Tommy - Journal - BEFORE

I journal sporadically in spurts then not for weeks or months but it has been interesting to find decades later things that I wrote in high school and thoughts I had that bring me to tears of laughter or wonder how I could ever have thought those thoughts and even written them down. In a snippet: “How can you get very far if you don’t know who you are.? How can you do what you ought, if you don’t know what you’ve got.? And if your don’t know which to do of all the things in front of you. Then what you’ll have when you are through is just a mess without a clue. Of all the best that can come true. If you know what and Which and who.” - - “That’s it” he said leaning back and closing his eyes.”

“A masterpiece” added Christopher… “Well, better than average, maybe” added POOH.!!!

From the “Tao of Pooh” by Benjamin Hoff.

That sweet page 58 in this book says it all. That is what inspires me to write something as profound as that. For others to ponder and really think deeply about maybe applying to their own life as a guide to their own benefit. The closest I felt that I came was in my book “Bus Tales” I developed a way of seeing others and telling them gently something positive about them that is acknowledging them for who they are as you perceive them in the moment. AS a bus driver only had seconds to tell them what I noticed as they boarded my bus at passengers. The quote was: “What I do on the bus with my conscious ‘Art of Acknowledgements” and kindness is food for their soul and I see in their faces just how long they have hungered for it.” - hopefully a suggestion to the reader to reach out and spread a little kindness in the world.

I want to spread the idea of kindness, generosity and gratitude to all who read my words. Not one of those words is unknown, not for a second is this a new concept for our contribution but only meant as a reminder to implement that into our lives if only for a split second. I want to move people with my words from the stage or in my book, to inspire them to take action, not even monumental action that gets a million hits on social media (clearly an option today) but just little steps we can easily take to improve our immediate world as small as it may be. In our homes, in our neighbourhoods and wherever we travel with all the people that we meet for a sliver of time to say something that causes them to smile or something you can share to solicit a laugh. Spread joy and mirth and encouragement, appreciation and admiration with all you meet and associate with. Just share with them, with all that they have NO idea how their kindness from the heart can impact others.

I have been a veteran of the Positive Growth movement for my entire life - half a century or more at this point of seminars, meetings, lectures and conventions of businesses and groups that have inspired me to take action. Denis Waitley, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Tony Robbins and the Dahli Lama - all of whom I have met in person and taken copious notes as they spoke.

I feel like I get to know myself better by my own writing and following the influence of all he people I read, see, listen to all the time. And recently came across a woman, unpublished so far, from Winnipeg who writes every day sharing some of the most profound thoughts I ever read, Bella Luna.