Mad Cow Disease

It's Friday, March 1, 2024. This month's Dover's Blog is personal and just as important to me as my usual sharing of personal philosophies, beliefs, and opinions.

It's not a long post.

I am sharing what I believe to be a milestone in my life.

It's an event I consider genuinely significant.

For over 30 years, I have had this demon lurking in the back of my mind: do I have the human form of BSE - Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease) - Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease?

Will it suddenly manifest for some unknown, unusual reason at some point in my life?

Will I go mad?

Is it gradually manifesting - seeping into my thoughts, my words, and my behavior?

Has it already manifested in my writing? (Buy and read my books - YOU be the judge!)

For the last 30 years, I have been on the BANNED list for donating blood.

Because I lived in England during a period in British history where Mad Cow Disease appeared, and because I consumed British beef during this time period, my blood was categorized as potentially hazardous.

So, to be on the safe side, my blood has been locked in a forbidden zone.

NO DONATING.

30 years.

I almost stopped into a tattoo shop and had this tattoo inked onto my leg:

However... all of that miraculously changed this past week!

I have now been cleared and deemed an acceptable candidate for the donation of blood!

Can you imagine the strange feeling I now have?

Not feeling like a biological hazard to the world?

That I now have the option of donating my blood, which in turn, could actually benefit humanity?

Remotely?

Possibly?

So... if any of you need a pint, please feel free to let me know.

If you dare!

Here's a link to my Author Page in Amazon.

But be careful: reading my work could be dangerously contagious!

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00N3JUT88

Results

The green image you see above is me.

My skin wasn't really green.

I just thought it looked cool, so...

I am at 3.8% bodyfat in this image.

I was 42 years old.

This physical condition happened AFTER I CHANGED.

I changed my MINDSET.

When I changed my Mindset - I changed my RESULTS.

It has been said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different RESULTS."

Usually this quote is attributed to none other than Albert Einstein...

It doesn't really matter who said it first.

But if Einstein would have heard someone make that remark, I'm sure he would have agreed.

If it isn't working, then stop.

Make adjustments.

It's time to CHANGE.

Tony Robbins.

It was just before I ended my nine year term of service (ETS) with the U. S. Army.

It was the Fear Into Power Weekend Experience - The Firewalk.

Firewalking is an ancient ritual practiced by different cultures around the world to demonstrate strength, courage and faith.

As the ultimate metaphor for working through life’s challenges and obstacles – and our own fears and insecurities about them... it's pretty awesome.

And could be dangerous.

IT'S TIME TO CHANGE.

I remember being onstage with Tony Robbins at that Firewalk Event in Atlanta, Georgia.

Tony looked at me and then looked out at the crowd of around 500 people.

As part of the preparation for us to walk across those red, hot burning coals, Tony said, "If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten."

Sound familiar?

I wanted to experience incredible RESULTS.

So I changed.

in 1981, Narcotics Anonymous issued a pamphlet.

Within that pamphlet were these words:

"Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results."

RESULTS.

The same message.

Tomorrow is Ground Hog Day - February the 2nd.

There just might be some of you who are NOT getting the RESULTS you want.

Do you want the same RESULTS you've been getting - over and over again - and continue to find yourself in a frustrating, self-defeating loop of the SAME unfulfilling, unsatisfying RESULTS?

Remember: It was ONLY when Bill Murray (Phil Conners) made the decision to STOP doing the same things over and over again every day.

He stopped making ILL, INEFFECTIVE CHOICES.

He made the decision to CHANGE.

But not just any change: He decided to IMPROVE.

And when he made that commitment - he was FREE from the repeated HORROR of his OWN BAD CHOICES.

It's EASY.

And it's FREE.

Think about it.

You.

Yes, you...

Do something about it.

The Passage of Time or Time Passages

Happy New Year to everyone for 2024! I'm back after a true Sabbatical (one year away)! My monthly blog begins today, 1 January 2024. I considered publishing this at mid-month... but I couldn't allow this day to pass without reflecting on the passage of time in our lives. New Year's Day is just too amazing and dreamlike to allow to pass by without a comment.

A new beginning is a powerful time. And our culture has deeply imbedded today, specifically our western culture, as the day the new year begins. To me, it is ALWAYS a surreal time and I know many of you will feel exactly the same. In a sense, we know that today is no different than yesterday. That this year - 2024 - is no different than 2023 - but we also know that it really is. It is a time to reflect on the choices we made over the last 365 days. A time to reflect on the consequences of the decisions we made last year. A time to reflect on how we used our Agency - how we exercised our freedom to choose - and the circumstances and situations and opportunities that have opened or closed or in some way altered because of the choices we made. Did we make wise choices? Did we make decisions and choices that brought joy into our lives and rewarded or healed or saved or soothed the lives of someone close to us? Our family? Our friends? The strangers in our midst? Now is a time to reflect on the passage of time in our lives.

Remember when we were young - maybe only by five or ten years - or even twenty or thirty or even forty years - do you remember our perception of the passage of time then? Do you remember how slowly it passed and, in contrast, how much more quickly it is passing - now?

Now is a time - today - to reflect on where our lives have been - exactly where we are RIGHT NOW - and where it all will take us.

Right now is the time to take stock of our past, take a deep breath and acknowledge who we have become, and decide where we want to be - in a year from now - in five years from now. Because the choices we make today - the habits we develop and nurture - will influence where we will be and what - and how - we will be doing as the passage of time unfolds before us.

Listen to the Still Small Voice inside - patiently guiding - gently prompting - gradually healing - and deliberately stimulating the acquisition of wisdom in our lives.

The passage of time in our lives - our Time Passages - is a snapshot of our eternity. And the choices we make really do matter. Every day. Every moment. All the time.

I'd love to hear from you - any time at all.

Much Love to YOU.

Robin 'Mr. Discipline' Dover

https://youtu.be/Q2g0hrrKLNw?si=zjLqiYKs6rYpH3Or