Walking along the pier on the lake where her boat is docked, I had a fantastic conversation with amazing Edie Raether, Speaker, Author, coach. Edie is a force to be reckoned with. She’s had a practice as a successful psychotherapist and has spoken on five continents. She’s made millions, been on an ABC talk show host and radio show host in her lifetime.
Edie has seen tremendous success. She’s had it all and lost it all, but one thing has remained unmovable and unshakable; that is her vision and mission to change the way the world thinks, one mind at a time.
Edie has authored more than 5 books and is working on three others. She takes me on a journey of her life during our hour together. I knew she was full of energy and power however her passion for children and empowering others fascinated me beyond my wildest imagination. The wisdom inside of this special being is indescribable.
Holding nothing back, without one stone unturned this is undoubtedly one of the most sincere yet power, packed stories, I’ve heard in a while. She speaks fast to get it all in, but listen carefully to every word. There’s a message in each answer she gives.
Enjoy this live interview and come to see her live on November 12 at the Hilton, University Place, Charlotte, NC. What you hear here is only the beginning of what she’ll reveal there.
The three "R"s = remarkable service, reliable quality, and taste to remember , these are the three things I look for in a restaurant when I am going to write about them.
I am a truck driver by trade, with a background in food and food service. My father was a butcher and a son of butcher so I have grown up knowing my meats. I love to cook and do so every chance I get, even if I am on my truck. I have managed several food service establishments over the years so I know what is expected and what can be expected.
I have been traveling across this country over the past 14 years and have eaten at many BBQ places during this time but only a few have been worthy of a second glance let alone a mark in my Places to Eat book. For those who don’t know, most drivers, keep a book like that to remind us where the good food, the large parking lots, and the hot showers are.
Normally, I’ll be telling you about two of the best restaurants that I have found in my travels but this time I want to mention just one. The place I want to mention just blew my mind, it was so good. It had me routing myself back just so I could stop again. (I don’t usually route myself back to any place special .But this time I just couldn’t help myself.) It is call the TEXAS BEST SMOKEHOUSE, located within the Texas Best Truck stop on I 20 at Exit 571a, in Tyler Texas and I can assure you it is the best.
From the food to the staff, I have found no equal. You are greeted with a loud "Welcome to Texas Best" as you walk in the door and not just by one person but by all the staff at the same time. The smell of the smokehouse makes your mouth water. More than just a restaurant, it is also a store and the store features an assortment of homemade jerky as well as regional favorites like chow chow, relish and an array of other items that you have to take a moment and look at. But do so after you eat. As you make your way around the jerky counter and head for the dining room the smell of the piping hot Texas Best Smokehouse side dishes has you focused on one thing; getting in line.
From mashed potatoes and baked beans, to greens, noodles, and potato salad, to tomato salad and desserts like fresh fruit medley and banana pudding , you are left standing there trying to make up your mind. Then you move on to the meats, again you are trying to decide from the ribs, chicken, beef or pork (shredded or sliced). Or, do you go with the sausage? I could go on.
A meal of two meats with two sides and a big slice of Texas toast will cost you $11.00 dollars with tax add a medium drink and the total comes to 13.58 but I can assure you, you will need a to go box. I arrived around 10:00 am and ordered the two meat and two sides. I got the ribs and sliced pork with macaroni and cheese and potato salad. I had to have a to-go box, there was so much.
It was good, no it was better than good, it was awesome! The name fits this place perfectly. I found the macaroni to be firm but not undercooked, not mushy either and very cheesy. I’ll let you in on a secret, I don’t like macaroni and cheese and this had me getting a little more to go. It is that good.
I had to see if the evening shift could measure up to the day shift, so a few days later I found myself back at the Texas Best ordering up another two meat, two side plate. This time I had the chicken and shredded beef with the tomato salad and mashed potatoes. I am please to say that even a hour before closing, it was just as good as it was a hour after they opened.
There is a staff of twenty seven ranging in age from 16 to 60. From what I witnessed, they work well together and know what they are doing. You are greeted with a smile and a "Welcome to Texas Best" as you walk up to the counter.
The line is kept warm, clean and always fresh. I sat at my table for an hour and watched the staff work and I can tell you this: they were fast and efficient. Some of them maybe young but they work like they have been doing it for years. The GM here knows how to pick a good crew.
The smoked meats are kept piping hot and whether you want yours sliced or shredded they will fix it up fine. Just add the BBQ sauce hot or mild and enjoy. There is a little side bar with onions, relish, pickles and green and hot peppers. Take what you want but please don’t waste the food because to do so here would be a sin. Food this good belongs in your belly — not the trash bin.
When you leave, don’t forget to ring the bell to let the staff know you had a great stay and you’ll be back for more.
Michelle Y. Kelly is a long haul truck driver who will be sharing her passion for food with P3 readers now and in future editions.
For the past eight years, my number one companion has been Marty, my 10-year-old toy poodle. He’s been with me through several boyfriends as well as one big cross-country move (to California and back). Together we’ve played, we’ve cried (he likes to lick my tears), we’ve slept in on lazy Saturdays and endured many a thunderstorm (he hates those). I think we can learn a lot from a dog.
While he has a long memory, he’s got a very short attention span when it comes to being upset. He gets over things. He’s definitely not a grudge holder. Animals, unlike humans, innately trust their instincts. We let too much ‘thinking’ and second-guessing get in the way. But Marty reacts based on instinct and he’s usually right. He can tell when that dreaded thunderstorm is coming before I have a clue. He knows when I’m upset and is ready with a lick to comfort me.
Before Marty, I could get up and be out of the house (dressed, hair done and full make-up) in 15 minutes flat. Not so much with a dog. The concept of late just doesn’t occur to him. I can rush like gangbusters but time slows down when I have to walk him. He just refuses to rush!
What I like best about him though is that he’s an automatic mood lifter. A hard day or a sad moment becomes a little bit better when he’s around. He’s there with a sympathetic ear (and a head tilt that makes you think he really does understand) or to lick a tear away. He’s always up for a quick game or just to sit on your lap and let you pet him. After 5 minutes with Marty, you will feel better! It’s guaranteed.
His unabashed love and affection are contagious. The groomer refers to him as her ‘boyfriend’ and he arrives at the vet to a chorus of greetings from the vet assistants. In fact, my friend Cindy refers to him as America’s Favorite Pooch .
Life is hard and filled with twists and turns and disappointments. But with a Marty in my corner, somehow I know I’ll get through it all. Everyone should be so lucky.
As a trainer, and now as a life coach, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a wide array of people. From entry-level employees to front-line managers to executives and CEOs, I’ve trained and worked with them all. No matter what their job title or income, I’ve noticed when it comes to making real and lasting changes in their lives, all of them face the same hurdles.
Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution to lose weight or a vow to finally quit smoking, we all face the same challenges. However, there are some very simple things we can do to overcome these formidable obstacles.
Overwhelmed
Often the changes we want to make are pretty major. Giving up a pack a day habit or losing 75 pounds is no cake walk. Yet, at the same time, we make it larger than it really is by focusing on the big picture – the really, really BIG picture.
* “A pack a day is 20 cigarettes. Everyone knows that a nicotine addition is one of the hardest to overcome”
* “75 pounds is a small child! That’s a whole lot of weight.”
We get exhausted just thinking about it! As a result, we never quit before we ever begin, rationalizing that it’s just too much.
There is an old joke that asks, “How do you eat an elephant?” People who have never heard the joke think of all sorts of elaborate answers but the truth is that you eat an elephant one bite at a time . That’s the same way that you lose weight, or start exercising or stop smoking. You do it one pound, one workout or one cigarette at a time.
Overhauled
Let’s say you want to start an exercise program. The reason you haven’t started is that it’s just so expensive. After all, you need the gym membership, the new fancy tennis shoes and of course some new outfits to go with them. It would be great if you could also get a hold of one of those ab-crunching whatchamajigs you saw late last night as you watched Saturday Night Live (while munching on some potato chips). If all those things fell into place, then you could work out.
Likewise, you might put off starting that diet until you have removed every bad food from your pantry and replaced it with its healthy alternative, joined a weight loss program and invested in a fancy new scale.
The truth of the matter is that you’ll never have everything in place and if that’s what you are waiting for, you’ll always be waiting.
The thing to do is to start where you are with what you have. Wear some comfortable clothes and shoes and start taking a walk around the block. Invest $15 or less in an exercise DVD (Walk Away the Pounds is a great one to start with), and walk, tonight.
Over-Achievement
Let’s say you get over the overwhelm and the need to overhaul and you actually begin to work towards your goal. And then, it happens. You have a bad day. You reach for that Krispy Kreme or that cigarette or forget about going on that walk. The next day, you are frustrated and disappointed. You messed up. Now, you ask yourself, “Why even bother?”
As you plan to achieve your goal, you should also plan for setbacks as they will occur. It’s not a matter of if but when . This is not pessimistic but realistic. The thing to remember is to be gentle with yourself but firm. Yes, you made a mistake but it’s not the end unless you decide it is. Forgive yourself and get back on plan as soon as possible.
Over the years, I’ve learned that regardless of the kinds of change you want to make, the secret is to approach it slowly and instead of making big, sweeping changes, make small incremental ones.
Want to go back to school? Then take it one step at a time. Research your schools, fill out your applications, and make an appointment with a financial aid counselor. Each of these mini-goals makes the task of getting an education a lot less daunting.
Looking to lose weight? A week at a time, make one substitution. Replace that sugar 20 ounce soda with a diet one or water. If you do just that and nothing else, you can lose over ten pounds in a year. The next week, replace the chips with low-fat popcorn. Trade in the fried chicken for broiled, you get the picture.
Finally, if you want to make lasting changes, commit to the long haul. All real change takes time, so give yourself the time you need to succeed.
