Abundance of Knowledge

"One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child."  ~ Carl Gustav Jung

We are surrounded with knowledge.  Our world today provides us knowledge via books, television, pod casts, the Internet and our phones.  We have access to so much information at any given moment that any challenge we face there is someone to learn from.  Additionally, we haves so many teachers at are fingertips that 15 years ago we wouldn't have had.  Through Social Media we can find experts or individuals with knowledge in almost any area.  In many situations we are able to interact with them and get not only the answer to our questions, however the human touch. 

However, let us not forget one of our greatest teacher is within us.  Our past allows us to learn from where we have been and what we can do.  It motivates us to never go there again or to go beyond what we have already accomplished.  It empowers us to know that we can handle situations that at one time we would have never thought possible.  Our past and those that have taught us are a powerful source of knowledge to refer back to and use at our own will.  There is an abundance of knowledge at your fingertips.  Where will you go next.

Abundance of Fun

In today’s society we have daily distractions that remind us constantly of our obligations regardless, if it is the things to do around our house, at work, with family or friends. Our lives are going at such a fast pace from one obligation to the next that sometimes we forget how to just have fun. In some situations we are in the middle of something that would be fun but are distracted by the next thing on our list. Since the only thing we know for sure is that we have the moment that we are in, we need to learn how to live in our actual moment rather than going over what we haven’t done or what we need to do. Fun is all around us. It can be catching up with friends, watching old movies, taking road trips, or anything that makes our heart feel joy. For each of us this is different. Fun is not connected to our check books. Think back to your childhood, some of the most fun we had as children were the things that cost almost nothing. Whether it is playing make believe, hide and seek, going swimming, the beach, when we were young we seemed to always know how to have fun. Within each of us that child still lives. Find what makes you smile, laugh, or want to relive a moment. Today, just go do that, and have fun.

The Abundance Inside Us

Dr. Wayne Dyer said, “Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.” When people think of abundance it is easy to think about what you have. We are all born into this world the same. We have nothing but our bodies, and it is our parents who have all of the belongings they used for our benefit to clothe and feed us and keep us safe. As we grow more independent, and we provide for ourselves, it is easy to get caught up in trying to acquire more “things” – things like cars and houses and all that goes in them. We acquire more or nicer clothes to make us feel good about the way we look. I once heard that we spend the first half of our lives acquiring stuff and the second half trying to get rid of it! True abundance however can only come from within. If we do not feel satisfied with what we have within in us, then we will never be satisfied with the material things we surround ourselves with. I think with a certain amount of personal growth and understanding and maybe even maturity we come to understand that we have within us all that we need and we just need to learn to recognize it.

Opportunities in Abundance

Opportunities are all around us in great abundance. Why is it then that some people can see the opportunities for what they are while others fail to recognize them? Is it that some people get more changes or do they simply know and understand an opportunity when the see it? How then can we learn to recognize and the abundant opportunities we are all equally entitled to? We can start by first being open minded. If we shut the door on the opportunity before we explore it a little more, we will miss its potential. What might appear at first to be uninspiring may turn into the opportunity of a lifetime. Second, we can look for opportunity in every situation. If the door is closed on what we thought was the right direction for us, then try looking for the open window. It was once said that opportunities don’t come along stamped with their value on them. We never know what they may bring until we act on them. If we cannot understand the opportunities when they come along, then we miss out on the true potential they hold.

Abundance of Potential

Don Williams, Jr said "What we aspire to be is more than what we are yet less than what we are capable of.”  There is so much potential that surrounds us.  Sometimes it is obvious and other times it is more suddle regardless there is potential all around us.  There are books, individuals, mentors to name a few of individuals that are able to empower us.  We have a limited potential only because we wish to believe we have a  limited potential.  However, when we open our minds to the possibilities of unlimited potential we allow ourselves to discover teachers that we wouldn't have otherwise discovered.  If we think in terms of abundance and potential we are allowing ourselves to move in that direction.  It is like being in a car, we couldn't drive or work and home at the same time.  We can't think limitations and attract abundance.

Abundance of Love

Carl Gustav Jung  said “The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely”  This however, is the key to having an abundance of love is to first love ourselves.  Our lives take us to many different places and around many different people.  The one thing we all share is that we are always with our self.  If I love myself and respect myself then what types of individuals am I going to surround myself with?  People that will love me also.  Love is something that only grows as we give it.  The more love we give the more love we have.  So if we give ourselves love, remembering there is an abundance of love to give then we will attract back to us more and more love.  When we put ourselves down or withhold love then we will draw in individuals that will do the same.  Life is a wonderful an amazing journey that can change at any moment it is up to us.  We can begin to love ourselves to find things in others to love. If we learn how to put our attention on the things in life we want to attract rather than the things we don't want to attract we can shift our lives.  There is an abundance of love in the world and within ourselves we just have to focus on that.  It all begins within ourselves.

Abundance in Our Friendships

Think about the times in your life when you’ve really needed your friends. I know for me they have rallied around in times of tragedy but they are also there to celebrate occasions big and small. I remember as a little girl in Brownies we would sing this song, “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.” I don’t think that there is ever a time when we can’t make room for a new friend. As we go through experiences together, they grow not only in value to your life but bring richness and abundance to all of its individual experiences. There are different friends I call upon at different times. Some come through when least expected. The kind of friends I treasure most are the ones where even if we have not spoken or seen each other in a long time, we can pick right up where we left off. Then there are the friends that are there everyday that we may sometimes take for granted. As I reflect on all of my friends I recognize the blessing in having many who understand me and are there for me at just the right times. They know when to step in and when to step back and let me figure things out on my own, always there to listen with openness and understanding when I’m ready to talk. Friends don’t only come through in the difficult times but are also there to make the going a little easier day in and day out.

Live and Experience the Abundance

John Petit-Senn said, "Not what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance." How very true. Over the years we have done many things as a family that didn’t cost us anything financially but created some of our best memories. We would go to the park or beach or rake up a big pile of leaves and jump in them. As the kids got older, we had fun fishing at a local pond or hiking in the state park. Some of the most abundant memories are just shooting hoops and the boys learning from their dad some tips he learned while playing basketball in high school, college and the Air Force. Even the vacations that we took together mostly involved experiencing something new with extended family.

There were of course the splurges on those trips, but it always makes me smile when I think of what my family wants to do the next time we return. It wasn’t the themed amusement parks or tourist attractions of the country’s major cities that were on the “must do again” list. It was the small, simple, and even least expensive places we went that seemed to hold the majority of the good memories – the backyard campfires, swimming at the lake, or looking for alligators on the U of F campus. All it took was being surrounded by family and friends to enjoy the abundance of life.

Abundance In The Little Things

I had a fantastic day.  I woke up early and because I own my own company I worked for 2 hours before I left for the beach with my daughter.  It has been a very busy summer so this was the first time my 17 year old and I had time and the weather was cooperating that we could go to the beach.  We walked for a little over 1.5 hours along the sand bars and talked about everything.  Senior year, college, friends life you name it we talked and laughed.  Then we hopped in the car and stopped at one of the best ice cream places in that area.  We drove home and were able to enjoy a little down time and then got ready for a night out with family friends.  Again, the ability to work in between these events allowed me to enjoy the day without missing anything important I needed to do.  We went and watched Step Up 3D and the dancing and movie I absolutely loved.  Then we went to dinner at a Japanese restaurant where they cook your food at the table our friends son had never been so it was even more fun and the food was amazing.  We went home I opened my PC and an author we love Deanna Davis had read our ebook and loved the material.  I needed to get her some information so I stayed up until around 1am to get the work done.  My day cost me $65 dollars in total not that much for an abundance of memories, sharing time with family and friends, opportunities and all I was able to take from it.  Abundance some times comes in the little things that add up to the most amazing parts of our lives.

Find Abudance In All You Do

"Not what we have But what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.” ~ Epicurus

Life for each and everyone of us brings different challenges as well as different joys.  When we take time to know ourselves to undestand what makes us feel fulfilled as a person we are better able to position our lives to include individuals that share some or our core values as well as joys.  When we are able to spend time doing what we enjoy we are able to live a life that is more fulfilled.  There are so many opportunities to have a life that is lived as wide as it is long.  The key is to know yourself.  To know how you can live an abudant life and then to do what it takes to make that happen.  Find joy in yourself and your life.  Live your life in abudance.

Abundance: It’s Not Just About the Money

Most average, middle class people go through times in their lives when finances are really good and other times when finances are not so good. I remember thinking at one point when I was a stay-at-home mom and we were a one-income family that when my husband reached a certain level of pay, we would be financially set. That point came and we upgraded out lifestyle a bit but then there was the wanting for more – for the next financial milestone. On the other hand, we had friends who we know had a much lower income but who seemed so content with what they had. They, in fact, had more discretionary income because of choices they made. So abundance is not necessarily about income. To me it is more about the freedom to choose how to use our resources so that we achieve the goals we want and enjoy the abundant life.
To have financial abundance is all a matter of perspective. I ask myself on occasion if all my basic needs are met. Yes, they are. Then next question I ask myself is am I able to do some, if not all, of the things that come with having financial abundance. Again the answer is yes. If we can have every necessary need met and still be able to enjoy the extra or find a way to have the things we want – whether or not that takes money – is in fact enjoying a level of abundance. Wayne Dyer said it perfectly when he said, “Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.”

Abundance in the Realm of Finite Time

To have abundance is to have more than enough, more than is needed, above and beyond the basic. This can be something negative or something positive. For example, an abundance of anger or stress can lead to bitterness or an abundance of rich foods indulged in too often can lead to weight or health problems. Must most often we think of abundance as something that is good or positive. We think of having plenty and some to spare. Applying this to the way we spend our time can lead to abundant satisfaction, maybe even a greater level of peace. Susan Taylor said, “We need quiet time to examine our lives openly and honestly. . . spending quiet time alone gives your mind an opportunity to renew itself and create order.”

Focusing on the good, many of us find that we have an abundance of activities usually all worthwhile and fulfilling in some way. Some are really good, but some are better. Then there are the best. Our time is finite and we have to choose which of these abundant activities is most deserving of our focus, heart, and time. In some cases less is more. When we are less busy being busy, we are able to give more to our most important and best activities.

Abundance of Love

There was a time when the thought of acknowledging that I love myself seemed kind of silly.  I loved my family and friends and had never put to much thought into loving myself.  Then I went through a bit of a bumpy patch and in the process ended in the office of an amazing individual.  As I sat there we went through a variety of topics he asked me who I loved and who was my best friend?  As I thought for a second I named off what I considered a nice size list.  Then he looked at me with a little confusion and opened a drawer.  He handed me a mirror and asked what I saw?  Of course the answer was myself and he then made a comment that I have taken with me from that moment and never forgotten; "The person in the mirror needs to be your best friend and you need to like and love that person first. If you love and like that person you will respect them and by doing that you will bring into your life people that will love and respect them also."  I remember thinking that is so simple, if I am trying to have people in my life that don't love and respect me then why are they in my life.  Since then I now love and like myself, now I am not saying I don't make mistakes and irritate myself sometimes.  However, my actions, choices and decisions are all based on doing what will allow me to like and love myself.  By doing this I have more love then I know what to do with and I am able to share it with others.  Love in abundance is endless the more you give starting with yourself the more you have to give.

An Abundance of Gratitude

According to the dictionary abundance is a plentiful supply. Most of us think of abundance in terms of finances and wealth. For us at Waves of Gratitude we think of abundance in terms of potential opportunities, or in terms of time with family, or the quality of our lives. For us abundance is not meant to necessarily describe the financial situation we are in as much as it meant to represent our mission statement: To be abundantly grateful for the opportunities in our lives to make a product that is intended to make a difference in other people lives and to be grateful for each and every customer, fan, blog reader, mentor, author, spiritual entrepreneur and fan we have made thus far. We know that the abundance of those individuals in our lives is what is going to see our product make a ripple effect of positive energy. Abundance is our dedication this month. It describes the core belief of gratitude. The more you give of gratitude the more abundance of gratitude you have. This is our commitment to find abundance in the core values of our company and to share them with each of you. Please feel free to make any suggestions we love to hear from each and every one of you.

Inspiration Surrounds Us

This last monday I went to a concert for one of my daughters friends band.  While there another band played that was very good about trying to build their fan base.  Curious about how successful they were the next day I looked them up on youtube.  I watched an interview with one of them and was inspired.  Nick the member of the band was talking about how the lyrics to one of their songs came to him while in the shower.  The funny thing is we had been talking about how all of our great ideas seem to come to us while we are in the shower.  A litttle research proved that there is a scientific reason for this.  The end result is that if we want to be inspired, it is all around us.  It is just a matter of being open to it.  Find something every day that inspires you. 

Finding Your Inspiration

Inspiration sometimes seems to come out of the blue. When it does, it is exciting and moves you to act. But what about those times when you need some inspiration and it just won’t come. You think about what you need to accomplish but it takes more effort than it ought to. There are ways to call up inspiration when you need it.

Part of opening up to inspiration involves quieting the mind. Deanna Davis, PhD, in her book, The Law of Attraction in Action, talks about using different forms of meditation to quiet the mind and make room for inspired thoughts that lead to inspired actions. She writes about the idea that meditation does not need to have a formal method or process, but can be any activity that quiets the mind. Some may use yoga. Some may meditate lying down, sitting upright or standing in the shower. The important concept is to quiet the mind from the random thoughts that enter at will so that the inspired thoughts can enter in.

The challenge: find what works for you. Where can you find quiet and stillness? For a young mother that may be behind the locked bathroom door. For the empty nester, it may be a quiet spot in a sunny room. For those who juggle their home life with work and volunteering it may be the car ride. Turn off the noise whether that is TV, the radio or the commotion of a busy family and just breathe. The inspiration will come to the quiet, organized mind.

3 Steps to Inspired Success

Drive and ambition may help us get ahead in our careers or “win” wherever we compete, but motivation often comes from inspiration. Inspired action is a term used by author Deanna Davis in her book, “The Law of Attraction in Action.” (Penguin Group 2008) She states so perfectly that,

“Real and lasting change and success always emerge by first choosing your state and then setting a clear intention for what you want to achieve. They require something more, though, to actually yield results. That ‘something more’ is inspired action.”

We can be busy throughout our days, frantically running from here to there and at the end of the day feel as though we have accomplished nothing. We were busy, no doubt, but were the actions moving us forward or just around in circles? Inspired success comes from inspired action. If each of our actions were purposely made we would surely move around less and accomplish more. Here are three simple steps that just may help you start to make your movement more meaningful and productive and your satisfaction at the end of the day more complete.

1. Have a plan. It may be a “to-do” list or just a mental note about what is most important to accomplish that day.
2. Return often to your plan throughout the day. This is a good way to check if the actions you are taking are related to what you had planned for your day. If not, then think about if they should really have a place interrupting that plan and get back on track.
3.  Review. At the end of the day, take inventory and set priorities for the next day.

This is a method used by many gurus and experts on time management, Law of Attraction, and other types of practices for achieving goals and to help you live the most inspired kind of day.

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Where Do You Get Your Inspiration?

Artists and musicians get their inspiration from life so where do we get our inspiration for our life? What inspires you to live life the way you do? Each decision we make and each step we take toward our dreams is inspired either by something we surround ourselves with or something from within. Sometimes our surroundings or situations are negative to we have to find the inspiration from within. Learning to find the inspiration when we need it is something we can practice and ultimately perfect. The key is gratitude and taking the time to look for the good in anything. It exists. We just need to find it.

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A Legacy of Inspiration

Everyday inspiring people begin to create their own legacy. There legacy may not be as widely known as those who become famous, but to the people whose lives they touch it is an indelible legacy. I read a blog today about this type of legacy and was so moved by his story. He may never know the impression it made, but that is often the case with those who are unknowingly creating a positive legacy.
The man’s name is Matthew Sanford. At age 13 his family was in a horrible car accident which killed his father and sister and left him paralyzed from the chest down. He went for many years just trying to accept his disability. He finished high school and college but found himself living in a state of depression. One day all of that changed. He met Jo, a yoga instructor with no prior experience working with people with paralysis. Slowly the yoga moves were able to integrate the mind-body connection to a point that Matthew for the first time since the accident was able to get a sense that his legs were again part of his body and regain a feeling of wholeness. Today Matthew has a non-profit dedicated to helping disabled and able-bodied people alike develop their own mind-body connection through yoga. It is this type of inspiring person that increases my awareness of gratitude and is a legacy of hope.

You Are Leaving A Legacy, Is It The Legacy You Want?

Nature reminds us of its power. The Grand Canyon demonstrates how over time water can erode and shape the hard surface of the earth to create canyons. We are all like water; we have the ability over the course of our lives to leave a mark. The fact is that each of us is creating a Legacy. We interact with others and in doing so affect those we interact with. Like the water flowing through the base of the canyon is constant over time that flow has an affect on the earth’s surface.


The first step to creating a Legacy that you want is to become aware of how your actions, and non-actions affect those you interact with. If you are the person that smiles and offers a kind word, holds open the door and overall is a respectful person you are leaving a legacy. At the same regard, if you are the person that is always negative, never holds the door and just doesn’t care you are leaving a legacy.
We create a Legacy by who we are and what we do or don’t know. Armed with this knowledge, wouldn’t you rather leave a Legacy that makes a difference? Wouldn’t you rather be the person that made a difference? You have the power to leave a beautiful Legacy.

The Ups and Downs to Becoming a Legacy

If our actions are not in line with the type of legacy we want to leave, we can make the change. The legacy may ultimately be the fact that we were able to recognize our mistakes, correct them and move on. It doesn’t matter if we discover this at 14 or at 40.There are many people who altered their course in order to create the legacy we know them for today. Change is always possible.

There are countless stories of famous people who started out to follow their dream and then ended up bankrupt and needed to redefine their businesses and alter their course in order to be the person and the legacy they ultimately became. The story of Milton Hersey is one of persistence. He had no formal advanced education but studied hard as an apprentice in a candy store. His first attempts and selling chocolate failed and his company went bankrupt. He worked on an idea he had to use fresh milk to make caramel and in 1900 sold his Lancaster Carmel Company for $1 million! Walt Disney failed at his first attempt to be an advertising film maker. His company failed in 1923 but by 1928 he had reinvented his company with the creation and introduction of Mikey Mouse and the Walt Disney Company. A legacy does not earn their title by never failing, but by never giving up.

Our Life, Our Legacy - The Reverend Billy Graham

The Reverend Billy Graham said, “The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives.” It doesn’t matter what our religious or spiritual beliefs are, it is easy to admire the legacy that Billy Graham is creating for doing good in the world. I have always respected him as a minister of mankind, ministering to the minds and spirits of people who grow from his words, example and encouragement.

William Franklin Graham, Jr. was born in 1918 and began his ministry at a young age. He is retired now from making public sermons, but he created a legacy of being a spiritual leader for people of all different denominations and has prayed with every president from Harry S. Truman to Barak Obama. Billy Graham, known for his charisma, certainly had his critics and I think that is an important distinction to make in thinking of people and their legacy. It is not always the people that are the most widely accepted or popular who make the biggest difference; in fact it is often just the opposite. What the Reverend Graham did was take a stand on what he believed and defend it without wavering. A legacy such as the kind of legacy created by Billy Graham is often someone who makes us take notice, take a deeper look at ourselves, contemplate how we feel about matters, and even take a stand we might not have otherwise.

It Is Never Too Late To Leave A Legacy

Each year in the United State over 47,400 people are diagnosed with pancreas cancer each year. To those affected by this we are well aware of who these individuals are. However, we seldom read about them in the newspaper, hear anything on TV or get a tweet about it unless it is someone famous. This like any form of cancer is something that we all want to find a cure for.  When faced with the news that someone you love has been diagnosed the response varies. However, in September of 2007, Randy Pausch changed the way this disease was viewed and redefined how to respond when faced with this type of news.

He was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University. One day that September he stepped in front of an audience of 400 people to deliver a last lecture called “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” With slides of his CT scans beaming out to the audience, Randy told his audience about the cancer that is devouring his pancreas and that will claim his life in a matter of months. On the stage that day, Randy was youthful, energetic, handsome, often cheerfully, darkly funny. He seemed invincible. But this was a brief moment, as he himself acknowledged.

On July 25th of 2008 he lost the battle with the disease but not before inspiring millions with his lectures and book "The Last Lecture." Faced with the news that his time here was brief he wanted to make an impact to affect those of us he was leaving behind. He is the perfect example that it is never to late to leave an amazing Legacy. His quote "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand" demonstrates who he was.

Find inspiration in others, become who you want to be, leave a Legacy that matters.

To All The Fathers

Celebrating the Legacy of Dads

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there who are leaving a legacy. I know that all dads may not be perfect and some of us may not have the best possible relationships with our dads. That itself is a legacy of sorts. I have seen however, that even those who have not had a great example of a dad, there is a legacy and lessons we can learn. Often such people are even more dedicated to being a better parent. I am fortunate to have a great dad who is both an example and someone I respect and admire. One legacy of my father is that of being able to say just the right words. He speaks often to congregations and small groups of family and friends alike and when he is finished everyone feels better. He is often called upon to give the eulogies at the funerals of family and friends because he can recognize the value each person gives to the world and people around them. My dad gave a talk in church more than 25 years ago, that just today someone mentioned in their talk on Father’s Day. I guess that is what is called a living legacy.

From the a single dream, like a single seed the potential to what we can grow is amazing with the right conditions. ~ C.Nordyke

Its Never Too Soon To Create A Legacy

If we take our time we can find inspiration all around us.  A website http://www.idealist.com/ offers a list of organizations started by children.    Emily Douglas started an organization called Grandmas Gifts. 


Inspired by the memory of her grandmother who lived in Appalachian Ohio, 9 year-old Emily Douglas established a nonprofit organization called Grandmas Gifts. Since 1992, Emily has raised over half a million dollars worth of food, clothing, toys, books, and educational field trips for schools, children, and organizations in the area. Emily hopes that Grandma's Gifts will raise awareness of economic hardship in the Appalachian Ohio region, bridge the cultural gap between Appalachia and the rest of the United States, and show other young people how service to the community can be a fun and worthwhile endeavor.
 

This is so inspiring.  To see someone so young making a difference enables us to believe in our own potential to make a difference.  Is there something you want to do and have put it off.  Consider if a child can do it maybe you can to. 
 

Taking Flight

Between 1942 and 1945 the United States was engaged full force in WWII. There are only a handful of veterans of the war still alive and each year they are honored for the great service they gave. Finally in May 2010 the women pilots of that era were recognized by receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor, one of the highest awards given to civilians. These women flew a combined 60,000,000 miles in aircraft such as the B-17 and B-29 bombers. Still these women were considered civilians and as such received no military recognition at the time.

Jacqueline Cochran, who was the first women to fly a bomber across the Atlantic on June 17, 1941, also became part of a new flight training program for women called the Women’s Flight Training Detachment in 1942 in preparation for more women aviators to serve their country in whatever capacity needed.

In 2006, women made up 6% of all licensed pilots. It was only as recently as 1993 that women were allowed to fly in combat, even though equality measures were in place years prior to that.

No dream was out of reach for these women who only wanted to do what they loved. They proved that they were willing and able and ultimately created a legacy of service and honor.

The Legacy Of Love

The world is filled with individuals we look up to.  These can be athletes, performers, educators, actors or they can be someone we know.  For the most part we pick someone that has achieved something we dream of achieving or aspiring to be like.  However, for me the person I most looked up to was the person that raised me.  She had the heart of Mother Teresa.  She would give you her last penny if you asked her, however that wasn't her greatest gift.  Her gift that made her so amazing was her love.  No matter what happened in life or to her she always loved.  I don't think in her life she understood the meaning of hate.  Her capacity to love enabled her to forgive everything. 

When I think of who I would aspire to be like and what I would like to achieve in my life it would be her capacity to love.  To see within each person I encounter their potential to understand that with faith in an individual we can ignite their internal flame and help them find their purpose.  There aren't thousands of even hundreds of individuals that know her name.  In her lifetime she never made the cover of any magazine and was never on any Television Shows.  Regardless, to those who did know her, their lives were better from that experience.  To those who know me they know the impact she made in my life.  If I had one goal and that was the only thing I could accomplish, I would strive to know her ability to love.  She is proof that one person can impact and etch within us a piece of them that changes us and stays with us for a  lifetime.

Medical Breakthrough

I can’t imagine not having the choice between going to a male or female doctor. In a time when it was unheard of that a woman would become a doctor, Elizabeth Blackwell secretly studied medicine. She read books as part of her teaching. She and her older sisters had started a private school to support her family back in the early 1800s and after her father had died leaving them penniless. Her studies of medicine and the desire to give women who may be embarrassed to see a male doctor an option led her to apply to the country’s top medical schools. All of them rejected her application. She applied to a Geneva Medical College in Geneva, NY. The school board there put it up to the other students to decide if she should be admitted. They thought of it as some type of practical joke and signed the petition that would allow her to attend the school. Even after being admitted she was prohibited from certain classes that were deemed inappropriate for a woman to attend. However, she was able to break the stereotype that women could not become doctors when her fellow students saw her determination and ability. In 1849 Elizabeth Blackwell graduated at the top of her class. She goes on record as the first woman medical doctor in modern times.

The Legacy of A Sister Love

I doubt there is anyone that hasn't heard of the Susan G Komen Foundation.  If I say the name Nancy Brinker others of you may not know who that is.  After her 36-year-old sister died of breast cancer in 1980, Nancy Brinker founded the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in her honor. Its mission is bold: eradicate the disease by improving research, screening, education, and treatment. Since its inception in 1982, the organization has grown into a global network of volunteers who raise money and awareness through local affiliates and by sponsoring Komen Race for the Cure events. The first Race for the Cure, held in Dallas, Texas, in 1983, drew 800 participants; within 20 years, the organization was sponsoring more than 100 races annually across the globe, drawing more than one million participants. The races raise money, but also deliver a message of support to survivors.
Over the years, the organization has raised $750 million, making it one of the largest cancer charities in the world. "There is hardly an advance in the science of breast cancer over the past 20 years that hasn't been touched by a Komen grant," Brinker told BusinessWeek 's Catherine Arnst. "That's what I'm most proud of."


Nancy Brinker's love for her sister enabled her to over come the loss of her sister and start an organization today has touched so many lives.  One sister with a dream to make a difference for women everywhere has done just that. 


Within each one of us is the potential to make an impact and to make the world better.

Justice At Last

In 2003, Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to ever become a U.S. Supreme Court justice, said, “Young women today often have very little appreciation for the real battles that took place to get women where they are today in this country. I don't know how much history young women today know about those battles.” The women who were the firsts in their fields opened doors and created a legacy that the women who followed may sometimes take for granted. In 1981, President Ronal Reagan nominate Sandra Day O’Connor to the Supreme Court after she had served on the state level in Arizona and had often been the swaying vote in rulings that set precedent for future trials. I believe the world was ready for a woman’s perspective within the Supreme Court. She was voted in by the U.S. Senate 99-0. She lived, ruled and voted based on her stated belief that, “Society as a whole benefits immeasurably from a climate in which all persons, regardless of race or gender, may have the opportunity to earn respect, responsibility, advancement and remuneration based on ability.”

Laughter was her Legacy

According to IMDB - Ball tried unsuccessfully to launch her show business career, finally landing a spot as a "Ziegfeld Girl". She launched her Hollywood career as one of the "Goldwyn Girls", but she moved out from the crowd of starlets to starring roles. With "I Love Lucy" (1951), she and husband Desi Arnaz pioneered the 3-camera technique now the standard in filming TV sitcoms, and the concept of syndicating television programs. She was also the first woman to own her own film studio as the head of Desilu.

Her quote “I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done” symbolizes her life. She was willing to be herself and follow her dreams. Women that have gone before us are a great examples of what we can do with our lives and the potential that we all have to live the life we imagined.

Learn for the Legacies that have gone before us. Ask “what is my dream, what do I love to do?” Then figure out what steps you need to take to make that dream a reality and take the first step. You never know what Legacy you might leave behind and the individuals you might inspire. Start with you, inspire yourself.

Stephen R. Covey said, “There are four needs in all people: to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy.” Every action we take creates a bid of the legacy we are leaving. Back in Biblical times it was the custom of fathers to leave a written or verbal legacy for their sons who would lead their families in his stead. It would contain spiritual and ethical guidance and convey the values the father wanted to see continue. With each message we write in our journal and when we express our beliefs, hopes, and dreams to our children we are leaving a legacy in a similar way. That is why it is still as important today to leave our legacy of values to future generations.

The Most Inspirational Video Ever!!! - "Hug for the World"

Legacy of Learning

Do you have a special teacher that really made an impression on you? I have a few. I remember my 7th grade social studies teacher, Mrs. Barry, for how she made everything come alive. She would read us stories about two boys in Nazi Germany – even though some teachers thought 7th graders didn’t like to still be read to. She taught us about embargos, boycotts and trade by having us create our own countries and trade goods. She taught us about the U.S. legal system by creating a trial where we all played different roles. I got to be a lawyer because I had 100% on the legal terms quiz. It is amazing to me that I remember so much about a class and teacher I had more than 30 years ago. There were others who made an impression (Mr. Velevis was so cute with his bell bottoms and mustache!), but Mrs. Barry left a legacy. Ever since that class I have had a love for historical fiction and an understanding of so many other aspects of government and the law. There are teachers everywhere making impressions every day. Many will never know the legacy they leave.