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ARISE (formerly The Mirror)  is one of  Jim Rohn's favorite ezines!
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 <<>>   VOLUME 1    <<>>   ISSUE 9   <<>>   July 22, 2003    <<>>

A Heartfelt Welcome
ARISE and be FREE
Your ARISE Article
Can I Get ARISE Outa You?
Poignant Ponderings
Giving  Back
Will You ARISE & Help Me?



Dear Valued Subscriber,

I'm still in a state of almost child-like excitement about finally making my first print book a reality:-) I'm hoping you had a chance to review the email I sent last week and visited the brand new community site for "A Large Slice of Life to Go, Please!".  

If not, and as I fully realize just how precious time is anymore, and being one who quickly scans emails because of that, I decided to elaborate on "Slice" right here and now, in the event you either missed that email or didn't have the time to go beyond 'scanning' it. And hopefully,  I now have your full and undivided attention, for at least a few moments:-)

It says on the Slice site, "ALargeSlice.com is more than just a book. More than a series of books. Much more. ALargeSlice.com is a mission, the meshed vision of three people to better the lives of people on our planet by both feeding souls and feeding children."

What I'm most more proud of is what "Slice" stands for, the "feeding children" part, and here is what we are doing with what is the first of hopefully MANY more "Slices"! In other words, the mission.

If you haven't had the chance to visit A Large Slice of Life to Go, Please! , I strongly encourage you to do so, now. I would LOVE for you to become a part of our Community, submit a review and even become a published writer in the process!

I've chosen to feature one of the first articles I'd ever written, one that to this day still brings me letters that are both heart-warming and heart-wrenching, a story that appeared annually in The Mirror (the predecessor to this ezine if you are a new subscriber) and that now appears in my book, called The Ice Cream 'Comb' Story, with apologies to those who have read it:-)

The man responsible for urging me (non-stop for over 2 years:-) to write my first real book, my dear friend and mentor, John Harricharan, has made significant upgrades and additions to what already was  a great place to belong. You can read the powerful testimonials from modern-day icons such as Deepak Chopra, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and Foster Hibbard among others, and even receive a free preview of the great information that lies in store for you. Please check out EnterprisingSpirit.com.

Now, please kick back (and if you can't right now, just click on the Print This Page icon at the top, scoop the pages from your printer and take it to bed with you:-) and enjoy this issue of ARISE!

As always, my greatest wishes for your complete success,

Rick Beneteau

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ARISE and be FREE

I'd love for you to take advantage of the following free gifts I've provided just to show my deep appreciation for your choosing to receive my publication:

Pearls of Success - My Free Inspirational eBook

Free PDF Chapter of my business eBook, Branding YOU and Breaking the Bank

The Articles - My Free Collection of Business Building Articles

My Inspirational Screensavers

Special Inspirational PDF Files

My 9/11 Tribute Song

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YOUR ARISE ARTICLE

She was three. Just released from a far-away hospital after life threatening brain surgery, ready to take on the world again. I was happy just to have her back. My little "Mr. Clean" (shaven head and hoop earrings) and me driving along to our local mall. Hanging out with dad day. I recall her words as if it were yesterday.

"Daddy, can I get a treat?"

As she was understandably spoiled (if there is such a thing), I replied "ok honey, but just ONE".

Her eyes beamed like the Fourth of July in anticipation of that something only she knew at the time.

We drove around to the new end of the mall on the normal seek-and-destroy mission of capturing a parking place. After all, it was Saturday. We landed a fair distance from our destination, and began walking hand-in-hand towards the entrance, her pace gaining momentum with each tiny step. A few feet from the doors she broke loose and ran hands-first into the thick wall of glass, trying with everything she had to swing the big doors open. No luck. With a little assistance, she 'did it' and tried the very same thing at the second set of doors.

It was then that I asked her what she wanted for her treat. Without hesitation, she matter-of-factly said "an ice-cream comb from the ice-cream store". Ok, the goal was set and we were in the mall!

But hold on! What was this? At the end of what was just an ordinary looking lane of retail chain outlets she spied something new- this huge fountain, water shooting who knows how high into the air. The new goal line!

She ran, and I walked (don't ya just hate it when parents let their kids run wild in public?), and we arrived at the spectacle at about the same time. The turbulent noise was almost deafening. "Daddy, can I make a wish, can I make a wish?" she screamed as she jumped with the kind of pure joy we've all long since forgotten.

"Sure honey, but that will be YOUR TREAT you know" I explained. You gotta be firm with these kind of things. 

She agreed.

I fumbled around in my pocket and pulled out what I think was a dime (big spender) and placed it in her outstretched hand. She cupped it tightly, closed her eyes and grimaced, formulating her wish. I stared at that little scrunched-up face and said my own kind of prayer of thanks, feeling so blessed to still have this ball of energy in my life. And then like a shooting star, the coin was flung into the foaming water and with it, her wish.

We happily continued our stroll into the familiar section of the mall. An eerie silence ensued, which I was admittedly uncomfortable with. I couldn't resist breaking it.

"Aren't you gonna tell daddy what you wished for?"

She retorted "I wished I could get an ice-cream comb".

I just about lost it right then and there. Couldn't imagine what the shoppers thought of this lunatic laughing uncontrollably in the middle of a crowded mall. And needless to say, she got her wish, and two treats.

Little did I know then that my beautiful little girl would soon embark on a long road of seizures, surgeries, special schools, medications and end up partially paralyzed on her right side. She never learned to ride a bike.

Today, she is almost seventeen. She cannot use her right hand and walks with a noticeable limp. But she has overcome what life seemed to so cruelly inflict on her. She was teased a lot and always struggled in school, both socially and academically. But each year she showed improvement. She is planning a career in early childhood education. With one year still remaining in high school, her and I, one night not too long ago mapped out all the courses she would need to take in community college. It was her idea. She volunteers weekly at a local hospital, on the children's floor. She baby-sits a neighbors children five days a week. On her own this year, she stood outside in line for four hours on a cold Canadian January afternoon and enrolled herself, with her own babysitting money, into two courses she felt she would need for college.

You see, to her failure was never an option.

It would almost be redundant for me to explain why I wanted to share this story with you. She IS my daughter and I carry all those fatherly biases with me wherever I go. But this aside, she is a very exceptional person and one that I admire and have learned a lot from.

It is my sincerest hope that her story will have even a momentary positive impact on you as a human being, a parent, a spouse or even, an entrepreneur.

I'd like to leave you with a closing thought. As human beings, we deserve all the treats, and the multitude of good things that life can offer us. We all have wishes and dreams, AND the power to make them reality. Just simple truths of the universe.

We can wish for, and get, that ice-cream comb.

© 1998 Rick Beneteau

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Can I Get ARISE Outa You?

Disorder in the Court 


These are from a book called Disorder in the Court, and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters - who had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place. Some of these are excellent - don't miss the last one.

Q: Are you sexually active?
A: No, I just lie there.

Q: What is your date of birth?
A: July fifteenth.
Q: What year?
A: Every year.

Q: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
A: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.

Q: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
A: Yes.
Q: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
A: I forget.
Q: You forget. Can you give us an example of something that you've forgotten?

Q: How old is your son, the one living with you?
A: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which.
Q: How long has he lived with you?
A: Forty-five years.

Q: What was the first thing your husband said to you when he woke up that morning?
A: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"
Q: And why did that upset you?
A: My name is Susan.

Q: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo or the occult?
A: We both do.
Q: Voodoo?
A: We do.
Q: You do?
A: Yes, voodoo.

Q: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
Q: The youngest son, the twenty-year old, how old is he?
Q: Were you present when your picture was taken?
Q: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
A: Yes.
Q: And what were you doing at that time?

Q: She had three children, right?
A: Yes.
Q: How many were boys?
A; Three.
Q: Were there any girls?

Q: How was your first marriage terminated?
A: By death.
Q: And by whose death was it terminated?

Q: Can you describe the individual?
A: He was about medium height and had a beard.
Q: Was this a male, or a female?

Q: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
A: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
Q: Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people?
A: All my autopsies are performed on dead people.

Q: All your responses must be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
A: Oral.

Q: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
A: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
Q: And Mr. Dennington was dead at the time?
A: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy.

Q: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?

Q: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for blood pressure?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for breathing?
A: No.
Q: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
A: No.
Q: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
A: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
Q: But could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
A: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practising law somewhere.

Poignant Ponderings
with thanks to Dan Shafer

A BLESSING  

May you awaken to the mystery of being here and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence.

May you have joy and peace in the temple of your senses.

May you receive great encouragement when new frontiers beckon.

May you respond to the call of your gift and find the courage to follow its path.

May the flame of anger free you from falsity.

May warmth of heart keep your presence aflame and may anxiety never linger about you.

May your outer dignity mirror an inner dignity of soul.

May you take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek no attention.

May you be consoled in the secret symmetry of your soul.

May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.

~ John O'Donohue ~ 

GIVING BACK

You might already support these or similar organizations, but it's the sad truth that we can never really do enough to help people, especially children. Here is what I support and encourage you to review:

The Internet Toy Drive  
Founded by Anne Marie Baugh and myself, and sponsored by Drew Bledsoe (#11, 2001 Super Bowl Champion quarterback), we are official corporate sponsors of the U.S. Marine's Toys for Tots program.

My WorldVision Children
This is the special group of children from around the world that I sponsor. WorldVision is a Christian organization that has been around for decades and almost every penny donated goes directly to these needy children and their families. Nothing beats receiving a handwritten letter, or even an email now, from "your child":-) You can even buy chickens or cows that get right to these families in dire need!

St. Jude Children's Hospital
My father was a lifelong musician and played piano in bands with Danny Thomas (founder of St. Jude and father of Marlo Thomas) among others during the depression, thirties and early World War II years. Understandably, this world famous research hospital is close to my heart:-)

Parenting with Dignity P
If you are a parent, expecting to be one in the future, or even believe you've done your parenting job, do yourself a great favor and check out this fabulous resource! Drew Bledsoe, his father and family members, my great friend Tom Heatherington and many more have established an absolutely wonderful foundation devoted to the betterment of children and families (Mac Bledsoe was interviewed on ABC's 20/20 this year).

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Will You ARISE & Help Me?

I would greatly appreciate it if you would take a few seconds to tell just a few of your friends about ARISE. Simply Forward this URL to everyone in your Address Book.  All they need to do is enter their email address below (it will NEVER be shared or given away).

Thank You!!

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