Monthly Archives: November 2008

Old Soldier

He welcomes me again.

I tell him where I’ve been;

he has been nowhere else.

And I rest my head and wait in

darkness as he talks of pineapple.

He recounts Hawaii and every

car he ever owned. Veterans

linger with memories random

as bingo. He asks if I have ever

been in a jet. He asks me if my

hands are still cold. I feed him

bites of ice cream and hear

someone swear down the hall.

He says bananas grow upwards.

I say my hands are warm now.

Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Goals

From the upcoming book, “Overcoming Obstacles With SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership & Goal-Setting” by L. Diane Wolfe

Life is all about overcoming.

Living to the fullest requires determination. We must possess purpose and drive. We need set goals and a positive attitude. Fear must be conquered. Leadership traits and people skills are vital. To live a life filled with enrichment and satisfaction, we need some spunk!

What is the secret? We have seen others experience great personal triumphs and satisfaction. How does one achieve this level of fulfillment? Surely there is a pill or potion we can consume that will transform our lives into something more! Unfortunately, life does not work in this manner. True success requires effort, and only we can make it happen.

All of God’s creatures were designed to live for a purpose. Achievement is part of our very makeup. Sadly, many of us get so caught up in the struggle just to survive that the result is an existence rather than a life. We lose sight of our purpose. This is not how we were intended to live, though. We need to rekindle the purpose within and ignite our spirits once again.

Will change be required? Of course! We cannot continue on our current same path. If we expect life to improve, we cannot remain mired in the same patterns. Those habits created our current situation and must be abandoned if we desire different results. It’s irrational to keep using a blue pen and hope it will one day transform into a red pen!

Change will be required in areas outside of the physical as well. It’s not just those daily patterns, but also the habits of our mind that prevent us from achieving more in life. Our attitude is a powerful influence on our world, and the deciding factor in our ultimate success. The ability to deal with other people is an important skill. Fear also begins in the mind. All of these mental traits and behaviors contribute to our overall success and fulfillment as human beings.

Too often, we allow circumstances to dictate our lives. We feel we lack in education or do not possess the right skills to succeed. We point to our upbringing and what we did not possess or experience as a child. Sometimes we even blame others for the conditions under which we now reside. Regardless of the circumstances, though, there is no good excuse for failure. We are the ones in control of our destiny.

Victory is not about waiting for circumstances- it’s creating our own. Wallowing in mud will only make us dirty, and wallowing in problems only makes us helpless. We must assume responsibility and create our own opportunities. Our placement in life can only be attributed to one living person, and the sooner we realize this truth, the sooner we can take control of the situation. Solutions exist for those who seek answers.

Taking control does not guarantee a reduction in problems. Challenges and obstacles occur for all people, no matter what path is taken. However, the ability to handle difficult situations improves with a good attitude and a purpose in life. Like a knight riding into battle, we are armed for success. We notice opportunities and solutions more readily and are not so easily frightened by obstacles.

To break out of mediocrity and live a full, worthwhile life, we need to acquire the five keys of overcoming. These keys work in conjunction with one another to unlock the secrets of personal success. We must master all five elements if the formula is to work properly. There is no one key to true success!

It is said that success is a journey not a destination. We will not master these keys before we begin our quest but rather learn as we pursue our goals and dreams. It is this growth that truly enriches our lives. And since the ultimate destination is the end of our earthly life, we possess ample time to master each key!

Thus begins our journey…

Copyright 2008, Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.

Available March 17, 2009

$13.95 USA, Trade paperback, 176 pages

Non-fiction/Self-help

ISBN 978-0-9816210-2-9 / 0-9816210-2-3

Two Corner Windows …

Often in the evening

Her silhouette appeared

In the two corner windows.

From across the thoroughfare

Passionate strains of Debussy or

Rachmaninoff filtered down into

The street as the clarion of her ritual.

Bathed in the light of many candles;

She moved sylphlike, concupiscent

Brushstrokes exposing the soul of

Unrequited passions

At times I surrendered to her

Beguiling in an effort to wash

Away the emotional fetor of

Clientele and restless patrons.

Life had become tedious

And there were very few

Inspirations anymore.

This vision was mine;

A purifying moment

That tranquilized the

Pecking beast in me;

A moment for my eyes

To imbibe the feelings

Of all that could never be

Seeing me gazing spellbound,

She would often float onto the

Balcony in her vapory peignoir;

Waving and blowing me kisses

Which I always caught in my soul

For inspiration when life darkened

And my heart became too heavy to bear.

Wide-eyed; I would always wave back

And then quickly retreat into the clamor

Of my eatery across the street.

Richard Lloyd Cederberg

WHEN THE DAWN ARRIVES

Posted by P. Vijay Kumar

When dawn arrives singing

to wake me up,

I lie waiting for the

vigour and warmth of noon.

Later, when the afternoon sea breeze

dance around in a flurry,

When the sand and mind burn

in summertime fury,

I sit silent and alone in my hut,

waiting for the dusk to appear.

Time flies in a chariot,

and in a hurry.

The dawn, dusk and night

travel past me.

I sit undecided still in a dream

not clear, not sure.

Moving nowhere in the claim.

Life Without Chance

Dreams

remain stagnate

as inertia clings to the core,

permitting fear to immobilize,

resulting in life without prospect —

save the spirit breaks free to capture the

opportunity. There are no chances in life —

unless taken.

A Deeper Blue

My extended family assembled in Pensacola. We came from near and far to celebrate birthdays of great significance. My Dad just turned 80; my stepmother 75. Plans were made to get up around four in the morning on that Saturday. We looked like a bunch of zombies when we came aboard the Lively One II. The giant boat made a turn for the sea. Stomachs turned in somersaults.
The deckhand gave us our instructions. He showed us the rounded hooks and told us what the horn blows meant. All of us were bundled up and bewildered. Only my Dad, the Navy man, exuded calm and finesse. He wore leather gloves.
The vessel stopped three times for us to drop our lines. We numbered ten and as such were allowed to keep two Red Snapper each. I heard that Jeremy threw back over 100 fish. The fish were as thick as flies on a horse turd.
When the last whistle blew, I had a four pound Amberjack on my line. My husband pitched in and we got that beauty in. The Trigger fish we caught were fighters. We caught Mingos and Grouper and Mackerel.
Nobody got sick! That in itself was a miracle. The sky was Smurf blue out there. We went out about nine miles. I will always remember the dolphins that skimmed along beside us. Jeremy said they scare the fish away. On a trip like that you see colors you didn’t know before. Each fish was colorful as a quilt. The water and my father’s eyes are that deep. The ocean  must flow in his veins.
Now, we are back in the Kentucky foothills. I shake sea salt on my spaghetti. We have fish in the freezer. Life is good. I dream of dolphins.