Inspiration To Make Change

The first step in any fresh start begins with attitude. Look for the inspiration you need to make change. Look for it in places you least expect. Look for it in places out of the ordinary. And look for it daily.

The Inspiration of Saint Matthew painting by Caravaggio (link to Amazon) is said to represent St. Matthew writing his gospel under the inspiration of an angel. We all take inspiration from different sources...find yours.

Use What Is Suited To You

When reading various articles and watching life around me, it occurs to me that many are looking for that one solution, that one answer to make our lives better. To get that one diet that works or even that one key to success. We read lots of 'self help' books, watch shows teaching us the next great thing, listen to people speak on the 'right' method and all along wonder why much of it doesn't work for us.

The first thing I have to say is that I am not being derogatory to anyone offering help in one form or another. To do that would be diminishing what I'm trying to accomplish in helping people. What I am saying is that all of these different methods, tips, steps or motivation break throughs are options for your life. What one person may deem odd could potentially work for you. What failed for you will do wonders for the next seeker.

These suggestions only open your eyes to different possibilities in life. But that life is yours and yours alone. Each of us is different in how we were raised, our environment as well as the multitude of other differences. I had read somewhere that, "each of us are here to do a different life."

An Italian poet born in roughly 50 BC - Sextus Propertius, wrote " let each man pass his days in that wherein his skill is greatest."

We are all individuals made slightly different and you will find that only you are best fitted to try things suited for you. You have certain gifts, talents and of course idiosyncrasies both good and bad. So do your research, try something...if it doesn't work, try something else. Find that which fits or works for you. Do not allow yourself to be discouraged by failure - use bits and pieces from many different sources.

You will put these together and build methods that suit you, that work for you and that make you successful in what you want to accomplish. Believe in yourself and develop a strategy that will make your life a great one.

Thankful Attitude

"Blow, blow, thou winter wind! Thou art not so unkind as man's ingratitude." -Shakespeare

There are people you have met in your life that never seem to be thankful of what they do have. It always seems having even the smallest of things is never good enough. It may be having a good job at a good wage but always complaining about the boss and the size of their paycheck. Maybe something simple as a door being held open for them yet irritated that it wasn't held open far enough.

Not being thankful or not having gratitude for things one has leads to never having the fullness of your potential. There are people I know that have this going on in their lives. They will fail at some point to realize their full potential. They will fail to impact others in a positive way. They will succeed though in bringing others down with them.

There are others that I know that do have gratitude for those things large and small in their lives. Thankful for the goodness that touches them but also happy for the lessons in life brought on by failures. It is this attitude which anchors us so that we see everything from a positive and meaningfull viewpoint. Say to life, "bring it on, good and bad". Be thankful for that which happens and learn from it. Life is good when you can be thankful.

Wisdom, Courage and Strength

Visited with a friend last night whom I hadn't seen in quite some time. I've known this fellow for nearly 20 years. We worked together out in the Dakotas and have continued our friendship through the years. A lot has happened over those years in our lives and I've always considered him to be a touchstone for me.

This man went through a lot in life before I knew him and his life turned around. Sure, he has his everyday 'life' issues like all of us. But he embodies virtues that are good for all of us. These are virtues I strive to capture in my daily life. I believe I learned these from Phil Pringle and keep them written in a place where they can be easily retrieved.

• Wisdom - ability to discern right from wrong, to know the right thing to do in any situation.
• Courage - doing what is right, no matter what the consequences are.
• Strength - capacity to continue doing the right thing, to carry through to the end, to finish what you started.

Wisdom, courage and strength - three essential virtues to have in life. It would be neat if we could put it into some neat acronym, but they are easy enough to remember.

“The power of a man's virtue should not be measured by his special efforts, but by his ordinary doing” - Blaise Pascal

Try A New Way

“If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.”

- John D. Rockefeller, whose son John D. Rockefeller, Jr. built the Empire State Building.

Gone In Sixty Seconds

“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Did you realize that you have a higher chance of getting injured when you are angry. In fact, a study published in the "Annals of Family Medicine" suggests that your chances are quadrupled when angry. You can see the story in a USA Today article. But what is anger?

Anger is "an emotional state that varies in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury and rage," according to Charles Spielberger, PhD, a psychologist who specializes in the study of anger. But I'm not here to talk about anger itself and again, you can read about it at Controlling Anger -- Before It Controls You.

What I am here to say is that for every minute you are angry, you lose those sixty seconds of happiness that Emerson talks of. Anger may release stress, but happiness will produce results more often. Happiness can create greater self-esteem in oneself.

Low self-esteem plagues many outwardly successful people (Self-Esteem: Paradoxes and Innovations in Clinical Theory and Practice by Richard L. Bednar and Scott R. Peterson). There is disagreement about the overall benefits of a high self-esteem. But many do believe it makes us more confident.

"Definitions of self-esteem vary...but all agree that high self-esteem means that we appreciate ourselves and our personal worth. More specifically, it means:

we have a positive attitude
we value ourselves highly
we're convinced of our own abilities
we see ourselves as competent, in control of our own lives and able to do what we want"

-From the BBC Health website.

Regardless of the clinical theory, feeling happy makes us feel better and we tend to have a better life. Being angry takes away from those happy times. Don't lose one minute of happiness.

Move To Change Your World

"Change your thoughts and you change your world." - Norman Vincent Peale

Lately I've been on this thread of setting a goal and then moving on it. Many times we as human beings will write down (hopefully) those things we want to accomplish or gain. But in this same stroke of wanting, we fail to make any changes to achieve them.

For some reason we sit back thinking that the stars need to be perfectly aligned or the 'timing' is not right or even leave our destiny in the hands of other events occurring first.

Waiting for the time to be right or for other events to occur first will ensure that we remain steadfastly planted in one place. We will never achieve that which we want by waiting for others to bring our goals to us.

It is much like sitting and waiting for the lottery winnings to become yours. Yes, I will admit that someone, somewhere at some place in time wins the lottery. But do you realize your chances of winning the Powerball jackpot is 1 in 146,107,962. That's right, not very good if you are looking to achieve a financial windfall. Sitting and waiting for that winning number means you will most likely wait a long, long time.

So why not get up and start doing something. Make a change and change your world. It all begins with that first bold step.

The above art work is available at Sally Evans Art.

Make A Move, Make It Now

“Confidence imparts a wonderful inspiration to its possessor” - John Milton

As life unfolds in front of you, those bold steps you take in confidence will open your eyes. Open your eyes to knowledge you never thought possible. Confidence is a key to unlock greater possibility for you and those you come in contact with.

When you dream and vision your goals, that first step is an important one to take. You can not wait for confidence to wrap itself around you. You have to step 'into' that confidence and move towards your goals. With this move to change, things become clearer to you. The fog will eventually clear and you'll be closer to achieving that which you seek.

My wish for you is to take that first step. Step towards the confidence, don't wait for it. When you establish what it is you want, you can not sit and wait for the conditions to be right. You have to move towards what it is you want. Make a bold step forward...do not wait...go for it.

The world will open up before you and things that seemed impossible become possible. There will be new options and opportunity reveal themselves to you. You will be inspired to achieve your dreams and to help others achieve theirs. Make a move, make it now.

Have A Joyful Attitude

"The problem is never the problem. The real problem is our attitude towards it." - Phil Pringle

Having the right kind of attitude is essential in handling problems that occur. Sometimes it is a daily occurrence, so much that we tend to wonder if we walk with a 'black cloud' over our head. I've had these types of days and had to keep bobbing and weaving as I walked. Trying to get out from underneath what I perceived as life's problems. No one else in the entire universe could possibly be having the kind of day I was having.

How does one get out from under this impression. The easy answer is to not let yourself believe you are under this cloud. And that takes work on a daily basis. Just understand that problems are going to occur. The reason for it is life happens. One way of avoiding this cloud is to develop a 'joyful' attitude.

Have a sense of humor about things if you can because it is a great part of attitude. You just can't take yourself too seriously with all things. If the atmosphere you move in is intense and heavy, you and the people around you will find it difficult to develop or grow. "A cheerful heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones" (Proverbs 17:22).

Allow yourself to remain cheerful with a continual spirit of enthusiasm. Don't wait around for this joyfulness. Don't wait around for things to happen. Make change happen in your life. Its a daily commitment and once you decide to do 'something', motivation will become a very powerful force. Use books, music or other communicators to keep yourself motivated.

I'll end with another quote from Phil Pringle that is great advice, "postponing joy until something happens to justify happiness guarantees a miserable life." Get out there, make change happen and enjoy yourself by laughing once in a while.

Building Confidence

I've been reading an article in Readers Digest, Surprising Secrets to Unshakeable Confidence, that provides some ideas for expecting positive outcomes. It is true that not all of our hopes and dreams come true. But placing ourselves in a better position will set us up to achieve them more often. Doing so requires improving your own confidence.

The article describes six strategies to boost your confidence and a short, very short, description of each. I recommend you get your hands on the article to read it more in-depth.

1. The toes and shoulders test

How you carry yourself, your dress, your health and the like. Not only does it signal to others that you are confident, but dressing the part boosts your own self-image. Makes you feel better and you 'carry yourself' in a more confident manner.

2. How to get to Carnegie Hall

Repeat positive messages to yourself and smile. If you enter a room smiling, you are more likely to provoke a positive response from others. This in turn makes you more confident.

3. Flying without spoons

Avoid hanging with negative people and 'gripe sessions'. If someone is being down on things, try to turn it into a positive one. And if there are valid complaints or 'gripes', ask them or yourself to present ideas to solve it. This indicates a "sense that you are in control and can take action that will make things happen." You become more confident in yourself.

4. The angry e-mail file

Remember an article I wrote some time back called S.U.M.O.? SUMO means "Shut Up, Move On", which sounds harsher then it is. Go back in my archives "Monday, September 19, 2005 - So Shut Up and Move On", to read more. It will effect your own self confidence.

5. Let the Confidence Games begin

Simple recognition of others and of yourself goes a long way in establishing confidence. Telling someone something good about them raises their confidence. "Find the strength in somebody else..." and you will find people finding strengths in you...again, raising your confidence level.

6. Remember Kanter's Law: Everything can look like a failure in the middle

Adopt the attitude "that if you do something it will make a difference, that's confidence." Just understand that persistence is a key to success. An old worn saying is that eventually there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Things will improve and so will your confidence.

There are many ways to work on and improve your confidence. Adopting a positive attitude will do great things in boosting your confidence and vice-versa.

“Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.” - Peter T. Mcintyre

Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day to all the women in my life and in yours. Remember that we never walk alone.

Move Beyond Your Critics

As you go through life, there are going to be obstacles attempting to weigh you down. Those things that try to slow you down, those people that try to stand in the way of your dreams. Take the life of a man named Barry Pincus. Born in Brooklyn in the early 40s, his parents divorced when he was just two years old.

As he grew up he learned to play piano and learned what he could of music. His mother then remarried when he was nearly 13. A man named Willie who drove a beer truck for the Schaefer Brewery. Through his mother's new husband, a new world was opened up. The record collections of jazz and Broadway musicals vastly changed the way Barry viewed his world.

As he grew up, he worked his way through Julliard's School of Music and worked in the mail room at CBS Television. As it is said, to start at the bottom is to start in the mailroom and work your way up. Life probably couldn't get any better for Barry, but keeping his dreams intact there was nothing to keep him down. Even after marriage and an emotional divorce that could set many back, he ventured on.

He started work at composing music and performing at small gigs. Even writing commerical jingles to support himself and feeding his vision. Until he connected with Bette Midler and the two performed with Barry being the musical director. A successful pair was what the two became and Barry gained popularity as well.

Barry Manilow as he is known became famous for his multitude of songs and very successful performing career. He did much of this also in the face of harsh music critics. Many called his music 'sentimental garbage', a tough remark for anyone to face. But Barry persevered in his dreams and remains very popular.

He could have 'folded his cards' many times when others set out to criticize, to place those obstacles in his path. Your life faces many of the same challenges. Believe in your dreams, believe in your visions.

“There is nothing which persevering effort and unceasing and diligent care cannot accomplish.” - Seneca quotes (Roman philosopher, mid-1st century AD)

An Important Belief - In Yourself

Are there things that you believe in? Do you believe that the earth is round, the sky is blue and that birds can fly? Think of those things that you've learned in life and believe in. Your everyday existence is based and influenced by your belief in one thing or another. I know for certain that I can get in my car and drive a certain route and get myself to work. I know that if I pick up and eat what looks like a pretzel but is really a dried pepper will burn the inside of my mouth. At least now I do!

There are many things you can point to and say, "that thing, that knowledge, that reality is something I believe in." My friend Dean Sweetman said once that, "...it is easy to believe that which we can see. But it is difficult to believe in that which requires faith to envision." So what about a cure for that which we deem uncurable? Can you believe in the goodness of others. Maybe you've experienced the goodness in others and therefore believe in it.

Through my life I've seen things happen that were hard to imagine years ago. This type of thing isn't new and unique to me as others older and younger then I am have seen the same things. Think back 20 or 30 years ago, who would have thought the Berlin Wall coming down. There were of course those that had a vision that it would happen. What about the planet Mars landscape becoming a parking lot for exploratory vehicles.

If your answer is yes, you believe in something, real or envisioned, then you can believe in yourself to achieve your own visions. You can have the strength to do the seemingly impossible. Use the same amount of energy in believing in yourself that you give to believing in all of these other things. Your success depends upon believing in oneself.

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” - Gail Devers

Coretta Scott King

Today there are four children that have lost their final parent in death. There are many topics of discussion that could surround the passing of Coretta Scott King. It could be the politics, racial, economic or even personal lives of the Kings. We could talk about the eulogies given or what this means for the future.

But what it still comes down to is that four children lost their final parent in death. Many of us do as will our own children. This is a fact of our human existence.

In the eulogies given, two former U.S. Presidents gave a word to this. Former President Bush noted, "We give thanks for her good life, a life that mattered, a life well lived." While former President Clinton added, "we would have all forgiven her, even honored her, if she had said ... 'I have endured enough dangers, toils and snares. I'm going home to raise my kids. I wish you all well. But instead, she went to Memphis and led that march for those poor, hardworking garbage men."

Our current President, George Bush in his eulogy said, "Coretta had every right to count the cost and step back from the struggle. But she decided that her children needed more than a safe home - they needed an America that upheld their equality and wrote their rights into law."

In all of our struggles in life, Coretta was a mother of four children that endured her pain for the sake of others. Through her she worked to bring something good for others. Servitude to others while overcoming heartbreak in the loss of her husband. I can't say how she personally dealt with the death of Martin, but a strong and giving person she seemed to me.

All of us can garner a lesson in this story of life throwing curves at us. We have expectations and dreams of a marriage lasting forever, the lives of our children and living a successful life. But as death and "lifes happenings" are encountered to challenge us, what we do in the face of those challenges is what makes us successful or not.

And in the final analysis of all these great things that Coretta did with her life, with all of the topics discussed and debated, I have a certain belief that she would list one of these at the top. This would be that she was the mother of four children and that she did everything she could to make life better for them. For a moment let us look past all of the speeches and look upon four children that have lost their mother.

In ending, I have to quote the Rev. Lowery, "after almost 40 years, together at last, together at last, thank God almighty, together at last. Good night, my sister."

Attitude Momentum

My apologies folks but due to technical issues I've been unable to properly post my blog. I try to write daily and provide something new and different. It is odd when one doesn't know really who is reading the words. But I get a great satisfaction in knowing that it is being read. And if it is helping only a few, then great. So on to something less self serving shall we?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I like to quote Dean Sweetman from time to time as he has a knack for presenting ideas to me in ways I certainly would not have envisioned. He is Australian by birth but became a U.S. citizen a couple of years back as did his wife Jill. They've embraced what is good about our country yet bring another piece to the great mixture we call the 'American melting pot'.

Dean speaks about keeping your momentum going in this new year. Certainly all of us had huge enthusiasm on January 1st. Earlier in the month of January I had written of the need to get off to a start by doing something, at least anything to make a change. Doing something that will impact your entire year and improve your life.

Dean describes it using a surfing analogy from his youth on the Pacific shores near Sydney. The waves breaking near the shore are the goals and visions you've set for yourself. And you've written them down, correct? In surfing though, points are not given simply for getting up on the wave. Many can get up on the wave or state a resolution. No, you need to ride that wave into the shore to achieve the points. Falling off or discarding your goal without trying earns you much less.

You also need the wave breaking near the shore in order to make that final ride into success. The wave or final push to achievement begins way out in the Pacific Ocean. A whale jumps and creates a splash. Or a gust of wind caresses the water forming a swell. Both begin movement towards the shores, towards your dreams.

Someone out there has created movement that will eventually make its way towards you. To intersect with your dreams and goals...creating a wave of final pursuit. You may have started it yourself by simply making a decision to change. Yet it ultimately climaxes in the opportunity to ride a wave into the shore. Are you preparing yourself to take advantage of it? Are you willing to risk the ride?

Dreams, visions or goals begin as a small swell in the ocean and culminate in the perfect wave when meeting the shore. Take the steps to successfully ride them into shore. The first one will be hard, but the next ones become easier. Don't let February become your down month...let the swells continue to carry you further along. It will become a wave of opportunity.

"Take advantage of momentum, ride it all of the way to the shore and fulfill your dreams." -Dean Sweetman

Find That Place To Regain Your Attitude

When attitude is in short supply around you, do you downwardly spiral towards the negative? Do you enter a room and instantly look for others to lift you? It can be a very difficult thing to bring yourself up before entering a room of people or event. It can be very easy to take your issues and pass them along to those you meet.

It is a battle we all have to wage in putting ourselves in order. As a person of great attitude, you lift yourself above placing your issues on others. The rocks you carry in your wagon are not for others. They are for laying a smooth path for others to follow.

But there are many that are great and positive folks when things are going good. Yet the times when things are not going so well, will come into a room of people and instinctively try to unload their problems on others. This doesn't resolve your issues, it doesn't lift others around you and it certainly doesn't reflect the success in your life you are trying to achieve.

When you find that a situation is bringing you down, you have to find something or a place to go into that will turn that around. For some it may be grabbing some ice cream, careful with this one on your weight. It could be taking a walk in the park, a long hot shower or sitting quietly in meditation.

For me it is putting on headphones and listening to classical music. It focuses my attention on what may be bothering me, what may be bringing me down. My goal is to bring my attitude back to a level that can impact others. This I do so that when I enter that room of people or event, my attitude is on a higher level.

Yourself can achieve this same thing. You will begin to find that little by little, when the downward spiral begins it can be caught earlier. At first you sink deep and it takes work to bring yourself back up. As time goes along and you find ways or that 'place' to bring you up - you will catch yourself sooner. The sinking will not be nearly as deep and be able to develop methods that can quickly right yourself. A positive attitude that flows in and through you will have a great impact on others, including yourself.

“Take control of your consistent emotions and begin to consciously and deliberately reshape your daily experience of life.” - Anthony Robbins

Goodness In Return

The articles I provide here are truly from my heart and I try not to ever simply pass along pre-written stories or internet stories. But this particular one is one that I wanted to share as it brings out a point I try to make from time to time.

Having a great attitude and serving others will normally bring goodness upon you. The story below emphasizes that point regardless if the story itself is true or not.

+++++++++++
He almost didn't see the old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her. Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you. He said, "I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson."

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. S oon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him.

She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid. Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped.

Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed and Bryan added, "And think of me." He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good a he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. she had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase.

The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan. After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back.

The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: "You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you."

Under the napkin were four more $100 bills. Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it?

With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard. She knew how worried her husband was and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, "Everything's gonna be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson."
+++++++++++

There are stories through out the ages that these things can and do happen. When goodness flows from you, when you pass along kindness, the reward you receive will come back in many different ways. Call it what you wish, having a positive attitude and goodness to pass along will multiply your life. Be of a giving mind and heart.