“Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action the fruit behind it.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American Poet and Essayist

Being an active member of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce has taught me so much about service. I am a Board Member for my second year and on the Membership Council Committee, and I’m involved with many other aspects of the Chamber.  I don’t mean to sound to high-headed. The first year on the Board I sat quietly in most of the meetings just trying to find out what to do. Now, I’m on fire about membership and am an advocate for small businesses.

I am privileged to be a part of many committees for various events in the City of Santa Monica. It is amazing to see our Chamber create and produce 13 signature events each year. To sit down with a planning committee and in 12 weeks see an exciting event come to life through all the careful planning is truly inspirational. The beginning is truly a blossom of thought, the communication and language between all the committee members is the bud of the event, and seeing the event come alive is truly the fruit of our labors.

“If I have any message from this then it is if you really have a dream and you want to achieve it then you can and it really is possible.””

– Ellen MacArthur (1976 ) Retired English sailor, Quoted after breaking all single-handed woman’s records and finishing second in round the world yacht race. February 11th, 2001. 

Living dreams to me is what life is all about. Waking up during the night and getting up with a pen and paper and writing down a new plan, a new event, a new project, a new thought, a new dream is what makes life exciting for me. The secret is the mind-set that you can achieve your dreams. Being a dreamer at heart is truly like watching a thunderstorm roll in. First the sun is bright and beautiful, then the winds pick up, the clouds roll in, the hail begins to fall, and you truly don’t know how bad the storm is going to be. It may be short lived, be long with flooding, or even be very destructive. It may be a gentle rain. But in the end, another day comes, and the skies are beautiful again. Sometimes the aftermath is not so beautiful, but sometimes the storm has cleared the air and had left the earth nourished and beautiful again.

This is all to say, it’s OK to be a dreamer. To make your dreams come true takes a lifetime of trying, planning, working, dreaming some more, failing, succeeding, and learning how to overcome the trials of life.

“Real heroes are men who fall and fail and are flawed, but win out in the end because they’ve stayed true to their ideals and beliefs and commitments.”

– Kevin Costner (1955) American Actor, Producer and Director

My dad is a real hero to me. Was he perfect? Am I? To me after so many years that daddy has been gone, I forget the flaws and only remember the great things about him. When he died, he had a marble stand with a brass plate on it that said, “You are my hero”.  He always wanted that next to his bed stand and died with that next to him.

Truly daddy was true to his life’s ideals, his strong faith, and his commitment to helping and serving others. Today, I have a few more heroes and yes, a few who have passed. But all my heroes truly win out in the end. They are all rich at the end. Rich with a good name, leaving a legacy of giving and mentoring, having lived a life of helping others grow in life.

Today I wished that I could talk with my mom and dad, for just a bit. I have so much to tell them. I would say that I have become the best of both of them, and how grateful I am to have had them as parents. Daddy would be so proud of my accomplishments and my mom would listen to all my trials and tribulations. We’d laugh and cry and share some loving moments together. I now have to rely on their memories now and live off the good training that they gave to me.

This is an exercise for you. Take a piece of paper and begin to write. Let a blossom of thought flow through your pen. Write about what you feel inside. End with an action list of what you are going to do to make that golden thought a reality. Show it to someone. Give a meeting on it. Post that you are going to accomplish your goal. Read about others who have set a similar goal. Be accountable and set a date of accomplishment. Then, after your done, do this for someone else and help them achieve their goals and make their dreams come alive.

Thanks for reading!

David Earl Woodbury

Keep on Dancing!

DavidEarlWoodbury@gmail.com

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