Taking Action to Save a Life

Were my eyes deceiving me? I leaned over the steering wheel to get a closer look. Yes! It was a tiny bird. He was sitting right in the middle of the intersection.  

I leaned as close to the windshield as I could, waiting to complete my left-hand turn. I could see him quivering. I was appalled and astonished when no one stopped long enough for him to fly away. No one seemed to care. Cars from both directions drove right over him and each one barely missed hitting him. I knew it was inevitable he would die. I had to take action.

The adrenalin soared through me as I pulled into the middle of the intersection, got out of my car, and raised my hands to stop traffic from each direction. My labored steps seemed to be in slow motion as I met with horns honking and people shouting obscenities, but my focus was not on them. My focus was on the sparrow. I had to save that little bird, and nothing else mattered.   

Each step I took closer intensified my determination to save that little bird. I bent down and gently picked him up and carried him to safety under a shrub on the corner. As I headed back to my car, instead of honking and cursing, I heard shouts of praise for my good deed. “YAY!” “Thank you.” I felt exhilarated.

Then as clear as possible, I heard God speak to my heart. “How do you feel?” 

“What do you mean how do I feel?” I thought. “Isn’t it obvious? I feel wonderful.” I wanted to add, “What an odd question, God should know how I feel.” 

But He was asking me so that I would take notice. He was about to teach me something regarding His love for me.

I had a warm sense of His presence like He was smiling at me, “Now you have an idea of how I feel when you fall and I pick you up and take you to safety.”  

I was amazed. I had always beaten myself up for the stupid mistakes I had made in my life. Now it was as if God was saying how much He enjoyed being there to help me, to protect me, and to shield me. To pick me up.  

I am constantly reminded of that little sparrow. If you ever have a hard time relating to an intimate relationship with our heavenly Father, think about the sparrow. God wants us to know how much He loves us. Every. Single. Day.

In the world’s current climate, we need this message of love more than ever before.

Story of Hope - Finding Hope Amongst Life's Challenges

Six years ago a man came into our jewelry store and asked for a small cash loan on a silver dollar.  I gave him $20. 

"I'll be back in a week to pay you back." Steve was homeless and I didn't expect to see him again.

But, a week later he returned with a $20 bill. We chatted. After graduating from university he lost the love of his life.  He started drinking. 

He has been an alcoholic for 40 years and lost everything - including his family.

A couple of weeks later, he returned with the same request for a $20 loan and this continued every couple of weeks for about a year.  Each time he came into the store we chatted. 

I wanted to know about his life. It was obvious that he was educated. He is an avid reader. Each week he borrows three books from the library and is an encyclopedia of facts - a 'walking Google.'

Story Of Hope 

A couple of years after meeting him, we moved from our home. He helped me pack over 100 boxes and on moving day was an incredible help.  A year later we moved into our new store and he was the chief helper again.

Since moving our store three years ago, he got himself a chair and parked it at the back entrance. For the past three years, he sits in that chair and reads. He has appointed himself our Chief Security Officer. 

When Covid hit, our local food kitchen for the homeless closed. I brought him meals every day and often he came to our house for dinner (but hubby made sure he had a shower first)!

Steve has been in rehab numerous times, has attended AA meetings for years, but nothing seemed to make a difference.

I spent hours encouraging him but trying not to make him feel guilty.

A few months before his 60th birthday he announced that he has had enough and was quitting for good. To celebrate, we invited him to dinner on his birthday - filet mignon, prawns, all the trimmings, and two types of pies. He had FOUR pieces of pie.

Truly An Inspirational Story Of Hope

He is now ten months sober and has ZERO desire to drink. He feels he owes us a great debt but we have assured him that seeing him sober is an incredible gift to us. 

Steve came into our lives for a reason just as we are in his life for a reason. 

Do Your Excuses Keep You From Being What You Were Meant To Be?

 

 Nothing can stop you - no matter how old you are

How many times have you awakened in the morning and wondered what happened with the past three, four, five, six, or seven decades?  Or have you looked into the mirror and felt it was unfair that life passed you by without giving you a chance to pursue the career you always wanted?  

As much as some people look forward to retirement, what if you don’t have the income to maintain the lifestyle you have grown accustomed to?  Then there is the backdoor threat of Alzheimer’s.  You may wonder how you are going to stay alert and focused when your days may only be filled with volunteer community work or gardening. 

I would rather work than play. If I don’t have any pressing jobs to accomplish, I create one. The few times I have focused on leisure instead of work, I got bored quickly. As the years were fleeting by and I remained in great health, I could not imagine living without an ongoing purpose or fulfilling a dream during my ‘golden’ years.

Choosing to be a victor instead of a victim

My life was not an easy one. I endured more problems than most people would be able to handle.  The more negatives life threw at me, the stronger and hopefully, wiser, I became.  But what good is that wisdom if I couldn’t put it to valuable use?

When my daughter was a teenager she started a crusade to encourage me to write my memoir. It started as a campaign and for ten years, she made it a threat. She had heard all my excuses and was not going to tolerate them any longer.  “Write your story or else!” Finally, I began the journey of writing my story.

I never would have believed it could be so difficult but it was also a driving force as the more I wrote the more I realized I had a message the world needed to hear.  It was a message of never, ever giving up – no matter what happens.

Stepping WAY out of a comfort zone

My husband and I were in our sixties when we opened three high-end jewelry stores and shortly after he was in a serious car accident which left him disabled.  We found ourselves thrown into a situation that did not allow us to quit our jobs, or sell our businesses.  We had to keep going.  We weren’t given a choice.

When I was in my twenties, I became a certified health coach after I was told I only had two years to live due to cancer.  I refused the normal invasive treatments and opted to cure myself with nutrition and food supplements.  After restoration, I promised to help people with their health issues until the day I die. 

Where was I going to find the time to write a book? I had no idea my life was about to start over with a new career.  I wrote late in the evenings; and after ten years triggered by painful memories, I was ready to launch my book.

I started a podcast to interview ordinary people who overcame extraordinary circumstances and became successful as a result.  In the first hour after posting my idea on the internet, I had over 100 requests to be on my show.  What show?  I swiftly trained myself how to podcast, edit, and promote my show. That was eight years ago and Never Ever Give Up Hope is now heard in over 140 countries with unending weekly requests to be part of the show.

I wanted to fulfill the dream of being an author, an international speaker, and a talk show host. At 67 these seemed like pipe dreams but I am now living them and looking forward to the next challenge.  As owner and operator of two jewelry stores, my health coaching business, traveling as a speaker, hosting and managing my talk show, writing for numerous magazines and anthologies, having my own monthly column in two magazines, being the bookkeeper for all the businesses, taking care of a disabled husband and rescuing dogs (over 30 to date)..... I launched a new YouTube channel and website two months ago that is growing faster than my greatest expectations.

Nothing is stopping you

We all have the ability and the right to choose what we do with our retirement years. My choice was to start over – doing what I wanted to do and helping many others be encouraged and challenged to NEVER EVER GIVE UP HOPE.

Never limit yourself by making excuses why you cannot do what you always wanted to do.  Find a way.  Set your goals.  You will never regret it.  It will sustain your youth.  You have much to offer – start giving it away.

Gang raped and left for dead
Cancer diagnosis
Loss of a child
Husband falsely imprisoned
BUT...Carol chose to be a victor instead of a victim

What is the Secret to Handling the Little BIG Things?

I wanted to scream but resorted to talking to myself out loud. Could this day get any worse?

Stress Management. How many articles and books have been written on this subject?  How many medications are taken daily in hopes of managing the stress we experience? What coping mechanisms can we practice?  

Is Your Life a Rose Garden or Does Poop Mess it Up?

There must be a Murphy's Law that says: "When you are dressed to the nines, that is when mishaps/mini disasters/poop happens."

My daughter, her two children, my husband, and I had attended the Celebration of Life service for a dear friend of ours. It was exceptionally hot outside and we were anxious to get home. My husband was in the rear seat of the SUV facing our one-year-old granddaughter in her car seat. Hubby entertained the baby as she giggled having a great time with Papa.  

"Why did you give her chocolate?"  Hubby shouted from the rear of the SUV.

"What chocolate? I didn't give her any chocolate. William, did you give your sister some chocolate?

"MOM, it isn't chocolate.  It's POO!"

During Stressful Times, We Can Be Thankful We Have A Home

Every other year my Christmas shopping would be done by now. Usually, I shop in August and September and wrap gifts in October. By the time Christmas comes around I have forgotten what I purchased for everybody so it is a big surprise for me as well. I get my thrills where I can!

Not sure what happened this year except that it has been incredibly busy. Although I have not been on the road for any speaking tours during this pandemic, every other part of our businesses has soared. 

Angels Took on a New Form

Do You Avoid the Triggers That Remind You of Past Memories?

 

Memories are triggered in many different ways.  Sometimes it is when you smell a fragrance your friend used to wear. Or maybe a bad smell of food (cooked cabbage) that reminds you when your mother MADE you eat it.

Some memories are triggered by sounds  - especially music. I think most of us have vivid memories from our teen years or when we fell in love for the first time.

Each of us has good and bad memories. Hopefully, it is the good ones we hold on to and let the bad ones go. But both types of memories have triggers.

And then there are pictures. Pictures of when we were children. Pictures of our first date, dance, or graduation. Pictures of long lost friends or family members.

Do You Know How to Stay Focused During Trauma

Trauma affects us. Period. How it affects us can be either a negative or positive experience. But, turning a negative into a positive is often easier said than done, isn't it?

Sometimes we do not realize we have "been here before" until it's over. Pain works that way. Pain is just that - PAIN. When we are in the middle of it, it feels like a new experience. Yet, it rarely is.

There are many types of pain that we experience in life. There are times when we are blindsided and experience pain on a level we had not realized we were capable of handling. When we look back at those experiences we often wonder how we made it through -- but we did.  And we are stronger for it.

Pain takes on many forms in your life. Rejection, loss, physical or emotional trauma, abuse, divorce, the list goes on.

4 Funny Tips on How to Create an Awesome Profile Picture

How important is your profile picture? There are many people who post profile pictures that are not pictures of themselves at all. You may choose to do this for various reasons. Some people may be more interested in sharing their brand instead of a photo of themselves. Some may want to post a family picture (which tells a story about who they are). Some may post a picture of their furry friend.

What does someone see when they look at your profile picture? No matter how often we may say that we don't judge a book by the cover, it is human nature to do just that.

Be careful not to judge too quickly

4 Ways to Live Longer and Happier

Almost everyone wants to live longer and we spend a lot of money trying to find the secrets to living a longer life. We buy potions, pills, creams, and exercise equipment - all in an effort to maintain or regain/retain our youth. We spend a great deal of our hard-earned money to look younger. Some of it works, but most of it does not.

Don't Stop

Although longevity runs in my family, I know the reason most of them lived well into their 90s is that they don't stop. As my brother put it, "I'll have time to rest when I die." I  work harder than I did 40 years ago.  I love to be busy which helps me to think younger, act younger, and look younger. And an active brain is much better than the opposite. 

What you feed will grow

AND.....

What you starve will die

Do These Top 10 Worst Pet Peeves Make You Angry?

 Pet Peeves.  We all have them. They make us go GRRRRRR.

The Difference Between... 

What is the difference between things we hate and pet peeves?  An example: I hate to see people smoking in a car with a dog inside. I want to run over and smash their windows.  It is now against the law to smoke with children in the car but not animals. Don't they have rights too?

A peeve leans more toward an annoyance experienced by many people.

We all have things in our lives that drive us nuts but we don't always want to admit it -- it sounds like we are whining.  

It is difficult to put them in order of most annoying to least as pet peeves are usually equally annoying!  

  

Do Manufacturers Actually Believe We Are This Stupid?

 HILARIOUS -- Have you seen these?

Are you a label reader?  If you are, then I am sure you have come across some labels that give your head a shake.  There are labeling laws that are in place to protect the consumer. However, when you read some of these actual labels, it makes you wonder if the industry thinks the human race is stupid, or worse.   On the bottom of McCain's Tiramisu dessert:  "Do NOT turn upside down."  UHhh, a bit late! On Planter's peanuts:  "WARNING:  may contain nuts" I was hoping for nutless peanuts!

Do People Say Nice Things and Really Mean Them?

How do you feel about people who lie to you?  I don't mean the big lies -- just those tiny ones that don't really seem to matter.  Or do they?  Saying things we really do not mean is often more of a habit than an intention to hurt someone.

"I'll be in touch."  If I tell someone I am going to stay in contact with them, I make a note of it right then and there.  Sometimes it means sending them a quick email to see when we can get together or to see what's new in their lives.  Making a friendly gesture is only the first step. Keeping in touch is quite another. 

I have heard those words so often and then wonder why they never call. Did they forget? Do they not care?  It reminds me of the phrase from the second (or first) date "I'll call you."  You know they don't have the slightest intention of calling so WHY waste breath by saying they will? Is it to appease the listener at the moment? It is just as easy to say "Goodbye" as it is to say you will be in touch.

How Do You Remember Things You Need To Do?

How often do you wonder if you locked the front door?  Or turned down the heat?  Or closed the garage door?

If I got a nickel for every time I went back to check if I had done something, I would be a rich woman. I am not sure if it is an "aging" symptom because I believe I have always done this. And my daughter does the same thing.  

Did I unplug the curling iron?  Did I remember my keys?  Did I turn off the coffee pot?

Do You Wish Your Life Had A Restart Button?

 

If given the opportunity would you accept a RESTART button for your life? Would you like to travel back in time and change things? What might your life look like after you did that?  

This is how I would answer that soul-searching question:

1)  I  would not have married the man my parents and family warned me against.  If I had not married him then my life would have been a lot easier after the divorce.  I would not have been gang-raped and left for dead (by his 'friends').  I would not have had my home completely destroyed by a gang of vandals (his friends).  I would not have had an emotional and physical breakdown.  

HOWEVER.....I learned a lot from those experiences and they helped make me the strong woman I am today.

20 Things You Promised You Would Never Do

Be honest.  Have you ever said, "I'll never be like that when I get old?"  All of us have fallen short in some form or another by doing the things we swore we would never do.

Most of us made some hard and fast rules when we became parents.

"I will never yell at my children."  Come on, tell us, have you ever yelled at your kids.

What Do You Think About More? Your Present or Your Past?

It is quite normal to wonder what would have been different if you had made a different decision. Would it have changed the direction your life took?  Hindsight and reflection are the best teachers. In light of the trauma, anxiety, and stress in many of our lives, it is common to think about the What Ifs and If Onlys. 

If you could go back 20 years for one hour and change the rest of your life, what would you change and why?

My life has been a tumultuous one - on every level, in every arena.  Often the storms would come one after the other but many times they would be happening at the same time.  Every year had turbulence and it would be impossible to attempt changing anything - it's done. Complicated.  Exhausting.  

In the light of a cancer diagnosis, loss of a child, being gang-raped and left for dead, total financial ruin, husband falsely imprisoned and more...it is easy to wish things had been different. HOWEVER, who we are today is a result of what happened yesterday. If we dwell on those setbacks and calamities, we can get stuck in self-pity. But, if we look at each situation as a stepping stone to something better and be thankful for what we learned through the crisis, we will not only survive but will thrive.

Is Owning a Dog Better Than Being Married?

I never met a dog I didn't like love.  Give me five minutes with any dog and I will create a life-long bond.  After years of rescuing dogs - over 30 so far - I can't imagine life without at least one furbaby in the house. My daughter has six at the moment - the acorn doesn't fall far....

Dogs make us laugh -- every single day.  When you learn to speak 'dog' they will tell you what you want to hear -- "I love you.  I have always loved you.  I will always love you.  Nothing else matters."

A bachelor friend of ours loves dogs as much as we do and has always maintained it is easier to date a woman and come home to his four-legged furry friend than to to be married. WHAT?

Admit it -- I bet some of you have thought that.  And here are some reasons why.......

1.  The later you come home, the more excited the dog is to see you.  You don't have to have an excuse or an explanation.  Giving a dog a pat on the head and a treat will make them forget you were ever gone at all.

For Better, For Worse -- A Language a Dog Understands

 

When we think of the words "For better, for worse," we usually think of marriage. We say our vows on our wedding day proclaiming that we will never leave our spouse, no matter what happens.

But sometimes we don't follow through with those vows.  Sometimes, our spouse is abusive or falls out of love with us or...vice versa. Those words ring in our ears -- for better, for worse -- but......it may be out of our control.

If Only You Had Not Made That Mistake, Then What?

Has there ever been a time in your life where, in the heat of the moment, you would have literally sold your soul for a different outcome if it was an actual possibility and not just a phrase?

Like the time my doctor told me I had cancer and without a hysterectomy, I would die?  Instead of accepting his diagnosis, I chose to challenge him and refuse treatment.  I wish I did not have to go through all those years of pain but I cured myself and 40 years later am healthier than ever.

 



Like the time my husband decided to throw himself on the mercy of the court and plead guilty to a crime he was innocent in hopes that the judge would realize the only witness we had to prove our case committed suicide before we went to trial?  If only, we had known hubby would go to prison resulting in that bad decision.