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<DIV>Greetings to all!</DIV>
<DIV>Received from Debbie Azzarone, member in the Northeast Chapter and
editor
of the Blind vine of Vision Loss Alliance.</DIV>
<DIV>Please read and share during your upcoming meetings and forward to
others.</DIV>
<DIV>Debbie, thanks.</DIV>
<DIV>Joe </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Hello Viners,</DIV>
<DIV>From: Debbie Azzarone </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Below is an excerpt from the blog "Girl Gone Blind".</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I hope you enjoy it and you find yourself described in many of
them.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>*************</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>If you haven't taken notice of your own successes heading into 2020,
then</DIV>
<DIV>this is the blog for you! Here are 20 signs you're successful even if
you're</DIV>
<DIV>not feelin' it!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>1. You are not afraid to ask for help anymore.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I doubt many people have ever succeeded in isolation. Sometimes it
takes
a</DIV>
<DIV>team effort to accomplish tasks and there is nothing wrong with that.
Asking</DIV>
<DIV>for help does not mean you are weak, it is a sign of strength and shows
that</DIV>
<DIV>you have grown as a person.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>2. You say "yes" to new opportunities.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>New opportunities don't come around every day, but when they do - you
say</DIV>
<DIV>"yes:!". Maybe you have no idea what you're getting into, yet you
go
for</DIV>
<DIV>it. Successful people take those leaps because they know one good</DIV>
<DIV>opportunity can lead to bigger and better ones.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>3. You have raised your standards.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>You don't tolerate bad behavior from other people. You hold
people</DIV>
<DIV>accountable for their actions. You don't spend time with the
"Debbie</DIV>
<DIV>Downers", "Angry Andys", Nasty Nellies", or F'd up Freddys" in your
life</DIV>
<DIV>anymore. Successful people have no tolerance for them.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>4. You let go of things that don't serve you.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>No, this is not narcissistic even though it might seem like it.
Self-love</DIV>
<DIV>and self-respect is a success. Love yourself enough to say 'no' to
anything</DIV>
<DIV>that doesn't work for you, serve your purpose, or drags you down.
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>5. You don't seek praise.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>If you aren't hanging around waiting to get the proverbial pat on the
back</DIV>
<DIV>at work or at home, you are more successful than you might even know.
Being</DIV>
<DIV>able to do your part without constant praise or a thousand "At-a-boys"
is
an</DIV>
<DIV>internal success. If you choose to wait around for others to tell you
have</DIV>
<DIV>great you are, you may be waiting a long time. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>6. You have learned that failure is a part of personal growth.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Failure can be the point needed to succeed. You need to hit the
bottom</DIV>
<DIV>before you can reach the top. Being able to crawl back from failure and
try</DIV>
<DIV>and try again, is a sign you are successful. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>7. You have a support system that includes people who would do anything
for</DIV>
<DIV>you.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>If you have figured out the people who "have your back" and recognized
the</DIV>
<DIV>ones who don't, then you can add this to your list of successes. This
is
a</DIV>
<DIV>painful realization, but once you learn to see the signs of betrayal
and</DIV>
<DIV>smell the bullshit, you can stay away from those people. They do not
deserve</DIV>
<DIV>a place in your tribe.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>8. You don't complain much.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Because you know there really is nothing to complain about. Unless you
have</DIV>
<DIV>gone through a debilitating diagnosis, unimaginable loss, or a
traumatic</DIV>
<DIV>experience, most of what we all go through on a day-to-day basis is
just
the</DIV>
<DIV>small stuff. Successful people don't sweat the small stuff and strive
to</DIV>
<DIV>live in a space of gratitude.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>9. You can celebrate others' successes.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Just because other people succeed, that doesn't make you a failure.
Applaud</DIV>
<DIV>the people who rise to the top. The more positive energy you give to
other</DIV>
<DIV>people's victories, the more positive energy you will create for
yourself.</DIV>
<DIV>Jealousy has no place in success.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>10. You are driven. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Anybody without an engine and a willingness to get through the hard
times</DIV>
<DIV>and the difficulties will struggle to succeed. If you don't mind
rolling
up</DIV>
<DIV>your sleeves and getting down and dirty, you are
better
off than you</DIV>
<DIV>think.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>11. You have things you look forward to.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>If you don't have some cool things going on or planned out in your
life,
in</DIV>
<DIV>which you are eagerly anticipating, then that little pep in your step
may</DIV>
<DIV>soon fade. Successful people create activities, goals, and plans that
they</DIV>
<DIV>are excited about. They let this excitement fuel their spirit.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>12. You wish to help others.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Giving is a gift you give yourself. If you are able to provide people
with</DIV>
<DIV>guidance, compassion, and act as a pillar of support when they need
it,</DIV>
<DIV>success is in your corner. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>13. You offer mutual respect.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Success tends to come from your own experiences in life, including
going</DIV>
<DIV>through stresses and difficulties. If you understand the value of
treating</DIV>
<DIV>others with respect, you already have a grasp on a bit of
success.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>14. You love deeply and open yourself up to be loved by others.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Love is risky and sometimes scary for people. It's the one thing we
all</DIV>
<DIV>strive for, but it's also intimately tied to the one thing we fear the
most</DIV>
<DIV>- rejection. If you open your heart enough to love and be loved,
without</DIV>
<DIV>fear, you have a heart full of passionate success.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>15. You refuse to be a victim.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>You know that life doesn't always happen to you. Many times, you are
the</DIV>
<DIV>co-creator of your life experiences and outcomes. Successful people
know</DIV>
<DIV>this and refuse to be kept down by life's bad days or play the
"victim</DIV>
<DIV>card". No. They rise up and carry on.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>16. You don't care what other people think of you.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Successful people know they can't please everyone. You know that
the</DIV>
<DIV>standards with which society judges people can be unrealistic. So you
just</DIV>
<DIV>keep true to yourself and love the person you are.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>17. You learn from negative experiences. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Life can be full of regrets and dismay - and some choose to hang onto
them</DIV>
<DIV>in a negative way. Successful people convert what happened (or
didn't</DIV>
<DIV>happen) into learning opportunities. No negative experience is ever
wasted</DIV>
<DIV>as long as you learn from it.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>18. You are assertive.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>You understand that simply saying yes or no is not enough. Explaining
your</DIV>
<DIV>reasons in a clear manner is essential for others to understand that
you
are</DIV>
<DIV>an individual with your own thoughts and boundaries. This does not
mean</DIV>
<DIV>being inflexible, but while being understanding, successful people
still</DIV>
<DIV>stand their ground. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>19. You practice patience.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Patience is a virtue that successful people practice on a daily
basis.</DIV>
<DIV>Without patience, it can be hard to ever make the type of impact
or</DIV>
<DIV>influence you want to have in the world. It also takes patience to
learn
new</DIV>
<DIV>things as needed to keep up with your professional or personal
path.</DIV>
<DIV>Successful people know that obtaining new habits, new skills, or,
umm,</DIV>
<DIV>losing those pesky extra pounds, doesn't happen overnight.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>20. You are happy.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>This may be the ultimate success. It doesn't matter what the balance is
in</DIV>
<DIV>your bank account, how big your house is, or how many luxurious
vacations</DIV>
<DIV>you take. If you are happy, then you are succeeding in life. And, life
is</DIV>
<DIV>too short not to be happy.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Even if you don't see yourself in many of these 20 things, don't fret.
It's</DIV>
<DIV>okay. Be happy that you see yourself in just a few of them. In time,
the</DIV>
<DIV>rest will come. Keep moving onward and upward - taking note of success
when</DIV>
<DIV>you create it.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Alrighty loves, let's make 2020 our most successful year ever! </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Your Blind Vine Team</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it
back</DIV>
<DIV>to you when you have forgotten the words." -Unknown</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We care. We share. We grow. We make a difference<BR>Joe Ruffalo,
President
<BR>National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey <BR>973 743
0075<BR>nfbnj1@verizon.net<BR><A
href="http://www.nfbnj.org">www.nfbnj.org</A></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000">Raising
Expectations To Live The Life You Want!</DIV>
<DIV
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<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000">Your
old
car keys can be keys to literacy for the blind.<BR>Donate your unwanted
vehicle
to us by clicking <BR>www.carshelpingtheblind.org <BR>or call 855 659
9314<BR></DIV>
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