Was it a dream or ghosts?

On the eve of New Year’s eve, December 30, 2018, I woke up to a swishing sound in my bedroom. Near the bottom of my bed the room was extra dark and it seemed like there were three people standing there, two women and one man.

Now I don’t know for sure if I was awake or asleep or seeing ghosts, but I felt scared at first. I believe I see ghosts occasionally…please don’t judge me too harshly. There has always been light, not darkness when I’ve seen ghosts before, so I was really scared. I asked why they were there and wondered if they meant to hurt me. It seemed like they were talking to each other.

My heart was racing and when the thought that they may be there to harm me was raging in my head, they all turned to me at once and said “of course not.” So I asked what they wanted?

They looked at each other and seemed to be trying to figure out how to tell me something really important. Then the man looked at me and said they were concerned about my health.

Well that got my heart racing even more. Since I have only been in remission from breast cancer for two and a half years, I wondered if it had returned. They all turned to me again and seemed to shake their heads no. I thought about my routine check-up scheduled later next month and calmed down. I feel sure I’m still in remission, but always confirm a few times a year.

The woman in the middle said they were concerned about my diabetes. Now I was starting to think this dream was annoying. After my battle with cancer, I ended up with Type 2 diabetes. When I get my blood sugar under control, I like to pretend I don’t have it and it was all just temporary. Classic denial stuff.

This holiday I had been eating all sorts of high-carb and sugary foods and ignoring all the signs that my blood sugar is out of control. I kept justifying that my achy joints, tingly fingers and low energy weren’t that bad.

The shorter woman on the end didn’t seem convinced that I would pay attention to them. She kept saying “I don’t think this is going to work, we may have to find someone else.”

That got my attention.

I asked them, “Find someone else for what? What do you want me to do?” The man looked back and said they wanted me to take care of myself. To eat more healthy foods and to exercise. The woman in the middle said that’s all I need to do and that’s why they were there.

The woman on the end looked at me, then looked back at the other two and said she didn’t know if this would work. So I asked again what they wanted me to do. The woman in the middle said the only important thing is that I take care of myself. She said everything else will happen as it should. The other two agreed with her.

Now that was ambiguous, but I somehow believed them and vowed to eat right and get regular exercise.

The next morning I was thinking about whether that was a dream or if I was awake. I was wondering if I told anyone would they think I was crazy. I was even beginning to waiver on my commitment. After all, it was only a dream.

Then I opened LinkedIn and saw the post that Penny Marshall had died the night before due to complications from heart disease and diabetes. Woah!

Now I wasn’t thinking that any of the ghosts in my bedroom were Penny Marshall. But it did make me wonder if I’d had my own personal version of the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future.

Now some of you may be thinking that she was 75 and had a good long life. But it seems to me that her life was cut short by at least 10 years according to what experts say about our average life span being 84-85. A recent study even projected that baby boomers that live past the age of 50 are likely to live to be 100. I don’t know about you, but I plan to become a Centenarian.

My commitment to health is stronger than ever. Without my health I can’t accomplish any of the fun things on my list. Without my health, I can’t truly enjoy the people in my life. Without my health, I can’t accomplish my professional and personal goals of financial freedom and travel. Without my health I can’t be effective at sharing the knowledge I have about personal branding, marketing, sales and leadership that my growing customer base has come to rely on. Without my health, the motivational speaking I enjoy and am passionate about is definitely out of the question.

For some reason my health seems to only surface as a top priority when I’m sick. This year, thanks to my vivid dream, and Penny Marshal’s unfortunate death, my health is back on top as my number one priority.

May you find love, health and prosperity in abundance this year!

Happy New Year!

Debbie Donaldson

ZEST

This week I watched an unbelievable woman win an incredibly challenging dance competition. Her age was only one of the amazing things about her.

It would have been impossible to guess her age if I’d been asked to try. Standing in her skin tight dress next to her 35 year-old male partner, she was stunning and every inch as fit as he was – and she was 71 years-old.

They were dressed like figure skaters and as the dance began, they moved so graceful and smooth, that they looked more like ice skaters than dancers. They twirled, turned, twisted and spun to the point of making me a little dizzy just watching. At one point, her partner swung her around and around in circles while holding on to just one ankle and wrist. I felt my own limbs ache a little as I watched.

When they finished to a standing ovation, I noticed something in her face that I couldn’t describe right away.

That night I was lying in bed thinking about the grueling workouts it took for that beautiful 71 year- old woman to master such a difficult dance routine. I finally knew the word that described the look on her face and the glow that was surrounding her.

It was her Superpower. It was her ZEST!

Her ZEST for life I witnessed in that moment will forever inspire me.

ZEST wasn’t a Superpower I wrote about in Superpowers Activated. If I had seen that beautiful woman exhibit such grace, strength and accomplishment before writing the book, ZEST would definitely have been included.

What gives you ZEST for life? Can others see it? Is it your Superpower?

ZESTfully yours,

– Debbie

p.s. You can see Quin Bommelje and her partner in the America’s Got Talent competition here.

So what is Reiki anyway?

That is the question I was asked a lot when I told people Reiki was one of the secret cures I used to win my battle with cancer.

Surgery and chemotherapy were so stressful and Reiki was just a small part of my treatment, but it made a big difference that I couldn’t really explain. After reading this article from John’s Hopkins, I understand why doing this made me feel so good…learn more

Eating Well

Finding time and the motivation for eating healthy and delicious foods when our busy schedules seem to be even more packed these days is a challenge.

Regardless of your chosen food plan, here are three steps to help keep you on track for a healthy mind, body and spirit through nutritious, delicious eating.

Step one: Desire

Decide why eating well is important to you. This simple visualization will be your go-to memory when the challenges of the day are looming.

Close your eyes in a quiet space and think about what eating nutritious food on a regular schedule means to you. Here are just a few of the many benefits a healthy eating plan could provide:

Better focus and job performance
Better health check-up numbers (stable blood sugar, lower cholesterol, gain or lose weight as needed)
More patience and feeling of balance

If you don’t find your most important motivation on this list, add your own. It’s critical that the reasons for placing a priority on eating well are yours and only yours. Otherwise your commitment will waiver with each obstacle encountered.

Step two: Plan

Develop a plan with measurable goals for success. Make the plan simple and livable for you and your family. It’s nearly impossible to have long term success if the plan doesn’t have some built in flexibility. There are tons of options, find what works for you and adjust as your needs change.

Whether you choose low carb, high fiber or anything in between, it’s always a good idea to check in with your family physician to make sure the plan you have chosen will fit with your current health needs.

Step three: Celebrate

Now this is the fun part. Celebrate progress, not perfection. I’ll say it again, celebrate progress!

Perfection is impossible, and the expectation will set you up for disappointment instead of joy.

Consider making the celebration something other than eating non-nutritious food. If you want to add to your healthy lifestyle, consider rewards that include physical activity you enjoy like sailing, hiking or golfing.

Cheers to your health!
Debbie Donaldson
Champion for Good

The Grateful Tree: episode one

December 29, 2017

As 2017 comes to an end there is so much to be grateful for, in spite of all the traumatic, devastating events that have shaken the entire world this year.

It’s hard to believe how much of the world I experience right here on my little patch of earth. You’ll learn why as my story unfolds.

Today I stand here naked and grateful, soaking up the sun’s glorious rays as I tell you a little about how I came to be.

About 20 years ago I was planted on this spot to oversee a playground in the desert. The summer sun is scorching here. The metal playground equipment below could be torture to little hands if not protected from the direct sunlight. The owners of the land and playground planted me with confidence I would do a good job. Year after year I have reached for the sky, stretched to grow and stayed strong even when my beautiful spring leaves shriveled and fell from my branches one by one each winter.

It took a few seasons for me to get used to the constant changes as I grew each year. Now I’ve reached the height where I feel confident I’m making a difference. I’ve observed over the years that those who have a purpose seem to have greater confidence in themselves and their abilities to make a difference. It also seems to help them weather the changes and unexpected events that occur in their lives.

Today I am grateful for the sun’s warmth and the laughter I hear in the playground on this mild winter day in the desert. I will need the heat to get me through the harsh winter night ahead.

I’m looking forward to sharing more of my story and observations with you in the coming year.

Sincerely,
The Grateful Tree

I’m with you

When I received this sunrise photo today, it took me by surprise. I woke up thinking about how obsessed I’ve become with sunrises. My friends from all over the country are sending these beautiful, inspiring photos that remind me of the one thing we all have in common no matter where we are, what we’re doing, how our lives are going, the sun will always rise.

Today I’m going to have a blood test for a surgery scheduled next week.

The surgery is breast reconstruction. Two years ago this month (breast cancer awareness month) I found out I had breast cancer. My body rejected the expanders after the bi-lateral mastectomy two years ago.

I am just now ready to brave the reconstruction again. As surgery day get’s closer, I get a little more anxious every day. Several times I’ve even considered cancelling everything. This morning I woke up even more anxious.

Then my friend sent me this photo. She didn’t even know about the surgery or my fears.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, the message I got loud and clear is “I’m Here For You – It’s Time.”

Thank you Susan Moore for capturing this incredible sunrise. And thank you Marsha Lewis for sending it to me with Susan’s permission.

Somehow through the many years of our long distance friendship my high-school friend Marsha has instinctively known how to hold my hand when I needed it most.

Blessings,

Debbie Donaldson, Champion For Good

P.S. Have a sunrise to share? Send it to contacts@superpowers365.com.