Light Overcomes Darkness

"Anger is a killing thing: it kills the man who angers, for each rage leaves him less than he had been before - it takes something from him."
- Louis L'Amour

The thought of road rage and what that says about many of us came to me one morning while driving to work. I drove up on a line of traffic with people merging in from the right where two lanes became a single lane.

People inched forward not allowing any space for someone to enter the line of traffic. Some of the people in the right lane unaware of being in the wrong lane and were using their blinkers requesting entry into the left line.

Others came speeding up in the right lane, fully aware they were going to pass the long line of traffic. Their intent being interpreted as, "I'm better then you and I'm not going to wait."

There were all sorts of reasons.

Drivers in the left lane were a mixture of attitudes and grace also. Some would open a space for both types of right-lane people. While others maintained a 'zero-space' and 'zero-tolerance' for those in the right lane of traffic.

This went on until a driver in front of me began yelling at one of the right lane drivers with gestures and well thought out verbiage. There had been some sort of affront to him and he was going to let the other driver be aware of it.

In that instance, his inner self was being put on display for all to see.

All of us carry something inside we probably are not proud of; especially when it gets put on display for others to see. But when we keep the "not so proud of" things inside, it is there, kept in darkness and it grows to destroy you. Allowing the darkness inside to rule the day only leads to stress and anger.

We do a very good job of hiding those things within our inner darkness. For some reason, we find those times where it gets released from the darkness. Like when sitting in a car, in traffic, where we somehow believe others can not see us.

If you were standing in line for coffee and a person cut in line, you might say something but chances are the situation is a bit too personal, too upfront. So we tend to be more civil in our discussion with the other person. Yet in a car, all inhibition seems to be removed.

Darkness finds a way to take control over our actions.

We think we are hidden or protected within our space. The vehicle, tucked away in our office or behind closed doors of our home. The problem is many others get to see these glimpses of the inner stuff going on. Inner darkness is revealed and we barely realize it.

I have had issues with impatience and believing my driving is far superior to others. My frustration boiled over nearly 30 years ago and my left temple took the brunt of someones fist. We read stories of this rage spilling over into even greater excess. The outcomes can be disastrous and many times deadly.

What need the ability to destroy the darkness inside by letting the light in. Allow a bit more grace on the roads is a start. But we can also try to relax a more and try to slow down, not be in such a hurry. We all lead hectic and stressful lives.

It might be time to adjust the way we live in order to enjoy it more.

Do not let the darkness win. Relax and enjoy the ride.

Stay inspired my friends!

Light At The Beginning Of The Tunnel

“There is a light at the end of every tunnel. Some tunnels just happen to be longer than others.” ― Ada Adams

We always try to remind ourselves to keep our attitude positive and "looking for the light at the end of the tunnel." Well a great cartoon gives us an amusing idea of what it is like on the other end of that tunnel.

How great it would be if we just lived our lives on that end of the tunnel.

Keep in mind that regardless of what you are going through, things are better on the end where that light exists. Get to that end and live life where the "light is at the beginning of the tunnel."

Stay inspired my friends!

Stronger Than All Obstacles

“The dance between darkness and light will always remain, the stars and the moon will always need the darkness to be seen, the darkness will just not be worth having without the moon and the stars.” ― C. JoyBell C.

When just short of two years old, this child fell ill and it took from her both sight and hearing. There were many people who wrongly attached the stigma of being dumb when faced with this blind and deaf child. It was said that being unable to see or hear the speech of others, a child could not learn.

Despite these challenges, this child grew up to become

... a college graduate.
... a public speaker.
... the author of several books.

The accomplishments of this child, this woman, were not entirely accomplished by self alone. There were other people that believed in her as well. But if she had not worked with all her ability to respond to the efforts of her teacher and those other people, this woman would not have reached all of those great accomplishments.

The woman that I speak of is of course Helen Keller.

She is quoted as saying, "the most important day I remember in all my life is the one on which my teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, came to me. I am filled with wonder when I consider the immeasurable contrast between the two lives which it connects. It was the third of March; 1887, three months before I was seven years old."

Helen gave an example of what she experienced by saying, "Have you ever been at sea in a dense fog, when it seemed as if a tangible white darkness shut you in, and the great ship, tense and anxious, groped her way toward the shore with plummet and sounding-line, and you waited with beating heart for something to happen? I was like that ship before my education began, only I was without compass or sounding-line, and had no way of knowing how near the harbour was. "Light! give me light!" was the wordless cry of my soul, and the light of love shone on me in that very hour."

Achieving with small steps of progress, slowly finding your way down a path of experience is a wonderful thing.

In her accomplishments, Helen Keller goes on to say, "No deaf child who has earnestly tried to speak the words which he has never heard--to come out of the prison of silence, where no tone of love, on song of bird, no strain of music ever pierces the stillness--can forget the thrill of surprise, the joy of discovery which came over him when he uttered his first word. It is an unspeakable boon to me to be able to speak in winged words that need no interpretation. As I talked, happy thoughts fluttered up out of my words that might perhaps have struggled in vain to escape my fingers. "My little sister will understand me now," was a thought stronger than all obstacles."

Achievement is possible in many forms with persistence towards that end.

For Helen Keller, it could be said it was if Isaiah's prophecy had been fulfilled in her. And each of us will experience this same feeling in which "the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands!"

Experience the wonder of achievement by never allowing darkness to win.

Your life is worth every tone of love, song of a bird and stronger than any obstacle.

Stay inspired my friends.

Lighting the Way

“How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.” ― William Shakespeare

You probably arose this morning, made coffee and retrieved the paper out front. There was a bit of time in your morning to to have a small breakfast before heading off to work or one of several different appointments. It could even be a weekend morning and a trip to the store to pick up items, filling up with gas or possibly a meeting with friends for a meal.

Today is a chance for each of us shine a bit of light on other people.

We can be a light of goodness to pass on a smile, a good word or kindness to brighten their day. Being this type of person who passes along kindness does not require greatness or training.

It only requires allowing the light within you to reveal itself.


We have a light to share and many around us need a light to shine upon their darkness.

The darkness could be a troubling day at work, an issue with another person close to them or one of a thousand other issues. What they need is a nice word or a smile to make a change in their day.

All you have to do is allow your light to chase out the darkness in another person's life. It doesn't take much light to open that path for someone. Let your light be the path for someone.

And stay inspired my friends!

Shining Stars

"People are like stars... we all have our own special light that shines from within. Sometimes we find our light to be dim and we struggle to shine... but that is when we need the light shed from the other stars to help us light our path once again. A true light that comes from within, from our divine Maker is so brilliant that it penetrates into the souls of the other stars onto which it shines, leaving it's impression for eternity. Are you shining for someone today?" - Unknown

Where does your light shine?

Stay inspired my friends.

Where The Light Comes From

"There are two ways of spreading light: 

to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it."

- Edith Wharton -

Stay inspired my friends!

Imperfect Perfection

“Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.” ― Leonard Cohen

The day will end with accomplishment and with disappointment.

It is a mixture of circumstance that impacts everything we do in life. We attempt to be perfect through all of that circumstance. The disappointment we feel allows the darkness to surround us even more. Yet the light can not be kept out.

Accept that you are perfect within all of your imperfection. The light will do the rest.

Stay inspired my friends.

Carry the Day

"There is a destiny that makes us brothers, no one goes his way alone; all that we send into the lives of others, comes back into our own.." - Edwin Markham

As men, we isolate ourselves when faced with adversity or struggles. We close down our emotions and dive inward to deal with whatever it is we have to face. It is in this isolation that trouble gains a foothold upon our lives. In the darkness of isolation, nothing good can grow from it.

We can emerge from the darkness when we realize we have brothers to our left and to our right.

- It is okay to have someone help you carry your burden.
- It is okay for you to help someone carry their burden.

In this mutual bond of brotherhood that raises our ability to be much more successful.

Even when things are going great, life can begin to wear on us. The excitement of all that was good can become a distant memory. You will wake up each morning having to face the day full of struggle.

This is the point at which you have a choice to make. Will you draw back into the darkness of isolation? Or will you remain in the light, looking to your brother for support?

Face the day with knowledge that others have their eyes lifted, waiting to carry your burden with you. Face the day with the burning fire of a thousand fires carried with others.

Stay inspired my friends!

Winter Preparation

Photography for Collections

"Life has those down days, those 'winter days' of our lives. But even in the worst of times, there is good news." - Dean Sweetman

A large part of my life was spent in the northern climates of the United States as I was born on the plains of Nebraska. I even spent a few years in Fargo, North Dakota. And no, Fargo is not really like the movie with the same name. It is close, but not quite like that.

Each year after the last of autumn leaves fall to the ground, people become shocked by the decreasing temperatures. Just recently, the weather and news reports of the cold and snow made it seem as if the occurrence of winter was a big surprise. But winter comes pretty much like clock work each and every year. So I find it amusing that we are so surprised every time the Earth's northern hemisphere begins to tilt away from the Sun.

I will agree that winter can be very brutal in terms of the sheer cold and wind we have to endure. But winter has purpose in the cycle of nature and our lives. Even in the worst of winter, life proceeds daily and you plod through it knowing we can not simply withdraw from the world.

What always makes this time of year easier is knowing that spring will eventually come. During these winter days, there will be days of sun shine on even the coldest of days to brighten your life. And the thought of summer will creep into your thoughts; wow, what a great season summer will be when it arrives.

The progression of seasons happen in step with our lives.

Just like the seasons, our own life will have 'days of winter' when nothing seems to be going our way. It is during those moments that we have to fight the urge to crawl into a small space and disappear. Hiding from life is merely a misguided hope that our troubles and pain will go away. You know as well as I do that doing so will never solve anything. You have to confront and deal with those things that cause us pain and discomfort.

The good news is that even in the depth of our winter, we can draw warmth and comfort from the light. You can draw strength from your religious beliefs or from what ever form of faith or belief system you use. You can view the light as a reminder that spring will return and flowers will bloom, leaves will cover the trees and renewed hope will fill your life.

Things will improve and you have the strength to overcome anything.

When you build a belief in yourself and in others, the winter of reflection and worry will melt away with the gathering light. You will succeed and those 'winter days' will give way to a greater day.

Stay warm and stay inspired my friends!

Good Friday Lesson

"You must never conclude, even though everything goes wrong, that you cannot succeed. Even at the worst there is a way out, a hidden secret that can turn failure into success and despair into happiness. No situation is so dark, that there is not a ray of light." -Norman Vincent Peale

Each of us will go through points in life that cause us to question whether we can complete the journey. It could be finishing high school, years of college debt, loneliness, divorce or the death of a loved one. There are so many stories each of us could tell. You could call these testimonials of ones completed journey through a tough change in life. The completion of one journey is the start of another using the lessons learned.

Yet the path we are on can get quite dark at times. There are times of pain due to health or the crush of a lost relationship. There are times of economic strain, lack of wisdom on what to do with our life and anxiety over things uncontrolled. The tunnel we have entered grows darker with the fading light behind us.

there are of course many things to help cast light upon our darkened path. We have words of encouragement, along with family and friends to help lift us up. We can trust in our own foot steps as we feel our way along the pitch black walls of the tunnel, straining our eyes for any hope.

But we also have one great and wondrous thing going for us.

We have what is being celebrated by Christian believers. We have the gift given to us by the ONE that died in that darkness so our own darkness was given light. It is the knowledge which places a light at the end of the tunnel, offering us a beacon of hope to carry on.

Have a Good Friday, joyful Easter and stay inspired my friends.

Leap Into Darkness

Leaping Into Darkness - Sherly Nome

"We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success." -Henry David Thoreau

A friend of mine had an unfortunate accident recently. Given the fall weather and the colorful leaves that come with it, inevitably the rain gutters will fill with them. The job of cleaning those leaves before the snow and ice appear becomes necessary.

So not thinking twice, he placed his ladder up against the house and climbed. What you may have already guessed is that the ladder did not remain in an upright position. The bottom slipped out and from roughly eight feet in the air, gravity did the rest.

Luckily he landed on both feet, a perfect landing in gymnastic terms. But most of us are not well-tuned gymnasts and my friend suffered a compression fracture of his L2 Vertebrae. The diagnosis is good and it will take time to heal. For now he is in a Rehab Center learning how to do all of those things we take for granted on a daily basis; like getting out of bed.

It happens that I was in the area where he lives on a business trip. So after work, I had made the decision to go visit him. I thought that a nice card and some magazines to read would help fill his days. Flowers would have been useless to him, so "Mr. Sensible" me would have to find a magazine stand instead of a flower shop.

Since this is New England, the early darkness that comes in the fall had descended like a curtain over the tree-filled landscape. So with a printed map, a GPS map on my phone, the gathering darkness and having Myopia vision (really badly), off I went.

There was no real use in bringing the maps for I couldn't read them without my reading glasses. And to put on my reading glasses meant that I could not see out past the windshield wipers on the car. The GPS map on my phone was a blur of bright light in the darkness as well. But off into the darkness I went, with a goal in mind to see my friend.

Each of us reach a point in life when we find ourselves in a similar position. Our goal is out there, somewhere in front of us and we are running out of daylight. We are scrambling to keep up with the light, trying to get as far as we can. But sometimes we need to embrace the darkness and let our other senses guide us.

The darkness is not something to be feared, it is something that merely changes the way we need to approach things. The dark may take away my clear vision, but it heightens my thoughts, my hearing, and mind. All of these other senses come to life when the light goes away. They each seem to shout out "its my turn, my turn to shine and guide me to the destination."

You have the power of many senses inside that sometimes only the gathering darkness reveals. Use them and trust them to guide you in life. Your vision in the light of day is only one-fifth of the generally known senses. There are at least four others, which would make sight an even smaller portion of what is available to us.

Rely upon everything at your disposal and not just sight. Use touch, hearing and even smells to remind you of familiar things. You have a mind that can process so many different things that soon the mystery of darkness becomes non-mysterious. Soon the darkness becomes just another path to walk on your way to those goals you have in life.

I made it to see my friend, the darkness did not hold me back. Leap out into the darkness and find your way in life. The light will return to provide additional clarity, and reveal the greatness in your life.

Red Light, Green Light

"It is in the moments of our decisions, that our destiny is shaped." -Anthony Robbins

I was driving to work this morning after having breakfast with my lovely wife Laura. We were discussing a possible change in our lives to accomodate something that is dear to our hearts. But it is a decision that impacts not just us, but our family and friends as well. That means we are giving it careful thought before moving forward.

During the short drive from breakfast to work, early as it is I came up to the stop light at an intersection. As I sat there in the fading darkness of night, the green of the traffic light for cross traffic jumped out at me. But so did the glowing red of the stop light in front of me. Each light seemed to be accomplishing the same thing.

The thought struck me that these traffic lights were not just there to safely guide me through. The red and green were also there to slow me down in my busy and hectic life. I'm sure you can relate to being busy and I'm not here to say mine is any busier than yours. While it may seem that the stop lights are getting in your way, they are actually slowing you down.

They give you time to catch up with yourself and consider what is going on. It is similar to slowing down and making thoughtful choices about how you are going to proceed. Those decisions we make in life are sometimes 'drop of the hat', quick and without much thought. We move on and correct maybe a wrong decision later. If only we would stop for a moment or two first, we may save ourselves further down the road.

What it might save is getting pulled over further down the street for having run a 'yellowish-red' light at the intersection. It may have saved a life from running a red-light and not making it.

But some will ask, how long should I stop and think about my decision? My answer is "how long is a piece of rope?" I can not answer that for you because it depends upon you and your willingness to feel comfortable with the decision. For that matter, how long do you sit at a red light?

Depending upon whom you ask, how long it takes is very much like this chart.

Cheezburger.com

So take care and watch out for those red lights cautioning us to slow down. Take the time to make your decisions wisely and then get ready. The light is going to turn green on your life.

Chase Away the Darkness

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

I am the type of person that arrives at work very early in the morning. I arrive long before others begin to stir from their beds. Long before the rush of the day starts to invade the quiet morning hush.

It is normally a darkened sky depending upon the Moon's position. Some mornings it is black as ink while other times it is bathed in bluish tones of reflected moonlight. The Moon does what it can to chase away the thickness of night as it reflects the light of the Sun.

But as the Sun begins to rise, it stands as the light which chases all darkness out of the sky. The light moves into the recesses in which darkness attempts to hide. It fills our world with the ability to see what exists around us. It allows us to look beyond what darkness attempts to hide.

I sit and think about the lives of people I know. There are people struggling financially with jobs and bills piling up. Others with relationships either in want of one or suffering through one. We know of people that are dealing with medical issues which claw at their hopes and beliefs. So many people out there being pulled into darkness.

While it is not possible to fix and correct all that happens to people, we can provide a light. We can not necessarily be the brilliant sunlight that chases away the darkness. We can be the candle at the end of the hall, guiding them. We can be a source of light shining through and into the window of their hearts offering hope.

We can be the moonlight reflecting a greater source of light. Moonlight that provides temporary ability for them to find their way until the light of day returns. We can chase some of the darkness away. We can make a difference in the life of another person.

Full Moon

"Light gives of itself freely, filling all available space. It does not seek anything in return; it asks not whether you are friend or foe. It gives of itself and is not thereby diminished." ~Michael Strassfeld

Every time it happens I'm simply amazed by the wonder of it. The beauty it casts upon the landscape can be breathtaking at times. I have yet to see a photograph that truly captures the view. While there are many excellent pictures and paintings, none captures it more then just seeing it for yourself.

What I'm talking about is a full Moon, shining upon the night and lighting up the dark half of the earth.

Moon light could be considered a harbinger of hope, that a new day is coming. It is something that is inside each of us. Some little light that others may call a burning ember. But it is that little light that grows and gives us the ability to see some greater.

You might feel that you are much too alone. That the light is too small for me because your problems are much too large. If so, then think about it from the perspective of the Moon.

Here a small object, orbiting around by itself in a cold and hostile space. Heck, only twelve people have actually visited the moon in the last 100 million years.

But during all of that time, a huge and beautiful Earth has been shining its light upon the Moon. So the light inside of you is not the small Moon but a huge light filled with people that care. The light comes from so many others that are a part of your life.

While the Moon lights the night darkness for us, from the perspective of the Moon, imagine how grand the light is coming from Earth.

Allow the light to grow inside and fill you with hope and greatness. The darkness will vanish and your eyes will see all that is in and around you.

Life Not Of Confusion

"I simply can't build my hopes on a foundation of confusion, misery and death... I think... peace and tranquillity will return again." ~Anne Frank

If you have never read The Diary of Anne Frank, then you must foresake reading my book (Live the Journey) and get that one. It is a book that although bittersweet in how it ends, the book is more full of hope and inspiration then anything I could write.

Under the cruelest of conditions that existed and happened to the Jewish peoples in Germany during the reign of Adolph Hitler, hope survives in a young girl. Regardless of the situation, Anne Frank kept the light of life inside.

After they were found and eventually sent to Auschwitz, a woman who was with Anne at that time said, "On arrival at the camp, everyone's head was shaved; yet a woman who was with Anne at that time said of Anne; "You could see that her beauty was wholly in her eyes. . . . Her gaiety had vanished, but she was still lively and sweet, and with her charm she sometimes secured things that the rest of us had long since given up hoping for."

All of us go through varying levels of despair, confusion, and just bad times. The situation can seem unbearable to us such that we don't feel like continuing.

But know that even within the situation you find yourself, you can keep the light of hope and happiness alive. Whether you be old, middle-aged or a 14-year old Anne Frank, the beauty of life comes from within.

Don't live a life of confusion and negativity. Live a life of hope and happiness. Keep the fire burning inside. And when you do, the light will be seen in your eyes. Your life will shine the path to something greater.

Light of Life

“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” ~Abraham Lincoln

All of life is actually pretty grand when you think about it. An amazing biological wonder is what happens from conception to death. Sometimes it is very difficult to comprehend the immensity of what must happen for life to exist.

And then I turn to my beliefs and know that anything is possible. The big bang theory, Adam and Eve, evolution, and how they get the peanut butter inside the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup; life gives us enormous possibility. Darkness can turn into light with the blink of an eye. That light becomes you and shines from within you as well.

So as we celebrate my brother Jim's birthday today, think about how amazing your own life is. Then consider all of the possibility life has to offer you. Enjoy life, live life to your greatest potential and allow the light of your life to shine.

Happy Birthday Jim.

Shine Your Light

"That's all a man can hope for during his lifetime - to set an example - and when he is dead, to be an inspiration for history." ~William McKinley

Each of us in some form or manner want to leave some relic of our existence when we leave this earth. There are some that may say it does not matter; that they have no need for people to remember whom they were or what they did. But each of us do leave a mark on time, large or small, and either good or bad upon the memories of people.

Those memories of what you did in life may seem meaningless. We get trapped into thinking that our "15 minutes of fame" that was famously coined by Andy Warhol, is all that we will ever get. The fame we think is the only one people get is either something grand or something notorious. That is not the case in most of our lives. It is said that a lighthouse does not have to fire a cannon to make its presence known. The lighthouse only has to shine.

The same can be said for you when it comes to leaving your mark upon others. When you live your life in the best possible way, you lead and leave others with your example. And like the lighthouse, you shine brightly for those still traveling in the darkness trying to find their own way.

Your memory will serve as the light for others to live on in. That is how your life will live on with others. Live your life by example to others, the good and the bad but always with the intent of living the best way you can. In this way, others will be guided to their own best life.