Barb's Blog

Dear BHW Sisters,

"Seek and ye shall find." Those were words which always resonated with me. They lit my path, so to speak. I knew instinctively that unless one sought what one wished for ... one could hardly be expected to stumble onto it ... ... So it IS that I sought ... even when the prospects seemed dim ... even when the odds seemed improbable ...

And, it was always FAITH in knowing that IF I sought, I would FIND ... and I have ... In recent years, I know that what I have "found" is worthy ... It is the result of a LOT of hard work ... and sitting here at my netbook in Denver, I decided I needed to share this lesson of life with ALL of YOU ... ...

Yesterday, at lunch ... I managed to find myself defending OUR great President and his Administration ... something I often do, but not in the context I found myself in ... but ... I decided to speak up because the men at the table ... (Yes, they were ALL men ... There are only two women at this conference ... For shame! ...) ... Anyhoo, the men at the table seemed to be speaking with MISinformation and I couldn't help myself ... i started to set the record straight ... One of the gentlemen had been advising one of our tablemates in ways that boggled my mind ... narrow-minded, self-centered ... violence-oriented ... his advice simply "got to me" ... and I reacted ...Hmmmm ... ... Before I knew it I was blurting out facts and "truths" and trying hard to set the record straight ...

Anyhoo, as a result of that lunch, I think I have found someone who gave me his card and when I "googled" him ... he is a person who "wants to make a difference" ... I plan to try to connect today ... Important discussions can not be delayed ...

Anyhoo, I am also heading to Chicago next month because I UNexpectedly decided at the last minute that I needed to meet the founder of a certain "tool" that might help me in my work ... simplify it ... so I won't have to spend the ungodly hours I spend doing what I do ... We'll SEE ...

What I realized was that "suddenly" ... a few people have come into my orbit that years ago would have SEEMED improbable ... And, in fairly intimate sessions ... there will only be 25 of us in Chicago ... Hmmmm ...

All of this leads me to say ... we ALL find what we seek ... Without realizing it, I have been on a quest which made inevitable the meetings I have been having the last 2 - 3 years as I have traveled to refine my personal techniques ... always SEEKING EXCELLENCE ... to BE the VERY BEST that I can BE ... Yes, indeed! ... ... ...

My PASSION ... my PURPOSE ... my DREAM ... ALL about to reach a level of fruition that I have been dreaming about for years ... How wonder-filled is that? ... ...

AWESOME! ... ... Yes, indeed! ... "SEEK and YE shall FIND" ... Wonder-filled words those BE ... Wonder-filled! ... ... ... ...

With PROFOUND and abundant gratitude ... my DEEP respect ... my LOVE and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

Dear BHW Sisters,

Happy Mother's Day!!! ... ... ... ...

The rapidity of change IS a REALITY these days ... AND ... Game Changers appear SEEMINGLY out of nowhere ... HOW does this happen? .... ...

CNBC's Squawk Box calls the kinds of people who bring about these kinds of changes "Disruptors" ... Hmmm ... Most are under 30 years old ... Hmmmm ...

So, despite the criticism leveled at sooo many parents, it appears that many have been doing a GREAT job! ... ... ... Raising "Disruptors" ... people capable of being "Game Changers" OR giving RISE! to "Game Changing" products, services, ideas, MOs, etc. .... Hmmm ...

Isn't it GRAND? ... ...

FREEDOM to BE ... That IS the "secret," is it not? ... ... Allowing our children to "find themselves" and their skill sets on their own with help, of course, from us, their parents, and their teachers, both in school and out of school ... FINDING what "moves" them ... FINDING where their PASSIONS lie .. FINDING their TRUE PURPOSES in life ... ... ... ...

To ALL the BHW Mothers out there ... Keep the faith ... Know that IF you do YOUR job ... YOUR children will gift YOU on Mother's Day and EVERY day ... the BEST that life has to offer ... AND ... whether they ARE the "Disruptors" or the "Game Changers" ... OR ... whether they are simply able to ADAPT and utilize the "Game Changers" in a way those of us who are older and from a different "school" find more difficult ... that they CAN take to ALL of this like "a duck to water" ... It IS exactly what will allow them to LIVE a life of PURPOSE and MEANING ... ... ... ...

Well, that means WE have done OUR jobs!!! ... Helping to make the world a BETTER place ... Yes, indeed! ... ...

Yesterday, a friend, my son, and I went to lunch and I observed as they interacted ... and ... I had that proverbial smile on my face because I saw my son more than hold his own ... Interesting! ... And, with all due humility, I know that I have done my job ... just like soooo many mothers all across the world ... ... ...

And, when WE do OUR jobs ... the world IS a better place! ... ...

With great anticipation ... I look forward to ALL that will unfold in the days ahead ... I hope that ALL of you will experience what I AM now experiencing as I have alluded to in recent months ... ...

Happy Mother's Day to ALL! ... ... ...

With profound and abundant gratitude ... my deep respect ... my love and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

Dear BHW Sisters,

Allow me to try to s-t-r-e-t-c-h for another Blog post ... ... ... ...

The CHOICE is philosophical, not political ... ...

Do YOU TRULY believe that globalization is here to stay? ... ... Do YOU TRULY believe in LIFTING UP the masses ... the AVERAGE person ... in short, EVERYONE? ... ...

In a world which has come to "abuse" the Pareto Principle ... in a society where some TRULY do believe in "trickle down" economics ... WHERE do YOU stand? ... ...

I have worked hard ALL of my life ... For me, hard work is rewarding in and of itself ... I know that I have given this life EVERYTHING I've had ... Crafting for my heirs, especially, and for myself ... a life of LIVING in the MOMENT ... of TREASURING memories ... of knowing that in the end ... there will BE no regrets ...

I believe with EVERYTHING in me that that IS all that anyone of us can do ... So, even when there is lack of clarity ... I have allowed "clarity" to come to me ... in time ... but ... not simply the passage of time ... but the filling of time ... with research ... with hard work ... and ... IN time, it DOES all clarify ... I know this because I have LIVED this way for the majority of my adult life ...

I give people the "benefit of the doubt" ... I have NOTHING to prove to them ... THEY will prove it for themselves ... AND ... in the final analysis, it will BECOME clear to ALL ... VERY CLEAR! ... ... ... CRYSTAL CLEAR! ... ...

We ALL deserve WHAT we "get" in life ... and ... might I suggest that it IS in the striving for ... in defining ... in claifying ... that we FIND ... in the final analysis, WHAT we were always searching for ... ... ...

And so ... WHEN I say ... it is a philosophical CHOICE, not a political one ... I HOPE ... YOU realize that it TRULY is just that ...

HOW will the VISION of OUR great President affect YOU? ... ... YOUR heirs ... YOUR children and their children? .... ... HOW will YOU be "better off"? ... ...

In the final analysis, I DO sincerely HOPE, my dear BHW Sisters, that WHEN you go to the polls, YOU will REALIZE ... that it IS TRULY about VISION, PURPOSE ... and WHO can help get us to WHERE we wish to go ... PHILOSOPHICAL, not political!!! ... PLEASE, take note! ...

With PROFOUND and ABUNDANT GRATITUDE ... my DEEP respect ... my love and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

Dear BHW Sisters,

The federal government had a $59.12 Billion Surplus in April ... compared with a deficit of $40.39 Billion a year earlier ...

Well ... well ... well ...

Things ARE moving in the RIGHT direction ... and even if it will never be "fast enough" for all who are dead set on detracting from ANY accomplishment of this Administration ... as a PATRIOT FIRST ... I felt it my duty to inform my dear BHW Sisters of TRUTH ... DATA ... FACTS that matter ... NOT the spin that the politically inclined will likely feed YOU ...

YOU will be better informed and able to SEE people for who they really are IF you pay attention to FACTS ... to DATA ... to TRUTH ... ... ... ...

With profound and abundant gratitude ... my deep respect ... my love and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

Dear BHW Sisters,

FACTS ... FACTS matter ...

So, the unemployment rate is now down to 8.1% ... The other party doesn't SEE the great progress this represents ... OMG! ... ...

Perception IS crucial ... since sooo many accept it as REALITY ... and as we ALL know, it IS not! ...

So, when I heard Paul Krugman make this statement ... I decided to use it to help all of you SEE the TRUTH ... According to Paul Krugman, even if you left out 2008, the worst year ... the prior Administration only averaged 70,000 net new jobs per month ... and yet ... IF you pay attention, this most recent employment report stated an increase of 115,000 jobs ... which the opposition says is "inadequate" ... OMG! ... ... Talk about disingenuousness! ... ...

How easy it IS to MISlead ... PLEASE do NOT be taken in ... TRY HARD to gather FACTS and draw YOUR OWN conclusions ...

I fear for our nation because I know that the amount of money that will be devoted to negative advertising IF we have paid ANY attention to how the Republican primary has gone ... and because our Supreme Court, in my mind erroneously, decided to allow SuperPACs ... OMG! ... ... How seriously flawed was that decision? ... ... Most Americans dislike elections BEing bought and yet that IS what faces us in the days ahead ... And, my dear BHW Sisters, YOU may be victimized by this process IF you do not read beyond the headlines and listen to more than sound bites ... PLEASE, many of you may vote against YOUR OWN self-interests IF you do NOT pay attention ...

Do not let people fool YOU with hyperbole and half-truths ... This election IS sooo important and we must continue what has been started ... LEVELING OF THE PLAYING FIELD ... FAIR AND EQUAL ACCESS FOR ALL ... These are high value principles that most of us are for, regardless of party affiliations ... and there is ONE clear choice, but YOU will be fooled IF you do not pay attention ...

Remember, my dear BHW Sisters ... what matters is "Substance over Form" ... and "Quality over Quantity" ... I hope these principles guide your decision, not just in the upcoming election, but in the living of your lives ...

It matters ... it ALL matters ... to YOU, YOUR children ... and the generations to come ... IF you want a sustainable economy and a sustainable way of life ... then, PLEASE pay attention ... It would be tragic IF some of you vote against YOUR OWN best interests because you simply do not read beyond the headlines! ...

"Trickle down economics" has NEVER worked and it NEVER will ... It is not "class warfare" and it is not "envy" as some have claimed ... It IS about FAIRNESS and EQUAL ACCESS ... I, for one, firmly believe that there is NO justification for the disparity in income that has occurred in the last decade (the 2000's) ... Why the average worker now earns less than 1/600 th of some of our CEOs ... The average workers together ARE responsible for the profitability of ANY corporation or business entity and for some reason ... we have allowed people to fool us into believing otherwise ...

It's NOT the money ... it IS the principle ... IF you are a founding entrepreneur, you deserve the fruits of your labor when your company "goes public" ... but, in terms of pure pay ... the disparity is UNjustified ...

Oops! ... I gotta run, but I will be back to complete this ...

____________________________________

And so, this fine morning, I hear a defense of the 1% ... I have NO problem with the 1% per se ... What I DO have a problem with is GREED ... IF you study what many Private Equity firms do ... their typical MO ... I am CERTAIN you will agree that GREED too often has been the MO ... GREED is NOT GOOD ... period! ... When people take over a company, burden it with debt by taking out exorbitant salaries, then leave it in bankruptcy or struggling and call that "free enterprise" ... I have a problem with that! ... Study this process and then decide for yourselves! ...

We ALL need to educate OURSELVES in the months ahead or we will get what we do NOT want ... I know the airwaves and print media will be FULL of negative ads ... and YOU should not let that influence YOU ... INFORMATION and FACTS are OUR only defense against those who have money enough to try to confuse the average voter ... So, PLEASE pay attention ... LEARN TRUTH ...

For example, HOW can ANY legitimate Representative of the PEOPLE try to LOWER the tax rate for the HIGHEST EARNING amongst us and TRY to justify that while many folks are struggling just to pay their bills? ... ??? ... I SEE no way to justify such FLAWED LOGIC ... and yet ALL Republican candidates in the primary debate said they would NOT raise taxes even if it was a 10:1 spending cuts to raising taxes ... Can YOU believe that? ... ... ...

It IS imperative that YOU ALL pay attention in the months ahead because we WILL get the government WE vote for ... PEOPLE still retain the POWER ... IF we go out and cast OUR votes with INFORMATION and TRUTH to guide us!!! ... ...

With profound and abundant gratitude ... my deep respect ... my love and many blessings ... ....

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

"A possible breakthrough emerged today in the case of Chen Guangcheng, the Chinese activist who made a daring escape from house arrest and took refuge in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing before venturing out amid U.S.-Chinese negotiations over his future.
The Chinese government said Chen could apply to travel to the United States to study -- a development that the United States instantly cited as an encouraging sign of progress in what has been a thorny and controversial impasse.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Chen has been offered a fellowship from an American university 'where he can be accompanied by his wife and two children.'
'The Chinese government has indicated that it will accept Mr. Chen's applications for appropriate travel documents. The United States government expects that the Chinese government will expeditiously process his applications for these documents, and make accommodations for his current medical condition. The United States government would then give visa requests for him and his immediate family priority attention,' she said. 'This matter has been handled in the spirit of a cooperative U.S.-China partnership." - CNN ...

Dear BHW Sisters,

When we treat others with respect ... they return the favor. That IS how it works ... and this Administration more than many others CLEARLY understands that! ...

It WILL be a better world IF we allow them another term to cement OUR respect in the world ...

Going back to the kind of "failed diplomacy" of a prior Administration ... and the kind of "talk" we are hearing from the Candidate from another party ... it WILL be like taking GIANT steps backward to have that kind of mentality take office once again ...

I HOPE sincerely that ALL of you "get it" ... that YOU fully realize that this IS a globalized world and we NEED people who know how to work together for the benefit of ALL ...

I need to run ... but, perhaps I will return to complete my thoughts ... later ... I just needed to share this news ...

With profound and abundant gratitude ... my deep respect ... my love and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

_______________________

For those who may not have been paying attention ... OUR great President knows how to wage "smart wars" ... using UNmanned drones more than any prior Administration ... I am sure there are other VERY "smart" tactical methods now being used that were not used to the same extent in a prior Administration ... I SEE sooo clearly the WISDOM that this President has displayed ... I know without saying what kind of logic he employs in getting to where we need to go with as few casualties as possible ... I LOVE people who THINK like OUR great President ... ...

This President CAN lead us to a new way of operating in the world and I know he works hard EVERY day to help get us there ...

People NEED to OPEN their eyes and pay attention ... because the promise of better ways of doing things is clearly being presented to us by this Administration ... but, they NEED our help ... EACH and EVERY one of us who believes in FAIRNESS and EQUAL ACCESS ... for ALL ... ..

With profound and abundant gratitude ... my deep respect ... my love and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

Dear BHW Sisters,

Isn't it amazing ... the shortnest of some people's memory? ... ...

It was NOT this Administration who led us into TWO unpaid for wars ... This Administration inherited them .... But, the other party was so inept that they wanted to "blame them" on this President as soon as they could ...

But ... I think they did NOT count on the wisdom of the American people ... Some people MAY have very short memories, but some of us remember responsibly ... For us, perception is NOT reality ... TRUTH IS REALITY! ... ... ... ...

And, IF you follow that logic ... let me sincerely commend YOU ... I could go on and outline WHAT our purpose in Afghanistan is/was and what it should be ... and what it should not be ... but, this is likely not the place for it ... I intend to save that for elsewhere or another day ... Today, my intention is and was to clarify the title of this Blog post which has been brewing for a while ... It was the news today which gave RISE! to the opening few paragraphs ...

So, WHY do we ASSUME that perception IS reality? ... ... WHY do we not question our initial observations and "demand" proof for HOW others interpret ... the news ... a set of facts ... their observations ... ??? ... ... Often, the reason IS we have not been taught to table our conclusions ... to delay our decisions ... to refine our observations ...

IN TRUTH, we ALL deserve a greater deference to TRUTH ... ... ... not perception, but ... Hmmmm ...

WHAT I have discovered in my life IS, that in time, it becomes clear to ALL involved ... "It" BEing REALITY ... Our initial perceptions MAY differ, but in the final analysis, the TRUTH about our perceptions and conclusions WILL clarify ...

In the meantime, we must EACH responsibly draw conclusions and make decisions ... THAT is what life IS all about ... making decisions and choices that matter! ... ... ...

Too often, I find that people personalize EVERYTHING ... To them, it IS all about them ... ... They fail to realize that it IS about their perception, not necessarily about REALITY ...

So, the next time, YOU are inclined to "jump to conclusions" ... take some time to ponder WHAT IS REALLY going on ... Give YOURSELF some time to weigh YOUR perceptions ...

My belief IS that IF one adopts this MO (modus operandi), we will ALL be better off for it ... ... ...

And so, the next time YOU are tempted to "jump to conclusions," may I suggest that YOU give it some time ... and allow REALITY to find TRUTH ... Or, stated another way, give TRUTH time to surface before YOU decide where it lies .... ... ... ...

Perception is NOT reality, but given time, YOU will be able to reconcile YOUR perceptions with REALITY ... and find TRUTH ... ... ... ...

With PROFOUND and abundant gratitude ... my deep respect ... my love and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

Dear BHW Sisters,

I was planning a Blog post with this title for some time now ... but, I haven't had the time to compose it ... Then, in my Inbox this fine morning, I found this from a friend:

http://front.moveon.org/kate-winslet-i-dont-look-like-that-and-i-dont-desire-to-look-like-that/

This is NOT the direction I was planning to take the Blog post, but ... I wanted to share this ... so, I decided to share the title ... and when time permits, I promise, I will compose the Blog post that has been percolating for a while now ...

Gotta run ... ponder what this video attempts to share ...

With profound and abundant gratitude ... my deep respect ... my love and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

Dear BHW Sisters,

Although I'm experiencing a bit of time pressure, I wanted to stop by to acknowledge the passing of an iconic figure on the American landscape ... I would feel remiss if I didn't at least say something about someone who had such an impact on many generations of music lovers ...

RIP, Dick Clark ... you deserve the "peace that passeth understanding" ... YOU lived your dreams and that IS what life IS all about ...

The LOVE of life was obvious in your youthful image ... which some dubbed "the perpetual teenager" ... or words close to that ...

YOU will be missed! ...

With profound and abundant gratitude ... my deep respect ... my love and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

HOW our elected Representatives vote ...

Dear BHW Sisters,

It IS time for TRUTH ... Too many are UNaware what IS going on ...

Consider PLEASE disarming the one person who cajoled Republican candidates to sign a "No New Taxes" pledge ... IF there is ONE person to blame for the IMPASSE and the failure to negotiate in our national government today ... his name is Grover Norquist ...

We NEED to vote OUT all who signed the pledge!!! ... WHY? ... Because IF we believe our national debt NEEDS to be reduced then WE must step up and help!!! ... ...

For ANYONE to "threaten" and for ANYONE as a consequence to sign a pledge TYING their hands is NONSENSE! ... HOW has this even been ALLOWED ... AND ... HOW do thinking men/women sign such a document? .... THINK ABOUT IT, my dear BHW Sisters ... that IS INFLUENCE that is way beyond what should be allowed ...

Now, while we're on the topic of CONTROL ... WHY are we to accept a Supreme Court which allowed "Super PACs"?? ... We, those who have been paying attention, have borne witness to HOW the "Super PACs" work ... Governor Romney has routinely "wiped out" trailing in the polls with massive negative ads put on by "Super PACs" which support his candidacy ... Once again, it appears that our national election system has FAILED us ... By allowing "Super PACs," the Supreme Court has almost ensured that MONEY will decide our elections ... and WE, the PEOPLE, must NOT stand idly by and allow this to happen ...

WE, the PEOPLE, must exercise our voting rights judiciously ... in an INFORMED way ... Do NOT allow yourselves to be INFLUENCED by "Super PAC" monies ... I know faaaaar tooooo many people WILL be INFLUENCED because they are UNinformed ... THEY think whatever they see on the air, especially ... and in print is truth ... Hmmmm ... VERY SAD!!! ... ... ... ...

PLEASE open YOUR eyes , my dear BHW Sisters ... IF we are to make a REAL difference in OUR lives and the lives we ALL seek to live ... WE MUST PAY ATTENTION ... WE MUST UNDERSTAND what IS going on .. ....

With profound and abundant gratitude ... my deep respect ... my love and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

Dear BHW Sisters,

I am stunned ... literally, stunned ...

WHY have some made a controversy of her statements? ... ...

I FULLY understand WHAT she meant ... People are TWISTING her words ... They are FAILING to understand WHAT she was saying ...

I don't often DISAGREE with our great President, but ... I DO disagree with his and his campaign wanting to "distance" themselves from Hilary's comments ... They were MISunderstood ... SAD! ... As a working Mom and one who had NO choice about working ... I understand PRECISELY WHAT Hilary meant!!! ...

HOW sad AND how shocking that SOME are trying to MISinterpret her words ... SAD!!! ... ...

I think Hilary Rosen IS one of the SMARTEST women I have come to ADMIRE!!! ... ... ... ...

With profound and abundant gratitude ... my DEEP respect ... my love and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb


P.S. Here's the quote for those who missed it:

"What you have is Mitt Romney running around the country saying, Well, you know, my wife tells me that what women really care about are economic issues, and, When I listen to my wife, that's what I'm hearing.

Guess what? His wife has actually never worked a day in her life. She's never really dealt with the kinds of economic issues that a majority of the women in this country are facing in terms of, how do we feed our kids, how do we send them to school, and how do we -- why we worry about their future." - Hilary Rosen ...

We CAN all spot the "offending" sentence, but ... we ALL can understand what she meant ... and for folks to parse her words and MISinterpret them is shameful ... When people STOOP to trying to twist others' words or pretend they didn't understand what she was saying ... I find that TOTALLY disingenuous ... OPEN your eyes, my dear BHW Sisters ... there was NOTHING gracious about the responses from the Romney family and that says a LOT to me ... Trying to MAKE political hay is shameful and that DOES appear to be a pattern we ALL should take note ... Afterall, it WAS Governor Romney who made that $10,000 bet AND said his wife has "a couple of Caddys" ... AND ... he "likes firing people" ... AND ... he "doesn't care about the poor" (even if he qualified the statement) ... Hmmm ... I guess BEing "disconnected" is a pattern ... Best wake up! ... I understood the responses made by President and Mrs. Obama, but ... I do think they should not have thrown Hilary Rosen "under the bus" in the process ... No one won this faux paux (faux pas) ... ...

Dear BHW Sisters,

PLEASE don't listen to those who have a MAJOR learning curve ahead of them ...

Just like some mistake Household accounting as being like Governmental accounting ... some mistake Corporate policies and procedures as being like Governmental policies and procedures ...

Whoa! ... Whoa! ... Whoa! ...

Those who think sooo linearly ARE making a BIG mistake ...

And, yet ... I trust that we will ALL be hearing that a CEO is the best qualified to run our country ... NO ... NO ... NO ...

OUR great President inherited a country on the BRINK ... AND ... he and his Administration SAVED US ... ... ... ...

They have EARNED another term to continue the work they have begun ... AND ... WE will ALL benefit from their work ...

Their AGENDA ... as clearly as I can define it is to LEVEL the playing field so that the GREAT disparities that had made their way into ALL of our lives can be cut back ... So, that Middle Class families CAN live more prosperously WITHOUT needing to laden themselves with debt ... IF ONLY, the great riches which have NOT "trickled down" are spread out MORE FAIRLY ... ...

Don't allow yourselves to be FOOLED! ... PLEASE read widely ... SEE CLEARLY all that this Administration has accomplished ...

People who TRULY work for GOOD ... who want desperately to share the wealth ... WE RECOGNIZE what IS going on and we ARE GRATEFUL ... VERY grateful for ALL that this Administration has put in place ... keeping ALL of us SAFER! ...

I wish I could spell things out more clearly ... but ... I need only encourage ALL of you to READ ... to read widely ... Read BOTH sides of as many issues as you can and I guarantee YOU ... the picture which emerges will be VERY CLEAR! ...

These ARE pivotal times ... the choices WE make WILL have implications for ALL of our lives ... SECULAR changes can only TRULY be dealt with by people who think ... who think DEEPLY and who work for GOOD ...

Egotists and "blind" partisans need not apply ...

Those who focus on their wealth ... need not apply ...

Greed is NOT good! ...

OPEN your EYES and YOU will SEE CLEARLY ... ... Patriots ... patriots FIRST ... ... ...


With profound and abundant gratitude ... my deep respect ... my love and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

It was just announced on CNN that Mike Wallace has passed ...

Dear BHW Sisters,

When one LOVES the work one does, one doesn't retire ... one simply passes away ... on the job ...

It was so with Mike's colleague, Andy Rooney ... though Andy Rooney did get to "sign off" ... I remember clearly his final show on "60 Minutes" ... I remember thinking, "Wow! ... He actually decided to hang it up" ... within a VERY short period of time, he was gone ...

Isn't that the way a life FULLY and well-lived ends? ... While still doing what one LOVES ... Yes, indeed! ... ...

So, to Mike Wallace, all I can say is ... great job, Mike! ... Superb job! ... ... You have earned the "peace that passeth understanding" ...

With profound and abundant gratitude ... my deep respect ... my love and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

P.S. Here's a related link:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/08/famed-cbs-journalist-mike-wallace-dies-at-3/

...

Hmmm ... I guess Mike did "sign off" ... I must have missed it ... I have seen him on recent ... I guess reprised segments ...

Dear BHW Sisters,

It's Good Friday ... and I AM going to seek an "inspired" Blog post ... in the best tradition of my past ... ... ...

I just got through 2 days of training with someone who trained me when I first started in this industry which has been my life for over 25 years ... Wow! ... What an experience! ... ... ... ...

I must have had a "silly smile" on my face throughout the process ... I felt AS IF I did, anyway ... I LOVED IT! ... I LEARNED that what I NOW feel and what I felt all those years ago ... well, it IS different! ...

I know it IS about what has gone on "between my ears" over ALL these many years and how CONFIDENT and changed I feel from the early days when I sat in the cubicles at Princeton and felt ... well "intimidated" ... Hmmmm .. What a very long way I have come ...

It IS a very interesting process ... I always BELIEVED in building on FIRM and SOLID foundations... and ... I AM CONFIDENT that what I have built IS "rock solid" ... I know where it will take me ... and I hope my son ... and all of my heirs ...

HOW did I get here? ... I said it long ago ... one step at a time ... INCREMENTAL PROGRESS ...

I think some may observe and wonder, "How lucky!" ... Luck? ,,, Hardly ... HARD WORK ... YEARS of hard work ... LEARNING each and every day ... PERFECTING what I know and what I can pass on ...

How far will the knowledge I possess take me and my heirs? ... Don't know ... but ... what I DO possess is REAL ... and it has IMPACT ... This I know and FEEL with every bone in my body ...

So, where do I go from here? ... How do I process what I possess? .,. I know that it was no accident that the people who have crossed my path in recent years ARE instrumental ... I said as much a few days ago about ALL of you and how YOU have impacted what has gone on "between my ears" in recent years ... I AM CHANGED ... There IS something fundamental that has changed ... intangible, but fundamental ... I feel it more than I can describe it ...

I have taken "leaps of faith" ... that beckoned ... I have observed and "taken risks" ...

The "wonder" of it ALL ... well ... it IS "inspiring" ... and I LOVE it! ... ... ...

I have become the "seeker" once again ... ready to turn over the fruits of my labor to the next generation ... Until a couple of days ago ... I didn't even think it possible ... and yet ... my son seems to want it ... I CAN help him make the process easy ... not as hard as it was for me ...

I LOVE that ... perhaps best of ALL ...

HARD WORK is its own reward and we never really have control, but ... IF we follow our hearts AND our instincts ... GOD does pave the way ... Of that I AM increasingly well-aware ...

And so ... IN TRUST ... I journey on! ... Onward and upward! ... The ONLY way I ever knew ... ... ...

And so it IS ... ...

With profound and abundant gratitude ... my deep respect ... my love and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

Tune into CNN and listen to our great President ...

I'll be back later to comment ...

Dear BHW Sisters,

The logic and arguments that our great President is delineating for ALL Americans IS soooo important that YOU ... EACH and EVERY ONE of YOU must hear AND understand ...

Please tune in!

I promise, I shall be back when time allows to outline some of these ideas ...

[Edited to add: Our great President dubbed the Ryan Budget Proposal a "Trojan Horse" ... I haven't read the document, so I can't really opine except to say that having listened to Representative Ryan and the other vocal member of the other party, Representative Eric Cantor, over a few years ... "the devil IS in the details" ... IF YOU value what you have come to expect from our great Government ... BEST PAY ATTENTION ... The other party has been trying to gut Pell Grants ... Infrastructure rebuilding funds ... of course, Medicare and Medicaid ... and a number of other items I know most of YOU would miss AFTER THE FACT ...

BE CAREFUL out there ... READ beyond the headlines and LISTEN beyond the sound bites .. PLEASE!!! ... For your OWN good ... Our great President delivered a masterful analysis and I hope ALL of YOU will try to find a video of his speech ... AWESOME! ... ]

With profound and abundant gratitude ... my deep respect ... my love and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

Dear BHW Sisters,

Beware the FEAR-mongerers ... ...

They are out in force in recent months ... Yikes! ... The MISinformation and DISinformation specialists are trying hard to convince us that we are like Europe and will be faced with the SAME kind of debt-ladened financial risk ... Ummm ... Excuse me! ...

We are nothing like Europe ... Correct me, if I am wrong ... my dear BHW Sisters from Europe ... but ... don't most of you work a 35-hour work week? ... And, don't most of you retire much earlier than we Americans do? ... And, don't you have many more weeks of vacation per year than we do? ...

Based on the reading I have done ... the answers to the above questions are that our BHW Sisters (and Brothers) in Europe have been enjoying what many perceive as "the good life" for a VERY long time ... They are provided with a LOT more than our government provides us with ... AND ... the percentage of the population in many countries who are government workers IS a lot higher than here in the United States of America ...

I AM well-read, but I do not have firsthand information ...

But ...

Based on what I know, outside of our basic humanity, where we ARE the same ... we are otherwise, as a society ... nothing like Europeans ...

And ...

The problems that face OUR nation, though similar, are NOT the same ...

LAZY thinking is what allows too many to make OVERgeneralizations and say we will face the SAME problems as our BHW Sisters (and Brothers) in Europe currently face ...

Whoa! ... NOT so fast! ...

PLEASE, my dear BHW Sisters ... do NOT be lazy in YOUR thinking ... We MUST advocate for what we TRULY believe while we still can ... and ... we must NOT allow the FEAR-mongerers to get the best of us because we are UNinformed ... Do NOT allow MISinformation and DISinformation to rule YOUR judgment ... PLEASE! ...

With profound and abundant gratitude ... my deep respect ... my love and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb