We The Spectators

“Too often we honor swagger and bluster and wielders of force; too often we excuse those who are willing to build their own lives on the shattered dreams of others.” ― Robert F. Kennedy

blus·ter

verb : talk in a loud, aggressive, or indignant way with little effect.
"you threaten and bluster, but won't carry it through"
synonyms: rant, rave, thunder, bellow, sound off

noun : loud, aggressive, or indignant talk with little effect.
"their threats contained a measure of bluster"
synonyms: ranting, thundering, hectoring, bullying

When the wind howls on a snowy day, or the waves blow crashing across the dunes during a hurricane, there will be spectators. As the swirling terror of a tornado rips through the heart of the country. Like someone blustering loudly for all who will listen.

There will be spectators.

When those winds of a rant or blustery occasion subside, there will be debris left behind for others to clean up. There will be property damage and human scares left in the wake of the storm.

There will be spectators.

A thundering wind does not care what havoc occurs in its path nor does it mind what debris are left behind. All it cares is to blow hard across the landscape, to hear its own self.

And of course, to have spectators.

All of us are drawn to the spectacle a blustery wind storm creates. Yet the hollow shouts of excited enthusiasm are drowned out by the bellowing of the wind. But then the stage is cleared, calm returns.

And the spectators will leave.

Stay inspired my friends!

What Do You Expect?

“People expect what they expect.. They never realize the possibility of surprise beyond expectations..!” ― Vaibhav Mehta

Its official, if you expect the worst, you will not be disappointed.

An article in Popular Science revealed information about a psychology study published in the journal Cognition and Emotion confirming the old adage reflects how you will feel about failure.

The study conducted shows that people who expected to perform poorly on a test actually felt worse when they did fail. This in comparison to those who also failed but approached the test with a positive attitude.

I would say the real message in all of this is your attitude.

Failure is a part of life and comes with being human. If you go around with a negative attitude about everything in life, you will likely feel worse when failure does occur.

And why is that true? Because when the failure occurs, you have only reinforced your negative belief. You dwell on the fact that only bad things happen and you simply feel worse. Negative reinforcement one could say.

If true, why not embrace the idea that failures and success both happen?

Change your mindset to believe success can and does happen. When failure occurs, treat it as a lesson learned that will only help to make you better.

You can live in the negative and feel continually bad about "...your lot in life." Or you can choose to live in the positive and enjoy all that you can attain.

Stay inspired my friends!

Your Healthy Heart

"In an average lifetime, the heart beats more than two and a half billion times, without ever pausing to rest. Like a pumping machine, the heart provides the power needed for life." - from The Human Heart

Several years ago I went in for tests to check on the condition of my heart. The doctor had decided to perform a Nuclear Isotope Stress Test and an Echocardiogram which are meant to better understand how well my heart is functioning. There had been a few small warning signs and I do have factors which also increase my chances for heart disease or worse yet a heart attack.

After testing, a few days passed before I received the results and until then I let life go on normally. The 'normal' I refer to meant continuing to train for the Peachtree 10K Roadrace on July 4th back in 2010. My wife Laura and I have run/walked/volunteered in this event for many years.

We get immense enjoyment from doing so.

This particular year the training had exposed some pains I had never noticed before. I would like to say I decided myself, but with the encouragement of my wife a visit to the doctor was planned.

And what were those signs of something being wrong?

The following symptoms are those which you should pay attention to. I did and actually had a few of these which triggered my visit to see a doctor to catch any problems ahead of falling face first on the running course at Cardiac Hill. Yes, actually referred to with that name.

- Angina; feeling of tightness, pressure, or pain which appears with exertion or stress and disappears with rest. Usually felt in the chest, throat, upper abdomen, or arms.
-- ANSWER: Yes, not terribly bad but it was there and I paid attention to it.

- Shortness of breath; difficulty breathing when exerting yourself, resting or asleep.
-- ANSWER: Yes, sort of. I tried to explain it away with the exercise, but it would appear at other times when it should not have.

- Edema; swelling of your ankles, usually at the end of the day.
-- ANSWER: Yes, a weird symptom that I would not have expected.

- Palpitations; forceful, rapid, or irregular heartbeat.
-- ANSWER: No, this is one I would have expected to have.

- Fatigue; decreased ability to exercise, tiring easily.
-- ANSWER: Yes, the most frustrating one of all. I get plenty of sleep but fatigue creeps up on me quickly.

- Fainting; sudden loss of consciousness or light-headedness.
-- ANSWER: No, none of this.

So here I was not trying to be 'He-Man' and kept pushing through. I chose the route of "Einstein-Man" or in other words, smart about my health.

I talked to my doctor about my symptoms.

We discussed it and given the symptoms, more tests. The certainty of those test results had me wondering what my new normal would become. But fair enough to say that I ended up being okay. The usual of course, exercise more, lose more weight, and all of those things I thought I was doing.

I remain positive though after all these years since that time to do the best I can. I look forward to fifty more years of encouraging and inspiring others greater heights. And more so seeing my children, grand-children and great-grand children experience great lives.

So be smart about your health folks.

Exercise just a bit more, maybe join a gym and talk to a doctor when you can about your health. Find out more about being healthy. The internet has a HUGE amount of information for you to read about staying healthy.

So learn, act and realize great health. Have a healthy life and a great life; your best life possible.

Stay inspired my friends!

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!