There’s talk today that having money is bad, selfish, greedy, etc. to the point of trying to make those with money look bad or feel bad.

I’m glad America has money and we have wealthy Americans.

Who else has so generously funded libraries, given farm land for schools, started colleges, created theme parks, funded sports, given to needy families and charities including sending their monies and people to help others in need.

America has worked these things out to help others!

Last week after Hurricane Ian, a large women’s fashion company in Ft Meyers, FL generously loaned out their facilities to house first responders coming from many other states to restore power to the citizens and help them regain their lives. They are also housing the Red Cross, (an organization started with money) to help in this awful time of need. The generosity of this company speaks volumes about their values. Yes, they are there to sell clothing, but not only are they providing fashionable clothing for women, they are providing jobs for people who enjoy the fashion industry. Until the affected areas are made safe for employees to return to work, the company has temporarily ‘gifted’ its facilities to house first responders. (rather than just keep their doors closed and stay ‘safe’)

If the company had no money to grow its facilities, they would not be able to house the responders. I am glad we are able to make money and use it not only to provide for ourselves, but to give for others. We can give with no strings attached. We are not forced to give, but out of our abundance we have enough to give.

What do you think?

We all have a tipping point, usually in multiple categories of our lives, where we’ve had enough of something…probably our own behavior/reactions/responses…you name it for you, and we’re ready for some change.

One of my memorable tipping points was when my kids were small (all 4 under 10 yr old) and we were getting ready to bring number 5 into the world. I hate to admit it, but I had raised my voice tooo many times with the older 4 when I’d get exasperated as they ‘refused to cooperate with me’. I came to the conclusion my yelling at them was causing them to yell at each other and I wasn’t going to have the yelling continue on where we’d be a yelling family of 5. I didn’t want her to hear us yelling and didn’t want us then yelling at her as she grew up.

I was at the tipping point. That was it, I’d had it, the kids had had it and we weren’t going to participate in it any longer. The quality decision was made, I talked it over at supper with the kids that we’d no longer be yelling at each other and we weren’t going to be yelling at the new baby as she grew up, and I apologized to them for all my yelling.

Did I want my kids growing up and remembering all the times their mother had yelled at them??? It scared me. Change had to come and I had to start it.

So we had the little dinner time chat about yelling and let the kids know mom wasn’t going to be yelling at them any more and if she did slip up, they were free to call me on it, and I would apologize…and I did…many times, but the wheels were turning.

We were serious about licking that problem, it did take some time, but we licked it finally, not to say we never had relapses.

Fortunately it stuck and the kids didn’t become yellers either.

What has been a tipping point in your life? Are you approaching one now?

Now-a-days it is more important than ever to find out, decide and do who you want to be and do!

There are soooo many other voices yelling into the airwaves, ‘Conform to my ways’, ‘do as I want’, ‘don’t think, just do’, ‘you can’t do that’, nobody’s tried that before’, ‘it won’t work’, ‘give up before you embarrass yourself’, ‘no one will like it/you/your work/voice/writing’, and on and on and on… fill in your blank________!

These voices are voices of fear; afraid of somebody else outperforming them, afraid no one will notice them, afraid of change (you bringing change to their comfort), afraid of what others will/might think, afraid of being embarrassed – shame – fear of shame…that they didn’t think of or try what you were brave enough to begin or say….”What if she succeeds at what I wanted to do but was too afraid to begin…I’ll feel like a fool!”

And yet, there is room enough for everyone to bring their gifts and talents; room enough and money enough to provide for all the needs through all the services provided that the other voices are trying to silence.

Step up and step it up! Your voice, talents, services, help is needed now-a-days more than ever!

It seems there is a concerted effort to shut people up into the quiet-zone, to stifle their new ways of thinking (creativity), to mold them into sameness…no feathers ruffled…boy do I have a lot to say about this!   More later…!

Be on the ‘think-out’. Never give up/quench your desire/ability/need to voice your good/helpful/inventive/ingenious thoughts.

Write them down for further pondering…don’t cast them off as nothing important. They came to you for a reason.

What do you think?…Now let’s do!