Mike D DESERVES Our Support!

Mike D is a friend, someone who has interviewed me for his website (Raising Real Winners), and someone who has written for THIS website: he DESERVES Our Support!

But please don't read this note if you're not looking for a new way to look at the world, success, how to get things done.

I know there are a lot of success strategies floating around out there.

Law of Attraction

Positive Thinking

Affirmations

Motivation

And don't get me wrong – all of those and a few others are great and they surely can help you. But– and this is a real Big But…

Nothing happens until you get going. Period!

Or as my Friend and Author of the New Book, Motion Before Motivation, The Success Secret That Never Fails, Mike D. says…

"Getting in Motion and Getting Started is The Real Secret For Success"

And if you talk to anyone who is living life on THEIR terms they'll tell you the same thing. And that's why I recommend you pick a copy of Mike's book, Motion Before Motivation, The Success Secret That Never Fails

Notice I have NO message on here about an affiliate commission to be paid to me. Why? Simply because I think this book is so good I'm rushing this information to you before I have it set up. When I send notes out through Twitter, they will have my affiliate commission – this does not.

Mike has interviewed me for his Real Winners series on RaisingGreatFamilies and I have admired his work (to help kids) for a long time.

In the book Mike tells a lot of fun and even embarrassing personal stories. He talks about business ventures gone bad and even crazy mothers-in-law. Then he relates it perfectly to help you get going and get in motion so you can reach a higher level.

And even if you get this book just to put it on your desk so you can look at the title, “Motion Before Motivation,” as you begin each day it will be worth it for you. Seriously, don't you love the title? Don't you find that is SO true in your own life?

When you grab the book today, you'll also get over 1000 bucks worth of Fr*ee gifts and even a 3 day 2 night get away. So get in motion and jump over to http://www.motionbeforemotivation.com/ to get the details and get the book today.

In addition to my own support here (and as someone who is giving away some of my own work to encourage you to purchase this book today), here are a few early endorsements for “Motion Before Motivation, The Success Secret That Never Fails”

And when you follow this link, you will be eligible to TONS of free gifts from some really talented people. Just take a look at them now – you may want some of them even more that you'll want this book (and if you're like me and want to motivate others to success you WILL want this book!).

Go look at his information to see for yourself. Again the link is…

http://www.motionbeforemotivation.com/

Charlie Seymour Jr

PS: Mike D isn't just someone I've heard about and this isn't a huge launch where every marketer in the world is spamming you with information: Mike's a great guy, I've seen his materials for a few years, I support what he's doing, and this book is really worth your time.

Go get his book here (and see all the bonuses waiting for you – including the bonuses I have on there!):

http://www.motionbeforemotivation.com/

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr

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You Must Ask Questions Of Doctors To Get The Best Service

My elderly parents were SO confused when they'd leave the doctor's office that my younger sister, Nancy, and I used to take turns going to each appointment with them. Now Nancy (who recently retired from teaching) goes to all appointments.

And NOW I better understand why they are so confused!

My "Head"-line Story

Here's my personal story from today (hey, it took 2 hours and 27 minutes, so I hope you have a few moments to read this… some of this really pissed me off and some of it really showed why my folks are so confused).

I've been having headaches.

The type the rock my world, require my lying down for an hour at a weekend Internet Conference, leave church for medication, make me about 10% effective, and render me dizzy and nauseous.

They go from annoying to obnoxious and debilitating.

They started in March 2009 and after one real dizzy spell that lasted much of one day, I was finally treated by my family doctor for a sinus infection and things got better.

Then in October, they came back.

I didn't hesitate this time, I went to see my doctor again.

"Are you going to prescribe those $30-a-pill pills again, or is something else just as effective," I quizzed her as I tightly held onto my wallet. (OK… so the insurance paid for much of it, but did I really need pills that cost $300 for 10?)

Here's what she thought: sinus infection again (I didn't connect this time with the one six months ago until she said that), so she'd treat it with antibiotics to get rid of the infection and an antihistamine to keep it from coming back.

Except this time it didn't work.

The pain decreased, but as soon as the antibiotic was over, the pain really hit me again: left side of the top of my head and then a squeezing from both sides and the forehead. And my forehead and cheeks are flushed and I feel (as Mom used to say), "punk."

When I reported back that this treatment didn't work and asked now for the $30-a-pill pills, I was told "NO, you need to go to a Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist."

Hey, I just wanted my quick fix – my super-pills but I immediately scheduled the appointment for the next day, which was today (as I write this).

My Doctor's Appointment Starts

After driving into 3 parking lots on three corners at 22 and Providence (three corners with medical buildings – at least I found my new doctor on the third try!), I registered with the front desk.

With all the paperwork as a new patient, I was ready to see the doctor 40 minutes after I arrived. But I waited another 20 minutes before being called in.

I explained about my headaches, said I had had one dizzy spell, and with the low-grade fever I now had, I was feeling "out of it" and sometimes had trouble focusing on my work.

The doctor examined my ears, nose, and throat (ahhhh, his specialty) and took me to another location for a hearing test.

Huh?

I SAID HE TOOK ME TO ANOTHER LOCATION FOR A HEARING TEST! (Just kidding – sorry to shout). Right: a hearing test.

The Audiologist Takes Over

Turns out my wife was right for the past couple of years: moderate hearing loss in the upper register WHERE WOMEN SPEAK. (At least now I have a medical excuse when I don't hear her when she mumbles or speaks to me from the other room – "Sorry, darling: the doctor says I can't hear very well in that range.")

The audiologist ran a few tests (put-on-the-earphones test and say "yes" every time I hear a noise AND one that gripped the right and left sides of my head to see if the vibrations in my bones were working well… they were).

Then she went for some paperwork and came back into my soundproof room to tell me about the next test I would need… but since it was a long one, it would have to be scheduled another time.

"Wait… why did I need a hearing test?"

"The doctor told me to give it to you."

"But I'm here for my headache."

"I'm not sure… something about dizzy spells?"

"Well, I had one, yes… but my problem is my headache."

"Well, we need this other test to see about your balance."

"HUH?" (OK… that was NOT my hearing: I just couldn't connect the dots as to what balance and my headaches have to do with each other.)

The audiologist proceeded to tell me about the test which would see if my eyes and ears were always working together or would I get dizzy. All kinds of wonderful details about watching darting lights, different temperatures of water flushing in and out of my ears, being in different positions to see if they affect my equilibrium, and more.

I was getting queasy just listening to the description!

"Since I was four years old I've have motion problems and can't even go as a front-seat passenger. We KNOW I have motion problems."

"OH. Well, here are the instructions; you can talk with the doctor about this next test that he wants you to have and if you decide to get it, call these numbers here," as she circled the phone numbers.

She was really very nice and did her job well… but I could tell that my asking questions put her off a bit – maybe she wasn't used to people questioning what the doctor wanted.

Hmmmm… welcome to my world!

Back To Consult With The Doctor

I'd now been in the office about 90 minutes, so it was time to meet with the doctor again to get his advice and see what steps were next.

"Come follow me. Please shut the door," he said as he rounded the desk to his side. I complied (though another doctor kept knocking and coming and going during our chat.)

"You have trouble hearing your wife at times, don't you?"

OK… so we looked at the chart for my moderate loss in the upper register. (The upper register (higher-pitched sound) is the first part to go, I had learned years ago when directing Sweeney Todd at our local theater and the man playing Sweeney couldn't hear a triangle we wrote in as a cue for when he was to join Mrs. Lovett in the closing number for Act I.)

After we chatted about my hearing for another 30 seconds I mentioned that I was NOT going to take the Balance Test the audiologist asked me about and didn't understand why it was needed.

"You've been having dizzy spells. Didn't you write that here?"

"I had ONE about 7 months ago. And when I don't feel well, like now when I have a low-grade fever, I certainly am not 100% and have trouble staying focused on my work… and a bit nauseous and unsteady. But I'm here for the headaches."

I proceeded to tell him that I've had motion problems in cars, planes, and boats since I was four (maybe earlier – I don't remember much before then) but I was here for the headache.

Did he agree with my family doctor's theory that I had an infection that had to be cleared and then we have to figure a way to keep it from coming back?

Well… sort of.

He agreed to give me a really strong antibiotic that works on the head area, but he scheduled a brain Cat Scan and sinus Cat Scan to see if it could see anything up there (gosh… hope it finds a BRAIN up there at least!).

He indicated where the sinuses are and said that a pain running along the top left side of the head the way mine is is NOT from a sinus. Hmmmmm… oh, joy; oh, rapture. Wonder what it is!

He also wants me back to get an allergy test… not one of those "shoot stuff under the skin to see what bothers you" but a simpler one… at least for now.

And then I'm to see him in a month.

Antibiotic. Cat Scan. Allergy Test. Return in a month.

Two and a half hours and I was free to drive away.

(Well, that was after his VERY nice and helpful assistant set up my appointments, made sure I had SIX pages of questionnaires to return with (one set for the allergy tests, one for the doctor, one before the Cat Scan), and knew when I CAN and CANNOT take medicine before each special test.

Questions. We Really Need To Ask Questions

When chatting with the doctor the second time I relayed to him that "we all listen to the same radio station in our brains."

Pause. Pause.

"Oh, what is that," he questioned.

WIIFM.

What's In It For Me.

WHY do I want the balance test? WHAT will it tell me? WHAT will the cure be or will it only reinforce that I have motion problems?

"Well, I see you are going to question the tests that I suggest," he said and then proceeded to tell me about the allergy test and backed off the balance test.

Question the tests?

Hell yes.

With the costs in my TIME and my DOLLARS and when things are happening to MY BODY, I'm going to question everything.

Now don't get me wrong. I really LIKED this guy. And he comes very highly recommended to me (ahhhh, testimonials really DO have great impact on people – whoops that's the marketer in me coming out).

But YES I'm going to question.

And don't you love a question like "are you under any stress" to see if that could be the reason I'm having headaches. Stress? In this economy? With everything I have going on in life? Stress? Nawwwww…

We ALL See What We Are Looking For

Doctors fall in the same trap that ALL of us fall into: we SEE what we are LOOKING for.

I have a feeling if I were in a podiatrist's office complaining about a headache (and let's face it, neither of these doctors is really trained to work on headaches), he'd tell me that my shoes were too tight, take two aspirin (or now a days it would be some expensive prescription drug that might have no better effect on me), and call him in a month.

You can't blame them, really.

If I told you to look around the room, look for all the things that are RED, then close your eyes, and now tell me all the things that are BLUE, you probably wouldn't be able to.

It doesn't mean you are stupid or unqualified… it's just what you were LOOKING for.

And doctors are much the same way (but with some really expensive specialty training).

He HEARD dizzy. He knew my primary care doctor sent me there, so it must be ear, nose, or throat related.

What he didn't focus on was my pain. My headache pain.

Doctors Have Too Many Patients To Thoroughly Understand Any

And rushing from patient to patient even when I was there, it's no wonder that he didn't stay focused on ME… heck, my regular doctor has trouble focusing on me too (she has seen me a few times, but I don't go to a doctor very often… something has to bother me a LOT before I take the time to see a doctor).

No Wonder My Elderly Parents Are Confused

I tease my parents (in their late 80s) that every week they either go to a doctor's appointment OR a memorial service… and that isn't far from what actually happens.

But when doctors only hear SOME of what you say or focus on only what THEIR specialty is and then schedule their regular battery of tests on you… no wonder you are tied up with doctors for hours and then have trouble getting to the solution.

My sister, Nancy, has her work cut out for her convincing my parents to follow their doctors' advice when it's needed OR asking enough questions to decide that another course of treatment is better.

And one of my favorite expressions applies here: How Do We Know Until We Know?

SOMETHING is going on in my head. Is it sinuses? Something else?

Time will tell… that is if I have enough hours in the day to visit all the doctors, take all the tests, and still write about it.

Here's to YOUR health!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr

PS: What do YOU think about doctors' appointments – do YOU ask questions?

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Choosing work you love is not just for your own fulfillment. There are four reasons a job you love helps your family:

1. You are better prepared to spend quality time with your family.

When you have a job you love, you’re less likely to seek unhealthy escape when you come home from work. Unfortunately, many people who hate their jobs spend money and time trying to escape the stress of their jobs by drinking or seeking escapist entertainment, which sometimes takes them away from their families physically, emotionally or mentally—even during their time off.

2. You are more likely to have the energy and disposition to be a fair and loving parent.

Working on a job you hate saps your energy and probably gives you feelings of failure and powerlessness. When you arrive home, it’s all too easy to try to exert the little authority you do have in an unfair way with your children and spouse.

The stress you experience on a job you don’t like will affect your emotional and physical health. A parent or spouse who has diminished health is not emotionally available. A parent who is unhappy at work is more likely to be irritable, argumentative and sometimes even violent at home.

3. Your children learn how to handle stress and life from you.

Children are keen observers. They can tell your mood from your facial expression when you arrive home or pick them up from school. Even if you help them with their homework or serve dinner, they sense when you’re miserable, and see that you’re tolerating a situation you hate. Your way of handling your life (and theirs) becomes their first glimpse of how to live life.

If you are a ticking time bomb, then your children may grow up without the ability to feel safe and trust other people. If you are so wound up from spending your days settling for a job that pays your bill, but steals your joy, then even the time with your children will be diminished. They may grow up with feelings of rejection and abandonment or believing that your sadness is somehow their fault.

4. Your children learn the connection between work, harmony and prosperity from you.

If you don’t enjoy your job, then your children may grow up thinking that work is something they shouldn’t even expect to enjoy. They may grow up believing they’re going to have to choose between doing what they love and making a living. That would be a shame, wouldn’t it?

When you have a job, career or business you love, your children can be involved and learn from your experiences.
When we had a family business, my children helped with mailings, managing the office, running the copier, answering the telephone and maintaining the building. My son still jokes about his stamp-licking days.
We are promised by many self-help books and speakers that if we choose work we love, the money will follow. This is a worthy outcome, but choosing work we love is more important for the family harmony that results.

Flora M. Brown, Ph.D., author of Color Your Life Happy: Create the Success, Abundance and Inner Joy You Deserve is the mother of four and grandma of three. She is Professor Emeritus at Fullerton College, speaker, coach, and radio host. She offers a free weekly newsletter on www.coloryourlifehappy.com

But I never truly understood why it was that my parents were so far
behind on their bills or why my Dad had to work two jobs just to support
our family. I was never taught the true value of a dollar; I was taught that
working to make ends meet was the way life was meant to be lived. But
this could not be further from the truth.

After beginning the process towards becoming a financially responsible adult, I realized that there are many things parents can do to ensure their children have a successful but realistic financial future. Some children will have trust funds and college accounts and their needs will be taken care of. This article is about raising the other kind of children: the kind of
children who develop thrifty habits and value frugality and worth over fanciful and flashy.

Saving money involves each and every member of the family, and there are
five simple steps you can take today to get your entire family on board
your plans of savings and frugality.

*/1. /* */Clue them in. /*Let your children know about your financial
situation. They do not need to know about every last credit card bill
you charged up in college ten years ago and are still paying on, but
they should have a general idea of the financial situation and budget.
How much is set aside for sports and recreation activities for each
child? If the child knows this information, it is her financial decision
what sport to participate in, and this builds character and fiscal
responsibility. *//*

*/2. /**/Set a common goal. /*What is it that your family would like to
accomplish? Paying off the last of the debt? Making the final mortgage
payment? Taking a family vacation? Decide what financial goal your
family is working toward, and create together a visual reminder. It
could be a picture cut out from a magazine brochure clipped onto the
refrigerator, or a chart showing how much family debt has been paid off
so far. A visual reminder toward a common goal helps keep the family
(and the wallets) united. *//*

*/3. /**/Enlist help in saving./* There are ways that each family
member, from 0-18, can help cutback and increase the family savings.
Encourage your children to help clip coupons and match them to sale ads,
and to get the appropriate items at the grocery store. Even my 2 ½ year
old loves to hold Mommy’s coupons at the store. Older children can be in
charge of finding the best deals for family needs online or finding
trendy, like-new clothing for themselves at garage and thrift stores.
Sons can scour local secondhand stores for their sports equipment like
cleats and shin guards. Your husband or wife can be your equal partner,
keeping you accountable for extra spending and helping assist your
children in their frugal endeavors. *//*

*/4. /**/Find frugal rewards for reaching individual goals./* Money or
gifts have long been traditional rewards for a job well done such as a
recital or perfect report card. Learning to replace these material
rewards with frugal gifts from the heart cuts back on the budget and
fills the soul with love and admiration. Use the skills you already
have. Can Dad do woodworking? How about a new shelf to hang his son’s
sports equipment on after he wins the last game of the season. Daughter
get a good report card? How about a homemade gift certificate for a
handmade pizza of her choice and a Netflix DVD night with a friend?
Frugality is nothing more than creativity with money and goods.*//*

*/5. /**/Encourage Charity./* Even a 2 year old is capable of
understanding that once a month she must choose a toy that will be given
to a little boy or girl who has no toys. Encourage charity in your
children, with their material possessions and their time. A teenager who
cannot possibly part with any of their belongings can still volunteer to
help coach ballet or soccer an afternoon or two per week. Giving back to
others teaches children the cycle of reciprocity and helps them become
adults.

Nadia Crum is a young Army wife and mother of two who enjoys shopping and
sharing her frugal lifestyle at ABCFrugality.com

The All Top website recognizes Charlie Seymour Jr's family-related website

THIS blog has been recognized as a Top Blog by the top blog: AllTop.com

People like Guy Kawasaki, Seth Godin, Tony Hsieh, and Chris Brogan are there. Mashable, Mac World, The New York Times, and Copyblogger are there.

And now so are Charlie Seymour Jr (and our guest writers) and RaisingGreatFamilies.com.

So… if you have a topic that interests you and you want to find a blog that fits in that category, go to AllTop.com. If you want great reading automatically fed to one location (so you don't have to search for "what's out there"), add the RSS feeds from these popular sites to your Google Reader account.

Here at RaisingGreatFamilies.com, we're proud to join the other successful blogs on AllTop.com. And we thank them for inviting us into this family.

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr

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Mike Dolpies, the Publisher of Raising Real Winners Interviews Charlie Seymour Jr about Staying Positive

Mike D, as he is called, helps families raise real winners. He does this through his martial arts studios, by teaching discipline, and by having families interact, sharing their love and understanding.

Mike D is a frequent contributor to Raising Great Families, and for his October, 2009 Audio Magazine of Successful Parenting, he interviewed Charlie Seymour Jr.

Here is that interview:

Also, Charlie had written an article for Mike, and you can read that here:

Charlie Seymour Jr article for Raising Real Winners – How To Focus On The Positive.

Mike is a guy who is really getting things done and deserves our support. Here's some more information about him:

Mike Dolpies (AKA- Mike D.) is the author of the forthcoming book Motion Before Motivation, The Success Secret That Never Fails. He spent 10 years as the owner and operator of a professional martial arts school. He now helps martial arts business owners achieve their own dreams and goals through his coaching. He has interacted with 1000’s of kids and parents over the years. He has helped his clients and their children achieve greater amounts of self-confidence, self-esteem, fitness and self-discipline. He is the publisher of “Raising Real Winners, The Audio Magazine of Successful Parenting.” www.raisingrealwinners.com/nh You can learn more at www.askmiked.com

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr

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Bay County, Florida Health Department Head Launched One-Man War On Obesity

Look out: This One Pisses Me Off.

If language like that is too strong for you, don't read this post. Stay clear – I'm ready to rant.

And if this is the most open, the deepest I've expressed, the most truthful to my own feelings, so be it… because I think THIS is ridiculous.

The Associate Press ran this story and as soon as I read it in my local paper, I ripped it out and vowed to blog about it.

38-year Old Former Army Doctor Fired For Standing Up For His Beliefs

As reported, Dr. Jason Newsom made his feelings known about burgers, french fries, fried chicken, and sweet tea in his campaign to reduce the belt size of the people in the part of the country known at Redneck Riviera.

And his campaign was working… until he messed with the donuts.

The Iraq War veteran returned home to Panama City a few years ago and posted warnings on an electronic sign outside his office about some of the foods he liked the least:

• Sweet Tea = Liquid Sugar
• Hamburger = Spare Tire
• French Fries = Thunder Thighs

He also singled out KFC by name to make people think twice before eating fried chicken.

But what seems to have gotten him in trouble was his play on the "American Runs on Dunkin" slogan when he wrote: "American Dies On Dunkin."

Powerful People in Gulf Town Had Had Enough

One local donut shop owner was furious. Two local lawyers who own a new Dunkin Donuts on Panama City Beach turned against him and threatened to sue, forcing the Florida Health Department to remove the anti-fried-dough slogan and then eventually forced him to resign.

The doctor stated that he singled out doughnuts because they are everywhere in America. He'd travel and see two dozen doughnuts in boxes at meetings. He's see doughnuts for the kids in Sunday School. "It was a social expectation thing," said the 6-foot, 167-pound, lean doctor whose county had 39 percent of the adults in the overweight category and 25 percent were considered obese.

His Primary Job Was Education

Dr. Newsom was hired by the state Health Department to direct the county agency with his primary responsibility to educate the public about health issues, which most people felt involved swine flu, AIDS, and associated illnesses. But the doctor took on obesity as well and attacked jelly-filled and sugar-sprinkled lumps of fried dough.

He went as far as banning doughnuts from department meetings and announcing he would throw away the fat-filled delicacies if he found them around the break room. He also banned candy bars in the vending machines, putting in peanuts instead.

How Much Better Would Our Country's Health Be If We Watched What We Ate?

Were his tactics tough? Were his statements brash? Did he create short phrases designed to make you think before stuffing your body full of things that could hurt you?

Of course.

But let me ask this:

1. Would my mother have diabetes right now if she lost the 50 pounds that weigh her down and keep her confined to an "electric chair" where her greatest exercise is pushing a joystick to propel her to the dining room at her retirement community?
2. Would we have such a huge, vitriolic debate about health care if we each stopped to think before stuffing ourselves with sugared and friend foods?
3. Would our children be healthier without all the fattening, sugared drinks that arrive in bottles and cans that overflow our landfills?

How can a citizenry sit by and allow a good person to be fired when he's doing the job he was hired to do simply because he pissed off some wealthy business owners?

Why Do We Spend SO Much For Cure But So Little For Prevention

It's well-known to marketers that selling PREVENTION is nearly impossible… but selling CURE is easy.

• Why do people spend so much for triple-bypass surgery and wonder how they got to that point after disregarding good-eating-practices for 40 years?
• Why is my 86-year old Mom in the hospital several times a year for back pain, diabetes-related problems, and blood problems when she's too stubborn to reduce her weight to a healthier level?
• Why is our country killing itself with food while so much of the rest of the world starves?

Isn't It Time To Stand Up And Say 'I'm Mad As Hell And I'm Not Going To Take This Any Longer'?

A few years ago, our local school board was faced with a dilemma: accept a large contribution from a soda pop company in exchange for putting in their machines in the Middle School cafeteria.

Every school district in the nation needs money, and I'm all for businesses creating partnerships.

And at first I was confused by the Board's lack of desire to pursue this one, but their reasoning became clear: the health of the kids who stay OFF sugared drinks was much more important that the dollars the "deal" would have brought in.

The Board turned down the lucrative offer, and kept the drinks out of the school in favor of water, low-sugar fruit juices, and milk.

The Board members took a stand, and it's time the rest of us did too.

I'm an admitted Dunkin Donuts fan!

Is there a conflict in my being a fan of Dunkin Donuts?

Absolutely not.

In moderation what they offer is fine. Their coffee is good. Their cookies delicious. And their donuts and pastries really hit the spot.

But not to the level that many people eat them. And if I were the county health officer, I'd attack obesity with direct force.

MANY of our health problems come from eating WAY too much. I struggle with eating too much too.

But it's a MATH problem

Too much IN that doesn't get worked OFF equals too much that HANGS AROUND… for a LONG time: killing us prematurely, causing diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart problems – and costing us billions of dollars.

Don't Fire People Like Dr. Newsom – PRAISE Them!

It's ridiculous – hire this guy to do his job and then get the hell out of the way.

Don't let some selfish people with power force him from his message: saving lives is way more important than their personal goals.

Should he tone down the attacks on a brand name? What would you think if that were a tobacco company?

• It's legal to smoke, but it still kills people (with first and second-hand smoke).
• It's legal to eat yourself so fat you can't fit into the seat of an airplane and then you are allowed to sue the airline for not providing you a comfortable seat.
• It's legal to over eat so much that you suffer a heart attack, get rushed to the hospital, and take up precious resources that when someone else comes to the emergency room, you are taking up the space that they need.

Isn't it time we took control?

Tell me what YOU think about this whole topic… your comment will appear below when you leave me a comment.

Phewww… glad I got that off my chest!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr

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Prologue

Why was it so inviting?

• I'd be sleeping on a church floor for five days with nothing but the thin padding of my sleeping bag to comfort me.
• I had so much work to do for my marketing consulting and blogs to write for my UltimateWorkAtHomeDads.com website and wouldn't be near a computer to do it.
• I'd be surrounded with middle school kids, helping to guide them, lead them, drive them (and the more I drive the easier it is for me to fall asleep).
• I'd be away from my home, my wife, my bed, my air conditioning while cleaning driveways, feeding hungry people, walking around a rainy downtown area looking for "good" and stopping to pray.

Oh, sure… there were plenty of reasons to say NO, but still I was called to help, to lead, to grow, to be taught.

And so I went.

July 19 – July 25, 2009 (not getting to bed until 2:42 AM on Saturday – WAY after all the kids did, and I'll explain that in the Diary).

Here's what five seminary students can dream up to support Middle School students who are often left behind when it comes to service projects (because they aren't 16 years old, yet, and insurance won't allow them to handle the "heavy projects" seen in most mission trips).

Five churches (from near Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; two near Nashville, TN; and Swarthmore, PA) gathering for service, fellowship, and meaningful lessons of faith.

So here it is… my personal video diary broken into 5 segments.

Do I expect you to watch it? Heck, NO.

Am I surprised that you are even HERE looking at this? For SURE!

Do I think you'll be MOVED if you get into the spirit and share the joys and tears I went through for this week? ABSOLUTELY.

When we make up our minds that it's time to change from "Success" to "Significance," we look for ways to pay back and pay forward.

In some small way this is one way I chose.

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad since 1983, succeeding in this economy
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Part 1. From Swarthmore To Nashville

• What are the lessons of the loaves and the fishes?
• How well can Middle School kids share their love with others?
• Why it was important for me to meet Janet Lytle Larner during our stop in Staunton, VA
• Why we go on trips like this to help the hungry, the poor, the homeless
• The lessons these kids can teach us as they take a week out of their vacations… lessons of service, caring, love, support
• Why an alarm clock is only a safety net for me, if I use it at all
• What the Widow's Mite story can teach us about giving, service, helping those disenfranchised

Part 2. Looking Ahead To
The Lessons Of The Week

• Secrets from the Prayer Garden behind the church
• Tuesday With Charlie – a preview of the day's activities
• What "washing feet" teaches us about serving others and how to do it
• Why we can't be the same after we serve others
• How to get people to know, like, and trust you
• From Success to Significance and why we turn inward at times like this
• What the "butterfly theory" can teach you
• The mysteries of seeing "it" in their eyes
• Why "pay it back; pay it forward" is so important
• The lessons of Second Harvest – HUGE warehouse of food, hope, spirit, need
• How the generosity of "business" helps
• Why you have to sit down when talking about immigration

Part 3. Wednesday's Preview

• Did the constant rain dampen our spirits?
• How Doug's lesson about helping touched my heart
• Why Quinton's outlook on life inspires
• What Nashville's Rescue Mission, Country Music Hall of Fame, and a Prayer Walk in the rain have in common

Part 4. Reflections on Wednesday

• The sun never came out – what did that do to our plans?
• How our "serving machine" was really "cooking" at the Nashville Rescue Mission
• What do the people we served look like and why were they there?
• Can this meal really feed the soul as well as the body?
• Why did Steven miss the Country Music Hall Of Fame?
• Does East Nashville, in the rain, have any beauty, hope, spirit?
• What do kids think about a Prayer Walk in the rain, and how do they express it in words and images?
• Will an experiment in Silence-For-An-Hour work? Will it speak loudly to our hearts?
• Can My Friends House get boys back on a clean path?
• What my Baby Boomer Bones were saying to me
• How powerful can touch be without any contact?

Part 5. Thoughts at 4:41 AM

• How many more circles under my eyes can I fit?
• What my sinuses were screaming to me
• Why the spirit of giving filled my head
• How My Friends House looked when we left – left it a bit nicer for the boys who find their right path there
• Could we really sweep up, wipe down, and display images on the walls?
• Small steps for food have big impact – how moving bus routes help feed the hungry
• Changing government to make gardening legal again
• The shifting problem of Dorrie's van – "I think I can, I think I can" might not be strong enough
• Combining worship, singing, the Lord's Supper to cap off the week
• How ONE sentence can uplift your neighbor as you put an arm on his/her shoulder

SO…

• What changed over the week?
• What impact on others did we have?
• How were everyone's eyes windows into their souls
• To where does our journey continue?

I can answer SOME of that… but YOU have to answer the rest.

Thanks for visiting. I hope you've gotten something out of this.

I know I have.

Gallup Pole Lists Top Ten Things That Scare People

Interesting to note that DEATH didn't even make the Top Ten List of things that scare people, according to the Gallup Pole as reported in 2009.

And reviewing this list, I really wondered WHY some of these things are on the list. Do people REALLY let their minds just get the better of their emotions and so they are paralyzed with fear?

For whatever the reason, here are the Top Ten:

Fear Number 10 – Water – ok, maybe death really IS on this list, but it's masked by things people fear will kill them.

Fear Number 9 – Storms – lightning, wind, flooding

Fear Number 8 – Public Transportation – Plains, trains, buses. It can't be the pick pockets, so it again must be the fear of dying on one of these, though most of these are safer (statistically) than taking a shower in your own bathroom.

Fear Number 7 – Crowds. Well, maybe the pick pockets are part of THIS fear, but more so it's the fear of the unknown where people lose control. Pushing, trampling, the mob mentality (where the crowd just goes along for the sake of going along).

Fear Number 6 – Tunnels and bridges. Well, with the infrastructure crumbling around us, I understand this one. But I've never had my heart pick up even ONE beat per minute when going over the bridge or through a tunnel. Again, this must deal with loss of control, an unreasoned fear that something can go wrong (like water crushing the tunnel or a bridge falling down). Gee… didn't we get rid of monsters in our beds years ago?

Fear Number 5 – Spiders. Alfred Hitchcock would be so pleased! I'm always the one to kill them in my house when one of the girls gets anxious when there is a spider around.

Fear Number 4 – Heights. OK… so the bridge folks get two birds with one stone for this one. I do admit that going up to the 10 meter diving board as a kid seemed really scary and my stomach and heart leap just thinking about it. And it's not even so much because consciously I fear I will fall… by body just wants to react to this one.

Fear Number 3 – Confined spaces. Elevators don't bother me. And I've never feared being closed into a coffin. Sometimes the thought of one of those old MRI or CAT Scan machines creeps me a bit. No rational reason – I certainly don't think it will crush me, but my heart races just a bit.

Fear Number 2 – Snakes. OK so THIS one is REAL! Too many movies, too much venom dripping from their fangs, too many stories of Harrison Ford filming Raiders of the Lost Arc. They just creep me out.

Fear Number 1 – And I totally do NOT get this one (especially since my family has been in the same local theater for FIVE generations: Public Speaking. Does this come from kindergarten when you got up to speak and someone laughed at you? Do you REALLY think you will forget everything and bullies will come to scream at you? PUBLIC SPEAKING as the number one fear? More than SNAKES or FALLING, of LIGHTNING? I don't get it.

Hope you enjoyed this list. I'm sure it got you thinking.

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad since 1983, succeeding in this economy
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Charlie Seymour Jr – Learn More About Charlie at UltimateWorkAtHomeDads.com

While browsing around one of the many boardwalk shops I saw a novelty item that really caught my eye and made me think a little. (enough to write this article). It was one of those little display pieces that you hang on the wall with a cute saying on it. The saying that caught my eye and made me think was…

“I hope my ship comes in before the dock rots.”

How many people do you know are waiting for their ship to come in? More importantly, what ships are you waiting for?

To some extent we are all “waiting” for the right time to do something. I don't care how “successful” you may be. I just think that people who get more accomplished in their lives are simply waiting for less ships, therefor the math works in the favor.  They've just figured out that if they wait too long the dock will rot because the truth is… No ship is coming!

I am not sure what the analogy should be… Do we spot our ship and then jump in the water and swim to it? Do we charter our own? Pick the one that fits you best. Either way the lesson is…

Go make something happen! Move toward your dreams and goals.

As a still relatively new parent I often catch myself dangerously saying to myself, “When the kids get older I will….” Of course there's some practicality to that thinking. Jamie and I can't just head off to the Bahamas by ourselves without first carefully considering who'd be in charge while we were gone. But when the girls are older, why not??

The danger for us parents is when we wait too long to pursue certain goals. What I have found is that when I go forward  and work on or do something that I thought would not be possible 'now' because of the girls is that things do work out and everyone benefits.

Yes, you are correct! Parents do have to wait a little for certain things. But when it comes to your dreams, your goals or anything  else just begin to move forward a little a time. It can be the most simple of things… Maybe you'd like to do martial arts or play a sport that you haven't played since you were a kid. Maybe you'd like to write that book that's inside of you. Make time for it and start a little a time. Other wise -  your dock just may rot!

Mike Dolpies (AKA- Mike D.) is the author of the forthcoming book Motion Before Motivation, The Success Secret That Never Fails. He spent 10 years as the owner and operator of a professional martial arts school. He now helps martial arts business owners achieve their own dreams and goals through his coaching. He has interacted with 1000’s of kids and parents over the years. He has helped his clients and their children achieve greater amounts of self-confidence, self-esteem, fitness and self-discipline. He is the publisher of “Raising Real Winners, The Audio Magazine of Successful Parenting.”  www.raisingrealwinners.com/nh You can learn more at www.askmiked.com