SOAPBOX of the week: fears take flight

“There are only two emotions in a plane: boredom and terror.”     – Orson Welles, actor-director-producer

Puddle-jumper and jumbo jet alike, you’re packed in like sardines encased by fake air, fake food and fake hospitality.  Seated cheek-to-cheek, you resume the practiced process of popping gum and punching last minute texts.  Amidst a motley crew of complete stranger, you can’t help but wonder why each is traveling on the same skycap cruise and what they’re thinking as you taxi toward takeoff.  So what are YOU thinking?  Will the turbulence reek tremors in your tightly-wound mind?  Will you sit idle and unfazed?  As your own “shift” sets in, be it anxiety or apathy, you look for comfort in numbers.  But, whether you white-knuckle it or wade through it like a boring movie, the only common denominator in the used-to-be friendly skies is collectively surrendering your “control card” for a fake sense of security.  And that, my friends, puts us ALL on the same planet.  Whether you leave Earth or not, feeling a loss of control or not caring about having it all -is in every moment of this thing called life.  The flight ain’t the deciding factor at hand here; your choosing how to face the journey is.

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

COMING in late ‘09: SOAPBOX® video subscriptions  for mobile & a network TV talk show

SOAPBOX of the week: full-throttle wellness

“Your body is the only thing you are guaranteed to keep for a lifetime; if you have your health, anything is possible.”     -Dan Millman, author

YOU are the sole driver of that intricate vehicle called your body …whose care instructions are written clearly on the inside:  Fuel with nutritious foods and water; rev it up and run it outside daily, get regular check-ups, and rest when needed. Simple, huh?  Yet too many of you ignore the GLARING RED SERVICE LIGHT and wonder why the other crucial “parts” of your life …like family or career…are sputtering along as well.  Folks, if you want more LIFE out of your life, ante up at least the same amount of preventative maintenance you give your car!  Rewire your mind and body.  Get a tune-up.  Heck, get an overhaul and enjoy an even longer ride in luxury!  After all, there’s no such thing as being too healthy!

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

COMING in late ‘09: SOAPBOX® video subscriptions  for mobile & a network TV talk show

SOAPBOX of the week: America, the HUMAN dream takes hope, honesty, hard work

“The capacity for hope is the most significant fact of life. It gives human beings a sense of destination and the energy to get started.”  – Norman Cousins, political journalist & world peace advocate

Ponder the tragedies and tough times you’ve witnessed and weathered.  For some, it’s pocked with divorce, disease, joblessness, legal drama and family battles.  For all, though, it includes the fall-out of 9-11, the epidemic of cancer, the corrosion of our environments, the collapse of our economy.  The far-reaching emissions of these evils nearly suffocate us to helplessness, leaving an impossible-to-fix aftermath.  Ah, but up from the rubble comes a survivor, proving yet again the human spirit is indefinitely indefinable, unyielding and awe-inspiring!  But with the unifying power of hope cometh the echoing call for hard work to rebuild, reboot and reclaim.  It takes discipline to lean down wants and buckle-down for the battle of needs.  It means being radically transparent in communication, which takes asking, sharing, voicing for the greater good.  It means preparing for new ideas, alternatives and eventual growth, which takes resourcefulness of all our surroundings.  And it means trusting that seeds already planted will net positive change… and that takes courage.  Know that generations have done this for us countless times; now it’s our time, folks, to dig ourselves out, and return the favor.

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

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SOAPBOX of the week: back-handed band-aid therapy

“If you give a man a fish, he will have a single meal.  If you teach him how to fish, he will eat all his life.”     – Kwan-Tzu, philosopher

Almost seems like a catch 22 …choose to swiftly take care of a situation for immediate relief or take the time to invest more energy, effort and resources to stave off the same darn predicament from resurfacing again and again.  Quick fixes always appear more attractive –because they’re easier and deliver the instant gratification we all presumably seek.  Ah, but that which you “nip in the bud” with band-aid therapy usually comes back to bite you in the end, with a bigger challenge.  The project of creating a teacher out of a student is wisdom in the making.  And whether you’re the giver or the receiver, the benefits of the experience will linger to sustain you indefinitely.

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

SOAPBOX of the week: honoring the bountiful big picture

“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned,     so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”     – Joseph Campbell, educator and writer
   
The Big Picture. What does yours include:  Early retirement?  World travel?  Think you’re destined to wear the title of CEO, proud parent, famous author, or couple of the year?  Is everything going as planned?  Fifty bucks says…no.  Be honest: you’ve had a few changes of plans.  A few screw-ups.  Folks, WE ALL HAVE!  But, some of you label these twists as ultimate justification for not becoming the man or woman you were supposed to.  And without knowing it you set a path for “hell or high water”, blind to the countless other glorious options right at your feet!  Finding opportunity in adversity isn’t an opportunity –it’s a necessity.  Plan A or BUST is certain to be the latter…especially when life has so much more to offer that any of your plans ever could.

Copyright 2000-2008 by Kimberlie Dykeman.

Pure Soapbox available nationwide online and where books are sold.

A portion of the proceeds of all book sales is donated to LIVESTRONG.

SOAPBOX of the week: Tapping the little trooper within

“What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight -it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”     – Dwight D. Eisenhower, president & general

I love a good underdog story, yes, pun intended.  Who doesn’t?  Where the ill-equipped, underdeveloped candidate steals the show with a surprising victory over the giant.  Be it in sports, politics, education or the corporate world, we tune in to hear the details with our emotions on our sleeves and pom-poms in hand.  Media and moviemakers have a field day delivering these tear-jerkers tales…for down deep we invariably identify with both conflict and hopeful contender.  There’s a “scrapper” in all of us, willing to throw down and champion a cause.  But regardless of the magnitude of the challenge, always trust that you’re armed with more than enough endurance, ammunition and chutzpah to match wits… and your triumphant stories will shield you beyond the ring.

Copyright 2008 by Kimberlie Dykeman 

Pure Soapbox available nationwide online and where books are sold