Deeper Than First Look

"The beauty of a person must be seen through their eyes, for that is the doorway to their heart." - Unknown

Do you judge people at first look? To use an old adage about 'judging a book by its cover' there is so much we can miss if we do. And most every one of us do judge others at first glance at one time or another. It is partly biological, to assess the situation quickly.

But the tone of our encounter gets set by first impressions.

Knowing this to be our tendency, it becomes important for you to understand that it is happening. If your first impression is undesirable, a second try is always important. Even if you see a person who doesn't dress the way you think normal people should, the inner person is who you need to seek.

Long ago I knew a friend of my older brother. His name was Richard and was known to associate with a pretty rough and rowdy crowd. When Richard would rode up on his Harley motorcycle, many would take one glance and instantly think trouble. But if you talked to him, he was actually a very nice person. I am sure he had a streak of issues, but looking beneath the surface one could find something an outer look could not convey.

Search for the hidden goodness and many times you will find it.

The same could be said of a "wolf in sheep's clothing" when it comes to first impressions. The well dressed and spoken person could actually be something completely different inside. The veneer of outward appearance can be quite deceiving.

One must look beneath the surface and into the eyes of a person to see who they really are. First looks and first impressions are a generalization our minds make to assess something quickly. Knowing this will give you an ability to look deeper to find the real person.

It might be that your first impression was correct.

Then again, you may find something completely different and you would have missed it without looking further.

Stay inspired my friends!

Happy Firsts

“The soul is healed by being with children.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Today is a first in many first things to come along in the life of my youngest granddaughter. Madilyn Rose Primm is having a birthday and a year full of first everythings. As with all of our family, we will celebrate all that happens in the lives of our children and grandchildren.

In a single years time, it is very evident what a newborn child accomplishes. Eyes opening, grasping of your finger, smiling or cooing to crawling and holding the bottle all by them self. We focus on each and every little advancement with awed amazement.

While thousands of generations have accomplished the same firsts, our child's first is the most precious and inspired. Each first step, each first word and with each new activity we are encouraged that life truly is a good thing.

Each of us experience the first of everything.

In our own year whether six, thirty-six or ninety-six, so many firsts can happen. Each should be held in awed amazement just as we do the firsts of a one-year old. Life grants us these experiences or as I like to call it, a lifetime of firsts.

Live a life of first things not just in our first year of life but in all years. Take each birthday and embrace your past year of first things, of first wonders, of first experiences. And then prepare yourself for many more in the coming years.

Happy Birthday Maddy Rose.

And stay inspired my friends.

The Last Is A First

Night Into Day by Greg Mort

"In rivers the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes: so with time present." - Leonardo da Vinci

A few days ago (June 21 to be exact), marked a day of change. It was a change of seasons being the last day of Spring. All of the colloquialism phrases about having spring fever or the joys of spring have to be put away for another year.

We like to hang onto the word "last" with nostalgic comfort.

The "last" time we get to say spring showers, or the "last" time for spring flowers. We create lists of "last" events. There are many things we could describe as being the "last".

The "last" piece of chocolate.
The "last" day of school.
The "last" time being single.
The "last" moment of our life.

So many things you could apply this word to, but this word is just a point along the continuum of time. The world keeps spinning, the Sun continues to shine and life remains in motion regardless of our attempts to define ending moments.

The last also marks a beginning.

Instead of thinking something is ending, think of something new beginning. An ending is the beginning of new opportunity. The ending of one job is the beginning of something new in life connected to new people and places. The final day of school is the beginning of a world of possibility.

The last of anything can be the start of even greater things for us.

How you choose to accept the "last" of anything determines the quality of what comes next. Time and life will continue with or without you. Choose to mark the last of anything as the beginning of something new and wonderful.

Let the last become the first in your life.

Stay inspired my friends.

Ordinary People

"I believe in the power of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. So look for in people the talents and possibilities they possess." -Unknown

Each of us have varying talents and abilities. Throughout your day, you will be bumped, annoyed, flustered, angered or even insulted by other people. Your first reaction will be the most important thing you will have for the moment. This is because we tend to judge each other by first impressions and many of these 'firsts' can cloud our ability to see the true person.

You want others to see the real you, the talented and good person that you are is sometimes not seen in that first impression. The true test comes when you are challenged to see the possibilities in others. When you get bumped, annoyed, flustered, angered or even insulted by other people, will you look beyond the first impression?

If you can see the talents and possibilities others possess, then just maybe they will see yours. Believe in the power of ordinary people, believe in your self...so much more exists when we look past first impressions.

Stay inspired my friends and have a great weekend.

Feet First

"If we listened to our intellect, we'd never have a love affair. We'd never have a friendship. We'd never go into business, because we'd be cynical. Well, that's nonsense. You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down." -Ray Bradbury

A man was spotlighted recently in the Atlanta area for simply doing what was on his heart. Twenty years ago, he and his wife had it in them to see a need. So they began adopting special-needs kids.

Today he raises six of these children ranging in age from 12 to 19. The illnesses of the children include nonverbal mental retardation, cerebral palsy and Down Syndrome.

In addition, there are three biological children whom are all adults at this point in time. But the sadness is that his wife Cheryl passed away on July 21, 2011 from a stroke. So battling a job loss of 18 months and the passing of his wife, Will Stark just keeps plugging along doing what is in his heart, feet first, no regrets.

Others heard of the story, the needs and a local radio talk-show host, Bert Weiss on Q100 (Atlanta). Listeners heard the story and nearly $200,000 in donations along with a donated handicapped-accessible van cam rolling in. The generosity was heart-filled as people jumped in, feet first.

There are so many examples from this one story that can teach us lessons. The story of two people simply taking on the responsibility where they saw a need. Perseverance despite the odds and difficulties of doing what is right. And other people, hearing of the story and not hesitating to take action. Those fine people not waiting for the government, the church or anyone else to act...they acted and made a difference.

There are many opportunities each day, week, month and year to become involved. We can each make a difference, we can each impact the lives of others and make lives greater. All it takes is jumping in, feet first.

First Steps

"The distance is nothing; it is only the first step that is difficult." -Madame Marie du Deffand

My wife and I received a very exciting email from our daughter in Los Angeles over the weekend. It was more exciting than our week long trip in France. It was seeing our grand-daughter crawl for the first time, captured on video.

This is the first of many that all of us will and have taken in life. Once we begin to crawl, we move that much closer to our first of many steps. That is how it begins, learning to crawl and wanting to get to another place in our life.

As we grow older we tend to forget those first steps. The first time we tasted ice cream, the first time we fell in love with our spouse, the feeling of seeing a child born. These moments seem to get lost in our growing older, in taking so many steps getting to where we thought we wanted to be.

We get so wrapped up in our own selfishness that we look down and find our path has diverged from those around us. And in that moment we have to make a decision to find our way back to the first time we tasted ice cream, the first time we fell in love with our spouse, and the feeling of seeing a child born.

It starts by deciding to crawl until we can find our feet again. The first step occurs and another and another. You will find things lining back up again in your life. If there was anger and hurt in your life, it will dissolve with each passing foot step. The selfishness will evaporate and greater things will begin to happen in your life.

Start crawling if that is what it takes. Soon enough those first steps will take place and when able, start running. Run to the important things in life, not from them.

Firsts

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

I really want to apologize to my regular readers for my lack of updates this past week. My wife and I have had a great pleasure being with one of our daughters and her husband during the birth of their first child. Truly a miraculous event for anyone but always individually special.

Our new grand-daughter is not our first grand-child, but each one feels like the first. It is something I never cease to be amazed by how wonderfully beautiful and inspiring a birth brings to everyone involved. Each birth is of course the gazillionth birth, but each is a first as well.

I was brought to mind by my daughter of her child's first of firsts. We were visiting her husbands parents and as we got on the elevator, she commented that this was her daughter's 'first' elevator ride. There will also be the first foot steps, first words and first skinned knee.

After arriving back at our hotel, I looked out the window at the I-405 freeway near our hotel. It was a stream of red lights and white lights traveling south and north along this ribbon of pavement. I could only think that one day this darling little girl will have her first drive down this busy stretch of road.

The thought of it shook me a little bit. But I also know that faith in life's firsts means some level of unknown must be accepted. I can try to look way down the road of time and worry about it. Or I can take faith in my first step of just allowing her to be a new born. I can have faith that with the wonderful guidance of her parents, grand-parents and good people around her will clear her path in life.

There will be those moments that each of us encounter. There will be those "skinned knees" each of us get. But we will never get a skinned knee, we will never get any where in life unless we step out in faith.

Unknown events will lay in wait for each of us in our life. But you will never experience life without those firsts that each of us have to encounter. My grand-daughter will get to experience many firsts in her life. You will continue to experience firsts in your life. Simply go forth and experience them with faith.