Pure Soapbox » retiree

SOAPBOX of the week: families valued

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 13:08:02 +0000

“Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family.” ~ Anthony Brandt, author

…and on that note, this week I take reprieve and leave tech and task to sit idle for a few. Family calls across the country and my heart sings to follow. So, perhaps this prompts you to ponder the connection with your own Alpha and Omega and do the very same.

Copyright 2000-2010 by Kimberlie Dykeman. SUBSCRIBE to FREE feed/email HERE!
“Pure Soapbox“ available nationwide & audiobook available on iTUNES & Audible.com! A portion of the proceeds of all book sales is donated to LIVESTRONG.

BOOK KIMBERLIE TO MOTIVATE your peeps! info@puresoapbox.com / 310- 500- 9587

SOAPBOX of the week: the melody of epiphany

admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:58:27 +0000

“Never underestimate the power of listening.” – Anonymous

So, you’ve heard that song a million times, tapped your foot to it, even sang along. But one random radio-logged day, your steel-trap mind somehow sifts through the memorized words to unveil eerily profound meaning and magic…and something just shifts. A veritable musical masterpiece colors your eardrums with a delightful enlightenment as the crooner sings directly to an audience of one. At once, all other soundful distraction is eclipsed; your mind’s attention is fully focused; and understanding floods through every ounce of your being. Amazing, you think, as the a-ha’s widen your eyes and lift your heart! All that from just a simple song you’ve heard a million times. Now, just think of all the points and perspectives you may have missed not truly “tuning in” to the sounds that hold much greater importance –like the voice of your loving spouse, hopeful child, overwhelmed business partner, needy friend, or special stranger… but most importantly yourself. Prick your ears to hear the music of life and listen closely to embrace the power in its blessed lyrics whispered just for you.

Copyright 2000-2010 by Kimberlie Dykeman. SUBSCRIBE to FREE feed/email HERE!
“Pure Soapbox“ available nationwide & audiobook available on iTUNES & Audible.com! A portion of the proceeds of all book sales is donated to LIVESTRONG.

BOOK KIMBERLIE TO MOTIVATE your peeps! info@puresoapbox.com / 310- 500- 9587

SOAPBOX of the week: memorial for motivation

admin — Mon, 31 May 2010 16:49:12 +0000

“All the same, we take our chances, laughed at by time, tricked by circumstances. Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose. The more that things change, the more they stay the same.” - Geddy Lee, musician, & Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, journalist and critic

Stumble through this quote, and you’ll swear Yogi Berra concocted yet another puzzler. And though the labyrinth of lyrics wax ironic, the message nails the undercurrent of life in one fell swoop, regardless the language. Change and her relentless rhythm unashamedly convicts and collectively connects us as we stand in awe of the seeming bombardment of negative events that the past decade has delivered: The tragedy of 9-11, the failing markets, the additional violence throughout America, the war in the Middle East. You name it and it’s more than just front page worthy. And as the media cumulatively frightens the bejeezus out of us, many of us find ourselves re-evaluating, re-booting, and re-promising to re-unite and make this world a better place. Geez, what’s the scurry all about, now? Why are we feverishly trying to concoct our own band-aid therapy, while still fearing that the worst has yet to come down on us?

Folks, whether it’s the 21st century or the 1930s, the barefaced backdrop may have changed along with the countless events of devastation, but we as a nation remain the same. We’re all still just a bunch of folks living on a big plot of land called America. That said, there has never been a right time to share fellowship, take care of each other, go to church, invest in ourselves, our families, and our businesses; respect our elders, donate to charities, take time off, question our value system, show our emotions, pray for one another, or stand together. Every day is the right time. So, fling open the doors, settle down and keep the home fires burning. Change your perspective and, believe me, you’ll see how it doesn’t really matter where your assigned seat is.

SUBSCRIBE to FREE feed/email HERE!
“Pure Soapbox“ available nationwide & audiobook available on iTUNES & Audible.com! A portion of the proceeds of all book sales is donated to LIVESTRONG.

BOOK KIMBERLIE TO MOTIVATE your peeps! info@puresoapbox.com / 310- 500- 9587

SOAPBOX of the week: I swear we’re related!

admin — Mon, 03 May 2010 15:43:47 +0000

“This is a big f**king deal.” - Joe Biden, US Vice President

Well, there you have it. Indeed the chaos has settled, and what has been revealed is probably even less surprising and news-worthy than one man’s use of profanity. Profanity whose purpose and placement was spot on, in response to an event that ranks right up there in significance with one certain black president being elected. Yup, Vice President Biden is just another guy. Just like a jillion other Americans, he puts his pants on one leg at a time, played football in college, carries a lucky charm, has failed at getting elected for something, used to stutter, and indeed can swear like a sailor. Yup, the man knows history-in-the-making when he sees it…and can’t hold his lips. Big friggin’ deal, folks.

Copyright 2000-2010 by Kimberlie Dykeman. SUBSCRIBE to FREE feed/email HERE!
“Pure Soapbox“ available nationwide & audiobook available on iTUNES & Audible.com! A portion of the proceeds of all book sales is donated to LIVESTRONG.

BOOK KIMBERLIE TO MOTIVATE your peeps! info@puresoapbox.com / 310- 500- 9587

SOAPBOX of the week: rest, my friends

admin — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:33:53 +0000

“Sometimes the most urgent and vital thing you can possibly do is take a complete rest.” – Ashleigh Brilliant, author and cartoonist

…And so, as it is the end of the year, folks, I am taking some rest from pursuing this weekly creative writing episode…and letting it, instead, have forty winks. Not to worry, next Monday will knock on my door and hand me yet another ditty to share. Sooo, ’til then, cheers to this time of rest for all of you. Let it swaddle you in ease and comfort, for the hustle and bustle of the birth of 2010 is just around the corner! – kd

Copyright 2000-2009 by Kimberlie Dykeman. This article contains a copyrighted excerpt from Kimberlie Dykeman’s book PURE SOAPBOX …a cleansing jolt of perspective, motivation, and humor.Pure Soapbox available nationwide online and where books are sold. AUDIO BOOK COMING JANUARY 2010! A portion of the proceeds of all book sales is donated to LIVESTRONG. SUBSCRIBE HERE!

BOOK KIMBERLIE TO MOTIVATE your company! 310- 500- 9587

SOAPBOX of the week:intoxication of a pastime

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:06:23 +0000

“Passion is all about allowing yourself to get lost in something.” – Gail Sheehy, writer and lecturer

Picture an artist covered in paint, a cook in sauces and spices, a mechanic in grease. Picture a writer surrounded by stacks of books, an athlete by gear and sneakers, a musician by sheet music and instruments, a pilot by model airplanes. At times, each has become so involved in their craft, hobby or dream that they’ve forgotten time of day, list of tasks, even title on their business card. Whether it’s their chosen vocation or weekly vacation from the daily grind, these folks aren’t merely “distracted” or dabbling …they’re captivated, in love and lost in something indescribable. So what about you? What makes your heart sing? Brings divine peace and joy? Commitment to something OTHER THAN your j-o-b, family or obligations is not only allowed…the passion it ignites fires up all other areas of your life. And if society tells you to ease up, clean up or clear out your fabulously consuming “messes”…tell ‘em to go get lost!

Copyright 2000-2009 by Kimberlie Dykeman. SUBSCRIBE HERE!
Pure Soapbox available nationwide online and where books are sold. A portion of the proceeds of all book sales is donated to LIVESTRONG.

BOOK KIMBERLIE TO MOTIVATE your company! 310- 500- 9587

COMING SOON! Pure Soapbox audiobook!

SOAPBOX of the week: pitch in to get paid back

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:33:20 +0000

“Service is the rent you pay for room on this earth.” – Shirley Chisholm, Congresswoman, educator & author

Fifty bucks says, many of you would have laughed this one off when you were the omniscient age of 18, and assumed it was one of your parent’s devious mantras. That self-centered mentality was merely part of the growing-up curve (the “me era”) we all traipsed through, and (hopefully) eventually evolved out of! One magical day the lightbulb finally flickered an a-ha moment, and you realized there’s no such thing as a free ride. And, you know what? It really does feel better to give than receive! Your attitude of entitlement dissipated with enlightenment that giving of your time, energy, efforts, love and attention is not just part and parcel to the passage into “adulthood”; it’s the daily token you must purchase for the real 3-D ride! Serving others is an ironic, bottomless investment whose returns will never cease to amaze you. So while you pitch a tent on this grand planet, know that if you keep up with the daily rent, you yourself will always live like royalty.

BOOK KIMBERLIE TO MOTIVATE your company! 310- 500- 9587

COMING SOON! Pure Soapbox audiobook!

SOAPBOX of the week: be a little curious, folks!

admin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:03:46 +0000

“The more unintelligent a man is, the less mysterious existence seems to him.” – Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher

It absolutely baffles me when a one-word answer is supposed to suffice an intricate, open-ended question. Infuriates me when my further soul-searching queries elicit merely an “I don’t know” or “I don’t care.” Do we live on the same planet, folks?? ‘Cause here’s the newsflash: Outer space is still uncharted, cancer still uncured, man’s evolution still controversial, prayer miraculously healing, jazz still indefinable, and love indescribably infinite. And yet countless people numbingly walk the earth, unabashedly unfazed with this journey through time and space we call “life”. The dimensions of their reality equals a monotonous grey amidst an endless Crayola-ed potential. But with all this stated in truth, may we not mock the colorblind, though we might pity them. Instead may we each task ourselves to seed their curiosity to explore; cultivate their excitement to experience more; nurture their hearts and souls with drive to find their own purpose. For as their minds grow, so does your own mysteriously, glorious existence.

COMING SOON! Pure Soapbox audiobook! SOAPBOX® video subscriptions for mobile (Click for sneak peek!)

SOAPBOX of the week: inertia’s affliction

admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:06:08 +0000

“Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon.” – Susan Ertz, novelist

Ironic, huh? We complain that life’s too short –yet we piddle away days with pointless distractions. “If only I had more time…” we whine, allowing our real priorities to fall victim to procrastination. And when forced to sit still for patience’s sake, or quiet for purposeful listening, we witness real time echoing its deliberate second hand… and cry boredom! With further insult to the gift of days, we convince ourselves that melodrama and minutia, micro-relationships and mindless activities are acceptable time consumers. So, what do you really want to stick around for? If you can’t produce a list AT LEAST the size of your holiday wish catalog…then there’s a problem! Folks, I earnestly suggest you create an inventory of passions and pursuits, puzzles to figure, and hard-core reasons to yearn for immortality. Adopt a pet, become a Big Sister, go to church, launch a business, start a family, run a marathon…shall I go on? Saturate your being with purpose and you’ll deplete those presumptuous pangs of boredom.

COMING SOON! Pure Soapbox audiobook! SOAPBOX® video subscriptions for mobile (Click for sneak peek!)

SOAPBOX of the week: open sesame!

admin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:34:16 +0000

“A thick head can do as much damage as a hard heart.” – H.W. Dodds, former Ivy League President

Ever notice how, with age, some folks mellow out –revealing a welcoming softness to their once ego-driven, impenetrable personalities. Something shifts inside, and an Aquarian flow brings malleability to their attitude and actions. As their hearts warm and their minds open up, relationships are reconstructed, ancient wrongdoings are patched, and futures are mapped out with joyful participation. Oh, but then there are the finger-pointing polar opposites whose minds and bodies harden with the years, and whose acidic spirits strip the delight from all lifelines. The weight of their unyielding judgment and fear creates chasms that grow uncrossable, and they themselves- unapproachable and unlovable. If we’re to learn from others’ worn paths, mind this dichotomy with piercing attention. Countless people will cross your path yearning to connect with your head and experience your heart. Choose to let them in, and they’ll help gloriously shape your life.

COMING SOON! Pure Soapbox audiobook! SOAPBOX® video subscriptions for mobile (Click for sneak peek!)