Be proud

What if every wrinkle, scar, or gray hair only made you more beautiful? What if every tear you've shed, mistake you've made, and challenge you've faced, only drew you closer to the light? 

And what if,  for every breath you've taken, every sentence you've spoken, and every path you've chosen, your fans in the unseen multiplied? 

Well, I'd say it's about time you found out. 

Be proud of your choices, they define you.

Habits are hard to make

Here is an exercise you should do on a regular basis, make it a new positive habit. This is a kind of personal inventory of your  blessings...keep it private and close for reference.

Make a list on a notepad, call it your "blessings list." Place a "Yes" next to each question about your life that is good and a "No" next to an area of your life you feel is bad right now.

Do you have a spouse?
Is your spouse supportive?
Do you have a family?
Is your family supportive?
Do you have children?
Are your children supportive?
Do you have a home?
Do you have a job?
Do you like your job?
Can you read and write?
Do you have access to a computer?
Do you go to a church?
Is your church supportive?
Do you have faith in God?
Do you live in a country where it is possible to increase your education and get a good job?
Do you have a positive attitude?
Do you have access to books that can teach you how to improve your attitude?
Are you motivated?
Do you have access to books that can teach you how to be more motivated?
Is your health good?
Do you have access to books that can help you maintain  your health?

Do you see now how this is going? Even for the areas where you indicated "No" there is probably a "Yes" next to the question asking you if there is a knowledge source or support group that can help  you change that "No" to a "Yes."

It is amazing how often we take for granted the blessings that we  have. This exercise can help anyone who is down and depressed about life. Pass it on to others who you think may need it.

Fear runs the world, don't let it run your life

Our Government want to make us fearful and we need to take steps to understand and protect ourselves from the hype and injury that buying into the collective fear can do to us.

"Fear runs much of the world, spurring on endless activity. Fear of enemies, of old age or death, of rejection, and a multitude of social fears are the basic motivators in most people's lives."

"From the viewpoint of this level, the world looks hazardous, full of traps and threats. Fear is the favored official tool for control by oppressive agencies."

"The proliferation of fears is as limitless as the human imagination; once Fear is one's focus, the endless worrisome The proliferation of fears is as limitless as the human imagination; once Fear is one's focus, the endless worrisome events of the world feed it.

Fearful thinking can balloon into paranoia or generate neurotic defensive structures and, because it's contagious, become a dominant social trend." David Hawkins in Power vs Force

Most of us have a set of unique fears that relate to our own lives, like concerns about loved ones, financial worries and so on; but there are also many “universal” fears – or perhaps you might call them “collective” fears – that are communicated to us through our environment.

These fears often relate to situations and events that leave us feeling vulnerable and defenseless, such as worldwide 'pandemics' (...and 'vaccines'), 'terrorist' attacks, economic and financial crises, and so on.

Not only do we see and hear constant references to these frightening scenarios in the media and from the people around us...the energy of collective fears also seeps into the very fabric of our reality (the quantum field) and continues to resonate around and within us.

Since we are all connected to the collective consciousness, we can actually absorb this “fear energy” as we go about our daily lives - even if we don’t pay attention to the media hype and mass hysteria.

In other words, if society's desire was to manipulate and control people by keeping them suppressed in a low vibratory state of fear ...this can affect everyone...

Have you ever felt nervous, edgy, tense, or vulnerable for no apparent reason? Even when everything in your own life was going fine, you may still have been affected by these collective fears and felt uncomfortable as a result...

...And to make it worse, the moment you begin focusing on these fearful feelings, the more you begin to magnify the collective fear energy without even knowing it

It is not easy to avoid absorbing these fearful messages, especially when you seem to be surrounded by endless examples of them every day. However, there are a few things you can do to minimize the impact that these fears have on your life.

An obvious first step is to limit your exposure to news broadcasts; especially when they always seem to pertain to frightening events that are beyond your control...

Focusing on this force-fed fear programming only makes you feel more vulnerable and adds to the energy of the collective fear. Certainly, you can stay informed about world events but it is advisable to seek independent, unbiased news sources on the internet, and then immediately start shifting your focus to something less fearsome.

Empower yourself by remembering that most of the things you fear will never happen. In fact, when you remember that giving your attention to anything only makes it seem bigger and more intimidating, you can surely see the wisdom in being more discerning about the things about which you are thinking.

Deliberately focusing more on positive things will help override the negative input you receive each day too. When you take greater control of your focus and place it decisively upon the creation of a joyful and positive reality, you contribute that same energy to the quantum field. This helps minimize some of the fearful energy being contributed by others around the world.

It is true that there are many horrible, scary things to worry about – but there are equally as many wonderful, joyful things to ponder. 

Spend time each day thinking about the people you love, happy memories, and the great experiences that may be waiting just around the corner for you. It may not make the scary possibilities go away completely but it will lighten your mood, leave you feeling happier and less fearful.

10,000 Boomers turning 65 every day for the next 19 years

Governments are worried, because they didn't do any future planning so they are continuing to attack Boomers and their younger siblings and friends through attacks on the pension system. 

Politicians of all stripes are only interested in getting elected. I love and believe the old joke,"How do you know when a politician is lying?" The answer "When they are talking." My advice to all the politicians out there is pay attention to what Boomers care about or you will be out of power fast. Keep hands off Pensions for a start.

Pensions do more than protect older workers, after they retire; they have a distinct and significant impact on the economy and play a role in job creation, according to the National Institute on Retirement Security. The organization released a report in March that provides a look at defined-benefit plans’ impact on the economy.

The report, “Pensionomics 2012,” studied data for 2009 from the U.S. Census and IMPLAN, an economic impact modeling system. The report found nearly 19 million retired Americans received more than $426 billion in pension benefits. That $426 billion paid out in pension benefits supported over $1 trillion in output, the report found, including $388 billion in direct impacts, $280 billion in indirect impacts and $341 billion in induced impacts

Ilana Bovie, director of programs for NIRS and the author of the report illustrates pensions’ impact with the example of a retired firefighter. He directly impacts his local economy when he uses his pension income to buy a lawnmower. The indirect impact of his purchase is an increase in income not just for the store where he purchased the lawnmower, but for every company involved in its production and distribution. When those companies benefit from increased income, they can hire new employees who spend their paychecks in their local economies, the induced impact of the firefighter’s purchase.

While a single firefighter buying a lawnmower is unlikely to have such a dramatic impact on the national economy, the combined force of the 10,000 baby boomers who will turn 65 every day for the next 19 years (according to the Pew Research Center) and begin retiring and using their pensions, make that pension ripple effect look more like a wave.

So if you are into surfing, relax and enjoy the wide on the wave, we are now starting to collect our pensions, and we are strong and we will continue to roll through society as we always did so get used to us as "zoomers" or "sonic boomers" but do not refer to us as seniors.

History Exam - 20 Questions (I only got 16 -)

Thanks to Derwyn for this.  I think his score was higher than mine.

NO Cheating- don't look at the answers until you take the test!!!! History Exam... Everyone over 40 should have a pretty easy time  at this exam. If you are under 40 you can claim a handicap. This is a  History Exam  for those who don't mind seeing how much they really  know *** Get paper & pencil & number from 1 to 20.   ****Write the letter of each answer & score at the end. Then before you pass this test on, put your score in the subject line. Everyone HAVE FUN!!!!     1. In the 1940s, where were automobile headlight dimmer switches located? a. On the floor shift knob. b. On the floor board, to the left of the  clutch.... c. Next to the horn. 2. The bottle top of a Royal Crown Cola bottle had holes in it.. For what was it used? a. Capture lightning bugs. b. To sprinkle clothes before ironing. c. Large salt shaker. 3. Why was having milk delivered a problem in northern winters? a. Cows got cold and wouldn't produce milk. b. Ice on highways forced delivery by dog sled. c... Milkmen left deliveries outside of front doors and milk would freeze, expanding and pushing up the cardboard  bottle top. 4. What was the popular chewing gum  named  for a game of chance? a.. Blackjack b. Gin c. Craps 5. What method did women use to look as if they were wearing stockings when none were available due to rationing during WW II. a. Suntan b. Leg painting c. Wearing slacks 6. What postwar car turned automotive design on its ear when you couldn't tell whether it was coming or going? a. Studebaker b. Nash Metro c. Tucker 7. Which was a popular candy when you were a kid? a . Strips of dried peanut butter. b. Chocolate licorice bars. c. Wax coke-shaped bottles with coloured sugar water inside. 8. How was Butch wax used? a. To stiffen a flat-top haircut so it stood up. b. To make floors shiny and prevent scuffing.. c On the wheels of roller skates to prevent rust. 9. Before inline skates, how did you keep your roller skates attached to your shoes? a. With clamps, tightened by a skate key. b. Woven straps that crossed the foot. c. Long pieces of twine. 10. As a kid, what was considered the best way to reach a decision? a. Consider all the facts. b. Ask Mom. c. Eeny-meeny-miney-MO. 11. What was the most dreaded disease in the 1940s and 1950s? a. Smallpox b. AIDS c. Polio 12. 'I'll be down to get you in a ________, Honey' a. SUV b. Taxi c. Streetcar 13. What was the name of Caroline Kennedy's pony? a. Old Blue b. Paint c Macaroni 14. What was a Duck-an d-Cover Drill? a. Part of the game of hide and seek. b. What you did when your  Mom called you in to do chores. c. Hiding under your desk, and covering your head with your arms in an A-bomb drill.    15 . What was the name of the Indian Princess in the Howdy Doody Show? a. Princess Summerfallwinterspring b. Princess Sacajawea c Princess Moonshadow 16. What did all the really savvy students do when mimeographed tests were handed out in school? a. Immediately sniffed the purple ink, as this was believed to get you high. b. Made paper airplanes to see who could sail theirs out the window. c. Wrote another pupil's name on the top, to avoid their failure. 17. Why did your Mom shop in stores that gave Green Stamps with purchases? a. To keep you out of mischief by licking the backs, which tasted like bubble gum. b. They could be put in special books and redeemed for various household items. c. They were given to the kids to be used as stick-on tattoos. 18. Praise the Lord , & pass the _________? a.. Meatballs b. Dames c. Ammunition 19. What was the name of the singing group that made the song 'Cabdriver' a hit? a. The Ink Spots b.. The Supremes c. The  Esquires 20. Who left his heart in San Francisco ? a. Tony Bennett b. Xavier Cugat c. George Gershwin ---------------------------- ------------------------------- ANSWERS 1. (b) On the floor, to the left of the clutch. Hand controls, popular in   Europe  , took till the late '60's  to catch on. 2. (b) To sprinkle clothes before ironing.. Who had a steam iron? 3. (c) Cold weather caused  the milk to freeze and expand, popping the bottle top... 4 . (a) Blackjack Gum. 5. (b) Special makeup was applied, followed by drawing a seam down the back of the leg with eyebrow pencil. 6. (a) 1946 Studebaker. 7. (c) Wax coke bottles containing super-sweet coloured water. 8. (a) Wax for your flat top (butch) haircut.   9. (a) With clamps , tightened by a skate key, 10. (c) Eeny-meeny-miney-mo. 11. (c) Polio. In beginning of August, swimming pools were closed, movies and other public gathering places were closed to try to prevent spread of the disease. 12. (b) Taxi , Better be ready by half-past eight! 13. (c) Macaroni 14. (c) Hiding under your desk, and covering your head with your arms in an A-bomb drill. 15. (a) Princess Summerfallwinterspring. She was another puppet. 16.(a) Immediately sniffed the purple ink to get a high. 17. (b) Put in a special stamp book, they could be traded for household items at the Green Stamp store. 18. (c) Ammunition, and we'll all be free. 19. (a) The widely famous 50's group: The Inkspots.   20. (a) Tony Bennett, and he sounds just as good today.  SCORING 17- 20 correct   You are older than dirt, and obviously gifted with mental abilities. Now if you could only find your glasses,  which you wore on a shoestring around your neck. Definitely someone who should share your wisdom! 12 -16 correct Not quite dirt yet, but you're getting there.   0 -11 correct You are not old enough to share the wisdom of your experiences.

Journeys and stages of life

I was hoping to be fully retired again  (short version--retired, rehired the next day part-time moved to full time within two years, quit, rehired on a temp basis).  About a week ago the person I was replacing phoned to say they were not coming back untlil September, and I find myself thinking about crossroads. Which steps should I take towards rearranging the present circumstances of my life.

Maybe I could stop dwelling upon the present circumstances of my life. I might start thinking that every wrinkle, scar, or gray hair only made me more handsome rather than older :-). If I was to look back on life would I wonder if every tear I've shed, every mistake I've made, and challenge I've faced,only drew me closer to the light? And what if, for every breath I've taken, every sentence I've spoken, and every path I've chosen, that my fans in the unseen multiplied?

While I was hoping to restart my new journey of retirement, at the same time I was feeling anxious and vulnerable. I know that it is only natural to feel vulnerable, but it is an interesting place to be in at times. The last two times I have started on this journey I have retreated back into the world of work that I know so well, one that as a workaholic, I found very comfortable. I know that at this time part of the anxiety I feel is that it seems that I have much to lose. But I am reminded that never again, at any other point in in this journey, will I have so much to gain.

So at this point rather that going adventurng into the world of retirement full steam ahead, I am stalled for two more months,  and for a workaholics like me out any words of advice would help.

Empathy, motivation and realism

In the past few days, there has been an opportunity for me to think about empathy, motivation and realism, and a number of people have emailed different links on these areas. So I would like to share some thoughts from Steve Denning on the links

A New Way To Communicate (Truly)

You've probably seen those artists at conferences, who work at the back of the room and put together a fascinating set of sketches of what was being discussed during the conference. After the session is over, you go over and have a look at it and you can see the threads of the conversation often amusingly depicted on a large board. But there's a lack of connection between the experience of listening to the talk and then later viewing the drawing.

Well, what if the artist was at the front of the room? And what if the sketches were being done in real time, perfectly in sync with what the speaker was saying? You would have a new way to communicate.
  
I was intrigued by his email and I decided to explore and found this interesting channel on YouTube  The RSA . I have for the past few years enjoyed TED (see this link for an explanation of how the idea came about, and this link for a link to TED)and the exploration of new ideas and the way they present the ideas, but  the Royal Society of Arts in London has done more with a series of talks. What's interesting is that they have taken a fairly slow moving fifty minute talk, and turned it into a fast-paced mesmerizing ten minute barn-burner. Astonishing but not surprising. as the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) has been a cradle of enlightenment thinking and a force for social progress for over 250 years.

To learn more about the RSA, visit: http://www.thersa.org/

Are you open to new?

No matter where we are in life or what you have achieved or understood, I believe you should always be open to accepting new in your life. I believe that if  you truly want to be your best you must always be open to embracing the new.

Being open to new does not mean being driven to accept what society, the media, or things outside of yourself says you should do. Being open means that you should always remain receptive to what the still, small voice that dwells within you is sharing with you to take you  to the  next level.

Belief in the guidance from within, may mean that you  listen to your inner voice and to your message. Once you start to listen, it will only a matter of time before you are willing to act on the message.


When you are not receptive to new, life can seem boring and unexciting. Sometimes you can even feel stuck. There may be times when you may not be able pinpoint anything that is really wrong, but you just feel unfulfilled. This is because I believe it is human nature to want to constantly expand from one level of completeness to another. Boomers have always been open to new, that is what makes us a very different and interesting generation.