BOOKS BY THEIR TITLE

For as long as I can remember I have loved books. Not for reading so much, although at times I have fallen in love with specific books. Gone With The Wind; One For The Money; The Mists of Avalon; Outlander: and many books about King Henry VIII and many unfortunate wives.

Now I am exploring an ereader and with keen interest I discover a delight, likely unintentional by the creator, but truly appreciated by me. I find that I can shop for books by their covers. By their titles. And then download, for no cost, the short “free preview” and have the books lining the lovely virtual wooden bookshelves on my ebook library. What a delight.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to my World
The Moveable Feast
A Year in the World
Adventure Divas
Avoiding Prison and Other Noble Vacation Goals
Belonging
Best Girlfriend Getaways Worldwide
Brunetti’s Venice
Cinque Terre Sights
Color Your Future
Count Your Blessings
CruiseShip Tricks
Daily Inspirations from the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
Day Tours of Rome: Passage to Roma 2010
Discover Your Destiny
Drive: The Surprising Truth
Educating Alice: Adventures of a Curious Woman
Easy Travels in South Africa
Family Wisdom from the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
Ernest Hemingway on Writing
Fly Solo
For the Love of Ireland
Green Hills of Africa
Grow Rich! With Peace of Mind
Hitching Rides with Buddha
How I Write
How to be Rich
How to Sell Your Way Through Life
Incontinent on the Continent
Italy, the Magic Land
I’m Off Then
Left at Home
Make Your First Million in Network Marketing
Margarita Nights
Napoleon Hill’s Golden Rules
Napoleon Hill’s Keys to Success
No Vulgar Hotel
Navigating the World of Network Marketing
Novel Destinations
Queen of the Road
Roads Less Traveled
Running Away to Home
Sailing Alone Around the World
Slow Journeys: The Pleasures of Traveling by Foot
Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude
The 100 Best Volunteer Vacations
The 7 Step System to Building a $1,000,000 Network Marketing Business
The Best Advice I Ever Got
The Best Travel Writing 2011
The Best Women’s Travel Writing
The Color Code
The Greatness Guide
The Leader Who Had No Title
The Master Key to Riches
The Metabolic Plan
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
The Spontaneous Healing of Belief
The Tao of Travel
The Thank You Economy
To the End of the Earth
Today Matters
Top Secrets for Getting Started in Network Marketing
Travel Agent Secrets: How to Plan Your Vacations Like a Pro
What Would Napoleon Hill Do?
Who Will Cry When You Die?
Without Reservations
Words in a French Life
You Inc: The Art of Selling Yourself
Your Magic Power to Be Rich

Do you wish you could find out about other people by the books they read? By the titles that line their bookshelves and are stacked by their bedside tables? By the collection saved in their ereaders?

My life is an “open book” and your are welcome to join me on my journey of self discovery as I wander through these and countless other magnificent titles. I hope to share many more with you and hope you can share a few with me.

There is a taste of brilliant writers lined up on my bookshelf in my new ereader (Thanks Steve and Mom!) and I am up at the buffet, taking a wee taste of each. There are some brilliant writers I would never have discovered had it not been for the boring words I use every day scrambled cleverly in a title of the book.

And then inside, ahhhhh the magic is handed over. The real essence of the author, the soul of the person is revealed in a taste of letters and white space. I am so excited to explore the combinations and transmutations.

Must run now and find my next title …. Tba.

GRAMMIE-LOVE: the exploration 27 Jan 2011

Today I begin another fantastic journey. This time not on cruise ship, no flight to far away lands. I return to family and home. So much has changed, the journey will explore just how much is the same.

I moved to Revelstoke in early 1984, January actually. I had been living in Calgary prior and was newly married to a man who lost his employment and through family connections of mine, my brother, was able to secure a job with the railroad. I left my employ in Youth Probation (my dream job) to start a family in Revelstoke.

I became pregnant almost immediately by my calculations. 9 months later, Sheena Dawn was born early in the new day of 6 October. She was birthed in to the world in such glory and was love, immediately.

And now, I am returning to that place as Sheena is about to give birth to her second child, also in Revelstoke. The first grandchild for me, Luke, was born in June a year and a half ago in this same town, same hospital, same nurse on duty. I sat in the waiting room, as my mother had for me, waiting to offer support if it was necessary and otherwise, holding love and space for the miracle to happen within reach.

I met young Lucas that morning of his birth in the same hospital. I spent his first week of life close by and savoring the precious moments of holding his lovely tiny frame in my seasoned aging hands. Smelling him, cooing with him, singing to him, dancing and rocking and holding his sweet self. Loving his very being and asking for nothing less in return.

I have had a few occasions to hold him since and now he is walking, running and speaking to the world in monosyllables. He is unaware, I am sure, of the change about to take place in his world. Even his mom won’t surely remember what happens when a new being arrives and takes the center stage for a while. When instead of constant center of attention and wonderful limitless love and time, there arrives another interesting party, a tiny bundle of life and smells and noises. Luke will learn to be patient and kind. He will learn to share and be shared with. He will see the world forever changed.

I long to be with him. I was not a first child and I don’t know what that feels like. I know that I want to be with his mother and with him as this new chapter of his life, her life and my life begins. I so wish my mother was with me here as well. I guess this journey I must learn to do on my own this time.

For those following my blog, you will know that my mother now resides across the other side of Canada snuggled in her apartment, living among her family and friends from her youth. She is truly home. I am still a bit displaced as I find my home wherever my heart and my children are.

For the next few weeks I believe I will be “home” with Sheena and Luke. I will be immersed in their world, and the transition to this new world that arrives with the birth of another little soul.

I will witness the event, hold tight to the love and hugs and books and stuffed toys, cars, blankets and other objects once belonging to this small family of 3. Soon to be the family of 4.

I look forward to this precious time and leave much undone and waiting for my return and knowing for sure that this is a time to hold fast and be as present as I can to feel the subtle yet significant shift in the world population and the life in my family.

Travel alone is a cherished activity. I know it is selfish to say and even more selfish to do. To enter mindfulness in travel. To allow my attention to drift to the gal sitting next to me watching cartoons on her lap top Mac and now reading a complicated University level textbook on the functioning of the brain. And all around people shuffle about, some solo and some with young families, children pointing out discoveries in delight, parents a bit tired from an already long day preparing for this ferry travel. I allow my thoughts to wander, I bring them home and take another breath. Let that one go, take another one in, and so goes my thoughts.

GRAMMIE-LOVE: the exploration 27 Jan 2011

Today I begin another fantastic journey. This time not on cruise ship, no flight to far away lands. I return to family and home. So much has changed, the journey will explore just how much is the same.

I moved to Revelstoke in early 1984, January actually. I had been living in Calgary prior and was newly married to a man who lost his employment and through family connections of mine, my brother, was able to secure a job with the railroad. I left my employ in Youth Probation (my dream job) to start a family in Revelstoke.

I became pregnant almost immediately by my calculations. 9 months later, Sheena Dawn was born early in the new day of 6 October. She was birthed in to the world in such glory and was love, immediately.

And now, I am returning to that place as Sheena is about to give birth to her second child, also in Revelstoke. The first grandchild for me, Luke, was born in June a year and a half ago in this same town, same hospital, same nurse on duty. I sat in the waiting room, as my mother had for me, waiting to offer support if it was necessary and otherwise, holding love and space for the miracle to happen within reach.

I met young Lucas that morning of his birth in the same hospital. I spent his first week of life close by and savoring the precious moments of holding his lovely tiny frame in my seasoned aging hands. Smelling him, cooing with him, singing to him, dancing and rocking and holding his sweet self. Loving his very being and asking for nothing less in return.

I have had a few occasions to hold him since and now he is walking, running and speaking to the world in monosyllables. He is unaware, I am sure, of the change about to take place in his world. Even his mom won’t surely remember what happens when a new being arrives and takes the center stage for a while. When instead of constant center of attention and wonderful limitless love and time, there arrives another interesting party, a tiny bundle of life and smells and noises. Luke will learn to be patient and kind. He will learn to share and be shared with. He will see the world forever changed.

I long to be with him. I was not a first child and I don’t know what that feels like. I know that I want to be with his mother and with him as this new chapter of his life, her life and my life begins. I so wish my mother was with me here as well. I guess this journey I must learn to do on my own this time.

For those following my blog, you will know that my mother now resides across the other side of Canada snuggled in her apartment, living among her family and friends from her youth. She is truly home. I am still a bit displaced as I find my home wherever my heart and my children are.

For the next few weeks I believe I will be “home” with Sheena and Luke. I will be immersed in their world, and the transition to this new world that arrives with the birth of another little soul.

I will witness the event, hold tight to the love and hugs and books and stuffed toys, cars, blankets and other objects once belonging to this small family of 3. Soon to be the family of 4.

I look forward to this precious time and leave much undone and waiting for my return and knowing for sure that this is a time to hold fast and be as present as I can to feel the subtle yet significant shift in the world population and the life in my family.

Travel alone is a cherished activity. I know it is selfish to say and even more selfish to do. To enter mindfulness in travel. To allow my attention to drift to the gal sitting next to me watching cartoons on her lap top Mac and now reading a complicated University level textbook on the functioning of the brain. And all around people shuffle about, some solo and some with young families, children pointing out discoveries in delight, parents a bit tired from an already long day preparing for this ferry travel. I allow my thoughts to wander, I bring them home and take another breath. Let that one go, take another one in, and so goes my thoughts.

THE  CLIMB  OF EVEREST

Yesterday marked the ascent.  They physical, emotional, mental and spiritual climb to my brilliance.  I truly have been preparing for this, my whole life.  Getting to base camp has been a slow and steady walk of endurance and change.  To prepare for one’s life work is not a straight line.  We can’t possibly know when we start where we will end up.  We may know the why, we may know that we must …..  I did not have a snapshot until now.  I left base camp yesterday.

Many many years ago, when I was a Family Court Counsellor, I attended a weekend on Mediation.  It was a national conference and the key note speaker I remember clearly.  She was the first woman and Canadian woman, to climb Mt Everest.   On that day my life changed.  I did not know then that it did – but today, clear in my mind and my vision, I know now why I was there to hear her story.  I bought her book and somewhere in my house it still lives.  She was a heroine for me then, and now.  I have not been physical before, or at least did not fancy myself as healthy or strong, or even driven.  Here I am to tell you a different story.

Several lessons from that day still resonate with me now and vibrate at my frequency,  (my word of the year for 2012 is FREQUENCY- fine tune and amp it up).  She talked about two teams striving to do the climb.  The US team with one woman, and the Canadian team, also one woman on the team.  The truth is that it takes a team to do anything life changing and world class.  At each step of the climb, once you leave base camp – you must make strategic decisions about what to leave behind.  You can’t carry it all up there where the air is scarce.  You must decide what is life support, what you can do without.  The US team made a decision to leave behind the radio communication, on last leg of journey, close to the top.  The Canadian team decided to leave something else and kept the radio.

The lesson in this, just so we all don’t have to duplicate the mistake, is that communication to the team is the most critical part of the journey.  It made the difference because the base camp could see the athletes arriving at their destination.  “I can see you making it”.  “You are almost there”.  “Just a few more steps, I can see you”.  And in those moments when all the messages in your own brain say to stop and go back, preserve your life, you can’t do this, what were you thinking?? And all the reasons why it does not matter if you make it one more step …. When your brain can’t see the top, someone can see it for you and help you arrive.

I am beginning my ascent.  I have left base camp.  I will have to make decisions every day as I climb to put me out there, out of my “knowing” and comfort zone.  To be stepping where few have stepped before and to have full intention of arriving at the top.  I am holding on tight to the communication with my team, my family, my loved ones, my dear sweet friends who have seen me arrive at this spot and will hold the vision for me as I take each step.  When I stumble, they will be there to tell me to get up and take another step.  I am so incredibly grateful this day, on my climb that you are all there in support and love.  Thank you.

Please keep talking to me and sending me your messages.  I will need and want your words and the knowing that you are there in support.  This is what I need now and for the rest of the journey.

I am a believer! I checked out the films today on IMAX, and find “The Climb of Everest”. I am going. I must go. I must learn from those who teach, leaders who inspire and people who have gone before.
I called yesterday to talk to a dear friend, mentor, about her learning as an athlete. She is so wise and offered a story. She did a thesis comparing how far people climb to their highest and best with no support and no external stimuli – just self talk and sheer will power and physical endurance. While remarkable – the comparison group had supporters shouting encouragement, visual stimuli marking distance and competition against time, “Just a few more steps” becomes the mantra. They pushed through success at more than 20%.
I talked to my partner, history in sports teams and asked questions about what I need to learn about teamwork, and who am I on the team? What are my skills and talents and how do I best use them? What can I get from my team and who do I need to seek out as key players. We used two analogies, the marathon runner and the football team. He is wise and experienced in both.
Football —- I was delighted to know that I would be a Quarterback! What little of football that I know, tells me this is a key position. If I am to be the best, I need to study the role and skills and motivations of a quarterback. I need to be able to read the plays, know the field, become familiar with the strengths and challenges of my team mates. I need to get yards, by getting inches. I need to only have one point more to win. Sometimes one inch to get the yard to get the win.
Conditioning is key to getting the whole team ready. Practice the skills. Learn the plays no matter what the conditions. How to adapt to changes in environment. Not to count on the strong players or the condition of the field to be constant. Expect and welcome change and know the plays for all the situations. Be able to count on flexibility. Be familiar with the equipment, not just mine but everyone’s. People will sustain injuries.
THE WALL of limitations. The key to success is to adapt daily actions repeated and consistent over time to move the wall of limitations further away. With a runner, it is a “mental” race. At some point you will be required to push through that wall of limitations. Extensive conditioning of the mind, mantras of success, visualization of achieving the goal – the more they are practiced and become the daily mindset, the more sheer energy will propel you through that wall. Prepare for the wall. Have strategies to deal with the wall. Create a “chant” to tell the body what to do. “push push push, reach reach reach”. “Go further, you can do it” must become automatic and already part of the brain speech. The force of will wins the race. The 4 minute mile. The climb of Everest.
Clearly defined often stated goals. Simple mission statements. “I am going to finish this race”. I will achieve the top 3% and reach my highest and best.
As quarterback, I inspire others to take their inches, to get the team yards to win the important games. We won’t win all the games, we don’t have to. We have to practice by losing so we can win the RIGHT games that are strategic and important ones. Don’t always use your best plays and your best players. Talent and confidence is needed for all team players to pull together as a team. Put all players in each spot and support them to do what they can for the team. Develop those confident players so when the eventual injuries, quitting, or other things happen – the team is strong and will all still have the confidence to win and get over the wall. Keep training the new ones, build their confidence, explore their talents and inspire their highest and best. Rotate people so they can play each others roles, always have something to reach for.
I will seek out my daughter who coaches teams, my brother who coaches teams and Robyn and Terry to tell me about world class athletes and their strategies and success formulas. I will talk with Realtors and Travel Agents, learn their habits and seek to do what they do. I will find people who want to be on my base camp team, those who want to climb and those who truly see making it to the top 3% of their highest and best.
All have value on my team. I will be the Quarterback of my team and I will climb this mountain with all that I learn and all that I give and inspire to assist others to get what they want.

Thanks to all of you for this day and this wisdom.
P

What if your life can be compared to a hot air balloon? You know your purpose, or at least the sense of purpose. To rise up and to fly. Unencumbered by restrictions of the ordinary, and on your own imagination to soar above the rest. To truly offer your special gift to the world. What if your vision was that big? Take a few moments to think about your vision. Fill your balloon with your dreams. Collage, with words, pictures, the places you would go and the people you would be significant for …. Your family, Europe, women all over the world, children, elderly people, people with wealth, Australia, China, people who live in poverty, ….. what is your message to the world? You are writing your book and your dream is on the front cover …. What is your special purpose? What color is your life? How high do you want to fly?
Now be on the ground – today. There are forces that hold you to the ground. There are other people’s opinions, previous experiences leading to fear, fear of success, fear of failure, not knowing ….. lack of money, habit, health, doubt, inexperience, lack of inspiration …… name them. What holds you back from being in your balloon and your special purpose?
Know in your core that time can never be a factor – we all have the same “time”. 24 hours in a day. 7 days in a week etc. We all have 60 minutes in every hour. We all have 60 seconds in every minute. Many of us miss those seconds, those minutes, those hours, those days and those weeks. Think back. Do you remember all days? All weeks? all years? Or do we remember moments – brief seconds of significance and “matterings”. We remember events from our perspective. We remember words spoken to us in anger, or in fear. We remember sometimes hurtful times and we can sometimes replay them as if they happened over and over and over again. We sometimes forget the 50 birthday greetings that came to us on facebook last year – even from people who don’t know us very well. Loving wishes for a long and happy life, and great success. We sometimes don’t consider and replay over and over again the compliments, the hand holding, the gifts handed to us in generosity.
We decide what ropes tie our balloon to the ground. We decide if we fly to our purpose or we sit another year and wait for “things to change”. We decide if we take a risk and follow our dream and let go of those nasty memories. We decide if we are coachable and want to learn a new way that sets us free to our purpose. We each and every day will be up against other people’s opinions and other people’s vision of us. We let that determine our greatness – even though we really secretly know we have greatness inside our balloon. We secretly in our heart of hearts and in our imagination we know what our special purpose is and who we can and need to become to fulfill our life and to live with passion and love and generosity. To be a model for our children and our parents and for people of significance for us. We know that. In our core and in our cells – it is ours alone. And we permit, we allow and we generously give our control of that to the choices we make and the people we let influence us. We allow ourselves to be the mirror of others. For others to see us as failure or weak. For others to see us as not capable or “tries too hard”, or “will never succeed” or “you won’t be good at this”. It is all in our hands and our choice, every second, every minute and so on.
This is not an easy path – to live the life you are destined for. The life you dream of. It can be full of doubt and fear. But more importantly it is full of hope and promise and future. We chose that too. Which one is it for us. Do we have the strength to live the dream? Do we have the strength to stand up and one by one, remove the ropes that tie us to the ground? Do we choose to remove those ropes one by one, with the love and support of others who would see us fly. Who would stand and cheer as our balloon leaves the ground and rises ever steady to the sky.
Surround yourself with those who will watch, support and cheer. Surround yourself with the gift of your own choice and your own success. There are many to follow – they stand out – they are already flying. Find some to watch and learn how they do it. Learn the habits and beliefs of successful people. Do what they do to create your own dream.