Archives at Zinester: "System Restore". "I Believe in You!".

Subject: "System Restore" - April05, 2007

"I Believe in you!"

A message of Hope...stories from the road.

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What a glorious day!

I found myself facing a computer challenge that brought out

the best in me, I think. My words here are most often

inspirational messages woven into a story. Today I take on the

persona of an inspirational speaker trying desperately to call you

If you need a little push today...I'm pushing!

My best to you always,

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Perks Pearl of Wisdom

"The get and up and go you need must be tempered with a strong

desire to get somewhere. So, just don't go for the sake of going. Know first exactly where

you want to go and make an exact plan to get there." Bob Perks

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Appreciate what I do?

Here's how you can help me:

This link will take you to my web page for more information,

shopping, and ways you can help.

I humbly thank you in advance...

Love always and all ways,

Bob and Marianne Perks

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"System Restore"

What I know about computers I learned on my own. I never took a course.

I never studied a book. I never had anyone teach me one on one. I just learned

My knowledge is very limited.

It's not that I have never needed outside help from an expert, I have. But I turned to them

only after an exhaustive effort to try to figure it out on my own.

I just kept on trying until I knew what I needed to know was beyond my own abilities.

I also discovered that with the new computers, if you mess something up, you can use

what is called "system restore."

It will literally take you back to where you were before you messed it up.

After a recent update on my computer, I suddenly began receiving an error message

immediately upon start up each time. Doing a little search within the system I finally

discovered the program it was related to and tried making the correction. I couldn't.

So I contacted the software company and literally gave them remote control of my computer so

that they could solve the problem.

I always find it "freaky" to be sitting here watching my computer take on a life of its own.

The cursor flies around the screen and pages pop up and close without me touching a thing.

You actually give up control to someone who knows what they are doing.

Well, they didn't. They couldn't find a thing wrong and the message returned time and

again. It doesn't do anything. It is just aggravating me. I have to click "ok" each time to

acknowledge that there is a problem. Doing so reminds me that there is a problem and

clicking makes me admit I don't know what to do.

So, I keep doing the same thing over and over.

"System restore." That's it. I'll just go back to before the problem existed and start over.

Using this feature, you actually flip through days, weeks, months to points where the computer

"took a picture," or created an instant backup of what

the computer was like at that moment.

I tried it. I went back two days. Nothing. I went back to last week. Nothing. Each time the

system told me that there were no notable changes made during that period to justify returning.

Okay, so where's the story here, Bob?

Life. My life. Maybe even yours.

Through my nearly 20 years of writing and speaking, thousands of people have faced the same

challenge. I didn't have the answer to the question, "What am I doing wrong?"

"I keep trying and I am not getting ahead," they would say.

Then one day I heard someone say, "If you keep on doing what you always did, you'll keep

on getting what you always got."

Nothing changed. What they thought was an effort to change was simply repeating the same

negative pattern over and over.

Like the movie "Groundhog Day," starring Bill Murray. Every morning he woke up to the exact

same day. No matter what he did tomorrow was the same.

Just like a career. People tell me that they had ten years of experience and can't

get any where. I would ask, "Do you have ten years of experience or one year of experience repeated ten times?"

I would go on to ask, "What have you done to add to that experience besides just working it? Did you

take classes? Did you attend professional conferences?"

One year of experience repeated ten times.

System restore. I tried to go back to a fresh start and realized I really hadn't made any major changes.

Even after hearing a long list of things an individual claimed to have done to change their lives, I discovered

I would simply ask them, "What is it you are not willing to do?"

Often times people foolishly associate action with forward movement. I have sometimes found myself exhausted

from trying so hard that I was really just running around in circles.

Apparently doing many things and still not being happy should clearly indicate you are not doing the right things to

affect the change you desire.

By asking yourself, "What is it I am not willing to do?" you will discover the key to the change you want in you life.

"I want to be healthy."

"Do you eat healthy?"

"I don't have time?"

"I want a better job."

"Going back to school?"

"Take classes part time."

"It would take me years to do that."

"Meet me here in five years and I'll remind you where you would have been if you started then."

So, how can you start over if you can't go back?

Begin right here. Right now. Make this point the point of back up and begin to make the changes

you must make in order to live the life you should live and you deserve to have.

There is no system restore in life to take you back before the problem.

You can however give remote control of your life to Someone Who knows what you need to do. You can seek

out the "Expert" Who will restore your faith and help you to reboot and begin again and again.

"He restores my soul" Psalm 23

I encourage you to share my stories but I do ask that you keep my name and

contact information with my work.

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Have a comment about today's story?

please write to "2 believe @ comcast .net"

(spaces were placed between words in email address for security)

RE: "I hope you had a good day"

hi Bob & Marianne,
I was just thinking yesterday that I had not heard from you in a while
and thought I
might get in touch to see if you were ok.
and today I get this e-mail .
just want you to know that there are a few
more people that care for you too.
of course your wife and son care on a
much more personal level, but we all care
so very many of us do.
in prayer nancy

Dear Bob

You were right - I cried! I will never listen to that song again without crying or thinking of you

and Marianne! I have a friend who has just recently been diagnosed, and he started his chemo yesterday.

So I have now added him to my prayer list!

All the best to you both,

Barbara, South Africa

Dearest Bob and Marianne,

You have touched the lives of so many, and you should know that every person you've touched holds

you in their thoughts and prayers. You are held safely in God's hands. There may at times be despair,

hurt, sadness, and maybe even anger; but He'll shelter you carefully. He'll protect you from the storm,

give you a warm and comforting place to rest your head when you feel too weary to carry on and he'll

love you through every step.

Thank you for the stories, the encouragement and allowing so many to share in your life.

Yours sincerely,

Rakel Lodetti
South Africa

Hi Bob

Your story today gripped me so tightly that it was hard to breathe. My mother died of breast cancer

that spread to lungs, liver, and just about everywhere else. Even so, I cannot even try to understand

your pain and hopelessness.

But

I can give you encouragement through God's word:

Philippians 4:6-7

"Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs, and DON'T FORGET

TO THANK HIM FOR HIS ANSWERS. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far

more wonderful than the human mind can understand".

I pray for Marianne and for you. May both of you experience God's peace and grace.

Give Marianne a hug from me, from far out South Africa, and may God bless!!

My love and prayers and with you and your family.

Martie

Hi Bob,
You are in my thoughts, in my prayers, along with Marianne and your son and
his wife. I will envision success for both their causes.
Thank you for reminding me that it is normal to have those days that you are
low, even when you are someone as inspiring as Bob Perks. I am in a valley
of my own, and strive each day to climb out. (Artists often battle this, I
think.) Knowing that you hit that spot sometimes made me feel more human in
some way. I'm standing at a crossroads and you reminded me how important
each moment is, that we don't have forever here, and I need to take life
both seriously and lightly at the same time.
Thank you for the regular notes you send. I don't always write to say so,
but you make a difference to me. Every single time.
Love,
Karen

Bob,

My thoughts and prayers and warm wishes are with you, your wife and the rest of your family.

Your messages always uplift and inspire me. I'm so appreciative of them!

Brightest blessings,

Lara

Bob,

I continue to pray for you, Marianne, Keith and Sarah every day.

My son's girlfriend is battling breast cancer right now. It has been a very rocky road for her.

Please keep her in your prayers.

Donna

"I Wish You enough!"
� 2001 Bob Perks

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Goodbye."