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Speech Transcript (very little editing so not exact)

Margaret, thank you so much for coming on. Please introduce yourself to the time to shine today. Podcast, firstly spa. But first, what’s your favorite color, and why purple

is spiritual, is also have a story that goes with it very short. I have a friend who said, you know everything that happened in my life, I could handle my house burning to the ground all these things, except this one thing, which was assaulted by a favorite uncle when she was a child. And so she said that what she learned is you cannot get purple without red, because purple is blue and red. And she had this you know, when she was upset about it was praying about it. She had this thought that God said what’s your favorite character trait you’re most proud of? And she realized that character trait that she developed came as a result of that, that all things could be turned to are good. And so when I think of purple, that’s what I think you can’t get purple without red.

That’s my favorite color to a mat and meshes my cool blue side. But when I need to get fired up sometimes that red comes out and it’s Royal and regal. Right? Yeah. And like in biblical, if you go into I believe it was numbers. He talks a lot about purple linens, a lot of purple is mentioned in the good book. So that’s just awesome. So let’s get to a little bit of a story kind of where like high tech working in that world and you’re really moving in and you’re award winning author, which I’m so blessed to be able to have you on and really dig into your books and then in his footsteps series, which I think is just amazing name also because you get to like maybe a little bit from the roots.

Sure. I had a point in my life where I was so overwhelmed that age children were still at home somewhere in college, but they were living at home that’s I helped them. I was working in the high tech industry. And I had decided to finish my last year to get my degree in math because so many companies are going public and they want the higher level people to have credentials, right. So any one of those three things could have been a full time job. That’s how I felt. I was getting about four hours sleep a night I was, I knew how to set priorities. I mean, I knew how to do that you don’t get to the levels I did without that. But there are just too many. I don’t care. And so what had happened is in just a matter of a few days, I had done a couple of things that seemed important to me. But when I showed up with them, they weren’t necessary, was like I showed up with a paper. And at that point, you didn’t put them in online. And this, there was note on the door. And professors said, you don’t have to hand it until next week, went to a client with a proposal, it took me hours to put together Oh, you know what, we’ve decided to go a whole different direction. So here’s how we want you to do the proposal now. And I kept thinking, Oh, my gosh, I spent so much time on those things that turned out didn’t matter. Right? If I only knew the future, right, I would know what to do. I thought, oh, but you know, I know who does know the future. And so that’s when I started turning my to do list over the guy, it was out of desperation. didn’t have enough to do Hey, help me fill out my day. It was more I have too much to do. Right? Yeah. And I did make to do lists. And I probably some of your listeners are like, this is the kind of person who, if I did something that wasn’t on my to do list, I put it on my to do list, I could check it off.

Good in, in, like, I’m also seeing which, you know, you’re doing all this and you’re also a domestic engineer. I mean, like, Mommy, you got like eight kids and seven stepchildren. I mean, I

hadn’t remarried at that. point, I was single, and the sole financial support for?

Wow, how many children did you have at that time?

Well, let me see. I think two were in college at the time. And the rest were in junior high in high school.

Wow. It’s just I mean, he’s such a strong woman. I mean, that. That’s, that’s so awesome. So let’s talk a little bit about the the to do list. Because I mean, I have people when I coach them, they’re they’re really worried about the getting their priorities and time management in place. And one thing I do remind them is that when we die, you know, our inbox isn’t going to be empty. You know, I’m saying no matter what, so there’s prioritizing that goes along, can shoot, you share a little bit how you started structuring and prioritizing your life, your business, your family, you know, all those different instruments that play that beautiful Jasmine’s that you have.

So, the way I started, it was simply to say, you know, here’s the list. Oh, my gosh, it goes on forever. And what do I really have to do? That’s kind of how I that was the question I was asking. And I would do it at night, because you know, it’s best to do your next day’s list at night. And as I went through it, I had learned to hear that subtle, quiet voice that I call God, some people call it intuition, ever you call it and as I looked at it, I think, yeah, I don’t have to do this. No, no. And I might even think, I think I do have to do that. Sure. As I started turning it over, I really began to see that there were things that I thought I had to do that things happen. I didn’t need to do it. And and let me think so after just a few weeks, I was finished every night by about eight o’clock. So instead of the four hours of sleep I was getting where I was waking up in a panic because What didn’t I do? Sure. I was just able to kick back about eight o’clock and just relax and everything that happened. I felt very relaxed. If I was stuck in rush hour traffic, I think, Well, God knew this was going to happen. It’ll work out. Turn out the person I was going to meeting was also stuck in rush hour traffic. I mean, things always worked out too. Yes. And as that happened, I began to trust that process more and more, but there were a couple of things I learned. So what happened is some things would be added to my list that I hadn’t intended to do. And my life began to be reshaped. Wow. So what do I want to say about that? That I was rushing really quickly, I was very busy getting to the wrong place.

Yeah, To and Through God’s voice you know, when I pray which you know, I pray kind of with the axe that a CTS with, you know, adulation. Basically, I just forgot what the C is. But with with supplication, adulation, it just really asking for forgiveness and then really praying in that way. In like, this is the thing with I actually when I pray, I do it at night a lot. And I fall asleep asleep in the middle of the prayer. And I’ve been doing that for about five years. And the answers come to me so much faster by doing that, because I just give it to, you notice and it’s just like, God, this is it, man. This is what I’m asking for. First of all, I praise him. I’m like, Dude, you’re the best. It’s awesome. Then I asked for confessions, you know, with forgiveness, you know? And then with the supplication with the T is the thanks, you know, so it’s adulation? Confessions. Thanks. And then supplication. But I asked for a lot. I’m just wondering with your time management and within your prayer, you ask God for not just things but like, not not just other than guidance, but things even above the guidance. Yes.

So let me think, oh, so I came up with a new prayer once because I went to God. And I said, at this point, my second youngest son was 15. And he was just the most arrogant, demanding No, hey, do you know six for lettering in three sports this whole? You know, I’m figured out? Yeah, yep, yep, yep. And I said to guy one day, you know, I, I don’t even know what to say about this kid. I love him because he’s my son, but I don’t like him much. And he said, I want you to start praying to see them the way I see him. And, okay, watching our time, but this is a good thing. This works for our I use this in my new marriage, when I remarried. I use it with people I work with. This prayer helped me to see this person as you do God, and then later to love this person as you do. Oh, my God completely changed. I was at my mom’s house a few weeks later. And this is back when people had all these women’s magazines. I’m flipping through one of our magazines. And I see this article about some kid who had accused his, I don’t know PE teacher of inappropriate things. And he had basically been pilloried by the other students because he was a favorite teacher. And what was interesting to me is I found that to read this because we just had something like that happen in our school. And as I read it, I thought, Oh, this is what happened in our school. And I read it, he actually became like, suicidal, because how he’s being treated at school. But he had on this bedside stand a, in a frame, a small petition from students who said, We believe you, we’re here for you. And but it only had a few names on it. And as soon as I read that sentence, I remember the day I had taken the son Dan, to school on it was dropping him off. And he said, I’ve got a petition I want to pass around. I don’t like how these kids are his kids being treated at school. And I want people who believe him to sign it. And so when I picked him up that afternoon, and after practice, I said how to go and he said he was mad. He said the principal wouldn’t let us do it. He said, there’s too much. We’re not talking about this school anymore. There’s a legal case, we’re not getting involved. So he signed it, and a few of his friends signed it. And so I as soon as I read that line, I thought, well, this is who God sees. God sees a popular three, three letters. Athlete, standing up for a kid has been pilloried. Wow. And it did shock me. He still was kind of a 15 year old. Of course, yeah. You know, he’s grown now. Thank you for sharing yours. Yeah. And he’s, he’s just, I don’t know, he’s, he still does that. At the beginning of the pandemic. He was going on to County, the City Council, because they were closing all the public places. And he’s like, where are the where are the homeless going to use a bathroom? He’s like, trying to get them at least open one bathroom and each

park. Wow. I didn’t agree when you just shift that perspective. What I use a lot in this was nothing I made up I don’t make up anything. I regurgitate what I’ve been taught. But it’s you know, when you have your to do list and something or even what you had to deal with, with your with your son, you know, you I changed things from half to or to get to, to get to you know, say I get to do this because when you look at that list, you’re like crap, man, like, but you also know that you get if you do that, it’s probably going to level you up even more, right? So you get to do things and that’s what you did. You prayed about it, and then you got to see his, you know, his eyes to do how God sees and that’s, that’s amazing. That is amazing. So let’s talk.

Yeah, I was gonna say so I ended up not in the high tech industry. Any anymore, I end up doing something completely different. How to do first I remarried and I that was not on my to do list your plan. I mean, you not only say make a 20 year plan, yeah, that was out there and merit remarriage was not on it. I was like, Okay, I’m gonna stay with this company, your growth plan. And when my son graduates, I’ll be able to be a truly high a higher up executive. And instead, I remarried, I gave up working in a high tech industry, we started a small business online selling product. And, and I wrote these books. It was, it was Oh, I I, that wasn’t on my plan. No.

Let’s go back. That’s one pack that, okay, like, what made you sit down in front of your computer? Or get out that pad of paper and start throwing up on the keyboard and getting the words out? What was that nudge?

It was actually, God, God’s saying, I want you to write your life on the internet. Now, this was back in night and 2000 2000. So blogs weren’t really big. And they weren’t very good, you know, WordPress started. And so I ended up on a site where I could just write where it was set up for people who wanted to write online. And as I wrote these stories of what was happening, I prayed, and this is what God told me to do. And here’s what happened. I didn’t want to listen to I didn’t this is what happened like that. Write a whole story. And at the as I had done that for a couple years, the thought came now I want you to make this a book. And I thought, oh, so I tried to do it. Wait, most people do books where they sort of take their journals and notes and take a book. No, these stories are the book. It’s like my own personal,

like 10 years of stories since 2000, I believe was published in 2010. Right? Yes. Okay. How it’s so funny. You and I are like You’re like my sister from another mister because like, I have all of these entries, journal entries and stuff like that. And my coach is like, there’s your book. There’s right there. That’s so crazy. They were like, so I like that. I’m glad I’m telling you this. Yeah, like, as a writer. What do you do when you come to like a blind spot moment? You know, maybe that’s silly, because a lot of writers talk about, oh, I have writer’s block and stuff. But there’s other moments that kind of come up that that the with regards to timing of writing the book Getting time, you know, you have different blind spots to show up to you have three books almost now in your award winning like, what was your discipline that really helped you sit down and format and get this book these the first book written and then on to your second and third?

I just got I just used all the skills you develop when you’ve been in management, right? I did say okay, I’m doing this right now. I’m recording the second book, The first book is already out as an audio book. Okay. So I thought, well, I really have to record the second. And so I cleared out two weeks, and I said, an hour a day for the next two weeks. I’m recording this book. And so after we hang up this afternoon, I’ll be spending an hour recording. You take my camera and show you my recording studio. I blankets all hung around this closet blankets on the floor. This is like okay, I mean, it’s not like I’m having professionals write your soundproofing like me.

Yeah, it’s funny, I launched my show in 2019, kind of right before COVID And I did it in my my townhouse here. And it was just like a big drape, hung with, with the JoAnn Fabrics. I went got this big charge, other green screen. So you know, like, it looks good, but I manufactured now leveled up to luckily, Now luckily, I’m blessed. It gave me the blessing of having a nice little studio and whatnot, and great people. But that’s, that’s great. You just do it. You know, a lot of people will make excuses. And I just say, you know, winners. They adapt and mediocre people they make excuses. You know, so do you ever come into in throughout your life? And I want to ask you this, because you’re you went through an awesome journey. Do you ever come into kind of like the excuse itis where you use stuff to not do something? And in this kind of goes back to your to do? And then how did you overcome that in the future? Wow.

Again, you just I have to at some point, just sit down and say yeah, that’s in my way. I have to do it. And I tell you I was at our church, we were encouraged to ask God what was getting in our way of, of becoming the best person we could. And so I plan on that for about six months. Maybe I’ll do that one day. And then I mean, I’m telling you, I don’t even get the whole sentence out of my My mouth. I was like, Why do I need Facebook? I was like, What did you want content? Let me finish the question.

Yeah, yeah. So do you ever feel while you’re writing? Because a lot of it’s your memoir, it is your memoirs. It’s your story. So do you ever feel like a couple things? One, that you may be an imposter? And then also looking like imposter syndrome? In a sense? Yes. And then also looking back, you’re like, Who the hell was that late as you start to evolve through life? You don’t I’m saying.

I’m recording this second book, which is about how we sold everything and served at missions eaching and prisons and up north of the Arctic Circle. And as I’m reading it, I’m like, well, first of all, it wasn’t as good a writer. Right? I used to is this. Oh, my gosh, I am just this kind of whiny. Anyway, there’s a group, I brought one of my stories and a woman said, I really don’t like your main character. She’s such a whiny complainer. And I said, Well, you know, this is a memoir, right? is awesome. Like, well, she can use me. Imagine what he could do

with you. Oh, my gosh, yeah, that. That’s amazing. So I have to ask you, have you seen the movie Back to the Future? It’s almost 40 years. But let’s get that DeLorean with Marty McFly. Okay, let’s go back to the double Deuce the 22 year old mark. I don’t know if he was a guard then. But let’s just go back to 22 year old mark. Is there any knowledge nuggets? That’s what we call me at times trying to say is there any knowledge nuggets you might drop on her not to change anything? Because your journey is pretty freakin awesome. Okay, but to maybe shorten the learning curve or maybe help her level up just a little bit quicker?

Yes, I would. Because Am I early 20s is when I first asked God, I don’t know how to hear your voice and help me learn that. So I did that as a 22 year old. And then I became very connected to that voice. That’s why by the time I was in my 40s, I knew how to recognize it. And so what I would say to her is an after you learn that voice? Now start asking now, what do you want me to do today? God, and that is when my life truly changed. It changed from what do I need to do to what do you want me to do? And I’m speaking with Christians or people who know the Lord’s Prayer. Here’s a line in the Lord’s prayer that says, Yeah, this is the way you’re supposed to. Sure. Because we say May Thy will be done on earth the way it is in heaven. Yes. Try to imagine the angels in heaven, occasionally rushing up to God, I’m just so overwhelmed. Can you help me with this guy? I mean, do you think that’s what he’s doing? Or do you think they’re saying what do you want me to do today? Right. I’m aligned with your purpose.

Yes. That’s amazing. That’s so awesome. So how do you want Margaret stashed? Remember that little line in between your incarnation date, your expiration date, your life date and your death date? Hopefully, it’s a way down the road. But how do you want Margot stash? Remember?

She loved us.

Right? That’s, that’s awesome. That’s three words. It’s still one word longer than the shortest verse in the Bible. But that’s okay. No, that’s fantastic. Thank you so much. So what do you think that Margaret, people might misunderstand about you the most?

I think they make assumptions about where I stand on a lot of different things based on my age, my gender, my race, my religion. Okay. I think and people often say, Well, you this and you that, and I wish they would say, Well, what do you think about this, instead of assuming that they know?

Right? Right, because they in your and I get it because I’m friends with a lot of authors. I’m blessed to be friends with a lot of authors and people that right from, you know, a Christian view, right? They they might think, oh, Christians judging, you know, I pet your Marga to judge her, you know, and that’s a stigma that you know, me as a Christian, I’ve got to get over, but I also live in this huge glass house. I don’t throw any stones and say I’m gonna leave it. So no, no, I appreciate you being transparent on that. Because it’s true. It’s very true. There is a stigma out there. So what would be Margaret’s definition of a life well lived?

Oh my gosh, I feel like I’m in a job interview. And the guys just asked a question. I’m like, Oh, how I answer that

answer any way you’d like my love.

I think, to have filled my purpose to have figured out what my purpose is and to have fulfilled that purpose, to make the world however, I’m sitting here to make the world a better place.

A couple seconds ago about Thy will be done. Right The Earth is is in heaven. It’s like, it’s like you’re standing that your Creator God in mind in yours case, and we’re asking if we get to do His will. And that’s awesome that you’re asking every day. That’s the thing. It’s like a lot of people ask once in, in Dawn, but I just feel that if I’m asking God, dude, what do I do? Because I pray to him, like, I talk to people. That’s my way, you know? And I’m like, dude, like, what, what, which way am I going this and I really believe silence is God’s voice. If you really listen to it, it’s coming to you. And then just engraved that’s why I fall asleep praying, you know, I literally will just start a conversation with God every night. And then I drift off and I wake up and I’ve been doing it again the last five years, and it’s just like, life has just cleared up for me and I was I grew up Baptist, fire and brimstone going to hell

of grandmothers Baptist.

So you get it, you know, but I just found out I have a certain way of communicating and, and conversing with God and I really appreciate your transparency.

It’s the plan of salvation, not the plan of condemnation.

Oh my gosh, I’m writing that down. Plan of Salvation, not compensation. Love it. Time to shine today, podcast versus squad. We are back with my good friend Margaret, a guard, award winning author of in his footsteps series. And Margaret, you and I, we live so close. We might meet up one day and have a conversation. Maybe talk for 1520 minutes about each one of these questions. But you’ve got five seconds with no explanations whatsoever. All right, you’re ready to level up and they can all be answered that way. I promise. You ready to go? Let’s do it. Yes. What is the best leveling up advice Margaret’s ever received?

Not to decide is to decide.

I’m breaking Mike. Not to decide is to decide Wow, this is knowledge and I get heaven here. Love it. Share one of your personal habits you contribute to your success.

That daily prayer. Beautiful.

If you see me kind of walking down the street I’m looking at Fergie looks like he is in his doldrums a little bit other than the good book. Is there any other book you might have me to kind of level me up? Mine. I thank you for saying that.

Yes, people tell me they feel good after they read it.

Love it. Love it. What’s your most commonly used emoji when you text?

A smile? No, actually why? I’m from New Jersey. It’s what do you call that thing? Where you’re What is that thing where you put the like the little free like,

Oh, I gotta go smirky one little bit. Got it. Love it. Nicknames growing up. Oh, just Margaret. Love it. Just checkers a monopoly.

Oh, oh, I hate monopoly. Checkers because I’m not smart enough.

either. So awesome. Go to ice cream flavor.

Oh, peppermint. Love it.

Okay, there’s a sandwich name. The the Margaret Aegon there’s a sandwich. What is on that sandwich? Build that sandwich for me.

Well, it’s a Reuben. I call it the Margaret Rubin.

Go. I love it. I love it. Swiss cheese on there with the Reuben Das. Okay. Beautiful, beautiful, favorite charity and organization like to give your time or money to

safe passage down in Guatemala. Mothers who work in the dump?

Gotcha. Dani, please do me a favor and email Margaret for that. Link to that. Okay, awesome. Perfect. I’ll put it in the show notes. Best decade of music. You could elaborate on this 60s 70s 80s or 90s?

Well, of course the 60s because that’s how old I am. That old? You are. What? Yeah, I’ve been doing this for 30 some years. 72. You’re 72?

I’m cinnabar. You look amazing. With all due respect. You look fantastic. And I heard

it filter on right. So.

So how can we find your Margaret

in his footsteps.com I have the links to the books on there. And I have the links to the audio books and my social media. And also there’ll be a little pop up in the corner that invites you to sign up for my newsletter. And I am old and tired. I just send it once a month. I don’t spam.

I love it. I love it and squat. Make sure it will be in the shownotes make sure you subscribe to it. And I feel really bad. I’m slapping myself on the wrist right now for not being subscribed. Yep, I’m definitely going to subscribe to that monthly monthly reading. So let’s do a book giveaway we’re going to do the book number one where time shine today is going to purchase it if you don’t mind. I’ll send the address of the lucky listener if you don’t mind. Just sign it for them and sending it out. I can pay you for The postage if you need to, but I’d love it maybe if you did that for me Margaret if the purse one first person that says, you know, I we just wanted to have you put in his footsteps and any link in any of the social, whether it’s LinkedIn whether it’s Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, wherever you see our post, put in his footsteps, and then what my team will see it and then we’ll get that book right out to you in market. If you do me one last solid favor and leave us with one last Knowledge Nugget we can take with us internalize and take action on

the way to turn your life over to God is to turn your day over because your day is your life.

Wow. The way to turn your life over to God is to say that one more time, I’m sorry,

turn your day over to God. Because your day is your life.

Wow, that is amazing. That’s what you should list live by. Wow, that’s, that’s amazing. And squad, we have gotten just a fun conversation. And a lot of times I have these master classes that I have with people that this was like a conversation that just flowed with my good friend Margaret, who, you know, kind of left that high tech world. And she was kind of someone that was really feeling overwhelmed. You know, she was doing things that seemed important, but found out that they really were not, you know, and she really started simply listening to God’s voice and to hear God’s voice and started adding things that she felt God’s will would need to be needed to be done. And things began to really take shape for, you know, she was again, a person who’s very busy kind of getting to the wrong places. But when she does that, she slows down, listens to the god voice and starts praying. And it really gets the answers that way when now it’s I guess she dropped to start seeing things, the way God sees things, whether it’s a person place thing, because God is all love, and he’s omnipresent in these everywhere. And that’s what she wants and I would really love you to do as well, you know, and, you know, she also would tell her younger self anybody else that’s really kind of going through life you know, get your asking here, but my good friend Leah Woodford would say get your asking here. Ask God, you know, what do you want me to do today? You know, she’s somebody that is planting trees that with these books that she’s probably because she’s leaving her life out there to everybody she’s really planting trees she’s probably never going to never going to sit in the shade off. And that’s what I love her. You know, that she does that she’s such a go giver. And the way that you turn your life over to God is the turn it over to him because your day is gotten and I know I just butchered that. But I get it and just go back. Really listen to that part. And she also last thing that really stood out as well as you know not to decide is to decide. And that means you have choices every day to progress and level up or to stay where you are in here at time to shine. today. We’re about leveling up and progressing. That’s what my really good friend Margaret does. She loves up her house. She loves up her wealth. She’s humble. Yes, she’s hungry. You’ve earned your varsity squad letter here at time to shine today. Thank you so much for coming on, Margaret. I absolutely love your guts. Thank

you. 

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