How to be Rich and Happy, Hawaiian Style

I had a very quirky teacher in high school named Joe Pescatrice. Many a story could be told about him--and most of them probably would have gotten him fired. ;)

While I was digging through papers today, I came cross this xerox of something he gave to me before I graduated. On some level, this is the way I live my life, but it is nice I have this list of ideas here that succinctly allow me to share it with others. Enjoy!



How to be Rich and Happy, Hawaiian Style by Dr. Lorrin L. Lee

1. Live your idea life...now.
2. Do things that are extraordinary and nearly impossible.
3. Believe that: If it's to be, it's up to me.
4. Think BIG. Dream lofty dreams. Plan. Act immediately.
5. Keep in contact with the best, meet people engaged in the best, experience the best.
6. Be your own boss. Do what you love and get paid for it.
7. Duplicate your efforts and receive a percentage on other people's productivity.
8. Increase your income daily...whether you work, play or sleep.
9. Do what you do so well that people enthusiastically refer others to you.
10. Inspire others by your example.
11. Build your reputation for honesty, integrity, quality, and superb service.
12. Aim for excellence in your field.
13. Support others in achieving their goals.
14. Develop influential friendships worldwide.
15. Take total responsibility for your past, present, and future experiences.
16. Strive to accomplish more with less time, money, and energy.
17. Do and say things that benefit all concerned.
18. Be open to new ideas, relationships, and experiences.
19. Realize that all events happen for the best.
20. Take calculated risks to get ahead.
21. Read books by and about exciting people you admire.
22. Simplify your life, have more fun per hour.
23. Know that you are equal to everyone and everyone is equal to you.
24. Accept people the way they are and the way they are not.
25. Forgive, forget, and like everyone.
26. Do what you feel is best, no matter what other people think of you.
27. Save 10% of your net income.
28. Give something away daily... a postcard, letter, gift, smile, hug, compliment.
29. Collect pictures of what you want to be, do, and have in life.
30. Do not criticize, condemn, or complain.
31. Act as if it were impossible to fail.
32. Live in an elegant building.
33. Dine at the finest restaurants.
34. Stay at the best hotels in the world.
35. Dress to look and feel great! Mostly solid-colored clothing.
36. Collect quotes that motivate you.
37. Speak and write only positive words.
38. Carry a crisp $100 bill with you at all times.
39. Learn something new every day.
40. Exercise at least 20 minutes daily to achieve and maintain your ideal body.
41. Eat mostly fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains.
42. Minimize alcohol, tobacco, sugar, salt, white flour, coffee, pork, beef, unnatural foods.
43. Avoid saying: can't, hard, difficult. Say: I can, it's easy, it's simple.
44. Keep your home, desk, closets, car... clean, neat and organized.
45. Use a simple time management system.
46. Listen to music which motivates you.
47. Maintain a good-looking tan. Spend more time with nature.
48. Act as if your gals are already accomplished.
49. Constantly escalate your goals.
50. GO FOR IT!

Kronk, the Cat

This past week, I had to say goodbye to my cat, Kronk. I got him from the Orlando SPCA for my birthday in 2001, during my first marriage.

When I got him, he was a white kitten with a couple gray stripes on the end of his tail. Eventually he'd grow into an 18-pound über-cat of the silver tabby type, mostly gray with some darker stripes and the biggest blue eyes anyone had ever seen.

He was certainly an unusual cat. He loved food--but especially peanuts and cashews. He had a fondness for shoes and for leather.

During our time together, we went through a lot. I had to leave him behind when I left my first marriage, and I am willing to bet that his life during that time was incredibly unpleasant. Thankfully there was a happy ending to that story and he was reunited with me after my ex-husband did one great act of kindness to put him on a plane to come up and be with me (although I'm not sure that Kronk would have thought that flying on a plane was kindness...). He was my bestest roomie when I was living on my own in an itty bitty apartment in DC, and then joined up with my new husband's two cats to become a blended kitty home. He was a great watch-cat when my husband wasn't around, and was extremely protective of the house and everyone in it.

Kronk stayed with me during my pregnancy and all the fun that came with having a newborn. He took care of Lily as his own kitten, especially since she was smaller than him.

Over the past year, it was pretty clear he was sick, going down from about 18 pounds to 7 pounds. Although he was an absolute angel at home, when he went to the vet, he would become a psychotic beast, so savage that he had caution stickers all over his file and only the most skilled techs could be around him to get him his shots--any sort of examination was out of the question. I think it was his way of saying that he wanted to go on his own terms, with no medical intervention required.

So when it became clear that he was not eating, in pain, and even trying to physically leave the house to go off somewhere to die, I took him over to the vet and had him put to rest. He purred the whole time (something very unusual for a cat who hated vets), so I knew it was time for him to go. Still going to miss him, though.

Here's to you, Kronk!

New Year's Resolutions

Yes, I know that a post on New Year's Resolutions seems a little late, but this way I get past all the people who fizzle out in the first couple of weeks to actually put this up sincerely and seriously.

We've got big goals for this year. Here's a sample of what's on our plate:


Paying off our Animal Kingdom Villas DVC loan. We're soooo close. Time to clear that out.

Buy as founders for the Grand Floridian DVC. Yeah, pay off one, buy another. Being founders at a DVC resort is a bucket list item for us, so we're happy to try and make that happen.

Pay off any outstanding credit card debt. We went on vacation, so we've got a small balance to knock out. Not a big deal.

And the big one--save for deposit on our Florida home.

To do all that, we'll need to bring in some funds, right?

I want to add some more publication credits to my name. Not certain what I'm looking to do at this point, but I've got a handful of ideas out there.

Grow my business: From 2011 to 2012, I grew my business by about 12%. I'd like to add another 10% in revenue between 2012 and 2013. I'd also like to expand my client base. Got some ideas in the works for that, but nothing official in print.

Yard sale!!! We've got a ton of stuff to clear out, so a yard sale is a must. Along with that, we'll do some more "virtual yard sale" (selling electronics, books, CDs, and video games to online companies and maybe do some eBay sales).

Get a resumé in good order for my husband. Basically look and see what certifications would be useful and see if he can train for some of them.

Redo the bathroom floors and paint the back bathroom.

Williamsburg Half Marathon--totally for Erwin. I know I'm not in shape to try something like that.

Weight loss goals: 20 pounds for Erwin (10 by June, 10 by December) and 40 pounds for Julia (10 pounds by March, 10 pounds by June, 10 pounds by September, 10 pounds by December). This will be done with a combination of Weight Watchers and more intense workouts.

Sort through two boxes of assorted papers that need to be scanned or trashed.

And, last but certainly not least, do everything needed to get Lily's eyes in good working order.

It sounds like a lot, but I don't think it will be too crazy to achieve. Every so often I'll have to put some updates along in here. I know we can do it, though!