leslie01's Blog

Hello BraveHeart sisters,

It has been a while since my last blog...but, I have been busy networking with other Vegas Liaisons for the Meet-n-Greet tour stop in Las Vegas.

Through the past few weeks, I have been given the honor to collaborate with many key influential women -CEO’s, Pastor’s, political figures, radio broadcaster’s, TV anchors, and film makers- right here in the Vegas Valley.

Through the power of collaboration and their drive to already be Inspiration in Action within their own organizations and life, a new energy is being released. It is such a pleasure informing them about the BraveHeart Women’s Global Community and seeing first hand how the universe is opening up to us.

I will post more updates as the event for Las Vegas draws closer. Save the date for Vegas...October 15th!

hmmm.....there may even be a documentary of how we created the event.......

This past week I spent playing with my niece and nephew in Chicago. My niece was turning one, so we celebrated with a family gathering, cake, party streamers, balloons, punch and....wait for it...a bounce house. YEAH!

When my sister and I were growing up we always wanted a bounce house at one of our parties, but...it just never worked out to come true.

To fulfill our childhood dreams she rented a bounce house (more like a pink and purple castle) for my niece and the younger cousins. The kids loved it.

After the families with the little kids went home and when my niece went to bed, it was the big kids turn to play. My sister, brother, younger sister, nephew, and I all went into one of the most joyous times we can all remember together. Just like the little kids we were laughing, playing, competing who could jump higher, and making pyramids placing my nephew at the top of the heap.

The big kids discovered we are not as bouncy and the younger kids, but were more jiggly than they were. I tired to see if I could bounce and stand right back up.....ha! I could not even bounce back up at all, I just kind of fell and rolled. My family provided the best encouragement with intense laughing at my failed attempt. Then my older sister tried and the same falling experience happened to her. After an hour of bouncing we discovered it was a good leg workout, so we tried even more to out do each other with our not so good Mary Lou Retton acrobatics. One major finding was due to the increased jiggling, our bladders were getting a jiggled too. We made bee line trips inside to release our ever aging bodies.

The next morning my nephew woke me up and wanted to go jumping some more. He excitedly saw the bounce house was still up. Even though my body was saying no due to sore/stiff legs, my inner Tigger wanted to get out there and play with my nephew. Walking out into the yard with a nice cool breeze, we entered into the castle and were teleported into a realm of magical joy. With his wonderful imagination, we had Star War light saber duels, (He told me I was Chewy, maybe from my messed up morning hairdo, and he was Obi-Wan.) bouncing races, which somehow he always won, and somersault contests. My sister and niece came into our fantasy world to join us. While either my sister or I were holding my niece we all released the world from which we came and embraced our inner Tigger. Watching all of us play together placed me in a state of pure contentment. The inner light from my niece, nephew, and sister shined through and made mine shine as bright as theirs. Even though it was getting hotter and more humid we all wanted to stay and play...but...it was time for me to get ready to fly back home to Las Vegas.

What is it about little ones that make you feel so free and joyous? Better yet, what is it about jumping that brings out your inner child to play with complete freedom?

What is it about sporting events and the lessons they teach you?

I was watching the USA Women’s soccer game this Sunday trying to pass some time before I went to church. As I was watching the intense drama of the game unfold, I noticed I was now late for church...oops!

From a team of 11 players getting dropped to 10 due to a foul out, and the opposing team being one goal ahead...I was praying right along with the rest of the crowd for a miracle. Then, one came. During extended overtime a player head-butted a perfectly kicked ball into the goal. Now the score was tied and it was up to penalty kicks to win the game. Biting my already short nails, I screamed for joy when the goalie saved the third goal from the opposing team. If all the rest of the USA kicks went in....then we WIN! They all went in.....OMG what a dramatic game.

Interestingly, I wondered why I was so into the game. I always liked sports, but I do not know anything about soccer. I never had an interest in it. When I tried to play it I would always sprain my ankles, I had no clue who any of the players were until Sunday, and the running (sprinting) back and forth thing is tiresome. What was the draw?

I got it! It was the back story and hidden messages. Each one of the players had their own unique story of how they became a part of the team. One player had a life threatening heart illness and nursed herself back to health. She scored the last of the five penalty kicks that went in.

The main message was about the belief in their hearts about their team and when they worked as one they were able to do the impossible. I began to think if I was one of the players, would I already have in my mindset towards the end of the game that we already lost the game and be out of the World Cup. I may have, but with each of them working together, with the same belief of greatness, and going all out playing their absolute best...they proved yet again....anything is possible with laser focus and determination.

Then on Wednesday, I woke up earlier than usual to watch them defeat France to go to the finals. Just like in the game on Sunday, towards the end when all was doubtful, they scored not one, but two more goals to safeguard the win. What an amazing group of women who really are Inspiration in Action.

During some interviews after the games, one of the players stated they could not have written a better script for what she and her team were going through. The coach stated, “someone is writing this book..the teams attitude of pulling everything together and bringing out the best performance in each other is contagious.”

She nailed it, I have used this teams accomplishments by showing my team how working as a unified team will produce miraculous results. All we have to do is know and trust in the power of believing.

Go USA! I will be glued to the Final match this Sunday...I guess, I am becoming a soccer fan.

In almost all the business and marketing books I have read the main thing that is always asked: what feeling is your product trying to sell?

On Saturday, while I was discussing a call with one of my officers, an older lady came up behind me, pulled on the sleeve of my suit, and gasping for air she asked where the Mach machine was. Not knowing what she was asking me, I repeated “Mach Machine?...More importantly, do you need some oxygen?” The older lady grinned and my officer pulled up a chair for her. Once the lady was able to regain her breath we started talking and I found out the Mach Machine was the ATM.

I asked if she wanted me to get a wheelchair and I could take her there. I got the sternest look and she stated, “even though I am 79 I am still able to get there on my own two feet.” She stood up off the chair, grabbed my arm again, and told me to take her to the ATM. (Knowing from my own grandma’s independence, you do what they tell you, no questions.)

En route to the ATM she asked me, “Do you know Donald Trump? He comes to Las Vegas a lot. I do not care what people say about him, he is a wonderful man.” I replied, “I briefly met him one day at the opening of a casino here, but I do not know him.”

She told me she worked for him at the Taj Mahal and Trump Tower for many, many years. She was his seamstress and he always took care of her and her family. When she was hungry he ordered and paid for the room service bill. He knew she needed a ride home one day, so he had his limo driver take her home. Her medical insurance was always paid for, yet she never saw it taken out of her pay. Chuckling, she stated, “ I think my husband was secretly jealous of him.”

With money in her hand from the ATM, she asked, “now where are those lucky machines?” “Ma’am, if I knew that I would not be working here.” I replied. She began laughing and could not stop. She started coughing through her laughter and hit her chest saying “stupid emphysema” as she lit up a cigarette. I apologized for making her laugh and she grabbed my wrist and stated how much Donald would make her laugh too. She went on, “You know, he is not the mean guy people see him as, he is a real genuine and funny guy. The way he took care of his family and me is something I will be eternally grateful for.” She continued on and on about how much she loved Donald Trump.

Walking the casino floor after meeting this beautiful lady, I thought of the book, Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com,Inc. He talks about over delivering beyond a guest’s expectations. Even through this lady worked for Donald Trump she remains a loyal employee today because of the over delivery of care “The Donald” provided for her.

This story if proof that it is all about selling a feeling. What feeling does your product give?

When I need a little inspiration and a good dose of hope I watch the movie August Rush. It is a story of a young orphan boy who hears the music playing all around him to help him find his parents. He creates an orchestral composition from the music he hears, and even innovates a new way to play the guitar.

This time, while I was watching the movie, I wondered what it would be like if I would not be able to hear the music. What was it like for a deaf person to not hear the birds in the morning, a crying baby, applause, laughter, the trees rustling around in the wind, thunderstorms, cars driving by, taxis honking at one another, people conversing, and so on? Beethoven immediately came to mind.

For years, music has played a role in the development of my life. When I was a little girl, I had a speech impediment. In therapy, we used music to help me form words, sounds, syllables, and sentence structure. To help me say words I would sing them. I would get lost in the music and the imaginary kingdom I created in my mind. I was in a musical realm of peace and tranquility, it felt like I actually became the music. I was in such a state of ease to effortlessly express whatever was inside.

I was particularly fond of Beethoven’s music, primarily because his work best enabled me to orchestrate my speech. When my therapist told me about his deafness I was even more drawn to his music. I was always amazed at the fact he could create music without even hearing it. I remember times when I was so angry with myself, my parents, siblings, and others for the inability to communicate effectively with them. I found Beethoven was like that too, he had this amazing gift to create music, yet he was unable to enjoy it. He became so angry he even stopped performing in public. Unlike Beethoven, I was able to outgrow most of my impediment. Beethoven was able to hear for sometime, but with a sickness his deafness grew worse over time.

I was always intrigued to imagine what a conversation with Beethoven and me, as a little girl, would have been like? How would we communicate with each other? I was not able to talk, but that may have been a gift since he could not have heard me anyway. Would we communicate through playing the piano together, or would he slam his fingers on the ivory and hip check me off the bench? Maybe he would have taught me how to hear music by feeling the vibrations radiating off from the keys pounding the piano strings. Maybe we would have invented a totally new way to communicate, like Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan did.

What I do know, is that music has been a true friend in my life. It has helped me escape the realm of this reality and create my own paradise, which has lead me to my success. As young August Rush says, “The music is all around us, all you have to do is listen.”


What do you think, would it be better to have never heard the music than loose the ability to appreciate the sound all around us?

Walking up the dimly lit entrance, I was greeted by Bobby, a man in his late 60‘s, as he welcomed me through the front doors. I was 25 miles north of the Las Vegas strip and was about to learn one huge furry lesson about film making...patience.

A couple of weeks prior, I was asked to create a story, through video, of Bobby interacting with some foxes he takes care of at his night job. Thinking, “What must his night job be if he interacts with WILD foxes?” Bobby is the night watchman at an auto auction facility. Curiosity got the best of me and I immediately said I would take on the job.

As we walked out towards the back lot, I noticed three bushy tailed furry mammals waiting. Bobby laughed because of the pure amazement I had on my face. WOW! I have never seen foxes like these before. Actually, I never saw a fox before. The only thing I knew about a fox was from Disney’s Fox and the Hound. Todly was reddish, these were tan. Bobby stated these were Kit Foxes and are tan because they have adapted to the desert environment.

As Bobby was preparing the foxes McDonald’s snacks, I was preparing the camera and lighting. The foxes knew something was up, they looked hungry, but were hesitant to come up to our location. I tried to hide behind a trash can, golf cart, whatever was around so I could get a shot of them playing with Bobby. The first night Bobby and I waited... and waited...and waited. They must have known patience was not my forte. “We’ll call it a wrap for tonight,” I said as Bobby walked me out.

Frustrated on the drive home, I realized it is not like I can say action and then they will run right up...remember the wild animals are the boss!

The next day, Bobby greeted me again and stated the foxes were not back, but he found something even better. As Bobby was guiding me into the back room, I was preparing myself for dealing with any type of creature. Bobby lifted up the blanket. WOW! It was a kitten. We figured it was about a week old because it was not able to stand up yet. Bobby was out on patrol and came up to an old shed when he saw it. Bobby tried to see if he could find its mother, but she was no where to be found. Bobby brought it inside and stated he would take it to the veterinarian in the morning. However, this was our time to play with it.
“Try the foxes again tomorrow?” Bobby stated, as I nodded yes.

The third night was the best for filming. The foxes were out and waiting for us. They must have been really hungry because they did not even know I was filming them.

There is so much more I can share with this story, but I will let the video tell it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9hPb01glBE

Enjoy and please let me know your stories.

Every new chapter in my life starts like the Big Bang Theory. A world of complacency, then this huge burst of energy, which sparks a new sense of intense wonder, emotion and even joy.

A few weeks ago, I was at the grocery store looking for my Gluten-Free food, when this older man with an unkept white beard, wrinkled kacki pants, and buttoned down shirt frantically just started talking to me. URGH! At that specified time, I was so not in the mood to converse with anyone, I did not have any make-up on, my hair was in a ponytail, lounge wear was the choice of apparel, I just wanted to go in and get out. I pretended I did not hear him as I continued to walk on by.

But then, the older man grabbed my arm and looked like he was getting upset and frustrated. He stated, as he looked at me, “my wife always got the groceries. If I had to go, she would always tell me where it was located and exactly what to look for.” He then started to cry.

I asked him what he was looking for and he cried even more...YIKES! What did I say?

He started to tell me how he and his wife were married for over 52 years and he does not know what to do without her. I asked him how long ago did she pass away? He replied, “5 years.”

I was thinking...5 years?... How long is this guy going to grieve? Why am I the person dealing with this guy? All I wanted to do was get some food and then go back home.

Taking a breathe, I surrendered and realized I was here to help him for a reason. The more I was by him, I began to feel his immense sense of lose radiate through my body. I did not ask him anymore questions, I just listened to him talk and we walked through the aisles to gather our belongings.

During our shopping adventure, he told me how he was retired from the Navy. He joined because he felt a sense of duty to his country as a result of Pearl Harbor and World War II. It was during one of his tours he met his wife. His wife was an assistant for a travel agency. When he was not busy with military operations he would go in to her agency and continuously ask about different destinations of travel. He found out through one of their conversations that she was engaged to be married to a very successful local businessman. His heart broke when he found out, but then he thought... “she is not married yet.” He mustered up tons of courage because he did not have the money stature of her fiance, all he had was his deep fondness of her. With joy written all over his face, he stated she broke off her engagement to the businessman and said yes to him. He stated the key ingredients to their marriage was him paying attention to the little details in her life and his persistence of showing his affection towards her. Whatever he did to show his love to her, he received it 10 times more from her.

They were never blessed with children, but the two of them were a complete family. He smiled, “ We did everything together, We never tired of one another’s company.” Sorrow came over his face as he was brought back to his current reality.

All he had was his wife, and he was now in a world completely foreign to him. It took over 50 years for him to grow more in love with her, it may take that long to learn to live without her.

He was a perfect gentleman. He let me pay for my groceries first, walked me out to my car, put the groceries in my car, then embraced me before we departed.

On the drive home I was thinking about this man, the story he told me, the loving relationship many of us crave for, yet I did not even get his name.

I never got the man’s name because I never stopped to help him out. We never had a conversation. He never reached out and grabbed my arm. I was too involved in my own world. I felt such guilt and thought what if I did not pass by him in the grocery store, what was his story? I noticed he wore a retired Navy hat and now I was thirsty to know what this man was about. The story of this man is my own creation of who he was to me, but who was he really? He could have been my own Forrest Gump. Instead of a bus stop bench, I had the grocery store.

BANG....a surge of energy rushed through me...I want to know each person’s unique story? What makes them who they are? How connected are we with each other?

I have begun an adventure to find the true essence of a person’s story and I invite you to take this journey with me.

Have you ever had a Forrest Gump type of situation where you did not want to be bothered with anything or anyone, yet when you did it was the most rewarding experience?

I was planning on making my first blog entry this Wednesday, but the universe has other things in mind.

As some may know, as Security, I get to see, hear, and even SMELL, many, many, many odd things people are not aware of. Last night was totally different, I experienced my most heartfelt emotional case as of yet.

A little 2 year old boy was playing around when a spark of curiosity over came him and with great determination he pushed his head through a small metal opening on the decor of a half exit door. When I arrived on the scene the engineers and all my security team were trying to figure out how to get this child safely out. (The steel they had to cut through was a solid 2 inches in circumference.) As I surveyed the scene, the poor kid was screaming because he was scared to death. The dad was there holding the child in a superman flight type of manner on one side of the door, but no one was actually talking with the child.

With pure instinct, I laid on floor and looked up at the child because the only view the child had was of the floor. Tears were streaming through his petrified sky blue eyes. I tried to talk with him, but he had no clue what I was saying....Why?...because he only understood Russian...URGH!!!... even my best gibberish would not help this time. Then.... the dad got hysterical and the child lost it. He was thrashing and banging his head back and forth. (The more he trashed around I was concerned for his airway.) I had to create my own Russian style of sign language with the father to let him know the child is feeding off of his emotions and he needed to remain calm. (Who was I kidding... my heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was protruding through my chest.)

As I saw the largest pair of bolt cutters starting to pry the metal from the child, I took a long look through the tears of the child and then our eyes just locked. Breaking through the language barrier he trusted me and became calm and still as well and my own heart and anxiousness did.

He was freed from the door after a 20 minute intense ordeal, and all he came out with was a little scratch to back of his head and a sucker from a bystander.

After all was deemed ok, I went to calm my own nerves when a few officers came up to me to ask what I did to calm the child down like that. Not really computing what actually took place until know, I broke down and literally cheered, "Holy %@!%, I did it, it really worked...OMG! AHHHH!"

The interesting thing is...I was supposed to be off yesterday...The universe works in mysterious ways.