My Friend is Featured in a Book!

Karen Putz has published a new book called The Passionate Lives of Deaf and Hard of Hearing People. Karen has been a role model to me for years so that is reason enough to buy the book. Tina Childress, another person I admire, has her story included in the book which was another reason for me to buy the book. But what got me right over to Amazon.com was reading on Facebook that my friend Jonathan Nicoll was also featured in the book. Way to go, Jonathan!

I got to know Jonathan, who lives in Canada, because he was one of the early readers of my blog. During the summer of 2011, he took a cross-Canada car trip on his own, from Ontario all the way to British Columbia. Returning home, he came through my area and my family and I took him for breakfast at one of our favorite restaurants. It was so fun to get to meet Jonathan in person. He's a very interesting young man who is a teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing. I don't want to tell you too much about Jonathan because I want you to read his story for yourself in Karen's book. And no, you can't borrow my copy. Jonathan has promised to autograph it for me the next time he's in Chicago.

Rusty says, "If I could read, I would buy this book. It features my pal Jonathan as well as famous people like I. King Jordan, Howard Rosenblum, Kathy Buckley, and CJ Jones. There are 24 inspiring people profiled."

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My friend Liz has posted her own review at http://lizsdeafblog.blogspot.com/2013/10/book-review-passionate-lives-of-deaf.html.

Do You Find It Hard to Be Happy?

Do you find it hard to be happy? I do. Worrying is much more my style. I tend to fear the very worst thing I can imagine at the moment is just about to happen and it will be ALL MY FAULT. I also take disappointments hard. Especially when someone close to me has let me down. I cry a lot and struggle with sadness. Despite the many blessings I've received and the upbeat outlook I present on my blog, happiness does NOT come easily for me. But I'm working on it. I thought perhaps I'd share some helps I've found, and perhaps you would share some tips with me.

One thing I do is keep the following words posted front and center at my desk at work:

I’m going to be happy. I’m going to be grateful. I’m going to smile a lot. I’m going to be easygoing. I’m going to count my blessings. I’m going to look for reasons to feel good. I’m going to reflect on positive events from the past. I’m going to notice positive things happening now. I’m going to anticipate positive things in the future. It is my natural state to be a happy person. It’s natural for me to love and to laugh. This is what is most natural for me. I am a happy person!
Source unknown

I really like the line "I'm going to be easygoing." If I can manage that with all the challenges I face on the job, then I can be proud of myself for that day's work. I probably also made my coworkers' day a little better too.

Hey girl library style

All of this is on my mind because I recently reread one of my favorite library books on the subject: Happiness is a Choice by Barry Neil Kaufman. This author recommends making happiness a priority in your life, being authentically you, letting go of judgments, being present in the moment, being grateful, and simply deciding to be happy. I love this book. It always makes me feel better to read it. I waste a lot of time thinking about how everything would be so much better if I were "thinner, healthier, stronger, prettier, etc....whatever "er" I think I'm lacking in at that moment. Or I make myself and others unhappy by wishing THEY were something they are not (at least in my perception). "Bears" Kaufman won't have any of that. He is all about acceptance and the importance of being happy right now.

I saw a cartoon recently that said "Making the Best of an Odd Situation". The drawing shows a biker guy with "love" tattooed across his knuckles on one hand, and "happiness" tattooed across the other hand which has 9 fingers!

Now it's your turn, readers. What is your secret to happiness?

Yes, You Can!

It's so important to believe in yourself and follow your dreams. When people try to tell you no or you can't, you mustn't listen.
I had two experiences within the last year where people tried to discourage me. The first was when someone said she didn't think I would win the Oticon Focus on People Award because the other finalists were so impressive. That hurt. Although she was right about the caliber of my competitors, I knew that she did not know me as well as she thought she did, and I was very happy when she was proved wrong. The other time was when a group leader solicited ideas by email for upcoming meetings and then immediately vetoed a suggestion I made. In a group email, I was told in detail why my plan was so very bad. Ouch. I withdrew my offer. But then I turned around and within the year made my idea a reality for a different support group with fantastic results. I knew my instincts were right regarding this particular idea and I'm glad I stayed with it. These two incidents, while unpleasant at the time, ended up making me stronger.
The inspirational video below shares the stories of deaf people who have found success in their careers through hard work and persistence. I watched it tonight with my teenage son (who's hearing) and told him to think about the important messages shared about believing in yourself and making your dreams come true. I recommend everyone make time to watch it. The video runs 15 minutes.

The Inspiration of Nick Vujicic

I found this uplifting short film which is voiced in English and signed in ASL on DeafTV.* Nick who has no arms or legs demonstrates how to overcome perceived limitations. He loves life and shows how to get back on top when circumstances bring us down. You can read more about Nick on this website.

*I think the captioning is in Korean. The first words that Vic says, "Annyeong haseyo", is how you say hello in Korean. I had friends in grad school that taught me that greeting.

When Life Gets Crazy, Just Remember to

Closeup photo of a magnet I keep by my desk.

It's a souvenir I purchased at the
Imperial War Museum in London last summer.

Don't worry, nothing's wrong. Just lots going on.

Million Dollar Marlee Matlin

I have really enjoyed watching Marlee Matlin on this season's Celebrity Apprentice. On tonight's episode, she raised a million dollars for Starkey Hearing Foundation!!! This is the American hearing aid company that donates hearing aids to needy children around the world. To learn more, visit the Starkey Hearing Foundation website.

Last year, I wrote about this organization but didn't mention that it's been a personal dream of mine to someday accompany this organization on one of their missions to Central America. Marlee, more than ever, you are my hero for what you've done tonight. Congratulations!

No matter what happened this week on Celebrity Apprentice, I was planning to write about Marlee. Why? This week I discovered this inspirational video of her on the Deaf Women in Film website. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.



By the way, the men's team on Celebrity Apprentice raised money for another wonderful cause, the St. Jude Children's Hospital. Donald Trump made a deal with Marlee and men's team leader, John Rich, that the "losing" team (in terms of dollars raised) could keep their money for their charity. So, both charities won big tonight. You can learn more about St. Jude Children's Hospital at their website.

Well done, celebrities. So many children will be helped by your efforts.

An Irish Blessing

From my house to yours, Happy St. Patrick's Day!
[I posted this early for my friends in the UK.]

Managing Emotions

If I feel depressed, I will sing.
If I feel sad, I will laugh.
If I feel ill, I will double my labor.
If I feel fear, I will plunge ahead.
If I feel inferior, I will wear new garments.

If I feel uncertain I will raise my voice.
If I feel poverty I will think of wealth to come.
If I feel incompetent I will remember past success.
If I feel insignificant I will remember my goals.
Today I will be master of my emotions.

If I become overconfident, I will recall my failures.
If I overindulge, I will think of past hungers.
If I feel complacency, I will remember my competition.
If I enjoy moments of greatness, I will remember
moments of shame.
If I feel all-powerful, I will try to stop the wind.

If I attain great wealth I will remember one unfed mouth.

If I become overly proud I will remember a moment of weakness.

If I feel my skill is unmatched I will look at the stars.

Today I will be master of my emotions.

Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World

Half for Me and Half for Others

I recently read Og Mandino's The Greatest Salesman in the World. I had originally checked it out from the library for my husband who works in sales. The book is completely different than what I had expected. Its story is set two thousand years ago and features a salesman who became powerful and wealthy by following the secrets contained in ancient scrolls that he alone read. I was surprised to learn that the salesman was directed to give away half his profits every year and that this practice drove his success rather than impoverishing him.

I came across the same idea in the next book I read, The Power of Half by Kevin and Hannah Salwen. This book published in 2010 tells the story of an American family who decide to sell their home and donate half of the profits to help others. This dramatic idea was triggered when the family's teenage daughter, Hannah, observed the juxtaposition of a homeless man with a man driving past him in a Mercedes. She mused aloud that if the rich man drove a less expensive car then he would be able to use the extra money to help the homeless man.

The book follows the family's decision making process as they consider how they can do more to help the less fortunate. Even before their luxury home is sold, they move into a significantly smaller home. They spend weekends discussing the world's problems and researching organizations that are working to make a difference. One chapter takes a hard look at the large amounts of money that have already been donated to developing nations and where well intentioned efforts have gone wrong.

Just as with Mandino's book, I was surprised by this book by the Salwens. I had thought the main story of the book would be the house's sale and the family's donation. Instead it's about the transformation of the Salwen's family dynamics and the maturing of their teenage children into thoughtful, caring young adults. The sacrificial sale of their home is a footnote to the story rather than it's main theme.

When I started this library reading challenge, I could not have imagined the inspirational stories I would encounter this year. Certainly before reading about the concept of giving half in these books, I would have outright dismissed the idea as ridiculous. But now I see it differently, especially because of the Salwen's example. Not that I'm implementing it myself or recommending that anyone else do so. I'm just reevaluating my own needs and the concept of what is enough.

What do YOU think of the idea of keeping half for yourself and giving half to others less fortunate? Crazy or thought provoking?

Aspire

I've started the Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge with a terrific inspirational book, Aspire: Discovering Your Purpose Through the Power of Words by Kevin Hall. This title was highly recommended to me by Karen who writes A Deaf Mom Shares Her World blog.

I was very intrigued by the two concepts in the title- discovering your purpose and the power of words - and how the two might be connected. Here's a quote from the book that explains the author's purpose:

I'm on a quest to uncover the secrets of words and what they meant originally when they first surfaced...It's like peeling an onion. By breaking down words layer by layer by uncovering their pure meaning, you tap into a force that will help you find your purpose and better lead your life.

Although many words are explained within the book, Hall focuses on the following eleven: Genshai, Pathfinder, Namaste, Passion, Sapere Vedere, Humility, Inspire, Empathy, Coach, Ollin, and Integrity. If some of them are unfamiliar, you will have to read the book to find out what they are. I'm not telling!

Author Kevin Hall shares many wonderful personal stories to illustrate his points. One of my favorite parts of the book was his retelling of afternoon study sessions with the Master of Words, Arthur Watkins. Arthur teaches him not only by lecture but also by example. He's a man in his nineties, yet he continues to learn a new vocabulary word every day.

Two lessons I learned from the book are that encourage means to add to someone's heart and the word fear can be thought of as an acronym for false emotions appearing real.

I highly recommend this book for anyone in need of inspiration and motivation. You can read the first chapter for free online at this link.

Two Thoughts for Today

The picture above is a representation of Janus, the Roman god who could look into the past and the future at the same time. The month of January is named after him. At year's end, I think it's an appropriate time to look back over the last year while anticipating a bright future to come.

Dayenu is a thought that is resonating with me today. Have you heard of it before? I recently learned about the concept of Dayenu while reading Ed Dobson's book, The Year of Living Like Jesus. According to Dobson, dayenu, which is part of the Jewish passover celebration, means "that alone would have been enough, but for that alone we are grateful. Dayenu is learning to be grateful for what God has already done and not asking him to do more."

I like the idea of dayenu and have been thinking about how I might apply that attitude towards the people in my life. I want to be grateful for what they have done for me in the past and remove any expectations of what they might do for me in the future. For all of you readers who have left a supportive comment on my blog or dropped me an email, thank you. I am grateful.

Looking forward into the new year, I am inspired by a thought from the book One Square Inch of Silence by Gordon Hempton. While discussing his need for quiet in the wilderness, Jay Salter tells Hempton,

"I come here to renew myself, to remember what it is to be human, which is not to be listening to a lot of things telling me what to buy or who I am or who I could be, but to find out who I am, to remember who I am, and to take that back into the world."

I may not make it to the wilderness, but I hope I can bring some of that spirit to my blog for 2011. Learning what it is to be human, coping with a hearing loss, finding out what I'm capable of, and sharing it with the world.

Blessings to all of you for 2011.

Be the Change You Wish to See

We ate Chinese take out food tonight and my fortune cookie had the following message "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." Immediately it reminded me of this banner I had photographed in London last June. It was on display as part of a protest in a public square. I liked its positive message and snapped the picture as a reminder to myself.

What these words mean to me is that when I see something wrong in this world and feel the urge to do nothing but complain, I'm missing an opportunity. If I want a more accessible world for everyone, then I need to be part of making that happen. I need to advocate for increased accessibility within my own sphere of influence.

What does this quote attributed to Gandhi mean to you?

Thanks to Jonathan for telling me the source of this quote.

Dealing with Disappointment

Disappointed
Originally uploaded by meibukan76

Last year at this time I was reading several fiction books about the Amish. At the time I was struck by a recurring theme of accepting God's will as the Amish way of handling disappointments. I was intrigued by this attitude. Sadly, I've seen people turn bitter when life doesn't go their way and I wanted to know how I might avoid travelling that road myself. I searched "God's will" on Google and found this beautiful Catholic prayer. It's meant so much to me that I printed it out and placed it on my desk where it is within my view at all times while I am work. I've found it helpful in dealing with the inevitable disappointments that have come my way over the past year. Perhaps you will find it helpful too.

Prayer to Accept God's Will

Give me, Lord, the strength and courage to accept Your will at this time of my life, and throughout my life. You know both what I want and what is best for me. Help me to recognize Your blessing and presence in all my needs so that my thoughts, words, and actions might reflect my trust in Your wisdom. Amen."

You may also want to check out this other photo of disappointment on flickr. It's guaranteed to make you smile.

Waiting for Rain

The heat and humidity have been tough to deal with this summer. But weighing me down even more has been a long wait to see some answers to my prayers. In addition to my personal petitions, I've been praying for friends seeking employment in this tough economy, friends in need of healing, friends trying to sell their homes, friends who are close to completing a goal but haven't reached the finish line yet, friends ready to start a new chapter in their lives. When, Lord, when?

Recently I came across the following story at the Inspiration Point blog:

There were two farmers who prayed and asked God to send rain. It hadn't rained for quite some time and both were in need of it. One day, they were told “God will send the rain in time for the harvest.” The first farmer set about preparing his field for the coming rain. The second farmer did nothing. Guess who got to reap the benefit of that promised rain?

My aunt, a farmer with a talent for writing, shared this lovely description of the arrival of rain in an email recently:

This morning we woke up to the sound of angels singing: rain, blessed rain. It has been so dry here, lawns are brown, crops are shriveling. Farmers talk of nothing else. Now they will share to the 8th of an inch how much rain they got. We are thankful for every drop.

I want to encourage myself and others who are experiencing a dry spell that the rain we long for IS coming. Let's live our lives in anticipation of it and rejoice in its arrival.

My New Measure for Success

Sometimes inspiration can be found in the littlest things. Like a refrigerator magnet. I spent the weekend at a dear friend's new home and was intrigued to find the following thought in her kitchen.

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded.

I was unfamiliar with this quote. The magnet attributed it to Emerson, but apparently there's some question as to whether he was the actual author or if it was composed by Bessie Stanley instead.

I really like the emphasis on relationship with others as the basis for success rather than individual achievement. Service rather than accomplishment or accumulation of material wealth.

What do you think?

Spreading Seeds of Faith, Hope, and Love

Blowing Seeds by Es' Factory

I was thrilled this week to receive an email from my aunt that said in part,

Dear Sarah,
I am sending you this email to show you what I did with your recent blog. You can see, I sent it on to the adult Bible class I teach at our church...The folks loved getting the song. It really did come to my mind shortly afterwards when we learned of the death of an elderly lady...whose whole life was one of seasons of love. So, Miss Sarah, you never know how far-reaching your influence is...

I'm so happy to know that encouragement I received from a friend and shared here on my blog was spread even further in the world.

I've always believed in my heart that my role in life is to be an encourager. To care about people and help them feel better no matter what situation they find themselves in. I'm an unrelenting optimist who always holds out hope for a better tomorrow. At least for others. Sometimes I'm not so positive about my own situation. I am learning the importance of encouraging myself when necessary.

Faith, hope, and love are three powerful words in the lexicon of encouragement. Here is what they mean to me. Faith is a belief beyond what I am able to perceive with my senses. At one very dark place in my life, this word came into my mind and I clung to it like a life preserver. When all else was gone, faith remained. Some people feel that faith can be lost. For me my faith is like Play-Doh. It can be stretched and shaped and changed over time, but it's still Play-Doh.

Hope is a belief in the power of change. I don't know why I'm an eternal optimist. Many people say I look through "rose-colored glasses" and don't have a realistic view. But I have seen people change. I've seen healing and I've seen broken relationships repaired. Not in every situation but enough times for me to hold out hope that it can happen again.

Love is a two way street. For me, it is easier to give love than to receive it. I find it hard to think of myself as "lovable" but I'm working on that. I'm starting to realize there are more people who love me than those who don't (and yes, there are people like that in my life.) I'm starting to value the opinion of the people who love me more and not define my self worth by the others. I am able to love others because I look for the good in them. Even when it's hard to see.

Readers, if there are any words on my blog, that you find of personal encouragement and you would like to pass them on to others, you have my blessing. My aunt credited me for sharing the song with her and I appreciate that. Receiving credit is nice and something I try to do on my blog when using words or images from other sites (see photo above as an example). Together let's spread some faith, hope, and love around our world.

Halfway Point

2010 Calendar
Originally uploaded by The Nebulous Kingdom of Anne-Julie

Today marks the halfway point for 2010. How has this year been going for you? A friend recently told me about this marvelous song from the musical Rent. It's called Seasons of Love and it answers the question, "How do you measure a year?".

There's a wonderful YouTube video with the lyrics of the song which I highly recommend to you. Embedding has been disabled by request so I'm unable to post it here for you to view but if you click on this link you can see it for yourself. Enjoy and be inspired to make the most of what remains of 2010.

What Does This Mean to You?

How to Respond When People are Difficult

Click on Image to Enlarge.

These words have been an inspiration to me. I have them taped to my computer tower at work where I can see them at all times. I hope you will find Mother Theresa's words helpful when you are faced with difficult people who would derail you if they could.

How to Recognize Love