To Write or Not to Write...

or rather. . . whether or not to write more often! And after some considerable thought, I've decided to change the format of this blog a bit!

Up to now, I've basically mirrored the publication of my e-newsletter Ramblings, but I only publish Ramblings once a month or so -- when I'm inspired -- and I'm told by bloggers in the know, that that's not enough activity to make a blog worth having, and I get requests for more frequent updates and. . . who I am to disappoint my readers. Therefore, I'll be sharing more frequent thoughts with you, about more varied topics, and probably in shorter runs than the full- bodied email version of Ramblings. Still, I plan to offer concepts worthy of your thought and introspection and you'll still have the option of subscribing to full bodied version, or settling for the timely tidbits offered in our new Ramblings "Lite".

And THIS is as good a time as any to start, so let me do so by revisiting a topic we've partially discussed before! and which

Very often we get caught up in spending a lot of time looking at what's wrong with our existence ! -- bills, world affairs, issues in our marriages, the rowdy neighbor(s) next door, a crappy boss -- and it's easy to get grumpy over what's not great.

The other side of that coin asks what IS right with our existence? Yes, you may have a bill for a new car, but what a great car it is ! Chances are you have your health, your intelligence, your friends, your wit, your (crappy or not) job that's paying at least some of your bills -- even though you might think it's not enough. And you undoubtedly have the benefit of many other things that, if you stop to think about them, could be much worse in your life.

There is a law of attraction that works very powerfully in our lives, and is best summed up -- for me -- by a statement from the book "Illusions, The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah" by Richard Bach:

"We magnetize into our lives, what we hold in our thoughts..."

Sometimes, it's impossible to imagine that many of the things -- especially the negative things -- that are happening in our lives, could possibly be linked to our own actions and thought processes, but a little education can go a long way! and the sooner we learn it, the sooner we can do something about controlling it.

A great start on understanding it is to watch What the Bleep do We Know; a movie -- more of a documentary, really -- which I found to be riveting. If you want to gain an insight into how your thoughts impact your everyday reality.... the Bleep is a must. I know, I've said it before! but if you're still having things happen in your life that you don't want, and you haven't found a way to get to this movie yet? Well... just get it. And once you can handle what the Bleep tells you, then I've got something that will REALLY blow your mind. But... first things first, eh?

Chew on that one for a while!

See you in a day or so.

Schedule that in?

July 4th! How DID the year get to be half over already, without us noticing? Or, maybe you paid closer attention than I did. Regardless, it's been a good first half. I had a great 4th of July weekend, and hope you did, too. But, with 4 days *off* and I was going to get all kinds of stuff done -- build a web page or two, work on several projects, do some yard work (yuck). But, at the end of the four days, I had almost NOTHING done that I had planned. Four wasted days, right? Man!

A few weeks ago I was planning an evening out -- dinner and a movie -- with a lady friend. BTW, folks, I . . . am a planner, complete with 3 pound Franklin Planner system & Palm Pilot with "forever" calendar. It's a compulsion So, being the planner, -- and also wanting to make sure we had a good time -- I sought to find out when we would get together, since we both had crazy schedules. We found an open day a couple of days out, then I needed to know,"okay, where do we want to eat? What time do you want to eat? What movie, and shall we see the movie first and eat later? or eat first? Do I meet you at your house, or would you prefer to meet at mine or the theatre, or would you ra..."

My friend cut me off, looked me dead in my ear -- okay, we were on the phone so that's the closest I can come to a visual for what happened -- and said to me: "Have you ever heard of being spontaneous?" I said, "Of course, I've heard of being spontaneous; but I usually have to schedule that in !"

I could hardly believe I said that, but I did! Schedule in SPONTANEITY! Wow! Well, we had a good laugh over that, and I lightened up (a little), and we eventually got together and had a nice, relaxing evening. But we do! We get all wrapped up in our pursuits: our pursuit of happiness, our pursuit of money (which some people think is happiness), and we get wrapped up in the pursuit of our day-to-day existence, and that's all good! But, we forget that there is "stuff" in life, that we can and should just STOP ... and enjoy -- our family, our friends, sometimes just "ourselves" and our own being, without the burden of having to think, or do, or be productive, or creative or. . . pursue; just for a little while.

So, did I really have a wasted weekend? Oh no! Sunday, I spent the afternoon with a photographer friend and his friends and family, at his lake house, dodging dueling thunderstorms, eating, laughing, talking and having fun. Monday, I spontaneously invited some friends over and we talked and grilled and ate and laughed. A couple of hours after they left, my brother, Melvin, eased into town (12:45 a.m.) from Allentown, PA and we hung out for a while before retiring for the evening. The next morning we got up and had coffee "on the veranda" as he calls it -- I call it the deck on the back of the house. Then, we collected my "spontaneous" friend and went to breakfast, entertained several people in the restaurant (my brother is as nutty as me, and one of the other customers actually came up to us to tell us how much they enjoyed his laugh). Later on, I introduced him to a couple of other friends.

I have to tell you, folks, I love to share my brother with my friends. He is such an awesome person, has a heart of gold, and he makes me feel like I'm his hero. Me! L'il old Kelvin. There is nothing that I could have done on the web or the computer or via email that day, that could have made me feel better than the time I got to spent with my brother-- because we don't get to do that very often. So it was not a wasted weekend at all. It was great, and spontaneous, and rejuvenating.

Last Thursday night I had another spontaneous moment -- I went to the movies and saw "CLICK" with Adam Sandler. It was spontaneous because we decided at the last minute to go see a movie, and we didn't decide what movie we'd see until we were there. As it turns out, "CLICK" was an excellent choice and I highly recommend it to EVERY really busy person out there, with SO much to do that they're too busy to be SPONTANEOUS! Adam Sandler had a universal remote control -- you know the ones; you've seen them in the email jokes -- that helps him control his environment: fast forward through stuff you hate, pause to stop an argument, etc. etc. Schedule it in -- make it an appointment, to see that movie. Prepare to laugh, prepare to be touched, and prepare to think.

And you know, ladies and gentlemen, if you really ARE that busy... making an appointment with spontaneity is not a bad thing to do. Put it in your planner -- make it an appointment. NEXT SUNDAY, between 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. make an (unbreakable) appointment with yourself to BE SPONTANEOUS! and during that time, do something FUN, goofy, relaxing. Drive somewhere you've never driven, have your family write some choices on the ground and throw some change in the air and do the thing that the most coins fall close to -- then have fun getting the money back before your kids get it all. Heck; make it fun. THROW $20's ! instead of change:-D. Do SOMETHING. . . to allow your psyche to relax, and appreciate the things around you that you -- we -- miss every day, because we're too busy to notice.

Take some time along the way to your success to have fun, so when you get there. . . you'll remember how to enjoy it.

Those are my thoughts for today.

As always, thank you for e-listening, & I look forward to hearing your comments and feedback

At this very moment...

At this very moment, my youngest son is on his way to see my mother. This is a huge event, because he is home on leave (U.S. Navy) from Naples, Italy. Mom knows he's coming to the states at some point but she has no idea that he'll come to see her.

My mom SO loves her grand children. This will be a bigger surprise than she may have ever had, because this is his first trip to see grand mom as an adult, on his own, and even without dad (that would be me.)

I cannot begin to tell you what joy this brings to my heart, knowing how my mom will feel when he shows up... in about 20 minutes. It brings tears to my eyes.

Ahhh... Sometimes it doesn't take much to have a really good day.

That's all.

You have a great day too.

Kelvin

Greetings!

It's been a while since I bothered you and I didn't want you to think I'd neglected you (again).

I was very proud of myself last issue for "keeping my deadline", and publishing Ramblings at a set interval. Right after that issue launched, a really good friend of mine -- awesome photographer and writer for a major photography magazine (someday I'll introduce you to her) -- sent me a lovely note warning me of pit falls in writing something "just to meet a deadline." She mentioned that one of things that made Ramblings so different, was that I only wrote when I was inspired, and that trait made the writing better. I thought about it and, well... I just got inspired.

So, here I am ... not on schedule.. sharing a few thoughts with you.

Some of this you have heard this before, but they tell me that spaced repetition is good -- you hear the same thing over and over, from different sources, then one day... you get it. So many seminars I've attended and left going... "whuh?", Then every once in a while, when I'm sitting in just the right place, with just the right lean, in just the right mood, under just the right light in just the right row and... WHAM! I GET IT. That's the scientific name for that, you -- an "Aha" moment (see something "very technical on it, right here. So, enjoy hearing this again.

Okay, folks. Sometimes, life just POUNDS on us. I'm Mr. Intensely Positive, right? and nothing EVER gets me down. HA! (or is that "Aha"). Well, I wouldn't exactly say that. Things happen in my life that wear me down, just like they do in your life. "Stuff happens" all the time, and most of the time I just flick it off like a wet snowflake, and go on about my business. But every now and then... something really stands on my last nerve and just grinds, and I become less than positive. Then I work very hard to get back to the right frame of mind -- an empowering frame of mind -- that allows me to do something about my situation, because as long as I'm in a negative state, I can't produce anything positive.

"Why?" you say. Why not just enjooooyyy the moment!? BE angry, be upset. Mope, THROW STUFF even ; whine... bitch, moan, scream, complain, and even... BLAME (and -- for the record -- I do some of that too from time to time, but very few people get to witness it ). Gosh...didn't that feel good? Aaaahhhhh.... Well, honestly, most of the time -- at least for me -- it really doesn't feel good, but sometimes it seems ya just need to purge. But once that's done...

... the very next question out of your head -- and you need to say it out loud so your EARS can HEAR you say it, and it can sink into your brain -- is..."Now, how can I fix this?" or "How can I turn this around?" and THEN... you need to EXPECT a positive answer to come out of it (and the be prepared to receive it when it does). You need to LOOK for -- and concentrate on -- the positive, empowering answers to get out of whatever less than positive predicament you are in.

Anthony Robbins -- yes, one of my all time heros -- says that our minds will answer whatever question we pose to it. The problem is, most of us ask the WRONG QUESTIONS! The question needs to be, "How can I make this work?" not... "Why is this happening to me ?". The question needs to be, "What can I do to overcome this obstacle?" not... "Why does all this stuff keep happening to me?" Honestly. WHICH of those questions would you RATHER have the answer to?

I watched a movie recently -- creative documentary, really -- that absolutely blew my mind called, "What the Bleep Do we Know" Wow... what an enlightening video! Beyond the "positive attitude" books and tapes, beyond the "just do it hype", here is a documentary video that actually explains -- and shows in graphics detail (great graphics displays) -- just what happens in our minds, and HOW we program ourselves to succeed or fail. Using the SAME technology they use to show you happens in the brain to create drug addictions, and the chemical reactions inside the brain that creates nirvana for long distance runners, etc., they show you what chemicals are released in your brain and how neural pathways are created inside our brains when we think or feel certain things. They talk about imagination and creativity -- like, the brain doesn't know the difference between something real, and something that is vividly imagined. How we program our minds to work for us or (like most people) against us, and how it works on a quantum physics level.

You're thinking, "pretty heady stuff", but it's not really. Heck, they broke it down so people like me could understand it. You're definitely covered . I highly recommend you see this DVD. Check your library, rent it from Blockbusters or somewhere. If you want, you can buy it here for $13.56 from Amazon. I saw it; I bought it. Period. You should just do this for yourself. It's a real eye opener.

And then.... go back to my site and re-read "Who's in Your Front Row?." This is important! because I cannot overstate the importance of having people in your life -- in your inner circle -- who support you, nurture you, HELP you, and allow you to feel good about yourself. You need to do your best to remove yourself from people in your life who don't. (What the Bleep will help with that part too. Amazing movie, I promise you.)

How many times do we go hangout with someone that we know is going to make us feel bad, but we go anyway? "Gosh, I'd really like to see Martha, but...man...she is SO negative, and I always feel so yucky when I leave her..." Guess what? You need to stay away from Martha -- she's not good for you, and Martha shouldn't even be close to your front row.

Keep people in your life who give you POSITIVE energy, not who drain you -- and vice versa! If you're being drained... get out. My Front Row is awesome; and fairly small. So, if you haven't read it before check it out at http://www.ringold.net/07_your_front_row.html. No charge! And even if you have read it, check it out again -- remember that spaced repetition thing.

That's all today. I hope things have been awesome for you, since last we communicated. I was going to talk about my trip to Italy, but decided it's too much, for too little. We'll sum it by saying, I lost $600 in Franklin Planner sytem and Palm Pilot, I made my train to from Naples to the airport in Rome by only one minute, and I showed up at the gate for my flight from Rome to Amsterdam precisely 10 minutes before the plane was supposed to take off. They probably felt sorry for that sad, lost American face.

Yikes! Speaking of sad faces! I almost forgot! Last month someone "turned me in" to the Muscular Dystrophy Association to be "jailed". I was supposed to raise $1200.00 for "Jerry's Kids", and I only made it to $950.00 -- counting mailed in contributions. The fund raiser is still open until May 19th, and my tally will be complete. If you have an urge, and haven't been "fund raised" out this year, I'd welcome any small contribution you might make. If you go to "my participation page" you can donate using your credit card -- tax deductible of course, if you itemize -- and if you don't want the world to know who you are, you can donate anonymously. If nothing else, you owe it to your self to see that SAD FACE I put on that page -- which will never been seen in public again after this fund raiser -- and if you donate, I'll send you a copy of me "in jail" -- something I'm sure my mother would be proud of

As usual, thank you for e-listening, & I look forward to hearing your comments and feedback, via email or as posts.

Have an awesome day, my friends.

Sincerely,