Movement Creates Change

When you are dealing with life in general, chances are you are like everyone else in your struggles. You generate loads of effort in the physical to succeed in what you do. The hours at work build. Getting into the office earlier then others and staying later then others. You see small incremental increases or promotion. But you find that physically you hit a wall..

Or you may be like others that may not generate much physical effort into their lives. But these same people pour hours into their spiritual faith. They believe if they pray enough and believe enough that success and riches will be theirs.

You may find though by experience that effort in life to succeed is achieved in both areas of your life. Neither alone allows you to fully achieve what you wish for in life. Faith will set you up for certain opportunity and the 'flesh & blood' will generate varied success. Having both will provide you with the keys to satisfaction in what is accomplished.

In my short life of nearly 50 years, I have seen and experienced both ends of the spectrum. I am a person of faith and belief in a greater being. Yet I understand that faith alone does not generate or in better words, do justice to the free will and ability we've been given. You have to get up from faith and make a move towards change. Movement creates change.

The same can be said about generating success on ability only. Many have gained many things on talent, on physical ability or even on mental genius. Yet I've seen too many that were not fulfilled by money, fame or success. Something always seemed missing from their lives. Faith will give you the spiritual strength you need. Movement creates change.

It is the achievement of success in your life based on both faith and talent. Each alone can allow you to succeed, but only in a limited fashion. To have both will lift you beyond your owns dreams. And it sounds so simple, which it really is. Does it guarantee all that you want? Probably no, yet how will you ever know if you don't try? Life itself isn't a guarantee and if you live it in faith and using the talent each of us possess will make it a great life.

So look at both aspects of your life. If you are struggling in the physical, maybe you need to work on the faith side of things. And vice versa, if you feel your faith is not generating that which you want in life, could be you aren't working hard enough at what your talents will allow. Get up and do something about it....Always remember that 'movement creates change.' Create change in your life and you will see great things happen.

Life Of Good Virtue

"The virtues of men are of more consequence to society than their abilities; and for this reason, the heart should be cultivated with more assiduity than the head." - Noah Webster

When you work upon your talents, do not forget that you must talent without virtue does not round you out as a great person. Think of sports figures that have huge talent on the field but are very forgetable off the field. Or an entertainment idol that within a movie brings to bear a wonderful character onscreen yet in public is a complete cad. In your own personal life, do you live a dual life of amazing talent yet a lousy attitude with others?

When you work upon your own attitude, anything you do is improved because you will draw others to you that will have talents beyond your own. Carrying the weight of all that can be done on your own shoulders will get you but a short distance. There will not be people around to help you bear the burden. Those that become drawn to the talented yet 'bad attitude' folks are there primarily to catch the scraps which fall to the side. For when this type of person falls, the fans will disappear, not there to help catch.

Round out your life with both your talents and your heart. Give to the world that which is good about you by giving of your heart first and your talents second. You will be drawn into a world in which you add to the betterment of all that is around you. Others will be drawn to you and together this cumulative power of many will do wonders.

Gloria Kerr

As the days pass, we always strive to bring something uplifting to our lives. But with every good day, there will be those you wish never come. Today was one such day in our life that I will ask you to bear with me.

A very good friend of my wife passed away early today, quick and suddenly from an undiagnosed heart condition. Gloria Kerr was a great and grand woman that leaves behind her loving husband, six children and numerous grand children. In our hearts and minds she will always remain that one person you could always count on to give of her heart.

Her talent and love of clothing design went unnoticed living here in the Atlanta area. But her ability and unique designs won her rave reviews from all who knew her. All will miss her ability to take swatches of seemingly scraps of cloth and turn them into wonderful creations. She even managed to pass this talent on to her daughter Tabitha. So her talent will live through her daughter and will be remembered for years to come.

As you read this, you wonder of the poetic or wonderful words to a person you didn't know. It is because you should have had the same pleasure hundreds of us did in knowing her. All of her children lost a caring mother that they will surely miss. Her grand children will not get to snuggle with her. Many friends in her life, her church and around her will mourn not having her hugs and kindness. Her very loving husband is without his partner for life. The world lost another person who mattered.

You have an opportunity to simply take a bit of time to love with a bit more feeling for those around you. It means you continue to have an opportunity to meet more people in this world like Gloria Kerr. Bring happiness and love to those around you. Allow yourself to be impacted by more wonderful and loving people like Miss Gloria. Then pass it along and let your life mean something to others. Gloria's life meant so much to those around her and those that crossed paths with her. We love and will miss you Gloria. God's care and love for you now.

Seeing Change Coming

Staying grounded in your daily life can provide you with the ability to change and adjust to the curves that life throws at you. It becomes easy during times when things are going so well to let ourselves believe we are above it all. The actor William Shatner (Star Trek, Boston Legal, etc) is quoted as saying, "being an icon is overblown. Remember, an icon is moved by a mouse."

Those little things in life will tend to cause us the most grief. The cumulative effect of them will cause you to tumble from a high perch. But keeping in touch with your basic values and allowing yourself to impart this to others, you will stay in tune with what is going on around your life. It allows you to recognize when 'the mouse' is starting to shift the direction of your life.

Don't be afraid of change and change is not all bad. You simply need to recognize that it is happening. I have had shifts in my life that came at me like a baseball bat to my back. At other times I've been able to recognize them from a far. In either case I had to adjust but it was much easier to make judgements when seeing the change coming.

You too can effect the changes coming at you - if you see them before they hit. Stay aware of the moods and swings of life around you. Then when you sense a change coming, it probably is so take time to evaluate what type of movement is happening. Good or bad, you will have to make that decision. At least you will have the opportunity to effect the change that is coming.

It may be an issue in your marriage that is heading you towards worse times. If you see it, you can do things to improve the probability of a better outcome. If it comes at you like a baseball bat to the back, then its probably too late...you'll have to adjust to the change. Maybe its in your job, evaluate what is happening with the business or your work area.

If the type of job you are performing is slowly being prepared for outsourcing, chances are you will be out of a job soon enough. Start doing those things to improve your skills for another position within the company or at least in preparation for that moment if a layoff occurs. If it comes at you like a baseball bat to the back, then you're behind everyone else who did prepare themselves...you'll have to adjust to the change.

By now your back is likely battered and bruised by the unexpected changes that have come your way. Seeing change coming or at least sensing it will lessen the impact. It would be unfair of me to say that simply seeing change makes it a whole lot easier. But then again, not all change is bad and can be quite good. Just allow yourself to see it coming.

Having an upbeat and positive attitude will allow you to make change much easier, whether its a slow train rolling down the track towards you. Or if that bat comes swinging out of nowhere...you'll have a bit of protection to lessen the blow.

Attitude And Stress Management

As you go through life, there will be times of stress and times of negative attitude. Its unlikely you would be human were you never to experience these. Everyday events can bring about stress whether it be a higher then expected electric bill, a neighborhood dog barking all night or simply a rough day at work.

Each of us develop our own coping mechanisms. Some people turn to drinking and other methods of hiding the stress. Others turn to a 'mean' streak within them, being either physically abusive or just a rotten person. These are methods which do much more harm in the longterm as opposed to the shortterm relief given. All of the previously mentioned methods are used by people with negative attitudes as well, a quick release or 'pick me up' from the situation.

Now I certainly am not here to criticize drinking or to condone any type of abusive behaviour. Those tendencies are better addressed by professional people. What I do want to offer is a choice in how to deal with stress. An easy and learned method of helping you work through the current situation. As with any serious issue of stress, seek out doctors or other professional assistance.

Now, the day has ended and you are stressed from a very hectic work day. Way too much work and too little resources, customers badgering you on the phone and a boss that simply shouldn't be in a position of management. You feel as though a vein may burst at any moment and you really need to decompress.

The car awaits and you may automatically turn on the 'drive home' music on that local rock station or to the 'talk show' heads. With each loud beat or shrill pontification your stress only builds. You may not even realize it. Reach over and find something more soothing such as classical music or maybe simply turn the radio off. Reflect, think about the day and realize this to has passed and a new day awaits.

Now you are home, seek out your spouse, a relative or friends and simply connect. Don't simply unload your troubles but talk about the day, about other events and more importantly about 'their' day. As humans we are designed to encourage each other and naturally this will happen. Give encouragement to the other and you will receive it in return.

The same goes for your dreams and visions. Sharing these with others will provide an opportunity to receive encouragement. You need also to encourage others in a positive fashion in order to get the same in return. The same goes for having a positive attitude. Giving forth a great attitude, being nice to others, helping them be upbeat will be provided back to you.

You have made it this far, the day doesn't seem quite so bad. You've placed yourself among others and those others should have great attitudes in order to bolster your own. Placing yourself among others with like minded dreams and visions will help you as well. In both cases, doing so only helps you to achieve both.

Now look where we have ended up, the anxiety of the day is probably easing away by now. Our mind isn't 'laser-focused' on the negative things of the day. We've placed ourselves into a mind set that life will go on and it will be great. We've placed ourselves among others that support the idea of a great life. Together we pull each other through it with amazing ease.

Stress will always be there and you will learn to sense it and to fight it off. By being among others of like minded attitudes will naturally over time allow you to overcome stress more quickly. Maybe you will even be able to avoid it as you allow your mind to go to that 'stress-free' place as soon as you feel it coming on.

Overcome your stress with a positive attitude and allow others to enter your world. They will impact your life and you will impact theirs.

“There is no such thing as a 'self-made' man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success.”
-George Matthew Adams

Spring Into A New Attitude

Such comfort as do lusty young men feel,
When well-apparelled April on the heel,
Of limping Winter treads, even such delight,
Among fresh female buds shall you this night,
Inherit at my house
- (Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet)

With spring upon us, the above text taken from the play of youth and budding new opportunity. Ourselves can take spring to make the old, new again. To make a fresh start with the promise of growth and renewed vitality. 'Spring' into a new attitude and your life will grow in abundance.

Quality - The Road Continues

From the good folks at www.despair.com. Note the intended humor in it but understand that for all of us, striving for quality where we work never ends.

The road ahead of us whether it is in business or in our personal lives stretches on. You should understand that achieving one level of goodness only sets us up to achieve another level.

So sure, it may seem like a 'death march', but greatness does await each of us. Success in this march to quality of work and life will be yours.

Drink From The Well Of Life

Heard an interesting statement the other day, "movement doesn't take place with 'stinky thinking'. It happens with positive thinking." This comes from Steve Bullen, a pastor at my local church and it was in reference to preparing yourself to move ahead in life. The 'stinky thinking' refers to always being negative about any given situation.

So easy it has become for all of us to look at the down side of most any situation. So easy to wallow in the negativity of anything gone bad. So easy to let these things bring our own attitude down. It breaks our strength, it weakens our ability to push through to what is more important. Is it that much easier to be negative? Does it take more energy to be positive?

I have read different studies that have shown it takes more muscles to frown then to smile. Even if it isn't so, I still hold the belief that smiling is much better for you and consumes much less of your energy. And what is it you can do with this added energy?

Use that energy to improve your life, to drink from the well of goodness that life has to offer. With that energy, you will have the strength to move that rock which covers the well. To push that rock aside and drink from all that life has to offer.

At a place called Andersonville Civil War Prison Camp in the U.S. state of Georgia (also known as Camp Sumter), the differences of men imprisoned during the war came to a boil. Conditions had worsened to a point at which water flowing in a small stream became intolerable. Many of the men prayed for water and many wished for divine intervention. Many put away their differences to work as one and to try and create better conditions.

It then happened one thunderous and stormy night. It is said that lightening struck the ground and a new and previously unknown water spring began to flow. There is no scientific explanation for this but many felt it was a sign from above. The earth opened, the water flowed and it was named Providence Spring.

Set aside your 'stinky thoughts' and develop a positive look in life. Drink from the Providence Spring that will come forth.

Your Own Attitude

“The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That's the day we truly grow up.” -John Maxwell

When that day came for me, it lifted a heaviness that always seemed to be upon my life. I have spoken of this before in terms of 'rocks within your wagon'. I realized that responsibility for how I felt, how I reacted and what my attitude towards life was mine and mine alone. At that moment many of those 'rocks' evaporated. They became unimportant in the bigger scheme of things. That bigger scheme just happened to be my life and how I was living in it.

It would be foolish of me to claim that I have no struggles with attitude from time to time. But over the years I have learned to recognize the struggle is starting. To fight it off, you begin remembering the positive and important things in your life. You slow down, you stop and you think about what it is that is happening or just happened.

Accept responsibility for your self - for your own attitude - life will grow all around you.

Positive Gestures Impacting Others

“When things go wrong, you'll find they usually go on getting worse for some time; but when things once start going right they often go on getting better and better.” -C.S. Lewis

Life will be full of the downward and upward swings that come with our existence. But it is the joy of the goodness for which we live. So it is important that we learn how to first pull ourselves up the low spots. This can be difficult to do but having developed a positive attitude will help. It gives you strength to see the 'light' of better things to come.

A friend of mine has said when he is down that he, "looks for at least one positive thing each day regardless of how small it might be." And guess what, this is where you come into the picture. The small things that you do in your life do impact others.

Think of offering a small gesture of kindness to those you come across during the day. It may be simple which is just what that person who needs it is looking for. Never think that your good deed goes unnoticed for all that we do in life impacts others.

Be a person of impact, large or small...it makes a difference in other people's lives. That one thing could be that which gets things going in the 'right direction' for another person.

Prepare Yourself For Greatness

There are points in your life where you make decisions to do or not to do something for your fellow human. The opportunity to bring a small amount of goodness to someones life can happen almost daily. But doing something big requires greatness of heart.

The days will pass as you develop a positive attitude, doing the small things. Such as letting that person merge into your lane on the freeway or holding a door open for someone. Each little thing that you do builds your character and is preparing you for larger moments.

Every time I write an article, I am reinforcing to myself and hopefully to you that greatness does not happen over night. There are those that inherit millions of dollars in one fell swoop but it does not make them great. There are those get voted into power as President but that alone does not make them great. And there are those that become widely popular through the entertainment business and again, that does not make them great.

What makes a person great is the additive course of their life which brings them to that moment in life and what they do with that moment. You don't have to be those things mentioned above, you only have to exhibit greatness when your moment arrives. It isn't a test, it isn't something you really even plan for. Yet preparing yourself by doing the small things will adequately set you up to make the right choices, to take yourself to greatness.

You see, as you do the little things in life..holding the door, serving others and bringing a positive moment to their life is preparing you. It eventually becomes natural and is done with out a second thought...it just occurs. Then that moment arrives and you may not even realize it is there. Someone needs a medical transplant, someone needs a lift in life, someone needs you to be there for them...you just do it.

People who give of themselves, not foolishly but with a giving heart, are those that become great. Leaders of countries, entertainment figures, the person next door and you can all be great people. But it starts with developing a positive life style...being willing to make other peoples lives better. In turn, it will make your life better.

Counting Every Penny In Life

Every year I keep my eye open for the new U.S. one cent penny. Those shiny new copper colored coins that many consider insignificant. In daily transactions at the store or restaurant, you dig deep in your pocket to find those one or two. Many places here in the U.S. will have a small dish where your can leave extra pennies or use one or two when paying your bill.

Those lonely pennies sitting in the dish, waiting to be plucked by someone to be used. And in a small way, when you can use a penny that is patiently awaiting for you, does it not bring you a bit of happiness? Come now, it just saved you from having to break that dollar bill. Oh the humanity, to end up with a large amount of change. It is that penny which saves the day in a seemingly small and insignificant way.

Myself, I look for the new penny every year for another reason. I collect a new penny for each of my children, my wife and I. A penny for each year of our lives on this great earth. With the number of children we have, eight in total, the collection has grown quite a bit. But each penny pauses me to remind that each represents someone dear to me.

A penny, the smallest denominator of our currency yet significant in what it contributes. Like each of my children, like my wife and like myself, each of us contributes to life and how we impact others around us.

See the History of the United States Penny, did you know that the one-cent coin, commonly known as the penny, was the first currency of any type authorized by the United States? The word "penny" is derived from the British coin pence and over 300 billion one-cent coins, with 11 different designs, have been minted since 1787.

Think of all those billions of pennies out there, think of all those billions of people out there, makes it easy to think you are insignificant amongst them all. We each have importance in a lot of different ways.

Near the end of each day, hold a penny in your hand for just a moment. Think of those around you, think of those you have crossed paths with during the day, think of one small positive thing that happened to you that day. Count each of these and see that they add up to something meaningful. These are our pennies in life that add up to something good.

Make A Directional Choice

Are there multiple sign posts with directions pointing you to different possibilities in your life?

Sometimes it feels that way. You want to make a decision on choosing a course to take. Yet when you look for the path to use, signs leading every which way make the decision so much harder.

But you must choose one of them. Standing there looking them over and over will not get you to where you want to be. Choose one and if it isn't the one you really wanted, remember where the signs are. Go back and choose another for failure is merely an education in reality. Be persistent and have faith in your selection.

“The keys to patience are acceptance and faith. Accept things as they are, and look realistically at the world around you. Have faith in yourself and in the direction you have chosen.” - Ralph Marston

Striving To Impact Others

“Thought is the sculptor who can create the person you want to be.” - Henry David Thoreau

I've had a loss of words the past week. To those that read what I write and are able to take something from it, my apologies. These times can be cyclical with me, especially when I take on the worries of others. One can sometimes not know what to say, as if the words are not there to be said.

Yet all that have read my writings, my purpose is to help give you the encouragement and some positive lift to make your life better. In turn, you with a better and more positive life will pass it along to others. So when I don't write on a daily basis, it feels like I'm letting one or more of you down. My friend Dean Sweetman has always said, "work to keep your life consistent through out the ups and downs." So I'm reading, listening to great speakers and reflecting on what it is I can say to you.

My words are not meant to be shallow, "pump you up" for the short term. We all need that quick lift, that moment of happiness. But what is more important is to make our words longer lasting. To make change and impact others is what this is about. It can be difficult to judge if my words are read, if they do effect the lives of others. Though I'm of the opinion that if only in tiny increments change comes to your life, then my efforts have been worth every word written.

“To have faith where you cannot see; to be willing to work on in the dark; to be conscious of the fact that, so long as you strive for the best, there are better things on the way, this in itself is success.” - Katherine Logan

Pushing Through Pain

I've struggled the past couple of days on writing an article. There is a couple my wife and I know that are going through a tough time. My intent is not to burden you with their story but express some ideas and thoughts about pushing through in tough times.

“There is no despair so absolute as that which comes with the first moments of our first great sorrow, when we have not yet known what it is to have suffered and be healed, to have despaired and have recovered hope.” - George Eliot

These people are very good friends of ours that have had their certain share of pain and troubles. They have recently begun a travel in life that will be emotionally difficult and financially draining. What is it you can say to people in such a situation? What can be said that does not end up sounding simply like words?

“Courage is not the absence of despair; it is, rather, the capacity to move ahead in spite of despair.” - Rollo May

To support people in times of trouble requires being there. It requires providing them an outlet to talk. It requires remaining positive and providing them with emotional strength to push through. I have used the following quote before and have yet to know where it comes from. But I do find it appropriate to use in saying to anyone in times of trouble - stay strong, persevere and find yourself on the other side of pain.

“God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.”

Attitude - Stop, Think and Change

Have you ever stopped to think about your attitude in a given situation. Then tried to change the course of it by changing your attitude towards that situation? I read the following recently in a health article published by the Boston Medical Center. It is part of an ongoing program of health related information to employees of the company I work for. I'd like to share a bit of this with you as it has some very good tips.

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This practice of changing the way we think about situations is called “cognitive restructuring.” It involves examining initial feelings and if they are negative and/or irrational, replacing them with thoughts that are more constructive.

And how do you make these changes? How to put this into practice? The next time you find yourself responding negatively to a situation, ask yourself a couple of questions: Am I being rational? Is this a realistic way of looking at this issue?

Increase your self-confidence. Successful change starts with believing we can do it! That’s self-confidence. One way we can develop self-confidence is to draw on our personal experiences for examples of success. Surely you can look to other parts of your life for positive changes you’ve made in the face of challenges. You’ve held down a tough job, raised children, earned a degree, or battled a serious disease. All these teach us ways to overcome obstacles and succeed.

Learn positive self-talk. Many who are successful at weight management use positive self-talk to keep their attitude up. Self-talk is mental dialogue that we have with ourselves to stay on track. When you're feeling discouraged or run-down, try the following phrases:

• "I'm getting healthier every day."
• "I'm a good person, and the changes I’m making will improve my life."
• "I may make mistakes along the way, but I know how to learn from them and make fewer mistakes in the future."

Avoid negative self-talk. Negative self-talk can undermine your efforts. For example, just because you don’t adhere perfectly to a plan is no reason to give it all up. Also, thinking you’re all on your own in a battle is another.

Positive thinking helps you live longer! Positive thinking helps you make important changes in your life that will make you live longer and better lives. Scientists are also discovering that the act of thinking positively is itself associated with longevity.

In a new study published by the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the University of Wisconsin found that people who have more activity in the left side of the brain - brought about by feelings such as enthusiasm and optimism - have a stronger immune response.

By contrast, activating certain brain regions associated with negative emotions appears to weaken a person’s immune response. The study’s authors say stress appears to interfere with the brain’s ability to communicate with certain types of immune cells.
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The article provides some actions you can take;

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Don't laugh at these suggestions. They may sound corny, but following them allows you to make positivity a new "habit."

• Write down your original reasons for beginning. Read them often to remind yourself why this is important to you.
• At least once a day, take time to smile at yourself in the mirror. Focus on your body’s strength, and your courage and resilience in beginning and continuing to improve yourself. Value the strong and courageous person you are!
• Select several positive phrases, and repeat them to yourself or out loud. Say them when you first wake up, while driving, or close your eyes at home and repeat them out loud to yourself.
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“The greatest revolution in our generation is that of human beings, who by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.” -Marilyn Ferguson

You can make a change in your attitude, just stop what you are doing, think about what it is you are doing and then change what you are doing.

Daily Self Reminding

Minaret of the Jami al-Bahr Mosque.

Also referred to as the Sea Mosque or al Bahr Mosque. My apologies to any other appropriate names. It is located at the Ha`aliya Hashniya harbor in Jaffa, Israel. The tower is part of the religious mosque built by the Ottomans in the 16th Century. This minaret or large tower is used to issue the call to prayer five times each day.

It would be great if we could have someone call out to us daily to motivate us. Something to get us to maintain a positive attitude - of why we are trying so hard to succeed in all that we do.

I pulled the following from The Daily Motivator by Ralph Marston.

Will a positive attitude solve all your problems? No, but it can open your eyes to the valuable opportunities within even the most difficult situations.

Will a positive attitude make you rich and powerful? No, but it will serve as a constant reminder that you can achieve whatever you choose to achieve.

Is a positive attitude a way to escape from reality? No, in fact a positive attitude is a very powerful and effective way to successfully deal with reality.

Will a positive attitude magically bring into your life all the things you desire? No, but it can enable you to see and to follow the very real path from where you are now to where you want to be.

Will a positive attitude bring you any new energy or resources? No, but it will give you vastly greater access to the overwhelming abundance that is already yours.

Do you want to fully live the best that life has to offer? A positive attitude will enable you to see it, so that you can be it.

What Motivates You

You are sitting there and they ask that question. The one you wish you had given some thought to in your everyday life. The one we seem to take for granted, "what motivates you?" I'll be honest in saying I tend to take my own motivation for granted.

You may wonder why it matters, what reason is it that I should now. It matters because it tells others a lot about you. It also drives your success and failure in accomplishing most anything. In a job interview, the hiring manager can ask this question to gauge how well you may perform in a given situation. An article by Carole Martin on the Monster.com site provides an example of two different answers. Ms. Martin says, "writing out your thoughts will help you think about times when you felt energized by your work, times when you looked forward to going to work."

The question can be asked about several things in your life such as;

- What motivates you to exercise?
- What motivates you to volunteer time?
- What motivates you to attend church?
- What motivates you to raise your family?
- What motivates you to write a blog?

When you write down your visions and goals in life, you should ask yourself this question about motivation. But how do you find out what motivates your life? You can try the suggestions in an article by Rich Douglas. An important statement he makes is, "whether its at work or in your business, motivation skills are essential to reaching your optimum performance and gaining that winning edge."

Here are some of the motivitating factors from the Ohio State University Leadership Center.

· Power, people seeking authority in the workplace gain satisfaction from managing projects, influencing others, and maintaining control over difficult situations.

· Safety and Security, people who seek stability at work are motivated by a steady paycheck, good health-care coverage, and a safe work environment.

· Achievement, if you're roused by project and team successes, you most likely need to stay challenged to remain happy in your job.

· Autonomy, people seeking autonomy long for independence - freedom to set their own schedules, work pace, and work-related destiny. Yet, these desires don't necessarily make for a poor team player.

· Esteem, most likely, you are motivated by others singing your praises.

· Equity, you just want everyone to be treated in a fair and consistent manner.

· Affiliation, you are most likely energized by working closely with others.

And not every thing above will be your motivating factor in everything that you do. But many of us will find that we tend to fall under a few of these. When you find what motivates you in a particular area of your life, embrace it and see how much more successful you will be in that part of your life. "Everyone is motivated a little or a lot to do something or nothing. Motivation is the internalized drive toward the dominant thought of the moment. By definition, motivation is 'motive in action'." - Denis Waitley

Find what motivates you and harness the power of understanding that motivation. Strive to feed that motivation daily.

Being One Of Trust

Socrates said, "the first key to greatness is to be in reality what we appear to be." Is that not something that each of wants in other people? That they be as they really are. As part of human nature, we want to believe in others around us. But to do so, you must trust in what is revealed to you. All of us start out at a distance, with skepticism for what another person may be saying.

Think of your first date, of that first business meeting or even people you meet in everyday life. The tendency is to remain guarded to information given. It causes us to evaluate the words, the actions and the nuances of your meeting. Not until you have satisfied your own mind will you give your trust to another.

There are those that give trust easily and without condition. There are those that are difficult to gain trust from. There are different tones and variations of trust when it comes to people. The reasons vary from one end of the spectrum to the other. It isn't until we are able to know that person will we ever know why. So, “the best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them" is how Ernest Hemingway put it.

Now look at yourself, look at your own ability to open up to others. Are you difficult to know as a person, do you allow yourself to be known? In the simplest way I know how to say it, we will all get 'burned' once in a while. But you shouldn't spend life closed to everything that is out there. All of this is done with the intelligience and education that life has to offer. We do not do this blindly but with the knowledge gained by various means. There will be the good, the not so good and all that happens in life.

If you learn how to open up, life will open up to you. To close yourself to others would appear to me that you've chosen to simply wait out life. Waiting for life to end and 'please just let me get get through it without experiencing it.' I've known people who have chosen not to engage. Life slides by them like the odd flower along the road. A flower that will never have its sweet smell enjoyed by others. Never to multiply as it sits alone. Only the occassional bee to extract a bit of the flowers essence because all of us do leave an impression in life.

Open yourself to the possibilities in life by being who you really are. Just be a part of life on a continual basis and live life like a great flower among many in the rose bed.

Prepare Yourself For Opportunity

"Moments in time can have a huge lifetime effect upon you and the world around you. Prepare yourself for that moment" - Dean Sweetman

Our lives are full of these 'moments in time' in which the paths of different lives will cross. Some where in time another person has been set in motion to eventually intersect with your life. These crossings occur at different times in your life and you'll never fully know when they might occur. So you need to prepare yourself for these moments.

An old saying is that opportunity is about being in the right place at the right time. Yet you must prepare yourself to be ready for that right place and right time. It is the only way you can take advantage of that opportunity, of that crossing, when it occurs.

There are four things to do in preparation for these opportunities in life. My friend Dean has spoken of these and he states;

1. Serve where you plant yourself. Where you are in life, learn to serve others and those around you. I've spoken of this before and will again. In this you will find that your needs will be met and a serving attitude with a positive attitude will bring about good changes for you.

2. Start now. My last article brings up this point. Too many times we find excuses for not starting out. In fact we tend to spend more time and energy looking for excuses then it takes to simply begin the task.

3. While serving, develop skills. As you go about your life, do not remain stagnant in your abilities. Learn more about what it is you do, learn new skills, perfect that which you do. As we all understand, there are many others out there reading more, learning more, waiting for their chance to do your job. Developing your skills will help you to better serve.

4. When opportunity comes, take it. When an opportunity comes your way, do you ponder and question if it is the right thing to do? Opportunity is what you ask for in your daily life. It is what you have dreamed of, maybe prayed for. If so, then TAKE IT!!

Winston Churchill said, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity". You need to prepare for when opportunity comes along. If not, it will pass you by and present itself to others.

The above picture can be obtained from most any motivational posters company online. It has a saying attached to it that says, "If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door". The quote comes from Milton Berle. Create opportunity by preparing yourself and opportunity will find you.

Tips To Problem Solving

What follows is information I gleaned from a book written by Phil Pringle. I thought I would share it with you this day. The items are basic guidelines in problem solving.

• Gather all of the information that you can.
• Gather all of the people involved and discuss.
• Communicate with everyone involved. The greater the problem, the greater the need for communication. Things are better solved in the light.
• Create faith that the problem can be solved. Fostering a 'can-do' attitude helps.
• Keep a cool head and disciplined tongue. Do not let emotions rule the day. Remember to have a "warm heart and a cool head." Do not get these two things turned around. Anger solves nothing.
• Listen and hear all sides of a problem before reaching any conclusions. Do not be in a rush to solve anything. Hasty decisions are generally bad ones.
• Stay humble, arrogance creates more problems.
• Gain counsel and advice from experts.

Taking heed to this advice will help you in life. You will find yourself changing in a positive way. "Transform the atmosphere of your environment" - Dean Sweetman

Inspiration To Make Change

The first step in any fresh start begins with attitude. Look for the inspiration you need to make change. Look for it in places you least expect. Look for it in places out of the ordinary. And look for it daily.

The Inspiration of Saint Matthew painting by Caravaggio (link to Amazon) is said to represent St. Matthew writing his gospel under the inspiration of an angel. We all take inspiration from different sources...find yours.

Use What Is Suited To You

When reading various articles and watching life around me, it occurs to me that many are looking for that one solution, that one answer to make our lives better. To get that one diet that works or even that one key to success. We read lots of 'self help' books, watch shows teaching us the next great thing, listen to people speak on the 'right' method and all along wonder why much of it doesn't work for us.

The first thing I have to say is that I am not being derogatory to anyone offering help in one form or another. To do that would be diminishing what I'm trying to accomplish in helping people. What I am saying is that all of these different methods, tips, steps or motivation break throughs are options for your life. What one person may deem odd could potentially work for you. What failed for you will do wonders for the next seeker.

These suggestions only open your eyes to different possibilities in life. But that life is yours and yours alone. Each of us is different in how we were raised, our environment as well as the multitude of other differences. I had read somewhere that, "each of us are here to do a different life."

An Italian poet born in roughly 50 BC - Sextus Propertius, wrote " let each man pass his days in that wherein his skill is greatest."

We are all individuals made slightly different and you will find that only you are best fitted to try things suited for you. You have certain gifts, talents and of course idiosyncrasies both good and bad. So do your research, try something...if it doesn't work, try something else. Find that which fits or works for you. Do not allow yourself to be discouraged by failure - use bits and pieces from many different sources.

You will put these together and build methods that suit you, that work for you and that make you successful in what you want to accomplish. Believe in yourself and develop a strategy that will make your life a great one.

Thankful Attitude

"Blow, blow, thou winter wind! Thou art not so unkind as man's ingratitude." -Shakespeare

There are people you have met in your life that never seem to be thankful of what they do have. It always seems having even the smallest of things is never good enough. It may be having a good job at a good wage but always complaining about the boss and the size of their paycheck. Maybe something simple as a door being held open for them yet irritated that it wasn't held open far enough.

Not being thankful or not having gratitude for things one has leads to never having the fullness of your potential. There are people I know that have this going on in their lives. They will fail at some point to realize their full potential. They will fail to impact others in a positive way. They will succeed though in bringing others down with them.

There are others that I know that do have gratitude for those things large and small in their lives. Thankful for the goodness that touches them but also happy for the lessons in life brought on by failures. It is this attitude which anchors us so that we see everything from a positive and meaningfull viewpoint. Say to life, "bring it on, good and bad". Be thankful for that which happens and learn from it. Life is good when you can be thankful.

Wisdom, Courage and Strength

Visited with a friend last night whom I hadn't seen in quite some time. I've known this fellow for nearly 20 years. We worked together out in the Dakotas and have continued our friendship through the years. A lot has happened over those years in our lives and I've always considered him to be a touchstone for me.

This man went through a lot in life before I knew him and his life turned around. Sure, he has his everyday 'life' issues like all of us. But he embodies virtues that are good for all of us. These are virtues I strive to capture in my daily life. I believe I learned these from Phil Pringle and keep them written in a place where they can be easily retrieved.

• Wisdom - ability to discern right from wrong, to know the right thing to do in any situation.
• Courage - doing what is right, no matter what the consequences are.
• Strength - capacity to continue doing the right thing, to carry through to the end, to finish what you started.

Wisdom, courage and strength - three essential virtues to have in life. It would be neat if we could put it into some neat acronym, but they are easy enough to remember.

“The power of a man's virtue should not be measured by his special efforts, but by his ordinary doing” - Blaise Pascal

Try A New Way

“If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.”

- John D. Rockefeller, whose son John D. Rockefeller, Jr. built the Empire State Building.

Gone In Sixty Seconds

“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Did you realize that you have a higher chance of getting injured when you are angry. In fact, a study published in the "Annals of Family Medicine" suggests that your chances are quadrupled when angry. You can see the story in a USA Today article. But what is anger?

Anger is "an emotional state that varies in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury and rage," according to Charles Spielberger, PhD, a psychologist who specializes in the study of anger. But I'm not here to talk about anger itself and again, you can read about it at Controlling Anger -- Before It Controls You.

What I am here to say is that for every minute you are angry, you lose those sixty seconds of happiness that Emerson talks of. Anger may release stress, but happiness will produce results more often. Happiness can create greater self-esteem in oneself.

Low self-esteem plagues many outwardly successful people (Self-Esteem: Paradoxes and Innovations in Clinical Theory and Practice by Richard L. Bednar and Scott R. Peterson). There is disagreement about the overall benefits of a high self-esteem. But many do believe it makes us more confident.

"Definitions of self-esteem vary...but all agree that high self-esteem means that we appreciate ourselves and our personal worth. More specifically, it means:

we have a positive attitude
we value ourselves highly
we're convinced of our own abilities
we see ourselves as competent, in control of our own lives and able to do what we want"

-From the BBC Health website.

Regardless of the clinical theory, feeling happy makes us feel better and we tend to have a better life. Being angry takes away from those happy times. Don't lose one minute of happiness.

Move To Change Your World

"Change your thoughts and you change your world." - Norman Vincent Peale

Lately I've been on this thread of setting a goal and then moving on it. Many times we as human beings will write down (hopefully) those things we want to accomplish or gain. But in this same stroke of wanting, we fail to make any changes to achieve them.

For some reason we sit back thinking that the stars need to be perfectly aligned or the 'timing' is not right or even leave our destiny in the hands of other events occurring first.

Waiting for the time to be right or for other events to occur first will ensure that we remain steadfastly planted in one place. We will never achieve that which we want by waiting for others to bring our goals to us.

It is much like sitting and waiting for the lottery winnings to become yours. Yes, I will admit that someone, somewhere at some place in time wins the lottery. But do you realize your chances of winning the Powerball jackpot is 1 in 146,107,962. That's right, not very good if you are looking to achieve a financial windfall. Sitting and waiting for that winning number means you will most likely wait a long, long time.

So why not get up and start doing something. Make a change and change your world. It all begins with that first bold step.

The above art work is available at Sally Evans Art.

Make A Move, Make It Now

“Confidence imparts a wonderful inspiration to its possessor” - John Milton

As life unfolds in front of you, those bold steps you take in confidence will open your eyes. Open your eyes to knowledge you never thought possible. Confidence is a key to unlock greater possibility for you and those you come in contact with.

When you dream and vision your goals, that first step is an important one to take. You can not wait for confidence to wrap itself around you. You have to step 'into' that confidence and move towards your goals. With this move to change, things become clearer to you. The fog will eventually clear and you'll be closer to achieving that which you seek.

My wish for you is to take that first step. Step towards the confidence, don't wait for it. When you establish what it is you want, you can not sit and wait for the conditions to be right. You have to move towards what it is you want. Make a bold step forward...do not wait...go for it.

The world will open up before you and things that seemed impossible become possible. There will be new options and opportunity reveal themselves to you. You will be inspired to achieve your dreams and to help others achieve theirs. Make a move, make it now.

Have A Joyful Attitude

"The problem is never the problem. The real problem is our attitude towards it." - Phil Pringle

Having the right kind of attitude is essential in handling problems that occur. Sometimes it is a daily occurrence, so much that we tend to wonder if we walk with a 'black cloud' over our head. I've had these types of days and had to keep bobbing and weaving as I walked. Trying to get out from underneath what I perceived as life's problems. No one else in the entire universe could possibly be having the kind of day I was having.

How does one get out from under this impression. The easy answer is to not let yourself believe you are under this cloud. And that takes work on a daily basis. Just understand that problems are going to occur. The reason for it is life happens. One way of avoiding this cloud is to develop a 'joyful' attitude.

Have a sense of humor about things if you can because it is a great part of attitude. You just can't take yourself too seriously with all things. If the atmosphere you move in is intense and heavy, you and the people around you will find it difficult to develop or grow. "A cheerful heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones" (Proverbs 17:22).

Allow yourself to remain cheerful with a continual spirit of enthusiasm. Don't wait around for this joyfulness. Don't wait around for things to happen. Make change happen in your life. Its a daily commitment and once you decide to do 'something', motivation will become a very powerful force. Use books, music or other communicators to keep yourself motivated.

I'll end with another quote from Phil Pringle that is great advice, "postponing joy until something happens to justify happiness guarantees a miserable life." Get out there, make change happen and enjoy yourself by laughing once in a while.

Building Confidence

I've been reading an article in Readers Digest, Surprising Secrets to Unshakeable Confidence, that provides some ideas for expecting positive outcomes. It is true that not all of our hopes and dreams come true. But placing ourselves in a better position will set us up to achieve them more often. Doing so requires improving your own confidence.

The article describes six strategies to boost your confidence and a short, very short, description of each. I recommend you get your hands on the article to read it more in-depth.

1. The toes and shoulders test

How you carry yourself, your dress, your health and the like. Not only does it signal to others that you are confident, but dressing the part boosts your own self-image. Makes you feel better and you 'carry yourself' in a more confident manner.

2. How to get to Carnegie Hall

Repeat positive messages to yourself and smile. If you enter a room smiling, you are more likely to provoke a positive response from others. This in turn makes you more confident.

3. Flying without spoons

Avoid hanging with negative people and 'gripe sessions'. If someone is being down on things, try to turn it into a positive one. And if there are valid complaints or 'gripes', ask them or yourself to present ideas to solve it. This indicates a "sense that you are in control and can take action that will make things happen." You become more confident in yourself.

4. The angry e-mail file

Remember an article I wrote some time back called S.U.M.O.? SUMO means "Shut Up, Move On", which sounds harsher then it is. Go back in my archives "Monday, September 19, 2005 - So Shut Up and Move On", to read more. It will effect your own self confidence.

5. Let the Confidence Games begin

Simple recognition of others and of yourself goes a long way in establishing confidence. Telling someone something good about them raises their confidence. "Find the strength in somebody else..." and you will find people finding strengths in you...again, raising your confidence level.

6. Remember Kanter's Law: Everything can look like a failure in the middle

Adopt the attitude "that if you do something it will make a difference, that's confidence." Just understand that persistence is a key to success. An old worn saying is that eventually there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Things will improve and so will your confidence.

There are many ways to work on and improve your confidence. Adopting a positive attitude will do great things in boosting your confidence and vice-versa.

“Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.” - Peter T. Mcintyre

Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day to all the women in my life and in yours. Remember that we never walk alone.

Move Beyond Your Critics

As you go through life, there are going to be obstacles attempting to weigh you down. Those things that try to slow you down, those people that try to stand in the way of your dreams. Take the life of a man named Barry Pincus. Born in Brooklyn in the early 40s, his parents divorced when he was just two years old.

As he grew up he learned to play piano and learned what he could of music. His mother then remarried when he was nearly 13. A man named Willie who drove a beer truck for the Schaefer Brewery. Through his mother's new husband, a new world was opened up. The record collections of jazz and Broadway musicals vastly changed the way Barry viewed his world.

As he grew up, he worked his way through Julliard's School of Music and worked in the mail room at CBS Television. As it is said, to start at the bottom is to start in the mailroom and work your way up. Life probably couldn't get any better for Barry, but keeping his dreams intact there was nothing to keep him down. Even after marriage and an emotional divorce that could set many back, he ventured on.

He started work at composing music and performing at small gigs. Even writing commerical jingles to support himself and feeding his vision. Until he connected with Bette Midler and the two performed with Barry being the musical director. A successful pair was what the two became and Barry gained popularity as well.

Barry Manilow as he is known became famous for his multitude of songs and very successful performing career. He did much of this also in the face of harsh music critics. Many called his music 'sentimental garbage', a tough remark for anyone to face. But Barry persevered in his dreams and remains very popular.

He could have 'folded his cards' many times when others set out to criticize, to place those obstacles in his path. Your life faces many of the same challenges. Believe in your dreams, believe in your visions.

“There is nothing which persevering effort and unceasing and diligent care cannot accomplish.” - Seneca quotes (Roman philosopher, mid-1st century AD)

An Important Belief - In Yourself

Are there things that you believe in? Do you believe that the earth is round, the sky is blue and that birds can fly? Think of those things that you've learned in life and believe in. Your everyday existence is based and influenced by your belief in one thing or another. I know for certain that I can get in my car and drive a certain route and get myself to work. I know that if I pick up and eat what looks like a pretzel but is really a dried pepper will burn the inside of my mouth. At least now I do!

There are many things you can point to and say, "that thing, that knowledge, that reality is something I believe in." My friend Dean Sweetman said once that, "...it is easy to believe that which we can see. But it is difficult to believe in that which requires faith to envision." So what about a cure for that which we deem uncurable? Can you believe in the goodness of others. Maybe you've experienced the goodness in others and therefore believe in it.

Through my life I've seen things happen that were hard to imagine years ago. This type of thing isn't new and unique to me as others older and younger then I am have seen the same things. Think back 20 or 30 years ago, who would have thought the Berlin Wall coming down. There were of course those that had a vision that it would happen. What about the planet Mars landscape becoming a parking lot for exploratory vehicles.

If your answer is yes, you believe in something, real or envisioned, then you can believe in yourself to achieve your own visions. You can have the strength to do the seemingly impossible. Use the same amount of energy in believing in yourself that you give to believing in all of these other things. Your success depends upon believing in oneself.

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” - Gail Devers

Coretta Scott King

Today there are four children that have lost their final parent in death. There are many topics of discussion that could surround the passing of Coretta Scott King. It could be the politics, racial, economic or even personal lives of the Kings. We could talk about the eulogies given or what this means for the future.

But what it still comes down to is that four children lost their final parent in death. Many of us do as will our own children. This is a fact of our human existence.

In the eulogies given, two former U.S. Presidents gave a word to this. Former President Bush noted, "We give thanks for her good life, a life that mattered, a life well lived." While former President Clinton added, "we would have all forgiven her, even honored her, if she had said ... 'I have endured enough dangers, toils and snares. I'm going home to raise my kids. I wish you all well. But instead, she went to Memphis and led that march for those poor, hardworking garbage men."

Our current President, George Bush in his eulogy said, "Coretta had every right to count the cost and step back from the struggle. But she decided that her children needed more than a safe home - they needed an America that upheld their equality and wrote their rights into law."

In all of our struggles in life, Coretta was a mother of four children that endured her pain for the sake of others. Through her she worked to bring something good for others. Servitude to others while overcoming heartbreak in the loss of her husband. I can't say how she personally dealt with the death of Martin, but a strong and giving person she seemed to me.

All of us can garner a lesson in this story of life throwing curves at us. We have expectations and dreams of a marriage lasting forever, the lives of our children and living a successful life. But as death and "lifes happenings" are encountered to challenge us, what we do in the face of those challenges is what makes us successful or not.

And in the final analysis of all these great things that Coretta did with her life, with all of the topics discussed and debated, I have a certain belief that she would list one of these at the top. This would be that she was the mother of four children and that she did everything she could to make life better for them. For a moment let us look past all of the speeches and look upon four children that have lost their mother.

In ending, I have to quote the Rev. Lowery, "after almost 40 years, together at last, together at last, thank God almighty, together at last. Good night, my sister."

Attitude Momentum

My apologies folks but due to technical issues I've been unable to properly post my blog. I try to write daily and provide something new and different. It is odd when one doesn't know really who is reading the words. But I get a great satisfaction in knowing that it is being read. And if it is helping only a few, then great. So on to something less self serving shall we?
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I like to quote Dean Sweetman from time to time as he has a knack for presenting ideas to me in ways I certainly would not have envisioned. He is Australian by birth but became a U.S. citizen a couple of years back as did his wife Jill. They've embraced what is good about our country yet bring another piece to the great mixture we call the 'American melting pot'.

Dean speaks about keeping your momentum going in this new year. Certainly all of us had huge enthusiasm on January 1st. Earlier in the month of January I had written of the need to get off to a start by doing something, at least anything to make a change. Doing something that will impact your entire year and improve your life.

Dean describes it using a surfing analogy from his youth on the Pacific shores near Sydney. The waves breaking near the shore are the goals and visions you've set for yourself. And you've written them down, correct? In surfing though, points are not given simply for getting up on the wave. Many can get up on the wave or state a resolution. No, you need to ride that wave into the shore to achieve the points. Falling off or discarding your goal without trying earns you much less.

You also need the wave breaking near the shore in order to make that final ride into success. The wave or final push to achievement begins way out in the Pacific Ocean. A whale jumps and creates a splash. Or a gust of wind caresses the water forming a swell. Both begin movement towards the shores, towards your dreams.

Someone out there has created movement that will eventually make its way towards you. To intersect with your dreams and goals...creating a wave of final pursuit. You may have started it yourself by simply making a decision to change. Yet it ultimately climaxes in the opportunity to ride a wave into the shore. Are you preparing yourself to take advantage of it? Are you willing to risk the ride?

Dreams, visions or goals begin as a small swell in the ocean and culminate in the perfect wave when meeting the shore. Take the steps to successfully ride them into shore. The first one will be hard, but the next ones become easier. Don't let February become your down month...let the swells continue to carry you further along. It will become a wave of opportunity.

"Take advantage of momentum, ride it all of the way to the shore and fulfill your dreams." -Dean Sweetman

Find That Place To Regain Your Attitude

When attitude is in short supply around you, do you downwardly spiral towards the negative? Do you enter a room and instantly look for others to lift you? It can be a very difficult thing to bring yourself up before entering a room of people or event. It can be very easy to take your issues and pass them along to those you meet.

It is a battle we all have to wage in putting ourselves in order. As a person of great attitude, you lift yourself above placing your issues on others. The rocks you carry in your wagon are not for others. They are for laying a smooth path for others to follow.

But there are many that are great and positive folks when things are going good. Yet the times when things are not going so well, will come into a room of people and instinctively try to unload their problems on others. This doesn't resolve your issues, it doesn't lift others around you and it certainly doesn't reflect the success in your life you are trying to achieve.

When you find that a situation is bringing you down, you have to find something or a place to go into that will turn that around. For some it may be grabbing some ice cream, careful with this one on your weight. It could be taking a walk in the park, a long hot shower or sitting quietly in meditation.

For me it is putting on headphones and listening to classical music. It focuses my attention on what may be bothering me, what may be bringing me down. My goal is to bring my attitude back to a level that can impact others. This I do so that when I enter that room of people or event, my attitude is on a higher level.

Yourself can achieve this same thing. You will begin to find that little by little, when the downward spiral begins it can be caught earlier. At first you sink deep and it takes work to bring yourself back up. As time goes along and you find ways or that 'place' to bring you up - you will catch yourself sooner. The sinking will not be nearly as deep and be able to develop methods that can quickly right yourself. A positive attitude that flows in and through you will have a great impact on others, including yourself.

“Take control of your consistent emotions and begin to consciously and deliberately reshape your daily experience of life.” - Anthony Robbins

Goodness In Return

The articles I provide here are truly from my heart and I try not to ever simply pass along pre-written stories or internet stories. But this particular one is one that I wanted to share as it brings out a point I try to make from time to time.

Having a great attitude and serving others will normally bring goodness upon you. The story below emphasizes that point regardless if the story itself is true or not.

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He almost didn't see the old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her. Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you. He said, "I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson."

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. S oon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him.

She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid. Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped.

Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed and Bryan added, "And think of me." He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good a he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. she had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase.

The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan. After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back.

The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: "You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you."

Under the napkin were four more $100 bills. Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it?

With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard. She knew how worried her husband was and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, "Everything's gonna be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson."
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There are stories through out the ages that these things can and do happen. When goodness flows from you, when you pass along kindness, the reward you receive will come back in many different ways. Call it what you wish, having a positive attitude and goodness to pass along will multiply your life. Be of a giving mind and heart.

Your Visions Become Reality

“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” - Tony Robbins







Over the weekend I heard one of my favorite speakers, Phil Pringle. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_and_Chris_Pringle) He has a very easy way about him that translates into a lot of energy. He brings out the possibilities that can exist for anyone and more importantly, for you. So how can this be when so many people never seem to reach their potential.

It isn't about a 'pre-determined' potential that many people think they have. The reason is that we don't put enough belief in visions and goals. Every one of us has potential to reach great and wonderful goals. Each of us even have the unlimited ability to dream great visions. Yet again why is it that we can never seem to achieve them.

According to Phil Pringle and many other experts, the first mistake we make is that we fail to write down our dreams, visions and goals. Failing to do this one important thing will hinder any movement. Hinder you from making a 'first step'. Remember that in order to make change in your life, you have to take a first step.

By writing down what it is you wish to achieve, you can now physically visualize the goal. It serves as a first step in making it real. Then continue to remind yourself of the goal, promote it to yourself, tell others about it. Motivation will self generate from this vision to bring you closer in achieving it.

And the wonderful thing about it, by doing so you've made a move. You are not sitting there wondering and wishing but actually doing something. It will lead you to your goal and may very well lead you to greater achievements. But not until you write it down will it ever become real.

Dream your dreams, allow your visions to flow and let them become goals in life. You have the potential to make those visions a reality. You have that potential regardless of circumstance. Believe in yourself because I certainly do.

Tis Better To Have Loved

"Happiness comes more from loving than being loved; and often when our affection seems wounded it is is only our vanity bleeding. To love, and to be hurt often, and to love again--this is the brave and happy life." - J.E. Buchrose

The thing about this life we live is that we are always experiencing it as it unfolds before us. Whether it is in love as quoted above or in everyday movement in what we do. You keep moving forward. To persevere and change for the better as we learn that which works and that which doesn't. Always learning from our past and not regretting it.

The old adage from Tennyson in which he says, 'tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all" should ring true for everyone. Life will have "bad experiences", but look at the larger of those two words. "Experiences" are that, lessons learned that if viewed in a positive light, you will understand that you have learned valuable lessons from them. This in turn makes those experiences wonderful ones. Ones not to regret but to cherish as stones laid out to form your life's path.

I myself have had times of hurt and pain, which have taken time to heal. In the light of day I can see that they shaped who I am. It has also placed me in a better position within life, one that only keeps getting better. I view the past with respect and admiration for something accomplished. For the lives of those that I passed through, I truly hope that I've made a positive impact on them.

As all of us move towards our future, take the past experiences as a foundation for moving forward. Be strong in the idea that with that knowledge, you can shape your future. To steal the phrase, "tis better to have lived, then to have not lived at all."

Take Time For Yourself

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles

As you embark on your new journey, one of more positive thinking and serving others, keeping your attitude going in the right direction is important. There will be times that you need to 'recharge' yourself. To take time out and do something for yourself. In the bigger scheme of life, if you are feeling good and positive about yourself, others will benefit.

For myself, when I work the large amount of hours at my normal job, it can become difficult to write this blog. One becomes so focused on the mechanical aspects of doing things and getting the next chore completed. It has been like that this week and my time was filled.

So I took a short trip on Sunday to the famed 'Abbey Road Studios' here in London. I had taken my wife to the airport on Saturday for her return home. Working most of the remaining day, I decided it was time to indulge myself. This required a quick mapping of where it was relative to my hotel and how to get there. What better way then the London Tube. My adventure was set to roll out in front of me.

For those unaware, Abbey Road Studios is where the Beatles did the bulk of their recording. It is here that the famed record producer George Martin met them and upon detailing the terms of their contract asked if they had any problems with it. After a short pause, guitarist George Harrison remarked "I don't particularly like your tie." The friendship was born and their musical history was born.

What was the draw of the studio location for me? Only to relive some memories and to see where the famed crossing took place. This was the Abbey Road album that was supposed to be called Everest (the brand of cigarette that a studio engineer smoked). The picture was going to be of the four on the Himilayas. But by the time the album was completed, it was decided to call it Abbey Road and take the picture outside of the studio.

I've seen the cover so many times and the picture has been duplicated by quite a few other bands. I choose to believe they all did it out of respect for this group. Tourists from around the world recreate in personal pictures the crossing. They then leave a saying or autograph on the wall in front of the studios. I left my mark by writing, “To one, to all, a place to relive a memory.” Not terribly poetic but simply my thought at the time.

These four guys shared with us their talent for music. It made many of us feel good about ourselves and others. Their music also made us think about things that we may not have. Also, these four guys were like you and me, living life the best way they knew how. Their success gave them opportunity to succeed and fail at many different things.

Today only two survive, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr - George Harrison and John Lennon have passed on. Each made an impact in the lives of many including my own. I chose to relive the memories a bit on a cold Sunday morning in London. It was worth every step and encounter along the way. For it is with memories that we guide ourselves to the future.

Choose the good ones, create new ones and live fully. Cross over to a new place, a new attitude and see your life expand.

Experience Life

I read the following from a site that offers somewhat 'tongue-in-cheek' moments of Zen. That particular moment in time when you say to yourself, now I get it. It reads, "experience is something you don't get until just after you need it."

Let it soak in a bit, chuckle to yourself if you must and then realize just how true it is. Sort of like finding your way in a new town. This morning my wife and I arrived in London on which is a business trip with some amount of relaxation as well. If you have never been here or had the experience of finding your way from Gatwick Airport into central London, it is a trip.

I have been to London previously and flown in through Heathrow Airport...hop on the London Tube and get off at my stop. Gatwick is a bit more challenging in that one manuevers the many corridors of that airport to find the Express train to the Victoria Station in London. Then working your way to the Underground while keeping yourself oriented to the proper direction of the subway trains. Then to once again emerge at your stop to try and orient which direction it is to your hotel, while pulling a large suitcase.

We found the hotel by walking only one extra block. Now that I'm oriented and have had the experience...it is an easy process. Now, could I have taken a taxi? Absolutely, but then where would be the adventure? Where would be the 'experience' of trying something different. Putting one foot in front of the other and making a move. Not to stand outside the station and wait for something to happen but to head off in a direction.

It all works out if you just keep experiencing life. Be bold in what you do in life. Help others along the way. Experience what it is have courage to change. You will reap memories for a life time.

(The picture is courtesy of the www.richardbyrom.com/ website)

Twelve Positive Experiences

"You are not only good yourself, but the cause of goodness in others." - Socrates

Did you know that any contact you have with a customer, it takes twelve (12) positive experiences by the customer to overcome just one (1) negative experience they have had? If you think about it, that is an amazing figure. The odds are 12:1, which can be a difficult position for you to start in if you are the next person in line dealing with that customer.

So what happens if you are one of those next twelve experiences the customer has with your company? First thing to remember is that in the eyes of the customer, you are the company.

YOU = YOUR COMPANY

So take responsibility and represent the company in the appropriate manner. You can't hide behind any excuse such as, "I only work here". Sorry, when you were hired at that company a trust was placed in your hands to represent your employer. Now it may be that you have only a certain level of authority. But it doesn't diminish the fact that you are your company at that point in time.

If you can not accomodate the customer, then certainly go out of your way to assist that customer in getting to the right person. Taking just this amount of concern and effort for the customer will go a long way in the customer relationship. Don't be the road block to success, be one of the twelve positive experiences. Every time you pick up that phone and each time you encounter a customer, consider this the first of twelve needed positive experiences.

Now consider your life outside of work at home, at church or at the store. Those you encounter could be considered as just having had a bad experience. Here is your chance to be one or more of the twelve positive experiences this person needs. Understand that lifting others will ultimately cause your life to be lifted up.

Don't Be The One - Be One Of The Twelve

Grab A New Attitude - Grab The Brass Ring

Courtesy of the "Tom Burhyte Page" at
www.gco.com/eldridge/ eldridge_merry_go_round.html

Ever sit around thinking about how your life could be different. Going round and round in your mind, like sitting on a merry-go-round.

Maybe daydreaming at work regarding how much you may not like what it is you do.

Maybe sitting in traffic between your place of work and home wondering if your well used vehicle couldn't be replaced by a new one.

Maybe at home watching television on that 25" envisioning what it would be like to have a large screen version with surround sound.

Maybe just wishing you had more meaning or purpose in your life.

Daydreaming, wondering and envisioning is good. Everyone should have dreams and goals for a better life. But you wonder how can I ever achieve them? How am I going to grasp that 'brass ring'?

Stop and think about the merry-go-round. Around and around and around and around in circles with the same music. As an amusement ride, I love them for the memories it brings back growing up. For the simplicity of the ride, for the safety of the ride. What can go wrong in a round the circle ride. I had always wondered why the 'brass ring' was there. It hit me years ago that it is there to add a bit of excitement to the ride.

For those that dared to, they could reach out in an attempt to grab it. Maybe earn a free ride or a prize. Many wouldn't try, simply content to hold on tight to go around and around and around. The ones that did keep trying to grab the brass ring eventually succeeded. They had the courage to overcome fear and reach out. What then was left? To move on to another more exciting ride. To take a chance at something different. To move on from the same thing over and over, around and around, again and again.

Get out there and make a move. Sitting still, not changing the way you do things results in just that - nothing changes. Another year goes by, around in a circle on the merry-go-round watching the brass ring pass you by.

Don't wait - reach out and make a change in your life. Reach for the brass ring, do something to help someone else, move your attitude to a higher plateau. Start moving and change will occur.

Lessons In Life Through Tragedy

Pablito - Gabrielle - Nicia - Pablo

At times I like to use this forum to help others in times of need. Doing so usually means that something sad has occurred. It is hopefully offset by my other words of inspiration. So please understand that not only can we learn from tragedy, but can help others during these times of heart break.

Members of our church were involved in a traffic accident on Christmas Eve. A suspected drunk driver ran a stop light, killing the family's 9-year old son. Pablito Medrano had a smile like many other young boys. A smile that he will now share with others gone before him.

Why do I write of this? To serve a reminder of the effects of drunk driving on others. Not to preach against the 'sins of drink' but to say that the choices YOU make can effect OTHERS. These choices can have a positive effect while others can have tragic effects.

What can you do? First, you can read the news article as reference to what I've stated here. It appeared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

http://www.ajc.com/search/content/metro/gwinnett/1205/29metfatal.html

Second, there is more to the story. The folks impacted are Nicia and Pablo Medrano, members of my church - Christian City Church (www.christiancitychurch.com). Additionally, Pablito's mother, Karla Navarro is most certainly grief stricken by this news.

Pablo's son, Pablito was in a coma for a few days but unfortunately died. The father Pablo, has internal bruising & Nicia has a broken leg. Their baby daughter Gabrielle is OK. Nicia has said each day gets a little easier. Pablo’s place of employment has kindly given him extra time off, but we assume that is without pay. Nicia is pretty much bedridden but is happy to be back in her own home again. To add to this story, an aunt who had come into town for the funeral and to help take care of baby Gabrielle, was on her way home. She got ten minutes down the road before someone ran a red light and slammed into HER car! She was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery and will be there for a week.

Third and lastly, what things can you do if you wish.

1. Pray for the family; for a quick recovery, for comfort, for strength.
2. We are coordinating through my church the following effort.

• help at their home with the baby
• meals brought to their home
• financial help

As this is a weblog, locally the church is working to get help at their home, with the meals and with financial help. But some of the things you can do online...do you know any businesses in the Atlanta area that could help with meals or food items. You could make some contacts if you do. Also, financial support always helps and is greatly appreciated.

If you would like to help in some fashion, please contact Penni by means of email at our church: PenniH@christiancitychurch.com.

As does life, death teaches us lessons about what we can do for others.

"God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way." - Unknown Author

Persistence In Humor

From the folks at http://www.despair.com/, check out their webpage some time.

There is so much that can be concluded from this particular picture. But what ever you do, do try to be persistent and when something doesn't work out, stop and rethink. Then set another goal and go after it. Persistence does pay off if you want it to... and in those cases in which it doesn't..."it's over, Man. Let her go." Get over it and move on to the next one.

Persistence to Make Changes

We are in our second day of the year and the fog of day one is starting to fade. You can take a bit more time to start planning those changes for this coming year. But don't procrastinate, think of one thing you can do. May be its getting up and leaving for work ten minutes earlier. It will result in a more relaxed drive to work and you will have a better start to your day.

This is a year for change and you are just beginning. Think long term, think of doing thing in small increments and see your success in each of them. In the book I referred to a couple of days ago - "Healthy, Wealthy and Wise - 52 Life Changing Lessons for the 21st Century - is a chapter on persistence. If you want to make change, you will have to be persistent.

Ms. Waggener says, "whatever you are trying to accomplish in your life, you must keep going. Your goals are worthwhile. They deserve committed, unwavering action. They require put-one-foot-in-front-of-the-other sort of dogged movement. They require persistence.

With your new attitude and courage to change, persistence will become easier as you see the rewards of achieving your goals. Stand strong, make a change and do it now. John Quincy Adams said, "patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish." Make 2006 your year and start now.

Change Of Attitude For 2006

Today marks a new day in a new year, a rebirth of possibility. The past events of last year, whether good, bad or indifferent are just that, in the past. You can not live on the glory or the pain of those events. What you can do is learn and more importantly, grow from the experience of 2005.

Dean Sweetman has said, "if you really want 2006 to be different, then you have to change the way you do things." This means you can not keep doing things the same way. Change only happens when you make changes for the betterment of your future. Dean goes on to say that, "to possess the future you want, then you have to let go of the past."

Remember my 'rocks in your wagon' article? The past year could have you pulling a wagon full of rocks. Weighing down your ability to pull yourself along to a better life. Or can you look back to a wonderful path of stones paving a way for those that come after you. Leaving a legacy that you can be proud of, doing for others before doing for yourself.

My particular faith comes through at times in my writings. And life is best served by serving your God first, others second and yourself third. I won't get into the physcological thoughts of placing yourself third because we all know we have to take care of ourselves. But serving one and two first will reward the third if done in the correct spirit of servitude.

In doing so, you will reap benefits of different kinds. Dean has stated that you will "prosper in the natural, but you must also have blessing upon your life as well." It will happen this year for you if you are willing to make changes different to 2005. Move forward, move on and live a much more prosperous 2006.