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Earlier this week we had some very windy weather. As I rushed down to the basement floor from my top floor office suite, I could hear the tornado warnings blaring outside. Right before I headed downstairs, I searched my bookshelf for something that would take my mind off of the weather outside and keep me entertained while I sat out the storm. I chose Every Day is a Gift, and rushed out of my office.

As I sat in the corner of the basement break room, I started reading a chapter called, "Someday Isle". It really touched me, and I'll explain why. First, though, here's the chapter from Barry Gottlieb's book Every Day is a Gift:

I have often heard it said that one of life's greatest tragedies is when someone dies at a young age. I believe an even greater tragedy would be to live to one hundred, without ever having really lived. Someday Isle is well known to most people. It is a place that we dream of and talk about, but where we never seem to arrive. Someday Isle is all of those things we wanted to do in our lives; all those places we wanted to visit; all those things we wanted to have. But we put them off because of "Someday I'll." Someday I'll try whitewater rafting ... Someday I'll finish school ... Someday I'll move out of this neighborhood ... Someday I'll have a family ... Someday I'll be somebody. Think about it. What have you been putting off doing that you have always wanted to do, to have, to be? Ask yourself, what is keeping you from doing these things? Do you have limiting beliefs or fears? Are these limiting beliefs or fears real, or are they just excuses? What if you didn?t have any excuses? What would you do? I am aware of terminally ill cancer patients that have formed "Adventure Clubs." These patients have been told they are going to die, some in a few months, others in several months, and a lucky few within the next 2-5 years. These patients started adventure clubs to seek out and do everything they were afraid to do when they were "well." They went white water rafting, sky diving, rode roller coasters and ate spicy foods they never tried before. They visited places they always wanted to see, but never made time for. They simply made the best out of every day they had left, without fear or limiting beliefs. They would tell their loved ones they loved them, every day. They didn't hold back! You already know this, but chances are you may have lost sight of it. Nobody is promised tomorrow. We are all going to die one day. You don't need to have a terminal illness to decide you want to live each and every day to the fullest. YOU have that choice today. You always have!

As I sat in the basement hearing the wind howl, I thought of what I would regret if that was my last day on Earth. A lot of "Someday I'll" things that I thought about - travel the globe, digitally record my Dad's stories, learn cooking secrets from my Mom, read the books I've been meaning to read - had potential to become "I never ended up doings".

As the sirens quieted, the wind died down, and we all emerged from our hiding places, I had a renewed interest in turning "Someday Isle" things into "I Did" things.

So, what is on your bucket list? What are some things that you have done that have fulfilled you?

I grew up in Trenton, a west Tennessee town of five thousand people. I have wonderful memories of those first eighteen years, and many people in Trenton influenced my life in very positive ways. My football coach, Walter Kilzer, taught me the importance of hard work, discipline, and believing in myself. My history teacher, Fred Culp, is still the funniest person I've ever met. He taught me that a sense of humor, and especially laughing at yourself, can be one of life's greatest blessings.

But my father was my hero. He taught me many things, but at the top of the list, he taught me to treat people with love and respect...to live the Golden Rule. I remember one particular instance of him teaching this "life lesson" as if it were yesterday. Dad owned a furniture store, and I used to dust the furniture every Wednesday after school to earn my allowance. One afternoon I observed my Dad talking to all the customers as they came in...the hardware store owner, the banker, a farmer, a doctor. At the end of the day, just as Dad was closing, the garbage collector came in.

I was ready to go home, and I thought that surely Dad wouldn't spend too much time with him. But I was wrong. Dad greeted him at the door with a big hug and talked with him about his wife and son who had been in a car accident the month before. He empathized, he asked questions, he listened, and he listened some more. I kept looking at the clock, and when the man finally left, I asked, "Dad, why did you spend so much time with him? He's just the garbage collector." Dad then looked at me, locked the front door to the store, and said, "Son, let's talk."

He said, "I'm your father and I tell you lots of stuff as all fathers should, but if you remember nothing else I ever tell you, remember this...treat every human being just the way that you would want to be treated." He said, "I know this is not the first time you've heard it, but I want to make sure it's the first time you truly understand it, because if you had understood, you would never have said what you said." We sat there and talked for another hour about the meaning and the power of the Golden Rule. Dad said, "If you live the Golden Rule everything else in life will usually work itself out, but if you don't, your life probably will be very unhappy and without meaning."

I recently heard someone say, "If you teach your child the Golden Rule, you will have left them an estate of incalculable value." Truer words were never spoken.

If you're a newsletter subscriber, you may have already read this story. However, with less than a week left before Father's Day, I wanted to share how my father taught me some of the most important lessons that I've learned in my life. Therefore, it made me want to know what lessons did you learn from your father? What examples do you follow from him? What habits will you try to avoid? What are some principles that you want to pass to the next generation?

Today, we have a guest post from, Lisa Hammond! Lisa is best known by her blogger alias, The Barefoot CEO®. Lisa also co-authored one of our newest titles, Oh Thank Goodness, It's Not Just Me! with BJ Gallagher.

In Nevada we don't have the lottery, we have Mega Bucks—a progressive slot machine game—it may not be 300 million dollars, but it is certainly enough to change your life.

I am not a real gambler but whenever we go to the movies we walk right past the Mega Bucks machines and I like to put in a few bucks and fantasize about winning.

So every now and then I like to do what I call my "Mega Bucks Litmus Test". It goes a little something like this…I ponder what I would do if I actually won Mega Bucks.

Over the years there have been times I wouldn't change a thing. There have been times I would make radical changes. And there have been times I would only make slight modifications to my life. But what I have learned about myself is that this somewhat silly Mega Bucks Litmus Test actually has merit.

Life is too short to wait for our 10 million dollar ship to come in!

Whenever I mull over my Mega Bucks Litmus Test I inevitably end up course correcting and adjusting the sails on the ship of my life.

So what would YOU do if you won Mega Bucks?

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can achieve greatly." ~Robert F. Kennedy

On our Facebook page, I shared a video about some famous failures. After some research, I found some other very interesting facts about people who failed on their way to success:

Thomas Edison's teachers said he was "too stupid to learn anything." He was fired from his first two jobs for being "non-productive." As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?" Edison replied, "I didn't fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps."

An expert said of Vince Lombardi: "He possesses minimal football knowledge and lacks motivation." Lombardi would later write, "It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get back up."

The first time Jerry Seinfeld walked on-stage at a comedy club as a professional comic, he looked out at the audience, froze, and forgot the English language. He stumbled through "a minute-and a half" of material and was jeered offstage. He returned the following night and closed his set to wild applause.

In 1947, one year into her contract, Marilyn Monroe was dropped by 20th Century-Fox because her producer thought she was unattractive and cannot act.

JK Rowling lived on welfare for years. A failing author, she went on to write the Harry Potter series, and today has an estimated worth over $1B. Among many recent notable successes, she performed Harvard's commencement speech.

After his first audition, Sidney Poitier was told by the casting director, "Why don't you stop wasting people's time and go out and become a dishwasher or something?" Poitier vowed to show him that he could make it, going on to win an Oscar and become one of the most well-regarded actors in the business.

The billion-dollar business that is Honda began with a series of failures and fortunate turns of luck. Soichiro Honda was turned down by Toyota Motor Corporation for a job after interviewing for a job as an engineer, leaving him jobless for quite some time. He started making scooters of his own at home, and spurred on by his neighbors, finally started his own business.

What is your failure to success story?

We ALL Have Something to Contribute to Life

"Someone out there needs you more than you need them!" – Lt. General Hal Moore

I remember a day, many years ago, when I had the privilege to meet Alma Powell. "Young or old, you still have something to give to your country," she said. Now that I'm squarely positioned in the "mature" segment of our population, I think a lot about the wisdom of this statement, and believe that it applies to life as well.

Who's to say that a person of a "certain age" contributes less to our world than someone of youth and physical prowess? I plan on living at least another 50 years on this planet (I have to – I have way too many plans to check out earlier!!), and not in one mental image of myself down the road do I see a woman who is not giving back to my community, country, friends, family and earth. I will leave this world kicking and screaming if I don't make a difference. And, honestly, part of the drive within me to do something significant comes from a huge recognition of the trails blazed and conquered by those who have come before me. My achievements are meant to be an acknowledgement of the debt I owe to those who created the life I have, and who did so in uncertain, difficult, and often deadly circumstances. Giving back is part of who I am.

So, when I was offered the chance to come to Montevallo, Alabama to honor General Hal Moore as he was appointed Distinguished National Honorary Chair of The American Citizenship Trust and its American Village Campus; and to see him present the American Freedom Award to his longtime friend General George W. Casey, Jr., and posthumously to General George W. Casey, Sr., a fire in my belly said, "Go!"

I did, and I didn't look back. In anticipation of what I knew was going to be an amazing experience, in the midst of the events of the celebration weekend, which included the 88th birthday celebration of General Moore, as well as a 10th Anniversary celebration of the American Citizenship Trust, I opened myself up to meeting amazing people like Tom Walker, Founder and CEO of the American Citizenship Trust, and his wonderful, accomplished staff at the American Village.

I met the man called "Driver," the author of A Tender Warrior, and his lovely and spirited wife Char. I had the pleasure of meeting Brian Sobel, of Sobel Communications, a specialist in military history and events, who has interviewed and written about General Moore for publication numerous times.

But, I cannot tell a lie. The event truly came alive for me the minute the beloved Vietnam War hero himself, Lt. General Hal Moore, walked into view, a handsome soldier with a huge, beautiful smile. When he passed by me in the processional, I knew I was right where I was meant to be that day. And when he delivered his prepared speech with strength and conviction and energy, nearly 600 of us were electrified. We were truly "in the presence of greatness."

Diane Y. Chapman is President of Words To Your Advantage Speaking and Writing service. Her website is www.dichapman.com.