Seikou





Seikou Triangle

Seikou Triangle-Creative Project



Our Motto: Using Bright Ideas to Ignite Our Success

New Triangle January 2012 - Leader: Debbie Day January Triangle January 2012

//**MEMBER BIOS:**//


 * **Debbie Day, Williamsville, NY, USA**debbieday111352@gmail.com 12/21/2011. I am a Network Administrator for an ecological consulting firm and love my work with computers and networks. I am very proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. I am also very tech savvy and love the internet and working in the technology field. I have been with this company for 15 years and love it. I went back to school after my son started school and attained my Associates Degree in Computer Technology and then I was hired as an intern at the company I am still with. I attained my Bachelor's Degree while working, raising a son, and taking care of my family. I thrive on meeting new people and working on exciting projects. My husband and I love to travel and have dreams of retiring to South America or Central America when we retire. I discovered Lifebushido when I went searching for a work-at-home opportunity. I would love to work for Lifebushido and I think this might be an opportunity for me. You can also check out my web site at:[|Debbie Day]


 * **Ruth Chesness, Hopkins, MN, USA**, RuthieChesness@gmail.com, 12/21/11: I am a stay-at-home mom to 2 young children. I have been working from home for almost 3 years now. Before that, I worked as a retail manager since 2002 when I graduated college. I have a Marketing and Management degree and an MBA in HR Management. I am incredibly hard working and know the importance of communication when working in a group. I have experience in most aspects of HR, very organized, know all the Word programs, and great in customer service as the retail company I was with was heavily focused on the “guests” of the store. I heard about Lifebushido through the Work Place Like Home forum. I applied to take on the challenge of working together to succeed. Can’t wait to be a part of the team!


 * **Katherine Smith, Fresno, California, USA,** kat.smithlb@gmail.com**,** 11/17/2011: I live in Fresno, California. I am an elementary school librarian in Kingsburg, California (about 25 miles south of Fresno). I am proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. I type an average of 75 wpm, and I am familiar with 10-key. I heard about Lifebushido through a work-at-home newsletter via email. I would love to meet new people and work in a group to come up with new ideas. If you would like to contact me about joining a triangle, email me at the above email address. Looking forward to working with you!
 * **Lisa Gove, Concord, NH, USA**lgwork70@gmail.com I am currently working from home as a freelance writer and proofreader. Before I started working from home I was in marketing at an insurance company. I have experience in data entry, customer service, marketing, and writing. I also have experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. I heard about Lifebushido through work at home websites. I would love to become a part of the Lifebushido team.
 * **Maya Uriodain, Pembroke Pines, Florida, USA,**maryse2066@gmail.com 12/22/11. I'm a Program and Case Manager and I have worked for social services organizations such as Save the Children for the past 15 years. I'm currently at a crossroad in my career and looking for opportunities to contribute while expanding my skills. I came across Lifebushido while looking for work from home assignments and immediately fell in love with the vision and philosophy of the organization. I decided to join a Triangle because I like the idea of working with a group of people toward a common goal.

//Are you wondering what Seikou means? //

//**Find out what we have to say about [|why we joined Lifebushido Triangle].**//

**Interested in our team members? Find out the Hats We Wear! Read All About Us Below!**



Day 2--What we value in Life



** __Debbie:__ What I value most is the love and support of my family. They have given me so much and encouraged me so much in everything I do in life, that I just don't know what I would have done if not for them. I wanted to go to college and after my son reached school age, my husband agreed and I was able to finish with a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and Business. Both he and my son encouraged me along the way and helped me have the time I needed to completed this most important aspect of my life. ** ** __Ruthie:__ I value my relationship with my mother. She has taught me to be the person I am, the mother I am, and the wife I am, and without her I would likely not be as successful in all of my other relationships and may not have sustained most of my relationships. She has always shown what it is like to be selfless and to always be truthful in who you are and what you believe in. ** ** __Maryse (Maya):__ I value my relationship with my partner. He has taught me unconditional love, making efforts to be your best everyday. By being in an interracial relationship, I have learned to look pass people's appearance to see their soulful, true nature. ** ** __Katherine:__ For me, the thing I value most is my job. As much as I complain about it sometimes to my friends and family, I am blessed to have a job to go to every day. Because of my job, I am able to live on my own in an apartment, have food and shelter for myself and my cats, and a place to go to relax. ** ** __Dixie:__ My family is what I value most. ** ** __Lisa:__ The thing that I value the most is my family. My husband, my kids, and my mother. I value the time we spend together because I know that in a blink of an eye my kids will be grown and gone, and I won't be the center of their world any longer. (I keep telling myself this all through school vacation as I wait eagerly for them to go back :) **

See What We Do For [|Fun]

How are You Really? Stress Level What Stresses You?What is one of your biggest challenges?Is there any aspect of your life that feels overwhelming ** Debbie - 5 **

// I am a bit stressed right now about this triangle and our duties to prove ourselves. I really want us to succeed but do need everyone's help with this. We are a team and we need to work like a team! //

// Not having control of a situation usually stresses me out. //

// One of my biggest challenges is letting others take some responsibility for things in my life. I have a hard time letting go. //

** Ruthie - **** 4 **

// I wouldn't normally be too stressed, but I am going through an appeal with the insurance company to keep my son's speech therapy going and he had some testing today. //

// What stresses me is listening to people complain about their lives as if they have no control over the life they are in. //

// My biggest challenge is letting others fail. It is in my nature to want everyone to succeed and not fail in both my personal and professional life. //

** Maya - 3 **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">// Being around very competitive and insecure people stresses me if I have to work with them. I believe in team work and looking for where and how I can complement my strength and my weaknesses. //

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">// My biggest challenge is to know when to let go of what I don't have any control over and trust the Universe. //

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">** Dixie - 7 **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">// Since we moved back to Mississippi, my intent was to get a job as soon as possible. I've been in the hospital twice and had surgery once. I'm still not working. So I guess I am having some financial stress at the moment. //

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">// My biggest challenge is keeping my faith that everything is going to work out. I know what I want to do, but making it work is harder than I imagined it would be. //

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">** Lisa - 4 **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">// I am always stressed about money and work. Even though I have been working steadily since I started working from home, // <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">// I am always concerned that the bottom is going to drop out. //

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">// One of my biggest challenges is balance. I want to make sure that I have time for everything, and to give quality time to my kids and my husband in between work. //

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">** Katherine - 5 **

//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 13px;">Money stresses me. Even though I have a job that enables me to pay my rent and have food for myself and my pets. I still am worried that I won't have enough for the rest of the month. //

//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 13px;">Worrying about if I'm going to have my job. In today's economy, with a lot if people I know losing their jobs, I wonder I'm next. //



Personal Values //** Life is full of surprises!! **//

===Finding that you can rely on others “What I found was that my husband took so much initiative and kept on top of things, that when I got back to the state, I virtually felt useless for a couple of days” ===

=== A change in mentality “I thought I would be depressed and isolated from the world. But living without an income for a long period of time has taught me to be frugal and to give more importance to what is really essential but invisible for the eyes such as love, friendship and being of service to others.”===

===** A change in what is most important “I used to think that having nice things and always getting the best was important in my life. After traveling to Honduras and seeing what these children had and the people of the country being so poor and begging for food and the bare necessities, I came to realize that I didn’t have to have the best in life.”**===

===“I thought that having lots of money was important. Now I know that you can have the essence of what you want without having a lot of money. Once can feel rich because of excellent health, wonderful friends and colleagues, work that allows you to share your deepest values and a loving relationship that allows you to share and grow.”===

===“I used to think that material things and getting things was the best feeling. I’ve since realized that everything that makes me feel great didn’t cost me a penny and that giving is contagious and something that once you start, you can’t stop.”===

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 19px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Virtues We Strive For...




 * //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">RUTHIE: //**

//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**Honesty**, **Compassion**, and **Strength** are the 3 virtues I am strong in. Everyone in my life can rely on my honesty at all times and one of the things I am most proud of. I expect honesty in return and try to instill that in others to value it as much as I do. I have compassion for everyone I encounter and always try to see people for who they can be and not always what they are in that moment. I am strong and have always been proud of that virtue. When I set my mind to something I always know I can achieve it whether it is physically or emotionally. Many people had their doubts I could do many things throughout the past year and have proved to them how strong you can be when you set your mind to something. // //**Moderation**, **Hope**, and **Flexibility** are underdeveloped and things I would like to improve to balance out my life more. I always go for things 100% and don't always take time to enjoy the journey as much as I know I should. I have hope on many days, but I tend to get down on myself when I feel like I'm failing and have those moments where I think certain situations or relationships may never get better. Flexibility in doing things differently can always be improved. I always set out on a course and think my way it the best way, although I know no one is ever perfect and if I don't try something new, I may never end up with better results. I know this, yet I still need to constantly work on new methods to better myself and better those I work with.If I improved these things, I know there would be more balance in my life and likely less stress than what I sometimes encounter. I am always learning and I sometimes just need a reminder that there is always learning in failing and life would be pretty boring if we never changed.//


 * //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">DEBBIE: //**

//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> The three virtues I am strong in are: ** determination **, ** gratitude **, and **forgiveness**. How do I live them? Determination is what guides me in my daily life. It provides me the perseverance to finish what I start and to complete the task at hand. I will not allow myself to get off track or not complete something just because it is difficult. Graditude, as I mentioned, I am thankful for our son, but I am also thankful for everyday I have in this life. I thank God every day for what he has done for me and my family and friends. I am thankful I have the life I have, the friends I have and the opportunities I have. Would not change it for anything. As for forgiveness, I find at times, it is very easy to hold a grudge. But, not so easy to forgive. I try to look at the situation and think about how I would feel if I were that person. Forgiveness is a decision. I decide if I want to forgive and yes I do always forgive. //

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">//I think I could develop my **cheerfulness** more. I don't always look at the bright side of everything in life and I think if I did that would help me be a more cheerful person. **Responsibility** is another virtue I need to refine. I take responsibility for things I do but I don't always let others take responsibility for things they do. I try to help them and take away the responsibility that they really should be practicing. I need to control the situation and I think I need to let others control part of the situation to make them take responsibility for their role. I think I also need to brush up on my **humility**. Being modest, humble and unpretentious can be difficult for me. I need to consider other's needs to be as important as mine. I do somewhat, but I think I could really improve humility in my life. If I could get a better balance of all of these virtues, I think my life would be a lot calmer and// I would become a much better //person.//


 * //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">KATHERINE //**

//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**Determination**, **faith**, and **love** are 3 virtues that are strong in me. I live determination every day by knowing what I have to do and what I need to do to accomplish that goal. I live faith by knowing that no matter what happens in life, everything will be okay. And I live love, because life is too short not to! I've learned not to take anything for granted. // //**Patience** is really a big virtue that is underdeveloped. I tend to want things to go my way right away. I need to learn that things happen when they are supposed to. **Self-esteem** is another virtue that is underdeveloped. Sometimes I tend to think bad of myself and that if I was a different person, my family and friends will love me more. Last, **flexibility** is a virtue that is underdeveloped. I don't like change, and it's hard for me to be flexible in certain situations.//


 * //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">LISA //**

//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I think that the three virtues that I am strong in are **love**, **kindness**, and **forgiveness**. I am the kind of person who is always willing to give others the benefit of the doubt. I am also able to look at things from different perspectives. Even if I don't agree with someone's opinion, I can look at things from their side and see why they may think differently than I do. // //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A virtue that I could probably work on is **patience**. I used to think that I had more than enough patience, but it seems to be getting just a little bit shorter. I need to be more patient with probably both my husband and my kids! //


 * //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">DIXIE //**

//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3 Virtues that I believe I am strong in - //

//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**Acceptance** - I tend to accept surroundings and circumstance, especially that which I know I cannot change, and tend not to worry about it. // // **Accountability** - I believe in being accountable for your actions. Sometimes it's not always the easiest to take, or face, but good or bad, you should own up to it and get through it. // // **Compassion** - I feel for others that are more unfortunate to the point sometimes that I give too much and wish later that I had been less generous, although I don't think you should ever feel less generous. //

//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3 Virtues that are underdeveloped - //

//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**Forgiveness** - When someone does me a wrong, I tend to bear a grudge and look forward to revenge. I'm not real good at turning the other cheek. // // **Tolerance** - I'm very intolerant of some things, but not all. I'm very tolerant when it comes to my grandchildren, not at all tolerant of those people who prey on others ( the internet is a good example) and those who tend to have a high opinion of themselves. // // **Patience** - I'm not the most patient of people, although I work hard at it each day. I tend to want what I want right now, rather than waiting. That's gotten me into trouble before too. I'm more patient as I get older. //

//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I'm sure I would be a much better person and a lot less stressed if I had more of these virtues in my personality. //


 * //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">MAYA //**

//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> The three virtues I am strong in are ** persistence **,** gratefulness **, and **determination**. I have a long term goal that I have been pursuing for the past 5 years and that I'm not giving up. It has evolved and grown with me. I know that I will achieve it when I go through enough personal transformation to become the person I need to be to achieve it. //// Gratefulness is something that I have learned to appreciate particularly over the past year where I have been able to be happy and healthy, with a stronger intimate relationship despite the fact that I'm unemployed. // //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The virtues that are underdeveloped in my life right now are **patience** and **charity**. I tend to want to see results quickly and forget sometimes that there are processes that have to take place before one can see significant results. I want to be able to work full time again soon. I feel frustrated by my current economic situation because I cannot contribute to some of my favorite charitable causes the way I used to. //

**More Keys to Our Success: What Nurtures Us and Gives Us a Sense of Well-Being**



** Debbie- Family, Laughter, Helping Others ** ** Maya-, Brother, Helping Low Income Families ** ** Katherine- Yoga, Reading ** ** Lisa- Mother, Dancing ** ** Dixie- Husband, Grandchildren ** ** Ruthie- Music, Exercising **







//** Success is what we strive for! **//



Do you see a Mountain? Or A Molehill?

“You’re making a mountain out of a molehill”…..You’ve heard this saying all of your life.

According to Wikipedia, //“Making a mountain out of a molehill is an idiom referring to over-reactive,// //histrionic behavior where a person makes too much of a minor issue.”// The idiom is a metaphor for the common behavior of responding disproportionately to something – usually an adverse circumstance…greatly exaggerating the severity of the situation.. My only reason for bringing this up is that I am very familiar with the subject. My first instinct when discovering a problem, either at home or work is to panic. This has landed me in some sticky situations that probably could have been avoided if only I had taken the time to consider the situation clearly and objectively.

A lot of our daily Triangle questions coming from seem to bring about a common theme, **//stress.//** With the economy in the shape that it is currently, people losing their jobs, losing their homes, it’s no wonder that the main theme over the country as a whole is stress. The Lifebushido concept is a new one to me as I’m sure it is to others. However, the common denominator throughout the whole process is teamwork.

According to Wikipedia, “Teamwork is action performed by a team towards a common goal.”

I have never been one to get myself into a situation where I had to rely solely on else. When you are a member of a team, however, you rely on the other members to be there when you need help, and they rely on you in kind. It’s kind of nice to know that if you are working on a project, and you get stuck, there are others, close at hand, whose sole responsibility it is to help you get unstuck.


 * //“And the mountain, becomes the molehill”//**



[|COMMUNICATIONS RECORD] Ladies: Please check this out to see what tasks need to be completed. This is for your record. I will update as completed.

Seikou Conference Call Notes



Day 8 E-mails
 * [[file:lifebushido-triangle/Day8_Emails.png|Day 8 E-Mail]] **

See What We Would Miss Most!

Our Epitaphs

Day 10 Reflections: See What We Have to Say, It May Change the Way You Look At Life. <span style="display: block; font-family: impact,charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: center;">



[|Goals Project]

Goals are dreams with deadlines.

//The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them,// //or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable.// //Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way,// //and who will be sharing the adventure with them.// **//Denis Watley//**


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What Is The Key To Success In Life? **

==**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What is the key to success in life can be seen as a complicated question. But it doesn’t have to be. Scientists and mathematicians show us every day that it’s possible to reduce the most complicated phenomena into simple equations. In this article, I will not offer you an equation, but I will suggest a simple answer to this question. **==

==<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There is a multitude of answers to what is the key to success. Some will say it’s determination, others will say it’s to know yourself. Still others will say it’s to learn to control your subconscious mind. ==


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">All these factors are important of course in the quest for success. But I think that if the answer can be summarized into one single word, it’s persistence. All the qualities that I mentioned earlier rest on persistence. **


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The best-selling author of the famous book, Think & Grow Rich made the following statement: “Riches do not respond to wishes. They respond only to definite plans, backed by definite desires, through constant persistence”. **

==<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Without constant persistence, wishes, desires and even definite plans will not be realized. ==


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This has been my experience. **


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Although I’m well educated and I would dare say, intelligent and determined, it took me more than 10 years to realize some of my biggest wishes, after going through wrong turns, dead ends, and even some failures. I finally made it because I would not give up. **

==<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Another great saying by Napoleon Hill is: “Failure cannot cope with persistence”. ==


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course some people may take less time to achieve success while for others it may take longer. This is because beside having all the required character traits such as determination, definiteness of purpose, enthusiasm, etc. We think that we must be in the right environment at the right time, as the popular saying goes. **

==<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But in fact “ most of us go through life as failures, because we are waiting for the “time to be right” to start doing something worthwhile. Do not wait. The time will never be “just right”. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.” Napoleon Hill ==


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The latter is a very valuable advice that goes along with persistence. But being persistent and going through conditions that may not seem right, or by going through failures, we learn to become more discerning, to make better decisions and choices. As a result then we will come across and/or find better tools and solutions to the question what is the key to success. **

<span style="display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 19px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">__Inspirational Quotes__




 * “Many Hands Make Light Work”. This is quoted from English playwright and Poet John Heywood. To me, this is an appropriate quote for a team, because it translates to: by having more people participate in a team can make large tasks easier. In other words, in a team, it takes more than one person to get the job done. **




 * T.E.A.M=Together Everyone Achieves More. This is a very appropriate quote, because it translates to: a team of people with various skills and talents, working together to accomplish one common goal and vision. There is a huge amount of trust, interdependence, and accountability within members of a team. Members share responsibilities and help one another to realize their true potential. **

= Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, = = in which we must fervently believe,and upon which we must vigorously act. = = There is no other route to success. =
 * //Stephen A. Brennan//**

IN THE SPIRIT OF “TEAM”


 * In most companies, a person is usually rated for salary increases and promotions on the basis of individual achievement, and very little ** credit ** is ** given** for cooperative effort as a team member. Thus, these organizations foster the perception that individual achievement is the pinnacle of accomplishment. To be in the spotlight, prepared to succeed or fail on your own, has become a cherished ideal. In reality, however, few people work alone; they depend heavily on the cooperation of others to accomplish tasks and reach their goals and competing rather than collaborating with co-workers holds everybody back. **
 * In the finest companies, a lot gets done without dazzle or hype by teams of people pulling together. “We” and “our” replace “I” and “my.” The team is the star; its leader is the speaker and sponsor of the vision that emerges from the team’s collaboration. **
 * Commitment is the key. If only one person is not committed to the task, the team may not be able to **weather** the difficulties that inevitably arise. Collaboration generates the best ideas because it taps into the souls and minds of employees and makes them see themselves as valued contributors. **
 * When people are committed, they do a little bit extra. They look for ways to help one another. Placing importance on the task, they are willing to do what it takes to get the task done. Committed people realize that team cooperation is the way to achieve their own individual goals and achieve person al success. **

Team Guidelines: // -I share equal responsibility for the outcome of this task. -I will share my opinions and beliefs. -I will respect everyone’s opinions and beliefs as equally important and valid. -I will request what I need and want from team members. -I will commit myself to working as a full-fledged member of the team. -I will negotiate with team members instead of making arbitrary and singular decisions. //

//[|My Triangle Journey by Debbie Day]//