Is it really September. What happened to this summer??
I know what happened to mine. Our daughter got married. Not only did she get married but the reception was at our home, in the backyard, for 120 people.
I am sure I don’t have to remind any of you what the weather was like this summer. Mostly rain drops!! But on August 15th the sun was shining. We had a perfect day. Not only was it a perfect day, but all the people who were hired, friends and family who volunteered, all came through. I’m not just saying that to be nice. Everything was great.
What makes the difference between a very successful event and an ok event? Planning!!!!
Three months prior to the wedding date, my daughter and I made a week by week to do list. Double checking, confirming and getting things that could be done a head of time, done.
Kerina and I spent hours and hours planning, discussing and doing things for her wedding. A one day event.
I often wonder if people took as much time planning their life goals and direction of their life as they do vacations, or one day special events, how their life might be different.
Think about it. How much time have you spent actually planning your life?
It’s never to late to get started.
I’m learning. I like to learn new things. I like the challenge of learning new things. But I think I have reached my limit for learning new ways to stay connected, at least for the moment.
I’m not sure if you partake of Facebook but I have tried to avoid it like the plague. Several years ago my girl friend wanted me to sign up so I could see some photos of her daughter in Austraila. My daughter walked me through the process and I was and I will admit very nervous about putting all that information out there. You know, out THERE for all to read and see.
I wasn’t sure how to block the world from seeing photos that anyone who is a friend can send to my facebook wall. You might be thinking, well what does she have to hide? The answer would be nothing but there are some things I prefer and should be my choice to keep private. Here is an example, on vacation in my bathing suite, veggiing out. Even though I work out on a regular basis and like my body for the most part, I still prefer to limit who sees me in less then normal attire.
So for a couple of years my Facebook login didn’t see much action.
Less then a week ago I got a notice, so and so wants to be your friend, confirm or ignore. I confirmed. In a day I had about 25 friends and I have not linked into my email contacts. It’s crazy.
I’m learning about invitations for events, downloading videos and photos, putting links to web sites and on and on.
The funny thing is, I just started to get into Facebook and now people are going to Twitter. I’m staying with Facebook for now.
Facebook is a social networking connection. I am also connected to Linked-In which is a professional networking connection.
The technical department is trying to work out why my contact email names will not download into my profile. I have tried everything. I have actually tried to download my contacts for about 3 months. I would try and things wouldn’t work so I would try again that day and things wouldn’t work. So the next time I would try a different way but to no avail. I would give up and come back to it again at a later date. I even tried the help files. I followed directions and still no good. So I finally contacted customer service and they are working it out. Apparently my technical challenge hasn’t happened before.
I am learning to manage my websites through Dream weaver also.
My next learning curve will be to send e-newsletters out through Dream weaver. I really need to get on that one as I am over due for a newsletter.
Times are changing, or they have already changed. There is no looking back. Forward we go.
Get connected. I have to admit I was amazed at all the friends I just reconnected with by a push of a button. Confirm.
For the last seven weeks I have been writing a book.
The title of the book is going to be Living On Go!
I am very excited about the book. It came about because of a comment I made to a friend in December. Realizing all the changes and growth I have made in my life in the last 12 years or so I laughed and said I should write a book.
The thought never left me. So in the beginning of January I started with an outline, wrote the introduction then 10 chapters followed with a wrap up chapter called The Best is Yet to Come.
In one of my blogs or newsletters I mentioned how important journalling is. I was able to write my book because I was able to look back in my journal for dates, accurate details, names and my feelings at the time.
I’ll let you know when it is published. It’s being edited right now and I am stronly leaning towards self publishing.
I am looking forward to seeing where this adventure takes me.
Happy New Year. I’m excited about 2009! I feel that 2009 is going to be an amazing year for me, and I am looking forward to the expectations I have for 2009.
Do you have expectations for 2009? If you don’t, you should. You should wake up everyday expecting great things. I believe myself to be an optimist, but I don’t believe I am nieve. I believe what we fear comes upon us, it’s a truth. What we fear comes upon us because we tend to dwell or focus on the fear and what we think about we draw to our self. I choose to go into each day with the thought of expecting great things.
I have been reading a great book called You Were Born Rich, by Bob Proctor. I was given the book in my goodie bag at the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers in December. Although I have already read and heard almost everything in the book something clicked. I felt it at a gut level. I felt it not just read it. I highly recommend you read it.
There is a poem by James J Metcalfe on page 46 titled, IT’S UP TO ME. This is a poem you want to write out and stick on your frig. I tried googling James J Metcalfe so I could attach the link to the poem but wasn’t successful at that, I would suggest you get a copy of the poem. It would be worth your time.
Sometimes you hear things over and over again and then all of a sudden something clicks. Something clicked and I am expecting great things for 2009.
I am privileged to work with people. Some days one on one and many days in large groups. Many, many, many times I hear how people have been stopped dead in their tracks of life. This is because they remember some unkind words that were uttered to them years ago.
Those words stuck on them, stuck in them, stuck in their head, hurt their feelings and took the wind out of their sails.
The next time you go shopping, listen. Just listen to how people talk to one another. Think if the words you hear would be helpful to that person or detrimental.
I actually get goose bumps when I hear a parent utter or a better word is spuel negative words from their mouth at their children. I am sure the parent does not realize the effect of their words, or I would hope they don’t realize the effect of their words on their children. In most cases, people that spuel negative words were brougth up hearing the same negative words and don’t know how to act any differently. It’s sad but true. It’s not an excuse, but the ignorant don’t know they are ignorant because they just don’t know.
I have a beautiful daughter, I have two awesome son’s but this is about my daughter.
This happened several years ago since my daughter is about to turn 23 and this happened when she finished grade school. I went to her school in Dundas to pick up her report card on the last day of school. I really can’t remember why she wasn’t there that day but I am very grateful she wasn’t. In her envelope, along with her report card was a letter written by the principal of her grade school, addressed to the principal of the high school, that she would be attending the next school year. Basically the letter went something like this, Dear Principal, I would like to inform you that K is being placed out of grade school into high school. I feel she would best be suited for the below average classes as she is not capable of graduating high school.
Put your self in my shoes reading this letter. I was never informed that she was not passing out of grade 8, this was the first I had ever heard there was an issue. Yes, she was in a English class that provided extra help but I was under the impression it was to get extra help. But really that wasn’t my biggest concern.
After I discussed this matter with the secretary at the grade school, I drove directly over to the high school. I expressed my deepest concerns with “pegging” a persons entire future with one letter. I also made sure the school placed my daughter in regular classes. I even had to sign a letter to relinquish the school from any “possible” liability if my daughter did something, they were talking about suicide because of the pressure of being in a regular class.
When I arrived home, I ripped up that letter, never for her to see it. I make a 15 minute tape telling K how smart she was, how organized she was, how beautiful she was, etc, etc. I put it on a 60 minute tape. The 15 minutes repeated twice on one side and flipped to the othe side for an additional 30 minutes. Every night for that night on until September when school started I played that tape when she went to bed. It was a tape of encouraging words.
Let me tell you that my daughter graduated from high school with honours. She also graduated from a three year program at college and now works with children to encourage and guide them.
Words are powerful. Powerful beyond what you might imagine.
Choose and use your words carefully. Yours words could make the difference in a person’s life.