Today Is Not A Rehearsal

The Rehearsal by Edgar Degas

"Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed."
~ Wayne Dyer

I read an article recently which spoke about the act of moving forward. An act in which we keep moving forward despite the obstacles we each face every day. In the article, Sandip Dutta wrote of a warrior bearing his burden and keeping his eye on the goal.

"The warrior moves on; he moves on despite a dead horse and a broken sword. The warrior moves on! With no one to fight for him, no one to fall back on, he moves on with an unshakeable faith and an unwavering determination. With a damaged armor and an empty arsenal he moves on.... he moves on!

He has already lost a thousand battles but he still moves on despite the hundred bleeding scars on his moonlit face. The warrior moves on for another battle; may be he will lose it too but he moves on with his dead horse and a broken sword because the battlefield is calling. He knows he might lose another hundred battles but he has his eyes fixed on the war and he cannot be whipped if he fights another battle, and then another battle, and another. So he moves on despite a dead horse and a broken sword."

The battles we encounter each day are large and fearsome within our individual world. Those battles will tempt us to yearn for the past and try forcing us to give up. Those battles may seem insurmountable as we look for a way out.

Time moves forward because no one has yet found a way to live in the past.

We may even look beyond today towards the future. Tomorrow is out there waiting for us and we may wish to skip today. But still the battle must be fought today. It is not a rehearsal for life. Today is a real thing that must be achieved so tomorrow can wait to be fought and won.

You can win the war for your future, while not guaranteed do not give up your future without a fight. Yesterday is just that, a past that can not be relived. Tomorrow is only a glimpse into what can be.

Today is the bridge between the two and it must be lived.

Live today in anticipation of success that will be achieved. Live today like success is here and now. And stay inspired my friends.

Dream of Things

“The best endings are the ones that lead to new beginnings.” ― Mathangi Subramanian

Once upon a time there was a young family, raising children, building a new home in a place they called home.

A typical tale of hard working individuals who were now one, living their dreams of things to come. For years and years they raised these children in this home, saw them leave to have children of their own and they retired dreaming of things to come.

Once upon a time there was a young man, raised in this home, who left to marry a woman of grandeur and grace.

The typical tale of hard working individuals, raising two daughters and lived their dreams of things to come. For years and years raised these children, watched them marry, retired and moved to another country as missionaries dreaming of things to come.

Once upon a time there were two young daughters, married to fine men, living their dreams of things to come.

The typical tale of hard working individuals, each beginning their own families and dreaming of things to come. For years they will build their homes, their families and lives in great and wondrous ways. And they will continue to dream of things to come.

Once upon a time there was a long time retired couple, having lived many of their dreams, building a new home.

Our lives are filled with dreams of things to come and of living those dreams. We are given the opportunity to always dream and to chase those dreams for as long as we can. Nothing says we get only one dream in life.

Dream, live your dreams and dream of things to come.

Stay inspired my friends.

Live Life - Live Well

"We are always getting ready to live but never living." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I came upon this quite some time ago and felt it was something that might inspire you as well.

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As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will.

You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time.

You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken.

You'll fight with your best friend.

You'll blame a new love for things an old one did.

You'll cry because time is passing too fast and you'll eventually lose someone you love.

So take too many pictures.

Laugh too much.

And love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

Don't be afraid that your life will end.

Be afraid that it will never begin.

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Stay inspired my friends.

Consider Today

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:34

A verse that goes back through many ages but very applicable today.

We spend a lot of time worrying about tomorrow.

We forget to live what is at hand today.

An old saying goes, "Do not worry about tomorrow for it is already tomorrow in Australia." Rest assure there are folks already there worrying about their today.

Your future tomorrow will come soon enough.

Live today with the moments you are given.

Stay inspired my friends!

Run With Us

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Today we fight. Tomorrow we fight. The day after, we fight. And if this disease plans on whipping us, it better bring a lunch, 'cause it's gonna have a long day doing it.” ― Jim Beaver

Every year my wife and I find inspiration from one source or another to run in the world's largest 10K called The Peachtree Road Race. Each year over 60,000 people from nine to ninety-five take the 6.2 mile trek down Peachtree Street in Atlanta. It is a gathering for sport but it is a gathering of friends and fun on July 4th.

This year the inspiration for us touches my wife and I very close.

Just over a year ago our good friend Belinda passed away from a brain tumor. She battled strong and hard to beat the odds and lived longer than most doctors expected. Her husband Mark devoted everything to her and lovingly held her as she faded to a more glorious existence.

Fast forward nearly a year to the day, her husband Mark was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer. My friend so close that I call him a brother. Cancer came out of nowhere and places him in that all too familiar battle many face when it comes to cancer.

Yet as he began his fight, another good friend in our circle named Bill was diagnosed with leukemia. More battles, more belief in knowing that there are great doctors out there helping these two men run the type of race they never expected to run.

Both Mark and Bill are avid runners of the Peachtree 10K Road Race and this year they are unable to run.

So this year, we run for them.

- We run for all those battling cancer.
- We run for those who have won or lost to cancer.
- We run for Mark and Bill

Will you run with us!

Stay inspired my friends!

Our Enthusiasm

"If you are not getting as much from life as you want to, then examine the state of your enthusiasm." - Norman Vincent Peale

Enthusiasm is what could be referred to as "that rare and wonderful fire in the chest feeling, which can be explained biologically." When we experience emotions, both negative and positive; there are neurotransmitters released by specific parts of our brain into the central nervous system.

Every emotion we are capable of and our reaction to any situation we may encounter, causes this release of chemicals specific to the stimuli encountered. Any previous experience we have had including instinctive reactions, add to the mix of what the brain eventually decides to release.

The brain can produce several mixes of both stress hormones and what could be termed "happy" ones. This combination can really excite cells within many of the areas affected, especially your stomach, heart, lungs, skin, (even intestines, at times) creating a wonderful feeling of a fire burning within.

So you may ask what this has to do with getting more out of life. When you are seemingly just not getting anywhere with your life. When you perceive that things just don't seem to be happening, it could mean it is time to charge up that biological enthusiasm.

How can you do that?

By making a change in your life of some kind. To stir those biological mixtures, bringing change will cause a range of emotions that can generate enthusiasm. About now you are wondering, "what the heck does he mean?"

If you are doing the same thing, over and over...the stimuli becomes common place. You just do not get any excitement from doing the same over and over again. But changing the pattern can cause a bit of excitement or 'danger' into the scheme. This causes the rush of chemicals that can get you moving again.

Maybe it is simple as rearranging your desk at work, a different route home or exercising instead of watching television. At the extreme end, maybe it is a new job, a different home or changing your goals.

The big thing about pulling yourself out of a lack of enthusiasm is that 'change' will have to happen. With change, a new range of emotions and feelings will occur. Within that cloud of new feelings, find the ones which motivate you towards something greater. In this new found enthusiasm you will reach out for more and find greater satisfaction in your life.

Stay inspired my friends!

Not the Past

"Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson: you find the present tense, but the past perfect!" -Owens Lee Pomeroy

Not long ago I was involved in a conversation regarding how good things used to be. The point being made that life was simpler, better for all that we had or didn't have. This person waxed on about how great life was. There were many examples being given to illustrate their argument;

- No social media to glue our attention every moment of the day.
- No cell phones that keep us constantly connected to work.
- No economic hardship of harsh unemployment rates and low wages.
- No ... well you get the point.

I kept thinking to myself what kind of nirvana was this person living in? It is very possible that the cycle of economic, social or philosophical change had jaded this person. The past may have seemed better relative to this person's condition in the present day.

In fact, each of us could possibly trace a period in our life when things seemed more clear or comfortable then what exists in our lives today. But for many obvious reasons, we can not live in the past nor can we stop life from changing around us. All we can really do is adapt to the ever changing world and control our own attitude.

When I thought of the points made, I could only think of how far we have come and in many ways learned from the past.

- Yes, social media to expand our connection to others around the world.
- Yes, cell phones that give us wonderful technologies to keep us safer.
- Yes, a workforce that is evolving in the always cyclical nature of business.
- Yes, an opportunity to adapt and change with our ever changing world.

We can lull ourselves into a sense that life was greater, but we must also remember that the past was once our present. We need to learn from that past in order to make our present even greater. Use the experiences lived long ago to make the experiences of today ones that will advance our lives.

Life is like that of an electronic component called a diode. It has low resistance to current flow in one direction, but a high resistance in the opposite direction. Live your life in a forward direction. Live life having learned from the past and not one in which you remain in the past. Embrace the changing world and marvel in all that is possible.

Stay inspired my friends!

Price of Choices

“Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice..” -Wayne Dyer

In everything we do, there is choice of some sort that can be made. It could involve not having enough money. Where and how much to spend or even if to spend on a certain item. It could be a need to change your living style to meet your income. Or taking on a second job. Maybe you could even take classes to improve you job skills and get a promotion.

Choices exist, we only need to be willing to make them.

It could be a destructive relationship you are in. There is so much that can be said about relationships, but choices do exist. Or how about the lack of a relationship? The choice might be to turn off the television and go to places where people gather.

Deciding not to do anything is a choice as well. But using that one will get you absolutely nowhere.

The health you have can be impacted by making certain choices. Disease and medical conditions are treated by physicians, with choices to be made. But we also have the choice to take care of our physical state. To again, to turn off the television and take a walk, little steps to help improve your health. I'm not here to say you will live longer, although statistics would support that. What I'm talking about is improving the quality of your life.

Will you make a choice to improve the quality of your life?

What price will you pay for the choices you make?

Choice is there for the taking and you need to make one. We each are given one life and of course, how you live it is yours to decide. But if you want to change the life you live, then stand up, choose and then step out boldly.

Stay inspired my friends.

21 Ways

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” ―Oscar Wilde

For the life of me, I can not remember where I found these. But I wrote them down and tucked them away on a sheet of paper quite some time ago. Looking through those papers, it seemed like the right time to post them. My apologies for lack of attribution, but whomever did, the credit is all yours.

Try some of these and see if it changes your life; for the better.

1. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
2. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
3. Don't believe all you hear or spend all you have or sleep all you want.
4. When you say, "I love you," mean it.
5. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
6. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
7. Believe in love at first sight.
8. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
9. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
10. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
11. Don't judge people by their relatives.
12. Talk slowly but think quickly.
13. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
14. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
15. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
16. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
17. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.
18. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
19. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
20. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
21. Spend some time alone.

Stay inspired my friends.

Can I Live forever

"I intend to live forever. So far, so good." -Steven Wright

I have wondered from time to time, what it would be like to live forever. Or live for at least one-seventy five years as Abraham, from Bible stories did. Maybe two-hundred or more years would be sufficient to see tremendous change. And then again, maybe only ninety years will be enough.

My grandmother lived to be 93 years-old and I remember how she was enthralled by the changes she had seen. She was born at a time when telephone service was in its early infancy. She died when the first cell phones were coming out. Moving pictures went from silent films to the big screen and back down to the small screen with VCR tapes. Even the cameras used to record them could be held (on your shoulder) and instantly seen. Not to mention television sets, cars, the moon, and so many things.

What I believe would be hard if living longer would be the loss of family, friends and familiarity with every day life. Of course good health would be essential and money. Heck, who is going to hire a one-hundred twenty year old man even if I do have my wits about me. Life would be a gradual adaptation to seeing so much change.

Don't get me wrong, I will live as long as God gives me to live. I am happy for each day and each moment with my wife, kids, grand kids, and friends. The experience of life is a joy to behold and whether it is sixty years or six-hundred, I will be thankful for each of them.

The important part of living forever though is living the years you are given such that the memory of you lives on. If the life I live is a good one, as good as one can strive for, then you do live on forever in the minds and hearts of those that knew you.

My own mother lived to be almost seventy-eight years of age until Pancreatic Cancer left its mark on us. We firmly believed that she would live into her nineties and beyond. She was that rock-solid to us and invincible. She lived though for others, for her children, for her family. And she enjoyed life even with all of the heart-break and pain that comes with simply living.

The interesting part is that she continues to live on inside each of us. She lives in the stories we tell our children and grand-children. She will live on in the stories that they tell the generations. So in a way, she is living forever and so far, so good.

Live the Journey

Over the course of our lives, there are the naysayers that enter into our world. Those are the people that seem to always be negative and have a negative effect upon your life.

Why not try getting around some positive people that will lift you up? Why not try some encouragement? Why not read some stories that will inspire you along your journey to a great life?

My newest book, LIVE THE JOURNEY is a roadmap of stories to help guide you. Every day it will inspire you to take one more step.

If you believe in achieving a great life, then act upon that belief. You can and will realize your best life. LIVE THE JOURNEY can change the way you think about yourself, your life and those around you. Live the journey of a great life and find out just how much you really can achieve.

Vivere Amor Accipio

You live you learn
You love you learn
You cry you learn
You lose you learn
You bleed you learn
You scream you learn

You Learn - Alanis Morissette

There is a gentleman I met while in Phoenix not long ago. An older guy in his middle eighties but the abilities of a much younger man. When I first came upon him, he was moving items for donation in the 110 degree heat of Arizona. A small amount of sweat on his forehead, but moving better then most half his age.

He introduced himself as Garth and in anticipation of my next question, "yes, Garth Brokks was named after me....way after me." So right away I knew I would like this man, his humor and goodness. As we worked, we talked and I learned.

Garth lived for many years, working and struggling just like the rest of us. A job here, a new job there with job loss and started a new business that changed everything for him. But in all of that living, he had a wonderful wife that worked side-by-side with him. So much so that Mrs. Garth started a stained glass shop in the front of Mr. Garth's welding shop. She did so only because the welding business wasn't keeping her busy enough in the front office.

Their daughter now runs that shop and the welding business is no longer. It is sad to report that Mrs. Garth passed away some time ago. But there is still a sparkle in Garth's eyes when he speaks of Mrs. Garth. The love in his voice when he talks of her, and their lives together speaks volumes of a wonderful life.

In the various conversations I had with Garth, it was what was learned in life, the adjustment to it and the picking up of oneself that resonated so much. Garth kept living, loving and learning with each step along the way. When something knocked him down, he got up, dusted off the pain, and began moving again.

All along the way he not only helped himself to keep moving, but he helped others along his way. He continues to do so today, he is a great example is that the more you give to others, your life will be rewarded ten times that amount. He taught me life lessons during our conversations. He reminded me that life is a grand thing.

Vivere (live), amor (love), and accipio (learn) through out your grand life.