Davy Crockett was the only person I ever heard of who had a motto. "Be sure you're right, then go ahead!" I love the idea of having a motto, a rule to live by.
If you were to declare a motto for yourself, that is, a rule to live by, what would it be?
My motto is "Be Intentional." To me, that makes all the difference in living. I'm going to live anyway, so why go along haphazardly, knee-jerking my way through life, when I can get into the habit of having an intention (well thought out, hopefully) attached to the choices I make. It works for me.
At WOMCD, we have a motto: Because We Make A Difference. Realizing this verity acknowledges responsibility. To slide into "What I do makes no difference" is to yield to hopelessness and plop down the land of victims. Probably not a very appealing neighborhood. (Just a guess.) The whole concept and basis for WOMCD is everyone matters, whether they know it or not, whether they are deliberate or not.
If you're reading this, you're most likely interested in our philosophy and purpose.
Please contact us to find out how you can help! We need you! Email anne@womcd.com and get the WOMCD ball rolling your way!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving
Every year, for sixty years, I have celebrated the fourth Thursday in November - Thanksgiving, U.S.A. In the 1950's, Thanksgiving meant making Pilgrim hats and American Indian headdresses, or tracing my hand on a white piece of paper and turning my five-year old hand into a brightly colored turkey. Thanksgiving eve was spent in the kitchen with my mother, chopping celery, and as I grew older, peeling potatoes. Thanksgiving morning meant the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. My mother would ooh and aah over the giant balloons, wondering aloud at how they could be held down, how they were inflated, and how much fun it must be to be lucky enough to parade with a giant balloon through the streets of New York. She would then sit down, with a cup of coffee and a cigarette in hand, to watch the Rockettes. She would tell my sister, Maureen, and me about Radio City Music Hall and Broadway, and the many wonders New York City held. The stories about the short time my mother lived in the "big city" were told every year, as she and the two of us watched dancers, baton twirling girls and marching bands, large oversize cartoon figures and I was hooked - I wanted New York.
Years progressed, one father left and a new one arrived (along with three new siblings), by then Maureen and I had been joined with a baby sister, Lisa, and overnight there were six children and within a short time, seven. Much changed, but the fourth Wednesday night in November would still find my mother and whatever child was recruited, in the kitchen, chopping, stirring, sauteing and preparing the dining room. Thanksgiving morning still brought the Macy's Day Parade and stories of New York, Broadway, possibilities, and the fostering of dreams. My mother, Patricia, died when I was sixteen. It was August and in a few months, Thanksgiving showed up. On the night before the Macy's Day Parade, I was in the kitchen duplicating what my mother had started when she was a child. I watched Macy's Day Parade and related the New York stories to my three-year old sister.
Fast forward to 2010. It is Thanksgiving morning. My two daughters are far from this place I now call home, my son also is too far away to be here now or last night as I chopped and prepared. There is a different man than the one my children call father who I now love and make a part of my life. Much has changed. Much has continued. The daughter with children was chopping and listening to Christmas music yesterday with her daughters and sons. They had Thanksgiving dinner last night, because my son-in-law had an early flight to see his father this morning. The tall blond daughter helped her sister with some cooking - she loves the preparing more than the eating. My son's daughter and son will make the Pilgrim Hats and Native American headdress. They will all watch the Macy's Day Parade this morning. We will be connected.
These sixty years have seen many changes. Death, divorce, remarriage, new in-laws, new friends, old friends moving away, me moving away, grandchildren, weddings, elderly parents, all a part of the expansion that is life. My daughters and I have been to New York. This year we took a tour of Radio City Music Hall and had our picture taken with a Rockette. My mother would like where I have gone and who I have become. Yesterday, November 24th, my mother would have turned eighty-five. I still miss her. This morning when I get my tea and turn on NBC and wait for Santa to show up at the end of the parade, I will thank her, as I always do, for planting those seeds of tradition, gratitude and wonder a very long time ago.
Happy Thanksgiving to each of you. May you find gratitude today and all through your year. May you watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and allow our hearts to connect.
Years progressed, one father left and a new one arrived (along with three new siblings), by then Maureen and I had been joined with a baby sister, Lisa, and overnight there were six children and within a short time, seven. Much changed, but the fourth Wednesday night in November would still find my mother and whatever child was recruited, in the kitchen, chopping, stirring, sauteing and preparing the dining room. Thanksgiving morning still brought the Macy's Day Parade and stories of New York, Broadway, possibilities, and the fostering of dreams. My mother, Patricia, died when I was sixteen. It was August and in a few months, Thanksgiving showed up. On the night before the Macy's Day Parade, I was in the kitchen duplicating what my mother had started when she was a child. I watched Macy's Day Parade and related the New York stories to my three-year old sister.
Fast forward to 2010. It is Thanksgiving morning. My two daughters are far from this place I now call home, my son also is too far away to be here now or last night as I chopped and prepared. There is a different man than the one my children call father who I now love and make a part of my life. Much has changed. Much has continued. The daughter with children was chopping and listening to Christmas music yesterday with her daughters and sons. They had Thanksgiving dinner last night, because my son-in-law had an early flight to see his father this morning. The tall blond daughter helped her sister with some cooking - she loves the preparing more than the eating. My son's daughter and son will make the Pilgrim Hats and Native American headdress. They will all watch the Macy's Day Parade this morning. We will be connected.
These sixty years have seen many changes. Death, divorce, remarriage, new in-laws, new friends, old friends moving away, me moving away, grandchildren, weddings, elderly parents, all a part of the expansion that is life. My daughters and I have been to New York. This year we took a tour of Radio City Music Hall and had our picture taken with a Rockette. My mother would like where I have gone and who I have become. Yesterday, November 24th, my mother would have turned eighty-five. I still miss her. This morning when I get my tea and turn on NBC and wait for Santa to show up at the end of the parade, I will thank her, as I always do, for planting those seeds of tradition, gratitude and wonder a very long time ago.
Happy Thanksgiving to each of you. May you find gratitude today and all through your year. May you watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and allow our hearts to connect.
Monday, November 22, 2010
#40 of 40
John Denver - artist, singer, songwriter, humanitarian, visionary. His legacy lives on through his songs and the seeds he planted - seeds of possibility, seeds of "what if," and seeds of spirit. Denver believed in the spirit of humanity and the ability of that spirit to take wing and soar. His belief that 60% of the power in our world rests in the hands of those individuals who sit back and do nothing, allowing the 40% to rule and run the world. A constant activist to promote peace, save the environment, stop hunger (especially among children), and reach beyond our boundaries in space and sea exploration, Denver walked the talk he spoke.
While strolling down the streets of Aspen, John would leave a conversation to cross those streets to pick up stray trash. His song, "Calypso," was written as a tribute to the work of Jean Cousteau. In 1976, along with Tom Crum, he founded The Windstar Foundation (www.wstar.org) that is still in operation. The foundation has scholarships, is dedicated to the earth and environmental works through volunteering, education and ongoing programs.
Denver, a peace advocate, wrote and performed a song which is now available to watch on You Tube, entitled "Let Us Begin (What Are We Making Weapons For?)." Denver recorded this relevant piece of music in 1986 with Alexander Gradsky, who, at the time, was the most popular recording artist in the Soviet Union. This was the first time ever that a Soviet citizen was allowed to record with a Western artist, and this single was recorded in Moscow. It also included the men's voices from the Reds Army Chorus. The two performed this song together on stages concurrently from both Russia and America. Unfortunately, the song still rings true. The faces may have changed but the result is still the same. Denver hoped that the 60% would be moved to change the results.
A good friend of Buckminster (Bucky) Fuller's, John also spoke about the energy crisis long before prices at the pump showed they were right. The song, "What One Man Can Do," was a tribute written for Fuller. The chorus, "What one man do is dream. What one man can do is love. What one man can do is change the world and make it work again" not only reflected the life of Buckminster Fuller, it was also the rallying cry of John Denver. It has become our rallying cry.
To write about all that John Denver did, all that he stood for, and all that he affected would take more than a simple blog. We invite you to read about this man, listen to his music, and then live the life you have been given as a contribution. Join us as we celebrate, unearth, nurture and ignite the passion we each have been born with, and with which we can all make a difference.
Action Taken: John Denver lived his passion. He lived his life with intention from the start to the finish.
Find out more about John Denver at www.johndenver.com
While strolling down the streets of Aspen, John would leave a conversation to cross those streets to pick up stray trash. His song, "Calypso," was written as a tribute to the work of Jean Cousteau. In 1976, along with Tom Crum, he founded The Windstar Foundation (www.wstar.org) that is still in operation. The foundation has scholarships, is dedicated to the earth and environmental works through volunteering, education and ongoing programs.
Denver, a peace advocate, wrote and performed a song which is now available to watch on You Tube, entitled "Let Us Begin (What Are We Making Weapons For?)." Denver recorded this relevant piece of music in 1986 with Alexander Gradsky, who, at the time, was the most popular recording artist in the Soviet Union. This was the first time ever that a Soviet citizen was allowed to record with a Western artist, and this single was recorded in Moscow. It also included the men's voices from the Reds Army Chorus. The two performed this song together on stages concurrently from both Russia and America. Unfortunately, the song still rings true. The faces may have changed but the result is still the same. Denver hoped that the 60% would be moved to change the results.
A good friend of Buckminster (Bucky) Fuller's, John also spoke about the energy crisis long before prices at the pump showed they were right. The song, "What One Man Can Do," was a tribute written for Fuller. The chorus, "What one man do is dream. What one man can do is love. What one man can do is change the world and make it work again" not only reflected the life of Buckminster Fuller, it was also the rallying cry of John Denver. It has become our rallying cry.
To write about all that John Denver did, all that he stood for, and all that he affected would take more than a simple blog. We invite you to read about this man, listen to his music, and then live the life you have been given as a contribution. Join us as we celebrate, unearth, nurture and ignite the passion we each have been born with, and with which we can all make a difference.
Action Taken: John Denver lived his passion. He lived his life with intention from the start to the finish.
Find out more about John Denver at www.johndenver.com
#39 of 40
I first met Terry Lipman on a cruise. I had heard about this vibrant man for a few years from my co-worker, Donna Lipman. Donna and I were the two recently graduated coaches, hired by Debbie Ford to further her training program to advance Integrative Coaching. Donna and I would share stories of our husbands and I knew I would love Terry long before I met him.
I am uncertain as to what hat he was wearing when I first saw him, but I know he was wearing a hat. He wore hats often and I especially remember his red cowboy hat. I am a sucker for accents and Terry had the best Australian accent going. Terry grew up in England and took a ship to Australia when he was in his 20's. He was able to book passage by providing the music on the ship. He played trumpet and piano. One of the many ways Lipman contributed was through his music. His piano still sits in the Austin living room I was lucky enough to relax in, and when I visit I can still hear him playing. Oh, I can still hear him laughing.
Laughter was another way Terry contributed. He knew no strangers and he was fond of telling stories that the unsuspecting would believe were the truth, only to get to the last sentence and know the delight of being tricked by Terry Lipman. According to Terry, all discoveries occurred in Australia and anything worth inventing was from the Land Down Under.
Terry was a man who gave back. A good friend of John Denver's, Terry, along with Donna, were involved in the flagship Windstar Foundation in Aspen, and Terry sat on the board of the foundation in Austin, Texas. After Denver died, Terry went on to raise money and awareness for Windstar to assure it, along with John's global concerns, would not die. Shortly before the tragic accident that took John Denver's life, Denver told Terry his dream to create a film that would showcase John's many passions to save the world. Oceans, hunger, peace, space and the environment were among John's specific causes. He would speak about the urgency of saving our world, saving the children when he would perform, but Denver knew he could reach the multitudes of people he sought through film. His message would be more available and easier to access all over the world. John Denver asked if Terry would be willing to help him. Terry had experience in film production and readily agreed to become a part of the Denver vision. A few days later, John Denver died as he was flying an experimental plane. Terry believed the film would never be made.
Quite a few years later, Betty Sue Flowers challenged the Australian to create the film, "Who better to do this, than you?" she asked. Terry then connected with JoLynn Long who had been working on a film about Denver. Terry produced a short that introduced "What One Man Can Do." Ironically or spiritually, Terry passed away soon after this short was completed. JoLynn continues and has recently completed a moving short and/or trailer using much of what Terry had begun to gather. John Denver's dream lives on. Terry Lipman's dream lives on.
Terry Lipman died suddenly and without warning on June 2, 2009. He lived his life as fully as any man is able. His son, Sam Lipman, is a gifted musician who makes his home in Austin. His daughter, Nanci, a young woman who Skyped with her dad every single morning, lives in Terry's beloved Australia. Of course, Donna, his wife of 18 years, is still in Austin, contributing through her songs, her heart, her coaching and her own passions.
Terry was involved and connected to the Austin community through his work with Challenge Day (www.challengeday.org), Landmark Forums (www.landmarkeducation.com), music and film.
Terry Lipman made a huge difference in my life. He was one of the most curious people I have ever met. He wanted to know what I thought, what I did, and why I did and thought as I did. He would sing as he prepared morning tea and put a plate of strawberries on the table. His amazement and appreciation of the warmth of the tea and the vivid colors of the berries was shared with any person lucky enough to take part in his a.m. rituals. Life was amazing, people were to be figured out, and food was to be relished. Laughter was to be expanded, arms were meant to be shared, and stairs were there to be run up. Life was to be lived fully and without censor or apology. Terry taught me to live in the details. I miss this man of supreme contribution. It is because of him that What One Man Can Do (the movement) was born.
Driving in the car in January of this year, I heard Terry say, Australian accent and all, "What we need, lovey, is a workshop." Peter and I had already planned on presenting a relationship workshop in Ireland in March. The topic was changed, and What One Man Can Do born. Thank you, Terry. Thank you for noticing how very important life and the lives of the people living life are. Thank you.
Action Taken: He lived the moments and knew that life was for living and giving.
I am uncertain as to what hat he was wearing when I first saw him, but I know he was wearing a hat. He wore hats often and I especially remember his red cowboy hat. I am a sucker for accents and Terry had the best Australian accent going. Terry grew up in England and took a ship to Australia when he was in his 20's. He was able to book passage by providing the music on the ship. He played trumpet and piano. One of the many ways Lipman contributed was through his music. His piano still sits in the Austin living room I was lucky enough to relax in, and when I visit I can still hear him playing. Oh, I can still hear him laughing.
Laughter was another way Terry contributed. He knew no strangers and he was fond of telling stories that the unsuspecting would believe were the truth, only to get to the last sentence and know the delight of being tricked by Terry Lipman. According to Terry, all discoveries occurred in Australia and anything worth inventing was from the Land Down Under.
Terry was a man who gave back. A good friend of John Denver's, Terry, along with Donna, were involved in the flagship Windstar Foundation in Aspen, and Terry sat on the board of the foundation in Austin, Texas. After Denver died, Terry went on to raise money and awareness for Windstar to assure it, along with John's global concerns, would not die. Shortly before the tragic accident that took John Denver's life, Denver told Terry his dream to create a film that would showcase John's many passions to save the world. Oceans, hunger, peace, space and the environment were among John's specific causes. He would speak about the urgency of saving our world, saving the children when he would perform, but Denver knew he could reach the multitudes of people he sought through film. His message would be more available and easier to access all over the world. John Denver asked if Terry would be willing to help him. Terry had experience in film production and readily agreed to become a part of the Denver vision. A few days later, John Denver died as he was flying an experimental plane. Terry believed the film would never be made.
Quite a few years later, Betty Sue Flowers challenged the Australian to create the film, "Who better to do this, than you?" she asked. Terry then connected with JoLynn Long who had been working on a film about Denver. Terry produced a short that introduced "What One Man Can Do." Ironically or spiritually, Terry passed away soon after this short was completed. JoLynn continues and has recently completed a moving short and/or trailer using much of what Terry had begun to gather. John Denver's dream lives on. Terry Lipman's dream lives on.
Terry Lipman died suddenly and without warning on June 2, 2009. He lived his life as fully as any man is able. His son, Sam Lipman, is a gifted musician who makes his home in Austin. His daughter, Nanci, a young woman who Skyped with her dad every single morning, lives in Terry's beloved Australia. Of course, Donna, his wife of 18 years, is still in Austin, contributing through her songs, her heart, her coaching and her own passions.
Terry was involved and connected to the Austin community through his work with Challenge Day (www.challengeday.org), Landmark Forums (www.landmarkeducation.com), music and film.
Terry Lipman made a huge difference in my life. He was one of the most curious people I have ever met. He wanted to know what I thought, what I did, and why I did and thought as I did. He would sing as he prepared morning tea and put a plate of strawberries on the table. His amazement and appreciation of the warmth of the tea and the vivid colors of the berries was shared with any person lucky enough to take part in his a.m. rituals. Life was amazing, people were to be figured out, and food was to be relished. Laughter was to be expanded, arms were meant to be shared, and stairs were there to be run up. Life was to be lived fully and without censor or apology. Terry taught me to live in the details. I miss this man of supreme contribution. It is because of him that What One Man Can Do (the movement) was born.
Driving in the car in January of this year, I heard Terry say, Australian accent and all, "What we need, lovey, is a workshop." Peter and I had already planned on presenting a relationship workshop in Ireland in March. The topic was changed, and What One Man Can Do born. Thank you, Terry. Thank you for noticing how very important life and the lives of the people living life are. Thank you.
Action Taken: He lived the moments and knew that life was for living and giving.
#38 of 40
Yikes! I have been waiting to interview a woman who makes a difference in the lives of thousands of people in the spiritual community. She is a busy woman and has not had the opportunity to be interviewed. I have decided to blog about her at a later date and move forward with the remaining entries.
There are individuals who make a difference daily in the lives of others, some notice what needs to be done and they do it. Others notice what needs to be done and they enlist others to help them fix, or change, or contribute, to their vision. Anuradha Koirala is a woman who saw a wrong, set out to change it, and now has Demi Moore behind her. That is how taking only one step to correct, to contribute, to make a difference, works. Not everyone's path is to do global work. For many, changing family dynamics, contributing to a food pantry, or comforting an ailing sibling is the difference we are to make. The ripples of an action will spread to places you will never see and never know. What is important is to make a ripple. (How does one make a ripple? Dive in!)
Born in Nepal, and a former English teacher, Anuradha Koirala started Maiti Nepal in a small house in Kathmandu with her own savings. Today, she is a widely recognized activist and lecturer, who has dedicated her life to combating the sexual exploitation of women and children. Maiti Nepal is specifically dedicated to the sex trafficking of young (some as young as 7) girls. Ms. Koirala had little idea in 1993 that she would face dangers, abuse and threats as she set about the rehabilitation and support of girls who had been rescued from the sex slave industry and returned to Nepal. Maiti Nepal, meaning, mother's house, has been instrumental in setting up a place of respect for young women who may not be welcome in their homes.
Anuradha is described as a lioness as she protects whom she believes are her children. As she has said, “Each child, what's going to happen? What will happen to them? It really scares me, but then it gives me encouragement. I must do something. I must stop it.” Every girl is like her daughter, her child.
Maiti Nepal now has educational programs to prevent the trafficking - there are types of hostels along the way home, places of refuge where volunteers of Maiti Nepal watch for possible traffickers and offer a refuge to girls who may be additionally abused by border guards.
What was once a small home with one woman who saw a need and acted, is now a worldwide organization with volunteers dedicated to the ending of this terrible practice of forcing young girls into brothels against their will. Ms. Koirala has also set up a hospice center for those women who may be safely returned to their families but now face STDs and AIDS. One step, one decision has the potential to move mountains and change the world. One person matters, always.
Action Taken: Ms. Koirala stated it herself. She asked a question, "What will happen to them?" She then realized that someone must start to care, to come from hope and heart.
If you want to volunteer, send money or say thank you go to: http://www.friendsofmaitinepal.org/about-friends-of-maiti-nepal.php
There are individuals who make a difference daily in the lives of others, some notice what needs to be done and they do it. Others notice what needs to be done and they enlist others to help them fix, or change, or contribute, to their vision. Anuradha Koirala is a woman who saw a wrong, set out to change it, and now has Demi Moore behind her. That is how taking only one step to correct, to contribute, to make a difference, works. Not everyone's path is to do global work. For many, changing family dynamics, contributing to a food pantry, or comforting an ailing sibling is the difference we are to make. The ripples of an action will spread to places you will never see and never know. What is important is to make a ripple. (How does one make a ripple? Dive in!)
Born in Nepal, and a former English teacher, Anuradha Koirala started Maiti Nepal in a small house in Kathmandu with her own savings. Today, she is a widely recognized activist and lecturer, who has dedicated her life to combating the sexual exploitation of women and children. Maiti Nepal is specifically dedicated to the sex trafficking of young (some as young as 7) girls. Ms. Koirala had little idea in 1993 that she would face dangers, abuse and threats as she set about the rehabilitation and support of girls who had been rescued from the sex slave industry and returned to Nepal. Maiti Nepal, meaning, mother's house, has been instrumental in setting up a place of respect for young women who may not be welcome in their homes.
Anuradha is described as a lioness as she protects whom she believes are her children. As she has said, “Each child, what's going to happen? What will happen to them? It really scares me, but then it gives me encouragement. I must do something. I must stop it.” Every girl is like her daughter, her child.
Maiti Nepal now has educational programs to prevent the trafficking - there are types of hostels along the way home, places of refuge where volunteers of Maiti Nepal watch for possible traffickers and offer a refuge to girls who may be additionally abused by border guards.
What was once a small home with one woman who saw a need and acted, is now a worldwide organization with volunteers dedicated to the ending of this terrible practice of forcing young girls into brothels against their will. Ms. Koirala has also set up a hospice center for those women who may be safely returned to their families but now face STDs and AIDS. One step, one decision has the potential to move mountains and change the world. One person matters, always.
Action Taken: Ms. Koirala stated it herself. She asked a question, "What will happen to them?" She then realized that someone must start to care, to come from hope and heart.
If you want to volunteer, send money or say thank you go to: http://www.friendsofmaitinepal.org/about-friends-of-maiti-nepal.php
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
#37 of 40
Wayne Dyer is an internationally known author, speaker and trainer. His contribution stretches around the globe and his books, C.D's and DVDs have had an impact on hundreds of thousands of people. He is a man who makes a difference. Few would dispute this fact.
As I write this blog, I am struck over and over on how those individuals who make a difference to their community, their families or their world tended to have made a difference even as a child. They perhaps had a longing to contribute or a sense they were to do "something." Some of the people I have researched or interviewed had an epiphany, and a life lived in one direction suddenly was turned and lived in a completely different way, but the majority of the individuals I have spoken to or written of were also children who made a difference. As a matter of fact, many of those written about are still children.
Wayne Dyer is one who made a difference, one who knew at an early age that we humans are to be of assistance to the world. Born in 1940, Dyer spent a good portion of his adolescence and childhood in orphanages and foster homes. His father died early and his mother could not afford to support her children.
Wayne could have become depressed, unruly or bitter. What he did was champion the other children as they arrived at the orphanage, typically for the same reason young Dyer was there - parents could not afford to house and feed their young. Wayne would take a crying child and tell them it was a good place, there were no parents, and they would have fun. He would get them to look at their lives in a different frame. Wayne Dyer would build his career on what he seemed to know as a child - our thoughts shape our reality.
Graduating from high school in 1958, Wayne went on to serve in the United States Navy from 1958-1962. He received his D.Ed degree, and became a guidance counselor and a professor of counselor education.
At first, it appeared that Wayne would lead an academic career. He published in journals and ran a successful private practice. Life was good but there was more ways for Dr. Dyer to contribute. His lectures on positive thinking and motivational speaking drew more students than were actually enrolled. He was getting known for his ideas and his presentations. A literary agent convinced Dyer to take his popular ideas and put them in book form. Your Erroneous Zones was born. The book had rather "thin" sales at first, so Dyer quit his job and began a U.S. tour, selling books out of the back of his car and getting on any radio show he could. Over time, sales began to rise and the major networks became interested in this self-made man. He was eventually featured on national television and Dyer now began to build on that success with lectures and audio tapes (now CDs) and of course more and more books.
Reading Dr. Dyer's books, it is evident that he is a man who continues to grow both intellectually and spiritually. His beliefs became more clear and his writing took on deeper topics.
It is no surprise that books, CD's and lectures gave rise to a film. The Shift, a film produced as a full length movie, has Dyer being interviewed at a get-away spa as those visiting the spa are involved in their own life transitions. Dr. Dyer's goal is to continue to reach greater and greater audiences with the message that each individual has the power to shift their life at any time they decide. It is the belief of What One Man Can Do that we each make a difference and can choose to make that difference, be it positive or negative, depending on our choices. Wayne Dyer helps people with that decision and gives them tools to take the steps to live a life of passion and brilliance.
Action Taken: As Dr. Dyer writes, you will see it when you believe it.
You may find out more about Wayne Dyer at www.drwaynedyer.com
As I write this blog, I am struck over and over on how those individuals who make a difference to their community, their families or their world tended to have made a difference even as a child. They perhaps had a longing to contribute or a sense they were to do "something." Some of the people I have researched or interviewed had an epiphany, and a life lived in one direction suddenly was turned and lived in a completely different way, but the majority of the individuals I have spoken to or written of were also children who made a difference. As a matter of fact, many of those written about are still children.
Wayne Dyer is one who made a difference, one who knew at an early age that we humans are to be of assistance to the world. Born in 1940, Dyer spent a good portion of his adolescence and childhood in orphanages and foster homes. His father died early and his mother could not afford to support her children.
Wayne could have become depressed, unruly or bitter. What he did was champion the other children as they arrived at the orphanage, typically for the same reason young Dyer was there - parents could not afford to house and feed their young. Wayne would take a crying child and tell them it was a good place, there were no parents, and they would have fun. He would get them to look at their lives in a different frame. Wayne Dyer would build his career on what he seemed to know as a child - our thoughts shape our reality.
Graduating from high school in 1958, Wayne went on to serve in the United States Navy from 1958-1962. He received his D.Ed degree, and became a guidance counselor and a professor of counselor education.
At first, it appeared that Wayne would lead an academic career. He published in journals and ran a successful private practice. Life was good but there was more ways for Dr. Dyer to contribute. His lectures on positive thinking and motivational speaking drew more students than were actually enrolled. He was getting known for his ideas and his presentations. A literary agent convinced Dyer to take his popular ideas and put them in book form. Your Erroneous Zones was born. The book had rather "thin" sales at first, so Dyer quit his job and began a U.S. tour, selling books out of the back of his car and getting on any radio show he could. Over time, sales began to rise and the major networks became interested in this self-made man. He was eventually featured on national television and Dyer now began to build on that success with lectures and audio tapes (now CDs) and of course more and more books.
Reading Dr. Dyer's books, it is evident that he is a man who continues to grow both intellectually and spiritually. His beliefs became more clear and his writing took on deeper topics.
It is no surprise that books, CD's and lectures gave rise to a film. The Shift, a film produced as a full length movie, has Dyer being interviewed at a get-away spa as those visiting the spa are involved in their own life transitions. Dr. Dyer's goal is to continue to reach greater and greater audiences with the message that each individual has the power to shift their life at any time they decide. It is the belief of What One Man Can Do that we each make a difference and can choose to make that difference, be it positive or negative, depending on our choices. Wayne Dyer helps people with that decision and gives them tools to take the steps to live a life of passion and brilliance.
Action Taken: As Dr. Dyer writes, you will see it when you believe it.
You may find out more about Wayne Dyer at www.drwaynedyer.com
#36 of 40
She began life in a place few travel to - Saskatchewan. Growing up in snow blizzards, utility outages and setting aside enough food in case of being snowed in were all considered normal. Perhaps it was her early days of learning that when everyone helped, the world was better, or perhaps she was born with an actual need to assist people. Whatever the reason, Linda Debelser-Owen, is a woman who must help.
Growing up helping and planning formed the foundation to fashion an excellent Executive Secretary. Linda is an excellent administrator and has made a difference in the lives of all those she assisted and worked for. For the majority of the world, this is an excellent contribution in and of itself, and makes a difference to the world. However, for this Canadian woman, nothing ever seems to be enough.
In the early part of the 1980's, Debelser-Owen worked at a local school in Edmonton. It was during this time that a five-year old little girl went missing. Mothers were terrified and the school system tried to decide how to educate young children about the dangers of strangers, without scaring them. This is when Linda began what would become a fourteen-year mission. In 1984, she and her husband and children moved to Ontario, Canada and while shopping at a nearby mall, Linda picked up a brochure about a new project that had begun in Alberta in 1983 - Child Find. The brochure was asking for help to build the organization; Linda could have made a sizable donation. Her memories of that little five-year old in Edmonton helped her decide to volunteer.
Taking her own typewriter (no laptops back then), she would climb the three flights to the Child Find office. The office was basically a large closet with one file cabinet and one chair, and Linda would type letters - to corporations, letters to governing bodies, letters to newspapers - seeking money and help. She wrote letters and she wrote education and she wrote solutions. Child Find began to grow. Actual programs to assist the police and inform communities were put in place. The "not-enough"woman then became Secretary of the Ontario Branch as they grew larger, while the original Child Find in Alberta began to grow smaller. Again, Linda pushed forward, becoming Vice President and, then, President of Child Find Ontario. What many of us take for granted in the U.S., Code Orange, all-points-bulletins for missing children, a national clearing house for missing children, and neighborhood watch programs, did not exist at that time. It is because of the Linda Debelser-Owenses of the world that many children are saved and many never taken.
Child Find Ontario knew that a National Program was what was needed next. Of course, Linda was the woman who began to set this up. She became the first National President of Child Find in Canada. All of this work was volunteer. All of this work was draining. Ms. Debelser-Owen has stories that still wake her up at night. Children never found, others found with missing body parts, and others who may have been rescued, but were severely damaged. These are memories that never leave and these are memories that eventually had Linda decide to step away from Child Find, leaving her work for others to continue.
That is of course not the end to what she has done. Divorced in 2000, Debelser-Owen began to take some classes through the Toronto Arch-Diocese of the Catholic Church. Wanting to heal from the pain and destruction of her own divorce, she was soon leading many of the classes that she had recently taken. A Certified Spiritual Divorce Coach, Linda began to dream of places throughout the world where divorced individuals could stop in and have a place to heal. Tiers of Healing was born. The program, originally designed to assist individuals with divorce, has been expanded to include all types of significant loss.
Linda Debelser-Owen is a grandmother, a mother, a master gardener, and is newly remarried. Currently she is living in British Columbia where she oversees the lives of her friends and loved ones. Her home is never empty and her phone never silent. The word has gotten out, Linda heals. She listens. She has a contagious laugh and a full kitchen. Above all, she cares for the human race and needs to help. We are blessed.
Action Taken: The inner need to help anyone who is hurting, lost, hungry or alone.
Linda Debelser-Owen a woman who always says yes. You can reach Linda at ldebelser@shaw.ca
Growing up helping and planning formed the foundation to fashion an excellent Executive Secretary. Linda is an excellent administrator and has made a difference in the lives of all those she assisted and worked for. For the majority of the world, this is an excellent contribution in and of itself, and makes a difference to the world. However, for this Canadian woman, nothing ever seems to be enough.
In the early part of the 1980's, Debelser-Owen worked at a local school in Edmonton. It was during this time that a five-year old little girl went missing. Mothers were terrified and the school system tried to decide how to educate young children about the dangers of strangers, without scaring them. This is when Linda began what would become a fourteen-year mission. In 1984, she and her husband and children moved to Ontario, Canada and while shopping at a nearby mall, Linda picked up a brochure about a new project that had begun in Alberta in 1983 - Child Find. The brochure was asking for help to build the organization; Linda could have made a sizable donation. Her memories of that little five-year old in Edmonton helped her decide to volunteer.
Taking her own typewriter (no laptops back then), she would climb the three flights to the Child Find office. The office was basically a large closet with one file cabinet and one chair, and Linda would type letters - to corporations, letters to governing bodies, letters to newspapers - seeking money and help. She wrote letters and she wrote education and she wrote solutions. Child Find began to grow. Actual programs to assist the police and inform communities were put in place. The "not-enough"woman then became Secretary of the Ontario Branch as they grew larger, while the original Child Find in Alberta began to grow smaller. Again, Linda pushed forward, becoming Vice President and, then, President of Child Find Ontario. What many of us take for granted in the U.S., Code Orange, all-points-bulletins for missing children, a national clearing house for missing children, and neighborhood watch programs, did not exist at that time. It is because of the Linda Debelser-Owenses of the world that many children are saved and many never taken.
Child Find Ontario knew that a National Program was what was needed next. Of course, Linda was the woman who began to set this up. She became the first National President of Child Find in Canada. All of this work was volunteer. All of this work was draining. Ms. Debelser-Owen has stories that still wake her up at night. Children never found, others found with missing body parts, and others who may have been rescued, but were severely damaged. These are memories that never leave and these are memories that eventually had Linda decide to step away from Child Find, leaving her work for others to continue.
That is of course not the end to what she has done. Divorced in 2000, Debelser-Owen began to take some classes through the Toronto Arch-Diocese of the Catholic Church. Wanting to heal from the pain and destruction of her own divorce, she was soon leading many of the classes that she had recently taken. A Certified Spiritual Divorce Coach, Linda began to dream of places throughout the world where divorced individuals could stop in and have a place to heal. Tiers of Healing was born. The program, originally designed to assist individuals with divorce, has been expanded to include all types of significant loss.
Linda Debelser-Owen is a grandmother, a mother, a master gardener, and is newly remarried. Currently she is living in British Columbia where she oversees the lives of her friends and loved ones. Her home is never empty and her phone never silent. The word has gotten out, Linda heals. She listens. She has a contagious laugh and a full kitchen. Above all, she cares for the human race and needs to help. We are blessed.
Action Taken: The inner need to help anyone who is hurting, lost, hungry or alone.
Linda Debelser-Owen a woman who always says yes. You can reach Linda at ldebelser@shaw.ca
Saturday, November 6, 2010
#35 of 40
Derek Blumke was born and raised in Alanson, Michigan. He joined the U.S. Air Force and had multiple overseas deployments since 9/11 (in the Afghan Theater). He had six years of active duty and eventually left the Air Force to attend college in his home state of Michigan.
It quickly became apparent to this young man with the wide grin, that going to college as a returning vet was nothing like attending as a fresh-faced eighteen year old.
Many of the challenges faced by the fast growing group pf men and women returning from war to gain an education, were faced by Derek - older, out of touch, coming from a highly structured, regimented organization where group is above individual, to a campus where freedom and individualism is paramount. Derek Blumke felt isolated; indeed, who wouldn't. He had several choices. He could hunker down, get through school, and build a career. He could isolate further, take up drinking and/or drugging. He could forget his six years of selfless service and join the eighteen-year olds. But, Derek chose something different.
Reading in a magazine about other returning vets, Derek decided he was not alone and he began The Student Veteran Association at University of Michigan http://sitemaker.umich.edu/svaum/home The organization holds regular meetings for socializing, and advocates for Student Veterans. Not content with making a difference at one major university, Blumke began to network and eventually had a part to play in the formation of Student Veterans of America.
Derek Blumke personifies what each person on the planet has the ability to do - when faced with a problem, you have the choice to change the problem and solve it, ignore it, or complain.
Action Taken: The ability to take a problem and turn it into a solution for the greater good.
You can read more about Derek Blumke at www.newleaderscouncil.org/40under40/winners/2010
It quickly became apparent to this young man with the wide grin, that going to college as a returning vet was nothing like attending as a fresh-faced eighteen year old.
Many of the challenges faced by the fast growing group pf men and women returning from war to gain an education, were faced by Derek - older, out of touch, coming from a highly structured, regimented organization where group is above individual, to a campus where freedom and individualism is paramount. Derek Blumke felt isolated; indeed, who wouldn't. He had several choices. He could hunker down, get through school, and build a career. He could isolate further, take up drinking and/or drugging. He could forget his six years of selfless service and join the eighteen-year olds. But, Derek chose something different.
Reading in a magazine about other returning vets, Derek decided he was not alone and he began The Student Veteran Association at University of Michigan http://sitemaker.umich.edu/svaum/home The organization holds regular meetings for socializing, and advocates for Student Veterans. Not content with making a difference at one major university, Blumke began to network and eventually had a part to play in the formation of Student Veterans of America.
Derek Blumke personifies what each person on the planet has the ability to do - when faced with a problem, you have the choice to change the problem and solve it, ignore it, or complain.
Action Taken: The ability to take a problem and turn it into a solution for the greater good.
You can read more about Derek Blumke at www.newleaderscouncil.org/40under40/winners/2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
#34 of 40
Medical care is hot topic in the United States. Finger pointing, blaming, rising costs, greed and ineptitude make up the stew that is simmering. Occasionally, even a pot of stew will bubble over. That is exactly what happened in France in 1971. That year, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international medical humanitarian organization, created by doctors and journalists. In 1990 MSF-USA was founded in New York City to raise funds, create awareness, recruit field staff, and advocate with the United Nations and US government on humanitarian concerns.
Today, MSF (Doctors Without Borders) is an international movement and organization. They maintain complete independence from any and all government agencies. This gives MSF the unique ability to speak out against atrocities, or neglect, or to bring the world's attention to an area few would like to think about or help.
Doctors Without Borders is neutral. They do not take sides, unless it is the side of the poor, the victimized, or those living in 60 different countries whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. MSF provides assistance based on medical ethics and impartiality.
MSF is not just physicians giving back. On any one day, more than 27,000 committed individuals representing dozens of nationalities, can be found providing assistance to people caught in crises around the world. They are doctors, nurses, logistics experts, administrators, epidemiologists, lab technicians, mental health professionals, and others who work together in accordance with MSF's guiding principles of humanitarian action and medical ethics. http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/aboutus/?ref=main-menu
Doctors Without Borders is supported by donations. 100% of the funding in the U.S. comes from private sources. The entire organization of MSF is 90% funded by private donations, not by governments.
There are many ways to become involved in this divinely inspired association. They of course need donations, but are also looking for interested individuals who would like to volunteer. http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/work/field/
MSF/ Doctors Without Borders won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. Want to make a difference? You could do this.
Action Taken: Physicians and others came together to stand up for the belief that all humanity deserves good health care, not only the advantaged people of the world.
You can read more at http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/index.cfm
Today, MSF (Doctors Without Borders) is an international movement and organization. They maintain complete independence from any and all government agencies. This gives MSF the unique ability to speak out against atrocities, or neglect, or to bring the world's attention to an area few would like to think about or help.
Doctors Without Borders is neutral. They do not take sides, unless it is the side of the poor, the victimized, or those living in 60 different countries whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. MSF provides assistance based on medical ethics and impartiality.
MSF is not just physicians giving back. On any one day, more than 27,000 committed individuals representing dozens of nationalities, can be found providing assistance to people caught in crises around the world. They are doctors, nurses, logistics experts, administrators, epidemiologists, lab technicians, mental health professionals, and others who work together in accordance with MSF's guiding principles of humanitarian action and medical ethics. http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/aboutus/?ref=main-menu
Doctors Without Borders is supported by donations. 100% of the funding in the U.S. comes from private sources. The entire organization of MSF is 90% funded by private donations, not by governments.
There are many ways to become involved in this divinely inspired association. They of course need donations, but are also looking for interested individuals who would like to volunteer. http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/work/field/
MSF/ Doctors Without Borders won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. Want to make a difference? You could do this.
Action Taken: Physicians and others came together to stand up for the belief that all humanity deserves good health care, not only the advantaged people of the world.
You can read more at http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/index.cfm
#33 of 40
Fifty some years ago today, November 5th, a baby girl was born who would one day grow up to be a major Spiritual Leader. She would be one of two individuals in the world who lead The Shadow Process, a life-changing weekend for the fearless. She would impact hundreds of thousands of people through the use of her powerful voice.
Today is the birthday of Donna Lipman. As a girl, she would tell you she was painfully shy and anxious to please all around her. She did not see herself as a powerful teacher, brilliant seminar leader, or gifted singer. Donna saw herself as perhaps unlovable and/or not quite good enough. Many grow up believing much of what Donna believed.
How did she, a mouse of a girl, turn it all around? She opened her heart. There is a story of Donna as a young girl passing a coveted award she was presented with on to another girl whom everyone teased and belittled. Able to feel the emotional pain of others, turned Donna towards kindness and a life of helping.
Today, Donna Lipman is the woman who organizes and markets the art work of a gifted friend. She is the woman who will stay up until 2:00 a.m. to take one more coaching call from a distraught client. She is the woman who is is still working and studying while the rest of us are watching a movie or having a glass of wine. She is the voice that begins a song first thing in the morning and you can still hear her singing as she is turning off the light. Her talent freely given to anyone who asks for it. Her ear always available to listen to the drama of her many friends. Donna is available.
Donna Lipman is the president of What One Man Can Do. She is the role model for contribution. When her beloved husband Terry was alive, the couple were continually involved in any and all programs that would promote human development. A friend of John Denver's, Donna also sang with Denver http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mxWPd3MiCM She has a her own CD and is a regular in the Austin music arena.
There does not seem to be an end to Lipman's contribution and creativity. At this wrting, Donna seems to have no enemies or detractors. She is loved by all who know her.
Her Action: Show 100%, 100% of the time.
You can reach Donna at donna@donnalipman.com or view her website http://www.donnalipman.com/
Today is the birthday of Donna Lipman. As a girl, she would tell you she was painfully shy and anxious to please all around her. She did not see herself as a powerful teacher, brilliant seminar leader, or gifted singer. Donna saw herself as perhaps unlovable and/or not quite good enough. Many grow up believing much of what Donna believed.
How did she, a mouse of a girl, turn it all around? She opened her heart. There is a story of Donna as a young girl passing a coveted award she was presented with on to another girl whom everyone teased and belittled. Able to feel the emotional pain of others, turned Donna towards kindness and a life of helping.
Today, Donna Lipman is the woman who organizes and markets the art work of a gifted friend. She is the woman who will stay up until 2:00 a.m. to take one more coaching call from a distraught client. She is the woman who is is still working and studying while the rest of us are watching a movie or having a glass of wine. She is the voice that begins a song first thing in the morning and you can still hear her singing as she is turning off the light. Her talent freely given to anyone who asks for it. Her ear always available to listen to the drama of her many friends. Donna is available.
Donna Lipman is the president of What One Man Can Do. She is the role model for contribution. When her beloved husband Terry was alive, the couple were continually involved in any and all programs that would promote human development. A friend of John Denver's, Donna also sang with Denver http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mxWPd3MiCM She has a her own CD and is a regular in the Austin music arena.
There does not seem to be an end to Lipman's contribution and creativity. At this wrting, Donna seems to have no enemies or detractors. She is loved by all who know her.
Her Action: Show 100%, 100% of the time.
You can reach Donna at donna@donnalipman.com or view her website http://www.donnalipman.com/
#32 of 40
Bob Browning grew up in a small suburb of Chicago. The oldest in a yours, mine and ours family, Bob left home to take up drumming shortly after high school. A session drummer, he was able to tour with some leading bands in the late 60's and early 70's. Rock and Roll, late nights, shabby rooms and a belief system that did not involve the God he has found today.
Bob is vague in the how or why he had such a major life transformation. The Universe tapped him on the shoulder several times throughout his life and each time he learned a bit more about God, about himself, about life.
When he was living in New York and working as a desk manager at a cheap hotel where transients typically hung out, Browning found himself attending a local Methodist church from time to time where he befriended an elderly woman who became a shut in. Bob had always loved the elderly and he began to visit her. They spoke of books, local events and spiritual matters. The woman flourished and Bob Browning began to read more spiritual books and fewer atheist-inspired texts. Bob flourished.
He is the never-been-married Uncle Bob who sometimes has too many beers or says the embarrassing line. The nieces and nephews could watch and learn as Bob is the nephew who took his elderly Aunt to Europe, a place she had always wanted to see, but could never afford. Bob Browning is the nephew that called another aunt (this one in an assisted living facility) on a regular basis, despite the fact she made no sense on the phone. He is the writer of letters, the one who goes to visit those shut-ins. He shares a joke, a story, an ear, to a segment of the population that few honor or treasure.
Fast forward to today. Bob Browning spends time teaching emotionally and intellectually challenged adults the catechism of the Catholic Church. He took it upon himself some years ago to learn Spanish so he could communicate with some of the people he worked with. This took him to Costa Rica, where he lived for more than a year. His Spanish is now fluent and he has recently applied to work with street kids in Latin American countries. Bob gets no pay for any of the work he does - he volunteers. His long-term intent is to live in Latin America and care for the needy. This is Browning's plan for retirement. No thoughts of travel, golf, leisure clubs. His desire is to follow the gospels he reads daily and clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and visit the home bound.
As a single man, never married, no children, Bob will face a day when he may be unable to care for others, and perhaps there will be a someone like Bob Browning who will decide that he or she will make a difference in the life of a shut-in. Perhaps there will be a young man or woman, who for no reason other than he or she believes it is what their Creator would want, that young person will do what Browning has done for others, let them know they still have value.
Bob Browning - a man of God.
Action Taken: Slow but steady. Look for what is in the highest and do it.
At this time the only way to contact Bob is through anne@womcd.com
Bob is vague in the how or why he had such a major life transformation. The Universe tapped him on the shoulder several times throughout his life and each time he learned a bit more about God, about himself, about life.
When he was living in New York and working as a desk manager at a cheap hotel where transients typically hung out, Browning found himself attending a local Methodist church from time to time where he befriended an elderly woman who became a shut in. Bob had always loved the elderly and he began to visit her. They spoke of books, local events and spiritual matters. The woman flourished and Bob Browning began to read more spiritual books and fewer atheist-inspired texts. Bob flourished.
He is the never-been-married Uncle Bob who sometimes has too many beers or says the embarrassing line. The nieces and nephews could watch and learn as Bob is the nephew who took his elderly Aunt to Europe, a place she had always wanted to see, but could never afford. Bob Browning is the nephew that called another aunt (this one in an assisted living facility) on a regular basis, despite the fact she made no sense on the phone. He is the writer of letters, the one who goes to visit those shut-ins. He shares a joke, a story, an ear, to a segment of the population that few honor or treasure.
Fast forward to today. Bob Browning spends time teaching emotionally and intellectually challenged adults the catechism of the Catholic Church. He took it upon himself some years ago to learn Spanish so he could communicate with some of the people he worked with. This took him to Costa Rica, where he lived for more than a year. His Spanish is now fluent and he has recently applied to work with street kids in Latin American countries. Bob gets no pay for any of the work he does - he volunteers. His long-term intent is to live in Latin America and care for the needy. This is Browning's plan for retirement. No thoughts of travel, golf, leisure clubs. His desire is to follow the gospels he reads daily and clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and visit the home bound.
As a single man, never married, no children, Bob will face a day when he may be unable to care for others, and perhaps there will be a someone like Bob Browning who will decide that he or she will make a difference in the life of a shut-in. Perhaps there will be a young man or woman, who for no reason other than he or she believes it is what their Creator would want, that young person will do what Browning has done for others, let them know they still have value.
Bob Browning - a man of God.
Action Taken: Slow but steady. Look for what is in the highest and do it.
At this time the only way to contact Bob is through anne@womcd.com
Post #30 of 40
Did you catch I am now posting a number not a day? I will complete this project and make myself and all of you aware of all that is well in the world - all the places and people that make a difference.
Yvonne and Rich St. John Dutra are two individuals near and dear to my heart. I first met them when I was on staff for The Institute for Integrative Coaching by Debbie Ford. One of the staff members knew Yvonne and Rich and had the honor of attending a Challenge Day. This was in 2001 or 2002 and Challenge Day was struggling with budgets, over worked staff, getting the word out, and getting the amazing program into schools all over the U.S.
The vision Challenge Day held and still holds is: That every child lives in a world where they feel safe, loved and celebrated. As I participated in the high energy, big-hearted processes with 100 teenagers, I knew that this was the answer I needed several decades ago in the high school I attended.
This is not a posting about Challenge Day but please take a moment and check out the site, http://www.challengeday.org/ Bring the program to your school and be a part of the change.
Yvonne St. John Dutra began working with teens over 25 years ago. She was determined that her life, her teen mistakes would be used for the good of children everywhere. Yvonne is a vibrant, heart-centered woman who can join in with teens or their parents with equal ease. Her message of diversity, truth, the oneness we share, has had a positive impact on hundreds of thousands of teens and she has saved lives as she helps shape lives. Challenge Day was and is her baby to get the word out regarding what we can be when we take 8 hours to know who we really are and share it with others.
Rich has a high school teaching background and it is easy to see that he was a wrestling coach for many years. Rich and Yvonne combined their collective passion and experience to co-found the Challenge Day Program in 1987. What began as two people driving from school to school attempting to educate the faculty, parents and students about the oneness of our experiences despite the outward appearances, has turned into a hit show on MTV entitled If You Really Knew Me www.mtv.com/shows/if_you_really_knew_me/series.jhtml
Many people would love to have a hit TV show but Yvonne and Rich care more about the fact their message is being heard by the very segment of society they are dedicated to reaching, teens.
At a time when our news tells us about young people committing suicide before they even have a chance to fully experience life, a show such as If You Really Knew Me is not only important it is vital.
No overnight successes, Yvonne and Rich St. John Dutra held their vision, held their mission, held our children as they took the steps to assure that every child lives in a world where they feel safe, loved and celebrated. May they continue their journey.
Action Taken: Never give up. Keep the faith. Keep showing up and doing your part.
You can reach Yvonne and Rich through http://www.challengeday.org/
Yvonne and Rich St. John Dutra are two individuals near and dear to my heart. I first met them when I was on staff for The Institute for Integrative Coaching by Debbie Ford. One of the staff members knew Yvonne and Rich and had the honor of attending a Challenge Day. This was in 2001 or 2002 and Challenge Day was struggling with budgets, over worked staff, getting the word out, and getting the amazing program into schools all over the U.S.
The vision Challenge Day held and still holds is: That every child lives in a world where they feel safe, loved and celebrated. As I participated in the high energy, big-hearted processes with 100 teenagers, I knew that this was the answer I needed several decades ago in the high school I attended.
This is not a posting about Challenge Day but please take a moment and check out the site, http://www.challengeday.org/ Bring the program to your school and be a part of the change.
Yvonne St. John Dutra began working with teens over 25 years ago. She was determined that her life, her teen mistakes would be used for the good of children everywhere. Yvonne is a vibrant, heart-centered woman who can join in with teens or their parents with equal ease. Her message of diversity, truth, the oneness we share, has had a positive impact on hundreds of thousands of teens and she has saved lives as she helps shape lives. Challenge Day was and is her baby to get the word out regarding what we can be when we take 8 hours to know who we really are and share it with others.
Rich has a high school teaching background and it is easy to see that he was a wrestling coach for many years. Rich and Yvonne combined their collective passion and experience to co-found the Challenge Day Program in 1987. What began as two people driving from school to school attempting to educate the faculty, parents and students about the oneness of our experiences despite the outward appearances, has turned into a hit show on MTV entitled If You Really Knew Me www.mtv.com/shows/if_you_really_knew_me/series.jhtml
Many people would love to have a hit TV show but Yvonne and Rich care more about the fact their message is being heard by the very segment of society they are dedicated to reaching, teens.
At a time when our news tells us about young people committing suicide before they even have a chance to fully experience life, a show such as If You Really Knew Me is not only important it is vital.
No overnight successes, Yvonne and Rich St. John Dutra held their vision, held their mission, held our children as they took the steps to assure that every child lives in a world where they feel safe, loved and celebrated. May they continue their journey.
Action Taken: Never give up. Keep the faith. Keep showing up and doing your part.
You can reach Yvonne and Rich through http://www.challengeday.org/
Post #31 of 40
"Don't Blame The Game" is a book written by Mike Schwass and Clarence Trausch. Below is a quick synopsis of the book:
In December 1975, then sixteen year-old Michael Schwass sustained a devastating blow to his neck in a hockey accident, which left him paralyzed from the neck down for life. An instant quadriplegic. Don't Blame The Game is the chronicle of this indomitable youth who decided he would walk again, and the astonishing transformation that characterized his journey. Now in his mid-forties, and living in Des Plaines, Illinois, Michael teaches and lectures to audiences all over the country, inspiring his able-bodied listeners with courage and skills to face and overcome their own challenges.
At the end of each chapter, Michael is interviewed by Dr. Clarence Trausch, his long-time life coach, and co-author of Don't Blame The Game. In these dialogues, Michael inspires the reader with wisdom garnered from a lifetime of harrowing experiences and remarkable achievements. His penetrating answers and charming manner hold a treasure trove of insights into the playoff of one of life's most horrifying trials, faced head-on by a stellar personality. What follows is an adventure story - and an opportunity and a formula for conquering your trials too.
Mike Schwass died almost two months ago, suddenly and without fanfare. His life is a testimony to what any single person can do with their life, and it is also a microcosm of what can happen when a person has a strong vision. He lived a life with the intent to motivate, inspire and help others in any way he could. Listening, teaching, coaching and laughing, whatever it took is what Schwass used. He had a web site, Facebook page, and held yearly fund raising events to meet with people and offer inspiration as he raised the money to further his ministry to help those who believed they were out of hope.
When my husband and I met Michael Schwass, he had a ready smile and full belly laugh. Genial and kind, he attracted women and men alike. Everyone loved Mike. His motivation, inspiration and laugh will be forever missed. He lives on in the people he touched, the programs he began, and the stories he told.
On his plain pine coffin was a ribbon stating, Love, Service, Remember. This was Mike Schwass. Love, Service and Remembering a higher purpose.
We miss him.
Action Taken: Mike had a vision and never let up.
Even in death Mike thought of others. He has requested that individuals contribute to a fund for others. Please contact anne@womcd.com and I will put you in touch with the family.
In December 1975, then sixteen year-old Michael Schwass sustained a devastating blow to his neck in a hockey accident, which left him paralyzed from the neck down for life. An instant quadriplegic. Don't Blame The Game is the chronicle of this indomitable youth who decided he would walk again, and the astonishing transformation that characterized his journey. Now in his mid-forties, and living in Des Plaines, Illinois, Michael teaches and lectures to audiences all over the country, inspiring his able-bodied listeners with courage and skills to face and overcome their own challenges.
At the end of each chapter, Michael is interviewed by Dr. Clarence Trausch, his long-time life coach, and co-author of Don't Blame The Game. In these dialogues, Michael inspires the reader with wisdom garnered from a lifetime of harrowing experiences and remarkable achievements. His penetrating answers and charming manner hold a treasure trove of insights into the playoff of one of life's most horrifying trials, faced head-on by a stellar personality. What follows is an adventure story - and an opportunity and a formula for conquering your trials too.
Mike Schwass died almost two months ago, suddenly and without fanfare. His life is a testimony to what any single person can do with their life, and it is also a microcosm of what can happen when a person has a strong vision. He lived a life with the intent to motivate, inspire and help others in any way he could. Listening, teaching, coaching and laughing, whatever it took is what Schwass used. He had a web site, Facebook page, and held yearly fund raising events to meet with people and offer inspiration as he raised the money to further his ministry to help those who believed they were out of hope.
When my husband and I met Michael Schwass, he had a ready smile and full belly laugh. Genial and kind, he attracted women and men alike. Everyone loved Mike. His motivation, inspiration and laugh will be forever missed. He lives on in the people he touched, the programs he began, and the stories he told.
On his plain pine coffin was a ribbon stating, Love, Service, Remember. This was Mike Schwass. Love, Service and Remembering a higher purpose.
We miss him.
Action Taken: Mike had a vision and never let up.
Even in death Mike thought of others. He has requested that individuals contribute to a fund for others. Please contact anne@womcd.com and I will put you in touch with the family.
Day or Rather Posting # 29
As I write this blog I am discovering more and more about the topic of What One Man Can Do and what it takes to be that man or woman or child or being. It takes perseverance. It takes commitment. It takes a humble spirit to admit you just do not know. It takes being embarrassed. I am embarrassed.
Here on this blog I wrote I would do 40 in 40. I assured all those who are reading this I would complete it in 40 days. It is November 3rd. I am on Posting # 29. I have let myself down and I have let those of you who were counting on me to complete 40 in 40. I apologize. My intention and self discipline were not strong enough. I could use these facts to beat myself up, to offer excuses, to share with you my life. I could use the facts to play down what I am doing, I could also just ignore the facts.
That is not what the people and organizations and animals I have been writing about do or have done. They each just get on with the job at hand. It is a great conversation: Do you ever just stop what you know you are to do, longing to do, because you have embarrassed yourself? Stop doing that. Listen to the yearning, the longing; pick yourself up and get going. As Nike so aptly puts it, "Just Do It!"
Lissa Boles knows all about picking oneself up and getting the job done. Lissa told me she listens to her life and then lives her life. Listening to your life. Life is her teacher and she listens, then she takes action. Daily.
Lissa has not just a passion, Lissa has a giant hand at her back moving her forward at lightning speed to fulfill her purpose. What is the purpose of Lissa Boles? Her purpose is to assist others in fulfilling their purpose.
Over the years, Ms. Boles has done this in many ways. She is a Certified Life Coach, Intuitive Astrologer, Speaker and Trainer. Podcasts, Teleclasses, Intuitive Readings - all aimed at assuring individuals fulfill their purpose on this planet.
Lissa was like so many people - she knew she had something to say and had the desire to know who she was. She began the journey by learning who she was not. Many learn who they are not. They are not sales people, they are not parents, they are not students, they are not 9-5 business managers, the list goes on. Who do you know (or sense) you are not? What a vast majority of people is do is find out what they do not like, but then continue doing it. They do not listen to their lives. They do not live their lives. Lissa wants to change that. Lissa Boles wants to assist (business people especially) our planet in waking up to the changes that are occurring at this time in our history and to live out the destiny that expands their spirit.
Lissa believes we are at a great time in our world where, "If you don't love what you do, someone will take your place who does love it." Lissa Boles wants to be certain that every man, woman and child knows their purpose and is living it.
Her Action: From Lip Service to True Service using her voice.
You can reach Lissa Boles at lissaboles@gmail.com Lissa told me her first marriage is with God and everything else flows from that place. She is making a difference daily. Lissa is married to the amazing Randy Boles. They actively chose to sell a large home and move into a tiny cabin on the shores of a Great Lake where they must pull their groceries in by sled. Two individuals who truly walk their talk.
Here on this blog I wrote I would do 40 in 40. I assured all those who are reading this I would complete it in 40 days. It is November 3rd. I am on Posting # 29. I have let myself down and I have let those of you who were counting on me to complete 40 in 40. I apologize. My intention and self discipline were not strong enough. I could use these facts to beat myself up, to offer excuses, to share with you my life. I could use the facts to play down what I am doing, I could also just ignore the facts.
That is not what the people and organizations and animals I have been writing about do or have done. They each just get on with the job at hand. It is a great conversation: Do you ever just stop what you know you are to do, longing to do, because you have embarrassed yourself? Stop doing that. Listen to the yearning, the longing; pick yourself up and get going. As Nike so aptly puts it, "Just Do It!"
Lissa Boles knows all about picking oneself up and getting the job done. Lissa told me she listens to her life and then lives her life. Listening to your life. Life is her teacher and she listens, then she takes action. Daily.
Lissa has not just a passion, Lissa has a giant hand at her back moving her forward at lightning speed to fulfill her purpose. What is the purpose of Lissa Boles? Her purpose is to assist others in fulfilling their purpose.
Over the years, Ms. Boles has done this in many ways. She is a Certified Life Coach, Intuitive Astrologer, Speaker and Trainer. Podcasts, Teleclasses, Intuitive Readings - all aimed at assuring individuals fulfill their purpose on this planet.
Lissa was like so many people - she knew she had something to say and had the desire to know who she was. She began the journey by learning who she was not. Many learn who they are not. They are not sales people, they are not parents, they are not students, they are not 9-5 business managers, the list goes on. Who do you know (or sense) you are not? What a vast majority of people is do is find out what they do not like, but then continue doing it. They do not listen to their lives. They do not live their lives. Lissa wants to change that. Lissa Boles wants to assist (business people especially) our planet in waking up to the changes that are occurring at this time in our history and to live out the destiny that expands their spirit.
Lissa believes we are at a great time in our world where, "If you don't love what you do, someone will take your place who does love it." Lissa Boles wants to be certain that every man, woman and child knows their purpose and is living it.
Her Action: From Lip Service to True Service using her voice.
You can reach Lissa Boles at lissaboles@gmail.com Lissa told me her first marriage is with God and everything else flows from that place. She is making a difference daily. Lissa is married to the amazing Randy Boles. They actively chose to sell a large home and move into a tiny cabin on the shores of a Great Lake where they must pull their groceries in by sled. Two individuals who truly walk their talk.
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