Back In The Saddle...UH...Cockpit Again!

I flew a plane!! Dare I say it? It's really hard to believe, but here we go...

It's been 30 years since I piloted a small plane! Flying the small craft is not what is so amazing; it's that 30 years have gone by since I sat behind the controls.

Let me bring you up to speed. Like most guys, I've always loved anything that goes fast, sounds powerful, is powerful, is bright and shiny (especially red) and smells like gasoline and oil.

In the water,

on the ground

or in the air.

It's all good!

Sound familiar? Probably you know someone like this. Maybe it's you!

Mechanical things are wonderful. I've tinkered with just about everything, even rebuilding engines. I've driven just about anything with an engine from lawn mowers to bulldozers and road graders, to Ferraris and Lamborghinis and a whole lot in between.

I like speed. Especially if there is an engine involved. Planes fascinate me. As a kid, I always loved going to air shows(I still do). So when I was about 19 years old, I pursued flying.

I thought and dreamed that I might like to be an airline pilot one day. But eventually the idea of being stuck in a small room(cockpit) with a couple of other guys hour after hour, day after day, month after month...for years slowly began to play in my head like a bad Rod Serling episode of The Twilight Zone.

So, I joined the Navy (besides I couldn't fly in the Air force with bad vision). Okay, so maybe that wasn't so smart. (There were some good times in there.) I was a SEABEE and got to tinker on some really cool heavy equipment...diesel engines (though they didn't go really fast).

Where was I...oh yeah...

So, I interrupted my flying lessons, I was thisss close (You can't see it, but I'm holding my fingers really close together, like the size of a hair.) to getting my private pilot's license! Actually just a mere night flight and one cross country trip from completion.

I've always regretted not finishing and for all these years, I've longed to go back to it. Every time I see a plane in the sky. Perhaps now I will.

Well, why did I stop? You know how it is. Priorities--girls, cars,money, time, girls, cars, money, time...uh, oh, starting to sound like a Twilight Zone episode again.

Anyway, fast forward a few years. How I got back in the air was at the invitation of a patient, fellow Rotarian, and friend, Dana, who owns a flight school in Sugar Land, Texas. http://www.ansonair.com/He graciously asked Mary and me to "go up" in one of his planes. I think he said, "Would you be interested in taking a plane up on Saturday?"

Of course, I intelligently replied, "No, I don't think so...duh!" He got my drift.

So, some how we picked one of the hottest Saturdays in a record heat month(August) in Texas to fly a small plane with no air conditioning!! (That's worth two exclamation points.) I believe it was 100+ with a heat index of 110. Did I say it was hot? Now I know what a crawfish feels like in the boil.

We finally got some cold air at 3500 feet...87 degrees!

As we were cruising over some beautiful countryside, Dana asked me if I wanted to take over the controls...another, "Oh, duh!" moment. I took the yoke and proceeded to do some hard banking, loop dloops, and barrel rolls...it was all coming back. (Well, that was running through my head anyway.)

No, I kept her steady and on course. He let me have her for a while, not too short, not too long...just enough to give me the bug again. I suspect Dana wants me to take lessons again.

All in all it was a great time. We all survived. My wife had it the worst though, she was in the back seat with less room than a Volkswagen full of circus clowns. And did I mention it was hot? I think Dana picked the smallest plane in his fleet. Back on the ground, Mary kissed the ground, hugged Dana and told me, "Next time you sit in the back!" We had a blast though. Well worthwhile and Dana runs a top notch operation. I think everyone should learn to fly. http://www.ansonair.com/

Then there will be more room for me on the ground. Did I tell you I love driving cars? There are a few lessons in this story (not just flying lessons).

Make your own scrapbook

Live life to the fullest!

Pursue your dreams and passions...even just once!

Don't put off 'til tomorrow what you can do today! (I think
someone said that before me.)

Don't spend all your time watching movies about other people living.

Live your bucket list now! (While you can ambulate reasonably
well.)

Live more, love more, and give more... for tomorrow may never come.

Live in the present, live in the now, live in the moment!

Don't wait 30 years!

Dr. Rick Barrett
Author of Give to Live; The Real Secret to Manifesting Life's
Rewards http://www.givetolivebook.com/

P.S. The only thing missing (besides air conditioning) was a killer sound system playing Pink Floyd's song, Learning to Fly!

Thanks For Your Support!

Considering the global opportunities of late to GIVE to those who are suffering hardships, I am grateful for help being given to Rudy to continue his work of building stoves for the Nahuatl natives. Just about every week, I receive donations to support his very important work. I especially want to pass on Rudy's thanks and some of his words from a recent correspondence...

The mango and avocado trees are in full bloom. And so are many lovely orchids. The Rosewood trees should be blooming soon, too. And that is a beautiful sight. Wish you were here to enjoy all these pretty things that mother Nature has for us to see and enjoy.

Like my dad used to say, life is great. We just need to take our time to see all the beauty that surrounds us and learn to enjoy it and share it with others.

I am doing some stoves and going strong with picking up garbage and used batteries in the rural area, and holding ecological conferences with the natives and students. I need to convince them more about taking better care of our environment. We have too many people sick with cancer, and other illnesses that could come from so much contamination.

I hope to hear soon from you. Do not forget us. Greetings and best wishes to all of you out there in the USA. And may God bless you always.

Bye now,
Rudy

In addition to the generous contributions from all over the world for Rudy, I am happy to report the following...Rudy's Nahuatl Stove Project is also benefiting from an additional stream of funding from the sale of Give to Live; Clearing Blocks to Receiving DVD! www.givetolivedvd.com You'll likely also be happy to hear another worthwhile project to benefit from the popularity of the Give to Live DVD is Operation Y.E.S. (Joe's project to end homelessness). http://operationyes.com

I speak blessings for you and your families. May you always be rewarded! Again, thank you, gracias, takke, tante grazie, mahalo, shukran, arigato...

Dr. Rick Barrett

www.missionsofhope.com

P.S. You can always listen to Rudy's message (in Spanish) on his Sunday morning radio broadcast. Go to http://www.radioreyna.com.mx/programacion.php for the 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. program, "Area Verde".

Please continue to spread the Give to Live message. Tell others they can receive an absolutely free digital version of our Give to Live book by going to www.givetolivebook.com If preferred, a hard copy can be purchased at http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=give+to+live+the+real+secret+to+manifesting+life%27s+rewards and 20% of the proceeds go to the Nahuatl Stove Project. They might also enjoy the Give to Live Subliminal Manifestation DVD. Remember, partial proceeds will help build more stoves for the Nahuatl Indigenous. Go to www.givetolivedvd.com

Making Beautiful Music Together

You may recall, I was inspired to write a couple of prayers. One is in my book, Healed by Morning, the other hasn't been published in a body of work yet.

Recently, I was also inspired to turn these prayers into songs and to record my Affirmation of Service from the book, Give to Live.

With the help of my good friend and talented musician/producer, Todd Silva and two awesome singers...my friend, Gail Best and my sister, Kathleen Woods,we are making some beautiful music together. I know you will love it!

I'm very excited about this project and can't wait to share the final product with you. You will be blown away!

More to come soon...

A Huge Blessing From Rudy

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Recently I was able to deliver $1000 more to Rudy to build ecological
stoves for the Nahuatl families. These funds are from donations by
people who have read about Rudy's work in our book,
Give to Live; The Real Secret to Manifesting Life's Rewards.

Those of you who have donated are making a huge impact on the lives
of the Nahuatl people.

One blessing of the internet is that we can stay in touch with Rudy on a
regular basis and continually update you on his work.

He sent me the following e-mail specifically to give his thanks to you.

I know you'll enjoy it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Dear Friends,

Yes, the money got here. I went to the ATM this morning and withdrew
half of it. I shall do the rest tomorrow. I have already gone to the
hardware store and have paid for tin pipes, elbows and four bags of
cement.

Thank you very much for this help. Like I said yesterday, I will do four
stoves per village to start with, and later do the rest. I hope I can stretch this money and do 40 or 44 stoves. I will take pictures as it makes progress, and send you some so that you can show them to the people there. I know they want to know where their money goes and what is done with it.

The NAHUATL natives and I thank you very much for this great support. Without your aid, we would not be doing so well in stoves or anything else. It all takes pesos, and we do not have any.

Your help is much appreciated.

On behalf of all the NAHUATL families who have been benefitted with an ecological stove, through these years, I want to thank you so much for all your help and support.

You and your people have made a big difference in the lives of many
women and children.



Thanks to the generous contributions, you have made a pleasant change in our lives. I mention women and children because it is they who spend much time in the cooking area of their houses/huts. It is they who have to inhale the black smoke from the firewood.


It is they who get ear, nose, eyes, and throat infections.
They also get asthma and lung cancer.



Thank God there are still nice people in the USA and throughout the world who care and help those who are less fortunate. We hope (and pray) that all of you will continue helping us. We need you.

We pray to God to reward you plenty.

We need your helping hand, always.We have no other source of support.

Only you.

It is my pride to say that, as of this date, I have made over 1,400 stoves in four counties, for the last eight years. This means counties in our State, and also in our neighbor State of Hidalgo.

There are many NAHUATL families awaiting their turn to have stoves made. As you may remember, I have the will, the time and the vehicle to continue doing my work with the natives. But I do not have the money.

Please help me so that I can help them.



Right now, I have requests for about 600 stoves, in many villages. Word got out that I am making a stove that uses very little wood and the smoke is no longer in the cooking area. And now, many more people want one.



The NAHUATL love their women and their children very much, and if there is something that will improve their lives, they are willing to try it.

But they do not have the money to buy the material with. Neither do I. So, we all turn to you and to your good-will and generosity. And to your warm hearts.

Dear amigos, Tamazunchale alone has about 62,000 NAHUATL natives in 158 villages. The severe drought that we had this year made things much worse for all of us.

The natives just barely have enough pesos for black beans and corn. Minimum wages in this area is 80 pesos per day. That is about seven US dollars.

Thank God it has begun to rain now, but it is going to take a long timeto get back to normal.

Thanks again, for spreading the Give to Live message around the world.

Through this book, people who never knew about us and our great needs, have been graciously and generously sending money through my dear amigo, Dr. Richard Barrett to assist us all. Some of the money from the book sales also comes our way, and this is very helpful.

PEOPLE FROM THE WORLD, PLEASE HELP US BY BUYING THE BOOK.

(available at http://www.lulu.com/content/5434310)

We need all the help we can get.

I cannot thank everyone enough. All the faceless people throughout the world, are easing our suffering that we have had to carry on our backs for so many years.

We thought we would never find somebody who would look down upon us, analyze our needs and lend a helping hand. Such as Dr. Barrett.

Thank you, all of you.

Here is a NAHUATL thought for all of you to share:
TLASKAMATI MIAK. TU TOTIOTSI MU MITZ TIOCHIHUA.

Which means "Thank you very much. God bless you".
Greetings and best wishes to all of you, dear amigos.


Bye now,

Rudy

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Rudy said, help is continually needed. By telling everyone you know via e-mail or regular mail or even phone calls about Give to Live, not only will the Nahuatl people benefit but the entire world.

We don't say this casually. Give to Live is making significant changes in the world. But we must keep sending out the message. Please get your friends and families on board to create the movement that will change them and others.

Tell them they, too, can have their own Give to Live e-book by signing up at www.givetolivebook.com. Once they sign up, they will receive a confirmation e-mail to confirm their subscription to Give to Live.Once they confirm, they will receive an e-mail with the link to download the Give to Live book.

Serving You,
Dr. Rick Barrett

P.S. If you would like to donate to the Stove Project please visit www.missionsofhope for more information. Thank you!

Honored by Toastmasters!

Last week, I spent a delightful evening with a group of people from the Sharpstown Toastmasters Club.

I was privileged to receive an invitation to deliver a talk about the book, Give to Live; The Real Secret to Manifesting Life's Rewards. Of course, I was happy to accept.

Toastmasters Clubs are international with a diverse membership. I fully support any group of people who are dedicated to self-improvement--and they are!

Sharpstown Toastmasters Club mission statement is very powerful! It states that they "provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth".

I was genuinely impressed by the caliber of people in attendance and the quality of their meeting. Loving to talk about a few of my passions made my speech easy to deliver.

I explained how Give to Live was born into existence and the messages revealed within. Remember, Give to Live reveals that an open heart and a willingness to serve not only changes you, but also the planet.

It teaches perhaps newly for some and reinforces for others, the importance of giving their time, money and resources to a power higher than themselves. Readers also learn that once they start giving unconditionally, they'll manifest and receive personal rewards they couldn't fathom prior to giving.

Another passion and one of the themes in Give to Live is the idea that serving is the highest form of giving one can express. I use my involvement in medical mission work to illustrate this in the book and spoke of it at Toastmasters. As well as speaking about my friend, Rudy, who builds special ecological healthy stoves for the Nahuatl indigenous of Mexico.

Rudy taught me to speak a few Nahuatl words. One phrase I shared with the group was Amu Xi Maj Mahue--don't be afraid!

While we've all likely felt the joy and experienced the rewards of helping another human being, I'm also sure there were plenty of other times when we've all stopped ourselves from giving.

Giving money, sharing a talent, or personally serving someone. Because of finances, prejudices, lack of time or just plain fear.

We create a belief that we feel serves us. A glass ceiling, a threshold of giving that we are unwilling to pass through.

In doing so, our own growth is stifled.

So we must find a way to break through this in order to receive abundance in life.

Amu Xi Mah Mahue. Do not be afraid.

Push through--find ways to give, to serve and create change in this world.

It was great fun for me to deliver those messages to the Toastmasters club.

I was quite surprised when at the end of the evening, they honored me with the "best speaker of the night" award.

It was an exciting night!

See every life fulfilled!

Dr. Rick Barrett

P.S. Please continue to send the Give to Live message. Tell everyone you know to get their free e-book at www.givetolivebook.com or books can be purchased at amazon.com with 20% of the proceeds going to charity.