As Time Goes

"Time goes, you say? Ah no! Alas, Time stays, we go." ~Henry Austin Dobson

Not too long ago my wife and I decided to have breakfast at a local Cracker Barrel restaurant. It was a nice breakfast for two as we were winding down from a busy weekend. As we sat there, I looked at all of the old tools and signs that adorned the walls. Each of them were gentle reminders of times long past.

The various items tend to keep the eyes busy as one waits for their meal to arrive. These items also spark discussion over just what this or that particular tool or item was. You can also reminisce about a sign advertising "Old Virginia Cheroots" cigars wondering where the magic of those times went.

As I looked around, something struck me about the pictures on the walls. There were old pictures of people posing for portraits or family photos. I had to wonder what these people may wonder about their personal photos being displayed in a modern day restaurant. Would they object, would they have ever thought they would end up in a restaurant? Will we object when all of our Facebook pictures are used in the same manner many years from now.

I also began to wonder what the story was behind each of the family photographs. How did each of them come to have their photograph taken, for what occassion and how they ended up lost to a restaurant chain.

I then noticed an old crank phone on one wall under one of the numerous photos.

What if I could pick up that old phone and place a call into the past. Would those people in the photographs answer, would they even want to speak with me once they heard my wild story from the future? If they didn't think I was completely crazy, how wonderful would their story be that they could tell. It would be a story of their life and experience which would fill a book.

The problem is that I can not dial up the past. I can only look at their photographs and wonder. I can imagine what the story of their lives were, growing to an old age and believe that they experienced a great life.

I can also imagine the same for myself.

You can imagine the same for your life.

We can live a great life and end up on a wall as a photograph in some distant future. Those future viewers of our pictures will reveal the same thing, that we lived a wondrous life. Our pictures will reveal to them that life can be great. Our future viewers will feel better about themselves, as you can right here and now.

Believe in and have a great life. Also, stay inspired my friends.

Clear Your Vision

"You'll see it when you believe it." ~Wayne Dyer

There is a story in the Bible of a blind begger who was healed of blindness (John 9:1-11). The begger had been blind since birth and was healed in a miracle of intervention by another man. There are many theologians that could detail the significance of this story, but the story itself is practical in how we could apply its lesson in every day life.

One could argue that the blindness of this person (or you) could be a story of not believing in oneself. And until you do believe in your own abilities and potential, the picture of your life and where you want to be will never be achieved. You will be blind to the potential of what and who you are.

The story also reveals that our blindness is our burden and not something we can blame upon others. His parents raised him well, his friends were there by his side but he used his blindness as an excuse. He used it as a reason to claim he would never rise above his affliction and resigned himself to being a begger.

Your life will be afflicted with blindness until you understand that belief in what you can achieve comes down to you. Only you can make that change which will open your eyes. Once you believe in yourself, only then will the blindness go away and the ability to see achievement in life as being possible.

It starts with seeing your own potential, of ridding that self-blindness.

Never try to limit yourself on what you can see in life. Never accept your blindness as a limit to possibility.

Stay inspired my friends.

Care of Others

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” -Leo F. Buscaglia

I give you a simple thought on this Friday. The care you give someone in even the smallest way can change their life. And when you do, chances are pretty good that it will change your life as well.

Stay inspired my friends.

The U in Attitude

"Your attitude in the workplace can be one of the most - if not the most - telling aspect of how others in the company look at you and feel about you as a coworker." -Carl Mueller

Attitude is the one thing that you truly have to take full responsibility for. Many times people will find a way to blame things on others. They will attempt to deflect and find other causes for their behavior. Sometimes it might be legitimate such as someone accidentally spilling water on your new slacks. Or maybe it is another that ran a stop light and ran into your car.

But how we react to each and every situation is a product of our own attitude. The way in which you conduct yourself reflects quite a bit about who you are as a person. Does it mean you will never get upset or angry? Of course not, but you can effect how the situation unfolds. As Carl Mueller states, not only in the workplace, but in the 'every' place, how people react to you is a reflection of your attitude.

Take the 'spilled water' scenario, which can be an accident, clumsiness or some other reason out of our control. If you react with an angry and accusatory demeanor, the other person will stiffen up and the situation can spiral needlessly out of control. You end up feeling worse, the other person likely feels bad already about what happened. All over a simple case of 'spilled water'.

What about the car accident scenario? First the hope is that everyone is okay but then a rush of feelings will emerge. I have seen examples in which actual fights broke out. An already bad and nerve busting situation is now escalating to an even worse situation. Cooler heads that prevail will make the situation easier to get through.

In the workplace, it can certainly effect the environment and even your ability to advance. The attitude you project says so much about you and how people will to react to and around you.

It is a simple concept to understand; people like nice people, people dislike cranky people.

There is so much more that can be said or described about attitude. There are many that can write or say it more eloquently than I can. Yet my way of looking at attitude is that there is a you in attitUde. And it is something that 'YOU' can change.

Stay inspired my friends!