What I Learned From Barbie's Mom

Written by Donna Schwartz Mills


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The male ad executives atrepparttar company were not impressed with Ruth's doll. Neither wererepparttar 123898 mostly male buyers who saw her debut atrepparttar 123899 American Toy Show in 1959. But as Ruth had guessed, little girls loved her - and 350,000 Barbies were sold that very first year, which was a record. Mattel introduced more dolls torepparttar 123900 Barbie line overrepparttar 123901 next several years, some of which were named after other Handler family members, such as Ken -- Ruth's son -- and Stacie, Todd and Cheryl, who were named afterrepparttar 123902 Handlers' grandchildren.

All was going well until 1970, Ruth was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a difficult time, bad decisions were made andrepparttar 123903 Handlers' eventually leftrepparttar 123904 successful company they had founded. But Ruth not only survived her bout with cancer; her experience inspired her next business venture.

Ruth toldrepparttar 123905 Los Angeles Times about her fruitless search for natural-looking prosthetic breast. What was available atrepparttar 123906 time was less than adequate. "I looked atrepparttar 123907 shapeless glob that lay inrepparttar 123908 bottom of my brassiere and thought, 'My god,repparttar 123909 people in this business are men who don't have to wear these,' " she toldrepparttar 123910 Times. Once again, Ruth discovered a niche to fill.

Ruth found a designer who created a new prosthetic to her specifications. Made of liquid silicone and polyurethane, it looked and felt natural. Her stroke of genius was her realization that like shoes, it needed to be made up in "lefts" and "rights." Then Ruth assembled a sales team made up of other breast cancer survivors, who demonstrated her new product to department store buyers and helped train their sales staffs on how to fit their customers. In 1991, Ruth sold her company to a division of Kimberly-Clark and retired.

"Women--and men too--can do almost anything they set their mind to," said Ruth. "You have to believe in what you want to do and haverepparttar 123911 courage of your convictions."

Good advice for us all. Rest in peace, Ruth.

Donna Schwartz Mills writes about the specific needs of work at home parents at her website, The ParentPreneur Club, "For Parents Who Want Choices, Not Office Politics." http://www.parentpreneurclub.com Tools, tips and advice you need to help grow your home based business while raising a family. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter sending a blank email to: mailto:subscribe@parentpreneurclub.com


How To Find Your REAL Self Again

Written by Kathy Gates


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3. Listen to your heart. Sounds easy enough, but byrepparttar time we're adults, most of us have stopped listening to our hearts and go only with our heads. Those two must reconnect in order to find your real self. It's easy to become accustomed to thinking about your feelings instead of really feeling them. Instead of asking yourself what you think about something, ask yourself what you feel. Ask yourself why it's important. What are you comfortable with? What's difficult for you? Be careful not to get hung-up on a specific goal, when what you're really after is a specific feeling. Keep an open mind torepparttar 123897 feelings, and be willing to adjustrepparttar 123898 methods you use to achieve them.

4. Uncover your natural strengths and your natural talents. Trust your instinct. Look back at your childhood, and make a list of things that you used to love to do. Ask why you stopped doing them. If you always loved adventure, it's a good bet that's a part ofrepparttar 123899 REAL you. Notice what things you now do during your day - even if only for a few minutes - when you feelrepparttar 123900 most happy. If you have no idea whatrepparttar 123901 real you is, begin to experiment with things that you find you used to like.

5. Look back again over your life, and begin to remember times when you feltrepparttar 123902 happiest. What were you doing? Who were you with? What skills were you using? Be willing to tellrepparttar 123903 truth about who you are, and what you want in your life. Stop trying to "be" who or what you think you ought to be. Instead, determine that you are comfortable with what you want in your life, and how you want to addressrepparttar 123904 world.

Kathy Gates, Professional Life Coach, helps people set priorities and goals, take actions, make changes, and reshape their lives. She is the author numerous articles both online and in print, an Ebook and several Email Coaching Programs available at www.reallifecoach.com, call 480.998.5843


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