ICanTransform

The Mayor of Western Avenue

2009-01-07T11:00:00.033-05:00

Not long ago, someone asked me who my heroes were, who did I most admire? I thought about all the known celebrities, all the world's greatest leaders, the mythically large characters of history, and the lasting gurus of spiritual truths. Surely there were many greats among them.

I quickly realized, however, that my heroes were those who were rarely seen, the average guy and gal whose feats of heroism and bravery are not often seen other than an occasional glimpse passing through our lives.

I wrote of such a hero when I told of Miles Levin, who died last year of Stage 4 Aveolar Rhadbdomyosarcoma. You've also probably heard many tales of heroism in conjunction with the southern hurricanes and other recent disasters. You surely know, and we certainly owe our gratitude to, the troops fighting and dying overseas for our freedoms here in the states. You may not have heard of Kerry S. Kennedy.

Around 2 a.m. on New Years Eve, fire broke out in the flower shop of KS Kennedy, Distinctive Floral Gift and Gourmet. The flames quickly engulfed the shop and Kennedy's apartment upstairs, also causing damaged to the Modern Cafe next door along with several other businesses in the 800 block of Western and Galveston Avenues. Kerry escaped with the clothes on his back and his beloved dog, Lucy, who he returned into the smoke-filled building to rescue.

But that's not why he is my hero.

Some hours after the blaze, after losing everything, including his wallet, ATM card, credit cards, car keys (which were later found by the fire department), all his worldly possessions including his business and livelihood, Kerry was up at first light "poking posies," filling an order for flowers for a funeral he had contracted for before the fire. The next day, he fulfilled an order for a previously contracted wedding.

I don't know if I could have done that.

After I heard of the fire, I began to form a list in my mind of all that he would need to restore and of all that could never be replaced, everything from ancestry photos and collectible antiques, to toasters, bedding, alarm clock, socks, underwear, and toothpaste. What about tax records? Important documents? Computer emails, passwords. All gone. (A friend did next day air him a computer.)

Kerry told me, "You know I built that shop on a nickel, and I will again. You'll see." He is already working for tomorrow, looking for the next store front, a new place to rebuild what has become a fixture of Western Avenue and the North Side of Pittsburgh.

I know, many people have gone through this kind of thing. We all have faced some type of tragedy or disaster in our lives. What makes Kerry my hero is his undying, positive, let's-keep-going attitude. Nothing keeps him down. While most of us would be throwing in the towel, Kerry is figuring out how to rebuild, how to start over, how to let his customers know he's still here.

"Tell them to call me," he says, "Tell them I'm still here at 412-322-ROSE" (or 1-888-322-7676).

And they are finding him, even down the street where he is working out of the ballroom of the Parador Inn, where Kerry has been staying since the night of the fire. It's kind of like those Mickey Rooney movies where the kids find a theater and put on a production for a dime. Somehow it all works out, even when it looks impossible in the beginning.

In the three short years that Kerry has been selling flowers, coffee, chocolate, and gifts on the North Side, he has become known as "The Mayor of Western Avenue." From his bright little shop, he greeted all sorts of people from all walks of life, and whether rich or poor, downtrodden or on a roll, Kerry would invite them in to his shop for coffee, chocolate or Brunton milk, encourage them through thick and thin, and have them leaving with a smile, no matter how bad their life may have seemed five minutes before they walked in. Kerry just has that kind of magic with people.

What many people don't know is that of all people, Kerry probably has more reason to be down then any of us. After his mother died an untimely death when he was just five, he was shuffled to aunts, uncles, his grandmother, older siblings, sometimes being left to his own devices. (This last one may be why Kerry is so resourceful to this day.) In 1975, his father suddenly dropped dead of a heart attack. Kerry, just sixteen, temporarily lived in a college dorm while attending high school, until going to live with his sister Kim. He eventually moved out on his own. In 1981, his older brother, Tommy, was tragically killed in an automobile accident.

Later, Kerry tried his hand at a range of businesses, including children's photography, a cheerful Christmas store, and others, many ending on a bad note when things, often out of his own hands, went wrong. But that didn't stop him, he kept going, kept smiling, kept encouraging others. Then, after surviving three hurricanes in Florida, Kerry returned to Pittsburgh, where the warmth of people substituted for the warmth of the sun.

Not long after setting up, true to form, Kerry took in his lifetime friend, Bernie Heubel. Bernie had agreed to share living expenses to help Kerry get the shop off the ground. Then in July of 2008, when Bernie was diagnosed with terminal bile duct cancer, who was at his bedside 24/7, all the while keeping up with the floral business downstairs? Kerry. To hear him talking of changing diapers and shuffling bed pans, you'd think it was no more than sticking some flowers in a vase. If you've ever done that kind of duty, you know what a toll it can take on a person both mentally and physically. Kerry kept smiling. And after the loss of his friend, who did the floral arrangements for the funeral - not just for one location, but for two? Kerry, because he wanted to ensure everything was just right.

I wish each of you who reads this story could meet Kerry. I know you too would smile by his spark of enthusiasm, his joy of living and his positive attitude. You would quickly learn why being in "Kerryville" is a very fun place to be and a lesson to be learned by all of us. We can't prevent tragedy or hardship from befalling us. We can control how we respond to it. Like Kerry, we can see the bright spot in the soot, the new opportunities left by the burned out door, the chance to make things better in the soggy ash on the floor. Like Kerry, you can become a hero.

(You can meet Kerry by ordering flowers from him - no matter where you are in the USA, he has Telaflora and will ensure that the flowers delivered are the best they can be. Call 412-322-ROSE (or 1-888-322-7676) (K. S. Kennedy Distinctive Floral and Gifts)

UPDATE 1/5/09: Since the fire, Kerry has only been allowed access to the building once, and only for a few minutes. (We're not sure why the owners have prevented him from reclaiming anything that might remain.) With his sister Kim by his side, they watched while firemen sifted through a pile of ashes where his wallet may have been, only a drawer bottom remained of an entire desk. Upstairs, they did find one thing of importance still standing, even if slightly singed. Kerry's Cowher chair. A well-known fan of Coach Bill Cowher, Kerry signed up for the family's house auction when Cowher retired. From then on, the Cowher chair became a local destination. Folks came into the shop to have their picture taken sitting in it, and the chair became a familiar topic of conversation. Said Kerry, "Finding that chair still intact was like a phoenix had risen out of the ashes," and it has been one of many inspirational points that has kept him going through this trial by fire.

UPDATE 1/22/09 : Kerry has found a new store front on Western Avenue and will be relocating to 848 Western Avenue (just four doors down from where he was.) He needs EVERYTHING for the shop. We are grateful to those who do anything to help, either by donating goods, services, gift cards, or dollars, or order flowers and have them sent.

UPDATE 2/8/09: Kerry is now in his new shop, but still in need of a cooler. Valentines is quickly approaching, you can help by ordering your loved ones flowers from Kerry.

UPDATE 5/30/09: Kerry finally was able to get a cooler in the shop and sent me photos of it earlier this month. Then mid-May, I was fortunate enough to visit him when I attended a conference in the area. Kerry has been through some rough times. He noticed some people loading the goods from his burned out apartment into a truck and discovered that his previous landlord had sold all his possessions to salvagers without allowing him to take anything. Kerry literally had to buy a few of his own things, what little he could afford, due to the inconsideration and lack of compassion of these people.

If you'd like to learn more about Kerry, K. S. Kennedy Distinctive Floral and Gifts, or the fire, I'm posting a collection of links below.

If you'd like to donate to help Kerry rebuild including old counters, display cases, floral equipment and supplies, vases, baskets, foams, ribbon or other items, use the contact information above.

Monetary donations can be sent to the Western Avenue Fire Relief Fund based at Fifth Third Bank, 517 East Ohio St., or dropped off at any Fifth Third Bank branch or mailed to the Northside Leadership Conference, 4 Allegheny Center, Suite 601, Pittsburgh PA 15212. Specify in the memo line of checks KS Kennedy.

Picture of Kerry and Lucy at the new shop.

A great Post Gazette Interview by Brian O'Neill

http://www.pghlesbian.com/blog/_archives/2009/2/8/4084576.html

http://www.lend-a-hand.info/Services.html

Pittsburghdish/flower-power

A Benefit Concert

pghbloggers.org

pittsburghlive.com

kdka.com/video

pghbloggers.org

www.msnbc.msn.com

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/18393808/detail.html

TheBusmansHoliday/new-years-day-notes

Post-gazette.com

www.wpxi.com (video)

http://Pittsburghlive.com/

Pittsburghdish/new-years-eve-f.html

Pittsburgh.craigslist.org

KSKennedy.com/

(*top two photos provided by Pittsburgh Dish, were taken by Susan Meadowcroft and Emilia Boehm)

Miles Levin - In Sickness he brings us health

2007-08-23T08:20:00.001-04:00

If you've ever been sick - really sick - then you know that illness has the ability to change your perception in an instant. The fact that your boss gave you a stern look a week ago Thursday means little. That Aunt Gert made an undercutting remark at the last family gathering is all but forgotten. That the banking didn't get done, the lawn didn't get mowed, the groceries didn't get bought means all but nothing to you now. Your mind has been reduced to basic survival skills and to the singular thought of whether or not you will be able to take your next breath. It's very humbling.

When this shift in perception occurs, you suddenly begin to appreciate life's simple freedoms: being able to get out of bed; taking a walk; eating a double-decker burger; hopping in the car to run to the post office. Wasn't it only yesterday these things were not even given a second thought?

Another shift that occurs is that no matter how bad it is, even life threatening or life ending, your eyes are opened to those who are worse off than you. It can always be worse, and we seem to sense that.

Illness has the ability to change our thoughts in an instant, immediately redirecting our lives in a way and means that would have been impossible the day before, which is one reason why so many of us face illness - as difficult as it may seem at the time. It is so easy to become entangled in the daily issues of this life, particularly in these fast times, and an illness has the ability to bring us back to center and back to what's REALLY important.

If we are here on earth to learn, to grow in heart and spirit, and to become enlightened, then it is easy to understand how even a really severe illness can be the fastest means to bring this awakening about, particularly if no other route appears open to us.

Nonetheless, not all ailments are the result of our inability to see our life clearly. There are those who walk this path as part of their purpose - or as their vehicle to propel it.

We were recently given such a shining example when due to his profound heart and willingness to share his deepest most feelings with the world, we were allowed to glance into such a life and spend his last days with him. I'm speaking of Miles Levin, the eighteen year old suffering from terminal cancer who touched thousands of lives through his blog. If you haven't yet heard of him or read any of his writings, then you must visit the Beaumont Hospital CarePages. (Search on Levinstory.) Miles the person was taken from the world on August 19, but his words will live on as his legacy. His writings give encouragement, inspiration, and enlightenment to all who read them.

While one can visibly see the enlightenment that occurred not only in Miles, but throughout his family, even Miles claimed that his ailment became entwined with his life purpose. He wrote "I have come to believe God put me on earth to get Stage 4 Aveolar Rhadbdomyosarcoma. Why? So that I could show the world how to have Stage 4 Aveolar Rhadbdomyosarcoma. Or rather, how to handle what is close to the worst thing that could happen to me with as much strength and grace as I could manage."

I'm told that the day they buried Miles it was "cold, damp and frequently raining heavily." This in the midst of a hot and dry August. Surely even the angels cried when Miles was laid to rest.

We look to God and we wonder, "Why?" I say, having been in that place where the pleasure of breathing became important, where the changes in perception became clear, where the really important things in life were brought to the forefront in an instant, that illness can bring about good. We just need to know how to read the story of it.

Anyone who has read the writings of Miles Levin will tell you they would have given anything, done anything, to save him from certain death. His spirit and love for us, his readers, was that evident in his words. And yet, how ever unfortunate it may seem to have lost Miles, it was through his suffering and loss that he was able to give us this tremendous gift, a gift that has touched countless lives and will continue to do so for generations to come.

Rest in peace Miles, You will not be forgotten and your suffering will not go unmarked. The bounty brought from it has fulfilled your wish to leave behind something of significance and that is something not easy to do for someone still so young. I am reminded of the words left in the diary of my nine-year-old sister who died after having been hit by a car, "ask for more things that show others that someone has been there..." These were the only words she left behind. For those of us who were touched by Miles' writings, we know he has "been here" and will not soon forget.

My heart goes out to Nancy, Jon, and Nina, Miles' family, whose loss is the greatest, but perhaps whose lives have been shown the brightest of Miles' light.

P. S. The thought occurred to me as I did a Google search on Miles - in person, we often attend candlelight vigils where those in attendance hold a small burning candle in memory of the light now passed. As I saw the many, many, bloggers who took time to remember Miles, I thought - these posts are those small lights - those glimmers that were sparked by Miles - now gone out into the world to shine because of what Miles wrote and because of what he stood for. We cannot bring you back, Miles, but we can continue to shine for you. Shine on Miles.

Our Desires Are Easy to Fulfill

2007-06-27T11:29:00.000-04:00

(The following article was printed in a Tom Bird Author's Roundtable Newsletter. I felt it carried the passion and desire I still feel today in reaching my goals along with tips on how you can reach yours - so I am reposting it here.)

Fail Safe - Jamie L. Saloff - September 25, 2000

What if our desires were so easy to fulfill that all we need do was recognize them and suddenly they would be ready and waiting like a staircase to climb?

I believe that God (however you may embody Him) gives to each of us a purpose or desire and the exact training we need to achieve it. I believe this purpose is already a part of us and comes with a driving force propelling us in the direction we need to go without us even trying. So strong is this learning path that we can't possibly stray from it for our desires are the very creative force that brings about the experiences we need most.

Over the years, I have learned many things from author/writing mentor Tom Bird, but some of the most important, he taught indirectly. One of those came from his story about baseball's Hall of Famer, Willie Stargell. Even though I read Tom's book many years ago, the images are still vivid in my mind today including the story of how Willie could not escape his God-given desire to play pro-ball even though in Willie's younger days Black American's did not have many opportunities to do so.

Willie states in Tom's book that for as long as he could remember - EVEN BEFORE HE KNEW WHAT BASEBALL WAS - he could not stop swinging sticks nor batting at rocks or stones or anything else that he could send flying through the air. See, Willie's DESIRE propelled him to play baseball, not the other way around. He didn't know at first that baseball was the answer to his desire. Instead, baseball became the most natural of ways to fulfill the ache and longing within him to swing a stick.

Does this mean that as soon as Willie recognized baseball could fulfill his inner desire that life became easy and he immediately became a professional ballplayer? No, because not only did he need to learn many things to be the best 'stick swinger' he could be, Willie also had other deeply embedded desires he needed to intermingle with this one. The difficult life situations he faced gave him the necessary skills and experiences he needed to become the special, one-of-a-kind ballplayer he turned out to be.

I believe the same is true for each of us on this planet. I believe that each and every part of our experience, no matter how hard or difficult it is to see, is all a part of a bigger plan designed to bring us exactly what we want. Sounds ridiculous when I consider all the horrid situations I've found myself in. How could having cancer or the other life-threatening ailments I've experienced help me achieve my goal of becoming a writer/healer/teacher?

I've come to see how my difficult life situations were training me to do the very thing I've wanted to do all my life - to write in such a way to help others heal from their pain. Like Willie's desire, my desire to write began at an early age and looking back at my past I can see how each situation in my life refined that early desire and propelled me forward into experiences that brought my desire about. Had I not suffered myself, I would never have known how it feels to suffer nor would I have been able to write effectively about these kinds of situations. Having cancer then, became one of many prerequisites to writing about healing pain.

I recently read these words by M.E. Kerr: "Nine times out of ten, if you're a writer, your childhood made you strong in ways you didn't realize when you were young. You have things to be thankful for that you once believed would do you in: someone's cruelty, someone's death, someone's rejection, someone's inability to love you, or someone's prejudice."

From my writing, I have learned to believe M. E. Kerr, and I have seen how the really difficult situations of my life were the most beneficial in creating the desires that I longed for. In fact, now I see how by becoming engulfed in these situations - often feeling as if I had no way out - forced me to learn my lessons in such a way that I could NOT POSSIBLY FAIL to learn what I needed to know to succeed.

Like Willie with his home run plays, each of us is gaining in ability and skill as we tread forward in our quest for our deepest desires. So rejoice when life comes sweeping through your life in a seemingly inescapable wave for this is a sign that your desires WILL come to pass and that your prayers or deepest wishes have been heard.

(If you're against The Wall in your life, visit my Make the Pain Stop website. If you'd like to know more about life breakthroughs, check out my book Transformational Healing or visit my I Can Transform website.)

When You're Against the Wall

2007-06-27T11:15:00.000-04:00

(The following article was printed in a Tom Bird Author's Roundtable Newsletter. I felt it carried the passion and desire I still feel today in reaching my goals along with tips on how you can reach yours - so I am reposting it here.)

The Wall - Jamie Saloff - March 12, 2001

In Julia Cameron's newest book, SUPPLIES (Tarcher/Putnam), she talks about the writer's wall. The Wall was a place where my desires were willing, but the words would't come. Blocked by The Wall, I'd walk away from manuscripts, give up on ideas, stuff them into filing cabinet drawers where they'd remain for years.

I'd faced The Wall many times. Each time, I'd look upon my wall and pretend to be puzzled. 'Why are you here?' I'd ask innocently of its stone blocks. Then I'd beat myself upon it with exaggerated melodramatics, even bloody my hands along its hard face, all to prove my intent to tear it down.

The Wall became so formidable in my writing, I began to envision it, almost feel it... rough, like my husband's unshaven stubble; cold, like cement in the early morning; solid, immovable, insurmountable. I wrote of it in my journal, even saw myself tearing it down during a meditation. Yet it remained.

Secretly, behind my own back, I'd been building the wall higher, laying the bricks deeper, securing the mortar, all to ensure that what I'd been holding back would never, ever be revealed.

Truth has a way of shining through.

Something happened to me in Sedona, Arizona during a writer's retreat I attended there. I didn't know it at first. I came home thinking nothing had changed. I believed my Wall had survived the ordeal. But something dreadful happened. I noticed it one morning as I envisioned The Wall. I'd added a Little Dutch Boy complete with hat and traditional wooden shoes. He showed me where the mortar had come loose, how he'd stuffed his child's stubby fingers into the leaking holes. This worried me. An underlying panic settled in.

For as long as I'd hoped and prayed to tear down that Wall, now at last it began crumbling. But at what cost? What would be washed away in the process?

I feared my writing all the more. I held my pen in fits of fear watching my Little Dutch Boy hold fast against the ever-crumbling, water-spurting holes. It could only be a matter of time before The Wall burst and released the pent up torrent to ravage the landscape beyond. Oh, how I feared the inevitable disaster sure to come.

You see, I did not want my life to change, no, not really. No matter how much I cried out 'Tear down the Wall! Let the creativity of your true self flow!' a part of me turned a deaf ear. That part held fast to the pain and ever-pressing heartaches because they were known. I knew how to handle them, to overcome them, to survive with them. If ever they should leave me, all that I knew would be gone and I'd have to start anew. The unknown scared me.

Then one morning, I heard a great crashing. In one mad rush, the water poured forth engulfing all in its path. It came without being asked. It came without my permission. It came tumbling and falling like a mountain dispersed by an atomic eruption.

After... I heard nothing but a still silence, the kind of sound that engenders resignation and an acknowledgement that from here forward, there's no going back. Then, a peace settled in, an inner quiet unlike any I'd ever felt before, like Spring after a long winter. Hope emerged.

As far as I could see, nothing but new ground lay before me, all landmarks had fallen, all that I had once known had changed. In an instant, a new life stretched before me. Possibility rose to meet me and I walked forward to explore my new land.

Now I understand The Wall. Now I know what they are for. They are barriers we as writers build to keep our true selves out. We stuff our true selves behind The Wall along with anything else we don't want others to know. We try to hold back thinking we are doing someone else a favor. We are protecting them. Sheltering them from some great danger. This is what we believe and maybe we are. But at what cost? Why have we deemed ourselves martyrs worthy of nothing but self sacrifice?

When you see The Wall, don't turn away. Don't let it stand. Tear it down! Use whatever means available and remove it before it engulfs your life and steals away all that is yours. Tear it down while the mortar is wet, while the bricks still stand loose and the water does not yet run deep. Write freely, write deep, write honest and from the heart. Avoid the crashing of The Wall.

(If you're against The Wall in your life, visit my Make the Pain Stop website. If you'd like to know more about life breakthroughs, check out my book Transformational Healing or visit my I Can Transform website.)

Making Your Dreams Happen, one crumb at a time

2007-06-27T11:13:00.000-04:00

(The following article was printed in a Tom Bird Author's Roundtable Newsletter. I felt it carried the passion and desire I still feel today in reaching my goals along with tips on how you can reach yours - so I am reposting it here.)

Writing on a Shirt Sleeve - Jamie Saloff - February 19, 2001

Of late, I've had the opportunity to remember what writing is like with no one nearby to support my creative efforts and how difficult it can be to face the daily criticisms and life blocks that easily pop up from day-to-day. During one particularly dark day, I dutifully locked myself in the bedroom for my morning writing session. With the help of a meditation tape, I found my words reaching great depths. Upon 'waking' from this writing 'trance' I found myself remembering a family event from several years ago. I believed it must have some message for me now, but I couldn't think what.

I'd become a hockey addict, loving the tremendous group energy given from great throngs of people enjoying the heat of the game. We'd purchased season tickets to the local OHL team (16-21-year-olds, up-and-coming future NHL players). Unfortunately, my younger son, Mark, just didn't give two-hoots about the game. His greatest pleasure came during the Intermissions when Mac, the zamboni driver, threw T-shirts and other sponsor gifts into the crowd. Kids would gather in the aisles in hopes of claming the prize and none any more eager than my son.

One night we saw Mark disappear into the bottom of the pile and I nearly leapt from my seat in fear for his life as ten or more kids piled on top of him - all hoping to grab a T-shirt prize. After a mother's heart-stopping minute or two, Mark emerged from the pile and rushed back to his seat grinning ear to ear and bearing not a T-shirt, but a sleeve.

I could not believe my son had fought so hard for nothing but a sleeve. Didn't he realize the sleeve wasn't useful to anyone? Didn't he see how, now, no one could use the shirt? No one had won this prize. Everyone had lost. But he didn't see it that way and all night he kept proudly holding up that sleeve, despite my embarrassment. I felt so humiliated every time he held up that sleeve, I wanted to leave the game.

As I remembered this incident once again, I wondered what my son should have done. My attitude, despite having had a good writing session, was less than joyous. I'd been suffering from some hard writing knocks. As I sought some meaning from this unusual message, I could only think of how my son should have done the honorable thing and come away with nothing, leaving the shirt intact for someone else to enjoy. Why should all have suffered? For some reason, this thought caused me to burst into tears and I shoved the memory from my mind. I simply could not understand why in the midst of my writing needs I would think of what I remembered as a humiliating experience.

The next day, I woke with new vigor and met the day with a smile. It was one of those days where I hit the ground running and didn't have time to stop and think until later in the day. When I did, the thought of the T-shirt sleeve came immediately to mind. "No!" I thought. "Not that again!" I did not want unpleasant thoughts clouding my good day.

Then, without asking or even trying, a new thought came to mind. With it, I felt a surge of awe fill my heart and a rush of God's unconditional love flowing over me. All at once, I knew why my son wanted that shirt sleeve so much. I understood how mice lived on crumbs. I knew what it meant to live "on a shirt sleeve budget." I knew what a truly grand prize my son had won.

Yes, this image wasn't a reminder of self-sacrifice; it was a reminder of the importance of what I DO have, the importance of the crumbs, the bits and pieces offered serendepitously here and there. I now saw this once humiliating experience from a new point of view, not the logical minded, left-brain thinking I typically use, but the energetic, creative force thinking my son's right-brain used when he'd come away with that hard-won sleeve.

Being a writer who knows what it is to live and grow in rocky soil that does not encourage what I do, I have to survive on the bits and pieces I find along the way just like the mice in our wall. A 'sleeve' is enough to keep me running for a whole week, maybe even two (or at least, until I find a 'hem' or a 'thread'). All it takes to propel me forward to the next sentence, next chapter, next journal entry, is a few lines of poetic verse, a song's heartfelt chorus, a tender note from a friend, an unexpected comment from a stranger... shirt sleeves. No, they don't seem like anything important to anyone else. The odd trinkets of verse and pictures and inspiring gadgets that decorate my desk are nothing more than junk to a passerby. But be it a Star Wars ComTec, a picture of a swan, or a tiny handmade book that shouts 'DREAM!' those shirt sleeves are nonetheless important to me. Those bits of sleeve have brought me this far and will keep me going as I continue writing on and on for years to come.

Here's hoping that you also find your own shirt sleeves in the days to come. And don't worry about those who think they are useless. Who cares if you can wear the sleeve as long as its victory spurs you and your writing on?

(If you'd like to know more, check out my book Transformational Healing or visit my I Can Transform website.)

Turn Your Pointless Dreams into Reality

2007-06-27T11:08:00.000-04:00

(The following article was printed in a Tom Bird Author's Roundtable Newsletter. I felt it carried the passion and desire I still feel today in reaching my goals along with tips on how you can reach yours - so I am reposting it here.)

The Pointless Forest - Jamie Saloff - June 6, 2000

One of my favorite stories while growing up was an animated movie written by Harry Nilsson (a very unusual musician). The Point told the tale of little Oblio; a boy born in a land of people with pointed heads.

Little Oblio was perfect in every way except he was born round-headed. He tried to fit in. He wore a pointed cap and participated in all the normal pointed-head games, but his appearance eventually caused a ruckus with one of the higher-ups resulting in Oblio and his dog Arrow being banished to the Pointless Forest.

In working with Tom Bird through his Intensive Writer’s Program, I discovered how, like little Oblio, I had tried to be like all the other pointed-headed people... I struggled to be what everyone expected, but it just wasn’t working.

The time I spent writing my rough draft (a book I’d tried to write for over ten years) became to me the same as Oblio’s journey through the Pointless Forest.

You see, when Oblio returned (yes, he did return and they were all amazed because no one had ever returned from the Pointless Forest before) he brought with him a profound realization. As he told the townspeople, "We went to the Pointless Forest and it’s not pointless at all. In fact, everyone we met in the entire Pointless Forest had a point... And... well... It’s just like here and we figured that if everything has a point, then I must have one, too."

Of course, the evil Count (the man who had Oblio and Arrow banished) felt this was absurd. "NONSENSE!" he shouts. "If Oblio had a point, he’d have one!" And he rips Oblio’s pointed hat off his round head. Except.... miraculously... Oblio isn’t round-headed any more. He now has a pointed head; but more importantly, because Oblio has found his true self - his own personal self meaning and purpose - he has given to all the others in his realm a new perspective of their lives.

Suddenly, everyone in the town goes through a metamorphosis. Their pointed heads quickly melt away revealing their true selves (except for the evil guy’s... his just flops over).

• Are you ready to strip off your pointed head?

• Are you ready to escape the ‘evil counts’ who are causing chaos and disorder in your life?

• Are you ready to write your greatest hopes and desires into reality?

(Whether you are trying to write a book, or dreaming of building the next landmark bridge, you can turn make your way through the Pointless Forest and see your dreams come true. If you'd like to know more, check out my book Transformational Healing or visit my I Can Transform website.)

You Can Change the World

2007-05-24T11:30:00.001-04:00

You Can Change the World
or - How Iraq Reflects Upon Us As Individuals

The world today is often seen as being filled with war, corruption, dysfunction, poverty, illness, and death. These conditions are visible to us all, young or old, rich or poor, regardless of race, creed, or religion. What can one individual do to change these things? What do they mean to us as individuals?

There are those in the world who choose to fight, those who choose to protest, those who choose to delegate or regulate. I choose to look within myself to see how these situations reflect on me, and on my individual life. What can that do to change the outer world? A lot—particularly, if as a people, we do this on a wide spread basis. With the sudden surge in the knowledge of the principles taught by movies such as The Secret and What the Bleep Do We Know, we are learning that as individuals we do have a say in what our lives and our world will be like.

But how can we look upon the war in Iraq, the forming unrest in Iran, the genocide in Africa, and other world conditions as a means of healing and changing our own lives? Each of us can think of these global events as a self mirror, a reflection of both our individual emotional selves as well as a reflection of our social and culture community.

Understanding that what I see will be different from what everyone else sees, the following descriptions are based on my personal, individual experiences, beliefs, and emotional connections. But since the current times are so widely spread and known, it is likely a reflection of many of us who are sharing in the internal unrest of our deeper, internal spiritual being. Feel free to do the exercise and develop your own meaning.

In order to interpret these cataclysmic events so that they have meaning for us on a personal level—a level where we can instill change within ourselves and the world, begin by choosing a particular situation that grabs your attention, whether it is some single aspect about the war in Iraq, the unrest in Israel, the children dying in Africa, or any other aspect of global events. Break that single event down into key words, images, and symbolic references.

For example, when I look at the people in Iraq, those who own the country and have the most at stake in reclaiming it, I think of the board game Risk, I see a people who are oppressed, fearful, and are seeking freedom from unrest and burgeoning civil war. I see the streets are hidden with insurgents, fiends who care nothing of the people who live there, but have instead a more personal agenda.

Thinking of these terms, I focus on one aspect that most engages my emotions. In this case, it is that of the insurgents. I pull key terms from my mind using word association and come up with "rats," "termites," “cockroaches." Thinking in real terms, I come up with phrases like “rats are a pestilence,” “termites dig in and cast destruction,” “cockroaches are survivors who are long-lived and hard to stamp out.” I recognize how these terms relate to my feelings of the insurgents as well.
Knowing this, I ask myself, where and how does this exist in my country? And digging deeper and I ask, where and how does this exist within my home and within my heart? (Not a question we have thought to ask ourselves as we cry for war or even peace.)

Note: expect that what you see in the world to be an over-exaggeration of what you find in your personal life. If you're living in America, there might be a "war" going on in your home complete with guns, strife, and "explosions," but likely you do not have tanks running through your living room or bomb craters in your back yard. Rather the “war,” “explosions” and other comparisons are likely more symbolic and actual. They will represent feelings and associations to “war” (or whatever terms you’ve associated the unrest to.)

What aspects of our global current events are most prominent in your mind? Which injustices are those that more quickly spark you into a heated conversation or call to action? Look to those events as a means of opening your eyes to your present spiritual condition and as a call to change, and answer that call soon, because the earth is spinning a web of change that none of us can escape.

Expect to see cataclysmic changes on an ongoing basis as we move forward towards the year 2012 - the date the Mayans’ calendar ends. This is not to say the world itself will come to an end, rather what I believe has been predicted is that change will be so wide sweeping that what we currently accept as "daily life" will no longer be as such.

Where should we expect to see those changes happening? Look first at the earth itself. As predicted in bible times and by every type of prophecy known, we will see earthquakes, floods, tidal waves, hurricanes, tornadoes, drought, volcanic eruptions, and changes in weather patterns. Will this come about from global warming, a change in the earth's axis, or due to nuclear or man-made actions? I cannot and would not attempt to say. I do not think we are in a position to worry as much about the how as we should be worrying about how we will cope and adapt to change. Those who are prepared in body and mind will survive whatever changes the earth throws our way. There will be death, there always has been, there will be survivors too. It might be a good time to dust off movies like Mad Max and Waterworld, and other post- apoplectic world flicks.

However, look beyond the earth itself as an agent of change. In fact, what we see appear as physical earth changes will be a symbolic mirrored image of the changes we will see to our culture and to our emotional/spiritual selves. Look for core institutions to undergo dramatic changes in their structure. These changes will include the workings of big business, politics and government, education, medicine, and even the family unit. As to what these changes will mean to us on the highest of levels in body, mind, and spirit, at this writing, I could only guess or point to those who prophesize.

To open yourself up to the most positive aspects of these changes, I recommend that you hone your skills of prayer and/or meditation within the boundaries of your beliefs. Allow God and his angels to show you the means that will be right for you and know that change is coming. This much we should all know within ourselves, if for no other reason than we have cried out for it for countless years. How many of you have cried out from within lamenting, "How much more of this can I take?" or by saying, "I can't continue to live like this!" We are hearing these cries not just from the adults of the world, but even from children, those souls who we have felt in the past were protected from the more stressful pressures of daily life. This is no more. If God would answer the call of the population of Jews in Egypt in biblical times, then how much more would He answer the call of billions?

Begin now to prepare, by looking in the mirror created by our world and to seek change within. By doing so in mass, we can change our world for the good.

Key West Review - Better Than You've Heard

2007-05-24T08:52:00.000-04:00

Key West Review - Better than you've heard
I've recently returned from one of the best vacations my husband and I have ever had from perhaps one of the least expected places - Key West, America's Caribbean Island (their turn of a phrase, not mine).

We had a great time filed with fine dining, plenty of sun shine, great shopping, and lots of sites to see. We browsed through art galleries, museums, and a sea side sculpture exhibit. During the day, the streets were relatively empty, the shops and restaurants too, and most nights, the bar scene was kept at a low din so that it made for interesting people watching, but didn't interrupt us from walking the streets.

I know, I know, you've been told lots of stories about what Key West is supposed to be. I know you've heard them, because as soon as I started telling people I was going there, they told me why I shouldn't go. "It's a haven for drug runners," my brother said, "because they can easily slip off to sea." "It's Spring Break," warned a friend. (It wasn't - it begins the second Sunday in March, we were later told and goes on for about six weeks, so just plan to go before then.) Despite all the nay sayers, we had a wonderful time and haven't stopped talking about it since. Could there be a Key West island retreat house in our future? Stay tuned to find out.

Most the people I spoke to hadn't been to Key West in twenty or thirty years and had matured a lot since then. Still, they had the concept that the only people in Key West were bar hoppers and deep sea fishers who had nothing better to do than drink rum and eat Key Lime pie. We found it surprisingly different than what our naysayers said. What they had apparently missed in their journeys was the true Key West essence, which is about taking life easy and enjoying each day as it comes. Since we walked not only through the tourist attractions (of which there are many), but also explored many an out-of-the-way streets and shops, we were able to speak to many of the residents, most who had come for a vacation and for one reason or another, decided to stay. Up against the high cost of housing, the annual threat of hurricanes, and a host of other unique to the island troubles, these Key Westers once there have no desire to leave.

The key to avoiding crowds is to go down to the cruise docks before the ships come in, or long after they have disembarked. During the busy times of the day, we headed the opposite direction where we found shop prices less expensive and the beaches less crowded.

What I liked most about Key West is how everything in town is in walking distance. We found we had walked seven miles one day without even realizing it as we meandered through shops, stopped for appetizers in open cafes, and walked along beaches. There is a lot about the island that we found unique to other stateside American locations. Where else can one find chickens wandering harmlessly through the chairs of an outdoor cafe, or enjoy fine dining while be served by waiters in shorts, T-shirts, and sandals? The residents' laid back "This is how it is in Key West" attitude lent to us slowing our own pace and to truly allowing our lives to slow down, even if for only a few days. I can tell you those few moments of relaxation were extremely worth it.

Here's a list of our favorite stops and places you should not miss yourselves if you too visit to Key West:

Restaurants:
Two Friends - great for a delicious early morning breakfast and friendly staff. It is apparently for sale if you have close to ten million dollars and don't know how to spend it. To us, this was THE morning gathering place, and for many others as well.

Blue Heaven - it's a longer walk for breakfast, and you'll likely have to wait at the bar for 20 minutes to get a seat (is having an early morning cocktail all that bad when you are in paradise?), but you'll have the best breakfast you've had in a long time, roosters underfoot and all.

Nicola's at the Hyatt - if you enjoy fine dining, book early and watch the sun set from their back porch veranda. The meal was one of the best I've ever had, well worth the expensive price tag. The sun set was included free of charge and on our trip, we also watched a wedding where the bride in full gown and tuxedoed men wore flip-flops on the beach.

Antonia's Key West - Fine Italian dining. We sat in the bar area by a window eating expertly prepared meals while watching the Saturday night bar crowd gather. A great hideaway.

Red Fish Blue Fish - Don't let the casual atmosphere mislead you. The food at Red Fish Blue Fish is as good as any on the island. They offer a wide selection at reasonable prices. The dining is all outdoors, so a great place to enjoy an early evening dinner on a warm Key West evening, or to grab a late lunch. We had mahi-mahi that was excellent.

Conch Republic Seafood Co - We couldn't resist stopping in for a quick appetizer --a bit of conch crab cakes and a cold drink. We sat by the water and watched the boats come in. Made all those old "mystery at the harbor" movies with Humphrey Bogart and others 40s and 50s movie stars come to life. No wonder Hemingway wrote here.

El Siboney - Even if you have to take a cab, grab lunch at El Siboney before you leave the island. This casual dining, authentic Cuban cuisine. (No, it's not spicy!) Just delicious home cooked food. Order the pulled pork plate that comes with plantains, beans and other sides. Unless you add a pitcher of their Sangria, the cab fare will cost more than the meal.

A trip to Key West would not be complete without side trips to the following:

Hemingway's House - If you're a writer or have read the books, you have to go, it's a must. You have to soak up the Key West essence and peek into the little room out back where Ernest sat.

If you don't have literature running through your veins, you might want to skip this experience as you will just see yet another Key West house and a bunch of cats. Hemingway's is the haven for polydactyl cats. My vet-tech son pointed out that in order to perpetuate this line, they often interbreed like old hillbillies, but if you love cats, you won't mind. If you can't go there live, check out their kitty cam available here:
http://www.hemingwayhome.com/HTML/our_cats.htm

Harry S. Truman's Little White House - We explored the gated community where the Little White House is located and wandered through the gift shop. We considered taking the tour, which we were assured was top notch, but by that time had become momentary Key Westers and enjoyed instead sitting on a park bench discussing current events with the locals.

Mel Fisher's Maritime Treasure Museum - You do want to see the gold and other artifacts that were brought up from the bottom of the sea - don't you? You can even lift a bar of gold. Come on, you do have a little bit of seaman or pirate in your blood, I'm sure. Why else would we flock to see Johnny Depp in three versions of Pirates of the Caribbean?

Key West Shipwreck Historeum Museum - ditto - just different stuff, and other adventures. (It's okay if you skip the movie... we did.)

Ft. Zachary Taylor Beach - if ever a gem was being under utilized, it's this public beach. Nary a sunbather could be seen as we walked the trails and viewed an art exhibit that was set up at the time. It was quite a walk in, so if you're carrying extra beach goodies, you may want transportation, but you'll be rewarded with a quiet afternoon on a beautiful beach. Make sure to also visit the fort there.

Remember that vacations heal the soul and give you time to recharge your creative mind - the part that guides you to the fulfillment of your dreams. Whether Key West or a near-by lake, take time to get away from it all.

2007 Superbowl Commercials

2007-02-05T10:23:00.000-05:00

Question. Have all the really great Ad Execs died?

Or has the Superbowl fear of not being politically correct caused the restrictions to be so high that we are not even allowed to laugh anymore? Everyone knows that Superbowl commercials are part of the entertainment. If they stop being so, there are those of us who are not football inclined who will stop watching. Have they now taken that from us too? This had to be the worst crop of Superbowl commercials in decades.

Here are this year's top winners based on the Jamie Saloff Superbowl Commercial Rating System (see below). These are the commercials I could remember this morning (and talk about) without looking up a list to see what I had forgotten.

Muddy dog gets a seat on the Budweiser wagon: 5 points (highest possible)(okay, so the "isn't that cute" factor won me over.)

The Doritos Fan Movie: 5 points (Hurray for fan movies! Let's see more of them since they are apparently better than what the Expensive Ad execs could come up with!)

Frito Lay / Doritos Black Celebration: 5 points

Orange County Choppers / HP: 5 points (the graphics on those always keep me watching, time after time, after time.)

Emerald Nuts with Robert Goulet: 5 points (thanks for a really good laugh - much better than last year!)

Coke GTA: 5 points (I'm embarrassed to say I know what GTA is! But I liked their use of it.)

Coke old man in the nursing home: 5 points (It wasn't THAT funny, but it had very little competition.)

Garmin and the monster map (the Godzilla / Power Rangers like commercial): 4.5 points (Was it just me? Or did the laser ray belt buckle seem to ride really low on the superhero?)

Doritos at the checkout counter: 4.5 (Eh.)

Budweiser, Bud.tv: 4.5 points (for making me curious enough to want to go there - but I haven't... yet)

Chevy celebrity singers: 4 points (see notes)

GoDaddy: 3.5 points (seen notes)

Coke Black Celebration: 3 points (I remember there was one, but not what it was about)

FedEx on the moon: 3 points (I had no idea what was going on and the last second blast was almost too late.)

FedEx Ground stereotypical people: 3 points (see notes)

CareerBuilder (both versions): 3 points
(Dear Career Builder, go back to the monkeys they were funny, this was not!)

Budweiser crabs: 3 points

Ford Trucks: 3 points (how about a little effort to make it interesting!)

Budweiser men slapping each other: 3 points (see notes)
(What are you thinking!)

Truck on contraption: 2.5 points (was it Ford or Chevy?)

Gorillas with the beer: 2 points (which lite beer?)

Cartoon animals using the live mouse like a computer mouse: 1 point

Rapper singing commercial: 1 point

Martha Stewart at a celebrity Superbowl party: 1 point

Now here's some notes:

GoDaddy, the commercial was boring, but don't fret because I'll watch the "real" commercials on your site - and you must be doing something right as I switched all my domain names over to you this year. The bottom line is customer service and price... You got me with both... P.S. Thanks for having customer service reps who understand English!)

I think the Chevy singers commercial could have been better. The commercial seemed disjointed. The songs didn't flow together well. I think they could have maybe all sung the same song (with a different twang?) It was a great idea, maybe when they show splurts of it later down the road the shorter versions will be better.

Budweiser! I can't believe you have started a fad of slapping people! You KNOW people are going to do this! I can't believe you stooped this low. I'm really disappointed in you! Have you been working with the Miller Lite people?

The CareerBuilder ads were memorable, so give them credit for that. I thought they were too busy and not at all funny. I think they tried to show too much at once.

Dear FedEx... If things aren't named for what they are, but all the people were named for what they were... aren't you subliminally saying that FedEx Ground IS slow? Or are you hoping that we will remember the commercial and remember the message? It just might work... Now if FedEx would remember where my house is and not deliver my packages to the car dealer down the street, or a day late, I might be more inclined to use them over UPS. (erg.)

The gorillas, (was that Budweiser or Miller Lite?), please someone tell the ad execs the old writer's rule: Show don't Tell. BORING! I was pretty much like the "other" gorilla. What? Something funny happened? The commercial bored me and I forgot to care.

At the last minute I remembered the Don Shula / HP commercial (sorry, I don't know who the other player is) and the Doritos talking animals commercials. I wanted to give them some credit. But since I didn't remember them for the original list, they didn't make the ratings.

In case you don't want to hop over to last year's blog to see the rating system, I've copied it here:

1 point if I remember the commercial the next day. This is important if the advertiser expects me to tell my friends about it and to get a buzz going about their product.

2 points if I remember the advertised product. It's not a good thing if I confuse which beer company sponsored which commercial or if I don't remember the product at all. If I don't remember the product, how am I going to buy it? Note... if I remember the ad when I see the product, that's worth a half of credit.

2 points if I liked the commercial and felt they made good use of their money.

BLIMEY! We've Lost Steve Irwin!

2006-09-05T11:28:00.000-04:00

Blimey! No matter what you thought of Steve Irwin and his crocodile handling, he has become an icon among animal handlers and has been loved by millions worldwide. I don't believe there has ever been anyone so charismatic when it comes to describing animals as Steve. He could make a beetle seem interesting, his every description oozing with enthusiasm.

I have to admit, we all thought Steve would lose a limb, but never thought we'd lose him this soon. My heart goes out particularly to his wife, his children, and his beloved zoo staff. I wish them all the best and ask all of my readers to lend them support by continuing the Steve Irwin legacy.

Perhaps it is necessary for icons such as Steve to leave us so soon to cement their names in history. One has to wonder if Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and others such as these would still be icons today had they not be taken from us so suddenly by their tragic deaths. Steve will long be remembered, of this I am sure.

Maybe God needed an expert animal handler in heaven to watch over all the animals there. He sure did pick the best.

---------------
(If you would like to know more about the importance of icons in our lives, check out my website ( http://www.icantransform.com) or purchase my book, Transformational Healing.

Ole' to Nacho Libre!!

2006-07-05T08:09:00.000-04:00

(Go and see the film!)

My family and I saw the movie over the holiday and loved it. In fact, my boys have now seen it twice. I think it's fair to say that Jack Black is the next John Belushi, Chris Farley, or John Candy. The way he animates his face and plays up the uninhibited character we've grown to love, has caused a lot of us to take notice of Jack and the movies he's in.

The thing I liked most about Nacho Libre was how it ties in with the "Ugly Duckling" theme I've tried to convey in my book - how we all have an inner calling buried within to "be" or to "do" something, but those around us have told us it's impossible (or worse yet, wrong). Thus, we have held back from pursuing our deepest, most heartfelt desires, represessed them and kept them in an internal jail. You may not wish to one day wear light blue tights and fight as a luchador, but my bet is that there is something inside of you longing to be freed. No matter how long you try to repress the call - for Nacho it began in childhood - the inner gnawing continues until you pursue it. Not only will it never go away, not following it might even cause other misfortunes to befall you - I'll let you watch the movie to see what happens to Jack.

Is following after your inner calling easy? Nacho shows you that it's not. There are consequences to going against the status quo. But Nacho will also show you how following after your passion lifts you up, gives you strength, and adds courage to your fight. These gifts carry you through the rough spots and spur you on to complete your path.

When I see Nacho prancing around the ring (literally), I laugh, but I know that he is in his element. Moreover, I know that Jack Black is in his, as it takes an actor who is passionate about what he is doing to give himself over fully to the character and script for the sake of the film and those of us in the audience. Yes, he receives a monetary reward, but there is an inner reward as well, of that I am sure.

Go and see Nacho Libre and enjoy a few laughs. Laughter is good for the soul. Then take home the message of the movie - answer the knock of your inner calling. While you may find some pitfalls along the way - Nacho finds himself on the face of a sheer cliff - you will also find the doors of opportunity as the universe opens the gates to what you were called to do.

If you need a little help along the way, check out my book, Transformational Healing: Five Surprisingly Simple Keys Designed to Redirect Your Life Toward Wellness, Purpose, and Prosperity (there are excerpts on my website http://www.icantransform.com ). Then write me and let me know what you've accomplished. Tell me your dream and the steps you are taking to get there.

When "Self-Help" Means Going it Alone

2006-05-22T12:53:00.000-04:00

When I wrote my book, Transformational Healing: Five Surprisingly Simple Keys Designed to Redirect Your Life Toward Wellness, Purpose, and Prosperity, I knew there were other people like me who were willing to do whatever it took to heal their lives. There was one catch. These individuals knew that whatever had to be done, they would have to do it on their own.

Whatever their circumstance, these individuals, desperate to heal their lives from constant inner pain and stress, know that reaching a place of happiness in their lives will require confronting situations taking place in their own homes. They know that even some of their own family will do anything in their power to prevent them from changing. The plan to heal their lives will have to account for that.

My book is the 'how'. My book was written for people who have to go it alone. Transformational Healing was written in that way because it was the way it had to be for me. I knew that those who were looking for this type of whole-life healing and recovery needed it to be easy to understand and to offer a step-by-step path as to what they need to do and how. I knew the means had to be easy because much of what must be surmounted is emotionally based, and that means that some of this stuff is harder to overcome than climbing Mount Everest.

I also knew the cost had to be almost nothing because many of those in need of this type of healing have little spending money. I knew it needed to be readily accessible, which is why I posted a lot of information on my website. Most importantly, I knew the exercises had to be fairly quick to complete because most of us have little time to spare.

If you are an individual who wants to heal your life from the ground up, physically, emotionally, spiritually, this book tells you how.

If you are a person who has a dream you want to fulfill, even if you have repressed it for many years, this book tells you how to take action towards this goal.

If you are someone who has struggled with countless ailments that seem to pop up just as you are about to get ahead, I explain how I overcame this myself.

If you are looking for a way to receive guidance and direction, my book explains many ways in which I am guided everyday and explains how you can receive this guidance too.

And if you are wondering how to find your life's purpose, you will find how I found mine, detailed with instructions.

My heart goes out to any of you willing to take this journey. It is a lonely, sometimes difficult task. But I assure you, it can be fought and won. The first steps are the most difficult. After that, you learn how to walk, then run, then climb. In the words of Jimmy V, “Never give up, never give up, never give up…”

Bravo Daniel Franco

2006-03-08T21:45:00.000-05:00

I don't watch survivor shows! Okay... I didn't until Daniel Franco...

While flipping through the channels one night, my husband stopped momentarily on Bravo and Project Runway. I'm not sure why he stopped, but when he did, it was the exact moment when Daniel Franco was explaining to the Runway committee why he deserved a second chance on the show (he had been short-lived on season one). Showing the clothing he'd designed, Daniel spoke of mere cloth and thread as if making love to a beautiful woman. I was forever hooked. From that moment on I had become a die-hard Daniel Franco fan, and I watched each subsequent episode as religiously as those who once wanted to know "who shot JR."

Now if you are also a Project Runway fan, you'll know that in the world of fashion, sometimes your in, but after episode four, Daniel Franco was out, so I swore off the show (well, almost). I couldn't understand how Daniel, who offered up himself for the sake of his team and who had created - what I thought were - the most beautiful lingerie I'd ever seen, had been ousted. His opponent, Santino Rice, had created the most unusual and unwearable items possible and had turned on his team when it looked like it was going to be a competition between them and him.

Ah! But soon I learned and understood that fashion is not about whose clothing is the most beautiful or wearable. No, not at all. It is about innovation.

I knew nothing about fashion coming into the show except that celebrities and rock stars such as Madonna, Gwen Stefani, and Princess Diana seemed to know the best of the best designers and were part of the trickle-down effect of what would soon be hanging from the local department store racks. Now I understand what those bazaar creations on the fashion runway - along with the ridiculously impractical hair and make-up designs - were all about. They are not at all about practicality or wearability, but about innovation. Still don't get it? Let me explain.

Consider auto show in Detroit. Is the main attraction the next Ford or Chevy that will appear in your garage? No. It is the concept cars, the highly technological, sleekly designed oddities that will never see the production line. Why are these concept cars so important? Like the fashion runway they are about innovation. Their concepts and designs will fuel the designs of the everyday cars for years to come. Need more proof?

Think space - outer space. We the American public will not likely have the opportunity to fly into outer space and enjoy a drive-by of the moon. At least not in my lifetime. But the innovations created by these trips have brought new technologies to one and all.

Innovation. That's why Tim Gunn kept saying "it's too safe." Innovation is what keeps us going back to the store to buy yet another outfit when we already have a closet full at home.

Writers are innovators too. I first heard this idea in a lecture with author/psychologist Lindsay Gibson, who explained that it was up to writers help shape the new ideas that we will all later embrace. Writer's, she said, appear sometimes as if they are really out there. They are not always understood by those who know them. But it's with their innovative ideas and means to communicate them to the masses, that we writers are able to change the way the world thinks. Just look at Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code and how its appearance has generated a whole new interest in the realm of religion, history, and medieval myths.

Like Daniel Franco, not all of us will make it to the Olympus Fashion week runway - this season - but we will do our best to make our mark and try our hand at innovations. For me, those innovations are the methods in my book. What are they for you?

Superbowl Commercials Ratings

2006-02-06T09:16:00.000-05:00

Here are my top Superbowl commercial ratings:

The FedEx caveman - 5 points
The Budwiser "magic fridge" - 5 points
The Budwiser young clydesdale - 5 points
ESPN cell phone (long version) - 5 points
Full Throttle power drink commercial - 4 points (Pre-game show)
Gillette Fusion - 3 points (but -50 for getting ridiculous about the #of blades on a razor - how long before its a 12 blades?)
Most movie trailers - 0 with an honorable mention to Pirates of the Caribbean (or maybe to Johnny Depp)
Most tv show trailers - 0 with an honorable mention to Desperate Housewives (and I don't even watch the show)
Go Daddy - 1 point (though their banned commercial was better, it was definitely too hot for the mixed superbowl crowd)

I have my own rating system for Superbowl commercials that works as follows:

1 point if I remember the commercial the next day. This is important if the advertiser expects me to tell my friends about it and to get a buzz going about their product.

2 points if I remember the advertised product. It's not a good thing if I confuse which beer company sponsored which commercial or if I don't remember the product at all. If I don't remember the product, how am I going to buy it? Note... if I remember the ad when I see the product, that's worth a half of credit.

2 points if I liked the commercial and felt they made good use of their money. In a past superbowl, I remember one commercial where the ad was for a beauty site, but the URL was so long, I'd forgotten the name of the product, the name of the site, and how to get there before the commercial even faded. I no longer remember the actual commercial at this point, just that I would have gone to their site had I been able to remember it. I wonder if they are even still in business. (Note to self - keep URLs short and to the point.)

After writing this, I looked up a listing of the commercials and the following would have been higher ranking if I hadn't forgotten them by the next morning:

Going to Disney World - 4 points (Hurray! for bringing back a classic, but where was the Seattle side? Was Disney psychic?)
Pepsi Brown and Bubbly - 4 points
Escalade's fashion show (long version) - 4 points (were those real celebs or look-alikes? I liked trying to guess them.)
Touch football - 4 points
CareerBuilder.com monkeys and jackasses - 4 points
I Hid Bud Lite - 4 points
Bud Lite Fixing the Roof - 4 points
H3 Monsters - 4 points
Burger King Whopperetts - 3 points (Definitely memorable, but just kind of weird.)
The Ford and Kermit hybrid - 3 points (Somehow he didn't really sound like Kermit - but I did remember the car!)
Advil Spok - 3 points (Great use of Spok - tell me again, why does he need Advil?)
Sierra Mist - 3 points
The Dove foundation for self esteem - 3 points
The pebble phone - 2 points (It was a very visual commercial... I have no idea which phone company...)
Budwiser Horse football streaker - 2 points (I like the zebra ref better)
Sprint phone with crime deterrent - 2 points (it gave me a laugh but I didn't remember the product - I had to look it up.)
Sharpie retractable pirate mascot - 2 points
Mastercard and McGuyver - 1 point (but I think this one has staying power - almost everyone likes McGuyver.)
Nationwide Fabio - 1 point (I loved the Fabio idea - but remember it as a shampoo commercial)
Don't Judge Too Quickly - 1 point (I didn't get the connection.)
Pepsi Stunt double - 1 point (competition bashing seems to be in season)
Budwiser stadium flip cards - 2 points (because it was not real)
Emerald Nuts - 2 points for making a commercial so dumb, everyone will remember it
manta ray commercial - 1 point (was this for a car?)

You can view a lot of these at the URL below, which is kind of fun. I've also heard rumored there will be a tv special with them and NFL.com will be offering them as a download promotion. AOL is also showing them.

http://superbowl.break.com/superbowl/superbowl.html

The thing that I like about the Superbowl and the expensive commercials is that it gave my family a few hours of fun together. We can all use a little more of that.

How Prayer Emails Answered My Own Prayer

2005-10-01T00:57:00.000-04:00

Tuesday was a trying day. I'd begun sending out emails on prayer for a marketing bonus I'd joined and was not receiving responses in any way, shape or form. I was beginning to feel as if the whole thing was a waste of my time. In fact, I didn't feel I had gotten very many people to even sign up for them.

Then I remembered what I had said in those emails. I asked myself, "What is the first thing I should do?" Prayer Supercharger #1 was "pray the problem."

First I had to decide what the problem really was. I decided the problem on: I am not receiving any responses to my prayer emails.

Then I asked myself, what is the second step? Prayer Supercharge #2 was "expect an answer and in a positive way."

At that point, something distracted me, so I temporarily forgot about the situation.

A little while later, I went looking for an email I had thrown away earlier. When I opened my trash, I received a big surprise. I found a bunch of emails in there from people who had subscribed to my prayer emails. For some reason, my email software had thought they were spam. I quickly grabbed them up, dusted them off, and put them into the correct folder so I could begin sending them my prayer emails. (Unfortunately, because my trash had been set to empty automatically, I may have lost more of them unknowingly.)

I thought, "Finding those emails is encouraging. I prayed my problem and already God had sent me an answer."

Around that same time, I learned my message board and discussion group (possibilities-subscribe@icantransform.com) were not functioning as they should. I thought, "How are people supposed to respond when the software isn't working?" I had put it together so fast, I hadn't had time to try it myself. So while I waited to hear back from people on how the Prayer Superchargers were working, any one who tried to post had been turned away. Just knowing I could fix the problem felt like another answer to my prayer.

Then, something else amazing happened.

Earlier in the day, I had received a call from Helen Shanley. I don't know if you are familiar with her, but she is an amazing woman. She is getting on in years but has not let that stop her from guiding people through tremendous visualizations that help heal their lives.

I had been particularly interested in hearing from Helen since she used images and archetypes for finding life correlations much the same as I do in my book Transformational Healing. I was curious how her methods would parallel mine.

In my visualization, which lasted about a half hour or more, I saw many symbols, colors, and images that will take me quite awhile to fully understand and utilize. However, some of the messages from these symbols stood out right away. For instance, I have always felt a great affinity for trees and a giant oak appeared as part of my walk with Helen.

The tree, for me, represented a mirror image of myself. The leaves rustling in the wind represented my connection with God and His inspirational touch. The core, which was hollow, represented my physical body and it's presence here on earth. The roots showed me the depths of my thoughts and the vast civilization of knowledge and skill awaiting for me to explore and utilize in my daily life.

From the images found in the visualization with Helen, I reminded myself of the values and purpose I'd set out to fulfill by writing my book. I was reminded, too, of the tremendous resources available to me, to us all, in obtaining our heart's desires.

When we were done, Helen said, "It appears that you are on track with your passions and purpose."

Later, as I pondered all that I had seen and what Helen said, I wondered if I should have asked her more questions. I wrote to her and asked if she could elaborate on what she said meant. She wrote back:

"What I meant was: This imagery is (can be) a dialog with Spirit, which hands up what you're ready for. In your case, I felt that you were being affirmed in all directions, both personal and collective, divine and human. And that whatever you're doing is on the right track."

Now, I want to tell you the most amazing part of all. Do you know when I received this email from her? About the same time as I sat questioning myself, wondering if I had wasted my time, wondering if I had helped anyone with my prayer emails, of which only two of seven have gone out.

Do you know that her message was so important to me that I had to go back, about fifteen minutes later, and read it again. Particularly this part: "I felt that you were being affirmed in all directions, both personal and collective, divine and human. And that whatever you're doing is on the right track."

It was almost as if I were in a time warp and the words "...whatever you're doing is on the right track..." repeated over and over in my mind until I "got it."

From that, I was encouraged to continue with the prayer emails I've been sending and continuing waiting on God to send the answers to my problems. I will also continue working with the images received during my visualization with Helen, and look forward to working with her again and in reading her book Sugar on My Lettuce.

JLS

Transformational Healing

2005-09-30T00:12:00.001-04:00

TRANSFORMATIONAL HEALING:
Five Surprisingly Simple Keys Designed to Redirect Your Life Toward Wellness, Purpose, and Prosperity

Dramatically heal your body-mind and
Live the life you always dreamed

Diagnosed with cancer at age twenty-four, Jamie didn't believe she'd ever live to see her then two-year-old son grow up. Then a dream helped Jamie turn her diagnosis around. Not only did she recover from the disease, but less than one month later and despite her doctor's assurance of its impossibility, Jamie became pregnant with her second son. Though she would survive two more near death experiences (NDEs) and face several other life-threatening conditions, she has learned how to overcome the ravages of disease and their accompanying strife. She has discovered how to unlock the meaning of her ailments and turn them into a map for success, purpose, and prosperity.

Do you wish you could change your life for the better? If you answered yes, Transformational Healing is for you. Crammed into this 428-page book are eighteen mind-opening, easy-to-do exercises, and plenty of straightforward advice to show you how to:

• Reveal the startling, life-changing messages that are hidden in your ailments

• Uncover the guidance that is readily available to you through your family's heritage

• Awaken your body's ability for healing and unlock the hidden power of your mind

• Discover and attain your life's highest purpose and create the life you've always wanted

"Don't let the seemingly simple exercises and easy to implement programs fool you. This book is packed with power! Saloff's uncomplicated approach, backed by her own experience, shows you how self-healing can be mastered by anyone."
Dr. Nell M. Rodgers, DC MN, author of Puppet or Puppeteer: You Hold the Key to the Life You Really Want

"Beyond Caroline Myss and Louise Hay, this work shares everything you need to know, from the deepest of all places, whether you believe your malady be of a physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual nature, or all of the above." Tom Bird, author of (Write) Right From God

"A refreshing and unique way to look at illness and healing. I would recommend Transformational Healing to anyone, not just those who are sick."
Joseph Korn, author of Dowsing: A Path to Enlightenment

"Beyond Caroline Myss and Louise Hay, this work shares everything you need to know, from the deepest of all places, whether you believe your malady be of a physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual nature, or all of the above." Tom Bird, author of (Write) Right From God