Sunday, September 22, 2013

September 22, 2013: What's a boy gotta do?



Heaveno!

What's a boy gotta do to get some interaction around here???

2 comments?  Sheesh!  I was hoping for a little more than that!  Oh well, Lurk on. ;-)

What a week.

What an AMAZING week.

On Tuesday, Ang, my good friend and ROCK STAR music therapy colleague Kat Fulton, and I went to a business/success seminar at the Anaheim Convention Center.  We saw Les Brown (amazing), Terry Bradshaw (so-hilarious-you-swore-he'd-been-drinking), Tom Hopkins (educational and funny), and many others, but the highlight (for me) was definitely Mark Kelly.  It was pretty cool when he introduced his wife, Gabby Giffords as well, but I wanted to hear from Mark.



You probably know Gabby's story, but I don't know if you know Mark's.  As you know Congresswoman Giffords was shot in the head and pronounced dead while Mark and his family were enroute to see her.  Imagine seeing CNN pronounce your spouse dead on national TV while you are racing to see them one last time.  How messed up is that?  What a roller coaster that must have been for the whole family.  Anyway, in addition to being Gabby's caregiver, Mark was the shuttle commander of the Endeavor for its final journey into space.  While Gabby was in the hospital, he piloted that thing into space, to the space station, and back again.  What kind of superhuman focus does THAT take???

One of the most inspiring things he shared was this:

How you start out in something is not a good indicator of success.

After Commander Kelly's first landing on an aircraft carrier long before becoming an astronaut, his commanding officer asked him, "Are you sure you want to do this as a career?"  NOT the most inspiring comment your C.O. could make.  He went on to share that he was not really a good pilot... at first, but he worked his ____ off and rose through the ranks, flew in the Iraq war, and eventually went to NASA.  Not too shabby for a poor starter.  It gave me a lot of confidence, and reminded me that it's not how you start, it's how you finish.  It ain't where you been, it's where you're goin'.



I ran into a fellow TEDx speaker coach at the event as well.  We are both coaching teens that are giving TEDx talks next month.  One of the opportunities for further training and development was for a stock trading course, which she signed up for, and then invited me as her guest!  So, yesterday and today, we attended a 2 day course on learning how to trade stocks and how to take back control over our investment and retirement accounts.  It was so empowering!  As you know, this past year I have really taken on growing my ability to understand and manage money better than ever.  Since May, I have learned a lot, and I still have a lot to learn.  However, I am sooo grateful that ANY OF US can change course in ANY area of life AT ANY TIME if we simply choose to.  It really is awesome.  I have never felt better about my understanding and relationship with money... which is kind of important, right?

I don't want to retire broke, and the statistics in the US about how many people will retire broke today is alarming.  Plus, I don't want to feel stupid when it comes to being a good steward of the money we are working so hard to squirell away!  So this weekend, my colleague and I had the blinders torn off us!  It was so liberating!  I now understand how people make money in the stock market, and folks, holy cow, it is not nearly as confusing as I made it out to be in my head.

One of the amazing things I love is life long learning.  It is great to know that if there is something you want to get better at, you can just go out and read a book, subscribe to a magazine or website, take a course or seminar, hire a mentor or coach, etc.  NOBODY is stopping you or me from learning ANYTHING we want.  I know it is not like this everywhere in the world, and I am grateful for this privilege.

In addition to attending two totally inspiring events, I had the opportunity to give TWO talks this week on the benefits of music therapy.  I love teaching people about what I call "the third space for music." In our culture, music occupies two spaces in most people's head: entertainment and education.  To literally create "a third space" in people's head for music is such a great experience, because everyone intuitively knows what I'm talking about since we all use music therapeutically already!

On the home front, Ang had to go to Houston this weekend to deliver some training for her company, and the feedback was off the charts!  I'm so proud of her.  She is kicking butt and taking names in her job right now (as if she ever isn't... the girl has the most amazing professional work ethic and track record... she constantly inspires me to be better at everything I do).

Ali started Brownies!  Holy cow, seeing her in her Brownie vest... what a big girl she's become!  Second grade is going well; she loves her new teacher.  Back to school night was this past week, too, and I have to agree with Ali about her new teacher... she rocks!  Super organized and totally laid back at the same time... great combination.

Julian is running faster and faster by the day, and he runs his mouth even faster!  (The apple doesn't fall far from the tree).  I am home with him part time right now, and it is so much fun; it feels illegal!  He is just such a blessing; I am beyond tickled to play/watch/read hours and hours of Thomas and Friends!

So... what area of life do YOU want to learn more / get better at?

God night.


7 comments:

  1. I want to learn to become motivated and organized. Make better use of my time.
    The word procrastination comes to mind. If you keep doing the same thing, you will keep getting the same result. How true I have found this to be.
    Tim you always inspire me. Thanks again for asking questions and helping me to take a good look at myself. I strongly believe that WHEN not IF I master this thing and become organized that I will have success and achieve other life goals. One thing that happens to me when my life has so much clutter is that it zaps me of my energy. There is also guilt and feelings of my self-worth. I use to think that my self-worth was basted on HOW MUCH I COULD GET DONE IN A DAY. Staying focused is hard for someone with A.D.D. and it can become a huge challenge to get even the small things done. But now today you have given me a gift. You have inspired me to work toward getting help in this area of my life. Thanks again for making a difference in many peoples lives. They too may want to respond but something holds them back. Could it be procrastination, fear of taking a good look at them selfs, or being a perfectionist whom thinks they can't write it good enough? Whatever it is just know that we can do what ever we set out to do ONE DAY AT A TIME...

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  2. I'm coming out of Lurkerdom...
    I want to learn how not to rise to the bait when my children don't just press my buttons, but tap dance all over them. I want to learn to look at the small things I accomplish every day rather than only seeing the big things that I couldn't complete. I want to learn how to be able to stop and smell the roses without constantly thinking that I should be doing something else (and with 4 children and a husband, it's usually laundry...). I want to improve dealing with my PTSD so that it stops impacting on my life to the extent that it does. I would like to develop my self confidence to a point where I can progress my idea from its Provisional Patent stage through to development and marketing, without my PTSD putting a total block on it through anxiety. I would like to explore my returning to faith - I lost my faith during a particularly difficult time of my life, and I'm kind of coming back, but I'm not totally there yet.

    I'm sure I'll think of some more.

    I still haven't come up with my core question yet!

    Thanks for your thoughtful post.

    ~ Rachel ~

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  3. As I enter my 15(!) year teaching, I have decided this is the year to push myself to do more of the same, but also stretch into doing new things...I don't want to be that "old" teacher who recycles lessons because it's easier than making new ones...

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  4. I am a lurker, who loves your blog! Blessings to all of you. Holly in ND

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  5. I need to become more patient and stop letting the small stuff bother me, honestly lately whenever this happens all I have to do is think of sweet Bella and it helps me put things in perspective. God bless <3

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  6. But Tim, two of us did reply, and I do feel a little bit as though we weren't of sufficient quantity when perhaps quality is of the essence. My reply was workaday though heartfelt, but my fellow commentator proffered a story from the heart.

    The quietest voice makes a mark if, all around, there is silence.

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  7. I confess am a bit a lurker but check in on occasion to let you know I'm still reading. I have found you and your family to be incredibly inspiring. If anyone has reason to slip into self pity and "why me" , "why my child" thinking while using it as an excuse to fail to move forward - you do. But you don't. Instead, you continue to strive to learn and grow and make a positive impact in the world. Your posts lift me up and inspire me. Keep writing!

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