I must admit, I am a very simple person.  Simple things get me excited and fulfill my day to day joys, whether it be a walk/run on the beach, a cup of tea, talking to an old friend back in the Midwest or reading the funnies.  Sometimes I forget how simple life can be and how fun I can make it if I just stop and take it all in.

I had another encounter with that this morning.

Yesterday I was asked to play my flute to accompany a song in church.  Most of you are like, “Wait a minute, Lois plays a musical instrument?”

Yes, actually, two or three, in fact.  Flute, piano and piccolo.  Not all at once, however, I took eight years of piano lessons and nearly as many flute/piccolo lessons over my childhood/teenage years. 

However, I literally had to brush off the dust and cobwebs this morning as I pulled my flute out of the box in the garage.  I was actually very happy that I could remember where the flute was or that I even had it.

It brought back soooooo many memories.  Have you been there?

I remembered my old man (not my band director, believe it or not) showing me how to blow into my flute as if I was blowing into a pop bottle in order to make my first real sound.  It worked!  My dad did know more than I thought he did!

I saw myself in marching band in the wind and rain, wearing my God-awful black and gold (we called ourselves the bumble bees) marching band uniform, all the while my fingers were frozen and I couldn’t feel the keys on my flute.

I saw myself playing an improv jazz flute solo (I guess my perception of improv for me was that I had no idea what I was playing and neither did anyone else!!).

I remembered the daily 30 minutes I practiced as a diligent young woman so that I could make the honor band and nail that three-octave chromatic scale. 

To my surprise as I opened up my flute case, there was an old song and a note in there that had been there since college (1999!).  I smiled to myself as I realized I had done nothing with this well-used piece of Gemeinhardt metal in nearly a decade. 

I took a few deep breaths, cracked open the church hymnal to page 338 and stumbled through the first two lines of the song, so appropriately entitled, “‘Tis the Gift to Be Simple”.

After a few run throughs, feeling already tired in my cheeks and lips (AND re-teaching myself how to breathe, play, breathe, play), I smiled to myself.

“It is just like riding a bike!”  I thought.

I kept playing.

Soon I was adding some vibrato, taking fewer breath breaks and happily feeling more tired in my lips/mouth. 

Then I actually read the words to the song and I smiled again. 

“‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free, ’tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right, ‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.” 

Life lessons can come at any moment.  Even in the “simple” moments of taking out the ol’ flute and dusting her off to play a church hymn.  I relish these moments.  I hope you do too.

I encourage you to get out your flute or your trumpet or your bike, your…..whatever, dust it off and test ride it again.  It might inspire you to see life in its simplest form again…..and that, my friends, is what makes life (especially in today’s world) that much more meaningful.

It’s a good life!

Are you a real estate investor who uses the 1031 Exchange benefit to save on taxes?
There has been some changes made in our real estate/housing market due to the economy and mortgage crisis (a.k.a. “opportunity”) in our nation right now.
Read on in an article contributed by my client/friend, Peter Hampson, Century 21 Beachside Realtor in San Clemente, CA. 
If you have any questions regarding this article, please contact Peter at 949-492-2729. 

Ammendment to §121 may affect §1031 Exchange Planning

The Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008, signed by President Bush on July 30, 2008, includes a modification to the Section121 exclusion of gain on the sale of a primary residence.  This modification may affect taxpayers who exchange into a residential property, and then later convert the property to a personal residence, as explained below.

Under Code Section 121, a taxpayer can exclude up to $250,000 ($500,000 for married couples filing jointly) of gain realized on the sale of a principal (primary) residence if they have owned and occupied the residence for two years during the five year period preceding the date of sale.  Gain related to depreciation deductions taken on the property since May 6, 1997 is not eligible for exclusion.

Effective January 1, 2009, the exclusion will not apply to gain from the sale of the residence that is allocable to periods of “nonqualified use.” Nonqualified use refers to  periods that the property is not used as the taxpayer’s principal residence.  This change applies to use as a second home as well as a rental.

How does this affect 1031 planning?  Suppose the taxpayer exchanged into the residence and rented it for three years, and then moved into it and lived in it for two years.  The taxpayer then sold the residence and realized $300,000 of gain. Under prior law, the taxpayer would be eligible for the full $250,000 exclusion and would pay tax on $50,000. Under the new law, the exclusion would have to be prorated as follows (the example does not take into account deprecation taken after May, 1997, which is taxable anyway). 

• Three-fifths (3 out of 5 years) of the gain, or $180,000, would be ineligible for the $250,000 exclusion. 
• Two-fifths (2 out of 5 years) of the gain, or $120,000, would be eligible for the exclusion. 

Importantly, nonqualified use prior to January 1, 2009 is not taken into account in the allocation.  Thus, suppose the taxpayer had exchanged into the property in 2007, and rented for 3 years till 2010 prior to the conversion to a primary residence. If the taxpayer sold the residence in 2012 after two years of primary residential use, only the 2009 rental period would be considered in the allocation.  Thus, only one-third (1 out of 3 years) of the gain would be ineligible for the exclusion. 

The allocation rules only apply to time periods prior to the conversion into a principal residence and not to time periods after the conversion out of personal residence use.  Thus, if a taxpayer converts a primary residence to a rental, and otherwise meets the two out of five year test under Section 121, the taxpayer is eligible for the full $250,000 exclusion when the rental is sold.  This rule only applies to periods after the last date the property is used as a principal residence.  Therefore, if the taxpayer used the property as a principal residence in year one and year two, then rented the property for years three and four, and then used it as a principal residence in year five, the allocation rules would apply and  only three-fifths (3 out of 5 years) of the gain would be eligible for the exclusion.  

My colleague and fellow coach, Jeff St. Laurent, is a very health-conscious individual, as am I.  He shared a great audio this week in his own blog that inspired me and I wanted to share with you, just before we go into the “fat” building season of fall/winter/Holiday season.
If you have any questions regarding this common concern around the holidays and want to combat it, give me a call at 949-940-0399.

Will this be a fat building or fat releasing season for you?

YOU decide!  Read/listen on! 

The fall season is where the average American gains fifteen pounds before the New Year!

Those people will then set unrealistic goals that they can’t keep and quit just weeks later.
 

Temptations will seduce you into compromising what you value most; your physical & emotional health. 

This audio will teach you to be clear on what you want so you can simply say no thanks and walk away guilt free.

CLICK HERE now to hear what Jeffrey has to say about this upcoming season.

Adds more “life” to your years.   I once heard it said for every 12 or 13 minutes you run at a time, you add one more minute to your life span!  Doesn’t seem so bad, eh?  You get to add one more minute to your life expectancy just because you went for a short run!  I don’t have any evidence to prove this to the contrary, so I am going with it.  Some would argue, “Well, if it takes that much time to gain a minute, I’d just as soon rather not run.  Besides, I’ve heard of people dying while running, so what’s the point?” 
They would be right about that last bit.  Veteran runner and author, Jim Fixx, died at the age of 52 of a massive heart attack, after his daily run. The autopsy revealed that atherosclerosis had blocked one coronary artery 95%, a second 85%, and a third 50%. Many who opposed his beliefs said this was proof running was harmful.  However, Fixx came from a family where the men had poor health histories. His father suffered a heart attack at the age of 35 and died of one at 42. Given Fixx’s unhealthy lifestyle until he took up running, many argued that running added many years to his life.

Alas, the overall key idea that this #1 transformational tip gives  perfectly sums up everything I have been saying for this entire series of 10 tips.  Not only does running add more physical longevity to your body being here longer than you might plan or expect.  It adds more “life” to the years you have.  More energy, more time and space created as a result of that energy to DO what you love and love what you DO.  It allows you to BE who you were meant to BE when you are full of energy in enjoying that time and space freedom.  It also allows you to HAVE all the things you want to have as a result of your joy-filled Spirit and energy filled body that goes after what it wants and accepts where it is at in that moment.  Life lessons come through this running and expanded life expectancy.  You learn about yourself through the good runs and the not so good runs.  And after you get over yourself being injured, then you find peace within that period of time of being “down” and not being able to run.  That acceptance brings with it a returned joy when you are able to run again.  You don’t (or at least rarely won’t) every take running for granted again.  And THAT, my friends, is what running, and ultimately, life, is all about.  Enjoying the journey of your life through your running and all the seasons that come your way.

Last night, as I was watching the end of the Monday Night Football Game with my Dallas Cowboys winning the seesaw battle of a contest, the title of this blog entered my mind.

They had exchanged the lead seven times (not one, not two, but SEVEN) times over four quarters, were down at halftime, made some BIG errors (fumbling in the end zone of the other team is not exactly a great idea - even Tony admits this) before finally cashing in on a 41-37 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, in reportedly the wildest Monday night football game ever.

The Cowboys’ 41-37 victory delivered the biggest audience in the history of cable television, earning a 13.3 rating (representing 12,953,000 homes).

So I am sure many of you got a chance to see the game.

If not, I won’t give you a play by play, as that is not the point of this article.  Let’s just say it went back and forth with the Eagles having the biggest lead at one point with a 9-point edge and I did manage to chew a few nails down on my fingers until the final whistle blew.

I am actually writing this article as a result of hearing winning quarterback, Tony Romo’s, post-game interview.

When asked what he thought or felt like when he fumbled the ball in his opponent’s end zone, essentially giving them seven points, he smiled and simply said, “Darn it.”

Darn it?

Yep, darn it!  Or at least that’s what he wants to us to think.  He might have actually thought something a bit more sassy than ‘darn it’.

Then it got even better. 

“You just can’t let mistakes like that get to you.  You’ve got to keep going forward to the next play and let it go.  Otherwise you’ll never win games.”

Couldn’t have been spoken with more truth.

For you see, the Cowboys have not made it past the first game in the playoffs since 1996, over a decade of disappointment and falling short of more Superbowl rings.  And trust me, they’ve had teams with the potential to make it all the way.

They just couldn’t get the monkey off their back and would lose every fourth quarter close game they possibly could, time after time, again and again.  It was like watching “Groundhog Day” and you never knew if we would wake up the next day or just keep repeating day after day, season after season.

Yet Tony and the ‘Boys moved to the next day last night.  They were fearless in the face of adversity and seven lead changes, fumbles, penalties and a challenging team staring them in the face on every play.

This game, and the subsequent seasons it took to get to last night for the Cowbys, reminded me of the top 3 things required to become fearless in the face of adversity.

1.  “Mistakes” get to be made.  Without mistakes (which is not really a word I use in my vocabulary much anymore - rather life lessons), you don’t get anywhere.  Without learning from those mistakes you don’t grow and get to that winning season, whatever that might be for you.

2.  Keep moving forward.  Courage can only be around with fear staring you in the face.  Moving forward takes courage.  Once you move forward and see the goal line more often than not, that is when fearlessness comes so much easier.

3.  Just say “Darn It” and forget it even happened.  When you do make a mistake, like Tony did in that end zone, just say ‘darn it’ and let it go.  Championships don’t get won, careers don’t skyrocket, relationships don’t grow and blossom, if you don’t just forget about it.  Let go and let Someone else deal with the details.  Life can get lost in those details.  And it’s too great of a life to get stuck in the miry muck of mistakes in life.

Here’s to my Cowboys having a great season and more lessons to come.  It is not the winning or losing that ultimately matters, it’s the learning and relearning how to be fearless that counts to me!  (You can guarantee I’ll write if/when my ‘Boys lose this season - more lessons will be had)

Here’s to you having a great season this fall and always.  Whether you find yourself face first in the turf, or an “offensive lineman” weight on top of you or catch a graceful catch in the end zone of your day - enjoy!

If you or someone you know works for a Corporation/Company that wants FREE monthly health assessments inhouse, please contact me.

Starting October 1st, I am going to local Orange County, San Diego County and Los Angelas County businesses, with 150 or more employees, that want to transform their lives through taking care of their bodies. 

I will be able to come in to your company with my own unique/one-of-a-kind technology and health/transformational success coaching skills to assess where you are at in your health life NOW.

Here are some statistics to grab your attention:

• According to the National Health Care Statistics, the typical American diet is responsible for most of the preventable diseases, including 91% of diabetes, 82% of heart disease, and 71% of colon cancer.
• 65% of the US population are overweight, and over 33% are literally considered CLINICALLY OBESE, which constitutes over 90 million Americans. This is a 7-10% increase in less than 5 years.
• Only 15% of adults engage in regular vigorous physical activity, and 60% report getting essentially no exercise whatsoever from a regular leisure activity
• Chronic illness, including heart disease, diabetes and obesity, accounts for 75% OF HEALTH COSTS, according to the American Public Health Association.
• THE PROBLEM CLEARLY ISN’T GOING AWAY. According to the Industrial Physical Capability Services, Inc, new hire data demonstrates that applicants under the age of 40 actually have a greater prevalence for obesity than those over the age of 40.

• According to the Wall Street Journal, Healthcare costs per capita will reach $7,500 this year, more than double the $3,470 per person in 1993
• In 2005, the total cost of providing U.S. employees health benefits exceeded profits for the Fortune 500 corporations
• The annual change in health insurance premiums continue to grow at an incredible  9-13%
• The Centers for Disease Control reports that 75% of health care spending pays for illnesses that are preventable.
• Data from 2005 shows that the obese worker costs a company an extra $1,809 each year in healthcare costs, absenteeism and presenteeism. This does not include indirect costs involved. In a related article, the front page of the USA Today reported an expected trend between obesity and disability claims.
• The U.S. spent 15.3% of our entire GDP on health care in 2004 (note - that number is not expected to have dropped)

Questions to get you (or any Corporate CEO) thinking might look like the following:

If this is the only body you get this go round, what are you doing to take care of it every day?

Do you exercise 5 times per week, one hour each time?

Do you have the same level of energy you do at the end of your work day as you do at the beginning?

Is coffee or caffeine what it takes to get you going in the morning?

Are you able to execute 100% of the time all day, every day, in creating the professional results you want?

Are you effective at night or on weekends when it comes time to spending moments with those you love?

If any of those questions got your attention, please contact me today at 949-940-0399 and we’ll take a look at what may support you or your corporation.

Oh yeah, did I mention these assessments are FREE?

If you have a company that has less than 150 employees, or are outside of the tri-county California area, and are still interested, contact me anyway and let us see what we can do to support your health/wellness needs.

Don’t wait until you don’t have your health before you take action on caring for your physical success.  If you are proactive on your health TODAY, you will save thousands of dollars TOMORROW.

It’s that time of year again!  Fall has just officially kicked off and Halloween, cooler weather, shorter days with less daylight are all right around the corner - ah yes, ’tis the season!  My favorite!

It’s also nearly time for turkey trotting!

What is that you might ask?

Nearly every major metropolitan area all over the country has a Thanksgiving Day run in November devoted to families, road racers (avid and non-avid), walkers, joggers, baby strollers, dogs, people in costume and just about anyone that wants to unload some sweat, pounds, etc., before loading up on turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and all the trimmings.

This year is no different. 

AND I have a training program that might offer that solution to completing that race/event with ease (so you can enjoy eating your turkey in an upright position versus being sacked out on the couch after exerting yourself 3.1 or 6.2 miles that morning).

CLICK HERE for the information on my Turkey Trot Training Program (say that three times fast!) that launches on Saturday, September 27th.

If you don’t want to go it alone for the next 8-10 weeks on prepping for turkey day, then call me at 949-940-0399.  If you are local in Orange County, great!  I’ll see you Saturday morning, September 27th on the beach trail in San Clemente.

If you are NOT local and still want a virtual training program, contact me as well and I’ll serve you up a great training personalized program at a smaller investment.

Either way, happy trotting, er, running!

Yours in Transformational Success,

Lois Tiedemann

Lois@TransformedTriathlete.com

Running Coach

949-940-0399

With over 4 million homeowners either struggling to make their monthly house payment or going into foreclosure, our country is doing everything it can to balance out this “opportunity” we find ourselves in.

With the Government’s recent overtaking of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, there is hope that better times are ahead.

In the meantime, what can YOU do to be proactive and save your home?

Having gone through foreclosure myself, I can be a living testimony that, Yes, there is life after foreclosure AND you don’t have to lose yourself in finding ways to recover and create normalcy in your life again. 

I have access to an attorney driven company that services distressed homeowners in 41 states.  
This company specializes in helping people find alternatives to foreclosure and the loss of their home.  Their objective is to make sure that you realize no matter how bad your situation has become, it may be possible to avoid foreclosure if you take PROMPT ACTION!

Together, you may be able to resolve your delinquency without a foreclosure or sale of your home.  No one succeeds alone!  Even in the mortgage and foreclosure process.

The loss mitigation services include loan modification: Lenders may agree to modify the terms of your loan, such as reducing monthly payment amounts, reducing the loan balance, or the interest rate, or fixing an adjustable interest rate.

Homeowners do not need to be late in order to assist them with a loan modification.  If you are taking money from your savings and are about to run out, eventually you will not be able to make the required mortgage payment.  If you take a proactive approach we can help you save your home and credit. If your income has been cut in half, your business has slowed down, illness in the family, you are upside-down on your property, we can help.

You do not have to have good credit or equity in your property. 

If you, or someone you know, wants help at this time, don’t hesitate to contact me at 949-940-0399 or Lois@TransformedTriathlete.com and I will connect you with the resources to help you.  If nothing else, I can also lend you a listening ear as one who has gone before you and knows what it feels like to be where you are.

Here’s to you!

Since we are nearing the 7th anniversary of 9/11, I thought it appropriate to send this article out to remind you to remember to remember this date.  Here is what New York City and some other parts of our nation are doing to commemmorate this occasion. 
Check your local listings for opportunities in your own area. 

Article written by Pamela Skillings.

September 11, 2008 marks the seven-year anniversary of 9/11. There will be several memorial events in the New York City area to honor and remember the victims of September 11th and to come together as a community.

2008 September 11 Memorial Events in New York City

• World Trade Center Site Memorial Ceremony and Remembrance
  The official New York City observance of the anniversary of 9/11 will take place at the World Trade Center site on the morning of Thursday, September 11th. The names of all 2,751 victims will be read aloud and four moments of silence will be observed to commemorate the times when each plane hit and each tower fell. At sunset, the famous “Tribute in Light” will return to the skies above New York City for the night.

  Thursday, September 11, 2008. 8:40AM-12:30PM.
  Zuccotti Park, Liberty Street between Broadway and Church Streets
  Call 212-442-8953 for more information.

• September 11 Remembrance at Trinity Church
  Attend a ceremony of remembrance at the historic Trinity Church. At 8:46 AM, the church bells will toll in honor of those who died on September 11, 2001. A Eucharist for Peace service will take place from 12:05-12:45PM. An Evensong service of remembrance through readings and song will be held from 5:15-5:45PM.

  Thursday, September 11, 2008
  Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall Street
  More Information

• The September Concerts
  The September Concerts are a series of free concerts held in locations around New York City and around the world to fill the skies with music every September 11th. In 2007, more than 100 concerts were held in New York City. For 2008, concert venues will include Central Park, the New York Public Library, the 42nd Street subway station, Rockefeller Center, Washington Square Park, the World Financial Center, and many more.

  Thursday, September 11, 2008
  See listings for all concert locations and times

• NYC Remembers Service Week
  Observe September 11th by helping people in need. Take the MyGoodDeed pledge to honor the victims, heroes and volunteers of 9/11 by taking time to help others in need and making 9/11 a global day of service every year.

  Find 9/11 projects in New York City that need your help

  Find out more about NYC Remembers and the MyGoodDeed campaign

• 9/11 Commemoration at The New York City Fire Museum
  At 1 p.m., the New York City Fire Museum will unveil a dagger made by the Armourer to the Queen of England from World Trade Center steel and donated to the FDNY. The annual commemoration ceremony at the Firefighter’s Memorial will also include the laying of a wreath for the 343 firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001 by the Chief of the Fire Department.

  Thursday, September 11, 2008
  Ne York City Fire Museum, 278 Spring Street, 212-691-1303

• 9/11 World Trade Center Memorial Annual Floating Lanterns Ceremony
  The New York Buddhist Church (NYBC) will present a floating lantern ceremony led by Rev. TK Nakagaki. This ancient custom is a symbolic representation of respecting the lives that have gone before us and also represents a light of hope for peace and harmony. This event is free and open to the public.

  Thursday, September 11, 2008
  Pier 40 at West Houston Street and the Hudson River

• New York City 9/11 Unity Walk
  Join the 9/11 Interfaith Unity Walk and demonstrate a shared call for peace. The event will include a contemplative walk through the Financial District, speakers from various faith traditions, and music.

  Sunday, September 14, 2008
  Beginning at the 9/11 Memorial in Battery Park and proceeding to Ground Zero for a flower ceremony, then continuing to St. Peter’s at 22 Barclay Street.

If you would like to suggest a September 11 memorial event for inclusion on this list, please email me.

Remembering September 11

Photos of the World Trade Center, 1970-2001World Trade Center HistoryGround Zero Photo Gallery

Remembering September 11

Rebuilding the World Trade CenterWorld Trade Center Attacks

September in New York City

September 2008 NYC Event ListingsFeast of San GennaroSeptember New York Street Fairs

Related Articles

• September 11th Memorial Plans in New York City
• Saint Anthony Memorial Health Center of Michigan City IN
• 9-11 Memorial Observances on Long Island
• September 11, 2005 - 9/11 Memorial Plans for 9/11/05
• Atlanta Events Calendar- September

I will be on vacation for the rest of this week, starting today, Tuesday, September 9th.  Have a great week and I’ll return all calls/emails next week when I get back!