Imagine the Future

United Nations 20^th Anniversary Forum: World Creativity & Innovation

Patsie McCandless, Speaker:

Part 5: Epilogue

Your Roadmap: Your Growth

Final Story

Your roadmap – and your growth – are never really finished, but for my final presentation in this series, I offer you my final story… though it is not my story.

It is a letter that our daughter wrote as a roadmap to inspire and uplift another human being.

Focus on a Happy Roadmap for Growth

“The very best thing I can advise you is to find things that make you happy.

Even the smallest things that bring you joy can make a huge difference.

I’ve experienced this more times than I can count in my life.

When I’ve been in a bad/negative/frustrating situation, and there is something I really want – – if I can let go of that physically intense feeling of wanting –

which I know focuses on the lack, or not having –

and I can focus instead, on just being happy right now –

amazingly, the thing I was wanting – falls into place!

Challenges Along Your Roadmap

I know how challenging it can be to get into that place of being happy,

especially when you are sick and homebound.

When I was 16, I got Mono, and it turned into Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

I had to drop out of school, and I was – home… alone… by myself – all the time.

At first it was so hard. But once I started doing the little things that made me happy

– finding a reason to get out of bed in the morning – it made all the difference.

I was still sick for quite a long time – about 3 years. My teenage years disappeared.

But I know there are many people who had that same virus who actually never got better.

Me, Myself, My Light – and My Growth

Still, I know – I am the one who healed myself. I brought health back into my life.

There was no medication for the virus. So, it was all up to me.

And that is when I first started to learn that there is another part of me –

– my mom calls it my Light.

I learned how real it is. How wonderfully powerful it is – what a shining guide it is –

for my mind and emotions. Especially when our world is upside down,

the only things we truly control are our own thoughts and our own feelings.

I choose Happy. Untroubled, buoyant Happy. It is my Light.

Light Lessons of Growth

My mom’s book, Becoming Jesse, also talks about a lot of these lessons.

That’s why she wrote it. To teach and inspire others. It isn’t just a wonderful work of fiction. All the lessons that Jesse is taught are real. I know.”

These are my daughter’s words, but I know how true they are – and I will bet, you do, too.

Unstoppable – Growing – YOU

When this dark, challenging time is over – and it will be – what is the letter you would write? What is the story you want to tell? Will you feel like the powerless Victim? Or will you feel like the successful Victor? Did you merely survive? Or did you thrive?

This isn’t about la-tee-dah- happy words & slogans.

No. It’s about the capacity for growth – in YOU.

Remember your unstoppable growth: from a zygote – to an embryo – to a fetus – to baby Earthling! Your Light – your Energy – your Roadmap – is still in there!

All I want you to do is… open that door – even if it’s just a crack.

And when you see the Light – KNOW – it is YOU. All YOU.

The Light is already here – within YOU… waiting for you.

Celebrate your Roadmap of Growth

Every person on earth wants to feel this good. To celebrate – even if it’s just a Cheerio!

Human Beings want to celebrate and be celebrated.

You can do that with your LIGHT ON!

Remember my LightStick. There is no trick to this. No snake oil. No Magic Potion.

It is your Light – Loving – and Lighting – You. Lighting the world.

Dream it.

Find it.

Use it.

Live your Light!

Give your Light.

Love your Light.

BECOME Your Growth

This is You, becoming, like Jesse – as he sings his song:

The greatest thing you’ll ever learn – is just to love and be loved in return.

YOU – be the Love – be the Light. And shine it all over.

This Light! This is your Future to Imagine!

Thank you for taking part in this forum!

And, thank you again to the sponsors:

Jerri Menaul of My Favorite Art Place
Haggerty & Hagerty Digital.

I will end with one of Jesse’s little spoonerisms:

He would say “Eye-ball – everyone!”

and that is translated to mean: “Bye-all – everyone!”

Thank you so much for being here with me! For following your roadmap into your growth!

Oh, and Light On – with my LightStick – one more time!

Interview with Patsie McCandless

Moderator, Wendy Brant

Oh, Patsie, what a great, great, great presentation this was!

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

You are clearly a storyteller extraordinaire, in your tone, your voice, and the way you speak.

Your whole story was so soothing and wonderful! Thank you!

Patsie McCandless, Speaker:

Thank you, Wendy. You said just the right thing because I so wished to soothe all of us. Light On!

Wendy:

Absolutely. Now, we do have questions and comments about your roadmap presentation.

Cherie wrote:

I am fortunate enough to know Patsie,

and had the honor of reading her book, Becoming Jesse, early on.

She is multi-talented but most of all a truly wonderful person.

Wendy:

And I will say, Patsie, that your Light clearly shines through. It emanates through all those wonderful things – your roadmap and your growth – in your presentation, as well as what Cherie said about you.

Now, another question came in asking: Who created our Light?

Patsie:

You know, I try to stick with my imagining roadmap of growth in my own presentation.

I do know that we can get complicated with our beliefs, especially beliefs that are so close to our hearts, like religious beliefs.

I do not wish to tamp upon anybody else’s beliefs, so I use the word Light, and I use the word Universe, and Source. Some other people would use the word God.

What I believe is what I said before: it’s all the same energy!

It’s all this fabulous creation! And I love being a creator – growing – here on this physical earth.

Wendy:

Well, again, the whole story was so meaningful.

I took notes, and I just wrote down that this is truly a story for all ages.

And the thing that struck me – for myself – was that I felt like I’d forgotten a lot about my own

Light.

I want to ask you about your novel, Becoming Jesse. It is a roadmap of growth – of becoming.

I know that the story is geared towards children, but I felt like it was such a great reminder for me. And hearing you talk about seeing the world through children’s eyes, I remember my children growing up – and loving to watch their fascinations.

I’d forgotten a lot about that. And thinking about the stress of the day, and the time in this world that we’re living in right now, my question is: How do you suggest – or how do you encourage people to find their Light? Older people, like myself?

Patsie:

I’ll begin with the children, for I do love children! I taught primary grades for 30 years. But, I realize that I really need to reach out to the parents and the grandparents – to show them this roadmap for growth – and Light – because we are the models. We are the champions for these children.

So, I did write Becoming Jesse to reach both the children and the adults. I wrote it to inspire and ignite the Light in whoever is reading it.

I have heard from many an email about my book, telling me that is just what has happened: people have found the Light Lessons and been re-energized – re-ignited by reading Jesse. Fundamentally, they have found their roadmap into their growth – their Light!

Wendy:

That is so right. And that’s a great way then to remind yourself that there is that Magic. It is still here for everybody!

Patsie:

Yes, and I truly believe it is real. We have this roadmap of growth within us.

It is our everyday Magic – and we can have it whenever we want.

All we have to do is turn up our Light!

Wendy:

Right. And remember that it is there.

Well, Patsie, this is amazing! Now, have you anything else to share with us? What is going on with you? Are you doing any events coming up?

Patsie:

Yes! Like everyone, I have my own roadmap for my own growth!

I am actually re-publishing Becoming Jesse with illustrations for each of the six parts;

and also Light Lessons and Book Club discussion questions at the end; and a guide for teachers so that they can use Becoming Jesse in the classroom.

Actually, you can see some of my illustrations if you look behind me – those are some of my

silhouettes for my new edition.

Plus, I have been very busy during this whole past year, and I wrote a sequel – a second book

for Becoming Jesse, called “The Quest”.

Readers have had a lot of questions, and they want to know – what happens next?

I’ve put that together… and… I also have five grandchildren – we call them our Baby Grands because they are the music of our life! I have written a lullaby for each one, and after singing at bedtime, one of the twins said,

“Grams, why don’t you make a lullaby book?”

So, I’ve been working on illustrating my musical compositions for the lullaby books, too.

I’ve got a lot of irons in the fire – a lot of things in my pockets!

Wendy:

You certainly do! Thank you so much for spending time with us today and telling us the amazing story of Jesse, and sharing your fabulous ideas and thoughts and reminders:

– that we all have Light within

– and that we can all tap into that… because that’s where you get your power.