"Your Grandson needs to stop fantasizing so much!"

These were the words of an elderly, Remarkable gentleman Darrell and I met in the most unlikely of places. As we were sitting on a dock on an usually chilly night in a crowd of people, he shared with us the story of his then 8 year old grandson and how his teacher told his parents that his "story" couldn't possibly be real . . . But that night - we believed!

This past weekend was a little unusual for me as I was spending the weekend in Sarasota, FL with Darrell instead of going home to icy Indiana. We picked a cozy little B & B on the Gulf of Mexico, had breakfast, and began to plan our day. What did we want to do?

We decided to drive and just let the wind take us. As I mentioned earlier, it was a bit chilly, but the sun was shining and we started in on a very relaxing day. We walked along the path on a marina nearby. We drove down the coast to Siesta Beach where I have to confess they have the whitest sand I've ever seen. And we picked a little out the way restaurant on one of the bays for lunch.

As we were eating, all of a sudden, Darrell gasped and remembered something. He pulled out his phone which somehow has internet connections and began to search. "I don't know," he said, "but it would be so fun!" I smiled, but didn't have a clue what he was talking about. Then he sighed heavily and told me that he had always dreamed of "this" and it wasn't very likely that it would be happening today either. "It's only got a 30% chance of actually happening," he frowned, "and it's 3 hours away."

A 30% chance of a lifelong dream coming true and it's only 3 hours away - I'm in!!! After all, isn't that what love and friendship are really all about? Believing in one another's dreams, taking the risks together, and making the best out of whatever happens in the end??

We started to make the 3 hour drive, and took a little bit of a detour in Orlando. We stopped on International Drive at a Friendly's for ice cream sundaes, and he checked the internet again. "It's still at 30%. We could just stay here and enjoy Orlando." he suggested . . . How easy it is for all of us to get on a path towards our dreams only to get sidetracked by a "more sure" thing?

Sure, it would've been a load of fun to stay in Orlando. We could've gone to Epcot Center, Wonderworks, shopped, or minature golfed at this really cool little place OR we could get back in the car, drive another 1 1/2 hours on a big maybe. What would you have done?

Personally, I said, "No way! Orlando will be here for a long time to come, but your lifelong dream and this event doesn't happen everyday. This is your chance, as remote as it is, and we're going for it!"

We got back into the car and drove to Titusville, FL where a crowd had already started to gather. We looked across the 6 mile river and saw the lights brightly shining up into the sky. We heard they had upgraded the chance for launch to 70% now, weather conditions looked favorable, and the final countdowns had begun. Could it really happen? Could we be so lucky? Could Darrell actually experience his lifelong dream of watching a spaceshuttle lift off from Cape Canaveral?

As we waited on the dock, we heard the Grandfather share the "fantasy" story of his Grandson. This man's son works for NASA, and on a very special day many years ago, this man was able to take his other daughter's son into the space center and hold him up to touch the Spaceship Columbia. The teacher told him that it was impossible. He couldn't possibly have actually done that? He believes that these fantasies are true!

As we stood on that dock, watching the Spaceship Discovery lift off the ground, light up the night sky with more than 7 million pounds of pressure and fire, travelling at a rate of thousands of miles per second, nothing sounded like it was impossible.

With only a 30% chance, lifelong dreams abolustely can and do come true!

The Remarkable Traveller!

Where in the world is Gloria?? It's a question I seem to be asked often these days, and I know I've been pretty quiet for a little while now. BUT, I'm back . . again : ) And ready to share with YOU, all that's been happening in my life and all that I'm learning and experiencing.

First, I must share that I've been quiet because I have been travelling. I made the decision about a month and a half ago to partner up with a business consulting firm out of the Chicago area where they ship me off to any part of the country or Canada to work with a company for several weeks at a time. I have to confess - I'm loving it!!!

I love the work, the people, the challenge of coming into a new industry and learning all there is to learn about it, the dynamics of people working together in all different ways, the many accounting programs that are out there (I had no idea there were so many!), the nitty gritty of sales & marketing, and all the tricks of the trade when it comes to savvy travelling.

I cannot tell you how many Remarkable People I have met while I've been travelling - a family who was bringing home their son after he was wounded in Iraq, a grandmother who had spent a week in Las Vegas taking care of her 2 granddaughters and it was her first trip on an airplane, a husband who couldn't wait to get home to his wife because she had run a marathon that day and needed a massage, a 19 year old man who was in the Army Reserves and had adopted triplets, a wonderful gal who is in her early forties and expecting twins next summer, a custom home builder from Hilton Head, NC, who grew up in the "Home of the White Squirrel" where they'd have squirrel counting as extra credit in high school (really!), another great guy who also travelled for a living who told me I was the most fun person he had ever sat next to on a plane : ), and an amazing adolescent psychologist who has written several books, speaks across the country, and reminded me that it is only in school that we are expected to be good at everything . . .

There have been so many stories that I just have to begin to sharing them. I would love for you to read my blog each week as I share one of my travelling stories with you. In the big picture of things, I'd love for this to be the beginnings of my next book - A year of travel and the Remarkable People I've met! - or something along those line. So, if there is a little voice inside of you that would love to get out and meet some new people - then join me as I travel each week. I promise - it is never boring!!

Oh, and if you can tell me where the "Home of the White Squirrel" is, you get an extra bonus : )

Til next week - Be Remarkable wherever you are!!

If today was your last day . . . ?

This was a question Darrell and I pondered on the beach in Cancun, Mexico just as the moon was beginning to rise up over the ocean - a ritual we enjoyed almost every night.

It had been a perfect day. The weather was beautiful, the company was fun and playful and loving, and the surroundings couldn't have been more gorgeous. Throughout our week there, we did whatever we wanted to do . . We learned how to Hobie Cat (a small sail boat); we jet skied; we took a ferry to Cozumel, rented a skooter, and toured the island where we found an out of the way little restaurant where we drank a cool, refreshing rum punch; we played water volleyball; particpated in other games; met some fantastic people from around the world including Jack and Red from Texas; ate unbelievably yummy meals and watched as the waiter served us sexy coffee - quite the show!

No regrets, no stress, and no concerns . . . Yet, tomorrow was going to be our last day. What were we going to do? What was it that we REALLY wanted to do?

We had 2 things left that we considered. One would've been a very long, hot, and minute to minute kind of day that would've left us very tired - but also probably very excited, too. It was an all day tour of the Mayan ruins. We would've left first thing in the morning for a 3 1/2 hr bus ride, walked a mile, explored the ruins, walked back that same mile, eaten lunch, and finished the day with the long bus ride home. It sounded like fun, BUT not something we REALLY wanted to do on our last day.

We decided instead to sleep in just a bit, eat a good breakfast, go parasailing - which was an absolute blast!! - go sailing on the Hobie Cat one more time where we saw a real, live starfish swimming, and finish the day again by sitting out on the beach watching the clouds and the lightning flashes off in the distance, reflecting, dreaming, and snuggling.

It was another perfect day. We wouldn't have changed a thing . . on our last day.

If today were your last day, what would you do with it? What would you REALLY love to spend your time doing? How could you finish this day saying - Another perfect day!!

Collaboration or Criminals??

What a fabulous weekend I had! I enjoyed time with my kids, time with Darrell, and time relaxing and enjoying some time to think. It was great . . . and then I realized I locked my keys in my car . . . but let me slow down as I am getting ahead of myself.

After a very full weekend of kids, fun at the zoo, spending money, and doing some work here and there, I found myself needing some alone time with Darrell. Just a simple hug can carry me for days.

I went over to his place in downtown Indy, and truly enjoyed some snuggling time, talking, dreaming, and learning more about life and myself. After a bit, we decided to take a walk down to a nearby Starbucks. I keep a pair of sneakers in my car for just such spontaneous occasions, and off we went hand in hand with his dog in tow.

I ordered a chai tea and a piece of cinnamon toffee crunch loaf - very yummy!! We sat outside, said hello to a few strangers who wanted to pet the dog, and then headed on back for me to get home.

And then it hit me - When I put on my sneakers, I put my purse in there, too, and intentionally locked the doors to keep my purse safe. Ugh!!

Darrell was very supportive, but I was really upset about having to fork over more money on a holiday(!)because I wasn't thinking. I grumbled and complained some, but it really wasn't doing much good. We decided to look online to see how we could "break in" to my van. It's amazing how much information you can find out about stealing cars online, but there wasn't a whole lot of useable information for what we needed.

We decided to try the old hanger method, but Darrell only had one metal hanger in his entire closet, and it was one that had the cardboard piece on the bottom. (Plastic hangers are his first choice, I learned.) We tried to work with it, but it was too short. We needed a regular one.

SO, once you know what you need you go get it - right? It may not be pretty or fashionable or altogether prim and proper, but I put my mind to work on how to get a metal hanger. I knocked on his next door neighbor's door and asked. He looked at me a little funny, BUT he left for just a second and came back with one. Yeah!

We tried for several minutes, but neither of us being criminals, we really didn't know what we were doing. Several people rode by on bicycles or walked by looking at us a little funny, but I asked each one, "Do you know how to do this??" No luck there.

I finally gave in and decided to call the locksmith. Grumble, grumble, GRUMBLE!! I gave the operator all the information while Darrell continued to come up with new ideas. I saw that he was actually putting the hanger inside the window and trying to reach the door handle - brilliant!

We decided to keep trying, but now we had a time limit. If the locksmith came before we figured it out, I'd just have to bite the bullet. But we still had time. We bounced ideas off each other. Took turns trying things to see who was better or stronger at working with the hanger or the window. I kept looking over my shoulder expecting to see the locksmith van pulling up any second.

And then, we did it! Darrell managed to get the hanger around the door handle, leverage the hanger in the right direction, pull, and open the door. He is so my hero!!

Life Lesson ~ Never underestimate the power of your Remarkable teams and alliances. Both of us had great ideas and strengths. Both of us had a part. And when push came to shove, and the deadline was looming, we worked together to reach our goal. There are some things you cannot do alone, and it serves us all very well to have those chosen few to support us all along the way.

Luck or Attraction?

If you read my last post, you read how a wonderful gal, Kandee G, called me completely out of the blue to see how she might be able to support me. And I'm very happy to report that she did send a copy of her book that she personally signed ~ To Gloria, You are Remarkable! Kandee G . . . I just LOVED that!!

It truly is a great book that I've been reading over this last week, and I would highly recommend you check it out, too, at www.kandeeg.com. In it she walks you through her G.A.M.E.S system for building a Remarkable Life. Coincidence?

With that, I have to ask you the question because I've been wondering it myself. Was that phone call a case of luck and I just made it into more that it should've been OR was I truly creating and bringing into my life those that I needed proactively?

Forever grateful, I may still have just blown it off as mere coincidence, but then something else completely AMAZING happened just the following week ~

One of my very specific goals is to build my subscriber list of my daily e-mails to 10,000 subscribers. Quite a big goal, but one I really, really want!! My dilemna though was that I wanted it, but didn't quite know how to go about making it happen. I've been asking myself the same question over and over for weeks now - How can I build my list to 10,000? I was doing everything I knew how, and while I did get a few more subscribers here and there, nothing substantial.

And then I received ANOTHER phone call. This time it was from a gentleman I had met about 3 years ago or so. We were both at a National Speakers Association meeting, and at the time, he was president of the chapter. Through the years we have kept in touch via e-mail now and then just to say hello. I helped him do some editing on some articles he was writing, and he encouraged me quite a bit to keep on keeping on.

On this phone call, he asked me, "Gloria, how can I help you?" Well, it just so happens that he speaks on e-mail technology, spam, and IT issues. Because I was so very clear about what I wanted, I asked him the question I had been asking myself for weeks - How can I build my subscriber list to 10,000?

Guess what??!! He knew the answer to that question! He gave me an assignment with the instructions that when I finished that step, call him, and he'd tell me what to do next. Now, am I just super lucky or am I living in attraction? And even more importantly, can YOU do this for yourself??

Yes, you can!! And here's how you can be more Remarkably Attractive:
*Get REALLY clear on the specifics of what you most want.
*Do what you know to do right now.
*When help arrives - and it will! - ASK.

I can't wait to see what happens this week - for ALL of us!

What goes around, comes around?

Do you believe that? Do you believe that the things that you do and say will come back to you many times over? Do you believe that the good things, the time and energy you invest in others will be multiplied and eventually reap many benefits in your own life?

This past Sunday I received a call from a gal in Bermuda. (How cool is that?) She has read some of my articles that were on www.womansdivorce.com and she wanted to talk with me. But the more I talked with her, the more I felt completely frustrated. At one point, she actually laughed at what I was saying to her. Not because I believe she was mean spirited, but she was angry, she believed she had no other options than what she had already tried, and since I didn't know the WHOLE story, I was crazy!

But I know the truth. I didn't need to know the whole story. And the principles about trusting that the present is perfect, that she is creative and resourceful, that things do happen just as they should - those foundational ideals never change! I believe them with all of my heart even when it isn't so easy : ) . . . And the funny thing was, she said that she believed them, too. She had even written about them, but when things weren't just as she wanted and the going got tough, they became a idealistic fantasy, a myth, an ideal not reality. I was sad for her.

Mostly, though, I wondered why. Why did she call me? What did she want from me? I felt frustrated that I couldn't somehow shake her and get her to see the truth. And while I was glad to spend a little bit of time with her, about 30 minutes or so, in the grander scheme of things, I hung up feeling like I had just wasted my time.

But then the most amazing thing happened just yesterday . . . Again, do you believe that your efforts and energies will come back to YOU multiplied again and again??

I was doing some research on a marketing venue and had sent out several e-mails asking those who had already invested if it was worth the money to them. Knowledge is power! I didn't really know who these people were other than the blurbs written about them in the marketing piece, but I decided to write and ask for their help.

Last night, about 8:30 or so, I received a telephone call from an amazing gal that I has sent this e-mail off to. She is without a doubt the most inspiration person I have met in a long time - and SHE CALLED ME!! Her story, and this is what she calls it, is From Peanut Butter to Private Jets.

14 years ago, her husband left her with a 4 month old baby - no money, no investments, no home, not anything! She lived with friends because she had no family, and she was literally eating peanut butter out of a jar. Today, she travels the world in one of 2 private jets, and she shared with me last night that she just ordered a third! She has 2 homes, 4 cars, and her company grosses over 10 million a year! . . . And she called ME and asked me, "Gloria, how can I help YOU?" We ended the 30 minute conversation with a complimentary copy of her book, an invitation to call any time with her personal cell phone number, and new belief and inspiration that is absolutely priceless.

You will never convince me that we do not have the power to create what we truly want in our lives. When we do what we know to do - everyday and in every way - we do not know how God is going to bless it, but He will. You plant the seeds in the fields right in front of you, and let God bring in the harvest.

Wow!

A Wish or a Strategic Plan of Action?

What is the difference between a wish and a strategic plan of action? I don't think I have to tell you, but there is a huge difference!

From my last blog, Gary made a comment - and I thank YOU so much for doing so! - saying that he wished he could experience the Remarkable changes in his own life that I had described in my own story. I love that, and honestly, that's why I write so many of my own personal stories. Not because I want to brag, but to be a role model, an example, someone to point to that reminds you of this very fact, "If SHE can do it, I can do it!!"

Let's be real here - I'm not anyone extra special. I'm not extraordinarily brilliant or creative or fearless or have the ability to fly. I'm made of the same stuff as YOU!

Yet, I know and truly believe that at the very same time, I am special! I am brilliant and creative and fearless and a list of many other wonderful traits. I don't have to be someone I'm not to create the life I want - I simply have to be willing to step into the scariest of all secrets and that is . . .

If I want to have a Remarkable life then I have to be willing to be Remarkably ME!

*I have to stop wishing, and start getting clear about what I want my life look like a year from now.
*I have to stop dreaming with a heavy sigh, and begin huffing and puffing at the gym.
*I have to stop making excuses about how I'm not smart enough or business savvy enough, and read, learn, network, and begin to change how I think about things.
*I have to put aside all the drama of life, and be willing to take the strategic actions that will get me where I want to go.

And so do YOU!!!!

So, stop wishing that you were Remarkable and starting BEING Remarkable!! . . . From the list above or from your own brilliance, what would you like to do next to begin this amazing and oh, so rewarding transformation?