This newsletter is being sent on a day that will be noted in history books. This morning, in these United States, a devastating attack was initiated and completed in two major cities – New York and Washington, D.C. Other major cities were targeted and we will only know with time if we were able to divert those attacks with right action and clear thinking.

When I first heard of the attack I remarked to my husband, "This is another Pearl Harbor,
just a different set of players. War has been declared."

Until all of the facts are compiled, and that will take a while, there will be a lot of finger pointing and accusations. It is so important to not jump to conclusions but to keep minds and attitudes clear of prejudices and distortions.

The individuals that perpetuated these horrific actions have long term goals that look to feed on the fears of those they terrorize. Hatred, ignorance and fear are the three greatest enemies of freedom. As an American who has had many members of family fight for the rights of freedom, today's happenings bring forth a realization that the battle never stops.

I join the millions of people around the world in prayer for the victims and their families; for the dedicated men and women who are working in incredible conditions in a 'war zone', to help and assist in any way they can. The media is asking for blood donations for the hospitals and various medical centers that are handling the critical situations – please take the time to give a pint of your blood. You will make a difference by doing so.

Thank you,Donna Seebo

How many times do we jump to conclusions about the conditions, circumstances in our lives? How many times do we stress ourselves to a breaking point by worrying about the worst scenarios possible? How many times do we make ourselves ill because we don't know what to do with our mind's labyrinth of fears?

Worry is a habit that most people cultivate because that is what we are taught to do. To the best of my knowledge, worry hasn't solved a single problem, cured any medical condition, created love, happiness, joy or productivity. In fact, worry usually does just the opposite. It paralyzes thinking; delays prompt responses to solving problems, create illness and wears one out totally.

So how do we break a habit of worry? As nature abhors a void, when you want to get rid of a bad habit you have to replace it with a good one. Here are a few suggestions:

1) when something worries you-look at the facts surrounding it.
2) Assess what the worst case scenario could be and don't be afraid of it. Write it out, put it down in black and white.
3) Now that you know the worst that can happen, look at what you can do in spite of that condition.
Take action.

Get the 'worry bird' attitude under control. Remember you are in charge of your mind, your responses to changing circumstances; you are the boss of what you give your attention to. Keep in mind that it takes just as much energy to 'be productive and positive' as 'to worry and be non-productive, negative". So, why not chose the most beneficial route for yourself by cultivating the good habit of thinking things through and following the course of action that will best serve your needs?

Life is about being-focusing on what can be done, not existing with fear as a companion. Each day of Life is a gift.give it the best of what you have, right here, right now and the future will take care of itself.
Donna Seebo

"I went to a school that was full of thugs and gangsters and one day we had a substitute
teacher. I could tell that the guys were going to try to make this teacher cry. The sub walked
in and opened the window all the way. He walked back to his desk when the breeze from the
open window made his tie fly over his shoulder. Calmly, he put it back correctly, took a
stapler, and stapled the tie to his chest. "There," he said, "that should keep it in line." At the
time, we didn't know that he had a plaster cast on his chest, but nobody messed with him
after that." Author Unknown

There is a story that I heard many years ago about a small farming community in the middle of a large country area. Far from the hustle and bustle environment of a busy city, nature was a close companion and animals were a special part of everyday life. Every living thing had a unique place in the rhythm of the community

One day, a new bird came into the area. It took up residence on a branch in a large tree outside of the local sheriff's office. It had a strange call. "Wur, wur, eeee!" it would cry out over and over again. After it cried out the bird would shake its head, then start singing "Wur, wur, eee!" all over again. The commotion of this little creature was quite disturbing and people began to take notice.

After a few days of this, some person said," I think this is an omen. Listen to what the bird is saying, 'worry, worry'. Oh dear, I do think something bad is going to happen." Before long the whole community was buzzing about the 'worry bird'. The sheriff's deputy, tired of the noise, chased the bird away and it flew into another tree, singing it's same song.

"I don't want that 'worry bird' in our yard!" said the person who's tree the bird had chosen and tried to chase the bird away. "It's bad luck!"

And so it was that this little bird became the cause of all of the bad things that seemed to be happening in this otherwise quiet, secure community. Everyone was discussing how he or she should get rid of this 'pest' of 'bad luck'.

A man happened to be traveling through the area and stopped at the coffee shop in town. Of course, the waitress, as she was filling his mug with hot, steaming coffee, related the recent events that were causing such disturbance in the area. He was intrigued and asked where he could find this 'special' bird of such a unique reputation. She gave him the directions and off he went.

Before long he found the tree the bird had nested in. Taking out his binoculars, he viewed the situation very carefully. Of course, within minutes of his arrival people started observing him, wondering what he was doing. Finally, curiosity got the best of one of the children who asked, "What are you doing Mister?"

Lowering his binoculars to look at the youngster he replied, "Why I am observing a rare specie of bird that was thought to be extinct! Your town is so fortunate to have it come here to build its nest. It has flown thousands of miles to get here."

"Nah, Mister, you're all wrong. My folks say that this is a 'worry bird' and has brought nothing but trouble. We need to get rid of It." responded the youngster.

"Well, that is only because they don't know anything about it and its history. Your town needs to know that this little bird will put them on the map of fame because it is such a special, rare bird!" said the visitor.

Within a day the news of the stranger's information permeated the town. Within a week media was in the town filming and talking about the wonderful discovery. The "worry bird" went from being a bad creature to a good one because of one person's awareness of what the facts really were. The supposed 'bad luck' of the community changed almost overnight because of new understanding and knowledge.

As far as I know that little 'worry bird' is still chirping its song, raising its young, with wiser residents, who now feel it, is a 'good luck' bird instead of a 'bad luck' bird.