tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79348013468030548702024-03-18T00:51:09.640-07:00Ramblings"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful and committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the ONLY thing that ever has." ~ Margaret MeadBond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.comBlogger146125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-3069692725977900582012-02-12T10:36:00.000-08:002012-02-12T10:53:45.934-08:00Whitney Houston ~ A "Collective Awakening"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Something “happened” on February 11, 2012.</span></b></span><span style="color: #002060; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"> The world shuddered. <b>An icon passed away.</b> These are the “moments” in life I’ve always lived for, and no, it’s not that someone died. No one celebrates “death.” And yet, in that moment, you could feel the world sitting bolt upright, wherever they were. <b>Whether in their cars, at work, or at home, everyone took notice</b>. It reverberated loudly on the news, the social media, including the biggest of all in Facebook. It was instantaneous energy.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/FWZ7l9HSNpE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="color: #002060; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">But why do I say “I’ve always lived for” those moments? Let’s put it this way. <b>Think back to those moments in YOUR life when something shook your world to the core. </b>And it doesn’t have to be something tragic. Remember the “Miracle on Ice?” No one thought a ragtag group of American hockey players, kids really, could beat the mighty Russians. But they did. And when Al Michaels, the iconic sportscaster passes away, he’ll be forever known by these words; “Do you believe in miracles?! Yes!!!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWAyxVS99jtZlz1y4durmu8SVKf6GLzg_PGQTVFctxQwUx7jaah9ozSqrjFgKRMbTuEaZRVfJvx15JmAcgO8w53WtkoKrbE9lD8ALsIhySVnADhyphenhyphenFworN6TQQp3-_rOHUoKeWyZZLTOQ/s1600/Whitney+Houston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWAyxVS99jtZlz1y4durmu8SVKf6GLzg_PGQTVFctxQwUx7jaah9ozSqrjFgKRMbTuEaZRVfJvx15JmAcgO8w53WtkoKrbE9lD8ALsIhySVnADhyphenhyphenFworN6TQQp3-_rOHUoKeWyZZLTOQ/s320/Whitney+Houston.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><span style="color: #002060; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">The American women’s soccer team winning gold at the Olympics. The fall of the great wall in Russia. And yes, even 9/11. Remember that? Everyone thought the world was coming to an end. But it didn’t. <b>Think of movies that inspired you so much that, when you left, you had a sense of hope.</b> Your soul was moved. Then there’s Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, Hitler. All of those and more, were “moments” when time stood still. The world took notice. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: Georgia, serif;">But that’s not the point.</span></b></span><span style="color: #002060; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"> Those moments passed. What’s <b>important is how they affected us deeply on an individual level.</b> More importantly, its how those moments caused us to suddenly forget about our bank balance, whether we’d have enough money to make next month’s rent, whether Johnny would get braces, or whether we were “down-sized” at work. None of that mattered. All that mattered is somehow, at that “moment”, we came together. </span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Those are what I call moments of “collective awakening.”</span></b></span><span style="color: #002060; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"> Our world is suddenly rocked. The routine is gone. We’re suddenly shoved off dead-center with whatever rut we’re in. <b>Tragic or triumphant, it stirred our blood.</b> It brought out the passion in us. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Now let’s take it down even further.</span></b></span><span style="color: #002060; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"> Inside our own four walls the next day. <b>The hockey game from last night is a fading memory.</b> Our attention turns from soccer back to Johnny’s braces. Saddam and Osama died. Our world goes on. Back to our little routines, our comfort zones, the places that, IF we allow them, breed stagnation and complacency. And there we are. <b>Our lives suddenly back on track, back in that same old routine, day after day after day.</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Are you picking up what I’m laying down yet?</span></b></span><span style="color: #002060; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"> One of the things that intrigues me when I speak with clients is the common undercurrent of stagnation and complacency. It’s almost universal, regardless of the situation. Whether its relationships, jobs, health, finances, or what have you, people are feeling “stuck.” <b>Here’s a newsflash. Don’t wait for the world to change to make your world change.</b> Don’t wait for the death of a singer to get your passion stirred or a team of hockey players to inspire you. <b>Inspire yourself. Shake up your routine. </b>Take a different route to work every day. Surprise your family with bacon and eggs for dinner and then, the next morning, serve them last night’s casserole. When you’re going through the drive-up for lunch, specify to the voice you’re talking to outside your car window that you want your order “to go.” Say it with a straight face. <b>Do you get what I’m saying? </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">Or perhaps you’re one who thinks I’m going a tad over-board? <b>“Seriously, Gus? Tell the guy I want my drive-thru order “to go?” “That will bring me out of the stagnation I’m in?” My reply,</b> “Instead of thinking of ways you can’t, think of ways that will work. <b>Flip the crystal ball around and look at life thru a different lens.</b> You’ve got enough negative energy that your mind creates every day all by itself. Negative energy which is amplified every time you turn on the television, the radio, or read in the news every day about the economy, crime, or the latest political dance going on. <b>There’s beauty, inspiration, and good all around us.</b> We just have to cut through the fog of what our minds create and what the world tosses at us to see it. It’s there. Don’t give up. Miracles happen every day.” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: Georgia, serif;">And if you can’t do that, at least do this.</span></b></span><span style="color: #002060; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"> Next time you’re feeling down or you’re feeling stuck, just remember that voice from long ago, the one that said loudly<b>…”Do you believe in miracles? YES!!!”</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: Georgia, serif;">“Gusto”</span></b></span></div></div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-62364814368187207612012-02-11T05:23:00.000-08:002012-02-11T05:23:13.932-08:00LOVE Keeps Us Alive<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Most of the time, there’s an attempt to write about things here that will inspire you. People, places, things, or situations you can identify with. Stories you can perhaps get absorbed in, ones that reach into your heart and soul. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">When I first started this blog in April, 2010, I had no agenda, no concept, no idea really, of where I was going with it. I just simply started writing. I’ve discovered that by NOT having a plan or a goal, is when the messages are “heard.”</span> Such is life; spontaneous moments, spur of the moment ideas, instinctive thoughts, and things that just “happen” are the ones that usually resonate for people. I attribute many, if not most of these events, as sort of divine intervention. Nothing just “happens” in this world by mistake, I believe. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Everything and everyone has a purpose, though we may not even know it at the time.</span> It’s only afterwards, and only for those of us “aware” enough, is when we truly understand their meaning.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">I must admit, however, much of the first few months were spent focusing on stories that many would perceive, even allege as self-serving, and deservedly so.</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"> However, during the past two years, that pattern has gradually shifted away to matters involving others, many involving “pay it forward” concepts, “keeping kindness alive”, and so forth. But recently, something occurred that takes me back, something that takes me back to about a year ago and the year before that. It is my hope then, that you keep an open heart and mind while I proceed with this latest installment of “Ramblings.” And although this topic may be personal in nature, <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">an honest attempt will be made so you might be able to identify with it in your own life, so it might inspire you that, in spite of whatever troubles come your way in life, there’s always something you can hold on to, that will keep you alive. That something is called LOVE.</span> But not in the sense you may think. I’m speaking of what’s in your HEART. The kind of love that says, “I’ll be with you every step of the way. Don’t give up!”</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NcodhVtGiFerVxZcFDCeU1z5hq6xBKCYYf8cEN8PyNrpwF0twW5TmKMYOpoPAIQjuGuHDgOVxtV8tPtiFcr8zSm7639hpb13IqtMCyRpEf76GbE42P3UwgeBoCSQqqbBAaTpAnIm7LI/s1600/White+Rose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NcodhVtGiFerVxZcFDCeU1z5hq6xBKCYYf8cEN8PyNrpwF0twW5TmKMYOpoPAIQjuGuHDgOVxtV8tPtiFcr8zSm7639hpb13IqtMCyRpEf76GbE42P3UwgeBoCSQqqbBAaTpAnIm7LI/s400/White+Rose.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;"></span></i></b><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Have you ever found yourself so isolated, so alone, it seems as if no one knows you exist?</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"> And I’m not talking about the kind of “place” in your head where life events have gotten you down so much, in spite of all the friends and family you may have right there with you, that you feel this way, though that circumstance could apply here as well. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I’m speaking of it in almost the literal sense.</span> A place where you live alone and though you have neighbors and people who know your name, there’s really NO ONE you can call a “friend.” It’s just you and whatever means you can find to exist; transportation, work, food, television, phone, and a computer. That’s where yours truly was exactly two and a half years ago.</span></i></b> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">But before I start there, I want to take you back, back many years ago to when I was a child and begin there. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I’ve loved a handful of women in my life, but it was my first love that will always take center stage in my heart.</span> She was everything. She was there every morning to greet me when I woke, serving me breakfast. She was there in the evening when I returned home from school or when I came in from a hard day toiling in the hot sun on our family’s farm in Western Kansas. She bandaged my cuts, mended my bruises, dried my tears, bathed me, fed me, and tucked me in at night. She was always “there.” <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">She was pure unadulterated LOVE. She was my mother</span>. At 13 though, looking down at her near lifeless 39 year old body lying in a road ditch after it was forcefully and brutally ejected from a truck after a near head-on collision with another vehicle, I knew right then I was about to lose her. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">My first experience with life hitting ME head-on, an END</span> I didn’t know how profound an impact it would make on my life until many years later, an impact I won’t go into much detail here in this latest chapter. For now, suffice it to say she’s always been with me, ever since she passed away on July 11th, 1972, though I never fully understood just how fully “present” she’s been until the past 3 ½ years. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">She’s with me right NOW, at this very moment</span>, helping me to type these words coming from my heart and hers to yours. Sounds creepy I know, but I believe it to be true!</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLPkJwtdkDaxUeR6Sc2XtLLHVydVQNSLsxUvuhJtZMtofrkASY99MrFfnAwltlr17vvvzYvGAJqBjBeYFAMOYQheNTZUoToPKsIJv8NWMwBqMqzgqQuJEhkOHrTyXV4jQYTxhBxSaCt90/s1600/Morning's+First+Light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLPkJwtdkDaxUeR6Sc2XtLLHVydVQNSLsxUvuhJtZMtofrkASY99MrFfnAwltlr17vvvzYvGAJqBjBeYFAMOYQheNTZUoToPKsIJv8NWMwBqMqzgqQuJEhkOHrTyXV4jQYTxhBxSaCt90/s400/Morning's+First+Light.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></i></b> </div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"></span></i></b><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">My next love was the woman whom I would eventually marry and who bore our children. I’d known her since childhood and she had one of those teenage crushes on me. I fell for her again many years later after I returned to Kansas, having been absent for nearly a decade. That marriage, unfortunately, lasted only 8 years, destroyed by actions on both sides. Here again, that’s another story. We loved each other and we still do, but not in an intimate way anymore. She’s a good woman and she’s done the best she could in life. More importantly, we created love together, manifested by God’s grace in our daughter and son. </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">So now I want to fast forward to two and a half years ago and refer you back to the paragraph above where I was speaking of ISOLATION. That’s where I found love for only the second time in my adult life. Or so I thought. She was a former high school classmate living in San Diego County. A Facebook “friend” I’d discovered in early 2009. By the middle of that year we were nearly non-stop on our computers, chatting away on yahoo messenger, me in Kansas, she in California. Sharing our “life stories”, our interests, our triumphs, our failures, the past, the future, everything. We discovered we had a lot in common. We fell in love 1400 miles apart. And then we met again in person for the first time in over 30 years in Arizona during August 2009. I’d been invited to a family gathering there earlier that year. I asked if she wanted to meet me there. She agreed. Four nights and three days of bliss. I returned to Kansas and she to California. I was head over heels and I thought she was, too. Long story short, I ended up being just a passing ship in the night, someone she thought she would travel with for a short while, enjoying the view, and then jumping off when things got choppy. I was devastated. It was shortly before we met when I had thoughts of returning to California to start a new life and search for a new career. Certainly she was in my plans, too. And even though it appeared over, it didn’t change my plans. After all, I’d had the notion of going back to California before we’d gotten to know each other again. And I did.</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIG5E23IOfU7FTKPN4HmCnwLkWmp8IFg0Y8hSMcvK9j_MU4zAb7qbmEaj6AT-3KX-iRutH8xyATew8LUWfRp1knqQUgwpN93ioZCE9FiSIDrpCHxiPBrrs5UKginh_4RZwvcv285F0mbY/s1600/Love+Keeps+Us+Alive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIG5E23IOfU7FTKPN4HmCnwLkWmp8IFg0Y8hSMcvK9j_MU4zAb7qbmEaj6AT-3KX-iRutH8xyATew8LUWfRp1knqQUgwpN93ioZCE9FiSIDrpCHxiPBrrs5UKginh_4RZwvcv285F0mbY/s400/Love+Keeps+Us+Alive.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">There’s a song by The Eagles called “Love Will Keep Us Alive”, a beautiful love song beautifully sung by one of the original Eagle members, Timothy B. Schmit. For weeks and months after we broke up, I played the song over and over again, letting the words sink deeply into my soul;</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/C0_WAgwBR90/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/C0_WAgwBR90&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/C0_WAgwBR90&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">“I was standing all alone against the world outside…you were searching for a place to hide. Lost and lonely, now you’ve given me the will to survive…when we’re hungry, LOVE will keep us ALIVE. Don’t you worry, sometimes you just got to let it ride. The world is changing, right before your eyes. Now I’ve found you, there’s no more emptiness inside…when we’re hungry, LOVE will keep us ALIVE. I would die for you, climb the highest mountain, baby there’s nothing I wouldn’t do. Now I’ve found you, there’s no more emptiness inside. When we’re hungry LOVE will keep us ALIVE.”</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">When I arrived back in San Diego in March 2010, I brought that song and it’s lyrics with me. It was embedded deeply into my heart and soul, where it remains forever, and one I’ll never forget. Shortly after arriving, things went from bad to worse with the woman I met in Arizona the previous summer. I discovered she had disclosed some intimate and tragic details of my life, things I had shared with her in confidence, things very few people know outside of my immediate family, and a few close friends I left behind in Kansas. Things got very ugly. Anger got the best of me. So ugly, we never had ANY contact with one another for over a year and a half, until we just “happened” to see one another earlier this month while I was taking a stroll along Moonlight Beach. </span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBID59_g4hNdF898NNvHoOEh3uqF7lgAhJ-IfBbT_xp2w8Gse9Wud1tKq336Uj4HkIWHicsRXGG6EhFv9rfEZh97hSqL_RCx4_kstzo0-cTavV6uKAzO64cPCwGAr6Hpdr5pAgH7ipmqQ/s1600/Endless+Love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBID59_g4hNdF898NNvHoOEh3uqF7lgAhJ-IfBbT_xp2w8Gse9Wud1tKq336Uj4HkIWHicsRXGG6EhFv9rfEZh97hSqL_RCx4_kstzo0-cTavV6uKAzO64cPCwGAr6Hpdr5pAgH7ipmqQ/s400/Endless+Love.jpg" width="346" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Life’s funny. The things that are the simplest are the most profound and true. They’re timeless. Words and phrases like “time heals all wounds.” And time has done just that with her and I, just like it did with coming to grips with the death of my mother. What ENDED was really just a NEW beginning. We ended up taking a long walk together, talking with one another non-stop, laughing and sharing events of our lives and reminiscing on our moments together. She’s moved on, found love again, and is getting married. I’m happy for her. I realize now she came into my life for a reason, and it was HUGE. It was her who gave me encouragement, advice, love, and support at at a time when I had no one else. As I said, I was living alone in complete isolation. She was the one that kept telling me; “God, I could read what you write forever! You need to get your ass out of Kansas, your star is much too bright there!”</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">And finally, out of the blue, came a woman that simply blew me away,</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"> the most special of all, except of course for my mother. For the sake of privacy, I won’t go into much detail. Suffice it to say I thought she was “the one.” We were a couple for 18 months. She was everything I could dream of in a woman and meant the world to me. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">She was my LIFE.</span> Unfortunately, I again brought downfall to this relationship, though not with anger like the previous one, but rather with not following through with my words. For not practicing what I preach. A few of my actions, or the lack thereof, ran counter to some of the most treasured core beliefs I hold in the highest regard; beliefs like honor, respect, and integrity. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Devastated once again. Another “ending.” </span>Life goes on. I could, and probably should, write much much more about her, but I choose not to for the time being. The wounds are still fresh for both of us and we both need healing. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The mind needs cleared of any negative emotions and the heart needs time to put itself back together,</span> so I’ll leave it at that.</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYbYtaLdIKbr9FWD1o5oor4avChCetMcwIHB63liLpZ9Pcav34hy5ttj6splEvjyKgi_hsC0cOLMDOomyHVqMRfvtwVo8fUZUQBJk23_jqwSDRGhFE7ifP2KdEXmNZDARS5RjJEWNHjM/s1600/Love+in+our+Hearts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYbYtaLdIKbr9FWD1o5oor4avChCetMcwIHB63liLpZ9Pcav34hy5ttj6splEvjyKgi_hsC0cOLMDOomyHVqMRfvtwVo8fUZUQBJk23_jqwSDRGhFE7ifP2KdEXmNZDARS5RjJEWNHjM/s400/Love+in+our+Hearts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">What am I left with? The same thing I had a little over two years ago, LOVE in my HEART.</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"> It’s still there and always will be. It’s all I have left to keep me ALIVE and I’ll hold on to it until my last breath. And <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">why am I divulging such intimate and private details of my life</span>? Simple. To demonstrate that regardless of what your circumstances are, no matter how many times you’ve been devastated by events in your life, be it personally or professionally, no matter how many times your heart’s been broken, <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">as long as you have LOVE in your heart,</span> <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">the kind of love that says “I will never give up, I’ve got to keep pushing forward, because I’m worthy, because I have value, meaning, and purpose in this world”, then you’ll know. Love will keep you ALIVE.</span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Finally, I’ve sensed it for some time, which is further confirmed by events in my life over the course of the past few weeks and months.<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I’ve “heard” it in your messages. I’ve read your words. I feel your pain.</span> I know what you’re going through. It’s the legacy I believe that I’m left with from my mother, a love deeper and vaster then the seas, a love for mankind, a love that wants you to know “I’m here for you, I’m here to help. And <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I’m not going anywhere. So don’t give up. Because I will never leave your side.”</span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">I Love you “Mom.”</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85ne5Hz23dr1fnR45ZPp1ryu1gPnIqpueDWoAK0HlWYCZTJsMik1PaxUGLrw2ZYS2MaFDi_Qob6XYGdg59Reh3fqLflMbmyUKe2nRvoyawem6rR9HuSAwAlnJzdQ63jVoXIihDkzj09U/s1600/Scan2+-+Copy+%282%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85ne5Hz23dr1fnR45ZPp1ryu1gPnIqpueDWoAK0HlWYCZTJsMik1PaxUGLrw2ZYS2MaFDi_Qob6XYGdg59Reh3fqLflMbmyUKe2nRvoyawem6rR9HuSAwAlnJzdQ63jVoXIihDkzj09U/s400/Scan2+-+Copy+%282%29.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-36535069335558804502012-02-08T17:35:00.000-08:002012-02-08T17:35:36.576-08:00A Moment of TRUTH<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">He walked into my office, shut the door, turned the lock with a firm snap of his wrist, and sat down in front of me, right across my desk. <strong>A “moment of TRUTH” was about to unfold.</strong> I could tell he was upset, and deservedly so. After all, it had been just the prior weekend, after another one of those binges at home, while I was alone, binges I’d become infamously famous for, that I’d “called in sick” the following Monday. “Can’t make it in today. I’ve got the flu.” By then, the pattern was well-known. Everyone knew it, family, friends, co-workers, community, EVERYONE. <strong>“Gus has a problem. Why won’t he get HELP?”</strong><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Slowly, he pulled a blank sheet of 8 ½ x 11” paper from his briefcase, set it on the desk, and said, “This isn’t working for me.” “He” was the man I’d worked for and alongside for over 20 years, the one who’d consistently promoted me to higher positions, who’d gone to bat for me time and time again. And then he said, “Do you think you have a problem?” </span><strong style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">My heart was in my throat. I could barely breathe, let alone talk. But I did.</strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> I said, “Yes.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Let’s connect the dots then Gus.”</span></strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> He then took a pencil and started placing dots about a quarter inch apart on the paper. By the time he was done, the dots took up almost the entire sheet. I couldn’t tell what he was doing. But then he did something else. Taking the pencil, he began slowly marking and connecting one dot to another……<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Before long, <strong>I saw the four letters slowly taking shape……H E L P.</strong><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><strong><br />
</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That was nearly seven years ago.</span></strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> When he was done, all that was said was left up to me. It was my choice. Get help or not. I didn’t. God had other plans. He made sure I hit rock bottom before He would step in and pluck me from the ashes, ashes of my own self-destruction. Everything I’d worked and dreamed for; my job, my family, my home, and nearly my life, would soon be reduced to pieces.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Today, I look back on that “moment” in time as clear as if it just happened. <strong>So much has changed since then. Everything’s changed.</strong> I’m still the same person on the outside, just a few more years and a few extra pounds. But everything inside is completely different. I’m not the same man I once was. Where there was once pride, anger, denial, and ego, lies instead humility, acceptance, compassion, and love. Oh, but I’m far from perfect. I still get angry at times. I still have an “ego”, we all do. I say this often, <strong>“I may have lost a lot of pride, but what pride I have left for what I’ve done since, and for who I’ve become, I’m damn proud of.”<o:p></o:p></strong></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbswbuhOzNA9wzsjrsfnCY5V7kaU5LDNBnR6FDFvIcCpXePb2bxjYcYT9HsdprGJ0IDTDStEA9i7xFp2Z_oUJiiKkXQksfG3UpRmLeDMQE6bQs3m3bWVR5z7wvpUmaXaVqOY5mD2lVza4/s1600/Greatness+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbswbuhOzNA9wzsjrsfnCY5V7kaU5LDNBnR6FDFvIcCpXePb2bxjYcYT9HsdprGJ0IDTDStEA9i7xFp2Z_oUJiiKkXQksfG3UpRmLeDMQE6bQs3m3bWVR5z7wvpUmaXaVqOY5mD2lVza4/s400/Greatness+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What am I left with? A sense of purpose.</span></strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> A sense that I’m to give BACK to this world, and to those with whom I interact with, that which I almost lost. LIFE itself and all that’s pure and true about. Values like truth, respect, honor, dignity, courage, integrity, sincerity, sympathy, compassion, and love. <strong>He’s given me another chance</strong>, another opportunity to do good, to make the right choices, or <strong>what I call “NEW ways of living and thinking.”</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><strong><br />
</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">So whatever YOUR situation is, whatever circumstances you may be under, remember this; everyone gets another chance, everyone deserves the best this life has to offer, everyone has value, meaning, and purpose in this world. And <strong>when your “moment of TRUTH” arrives, grab on to it. Clinch it and never let go.</strong> I guarantee you, when you make the right choices, good things will happen in your life. It may not happen tomorrow. It may not even happen the next day, next week, or next month. But it WILL happen, it’s a virtual guarantee. So<strong> keep going, you’re not finished yet.</strong> Thoughts become words, words become actions, actions become habits, habits become character, and character becomes destiny. <strong>Greatness exists in ALL of us and your future is NOW.</strong><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><strong><br />
</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Gusto"<o:p></o:p></span><br />
</div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-7488688106219585102012-01-31T13:07:00.000-08:002012-01-31T13:07:06.932-08:00What People Talk About Before They Die ~ Kerry Egan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: blue; font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><em><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 14.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The following article was shared with me via email by a friend of mine. It moved me much as it did for my friend, so I’m sharing it here with all of you. My opinion? If I would have had the opportunity to speak with my Mother before she died, I’m convinced it would have been about “family.” No more. No less. Because those are the ties that bind each of us, the bedrock upon which we build our lives thereafter, and all the relationships we develop, nurture, and enjoy during our time here on this planet. ~ Gusto</span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Kerry Egan is a hospice chaplain in Massachusetts and the author of "Fumbling: A Pilgrimage Tale of Love, Grief, and Spiritual Renewal on the Camino de Santiago."</span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As a divinity school student, I had just started working as a student chaplain at a cancer hospital when my professor asked me about my work. I was 26 years old and still learning what a chaplain did.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I talk to the patients," I told him.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"You talk to patients? And tell me, what do people who are sick and dying talk to the student chaplain about?" he asked.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I had never considered the question before. “Well,” I responded slowly, “Mostly we talk about their families.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Do you talk about God?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Umm, not usually.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Or their religion?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Not so much.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“The meaning of their lives?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Sometimes.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“And prayer? Do you lead them in prayer? Or ritual?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Well,” I hesitated. “Sometimes. But not usually, not really.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I felt derision creeping into the professor's voice. “So you just visit people and talk about their families?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Well, they talk. I mostly listen.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Huh.” He leaned back in his chair.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A week later, in the middle of a lecture in this professor's packed class, he started to tell a story about a student he once met who was a chaplain intern at a hospital.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“And I asked her, 'What exactly do you <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>do</i></b> as a chaplain?' And she replied, 'Well, I talk to people about their families.'” He paused for effect. “And <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>that</i></b> was this student's understanding of faith! <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>That</i></b><i> </i>was as deep as this person's spiritual life went! Talking about other people's families!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The students laughed at the shallowness of the silly student. The professor was on a roll.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“And I thought to myself,” he continued, “that if I was ever sick in the hospital, if I was ever dying, that the last person I would ever want to see is some Harvard Divinity School student chaplain wanting to talk to me about my family.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My body went numb with shame. At the time I thought that maybe, if I was a better chaplain, I would know how to talk to people about big spiritual questions. Maybe if dying people met with a good, experienced chaplain they would talk about God, I thought.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Today, 13 years later, I am a hospice chaplain. I visit people who are dying <b>–</b> in their homes, in hospitals, in nursing homes. And if you were to ask me the same question - What do people who are sick and dying talk about with the chaplain? – I, without hesitation or uncertainty, would give you the same answer. Mostly, they talk about their families: about their mothers and fathers, their sons and daughters.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00cvzs9OaRhOrT7DdlmpbWUk8GfYEDCqKd0z_2l2oFEGyQyJ8EExukY18qGsi_bWRRvsfMitWOGk85GpFhwb0k6tuiw6E7gJI59oe3XXhSRr7_8ymlUFjEMY-EmOeGYkfNutznDfWSlU/s1600/In+This+House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00cvzs9OaRhOrT7DdlmpbWUk8GfYEDCqKd0z_2l2oFEGyQyJ8EExukY18qGsi_bWRRvsfMitWOGk85GpFhwb0k6tuiw6E7gJI59oe3XXhSRr7_8ymlUFjEMY-EmOeGYkfNutznDfWSlU/s400/In+This+House.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">They talk about the love they felt, and the love they gave. Often they talk about love they did not receive, or the love they did not know how to offer, the love they withheld, or maybe never felt for the ones they should have loved unconditionally.</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">They talk about how they learned what love is, and what it is not. And sometimes, when they are actively dying, fluid gurgling in their throats, they reach their hands out to things I cannot see and they call out to their parents: Mama, Daddy, Mother.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What I did not understand when I was a student then, and what I would explain to that professor now, is that people talk to the chaplain about their families because that is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>how</i></b> we talk about God. That is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>how</i></b> we talk about the meaning of our lives. That is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>how</i> </b>we talk about the big spiritual questions of human existence.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We don't live our lives in our heads, in theology and theories. We live our lives in our families: the families we are born into, the families we create, the families we make through the people we choose as friends.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is where we create our lives, this is where we find meaning, this is where our purpose becomes clear.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Family is where we first experience love and where we first give it. It's probably the first place we've been hurt by someone we love, and hopefully the place we learn that love can overcome even the most painful rejection.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWUeN0zwUcHKIHK1FlzUd406M_5FYR5jPdb8lDOigvfpvhUS5u1qLZn66_mjkzjk7OkMKX4uO3XAvBK0bMxFu9NHTLrndk2Zq2Gaawc65gTkNmP_gyqom_ZfjUV_g_418gBZZfvvCDjA/s1600/Family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWUeN0zwUcHKIHK1FlzUd406M_5FYR5jPdb8lDOigvfpvhUS5u1qLZn66_mjkzjk7OkMKX4uO3XAvBK0bMxFu9NHTLrndk2Zq2Gaawc65gTkNmP_gyqom_ZfjUV_g_418gBZZfvvCDjA/s400/Family.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This crucible of love is where we start to ask those big spiritual questions, and ultimately where they end.</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I have seen such expressions of love: A husband gently washing his wife's face with a cool washcloth, cupping the back of her bald head in his hand to get to the nape of her neck, because she is too weak to lift it from the pillow. A daughter spooning pudding into the mouth of her mother, a woman who has not recognized her for years.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A wife arranging the pillow under the head of her husband's no-longer-breathing body as she helps the undertaker lift him onto the waiting stretcher.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We don't learn the meaning of our lives by discussing it. It's not to be found in books or lecture halls or even churches or synagogues or mosques. It's discovered through these actions of love.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If God is love, and we believe that to be true, then we learn about God when we learn about love. The first, and usually the last, classroom of love is the family.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sometimes that love is not only imperfect, it seems to be missing entirely. Monstrous things can happen in families. Too often, more often than I want to believe possible, patients tell me what it feels like when the person you love beats you or rapes you. They tell me what it feels like to know that you are utterly unwanted by your parents. They tell me what it feels like to be the target of someone's rage. They tell me what it feels like to know that you abandoned your children, or that your drinking destroyed your family, or that you failed to care for those who needed you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even in these cases, I am amazed at the strength of the human soul. People who did not know love in their families know that they <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>should</i> </b>have been loved. They somehow know what was missing, and what they deserved as children and adults.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgil_vZqjLRx7e0wiggNnj7kh7CUBXzvOyggi_u6rk-JTzifdSBmGJW20ozcrWbRA1UnTsm6njQJB9EWx_zYijx7t3nOCXSJ52RhcXWi84Mb20CWI1aQAEGGKZR8_rQgBQa5RgvCQT3wVY/s1600/GrandfatherFatherSon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgil_vZqjLRx7e0wiggNnj7kh7CUBXzvOyggi_u6rk-JTzifdSBmGJW20ozcrWbRA1UnTsm6njQJB9EWx_zYijx7t3nOCXSJ52RhcXWi84Mb20CWI1aQAEGGKZR8_rQgBQa5RgvCQT3wVY/s400/GrandfatherFatherSon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When the love is imperfect, or a family is destructive, something else can be learned: forgiveness. The spiritual work of being human is learning how to love and how to forgive.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We don’t have to use words of theology to talk about God; people who are close to death almost never do. We should learn from those who are dying that the best way to teach our children about God is by loving each other wholly and forgiving each other fully - just as each of us longs to be loved and forgiven by our mothers and fathers, sons and daughters.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Kerry Egan</span></i></b></div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-63327072042055472122012-01-20T07:03:00.000-08:002012-01-20T07:14:28.866-08:00Don't Quit!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Many years ago two men, a father and his son, were planting wheat during the fall season in a remote part of Kansas. Actually, it was very remote, the population of the county in which they lived numbered less than 1,800 souls. They had nearly 2,000 acres of wheat to plant on various plots of land scattered over a 20 mile square area, many of which were far from paved roads. In fact, there were only TWO paved roads in the entire county, which was dominated instead with gravel roads that were maintained by county employees. But there was ONE plot of land that was so isolated, so far removed from the rest their land, that it required careful planning when they transported their equipment there each year to sow next year’s precious crop. Reason being, it was accessible by only two graveled roads, both of which were several miles away, and as always, they had to keep a watchful eye out on the weather, since the last leg to their destination was by rutted trail roads. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">In that part of the country and that time of year, thunderstorms could pop up at any moment, unleashing their fury with vast amounts of rain. If one should happen to move in on them before they could get out and dumped too much rain, they would be literally stuck there, since their equipment was far too heavy to move. Even a four-wheel drive vehicle would prove useless.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">And sure enough, just as they were finishing their last rounds during a hot and humid late afternoon in August, mother nature reared her head with one of most ominous clouds either had ever seen. They knew what was coming. They didn’t have much time. They knew they had to work quickly in order to escape. They had a 48 foot planter, a 280 HP tractor, a 1 ½ ton truck heavily laden with wheat seed, and a ¾ ton pickup, all of which had to be hastily prepared for the trip out. The son helped his father attach the planter to the tractor into “road” position, then scrambled back to the pickup which he then bolted to the back of the truck by means of a hitch. The father would then lead the way out in the tractor, lugging the planter behind it, while the son followed closely behind with the truck and pickup. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">The process to do all this normally took 45 minutes, but they knew mother nature wouldn’t allow that. The son kept asking his father, “What will we do if we get stuck here?” The father simply said, “Stop talking, just keep going!” They completed their job in 20 minutes flat. But by the time they were on the move, it had already started raining. Worse, one of the 12 transport tires on the planter was nearly flat. They had to keep going, communicating with one another via two-way radio. The fastest they could travel was 12 MPH and judging by the speed of the approaching storm, it would be right on their tails for the next 12 miles until they could reach a paved road. They didn’t waste a second. Fortunately, they made it. And just as they reached their destination, which was bordered by one of the only two paved roads in the county, the clouds opened up. Breathing a huge sigh of relief, the son jumped out of the truck, meeting his father who had come down from the tractor. Standing there in the pouring rain, the father grinned, looked at his son, and said, “You made it! You did it. You didn’t quit!”</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">That’s just one of many stories the son experienced while growing up on the plains of Western Kansas, a place unfit for the timid or weak. A place where “hard work” is a normal part of everyday life. A place that developed a character that said, “Never give up, give it your all, keep going, and don’t EVER quit.” And it reminds the writer of this story of this special piece, one that it is hoped, along with the story you just read, that regardless of who you are, where you are, or whatever difficult circumstances you may find yourself in, there’s ALWAYS a way out, there’s ALWAYS a light at the end of your tunnel…..</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjgwiLD-H8BQvvCQLac6Ix_PaCXDjGnBFoKjfraYGJrS3CYD3r1VBjc8Gd40RLT0VJ0pqjAiBJt5V5TU1mImQlifPBrG29kKr__3qpSvfR0jRchnOkcr9m4gNhvyUvuddFCfiCfsYs2c/s1600/Don%2527t+quit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjgwiLD-H8BQvvCQLac6Ix_PaCXDjGnBFoKjfraYGJrS3CYD3r1VBjc8Gd40RLT0VJ0pqjAiBJt5V5TU1mImQlifPBrG29kKr__3qpSvfR0jRchnOkcr9m4gNhvyUvuddFCfiCfsYs2c/s400/Don%2527t+quit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,<br />
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,<br />
When the funds are low and the debts are high,<br />
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,<br />
When care is pressing you down a bit,<br />
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Life is queer with its twists and turns,<br />
As every one of us sometimes learns,<br />
And many a failure turns about,<br />
When he might have won had he stuck it out;<br />
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–<br />
You may succeed with another blow.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Often the goal is nearer than,<br />
It seems to a faint and faltering man,<br />
Often the struggler has given up,<br />
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,<br />
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,<br />
How close he was to the golden crown.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Success is failure turned inside out–<br />
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,<br />
And you never can tell how close you are,<br />
It may be near when it seems so far,<br />
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–<br />
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">~ Author unknown</span></b></div></div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-29094134207381861322012-01-13T19:08:00.000-08:002012-01-13T19:08:54.827-08:00"Carried Away...."<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa";">This one’s been around awhile, and there’s some question to its origin or even its validity, but irrespective of that, it’s food for thought. Cherish your loved ones, even when times are bad, even when things are at their worst, for we never know what tomorrow may bring…. ~ Gusto</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I’ve got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa";">Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa";">She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her! </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa";">With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa";">The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa";">When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again. In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage. This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa";">She requested that every day for the month’s duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request. I told Jane about my wife’s divorce conditions. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully. My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don’t tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa";">On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her. On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn’t tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger. She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa";">Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head. Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it’s time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day. But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3Q_N8Pm_w6wcqOsm83jXU8K_bBtk72d7526gdM3kcWcZZWaUdf_4f7ckb5qJDCPaSWI6X9UY3B6KTP0k_hHYwiaVfB9Rxj9m5NTAeXQDR_htLPeGy7UrlJ3DO4KK20ETGtWPfVgZvg8/s1600/Love+is+a+Funny+Thing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3Q_N8Pm_w6wcqOsm83jXU8K_bBtk72d7526gdM3kcWcZZWaUdf_4f7ckb5qJDCPaSWI6X9UY3B6KTP0k_hHYwiaVfB9Rxj9m5NTAeXQDR_htLPeGy7UrlJ3DO4KK20ETGtWPfVgZvg8/s400/Love+is+a+Funny+Thing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa";">I drove to office…. jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind…I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore. She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us part. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa";">Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us apart. That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I ran up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed -dead. My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was too busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from whatever negative reaction it would have on our son, in case we pushed through with the divorce. — At least, in the eyes of our son—- I’m a loving husband…. THE SMALL DETAILS OF YOUR LIVES ARE WHAT REALLY MATTER IN A RELATIONSHIP.</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJd4p95mmp4-RFWk3FRSyUv7dgwXWzDy7SBtW92qa9wmqR5Pu1w8wOZdfD5foq4nGGNzKGuWLbyPCynacPafVvDV4de26YQfLftHm_PxqMkP0zwIlb5FRcHl6jVtMVN2hITku92VTLeM/s1600/White+Rose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJd4p95mmp4-RFWk3FRSyUv7dgwXWzDy7SBtW92qa9wmqR5Pu1w8wOZdfD5foq4nGGNzKGuWLbyPCynacPafVvDV4de26YQfLftHm_PxqMkP0zwIlb5FRcHl6jVtMVN2hITku92VTLeM/s320/White+Rose.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"IT'S NOT" the Mansion or House, the Car, Property, the Money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage! </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa";">The story you just read reminds me of this…..<br />
<br />
"One day I won’t be here. One day when you have a problem you won't be able to call me to ask for help. One day when you want to send me a message I won't ever receive it. One day when I'm not here I won't be able to tell you that I love you so much and I cherish every moment I have with you. Never regret anything we did. Regret the things we didn't have a chance to do because it was too late. Remember all the laughs we got to share and the tears we got to see roll off each other's faces. Remember all the hugs and air kisses. Don't ever leave my side when I need you because I will never leave you." ~ unknown.</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/37jBK81Uvo0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa";">“Gusto”</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-3826047678032315792012-01-09T19:32:00.000-08:002012-01-10T08:29:49.677-08:00~ "TEBOW" ~<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 13pt;">He’s one of the most polarizing figures in America, a football player who shows no fear in professing his religious beliefs. But more on him in a moment. First, I want to share a story with you, one it is hoped you will see the connection between it and the other subject of this chapter when you’re finished reading.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 13pt;">The message came through my cell phone on New Year’s Eve 2011 from a young lady in Indiana (the name will be Jane Doe for privacy reasons); “Gus, this is Jane. I apologize for intruding in your personal space. I’m in need of your home address. If you’re not comfortable giving it to me, I’ll understand. I just wasn’t sure if the address on your Facebook page is “real.” Of course, my response, given my life is pretty much an open book was an absolute “Yes.” </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 13pt;">At this point in the story, it would behoove me to tell you that this is a young lady who just “happened” upon my Facebook page in early November, after she googled “inspiration”, and which also came after series of events you’re about to read that, quite frankly, is unlike anything you may have read or seen before. As I sit here typing this, I’m still amazed she’s even alive. But before we get to that, here’s what happened next and how it all came about. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 13pt;">About the time I received this message on Dec. 31st, 2011, I had underwent a series of personal events in the previous two months that had shaken my confidence and faith to the core. As a result, I returned to a practice I had begun sometime late in 2008, a time in which I had hit my own “rock bottom.” So in late December, I started every day with a prayer, asking Him for guidance and strength, even going so far that one morning I said “Look, I’m angry here. I need your help! Show yourself!” And then it “happened”….</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 13pt;">January 5th, 2012. I walk out to the mailbox. There, are two cards addressed to me from the young lady in Indiana. The first offering Birthday wishes but it was the second that got my attention. On the front was this quote from Amanda Bradley:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="googqs-tidbit1"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 13pt;">"Some people seem to specialize in doing thoughtful deeds, Before you ask, they understand your problems and your needs. They help because they want to,</span></i></b></span><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13pt;"> they find joy in being kind, and making others happy is the first thing on their minds. They make this world a better place by practicing the art of reaching out to others and by giving...from the heart."</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal;">That’s when I knew, I’d gotten my answer. I had to call her to hear more of her story. And once she emailed it to me, I was stunned. Over the course of the next few days, I let it resonate in me before finally deciding to share it with you. A word of caution. What you are about to read may be painful, but it is my hope it will give you hope and inspiration that regardless of your particular situation or circumstances, there’s likely someone who’s worse off. I also want to STRONGLY emphasize, “Jane” assured me by phone her light and guidance lies first and last with her Lord and Savior. Yours truly was simply a vessel, a ship passing in the night, one who was designed to be a messenger on His behalf through my Facebook page called “Gusto.” Here then, is her story, edited somewhat in content for readability:</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">I hope this helps you to understand a little bit more about my story. It will, no doubt, need to be edited down! </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">While playing volleyball my senior year in high school I injured my back. I have had 4 failed back surgeries to date...hoping for no more. I lost my outlet, who I was. I belong on the softball field playing ball. That was taken from me due to my back injuries. I am frequently asked what does a perfect day in my life look like. My reply is stepping on the ball field with my dad. I lost both in such a short period of time.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> My dad was the most important man in my life, even after I married a wonderful man. My dad died May 9, 2000 while driving himself to the hospital after having a heart attack. He never made it. My heart was shattered, yet I took care of my mom and the 3 grandkids that they had custody of. I died inside, yet continued to be a wife, not a good one I may add, and a mother to a young son. I was present for our son but never 100% present for my husband.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Though I grew up in an unhealthy home (my father was an alcoholic; however, after 3 DUIs he worked hard to become and remain sober the last 10 yrs of his life), he was everything to me...I was daddy's little girl. He and my mother taught me well how to suppress my emotions within myself. I buried, and buried, and buried everything. I just kept shoving. That is all I knew. That's all I saw. So that is what I was taught. I became a pro at it, so much so that it nearly killed me, not once, but twice. </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">I tried to commit suicide two times in less than a month. On April 22, 2011, I intentionally took over 120 muscle relaxers. I was rushed to a trauma center, approx 42 miles from my home town, by ground ambulance. The helicopter couldn't fly due to weather. I was in ICU for approx 24 hrs and was court ordered to the behavioral unit of that same hospital where I stayed for 5 days. I thought I was ready to go home.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">On May 19, I did the same thing; however, that time I took over 220 muscle relaxers. I wanted to die. I did not want to face another day of physical pain, emotional pain, of not being the mother that I felt my children needed and wanted, not being the wife my husband deserved. God had other plans. Once again, weather didn't permit the helicopter to fly. I almost died. I was unresponsive, intubated and was in ICU in a different trauma center, again 42 miles away from my hometown. After regaining consciousness and breathing normally, I voluntarily went to that hospital's behavioral center where I stayed there for 2 wks. I was not going to go home to die. I did not want to die at that point. I wanted my life back. I did not feel safe at the thought of walking out those doors so I stayed until I was confident in my safety plan and had counseling lined up. I would then put in 6 weeks of Intensive Outpatient for 3 hours a day 3 days a week at the same facility. While there, I met Nick. We grew very close, staying up until 4 in the morning just talking in the "common room." He was released the day after I was. We continued our friendship by talking on the phone and/or texting daily and seeing each other occasionally. </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">My sister Kim hung herself on Aug. 19, 2011. That happened to be her second attempt at suicide. The same sister, whom I just started having flashbacks in mid June of her molesting me while I was a young child. This is the same sister who handed her three children over to my mom and dad to raise. When my dad died, they were placed back in her care per my mom. That lasted about a year and a half. The oldest, a boy, had been molesting his two younger sisters while in their mother's care. My husband and I took custody of my two nieces. They remained in our care receiving a safe, warm, loving home with stability, values and morals for almost 7 years. They decided life would be so much better living with Grandma (my mom). We allowed that to happen and transferred custody over to her.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> On the evening of Oct. 30, Nick told me that he was going to kill himself after an argument between us. I had once again set the boundary (something I never have to do or have had to do in the past) of him not texting me in the evening. That time was for my family. He had stopped taking his psych meds and was hearing the four voices in his head again. They never told him what to do or they never took over his body, they would just have conversations in his head. He would continuously text me so much so that it would upset my children and husband. I asked him how he was going to do it, and he told me medicine...pills. He told me this via text. I didn't believe him. He promised me that he would never kill himself. He was in PBH (Parkview Behavioral Health) when I met him to get his meds regulated, not a suicide attempt. I called not one person. Not the police, not an ambulance, no one at all. I could have saved his life. I may not have known his address, but I knew the town he lived in and could have called the police in that town. Surely they knew him. I failed him horribly. I failed myself horribly yet again. After his death, I was headed right back to killing myself. The guilt and pain was more than I could bear. My husband stayed home for a week with me to make sure I wouldn't do anything. I didn't have to tell him how bad I was. I wasn't getting out of bed, showering only when I had to, not eating...the classic signs of depression. While placing my safety plan in action, I distracted myself. One day in the first week of November I googled inspiration. I found your Gusto page and then your blog, gustoramblings.com. It took me 3 or 4 days to get through all your posts. After the first day of finding you, Thank God for you coming in to my life, I began to slowly lift my head up from being face down in the deep, dark hole of hopelessness, depression, guilt, anger, grief, loss, etc...I honestly believe I wouldn't be here alive, today telling you my story and saying thank you over and over again if it weren't for you and our Jesus Christ.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 13pt;">Now back to Mr. Tebow. Although I didn’t get down on one knee like him and prayed to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I’m convinced of its power, given the story you just read and the background leading up to it. So why am I including Tebow in all this? Here again, it’s another one of those “moments” that I prayed about today that finally compelled me to write this. So, feeling somewhat out of sorts today, I went for a walk and the thought occurred to me; why not see if I can incorporate his story with this young lady’s? No, they’re totally different I thought. Still, something was stirring in me. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 13pt;">As I walked, these words kept popping into my head; “Truth”, “Excellence”, “Believe”, “Originality”, and “Winning”….T.E.B.O.W. And then suddenly, I looked down at my cell phone. It was an email from my dear cousin back in Kansas, a lady who miraculously re-appeared in my life about three years ago, not long after I was crawling back out of the bottom I’d found myself in at that time. And over the past three years, she’s sent me countless “messages” via email, many of which I’ve shared both here and on my Facebook page. She’s nearly 80 now, a first cousin to my mother who passed away nearly 40 years ago, a lady I am convinced was heaven-sent to help ME help YOU. Another messenger if you will. Here’s the email:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;">I read about a woman named Pam, who knows the pain of considering abortion. More than 24 years ago, she and her husband Bob were serving as missionaries to the Philippines and praying for a fifth child. Pam contracted amoebic dysentery, an infection of the intestine caused by a parasite found in contaminated food or drink. She went into a coma and was treated with strong antibiotics before they discovered she was pregnant. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;">Doctors urged her to abort the baby for her own safety and told her that the medicines had caused irreversible damage to her baby. She refused the abortion and cited her Christian faith as the reason for her hope that her son would be born without the devastating disabilities physicians predicted. Pam said the doctors didn't think of it as a life, they thought of it as a mass of fetal tissue.</span></b> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;">While pregnant, Pam nearly lost their baby four times but refused to consider abortion. She recalled making a pledge to God with her husband: <i>If you will give us a son, we’ll name him Timothy and we’ll make him a preacher.</i></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
Pam ultimately spent the last two months of her pregnancy in bed and eventually gave birth to a healthy baby boy August 14,1987. Pam’s youngest son is indeed a preacher. He preaches in prisons, makes hospital visits, and serves with his father’s ministry in the Philippines. He also plays football. Pam’s son is Tim Tebow.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
The University of Florida’s star quarterback became the first sophomore in history to win college football’s highest award, the Heisman Trophy. His current role as quarterback of the Denver Broncos has provided an incredible platform for Christian witness. As a result, he is being called The Mile-High Messiah.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;">Tim’s notoriety and the family’s inspiring story have given Pam numerous opportunities to speak on behalf of women’s centers across the country. Pam Tebow believes that every little baby you save matters. I pray her tribe will increase!</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;">May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always!</span></b> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 13pt;">Whether Tim Tebow ever wins another football game in his life is irrelevant. And regardless of your particular spiritual belief, his “presence” among us does at least ONE thing. It gets us to thinking and asking ourselves these questions: Can it be? Is it possible? Is God really at work here? We can argue all day, we can say “Well, this is all just coincidence.” That’s hogwash. Nothing, absolutely nothing, just “happens” by mistake in this world. I’m absolutely convinced of it!</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir09GuO1pnRLP_2U7SsGy4UtmmXntdt_GTviM-qL9AdsezeMblTQtcDuKcXQxL4syrb9jfEbAxvXBvRs377CkRb82h5Xqk9taxRlERyaK6KQMudcTxRK_ELKPMV3Vgm0YaXf8VwRnZo2o/s1600/Tebow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir09GuO1pnRLP_2U7SsGy4UtmmXntdt_GTviM-qL9AdsezeMblTQtcDuKcXQxL4syrb9jfEbAxvXBvRs377CkRb82h5Xqk9taxRlERyaK6KQMudcTxRK_ELKPMV3Vgm0YaXf8VwRnZo2o/s400/Tebow.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: 13pt;"></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 13pt;">Mr. Tebow’s passing statistics from yesterday’s playoff against the Steelers? TEN completions, 316 yards, average gain of 31.6 yards per completion. His trademark eye black he’s had since college? John 3:16. Think about it.</span></b> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 13pt;"></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 13pt;">“Gusto”</span></b> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #EFECE8; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-33639328466934170912011-12-31T19:13:00.000-08:002011-12-31T19:23:39.145-08:00Happy NEW Year!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">As another year rolls to a close during this journey called “life”, most of us take time to look back and reflect on what happened in our lives over the previous 12 months; our triumphs, failures, the glories of success, the beginnings of something “new”, whether it was a job, a relationship, new surroundings, marriage, divorce, birth, and even death. And most of us look forward to the “New Year” full of promise and hope, thankful that we even made it this far. I’m no exception.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">What you’re about to read is REAL. It’s also going to be somewhat graphic, dark, but I’m convinced by the end, you’ll be more inspired than ever that whatever your circumstances are, there’s always hope, there’s always light, there’s always a better way to propel yourself to new ways of living and thinking. I’m also aware that there’s a fair amount of personal risk in what I’m about to share, and which I’ve been cautioned about by those closest to me. But this is bound to come out sooner or later. It’s inevitable. It’s also practicing my own principles. It’s living out loud at both its least complimentary AND it’s finest. This story, however, goes back further than 2011. It starts on December 31st, 2007, a “moment in time” when life was about to transition into a period that could only be described as the worst train wreck you’ve ever seen and the most awesome and inspiring fireworks show you’ve ever witnessed, all rolled up into a 48 month time span. Up until that point, the previous 25 years were marked by a series of events not un-like anybody else’s life. There was success and there was failure of all types; marriage, children, unparalleled personal and professional glory, yet heartache, doubt, despair. But what was about to happen over the next few months once the calendar rolled over to 1-1-2008 all the way to TODAY, December 31st, 2011, four years later, would make anything else prior mild in comparison.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">As you read, let your imagination take you “there”, to a time and place where there is no hope, no inspiration, nothing meaningful and worthwhile that wakes you up in the morning which brings you happiness, enthusiasm, and joy. As mentioned, it’s late December 2007. You’re alone. Completely and utterly alone. You have no one. By now, you’ve immersed yourself in your own self-pity and self-medication so deeply, even your own family can’t “reach” you. Falling further and further into the depths of despair, you awake each day, look in the mirror, and say “this can’t keep going on like this.” You go through the motions of everyday life. You shower, dress, go to work, come home, and the cycle repeats itself. Day after day after day.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">And then one day, you wake up and, for whatever reason, maybe it was the shakes from the previous night’s binge, maybe you thought “I’ll just not call”, everything, all the pain, would just go away and somehow the next day, this nightmare you’ve been living in for so long will magically disappear. You’ll wake up and it’s over. Or maybe you just simply gave up. So you don’t call. You don’t call your employer to say, “I’m sick today”, as you’ve done so many times before, and you’re certain it sounds like a broken record to the person on the other end. The next thing you know, the job you’ve known for the previous 20+ years with the same employer, the one where you reached the pinnacle of success, has gone up in smoke. And then, one day in mid-February 2008, still alone and trying to drown the pain, you hear a knock at your door. There, stands two of your sisters, one of home had driven hundreds of miles across two states, along with a local “peace officer”, all of whom had arrived to take you somewhere to get help. You refuse. And yet you agree to go with one of your sisters for a month, just to see if you can pull yourself together. But you don’t get it together. In fact, the first night with your sister, you suffer a seizure and nearly die. Still, even that didn’t “awaken” you from the pit you’re in. But soon, a rapid series of radical and life-changing events would. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">And it would do so in a BIG way. And by the time it’s over, you find yourself as if you’re born anew. Colors seem brighter. You can “hear” birds sing again. You watch children in awe and admiration. You begin to discover a NEW way of living and thinking that totally turns your world around, bathed in a light you never dreamed possible. You begin reconnecting and building relationships with people from your past, people whom you knew 30 years prior in high school. People that you met on Facebook. For the first time, you discover there’s something called “texting”, even though you’re 50 years old, it’s early 2009, and that technology has already been around awhile. Don’t laugh. That’s how rudimentary your life was. Before, it was nothing but work. Your life is about to take off like a flaming rocket ship and you’re still not aware of it. But, as mentioned, you’re still not awake. There’s still more branches and leaves the Master wants to prune from the tree before He decides you’re ready to form new blossoms and LIVE again.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">And that’s what happens. He strips you of nearly everything, all of your possessions, your freedom, and you nearly lose your life two more times. All in the not so pleasant confines of a 270 square foot concrete and steel cage you’ve come to know as “home” for 158 days beginning in mid-2008, after you’ve finally tested the legal limits of what society will allow. And it’s there where life begins to flicker again inside of your heart and soul. So, by the time you emerge into the light in early November 2008, the Master has prepared you for the world to discover, and for you to discover a NEW world.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Everything, every single “moment” since those two fateful days in 2008, one in mid-June, and the other in early November, continues to astound you on a daily basis. People have come into your life whom you never expected, two of whom you came to love, and although the first was there for just a very brief period in the big scheme of things, the second was one who you were certain was meant to be with you forever. She arrived in May 2010, a gift from above, a soul that illuminated the banquet room of dozens and dozens of people where you first met. 18 months later, it was over. The light of the flame you once knew together, snuffed out for reasons you’re still trying to piece together, but really, you’re just thankful you were alive to love at all. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Most of all, you’re thankful for all that’s happened since December 31st, 2007, all the NEW people who’ve come into your life that gives it purpose and meaning, all the NEW places you’ve seen that have lifted your spirit, and all the NEW accomplishments you’ve achieved. A previous client of yours, the biggest one you had while you were in banking, a man of great wealth, character, and more importantly, a great man of faith, becomes one of your biggest fans, giving you a job while you’re still searching for a NEW path. You went back to school at the ripe age of 51 in March 2010 and completed two year’s worth of studies in 12 weeks, and you survived. You’re now an important and key ingredient in the birth and success of a nonprofit organization that’s designed to help widowed parents with surviving dependent children, acting in the role as its Chief Financial Officer. You’ve embarked on a NEW adventure with a private coaching and mentoring career. You’ve begun the process of publishing your first book; “Inspiration at the END…Discovering NEW Beginnings.” </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsssg-wQFfWgLcevpfOxG98Ac-xlbKYVaViwZBA-aBzCy4jeyZbhWGTKL4cWHl2mS_NoOaoeoNBB13UQ-KqrtrGgZETOMLfa1O3vquL7vW-ZlM6Nmo9kadtv8zaeonUkDoTqRNeJjlbJY/s1600/Inspiration+at+the+End.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsssg-wQFfWgLcevpfOxG98Ac-xlbKYVaViwZBA-aBzCy4jeyZbhWGTKL4cWHl2mS_NoOaoeoNBB13UQ-KqrtrGgZETOMLfa1O3vquL7vW-ZlM6Nmo9kadtv8zaeonUkDoTqRNeJjlbJY/s640/Inspiration+at+the+End.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">And then there’s all of YOU who have read this tonight, all the NEW people, over 6,000 of you on my Facebook page called “Gusto”, the one that has grown from just over 100 on December 31st, 2010, all the NEW followers of my website and blog, which has been viewed nearly 15,000 times by people representing over 50 countries around the globe. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Finally, and most importantly, you remain humbled and grateful for those who have reached out to you for your wisdom, support, and advice, some of whom have reached their own personal bottom and look to you now to help them find the “new” NEW in their life. These are the people who inspire you the most, who keep you going, who, when they send you messages, make you realize that your life has meaning and purpose now. That you’re here for a reason. That you’re here to help. That you’re here to give your world HOPE. And you wish them all a Happy NEW Year!</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/Op7LAdfX_bA/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Op7LAdfX_bA&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Op7LAdfX_bA&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“Gusto”</span></b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-48484189874294286852011-12-26T18:46:00.000-08:002011-12-26T18:51:49.036-08:00The Homeless<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;">The first two I met were “Keith” and “Donna.” They were camped out on a sidewalk in downtown San Diego, with nothing more than a few blankets, some books to read, and a few personal possessions. As I kneeled in front of them, introduced myself, and gazed into their eyes, I saw “fear.” But then as I told them a little more about who I was and what my purpose was in stopping by to offer them food on Christmas day 2011, they began to warm up. Before long, Donna asked me if I had a business card to leave with her, and Keith informed me they were originally from the East coast. They’d been living on the streets for more than a year.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;">Before I go any further with this story, allow me to give you some background on how it all started, and how I found myself waking up Christmas morning with this thought in mind; to go to downtown San Diego in honor of His birthday and see what He had in mind I could do. The day before, on Christmas Eve, I received a phone call. It was one of the members of my Facebook page, one who I’d become friends with, and who is a vocal and loyal supporter. But it’s not like this call came from next door. This individual was calling from Athens, Greece of all places. We talked for nearly 45 minutes and we shared with one another our plans for Christmas. I informed her that, since my children were far away in Kansas, and that one of my sisters was the only family I had nearby, I would probably just be spending a quiet day by myself; perhaps even take a walk along the beach. She said, “Oh? I thought maybe you might volunteer or something.” I’m assuming she meant that by the way I’m always speaking of “Keeping Kindness Alive” or “Paying it Forward”, that sort of thing. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;">So, the next morning, bright and early, I awoke with a plan. It had been only a few weeks prior when, in a strange twist of fate, I’d gone to downtown San Diego for a meeting and mistakenly parked 10 blocks from my destination, whereupon I simply walked the rest of the way. And it was then when I saw so many of them. They were everywhere. Some were like Keith and Donna, a little spot set up on the sidewalk where they lived. Others were walking around and talking to….NO ONE. I found myself avoiding eye contact with those. In retrospect, I was wrong. I should have followed my own advice. I should have “stopped, looked, and listened.” These were human beings. Who knows what hardship befell them? Who was I to say whether their plight was self-inflicted or not? So, with those thoughts and images in my mind, I decided right then and there to go back. The timing was perfect. What better day than the birthday of our Lord and Savior? The one who died on the cross for MY sins so I could live, to honor Him in gratitude and respect by reaching out in some small way and help a fellow brother or sister?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;">It wasn’t long before He’d already begun formulating His plan. A block from my home, still 30 minutes from my destination, I stopped at a 7-Eleven for coffee. When I went to the counter, they were handing out free cookies for Christmas. I remarked to the clerk, “Candy” was her name (How appropriate is THAT! “Candy Cane!”), that I should probably take a couple with me and proceeded to tell her why. She looked at me and said without hesitation, “Hold on a second.” Next thing I know, she’s rummaging through the shelves, searching for sandwiches and cookies. Ten minutes later, I walk out lugging two HUGE plastic bags filled with goodies. Ah, if I only had a big red sack and a matching hat to boot, I’d have fit the part to a “T.” So off I went.</span></b></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHkFQFX-Q-lDO29W1IybcwCSsIgVt6bksM88ISiWqY7cRb8aXk-x4HNrn1we0NpoXMTd6Uq1G5Hpaj-gyJOm8AazKNeY4tFIzcqmgGppCE_8rcZw3xzmHdfHybvCMYTEj74l8RSojMWo/s1600/DSCN0373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHkFQFX-Q-lDO29W1IybcwCSsIgVt6bksM88ISiWqY7cRb8aXk-x4HNrn1we0NpoXMTd6Uq1G5Hpaj-gyJOm8AazKNeY4tFIzcqmgGppCE_8rcZw3xzmHdfHybvCMYTEj74l8RSojMWo/s400/DSCN0373.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>"Wanda"</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></b> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;">Back to the story. After Keith and Donna came “Wanda.” Now here was a lady who you’d never guess was homeless. She was dressed in holiday cheer, a red cap that said “Naughty” on it, matching red slippers, a radio tuned in to KYXY radio, 96.5 FM San Diego, which had been playing Christmas music all day, every day, since Thanksgiving. And in another ironic twist of fate, THE very same station from which I’d been obtaining ideas for tunes to share on my Facebook page since Thanksgiving myself! Ah, serendipity and the synchronicity of life. Don’t you love when that “happens?” Wanda was gracious, well-groomed, and told me her brief story. How she survived a double mastectomy years prior when she was 33 and here she was, at age 62, living on the streets, refusing to seek shelter inside, and really wasn’t looking for any handouts. She was simply making do the best she could. Totally admirable lady from Louisiana, grateful for the food given her that day.</span></b></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfta9lrmj0aaPKow7SGneNnktEJys-SLp0wuITS_hk7FaTrHuUHIf9KgImf9dL5anMo36EoNAZoL11G3FGw9TlX2U-_R-xbvwGAytjh5lNAQjx3ix1mi_O7s_YN9NO9lcENz9lTV_2Tg0/s1600/DSCN0374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfta9lrmj0aaPKow7SGneNnktEJys-SLp0wuITS_hk7FaTrHuUHIf9KgImf9dL5anMo36EoNAZoL11G3FGw9TlX2U-_R-xbvwGAytjh5lNAQjx3ix1mi_O7s_YN9NO9lcENz9lTV_2Tg0/s400/DSCN0374.JPG" width="400" /></a></b></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>"Tonya"</b></td></tr>
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</div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;"></span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;">Next up came Tonya, originally from Vermont. She had a nice place in the shade, a little umbrella propped up on the ground to protect her head, and was half-asleep when I stopped and said “hello.” For the next 15 minutes, she enthralled with me with her grasp for current events, her intellect, and her deep convictions that it wasn’t the big companies that were the problems our country is facing, but rather corruption at all levels of government. Of course, I surmised her view as slightly tainted since she’d been denied for an extension of her unemployment benefits, benefits that came after she was laid off working for a design company. All in all, a memorable encounter. Tonya got not only a sandwich, but cookies as well!</span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyg6jD-sJpoSjeoS7JICDIyWuIBqeHX2AvxO1gzMRElPK-IK5-eA894TnJe_hSFD4-gzRM27Trxa0DZvy9oyV2Elib9aVE32yYhS9eTIWyJnJR-oi-jkvkajEwe3dg5EedTWRzbmCM9o/s1600/DSCN0375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyg6jD-sJpoSjeoS7JICDIyWuIBqeHX2AvxO1gzMRElPK-IK5-eA894TnJe_hSFD4-gzRM27Trxa0DZvy9oyV2Elib9aVE32yYhS9eTIWyJnJR-oi-jkvkajEwe3dg5EedTWRzbmCM9o/s400/DSCN0375.JPG" width="400" /></a></b></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>"Sky"</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></b> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;"></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;">And then came “Sky.” A young lady, originally from Orange County, just up the coast north of San Diego, who was sitting in a chair on the sidewalk next to her boyfriend, “Nico” from Texas, who was laying down asleep on the sidewalk, suffering the after-effects of last night’s libations. Turns out Nico was the only one of NINE people I met that day who showed any signs of substance abuse. Thankfully, he never woke up. When he did, I’m sure he enjoyed the foot-long Italian sub-sandwich I left with Sky.</span></b> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;">It was Sky’s story that nearly brought me to tears. She re-counted how she’d lost her children, who were now age 10 and 7, and who were living with her sister in Orange County. When she told me the last time she’d seen them was on Christmas Day in 2009, she broke down sobbing, awash in tears. I couldn’t help it. I got up from where I was sitting on the sidewalk nearby, walked around to where she was sitting in her chair, knelt down, put one arm around her and one hand on her face and head, gently offering words of encouragement. We talked and talked. By the time I left, she had stood up, smiling, and gave me the biggest hug. Of course, I returned it in kind, along with the address to my website and email, the same I gave everyone that day. She assured me she would try to write and share her story in more detail. I hope she does. Because I know what I’ll do with it! You got it, it’ll be right here, for all to see, read, and hopefully, be inspired by. That if you think you’ve got it bad, it’s a virtual guarantee, someone else has got it worse. </span></b></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQqJFA2mXW1bNI3VTtVgwYx2vIUgrmDFwqqHHFB2tjkEpQx7CScsWMZ6qkooEHUlEP9SwNu9eKtoTbHxjbI7HF3b0B1wv15VSuVerW31wsveyev5FFY26vhFOB2CJ7o9dkulNpyiasa0/s1600/DSCN0376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQqJFA2mXW1bNI3VTtVgwYx2vIUgrmDFwqqHHFB2tjkEpQx7CScsWMZ6qkooEHUlEP9SwNu9eKtoTbHxjbI7HF3b0B1wv15VSuVerW31wsveyev5FFY26vhFOB2CJ7o9dkulNpyiasa0/s400/DSCN0376.JPG" width="400" /></a></b></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>"Tom"</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;"></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;">Moving across the street from Sky and Nico, I met “Tom.” Tom is 58 years old, an Army veteran trained as a medic, who was THIS close being sent to Vietnam before the war ended. He was from Bonita, CA. originally, and had bounced around from job to job for years before finally ending up on the street. I wasn’t able to obtain much more information from him than that but, after I asked if I could take his picture for my website, he perked right up, quickly adjusted his hair and baseball cap, and posed with a gleam in his eye.</span></b> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;">The final two I met before I ran out of food were Curtis, who was originally from Baltimore, and I’m guessing in his mid-30’s. His compatriot and friend, Terry, was African-American who is originally from Buffalo. Terry was quite the character, full of energy, enthusiasm, quite religious actually, and who also firmly believed his current plight was merely a temporary roadblock before moving on to the next chapter in his life.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;">And that, right there, was a common undercurrent for those I met on that fateful Christmas Day, ALL of these people left me the impression that they had HOPE for their lives. And in spite of their individual stories, all of them appeared prepared to face whatever life had in store for them, with courage and dignity.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;">The reason why I shared this story in such detail isn’t to render an opinion, nor to illicit one, on the “whys” or the circumstances surrounding Keith, Donna, Wanda, Tonya, Sky, Nico, Tom, Curtis, or Terry’s lot in life. It’s merely to point out that this could happen to any of us. Some of these people, in particular Wanda and Tonya, if you met them in person in any other venue, you’d never know they were “Homeless.” To drive this point home even further, it was fitting that, at the end, Curtis and Terry shared with me the story of two men they met who had befell the same fate as they, both ending up on the street. One was a licensed attorney, who had lost everything in a bitter and protracted divorce. The other was a licensed psychologist who also found himself living on the street.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;">So, when you wake up tomorrow morning, look around you. Do you have a roof over your head? Clothing to shelter you from the elements? Food in your refrigerator? Some means of transportation to get you to and from work? Enough change in your pocket for a few incidental needs? Access to basic and affordable health care? These are the necessities of life. Everything else, all your material possessions, pettiness issues with your spouse, family, or co-workers, the age of your car, whether you have all the “finer things” in life, ALL of that and more, they’re meaningless.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;">The only thing that matters is what you have inside. What you have in your heart, soul, and mind. We came into this world with nothing and we leave it the same way. It’s how we make each other FEEL in between that matters. Be grateful for that. Be grateful for LIFE. And remember this as well, together we stand, so stand up and help one another. </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/76RbWuFll0Y?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; font-size: 16pt;">“Gusto” </span></b> </div></div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-15574263770113734182011-12-11T18:21:00.000-08:002011-12-11T18:21:36.313-08:00Keep Going...You're Not Finished Yet!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<span class="messagebody"><b><span lang="EN" style="color: #002060; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">He comes in the middle of the night, when the mind and heart are clear, emptied of yesterday’s memory. I’m not a “bible-beater” as I always say, but that’s my theory anyway. Because every time this has happened over the past few years, which isn’t often, a moment of clarity appears that heightens my senses, as if He’s sending me a message, and it happened again this morning (Dec. 7th, 2011) around 2:30 a.m, in much the same way as when this page and my website were created on April 9th, 2010. And so, after a nightly foray for “relief”, as it were, I decided to check my website email account. By way of background, this is the account I use only for my Facebook page and business purposes, an address I’ve given out freely to others, offering my support, guidance, or advice. And recently, after an individual made a comment about one of my Facebook posts on how we sometimes find ourselves at the edge of a “cliff” in our lives, I did just that.</span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #002060; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><br />
<br />
<span class="messagebody">So, here is this individual’s message, in abridged format for privacy reasons: “I think I’m broken. My daughter is all I live for. I have no life. I can’t seem to find or keep any friends who are interested in what my interests are. I cry a lot over the separation from my current husband, even though he’s a bad person.” (*author’s note: he’s an alcoholic, as were two previous marriages) “I know I’m (sic) an enabler, and read A LOT about these kinds of things. I work full time, and am a pleasant person. But I’m lonely. Alone, I can deal with because that’s the way it is, but lonely is another thing. I’m 52 years old and seriously don’t want to die a lonely old woman, but since being apart from my husband (2 ½ years), I have met not one single guy that I would spend any amount of time with. I read all the positive things on Facebook, but yours is seriously the best. Very real. I thank you for that. But I need help and don’t know what to do, I read a lot of Wayne Dyer and Melodie Beatty. Dr. Dyer is really good and opened my eyes to keep the faith, but I’m so used to being abused and treated like crap, it’s hard. Really hard. So that’s it for now. Thank you again for replying. I’m sure you’re a very busy man.” ~ Happy Holidays </span><br />
<br />
<span class="messagebody">As I closed my computer after reading that, I attempted sleep once more. And then it dawned on me. This is what I’m HERE for. This is what a friend told me back in late 2009, long before I moved back to California, and long before this website and Facebook page were created, a lady I’ve known for over 30 years and who was also given a gift of foreseeing the future about people’s lives, a gift she discovered about herself when she was a young girl. We met for coffee one day while I was visiting in California, checking the area out, and after 4 hours of animated discussion, it seemed like 4 minutes; “Gus, people need to hear what you have to say. People in this world today are hurting. You’ve got so much in your heart, such wisdom and knowledge. I know you want to move back here to get in the legal field but that’s just a steppingstone. The gift I have doesn’t allow me to tell you what that is. All I can say is your place is here. Don’t waste time, this is your chance, and remember, people are watching.” I still get chills when I think about that moment.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="messagebody">But back to this lady’s message. It’s not unlike countless others that I’ve received from so many over the past 20 months, or what I “sense” is out there in this world; pain, heartache, despair, hardship, insecurity, loneliness, anger, bitterness, and more. I had a discussion just the other day with an individual I’d just met, she too is about the same age as I and the individual described in the story above, and once she found out what I was doing with my life, reaching out to help people in various ways, including foremost with the written word, all she said was; “I find it fascinating that there’s SO many of us in this age group who are going through many of the same things in life.” That age group she was referring to of course, at least in my estimation, are the “baby-boomers”, but particularly those in the 45-55 age bracket. It’s no coincidence that nearly ONE-THIRD of the 5,600+ who follow my facebook page fall into that age category.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="messagebody">What’s the answer? How do I help the lady who sent me the email, the one that just “happened” to arrive in the middle of the night? How do I help all the others who’ve reached out to me? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I have no set of rigid rules, steps, or programs that fit everyone. It’s impossible. But it’s not rocket science either. Everyone’s different. Each of us has a unique set of circumstances or issues that demands a unique set of solutions. My only job is to take all the experiences I’ve had in life, both good and bad, utilize the gifts I’ve been Blessed with, and help others navigate through the obstacles in their life. It’s really that simple.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="messagebody">For most of us, CHANGE is difficult, especially as we get older. But I’m here to tell you, I know all there is to know about change. I’ve seen and experienced things, places, situations, and circumstances in life that would bring most of us to our knees, and in fact, a few of them did just that to yours truly. But somehow, some way, I’ve been plucked from the pits of darkness, despair, depression, sadness, and bitterness time and time again by a hand that keeps telling me; “Keep going. Don’t stop. You’re not finished yet. There’s much to be done, and don’t worry, I’ll be with you every step of the way.”</span><br />
<br />
<span class="messagebody">So that’s the reply to my newfound friend, the one whose message I received in the middle of the night, a message sent over cyberspace, but what was really a message from much higher than that; “Keep going. Don’t stop. You’re not finished yet. There’s much to be done, and don’t worry, I’ll be with you every step of the way.” </span><br />
<br />
<span class="messagebody">And it’s also a message for all of you reading this. "Don’t Give Up."</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/EBSwA8pMgrA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><b><span lang="EN" style="color: #002060; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="messagebody"> </span><br />
<span class="messagebody">“Gusto”</span></span></b><br />
<br />
</div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-42461376371779019502011-12-03T03:24:00.000-08:002011-12-03T08:26:58.064-08:00"Montica"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJoqZW3ozdrJOPuvaiVspkXGW0Uh-FlWj0EFGJfIfR2-9kA-_MYfmsOIqHMy_d0yJ0ixMClKD8MvkIOn0KNfLosty1O9fiaL24X9r5ICMq0V2IjGr7XgPpQunrloillJ7OOyjtODksgo/s1600/AA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJoqZW3ozdrJOPuvaiVspkXGW0Uh-FlWj0EFGJfIfR2-9kA-_MYfmsOIqHMy_d0yJ0ixMClKD8MvkIOn0KNfLosty1O9fiaL24X9r5ICMq0V2IjGr7XgPpQunrloillJ7OOyjtODksgo/s400/AA.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“Read this 5 times a day for 5 days. It will CHANGE your life.” Those words from her lips I can still hear as if it were just a moment ago. It was September, 2006. She was my substitute counselor that day, for just ONE day. Because, as fate would have it, my regular counselor, the one I’d been seeing every day for 3 weeks just “happened” to be gone that day. I was in a volunteer rehabilitation program, my first stint at trying to overcome a “cunning, baffling, and powerful disease.”</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Life hasn’t been the same since. After that day, I noticed she was the LIFE of the program, a counselor who zipped from one meeting to another, always full of energy, sometimes running across the courtyard in her bare feet. Everyone looked up to her, including the other counselors, even though she was the youngest and least experienced by far. But the effect, the impact, the everlasting impression she made on me that day, I’ll never forget, nor will I ever be able to repay her kindness. Her name I only knew her by was “Montica.” The vibrant, youthful woman in her mid-30’s or so, who had suffered cardiac arrest and nearly died just a few years earlier after several years of oxycontin and alcohol abuse, was on the rise. And fast. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">I remember the day clearly. I walked into the building that housed all the counselor's offices, to visit Rhonda, who was my regular therapist, and to my surprise they said she was gone that day. So they sent me to Montica. When I walked in, still feeling unsure and uneasy about the whole experience of rehab, I was immediately struck by her presence; youthful, slender, blond, seemingly care-free, but oh so intuitive. Determined too. She had the look of someone who’d seen enough of the bad side of life and wasn’t about to waste one second of the new life she’d been given.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">As we talked, I remember asking her this question; “What is it exactly? I don’t “get” this whole one day at a time and living in the moment business.” She looked at me, paused, and said, “Where are you?” “Sitting right here in front of you”, I replied. “Okay, where’s your legs?” she said in return. I thought wow, this chick is WEIRD. Nevertheless, I went along. I looked at her firmly, and said with a stern voice while pointing to my legs, “Here!”</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“Where’s your feet?” Now I was getting more than a little exasperated. “What the hell is she talking about?” I wondered aloud to myself. I hadn’t known her more than 5 minutes and yet I was already getting more than a little peeved that Rhonda wasn’t there. Still, I soldiered on with this tete-a-tete, after all, I never did back down from anyone or anything in my life.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Gamely, I replied, “My right foot is on the floor, and my left foot is resting just above my right kneecap.” </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“EXACTLY.”</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">My left foot dropped to the floor, barely beating my jaw on the way down. Silence. From there, it was all uphill. Conversation followed, most of it quite animated and emotional from both sides. We laughed. I cried. I always do. Doesn’t take much for a sentimental teddy bear like me to shed a tear, especially when she told me her story. After I shared some of mine, she could tell I had a LOT to learn about patience and acceptance of my fate in what I thought was a facility from hell.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">As we wrapped up our ONE and ONLY private meeting, she pulled out a 3x5 pad of paper, wrote those infamous, life-changing words, pulled the sheet off the pad, and handed it to me.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Over 5 years later, a time during which I made yet another stab back at the same facility, fell deeper and deeper into disarray, confusion, chaos, violence, depression, and despair, the loss of my job, a temporary loss of freedom, leaving my home for nearly a year, then moved back to that same home for almost a year more, a new job, recovery, release, only to pack up just the necessities of what was needed to start over, selling everything else, my furniture, a vehicle, moving 1400 miles west to California, graduating from a rigorous accelerated paralegal program, finding solace and comfort with my little sister, and finally starting to get those same two feet firmly planted, establishing roots once more, that tiny slip of paper, somewhat faded now, but intact, is STILL with me.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Why? It’s a gift from above, a message of HOPE that I’ve been divinely led to give back to humanity. I’ve said it so many times to so many people, in so many different situations or forums, both privately and publicly, including THIS one, as well as my facebook page called “Gusto”, those words have meaning, value, and far more reaching impact than just for those who are “in the program.” THESE words apply to a program called LIFE. They apply to every single one of you reading this. I don’t care who you are, whether you’re considered a success or otherwise, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, or social status, these words, these simple words, can and WILL have more of a lasting and positive impact on your life, as well as everyone around you, than you could imagine: </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“And acceptance is the answer to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> my problems today. <br />
When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place,<br />
thing, or situation…some fact of my life…unacceptable to me,<br />
and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place,<br />
thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to<br />
be at this MOMENT. Nothing, absolutely nothing, “happens”<br />
in God’s world by mistake. Unless I accept life completely,<br />
on life’s terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not<br />
so much as on what needs to be changed in the world as on<br />
what needs changed in me and in my attitudes.” ~ P. 417</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Something to consider and think about, yes? Life is simple. There’s a little bit of good in the worst of us and a bit of bad in the best of us. We each have a right to be here, and with this knowledge, it makes it easier to accept others without judgment. It’s wiser instead for each of us to judge ourselves by our actions rather than our intentions. After all, that’s how others will judge us, and in the end, by the One who created us to begin with.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Thank you Montica! :) </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“Gusto” </span></b></div></div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-43785561538498575602011-11-30T16:42:00.000-08:002011-11-30T17:10:56.948-08:00The "Misfits" vs. The "Teflon" Peeps<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirbaiTNp5HF5YytHfIXsv0u9ATQc1MGR5aCcWLWz0HIOxz9nUvnZbThT0qqMggiEFVji48gNT5tNHtQ6_l8qeBLA5QyT5xMfeiofIMVlr_Bse04XRL3D4Gfvi1NeVi3c-62SGZK3916KM/s1600/Homeless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirbaiTNp5HF5YytHfIXsv0u9ATQc1MGR5aCcWLWz0HIOxz9nUvnZbThT0qqMggiEFVji48gNT5tNHtQ6_l8qeBLA5QyT5xMfeiofIMVlr_Bse04XRL3D4Gfvi1NeVi3c-62SGZK3916KM/s400/Homeless.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homeless Man at Moonlight Beach, Encinitas, CA. - October 2011<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="PadderBetweenControlandBody"><b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Have you ever stopped and wondered, maybe some people are destined to walk through life alone, while others seem to always have an easier road to follow? The misfits, the square pegs in the round holes, the outcasts, they never seem to </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">“</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">fit in.</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">”</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;"> They may be successful, or they may have been successful at one point in their life. They</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">’</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">ve loved and lost, experienced tragedy, pain, or heart-breaking loss of some kind in their life, many times more than once. They</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">’</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">re a </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">“</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">one-man show.</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">”</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;"> The others, the easy road people, are what I call teflon peeps. Nothing fazes them. They always seem to </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">“</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">come out smelling like a rose</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">”</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">, no matter what life tosses their way. On the other hand, maybe they</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">’</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">ve never experienced untold tragedy, misery, or pain like the misfits, or maybe it was simply minor in comparison. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Either way, it doesn</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">’</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">t matter, because no one is destined to go through life alone. That</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">’</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">s not God</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">’</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">s will. And yet, the reality is many of us do. Question is, why? It may be circumstances beyond our control, it may have been self-inflicted, or it may just be these people are going through life the way they are, because of their past. The sad part is everyone needs someone who cares for them, who will love them unconditionally, who will be their partner through good times and bad. It</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">’</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">s our nature to crave compassion, love, respect, and passion from another human being. It begins at childbirth. But then somehow God, karma, the universe, or whatever term you wish to describe it, conspires against these people with misfortune, misery, pain, and tragedy. They</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">’</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">ve been hurt so many times, it almost becomes a part of their life. Nothing comes easy. And when they do encounter success, in whatever fashion, even in love and relationships, they sub-consciously don</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">’</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">t know how to respond to it. It</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">’</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">s as if they need hardship, they need to feel pain in order to survive, because that</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">’</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">s all they</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">’</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">ve ever known. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">In spite of this somewhat bleak view, these people have something the </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">“</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">teflon</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">”</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;"> peeps don</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">’</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">t; an uncanny knack of always finding a way to not only survive, but thrive when their backs are against the wall. And no matter how many times they</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">’</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">ve been knocked down, ridiculed, judged, or outright rejected, they seem to always find a way to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and keep moving forward. In fact, some of the greatest people throughout history often failed miserably, suffered unforeseen tragedy and heartbreak, before they finally rose to the top.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><br />
So, what</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">’</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">s the answer? Why is it this way for some of us, while others seem to have smooth sailing in life? To me, it</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">’</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">s simple. The misfits are teachers. They show the rest of us by example on not only how to overcome adversity, but also to inspire us that we too can learn something from their lessons when we hit the wall. Because the fact is, all of us do at one point or another, even the teflon peeps. They serve as shining examples of guts, determination, the power of their will, their humility, their undying compassion. Their passion to LIVE. For without them, life would be boring and meaningless. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">The lesson for us in all of this is clear; never judge a book by it</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">’</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">s cover. We sometimes never know what sort of hardship or pain others have been through. And rather than look down upon them, it would be wise instead to look UP to them, because it is they who will serve the rest of us by virtue of not only their triumphs, but also their failures.</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/EBSwA8pMgrA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">"Once you choose HOPE, anything's possible" ~ Christopher Reeve</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Just some rambling thoughts to ponder</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">…</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">..</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">“</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Gusto</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">”</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "QuickType", "sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;"></span></b></div></div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-88551662774511216532011-11-30T13:17:00.000-08:002011-11-30T13:17:49.330-08:00A Personal Message<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGIopKGqVN86PA9yAxnWrpRE-Z1B-vkmZWXb-67jKIw4O5tAqXD-VQ_HkTI1npkUTEzostp6muqU8xxliO_kOY8mQpI-B4-8SwV7bCsNo56-xQbSw0SfeYe9VFZJmENNXWg6xzZ91jk-M/s1600/Blue+Moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGIopKGqVN86PA9yAxnWrpRE-Z1B-vkmZWXb-67jKIw4O5tAqXD-VQ_HkTI1npkUTEzostp6muqU8xxliO_kOY8mQpI-B4-8SwV7bCsNo56-xQbSw0SfeYe9VFZJmENNXWg6xzZ91jk-M/s400/Blue+Moon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">A personal message. What I’m about to say may come as a surprise, might even raise a few eyebrows and, when it’s over, whether there’s 100 of you left here, all 5,574 of you, somewhere in between, or more, it makes no difference. Because in the end, the fact is those who remain were meant to stay. It’s also something my heart says needs to be said, so I’m following my own advice; “trust your heart and instincts, they will never fail you.” Here goes, and thank you for listening to me "ramble."</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">20 months ago when I created this page, I had no idea that it would evolve to what it is today. Furthermore, there was no strategy or plan; it was simply a moment of inspirational clarity that occurred early one morning on April 9th, 2010. “Gusto” and “Ramblings” just seemed natural names, the first indicative of a childhood nickname and the second a reflection of writing style. Prior to that, I was just another guy who used FB as a means of social engagement like anyone else. But beginning in mid-2009, not long after I became a user of this medium, I began sharing “notes” on my personal Facebook page, ones borne out of some of the lessons learned about new ways of living and thinking since late 2008. These “notes” had an immediate, positive, and inspirational impact on my friends at the time, which numbered less than 100. And it was about this time when I was still in a little town in Kansas. Isolated, no friends, no means of interacting socially. But there was one individual whom I had become very close friends with, to the point we began interacting with one another via instant messaging. This was a woman I knew from high school, and though we hadn’t seen each other in over 30 years, both of us had a profound impact on each other’s lives. She taught me how to share YouTube links, started sharing all sorts of information that expanded my mind, and above all, kept encouraging me to write.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">One late evening in July 2009, after I’d written another profound FB note, sharing it with my 80 or so personal “friends”, she jumped over to my chat program and said;</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“Do you realize how many people you’re impacting and helping? People here are talking about you, sharing your words of wisdom with their friends. I know it’s helped me. (Ironically, she was in California at the time, the very city I live in now) I could read what you write forever. You need to get out of Kansas, your star is much too bright.” I remember distinctly saying this in reply to her statement;</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“All I know is something big is going to happen, and it goes FAR beyond Facebook. I’ve got so much inside just ready to gush out, it’s all I can do to keep from exploding.” She laughed and said, “Gosh Gus, you do “gush” all over the place at times!” We both laughed our asses off with that one.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Later that evening, actually early the next morning, in another one of those rare moments of “inspirational clarity” like what occurred when I created this page called Gusto, I awoke with a vision that I was speaking in front of a large group of people, talking in profound terms about how they could change their lives for the better. Ever have an out-of-body experience? It must have been, because that’s what it felt like. When the “moment” passed, it had in fact been several minutes of me speaking out loud, wide awake, in front of my bathroom mirror. Then a feeling of peace and release overcame me like a soft, warm blanket fresh out of the dryer. I slept for hours.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">BAM! Fast forward to today. 2 ½ years after that isolated “moment” back in Kansas, there’s well over 5,000 souls on my Facebook page, with 3 MILLION page views, and 45 followers of my blog/website, which has had nearly 13,000 views from people representing over 50 countries around the world. I’ve started a “life coaching” venture, or one I prefer to call one’s “personal cheerleader, consultant, and confidant.” There’s plans for releasing a series of eBooks, perhaps audio or video tapes, all designed to foster positive growth in people’s lives and ultimately, the release of the book for mass publication, “Inspiration at the End….Discovering a NEW Beginning.”</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Here’s the deal. This isn’t a hobby for me, a way to pass the time, or merely a way to engage socially with other people. This is my life. It’s what I do for a living, though just one part. The real prize is engaging with you personally, whether it's through mentoring or the messages I convey with writing. I know many, if not most of you, jump on to your FB every day and visit several, if not dozens, of other inspirational, motivational pages, or whatever you wish to call them. You’re getting your daily fix, a dose of something to provide you a shot of glimmer and hope in your life. Bear in mind, I fully realize there are many pages out there similar to this one, though I'll stand on what I've always said, this one is unique in a number of ways. And while I respect this daily regimen to a degree, when the day is done, and you’ve turned off your computer, what are you left with? I see SO many of these pages you’re visiting who are controlled by people who do nothing more than Google a bunch of inspiring quotes, attach a clever photo, post it on their wall, and people think it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. But what have they done that you can’t do yourself? Nothing. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">This page is a reflection of who I am. I’ll give it to you straight and cut right to the heart of the matter. Clever quotes and fancy photos only get you so far. Life can be all cuddly warm and soothing no doubt, but we all know that’s not the reality every day for most of us. It can also be mean, dark, ugly, and will beat you to your knees if you let it. My job, and I mean that literally, is to show you that’s there’s another way. And I won’t do it by trying to pull the wool over your eyes. I’m blunt, to the point, and yet compassionate enough and humbled enough by some of my own life experiences to know when and how to wrap you in that soft, warm blanket fresh out of the dryer.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">I’m on a mission. A mission to HELP my fellow brothers and sisters in this world. And it doesn’t matter if the one reading this is a hot-shot corporate executive sitting in your ivory tower in NYC, or the single waitress in Des Moines, Iowa struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table for her two children sitting at home with watery eyes and stuffy noses; everyone should consider listening to the “messages” I’ve been laying down here for the past 20 months. Because everyone has “issues” or problems. I’m not perfect, nor do I have all the answers. Far from it. But what I have to share, what I’ve got inside is priceless. It’s coming from a humbled heart, devoid of pride or ego. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">So when you turn on your computer in the morning and deciding upon which crayon you want to use to color your day, remember this. Whether it’s black, white, grey, or vibrant, what you’ll find here will ALWAYS be colored with truth, respect, honor, compassion, dignity, sincerity, kindness, and love. If those are the colors you want in YOUR life, then I know you’ll stick around. If not, that’s okay too. Either way, I’m doing this my way, using the colors I’ve described. Personally, I prefer “Midnight Blue.” </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/HYa8d75R8cw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">~ Gusto</span></b></div></div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-38767149214449098062011-11-27T18:53:00.000-08:002011-11-27T21:25:01.412-08:00Freedom from Yourself<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Freedom. What pops into your head when you hear that word? To live in a country where freedom to choose is defended at all costs? Freedom of speech? Freedom of religion? The freedom to go anywhere you want, to be anything you want? There’s more I’m sure, but here’s one of my unique definitions; “Freedom from yourself.” I’ll get to that in more detail in a minute.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Two years ago on December 9th, 2009, I set foot upon a beach near Encinitas, CA. in northern San Diego County and took a picture. I was there to check out a school I was thinking of enrolling in, one that I hoped would lead to a new life. I’d been stuck in Kansas for nearly a quarter-century. Granted, it was of my own free will. I moved back to my home state in 1985, and for the next 23+ years, I worked as a loan officer for my local hometown bank, farmed with my father, married, fathered two children, divorced, then raised my children for several years, nearly all by myself, and all along I continued to work at the bank and continued with farming after my father retired in 1994. By 2008, that world came crashing down on my head, the result of self-inflicted wounds from a “powerful, baffling, and cunning disease.” I nearly died, not once, but three times because of it. And then I lost my freedom in mid-2008. For 158 days, I didn’t feel the grass beneath my feet, I couldn’t watch children play, birds fly, or anything else remotely close to one’s definition of Freedom. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16pt;">But then, something “happened.” Beginning in early 2009, nearly 3 years ago, an “awakening” began. At first, I didn’t recognize it or even realize it was happening. As the days, weeks, and months went by, there emerged a distinct pattern from the fog of the past. I was more than just free to do as I pleased. I was growing and evolving, liberated from my own self-imposed limits I’d placed upon myself through my actions over the previous 25 years. I was discovering a new freedom, freedom from myself! Freedom from what my mind was telling me I should or shouldn’t do. Instead, my heart and instincts took over. Suddenly, my life took off, lifted by an energy I’d never experienced before. You guessed it, I was born “anew” at age 50. By mid-2010, I was back in California, a recent graduate of a demanding paralegal program, and found myself discovering a “new beginning” with this website/blog and, of course, my signature Facebook page called “Gusto”, the nickname given to me by my father so many years prior when I was just a young boy. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwbGVFKcLDtrLNKgaqCpX4H6WVn4eCxzi3gPmQjWpnvo5wizSk_BWAM2ym_YPlG0aX18rjUd7svzasTtFPiDpAfLrC9ykdK8bwtQORHgjLcuEqdIQz_uOlce23EF2hAWt84-HfJgqTyY/s1600/IMG_0010+-+Copy+-+Copy+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwbGVFKcLDtrLNKgaqCpX4H6WVn4eCxzi3gPmQjWpnvo5wizSk_BWAM2ym_YPlG0aX18rjUd7svzasTtFPiDpAfLrC9ykdK8bwtQORHgjLcuEqdIQz_uOlce23EF2hAWt84-HfJgqTyY/s400/IMG_0010+-+Copy+-+Copy+-+Copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Now I’m back on that beach. The photo is widely recognized now, the “signature” of this website/blog and of my Facebook page. It represents what the word Freedom means to me and SO much more. The seagulls represent you. You have the freedom to choose, to go where you want, to be what you want. But, like me, in order to fully appreciate and understand what Freedom really means on personal level, one that might surprise you, is you first have to remove the shackles you’re imposing upon yourself, personally or professionally. Where people get tripped up with their pursuit of happiness is thinking they have to follow someone else’s advice or what their mind is telling them they should or shouldn’t do. There is no “right” way for everyone. Each of you are unique. You have unique talents and skills no one else on this planet has. And the only way to tap into them and use them to the best of your ability is to let go of the past, let go of what other people say, let go of what your magical magnifying mind is telling you. The ONLY thing that matters, the only way we ever experience life as it’s meant to be lived, is trusting our heart and what our instincts are telling us. Sometimes the voice of instinct brings forth feelings of fear or doubt. Banish them. Your heart and instincts are dead on correct. Follow them, damn what your mind says, go with your gut. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16pt;">That, right there, is one of the most misunderstood concepts to mankind, but it’s also the secret to a life full of happiness, joy, peace, and love. One worth LIVING. This song sort of says it all!</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/0k1n99Q-Pzo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">"No more runnin' down the wrong road</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">dancin' to a diff'rent drum</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Can't you see what's goin' on</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">deep inside your heart?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Always searchin' for the real thing</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">livin' like it's far away</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Just leave all the madness in yesterday</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">You're holdin' the key</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">when you believe it..." ~ Michael McDonald</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Enjoy your new “Freedom.” :)</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16pt;">“Gusto” </span></b></div></div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-40253961675538782482011-11-09T07:38:00.000-08:002011-11-09T07:38:23.274-08:00Run Your Own Race<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KqvNJ8aQT8fjHsfyIg-5wY1Nl4Ihnaj2qyuPSW7KL4TB-lpmN4Zo2dIN3GrIDbpzo0vNhrDsyh5fOhYSaqebCfYZXKiJeTBbaDmpVRy8N8ysguAciTtgyf_xPn-o7ETdTBAMFpNmpFE/s1600/Women.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KqvNJ8aQT8fjHsfyIg-5wY1Nl4Ihnaj2qyuPSW7KL4TB-lpmN4Zo2dIN3GrIDbpzo0vNhrDsyh5fOhYSaqebCfYZXKiJeTBbaDmpVRy8N8ysguAciTtgyf_xPn-o7ETdTBAMFpNmpFE/s400/Women.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Life is a marathon, full of obstacles, twists, and turns. Imagine you’re actually running one. You try to keep pace with everyone else, searching for an open spot so you can surge out front, constantly looking over your shoulder to see who’s behind you. And then you stumble, you hit a rough patch, all because you were too busy paying attention to what everyone else was doing instead of focusing on the road ahead of you.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">That’s how life is. And that’s how so many of us run. We forget we’re the masters of our own journey. It doesn’t matter how fast or slow everyone else is running. All that’s important is we keep pushing forward, mindful of what’s ahead of us, listening to the rhythm of our heartbeat for signs of fatigue or stress, not worrying about what’s behind us. It’s gone anyway. And like Forrest Gump, we run. When we’re tired, we sleep. When we’re hungry, we eat. When we need “to go”…. You get the point. </span></i></b><span style="color: #7030a0;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><i><b>:)</b></i></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ySK0fIGB3AA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Recently, I created a video called “Passion”, which I’m sure many of you viewed. In it, I talk a lot about “being who you were meant to be”, regardless of what that is. But it goes beyond just following our heart, to do what we’re passionate about, because even when we do, we’ll inevitably hit roadblocks along the way. That’s when we find out what we’re truly made of, or as my Dad used to say, “We’re gonna separate the men from the boys now.” (Sorry ladies, it’s the only quote I could come up with!) Some of those roadblocks, of course, are beyond our control. Economic factors may confront us or health issues. But that’s not where my focus is with this piece, nor should it be yours. What I’m talking about is peer pressure, the feeling you have to be always in the lead, getting an instant fix. I’ll explain it this way. Be methodical. Plan. Organize. Manage your time wisely. Focus on your goals. Simplify your game plan and stick to it. Do what you do best, follow your instincts, and trust your heart, it will never fail you. But be mindful too that sometimes it’s good to ask for help. After all, it’s a long race and many times, an extra set of eyes, ears, and hands always come in useful. Besides, you never know when you’ll be asked for help, so be willing to give when called to the task.<br />
<br />
</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">"Gusto" </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-70481528626277195932011-11-08T04:38:00.000-08:002011-11-08T04:59:27.845-08:00It's The Simple Things That Matter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbq44PCTOtHks1J5lds8ffQ9EXqM-2VCq_h0fvRioIBa5eiL0AlpilfP287cB_Z6AgpEXYtrHQJsn1t2JLVMSz5uD6DJo23mJP-jz1_WXMG4ZNoo8TQr8BMbtoCav9bIFlBhiW6II55c/s1600/One+Person.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbq44PCTOtHks1J5lds8ffQ9EXqM-2VCq_h0fvRioIBa5eiL0AlpilfP287cB_Z6AgpEXYtrHQJsn1t2JLVMSz5uD6DJo23mJP-jz1_WXMG4ZNoo8TQr8BMbtoCav9bIFlBhiW6II55c/s400/One+Person.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Someone asked, “Okay, so you’re putting out these positive and happiness vibes, but how do we stay that way?” Good question! Staying positive and maintaining happiness starts and ends from within. It’s recognizing that which we already know and possess deep in our souls. The real. The familiar. It doesn’t come from external factors like googling positive quotes, surfing the web, or reading a bunch of self-help books. Happiness is a state of mind. It’s looking beyond what we see in front of us; all the tragedy and heartache, into those things and people that bless our lives with how they make us feel inside. It can be a word, a phrase, a bird, a flower, a song, or just one person. It’s being thankful for who and what we have, not what we don’t. But whatever it is that brings us happiness, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, we run with it. It’s our race to win or lose. In a word, it’s acceptance. </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s saying, “I don’t care what the world throws at me, I’ll catch what I want, what’s tasty, real, and fulfilling, and throw back what I don’t.” It’s thinking outside the lines of our little comfort zones where we feel all safe and secure into a world that involves risk. No one ever set sail by standing on the dock. It’s not making lemonade out of lemons. It’s making lemon meringue pie. It’s living with no regrets because where we are at this moment in time is exactly where we’re supposed to be. It’s this…..</span></i></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/choOYBFZBVA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><span id="goog_161862068"></span><span id="goog_161862069"></span></span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> ~ Gusto</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-66894834706702937882011-11-01T19:21:00.000-07:002011-11-01T19:21:51.853-07:00Who Do You WANT in Your Life?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0jl7Zpb9jVqHi1Z91Ki6bpkbtty0eHEuMwFMYYZ9hkXoDZ90xjVs3UTC0sbjeKw0IniVpW6LOit3p4YoIgqE7goAOR3OHmsMnpIRmVQ4BLe_FEKkvmGGbaTjAoSp52jdtAGyn1JjXQo/s1600/Law+of+Attraction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0jl7Zpb9jVqHi1Z91Ki6bpkbtty0eHEuMwFMYYZ9hkXoDZ90xjVs3UTC0sbjeKw0IniVpW6LOit3p4YoIgqE7goAOR3OHmsMnpIRmVQ4BLe_FEKkvmGGbaTjAoSp52jdtAGyn1JjXQo/s400/Law+of+Attraction.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">This past March, I wrote a piece here entitled “Birds of a Feather”, the gist of which is we attract people in our lives who not only think like we do, but also act upon those thoughts. The purpose of this chapter is to see how we can apply the law of attraction in a practical sense in our daily life.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: ""serif"","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By way of background, here’s some snippets from the blog post written last March: <i>Wikipedia defines the “Law of Attraction” like this: </i></span></b><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: ""serif"","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Law of Attraction is a metaphysical New Thought belief that "like attracts like”, that positive and negative thinking bring about positive and negative physical results, respectively. According to the Law of Attraction, the phrase “I need more money"allows the subject to continue to “need more money". If the subject wants to change this they would focus their thoughts on the goal (having more money) rather than the problem (needing more money). This might take the form of phrases such as “I will make more money"or “I will find a job that pays very well". </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: ""serif"","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now, let’s stop there for a moment for another key point about this blog. When I write, I attempt to do so in ways that the reader can identify with by sharing some of my own experiences with the topic at hand, in this case what I’d rather describe as “Birds of a feather flock together!”</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: ""serif"","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Similarly, when you examine your own life, think about who and what you want in your life. Look back on the definition described above about the Law of Attraction. Personally, I don’t believe it takes a rocket scientist to figure out this simple concept: If you think and act in a negative fashion, in whatever aspect of your life, whether personally or professionally, chances are pretty good the results WILL be negative. Of course, the same holds true the other way. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m NOT saying just because you think positively all the time your life will be perfect. We know that’s simply not the case. But by consciously attempting to do so every day, even with the simplest and most trivial of things, chances are good that eventually, your life will transform to what you WANT it to be. It’s really that simple. My own experience stands as a testament to that statement and I can GUARANTEE you that if you continue say and do the “right"things, your life WILL become far better than you can possibly imagine! As Will Smith said during one of his interviews about his views on life, “First, you decide. Then you just do it. Period. It’s that simple. There’s no need for Plan B because it distracts from Plan A.” Powerful words aren’t they?</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: ""serif"","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Three and a half years ago, I was in a “place” where I thought I had the world figured out. And I was proud of it. Problem was, it was false pride. Before long, that world blew up in my face, figuratively speaking. I nearly lost it all because I was too proud to admit I had problems. I was too busy trying to be something I wasn’t designed for. I was totally lost. Lost financially, spiritually, mentally, personally, and professionally. It wasn’t until a series of tragic events occurred that I finally “awakened.” Today, I look back and realize I was a very blessed man and still am, even MORE so! In spite of losing my job, my home, my children, and financial security, today I’m happier than I’ve been for as long as I can remember. Why? Because I CHOSE to LIVE. I CHOSE to change, to seek out people I WANTED in my life. People who not only THINK positively, but also ACT positively, every day to the best of their ability.</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As a result of this NEW way of living and new way of life, I’ve had people come into my life that still astounds me. People of substance. People of character. People of honor, respect, dignity, and sincerity. Many of them I’ve “met” on Facebook. People like Cheryl Maloney who lives in Oregon, page owner of Simple Steps Real Change, one that has over 50,000 members and counting. John from Australia, page owner of Spiritual Warrior, with over 13,000 members. Laura Barrette Shannon, page owner of Be Happy Now: Simple Steps to Enjoying Life, an author who lives in Florida, and who has a book to be published soon. Dennisse Lisseth, page owner of Exceptional Living, one of the fastest growing Facebook pages at this very moment, with over 60,000 members, and who also lives in Florida. Tiffany Marrufo, page owner of Beyond Yesterday and Vivaciously Designed Coaching. Lisa Blake, who lives in South Dakota, page owner of Motivation for Life, and a certified life coach. Natalie Ryan-Ramirez, page owner of Wise Widowed Parents with over 4,000 followers, a widow herself and also a single parent of a 9 and 7 year old. The list goes on and on, these people are just those that come to mind immediately, and I’ve probably just scratched the surface of the number of people and Facebook pages “out there” I’m not aware of yet. But that doesn’t mean I don’t WANT to discover them!</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why did I mention these people? All of them have something in common. Like me, they’ve encountered personal tragedies and obstacles in their lives, yet all of them have seen one form of success or another in their life at some point. For instance, Cheryl Maloney is a lady who had what appears to be an enormously successful career in the corporate world, only to lose her job a few years back because of a merger. After that, tragedies kept coming. Her husband contracted cancer and her father died. Like me, she discovered the job market wasn’t an easy nut to crack, but she also made the conscious CHOICE to seek “simple steps” to changing her life. The rest, as they say, is history. And take my friend John, the “Spiritual Warrior” from Australia. Here’s a guy who nearly lost his life in a truck accident in 1982, and who then fell victim to depression and addiction for many years before the blinkers came off in 1997. Today, he’s embarking on changing other people’s lives, using his own experiences. Laura, my author friend from Florida, lost her daughter in an accident a few years back, something that would destroy most of us, but she too, CHOSE to make something positive out of that experience. Dennisse Lisseth, a young woman from Florida who has an infectious zest for life, and who also left the corporate world a few years ago, has overcome depression, and today is a successful entrepreneur. Lisa Blake, another lady who’s encountered obstacles like most of us have, but who has also embarked on a career coaching others, utilizing her talents and experiences. Then there’s Tiffany Marrufo, who’s overcome substance abuse, and another successful life coach. And finally, there’s Natalie Ryan-Ramirez, an absolutely amazing woman, and one whom I’m honored to know personally. Less than 3 years ago, she lost her husband of 21 years after a short battle with cancer and today, has ambitions of helping other widowed parents with surviving dependent children, through the use of her nonprofit organization. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All of these people are in my life for a reason. But how? And why? First, because I created them. Yes, you heard me right. If not for the fact that I made a conscious CHOICE several years ago, a decision to make lemon meringue pie out of the lemons life left on my plate, and LONG before the creation of this website or my Facebook page, I never would have had the honor of knowing any of these people. Unbeknownst to me, the forces were set in motion long ago. Call it fate, serendipity, or divine intervention, it all means the same. I attracted these people into my life, and not just with my words, but with my actions. The reason why they’re here now is to help propel me to the next level of my journey. Hopefully, and God willing, I can help them in some humble fashion in return.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Therein is the lesson and message for you. WHO do you want in your life? Many times, without ever realizing it, we create relationships and circumstances we don’t fully comprehend until much later. The door to a new way of life and a new way of living is locked inside, at least until you make some simple CHOICES and take action. The key for each of you is to ask yourself some basic questions. Think of it this way. What personal characteristics do you value? Both in yourself and others? Make a choice and decide. It’s that simple. And if there’s something you see inside about yourself that you’re not fond of, start taking action NOW. Because until you do, you’ll never attract who and what you want in life.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Like Will Smith says, “I WANT to do good. I WANT the world to be better because I was here. I WANT my life, my work, my family; I want it to mean something. If you’re not making someone else’s life better, then you’re wasting your time.”</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/DSEV6O5JoPI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13pt;">Period!</span></b> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Gusto”</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"></span></b></div></div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-11440460645764696872011-10-19T07:33:00.000-07:002011-10-19T07:33:12.377-07:00The Crazy Ones<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">“Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” ~ Steven Jobs.</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIkbNDoPho7PLfIksW8AwCHAvO690E-xX_OncO_mLjUC0Bn-Bxe4rOB5qAcBmj9bJiOdUiIEQyZg4qfHe3d5guKYAjEjYpOLYADUSj3WS7Xt-AxzZvaaiCyXPjTn01Od2un36tvCHT-E/s1600/Crazy+Ones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIkbNDoPho7PLfIksW8AwCHAvO690E-xX_OncO_mLjUC0Bn-Bxe4rOB5qAcBmj9bJiOdUiIEQyZg4qfHe3d5guKYAjEjYpOLYADUSj3WS7Xt-AxzZvaaiCyXPjTn01Od2un36tvCHT-E/s400/Crazy+Ones.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">I’ve written extensively here advising you to follow your heart, to do what you do best. So many times I see people stuck in jobs or situations that offer rewards of material wealth and yet they remain unhappy. They allow their minds to dictate their actions instead of their heart. In spite of that statement, it’s also true that many times you can be very good at doing something, something you’re passionate about, and still remain unfulfilled! What then? </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Here’s a personal example of what I mean. When I was still a young boy, I discovered I had a knack with numbers. My Dad used to ask his insurance agent to stop by our farm, usually in the evenings after Dad finished his day’s work, to go over some of his insurance agent’s proposals. I recall clearly one time how his agent pulled out a calculator to tally up some numbers. Unbeknownst to both of them, I “saw” the numbers, wrote them down on a piece of paper with a pencil and had added them up correctly before his agent could finish the job on his calculator. I proudly displayed the answer, Dad just grinned at his agent, and they both burst out laughing.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Of course, years later, after graduating from college, I went on to a 25 year career in the financial world, primarily as a loan officer for the bank in the town where I grew up. I became so adept at my job I was eventually promoted to Senior Loan Officer. As the years went by though, I became less and less enamored with my situation. Something was missing. After a series of fateful and unfortunate events starting in 2007, I eventually discovered the missing piece to the puzzle. Though I’d always enjoyed the numbers and was told I was quite good at it, I was also told by my supervisors that I needed work on “people” skills. Funny thing is, and without being fully aware of it at the time, what I liked most about my job wasn’t the numbers, it was the interaction, the <u>relationships</u> that really spurred the passion from within.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">It was only AFTER I left the bank when I discovered what my real passion is and started applying it in a practical sense. What I didn’t realize for so many years started surfacing in late 2008 and early 2009. It was expressing myself in written fashion. All those years of writing loan narratives turned out to be what I really enjoy; the power of the written word and how I can influence people in a positive sense with it. And so this blog was born, along with my Facebook page called Gusto in April 2010. The rest is history. Today, there’s been people representing over 50 countries around the world visit my website to read some of my “musings” and over 3,300 follow my Facebook page. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">If you find yourself in a similar situation as I did, ask yourself some basic fundamental questions. What characteristics or skill sets am I really good at? Am I in a position where I’m taking full advantage of those characteristics? At first, you might think the position you’re in, is in line with those characteristics. But then, ask yourself this question, “Am I happy?” If not, look deeper. You might discover what your passion truly is. And regardless what you find, follow your heart’s instincts. They rarely betray you. You may also find that what your passion is doesn’t bring a big paycheck but, as we all know, happiness doesn’t come from a checkbook. It comes from inside.</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/nqEUaLX8SZk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Finally, if what I just wrote doesn’t convince you, then read this. It’s an article I found about Steve Jobs’ life on the internet. I apologize for not remembering the source to give proper credit but perhaps you’ll get the point. It may just change your life.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;"></span></b><strong><u><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 13.0pt;">1. Do what you love.</span></u></strong><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jobs once said, "People with passion can change the world for the better." Asked about the advice he would offer would-be entrepreneurs, he said, "I'd get a job as a busboy or something until I figured out what I was really passionate about." That's how much it meant to him. Passion is everything.</b></span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><br />
<strong><u>2. Put a dent in the universe</u></strong><u>.</u> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jobs believed in the power of vision. He once asked then-Pepsi President, John Sculley, "Do you want to spend your life selling sugar water or do you want to change the world?" Don't lose sight of the big vision.</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><br />
<strong><u>3. Make connections.</u></strong> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jobs once said creativity is connecting things. He meant that people with a broad set of life experiences can often see things that others miss. He took calligraphy classes that didn't have any practical use in his life -- until he built the Macintosh. Jobs traveled to India and Asia. He studied design and hospitality. Don't live in a bubble. Connect ideas from different fields.</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><br />
<strong><u>4. Say no to 1,000 things.</u></strong> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jobs was as proud of what Apple chose not to do as he was of what Apple did. When he returned in Apple in 1997, he took a company with 350 products and reduced them to 10 products in a two-year period. Why? So he could put the "A-Team" on each product. What are you saying "no" to? </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><strong><u>5. Create insanely different experiences.</u></strong> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jobs also sought innovation in the customer-service experience. When he first came up with the concept for the Apple Stores, he said they would be different because instead of just moving boxes, the stores would enrich lives. Everything about the experience you have when you walk into an Apple store is intended to enrich your life and to create an emotional connection between you and the Apple brand. What are you doing to enrich the lives of your customers?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><br />
<strong><u>6. Master the message.</u></strong> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You can have the greatest idea in the world, but if you can't communicate your ideas, it doesn't matter. Jobs was the world's greatest corporate storyteller. Instead of simply delivering a presentation like most people do, he informed, he educated, he inspired and he entertained, all in one presentation.</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><br />
</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><strong><u>7. Sell dreams, not products.</u></strong> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jobs captured our imagination because he really understood his customer. He knew that tablets would not capture our imaginations if they were too complicated. The result? One button on the front of an iPad. It's so simple, a 2-year-old can use it. Your customers don't care about your product. They care about themselves, their hopes, their ambitions. Jobs taught us that if you help your customers reach their dreams, you'll win them over.</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><br />
</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">There's one story that I think sums up Jobs' career at Apple. An executive who had the job of reinventing the Disney Store once called up Jobs and asked for advice. His counsel? Dream bigger. I think that's the best advice he could leave us with. See genius in your craziness, believe in yourself, believe in your vision, and be constantly prepared to defend those ideas.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ccv0fkBwCS8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;"><b><i>"Gusto" </i></b></span></div></div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-91275109970178286812011-10-13T17:56:00.000-07:002011-10-13T17:56:45.839-07:00Why Do We Struggle?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Gus, I want to thank you for the wonderful work that you do, to lift others up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just watched the 20 words to change your life and wow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was the icing on the cake.</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcG-K-n72CS95treiTeHgM8drSCFhJdy6-KzJMlRGxHqaUXlTEPdGn0OvqvObYtCiyqvmqBVd4oGllvXFBRKJcp84OWMYmRIKkZYYwplvkMB9C6ygx9v3RCieCbz9AbiR4yXjCtllDwtc/s1600/Words+and+Choices.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcG-K-n72CS95treiTeHgM8drSCFhJdy6-KzJMlRGxHqaUXlTEPdGn0OvqvObYtCiyqvmqBVd4oGllvXFBRKJcp84OWMYmRIKkZYYwplvkMB9C6ygx9v3RCieCbz9AbiR4yXjCtllDwtc/s400/Words+and+Choices.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">I am a 63 year old woman from a very dysfunctional background, severely abused as a child and adult, low self-esteem, much illness, breast cancer survivor, head injury survivor, disabled, broke, worried about my future, and you lift me up every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right now my living conditions are just above being homeless, I worked all my life but am disabled with no savings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to reverse mortgage my home to stay in it and to help a relative who was nasty and let me down afterwards, my HVAC is broken, I fell today and suffer constant headaches because my glasses are so old and they want $500 for new glasses, everything just piling up on me and I am so discouraged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had some character assassination going on in August and September from people who I had helped and were jealous of my spiritual wealth and independence, and it drove me to nearly ending it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have never done anything like that in my life but I am so worried and desperate right now. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love Joyce Meyer and Wayne Dyer and even wrote last night to ask if there was a scholarship for the You Can Do It conference in Tampa next month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I've always wanted to go and now really NEED to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am just down and out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have helped others all my life to the neglect of myself because of this low self esteem thing which I am working to relieve myself of now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's never too late!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot see correctly even.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">I can't tell you Gus, how much your encouragements mean to me to at least keep me on a positive note from moment to moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am very grateful for your work, you are a blessing to me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you so much!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gratitude abounds!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>: ) </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Love, in Christ</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">*****************************************************************</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">That was an email message I received out of the blue a few nights ago from a loyal fan and member of my Facebook page called Gusto. What makes hers so encouraging is how she has made the conscious CHOICE to remain positive in the face of so many difficulties. And although this message is quite personal in nature, I believe her story is not unlike so many of us in this day and age, at least from the perspective of hardship. There are certainly many more. </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">For example, not long ago I conducted a teleconference with a few of the members of my Facebook page, all of whom are experiencing struggles in life in one form or another, including health issues, career problems, family difficulties, and so on. And then there are those who, by virtue of some of their comments on various posts on my Facebook page, reveal patterns remarkably similar. These individuals are expressing the same problems in life many of us are facing. Some have made the choice like I have, to find something positive in their life they can cling to in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Others however, are stuck in a negative vortex. They can’t seem to pull themselves out of the rut they’re in. They complain and bemoan about their lot in life. </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Why do some of us seem afflicted with nothing but pain and hardship in life while others seem to be on easy street? Why do some of us struggle with life issues while others seem to always find a way to keep moving forward in a positive light?</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">I’ve written here before about a topic and phrase entitled “acceptance is the answer.” Some of you reading this know the source from which that phrase originated. And though some may believe it’s designed only for those who are following diligent “steps” in their path of self-recovery, I’ve maintained for some time that phrase applies to ALL of us, regardless of our particular circumstances or misfortunes. That book is about LIFE.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">“Acceptance is the answer to all of your problems today. When you are disturbed, it is because you find some person, place, thing, or situation ---- some fact of your life ---- unacceptable to you, and you can find no serenity until you accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God's world by mistake. Unless you accept completely life's terms, you cannot be happy. You need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in you and your attitudes.”</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Powerful words. They’ve changed my life. They can change yours, too. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But remember, not only is life hard, it can unexpectedly become harder. One day we might be comfortably cruising along, and then suddenly it seems like everything is going wrong: Your marriage is in shambles, or you’ve just discovered that you’re not as financially stable as you thought, or you suddenly lose a lover, friend, or family member. The world has changed. Everything seems ominous and uncertain. </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">That’s when you can fall into the trap of pessimism and negativity. It may seem like the natural thing to do given what you’re going through. How can we work on building a healthy and optimistic way of living when we’re overcome with pain, anxiety, and fear? But no matter how hard things become, there are ways to approach your situation that can make it less burdensome.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Here are four ways to stay positive when life gets you down:</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Express Gratitude.</span></u></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be mindful about what you do have, whether it’s a fantastic friend or a wonderful partner. Try making a list of things you’re grateful for every night for two weeks. It can be even more powerful to express gratitude to someone who you feel truly thankful for. Write them a letter telling them how they have helped you. Additionally, try to cultivate a sense of gratitude in everyday life for things both major and minor. Thank that stranger who goes a little out of his way to hold the door open for you. Appreciating the good in the world can change the way you look at life.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Volunteer</span></u></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">. Take your awareness outside of yourself and focus it on the well-being of others. This may not be possible if you’re in crisis mode, but it can be very helpful if you’re increasingly preoccupied by your own negative thoughts. Many studies have shown that community service and philanthropy are more satisfying over the long term than focusing on your problems. Try volunteering at your local library, homeless shelter or hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can become less focused on the bad stuff you’ve been dealing with—and even form a connection with others in the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Notice the Good.</span></u></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"> It might seem nearly impossible to find the silver lining in a burdensome situation, but it can be helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe you’ve gone through some personal growth and change because of what’s happened, or you’ve become closer to someone.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Change Negative Self-Talk</span></u></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">. It’s way too easy to think the same negative thoughts over and over again. However, you can learn to change this by doing some cognitive-behavioral therapy on yourself. When you notice yourself having a negative thought about yourself, replace it with a positive one. If you find yourself<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>thinking “It’s all my fault” or “I’m not good enough,” stop and remind yourself of how well you’ve been coping and how others appreciate you.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">The bottom line on becoming and remaining optimistic: We can’t change what happens to us or to loved ones, but we can change how we react to it. And though that process may take some time, it’s worth it because of the joy and peace of mind optimism can bring. </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/PLZxJZ70MQ4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Finally, if nothing else, maybe this will help. The same thing my friend said in her email was “the icing on the cake!” </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">“Gusto”</span></i></b></div></div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-26649497509648252592011-10-12T19:51:00.000-07:002011-10-12T19:53:23.181-07:00"....Love Depends on the "Sighs" of Your Heart...."<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">"Danielle keeps repeating it over and over again. We've been back to this animal shelter at least five times. It has been weeks now since we started all of this," the mother told the volunteer.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">"What is it she keeps asking for?" the volunteer asked.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">"Puppy size!" replied the mother.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">"Well, we have plenty of puppies, if that's what she's looking for."</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">"I know..... We have seen most of them", the mom said in frustration.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">Just then Danielle came walking into the office</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">"Well, did you find one?" asked her mom.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">"No, not this time," Danielle said with sadness in her voice. "Can we come back on the weekend?"</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">The two women looked at each other, shook their heads and laughed.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">"You never know when we will get more dogs. Unfortunately, there's always a supply," the volunteer said. Danielle took her mother by the hand and headed to the door. "Don't worry, I'll find one this weekend," she said.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">Over the next few days both Mom and Dad had long conversations with her. They both felt she was being too particular. "It's this weekend or we're not looking any more," Dad finally said in frustration. "We don't want to hear anything more about puppy size, either," Mom added. Sure enough, they were the first ones in the shelter on Saturday morning. By now Danielle knew her way around, so she ran right for the section that housed the smaller dogs.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">Tired of the routine, mom sat in the small waiting room at the end of the first row of cages. There was an observation window so you could see the animals during times when Visitors weren't permitted. Danielle walked slowly from cage to cage, kneeling periodically to take a closer look. One by one the dogs were brought out and she held each one. One by one she said, "Sorry, but you're not the one." It was the last cage on this last day in search of the perfect puppy. The volunteer opened the cage door and the child carefully picked up the dog and held it closely. This time she took a little longer.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNyGLJWAwZgoV4aths2x8TRZHJfPRZZq91cFDLCOaSUNjDtRupzrabZ56Z6XMmqc0Qo59eNDyBF937lntYZRffTmKGDMQRR_NAWAF4nMtL-CFWQDABHqD_99MGJ5XAYNzABE7qRWhfsIo/s1600/Dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNyGLJWAwZgoV4aths2x8TRZHJfPRZZq91cFDLCOaSUNjDtRupzrabZ56Z6XMmqc0Qo59eNDyBF937lntYZRffTmKGDMQRR_NAWAF4nMtL-CFWQDABHqD_99MGJ5XAYNzABE7qRWhfsIo/s400/Dog.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">"Mom, that's it! I found the right puppy! He's the one! I know it!" She screamed with joy. "It's the puppy sighs!"</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">"But it's the same size as all the other puppies you held over the last few weeks," Mom said.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">"No, NOT size... the sighs. When I held him in my arms, he sighed," she said. "Don't you remember? When I asked you one day what love is, you told me love depends on the sighs of your heart. The more you love, the bigger the sigh!"</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">The two women looked at each other for a moment. Mom didn't know whether to laugh or cry. As she stooped down to hug the child, she did a little of both.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">"Mom, every time you hold me, I sigh. When you and Daddy come home from work and hug each other, you both sigh. I knew I would find the right puppy if it sighed when I held it in my arms," she said. Then, holding the puppy up close to her face, she said, "Mom, he loves me. I heard the sighs of his heart!"</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">Close your eyes for a moment and think about the love that makes you sigh. I not only find it in the arms of my loved ones, but in the caress of a sunset, the kiss of the moonlight and the gentle brush of cool air on a hot day. They are the sighs of God. Take the time to stop and listen; you will be surprised at what you hear.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">"Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">I hope your life is filled with Sighs!!!</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends!</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">Life is too short and friends are too few. </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">Life is too short to wake up with regrets.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">Love the people who treat you right and forget about the ones who don't!</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">~ Author Unknown</span></i></b></div></div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-70229747186819781952011-10-11T14:43:00.000-07:002011-10-11T14:43:05.523-07:00God's Wife & Leo Buscaglia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This morning I received this in an email from a good friend, who just so happens to be one of the very first members of my Facebook page called Gusto, a woman of deep faith and compassion. She’s a mother, grandmother, and an all-around great soul, what I refer to as “good people.” You won’t find anyone better! When I read this, I was moved so much I decided to share her story on my blog for posterity purposes. It’s the kind of story that stays with us forever, a timeless piece to remind us of that which is important in life. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! ~ Gusto</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAHWVog84z7YDQ7SCe9LXfeoHrUUqbyYhIShHHRifMRAFLX0DjlnWSNRIKdEsJGaJEQ_hOOf7svHzbx1hLPDBlloCNm9E1_e6Iccmk1bSBNZ9J3lanivEOOEYIDjnjyNuLoYR9Oy5pJs/s1600/God%2527s+Wife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAHWVog84z7YDQ7SCe9LXfeoHrUUqbyYhIShHHRifMRAFLX0DjlnWSNRIKdEsJGaJEQ_hOOf7svHzbx1hLPDBlloCNm9E1_e6Iccmk1bSBNZ9J3lanivEOOEYIDjnjyNuLoYR9Oy5pJs/s400/God%2527s+Wife.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;" valign="top"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt;"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 36pt;"><span> </span>God's Wife </span></b><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>IT WILL KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF</span><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once<br />
talked about a contest he was asked to judge. </span></b><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
The purpose of the<br />
contest was to find the most caring child.<br />
<br />
The winner was:<br />
<br />
1. A four-year-old child, whose next door<br />
neighbor was an elderly gentleman, who had recently lost his<br />
wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old<br />
gentleman's' yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.<br />
When his mother asked him what he had<br />
said to the neighbor, the little boy just said, 'Nothing, I just<br />
helped him cry.'<br />
<br />
*********************************************<br />
<br />
2. Teacher Debbie Moon's first graders were<br />
discussing a picture of a family. One little boy in the picture<br />
had a different hair color than the other members. One of her<br />
students suggested that he was adopted.<br />
A little girl said, 'I know all about<br />
adoption, I was adopted.'<br />
<br />
'What does it mean to be adopted?', asked<br />
another child.<br />
<br />
'It means', said the girl, 'that you grew<br />
in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy!'<br />
<br />
************************ *********************<br />
<br />
3. On my way home one day, I stopped to<br />
watch a Little League base ball game that was being played in a<br />
park near my home. As I sat down behind the bench on the first-<br />
base line, I asked one of the boys what the score was.<br />
'We're behind 14 to nothing,' he answered <br />
With a smile.<br />
<br />
'Really,' I said. 'I have to say you<br />
don't look very discouraged.'<br />
<br />
'Discouraged?', the boy asked with a<br />
puzzled look on his face...<br />
<br />
'Why should we be discouraged? We haven't<br />
been up to bat yet.'<br />
<br />
*********************** **********************<br />
<br />
4. Whenever I'm disappointed with my spot<br />
in life, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott.<br />
<br />
Jamie was trying out for a part in the<br />
school play. His mother told me that he'd set his heart on being<br />
in it, though she feared he would not be chosen.<br />
<br />
On the day the parts were awarded, I went<br />
with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her,<br />
eyes shining with pride and excitement.. 'Guess what, Mom,' he<br />
shouted, and then said those words that will remain a lesson to<br />
me....'I've been chosen to clap and cheer.'<br />
<br />
*********************************************<br />
<br />
5. An eye-witness account from New York<br />
City, on a cold day in December, <br />
some years ago: A little boy,<br />
about 10-years-old, was standing before a shoe store on the<br />
roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering<br />
With cold.<br />
<br />
A lady approached the young boy and said,<br />
'My, but you're in such deep thought staring in that window!'<br />
<br />
'I was asking God to give me a pair of<br />
shoes,' was the boy's reply.<br />
<br />
The lady took him by the hand, went into<br />
the store, and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks<br />
for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water<br />
and a towel. He quickly brought them to her.<br />
<br />
She took the little fellow to the back<br />
part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed<br />
his little feet, and dried them with the towel. <br />
<br />
By this time, the clerk had returned with<br />
the socks. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him<br />
a pair of shoes.<br />
<br />
She tied up the remaining pairs of socks<br />
and gave them to him.. She patted him on the head and said, 'No<br />
doubt, you will be more comfortable now.'<br />
<br />
As she turned to go, the astonished kid<br />
caught her by the hand, and looking up into her face, with tears<br />
in his eyes, asked her.<br />
'Are you God's wife?'<br />
<br />
*********************************************<br />
<br />
SEND TO ALL WHO LOVE AND CARE FOR CHILDREN.<br />
Hope this put a smile on your face!</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.2pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sure did mine!</span></b></div></div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-85452821127811481012011-10-08T14:16:00.000-07:002012-01-14T06:59:02.393-08:003900 Saturday Mornings & 1000 Marbles ~ unknown.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEbUHomg3pmDXyzMzviSKjet_wYx2EkAsYqhyphenhyphen_3cKkx8NFPVisRE9cQSFBe5l4w17hj5EjW0YbwIV4Nst_CeIWoZYzSCDBbTDX1MuQl4zsx6nbMN__R-ptJHXb7OXsip4IUcV9G2Xe_hw/s1600/Marbles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEbUHomg3pmDXyzMzviSKjet_wYx2EkAsYqhyphenhyphen_3cKkx8NFPVisRE9cQSFBe5l4w17hj5EjW0YbwIV4Nst_CeIWoZYzSCDBbTDX1MuQl4zsx6nbMN__R-ptJHXb7OXsip4IUcV9G2Xe_hw/s400/Marbles.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;"> The older I get the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it’s the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it’s the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.</span></b></i></div><i><b> </b></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time.</span></b></i></div><i><b> </b></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">Let me tell you about it.</span></b></i></div><i><b> </b></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind; he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whomever he was talking with something about “a thousand marbles.” I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say.</span></b></i></div><i><b> </b></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">“Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you’re busy with your job. I’m sure they pay you well but it’s a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It’s too bad you missed your daughter’s dance recital” he continued. “Let me tell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities.” And that’s when he began to explain his theory of a “thousand marbles.”</span></b></i></div><i><b> </b></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">“You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic.. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.”</span></b></i></div><i><b> </b></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">“Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now, stick with me, Tom, I’m getting to the important part. It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail”, he went on, “and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear.”</span></b></i></div><i><b> </b></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">“Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life.”</span></b></i></div><i><b> </b></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">“There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight.”</span></b></i></div><i><b> </b></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">“Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.”</span></b></i></div><i><b> </b></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">“It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. This is a 75 Year old Man, K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!”</span></b></i></div><i><b> </b></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter.</span></b></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/nWxA3e9f6rY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></div><i><b> </b></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss… “C’mon honey, I’m taking you and the kids to breakfast.” “What brought this on” she asked with a smile.” “Oh, nothing special, it’s just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we’re out? I need to buy some marbles.”</span></b></i></div><br />
</div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-88771296924482640682011-10-07T20:32:00.000-07:002011-10-07T20:32:43.505-07:00Gusto - "Passion"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nqEUaLX8SZk?fs=1" width="480"></iframe>Our "Passion" isn't necessarily what we "do"....it's who we "are."</div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-727145307126780092011-09-28T07:21:00.000-07:002011-09-28T07:21:54.564-07:00Vanessa Amorosi - The Simple Things<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OYkrGvhRrJs?fs=1" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" width="459"></iframe>It's the SIMPLE Things That Matter!Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7934801346803054870.post-15051933124953510552011-09-28T06:58:00.000-07:002011-09-28T06:58:09.388-07:00"Muaaaahhh!"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXmQAxz7-CxDXMDX64s75fehQGdMS6vIMNrdqdd1nW-P3cg6ryCB6K_rSRtHCd497l8cpDQTdRSLVT6AJ81_IwWiFE8GRCIdQer2n268W7PT6Dm-vVhTcqinINey5wqpO8g0HafZ8JxI/s1600/Children+Loving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXmQAxz7-CxDXMDX64s75fehQGdMS6vIMNrdqdd1nW-P3cg6ryCB6K_rSRtHCd497l8cpDQTdRSLVT6AJ81_IwWiFE8GRCIdQer2n268W7PT6Dm-vVhTcqinINey5wqpO8g0HafZ8JxI/s400/Children+Loving.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">A condensed version of a story back in September 2010, with a new one thrown in at the end: </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt;">Since I started this blog five months ago, I've talked a lot about personal experiences in hopes of providing a source of inspiration to others. I've also talked of religious topics and how those principles have been applied in my own life. Now I'd like to talk of one that's been on my mind for some time, an economic topic by definition, but one that I think we all experience in our daily lives. In doing so, I'll try to give some real-life examples so you get a sense of what I'm speaking of.</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wikipedia defines "Diminishing Returns" this way: "In economics, diminishing returns (also called diminishing marginal returns) refers to how the marginal production of a factor of production starts to progressively decrease as the factor is increased, in contrast to the increase that would otherwise be normally expected." In other words, it doesn't matter how much more gas we throw on a fire, it won't make any difference in the output of the heat. Another way of looking at it is strictly from an economic standpoint. Take our current economic crisis America is experiencing; massive unemployment, unprecedented spending to boost the economy, bailouts right and left. You get the point, right? We've thrown money at problems for nearly two years now and yet still, we're no better off today than we were then.</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now for a personal example. I was talking with my 85-year old Aunt recently here in Southern California. She's a retired public school teacher, having taught English and writing for over three decades. Recently, she decided she wanted something to do with her idle time so she approached a local school district to <u>volunteer</u> as a writing instructor for advanced placement English for high school students. However, because of the way our culture has evolved, she had to submit to the "application process" like anyone else would. This meant a background check, drug screens, you name it, and she had to go through it. When she went to get tested for drugs, the people there laughed like, "Are you kidding me? You? An 85-year old widow with over three decades of an unblemished teaching career?" Yep, she had to do it. On top of that, she had to submit to fingerprints. All TEN of them. But, because of her age, her skin has deteriorated to the point that the technician couldn't obtain a decent impression of FOUR of her fingers! The technician said, "Hmm…that's strange. That's never happened before." The result? My aunt's job as a <u>volunteer</u> teacher is on hold because the "system" says so. Why? Whatever happened to common sense? Judgment of character? </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So, from a "diminishing returns" perspective, what GOOD does it provide for her, or anyone else similar to her, to have to play by the same rules as everyone else? The system says so and frankly, if you think about it, here's why. Imagine if you will, they did use their own judgment and hired her based on her credentials, only to find out later that she did drugs. Bam. Lawsuit from parents right and left. And therein is where the problem is with our culture. Everyone is so afraid of being sued for the slightest grievance and, because of one rotten egg in years past, everyone, including 85-year old ladies with spotless records and unparalleled credentials, get thrown in the same pot.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What you just read was a story posted on my blog back in September 2010, a mere five months after I started it and the associated Facebook page called Gusto. So, with that story in mind, the question begs itself; What does all this mean to you? Ahhhh, there’s the tricky part! Before I render my opinion on that, let’s give some background to all this, a conversation I had with the same Aunt I’ve mentioned in this story. Keep in mind, she may be 86 now on the outside but her mind is as sharp as a tack! A few months after I wrote this story I stopped by her home for a visit. We got to talking about the state of our world these days. To be honest, I was lamenting the fact that people seemed obsessed with self-gratification, they can’t wait to get their hands on the latest greatest gadget. Meanwhile, everyone seems to scurry around like ants, crawling over one another in a desperate search to reach the “top.” We’re being bombarded right and left every day with new technologies, it seems like we’re always trying to play catch-up. My Aunt was listening intently. I could tell she was absorbing this deeply. This is a lady with a stellar resume; first female from my home town in Kansas to graduate from the University of Kansas back in the 1940’s, with a degree in English Literature. A storied high school teaching career spanning over three decades in three different states. The cream of the crop.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When I finished, all she said were SEVEN words; </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“We have to get comfortable with confusion.”</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At that point, we both burst out laughing! It was such a profound statement, one I’ll never forget. But it’s taken me months to put those words in perspective. At first, my interpretation was probably like yours or anyone else’s. My brain was saying; “I guess I’ll just have to accept things the way they are.” Now that I’ve had more time to think about it, and reconciled her words with several more personal experiences since, what I think she was really saying is </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“We’ve come to a point where, no matter how much more we “get”, it’s not buying us more “happiness.” We should narrow our choices down to a few to find peace amidst the chaos.”</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In other words, we’ve reached that state in our personal lives like that found in classic economic theory, the “Law of Diminishing Returns” has kicked in. This would summarize a core philosophy of what I call “A new way of thinking and living.” So instead of thinking we have to choose amongst 15 different kinds of laundry detergent when we go to the store, simply DECIDE on one and leave it at that, in SPITE of all the marketing efforts thrown at us to buy the “latest greatest” detergent with an exotic mixture of Fabreze and Downy thrown in for good measure. And don’t label or try to sell me an Ecru-colored shirt, when you can simply call it what it is; light brown. Am I oversimplifying? I think not! Yes, it’s certainly a tongue-in-cheek view, but perhaps you get my point.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’ll summarize this latest “Ramblings” chapter this way; “Muaaaahhh! Keep It Simple Silly!”</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Gusto”</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><br />
</div>Bond 007http://www.blogger.com/profile/11094676522141760954noreply@blogger.com0