On
26 October 2008, I will begin my 46th Yr. of existence on the planet
earth. And as I enter another age, I reflect on "what have I done?" And
then, I contemplate "what more can I do to better 'myself' and the
world around me?"
Last year, 26 October 2007, I chose to better myself by challenging my "fear of heights." So, I went rock climbing at Mission Cliffs.
And although, ascending the rock was easy - descending from the top of
the rock was painful, scary, and caused me to experience a loss of
breath. I found myself frozen like a deer staring into headlights. Five
minutes later, somehow, my friend convinced me to release my grasp on
the rope & trust him to guide me down the rock. As my feet touched
the earth, I began to laugh .... .. . .
Since then, I have
become more "in tune" with my "fears of heights". So this year, I'm
going to challenge "the fear of success." I'm going to celebrate my
birthday by committing myself to engaging in social causes which I
believe in ........
How do you know if you’re afraid of success?
1. “Partying” the night before the big presentation.
This can be literal partying (drinking too much, experimenting with
drugs, staying out until the wee hours) or metaphorical partying
(cleaning your house until 3 a.m., drinking too much coffee or soda pop
so you can’t sleep). You may be flirting with self-sabotage if you
somehow always ruin a good night’s rest before a big presentation,
exam, or job interview.
2. Procrastination. Putting
projects, assignments, or duties off while you take care of
non-essential fluff or "make-work" chores can be a sign of fear of
success. If you putter around instead of taking care of business, you
may be subconsciously sabotaging yourself.
3. All talk, no action.
Sometimes certain behaviors look like laziness, but they reveal a fear
of success. For instance, you may talk about your life dreams and goals
all the time, but you watch TV every night and surf the Internet for
hours every day. You never actually take practical steps or exert
self-discipline to move in the direction of your goals.
4. Negative, pessimistic thoughts and behaviors.
Fear of success can involve an extremely negative perspective of life.
“What’s the point of dressing up for the job interview? I probably
won’t get it anyway.” Not trying – and focusing on all the things that
can go wrong – is self-sabotaging behavior.
What’s the benefit
of these self-sabotaging behaviors? They provide an escape hatch. That
is, if you party the night before or put your project off to the last
minute, you can then shrug off your performance. You have an excuse for
not doing well. Instead of facing the fear that you're not good or
smart enough, you chalk it up to too many beers." - Suite101.com
Barrack Obama
Sometimes, we wonder - "What if?" And then, we say "nah, that would
never happen . . " And we continue our daily existence by accepting
what is offered rather than taking responsibility and going after what
we desire . . . . We take the route that requires the best combination
of minimal intellect & minimal effort . . . We desire to whip up a Bella Lux style meal. Yet, when it's all "said & done," we settle for eating a frozen pizza.
I'm not eating any more frozen pizza. I support Barack Obama in his endeavors to become the next President of the United States.
In
one's life, there are moments which touch the heart. There are moments
which inspire us to continue with our paths, dreams, goals, and
intentions. And there are moments which confirm our "humane actions."
And these moments are seldom acted upon - but instead, they are put in
"the archives of the seldom remembered."
Beginning
September 15th, online media personality and AIDS Activist Suzanne
Africa Engo, joined by trainers, celebrity friends and community
leaders launched the Africa 101 project run - 858 miles beginning at
the United Nations in New York to HARPO Studios in Chicago, Illinois.
“Every
morning I wake up at 5:30 am and say I’ll do one thing to contribute to
the fight against AIDS and then I’ll go back to bed. I haven’t gone
back to bed in 17 years” –Engo
Today, Mayor Richard Hickman of Angola, Indiana proclaimed today, October 24th, 2008, Suzanne Africa Engo Day for the city of Angola, Indiana.
And, "Mayor Hickman urges all citizens to recognize & appreciate
the important contributions that have been made by this outstanding
activist to the region, the nation, and the world."
From my involvement with the Aidslifecycle
Events, I remembered: the sense of completion; the feeling of
exhaustion; the questions of "where do I go from here;" and the
thoughts of "how to explain what one has experienced physically, and
emotionally?" . . . And most importantly, I remembered the importance
of letting participants of charity events know that:
You understand and support what they are doing.
They are not alone.
Sending Suzanne Africa a pair of Asics shoes
was not enough (that was a deluxe frozen pizza)" So as part of my
birthday celebration, on 17 November 2008, I plan to be sitting at
Harpo Productions. Why? Well - "ynot?"
IF - Suzanne Africa Engo
can give up her flat & selflessly run marathon after marathon; live
2 months in an traveling Rv, practice yoga daily; and walk with good
intentions . ... . ..
THEN - I can grab my cowbell and join the
hundreds of supporters cheering on Suzanne Africa Engo as she completes
her 848 mile run from New York to Harpo Studios. You wanna come /or/ do
you want to have the frozen pizza?
With
the end of the year creeping upon us, mankind begins to by gifts for
all the individuals within an arm's reach . .. . in the 80" it was the "Walk Man," in the 90's it was "beenie babies," in the 2000's it's all about "Jordan's," "Iphones," and "GREEN."
Each
year, millions of Americans make a shopping list and run out to various
boutiques & department stores buying gifts for various holidays. So
why not shop ""RED?"
Each partner company creates a product with the Product Red logo. In return for the opportunity to increase their own revenue through the Product Red products they sell, a percentage of the profit is given to the Global Fund."
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