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Parting Words of Wisdom
Welcome to Stuff I Learned Yesterday. My name is Mark Des Cotes, This is my last episode of SILY and I believe if you aren’t learning, you aren’t living. In today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday I say goodbye.
No Fun Fact today, or plea for a Friday Forum submission (you hear that one enough I’m sure)
Instead, before I get into today’s story, I want to put out a little call to action. Those of you who listen to other GSM podcasts may be familiar with Karen Linday. She first joined GSM as the host of the Chester’s Mill Gazette and now hosts both Maid of Steel with Emilee O’Leary and Gotham Undercover with Geoff Gentry. She’s also appeared on more podcasts than I care to list here. Trust me, it’s a lot.
Well, Karen and her husband Sean, have really had a difficult year. Sean has struggled with constant infections – living with picc lines and constant antibiotics, having procedures to try and stop the reflux in his leg, and the most alarming of all – landing in the ICU with several blood clots in his lungs. He has a job with the postal service, but it’s just below full-time status, and when he misses work, he doesn’t get paid leave.
On top of that, Karen lives with chronic issues. MS, Seizures, Migraines, etc. Last year she had Optic Neuritis that caused her to go permanently 50% blind in her right eye. She’s had two more MS recurrences since then – and that puts her firmly on Social Security Disability.
A lot of their medical bills are covered, but what’s left over is formidable. They owe well over 10k, but if they could whittle that down, they’d be on their way to getting their heads above water.
Sean has been selling their collectables until their down to the stuff they’d be pained to sell, that’s kept them barely going for the last year. Now they’re seeing if they could get some help. While they’re on the waitlist for some Government programs.
The donations they’ve received over the last few days have helped them pay their back rent and prevent them from being evicted but they’re not out of the water yet. If you could see your way clear to donate something to help them pay down their medical debt it would go a long way. visit goldenspiralmedia.com/karen to give what you can. Every dollar helps.
Here’s What I leaned yesterday.
I feel bad for leaving Stuff I Learned Yesterday. For now it’s for the best, but I do it with a sad heart. When I look back over the past year and a bit and what I’ve shared with you, I realize how much I’ve grown, not just as a podcaster, but as a person. I’m a better friend because of it. A better husband because of it and a better father because of it.
Not to mention that I can forever say I was part of a podcast that got nominated for an international award.
SILY has been my journal. My place to share, to reminisce, to teach and to learn. I’ll miss that. It’s allowed me to look at life differently. As I go through my day to day life I can’t help but look at everything I do and see through a kind of SILY lens. Consciously wondering what I’m learning, and wondering how I can spin it into a good story to share with you.
I took some time this week to go over some of my past episodes and the “wisdom” I’ve shared. Like episode 183 where I talk about how being an expert doesn’t mean you’re the best, it just means you know more than the person asking the question. Episode 218 where, similar to Derek’s first episode that I played on Friday, I talk about the importance of asking the right questions. Or episode 248 about the power of just asking for something, regardless of what you believe the outcome will be.
Then there are the fun episodes, like episode 261 where I tell the story of my 60 year old mom drag racing a car full of teenagers, and smoking them. 291 with my brush with a customs agent while coming back into Canada. Or 297 where I spent the entire episode talking about how I wasn’t in the mood to record a SILY episode.
Regardless of what the topic was, I put a part of me into each episode. I let you into my life. I shared the good times and the bad. I miss my dog Kolby.
I’m a different person than when I started SILY on November 3rd 2014. I’ve shared in your lives through the Friday Forums and the Facebook Group. I’ve learned new things and I’ve met new friends.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, it’s a pleasure being a part of this community.
Now before I go I want to try and impart on you a little bit more wisdom.
I was listening to another podcast on the weekend and the guest on the show was a gentleman by the name of Aaron Walker. I don’t really know who he is but some of the things he said resonated with me and I knew I had to share some of it in this, my parting episode.
Mr. Walker mentioned a quote his mother used to say. “Can’t couldn’t do it, but could did it all”. Think about that. “Can’t couldn’t do it, but could did it all”. Don’t we teach our kids that you can do anything if you put your mind to it? Why do we often forget that lesson as adults?
It doesn’t matter how old you are, you can still do anything you want if you put your mind to it.
I’m sure you have dreams of doing or achieving something great. You may have put those dreams aside as life got in the way. Maybe now’s the time to take them out again.
What’s holding you back? Adopt a why not me attitude. Put yourself out there and don’t afraid of rejection.
Most people fear they’ll fail and they fear what others will think of them, so they don’t do what they want to do. But look at it this way. Failure is not in not succeeding, but in not trying at all.
I personally am more afraid of missing an opportunity than I am in failing at it. I would hate to lie in bed at night and think would that have worked if I had just tried.
Don’t worry what other’s think. Your neighbours don’t care what you do. They’re not concerned with what you are or aren’t doing. So get out there and follow your dreams. And if you fail, get up and try again.
Benjamin Franklin said: I didn’t fail the test, I just found 100 ways to do it wrong. Do you think he cared what others thought or when they told him he was crazy for trying? Of course not.
Just be steady, be consistent, and be dependable in whatever you do. If you throw enough seeds the grass will eventually grow.
Here’s what I learned.
I’m looking forward to Stuff I Learned Yesterday’s new format when it comes back in February. I won’t be part of that season but who knows what the future holds. You may hear from me again someday. I am looking forward to hearing new stories and lessons from the different hosts Darrell is bringing on. It will be nice to gain a little bit of wisdom on a daily basis again.
And a two month break before it comes back means lots of time for you to think of something to submit to the Friday Forum.
Before I sign off I want to take a minute to say thank you for all the kind words, comments, encouragement and everything you’ve sent my way as a host of this show. I wish nothing but the best for all of you.
And here’s one last bit of wisdom. Be proactive in life, not reactive. Don’t keep looking in the rear view mirror. There’s a reason the windshield is so much bigger than the rear view mirror. It’s because you need to spend more time looking forward, not looking back.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
I’m Mark Des Cotes and it has been a pleasure sharing Stuff I Learned Yesterday with you.
I would love to know what you though of this episode. Share on our Facebook group at Facebook.com/groups/stuffilearnedyesterday. Join the conversation.
You can Follow Golden Spiral Media on Twitter at GSMPodcasts and Facebook.com/GoldenSpiralMedia. If you’ve enjoyed this episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday, I would be grateful if you’d leave a review in iTunes.
You can follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/solotalkmedia
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