Ken Donaldson, Independence Day Movie and Marry YourSelf First
The Independence Day Movie…just for YOU!!
Independence Day
Sometimes I’m happy…..sometimes so sad
And times of bliss and sometimes just damn mad
I jump for joy….I’m wretched in pain
I have ecstatic moments and times of shame
I’m courageous at times and at times, I fear
I feel so sure….and doubt seems so near
An elated tear and a tear of grief
Confidence abounds, yet fear finds no relief
This is the package of this here life
From the pinnacle of joy to the valley of strife
It all adds color, but sometimes it’s black
Yet rainbows burst forth…emotions never lack
This roller coaster we can simply embrace
Not one single feeling must we ever disgrace
These are expressions form the depths of our Soul
It’s the Yin and the Yang of what makes us whole
So today I do say, “Know what you feel!!”
And embrace every feeling…you see, it’s part of the deal
Our feelings do tell us one thing for sure
We’re alive, yes alive, with emotion so pure
So on this fine day of Independence we say
Embrace yourself wholly as you sing, walk and pray
Realize the freedom you have to express
Now express every feeling and then get some rest!
Yes, express your emotions, and deny not a one
Be Independent like the moon, stars, earth and sun…
~ By Ken Donaldson…and made for you and your loved ones!
P.S. Today is a good day to Marry YourSelf First!
Mom 85th Birthday and 85 Years of Wisdom
Come listen in for my mom’s 85th birthday as she shares some of her 85 years of wisdom…
Here’s Mom’s Basic Rules for Living 85 Years of Health, Happiness and Harmony
- Let yourself be a little funky at times.
- Allow yourself to be loved and cherished.
- Eat healthy and good (Thai) food.
- Be extraordinary and humble.
- Be grateful and thankful.
- Exercise daily.
- Dance…sometimes in the privacy of yourself so you can “kick up your heals.”
- Take vitamins to add to health.
- Walk every day (mostly).
- Have positive thoughts.
- Practice patience and perseverance with difficult (and sometimes grumpy) people.
- Have a good sense of humor.
- Yield to resistance.
- Respect privacy…have boundaries.
- Honor your relationships.
So…got a comment? Leave it below!
Why Marry YourSelf First! Because my mom said so!
Ken Donaldson: D.W. Waters Graduating Class and I Dare You…Too!
Ken Donaldson Keynote at D.W. Waters Graduation
I had the privilege and honor on this past Thursday evening of delivering the graduation keynote for the D.W. Waters class of 2010.
Just to give you a little insight, D.W. Waters’ motto is “It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish that counts!”
No big deal, right?
Wrong!
This is a WAY special class…check out their enrollment criteria:
• At least 16 years of age
• At least one year behind in school
• No record of severe discipline problems
• Wants to focus on a chosen Career Cluster at DWWCC (D. W. Waters Career Center)
• Willing to commit to workplace training (OJT)
These are the students who make “high risk” look like every day living. For whatever reason (pregnancy, emotional and/or learning challenges, abuse, etc.), these courageous young people chose to continue on.
Most of them were so far behind that they couldn’t even imagine catching up, much less graduating.
And it would have been easier to quit!
A group of about 12 students sang the musical selection for the ceremony, I Believe I Can Fly. A perfect song for the students, the school and the event.
Here are the lyrics in case you’re not familiar with song:
“I Believe I Can Fly”
~R. KELLY
I used to think that I could not go on
And life was nothing but an awful song
But now I know the meaning of true love
I’m leaning on the everlasting arms
If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there’s nothing to it
I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
See I was on the verge of breaking down
Sometimes silence can seem so loud
There are miracles in life I must achieve
But first I know it starts inside of me, oh
If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there’s nothing to it
I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
Hey, cause I believe in me, oh
If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there’s nothing to it
I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
Hey, if I just spread my wings
I can fly
I can fly
I can fly, hey
If I just spread my wings
I can fly
Fly-eye-eye
Anyway, I thought long and hard about what to say to them.
So I decided to dare them…yes, I simply dared them…
I dared them to find and be the greatness that they truly are.
I dared them to find their unique purpose and live it every day in every way.
I dared them to find their own personal soul food and to continually, without fail, feed their spirit.
I dare them to figure out, set and maintain the boundaries that will empower them, to say a resounding “Yes” to all they do want, need and desire, and say a resonant “No” to all they will not tolerate.
I dared them to realize that the world needs them today more than ever, and the answers to the world’s problems will not come from Washington or Hollywood, but rather, from each and every one of them.
I dared them to surround themselves with the people who love them, accept them and encourage them, and to step away from those who don’t.
I dared them to tell themselves, time and time again, that they are deserving, gifted and of great value, and to say that to themselves as their powerful and affirming mantra.
I dared them to realize that life is full of unexpected challenges (I mentioned this as a very young child in the audience began to express herself in a very assertive way!) and one of the greatest gifts we can all give to ourselves is the gift of humor, which allows us to be flexible and fluid as we navigate down the river of life.
I dared them to remind that person in the mirror of their greatness, their importance, their value and their purpose, time and time and time again.
Yes, I simply dared them to be great.
Them, their parents, their friends, the teachers, and everyone else who was there on Thursday…I dared them all.
But the greatest dare I addressed was the dare to myself…to live what I said; to practice what I preached; to be the model of the dare.
What about you…have you dared yourself lately?
I dare you…
PS I hope to have a video of the whole presentation soon…I think it’ll worth watching…stay tuned!
Ken at D.W. Waters with another Marry YourSelf First fan!
Marry YourSelf First!
Feel free to leave a comment or two…
Relationship Counselor Ken Donaldson: A Delayed Easter Video
Starring my Mom and Dad!
Marry YourSelf First!
Relationship Counseling Tip: Be amused about your relationship differences!
Relationship Counseling Tip: Be amused about the differences you and your partner have instead of being annoyed. Remember: It’s always a choice!
“Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible – the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family.” ~ Virginia Satir
You like things one way and your partner likes them a different way. In the beginning of the relationship, you were both able to overlook these differences. But now, for some strange reason, these exact same differences have become a major annoyance, perhaps even bordering on deal-breaker material.
Why?
Several possible reasons, but most likely there are two primary culprits: First, you’ve lost some of your humor and your ability to be flexible. Just like a muscle, if you don’t exercise your humor and flexibility regularly, they’ll atrophy and lose their strength, leaving you responding in a boring, rigid and not fun way.
Second, you’re probably really upset about a number of other things that have NOT been expressed and your mind is getting confused and issues are getting displaced. In other words, you’re upset or bothered by one issue, but it comes out at another issue.
This is classic displacement and without conscious awareness, this can, and does, happen easily and frequently, and often can eat away at relationships like termites in a wooden frame house.
What to do?
As absurd as it may sound, practicing your humor and flexibility are great exercises. For example, when couples both wear clown noses during a disagreement, the entire energy of the conversation changes…dramatically! This is a deliberate disruption of an undesired habit or reaction. Although it may sound a bit weird (which is usually good when you’re attempting to create new patterns), it is very effective at adding both humor and flexibility at the same time.
When it comes to displacement, there is only one solution and it’s called The H.O.W. Factor: Honest, Open and Willing. Healthy and lasting relationships are built on a solid foundation of communication, trust and fidelity. The cornerstones are honesty, openness and willingness.
When you commit to have regular check-ins, say twice a week, for the distinct purpose of staying current with each other, you proactively invite, and almost force, an honest, open and willing relationship.
These check-ins also allow and invite an opportunity to negotiate or compromise any differences with the goals always being to create a win-win for both people. What can you both be flexible about and give to create harmony and peace?
Yes…these are all choices. The biggest choice, however, is the choice to choose. Many couples go into an “autopilot” mode and become complacent and semi-conscious about their relationship. The result is always the same: A rude awakening consisting of distance, aloofness, resentment and oftentimes, an infidelity.
When you consciously choose to be in a relationship and you choose to have a conscious relationship, you’re also choosing to be proactive in your relationship. Be proactive and set-up regularly scheduled check-in times and use your clown nose (or whatever other humor prompting mechanism you have) to keep it all flexible and fluid.
“Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water. Yet when it attacks the firm and the strong, none can withstand it, because they have no way to change it. So the flexible overcome the adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful.”~Lao Tzu
Get the free guide for couples: Keeping the Affection Connection in the Perfect Direction! 40 Sure-Fire Tactics To Keep The Peace – And The Love!! – Every Day in Every Way!
And Marry YourSelf First! Every Day in Every Way!
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