Don't Stop Believing

"The soul that sees beauty may sometimes walk alone." ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

When we finally make the decision to begin movement in our life, to finally begin that walk to our dreams; the walk can be a lonely one. The street may be empty and void of others. You hold the dream inside and no one else can see it. The wonderous vision that is yours setting you out on a journey is not always embraced by others.

Think of the movie "Wizard of Oz" in which Dorothy sets out on the yellow brick road.



Her journey begins with many people excited and cheering her on. But the journey is long and very soon she is by herself. You will find yourself alone after the excitement and pumped up enthusiasm wanes. It will become lonely and you will have to overcome the urge to stop.

Eventually, others will join you on this journey. The important thing is to never stop believing in your dreams. Keep moving forward. The following video is by a band from my youth. Somehow we start out young and bold. As age grabs hold of us, we allow it to slow us down and puts doubt inside.



Yes, we did tend to dress and let our hair grow out like that. But like any age, we were young and invincible. Running down the yellow brick road towards our destination. And then we seemed to have lost our way. We let our age and reason get in the way. We lost belief in our dreams and settled for what we had.

But we must never stop believing in those dreams or in what we want in life. We are never too old to give up the excitement of the journey. We are never too old to give up on our dreams. It all starts by putting one foot in front of the other.

The road may narrow and crack, it may be lonely for a while. But the road we take is still a journey to what we want in life. You can follow the road, make your own road or simply fly. Imagination and excitement will guide you to your destination. Just never stop believing.

No More Parking Violations

"The least movement is of importance to all nature. The entire ocean is affected by a pebble." ~Blaise Pascal

A parking violation is a "notice of monetary penalty issued for parking a motor vehicle in a restricted place or for parking in an unauthorized manner." A ticket is also issued for parking longer than the maximum time. There are reasons we may want to park longer then others feel necessary. But a time comes when we need to get back in the car and move on.

We all understand that when your life is cruising along, at various times we need to just pull over and park. We slow down and find an open meter to park for a short amount time. The time is used to reflect and rest. We are looking for that something which recharges our thoughts and energy. It is a way of refocusing on life.

It then becomes necessary to put the key back into the ignition. You turn the key to start the engine, place the car in drive and pull back out.

We have to get back into the stream of life and move on. Remaining parked will never get you to your destination.

I have seen so many talented people become fixated with stillness. They each had their own reasons. Some had fear of trying anything knew. Others liked the comfort of nothing. Yet each of them wanted more in life. Each of them had the ability within them like you and me.

They were each holding themself back. Having parked their car for so long, they had misplaced or lost the key for the ignition. The parking violations of excuses piled so high that it added to the burden which was used as an excuse not to move anymore.

What these people needed was a locksmith to help them find that key. All these people needed a paper shredder to help them rid the excuses. All these people needed was encouragement to place life back into DRIVE and move on.

We each have the ability to eliminate the 'parking violations' from our life. We each have the ability to help another to do the same. It may seem like a crowded road once we get back out there. The movement might be slow at first or at times. But even the smallest of movement creates distance from where you were to where you want to be. That movement will take you to a place that is on your destination list.

Open up that parking spot for someone else. Get your your life back on the road. And no more parking violations.

Getting Answers

J2a Haplogroup - The Cultivators

"No matter where you go, there you are." ~Confucius

The results are back and wow, where do I start? Were they earth shattering results of my family background? It actually took a bit of time and reading over and over again to comprehend what the DNA tests were telling me.

So yes, did we all basically come from the birthplace of civilization of the Fertile Crescent, where you'll find present day Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iraq. Not a huge surprise to me, but it was the the connection to the subgroup.

The testing revealed my ancestry is likely from a subgroup referred to as Cultivators that are associated with Anatolia, the eastern portion of modern day Turkey. Early agriculture in the history of mankind, it is likely that alongside irrigation and other agricultural techniques, my ancestors advanced civilization in other areas, such as writing and government.

A group of ancestors that are roughly 20,000 years old and from my first research of the results, appear to match where my more 'modern-day' ancestors came from.

So you probably think its about as likely as the astrology predictions in your local paper. The generalization of a haplogroup could place most anyone into that category. But it is the science behind the DNA markers that actually places a person there. And it is the known ancestral history that lends credence to it.

In example, the known history of my family dates back to the early 1800s; all were farmers; paternally they came from the farming rich area of what was northern Germany; the migration of peoples in this haplogroup settled in Germany as well. Again, you might suggest all 'perchance'.

I too take the information at a slightly extended arms length. But it is a piece to the puzzle of who I am. Life is a search for the history of oneself that will help reveal identity. This information can help you understand who you are and in turn help you develop a better life.

Heck, each of us at some point ask, "what is the meaning of life?" The question itself constitutes a philosophical question concerning the purpose and significance of life or existence in general. We certainly don't let the question get in the way of living life. But it is in our nature to wonder and I'm not here to suggest we'll ever fully answer that question.

The ability to 'ask' the question intrigues me and I know I will never fully understand it. But understanding where my history lay is something I can learn. I may not have a clear path back to the beginning, but I will have established something for future generations going forward.

Which is a very long way to get to where I am going with this article. When it comes to genealogical history, we look back trying to fill in all of those missing gaps. But we tend to forget that we must start with the present and record that for the future. If not, those future generations will be trying to find their history.

And it all begins by 'starting', the process of movement. You begin to do something about recording your present day; you begin by putting one foot in front of the other; you begin by beginning. If my ancestors hadn't began movement 20,000 years ago, I just might be living along the Nile River today. If I hadn't made movement in my life, I could be sitting on my back deck drinking myself into oblivion.

It does not start next week or even tomorrow. It starts today, it starts now. You can make the changes in your life that will effect generations to come. Make changes for the better and see what life writes about you.

Embrace

“Love... It surrounds every being and extends slowly to embrace all that shall be.” ~Kahlil Gibran

My posts talk about stepping out and challenging your self in every day life. To take those risks that will help you seize a better life for you and those around you.

It is for those around you that I'm speaking of today. There are risks we take that are smart to take. There are other risks which are unnecessary to take. The video below addresses one of them.



Take risks but not the unnecessary ones! Embrace the people you love by being safe. Have a great weekend everyone.

Possible Sunrise

"Trying to sneak a fastball past Hank Aaron is like trying to sneak the sunrise past a rooster." ~Joe Adcock

Hank Aaron was one of American baseball's greatest players. A career batting average of .305, but best known for holding the career home run record of 755 for many years. As Joe Adcock, a fellow ball player said, "you couldn't sneak the fastball by him."

Seeing everything that comes along, being perceptive of life around us seems like a simple concept. When the sun comes up in the morning, do you notice it? Do you expect it be there each morning? You can't let a day sneak past you. You can't let the opportunity slip by without advancing.

Each new day is a new opening, a new chance to do something great for someone else. Maybe pay it forward with some act of kindness to them. It is also a chance to move towards your dreams, getting a little bit closer to something fantastic...a great life.

Experience the sunrise each morning, fill your day with expectation and movement. And when you see the sunset, know that you accomplished something great. And know that the sun will rise again tomorrow with new opportunity, new possibility.

Dreams

by Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

Please Stand By

"Just kind of a tough day but I'll return tomorrow." ~Joseph Primm

Parable of Immortality

Finding words to comfort someone when they lose a loved one can be a search into the deepest parts of our hearts. A parent loses a child or a parent slips from us; a spouse, friend or sibling can leave an aching hole inside. The words are only meant to help soothe the void but can never replace our loved one. Only the memories fill the void, gathering inside and healing pain with time.

When I lost my mother, a brother shared the following poem by Henry Van Dyke called "A Parable of Immortality" and helped begin the process of letting go. A process of letting go the natural connection and beginning the supernatural connection to a lost loved one. I still talk to my mother through loving memories and with a respect for what I believe lay beyond our life here.

So it is that I share with some dear friends that very recently lost their son in a tragic incident. I also share it for anyone that has lost a loved one. Words to help soothe the void and help begin the process of loving rememberance.

A Parable of Immortality

I am standing upon the seashore.

A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze

and starts for the blue ocean.

She is an object of beauty and strength,

and I stand and watch until at last she hangs

like a speck of white cloud

just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says,

" There she goes! "

Gone where?

Gone from my sight . . . that is all.

She is just as large in mast and hull and spar

as she was when she left my side

and just as able to bear her load of living freight

to the place of destination.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment

when someone at my side says,

" There she goes! "

there are other eyes watching her coming . . .

and other voices ready to take up the glad shout . . .

" Here she comes! "

More Cowbell

"You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen." ~Paulo Coelho

There is a very funny skit from Saturday Night Live called "More Cowbell". The premise that something so out of place as a cowbell is the perfect answer for something lacking. I can hear the clanging cowbell already.

Its interesting that something so unexpected can change the whole atmosphere around our lives. The unexpected things that happen can have a surprising and positive effect. A change in tone, a stranger crossing our path or different road taken home. Each of them, while seemingly insignificant can create this unexpected change in your life.

Maybe its an oversimplification but even something unexpected as a cowbell can actually add more to your life. Embrace what you can by trying something different. Change up the ordinary and see what types of opportunities occur. When life becomes stagnant, shout out for "more cowbell" and see what happens.

Noah Created Movement

"March on. Do not tarry. To go forward is to move toward perfection. March on, and fear not the thorns, or the sharp stones on life's path." ~Kahlil Gibran

If you could share something with the world, would you wait until it was perfect? Or would you get it out there even if the rough edges had yet to be smoothed over?

My brother-in-law's grandson has learned to sign pretty darn well while still only being 7 years old. His mother has been hearing impaired since birth if memory serves me correctly, so signing is a matter of everyday activity. It becomes natural over time, but learning both spoken language and sign language is a feat in itself.

So with the perfection of a seven year old boy, the video below is him signing the story of Noah's Ark.



The words being signed are as follows;

~~~~~

Hi, I will tell you a story about Noah's ark. God told Noah to build an ark and he said “Noah, I want you to build an ark”. His three sons helped him. He said “I want your family and animals safe. So that way move to a different country. So you can have a better life.” And when he was finished, he saw the animals coming.

So he opened the door, all the animals came into the ark. He put all the animals where they should be. His family packed everything. And when he was going in water, God said “Noah your family is safe, now you can go to a different country.” And he was going to a far away country with storms coming, rain and lightning, all over every where.

After the storm he was in a different country. God said “You have done a good job keeping your family safe.” He was happy that God said that. So he saw a colorful sky, he saw a rainbow in the sky. And that is all the story about Noah's ark.

~~~~~

My intent was to show you the innocent beauty of a child telling an age-old story. It was also my intent to give an example of someone moving forward with what they know. While not perfect or completely polished, a young child bravely shows what he can do to all that will watch.

Each of us need to move forward in our lives, unafraid that we may not be perfect. The polished edges are not yet apparent but only with movement can they be smoothed. A rock tumbler will do no good if it sits motionless. It is in the movement and tumbling of the rocks inside which accomplishes the polished finish. The same can be said of our lives. When we create movement and step out from being idle, only then will great things begin to happen.

Take the example of a young boy bravely stepping out to show the world his signing ability. He has started a movement in his life that will bring wonders to everyone around him. In return, the rough and tumble experiences will cause him to shine even more.

Create that kind of movement in your life.

Sack Lunch

"Ask yourself: Have you been kind today? Make kindness your daily modus operandi and change your world." ~Annie Lennox

Received the following story from a friend that reveals the goodness in all of us. It shows how in simple measure we can make a difference in another persons life.

~~~~~

Sack Lunches

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. I was certainly glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap is what I was thinking.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation.

"Where are you headed?" I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.
"Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan."

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time.

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. "No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base." His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. "Take a lunch to all those soldiers." She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. "My son was a soldier in Iraq; it's almost like you are doing it for him."

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, "Which do you like best - beef or chicken?"

"Chicken," I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class.

"This is your thanks."

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. "I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this." He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand and said, "I want to shake your hand."

Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, "I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot." I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. "It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You."

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little.

~~~~~

The story goes on to talk about service to country and such.  What I take from this story is the human spirit of kindness to others.  The ability to make a difference in another person's life with a simple sack lunch. 

A simple act of kindness moves others to do the same. If you move to show kindness, you can end up moving mountains.

Membership Has Privileges

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it." ~Sydney J. Harris

There is an ad campaign by a major credit card company that basically says, "Membership has its privileges." It is a way of enticing you into choosing their card over another. That by doing so, you will have advantages that non-cardholders will not have.

It is a powerful way to gain and keep people using your products. For me, membership in an airline mileage program offered by Delta Airlines has kept me returning to them for years. As a long time travel and medallion member, those privileges were something I had gotten used to. The ability to bypass the long lines, seat selection, upgrades and so much more were things that made travelling so much easier. In light of the 2009 economic downturn, my air miles plummeted.

Then on February of 2010, my status as a Gold medallion member was stripped away. Even though my travel has increased significantly this year, I had lost the 'brass ring' of travel. I had been relegated to what frequent travelers call 'Abyss' status. A level so low that the airlines consider you no better then the baggage, which you now have to pay to check if not carried on.

Oh the humanity of it all, poor pitiful me. My heart was crushed, my ego bruised and my frustration inflamed. How could I possibly go on? So now I state with 'tongue firmly planted in cheek' that I was unsure if I could go on.

Yet I found myself taking a deep breath, relaxing and focusing on the new reality of airplane travel for me. I could get upset with the airline or other travelling passengers, making myself a grumbling and mean spirited person. Or I could assess the situation, adjust to the new situation and enjoy the day.

I made efforts to change my status with the airline, but took to my new standing with ease. I could have turned my attitude into making myself miserable each time entering the airport. But I didn't want to ruin the grand possibilities that life has to offer by being dour.

Heck, I still have my Sky Club membership and can enjoy the comforts of a lounge before boarding a plane and taking my middle seat. Yes, I even tried to get out of my middle seat without the privileges of membership. I was then amused by a Platinum member (75,000 + miles flown per year) that requested a seat change on my same flight. He had a middle seat as well and could not get a seat change. He asked the agent, "my Platinum status means nothing?" I guess even membership does not always have its privileges.

So please keep calm and carry on with your day. Just relax and enjoy the day because membership in life has so many privileges. We just sometimes forget to experience them.

Give Without Expectation

"When I chased after money, I never had enough. When I got my life on purpose and focused on giving of myself and everything that arrived into my life, then I was prosperous."

~Wayne Dyer~

~~~~~

United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 8283

Noncash Charitable Contributions

Contributions From Which You Benefit

If you receive a benefit as a result of making a contribution to a qualified organization, you can deduct only the amount of your contribution that is more than the value of the benefit you receive.

In ex; you pay $65 for a ticket to a dinner-dance at a church. All the proceeds of the function go to the church. The ticket to the dinner-dance has a fair market value of $25. When you buy your ticket, you know that its value is less than your payment. To figure the amount of your charitable contribution, you subtract the value of the benefit you receive ($25) from your total payment ($65). You can deduct $40 as a charitable contribution to the church.

~~~~~

Even the U.S. government acknowledges that to gift something, there can be no benefit to you if it truly is a gift. The gift given can not result in you receiving anything in return of tangible value. If so, that portion of the gift can not be claimed on your taxes.

Thank goodness we don't get taxed on the intangible aspects of giving. Or at least until govenrment officials figure out how to tax one's heart. The intangible benefit to giving can fill one's heart and soul with greatness. A benefit that can not be measured or taxed for that matter.

Gifts to others can come in many different forms such as money, clothing, or services. I see gifting not only in those forms, but in the every day things I see others do. The holding of a door open for another person, the friendly hello or carrying the grocery bags of another. The gifts we give manifest themselves in the form of a smile or handshake.

A gift can even be in the acknowledgement of the other person. So many times we walk through our day glancing away from others. We glance away from the homeless, the jobless, the lonely or the hungry. We even glance away from those we work with or even love. Too many times we are afraid to acknowledge another because we 'might' be asked for more.

Good golly, we might need to help someone that is in need. We might even have to forgo our tired state and interact. Yet the act of giving when nothing in return is expected or even seemingly possible will give back more then you imagine. An overwhelming feeling of energy and happiness fills your being.

Psychology Today wrote, "We've all heard the old adage that it's better to give than to receive, but why this is so is less known. As will become clear, giving is a gift—not only to others, but to ourselves—because it increases the bond between us and the person to whom we have given, tells us about ourselves and generally increases our feelings of competence."

In religious terms (2 Corinthians 8 & 9), translators had used an
English word, ‘liberality’/’liberal’ (or ‘generous’ in later versions) which suggested the size or extent of the gift, to represent a Greek word haplotes/haplos, which really meant ‘sincere, simple, unaffected,’ and related to the heart attitude or motive of the giver.

So giving comes from the heart with no expectation in return. This giving comes in large ways such as huge sums of money or other assets. But the majority of giving comes in small, seemingly meaningless ways. It is the small gifts which can have such a large impact on someone's life. Their life gets impacted and in an almost undetectable way, we get impacted.

So give without expectation of getting anything in return. Give with your heart and make a difference in the life of someone. Watch your own life gain something greater and best of all, no one can place a tax on that.

Speaking From Beyond

Anita Kunz

So here I am, a full week of having meetings and lots of talking.  I mean a whole lot of talking going on.  I learned some time ago that when these types of weeks come along, forget drinking anything but lots of water.  Through out our lives we talk continuously.

If we take some averages thrown out there that women on average speak 20,000 words in a day and men only 7,000 words; I'll take an average of 13,500 words per day. If you then figure the average lifespan of a person (world average) of 68.9 years, then a person speaks roughly 338,715,000 words in a lifetime. Give or take a few words.

I then find it interesting that someone would have invented a device that will let you speak even beyond this lifetime. I kid you not, a Talking Tombstone that is described as a "Video Enhanced Gravemarker". I'm not certain how serious this is, but I would assume that once you have passed on, its time to let someone else do the talking.

We have plenty of time during our lives to say what we want. The point I'm trying to make is to make those words count. Tell someone how great they are today. Tell someone close to you how much you love them. Tell others the good things that can make their lives better.

It doesn't mean you can't correct someone or be critical at times. We do all too much of that is the problem. Find something good to say as well. Don't wait until the time runs short. My challenge to you is to finish reading this article, maybe pass it along to someone, but more importantly call someone and tell them something good about their life.

Painting Opportunity

"All great work is preparing yourself for the accident to happen." ~Sidney Lumet

The story is all too common, you train and train, waiting for your moment to succeed in one of a thousand different careers. You search and knock on doors, trying to get your foot inside. Nothing becomes a reality, so while the pursuit of the dream continues, you wait on tables, sell shoes or deliver pizza.

There is story similar to so many of us. Her name was Mardee Hoff, a young model in pursuit of an acting career. Time and again she tried but failed to get any auditions for acting work. So she performed many odd jobs, doing what she could to keep herself positioned.

One day she was called to model for a magazine. Someone was needed to pose for a cover painting on the Saturday Evening Post. Famed artist Norman Rockwell did many of the covers during this time period. So the job was deemed prestigous and it helped pay the rent, which was more important.

She didn't know what the pose was going to be. But again it was modeling and that was something she knew how to do. So pose for the picture, earn a paycheck and keep pursuing the acting. As luck would have it, the drawing was of a Hollywood starlet being surrounded by 1930s papparazzi.

Opportunity was close at hand, much closer then she may have expected. When the cover appeared on newsstands around the country, a door was about to open for Mardee. The phone began to ring with calls from movie companies. Eventually she came under contract with 20th Century Fox Studio.

The many failed attempts to get an audition had not been a waste. The odd jobs and modeling had not been a waste. All were preparing her for one audition she didn't fully realize was the one. The one that would place her next to a door of opportunity. She realized her dream of becoming an actress. She placed herself in alignment with opportunity that came along when she least expected it.

Opportunity holds the same door open for you. But you have to place yourself near it. You meet up with it along your path. If you do nothing, it will be rare that you meet up with opportunity. Keep moving forward, keep trying new things, keep pursuing your dream. Eventually you will meet up with opportunity and the door to your dream will open wide.

The picture of your life will get painted in an unexpected way. Life will open up before you and it will be opportunity that holds the key to that door.  Put your self near the door, prepare to meet up with it and walk through.

Where The Wind

"Go West, young man, and grow up with the country." ~John B. L. Soule

While Horace Greeley often times gets the credit for saying this famous quote, it was actually first made by John B. L. Soule. It appeared as the title to an 1851 Terre Haute Express editorial written by Mr. Soule. The quote by Horace Greeley was, "Go West, young man, Go West" and became a part of the American lexicon.

And why would I really talk about this particular quote? It was the first thing I thought of when I learned a friend was moving west with his wife. A new job that will invigorate his soul awaits him in Stillwater, OK. Gary and Marion are on a new journey of excitement; a new journey of change.

As the song from the musical Oklahoma goes;

OOOO-klahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain
And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet
When the wind comes right behind the rain.
Oklahoma, Ev'ry night my honey lamb and I
Sit alone and talk and watch a hawk
Makin' lazy circles in the sky.

What a great change for a man that has kept faith in his beliefs and abilities. He has certainly had to overcome the depths of self-doubt but his journey has always been an inspiration to me. So many times we teeter on the brink of allowing life to overcome us. We come perilously close to simply giving up. Yet we keep ourselves inspired and push forward.

There's never been a better time to start in life-
It ain't too early and it aint too late!
Starting as a farmer with a brand new wife-
Still be living in a brand-new state!
Brand new state-
gonna treat you great!
Gonna buy you barley, carrots and pertaters,
Pasture for the cattle, spinich and termaters,
Flowers on the prarie where the June bugs zoom,
Plen'y of air and plen'y of room,
Plen'y of room to swing a rope!
Plen'y of heart and plen'y of hope.

And no, not a new wife....but together they can change the lyric to say, "starting as a farmer with a brand new life-" Together they are planting the seeds of great new friendships. They are certainly going to be missed here in Atlanta, yet we know we haven't lost them. Once you have sown the seeds of friendship, it remains for a life time.

We also know that change happens all around us. The scenery will look different when we redirect the path of our life.

We know we belong to this life
And the life we belong to is grand!
And when we say
Yeeow! Aye-yip-aye-yo-ee-ay!
We're only sayin'
You're doin' fine, Everyone!
Yeeow!

I'm proud to know Gary and Marion; happy to see them on this new adventure. And as the song goes, "We're only sayin' - You're doin' fine." In fact, "we're all doin' fine."

Embrace the changes that can take place in your life, your best life.

A Friend

"But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine." ~Thomas Jefferson

A friend from high school sent the following to me and found it a great way to start the week. Eric and I haven't probably seen each other since graduation in 1978. A long time to pass between folks, but great to know each is doing well. But onto the subject of friends and first the story.

~~~~~~~~~~

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble... At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?'

'This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered.. 'Wow! Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked.

Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up. 'The man gestured, and the gate began to open.

'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?' the traveler asked.

'I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets.'

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence

As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.

'Excuse me!' he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?'

'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.'

'How about my friend here?' the traveler gestured to the dog.

'There should be a bowl by the pump.'

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.

The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.

'What do you call this place?' the traveler asked.

'This is Heaven,' he answered.

'Well, that's confusing,' the traveler said. 'The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.'

'Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell.'

'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?'

'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.'

~~~~~~~~~~ 

The story gives us one view to what friendship means.  That you would not leave them behind.  And we get faced with these types of decisions in our life.  Sometimes your hand is forced to leave a good friend behind should that person be pulling you down in life.  But you can always pull a friend up in life.  Its a choice that can be rather difficult to make.

In the email string that contained the story above also spoke to why someone would forward these stories.

- When you are very busy, but still want to keep in touch, guess what you do? You forward jokes.

- When you have nothing to say, but still want to keep contact, you forward jokes.
- When you have something to say, but don't know what and don't know how, you forward jokes.

Of course there are lots of reasons, but keeping in touch can mean so much.  A simple hello, a quick 'thinking of you' or touching base with someone can lift them at a moment when you least expect.

So keep hold of your friends, try to keep them in your life as each of your journeys unfold.

Two Days

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.” ~Henry David Thoreau

Two days and one blog article, it sounds like a confessional or apologetic musing asking for forgiveness to my avid readers. I failed to write yesterday as I was travelling home to Atlanta with my wife from Los Angeles. Could I have written yesterday, most certainly.

We made it to the airport, settled into the lounge to wait for our flight and thought to myself, "I really don't feel like writing today." I was enjoying the simple pleasure of sitting and talking with my wife. This was a short window of time before we would both return to our busy lives. Even though I worked a fair bit while on vacation, it was a very relaxing and enjoyable time with our daughter and her husband.

But here we were, sitting in an airport lounge enjoying the remaining moments before we launched back into our lives. This was us waiting upon that 'wave' Thoreau spoke about. Preparing to grab hold of the everyday and new experiences coming towards us. The preparation for these moments of launch may seem like an eternity, but they fall upon us ever so quickly. So enjoy those quiet moments just prior to the launch.

Your moment might be in the early morning hours before the day begins. It might be as the day is ending, the countdown is your time to reflect and prepare. Get ready to launch with every moment, take your life to a new level and enjoy the ride.

Eyes Wide Shut

“Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living?” ~Bob Marley

So the thing is, I had a meeting in the Huntington Beach area south of Los Angeles. I was heading back to the Hollywood area north of the city and decided to set my camcorder on the dash and record coming into the city, the traffic and some of the sites. There are some amazing views along this drive and wanted to capture some video for future use.

When I arrived at my destination, I grabbed the camera ready to view what neat scenes I had captured. But to my dismay, when I set the camera up on the dashboard, a failure to open the lens cover resulted in several "blacked out" videos. The kind where plenty of sound exists, but no pictures to fill ones view.

That is sort of how we go through life at times with our eyes wide shut. Going through our daily routine but never really seeing where we are going. We exist and accomplish the everday routines, but we never seem to get closer to our goal. The sounds fill our life, but the picture never seems to brighten or come into view for us.

Just maybe we have our own lens cover closed. Maybe its the idea that we are not opening our eyes to new possibility. The kind of view that allows us to see beyond the everyday. The kind of view that allows us to see a greater vision for our life.

When I viewed the various videos on my camera, there were others that existed without a closed lens. Those videos gave me a look at a young couple full of dreams and goals. It revealed pictures of the landscape that has so much to offer. Much nicer then the depressing blacked out videos. It makes a huge difference when you open your eyes and see everything.

So make sure you open the camera lens each and everyday. Look towards the future with eyes wide open.

Sunset Blvd

"Know what you want to do, hold the thought firmly, and do every day what should be done, and every sunset will see you that much nearer to your goal." ~Elbert Hubbard

When speaking of a sunset, is there anything more obvious then Sunset Boulevard in the Los Angeles, California area. It runs from downtown LA northwest and then turns west running out to the Pacific Ocean near Pacific Palisades.

It is a famed road that offers a wide range of both social and economic variation. As you travel its course, you encounter everyday people, those trying to be famous and the very famous. There are the destitute people living on the street, those trying to survive, the getting by just fine and the super rich that have done amazingly well.

Even the street views give a glimpse into the diversity. In some areas you find the gorgeous trimmed and gated homes. In other areas the shiny glass office and retail entertainment complexes take your breath away. But you also see the rougher areas, broken glass windows and lots of struggle to maintain appearance.

The people along this twenty-two mile stretch tell a tale of dreams being pursued. The similarity carries across all situations. Every morning the poorest to the richest are getting up, getting dressed, getting prepared for the day; all wanting to pursue their dreams. The needs and wants, the visions and dreams, each may be at different levels, but each are still being pursued.

Regardless of that level, hold onto the dream and continue to move towards it. Never let go of what you want to achieve in life. "It is possible" is not just a silly phrase. There is so much proof of it through out history. You might even be surprised by what some people went through to achieve what they have today. One day it will be you with a story that will surprise others when you tell them of how you achieved your success.

What you need to remember is that we all see the sun rise and we all see the sun set. What matters is have you moved towards the dream today? Have you taken one or more steps? If so, then the dream is that much closer. The sunset is also a little more awe inspiring.

Life Is Full Of Surprise

"A story to me means a plot where there is some surprise. Because that is how life is - full of surprises." ~Isaac Bashevis Singer

So where oh where have I been the past couple of days? I have had this question asked of me several times. They say, "its not like you to disappear for a couple of days" and "have you stopped writing?" Which are nice questions to be asked, which means there are people that actually read my blog.

Where I have been is keeping a secret from our daughter Shirin. She lives in L.A. with her husband Dave. This weekend is her birthday and it has been several months since we've seen her. So in a conspiracy of epic proportion, her husband and we have been planning this birthday surprise for a couple of months.

In preparing, we had to ensure many friends back in Atlanta didn't let slip we were coming. Emails and texts between her and us meant we had to be careful what we said. It took her husband being stealthy in planning the big day. And it worked...SURPRISE.

The plot worked as planned. We arrived on Thursday afternoon, staying at a cool little guest house called The Sanborn House, not more then a block or so from their home. A great location very close to a great coffee shop called Intelligentsia to relax and take in the area called Sunset Junction.

Step outside the coffee shop to head back to the Sanborn and a great view of the Hollywood sign. But alas, our timing was such that the sign read Save The Peak. Wow...SURPRISE. Life is really full of them.

The next day, a Friday while Shirin is at work...we work with Dave to set the stage. He sets up the apartment of nearby friends where everyone will meet to surprise Shirin. She and Dave arrive on the idea of a few friends meeting to go out to a few clubs. Wow...SURPRISE. Life has a cool way of doing this. Its actually a party for her. But what about her mother and I? We are not there.

We actually arrive about fifteen minutes late (on purpose) and ring the bell. Dave has tactfully positioned her near the door so that she is the one to open it...SURPRISE. Well we were in the neighborhood and thought we'd drop by. The look of speechless wonder was wonderful. And a great evening of chatting and seeing her with all her friends was great. It was even better seeing her and Dave together enjoying the moment.

But yet another surprise. Our son Jon, in school at the University of Georgia has called. A rare snow storm in the Atlanta area created a perfect setting for playing football outside. And the perfect setting for a broken collarbone and his buddy taking him to the hospital emergency room. Wow...SURPRISE, life never seems to cease in giving them.

But all is well, he will do well and we continue to enjoy time with our daughter and husband. SURPRISE, life will work out one way or another and leave you with more.

Sharing Our Life

"Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be." ~Grandma Moses

We each have a life story to share with others.  It might be imparting the history to a younger generation or to someone in need of direction.  To share with others is a way to teach.  In the following story, a few pictures wrapped in a musical carriage can say so much without a single word.



Do not keep your life to yourself.  Share it with others through connection and feel the wonder of it.

Super Bowl Achievement

"Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything." ~Napoleon Hill

Another American NFL Football game was completed last night. The 44th Super Bowl in which the winner of the American Football Conference plays the winner of the National Football Conference for bragging rights. Last night it was the Indianapolis Colts (NFC) taking on what for many years were the hapless New Orleans Saints (AFC).

I don't mean to bore you with football statistics and aim to get you excited about American football. World soccer, rugby and many other sports have their own fans. What is interesting is that in each sport, there is always one team that never seems to quite make it.

In American football, one of those teams are...excuse me...were the New Orleans Saints. With their famed "Who Dat" slogan, they kept believing, kept dreaming of achieving one of the greatest rewards in American sports.

Achievement, an overnight success story one might say that was 43 years in the making. During that entire time, a whole lot of dreams were dashed and disappointment seemed to always find its way in. Pretty much like life in general I would say.

Each of us have dreams of achieving some level of greatness. The "journey" can be a spiritual one or a physical one. Either way, the journey is a process leading to some level of achievement that will have dashed dreams and disappointment along the way.

We will change things up, the players we once had in our lives will leave and new ones will enter. The journey will take a team effort of support and guidance as we seek the goal. Our connections to others will be a great force to help achieve the "overnight" success.

The New Orleans Saints could have settled for winning a couple of games each year. But they kept dreaming and striving for even greater achievement. And you need to keep dreaming and striving for greater achievement.

Battle the disappointment, battle the dashed hopes, battle those things that will get in the way. You will get there and the feeling will be astounding.

The New Soap Box

“Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can.”

~John Wesley

Each of us will at various times get up on our 'soap box' and evangelize our thoughts. It might be in a meeting at work, at the dinner table or in a crowded room filled with party guests. An opinion or belief will get expressed to the masses.

There have been great speakers going way back in time. Well before the biblical time of Jesus up until today, many have spoken from their own pulpit. And you may have been speaking from a pulpit and not even realized it. They come in all shapes and forms, but are real regardless of what they look like.

The above quote by John Wesley is one that I learned many years ago. Now while John Wesley was a a co-founder with his brother of the Methodist movement. But he 'evangelized' in open-air places. To bring good works to the community outside the church walls.

In today's world, I stand on my 'soap box' called a blog that reaches a fair amount of people through BLOGGER, TWITTER, FACEBOOK and other sources. I do what I can to bring goodness to others and to encourage them to do the same.

My soap box is much different then the old wooden one...

The Certainty Of Possibility

"When nothing is sure, everything is possible." ~Margaret Drabble

While in New York on business recently the above quote was used in a presentation at one of my meetings. It was used in the vision being presented for this year. It was meant to inspire and push people to excellence in their pursuit of success.

It stuck with me as the day wore on and had me thinking about how it can be applied to everything we do. "When nothing is sure", pretty much describes what life can be like. A birth, school, marriage, divorce, job, money and even with death, nothing is sure.

One could think back to the days of the Cold War when a concrete barrier called the Berlin Wall was erected not to keep people out, but to keep them in. The uncertainty of ones life and would this wall ever come down. People dreamed of the day it would happen and it did eventually. Many thought it never would, but the dreams overpowered the uncertainty. Today the German people are no longer seperated by a wall, today they live with greater possibility.

We can spend all of our time concentrating on these uncertainties. Will my baby be healthy and smart? Will our marriage be all that I dreamed it would be? Will a divorce be the end to all that my life was ever going to be? Will I achieve my full potential in my job and have enough money to live a comfortable life? Will the death of someone close change everything.

The answer to these questions is yes and no. The answer to these questions is that "everything is possible" when everything is unsure. Events and circumstance will occur in your life. One aspect of your life may end or be radically changed. But it also means that a new chapter is beginning and you have limitless possibility.

So instead of worrying about the uncertainty, focus on possibility and see your life expand.

New Game Or Continue

“When you are in the valley, keep your goal firmly in view and you will get the renewed energy to continue the climb.” ~Denis Waitley

The game is played and you reach a point in which failure occurs. Mario couldn't jump the deep gorge; the race car veered off course; maybe the wall of Tetris bricks fell down around you. When this happens, you get two choices presented. One selection is to start a "NEW GAME", while the other option is to "CONTINUE".

Similarly in the game of golf, if you flub a swing, you have the opportunity for what is called a mulligan. Some call it a do-over or something that allows you to take another swing at the ball.

Yet when it comes to life, we only get this one to live. We can't start over our lives in order to avoid mistakes made. What we have is the ability to continue on with our life. All we have to do is make changes in how or what we are doing and then press the "CONTINUE" button.

Keep your eye ahead of you, towards the road further on. Find a different path, find a different way and continue on with your life. A NEW GAME may not be possible, but a NEW WAY is.

Build A Life

"Life is a process. We are a process. The universe is a process." ~Anne Wilson Schaef

You have heard it before. It was either directed at you or someone else. The phrase "get a life" is tossed around by many folks. It is usually directed at those that are lazy or wasting their days. It is also meant to describe a process of achieving more.

But I contend that the phrase "get a life" is a misstatement. My belief is that you "build a life". There is no reaching up on a shelf to choose or find the life you want. I can not look up the keyword "life" on the Amazon website and all is well. It takes change on my part to help "build" the life you want.

Whether we are building a life from the ruins of a death, divorce or disaster, we do the work necessary to create something new for ourselves. We read stories of how others built a new life. We search for inspiration to keep us moving in the direction of a new life. We construct a life that will be great.

And when this life you are building begins to take shape, others will take notice. Your life will be that much greater when you "build a life".

Looking Beyond

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." ~Matthew 3:24

Its amazing what can happen when our path becomes blocked by trouble or pain. Some will look and simply sit down on the side of the road. So many of these roads are littered with the shanty buildings of those that have given up.

Others though will see the mountain and have the ability to believe in something beyond it. They can see what lay beyond the obstacle and use faith to guide them past it.

With the recent earthquake in Haiti, as with any major disaster; people will see the devastation around them and simply give up. But there will be many that can see the vision of a new country. Of rebuilding a hospital or a grocery store. They see their new home where now only a pile of rubble exists.

Your problems could be simply finding that job, someone to love or getting beyond whatever troubles you. It is your own personal mountain; your own personal boulder on the road to where you want to be. See beyond the obstacle and believe in it.

Then begin your trek across, around, over or through it. There are many different ways to achieve success. All you have to do is keep trying. Pretty soon you'll leave those shacks built by others along the road. A clear and wonderful path will lay before you.

Take today and work through what you have. Tomorrow will present greater opportunity for you and yesterday is gone...so let it go. Overcome your obstacles and achieve.

When Disaster Strikes

From Getty Images on Financial Times

"Sometimes it takes a natural disaster to reveal a social disaster." ~Jim Wallis

Disaster can strike anywhere at anytime in this world. The devastation in Haiti caused by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake is astounding to see. This occurred about 10 miles from the center of Port au Prince which has a population of nearly one million people. Think of similar sized cities any where around the world;

1,200,000 - Glasgow UK
1,200,000 - Lumumbashi Congo
1,177,000 - Perth Australia
1,157,000 - Orlando USA
1,075,000 - Dublin Ireland
1,050,000 - Auckland New Zealand
1,050,000 - Lille France
1,035,000 - Porto Portugal
1,002,000 - Adelaide Australia
1,000,000 - Helsinki Finland
972,000 --- Memphis USA
915,000 --- Antwerp Belgium
900,000 --- Port Elizabeth South Africa

Think of your own community. A town of 615 people like Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska can suffer as much as a city of nearly 34 million people like Tokyo, Japan. Disaster effects people on an individual basis. It could happen to any of us and when it does, others will come to your aide similar to what is happening in Haiti.

Yet we can not live in fear of the next disaster. We simply need to be prepared in ways that make sense. And when a disaster occurs, 'just breathe'. We will work through the pain and sorrow that a disaster brings. Greatness and better times exist on the other side of it. Just maintain faith in yourself and those around you. The people of Haiti will pull through with the help of themselves and those around the world.

Help in what ways you can today; not only in Haiti but in support of those that assist people in need around the world and within your own community.

Haiti - Treating The Injured

Treating those hurt by the Haiti earthquake, medical doctors are needed and here is another organization that is helping in relief efforts

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS (also known as Médecins Sans Frontières) has already treated more than 1,000 people on the ground in Haiti following Tuesday's earthquake, but the needs are huge. An inflatable hospital with operating theatres is expected to arrive in the next 24 hours.

Haiti Disaster Relief

Haiti Relief and Development

On January 12, a series of earthquakes measuring 6.5 to 7.3 on the Richter scale devastated Haiti. The AMERICAN RED CROSS is working with its partners in the global Red Cross and Red Crescent network, including the Haitian Red Cross, and other partners to assist those affected by this disaster.

Happy Birthday Dan

“It takes a long time to grow young.” ~Pablo Picasso

A very happy birthday to my son Dan.

Make It A Beautiful Day

"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone." ~Audrey Hepburn

The song you are listening to is probably more cynical about the reality of life then it may first appear. We each get up in the morning and see that wonderful sun rising in the east. Our hopes are that when it sets in the west, a great day will have happened.

The reality is that life throws a lot of different things at us. What starts great may get interrupted by circumstance. What may have been a wish for blue skies could turn into a rainy day.

What we can expect is how 'we' walk through our day. It is 'we' that determine our attitude in response to life. The ability that 'we' have to overcome anything in our way is what makes it a beautiful day.

mr es beautiful eyes mp3 | lyrics

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Time Begins Now

Soft Watch At Moment of First Explosion ~by Salvador Dali

"Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it." ~M. Scott Peck

Yes, the painting by Dali represents the last few moments before the end of time. But the representation could be what happens to time as it passes us. Or maybe it is the idea that time is slowly melting away from us. In many instances, where does time really go?

The start of a new year such as 2010 is the marking of time only. Some use it as the beginning of something different and the end to something old. For others it is a continuation of both. Either way, time is a resource and what we do with it matters greatly.

Time unused can be considered in some ways, time wasted. Does this mean one has to be productive with every waking moment? Not at all. There are things you want to do in your life. You want more 'things', you want more 'accomplishment', you want a 'greater life'. Yet if all you do is 'want', then time slips away and is wasted.

Eventually time is gone, melted away and lost forever.

But if you believe in yourself, if you respect your ability and worth to the short time we actually have, then time becomes meaningful. It will become a valued part of your life. Use time in the benefit of the life you live. It will create a much greater life.

Time is on your side more then it is against you. Use the time you have. Do not wait until tomorrow. Begin now...

New Year Of Possibility

"The Old Year has gone. Let the dead past bury its own dead. The New Year has taken possession of the clock of time. All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months!" ~Edward Payson Powell

We have the ability to make 2010 anything we want it to be. You have the ability to create the face of this new year. Believe in you, believe in possibility.

Have a happy and prosperous new year!!

So Late So Soon

“How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” ~Dr. Seuss

If you haven't noticed the clock on the wall or extremely thin desk calendar; it is now December 31st, 2009. The year has gone by so fast for many, so slow for others but gone by exactly in the amount of time it always has.

The work day will have ended sooner then normal. The rush to prepare for the evening parties will begin. And the night will be over before it seems to have begun.

The clock will strike midnight, the horns will sound and the confetti will fly. People will hug and give passionate kisses of happiness to one another. A final dance, a final auld lang syne and the new year will have begun.

Before you realize it, you will wonder "how did it get so late so soon?"

So take a moment to reflect on 2009 and a few more moments to reflect on 2010. Then get started loving more, sharing more and moving forward with your life. Time will proceed with or without us and before you know it, 2011 will be upon us.

Year End Resolution

"Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed." ~Cavett Robertngs

We are nearing the end of calendar year 2009. The resolutions we made on January 1st seem a distant memory. Some may even fret over the fact that they never accomplished those resolutions. The fear is that a year is coming to an end and nothing more can be done.

But a year is only the marking of time, not the end of it. We use it to measure only the passing of time and events. So anything not accomplished yet, still can be pursued.

It also means the end of a year is not really the end of our journey. The things we wanted to accomplish can still be accomplished. The dreams we put on paper twelve months ago can still be dreamt.

The end is only a marking of the final day of a year. It is the continuance of our life's journey. Let the end be only the end of inaction. Let the end be only the end of procrastination.

Let the end be the start of moving forward in life.

New Year Faith

"Faith is courage; it is creative while despair is always destructive." ~David S. Muzzey

Do you have faith to overcome anything? When life comes and tears apart everything you have, will you be able to rebuild it?

It was during a private "fly-in" fishing excursion in the Alaskan wilderness, a charter pilot and fisherman left a cooler and bait in the plane. A bear smelled it and this is what the bear did to the plane.


The pilot used his radio and had another pilot bring him 2 new tires, 3 cases of duct tape, and a supply of sheet plastic. He patched the plane together, and FLEW IT HOME!


Each of us will encounter what the bear has destroyed. Each of us require the faith to rebuild. A Bible verse (Isaiah 9:10) says, "the bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars."

Have faith in what was put inside each of us and you will fly out from the wilderness. The bear that tried to destroy you will be left defeated once again.

Can I verify the story above? Did he really fly it out? I guess that is what faith is all about.