Being frugal…keeping life simple and uncomplicated

                                              Photo:  Copyright PhotoXpress.com

It took a great recession to capture all of our attention and take us back to the days of keeping life simple and uncomplicated.

The reality of the current recession began to be made public some years ago despite the fact it’s been reported that rumblings of the recession had a much earlier inception date.

Once the recession was publicized, everyday life for many families became noticeably different as far as family spending and time spent together, and priority setting for the purchase of things and activities are concerned.

Pre-recession days might have included families planning several trips away from home throughout a given year, large and frequent purchases of items, gadgets, and services; and a good amount of money spent on activities and events a family thought they “just had to be part of.”

Then, viola!

On the scene came the greatest recession of all times.

Backyard fun and movie-night time at home, pre-owned and recycled items, making do with what we already possess; and simply going back to a simpler and uncomplicated lifestyle seems to be what a large number of us have adopted as our new way of life moving forward.

And, we don’t see ourselves going back to frivolous spending days anytime soon...because it feels so great to have become so much more budget conscious and prudent in our spending.

It is now actually en vogue to be able to boast of repairing things already owned instead of purchasing brand new replacements.

Of setting up personal gyms, mini hair salons, and quasi-spas in our homes so we have 24-7 access coupled with tremendous savings related to these health and wellness “products.”

And, of viewing our backyards as true extensions of our homes; and designing and decorating them for comfortable gathering and entertainment non-stop during the spring and summer months.

The re-discovery of family fun associated with backyard relays, family cookouts, game nights, and movie nights; and the pride felt when someone compliments buffed arms and slenderized frames and then asks for the “name of your gym” has given simple frugality an excellent reputation.

Added to that, all of the pennies being saved because of careful and cautious spending has led many of us to ask:

Is there any good reason for us to ever return to frequent and frivolous spending for services, items, activities, and events we are well equipped to enjoy and employ on our own for a very small fraction of the cost charged by outside vendors?

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A., is a wife, mother, and 21st Century educational leader & school district administrator who serves as Co-Chair & President of Lifeline Foundation, Inc.  This 24-year educator is also Founder, Editor, and Chief Writer of LifelineExtensions.blog.  View other published works at http://www.examiner.com/.  Contact Sharon directly for more information: smbiggs@mylifelinefoundation.org.

"Children are the globe's most precious commodity." (Terence H. Biggs, Jr. ~ 2009)

Systems’ thinking in healthy organizations

Photo Copyright:
http://throughput.blogspot.com/

When we identify a “sick organization”, we will probably find it to be one that lacks systems’ thinking among the organization’s members.

Some argue that the DNA of those “sick” environments are unhealthy, politically-charged, or even toxic due to a heavy and consistent presence of individual agendas and motives over an extended period of time vs. a consistently high degree of systems’ thinking by its members.

Systems’ thinking can easily trigger constant reflective practices by an organization’s members, and can lead organizations to operate like attractive, healthy and well-oiled machines that other systems compete to emulate.

The individual members of the system or organization constantly and consistently ask themselves this reflective question at the end of every day:

Have all of my decisions, actions, and conversations throughout the entire day been framed around first the needs of the organization, second, the needs of each department or division, and third, the needs of each individual member?

People who may want to flex their own political muscles and increase their individual level of power and influence within an organization may oppose the thought behind the daily reflective question.

They might even claim to others that thinking of the system first overlooks the human element of the organization.

How so if a collective unit of humans make up the entire organization’s or system’s DNA?

What happens to the organization when someone who refers to him or herself as a systems’ leader focuses solely on meeting targeted individual needs instead of considering what is in the best interest of the organization?

This may very well create an environment where people will do any and everything in order to have their individual needs met with regularity.

Will that approach lead a system to succeed, excel, and move forward?

Or will the system and its individual members eventually crash because the organization as a whole hasn’t gotten the right amount or kind of healthy input by its members?

Placing constant thought and focus on “the good of the group” will lead to a healthy system that operates well because it considers the needs of its members; first as a whole group, second, as subgroups, and third, as individual members…

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A., is a wife, mother, and 21st Century educational leader & school district administrator who serves as Co-Chair & President of Lifeline Foundation, Inc. This 24-year educator is also Founder, Editor, and Chief Writer of LifelineExtensions.blog. View other published works at http://www.examiner.com/. Contact Sharon directly for more information: smbiggs@mylifelinefoundation.org.

"Children are the globe's most precious commodity." Terence H. Biggs, Jr. ~ 2009

Mother-Daughter BFFL Bonds…A Teen Girl & Her Mom's Perspective...

Mother-Daughter BFFLs...

                                                                             Photo: Copyright Biggs

What is it that can cause a teen girl to unapologetically opt to chillax with her mother and spend Mother’s Day with her vs. hangin’ out with friends?

It is probably the “BFFL Bond” that teen girl and her mom share with each other.

BFFL (Best Friends for Life) bonds do not happen overnight…they take an entire lifetime to develop.

In order for the bond to form, continuous and constant efforts have to be made by both the mother and the teen girl.

Days, months, and years of construction need to take place so that the structure of the relationship is inextinguishable, lifelong, and life gratifying on both counts.

BFFL Bonds are necessary to help build and strengthen feelings of self-esteem, self-worth, and self-capacity for both the mother and the teen girl.

While they can and do enjoy expansive networks in their own relationship circles, the Mother-Daughter BFFLs embrace being able to comfortably gravitate back to each other for just about every important decision and adventure.

BFFLs ~ mothers and their teen girls who have figured out the formula for success in their developing and complex relationships.

We should enjoy these BFFL bonds while we still can…because before we know it time passes on quickly and life, geography, and other factors will compete for our attention.

And, only the BFFL bond that is solid and unbreakable will be able to stand that test of time…

Written by Sharon M. Biggs & Danielle M. Biggs ~ Mother-Daughter BFFLs…



Sharon M. Biggs, M.A., is a wife, mother, and 21st Century educational leader & school district administrator who serves as Co-Chair & President of Lifeline Foundation, Inc. This 24-year educator is also Founder, Editor, and Chief Writer of LifelineExtensions.blog. View other published works at http://www.examiner.com/. Contact Sharon directly for more information: smbiggs@mylifelinefoundation.org.

"Children are the globe's most precious commodity."

Terence H. Biggs, Jr. ~ 2009

Mothers give their children the gift of happy days…Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers…

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

Mothers have the uncanny ability to help us understand how much we would miss them if they were not around to do those typical kinds of “Mommy/Mom/Mother” things they are so well versed in and good at doing.


They simply say to us: You may not see it now, but you will miss me when I am gone…

Oddly, the average person hears just the words that are uttered when this phrase is repeatedly said by our mothers over the years; and we miss the actual meaning behind the words.

At least the meaning may not be clearly understood by many of us until…our mothers are gone forever and we start missing them.

Let’s be honest, when our mothers are still around us we sometimes tune out their reminders about different things because they sound too much like nagging…

We may try to keep the lid on our true feelings about certain situations because our mothers’ clarifying questions sound too much like prying into our business…

Busy schedules that swallow up priceless chunks of time may become the consistent excuse used when our mothers reach out to us to visit or talk with us to find out what new and exciting things are going on in our younger lives…

Organizational management (in other words, a mother’s share of the household responsibilities) is generally done so seamlessly and most times without a hitch that we dare to sometimes take for granted just how challenging, rigorous, and exhausting this can be for our mothers…we just blink and the longed-for meal, school supply, outfit, costume, or car ride materializes right before our very eyes. All of the time.

Yet, when our mothers are no longer around us we are left with a void the size of a moon crater; left to figure and work these things out for ourselves.

It is then that we see how much we miss our mothers because they are gone…

For those of us whose mothers are no longer physically with us, we now have the social responsibility to teach our daughters, nieces, mentees, and others just how important it is to accept, understand, and appreciate a mother’s “nagging, prying, questioning, and managerial” love and interest in her children.

And, for those of us whose mothers are still alive and well, that same social responsibility is shared; coupled with an obligation to transparently model for onlookers how to co-exist with mothers, and how to enjoy healthy and rich mother-daughter, aunt-niece, mentor-mentee, and other relationships.

This way we can help those we're leading see the meaning behind the words clearly.

Written in loving tribute to my mother and mother-in-law…Gertrude Little Pearson & Norma Louise Biggs…who both transitioned from their lives with us in 2007 (Norma in June and Gertrude in October)…HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY and thank you both for sharing the meaning behind the words with your families…We love you...


Sharon M. Biggs, M.A., is a wife, mother, and 21st Century educational leader & school district administrator who serves as Co-Chair & President of Lifeline Foundation, Inc. This 24-year educator is also Founder, Editor, and Chief Writer of LifelineExtensions.blog. View other published works at http://www.examiner.com/. Contact Sharon directly for more information: smbiggs@mylifelinefoundation.org.

"Children are the globe's most precious commodity." (Terence H. Biggs, Jr. ~ 2009)

Knowing when the team we’re on is the right one

Photo: Copyright http://www.frankansley.com/

Dating back to the 20th Century, the concept of teaming took over the work force by storm when it came to making organizational decisions or resolving business challenges.

The approach has prevailed into the 21st Century.

As a result of the team approach, the terms, collaboration, team player, diverse backgrounds, coaching, winning, challenges, opportunities for improvement, common language, and common focus were implanted into organizational dictionaries and cultures; requiring any new recruits and hires to organizations to be current and proficient in their knowledge of and their ability and capacity to be part of a team.

Nevertheless, how do we know for sure when the team we are on is the right one for us?

Athletes join teams and need to play at least a few games with their teammates before they are able to decide whether the team they are on is the right fit for them.

                                                                                                     Photo: Copyright http://www.tmaworld.com/

We, in our business organizations, need a chance to work closely with people for at least a few years (and, in some cases a few months!) before we really know if the team is just right for us; and if we are just right for the team.

The fit works two ways because of the diverse personalities that may be common to a team we join, and observations of and interactions with those personalities will assist us in knowing if the match is a good one.

Here are just several examples of some of the diverse teammate personalities we may come across:

The Type-A, Charismatic Teammate

Here is a mover and shaker who does not mind telling others that he or she is fallible because prior experiences have usually caused the person to be very comfortable in his or her skin and content with current reality. Relationship building and preserving is critical to this individual, so you may frequently see or hear him or her networking or “schmoozing” through visions and ideas with others to make sure they are on the same right track toward a desired destination. Researching and pulling things together…quickly by tapping into his or her resources of other movers and shakers…tends to be a strength, and this person typically freely offers and welcomes coaching if it means the team will win in both the short-term and long-term.

The Type-A, Reclusive Teammate

Another mover and shaker who is not infallible, but may be a little shy about that fact so he or she may attempt to stay out of the limelight for fear of making a mistake that would be visible to an audience of any size. Getting the job done usually takes precedence over spending moments building bonds with other people – that may even be looked at as unnecessary “fluff” which causes the person feelings of discomfort. You may not see this person openly asking for help even when it is badly needed, however, when others go to him or her for help it is gladly given because the “thanks” received serves to boost the reclusive’s self-esteem.

The Type-B, Extroverted Teammate

One might think this person is an unorganized airhead who is “surprisingly” able to meet deadlines and accomplish great things for the organization. Some of the Type-A’s may become completely annoyed by these folks during meetings because their dialogue may be viewed as a little to “warm and fuzzy” for a business culture. Likewise, this Type B may try to avoid all Type A’s because they may perceive them as too assertive and forthright in their approach.

The Type-B, Reclusive Teammate

Products and results from this person may be the sole reminders to the other teammates that this individual is in fact part a living and breathing part of the team. He or she may not mind being closed up in an office sifting through bundles of paperwork to meet required deadlines described during team meetings he or she generally sits at in silent attendance.

The Mad Scientist Who Never Leaves the Lab Teammate

This teammate may often propose great ideas…many of them…however, he or she hardly ever acts on the ideas or carries them through to fruition. The person may always appear busy and entrenched in constructing new thoughts; unfortunately, the large number of thoughts muddled in the person’s mind takes him or her all over the map without a clear vision. Constant re-direction may be needed for this person, and going over ideas one by one and charting them in some type of graphical form may help focus the thinking.

The Flower Child Who Is Always Out Mingling With Other People Teammate

Networking. That is what tends to drive this person who may seem to other teammates to be from another planet or another era. However, whenever the team wants to broach a new idea or vision; just a scroll down on the person’s contact list will generally yield a name or organization that can be contacted for assistance.

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

It is hard to determine which of these members are part of a new team we are considering joining. Only time will tell.

We should spend enough time carefully studying and observing the behaviors of our teammates as well as our own behaviors during the teaming relationship.

Tapping into the strengths and avoiding too much focus on everyone’s areas that are still improving lends itself to the building and maintenance of dynamic and healthy teams.

Some teams will fit well for us. Others will not.

However, this is something we won’t be able to determine until after “the first pitch is thrown, and several innings have passed."

Each player brings something to the team -- we just need time to figure out what that something is.

If we believe the team we are on is one worth pursuing we can spend time strategizing with our individual teammates so that when the time comes to huddle as a collaborative team we come up with a common focus for a winning plan.

Written by Terence H. Biggs, Jr. & Sharon M. Biggs

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A., is a wife, mother, and 21st Century educational leader & school district administrator who serves as Co-Chair & President of Lifeline Foundation, Inc. This 24-year

educator is also Founder, Editor, and Chief Writer of LifelineExtensions.blog. View other published works at http://www.examiner.com/. Contact Sharon directly for more information: smbiggs@mylifelinefoundation.org.

"Children are the globe's most precious commodity."
(Terence H. Biggs, Jr. ~ 2009)