Les Brown is one of my favorite inspirational speaker. Despite the absence of any formal education beyond high school, Les Brown has been a radio DJ/talk host, broadcast manager, community activist, state legislator, Emmy-Award winning television show host, political commentator, author and award-winning speaker. Les has grossed $20 million in 14 years of public speaking. In 1991 Les Brown was selected as one of the world’s best public speakers by Toastmasters International.

Les Brown’s early year was not a walk in the park. Him and his twin brother, Wesley, were abandoned by their natural mother at the age of three weeks old. They were adopted by Mamie Brown. Les describes Mamie as, “the only parent I will ever need.” At fifth grader Les was identified as educable mentally retarded. But Les’s mother and a high school teacher, rechanneled his thoughts and charted a path of success for him. His mother and  this high school teacher give him a vision beyond his circumstances. This journey enabled him to become the great speaker that he is.

 “You don’t get in life what you want; you get in life what you are. Helping people become the kind of person they have within themselves so they can produce the results they want in life is what I’m all about.” ~ Les Brown.

Life wasn’t always smooth for les, even after he became one of the most successful speaker. In a span of five years, his beloved mother, Mamie Brown, died of breast cancer, his marriage to pop-singer Gladys Knight ended in divorce, and he beat prostate cancer. Les bounced back from all of those setbacks with greater purpose.

Recently I have got words from friends in the industry; about Les Brown’s prostate cancer has return. I have not been able to confirm this information. Regardless, if this is true or not. I like to wish Les Brown great health and happiness.

The following is my personal favorite quotes by Les.

“Accep t responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else”.

“Anyti me you suffer a setback or disappointment, put your head down and plow ahead”.

“Don&# 8217;t let someone else’s opinion of you become your reality”.

“Just because Fate doesn’t deal you the right cards, it doesn’t mean you should give up. It just means you have to play the cards you get to their maximum potential”.

“Shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still be among the stars”.

“The only limits to the possibilities in your life tomorrow are the buts you use today”.

“Wanti ng something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way”.

“You need to make a commitment, and once you make it, then life will give you some answers”.

“Your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what is possible for your life”.

“When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up. Let your reason get you back up”.

Thank you, Mr. Les Brown for inspiring millions.

Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action

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You’re alive… “Live It That Way” 

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The world oldest blogger Olive Riley was born in 1899. She took up blogging back in 2005, when she was 106. In her site, ‘The Life of Riley’, and in a series of videos post on YouTube, Riley shared with world on her day-to-day life. She also recounted living through two world wars and raising three children on her own while working as a cook and a bar maid.

She wrote of singing a “happy song, as I do every day,” with a visitor to the nursing home. In one of blog post titled “Washing Day,” Olive wrote: “You 21st Century people live a different life than the one I lived as a youngster in the early 1900s. Take washing day, for instance. These days you just toss your dirty clothes into a washing machine, press a few switches, and it’s done.”

She then described how she helped do laundry as a youngster, starting with finding “a few pieces of wood to fire the copper for Mum.” “When the water in the copper began to boil, Mum would add a cupful of soap chips, and throw in a cube of Reckitt’s Blue wrapped in a muslin bag to whiten the clothes,” she wrote. “Then she put in all the dirty clothes, first rubbing out the stains with a bar of Sunlight soap. … that was jolly hard work.”

Olive Riley died at the age of 108 after posting a final message about her ailing health but how she sang “a happy song, as I do every day.”

Olive Riley’s  friend Eric Shackle, who met Olive at a nursing home said, “She had a wonderful memory, and an amazing zest for life”.

Not everyone will be as bless a Olive Riley to live to be 108. The average life expectancy in the United States at the moment is about 79.2 years. That means 28,928 days if we are lucky. May be some of us will live to be as old as Olive or maybe not. The questions we should be think about is: How old are you right now? How many days your lived so far? How many days you have left to live?

At 20 years old.     You have lived 7,305 days.        You have 21,623 days left to live.
At 30 years old.     You have lived 10,957 days.      You have 17,971 days left to live.
At 40 years old.     You have lived 14,610 days.      You have 14,318 days left to live.
At 50 years old.     You have lived 18,262 days.      You have 10,666 days left to live.
At 60 years old.     You have lived 21,915 days.      You have 7,013 days left to live.

Notice how quickly time pass by? I am sure you’ve done some terrific things so far. But more importantly, What great things you still wish to do? Don’t waste any more time, take action to do what you wish. It is never too late or too early. Today is the day!

Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Other related post by Giovanna

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Each one of us are unique individual, no two people are the same. Each of us have our different strengths in our special areas.  Therefore, no one person is better than another person in an overall manner. For example: A surgeon can operate to repair knees or hearts; but a fitness professional can help you get the knee and the heart stronger as a result preventing a person from needing any repair.  A war hero safe countries and lives from invasion; A single mother can inspire a child to not become an invader. The famous English Great William Shakespeare attributed to some of the finest poetries and playwrights  in the history, yet there are many readers would rather read a simply blog post written in everyday English instead.

The message here is whatever you do, you are no less than the next person. I have met brain surgeon, Nasa scientist and navy seal etc.. I have conversations with all them and what I found is that they don’t think they are better than me. In the right circumstance none of them can inspire people like I can. We are no interchangeable, each one of us are needed for that right circumstance.

Just because what you do might not have any alphabets behind your name does not mean that you are not as important as the ones that does. There is a space for what you are and what you do, and only you and your work are right for that space.

Claim your space! It is waiting for you to take ownership. What is in your heart that you want to do? What is it that you have a passion in dong? Go for it, there is a space for that. And only you can fill that space in its need. Just take a look at me: I may be the only inspirational speaker who gets up on stage and from time to time I might say the wrong words.  I am also a writer who have trouble spelling and using the correct grammar. Yet, you are reading my writing.

All you need to do is to pour your heart and soul into your work, and there are people out there,  who have been waiting for you to come along. Waiting for you to give them that message. Waiting for you to claim your space, so they can follow you.

Along the way, there will be people who are not your type. They will want to knock you down. They will tell you, “You are a dreamer. You are no qualify. You are too late, that market is full. You are crazy, it can’t be done. You are hopeless, when are you going to learn?” Now they can say what they want all day and night, but it is not going to affect you if you don’t let those words into your heart. Opinions are like bellybuttons, everyone got one. And not everyone and everything are invited into your heart.  I have been told by readers who are professor and she told me in very strong words to Stop Writing. I have also been told by readers who are everyday people and they say, “Your imperfection is what gives me hope that I too can write.” Which one would you choose to listen? I choose the second one.

I am what I am and that is fine by me. I proclaim my space. An inspirational  speaker that doesn’t speak proper English. A writer who focus more on writing from her heart then the correct grammar. I am going to keep speaking and writing, who is going to stop me!?

I suggest you do the same. Proclaim your space, you are who you are.

Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action

If you have a child  or have worked children, you must have said “Good Job” to a child at least once. And if you don’t have any children of your own, you must have seen it done by other parents or teachers. We the adults say to the youngster “Good Job” on what might seem insignificant to a grownup. Why do we do that? We do it because we love them and we are proud of them. Most importantly we are teaching our young to be proud of themselves and the feeling of Pride. It is because we understand, If we want our kids to be happy and successful in their lives they will need to be able to recognize and identify those things about themselves that make them feel ‘proud’.

 

So, my question is, “Do you teaching yourselves to be proud of you”? Do you Look for the positive things in yourselves to Praise? Or do you tend to notice the opposite?

It has come to my attention that as some of us gets older. We start to hide more and more of who we are. People start to feel insignificant or ashamed and they begin to feel less and less proud.

However, it is important for everyone to know the true: Our most personal things that we try the hardest to hide from others are the very same things that we have most in common with each other. These are the things that bonds us together.
What this means is whatever you might be hiding from the world, you are not alone with that secret. Someone else out there are wait to identify with you.

Have no shame in your pass, it had made you who you are. You are like a diamond, your pass was what’s needed to polished you and turned you into the  diamond that you are today. Be proud of that. Share your story, those who love you are privilege to share your pain. Show them what it takes to become a Diamond.

You are not insignificant, Your place in this world in absolutely unique. Do you know how special you really are? Do you realize how unique you are?  Be your own parent and teacher, teach yourself “How special you are.” It is essential for you to understand this. A quote from The Little Prince “Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.”

Today let’s celebrate the ‘Me’. Let’s focus on: Being Proud of ‘Me’.

Here are some great affirmations:
I am proud of who I am and my existence.
I am proud of my actions and I have nothing to apologize for.
I am proud of my past and I am at peace with the present.
I am proud of my decisions and I am privileged to be a part of my triumphs and sorrows.
I am proud of me.

If you want to be happy and successful in your live, you will need to be able to recognize and identify those things about yourselves that makes you feel ‘proud’. Take a moment to write down these things that make you feel proud, remember there is nothing to be ashamed of and nothing is too insignificant. When you are done with the list, put down at the very end “I am proud of me”!

Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action

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Here is the eight pack to help you Do Your Best and Be Your Best.

You Decided to be your best.

Every decision you make in life is important, because the decisions you make in life dictate the life you lead. If you don’t make your own decision someone else will make them for you. So, you might just well make them yourself. Take this moment now to decide to Be your best! Don’t be concern with the “How to?” When you decided, you will find a way. Just decided - To be your best and you will be.

Have the best Attitude.   

Attitude is the way you choose to respond to people and situations. No one and Nothing dictates how you must react to any giving situations. It is up to you. You are much be better off to choose to react positively rather than a negatively.

Don’t criticize, don’t complaint and don’t make excuses; just do your work.

Giving your all everyday and withhold nothing. Playing it through no matter if it seems like you are winning or losing.

The best Attitude is not a positive Attitude. The best Attitude is an Attitude that is 80% Positive and 20% realistic.

Have faith.  

Believe that everything will work out as they should, as long as you do what you should. But never just sit back and pray for things to turn out like you want them to, without you taking the necessary action to make them a reality. Faith is there to help you, but not to do it for you.

Focus on you.       

Concentrate on what you have control of, and don’t to be fixated on the things that you have not control of. Because if you are so fixated on things which you have no control of, you will loss control on the things that you can control.

Don’t try to beat somebody else’s best, work on beating your own best.

Always make the effort to improve every situation you are in.

Have No Fear.   

Don’t be afraid to fail, if you have been giving it your all. No one can ever ask you for more. When you know have already given your all then you have already won the game. No one can every take that away from you and you never have to justify yourself to no body.

Self-Respect.

Respect your body. Eat well and invest in your physical fitness. When you feel good, you are at your best.

Dress your best. When you are well dressed you will feel your best.                 

Respect your time. You will feel more purposeful your time is accounted for and when you are purposeful you will feel more powerful.

When you respect yourself, you will have more respect for others. Live by moral and walk with ethic; others will respect you even more.

Personal Development.

Always strive to Be better than what you had been and never stop learning and growing. Keep a good reputation and great character. Surround yourself with those who challenge and encourage your efforts in doing your best.

The more you know the more empower you will feel and the more contribution you can make to people and your community. And the more that you give, the more you will get back.

Be Ambitious.

Set goals and make action plans to achieve them. Be patient, we all wanted it yesterday. Always remember achieving your goals, is a journey and not an end.  You will be working at it every day and paying your dues with all you got. Enjoy the ride of your journey, the best reward is in the end you will have the self satisfaction that you did you very best and that is priceless.

Giovanna Garcia

Imperfect Action is better than No Action

Your self-acceptance is determined mainly by how you felt when you were a child. How comfortable you feel about yourself today had a lot to do with the first 5 years of your live. Did you feel you were loved? Were your emotional needs met? Did you feel that you were accepted by the important people in your life, for example: your parents, siblings, people who you looked up to? If the answers is NO. Then you will most likely be trying to compensate for that and continue to seek acceptance in others throughout your adult life.

It might surprise you to learn a little bit about what motivate people.
There are only Two motivations for people’s action:

One: To get love
Two: To compensate for the lack of love

With that said, I am sure that you are getting the idea that Love is the basis of all things. And when a person didn’t get Love in their formative years, you can imagine it will affect the person deeply.

The best way to begin building self-acceptance is to understand yourself. And to understand yourself, you will do a Honest Uncovering.  In order for you to get a handle on why you do, what you do and stop being troubled by things that had happened in your past, you must be able to uncover yourself to at least one person. It is important for you to get those things off your chest. By revealing your true feelings and thoughts to someone who you feel comfortable with. Someone who can just listen without commenting or criticizing.

Then comes the Awareness. After you safely revealed your most inner thoughts and feelings. You will be made aware of the person that you truly are and why you do the things you do. You now begin to develop an objective perspective of you. You will have the ability to look at yourself and your past in honesty, detached from the intense emotions and view what happened to you with a new found calmness and a much greater clarity. This will open the doors  for you to let go, and be break free from your past.

Finally  you are ready for Self-Acceptance.  You start to accept yourself for the person you are, with the good and bad, with your strengths and weaknesses, and with the imperfection of being human.

When you develop the ability to look at yourself honestly, and to candidly admit to others that you may not be perfect but you’re who you are, you start to enjoy self-acceptance in its highest sense and this leads to the side effect of self-acceptance ” Happiness“.

I believe happiness is to “live in the truth” with yourself and others. One of the biggest part of living in the truth is to stop trying to be perfect and to see yourself honestly, as you really are. Any attempts to achieve needless perfectionism, most time is due to the desire to impress people with how good you are, and this is a complete waste of time.

There is quote that had been quoted by many of the greats, such as Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy etc..

“When you are in your 20s, you are very concerned about what people think about you. When you are in your 30s, you don’t really care that much about what people think about you. And when you get into your 40s, you discover the real truth: Nobody was even thinking about you at all.”

Stop worry about people’s approval. Do yourself a favor by giving yourself the gift of Acceptance.

Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action

Are you enough?
You are building your life.

What is Chinglish? Chinglish is a language that is 50% Chinese and 50% English. Chinglish is Marketing and Branding at it best! So, you might be thinking to yourself ‘What’?

To begin with, let me start by telling you a little story.

When I was twenty years old I got fired. I was working at Hotel front desk, and one day the new General Manager told me I was fired, because no one can understand me. Now three days before that, this GM had brought me this new hire for me to train, of course at the time, I didn’t know she was my replacement. I was crushed to be fire. My thought was I am a foreigner; of course no one can understand me. Then I had an epiphany ‘if the Hotel had such a problem communicating with me, why would they have me train the new hired!?’ So it is not entirely true that no one can understand me. I came to realized that it is because I don’t speak English, I speak Chinglish. And that my English might never be perfect, so, there is a good chance that this will happen to me again and again. 

Now the Entrepreneur sprit in me stated to work on this little so called issue. I ask myself the question, “Can I market this? Can I market Chinglish?” I decided that I was going to own the word Chinglish, every time I speak with someone and if there is ever a moment that they need to clarify what I said. With a big smile on my face I would simply say to them, “O, I see we have just started to work together. So, you have not learned Chinglish yet. As we work together longer, you will learn how to speak Chinglish too!”

Soon Chinglish grown into a part of my branding; people know me as the girl who speaks Chinglish. I have giving speeches on Chinglish, and they are always well received. Many times I have people from all ethnicity came to me and said they want to learn how to speak Chinglish too! It is because of what Chinglish stand for.

What can we all learn from all of this? Chinglish is the triumphant victory of taking an Imperfection and turning that into a marketable brand. I understood at an early age that someone somewhere will always say: You are too tall, you are too short, you are too fat, you are too thin, too smart, too dump…you will always be too something to someone.

So why not claim it! Instead of giving up your power to those who are going to tell you that; “You are too…” You can own it! Take your power back. What you are hiding can be use to empower you. It can even become your brand.  

I am giving Chinglish Lesson, who wants in?

Giovanna Garcia

Imperfect Action is better than No Action

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I didn’t speak english…may be no one will notice?
Face your fear! You will to be rewarded.

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I know of a Grandmother name Peal who is caught in the economic Strom, she is under a very strict spending limits. Just about every dollar she has is accounted for. Grandma Peal has not seen her family since January when all her families went to visit her. When Peal was asked why she did drive to visit any of her family. Peal said it is because she didn’t have the extra money for gas.

Finally, over the  past Weekend, Peal when to visit her family. Peal went bearing gifts to visit her sons, daughters and grand kids. Peal give expensive collectible gift to each person including her baby grandson. Peal gave him a pricey decorative  Easter basket figure.  

When I learn of this; I can’t help but to wonder, if Peal didn’t spend her hard earn dollar in the luxury gifts. May be she could have use the money for gas and go visit her family more often. Peal is from a school of thoughts that elder shows there love by the gifts they give. Peal have this idea of a Grandmother’s perfect visit with her family. With the perfect gifts, taking the perfect family photo…etc.

What I like to share with Grandma Peal is that, her Grandson is not going to care about having the keepsake that he is most likely never allow to play with. On the other hand her Grandson is going to remember playing with Grandma, and the feeling of love only a Grandma can give.

Grandma Peal if you are reading this, listen to me as I tell you what I believe is the true and believe me I meant no disrespects to your school of thoughts and its value.

1. Children just want your time and that is how they could tell that you love them. They really don’t know that they need a baby’s first… The only people who care about that are the merchants.  

2. Times are changing and in this changing time we are once again taught the real value about life. Yes, it was nice when we all can have luxury gifts. I am sure your sons and daughters appreciated them. However, I am certain that they would appreciate spending time with you which is priceless and it is not for sale.

3. Whatever idea you might have for a perfect family visit. May I suggest an Imperfect family visit is better than No Visit. I am sure your family would agree to choose to see more of you and forget the gifts.

Having we all know someone like Peal, giving gifts instead of time. Don’t buy into what the merchants tell you. What your family really want is quality time with you and to feel your love. In the end that is what we are all going to remember, how we make each other feel…not what gifts we got.

Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
The Meaning of A Family
Which will you choose Wealth, Success or Love?

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All I Need to Learn about Life I Learned From the Easter Bunny!

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Walk softly and carry a big carrot.
Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.
There’s no such thing as too much candy.
All work and no play can make you a basket case.
A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention.
Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.
Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.
Some body parts should be floppy.
Keep your paws off other people’s jellybeans.
Good things come in small-sugarcoated packages.
The grass is greener in someone else’s basket.
An Easter bonnet can cover the wildest hare.
To show your true colors you have to come out of the shell.
The best things in life are still sweet and gooey.

By Author Unknown

I wish you all the joy that Easter can bring, a day when you’ll find happiness in everything. May it be a day of warm memories to share, a day fill with blessing. On Easter Day, I’ll say a prayer for you, I wish you much love and good health; and may your fondest dream come true.

Have a wonderful Easter.

Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action

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Happy Good Friday!

“I believe…that every human mind feels pleasure in doing good to another.”  ~ Thomas Jefferson

To be good, we must do good; and by doing good, we take a sure means of being good, as the use and exercise of the muscles increase their power. ~ Tryon Edwards

“There is a sort of gratification in doing good which makes us rejoice in ourselves.” ~ Montaigne

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” ~John Wesley

To be doing good is man’s most glorious task.” ~ Sophocles

There is no sensual pleasure in the world comparable to the delight and satisfaction that a good man takes in doing good. ~ Tillotson

The luxury of doing good surpasses every other personal enjoyment. ~ John Gay

 “Doing well is the result of doing good. That’s what capitalism is all about.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Doing good to others is not a duty, it is a joy, for it increases our own health and happiness.”
~ Zoroaster

“Earning happiness means doing good and working, not speculating and being lazy. Laziness may look inviting, but only work gives you true satisfaction.” ~Anne Frank

 “Kindness is an inner desire that makes us want to do good things even if we do not get anything in return. It is the joy of our life to do them. When we do good things from this inner desire, there is kindness in everything we think, say, want and do.” ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

“Do not say, that if the people do good to us, we will do good to them; and if the people oppress us, we will oppress them; but determine that if people do you good, you will do good to them; and if they oppress you, you will not oppress them” ~ Muhammad

“Taking the first footstep with a good thought the second with a good word and the third with a good deed I entered Paradise” ~ Zoroaster

“When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that is my religion.”
~ Abraham Lincoln

“The more we come out and do good to others, the more our hearts will be purified, and God will be in them.” ~ Swami Vivekananda

“We need to help younger people recognize their own capacity to do good, and help them discover the rewards of generosity.” ~ Bill Clinton

 “Our true wealth is the good we do in this world. None of us has faith unless we desire for our neighbors what we desire for ourselves.” ~ Mohammed

“My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.”  ~ Thomas Paine

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”  
~ Psalms 37:3

Let’s us all be reminded to Be Good and Do Good. If we all go out and take Action in Doing Good, and we can make the world Great!

Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
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You can make a difference!
Two weeks to live…

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Sammy Gitau was born in Kenyan, he and his family were lived a life of extreme poverty. Sammy’s father was a moonshiner, murdered in a gang attack when Sammy’s was 13. Sammy had only gone to school a few years and to support his support his mother and 10 siblings, Sammy turned to drug dealing.

Then one day while scavenging in the garbage in a middle class neighborhood. He was looking for scraps to eat or something to sell. Sammy found a discarded University brochure that traveled 4,400 miles from Britain; it was a brochure from Manchester University. Sammy dreamed of someday going to Manchester, but that dream was too big. The life of crime met his immediate needs. So Sammy forgot about the brochure.

When Sammy was 25 years old, he had a drug overdose with cocaine and he was in a coma. Sammy was lucky enough to wake up from that and he made a pact with God; “Just get me out of here and I will do anything.” He vowed to change. Sammy created anti-drug projects and community resource centers. With a handful of volunteers he taught skills, including carpentry, baking and tailoring, helping 20,000 Kenyan slum kids along the way.

This friend contacted Manchester University’s Dr. Pete Mann and he asked Dr. Mann, “If he would you ever take a person without even a high school education”? Dr. Mann figured the University could help Sammy, and Sammy could give firsthand insight into what project development was like at ground level.

So, the university offered Sammy a scholarship, but the dream was still beyond reach - British immigration denied him a visa. Not giving up, he appealed, and seven months later a judge overruled the government and opened the door. However, Sammy still had to make it academically. Sammy had never written and essays or do academic research back in Kenyan. So Sammy was given a tutor and he worked very hard. 

 

In 2007, at 35 years old Sammy

received his master’s degree from Manchester University, one of Britain’s top educational institutions. When Sammy put on his cap and gown and received his master’s in international development project management, Dr. Mann said he “found it humbling to teach Sammy - it really is a remarkable achievement.”

Sammy Gitau, a dead-end kid who had a dream, he said: “We have people in the slums that are just like me. Now they can say, ‘I want to become like Sammy, or go further. They now know they can dream big.’”  

Dream big and Aim High!

“Shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still be among the stars.” ~ Les Brown.

 

 

Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action.
Other related post by Giovanna
To reach for your dreams…take a drive in the dark!
Stay Hungry! Stay Foolish! - Steve Jobs

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The Women is a comedies movie released in Sept of 2008. Box office $26 Million. Diane English the director, packed this firm with an all-star female only cast: Annette Bening, Meg Ryan, Jada Pinkett Smith, Candice Bergen, and Debra Messing. The film deals with the relationships among a close-knit group of female friends, who, when their marriages fail and their lives are on the verge of falling apart, turn to each other for support.

The making of this film was no comedies, it was a long 14 years of uphill battle and it involved far too many script revisions. Just about every actresses had falling in and falling out of this project during this 14 years journey. Only Diane English remained fully committed the entire time, determined to prove that a movie with an all-woman cast wouldn’t be roadkill at the box office. ”I got plenty discouraged,” says Diane. ”People would say, ‘Just let go. It’ll never get made.’ When I heard the words can’t be done, it became a mission. I think that’s what it takes for some of these films, just one idiot who sticks with it for the whole duration, refusing to back down.”

The film lost its director so Diane English became first time movie Director.  Diane said: ”It was intimidating, but I thought, This is the only way to get this made,”

Diane said: ”I would go from studio to studio with my list of female ensemble movies that have made a ton of money, like 9 to 5, First Wives Club, and Steel Magnolias. And always the response was. Well, that was a fluke’ and ‘No, it doesn’t pencil out for us.” Not only no studio wants this film, Diane also had trouble getting enough actresses to commit. Finally, after being turned down by every single studio in town, English pursued the last possible option: develop The Women as an indie. Diane rounded up a stable of actresses willing to take a pay cut like Annette Bening. And in fall of 2006 Diane pitched The Women to Picturehouse president Bob Berney, Bob saw the all-female cast as an asset. Finally Diane English start  the filming of “The Women”

Diane English dedicated 14 years of her life to her Dream: To create a movie with a all female cast. The movie The Women’s very existence is a triumph for her.

Your dream is power by you, you are the one who can give your dream the power to come to live. No matter how long it takes, no matter what people say…if your keep taking action to power up your dream. It is going to happen, just like Diane English’s.

Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action.
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An amazing story of strength and perseverance.
To reach for your dreams…take a drive in the dark!

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Last weekend I gave an inspirational speech in front of a group of entrepreneurs at a Jeffery Combs Event. After my speech many people came up to speak with me. Two people asked me two questions that I felt it would be a value for me to share here.

A gentleman name Jim asked “When you first started your business, what gave you the courage to make cold calls. Why were you not scare?”

A young lady name Christine asked “What was the darkest moment in business for you?”

The following was my answer to each of them:

To Jim,

“I came from misguided parenting. My father was in the military back in Taiwan and he was the officer who break and discipline soldiers. Let just say, he used his special skill on me, and because I wouldn’t ‘fall in’ my father kept escalading. I remember once my father put one hand around my neck and pressed up against the wall. Then he lifted his arm and my entire body was off the ground, suspend by my father’s hand around my neck pressed up on the wall. My feet dangle in the air. Another time, my father locked me in a small storage closet with rats and he removed the light bulb before he leaving me inside. I could go on… the point is when I thinking about things like that it making cold calling nothing to be scare about”.

To Christine,

“My darkest moment was when I attempted suicide. I took a bottle of sleeping spills with alcohol and  Woke up in a hospital. That was my darkest moment. In business I had a few very bad moments, some close calls. But nothing was darker than that one day”.

All of the blessing in my life, came from all the obstacles and challenges I came up against. Each time I encountered an obstacles, I gain one feather.

One feather at a time we earned and these feathers begin to turn into wings. The more challenges -the more feathers; and the wings gets bigger and stronger.

Than we can fly over anything.

Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
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What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?

By the way, my Friend Sunny Jamiel from Seeking Mind Taged me to share 7 things about me, I hope this did the job. And if any of you would like to play, please check out Sunny’s blog post Personal Development blogs I like. Sunny has a great blog, I invite you to go visit him.

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Here is a little of Ancient Wisdom from my mother land.

Chinese Proverbs

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.

Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing still.

Clear conscience never fears midnight knocking.

A diamond with a flaw is worth more than a pebble without imperfections.

I was angered, for I had no shoes. Then I met a man who had no feet.

He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.

Give a man a fish, and you feed him a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.

It is not the knowing that is difficult, but the doing.

A bad word whispered will echo a hundred miles.

The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.

Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends whom we choose.

To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.

Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.

Only he that has traveled the road knows where the holes are deep.

Dig the well before you are thirsty.

If you don’t want anyone to know, don’t do it.

Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself.

A child’s life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark.

Talk does not cook rice.

I hope you take away some pearls of wisdom from this.

Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
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How to get what you want out of life?

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In 1883, a creative engineer who was ahead of his time named John Roebling had a vision to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York and Long Island. At the time the bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and they told Roebling to forget the idea. They say: It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before…

Roebling could not ignore the vision of his suspension bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with the right person. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the they can build this bridge.

For the first time, the father and son working together and with great excitement and inspiration. The two of them took on this wild challenge. They hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.

The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with brain damage, as a result Washington was unable to walk or talk.

Negative comment such as: 

“We told them so.”
“Crazy men and their crazy dreams.”
“It`s foolish to chase wild visions.”

Were made all over and everyone felt that the project should be scrapped since the father and son were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever.

He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but no one would take on the task. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room. Suddenly an idea hit him. Even though, all that he could do was to move one finger. He decided he could develop a code by moving his one finger and communicate with his wife. Washington used his one finger code to tell his wife to call the engineers and with his tapping method his could give instruction of what to do to his wife and she passed the information along to the engineers.

For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife’s arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man’s unbreakable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered crazy by half the world.

Brooklyn Bridge is one of the best examples of a “Never-Say-Die” attitude that overcome terrible tragedy and achieves an impossible goal.

The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be done with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.  What do you have dream of building? Whatever it is, don’t let anyone or anything stop you. Remember the Brooklyn Bridge was build by one finger.

Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action better than No Action
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The Will to Wins

If you want a thing bad enough

To go out and fight for it,

Work day and night for it,

Give up your time and your peace and your sleep for it,

If only desire of it

Makes you quite mad enough

Never to tire of it,

Makes you hold all other things tawdry and cheap for it,

If life seems all empty and useless without it

And all that you scheme and you dream is about it,

If gladly you’ll sweat for it,

Fret for it, Plan for it,

Lose all your terror of God or man for it,

If you’ll simply go after that thing that you want

With all your capacity,

Strength, and sagacity,

Faith, hope, and confidence, stern pertinacity,

If neither cold poverty, famished and gaunt,

Nor sickness nor pain

Of body and brain

Can turn you away from the thing that you want,

If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it,

You’ll get it.

by Berton Braley

If you want something bad enough, you will find a way to make it happen. You can move mountains. You will have the strength to do the unthinkable… You’ll become the super you.

Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
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