Family/ Familie

I am grateful not only for friends, but for their families, too. Today the Quilty family comes to mind: the in-laws of my high school friend Des who welcomed me when life was changing. I visited the farm, shared the home fire and experienced the warmth of family extended. I'm grateful to Pat for books and encouragement. I am also grateful to Anke and the rest of the Krefts with whom I shared my first German Christmas. I still have the silver tin her grandmother gave me with crisp, rolled homemade waffles. Yum. Thank goodness for people like that who are simply kind.

When I grow up, I want a home like theirs that's warm and welcoming. Happy turn of the years to everyone.

Meine erste Deutsche Weihnachtszeit erlebte ich mit einer Familie namens Kreft nahe der holländischen Grenze. Sie waren so offen und warmherzig, ich habe es nie vergessen, obwohl es nun über 20 Jahredn zurückliegt. Danke für herrlich nette Familien! Allen einen guten Rutsch.

Actually, it's Wednesday/ Mittwoch

Thank goodness for friends.

Yesterday an "old" friend from med school came by. We chatted about our lives. The parallels are amazing, the differences intriguing and the silence in between--healing. We went for a walk by the river where things are never the same, neither at different times on the same day, nor the same times on different days. We watched dogs racing in the wind, felt the heat of physical exertion, peeped into other people's front rooms when they turned on the lights at dusk. And then we came back and had tea. Life could hardly be better.

Es sind die einfachen Momente und Dinge, die manchmal am meisten Spass machen. Gottseidank für alte Freundschaften und insbesonders heute für Alex.

Solitaire/ Solitär

I am pretty bad at solitaire. I play for the fun of it. I don't care that much if I win or lose, so I often end up losing. But one day, I got ambitious. Instead of accepting a loss, I backtracked to where I had made a bad choice, and corrected it. The funny thing was, I had felt the uncertainty when I made the move, but went ahead anyway. But if I had chosen right the first time, I would have missed the fun of turning back after playing out the bad move.

We can't always correct mistakes in life. But we do have a chance to reflect and learn from them. One mistake I don't want to make is not to forgive when I am able to. And the person who needs my forgiveness most is me. After all, in life, as in solitaire, it's me who makes the moves and choices. Oh, and for the record, that last solitaire set? I won it.

I am grateful for the people who design these games. The thank count goes up another notch.

Ich spiele gern Solitär, Bejeweled und andere gehirnlose Computerspiele. Ich bin dankbar für die Gelegenheit, auch aus solchen Spielen zu lernen. Denn das tue ich ebenfalls gern. Täglich kommt eine neue Lehre, ob ich gewinne, oder verliere ist weniger wichtig als die Chance, weiter zu spielen.

Flies/ Fliegen

Today we're trying natural methods for controlling those little flies that inhabit potted earth in room plants.The flies are actually a normal, healthy part of the ecosystem and help to break down plant rests to compost. But they like swimming in coffee and flying up nostrils, too. I need to find the balance between appreciating the good they do and avoiding the annoyance. If I could give up the annoyance right now, there would no longer be a problem... Thank goodness for flies and the lessons I can learn from them.

Der Fliegenbefall aus Zimmerpflanzenerde ist wohl ein bekanntes und sehr verbreitetes Problem, jedenfalls lassen die tausenden von Einträgen bei Google dies vermuten. Ich war besonders fleissig beim Giessen letzter Zeit und nun haben wir überall diese kleinen Fliegen. Es scheint, meine Vergesslichkeit was das Bewässerns der Pflanzen anging hatte auch seine Vorteile. Nun probieren wir es mit andecken und austrocknen lassen wie von Experten im Google empfohlen. Mal sehen wie es wird. Ich bin dankbar für die Fliegen und die Leute, die wissen, wie ich damit umgehen kann.

Post

Funny, nowadays "post" means something completely different from what it meant ten years ago. I am grateful to the postmistress of the post office where the beggar Brady sat. And to all the women who worked there. I am also grateful to the women and men around the world who still keep us connected in the old-fashioned snail mail way. I got a real pen for Christmas and I think I'm gonna use it...

Gottseidank für die Deutsche Post und alle anderen Postämter um herum, sogar für die jamaikanischen, die manchmal Sachen (besonders Geld und Geschenke) einkassieren anstatt sie auszuliefern. Also bedanke ich mich für alles, was sicher ankommt.

Brady/ Der Bettler

Er saß vor dem kleinen Postamt in Runaway Bay und starrte vor sich hin. Solange er keine Antipsychotika intus hatte, war ein himmlicher Ausdruck auf seinem Gesicht. Ich hätte ihn für Jesus gehalten, wenn ich vor 2000 und Jahren gelebt hätte. Der gesegnete Bettler, der mich befreundete und die Gelegenheit gab, großzügig zu sein.

I am grateful for a man named Brady who sat in front of the Post Office and asked nicely if I had anything to share. I did. We became friends. And one day, after I'd given him food, money, T-shirt, shoes (which he ordered courtesy of my mom) and other miscellaneous things, he offered me a couple oranges he had to spare. That shocked the shoes off passersby and made my heart smile. If I believed in reincarnation, I'd say Brady was Christ returned to earth. But I don't take that sort of thing too literally. Each and everyone has a bit of God-ness inside. Thanks to all the people and things that help me recognise the divine.

Patch

With the Thank Count at 970+ I need a whallop entry to reach my goal for Christmas. And I have one. Today's thanks goes to Patch Adams and the 40 clowns I met on his Healing Tour of Russia in 2003. Yay! With that, the thousand thanks have been exceeded!

It was Patch who taught me the gratitude Spiel. The first time we did it with him, folks had trouble finding things to be grateful for. But once he showed us how, we could scarcely stop the gratitude. It's a permanent fixture now. It's a wonderful way to brighten up a day; a satisfaction guaranteed mood modifier. Because a grateful heart cannot be depressed. Sure, we can be sad, but gratitude lends emotion another dimension. You lose the self-pity that always makes things unbearable. Even at the worst moments, there's more to be grateful for than not.

On Christmas Day, but every other day too, may every breath that is in me be filled with thanks and praise. A blessed day to everyone with much love!

Mit Patch und die anderen, die ich in Russland kennen und lieben gelernt habe, bin ich durch eine Herzenstransformation durchgegangen. Es dauerte zwar aber heute bin ich wirklich dankbar für alles, was mein Leben ausmacht. Allen eine schöne Festzeit!

In-Laws/ Ex

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. How time has flown! I'm grateful for 2009, a year of growth and change. Yay! But some things remain the same. Like the kindness of my in-laws. Thanks to Ulla, my first mother-in-law who rings to share news and recipes. She set us up with kitchen towels and warm clothing our first year here. Simone shared her pullovers and Ulla's partner Walter baked delicious cake. I didn't see Basti and his new family, but I'm grateful to him too for his acceptance as a teen. And Flori, faithful Flori came by when I visited his grandma's house. Thanks also to Silvia and Rolf for welcoming me in their home over half a decade ago. And to Siegmar for more than I can mention here.

Thanks to my new in-laws and family, too: Annelie, Horst and Clarissa for their generosity, to Klaus and Ingrid for their willingness to open up. Thanks to Susanne, Jasper and Christian. And special thanks to Tante Anneliese who made family come together for me.

Meine Schwiegefamilien haben mich immer gut behandelt, bei denen fühle ich mich zu Hause, und dafür bedanke ich mich heute.
Thank count: 972.

Room/ Mitbewohner

Heute bin ich allen dankbar, die mit mir zusammen gewohnt haben. Insbesondere denke ich an diejenigen, mit denen ich einst ein Zimmer geteilt habe. Es ist nicht leicht, täglich so nah bei einander zu sein. Ich bedanke mich für deren Toleranz, Verständnis, guten Willen und dafür, dass wir uns trotz Mangel an persönlichem Freiraum nie in die Haare gekriegt haben.

Thanks to all the people who have roomed with me at one point or another over the years. To Shae Lawson, who's brought out a book at www.funnywares.com by the way, and who still makes me laugh with her crazy comments, to Maureen B, to Camille R, to Janet, to the rest of the boarders in the pink elephant, to Hoda and Greta, to Holly, Ange and Colleen, and of course to the Berkley exiles Lucile, Lu and Beth. To Bill, Mrs K, to all the folks at the Studentenwohnheime in Göttingen and Lübeck. When you share space, you share lives. It wasn't always the biggest or the most impressive space, but we made the best of it. Thanks to all of you.

Thank Count? Indefinite, but I'll add 20 to it in my room- and flatmates' honour.

Time/Die Zeit

It's Monday morning at 5 o'clock. But when I post this, it'll probably say Sunday. My blog's in another time zone somewhere. It's amazing how our world works.

This entry is for people who have been my mentors over the years. I've already mentioned Dr Wolfe, the Davises, the Henrys, the Hettlings, Cloval Anderson and others from work. I'd also like to thank Sister Maureen Clare Hall OSF, our head mistress in high school, all the teachers and staff at Immaculate, especially Mrs Browne my first homeroom teacher, Mrs Robotham who made me love maths, Sr Pat, Sr Marie Emmanuel, Sr Josette, Miss Ramsey, Miss Lawrence, Mrs Fong Kong and Miss Issa whose UWC information altered the course of my life.

There were the UWC mentors: Nat Mann and his wife Dottie, Neil and Anita, Andrew who mediated and taught me the basic philosophical principles on which I've built my own, Charles who taught us economics (ha!) Susan, Maria Elena and Andy,(whom I've thanked elsewhere, too), the Mullers, my getaway family, especially Michelle. Later, there was Jim, my freshman counselor at Yale and Chris who wasn't my counselor, but helped anyway, Harvey from fencing, Anke who's been consistently kind, the biochem Professor in Göttingen who wrote the recommendation for the scholarship I got, the nephrologist in Marburg who got me to become an organ donor, Klaus and Marianne Grawe, Barbara Heiniger, Professor Steinhausen, Frau von Aster, Dr Andreas Sarasin, PD Julian Schilling, Prof Gutzwiller, and Prof Margerete Dunitz Scheer.
And to Monika Schäppi who mentors and inspires me still.
The thank count's at least 935.

Eigentlich bin ich dankbar für viel mehr als ich bislang aufgezählt habe. Je mehr ich daran denke, umso mehr Menschen und Situationen fallen mir ein. Soviel kann ich am Morgengrauen gar nicht schreiben, wenn die Arbeit ruft. Heute ruft sie nicht, denn die Gruppen haben Ferien und das bedeutet, auch ich. Hurra!

ELT/ Englisch

With Christmas tapping at the door, snow stains on the floor, and the thank count at 796 it seems a shame to stretch the Thousand Thanks out until the end of the year. Don't put off until tomorrow what you can put off forever, it is said. So I'll finish the thousand thank count by Christmas, for the challenge of it. But I will also keep the thank count as an integral part of this blog. I may start other blogs for other purposes. But this one will be a record of what I'm grateful for in life.

Today my thanks goes to people who have helped me with my language training career: Izzy, Anthony, Vivienne, Nick, Heather, Charuka, Sensei Katie, Rasheed, and the others in my CELTA course, Julia, Monika (for helping me stay sane), Gwendolyn, all the students in the teacher training classes, Nikki K, the people at the companies with whom I've worked, Josephine, Lila and Lena especially for their excellent organisational and coordination work, Sascha for showing me the money and Adrienn for the corrected invoice, Fiorella, Teresa and the others in the office, too many names to recount, to the people at prolinguis, members and staff alike...The face count makes at least 119. And as usual, I'm being modest so as not to cheat. So many people have helped me carve out a new career. Thanks to all of them and blessings for the coming years.

Heute bedanke ich mich für die Möglichkeit, eine weitere Karriere zu fortgeschrittenem Alter anzufangen. Es gab viele Menschen, die mich ermutigt und geholfen haben. Und jene, die meine Dienste bezahlten (VIELEN DANK): allen gilt einen riesigen Dank!
Thank count now 915.

Pershon/ Patient

Someone once asked why doctors call what they do "Practice." It's probably the same reason we call the people they treat "Patients." Unfortunately, practice doesn't always make perfect.

One of the first patients to express gratitude for my caring was a woman named Betty. She sent me a bright Thank You card after her release (another telling word) from hospital signed "your pershon, Betty." I've forgotten what ailment she had, or how I helped, but it was a rare, special feeling to know I'd done something she found worthwhile.

I was never sure of the effects of my treatments. It is impossible to gage the full consequences of an action. Life isn't as neat as the statistics we base therapeutic decisions on. I have a healthy portion of skepsis about those statistics and the glowing publications they inspire.

Today, I am grateful to all the patient people who entrusted their lives to me, shared their most intimate stories, enured my prodding, and let me poke my fingers into unspoken orifices. I thank them for suffering my requests, forgiving me my shortcomings and sharing the triumphs of recovery, too. How many? Innumerable. But I'll add a round 200 to the thank you count and Betty's variation on patient to my vocabulary. Pershon is like a hybrid between patient and person. It sums things up nicely and feels a lot more human to me.

Heute bedanke ich mich bei allen Patientinnen und Patienten, die sich von mir behandeln liessen.

Me/ Danke mir

Almost two thirds of the way through the thank count and it suddenly occurrs to me that I could thank myself. Ha! I certainly am grateful for myself and to myself for taking life by the--an anatomical part that may or may not be kosher-- and living the best I can. Yay! Persistent efforts at self-improvement and development, while being aware of and caring for others at the same time: those are the characteristics I appreciate most in myself. And the sense of humour along the way, of course. Heh. Perhaps especially that.

Man, have I been working hard to be a better person so I can make a better world. And I know how earnest I am about this. Who better to be grateful for my efforts than me? Hurray!

Sich selbst zu bedanken wirkte etwas befremdlich. Doch je länger ich mich damit beschäftige und die Idee im Kopf herumdrehte und damit spielte, umso genialer erschien sie mir. Hurra! Ich bin dankbar für mich, für das Leben, das ich mir erarbeitet habe und immer noch liebevoll gestalte. Wer kann das besser als ich? Niemand! Also: ganz herzlichen Dank an mich!!!

Ol friends

Thanks to the friends who shared my childhood days. To Janice, Johnny Megoo, all my classmates in prep school. All the children at Pringle home. Altogether about 50. Which brings the count to 595.

Heute habe ich nicht viel zu sagen. Ich schreibe nur um die Regelmässigkeits halber.
Schönen Tag und alles Gute!

Bleigiessen/ Fate

The classes I mentioned yesterday got me a "Bleigiessen" set as a farewell gift. It's a German tradition to pour melted lead into water and read the future on New Year's Eve or Christmas. It sounds a bit like reading tea leaves. I love that kind of thing because it gets my fantasy revving. In my heart, however, I know my fate is my own making.

The trainees also gave me a signed group picture. That's precious as my memory is beginning to fade. It's always been a good one, and I still retain more than some people are capable of in their prime. But as I do my thank count, it becomes more and more obvious how many names I've forgotten. If I'm lucky, I recall the faces. The last thing to go are the associated stories. Without a story, a person no longer exists. Which is not necessarily a bad thing.

Today I give thanks for the unknown stories, the shadow faces, the memories that no longer exist. They may be a bigger part of me than I'll ever know. Oh, and I'll get back to counting tomorrow.

Irgendwann mußte es aber gut sein mit der Selbstverwirklichung and Entwicklung, meinte ein Bekannter von mir. Dieser Zustand der Ungewissheit, des sich ständig neu erfinden, müsse doch ein Ende haben, nicht wahr? Da bin ich mir nicht so sicher. Ich ahne, dass es sehr wohl ein lebenlang so laufen könnte, und vielleicht sogar darüber hinaus. Es ist unmöglich, mich an alles und alle zu erinnern, die mir zu dieser Lebzeit geholfen haben. Wahrscheinlich ist mir vieles nicht einmal bewußt. Für dieses grosse Unbekannte bedanke ich mich heute.

Adieu

Finally, a really "good" bye.
I've been working for a company where things often end abruptly. I'm accustomed to endings, but these have been harsh, fraught with conflict and unease. "Sometimes you have to take it as it comes," the boss of the company says. And she's right. I get too cushy in my expectation of a predictable life.

Today I ended three classes I've had for over a year. I could probably train them indefinitely. But it wouldn't be right. I have given my best, done what I needed to do. It wasn't just English training. It's about experiencing other people, their stories, their dreams, becoming a thread in their lives for a while. These groups have been a rewarding part of mine. They've made every Monday morning for the past year worthwhile.

Thanks to: Simon, Alide, Jan, Krischan, Nicole, Anja, Mirco, Fabian, Marcel, Niklas, Juliane, Irina, Janine, Jana, Janne, Anika, Nicole, Oliver, Julian, Janina, Julian, Lina, Alex, Frederike, Sandra, Sebastian and Svea, as well as anyone whose name I've forgotten.

Heute unterrichte ich an einer bestimmten Firma zum vorerst letzten Mal. Ich verlasse den Job nicht weil er schlecht ist. Im Gegenteil, alles läuft gerade ganz gut. Eine gute Zeit, die Sache zu beenden. Ich habe das erreicht, wozu ich dort hingegangen bin. Ich liebe die Schweizer Art, Adieu zu sagen. Natürlich ist es Französicher Herkunft, aber die Schweizer sprechen es viel süsser aus: "Addi" sowie sie "Salli" am Anfang einer Begegnung sagen. Auf jeden Fall sicherer als Auf Wiedersehen. Wer weiß, ob wir uns jemals wiedersehen? Aber die anderen in die Hände Gottes übergeben (a Dieu), das finde ich schön.

prn/ Gebrauchsanweisung

It was F11 that made my screen jump the other day. It had to be one of 3 choices, F10 to 12 were all in the range of the slipped finger. I tried F11 and my usual screen reappeared. Although I'm not brave enough to experiment with the Fs systematically, I could get a manual and read what the keys are capable of. But I don't need to, yet.

I generally do things prn. That's medical jargon in Latin pro re nata or "as needed". My whole life is based on prn. I don't often judge what's needed with the same criteria as anyone else. That's what makes us unique individuals.

I could easily finish the thank count today. But you know what? It's growing on me. It's what gets me up at 5 am to blog before work. I spring out of bed thinking "Who shall I thank today?" Sometimes, I lie in bed before the alarm goes off, pondering the content of the blog. And I get warm feelings from recalling the good in my life.

Today's blog is dedicated to my clown friend Sean whom I met on the 2003 Patch Adams Healing Tour of Russia. Sean has a powerfully sweet spirit and is one of the best huggers I know. And believe me, I've hugged hundreds, if not thousands; just check my thank count for the evidence. Sean had an accident that impaired his long-term memory. But he phoned me once to announce that he remembered me.

He recalled a moment in a pub in St. Petersburg. I'd gone over to join him as he stood by himself. And we stood there, together until our guide Olga joined us. Then the three of us just stood there in what you could call companionable silence. And two years later, he remembered. Nothing unusual you think, but for him it was special.

Sometimes the most memorable moments are quiet.

Mein Blog ruft mich morgens zum Erwachen und fordert mich auf, den Tag mit Dankbarkeit zu beginnen. Ich kenne schlechtere Wege, einen neuen Tag anzufangen...

Fire!/ Joe Vitale

Wow! Yesterday I doubled my December income with a single tweak of the mind. And I accomplished a financial/ career goal I thought was out of reach: to double my monthly income by the end of the year. Yay!

The guy who helped me do it was Dr Joe Vitale with a free (yes, really!!!) pdf version of his book Attract Money Now which you can get just by asking for it--and giving your email address--Check out his homepage http://www.mrfire.com/ for details. Yay! So today he's usurped all other thoughts of thanks and I just want to tell everybody about him. In fact, I'm going to buy his book for friends/ family because it's more than worth its weight in gold. So big, big thanks to Mr Fire. Whee! (I'll check the count tomorrow).

Falls Ihr Englisch lesen könnt, kann ich das kostenlos (wirklich!!!) angebotenes Buch von Joe Vitale herzlich empfehlen. Es geht nicht nur um Geld, obwohl das als Beispiel benutzt wird. Es geht um spirituelle Verwandlung und war für mich wahnsinnig effektiv. Noch bevor ich das Buch zu Ende las, hatte ich eine Rechnung geschrieben, die mein Dezember Einkommen innert Sekunden, na ja, vielleicht dauerte es ein paar Minuten, verdoppelt hat. Vielleicht funktioniert es nicht immer so rasant, aber mir hat es sofort geholfen. Ich las das Buch an einem Tag durch und werde es jetzt kaufen, obwohl ich das nicht müsste. Ich will es nämlich anderen verschenken.
Hurra!Hurra!

Choices/ Auswahl

People do what they want--and so they should. I'm glad I don't have to deal with anyone else's stuff. We do what is right for us, or the best we can under the circumstances. Even God didn't hinder the working of free will. You know why? Because it's the best way for the optimal result to come out of individual parts. Whatever we do is part of a greater whole and that's how the big plan works. At least that's what occurred to me just now. I could be wrong, but who cares? I'm only responsible for my part. And apparently, my part was to write that bit.

Who to thank today? Big choice, there are so many possibilities. A lump sum thanks to a big group, individual thanks to some special people? How I love choices!

Today I choose a whopper thanks to my mates from UWC. That's about two hundred students from the years 1982-1984 at the UWC in Montezuma. Plus the trickles of ex-UWCers I have met since then. Plus all the teachers and tutors and mentors we had. Plus the alumnae coordinators and the staff who have run the place since I left. Plus all the students who have gone there. Plus all the people who have ever attended a UWC or worked at one since the movement began in the 1960s. Wow. We're looking at tens of thousands here folks. But I'll only count the two hundred I know and love from our precious time together as kids growing into adults.

Als ich 16 war gewann ich ein Stipendium, um auf einer internationalen Schule in den USA zu studieren bzw. die High School dort fertig zu machen. Es hat mein Leben radikal verändert. Aber tut das nicht jeder Schritt? Für jede Sache, die ich mache, gibt es unzählige Varianten, die ich nicht gemacht habe und so zeichnet sich ein Leben aus. Und so funktioniert das ganze Große auch. Wir alle zusammen kreieren unsere gemeinsame Realität.
Schönes Wochenende!
Thank count 516: WHOOPEE!

Autonomy/ Gestern

The Thank Count is at 287, I think.

I just pressed a key accidentally and my whole computer screen changed. I love and hate when it does that. On the one hand it's amazing that this machine is capable of such fabulous feats. On the other hand, I'm a little uneasy with the speed and autonomy. I don't even know which button it was, a slip of a finger in the F row somewhere and bang! an entirely new screen. Wow!

Anyway, we had a funtastic class yesterday, one of those days when you're exhausted afterwards, but the warm glow in your belly says you've done a great job. Thanks to the trainees in that course: Stefanie, Steffi, Stephan, Irina, Karin, Alex, Harun, Marc, Miriam, Marzia, Nele, Elisabeth, Susanna, Sven, Jürgen, and to Verena, Claudia, and Wiebke who were away. Also thanks to Berit, Axel, Cathrin, Robin, Lutz, Gisela, Joaquin, Martina, Peter, Romanita and Dennis, who passed through the course along the way.

We reached a flow state yesterday. We were discussing negotiations, not my particular strength. But the group brought in resources I could never have imagined, making it a truly valuable discourse on human exchange. The participants took it away. Yay! That kind of autonomy doesn't scare me, it's great! It's what being human is all about.

Gestern habe ich wahre Zusammenarbeit im Klassenzimmer erlebt. Da meine "Studenten" mehr über das Thema wussten als ich, durfte ich etwas dazu lernen, während sie ihre Kompentenzen vorzeigen konnten. Deswegen bezeichne ich mich lieber als Trainerin als Lehrerin. Denn eine Trainerin kann auf die Fähigkeiten der KlientInnen bauen, ohne das Gesicht zu verlieren. Wahrhaftig war es eine wunderbare Sache, die gestern geschah.
PS: Thank count=316.

Focus/ Zielstrebig

When you set yourself a goal, your brain comes up with ways to achieve it. Take a simple thing like my thank count. Initially, I worked whimsically, and the thanks dribbled in one by one. But once I decided to finish by the end of this month, my focus changed. I began to think in new categories. Suddenly, I began to recall large groups of people to be grateful for instead of the occasional individual.

It's easier than I thought. There really are thousands of people I can be grateful about. And I have come up with three times as many in the last few days as I did in the three months before I changed my focus.

One very special person I am grateful to is Dr Heribert Wolfe who cared for me when I was a child and inspired me to become a physician, too. He died when I was ten and could not witness how deeply he had impacted my life's direction. Or could he? Bless him. I don't know how many thanks that makes, but today, it doesn't really matter.

Der Schwerpunkt bestimmt, welche Ziele man wie erreicht. Solange ich diese Dankaktion ohne großen Antrieb durchführte, fielen mir auch nur wenige Beispiele ein. Sobald ich mir jedoch vornahm, bis Ende des Jahres damit fertig zu werden, hatte ich plötzlich täglich Hunderte von Menschen auf der Liste. Ich denke nun in anderen Kategorien, um mein neu definiertes Ziel zu erreichen. So kann es auch sonst funktionieren. Doch muß man zuerst glauben, dass etwas überhaupt möglich ist, um es zu verwirklichen.

Work/ Arbeit

My supervisors and colleagues have been great motivators. Each job I've had has been rewarding and good, even those that had their tough times.

Thanks to Aunt Sheila and Aunt Roma for my first paid employment. Thanks to the people at Eastern Airlines in Montego Bay, to Marsha at the Yale Cabaret and my waiting buddy Bruce. To the guys with the paper route, to Bill at American Bartending School, to the Irish bar where I worked, to the World Yacht folks, to the staff at Yale New Haven Hospital, to the New Mexico State Hospital people, to medical and nursing staff in Göttingen and Lübeck, to everyone at Grenada General, to the people at KMC, to Julian Shilling for hiring me, to the Check Bus team for the excellent working climate, to Prof Gutzwiller for supporting my doctoral thesis, to Jörg Püschel for his guidance, Regula Häne for her care, all the Panzerknacker colleagues at the PONS, the entire staff of the psychiatric ward and the rest of the Kantonspital Obwalden, all my colleagues at the KJPD Zürich, and everyone I worked with as a clown in Jamaica.

So many people, in so many places; a head count would easily exceed a thousand, but if I think of thanking even one tenth of them, I can easily up the count by 100. I am grateful for the cloud of goodwill that has encompassed all my working life. Hurray!

Arbeit macht frei? Kann sein. Die Arbeit hat mich auf einer besonderen Art und Weise erfüllt. Ich habe den Sinn des Lebens (teilweise) darin gespürt. Ich bin für jeden Job dankbar, den ich jemals gemacht habe und für die Menschen, die mir diese Arbeit ermöglichten.

Familiensinn

I am grateful for my family and all its extensions. Many people have cared for me over the years. My article It Takes a Village in Oneup magazine describes this in detail.

I am grateful to Rev Hettling and his wife and children (David and Elizabeth) for putting me up in Highgate. Thanks to my aunts and uncles for loving support: Carol, Ditta, Enid, Jule, CC(RIP), Del, Godfrey, Ivan , G. Michael, Ranny and Cas. I'm glad for my stowaway uncle Roy in Bristol, his wife Sue, her sister Jill and nephew who put us up on our England trip and the new aunt nobody knew about until my uncle C's funeral three years ago.

Thanks to Robert and Cloval Anderson, their children Delano, Craig and Natalie whom I lived with in Kingston. Thanks to the Goodisons who gave up a childfree existence to take care of me. Thanks to the Whitemans Aunt Leila, Ruby, Etta and Daphne. And Uncle Burchell and his wife and daughters. I am grateful for my cousins Caron, Michelle, Natalie, Stuart, Yanique, Maureen and their kids--but I have exceeded my thirty for today, so I'll be grateful for the kids another day.

Finding a bunch of people to be grateful for and to is not as difficult as one might think. I have 39 today and my thousand thank count is up to 186!

Ich habe eine grosse Familie. Und die Anzahl der Menschen, die sich um mich gesorgt haben ist noch größer. Ich bin dankbar dafür.

Hooked on Books/ Bücher

Thank God it's Sunday. I love the Sunday grey as much as I love the Sunday sun. The sky looks like it hasn't made up its mind about whether to rain or shine.

Today I'll thank 30 or more authors and their books for enriching my life:
Thanks to Benjamin Hoff and A.A. Milne for the Tao of Pooh and the original which remind me of innocence. Thanks to Sögyal Rinpoche for the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying which helped me through the valley of death. Thanks to Redfield's Celestine Prophecy that jumped off a bookshelf at me in Geneva, for Lao Tsu's Tao which I read over and over again, to Hafiz for soul inspiration, to Khalil Gibran for the same, to Eckhart Tolle for The Power of Now and A New Earth, to Louise Hay for her books on healing, to Prof Steinhausen for his child and adolescent texts, and to Frau von Aster for her book on playing.

To Barbara Cartland for scores of historical romances, to Sara Craven for happy Mills and Boons days, to Liane Gentry Skye and Saranna de Wilde on Textnovel, to Stephenie Meyer for superior heart and soul writing. To Agatha Christie for a world of mystery, to Tess Gerritson for the thrills, to Steven King for chills, to Tolkien for hobbits and rings, to Charles Dickens for most of his things. Thanks to Rainer Maria Rilke, to Erich Kästner, to Goethe and Shakespeare, too. Andrew Davidson's Gargoyle was an unexpected treat, David Burns guided my therapy interventions with Feeling Good. Gabriel Garzia Marquez, Miguel Cervantes, and Jorge Luis Borges formed my Spanish literature backbone. That's already 30 and I can still go on. But I'll close with thanks to David, Ruth, Solomon and John, as well as Mark, Matthew, and Luke and all the rest who wrote and rewrote the Bible with some of the greatest lessons I've ever heard.

It seems a good book to end with on a Sunday. The thank count is 147.

Die Bücher, die mein Lebenspfad informiert haben sind ein wichtiger Teil meines Daseins. Ich bin dankbar für all die Autoren, die sie geschrieben haben. Einen frohen 2. Advent!

Lead/ Führung

Thank God it's Saturday. After a week of being regular, I considered taking a break from the blog, but the thing's growing on me. Looks like habits may form faster than they say. It all is a matter of choice, of course. We can do anything we set our minds to.

Today I'm grateful to my classmates from first form (grade 7/27) who gave me my first leadership role by electing me as class rep. The gratitude count goes up by 21 for those who voted for me. But it also goes up by another 20 for those who tolerated my awkward leadership even though they hadn't voted for me. I was a terrible monitor, too strict and stiff, expecting too much from everyone, especially myself. I used to take myself and the world very seriously then. Thank goodness I've grown up. And that takes the gratitude count to 110: Yay! I wonder if I can make it to one thousand by the end of the year? That would be thirty thanks a day for the rest of this month. Hey, maybe I'll try it. It certainly can't hurt.

Als ich elf war wurde ich zum ersten Mal Klassenvertreterin. Ich habe das alles fürchtbar ernst genommen, war eine Furie, die immer darauf bestand, die Regeln strikt einzuhalten. Dabei hätte ich das alles viel lockerer nehmen können. Tja. Was man nicht wusste...doch ich weiß es jetzt. Ich bin für mich verantwortlich und sonst nichts. Das reicht aber dicke. Und das Leben ist nun viel schöner.

Entstehungsgeschichte: The Birth of a Blog

I met Eggert Staben at a self-employment fair thanks to a tip from Frau Russamondo at the ARGE in September 2007. We had just come back to Germany and were trying to establish ourselves. One thing was certain, after the initial experience with the gruff ARGE receptionist, it was not a place I wanted to deal with again. But Frau Russamondo was helpful. She wanted to study psychology and I'm sure she'll do well.

Mr Staben liked my clown. We chatted, he smiled and gave me his card. I followed up on his introduction to Dr Michael Hoppe, a member of the senior mentoring group of which Mr Staben was the president. After a couple mentoring sessions, I translated much of the website Steps for Children into English as a contribution to his pet charity. In return, Dr Hoppe told me about Kai.

"Why do you want a website?" Kai asked. It was an excellent question. I didn't know why. Because other people thought I needed one? The truth was, I liked being a homeless web entity, floating from site to site, leaving subtle clues of my existence through collaboration with others online.

"You don't need a website," Kai told me. "Why don't you set up a blog?"
I didn't have a clue. So Kai showed me. And within minutes, this blog emerged, crafted by Kai's skillful hands. He even added the clown face picture he had painted--symbolic of the clown spirit he and I shared. And suddenly, I had a blog which had pretty much evolved by itself.

Kai gave me an angel massage afterwards. It made my spirit soar. And when I came down to earth again, it felt like a new place. Check Kai out at http://www.engelmassage.de/ He's a great guy with magic fingers and a beautiful spirit.

And if I thank Kai, Michael Hoppe, Herr Staben and Frau Rossomondo for their help, that brings my thank count to 69. Yay!

Dieser Blog entstand per Zufall bzw. ist dank einer Folge von interessanten Begegnungen enstanden. Ich bin allen dankbar, die mir dabei geholfen haben, soweit zu kommen. Hurra!

Ending/Aus

Thanks to the two Spanish ladies who hugged me and each other after witnessing the kindness of the stranger who helped me with my luggage at Victoria Station in 2003.

I love good endings. We had one yesterday. A lot of people finished the language course. We watched a fun video where some Australian asks people on the street about their purpose in life. One of my purposes--I have many--is to bring things to good ends. And the way I achieve that is by making them good all the way. That doesn't mean this course didn't go through tough times; we had our crises and problems, too, but we sought and found resolution as we moved along. Now it's over with no regrets. We did our best.

We can move on happily to whatever's coming next. Yay!

Gestern ging ein Kurs für einige Teilnehmende zu Ende. Wir haben vom Morgen bis abend gefeiert mit Blumen, Kuchen und ein Haufen von Schokolade. Vielleicht waren wir nicht besonders strebsam im Unterricht, dafür hatten wir viel Spaß. Und das ist doch auch was wert.

Bonus

Thanks to the stranger who helped me with my bags at Victoria Station in London in November 2003.

Minimal change. Have I mentioned how I made a leap of faith and gave up one job before I officially had another? It was the right decision. I knew it was time to change. Things were turning sour at the old place. I got a job one stop earlier on the same train line, beginning one hour later, earning one Euro more for the day. But the big difference was that I knew it was a job that suited me to the Tee.

Well, now we've been given a big bonus for our good work. One Euro more became 10, which means my income changed suddenly and unexpectedly by 30% and I'm really grateful that the minimal change has had such a big impact. Do the right thing. It's worth it.

Ich habe unerwarteterweise einen erstaunlichen Weihnachtsbonus erhalten zum ersten Mal seit ich in Deutschland arbeite. In der Schweiz war das gang und gebe. Aber ich schätze diesen mehr, denn ich kann es gut gebrauchen und es kam überraschend. Hurra! Gottseidank.

Reality/ Traum

Thank you to the Henry family: to Uncle George and his reclining armchair for storytelling, to Aunt Caroll who taught me the strength of a good woman, to Robert for calling me sister, to Heather for being one, to sweet sentimental Peter for the childhood memories, and to enterprising Andrew and his lemonade stands--which brings the count to 62.

Do you ever wake up and wonder which side is dream, which reality? Does it really matter? The cool thing about dreams is the way you can re-run them until they turn out as you want them to be. Guess what? Reality can work that way, too!

Im Traum kann es Überraschungen geben, in der wahren Welt aber auch. Doch Einfluss kann sowohl der Träumer als auch der Macher auf das Geschehen nehmen. Träume weiter! Und viel Spaß heute.

Believing/ Glauben

Thank you 56 goes to Enid Blyton. Her wonderful stories studded my childhood like jems in the treasure troves of my imagination and my life was enriched by her characters.

Two weeks ago, I saw a toadstool for the first time. I recognised the red cap with creamy dots because I'd read about them in picture books and even drawn them myself as a kid. I never doubted that toadstools existed. The fact that I'd never seen one didn't matter. Other people had. And maybe if toadstools exist, so do the creatures fabled to use them: the brownies and pixies and elves, and animals that think and speak?

There's so much that I may never know. Why should life be limited to what I have seen?

Das Englische heute ist ein wenig zu schräg für mein deutsches Denkvermögen. Übersetzen läßt es sich schlecht. Aber es geht darum, dass ich fest daran glaube, es gibt mehr im Leben als ich mir jemals vorstellen, oder gar ahnen könnte. Und das ist irgendwie toll. Hurra!

Advent

Thank you 51 goes to Mary Helen Weaver, if she's around. I can still play and sing lots of songs she taught us in first grade. As Christmas comes around, I remember the musicals and carolling of yore. Thanks to Mr and Mrs Davis, Mrs Northover, Mrs Schaeffer and to Ms Plummer who cleaned at Glenliegh school while I was there. That brings the count to 55.

Advent, Advent, the tradition is strong around here. The excitement, the buzz, the smell of mulled wine and the light drizzle of a late November morning. I'm heading to the woods to enjoy the golden carpet of the burnt sienna leaves that have covered the paths and listen to the birds triumphant in the twigs above me. Something's coming. Maybe it's me!

Ich liebe Advent und das Jahresende. Es ist noch besser als wenn ein 'neues' Jahr losgeht. Ich liebe den Rückblick auf all das Geschehene und die Hoffnung auf das, was uns bevorsteht. Es inspiriert mich eher zum Neuanfang als das Neujahrstrubbel. Ich fange heute an, anders zu sein. Ich nehme die kleinen Schritte, regelmäßiger bloggen, ernsthafter schreiben, etwas produzieren, was ich verkaufen kann. Aber immer mit der Liebe, so friedlich wie ich nur kann, den kein Produkt ist es wert, den eigenen Weg zu verderben.

Frohe Adventszeit Euch allen!

Changes/ Neustart

Thank yous 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 go to my language teachers Herr Shookman, Frau Cunningham, Senora Foster, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Sangster, Maria Elena, Andy, and Marijana Cesaric. Number 50 to the other language teachers whose names I've forgotten. Their lessons opened up new worlds to me.

I was considering closing this blog down for the winter. The trees are doing it, so why shouldn't I? But then I read a book called Yes, You Can Learn How to Write Children's Books, Get Them Published, and Build a Successful Writing Career by Nancy Sanders, recommended by my favourite writing mentor, Hope Clarke. And I decided to change my defeatist ways. All the negative self talk about being a whimsical writer, not being able to do as the experts say one should do? I've done with that. This day marks the start of a new phase. Hello, please meet the new, dedicated writer! I have loads of things to say. I want to make the Internet a little more loving, a friendlier place through my presence.

Okay, so first I have to get more loving inside myself. But I'm working at it, I promise. I hope you'll drop by to check out the results. Happy day or night to you!

Anstatt mein/en Blog über den Winter einzustellen, habe ich mir vorgenommen, ihn/ es (ich weiss immer noch nicht was für einen Artikel Blog braucht--das werde ich bis zum nächsten Mal nachforschen) noch regelmäßiger zu schreiben und spritziger zu gestalten. Ich weiß zwar nicht, was daraus wird, aber ich verspreche mir selbst, mein Bestes zu geben, um das Beste daraus zu machen. Dank der Inspiration all derjenigen, die mich soweit gebracht haben.

Alles Gute bis zum nächsten Mal (und selbstverständlich darüber hinaus).

Keep on/ Weiter so!

Thank you 42 to Helen Pendry who introduced me to the Hitchhiker's Guide and will forever be associated with this mystical number in my mind. She offered me a place to stay in London, wrote empowering letters and let me hold her son. How magical! What a friend.

My mom sent a card composed by Myra Zirkle. To avoid copyright infringement, I will paraphrase here: Life is what happens while we're busy making other plans. Sometimes you lose the roadmap, and somebody messes with the spark plugs. But you don't quit and say "whatever", you rethink the dream, find the courage to set off again, take a detour, or find a new road. Heck, the possibilities are endless. Maybe you'll even land a more scenic route! As long as you keep moving, you're bound to land somewhere.

Just enjoy the journey for it's part of who you'll be when you get there.
Be where you are and do what you do.

Wenn es so aussieht, als ob die Sache schief geht, muss das nicht den Garaus für deine Träume bedeuten, sondern könnte eine Gelegenheit sein, weiter zu gehen, etwas Neues zu entdecken und, wer weiss, im Prozess jemand Neues zu werden?

Auf ein gelungenes Unternehmen Leben!

Haircut/ Verhandlungen

Thanks to Sister James Vincent, OSF (R.I.P.) for a foundation in biology that helped to shape my life. She died earlier this week.

When I was a poor student doing odd jobs and busking in London, I walked down a posh High Street one day and stopped to chat with a guy handing out flyers. I took a flyer and went into the beauty salon so he'd get the point, or the pound, or whatever he was working for. I'd done that sort of job and knew how tough it could be. Inside the salon, they did their sales dance, offering me a haircut at half price. In truth, I didn't want a haircut, so no matter how low they went, I didn't bite. Then finally, they offered me the haircut for free. I gave in, just for the story.

I told my friend Helen about it and she went strolling past the shop the next day, hoping to hit the jackpot. But no such luck. Either the free haircut had made them change their strategy, or she just wanted it too much.

My bargaining power is greatest when I don't want anything. I'm having a similar experience now where I've pricked a salesman's pride. I can't wait to see what lengths he'll go to to get me to buy. Am I wicked, or what?

Ich bin keine talentierte Verhandlungskünstlerin, aber manchmal erwische ich jemanden, der mich unbedingt zum Kaufen anlocken will. Und es ist ganz interessant, wieviel Mühe manche Verkäufer sich dabei macht. Na ja, wem es gefällt...jedem das Seine. Frohes Wochenende!

Er ist der Martin

Thank you 38 to Uncle Ranny who called and made me laugh last night, as he always does. 39 and 40 to Uncle Mickey and Aunt Carol who are supporting me by spreading the word about the novel in progress Until Infinity at www.textnovel.com written under the pseudonym Mary Dix. If you haven't checked it out yet, please do. Thanks!

The main theme of the blog is Martin Lindner, candidate #5 in the thank you roll. He enlightened me yet again this week. For an engineer, he's got remarkable interpersonal skills, insight and a clear, gentle, positive attitude. I learned a lot from him. In a single conversation. And when we walked out the door he held it and made some other people smile as they passed through. He's an excellent friend to have. And more than that, he's a caring human being. Yay! He's good at what he does. Orignally an expert on industrial marketing, he took a sidestep to help out an acquaintance in the language field. Which is where we met, and what a blessing that has been.

Es ist soviel passiert diese Woche, ich kann es kaum in Wörtern fassen. Aber alles ist gut und wird nur noch besser. Meine Welt verändert sich, Schritt für Schritt und ich kann Wunderbares erahnen. Hurra! Ich bin von liebevollen hilfsbereiten Menschen umgeben und kann meine Fähigkeiten dort einsetzen, wo sie gebraucht werden. Was kann ein Mensch sich mehr wünschen als das?
Euch alles Gute und schönes Wochenende.

Homeless/ Obdach

Thanks 36 and 37 to Lewis and Charles at the Institute4Languages. They taught me to take my lessons off the page last year, and I haven't held back since. The best teachers are the one who free you. At least the best teachers for me are. Other good teachers are the ones I need to rebel against, for they often teach me things they themselves do not know.

I had a lesson in blogging this morning. It reminded me how wonderful some people are at providing useful information and inspiration. I'm not so good, perhaps, at useful things. That's why I haven't set up a web page yet. I have nothing concrete to offer. Nothing to sell. Least of all myself. But I'm grateful for the faithful folks who follow my stories, send me postcards, or threaten to drop in.
I'm not so interested in making a name for myself, or going extra miles and I don't need to achieve much in life any more. I like where I am, even if it's cold today. Thank God for central heating and enough money to pay my bills. Some people live under the bridge in Hamburg. I hope they can keep warm tonight.

Eigentlich war es anders geplant. Doch der heutige Blog geht sein eigener Weg. Oder ist es 'das' Blog? Egal. Möge kein Mensch heute abend frieren müssen. Und ein gesegnetes Wochenende wünsche ich Euch allen.

Ooops/ Schuldig

Thank you 26 goes to Marina Marinova who offered me work at the Verein für berufliche Weiterbildung. 27 and 28 to Ludolf Schnittger and Simon Marshall of the same language and computer training school for marvellous first experiences, their creatively executed 10th anniversary celebration, a really liberating grammar lesson and thanks (29, 30, 31, 32, 33) to my new colleagues Jean, Birte, Harald, Heike, and Carsten, (34, 35) and Andrea and Julia in the office for helping me settle in.

Does anyone follow this blog? I don't know. In a way, it doesn't matter. It's my musing on a breeze, like a bird chirping, or sometimes, maybe, like the stuff that comes out the other end. At any rate, I write on a whim. I write as my heart dictates. There's no regularity, no obligation. I was so busy doing other wonderful things, I forgot the blog for two whole weeks. Shriek!

I'm glad I can report to the universe, or to you, if you read it. And, oops, sorry if anyone was expecting a regular installment. It's not that I don't care. I love the thought of someone sharing this blog experience. But there's absolutely nothing regular about me. And that, perhaps, is the beauty of it.

O Schreck! Es sind bald drei Wochen seit dem letzten Eintrag. Verfolgt denn irgendjemand dieses Blog? Falls ja, bitte entschuldige mich, denn ich wollte Euch weder vernachlässigen noch beleidigen. So bin ich halt, mal hie mal da...und ich glaube bei der Intensität des Informationsflusses heutzutage ist manchmal ein bisschen Schweigen gar nicht so schlimm. Oder?

Frohe Herbsttage! (Oder ist es doch schon Winter?)

Distinction/ freu dich zu früh!

Thanks to all the people who facilitated that distinction in the LCCI exam, Yay! That would be Chris Price, wonderful teacher and role model, my 12 colleagues for making the course fun, informative and exhilerating, the Pilgrims staff for the organisation and delivery, the exam correction team, the people who developed the LCCI exam, the people who established the LCCI itself...good gracious, this could go on for ever. Okay, a lump sum thanks of 20 won't cover it, but I'll add that to the thank count symbollically, knowing that in fact it's much much more. Thank you all!

Neulich erklärte eine Arbeitsuchende, sie hätte zwar eine Stelle gefunden, wolle sich aber nicht zu früh freuen. Im Aussendienst habe man gelernt, sich erst nach der zweiten Ampel auf dem Heimweg zu freuen, wenn alles unter Dach und Fach gebracht worden ist.

Im Englischen gibt es eine ähnliche Philosophie: don't count your chickens before they're hatched. Das bedeutet: freue dich nicht zu früh. Wieso denn eigentlich nicht? Nun ja, ich freue mich nicht über imaginäre Kücken, aber über die Eier selbst kann ich mich schon freuen, oder? Die kann ich so oft nachzählen wie ich will, vielleicht mache ich daraus Spiegeleier und Omlett, oder verkaufe die Eier und verdiene was dazu...wer braucht denn Hühner, um sich zu freuen? Eier sind doch auch was Gutes.

Als ich meine Stelle als Ärztin gekündigt habe, freute ich mich darauf, etwas Neues zu erleben, ohne zu wissen, was es sein könnte. Sicher war nur, dass es anders werden mußte. Ich liebe Überraschungen. Das Leben ist voller lauter kleiner wunderbarer Sachen, die ich niemals hätte planen können.

Ich freute mich über die Freizeit nach den vielen Überstunden und Nachtdiensten. Ich freute mich als ich die Berufung zur Sprachtrainerin spürte. Nach einer Woche Schuften hatte ich meinen Weg im Trainingskurs gefunden und freute mich darüber. Das Resultat des ersten Kurses war mittelmäßig, doch freute ich mich über die Kollegenschaft, und über den erfolgreichen Abschluß.

Ich freute mich über alle Interviews, über die interessanten Leute, die ich kennen lernte, egal ob ich den Job bekam, oder nicht. Ich freute mich über die Aufgaben, die mir zugeteilt wurden, über die Freizeit dazwischen.

Ich freute mich als ich zum ersten Mal von Pilgrims erfuhr, denn ich wußte, das wäre was für mich. Ich war froh, daß es überhaupt solche Gelegenheiten gab. Hurra! Dann freute ich mich über die Einladung zur Informationsveranstaltung am Verein für Weiterbildung. Ich freute mich über die Möglichkeit, ein Grundtvig Stipendium zu beantragen. Ich freute mich als die Helena Muus mir mit Stempel und Unterschrift bestätigte, daß ich beim Institute4Languages als Trainerin tätig war. Ich freute mich über den ausgefüllten Antrag, den ich rechtzeitig einreichen konnte, über die Deutsche Post, die den Antrag zuverlässig zum BIBB brachte, über die Zusage, über den Vertrag und das Geld auf meinem Konto sechs Wochen später.

Ich freute mich als ich mit Lizzie W. telefonierte und den Platz im Kurs "Teaching English to Business People" sichern konnte. Ich freute mich als ich einen guten Preis für den Flug nach London bekam. Und ich sehe schon, diese Geschichte wird ewig lang, dabei wollte ich nur sagen, ich habe die Prüfung mit einer sehr guten Note abgeschlossen. Aber ich habe mich die ganze Zeit schon darüber gefreut, noch lange bevor das Resultat in meinem Briefkasten lag.

Vielleicht bekam ich diese "Distinction" eben weil ich mich so früh und so viel gefreut habe? Wenn ich nur "Gut" bekommen hätte, oder gar "befriedigend", wäre die ganze Freude, die ich davor erlebt habe, umsonst gewesen? Wohl kaum. Soviel Freude, wie ich auf den Weg zu dieser Note gespürt habe, kann ein Körper in eneim einzigen Moment gar nicht erleben. Ich kann mich nicht mehr über die Note freuen als über den Weg dorthin. Und all diese freudigen Momente haben unendlich gut getan. Ich hätte kein Einziges davon vermissen wollen.

Lange Rede, kurzer Sinn: freu dich doch, so früh, so oft und so lang wie du kannst!

P.S: Ich freue mich riesig, von soviel Freude berichten zu können. Dabei hatte ich das gar nicht vor, als ich heute morgen aufstand. Hurra! Ein Bonus an Freude. Was für ein wunderbarer grauer Tag!

Spur of the Moment/ Gegenwärtig

Thank you five goes to Hope Clarke of Funds for Writers (www.fundsforwriters.com) who included my note of thanks in her newsletter last week. Hope is a role model writer whose words and tips have spurred me on. I've been reading her free newsletters for over a year. Yay!

Ironically, I seldom do as she says. She recommends an iron regiment, making plans, carrying them through. But I can't write until I hate it, nor force a wandering mind into submission. I need freedom to dream and to love what I'm doing; what I write is nothing without them.

Oh, I have tried; again and again. A regimented approach only leads to frustration. But having a clear model that does not apply has helped me define what does.

It's the spur of the moment.

Systematic people might call me fickle, I call it inspired. It's what powers and empowers me.
I wrote down a resolution to write this blog at least three times a week. It didn't happen, but this morning it occurred to me that once is enough.

I woke from a dream to answer something a friend asked three weeks ago. I went back to bed, but my mind insisted I get up and write this down. I meant to blog it yesterday, but my brain was too weary. Besides, the spurring moment hadn't arrived.

It has been an incredible, blessed week; stories have been writing themselves. I haven't had fingers enough to record them. Great thoughts got lost with the wind. But that's okay, I don't need to hold on to everything. I just need to select the right thing at the right time, use my dull mind to perfect the shine, then get it to the right place in the right way.

And mostly, I haven't a clue what the 'right' thing is except that it's something to do with writing. You need faith to work like that, but I've always had gobs of that. Thanks to Ms. Clarke's input, I now have a little more system, a lot more knowledge and great Hope. Yay!

Ich lebe von der Gegenwart ins spe. Erich Kästners Gedicht "Wir sitzen alle im gleichen Zug und reisen quer durch die Zeit," hat mich immer inspiriert. Nun spure ich, dass die Zeit nur gegenwärtig sein kann, wenn ich mir selber dessen bewusst bin. Die Zeitreise findet stets in diesem Moment statt. Ich kann Die Kraft der Gegenwart von Eckhart Tolle sehr empfehlen.
Tschuß und schönes Wochenende. M

Stepping Stones/ Das Nächste, bitte!

Thank you number three goes to Ritu Marwaha of Institute4Languages and number four to her marketing consultant Martin for a life-changing session last night. That's life-changing in a positive sense, folks. As Martin pointed out, change can be taken both ways.

I've been on a long-term trip to self realisation and it will probably last until I die. While Canfield's Success Principles have taught me to aspire higher, my basic nature makes it difficult to set long term goals. I keep changing my mind.

Some things are perfectly clear: I want to live in a world of abundance, peace and happiness/ contentment/ satisfaction for all. Some people may not want to be happy, so far be it from me to prescribe it. But I wish for every being to fulfill his/her/it's purpose and for all of us to live our best lives, whatever that involves.

We live our best life each moment, though we may not realise or accept it. Living MY best life is recognising the next step. My greatest success stems from getting those little steps right. Raising a passionate voice to rattle out apathy. Choosing the right training and not letting up until I make it. Embracing great mistakes, slipping and falling with grace. Ha! Sitting back to let others shine, mastering the stage when it's my turn. Writing that word of encouragement. And listening to whispered messages other people miss.

I'm ready and roaring to go, wherever this leads, honing my skills and growing as I go. Loads of people love and support me and I've got the faith and willingness to deal with anything. So bring it on world! Yay!

Was immer das Leben mir anzubieten hat, nehme ich gern und gierig entgegen. Soll es nur kommen. Ich schaffe alles, was ich muss oder möchte. Hurra!
Euch ebenfalls viel Spaß, Kraft und Glück auf dem Weg!

Thousand Thanks

Thanks to Jack Canfield for the message on appreciation he sent today and for the Success Principles that have inspired me along the way.

With the Monday blog I started my thousand thanks action, dedicating blog lines to at least a thousand people who have helped, comforted, taught or inspired me over the years. I started with my mom and Canfield is number two. His newsletter mentioned appreciation as one of the main motivators for most employees.

Patch Adams taught me to foster an attitude of gratitude, but sometimes it gets lost in the wings while other things take the stage. Today I am grateful for my life, my home, my friends, my families, my colleagues, my history, and excuse me while I continue the list elsewhere. This is going to take a while. Maybe you could spend a few minutes considering some gratitude items of your own. Thank you for reading me! Bye.

Gibt es tausend Dinge oder Menschen, wofür ich dankbar sein könnte? Tschüß bis bald, ich zähle nach und es wird bestimmt eine Weile dauern. Gottseidank...

Problems/ Hindernisse oder Trittbretter

Thanks to my mother for bringing me up to love as though there were no tomorrow, give as if money were dirt, and live in the faith that there's something divine in everyone.

I have a challenging English class. The problem was, we just couldn't seem to find the groove together. They were hard nuts to crack. Gems.

Today, I addressed the problem and apologised for my inability to overcome it. And suddenly we found common ground. Their attitude baffled me before. Now I understand it's a kind of defense. I can live with it if they can. And I can show them alternatives, if they want. A problem can be a place to stop and think for a while. Or it can be a stepping stone to greater things.

Sind Probleme Hindernisse oder Trittbretter, die den richtigen Schwung zum nächsten Schritt bringen?

Know Thyself, Be the Best

Know who you are and why. Only you can set the criteria for your measure of success.

I don't fit well in categories. It takes me hours to do those multiple choice personality tests. Then, when I revise them, the answers which seemed slightly better than the rest, no longer seem to apply. I am what you call mutable.

People who prefer things black and white find me irritating. That's okay because it's my job, as a grey zoner. It doesn't matter what others think. I know what I'm about and what I have to do. When the next step comes, I take it faithfully, living my best life step by step.

You are the only expert on being you. Sure, we all benefit from outside impulses. But only you can put them together, distil the essence and come up with your own unique brew. And if the world didn't need what you have to offer, you would not be here.
Best wishes on the journey!

Ich weiß, weshalb ich hier bin. Und du?

Attn. Romance Readers & Writers

Romance readers can feast on this special 60th anniversary offer from eHarliquin.com: 16 free downloadable ebooks from popular authors in different Harlequin series!

Writers can join http://www.textnovel.com/ and compete in the Dorchester Media Best Celler competition, or simply get online exposure and reader comments for all genres of writing. While you're there, you can check out my work in progress: Until Infinity by Mary Dix and vote for it, and/ or subscribe for free to receive notification of new installments.

See you there!

Pilgrims & Progress

In July 2009 I did a Grundtvig funded two-week course in teaching business English at Pilgrims Ltd. in Canterbury. It was incredible, fantastic, great. I'd like to dedicate this blog to the people who made it possible and the wonderful teachers and trainers I met there.

Dank der Nationalagentur Bildung für Europa konnte ich im Juli an einer Fortbildungsmaßnahme in GB teilnehmen. Details zur Grundtvigförderung befinden sich hier:
http://www.na-bibb.de/grundtvig_4.html
Ich kann andere nur ermutigen, sich um Unterstützung für Weiterbildung im Bereich der Erwachsenenbildung zu bewerben. Am Freitag 4.09.2009 um 16:00 Uhr halte ich eine Vortrag zum Thema am Institute4Languages, Pickhuben 6 in der Hafen City, Hamburg.