An Inspirational Person, Jaymac

In our lifetime, we meet many types of people. The ones that stand out for me are the ones who overcome challenges and have a positive outlook on life.

Most recently, I have had the pleasure of communicating with John McLeod, or as he goes by, Jaymac. He writes poetry, and has sent me poems for the site. Through emails, I have had the pleasure of getting to know Jaymac, and his story is an inspiring one.

You see, Jaymac became ill at the age of 10. He had a rheumatoid condition that left him disabled. He was only able to walk with the use of crutches. Jaymac is now 60 years old. He retired in 1991, and to quote Jaymac, "I retired in 1991 when my health crashed very badly and my arms, on which I had, literally, 'walked' with crutches for the best part of 40 years finally decided they'd had enough! Most unsporting of them!!!"

Jaymac talks about life and, as you will read in the paragraph quoted below he has a great outlook on life:

"Life, though, is full of compensations and I have been well blessed throughout my 'Life Journey' with good friends met and made along the way. Life is a kind of swings and roundabouts situation; if you can't kick a football you turn to other pursuits. So I read and learned and learned and read, endlessly curious about the World and its mysteries. I loved and love music and movies, good drama, good quality TV, anything scientific, anything, which makes me think about those things, which lie just beyond understanding. I am also a radio-ham holding a full Class A transmitting license since 1979. So while disability imposes its physical restrictions I am able to go out and meet the world via the air-waves. I speak to other 'Hams' all over the world."

We all face challenges in our lives. But how we handle these challenges, how we look at life is truly what matters. We can all look at life one of two ways:
1. we can focus on the good and move forward, or,
2. we can focus on the negative and wallow in self pity.


Our hope in sharing Jaymac's story with you is that you will focus on all the good in your life and move forward no matter what your situation!
by Catherine Pulsifer

I Can't Wait To Go To the Dentist!

I had a dental appointment this morning. I loved every minute of it.

Well, okay, maybe I didn't enjoy every minute. But, I did look forward to it weeks in advance, and I woke up happy and exhilarated at the thought of going to the dentist this morning.

Really, I did!

By now, you're thinking, "Boy, Heidi's been playing Chinese checkers on her computer screen way too long and is more than a marble short!"

While I won't argue with you on the one-marble-too-short claim, I did have a motive for my anticipation.

You see, I'm a mother of four children all of whom I homeschool. I'm also and entrepreneur and co-owner of a successful business which I run out of my home. You can imagine how hectic my life is on a daily basis.

What does this have to do with the dentist?

In two words...READING TIME!

Now, like all good entrepreneurs, I get my hands on everything I can to read. I have walls of bookcases filled with books and courses on marketing and other entrepreneurial delicacies. I have books on my bed stand, magazines in the bathroom, binders of printed eBooks in my car.

I, literally, have reading material with me everywhere I go, even on dates with my husband. Actually, we usually end up talking business over dinner and then going to the bookstore.

Neither of us can imagine running our business without the wealth of knowledge available to us.

So...

As my dental appointment drew closer, I excitedly went through all my reading piles to select one bit of reading material that had been screaming at me for the last month.

Ahhh, a chance to sit quietly with no children, no interruptions, no phone calls...just myself and my book. Oh, yes, and my pencil for taking notes.

I was a reading maniac, soaking in every word.

So, where in the world is this article going? I'm going to make a confession to you...

My husband and I both attribute our success to the knowledge we have gained through reading and studying, and then...putting that knowledge to work.

Actually, I have another confession to make...


The quest for knowledge to become successful never ends.
It doesn't matter which successful entrepreneur you talk to. They will all have these things in common: they have boatloads of books, they read everyday, and they view their marketing efforts as a continually evolving and learning adventure.

So, I issue you this challenge. Turn off the T.V. tonight and find something worthwhile to read that will help your business or your personal growth.

And, if necessary, make an appointment to visit the dentist.
by Heidi Perry,