The Good Old Days Are Today

"These days, right now, these are the good old days. I've always approached it that way. That's why I'm still working. I'm not the guy who is ready to sit by the pool." - Richard D. Zanuck

I can remember those Saturday afternoons growing up, my folks watching the Lawrence Welk Show. They are fond memories and at the time, were the best of days.

Lawrence Welk was born in the German community of Strasburg, North Dakota, and Lawrence decided music would be his career. He was able to get his father to buy a $400 accordion, over $4000 in today's money and thus goes his career.

It may seem odd to show what some consider old-fashioned or corny music, but many songs you hear today were probably held in his music holding companies catalog. Lawrence Welk's copyright holdings became one of the largest, most respected and highly successful independent music publishing companies of all time.

Chances are no matter how you consumed music during the 70's and 80's you could not go a day without hearing at least one song and more than likely many songs published by Lawrence Welk. All of the standards of the day, pop, R&B, country, rock 'n' roll, adult contemporary were in his publishing house collection.

You name it, songs owned by the maestro and written by the greatest songwriters of the 20th Century came at you via radio, TV, movies, Broadway, concert halls, boom boxes, home stereo systems, elevators, grocery store ceilings and everywhere else music was presented. Explore those musical roots and maybe you will find something new in what is old.

As Lawrence would always say, "An’ a one, an’ a two …"

The good old days were good then and so are the days today the good ones.

Stay inspired my friends!

Successful Stairs

"Don't aim at success--the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the byproduct of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it."
Viktor Emil Frankl

People will respond to the question, "What do you want most in life" by saying, "success or money".

As defined, success is;

1. favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.
2. attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.
3. successful performance or achievement: The play was an instant success.
4. person or thing that is successful: She was a great success on the talk show.

Success can define us or signal the achievement of a goal.

But is success the final attainment and being defined as successful what we really want? I believe success or the idea of being successful is merely a process of achieving something. If we focus on the process of moving towards a goal, adjusting and persevering; then success is merely an end point to that process.

Success will take care of itself at that point.

And success is not an end to accomplishments in your life. It is only a step towards even more that you can do.

Consider success in your life as a step on the stairway you are building. It is another level in the story of your life, not an ending. Focus on the process and each success will motivate you even further. Life is a journey that continues until you are no longer able to continue. Let each success in your life be the tale of that journey and not the end point.

Stay inspired my friends!

A Side Of Life

"When you're chewing on life's gristle. Don't grumble, give a whistle. And this'll help things turn out for the best. And always look on the bright side of life. Always look on the light side of life." - Monty Python's Life of Brian

Each of us have had one of those days. Things just did not go the way you had planned. Heck, some of us have had one of those weeks, months or years.

Unplanned times might even make you question life itself.

I wondered myself a couple of times although the thought of ending it was never a serious thought. But I do know a few people who did think seriously of it. I have also known people who actually carried it out; a sister in fact.

I am not bold enough to know what truly enters a persons mind to make them feel death is a better solution. But I do know much of it comes down to feelings of self worth, of value to anyone else and of ending the pain of whatever they are going through.

Only a couple of times have I been placed in a situation to try and talk someone back from the edge. And since I am not a professional counselor, it was nerve wracking to say the least. Yet in my mind I knew when speaking that "YOU" was important.

"YOU" do make a difference in the lives of others.

"YOU" will get through this and achieve great things.

Is it as simple as a Monty Python song, to always look on the bright side of life? In some ways it could be that simple and yes I have been accused of oversimplifying things in my writing. My response is that many times we do over complicate life.

Can looking "on the bright side" fix all of our problems? No, but it is a start.

What is important is the life of you.

Whatever thing you are going through, the existence of you has meaning. Be strong and push through. Search out the help of others. Put yourself among people who care for you. Remain enthralled by the beauty and wonder of life.

Stay inspired my friends!

Individual Choice

"The smallest gesture can mean so much to those who may need a little lift in their lives." - Gordon B. Hinckley

Early this morning I was on my way to the airport. This was to be the usual traffic congested drive of a Monday morning through downtown Atlanta. As you pass through this concrete labyrinth of on ramps, off ramps and fly over bridges, it can be a very bland drive of non-descriptive gray.

This particular morning I noticed something different.

Beneath one of the overpasses lay someone homeless, sleeping wrapped in a dirty bag on what appeared to be a bed of branches. What was the story, why in this place, how could one sleep through all of the noise. It caught me by surprise for reasons I can not understand, but it made me wonder.

How low can we sink in our own life to sleep by a freeway.

There are many reasons for the condition many find themselves in. Poor choices, mental health, drug abuse and sometimes we simply can not explain the condition. I can only guess what this person may have encountered to end up in a dirty bag along a busy stretch of freeway.

My hope would be this person finds a way to be lifted. That he or she allows themselves to be lifted by the grace and kindness of another person. Our lives can be used to lift others in need and when down ourselves, be lifted by others.

That is a lot of lifting.

But each of us are capable of doing more for others. We are capable of accepting the help. We are and we will be the people who make a difference in the lives of others. It will not be the politicians, the preachers or the pundits. Individuals making individual choices make a difference.

Stay inspired my friends!