I Choose to Be

On Choosing to Live Well

Lee Wise

I choose to be grateful, not hurtful.
I choose to be better, not bitter.
I choose to be content, not critical.
I choose to be attentive, not indifferent.
I choose to live well, not just live.

We all can use moments of direction in life and I am one that does not always succeed in meeting those things "I Choose" to be.

But the statements do give me reason to reflect and goals to achieve when I have nothing else.

You can choose to live your life hurtful, bitter, critical and indifferent, simply living life.

Or you can choose to be grateful, better, content and attentive, while living well.

It is your choice, it is your life; choose to live it well.

Stay inspired my friends.

A Better Day

"There's nothing wrong or evil about having a bad day. There's everything wrong with making others have to have it... with you." -Neil Cavuto

Some days just seem like the worst anyone could have. You sit around thinking that your problems are worse then anyone else. Then you hear a story that shows you that others may be having it worse.

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A little guy is sitting at the bar just staring at his drink for half an hour, when this big trouble-making biker steps next to him, grabs his drink, gulps it down in one swig and then turns to the guy with a menacing stare as if to say, 'What'cha gonna do about it?'

The poor little guy starts crying.

'Come on man I was just giving you a hard time,' the biker says. 'I didn't think you'd cry. I can't stand to see a man crying.'

'This is the worst day of my life,' says the little guy between sobs. 'I can't do anything right. I overslept and was late to an important meeting, so my boss fired me.'

'When I went to the parking lot, I found my car was stolen and I don't have any insurance. I left my wallet in the cab I took home. I found my wife in bed with the gardener and my dog bit me.'

'So I came to this bar trying to work up the courage to put an end to my life and then you show up and drink the dang poison.'

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It is a bit of dark humor that illustrates that maybe your day isn't going nearly as bad as someone else. Try to find the good things, little or big, that are actually right in your life. And stay inspired my friends!

Life of Integrity

"Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity." -W. Clement Stone

Webster's dictionary defines integrity as "a firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values." The synonym for integrity is honesty. So why does there seem to be a lack of it in business and around us in general? An article in the Executive Travel Skyguide titled Leaders Wanted argues that "We are in an ethical crisis. Our capitalist system, which depends on checks and balances, is being tested by corruption, greed and manipulation."

In our society, competition and the wanton desire to get ahead of others tends to pull the worst out of some people. I certainly wouldn't label all businesses or business people out there as suffering from from this culture. But the culture of dishonesty and immoral business behavior is not a 'business' climate but a 'personal' climate.

It isn't your business place that causes you to lack integrity because you have choice in how you conduct yourself. "Integrity is a value, like persistence, courage, and intelligence. It is your choice of values and resolution to live by those values that form your character and personality. And it is integrity that enhances all your other values. The quality of person you are is determined by how well you live up to the values that are most important to you. Integrity is the quality that locks in your values and causes you to live consistent with them." (Importance of Integrity)

Search for and apply with integrity all that you do in life. Do not be overcome by the short term and many times disasterous results of taking the 'low' road. You'll be more successful in the long term, you'll be much more respected and you'll just be a better person. For those that lack integrity within their lives are known, others know who they are and frankly they don't have many true friends.

Be the better person, have the better life within.

Stay inspired my friends.