Delivering Happiness is no ordinary business book. I hope it’s the beginning of a movement that Hsieh (pronounced Shay) spearheads.
Zappos company culture and Hsieh himself have become the stuff of legend in the business world. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy to review from the publisher, and it’s an interesting ride to follow Hsieh’s journey from grade school entrepreneur to Zappos CEO.

Hsieh’s jaw-dropping ambition and drive began at an early age when most of us were interested in recess and toys. A natural born entrepreneur, he was always interested in making money and creating a successful business. He was among the first dot.com millionaires with LinkExchange, which he and his partners later sold to Microsoft.

Hsieh chronicles his adventures, missteps, and successes in a breezy, matter-of-fact style. I was amazed at the risks he took with his businesses and how normal he made that kind of bravery sound. What would terrify and paralyze most people, Hsieh embraced and leaped.

In addition to gutsiness, Hsieh’s accomplishments centered around establishing strong tribes of friends and colleagues. His desire to be surrounded by a cohesive, supportive tribe led to the creation of Zappos transparent corporate culture. The company’s goal is to deliver happiness (and shoes always create happiness) and create WOW service, and the employees have the freedom to do that. Zappos employees and customers even have written some passages giving details and examples of the company’s core values.

While reading the book, I couldn’t help but think of BP and their oil spill response. I know nothing of how BP operates, but I wonder if they had a culture of trust and transparency like Zappos, would someone have had the courage to speak up about safety issues? Or what about the banks in crisis? Would we have had so many bailouts if banks had established the same kind of culture of respect, transparency, and service with their customers as Zappos did?

Hsieh wants to start a “Delivering Happiness” movement. In a time when employees have little trust in businesses, we need it. As companies, business owners, and employees rebuild after the recession, I hope more consider Hsieh’s advice and take a hard look at Zappos core values to create similar .ones of their own

Hsieh gives us a great deal to think about in his book. It’s important to point out that as a Gen Xer, Hsieh represents what many Gen Xers and Millennials also want in the work environment. As Baby Boomers continue to retire, Gen Xers will move into more leadership positions, and maybe Hsieh’s “Delivering Happiness” movement won’t be as difficult to move forward.

Note: The hardcover of Delivering Happiness landed in bookstores on June 7.

And while you’re there, read a startling report about the rise of shaken-baby syndrome due to the recession. See what Aunties can do to help: www.savvyauntie.com.

I had a different teacher for homeroom, but I loved changing to Mrs. Besett’s class for English, one of my favorite subjects. I loved reading, writing and history over that math stuff. She was grandmotherly, soft and loving with gray curly hair and glasses. I had never met someone named Virginia before. To me, it was a name of a state located far from the plains of Oklahoma. I even named a doll Virginia after Mrs. Besett.

Back then, I was in my “tall blonde phase.” I was gawky, geeky, and stick-like with large glasses and long blonde hair perpetually pulled into two ponytails or braids. My mom sewed all of our clothes.

My friends had two sets of grandparents, and my siblings and I only had one set since Mom’s parents both passed away when she was young. Grandpa was generally a silent sort, and Grandma was bony with hard edges, both physically and emotionally. Grandmas were supposed to look more like my great-aunts and Mrs. Besett.

Mrs. Besett loved the fact that my sister and I were adopted like her two granddaughters. I happily admit that I was a teacher’s pet. She asked me to fill her tall plastic glass with water from the water fountain and run errands for her. Mrs. Besett was a nurturing soul at a time in my life when I needed it. I just didn’t know I needed it at the time.

At recess, I sometimes would hang back and talk to her as she supervised us on the playground. She nudged me to go and play with my friends, but I liked hanging out with her.

I beamed with pride when she commented how much she loved my book report on John F. Kennedy, who turned out to be one of her favorite presidents. We had a year together before I moved onto fifth grade. She retired a year or two later. Through the grapevine winding through small towns, I found out that her husband passed away. When I entered my teen years, I ran into her and her new husband at the TG&Y a couple of times.

I don’t remember exactly how or when the letter writing began. After college, I moved to Galveston to work at the newspaper there. I liked writing letters before the age of the quickie e-mail. Back then, I wrote letters to Mrs. Besett, my journalism professor from college, and several of my friends. In letters, I addressed her as Mrs. Besett or Besett Anderson, and she wrote back at some point when I was in my 30s to say I could call her “Virginia.” I tried it once but it felt funny and almost disrespectful.

About a year before moving into a nursing home, Mrs. Besett surprised me by stopping at my house a few days before Christmas. She saw cars in the driveway and decided to stop by to see if I was there. We had a lovely visit, and my sister and I went down the road to see her a couple of days later.

I recognized the signs from my own grandmother. Mrs. Besett repeated herself and asked the same questions several times, and I answered them every time. She laughed about how she was only allowed to drive from her home to Elgin, and her daughter and son-in-law lived nearby and brought her meals she could warm up.

When meeting her daughter for the first time, she said, “Oh, Janice, yes, I’ve heard a lot about you.”  I flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and pride. No matter how old you are, you still want to make your favorite teachers happy. Maybe we’re all perpetual fourth-graders deep down.

At age 93, Virginia Dare Besett Anderson left us behind. The world feels emptier without her. I imagine her looking down at all of us, all of her fourth-graders. When I close my eyes, I can almost hear her laugh on the playground.

Here are a few tips to spring clean:

• Clean your winter coat and wash your hats, scarves and gloves. Store them away. Do the same for your winter clothes.
• Clean the top of your ceiling fan blades.
• Change out the air-conditioning filter if you haven’t done so in a while.
• If your curtains are washable, wash them. If they’re not, run them through the dryer on a low setting to freshen them up. You can do the same thing with your comforter. By putting comforters, pillows, and curtains through the dryer, you reduce allergens.
• Wash your bath mats. Fabric shower curtains can be washed as well. Spray and wipe down plastic shower curtains with an antibacterial cleaner.
• Go through the pantry, freezer, and refrigerator and check expiration dates. Donate unwanted items and toss expired ones. Go through your spices too.
• Clean the silverware tray in your kitchen drawer.
• Clean the oven after all that holiday cooking.
• Wipe down the computer keyboard, monitor and mouse. Don’t forget the telephones.
• In Houston, we have to spend some time pulling up all the dead plants from the Big Freeze and replanting replacements.
• Of course, declutter your space. Recycle those magazines, catalogs, newspaper, and junk mail. Weed out stained, torn and worn clothing. Donate clothes you no longer want or can wear. As you clean areas of your home, declutter as you go. Need motivation? Just watch an episode of “Hoarders” on A&E or TLC’s “Buried Alive.” That should get you going.

Happy Spring, everyone!

Ten years later, I am still convincing people to have a life and if they don’t have one, we talk about how to get one. It’s advice that I sometimes have to remind myself about. It’s easy for any of us to get caught up in work and decompress by watching hours of TV or strolling through Facebook while ignoring the activities we really want to do.

One of my doctors has been exploring his photography interest for the past couple of years, and he has been submitting his photographs to juried shows. Photography is more than a hobby for him. It’s a passion and is as much of a calling as medicine is to him.

Having a hobby is healthy and helps you reduce stress and increase your happiness. Like the saying goes, all work and no play makes us dull, lifeless, and stressed out. Your spark is missing.

So light your fire. Make time for your passion, your interests. Have a life. Get a life.

I know I furrowed my brow and said, “No. You need to take the time to drink water and eat.” I even tweeted it, and since my tweets go to Facebook, one of my high school friends wrote on my page that she had the same problem. She was so busy at work that she couldn’t eat or drink during the day. Bullcorn. I don’t care how busy you are, you should have time to keep yourself watered and fed.

Excuse me as I drink a sip of water……See, that didn’t take long. Humans require water, nourishment and shelter to stay alive. Water and food are a need, not a luxury.

Even surgeons take time to take sips of water or juice to keep themselves going and take breaks during long surgeries. Keeping yourself hydrated and fed is not brain surgery.

People who skip lunch are not fun to work with. Skipping meals and not being hydrated can lead to overeating since you may gorge at dinner. Lunch skippers may wind up eating whatever they can find in a vending machine and snacking away all day on unhealthy fare.

We need water to live. Water is one of those miracle drugs in a way since it affects every cell in our body. Water aids digestion, carries nutrients to cells, flushes out toxins, lowers your blood pressure, and cushions your joints. Without enough water, you may be as constipated as your e-mail’s inbox with dry skin, urinary tract infections, and reoccuring headaches. Yeah, that’s the “fun” person I want to work with — the non-hydrated one.

By feeding and watering yourself, you will work at your best. “Being busy” doesn’t mean that you’re working at your most productive. Take ten to 15 minutes, close the e-mail and eat your lunch. Your brain needs the rest. Keep your water glass or re-usable bottle handy and drink up during the day, and feel that water flowing through your body to keep all your parts moving.

So please, take down the “Do Not Feed” sign. Don’t be a martyr. Feed and water yourself during the work day and make yourself a better worker.

You learn a lot when you buy a house, particulaly an older one, and I’ve had one learning experience after another since buying my house in September 2009.  My friend Darcy, who is a homeowner in my neighborhood, asked me to share the things I’ve done to my house. My house was built in 1964, but it hasn’t been updated since …oh, let’s see…yeah, 1964. I have some work to do. 

I am fortunate that several of my friends have renovated older homes as well, and they swooped in to lend a hand to Miss Clueless here or give advice over e-mail. My friend Jennifer and I were able to get the hallway door off on moving day – the first actual “renovation” wok occurring at my house. The hallway door blocked the closet door, and it was completely unnecessary. Guess people in 1964 really liked their doors.

My friends Christina and Randy have been systemically changing out my painted over light switches and outlets. The paint was so thick on some outlets that you couldn’t get a plug in. Pulling off the outlets, we discovered several layers of paint. Apparently the thought of taking off the outlets to paint never occurred to the previous owner.

The hallway is long and skinny, and one tiny light fixture made it too dark. Instead of a hallway, it looked more like a tunnel. At a home improvement store, I found a track light. It’s one of those lights that be folded out. Friends Mike and Lisa came over and installed it for me. For Mike to install it, we had to run an extension cord from the bathroom, plug in a lamp and take the lampshade off in order for him to see everything.

Once the light was installed, the different was amazing. Light spilled out everywhere, and two friends asked me I had painted the hallway because it looked fresher and newer.  I feel like my hallway now is more like a gallery.

Another easy change to make is using paint. I am totally in love with my bedroom paint color (Sherwin Williams – Reflecting Pool). Originally, I thought about a pale blue but opted for warmer colors. I’m thrilled that I did. It’s amazing how a paint color changes the whole feel of a room. I swear I’m sleeping better.

Making a couple of changes can have a huge impact. The next project will be MUCH bigger: the short and squatty kitchen. We’re talking total gut job and redo. Just a little spring project! 

My client told me that he learned about how vision works by watching a bicycle race. While watching bicyclists race through a curvy road, he noticed two cyclists far in the lead and asked another bystander if he thought the others would catch up. The bystanders nodded and said, “Yes, the others can still see them. If they can see them, they will catch them.” If the race leaders were not in sight of their fellow competitors, they wouldn’t have been able to catch up.

Sure enough, the other cyclists caught up with the leaders of the race. With a clear vision, the cyclists could see their goal.

We all need a clear vision to meet our goals. Decluttering your house or losing weight is a nice goal, but you need the vision. What does a decluttered house look like to you? What does losing weight look like to you? A vision doesn’t need to be complicated. Post a photo or list of what decluttering looks like to you. If you want to lose weight (like I’m doing myself), hang up a photo of yourself at a healthier weight or hang that killer outfit — the one you loved — on the closet door as a reminder.

I encourage my clients to set smaller goals that lead up to the bigger goal. For decluttering, the first goal may be to recycle all newspapers and magazines at least once a week. To move forward in weight loss, focus on losing weight in five or ten pound increments. It’s always best to set smaller, bite-sized “mini-goals” to reach the Super Duper Mega-Goal. Because if you can see it, then you can catch it.

Happy Mardi Gras and Super Bowl Weekend!