Ageless

"How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?" ~Satchel Paige

Our family has a Fox Terrier named Snickers but also goes by the Twitter pseudonym of @nacholibredog. This dog is full of energy and excitement when the time is right. Her rapid movement reminds me of those videos in which you are walking slow but the whole word is moving at lightening speed. It can be a real whirlwind of excitement.

What I managed to do the other day though was to start chasing our dog around the house. Up the stairs, around the dining room table and back. The burst of activity caught up to me faster then it would have a nine year old. But even at my age, I still felt like a nine year old during those moments.

Age had nothing to do with the fun during those moments. I did get a reminder of my age, but it won't deter me from doing it again. I continue to float between many different ages. It comes down to trying to have an ageless attitude.

It sounds like wishful thinking but it does work. Just because you may age in terms of years, your mind can have limitless dreams. An article about aging in Forbe's indicated that "only 1% considered age a barrier to achieving their goals." This tells me that the mind wants to continue doing all that it can regardless of our physical age.

All of this comes with the inevitable need to maintain a healthy level of weight, exercise and many of those other aspects to keep your health. But it also takes the right kind of attitude. If you think you are old and act like you are old then chances are you will live life old.

Does all of this mean we will live forever? Of course not, the cycle of life has its hold on us.

Does all of this mean we will be forever youthful? Of course not, the body physically ages.

What it does mean is that you can live an ageless life with the attitude that you carry inside. Your attitude about life can generate a great life beyond the physical aging. Your attitude can carry you further then you might expect.

Try changing your attitude about your age. Change the way you live.

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.

Overcoming Anything

"Fear is your greatest obstacle - so question your fear. If it does not serve your greatest life then do not make it your master." ~Joy Page

As you go through life, there are going to be obstacles attempting to weigh you down. There will be things that try to slow you down. There will be people that try to stand in the way of your dreams. Take the life of a man named Barry Pincus. Born in Brooklyn in the early 40s, his parents divorced when he was just two years old.

As he grew up he learned to play piano and learned what he could of music. His mother then remarried when he was nearly 13. She married a man named Willie who drove a beer truck for the Schaefer Brewery. It was through his mother's new husband that a whole new world opened up. Willie had a record collection of Jazz and Broadway musicals that vastly changed the way Barry Pincus viewed his world.

As he grew up, Barry Pincus worked his way through Julliard's School of Music and worked in the mail room at CBS Television. Like many others, he started at the bottom in the mailroom and worked his way up. Life probably couldn't get any better for Barry Pincus some thought. But he kept his dreams intact and there was nothing that was going to keep him down. Even after marriage and an emotional divorce that would set many back, Barry Pincus ventured on.

He started work at composing music and performing at small gigs. He even wrote jingles for commericals to support himself and to feed his vision. Eventually he connected with a person by the name of Bette Midler and the two performed with Barry being the musical director. The two became a very successful pair and Barry Pincus gained popularity as well.

Barry Manilow is how Barry Pincus is better known. He is famous for his multitude of songs and very successful performing career. He did much of this in the face of harsh music critics. Many called his music 'sentimental garbage', a tough remark for anyone to face. But Barry Manilow persevered in his dreams and remains very popular today.

Barry Pincus could have 'folded his cards' many times when others set out to criticize and place those obstacles in his path. Your life faces many of the same challenges. Never give up. Always believe in your dreams, believe in your visions.

Overcome the obstacles in your life and find your greatest life.

Memories

"Things that were hard to bear are sweet to remember." ~Seneca

There are three dates that cling in my memory like many others.

20 Oct 1989

14 Oct 2008

04 Jan 2011

These dates mark the passing of a sister, a mother and most recently a brother. Each of them were mournful and hard just like the ones you have or may have to go through. But each of them also were and remain a celebration of the lives that they lived.

I remember the days of large family picnics where our large family got together with cousins and aunts and uncles. It seemed in those days everyone had large families. So the gatherings were large and wild and tiring and ... yes, I have some fond memories of those events.

I remember our own family gathered whether it be at a picnic table or at the dinner table. All of us together, even with the childhood bickering that could happen, I still relish those memories. The gathering of our family was always an event in my mind. It solidified who we were as a family. It made us a family.

After a day of flowers and cards, sweet chocolates and kisses, I'm reminded of the love and great time with those that have gone before me. It brings a smile to my face to remember each of them. It brings a smile to my face believing that the three are together with others at a large picnic. It brings a smile to my face knowing they are peacefully in my mind.

You have the ability to create memories that are lasting and loving. We create them each and every day. It does not happen just on Valentines Day. It happens each morning when you kiss your loved ones before heading out to work. It happens when you hug your kids when you see them. It happens when you sit down to a meal.

Memories are stored inside each of us, meant to be brought out as a reminder of the love we have and have been given. Yes, the bad memories do exist but are overpowered by the loving ones. Create memories for your life and in the lives of others.

Dean Martin sang a song called "Memories Are Made Of This" that is a nice reminder. Enjoy and then make some memories to be cherished and remembered for a very long time.

Love Is

One of the greatest love poems in the history of human existence. It actually comes from the Bible (1 Corinthians 13) and is often referred to as the love poem.

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Have a happy and loving Valentines day everyone. And a very special Happy Birthday to my daughter Shirin. Happy Birthday Momma Fletcher.

Face to Face

"Pity may represent little more than the impersonal concern which prompts the mailing of a check, but true sympathy is the personal concern which demands the giving of one's soul.." ~Martin Luther King, Jr

Main Entry: impersonal
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: cold, unfriendly
Synonyms: abstract, bureaucratic, businesslike, candid, cold turkey, cold-blooded, colorless, cool, detached, disinterested, dispassionate, emotionless, equal, equitable, fair, formal, impartial, indifferent, inhuman, neutral, nondiscriminatory, objective, poker-faced, remote, straight, strictly business, unbiased, uncolored, unpassioned

Every day it seems that our lives become much more impersonal with the use of email and social networks. The idea of a face-to-face conversation even is terrifying to some people. We walk around all day looking at our Blackberry or sit at dinner playing with our iPhone. I am certainly one that has to work at setting those devices down and simply talking.

An example of the impersonal nature of life comes in the form of our housing mortgage problems. Yes, you can say that many lenders and borrowers were like 'drunken sailors on shore leave' (apologies to the Navy for using this euphemism).

Everyone was lending money, everyone was borrowing money and much of it outside of their means. And when things turned sour in the economy, the worst of these were first to go. But then the people that had qualified, were making payments, were doing everything right lost a piece of the American dream.

Their hours were reduced, many lost jobs due to the economic downturn and many started to do what they could to uphold their end of the deal. The banks, the mortgage lenders, the money side of this equation started feeling the pinch as well. They were looking for any means to shore up their losses and clean up their books. So many started calling in these loans.

Now I'm over simplifying but on the surface, the cards started to fall all around many people. The worst part of it was the impersonal nature in how it was done. The form letters informing people that they were 'seriously' in arrears. The increasingly tough letters to back people up against the wall. Take it or leave it deals.

All the while, a friendly ending to each saying thank you for your attention to this matter. They even provided phone numbers that when you called would proclaim, "we value your business." All very impersonal, all very stale and no one that you could speak with face-to-face.

Now my wife and I have never fallen into this situation. But the stories we have heard, the stories we have read tell a tale of people just trying to do what is right. But those same people were getting a cold, stale look in return.

Yes, again there are those that over borrowed, those that tried to take advantage of the system. But many were just trying to achieve their dreams. And it is the impersonal nature in which lenders and mortgage holders reacted that contributed as well.

To sit down in front of someone, face-to-face and have a discussion about a situation goes much further. Tension can be the beginning, but once two people look each other in the eye, the healing begins. When you put down the phone, when you stop typing those emails, and talk; things begin to get accomplished.

All of the gadgets we have in life are fantastic and do a lot of great things for our lives. But the most important thing in life is two or more people gathered. Talking to each other, sharing a meal, sharing their lives with each other.

Think about it and then have a face-to-face conversation with someone.

My Attitude

"We awaken in others the same attitude of mind we hold toward them." ~Elbert Hubbard

What is attitude and how does it relate to you and others?

To me it is a core component of not only one's work but is an essential part of one's life. There are people that go through life constantly battling the belief that, "..if only others would treat me more nicely, then I could have a more positive attitude." These people always believe that others are the reason for their misery. And since others are to blame for their feeling this way, then they justify treating others just as poorly. It is an easy way not to take responsibility for your own actions.

I myself would never say it is easy to maintain a great attitude. My drive into work each day leads me to a freeway and lots of merging cars and people including myself that should have left 5 minutes earlier. Road tension can be high especially when you couple that with a general belief that your own driving skill is better then that of anyone else. There is plenty of opportunity for someone to purposely or inadvertently cut you off or send you a signal.

But how do you let it effect you?

Early in the morning, on the way to work, are you willing to let that other person set the tone of the day for you? Many people do and it isn't just the checkout person in the big discount store that allows it to effect themselves. It is also the person taking service calls over the phone, the bank teller handling your money and yes, the CEO on his or her way to an important meeting.

Attitude is a choice and your life can be changed by changing your attitude. Norman Vincent Peale said, "human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes." It can and does change lives. It can start on that morning drive to work. Try it some time when somebody 'wrongs' you on the road. Just smile and keep your hands firmly on the steering wheel. You may be surprised how it changes your day.

Winter Imagination

"The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination." ~Terri Guillemets

Winter can be depressing at times. The constant cold wind and snow blanketing the landscape are reminders of its grip on us. In some areas the dull brown fields and bare trees give us a sense that life has opted not to try anymore.

All of this can lead to a feeling of hopelessness. Really kind of depressing isn't it?

But life has not given up, life is in repose, dreaming of the spring which lay ahead. Life itself has an imagination and is planning the wonders that will bud forth in a few months. The flowers, the green grass, and the shade of new leaves exploding forth signaling a new season.

You can take this winter time to dream and imagine of the spring. A new season in your life full of excitement and change. The winter season will allow you to rest and imagine a new and greater season.

When you bud forth into a changed life, your best life, the winter time will have seemed very worthwhile. It can change your life if you allow it to spur your imagination of greater things.

Everyday Art

"Every human is an artist. The dream of your life is to make beautiful art." ~Miguel Angel Ruiz

The definition of art can have several meanings to different people. That in itself tells me that art is in the "eye of the beholder" as the saying goes. It exists within our own mind and sometimes others share the same thought.

But what of those things that do not rise to the level of grand art? Does it make it less artistic?

Each day that I'm up and about, there are moments in which something wonderful or beautiful appear. It may be a cloud formation, the rustling of the winter brown leaves or the turn of a page by my wife. None of these last in time but they do last in my memory.

You have the ability each moment of your day to experience the beauty of life. Sometimes they are collections of art from history's greatest. Sometimes they are the fleeting moments that build a collection of memories.

Allow yourself to look past the ordinary and see the wonders of art in your everyday life. Capture the moments, the sounds and the smells that will fill your memory with a lifetime of good.

Let art be more than a painting on a wall. Let art be a part of your everyday life. Let your life be the art.

Hay for the Winter

"When the hay is removed and new growth appears and the grass from the hills is gathered in, the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field." ~Proverbs 27:25-26

Growing up we had a large alfalfa field which we used to help support the livestock on our farm. When in the early stages of bloom, the purple flowering buds and swaying in a light wind was a beautiful sight to see.

It was also at this point when cutting and baling was performed. We didn't use the old-time sickle but a more modern sickle bar. The sweet smell of freshly cut alfalfa was an amazing thing each time. And carefully we rowed and turned the hay as it dried before baling.

This process would go on through out the season, carefully keeping watch of our fields. The field produced over and over again each time it was cut. We could rely upon the hay field to meet our needs. But it took careful tending not to let the weeds take over and with adequate rainfall these fields kept our livestock well fed. In turn we remained well fed as is the cycle of life on the farm.

Your own life has a field of hay in some form or another. It could be your job, a relationship, or your family. You tend those fields and those fields will produce great things for your life, over and over again.

But notice I didn't say you always take the harvest from the fields of your life. You have to put work and effort into tending those fields. It takes you being engaged to keep the cycle turning.

The fields of your life will continually provide the needs in your life when you keep them well taken care of. The winters of your life will be filled with the harvest of great relationships, and hard work. Keep your eye upon those fields which will feed and warm you when winter comes.

Again the growing season will appear and the cycle of life continues.

One Small Step

"Sometimes its the numerous little steps we take that move us further then the giant leap." ~Joseph Primm

We grab hold of a vision or dream in our life. The power of it becomes so strong that we fly out the door in pursuit of it. We run to the highest hill and scan the horizon in search for a direction. As we turn, far off in the distance, maybe to the north or possibly to the west, there it is.

Even though it looks so small, it feels as though we could reach out and touch it. Or with one large leap, we could step over the valley and stand right next to it. It is in the valley where the hard work, the setbacks and those naysayers await you. It is those things we may want to skip past.

So we stand there trying to figure out a way to reach our goal in one giant step. We may even try to make a running jump from the hilltop only to find that gravity (also known as life) takes over. You tumble down the hillside and find yourself not at all where you wanted to be.

You dust yourself off at this point. But don't head back up the hill to reconsider or try jumping again. Dust yourself off and just start walking towards the dream.

Reaching the dream requires that you live the journey; living each step along the way. The good and the bad will happen but each can thrill you and also weigh upon you. Each and every small step adds to your life while placing you closer to the dream.

With many small steps you will eventually find yourself standing next to what was once a dream. You will be standing next to the reality of your vision. You will be standing high upon a new and higher hill. From there you will be able to look back across the valley to where you once were.

And standing high upon this new hill, you will scan the horizon for your next dream. And from that high hill you will be able to see that next dream.  And from that high hill you will begin putting those small steps together again.

Beyond the Headlights

"It's like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." ~E. L. Doctorow

Any journey in life can begin with planning, lots of planning. You can make plans over and over again "til the cows come home." Yet, once out on the road to your dreams, there will be unknowns that arise in the distance. There is only so much or so far that you can see down the road of your life.

Not knowing what lay beyond the gate or around the next curve doesn't keep you from continuing. The boldness in your heart keeps you moving forward toward the destination. With each successive minute, mile or accomplishment, your confidence grows in strength.

It is almost a certainty that circumstance will create obstacles along the way. As you crest one hill, you may find the valley below flooded. It may delay your progress but do you sit along the shore waiting for the water to subside? Or do you build a boat and continue?

You may never see all that lay before you, but do not let that uncertainty keep you from moving forward. As Doctorow said, "You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."

Yes you can. "Live the Journey", which is your life. Keep moving, keep dreaming and achieve it.

Fast Forward

“Wouldn't it be nice if our lives were like VCRS, and we could "fast forward' through the crummy times?" ~Charles M. Schulz

There was a wonderful movie a few years back called Click that was described by IMDb as "a workaholic architect finds a universal remote that allows him to fast-forward and rewind to different parts of his life. Complications arise when the remote starts to overrule his choices."

The reviews were a bit harsh about the film, but the underlying lesson was actually pretty good. I won't spoil the film for you but the idea of having a remote control with a fast forward (FF) button is probably intriguing to you. It is likely that each of us probably wish we could FF through various parts of our lives.

There were times for me when going through divorce, the deaths of a sister, mother and brother that I might have wanted to FF through at the time. Its a selfish thought for sure and in retrospect, I am glad that I couldn't push that button on my life.

For you it might be the same things or even events of lesser degree. Maybe an upcoming test at school, job interview or tax season. There are so many things we would probably grab the remote control and press FF if it were possible. But then look at what you would miss out on.

Through death and the events surrounding it, we learn about our faith and strength. In sitting with my mother before she died I spent seven wonderful days with family and hearing her stories. When my brother passed away, I had the opportunity to see what a fantastic life he had built for himself. Even in divorce I learned more about myself then I had ever known previously.

I wouldn't be so bold as to say the experiences were or are easy. Yet life isn't always easy. Things happen, circumstance occurs, life just gets in the way of those smooth sailing plans we make. Every experience is something to cherish and hold onto. Yes, even the heartbreaking ones.

A FF button for your life may seem like the quick and simple solution. But look at all you will have missed. Life flows much too quickly as it is. A quick paced river flowing from its beginnings in Gougane Barra to where it empties into the Cork Harbor is your life. The vast eternity of the Atlantic Ocean awaits its end. Yet we need to enjoy every part of the river's journey.

Put down the remote control and leave that FF button unused. Enjoy the ups and downs and even boring parts of your life. The journey is your life. Live each and every part of it.

Don't Hold On, Get Moving

"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." ~Carl Sagan

I am currently away this week but will return next Monday. So please hold if you wish, but I would recommend getting on with something great for your life.

I'll be back soon to encourage you along the way. So get moving, keep moving and have a great week as well.

Greatness Today

"Let the day commence and let greatness be your outcome." ~Joseph Primm

With each sunrise, the new day hands you another opportunity to do something great with your life. The ability to reach out and achieve is real and possible.

Most days we start with the thought that the same and old boring day is about to begin. We take our energy and direct it towards the "what is" instead of towards "what can be." Doing so leaves us with no energy, no motivation to grab greatness.

If you rise each day and decide that this day will be a great day, it will be. If you rise and are determined to change the things you don't like your life, you will. It all starts with changing your mindset, it starts with believing in what your heart tells you.

Believe in greatness for your life and greatness will be yours to have.

Tunnel Shines Bright

"We know that so many of the conditions and diseases that we associate with ageing can often be prevented or in fact their onset delayed if we just took preventative steps earlier in our lives." ~Julie Bishop

Pretty good day if I may say so myself. Yesterday wasn't all that pleasant but I knew today would have a good outcome. I believed it would be a good outcome and it was.

You see yesterday I started drinking liquids and consumed a drink called Moviprep. Its a drink that has this certain Je ne sais quoi. How can I describe the 64 ounces of liquid that has a pretty powerful effect upon cleansing ones body.

So yes, if you haven't figured it out yet, I was preparing for a colonoscopy today. Don't worry, I was not diagnosed with colon cancer or anything else symptomatic to require one.

The only thing I did was to reach the magical age of fifty. And it is this age at which it becomes prudent to start checking out the various bodily functions. With that number of years, each of us need to check and ensure things are still in good working order. If not, then we try to catch the problems early on so that they can be treated and help give us a better chance at fifty more years.

The interesting thing is that I was very comfortable getting it done. I could do without the prep drink, but the procedure was not of concern to me. Sure, what would be found or not found lay in the back of my mind. But I knew very well that whatever the outcome, I'd keep moving forward with my life.

Many people fail to go get simple medical checkups or even these types of preventative procedures done. They are afraid of what might be found. They are scared of the possibility that life will be forever changed.

Well guess what, find it out now or find it out later, life is going to change either way. I kind of like the odds of finding out early and having a chance of doing something about it before its found out late. Which means it may be too late to do anything then.

So yes, the light shined through the tunnel and all was clear. I awoke and didn't make too big of a scene coming out of sedation. Its not to say I didn't, but then...no one's talking.

Get your medical checkups when you can. Get these types of procedures done when you can. Keep your life in tune and running sharp. A big and grand life awaits you.

Laughter

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Ears!
Ears who?
Ears some more knock knock jokes for you!

or how about;

Q: Why did the man put his money into the freezer?
A: He wanted cold, hard cash.

Okay, so maybe it didn't make you roll over with laughter, but there was a small smile within your grimace. And it did make you feel just a little better didn't it?

In fact, chances are it did make you feel a little better. In an article on HelpGuide.org with the help of Melinda Smith, M.A., Gina Kemp, M.A., and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D, "in addition to the domino effect of joy and amusement, laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body."

- Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.

- Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.

- Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

- Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

There are studies performed by others. William Fry, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Stanford University Medical School and an expert on health and laughter, reports the average kindergarten student laughs 300 times a day. Yet, adults average just 17 laughs a day. Why the difference? Are we too uptight, too tense? Do we take life too seriously? Isn't it time we learned how to relax?

Are we too serious in life? I'm not here to say that we shouldn't be serious. But we should learn to lighten up a bit. The tension in our politics, in our jobs and flowing down into our family life is tremendous.

All of this tension can lead to an unhealthy heart condition according to Michael Miller, M.D., director of the Center for Preventive Cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

So maybe we should laugh just a little more often each day. Maybe the laughter will be music from our heart. Just maybe a dumb joke will save your life.

Winter Coats

"This more than successful idea from New York agency JWT was made to promote their search for coats for the homeless during the freezing winter in New York. The idea was to paint a giant homeless person on a wall and place coat hooks on the upper half of his body. As people hang their donated coats on the hooks.” ~Osocio.org

The above picture and subsequent story surrounding it is pretty interesting. When you read the story, you will see a short statement that says, "The building managers were not happy. Memos were sent. Phone calls made. Much grumpiness ensued."

At this point you could stop and start to wonder why anyone would be upset about a project to collect winter coats for the homeless. "How dare they," one might say. You could even slide down to the comments section of the article and read people questioning it as well.

But the article does note right after the statement that one should "Read the whole story at Adverting/Design Goodness." Maybe in our hectic world of information overload, we just feel its too difficult to read the whole story. Maybe we are just too tired to dig a little deeper into what lay beneath the surface.

My point here isn't to debate the plight of homeless people. What I am here to say is that each of those homeless people are just that, people. Human beings, each with a story just like you have or I have.

There might be reasons for their condition beyond the thirty-second news story or television commercial view. Some may have placed themselves there by addiction, choice or self-decision. Others may have arrived by unfortunate job loss, loss of a spouse or other circumstance. But each has a story just beneath the surface of what you see.

Am I asking you to go out and question each homeless person about their life? Of course not. What I am asking you to do is not judge the surface of people. Do not think lowly of them only to try and lift yourself higher.

By digging a little deeper, you might find a story that could inspire you to do things better. You might find a story that opens your eyes in such a way to keep you from making the same mistakes. You might find a story that once told gives that person a new confidence in life.

You just might have placed a warm coat on that person which gives them another chance for a better life.

Find a winter coat drive near you. Its pretty darn easy to do, just use your favorite internet search engine such as Google or Bing and (in example) search for the words "winter coat donations atlanta". Or better yet, start your own winter coat or blanket drive. Find an organization to partner with and then go listen to the stories.

Maybe by digging a little deeper into the lives of others, you may find your own.

Keep The Wheel In Motion

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." ~Walt Disney

Can you believe it, January is half over and the ringing of the new year bells are fading. The hangover has likely subsided and work or school returned to fill your days.

Resolutions made for the new year on December 31 are still fresh in your mind. You are probably still loyal to the promises made to yourself. Heading each morning or evening to the gym, working off those ten pounds. Maybe you are reading a new book and watching less television. One less beer or bowl of ice cream each day is still doable.

But will you keep moving forward with those resolutions as the year goes? Will you be true to yourself and make those changes promised?

It is easy at this point. Only half a month has transpired, barely a few breaths of the new year. Life hasn't come in quite yet and tried to interfere with your plans. But you know life will try to get in your way, life will try to throw you off course.

What I encourage you to do though is keep the wheel of your life moving. Keep pushing forward with your plans. You have started building momentum and the hills will approach. Momentum will get you over those times and with each success it gets easier.

You have an amazing year ahead of you, full of change, full of new adventure, full of greatness. Keep moving forward, keep the curiosity of your success pulling you to the next level. Pretty soon it will be December 31 and you'll be fondly thinking of a great year gone by. But you will also be jumping with excitement for what's to come next.

Dick Winters Brothers

"We are paratroopers Lieutenent; we are supposed to be surrounded." ~Dick Winters

If you have never heard of Dick Winters or the men he served with in World War II, then you should. January 2, 2011 is the day he passed at the age of 92.

The way he lived his life, the way he served his country, more importantly the way he served the men he fought with speaks volumes of the man. I would venture to say that Dick Winters would rather the attention be placed upon all of the men he served with.

He knew all too well that the life he lived was a life accomplished with his brothers. It was together that they accomplished and survived the war. It was together that that lived great lives well beyond that war. It is together they will have peace well beyond anything we can imagine.

There are very few words that I can say about this man or those he served with. All were heroes and all knew the spirit of brotherhood. For it is together that we can accomplish great things. It is together we stand when times are tough. It is together we stand when times are good.

I know that my brothers (siblings and friends) are there to my left and to my right. Should I need them to grab my arms to help me carry on, they will be there. The same can be said that I will be there to grab them when need arises.

Not to steal the pride of paratroopers, but in life you are surrounded. Surrounded by circumstance, surrounded by all of those things that life is going to throw at you. Realizing that "...we are supposed to be surrounded" and knowing that others stand beside you make the fight all that much more winnable.

Rest in peace Dick Winters, rest in peace my brothers; rest in the knowledge that each of you are heroes.