Look Beyond the Blame and Change Someone’s Life

Today I received an email from a young mother in my subdivision….well, the email was not to me specifically; it was a group email of a large number of subdivision Mom’s from one of the mom’s asking for guidance about how to handle vandalism in one of our neighborhoods.  She was asking “…how to explain this (the vandalism of Holiday yard decorations) to my two children?  I have told them that I hope that they would never make a child sad by damaging someone else’s hard work and happiness.  But my son wants to know why someone would do this.  What do I tell him?  What do I tell him when he asks me why someone would be mean to him?  I’m new at this whole explaining the bad/mean things in the world.  I have always tried to shelter my kids but I know that it is getting harder to do as they get older.  Any advice would be welcomed.”

Interestingly I felt compelled to reply, and I wanted to share my thoughts with you as well.  If you have any comments, and they would be very welcome, please DO leave them on the comments section of my blog.

“I can understand your frustrations, but sheltering your children will only cause more pain down the road.  They may even, at some point, perceive that you have lied to them and resent you for doing that.  Honesty is the best measure, delivered gently yet firmly.  What other people do or say may not always be the right thing, and the adage “what goes around comes around” I have found to be true throughout my entire life.  And especially I have found that it is truly in giving that we receive. One must realize that we are all on a journey, the journey of life.  During that journey we each will have many joys, many sorrows, many up moments and many down moments.  People will be kind to us, cruel to us, indifferent to us and welcoming to us.  Because we grow and evolve at different times, someone who does something that is not kind, either to people, animals or the environment, is most likely at a critical juncture in their own development.  Remember that every human being (and that includes you, me, your family and your friends), is dealing with a struggle of some sort - maybe its financial, work related, or family related.  Maybe, just maybe, these vandals are struggling with having parents who don’t spend time with them (which incidentally, is the greatest gift we can give our children.) We must all realize that we cannot judge another person because of their actions, because we don’t know what has caused the pain, hurt or loneliness that they must be dealing with that would cause them to do such a thing.  As you well know, the youth of today are dealing with monumental issues that people in my generation, or in your generation, have never had to deal with, much less all at one time.  The world is at war, the environment is being pillaged and devastated daily, global warming is threatening our very existence….when our children go to school they are faced with typical teenage peer issues and potential gun violence, they have to deal with a prevalent drug culture and they live daily with the violence, either personally or everywhere they turn (TV, video games, movies, etc.)  I am not condoning this vandalism, please understand.  I am just saying that it’s important that you explain to your children that sometimes people do things that are unkind and unloving because they themselves are struggling with loneliness and lack of love.  And to teach your children that by showing kindness and giving others the benefit of the doubt when bad things happen, may be a very special gift to that person or persons.  And in turn, I promise you that it will positively impact your children and your family.  So don’t be disappointed, be compassionate and look beyond the blame….you may just change someone’s life in the process.  Thanks and good luck.”  Linda

Once again, let me know your thoughts, and if YOU have suggestions for this mom, email them to me and I will forward them to her.  Hope you are having a wonderful Holiday Season, and you will hear from me soon!

Warmly, Linda

From Overload to Calm, Creating the Magic of Change in Your Life!

As the Thanksgiving Holiday gratefully comes to a close, and the whimsical sounds of the 2008 Holiday Season penetrate the air, we are reminded, hopefully, of what is really important in our lives…friends, family, our loved ones and our animal companions. Those who make us laugh, who give us a reason to go on, and who are truly there for us when we need them. We are so inundated with overload everywhere we turn - at work, at home, from our Blackberry’s, iPhones and email, in our Holiday preparations, while shopping for that special gift…..life can be truly overwhelming if we allow it to be.

 

But there are ways to overcome what I call the “overwhelm factor,” and they include starting the day with mindful thoughtfulness, taking deep breaths regularly throughout the day, and being aware and respectful of your surroundings and appreciating those whom you are with. Being truly present is the greatest gift that we can give to anyone, our co-workers, spouse, partner, children, friends…anyone who comes into our lives for a moment, a day, a week, a month or a lifetime. By practicing mindful awareness in every waking moment of your life, you will discover the amazing clarity of personal perception, understanding and feeling of life balance that will begin to emerge in your life, even if ever so slowly.

 

So during this 2008 Holiday season, as our busy lives get even more hectic with those frantic last-minute shopping trips, wonderfully festive parties, baking of holiday cookies, and wrapping of those oh-so-special gifts, lets not forget the true meaning of this special season…..the smile on a child’s face, the laughter of friends and family, the warmth of a pet’s love, the softness of a newborn baby’s touch, the contentment of being with our loved ones and the joy of giving to those less fortunate….it’s a time for all of us to realize our connectedness with each other and the world we live in.  It’s a time for all of us to come together, finally, in the spirit of peace, hope, love and prosperity, to create the magic of change in our lives and make the wish of new beginnings for the world come true.  And it all begins with you.

Thoughts About Birthdays

So today is my birthday, my real birthday. I think as we move through the stages of our lives, we really begin to ponder not only where we have been, but more important, where we are now and what our future vision might be.

I have had a wonderful two weeks, starting last weekend with a birthday party for me in Atlanta that was given by a host committee of some very dear friends, with all proceeds benefiting the Possible Woman Foundation, an organization I founded in 2001 which gives scholarships to older women in need returning to school (and then to the workplace.) And then there was this weekend! And a fabulous one it was! Starting with a surprise party, yes, a REAL surprise (the first surprise party in my entire life!) with my good friends in Dallas, then dinner and a Michael McDonald concert Saturday evening, with all weekend activities culminating in a very special family dinner tonight.

For me, birthdays symbolize new beginnings and in some cases, closure of certain events in one’s life. For example, I finally have closure with the unexpected passing of my middle sister May of 2008, not that an occurrence of that magnitude is ever easy to forget, because one always remembers…..but it becomes more bearable with time. So you choose to remember the good times and release the times that were challenging, the events that resulted in stereotypical family dynamics. And the new beginnings? Well, with the development of my new website, new branding of Wind Enterprises, and an Annual Wind Enterprises Membership Program that so many people have been asking for – these offerings all promise to be a very exciting foray into a new year, a new decade, and a new future. Oh! And not to forget the pending birth of my first grandson in a few days! That is a milestone in and of itself! Truly a new beginning in the ultimate sense of the word!

So I would like to close this blog with a very special thank you to the friends, family and acquaintances that have come into my life, (and remember, nothing truly happens by chance,) and to all those who have collectively brought me to this very special place in time where I am today. You have each helped shape, in some way, who I am and who I am becoming. And please know that it is because of you that I continue to strive to make a unique and significant difference in the lives of women and girls. With your help and continued support I will certainly take the necessary steps to move from success to significance.

Have a great Sunday!

My warmest regards, Linda

The Right Thing To Do…

It’s Saturday, and after spending a wonderful, busy, and tremendously successful week in Atlanta, I am sitting on an airplane bound for Dallas, awaiting departure.  As I settled in to a thankfully not-anywhere-near-capacity main cabin, after everyone was seated and ready for take-off, I noticed out of the corner of my eye the flight attendant walking hurriedly to the back of the airplane, on a mission to do something that obviously was very urgent.  When she turned around, I realized she was carrying a very large green and brown army bag in her hands, with a very young 20-something year old man in matching army fatigues following her back up the aisle to the First Class section of the aircraft. 

My initial response was, “WOW, what a nice thing to do for this young man,” and then, as I pondered more deeply, my thoughts morphed into, “You know, its not only a good thing to do, it’s the RIGHT thing to do.”  After all, without the thousands of young men and women who literally put their lives on the line every day in duty to their country and to protect our fellow countrymen, we certainly would not have the opportunities to continue to live our lives, day in and day out, in freedom and peace.  The freedom and peace that is bought with sometimes a very great price to these young men and women soldiers who defend our country. 

I spoke with the flight attendant later in the flight and she informed me that they usually make that seating change when the uniformed serviceperson checks in at the gate, but somehow that young man got through the line without the First Class upgrade; my comment to her was that even the Frequent Flyers who travel often and get First Class upgrade perks should be removed from their upgraded seat if there is only space enough for the traveling soldier. 

Kudos to the hard working staff of American Airlines for taking the time and extra effort to do the right thing and make that First Class upgrade happen for that one soldier….it may be the last time he will ever get to experience that show of gratitude from a country that appreciates his service.

 

And the Winner is…

Okay, so I admit it…finally….that I am a staunch, confirmed, dyed-in-the-wool, absolutely-positively-have-to-be-there, cannot-miss-even-one-second-of-the-excitement (except the commercials of course) OLYMPIC-AHOLIC. And over and above that illustrious title, I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the show could not possibly go on without my presence in some way, shape or form… yes, it’s really true! I admit it.

I was there cheering Michael Phelps on through his astonishing triumphs of Gold Medal victories, each one more exciting than the last, counting down to the record breaking, sensational number eight. And certainly Nastia Liukin would never have won her Gold Medal in the overall competition had I not been there through every graceful twist, turn and tumble of her lithe body. And then, of course, there was little Shawn Johnson, following close on Nastia’s steps; ever so confident, ever so different from Nastia, and ever so commanding in her own right.

And had I clapped just a little harder, perhaps Dana Torres would have stretched a little further to overturn that 1/100th of a second lead her competitor had over her to put her in Silver position instead of Gold.

I have been there through it all so far, cheering our women’s volleyball duo, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, through each of their Olympic successes, totaling over 105 wins for the past year; crying as Alicia Sacramone missed her mark and didn’t qualify for the Gold medal she so desperately wanted in gymnastics; laughing as Kobe Bryant and Lebron James hooked yet many other difficult baskets over the heads of their competitors to put the US on top for Gold medal contention in men’s basketball.

It’s been a great Olympics so far, and it’s not over yet! Rest assured, one thing you can count on is that I will be there to support, to yell, to cheer, to cry, to edge our TEAM USA on to greater victories as we deal with our competitors with honesty, integrity and pride in these XXIX Olympic Games.

I leave you with one quote, from the 41 year old Olympic swimmer Dana Torres: “You don’t have to put an age limit on your dreams.” Thanks Dana, and have a great week!

A Night to Remember

Anyone who witnessed the opening ceremonies for the Olympics this past weekend could not help but be amazed by this spectacular event. Displaying great passion, creativity, and commitment, the 18,000+ performers captured the attention and the hearts of the entire world.Over one billion people watched this truly amazing performance. In fact, if you were like me, you were glued to the TV screen the entire four and a half hours in order to not miss a single one of the hundreds of amazing feats performed by these talented entertainers!

And so what lessons did this massive, $300,000,000 production teach all of us who so patiently watched this interweaving of grandeur, history and vision with awe, as it unfolded in front of our very eyes?

First – that we are all connected. The Human Race truly needs each other in order to exist in the global world we now live in. Even more important, the earth needs our individual help, as well as the joint cooperation of everyone on the planet, so that our children will have a sustainable environment to call home for generations to come.

Second – that great vision and commitment can result in great accomplishment. For example, rehearsals for the opening event took more than one year; building the Birdsnest, the Water Cube, and all of the surrounding facilities for this once in a lifetime event took 8 years! And the Chinese accomplished this massive undertaking on-time and with great élan.

Third – that by working together, each one of us can make a difference in the world. No matter how big or small a part you may think you may play in the overall scheme of life, your effort does count. Working together to create something significant can result in a meaningful outcome that can positively change the world, like the 2000 synchronized drummers in the opening segment Friday night, or the lithe dancers who painted the story of early China in Sanskrit with their bodies on the largest LED screen in the world.

Friday evening, 8/8/2008, for one brief moment in time, we held the hopes and dreams of world peace in our hearts as athletes from around the world came together in friendship and camaraderie to compete in the XXIX summer Olympics. We can learn much from their staunch persistence, their unselfish dedication to their goals, and their willingness to strive synergistically to reach higher and go for the gold!

Turn Up The Heat - Part I

Here it is August, already!  Interestingly, the weather here in Dallas typifies Neil Diamonds best-selling CD, Hot August Night - many of you will remember that.  With highs of 107 projected this week, there doesn’t seem to be much relief in sight.  We have already beat the all-time high of 19 days over 100 for the YEAR, and August is just beginning!

So why am I going there?  Well, it’s easy.  Heat is synchronous with energy, and HIGH ENERGY is how we are powering the second and third phases of our new website, www.WindEnterprises.biz.  But before I tell you about these new and exciting announcements, I want to make sure you have had the opportunity to view some of our new websites’ offerings, like our streaming video on the Home Page, titled “She Dared To Dream.”  Take just a few minutes, when you can, to see why so many people’s lives have been changed by our phenomenal speakers at Wind Enterprises’ Possible Woman Leadership Conferences and Events.  And have you viewed our inspirational quotes from some of the great men and women leaders in the world?  More to come on that front as we expand that offering as well on our new website.

Well, that’s it for today!  I want to make sure you have time to peruse our site in it’s entirety before we introduce you to our next phase of making a unique and significant difference in the lives of women globally.

Till we talk again!  Warmest regards…

Announcing My New Website!

I am happy to announce the launch of my new website.  This has been a project that my team has been working on for the past few months in order to not only better serve the needs of our customers, but also offer more features, functions and benefits to our user community.  The launch will occur in three phases; the initial phase is what you see now - interactive, engaging and state of the art.

In the coming days, I will introduce you to the new features of WindEnterprises.biz, with some navigational tips to make it easy for you to explore the content.  I encourage you to let me know your thoughts and leave any comments you might want to share in the comment section below! For those of you who still have www.PossibleWoman.com in your address book, you will  be happy to know it will point to the new design and layout of WindEnterprises.biz.  So, stay tuned for more exciting news in the days and weeks ahead.  Thanks to BlackBox Technologies for their skill and expertise in designing a functional, user friendly and interactive website design.

Till next time, with warmest regards,

New Look for Wind Enterprises!

Hi everyone!

I’m glad to announce that BlackBox Technologies (BlackBox) will be responsible for the design and build of my new web site - www.windenterprises.biz.  Scott Ellis, managing partner with BlackBox, says that my new site will be nothing short of remarkable.  I’m so excited to have this talented team working to leverage the state of the art in web technology for all of our upcoming events.  Stay tuned for our official launch announcement coming soon.  Until then, feel free to look around and see how our new presence develops.  As usual, I’d love to hear what you think so send me your comments!

My warm regards from Dallas…

Strategic Partners

We’re happy to announce our 2008 Strategic Partnership affiliations. Wind Enterprises is proud to have this select group of peers and colleagues and understands that the relationships you build today are essential for your long term success tomorrow.

See a full list of our 2008 Strategic Partners here!

My warm regards from Dallas…