For a long time I’ve wanted to publish a book with inspirational stories about how teachers made a difference in the lives of their students; because I know they made a difference in mine!
Paula Fox helped to make that dream come true. She’s a teacher with 35 years experience teaching and leading all ages from preschool through adult. Her book, Heart of a Teacher is an inspirational masterpiece!
The stories, the quotes and Paula’s beautiful original poetry will grab the heart of any teacher, or anyone (like me) whose life has been influenced by a teacher.
Today, I’d like to share the beautiful true story about Mark Eklund, which was written by Sister Helen Mrosla. I’m betting it’s one you won’t forget!
Excerpt from: Heart of a Teacher,
by Paula FoxHe was in the first third grade class I taught at Saint Mary’s School in Morris, Minnesota. All 34 of my students were dear to me, but Mark Eklund was one in a million. Very neat in appearance, he had that happy-to-be-alive attitude that made even his occasional mischievousness delightful.
Mark talked incessantly. I had to remind him again and again that talking without permission was not acceptable. What impressed me so much, though, was his sincere response every time I had to correct him for misbehaving. “Thank you for correcting me, Sister!” I didn’t know what to make of it at first, but before long I became accustomed to hearing it many times a day.
One morning my patience was growing thin when Mark talked once too often, and then I made a novice teacher’s mistake. I looked at Mark and said, “If you say one more word, I am going to tape your mouth shut!” It wasn’t ten seconds later when Chuck blurted out, “Mark is talking again.” I hadn’t asked any of the students to help me watch Mark, but since I had stated the punishment in front of the class, I had to act on it. I remember the scene as if it had occurred this morning. I walked to my desk, very deliberately opened my drawer and took out a roll of masking tape. Without saying a word, I proceeded to Mark’s desk, tore off two pieces of tape and made a big X with them over his mouth. I then returned to the front of the room. As I glanced at Mark to see how he was doing, he winked at me. That did it! I started laughing. The class cheered as I walked back to Mark’s desk, removed the tape, and shrugged my shoulders. His first words were, “Thank you for correcting me, Sister.”
At the end of the year, I was asked to teach junior-high math. The years flew by, and before I knew it Mark was in my classroom again. He was more handsome than ever and just as polite. Since he had to listen carefully to my instruction in the “new math,” he did not talk as much in ninth grade as he had in third. One Friday, things just didn’t feel right. We had worked hard on a new concept all week, and I sensed that the students were frowning, frustrated with themselves and edgy with one another. I had to stop this crankiness before it got out of hand. So I asked them to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then I told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed me the papers. Charlie smiled. Mark said, “Thank you for teaching me, Sister. Have a good weekend.” That Saturday, I wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and I listed what everyone else had said about that individual.
On Monday I gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. “Really?” I heard whispered. “I never knew that meant anything to anyone! I didn’t know others liked me so much.” No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. I never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn’t matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another again.
That group of students moved on. Several years later, after I returned from vacation, my parents met me at the airport. As we were driving home, Mother asked me the usual questions about the trip, the weather, my experiences in general. There was a lull in the conversation. Mother gave Dad a sideways glance and simply said, “Dad?” My father cleared his throat as he usually did before something important. “The Eklunds called last night,” he began. “Really?” I said. “I haven’t heard from them in years. I wonder how Mark is.” Dad responded quietly. “Mark was killed in Vietnam,” he said. “The funeral is tomorrow, and his parents would like it if you could attend.” To this day I can still point to the exact spot on I-494 where Dad told me about Mark.
I had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. Mark looked so handsome, so mature. All I could think at that moment was, “Mark, I would give all the masking tape in the world if only you would talk to me.” The church was packed with Mark’s friends. Chuck’s sister sang “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Why did it have to rain on the day of the funeral? It was difficult enough at the graveside. The pastor said the usual prayers, and the bugler played taps. One by one those who loved Mark took a last walk by the coffin and sprinkled it with holy water. I was the last one to bless the coffin. As I stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to me. “Were you Mark’s math teacher?” he asked. I nodded as I continued to stare at the coffin. “Mark talked about you a lot,” he said.
After the funeral, most of Mark’s former classmates headed to Chuck’s farmhouse for lunch. Mark’s mother and father were there, obviously waiting for me. “We want to show you something,” his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. “They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.” Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. I knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which I had listed all the good things each of Mark’s classmates had said about him. “Thank you so much for doing that,” Mark’s mother said. “As you can see, Mark treasured it.” Mark’s classmates started to gather around us. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, “I still have my list. I keep it in the top drawer of my desk at home.” Chuck’s wife said, “Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.” “I have mine too,” Marilyn said. “It’s in my diary.” Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. “I carry this with me at all times,” Vicki said without batting an eyelash. “I think we all saved our lists.” That’s when I finally sat down and cried. I cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.
The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don’t know when that one day will be. So please, tell the people you love and care for that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late. For more information or to see inside the book ,click here .
Live with passion,
Mac Anderson
OH, THANK GOODNESS, IT’S NOT JUST ME! was written by BJ Gallagher, one of my favorite authors and Lisa Hammond, founder and owner of Femail Creations catalog. It is a book by women, about women, for women (but I’m still allowed to like it!).
My wife and the women at our office just read it, and the verdict is in…they all love it! Lisa Hammond said it best…This book is a celebration of the circle of strength women share – the common experience in all of our lives.
The undeniable fact is that there is comfort and reassurance in knowing we’re not alone.
Here’s a sample story by Lisa titled:
‘MARTHA STEWART … NOT!’
by Lisa Hammond
It was October, so it was time for me to start talking about having a Halloween party – something I have done for at least half a dozen years. I don’t actually end up having a Halloween party; I just talk about having one. It has become a running joke around our house.
Entertaining and having friends over for dinner always seems like such a good idea but the truth is, I just never feel like I am good enough to actually do it.
I have ongoing chatter in my head that goes something like this: What are you going to make? Who are you going to invite? You don’t have the time. You will say you are going to do this and then you won’t get out of the office in time.
I have plenty of friends who seem to be able to manage both a successful career and entertaining frequently. They race home from work, whip up three course meals, and serve the perfect wine. They look calm, cool and collected when guests arrive. I am both impressed – and depressed – by this.
Recently, I wanted to be a thoughtful dinner guest at a friend’s home so I decided to at least bring dessert. Although I had a jam-packed day at work, I didn’t want to be a slacker, and figured I could handle making a cake. I did what I have done countless times – I decided to make a favorite family recipe, Raspberry Cream Cake.
Once I started to make the cake, I remembered why I don’t do it very often – half of the ingredients can only be found in the state where the recipe came from! So I had to wing it and substitute ingredients. Then the mixer fell apart as I was using it and whipped cream went flying all over the kitchen. Then the cake burned while I was stuck on a conference call. When I finally got the cake into the fridge for the mandatory five hours of chilling prior to being served, I decided to rename it the Raspberry Curse Cake and vowed never to make it again.
When my husband and I arrived at the dinner party – crappy Curse Cake in hand, our gracious hostess was looking relaxed as she put together a simple salad. And there I was – frazzled, with raspberry juice still in my hair. As we sat down to dinner I asked her for the recipe for the delicious rice dish she was serving. She laughed and handed me her phone as she said, “Are you kidding me? I didn’t have time to cook all of this – it’s take-out!”
Oh, I have so much to learn from other women! I had been stressing out all day, trying to simultaneously work and bake a cake, juggling mixers and conference calls and cursing like a sailor – while my wise friend had been at work phoning in take-out!
The entire episode made me realize how much pressure women are under to be all and do all – almost all of it self-imposed! How much are we missing out on because of our insecurity and fear?
By the time you read this I will have invited friends over for margaritas and dinner at our place – paper plates, take-out food, and fun will be had by all!
Reading this book is like sitting down with Lisa and BJ over a cup of coffee – or a dish of ice cream – and connecting with the heart and soul of what it means to be a woman. Women of all ages will love the wonderful stories, amusing anecdotes, and heart-felt poems, as well as the fabulous photos.
Today, we’re proud to offer Oh Thank Goodness, for only $10.00. Our regular price is $15.95, a savings of over 37%.
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All the Best,
Mac Anderson
Founder, Simple Truths
It’s not the date you were born, or the date you died, that really matters. It’s “the dash” between those years and what you do with it, to make a difference with your life.
I read The Dash, by Linda Ellis, for the first time on June 10, 2003, when it was sent to me by a friend, Anna Lee Wilson. She said, “Mac, you’re going to love this poem.” How right she was! I knew at that moment that I had to find a way to share these words with the rest of the world. So, I picked up the phone and called Linda about creating a beautiful gift book featuring her poem, The Dash. In addition, I told her that I’d love to write nine short chapters about how each of us can make a difference with “our dash.” Each chapter, I said, would reinforce each verse in the poem. She loved the idea, and the rest, as they say, is history. Since we published the book three years ago, I’m proud to say we’ve sold hundreds of thousands of copies. We also created The Dash in the form of a short inspirational movie that over 30 million people have viewed on the internet. We’ve received thousands of emails confirming that The Dash touched hearts and changed lives around the world.
Today, however, I’d like to share the story behind The Dash, as told by the author, Linda Ellis. It’s a wonderful story that I think you’ll enjoy.
An Excerpt from The Dash
by Linda Ellis
While it still amazes me, a simple poem I wrote one afternoon forever changed my life. It all began when I faxed a copy of this poem to a syndicated radio show in Atlanta. Soon after receiving it, the host of this popular show read it on the air. Little did I know how much my life would change from that day forward. Titled The Dash, these 36 lines have touched millions of lives and have literally taken on a life of their own by traveling all over the world. I call it uncomplicated poetry in a complicated world.
People are always asking me what, in particular, inspired me to write this poem. I believe it was a combination of things in my life at the time. It was during a period when I was working for the top executives of a very large and successful corporation. It was a strict company with a tense working environment.
I began to watch how the priorities in many lives there had become misaligned. It seemed to me that the bosses were worrying far too much about that which was inconsequential in the scope of life.
Also, resonating in the back of my mind were the words from a letter which had been previously routed around the office. It had been written by the wife of an employee who was aware that she was dying. I was so moved by that letter that I saved a copy of it and continue to live by her words:
Regrets? I have a few. Too much worrying. I worried about finding the right husband and having children, being on time, being late and so on. It didn’t matter. It all works out and it would have worked out without the worries and the tears.
If I would have only known then what I know now. But, I did and so do you. We’re all going to die. Stop worrying and start loving and living.
Her words stuck with me. Her letter made me stop and think. This is it. This is all we get.
I remember where I was when I first truly realized the significance of the piece that I had written. I was on a business trip in Minnesota, alone in a hotel room. I received an emotional email thanking me for sharing the message of the Dash from a student who had recently heard it as part of a memorial gathering for the Columbine High School students. I sat on the bed and cried.
Several years later, I found myself engulfed in the thoughts and feelings created by my own words as I listened to them read aloud, for what seemed like the very first time, at the funeral of my father…my best friend.
From being performed in an elementary school play somewhere in the heartland of America to being part of a State Supreme Court Justice’s speech, from being printed in best-selling novels to high school yearbooks, The Dash has truly affected millions. I may not be able to change the world with these words, but I have certainly been able to influence a portion of it! The poem’s words have convinced mothers to spend more time with their children, fathers to spend more time at home, and reunited long-lost loved ones.
The words have changed attitudes, and changed the direction of lives. They have, in their own way, made a difference. I know writing The Dash has changed my life. I hope reading it, in some way, may change yours.
Today we’re offering The Dash for only $10.00 (normally $15.95) and free UPS ground shipping with qualifying orders of $50 or more. We’re also offering our exclusive The Dash journal (a $19.95 value) for FREE with the purchase of two copies of The Dash. Click here for more information and to watch our three minute inspirational movie.
Obama, Bush Who Cares… I want TRAFFIC!
What if the government would send traffic or at least TONS of link
juice to your websites.
They will, but you have to know where to look and what to ask. Here is
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Grab a copy of the list FREE:
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.EDU and .GOV links on super popular and respected sites are usually
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Enjoy and share your results,
- Jerry Conner
P.S. The average site in the #1 position at Google only has a handful
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P.P.S. One .GOV or .EDU link can be more powerful than 1000 social
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Do Women Want a Mama’s Boy?
One advice that I hear frequently is don’t date any guy who is a jerk to his mother. Or conversely, I hear the advice put this way: date someone who is good to his mama.
Some women even advice each other to never, ever consider marrying a guy who doesn’t worship his mother.
Let’s just talk straight here: while some of us were very fortunate to have wonderful mothers we have close relationships with, many of us don’t. The fact is that you cannot control who your mother is. Some of us got the luck of the draw, while others have not been lucky in the least.
For some of us who haven’t had stellar mothers, hopefully we have been lucky enough to have other influential parental figures in our life. For instance, man y men have close relationships with their grandmothers, a neighbor woman or a teacher growing up.
These relationships will help us down the line as we grow up and learn what women want and how to treat women right. When women say they want a man who is close to his mama OR close to another influential person in his life.
What women are looking for here, is something from your past that shows you know how to love and be loved. It doesn’t matter if it was the neighborhood baker who took you under his wing, your mother or your best friend’s mother. They just want to see that you know how to have this type of relationship.
So don’t despair if you were not blessed with a mother you can be close to. It’s just a symbol for something else. And in fact, although women say this, they also contradict it slightly by saying they are turned off by a mama’s boy.
So what does that mean?
That means that women don’t want a man who is going to talk constantly about how wonderful his mother is and expect his date or wife to live up to his idea of his mother.
Remember, it’s not being a mama’s boy that hurts or hinders your relationships – just like everything else in life it is the degree or your involvement. As with everything else it all boils down to moderation.
Recommend Reading and listening. Click on the banners to see inside.
Womens Inspirational Sampler Set
Oh, Thank Goodness, It’s Not Just Me!
Take two happy people –one male and one female–and separate them from their parents. Add the following ingredients in generous proportions:
Love
Acceptance
Respect
Communications
Patience
Kindness
Gentleness
Self Control
Commitment
Faith
Hope
Truth
Mix together, then thoroughly sift in daily life. Strain out jealousy, arrogance, selfishness, procrastination and accounting of wrongs. Bake in the trials and tribulations of life for 50 years, and then celebrate when golden.
The 100/0 Principle, by Al Ritter
Excerpt from The 100/0 Principle
By Al Ritter
You’re probably familiar with the old adage “it takes two to tango.” But to have happier, more productive relationships, you’ve got to stop dancing. The 100/0 Principle is the simplest, most direct and most effective way to create solid relationships; relationships that will benefit you both personally and professionally.
While it may take two to tango, it only takes you to commit to creating a relationship with the people in your life. Take full responsibility for your relationships and consciously choose to suspend judgment of people. Indeed, treat them with respect and dignity whether deserved or not.
Think about to whom you can apply The 100/0 Principle. Almost all parents easily and naturally have a 100/0 relationship with their children and grand-children—a state of unconditional love. Parents might not love how their children behave, but regardless of the tantrums and stubbornness, the fits and idiosyncrasies, at the end of the day, parents still have a fierce love for their children.
Most of us also have 100/0 relationships with our close friends. Our friends have proven themselves to us, so it’s fairly easy for us to take full responsibility for our friendships in good times or bad.
It’s in the other important relationships in my life, and probably yours too, where our track record needs improvement:
- Marriage. The divorce rate in the United States has been around 50% for a long time. Yet research has shown that virtually all marriages have challenges. Why does one person stay with a challenging marriage, while another looks for happiness in another mate? Certainly one valid explanation is The 100/0 Principle—whether someone chooses to take real responsibility for the relationship rather than depending on their marriage partner as their primary source of happiness. Remember that no one can make you happy, happiness is a response that you choose.
- Extended Family. Brothers, sisters, in-laws, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews. Most of us tend to have a spotty record here too. We tend to forget that our family members are the only ones we have—my Aunt Edna is my only Aunt Edna. It behooves me to create and sustain a relationship with her, and with my other extended family members too.What someone allegedly said or did to someone else 10 years ago shouldn’t impact your happiness today. It’s your choice whether you let it or not. When you hold onto ill feelings you’re victimizing yourself. Let it go and take responsibility for making a positive future. You’re in charge of you and your actions.
- Coworkers, Customers, Suppliers. All the research, plus my 20 years as a consultant to thousands of business people, proves without a doubt that the success of an individual, a team, or an entire organization depends largely on the quality of the relationships. Remember, actions + relationships = results. When it comes to your coworkers, customers and suppliers, practice 100/0: take responsibility for those relationships, period.
To see inside the book click on the banner below.
100/0 Principle
enjoy
jHodgepodge
Daily action towards our goals in our personal and business life will determine our success in all roles of our life. Today, give yourself the gift of becoming proactive in making your life exactly what you want it to be.
Simple Truths has over 60 titles, ranging from books about attitude, discipline, goal setting, time management, appreciation, teamwork and building better relationships.
Now is the time to stock up on training books for employees, customer appreciation gifts and of course, the titles you have been wanting for yourself or a friend.
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What the heck?
Who gives away $10,000 custom programmed
software for FREE….
This Guy – Ryan Deiss
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Ryan had this software coded for one thing and one thing only…To show
him the easiest spots on Google to get FREE traffic. And man does it
work!
Ryan even added a 40 page report explaining how the software works and
the system he uses behind it to get 20X more FREE traffic than you can
buy at any price
The entire thing is FREE. Here is the link:
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Enjoy,
If you had all the traffic you ever wanted for
FREE do you think you could make money online?
Of course you could…me too!
Well today is a great day for both of us.
My buddy Ryan Deiss just released his
FREE 2010 Perpetual Traffic Report:
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This report changes EVERYTHING when it comes to
web traffic and if you don’t read it you will soon fall way
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Ryan has figured out a way to use Google’s own tools
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Self Defense for Women
In the past sometimes, attacks on ladies ‘n women associated crimes have heightened manifold. It is because of this developing a self protection strategy has become exceptionally critical for women. Here are a few ideas which will help you with the same.
The 1st and the most essential thing for a girl to do is usually to develop a keen feeling of awareness to defend themselves effectively. Your alertness and agility with regards to your surroundings could help you stay away from most unpleasant situations. A distracted female seems a tender target to most attackers ‘n so, you need to be informed about your environment at all time. Try and concentrate on a single job rather than doing multiple jobs simultaneously ‘n getting diverted.
Try not to go alone, especially at odd hours. It may not always be probable for you to have someone around when you’re going out. However whenever possible, make sure that you’ve a person to accompany you. Even if you are going out with a female chum, you will have feel of safety. Furthermore, criminals seldom assault ladies in groups. So, have some company when you go out. After all, it’s better to be secure than sorry.
With the present day approach to life, going out during erratic hours may appear as a normal chore to many women. However in case, you wish to avert crimes you ought to stay clear of going out in night or in the evening hours. This is primarily for the reason that in the past, most assaults on ladies occurred in evening or night. Attempt to finish away all your chores in the sunlight.
1 of the very best procedures to make certain protection is to carry self defense items with yourself always. You may opt between several items including pepper sprays and stun guns that can help you defend yourself if the need arises. However, simply carrying these tools around isn’t enough and you need to learn how to use them properly. This will ensure that you don’t ought to struggle to apply them when you need them the most.
Last but not the least, join a self protection course. It is the sure shot means to fight aside tricky occasions. These courses generally aim to teach you numerous self protection approaches ‘n mechanisms. If you do not have time to join a genuine self defense span, you can buy many DVDs of the identical too. This will help you learn all the tricks in no time.
So, what are you waiting for? Simply adhere to the given tricks and be assured you will be not be an easy target for the criminals any more
Here are a few more ways to know about Learning to Dance In The Rain Movie . And The Wisdom of Wolves Movie.Also, get detailed information on Living a Five Star Life.
Enjoy
jHodgepodge .
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