Coach Donna Stott Writer

✨It’s time to present the President’s Award:

From the lips of our 2024 President Mike Stott, "I couldn’t be more honored to give it to someone who’s been a constant source of strength, support, and grace throughout my entire term.
This person has been my cheerleader, my backup, my sounding board—and on more than one occasion, my stand-in when I had to step away for health reasons. They’ve stepped up to lead, shown up for our members, and always done so with heart and Competence.
But beyond all that, they represent something bigger—the quiet, constant support of every spouse and partner behind a top producer in this room. Because let’s be honest: none of us are out here doing this alone. Behind every contract and closing is someone who’s holding it all together at home—or in the office—or both.
I’m incredibly lucky that for me, that person happens to be my best friend, my broker, and tonight’s 2024 President’s Award Winner… Donna Stott." 💖

My faith tells me the Divine Order is at work in my life and in the Universe.

Always and in everything.

That there is indeed, only one Power - God the Good. Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent.

That this perfect right Action that is God - is all there truly is. It is the long arc of justice. The love and compassion for those less fortunate than ourselves. The truth about “this.”

I don’t care if this is real or not real. It makes my life better to believe it and I choose to. Over and over again.

I must constantly make that thought choice - because slipping from that thought is a constant too. In every microsecond I must choose that belief again: Divine Order is at work.

I don’t have to understand it. I just need to choose the thought.

My personal work is to live and breathe and take the right Actions to hold that faith strong.

To listen hard for divine guidance and wisdom. And to Act on that guidance.

Despite the lump in my throat. Despite the tears rolling down my face without my realizing it. Despite the fear, less for myself but more for dear friends, family, and for young women.

To hold that faith.

We have been here before. We know this hard path. We know how to survive. We will survive and thrive and learn what is next for us to do.

The Assignment was even bigger than we thought. And we did all we could do. It will continue and I will actively seek my part in it.

Our work begins again.

But first - we rest.

Blessings.

At church on Sunday the minister's talk was on the 5000 ancestors standing beside you. He asked us to think of our parents and grandparents and great grandparents. All of whom I knew personally other than 2 great grandfathers who died before I could know them.
I'll be honest... it took me a few minutes and Ancestry.com to remember their first names as I called them things like "Granny Brisbon."
So here you go... Their names: Dorothy Jean, Donald George, Dorotha Mae, Buck (Glen Dale), Callie Naomi, Ernest George, Emma Lenora, Dixie, Elizabeth Daisy, Ernest, Dola Berta, Eli Davis, Ida Mae, Cecil.
That's just 3 generations up from me. And I have two generations down from me.
The oldest of those was born in 1880 (died in 1953). The most recent of my linage was born in 2021. That's a spread of only 141 years. 6 generations.

Want a wonderful experience to mark the start of the season? Join in on this.

If you can’t come live (come early it fills up FAST) then enjoy on livestream:

Livestream Link: https://youtube.com/live/IpYGK327Hpk?feature=share

Ancestry just sent me this about my Great Grandfather. Kind of cool. 27 when he arrived on Ellis Island from Bradford England. He was single. He met and married my Great Grandmother, who he did not know from England after she arrived and they both lived in New York. They moved to Central Florida when his back when bad... and the docs in NY sent everyone to FL due to it being "warmer there."

Short 17 minute film with subtitles on a subject most Americans won't talk about but we need to.

Opinion | ‘That’s What I Would Have Liked, to Live in a Wild Sea’ An 86-year-old woman’s decision to end her life raises complex questions about life and death for a filmmaker.

Happy Birthday my love! For just short of 3 months a year, you are married to an older woman, but now - you caught up! I love you.

From Seth Godin: It Seems...
“It seems…”
What a simple verb. A five-letter modifier that opens the door to discussion.

If we state something as a fact, we’re asking for an argument.

But seems opens the door to learning and discussion.

What are you seeing that I’m not seeing?

What are you thinking about?
A philosopher can spend a month, a year or a career thinking about one knotty problem.

Making assertions, testing theories, understanding how others are thinking about it as well.

But this exercise shouldn’t be reserved for academics.

What are you working on? When will you change your mind? What can you learn, what can you challenge?

It’s better when we’re on the cusp.
~Seth Godin

The Cultural Garden at the HNL airport. Ahhhh. Sad to be leaving but we will be back soon.

So this is very weird and many also explain why eye witnesses testimony is so odd when it wasn’t direct head on, but even slightly to the side view.

This optical illusion will totally creep you out 🫣