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

Relax, It’s Golf

We didn’t have golfers in our home, but we had a plaque on the wall about golf.

The words on the plaque read:

GOLF

An ineffectual attempt

To drive an uncontrollable sphere

Into an inaccessible hole

With instruments ill adapted to the purpose.

– author unknown

That plaque may explain why I never feel relaxed when playing golf. However, I believe the ladies who shared this photo find it incredibly relaxing and fulfilling.

I also never witnessed an incredible sunrise like this one from Reno, Nevada. Thank you Ronda Henderson for sharing Anita Mackay’s photo with us with her permission.

Relaxed,

Debbie Donaldson, Champion for Good

P.S. Where in the world will we see tomorrow’s sunrise? It could be from your special view. If you have a sunrise photo you’d like to share, send it to contact@superpowers365.com. We’ll mention you and let you know when it posts.

When Hope is Lost Activate These Three Superpowers

What is Hope?

Before we get to the three Superpowers needed to restore or find Hope, we should probably define Hope and talk about the problems that occur when Hope is lost.

The Superpower Hope is positive belief that ignites a chain reaction. What follows Hope is inspired positive action. Those positive actions result in positive change.

Hope without positive action is simply fantasy. For example, I may Hope for a better job, more money, more time with my family or to be rescued from a difficult situation. However, if I don’t take some sort of action, those Hopes are merely wishes that won’t just magically happen.

Absence of Hope

The absence of Hope creates a vacuum that literally sucks. The vacuum sucks in unwanted items to fill the void that was once occupied by Hope. Dark feelings of emptiness and despair creep in to fill the void. They may lead to depression, aggression or other destructive feelings and behaviors.

If Hope is lost, the good news is this Superpower was within your reach at one time. Even if you don’t believe you have ever known or felt Hope, you can take the following steps to activate three critical Superpowers that can sustain you and move you closer to finding Hope. Whether finding it for the first time or whether you have recently lost this Superpower critical to life, the following steps will help you restore Hope for good.

Activating Faith

The first Superpower to activate is Faith. It may seem like it should be more complicated than to simply have Faith. Activating Faith is a decision. Yes, Faith is a decision you can make right now. Make the decision now that all the resources you need will be given or shown to you. Make the decision now that you will recognize the opportunities for solving any situation that is troubling you. Have Faith that the people you need in your life to overcome any obstacle will show up to help you. I find that the simple decision to have Faith in myself and Faith in God can be as comforting as drinking warm cocoa on a cold night.

Believing in something you can’t immediately prove is difficult, so you may want to enlist the help of friends who have this incredible Superpower.

Often but not always Hope is lost because of an unexpected tragedy, illness or death. Having Faith that you can prevail, even through the most difficult situations, will bring you closer to Hope. Faith in yourself and in a higher power that will sustain you and those affected by your loss of Hope is critical to finding the precious Superpower Hope.

My Faith in God has been the life-saving Superpower that restored my Hope many times. Faith helped me each time I’ve lost Hope when facing a problem I was sure would destroy me.

No matter how unbelievable it may feel, decide right now to have Faith.

Activating Love

The second Superpower to activate is Love. Not the heart throb type of romantic love. The Superpower Love is deeper, unconditional, and meant for you. Yes, you must Love yourself – first. Then turn that same life sustaining Love to your neighbors, friends, relatives. Even those you may feel have contributed to your loss of Hope. Love them unconditionally, in your heart, in your mind, deep in your soul. This Love will bring Hope closer to you.

The power of loving yourself first is an insulator from those that may be unwilling or unable to return your Love. They may even have caused a tragedy, illness or death that contributed to your loss of Hope.

By activating Love for yourself first, you will intuitively create the boundaries needed to protect yourself from physical or emotional damage. Loving yourself first also gives you the ability to Love others more completely.

Loving some people that have negatively impacted your life may require ongoing practice and a safe physical distance. Love them anyway as you keep your distance.

You may have figured out by now that unconditional Love, like Faith, is also a decision. Decide today to Love. Even though you may not feel it yet, the Superpower of your Love will bring Hope closer.

Now before we get to the third Superpower, take a moment, relax, get a cup of your favorite beverage. You may want some quiet reflection time as you contemplate the next Superpower.

Activating Forgiveness

The third Superpower to activate is Forgiveness.

If you have been injured by someone who has contributed to your loss of Hope, this will likely be a huge challenge. There are also amazing rewards by activating your Superpower Forgiveness.

As difficult as it may be to activate, it does get easier each time. Yes, you’ll need to consciously activate this Superpower many times – even for the same person or circumstance. Think of a rough, uncut diamond as you consider the situation or person you are forgiving. Now imagine every time you give Forgiveness, a rough edge of the diamond is smoothed away and reveals a brilliant new facet of the diamond. Each surface of the diamond is a new view of the many sides of the situation or person that, over time, is revealed and requires Forgiveness.

I know from experience how frustrating this process can be. Just when Forgiveness feels complete, another rough edge that needs smoothing appears. Remember, this does get easier. Relief along with many other rewards comes each time Forgiveness is activated.

By the way, you are the diamond. You are definitely worth the effort that may feel like intense heat and pressure. That is how diamonds are formed in the earth.

So now you have probably figured out what I’m about to say. Yes, Forgiveness is a decision. It is easier when we feel like Forgiving someone, but that feeling isn’t necessary to make the decision to activate this precious, healing Superpower, Forgiveness. Decide today. If it doesn’t seem sincere, decide anyway. If you don’t think it will make a difference, test for yourself by sincerely, consciously deciding to Forgive.

It is always helpful to surround yourself with others that have the Superpowers you are Activating like Faith, Love, Forgiveness and Hope. Look around for the people in your life who are living examples and it will be easier for you to discover the magic of activating each Superpower for good.

So how will you know when you’ve found Hope?

Hope may return gradually or all at once. You’ll feel the difference as the vacuum is filled with the positive activities required to restore Hope.

There are many different perceptions about Hope, and more than a few books written on the topic. In the book “Hope Is Not A Strategy” by Rick Page, the author describes the specific actions required for sales success. His philosophy gets the attention of sales people and sales managers who want proven action steps to be successful in sales instead of just hoping or wishing for a positive outcome.

I happen to believe holding onto Hope is a strategy for success in life and does require action. If you’re looking for help with positive action ideas to increase your sales success, I recommend this book.

Another book, “Surprised by Hope” by N.T. Wright, refers to hope for life after death. The subtitle of this book is Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection and the Mission of the Church. My belief in Hope has and will continue to sustain me in this lifetime.

However, I’m reading the book because a friend recommended it to me. Reading this book is one of my own positive actions as I grapple with the recent and unexpected deaths of a few friends. I’ll keep you posted on how or if it helps me in coping with losing my dear friends.

The Webster Dictionary says Hope is a verb, which means action. A brief definition is “Hope is to desire with expectation of obtainment.” Hope as a Superpower in this lifetime requires intentional daily action to fulfill our purpose and obtain the successes we desire in this life.

Activating the Superpowers that will restore Hope are simple, but not always easy. However, just one of the incredible benefits of finding Hope for yourself is that it is easier for those around you to find or restore their own lost Hope.

Would you be surprised to learn that you may have within you more than 52 Superpowers? Find out how to unlock them in my new book Superpowers Activated – Discovering the Magic. It will be available on Amazon.com late October 2017.

Let’s do this,

Debbie Donaldson
Champion for Good

Out of the Shadows

My new book Superpowers Activated – Discovering the Magic is finally at the editing stage. After years of contemplating and even more years of writing, tweaking and nurturing, I’m nearly ready to share it with the world.

The publishing launch date is set for October 16, 2017 exclusively on Amazon.com.

Activating our Superpowers for good is a team sport so I’ve also created this website Superpowers365.com to help us stay connected and share ideas for a magnificent life.

In the shadow picture here with me is my husband Jamie. He is always my Patient, Courageous Champion. You’ll learn more about what that means in the book. I couldn’t have come this far without him.

We sometimes see things differently though. He is fond of and often uses the quote from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation movie when Clark couldn’t get the elaborate outdoor lights to come on and his mother said, “Clark, I can see it in my mind, and it’s just beautiful.” My husband always gets a laugh when he uses that quote.

However, having been raised in Missouri, the show me state, he often needs to “See it to believe it.” Since I usually need to “Believe it so I can see it,” this made gaining his feedback on the book’s progress interesting, especially in the concept stage.

Fortunately we’re very close to the stage where we can all actually see it.

I look forward to sharing Superpowers Activated with you very soon.

Cheers,
Debbie