George Fourie was having a bad week.

A Chevrolet Malibu involved in a rollover crash

He had missed the last three days of his life. When he woke; his mother was at his side after traveling around a 1000 km to be there. He found out he had a broken neck and some serious head injuries.
Within days his doctor looked at him and laughed.  When pressed the doctor revealed, “You are not supposed to be here.  Anybody with your head and neck injuries we normally just ignore because they die within two weeks.”  George realized he had another chance at life.
The auto accident and George’s brush with death changed everything.  He moved forward with greater purpose!  He heard what life was teaching.
After hearing this on The Teach Jim Show I asked myself … am I listening to the lessons life is trying to teach?  Being a bit more sensitive here are some of the lessons I’ve learned this week.

You and I are magnificent!

The Butterfly Circus (low res) from The Butterfly Circus.

You and I are talented!
The Dot – By Peter Reynolds

You and I can embrace how we look.

As a beauty I’m not a great star.
There are others more handsome by far,
But my face, I don’t mind it,
Because I’m behind it—
’Tis the folks in the front that I jar.
[Anthony Henderson Euwer, “My Face,” in Rhymes of Our Valley (New York: James B. Pond, 1916), 92]

We can do something about the “tough times” we face.

Rooster

Scratchings from the Little Red Hen

Said the big white rooster, “Gosh all Hemlock, things are tough,
Seems that worms are getting scarce and I cannot find enough.
What’s become of all those fat ones is a mystery to me;
There were thousands through the rainy spell, but now where can they be?”
The little red hen, who heard him, didn’t grumble or complain,
She had been through lots of dry spells, she has lived through floods of rain;
So she flew up on the grindstone and she gave her claws a whet,
And she said, “I’ve never seen a time there were no worms to get.”
She picked a new and undug spot; the earth was hard and firm.
The big white rooster jeered, “New ground! That’s no place for a worm.”

A Rhode Island Red hen

The little red hen spread her feet, she dug fast and free,
“I must go to the worms,” she said, “the worms won’t come to me.”
The Rooster vainly spent his day, through habit by the ways,
Where fat worms have passed in squads, back in the rainy days.
When nightfall found him supperless, he growled in accents rough,
“I’m as hungry as a fowl can be. Conditions sure are tough.”
He turned to the little red hen and said, “It’s worse with you,
For you’re not only hungry, but you must be tired too.
I rested while I watched for worms, so I feel fairly perk;
But how are you? Without worms too? And after all that work?”
The little red hen hopped to her perch and dropped her eyes to sleep,
And murmured, in a drowsy tone, “Young man, hear this and weep,
I’m full of worms and happy, for I’ve dined both long and well,
The worms were there, as always – but I had to dig like hell!”
Oh, here and there white roosters are still holding sales positions,
They cannot do much business now, because of poor conditions.
But as soon as things get right again, they’ll sell a hundred firms –
Meanwhile, the little red hens are out, a-gobbling up the worms.

Embrace Each Day!

Leveraging Life’s lessons into the most benefit for you and I means sharing our story and the stories of others. It means making the most out of this moment of our lives so we can enjoy the peace and joy of this time.  The little things in life become the most important.  Important messages make meaningful connections.  Thank you for ready.
Embrace each day of our lives. Do you have ears to hear life’s lessons like George did. I keep trying and hope you are too!
(More on George and That MLM Beat tomorrow.)

Teach Jim

Leveraging Learning into Significant Solutions