"Man" On FIRE!

Watching a bit of Man on Fire, the 1957 version with Bing Crosby (not Denzel Washington, who played an incredible role that hit so close to home in the later version that I shook in the parts where he shook).

"That's all I have to say about that." - from Forrest Gump).


At the end of the film, Bing's girl says about his son, "He's growing up".

Crosby replies, "So am I".

How cool is that? "So am I".

We're all still growing up, and we all, myself very much included, need to remember this and allow ourselves to continue growing, upwards, forever closer to our best possible selves.

Why live any other way, than our strongest, smartest, happiest, harmonious and most passionate selves?

IT'S A GREAT WAY TO LIVE!

Why fear our inevitable deaths? Why not instead look death in the eye and say, "Take me anytime you'd like; I'm living fully and freely in the NOW, and giving life EVERYTHING I HAVE!"

"I'll fight you and will not go quietly into the night. But if you win and snatch the life from me, I can say, I WASN'T AFRAID TO LIVE."

Death ALWAYS happens to EVERYBODY........LIVING happens among FAR TOO FEW.

Just make sure that isn't you. Whatever you dream about, DEVELOP! Live your dream! Live while you have LIFE!

You and I ARE going to die. The question is, ARE WE REALLY GOING TO LIVE?

Entertaining God - Part 2

As Christ, Buddha, Ghandi, the Dalai Lama and even Zoroaster have said in one form or another, "With our thoughts we create our world." So I started thinking how I made it through the day before, hoping for inspiration to make it through another, and really thriving in life and helping others do the same versus just trying to survive in it.

I had gotten up at 330 to get caught up on my grad school research/writing. Didn't get nearly enough done before the coffee had worn off and time was running out to get to the gym before picking up Sofia for school.

Answered a few emails before I left and felt a new surge of energy from the positive thoughts of the messages I read.

Took that energy to the gym but at the end of the workout was staring at the 90 lb. dumbbells in front of me, wondering how in the helen of troy I was going to have the strength to lift them.

Started calling out the names of my students in barbaric yalps with each rep, thinking that if I could have the strength to lift these weights I could lift my students for at least one more day.

Finished and stumbled into the showers, mumbling a good morning to the anonymous old man next to me. Was greeted back with an explosive "Hello! How are you doing this fine morning young man?" Felt so uplifted by his good energy I started talking to him and found out yesterday was his 84th birthday. A BIG Happy Birthday to my new friend, Sandy Graves.

Took the energy I got from Sandy and gave it to my Sofia as she ran into my arms when I picked her up. Told myself I'd get things done on the 45 minute trip to school but found myself listening to her tell me all about her latest dream and everything she was excited about at school. Her excitement gave me the energy to give my full presence to a parent meeting before class began.

Found out this parent is truly dedicated not just to his son's education, but education in general, giving me hope that I'll stop being seen as unique and exceptional when he said that the way I teach should be the rule versus the exception. Gave me hope that I'll stop being seen as a renegade teacher who has impossible energy and that ALL children will be seen as and taught as if they are gifted, because THEY ARE!

Welcomed my students to class, fired up to have another day of positive creation, only to find out the 2nd and 3rd highest readers of the class in terms of effort are in the principal's office for a fight that involved being thrown over bus seats and bloody mouths.

All that effort being thrown away in one moment of loss of control and now in danger of getting themselves suspended. All that energy on all three of our parts now wasted. Felt glad I was so physically drained from the workout because I really wanted to throw a desk through the wall........

To Be Continued.........

Monday's Mantra

My friend Camargue on MySpace sent me a wish for a wonderful week. As I was listening to my children's laughter around me, the above response jumped from my fingertips.

"Ah, it WILL be a marvelous week,
of that I can speak.

No problem will be too great,
no obstacle I can't break.

I will let laughter and love fill my world.
I will stand strong and let my spirit unfurl!"

- Adam Stuart

We all should have...well, I'm sure we all do have a Monday Mantra, but probably not a very empowering one. I used to get stomach pains on Sundays, knowing I had to go back to my sales job on Monday.

We all should have a mantra that makes us feel unstoppable, and allows us to live life to the fullest; to fight the good fight, to stand with arms open wide, and create incredible experiences this week. It will never come again.

This is referred to as segment intending in the Law of Attraction. I've found it to be very helpful in keeping me focused on what I WANT to happen, and more often than not, it DOES happen!

My daughter Cristina spent the weekend with us, and showed me her MySpace page. I quickly put her at the very top of my friends list, letting her know how important she is to me :-)

She was important to me when I married her mother, and I loved her as if she was my own. I still do, and always will. I'm here whenever you need me hon.

I may not agree with you being able to date yet, so all I ask is that I get to meet any new boyfriend. I want him to know there's a man to answer to if he doesn't behave as a gentleman with you.