Have you seen this bumper sticker? I never had until yesterday and then I saw it again today.

LOVE IT!!!

I haven’t owned a dog since I was a kid so it’s not about loving dogs, but I just thought this bumper sticker was so right on.  Especially now that a lot of people are freaked out about the uncertainty of their financial futures which can cause touchy tempers to flare.  Personally, it reminds me about my kids.  I am often a barker.  I yell to be heard (after 3 or more times of asking or saying something patiently!) And I wish I were more like my husband because he will often try playfulness and humor (wagging) before yelling (barking).

Recently, Mark coined the phrase “Craughing”.  It’s the state where one of my children who is determined to be in tears, is refocused during their crisis  by tickling or teasing until they are laughing while crying, otherwise known as ‘craughing’.  Brilliant!  

Just the other night, I was getting hooked into the drama being dished out by my youngest as he refused to spell ‘breakFAST’ as it is in the English dictionary because it sounds like ‘breakFIST’. (At least in New Jersey it’s pronounced that way.)  I tried to walk away from the drama several times, but he would not disengage from his crisis long enough to hear me say we could skip that sentence.  Enter my husband who lunges at Wyatt and says: “Are we craughing?  Are we craughing?” and in seconds, my son was craughing. Just like that! Damn, why didn’t I think of that?!!!!

Think of a dog waggin–just happy, just flapping its tail in excitement for whatever reason. Not a bad way to be.  A lot of people think dogs are dumb, but maybe there’s more to a dog’s life than what people usually pine over.  (naps, getting fed, being cared for)  Dogs are the bearers of unconditional love and they wag in excitement over the people they meet, the food they eat and the flurry of a passing bird or falling leaf.  That’s bliss.  Don’t we all want more of that?

Don’t get me wrong, I am not comparing my husband to a dog.  But he does have more wag than I do. One of the aspects of our journey together has certainly been teaching me to have more fun.  So, while I challenge myself to WAG more, I ask you to do the same.

Wag More; Bark Less!!

This morning, on the eve of the first day of spring, I awoke to unexpected snow.  Yesterday, I went running in spring-like weather and noticed that life can’t help but renew itself.  

As I ran, I noticed that green was starting to make a re-entry on the drawn and colorless fields in the park. Walkers traded their grey and black gear for yellow, light blue, pink and green duds. Buds appeared on a few trees and the spotting of a bright-red cardinal all indicated life’s tendency to forge on.  I knew it was early and that we could get another frost or even a winter storm before these new signs of life could be strong enough to endure, but it struck me how nature can’t help but become new again.

An opportunity to grow had come up.  The earth got the signals to come back to life. It had no intellectual knowing that it could be doomed to an early death or damage if the weather turned cold again.  It resonated inside of me as I ran that humans could learn from this. 

People have a tendency to want more and learn more, but we are often oppressed by sloth and our own fear.  Yet, in the absence of fear or reasoning, nature springs forth to grow despite the consequences.  What if we did the same?  What if we just listened to the tendency to put our face to the sun, drink in its goodness, use it as fuel and go? No questions asked. Would that be reckless?  Or would that be more aligned with our true nature?

We wait for spring. We crave it after a dark winter. We want the light and the fresh air and the connection to the earth and being in nature.  It is renewal and we humans like that.  What is waiting to be renewed inside of you? What needs to be revived?  Don’t wait for the right time……just bloom.

This article is also today’s Living Wisely Newsletter offering http://www.laurabermanfortgang.com/newsletter.html

As our president works to implement a plan to create jobs by investing in the country’s infrastructure (roads, bridges, schools and buildings) so could we stand to look to our own infrastructure. During my coach training many moons ago, we used the term ‘Personal Foundation’ for this concept. Before embarking on going for what we want, we are well served to strengthen our foundation (infrastructure) under us. Relationships, immediate environment, money, and physical health could all stand to have a tune up before heading out on the journey.

With most people stressing over a big loss in their financial infrastructure, attention to all the other areas have been ignored. It’s understandable, however, one of the best ways to prepare to endure the economic uncertainties we face is to strengthen the foundation under the other areas. Taking care to communicate honestly in relationships, cleaning up your immediate environment and tending to your physical health could all go a long way to getting through this time and being in great shape to run with the ball when things improve.

Here’s an example from my own life. Readers of this newsletter or my blog know that I have been complaining about my back for months. I have an annual bout of severe back pain but this time, it has not relented since August 2008. After X-rays, MRI’s and multiple physical therapy sessions, I still had little relief or an answer as to the cause. Just as I was desperate enough to begin the process of allowing cortisone injections to be shot into my spine, I spent three nights in a hotel and noticed that my back felt pretty good. On the fourth night, I was at home, in my own bed and the pain was excruciating. Eureka! My mattress needed to be replaced! I had thought of this before but who wanted a major expense right now? Well, as luck would have it, the money showed up unexpectedly and I invested in the best mattress I could buy. Would you know that in one week, I was exponentially better? And now, three weeks later I am 90% pain free which is a HUGE improvement. I was doing other things to take care of myself, but the investment in my infrastructure is what made the difference that will make working and living so much easier moving forward.

Whether it’s something in your small business or your home or in your family life or primary relationship, now is the time to nip a problem in the bud and invest in the long term. I know it may seem counterintuitive especially on things that may cost money, but where possible, investing in infrastructure will go a long way to avoiding a crisis later on. Remember that bridge that fell in Minnesota (August 2007) on a normal or even light traffic day? That is what awaits when we don’t take care of infrastructure because we don’t think it’s that important in the short term. In that case it was support gussets put in in 1967 that no one bothered to improve on as they added weight to the bridge with paving and other short-term maintenance.

Where do you need to rebuild? Where do you need to simplify to be able to manage life better? Where could you stand to put support in place as if you were about to whether a storm? Make the investment in your infrastructure and watch the ‘ride’ smooth out even in these uncertain times.

With about eight weeks until my new book,The Little Book On Meaning is released, I’ll occasionally be posting some news and updates about where I’ll be on tour and what is happening with the ascent of the book on to the New York Times Bestseller List. (Can’t blame a girl for having dreams!)

Monday’s issue of Publisher’s Weekly will feature a starred review for The Little Book On Meaning. (Most reviews are unstarred–the star is a standout review)  Here’s a peek:

Fortgang’s writing is moving in its sim-

plicity and sincerity, and like her minis-

try, her message crosses religious borders;

even nonbelievers will find basic truths.

I haven’t been blogging because I don’t want to belabor my Wyatt-story, but really, what else is there to say right now?  Wyatt continues to be seizure-free and I have moved from incredulous and fearful to happy yet still mesmerized.  Part of me is fixated on keeping his current seizure-freedom intact (as if there was anything I could really do about it) and the other part of me is starting to have this strange experience that I call ‘walking in a miracle’.

I am walking in a miracle and it might as well be an alternate universe.  There is not a lot of noise in this universe. It’s exalted, but quiet—like walking on air or on a thickly padded dojo.  There is an interesting mind space too.  Every time my undisciplined mind tries to complain, find fault or become disappointed, I am reminded that I am in the midst of an answered prayer and I am realigned with peace.  To realize I even fell into the trap of negativity again, causes momentary shame.  How could I possibly have anything negative to say or think? Old bad habits can’t be left to live on; they are so painfully obvious right now.  

“Language follows breakthrough”, my mentor used to say.  So when language makes a re-entry, I’ll let you know. For now, I’ll be in my alternate reality considering if it should be alternate at all.  I’d like it to be mainstream all the way, every day, common and expected.