Never, And Always…..Two words That Cause Problems!

On Jul 25th, 2013 Published By Smokey | Edit
 

That’s right!……These two words are very Strong!…..They have caused more problems than they have ever solved!……..Used in a discussion can rip a person apart…….Tried to live by, as a rule……Will be proven wrong…….You can speak them….You can write them, but they don’t exist……We may think that they are real…….But are a standard that can’t be reached!

About ten years ago, my wife announced to me, that she wished she could visit New York City…..I responded to her by making it clear that I had NEVER been to NYC…..And NEVER would visit NYC….at the time I hadn’t been there…..I can’t say that now……Not only have we both been there……I have driven a Semi-truck there several times……..and liked it!

The words “Always” and “Never” can be great for goals to try to reach…….For instance …..ALWAYS tell the truth …..NEVER tell a lie…….So how did you answer the question when asked “Do these pants make my butt look big?”……..You get the point, I’m sure……Here is another for instance…..”I ALWAYS drive the speed limit!”…….or “I have NEVER broken they law”…….Be careful now!….Don’t go there!

Truth is the words “Always” and “Never” exist to remind us to carry ourselves in a manner to protect us from our own ego’s…….Seems like when we use these words out loud in a conversation……They backfire right in our face…Usually in front of the person we were conversing with!……This is how we are reminded to keep a certain amount of humbleness to ourselves,…and learn to choose our words wisely and with the idea that I am human and prone to stepping on my own neck at the most inopportune times…….These things are part of how we build character and some of the ways that our own human nature, creates a life of learning and teaching….Sometimes for ourselves and sometimes for others…..Seldom by accident

So the next time you are having a disagreement with a spouse, co-worker, significant other or friend, choose words that are real……Like “sometimes” …..Don’t pull the heavy hitters out just because it feels true….they will only show you different…….

What words are the heavy hitters to YOU…..How do you feel about “ALWAYS” and “NEVER”……add to this subject by clicking on the little blue words “leave a comment”…..it may have something like “3 comments” Highlighted in blue……I am interested to hear your thoughts….Motivating others by Serving others …..you can too……Smokey

Hello Daniel.....My name is Gregory "Smokey"Bowen....If your upline sponsor doesn't contact you, please feel free to contact me, via my website or message me in the forum....I can help you build your foundation which G.D.I. will be the corner stone...I will never charge you, and can give you free support for a life time....be prepared to for some work though!.....Hope to here from you soon....Smokey

Here Is My latest post on my wordpress Blog on my G.D.I. Web site!....Nothing for sale...... just Sharing my life......I can help anyone do the same ....my support is always free and I love to help!....http://gdiblog.g-bowen.ws/

Recently, You may have noticed I was gone for a couple weeks. My wife and I attended our families annual ceremony……It was the twentieth year for that particular Ceremony…..My wife attended all twenty years…..I missed one about 16 years ago…..The ceremony is a Dakota /Lakota Spiritual Gathering Called a Sundance…..It wouldn’t really be appropriate to talk about the specifics about the Sundance here, and I am more interested in discussing the difference between a spiritual gathering and a Pow wow, which some of you may have attended in the past…..A spiritual gathering for all Tribes Will include , Prayer, Certain songs are sung(language and ceremony specific) and isn’t held in a public forum…..They are usually kept pretty quiet and If you are there,  you were invited or helped in some manner…….Spiritual gatherings can be held for a number of reasons….Like offering prayers in church…Healing of Illness, Helping a person struggling in life, or prayers for the greater good……Most Spiritual gatherings have somebody ( a spiritual leader or medicine person) Who conducts the ceremony….

An Intertribal Pow Wow ( a Pow Wow That is not specific to a tribe!….Has similar songs and style,nation wide) is a social gathering based on celebrating life through Native American or American Indian Dance and singing……It is always a public gathering where everybody is welcome to come and enjoy a day or weekend of celebration…..Most Pow Wow’s have several categories of dance for men and women boys and girls…….Depending on the style of Pow  Wow…(Northern or Southern) Those categories would include Men and Women Traditional, Men’s Grass Dance, Men’s Fancy feather….Women’s Jingle and Women’s Fancy Shawl……A southern Style Pow Wow would add, Men’s Straight, and Women’s Southern Cloth, and Women’s Southern Buckskin……..There are also two different types of Pow wow’s….Traditional and Contest….A Traditional Pow Wow is usually a little smaller and the dancers and singers may receive a small amount of day money for coming and taking part…..not much,  but a little help with gas and expenses…..A traditional Pow wow Would be a place that a community might have to give back to the people……They are a good place to have Specials like a memorial give away (when a family would give away things they have accumulated in honor of a loved on that passed away)…..or Name giving ….or taking of a Relative (Someone could take another person as their Nephew or Niece or Son or Daughter etc.)……A contest Pow Wow  is a Pow Wow that a community or tribe may have to draw big name dancers and singers …There are some people that make a living contesting for very substantial prize money!….These contest Pow wows put the dancers in each category in a competition with each other for as little as fifty dollars on up to fifteen hundred dollars for each category……These Pow wows also put the drum groups in competition with each other with the quality and appropriateness of their songs during the Pow Wow….Which Brings me to the next part and very Important part of both the Pow wow’s and the Ceremonies….The Singers!

The Singers are Involved in Ceremonies and Pow Wows…..Some Only sing Ceremony songs and others only Sing Pow Wow songs…..a few of them sing both!….The drum is known as the heart beat of Mother Earth….I have seen drum groups from as small as one person and a hand drum to 15 men sitting shoulder to shoulder around a Big Drum ……At Ceremonies the singers are expected to sing specific songs….at specific times and in the appropriate language of the spiritual leader (If the ceremony is a Navajo Ceremony, the singers are going to know the Navajo songs and the Spiritual leader will tell them before hand what songs to sing)….At Pow Wows the singers will sing appropriate songs for each category but can be in any language including English….Some songs aren’t in any language at all and are called vocable songs or straight songs (songs without words)…..Drum groups are involved in both types and styles of Pow Wows…..The best Drum groups are popular Nation wide and other Drum groups sing their songs…..Drum groups are very competitive on the Pow Wow circuit…..some have huge followings …almost like rock stars…..Drum groups are also style specific as to Northern Style or southern style…..Northern is sung Higher and more choppy ……. Southern style is lower and more melodic…..both are very powerful and sang hard and strong!

I can go on and on  about Ceremonies and Pow Wow’s…..But I think I will put a couple links of dancers and singers below…..I am willing to answer questions if you contact me by my contact page or comment….some things aren’t appropriate to answer in this venue, but I could send you an E-mail in those instances…..I just touched on a lot of things without a lot of specifics, but could get more specific , one to one, through E-mail, or skype ….Thanks for reading… and taking the time here on my Blog…..Motivating others by serving others….you can too……Smokey....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp-AeTK18s8 ....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f0ekjgBP5E

I suppose in our busy lives….We all have regrets….I know I sure do……I regret not working at having a better relationship with my father before he was consumed with altzhiemers disease…….I regret not taking better care of myself when I was younger…..Now I hurt when I get out of bed…….Sometimes I wonder what the last conversation I had with a friend that passed on was about….or when that conversation took place…….I hope it was a positive visit we had…..I regret taking up the habit of smoking at such a young age…….now I struggle with myself knowing its stupid to have something 3  inches from my nose that’s on fire!…..I regret drinking alcohol so much as a young man that it became an issue that I had to work out ….I have 21 years sober now…….

These are just a few of the regrets I carry everyday……I am a human and I make mistakes……some of them worse than others ….all combined are more than I want to consider……I am sure that I will have more regrets to add in the future…..Again, probably more than I want to consider……..I consider myself a decent man , as I ponder my life,…… and I think that others could learn from my education from the school of Hard Knocks…..I know you must be saying to yourself “Gee Smoke, You sound a little depressed there ,bud”. ….Don’t worry I’m not…..I’m just trying to be honest with myself and with you!

I have always been very open about what I think about things and how I feel about  the things I’ve lived through…..I have always been willing to say out loud to whoever will listen whats on my mind……sometimes to a fault…..Sometimes people don’t like to hear what I have to say….and for that I apologize……

Here are some of the things I do to help me carry my regrets the best I can…..The first thing when I wake up in the morning, I go to the garage for my alone time……(I’m not allowed to smoke in the house) While I’m in the garage I’m already Gearing my head towards welcoming the day…….I think about how grateful I am to be given another day………I ponder what the days plan is supposed to be……..On my commute to work I think about how grateful I am to have a job that I enjoy so much, that it seems like I’m really not working……..I start gearing my mind to be a positive influence to anybody that  I should encounter this day………I choose to stay away from people that seem to spread negativity……and surround myself with,” can do”, type of people…….With  my words. I instruct my students in such a manner that they are willing to work hard to accomplish their personal goals for the day!……I try to treat every person with respect…….and carry myself as a person with compassion and gratitude, for all the people I connect with during the day…….I look for the students that are fighting with frustration…….I always have some story from my life journey that can ease their mind…..I try to keep in mind, when a person is trying to learn something new, they are their own worst enemy……..I work at making sure my words are given like advice, rather than a scolding…..sometimes when a student feels like giving up, I remind them that nobody was born with a steering wheel in there hand……..I truly believe there isn’t anybody that can’t learn to drive a truck……some just take longer than others……..When I get home  every evening, if I can look myself in the face looking back at me in the mirror ……..I had a day with no regrets and a day I can say I did my best!

The last thing I want you to take with you, about how I carry my regrets and get through everyday is, I take care of myself spiritually!………and if a person would  listen …..I would advise them to pray…..you don’t have to pray with a mind to impress yourself with something profound …..just give thanks and say a small prayer for what ever arises…….Express your gratitude to the creator for this day and this life ……..ask for help for yourself and those around you…..It doesn’t have to be out loud ….It can be just a prayerful thought, somewhere inside your mind……..Doesn’t matter what religion you are ….or even if you claim one ….I’m no preacher…….. and I don’t claim to be knowledgeable about any religion …..I’m just saying it works for me……..just pray..

What do you do to get through your day?……What do you do to carry those regrets?…..How do you keep yourself  on the path you feel is where you belong? ….,What are you grateful for?….how do you express your gratitude?….I would love to here from you…… just click on the little blue word, “comments” at the bottom of this post ……..Serving others by motivating others ….You can too….Smokey

Hi Chery.....Just went to your web site and read your post.....excellent stuff!.....I had a very wise friend of mine tell me that when you are doing what you love at your job...you never have to work again.....he was right if you are working at your passion....never seems like it takes any effort....then you wonder where the day went....awesome.....talk to you soon!......Smokey

G.D.I. Is a great place to build Your business!......Same as building anything, you always start with a good strong foundation....G.D.I. is what you are going to build that foundation on.....Hopefully your able to talk or have contact with your sponsor, who should be helping you!.....If not, contact me by personal message or e-mail....I can help you....and my support will always be free....never give up!.....Your Business will take serious commitment....anything worth while always does......G.D.I.'s Forum is a good place to find the answers you need about your business.....click on my name (or anyones name) in the forum and it will take you to their profile....where you can find their contact information....make contact and get rolling  .....It could change your life......could be the legacy you wanted to leave for your children and their children!

Sometimes We Have To Slow Down To Speed Up!

On May 28th, 2013 Published By Smokey

When helping A student to learn to drive a Semi-Truck, I often tell them “ Sometimes you have to slow down to speed up!’’……One part of the requirements on the Commercial Drivers License Test, The trainee must display the ability to “Double Clutch” the vehicle….It comes easy for those that have had experience driving a standard transmission car…..some really struggle, especially those with no experience with shifting…..We have a place where we go over shifting and they can practice while also learning to keep an eye on their trailer when making turns…..It’s a large enough area they can get up to 9th gear and back down to 3rd or fourth……Our trucks have ten forward gears……After they learn the process, and they get fairly comfortable driving on our shifting range, we take them out on the road with regular traffic…….This is where a new driver learns the most!……They get nervous, and flustered and tend to mess up the process of shifting …….So I have to talk them through it (hopefully, but not always, calmly), so the student can get back to the correct process of shifting ……Many times while they are trying to shift, the truck ends up at a crawl, or dead stop until the student gets it in a gear…….When a new driver gets behind the wheel of a “Big Rig” they are a little overwhelmed with the size of it….Our trucks with a 53 ft. trailer and a tractor with sleeper, are right at 70 ft. long and 13 ft. 6 inches tall…….The students automatically in their minds, think they have to shift hard and fast to get down the road……..But the truth is, if they just stay calm and stay with the process, they can get through the gears with ease and no jerking and straining or slamming …..once I get them to slow down the process, the shifter will go right in the gears as easy as can be …….so part of illustrating that, is the statement “ Sometimes you have to slow down to speed up!

The same is true in other parts of our lives…..If you ever watch a NASCAR race you’ll see the race cars come in for a pit stop……..If the Pit crew gets the car back out in less than 14 seconds, it is considered an average time……If A Race car comes in and the pit crew get it back on its way in 12 seconds, it’s a good time……BUT! More than one race has been lost by a pit crew getting a car out in 12 seconds and had to bring it back in to put a lug nut on, which ended up costing more time and the car gets passed while back at the pit area……If that same pit crew would have taken a couple more seconds….. and were more accurate with their movements would have made them faster……consistency counts…… Sometimes if we would slow down other aspects of our lives we can save time ….How many times have you heard of someone getting married after knowing each other for just a few weeks to only get divorced in a couple months!


How many times have we driven a car on a road. …one with a lot of stop lights…..You have seen cars leave the light in a huge hurry honking at everyone to get by them to only have to stop at the next light……but if you leave the light without any stress, kind of hang back and take your time, you get through the next light without having to stop….the same light all those others were in a big hurry to get too……. you can just keep rolling….I have made it through light after light in a big rig, hardly had to slow down , just kept a lower speed, seldom had to shift or use the brake!  We can do that in our lives too…..

Unfortunately, we live in a fast food society…..It seems to be all about saving time and going as hard and fast (but convenient) as we can go to get more done….we tend to do a little bit of a lot of things and not doing anything enough , to get the job done right…..we are a society of short cuts…..if we could just slow down a little…do things with more thought and maybe a little more organization, and starting with enough time to not have to be in a big hurry in the first place, we could actually grow faster…Without forcing things and creating a lot of stress……I tell my students to just make it last, let things happen without creating a confusing hard to understand situation, that is dangerous for everyone on the road……

So my friends and neighbors…… if you get nothing out of this post……Take this small piece of advise….When things seem like they are moving way to fast …or even if things seem to be in a hurry and getting no where….. Take a break, look at things ……sometimes you may have to walk away from it it a while…..slow down take your time …Think it through …….get help if you need it…….Then start again……One step at a time…..finish each step and then move to the next…..The next thing you know it will all be done ….”Sometimes you have to slow down to speed up”, make it last…..If you don’t have time to do it right…..You were going to be late anyway!…….Motivating others by serving others….you can too!….Smokey

Among My adventures and journey of life….I had the opportunity of enjoying the company of my Friend Bill……At the age of about 15 years old, I took a job at at a local service station, with the hopes of  eventually buying a car.

The service station was at the bottom of the western slope, where I-70 meets Hwy 9 in Silverthorne Co. …It was a full service gas station with both gasoline and a truck stop, complete with a Cafe…..There was a mechanic on duty during weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m…….The mechanic owned a one truck towing company, and stayed fairly busy with the tow truck …..there was often wrecks and break downs coming off the hill from the Eisenhower Tunnel down to Silverthorne.

I would ride the school  bus from school and it would let me off in front of the service station at about 4 p.m. in the afternoon…….My mother would pick me up at 10 p.m. when I got done every night.

One afternoon I got to work to find the garage already closed and the tow truck in the bay…..wasn’t that unusual sometimes the mechanic would cut out a little early if he had to do something….Except this time, there was a dog on the back of the tow truck……he wasn’t doing anything, just sitting there……When I called to him he wagged his tail ……he hesitated a little and came over and sat down at my feet…..I pet his head and rubbed his ears…..seemed to be a very well mannered and likable dog…..I started to go in and change cloths, I noticed he went right back on the tow truck…….

I changed cloths and clocked in and went back up front ready to pump gas…..the other guy that was working there was sitting on the counter…….I asked him about the dog…..he told me that he turned up earlier from some where and wouldn’t leave the tow truck…….He also told me that the owner and the mechanic  wanted us to get him out of there tonight when we  leave!……I had about forgot about the dog when he appeared at the glass door between the bay and the front of the station……he scratched and got my attention…..I opened the door and he went to the next door that leads outside……I opened that one and he went right out and across the parking lot to the grassy area…….I thought  to myself ..he’s house trained too, someone is going to miss this dog…. He came back in and took his position on the tow truck…

At 10 o’clock sharp my mother pulled up, I went to the back through the bay and changed cloths and clocked out……I heard that dogs tail hitting the tow truck as he wagged it , watching me go by…….I asked the guy I was working with if he wanted me to get that dog out now or let him do it when the third shift guy came on…..he told me to go ahead and get him out of there…..I called the dog and he came right out…..we went outside and I told the dog to sit……He sit right down…..I got in the car…….my mother asked who’s  dog that was , and I told her that it was a stray……I asked if we could take him home until we found where he belongs……She reluctantly said OK ……I opened the door and called him, he jumped up and came right in , on my lap and laid across me and put his head right on my mothers lap….He knew what he was doing….mom was hooked right away!

On the way home, my mother was rubbing the dogs head. She was wondering what to call the dog, When a song by Mac Davis came on the radio……”My girl Bill”………We called the dog Bill from then on….Now Bill wasn’t a great big dog. he looked to be an Australian shepherd mix, maybe , a border collie mix, black over most his body….a white blaze on his nose and his chest and belly where white, and his toes where white too….he may have weighed 30 lbs, give or take a little.

I did make an effort to find the rightful owner of the dog …I put a sign up in the station and the Cafe……Nobody ever inquired…… .I brought him to work with me on weekends thinking maybe someone would recognize him ……still …nobody ever inquired….Seems Bill was destined to stay with us forever…..I finally was convinced that he wasn’t going any where and accepted that he was really ours!

Bill turned out to be an amazing friend to our whole family……We all loved him and he loved all of us…..He could make anybody feel special in his own way …Sometimes he would head out with my sister,who spent as much time as she could on her horse (still does)……Sometimes he would walk with me and spend all day watching me fish on the river…..He might even jump in the car with my mother and go to the store…….One time my father was about to leave for somewhere….He had to walk by Bill to leave the house…..As he opened the door, my dad told Bill (half jokingly) to get in the pick-up…..Bill trotted right out there and jumped in the back of the pick-up…..From then on we would tell him what vehicle we were going in before we left the house….he would be in it or meet us at the right one every time….Another time, my sister and I were going to herd some cattle for a local rancher……We were both on horseback and Bill came along too….We got to the ranch and started working those cattle to a different pasture …….Bill fell right in there and we found out he could herd……Not only could he herd, but he would check back with us often and take hand signals to change what he was doing…he just seemed to understand everything we told him and understood each of our needs like no other friend could!

A couple years later we moved to a farm in Oklahoma……of course Bill came too…..When we got there, Bill wouldn’t hardly get out of the car…..Took about 4  days  for him to be convinced we were going to stay and weren’t going to leave him by himself….He finally warmed up to our new home and accepted his new surroundings…..He soon became the king of the farm….we raised some beef cattle and horses, a few chickens and a couple turkeys for the holidays…….sometimes the neighbors guinea hens would make their way over to our house ……Bill would look at us waiting for the signal to push them back home…..When he got the high sign, he would very slowly walk over to them until they started to move, then he would lay down…..Then he would move around them until they started to move the direction he wanted them to, and lay down ……he would work for over an hour…….pushing those guinea hens home, about a quarter mile up the road……

Later I graduated high school……Then Two years later, graduated trade school….All that time being greeted by Ol’ Bill every weekend, like I was gone too long…….After trade school I got hired at a company in Grand Junction Co……Only lasted about 8 months and moved back to Oklahoma, he was still hanging at the farm, and treated me like his long lost brother…….At the age of 25 I joined the army…..The day I was inducted and leaving for basic training from the mepps station ( the same building that was bombed about ten years later ) I received a Red Cross phone call……When I answered, my father was on the line with the Red Cross rep…….They told me that my mother had been diagnosed with in-operable cancer, they gave me the option of getting back out and going home…..The Doctors had given her about a year to live……I got to talk to my mother who convinced me to stay in the army and get started with my military journey.( By now I was married and my wife was pregnant with twins, hence why I joined the Army in the first place.)My folks had split up a couple years earlier, so they sold the farm……Bill and my mother lived in a small house in chandler Ok. …….Six months later, while stationed at Ft. Gordon Ga…….I received a call from my mother ….She told me that she had to have Bill put to sleep….It seems he wasn’t his self and getting old ….She took bill into the vet and found out that he was also suffering from cancer…..She told me she couldn’t let him suffer and had him put down as soon as possible……I think she was wishing for the same help herself…….7 months later she was gone too…..She was 1 month from her 50th birthday……..We never knew how old,  Bill was ……He was well into adulthood when he came to us……..when the end came for him he had been with my family well over 10 years…….So here is to Bill, The best friend a kid, no, a family could ever have……We Love You Bill, ….Happy Mothers Day Mom….We will never forget you both and will always hold you in that special place in our heart……Love Always…..Greg "Smokey" Bowen

 

Hello folks....If you are here, you are already wondering how your going to get started...G.D.I. Is a great place to build your business, and you may already have a plan!.....I would love to hear about your plans and I maybe able to help you get the ball rolling.......There are many people here at G.D.I. That are willing to help.....This isn't an easy industry and you will have to apply yourself, but it can also be a fun and prosperous time for you! Please feel free to go to my profile and contact me ....I have a contact place on my signature line....You are here on the forum page, which shows you are already navigating around the G.D.I. members area, and that is a great start....any support I give is always free!....so don't worry about someone trying to get in your pocket.....Believe me I have had plenty of people on the internet very willing to separate me from my dollar....myself and others in our group, are more interested in serving others, than serving a bunch of hype that doesn't work.....With that said I thank you for your time and hope to hear from you soon!.....all the best...Greg "Smokey" Bowen

 Hello William..... This is a very nice post!....While I was growing up, I remember sitting in the kitchen in my grandmothers house just listening to my dad and uncles talk about things......I never said anything, just listened.....I learned a mountain of things sitting there.....I thought it was really something in your post, that you recognized the answers to your prayers.....and took them to heart.....Good for you William!.....I am proud to be one of those you have coached and Mentored....I only hope to be able to carry on that legacy myself.......Thanks for you inspiring words....Smokey

Thanks for posting this William!....Your words are inspiring!....and I am proud to be apart of this life of serving others!......As I progress ....I can feel the electric like feelings of unconditional love ...It isn't all about the money!....But learning, Sharing,Coaching, Growing and Perfecting, this art of serving others!....I was taught as a young man, that when you help others, with no expectations, no strings.....The return is seven fold!......So I will be with you, MOTIVATING OTHERS, by SERVING OTHERS! Talk to you soon....Smokey

Hello...My name is Greg "Smokey" Bowen
I have been with G.D.I. for awhile....but didn't
have a clue how to get the most out of it....
I have recently learned alot and looking forward to serving others and coaching them soon!