New Book: The Smart Senior Scam Defense Guide

 

Scammers don't need you to be foolish. They just need to catch you at the right moment.

Maybe it's a phone call saying there's suspicious activity on your bank account. Maybe a frightened voice sounds exactly like your grandson or granddaughter. Maybe you're told your computer has been hacked. Or perhaps someone you've come to trust online suddenly needs money or has an investment opportunity you shouldn't miss.

I know how convincing these situations can be because I've been scammed myself.

That experience helped inspire my new book, The Smart Senior Scam Defense Guide: How to Spot the Trick Before You Click, Pay, or Answer.

What Makes This Book Different?

There are thousands of scams, and new variations appear constantly. Trying to memorize every one of them isn't practical.

So this book takes a different approach.

Instead of teaching you the names of hundreds of scams, it teaches you to recognize the behavior behind the scam.

Fear.

Urgency.

Authority.

Secrecy.

Requests for verification codes.

Instructions to move your money.

Requests for unusual forms of payment.

Someone wanting remote access to your computer.

The story can change. The warning signs often don't.

That's why the heart of the book is a simple three-step defense:

STOP. CHECK. VERIFY.

STOP. Don't click, pay, transfer money, give out a verification code, or provide sensitive information when something unexpected happens.

CHECK. Who contacted whom? What do they want? Are they making you afraid, excited, confused, or rushed?

VERIFY. End their contact. Then independently contact the bank, company, government agency, family member, or organization yourself using information you already trust.

One of the most important rules in the book is incredibly simple:

They contacted you? STOP.

A legitimate problem will still exist after you hang up.

A Book for Seniors and Their Families

The book isn't about frightening seniors or taking away someone's independence. It's about adding another layer of protection.

It also includes advice for families, what to do if you've already sent money or provided information, and how to avoid the cruel second scam in which someone promises to recover money you've already lost.

I've also made the STOP. CHECK. VERIFY. reminder available on the book's website so you can keep it near your phone or computer.

Learn more about The Smart Senior Scam Defense Guide and get the free printable reminder here:

The Smart Senior Scam Defense Guide

You don't have to recognize every scam.

You just need to recognize the moment when it's time to stop.

STOP. CHECK. VERIFY.

I Found Something I Wrote About Myself in 2014

 

Today I stumbled across an old blog post I wrote in 2014.

I started reading it expecting to smile at how much things had changed.

Instead, something else happened.

I realized how much has not changed.

Back then, I introduced myself simply:

“Hi. I am Bruce Goldwell.”

I wrote about my dreams, my struggles, becoming an author, and why I wanted to write books in the first place.

And there was one sentence that caught my attention:

“I write books to help others move closer to achieving their own dreams.”

That was me in 2014.

And somehow, all these years later, it is still me.

Before the Books

There was a period of about ten years in my life when simply getting through the day could be an accomplishment.

I had experienced health problems and personal setbacks, and eventually I found myself homeless.

During those years, bookstores became something of a classroom for me.

I would spend time reading books in the self-help section, trying to understand why some people seemed able to overcome incredible obstacles while others remained trapped by circumstances.

More importantly, I wanted to know:

Could I change my own circumstances?

In 1998, I met a 97-year-old gentleman who told me that I should write a book.

At the time, that probably sounded like an unlikely future.

But I never completely forgot what he said.

Eventually, I started writing.

My first published book was The Door to Super Achievement.

Then came The Power of Choice.

Then the Dragon Keepers series, where I tried to weave success principles into stories young readers could enjoy.

More books followed.

And then more.

What I Didn't Know in 2014

Reading that old post today is fascinating because the person writing it couldn't see what was ahead.

He couldn't see the books that hadn't been written yet.

He couldn't see the websites that hadn't been built.

He couldn't see artificial intelligence becoming a tool that would allow an independent author to research, create, experiment, build, and communicate in ways that would have sounded like science fiction in 2014.

He couldn't see all the ideas that were still waiting to arrive.

He couldn't see the failures, either.

There would be ideas that didn't work.

Books that didn't sell.

Projects that went nowhere.

Experiments that seemed brilliant one day and considerably less brilliant the next. 😂

But that's part of the journey.

You keep creating.

You keep learning.

You keep trying.

And every once in a while, you look backward and realize just how far you've traveled.

The Most Important Thing Didn't Change

Near the end of that 2014 post, I wrote:

“Sometimes life teaches us amazing lessons and winning is not always what it seems. Winning is in the eye of the beholder.”

Then I wrote something even more important:

“I feel that helping others is one of my missions in life.”

And finally:

“My goal is to help make the world a better place.”

Twelve years later, I wouldn't change that.

My definition of success has evolved.

Technology has certainly changed.

The subjects I write about have expanded enormously.

But I still believe a book can reach someone at exactly the moment they need it.

Maybe someone is struggling with a relationship.

Maybe someone hates their job and doesn't know whether to stay or leave.

Maybe a senior or veteran is trying to stretch a limited budget.

Maybe someone is thinking about life, death, faith, purpose, or what might come next.

Maybe someone simply needs an idea that helps them see their situation differently.

I may never know their name.

They may never know much about me.

But somehow a few words I wrote can travel across the world and reach that person.

I've always thought there was something remarkable about that.

A Message to the Bruce of 2014

If I could send a message backward to the man who wrote that blog post, I think I'd keep it simple:

Keep going.

Some things aren't going to work.

Keep going.

Some people aren't going to understand what you're trying to do.

Keep going.

You're going to have more ideas than you could possibly finish.

Try anyway.

Technology is going to change beyond anything you can imagine.

Learn how to use it.

And never forget why you started writing in the first place.

You wanted your experiences—even the difficult ones—to become something that might help somebody else.

That's still a pretty good reason to write.

And to Whoever Is Reading This...

Maybe you've had years that didn't turn out the way you expected.

Maybe something you dreamed about has taken much longer than you thought it would.

Maybe you're starting over at an age when people tell you that you should be slowing down.

Don't assume that today's circumstances are the final chapter.

I once spent my days trying to figure out how to survive while reading other people's books in bookstores.

Eventually, I started writing my own.

And I'm still writing them.

So perhaps the best thing I can do with this old post from 2014 is leave its final message essentially where it began:

Sometimes life teaches us amazing lessons.

Success isn't always measured by money, recognition, numbers, or applause.

Sometimes success is discovering that something you created helped another human being.

And after all these years, my goal remains remarkably simple:

Help people when I can.

Keep creating.

And try to leave this world a little better than I found it.

— Bruce Goldwell

What to Do After Someone Lies to You in a Relationship

 

You discovered the lie.

Maybe it involved cheating. Maybe it was money. Maybe it was secret messages, hidden behavior, or something your partner had repeatedly told you wasn't happening.

Now you're facing the question that often comes next:

What do I do after the lie?

Do you forgive?

Do you stay?

Can you trust the person again?

How do you know whether the apology is sincere?

Is the relationship going through a difficult period—or has it become toxic?

And if you decide to leave, how do you let go of someone you may still love?

These are some of the questions that led me to write my new book, AFTER THE LIE: Rebuilding Trust, Recognizing Toxic Relationships, Knowing When to Let Go, and Finding Yourself Again.

The purpose of the book isn't to tell you whether to stay or leave.

It's to help you see clearly enough to make that decision for yourself.

What Should You Do First After Discovering a Lie?

Before making a major decision in the heat of discovery, try to understand what actually happened.

There is an important difference between knowing that someone lied and knowing the full truth.

Ask yourself:

What do I know?

What do I suspect?

What am I afraid might be true?

Those three things can become mixed together after betrayal.

Your mind may replay conversations, search old memories for clues, question previous explanations, and wonder what else you missed.

That doesn't necessarily mean you have to make an immediate decision.

Sometimes the most useful first step is simply:

Find the truth before deciding what the truth means for your future.

Can You Trust Someone Again After They Lie?

Possibly.

But trust isn't restored simply because someone says:

“I'm sorry.”

An apology may begin the repair.

It does not complete it.

I use this framework throughout After the Lie:

TRUTH → ACCOUNTABILITY → CONSISTENCY → TIME → TRUST

Truth

Is the person now being honest?

Or are you continuing to discover omissions, changing stories, and additional lies?

Accountability

Do they accept responsibility for their choices?

Or does the conversation eventually become about what you supposedly did to cause their behavior?

Relationship problems can be shared.

Choices belong to the person who makes them.

Consistency

Do their actions begin matching their promises?

One emotional conversation doesn't establish a new pattern.

Repeated behavior does.

Time

Trust takes time to rebuild.

The person who broke the trust doesn't get to decide when you should be “over it.”

Trust

Trust may eventually return when truth, accountability, and consistent behavior have been demonstrated over time.

It isn't guaranteed.

Sometimes a reasonable answer to:

“Don't you trust me?”

is:

“I don't know yet. Show me.”

How Do You Know Whether Someone Has Really Changed?

Watch the pattern.

One of the most important ideas in After the Lie is:

Never confuse someone's potential with their pattern.

Potential is what someone could become.

Pattern is what someone repeatedly chooses.

This distinction matters because people can spend years in unhappy relationships believing in potential.

“He could be wonderful if…”

“She promised things would change…”

“I know who he really is…”

“Things were so good at the beginning…”

Perhaps the person really can change.

But if change is real, eventually there should be evidence.

Promises are words.

Patterns are evidence.

Is the Relationship Toxic or Just Going Through a Difficult Time?

Every relationship experiences difficulty.

People become stressed.

People misunderstand each other.

There can be illness, grief, unemployment, financial problems, family pressures, and periods when one partner has to carry more of the load.

Difficulty alone does not make a relationship toxic.

Look instead for repeated destructive patterns such as:

• dishonesty
• manipulation
• contempt
• controlling behavior
• chronic blame
• isolation
• repeated broken promises
• taking without reciprocating
• making one person responsible for keeping the relationship alive

You don't necessarily need to decide whether the other person deserves the label “toxic.”

A more useful question may be:

Is the pattern I'm living in healthy for me?

Should You Stay After Someone Lies?

There isn't one answer that applies to every relationship.

A lie does not automatically mean a relationship cannot be repaired.

But love doesn't automatically mean it should be repaired, either.

Instead of looking only at the original betrayal, watch what happens afterward.

Is the truth becoming clearer?

Is there accountability?

Are reasonable questions answered?

Are boundaries respected?

Is behavior changing?

Does the change last?

Are both people participating in rebuilding the relationship?

Or are you doing all the work?

One person cannot rebuild a two-person relationship.

Ask Yourself What Staying Is Costing You

When we're afraid of losing someone, we may spend enormous amounts of energy asking:

“How do I keep this person?”

I suggest asking another question:

“What is keeping this person costing me?”

Is it costing you:

Your peace?

Your confidence?

Your self-respect?

Your friendships?

Your sleep?

Your money?

Your opportunities?

Your dreams?

Your ability to be yourself?

The answer doesn't automatically mean you should leave.

But the cost deserves to be part of the decision.

Healthy Relationships Should Be Give and Receive

We've all heard the expression that relationships are “give and take.”

I prefer to think of a healthy relationship as:

Give and receive.

That doesn't mean everything is 50/50 every day.

Sometimes one partner needs more.

Sometimes the other does.

That's part of sharing a life.

But over time, both people should give and receive.

Both should listen and be heard.

Both should support and be supported.

Both should contribute.

Both should matter.

If one person continually gives while the other continually takes, eventually the giver can disappear inside the relationship.

What If You Still Love Them?

Love can make the decision much harder.

But loving someone and deciding not to remain with them are not necessarily contradictions.

You can love someone and recognize that the relationship is unhealthy.

You can forgive someone and still leave.

You can remember wonderful years without believing those years obligate you to sacrifice the years ahead.

And you can miss someone without returning.

Missing someone is an emotion. Returning to them is a decision.

What If You Decide to Leave?

Letting go doesn't require pretending the relationship never mattered.

You may grieve the person.

You may also grieve the future you imagined with them.

The routines.

The memories.

The dreams.

The time invested.

Even the person you hoped they would someday become.

Give yourself permission to experience that loss.

Then gradually begin building your own life again.

Reconnect with friends.

Rediscover interests.

Set new goals.

Create new routines.

Do things that make you feel like yourself again.

And don't feel that you immediately need another relationship to prove that you're lovable.

When you believe you must have someone, you become much more willing to accept anyone.

The Question We Often Forget to Ask

After betrayal, almost everything revolves around one question:

“Can I trust this person again?”

But eventually another question becomes just as important:

“Can I trust myself again?”

You may blame yourself for not seeing the lie sooner.

You may question your judgment.

You may wonder how you could have believed someone.

But trusting yourself doesn't mean guaranteeing that nobody will ever deceive or hurt you again.

It means trusting that whatever happens, you will not abandon yourself just to prevent someone else from leaving.

So What Do You Do After the Lie?

Start with what is true.

Look for accountability.

Watch the behavior.

Give change enough time to reveal whether it is real.

Then decide what the evidence is telling you.

The path might lead toward rebuilding.

It might lead toward letting go.

Or for a while, the answer might simply be:

“I don't know yet. Show me.”

That's okay too.

The purpose of clarity isn't to force a quick decision.

It's to help you make a better one.

About AFTER THE LIE

I wrote AFTER THE LIE: Rebuilding Trust, Recognizing Toxic Relationships, Knowing When to Let Go, and Finding Yourself Again after recognizing how many people are searching for answers to these very questions.

The book explores:

Can I trust them again?

Why isn't an apology enough?

What's the difference between privacy and secrecy?

Is this relationship toxic or simply difficult?

Should I stay or leave?

How do I let go of someone I still love?

How do I trust myself again?

It doesn't make the decision for you.

It helps you examine the relationship you actually have—not merely the relationship you hope it might someday become.

Sometimes love means rebuilding.

Sometimes love means letting go.

Wisdom is knowing the difference.

Learn more about After the Lie:

https://mykindlebooks.net/books/after-the-lie/

Bruce Goldwell
Author, songwriter, entrepreneur, and Vietnam veteran

 

For thousands of years, people have asked the same question:

What happens after we die?

The answers have been remarkably varied.

Some picture Heaven as a magnificent city filled with light. Others imagine gardens, rivers, reunion with loved ones, or a peaceful realm beyond suffering. Near-death experiences have added still more intriguing accounts—brilliant light, extraordinary landscapes, music, deceased relatives, and an overwhelming feeling of having returned home.

But while working on my new book, The Many Rooms of Heaven, I began wondering whether we have been asking the question too narrowly.

What if Heaven is much bigger than any one description?

In My Father's House Are Many Rooms

One statement by Jesus kept returning to my thoughts:

“In my Father's house are many rooms.” — John 14:2

Those words raise an extraordinary possibility.

We often talk about Heaven as though everyone arrives at one enormous destination and spends eternity doing essentially the same thing.

But Jesus didn't describe one room.

He said many rooms.

What if the Father's house contains places of beauty, learning, creativity, family, service, discovery, worship, rest, and purposes we cannot presently comprehend?

I don't claim to know that it does.

But I think the question is worth asking.

The City of Light

The Book of Revelation gives us one of Scripture's most spectacular visions of the world to come.

There is a city.

There is a river of life.

There is the tree of life.

There is extraordinary light.

And there comes a time when death, mourning, crying, and pain are no more.

That's a very different picture from the cartoon version of Heaven many of us grew up with—clouds, wings, and people sitting around playing harps.

Perhaps our familiar picture has always been much too small.

The Gardens of Paradise

Then consider how often paradise appears as a garden.

Across religious traditions, we repeatedly encounter images of flowing water, trees, fruit, flowers, shade, beauty, abundance, and peace.

Why?

Maybe gardens simply represent what human beings long for.

Or perhaps they are our best earthly vocabulary for something much greater.

Imagine trying to explain the Internet to someone who lived 2,000 years ago. You would have to use comparisons to things that person already understood.

Maybe descriptions of Heaven face the same problem.

How do you describe a reality for which human beings don't yet have the vocabulary?

Will We Recognize the People We Love?

For me, this is one of the most important questions of all.

If Heaven exists, will I still be me?

Will you still be you?

Will we recognize the people who mattered to us?

Will parents recognize children? Will husbands and wives remember one another? Will friendships continue? Will we meet ancestors we never had the opportunity to know?

And yes, many of us wonder about our animals too.

Perhaps the greatest thing about Heaven wouldn't be streets of gold.

Perhaps it would simply be seeing someone you thought you had lost forever coming toward you again.

What If?

Eventually my exploration led me to an even larger set of questions.

What if Earth isn't the beginning of our existence?

What if we came here for a reason?

What if obtaining a body, learning, making choices, loving, creating, forgiving, overcoming difficulty, and developing faith are part of something much larger?

What if death is a separation rather than a termination?

What if resurrection means we receive our bodies again—restored and immortal?

What if we continue learning?

What if families have eternal significance?

What if the universe we can see is only a tiny indication of the scale of what God has created?

And perhaps the most important question:

If any of that were true, would you live differently today?

What Do You Hope For?

The Bible contains one of my favorite descriptions of faith:

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

That leads me to a very simple question.

What do you hope for?

Do you hope you will see your family again?

Do you hope there is more to discover?

Do you hope you will continue learning and creating?

Do you hope that the person you are becoming during this life matters beyond this life?

Then why make your hope small?

I cannot prove exactly what Heaven will be like. None of us can.

That's part of what makes the question so fascinating.

But when I consider the size of the universe, the complexity of life, the mystery of consciousness, the power of love, and the words “In my Father's house are many rooms,” I find it difficult to imagine eternity as something small.

That's why I wrote The Many Rooms of Heaven: What Religions, Scripture, Near-Death Experiences, and Human Imagination Tell Us About the World Beyond.

I've also created a special page where you can explore several of the book's ideas and see artwork inspired by The City of Light, The Gardens of Paradise, The Many Rooms, and What If?

Visit The Many Rooms of Heaven:

https://www.mykindlebooks.net/books/many-rooms-of-heaven/

Maybe Heaven will turn out to be different from everything we imagined.

Or maybe some of our visions contain small pieces of something much greater.

Either way, if you're going to hope, make it big.

Because perhaps the greatest surprise waiting for us beyond this life will be discovering that we never dreamed big enough.

#Heaven #LifeAfterDeath #Faith #Afterlife #NearDeathExperiences #Christianity #Spirituality #Resurrection #EternalLife #BruceGoldwell

Don’t Turn Out the Lights: Six Ghost Stories for Halloween and Other Dark Nights

 

There’s something special about reading a ghost story when the house is quiet.

The television is off. Everyone else has gone to bed. Maybe there’s a little rain against the window.

Then you read a sentence that makes you stop.

Was that a noise in the hallway?

Probably nothing.

You keep reading.

That is exactly the feeling I wanted to create with my new collection, DON’T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS — Volume 1: Ghost Stories for Halloween and Other Dark Nights.

Six Stories. Six Impossible Encounters.

Volume 1 contains six original ghost stories.

The Woman in the Upstairs Window — Everyone knows the abandoned house is empty. Then a woman appears in the upstairs window.

Room Thirteen — A stranded traveler receives the key to Room 13 at a motel that has only twelve rooms.

The Last Trick-or-Treater — At 11:47 on Halloween night, a widower hears one final knock at his door.

Someone Is Sitting in the Back Seat — A woman driving home keeps seeing a passenger in her rearview mirror.

The House That Calls Your Name — Neighborhood children have one rule about the abandoned house: if it whispers your name, don't answer.

The Photograph — A family buys an antique Halloween photograph from 1936. The next morning, someone who wasn't in the photograph before has appeared in it.

Horror Doesn't Have to Mean Gore

These stories aren't built around blood and gore.

They're built around anticipation.

Sometimes the most frightening thing isn't seeing a monster.

It's noticing something that shouldn't be there.

A handprint on the inside of a window.

A voice that sounds exactly like someone you love.

A motel room that shouldn't exist.

A person appearing in an old photograph.

Or the realization that the strange noise you've been hearing isn't coming from outside the house.

Grok Reviewed the Collection

Grok recently took a look at DON’T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS and summed up the collection with a line I particularly liked:

“Solid seasonal horror for people who want to be unsettled rather than shocked.”

That's exactly the territory I wanted these stories to occupy.

Grok particularly highlighted The Woman in the Upstairs Window, where a traditional haunted-house mystery gradually becomes a story about family secrets, erased photographs, a missing sister, guilt, and something inside the house that can imitate familiar voices.

That leads to one of my favorite ideas in the entire collection:

What if the haunted house doesn't just know your name?

What if it knows what you already blame yourself for?

Now the ghost doesn't simply have to frighten you.

It knows exactly which voice to use.

The Ghost Story Your Imagination Finishes

I've always thought imagination can be far more effective than showing everything.

Consider this:

You're home alone.

Someone you love calls your name from the other end of the hallway.

For just a second, you start walking toward the voice.

Then you remember...

that person isn't home.

What do you do?

That moment—the instant when something ordinary becomes impossible—is where many of these stories begin.

A Halloween Reading Challenge

Here's a challenge for anyone who picks up the book this Halloween season.

Start reading after 11 PM.

Read one story alone.

When you're finished, put the book down.

Then walk through your dark hallway without turning on the light.

Easy, right?

We'll see. 👻

Watch the Book Trailer

I've created a trailer that gives you a glimpse into the six stories.

Watch DON’T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS — Volume 1 on YouTube

Get Your Copy Before Halloween

October is approaching, which means this is the perfect time to start building that Halloween reading list.

If you enjoy classic ghost stories, haunted houses, supernatural mysteries, strange voices, changing photographs and things that go bump in the night, this collection is waiting for you.

DON’T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS — Volume 1

Ghost Stories for Halloween and Other Dark Nights

By Bruce Goldwell

Get the paperback on Amazon

Get the Kindle edition on Amazon

Six ghost stories.

Six impossible encounters.

One warning.

Read it tonight... but leave one light on.

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Ghost Stories, Halloween, Halloween Books, Horror Books, Scary Stories, Haunted Houses, Paranormal, Supernatural Fiction, Bruce Goldwell, Don’t Turn Out the Lights

Welcome Veterans Home With More Than Words

 

One Like, Comment or Share Could Help a Veteran or Senior Discover Savings They Didn't Know Existed

“Welcome Home.”

“Thank you for serving.”

Veterans hear these words every day.

As a Vietnam Veteran, I appreciate them. And for those who served during Vietnam, “Welcome Home” carries a special meaning.

But what if we could turn those words into action?

What if welcoming Veterans home could be as simple as helping them discover money they're unnecessarily leaving on the table?

That's part of the idea behind Senior Vet Discounts.

Watch the Video

I Was Overpaying $26 Every Month

My name is Bruce Goldwell. I'm a Vietnam Veteran, author, and founder of Senior Vet Discounts.

While developing the project, I discovered that my own cell phone provider offered a Veteran discount.

I qualified.

I was already a customer.

But I wasn't receiving it.

Once I found the program and applied, my bill dropped by $26 a month—almost $300 a year.

That experience left me wondering:

How many other Veterans and Seniors are paying more simply because they don't know a discount exists?

That's Why I Created Senior Vet Discounts

Senior Vet Discounts is being developed to help Veterans and Seniors find businesses and savings opportunities before they pay.

The idea is easy to remember:

FIND. SHOW. SAVE.

Find businesses and available discounts.

Show your eligibility when required.

Save when an offer applies.

But there's something important about this idea that goes beyond Veterans and Seniors.

Everyone Can Participate

You don't have to be a Veteran to support a business that supports Veterans.

You don't have to be a Senior to support a business that offers Senior discounts.

When businesses choose to support Veterans and Seniors, the rest of us can choose to support those businesses.

That's the kind of community I hope Senior Vet Discounts can help build.

Here's How You Can Help

You don't have to send money.

You don't have to volunteer for hours.

I'm asking for something much simpler.

LIKE.

Let others know this message matters.

COMMENT.

Leave a simple “Welcome Home,” “Thank You for Serving,” or another message of support.

SHARE.

This may be the most important thing you can do.

Share this article or video with:

• Veterans and Seniors
• Friends and family
• Veteran organizations
• Senior organizations and centers
• Community groups
• Local businesses
• Your social media groups

One share could reach a Veteran who discovers he's been missing a monthly discount.

It could reach a Senior who finds a business that wants her patronage.

It could reach a business owner who decides to offer Veterans or Seniors something special.

You may never know who your share helped.

But that doesn't make the help any less real.

Welcome Them Home With More Than Words

I've heard “Welcome Home” many times.

Today, I'm asking you to help give those words another meaning.

Help us get this information into the hands of Veterans and Seniors.

Help us recognize businesses that support them.

Help another person discover a saving they might otherwise miss.

WELCOME THEM HOME WITH MORE THAN WORDS.

LIKE • COMMENT • SHARE

Visit Senior Vet Discounts

Senior Vet Discounts — Find. Show. Save.

Bruce Goldwell is a Vietnam Veteran, author, and founder of Senior Vet Discounts.

Blogger title: Welcome Veterans Home With More Than Words

Search description: Vietnam Veteran Bruce Goldwell asks Americans to turn “Welcome Home” into action by helping Veterans and Seniors discover discounts and supportive businesses

Connecting With Investors, Mentors and Opportunity: What I Learned at CEO Space

 

There are rooms you walk into and leave exactly the same.

And then there are rooms that change what you believe is possible.

For me, CEO Space was one of those rooms.

I first encountered Berny Dohrmann and CEO Space during a difficult period of my life. I was homeless at the time, but something remarkable happened when I entered The Space.

People didn't judge me by my circumstances.

They saw someone with ideas, dreams, and something to contribute.

That experience taught me a lesson I have carried with me ever since:

Sometimes the most valuable thing another person can give you isn't money. It's the right connection.

One Introduction Can Change Everything

Entrepreneurs often think about raising capital, finding customers, developing products, and building businesses.

All of those things matter.

But behind almost every business opportunity is another human being.

An investor.

A mentor.

A partner.

A publisher.

A customer.

A supplier.

Someone who knows someone.

CEO Space helped me understand the enormous value of putting ambitious people into an environment where introductions and collaboration were encouraged.

I experienced it personally.

I once brought a coffee-business project to CEO Space with my best friend. We needed approximately $50,000 to become compliant, obtain insurance, and move the business forward.

On Thursday, we met a gentleman I considered a true Superconductor.

He told us that once we became compliant and insured, he would come aboard and bring access to approximately 2,000 investors.

No check changed hands that day.

But I understood what had just happened.

A road had opened.

If we could document that commitment and raise what we needed to become compliant and insured, we could return in a dramatically stronger position.

My friend was discouraged because we hadn't raised the money yet.

I saw something different.

We had found a connection that could change the path to the money.

That distinction has stayed with me for years.

The People You Meet Can Change Your Direction

CEO Space also brought remarkable people into my life.

I met Jill Lublin and later attended her weekend training program on press releases.

I met people connected with entertainment, business, publishing, music, entrepreneurship, and other fields.

Some conversations led somewhere.

Some didn't.

But collectively, they expanded my understanding of what was possible.

That is why I don't think of networking as collecting names.

The value of a network is what can move through it.

Knowledge.

Trust.

Introductions.

Encouragement.

Capital.

Opportunity.

Possibility.

I call this Connection Capital.

Contribution Before Competition

Another lesson I carried from The Space was the power of cooperation among entrepreneurs.

Traditional competition says:

Your success threatens mine.

But there is another way to think:

Your success may create possibilities for both of us.

Today we often use the word coopetition to describe the combination of cooperation and competition.

You can pursue your own success without wanting everyone around you to fail.

You can recommend someone.

You can make an introduction.

You can share knowledge.

You can open a door.

And sometimes helping another person succeed creates opportunities that eventually travel back through the network in ways nobody could have predicted.

The Superconductors II - https://www.mykindlebooks.net/books/superconductors/

These experiences eventually brought me back to an idea I had written about years earlier: the human Superconductor.

A Superconductor is someone who allows something valuable to move through them toward others.

That might be knowledge.

It might be encouragement.

It might be leadership.

It might be an introduction.

It might simply be the ability to see potential in another person before that person sees it themselves.

That idea is at the heart of my new book:

The Superconductors II: The People Who Powered CEO Space and Changed Lives Through Connection, Leadership, and Possibility

Berny Dohrmann is central to the story, along with September Dohrmann and many of the leaders, speakers, mentors, entrepreneurs, authors, and connectors associated with The Space.

But the book isn't simply about remembering CEO Space.

It's about asking whether we can carry its best principles forward.

Maybe We Can Create The Space Again

CEO Space as many of us experienced it belongs to a particular chapter in time.

But the underlying idea doesn't have to disappear.

A mastermind can create a Space.

Five entrepreneurs meeting once a month can create one.

An online community can create one.

A mentoring group can create one.

Two people sitting across a table asking, “How can I help you?” can create one.

Because The Space was never only a building or an event.

The Space exists whenever people intentionally gather to increase one another's possibilities.

I've created a website for The Superconductors and The Superconductors II where readers can explore the books, Berny and September Dohrmann, CEO Space, Connection Capital, Coopetition, the Seven Traits of a Superconductor, and my own experiences in The Space:

Explore The Superconductors website

And if you were part of CEO Space, I would especially like to hear from you.

What happened because you entered The Space?

Who did you meet?

What introduction changed your direction?

Who helped you?

And perhaps most importantly:

Who have you helped since?

The measure of a Superconductor is not how much success stops with them. It is how much possibility passes through them on its way to someone else.

— Bruce Goldwell

Tags: CEO Space, Berny Dohrmann, September Dohrmann, The Superconductors, Bruce Goldwell, entrepreneurship, investors, business networking, mentorship, leadership, Connection Capital, coopetition, collaboration, personal development, business relationships

How to Turn On Your Superpowers: The Abilities You Already Possess

 

Amazon link:  https://amzn.to/3QKTm4c 

What if the greatest superpower in the world isn't flying, invisibility, or super strength?

What if it's something you already have—but simply haven't learned to develop?

That's the question behind my newly updated book, How to Turn On Your Superpowers.

When I first wrote this book years ago, the world looked very different. Since then, we've entered the age of Artificial Intelligence, remote work, digital entrepreneurship, and opportunities that previous generations could only imagine.

The core message of the book, however, has never changed.

Extraordinary lives are built by ordinary people who learn to master themselves.

Your Greatest Superpowers

The real superpowers aren't found in comic books.

They're found in everyday people who develop:

• Confidence

• Focus

• Gratitude

• Creativity

• Intuition

• Resilience

• Purpose

• Love and compassion

These abilities influence every decision we make.

They determine whether we give up or keep going.

Whether we see obstacles or opportunities.

Whether we become victims of circumstance—or creators of our future.

New for the AI Age

This expanded edition includes several new chapters designed specifically for today's world.

You'll discover how Artificial Intelligence can become your assistant—not your replacement.

You'll learn why attention has become one of the most valuable assets in the digital age and how protecting your focus gives you an enormous advantage.

The book also explores the new digital economy, where one person with a laptop, creativity, and determination can build a business, publish books, create videos, teach online, and reach people around the world.

Never before have individuals had access to so many tools for learning and creating.

The Power of Identity

One of the most important lessons in the book is this:

People don't permanently change because they force themselves to behave differently.

They change because they become a different person.

Instead of saying,

"I'm trying to become confident."

You begin saying,

"I am becoming a confident person."

Identity shapes behavior.

Behavior shapes habits.

Habits shape your future.

The 30-Day Superpower Challenge

Knowledge changes very little.

Action changes everything.

That's why this edition includes a brand-new 30-Day Superpower Challenge designed to help you apply what you've learned.

Each day offers one simple action—from practicing gratitude and helping others to protecting your attention and using AI wisely.

Small daily actions produce extraordinary long-term results.

Your Superpower Journey Begins Today

No matter where you are in life...

Whether you're rebuilding after setbacks...

Starting a business...

Looking for greater purpose...

Or simply wanting to become the best version of yourself...

Your future begins with the decisions you make today.

You already possess incredible potential.

This book is about helping you discover it.

Because the greatest superpower has never been outside you.

It's the person you choose to become.

---

Have you ever experienced a moment when changing your mindset changed your life?

I'd love to hear your story in the comments. Your experience could encourage someone else to discover the superpowers already waiting inside them.

From Struggle to Success: Share Your Story of Building a Better Life

 

Everyone has a story.

Some stories begin with success.

Others begin with struggle.

Financial hardship.

Job loss.

Debt.

Homelessness.

Business failure.

Starting over.

Many of us have experienced seasons in life when it seemed like there was no clear path forward.

But sometimes those difficult seasons become the very experiences that teach us the greatest lessons.

I know that firsthand.

There was a time in my life when I was homeless for nearly a decade. That experience changed the way I looked at opportunity, personal responsibility, and what it really takes to build a better future.

Over time, I discovered that changing my mindset wasn't enough by itself.

I also needed new skills.

New habits.

New knowledge.

New goals.

And the courage to keep moving forward one step at a time.

That's one of the reasons I wrote From Dependence to Independence: A Beginner's Guide to Capitalism and Building a Better Future.

The book isn't about politics.

It's about possibilities.

It's about learning how creating value, solving problems, developing skills, and serving others can open doors to greater financial independence.

Capitalism, at its best, rewards people who create value for others.

Whether you're a carpenter, mechanic, nurse, teacher, artist, software developer, entrepreneur, or small business owner, every solution you provide has value.

That value creates opportunity.

Opportunity creates income.

Income creates choices.

And those choices can help build a better future.

We'd Love to Hear Your Story

Have you overcome financial struggles?

Did you start a business after losing a job?

Did learning a new skill change your life?

Did budgeting help you finally get out of debt?

Did a side hustle grow into a full-time income?

Did someone believe in you when you needed it most?

Share your story in the comments.

Your experience could encourage someone who is struggling today.

Sometimes hope begins with hearing from someone who has already walked the path.

Let's Encourage One Another

This isn't about judging anyone's journey.

It's about celebrating progress.

No matter how small.

Every debt paid off.

Every new skill learned.

Every business started.

Every obstacle overcome.

Every family strengthened.

These victories matter.

If your story can inspire even one person to believe that a better future is possible, it's worth sharing.

Together, we can build a community that celebrates opportunity, personal growth, entrepreneurship, and helping others succeed.

Your story may be the encouragement someone else has been waiting to hear.

Please leave a comment below and tell us:

How did you overcome struggle and begin building a more self-sufficient life?

From Dependence to Independence: Why Building Opportunity Matters

 

What if the greatest investment you could ever make wasn't in the stock market—but in yourself?

That simple idea inspired me to write From Dependence to Independence: A Beginner's Guide to Capitalism and Building a Better Future.

Today's headlines are filled with debates about the economy, government programs, taxes, and inequality. While those discussions are important, I believe there is another conversation we need to have—one focused on opportunity.

This book isn't about political parties.

It's about helping ordinary people discover practical ways to improve their lives.

Inside the book, I explain why creating value is one of the most powerful principles in a free-market economy. Whether you're a teacher, plumber, electrician, mechanic, artist, software developer, or small business owner, your ability to solve problems for others creates opportunity—not just for yourself, but for your family and your community.

The book also explores topics such as:

• The difference between capitalism and cronyism.

• Why skills are your first form of capital.

• How to build a budget that works.

• Practical strategies for reducing debt.

• Creating additional income through side hustles.

• Starting a business with the skills you already have.

• Developing a mindset focused on growth instead of limitation.

• Moving from receiving help to eventually helping others.

One of the most important messages in the book is that financial independence rarely happens overnight.

It is built one decision at a time.

One new skill.

One better habit.

One opportunity.

One customer.

One business.

One step forward.

To help readers put these ideas into practice, I've also created a companion workbook called The Capitalism Action Plan. It includes budgeting worksheets, debt elimination planners, business planning exercises, skill assessments, side hustle ideas, and a 12-month roadmap toward greater financial independence.

My hope is that readers will come away from this book with more than information.

I hope they'll leave with a plan.

Because stronger families build stronger communities.

Stronger communities build stronger economies.

And it all begins when ordinary people discover that they have more potential than they ever imagined.

If you're looking for practical ideas to improve your financial future—or know someone who is—I invite you to explore From Dependence to Independence.

Your future isn't determined by where you begin.

It's shaped by the choices you make, the skills you develop, the value you create, and the determination to keep moving forward.

Stop waiting. Start building. Your journey begins today.

POST A COMMENT IF YOU ARE A CAPITALIST!  

🌟 SHARE YOUR STORY! 🌟

Have you overcome financial struggle, scarcity, debt, unemployment, homelessness, or another major challenge?

What changed your life?

Was it learning a new skill...
Starting a business...
Creating a side hustle...
Changing your mindset...
Or discovering new opportunities?

Your story could inspire someone who feels like giving up today.

📝 Share your journey here:

https://writersgottalent.blogspot.com/2026/06/from-struggle-to-success-share-your.html

Let's encourage one another and show that hope, perseverance, and creating value can change lives.

Your experience may be exactly what someone else needs to hear today. 💙

#Capitalism #FinancialFreedom #FinancialIndependence #Entrepreneurship #PersonalFinance #FinancialLiteracy #MoneyMindset #SuccessMindset #Opportunity #SideHustle #SmallBusiness #BuildWealth #CreateValue #Budgeting #DebtFree #EconomicFreedom #InvestInYourself #SelfReliance #Leadership #BruceGoldwell

They Lied to You? Or Is the Truth More Complicated?

 

If you've spent any time in crypto, you've probably heard the promises.

"XRP will replace SWIFT."

"Banks are about to buy billions of XRP."

"It's going to $100... $500... even $1,000."

For years, these predictions fueled one of the most passionate communities in cryptocurrency. Millions of investors believed institutional adoption would inevitably lead to extraordinary XRP prices.

But what if the story was never that simple?

One of the biggest lessons I've learned while researching XRP Reality Check is that successful investing isn't about choosing between blind optimism and constant skepticism. It's about following the evidence wherever it leads.

Yes, Ripple has accomplished remarkable things.

The company continues expanding into institutional custody, tokenization, stablecoins, prime brokerage, and enterprise financial infrastructure. Partnerships with major financial organizations demonstrate that Ripple is building real technology for real institutions.

Those are genuine accomplishments.

But they don't automatically answer the question every investor wants answered:

What does this actually mean for XRP's price?

That question led me down a fascinating path.

I revisited liquidity models, exchange order books, Ripple's evolving business strategy, the role of RLUSD, tokenization, and one of the XRP community's most discussed ideas—the Shane Ellis Theory.

Rather than dismissing the theory or accepting it without question, I wanted to understand what it got right and what has changed since it was first introduced.

The result surprised me.

Some of the assumptions behind the biggest XRP price predictions deserve serious reconsideration.

At the same time, Ripple's expanding institutional ecosystem may actually strengthen parts of the long-term utility case that many critics overlook.

In other words...

The reality is more nuanced than either side often admits.

That's exactly why I wrote XRP Reality Check: Beyond the Hype — Practical Valuation in 2026 and Beyond.

This isn't another "moon" book.

It isn't another fear-driven critique of XRP.

It's an evidence-based examination of liquidity, valuation, institutional adoption, investor psychology, and the questions every serious XRP investor should be asking as the digital asset landscape continues to evolve.

If you're tired of hype, tired of fear, and simply want to understand XRP more clearly, I think you'll find value in this book.

Because better investment decisions begin with better questions—not louder predictions.

📖 Get your copy of XRP Reality Check: Beyond the Hype — Practical Valuation in 2026 and Beyond today and discover a balanced perspective on one of the most misunderstood digital assets in modern finance.    https://amzn.to/4v3d3Cq

Authors Helping Authors — Rebuilding the Power of Author Networking

Years ago, author communities helped writers grow through something simple: authors supporting authors.

Today, I’m bringing that spirit back.

I created the Authors Helping Authors group as a place where writers can connect, discover books, exchange honest reviews, share launches, and help one another gain visibility.

This is not about trading ratings.

It is about building relationships and giving readers enough of your work to decide if they want to support it.

Here’s how the review network works:

📄 Upload a PDF sample of your book (3 chapters or more recommended) to the FILES section of the group.

📝 Name the PDF using your book title so authors can easily locate it.

📚 Inside your PDF include:

• Your Amazon book link

• 2 short paragraphs describing the book

• A brief note inviting an honest review

⭐ Download one or more authors’ PDFs, read what interests you, and leave honest reviews where appropriate.

💬 After posting your review on Amazon, return to DISCUSSIONS and comment on the author’s post (use search and enter the author’s name) to let them know your review was shared.

🤝 Most importantly—support those who support you.

If another author reviewed your work, consider returning the favor and helping their book get discovered too.

One book.
One review.
One connection at a time.

Join the group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2152796825207575

What Ripple Will You Create?

A conversation years ago planted the seed for a book.

Not a speech.

Not an argument.

Just an honest conversation between two people from different backgrounds who wanted the same thing:

A better future for young people.

That conversation eventually became the inspiration behind my new book:

Ripples: From Honest Conversation to a Shared American Future

This book explores history, culture, opportunity, responsibility, and one idea that stayed with me:

Small choices create bigger outcomes than we often realize.

One decision can change a life.

One life can influence a family.

One family can influence a neighborhood.

And neighborhoods can influence the future.

But now I want to hear from YOU.

This page is not for debates.

This is for reflection.

Share your ripple.

Tell us:

• What lesson changed your life?
• Who influenced you in a positive way?
• What advice would you give younger generations?
• What opportunity are you pursuing right now?
• What challenge did you overcome?
• What positive ripple are you trying to create?

You do not need a perfect story.

You do not need a dramatic story.

Sometimes the biggest changes begin quietly.

A job.

A mentor.

A second chance.

A decision to keep going.

A conversation.

Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

Read other comments.

Encourage someone.

You never know whose life might shift because of something you write today.

One final question:

What ripple will you create?

May the ripple go far and wide.

— Bruce Goldwell

#RipplesBook
#CreateYourRipple
#BuildTheFuture
#PersonalGrowth
#AmericanStories
#Opportunity
#Leadership
#PositiveChange

Why I Finally Shared This Story

 

There are some stories that stay with us.

Not because we fully understand them.

Not because we can explain them.

But because something inside them refuses to leave.

Years ago, someone shared a story with me.

At the time, I didn’t think much about whether it would ever become a book.

Life moved on.

Years passed.

Projects came and went.

Books were written.

But every now and then I would think about that conversation again.

The person who originally shared the story with me has since passed away.

He was recognized as one of the world’s leading realistic impressionist artists, but what stayed with me most was not his accomplishments—it was the story.

For a long time I wrestled with whether I should share it.

Not because I feared criticism.

Stories always meet criticism.

And not because I needed to decide whether every detail could be explained.

That wasn’t really the point.

I kept returning to one question:

What if people reject it?

Then another thought eventually replaced that one:

What if someone needs it?

That changed everything.

The result became my newest novel:

Where the Footprints Stopped: A Story Shared at the End of a Lifetime

This is not a story written to convince anyone of extraordinary things.

It is not written to prove impossible events.

At its heart, this is a story about what happens afterward.

About someone who reached a difficult season in life.

Someone who thought the story was over.

Someone who eventually discovered that life still had chapters left.

Hope.

Perspective.

Faith.

Questions.

Healing.

The reminder that one difficult day does not define a future.

One of my favorite ideas from the book is simple:

You do not need to know what tomorrow looks like before deciding to keep going.

Life has a way of surprising us.

Sometimes beautifully.

Sometimes painfully.

But often differently than we imagined.

Whether readers view this book as inspiration, testimony, mystery, reflection, speculative fiction, or simply a story—

I hope they finish with one thought:

Maybe my story isn’t over.

The book is now available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and paperback:

https://amzn.to/4govj5n

If you read it and it speaks to you, I would truly appreciate a review.

Stories survive people.

Thank you for reading.

— Bruce Goldwell

#WhereTheFootprintsStopped #BruceGoldwell #InspirationalBooks #KindleUnlimited #Storytelling

What If Heaven Was Never Meant to Separate Families?

 

Can family relationships continue beyond death?

That question has quietly followed humanity for generations.

Parents have stood beside graves and wondered.

Children have asked where loved ones go.

Families have hoped that love somehow survives mortality.

Yet another question often follows:

If heaven exists… what happens to family?

Many believers have wrestled with questions that reach beyond ordinary faith:

What happens to those who never heard the gospel?

Do sacred promises end at death?

Why did Christ speak of binding on earth and heaven recognizing it?

Why do scripture and prophecy repeatedly return to fathers, children, generations, and remembrance?

Those questions became the foundation for my newest book:

Whatever Is Sealed on Earth Shall Be Sealed in Heaven: The Cornerstone of Heavenly Families

This book is not written to pressure anyone into agreement.

It is an invitation.

An invitation to study.

To reflect.

To ask difficult questions.

And to allow room for God to speak.

Inside the book, readers explore scriptural themes including:

• Christ’s teachings on binding and loosing • Why scripture later reveals the language of sealing • Elijah and the turning of hearts across generations • Covenant and why heaven honors sacred ordinances • Justice, mercy, and those who never had opportunity • Records on earth and remembrance in heaven • Eternal family relationships • Building heavenly families now—not someday

One of the ideas explored throughout the book is this:

What if God’s plan has always been more connected than we imagined?

What if heaven was never designed to erase relationships—

but to preserve what God helped create?

I grew up in the Baptist church and spent years asking questions.

Not trying to argue.

Trying to understand.

That journey led me deeper into scripture, deeper into questions of covenant, family, mercy, and eternal purpose.

This book became part of that search.

You do not need to agree with every conclusion.

But if these questions have ever crossed your mind—

perhaps this book will give you something meaningful to think about.

Because maybe one of the greatest invitations ever spoken was this:

“Whatsoever is sealed on earth shall be sealed in heaven.”

📘 Whatever Is Sealed on Earth Shall Be Sealed in Heaven

https://amzn.to/4vOh2n6