Those who know me will probably agree that I am a positive person. I've had some people and friends ask me why after what I have gone through in the last 4 years.
Lately, I've been doing more reflection than usual as I approach my one year anniversary(re-birthday) of my second stroke.
I realize that my life is blessed but not everyone would welcome losing everything that I lost in the past 4 years in my mental (brain damage from hemorrhagic stroke)
Physical (paralyzed left side)
Relationship/social(wife left after 2nd stroke after 33 year marriage)
Financial (Lost the ability to continue with any of my 3 businesses that I operated pre stroke- went bankrupt from medical bills and the inability to work or make a living. Relegated to scraping by on Social Security Disability. I still owe some personal debts that gnaw at me.I know what it is like to be hungry and not being able to buy new shoes. There is nothing dignified about being broke in this or in any society.

To lay a foundation for myself I created a system for myself called the ABCD of Success
A=Mental/Emotional
B=Physical
C=Social/relationships
D=Financial
E=Spiritual
I lost them all after my first stroke, with the exception of a slight connection to my Spiritual and Emotional state.
I knew that if I was to have any chance to crawl back from the abyss that I was in, that I would have to create the belief that my success was even possible in my own mind first.
That's why the mental/emotional is given the letter A in this success system. A comes first in the alphabet. This even came before  spiritual because unless you decide to open yourself up to the source of eternal energy or pure love which I call God, this power will not be available to you.
I believe God exists but He has given us the freedom to choose whether or not to believe.

It has and continues to be a difficult journey but I am so blessed in so many ways, especially in my A- mental/emotional (I simply do not allow negativism to to take hold in my mind any more)

B-Physically- I am continuing to improve from both strokes and still have a lot of improving and recovery to come.

C-Social/Relationships- I have moved on and still have a lot of improving to come.My belief that you need to give before receiving has been strongly reinforced. I have been blessed with the wonderful relationships I have forged through Strokes Suck on Facebook.

D-Financial-My weakest link- I have a long, long way to go but I know I will succeed.

E-Spiritual- Beaming- My strongest asset because it's not mine at all but is available to us all. It is like electricity in a house. It is always there but you need to plug in or turn on the switch. Either way, it is there whether we choose to tap into it or not.

Being weak or deficient in even one category can adversely affect the others. For example I'm certain that many people can relate to  the mental stress that accompanies not having enough money to pay a bill that is due.Imagine having to donate plasma for 25.00 for dinner and gas money only to discover after 4 hours of waiting that for some reason your plasma will not flow but that you can try again in a few days.  Imagine finding a pair of sneakers left outside on the side of the house for four years because they were too beat up back then, only to become your best pair.
Imagine not only being unable to buy a Christmas present for your granddaughter or children but not even being able to afford a Christmas tree.

Yes the lack of money can definitely affect the mental/emotional segment of your life as well.

I'm not complaining because I realize I am blessed. I'm just glad it happened when my children are grown and no longer dependent on me

Moving away now from the doom and gloom of the financial picture, over the past four years I have devoted my life to finding ways to improve my life and to share this with others. Strategies and techniques to improve my cognitive, physical, social, financial and spiritual self.
As I previously mentioned, I have a way to go in most of those areas, especially financial
I guess it took two strokes, 59 years, ruined physical, social,and financial life for me to learn what my true purpose is in life.

I certainly wouldn't have chosen this method of awakening in the buffet line of life.
It is however the hand I was dealt and I will continue to play until the game is over.

One of the best techniques that I have discovered to date is one that I already had in my possession for nearly a year now. It is my movie maker called Mind Movies. This is the tool that I have been using to create all of our Faces of Strokes Suck movies.
Mind Movies was created as a visualization tool for manifesting.
It combines the users imagination with visualization, affirmations, the emotion of music along with the power of repetition. Very powerful stuff.

I'm taking this manifesting journey. I have a long way to go, but I am determined to create a new happy and abundant life. I'm ready now, I already feel the effects of following my own Mind Movie after one week. I can't wait to see the effect of daily use in one month, then three. I'm excited to be on this new path. I welcome anyone who would like to take this journey with me.

Here is the link to listen to what John Assaraf, Bob Doyle, Bob Proctor, Dick Vitale and Nick Ortner have to say about Mind Movies.
http://www.mindmovies.com/mm21/bobproctor/bobdoyle.php?18690

Bob Miller
Strokes Suck
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ABCD of Success