Sylvia

Sylvia by A.R. Gurney at New Dinner Theatre, OP, KS

     How a man treats his pets tells a lot about a man and his marriage. Sylvia, a stray dog played by Susan Louise O'Connor, comes into the middle of Kate and Greg's marriage when Greg , played by Jim Korinke, decides to adopt her against Kate's wishes. When Kate, played by our beloved actress from the 70's Cindy Williams, feels threatened by the attention her husband is giving to his new canine love; the battle begins between Kate and Sylvia to decide who gets to stay. Game on! They both do their best to gain Greg's undivided affections.

   As time goes on Greg's understanding of the limits of his relationship with both females in his household becomes clear and he begins to set things in proper order. However, as this play illustrates, pets can melt the coldest of hearts as they teach all those close to them about ourselves and our relationships with others.
    “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;  or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you.  Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the LORD has done this?  In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind (Job 12:7-10)."
    Great play and another great Sisters Night Out at the New Dinner Theatre. Dinner was as wonderful as usual but as our table guest, Crystal expressed, "The best part of this night out is always the desserts." We couldn't really argue with that!





My Chocolate Flan Cake-- YUMMY!



My Sister's Black Forest Cheesecake- Delicious!





     Take time to nurture and build relationships in your daily life. While other investments only hold temporary value, investments in relationships are eternal.
   “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal (Matthew 6:19-20)."  “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 18:18)"

TOP SIX DREAMER'S TO DO LIST

1.  Invite a sibling or good friend out to enjoy a wonderfully prepared dessert!

2.  Invite six to eight good friends to bring a homemade dessert and its recipe to share.
3.  Thank your pet with a tasty surprise and some quality time. If you don't have a pet go down to the nearest shelter and see if you can find a match made in heaven!
4.  Rethink your pet's routine and add special quality time with him every day!-- take her along on your daily run/walk; let her sit on your lap during your daily bible reading; take him for a ride when you drop the kids off at school.
5.  Pay attention to what your pets are teaching you about your relationships and take action to make them better.
6.  Offer to take care of a friend's pet so they can have a worry-free weekend away.



The Time Traveler's Wife

    When did the love story between Henry and Claire really begin? Unraveling the mystery of their love affair in this wonderful romance made me realize how we are all time travelers in some sense because the present is so fleeting. Basking in the memories of loved ones who have passed on or even in the memories of the joy of motherhood when the children were young, these brief embraces let us travel back in time with the wisdom the future brought us. Something that Henry apparently did a lot of that brought him back to meet Claire when she was a little girl. Henry came back with knowledge from the future that he already knew and loved her. It was those meetings that created the possibility of them meeting in future. Claire would recognize him in the future with knowledge from the past that she already loved him, a future experience he didn't share with her yet.
   Time travel is always confusing but the screenwriter did a great job keeping this movie on an easy to follow time track while remaining true to the love story that was unfolding. I love how Claire's friend, Gomez, finds out that this new stranger in Claire's life is a time traveler. Gomez's reaction will suprise you but if  you want to know more details about the underlying causes of his reaction you'll have to read the book.
   I think I was more captured with the love affair than the concept of time travel. Overcoming the difficulties presented by Henry's anamoly didn't strike me as any different than any other couple dealing with frequent absenses, for example, a military couple dealing with deployment or unaccompanied temporary duties, a truck driver leaving for extended travel, a frequent business traveler, or pilot. Although the method of travel without any notice or warning proposes a unique dilemna for the couple and adds a lot of fun flare, the movie depicts the strain frequent seperations pose for any marriage.
    I was confused about what the geneticist brought to the solution of Henry's spontaneous traveling. Several triggers were discussed such as drinking alcohol and stress that may have caused him to travel more frequent. It was actually another time traveler he meets in the future that teaches him how to have some control and possibly even be able to stay in the present or travel at will. That little tip doesn't seem to change the events that occur independent of his traveling. The fact well illustrated in the movie is that his traveling to the past can not change the outcome of the future. So possibly Clare and Henry were destined to meet even if he had never time traveled at all.

TOP SIX DREAMER'S TO DO LIST
1. Take time to enjoy a trip into the past: have a home video night with family and friends, build a scrapbook about enjoyable events of the past, or look up an old friend from high school and meet for lunch.
2. Don't let a minute slip by without loving the people you are with right now.
3. Take time to dream about the future: plan a trip to a dream destination whether you think you can go or not, get a passport just in case, and write a short story of what your 'dream' life looks like in 5 years.
4. Meditate on the eternal promises of God:
    Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. (Psalm 23:6)
    My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life. (John 10:27, 28)
    The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
5. Don't get too bogged down with the things in present instead remember you are an eternal being whose life on earth is brief. So think and choose with an eternal reference.
   -But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:  (Matthew 6:20)
6. Do what you can to be healthy and feel good and don't let your chronicle age dictate what you think you can or can not do (unless your parents tell you not to!).

The Sunshine Boys

Love my sis...
we had a very special evening.

      The two actor team, Lewis and Clark, reunites after a twelve year recess and struggle to deal with the baggage they carried over from their 43 year career together. The Sunshine Boys, playing at the New Dinner Theatre in Overland Park, KS,  runs through November 7, 2010. Not the flashy production that the Buddy Holly show was this summer, but the main set was impressive. We also enjoyed the commerical relics aired between set changes.  

New Dinner Theatre
Overland Park, KS
through Nov 7, 2010

      Howard Hesseman brillantly pulls off the bitter old actor character and is supported by a great cast of actors. What this play lacks in production flare is made up for in great acting and thought provoking themes. Watching Clark's struggle, you can't help but wonder the worth of a lifetime of dedication to a profession or any other pursuit at the expense of relationships. What could you spend your effort and energy on that will last?

    The valdeville scenes were fun with one exception. Call me prudish if you must but I could have done without the awkwardly lengthy skirt scene. I realize this was done in the pursuit of historical relevance but I think we could have gotten the point had they skirted around that scene.

    Overall I would say I enjoyed the production. And let's not forget the amazing culinary delight. I do not know how they pull off a buffet with such five star quality. The food selection as always was amazing and the taste was equal to the task. Our server made us feel as if he absolutely loved waiting on us. However, his attention to the details was most impressive. Maybe a small thing, but when I came back from the buffet and saw my napkin had been folded and set back on the table I have to say I felt very special.

    

 TOP SIX Dreamer's TO DO LIST:

1. Pick a day every month to spend with your sister (sibling or close friend).

2. Find a great place like the New Dinner Theatre that you both love and meet there regularly.

3. Pray for each other and ask God's blessing over your relationship and each other's lives.
4. Pray for your server and tip them well.
5. Dress up and enjoy a little pampering.
6. Make someone else feel special with a card, flowers, or a night of laughter.

A River Runs Through It

     The love of fly fishing is woven into this movie about family and faith. The Montana wilderness is the back drop of this wonderful chronicle of two brothers coming of age in the home of their preacher father and loving mother. The oldest brother leaves home to fulfill a dream and career while the youngest remains at home a successful newspaperman struggling with addiction to gambling.
    At first glance, I thought the movie would portray the father as an overbearing, legalistic religious man and slam the Christian faith as harsh and unloving as often is the case. But to my surprise the father and mother were shown to display an unconditional love for both their children. An example I hope to model with my adult children. These parents display a great love for their children, exemplifying their successes, and loving them despite their weaknesses.
   The movie shows how coming back to the roots of childhood, in this case the love fly fishing instilled by their father, weaves a life of love and faith together with the magnificent works of God.

Dreamer's Top 6 To Do List:

1. Set standards in accordance with your values and walk them out.

2. Build a parental team that supports each other.

3. Encourage your children with faith, love, and prayer.

4. Share your passion with your children without expectations.

5. Love your children unconditionally.

6. Praise for their successes; pray for their weaknesses.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

Even if your dream is to become a missionary and work for nothing, you will need financial backing to get where you are going. Dreams require money whether it is yours or someone else's. As a Christian, it seems noble to do everything for nothing but that can lead to pride. Kiyosaki does not go into the moral dilemna of whether or not you should pursue a profit but rather assumes that if you are a good steward of your money, your money will begin work for you.

In his book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Kiyosaki explains strategies in which we can make our money profitable. He compares the financial teachings of his Rich Dad to the teachings of his Poor Dad. He cautions us that "the love of money is the root of all evil" though money itself is not evil. Rich people often do not have to think about the need for money because they let the money work for them instead of spending their lives working for the money. That frees up a lot time to consider how they will spend their money to both profit and share. They are often the most generous people with their time and money. The caution is that that is not always the case. It is easy to get snared in the pursuit of more money, at the expense of what is important. Do what is important with what you do have. Even Jesus instructs the men with the talents to not bury their money but rather make wise investments and, as the woman in Proverbs 31 was admired for, make a profit in all your dealings.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad is jam packed with lots of inspirational ideas to generating a more profitable income. I would have liked to explore more specific details in Kiyosaki's book but I was able to infer enough practices to explore in more detail in other sources, specifically for my business situation and ideas. Probably the most valuable information I got from the book is to consider the way I spend my money; to buy assets instead of liabilities and to limit expenses.

Dreamer's Top Six To Do List

1. Buy Assets (that can generate income) not Liabilities (that increase expenses)
2. Increase your financial IQ by taking courses, attending seminars, and reading books.
3. Own Businesses that can run profitably even if you are not there.
4. Become Best-Selling at whatever you do, not just the Best.
5. Mind your own cashflow and make it work for you.
6. Don't react on your emotions but do understand how they effect your ability to make financial decisions.

I do recommend reading, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and considering the ideas of Robert Kiyosaki. Not to follow his money-generating formulas but rather to evaluate the stewardship of your own money. Are you buying assets or squandering your money on liabilities? Are you allowing your money to work for you or are you working harder for money that you have already spent in the pursuit of things of little standing worth? Are you ready to handle more money? Learning to handle your money well and generate a profitable increase in it is indeed Godly stewardship of all that you have been given.

Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

Money: You are doomed if you have it, doomed if you don't. If you don't have money, satan tempts you into thinking that if you just had some or more you could acheive your dreams. If you have money, satan tempts you with all kinds of traps including the want of more than you need, hording, obsession over losing it, idolatry, laziness, and other tempations that money can buy. How much money does a dream cost? If your dream is God given, God will provide all you need to acheive it.

The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey is a step by step, biblically based process of being good stewards of what money we have been given. Starting by eliminating our money's stronghold over us: consumer debt. Then he teaches us the basics of making our money grow so we can give it away. With your heart in the right place, focused on God, you will have all you need to acheive your dreams and help others along the way.

The Total Money Makeover begins by giving you peace of mind. Many relationships are severed over the stress of money. Many a bad relationship is revealed by the way money is handled in it. A great way to start developing an honest, cooperative relationship is to get honest and cooperative about the money. And one of the worst relationships we have with money is being slave to the lender. Get out of debt. No matter how much money you have or don't have, reaching financial peace is simply living without debt and using what you are given to prepare for the future. Whether it be character building or wealth building, the adventure begins when you are out from under the burden of debt.

Dave Ramsey's road to financial peace takes you through seven steps called, the Baby Steps, beginning with cutting up the credit cards and stashing away a $1,000 emergency fund. Next step, pay off the debt and in his book, The Total Money Makeover, he explains that the debt snowball is the most effective way to do that. As you move through the baby steps, you will learn to take stewardship of your money by making it work for you to achieve your dreams. No one says it will be easy, a few weaknesses in character have been known to be revealed in the process. Do not be discouraged. Each new step will bring you closer to having peace of mind about your money and to realizing your dreams.

TOP SIX Dreamer's To Do LIST

1. Figure out what "Baby Step" you are at and set out with a vengence to conquer it.
2. Honestly look at your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to how you handle money. Get help to overcome your weaknesses.
3. Set up your budget, include everyone who shares your pocketbook, and stick to it.
4. Evaluate how money reveals the strengths and weaknesses in your relationships. Get help to overcome the weaknesses.
5. Start a dream list as if money was not an obstacle and then re-evaluate that dream in terms of your current financial situation. For example, what can you dream about doing with the barn you currently own instead of going in debt for a new one?
6. Trust God to provide all you need not a bank loan!

the Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly

Dreaming of flipping burgers? Maybe you dream of hanging off the back of a garbage truck the rest of your life. No matter where you end up after high school or a lay-off or a bankrupt business-- flipping burgers, picking up garbage, waiting tables, delivering pizzas-- for those of you not in your dream job these are just stops on the way to acheiving your dreams.

The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly is a 2007 parable about a janitorial company that wanted to help their employees gain a sense of value about themselves while cleaning toilets. They achieved this by realizing that most of their employees weren't planning to clean toilets the rest of their lives and so they became interested in what it was their employees were dreaming about. In the parable, the janitorial company hired a dream manager to help employees articulate their dreams and develop plans to help them acheive them. Some of those dreams were accomplished while they worked at the company and some of them meant overtime preparing their employees for employment somewhere else.

Have you ever worked for a company that had your real dreams at heart? Or was the Dream Manager Program destined to fall by the wayside of every other management program to accomplish a company's bottom line. Kelly's story reminded me of my employer's IDP program, the Individual Development Plan. We were to write down our one year, 3-5 year, and 10 year goals and the tasks we needed to start doing to accomplish them. Our manager's would agree to help us anyway they could. Whether it meant time off, company resources, or other programs they could reasonably provide it was included when they signed off on our plan. But the program like most management programs came and went. Some individuals' goals were acheived, mostly by promotions they dreamed of, and these were spotlighted to justify the success of the program. However, the bottom line is that from the company's perspective the IDP only worked if it was career development within the employer's realm.

In the Dream Manager's Initiative, at Kelly's "dream company," employees' dreams were not limited in scope to that which they could acheive within the company. Resources were not limited by what the company or the employee could come up with. Everyone became aware of the dreams of co-workers and pooled their resources and seemingly impossible dreams were acheived.

The Dream Manager is an excellent read to inspire you to see what might happen if dreams are uncovered in the people around you: your co-workers, your employees, your spouses, your children, your neighbors, and your friends. At the back of the book, Kelly lays out a plan to start you dreaming and to reach out and begin dreaming with others. He shows how the Dream Initiative could be used in fast food, in schools, and in families.

Top Six Dreamer's To Do List

1. Write down 100 dreams you have or have had.
2. Identify a timeframe for each dream of less than a year, one to five years, or greater than 5 years.
3. Write down what you can do over the next 3 to 6 months to accomplish each dream in the allotted timeframe.
4. Start a Dream Team by inviting 8 people (your children, co-workers, spouses, friends, familiy, neighbors) to write down their 100 dreams.
5. Meet with your Dream Team to talk about dreams. Allow enough time to share each dream of each member, identify their timeframes, and decide the 3-6 month tasks.
6. Brainstorm the resources in your group or that your group knows that would help each member acheive their 3-6 month tasks.

Kelly's book the Dream Manager will inspire you to see what can happen when we unleash our dreams. A dream affects everyone around us and every aspect of our lives. When you are pursuing a dream, your passion is evident to those you encounter. When you encourage others to pursue a dream, you energize their hopes and their passion for living. Small dreams are bridges to big dreams that lead us onward to the endless possibilities and opportunities to share our God-given unique talents and gifts with each other.

Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen Love is Letting Go of Fear by Gerald Jampolsky

Patty said...
Kim,
I haven't read "Take a Peak at the E-Myth Revisited", but you asked me to review YOUR BEST LIFE NOW by Joel Osteen. I think it is an awesome book of encouragement and positivity. He makes you believe that your dreams can come true and helps you think the best of yourself. "As a man thinketh, so he is". I forget from where that quote comes, but I do believe in the power of our thoughts and our words. Joel has a portion about that. I think if we are feeling bad about ourselves or something, we need to lift ourselves out of that feeling into a positive one.



Another book LOVE IS LETTING GO OF FEAR by Jerry Jampolsky says that we have a choice about our feelings. My favorite way for lifting myself up is counting my blessings, which Joel addresses in Chapter Two of YBLN. He also says we must let go of the past and live in the present moment. In another part, he mentions gaining strength through adversity. Our greatest learning comes from our mistakes and disappointments. I also like the chapter on giving. Jampolsky, whom I mentioned earlier, says that to give and to receive is the same thing. With that perspective, it is much easier for me to give.

November 6, 2007 8:08 AM

The E-Myth Revisted by Michael E. Gerber

When your inner entrepreneur, manager, and technician duke it out—who usually wins? According to Michael Gerber, the problem with most start up businesses is that usually the same inner personality wins out to the detriment of the others. All three traits are necessary to build a business and I would propose all three are necessary to build any dream as well. The entrepreneur is the visionary—the dreamer. The manager is the strategic planner-- the organizer. The technician is the implementer --- the doer.

Michael Gerber’s, 1995 book, The E-Myth Revisited, exposes the myth that our entrepreneur personalities are the part of us that strikes out on the adventure of owning our own business. Gerber claims it’s usually a competent technician who figures if he can do it for this guy why not do it for him self. Chapter by chapter unveiling the e-myth the imbalance is exposed, the technican can't do by himself afterall-— it takes all three inner personalities to work together to develop a new business.

Step by step Gerber takes us through a developmental process that far surpasses all the business planning material you have ever reviewed. The difference--- this business plan has a chance of actually working, turning your business or your idea for a business into a money-making machine. But the good news is—it's not about the money—it is about the dream. Seeing your dream come true while building a business that people will love to be a part of—your customers will love it, your employees will love it, and you will love it too!

I am extremely excited by the business strategy that we have developed at R4C Ranch from the steps explained in The E-Myth Revisted. I have had my dream in my head for many years and couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t get anyone as excited about it as me. Frustrated by my inability to communicate my ideas I was often discouraged by what felt like a “pipe dream” slipping farther from reach. After creating my Organizational Strategy I finally had a tangible replica on paper of the enterprise previously trapped in my head. "I get it, Michael, and finally so do everyone I show my Organizational Strategy to."

TOP SIX “Dreamer’s” TO DO LIST
1. Determine who is your inner boss—your entrepreneur, your manager, or your technician.
2. Develop your less dominate inner personalities by stepping out of your comfort zone.
3. Read The E-Myth Revisited and change your view of your business or job and the way you see your dream.
4. Take some time to contemplate and write out your primary aim--- your life’s story.
5. Share your primary aim with your Dream Team and plan to close the gap a little every day.
6. Begin your business/dream development program by designing your strategic objective and begin designing your strategic plan.

Dreamers--- I highly recommend putting The E-Myth Revisited on your reading list -- for the small business owner it’s a must-read NOW. It will change the way you manage whatever you have to manage—your job, your home, your dream. The systems you’ll develop are applicable to any life management you do and we all must do it. I used to think routine meant the end to my spontaneous nature—what fun is that? But systems management plans are fruit growing routines that free up time for guilt-free, stress-free spontaneous time to live our dreams.

never eat alone by Keith Ferrazzi

Mid-way into the last half of this building-powerful-networks training, I discovered Keith Ferrazzi was not a democrat afterall. Possibly the many references to the Clintons threw me off. I may have to go back and read the first half of his book over again for a new perspective. Keith Ferrazzi, a name I'd love to hear pronounced, leads us in practical instruction about "building a lifelong community of colleagues, contacts, friends, and mentors" in his 2005 book, never eat alone. Claiming that all power is derived from relationships, Ferrazzi's instructions are clear: be purposeful about who you want to meet, strategize the relationships you'll need to meet them, and know what you can offer them when you do. What they can offer you isn't the point . . . yet.

As I read the book I waivered between knowing Ferrazzi was only telling blantant truth and the whole scheme seeming a little devious. The plans he gave for pursuing and rubbing shoulders with powerful people felt somewhat shrewd. However, I was delighted by the motivation I found to reach out of my little cubicle and interact with people. The entire time I was reading Ferrazzi's book I found myself calling--instead of emailing, inviting-- instead of eating alone, offering to help-- instead of finding excuses, and considering the needs of others before my own. In every conversation, I have been asking myself, how can I help this person say what they need to say or share what's in their heart? How can I listen more? I have since been more tuned in to hearing the other person's dream in their words and allowing it to come out in what they share. I started concentrating on what I could offer as a resource, a connection, or my time to help them take one step toward that dream. In return, I have been blessed by the joy that being part of their dreams has brought me.

TOP SIX Dreamer's To Do List:

1. Don't do it alone-- see if someone wants to join you. "Invite"
2. Introduce yourself to strangers-- and learn one thing about them (in addition to their name).
3. Keep track of the people you meet in a journal. (Where you met them, what you learned about them, how to contact them).
4. Know your mission (know what you want people to remember you for and share your passions)
5. Reconnect periodically with your people list (see #3) by email or a phone call or by invitation to something that might interest them.
6. Be Interesting by sharing well thought out content, "your content," and not keeping your passions and big ideas to yourself.

Although the cover of never eat alone states, "one relationship at a time," I didn't really catch that as key in the book. Counting friends on one hand, the idea of networking can be overwhelming. Being somewhat of a recluse, I felt bombarded by the relationship advice. Ferrazzi had me not only inviting someone to eat the meal with me but starting up conversations with powerful people at conferences that I would normally try to sneak in without being noticed and hide in my hotel room after the key speakers were done talking. I loved the challenge of getting out and interacting with people whether I knew them or not. Which by the way, reaching out made me realize I had many more friends than I could count on two hands!

For any of you "do it yourselfers" this is a great read to help you connect the missing links in your Dream Ranch Journey-- relationships. You absolutely can't do it alone and Ferrazzi is correct it takes connections to really make powerful things happen. You won't be afraid to dream the big dreams when you develop a supportive network of powerful people, who come to find out-- didn't get there alone either.