In 2009 instead of making resolutions dare to escape the treadmill of predictability. Take time each day to write down something that makes you grateful. Do something for the first time. Make a difference.

This is your life, be daring, be bold and be true to yourself.

Surround yourself with people with a contagious positive attitude.

Maya Angelou once said: What happened to spontaneity? At what point did you lose the right to do something in your day just because you feel like it at the moment - just because you're alive? Because of our routines we forget that life is an ongoing adventure.

Enjoy 2009. Life is fragile it can be gone in an instant. Be kind to others and yourself.

It seems every day there is a new acronym. It has become part of daily life. Our daily communication is filled with new words that started as initials representing a series of words.

The formal definition:
An acronym is an abbreviation of several words in such a way that the abbreviation itself forms a word.

Frequently, acronyms are formed that use existing words (and sometimes the acronym is invented first and the phrase name represented is designed to fit the acronym). Here are some examples of acronyms that use existing words:

BASIC....Beginner's All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code
NOW......National Organization for Women
WHO......World Health Organization

Abbreviations that use the first letter of each word in a phrase are sometimes referred to as initialisms. Initialisms can be but are not always acronyms. AT&T, BT, CBS, CNN, IBM, and NBC are initialisms that are not acronyms. Many acronym lists you'll see are really lists of acronyms and initialisms or just lists of abbreviations. (Note that abbreviations include shortened words like "esp" for "especially" as well as shortened phrases.)

Summing up:

An abbreviation is a shortening of a word or a phrase.
An acronym is an abbreviation that forms a word.
An initialism is an abbreviation that uses the first letter of each word in the phrase (thus, some but not all initialisms are acronyms). BFF, BRB, LOL

Today texting, instant messaging is filled with acronyms and initialisms. Every industry has them too. I am trying to keep up.

Although acronyms are definitely making me crazy there is one that makes me smile to overflowing. Many years ago my son Tom gave me a doll called FROYD which I love. This yellow guy with the great big nose makes me smile everyday when I look at him sitting prominently on the bookshelf opposite my bed. FROYD is an acronym For Reality Of Your Dreams. He sports an orange button that says "I believe in you."

I guess that just goes to prove that although trying to keep track and understand all the acronyms and initialisms that are used each day, they are very useful and in some cases provide a source of daily smiles.

Tonight we went to the Shops at Wiregrass to see their Christmas Light Show. It was terrific. In Florida we celebrate with decorated boat parades, music and light shows. We even create our own snow. Tomorrow night I am going to Celebration Florida. They douse the streets with snow every night during the holidays with snow. All these activities are free. Tonight they even gave out free hot chocolate and cookies. Thankfully the price of gas has come down so enjoying one tank trips isn't too costly.

I hope you enjoy this light show. We may not have snow and cold temperatures but there is something to be said for traveling in a top down convertible, building our version of snowmen out of sand and of course sand angels. Merry Christmas!

Macy’s Inspires America To “Believe” This Holiday Season

The “Believe” Campaign Includes Re-Creation of “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” Editorial, In-Store “Believe” Stations, and Santa Letter Drive with Potential Million-Dollar Donation to Make-A-Wish Foundation

“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” Television Ad Features Celebrity Designers Jessica Simpson, Martha Stewart, Carlos Santana, Donald Trump, Tommy Hilfiger, Kenneth Cole, Ana de la Reguera and Carlos Ponce

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On the heels of its 150th birthday, Macy’s today unveiled its plans for a nostalgic Christmas campaign called Believe, based on the New York Sun’s famous “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” editorial from 1897. Complete with in-store “Believe Stations” and a devoted “celebrity designer” TV ad, Believe captures the heart of the holiday with a season-long effort that elevates the message of goodwill and generosity through a campaign to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation®.

Known worldwide for its holiday traditions from the Thanksgiving Day Parade to the first in-store Santa, the magic of Macy’s will unfold this year with Believe Stations in every store that feature a Believe Meter, letter-writing station and an official R.H. Macy Santa Mail letterbox. Beginning on November 9, children across the country are invited to drop off their letters – stamped and addressed to Santa At The North Pole – at any Macy’s store in the Santa Mail letterbox. For each letter received, Macy’s will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation up to $1 million to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

The Believe campaign was rooted in a letter to the editor written by eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon in 1897 asking if there is a Santa Claus. Newsman Francis P. Church responded with a poignantly worded essay on the importance of believing, including the famous line “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist…”

“We are so excited to launch this inspirational Christmas campaign,” said Peter Sachse, president of Macy’s Corporate Marketing. “Believe is the articulation of everything we treasure about the holiday season, and is an authentic celebration of the Christmas spirit. We felt strongly that this year it was important to remember and embrace the real sentiment of the season. We’d like to inspire all of America to believe.”

The Believe advertising campaign will break on Sunday, November 9 with a national television spot and innovative newspaper ads, including full-page reprints of the “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” editorial and disrupter print ads (ads which break into editorial space). The television campaign will feature Macy’s “stars” Jessica Simpson, Martha Stewart, Carlos Santana, Donald Trump, Tommy Hilfiger and Kenneth Cole reciting select lines from “Yes, Virginia.” A Spanish-language version will feature Carlos Santana, Ana de la Reguera and Carlos Ponce. All advertising will invite children around the country to deposit their letters to Santa at their local R.H. Macy Santa Mail letterbox to help grant the wishes of seriously ill children.

”The Believe campaign not only reflects the spirit of the holiday season, it also speaks to a wish experience – helping a child believe in their own future,” David Williams, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America president and chief executive officer. “We truly appreciate Macy’s continued generosity and partnership in helping us grant even more wishes to courageous children thanks to this inspirational campaign.”

For a letter template and location information enter: http://www.macysbelieve.com/#/PostOffice"

I'm not exactly sure how it works, but this is amazingly accurate. Read the full description BEFORE looking at the picture.

The picture below has 2 identical dolphins in it. It was used in a case study on stress levels at St. Mary's Hospital.

Look at both dolphins jumping out of the water. The dolphins are identical. A closely monitored, scientific study revealed that, in spite of the fact that the dolphins are identical; a person under stress would find differences in the two dolphins. The more differences a person finds between the dolphins, the more stress that person is experiencing.

Look at the photograph and if you find more than one or two differences you may want to take a vacation.

If people were like an Etch A Sketch you could shake them or they could wiggle and the words and actions that you wrote on the slate of who they were could easily be erased.

Often without even being aware we say or do things that impact a person. It may be postive like a kind word, encouragement or helping someone. It might also be something said or done that has a negative effect. It might be that something you said or did was mistakenly taken out of context or the intention was misinterpreted.

If only people were like an Etch A Sketch...but then again life would hold little opportunity to learn and grow if we were blank slates.

I guess we are lucky that God was in charge of our creation and not the Ohio Art Company.

It is left to us to decide when we need to shake something off and move forward.

Just think, if the bumblebee understood human talk and listened to scientists he might learn that he wasn't aerodynamically able to fly? Don't let what anyone says or does during your lifetime prevent you from achieving all you want, even the seemingly impossible.