Monday, January 21, 2008

The Difference a Teacher Can Make

The Difference a Teacher Can Make

Steve, a twelve-year-old boy with alcoholic parents, was about to
be lost forever, by the U.S. education system. Remarkably, he could
read, yet, in spite of his reading skills, Steve was failing. He
had been failing since first grade, as he was passed on from grade
to grade. Steve was a big boy, looking more like a teenager than a
twelve year old, yet, Steve went unnoticed... until Miss White.

Miss White was a smiling, young, beautiful redhead, and Steve was
in love! For the first time in his young life, he couldn't take his
eyes off his teacher; yet, still he failed. He never did his
homework, and he was always in trouble with Miss White. His heart
would break under her sharp words, and when he was punished for
failing to turn in his homework, he felt just miserable! Still, he
did not study.

In the middle of the first semester of school, the entire seventh
grade was tested for basic skills. Steve hurried through his tests,
and continued to dream of other things, as the day wore on. His
heart was not in school, but in the woods, where he often escaped
alone, trying to shut out the sights, sounds and smells of his
alcoholic home. No one checked on him to see if he was safe. No one
knew he was gone, because no one was sober enough to care. Oddly,
Steve never missed a day of school.

One day, Miss White's impatient voice broke into his daydreams.

"Steve!!" Startled, he turned to look at her.

"Pay attention!"

Steve locked his gaze on Miss White with adolescent adoration, as
she began to go over the test results for the seventh grade.

"You all did pretty well," she told the class, "except for one boy,
and it breaks my heart to tell you this, but..." She hesitated,
pinning Steve to his seat with a sharp stare, her eyes searching
his face.

"...The smartest boy in the seventh grade is failing my class!"

She just stared at Steve, as the class spun around for a good look.
Steve dropped his eyes and carefully examined his fingertips.

After that, it was war!! Steve still wouldn't do his homework. Even
as the punishments became more severe, he remained stubborn.

"Just try it! ONE WEEK!" He was unmoved.

"You're smart enough! You'll see a change!" Nothing fazed him.

"Give yourself a chance! Don't give up on your life!" Nothing.

"Steve! Please! I care about you!"

Wow! Suddenly, Steve got it!! Someone cared about him? Someone,
totally unattainable and perfect, CARED ABOUT HIM??!!"

Steve went home from school, thoughtful, that afternoon. Walking
into the house, he took one look around. Both parents were passed
out, in various stages of undress, and the stench was overpowering!
He, quickly, gathered up his camping gear, a jar of peanut butter,
a loaf of bread, a bottle of water, and this time...his
schoolbooks. Grim faced and determined, he headed for the woods.

The following Monday he arrived at school on time, and he waited
for Miss White to enter the classroom. She walked in, all sparkle
and smiles! God, she was beautiful! He yearned for her smile to
turn on him. It did not.

Miss White, immediately, gave a quiz on the weekend homework. Steve
hurried through the test, and was the first to hand in his paper.
With a look of surprise, Miss White took his paper. Obviously
puzzled, she began to look it over. Steve walked back to his desk,
his heart pounding within his chest. As he sat down, he couldn't
resist another look at the lovely woman.

Miss White's face was in total shock! She glanced up at Steve, then
down, then up. Suddenly, her face broke into a radiant smile. The
smartest boy in the seventh grade had just passed his first test!

From that moment nothing was the same for Steve. Life at home
remained the same, but life still changed. He discovered that not
only could he learn, but he was good at it! He discovered that he
could understand and retain knowledge, and that he could translate
the things he learned into his own life. Steve began to excel! And
he continued this course throughout his school life.

After high-school Steve enlisted in the Navy, and he had a
successful military career. During that time, he met the love of
his life, he raised a family, and he graduated from college Magna
Cum Laude. During his Naval career, he inspired many young people,
who without him, might not have believed in themselves. Steve began
a second career after the Navy, and he continues to inspire others,
as an adjunct professor in a nearby college.

Miss White left a great legacy. She saved one boy who has changed
many lives. I know, because I am the love of his life.

You see, it's simple, really. A change took place within the heart
of one boy, all because of one teacher, who cared.

© Jaye Lewis, 2003

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Lessons I Learned From Merlin

For the last hour, I've been scuffling about my kitchen in a man's
size 13 UGG slippers (it's not a hazard as long as I don't try the
stairs), whipping up a sugar cookie recipe that requires a full
pound of Crisco, and wondering how in the world I'm going to write
my year's holiday letter.

I'm going to start with an event that occurred today. It's not
meant to be morbid, so kindly bear with me. Today, my Great
Pyrenees, Merlin, came home to me by way of a UPS truck. My
beloved, forever shedding partner in crime these last 11 years
passed on to another form of life on December 8th. He died because
half of his heart had given out, proving my suspicions from his
puppy-hood that he, like the Whoville Grinch, had a heart that was
simply several sizes too big.

After I kissed his nose for the last time, I arranged to have his
ashes delivered to me, which was supposed to take a day or two.
Instead, they called me yesterday (14 days later) to tell me they'd
accidentally tried to deliver him to another family and that he was
still on the UPS truck, on his way to me this time. Today, true to
form, a sweating UPS truck driver sprinted to my door with Merlin
solidly lodged under his arm.

As I carried Merlin (in his new state, housed in a small cedar
chest) upstairs, I couldn't help but chuckle. Nothing in the entire
world caused greater gnashing-of-teeth for Merlin than the UPS
truck and its men in brown. It was the only single thing that
taunted him into trampling down fences and sprinting for blocks
down rush-hour traffic streets.and here's how he ended up, lodged
in the bowels of the evil incarnate monster itself (AND during the
holiday season to boot) in herky-jerky, stop-and-go fashion for two
full weeks.
That, my friend, is Karma. Take it from Merlin: If you're chasing
after anything in life with some level of misdirected anger, that
very thing will likely get the better of you in the end.

That being said, I'll give Merlin credit for helping me maintain
misdirected anger over the last 11 years - even this last year.
Merlin was a high-spirited creature who liked to skitter around on
his tippy-toes and create instant wainscoting in every home by
sliding drooly, dirty tennis balls along the wall. But he'd also
follow me from room to room when he knew I was upset until I'd
finally flump down and throw my arms around him. He loved me
unconditionally with great warmth and a giving soul that knew no
other way to be. And that was a lesson I did, indeed, learn from
Merlin.

This last year didn't start well as a man I cared for deeply did a
sudden about-face just weeks before the holiday. It came as a
complete surprise to me and, though my friends and family gathered
around me in protective and cheerful stance, I was very bah-humbug
through the season. As the New Year began, I found myself
struggling with clients I didn't really like, and paying rent I
didn't really want to pay anymore. So, 'round about March, Merlin
and I had a talk and decided to stop with the misdirected anger and
start creating a better story.

And so we did. As I say in all the stuff I write, "If you don't
like the situation you're in, recognize you created it and fix it."
It was time to take my own medicine. Merlin and I drove all around
Laguna Beach in my little convertible until we found our new home.
With the move made to a place just a block from the beach, I then
tackled the not-liking-my-clients issue with Grim Reaper
determination. Fact is, if you're not doing what you love to do
every day, you're cheating yourself. I knew there were too many
good and exciting people out there to work with and as I focused on
this fact, those very people started coming in the door.

It wasn't until July that I got up the nerve to e-mail the one
person I wanted to work with most - a past client by the name of
Robert. Robert and I have tried and failed at working together
twice before, and hitting that initial "SEND" button this time
around wasn't easy. Ten minutes later, however, we were on our way
to working together again and now I'm his Vice President of
Marketing. I delight in what I do every day for this man's company.
It's not easy and it's got its tenuous, warbly-chin, pounding
headache moments. But, I delight in it, pure and simple as that.
It's supposed to be that simple, I believe.

Through this client, I even happened upon my dream web programming
team, a team that's quite capable of leaping tall buildings in a
single bound AND in record time. What I find most amazing is that I
was prepared to NOT like working with them. Fortunately, somewhere
along the way, I realized that chasing them down rush-hour streets
while barking my fool head off was only going to succeed in getting
ME killed - yet another lesson I learned from Merlin, who always
and eventually gave up the chase with a shrug.

So, here I sit on Christmas Eve's Eve with Merlin perched on my
lap. (This must be nirvana for Merlin - he is, at last, a lap dog.)
And his lessons are here in my head:

- If you chase after something in anger, it will find a way to bite
you back.

- Be sure to follow your closest friends from room to room when you
know they're upset.

- Give generously of your warmth and soul. You've got more where
that came from.

- Be the first to press the "SEND" button when you haven't talked
to someone in a while.

- If you're trying to chase something off because it seems like a
threat to you, it might be better to stop, shrug and give it up.

- Delight in your days. It's supposed to be that simple.

- And lastly, never lose sight of your family and friends. They're
the home you want to return to, even if the only way to get there
is by UPS truck.

Diane Armitage

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

A Goodbye Kiss

The Board Meeting had come to an end. Bob started to stand up and jostled the table,
spilling his coffee over his notes. "How embarrassing. I am getting so clumsy in my old age."

Everyone had a good laugh, and soon we were all telling stories of our most embarrassing
moments. It came around to Frank who sat quietly listening to the others. Someone said,
"Come on, Frank. Tell us your most embarrassing moment."

Frank laughed and began to tell us of his childhood. "I grew up in San Pedro. My Dad
was a fisherman, and he loved the sea. He had his own boat, but it was hard making a
living on the sea. He worked hard and would stay out until he caught enough to feed the
family. Not just enough for our family, but also for his Mom and Dad and the other kids
that were still at home."

He looked at us and said, "I wish you could have met my Dad. He was a big man, and
he was strong from pulling the nets and fighting the seas for his catch. When you got close
to him, he smelled like the ocean. He would wear his old canvas, foul-weather coat and
his bibbed overalls. His rain hat would be pulled down over his brow. No matter how
much my Mother washed them, they would still smell of the sea and of fish."

Frank's voice dropped a bit. "When the weather was bad he would drive me to school.
He had this old truck that he used in his fishing business. That truck was older than he was.
It would wheeze and rattle down the road. You could hear it coming for blocks. As he would
drive toward the school, I would shrink down into the seat hoping to disappear. Half the time,
he would slam to a stop and the old truck would belch a cloud of smoke. He would pull right
up in front, and it seemed like everybody would be standing around and watching. Then he
would lean over and give me a big kiss on the cheek and tell me to be a good boy. It was so
embarrassing for me. Here I was, twelve years old, and my Dad would lean over and kiss me goodbye!"

He paused and then went on, "I remember the day I decided I was too old for a goodbye kiss.
When we got to the school and came to a stop, he had his usual big smile. He started to lean
toward me, but I put my hand up and said, 'No, Dad.'

It was the first time I had ever talked to him that way, and he had this surprised look on his face.

I said, 'Dad, I'm too old for a goodbye kiss. I'm too old for any kind of kiss.'

My Dad looked at me for the longest time, and his eyes started to tear up. I had never seen him
cry. He turned and looked out the windshield. 'You're right,' he said. 'You are a big boy.a man.
I won't kiss you anymore.'"

Frank got a funny look on his face, and the tears began to well up in his eyes, as he spoke. "It
wasn't long after that when my Dad went to sea and never came back. It was a day when most
of the fleet stayed in, but not Dad. He had a big family to feed. They found his boat adrift with its
nets half in and half out. He must have gotten into a gale and was trying to save the nets and the floats."

I looked at Frank and saw that tears were running down his cheeks.

Frank spoke again. "Guys, you don't know what I would give to have my Dad give me just one
more kiss on the cheek.to feel his rough old face.to smell the ocean on him.to feel his arm around
my neck. I wish I had been a man then. If I had been a man, I would never have told my Dad I
was too old for a goodbye kiss."

Bishop Thomas Charles Clary

Sunday, January 13, 2008

TODAY IS YESTERDAY'S TOMORROW by Jim Rohn

The problem with waiting until tomorrow is that when it
finally arrives, it is called today. Today is yesterday's
tomorrow. The question is what did we do with its
opportunity? All too often we will waste tomorrow as we
wasted yesterday, and as we are wasting today. All that could
have been accomplished can easily elude us, despite our
intentions, until we inevitably discover that the things that
might have been have slipped from our embrace a single,
unused day at a time.

Each of us must pause frequently to remind ourselves that the
clock is ticking. The same clock that began to tick from the
moment we drew our first breath will also someday cease.

Time is the great equalizer of all mankind. It has taken away
the best and the worst of us without regard for either. Time
offers opportunity but demands a sense of urgency.

When the game of life is finally over, there is no second
chance to correct our errors. The clock that is ticking away
the moments of our lives does not care about winners and
losers. It does not care about who succeeds or who fails. It
does not care about excuses, fairness or equality. The only
essential issue is how we played the game.

Regardless of a person's current age, there is a sense of
urgency that should drive them into action now - this very
moment. We should be constantly aware of the value of each
and every moment of our lives - moments that seem so
insignificant that their loss often goes unnoticed.

We still have all the time we need. We still have lots of
chances - lots of opportunities - lots of years to show what
we can do. For most of us, there will be a tomorrow, a next
week, a next month, and a next year. But unless we develop a
sense of urgency, those brief windows of time will be sadly
wasted, as were the weeks and months and years before them.
There isn't an endless supply!

So as you think of your dreams and goals of your future
tomorrow, begin today to take those very important first
steps to making them all come to life.


To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Real Love - What It Is

It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30 am, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's,
presented to have sutures removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry
as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing that it would be over an hour
before someone would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch, and decided
that as I was not busy with another patient I would evaluate his wound. On exam it was
well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his
sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, we began to engage in conversation. I asked him if he
had a doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman
told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.
I then inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and
that she was a victim of Alzheimer Disease.

As we talked, and I finished dressing his wound I asked if she would be worried if he
was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not
recognized him in 5 years now. I was surprised, and asked him.

"And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?"

He smiled as he patted my hand and said, "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is."

I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought that is the
kind of love I want in my life. I have retold this story many times, and still get goose bumps when I tell it.

Cheryl Shoemaker
Emergency Room Nurse

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Sitting On Your Talent

Sitting On Your Talent

If you are like me, there are some things you may feel you do pretty well, and others that you would not admit to having done even at gunpoint! I do play guitar adequately and I can make a memorable enchilada dish. I also enjoy working with people and I seem to have made it a lifelong project to learn how to become a better listener.

I never thought of myself as one who has any great talent, but like each of us, I have certain skills and abilities. Let me tell you a story, however, passed down through jazz circles. It's a story about a man who had real talent.

This particular man played piano in a bar. He was a good piano player. People came out just to hear him and his trio play. But one night, a patron wanted them to sing a particular song. The trio declined. But the customer was persistent. He told them bartender,

"I'm tired of listening to the piano. I want that guy to sing!"

The bartender shouted across the room to the piano player,

"Hey buddy! If you want to get paid, sing the song. The patrons are asking you to sing!"

So he did. He sang a song. A jazz piano player who had not sung much in public, sang a song that changed his career. For nobody had ever heard Sweet Lorraine sung the way it was sung that night by Nat King Cole!

He had talent he was sitting on! He may have lived the rest of his life playing in a jazz trio in clubs and bars, but because he had to sing, he went on to become one of the best-known entertainers in America.

You, too, have skills and abilities. You may not feel as if your "talent" is particularly great, but it may be better than you think! And with persistence, most skills can be improved. Besides, you may as well have no ability at all if you sit on whatever talent you possess!

Some people ask, "What ability do I have that is useful?"

Others ask, "How will I use the ability that I have?"

Steve Goodier Author of "Joy Along The Way"

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

THE SECRET TO ALL BUSINESS by Doug Firebaugh

The Secret to All Transactions....

The Secret to Success in Life..... Value.

If not the most Powerful word in Business, in the top 2. Why?

Everything revolves around Value.

Buying Decisions.

Selling Decisions.

Hiring Decisions.

Firing Decisions.

Promoting Decisions.

Demoting Decisions.

Success Decisions.

Failure Decisions. Just about all decisions are influenced by some form of Value. Including decisions about YOU in the workplace and any other place.

Here is a question that if you GET IT, could change your life radically, and put you on a one way course to massive success...

It would put you on the Corporate Radar Screen or Success Radar Screen for good....

And would change you on the inside so much, you would look at life differently, approach life differently, and Live life differently. And would revolutionize everything and everyone around you....

Would that interest you?

Thought so....

So what might that question be?

A question you should ask yourself everyday....for The Building of a Life of Extreme Value... "What would happen... if I doubled what Value I bring to my Company, Industry, and everyone around me... every year?"

That's a DUH.

I just gave you the secret to getting anything in Life you want.... Did you get It?

Blessings...
Doug Firebaugh

Monday, January 7, 2008

Being Rich

We prowled through the second hand bookstore, the day after Christmas, just my husband,
Louie, our daughters, Jenny and Helen, and me. This was a precious time for us, because
we would be splitting up as a family,again, in just a couple of days.

It had been a tough eight months since my husband had retired from the Navy. As plotters
and planners, we had manipulated the "military system," while on active duty, as much as
we could, trying to prevent a long, dreaded absence from one another. Now, here we were,
retired, and we were eight months into our longest separation.

When my husband retired, we discovered that the only job available for him was in the city
of Norfolk, Virginia. Our dream was to live out the rest of our lives in the mountains of
southwestern Virginia, six and a half hours away. My health had gotten so bad, that it was
impossible for me to stay with Louie in the city. We had settled for a separation, praying
that a job would become available in the beautiful region that we love.

So, there we were, delaying the inevitable, passing time in a second hand bookstore, before
the girls and I headed back to southwest Virginia. We were as broke as we'd ever been,
supporting two households; yet we were grateful to be together, and we seized every opportunity
for extra hugs, shared daydreams and laughter.

There was only one other person in the bookstore, besides the proprietor, a lovely, well-dressed,
woman, about my age. I noticed her clothes, her shoes, and her expensive handbag, and I
wondered what it would be like, to be rich enough to walk into a bookstore and have the money
to buy any book my heart desired. But we were having so much fun, that I quickly forgot the woman. We joked as we continued our treasure hunt, clutching our spending money of five dollars apiece,
all hoping to be the first to find the oldest, least expensive book. It was a bittersweet excursion.
Frequently Louie and I would brush past one another, finding excuses to touch or to give on
another's hand an extra squeeze.

Jenny remembered, that there was an ATM machine, not far from the bookstore, and she
decided that she needed another twenty dollars that she had squirreled away.

"No fair!" I cried, laughing. "The rest of us can only spend five dollars, and here you're going
to have twenty-five dollars?!"

We all laughed, and we began to tease Jenny, mercilessly, but she was able to convince
her Dad that she must have the $20, in order to get that irresistible book.

"Come on, Jenny," Louie laughed. "I'll drive you to the ATM."

Then we did another round of hugging and kissing, none of us wanting to be apart for even
a few minutes.

Soon Louie and I would be saying "good-bye." We couldn't resist the opportunity to assure
one another of our love, and our faith that our separation would soon come to an end. It must
have been a curious ballet, this demonstrative family scene, but we were oblivious to what
others might think.

Military families seem to fall into two categories: those who look for affectionate opportunities,
and those who avoid close contact, because "good-byes" are painful. I have to admit that
we're a pretty "huggy-kissy" family, so unmindful of anyone else, we continued to give kisses
and hugs all around. In our military career, we had become painfully aware, that anything can
happen during even the briefest separation. But now, as I look back, I realize how odd me
must have looked.

Finally, in between another hug and kiss, I saw the perfect book for me! It was one hundred
years old, and it was on my favorite time period, the Middle Ages. Oh, how I wanted that
book! I quickly checked the inside cover for the price, and my heart fell. It was twenty-five
dollars! We just didn't have it. I looked up at Louie, already knowing the answer.

He must have wanted me to have that book. I could see the pain in his eyes. Louie
reached out and gave me an extra hug. I understood his "honey, we just can't afford it"
message. I leaned into his sheltering arms, and I saw that the well-dressed lady was
also touching the book that I wanted. Ah well, let her have it. I gave Louie and extra
hug, and half serious, I murmured, as my eyes locked with hers.

"Oooohh, I wish I were rich!"

"It looks to me, as though you already are." She said, with a smile.

There was a pause that stretched through eternity, and my heart filled with comprehension.
I looked up at my husband, and I gazed at my daughters, wrapped as we were in the
arms of love, and I knew it. I was rich. Very rich. I quickly turned to thank the woman
for her gentle reminder.but she was gone!

Who was she? I'll never know. But what she did for my outlook, was nothing short
of miraculous. I will never forget her. Where did she disappear to? I can't say.

Strangely enough, within days, my husband received a job offer in southwestern
Virginia. In less than two weeks, he was hired and we moved to the place that is
now our home. The job notice had been sent out two days before Christmas, even
as we hugged and kissed and wished in that bookstore. Even as I heard the words,
"It looks to me, as though you already are," events were already in motion to unite
our family.

I am quite certain that it was all part of God's plan, to remind me of what being "rich"
is all about.faith, love, family, and friends. And when I get to heaven, I will not be at all
surprised to discover that God sent an angel to a second hand bookstore, in Norfolk,
Virginia, to give me his richest message, the day after Christmas, many years ago.

© Jaye Lewis, 2003

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Do the things that you've always dreamed of doing NOW.

"Do the things that you've always dreamed of doing NOW.
Don't postpone them. My dad loved to be in the outdoors,
but he was always so busy as a school principal that he
didn't give himself that pleasure very often. He was
going to do all his fishing and hiking when he retired,
but he never lived that long. He died of cancer at 63.
It was pretty wrenching to not only see him suffer so
badly but also to realize that he had been cheated out
of his dream." -- Fred Majavascript:void(0)
Publish Posttheny, 53, writer, former English teacher

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

UNIVERSAL LAWS OF SUCCESS

"The Law of Attention"

"You pay attention to that which you most
love and value.

Attentive listening to others lets them
know that you love them and builds trust,
the foundation of a loving relationship."
Brian Tracy