Counting Every Penny In Life

Every year I keep my eye open for the new U.S. one cent penny. Those shiny new copper colored coins that many consider insignificant. In daily transactions at the store or restaurant, you dig deep in your pocket to find those one or two. Many places here in the U.S. will have a small dish where your can leave extra pennies or use one or two when paying your bill.

Those lonely pennies sitting in the dish, waiting to be plucked by someone to be used. And in a small way, when you can use a penny that is patiently awaiting for you, does it not bring you a bit of happiness? Come now, it just saved you from having to break that dollar bill. Oh the humanity, to end up with a large amount of change. It is that penny which saves the day in a seemingly small and insignificant way.

Myself, I look for the new penny every year for another reason. I collect a new penny for each of my children, my wife and I. A penny for each year of our lives on this great earth. With the number of children we have, eight in total, the collection has grown quite a bit. But each penny pauses me to remind that each represents someone dear to me.

A penny, the smallest denominator of our currency yet significant in what it contributes. Like each of my children, like my wife and like myself, each of us contributes to life and how we impact others around us.

See the History of the United States Penny, did you know that the one-cent coin, commonly known as the penny, was the first currency of any type authorized by the United States? The word "penny" is derived from the British coin pence and over 300 billion one-cent coins, with 11 different designs, have been minted since 1787.

Think of all those billions of pennies out there, think of all those billions of people out there, makes it easy to think you are insignificant amongst them all. We each have importance in a lot of different ways.

Near the end of each day, hold a penny in your hand for just a moment. Think of those around you, think of those you have crossed paths with during the day, think of one small positive thing that happened to you that day. Count each of these and see that they add up to something meaningful. These are our pennies in life that add up to something good.

Make A Directional Choice

Are there multiple sign posts with directions pointing you to different possibilities in your life?

Sometimes it feels that way. You want to make a decision on choosing a course to take. Yet when you look for the path to use, signs leading every which way make the decision so much harder.

But you must choose one of them. Standing there looking them over and over will not get you to where you want to be. Choose one and if it isn't the one you really wanted, remember where the signs are. Go back and choose another for failure is merely an education in reality. Be persistent and have faith in your selection.

“The keys to patience are acceptance and faith. Accept things as they are, and look realistically at the world around you. Have faith in yourself and in the direction you have chosen.” - Ralph Marston

Striving To Impact Others

“Thought is the sculptor who can create the person you want to be.” - Henry David Thoreau

I've had a loss of words the past week. To those that read what I write and are able to take something from it, my apologies. These times can be cyclical with me, especially when I take on the worries of others. One can sometimes not know what to say, as if the words are not there to be said.

Yet all that have read my writings, my purpose is to help give you the encouragement and some positive lift to make your life better. In turn, you with a better and more positive life will pass it along to others. So when I don't write on a daily basis, it feels like I'm letting one or more of you down. My friend Dean Sweetman has always said, "work to keep your life consistent through out the ups and downs." So I'm reading, listening to great speakers and reflecting on what it is I can say to you.

My words are not meant to be shallow, "pump you up" for the short term. We all need that quick lift, that moment of happiness. But what is more important is to make our words longer lasting. To make change and impact others is what this is about. It can be difficult to judge if my words are read, if they do effect the lives of others. Though I'm of the opinion that if only in tiny increments change comes to your life, then my efforts have been worth every word written.

“To have faith where you cannot see; to be willing to work on in the dark; to be conscious of the fact that, so long as you strive for the best, there are better things on the way, this in itself is success.” - Katherine Logan

Pushing Through Pain

I've struggled the past couple of days on writing an article. There is a couple my wife and I know that are going through a tough time. My intent is not to burden you with their story but express some ideas and thoughts about pushing through in tough times.

“There is no despair so absolute as that which comes with the first moments of our first great sorrow, when we have not yet known what it is to have suffered and be healed, to have despaired and have recovered hope.” - George Eliot

These people are very good friends of ours that have had their certain share of pain and troubles. They have recently begun a travel in life that will be emotionally difficult and financially draining. What is it you can say to people in such a situation? What can be said that does not end up sounding simply like words?

“Courage is not the absence of despair; it is, rather, the capacity to move ahead in spite of despair.” - Rollo May

To support people in times of trouble requires being there. It requires providing them an outlet to talk. It requires remaining positive and providing them with emotional strength to push through. I have used the following quote before and have yet to know where it comes from. But I do find it appropriate to use in saying to anyone in times of trouble - stay strong, persevere and find yourself on the other side of pain.

“God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.”