In college, as I flew once in awhile, I always got a window seat – I wanted to be able to watch the ground pass below me. The wonderment of it all – the patterns and beauty of looking out the window was overwhelming. Yes, I would sometimes read or do something else, but much of the flight I would sit… and stare… and be in wonder of it all.

Soon after I started working, I found myself flying a bit more, and it became clear that during my business life that I would fly. I mentioned once to my Mom, who loves to fly, that I’d never lose that great feeling that an airplane flight brings – and that I would always get window seats.

Somewhere along the way from flying once every couple months to flying 100,000 miles per year I moved to the aisle. I lost the wonder of it all. Last week, I had a window seat and stopped working or reading long enough to spend some time looking out the window. Today, as I write this, I have just finished 20 minutes of window gazing. Some of the wonder is back!
There are many things in our lives that we once considered wonderful (full of wonder). Many of those things we now take for granted. All of this makes me wonder, where the wonder has gone.

Where’s the Wonder?

I believe seeing the wonder in things around us is one of the ways we make our lives more meaningful and enjoyable. This is one of the reasons we go on vacations. Yes, some people’s vacations consist of little more than a beach (which can be wonderful in many ways!). But many more people take time to learn new things on vacations, by going to museums and art galleries. Many of us travel to exotic places to marvel at sites, and cultures and foods. Wonder plays a big part in the allure of these trips and the satisfaction gained from the experiences.

You may be thinking, is wonder really such a big deal? I would say a resounding yes! Why? Think about it, the absence of wonder, is often called boredom, or worse, cynicism. These are not things that people aspire to!

While we can all certainly experience wonder in new things – new locations, new experiences, new books, new ideas, I believe I found an important key to a more enjoyable life outside the plane window. That key is to add more wonder to life by re-capturing past wonder, and finding new wonder in the things I do each day.

Re-discovering Wonder

There are several things we can do to add to the wonder in our lives – to make our lives more wonder-full.

1. Look at things with fresh eyes. Think about things that have become habit for you. The next time you do them, do them as if you were a beginner again. Start with your drive or commute to work. Make it an exercise in finding wonder. For example, perhaps you go by a school on your way. Spend some time thinking about things from your kidhood days in school. Then try this “fresh-eyed” approach to other routine tasks.

2. Make a list of things you found wonderful at different stages in your life. If you write a journal do it there. If not, make these lists instead of watching TV one evening. Once you have the list, spend some time reveling in those wonders. Think too about how you could re-experience those things again.

3. Make a list of wonders you find each day or week. Again, a great journaling task, or a great routine to add to your planning for a new week.

4. Plan a mini-vacation or a day trip to someplace wonderful for you. I grew up on a farm, so a drive in the country in spring or fall is particularly helpful in restoring my sense of wonder in the growing process. Others might find your mini day to be boring – help them see your wonder – and in turn you will experience your own at a deeper level. Then go with them when they try to recapture their own.

5. Go to an old event, focused on different things. The next time you go to a ball game, focus less on the action, and more on the spectators, or vice versa. Go shopping and shop for something entirely different than you usually would. You get the idea.

These are just a few ideas to help you re-infuse your life with wonder. This idea is really taking hold in my life, in small ways each day is more wonder-full and more meaningful as well.

I believe when you choose to rediscover your wonder, you’ll benefit in the same ways.

You know, the Mississippi River is an awesome sight from 31,000 feet.

Many times, during the next 16 years, I tried to go back to church, but it seemed like every time we attempted, things would happen to remind me why I left in the first place. I don’t want to dwell here on the particular reasons why I left my old church, but I do want to say that because of everything that happened, I developed major doubts about the even the existence of God. I started to think that maybe what I experienced was a lie. I mean, how could a loving God, who says that we have a choice to love Him or not, torment those who choose not to love Him? If someone were to do this in our society, we would put them in jail for this crime. Is it really a choice if we choose not to love Him and He tortures us when we choose not to love Him, by sending us to the Lake of Fire for eternity?

During my backslidden years, I spoke to several ministers and friends in the church about my unanswered questions about the “choice” that God has given us, but none could answer to my satisfaction. Nothing ever made sense to me, so I continued turning away from God. Through these years, my family was doing well. My husband and I had really good jobs, making nearly $100,000 a year. We had a nice, big house on a hill, new cars, motorcycle, and some money in our pockets.

Suddenly, in 2002, it all came crashing down! My husband and I both lost our jobs the same year, within 3 months of each other! We hung on for as long as we could, but went through all of our savings and eventually lost the house, cars, motorcycle and everything! My husband is a pharmacy technician with about 15 years of experience, working for Blue Care Network and even U of M Hospital in Ann Arbor, but he couldn’t even get an interview for a possible pharmacy technician position, let alone a job. I am a graphic designer/network administrator with about 15 years of experience, as well, and worked for EDS, GM, Delco, Delphi, and other companies, but couldn’t get an interview, either.

Finally, when we got to the bottom, and the only direction we could go was up, we turned to God. We asked Him to help us and I was able to get a job. It didn’t pay as much as my last job, but was within a few dollars an hour. So I took the job. At least it was a job. It took my wife another year before she got a job. It wasn’t in her field, and it was half the pay, but it was a job. Now, with our financial situation at least afloat, we didn’t need God and stopped talking to Him. Slowly, things started getting bad. My boss was unbearable to work for. I also started getting sick on a regular basis, causing me to miss work, which caused my boss to make it even more difficult to work for. This is the type of person who doesn’t trust anyone and tells you that he doesn’t trust you.

He even dug through my trash, while sitting next to me, to see what I had written down and thrown away! He would always come around the corner real fast and look at my monitor to see what I was doing. I was never treated like a grown-up, but a child. So I decided to start my own computer business and leave this job. Since my wife was working, and I already had some customers, I decided to take the plunge. At first, things were going well, but then things got bad, and then worse. For nearly 3 months, I got hardly any computer jobs. I design websites and work on computers and networks, but the work just seemed to disappear. Eventually, we were pretty much living on my wife’s income, which just barely paid the rent, let alone any food, gas, utilities, etc. Things were looking hopeless.

Finally, we got back to the place where there was nowhere else to turn, but God. So, with my tail between my legs, I turned to God and told Him that we are at the bottom again. I told Him that it seems like every time things fall apart, and there is nowhere else to turn, that I come crawling back to Him. I told Him that we have no food, we can’t pay the rent, we have no gas to get to work or get the kids to school (school is a half hour away from our house). The heat was about to be turned off, my business phone was about to be disconnected, without which I couldn’t make any money.

My landlord was upset that the rent was again 3 weeks behind, and we had nearly two weeks to go before my wife got paid. I didn’t know what to do, so I told God that if he got us out of this mess that I would serve Him. I told Him that I had to pay the rent within the next few days, and that I needed to feed my family and had no food. I told Him that if he fixed my immediate need and helped with the long-term need that I would know that He really existed and that he cared about me and my family. I also told Him that if he did this for me that I would be a witness for Him, that God does exactly what He says he will do and that all we have to do is ask and He will provide, even to a sinner/backslider like me, who has turned his back on God and gone back on his word so many times.

God still loves us and cares about us. I told Him that I would tell everyone about what He did here, if He would get us out of this crisis. In fact, I challenged God to show me his glory and to impress me with a miracle so that my family and I could see that it HAD to be God who did this, that it could in no way be a coincidence that things just got better.

That night, I got a call from a friend of mine who told me that his girlfriend is a manager of a CPA firm and is having problems with her server and all of her computers and wants my help to fix them. He said that it will probably be a really big job, so I could make a good amount of money from them. He asked if I was interested, of which I said, YES! Within a day, I was asked to come out and help them with a problem that their proprietary accounting software company couldn’t help them with, after working with them for days on the problem. I told them that I would give it a shot and that I could probably help them (not even knowing this software or the specific problems that they were having).

On the way to the CPA job, I received a call on my cell phone from another friend of mine, who asked if I was still doing graphic design. I told him that I was mainly doing web design now, but could still do graphic design. He wanted to know if I could do some jobs for him and I gladly told him, yes. He said that it will probably be a few jobs and may turn into regular work, and was I still interested. I said, YES! Since he lost his regular designer, he is going to start sending me the work to do, which I will be able to do from home, and not drive one to two hours away to work at their office. Wow! I was really starting to get impressed with what God was doing and I actually laughed out loud in my car!

While driving to the CPA office, I asked God to help me on this job, since I didn’t know the software. They were also using an older network protocol that I was only vaguely familiar with, and didn’t know if I could help them or not, but since God gave me this job, I knew He would help me figure it out. When I got there, I took a look at what the problem was and had it figured out in 15 minutes. The company who sold them the software had eventually given up on them and told them flat out that they weren’t going to be able to fix the problem. God helped me fix it within minutes! In fact, it scared me that I had it fixed too quickly. Now that they were operational, there was no need to keep me there.

I was afraid that I wouldn’t be making very much money on this job. So I spoke to my friend’s girlfriend and told her that I heard that their computers were running pretty slowly and asked if she wanted me to give them tune-ups. She said, yes, and didn’t even ask me how much. It took me 2 days to complete the tune-ups. I also quoted converting their network to a newer network protocol and installing a new server, which was approved by the boss within a day (even though she told me that money was tight and it would probably have to wait a couple of months). Within a few days, I made about $1500 from this company, because of the Lord!

While I was at this CPA firm, I overheard one of the workers there say that she was having trouble with her home computers and her Internet. I asked her if she needed help and she said that she would love some help, but it would probably be a nightmare to work on her problems. I told her that it would be no problem and that I could give her a hand. At lunch time that day, I followed her to her home and looked over her computer problems, after which I came back with a network job and a check for $250!

When I got home, I had a message on my business answering machine that someone else needed help with their computer, and I made another $99 fixing his computer.

The next day, I got a similar call about another computer problem, but this one is turning into a regular client. It is a retired rich person who needs ongoing help with their computer and is looking for a local person to keep their computer running and help with computer training.

Within these couple of days after my prayer to God, I also received a call from a guy who is starting a high-speed wireless Internet service for the Columbiaville, MI area (where I live). A month prior, I agreed to be a reseller for this service, since I too live in Columbiaville, and this would be a great service to offer to our community because there is no high-speed Internet access available. Previously, we had met and had hit if off right away. He also has a small computer company, and by all rights, we should be enemies, since we are competitors. However, that wasn’t the case. We decided to make it work, so that it benefited both of our small companies. Well, one of the services that his company provides is a specialized service that requires him to travel across the U.S., installing and configuring POS systems in various businesses.

While on his way back from Wisconsin, recently, his very large, top-heavy van hit some black ice, which caused him to spin out of control. He was on a small, winding road in the hills, where there was no guard railing and there was a steep drop-off. He told me later that it was only by the grace of God that he didn’t roll the van off the embankment, where he would have surely died! If it would have been inches in either direction, the van would have caught in such a way that it would have flipped and went over the cliff! This got him thinking that if he would ever die, that his wife wouldn’t be cared for, since there would be no one to continue working the technical end of the business.

So he called me (still within a day or so of my prayer to God about providing for my family) and asked me if I would be willing to be his partner and to take over, should he ever die. He wanted to make it legal and to put it in his will, as well as have a legal agreement with me, explaining what my responsibilities would be, and what percentage of the company I would receive while he is alive, and also after his death. He said that he got a certain vibe from me and he trusts me. He wanted to slowly work me into the business full time and would eventually make me a full partner, making a percentage of the businesses’ profit, plus a regular salary (without buying into his business). This is NEVER done! You don’t just get handed a partnership, where the other partner puts up all of the money. It could only have been the Lord!

One of my promises to God (in return for doing this for me) was that I would tell everyone what He has done. I first told my son. I explained everything that I just told you. Then, I called one of my brothers. I told him that I always wanted to come back to God, but I wanted to do it when things were going well. It seemed like every time things were going badly, I always came crying back to God and he would make things a little better, and then I would drift away. I didn’t want Him to think that I only came to Him because I needed something from Him. I wanted to come back to God because I loved Him and wanted to serve Him, not because I messed up again and needed His help out of another jam (well, it made sense to me).

After telling my brother about what God had done for me, I told him that I still had a problem with the “choice” thing. I understand that God is real, since there was a dramatic response to my plea for help, but I still had a problem with being forced to love someone who says you have a choice to love Him, but will torture you if you don’t. Then I heard a little chuckle over the phone line. My brother said that this might be his fault and my father’s. I said that I didn’t understand. He proceeded to tell me that since my family and I had left church, he and my father always prayed for us. They used to pray that the Lord would lead us back to church and that He would bless us and help us. And He did.

During this time we were blessed with the good jobs, nice cars, and extra money. Then, he said that he and my Dad noticed that things were going so well for us that it seemed like we thought we didn’t need God any more. Why ask for help if you don’t need it? So, they decided to pray for me in a different way. They started praying for God to do whatever it takes for us to get back into church. After that is when we started losing everything, which caused us to turn back to God and ask for help. It worked, for a short period of time. This was when I got the job after a year of being laid off. And you know the rest.

So, after hearing my brother tell me all of this, it became clear as a bell, and I said, “So YOU are the one! You are the one who is the cause of all of this mess!” And he started laughing. He said that he hoped I wasn’t upset, since he and my Dad may have caused the “Job” effect on my family, but it was to get my attention. Actually, it did get my attention. It took a few years, but I turned back to God. But most of all, I now see exactly what is going on and I also understand the “choice” thing. After fighting with the choice vs. torment conundrum, I finally see. I was looking at it all wrong before. What I thought was happening was that since I wouldn’t love God,

He was causing all of these bad things to happen in my life… loss of jobs, house, cars, motorcycle, money, sanity, etc. But that wasn’t the case. It was because I had friends and family praying to God, asking Him to do whatever it takes to get my attention, so that I would turn back to Him. So in reality, it wasn’t even God doing it to me, taking away my choice to not serve him, it was the prayers of God-loving people that caused my financial downfall, which in turn, caused me to turn back to God for help. God wasn’t taking away my choice, and twisting my arm so that I would love Him. He was answering prayers of people whom He had given a choice, and chose God.

When I realized what was happening, I broke down and cried on the phone, while talking with my brother. I told him that it was the first time in 16 years that I finally understood the “choice” thing, and that we truly did have a choice. And I finally understood that when we don’t choose God, he doesn’t twist our arm until we choose Him. He twists our arm when people, who chose to love Him, ask Him to do so. He is just answering prayer. So, once I understood this, I told my brother to ask God to let me up now! I told him to tell God that He doesn’t have to twist my arm any more, I understand, and am coming back for good. I told him to now start praying that things get better for us, and he did, and they have!

This same brother has also been going through some tough times, financially. His health is pretty bad and he is disabled. His wife has had a hard time finding work, after being laid off from her job last year. I decided to return the favor and ask God to help his family, financially, and to help relieve some of the financial burden that they have. This was during the few days that I was working for the CPA. One of the 3 days that I was at the CPA firm, I overheard them talking about hiring a new girl for a receptionist job and that they needed to find someone right away. I asked the manager what type of person they needed and she told me. I told them that I knew someone looking for a job. They told me to get them her resume right away and they would interview her.

So I told my brother, who got his wife’s resume over to their office, and she was hired the same day of the interview, making really good money! So not only did God work it out so that this CPA job helped my family, but also turned it into a win-win situation where my brother’s family benefited from it as well!

Because of the incredible quickness of the Lord’s response, I was able to pay the rent, buy some food, and pay a couple of bills within just a couple of days of my initial prayer for immediate help. I continued to pray and live right every day after that, and it only got better! But remember when I asked for immediate help and long term help? The immediate help couldn’t have been much more immediate and everything worked out perfectly. The long term help came from the wireless reseller.

Not only is he making me a permanent partner within a couple of months, but while he was at another out-of-state job in Louisiana, he met an investor that was looking for a wireless Internet company to setup an infrastructure in Shreveport, LA, one that could service 60,000 users, including a military base. While talking with my partner, the investor asked if he had a business plan for his wireless business that he was starting here in Michigan. He, in fact, had it in his back pocket at the time, and was able to show it to him. It included cost breakdowns, phases of development and expansion, and so on. He was impressed and told him that he could have the money within a day of whenever he would be ready to get started in LA. So, within 6 to 8 months from now, I am going to be a big part of a very long term project and very large wireless Internet business with a guaranteed client base of 60,000 people, not to mention a multi-city, high speed wireless business here in Michigan! Something like this just doesn’t get handed to people.

There is NO way that it could be anything else but God intervening in my situation and doing exactly what I asked him to do: provide immediate financial help for my family, as well as meet our long term financial need, and do it in such as way that it would be a miracle that only He could do. Remember when I challenged God to impress me with a miracle? Well, He did EXACTLY that! I get chills just thinking about how he connected all of the dots for me and intertwined each of the miracles together so that everything happened for a reason, and not only benefited me, but when I asked for help for my brother’s situation, he combined my miracle with one for my brother!

Oh, I almost forgot… through all of this, I also asked God to heal my Dad of his sickness. He has been ill a very long time, where he has a low oxygen level and gets tired very quickly. For a long time he hasn’t been able to do very much of anything for any length of time. Today, he told me that he finally feels human and came out the other side! This is huge! I am thanking God for this miracle and accepting it as a miracle of healing for my Dad. He has been to all kinds of doctors and specialists, both here and out of state, but no one can find the cause or fix the problem. I am claiming this as an answer to prayer and a miracle of healing for my Dad.

Now that I have seen what I have seen, I feel like Doubting Thomas. I needed to see the nail-scared hands and touch His wounds to believe, but at least I believe. Even though it took a little more for Thomas to be convinced that Jesus did what He said He would do, at least he finally believed and was saved. He went on to be a great Apostle for Jesus. I pray that I can be at least a fraction of that for Him.

I hope my testimony has helped you in some way to see that we do have a choice, and that God will do what we ask of Him (if it is in His will), and if we trust in Him and turn to Him. He can and will perform miracles in our lives! God loves us and wants to have a loving relationship with each of us. If God will grant ME a miracle (knowing the state that I was in), then I know He will do the same for YOU! You just have to trust in Him, have faith, and just ask!

The problem started when my daughter took a break from her homework to eat dinner. She asked me if she could take it in her room and work on it while watching TV.

(Not a good idea, BTW). Even the best of us moms have our weak moments. )

Anyhow, by the time dinner was over, there was no homework to be found.

As with all lost items, I suggested the usual mom replies. “Retrace your steps.” “Think, where was the last place you wrote an answer down on it.”

She spent 15 minutes of looking, another 10 minutes of tears for fear of getting detention, during her first week of middle school, (for not turning in homework.) All the tears and whining in frustration were followed with another 10 minutes of both of us looking, and still no homework.

Can you relate?

I bet as a mom, you have probably, been there, done that, if not with homework, with a child’s shoes, your car keys. etc…..

I had recently been reading and studying up on manifesting your life, and creating the life you want by projecting a positive attitude, following your intuition. I had been real motivated and psyched with what I was learning.

“Okay mom, I thought to myself,” “now you can put all this philosophy to the test.”

I said,

“Let’s kneel down on the floor right now, and ask God to help us find your homework.” She started to giggle as if to say, but she knew not to dare say it out loud, “Yeah right, Mom!”

We knelt down and I lead her in a short but to the point prayer. Although small in time, it was still filled with gratitude but we did request immediate help to find her homework.

I can see some of you laughing at me, as this story unfolds.

As soon as we were done, I stood up. I told her to take a deep breath and relax. I did the same. Then I went to the kitchen. I thought to myself, “maybe she was still hungry and brought the homework out here while looking for something else to eat.”

I started to walk to the refrigerator. ) Well who knows, it could have been in there. But before I even got that far, I glanced over to the counter, and there sat her homework packet, on top of the toaster.

I picked it up and took it back to the living room. Now remember, I told her to take a deep breath and relax. She wasn’t even through relaxing and I had already found her homework.

Needless to say, my daughter had a hard time believing that I hadn’t known it was there all along.

She did know that though, because she had heard my anguish and frustration just minutes earlier with her misplacing it.

Was it just coincidence? Did I just get lucky?

I believe we create our own luck. I have been studying hard lately to eliminate negative thoughts and replace them with power affirming thoughts instead.

I believe God did just what I asked him too. It was my intuition that led me to the kitchen with the thought about her maybe being hungry. The fact that she might have been looking for food when she set down her homework led me straight to the toaster.

In my humble opinion, it was God who planted those thoughts into my mind, because we asked him for some help. When He answers us so quickly, it is really almost impossible not to believe and have faith.

If it was only that easy to have the same type of faith if we were to ask to win the lottery, (which I don’t feel is really an appropriate prayer,however). To believe that he could remove all thought, or doubt in our minds that we wouldn’t, it might just happen too.

How many of you can honestly say, when you buy a lottery ticket, it is an absolute winner, that you have not one flickering of a doubt that you will have the winning numbers? You would have to have miraculous faith to do this.

You can’t really, because it is next to impossible for the human mind, knowing the odds of actually winning, to eliminate all traces of doubt in that particular scenerio. Some of those thoughts are buried so deep in your subconscious that you are not even aware of them.

In contrast though, it was fairly easy for me to have faith that God could help me find my daughter’s homework, because I knew it hadn’t grown feet and walked out the door. )

“I’ll be right there, Ally,” he said calmly. Ally could not contain herself and certainly could not sit. After two minutes, her father walked into the living room to greet her.

Without even saying ‘Hello’ or letting her Father say ‘Hello,’ Ally burst into words.

“Dad! Dad! You’ve gotta meet this woman who spoke at my school this afternoon. She’s one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met! Her name is Alecia Manning and she’s part owner of this R & B club downtown that just opened. She’s invited the entire school to come by anytime to check out what she’s created through inspiration. ”

“Ally, I’m tickled that you’re excited,” her Father said with joy. “When are you planning on going to this R & B club?” “Tomorrow – Friday,” said Ally. “Tomorrow night, I have an appointment with Evans…” “Dad! Why can’t –“ “BUT,” He interrupted his daughter. “I will phone Evans and let him know if we can schedule an earlier appointment. He’s pretty cool about those things. Ally, I have got to meet anyone who inspires you this much!” “Dad!” she said with exasperation. “I will be at the club tomorrow night. I have always done the things that were important to you. I have always made time to see all of your home Varsity basketball games. I have rearranged appointments to see your away games.” “You’re right, Dad. You have been there for me since Mom died. I know you’re doing your best to do what Mom used to do for me and –“ “No, Ally,” he interjected. “What your Mother did for you was amazing. No one can take her place.” Father and daughter hugged tearfully.

The next night, Mr. Becker went to the club’s entrance only to find a couple of men standing guard. Both men looked like they could play defense for any NFL team. “I’m sorry, sir,” one of the men said regretfully. “You’re gonna have to stay here for a few minutes.” “That’s fine,” said Mr. Becker. Becker pulled out his cell phone and made a call while he was waiting. As soon as he hung up his mobile phone, he heard a loud joyful female yell.

“Mr. Becker?!?” yelled the woman. “Alecia?” asked Mr. Becker pleasantly surprised. The woman ran to him and gave him a gigantic hug. “Oh, I’m sorry, Mrs. Manning,” said one of the men at the entrance. “I didn’t know he was with you.” “That’s alright, Wyatt,” Alecia said to the man with a huge smile. “This is a very dear friend. The man who I told you all about that gave me the chance to start and succeed. The man who helped me get scholarships from the store where I worked and where he was store manager.” Mr. Becker smiled proudly of the woman. The woman continued, “Mr. Becker is the man who got me reasonable daycare for my son, Alfonzo. He’s 11 now.”

“Alfonzo is 11?” asked Mr. Becker with disbelief. “Was it really ten years ago, Alecia? You were just out of high school and it was just you and little Alonzo.” “Big Alonzo, now!” exclaimed Alecia. They both laughed heartily. “You’re the Alecia who inspired my daughter,” Mr. Becker said with affirmation. Alecia and Mr. Becker walked through the club’s entrance and he was amazed by all that Alecia was responsible for. “You always said that you wanted to open a club. You did it!” said Mr. Becker sounding like a proud Father. “Thanks to you,” Alecia said with a tear in her eye. “Ten years ago, you’re the only one who believed in me, Mr. Becker. You always told me that whatever I strove for, I could get.” “Remember what I used to always tell you about Michael Jordan,” Mr. Becker reminded her. “He was not a great high school basketball player, but all it took was one person to tell him that he believed in him.” “Just like you did with me,” Alecia reminded Becker. “I remember you as Alecia Harris when you worked at the store,” recalled Becker. “Yes I was Alecia Harris, then Jamal and I got married,” she explained. “You and Jamal got married?” Becker asked gleefully. “Five years ago.” “Congratulations!” “Thanks,” she grinned. “I didn’t know his last name,” Becker said apologetically. “Otherwise, I probably would have known you were the one who inspired my daughter by the talk you gave at her school this afternoon. “Yes, I did give that talk this afternoon. Mr. Becker, my schedule can be so hectic nowadays with promoting the club and giving talks to students. It’s hard to keep track of what I did yesterday.”

As the two continued to talk, a high school gal walked up to them. “Dad! Mrs. Manning!” she said with delight. Becker and Alecia smiled. “Well, Hello Ally,” said Alecia. “Mr. Becker is your Father?” Alecia was delighted with wonder. “You two KNOW each other?” asked Ally. “Yes,” said Alecia. Ally’s jaw dropped as Alecia continued. “He’s the man I spoke about this afternoon at your school who used to tell me all the time about the Michael Jordan High School story. He’s the one who inspired me to earn my Bachelor’s degree.” “MY Dad is the one who did that for you?” Ally asked in amazement. “Yep,” Alecia said affirmatively. “You see, Ally,“ she continued. “Your Dad knows more than you think.” She looked at Becker. “My Dad tells me that Michael Jordan story all of the time,” gasped Ally. “He’s right, you know,” said Alecia convincingly. “All it DOES take is one person to tell you that he or she believes in you.” “Wow!” Ally said with newfound excitement and knowledge. “My Dad IS pretty cool after all.” They all laughed.

I am Stephen Hill from England. I had many issues as I grew up from a child, through the teenage years, and finally to adulthood which had a damaging affect on my confidence levels. These included:

A bald patch on my head

A speech impediment known as a stutter

A weight problem, I was basically too fat

I am quite short at five foot two

Certain people I met would be quite nasty and would try to make fun of me. They would succeed as I would be very hurt from their comments, even though I tried to never show it.

These people were making my life a misery and by the age of twenty-two I had had enough. I decided I needed a big change in attitude and started to read books about life and about positive thinking etc.

These were the things I had to take on board:

It is not important what other people think of you, it is what you think that counts

You need to start to like yourself

There are various things about your person, you do not like but which you can not change. You therefore have to start accepting these things and realising that maybe there are other people in life who are more unfortunate than you.

You need to have respect for yourself

Do not accept second best in life

Be happy

I tried hard to implement this advice and even though it was not easy to change, I knew I had to. I basically live life to the full now and try not to worry about anything trivial.

Al though two people can be miles and miles apart, they can still talk to each other. How can that be, since there is no connection between one another? The illusion is that they are separated, however, the truth is, they are still connected invisibly by a stream of energy.

Depending on the strength of the frequency, the louder and clear they can communicate with one another. That is assuming that both are communicating on the same channel. Life operates the same way. When we have a desire, we are sending a frequency to the universe, and the universe response to us immediately.

Most people would argue that their requests are not being granted. The truth is, that each request is always granted, what they don’t seem to understand is that their request is either not clear, or that they may be operating on a different channel, or frequency. You may ask, how could that be? Simple.

On a conscious level we send our request. On a unconscious level we decide which channel we are communicating on. For example, “more money” might be set on channel 3. So consciously people would be broadcasting, “I desire more money.” The challenge is, they are broadcasting it on channel 5.

That being the case, what governs the channels unconsciously? Our beliefs. The universe is always giving you that which you “believe” you deserve, not that which you desire. When what you desire and what you believe are the same, the universe will manifested it immediately? Why, because all you need to do is ask, and you shall receive.

So how do we change our channels unconsciously so that it will match our request? The same way we created them. We created our beliefs by using life experiences that we attached a meaning to. For example, we asked someone to dance and the person said no. The truth, is, there are many reasons why that person said no. It could be that she/he had a partner, or that she/he was shy. Who knows, she/he may really wanted to dance with you but was embarrassed. Notice that the reasons had nothing to do with you. However, most people take things personally or just add their own story.

In this case, since the person might have felt rejected, he/she might have thought that there was something wrong with him/her. And since the feeling was not pleasant, the person uses that as a reference point which stops him/her for asking someone else to dance.

So later on, he/she wants a loving relationship which can be broadcast on channel 7, however, his/her beliefs operates on channel 2 which avoids relationships for fear of being hurt.

So to change that belief the person would need to change the channel to let’s say 4 which might be, “giving a chance to just meet someone.” Once they see how the universe brings someone into their space, use that as reference for future request. That way a new belief is being cultivated so in the future, that person is operating on a frequency that is more consistent with the frequency he/she is broadcasting consciously.

That is why the rich gets richer because once they have attuned themselves to the frequency of abundance, they simple keep attracting more of that abundance which solidify their belief. It becomes a never ending cycle.

And that is what the Manifest Mircacles Online Video Class teaches. How to align yourself into that space where you become a miracle maker.

But thankfully some have done so beautifully and poignantly. As Mother’s Day approaches, they provide inspiration for us to express to our own mothers how we feel about them and reflection for our own roles as mothers. Here are 12 of my favorite quotes about motherhood that are sure make you at least a little weepy … in no particular order:

1. The real religion of the world comes from women much more than from men — from mothers most of all, who carry the key of our souls in their bosoms. — Oliver Wendell Holmes

2. She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn’t take them along. — Margaret Culkin Banning

3. A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. — Washington Irving

4. My mother is a poem
I’ll never be able to write,
though everything I write
is a poem to my mother.
– Sharon Doubiago

5. Whatever else is unsure in this stinking dunghill of a world a mother’s love is not. — James Joyce

6. The best conversations with mothers always take place in silence, when only the heart speaks. — Carrie Latet

7. My mother’s love for me was so great I have worked hard to justify it. — Marc Chagall

8. My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual, and physical education I received from her. — George Washington

9. The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world. — W.R. Wallace

10. If you bungle raising your children, I don’t think whatever else you do well matters very much. — Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis

11. A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. — Tenneva Jordan

12. To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power. — Maya Angelou

What are your favorite quotes about motherhood?

Image via Dawn Huczek Flickr

Article via Julie Ryan Evans from Cafe Mom

This post serves as a reminder, an acknowledgement, a song of praise, if you will, for women. It’s important you realize just how powerful and wonderful you are as a woman, as a female, as someone who has a unique blueprint different from the male of our species. Your gift is priceless when used well with integrity and you conduct yourself from this seat of female power. It’s not the media’s and popular culture’s representation of female wiles, cunning, and manipulation. No, it’s the power of the nurturer and spiritual values.

I speak partly from my own experience that has a depth and richness that is so hard to explain. It also includes influence from historical perspectives and the recognition that almost every great man in history has attributed a large part of their success to the great woman in their life. I attribute it to the call in my heart and the need in my soul for that connection and healing balm that only the company of a woman can provide. How can words possibly express such complexity and yet such simplicity so that it is understood and owned by all women.

It is my desire to empower each of you to be the greatest woman you can be. If I had any advice for your day-to-day living, I’d say look to women who are mature in experience and who have a healthy perspective on love, life, and relationships. Women who are successful in their relationships and careers without compromising the highest values that ring so true in all of our hearts.

I can also say that I have much to offer in one-on-one coaching as a result of my own life experience with women and my perspective on the unique power of women. I do this with female clients in my coaching business now and it is a huge honor for me. It pains my heart to see women limiting themselves due to poor self image and beliefs developed from family, peers, society, media and boys or men who have caused pain.

Don’t hold back, be all that you are made to be.

Yes, one man can make a difference, but the truth is, Women make all the difference!

Peace, love, harmony – it is power.

Be divinely beautiful; it radiates from within.

Best wishes, Bronzi

Make a Difference

photo source Labella Vida

As children, over time, we got used to hearing, No, Don’t, and Can’t. No! Don’t do this. Don’t do that. You can’t do this. You can’t do that. No! Many of our parents told us to keep quiet and not disturb the adults by asking silly questions. This pattern continued into high school with our teachers telling us what we could do and couldn’t do and what was possible. Then many of us got hit with the big one institutionalized formal education known as college or university. Unfortunately, the traditional educational system doesn’t teach students how to become leaders; it teaches students how to become polite order takers for the corporate world. Instead of learning to become creative, independent, self-reliant, and think for themselves, most people learn how to obey and intelligently follow rules to keep the corporate machine humming.

“The miracle power that elevates the few is to be found in their industry, application, and perseverance, under the promptings of a brave determined spirit.” – Mark Twain

Developing the Leader in you to live your highest life, then, requires a process of unlearning by self-remembering and self-honoring. Being an effective leader again will require you to be brave and unlock the door to your inner attic, where your childhood dreams lie, going inside to the heart. Based on my over ten years research in the area of human development and leadership, here are ten easy steps you can take to awaken the Leader in you and rekindle your passion for greatness.

1. Humility. Leadership starts with humility. To be a highly successful leader, you must first humble yourself like a little child and be willing to serve others. Nobody wants to follow someone who is arrogant. Be humble as a child, always curious, always hungry and thirsty for knowledge. For what is excellence but knowledge plus knowledge plus knowledge – always wanting to better yourself, always improving, always growing. When you are humble, you become genuinely interested in people because you want to learn from them. And because you want to learn and grow, you will be a far more effective listener, which is the #1 leadership communication tool. When people sense you are genuinely interested in them, and listening to them, they will naturally be interested in you and listen to what you have to say.

2. SWOT Yourself. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Although it’s a strategic management tool taught at Stanford and Harvard Business Schools and used by large multinationals, it can just as effectively be used in your own professional development as a leader. This is a useful key to gain access to self-knowledge, self-remembering, and self-honoring. Start by listing all your Strengths including your accomplishments. Then write down all your Weaknesses and what needs to be improved. Make sure to include any doubts, anxieties, fears, and worries that you may have. These are the demons and dragons guarding the door to your inner attic. By bringing them to conscious awareness you can begin to slay them. Then proceed by listing all the Opportunities you see available to you for using your strengths. Finally, write down all the Threats or obstacles that are currently blocking you or that you think you will encounter along the way to achieving your dreams.

3. Follow Your Bliss. Regardless of how busy you are, always take time to do what you love doing. Being an alive and vital person vitalizes others. When you are pursuing your passions, people around you cannot help but feel impassioned by your presence. This will make you a charismatic leader. Whatever it is that you enjoy doing, be it writing, acting, painting, drawing, photography, sports, reading, dancing, networking, or working on entrepreneurial ventures, set aside time every week, ideally two or three hours a day, to pursue these activities. Believe me, you’ll find the time. If you were to video tape yourself for a day, you would be shocked to see how much time goes to waste!

4. Dream Big. If you want to be larger than life, you need a dream that’s larger than life. Small dreams won’t serve you or anyone else. It takes the same amount of time to dream small than it does to dream big. So be Big and be Bold! Write down your One Biggest Dream. The one that excites you the most. Remember, don’t be small and realistic; be bold and unrealistic! Go for the Gold, the Pulitzer, the Nobel, the Oscar, the highest you can possibly achieve in your field. After you ve written down your dream, list every single reason why you CAN achieve your dream instead of worrying about why you can’t.

5. Vision. Without a vision, we perish. If you can’t see yourself winning that award and feel the tears of triumph streaming down your face, it’s unlikely you will be able to lead yourself or others to victory. Visualize what it would be like accomplishing your dream. See it, smell it, taste it, hear it, feel it in your gut.

6. Perseverance. Victory belongs to those who want it the most and stay in it the longest. Now that you have a dream, make sure you take consistent action every day. I recommend doing at least 5 things every day that will move you closer to your dream.

7. Honor Your Word. Every time you break your word, you lose power. Successful leaders keep their word and their promises. You can accumulate all the toys and riches in the world, but you only have one reputation in life. Your word is gold. Honor it.

8. Get a Mentor. Find yourself a mentor. Preferably someone who has already achieved a high degree of success in your field. Don’t be afraid to ask. You’ve got nothing to lose. Mentors.ca is an excellent mentoring website and a great resource for finding local mentoring programs. They even have a free personal profile you can fill out in order to potentially find you a suitable mentor. In addition to mentors, take time to study autobiographies of great leaders that you admire. Learn everything you can from their lives and model some of their successful behaviors.

9. Be Yourself. Use your relationships with mentors and your research on great leaders as models or reference points to work from, but never copy or imitate them like a parrot. Everyone has vastly different leadership styles. History books are filled with leaders who are soft-spoken, introverted, and quiet, all the way to the other extreme of being out- spoken, extroverted, and loud, and everything in between. A quiet and simple Gandhi or a soft-spoken peanut farmer named Jimmy Carter, who became president of the United States and won a Nobel Peace Prize, have been just as effective world leaders as a loud and flamboyant Churchill, or the tough leadership style employed by The Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher. I admire Hemingway as a writer. But if I copy Hemingway, I’d be a second or third rate Hemingway, at best, instead of a first rate Sharif. Be yourself, your best self, always competing against yourself and bettering yourself, and you will become a first rate YOU instead of a second rate somebody else.

10. Give. Finally, be a giver. Leaders are givers. By giving, you activate a universal law as sound as gravity life gives to the giver, and takes from the taker. The more you give, the more you get. If you want more love, respect, support, and compassion, give love, give respect, give support, and give compassion. Be a mentor to others. Give back to your community. As a leader, the only way to get what you want, is by helping enough people get what they want first. As Sir Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”

Photo attribution
michael cardus

Can you truly be satisfied living someone elses dream?
NO, If you can be satisfied then it isn’t someone elses dream but rather your own!

What is your potenial?
More than you’ll ever know

Will you ever fulfill it?
If your not worried about going to far then yes you will! “The only people who realise their potenial are those who risk going all the way”

Can anyone do anything?
Yes, the people who don’t just have nobody to tell them they can or give them the push they needed or they would rather write it off as impossible rather than putting themself out on a limb!

Or were they never able or had the potenial themselves to begin with?
Potenial has no limits!

Is wanting success selfish?
I think if you keep things in perspective and don’t let the success take over your life and most of all don’t think your better than anyone!!!! You just have different talents and dreams.

Are we all selfish?
I do believe we are all selfish , in that everything we do or say positive for someone else is a way of feeling good about ourselves….. What? Well when do we feel the best about ourselves? How about after giving someone a present or donating money to a charity…. so by saying that is being selfish a bad thing? At times, not at all!

How to find true happiness?
I believe balance is number 1 and I believe in our lives we will find our greatest happiness using the gifts that god gave us and making the most of them.

Are their rules in being in LOVE?
just being true to yourself always.