CONFIDENCE:
Once all village people
decided to pray for rain. On
the day of prayer all people
gathered and only one boy came
with an umbrella...... that's
Confidence...
TRUST:
Trust should be like the
feeling of a one year old baby
when you throw him in the air;
he laughs.....because he knows
you will catch him........ That's Trust............
HOPE:
Every night we go to bed, we
have no assurance to get up
alive in the next morning but
still we have plans for the
coming day..........that's Hope..........
KEEP CONFIDENCE!
TRUST OTHERS!
NEVER LOSE HOPE!
Keep Smiling....
Showing posts with label confidence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label confidence. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Friday, March 20, 2009
Natural Approaches to Treating Depression
Like millions of other people all over the world, I have suffered from depression for many years of my life.
And like many people who suffer from depression, I didn’t really like the idea of taking powerful pharmaceutical drugs to treat it.
So, I have always been searching for ways to help depression that don’t necessarily rely on using heavy duty drugs.
What I have written in this article is a really, really short overview of some of the many natural treatments that have been used for depression.
If your depression is mild, then natural methods can work.
If you have a serious depression, and that means a state of sadness or emptiness that goes on and on, and bleeds all the joy out of your life, until you feel that life is empty and meaningless, then some professional treatment can be helpful, or even necessary to overcome it.
Remedies from the Health Food Store
Is there anything you can get in a health food store that might help with depression? Yes, maybe, if your depression is in the mild to moderate range of severity. A more severe or long-term depression should be treated by a qualified professional.
If you are already taking prescription anti-depressants, do not also take any natural remedies at the same time without first consulting your doctor!
In some cases, there can be dangerous interactions. Just because something is natural does not mean it is always safe for everybody.
St. John’s Wort
One of the best known and most widely prescribed natural remedies for depression is St. John’s Wort. This herb has been used as a remedy for depression in Europe for decades. It is believed to now be the most commonly used anti-depressant in the world.
Many people who take St. John’s Wort say they prefer the gentle lift this herb provides compared to the side effects of prescription anti-depressants.
The exact method by which St. John’s Wort works is unknown. The main active ingredient is believed to be hypericin. Other factors in the plant may have an anti-depressant effect as well.
A typical recommended dose is 900 milligrams per day, divided. Look for a product that is standardized to contain .3 percent hypericin.
Some side effects with St. John’s Wort may be experienced. They include nausea and abdominal pain. Some people experience increased sensitivity to sunlight and there is some indication that taking it may lead to a higher incidence of cataracts.
Not all studies of St. John’s Wort have shown positive results. Many researchers in Europe say that St. John’s Wort is effective, but at least one large recent American study found it to be ineffective as a treatment for depression.
When buying St. John’s Wort, or any other herbal preparation, purchase only those brands that have a reputation for reliability. Some independent tests have confirmed that not all brands of St. John’s Wort offered for sale actually contain the ingredients being claimed on the package.
If you are already taking a prescription anti-depressant, do not start taking St. John’s Wort without consulting your doctor first. It may not be compatible with your other medications.
Don’t take St. John’s Wort if you have bipolar depression or if you are pregnant.
SAM-e
If you want to find something from the health food store to fight depression, you could ask for SAM-e, also known as s-adenosyl-methionine.
SAM-e is a substance which our body can make using the amino acid L-methionine, and various other nutrients. It is believed that SAM-e can boost the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine in the brain, which may be able to improve mood.
Research reports from Europe say SAM-e has the same rate of effectiveness as most prescription anti-depressants, about 70 percent, but that it works faster and has fewer side effects. Some studies have found positive improvements in depressed patients in as few as four days.
Side effects can include nausea, agitation, anxiety, and insomnia at doses above 100 mg per day.
SAM-e is better absorbed if you take it on an empty stomach between meals.
Recommended doses for treating depression vary from 50 mg per day to 400 or more mg per day.
People who have bipolar depression should not take SAM-e. If you are already taking MAO inhibitor antidepressants, do not take SAM-e. SAM-e is not available in health stores in all countries.
And like many people who suffer from depression, I didn’t really like the idea of taking powerful pharmaceutical drugs to treat it.
So, I have always been searching for ways to help depression that don’t necessarily rely on using heavy duty drugs.
What I have written in this article is a really, really short overview of some of the many natural treatments that have been used for depression.
If your depression is mild, then natural methods can work.
If you have a serious depression, and that means a state of sadness or emptiness that goes on and on, and bleeds all the joy out of your life, until you feel that life is empty and meaningless, then some professional treatment can be helpful, or even necessary to overcome it.
Remedies from the Health Food Store
Is there anything you can get in a health food store that might help with depression? Yes, maybe, if your depression is in the mild to moderate range of severity. A more severe or long-term depression should be treated by a qualified professional.
If you are already taking prescription anti-depressants, do not also take any natural remedies at the same time without first consulting your doctor!
In some cases, there can be dangerous interactions. Just because something is natural does not mean it is always safe for everybody.
St. John’s Wort
One of the best known and most widely prescribed natural remedies for depression is St. John’s Wort. This herb has been used as a remedy for depression in Europe for decades. It is believed to now be the most commonly used anti-depressant in the world.
Many people who take St. John’s Wort say they prefer the gentle lift this herb provides compared to the side effects of prescription anti-depressants.
The exact method by which St. John’s Wort works is unknown. The main active ingredient is believed to be hypericin. Other factors in the plant may have an anti-depressant effect as well.
A typical recommended dose is 900 milligrams per day, divided. Look for a product that is standardized to contain .3 percent hypericin.
Some side effects with St. John’s Wort may be experienced. They include nausea and abdominal pain. Some people experience increased sensitivity to sunlight and there is some indication that taking it may lead to a higher incidence of cataracts.
Not all studies of St. John’s Wort have shown positive results. Many researchers in Europe say that St. John’s Wort is effective, but at least one large recent American study found it to be ineffective as a treatment for depression.
When buying St. John’s Wort, or any other herbal preparation, purchase only those brands that have a reputation for reliability. Some independent tests have confirmed that not all brands of St. John’s Wort offered for sale actually contain the ingredients being claimed on the package.
If you are already taking a prescription anti-depressant, do not start taking St. John’s Wort without consulting your doctor first. It may not be compatible with your other medications.
Don’t take St. John’s Wort if you have bipolar depression or if you are pregnant.
SAM-e
If you want to find something from the health food store to fight depression, you could ask for SAM-e, also known as s-adenosyl-methionine.
SAM-e is a substance which our body can make using the amino acid L-methionine, and various other nutrients. It is believed that SAM-e can boost the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine in the brain, which may be able to improve mood.
Research reports from Europe say SAM-e has the same rate of effectiveness as most prescription anti-depressants, about 70 percent, but that it works faster and has fewer side effects. Some studies have found positive improvements in depressed patients in as few as four days.
Side effects can include nausea, agitation, anxiety, and insomnia at doses above 100 mg per day.
SAM-e is better absorbed if you take it on an empty stomach between meals.
Recommended doses for treating depression vary from 50 mg per day to 400 or more mg per day.
People who have bipolar depression should not take SAM-e. If you are already taking MAO inhibitor antidepressants, do not take SAM-e. SAM-e is not available in health stores in all countries.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Self Motivational Story
The Home Stretch
- by Karen Hayse
Four miles! I’ve only run four miles! I stood at the side of the road, dejected, waiting for a relief wagon to pick me up. I hadn’t even run a third of Kansas City’s Hospital Hill Half-Marathon. Six months of training down the drain—all because of a microscopic virus.
Sprained muscles, bad weather . . . I thought I planned for it all. But strep throat?
Add medicine that had side effects like rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath; I didn’t have a prayer of finishing.
Regardless, my parents met me at the finish line with an armful of pink roses. The offering was bittersweet, since I clutched them after climbing out of a van instead of after sprinting across a finish line.
I vowed I’d try again. Unfortunately, Kansas City half-marathons are in short supply, and life got busy again.
For one, I suddenly became a mom of an eight-year-old.
Cute little Mandy Porter had packed all her things, waved good-bye to her foster parents and moved into our spare bedroom. This pixie-like redhead had been passed around like most foster children. Unfortunately, her story was more disheartening than the average one. Twice, she had been placed for adoption and began calling an unfamiliar couple “Mom” and “Dad.” Twice, the stress had been too much for these new parents, and they sent little Mandy back to foster care. Social workers call this an “adoption disruption.” I call it a soul disruption.
My husband and I would become two more in a line of uncertain parents for Mandy. The very day she moved in, we could see why the disruptions had happened. Little Miss Mandy was a tough cookie—throwing tantrums daily, refusing to comply, being passive, being aggressive, being anything but cooperative.
Seven years had passed since my undoing at Hospital Hill at mile four, but even after all those years, I still felt empty and undone at not having finished the 1994 race. Advertisements for the 2001 half-marathon popped up again on store windows. I mulled over whether or not to try again. I had been having hip pain so badly that I was having trouble sleeping and hadn’t run in years.
I oscillated between sending in an application and being realistic. I had little time to prepare. And I had a daughter, now a teenager, who still took immense amounts of time and energy.
I don’t quit. I do what I say. I could hear my own words echo back to me. I thought, This is a perfect opportunity to show this to Mandy—to let her see that I mean it, instead of just hearing it.
I mailed my application and bought new shoes. I found running routes with big hills like the official Hospital Hill course, and I ran them whenever I could squeeze it in.
Too soon, that Sunday morning arrived. Mandy and I swung into a downtown parking spot and headed to the starting line. I told her, “I hope to finish in two and a half hours. Meet me at the finish line at 10:30.”
She nodded.
I lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. “Mandy,” I said, “I don’t quit. Not in this race, and not on you. I am running this race for you.”
With my number pinned securely, I found my place in the mob of runners and lost sight of my precious daughter.
Could I do it? I had to!
I am strong, and I don’t quit! I am strong, and I don’t quit! It was my mantra, the words that patterned my cadence.
Oh no! Is that a raindrop? The gray sky opened up, and sheets of rain began to pelt us. My shoes became soggy and doubled in weight. The wet socks rubbed my feet, forming instant blisters.
I don’t quit! I yelled the words in my mind now, picturing my daughter waiting at the finish line. My hip began to sear with pain, and the raindrops turned to torrents.
I repeated the words, louder and faster at the never-ending hills. Through the pain, I felt exhilarated. I would do it. I was doing it!
Sooner than I realized, I rounded a corner to discover the official clock ticking off the finish times. It read “2:13.” On the one hand, I was thrilled; regardless of all the obstacles, I had finished fifteen minutes sooner than I expected! On the other hand, I kept picturing Mandy inside where it was dry, watching the clock for the time I told her to come out to meet me.
I sprinted the last few yards, planning my strategy to find Mandy in the thick pack of people inside the Crown Center.
But I didn’t have to. There she was—her rain-drenched hair dripping onto her soaked T-shirt. And even through all the raindrops—and now the tears—I could see her beaming smile and her arms open fully to receive me.
“I made it, Mandy! I don’t quit!”
“I knew you would, Mom,” she said, holding me tightly as we stood in a deepening puddle. “I’m so glad you never quit.”
- by Karen Hayse
Four miles! I’ve only run four miles! I stood at the side of the road, dejected, waiting for a relief wagon to pick me up. I hadn’t even run a third of Kansas City’s Hospital Hill Half-Marathon. Six months of training down the drain—all because of a microscopic virus.
Sprained muscles, bad weather . . . I thought I planned for it all. But strep throat?
Add medicine that had side effects like rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath; I didn’t have a prayer of finishing.
Regardless, my parents met me at the finish line with an armful of pink roses. The offering was bittersweet, since I clutched them after climbing out of a van instead of after sprinting across a finish line.
I vowed I’d try again. Unfortunately, Kansas City half-marathons are in short supply, and life got busy again.
For one, I suddenly became a mom of an eight-year-old.
Cute little Mandy Porter had packed all her things, waved good-bye to her foster parents and moved into our spare bedroom. This pixie-like redhead had been passed around like most foster children. Unfortunately, her story was more disheartening than the average one. Twice, she had been placed for adoption and began calling an unfamiliar couple “Mom” and “Dad.” Twice, the stress had been too much for these new parents, and they sent little Mandy back to foster care. Social workers call this an “adoption disruption.” I call it a soul disruption.
My husband and I would become two more in a line of uncertain parents for Mandy. The very day she moved in, we could see why the disruptions had happened. Little Miss Mandy was a tough cookie—throwing tantrums daily, refusing to comply, being passive, being aggressive, being anything but cooperative.
Seven years had passed since my undoing at Hospital Hill at mile four, but even after all those years, I still felt empty and undone at not having finished the 1994 race. Advertisements for the 2001 half-marathon popped up again on store windows. I mulled over whether or not to try again. I had been having hip pain so badly that I was having trouble sleeping and hadn’t run in years.
I oscillated between sending in an application and being realistic. I had little time to prepare. And I had a daughter, now a teenager, who still took immense amounts of time and energy.
I don’t quit. I do what I say. I could hear my own words echo back to me. I thought, This is a perfect opportunity to show this to Mandy—to let her see that I mean it, instead of just hearing it.
I mailed my application and bought new shoes. I found running routes with big hills like the official Hospital Hill course, and I ran them whenever I could squeeze it in.
Too soon, that Sunday morning arrived. Mandy and I swung into a downtown parking spot and headed to the starting line. I told her, “I hope to finish in two and a half hours. Meet me at the finish line at 10:30.”
She nodded.
I lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. “Mandy,” I said, “I don’t quit. Not in this race, and not on you. I am running this race for you.”
With my number pinned securely, I found my place in the mob of runners and lost sight of my precious daughter.
Could I do it? I had to!
I am strong, and I don’t quit! I am strong, and I don’t quit! It was my mantra, the words that patterned my cadence.
Oh no! Is that a raindrop? The gray sky opened up, and sheets of rain began to pelt us. My shoes became soggy and doubled in weight. The wet socks rubbed my feet, forming instant blisters.
I don’t quit! I yelled the words in my mind now, picturing my daughter waiting at the finish line. My hip began to sear with pain, and the raindrops turned to torrents.
I repeated the words, louder and faster at the never-ending hills. Through the pain, I felt exhilarated. I would do it. I was doing it!
Sooner than I realized, I rounded a corner to discover the official clock ticking off the finish times. It read “2:13.” On the one hand, I was thrilled; regardless of all the obstacles, I had finished fifteen minutes sooner than I expected! On the other hand, I kept picturing Mandy inside where it was dry, watching the clock for the time I told her to come out to meet me.
I sprinted the last few yards, planning my strategy to find Mandy in the thick pack of people inside the Crown Center.
But I didn’t have to. There she was—her rain-drenched hair dripping onto her soaked T-shirt. And even through all the raindrops—and now the tears—I could see her beaming smile and her arms open fully to receive me.
“I made it, Mandy! I don’t quit!”
“I knew you would, Mom,” she said, holding me tightly as we stood in a deepening puddle. “I’m so glad you never quit.”
Friday, July 18, 2008
Inspirational Poem - Nothing to Fear
There's nothing to fear ---you're as good as the best,
As strong as the mightiest, too.
You can win in every battle or test;
For there's no one just like you.
There's only one you in the world today;
So nobody else, you see,
Can do your work in as fine a way:
You're the only you there'll be !
So face the world, and all life is yours
To conquer and love and live:
And you'll find the happiness that endures
In just the measure you give;
There's nothing too good for you to possess,
Nor heights where you cannot go:
Your power is more than belief or guess ---
It is something you have to know.
There is nothing to fear --- you can and you will.
For you are the invincible you.
Set your foot on the highest hill ---
There's nothing you cannot do.
-- Author Unknown
As strong as the mightiest, too.
You can win in every battle or test;
For there's no one just like you.
There's only one you in the world today;
So nobody else, you see,
Can do your work in as fine a way:
You're the only you there'll be !
So face the world, and all life is yours
To conquer and love and live:
And you'll find the happiness that endures
In just the measure you give;
There's nothing too good for you to possess,
Nor heights where you cannot go:
Your power is more than belief or guess ---
It is something you have to know.
There is nothing to fear --- you can and you will.
For you are the invincible you.
Set your foot on the highest hill ---
There's nothing you cannot do.
-- Author Unknown
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Don't be Afraid of Pressure
An old legend says that God first created birds without wings. Sometime later, God made wings and said to the birds, "Come, take up these burdens and bear them."
The birds hesitated at first, but soon obeyed. They tried picking up the wings in their beaks, but found them too heavy. Then they tried picking them up with their claws, but found them too large. Finally one of the birds managed to get the wings hoisted onto its shoulders where it was possible to carry them. To the amazement of the birds, before long the wings began to grow and they soon had attached themselves to the bodies of the birds.
One of the birds began to flap his wings and others followed his example. Shortly afterwards, one of the birds took off and began to soar in the air above. What had once been a heavy burden now became the very thing that enabled the birds to go where they could never go before...and at the same time, truly fulfill the destiny of their creation.
The duties and responsibilities you count as burdens today may be part of God's destiny for your life, the means by which your soul is lifted up and prepared for eternity.
Don't be afraid of pressure. Remember that pressure is what turns a lump of coal into a diamond.
You know the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:3,4 (NIV)
Source : "God's Little Devotional Book for Everyone"
Shared by : "Lucy"
The birds hesitated at first, but soon obeyed. They tried picking up the wings in their beaks, but found them too heavy. Then they tried picking them up with their claws, but found them too large. Finally one of the birds managed to get the wings hoisted onto its shoulders where it was possible to carry them. To the amazement of the birds, before long the wings began to grow and they soon had attached themselves to the bodies of the birds.
One of the birds began to flap his wings and others followed his example. Shortly afterwards, one of the birds took off and began to soar in the air above. What had once been a heavy burden now became the very thing that enabled the birds to go where they could never go before...and at the same time, truly fulfill the destiny of their creation.
The duties and responsibilities you count as burdens today may be part of God's destiny for your life, the means by which your soul is lifted up and prepared for eternity.
Don't be afraid of pressure. Remember that pressure is what turns a lump of coal into a diamond.
You know the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:3,4 (NIV)
Source : "God's Little Devotional Book for Everyone"
Shared by : "Lucy"
Saturday, July 12, 2008
How to Be New and Different
The year 1993 wasn't shaping up to be the best year of my life. I was into my eighth year as a single parent, had three kids in college, my unmarried daughter had just given birth to my first grandchild and I was about to break up with a very nice man I'd dated for over two years. Faced with all this, I was spending lots of time feeling sorry for myself.
That April, I was asked to interview and write about a woman who lived in a small town in Minnesota. So during Easter vacation, Andrew, my thirteen-year- old, and I drove across two states to meet Jan Turner.
Andrew dozed most of the way during the long drive, but every once in a while I'd start a conversation.
"She's handicapped, you know."
"So what's wrong with her? Does she have a disease?"
"I don't think so. But for some reason, she had to have both arms and legs amputated."
"Wow. How does she get around?"
"I'm not sure. We'll see when we get there."
"Does she have any kids?"
"Two boys - Tyler and Cody - both adopted. She's a single parent, too. Only she's never been married."
"So what happened to her?"
"Four years ago Jan was just like me, a busy single mother. She was a full-time music teacher at a grade school and taught all sorts of musical instruments. She was also the music director at her church."
Andrew fell asleep again before I could finish telling him what little I did know about what had happened to Jan. As I drove across Minnesota, I began to wonder how the woman I was about to meet could cope with such devastating news that all four limbs had to be amputated. How did she learn to survive? Did she have live-in help?
When we arrived in Willmar, Minnesota, I called Jan from our hotel to tell her that I could come to her house and pick her and the boys up, so they could swim at our hotel while we talked.
"That's okay, Pat, I can drive. The boys and I will be there in ten minutes. Would you like to go out to eat first? There's a Ponderosa close to your hotel."
"Sure, that'll be fine," I said haltingly, wondering what it would be like to eat in a public restaurant with a woman who had no arms or legs. And how on earth does she drive? I wondered.
Ten minutes later, Jan pulled up in front of the hotel. She got out of the car, walked over to me with perfect posture on legs and feet that looked every bit as real as mine, and extended her right arm with its shiny hook on the end to shake my hand. "Hello, Pat, I'm sure glad to meet you. And this must be Andrew."
I grabbed her hook, pumped it a bit and smiled sheepishly. "Uh, yes, this is Andrew." I looked in the back seat of her car and smiled at the two boys who grinned back. Cody, the younger one, was practically effervescent at the thought of going swimming in the hotel pool after dinner.
Jan bubbled as she slid back behind the driver's seat, "So hop in. Cody, move over and make room for Andrew."
We arrived at the restaurant, went through the line, paid for our food, and ate and talked amidst the chattering of our three sons. The only thing I had to do for Jan Turner that entire evening was unscrew the top on the ketchup bottle.
Later that night, as our three sons splashed in the pool, Jan and I sat on the side and she told me about life before her illness.
"We were a typical single-parent family. You know, busy all the time. Life was so good, in fact that I was seriously thinking about adopting a third child."
My conscience stung. I had to face it - the woman next to me was better at single parenting than I ever thought about being.
Jan continued. "One Sunday in November of 1989, I was playing my trumpet at the front of my church when I suddenly felt weak, dizzy and nauseous. I struggled down the aisle, motioned for the boys to follow me and drove home. I crawled into bed, but by evening I knew I had to get help."
Jan then explained that by the time she arrived at the hospital, she was comatose. Her blood pressure had dropped so much that her body was already shutting down. She had pneumococcal pneumonia, the same bacterial infection that took the life of Muppets creator Jim Henson. One of its disastrous side effects is an activation of the body's clotting system, which causes the blood vessels to plug up. Because there was suddenly no blood flow to her hands or feet, she quickly developed gangrene in all four extremities. Two weeks after being admitted to the hospital, Jan's arms had to be amputated at mid-forearm and her legs at mid-shin.
Just before the surgery, she said she cried out, "Oh God, no! How can I live without arms and legs, feet or hands? Never walk again? Never play the trumpet, guitar, piano or any of the instruments I teach? I'll never be able to hug my sons or take care of them. Oh God, don't let me depend on others for the rest of my life!"
Six weeks after the amputations as her dangling limbs healed, a doctor talked to Jan about prosthetics. She said Jan could learn to walk, drive a car, go back to school, even go back to teaching.
Jan found that hard to believe so she picked up her Bible. It fell open to Romans, chapter twelve, verse two: "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how his ways will really satisfy you."
Jan thought about that - about being a new and different person - and she decided to give the prosthetics a try. With a walker strapped onto her forearms near the elbow and a therapist on either side, she could only wobble on her new legs for two to three minutes before she collapsed in exhaustion and pain. Take it slowly, Jan said to herself. Be a new person in all that you do and think, but take it one step at a time.
The next day she tried on the prosthetic arms, a crude system of cables, rubber bands and hooks operated by a harness across the shoulders. By moving her shoulder muscles she was soon able to open and close the hooks to pick up and hold objects, and dress and feed herself. Within a few months, Jan learned she could do almost everything she used to do - only in a new and different way.
"Still, when I finally got to go home after four months of physical and occupational therapy, I was so nervous about what life would be like with my boys and me alone in the house. But when I got there, I got out of the car, walked up the steps to our house, hugged my boys with all my might, and we haven't looked back since."
As Jan and I continued to talk, Cody, who'd climbed out of the hotel pool, stood close to his mom with his arm around her shoulders. As she told me about her newly improved cooking skills, Cody grinned. "Yup," he said, "she's a better mom now than before she got sick, because now she can even flip pancakes!" Jan laughed like a woman who is blessed with tremendous happiness, contentment and unswerving faith in God.
Since our visit, Jan has completed a second college degree, this one in communications, and she is now an announcer for the local radio station. She also studied theology and has been ordained as the children's pastor at her church, the Triumphant Life Church in Willmar. Simply put, Jan says, "I'm a new and different person, triumphant because of God's unending love and wisdom."
After meeting Jan, I was a new and different person as well. I learned to praise God for everything in my life that makes me new and different, whether it's struggling through one more part-time job to keep my kids in college, learning to be a grandmother for the first time or having the courage to end a relationship with a wonderful friend who just wasn't the right one for me.
Jan may not have real flesh-and-blood arms, legs, hands or feet, but that woman has more heart and soul than anyone I've ever met before or since. She taught me to grab on to every "new and different" thing that comes into my life with all the gusto I can muster . . . to live my life triumphantly.
That April, I was asked to interview and write about a woman who lived in a small town in Minnesota. So during Easter vacation, Andrew, my thirteen-year- old, and I drove across two states to meet Jan Turner.
Andrew dozed most of the way during the long drive, but every once in a while I'd start a conversation.
"She's handicapped, you know."
"So what's wrong with her? Does she have a disease?"
"I don't think so. But for some reason, she had to have both arms and legs amputated."
"Wow. How does she get around?"
"I'm not sure. We'll see when we get there."
"Does she have any kids?"
"Two boys - Tyler and Cody - both adopted. She's a single parent, too. Only she's never been married."
"So what happened to her?"
"Four years ago Jan was just like me, a busy single mother. She was a full-time music teacher at a grade school and taught all sorts of musical instruments. She was also the music director at her church."
Andrew fell asleep again before I could finish telling him what little I did know about what had happened to Jan. As I drove across Minnesota, I began to wonder how the woman I was about to meet could cope with such devastating news that all four limbs had to be amputated. How did she learn to survive? Did she have live-in help?
When we arrived in Willmar, Minnesota, I called Jan from our hotel to tell her that I could come to her house and pick her and the boys up, so they could swim at our hotel while we talked.
"That's okay, Pat, I can drive. The boys and I will be there in ten minutes. Would you like to go out to eat first? There's a Ponderosa close to your hotel."
"Sure, that'll be fine," I said haltingly, wondering what it would be like to eat in a public restaurant with a woman who had no arms or legs. And how on earth does she drive? I wondered.
Ten minutes later, Jan pulled up in front of the hotel. She got out of the car, walked over to me with perfect posture on legs and feet that looked every bit as real as mine, and extended her right arm with its shiny hook on the end to shake my hand. "Hello, Pat, I'm sure glad to meet you. And this must be Andrew."
I grabbed her hook, pumped it a bit and smiled sheepishly. "Uh, yes, this is Andrew." I looked in the back seat of her car and smiled at the two boys who grinned back. Cody, the younger one, was practically effervescent at the thought of going swimming in the hotel pool after dinner.
Jan bubbled as she slid back behind the driver's seat, "So hop in. Cody, move over and make room for Andrew."
We arrived at the restaurant, went through the line, paid for our food, and ate and talked amidst the chattering of our three sons. The only thing I had to do for Jan Turner that entire evening was unscrew the top on the ketchup bottle.
Later that night, as our three sons splashed in the pool, Jan and I sat on the side and she told me about life before her illness.
"We were a typical single-parent family. You know, busy all the time. Life was so good, in fact that I was seriously thinking about adopting a third child."
My conscience stung. I had to face it - the woman next to me was better at single parenting than I ever thought about being.
Jan continued. "One Sunday in November of 1989, I was playing my trumpet at the front of my church when I suddenly felt weak, dizzy and nauseous. I struggled down the aisle, motioned for the boys to follow me and drove home. I crawled into bed, but by evening I knew I had to get help."
Jan then explained that by the time she arrived at the hospital, she was comatose. Her blood pressure had dropped so much that her body was already shutting down. She had pneumococcal pneumonia, the same bacterial infection that took the life of Muppets creator Jim Henson. One of its disastrous side effects is an activation of the body's clotting system, which causes the blood vessels to plug up. Because there was suddenly no blood flow to her hands or feet, she quickly developed gangrene in all four extremities. Two weeks after being admitted to the hospital, Jan's arms had to be amputated at mid-forearm and her legs at mid-shin.
Just before the surgery, she said she cried out, "Oh God, no! How can I live without arms and legs, feet or hands? Never walk again? Never play the trumpet, guitar, piano or any of the instruments I teach? I'll never be able to hug my sons or take care of them. Oh God, don't let me depend on others for the rest of my life!"
Six weeks after the amputations as her dangling limbs healed, a doctor talked to Jan about prosthetics. She said Jan could learn to walk, drive a car, go back to school, even go back to teaching.
Jan found that hard to believe so she picked up her Bible. It fell open to Romans, chapter twelve, verse two: "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how his ways will really satisfy you."
Jan thought about that - about being a new and different person - and she decided to give the prosthetics a try. With a walker strapped onto her forearms near the elbow and a therapist on either side, she could only wobble on her new legs for two to three minutes before she collapsed in exhaustion and pain. Take it slowly, Jan said to herself. Be a new person in all that you do and think, but take it one step at a time.
The next day she tried on the prosthetic arms, a crude system of cables, rubber bands and hooks operated by a harness across the shoulders. By moving her shoulder muscles she was soon able to open and close the hooks to pick up and hold objects, and dress and feed herself. Within a few months, Jan learned she could do almost everything she used to do - only in a new and different way.
"Still, when I finally got to go home after four months of physical and occupational therapy, I was so nervous about what life would be like with my boys and me alone in the house. But when I got there, I got out of the car, walked up the steps to our house, hugged my boys with all my might, and we haven't looked back since."
As Jan and I continued to talk, Cody, who'd climbed out of the hotel pool, stood close to his mom with his arm around her shoulders. As she told me about her newly improved cooking skills, Cody grinned. "Yup," he said, "she's a better mom now than before she got sick, because now she can even flip pancakes!" Jan laughed like a woman who is blessed with tremendous happiness, contentment and unswerving faith in God.
Since our visit, Jan has completed a second college degree, this one in communications, and she is now an announcer for the local radio station. She also studied theology and has been ordained as the children's pastor at her church, the Triumphant Life Church in Willmar. Simply put, Jan says, "I'm a new and different person, triumphant because of God's unending love and wisdom."
After meeting Jan, I was a new and different person as well. I learned to praise God for everything in my life that makes me new and different, whether it's struggling through one more part-time job to keep my kids in college, learning to be a grandmother for the first time or having the courage to end a relationship with a wonderful friend who just wasn't the right one for me.
Jan may not have real flesh-and-blood arms, legs, hands or feet, but that woman has more heart and soul than anyone I've ever met before or since. She taught me to grab on to every "new and different" thing that comes into my life with all the gusto I can muster . . . to live my life triumphantly.
- By Patricia Lorenz
Monday, June 16, 2008
Self Employment.
A jobless man applied for the position of 'office boy' at a very big firm.
The HR manager interviewed him, then a test: clean the floor. "You are hired" he said, give me your email address, and I'll send you the application to fill, as well as when you will start. The man replied "I don't have a computer, neither an email".
I'm sorry, said the HR manager, if you don't have an email that means you do not exist. And who doesn't exist, cannot have the job. The man left with no hope at all. He didn't know what to do, with only $10 US in his pocket.
He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy a 10 KG tomato crate. He then sold the tomatoes in a door to door round. In less than two hours, he succeeded to double his capital. He repeated the operation 3 times, and returned home with $60 US. The man realized that he can survive by this way, and started to go everyday earlier, and return late. Thus, his money doubles or triples every day. Shortly later, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles.
5 years later, the man is one of the biggest food retailers in the US. He started to plan his family's future, and decided to have a life insurance.
He called an insurance broker, and chooses a protection plan. When the conversation was concluded, the broker asked him his email. The man replied: 'I don't have an email'. The broker replied curiously, you don't have an email, and yet have succeeded to build an empire. Do you imagine what you could have been if you had an email?
The man thought for a while, and replied: an office boy!
The moral of this story:
1: Internet is not the solution to your life.
2: If you don't have internet and you work hard you can be a millionaire.
3: If you received this message by email, you are closer to be an office boy, rather than a MILLIONAIRE.
The HR manager interviewed him, then a test: clean the floor. "You are hired" he said, give me your email address, and I'll send you the application to fill, as well as when you will start. The man replied "I don't have a computer, neither an email".
I'm sorry, said the HR manager, if you don't have an email that means you do not exist. And who doesn't exist, cannot have the job. The man left with no hope at all. He didn't know what to do, with only $10 US in his pocket.
He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy a 10 KG tomato crate. He then sold the tomatoes in a door to door round. In less than two hours, he succeeded to double his capital. He repeated the operation 3 times, and returned home with $60 US. The man realized that he can survive by this way, and started to go everyday earlier, and return late. Thus, his money doubles or triples every day. Shortly later, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles.
5 years later, the man is one of the biggest food retailers in the US. He started to plan his family's future, and decided to have a life insurance.
He called an insurance broker, and chooses a protection plan. When the conversation was concluded, the broker asked him his email. The man replied: 'I don't have an email'. The broker replied curiously, you don't have an email, and yet have succeeded to build an empire. Do you imagine what you could have been if you had an email?
The man thought for a while, and replied: an office boy!
The moral of this story:
1: Internet is not the solution to your life.
2: If you don't have internet and you work hard you can be a millionaire.
3: If you received this message by email, you are closer to be an office boy, rather than a MILLIONAIRE.
- Author Unknown
Friday, June 08, 2007
Great Inspiring Story - Everybody Can Do Something
Roger Crawford had everything he needed to play tennis - except two hands and a leg. When Roger’s parents saw their son for the first time, they saw a baby with a thumb-like projection extended directly out of his right forearm and a thumb and one finger stuck out of his left forearm. He had no palms. The baby’s arms and legs were shortened, and he had only three toes on his shrunken right foot and a withered left leg, which would later be amputated.
The doctor said Roger suffered from ectrodactylism, a rare birth defect affecting only one out of 90,000 children born in the United States. The doctor said Roger would probably never walk or care for himself.
Fortunately Roger’s parents didn’t believe the doctor. “My parents always taught me that I was only as handicapped as I wanted to be,” said Roger. “They never allowed me to feel sorry for myself or take advantage of people because of my handicap. Once I got into trouble because my school papers were continually late,” explained Roger who had to hold his pencil with both “hands” to write slowly. “I asked Dad to write a note to my teachers, asking for a two-day extension on my assignments. Instead Dad made me start writing my paper two days early!”
Roger’s father always encouraged him to get involved in sports, teaching Roger to catch and throw a volleyball, and play backyard football after school. At age 12, Roger managed to win a spot on the school football team. Before every game, Roger would visualize his dream of scoring a touchdown.
Then one day he got his chance. The ball landed in his arms and off he ran as fast as he could on his artificial leg toward the goal line, his coach and teammates cheering wildly. But at the ten-yard line, a guy from the other team caught up with Roger, grabbing his left ankle. Roger tried to pull his artificial leg free, but instead it ended up being pulled off. “I was still standing up,” recalls Roger. “I didn’t know what else to do so I started hopping towards the goal line. The referee ran over and threw his hands into the air. Touchdown! You know, even better than the six points was the look on the face of the other kid who was holding my artificial leg.”
Roger’s love of sports grew and so did his self-confidence. But not every obstacle gave way to Roger’s determination. Eating in the lunchroom with the other kids watching him fumble with his food proved very painful to Roger, as did his repeated failure in typing class. “I learned a very good lesson from typing class,” said Roger. “You can’t do everything - it’s better to concentrate on what you can do.”
One thing Roger could do was swing a tennis racket. Unfortunately, when he swung it hard, his weak grip usually launched it into space. By luck, Roger stumbled upon an odd- looking tennis racket in a sports shop and accidentally wedged his finger between its double-barred handle when he picked it up. The snug fit made it possible for Roger to swing, serve and volley like an able-bodied player. He practiced every day and was soon playing - and losing - matches.
But Roger persisted. He practiced and practiced and played and played. Surgery on the two fingers of his left hand enabled Roger to grip his special racket better, greatly improving his game. Although he had no role models to guide him, Roger became obsessed with tennis and in time he started to win. Roger went on to play college tennis, finishing his tennis career with 22 wins and 11 losses.
He later became the first physically handicapped tennis player to be certified as a teaching professional by the United States Professional Tennis Association. Roger now tours the country, speaking to groups about what it takes to be a winner, no matter who you are.
“The only difference between you and me is that you can see my handicap, but I can’t see yours. We all have them. When people ask me how I’ve been able to overcome my physical handicaps, I tell them that I haven’t overcome anything. I’ve simply learned what I can’t do - such as play the piano or eat with chopsticks - but more importantly, I’ve learned what I can do. Then I do what I can with all my heart and soul.”
By Jack Canfield
from Chicken Soup for the Soul
The doctor said Roger suffered from ectrodactylism, a rare birth defect affecting only one out of 90,000 children born in the United States. The doctor said Roger would probably never walk or care for himself.
Fortunately Roger’s parents didn’t believe the doctor. “My parents always taught me that I was only as handicapped as I wanted to be,” said Roger. “They never allowed me to feel sorry for myself or take advantage of people because of my handicap. Once I got into trouble because my school papers were continually late,” explained Roger who had to hold his pencil with both “hands” to write slowly. “I asked Dad to write a note to my teachers, asking for a two-day extension on my assignments. Instead Dad made me start writing my paper two days early!”
Roger’s father always encouraged him to get involved in sports, teaching Roger to catch and throw a volleyball, and play backyard football after school. At age 12, Roger managed to win a spot on the school football team. Before every game, Roger would visualize his dream of scoring a touchdown.
Then one day he got his chance. The ball landed in his arms and off he ran as fast as he could on his artificial leg toward the goal line, his coach and teammates cheering wildly. But at the ten-yard line, a guy from the other team caught up with Roger, grabbing his left ankle. Roger tried to pull his artificial leg free, but instead it ended up being pulled off. “I was still standing up,” recalls Roger. “I didn’t know what else to do so I started hopping towards the goal line. The referee ran over and threw his hands into the air. Touchdown! You know, even better than the six points was the look on the face of the other kid who was holding my artificial leg.”
Roger’s love of sports grew and so did his self-confidence. But not every obstacle gave way to Roger’s determination. Eating in the lunchroom with the other kids watching him fumble with his food proved very painful to Roger, as did his repeated failure in typing class. “I learned a very good lesson from typing class,” said Roger. “You can’t do everything - it’s better to concentrate on what you can do.”
One thing Roger could do was swing a tennis racket. Unfortunately, when he swung it hard, his weak grip usually launched it into space. By luck, Roger stumbled upon an odd- looking tennis racket in a sports shop and accidentally wedged his finger between its double-barred handle when he picked it up. The snug fit made it possible for Roger to swing, serve and volley like an able-bodied player. He practiced every day and was soon playing - and losing - matches.
But Roger persisted. He practiced and practiced and played and played. Surgery on the two fingers of his left hand enabled Roger to grip his special racket better, greatly improving his game. Although he had no role models to guide him, Roger became obsessed with tennis and in time he started to win. Roger went on to play college tennis, finishing his tennis career with 22 wins and 11 losses.
He later became the first physically handicapped tennis player to be certified as a teaching professional by the United States Professional Tennis Association. Roger now tours the country, speaking to groups about what it takes to be a winner, no matter who you are.
“The only difference between you and me is that you can see my handicap, but I can’t see yours. We all have them. When people ask me how I’ve been able to overcome my physical handicaps, I tell them that I haven’t overcome anything. I’ve simply learned what I can’t do - such as play the piano or eat with chopsticks - but more importantly, I’ve learned what I can do. Then I do what I can with all my heart and soul.”
By Jack Canfield
from Chicken Soup for the Soul
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