Rayna Blog

I believe that from the time we are born, each of us has a burning ambition, not only to strive for success, but also to achieve it.

Just observe the determination of a not yet crawling baby to somehow reach the desired object just beyond his reach. Consider the heroic efforts of a child battling to take his first steps. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way , those qualities of perseverance and determination often fade away -- to be replaced by a tendency towards either minimal effort, or, in some cases, a readiness to give up altogether.

Why? Why does a child of five, determined to climb the highest branch of a tree become, at twenty one, just another failure swelling the ranks of the dole queue? What happens?

I believe the answer lies rooted somewhere in the following story.

The story is about a young teenager who has just decided what he wants to do with his life. After attending a golf tournament where he sees the best players in the world compete, the inspired fourteen year old, who has never swung a club, asked his father if he could take some golf lessons.

The father agreed to arrange his first lesson for the following evening. But Ill have to wait twenty four hours, the boy disappointedly replied. In any event, the boy patiently waited and the lessons were a great success.

Two years and thousands of golf balls later, the boy told his parents that he wanted to leave school and devote more time to his golf. And why would you want to do that? his parents asked. The boy informed them that he was going to be the best golf player in the world. But his parents protested the chances are only one in a million. Thats right said the boy, and Im going to be that one. The boy left school, and went on to realize his dream.

His name was Nick Faldo.

Incidentally, the Faldo story was drawn to my attention by another sporting great, Ivan Lendl. In his own words, Ivan told his skeptical father exactly the same thing that Faldo told his father

Copyright 2006 -- Chris Lewis is a former No 1 ranked junior tennis player in the world and Wimbledon finalist in 1983. During his playing career, his coaches were Harry Hopman and Tony Roche. To read Chris's tennis articles and free tennis tips, please visit his website at http://Expert-Tennis-Tips.com.

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Be a little cautious before categorically ridiculing your wifes connections with the other side. The other side I am referring to is the non-living. Yes, ghosts, visions in dreams, things that go bump in the night.

My wife has vivid dreams almost every night. Sometimes people from her past, old friends or relatives, are in her dreams. Sometimes there are people from her past that are dead that come to visit her in her dreams.

Usually the living can talk to her in her dreams. The dead cant talk to her. Sometimes the dead are holding candles. She says they come into her dreams to warn her about something.

A few weeks after her grandmother died, my wifes recently deceased godmother and grandmother appeared together in her dreams. They were holding candles. Unusually, for the dead, they spoke to her. They said, We are waiting for you.

My wife immediately assumed that she was going to join the departed soon. I reminded her that soon she was going home to see her parents again. I suggested to her that they meant they were waiting for her in the old country.

Its important not to make light of their feelings. Most Russians are pessimistic and expect the worst. When my wife tells me she had dreams last night, I enquire about them. She usually responds its nothing good.

I always try to put a positive spin on the dream if I can. Theres no sense in courting the worst. Before you condemn this entire thing categorically, let me point out, if she thinks its real, its real at least to her.

All your logic and scientific documentation will not change her mind. While I am not a big follower of all this, it is rather uncanny that when my wife calls her mother, her mother always knows when we have had an argument, or there is some other problem at home.

Her mother interrogates her, Are you sure everything is okay between you and your husband? My wife responds, Yes. Yes. No problem. Her mother probes, Are you sure? I had a dream last night.

Its almost uncanny. She is right every time. She knows exactly when there is an argument or a problem at home. Maybe they do have connections with the other side?

I ask my wife, Why cant your mother make stock predictions or something useful like that? Oh well.

John Kunkle has been married to a Russian women for over five years. He has travelled the path from finding her, to traveling to Russia, to bring his wife to America, and adjusting to married life. He will show you step by step how to do this yourself.

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