Rick Beeman

What a satisfying day it was for me.   This was really needed as the last few days have been emotionally tough for me as my relationship with the children is being further strained.   What happened so special today?   Nothing really major, just a lot of little things that added together made a very good day.   I woke up early to get to church.   I didn’t stay out late last night.   The idea of clubbing and meeting people just doesn’t seem to excite me.   So church was nice had a short good chat with some friends. Then it was off to the Ritz Carlton for the Friday Brunch with my friend Russ.   This is the nicest hotel on the island and one of the nicest in the world, so the brunch was fabulous.   Normally the brunch goes for $50 a person, but since I had a buy one get one free Ritz executive club card Russ and I got by for $35 a person.   (they charged me for the diet cokes).   It was still pricey but the food was out of sight.   There must have been 150 dining options on the buffet. ...

I probably shouldn’t wait until so late to write this blog.   Im really sleepy now, but the problem is, I can’t sleep until I’ve written in it.   I think its an addiction or a compulsion.   I do have an addictive personality.   Im afraid, if I skip one day, it might lead to the next day then the next…then I’ll quit entirely.   I don’t want to do that.   Before I came over here.   I felt God very strongly impress upon me that He wanted me to write my book when I was here.   I thought it was a good idea.   Instead, I’ve been investing myself gladly in this blog.   Perhaps a book will come out of this, I don’t know.   Im not sure if anyone would want to read this book.   I also have this habit after I post to see who is reading.   Reji, who is back in India, for his month vacation, installed a reading/counter for this.   So I can see who is reading, where and when.   I guess that makes me like big brother, but I do so because I get so excited about the spread of this globe.   Speaking o...

What another tough emotional day it was for me today.   I feel like my children are drifting away from me and its hard to fix that in my present situation.   It really grieves me.   I do miss and love them so much.   This week is especially difficult.   I really could use your prayers.   Im getting hit on all sides, physically, emotionally, and potentially financially.   It was in the papers today that Nader’s bank is in trouble.   Its all part of the global economic crisis.   Right now KSDi is stable through all of this.   We are weathering the storm, but really it is a month by month thing with us.   I have to believe that God will see us through.   He has a plan and a purpose for me being here.   I know there has got to be a plan.   Even if the worst happens, I’m confident that God will see me through.   That is just His nature. Come to think of it, the worst that could possibly ever happen has already happened so I guess I’ve already hit rock bottom no matter what happens.     It...

What a difference a day makes.   I woke up and felt 100% better.   Wow…I went to be feeling pretty lousy last night and woke up feeling good.   Im pretty sure it was a spiritual attack, as everything has been coming against me.   But prayers do make a difference.   As quickly as the sickness came, it went.   Now this is a key, I might have mentioned before in this blog, but since I drink too many diet cokes and the nutrasweet kills my short term memory, I’ll repeat myself.   For the last 3-4 years I’ve been more aggressive with my praying when I get sick or come under attack.   The moment I feel a cold coming on, I pray..”Spirit of sickness you have no authority over me, be gone in Jesus name.” and blamo…usually within a couple of hours, I’m feeling fine and the sickness that was harassing me is gone.   Now I used to be perpetually sick, because of my diabetes.   I always had a lingering cold or the sniffles.   I just thought it was just how I was.   But once I learned to flex my spi...

Wow talk about a tale of two half-days.   I woke up this morning feeling absolutely devastated.   I had a very tough conversation with my children last night.   Essentially it boils down to, they believe their mom’s P.O.V. on everything…they have to, because they live with her.   Imagine what their life would be like if they disagreed and sided with me.   They are in a no choice situation there.      Thus everything is my fault in that family’s eyes…so its 5 against one…with me being the bad guy.   It sucks…its hard to defend myself because that would just be causing to make their mother look bad…and I try not to say anything negative about their mom in front of them.   I do admit to expressing my negative feelings on this blog and to others in confidence.   But it sucks having to keep quiet and not defend yourself especially when they are all convinced im the selfish one.   I just have to think of Christ…he was unjustly accused…and he kept silent.   Perhaps that is what Im supposed ...

What a rough night last night.   I couldn’t sleep hardly at all then I woke up with some sort of flu.   No its not the swine flu, I don’t think.   But it really just wiped me out.   I’m pretty sure it was a spiritual attack coupled with exhaustion, so I had to keep praying it away.   I also did the Joel Osteen thing of declaring myself better.   I lounged around most of the morning.   I have yet to take a sick day at the office, so I felt ok going a little bit slow.   I meandered into the office around 11.   Wouldn’t you know…this is the the day Nader came by to visit.   He’s only been in the office five days in six months, and my one ¼ sick day, he shows up.   Oh well.   I had an interesting conversation with the father of two of my acting students yesterday.   He’s really interested in getting opportunities for his wife and identical twin girls in the media.   He financed his wife’s CD, that is just now out at the stores.   He has a colleague that is looking to finance feature fi...

Whew…a tiring day…on what is supposed to be my off day.   I had to question myself, why to the acting days take so much out of me.   Is it because im constantly thinking and concentrating?   Im just sitting there, its not like Im doing much with physical exertion.   Today was a little bit unusual however.   One of my students works for a high powered CEO who is very nervous about doing presentations for his colleagues.   This guy is a great man, and good communicator, yet anything over 10 people he just gets nervous.   So today we did a one on one consultation.   It was great, I never dealt with this type of professional before for the acting/confidence skills.   I told him, im not trying to help him be a better speaker, Im just trying to help him unlock his true potential.   When we overthink or are stressed it inhibits the mind from being creative, thus we lock up mentally and the harder we try the more we fail.   So the trick is to not think, and just get into flow.   There are se...

I woke up today and I heard a strange voice in my head.   The voice said, you are going to have a great day today.   I thought that was a strange way to start the day.   I wasn’t sure if I actually heard the voice or was dreamt it.   But at that point it didn’t matter.   I resolved myself that indeed it was going to be a great day.   Instead of wallowing in the emotional pain of the last few days, I thought if I anticipate great things, then great things will happen.   Indeed they did.   I made it to church for the first time in a month or so (I’ve been travelling).   The message was spot on.   We have a very talented preacher in Graeme the Australian here.   He’s got a really dry sense of humor that no one seems to get except me.   I got a big bear hug from my accountability partner.   He knows the crap I’m going through and I know his stuff too.   Its just nice to have someone in your corner like that.   You know what…I have a lot of people in my corner like that.   This morning wh...

When peace like a river attendeth my way.   When sorrows like sea billows roll.   Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul.   It was a very difficult day emotionally for me today.   Same crap different day.   I have to just focus that these are spiritual attacks designed to get me off course.   I know I’m doing some fantastic things over here and I will continue to do some amazing things.   I have to keep focused that “All things work together for good, for those that believe and are called according to his purpose.”   The story of “It is Well with my soul” which was written by Horatio Spafford is quite moving.   If you’ve already heard it, drop down to the next paragraph. This hymn was written after several traumatic events in Spafford’s life. The first was the death of his only son in 1871, shortly followed by the great Chicago Fire which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer ). Then in 1873, he had planned to travel to Euro...

Im pretty tired today.   It was a little frustrating.   It took a half-day and a lot of emotional energy to do something that should have only taken an hour.   Thus I didn’t get a lot of stuff done.   I was a little bit bothered when I went over for class today.   I think I vented a little on our sweet receptionist, that made a mistake.   I’m trying to get the staff to start think pro-actively and not re-actively.   Apparently being Pro-active is a western concept that is hard for other cultures to grasp.   Thus we are always trying to fix things when with just a little effort before hand the problem could have been avoided.   So I went into teaching a little bit bothered, but it turned out to be a great class.   I teach the children a little differently than I do the teens and adults.   With the kids its all about playing and then trying to illustrate lessons in the midst of playing.   I had an unexpected emotional result today.   There is this one little girl in class that just s...

Its been such an amazing couple of days.   I was bound to have a bad one.   But that’s the thing.   I don’t really have bad days.   An average day, can be considered the “new bad” for me.   My standards have raised so much for me.   Im very thankful for that.   My dad’s only toast (Kristen will laugh) “May the best of your yesterdays be the worst of your tomorrow’s).   Im seeing that play out in my life.   Im extremely blessed.    Like I tell my positive living small group, I have great friends, a fabulous job, wonderful future, security, just a very good life.   I also have three wonderful children whom one day I’ll enjoy a closer relationship with.   There is a lot for me to be thankful for at this point in my life.   I was so pleased last night at my small group.   We are growing organically.   We had 12 last night, and not one of them were the regulars like Reji, Guy, or Bene.   This was an all new crowd, I think I might have been the only real devout Christian.   That is fine ...

What a wonderful day.   It is a holiday today.   Apparently for the most the world May 1 is a global holiday, except in the U.S.   Since May 1 st fell on a Friday, we celebrated it today.   So I did absolutely nothing today (work wise) and it felt spectacular.   I was able to sleep in til 9:00 am.   Facebook chat with a couple of friends over a lazy morning.   Then I took a 15 minute walk to Bennigan’s for Breakfast.   I had breakfast with Joel Osteen this morning.   Meaning I read his “Your Best Life Now” Book.   You’d think that since I attend his church and consider him my pastor, I would have read it by now.   Lakewood sent it to me, as part of the package of material I am sharing for my small group.   We are getting the same people attending now, so it really does feel like a church.   We have an atheist attending, a hindu, a couple of muslims, a couple of Christians and a couple of agnostics.   It’s a great group.   That is exactly the target audience Im going for.   Im trying...

t an amazing day.   Its very late, so I’m not going to go in much detail.   Ha..I say that now, and watch me wind up writing a page and a half.   I wonder if I turn this blog into a book, if anyone would be interested in reading?   God did speak to my heart that he wanted me to write a book on my life and overcoming the pain while I’m here.   Maybe its just taking the form of the blog.   I met with a Sheikh today, and a pretty important one.   We get along very well.   He is my age.   He wants us to do a documentary on the history of the ports in Bahrain.   Which actually is quite fascinating.   An entire culture of considerate and hospitable Bahraini’s were formed generation after generation after becoming so adept at handling foreigners that would grace their shores as a result of the shipping trade. So Im going to focus in on that aspect.   If nothing else it will be a pretty good gig.   It’s all a result of “Wasta” having good favor.   One think I’ve really done well here is ...

The busy day is finally starting to catch up with me.   I stayed out later than normal last night.   We have a pretty South African girl in town interviewing for a position at KSDi.   I took her out to dinner and we wound up talking and talking and talking.   She is a fascinating person.   She was also divorced so she knew what I was talking about psychologically about hurt and rejection before I could even get the words out of my mouth.   It’s nice being with someone that understands you.   So I woke up this morning for an early breakfast meeting with a Dutch girl.   She’s very sweet and has been coming to my “positive living” classes.   She is also a former model and actress.   She likes to take my courses to make sure she can hone up on her skill.   It was a nice breakfast as we talked about future business endeavors together.   I think one day if the acting school is going to grow, she could be the one to teach it.   I am learning to try to franchise myself within KSDi.   I cer...

I was feeling sorry a little for myself last night and that doesn’t happen very often.   You see I had been communicating with this beautiful girl from the Czech Republic who is currently living in North Carolina.   We were chatting often and I was falling for her.   I know I know…if you read this blog you’ll soon find out I fall for lots of girls.   I think it’s a product of my divorce.   I have such a longing for a companion again, when I see someone that might fit, I have a tendency to get too excited and move way too fast.   I think it has something to with the ridiculously high standards that I have in girls.   I’m only attracted to extremely beautiful girls, and for me to stay attracted they have to be extremely intelligent   and have a passion for God.   So those types of girls aren’t easy to find.   Thus when I find one, I tend to overdo it because of the sheer excitement of the possibilities.   So there I was falling for this Czech Girl and she kind of broke off the whole “I...

I slept in a bit today.   I do that after I teach classes.   I had a full day set up in the office.   I went over everything with Nader.   He’s under a lot of pressure with the banking crisis still.   The fact that we are doing so well at KSDi reassures him.   Deep down, I think he longs to quit his banking job and come work for us full time.   But he’s making far too much money at the Bank right now.   We are still about 12-18 months away from really being able to afford him.   There is a lot of buzz being generated with my improv comedy contest “The Funniest Person in Bahrain.”   We are running it in conjunction with FACT magazine so that will give us really good press.   The first event is supposed to take place on May 19.   That’s going to be tight for me…because I may have to fly back to the U.S. for a legal hearing with my former employer.   That’s going to suck if I have to do that.   But It’s the principle of the thing Im fighting.   For the improv contest, I have selected ...

What a day.   I had breakfast in my favorite Mexican restaurant.   They had a new server there, that hadn’t worked before.   But he saw me…and said…”The usual sir?”   Wow…I don’t know if that recognition is a good or bad thing.   I am a creature of habit.   I got into the office and had a lot of work to do…So much so, that im a little intimidated by it all.   I just have to learn to balance being a General Manager and a filmmaker.   For years, all I did was make movies…as a writer-producer-director-editor.   One project would consume my professional life for weeks.   By focusing on one thing, I was able to produce excellent work.   I don’t have the luxury any longer.   In fact with my day to day commitments of running a company, I don’t think I have time to make many films at the present moment.   Instead I need to rely upon my very capable staff.   I have to keep them to a high standard to make sure that our product remains top of the line.   But that takes good communication…someth...

Are you guys getting sick of how tired I am?   I know I put myself under this sort of schedule, so Its my choice.   I really am trying to maximize my life here and sleep just seems to get in the way.   Its not like I waste much time of the day.   I don’t watch TV, and I only catch a movie once every two weeks.   I guess my to do list is getting so massive and since I teach twice a week now, I only have four other working days to get everything done.   I know, I know break out the violins.   Im not complaining at all.   Its just that I have to strike a balance when to get my stuff done as a writer-director-producer-editor, and when to get my stuff done as a GM, and when I need to get my stuff done as a publicist, and when to get my stuff done as a sales guy.   I know I’m wearing a lot of hats right now.   One project in particular is hanging over my head.   I think once I get that completed it will pave the way for me to be ultra efficient in all the other areas of my professional lif...