The funny thing about people is,….That nobody (It would seem) could care less….about anything passed the end of their nose…We go through life, day by day, with blinders on…..We as humans are social beings…..Why is it that when we are looking right at somebody struggling….that we don’t reach out to them?…..Why do we CHOOSE to be so competitive, that we can’t help making ourselves feel like winners because we are in a better situation than someone else?….Is that really a social being?  Have we as people become so callus, so numb to the worth of others that we have lost all compassion for our brethren?….. I am no preacher….I’m not even a religious person…..But, What happened to the golden rule?…..You Know ….Do unto others as you would have others to unto you…..simple as it sounds, simply states if You see someone struggling…..You reach out to them…..in return ….when someone sees you struggling ….they would reach out to you.

Is it really that easy of a trade off?…..You maybe saying to yourself “oh sure, if I help others, there isn’t going to be anybody to return the favor”……I say …How do you know if you never try it?….What if nobody ever reaches out to you …..I say, so what if they don’t…..Is that really the only reason you reached out to someone suffering in one way or another?…….The feeling like somebody now owes you? Can’t it be enough that when we look in the mirror that evening while brushing our teeth, that you can look yourself in the eye and say to yourself “ I did the right thing today and I didn’t have too”…..shouldn’t that be enough?

I’m Not  saying That we have to save somebody’s life, or put ourselves in danger, I’m just saying, “ Why can’t we show a little compassion for others…..Why can’t we show a little bit of unconditional love for others……We don’t have to know them……we don’t even have to know their name….sometimes all it takes is a spoken acknowledgement of somebody’s existence…..something as little as a smile……just show somebody that you CARE…..its easy…..most of the time costs you absolutely nothing, but a moment of your time….although sometimes a little help with a little money could be appropriate….or maybe a way to earn a little money for themselves…..sometimes a gesture like shaking hands or a hug can do wonders for a person who is having a hard time….gentle sensible words of encouragement are amazing ways to reach out to someone…….lets think higher of our relatives ….In Indian culture we are all related….lets treat each other like we are…….What goes around comes around…..including good gestures of paying it forward, or reaching out to others…..

Something I’ve learned as a Truck Driver Instructor, is that people (students) learn far more when you are genuine, and care if they succeed……when they feel like someone is on their side and cares about them and not just a means to a paycheck, they are far more likely to be receptive to instruction…….Nobody has the right to crush someone’s dreams, hopes or ambitions…..as an instructor, my job is to train, motivate, advise….Help people learn how to drive a semi……..When we have a person that can’t seem to grasp the concept of backing ….it’s my job to change the words or the thought until it clicks and the person understands…..if a person doesn’t understand, they haven’t been taught….they have been told….big difference…….The same goes with reaching out to folks in life’s struggles …..If all your doing is making yourself feel superior by giving someone a moment of your time, or sharing half your sandwich, just keep it…..probably doesn’t taste good anyway…..but if you have it in you just to reach out to someone just because it’s the right thing to do….find away where it is not demeaning ….one time when I was getting on an interstate on ramp…..there was a homeless person holding a sign…..It said “ Homeless Veteran need help”…….I gave him the sandwich and chips and soda I had just bought for myself…..I didn’t make a big production out of it…..Don’t have to keep score…..just handed it to him and went on……as I drove off I heard him say “god bless you”……I said right back ‘’ And You too”…..

You maybe wondering what’s up with ol’ Smoke? What brought all this on….well I will be perfectly honest with you….I recently, While at work….I happened to be in close enough proximity to hear a couple other instructors talking…..They were talking about a couple of our students that had been in the class a little longer than most…..but not as long as some…….They had already gave up and wrote those students off and were trying to figure out how to get rid of them……I was mortified…..one of these instructors trained me, when I came through school some 8 years ago…….I couldn’t believe my ears…..My thoughts went back to when I was a student……I wasn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination,….and I was just like the students we have now……barely able to afford the  gas  to get to school…..much less, could I afford to even bring a lunch from home…….so at lunch time I would go to my car, away from all the rest and just relax……I didn’t tell anyone my situation…..my family and I lived in an old trailer house with holes in the floor….the only reason we didn’t fall through was because the carpet …….we couldn’t afford to heat or cool the whole house so we blocked off everything except one room….and barely could heat or cool that…….but with my instructors encouragement and helping me, I earned my CDL and started driving the semi’s with the big boys…..now I was hearing one of the same instructors sound like it wasn’t worth his time to do the same for these students……I have confronted him with my concerns…..and I think he has come off his high horse,  at least for now….Time will tell.

How do you feel about my ranting …..Does any of this make sense to anybody but me?….Am I the only one who feels these peoples pain?…..I’m not asking for a crusade….. just a little personal compassion, some unconditional love……just show a little character by being a caring person….and the world will get better one nice gesture at a time…..Please leave your comments below…..I would love to hear your ideas to make this world a better place …….peace out baby!…..Smokey

Hello Vince....You are exactly right ....with all that information at our finger tips ....I have yet to be with out something to blog about.....When I started to Blog I had no idea I would enjoy it so much....I asked my coach when I first started to blog if there was anything that is completely off limits.....he said " Only blog about what pertains to you!"....in other words if you think it, find it, learned it, or talked about it ....I can write about it....write it and they will come...LOL....Thanks Vince for taking the time to read this blog post and for commenting ...Smokey

So Whats Up With Cinco De Mayo Anyway?
By Smokey | Published May 5, 2014

Well today, While at work….I couldn’t help to notice the date as the 5th of May….and every time somebody mentioned it being “Cinco De Mayo”, I couldn’t help but ask that person “ What is Cinco De Mayo about anyway?”…..I thought it odd that nobody knew what the significance was (with the exception of all who were asked said, “It’s the time everyone gets to drink too much”)….It bothered me all day……I guess mostly because, I didn’t know anymore than they did….So I started asking everybody I came in contact with….weather they mentioned the date or not…..My inquiries met with mostly blank stares and looks  that could cripple a guy that asked to many questions!

Now I couldn’t Just Except That It’s A Time To Drink and That’s It…..Nope…..When I got home, I had to ask the wisest person I know…..My wife….Who was intently reading a magazine….I said “What is the Meaning of Cinco De Mayo?”…..She peered at me over the top of her glasses and the Magazine and said…”The 5th of May!….and I recognized that crippling look…..Now my back already hurts ….so I knew not to ask anymore questions there….I asked my Niece, and one of my grandsons…..(I think I can take them both)…..”What is the reason we celebrate Cinco De Mayo?”….My niece said, “I think that’s Mexico’s independence day”……I told her, “Well I think Mexico’s Independence day is in September”…..She said “Well then I don’t know!..and looked at my grandson, who just looked back and shrugged his shoulders…..then they both went to the basement to look it up!

Ahhh, What a Novel Idea!…I Shall Look It Up….Sure Enough, the old laptop can do something besides frustrate me….I Goggled, “Cinco De Mayo”…..and it popped up…..turns out, all those people that told me that it is a drinking holiday,  were partially right….LOL….

Cinco De Mayo…..Is a Holiday that is mostly celebrated in the U.S……More than in Mexico….And Most of the Americans Celebrate it by drinking, Tequila, Margaritas, and Mexican Beer……In Mexico, It is Celebrated mostly in the state of Puebla….Celebrating The Mexican military defeating the French In the battle of Puebla on the 5th of May 1862……( I’ll be darned)…..Turns out that in the Southwest and Western portion of the U.S. It is also a time of Mexican cultural education and sharing of Mexican song, dance and food!

What Cinco De Mayo Isn’t……Cinco De Mayo Isn’t the time for non Hispanics to sport fake bushy mustaches and wear sombreros, while drinking way to much, and using both phrases of high school Spanish that was learned twenty years ago…Lol…..And Please….Don’t embarrass yourself by having someone else speak Spanish for your entertainment…..I can speak from experience….When people want me to say something in Indian….. That this is Disrespectful….doesn’t matter what your celebrating…..asking someone (usually feels like demanding) to speak a language for your entertainment, rather than for learning makes people un easy and isn’t fair to them…..besides, If you have no idea what they are really saying …….You don’t have any idea what they are saying….

I Felt Compelled To Post This Little Tid Bit of Information…..Not only because it is the 5th of May…..But Because I felt the need to further Educate myself about something I had no Idea about…..How about you!….What do you wished you knew  more about?……What little Tid Bit could you share that is rarely known or understood…….Thank You for reading this Blog post and please feel free to share it on your social media sites, with the buttons provided and the bottom of this post….Better yet Leave a comment and share this post….Motivating others by serving others ….Smokey

 

Native Americans and “Rez Ball” Basketball….. Across this vast country….On Reservations from coast to coast you can find young people playing Basketball…..But a little different style of Basketball…..”Rez Ball” is a little more flying by the seat of the pants style…..even organized Basketball on the reservation is less controlled and more run and gun….I myself am probably the worst basketball player that ever walked….Which just made me admire good ball players even more…..In the mid 90’s my wife and I worked at a reservation boarding school in central South Dakota…..In the evenings part of my job was to open the gym for a couple hours so the dorm students could use it……It may have been in the teens in temperature but I would see these young people make a mad dash for the gym wearing basketball shorts and tennis shoes and T-shirts carrying their basketball shoes to shoot some hoops…..Then I got to watch as they picked their teams and played the fastest pace of basketball I have ever seen…..These students could really move …..I noticed that they moved with more grace and ease than other kids….most teenagers are a little gangly and more knees and elbows as they move…These kids are more like watching the grace of fine running horses…….Indian people love to watch their kids play….The biggest tournament I have ever watched is the Lakota Nation High School Tournament in Rapid City S.D…….This tournament is of all the Indian teams in South Dakota by invitation…….You may as well be watching the NBA as far as the fans go….Each reservation has a huge fan base following them and fill the arena the whole tournament…..hoping to gain bragging rights for their rez and for their players…..Sadly enough after high school very few of these talented young people receive scholarships or enjoy the opportunity to play basketball at the collegiate level ……I’m not sure why that is exactly…..one, I don’t think that many big name colleges want to take a chance on Native American kids because they have such an attachment to their homes and family and people

Four Years ago The University of Louisville took that chance…..And recruited a young lady from the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon…..Her name is Shoni Schimmel……and Shoni did a good job early in her collegiate career……so good that after her sophomore year …….U of L recruited her sister Jude……Since then, It seems that they have taken collegiate women’s basketball to a whole new level…..not just at U of L…..but nation wide…..They not only have a local fan base ….but are watched by Native people nation wide….I heard a man from Oklahoma say that when those sisters are playing, Indian people are watching……Now you might think that this would cause a lot of outside pressure on the Schimmel sisters ….and that may be true…..But, nobody has ever seen any evidence of that being the case…..In fact….they have not only become role models and an inspiration to all Indian people ….They seem to embrace it……It was recently brought to my attention that these young ladies travel during the summer to different reservations, holding Basketball camps with middle school and high school girls ……teaching fundamentals and applying what they have learned with their students and creating more inspiration among young Indian girls

The last home game for 2014 was against UConn and was combined with senior recognition night and Native American recognition…..As you may know….UConn Men’s and Women’s basketball teams are both national champions after all the NCAA tournaments were done…and this last home game, UConn women were the victors…..but this night was the first time in U of L history, that there was a sell out crowd for the women’s basketball team…..I’m sure it had a lot to do with the thousands of Native American people that traveled, from all corners of this country to enjoy their schimmel sisters playing together for their last regular season game ……Shoni has been drafted to the Atlanta Dream WNBA team and Jude will be a junior this year at U of L …..At half time there was a drum group called Elk Soldier (from South Dakota) That Sang and approximately 20 Native American Indian dancers came out and performed for the sell out crowd, and were received with a huge positive response from the fans……up lifting everyone present ….Native Pride has never been so high!….After the game The entire U of L Women’s team made themselves available for autographs …….They stayed until the last person that wanted an autograph received them…..My family and I were among that crowd who stood in line for hours, for our opportunity to receive autographs from the team……The line was full of Indian people visiting and talking ….I met people from Montana, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Nebraska…….Among some of the visitors, were friends and relatives that came to our home and stayed with us, from South Dakota…..Some of them sang with Elk Soldier….All came in support of The Schimmel sisters and we had a great visit…..In talking with our relatives, those couple of nights that they stayed with us, I could feel the pride and the excitement that they felt in their support of these two talented young ladies…..some of the young girls that came, had actually got to take part in a basketball camp last summer and spoke about some of the things that Shoni Schimmel had told them…..The one thing that sticks out in my mind was they told me that she had expressed to them ….That she appreciates them wanting to be like her….but she said “ Don’t be like me!… be better than me!” …..Wow….That hit me hard ….What great words…..

So Why are these girls so inspiring?……I guess to really understand how and why these girls are so inspiring…..You have to understand what the Schimmel sisters represent to all Indian people…..They represent Honor, and Pride, and Success, They made it away from home, away from the rez, but never forgot who they are or where they came from……and they did it In a very public way….at the top, among the best in the country……and made a path that others are inspired to follow…..breaking through racial barriers, stereotypes and proved to themselves, their family, their people and to all Native American people that they could compete with the best of them…..at the highest level……Like Jim Thorpe, and Billy Mills……..Thank You Shoni and Jude Schimmel for Your hard work and  we all hope and pray that we can see both of you on the court for a long time!

Below are a couple links …..one goes to a video about these amazing sisters ……the other is the half time performance at the last home game this season……and others with more information about the schimmel sisters….Enjoy….

Who has inspired you ?….Or who has made a difference in your life….and why…..Do you have a hero, or somebody that influenced your life that you swelled with pride?…..Please leave your answers in the comments at the bottom of this post…..It may say leave a comment in little words …..or it may have a number and comments, in little words……just click on that and leave your comment….Thank you for reading and come again….Smokey

 http://youtu.be/EO8zMtdT69A

http://youtu.be/IqJpHZkSPKQ

http://youtu.be/mgGEJRFJc5k

http://youtu.be/0UWFaNOUmr8

Good Bye Winter! Hello Spring!

On Mar 23rd, 2014 Published By Smokey
 

Here in Kentucky, we aren’t really known for our rough winters, But this one was exceptionally tough for this area….We normally average a little less than 13 inches of precipitation per winter……This year we had almost 27 inches …….Temperature wise was unusually hard also……..We had about 4 weeks of highs less than 15 degrees F….The lows hovered around 0 degrees F. …..They say we had Unusual weather patterns of artic air that blasted its way deep into the southern parts of the mid west and stayed there, working its way east slowly, reeking havoc from south Texas all the way up through Canada and brought extreme cold air all the way to the east coast……Brrrrrrrr

Myself personally, This was possibly the hardest winter I have ever endured, I would go outside to go to work and have instant pain……All the things I had done as a young man, (Physically) that I had injured in one way or another …….were magnified in the cold weather……Seems like my feet got cold in late November….and stayed cold till the middle of March……I had a hard time holding things in my hands, and pain in my hips just walking……Luckily the bulk of my work at my traditional job is mostly inside the truck….and the heater works well in the truck!…….Finally The temperature has gone up and the pain of winter has left, and we are enjoying sun shinny days and mild weather……I am truly thankful for the relief of spring and the things spring brings with it!

Earlier this week I came home to find my wife and Niece in the back yard doing some yard work……They were Picking up all the broken branches and sticks that had fallen off the trees during the ice storms and wind …….they were also raking some of the flower beds, getting rid of the dead grass and leaves that had blown into them, and they were pulling back the effects of winter from the flowerbeds and lawn……..The wife stopped and stooped over in one of the flowerbeds and called our niece over……There under all that lifeless old grass clippings and leaves, she found some purple flowers already blooming!……What a gift!……”New” life, and “New” change, already here……Bringing a fresh thought of positive change and joy to our lives…….Those little flowers endured everything that we did this winter and just stayed dormant until they could be the first signs of plant growth for the “New Spring Time “ burst of change!

Since then, we opened up our windows, to allow new air into the house…..A person could almost feel the house take a big breath of the fresh, clean air from outside and exhale the stale old air that seemed to just hang inside all winter……The house even looks happier when I pull up in the early evening from work…… What a blessing spring time is!…..Soon all the fresh newborn baby animals will start being noticed and the temperatures will rise, bringing in the heat of summer…….But we had to have the transition of spring first…….Spring has become a hero to me…..encouraging me and taking the pain of winter away!

I know, some of my friends in the northern states still have snow, even though the “official” day for spring to be here, has passed……It is also the time of year that the sun stays up a little longer every day…..until late June, when the sun will start staying out less and less……I am going to use this season of spring for Trying New things, weather they be personal, or for business, or work……I am going to use spring as my incentive for change, personal growth and fresh beginnings ……..

I would like to hear from you…..What does spring bring to your life?……How do you approach the “New” season of Spring…..and how does it effect your life?……Please share your thoughts in the comments area below……Thanks for taking the time to read….and Thank You for considering the thoughts in this post……Smokey

Hello SBlanco.....I don't see your website under your name.....so I cant go to it to see what you have going on there......I would be glad to visit with you about GDI....Just go to my profile by clicking on my name by this post and look for the 24 hour contact ....Talk soon!....Smokey

Well said Mr. Parker....It is true....when we receive a referral we should show gratitude and be a good sponsor.....we as sponsors can help in so many ways ....even if it is not much more than an encouraging word.....the bottom line is we have to be accessible to those we sponsor...Thankyou Mr. Parker.....Smokey

What Motivates You?…..or better yet …..Go to the nearest mirror in your house and take a look, and ask that person looking back…..What Motivates You?…..What is it that fires you up and puts you to work so hard, that you loose track of time?…..What on earth goes on inside you, that keeps you going with a passion un measureable!

With me ….My passion is helping others learn a craft, that is a life changing experience …..I achieve this in two ways…….First is my students at my companies, Over The Road Driving School, where they learn to drive a Semi-Truck and at the end of the course, earn their Commercial Drivers License……These students sign up to start a new career pulling freight across the united states with our company…..The course is from 4 to 6 weeks long (some take longer, others less time)….Most of our students are looking for that way to earn a comfortable living in a time and economy that is under hardship…..We have even had students that were homeless come to our school……Helping our students everyday motivates me to my core everyday……I can hardly wait to get to work most days….to witness the growth of these new drivers……Sometimes it is a struggle to find the words that makes it click in their minds, for whatever it is they are working on……many times I find myself helping them to get passed their own frustration, to open back up and receive the instruction…..keeping them motivated is the hardest part…..when it is cold outside and we are standing out there, taking turns in the truck to practice a backing maneuver….it is really hard to convince someone that it is worth the time spent.

The second way I help others learn a craft, that is a life changing experience,  is by helping others Via the internet, to express gratitude…..Gratitude or Gratefulness is a core characteristic that creates healing, and opens doors to other things like forgiveness, generosity and humbleness….to name a few….All of which help us Spiritually …..Gratitude for the things we receive ( both noticed and un noticed) has helped us evolve to the person(s) that we are today……If we live our lives with gratitude for every footstep we take….for every breath of air we breath…..We truly connect with the creator……Then we start to see good in the world and all of creation…..which in turn opens more doors in our lives and gives us the opportunity to connect with others and help them learn gratitude as well……Motivating others by serving others is my passion…..starting with gratitude

Here are a couple ways  to Practice expressing Gratitude….one way,  is to  think about somebody in your life at the present time……someone that is a little bit annoying to you…..not necessarily disliking them….but someone that makes you think “ oh good grief” to yourself, from time to time……then think about all the ways they give you that feeling……now here is the hard part….now think about that person again….this time really dig in your mind and find something about that person you like….something that made you say “I’ll be darned”……now go to that person and thank them for being like that…….say something like “You know? I really appreciate your sense of humor…Thank you for being like that”…..do that once a week…..Right away you will see a difference in that person…. and in yourself …..

a second way to practice expressing Gratitude is simply by noticing something that anybody during your day, does that makes you smile……and tell that person …..Maybe the lady at the drive thru at McDonalds was very attentive…..TELL HER….” hay, thanks for doing a good job taking care of so many customers”….express gratitude to somebody every day!……See if you don’t notice a change in those people the next time you see them…..You will be amazed how expressing a little gratitude….everyday…..will change your life

Now my turn…Thank you so much for taking the time to read the ramblings of an old truck driver….I am truly grateful for everyone I have the pleasure of talking to in my daily journey…..and I am so thankful to the creator for giving me the opportunity spend another day on this earth

If you have a thought about gratitude …or would like to share with me about how you express gratitude…please leave a comment below ….I always enjoy hearing your thoughts…..If you have questions about anything, you are always welcome to contact me though my vcita contact or contact me page….we can work together to find answers about just about any topic!…..Have a blessed day!…Smokey   

How Do You Tend Your Garden?

This Is my question today….When I speak of your garden, You could relate it to your business….So how do you tend to your business?…..Businesses are similar to gardens….You decide everything about your garden…..Size, shape….What your going to grow….vegetables or flowers….fruit maybe….what kind of vegetables or flowers or fruit……The location of your garden is….. and how your going to tend to it…..who is your garden for?…..Are you growing your garden for yourself?….Family?……Maybe a whole community?…..Are you the only one going to tend to this garden?….or are others involved with your garden…..a coop maybe, where a lot of people are helping and going to reap the benefits…..All these things have to be thought out before you even break the ground to grow anything…….Is this garden going to sustain you by providing most of your food or income?….or is it going to be a fun thing for you because you like the smell of fresh turned dirt and the feel of the soil in your hands…and the ability to nurture something beautiful……All of these things are valid thoughts and considerations…..Maybe you are planning to start small and get bigger as you grow as a gardener…..or Maybe you are an expert at gardening and love to produce a huge garden that you tend to full time by yourself……The choices are only limited by your imagination and abilities and resources……

Are You Setting Yourself Up To Fail?

Sometimes we set ourselves up to fail, by just having a knee jerk reaction to a thought we may have had….”Hey….I’m going to grow a garden …..and I’m going to do it right now!”……Then we rush outside with a shovel and turn over a bunch of sod throw some seeds at the fresh exposed dirt and go back inside and watch it from the window for the rest of the day…….”yup ….nothing growing yet….I knew It wouldn’t work!”…..”Tomorrow, I will get some miracle grow and put it on my new garden, that will do it!”…….So we rush out and buy some miracle grow and put it on the garden and go back inside ….Back to staring out the window……”Heck!…..That didn’t work either!”….”I know…..Maybe I need a book!”….”That’s what I need….a book!”…….So we rush out the next day, buy a book and get back to the garden……we stand out in the garden and open the book and start to read….”wow,…. There is a lot to this gardening stuff……I think I will try again tomorrow!”……Then we lose interest and never look out that window again……I have been guilty of of not looking into things before I jump in with both feet myself……Once in a great while I get lucky and have success ….but most of the time ……none…..Especially with my garden (business)

So How Do We Prevent Garden Failure?

Well….First ….A knee jerk reaction to anything hardly ever is a wise choice….So…When we hit on a thought that we may want to act on…..Think it out even more…..Get more information…..Educate yourself…….I don’t mean You have to go get a degree in horticulture, or business…….Plenty of people are very successful at gardening without going past 8th grade…..Business too for that matter…..but information, experience and patience are very important when you garden……What I did was I found somebody with experience, that was willing to teach me about gardening…..A Mentor….I spent a lot of time in his garden, with him there…..asked questions and learned ….Then, I had an understanding …and gained even more understanding by helping in his garden when I could ….or if he needed a little help……That way I had the process in my mind that I knew worked…and I follow that process to this day……Sometimes my gardening mentor comes into my garden and helps me…..While we work ….he throws out bits of advice that I might try……or he tells me when something I tried seemed to be a good idea and may try it himself…….Now both of our gardens are doing well….and we both get to admire our own work and each others and the part that we shared the work…….It became obvious that the more time you get to spend tending your garden the better your garden becomes…….And the process gets easier as you grow as a Gardener…..and your process becomes your own as you gain experience that allows you to try other things…….pretty soon your garden is flourishing

Make sure You Tend Your Garden First!

Part of human nature is a need to share our new found successes ……we did something we feel was a great thing and we want to shout it out from the mountain top…..This is a good thing for the most part….Just remember there are as many methods of gardening (or business) as there are gardens….some good, some great..others ok…..and even others that may be bad for us…..all opinion……The key here is to tend your garden first….Then share your abilities with others…..Don’t be offended if your methods aren’t followed by the person you shared it with….let them see what your doing, and keep tending your garden…..If your garden is struggling, be open to try some small thing to see if it works better…..maybe your process needed a little tweak here or there…..but keep tending your own……eventually others will see your garden growing and growing….and they will come to you, to see what your doing…..Patience is key here……If your garden only consists of one tomato plant….tend to it until it becomes the best tomato plant there is!….Don’t let the others garden make you wish so much that you go out and pull up your tomato plant…..only to plant cucumbers,…..and have to start over……We as humans tend to envy others and not realize what we already have to nurture…….find what works for you!……Then grow the garden……If you have one tomato plant doing good …..maybe its time to plant another and see if you can get two to grow…..then add cucumbers….one step at a time until you get to the point that your garden is as big as you want over time….then maintain….. mastering every aspect of your personal garden!

Keep Your Garden Free Of Weeds!

This is a huge part of gardening….Keep all the weeds and dead plants out of your garden….Nurture the plants that you intend to use …..We tend to overwhelm ourselves with un needed weeds that seem to volunteer in our garden….and learn the difference between a weed and what you are trying to grow….some weeds look pretty inviting…..some of us end up cultivating weeds and nothing else…..Gardener Be where!

Don’t Tend Others Garden Until Your Asked

That’s right…..It is fine to let others know that you are willing to help others with their garden……just don’t go there with the intent of fixing them….some folks want to learn on there own…..let them know your available…..maybe offer up some advice….but keep it casual…..remember its their garden…..and if they ask you to help them with their garden, they may not use your methods themselves….and if they do they may tweak your methods making them their own…..If and when you do get asked to help someone with their garden……Don’t be the only one in their garden….In other words….Don’t become their gardener!……You have heard the saying ….”give a man a fish and feed him for a day….Teach the man to fish and feed him for a life time!”….. This applies here….

So, If Your Garden Just Isn’t Where You Thought It Should Be…

So if your garden isn’t where you thought it should be…..Take a long hard look in the mirror, and ask yourself…..”Was there anything I forgot in my process of gardening?”……”Did I follow the methods of my mentor”…..”Did I spend enough time tending my garden?”…….”Did I really allow enough time for my garden to grow?”…….”Am I the one tending my garden?…or am I waiting for someone else to tend it for me?”……”Do I spend more time tending others garden, neglecting my own?”…..answer yourself honestly and I bet you will find the cause of your garden to suffer…

So….How Do You Tend Your Garden?

Does this rant from an old truck driver help any?…..How does this article fit with your business garden….Let me know what you think in the comments below….If this article might be helpful don’t for get to share it with others….Gardens like businesses, can be profitable in many ways besides monetarily….One way is by helping serve others…..Motivating Others by Serving Others….You Can Too ……Smokey

On Feb 11th, 2014 Published By Smokey
 

When I was a very little boy, I used to watch my dad play baseball…..I didn’t know or care at what level of a Baseball league it was…..but my dads team impressed me…..I was so young, I didn’t really understand what was going on….but I got to sit in the dugout while his team played….I really remember the night games ….The field was all lit up with those tall light poles….The field was beautifully trimmed …..May as well have been the home of the Boston Red Sox to me…..I remember watching my dads team out in the field …and watching the pitcher throw the ball so gracefully……my dad played Third base …. I hoped the batter would hit the ball to him every time ….just so I could watch him take those side skip hops to snag the ball and fire it to 1st…..I remember the uniforms all the players wore….The league he played in, had some very nice uniforms that would have rivaled any pro team……One afternoon …I was watching my dad get ready for the game…he was ironing his uniform….even those weird socks with the little stirrups instead of feet….and they went up to the knee…..I asked him “why do you iron your uniform so much?”…..He kind of jerked a glanced at me…I think he forgot I was there……then he said “Well, when I iron my uniform,….I use that time to think about the game……and when I’m done, I feel like I can really hit the ball a long ways!”……I asked him  “Does it work?”…..All he said was “Yup”

The point  I’m getting at, is that he was putting himself in a positive mind set to succeed…..Hours before the game started he was getting that special look when you see someone in the zone….that look of complete focus ….to do the best he could at what he was doing…..and the end result of that time of ironing his uniform so meticulously, gave him a way to visually get a little reminder every time he dug in with his feet in the batters box and he adjusted his shirt as he looked down, he would notice his pants and the crease he put in them……Then you would see that look come over his face, as he turned his head toward the pitcher and raised his bat with both hands behind his ear……he told me in later years his batting average was in the mid three hundreds, ( aint bad), and he was playing for the local community college…..I didn’t care ….seemed like the pros to me!

  Now…. I use some of the same things with to get in the zone and to get my students to focus…..I tell them……”If you feel successful, You become successful!”…..Adult learners have to picture in there mind the things they are learning…and they struggle with feeling successful with something so new, they have no idea what to envision…..so first I just make comments like ….”You look like a natural in that truck”…Every time they get back in the truck, they do it with a little more confidence…. I look for something  positive, in every backing maneuver they make….even if they weren’t able to complete it … “great effort, you almost had it …and it was all you”….Sometimes (after they are more comfortable with backing a 70 ft. long semi)…All they need is a little re assurance that they are ok….or doing fine……sometimes they just stop and look at me (I’m on the ground watching and close enough they can hear me from their open window)……”Come on Driver Your Doing Good!”…..they get that look and just do it…..I love it!…..I Know it isn’t rocket science ….but it is tougher than it looks!

Myself, I use my commute in the morning for my ironing time……I use that time to envision the things I will be working with my students on and how I’m going to verbalize it….I even think of ways to say the same thing, only differently, to help that student get that picture in their mind….and then it happens I’m in the zone……..On my commute back in the evening ….I’m Ironing my uniform again….This time on what I’m going to blog about ….or how I’m going to verbalize what I need a client to learn for his foundation on the internet….or a marketing strategy I’m trying to master….so when I get home I can go in my office and already be on the way to success…..because I feel successful…….

How do you get that successful mind set ….Does it have to be in a monetary manner to feel successful?…..or is succeeding being productive with your time and working toward a goal that is getting closer as you work?……Let me know what you think….leave a comment below…….Thanks for reading…..Motivating others by serving others…..You can too…..Smokey

Just Had a wonderful visit with a New G.D. I. member....She is very excited to get her New Online business up and running....It would seem her up line sponsor never made contact with her and she had made several attempts to contact them, to no avail......If you are an active member of G.D.I.  Please make all efforts possible to contact your down line.....help them.....We had almost lost this member when I made contact with her through this forum.....If you are a member and want to be active or cant get any where with your sponsor or up line.....contact me....I will do everything I can to help......I don't want your money.....Just like to help fellow members who have already came to G.D.I. .....G.D.I. is the foundation of my business!....You can contact me through my website blog....or e-mail me at...gregorybowen@g-bowen.ws

How Do You Measure Wealth?

I have been thinking about this topic for a couple days now, and I have a couple Ideas…..I have read some quotes about wealth……Some I agree with….. some I don’t……I guess first I have to decide what, exactly, wealth is in my own mind…….When I think of wealth..I think of quality of life. I know that most people feel that wealth is measured by how much money one has, or by how much property a person has……I do agree that it is comforting to have the bills paid and put a little aside…..But I don’t think that is true wealth……..I tend to think that true wealth is a state of mind……and can be measured in that state of mind, only by the person IN that state of mind……What makes you feel wealthy in your mind is different than what feels wealthy in mine….

What do I feel true wealth is?                   

In my mind, true wealth is having the feeling of contentment ……..the more contentment you feel the wealthier you feel……How many times have we heard or read about somebody famous, that we thought never wanted for anything, had killed themselves or overdosed or something else that makes us wonder, what was going on with them?…..They lost the ability to feel contentment…..No matter what they did, they couldn’t see a bright side, so they found another way to escape…….or tried to produce that contentment in a manner that couldn’t let them feel the wealth of there lives …….or the contentment and gratitude, for the simple things that uplift our heart…….True wealth, in my mind, is that appreciation of those simple things, and uncomplicated…….True wealth, is also, that feeling of being appreciated by someone…….somebody that lets you know how much they appreciate the things that you do, is very uplifting to us and gives us a feeling of satisfaction in our efforts, the little things that a person does that may seem insignificant,  makes  and feels wealthy to others……..When somebody does something for you unselfishly……..It really makes you feel good inside……..In turn when you do something for someone else, unselfishly, it also makes you feel good inside…..So ….True wealth in my mind comes from serving others, and others serving us in return…..True wealth is an appreciation of those little things in our lives that keep our heart and mind satisfied…….Those things that bring us gratefulness…

                                                                   

Ten things that make me feel wealthy

Here are ten things that make me feel wealthy inside my mind…..in no particular order or priority

1). Driving a car that is quiet and everything works…..no worries that it won’t make the trip

2). Standing in a river or stream fishing.

3). Sitting in our living room early in the morning ……Looking through our picture window, watching the deer work their way across the backyard.

4). Backing a Semi-Truck into a tight spot for unloading freight……with no pull ups.

5). Enjoying my job so much, I can hardly wait to get to work in the morning.

6). A hug from my wife Robin……or my grand children …….for no particular reason other than they wanted to give me a hug.

7). Waking up on a weekend morning with absolutely nothing to have to do but relax……no pressing engagements or commitments.

. Having all the bills paid for the month earlier than expected.

9). Pulling into our driveway and realizing my son mowed the lawn without be asked.

10). A home cooked meal at the dinner table with my family all there enjoying it.

These are just a few of many things that make me feel wealthy……I consider myself a very blessed and wealthy person…. Not because of the things I have……..but because of all the things in my life that bring myself and others joy, comfort and gratitude.

                                                                           

Ten things that don’t make me feel wealthy

These things, are things that make me feel like I am needy or gives me poor feelings……Luckily I don’t have to deal with any of them very often…Again no particular order or priority…..and just ten of many.

1). Having pain ……and haven’t done anything yet to earn it.

2). A break down on the side of the road for something simple, like a flat tire, or running out of gas.

3). Being behind on paying the bills.

4). Realizing, not only the roll of toilet paper is empty, but there is none to replace it with…….and you found out, when you needed it….not before.

5). A student that makes me feel like my instruction and guidance is worthless……They never say that, but sometimes a student will ignore my guidance ….making me feel like its worthless.

6). Somebody that treats me like I am less than them.

7). Missing family events …like kids athletic events or birthdays.

. Realizing I missed an opportunity to thank someone for their efforts and help……when they needed to hear that.

9). Waking up late and having to hurry around, messing up the whole rhythm of the day.

10). being the one to have to deal with a backed up toilet…. and mysteriously nobody knows how it got that way.


What is your perspective of wealth?

These things I have written today are my own perspective of wealth……I would like to hear what your perspective is…..What would make you feel Wealthy?……What makes you wish or feel needy?….Does being wealthy mean rich?……Please your comments

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post and hear my thoughts……..Please feel free to contact me via my Vcita contact page…….Motivating others by serving others ….You can too……Smokey







 







 

On Sep 5th, 2013 Published By Smokey
                                          The Elephant

Have you ever heard the saying “ The Hurrier I go the Behinder I get?”….In todays DRIVE THRU society, it would seem that there is never enough time to accomplish everything that we wanted , or worse yet, needed to do…….Leaving a certain amount of tasks to accomplish for tomorrow…….When tomorrow comes we still have to accomplish everything we need to do, Plus the “left overs” from yesterday…..Now at the end of today…..I have some tasks to do that were “left over” from today and yesterday…….You can see where this is going…….Before you know it, you have ten thousand” left over” tasks to accomplish. The same amount of time to accomplish them and the more complicated and stressful life becomes! I (For purposes of this article) call this growing pile of un accomplished tasks, the Elephant!

                                            The Elephant On A Diet


The first thing we notice about this elephant, is its enormous size……We have to get that elephant to a size that is less overwhelming and more manageable……DO NOT FEED THE ELEPHANT…….Abandon (temporarily) trying to add those nagging little tasks from yesterday……..Stop trying to catch up and get every days tasks completed…….This will at least keep the elephant at the same size, instead of growing……Keep every days list, at what it used to be before we lost control of it all…….Once we have a routine again ….we can add one high priority task that is becoming an issue……If that pressing task is a bill,……Make it the most important bill that you would put the highest of priorities on……Now your personal living expenses have to be part of the basic day to day tasks to accomplish…….You are going to need your mortgage, or rent, electric, water, heat, food, all paid for (So those things can’t be part of the elephant)……You get the picture!……Maybe its your cell phone bill…….Maybe its not a bill at all, but it’s a project that you almost finished but never did…….what ever it is, do the days accomplishments and then do ONE of “the left overs”, starting with the highest in priority…….If that task has to be, “the left over”, for several days ….so be it…….work on it until it is done……Working on it after all the rest of the days tasks are done, for several days…….You will eventually see the elephant start to get smaller!

                                                  Eating An Entire Elephant


people tend to have a five day work week…….So once the elephant is at a size that is manageable. We can now put the elephant on the sixth day……..Stay with the routine and even include completing one extra task per day……..but now, start devouring that elephant on the day after your five day work week……yup, do as much of those tasks and accomplish as much as you can…….Develop a taste for elephant!….If you get full, stop eating…..Remember you are still going to get five of those extra tasks done next week……..Eat as much elephant as you can on your new sixth day of task accomplishment for as many sixth work days as it takes!

                                                     So, How Do You Eat An Entire Elephant?

We all get behind on things from time to time……I have given a little bit of advice in this article, by talking about how I get back on track and caught up…….I would like to hear your thoughts about how you catch up in your life …..please add to this discussion by leaving a comment……….Oh, So How Do You Eat An Entire Elephant?…….Easy…….You do it, ONE BITE AT A TIME!…..Just like catching up with the accomplishments…..start with the top of the list …..Number 1……Motivating others by serving others…..You can too…….Smokey