This is what I’ve been devoting my time to these days… I’m certain these programs are not only meeting my needs for promoting good health, but are also providing great marketing practices for others… Being a senior of 79 years I’m not in this for the fast, shiny cars (I have given up driving) or big fancy houses… My modest apartment suits my needs & makes me feel quite comfortable… I have learned the more expensive items people are drawn to require more maintenance & are even more costly to repair… For me it’s just not worth it since material things are not built to last forever anyway… I can appreciate the beauty of something & carry it in my memory without having the responsibility that goes along with owning it…
These days I’m truly Grateful because I enjoy what I’m doing & the people I’m meeting because of my efforts… I am truly blessed because I get to enjoy two of my greatest passions, listening to mellow smooth jazz while I’m writing about things that have been slowly revealed to me over the years, but have become such an important influence on my life… I hope this is revealed in the things I write… I am one of the happiest people you will ever meet… The only thing that could possibly create more happiness in my life is if all of you who read my work appreciate it even half as much as I appreciate all of you who see it as being worthwhile… Thank you for any comments you’ve left… I continue to practice “Extraordiary Happyness” on a daily basis…
I want to let all of my friends & family know that I will be devoting some of my time to resuming my hobby, clowning…
I am a self taught clown… For nine years I devoted most of my holidays to entering all of the holiday parades in my county… I developed two clown characters for this purpose & more… I had a fun bike that was a scaled down replica of an 1888 Columbia Boneshaker… I was living alone at the time & decided that while the bike wasn’t built for speed or distance, it would be perfect for the parades… Since I needed a venue in order to enter the parades, Divine Inspiration led me to become a clown… Since I could see no point in decorating a Christmas tree for my apartment since I was seldom home, I decided instead to invest around $75 in red, green & gold tinsel garland to decorate my bike… I wove it through my spokes & around the frame… I added pinwheels & an oogah horn… All of Pinellas County would be able to see my Christmas decorations instead…
My first Character is Clearwater Crackers & the bike became my Cherry Bomb… My second Character was developed for The Awesome Greater St. Petersburg Second Time Arounders Marching Band which consists of people ranging in age from 18 to 85 who at one time or another have played in a high school marching band… Since John Phillips Sousa has always been one of my favorite composers this venue was perfect for me… Because I would have to be part of a group entered in the parade on the day of the parade I approached the band director in full costume complete with a sign on my bike with my new name on it… I told him, “I’ve always loved your band, however I have never been in a band, but specially for you I have developed a new clown character… I am now Re-Pete of St. Pete, my bike has become the Re-Cycle so that makes me a re-cycled clown for The Second Time Arounders… I want to be your mascot…” He replied, “Get to the back of the band…” Little did he know but that was exactly where I wanted to be… I would do my little circles with my bike, bouncing up & down to the beat of the music & wishing everyone a “Very Merry Christmas” as loud as I could yell over the music of the band…
I so improved my character & it’s personality through trial & error, to the point that I actually won “Best Clown Entry” in one of the largest parades in the county… A very dear clown friend of mine told me that many of the clown groups were upset because I had won it as a solo entry… Fact was, I didn’t even know that I had won… I hadn’t stayed for the judging… The City Manager called me the next week to let me know that I had won… I guess the enthusiasm of “Re-Pete” was what really won…
I expanded my venue for St. Patrick’s Day… O’Keefe’s has the largest beer tent in the county for the love of the Irish… For that weekend I dressed in green & became “Garlic O’Hara”… I had a ball painting faces for the kids & having my picture taken with my Polaroid camera…
I gave up clowning after I got married because I decided that spending the holidays with my husband was now more important to me… I never regretted that decision… We were married in 2003… On November 18, 2010 he succumbed to stage four melanoma which they discovered while they were performing a triple by-pass… That became a very painful year for both of us… His pain was extremely physical while mine was extremely emotional… I went through a period of depression, but I realized what was happening & my faith pulled me through… I am finally on the other side & ready to face challenges once again… I will be 75 in December… In one of his books Dr. Robert Schuller wrote about this woman’s epitaph that was written on her gravestone, “She died climbing”… I would like that to be mine also…
The death of Robin Williams was a wake up call for me… The way I was headed is not who I am… Divine Guidance stepped into my life once again… I watched the movie “Patch Adams” many years ago, not realizing that he was a very real person… I was so taken by that movie that when I saw it again after Robin Williams died that I watched it over again… It will always be one of my favorite stories… Well, I wrote Patch Adams a letter telling him what a tremendous inspiration he was to me after seeing Robin Williams playing his role that I decided to take up clowning once again… He wrote me back, sending me a copy of his first book which I had just finished reading… He included a beautiful inscription in the front of the book which he ended with this quote, “Stay Goofey”… Little does he know that I have no problem with that… I want to visit his 300 acre health community next year in Hillsboro, West Virginia… He appropriately named it, “Gesundheit”, which in German means “Good Health”… How fitting is that for a doctor such as he, who specializes in treating people, not diseases… I have another motive for wanting to visit his site, but that’s another story for another time…
My own personal physician has become one of my best friends after I saw the way that he treated my husband while he was dying… He’s a D.O., & he’s the best doctor that I’ve ever had in my life… I gave him my copy of the book Patch Adams, M.D. that I had read, told him of my experience & how it came about… I also told him of my plans to resume my clowning & of the trip I would like to make in the next year… He told me that if circumstances permitted that he would like his wife & himself to join me in my journey… That will only increase my anticipation of this adventure…
I am so looking forward to meeting this man Patch someday… He is truly a very gifted & talented person… He is without a doubt the most interesting person, he has more vision & enthusiasm that I’ve ever encountered in another person…
Well, that’s all that I have for today, however I will keep you posted of my progress…
Today I wish to explore the difference between my personality & my character… My personality is who I am when I’m around others… My character is who I am when left alone…
Because of my Sunday School upbringing I learned right from wrong, though I became rebellious & had to learn many of life’s lessons the hard way, I paid the price for that… I’ve known many a difficult time because of this poor attitude of mine… I truly needed an attitude adjustment…
They say everything happens for a reason… I’ve had many people come into my life & I’ve learned many valuable lessons from most… I will be eternally grateful for those lessons because they have gradually made living my life much easier… I have a very outgoing personality & I used to feel the need to be the life of the party… I learned that if I became a clown I could still be the life of the party & the party would be on my terms… I will be forever grateful for my “Book of Life”, otherwise known as The Bible… That is what helped me to develop my character & it’s because I developed a gratitude attitude that my personality didn’t have to suffer…
I’ve learned that it’s ok to be good to myself today… I am so reaping the rewards from learning that lesson… I don’t require a lot of material things & find some of life’s greatest treasures in thrift stores… I take comfort in the fact that the items that I purchase there once meant something to someone & gave added value to that person’s life…
This morning I’m reminded of the gift that I am given, 1440 minutes in 24 hours… As I prepare myself to write this I wish to put my gratitude on display… I’m also reminded that yesterday is history, tomorrow’s a mystery & today is a gift, that’s why we call it the present… I have an important assignment that I’ve given myself today, so if it’s going to be it’s up to me… I must keep the focus where it needs to be today so that I may reap the benefits tomorrow…
I was reminded recently that I don’t have enough music in my life & after that was pointed out to me I realized that was true… Today, with all of the trouble in our world I will pray for peace… I would like to share this video by one of my favourite groups, “Playing For Change”… I hope that you will enjoy…
They have taken some of the best musicians that the world has to offer, recorded them separately & then put it all together so that when you’re listening they sound like they’re being recorded together, live & in person… I absolutely love the concept & the talent that we would never have seen had it not been for the vision of one man to do this, Mark Johnson… This to me is amazing the way that he put this together for the benefit of us all…
Thank you for reading my blog & please feel free to leave a comment… I would also like to invite you to visit my Facebook page, “I Love Divine Guidance”… Like only if you do & share what you will…
This story really struck me because my husband was a Vietnam Veteran & as a result he knew quite a few homeless veterans… I know what I would do… What you would you do?
This last Memorial Day made me remember one of those veterans that my husband knew… Pete was a former volunteer fireman from somewhere in New Jersey… Vietnam cost him his marriage, his home & his kids… Pete was an alcoholic & homeless by choice because living on the street there were no rules that he couldn’t avoid… He was of slight build so was perfectly suited to be what was called a “tunnel rat” in Vietnam… His job was to enter the tunnels where the Viet Cong hid & work his way through them by any means available… This was not a pretty job… I’m certain that the memories of this job are what drove him to drink…
Pete was one of the nicest vets that my Billy knew & I was always happy to see him… Even when he was drinking he always treated me with respect… Pete was always made to feel welcome in our little one bedroom duplex & had an open invite to come over for dinner any time… He didn’t do that often because he would never want to be considered a burden… Billy & I didn’t have much, but would share what we could & it was always appreciated… It was good to see the two veterans talking about their problems & our having two dogs didn’t hurt… I’m a true believer in the fact that dogs have great healing abilities because I saw what effect that our Kaleb & Shadow had on Billy’s life… Kaleb was an abused Doberman rescue of mine that took to Billy from moment one… Shadow was a Shepherd/Wolf hybrid that we took in at 8 weeks old… The people that were going to take her didn’t want her at the last minute so she became Billy’s best pal…
We talked many times with Pete about getting help through the VA, but I guess Pete felt that his was a hopeless case… I think that I knew Pete for about 3 or 4 years when we learned that they found his body one morning behind a bar where he used to hang out… I guess he got his wish & I felt grateful that even though I would miss him tremendously, he was in a far better place & no longer in the physical pain & mental anguish that haunted him in this world…
Billy inspired me to write a Welcome Home Tribute to the Vietnam Veteran… It’s been very well received & as a result two copies are in the Library of Congress, one copy in The Smithsonian Institute & one copy in The National Naval Museum at The Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida… Billy was so proud of my effort, I guess because no one else would take the time… I was asked to recite it for Pete at his funeral… Of course I felt honored that this was the least that I could do for our friend… I had to excuse myself because of the tears that got tangled up in the words… I just couldn’t help it, just like the words in my tribute, they just seemed to flow… No one seemed to mind so I continued & completed my recitation in Pete’s honor…
Pete had many friends because he was the kind of guy that you just couldn’t help but like… I was so grateful to come across this video because I hadn’t thought of Pete in a long while… I’m grateful that he came into my thoughts once again & always will from time to time…
My Billy passed away 3 years ago last November from stage 4 melanoma… I pray that he & Pete are together once more sharing old stories once again… Thank you for reading my blog & keep coming back as I plan on making this an important part of my life…
A little imagination goes a long way… So what if I’m stretching the truth just a little… I saw this awhile back & I just had to look it up again because I thought that the imagination used here was simply remarkable… This is proof that if you will keep an open mind & allow your mind to roam freely you never can know where your mind will take you…
I have learned over the years that imagination & enthusiasm are important in my life… That’s why my clowning was so successful even with no formal training… One year I won the award for best clown entry in one of the parades… A clown friend of mine who had started a clown group years before I ever thought of taking it up was upset… She told me that it wasn’t fair to the groups that were in the parade… I didn’t even know that I had won it until later that week when the city’s Chamber of Commerce called me to inform me that I had won… I was a solo act, but I had a fun bike that had a 27″ front wheel, the frame dropped down to a little 12″ wheel in the back with high handlebars… I decorated it with colorful tinsel garland wound around the spokes & frame in Christmas colors… I tricked it out complete with 3 pinwheels, one extending out of each handlebar & one straight up in the middle… I added an oogah horn & I was good to go… I would always get behind a band, doing doughnuts with the bike while bouncing up & down, peddling to keep time to the music all the while hollering out, “Merry Christmas” to the town’s name while waving to the crowd… Needless to say I had a blast… The prize was just a little trophy only a foot tall which included an honorable mention in the local fish wrap, but to me it was a very pleasant, unexpected surprise…
What’s this got to do with marketing? It taught me that extra effort goes a long way & that I can have fun while working at things I enjoy… Here I’ll show you what I mean… I’m including these free eBooks from my friend Will Edwards, just to give you a little inspiration… Now it’s up to you just what you do with this opportunity…
Good intentions this year led me to a couple of speed bumps that I wasn’t planning on… Both of those speed bumps were health related… Without going into a lot of detail, one had the potential of being life threatening… My doctor insisted on a test that showed a 90% blockage to my heart… A balloon was put in place & a new test showed that everything is now clear… Since I was a self taught clown I guess he thought a balloon would be appropriate… The other issue is being resolved by modifying my diet & is now taking a break…
I am now ready to get in shape this year… It was my goal to take complete charge of my fitness this year & now I have my doctor’s blessings to do this… I’m 74 & grateful for my good health in spite of having 6 herniated discs in my neck, mid-back & low back… While some of the exercises are a little too much for me, (like push-ups), I found that if I modify them I can do them with good results… I found something that helps me with the motivational part… Now I make sure this is part of my workout every day & I make sure that I end it with a large dose of Gratitude…
I’ve done all the research that I need & I’ve finally found the missing pieces of the puzzle to make this new year one of total success… Now I’m anxious to see the results… I plan on blogging to several sites so that I get in the habit of writing… I want to record my journey this year & treat it like it’s an adventure so that it will be more enjoyable… I had a pretty serious health issue last year so my focus has been sharpened on what I need to do to improve the quality of my life… I’m 74 years old & counting my blessings that I can still be self sufficient…
This is my year to seriously focus on my health…
I’ve committed to losing a pound a week Challenge until 3/29/2014…
I will exercise 7 minutes a day 3 days a week…
I will join Toastmasters because I want to learn how to speak fluently in public…
I want to volunteer at a nearby church that has core beliefs like mine…
I also will attend any conferences that will help me with my online marketing…
I think these goals will keep me pretty busy for right now… I also have permission from my landlord to do some minor gardening in our little complex… I love where I’m living so it will do my heart & body good to invest in improving my surroundings… Well, I’ll sign off for now, but keep checking back because I want to be held accountable for my progress or lack thereof… I will not let either of us down… I promise…
I’d like to share a story about how important it is to let go of old ideas, especially when learning successful internet marketing.
Bear Hugs Kettle
by Emmett Fox
I once read an anecdote of the Far West that carries a wonderful metaphysical lesson. It appears that a party of hunters, being called away from their camp by a sudden alarm, left the camp fire unattended, with a kettle of water boiling on it.
Presently an old bear crept out of the woods, attracted by the fire, and, seeing the kettle with it’s lid dancing about on top, promptly seized it. Naturally it burnt and scalded him badly; but instead of dropping it instantly, he proceeded to hug it tightly – this being Mr. Bruin’s only idea of defense. Of course, the tighter he hugged it the more it burnt him, and of course the more it burnt him, the tighter he hugged it, and so on in a vicious circle, to the undoing of the bear.
This illustrates perfectly the way in which many people amplify their difficulties. They hug them to their bosoms by constantly rehearsing them to themselves and others, and by continually dwelling upon them in every possible manner, instead of dropping them once and for all so the wound would have a chance to heal.
Whenever you catch yourself thinking about your grievances, say to yourself sternly: “Bear hugs kettle,” and think about God instead. You will be surprised how quickly some long standing wounds will disappear under this treatment.
It’s been my experience when it comes to internet marketing to let go of longstanding beliefs because most of them are other people’s misconceptions about the subject.
Case in point:
I Think It’s A Pyramid Scheme!
~~~~~~~~
Click on banner for an added treat.
~~~~~~~~
Now don’t you hesitate because you know
what they say about that. Open that door,
and pay close attention, because I’m going
to ask questions later.
Learn how to have fun with it. It can be very
rewarding, and enjoyable if you just relax
and let your imagination flow.
~~~~~~~~
Let’s make it an awesome year…
From our little corner of the world to yours…
Linda Michel White
(GreatDaniac)
Senior Netrepreneur
You are personally invited to visit our other sites:
I’m prioritizing my venues to be more in line with my good health & marketing objectives… Linda Michel White aka LMW IBOToolbox IBOSocial CTFO ProsperityCentral These 5 programs are my main focus along with my blog: Zoned 4 Success… (Still Under Construction) What’s Your Big Idea & What Can I Do To Help You? […]
