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

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.

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!

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!

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…

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,

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…

See a full list of our 2008 Strategic Partners here!

My warm regards from Dallas…