Loving Life Blog

Spur of the Moment Reflections

Muuuumsfililibabba May 22, 2012

A few years ago my friend Lisa was in a gondola lift in the French Alps, going up to the top. It was packed with people going skiing. Suddenly she hears a couple of Brittish guys express:

“Muuumsfilibabba. MUUUUMSFILIBABBA.”

“What is that?”

“That’s what Swedish people say when the food is really yummy.”

So true, so true. Although, it was a while ago I used that expression. Recently though, I had a yummy situation when I happened to pitch the originator of an idea, without knowing.

I attended an INFUSION/Berkeley Startup Cluster Lunch to hear Forbes reporter and author, Larry Downes, present on The Laws of Disruption. You can get his book: “The Laws of Disruption: Harnessing the New Forces that Govern Business and Life in the Digital Age” (Basic Books 2009)

After the presentation I was talking to the entrepreneur sitting in front of me. His company was focusing on green energy.”Oh – I have someone I should introduce you to. He is working on a [CONFIDENTIAL] for green solutions. It is a really good idea. I am sure you would want to… Hm – who was it… I was just told…. anyway – it will come back to me”.

The topic changes and he asks where I am from, and if I am involved in the Scandinavian Community. “YSC.org – yes, to some extent” I respond. “Do you know Ian?” “Yes! In fact, he stayed with me last week when he was here for a conference! – oh yes! He was the one who told me.” “Interesting – he is my partner.” “Ah – so it is your idea!?”

The day after I receive an email from him with the question: “what is the (funny) Swedish expression that means “delicious” or “very yummy”? It sounds similar to “ums-feely-bah-pa”…”

So now you have it. Mumsfilibababba!

Enjoy,

Johanna

Two risks about sharing your idea: 1) someone might take it and run with it, or 2) people will spred the news and you might not yet be prepared for the customers coming your way…

And by the way: How many of you are reading the actual physical news paper these days?

 

House Matters – “Swedish Invasion” Edition May 17, 2012

Filed under: Swedish-American — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 11:30 am
Tags: , , ,

Got a skype message sent my way informing about an “all Swedish” session of Tiesto Club Life Episode #257.

I’m realizing that there is a lot of Swedish music I haven’t kept up with… here is a two hour list of Swedish house music podcast, downloadable on iTunes.

Tiësto’s Club Life Podcast #257 – “Swedish Invasion” Edition.

And thanks Martin Johnson @yourbigpicture for sharing.

Enjoy,

Johanna

http://housematterss.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/tiestos-club-life-podcast-257-swedish-invasion-edition/

 

 

You are so Beautiful May 15, 2012

Filed under: coaching — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 11:48 am
Tags: , , ,

Authentic, pure, from the heart. You are so beautiful to me. Be you. Who ever you are.

Johanna

 

Same Same – and Just a Little Different May 13, 2012

Filed under: coaching,Herringbone — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 7:51 pm
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My a cappella group Keeva had a guest appearance at the Swedish mass today, at the Norwegian Seaman Church.

The spiritually inspired global rhythms and tunes were very well received, “we hardly could sit still in the seats”, “it put a smile on my face and in my heart”, “so nice to hear such a different style of music” and “please come back”.

We had a wonderful time performing there. Even thought it was different compared to what usually is performed – it didn’t seem that foreign for some. The favorite overheard comment when we sang the zulu song Akekho Ofana No Jesu was: “Is that Småländska?” (a Swedish dialect).

Same same – and just a little different. I think music is something that connects with our hearts and speaks the same universal language.

Music can also help a message carry through. Singing a message can give it a different weight. I heard that loud a clear last week-end when participating in a “Mastery of Self Expression” workshop lead by actor [and much more] Larry Gilman from Los Angeles. “Why don’t you speak as you sing?”

On the topic of performance, art and heart – I came across another blog post today: bite-sized wisdom – Anderson (by Thoughts on theatre).

“If you practice an art, be proud of it and make it proud of you. It may break your heart, but it will fill your heart before it breaks it; it will make you a person in your own right.”
– Maxwell Anderson
The heart is a muscle. It rips and tears, but always heals, often making the muscle stronger than before. Take a risk this weekend and chase down something that just might fill your heart to its brim.

My suggested risk from the master is to SPEAK LOUDER. To LIVE MY LIFE OUTLOUD. And that is said to someone who has a social media communications business with the tag line: “Get heard for positive change”. Getting heard online vs. offline: same same – and just a little different…

So from now on I dare you to ask “what?” when I speak. And if you think that I talk abnormally loud – or if I am singing the message – or expressing more than usual… I am just practicing and playing around with the art of self expression. Off line. What is your risk, that might fill your heart to its brim?

Embracing the differences. HELLO WORLD! 🙂
Johanna
This is Akekho from our last performance:

Take a moment to visit the blog Thoughts on Theatre – I bet you will find something that you like.
 thoughtsontheatre.wordpress.com
 

I Firmly Believe May 9, 2012

Filed under: Herringbone — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 9:27 am
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I have had The Dream in my head now for so many years, been focusing on it, drifting away from it while being drawn into other projects, been poked about it and returned to it, time and time again – not knowing exactly how to move forward, but being clear that it is something I can’t let go of. Every year that has passed there are new learnings and insights that I have made, and technical introductions that would be applicable – all contributing to the big picture. I start to feel, that now is the time. I can’t express how touching it is to hear support and “WANT” from others. Yesterday alone I got one phone call, one skype call and one email with different messages – the same supportive bottom line. Let me share the email from my friend and supporter Karl Mettinger with a poem he wrote. Enjoy.

To Johanna
May 8 2012 8 pm

I FIRMLY BELIEVE

(Uncensored without the New device called EyePhone)

I firmly believe
in resurrection, in life eternal, in righteousness in heaven and on earth!

I believe in our mission impossible
To help make us all to become one global family
And in
Shared resources,
Shared responsibilities,
Shared values and beliefs
And shared dreams!

I firmly believe in helping one another
To grow to our full potential
To blossom and carry fruit,
Good fruit that we all can share.

Life is too short not to set out from our comfort zones
In Life boats or Viking ships
to conquer new land
And make safe landings
where we rightly belong.

This is the time
To celebrate
New journeys
New beginnings
New spring seasons and summers
New harvests and seasonal fruits

Where do we go from here?
Where our dreams and visions take us
To the Holy Land of dreams fulfilled
To the dark corners of the world
to discover and explore

I firmly believe
In our mission to build bridges
To help people share one another’s wisdom and visions and dreams
And to help bringing together
All peoples to One Family!

I firmly believe
In the tech revolution
In Facebook
Twitter , Google and Wikipedia,
I believe in mobile phones, Skype
Androids and IPad.

Social networking can help us connect
But also the simple smile and invitations to conversations
As we walk our paths
or speed through
the highways

We need one another
One another’s eyes and ears
Hands and feet
Our bodies to hold onto
To caress and express
Our feelings
And create the worlds to come….

Karl Mettinger

Thank you Karl. I believe too.

Johanna

 

Yebo Gogo! Freedom! April 28, 2012

Yebo Gogo! Sounds like a new site. A new movement maybe. Sporty. Getting things done? How about a new app!?

Have you thought of creating your own app sometime? What kind? For which platform? How about a mobile webb app?

If you do, there are a number of things to consider.There is an article in Mashable Tech that summarizes it well. These are the key questions covered:

8 Things to Know Before Building a Mobile App

1. What Does It Cost to Make an App?
2. What Should You Charge for Your App?
3. When Will You Get Paid?
4. How Do You Write Your iTunes Description?
5. What’s the Best Way to Beta Test
6. What Happens When You Get Featured on iTunes?
7. How Do You Get Press?
8. How Do You Avoid the Spam?

“If you’re new to the app game, prepare for some sticker shock. Making an app will cost you, at the very minimum, around $10,000. This is for a super-simple program — none of that fancy enterprise or social networking jibber-jabber. Even still, any app worth its weight in code will likely cost you closer to $20,000.
Unless you have some basic design skills, you’ll need to enlist the help of both a programmer and a designer. And these guys ain’t cheap — particularly programmers who, thanks to a pronounced shortage of qualified coders, can pretty much name their prices. (A suggestion for those low on funds: Find some creative way to come up with the cash. I funded my app through Airbnb income.)

Airbnb – I know more people doing that. I met a super nice South African woman, a social media professional peer, who used Airbnb while traveling. I had a drink with her yesterday and had the opportunity to celebrate South Africa’s Freedom Day. 18 years since the first post-apartheid elections was held April 27, 1994. They were the first national elections in South Africa in which the franchise did not depend upon race.

14 years since I was in South Africa with “Project South Africa’98”, a student initiative by 13 students from the student association AIESEC at the Stockholm School of Economics in Stockholm, Sweden. We did a study on “Affirmative Action and Employment Equity in Corporate South Africa” and organized for 7 South African students to come for an internship in Sweden. A fantastic experience.

With that I just want to say: “We are all one” – that is also what a skull symbolizes to me. Therefore this and my first Instagram photo of a Swedish candy, to die for… 🙂

© Yebo Gogo! – Freedom! Raise your glasses! And no, it’s not an app – yet. But I just got an idea… Yebo Gogo – it means Yes Grandma!

See, how it’s all connected!? Or is it that you see what you are looking for? If that is the case – then look for the good stuff!

Enjoy,

Johanna

I can warmly recommend Airbnb – a great way to travel and meet local, great people.

 

I am like an IKEA chair April 27, 2012

I think I got the best complement ever last week when I asked Rakesh about his perception of me, or why he asked the question the day before “if I am an excited person”.”Do you think I am?”, I asked him. The response was: “NO, I don’t get you. You are like an IKEA chair: you have a really good idea, and you are about to produce it not knowing that the market really wants it, and you will sell for a billion dollars”.

The truth of the matter is: I do believe that the market want this.
And funny enough: I already had IKEA in my vision statement.

This is my 2010 Dream – Vision – Purpose – Mission – statement, per the Michael E. Gerber E-Myth/Dreaming Room model:

Dream (WHAT):

To enable and capture transformational journeys worldwide.

Vision (HOW):           
To create the IKEA of transformational journeys documented.

Purpose (WHY & for WHOME):
Enable every individual who wants to make a change in their life and impact in this world to reach their dream, and at the same time inspire others.

Mission (HOW):
Create a state of the art journal software that will help the user ENVISION the future, EMBRACE the presence and ACHIEVE more than imagined, with the output of a well designed e-book or printed book.

Not only has Facebook and Timeline become, sort of, one of the competitors. Now, seeing the below video from CNN, I am  fearing that IKEA itself is tapping into my field… Although, the Herringbone solution is much more straight forward. 😉 I bet you would be willing to give it a try.

Enjoy,
Johanna

http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=showbiz/2012/04/24/conan-assembling-ikea-furniture.tbs

 

Tell A Story Day – With a Red Thread

I was curious about the origin of the apparently in US and UK celebrated “Tell-A-Story Day”. Today April 27th every year in the US and 6 months later in the UK. So I find out that the “World Storytelling Day” has a bit more of a known history. It started around 1991 or 1992 in Sweden and has spread around the world.

I’ve been told that I find a Swedish connection to anything. It just so happens.

That said: grab the opportunity! Which story will you tell today? Which story could you share that would make someone laugh, learn, or lead? What is the “read thread” in your life story? Share it from your heart.

Go do it! I am going to share a story about IKEA…

Enjoy,
Johanna

The read thread in story is a direct translation from the Swedish expression “den röda tråden”, meaning: the connecting dots, the “main thread”, a theme reappearing in several connected texts or phenomena.

I like the other symbolisms that are out there too, such per Wikipedia:

The red string of fate, also referred to as the red thread of destiny, red thread of fate, and other variants, is an East Asian belief originating from Chinese legend and is also used in Japanese legend. According to this myth, the gods tie an invisible red string around the ankles of those that are destined to meet each other in a certain situation or help each other in a certain way. Often, in Japanese culture, it is thought to be tied around the little finger. According to Chinese legend, the deity in charge of “the red thread” is believed to be Yuè Xià Lǎo (月下老, often abbreviated to “Yuèlǎo” [月老]), the old lunar matchmaker god who is also in charge of marriages.

 

Are you excited? April 18, 2012

Filed under: Herringbone,Inspiration — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 7:28 am
Tags: ,

I got the question yesterday from a visiting, fairly new, friend of mine: “Are you an excited person?” “Me? Yes… I am smiling – can’t you tell?”

What type of question is that? I should have asked: what is the perception of me? I will ask him. Later. What do you think?

Right now, the answer would be clearly: hell yeah! How could I not be?

Waking up 6am after 5 hours of sleep with this song in my head:

If I didn’t have a guest sleeping in the other room I would put it on speaker and sing it out loud. And if this video didn’t have the lyrics I would make up my own.

From now on I am not going to say “could I bounce an idea with you?”… Or “I’ve got an idea…” – because that is not how it feels like.

From now on I will say “Please, speak with me – I have a bomb – and it’s a darn good one”. That is, how it feels like.

Thank you Rakesh and those of you else (Thomas Fogdö, Rosh Khan, Gerome, Dorian, Will, Sturdy, Laura, Carlx2, Helene, Emma… The list start to grow) who thinks it’s a great idea. I’ve started taking “that’s a crazy idea” as a complement. It has got some power in it!

Feel the excitement – keep the momentum – and go do it! Maybe I can go and sing that song quietly in the shower?! It’s gotta come out… 🙂

Good start of a new day. Hope it rubbed off on ya’!

Enjoy,
Johanna

 

Well, that flight was interesting! April 12, 2012

Filed under: coaching,Entrepreneur,Herringbone — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 5:36 pm
Tags: , , , , ,

Love flights. Just had an open conversation with the woman, entrepreneur and coach, next to me on the plane to Utah. We spoke about my Herringbone software/platform – supporting and capturing journeys of change worldwide. Even pulled up the two year old investor pitch.

This was the reaction:

“People need this. The world need this. This is heart and soul. And future.
[…]
You can give me that!? I want that. Get some funding this weekend. I want to be cutting edge with my coaching. I’m a California girl now – oh yes – that’s what you got to be!”

Anne Martin, who went from lawyer, to 18 year entrepreneur, to reinvention coach and recently moved to San Francisco.

Well, that was an interesting flight! What an injection of inspiration and confirmation.

Want to invest in me!?
Johanna

 

 
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