“He lost a lot of weight, got frostbite, hurt his shoulder and thigh.  But he is smiling.” 

– Bob Stevens

Running Toward Trouble

“There had been one man. One off-duty SAS operator who had been the first responder to the scene, and then for a long time, the only responder. It was him showing up that had driven the terrorists to cease their systematic executions and retreat to their fallback positions. This lone man had literally pressed pause on the murders of innocent civilians with his willingness to intervene.” – From Terrorist Attack Girl: How I Survived Terrorism and Reconstructed My Shattered Mind, by Meyli Chapin.

I had just finished reading this statement from Meyli Chapin’s book when Bob Stevens told me that he and Amy, his wife, were on their way to Georgia. They were on their way to attend their son Parker’s graduation from US Army Ranger School.

“Hopefully he’ll graduate,” Bob said in a nervous, yet excited voice.

“I’m not worried about him graduating at all,” I confidently responded.

Bob and Amy had been proudly telling me of Parker’s graduation from West Point about one year earlier, so I knew the purpose, character and strength that is his.

“I have been training for this my whole life,” - Christian Craighead, from “Terrorist Attack Girl.”

Parker has been training to become an Army Ranger his whole life. I knew it, because Parker knew it.

“Please send me a photo of Parker at his graduation from Ranger School,” I asked Bob. “I’d like to frame it and put it on my desk, right next to my photo of Marine Corps India Company. These photos will remind me daily of those who allow me to live the amazing life I enjoy, because of them.

The day before yesterday I received the first Parker photo from Bob with a note saying, “He lost a lot of weight, got frostbite, hurt his shoulder and thigh.  But he is smiling.”

I was smiling too, when on the next day, I received Parker’s graduation photo, the “Classic” picture taken after graduation, from Bob. 

I’m going to print and frame both Parker photos.

These photos will share my desk and will be a constant reminder to me that: He is, and others like him, the dividing line between good and evil. He is, and they are, heroes!

If you’d like to send Parker a message of gratitude, in preparation for Memorial Day, please email it to me at Lynn@LynnButterfield.com or text it to me at 801-550-6334. I’ll pass it on to Parker and his parents. Or, perhaps there is someone else you’d like to message in gratitude. If so, don’t let another day pass without doing so.

We often talk about how opportunity meets preparation.  Now’s that time. Prepare to thank our heroes and accept your opportunity.

Our heroes have! They run toward trouble for us.

___________________________________________

I’ve helped thousands of people, as a real estate & lifestyle expert, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve Realesation. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and HomeByDesign Magazine to stir your heart and mind:

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Rooted Trust

“That’s easy!  She’s a blessing!” – Todd Feld

Rooted Trust

“When these new documents came out, I knew I had to call you!  I wanted your opinion.”  Todd said.

He went on to say that he made the call because of complete trust.  Yet, there is one, much more important, universally rooted trust exhibited by Todd Feld.  And this conversation was the perfect opportunity to discover the deepest kind of trust.

An outsider’s view of Todd’s family life could lead one to conclude the opposite of what the truth is.  You see, Todd has successfully raised a mentally challenged daughter and her siblings.  Someone who hasn’t spoken with him about this would easily assume that Todd and his wife are the ones who have undergone the most difficult, been through the most, challenges throughout this child rearing process. Yet, a conversation with Todd, asking the direct question, “Will you tell me what you’ve learned as a direct result of this experience?” resulted in this definitive response from him:

“She’s a real blessing!”

Perhaps the ability to live life fully rooted in trust is the real blessing?

Does life continuously present fitting lessons, individually tailored toward optimal personal growth?  Are such individualized, perfect lessons, offered freely as a demonstration of faith?  A faith rooted in a universal conviction that every person has the ability to succeed?  Todd’s life experience answers these questions with a certain, yes.

No one knows what their fitted lessons are going to be.  Todd didn’t understand the lessons he would face when he and his wife began their family.  They learned, from each child, as they were born.  They learned, with each child, as they progressed together.  Fitted lessons are a process of gaining incremental trust.

Incremental trust is progressive in nature. It is gained step-by-step.  It is gained, age-by-age, experience-by-experience.  Most often, such growth is not recognizable until a time of reflection allows us to see it, as if looking in a mirror which exposes our forever changed image in the form of a ripened face.  This moment could be called, time counting our blessings; the time when we are more able to accurately see conquered obstacles for what they really are.  Realization of universally rooted trust.

“When these new documents came out, I knew I had to call you!  I wanted your opinion.  Because I know I can trust you.”  Todd said.

He went on to say that he made the call because of complete trust.  Yet, there is one, much more important, universally rooted trust exhibited by Todd Feld.  And a conversation with Todd Feld was the perfect opportunity to discover the deepest kind of trust, universally rooted trust.  A trust that life has and will continuously present fitted lessons, individually tailored toward our own optimal personal growth.

Sniffing-out the Spectacular

“To look at a thing is quite different from seeing a thing, and one does not see anything until one sees its beauty.” - MINNIE DRIVER - Miss Mabel Chiltern.

Sniffing-out the Spectacular

I walk my dog every morning.  You know my dog, Harry Pupper.  I started walking just for the exercise and then it was also because I could see how much Harry enjoyed it.  I could tell how much he loved it, because he would wake up, pretend to be sleeping, and wait.  Wait for the click.

The click I’m referring to is the sound made by my turning the garage door deadbolt.  It’s the same click that tells the Pupper its time for us to satisfy our need for wanderlust.  Every dog seems to have this desire tucked deep inside.  They love to wander.  So do I.  It’s something we share.

There’s something special about wandering time.  And, it’s even better when done with a buddy.  So, I thought my wandering mornings couldn’t get any better.  I was wrong.

Just three days ago, as we were out, just before the sun, I saw something extraordinary.  It made me stop and capture the moment in a photograph.  It also made me stop and ask two questions.

“What if I lived my life like this every day?  What if, while wandering through each day, I actively look for the spectacular?”

Those questions caused me to decided that the Pupper and were going to test our little “Seeking the spectacular” experiment by actively looking for the special while wandering the next couple of mornings.  And, you know what?  We found that we began to see things we’d never seen, or perhaps noticed before. Even though we’d obviously walked right past them afore.

For example, we discovered one of the most beautiful sculptures we’d ever seen.  As we happened upon it, I remember asking Harry Pupper, “Have you noticed this before?”  

“It just goes to show, that we begin to see what exactly we’re looking for!”  

Of course, as soon as my words hit Harry’s soft furry ears, I recalled one of my favorite movie quotes from the film “An Ideal Husband.”

“To look at a thing is quite different from seeing a thing, and one does not see anything until one sees its beauty.” - MINNIE DRIVER - Miss Mabel Chiltern.

Then, as if scripted, Harry and I happened upon a small, big-mouth-full, green ball.

The Pupper loves to play ball.  I kicked it.  He chased.  We played ball for the rest of our stroll, as the sun continue to rise higher in the sky.  It was second dawning.

Having fun while looking for the spectacular increases its impact!

I walk my dog every morning.  You know my dog, Harry Pupper.  I started walking just for the exercise and then, it was also because I could see how much Harry enjoyed it.  I could tell how much he loved it, because he would wake up, pretend to be sleeping, and wait.  Wait for the click.

The click I’m referring to is the sound made by my turning the garage door deadbolt.  It’s the same click that tells the Pupper its time for us to satisfy our need to seek the spectacular.  Every dog seems to have this desire tucked deep inside.  They love to sniff-it-out.  So do I.  It’s something we can all share.

Riding to a Higher Place

 

A Farmer’s Field Art

Riding to a Higher Place

The early morning air was, well, it was just plain cold.  It was January after all.  And, the sun was not up yet.  That all added up to a cold, dark walk to the airport terminal.  Even at this early hour I was focused on giving myself marching orders.

“Don’t walk too casually on that patch of ice or you’ll find yourself on the asphalt!”  I muttered as I walked forward.

It was going to be a hectic day for sure.  Not just because I was traveling.  These days It seems as if most days are on the edge of being frenzied.  Sometimes I think it’s just me.  It most likely is. Yet, as I swim my way through most days it seems as if others around me are sharing the experience of being harried.

Perhaps that feeling was being amplified during this particular moment.  I left a little late to drive to the airport.  Then, I walked half way to the terminal before I remembered my face-shielding mask was sitting in my car.  So, I walked back to my car, got the mask, walked to the terminal, put it on and was instructed to remove it, when a TSA Agent wanted to compare my face to the photo on my driver’s license.

Snap!

The ear-bands on that mask, thing, broke as I began to lift if away!

Luckily, the TSA Agent simply smiled, said, “Not a problem!”, and handed me a fresh mask so I could continue on.  Whew!

I made the flight and settled into my seat so I could fret about all the things I needed to get done for the day.  Then, there was a magical moment that changed the way I was going about living for the rest of this day.

A little daily sunshine always goes a long way toward lifting my spirits, so I decided to slide that little window shade cover up, just to let a little enlightenment ride the light into my brain.  And, it just so happened.

There in the dawn, in the dim morning light, as the world was coming alive again, I saw the distinct image of a huge horse in a field below.  There were other field shapes too.  But, this one was not the regular square, rectangle or circle.  Its image was distinctive, divergent, inspiring and made me wonder.

“I never would have seen this had I not been lifted ‘above it all’.  I wonder what other wonders I’m missing by not taking the time to allow myself to be lifted on a regular basis?”

It’s easy to become caught, trapped in the regular.  Caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  When that happens, it becomes difficult to see just how magical the world really is.  It’s hard to see how inspiring our universe is if you aren’t somehow lifted out of what you’re seeing on the ground, to a higher vantage point.

There are all kinds of vehicles to take us, you and me, to such a place.  It could be the time you take to create inspiring art, just like the farmer who brings horses alive by growing them as huge murals in the form of a crop.  Or perhaps you like to write?  It might be the time you take to exercise?  It doesn’t really matter what lifts you.  What is important is to find what that thing is and to allow it to give you a ride to a higher place, out of the everyday hustle and bustle, on a regular basis.

The early morning air is, regularly, just plain cold in January.  And, even though the sun was not up yet on just such a day, it was about to rise.  What I didn’t know, as I was walking to the airport terminal, was that I was about to ride an airplane to experience how one farmer’s field-art would teach, anyone who saw it, about the importance of being lifted to a better vantage point.