Terri King Speaks

Do you find there are often times when you ask yourself questions like: What if it all goes wrong? What if the economy gets worse? What if I get in a financial bind? What if I get hurt and can’t work? What if he won’t love me anymore? What if…What if …. What if?

I know I certainly have. This is called negative what if thinking. It’s a nasty habit that most of us have.

So, what do we do about it? Well, nature abhors a vacuum, so we must do more than just remove the habit. We must replace it with a better habit, the habit of positive what if thinking.

Whenever you hear yourself starting to come out with one of those fear driven thoughts, stop it in its tracks with a deliberate power thought like: What if they love my idea? What if I look better and better with age? What if I can do it? What if things turn out better than I ever imagined?

I know it sounds simple but it will be a bit awkward at first.

I’m so good at the negative what if’s that sometimes I find my mind goes blank and I can’t think of one good thought for several seconds. Man I hate that.

We can’t live in fear of what might happen if we are to truly get the most out of this short trip they call life because guess what? Things happen.

Norman Vincent Peale says: “The secret of life isn’t what happens to you, but what you do with what happens to you.”

Nothing is going to happen to you that you can’t do something about. Do your best to assess the damage, deal with it as quickly as possible and get on with your life and don’t look back.

You’re on the stage of your life. There is no dress rehearsal.

This is your one chance. So go out there and live it.

Terri King

Have you ever heard the story of Easy Eddie and Butch O’Hare?

In short, they were two guys who each risked their lives for freedom and honor.

Easy Eddie paid the ultimate sacrifice to be free from the clutches of Al Capone and to restore honor to his name.

Butch O’Hare was the first WWII pilot to become a flying ace fighting for a free world and the Chicago O’Hare Airport bears his name in honor of his accomplishments.

It reminds me of my favorite line in the movie Open Range: “You might not know this, but there are some things that gnaw on a man worse than dying.”

What’s worth dying for? That’s a question only you can answer for yourself.

Whatever the answer, let’s make sure if it’s worth risking death for it’s worth living for. That is, in this busy, fast-pace world, remember to give quality time to the things that really matter to you.

By the way, if you haven’t heard the Easy Eddie/Butch O’Hare story here’s a link:

The Story of Easy Eddie and Butch O’Hare

Yesterday I went to the movie theater and watched Ben Stein’s documentary called Expelled, Intelligence not permitted.

It was shocking. Did you know, in the academia world scientist can and have lost their jobs for merely suggesting the notion that the origin of life might have come about by some Intelligent design?

A place that boasts itself to be open-minded? A place where students are encouraged to ask why, test the limits of everything, and often accept no absolutes? Yes, This place.

Regardless of your religious beliefs, this is a crime. Free speech is what’s really at stake here.

This is America. One should be free to agree, disagree, agree to disagree, and by all means formulate an independent thought that is all your own and throw it out there.

I could go on and on, but as you know, one of my primary goals for this blog is to keep it brief.

So, I am only raising awareness here and recommending the documentary to you for further review.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Terri King

The news has been full of reports on the domino effect of high fuel costs. It has spiked the demand for biofuel resources, which has increase the cost of food from both fronts. All indications are that this problem will continue to grow.

What can we do?

Here’s one of those times when an individual decision can make a difference. Let’s………. plant a garden! Let’s can food for later use.

I know, I know this isn’t a new idea. All of our parents did it and even some of us. But this time it could really stand for something socially and politically.

It’s a small gesture of self-sufficiency.

Maybe you’re like me and you don’t have the space for a garden. We can do patio tomatoes or something like that. Anything.

If you can get it to grow, give someone else a portion of the fruits of your labor. That’s the reward, feeding ourselves and others.

This can be a great experience and fun.

By the way, if you need help there’s a wealth of info at your local Cooperative Extension Office. The number for Buncombe County is 828-255-5522.

Come on! Let’s grow together!!

Terri King

Spring is here! Are you ready for change?

If you are like a lot of people change is something you probably resist. The fear of change can be so strong that we would stay where we are, doing what we’re doing even if it’s not good for us, just to avoid having to change.

Well, Spring is a great time to embrace change. It’s a time when change is good. The sun shines, the birds sing, flowers bloom. All of this is possible because nature is willing to change the seasons.

Look for some way to change this week. Do something different. Take a new route to work, get a new hair style, or listen to another genre of music for a day. Do anything to shake it up a bit.

You might find a creative idea or a solution to a nagging problem lurking around in your mind somewhere.

At the very least, you’ll break some monotony and be UNPREDICTABLE!

Yea, that’s sexy.

Have a great week.

Terri King

People are life’s most valuable resource. We need each other. We need key people in our lives to help us achieve our goals, aspirations, and best selves. This is not a solo journey.

Life is about relationships if it is to be a happy, healthy experience.

Consider this:

1. Take inventory. Is there someone in your life that needs to go? If they are a negative source and their principles don’t align with your own, the answer is probably YES.

2. Do your due diligence. Be selective about the people you allow into your life. They will have impact, period!! Look for those who stretch your mind, build your confidence, brighten your days.

3. Give a hug. Put your arms around those who you feel blessed to know. Do it TODAY.

The greatest joys of my life are the people in it and what I can do to make the day of another a little better.

You know the old saying: ” Birds of a feather, flock together.” Let’s change out the bad feathers, spruce up the good ones and fly with a flock destined for soaring high and making a positive difference.

Terri King

Are you like me? Your day is filled with so many distractions that some important things just don’t get done.

By the end of the day when I get home I have a 3-year-old that needs snacks, a bath, and a bedtime story, a house that needs cleaned, and the list go on. I suspect it’s not so different from your list.

I have been neglecting precious and critical prayer/mediation time with myself. This has got to stop.

So, this weekend I designated a secret place in my house. This is a place that is off limits to the rest of the family. The ambiance is comfortable for me. I have low light using candles, a small heater, a desk, a blanket, and my inspirational book collection.
I close the door and enter another place. Now I can escape to my dreams, goals, and creative planning without distraction.

I can’t over emphasize how critical positive imaging is to our success. We’ve got to visualize the desired outcome and hold the image firmly in our minds everyday for our subconscious to pick up the signal and help us bring it into reality.

Already, if feel it working.

If you are in the market for a secret place, here’s some criteria to consider:

1. Look for a space that can be comfortable to you(you’ve got to be able to relax)
2. Can you post a “Keep Out” sign on the door?(I lock mine so I can leave my books and papers lying around)
3. A smaller space might be best (mine is a closet in the spare bedroom)
4. Is it convenient to access?( if it were in your home, even 5-10 minutes before bedtime would be great)

This little adjustment creating consistent prayer/mediation can change our lives forever!!

Let’s do it and keep doing it?

Terri King

“Freedom is an effervescent idea that can’t be bottled up forever.”

This is a quote by Scott Simon, NPR news, while reporting on the unrest over the Chinese rule of Tibet.

I was just thinking:

To ever beat the odds, achieve the impossible, and overcome the insurmountable, one must start with a burning desire (the idea).

Now fix in your mind the image of you and your life once you have achieved your desire. Constantly think positive, affirming thoughts of that end (the effervescense).

Next, keep a lid on it!! Tell of your dreams only to the few that will encourage you and help you build excitement for the future achievement (bottled up). The naysayers and small-minded can cause your precious energy to dissipate and be lost FOREVER!

Finally, start “P.U.S.H.”ing.

Pray, Persist
Until
Something
Happens
(This is the pressure-building phase.)

Next thing you know that effervescent idea will explode into reality and set you free.

Special thanks to Rhonda Ford for her contributions to this posting.

Terri King

“Once I knew only darkness and stillness…my life was without past or future…but a little word from the fingers of another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness and my heart leaped to the rapture of living.”

This is a quote by Helen Keller referring to her teacher, Anne Sullivan. Helen Keller had handicaps that threatened the prospect of a successful life. She was deaf and blind.

Maybe you and I aren’t deaf or blind, but we all have weaknesses and obstacles in the path between us and our best selves.

What’s keeping you from getting that better job? What’s keeping me from realizing the dreams I have for my company? What’s keeping us all from having more to share with the world?

No one achieves great success without the help of others.

Would we have ever known Helen Keller without Anne Sullivan?

With that thought, I challenge you with 3 tasks:

1. Search yourself. Identify the weaknesses that hold you back. Be honest.

2. Seek out people who have the strengths you need and get them on your team.

3. Volunteer yourself to help someone else bridge the gap in their road to greatness.

Here’s hoping we find the Anne Sullivans we need to help us see a better way and hear gentle reminders that we can make history if we are willing to go the extra mile.

Terri King

As I was about to say on Monday…

Maybe you’ve heard Oprah is endorsing Eckhardt Tolle’s new book “A New Earth”. I haven’t read this one yet but it reminded me of one of his books I have read, ” Practicing the Power of Now”.

It’s about being present in the moment. Close your eyes and feel the presence of your own body, your arms, legs, breathing, etc. What do you hear, feel, smell? Once you’ve done this you have practiced the power of now.

It’s really a very interesting exercise in which you emotionally remove yourself from the experience. Tolle calls it being the “observer”.

Here’s the real treasure in this. Once you’ve realized the ability to emotionally remove yourself from any experience you gain control over the value of that experience. You can then decide whether it is important, garbage, or reject it altogether for irrelevance to you.

When you become the observer, there is no past, no future, only now and you have the power to assign the value placed on the now.

So as you go through the course of your day, and life happens, ask yourself:

Does this really matter to me?

What kind of impact do I want this to have on me?

Where will one reaction vs. another lead me?

Then assign value ranging from no value to critically valuable and react accordingly. No value get none of your energy and time and critically valuable gets much more.

I’m finding right now that this is harder to put into words than I realized but once you have experienced it for yourself you will feel the empowerment of it.

Use the past for the lessons it teaches, use the future for the hope that it promises, engage in the present. It’s where life happens.

Terri King