I first heard this term from Alex Mandossian. Alex talks about re-purposing your books and training materials, using what you already have to create something additional.

Several years ago, I bought a bed and breakfast. My original intention was to close the inn and resell the house as a single family home to a large blended family. With 6 bedrooms and 4 baths, it seemed perfect for that kind of family.

Shortly after I purchased the B&B, I sold my hotel and found myself moving there. And… I am single!

I continued to have the house on the market. Then the housing crisis occurred and it did not sell. So, I recently decide to ‘Re-purpose my house’ and it has me totally excited.

It already had two full kitchens, and, with a little creative thinking, I’ve fashioned one separate apartment on the first floor. Plus, I later created 2 more loft type dwellings on the second and third floors, all without permanently changing the flavor of this one hundred year old mansion.

Isn’t it funny the way we can get ourselves stuck in one way of thinking and never seriously look at how we could see things differently, take all the assets at our disposal and create our lives or, in my case, real estate anew?

We all have special talents and creative abilities that, if seen through new eyes, could open up adventures that can delight our senses and inspire us toward new horizons.

Right now, with the soft world monetary markets, Wall Street and the credit crunch, it is a great opportunity to ‘re-purpose’ ourselves, our lives, and our businesses to find avenues of success we never would have dreamed of in different times.

I’ve turned a liability into a money making  asset, how about you?

I know my parents used to say that to me when I wanted the latest new outfit or needed money to go to the city pool.

You know, how we personally feel about money is transferred, through our consciousness, directly to our children. Yikes!

Of course we have budgets to keep in mind and certainly keeping the kids spending habits in check is important. But, how about a new and more positive twist on the old money stories, in both our minds and those of our children.

Instead of telling them, in essence, that you ‘can’t afford it’, help them to develop their creativity with a different word pattern.

Try statements like these.

“How could we find the money to get that new outfit?”

“What can you do to earn what you need to go to the pool this week?”

Helping put a personal value on what your children want is a win-win for both of you. It inspires creativity, teaches them some personal accountability and shows them how to build their own ‘Money Tree’ from the ground – up.

You can learn more financial information by going to my website http://www.harryturtle.com

It started out…

“A friend of mine is going blind, but thru the dimness

He sees so much better than me.

  “And he cherishes each new thing that he sees.

And he’ll save them for when he’s in darkness again.”

Consider the person who, through the ravages of disease, knows that their days are numbered.

How much different they must see.

My brother passed away recently after a long struggle with cancer. He was an outdoorsman. His career as a fishing guide spanned 17 years.

 And, he absolutely loved what he did.

 Last winter, when hunting season was over, he proclaimed that that was the last time he would go to deer camp. The cold and the spread of the cancer to his hip had made it a difficult season in a deer blind.

 I can imagine that, like the man who was going blind, even in his discomfort, he was also storing every detail in the woods; the crisp winter air, the subtle rustle of the deer, the camaraderie with his friends.

 Knowing it was the last time, each moment must have been so precious to him.

 In a way, he was lucky, because he heard the message.

 “This could be the last time.” 

 And hearing that, loud and clear, I bet he savored the moments more than most.

 The truth is…

For all of us…. ‘This could be the last time.’

The last time you drive down a beautiful roadway

The last time you sing the national anthem.

The last time you speak to a loved one

 This could be the last time…..

 It’s a powerful thought that calls on us to take notice.

And… to cherish the moments of our lives.

Of course it is a time of sadness and more specifically for me, because his diagnosis saved my life. Conrad was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer in 2008. Because of that, I had a colonoscopy.  I had the same cancer, but in a very early stage. While he has been on chemo and watched his cancer spread to other organs, a simple surgery completely cured mine.

Shortly after my surgery, I drove down to Arkansas to have lunch with Conrad. Both of us dealing with the same illness created a new ability to speak more intimately about life and our concerns over our futures.  We talked about his treatments and the doctor’s expectations. At that time he was hopeful that he would have more than a couple of years.  Con was feeling good. But, at the same time, he was facing the possibility of a shortened life.

During lunch I asked, “So…. how do you feel about it?”

The wisdom of his answer both surprised me and warmed my heart.  He wasn’t angry.  He did not look at his life with regret. In a way, his answer reflected gratitude.

He said, “You know what? This would be a real tragedy if it happened to a kid or a person who hadn’t done what they wanted in their life. But I’ve been able to do exactly what I wanted. I’ve lived the life of my dreams. Most people never get that.”

Always an avid fisherman, for the last 17 years, Conrad Dove has been a striper guide on Beaver Lake in Arkansas.  In order to achieve that goal, he worked full time at a job, did construction work on the side and, for many years, drove down on weekends to guide part time until he could afford to make it his full time living.

 And stories…… you know by his stories how much he has loved his work. I dare say, it wasn’t really work to him.

Over the last several months, as his health has declined, Conrad has been able to continue to guide because of the love of his wonderful friends and fellow guides who have gotten his bait and even helped him on his trips to handle the physical work that he could no longer do. So much so that only a week ago, he finally had to stop fishing.

We never really know how many years we will have on earth. Many people put off living their dreams for an entire lifetime.

But what a blessing and…. what a legacy, to, at the end of a life, be able to say, “I lived the life of my dreams.”

Sometimes I am just too close to the problem when I’m in a workaholic mode. I might hit a block in the project I’m working on, but my tendency is often to keep trying to break thru it, rather than step back and let the answer emerge.

Can’t we all be so hard headed sometimes? We can be so sure we have the right answer that we can’t see the real truth standing in front of us.

In my best moments, I know the truth.

Life is meant to flow.

On vacations, we just naturally fall into that mode simply by relaxing and allowing ourselves to take a ‘vacation’ from our perceived problems. Miraculously, that different perspective allows new possibilities and solutions to arise.

Just changing your mindset from one of obsessing to wondering can make all the difference.

Take your finances for instance. If you are one of the millions of people in America today who are upside down in mortgage and credit card debt, step back. Consider a new way of thinking. In fact, to truly solve that problem, you absolutely must come to a new way of thinking.

Your financial problems are not really about money in the first place. Something happened long before you got in this position and it happened inside your brain.

Your thoughts about money dictated what you would buy and how you would pay for it. And, believe it or not, even before that, your thoughts about happiness and fulfillment are where it really started.

After all, didn’t you buy all those things, the bigger house and the newer car, because you thought they would make you happy?  Now that you realize the stress that came along with out of control spending was not worth it, you have a wonderful opportunity to change your mind and look at your life through new eyes.

                            Changing your mind is the most important change you will ever make.

The predicament you may be in from the old mindset, can take some time to resolve, but with your new found knowledge, your long term solution is at hand. And, during this time of tightening your belt, you  can now see great purpose in learning the skills that will build a solid financial future for your family.

To everything there is a season. Make this your season of learning.

Check out HarryTurtle.com. Join me there where, along with examining the way you look at life and money, we can stay connected thru the forum.  At the same time, my program motives you with a better understanding of making the internet work for you by helping you develop your web presence.

Robert Fulghum wrote that all he ever needed to know he learned in kindergarten.  Actually, in a more sophisticated manner, Dale Carnegie teaches adults similar skills.

Thinking about it, it kind of takes me aback to consider that as adults we are still grappling with the basics.

And then, we wouldn’t want to miss the message in The Tortoise and the Hare. The Hare started off fast  thinking his skills were so superior to the competition that he got all cocky and tried to intimidate the turtle with his bravado.

It certainly did not make him the man of the hour. There are so many examples of this teaching for adults as well.  In the same vein as the attorney who represents himself has a fool for a client, the person who thinks he knows it all, still has a lot to learn.

We generally think that competition is the game we are playing in earth life and that some win while others lose. The real loser is the one who fails to see the value in a different way of being than the one they hold. The Hare couldn’t see any value in the Tortoise, but he had skills that weren’t so obvious to anyone at first. Those very skills and a different way of seeing things ended up winning him the race.

It is actually a very short ride from success to failure. And thinking you can’t fail or that it could never happen to you was pretty short sighted in that story.

The Hare actually had a great deal going for him. He was quite a runner and he had the passion to get off to a quick start.

Instead of respecting his competition, the rabbit taunted the turtle. (Not something he learned in kindergarten.) Everyone figured the hare would win. He was so flamboyant.

Isn’t it true that those who walk around all puffed up and telling us they are great are the ones we usually get behind? All that star power is hard to resist.

And yet, most often, over the long haul it is the quiet, unassuming, consistently moving forward types that go unnoticed.  And, while no one is thinking they have much going on, they are the ones who really excel. They excel at being a good neighbor, a good father to their children, and living a happy, financially secure life as they get older.

They have paid attention to the important areas of life all along. And…. Like the turtle, any hare can do the same thing….probably with one hand tied behind his back. It doesn’t hurt to take a look at the life that can be attained thru building skills that will enable you to go the distance and win at the other important aspects of life too.

It’s time for balance.

And Snow White….. Don’t worry too much about her. She has love and you know what they say about that. “Love is all you need.” LOL

Would you trade them for happiness?

Would you trade them for freedom?

I often find, as I council people on living their dreams, that their “things” are the main obstacle in achieving the life that would ‘make their heart sing.’ Their souls long for the dream and yet they are willing to give it up to hold onto “their things.”

We all do this to a certain extent. But, think about it for a minute.

Didn’t you buy those “things” because you thought they would make you happy?

And now? 

Are they actually making you happy or….. Are they a barrier to happiness? Real happiness.

Are you loaded down in debt for things you would, if allowed to choose, sacrifice in a moment if you knew you could have that DREAM?

Choose the dream! Find a way to unburden your life of the “things” you now know were a substitute for the ‘real happiness.’

You know, you can sell that big house with its huge mortgage. If you have some equity in it, you can pay off some of your other debts.  Maybe all of them.

Do you even have any idea how it would feel to be free? Really free to live that dream.

Be creative. Instead of saying “I can’t have the life I want”, ask a different question.

Ask, “How could I change my life so that I can live the one I really want?”

And magically, your life will change.  Real happiness is there, on the horizon.  You’ve only to see it with new eyes and a new perspective.

I think the universe is perfectly designed in such a way that there is no encounter and no experience that is an accident. And, even more amazing than that. That there is a blessing in every moment, no matter what it looks like at the time. God is working His magic in our lives every second of every day.

I normally write original content for my blog, but today I just had to share this story that I received in an email. In my searches, I could not find who wrote it or whose story it actually is. It is so powerful in its message of blessing that I could not resist sharing it with you.

Just Stay

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.  ”Your son is here,” she said to the old man.
 She had to repeat the words several times before the patient’s eyes opened.
 
 Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man’s limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.
  
 The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man’s hand and offering him words of love and strength.  

Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.
 
 He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious to her and of the night noises of the hospital – the clanking of the oxygen  tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the  cries and moans of the other patients.
  
 Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.
  
 Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.
  
 Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.
  
 ”Who was that man?” he asked.
  
 The nurse was startled, “He was your father,” she answered.

 ”No, he wasn’t,” the Marine replied. “I never saw him before in my life.”
  
 ”Then why didn’t you say something when I took you to him?”
  
 ”I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn’t here.  When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed.

 I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey. His Son was killed in Iraq today, and I was sent to
 inform him. What was this gentleman’s name?

 The nurse with tears in her eyes answered,  Mr. William Grey………….
  
 The next time someone needs you … just be there.  Just stay.

For several years before writing The Baglady’s Guide to Elegant Living, I had been passionately involved in developing financial education programs for small and home based businesses. My passion was the result of a little adventure (run- in) with the IRS.

Anyone who has ever been in business is intimately involved with the IRS. And… to replace the old adage with a new one that anyone can understand…

‘If the IRS ain’t happy, nobody’s happy.’

It’s interesting the way the experiences of our lives lead us down unexpected paths.

And so, I came to develop financial education for small businesses, to help them learn to document correctly and strategize their financial life for long term wealth building.

Having been very fiscally responsible throughout my career, I didn’t realize how out of touch and even out of control people are with their finances. Many don’t have the foggiest idea about the workings of the money world.

That enticed my team to go one step further and develop programs for ‘the regular guy’ that would help them get a handle on their personal finances.

It was after all that that I took one last step backwards, realizing that the biggest issue for people doesn’t start out as a money problem. It starts as a “life perspective problem. “

If you have ever wondered why a financial guru would write a book about a bag lady, now you have your answer.

It’s not really about the money. Getting your head straight about life itself, is actually an integral part of building wealth and long term happiness.

Couple that with a solid understanding about how to make money work for you, instead of you working for it. Now that’s a winning combination.

So… I’ve come full circle with HarryTurtle. And a little Baglady helped me do it.

It’s winter here in Kansas and there are red coats all over the place. To me, a red coat is so much more than a coat. To me, every red coat is a symbol of how much my dad loves me.

You see, my dad supported our family of seven on a butcher’s salary. I was the oldest child and there was no money to pay for higher education. The year before I went away to school, I saved enough to pay for my first year college. I’d also been buying most of my own clothes since I’d gotten my first job when I was 14.

During the early fall, I came home one weekend and went shopping for a coat. I found the most wonderful red wool parka, but it was $25, a huge sum for me at that time. When I got home from the mall, I couldn’t stop talking about it. At some point in the conversation mom said, “Why don’t you go over to your dad’s store and see if he will buy it for you?”

This was so out of the ordinary. We got $2.00 a week for lunch money all thru high school. Other than that, we worked and paid for our own things. But on that day, my dad pulled out his billfold and handed me $25.00.

It was very special and to this day, I see dad in every red coat I pass.

And did you know that no matter how bad you may look on a particular day, a little lipstick will make a big difference?

Mom and I were doing a big construction project and decided to go over to the cafe to grab lunch. We had paint splatters all over us and I thought nothing would improve the way we looked. Regardless of that, mom insisted on putting on her lipstick. I was laughing and telling her it would be a futile gesture.

I didn’t pay attention until we were sitting across the table from each other and then the joke was on me.

Lipstick really does make a difference.

Even when you’re having a really bad day,  put on lipstick, it’s worth the effort. Every time I put on lipstick I think of mom.

By now you are wondering how on earth the word “plethora” ties in with this article. Anytime I see that word I think of Jennifer Brubaker. It’s one of her favorite words. The other day I saw it on a banner for, of all things, Monster Energy Drinks. Forget about the banner, all I could think of was Jennifer, even though we haven’t spoken in over a year. I picked up my cell phone and called her right then and there, all because of a word.

Red coats, lipstick and plethora…. They’re just a few reminders of love, humor, family and friendship.

Look around you.
Be aware.
There are symbols of love everywhere.