3 Life Lessons You'll Never Forget

Biting my tongue, I tried not to cry. The man on the other end of the telephone was breathing heavily and sporadically. When the seconds between each breath lasted too long, terror ran through my veins.

I needed more time. I needed him to breathe normally. I needed HIM. But the time had come. It was his time to leave.

I could tell by his breathing pattern how my words were affecting him. When the breaths came rapidly, I knew he was becoming emotional. When they were slower, it meant he was calmer.

I told him how much I loved him; how much I appreciated my heritage and the ethics he instilled in me. I thanked him for putting up with my incessant babbling when I got excited.  I reminded him how he would offer me 25 cents to be quiet for five minutes when I was a little girl. I felt him smile inside.

I'm the little one

Did You Ever Have A Day That Changed Your Life Forever?

When you get up in the morning, do you ever expect that particular day to change your life forever? Not normally.  Is there any way to prepare for a day like that?  I doubt it.  Do we ever get a reset button to start the day over?  Unfortunately, no!

I had one of those days.  One was definitely ENOUGH!  

The silence was deafening. The only sounds I heard were coming from inside my head. I could hear the blood rushing through my veins from the palpitations of my heart. My sweater was moving to the uneven rhythm. I had to keep telling myself to remain calm. I must not appear flustered or guilty. I tried taking deep breaths to slow down the pace of my heart which took every ounce of my strength and fortitude. I grabbed my knees with both hands in an effort to stop them from shaking. But that didn’t seem to help, and fear prevented me from thinking rationally.

I was in a police station, alone, and scared. The holding room was like a phone booth with no windows. I was sweltering under a choking fog of body odor and stale cigarette smoke. Nausea swept over me and I had to force myself to take a breath.

"You wait here,” a man said gruffly. Then the door was slammed shut and locked. That sound resonated through me and I felt as though my life was ending. It sent shivers up my spine and made me shudder. I could not explain my emotions or why I was so scared because I wasn’t even sure what was going on. My mind raced. It was an emotional whiplash between “why” and “what if.” What was going to happen? Why were they holding me? The questions wouldn’t stop and I could not think clearly. I felt sick to my stomach completely oblivious to the fact that deep within my belly, new life was growing.

Afraid to Speak in Public? Two Secrets to Success

Public Speaking.   Speaking in Public.  Speaking to a large group of people. Speaking to a room full of your peers. There is an old adage that says some people fear public speaking more than death.

Speaking in public is my passion.  Motivating and inspiring people to do more, be more, laugh more, love more, and live better is the greatest reward.  Many people have a lot to share but are afraid to do it in a pubic forum. Two things that I have learned come from experience -- not a textbook or a public speaking course.  Master these two and your fears will be short-lived.