Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

For the past two years I have followed Christine Kane’s lead in choosing one word to guide me through the year. Focus was my word for 2008. What I discovered about finding focus was interesting and quite helpful.

Frustrated with needing to manage several lines of communications – emails, tweets Facebook comments and the like – my word for 2009 was streamline.

In 2009 I intended
To email, DM and PM
My people, peeps and tweeps
For wazoodles, widgets and gidgets
To follow, connect and friend
Friends, readers, robots too!

I did not find a way
I am sad to say
To mash together
Facebook, Linkedln, Flickr,
YouTube, Viddler, and Twitter.

I did not find a way
To be the best connector,
Inter-actor and communicator
With one left thumb.

“The reason?” you ask.
I was too busy
Emailing, tweeting, commenting,
Following, too,
To find a better way.
Streamline in 2009, I did not.

But, all is not lost.
There’s still hope
For a new year begins soon
And I’m giving myself a redo!

A do-over to try again
To mash together
All these messages,
To be the best connector,
Inter-actor and communicator
With one left thumb.

Will you help me
Streamline in 2010?
Would you leave your
Thoughts, ideas and tips
On wazoodles, widgets and gidgets
To follow, connect and friend
Friends, readers, robots too,
In the comment box below, please?
I thank you,
My friends, my readers,
My followers, too!

Several weeks ago, I had the honour of being a speaker at BlogWorld in Las Vegas.

Picking up my badge in the Speaker’s Line at Registration early Thursday morning, a few eyebrows were raised when I was asked if, indeed, I was a speaker.

Yes! Unbelievable, isn’t it?

A few short years ago, me, given my significant speech impairment due to my cerebral palsy, speaking at a large conference was Impossible. But, with advances in technology, creativity, determination, and a patient and understanding audience, the impossible became possible!

That speaker’s badge for the conference of the blogging industry represents a huge milestone in my story “Love at First Sound Byte: A Woman’s Journey from Being Labeled Non-Verbal to Being a Well-Sought-After Speaker” (potentially the title for my next book?).

Shortly before my presentation time, I checked in at the Speaker Ready Room – another sign that the impossible was now possible.

I didn’t hang around in there though. I thought being in the same room as superstar speakers might cause me to panic even more; I was already feeling my athetoid cerebral palsy kicking in as my body began tightening.

Rather, I headed to the room where WordCamp Las Vegas was now being held. The last minute room change was one of many glitches to befall my panel presentation.

Actually, I wanted to catch the panel with Chris Garrett, Darren Rowse and Jeremy Wright. Even though Chris and Darren had written the very successful ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income, this was the first time they had presented together on the same stage.

When i first read ProBlogger, I had goose bumps reading how Chris and Darren both got started with blogging and how they turned it into a substantial income source in their own ways. They are what I would like to be when I become a grown-up blogger.

Following such an impressive panel, I felt my athetoid-ism kick up another notch. Part way into their presentation, I even tweeted, “I’m on at 1pm after @chrisgarrett & @problogger. No freakin’ pressure here!”

Once on stage – after a glitch with the stage lift and a technical glitch with the sound system – my co-panelist Damien Patton introduced our session and then kindly introduced me. 

As soon as I began my PowerPoint presentation, I realized the headings on the top and the captions on the bottom of the slides were cut off; apparently a glitch with the projector’s resolution. Here I am about to present on accessibility and one of my key accessibility features (i.e. captions, which took days to create) was not working. How annoying and frustrating! But, in the moment, I could not do anything except to carry on – without captions.

With all of the glitches and being star-strucked, I was not in the most relaxed state. My athetoid cp was in full force. From my side of the stage, I am sure I out spaz’d and out grimaced actor/Parkinson’s advocate Michael J. Fox and cerebral palsy comedian Josh Blue combined.

Somehow my twenty-five minute presentation ballooned to thirty-seven, leaving Damien mere seconds to give his presentation. However, a few years ago, the thought of me giving a thirty-seven minute presentation was inconceivable; impossible.

In the process of making the impossible a possibility, it isn’t always perfect, it isn’t always pretty. The key is to do! Closing in on perfection and prettiness will come from lessons learned and from refining the process. Compared to this presentation, the next one will be a breeze!

To read my presentation as an free ebook, check out How POUR is Your Blog? Tips for Increasing Your Blog Accessibility.

Our Las Vegas Trip in Review

Part 1: Hilton Room Disappoints on Accessibility
Part 2: Dreams Do Come True – With a Little Help from Friends
Part 3: Making the Impossible Possible – Not Always Perfect or Pretty

Forty-three years ago today, doctors weren’t sure I’d survive through the night, and then through the week, which just proves that they don’t always know everything!

Yes, I am 43 today and am proud to say that aloud! (I’ve never understood why  some people keep their age a secret. What are they ashamed of?) I have earned every wrinkle, every bump and lump of cellulite, and every jiggly bit. And each one deserves to be fully celebrated (once I’m feeling better).

What have I learned during this one hell of a journey? Here are a few lessons that readily come to mind:

1. Delete the word can’t from your vocabulary. That four-letter word only restricts and limits you.
2. Always do your best – your best in that moment.
3. Appreciate and find joy in the small things in life. Those moments are truly precious.
4. Smile and have fun.
5. Live without any regrets!

These lessons I share with to you in hopes that you live your life to its fullest and be all that you can be!

One thing about being in a loving and supportive marriage is taking an interest and learning about one another’s hobbies and passions. One of Darrell’s interests is watching car racing, particularly NASCAR. Over the years I have learned way more about NASCAR racing than I ever thought I wanted to know.

Sunday afternoons during the season typically finds Darrell watching the televised NASCAR race. I watch a few laps with him, ask a few pesky questions – Why was a caution called? What does [insert racing terminology] mean? How many more laps? – then I carry on folding cloths, cleaning the cat box or tweeting with friends before going back to watch a few more laps with my hubby.

While watching one race, Darrell mentioned that his dream was to ride in a NASCAR and to feel the speed.

For a guy who was heartbroken at 16 because he was not able to learn how to drive, even with hand controls available, because of his double vision and lack of depth perception, his dream had extra meaning.

I filed away that tidbit.

Then, during a race earlier this spring, I received an email from my friend Damien Patton who is also an avid NASCAR fan and had worked on a pit crew. I mentioned Darrell’s dream to him. Damien’s response was “let’s see what we can do while you’re down here in Vegas for BlogWorld”.

After several emails back and forth, and countless phone calls by Damien and his partner Jennifer, last Tuesday morning found the four of us, in front of the Las Vegas Hilton, loading into a Mercedes and a pick-up truck with a rented U-Haul trailer; our chairs tied down with a web of cables. What a sight we must have been!

Darrell had no idea we were off to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway! Nor for what reason!

With help and patience from the Richard Petty Driving Experience and Damien’s back, Darrell was dressed in a fireproof suit…

and helmet…

and helped into a race car…

then engines were started and Darrell was off to live his dream…

After three laps around the track, his expression was priceless…

(Photo credit: Damien Patton)

Due to a glitch with the onboard video recording, Darrell was given the rare opportunity to live his dream a second time!

I absolutely love this photo of Darrell! The moment he realizes what had just occurred…

(Photo credit: Damien Patton)

A big thank you to the Richard Petty Driving Experience, Damien and Jennifer for making my husband’s lifelong dream come true! I’m so glad I was there to share the moment with Darrell.

Happy 50th, Darrell! I love you. And, remember, dreams really can come true!

Our Las Vegas Trip in Review

Part 1: Hilton Room Disappoints on Accessibility

Part 2: Dreams Do Come True – With a Little Help from Friends

Part 3: Making the Impossible Possible – Not Always Perfect or Pretty

While at SOBCon: Biz School for Bloggers back in May, I had the pleasure of meeting Gail Lynne Goodwin. Overflowing with enthusiasm and passion – and a hug for everyone – I understand why she founded InspireMeToday.com, a website which provides great inspiration from a different luminary each day.

Gail kindly invited me to be a inspirational luminary:

Imagine you had to leave only 500 words as the very best of what you’ve learned in your life, and as a gift to the world. What would you say? This is not your bio or your life story. The goal of this piece is to inspire our readers to live up to their full potential and fully live their dreams.

Who needs coffee when that kind of challenge is given to you early in the morning? After months of procrastination, I finally wrote my message, which came down to one word: try.

To read my message and to be inspired by other luminaries, you will need to register, which is quite simple, but definitely worth it. Go be inspired!

What would be your message to the world?