Teach Your Children

"How Wonderful Life is...while you're in the world!" Perfect words by Elton John's "Your Song" to be listening to while doing this particular entry!

I received this interesting powerpoint today (below) & it is pretty good! Take a look - it is from Neale Donald Walsh who I met at the Celebrate Your Life Conference several years ago. There were some people at the conference who I am not a big fan of - many of the psychics or past lives type of people, but I keep an open yet critical thinking mind to them. Remember that doesn't mean you have to agree, you listen to see what they believe & then you decide! This is the conference were I also met Dr. Wayne Dyer and Sark. Dr. Dyer has been very lovely to me, even sending me some gifts. I give his little book "10 Secrets to Success & Inner Peace" out as gifts to my family & friends. Sark was AWESOME! I have read all her books for many years now & when we were taking a picture the best thing happened. For some reason, just for me, she said "Wait!" and she grabbed a "reserved" sign off a chair in the front row. She edited it with a "NOT" and then held it in front of us to take a picture! It always intriqued me of why me? Why not the person in front of me or behind me? I love it & she let me keep the sign!

Well when you go to Neale's website read his bio! His life has been quite a journey! Now when you go through the powerpoint I'd be interested to hear what you think. I didn't quite agree with everything. In fact, I just finished writing him a letter.

Note: This is about God so if you don't believe in God or happen to disagree with this view of God that is fine! As you see below I didn't even agree with everything.

http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=175

*  "Nothing your are required to do for a life of dignity"...I do agree you were put on this planet for a reason & you are loved just for being here but I believe you are required to fulfill that reason you were put here. His statement almost implies this is not necessary to reach your potential, to give of your gifts God gave you to share & help the world with while you are here.

* He also mention that failure is fiction and that trying was a success. When I grew up my parents told me the only failure was when you did not try. You did not live up to your potential which God made you for. If you got an A but you didn't learn anything that was not something to really be proud of. If you got a 40% F but you learned 40% you did not know before & you did your very best that was cause for a celebration! I remember Dr. Dyer stating a passage from "Death of Ivan Illych" by Tolstoy, "What if my whole life was really wrong?" How can it be wrong but to not have done what God intended for you to do & the only way to do this is to learn from mistakes & "failure" and continuously improve. Yes, one can say a failure maybe is "it didn't turn out as I liked & I did my best" and that this isn't a failure yet but to not even try or to try but not try your best is? In this he also say you do not have to change anything or “get better”…again I think I know he means - God loves you period but God certainly wants you to continuously improve and reach your full potential as his intent on creating you.

* Another point he mentioned God will not Judge you & that you do not have to "get it right"...I do understand what he might mean by this but to teach a child this in today's society is to say, "just try, you don't have to get it right" will lead them to not try or even attempt to do their best. You do have to get it right or close or you may be fired or not get the grades which then gets you in college & then a job (hopefully life mission!) As a teacher myself at the college level my students will just do "a little" if they did not have the thought that they "could" get it right, that they could do superior work just as much as anyone else say at Harvard or be the next Oprah or whatever. To teach them they will not be judged is false...they will be judged by teachers & others but how to deal with it or ground it is the important part. Yes, God loves you as you are & but we all know the world is fill with people who judge in a wrong way...this we have to teach children how to deal with through God.

*  He says God will not condemn anyone. How do he wrestle with a Hitler, Osma Bin Laden etc & explain this to a child. Why should they behave in a loving and socially appropriate manner if it doesn't matter, I will not be judged by God or condemned. If I do wrong then who cares.

* Toward the end he mentions to teach "not" with words but through your actions. I would more agree if you said "not JUST with your words" For example in his own bio he states how his mom "told him" that she didn't need to go to church that GOD is everywhere (which I happen to agree!) so he didn't understand with her actions so she had to tell him. See both are important. Sometimes one more than the other. His thought that actions should match words I do agree, but it is confusing on the powerpoint.

Well, what do you think?

Starting my Deck Garden

First, don't you wish you could just fill in the Mood spot? I mean I wanted to just have it say "pooped!" There are some moods not represented here! AOL needs to add a bunch!

Well I finally headed to the nursery for some plants! I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do this year, especially with my physical health not 100%. Most summers I can't wait & I really have an idea of what I want to do. Each year I usually do something a bit different. One year orange & yellow, one year all pink, and I think last year was soft purple (a soothing, relaxing look!)

This year I literally just looked & came up with it along the way.  I decided to make it mostly a vegetable & herb garden with a bit of color. Now mind you this is on my patio deck! :-) Can't do as much unfortunately. I love to garden & usually have at my folks. They have 1 1/3 acres of land & so quite a big garden. This year they are selling their home to retire so I can't garden there anymore. I'm very sad about this! If I can find my old pictures of my garden there I'll post them in a future journal. I'll also take some pictures of this years along the summer & post them.

I headed to Woldhuis Sunrise Greenhouse which usually has a huge and awesome selection of plants. This year I was very disappointed! I didn't get very much. Everyone must have gone this past weekend. The girl at the register said they ran out of a lot. No kidding! Man! So I also stopped at a greenhouse just down the road & picked up a few more items and then just before I was home I noticed a temporary nursery set up in a parking lot and they had some new variety of petunias and I thought they would go well with what I had in mind. I may go back tomorrow to that last one for some hanging baskets.

There is something about getting my hands in the dirt, nope can't wear gloves! I don't know why! I laughed today as I thought about it & then just couldn't. My foot that I had surgery on last Fall was acting up, along with my back a bit, so I had to work slow & carefully. I had to just plant one & then bring it to the deck, watching that Dusty & Country would not escape...Country was the worst! Usually I get a wheel barrel and haul my supplies out by the outside of the deck & plant, but just couldn't this time. I had found a terra cotta strawberry pot (or herb) that I liked finally and one pot shaped in a heart (which is HEAVY!) for 50% off the other day and a turtle one 75%! Yep...Sam & Ella would love it! Ha! The turtle was chipped a bit but you won't be able to tell with the plant hanging over. I love getting bargains! I got about 3/4 planted & ran out of soil. I'll finish tomorrow morning. We are suppose to get rain from tomorrow afternoon to like Thurs! Ugh!

Lets see what did I get.... (Pictures are linked to all but a few!)

Herbs:

* Curly Parsley
* Sage
* Rosemary
* Thyme....Ok, I just started humming it after last night & had to get the othe two! :-)
* Greek Oregano
* Hidcote Lavender
* Cat Mint
* Sweet Green Basil
* Purple Ruffled Basil
* Cilantro (I love!)

Vegetables:

* Grape Tomato
* Limmony Tomato
* SunSugar Tomato 
* Green Pepper (Sweet)
* Purple Beauty Pepper (Sweet) 
* Yolo Wonder Green Pepper (Sweet)
* Early Red Pepper (Sweet)

Flowers:

* Petunia: Dolce Flambe (New Variety this year!)
* Petunia: Dolce Fragnolia (New Variety this year!)
* Impatiens: Double Pink
* Daisy: Osteospermum Sparkler
* Daisy: Osteospermum Lemon Symphony (Saved it! 50% off!)
* Red Latana
* Bacopa Sutera Cordata
* Dwarf Pink Mallow
* White Cascading Petunia 2 Hanging Baskets (Mine are as big as the picture!)

Other Foliage:

* Coleus: Stain Class "Tilt A Whirl"
* Coleus: Pink (I'll get name!)
* Rustic Orange Coleus
* Chicks & Hens (Given to me a few years ago by a friend!)

Ok, I have a few peppers to plant yet, I want to see if I can find some more herbs & I need to get my sister to take some tomato & pepper plants! Ha! I ran out of clay pots. I have no clue why! My mom calls me "Miss Pots", "Miss Baskets" & Miss Hats" since I seem to have quite a few! Ha! Perhaps they cracked last fall and someone threw them out for me? I had my foot surgery last fall so there are many things that I just don't know what happened to! People love to help but...

Remember how I talked about all the rain & cold on my "About Me" section? Well today the banks registered 91 degrees! Ugh! Suppose to be 80s all next week but RAIN!!! Just some dark clouds & booms so far. Up north I hear it poured but so far not here. T-Storms until Thurs, unless they change it by then, you know how that happens all the time! One can only hope!

The birds were squawking at me as I arranged my pots on my deck. Apparently, I was in the middle of rush hour for dinner! Ha! A beautiful bright red cardinal had a reservation at the new hanging basket I filled with bird food.  I bought two yesterday which match but one has a hanger that comes through the center & the other is meant to go against a wall. They are made of tiny twigs. I figured it would much more decorative for seed than typical bird seed holders...though I didn't get rid of the ones I already had! Ha! I love birds! In the hanging one I made a "buffet" of different seed! :-) Maybe that is why the Cardinal came!

I have a slight headache (trying not to say migraine!) I think from the stuffy heat in the garage planting. Have to go take a shower...I'm full of dirt! Ha! I love it when my dad or someone has been out planting & they don't realize how their face is dirty from wiping sweat! Ha! I was like that yesterday...oh & then there is the dry dirt that goes up the nose...ick!...but to gardeners it is a part of the fun! Nothing like a man who gardens! ;-) Sorry I'm digressing here! Or rather fantasizing! Ha! I think I need a cold shower for more than one reason!

You know I remember gardening with my dad & mom when we were kids...the 4 of us kids walking behind my dad, as he made a little ditch we were to drop the seed - pumpkin, watermellon, corn etc. It was so much fun to watch them grow! I'm sure that is where I get my love for gardening! My grandpa also loved to garden since he grew up on the farms. At his house in Chicago, he'd have tomatos on the side of the garage which I swear he fed "bad kids" to them! They were monsters! You couldn't walk on the sidewalk even! And my grandma would have the most beautiful roses along the fence.

Well I'll try to get some pictures up soon! Then we can check again around 4th of July!

So what are you growing in your garden? Love to see!

Weekend Assignment #59: Teachers Worth Remembering

Well here is my answer to your assignment John!

Being a college psychology professor myself, this is a great blog to do! I think it is the wonderfully inspiring teachers I had which made me love learning & probably got me into teaching. I've been fairly lucky & had quite a few! I'll list them & put a bit under each:

Kindergarten: Mrs. Devries

She was so great! She had one of those permanent smiles & laughs! You know this women still remembers "everything about me" and it has been what like 35 yrs! Yep! She is like another mother! Every since time she sees me with my mother she goes into the story of me with the little girls kitchen set (stove, frig, sink...remember those!) and I'm playing "Betty Homemaker" and telling everyone what to do! HA! Funny since I've yet to get married, don't you think! Now the telling everyone what to do..hmmm! :-) Well she also had 3 more after me to remember so... I still can sing for you "Raindrops Keep Failing on My Head" because we did that for our recital at the end of the year. Imagine, raincoats, boots & umbrellas twirling! :-) The song was from the movie Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid which was out about that time. Robert Redford & Paul Newman! I also remember doing those silhouettes of our heads with the overhead & tracing our head. Cool!

Grammar School: Mrs. Cronin (oh & Mrs. Sioroky)

Well I have to give Mrs. Cronin some credit! You see I went to Catholic Grammar school & quite frankly I didn't care for any of my teachers but Mrs. Cronin I have to give a bit credit because she "put up with me!" Ha! Let me explain! There is only really one event I remember from her class. Lets see, this really starts in 3rd grade. I had a nun...Sister Sarah I think...well I don't remember this but my mom tells me. Apparently Sister Sarah told me my handwriting was bad. Well it didn't have the cute curely q's like that border they put above the chalkboard! UGH! I was trying to imitate my dad and will it tell you something about his handwriting if I tell you he writes prescriptions! Ha! Actually, it is nice if you understand his style! I love it! Mom says I would not go out & play, just stayed in allday & practiced my handwriting because I was sooo upset. I had Mrs. Cronin for 6th grade I believe...you know we started to change teachers for subject in 4th grade so I'm not quite sure but it would be 4th-6th. She had me come to the desk to get my paper & said the same thing to me! Well this time I didn't take it! I said quite matter of factly "No, its not!" It was one of those tv show moments like maybe Malcom in the Middle...all the kids were shocked & looked up & made an audible gasp leaving their mouths open. Mrs. Cronin cocked her head back & looking at me & said, "What did you say?" You can imagine how I'm sure! I repeated myself with just as much confidence. She said, "Yes...it...is!" I said, "No...it...isn't!" She said, "I'm going to call your parents!" I said, "Go right ahead, you can't read my father's handwriting anyway!" Again, a gasp from the students! She said, "You need a drink of water!" I said, "No I don't!" We went back & forth on this as well a few times & then finally she must have been quite a bit louder & I did go for a drink of water but then went right back to her desk to continue the conversation! Ha! She didn't didn't even look at me & said, "Go back to your desk." When I got home I immediately told my mother! She said, "Well let her call! I'll give her a piece of my mind!" You wonder where I might get this from!?! Ha! My folks probably told me I was fine & so I felt confident. It is sooo funny now considering I type everything! Ha! I even teach & don't write on the board! How one can't predict the future. I definitely try to remember this with my students & even use it as an example! So I'll give her some credit for putting up with me & allowing me to be the confident person I was obviously becoming..though I'm not sure now! Ha!

Oh you know I need to also give a bit of credit to Mrs. Siorky because during Desert Storm I had someone I loved dearly in the military & one particular day when I received a very down letter from him I wanted to go to church. The church was locked! I couldn't believe it. I strolled into the school & this grey haired women was in the hallway. She was not facing me. I asked why the church was locked in the middle of the afternoon. She turned around, saw me & opened her arms & said my name! Now I have not seen her in 21 yrs! Man! So I'll give her some credit for that!

High School: Mr. Steinhart & Mr. Mellon

Mr. Steinhart was AWESOME! I think he taught composition. He had such a vibrant personality & he always said, "God Loves You & So Do I" when you tried to answer a question & were not quite right! Of course these were the days when you could mention God in a public H.S. ! Ha! I remember a day I actually was not in class! Ha! Well we had to come back from spring break & write in class about the cultural experience we did over break. I had gone to the Lithuanian Museum and I write about that a bit in my paper but I mainly wrote about how this one little burger place around the corner from where my mom grew up & I lived for the first 2 years of my life had not changed. The culture was still the same when you walked in...Formica bar with swivel stools, the Coke cooler where the top slide to the side, old coke bottles (yes they came in glass bottles! ) etc. Well I had to leave early to go to the orthodontist and so I wrote it real fast & didn't think I did very well. The next day I didn't go to class because my mouth was killing me! I think my uncle liked to torture us! Well I got back & found out he read my paper to the class! I'm kinda glad I wasn't there. I got an A on my paper & I felt so great!

Now Mr. Mellon was my Literature teacher & I still remember watching Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" in class! His was the only class I got As every quarter! Yes, this was an amazing feat for me. I was not good in school until the last two years of college. Amazing I didn't end up in Literature.

College: Dr. Allen, Dr. Axley, Dr. Morey, Drs Hoyenga, Dr. Romano

God I don't know where to stop with College. I loved my 4 years of College!  I was a pretty serious student then! I needed to be...I struggled in High School & didn't want to flunk out of college. Dr. Allen was the man who blew me away with Psychology so he is the one that created the MONSTER! :-) I loved his classes & met one of my best friends in his class. He was sooo funny! He could tell by my eyes that I was thinking of all kinds of real-life examples & questions & he would just shake his head in affirmative which meant "see you after class in my office!" Ha!  Dr. Allen should get extra points for putting up with me too! Ha! You know I still remember my friend Colleen & I going up to him & askingif I could give my 3 points over my A to her so she could get an A! Man the nerve we had! I'm just a generous person! Ha!

Ok, Dr. Axley...you know I just went to his class to look at the man! Ha! Yum! Sorry but the man was hot! He looked like Alan Jackson sorta, TALL, big blonde locks & a wonderful mustache! I love mustaches & beards! Ok, well he was a great prof! And I did learn a great deal about Organizational Development! I loved it in fact. Took him for the Advanced course for Grad work even. I'm so glad he offered that too! HA!

Dr. Morey unfortunately has passed away & it saddens me that I was not able to tell him that she was soooo right! Ha! Teachers love that moment - when their students will admit they are right! Ha! When I was back working on my Masters for a term she asked what I was doing back. I joked, "Oh I'll always take classes I love learning." She told me to become a teacher that you learn more as a teacher than you ever do as a student. I still remember rollng my eyes & thinking she was a bit looney! She was soooo right! I know she knows now though! I had Organizational Behavior with her! She is the one would taught me Management by Objective & we use Objectives/Outcomes with students now so it was great!

Drs. Kaye & Kermit Hoyenga...man I had them for some many classes I can't count! I missed a double major in Psychology by like 2 hours. I didn't realize it or I would have made sure I got it. Now it doesn't matter...so many classes. They would go to the athletic events all dressed up in purple & gold & just were awesome instructors!

Dr. Romano...man we were his first class! Well we certainly broke him in! Ha! Genetics...I love Genetics! Especially, hiking across campus in the middle of the night to separate my fruit flies so they didn't interbreed! Ha! You'd be half asleep, but then so were your fruit flies so you could count them. Until you got a bit more asleep & they started to wake up & fly! Ha! Poor Dr. Romano...he actually couldn't wait to get rid of his "3 Musketeers" (as he called us!) I bet! Us 3 girls sitting in the front row heckling him all the time! HA! He was such a great sport about it too!

Now to THE BEST! :-)

Graduate School: Working on Masters

* Well I got to take Dr. Axley & the Hoyengas again!

Graduate School: Working on PhD.

Dr. Larry Anderson...man I wish you could all take him! He is a FABULOUS Prof! I remember the first day...we all wanted to drop! He wouldn't let you! Ha! He didn't really have a text or an agenda, well that he gave you! He didn't have exams...noooo, we wrote a document that was in the White House before we were even done with it! HA! No, I'm not kidding! I'm proud to say I co-wrote & co-edited the Guidebook for Technology Planning v. 2. Dr. Anderson was such an inspiring "southern gentleman!" He is still my source of inspiration. And you know...that man can just see the first move in a facial muscle of mine that is starting to show doubt in myself! I don't know how he does it. I remember this one time too when all of us students were in the conference room going to do a teleconference with a "big wig" in technology. We looked over the rubric & I had some problems with the last cell "Ideal Integration" was 100% reliance on computer technology. I had horrors of "Hal" from 2001 if you are old enough to remember that. I voiced my "opinion" and all my classmates were like cats with their nails out! I was like man! Well Dr. Anderson got on the phone & we were asked if we had any questions. I was not about to ask after what just happened. Well, Dr. Anderson would have none of that! He said, "We have a young lady here by the name of...& asked for me. Why would he do this to me I thought! I had been embarrassed & felt bad enough. Well this "tech God" chuckled & said, "Ya, I've had the most complaints about that & I am in the process of changing it. I do see the point & agree!" I was like...OH! I didn't know if I should raise my head up even. I didn't even look at my classmates & no way was I going to smile or say anything! Dr. Anderson did that purposely & it is served me sooo very well. Lesson Learned...you may be the only one that thinks a certain way but you still may be RIGHT! :-) Dr. Anderson led us down a path we had no idea we were on but we learned along the way and that journey down that path was amazing!

Well that is all I can think of right now! Ha! I think I probably have enough though already! No wonder I'm in education myself now. :-) 

Second Favorite Subject:

Well, you mean other than looking at the hot guys? Ha! Or my hot profs? Well I minored in Management so that probably would be my second favorite.   

Another Addicting Game: Chuzzle

What is with the addicting games this week MAN! Try this one "Chuzzle" http://www.shockwave.com/sw/content/chuzzle?swhomeclicktrack=FS1 It is cute! If you are old enough you will remember these fuzzy guys that use to have a strip message attached & you could adhere them to your computer or anything you wanted. You get an hour to try it & that is plenty to get addicted! Let me know what you think!  

Addicted To Squish!

Ok, now I'm addicted to Squish! Thanks John! The only thing better is to get all your family & friends addicted! :-) So I just emailed all of them! Grandma & my nieces love to knock out my brothers high scores! Ha! Chelsea even knows how to clear all the names! Smart girl! Beauty & brains...wonder where she gets that from! ;-)

I'm suppose to be in bed since I'm meeting someone for lunch about 2 hours away! Ugh! Last two nights the "kids" (probably big kids!) are having fun ringing all the door bells in the neighborhood. Last night midnight, tonight 1am! Called the cops again & they were sending someone again. The guy upstairs said there were 6 of them! He chased them with his paintball gun! Great! They'll probably think it is real & call the cops on him! I told the cops he had it & not to be afraid. I would just freak if they shot him thinking it was real & it isn't! What do you think 2am tomorrow? Maybe I should wait by the door! Well I'd probably scare them! Ha! Let see I can put my mud mask on & jammies with my hair up...that should do the trick for some teen guys! HA! Might scare them for life though! Hmmm I don't want to be responsible for them not going near women for years! Ha! And the summer is just beginning ugh! We have had our mailboxes dented with baseball bats, egged & trucks drive through the grass between the buildings...and this is a nice area..really! Just teens who have way too much time on their hands! The SRs must be out of school & have nothing to do until they leave for college! Ha! Well they are "in training!" Ha! Ahhh the memories...I remember the squirt gun guys so fondly! Thankfully they never went after me though! Then they would have me chasing them....boy they were kinda stupid come to think of it! Ha!
 
Well off to dreamland! Hopefully! Hope you don't get addicted to Squish & if you have teens pulling some creative pranks I'd love to hear them! 

My Summer Reading List

   

Well as I try out some Paul Newman Lemonade (not too bad...tart but still sweet!) and contemplate what I want to do with my summer, one thought is I never get to read enough! I always want to read so many books and throughout the year I have "hills & valleys"...I'll start reading before I go to bed & then depending upon what is going on in my life I get so busy & tired that I stop for a while. I have many books bought that I haven't even read yet...so this summer one of the things on "my list of things to do" is to READ! (This is besides clean the closets, garage etc) So I thought I'd share with you some of the books I'm currently reading & those on the "waiting list" here. Perhaps you'll have read them & want to share your thoughts or maybe it will give you a title you might think about reading this summer. The ones with a * I am currrently reading now. I'll update this blog as I finish & start new ones! Check back later! ~ I met these authors! + Guy who built the House on the Rock in WI! I was out there a few years ago...so cool!

Blue is completed!

Still Me - Christopher Reeve *
Nothing is Impossible - Christopher Reeve *
Ask Me Again Tomorrow - Olympia Dukaksi
My Stroke of Luck  - Kirk Douglas
The Myth of Laziness - Dr. Mel Levine ~
Ready or Not Here Life Comes - Dr. Mel Levine ~
A Mind At A Time - Dr. Mel Levine * ~
Kate Remembered (Hepburn) - A. Scott Berg
Me: Stories of My Life - Katharine Hepburn *
A Remarkable Women (Hepburn) - Anne Edwards
Intuition - Dr. David Myers *
The Art of Happiness - Dalai Lama & Dr. Howard C. Cutler *
Because of Romek: A Holocaust Survivor's Memoir - David Faber ~
'Tis Herself - Maureen O'Hara *
Alex Jordan: Architect of His Own Dream - Doug Moe + 

6/4: blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking - Malcolm Gladwell
         NOTE: I got a 20% B&N coupon in the emai soI went to get a 30% book & then I'd  get my 10% 
                     membership off too. Love those bargains! I've heard it is great!

6/11: Went & did some outlet shopping with some friends & got the following to add:

Possessing Genuis - The Bizzare Odyssey of Einstein's Brain - Carolyn Abraham
Katharine Hepburn - Barbara Leaming
Shattered Loved  - Richard Chamberlain
It's Always Something (Audiobook) - Gilida Radner

7/24: Sark's New Book Came Out!

Sark's New Creative Companion - Ways To Free Your Creative Spirit *  ~

* I think I need a longer summer! :-)

Well I think that is good for now that is 15 books. Heck if I got those done I'd be thrilled! Lets see how many I can do. Ya, they are light reads, well Dr. Levines & Dr. Myers is a bit heavier but I just want to relax & enjoy. I'll have some heavier articles to read in between I'm sure. If I forgot some I'll add it later. I think there may be some others??? I'm just not a person who can read just 1 book through before I start another. It depends what I'm in the mood for on any particular day. Christopher Reeve's books are very inspiring but are quite difficult to hear about what actually happened. I had no clue his skull was literally detached from his spine! Did you know that? No one has had done what he had done to him & he only had a 50/50 chance to survive the surgery. So then I read a bit & have to read something a bit lighter.

So what are you currently reading or recommend? What do you want to read?

The Superman In All of Us

 
Well "Nothing Is Impossible" is actually the title to Christopher Reeve's 2nd book. By the way check out his site http://www.christopherreeve.org/ ! I'm reading his first book "Still Me" right now (among others!) I received the following quotes in my email today & thought I would journal a bit on this concept of something or anything being "impossible".

By asking for the impossible we obtain the possible.  -- Italian Proverb 

The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.  -- Arthur C. Clarke

Is anything impossible? Hmmm! They thought the world was flat first & one would literally fall off the edge. Then it was round, and possible to travel around it...now they are saying it is more egg shaped. A few weeks ago I watched a PBS show on the common wood frog with my older niece. This frog freezes solid in the winter & then in the spring it defrosts in perfect order for its organ survival & then mates. You can watch a video clip of it here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/video/3209/i05.html This has shocked scientists!

    
In Christopher Reeve's book "Nothing Is Impossible" he has many inspiring quotes. Look for some more journals on them as I read his book this summer. One on the inside of the cover is:

So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable. If we can conquer outer space, we can conquer inner space, too.

I'm not sure if this is his statement? It seems I've heard this before but he doesn't give an author to it?

I'll also add that Michael J. Fox is another Superman! Check out his website: http://www.michaeljfox.org/ I have read his book "Lucky Man" and it is AWESOME! You can read an excerpt here: http://www.michaeljfox.org/news/article.php?id=5 At the very end of this excerpt in fact he talks about a man who has many tree saplings growing in a house. One in particular is in a dark, tight space with no air yet as he says it is not only surviving but thriving when it should not!

How many times do people think something is impossible?  Especially when it comes to something someone else wants to do! Ha! Seems more often than not we think things are certainly possible when we want to do something but when others want to do something "Oh No!" Hopefully we don't start listening to others & it becomes that "little critic" I journaled about already. I have found, from the little living I have done thus far, that the biggest determinant for achieving what others believe is impossible, is your own belief that it is possible! In fact, just tell me "NO" and it is a good way to get me to do something. I will "prove you wrong!" ;-) Shhh...don't tell everyone that, they will be purposely using it then! Well, I think some are already! Ha! I don't take "no" very well, whether it is having a cold (can't do what I want),or someone who wants to define me a certain way and discriminate against me & say I can't do something someone else can. I equally do not like it when I see others being treated in this manner.  As far as I can remember I have always been this way. A great deal of this comes from my parents. I don't really remember them ever telling me I really couldn't achieve something if I really wanted it. Now the opposite may very well be true...if I don't want something or to do something then it will be difficult for you to get me to do it.

I've always found it fascinating why some people will be motivated more by defeat or being told "no" and others will just submissively accept it. I remember playing softball (16 inch) in my grammar school in 4th grade. The teams were mixed with 4th-8th graders. The first year I struck out every single time I was up to bat. The captain of my team (these would be 8th grade girls) use to tell me to get closer to the plate...I'd be useful that way...get hit by the ball! And as you all know kids can be very mean...especially girls! Ha! BTW if you have not read about Girls Relational Aggression look at Niki Crick's research on the web! Despite this, amazingly I didn't quit! Again I think it was the "I'll show you!" attitude and by 8th grade I was a captain and had the most homeruns in the league. Someone beat me in Grand Slams by 1!!! I still remember who it was! Ha! Of course I did have a bit of help by puberty kicking in early! Ha! Girls usually hate it early & boys wish it was early because it brings strength & endurance. I loved it! You know Michael Jordan's quote comes to mind here... "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take!" I guess I just want to always take one more shot at it! You never know the next time you could achieve! It is also interesting to me to learn about people who are very motivated and achieve what others define as "impossible." Certainly Chris Reeve, Michael J. Fox, Oprah, etc. I believe people have sooooo much more potential than what we see on a daily basis and I'm not just talking about big contributions to the world. I think this is just in their daily interactions with people, on the job and at home with people we love. I do understand however it is very difficult to maintain optimism, an attitude of "possible" when so many around you are pessimistic, believing everything is "impossible." That negative energy is like the "Dark Force" (Nope haven't seen the new one yet!). It is a force to reckon with but a force that can be reckoned! I try to have compassion for those who have "crossed over" though. Some people are like the line in "Pretty Woman" - "The bad stuff is just easier to believe." Hmmm! Is easier always better? Maybe it is easier to just accept defeat on your own terms? If you know you just accepted defeat it is not actually defeat. I mean you know in the back of your mind you might still be able to do it, you just haven't tried and that is better than knowing for sure you can't do it. HMMMM! I'd rather know & then move on! Ha! But I'm not sure I would accept it? If it was important to me then I would just continue to work at it. There are things I can't do but they are not important to me. Last time I tried I couldn't do Calculus or Trig but doesn't seem to bother me too much! HA!

Well, what do you think? What have you achieved that others thought impossible?