Burning Bright

"People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society." ~Vince Lombardi

There is a lamp on the desk where I am writing this article. A long chrome lamp that uses an LED bulb. This type of bulb is one of those in which several, thirty-six in fact because I counted them (inside joke for those that know me).

What interested me was that I could take my finger and cover any one of those LEDs and the light still shined brightly on the desk. So I tried covering several and the overall light remained very good. I could even touch each of them individually without burning my finger.

Try covering an older incandescent bulb, or touch it for that matter. The older light bulbs burned very hot, used a lot of energy and burned out in a short amunt of time. The LED bulbs together burn cool, use less energy and last much longer.

Sort of an example that working together can benefit the individual as much as the entire group. With everyone working as one, the light of success can still shine through.

The world has problems from global sized events down to the smallest of personal strife. When we work collectively on these issues, we can overcome them. We can solve things by working together.

The light will burn longer, brighter and cooler then any single individual bulb. Be part of a larger solution in life and make it a greater life.

Miracle of a new Day

Walk To Beautiful

"The miracle is not to fly in the air, or to walk on the water, but to walk on the earth." ~Chinese Proverb

The sun has come up and the fog begins to burn away as life awakens to a new day. Fresh coffee brews and the smell of breakfast emanates from the kitchen. The activity of this day comes to life and a new miracle begins.

Life gives us this miracle each and every day. Its a chance to experience the greatness of our lives. Its a chance to experience the miracle of a new day.

Get up and walk the earth. Get up and live the miracle.

Travel with Purpose

Pilgrim statue by Jose María Acuña in front of Parador de San Marcos - LEON, SPAIN

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends." ~Maya Angelou

I am fortunate enough in life that my job gives me the opportunity to travel all around the world. It certainly isn't every week or even every month that I travel abroad, but so many places I have seen.

Some of these places I have been able to share with my wife. Others I have had to document in pictures and stories for her and those that I know. The world is still quite large in spite of how small it seems at times.

The statue above reminded me of the pilgrimage all of us are on. The journey to something in life that requires us to sit and reflect at times. A short rest from the travel we endure each and every day.

It could be your daily pilgrimage around your hometown or possibly across state. Where ever the road leads you in life, I have found people are pretty much the same as you and I are.

People all around the world, from where I am today in Shenzhen, China across the globe to my home in Atlanta, Georgia; all are living life the best way they know how. Each of us get up in the morning and get ready for work. If we have kids, we are getting them off to school. We are battling traffic to get to our job or running to catch a bus or train.

The work goes on, the lunch time routine and back home to make supper or shop for groceries; it remains the same for all of us. If we look beyond ourselves, we'll find that our similarities outnumber the differences. The languages might be different, the cultures not understood, but the act of living is the same.

I might be the only red-headed Irish-German within 100 miles of Shenzhen. Although there was the teen with brightly painted red hair walking down the street. But as you can see, even young people go through their phases across the cultures and generations.

If we take the time to look beyond ourselves, to look beyond the distance and cultural differences, maybe we can work things out. The arguments and disagreements will still occur; even our own families argue. Yet to understand each other a little better could go a long way in making life a little better.

Travel with purpose to understand those near to you and those far from you. The journey will take us to a better life, a better way of living and a better tomorrow.

Communicate

"Communicate, communicate, and then communicate some more." ~Bob Nelson

It happens to each of us, a situation comes up between two or more people and feelings get hurt or misunderstandings arise. One person thought the other knew something or another didn't give the whole story.

The problem normally is caused by a lack of communication. Its a pure and simple explanation for many of the problems that occur in our life. The lack of communication could be intentional and at other times inadvertent.

But in the end, if we just keep talking to each other we'll avoid many of the misunderstandings that get in the way of a great life.

Keep talking, keep communicating and life will be a whole lot easier. Can you hear me now?!