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Boarded Windows
You know how images trigger emotions? You can see something that can leave you warm and fuzzy for hours or fill you with hope and wonder for days. Something that has always struck me as sad has been closed, boarded-up shops and businesses. Namely the ones which would have been individually-owned, a mom and pop shop, if you will. I never was 100% sure why they always left me clouded until yesterday. We were driving around Kentucky looking for something fun to get into and I saw what was once obviously a beautiful little restaurant. The landscaping had taken some a lot of thought, the fixtures were shiny, the siding blindingly white, the accent colors were beautiful, the sign was adorably Kentuckian....the windows were boarded up, and there was a little For Sale by Owners poster on the side. This beautiful little place was once somebody's dream that filled them with hope, then their reality that had filled them with joy, then their past that left them empty. It hadn't been open terribly long - that much was obvious. For one thing, we hadn't seen it a few years before, and for another - everything was still too pretty and fresh. What if the owners had given the place more time? What if they closed shop and shut down just before their business was about to explode? What if one tiny little month was all that was needed for enough people to find them - what if they quit 30 days too soon? What if they had believed more in their restaurant and more in themselves? What all did they miss out on by quitting, giving up and throwing up the boards on the windows? They'll never know how close they may have been! Never's a word that doesn't work for me. Sadly, we're all just as guilty. How many of us have beautiful, brightly colored dreams that we craft and nurture? The future is bright and our hopes are soaring....then, if things aren't moving along fast enough for us, or if the work is too hard, we board up the windows and abandon it. We whip out the "Closed for Business" sign and broken-heartedly move on. *** "If the dream was worth dreaming, the work is worth working." How many dreams have we "boarded up" too soon? What all could we have all ready missed out on?!How many days were WE from success when we quit?What if we believed more in our dreams and in ourselves? You know the good thing about boards and nails? They come out and they come down. The owners could, if they had the stuff, give it another shot. They could take the boards down, sweep off the front walk, call the realtor and tell her they'd found the perfect people. Granted, it would take guts, boundless courage, a strong backbone and 75-pound, brass willpower, but isn't that what it took in the first place? If they had the legs to walk the walk the first time around, they have the legs to walk the second time around - and this time they'll know the path better! Do you have any dreams you need to unboard? If anything springs to mind, it's still important to you - you see it through the boards! Take the nails out, the wood planks down and let some light get in. Spruce it up and get reacquainted - promise to never give up again. YOU may be 30 days away from utopia as well, but you won't get there if you stop in your tracks. It goes without saying, if you have dreams that you're tempted to board up - keep the nails in your pocket. Stay Open for Business and FIND A WAY....MAKE A WAY. There is always a way. *** "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt Think about that little restaurant. What would you have told the owners to encourage them right before they threw in the kitchen towel? I know there's advice you would have given. I also know you would have done all you could to help them - you would have stood right between them and the boards. That's where I'm planting myself right now, between you and your boards! *** "If you want to reach your rainbow, you have to keep walking." Author: Joi Sigers Copyright 2005 The Mental Fitness Center Joi Sigers, Publisher and Writer of The Mental Fitness Center and blogger on a mission with Out of Bounds!
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news News Corp exec becomes chief of Germany's Premiere (Reuters via Yahoo! News) News Corp's chief financial officer for Europe and Asia has been named chief executive of German pay television group Premiere, following the resignation of Michael Boernicke, Premiere said on Wednesday. News Corporation to redevelop London Wapping site (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is to redevelop its Wapping site in London, moving all its UK businesses, including News International, Harper Collins, MySpace and Dow Jones, under one roof. UPI NewsTrack Entertainment News (UPI) Chesney nominated for 7 CMAs ... Hoffman: I'm not playing Penguin ... 'RocknRolla' No. 1 at U.K. box office ... Jessica Simpson stops song on 'GMA' ... News from United Press International. DailyMe: News tailored to your individual tastes (The Christian Science Monitor) Column: Custom news websites come and go, but this one gets it right. Sarah Palin docu wins record ratings for Fox News (Reuters via Yahoo! News) In a week of records surrounding the Republican National Convention, Fox News Channel earned another one with its weekend documentary on vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. MySpace ad business ahead of target: News Corp (Reuters via Yahoo! News) News Corp's (NWSa.N) MySpace advertising business is operating ahead of expectations and its digital ad business is performing better than the marketplace, the company's chief operating officer said on Tuesday. STOCKS NEWS EUROPE-Erdemir shares fall on iron ore prices (Reuters via Yahoo! Malaysia News) STOCKS NEWS Reuters Results diary News Buzz: Recreating the Big Bang, Gates Urges Slow Iraq Drawdown, Ike Gains Strength (US News & World Report) Top news from the Associated Press For consumers, good news down the line (Sun-Sentinel) Whether you buy a new iPod or not, there may be good news for you in Apple's release of new iPods on Tuesday . Fox News Vaults To Top Of Primetime Ratings (MultiChannel News) Who says no one watches political conventions? Fox News Channel?s coverage of GOP Presidential nominee John McCain?s Sept. 4 acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention drew 9.2 million viewers, topping all other basic cable shows last week, according to Nielsen Media Research data. Site: news - Google News News Analysis A Difficult Road Awaits Panetta at the CIA - New York Times
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for inspirational Inspirational Experts in Fashion, Cuisine and Lifestyle to Share Tips and Trends at Orange County Head to Toe Women's ... (PRWeb) Southern California's premiere women's consumer show, the Head to Toe Women's Expo returns to OC Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa, Calif., October 10, 11 and 12, 2008. Presented by Ralphs Grocery, the Head to Toe Women's Expo gives mothers, daughters, and girlfriends a chance to reconnect during a weekend of shopping, pampering, makeovers and inspirational speakers. Several experts, ... http://firepit-plans.com Introduces "The Fire Pit Planner Guide" a Comprehensive Inspirational Guide to Building ... (PRWeb via Yahoo! News) http://firepit-plans.com is a new site that offers a unique do-it-yourself inspirational plan to building fire pits, the guide offers tips and advice on operating and constructing fire pits in the outdoors, house garden or backyard. Reporter's Notebook (Dallas Morning News) Certain parts of Irving City Hall will soon be getting makeovers. Residents and visitors can expect to see inspirational quotes on walls and prominent displays of the city?s mission statement within a couple of months. Bob Walter: Iraq hero gets moving tribute in Elk Grove Park (The Sacramento Bee) For a hero: As if anybody could forget Joe Nurre of Wilton, a fitting and permanent memorial to the inspirational Elk Grove High School football captain is attracting plenty of attention in Elk Grove Park. Joe Nurre A plaque dedicates an Elk Grove barbecue area to Joe Nurre. MCC Honors 9/11 Victims and Families (R News) Monroe Community College hosted a special 9/11 commemorative ceremony at the Remembrance Walk on the Brighton campus. The hour long event included music, inspirational speeches, a moment of silence and flowers placed at the base of the 9/11 monument there. Local review: 'Bill W. and Dr. Bob' entertaining, educational (The Pantagraph) For a gripping evening of theater as educational as it is inspirational, ?Bill W. and Dr. Bob? at Heartland Theatre Company, can?t be beat. Steve Amerson to Sing at the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's Convention (Christian News Wire) DENVER, Sept. 11 / Christian Newswire / -- Steve Amerson, well-known Inspirational music artist will be singing at the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's Annual Convention, A Celebration of Honor, in Denver, Colorado at the "Patriots Award Gala" on Friday, September 19, 2008. Radio pirate suspect arrested in Wilton Manors apartment (Sun-Sentinel) When you tune into FM 103.9 in Broward County , you're supposed to hear a sermon by Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale Pastor Bob Coy or inspirational music from the likes of Mercy Me and Steven Curtis Chapman. Randolph Reads kicks off with celebration (Asheboro Courier-Tribune) ASHEBORO ? A Randolph County initiative to unite the community in reading and discussing an inspirational non-fiction book about a nearby town?s struggles with change is under way. Honor Text Helps Americans to Remember (WCAV Charlottesville) The clock strikes 9:11am and your phone beeps, but it?s not your average text message. Instead, it?s an Honor Text, a brief inspirational message about some of America?s service men and women. Site: inspirational - Google News Gerard Lucien Gaudreau, inspirational speaker - Baltimore Sun
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