header 1
header 2
header 3
ANNOUNCEMENTS

We have  142940 visitors

since

July 15 2008


 

The great thing about living in these times is you can do anything, be anything, build anything and achieve anything you set your mind, muscle, and determination to."

- Darren Hardy

 

 

 

Educated girls grow to become educated women, and educated women will not allow their children to become terrorists. The secret to a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan is no secret at all: It is educated girls.

Shabana Basij-Rasikh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

 

 

 

                                                                                  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daily Gospel Reflection   Bishop Baron  

 

 

Friends, today we celebrate the feast of our guardian angels. Why does God send these spiritual messengers to help us? Well, Aquinas says that each of us, due to our fallen nature, has been assigned a heavenly guide. Is all of this just speculation and conjecture?

One of my favorite stories about angels is this one: two relatively inexperienced pilots found themselves lost on a foggy day. Though they tried desperately to make contact with an airport, they were incapable of doing so. One of them then prayed for protection.

In time, a voice crackled onto the radio. The speaker identified himself as a controller from a small airport. Through very precise instructions, he guided the two pilots through the fog to a landing strip at that airport.

Once they had arrived, to their astonishment they discovered that the airport was closed and that there was no one on duty. A bizarre coincidence? A happy accident? Or perhaps a sign that we are being protected by powers at a higher pitch of ontological perfection? As you know, stories such as this come out of the woodwork once people are given the opportunity to share them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asia & Pacific

Japan’s maverick princess sets a wedding date, but don’t expect a lavish royal affair

TOKYO — Japan's Princess Mako and her controversial fiance, Kei Komuro, have set a date for their long-postponed marriage, but don't expect a royal affair.

Because of the sustained outrage over their nuptials, the couple will simply register their marriage on Oct. 26 — which would make Mako the first royal member in postwar history to marry without a traditional celebratory ceremony, according to local reports.

Mako, who must give up her royal title to marry her commoner college sweetheart, is experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder due to the public backlash aimed at the couple, both 29, officials said Friday.

Their impending marriage has sparked an unusual level of interest in Japan, where the imperial family is deeply revered and largely operates out of the public eye. Since news surfaced of financial disputes in Komuro’s family in 2018, the couple has faced intense scrutiny.

And their story has gained international attention, with many outside of Japan expressing support for Mako’s decision to pursue her personal desires over the imperial family’s restrictions, especially given that the ban on marrying outside the family applies only to the female members. The two met in 2012 while attending Tokyo’s International Christian University.

Kei Komuro, Mako’s fiance, works in New York, where the couple are likely to settle. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP)

Mako will not accept the $1.35 million taxpayer gift intended to soften the blow of abdicating her title — becoming the first in Japan’s royal family to reject the payment.

The couple plan to move to the United States after they are married, and are likely to settle in New York, where Komuro works at a law firm. Mako, a researcher for the University Museum at the University of Tokyo and a certified art curator, is already in demand among art insiders in New York, Page Six reported.

Komuro is in quarantine after arriving from New York on Monday, and the couple will reunite for the first time in three years once he finishes. On Oct. 26, after their wedding, the couple plans to hold their first news conference since 2017.

The family decided against an official ceremony after her father, the Crown Prince Fumihito, determined “most people aren’t in a situation to congratulate their marriage,” said the Imperial Household Agency, which handles matters for the family.

In Japan, the couple has faced a torrent of public backlash, sparked by a financial dispute in Komuro’s family. He has been accused of being a gold digger, unfit for the princess, too slovenly, too smug and a rebel who dares to sport a ponytail.

The repeated and sustained criticism has left Mako feeling violated, and she has had flashbacks driven by fear and difficulties feeling happy, Tsuyoshi Akiyama, a physician and the director of NTT Medical Center Tokyo, said in a news conference Friday.

Akiyama said, “With the warm support from those surrounding her, her condition will improve.”

But her online critics remained relentless. After the Imperial Household Agency’s announcement Friday, “PTSD” trended on Japanese Twitter and some users blamed her for bringing about her own PTSD by choosing to marry Komuro.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

image

Issue #1019 - Monday, October 4, 2021

Hello Thelma,

At what age do you consider someone old?

Gosh, when I was a kid, I thought 30 was old.

But then I had my first child at 37! My next at 39 and my 3rd at 43!

And not once during those pregnancies did I ever feel old. Even today, knowing that in just a few days I will be 60!

I don’t feel old – I feel honored.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Working Mom’s Only!
image

Cheers,
MaryEllen

 

"Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of
opportunity and strength."

~ Betty Friedan

 

This Working Mom is Turning 60 Years Old & Why I Love That!

By MaryEllen Tribby

It’s happening…

In just 5 shorts days from now I turn 60 years old!

Because this is a milestone birthday I am getting a lot of good-natured, old fashioned ribbing about being old.

I am also, sadly enough, getting many comments from friends and colleagues who are only a year or two behind me and are already worried about their own birthday and mortality.

Now, I guess it is only natural to think about our mortality as we approach a certain age. I mean let’s face it, sixty is not exactly middle-aged. If it were, we would be inundated with a boatload of 120-year-old’s walking around.

And that simply isn’t the case. No, sixty is well into the second half of one’s life. And I am truly OK with that.

Because the number itself may sound ominous, but in reality, it’s really very therapeutic.

The growth I have experienced in just the last few years is tremendous. I would not change one of those mistakes, experiences or joys for anything.

Every day that led me to sixty provided me with the self-assurance and knowledge to realize that…

  • I am not old; I’m wise.
  • I am not crowed; I’m loved.
  • I’m not bossy; I’m responsible.
  • I am not fatigued; I’m exhilarated.
  • I am not frail; I am strong.
  • I am not anxious; I’m enthusiastic.
  • I am not worried; I’m knowledgeable.
  • I’m not doubtful; I’m confident.
  • I’m not second guessing; I’m liberated.
  • I’m not bragging; I’m proud.

I’m proud of how I have lived my life thus far.

I am proud of my three kids and the type of people they’ve become. Each one of them is kind, smart, independent and has the desire to make the world a better place.

I’m proud of my career failures. Yes, the failures. After all, it’s easy to be proud of your accomplishments. But it’s the failures that taught me resilience and growth. And most importantly, that things do not always work out – but you need to be able to pick yourself up and adjust and move on.

I’m proud that I have prioritized time over money, experiences over materialistic objects and love over notoriety.

But mostly I am proud of how I’ve treated others while I have been blessed to be on this earth. And how I plan to do even better while I walk this terrain.

Using Your 24 Hours a Day – The Best Way Possible

Even though I am excited about turning sixty, I do realize that I have less days left now than I did ten years ago. We all do. I also notice that my days seem to go by so quickly.

I have always been one to value my time, not wasting it, rather embracing it.

Even today, clients and colleagues still ask how I get so much done in a single day. And the answer is the same – I’m a planner. Plus I honor my commitments to others and myself.

I plan what time I wake up and pretty much everything after that.

My mornings are always the same.

I start with mediation and go right into my exercise. I like to mix that exercise up. Some mornings it’s tennis, others it’s bike riding or a beach walk. I swim and do yoga almost every day. Regardless of the plan, it all goes onto my calendar – that I honor.
image

I find once my mediation and exercise are done, there is nothing I cannot accomplish or handle. I do my “me” things first. This way I am able to take care of my family, my business, my employees, my colleagues and any unexpected items.

But this year I intend to do a little extra “me” things. That’s right I decided that this is the year of me. As you know or will soon find out, once people learn you are turning sixty, they ask what is the one big thing you plan to do to celebrate.

Well I decided I am not doing one big thing. I am doing 12 new things.

Celebrating ME

Each month I am going to do one thing that I have never done before. These do not have to be BIG things. They are simply things I would like to try, that seem fun, worthy and/or appealing to me. Here is a sneak preview of my partial list (not in any specific order).

  • Golf: As a tennis player, it’s hard to commit the time to golf. Both my son and husband enjoy it. They have both commented that they think I would too. Plus, we are literally surrounded by gold courses where we live in South Florida – so I am going to give it a try!
  • Paddle Board: My kids all love it. I love the beach and have always wanted to try it as it looks like a lot of fun.
  • Learn Italian: Visiting Italy is that one big thing I would like to do in the next couple of years. When I do, I plan to do it right. Which includes speaking what I think is one of the most beautiful languages in the world.
  • Travel to a state that I have never visited: I’m thinking Alaska!
  • Volunteer at a homeless shelter: I have volunteered plenty at my church, my kids’ schools, even at food shelters. However, as my 2 oldest are adults and my youngest just got her driver’s license, I have more time to give back. This to me is so important and something I have been longing to do.
  • Publish my children’s book: I have been a best-selling author of business books since 2008. However, I have written several children’s books that I have never sent out or let anyone read. Well it’s time…

Well this is half my list – I will keep you appraised of the rest of the list as I add to it and accomplish the above.

What about you? Are there things you are longing to do?

The first step to that is writing them down. And sharing that list with your kids, spouse and friends. When you do you will find that those dreams can become your reality!
 

 

 

 

 
 
 

 
 

 

 

 

 

Pete Buttigieg is having a baby. The Transportation Secretary announced his exciting news last Tuesday through Twitter. “For some time, Chasten and I have wanted to grow our family,” Buttigieg began. “We’re overjoyed to share that we’ve become parents! The process isn’t done yet and we’re thankful for the love, support, and respect for our privacy that has been offered to us.” The announcement raises a few questions. How did “the process” overcome the biological hurdle that two men encounter when they wish to conceive? Why does Buttigieg, who denies the humanity of unborn babies up until the moment of birth, consider himself a parent when the “process” of gestation isn’t yet done? And what possessed Pete to believe that he would best protect his privacy by tweeting the news to his three-and-a-half million followers?

 

The announcement went viral, garnering congratulations from senators, governors, mayors, labor unions, the White House, journalists, and entertainers, among others — most liberal but some self-styled conservatives as well. And yet, amid the frenzy to affirm the goodness of Buttigieg’s fatherhood, some stubborn bioethical questions linger.

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Darren Hardy

Excellence is a drive from the inside, not the outside."

"You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you."

- Walt Disney

"If you have a weakness, one that is essential to the achievement of your goals, you can’t just work on it, you have to ATTACK IT."

- Darren Hardy

- Darren Hardy

Most people can eat the same breakfast weeks in a row, without complaint. But the same dinner for weeks? Now, that's just insanity.

*Wild Thought For Today

History classes are only going to get longer and harder as time goes on.

Don't have your life be acceptable, have it be remarkable."

- Jim Rohn

To thrive (heck, survive!) in the 21st century, you’ll need to repeatedly reinvent yourself."

- Darren Hardy

The people around you are just reflections of you."

- Darren Hardy

Success does NOT bring happiness. It takes happiness to bring success."

- Darren Hardy

WTF TODAY

Some people hate people with darker skin and then proceed to lay out in the sun to make their skin darker.

*Wild Thought For Today

Darren Hardy

You may be a genius at something but just haven't tried it.

*Wild Thought For Today

Nightmares are our brains making up stories and then getting scared of its own made-up story.

*Wild Thought For Today

"Practicing gratitude is a lot like taking vitamins. It's something that has to be done over an extended period of time before you realize its great impact."

- Darren Hardy

"Empathy, caring and compassion is what’s necessary to engage and draw the best out of people."

- Darren Hardy

"The myth of multitasking is that being busy is synonymous with being better. The exact opposite is true."

- Darren Hardy

 

*Wild Thought For Today

Learn to help people with more than just their jobs; learn to help people with their lives."

- Jim Rohn

The world is in need of more compassionate people who understand."

- Darren Hardy

For procrastinators, "due date" and "do date" are synonymous.

"My theory is, if you wanna overcome anything, you have to be fully committed to it. Be HARDY."

- Louis Zamperini

Home can sometimes just be the skin you’re in.
 

When times get tough and panic ensues, the tough remain calm, collected and confident."

- Darren Hardy
Tomas Ayuso

*Wild Thought For Today  -  Darren Hardy

Once you have a Ph.D., every meeting you go to becomes a doctor's appointment.

*Wild Thought For Today

WTF TODAY

We rescue homeless animals and shun homeless people.

*

In water one sees one’s own face; but in wine, one beholds the heart of another.”

French Proverb

QUOTE

Educated girls grow to become educated women, and educated women will not allow their children to become terrorists. The secret to a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan is no secret at all: It is educated girls.

Shabana Basij-Rasikh

WTF TODAY

Darren Hardy

Imagine being completely naked in a room full of people who speak a different language and want to touch you. That is the everyday life of a dog.

*Wild Thought For Today

*

Darren Hardy

We are more worried about the rise of artificial intelligence than the decrease of real intelligence.

*Wild Thought For Today

 

 

 

 

Being Your Own Village

         OM            

 

Sometimes we need to be our own village by utilizing all of our skills and learning more.

Simple survival requires us to be in possession of many skills. The pursuit of dreams requires many more. Most individuals rely on the support of a village, whether peopled by relatives or community members, to effectively address the numerous ways we need assistance. This can mean anything from asking favors of acquaintances and leaning on loved ones for support to paying a skilled artisan to handle specialized tasks. However, each human being is born with the capacity to be their own village. We embody many roles throughout our lifetimes, all of which are representative of our capacity for self-sufficiency and self-determination. In different moments in our lives, we are our own counselor, janitor, caregiver, cook, healer, teacher, and student. Our willingness to joyfully take on these roles grants us the power to maintain control over the direction our life's journey takes.

In times past, human beings learned all of the skills needed for survival. Today, the majority of people specialize in a single discipline, which they hone throughout their lives. Thus, many of us feel uncomfortable standing at the helm of our own existence. We question our ability to make decisions concerning our own health, happiness, and welfare, and are left feeling dependent and powerless. But the authority to take ultimate responsibility for our lives is simply a matter of believing that we have the necessary faith and intelligence to cope with any circumstance the universe chooses to place in our path. Proving that we can each be our own villages through action enables us to accept that we are strong enough to exist autonomously. Cooking, cultivating a garden of fruits and vegetables, undertaking minor home repair, or adopting a healthier lifestyle can help you reassert your will.

Being your own village does not mean embracing isolation, for a balanced life is built upon the dual foundations of the inner and the outer villages. Rather, being your own village is a celebration of your wondrous inner strength and resourcefulness, as well as an acknowledgment of your innate ability to capably steer the course of your life. 
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

  •  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Not a member? Join Here. Find and click on your name.

JOINED CATHERINIANS


Percentage of Joined Catherinians: 100.0%
A:   110   Joined
B:   0   Not Joined
(totals do not include deceased)

ROLAND BARCENILLA UPDATES


agape