Vivian Greene

Laugh, Love, Eat and Dance!

I was late. I had already called my ‘publisher to be’ and said I’d like to make dinner a half hour later. I couldn’t wait to meet Mac Anderson, founder of Simple Truths. We were supposed to have had dinner in Palm Beach, but his assistant regretfully cancelled our Monday dinner on Friday, not a Good Friday, and said we’d reschedule. That was in January and this was March 4th. I had waited months. And now, I was late.

When Mac told me he was going to Scottsdale for a month, I decided to meet him there. My dear friend Harv Jaffe who had been president of our high school class – the Rainier Beach Vikings in Seattle, had moved there and I had an invitation for some time. I was a year late for Harv too.

You see, I was recovering from a car accident and it had limited my travel because I could not lay flat. GEICO had helped with an adjustable hospital bed – which, needless to say, would have looked suspicious going through airport security and cost too much to check. Pillows and cushions didn’t work. I needed the precise angle.

My definition of success is going to bed when you’re tired, and getting up when you’re not. I do not own an alarm, and have traveled 40 weeks a year for 20 years just fine with my ‘mental’ alarm clock – a tool I learned when I received my MSU in Psychology.

But that was before the injuries I sustained in the accident.

So, although I never had trouble sleeping before, without that bed it was awful. I do NOT believe in excuses.

You know, I’m the one who wrote Excuse Me, No Excuses, and the quote that led me to this meeting with Mac Anderson, “Life’s not about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about Learning To Dance In The Rain.”©

So I tried to make a shorter trip, and deal with any sleep depravation. Airport security might have questioned those bags under my eyes after a night without my adjustable bed.

Harv made a great suggestion. He took me to Dillards in Scottsdale where they were having a special promotion for Dior. The head make up artist was there. The makeover was not only free, I was given a beautiful gift. And then. The cameras started flashing. I was even asked to possibly be in an endorsement for Dior.

When you’re feeling kind of frumpy from the pain and being away from what you love so much, this is the ultimate compliment. The only problem was, I was going to be late even for the 7:00 dinner that I had asked Mac to move to 7:30.

“You look stunning. It was worth the wait.” Harv said when he picked me up to meet Mac.

“You’re tardy.” Mac said, when I arrived at 7:45.

‘You’re hungry!” I said. I know men. Laugh, Love, Eat and Dance. Those things will cure anything! In fact, I saw today that Mac agrees with that, because below is who he quoted, and a video you’ll love.

Copyright Cops – Video Pending   We love the Copyright Cops because they protect our work, too. Here’s a great video you can view: Go to —>YouTube until we receive permission to post it here. After visiting, do come back to us!!   By the way, if you ever happen to see my Kisses™, quotes or art without my name, let us know.  You’ll be rewarded!!

“The human race has only one really effective weapon, and that is laughter. The moment it arises, all your irritations and resentments slip away and the sunny spirit takes their place.”
~Mark Twain

And if you think this is great, wait ’till you see what Simple Truths publishes of mine!

Vivian Greene
Invest In Love inc
“All that is real is seen with the heart.”

Please Leave a Comment

© 2010 – 2011, Vivian Greene. All rights reserved.

Kisses™ and Volkswagen To The Rescue!

“Can a Kisses™ or Volkswagen initiative save Dade County Water & Sewer?”
asks Vivian Greene pictured at a Warner Bros Display
International Licensing Show, NY.

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I wonder if an initiative of Volkswagen could help me solve my problem with Dade County Water & Sewer?

Cram the entire Customer Service into a VW? No, not exactly.

But VW reminds me of what has created my success all along. And maybe…maybe…it would work with Miami Dade Water & Sewer.

You see they keep billing me hundreds of dollars for a leak they claim I had last year. I never had a leak. At least, that’s what the plumber and their own experts who kept coming out to my house said after I called the mayor in desperation.

I mean…I use purified water, and I can shower at the local Spa, but I do prefer a toilet to kitty litter.

When I paid a monthly $100 which I agreed to do while we explore the problem, they came to turn off my water anyway. They claimed they had not received my $100 good will payment. Funny. They cashed the check.

The nice Mayor’s office got DCWS to change the meter. Then DCWS said, I still owed more money. Thanks for fixing the leak.

There was no leak. I didn’t fix anything. They turned off my water again last Thursday.

Maybe Volkswagen can help me. God knows, I need a car too. And the message of the Volkswagen initiative and mine are just about the same.

The VW initiative is about FUN. They’ve shown that FUN can change people’s behavior. They must not be having enough fun at Dade County Water and Sewer. I must think of something and save them.

Truth In Lending came to my rescue. They paid the alleged Water bill. The water was turned back on late Friday afternoon.

Are we having FUN yet?

No. Now DCWS wants another $160 by December 7 for “penalties.”

Goodness, they must not have any fun working at DCWS at all. They should learn a thing or two from Volkswagen.

VW has shown that FUN changes the behavior. If you haven’t seen Piano Stairs yet…take a quick peek at this:

So what next? How can I get to Dade County Water & Sewer and make their life more fun so they have better things to do than this silly (and costly) stuff? Do I go dance on John Renfrow’s desk? I think he should personally answer my letter. Maybe I should send it daily – hundreds of copies:

Why is DCWS so anxious to go to court? I’ve tried so hard to avoid this. Let’s face it, Miami Vice has more demanding problems than my toilet.

But if I must go to court, and pay $700/hr, I’m still going to ask the judge to order DCWS to have more fun. They must be suffering from LackofFunitis.

That must be the problem. Because there is no leak. Because there is no reason to be this inefficient. Because there is no censured censured censured. Imagine how many people Dade County Water and Sewer have offended. Stress is toxic. You give it out, you breath it in.

I’d like to save Dade County Water and Sewer. I’d like all the money this has cost me back so I can share some fun and steward the money for good, like I do with all my work at www.VivianGreene.com. I’d like to see a world full of Volkswagen drivers with flowers on their cars.

Everyone should have more fun. Dance, eat, drink, and remarry (renew vows or new partner or new water meter). Like my book says: Just Get Up And Dance!

What a court order! Give Dade County Water and Sewer a sentence of 30 minutes a day to dance Disco con Salsa.

Maybe Gloria Estefan, or KC (he lives in my neighborhood) can help me? Volkswagen has the right idea. And as Marie McDonnell from Truth In Lending said, “The city has it wrong.”

As I always say, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

My thanks to Volkswagen for their shining example. I hope Kisses™ can save Dade County Water and Sewer.

Kisses® are drawn with their eyes covered because
“All that is real is seen with the heart.”

Kisses™ and Volkswagen To The Rescue!

Vivian Greene
Invest In Love inc
“All that is real is seen with the heart.”

Please Leave a Comment

© 2009 – 2011, Vivian Greene. All rights reserved.

Today, let’s give Veterans peace with words, the magic of angels & the power of imagination.

I guess today is called Veterans Day in the States and Armistice Day elsewhere is because Armistice means a temporary suspension of hostilities. Oh, if there could just be a permanent one.

Although my new line of art and sayings will be unveiled in 2010,
I wanted to share this one with you now:

Websters is one of my favorite references for creativity. When I was a little girl, I heard that a good movie star could read the phone book and make you laugh or cry. I decided I could open the dictionary and create words that could do the same. Later, I started doing it with pictures too.

It’s all about using our imagination. Connecting to the magic that the magi brought us. Imagine that. And today, and always…imagine peace. Let’s call upon the magic of angels and give Veterans peace.

I have included American Idol discovery David Archuleta singing Imagine. I hope it’s okay, because it is so appropriate, but of course we’ll remove it, if there are any copyright issues.

Imagination is the mother of the gift of the magi, magic, image, and of course, imagine. Imagine, the image I see creates reality…sing along:

Even just the tiniest portion of Beatle John Lennon’s classic is so inspiring. It’s a classic moment on American Idol, too. Simon Fuller was so visibly moved by this young boy’s appreciation for a song written before his life began.

I hope it’s okay to share at least these few lines with you on Veteran’s and Armistice Day — Lennon’s lyrics say the same things as so many sages say, in so many ways. The Secret is about the law of attraction. David Spangler speaks of the law of manifestation. Wayne Dyer asserts the power of intention.

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Imagine all the people
Living life in peace…

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one!

~John Lennon
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Today, let’s give Veterans peace…
with words, the magic of angels & the power of imagination.

Vivian Greene
Invest In Love inc
“All that is real is seen with the heart.”

© 2009 – 2011, Vivian Greene. All rights reserved.

Blog Your Way To The Bottom! I learned something about golf today. The golfer with the lowest score wins. Kevin Sousa told me.

Kevin Sousa is my blog guru who encouraged me to create this blog. He was explaining to me (patiently for the third time) that my low ranking was good on Alexa. Excellent. Cheers!

“The websites that have a lower ranking score, have more relevant content, are more popular and/or have more incoming links than websites with higher scores.”

I wasn’t sure who Alexa is, but the name sounds kinda sexy.

Kevin tried again. “In essence, the ‘lower’ the web site scores at Alexa.com, the “higher” its rank.” Wow. I’ve only been doing this for two weeks and I have a hot blog!

Out of curiosity I asked what the ranking is for BJ Gallagher and Mac Anderson who co-authored “my” book Learning To Dance In The Rain, The Power of Gratitude. It’s based on my quote (Mac’s favorite).

Giggle, giggle, giggle. My sexy rating is lower (like better) than both of their personal websites and I’ve only done 11 posts in two weeks! I haven’t even attempted to market this or anything …yet. Giggle, giggle….Don’t tell Mac, but BJ’s is lower (better) than Mac’s too. You really need to Blog Your Way to The Bottom!

Now, I find this very exciting. Because Mac has been an idol of mine for decades. He owned the Successories stores in most major malls throughout the country, and my Kisses™ and Juvenile Delinquent (naughty but nice) Greeting cards were in every mall, too.

We both love putting together words and pictures. I wanted to do a photographic line and write captions for him. When I sent him some material, he wrote me the nicest note. He said he could tell from my writing that I had a “heart as big as Texas.” I couldn’t wait to work together. He is a marketing genius!

My own work had been published in 24 countries. I wrote a daily and Sunday comic strip, several books, both inspirational and children’s. The children’s books are in schools and libraries forever, I guess. Kisses™ books are used to teach English in Japan. and adorn hundred of products . I’ve been involved in writing, designing, product development, licensing and speaking for three decades.

Mac Anderson

Mac’s a tycoon at the business helm. He founded Simple Truths, and put forth his expertise – and client list I suppose – to grow his success with motivational gift books.

He has that Midas touch. He was the founder and CEO of McCord Travel, the largest travel company in the Midwest, and part owner/VP of sales and marketing for Orval Kent Food Company, where they made inspirational (prepared) salad.

People love my website VivianGreene.com, but I love doing this blog even more because I can personally do it without waiting for a webmaster to help me. I love working with Kevin and I am going to really dance with Mac and Simple Truths. Together, we’ll reach hearts bigger than Texas. Are you ready, world?

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• Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass…
it’s about learning to dance in the rain.
~Vivian Greene

• Sometimes our candle goes out, but is blown into flame
by an encounter with another human being.
~Albert Schweitzer

• When we have done our best, we should wait the result in peace.
~J. Lubbock

• Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.
~Henry Ford

• Inch by inch, life’s a cinch. Yard by yard, life is hard.
~Unknown

• To love what you do and feel that it matters –
how could anything be more fun?
~Katharine Graham

• Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples,
don’t count on harvesting golden delicious.
~Bill Meyer

• You can have anything you want in life if you
just help enough other people get what they want.
~Zig Ziglar

• Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
~Abraham Lincoln

• A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.
~Benjamin Franklin

• We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.
~Winston Churchill

• What lies behind us, and what lies before us,
are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

• We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.
~Aristotle

• You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
~Wayne Gretsky

• Progress always involves risks. You can’t steal second base
and keep your foot on first.
~Frederick B. Wilcox

• A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
~Chinese Proverb

• The key is not to prioritize what’s on the schedule,
but to schedule your priorities.
~Stephen Covey

• All things are difficult before they are easy.
~John Norley

• Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.
~Will Rogers

• Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do,
something to love, and something to hope for…
~Joseph Addison

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Vivian Greene’s Top 2 quotes by Mac

• The right words can engage the brain and bring an idea to life.

• Less is always more.

Blog Your Way To The Bottom!

Vivian Greene
Invest In Love inc
“All that is real is seen with the heart.”

© 2009 – 2011, Vivian Greene. All rights reserved.

This is the first time since 1965, when Congress passed legislation to create Medicare, that lawmakers have approved a bill to expand health care coverage.

My friend from Columbia was visiting me, and trying to understand this in Spanglish when she read it on the Internet.

“Lawmakers? You mean if you are sick you go to a lawyer instead of a doctor?”

Well, for my own situation with GEICO where they claimed I was at fault in a car accident when I was the passenger – that’s true.

I agree with two people I consider the Wisdom Warriors in this field.

One is my friend Patch Adams, M.D. I am dedicated to helping with his “Silly Hospital” which has been in the making for 35 years. He believes ALL medical care should be free.

Every time I hear from Patch it is from a different country. He is a social activist, citizen diplomat, professional clown, performer, author, and soon – darn good Tango dancer.

He founded the Gesundheit! Institute in 1972. Each year he organizes a group of volunteers from around the world to travel to various countries (including post-war Bosnia in 1998) where they dress as clowns, to bring hope and joy to orphans and other patients. He sent me a video called Clown in Kabul I wish everyone could see. We would opt for peace, and end war at any cost.

The other is Deepak Chopra – we have to overcome the physical and mental energy that drains our life. See this on Oprah.com

I hope the law congress passed, like the legislation to create Medicare is helpful. But wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had clean air, clean water, and a clean conscience and could just stay healthy?

As for me, as my mother said “Kisses make everything all better.”
Here’s one for you.

For a FREE signed print of TLC
send $8 for postage & handling to Invest In Love
with any donation…even a nickel or a million dollars!
We love you!

 

Vivian Greene
Invest In Love inc
“All that is real is seen with the heart.”

© 2009 – 2011, Vivian Greene. All rights reserved.

I live by “Do what you love and the money will follow” but I admit, I sometimes wonder who it is following, or if the money needs a GPS.

I love this quote too:
“Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.”
William Butler Yeats, Irish dramatist & poet (1865 – 1939)

Not one of five royalty payments due have come yet, nor have I collected from GEICO on my car accident, or anything on our judgment for the millions “lost” by Miami’s Allied Van Lines Moving franchise, OK Storage.

But I received a priceless greeting card in the mail. It has my own quote from my book Good Mourning.

“Giving is the highest expression of our power.” And characters in Chinese script. Underneath, the translation thanked me for my wisdom. It says three men meet regularly to discuss my books, and say they consider my writing like Confucius – “only more simple to understand.”

There were three little red envelopes laden with raised gold symbols enclosed, each with neatly folded currency.

I sighed and smiled. It’s really true. As author Marsha Sinetar said “Do what you love and the money will follow.”

The photo on this greeting card was taken by Walter S. Oliver.
His daughter, Leah Oliver, died in 9-11 one day before her 25th birthday.
Her spirit lives on in a line of cards we’ve created called “Love Never Dies.”

Vivian Greene
Invest In Love inc
“All that is real is seen with the heart.”

© 2009 – 2011, Vivian Greene. All rights reserved.

I’ve had the pleasure to help a lot of literary campaigns. I’ve been writing since I could hold a pencil, and how I loved to read the moment I discovered books.

I also love to eat. Doesn’t everyone? So when I was asked to help benefit a vital lifelong literacy campaign in the Pacific Northwest, with a very novel (pun intended) program called Literary Feast, I immediately agreed.

Yes, there are thousands of children, and families, who lack the educational resources to read, succeed in school, operate a computer, or find a better job.

Well, we all need to eat and read. Elliot Wolf from Classic Day Publishing came up with a very unique and fun way for the King County Library System Foundation to support its innovative literacy and learning progams — Literary Feast: The Famous Authors Cookbook.

It’s a fascinating book of favorite recipes by your favorite authors ranging from Christmas Cream Puffs to Chicken Amondrata to Dan Greenberg’s canned ravioli. It is available through The King County Library System Foundation web site at www.KCLS.org/foundation or order directly at www.thriftbooks.com.

Since my comic strip features Rotunda, the President of Weight Wishers, we put together a little something different. Here is an excerpt from Literary Feast: The Famous Author’s Cookbook.

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Copyright © 2009 by Classic Day Publishing

When Vivian Greene asserts everything in life is a gift, it’s not out of naiveté. The creator of Kisses™, a popular syndicated comic strip and books, has maintained an appreciative spirit while moving through a great deal of loss in her life. She lost long-time love Toby Stone to cancer. She lost 18 years’ worth of work when Hurricane Andrew hit her Florida headquarters. And, she lost virtually all of her remaining possessions in shipping them to Hawaii. Her response? “I’m infinitely resilient. I have so much love in my life. Unconditional love is all that really matters.”

Not that it has been easy. She has a blessing to show for each loss. Greene, who launched her cartoon character Kisses™ in 1971, used what she learned from Stone’s life and death to write Good Mourning, a book on grieving, followed recently with Mourning Glory.

When Hurricane Andrew wiped out the business that had put her into the millionaire ranks at age 26, she saw it as an opportunity to head in another direction. “I said, ‘I’m just going to go to Hawaii to do this.’ “ And the personal property loss has given her new insight into the generosity of others around her.

“The kindness I receive is absolutely priceless,” acknowledges Greene. “What I’ve really learned is nobody can take away what’s really mine. My favorite recipe, like Rotunda’s, is sharing the laughter and love and the theme of Kisses™, who’s eyes are covered because ‘All that is real is seen with the heart.’ “

ABOUT THE RECIPE:

“My favorite recipe is a recipe for success. It all began with cookies. Rotunda, the main character in my Kisses™ cards and comic strip loves cookies. She is the President of Weight Wishers, and has a secret to dieting worthy of Oprah’s highest award. Even if all Rotunda’s diets don’t work, she looks the same after 30 years.” ~Vivian Greene

Rotunda’s Philosophy is if you eat something you really, really love, you get so excited you burn up all the calories.

Rotunda put her photo on the refrigerator door as a Diet Reminder. And every time she opened the refrigerator she smiled, even if she didn’t diet – because she looked so happy in the picture.

“You are what you eat, ” her brother warned her.

“Oh,” blushed Rotunda, “You mean I’m your little cookie?”

Literary Feast: The Famous Author’s Cookbook
Copyright © 2009 by Classic Day Publishing, Compiled by Terry J. LaBrue, APR
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Vivian Greene
Invest In Love inc
“All that is real is seen with the heart.”

© 2009 – 2011, Vivian Greene. All rights reserved.

Beware of Bankers and Skunks

“Beware of Bankers and Skunks” arrived in a list of Wisdom Sayings in my email this morning. I love these others from the list:

* You cannot unsay a cruel word.

* Every path has a few puddles.

I checked the Internet to see just who wrote this. I’ve been labeled “Anonymous” myself and I wanted to give proper credit. I also wanted to make sure nobody thought I wrote “Beware of Bankers and Skunks.”

You see, we must not confuse the Banks, notorious banks, with the people who work there.

You know, it would be like having your favorite glass of wine in a 5 Star restaurant, and then tasting your garlic smashed potatoes and discovering the truffles were really glazed cock roaches.

No doubt if you explain you didn’t order cock roaches, or you don’t like cock roaches, the restaurant will take them off the bill, not that they were on the bill because you ordered from the Prix Frixe menu (one price, price fixed)

If you yell and scream at the waiter, he might cry, or get upset, or even get fired. And what does he have to do with the cockroaches? He doesn’t order or check the food, or prepare it. He is not the chef, or the boss. He is just an underpaid waiter in an uncomfortable tuxedo.

I really feel sorry for people who work at banks. It must be worse than being a waiter or dentist.

I was asked to be the key note speaker at the National Dental Convention when it was held in Honolulu one year. At first, I thought they had me confused with Anonymous again.

I create a comic strip called Kisses™ and I write books. My speaking engagements are about Prosperity, How To Sell Words & Pictures, How To Lose A Million Dollars (I am no longer the expert with this one, but it was a good run since Hurricane Andrew in 92), Just Get Up And Dance and Love, Sex, and Money.

Just what did any of that have to do with the National Dental Convention?

I was informed that dentists have the highest suicide rate of any profession. People are afraid of them. People hate to go see them.  So anything I spoke about would be uplifting.

Now, consider that wisdom quote: Beware of Bankers and Skunks. Who loves their bank today? Who’s happy with their interest payments, the accuracy of their credit card bills,  the climbing interest rates, the mortgages (forgive the obscenity) the overdraft charges on top of overdraft charges. You could be one dollar over drawn and pay hundreds of dollars in overdraft fees.

The banker may want to help you. The poor soul probably has been in your shoes. He may be sleeping in his car because the bank doesn’t pay that well and his house is in foreclosure. But he can’t help you. The bankers job is to pass the buck.

He does not  have the authority to pee.

So be compassionate. And if you really want to piss off the right party, like charity — it begins at home. Go home. Do not do business with banks that give you problems. Tootaloo. That’s it!

If they promised to give you an interest free credit card, and then charge you 21% interest because they claim your payment was late, and that’s not true, drop them. And only pay what you really owe when you want to pay it. Turn them over before they have a chance to damage your credit score. Write a letter to the bank (certified), the  regulatory agencies. There’s all kinds of things we can do. We the people change the system.

Maybe the wisdom is not Beware of Bankers and Skunks, but be aware that the banking industry today stinks, and we need to clean it up beginning with our own personal accounts.

Go ahead, be a little naughty, like this:

Vivian Greene
Invest In Love inc
“All that is real is seen with the heart.”

© 2009 – 2011, Vivian Greene. All rights reserved.

“Life’s not about waiting for the storm to pass…
It’s about Learning To Dance In The Rain.”
~ Vivian Greene

Truly understanding the power of gratitude can change your life forever!

The title of this beautiful book was inspired by a great quote from Vivian Greene. “Life’s not about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about Learning To Dance In The Rain.”

How true it is! We all face adversity in our life. However, it’s not the adversity, but how we react to it that will determine the joy and happiness in our lives. During tough times, do we spend too much time feeling sorry for ourselves, or can we, with gratitude, learn how to dance in the rain?

It almost sounds too simple to feel important , but one word…gratitude, can change your attitude, and thus your life, forever.” ‘

Mac Anderson
Founder, Simple Truths

Learning To Dance In The Rain

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…
It’s about learning to dance in the rain.

See that rainbow over my shoulder?
My cup runneth over

I don’t ask why
I say thank you
and I dance in the rain

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…
It’s about learning to dance in the rain”

~ Vivian Greene
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Vivian Greene’s Success Recipe:
Equal parts love, money and values. Mix Vigorously

==> www.VivianGreene.com
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© 2009 – 2011, Vivian Greene. All rights reserved.