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Cover Contents Books Home Hire Stories  Original Facebook post May 14, 2019
It is only fitting that I should dedicate this collection of uplifting, reassuring and humorous posts to my Big Sis, Viv. After all, she was one of my great role models in life. And as these words I wrote below celebrating her life indicate, she will be remembered for her passion for encouraging others in words and deeds. Vivian Nichols passed away unexpectedly on May 11, 2019. She was surrounded by loved ones. We take comfort in knowing that she is in heaven now. Vivian was born to Charles and Irene Maness in 1941. Her sister, Norene Maness and brother, Les Maness came along afterwards. She graduated from Roosevelt High School in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. She got married soon afterwards and had four amazing children that she was incredibly proud of, Frank, Sandy, Dean and Mike Nichols. Many years later, she was blessed to adopt her highly energetic grandson, Matt Nichols. Vivian loved people and made them feel loved in return. She was constantly doing something to help others, whether that was distributing food and clothing to those in need or helping someone find employment. She treated everyone as a precious child of God regardless of who they were. She liked giving treats to everyone from school children to mail carriers to sanitation workers to first responders. She freely gave her smile, encouragement, humor and wisdom to everyone. And she was a force to be reckoned with when advocating for the rights or treatment of someone who was in tough situation. Vivian was a Radio Talk Show Host for many years. She loved interviewing interesting people and entertaining her audience. We believe that if there is a spot open on the heavenly station, it has just been filled. And her voice will share a message of joy, love, humor and grace forever. Cover Contents Books Home Hire Stories 01. Encouraging Words 2.
02. Dedication: To My Big Sis. 03. Table Of Contents. 04. Preface: Navigating A Road Trip Down Memory Lane. 05. Acknowledgements: Those Who Went The Extra Mile. 06. Introduction: Looking For Signs Of Encouragement. 07. You Can't Make Old Friends. 08. It May Be A Long Road Back. 09. Success Is Doing. 10. Opportunity Is... 11. Make Up Your Mind. 12. Something We Can All Agree On. :-) 13. This Is Your Sign. 14. Your Past Is Your Past. 15. The Longer I Live. 16. Don't Believe Everything You Read. :-) 17. This Week I Will... 18. Indecision Is The Worst. 19. Just A Bump In The Road. 20. Hold On. Pain Ends. (H.O.P.E.) 21. It's A Wonderful World. 22. The Number One Spot Has Been Reserved For You. 23. Refuse To Pick Up The Rope. 24. The Light At The End Of The Tunnel. 25. You'll Never Walk Alone. 26. You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yeti. :-) 27. God Is Not Mad At You. 28. The Rest Of My Life. 29. The Pursuit Of Excellence. 30. Don't Waste Your Sorrow. 31. Who Is Really In Control? 32. Ladies, You Are Perfect. 33. The Joy And Glory Of The Climb. 34. You Can Handle It. :-) 35. It Is What It Is... 36. In The Hour Of Adversity. 37. Twenty Years From Now. 38. If You Build It, They Will Come. 39. Choose Well. 40. More Stories From The Road Les Traveled. © 2019 Les Maness. All rights reserved. Cover Contents Books Home Hire Stories  About The Book: In the process of compiling material for my book, Encouraging Words, I came upon some older posts I had written. And when I took that road trip down memory lane, I was surprised to see how many of them dealt with with heartbreak, forgiveness, overcoming adversity, staying positive in a negative environment, and reaching out to help others who were struggling. And in looking back, I am not surprised as to why.
At that time of my life, I was dealing with the perfect storm of emotional challenges. I was going through a terrible break up with a woman I loved. I lost three steady business clients practically overnight and saw all my future projects evaporate. And I was coping with a family member who was in crisis and I didn't know how or if I could help them. I will not lie to you. It was a very disheartening, depressing and debilitating period of life. But through prayer, personal development, good counsel, and a host of positive influences, I was able to make some good, joy, laughter and wisdom come from all of it. And it is my hope that by sharing those revelations and observations from that time that I will be able to help someone who is traveling down a similar rough road today. About The Disclaimer: I am not a trained therapist, nor do I play one on TV. So the thoughts, observations, opinion, humor and suggestions given here are strictly from my heart and personal experience and are not meant to serve as medical or psychological advice. And because there are times when hurting people need more than just our caring words and best intentions, it is important to understand our limitations. Therefore if you are not a trained therapist, you shouldn’t try to diagnose or cure anyone as it could become more harmful than helpful. If you feel someone needs outside resources, here’s a list that you might want to offer them as a starting place. About Me: When I'm not authoring Encouraging Words or gathering Stories From The Road Les Traveled, I am a Dad, Granddad, writer, photographer, marketer and trainer who calls Arizona home. To learn more, see my Blog, Books, Gigs and Photos at www.LesManess.com. About The Photos: Unless otherwise indicated, all photographs were taken by and are the exclusive copyrighted property of Les Maness (AKA LesManess.com). To purchase photos or the rights to publish images or content, please contact me at lesmaness at gmail.com. About The Dates: I created this book with Weebly's website builder blogging program, so I had to manually reorder the blog dates so they would read in proper sequence. So please ignore the dates under each header as they do not pertain to the actual start date, March 1, 2018 and completion date, November 20, 2019. Cover Contents Books Home Hire Stories  On May 9, 2019, my sister, Vivian, was admitted to the hospital. Just 48 hours later, she drew her last breath.
The days that followed were a blur. I caught a flight from Phoenix to Detroit. When I arrived at my boyhood home in Utica, Michigan where my two sisters had lived together, I quickly realized that there was something wrong with my other sister, Norene. She had fallen a few weeks earlier and the Doctors thought she might have a concussion. In the days that followed, we learned it was much more serious than that. She had dementia. The next four months were consumed with urgent matters like preparing a memorial service for my Sister, Viv, getting my sister, Norene the medical help she needed, determining where we were financially, prepping our home for sale, finding a wonderful Assisted Living Home for Norene, and so much more, all while giving her round the clock care. As anyone who has ever been through something like that before can tell you, it was overwhelming, heartbreaking and extremely stressful. And had it not been for all those who went the extra mile to help, it would have been nearly impossible. There were so many people who went out of their way to care for our family during this difficult time that I could not possibly name everyone. So I'll just do my best to mention a few below who kept showing up. (If I have forgotten anyone that needs to be added to this list or misspelled any names, please let me know.) And on behalf of our family, I want to thank you all for blessing our lives so much. You truly were a Godsend. Pam Aulgur Barbara, Ray and Becky Bachmann Patti and Gerry Congleton Jim and Patsy Donahey Judy and Steve Facione Bobbi and Lew Ferrell Bruce Fuson Marianne Iselli Carol Jutras Pam Keidel Pastor and Josh Klemm Jill Kopper Thea and Pat Longtin Laurie McMuridie Beverly and Lee Metzger Marge Morgan Frank Nichols Jenni and Matt Nichols Mike Nichols Tiina Perttu and Sam Paris Penny Reddish Debbi and Mark Ringle Frank Rizzo Debbie Sammons Karin Sparks Carmen and Dennis Stange Lisa Towne Dave and Gail Weeks Margo and Rick Wilhelmsen Sue and Kevin Yarrington Cover Contents Books Home Hire Stories  If you are looking for signs of encouragement, I can tell you where not to look.
You won't find positive reinforcement in negative places. If you watch, listen or dwell on all the ugliness in the news, you will feel hopeless and helpless. If you keep company with people who only see the worst in others, they will eventually bring out the worst in you. If you choose music, entertainment, thought and pastimes that are depressing or destructive, you may find your life and attitude sucks without ever truly understanding why. And lastly, if you choose to remain stuck, you will never go anywhere. So where should you look for signs of encouragement? Well, for starters, you are reading a book called Encouraging Words 2, so that's a good thing. It means you are actively seeking messages that can be uplifting and reassuring. And if you find it helpful in any way, you can always read the first edition Encouraging Words. (Sorry about that Shame-Les plug.) :-) Secondly, you can turn off the bad news and listen to some good news instead. What that good news looks like all depends on your personal taste. The internet is full of highly effective motivational talks, deeply moving spiritual messages and incredibly educational resources. So just pick one and see if it is a good fit. If so, explore other resources like it. If not, move on to something or someone else until you find one that speaks to you. Thirdly, to the best of your ability (and being mindful of your personal safety), minimize or eliminate the time you spend with toxic people and instead seek out the company of positive people. You might find those life enriching people in uplifting churches, interesting meetups, fun classes, personal development groups, or when volunteering to help others. Yes it means you will have to get out of your comfort zone, but then, if you are uncomfortable where you are at right now, isn't it worth it? Fourthly, instead of doing something meaningless, do something meaningful. Limit the amount of binge watching, gaming, social media, or anything else unproductive or unhealthy that you binge on. Instead, get involved in something that will help you feel the joy of belonging, contributing and achieving. And please, if you've gotten yourself into something that has overtaken your life, get professional help and/or find a support group that can help you reclaim it. Finally, if you are in a rut so deep it feels like a grave then it is time for you to push yourself to go somewhere. That might mean something as small as going for a daily walk, going the gym or taking a cooking class. Or it could be as big as going back to school, starting a interesting side job, visiting an old friend, or taking a trip to somewhere where you've always wanted to go. The mere fact that you are pushing yourself forward to improve, enrich or delight your life will help you get excited about your future instead of being miserably stuck in the past. Wrapping up. Okay, I realize this all may sound a little preachy and oversimplified. But it is my hope in reading this and the other posts that follow, that you - or someone you love - will find some direction here. Because as William James, the man called the Father of American Psychology, once stated, "The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes." So here's hoping you use as a sign to start making your life and attitude even more enjoyable, admirable and rewarding. Because it truly is yours for the taking and you truly deserve all of that and more. Cover Contents Books Home Hire Stories  Original Facebook post October 8, 2013
New friends are wonderful. They add a fresh excitement to life. But there is nothing in the world like an old friend. One who who has seen you at your best and at your worst... And loves you anyway. So this goes out to all those who are blessed to know the rare riches they have in their lifelong friendships. And to those who do what it takes to maintain, repair and/or add to those most valuable relationships. And for all those who are putting their hearts and time into turning new friends into old friends. Cover Contents Books Home Hire Stories  Original Facebook post August 7, 2013
Someone once gave me this advice when I hit a rough stretch. I didn't want to hear the "long road" part... But I sure hung on to the promise that thankfully proved to be true. So this goes out to everyone who needs encouragement. No matter how your life got broken, it can get better if you just keep moving forward. One step at a time. With your heart turned toward heaven. With your mind focused on learning the lessons. And your eyes fixed on the happiness that lies ahead. Cover Contents Books Home Hire Stories  Original Facebook post November 25, 2013
One of my favorite things to write is success stories. It doesn’t matter if it’s for sport magazines, business publications or personal development organizations - I love writing them all. I love the triumph over adversity. I love the part where the crushing mistakes become uplifting lessons. I love hearing how one person’s efforts rippled out to ultimately impact the lives of many. But most of all, I love hearing how it all started with someone making a tough decision – to do the best they could with what they had where they were in their life. Despite the storm clouds. Regardless of the opinions of others. Coping with temporary defeat. Relentlessly pursuing their goal. So today this post goes out to all those who are in the process of creating their own success stories – whether that’s striving for an award, changing careers, becoming healthy, breaking an addiction, raising a family, letting go of heartbreak and disappointment, or just starting life over. If you are at your lowest point, my heart goes out to you. But remember, what you are facing today is the very thing that will make your success story resonate with others who think that no one could ever understand their situation. If you are at the middle, keep pressing forward because you are almost there, and the rewards and satisfaction will be like nothing you’ve ever experienced. And if you are at the end of your journey, celebrate with those who helped you get there. Then share your journey with others. Because you never, ever know who you will inspire to write their own success story. Cover Contents Books Home Hire Stories  Original Facebook post November 18, 2012
I was finishing a hike at Gateway Loop Trail when I saw this magnificent, towering cactus. But I almost missed it entirely because I was distracted by all stuff around it. Now I'll admit I'm not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but even I can see a parallel in life. So this is dedicated to all those who willingly choose to see that Opportunity is now here... Even when it is temporarily obscured from view. Cover Contents Books Home Hire Stories |