A bit of CoCo background for you to peruse and ponder. This is her reference; why she believes and what motivates her.

In using CoCo as a mascot for helping others, I believe we could teach along the way CoCo’s original intent of seemingly being fun and flip but infiltrating and spreading Truth & Style. The name is a registered trademark which we can protect from pirates or misuse. Aaargh!

What we need to think about also for our meeting is how we structure a giving or helping program which can exist and thrive in print, on the web,  by word of mouth and events/meetings which also allows us to develop our own style of helping? I, now, do not have cash to give but in my style, I have time or talents which can help others. Maybe we can help find their own style of helping others while learning about themselves.

Susan Popp, your cool action of knowing a talented manicurist who needed some clients – emailing a group and announcing that could be a place on the web to find out who could use some help. How do we choose? are we a Board? are we structured? I say yes!

Let’s also think about a name. Caren suggested ClubCoCo which I like.

Do we all adopt our own Operative names? I have done this before – asking people if they feel more power in another name and what would it be and why. It is FUN!

How we can structure other chapters to replicate and remain True to the tenets of CoCo.

How can we teach about giving and helping ourselves grow as we do the same for others. I have this essay I wrote about how even on a plane we are instructed if the oxygen mask drops, to put ours on first before attempting to help others. This at first seems selfish but  is necessary in order for us to truly be effective in helping others.

Meetings or outings to out our fears, such as my old standby – ScreamTherapy – a day at Carowinds riding rollercoasters and screaming. I just saw an interesting program about the stress hormones, chemical reactions in the brain, the grip on the handlebars like that of a baby in distress, the shape of our mouth when we scream and the release of endorphins when we realize it is fun.

Now for CoCo

CoCoCheznaynay® SecretAgent of Truth & Style ©

Change Agent disguised as quirky fashion plate to unsuspecting and unawares. While being judged or ignored, she goes about her mission undetected until those moments of Truth when it is time to realize that we all are SecretAgents – on a mission to be all of who we are, to find our center, to face our fears. No matter our vessel, we all have this quest and we choose to accept it or deny it. This happens in tiny moments – that undercurrent connection that belies everything living – so we have to be aware!

The crosshairs symbol in logo represents finding your center and keeping that constant in your sight. From the strength of an vertical line drawn from the Heavens to the center of the Earth and the intersecting line of the horizon as constant as the sea meeting the sky, we focus.

Pearls are symbolic to CoCo for wisdom and patience. What starts as an irritant or grit housed in an unattractive oyster shell is acknowledged and isolated. Over time, smooth layers transform the way we see the Light by reflection, refraction and diffraction of who we are.

Spirals, for she is always sprouting new growth, vining unpredictable and learning something new.

She spent part of her life on the planet, UtopiTango©, the Ideal Place to Dance, unencumbered by gravity, fears and the heaviness of unexpressed emotions. She came back to Earth to accomplish her mission – to facilitate others in their journey to work through the sediment – to be a bridge, a dot along the way in connecting the Why. The price for Why is to help others.

But she forgot how heavy it is here and now has to relearn what she was to teach but she knows deep inside the Code de CoCo and is a source of strength for those who know her.

Anything which suspends the sensation of gravity is a reminder of life on UtopiTango – scuba diving, rollercoaster rides and the yet to be done skydiving. But just like life, you must face your fears before you see the beauty.

She met her best friend beneath the sea. She is a real mermaid but no one knows but CoCo. Her name is Sushi Barlow ©. You never ask her a question unless you really want to hear the Truth because she is raw!

CoCo believes

• When You’re in Truth, You’re in Style!

• Own all of who you are, even the not-pretty parts – embrace them, not cower to them and they will become your most important enemies turned allies.The Truth always comes out – now or later. Might as well tell it now!

• It is not okay to stop being who you are in order to make others feel okay about who they are not.

• The most important verb – Try!

• WYS equals WYD – What you say equals what you do. If you need to change your mind, be honest in that moment and restate your new truth.

All material copyright 2004 Susan Martin.
In Truth & Style,
Susan/CoCo