SOAPBOX of the week: justification of just-in-case

“Plan ahead.  It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.”     – Anonymous

If you answer the call of spontaneity without hesitation, then more power to you!  Jumping into a new adventure with your hair on fire has its perks.  The endorphin rush of new exploration.  The excitement in your gut from pure curiosity.  But, many times a poor or quick decision interrupts the fun guessing game, derailing you back to square one.  And, when you’re delayed and deflated, the idea of planning doesn’t sound so nerdy after all.  Flying by the seat of your pants has its place, and is key to keeping the kid in you alive!  But pull out a notebook for the big rides, folks.  Research your clever ideas, concoct a strategy, and arm yourself with tools to survive the sharp turns and steep drops… and you’ll thrive on those fast straight-aways.

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: the fallacious fame game

“Blessed is he whose fame does not outshine his truth.”     – Rabindranath Tagore, Bengali polymath and poet

Like history’s icons, today’s rising starlets rush the limelight, shoving, sacrificing and scratching to bask in the pedasteled, gilded glow.  If only for the clichéd 15 minutes, they still choose golden-calf glitterati over admired greatness in anonymity.  And like starving plants, unyieldingly bent towards the sparkle, they contort themselves into heinous weeds.  Drinking themselves drunk, they kill their flowering inner beauty and poison their roots with vanity, greed and conceit.  Ironically, the hotel heiress and reality show wannabe might not be so different from the new executive, neighborhood hotshot, self-crowned gym Adonis or mid-lifer avec arm-candy!  For behind the inflated ego and pompous presence lurks the withering truth of who they really are and who they wish they were.  When fame facades one’s genuine identity, failure and fear-filled days aren’t far behind.   Folks, regardless of the stage or summoning, lies beget banishment, but truth begets blessings.  So choose wisely, when you take a bow.

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: 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: identity crisis cure

“He who walks in another’s tracks leaves no footprints.”     – Joan Brannon, TV writer and producer

Admit it.  You’ve been a follower of someone  at some point in your life.  Be it sibling, spouse, teacher, boss, best friend…even leader or icon.  And with high hopes, you’ve perhaps fallen into path out of loyalty or fear, ignorance or insecurity -for want or need of recognition or trade secrets, first dibs or fast track, attention or acceptance.  So, how has the walk in the shadows really served you?  More importantly, though, are you still trying to gather benefits at the cost of erasing yourself?  Think about how the mimicry, modeling and mistaking have even harmed you.  At some point, you may walk nameless to yourself and truly unidentifiable to all others.  Folks, don’t get blurred behind someone’s shadow; after all, who knows what may really lurk within it, the bad included.  Instead choose to create your own path.  Find you.  Honor you.  Stomp the earth and leave your mark and let ‘em know your name!

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 & Kimberlie’s own network talk show

SOAPBOX of the week: tattooed for life

 “What you memorize, you memorialize.”     – Anonymous   (often credited to ND  Walsch, author)

Whether your first sweetheart’s phone number, your favorite song, or big acceptance speech, you’ve chosen to etch these things into your mind for timely safe-keeping.  Yet years later, buried convolutions release their imprints your call, and elicit surprising delight.  But it’s not the content, nor the fact that you remember it verbatim that elates your spirit.  Instead, your smile, laugh and peaceful pause for reflection evolve from the unfolding of the celebration surrounding such snippets.  When you commit anything to mind, you emphasize its importance to your heart.  Honor the influential people, places, experiences, and messages that graciously fill your moments and pay tribute to yourself by tapping the enlightening power of those memories.

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 & Kimberlie’s own network talk show