Catching Up With Our International Visitors

   Good evening everyone,

How did your day go? Dear Silent Readers, you who drop by without posting. I'd love hearing from you. I'd enjoy hearing from the many guests who live in other countries.

My Malaysian friends: Boleh saya mendengar daripada anda? Saya amat berterima kasih kerana anda singgah setiap hari. Terima kasih! Bagaimana saya boleh menyokong anda? Apa yang anda dapati paling membantu kira-kira inn ini? Anda boleh meneruskan dan menulis dalam bahasa anda. Saya fikir saya akan mampu untuk mentafsirkan apa-apa komen yang anda boleh berkongsi dengan kami. Terima kasih sekali lagi, untuk menjatuhkan oleh setiap hari! Rahmat kepada anda, penyelia restoran.

Greetings to the guests from England.  Thank you, for dropping by. What have you found most helpful about this inn?  A quote by Shakespeare inspired me this day. "Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win

Practicising Principles and Boundaries in All Our Affairs .......... 8/15/11

“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say “thank you?”"
William Arthur Ward

     Good evening everyone, even if my baseball team lost horrifically in the final inning, tonight. Welcome to today's guests.

      I'm meeting with members of my business team, at 5:30 p.m., tomorrow, in San Rafael. I have a mixture of excitement and dread. I'm leaving it in God's hands.

Boundaries Helps Our Sanity

     I'm encountering friends who are under extreme stress. The economy, job uncertainty, unexpected bills, crises, downturns in relationships, all contribute to their woes.  Some observations:

I. It Is Good Being Wary 

A. This is where we got the word "beware." Being careful when around distressed people is wise.

 "A prudent man sees a danger and        withdraws, but the simple continue    on and suffer for it."    Jewish proverb.

       Recently, while with a friend, I excused myself from a table at a restaurant, asked for the check and left. Before doing so, I calmly let the person know that his behavior was emotional abuse and I wouldn't stand for it. He apologized a week later, without prompting.

      We get what we tolerate. We train people how to treat us. If we feel like a doormat we need to get off the floor. 

Happy Five Month Anniversary Everyone ...8/13/11

   Hello everyone,

Today is a special; it's the five month anniversary of the opening of this inn. This place is a baby.  Thank you, each and every one of you, who drop by. Many of you've made this part of your routine, while online, I'm glad you do.

     Please share what you've found most helpful about the inn. Let me know what subjects you hope I'll cover.  I'm all for improving this inn.

      I hope you had an enjoyable day.                                                                       If not, you are at the right place.  Having an Attitude of Gratitude  helps.  It gives perspective that moves us forward. For more about that, click here.  It's best seeing what can be done and bask in the blessings we enjoy, than living with regret and fear. 

       Fear is a form of self-sabotage.  Here are thoughts on this subject.  May they help us face our fears and master them. 

Part of my growth has involved re-versing old ways of thinking. It had been my habit to avoid painful feel-ings and situations. It was better to play it safe.  To stay away from risk.  But life involves one risk after another, and some pain is unavoidable.  Life is learning to accept what is.

Instead of running away, I'm learning to look at the source of my distress.  As a result, I find that pain passes much more quickly, and what I gain is freedom from fear. I can learn to take an honest look at myself and my situ-ation. I can reach out to a suppor-tive friend, God, prayer, and meet with others who care to help me to find the courage to deal with fear, pain, and risk. 

When I was avoiding taking risks, fear was always with me, just over my shoulder.  Now I go through it and come out the other side, often unscath-ed. I no longer have to keep a constant watch for dangers. Instead, I can oc-cupy myself with living.

Wonderful things can happen today because I welcome the thrill of participating in my own life.

****** 

'Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.  Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.'     Helen Keller

"Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to at-tempt." William Shakespeare, "Measure for Measure", Act 1 scene 4

        These last words by Will were spoken in 1604.  They remain true today.  Progress occurs when principles are placed above not only our personality but also above our fears. 

         Sometimes this requires taking life not one day at a time.  

         It may be better stepping out in life fifteen minutes at a time, placing one foot in front of the other.  We take baby steps.  We seek God's will, relying upon His power.  It is easier, facing difficul-ties in small increments. Next, we B-R-E-A-T-H-E!  Then we do the same with the next fifteen minutes.  And the next, and the next after that, and so on.

     

     It helps having others we can call upon for sup-port.  Serenity is ours because we no longer make decisions or take action alone. We are bonded with others who have our back. 

          On the airplane of life, our supportive com-munity rouses us forward.  We step out in faith, taking the plunge. We do the next right thing.  No matter how fearful. 

          These friends remind us we have our Higher Power along with us, each bit of the way. The parachute of principles holding us afloat, as we soar towards our goals.

        May your day be bold and fearless.  I'm here for you, 

Courage & Support Allows Us to Face Fear & Soar Towards Our Goals 8/12/11

      I hope you had an enjoyable day.                                                                     If not, you are at the right place.  Having an Attitude of Gratitude  helps.  It gives perspective that moves us forward. For more about that, click here.  It's best seeing what can be done and bask in the blessings we enjoy, than living with regret and fear. 

       Fear is a form of self-sabotage.  Here are thoughts on this subject.  May they help us face our fears and master them. 

Part of my growth has involved re-versing old ways of thinking. It had been my habit to avoid painful feel-ings and situations. It was better to play it safe.  To stay away from risk.  But life involves one risk after another, and some pain is unavoidable.  Life is learning to accept what is.

Instead of running away, I'm learning to look at the source of my distress.  As a result, I find that pain passes much more quickly, and what I gain is freedom from fear. I can learn to take an honest look at myself and my situation. I can reach out to a suppor-tive friend, God, prayer, and meet with others who care to help me to find the courage to deal with fear, pain, and risk. 

When I was avoiding taking risks, fear was always with me, just over my shoulder.  Now I go through it and come out the other side, often unscath-ed. I no longer have to keep a constant watch for dangers. Instead, I can oc-cupy myself with living.

Wonderful things can happen today because I welcome the thrill of participating in my own life.

****** 

'Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.  Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.'     Helen Keller

"Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to at-tempt." William Shakespeare, "Measure for Measure", Act 1 scene 4

        These last words by Will were spoken in 1604.  They remain true today.  Progress occurs when principles are placed above not only our personality but also above our fears. 

         Sometimes this requires taking life not one day at a time.  

         It may be better stepping out in life fifteen minutes at a time, placing one foot in front of the other.  We take baby steps.  We seek God's will, relying upon His power.  It is easier, facing difficul-ties in small increments. Next, we B-R-E-A-T-H-E!  Then we do the same with the next fifteen minutes.  And the next, and the next after that, and so on.

          It helps having others we can call upon for support.  Serenity is ours because we no longer make decisions or take action alone. We are bond-ed with others who have our back. 

          On the airplane of life, our supportive com-munity rouses us forward.  We step out in faith, taking the plunge. We do the next right thing.  No matter how fearful. 

          These friends remind us we have our Higher Power along with us, each bit of the way. The parachute of principles holding us afloat, as we soar towards our goals.

        May your day be bold and fearless.  I'm here for you, 

Joyful Even When Maligned .......8/12/11

"God’s love is measureless. It is more: it is boundless. It has
 no bounds because it is not a thing but a facet of the essen-
tial nature of God. His love is something He is, and because
He is infinite that love can enfold the whole created world in
itself and have room for ten thousand times ten thousand
 worlds beside."  A.W.Tozer   (Photographer's caption.)

     Hello, my friends. Thanks for dropping by.  I can't think of a better way of returning to this inn than seeing others sign the registry to this place.  You do so when you share three gratitudes you have for this lovely day!

My Gratitudes for Thursday:

1. Today,  I prepared for talks I'll give this month.
     One of them is tomorrow.  This is something I like doing.  I like the research involved.
      I appreciate mixing it up with the audience.  Public speaking forces me to be very clear about a topic, which is a good habit to have.

"Enjoying Moments of Spontaneity Instead of Living by Fearful Control" Also, I Was Wrong, Yet I Was Still Loved By My Son ..8/10/11

Patience is priceless. Patience can only grow through experiences that test it. So we should treasure the times when our patience

is tried, and not impatiently seek to be rescued prematurely. Make the most of it. Realize that God has a purpose and a plan

that will work out for our best. If we choose the path of patience and trust, we will not regret it (Photographer's caption.)

    Well, here it is, it's a bit after midnight.
I  have written for a few days but, I haven't been gone. You may have noticed there's been tinkering with blog, over the past several days, with the sidebar on the right-----it wasn't elves, it was me. The posts are being listed by category.

Big Improvements for the Innkeeper and I'm Looking Forward to Tomorrow ..(8-6-11)

    How are you, this weekend?

I rested; seeing the San Francisco Giants play, I managed doing. They are going through a rough patch, but they are still in first place, in their division.  They will always be my team. My body spoke loudly today that I needed to put on the brakes.  I did. Click here, for more information on being in Halt a place you don't want to be.

Treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding

you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again. (Og Mandino)

My gratitudes for Saturday: 

1. I'm moving to, you guessed it, the island town of Alameda. I see most of my clients there. My life, commute and social life will get easier, because of this move. I'm thankful for the convenience it will be, living there. I'm seeing the results that happen when we "work" our Vision. Part of mine was moving to this town. It's now a reality.
2. I love the town. It reminds me of the town I lived in as a kid---Niles, Fremont, but a bit bigger.

Armida, Part III, The Power of the Human Will: Holding Off Death's Throes, One More Day ..8/5/11

       Good evening everyone, this post I dedicate to dear Armida, who died Monday, four days ago.

*****************************************************

       From the vantage point where I sit, this was a dramatic week. Sunday was special.  A phone call by Armida's son, Paul, made a last minute request that I sing to her, for a second time. I knew this meant rearranging my day and driving an extra 100 miles, in order to make this to happen.  I am glad I did. The time was urgent. The next day, she exhaled her last breath. Her passing, I rue.

      I'm grateful for the last moments spent with her. You see, Armida was one of the several friends

A Night That Had the Son ..................................8/4/12

     Good evening everyone,

I'm just in from spending time with a son. We went out for dinner, watching a Giants game at a restaurant loaded with flat screen TVs. They lost.  My son and I didn't.  We won: connecting and celebrating life with another is always a win..