Some changes this week. Hard to be moving forward when you are in just one area of the world, yet, we are making some. We’ve been staying at Tina’s Mom’s (Marion) house, and have given away or thrown away much that she acquired over 95 years of living here.

She was quite bothered about this at first, but it was necessary for the move. We hired a realtor who did get more for the house than we thought, that’s a good thing. Also, we put a bid in on a trailer and will be moving there. This new home is from 1989, which is already detailed with handicap things like the toilet, so that will be perfect for Marion. So, this is good, too.

What bothers me is, it seems, will we be with Marion until her death? Currently at 95, she cannot walk well, see well, and hear well—but her mind thinks in a good way. Could she live until 105 or . . .?

Our plan is to be in the area with Marion, then take short trips to wilderness areas as we can. Tina has six grown kids and friends in the area that might be with Marion as we travel for short trips. Until then, I have included some photos from our past travels.

I’ve not been to the statue of liberty, and I don’t care. I would rather go to a forest than any man (of women) made thing any day. After traveling to so many forests all over America (and in Europe and New Zealand), I would rather be in the wilds than any populated area.

There was a time before that I dealt with death. When I lived with Mary Ellen and our daughters Jasmine and April we had not heard from our neighbor, who lives across the street, for some days. We walked over and looked in the window (strange, she always keep the inside of the windows covered), and Mary Ellen saw her lying on the floor.

The backdoor was open (strange too she always kept things locked up), so we entered the house. Her color was light, almost white, and she was not breathing. No more life for Evelyn. We called 911 and eventually an ambulance showed up and took her away. She lived alone and did not have much family that we knew of, a sad thing.

Normally people die while in a hospital (like my mom), so we hardly ever deal with a dead person. I must say, it was interesting (is that the right word to use?) As we live we do not talk about or deal with death much. When David Bowie died it really affected me. I never thought of him not being here, but, each of us will eventually leave this life; including me, as well as you.

Enough, I need to take things away from death and dying. We are here, we are alive, hopefully we are joyful (a much better way to live life.)

I’m including more photos from our traveling over the last year. We took many, hope you like, let me know.

As you might know, I used to do a comedy juggling act. The following lines are some of the lines I used when I had a heckler in my audience. With a heckler, if you handle it right, you can get great comedy. These are some fun lines to read, remember a few that you might use on family or friends.

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From my book, Comedy for Juggling:
CHAPTER 8–HECKLER LINES

At times, there are going to be people who hassle you and bother you during your show. Often, the heckler yells something at just the wrong time. Your objective is to get the audience back. If you can get the audience on your side using comedy, you will do well against the heckler. I’ve gotten some of my best comedy (and best hats in a street show!) when I had a heckler in the crowd. Just don’t let him or her bother you and be relaxed. Your main objective with a heckler is to get the audience on your side.
Sometimes, a heckler thinks they are adding to your show and will keep saying things or bothering you. You might use every heckler line you know and it won’t stop them. If they do start distracting from your show, take them aside and have a word with them.

Out of 500,000 sperm, you had to be the strongest swimmer!

Your wits are too much for me, I never was very good with fractions.

On a scale of one to ten–you’re an idiot.

This must be a proctologists convention; just look at all the assholes.

Let’s play catch (to deal with a heckler while juggling machetes.)

You can fool some of the people some of the time, and the rest will make fools of themselves.

Why aren’t you out ripping off cars where you belong?

If you repeat everything, the show will be twice as long.

Here is living proof that cousins do marry.

It looks like the only thing you exercise is your tongue.

Come back stage after the show and we’ll have a nice man to jerk talk.

Is that your face or did your neck throw up?

Just what we need . . . someone on quaaludes.

The fact that you are able to dress yourself in the morning totally amazes me.

You have enough mouth for three lips.

If brains were dynamite, you couldn’t blow your nose.

You’re funny looking.

This is actual proof that alcohol kills brain cells.

Here’s the first brain transplant donor.

Some people have the privilege of being ugly, but you abuse that privilege.

Why don’t you come up her and stand, maybe your mother will recognize you and take you home.

Go take a piggy back ride on a buzz saw.

This is one case where the child died and the afterbirth lived on.

This is what happens when the fetus doesn’t get enough oxygen.

Were your parents first cousins, or just a couple of nice guys?

(for a street show) How much did you pay to get in here?

I wish I were a ventriloquist, then I’d know when the dummy’s going to speak.

Do you write your own material? Well don’t quit your day job.

Shut up.

Yes, I can tell that lobotomies are still popular.

I like a man who speaks his mind.

How fast was the hearse going when you fell out?

I don’t take requests.

I don’t split fees, quiet down.

It’s a shame that birth control isn’t retroactive.

I’m only serious.

If I wanted to hear from an asshole, I’d fart.

Sad thing when cousins marry.

When I want your opinion, I’ll give it to you, okay?

Didn’t I see your picture on a rat poison bottle?

If I want any shit out of you, I’ll squeeze your head, okay.

If shit glowed, you’d light up my life.

You know, it’s people like you, who make people like me, people like you.

Consider yourself ignored.

I have two words to say to you, and they’re not “Happy Birthday.”

It’s alright to be stupid, but you don’t have to make a career of it.

I don’t know what you are, but whatever it is, I hope you’re the only one.

Hey, if I had 17 more of you I’d have a golf course.

It looks like the face on the bathroom floor finally got up.

He’s a legend in his own mind.

Don’t start anything buddy, or I’ll knock you conscious.

He loves nature in spite of what it did to him.

You nimrod.

Why don’t you two stand together and make a tunnel?

I hope your Karma runs over your Dogma.

Some people are slow in the head and some are fast, but there are those like you that are half-fast (or half-assed.)

So, how long have you had this problem?

Hey, give me a break, or I’ll give you one.

Is that your beard or do you have a hairy tongue?

I’ll buy your funeral plot if you promise to move right in.

Did your mother have any children that lived?

Why don’t you go visit a near-sighted knife thrower?

(when they come back with a line) Hey, that’s a pretty good one? That’s why I’m up here, and you’re out there.

Every time I think of people with your kind of brains, I think about how it’s the little things in life that are so important.

How does it feel to have a lobotomy?

The best defense if a good offense, and boy are you offensive.

Are you from out of town? There’s a bus leaving in five minutes, please be UNDER it.

Your horn blows, how about your wife? or your boyfriend?

You have a striking face; how many times have you been struck there?

There’s a man for you, big as an ox, and twice as smart.

You, sir, look like an athlete, all muscle . . . from the neck up.

If I wanted your advice, I’d squeeze your head.

Why don’t you become a garbage man and lose yourself in your work.

Don’t worry folks, every village has one.

If I have said anything to offend you, I just want you to know that I tried my best.

Is that your nose or did someone break a watermelon on your face.

You have a nice head on your shoulders, too bad it’s not on your neck.

Name that drug.

I was about to do an imitation of an ass, but he beat me to it.

I like doing my act the way you like having sex . . . ALONE.

Well, there’s something penicillin won’t cure.

Let’s play horse, I’ll be the front end, and you can be yourself.

That’s all right. I remember when I had my first beer too.

What’s the matter, don’t you get enough attention at home?

Hey, mind your own business. Or don’t you have a business, or a mind?

Seriously, I’ve been kidding this guy quite a bit. And now I’d like to say a few nice things about him. Unfortunately, I can’t think of one.

Listen, I have only a few minutes to make a fool out of myself . . . you have the rest of your life.

Hey, can you hear me back there? WELL, I CAN HEAR YOU!

Why don’t you go buy a home and STAY THERE?

What’s the matter, don’t you get out often?

I have but five minutes to come out here and make a fool of myself, you have all day, now let me alone.

Please, one fool at a time. Right now it’s my turn.

He’s got more nerve than an ulcerated tooth.

He’s loud like a Christmas tie, and just as useful.

Lucky for you I’m too dumb to resent that crack.

Funny what beer can do to some people.

What did you do, put an aspirin in your coca-cola?

Look! Young Abe Stinkin.

Look, he stopped growing except in the middle.
There’s an example of how far the human skin will stretch without breaking.

Look, a mountain with clothes on.

He’s unnoticeable as a baby blimp with a loudspeaker.
This is a combination night club and landing field for blimps. What time do you take off?

Are you old enough to drink?

What’s the matter, no school today?

Does your mother know you’re out?

I was about to do my imitation of a jack ass, but he beat me to it.

Look fella, tomorrow night is amateur night.

Isn’t it wonderful what they teach you in high school?

Look, an Indian scalped him.

Would you mind moving, the light reflects on your head and hurts my eyes.

He didn’t learn to talk until he was nine years old–But he’s making up for it now.

Here’s a quarter, go call all of your friends and bring me the change.

He only gets out once a month, let him have his fun.

Is that your face, or are you getting ready for Hall-o-ween?

Nice outfit he’s wearing, I wonder if that style will ever come back.

Did you see, a taxi come up and stopped with a jerk, and he got out.

He thinks he’s a big cheese, and he smells like it too.

Is that you nose, or are you eating a banana?

What’s wrong, didn’t your dog food agree with you?

Why don’t you close your mouth, I feel a draft.

Who writes your script?

If you think I look funny up here you ought to come up and see how you look.

There’s only one animal that throws a scent. It’s here today.

There’s a man who goes around sticking his nose in other people’s business; I had a dog who did the same thing.

He’s a gentleman, he wouldn’t strike a lady until she took her glasses off.

He has a one track mind, and a dirt track at that.

What’s wrong, did you got up on the wrong side of the floor this morning?

His clothes just came back from the laundry, they refused them.

His clothes fit like a glove, a boxing glove.

There are three things that HISS; a snake, a goose, and a fool. Please step forward so I can see which one you are.

There’s no fool like an old fool (for an older heckler.)

Buddy, you’re becoming “irksome” and I dislike “IRKS”.

I wish we had a ten cent cover charge to keep out the riff raff.

He just came from “abroad”, who’d you do?

He only goes out with a girl on her free night.

He’s just a wolf in cheap clothing.

Don’t worry, he’ll be put out. He’s been put out more times than the family cat.

Okay, you’ve seen your shadow–now crawl back in your hole.

Barnum said, “There’s a fool born every minute”, here’s the proof.

I could try and heckle you back, but did you ever try and talk to a totem pole?

There’s a man after my own heart; with a knife!

He’s so stuck on himself that he hangs a mirror on the ceiling so he can watch himself gargle.

That’s what the country needs, LESS MEN like him.

He’s about as popular as poison ivy at a nudist camp.

I’ll be this is the finest place you’ve ever sneaked into.

I don’t know why you bark at me like that, I’m not your mother.

You look like an accident, waiting to happen.
You’re harder to ignore than a ringing telephone.

There’s a “BROAD Minded” fellow, that’s ALL he thinks of.

There’s one consolation, I get paid for make a fool of myself, he does it for nothing.

Ladies and Gentleman! This person seems to want to be a part of the show. Would you like to see him come out and do his act? (They will of course say yes, so invite him out. Nine times out of ten they will refuse to come out) Okay, then listen, if you don’t want to be on the show and you have no talent, please allow my show to make an attempt to please the OTHER people here.

He must have goat glands, he’s trying to butt in.

Ladies and Gentleman, you’ve paid to see the show. I’ll leave it up to you, do you want this show or would you rather hear our orator friend in the audience. (The crowd will take care of him from here on in.)

If you want to fight, join the Marines and help America.

Ever hear of a person with diarrhea of the mouth and constipation of the brain.

Hey brother, you’re about as useful to me as a cake of ice to an Eskimo.

I live down by the river. If you’re ever in the neighborhood–drop in.

He’s not suffering from insanity–he’s enjoying it.

He has the mind of a two-year-old, and he ought to give it back.

He’s half-witted, 50% off.

He’s such a nice person. I wonder why no one likes him.

You’ve heard of the March of Time? This is his brother–waste of time.

Anything goes tonight–and you may be first.

Your face is familiar. I just can’t recall what museum.

Your mind will always remain young. You use it so little.

It may be morbid Curiosity, but I would love to see your parents.

History repeats itself, and so does this guy.

I have a test. Count up to three. See if you can do it from memory.

He was brought up on a bottle and stuck to it ever since.

He’s speaking his mind–and letting us know how limited it is.

Did you get up on the wrong side of the kennel?

I’d put you in your place, but I never visit places like that.

He dresses like an unmade bed.

Please don’t yell at me, I’m not your mother you know.

Please sit down, you make the place look shabby.

There’s the original horrible example.

How can you talk all night without stopping to think?

I’ve met personalities in my time, but this is ridiculous.

Just when did you fall out of the hearse?

That’s a rather broad statement for such a small mind.

There are two things I don’t like about you–your face.

That’s very good. As a reward you may take one giant step–out of the window.

Here’s an eraser–why don’t you rub yourself out?

He’s asking for it–and I just wish I had it to give him.

Would you mind closing the door, from the outside?

The next time you’re in the neighborhood–don’t stop.

His family’s been is so many messes, they have a mop on their coat-of-arms.

You remind me of a window; hard to shut–easy to see through–and strictly a pain.

Beat it before I knock you down with an ad-lib.

You’ll never get to be as old as you look.

He’s lower than a snake’s outlook.

Why don’t you crawl back into your nightmare?

Why don’t you go on a diet and quit eating my heart out?

Why don’t you send your wits out to be sharpened?

With a little encouragement could we get you to shut up?

Don’t you ever get tired of having yourself around?

He’s the kind of guy who picks his friends–to pieces!

I don’t know what makes you so stupid, but, whatever it is–it works.

You’re snappy on the comeback–like your checks.

Is it true that you were arrested for impersonating a human being?

I haven’t seen a character that weird since I shaved this morning.

There are a lot of idiots in the world, but you abuse that privilege.

He wasn’t born–he was just caught in a rat-trap.

When he dies, they won’t bury him–they’ll just pour him back in the bottle.

You’d make a wonderful stranger.

Why don’t you quit now while it’s still up to you?

Come up here–you look easy enough to fool.

I live down by the river, if you’re even in the neighborhood-drop in!

He’s not suffering from insanity–he’s enjoying it.

As you can tell, he has the mind of a two-year-old–and he ought to give it back.

He’s half-witted–50% off.

He’s such a nice person, I wonder why no one likes him.

You’ve all heard of march of time? This is his brother–waste of time.

Anything goes tonight–and you may be the first.

He has a soft heart and he let it go to his head.

Your face is familiar, I just can’t remember which museum.

Your mind will always stay young, you use it so little.

It may be morbid curiosity–but I would certainly like to see your parents.

You can see that his mind is fundamentally sound–asleep.

Please, count up to three–see if can do it from memory.

He’s speaking his mind–and letting us know how limited it is.

Did you get up on the wrong side of the kennel?

I’d put you in your place, but I never visit places like that.

Please don’t yell at me, I’m not your mother you know.

Please sit down, you make the place look shabby.

There’s the original bad example.

How can you talk all night without stopping to think?

I’ve met personalities in my time, but this is ridiculous.

When I came in here tonight I didn’t know I was going to do a double.

Just when did you fall out of the hearse?

That’s a rather broad statement from such a narrow mind.

There are two things I don’t like about you–your face.

That’s very good. As a reward you may take one giant step–out of the window.

Here’s an eraser–why don’t you rub yourself out?

He’s asking for it–and I just wish I had it to give him.

Would you mind closing the door–from the outside?

The next time you’re in the neighborhood–don’t stop.

He’s very refined. He never takes his undershirt off in the presence of ladies.

Put your hand in front of your mouth when you sneeze. It keeps your teeth from flying out.

Please, put your hand in front of your mouth when you sneeze. It keeps your brain from flying out.

He has the manners of a gentleman. I knew they didn’t belong to him.

A small man usually talks big.

You remind me of a window; hard to shut–easy to see through–and strictly a pain.

Beat it before I knock you down with an ad lib.

Why don’t you gargle concrete and let it get hard.

You’ll never get to be as old as you look.

He’s lower than a snake’s outlook.

Why don’t you crawl back into your nightmare?

Why don’t you go on a diet and stop eating my heart out.

Why don’t you send your wits out to be sharpened.

With a little encouragement could we get you to shut up?

Don’t you ever get tired of having yourself around?

He’s the kind of guy who picks his friends–to pieces.

I don’t know what makes you so stupid, but whatever it is, it works.

You’re snappy on the comeback–just like your checks.

You look handsome tonight. Well, let’s get on with the other jokes.

Human nature is a funny thing, isn’t it? But then, you wouldn’t know.

Imagine that poor little mind all alone in that great big head.

The next time you order a toupee, get one with brains.

Your mother should have thrown you away and kept the stork.

He loves nature–in spite of what she did to him.

Do you always talk that way or are you wearing fuzzy underwear?

You leave a bad taste in my ears.

You’ve got a great personality–but not for a human being.

I know you’ve got a brain, but it hasn’t reached your head.

How about tapping your great store of ignorance?

Brains aren’t everything. In fact, in your case, they’re nothing.

In you ever need a friend, try and find one, okay?

Do me a favor and take a nap under a falling ax.

I didn’t like you when I did.

A day away from you would be like a month in the country.

You can’t help having a face like that, but you could at least stay at home and hide it.

You remind me of a drip–a person you can always hear but can’t turn off.

He’s like a summer cold–I can’t lose him.

If you ever need a friend, buy a dog.

I’d like to carry you with me wherever I go–in a long box.

When were you last seen alive?

Is this drip necessary?

Find yourself a home in a waste basket.

When you get up in the morning, who puts you together?

You have a ready wit. Let me know when it’s ready.

I’d put a curse on you, but someone bet me to it.

I’m paid to make an idiot. Why do you do it for free?

If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, surely they can make something out of you.

I don’t know what makes you tick. I hope it’s a time bomb.

I enjoy talking to you. My mind needed a rest.

If I’ve said anything to insult you, believe me, I tried my best.

I never forget a face, but in your case I’ll make an exception.

What’s on your mind?–if you’ll please excuse the exaggeration.

You have a wonderful head on your shoulders–whose is it?

As you can see, he has a strange growth on his neck–his head.

He’s so dumb mind readers charge him half price.
LADY HECKLERS
If you ever become a mother, can I have one of your puppies?

How come you weren’t here yesterday, someone steal your broom?

How many peeping Toms have you cured?

Did anyone ever tell you that you were beautiful . . . and mean it?

You folks ever hear about a good time had by all? Well, there she is.

Listen lady, I’m working this side of the street.

Hey, that’s a nice looking coat you’ve got there. How much did you play for it? How much did it cost–you?

She looks like an Eskimo with Arctic Circles under her eyes.

She’s got more on her cheeks than she’s got on her mind.

Isn’t she pretty, with black hair, and nails to match.
She’s forward on the basketball team, and every other team too.

She uses so much make-up she must belong to the Painter’s Union.

Look, she’s trying to make a monkey out of me, she wants a mate.

Now there’s a girl who has seen better nights.

There’s a girl you would like to take home to mother–her mother.
Hey, this is my territory. You go back and work the streets.

She has delusions of glamour.

You were here last year weren’t you? I never forget a dress.

Now, there’s a girl who has seen better nights.

I kiss the ground she walks on. It would be a lot better than kissing her.

The girls with the cleanest minds give you the dirtiest looks.

She has no money and no bosom–she’s flat busted.

She’s the original overnight bag.

She was just a slip of a girl–and she’s been slipping ever since.

She’s seen more love than a policeman’s flashlight.

That women, generally speaking, is generally speaking.

She waited so long for her ship to come in that her pier collapsed.

I get hoarse listening to her talk.

Give a women an inch and she thinks she’s a ruler.

She’s the kind of girl men look at twice. The first time they don’t believe it.

She was Miss America at the age of 18–there were very few Americans in those days.

She was caught stealing in the lingerie department, but they let her go. It was her first slip.

She’s a women of rare intelligence–she rarely shows any of it.

Dumb? She doesn’t know whether lettuce is a vegetable or a proposition.

Her picture has to be taken with a very fast camera–when she has her mouth shut.

She is an intellectual. She could bore me on every subject.

She’s so ugly she rents herself out for Halloween parties.

She looks like Miss America–and half of South America too.

She just turned 24. Before she turned it, she was 42.

Men don’t like her for her mind. They like her for what she doesn’t mind.

She doesn’t wear any make-up. Some people will do anything for attention.

What a girl. She’ll never live to be as old as she looks.

She has delusions of glamour.

I worship the ground she crawled out of.

She is very temperamental. Eighty per cent temper and the rest mental.

There’s nothing wrong with her that Freud couldn’t explain in a footnote.

She has lots of polish–on her fingernails.

I’d like to meet her family–out of morbid curiosity.

When she gets undressed the fellow across the street pulls down the shade.

She has varicose brains.

She could set sex back 20 years.

Really, she’s the girl of my dreams–I have a lumpy mattress.

She’s a home girl–she doesn’t care whose.

She’s the kind of a girl you’d give your name to–but not your right name.

KID HECKLERS
Now I know why some animals eat their young.

Are your parents from the three mile island area.

Cute kid, what do you want to be–if you grow up?

No really, I just love kids. Actually I have the heart of a child. Do you want to see it, it’s right back here in a box.

I love kids, just love ’em . . . medium rare.

Did your parents ever ask you to run away from home?

Quiet kid, you might be heckling your own father.

How old are you (8)? Do you want to live to be (9)?

This is this year’s poster child for zero population growth.

I’m crazy about children–I’d give anything to have been one.

When you were five, did your parents help you to leave home?

He was such an ugly baby that his parents didn’t know whether to buy him a crib or a cage.

The only sure cure for kids is birth control.

His parents almost lost him as a child. Unfortunately, they didn’t take him far enough into the woods.

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Every time I write one of these blogs to you, I often reread, of course, as I do with all the books I have written. I always find ways I could have worded things better. That’s the key to good writing, more and more editing. But, I have to get the words to you sometime; hope you are enjoying the read.

Life is an ongoing and never ending editing process, constantly looking for ways to improve all. As I go through life I often examine my life and try and find ways I could do things better, in all areas, even the small details. If you make all the small details of your life first-rate, you will have an exceptional life.

Yesterday I got an email from my friend John Satriano. He said he does read every blog I send and enjoys the read. Although, he has not written back to me, even though I had asked, but that is alright. I am glad people are enjoying my writings. I send posts to about 300 people, wondering if people are reading, hardly hearing from anyone.

We are still looking for a place to move to with Tina’s mom. Soon, hopefully, we will be able get back to the wilderness and you will love the photos, I am sure.

As you see, I am including photos from our past travels you may not have seen.

Please get back to me and let me know what you think of my words.
=======================================
Beyond Your Potential
The Comeback Kit, From Coma to Comedy
BOOK FOUR—LIFE CHANGING
A Series of Books to Change Your Life
By Kit Summers
Chapter–You are You (and I am Me)

“Experience is not what
happens to you; it’s what
you do with what happens
to you.”
Aldous Huxley

A Solo Life
Advancing in juggling and writing books are very solo ventures. I had to track my own success, and I had to pat myself on the back. People are here to help us, but most for most of our life, we have to run our own show, make our own advancements, and see our own accomplishments. There is no one on earth who can be as good a friend as you. You must take comfort in that.
• You’re always that one smiling back when you look in a mirror.
• There’s only one person you’re certain to spend every moment with.
• You can depend on you like no other.
• I’ve tried to ignore me. It can’t be done.
• You are always there when you need you.
• There is actually only one person that you control in your life – yourself.
• You have no better friend – you are your own best friend.
• Respect yourself.
Learn to manage your own drive forward, and then the support of others is only an added benefit in adding to your motivation. Of course, remember to give more then you receive. Depend on yourself like no one else can (because, they really can’t!). Other people will not respect you if you don’t respect yourself.

Up-Down
Like you, I’ve been way up and I’ve been way down. Something that helped me after the accident was when I was down and depressed and feeling like giving up, I’d remember that I would be back up again and doing well in no time. When I was on top of the world and things were going great, I’d know that I would be back down again. Balance is the key. When you’re down, know you’ll be back up again. When you’re up, know you will be back down. You have control of your life and how you feel. Expect the best because we get what we expect. Do this and depression will never be a part of your life.

You are me?
See me do my thing
I see you do yours
I will not judge you
You will not judge me
You are you and I am me
I will not seek to change you
You will please not seek to change me
We are here for ourselves
If we find each other, it’s fabulous
If not, we each miss out
You are you and I am me

Surprise Yourself
Your relationship with yourself is dynamic! You are constantly changing, advancing, growing and learning. You can live your entire life and still not know everything there is to know of you. I continue to learn more all the time about myself. One of the finest parts about life is that there are always new discoveries and moments when you can surprise yourself. In fact, there were parts of this book, this writing, which surprised me. I wrote something and then asked myself, did I just write that? It’s a good feeling when I surprise myself.

Who Do You Love?
There is no other human being in the world like you. Billions of people have a mouth, a nose, and two eyes, but no one looks exactly like you. And, none of them have any of your thoughts, traits, methods and ways. You are special, you are unique, and you are one-of-a-kind. There is not a another individual in the world who is more important than any other person in the world, no matter what kind of work they do, how many balls they can juggle, what kind of position they have in life, or how they look. Each of us is as valuable and worthwhile as any other person (except for you, you’re the special one).

Alone Time
It’s so essential to be with yourself, by yourself, and treat yourself well by being able to spend quality time just with yourself. This can be harder than it seems, especially when you don’t take the time to do just that. Life has its stress and keeps you busy, but you have to make the time. How do you take time for yourself when you have so many things – work, family, juggling practice, activities, and friends competing for the time you do have? Wake earlier, eat less at meals, and don’t watch TV – just a few of the ways to get more time. Also, when you have some free time, keeping things just to yourself can feel a little self-centered. You may be the only one who knows. This is your time, use it right.

The Mirror
Do you ever actually see yourself in the mirror, or just your image? One thing that can help your self-image is to go to the mirror every morning, look at yourself, and say “Hi __________! Good to see you. Today we are going to have an superb day and get much accomplished.” Don’t forget that you are you. Yes, doing this might seem strange at first, but over time you will develop your outlook on yourself, in a good way.

Your Label
The most important labels in the world are the ones that we put on ourselves. Label yourself as useless and you will be useless. Label yourself as highly intelligent and you will play that part. It’s like we are actors at times, playing the part – play the good smart character – play yourself. You are not lying to yourself; you are training your brain to think in good ways. Do this and make your life a masterpiece. Remember, it’s not what you are that holds you back in life. It’s what you think you are not.

Replacing Your Self-Talk
There were certain changes in my self-talk I had to make to keep me moving forward. As you know, I wanted to get back quickly after my accident. Changing what you tell yourself can help the most with change.

The mind can hold you back and add to procrastination so much when you are pursuing something. Start saying the following to yourself:
• Instead of, I have to start now, use–I get to start now.
• Instead of, This project is so big and significant, use–I can take small steps.
• Instead of, I don’t have time, use–I will make best use of the time I have.
• Instead of, This must be done perfectly, use–This will be acceptable within my personal limits.
• Instead of, I wish I’d done that, use–What small step can I take now to get back on target?
• Instead of, This is going to take so long, use–I’m enjoying the small steps of finishing this.
• Instead of I must finish, use–When can I start again?

So, change your self-talk, getting going, and find accomplishment.

Control
The only person you actually have control of is you. The challenge of life requires the ability to be effective in influencing others, but you do not have control of anyone else – only yourself. You have to have self-trust. Know that you are running your life in a better way all the time.

Start New, Now?

Every day is a chance to begin all over again. The past is behind you, a memory. The future has yet to occur. The only thing that truly exists is this moment – now. And in this moment, you can begin fresh, start anew, and you can do it again and again.
• So, what do you want to produce in this moment?
• Who are you in this instant?
• What old life-stories are you ready to let go of?
• What new stories are you ready to write?

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In the last couple of posts I have written about things like death. Time to change focus, what is the opposite of death and sadness, laughter is great medicine. But, the following just one more bad>>

We do not need a house that is as large as the house she has now, so we decided to buy a mobile home that has two bedrooms for us to move into, which would work better for us and Tina’s mom (whose name is Marion, by the way.

For a few days I was using my van to take Tina’s mom’s stuff to be recycled and/or given away. She had a house full of stuff that has been gathered for the 95 years. Actually, she had gotten the house from her parents many years ago, she was even born in the living room.

The included photo is of Tina’s mom and me. (by the way, what do you think of the ever growing beard?)

I emptied the van of all I had in there for traveling, easier to have an empty van to move stuff. I had put most things from the van behind a bush in the yard; hard to see, I trusted it would be alright.

And, a few times, I had left the van unlocked while we took Tina’s car to do some things. And, we had put various things out at the street for people to take who could use the stuff.

November 22–Tina and I noticed we were missing some things.
Tina’s mom had hired some who was doing the work at the house; I could tell that it was not him who took my stuff.

The house is on a hill with no sidewalks or places to park, someone did though. It was a stranger off the street who got into my van and stuff, taking my personal file box with papers and photos from my past, along with some important papers, such as owner papers for the van.

Also missing were an assortment of kitchen tools, one of which was a 4 prong wooden fork for stirring and serving spaghetti. This was a one of a kind tool that my mom passed on to me, most have just three prongs.

I have too much trust that people will do the right thing, yikes.

What hurts me the most is these idiots who took the file box will just look through what is in it (my history) and simply throw everything in the trash. Yet, through this I maintain my joy of life.

The day after this happened I saw a story on the news about a big fire in Philadelphia in which people lost everything—all clothes, photos, papers—everything. This made it not so bad that I lost my file cabinet.

Enough of that, back to the humor.

Our plan is to move from this large house into a two bedroom mobile home, temporarily. We want to set things up so that someone can easily move in at stay for a few days or a week while we are out gallivanting at wilderness areas in the mountains.

Tina and I have joked about getting a small trailer that we could pull behind the van for Marion to live in and we would just hit the road again with her. But, just a joke?

Not joking now, the benefits of laughter will make you feel better and get also can help you get some pain free sleep. You see, laughter helps the pituitary gland release its own pain-suppressing opiates.

And, bring joy to your life can;
· Lower blood pressure

· Give a workout to the diaphragm, abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg and back muscles.

· Increase your vascular blood flow and oxygenation of your blood.

· Reduce certain stress hormones such as cortisal and adrenaline.

· Increase the response of tumor and disease killing cells such as Gamma-interferon and T cells.

· Defend against respiratory infections—even reducing the frequency of cold—by immunoglobulin in saliva.

· Increase your memory and learning.

· Improve upon your alertness and creativity.

Humor and creativity work hand-in-hand by creating relationships between two disconnected items through developing these skills, which will help you engage your whole brain.

Remember, humor words quickly (with an open mind.) Less than a half-second after exposure to something funny, you will find an electrical wave will move through the higher brain functions of the cerebral cortex.

With comedy, this is what happens in your brain:
· The left hemisphere analyzes the words and structures of the joke

· The right hemisphere “gets” the joke.

· The visual sensory area of the occipital lobe creates images.

· The limbic (emotional) system makes you happier.

· Your motor sections of the brain make you smile and/or laugh.

Bringing joy and laughter to your life can make your whole world blossom. It is a choice that your mind makes every second of your life, to find joy or find pain. In any situation you can still find happiness.

To bring humor to your life you must develop creativeness in your thinking. I am hoping the following will help you get there.
===========================================
Beyond Your Potential

The Comeback Kit, From Coma to Comedy

BOOK THREE—FINDING SUCCESS!

A Series of Books to Change Your Life

By Kit Summers

Chapter 22–Creativity and Risk

“Be brave enough to live life
creatively. The creative place
where no one else has ever been.”
Alan Alda

As a performer and juggler, I constantly had to be creative to develop new juggling patterns, and being live on stage, I had to learn new and exciting routines for my performance. Also, most of my life I have been self-employed, an endeavor that requires creativity and risk. I also had to tap into my creativity to find ways to recover after my accident. Then, of course, for this book and the other books in the Beyond Your Potential series, I had to develop more creativity to write words for you that will help to advance your life.

You Are Creative
Being creative is taking a risk, trying something new, or finding new ways to do old things. Think back to when you were young and free to use your mind how you wanted to. As a child, you probably saw a bright future for yourself with all the things you wanted to accomplish once you grew up. Your mind was always open to trying new things. In order to regain your natural creativity, learn to think like a child again. Free yourself of the unproductive and dull norm of adulthood that says you can’t try new things or that creativity isn’t needed. So many adults lose their childhood fun, play, and creativeness and “turn” into adults.

To Make Creativity
Our brains have tremendous potential for creativity, analysis, and reasoning at any age. There are many paths to creativity. It could be as simple as combining two existing things in a new and different way. It could be taking something that is always done a certain way and discovering a new and better way to do it. It’s simply a matter of taking the time to think about what you are doing instead of just going through the motions. The only thing that you and I need to do to release our creativity is to be whole brain thinkers.

Be Open
Being a juggling performer, I had no choice but to be creative. To learn or create new juggling feats, I needed to be open to trying new ways to throw, new ways to catch, and new props to throw and catch, including fire and swords. In my professional performing days, I would try tricks that many thought impossible, but I knew that there would be a way if I was creative in my approach to learning. To make my routines interesting and engaging, I had to think in new directions and be creative enough to always have the audience guessing (and laughing.)

What If?
Imagine yourself finding a way to make a product or service even better. This is probably something you do every day. In your daily routines, I’m sure there are lots of things that frustrate you like toothpaste sticking to the sink or maybe your shoelaces constantly coming untied. Why couldn’t you be the one to solve these frustrations or even larger issues like world hunger? Imagine if the person who invented the umbrella had never taken the time to think about how to keep them self-dry when they had to run errands on a rainy day. To spark some creativity in yourself, look at something and ask yourself what if? This question can open your mind to think of other ways and new directions. You could find that new way of doing something that might help alleviate stress in your life, cure someone of a terrible illness, or more simply maybe just make you lots of money.

Push Curiosity
Studies have shown that creativity and curiosity are positively correlated with intelligence, meaning that as one increases, the other also increases. In one study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 2002, researchers correctly predicted that highly curious toddlers would have higher IQ’s when they were older children than toddlers with lower levels of curiosity. Researchers measured the degree of creative behavior in 1,790 three-year-old children and then measured their cognitive ability at age eleven. As they thought, the eleven year old children who had been highly curious three-year-old kids later scored twelve points higher on total IQ compared with low-stimulation seekers. They also had superior scholastic and reading abilities. There are ways to making your child more curious in life. Open up their mind and push curiosity now to provide a better life for your child later. Stimulate your kids to find their creative side.

You Can Get Smarter!
Other studies have shown that adults who are highly curious also have greater analytic aptitude, better problem solving abilities, and higher intelligence overall. Studies are showing that it is possible for you to increase your IQ over the course of your life. In the past, scientists were under the impression that the IQ you were born would be the IQ you had your whole life, but this idea has changed. This suggests that additional curiosity in your daily life is likely to make you smarter. No, you are not too old to be creative, to be curious, and to advance your life. But, you must start – NOW.

Innovate and Create
Your creativity can advance the world. Creativity and innovation drive the designing of better or more effective products, lifestyles, juggling moves, technologies, processes, services, or ideas that are available to everyone to make the world a better place. Innovation is different from invention in that innovation is an original and different way of doing things, while invention is coming up with one product or idea that is new. Creativity is the invention or origination of a new thing, or, often, this is taking a thing already designed and tweaking it in a way that adds to it, makes it better, and makes it different.

Imagination
If there is one thing that exclusively sets humans apart from all the rest of existence on earth it would be our ability to think, to be creative and to use our imaginations. Being content with routine thought patterns allows us to do the many things we need to do without having to think about them, but we must go beyond routine to make the world better for ourselves and for those who will follow after us. Use your mind, think, and discover new ways that will advance your life and, hopefully, will advance the world. At times, we have to temporarily forget what we think we know because our minds get muddled with convenient answers. We don’t take the time to think that there might be another way to go about things. Sometimes we need to take the time to rethink a situation and to break our routine patterns.

The Better Way
Creativity is more than a mind full of new ideas. Creativity is also being able to implement new ideas with thought, judgment, and selection. An innovator is constantly changing and challenging the rules, thinking in new directions and trying new ideas. There is always a better way to do most things. Use your mind to come up with new uses for old ideas and maybe even redevelop a product.

Change the Question
Sometimes, if we change the wording of a question in our own mind, we can come up with a way to solve the question in a different way. Over time, almost every advancement in business, science, technology, juggling, art, medicine, and most every other field has occurred when someone challenged the rules and tried a different approach.

Use your drops and losses to get better
Like you read before, when you drop, pick up and try again. Things may not turn-out the way you planned, but don’t get discouraged or quit. Try again, but find a new path or a new way. Failure is never the end, but only the first stepping stone to new ideas.

Combine
Creative people are people who pay attention to small ideas. These ideas, or combination of ideas, can blossom into a big breakthrough, or something that will take off. Sometimes, what you can do is take the basic idea for one situation and apply it to another. The people who have creative ideas are looking at the same things as everyone else – then they think something different from everyone else.

Learn About Everything
The key to creativity is curiosity. To increase your curiosity and creativity, don’t just be concerned with how to finish first in the rat race or how to beat the system. Be enthralled with the world around you and ask questions. The creative individual wants to know about all kinds of things, such as:
What is life and why are we here?
What happens after death?
What is the natural life of a frog?
What is the lifespan of a frog in captivity?
Is it going to rain today or just stay cloudy?
How does one juggle 5 balls?

Be that curious person. Ask questions and learn all you can about everything. Use your creative mind to put two (or three or five) ideas together to come up with something new. Successes are waiting for you, open your mind and make changes happen in your world toward the success you desire.

A Storm in the Brain
Rekindle your childhood curiosity. Remember the spark that went off in your head when you would see something that amazed you or scared you or just didn’t make sense to your inexperienced mind? Out of your curiosity will grow the desire to see ordinary things in a new way, thinking this way will open your mind. Curiosity, at its hub, is all about noticing and expanding on something that means something to us, that we find interesting, that we can latch on to personally. Once your curiosity is in gear, use the technique of brainstorming to enhance your creativity. Brainstorming is the method of writing down all the thoughts and ideas that come into your mind related to a question or problem no matter how trivial or absurd it might seem.

The Storm Continues
When brainstorming, write or type as quickly as you can without stopping to evaluate what you’ve listed so far. When you are look over what you have written, you will see that some of the ideas were silly and dumb, but many times, even silly and dumb ideas can grow into something good and productive. I used brainstorming to help me to write this book and the others in the series. I started by writing down all the ideas and words that I had and then later developed what I thought was the best material to help you.

Try Different Ways
Be flexible with the so-called rules of life. Sometimes, you will have to break out of one pattern in order to discover another one. You can be creative in just about anything that you do, even if it’s something you’ve been doing exactly the same way for twenty years be it signing your name, taking out the trash, or washing the dishes. You can transform even mundane, dull, mechanical task into fun and meaningful ones by being asking questions, brainstorming, and embracing your creativity. By trying new ways to do even simple things, your enjoyment in life will increase, and you may think of a better way to do something.

You Are Creative, Yes?
Some people are better at creating new ideas than others. Some seem to be born with a natural inclination toward creativity like artists, poets, composers, philosophers, and jugglers. Remember though that you can develop your creativity. While it may not come as easily for you as for say a painter, remember that even the natural painter will continue to develop their creativity by practicing.

See Things Differently
The analytical mind, which competes with the creative mind, is often wrong as that part of our brains is primarily guided by what has happened to us in the past and how we have interpreted prior events in our lives. There are ways, though, to actively engage the creative mind to overpower the analytical part of our brains. The knowledge that we might gain from previous experience isn’t always accurate given that our interpretations of things might not always be correct, especially interpretations we may have formed during childhood. Ideas received through the creative part of the brain are often more reliable interpretations of our outside world. When we are curious, we look at things differently, use our powers of observation more fully, and we are more likely to put away our self-image that often hinders us from seeing things the way they truly are.

Productive Work
Being creative and having a good sense of humor in your job or career can bring you many opportunities for promotion and advancement. Yet, many managers and executives seem to operate under the idea that work should be serious and they want their employees to keep their nose to the grindstone and not make changes. These managers have eliminated fun and humor from the workplace. With an atmosphere of fun and play, employees are usually able to accomplish more.

Your Fun Working Environment
Along with having a childlike attitude to spark your creativity, a fun working environment is much more productive than a routine environment. People who like where they are working are much more likely to find new and better ways of doing things that can save companies thousand and millions of dollars. If you are a manager, I encourage you to foster creativity that any of your employees may exhibit. As an employee, make the environment in which you work pleasant for you.

Take a Chance
Taking a risk requires constant confidence building. Risk takers must have confidence in their ability to bounce back and recover if things don’t go right. The thing that separates people who reach their dreams from those who don’t is that those who were able to realize their dreams took calculated risks and chances in their life. Be daring and take risks to advance your life. There is no way to succeed without exposing yourself to risk.

Curiosity to Bring on Learning
While being passionate about something obviously makes you curious to know details about it, the same holds true that you can spark interest for something that doesn’t mean anything to you at this time. The more interest you can develop for something, the more likely you are to notice it, study it, and learn about it, and thus the more appealing and significant it will become for you. This inquisitiveness is true toward people, sports, books, juggling, skills, and conversations. The more you jump into something, the more curiosity and creativity you will develop. You may become an expert in something that once never held interest for you.

You Can Do It
Encourage and nurture your curiosity which in turn will develop your creativity. The bigger your curiosity, the bigger your life can be. Curiosity, creativity, and being willing to take risks will grant you more opportunities and experiences in life that will inspire and excite you.

As a performer and juggler, I constantly had to be creative to develop new juggling patterns, and being live on stage, I had to learn new and exciting routines for my performance. Also, most of my life I have been self-employed, an endeavor that requires creativity and risk. I also had to tap into my creativity to find ways to recover after my accident. Then, of course, for this book and the other books in the Beyond Your Potential series, I had to develop more creativity to write words for you that will help to advance your life.

You Are Creative
Being creative is taking a risk, trying something new, or finding new ways to do old things. Think back to when you were young and free to use your mind how you wanted to. As a child, you probably saw a bright future for yourself with all the things you wanted to accomplish once you grew up. Your mind was always open to trying new things. In order to regain your natural creativity, learn to think like a child again. Free yourself of the unproductive and dull norm of adulthood that says you can’t try new things or that creativity isn’t needed. So many adults lose their childhood fun, play, and creativeness and “turn” into adults.

To Make Creativity
Our brains have tremendous potential for creativity, analysis, and reasoning at any age. There are many paths to creativity. It could be as simple as combining two existing things in a new and different way. It could be taking something that is always done a certain way and discovering a new and better way to do it. It’s simply a matter of taking the time to think about what you are doing instead of just going through the motions. The only thing that you and I need to do to release our creativity is to be whole brain thinkers.

Be Open
Being a juggling performer, I had no choice but to be creative. To learn or create new juggling feats, I needed to be open to trying new ways to throw, new ways to catch, and new props to throw and catch, including fire and swords. In my professional performing days, I would try tricks that many thought impossible, but I knew that there would be a way if I was creative in my approach to learning. To make my routines interesting and engaging, I had to think in new directions and be creative enough to always have the audience guessing (and laughing.)

What If?
Imagine yourself finding a way to make a product or service even better. This is probably something you do every day. In your daily routines, I’m sure there are lots of things that frustrate you like toothpaste sticking to the sink or maybe your shoelaces constantly coming untied. Why couldn’t you be the one to solve these frustrations or even larger issues like world hunger? Imagine if the person who invented the umbrella had never taken the time to think about how to keep them self-dry when they had to run errands on a rainy day. To spark some creativity in yourself, look at something and ask yourself what if? This question can open your mind to think of other ways and new directions. You could find that new way of doing something that might help alleviate stress in your life, cure someone of a terrible illness, or more simply maybe just make you lots of money.

Push Curiosity
Studies have shown that creativity and curiosity are positively correlated with intelligence, meaning that as one increases, the other also increases. In one study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 2002, researchers correctly predicted that highly curious toddlers would have higher IQ’s when they were older children than toddlers with lower levels of curiosity. Researchers measured the degree of creative behavior in 1,790 three-year-old children and then measured their cognitive ability at age eleven. As they thought, the eleven year old children who had been highly curious three-year-old kids later scored twelve points higher on total IQ compared with low-stimulation seekers. They also had superior scholastic and reading abilities. There are ways to making your child more curious in life. Open up their mind and push curiosity now to provide a better life for your child later. Stimulate your kids to find their creative side.

You Can Get Smarter!
Other studies have shown that adults who are highly curious also have greater analytic aptitude, better problem solving abilities, and higher intelligence overall. Studies are showing that it is possible for you to increase your IQ over the course of your life. In the past, scientists were under the impression that the IQ you were born would be the IQ you had your whole life, but this idea has changed. This suggests that additional curiosity in your daily life is likely to make you smarter. No, you are not too old to be creative, to be curious, and to advance your life. But, you must start – NOW.

Innovate and Create
Your creativity can advance the world. Creativity and innovation drive the designing of better or more effective products, lifestyles, juggling moves, technologies, processes, services, or ideas that are available to everyone to make the world a better place. Innovation is different from invention in that innovation is an original and different way of doing things, while invention is coming up with one product or idea that is new. Creativity is the invention or origination of a new thing, or, often, this is taking a thing already designed and tweaking it in a way that adds to it, makes it better, and makes it different.

Imagination
If there is one thing that exclusively sets humans apart from all the rest of existence on earth it would be our ability to think, to be creative and to use our imaginations. Being content with routine thought patterns allows us to do the many things we need to do without having to think about them, but we must go beyond routine to make the world better for ourselves and for those who will follow after us. Use your mind, think, and discover new ways that will advance your life and, hopefully, will advance the world. At times, we have to temporarily forget what we think we know because our minds get muddled with convenient answers. We don’t take the time to think that there might be another way to go about things. Sometimes we need to take the time to rethink a situation and to break our routine patterns.

The Better Way
Creativity is more than a mind full of new ideas. Creativity is also being able to implement new ideas with thought, judgment, and selection. An innovator is constantly changing and challenging the rules, thinking in new directions and trying new ideas. There is always a better way to do most things. Use your mind to come up with new uses for old ideas and maybe even redevelop a product.

Change the Question
Sometimes, if we change the wording of a question in our own mind, we can come up with a way to solve the question in a different way. Over time, almost every advancement in business, science, technology, juggling, art, medicine, and most every other field has occurred when someone challenged the rules and tried a different approach.

Use your drops and losses to get better
Like you read before, when you drop, pick up and try again. Things may not turn-out the way you planned, but don’t get discouraged or quit. Try again, but find a new path or a new way. Failure is never the end, but only the first stepping stone to new ideas.

Combine
Creative people are people who pay attention to small ideas. These ideas, or combination of ideas, can blossom into a big breakthrough, or something that will take off. Sometimes, what you can do is take the basic idea for one situation and apply it to another. The people who have creative ideas are looking at the same things as everyone else – then they think something different from everyone else.

Learn About Everything
The key to creativity is curiosity. To increase your curiosity and creativity, don’t just be concerned with how to finish first in the rat race or how to beat the system. Be enthralled with the world around you and ask questions. The creative individual wants to know about all kinds of things, such as:
What is life and why are we here?
What happens after death?
What is the natural life of a frog?
What is the lifespan of a frog in captivity?
Is it going to rain today or just stay cloudy?
How does one juggle 5 balls?
Be that curious person. Ask questions and learn all you can about everything. Use your creative mind to put two (or three or five) ideas together to come up with something new. Successes are waiting for you, open your mind and make changes happen in your world toward the success you desire.

A Storm in the Brain
Rekindle your childhood curiosity. Remember the spark that went off in your head when you would see something that amazed you or scared you or just didn’t make sense to your inexperienced mind? Out of your curiosity will grow the desire to see ordinary things in a new way, thinking this way will open your mind. Curiosity, at its hub, is all about noticing and expanding on something that means something to us, that we find interesting, that we can latch on to personally. Once your curiosity is in gear, use the technique of brainstorming to enhance your creativity. Brainstorming is the method of writing down all the thoughts and ideas that come into your mind related to a question or problem no matter how trivial or absurd it might seem.

The Storm Continues
When brainstorming, write or type as quickly as you can without stopping to evaluate what you’ve listed so far. When you are look over what you have written, you will see that some of the ideas were silly and dumb, but many times, even silly and dumb ideas can grow into something good and productive. I used brainstorming to help me to write this book and the others in the series. I started by writing down all the ideas and words that I had and then later developed what I thought was the best material to help you.

Try Different Ways
Be flexible with the so-called rules of life. Sometimes, you will have to break out of one pattern in order to discover another one. You can be creative in just about anything that you do, even if it’s something you’ve been doing exactly the same way for twenty years be it signing your name, taking out the trash, or washing the dishes. You can transform even mundane, dull, mechanical task into fun and meaningful ones by being asking questions, brainstorming, and embracing your creativity. By trying new ways to do even simple things, your enjoyment in life will increase, and you may think of a better way to do something.

You Are Creative, Yes?
Some people are better at creating new ideas than others. Some seem to be born with a natural inclination toward creativity like artists, poets, composers, philosophers, and jugglers. Remember though that you can develop your creativity. While it may not come as easily for you as for say a painter, remember that even the natural painter will continue to develop their creativity by practicing.

See Things Differently
The analytical mind, which competes with the creative mind, is often wrong as that part of our brains is primarily guided by what has happened to us in the past and how we have interpreted prior events in our lives. There are ways, though, to actively engage the creative mind to overpower the analytical part of our brains. The knowledge that we might gain from previous experience isn’t always accurate given that our interpretations of things might not always be correct, especially interpretations we may have formed during childhood. Ideas received through the creative part of the brain are often more reliable interpretations of our outside world. When we are curious, we look at things differently, use our powers of observation more fully, and we are more likely to put away our self-image that often hinders us from seeing things the way they truly are.

Productive Work
Being creative and having a good sense of humor in your job or career can bring you many opportunities for promotion and advancement. Yet, many managers and executives seem to operate under the idea that work should be serious and they want their employees to keep their nose to the grindstone and not make changes. These managers have eliminated fun and humor from the workplace. With an atmosphere of fun and play, employees are usually able to accomplish more.

Your Fun Working Environment
Along with having a childlike attitude to spark your creativity, a fun working environment is much more productive than a routine environment. People who like where they are working are much more likely to find new and better ways of doing things that can save companies thousand and millions of dollars. If you are a manager, I encourage you to foster creativity that any of your employees may exhibit. As an employee, make the environment in which you work pleasant for you.

Take a Chance
Taking a risk requires constant confidence building. Risk takers must have confidence in their ability to bounce back and recover if things don’t go right. The thing that separates people who reach their dreams from those who don’t is that those who were able to realize their dreams took calculated risks and chances in their life. Be daring and take risks to advance your life. There is no way to succeed without exposing yourself to risk.

Curiosity to Bring on Learning
While being passionate about something obviously makes you curious to know details about it, the same holds true that you can spark interest for something that doesn’t mean anything to you at this time. The more interest you can develop for something, the more likely you are to notice it, study it, and learn about it, and thus the more appealing and significant it will become for you. This inquisitiveness is true toward people, sports, books, juggling, skills, and conversations. The more you jump into something, the more curiosity and creativity you will develop. You may become an expert in something that once never held interest for you.

You Can Do It
Encourage and nurture your curiosity which in turn will develop your creativity. The bigger your curiosity, the bigger your life can be. Curiosity, creativity, and being willing to take risks will grant you more opportunities and experiences in life that will inspire and excite you.

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For this blog, I decided to write something daily. With the last posting I put in words all at once, in that we were not traveling. But, I believe, I will develop wording, daily, that will help you to move to a higher level, which is my aim, everyday.

Every day I want to write something toward this blog. I’ve written about this “daily thing” before. When you have a project, everyday do something toward the end result; this will get you there much faster.

You become more comfortable, and, with editing and changing things, you end up with something that is toward the best you can produce. Did you take that in from reading the most recent words sent to you?

· Are you reading my posts? Not hearing from many people.

· Will I hear from you after you read these words?

· Thank you, Larry, for your correspondence; I’m glad you are there.

Hope you enjoyed my last post about death and how you need to accomplish now, while you have the chance.

Tina’s mom is home from the hospital now and needs us around, yet, we can go out for short trips. At the age of 95 she is mainly watching TV most of the day, although she cannot see or hear very well, at all.

You might know, my mom died a couple years ago, which was devastating for me. I did not ever see life without her, so her death hit me hard. Her last years she was watching much TV and playing solitaire with cards, much.

In my last days I hope to keep achieving efforts, but, who can know how it will be in their last days.

I recently posted the following on Facebook:
Staying at Tina’s mom’s house, there were some guys over doing some work. Later, after they left, I discovered a few things missing. One of which was my small file cabinet out of the van which contained important papers. I’m sure they would deny they took the stuff if I were to contact them.

I’m sure that, once whoever took the file box looks through, they will just throw my things away–throwing away my past. Old papers from my childhood and other important papers, along with photos.

I have started my life over again so many times, this does not seem like a big deal to me. Starting again with nothing . . .

Yet, I have anger in me, a terrible thing.

In fact, I forget exactly what I ha d in the file box. Why would someone take it, so many questions, very hard to go through. I hardly got into the small file cabinet, but there were important papers there.

Feeling anger and frustration, but know that life will continue.

When something happens that you cannot control, you just go on with life and try and smile. The important thing is, I still have my mind, which can think well; yes, life will go on.

When you die you have nothing more, things are not important, and experiences are much more significant. You have been learning of my experiences through these blogs, hope you have been enjoying. Make all the experiences you can happen in your life, it will make your life much more grand.

This post holds something I worked on in writing my books. The end of each paragraph leads onto the next section; did you notice? It is a way of using my mind and connecting the two sections; something I enjoy doing, using my mind in a good way.

Until next week, bye for now>>>>>>>>>>Kit
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BEYOND YOUR POTENTIAL
The Comeback Kit,
From Coma to Comedy

BOOK ONE – ACCIDENT

A Series of Books to Change Your Life
By Kit Summers
Chapter 4 – Loss and Growth .
CHAPTER FOUR
LOSS AND GROWTH
“Adversity is another way to measure
the greatness of individuals. I never had
a crisis that didn’t make me stronger.”
Lou Holtz

Loss of juggling ability, loss of being able to see well, suffering from ringing in the ears, loss of being able to run, I’ve had many losses. Loss is a part of life. We must accept loss and learn to use the experience to grow. As I personally learned, after a loss or change, things will never be the same again.

THE GRIEF YOU EXPERIENCE AFTER A SIGNIFICANT LOSS WILL REQUIRE A TIME OF RECOVERY, AND GRIEF DOESN’T HAVE TO BE BRIEF.

Like a juggler, life is often a balancing act, and each time something causes you to waver, you must regain stability again as soon as possible, or risk an unnecessary drop or tumble through even more hardship—this time, self-inflicted.

When you suffer a major loss, such as a death in the family, a divorce or relocation, it feels as if you have been hit by a truck (I know that feeling well.) It affects you mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

BEFORE YOU CAN GO ON WITH ANY SENSE OF BEING WHOLE, YOU NEED TO PICK UP AND REGAIN A SENSE OF BALANCE AGAIN.

But you must also learn from the change and loss to move past it how you can. Doing so, you will be able to progress through life again, as you were doing before the interruption. We all go through a myriad of loss in our life.

A few losses I have been through:
· The first time I got hit by a truck, I lost my juggling ability and more. Yet, life goes on.
· The loss of my wife through divorce and loss of my daughters was devastating for me. Yet, life goes on.
· The second time I got hit by a truck, I lost my ability to run, which is something I cherish. Yet, life goes on.
· After the first accident, I see double. From a bike accident, I always hear buzzing—no silence. Yet, life goes on.
· I lost my mind, which is a hard thing to think about. Is life still going on?

I’m not asking for sympathy by mentioning some of the challenges I’ve encountered. Of course, there are millions of people who have been through much worse.

We should not compare ourselves to others. Live your own life; focus on yourself and how you can add to the world.

When I focus on the future and the hopes I have, my thoughts change. Clinging onto the past and what “could” have been destroys me. I must keep away from doing that. It will help you, too, if you focus on your future with hope.

THE PAST IS A MEMORY; LEAVE IT THERE.

Remember the joys you have had and the wisdom you acquired, and then leave the past in the past.

In thinking back, while I’m sorry about the negative events, I’m not sorry for the growing and learning that I’ve gained from them.

FACE IT RIGHT AND YOU WILL MISS NOTHING.

You’ve missed chances and opportunities at times in your past, don’t be sad or regretful. You have your future, get excited and enthusiastic about the possibilities your future holds for you.

Although sometimes, as I was recovering and looking at the future, I did wish that I could go back. I’ve learned too much that is too precious to ever want to go back now.

Discover for yourself as you look back at difficult times in your life and the losses you have had. See how these changes have added to your life as you live. Doing so will help you get through future changes and loss in a better state of mind.

LOSS IS A PART OF LIFE.

As we go through life, we are all involved in losses of some kind. So much can be learned about ourselves from an experience of loss, even in going through a very painful grieving process.

Looking forward from where you are now, live your life with the highest degree of the best expectations.

You have to look for what can be gained from even the most painful of events.

I HAVE FOUND THAT MANY HORRIBLE LOSSES CAN BE TRANSFORMED INTO LEARNING AND GROWING EXPERIENCES.

Sometimes you need a drastic change in your life to advance, a kick to get you moving again. And yet, there are losses that a kick will do nothing for, such as the death of someone close.

We have all had the loss of someone close to us. When you experience the loss of a loved one, it can really help if you take time to write a letter to this person describing how you feel about them and that you are sad they died. Describe your feelings in detail.

Read this letter to yourself every day out loud with a smile on your face and it can really comfort you as you go through the stages of grief.

The six stages of grief we have to go through after a change or loss—denial, isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally, acceptance. Getting through each stage can be difficult.

Take the time you need, work on getting through each stage and back to life as soon as you can. In each of my life changes, I remember taking the time to go through each of these stages as I was recovering.

Each stage takes its own time to go through. Tears may flow, yelling can occur, sadness will be there. Always keep in mind that the grief will not be forever. As you are getting through your grief, help others through theirs.

The more you can help others through their difficulties and change, the sooner you will find your way back to happiness. Understand, though, that you will never be the same after change.

WE MUST SURRENDER TO THE CHANGE, AND THEN LEARN TO USE IT FOR OUR FUTURE.

Surrendering allows us to move through the change and learn from it. It does not mean giving up; it simply means accepting the change as is.

Yes, this acceptance of change can be a terribly hard thing to do, but it must be done in order to move forward.

You must look toward the future and think of what has to change to make your life even better than it currently is. Find the power in yourself and don’t give it away by holding onto negative factors from any change.

As we go through changes, we have to focus on them at the time, but don’t hold on too long—move your focus to your positive future as soon as you can.

START TO HANDLE YOUR FUTURE, AWAY FROM YOUR LOSS.

The better you can handle your losses in life, the happier and healthier you will be. Do this with change in your life and also with people who move through your life.

People will move into and out of your life quite often. I’ve had people who I thought were lifelong friends break things off, and we did not communicate again. I miss friends I’ve lost: Budfriend, Anna, and Joe, my best man. It hurt so much, but there was nothing I could do.

Remember, new people are always coming into your life. The old contacts are not replaced. They will always remain and live on in memory, but the new will continue and increase.

Having many friends and growing up in San Diego was wonderful; I loved Southern California and was comfortable there. Mary Ellen and I were married in San Diego and lived there for about five years.

She asked many times to move to the Philadelphia area, where her family was. I finally broke down and we made the move. I felt tremendous loss moving from where I grew up, but new and different people and things entered my life. After a time I understood a bright future is where we need to focus.

SEE THE POSITIVE.

How we see these changes will help to get us through them. You can take any experience and make it an opportunity for learning and for growth. Or you can make it a time for sadness, crying and negative feelings. These twisted thoughts can be straightened.

I find that people can train themselves to straighten twisted feelings and thought patterns. You can teach yourself not to let negative thought patterns overcome you as you move forward. This has been a big factor as I moved forward through my life.

In 1979-1980, I performed a juggling and comedy act with Randy Foster. What a brilliant time we had. I played the nice, friendly character while Randy took the role of the snide and mean character.

We complimented each other quite well, and the show was fabulous.

After doing many street shows in San Diego, we decided to try our act out at Mardi Gras, so off to New Orleans we went.

There is one section of New Orleans that draws people who are attracted to the same sex. Randy had never shown interest in the female gender, and I think he began to express his true desires in New Orleans.

We hardly talked about it, and he never came on to me. I did go with him a couple times to flamboyant gay bars—quite interesting.

On the first anniversary of my first accident, Randy performed a street show with me where we used to do shows in the old days—my monumental comeback performance.

In the mid-eighties, Randy came down with Aids and died in 1991.

I had never experienced the death of someone so close to me before.

IT WAS A TERRIBLE LOSS, AND I STILL MISS RANDY GREATLY.

I’m sure you have been through tremendous losses. How we face and deal with this loss will provide a new direction and better future.

I found new directions to point my passions after each of my losses.

And, it provided more material for this book designed to help you.

I GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I ALMOST WELCOMED BAD THINGS HAPPENING—I DID NOT MIND ANYMORE!

As long as I did not die, it would be more material for this book. Out of every loss there is growth, if we look for the advancement.

Every problem can be an opportunity for progress and moving ahead. Grief follows a consistent pattern that eventually must come to a resolution. You will get through your loss and change; accept the loss first.

Acknowledging and accepting any loss is the most important first step in your recovery through the loss. A discernible sense of balance will come back into your life when you can accept that your loss is real and will not ever go away.

SEE THINGS HOW THEY TRULY ARE.

Seeing the loss for what it is represents a giant step toward full recovery. If you are aware, the grieving process can be a time of growth and learning, as you are working your way back.

You can get back on top of life again, no matter what happens. If you continue to face your loss and work through it, it will make you a stronger person.

YOU HAVE CONTROL OVER YOUR GRIEF, MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION.

You can decide to grow through the most devastating loss you ever had and turn it into the most meaningful and productive experience you ever experienced. Choosing to go on with life means taking charge of your own thoughts and emotions, to keep moving ahead toward your successes.

On your way toward success, expect more change and loss. When you suffer a loss, instead of asking, “Why did this happen to me?” the better question would be, “How can I learn and grow through this awful event to become a better person?” Learn, learn, learn.

We learn from all of life’s experiences, good or bad. When you do start asking “How” rather than “Why?” you are on your way to recovery in all areas. Losses will be constant your entire life. The bigger your loss is, the greater your sadness and grief can be. Go through the loss as you can.

Eventually, you will get over the grief, but you do have to work through it. You cannot get around it or jump over it. Sooner or later, you will have to deal with what has happened, again and again, with each new change and loss.

Through your entire life, your changes and losses add up—loss of your childhood, loss of innocence, loss through accidents, loss of health, loss of your goldfish, loss of money, loss of a job, dropped that ball again, loss of a family member or friend, loss through death, loss through divorce—the list never ends.

As we go through each loss we deal with denial, with anger, with depression, with acceptance, and we may even try to strike a deal with the genie so many perceive God to be.

You will go through these various stages as they come and go. You may think that you are over the loss, and then it will return to haunt you again.

Once you do find acceptance, you will always have the memories and grief to deal with, but you do not have to stay there. Looking forward, I had to get myself back from these devastating accidents that totally changed my life.

I KNEW THE PATH BACK WAS GOING TO BE A DIFFICULT ONE, YET, FORWARD I WENT . . .

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November 8 —Arrival back in the Allentown, Pennsylvania area. Awakening to frost on the front windshield, boy it’s cold. Plenty of blankets to keep us warm while sleeping in the van, but, as you know, we had wanted to travel with the warm weather and stay to the south at this time of year.

With no current photos, I am included some from the past. Here is a photo from 1979 when I was juggling instructor at RBBB clown college–at the young age of 19.

Tina’s mom needs our help, so here we are. As I wrote in the last blog, she is 95 years old and in the hospital right now. In a week she gets out and we will need to be with her to help take care of her.
​
It’s all like a dream that we were in San Diego go recently.

So, after more than a year traveling and living in a van, we have settled near Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Back to the city with many people.
Back to the cold.
Schedules, appointments, yikes!
Eating at restaurants and in the kitchen.

Already missing:

Wilderness.
Wild animals.
Rivers and lakes.
The freedom.

So, as I wrote before, Tin Tina’s mom is just getting out of the hospital and, at age 95, has no one to take care of her, so here we are. I almost feel like we are waiting around until Marion Miller’s death?, a strange feeling. But, we will be getting back to the wilderness now-and-then, allowing someone else to be with her.

Death is a strange thing. No one can decide “not” to die, we will all get there. Yet, although inevitable, few people talk about what is on the way. Before I go, there are things I want to accomplish, people I want to meet, and places I want to go to. Yet, with this limited time, will I get there? How about you, are there things you want to get done before your demise?

What gets me is the people who live like there is no end and just glide through life doing as little as they can until the end. Remember you only die once, you must live every day.

I did not work hard on this blog this week for you, next week I will have more for your eyes to peruse.

From my book series, Beyond Your Potential.
==============================================
BEYOND YOUR POTENTIAL
The Comeback Kit,
From Coma to Comedy
BOOK ONE – ACCIDENT
A Series of Books to Change Your Life
By Kit Summers

CHAPTER TWO
RECOVERY OR DEATH

“See your upcoming death
as a way to push yourself to
aim beyond your potential”
Kit Summers

As I was recovering from my 37 day coma , my mind was not thinking right for a time, but I had had a good life so far and had a strong will to live. Death had knocked on my door; I refused to open the gate.

In a way, we are the ones who sometimes choose when we want to leave this life we live. Of course, recovery and moving ahead were much better, or I couldn’t have written this book to help you in your life.

My life didn’t end in either accident, but the experiences made me think a great deal about life, and, of course, death. I must say, I have no fear of death, but I have things I need to accomplish before that time, such as making Beyond Your Potential a best seller (with your help, of course.)

During some operations in the past, I was comfortably asleep under anesthesia and knew nothing, which is how I believe death will be; the long sleep and knowing nothing.

Human life is a finite condition; death is imminent, which is a subject seldom discussed.

PREPARE YOUR MIND.

Have you thought about your own death? Or what you want to accomplish before that end result? Time to get to what you want to realize in the time you have left—NOW—while you are still alive?

When recovering from injuries and serious setbacks in my life, at times I have been quite upset about my losses. I did think about suicide at times—how easy it would be to just let go and “pass away.”

I would no longer have to work or worry or suffer, and no more great tragedies would befall me.

SUICIDE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE EASY WAY OUT.

After thinking more about it, I saw that suicide was the most selfish and lazy thing one could ever do. You get relief, but all those who know you will suffer your demise.

Over the years, the idea of writing this book helped to keep me on track, and even kept me alive.

Helping you through my thoughts became a new passion, and I had to make the time to
finish this collection of words.

Because of my major accidents, I lost some of my time and saw that we do have a limited time here on Earth. With the time remaining to me, I wanted to accomplish something that could help the human race, which is part of the reason I wrote this book.

I HOPE THESE WORDS ARE ADDING TO YOUR LIFE.

With advancement in medical technologies, which ultimately saved my life, humankind is able to live longer than we ever have. I was on the threshold of death a few times, but was kept alive; I had to keep going.

If the doctors had “pulled the plug,” I may not be here today. I was told that if my first accident had happened five years prior to when it did, I would not have made it.

When someone is in an irreversible coma, should the plug be pulled?

DEATH IS THE ONE THING THAT REALLY SCARES MOST PEOPLE ON EARTH.

In Western society, which is materialistic and progress oriented, death is often ignored, not talked about, evaded, and denied.

WE CAN’T COUNT ON ANYTHING IN LIFE—EXCEPT DEATH.

Yet, wouldn’t it be a hard life if you went on living forever? It would also get quite boring, too, don’t you think?

During my recoveries, I decided I wanted to do something to help people on this earth we live on.

I read a fabulous quote by Horace Mann: “Until you have done something to advance human life, you should be ashamed to die.”

I AM HOPEFUL THIS SERIES OF BOOKS WILL FULFILL MY OBLIGATION.

I knew that the more I helped others, the more I was motivated to live because of my efforts. The results I saw kept me on track. As I helped others, I kept working toward advancement and didn’t settle for death.

Yet, I knew living with the knowledge that eventually every one of us is going to die is much harder than dying. While in the hospital, I tried to motivate and encourage other patients. Doing so helped to stabilize my mind and preserved my will to live on, on my way to an old age?

Some people who have died at the age of eighteen have lived fuller lives than others who loitered about to the age of ninety-three. It’s not that we have to accomplish a great deal in life. It’s about living fully each and every day.

Take time out to enjoy the sunshine, to watch clouds and sunsets, to work on your book, to juggle, to enjoy a flower opening, to see, experience and appreciate all the wonderful little things that life has to offer.

Take a moment to examine your own life, and, ultimately, your death.
· Have you ever thought about the time when you will not b e here?
· Are there things left you want to accomplish before that time?
· Is there someone whose life you can start helping?

It is never too late to start living and growing—to change your life and go in a different direction.

It is inevitable that you are going to die, and because this is the only life we truly know we have, enjoy this day to the fullest, and live for an even better tomorrow.
DO THIS DAILY.

In this highly advanced world, perhaps we do not talk about death very much because it reminds us of our vulnerability: that we are all on the way out, death will come, whatever age you are now.

The worst of all deaths to think about is that of an innocent child—a life cut short without even having a chance to experience anything. You are not that child. You are alive, keep pressing forward as your life grows.

In a way, death is the final growth that life has to offer. Whether you are rich or poor, successful or struggling, death strikes at random. Death is an integral part of human existence, but for so many this thought does not even come to mind.

Some people live life as if they were going to live forever, as if an hour does not matter, or a day, or a year, or a decade. They let the time drain away like so many grains of sand in an hourglass, and when their time is up; they look back and wonder where their life went.

Only then do they begin to think of all the wonderful things that could have been and what they could have become. Often they think of what they missed at a point when it could be too late, and now they are scared of their death.

YOU MUST NOT WAIT FOR THIS POINT, START NOW ON YOUR FUTURE (WITH YOUR DEATH IN MIND)

By facing the finite nature of our own existence, we can learn not to be bothered by small matters or succumb to depression.

WE ALL HAVE THINGS TO DO, WE MUST GET TO THEM.

We see that it is up to each one of us to design and build our own future, knowing that death will eventually come.

Speaking of death, what truly scares me is that Earth may die because of humans. We need to start taking better care of this planet we live on and which affects all our lives.

YOU CAN DO YOUR PART TO HELP THIS PLANET WE LIVE ON. START TODAY!

It is time to face your own death and push yourself now, while you still have the opportunity to make your dreams a reality.

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