Bonnie Bolin Peterson

Albert Einstein

(MoneyWatch)  COMMENTARYI don’t know about you, but when I’m watching a football game where the kicker is about to attempt a field goal to win the game, my hands grip the chair, I hold my breath, and I wonder what’s going through the guy’s mind.

When Michigan’s Brendan Gibbons nailed a 37-yard field goal to win the Sugar Bowl in overtime, guess what was going through his mind? Brunette girls. No kidding, that’s what inspires the guy. And it works.

We can’t all be great athletes, so some of us have to “win the big game,” so to speak, with our intuition, our ideas. Which brings us to a subject of much confusion and debate in the business world. What inspires “big idea” people? Asked another way, where do big ideas come from?

Actually, many so-called “left brain” or analytical people I’ve known over the years, including an awful lot of managers and executives, think the whole concept of some people being more intuitive or inspirational than others is pure mythology. Well, maybe it is and maybe it’s not. But scientists say that intuition can be a powerful factor in human decision-making and idea creation. For what it’s worth, I agree.

Following your Intuition can be as simple as listening to a little voice in your head, trusting a feeling or sense of warning, or following your own internal “focus group of one,” against the “better judgment” of many.

Where does it come from? Good question. It’s probably a vestige of an evolutionary survival mechanism. An “intuitive” caveman sensing danger, for example, would hide in his cave and avoid being eaten by some blood-crazed saber-toothed tiger. Since he survived, he’d pass that instinct on. At least that’s the theory.

In any case, human intuition has probably been on the decline for some time, owing to an increasing dependence on our overdeveloped neocortex, logical reason, and technology, and not to mention a significant decline in people living in caves with bloodthirsty predators around.

Don’t even get me started on our newly found addiction to gadgets, social media, and instantaneous communication. You can’t sense or intuit anything when you’re distracted. Personally, I think that’s sad, considering there’s at least anecdotal evidence that intuition plays a significant role in scientific, technological, and business innovation.

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For example, against all logic, Albert Einstein was obsessed with light. That passion for light and his famous thought experiments where he pondered what he would see if he rode on a beam of light led to the special theory of relativity and E=MC2, one of the greatest discoveries in the history of physics.

In his book “Idea Man: A Memoir by the Co-founder of Microsoft,” Paul Allen says he came up with the big idea that made Microsoft more money than just about any business in history: Charging per-copy royalties for the IBM PC operating system instead of a flat license fee.

And what possessed entrepreneur Mark Cuban to sell Broadcast.com to Yahoo for $5.9 billion in stock and then immediately hedge that stock against a market crash at the very peak of the dot-com bubble? All the so-called experts rode the market down and lost trillions in investment capital.

Now, I’m no Einstein, but I have worked together with a large number of innovative entrepreneurs, engineers, and executives over the decades. In my experience, There are five relatively common factors that inspire intuitive people and ultimately lead to big ideas:

Concentration and focus. Freedom from distraction. Now, that can mean music, white noise, cheering crowds, or even thoughts of brunette girls. People concentrate and focus in different ways. Whatever works.

The team. There’s something about putting a group of exceptional people in a room together that inspires them to do great things. How that works is described in “Organizing Genius,” an inspiring book by Warren Bennis and Patricia Ward Biederman.

Brainstorming. Ideation, bouncing ideas around, call it what you want — it works for lots of people. Personally, I do better alone with a glass of wine or lots of caffeine, but that’s just me.

Success. There’s undoubtedly a certain momentum or positive feedback loop that comes from success or accomplishing something that makes you feel really good, bigger than life, capable of doing great things. It can be self-fulfilling.

Doing what you love to do. Steve Jobs hit the nail on the head when he said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” Amen to that.

CBSNEWS Steve Tobak

Steve Tobak is a consultant and former high-tech senior executive. He’s managing partner of Invisor Consulting, a management consulting and business strategy firm.

My nephew once told me, after finding out his only child was about to give birth to his 5th grandchild, “If I had known grandchildren were so much fun, I would have started with them first!”

Well, now I think I fully understand his statement. My great-grandson spent his 7th birthday with me, which was yesterday! He’s actually 7 going on 30!  OMG It’s hell getting old…I’m completely worn out and feel a little bit stupid, but I had a wonderful time answering to “Grandy” and watching him incessantly win every video game we played. His grandparents, my son and daughter-in-law, gave him an electric scooter and I was enthralled with watching him ride up and down my street while the good old Texas sun beat down on both of us, frying us like bacon. And this was after we spent an evening watching  neighbors shooting off fireworks (ahem) in the city. When a policeman came along Brad overheard him tell them to stop or they would be fined; he immediately said that I shouldn’t worry,  if I were arrested he would bail me out with his $5! I feel very honored…

Geeez, where do kids come up with this stuff?

I have to ask, did you know what a homophone was when you were barely seven years old? Well, I certainly didn’t! In fact, I’m not sure I knew until I was an adult! Brad and I were driving back from our favorite pizza spot and he said,

“Grandy did you know that ‘cool’ is a homophone?”

I, in my most intellectual tone answered. “Huh?”

He says, “Yep, its like when you’re a cool dude, or cool like when it’s cold!”

Okay, so I think he’s the smartest kid, like ever! When I asked what he wanted to be when he grew up he said he wanted to do what his dad does, “Talk on the phone all day and make lots of money, I think that looks easy, don’t you Grandy?” Er, uh….I decided not to answer that one.

Well now I can tell you, “Cars2″ is a great movie in 3D at the IMAX, Seinfeld’s “The Bee Movie” is funny and cute and “Despicable Me” fares very well even on the third showing.

Frankly, I had forgotten what it’s like for someone to ask for all your “change” when a purchase is made, only later to find nickles, dimes and pennies hiding in the furniture, the passenger seat of my car and on the floor…never quarters though, they’re too precious, for you see, that is what video games ingest with astonishing speed!

I do hope you forgive me for going on and on about my little guy. I just want to warn you, it will happen to you too if and when you have grandchildren….and yeah, my nephew was right about starting with them first, LOL.

“A grandmother is a little bit parent, a little bit teacher, and a little bit best friend.” 

Brad's 5th dessert on his 7th birthday!

Author: Unknown

Bonnie Bolin Peterson

I wish I could claim this as my idea, but it was actually sent to me in the mail (not email) and I enjoyed it so much I wanted to share it with you; I have no idea where it originated. It really doesn’t matter if your faith lies in a particular religion or not, who or what you pray to, or if you believe in Astrology; this is meant to bring a smile to your face as you read it and to perhaps recall comparing your own personality trait, per your sun sign, to that of potential new friends. It’s meant purely to entertain you:

Is This What You May Say to God?

Aries – March 21 – April 19:

“Dear God, give me patience and could you do it right now?”

Taurus – April 20 – May 20:

“Dear Lord, help me accept change in my life…but not yet.”

Gemini - May 21 – June 20:

“You God, or is it Goddess? Who are You? What are You? How many of You are there? I can’t figure You out!”

Cancer – June 21 – July 22:

“Dear Daddy, I know I shouldn’t  depend on you so much, but You’re the only One I can count on while my security blanket is at the cleaners.”

Leo – July 23 – August 22:

“Hi Pop. I’ll bet You’re really proud to have me as Your kid!”

Virgo – August 23 – September 22:

“Dear God, please make the world a better place and please don’t mess it up like You did the last time.”

Libra – September 23 – October 22:

” Dear God, I know I should make decisions for myself, but on the other hand, what do YOU think?

Scorpio – October 23 – November 21:

“Dear God, help me forgive my enemies even if they don’t deserve it.”

Sagittarius – November 22 – December 21

“OH ALMIGHTY, ALL-KNOWING, ALL-LOVING, ALL-POWERFUL, OMNIPRESENT, EVERLASTING GOD, IF I’VE ASKED YOU ONCE I’VE ASKED YOU A THOUSAND TIMES…HELP ME STOP EXAGGERATING!”

Capricorn – December 22 – January 19:

“Dear Father, I was going to pray, but I guess I ought to figure things out for myself. Thanks anyway.”

Aquarius – January 20 – February 18:

“Hi God! Some say You’re a man, some say You’re a woman, I say we’re ALL God. So let’s just have a party!”

Pisces – February 19 – March 20:

“Heavenly Father, may my every indulgence be for Thy greater Honor and Glory.”

Singing the national anthem at Yankee Stadium on Old-Timers’ Day, June 26, is special to DeDe Murcer Moffett.

BY BRYAN PAINTER bpainter@opubco.com Oklahoman    0 

Published: June 19, 2011

NY Yankee Bobby Murcer and Niece DeDe Murcer Moffett

From the time Babe Ruth homered April 18, 1923, in a win over the Boston Red Sox, memories began to mount at Yankee Stadium. DeDe Murcer Moffett and her uncle Bobby Murcer, in picture left, are shown at the Bricktown Ballpark in April 2007. Murcer died in July 2008.

One of the last of the historic days of that famed old ballpark came in early August 2008 as the pinstriped sons of generations gathered along the base paths for Old-Timers’ Day.

That is, with some painful exceptions, including Bobby Murcer, who was a New York Yankees broadcaster after his 17-year major league playing career.

The Oklahoma City native had died less than a month earlier at age 62 after battling brain cancer.

On that August day, rains were brushed from the Bronx sky just as tears were from DeDe Murcer Moffett’s hazel-gold eyes. Wearing a T-shirt proclaiming “Bobby Murcer Fan For Life,” she was among the thousands.

This year, she returns for the Old-Timers’ Game Sunday, June 26 — not as a fan, but to sing the national anthem in memory of her uncle.

The “Star-Spangled Banner” never lacks for emotion, but when DeDe takes the field at the new Yankee Stadium, she will do so in honor of a man who used a smile even more than a bat to turn trials to triumphs.

She will step onto the field having lost her own father and Bobby’s late brother, DeWayne, to cancer in May 1989, and her uncle, Randy, Bobby’s youngest brother, also to cancer earlier this year.

She will step on the field having lived a life where she was active in music, left that for the corporate world, battled alcoholism and just a few years ago returned to recording music, as well as serving as an inspirational speaker.

“With all of that wrapped up into one day, for me, that is going to be the toughest and the sweetest thing getting my emotions in check, feeling the presence of Bobby, because I will,” she said. “I can’t be in Yankee Stadium without feeling that he is there, because he was such a huge figure with that organization.

“It’s an absolute honor and a dream come true.”

Genuine personality

Bobby was an All-Star in five straight seasons from 1971-75.

Overall, he batted .277 with 252 home runs and 1,043 runs batted in.

But his genuine personality drove home much more than runs. He drove home the importance of faith and the value of family.

Just three weeks after Murcer’s surgery in December 2006, a friend from Florida called the love of Bobby’s life, wife Kay Murcer, and said they needed to look at a blog on the Internet.

It was set up for people to leave messages to the beloved Bobby Murcer.

There were 1 million posts. People were praying for him, including those who said they had never prayed before.

Bobby, turning trial to triumph, said, “Think how powerful that can be.”

‘I Believe’

DeDe Murcer Moffett's "I Believe" CD

DeDe had about 25 years in corporate sales for state, regional and national companies.

She consistently won top honors and awards, but she also consistently battled her addiction to alcohol.

In 2007, as she prepared for her marriage to Rick Moffett, she stopped drinking and she began recording again.

Among the songs was one that has been performed by many, “I Believe,” with words and music by Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl and Al Stillman.

She recorded this at a time when trials were finally giving way to triumph in her life and at a time when her uncle was showing that victory could be achieved when losing seemed inevitable.

The song contains the words, “I believe above the storm the smallest prayer will still be heard … ”

Even though the circumstances were extremely different, the niece and her uncle embraced the song.

Bobby and Kay’s daughter, Tori Witherspoon, told DeDe, her cousin, that Bobby and the family were listening to her music when he died.

That makes DeDe cry, and yet it makes her smile.

The latter is good because Bobby didn’t like to smile alone.

Take for example, the time when DeDe was only about 6 years old and her uncle found out she had a crush on one of his teammates, Joe Pepitone.

The family had gone to watch Bobby play and a little while before the game, he pointed to his niece.

“He calls me to come to him and Joe comes over and he introduces me to Joe Pepitone,” DeDe said. “And Joe gives me a kiss on the cheek. That was just really, really special.”

That was Bobby — she smiled, he smiled.

In April this year, the Yankees contacted DeDe, who grew up in Oklahoma and lives in Frisco, Texas, about singing the national anthem on Old-Timers’ Day to honor her uncle’s memory.

She sang the “Star-Spangled Banner” a few years ago at an Oklahoma City RedHawks game and then in December at an Oklahoma City Thunder game.

But this is Yankee Stadium, and this is Old-Timers’ Day and this is for Bobby.

“It’s very special to me because it sort of brings everything together,” she said.

“I grew up loving the New York Yankees because I loved Bobby.”

For more information about DeDe Murcer Moffett:   http://www.DeDeMurcerMoffett.com

Bonnie Bolin Peterson

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve posted on my blog, really can’t say why it’s been so long. I guess I would say ‘living’ got in the way; or perhaps more accurately, I got distracted by bright shiny objects…one after another! It’s eerie how being on the Internet almost daily can not only turn one into a zombie-like android, but push one into overwhelm with “content.”

I made a decision to build some websites on things that interest me, mainly with the idea of helping others as much as possible. My interest in all things metaphysical led me to build a website for people that want to interact with their inner self but have difficulty getting past their core beliefs, fears and negativity in general. The site is Subliminal Methods and it explores all areas of the mind and suggests how easy it is to bypass any innate objections you may have to learning how to get what you want. We know that thoughts we hold in our mind have substance in the mind and therefore manifest in reality. The challenge is to believe at our deepest level that what we want is “already ours” in our mind and all we have to do is claim it. Subliminal mp3′s work to get past limiting beliefs and is a great resource  in any area of your life that you would like to improve, including prosperity, success in business, weight loss, insomnia, overcoming fear of rejection and the list goes on and on. Basically anything you may want to change about your thinking and inner beliefs. Hypnosis is also covered in depth. I encourage you to visit the site at http://www.subliminalmethods.com.

Another site is dedicated to Yoga and Meditation and you’ll find many articles on yoga poses and how to meditate to improve your health and overall well-being. Again, this is a great site to discover what you can do to lose weight, muscle up (if that’s what you want to do), gain flexibility and mental clarity. Your body and mind will be grateful for the attention. The site is http://www.newearth-newyou.com.

For those who, especially in times of economic distress, turn toward the lottery hoping and praying for a miracle cash inflow I built the site Win Big Lotto with loads of tips and techniques and links to people who have secret formulas to winning any lottery more than once. Math professors and others who face the idea of the lottery in scientific terms, and beat the odds. Of course this site is for those individuals who habitually invest in a lottery ticket every week as well. This site is http://www.winbiglotto.org and I think you’ll like what you see there.

If you’ve read any of my other blog posts you may recall that I retired as the director of education and marketing for a nationally affiliated non-profit in the credit and debt elimination sector. I wrote a book on bankruptcy which was sanctioned by the Executive Office of the United States Trustees and I have since  revised the book, emphasizing how anyone can get out of debt quickly without taking on another job, and with no additional income at all. I discuss the ins and outs of credit and debt and provide blank forms and instructions in how to increase credit scores, get out of debt, and provide a better life for you and your family. This site is Credit Score Warrior and the ebook which is instantly downloadable is Credit Score Warrior© I’ve also included a free download of  the ebook: 101 Tips to Boost Your Credit Score. This site is http://www.creditscorewarrior.com.

I plan to build other sites, the name of my company is Intentions in Motion™ I plan to place all of my intentions in motion to help others. I will still speak on personal finance on rare occasions but my emphasis now will be on interacting with others online through blogs, and social media.  My contacts:

http://www.facebook.com/bonnie.b.peterson

http://twitter.com/BonnieBPeterson

http://www.linkedin.com/in/bonniebolinpeterson

Please leave a comment on any of my sites and let me know your thoughts.

"Mature Woman" Hard at Work on the Internet

If a man has some awareness of higher levels and knows that he is free to be anywhere in the universe he may then seek to justify taking part in a physical game. The most self-flattering way to disguise his appetite is to see himself as a bringer of enlightenment, of purity, of virtue. No one, not even he, will question his motives and results: isn’t he doing what he says he is doing? If others fail to reach his height, it’s not his fault – and thus he keeps the game going forever. It’s self-renewing as long as he is unwilling to see that his own vibrations emphasize the evil and ignorance he sees. The more he hates evil, the more evil there is to hate. The more he advises people to resist the material world the more be binds them to it.

And even these comments are the consequence of my own resistance to the “error” of resisting evil. This is a perfect example of how we are always guilty of what we condemn in others. What we see is always ourselves. It is useless to correct anyone’s behavior. If he knew what he was doing, he wouldn’t be doing it, true enough, but he is just as capable of knowing it as we are. If he doesn’t see it of his own free will, is he any more  likely to do so when we tell him? By denying him his freedom to be wrong, we are equally wrong. Giving others the freedom to be stupid is one of the most important and hardest steps to take in spiritual progress. Conveniently the opportunity to take that step is all around us every day.

Those of us who pretend to greater knowledge than our brothers, who report more enlightened experiences, have more to explain precisely because we know more.