Dear Friends, I was out of town last week with a client in Bozeman, Montana. We had been watching the fire in our hometown of Santa Barbara, California very closely, but felt we would be OK. However, on Thursday evening while talking with my wife by telephone, I could hear the loud speakers outside letting my neighborhood know that the time we all had hoped would pass us had come. Hundreds of miles from home and unable to do anything, the feeling of helplessness that overcame me at that moment is indescribable, and all of the great things we’ve experienced since that moment have left me standing in awe. In a world that is often filled with negativity, what I’ve witnessed is nothing but people helping people, with courtesy, selflessness, and genuine compassion and caring. As I worked with the airlines to get home to Santa Barbara as soon as possible, my wife and son did a fantastic job packing up four cats and an English bulldog, our computer files and our most important papers. They set out to find a safe haven for what would be several days of watching, waiting and praying. As soon as word spread of their evacuation, my family was offered a safe place to lay their heads at the home of my son’s friend — people we had met just one time after dropping my son’s golf clubs off at their home. They welcomed my family and our pets, like we were old friends, and their kindness has reminded me of the inherent loving and caring nature of human beings. From the bravery shown by those on the front lines fighting the fire — both on the ground and in the air — and the police and sheriff’s deputies, to the people in the grocery stores and the organizations and volunteers manning the evacuation shelters, there were people helping people — and their animals — everywhere. No one seemed so much concerned about who you were, only that you were in a position of great need and they wanted to help. With 30,000 people evacuated, I can’t help but wonder how many of those who were there to lend a hand were in need of a hand themselves? Yet, this is what we do. No matter what is going on, in a crisis we set our petty everyday worries aside and we help one another. As a recipient of that help, I’m truly amazed at what people will do for a stranger — including the giant hugs upon my return to Santa Barbara on Friday and the making of homemade ice cream and my favorite oatmeal raisin cookies. While we were glad to be headed home, sadly we returned without two of our cats; Lila, a small, feisty, black and white female, and Murphy, a large orange and white male. Both went missing after they slipped through an open door where we were staying. Our hosts and many of their neighbors helped search for them, and many are still keeping a watchful eye, certain that they will show back up; just one more example of the amazing and loving spirit shown over and over throughout the past week. I have been deeply touched and humbled by my family’s experience of the last week, and I stand in awe of and thank all those who have ever done anything to make a difference in the lives of those who needed a difference made. You are way cool! Best Regards,
Visually Impaired See Life In Different Light A few weeks ago, I had the immense pleasure of touring the Braille Institute in Santa Barbara. I went with the idea that there were helpless souls there who I could somehow help rescue. Instead, I left there inspired by the courage and strength of the people I met and awed by the commitment of the organization’s administrators, staff and volunteers. The Braille Institute’s slogan reads: Empowering visually impaired individuals to lead fulfilling lives. As I ponder their commitment and my visit, I realize there is a lot that the Braille Institute and its clients can do to empower and inspire those of us who have our sight. In some ways, I think they see much more clearly than the rest of us. Just think about what your world would be like if it were dark. How much more present could you be to your other senses? How much better do you think you could listen? How much more unstoppable could you choose to become? I shared my experiences during my Braille Institute visit in a recent Noozhawk article » Useful Items for People with Limited VisionIf you know a friend or loved one living with visual impairment, the Braille Institute's Vista Stores have some cool everyday items that can help make their lives easier (we've ordered a cool talking clock!).
Visit the Braille Institute web site and download the
Vistas Catalogue, Adaptive Items for a More Independent
Life. If you live in Southern
California, you can visit the Vistas Store at your local Braille
Institute regional center – they're open to the public. Excellence—It’s Yours to Grab! What is Excellence, Anyway?Some people confuse “excellence” with “perfection”—perfection is about being right and careful. It’s a source of pressure in our lives. Excellence, though, is more about being willing to take risks. It is a journey filled with a creative natural freedom, not a destination to be reached. There is a satisfaction and power to “being excellence” in life. It is about being more than we imagine ourselves to be, in every moment, and it produces amazing results. Excellence, and the unstoppable mindset that accompanies it, is what makes dreams come true! How Can You Tell If You Are Being Excellent?Here’s some of what you’ll be present to when you are “being excellence” in your life:
Do you think excellence is only for others
or not worth the effort? Think about it. What would it be
like to live into
your dreams and beyond what you think are your limits?
What might you achieve? What difference could you make?
It happens to all of us… And never at a good time! A good example of this is the recent fire in the Santa Barbara, California area. Fires are a part of life in Southern California. Residents living in this area know the risk exists, but when these fires happen the shock is still the same. So when a fire or any other circumstance occurs in our lives, how can we keep from becoming overwhelmed? How can we keep “it” all together and manage the change in a positive way? When circumstances in your life leave you feeling overwhelmed, sad, or just plain without a clue as to what to do, you start by asking yourself:
Standing there you then need to: First, recognize that the feeling of overwhelm is just a feeling. Yes, the feelings are real. The grief you may feel is real. The tired you feel is real. However, these feelings only have the power to stop you if YOU allow YOUR power to be stopped. Second, keep your circumstances in perspective. No matter how difficult a circumstance becomes, remember to be thankful and appreciative of what you do have. Third, instead of trying to control what cannot be controlled, you’ve got to recognize when you’ve done what you can do and then move on. You can’t allow yourself to get used up by circumstances… especially ones that you have no say in the resolve of! Fourth, get in touch with your commitments and your purpose, and have a plan for moving forward no matter what life puts in front of you. Why are you on the planet? What are you committed to? What do you REALLY want? Create a written plan that gets you there! Fifth, very simply put… ask for help. When overwhelm has us in its grip, sometimes we retreat into our mental caves, and that withdraw has a tendency to shut us off from those who want to help us the most. So instead of running yourself ragged trying to do it all yourself, ask for help. Your family, your friends, your neighbors, and yes, even complete strangers are waiting to help you, but they don’t know what you need unless you tell them what it is! So ask for the help you need. Sixth and finally, remember when life has you down that you always have a choice. You can either, complain about where you are, or you can stand-up, ask for help, and create where you are going next. It is your choice!!! Remember: Life is a journey. It isn’t meant to be smooth sailing all of the time. After all, the bumps in the road are what mold us into who we are. So take the good along with the bad:
When you do you’ll find overwhelm that much easier
to shake off… you’ll see that your circumstances
are temporary… you’ll recognize all that you
have to be thankful for… and that there is always light
at the end of the tunnel, if we will simply commit to being
unstoppable no matter what!!
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May 2009 In This Issue: Visually Impaired See Life In Different Light Excellence—It’s Yours to Grab! Audio CD Sets
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Even on Sunday, with scores of people waiting in line to
return to their homes as residents’ IDs were checked,
the law enforcement officers — those who have no doubt
been working nonstop for days — took the time not to
just look at an ID and move residents along, but to ask how
we were and to take an interest in what we had been through.
They genuinely cared about what residents may be headed home
to, and a sheriff’s deputy even gave Hitch, our bulldog,
a hearty pat on the head. 
In
today’s economic reality being just “good
enough” or what we think is “our best” most
of the time, simply isn’t enough. Our businesses are
competing more than ever for consumer dollars. More job seekers
are competing for fewer available jobs, and if we want to
stay on track and reach our goals, excellence has got to
be the standard by which we operate! 
Life certainly has a way of throwing things at us; hitting
us right in the gut when we least expect it, and it all happens
on top of the balls we are already juggling and sometimes
even dropping.
The
Balanced Life