"Mom" Fullbright

My ex-husband's mother lived with us for many years and continued to stay with me and my children for a few years after our divorce. My husband was 20 yrs. older than me and his mother, Julia Louise Fullbright, was born in 1909 making her old enough to have been my grandmother. At a time when few women went to college, she graduated from St. Mary's University in San Antonio and was a school teacher who raised her children alone since her husband did not return from the Korean War after being captured and considered MIA just months before he was to retire from his career in the Army. She was a devout Catholic and helped many less fortunate during her lifetime. After being in charge of her life and responsible for others for so many years, most of that control was being relinquished. At one time Mom Fullbright would drive people to church who were homebound and now she could no longer drive and was living in a home where someone else made most of the decisions. She would comment to me about changes in her body and spoke about looking at her hands and not recognizing them as belonging to her. I was a young mother, in my early 20's back then and lacked the maturity and experience to have better appreciated her story. I wish I could have been equipped to have understood the stage of life that she was in and have realized what an honor it was to be witness to her truth. As time went on, “Mom” moved in with her son, I remarried and life and years went on. There was still contact and visits with the children and their grandmother which became less frequent when we moved from the East Coast in Florida to the West Coast in California. Our family grew over time and we took many family trips including one back to Florida, because my now husband, Kevin, felt that it was very important for our older children to see their grandmother while she was still living. I love and admire him very much for making that happen. We even picked up my ex so that he could spend time with us and fulfill an old promise to take the kids to “Gatorland.” Years later, I called the nursing home where Mom Fullbright was staying and asked to speak with her. It was clear that her memory had faded and she had no idea who I was. I continued to talk with her and told her at the end of our conversation that I loved her. She replied, “If you love me, that means that at one time I must have loved you too, honey.” I hung up feeling a great sense of loss and I cried and mourned her because I knew that the Julia Fullbright that I had grown to know and love was no longer with us. When the day came that we got the news that she had passed away, I was better able to handle it because I had already grieved her loss in advance. I know that she is in heaven, reunited with her husband, “Duke” and her parents and siblings who she loved so much in life. Someday I will see her again and she will remember me.

The Blurred Lines on the Road Less Travelled

Driving in the recent snow, at night, the usual road marks that help us “stay between the lines” were obscured and it wasn’t clear exactly where I should be driving. It required trusting my instincts and forging new paths in the snow. Approaching stops with extra caution so I could stop without sliding, having enough momentum in order to have traction going up the icy hill without losing control. Even the most familiar areas, that I travel daily, had taken on an unfamiliar look and feel, transformed under a blanket of snow. I was struck with how much it reminds me of the blurred lines that occur in life at times, where you have to take a leap of faith into the unknown, while still exercising good judgment, in order to blaze new trails. I communicated to my children some of the precautions I was taking as we went so that they could learn from the experience while at the same time I had to exude a semblance of confidence that we would arrive at our destination safely even though we might be taking the road less travelled. :)

A Special Moment in Time That I Cherish

Several years ago when I lived in the Bay area, I was at a fast food restaurant in line to order food where there was a homeless man in line and everyone was keeping a wide berth around him because he was talking to himself and acting strange. I remember feeling slightly alarmed, because my young children were with me, but kept my place in line. He ordered his coffee and went and sat down at a table next to the entrance door. When I ordered, I got an extra meal to give him. I went over to him and as I put the food on the table, I touched his hand and said "this is for you" and he accepted. I sat at the table on the opposite side of the door but couldn't see him because there was a tall trash can between us. I remember vividly how he looked when he raised up in his chair and I saw him peek just over the top of the trash can, his hair was long and wild looking and he flashed me the most beautiful, toothless grin I've ever seen in my life, but more than anything, the steel blue color of his eyes has always stayed with me. I remember feeling like God had just gazed upon me through those eyes, the feeling was overwhelming.

After that day, I searched for him on many occasions and after some time had gone by, I finally caught up with him at nearby shopping center. I asked him if I could buy him lunch and we ended up having something from the ice cream shop (his choice) and talked a little. I found out that he liked going into a gift shop at the shopping center so I went there later and the shop owner said she was familiar with him, so I left some money with her and asked her to let him pick something out the next time he came in. At a later date when I checked back, she said he had picked a "King Frog" ceramic item that he liked. I found this kind of bizarre and touching at the same time, to think of him in that foo-foo store picking out his King Frog. I have an adorable metal King Frog of my own that ironically reminds me of the day that I felt like I was looking into the eyes of God. Although he will never know how special of an experience it was for me to have met him, I cherish it and will never forget it.

“He who spends time adorning himself knows he is going to a dance”. ~Kenyan Saying

Preparation is the key to securing your future. Are you adorning yourself? You should be, because there’s a dance awaiting you. The dance is the future that you were destined to live. Start adorning yourself. Invest in personal growth. Read books that will prepare you for the future. Develop yourself into the kind of person who will shine on the dance floor when destiny finally says, “Here’s your chance”. Get ready! The quality of dance you expect in your future determines the amount of adorning you will do today. Raise your expectations. You shouldn’t be expecting to go to some mediocre dance. Your goal should be to dance in the most sophisticated dances reserved for the ones who have invested heavily in themselves.
~Herman Najoli “How to Make Your Mark”

"My 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse"

Fall is my favorite season! I akin the seasons to life's cycle and considering I'm in the second half of my 40's, I would venture to say that I am living in what is the Fall season of my life. I want to experience it with the same wonder and zeal that I feel from it's crisp,cool breeze and it's beauty unfolding before my eyes.

I was told by Debbie Ford, author of The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse: A Breakthrough Program for Connecting with Your Soul's Deepest Purpose
that things are "Never a coincidence.... We're always in sync with the universe..." so, I find the timing of her book perfect for where I am in my journey in life.

According to Debbie, "the Consciousness Cleanse is designed to purify your mind and emotions, bringing you enormous amounts of strength, confidence, and deep inner peace." I am ready to open my heart, mind and soul to these possibilities. In preparation for my consciousness cleanse, I have read the first section of Debbie's book, which is "A Breakthrough Program for Connecting with Your Soul's Deepest Purpose." I have been reflecting on The Promise, The Process, The Preparation, The Practice and the Cleansing Tools that she outlines for the days ahead.

One of the most poignant statements that resonated with me from the first section of The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse was that "Mediocricity in any area of your life is no longer an option, because either your pain is too great or your desire for having it all is too compelling."

MY GOALS - Short and Long Term

SHORT TERM GOALS:
Incorporate “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”
~Steven Covey

“The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen”. ~Frank Lloyd Wright

Be Proactive - Assess situation and make it work. Problem Solve

“Just Do It!” ~Nike Running Shoes Advertisement

Work around Obstacles. Ask for help. Choose to “Act” instead of “React”

Begin with the End in Mind - Visualize where you want to be. Think of the “Vision” - Creative Visualization

“He who spends time adorning himself knows he is going to a dance”. ~Kenyan Saying

Preparation is the key to securing your future. Are you adorning yourself? You should be, because there’s a dance awaiting you. The dance is the future that you were destined to live. Start adorning yourself. Invest in personal growth. Read books that will prepare you for the future. Develop yourself into the kind of person who will shine on the dance floor when destiny finally says, “Here’s your chance”. Get ready! The quality of dance you expect in your future determines the amount of adorning you will do today. Raise your expectations. You shouldn’t be expecting to go to some mediocre dance. Your goal should be to dance in the most sophisticated dances reserved for the ones who have invested heavily in themselves.
~Herman Najoli “How to Make Your Mark”

“If you’re going to be thinking, you may as well think big”. ~Donald Trump

Put First Things First – Prioritize, Organize, Discipline

“Are You a Wandering Generality or a Meaningful Specific?”~ Zig Ziglar

Put a goal-oriented purpose and focus to my personal, professional and business life. Identify goals, obstacles, resources and support groups. Make choices based on my priorities.

Relentless Dedication - In order to become a meaningful specific, you must be relentlessly dedicated to making your dream come true. What are you doing on a daily basis that is adding value to your ability to fully become who you were born to be? Are you being true to the voice within you that is calling you to perform at your optimum level?
~Herman Najoli “How to Make Your Mark”

Steady Focus - Steady Focus comes from always having your vision right in front of you. Think about why you have immense success driving every day - the windshield is right in front of you and you are always looking out through it! It’s the same thing with your dream. You must keep it right in front of you. There are many ways that you can do this. Write it down and recite it throughout the day. Design your environment to remind you of your vision every day.
~Herman Najoli “How to Make Your Mark”

Think Win/Win and Seek First to Understand and Then to be Understood - Both people benefit

NAMASTE’ – The Divine in me recognizes and honors the Divine in you and in that recognition lies the place where you and I are ONE.

Synergize - Synchronized Rhythm – Ebb and Flow

Flow is the natural, effortless unfolding of our life in a way that moves us toward wholeness and harmony. Things fall into place, obstacles melt away, and whatever is necessary—money, times, work, people, opportunities—appears as needed.
~The Power of Flow: Practical Ways to Transform Your Life With Meaningful Coincidence by Charlene Belitz and Meg Lundstrom

“As individuals, we have control over the frequency of our energy through our thoughts and feelings. If we predominantly focus on good thoughts and feelings, the law of attraction will match those “like” energies to us. We will attract people, circumstances, and events into our lives that will bring positive experiences to us, and we will not be attracted to negative events”. ~The Secret

LONG TERM GOALS:

“Sharpen the Saw”

Eat Well, Exercise, Sleep, Take Care of Yourself, Take Care of your Body, Do Your Personal Best

Reduce Intake of Caffeine, Refined Sugar, Alcohol, and Processed Foods

Stay away from industrially processed food products and food with trans fats and hydrogenated fats. Eating a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates will give you the energy you need.

Eat Several Small Meals a Day

By eating more frequently you are then increasing your metabolism, which helps fuel the only thing in your body that can actually drive burning fat in calories.

Portion Control

You don’t have to count calories in this diet, but it is important to get your body familiar with portion control. “Don’t eat until you’re stuffed. Eat until you’re satisfied,”

Drink More Water

Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink water. If you are drinking enough, you should never get thirsty. Schedule your hydration into your day if you must–and without enough water, your body will not lose weight as quickly as you want.

Boost your Metabolism With Exercise

There is no better way to increase your calorie burning than to gain lean muscle. A pound of muscle burns approximately 50 calories a day, while a pound of fat burns approximately two calories per day–you do the math. Incorporate three, 30-minute strength-training workouts a week.

Twitter That!

The benefits of being on Twitter have been many for me. From a socializing aspect, I have connected with and met many quality individuals both in and out of my local community. They include professionals, professors, artists and other mom's with whom I have things in common. I have become friends with several of my "Twitter Buddies" both on and offline. For a stay at home mom, it has been a wonderful way to socialize and stay on top of what is going on.

A local Twitter user posted about a lost Kindle that was left in a local park. He had the name of the person that it was registered to but was unable to locate contact information for them. The person that lost the Kindle had a name that was not very common, so by using search engines online I was able to find a phone number and address for her in Anchorage, AK. I left a message about finding the Kindle and received a call from her enabling me to put her in touch with the good samaritan that posted about it on Twitter. After a couple of Tweets (Posts) & DMs (Direct Messages) the owner had her Kindle back in her posession. :)

When I first started using Twitter, my family liked teasing me. They don't poke fun at me so much any more since I have won a variety of prizes, ie: water park tickets with cabana, concert and ball game tickets from local tv, radio stations and casinos. I've also won gaming accesories and gift certificates. When tickets were sold out for the Aces game in Reno on the 4th of July, I jokingly posted that I was looking for 12 tickets if anyone had some to spare. Within minutes, I was given the information of a local business that had some general admission tickets left to sell. My family got to enjoy the game and see the fireworks that night thanks to that kind of involvement.

Twitter has been a great way of communicating about everything from deals and events going on to sharing news from power outages and "traffic jams" to avoid. :) An Amber alert that was posted recently spread like wildfire. Luckily, it turned out to be a hoax and no child was in jeopardy, but had it been real, Twitter was an instant way of getting the word out.

There are many new to the Twitter community that post things like: "trying to figure this out" or "I don't get it." You can create any kind of experience that you want on Twitter based on what your interest are and who you follow. You have access to users who you can relate to and who specialize in many areas right at your fingertips!