How long has it been since you really listened to someone’s heart?  It’s not as easy as you might think.  You need to cancel out all your own thoughts and judgments and all those things that you are thinking you want to say as they’re talking.  You just sit quiet and listen.  You don’t say anything.  You just listen.  Ask questions, and listen some more.

It’s amazing the magic that can happen when you do this.  It’s all about trust and caring – it’s about love.  I read a quote once that said, “treat everyone as if their heart is breaking – because it probably is.”  That is so simple, yet, we don’t do it.  We still ramble on about ourselves and want to be interesting instead of being interested.

Try it today – just listen to someone and do your best to hear them.  It’s a gift that can make this old world new again.

Happy New Year!

His name was Kimo, which, he said, means James in Hawaiian.  We nearly missed him sitting Indian-style on his blanket in the park as we strolled along on a Sunday in Lahaina Town.

Kimo makes jewelry – not just any jewelry mind you.  He travels the islands for days on end, collecting shells and seeds for his earrings, bracelets, anklets and necklaces.  Each creation is simple and unique, many of which are rare finds.  The main beaches of Maui have been scoured by tourists pocketing their keepsakes, so he has to travel to the outer islands, Lanai, Molokai and others.  He travels by ferry, then hitchhikes or walks to where he searches for his treasures.  Kimo lives solely on what he makes selling his pieces.  The one we purchased would buy him lunch he told us, saying he was getting pretty hungry and would be willing to negotiate.  We saw no reason to do so as the prices he asked were very reasonable, and his stories were worth more than the asking price.

It was difficult to tell Kimo’s age, but he looked as if he’d led a bit of a hard life, living outdoors, on the edge.  He sat on his blanket, head wrapped in a red bandana, dressed nicely, simply.  He had a paperback novel lying open behind him – he was more than a homeless man, he was a man of stories.

He’d arranged his colorful pieces in a semi circle around him, all laid out with love and care, each in its own section.  He had a small tackle box he opened to share with us some of the seeds and shells he’d collected.  On the blanket lay a small drill, a roll of fishing line and a pair of sheers.  As we started to walk past, he spoke in the softest of tones, pointing out he had some very special pieces and how he wrapped them all just – naturally – in pieces of coconut husk with a rough tie.  He lovingly held up one of these natural bundles to show us.  He drew us in with his stories.  He told us of a beach that was covered with pink crabs, thousands of them.  He said it looked like the whole beach was moving and that as he walked through them, they parted and then as he looked behind him, they closed in again.

He told us of the red sand beach in Hana, inside the old cinder cone, where he’d camp, saying that there was a spring there where you could drink – right from the sand. He loved Hana and said nothing ever changed there.  It was simple and slow and worth the long drive.

He told us about the special Wili-Wili bracelets and anklets and how he had to dig below the surface to find the brilliant red seeds.  The Wili-Wilie trees all succumbed to a terrible disease here in Hawaii the last few years, every single tree dying of a wasp infestation.  I asked if they would plant more trees and he said he’d tried planting some, but they weren’t viable.  He was an intelligent man.  He cared about every single seed and shell he strung on his fishing line and offered up as his life for a bowl of soup or a piece of fish.

He told us about his grandmother and how he’d gone to O’ahu when she passed away a few years ago.  He told us how different it was now, unlike when he was a young teenager and would camp out in the beach parks.  Now, there are many homeless in the parks and it doesn’t feel safe anymore there. Even though he, too, is homeless, he is somehow different.

All the while he told us stories he had his eyes downcast, pointing to and showing off his jewelry.  Not until we were getting ready to leave did I see his eyes clearly.  We purchased a bracelet made of Wili Wili seeds.  He clipped a small square of the coconut husk, telling us how he had a hard time finding it anymore for his wrapping.  They trim up all the trees because they’re afraid a coconut will fall on a tourist he told us, so finding the rough pieces of curled husk is getting harder to find.  His thumb was bandaged – he had a slight accident with his drill – so had a harder time wrapping the bracelet and tying the small string around it, but did it perfectly.  When he handed it to me, I saw his eyes – the most brilliant blue, like the ocean when the water sparkles in the sunlight on the clearest of days.  It was almost as if there was a light behind them, shining through.  They were the eyes of a traveler, an artist, a storyteller, a man who offered himself through his artwork to passers by every day.  But only the fortunate who stopped where he had his wares displayed were lucky enough to hear the tales behind the pieces he created.  And only the very fortunate were able to look into those intense liquid blue eyes to the soul of a man who knew far more than anyone walking by can dream.

Today, while I was working on a blog that I was a bit bored with, feeling a little down and needing a little encouragement, I Googled Jim Rohn.  This is the video that came up first and it gave me an instant lift.

I wanted to share it with you!

As Jim says, “Why not you?  Why not now?”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxW–T8e9yQ&feature=related

My new hip and I  are home and doing great!  I’m on day 4 of my six-week recovery program and aside from the tenderness where the stitches are, I have literally NO pain!  I wanted to  put a few people’s minds to rest on the subject of metal-on-metal hips.

There’s been a lot of press lately, mostly bad, on hip implants.  The type that my surgeon uses, however, has an excellent track record. In fact, the wear studies show that even after 22 years, there was no detectable wear.  These studies weren’t cheap either @ $75k per year, so after 22 years, they had put over a million into the study and decided it was time to stop.  I am sure that my surgeon’s hands are guided by the hands of God, and together with  Biomet’s M2a-Magnum™ Hip, he preforms miracles that enable people to get back to an active lifestyle without pain or restriction.

I had my surgery done at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Los Angeles on September 7th.  Dr. McPherson had 5 surgeries that day – including mine – and he still came to see me that night.  The staff was amazing & everyone, including all my nurses – Sandra, Nick, Shayna & Merced, my physical therapist, Radnick (we just call him Rad!), Dr. Matias, my anesthesiologist, and my Occupational Therapist, Karah.  Here’s sending a HUGE thank you to all of you!!!

I’m home with my 6 week plan and looking forward to my first game of tennis in over 10 years!  Since I can’t drive for six weeks – anyone who wants to come to my house and learn what their antioxidant score is, come on over.  I have a BioPhotonic Scanner (just like the one Dr. Oz used on his May 17th show)

called “Cancer-Fighting Antioxidants.”  Come on over and get your score!

Need a hip, shoulder or knee?  These are the guys to see!  Dr. Edward McPherson & Carlos Vasquez, his #1

Today is September 1 and in six days, I’ll  be hopping on a plane to Los Angeles to get hip #2!  All systems are go – I’ve jumped through all the hoops (dental check-up ok, blood work ok, chest x-ray, ultra-sound . . . all A-OKAY.   I’ve signed all the forms – ones saying that if my surgeon is unavailable that NO ONE else is allowed to touch me; ones saying that if I should need blood, they are allowed to give me a transfusion (making sure I know the risks of hepatitis or HIV — miniscule but possible.  AND, I’ve been taking my LifePak Nano and drinking my G3 — and eating blueberries and nibbling on tomatoes and apples so that my antioxidant score will be as high as possible.  Did you know that recovery from surgery is better and faster if we have a HIGH score?  I didn’t know this until an incredibly compassionate doctor, Dr. Ben Gonzales, share this with me.  Thank you Ben!

So, here I am – 6 days out.  I have my work cut out for me, both physically, mentally and work-wise.  My business will grow exponentially over the next few years; I know this.  I have two years to find my house at the water’s edge.  I love knowing that I have a vehicle to get there – I will take as many with me as I can.

The ark is sitting at the shore and there is plenty of room aboard.  Who would like to go sailing with me?  How many companies tell you that they are developing a better compensation plan so that you can make more money – faster?  How many stand behind their partners 100%?  This morning, as I listened to our President, Scott Schwerdt, talk about the next 9 years, I got chills up the back of my neck.  Talk about hope for the future!

Six days and counting . . . come over and visit me, get your scan score done and find out where YOUR antioxidant level is!  Here’s to your health!  Be well.

If you want to hear from one of the top scientists in the field of nutrition and anti-aging, watch this!

Here’s to your health!

http://nsinsider.com/video/nu-skin-a-history-of-firsts-innovative-science/

Dr. Oz Skin Carotenoid Score

Previous to the show Oz gave everyone the ultimate nutritional detector test that measures the Carotenoids in your skin which can help indicate the overall antioxidant health in your body. The machine is known as Bio-Photonic Scanner. It returns a Score known as Skin Carotenoid Score (SCS) that indicates how good your immune system is.

With the Carotenoid score you want to be in the blues, and most of the studio audience 40% were in the red and another 40% of the audience scored in the orange. Both are dangerously low levels of antioxidants in the body. There were only a couple in the green and blue of the Carotenoid Score Test.

Dr Oz did the Carotenoid Test and got 75,000, he top the chart, and said he got such a high score because he eats all the things we should be eating.

Dr. Oz says 2-3 servings a fruit and vegetables a day is not enough, we need 7-9 servings a day, the size of your fist.

When I first scanned, I had a score of only 17,000.  I took action to start eating more dark fruits and veggies, adding a delicious blend called “G3″ juice to the mix and within 3 months, my score was 41,000.  It really raises your awareness level and gets you working to increase your score!

The clock is ticking and I am getting a little nervous, but more excited, about my new (2nd) total hip!  I’ve been to the dentist (can’t have any problems there due to possible infection during surgery); now, need to have pre-op appointment (blood tests, chest x-ray) – all the things to tell the doc that I’m A-Ok for this surgery. 

Recovery time is only 6 weeks and I have PLENTY to keep me busy as I am working to develop my business as I heal . . .  I am looking forward to the big Thanksgiving Day walk with my friend, Wally Borland and I plan to be out on the tennis court by my birthday.  All those tennis skirts have been packed away for way too long!  I can hear those words getting louder . . .

MATCH POINT!!!!

I am counting down.  37 days until I begin life again with my 2^nd total hip!  I look at the calendar and I imagine how it will be to have both sides even again, to stand before the mirror and not be crooked, to walk up a hill with both legs evenly and without pain instead of pulling myself up with my strong leg and helping the other one along.  To climb out of a car and not have to stand still for the first few seconds before I can start walking, to sleep on either side I want without pain and to pull on pants without having to lean against something for fear I’ll fall.

There are 37 days left of this.  And for these 37 days I will be grateful for these things:

– I have two legs that carry me

– I have pain that I can feel for there are those who have no legs and cannot feel anything

–  I am grateful that this pain is temporary and that I am healthy and strong

– I am grateful that I have the best surgeon, not only with his medical talents, but his personality and heart

– I am grateful that I was strong enough to make this decision and found a way to get insurance

– I am grateful to Anna for putting me in touch with her brother

– I am grateful beyond belief for Kevin for without him, there would be no new hip coming

– I am grateful for each moment and for each hour and each day that I am allowed to live in this beautiful world

–  I am grateful for our new little cat and his energy as he sleeps here at my feet

– I am grateful for life, for the cool breezes in July and for my new friend Susana who will be an amazing success in Nu  Skin.  I already see her as a leader in the Latino community

– I am grateful for my new friend, Cardte Hicks.  She is an inspiration and has tremendous gifts that will change the lives of kids – I want to get the word out about her programs and make her a CNN Hero!

I will be running on the beach by my birthday in January!  This will be so.  I can feel the wind in my face and no pain in my legs!