Lifes Debris

"Knowing who you are, when you do, you can overcome anything." - Dean Sweetman

Life has a funny way of throwing obstacles in your daily path. My choice of the word 'funny' is because what else can you call it. Is it life conspiring only against you? I doubt that very much. Is it a predestined pattern for your life and your life only? I doubt that very much. No, life is just happening, circumstance is occurring as you pass along on your daily path.

It may be that you are driving to work and in the traffic you encounter debris in the middle of your lane. Boom...you run over it and a flat tire occurs. You hobble your way over to the side of the road. You say to yourself, "why is this always happening to me?" But it isn't, it happens to other folks. It isn't as if someone was waiting along the road for you to come along and drop the debris out there.

Sure you could have left five minutes earlier, maybe used the other lane or possibly had your mind on driving instead of other things. Just maybe you would have avoided the trouble. The fact remains is you didn't avoid it and here it is, a flat tire. Life happening with all of its splendor. You change the tire, call for road service or someone stops to help. Eventually you are on your way once again.

It could have been worse you suppose. It could have been raining, not a great condition to be changing a tire. The spare tire could have been flat, the debris could have caused more damage resulting in a terrible and tragic accident. Oh the 'what if' things we could conjure up through our imagination. But none of it didn't, a flat tire occurred, you pulled over, it was changed and you were on your way. Life was just happening.

For those that do not understand themselves will have a hard time understanding that it was just life happening. They will berate themselves or worry with second guesses of what may have or could happen. I wouldn't be bold enough to say that you will fully understand yourself. I'm not even sure I understand who I am completely.

Just trust in who you are and where you want to be in life. Life's inconveniences will become minor bumps on the path to your vision. You will gain confidence in overcoming anything that comes your way. It isn't to say that you won't face difficulties. What you will be able to do is flow through difficulties better. To make the lows less low and the highs much higher is what each of you deserve.

Kaizen - change for the better

The Japanese have a word that embodies a concept of striving to always improve. A "change for the better", the English translation being a "continuous improvement", or "continual improvement." It is something embraced within business improvement models such as Six Sigma.

The Japanese way encourages small improvements day after day, continuously. To understand that this is an on-going, never-ending improvement process. A "soft and gradual" method opposed to western habits to scrap everything and start with new.

Even though the term is applied to business, it can certainly be applied to your daily life. Making small changes in how you approach your daily life. One can use cigarette smoking as an example. For some, going 'cold turkey' is a method to accomplish something all at once. Yet statistics show it's one of the less effective ways of quitting. For every 100 smokers who quit without aids or counselling, only 10 will remain non-smokers for 12 months.

So maybe a more gradual and persistent move to change a habit is better. In turn one can make changes in attitude by taking small and gradual steps to improve. Staying on a path to change can be difficult but the reward is much greater. Big steps or small steps to change, at least take a step in a new direction, a new attitude.

"Change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better." - Richard Hooker (English Theologian, Author and Preacher, 1554-1600)

Your Thoughts

This morning I have to apologize to several folks that may have commented on various articles. It seems that when a comment is submitted, two entries were getting placed and if I deleted either one, the entire comment was being tossed out. So to those that have tried to strike up a conversation, I am very sorry for that.

Today I did catch the mistake and have a copy of a comment from a recent article. The article was "Enjoy Your Work or Change It", posted on Tuesday, September 19, 2006. A comment from an anonymous reader said, "There are a number of reasons why your job could be less interesting. You can like the job on itself, but when you are dealing with a bunch of idiots inside the company and the people you need to get help from are useless makes it very hard to make yourself up for a change, just imagine something will change eventually?"

I guess my thought is that you have not had great experience with quite a few of the people inside your place of work. And on the surface there are people that may read this and believe you think pretty highly of yourself. And then again, maybe your company is actually like the commercials from Career Builder. So please don't think I'm trying to pass judgement because I really don't know your personal situation.

But the key is that it is 'your' situation and not someone else. Your attitude is your's to determine. The work atmosphere you are working in sounds to be frustrating for you. The choice becomes that either your change the environment or make another change. The stress and irritation is possibly not worth the effect it is likely having on your life.

To sit back and only imagine that things will change is filled with disappointment. I have said it in the past and maybe not enough lately, but movement causes change. While the idle remain forever wishing for a better life, those that step out and create movement will see actual change occur.

“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.” - Robert Kennedy

Time For Change

Time for a short break. This picture was taken in London while visiting there on business with my wife. It can also serve as a reminder to you that now is a good time to start. A good time to begin your change for the better. A good time to start working towards your vision. Don't put it off any longer, start today.






"They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." - Andy Warhol

Seen Your Family Lately

Today was probably another day for everyone. Possibly up at 5:30 am and getting the kids off to school. On the crowded road by 7:00 am for an 8:00 am start at work. The day is full of business with a short amount of time for lunch. At 5:00 pm you are hustling to get out the door for the same crowded ride home. By 6:00 pm you have made your way into you driveway. Exhaustion and stress from the day weighs heavily upon you, but now your family and home await.

There it is, family life down to one hour at most in the morning and maybe four in the evening. Difficult at best to keep your family life in order when only five hours can be devoted. For many it is probably less then that. How can we keep this part of our life in balance?

There are many places containing information about this subject but one should start with understanding why it is important. From one such place, Soul Purpose Academy, they offer the following.

"Family is the foundation for human beings. No matter what age we are, we are always seeking the "experience of family". The primary purpose for family is to provide an environment in which the members can have their primal needs met to feel safe, loved and wanted and to have their essential needs met in order to be seen, heard and recognized. When any of these primal or essential needs are missing our heart continues to seek this level of comfort and nurturing even beyond the genetic family into the extended family of our community, work, religion etc."

So one can see that without a well balanced family life such that your job over whelms all else in your life, troubles will begin to creep in. Losing touch with your children, divorce and many other issues can start to make your family and home crumble. How one can avoid this is to research and read about different ideas to work this part of your life out.

In an article from the Wall Street Journal, they offer some suggestions from job scheduling changes to readjusting your career. One also needs to make the most of the time they have. This is easy to say because many come home very tired. Yet you can try different methods to help you in this area of life. In example, evaluate what it is you feel is success. In an online article at eZineArticles.com, you can learn how to start towards balancing this spoke on your wheel of life.

“The great gift of family life is to be intimately acquainted with people you might never even introduce yourself to, had life not done it for you.” - Kendall Hailey

Reacquaint yourself with your family and strengthen an important area of your life.

Do You Believe?

In many polls, most show that nearly 90% believe in the existence of God in one form or another. It is a subject that can spark tremendous debate and also cause others to scornfully reject those that speak openly about it. Those that regularly read my articles will note that I have faith in God. But I keep the writings secular in nature, although the real meaning of secular was distorted to mean "distance from, or lack of, religion". But the word serves its purpose and I'll use it here.

The fact remains that I am driven or influenced by my choices in life, one of which is religion. Most everyone that is reading this has some form of religious background or experience. There is also in most everyone's life the idea of being spiritual. The term spiritual is a synonym of religious so on one hand you may say they are the same. Yet others deem the two very distinct and different.

So I don't wish to debate the two here but to say that being spiritual is very important in keeping your life well balanced. Being spiritual and moral is one of the six spokes of your life. Now don't shy away, I'm not going to start preaching religion. There are others better suited to do that. My aim is more simple, to let you know that part of your life requires a set of personal values.

Have you thought about what it is you believe in or don't believe in? This encompasses not just religion but things relating to money, job, sex and politics are all items to consider. If you don't know where you stand, how will you know how to conduct yourself. If you are spiritual in nature, then you likely believe in the idea that some higher form or power exists. And if that higher power exists for you, then you most likely have some level of values to live by.

Can you be both religious and spiritual at the same time? My belief is yes, because one does not have to believe in a narrow doctrine of one religion or another, but in the idea of larger possibilities within the context of my religious faith. It provides a grounding for me, gives me values to live by and to treat others. It is in establishing a spiritual belief under which your values can be drawn and acted upon.

Patricia Megregian is quoted as saying, "Spirituality is where people find meaning in their life. It's something higher than themselves, though not necessarily attached to religion." Keeping this part of your life well tended will improve your life. Tend to it as often as you can to keep your life in balance.

Adjust Spending - Adjust Your Life

When it comes to your financial 'spoke of life', there are many things one can do to improve their situation. TOne place to start is working on the debt you have accumulated. In a USA Today article (September 5, 2006), an example is given for one particular family. Advice is then given on how to control their debt.

Coming up with ways to control and then eliminate your debt isn't as simple as earning more money. The basic issue is that people will typically spend to their level of income. If someone has an income of $20,000 or $200,000, their spending habits will reflect that same. All of us have this tendency as our society has done an excellent job on the marketing side.

The commercial comes on and the spokesman sells you on the idea of a new car, more fuel efficient with the latest 'needful' gadget. All of us will fall for things that are truly 'wants' and not really 'needs'. If you don't have the latest this or that, then you are not person aspiring for the greatest things in life.

The key is to not spend all that we have. One way to accomplish this is to sit down with a pen and paper. Write down what your average 'take home' pay is for the month in one column. Then write down in a second column what each of your bills are on a monthly basis. Subtract column two from column one - simple but very eye opening when you do this.

To get to a firmer financial position, goal yourself to the 10/10/80 rule. Give 10% to charity, save (long term savings) for yourself and only spend 80%. The hard part is to get the monthly spending under control. More on that in a minute, the charity amount is historical in nature and many will disagree with me. But giving to others will ultimately benefit you, even at its most base level benefit - tax deductions.

Saving for yourself is very important. It helps protect against future expenses that you may normally use that credit card for or keep you from having to take out a loan. Remember, credit cards and loans can be good. But never believe that companies that extend credit are in the business to help you or give you a great deal. Plain and simple, they are in the business to make money. The more you borrow from them, the more money they make. It is in their best interest to keep you in debt.

One suggestion about saving is if your company provides automatic payroll deposit, see if the deposits can go to different accounts. Then set up a 10% automatic deposit to a savings account and the remainder to your checking account. If possible, keep the two accounts seperate so that you are not tempted to continually pull money from savings into checking.

Now the hard part as I said previously. All of those monthly items in column two have to be examined. One another sheet of paper, create two columns and label them NEEDS and WANTS. Like I said, here comes the hard part. In the column labeled NEEDS, place the necessities in life such as your rent or mortgage, the utilities and a car loan to get you back and forth to work.

The column called WANTS is where you place the TV cable bill, the gym membership and other similar items. You have to be honest with yourself about what a WANT is versus a NEED. You can lie to yourself but it only hurts yourself...so again, be honest about this.

Now that you have a list of WANTS, eliminate those bills from your life. Learn to live without them for now. The savings should go to paying off short term debt. Some financial experts say to pay off the high interest debt first. My belief is to pay off the one with the smallest amount first. It gives you a sense of accomplishment and then you can start taking that money combined with the WANTS savings - apply both to the next debt.

But let us think about what happens if we can not make the income exceed the expenses. You have eliminated the wants but a deeper look at the needs is required. You have that nearly new car that is costing you $350 - $450 per month. Sell this one and get a more used car for only $5000 and maybe a payment of $200 per month. It could also be that the big house with the yearly association fee is too much of a mortgage.

Those are tough choices to make but ones you should consider before you become forced into a decision. Being able to have a choice in the matter will save you money as opposed to being required. In being required, it usually means foreclosure or repossession - not the choice you want in your life.

Some of the simple things are keeping lights turned off, maybe not using the air conditioning as much. Saving on water, generic brand food and less of the 'designer' brand clothes are other ways that you can make a change.

The key here is to lower your expenses to 80% of your income. Once you have done this, work to eliminate debt, work to a point of being able to pay in cash as opposed to credit card. Your stress will go down, you will be able to enjoy more things since your savings will grow. Life will be better all around. I am confident that each of you can do this.

David Bach is quoted as saying, “Before you can really start setting financial goals, you need to determine where you stand financially.” He has several books out but one that caught my attention was Start Late, Finish Rich. It helps to take away any doubts that you are too old to help your situation.

His book is good but know that there are several out there. Go to your local library or look online, maybe go sit in your local bookstore. The key is to find something that you are comfortable with, find easy to understand and will get you on a path to improving the financial spoke of your life. Just do it tonight, don't think about it, just get started...you've been putting it off too long.

Balancing Your Life

Back in July I wrote about thinking of your life as divided into six spokes on a wheel. In Chart Your Life, there must be balance among these areas of your life. In doing so, a 'well-rounded' wheel or 'life' rolls much easier, gains momentum and is efficient. Your life benefits from having all six areas in tune. But it takes work to achieve this balance.

Those six areas of life are;

• Physical and Health
• Mental and Emotional
• Spiritual and Moral
• Family and Home
• Social and Cultural
• Financial and Career

Recently I wrote about the area of your physical well-being and health. In coming articles I will write about each of the spokes. Giving you my take on them and giving you the opportunity to make a decision for your life.

“If we put the emphasis upon the right things, if we live the life that is worth while and then fail, we will survive all disasters, we will out-live all misfortune. We should be so well balanced and symmetrical, that nothing which could ever happen could throw us off our center, so that no matter what misfortune should overtake us, there would still be a whole magnificent man or woman left after being stripped of everything else.” - Orison Swett Marden

Healthy Attitude

Today I decided to work on one of the spokes of my life regarding health. My health centers on high blood pressure and high cholesterol. A visit to my doctor for a check up is one step in trying to stay on top of both issues. In previous articles, the spoke of health is necessary to maintain a balanced life. All of us had, have or will have health issues to deal with. It comes down to you and when you make the decision to address them.

Like many other folks, I have a hectic work life, busy family and just 'stuff' going on all the time. It can be very easy to neglect one's health when feeling good. In fact, I can be very reactive to my health as opposed to proactive. I'm not sure where that comes from knowing that in my line of work, being proactive is the best thing you can do.

Yet I live in a reactive world, I work in a reactive job, while struggling to set goals and visions. To be certain, it is one's health that will tend to get the short end of our reactive lives. Credit does go to those that can maintain a healthy life. But for many of us that struggle to work out this area of our life is difficult. The thing health professionals will tell you is to simply realize that good health is important.

Many may sarcastically think, "wow, that is an earth-shaking statement!" But many of us tend to forget how important good health actually is. When feeling good, what need is there for concern. The same goes for your mind, soul, spirit, job, family, attitude or any of the other facets of life. Each must be nurtured to keep it in good shape and to keep the wheel of your life in balance.

Good health is important to that balance, so keep it important in your life. As Thomas Fuller wrote, “health is not valued till sickness comes.” Work to maintain the spoke of good health, it will help you in the other areas of your life. A healthy body and a healthy mind for a healthy attitude.

WTC In Memory

The world as we knew it changed on September 11, 2001 - a day that not only changed for Americans but for all people that value life and reason. For a moment in time, people stood still trying to understand what depth of evil could lay in the hearts of a few.

On September 11, 2001 there were 2,749 innocent people that lost their lives. From the World Trade Center to the Pentagon and finally to those brave passengers on Flight 93, people that arose that morning full of life were cut short.

Many around the world experience and continue to experience horrible acts of a despicable nature. Those that do these things will claim it to be in the name of their God or for a belief that they fervently live by. For all that know and live life with the understanding of our fellow man, it is different now.

The evil that lives in those that would choose to destroy others must be understood and put down. A world that changed is one that each of us must work to make better. In small ways, in small steps, all that you do to make it better is an honor to the innocent lives through out history.

Persevere and continue to move forward. Take time today to reflect, to remember and then go and do something good for another person. Live so that the memory of others will go on. For that memory, never forget.

Five Bad Attitudes

With the wrong type of attitude, you can pretty much guarantee non-success in your life. An article by Yvonne Finn discusses five attitudes that will help you avoid being successful. I list them here but encourage you to read the article for her take on each attitude.

1. Be cynical and skeptical of everything and everyone.

2. In Business be quick to jump from one opportunity to the next without giving any one a reasonable amount of time and effort for success.

3. Never take responsibility for your own failures, it is always someone or something outside of your control.

4. Give the impression that you know everything and belittle other people's ideas, opinions and contributions to projects and your life and success.

5. Always take full credit for successful ventures.

I could add commentary to most any of these. But I do believe you will recognize why these are not good attitudes to embrace. Be a person of great attitude and see success come your way.

Setting and Achieving Goals

"Every Goal has a cost." - Dean Sweetman

Many times we go through life looking for that quick fix. The thing that will enable us to easily obtain that which we want. It may be buying a lottery ticket to get that big payout so we can pay off our debt. It may be answering the call to a get rich quick scheme. Only to be thrown into deeper misery when it wasn't what it seemed.

No, every goal in life does have a cost associated with it. I truly doubt that we could call it a goal if it simply came to us. For every goal we set will require some amount of effort and probable change in you. It will require you to be of good character...The type of person that will complete the task when no one else is looking.

Character can not be something that we put on when others are around. Character is not a convenient accessory to parade in public. Character is who you are when no one else is around. What are the traits of good character?

Character is moral strength that is proven to stay true.
It is commitment to your values.
Patient endurance when life is going badly.
Honesty at the price of punishment.
Integrity in secret.
Reliability and predictable behavior.
Stability because consistency has power.
Commitment to do what you said you would do.
Being faithful to the goal even when it hurts.

Your goals in life are attainable with the right attitude, the right level of character and the willingness to see the bigger picture. Be a person of change, be a person that achieves and be a person that impacts others. The goals you set will become reality.

Labor Day - Reflect on the Year

This weekend is a three-day event here in the U.S. because Monday is a holiday. This one for us is called Labor Day and is typically a summer ending holiday which marks the end of summer vacations and the start of the school year.

It is also a good time to renew oneself to complete goals that were set at the beginning of the year. Remember those, the things you wanted to accomplish back on January 1st when best intentions were spilling forth. So how have you done? What was that goal you had in mind?

From a recent article I read, five items were pointed out relative to goals:

(WHAT) A goal should be specfic.
(HOW MUCH) A goal needs to be measurable.
(UNDER PROJECT/OVER PERFORM) A goal should be attainable.
(HOW) A goal should be realistic.
(WHEN) A goal should be tangible.

Evaluate what you have done so far this year and see what you can do in order to accomplish your goals. You will be a far better person for having accomplished a goal both in the eyes of others and more importantly, in you.

“The major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it. What it makes of you will always be the far greater value than what you get.” - Jim Rohn