There is nothing better than being a child, knowing that your birthday or Christmas is the next day. You lay in bed, anticipating and dreaming, trying to sleep. The world is full of possibilities. You can’t help but wish and dream big.   You dream of baby dolls and shiny pedal cars.

Recently, I purchased a lemon. A lemon is the kind of car that looks all shiny and pretty like the skin of a lemon. You believe it is going to be sweet and wonderful, then you bite into it and your face collapses with the shockingly sour experience. It used 4 quarts of oil in 4 days, while spewing blue smoke.

Elliott Drives

It was at the moment when I found myself buying a lot of oil, that my Lemon became a gift. You see I began dreaming. I saw a new red 4-wheel drive jeep, with knobby tires and fancy lights pass me and thought; now there is a practical car. The world was suddenly full of possibilities, all out of my budget, but I couldn’t stop thinking of ways to expand my budget.

Dreaming became fun again. You see, dreams mean possibilities, and possibilities are things to be hoped for. Hope is a wonderful feeling. Hope can lead us in positive directions. Hope motivates us.

I have enjoyed dreaming. If I had it all, I wouldn’t have anything to look forward to. Well, thanks to my Lemon, I was reminded that dreams and hopes are not only important, but make our days as bright as a child’s night before Christmas.

It was dreaming and hoping and wishing that brought me to my old house by the sea, writing to you, driving my Lemon. Now it’s time to dream again, dream of dependable cars.

Think click, be….

…hopeful and dream of good things.

by Shannon Symonds, Billion Clicks Contributor

Gerilyn teaches various life skills; friendship, respect, test taking, bullying, being a good student, tattling vs. reporting, positive thinking, and so forth.  A friend introduced her to the concept of clicking.  She began thinking how she could use the concept in a school setting and put together a lesson plan using the BillionClicks video and a children’s book titled, “What Are You Thinking?”  by Valerie Ackley and Lori Nawyn.

Putting on her feeling “blue” sunglasses, and also armed with “rose colored” glasses she marched into 67 classrooms filled with children.

Gerilyn taught them the value of positive thinking.  She taught them that they could change their moods.  Their thoughts are powerful.  They can look on the “sunny” side.  She issued the spark, that ignited an inferno of positive thinking!

She wore three clickers and also had a tally counter app on her phone.  Whenever she visited the school she was swarmed by students in the hallways, at recess, in the lunchroom, anywhere she was visible.  They wanted to come tell her their happy thoughts and click!

Each classroom started keeping count and they kept Gerilyn busy logging clicks to the website every day.   They would work in groups to come up with their positive thoughts and things they were grateful for.  Gerilyn talked  about using tally marks on papers and having them turn it into her, or their teachers.  ”I would arrive in my office to find cards the students had made for me that said, “My clicks to help!”" she says.

No clicker?   No matter!

Maree Pope, a first grade teacher at one of the schools, shared with me some of the magic that took place in her classroom.  After Gerilyn introduced clicking to her students, the question was always asked, “Is that a clicker thought?”  One of her students begged her mother to get her a clicker.  She received one in the evening and by the next morning at school she was so excited to show her teacher that she already had 50 clicks!  Mrs. Pope then had her keep track of all the good in the classroom for the day.  She even clicked when a fellow student said thank you (because usually he’s kinda mean)  She could not wait for Mrs Jensen, the school counselor to come so she could show her the clicker with all her happy thoughts!

Gerilyn shares this, “It was inspiring to watch as little children who were frustrated with the day when I walked into the class, could change their moods when they learned they had the power to choose how they wanted to feel.  Smiling faces began to light up the room.  The energy was so high!”

“It has been one month since beginning this experiment of positive thinking.  I started teaching the second week of April.  It took me three weeks to reach all 67 classrooms.  Both schools have a higher morale.  In some cases the tardies have dropped considerably.  People are showing more respect and kindness.  Many students have opened their own accounts with parents help.  Several have bought clickers and wear them to school to click throughout the day.  The students who have their clickers visible have many other students run up to them and ask if they can click too.  When I get called in to the office due to a behavioral problem, I wear my clicker.  Those students have a complete transformation in a matter of moments when they start thinking positive.  Positive thinking has taken on a life of its own.  I am grateful that I am in a position to be able to teach and influence so many children for good.  If they can learn the power of positive thinking at this young age, it will change their lives forever.”

FYI- As of today Gerilyn’s students have logged over a whopping half-million clicks!!!  Yes!  That’s 502,715 clicks, and they still keep rolling in!

Gerilyn not only inspired all of her students, but also many more that hear of her story.  Her efforts to encourage and uplift a child are praiseworthy.  The world is a better place with people like Gerilyn.  And all who choose to BE the good.

Think. Click. Be…

A teacher

Article by Rebecca Anderson, Billion Clicks Contributor

Yesterday began at 5:45 am.  My husband and I drove our 15 year old son to Maryland, an hour  away, to play in a 3 game lacrosse tournament.

After watching one game, we left our son in capable hands and quickly drove back to Virginia to pick up another child for his lacrosse playoff game.  Upon arriving home, we fed the other four children lunch and hopped into the car to make the next game (an hour away). We baked in the sun as this game headed into overtime. This meant the clock was seriously ticking as we worried if we could make it to the next child’s opening band performance at the baseball field.  I was surrounded by nervous parents barely able to watch the nail biter game unfold, hoping for a win that would lead to another game the following day. I on the other hand, was secretly hoping this game would quickly end…FOR GOOD, meaning we would lose (I know, horrible) and be done with the season.  And it happened, we lost.  With a pretend sad face, we consoled the surrounding parents and kids (our child was glad it was over too) and rushed to our next destination (yep, an hour away).

We hustled, entering the stadium just as his band was beginning their first song.  With a sigh of relief, we settled in and enjoyed a thirty minute concert made up of three very talented musicians.  Afterwards, we enjoyed a few innings of baseball, before we headed back home.

As the sun began to set, I reflected on this busy day.  At times, I felt overwhelmed, even cranky, as we rushed from place to place. But it was the who we were rushing to see that made me smile. It was my children.  And well worth a day of rushing.

Think, Click, Be…

Willing to Rush  (for the right reason)

Written by Heather Porter, Billion Click Contributor

I am going to let you in on a little secret. I like NASCAR racing.

I know how what it means to draft,  put a wedge in the chassis, and how to change four tires in less than 20 seconds.

When a driver wins a race he drives a victory lap around the track. He deserves it after driving over 170mph for three hours straight, right?

The sport of track and field also participates in victory laps. Have you ever watched an Olympian  run around the track holding their country’s flag?

In both cases of victory, blood, sweat, and tears are usually involved and a whole lot of deserving pride!

Might I suggest right now we all stand up and run a victory lap, whether it be in your office or in your home or even at a real track! (No speeding!) Surely you have done something awesome today and forgot to celebrate your victory.

In nascar racing the drivers HAVE to take pit stops, to refuel, rotate tires and make adjustments to their cars. The entire time their crew chief (a.k.a coach) is giving them positive feed back about what they have done and where they need to go next.

DO NOT let the speed of life keep you from taking a pit stop to celebrate your accomplishments and allow you to refuel for the rest of the journey.

I find too often my friends do something awesome and don’t give them self due credit. For example if you are trying to lose 30 lbs and lose 5 lbs don’t think “man I have 25 more to go”. Instead say “Wahooo! I lost 5 lbs!  Yes, I CAN DO THIS!” Take the time to run the mental victory lap! You deserve it!

Maybe you finally took the time to clean out the junk drawer (and find all the missing items in your house!). Do a victory lap in the kitchen because you  accomplished something awesome!

Maybe today was your highest day of positive thoughts ever so do a victory lap…and then click again!

The whole point is you’re on the right track track to victory.  Keep it up!

Think. Click. Be….VICTORIOUS!!

Article by Shasta Howard, Billion Clicks Contributor

Hilary Weeks

A  few months ago I was promoted at work. It meant new people and new things to do. It also meant feeling a bit out of place and nervous. I decided not to focus on me.  I decided instead to put my clicker on my desk, think positive, focus on others and do positive things for others.

I began by placing a bowl of M&Ms next to my desk. It was like I had set a new friend  trap. Immediately, people began discussing the chocolate bait. M&M addiction is a powerful thing.

Gradually my plan worked and people began standing around the bowl chatting. I listened and began learning about my coworkers, their families, hobbies and how their days were going. I heard about their needs and learned to care about them.

Every chance I got, I did a little something. I opened doors, cleaned up messes, and picked up lunches. Each time, I got back more than I gave.

As I continued to keep the focus on others I learned more and more about the people I worked with. The more I learned, the more I cared and the more happy thoughts I had to click about.

“Spread love everywhere you go.

Let no one leave you without leaving happier.”

 Mother Teresa

 This morning when I came to work someone had left a giant size bag of M & Ms on my chair. I put them in the jar and waited for my new friends.

Think, click and be….

…in the service of others.

By Shannon Symonds, Billion Clicks Contributor

I’m the youngest of six children,  the one in the pink pj’s.  My mother says she worried that I’d never learn to walk because I was always being carried by someone.  My siblings would say that I tattled a lot.  But they would also say that they all felt protective of me.  Sheltered me.  Watched over me.  And I would agree.  I was very well preserved thanks to them.

Like all children, I struggled to find my place at times.  I felt different.  I felt un-pretty.  I felt incapable.

Do you ever wonder what it would be like, if the adult you, ran into the child you? I think of that often.  What would I say to the child me?

I would tell her that she is beautiful, unique, kind, resilient, and loved.  Very, very loved.

I would tell her that she is strong, creative, talented, and smart.

I would tell her that she is going to make more right decisions than wrong.

I would tell her that her future family will treat her like a queen, and that she’ll deserve it.

Can you imagine being able to do that?  The “mother” in us would immediately come take over to coddle, love, and nourish our “me” child.  So why aren’t we doing that right now?

We would never talk to the child us, like we do the adult us.  Speak to yourself just as you would the child you. Just as you would your own child.  Champion yourself, build yourself, love yourself!

Think. Click. Be…

loving to yourself

Article by Rebecca Anderson, Billion Clicks Contributor

 Think, Click, Be…

Stonger.

Article by Heather Porter, Billion Clicks Contributor

Today is the last of school in our house, which means summer has arrived rather abruptly!

Children are dreaming of long days at the pool. Perhaps your family is planning a fabulous vacation or reunion. Schedules won’t be dictated by school zones or homework.

It’s exciting isn’t it?

On the flip side there is the heat, kids that suddenly get bored, kids that squabble “he’s breathing my air!”

Might I suggest an idea to keep your summer fun and positive no matter where or who you live with?

SERVICE!

“Everybody can be great..because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”  —Martin Luther King Jr.

Now if you tell your family “let’s go serve someone,” they might not be thrilled. So mix it with a “let’s go have some fun” attitude.

Here are a few ideas to inspire you:

–Volunteer at your local animal shelter, its usually air conditioned and open to a wide variety of ages, including children.

–Host a block party so that your neighbors can get to know each other better. Sure it’s a party and also serving friendship too!

–Rally your family to do yard work for an elderly neighbor. Even if you have little kids this is doable because many elderly love the company of younger children that remind them of their youth.

–Go to a local beach or lake and clean up the shore–and then go for a swim afterwards!!

–Host a bake sale or lemonade stand (and sample for quality control of course) and then take some of the profit and donate it to a local charity.

I’d love to hear what you come up with too!

Think. Click. Be—serving in the summer

Article by Shasta Howard, Billion Click Contributor

It is 7079 miles from Oregon to an army base in Afghanistan. I know, because I am walking there.  I belong to a group created by 4 small children and their mother, who are symbolically walking to meet their Dad in Afghanistan.

Jeff is a Captain in the United States Army and the father of 4. He has served 2 tours in Iraq and 1 in Afghanistan. I saw Jeff’s first baby before he did. His first child entered the world on a Wednesday, while he was in basic training. Although family notified the Sargent, he chose not to tell Jeff. Jeff found out he was a father on the following Sunday, when he was allowed to go to church and check his email.

Shy and quiet teenagers, Jeff and Julie met at a Virginia church dance. They lived over an hour apart and only saw each other at church events. Eventually Julie’s family moved to the west coast, leaving Jeff on the east coast.  When Jeff volunteered to serve a church mission for 2 years, their only communication was through letters.

Jeff’s wife Julie said, “Little would we know that so much of our life together would actually be apart, filled with waiting, always waiting. Right after he got home (from his church mission); we planned our wedding and got married. We were technically engaged for only 2 months but had known each other for 5 years, and known for a while that we wanted to be together forever.  We now have 4 children, ages 9, 7, 5, and 1-years old. …By the time we had two kids, he had spent more time with the guys he went through basic (training with), than we had together.  At this point, we have spent at least half of our marriage apart.”

A father who loves his children is a gift. Jeff loves his children with all his heart. Every moment he is home, they are the center of his focus and he is involved in their lives to the best of his ability. Whether it is by Skype, email or phone, he is always anxious to connect with his family. That is the reason, that in an imperfect world, Julie and her children are perfectly willing to wait as long as it takes for Papa Jeff’s return.

So how do you stay positive and happy when your dad, and sweetheart, is stationed so far away? Julie and her children began a project called, “Walk to Afghanistan.” They created a Facebook page. Julie and the kids invited friends and family in their support system to log their miles on the Facebook page. Each week or so, the miles are added up as the kids, friends and family post them on the page, along with love notes to Jeff.

When it began, we all wondered how we would log 7079 miles. It seemed impossible. Every 1 mile ran or walked counted. Every ten minutes of exercise counted as one mile. Here are a few entries from the page:

Gary: 80 minutes swimming this morning outside temp was still only 48 degrees, but once I warmed up or went numb it was perfect… Now if only the walk from the pool to the locker room were warmer… I did love the sun rise over the mountains this morning though.

Jamie: 45 min spin class-no mile counter….I’m alive!

Erin: Walked half an hour yesterday….it’s a start. Probably 2 miles.

Papa Jeff: 33 miles the last two weeks…and it is starting to get hot! We will be packing up the cross fit equipment soon, so it will be a lot more cardio.

Julie: Thank you to everyone who has kept going….. We are now at 5150 miles! 1929 miles left to go with 3 months left!

Julie began the, “Walk to Afghanistan,” project in an effort to help her children pass the time while their father was gone. She shared, “Little did I realize the impact it would have.  I was thinking more about trying to make sure we all get out and exercise, an incentive or reason to get out and get in shape, a goal to work towards and help the time to pass.  But at this point, that isn’t the part that stands out to me.  At this point the part what has come to mean the most to me is seeing all the support we have out there.  Knowing that others are thinking of us, of him…knowing that during those times where time is dragging on and I am struggling, that we have support from others.  It can be hard to remember that sometimes, but this Walk to Afghanistan project has helped bring that to my attention even more.”

Julie chose a positive way to pass challenging times. Life can be difficult. Our children may have a long distance dads or no dad at all. When life is hard, and we feel alone, remember to be creative and look for positive ways to live each day. Be grateful for the good men in your family’s life. The world is full of good fathers working hard and doing good things. Focus on the good men and create the positive ways to connect with family and friends.

Our little group has almost arrived symbolically in Afghanistan. Perhaps, we will celebrate Fathers Day in Afghanistan. This Father’s Day, thank the good men who are in your children’s lives. Whether they are dad, grandpa, uncle or family friend, focus on the good they do. Many thanks go to the men and women who serve our country. Thank you for protecting and defending out families.

Think….click….be….

…..positively creative and celebrate the good fathers in the world.

 …by Shannon Symonds, Billion Clicks Contributor

Noelle is a wife, mother, youth leader, oh…and an Olympian!

For those of you who don’t know who Noelle is, here is some of her background…

Throughout high school she competed in soccer, basketball, softball, track and field, bobsled, and skeleton.  She graduated from Mountain View High School in 2001 and went on to attend UVU where she continued to compete in track and field and graduated 1st team All-American with a Bachelor’s degree in Community Health in 2005.  During that time she broke the UVU high jump record and was the NJCAA National Discus Champion.

That same year, she became the first woman ever to win the Overall World Cup Title in skeleton.  She was favored to win the Gold Medal going into the 2006 Winter Olympics.  At the U.S. Olympic trials in October of 2005 an unfortunate accident kept her from competing in the Olympic Games.  A bobsled unexpectedly came out of the track and hit her.  She sustained a compound fracture to her lower right leg and because of this injury she was unable to compete in the Olympics.  The following year, she came back to win the World Championships by the largest margin in the history of the sport!  She continued on with her education and received a Master’s degree in Business Administration in 2007.

In 2008 Noelle decided to take a year off from competition and she and her husband Janson had a little girl, Lacee Lynne Pace.  During this time, she started her own hat business, SnowFire Hats, and resumed competing the following year.

Noelle competed in the 2010 Winter Olympics, on a sled that her husband built, and was the top U.S. finisher, finishing 4th, just one-tenth of a second out of the medals.

She retired after the Olympics to spend more time with her family, and in 2011 baby boy Traycen joined the fam!  But Noelle couldn’t shake the itch and in the summer of 2012, her and her husband Janson decided that she would give it one last try to earn an Olympic Medal! (IF the family could travel all-together.)  They were able to raise enough money last season to make it happen and Noelle had her best results ever, including a Gold Medal on the 2014 Olympic Track in Sochi, Russia!

I’m lucky enough to be a friend and neighbor of Noelle’s.  I know first hand what a positive person she is.  Noelle has achieved what she has through hard work, determination, and first and foremost, “Charting her Course.”  In her words, no Olympic athlete has made it to the Olympics without first charting their course by making short term and long term goals. I asked Noelle how she went about charting her course….

“In order to chart your course, you have to know where you want to go.  And to go somewhere, you have to have a plan and know the steps you need to take along the way to help you arrive at your destination.”

By making small and simple goals she achieved her BIG goals and dreams. “I learned at a young age the importance of setting goals for myself.  Big goals and dreams are great…but if you don’t have a plan, or if you don’t make smaller goals to help you obtain those big ones, it is very likely that you will end up far from where you had hoped to be.  It all begins with taking the first step.  I set the goal of going to the Olympics many years ago and have set hundreds, if not thousands, of small goals for myself along the way.”

It was not always smooth sailing for Noelle.  She experienced some major set backs and injuries, but just kept pushing forward.  ”Each of us has been given the ability to choose right or wrong, good or bad, chocolate cake or salad. (I’m not gonna lie…I love my chocolate lava molten cake with extra hot fudge and chocolate ice cream on top!)  Along with these choices we are blessed with the option to choose to be positive or we can be negative.  We can move forward in life no matter what comes our way, we can see the good in our lives and we can count our blessings.  Another option that we can choose is to find fault with everything in our lives that just isn’t perfect.  We can let our doubts, worries and fears take control of our lives and keep us from progressing forward.  Trials and obstacles will come.  There is not doubt about that.  But it is up to us to choose how we will handle those challenges.”

Any sports psychologist will tell you that a sport is mostly mental.  In fact, some have claimed that sport is 100% mental!  With that in mind I asked Noelle how focusing on her mental game and keeping positive has worked for her.  ”Positive thinking has a way of eliminating my doubts and fears.  It has allowed me to do things that I would have never imagined I could do.  Positive thinking has given me strength beyond my own.  Whether it is for training, competing, overcoming an injury, being a mom, or making a big life decision.”

“A specific instance that I use positive thinking within my sport is when I imagine myself going down the track, at 90 miles an hour with my chin just one inch off the ice.  I tell myself where I want to go.  I focus on the drives that I need to make in order to set myself up correctly for the next curve.  When I first began sliding skeleton I would think, “Don’t hit the wall!!  Don’t go in late!  Don’t mess up!  Don’t crash!”

And can you guess where she sometimes ended up?  Hitting the wall, going in late, messing up, and crashing!

“To be honest with you, it took a few years for me to realize just how important our minds are in what we actually can achieve.  I began to focus on positive thinking.  I began to think, “Stay straight! Go 6 inches to the left! Look center! Lower my head! Nice job Noelle!” It has been amazing to see the differences that positive thinking has made in my life, whether it is getting through a workout or competing at the Olympic Games.

What is your dream?  What is your BIG and small goals?  Whatever they are, you can do them!!

Noelle sums it up perfectly…

“Life is just too good to waste on negative thoughts.  There are so many great things, goals, and dreams just waiting for us to obtain.  By small and simple things…yes…but I believe it could also be by small and simple THOUGHTS great things truly can come to pass.  Start right now!  Believe in yourself and your dreams.  Set small goals, stay positive and go for it!”

If you are interested in helping Noelle reach her dream of competing in the 2014 Winter Olympics, visit her donation page!

http://www.noellepikuspace.com/  or another way to support is to purchase a SnowFire Hat from her at http://www.snowfirehats.com/

GO NOELLE!

Think. Click. Be…

Charting your course

Article by Rebecca Anderson, A Billion Clicks Contributor