Speaking About You

A few years ago I heard about a gentleman in Atlanta,
a minister and motivational speaker by the name of
Dr. Robert Rohm.  Dr. Rohm spoke to people about a
subject that was close to my heart and that subject was
“Understanding People” and how to get along with them.

Something I didn’t think I really understood but yet

wanted to.  So after reading every book he had written

I arranged to meet with Dr. Rohm and learn from the best.

I traveled to Atlanta and did in fact learn from someone

I feel is the best in his given field.

Now every week Dr. Rohm sends out motivational tip to

help those he has taught. I read each and every tip

faithfully and thought that others could well benefit

from his wisdom. So now I would like to pass on some of

his wisdom to everyone here.

Recently, Dr Rohm talk of a T.V. special he saw a about

tornadoes. (Can you believe some people actually chase

them?) Did you know that part of the state of Texas is

located in what is called “tornado alley.” This is the

strip of land that runs through Midwestern and Southern

states, especially Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska,

and Iowa.

A tornado is the most violent of all storms. A tornado,

sometimes called a twister, consists of a rapidly

rotating column of air that forms under a thundercloud

or a developing thundercloud. Tornado winds swirl at

speeds that may exceed 300 miles per hour.

A powerful tornado can lift cattle, automobiles, and

even mobile homes into the air and destroy almost

everything in its path A tornado is a deadly storm. It

is a nasty-looking creature and sounds just as terrible.

Its nature is death, destruction and devastation.

Fortunately, most tornadoes are relatively weak, and

only a few are totally devastating. The program also

showed how quickly a tornado appears, how much damage it

creates and how quickly it is gone. It talked about the

first signs of an approaching tornado being light rain,

followed by heavier rain, then rain mixed with hail.

The hailstones may grow to the size of golf balls or

even baseballs. After the hail ends, a tornado may

strike.

In most tornadoes, a funnel-shaped cloud forms and

descends from the wall cloud until it touches the

ground. However, there might be a tornado even if the

funnel does not touch the ground or if the air is too

dry for a funnel cloud to form.

Sometimes, the first sign of a tornado is dust

swirling just above the ground. Tornado damage is often

localized. A tornado may demolish one house and leave

an adjacent house untouched

As Dr Rohm watched the program, he said that he realized

what he wanted to do in his life! He wanted to be a

reverse tornado!

As I mentioned earlier, a tornado has one purpose –

namely, to destroy everything in its path. In his tip

Dr. Rohm reminded everyone that we can choose what

thoughts we dwell on each and every day and then he

asked the question “What if you and I could be a reverse

tornado?” Rather than destroying everything that we come

into contact with, we could build it up.

We could help it and make it better than it was before

our encounter with it. Even create an atmosphere that

allows feeling of safety. Instead of misery, we could

promote love in our relationships. Now isn’t that why

you are reading this article on relationships.

We need to also promote optimism and encouragement;

rather than devastation; we need to promote restoration

and productivity. We need to show love to all those we

come to meet each day. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? The

odd thing about this “fantasy” way of thinking is that

it is actually possible! Every day, you and I can choose

to be a reverse tornado. A tornado thinks, “What can I

do today to show little regard for anything in my path,

and how can I be as destructive as possible?” (We all

have known people like that, and they leave their mark

wherever they go.)

Prov. 12: 18 say’s “There exists the one speaking

thoughtlessly as with the stabs of a sword, but the

tongue of the wise ones is a healing.”

We have also met people who can be just as destructive

to others by their constant whining. I know this to be

true because for the last few months I have had a lot

on challenges going on in my life. Things going wrong,

or at least not the way I wanted them to go. And I’ve

done much more than my fair share of whining. Then one

day I opened up one of Dr.Rohm’s other tips and with it

was a poem. As I read this poem I was stopped dead in

my tracks, how in heavens name did he know that this

was exactly what I needed to hear. I hadn’t talk to Dr.

Rohm in sometime and certainly had not told him how

things were going in my life, but here it was exactly

what I needed to hear when I needed it. I’d like to

share with you that poem”

“Today, upon a bus, I saw a lovely girl with golden hair.I envied her…she seemed so gay…and wished I were as fair.

When suddenly she rose to leave,

I saw her hobbledown the aisle.

She had one leg and wore a crutch.

But as she passed…a smile!

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.

I have two legs. The world is mine!”

“I stopped to buy some candy.

The lad who sold it hadsuch charm.

I talked with him. He seemed so glad.

If Iwere late, it would do no harm.

And as I left, he said to me,

“I thank you. You have been so kind It’s nice totalk with folks like you.

You see,” he said, “I’m blind.”

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.

I have two eyes. Theworld is mine.”

“Later, while walking down the street,

I saw a childwith eyes of blue.

He stood and watched the others play.

He did not know what to do.

I stopped a moment, then I said,

Why don’t you join the others, dear?”

He did notknow what to do and then I knew he could not hear.

Oh,God, forgive me when I whine.

I have two ears. The world is mine.”

“With feet to take me where I’d go,

with eyes to see the sunset’s glow,

Oh, with ears to hear what I would know…

Oh God, forgive me when I whine. I

‘m blessed indeed.

The world is mine.”

I’d like to give credit to the author of that very

moving poem but unfortunately it said Author unknown.

But I decided at that moment that I really didn’t have

a whole lot to whine about and that I was becoming a

tornado. I chose at that moment to try and start

building up rather than destroying by bringing

encouragement, help and a positive outlook to everything

and everyoneI encountered. I chose to become a reverse tornado.

So what can you do to make this difference is your

own life that, in turn, will have an affect on the lives

of all the other people that you have contact with each

and every day.

Well Dr Rohm believes it begins with a mental picture of

how you view your life. If you get up each day and have

the right attitude, then the building process can be a

daily, ongoing process. For example, “What can I do

today to improve every relationship that I become

involved in?” When we do that, we will find that is

exactly what will happen! We become a reverse tornado.

And when we become a reverse tornado it makes a profound

difference in our lives and the live of others that we deal with.

I don’t know if any of you have ever heard of a man by

the name of Paul (Bear) Bryant?  Well Paul (Bear) Bryant

was the coach of the Texas A&M University football team

and quite a famous person in the University football

world. ESPN did a story about Paul and he mentioned that

he carried a piece of paper with him at all times that

said:

This is the beginning of a new day.

God has given me this day to use as I will.

I can waste it or use it for good.

What I do today is very important,

because I amexchanging a day of my life for it.

When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever.

Leaving something in its place, I have traded for it.

I want it to be a gain, not a loss, not evil.

Success,not failure, in order that I shall not forget the price

I paid for it.

Think about the fact that each one of us has the same

amount of time to use in our lives as we see fit.

Since we all want our time here on earth to be a great

time in our personal, business, relationship and mental

life. We all need to be careful to make wise choices.

We need to choose to become a reverse tornado. Building

up those we meet rather than wasting our day destroying.

We need to encourage instead of tearing down with our

thoughtless words and actions, to help others by our

positive outlook on life.

I’m sure that we all realize that we exchange a day of

our life, for all the activities that we perform (a day

that we can never ever get back,) and suddenly that

make s how we spend our day and with whom we spend it,

seem much more important.

Unfortunately this is an attitude shift that very few

are ready to embrace. And we ourselves can choose to be

a reverse tornado, or not but we must understand that

those we met along the way, have the free will to make

their own choices as to how they will live their lives

too. Tornado or reverse tornado, build up or tear down

I would like to leave you with a final thought.  If we

decide to become a reverse tornado, we need to get a

mental image of a tornado coming towards us.  Then look

at it, and tell it to put itself in reverse!

We can then join in, and experience the power of moving

with it, in a whole new direction with a whole new

purpose!