Learning From Yesterday

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” - Herman Cain

Looking back in order to see where we were in order to push us forward towards success in the future; it is something many of us miss at times. We always want the next new idea, the next great idea that will push us to the top.

Yet our greatest teacher might simply be accomplished by looking back.

It is true we can not reverse the past but we can certainly learn from it. Using the lessons we have learned in life can make a huge difference going forward. Knowing the past can teach us four things. Four things that you can incorporate into your life in order to leverage that knowledge.

1. Make hindsight your mentor

Let it help guide your future actions. Write down ideas from the previous day that you could have done differently. This does not mean to second guess yourself. It only means to learn from the mistakes.

2. Trust your sixth sense

It is that natural instinct in life which comes to each of us. It is learned knowledge and increasing expertise in a particular area of life. It will be a little 'nudge' or 'butterfly in the stomach' trying to tell you something different. So don't ignore it; stop and take a few moments to evaluate and explore it further.

3. Integrate hindsight with foresight

Allow past experience to provide you with helpful advice going forward. Take what you have learned and weave it into your future. Discipline yourself to look at the past and future simultaneously which will help you make significant break through in your life.

4. Let yourself make mistakes

Allow a 'trial and error' method as one means to develop your personal lessons in life. Making these mistakes is a natural part of learning. Understanding that mistakes will happen, embrace the fact and learn from them.

Taking your life from past experience to a new tomorrow involves embracing all which has occurred.

Learn from your past, live a greater tomorrow.

Stay inspired my friends!

Opening Different Doors

"When one door closes another door opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us." - Alexander Graham Bell

There are times in life when opportunity slips away, only to be presented with another. What we first expect our path to be turns out not to be what we expected at all.

The following excerpt from my book CHANGED LIVES shows such an example. The story a man who turned his life into a very successful career in the technology field, but not until he made a choice which detoured him through military service.

Change prepares us in ways we can never foresee.

~~~~~~

Jobs didn't look so attractive either; all of my experience was in restaurants. But I finally got some good prospects lined up for a day's travels, both job interviews and places to stay. I went out to start my car and – nothing, it would not start.

I never did find out what was wrong with the car - took it in, they checked it out, found nothing and it never did that again. But it screwed up my appointments all right. And while it was in the shop I wandered over to the Army recruitment office and, as they say, the rest is history.

I signed up, went off to Ft. Benning and became an infantryman. After four years there, the regular world was just going to be too easy.

~~~~~~

Never be discouraged by the closing of one door.

Opportunity awaits you through another door which is opening. All you have to do is be aware and chose to walk in a new direction.

Stay inspired my friends!

Change Today Changes Tomorrow

“The timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness. And knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream.”
― Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

Famed Irish novelist James Joyce wrote, "I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day." How you created yourself yesterday is the person you are today and or course what you do today will establish the person you are tomorrow.

We are a product of what we have, are and will do each day.

Many of us make resolutions to change something in our lives. Or we tell ourselves, tomorrow I will change. But tomorrow comes and you remain the same with nothing being different.

We say we are going to do something, but nothing ever gets done.

So today should be the day in which we begin to shape the person who will wake up tomorrow a different person. And you can only do this by taking steps to make changes in your life today.

One first step. One change today. Each changes the you of tomorrow.

Stay inspired my friends!

Where Did Time Go

"The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is." - C. S. Lewis

Normally I write early in the morning when the first two or three cups of coffee are still having an effect upon me. This is a very early hour which is well before allowing myself to get into the days work.

The time is used to reflect and write from my heart.

It works out that way most days, but other days the time just slips away. Today was one of those occasions in which I found the clock striking a much later hour before getting an article written. My daily work activity grabs my attention from the start of sitting down in front of my computer and does not let go. Some of those days the clock strikes 5:00 PM before I realize what has happened.

All of a sudden, time has slipped away.

The time was not wasted because quite a bit was accomplished. But my day never seems complete without having written. It has become habit for me and when I miss a day, I feel it inside. Most people may never know or care that I failed to write and missing a day of writing means missing the opportunity to impact in a positive way someone who needs to read those words.

Try not to miss our opportunities in life.

Opportunity is one in which we can help another person. It is an opportunity I believe each of us should strive for each day. Every moment that happens is a chance to impact someones life. To make it a better day for someone who needs someone like you. An opportunity to make life a little better for ourselves and those around us.

It is said that time passes at the same rate for each of us. What counts is what we do with it. Do we let time waste away or do we make it count for something?

Use the time you have to make a difference in someones life. Use the time so that it is well spent. Before you know it, 5:00pm will be upon you and you will ask yourself, "where did the time go?"

Stay inspired my friends!