Find Your Dog Star

"All successful men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose." - Brian Tracy

In a song called "Wish Upon A Dog Star" by the group Satellite Party, the words stand out: It's time to shine and make all your dreams come true. You wish upon a dog star.

Now is time to shine in your life.

Now is the time to move forward in life, no longer holding onto old hurts or worries.

Now is the time to wish upon a dog star.

The brightest star in the night sky is Sirius, also known as the Dog Star. Bright stars were important for navigation on the oceans. Low on the horizon, these stars acted as stellar compasses to assist mariners in charting courses to particular destinations.

The interesting thing about Sirius is the naked eye perceives it as a single star but is actually a binary star system. It consists of a white main star termed Sirius A and a faint white dwarf companion termed Sirius B.

The same is true of our dreams in that they usually contain more then a single vision when you look closely. When we get closer to it, we begin to see all of the pieces to it.

Find the brightest star which is your dream.

Let it guide you to something great for your life. Believe in the greatness you will find.

And stay inspired my friends!

Synergy of Teamwork

"Synergy is the highest activity of life; it creates new untapped alternatives; it values and exploits the mental, emotional, and psychological differences between people." - Stephen Covey

In the sports world, a grand spectacle is about to take place in the form of American football. Each year it comes down to two teams clashing against one another in the Super Bowl. This year it will be the Denver Broncos versus the Carolina Panthers. Two teams having made it to the final game with hard work, a bit of luck, talent and of course teamwork.

Our world today is a wired and wireless, full-on technology wonder. It allows us to follow our sports teams, constantly text about them and look for every piece of information possible with the click of a mouse button. The invention of the computer, Internet, smart phones and all the other gizmo and gadgets which changed not only how we follow our sports teams but also our world.

There was also another huge invention which profoundly changed human existence. It made possible our enjoyment of watching sports during the night time. Invented in 1879 by Thomas Alva Edison, the light bulb now seems odd to imagine as a profound change.

But imagine night time without light.

Edison was not the first nor only person who tried to invent an incandescent light bulb. And after successfully bringing light to the night, many considered Edison to be an absolute genius. They marveled at how he alone was able to achieve this great success.

When asked though why he had a team of twenty-one assistants, he would say, "If I could solve all the problems myself, I would."

As it is, we are all brilliant in our individualism. A football team has a collection of individually talented position players. A company organization has individuals who excel at what they do. Yet it is the brilliance, the synergy of teamwork, of people working together which brings success.

In our own life, the connections we make with other people, our spouses, our families, our friendships, when something needs to be solved, collectively they are your support network, your team, which creates success in your life.

"Teams share the burden and divide the grief." - Doug Smith

There is a story told by ex-Navy pilot Charles Plumb who graduated from the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland and went on to fly an F-4 Phantom jet on 74 successful combat missions over Vietnam. It was on his seventy-fifth combat mission, he was shot down and parachuted into enemy territory. He was captured and spent six years in prison from which he survived.

One day, a man approached Plumb and his wife in a restaurant, and said, "Are you Plumb the navy pilot?"

"Yes, how did you know?" asked Plumb.

"I packed your parachute," the man replied.

Plumb was amazed and gratefully said, "If the chute you packed hadn't worked I wouldn't be here today..."

Charles Plumb now refers to this story each time he lectures about his experiences. He refers to it as his realization that each of the anonymous sailors who packed parachutes held the pilots lives in their hands. And yet the pilots never gave these sailors a second thought; never even said hello, let alone said thank you.

Now Plumb asks his audiences, "Who packs your parachutes?..... Who helps you through your life?.... Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually?....... Think about who helps you; recognize them and say thanks."

Life is full of teamwork, an orchestration of people working in each others lives to collectively make a big difference in life. As a team of people moving together, helping each other, we can create great change and great success.

Alone we can create a ripple of water that touches others.

Together as a team we create a wave of success.

Give yourself forgiveness to know we alone can not always do everything. Speaking as a man, we fight with pride and honor in our attempt to master all that happens in our life. Max Depree, former CEO of the Herman Miller office furniture company once said, "Without forgiveness, there can be no real freedom to act within a group."

Take your forgiveness and allow yourself to connect to a team. Take your life and the lives of others to a higher level, maybe even to the Super Bowl.

Stay inspired my friends!

Colors Of Our Life

“When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in Black and white, you photograph their souls!” ― Ted Grant

The picture above shows my Grandpa Gale, my mother Rose, my Grandma Gale and my Uncle Art. I believe it was taken back in 1950 in Sioux City, Iowa which seems eons ago.

For many years, I wondered if color even existed in those early days because all of the pictures were in black and white. Even television had no color early on.

Yet I know color existed if only because my mother Rose Marie was here on earth. She brought the beauty of color into life with her presence and I do miss her smile.

Happy birthday Mom and love you.

Love, hug and smile with others while you can. Embrace the colors they bring into this world and stay inspired my friends.

Waves of Change

“Having a vested interest in other souls unconditionally creates a ripple effect that produces miracles in the lives of those around us.”
― Molly Friedenfeld

Just recently a large winter storm swept across the U.S. There were hundreds of thousands of people deeply affected by the cold, snow and flooding. There were also many who took time out from their day to help these individuals.

Different points in life present opportunity to help others.

There is an insurance commercial from a few years back which depicts different types of opportunities which occur in the most mundane way. I would hesitate here and state that commercials are not necessarily the best forum to learn about life. Yet at times, advertisements can teach us basic principles about living even though the intent is to sell us on something.

You can find the commercial titled "Responsibility" at the link provided or watch it below. This particular insurance company is Liberty Mutual and depicts one person making a choice to do one thing for another.

A ripple effect upon others helping others begins.

I have spoken of this ripple effect previously regarding the choices and actions we take in life. Like a pebble dropped in the water, small vibrations begin to flow out from this one seemingly insignificant event. As the flow moves further and further, the vibrations grow into waves.

Eventually a great wave breaks at waters edge.

You can have an impact in life with your small actions of helping others. Those actions carry beyond through others further and further. It is unlikely you will see the wave on the outer edges. And sometimes you do and it is a wonderful feeling to see.

Yet the crashing wave is spectacular.

Like surfers riding atop these giant waves crashing with final impact upon the beach, your simple movement results in waves of impact on a greater world. Others will ride this wave of movement to a destination of greatness.

Other people will also create movement based upon your actions. Pebbles in the water with circles of change moving out from their own center will create waves on which you can ride when they come along.

It may be said it creates a rough pool of water, yet in calm water a boat remains still, motionless with little chance of getting anywhere. But a breeze comes along and the boat begins to move.

Your movement begins and the waves begin to form.

Change begins and life will never be the same for you are moving towards something great. Create waves in your life by helping others and then catch the waves of change which come back your way.

Stay inspired my friends!