EILEEN MCDARGH'S
Resiliency Report
Published monthly and when the mood strikes.
Update from Eileen
Poor piano. A spinet. 50 years old. I brought it from Florida in 1978. I played it occasionally but the person who REALLY played it was my mother. Mom was an amazing musician: perfect pitch. Studied for some 18 years. But honestly, she didn’t need to have studied so much.
When I was taking piano in fifth grade and practicing in the living room, she’d holler out from the kitchen: “That’s an F#”. I think I stopped soon after that. I made the mistake, and she could hear it. I was looking at the music and missed it.
She would play along with music from a CD, keep folks singing for hours, and sometimes break into bawdy WWII songs. I’d push her wheelchair up to the keyboard. Even if she forgot people’s names, she still knew her music. If I wanted to sing (my favorite form of music) and it was not the right key for me, she would instantly transpose it into another key!
Mom died 12 years ago. I have not touched the piano since. Until this past week.
I found great products to try and repair the wood and sun damage. I went to work.
Called a piano turner who came and gave me an assessment. “It’s too old. Too much wrong with it. Sorry, but it’s not worth fixing.”
I cried. Not sure where to go from here. What would you do?
Spring is Sprung
The sun has riz. I wonder where the birdies is ?
I must have learned this little silly ditty when I was eight years old. It always made me laugh. We lived in Atlanta and there were always birds. Other than blooming dogwoods and violets, Spring really had no true meaning.
But now that I am “mature”, I ponder the passing of seasons with more intensity and thoughtfulness. This year, Spring also falls on the feast of St. Joseph. In the Christian story, Joseph was the carpenter “stepdad” of Jesus, protecting Mary and watching over this child that would amaze all with his ability to lecture elders in the synagogue. I imagine he
“brought home the bacon” by selling whatever he could produce in his woodworking shop.
Joseph’s life is frankly one solely crafted by my imagination. He was not the “star” but rather the caretaker of the family.
Here's the point. For decades, I have been the “star” on a stage. I taught and wrote and loved every minute. Now, however, I realize I am a modern elder. My role is not to “star” so much as it is to pass along whatever I have learned… to be a caretaker of my family and our planet.
With this in mind, I’ll be starting a series that will be conversations and interviews on this theme: Lead-HER-Ship: Navigating Mid-life.
Care to join me?
It’s Hard to Say Goodbye to Some Things
March 2024
Passions to Abundance with Elizabeth Gueldner Coming Soon!
I’ve been invited to speak at the Passions to Abundance event. It will debut on April 29, 2024 and you can sign-up right now at https://passionstoabundance.com for more information.
Stay tuned for our April newsletter where I will tell you when my appearance is scheduled!
Funnies
When you're finally holding all the cards, why does everyone else decide to play chess?
If you're living on the edge, make sure you're wearing your seat belt.
A closed mouth gathers no feet.
Health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
It's not hard to meet expenses. They're everywhere.
Must Read Book!
"Shining the Light on All the Right" by Mark and Bonnie Barnes
Kahil Gibran wrote, “Work is love made visible”. This book is indeed “love made visible.” It tells the amazing true story of Mark and Bonnie Barnes who lost their son 20 years ago. From that grief, the DAISY Award® was born in an effort to say thank you to nurses for the extraordinary compassion and care they show patients and families every day. In details never shared before, the Barnes tell how this award came to be.
"The Women" by Kristin Hannah
An admission. I have not yet read this book BUT so many people have told me about it and I need to finish two more books before I get it (plus I am #225 on the library’s waiting list). Although a fiction book, the reality of women who served as nurses in Vietnam is all too real. My mother was a WASP (Women’s Air force Service Pilot WWII). Thankfully, although WASP were denied their place in history until 2010, they were not treated shamefully when they came home. Not true for Vietnam Veterans.
Web Work Weaves Wonder…
That is IF your webmaster is the incredible TeeJay. Many of you have been like me—going through multiple website iterations and still not finding one that captures who you are and what you offer.
Finally, the ever-patient and incredibly artistic TeeJay has done this for me at my website.
Under the dropdown MEDIA, check out The Resiliency Report and The Energizer Blog. Every month, he creates magic from the words I throw at him. Watch how he crafted a way for my Global Gurus ranking to flash on the first page you open on the site.
Now—listen up. I am NOT leaving Teejay. However, he has a limited amount of space on his calendar. First come, first serve.
You may learn more about Teejay by visiting his website at iamteejay.com. If you have any web or graphic design needs, contact him directly at teejay@iamteejay.com. And to escape email tag, you are also welcome to book an appointment with him here.
He is a gem as well as a really good guy.
About Eileen
If you are looking for a unique keynote speaker in resiliency, a facilitator for executive retreats, a speech coach or an emcee/moderator, then you want to work with Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE. Eileen has spoken for audiences as large as 15,000 and facilitated groups as small as 18! She is the author of seven books and other products that you can find in her online store. The British Research firm of Global Gurus ranked her #4 among the top 30 communication gurus worldwide. Why not hire Eileen for your next event?
Ranked 3rd in Communications
This is the 7th year in a row that I have been ranked in the top 5 in communication. Global Gurus surveys some 26,000 business professionals to determine rankings plus professionals also vote.
Dear Friends,
It’s that time of year again to vote for Global Gurus in various categories. I’ve been in the top 5 of Communication Gurus for many years. Global Gurus is a British research firm that goes out to some 20,000 people to determine standing.
Click below to nominate me as inspirational. It might ask you to log in using either Linked in or Google. You are asked to log in to assure people can only vote once. You’ll then see my face pop up along with other nominees. Select and then near the bottom, you can rank me as “inspirational ”or not.
Please let me know if this works. You are all the best.
Many thanks. I am most grateful for YOU!!!!!
