Pick Up Your Oar And Start Rowing

My boss, two co-workers and I stood behind the hard plastic seats. We were in the front section, on the first-base line at Shea Stadium, home of the New York Mets. We were so close to the infield, there was a protective net over our heads. I was new to the New York City area and had never been to Shea Stadium. These were dream seats. My heart pounded with excitement.

We stood with our umbrellas held high. The rain beat down on everything around us. It bounced off the seats and quickly formed deep puddles on the cover protecting the field.
"Steve," I asked my boss, "How did you get such great seats?"

"They came from Ed at the office. His dad is a blind sports writer and has a long- standing relationship with the Mets and Yankees."

The game was called due to rain. We left the stadium disappointed. On the long subway ride back to Jersey City, I wondered about the man behind the seats. How could a man be blind and be a sports writer?

Years have passed since that rainy night. Old friends back in Canada often ask me, "Mike, have you gone to a baseball game in New York yet?"

I say to them, "I've been to a few, but let me tell you about the best seats I ever had but couldn't use."

Whenever this happens, the memory of that night comes flashing back. I wonder about the blind sports writer. What was his story?

It had to be special.

I sat at my computer one night. An email popped into my in-box. I didn't recognize the return address. The subject line said, "Inspirational SI article about my dad, Ed Lucas." I was curious.

I opened the email. It was from a gentleman sending me a clip of a story written by Steve Rushin for Sports Illustrated. It was a wonderful read about a special man. Through the article and the man who sent it to me, I learned the full story. The following is a synopsis:
Twelve-year-old Ed Lucas ran home from his school in Jersey City. It was October 3, 1951. He arrived in time to see Bobby Thomson win the pennant for his favorite team, the New York Giants.

After the game, Ed ran out to play ball with his friends. During the game, Ed was hit between the eyes by a line drive. The force of the blow detached both retinas, leaving Ed permanently blind.

Ed became depressed. His mother, Rosanna, took matters into her own hands and took Ed to a Newark, New Jersey men's store.

There, she introduced him to Phil Rizzuto, a part-time employee of the store and a Yankee star. Phil befriended Ed.

Rosanna wasn't done yet. She wrote the Giants Manager, Leo Durocher, about her son. Leo asked her to bring Ed to, what was then called, the Polo Grounds. On June 14, 1952, young Ed sat in the clubhouse with the members of the Giants. It was the beginning of a special relationship.

Ed enrolled in St. Joseph's School for the Blind in Jersey City. The nuns were demanding. Ed learned to make his bed and match his clothes. If he whined about being blind and not being able to do what other kids could, Sister Anthony Marie was quoted saying, "Isn't that a shame? We're all in the same boat here, Ed. Pick up your oar and start rowing."
Ed enrolled in university to study communication arts. He worked hard. He knew no other way. The nuns had made sure of that.

He graduated in 1962 and became a regular in the Shea and Yankee Stadium press boxes, where he interviewed the players. Years later, a young Mets rookie, Ron Swoboda, took Ed by the hand. Together they walked the warning track around the field. Ed traced his fingers along the outfield wall. His fingers, sensitive to reading Braille, seemed to read the history of the park. Every dent, scratch and chip he touched meant something to him.
Later that year, Ed married. He and his wife had two sons - Eddie and Chris. Sadly, at a very young age, their mother left forever. Ed had to raise his two sons alone. With the strength he learned years ago at St. Joseph's, Ed took on the task. He taught his sons to be strong.

It was not uncommon for the two young boys to see Billy Martin in their home. "Huge stars like Mickey Mantle would tell me my dad was their hero," Chris was quoted as saying.

Years later, a friend came to Ed and told him about a nurse, Allison Pfeifle, whose detached retina left her legally blind and unable to continue her profession. He asked Ed to speak to her.

Ed and Allison talked on the phone for many years before meeting in person. They were baseball fanatics and spent their first date at Shea Stadium.

On March 10, 2006, at Yankee Stadium, Allison walked from the dugout to home plate and became Ed's new bride.

With his two sons at his side, Ed started a new life, at the place he holds so dear, and with the woman who captured his heart.

Ed, now 68, was quoted saying, "Baseball took my sight, but it also gave me my life."

***********************
I sat in shock. Could it be? I mailed Chris back and told him about the seats we couldn't use that rainy night.

He confirmed, his father was the man who provided those unused seats. Chris told me later, "They are the first couple in the 80 year history of the stadium to have the honor of marrying there."

I finally knew the story. It was sure worth waiting for.

Michael T Smith

Michael lives in Caldwell, Idaho with his wonderful wife Ginny. He writes in his spare time and is completing a collection of his stories to be called, “From My Heart to Yours.” Michael writes inspirational stories in his spare time. To read more of Michael's stories or to contact him, go to http://ourecho.com/biography-353-Michael-Timothy-Smith.shtml#stories

Top Character Traits Of Highly Successful People

Have you ever wondered what makes some people successful and others not?

Surprisingly enough successful people have certain traits unsuccessful people do not have. Here are some of them:

Successful people make swift decisions and take immediate action. When something crosses their desk, they don’t have a “deal with it later” box. They make an immediate decision and take an action about their decision also immediately.  This also goes for business decisions: Is this good for my business? Do it. Is it too expensive, time consuming and with some risk? Forget it.

If there is a task they need to do daily, they do it daily even when they don´t feel like doing it. They do what it takes to get to their goal. Feelings are irrelevant. 

They focus on only one thing at a time. They know that if your focus is divided, it is more difficult to hit your target. Focus helps you get direction and it keeps you motivated. Every one of us has the same amount of time at our disposal. Successful people use that time more wisely by focussing more on one task and not allowing distractions to side-track them from their goal. They master time. Unsuccessful people waste it.

They have found their passion. Most people go through life just existing. People who have passion for something live life to the fullest. Passion gives you something to live for. People with passion can’t wait to get up in the mornings, full of excitement about what the day will bring. 

Successful people have a positive attitude and will not entertain a negative thought. Instead of being negative they ask questions like: How can this be improved? How can I make this work?

A positive attitude will allow you to achieve your goals, achieve success much faster, live a happier life, have inner strength and power and it will give you the ability to sail through difficulties.

Successful people don’t fear failure. Instead they realise that every failure brings them closer to success. They fail often. They know that failure is part of learning, and part of being successful.

Successful people have an open mind. They are open to changes and suggestions that will make things better. They are masters of change, and don’t fear it. Unsuccessful people usually fear change.

They are willing to learn and realise that they can’t know everything. They spend lots of time studying. They also surround themselves with advisors who have knowledge in a particular areas they need.

If you have been unsuccessful and would like things to change, don’t “fake it till you make it.” Instead, focus on developing these traits, one at a time, until you have what it takes to be successful.

If you would like to have a successful home business that pays you more than your job, visit Work At Home, sign up for our newsletter, and receive a free report: “Why YOU need a home business of your own RIGHT NOW.”

Two Choices: Which One Will You Make?

"There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them."

Denis Waitley: American motivational speaker and writer

It is difficult for most people to accept the fact that they actually have the power to change things. They allow what happens to them, feel completely powerless to do anything to change it, and accept it without question.

There’s a story of a boy who was paralyzed in a snow mobile accident on February 14, 2010. Less than 7 months later, he was not only walking, but playing soccer with his teammates at School.

I have heard of other people who were paralysed in an accident, and then refused to believe it. Doctors said they would never walk again, but they refused to believe it. They kept trying and trying, and what happened? Yes, they walked again. “It’s a miracle!” everyone said.

In a movie, apparently a true story, a mother wouldn’t accept that her son had cancer and that it was terminal. She fought against it with everything she had, and refused to let her son believe that he was going to die. She kept concentrating on him getting better, and coached him to do the same. Everyone said that she was very unkind to him and that she should back down and allow him to die in peace. She didn’t listen. Her marriage suffered as a result. In the end she found a doctor that could help, and the son’s cancer disappeared.

In another true story told in Napoleon Hill’s book: Think and Grow Rich, a father refused to accept that his son was deaf. He treated the son like a normal person, and gave him the belief that he could hear if he wanted to. Everyone said he was unkind to his son, and that he should accept that he was deaf, and send him to attend a special school for the deaf. His son had a breakthrough and there was an apparatus that worked and helped him to be able to hear like a normal person.

Every single one of us has some kind of handicap: Either an illness, a physical disability or condition that we have to struggle with. Sometimes it is emotional rather than physical, like someone who has been abused and have the emotional scars for years after. It could be something that seems small to others but in our experience was traumatic; something that holds us back. Sometimes it is the belief system we were given as children that is holding us back.

What is holding you back? It will be something that you believe. What do you believe that limits you?

Abraham Hicks wrote: “There is nothing that you cannot be, do or have.”  And Walt Disney said: “If you can dream it, you can do it.”

What is your dream? Get up and live it!

Dare To Be Happy

"There is only one person who can ever make you happy - and that person is you." ~ David Burns

What is happiness? 

 

Many people think they will be happy if they are rich. Or they will be happy if they get that perfect husband or perfect wife. Perhaps they’ll be happy if they have a different car, or if they lose weight, or if only they can ____ (fill in the blank)\

I have spoken to many people who thought they would only be happy if they have their heart’s desire. Then they obtain it, and they are still unhappy. 

That is because happiness is a decision. If you are not happy before you have whatever it is you want, then you will not be happy after you get it. 

Happiness is a state of mind. You can be happy in the gravest of circumstances. Whatever happens to you, you have a choice how you feel about it. You can feel miserable, hard done by, victimised, upset, angry, or you can say: “That’s life” and just carry on being happy. It is your choice.

If you are a happy person committed to stay happy whatever happens, you will have a much better life. You will see opportunities others don’t see, which will make your circumstances better. Tony Robbins had an interview with a 108 year-old holocaust survivor in which he asked her how it was that she survived. She told him that she was always smiling and laughing. Even in the concentration camps. Everyone thought her weird. It helped her survive.

Here are some tips for always being happy.

1.  Fight negativity. Stop a negative thought as you start thinking it, and switch consciously to a positive thought. 
2.  Always have a smile on your face. It is difficult to be unhappy when you’re smiling. 
3.  Count your blessings every day, and be sincerely thankful for them. When you live in gratitude it is impossible to be unhappy.
4.  Go for walks or drives out in nature. If you are out in nature, it is difficult to be unhappy. 
5. Get a pet – dog or cat. They are always happy, and love to make you happy too. A dog will always wag his tail when he sees you. 
6. Do something for someone else, without expecting a reward. It is a great feeling to have someone grateful for what you’ve done for them. 
7. Read something uplifting first thing in the morning, or do something uplifting like meditating.

If you concentrate on being happy, and look for things to be happy about, happiness will follow.

If you would like to have a lifestyle that will make you happy, visit Empower today and find out how to get there.

What is your relationship with money?

I didn't grow up rich.

Maybe you didn't either.

I wasn't exactly "destitute". I don't remember missing any meals.

But, I know what it's like to wear hand-me-down clothes.

Or not feeling like I fit in with the other kids because I didn't have the latest "Best New Thing".

And, just like you, I heard a lot of talk about money when I was growing up. Mostly from grownups who said things like:

-- Money doesn't grow on trees
-- The love of money is the root of all evil
-- We might not be wealthy but at least we're honest
-- Maybe it's just not God's will for me to have money

Ever heard those? I'll bet you have. You can probably add a few I haven't heard before.

In fact, here's one that we've ALL learned. How do I know?
 

Because it's a constant theme in every movie, TV show and book you read:
 

Rich people are evil, mean, nasty and unethical.

Think about it:

Who's the bad guy in Harry Potter?
 

The rich kid, and his rich dad.

Who's the bad guy in Superman?
 

The rich guy, Lex Luthor.

Who's the bad guy in Spiderman?
 

The rich industrialist.

And who's the good guy in these stories? Always an orphan. Always someone who's been mistreated. Always someone who thinks money is unimportant or unnecessary.

Take a look at the movie Titanic: the ONLY "good guys" in that movie were the poor, broke people down in 3rd class.

And who were the rich people? The stupid, shallow, rich people who were all up on first class arguing about whether to have mint sauce on their lamb chops.

FACT: We are conditioned to believe that money is bad and that being broke is somehow better.

Now, here's why I'm telling you this....

Your mind is like a computer. It records everything.

And from the time that you and I were little, our brain has been soaking up all these opinions about money and wealth.

And even though they're completely untrue in real life....

....they can prevent you from being wealthy.

Think about it: if your goal is to be a honest, ethical, loving, caring and generous person......

....and you believe that having money will make you evil, mean, nasty and greedy....

...your mind will not let you take actions that might increase your income. You'll sabotage yourself every time.

And you won't even know it's happening.

Get that. Really get that.

And you've probably experienced this. I know I have.

HERE'S AN EXAMPLE....

Picture you're sitting at a stoplight and a beautiful Mercedes 600 pulls up beside you. It's a $250,000 automobile.

What's your first reaction?

"Look at that stupid rich prick driving that big ol' car. He probably thinks he's better than everyone."

OR

"Wow, look at that car! What an amazing vehicle! Isn't it amazing that such a thing exists! I'll bet that is an incredible thing to drive!"

If your response to simply seeing a person sitting in a car was to automatically label them as a mean, evil nasty person......

......what does that say about your attitude about money?

HERE'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE:

You're looking for a way to create more income. You want a better life for your family. So you start looking for ways to do that.

You find one. You find an opportunity where people are making tons of money and where they seem to be having a blast doing it!

It's an opportunity to break away from the herd and start living the life you deserve.

 

==> Like THIS one...

But.....rather than jump in, you start saying things like:

"Hmm...it sounds too good to be true"
"If it's so good, why haven't I heard of it before?"
"I don't know...if I made that kind of money, I wouldn't know
what to do about the taxes."
"I don't know.....this looks like something I've never done before."

And -- SNAP -- just like that, without even realizing you're doing it, you sabotage yourself and push away the very opportunity you were looking for.

My friend, people go their entire LIVES in this cycle of "almost breaking away" and then getting sucked back in.

It's tragic. It's the story of poverty. It's the story of mediocrity.

HERE'S THE SOLUTION IF YOU WANT TO START LIVING THE LIFE YOU DESERVE:

You have to make friends with money.

You have to stop fighting against the very thing you're trying to get.

You have to be willing to see that money flows all around you. You only need to find out where the money is going and get in front of it.

You have to realize that money isn't good OR bad. It's neutral. It's what you DO with money that makes the difference.

That is one of the things that we talk about HERE!

 

Want to check it out?

David  was dead broke a few years ago. And he learned how to make friends with money.

He discovered how to call it so that money would come running.

He learned that money isn't good or bad. It's neutral. It's what you do with it that matters.

And, very early in this webinar,  David explains how you can make some mental shifts that will allow you to get rid of all that negative programming....

...and actually start experiencing the prosperity that's your birthright.

===> Life was not meant to be a struggle.

It's your birthright to be prosperous.
 

It's your birthright to have more than what you need.

But you have to get rid of all the negative programming first.

And you have to give yourself permission to be wealthy.
This is where it starts...

Do you?

Do you give yourself permission?

Is that alright with you?

Can we show you how to start earning $1,000 per day?

Will you take it?

It's yours. But you have to turn your back on your old way of thinking about money.....

....and make friends with money.

Watch this right now. It's free and it'll show you EXACTLY
what to do to start being more prosperous in your life.