Disability Dialogue with Bill

Addicted to Stress

When I am on vacation or if my work load is down to a manageable level I sense I may be addicted to stress. I believe this sensation is because I have been fortunate to work in my profession in the high-tech industry for over 30 years and have become very effective at working in a fast paced and continually changing environment, which I enjoy. On top of this fast paced environment there are very long hours at times with little downtime even through some weekends resulting in working many days/weeks in a row. Luckily I enjoy what I do in my profession and have a passion for excellence in my work. When it is time for me to take an extended break from my profession it takes me sometime to switch into the mind- set of relaxation. Until this transformation from stress turns into relaxation I actually miss the excitement of my high stress fast paced work.

This regimen I feel can be compared to how an athlete trains such as Formula One race car drivers, marathon runners , bicycle racers like the ones who compete in the Tour de France, drivers in 24 Hours of Le Mans, drivers in the Dakar Rally, hockey players or how a thoroughbred race horse is prepared for race action. In all of these examples the athletes or horses are not feeling calm while at rest. They only sense the feeling of normalcy when they are at full throttle and intensity.

Having such a fast paced, stress filled life style for long periods of time can also cause health issues. Therefore, when a person does have the opportunity and luxury for some downtime they should take advantage of it. Although I do enjoy a fast paced stress filled workload, after a break from it I do feel more focused and productive.  Also, a person should also not neglect their family and friends. It is important to prioritize some time into our busy lifestyle and schedule to share our time with our family and friends. It is essential to take the opportunity to enjoy their company when we have the chance since nobody is around forever and we might miss our last opportunity to be with someone we care about.

I believe this training has helped me to become a person who can handle doing multiple tasks at the same time, juggling and prioritizing tasks quickly, all while enjoying life.  When I am actually able to take time off it helps me relax and feel more revitalized so I can better manage my addiction to stress much easier when I return to work at full throttle and intensity.

 • Do you have any suggestions on how to help others manage their addiction to stress?

 • Any ideas to assist in achieving a healthier work-life balance?

 • Does anyone have tips to help us take needed breaks and not feel guilty about it?

 • Maybe others have stories to share with examples of the benefits of overcoming their addiction to stress?

We all look forward to hearing your valuable thoughts and comments.

 

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.tipton.39

Twitter: http://twitter.com/wdtipton

Paralympics: Demonstrating Full Potential & Reinvention

Did anyone get the opportunity to attend, participate, watch or listen to the 2012 London Paralympics Games?

I know there were many outstanding individuals participating in this world class event. I want to share a story about one of the participants, Alex Zanardi, who, after becoming a double-amputee during a horrific race car crash was able to win a medal at the 2012 Paralympics Games.

What inspired me about Alex Zanardi is his attitude to reinvent himself to continue to pursue his dreams, despite any obstacles which he had to overcome.

Learn about Alex Zanardi in Fox News: Double-amputee Alex Zanardi hopes to race in 2013 Indy 500.

Another excellent example of a medal winner at the 2012 Paralympics Games is Vincent Boury. Vincent won the medal in Table Tennis. 

Having the privilege to know Vincent Boury, I enjoy his enthusiasm for life, willingness to help others and his competitiveness, despite his perceived challenges.

Does anyone want to share their thoughts after reading about Alex Zanardi and Vincent Boury? Does anyone want to share their experience with the Paralympics games? If you attended, participated or know somebody who was able to compete, what did you learn? If you participated, do you have any tips for others who may want to compete in a future event?  

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments.

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: http://profile.to/wdtipton

Twitter: http://twitter.com/wdtipton 

Day at the Races 2: Life’s Circumstances Change - Adapt, Participate and Enjoy

A few years ago, I experienced my first auto race as a person who had become completely blind suddenly, which I describe in Day at the Races.

 

I am happy I had the opportunity to attend my second race, American Le Mans Series (ALMS) at Laguna Seca Raceway, as a person who is blind, with my brother. I am also pleased my wife Kathy was able to accompany us and visit with my brother’s girlfriend while my brother and I were at the races in the beautiful hills above Monterey, California.

 

 

I attended these sports car races for two straight days which presented unique learning opportunities for prioritizing, planning and preparation, which included ensuring I packed Assistive Technology (Low & High-tech), food, beverages and any essential medical supplies to promote a successful trip. When I had eyesight I had been to this 2.238 mile (3.602 KM), 11 corner road race course track with many elevation changes many times, therefore I was prepared to do some walking throughout the days.

 

Day One:

After an excellent lunch in Carmel we dropped off my wife Kathy at my brother’s girlfriend’s house and my brother and I spent a few hours at the race track getting ourselves oriented to prepare us for the main race day. I will explain more about the track and the cars in Day Two. While my brother and I were exploring the race track, Kathy was visiting with my brother’s girlfriend and keeping their dog company. After a short exploration around the race complex and track, watching and listening to some cars practicing and qualifying, we returned back to my brother’s girlfriend’s house and we met up with my wife Kathy, my brother’s girlfriend and we went out and had a delightful dinner. After dinner we sat and enjoyed each other’s company, visiting and talking throughout the evening.

 

Day Two:

When we arrived at the race track complex and found the parking for the disabled, I was pleasantly surprised to find they also had special golf like carts to assist the disabled to get to the race track from the parking area, and return rides after the event. I remember when I had eyesight and drove myself to many races at this track I would park for what seemed like miles away, and walked over multiple hills to get to the race track. Therefore, you can tell why I was so happy to find these accommodations.

 

After arriving at the race track I was very glad to find many of the dirt paths that used to be steep and narrow trails around some locations at the race track many years ago were now paved, widened and from my observation (sense only), the paths I did walk on seemed to be wheel chair accessible. Finding the paths around the race track to be more accessible was a great relief since I walk with the assistance of two canes, one long white cane and one support cane. Walking on steep, narrow and rocky dirt trails with a variety of elevation changes could have been hazardous with no eyesight.

 

When I first arrived at the race track there wasn’t a problem holding a conversation with my brother as the cars whizzed by us producing a consistent sound. My brother looked at the paper schedule we were given and found this race to be cars from one auto manufacturer and one type of car. This was the reason for the consistent sound emanating from the cars. After that race ended we took the opportunity to walk to and through the pits where I was able to touch some racing wheels and tires that were stacked near a semi truck trailer from one of the many tire manufacturers that supplied tires to the racing teams. We took this opportunity of being close to the racing teams to talk with a member of my favorite ALMS GT racing team, the Flying Lizard Motorsports.

 

After exploring the pits enabling us to get close to the race cars, race teams, food and drinks, along with many other things to do and see we stopped shortly for some freshly grilled lunch. After our lunch we walked back to a location near the track for the start of the main race of the day which the Flying Lizard Motorsports Team was racing in. We set up our portable chairs we carried on our backs, that doubled as day packs just outside the two fences that protected us from the cars on the track. We relaxed in the sun and took time to replenish ourselves with cool drinks we carried in our daypacks, along with some snacks.

 

Before we knew it, it was time for the cars to start their engines and do some warm up laps. I immediately noticed a drastic difference in the sound of these cars compared to the cars we heard when we first arrived at the race track. Then the flag person waved the green flag to start the race, I imagined in my minds-eye, since even if I had vision we could not see the flag person from our position on the race track. Soon after the start of the race the scream of the cars breezed past us at much faster speeds then the cars in the earlier race. The cars produced a variety of sounds which I enjoyed. Some produced loud deep growls, some loud wines, some smooth quiet whirling noises and other unique sounds came from the variety of cars and manufacturers. Not long after the start of the race the cars were spread all around the track, in clustered groups as I listened to the noises blast past me and felt the rumble in my body. I could distinguish the speed differentiation between the cars, since there were five races within the one race with all types of cars on the track at once racing within their class. This meant that some faster cars were required to negotiate their way around the slower cars, as they battled between others within their own class. When the cars roared, growled, whizzed and buzzed as they accelerated by me I could not hear my brother talking right next to me. I was filled with exhilaration and was having a wonderful time sensing, feeling, smelling (rubber, brakes, oil and hot engines), and hearing the race. This race was a six hour endurance race, therefore we moved to different locations around the track throughout the race to observe and sense the cars at different locations around the race track. This allowed my brother to see, and for me to sense how the cars handled the different terrain and corners during braking and acceleration points.  Moving around the track also gave us the chance to stretch our legs and increase blood circulation.

 

While my brother and I were out in the bright sun,  enjoying the fresh air, gentle breeze, and experiencing a wonderful day at the races, my wife Kathy and my brother’s girlfriend were off near the beach having their own enjoyable day shopping and going to yard sales.

 

After our enjoyable day at the races we met up with my wife and my brother’s girlfriend to share a pleasurable and delicious dinner and dessert, before we packed up to leave the next day.

 

I hope my experience of attending an auto race with no eyesight will encourage you to focus on your abilities, adapt to any life altering circumstances that will enable you to participate in activities you enjoy.

 

I also hope we can look beyond our disabilities, differences or temporary challenges and focus on our abilities with a positive can do attitude (with medical advice as required prior to ensure safety) despite any discomfort we might be experiencing.

 

Has anyone left their comfort zone to participate in an activity they would think could be a challenge? Does anyone have examples they want to share? Any other comments to assist in encouraging us to focus on our abilities and to assist us to adapt to any life altering circumstances to participate in activities we enjoy?

 

We all look forward to hearing your comments and experiences.

 

Bill Tipton

 

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: http://profile.to/wdtipton

Twitter: http://twitter.com/wdtipton

That What You Manifest Is Before You

I recently listened to an audio version of the book The Art of Racing in the Rain. Although I am completely blind, I enjoy motorsports racing, as I describe in Day at the Races. I also benefit from the companionship of animals. The combination of these and other topics resonate with me in this book.

I can relate to Enzo's mantra: "That which you manifest is before you." As the author Garth Stein notes on The Art of Racing in the Rain FAQ, “I think it's very important to take charge of your life, not to feel like you're a victim of circumstance or fate, but that you are an active participant in your future.”

You can most likely think of examples of where taking charge of your own life helped you manifest your own destiny, instead of waiting on others to do so, and possibly resulting in an outcome that was not beneficial and did not produce the results you had wished for.

I believe one example where I took charge of my own life and manifested the outcome, was when I returned to employment after an extremely critical medical condition which almost took my life.

After a seven month hospital stay, without a doubt in my mind, I planned on returning to employment as soon as I could. I did not let the fact I could not walk without aids for a period of one year after leaving the hospital, lost all vision and was now completely blind, and had to learn many new skills deter me from succeeding in my dream. I did not let the victimized mind-set take complete control; although I had many challenges and obstacles to overcome. I focused my energy, learning many new skills and meeting many new people expanding my network, enabling me to expedite my education, leaving no time to dwell on my life’s changing events and feeling like I was a victim. When I talked with many new instructors and others, my words reflected my positive attitude about returning to meaningful employment as the new person I had become.

 

What will you manifest in your personal or professional life? How can we assist each other not to feel like we are a victim of circumstance or fate? We all look forward to hearing your suggestions, examples and comments.

 

Let’s all live our life with the attitude of Enzo's mantra to help manifest our dreams into reality.

 

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: http://profile.to/wdtipton

Twitter: http://twitter.com/wdtipton

New Year – Plans and Reflections

Hello everyone,

I hope last year was all you wished for. I hope your year was filled with memorable experiences and positive feelings and actions.

Some of you may have made new years resolutions at the start of this year. Others may have been reflecting on prior personal or professional goals you had made last year. I hope you were able to accomplish all you planned for this last year.

Maybe you had some experiences occur that were completely unexpected and were better than you ever could have wished for. You may have had other events happen last year which caused considerable pain or discomfort. I know speaking for myself I had some extremely joyful experiences and others that were painful or unpleasant.

My Aunt Sharon and Uncle Joe died last year. I used to talk to my Aunt by email a lot and in person occasionally. She used to like to read my stories and messages I do at my blog. I was blessed to have her post comments to my blog so I can go back to read her words; imagine her voice talking to me and seeing her face in my minds eye; like the comment she left at the Day At The Races.

My Uncle Joe lived locally as well. I would visit him in person from time to time. I am very lucky to keep my Aunt Sharon’s and Uncle Joe’s caring and loving memories in my mind and in my heart.

I also had two other friends of my family die during this last year. They were very close and will be missed for sure.

My father-in-law had multiple open heart surgeries which spanned over a ten month period. We were in and out of the hospital many times; night and day during his multiple visits. His stays would be months at a time. Another uncle recently had a heart attack which required a multiple bypass. I have a friend who has brain cancer and had surgery to try to remove this cancer. They continue with multiple follow up treatments. I have had co-workers who have lost family members or have had surgeries for a variety of reasons.

I was diagnosed with Osteonecrosis. That means my upper thigh bones that connect my legs to my hips are dying from lack of blood flow. I will need both hips replaced when I cannot stand the pain anymore. The fear of learning to walk again sort of discourages me when I think about it. Just after going completely blind I had lost the ability to walk for one year. I can still remember vividly how much work it was to learn to walk again as I progressed from a wheel chair to leg braces with a walker; to Canadian Crutches to eventually two white canes. One long white cane for navigation and one white support cane for added stability to help with my neuropathy. Actually it was terribly hard just to sit up at first when I began the process to learn how to walk again. I am not looking forward going through learning to walk again for the third time in my life.

Even through these difficulties and challenges I experienced last year I had some very memorable experiences I will never forget and cherish forever.

I was given the honor of being awarded the Careers & the DisAbled Magazine's 2007 Employee of the Year award. I accepted the award at the 15th annual awards ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts. I received the award and recognition for my professional and advocacy efforts on behalf of people with disabilities in the workplace, community and the world.
I am very grateful to be able to help all the people this kind of an award represents.

Read Employee of the Year to learn more about this award and what it means to me.

I was very encouraged to learn about Collective Intelligence and find out the true values and benefits if all people could participate equally without external limitations, and how successful we could be.

Have you ever been in a meeting and hardly anyone talked? Maybe the few outgoing people were the only ones voicing their opinions. As you might be sitting back in the meeting and listening and thinking to yourself, my thought is not valuable because it is quite different than all the other ideas that are being brought up; so I do not speak up in fear of being different.

Be different and speak up and be heard this year! Read Collective Intelligence: Include The Disabled for Success to learn why your participation is so important for success.

I further learned more about the value of sharing time with others unselfishly. Read Share your Time - Pick Out a Pumpkin to learn why this is so important.

During the last holidays I further understood the true meaning of what I think is the best gift of all. This gift is priceless and cannot be purchased at any price. Like I mentioned earlier I lost a few family members and friends this year. You never know when you will not be able to be with the ones you care about ever again. Read Best Gift of All to learn more.

Did any of you have any memorable experiences last year you want to share with us? Do you have any goals or resolutions for this new year? Do you have any tips for us to succeed in our personal or professional life in this new year; even if obstacles or challenges come up unexpectedly?

WE all look forward to hearing from you.

I wish you the very best in this new year!! If we work together; we can succeed learning as a group rather than working as individuals. ( Read Collective Intelligence: Include The Disabled for Success above to learn why)

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author
Global Dialogue Center
http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

Motorsports for All

Hello Patty,

Thanks for stopping by, reading and posting your comments.

I replied with the other messages and conversations at Day At The Races.

I thought the topic of motorsports is so exciting and interesting I thought I would create a new post for all to find and get in on the conversation easily.

I sure hope your back is getting better.
I know what you mean about the noise. I think that is one of the reasons I like racing; besides the speed and competitiveness of the cars, teams and drivers. I also enjoy the race atmosphere and the fans that attend the races all seem to enjoy life and know how to have fun.
When you mentioned the loud noises from the NASCAR I can remember the San Jose Grand Prix race I attended. They had historic NASCAR’s at event and it could be possible those cars were the loudest. They made a low pitch very loud noise which rattles you down deep inside. The CHAMP cars that were at event were very loud as well; but their pitch was a higher wind so it did not rumble you as much. It all was great!

Recently I have been following the Flying Lizard Racing Team.

About Flying Lizard Motorsports

Founded in 2003, the Sonoma, Calif-based team is competing in its fourth season of sports car racing with the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). The team fields
two Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs: the No. 44 and the No. 45. Seth Neiman, Lonnie Pechnik and Darren Law are sharing driving duties in the No. 44 Porsche for the
2007 season, and Johannes van Overbeek and Joerg Bergmeister are teaming in the No. 45 Porsche.
Listen to one of the Flying Lizard Motorsports Porshe 911 GT3 RSRs and see the view from the drivers seat (if you can see) as it races around a track.

I recently even ordered and received one of their Flying Lizard Motorsports racing shirts. I was told it looks very good – I am completely blind and cannot see a thing

If you have not read our prior conversations and information we have shared, visit Day At The Races.

Does anyone else have any racing stories to share? We would all love to hear and bring back memories of when we were at the tracks; or better yet; behind the wheel. Are you planning on attending a race soon? Any other tips to share to help us have the best possible racing experience?

Bill Tipton
Contributing Author,
Global Dialogue Center
http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

Day At The Races

Hello everyone,

I wonder if anyone has experienced the thrill of race cars whizzing by you at over 180 MPH / 289.8 KM / HR on city streets. Recently had the chance to experience this thrill at the San Jose Grand Prix in California www.sanjosegrandprix.com.

Auto races like these are very exciting for me. You might wonder how a person who is completely blind might like attending or watching; or more precisely listening to races?

Why Would a Completely Blind Person Want To Attend Live Racing?

Great question; I grew up at motorcycle races most weekends. My dad and all local Uncles raced and we would spend a lot of weekends at race tracks. When I was not at motorcycle races I would go to Drag races and Sprint car races. When I was old enough to drive myself (I could see then) I would go to Laguna Seca in Monterey California and watch many forms of motor sport racing. I would also go to the Long Beach Grand Prix in California. Just because I had lost my vision I did not want to stop experiencing motor sports racing live .

What To Expect At Race

If you are completely blind I would not recommend going on your own to this type of racing, unless you have very good orientation and mobility skills. I could not have maneuvered around without help. I have not been completely blind very long and you might be able to handle navigating in this type of atmosphere better than I. The sounds of some of the cars was so loud I could not even hear the person next to me screaming in my ear. I wore ear plugs at times to help block out some of the deafening noise. I do not have a guide dog and am no expert in this subject. I would not think the loud sounds would be good for the dog’s ears. Not the best environment for navigating around the crowds when you need to rely on your ears to be your eyes. I was lucky and found a sighted person to attend the auto race with me.

Time To Get Ready

I loaded up my day pack with lots of drinks, sun screen, snacks, cell phone and other things I might need for the day. Packed my glucose pills in case of a low blood sugar attack (I am diabetic). Put a hat in my pack I could fold up to block the sun. I would be gone all day in the sun and did not want to get burned.

Time For Excitement

With my daypack on I walked down the city streets towards the sound of cars going fast. As we got closer the sound got louder and louder. Soon I was touching the cyclone fence that was between me and the race cars. When I first walked up to the fence and heard the loud roar of the cars really close to me. I could not tell if the cars were coming straight at me or coming from one side. The sound was so loud I could not tell what direction they were coming from. I felt a bit nervous and uneasy at first. I wondered, if one of the cars crashed in front of me what would prevent me from being hit by the car or pieces flying from cars as they collided with each other. I asked the person I was with and he said there were two fences between us and the racing cars. The fence closest to the cars curved towards the street where the cars raced by. If the car hit the fence the curved part of fence would help keep the car from going into crowd. Second fence is added safety. Hearing about these fences made me feel a bit safer and more relaxed. In no time my ears got adjusted to the sound of speeding cars racing by me and I could tell what direction the cars were going.

Smells and Sounds

There were different types of races and different types of cars racing over the weekend. Each type of car had a different sound and smell. One type of race car was called Drifters. In The Drifting race the objective was to create as much wheel spin as possible and thrill the crowd. Cars would slide around most turns and even down straight-aways. The smell of burning rubber was enormous. The crowd would cheer with delight as some drivers waved their hand out the window at the crowd in grandstands as they slid sideways with smoke pouring from tires. Some cars had a very loud deep rumbling growl as they flew by us in packs. Other cars had a high pitch loud fast buzzing sound. Sort of like a bumble bee. I could tell these cars were the turbocharged cars because of the whine from the engine. These were the CHAMP cars; the fastest cars of the weekend. These cars would go by me so fast, that even if I could see it would be a blur. Other cars sounded like a quieter constant swarm of bees. This is because there were so many cars on the track at once and there was very little space between the cars as they raced by. I could even smell hot brakes and brake dust at times. Other types of race cars sounded like a very well tuned and fast stock car that was street legal. I could even smell some of the cars burning oil. When there were breaks in the louder cars going by I could hear the audience talk to the flag people to learn what was going on around the course.

What Else To Do At Race?

I had plenty of good food during the day. There seemed to be booths set up selling all kinds of freshly cooked good food. I walked around course checking out what vendors were selling..I even listened to some live bands including David Lee Roth, formally with Van Halen.

Even though I could not see a thing during my racing adventure I really enjoyed myself. I would do it again in a heart beat, and plan to. I do not want to give up on things I used to like to do, just because I can no longer see.

Key Things To Bring In Daypack To Help With Your Racing Experience

• Ear plugs

• Sun screen

• Sunglasses

• Hat

• Plenty of plastic bottled water, must be plastic or they will not let you bring in

• Snacks

•Any medical devices or medication you might need

• Call the group who is putting on the race for more details. They are very accommodating most times and can suggest more things to help make your experience a memorable one.

Do any of you go to motor sport races? Do you enjoy them? Can you add to my suggestions? Any memorable experiences you want to share with us?

Cannot wait to hear from others!

Bill Tipton
Contributing Author,
Global Dialogue Center
http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/