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	<title>Vinden Grace - Internet Business Specialist AKA A Digital Coach &#187; life coaching</title>
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	<link>http://www.vindengrace.com</link>
	<description>Vinden Grace: Internet Marketer; Life, Business &#38; Digital Coach</description>
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		<title>CAMPAIGN FOR LEARNING: UK NATIONAL LEARNING AT WORK DAY 14 MAY 2009-FREE COACHING BY QCC</title>
		<link>http://www.vindengrace.com/2009/03/25/self-improvement/campaign-for-learning-uk-national-learning-at-work-day-14-may-2009-free-coaching-by-qcc/</link>
		<comments>http://www.vindengrace.com/2009/03/25/self-improvement/campaign-for-learning-uk-national-learning-at-work-day-14-may-2009-free-coaching-by-qcc/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:01:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>blogadmin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[self-improvement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[announcements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[training]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.vindengrace.com/?p=53</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Our sister company,Quantum Coaching &#38; Consulting (QCC Group), is supporting this day in the UK by offering free coaching &#38; workshops in organisations throughout the week of 11 &#8211; 15 May! Venue: Your training facility or an external one if your organisation funds it. Location: London, UK &#38; within M25 (or outside + travel &#38; [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong>Our sister company,Quantum Coaching &amp; Consulting (<a href="http://www.qccgroup.com" target="_blank">QCC Group</a>), is supporting this day in the UK by offering free coaching &amp; workshops in organisations throughout the week of 11 &#8211; 15 May!</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong></strong></span></p>
<div id="attachment_59" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 280px"><strong><strong><img class="size-full wp-image-59" title="qcc-logo" src="http://www.vindengrace.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/qcc-logo.jpg" alt="Quantum Coaching &amp; Consulting: QCCgroup" width="270" height="84" /></strong></strong><p class="wp-caption-text">Quantum Coaching &amp; Consulting: QCCgroup</p></div>
<p><strong></strong></p>
<p><strong> Venue: </strong>Your training facility or an external one if your organisation funds it.<br />
<strong>Location</strong>: London, UK &amp; within M25 (or outside + travel &amp; accommodation expenses)<br />
<strong>Develop &amp; motivate your talent&#8230; Without spending a penny!<br />
Free coaching and workshops!</strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>*This Very Limited Offer must be booked by the 4th of April, 2009.*</strong></span></span></p>
<p><strong>Examples of offer include:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li> one-to-one coaching;</li>
<li> coaching bites;</li>
<li> career progression coaching;</li>
<li> stress management;</li>
<li> work-life balance, etc.</li>
</ul>
<p>For more details, see this PDF document: <a href="http://www.qccgroup.com/QCC-C4L.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.qccgroup.com/QCC-C4L.pdf</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Procrastination Issues: I&#8217;ll read about it and do something about it tomorrow!</title>
		<link>http://www.vindengrace.com/2009/02/19/self-improvement/procrastination-issues-ill-read-about-it-and-do-something-about-it-tomorrow/</link>
		<comments>http://www.vindengrace.com/2009/02/19/self-improvement/procrastination-issues-ill-read-about-it-and-do-something-about-it-tomorrow/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:31:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>blogadmin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[self-improvement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business advice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[internet marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life coaching]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.vindengrace.com/?p=42</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What is procrastination and why do I have it? Maybe you’ve heard people say “I’ll get to it tomorrow,” or “It can wait,” or I’m not in the mood right now.” If you’ve heard these statements or perhaps said them yourself, you are affected by procrastination, which affects a lot of people. It can drive [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h1>What is procrastination and why do I have it?</h1>
<p>Maybe you’ve heard people say “I’ll get to it tomorrow,” or “It can wait,” or I’m not in the mood right now.” If you’ve heard these statements or perhaps said them yourself, you are affected by procrastination, which affects a lot of people. It can drive you absolutely crazy and/or upset the people around you.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.beatprocrastinationnow.com/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-51" title="procrastination ebook pic" src="http://www.vindengrace.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/procraspic.jpg" alt="procrastination ebook pic" width="91" height="140" /></a></p>
<p>Procrastination is a complex psychological behaviour that affects many people. Some people deal with it to some degree, while others have a hard time with it. It can go hand in hand with perfectionism. It is a means of avoiding some type of action or task.<span id="more-42"></span></p>
<p>People who suffer from procrastination can suffer from stress, a sense of guilt, loss of productivity, and a lot of yelling at and from others! If you suffer from procrastination, you know your responsibilities, but you don’t want to act on them. You just don’t want to commit. Procrastination can be normal if is kept at in balance, but when you allow it to interfere in your life, it becomes a problem. In order to be able to escape from the grip of this unwelcome condition, people need to understand the whole concept of procrastination, including where it came from and why people get it.</p>
<p><!--more--></p>
<p><!--more--></p>
<p>Procrastination has both psychological and physiological causes. The psychological causes can depend on the situation or element the person faces. Such conditions can include anxiety, low sense of self-worth, and a mentality where the person gives up easily. Procrastinators have also been known to have a higher level of conscientiousness. However, this high level is based more on what they wish they can do, but can’t because perfectionism holds them back. In many situations the person simply feels out of control, and so may resort to delaying a task, or avoiding it all together.</p>
<p>People who suffer from procrastination are aware of what is happening. It can actually lead some people to depression or even suicide, and it can be involved with other kinds of dysfunction, such as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).</p>
<p>Although procrastination can be considered a behavioural problem, any other symptoms that are developed around this condition<br />
can be treated with medication. Hopefully, once the indirect conditions are treated, the resulting effect can also lessen the occurrence of procrastination. Certain medications have been known to help a person increase his attention span or even improve his overall mood. Therapy can also be considered helpful, especially if the therapy can remove any underlying causes that created the behaviour, like fear or anxiety. The basic premise is that it increases the person’s ability to lead a normal life. This is why procrastinators should see a therapist or psychiatrist to see if there is anything beneath the surface that is causing their problems.</p>
<p>Those who are diagnosed as being procrastinators could find themselves getting addicted to such things as using their computer a lot, or using the Internet quite often. It starts with a compulsion to do something so as to avoid reality.  Sothey take part in some kind of activity like surfing the web or playing a video game. So, watch how much time you spend on <a title="Vinden's Twitter page" href="http://twitter.com/vinden" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, Facebook, MySpace, etc.  <img src='http://www.vindengrace.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>Procrastination is like diabetes – there are different types. One is referred to as the relaxed type the other one is the tense-afraid type. The relaxed type views responsibilities in a negative way and avoids them by doing other kinds of tasks.<br />
An example of this is for a child to avoid doing his homework so he can play his video game. In practical terms, this is known as denial. Basically, the procrastinator does everything to avoid any situation that is not pleasurable. People who see these types think they are avoiding work but, in reality, they are simply trying to evade the issue.</p>
<p>The tense-afraid type is usually overwhelmed with a lot of pressure, and doesn’t have a solid concept of time. They are uncertain about their goals and may even have a lot of negative feelings. They often feel they can’t focus so as to complete their job. So what they do is keep telling themselves they need to unwind and relax. They want to take it easy for the time being and start anew the next day. The only problem is the next day brings the same results. This relaxing they do eventually places more stress on them because they end up getting too close to a deadline and have to rush to get the assigned work done. Then the person feels guilty for having delayed getting it done when they had plenty of time.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, they repeat the same thing over and over again. They go from trying to accomplish a task to failure and delay. They constantly put off plans and goals knowing they can’t complete them. The problem with this arrangement is that they can’t be depended on for anything nor can they be trusted. They become uncertain about their goals and this makes them feel awkward, especially when they are around people who have it together and are goal-oriented.</p>
<p>Procrastinators do have a rough time of it emotionally, mentally, and even physically. But as you can learn in our ebook, this problem can be controlled or even eliminated once you know more about the condition and how to get rid of it. The biggest concern is to acknowledge you have it and take steps to change your behaviour. By following certain procedures and guidelines, you may just find that procrastination can be a thing of the past.</p>
<p>Understanding it and getting clear as to its functions and causes will go a long way toward helping you to deal with it. It is just a matter of knowing where it originates. This is one way you can treat it. By knowing the source of the problem, you can take the correct steps to ensure that this problem will not raise its ugly head again.</p>
<p>If you are one of those less fortunate to have procrastination, you are not alone. Did you know that even children can become procrastinators? It is a behaviour problem, usually a learned behaviour. If you find that procrastination has taken over your life, this book should help you remove the resistance and get back in the flow of your life.  It’s for people who truly want to take action in key areas of their lives but, for some reason, they feel unsure,  stuck or demotivated (possibly because they’ve tried before and it hasn’t worked). And let&#8217;s face it, the world of online business is so vast, it can be pretty overwhelming!</p>
<p>There is always a motivating purpose behind everything you choose to do.  Master these and get greater control in your life, business and career.  When you’re back in the flow, you’ll also have a calm confidence when taking on new activities and an increased feeling of personal freedom and a lot more energy and time.</p>
<p>So, acknowledge the problem, stop procrastinating and act……  <a title="Beat Procrastination Now!" href="http://www.beatprocrastinationnow.com/" target="_blank">read this ebook now</a>!</p>
<p>(or see http://www.beatprocrastinationnow.com/)</p>
<p>Further help can be gained through engaging with a Quantum Coaching and Consulting coach <a title="QCC Group" href="http://www.qccgroup.com" target="_blank">http://www.qccgroup.com</a>.   We’ll help you identify how to get back on track with those activities that are in your own best interest. As well as the powerful techniques that we’ve put in this ebook, we’ll help you take self-improvement to another level.</p>
<p>Go for it!</p>
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;"><em><strong>Vinden</strong></em></span></p>
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		<title>New Year’s Resolutions: learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time.</title>
		<link>http://www.vindengrace.com/2009/01/02/uncategorized/new-year%e2%80%99s-resolutions-learning-to-move-toward-our-goals-and-desires-one-step-at-a-time/</link>
		<comments>http://www.vindengrace.com/2009/01/02/uncategorized/new-year%e2%80%99s-resolutions-learning-to-move-toward-our-goals-and-desires-one-step-at-a-time/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Jan 2009 09:20:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>blogadmin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[priorities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.vindengrace.com/?p=32</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For those of you struggling to kick-start a project or get started with any goal, read on! This was sent to me on New Year’s Day by the delightful Project Manager for our superb membership site software. Thanks Nam Tran! As Life / Personal Coaches, this really appealed to me and to my lovely wife, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h1><span style="color: #0000ff;">For those of you struggling to kick-start a project or get started with <span style="text-decoration: underline;">any</span> goal, read on!</span></h1>
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;">This was sent to me on New Year’s Day by the delightful Project Manager for our superb membership site software. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;">Thanks Nam Tran!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;">As<a href="http://www.qccgroup.com/"> Life / Personal Coaches</a>, this really appealed to me and to my lovely wife, Eve Grace-Kelly. For those of you struggling to kick-start a project or get started with any goal, read on!</span></p>
<h2 style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="word-spacing: 0px; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; white-space: normal; letter-spacing: normal; border-collapse: collapse;">A story for the rest of your life</span></span></h2>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Several times my daughter had telephoned to say,<br />
“Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over.”<br />
I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead<br />
“I will come next Tuesday”,<br />
I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy.<br />
Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there.<br />
When I finally walked into my daughter Carolyn’s<br />
house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children.<br />
I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">I told my daughter, “Forget the daffodils, Carolyn!<br />
The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and<br />
there is nothing in the world except you and my grandchildren<br />
that I want to see right now.  I don’t want to drive another inch!”</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">My daughter smiled calmly and said,<br />
“We drive in this weather all the time, mother.”</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">“Well, you won’t get me back on the road until it clears,<br />
and then I’m heading for home!” I assured her.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">“But first we’re going to see the daffodils.<br />
It’s just a few blocks,” Carolyn said. “I’ll drive. I’m used to this.”</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">“Carolyn,” I said sternly,</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">“It’s all right, Mother, I promise.<br />
You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.”</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">So we went!<br />
After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road<br />
and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church,<br />
I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read,</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">“Daffodil Garden —-&gt;”</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">We got out of the car, each of us took a child’s hand,<br />
and I followed Carolyn down the path.<br />
Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped.<br />
Before me lay the most glorious sight.<br />
It looked as though someone had taken<br />
a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak<br />
and its surrounding slopes.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The flowers were planted in majestic,<br />
swirling patterns, great ribbons<br />
and swaths of deep orange,<br />
creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink,<br />
and saffron and butter yellow.<br />
Each different-colored variety was planted<br />
in large groups so that it swirled<br />
and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">There were five acres of flowers!</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">“Who did this?” I asked Carolyn.<br />
“Just one woman,” Carolyn answered.<br />
“She lives on the property. That’s her home.”<br />
Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house,<br />
small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">We walked up to the house.<br />
On the patio, we saw a poster.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">“Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking”<br />
was the headline.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The first answer was a simple one. “50,000 bulbs,” it read.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The second answer was, “One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two<br />
feet, and one brain.”</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The third answer was, “Began in 1958.”</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">For me, that moment was a life-changing experience.<br />
I thought of this woman whom I had never met,<br />
who, more than forty years before, had begun,<br />
one bulb at a time, to bring her vision<br />
of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Planting one bulb at a time, year after year,<br />
this unknown woman had forever changed<br />
the world in which she lived.<br />
One day at a time, she had created something<br />
of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The principle her daffodil garden taught me<br />
is one of the greatest principles of celebration.<br />
That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">“It makes me sad in a way,” I admitted to Carolyn.<br />
“What might I have accomplished<br />
if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five<br />
or forty years ago and had worked away at it<br />
‘one bulb at a time’ through all those years?</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Just think what I might have been able to achieve!”<br />
My daughter summed up the message of the day<br />
in her usual direct way.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">“Start tomorrow,” she said.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">She was right.<br />
It’s so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays.<br />
The way to make learning a lesson of celebration<br />
instead of a cause for regret is to only ask,<br />
“How can I put this to use today?”</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The Daffodil Principle.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Stop waiting…..<br />
Until your car or home is paid off<br />
Until you get a new car or home<br />
Until your kids leave the house<br />
Until you go back to school<br />
Until you finish school<br />
Until you clean the house<br />
Until you organize the garage<br />
Until you clean off your desk<br />
Until you lose 10 lbs.<br />
Until you gain 10 lbs.<br />
Until you get married<br />
Until you get a divorce<br />
Until you have kids<br />
Until the kids go to school<br />
Until you retire<br />
Until summer<br />
Until spring<br />
Until winter<br />
Until fall<br />
Until you die…</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">There is no better time than right now to be happy.<br />
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.<br />
So work like you don’t need money.<br />
Love like you’ve never been hurt,<br />
and, Dance like no one’s watching.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Wishing you a beautiful, daffodil day!<br />
<strong>Don’t be afraid that your life will end,<br />
be afraid that it will never begin.</strong></p>
<p><span style="word-spacing: 0px; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; text-transform: none; color: #500050; text-indent: 0px; white-space: normal; letter-spacing: normal; border-collapse: collapse;"><strong>A very Happy New Year to all of our readers!</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="word-spacing: 0px; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; text-transform: none; color: #500050; text-indent: 0px; white-space: normal; letter-spacing: normal; border-collapse: collapse;"><strong>Vinden &amp; Eve</strong></span></p>
<div><img src="http://memberspeedtutorials.com/jinga/Newyear5.png" alt="" /></div>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Spreading Kindness&#8230;.Holiday Reflections</title>
		<link>http://www.vindengrace.com/2008/12/28/uncategorized/spreading-kindnessholiday-reflections/</link>
		<comments>http://www.vindengrace.com/2008/12/28/uncategorized/spreading-kindnessholiday-reflections/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Dec 2008 17:40:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>blogadmin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[values]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.vindengrace.com/?p=24</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Saw this today &#38; certainly paused for thought&#8230;. It&#8217;s always good for the soul to reflect on helping others&#8230;.. &#8220;I pulled my cab up to the curb and sounded the horn. No one came to the door. So I walked to the door and knocked. &#8216;Just a minute&#8217;, answered a frail, elderly voice. I could [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Saw this today &amp; certainly paused for thought&#8230;.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s always good for the soul to reflect on helping others&#8230;..</p>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-family: Arial;">&#8220;I pulled my cab up to the curb and sounded the horn. No one came to the</span> <span style="font-family: Arial;">door.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">So I walked to the door and knocked. &#8216;Just a minute&#8217;, answered a frail,</span> <span style="font-family: Arial;">elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90&#8242;s stood</span> <span style="font-family: Arial;">before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">pinned on it like somebody out of a 1940s movie.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">There were no clocks on the walls, no knick-knacks or utensils on the </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">glassware</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">&#8216;Would you carry my bag out to the car?&#8217; she said. I took the suitcase to</span> <span style="font-family: Arial;">the cab, then returned to assist the woman.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">She kept thanking me for my kindness. &#8216;It&#8217;s nothing&#8217;, I told her. &#8216;I just</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated&#8217;.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">&#8216;Oh, you&#8217;re such a good boy&#8217;, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">me an address, and then asked, &#8216;Could you drive through town?&#8217;</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">&#8216;It&#8217;s not the shortest way,&#8217; I answered quickly.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">&#8216;Oh, I don&#8217;t mind,&#8217; she said. &#8216;I&#8217;m in no hurry. I&#8217;m on my way to a hospice&#8217;.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. &#8216;I don&#8217;t have </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">any family left,&#8217; she continued. &#8216;The doctor says I don&#8217;t have very long.&#8217;</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">&#8216;What route would you like me to take?&#8217; I asked.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when</span> <span style="font-family: Arial;">they were newly-weds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse</span> <span style="font-family: Arial;">that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">Sometimes she&#8217;d ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, &#8216;I&#8217;m </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">tired. Let&#8217;s go now&#8217;</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">We drove in silence to the address she had given me.It was a low building,</span> <span style="font-family: Arial;">like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a</span> <span style="font-family: Arial;">portico.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been</span> <span style="font-family: Arial;">expecting her.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was</span> <span style="font-family: Arial;">already seated in a wheelchair.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">&#8216;How much do I owe you?&#8217; she asked, reaching into her purse.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">&#8216;Nothing,&#8217; I said</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">&#8216;You have to make a living,&#8217; she answered.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">&#8216;There are other passengers,&#8217; I responded.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.</span> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">&#8216;You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,&#8217; she said.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">&#8216;Thank you.&#8217;</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">I didn&#8217;t pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman</span> <span style="font-family: Arial;">had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">On a quick review, I don&#8217;t think that I have done anything more important </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">in my life.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">We&#8217;re conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">others may consider a small one.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: #17365d; font-family: Arial;">PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID,<br />
OR WHAT YOU SAID, ~BUT~,<br />
THEY</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: #17365d; font-family: Arial;">WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <br style="font-family: Arial;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;">Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as</span> <span style="font-family: Arial;">well dance.&#8221;</span></p></blockquote>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Happy Holidays to you all.<br />
</span></p>
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