Darlene Myers

I was so moved by this photograph by Mark Stucker, that I had to write a blog on it.  I changed the title many times.  I started with ‘Are We Doing Enough to Feed the Homeless?”  Then I changed it to “Are You Lonely in a Crowded World?”  And then I decided to call it the True Meaning of Companionship.

We recently surpassed  7 Billion people on this planet, and yet, is it possible that more people are lonelier than ever before?   Have you ever watched people speed by each other in the mall or on the street and do you notice few people make eye contact anymore.  If our total communication depends entirely on the Internet (as I sit here writing a blog), is it any wonder so many people are lonely.  I have been blessed with many wonderful friends and a great family, and I encourage everyone to take time with their friends and/or family for some real face to face time.  Talk to each other if you can.  You’ll be making memories, believe me.

And although we have surpassed 7 billion people, study after study show us that there is enough food to feed everyone on the plant.  The World Health Organization says that we produce enough food to feed everyone. World agriculture produces 17 percent more calories per person today than it did 30 years ago.  That’s approximately 2700 calories per person.    The main problem is that many people in the world do not have sufficient land to grow, or income to purchase, enough food.

Back to the photograph.  In my New Year’s blog I wrote that ‘If you want to feel rich, count all the gifts you have that money can’t buy.”   The man in this photograph probably has less money in the bank than you or I, but in so many ways he is richer than most of the people I passed in the mall this afternoon.  Embrace your friends, your family or even your pet and experience the joy of true companionship.

Thank you Mark Stucker for a photograph that I hope, in some small way, will change someone’s world.

Darlene

I was sitting here, about to write a new blog, when bam!  The power went out.  You don’t fully realize how much we depend on this invention.    The first thing that pops into your mind is ‘What to do now’?  So I comprised this list of things you can do during a power outage.   The list is much longer if the power goes out during the day.  The first is the ‘daytime power outage list’.  Hope you get some ideas!

1. Dive head first in a tub of ice-cream.  That’s right, the power is off.  You can’t let the ice cream go to waste.

2.  Clean – It’s not like your house can’t use it.

3.  Go for a Walk – burn calories before you put your butt on the couch in front of the television… again!

4.  Take a nap

5.  Go shopping in an area of town the power is on

6.  Play a Board Game – FYI – this sucks if you live alone.  And the cat just keeps batting the pieces under the couch.

7.  Look for that flashlight you’ve been meaning to look for

8.  Discover just how crappy those emergency candles are

9.  Read – a great time to catch up on that book or magazine that you can never find the time to do.   Chances are you may learn something new

10.  BBQ – all the meat is thawing out anyway

During the night – it gets a little more challenging

1.  Figure out how you’re going to re-arrange the furniture once the power comes back on, because you keep walking into the coffee table.

2.  Go to bed – after all the crappy emergency candles are just little burning stubs and you never did find that flash light.  On the bright side, you’ll get a great night’s sleep.

Darlene

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I once read something that said ‘if you want to go to heaven – go to church, if you want to go to hell – go to a beauty salon.   I guarentee you its more entertaining than television.

I just had the pleasure of sitting in a beauty salon for 2 hours while a very patient lady took the grey out of my hair.  Oh my!  The perils of getting older.

However, it was a chance to sit between two twenty-somethings and get a different, quite refreshing outlook on life.  Ladies, for all of us, getting older dealing with aches and pains and dreaming of the days when we were 20-something, I say to you – Be Grateful.

First of all, did you know you can pay to have feathers put in your hair! (I am not making this up)  It costs $12.   And apparently this is quite a dilemma.  The good news is the feathers can be straightened, curled and cleaned.  Hmmm, I have dustballs in my home I can do that to, for free.  Can you imagine showing up for work with feathers in your hair?  My co-workers would have a field day.

Plus, did you know that the worst thing that can happen to you when you are twenty-something is not have plans on a Friday night.   Having to stay home with nothing to do but sip on a quiet glass of wine is dastardly – I call that heaven, but then again, I’m not hip!

And then there’s man trouble!  Whew, you learn some pretty new break-up lines in a beauty salon.  ‘We can’t move in together, because my mom won’t approve’!  If that doesn’t have the romance head south faster than a Canadian during a rough winter, I don’t know what will.  Or ‘I will continue to act this way until you break up with me’… Nice guy.

Ladies, there are advantages to being older.  In a hostage situation, you’ll probably be released first and your joints are probably more accurate than the weatherman   But you know what, we tend to discard toxic people and surround ourselves with loving caring friends, and that’s not a bad thing.  We have figured out what’s truly important and are better people for it.

I am proud to be turning 50 this year… yay

Darlene

Mine is fabulous!!  I am loving 2012 and I believe it will only get better from here.  If you read my New Year’s Blog, you know I have set out some goals for myself.

My weight… I am exercising every day and eating better… I know what you’re thinking, it’s only been a week.  Well I have a very smart co-worker who says ‘You have to eat an elephant one bite at a time’.  That’s how I’m tackling the eating better and exercise thing.  I believe I can keep this up till I go on a trip…. which by the way, I am open to suggestions.  Drop me a line of your best vacation or a suggestion for me.  I am open to any and all ideas.

Remember I wanted to read more books that I am able to educate myself.  I am reading 2 books at this time.  My Life With Marilyn by Colin Clark and ‘The Rules of Management’ by Richard Templar.  I am thoroughly enjoying both reads.  If you have any more suggestions, I would love to hear from you.  I read a lot.

I also wanted to do more public speaking.  Well, I booked my first public speaking appearance of the year for this coming Thursday.  I am speaking to a group of sales people and I am looking forward to that.  If you have any words of wisdom to pass along, drop me a note.

The reason for this blog reflects back to the picture above.  Be the Change You Want to See in the World.  You see, it’s one thing to tell people that there are things you want to accomplish, but unless you start to take the steps to accomplish them, you’re just blowing smoke up their butts.  Oh, and I am still off the smokes.

How’s Your New Year so far.  Would love to hear from you

Darlene

On this New Year’s Eve 2011 my friend Michelle posted this photo on her Facebook page.  I think it’s a great thought as one year comes to an end and we are about to start another one.

A lot of people ask me what I am doing on New Year Eve.  My New Year’s Eve is my night to enjoy a treat bottle of wine and to write in my journal.  I like to write on the reflections of the past year and my hopes for the coming year.

This past year I quit smoking, and one of my personal goals this year is to have the strength to stay away from cigarettes.  Some of my other personal plans is to take control of my weight once again and rid myself of the ‘quit smoking pounds’ I put on.  I am going to do it in a healthy way by exercising more and focusing on a more plant-based eating plan.  More fruits and vegetables, less animal fat.

I am already an avid reader but I want to educate myself better this year.  I will read practically anything I can get my hands on, but one thing I want to do this year is read more biographies and learn more about other people.   I also want to become smarter in business and I have set some lofty goals for my business life.

I have cut many toxic people from my life and I try to surround myself with positive people I continue to learn from.  I want to become even better at that and work  harder at being the positive person other people gravitate towards.

I want to become a better public speaker and get some practice in 2012 and I would like to volunteer more.  I have been blessed with many gifts in my life and would like to give back even more.    I am a firm believer that what you give out will come back ten-fold.

And I would like to be a mentor to more people in 2012.   I have had the pleasure of meeting some fantastic people who have been great at mentoring me, and I would like to do the same to someone else.    I want to be the person I would like to see more of in the world.

I read a quote today that says ‘If you want to feel rich, count all the gifts you have that money can’t buy”.    So as we are about to enter 2012, I hope you can count many gifts in your life and that the New Year brings you even more gifts in value that we can’t put a price tag on.

Happy New Year

Darlene