphone on the opposite side of the room. During that time I prayed for God to guide my words. Maybe He controlled the volume, did the censoring, and shut me down when He wanted me to be done! I know that I was in a room full of people I love, and I trust that God was right there with me, for I felt His presence and His strength.

When have you felt God's presence? God's strength? When was your last "Explosion of Emotions?" Would love to hear from you!

You can reach me via FB at Lisa Templeton Rigoni or on Twitter @LisaRigoni or via e-mail at LRigoni@PRwithPurpose.net.

Have a fabulous week!

Lisa

Agritourism, authenticity, abundance ...

Fruits, veggies and tourism ... oh my ... and so much more!!

I have had the privilege of spending the last two days among some of Illinois' finest specialty and organic crop growers, folks who own and manage orchards, pumpkin farms, berry patches, wineries to name a few, plus tourism professionals who actively promote agritourism in our state. I would list all of the businesses and supporting organizations by name, as well as the tourism entities, but since my elbow continues to be in the healing mode, and the doctor said one of the main things I still can't do with the right hand is type/write, I'm doing the blog with my left hand. It would take forever, and more importantly, I would be afraid someone would be left out. At the end, I will give you a website or two as a reference point for going to find some of these fine places!

All this great connecting happened at the Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism and Organic Conference during the annual conference held at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield. It is one of my favorite events of the year, actually. I think that is in large part, due to the people who participate.

These business owners are authentic, down-to-earth, people who are passionate about their businesses, have wonderful stories to share and are willing to do just that. Often they are family-owned businesses, 2nd, 3rd and even 4th generation. You'll find everything from herb gardeners to vegetable farmers to apple orchard owners. In fact, yesterday, I was sitting at a table for lunch with two couples, one couple who has both vegetables and livestock had to leave, and then four men joined us, representing three different, family-owned apple orchards, and they were all laughing and talking together. The husband of the younger couple that was still sitting at the table mentioned that one day he'd like to include an orchard as part of his business (currently produces vegetables). Immediately, he was offered advice, tips, words of wisdom from the men in each of these established orchards. The enthusiasm for the giving and the receiving of the information created a level of high energy!

At the banquet, I sat at a table with a woman about my age whose job situation has changed. She is seriously contemplating getting into the field of vegetable growing. She came to the conference to absorb information. Without even having to ask, she was being introduced to people who could help her, given ideas of how to get started, invited to "come out to the farm" to see how others run their operation.

In going to this conference for the last four years, as a speaker on the agritourism marketing track this year and two years ago, and watching the natural interactions the attendees, and even the exhibitors have with one another, makes me want to see them with their customers in their element! I find that agritourism folks are easy to talk to, easy to get to know, easy to like! You want to visit their operations to learn more, see more, meet the rest of their families and employees, pet the animals, ride on the hay wagons, pick an apple ... red, green or yellow! Walk through the pumpkin patch and find the perfectly shaped, big, bold orange pumpkin that suits you! Let the sweet aromas of the bakeries tickle your nose and tease your tastebuds. You know what I'm talking about - apple pies, peach cobblers, donuts. Or maybe you prefer a nice bite of creamy fudge, the sweet taste of an ice cream cone or one of my favorites, an apple cider slushie!!  Gonna add it to my list this year ... make a point to visit these places : ) Since many are seasonal businesses I'll have to check 'em all out and make a plan depending on the schedules.

Since writing/telling stories about people is really my favorite thing to do, maybe there's a project in the making here. I think I'll find a grant to allow me to write a book about all the family-owned agritourism businesses in Illinois. Could promote it in Illinois Country Living and local newspapers, through the various tourism outlets, etc. Wonder if any of the businesses would be interested in participating in that kind of a project, be willing to have me spend time at their site, with them, their employees, customers? I think I've got some research to do! How exciting!!! I love new ideas and I love the agritourism businesses!

Wanna find out more about who might have been at the conference? Go to: http://www.specialtygrowers.org. You'll find a list of ISGA members with links to their websites! Start making your plans to go visit their sites, it will add abundance to your life! Maybe I'll see ya there!

Have a fabulous weekend!
Lisa

Day full of blessings ... God, Brenna

Felt God's presence at church today the minute I walked in! I don't know what was different, maybe it was my open heart, open mind and positive attitude. More likely it had to do with God answering the prayer I prayed on my way in ... for forgiveness for all my faults and sins, for the time I waste, for my lack of focus on the important things of life, for my busyness. I prayed for God to help me get out of my own way as I drove the short trip to church. While I enjoyed the worship and reflection music today and the words of the songs really moved me, that was only part of it. Enjoyed visiting with a couple of the college kids today and hearing the excitement of their Under The Cross (UTX) ministry and new Coffee House venture and hearing them brag on my daughter, Kristian, who is part of that  ministry and venture say she apparently makes the best coffee ever! They have even invited me to speak at one of their Coffee House nights! It was the great conversations, laughing, worshiping and fellowshipping with friends and praise team members today at rehearsal, during services and between services.

And, the message really struck a chord with me today ...  it was on TIME ... Coincidence? I think not!! It was delivered by Dr. Rev. Joseph Eby and really spoke volumes to what has been tugging at my heart and making my mind spin out of control lately.  And there it was ... I have been trying to take control ... mistake #1! Today, I surrendered that control and was quiet/still, and listened to others and especially to God, rather than the rattling of my own mind, the sound of my own voice. How refreshing!!

In the message Joe used an acrostic:

Treasure your time (are you making your time count?)
Invest in others
Manage yourself
Enjoy the gift (of time)

One of the things I had the privilege of spending time doing this afternoon after church was participating in a prayer service for Brenna Westlake, a beautiful little angel that has been touching hearts and lives in the three short weeks that she has been on this earth! She was born with a rare skin condition that puts her life at risk. The service for her was uplifting, moving and focused on the Body of Christ and how we are all a part of that body .... each of us, along with this fragile gift that God sent to Courtney and Evan Westlake, Brenna, and her brother Connor.

It really all comes full circle doesn't it? Our time on this earth, what it means, and what we do with the minutes that our loving Faher gives us. I think about what this one family has been doing ... Treasuring every precious moment of time; Investing in Others .... they are following God's plan/purpose and sharing it with the world; Managing themselves ... they are managing their life with all the right priorities in place and people available to help them get thru it .... time management and self-management are not easy, for sure. And they are Enjoying the gift of time ....going right back to treasuring time! Yep, full circle!

Check out Brenna's blog: http://blessedbybrenna.blogspot.com ... it will be time well spent, as will time with God!

Wishing you an amazing week!
Lisa

No ... we don't have to do it all ...

Did I just say that? Wow, I did, and I meant it! I am reflecting on 2011 and as a result reviewing my lists for 2012 and prioritizing what I will be juggling on my crazy-full plates. I have seen a drama done in church a number of times in which the characters are trying to juggle out-of-control, spinning plates. That's what I've been doing for years; juggling so many different things -- typically by my own choosing -- trying to give attention to everything, but not necessarily enough, or fulfilling the duties or responsibilities of the various roles that I've been "spinning," from personal to professional, but not paying attention to the details. Sometimes even the pleasures of life suffered because of the unbalance. The roller coaster has to slow down, the plates need to be filled in the right proportions.

So, this year, I'll be pruning, downsizing, decluttering, whatever you want to call it ... getting life re-balanced and more in control. Already taking the appropriate steps to experience life in the way God intended, with joy, hope, laughter, faith, family and friends. So excited about it, too!

Life is going to be more intentional, less fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants. Relationships more personal. Business/work more fulfilling. Church/ministry more God/faith-focused and called! Finances better managed. Writing more frequent, leading to published works, speaking engagements and touched hearts.

How are you approaching 2012?

Happy New Year!!
Lisa