One Degree

"It takes only one person with one match to light one candle to fill an entire room with hope." -Joseph Primm

There is a principle called "212" or sometimes "211 to 212". It is a pretty simple concept to grasp and has to do with the boiling point of water. As we all have learned, water reaches a boiling point at 212 degrees Farenheit. It is the point at which water begins to change form.

One degree less and the water is just very hot. Nothing more then that and not at the point at which water is transformed. Water begins to change from a liquid to a vapor. The boiling point creates the ability to sterilize and ward off bacteria. It is a point where everything can change.

But stop short at 211 degrees Farenheit and nothing happens. One degree, one more step, one more person. The principle of 212 means to go that one extra step, to go where change will happen in your life. But I think its significance is in the one degree.

That one degree is you. You can make the difference between nothing and something. You can make the difference that changes everything. You can be that one degree.

You

The significance of you and your ability to make a difference. Coming soon!

Until then, read Leading Change again and know that you are the type of person that can do it.

Leading Change

"Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody expects of you. Never excuse yourself." -Henry Ward Beecher

You have most likely seen it happen many times. It may have been at work, at the market, or in school. It comes in many different forms, many different versions and many times in subtle ways.

One way to describe it is a lack of leadership in setting a good example. Or you might see it as demanding of others but not of yourself.

One example I could use is while driving on the road. Recently I was driving down the freeway, probably in too big of a hurry and maybe it had been a long day. One particular car had me "pinned in" the far right lane, driving just fast enough so that I could not move over due to a large truck.

Frustrating as it was, I soon looked closer and on the car was one of those bumper stickers which read, "How's my driving?. All I could think of at first was, "stupidly". Okay, I might have thought a few other words also.

As we kept moving along, it made me wonder how is "MY" driving? Was I demanding greater perfection from others then I would demand of myself? Were my own driving habits a bad example or having a negative cascading effect upon others? I eased off and ended up with a much more relaxing few more miles home.

It would be interesting if we had a bumper sticker on our back.

The question is, will you lead the change in your life to be better? Will you demand more of yourself before you demand it of others. How is your driving?

Success in Steps

"The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance - and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.." -Oprah Winfrey

It is a very refreshing and calming thing when you have achieved success. You breath easier. Your shoulders relax. Life just seems to be perfect at that moment.

But like the sweet smell of fresh cut flowers or newly baked bread, the aroma lingers but for a while. It drifts and suddenly you find yourself looking to take the next step on the journey.

Some folks I know recently achieved a milestone of success. On their road to achieving a goal, they reached one important step. Every road to reaching something big requires reaching many smaller ones. Sometimes if a small one is not met your whole journey gets rerouted. But if you do get to key ones along the way, then your journey makes a huge step forward.

For two film makers and an actress, the first small step was to secure initial funding. Fun, intense, frustrating and relief are some words they may use to describe the result.

With their funding in place now, they can smell the sweet aroma of success. But they each know that the journey has just begun.

If you want a visual, think of it this way;

Vision: deciding that sitting on the couch forever is not an option
Action: getting up off the couch and walking out the front door

These folks have simply gotten through the gate at the end of the walk. A destination is out there waiting for them. There is a destination out there waiting for you as well.

Take your success in small steps. Consider each and every step towards a goal as a success. Savor each one of them but only for a short time. The next milestone will smell even sweeter.

Crawl or Screen to your Belief

CRAWL               SCREEN

"To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest." -Mohandas Gandhi

A couple of years back, Twitter was relatively new and I decided to join the conversation. I was looking for a way to simply draw attention to my blog site. I figured that if people needed motivation or a small bit of encouragement, they might catch site of my blog and be inspired by one or two articles.

It was early in this adventure that I caught sight of David Baker from Scotland in the U.K. David is a writer, director, producer, actor with a passion for making movies. Two people from different backgrounds, connected in the electronic world where elsewhere we never would have.

I have enjoyed reading and talking with David as he has worked hard to follow his dreams. So I am a supporter of his efforts, like anyone that believes in themself, David also acts upon what he believes in; he lives his vision which will end in the realization of that vision.

It was through Twitter and the electronic social world that David met a guy named Oklahoma Ward from (yes, really), Oklahoma here in the United States and an actress named Nicole Alonso from New Jersey. All three realized pretty quickly that they shared much of the same vision and passion for making films.

So they decided to put belief into action and are currently raising start up funds to create two films (CRAWL and SCREEN - shown above) and a documentary film giving us a view into what it takes to live your passion.

Right now (April 13, 2011), they are in the final 36 hours of that fund raising effort. They are a mere $1,900 US dollars short of their mark.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

You can be part of the movie industry. You can be part of movie making magic. You can donate a few bucks to make this a reality. The links I've provided detail everything you need to know and how to become involved. But you need hook up today because when the hours tick down to zero, if the money is not there, the movies and documentary don't get made.

But they will get made...believe in it. That is what I always say, correct? What I'm asking you to do is believe in Nicole, Oklahoma and David.

Jump into the action today, live your beliefs and realize greatness in your life.

Tomorrow Is Here

by Mocachip

“I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” -Stephan Grellet

Yesterday I wrote an article titled "Building St. Peters". It was an article to try and get you thinking about starting your journey now. If you feel you have been stuck and not living your life to its best potential, yesterday was the day to start. That first step, that laying of the foundation walls; it takes movement.

Some people would misinterpret this to mean, open wide the throttle and run over people on your way to something. And there are those in life that will simply run over and crush those in the way of their goals. But once arriving, all they have done is left a trail of broken trust and broken relationships; they have left a broken legacy.

Achievement in life doesn't mean achieving your goals at the cost of others and at the cost of you. It means bringing others along with you and arriving at a destination with others, not alone.

There is an old saying that advises, "be nice to people on the way up as they will be the ones you meet again should you fall." I am not sure why people forget this one human quality of 'being nice.' There are certainly people that would rather not see you succeed. But there are many more that want to see you do well.

What we sometimes call the race to success is not the same destination for everyone. What we define as success is different to different people. So don't think of it as a race to only one goal for all people. It is your personal destination and others will help you, while you help them.

So now that I have distracted you a little bit from forgetting that you failed to start yesterday; are you starting today? Are you starting to be a little nicer to people? Are you getting up and making movement towards your dreams and goals?

Tomorrow will be here soon enough and all of your yesterdays will pile up behind you.

Building St. Peters

St. Peter's Basilica Floor Plan

"To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time." -Leonard Bernstein

The other day I performed some volunteer work at my local church, theC3Church. It was one of those work events in which the talented church members in the construction industry put those talents to a grand plan. For me, its a matter of volunteering my back to assist them in bringing that plan to fruition.

This particular project is to rebuild a seating area by installing risers for those seated further back. Quite an undertaking when I first viewed the area and the work required. But to accomplish the task is this purpose of my article today; putting your plans into action.

Each of us has a dream or vision for what we want in life. Sometimes it is a well announced vision while many times it is quietly kept to ourself. The core thing to remember is that it takes action to put your plans on a course to accomplishment.

Look back at all of the great cathedrals built around the world. Most of these first grand buildings were built in the 1100 and 1200s AD. Even the grand St. Peter's Basilica in Rome was a vision at first. What followed was a plan followed then again by action.

I watched the lead people review the drawn plans, take measurements once, twice and discuss. Then action occurred and as we worked the plan started to become a reality. BELIEF in a vision takes you to the point of planning and preparing. You then must ACT upon the plan and begin moving forward with what you want to accomplish. Finally you come to REALIZE that vision.

We can dream and envision day in and day out about what we want in life. We can even sit at the drawing table creating plan after detailed plan on how to achieve it.

But in the end, if we want to view the grand Sistine Chapel ceiling of our life, we must begin by building the foundation. We must raise the walls in order to support our dreams. We must begin to act upon the plan.

Will you turn your dreams into plans today? Will you turn your plans into action? Will you?

Not the End

"Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact." -William James

It seems the world is falling apart. You pick up a newspaper or read your favorite web news site; stories of concern can be found in nearly every part of the world.

We currently have the devastation in Japan, unrest and uncertainty in the Middle East and Africa, and a possible government shutdown here in the United States. Anywhere you look, it might be easy to believe that December 21, 2012 is here already.

But stop for a moment and take a breath.

2001, World Trade Center terrorist attack kills thousands
1994, In Rwanda, Hutu militias begin killing Tutsis in a genocide
1990, Twin ferry accidents on opposite ends of world occur
1975, North Vietnamese forces begin final offensive in the Vietnam War
1968, Martin Luther King Jr. is shot and killed in Memphis, Tenn.
1941, Germany invades Yugoslavia and Greece,
1861, U.S. Civil War begins

And the list could go on and on as far back as you wish to go. Bad things happen. Horrible things happen. Generation after generation has to deal with the circumstances and issues that arise on their watch. It is a part of life.

If you feel overwhelmed by all of it, place yourself in the heat of World War II. The common person, seeing a truly world at war with horrific news and events. Go back the Great Depression of the 1930s, World War I, the U.S. Civil War; on and on there are generations that had to endure.

The good news is that each of the generations have made it through. The world didn't end. Humanity found a way through all of it.

We can be concerned but we have to turn that concern into energy to solve or begin to solve present day issues. If we merely cower in the face of despair, nothing will ever be accomplished.

You have a journey of life to live. Know that there are a hundred other good things happening as well. Just look around, stay positive, stay focused and we will overcome any present day issues.

It is going to be okay.

Treat with Decency

"It is a good idea to be ambitious, to have goals, to want to be good at what you do, but it is a terrible mistake to let drive and ambition get in the way of treating people with kindness and decency." -Unknown

Some times it surprises me that one would ever have to even write about this topic. What I am referring to is the mere idea of just being decent when dealing with other people.

Recently an administrative person was downsized at my office. I really hate that term to begin with. That term and others such as "excess reduction", "rightsizing", "delayering", "smartsizing", "redeployment", "workforce reduction", "workforce optimization", "simplification", "force shaping", "recussion", and "reduction in force" are all indirect terms for being told your services are no longer needed.

This person wasn't laid off for any bad reason. She was simply caught in the numbers game of needed employees. So after 20 some years of employment, she was gone, asked to fill a box and leave the building.

The act of someone getting laid off happens almost everyday for a wide variety of reasons. It is nothing new and it will be something that goes on well beyond my short article. What can change is how we lay off people. This lady was well respected by co-workers and was a very loyal employee in all of her years. But she was treated poorly and without much respect. The 'corporate policy guidelines' allowed for a very indecent removal.

I don't wish to complain about this particular circumstance. It is unfortunate and the way it was handled reflects poorly on a company I work for and admire. What I am here to say to you and everyone else that can hear me, "just be decent in how you treat others."

It is a pretty simple idea to live by. It can make a world of difference not only for the other person, but for you as well. It reflects poorly on you when you treat people badly. It reflects poorly, plain and simple.

We all have to learn and teach ourselves this idea. I try to be decent to all those I come in contact with. It doesn't always work out that way and I try to do better the next time.

So can you, in every encounter, every situation, every day; treat others with decency. You know you would want the same in return.

The Iceberg

"Success or failure depends more upon attitude than upon capacity. Successful men act as though they have accomplished or are enjoying something. Soon it becomes a reality. Act, look, feel successful, conduct yourself accordingly, and you will be amazed at the positive results." -William James

In the movie, A Bronx Tale, the kid, Calogero 'C' Anello, makes a statement near the end in which he says, "The saddest thing in life is wasted talent, and the choices that you make will shape your life forever." The ability to do or be any thing you want in life is a lesson sometimes learned much later then early.

Do not fool yourself into believing you have no abilities to achieve great things. There is quite a bit inside each of us, inside of you, that given the right frame of mind can propel you to greater heights. It all happens with a huge positive attitude inside.

Think of the iceberg floating out in the large open sea. The area above the water may appear small with only enough capacity to carry a few seals. Aimlessly it drifts with the ocean currents, ships avoiding contact where possible. But underneath the iceberg is an immense structure of ice that goes mostly undetected.

That huge area underneath is your attitude. It can be a negative one or a positive one. Its your choice on what its going to be. A negative attitude will keep you floating aimlessly, never achieving much of anything in life. A positive attitude will propel your abilities to greatness.

We always tend to under estimate the power of our attitude. It can be the difference between languishing in an unsatisfying job position and having a very fullfilling work life. It can be the difference between being lonely forever after a divorce to finding a new life filled with love and happiness.

It can be the difference in everything.

You Can Pretend

"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light." -Helen Keller

Simply put, you can put yourself alone out on the edge of a cliff and wait. You can sit there hoping that the world will fill in before you. It is a very lonely existence to be there on your own, no connections, and no one to keep you from falling over the edge.

It is connection to others which is a key thing here. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines connection as, "the act of connecting, the state of being connected, as a casual or logical relation or sequence (the connection between two ideas); a person connected with another especially by marriage, kinship, or common interest."

So it takes two or more people for this connection to occur. To stand out on a ledge and hope someone will grab hold will require a connection. To have a friendship with anyone or anything will require a connection. To live your best life will require a connection.

But how do connections become established? Do they just happen? Do they magically appear between two people?

No, connection requires at the very least one person making an effort to connect. The other person needs to respond and reciprocate to complete this joining of two people. The problem is that many times neither side is willing to put their hand out first.

Standing on the edge of being alone, you have to turn and face away from that edge. You have to be willing to look to where others are standing. We know from the laws of physics that people are not floating out in mid-air. So we have to turn and reach out to where others are.

Those of us standing back away from that edge have to be responsible for making the connection also. We can tell ourselves "no way, that person is much too close to the edge. I'm not going out there." But as Dr. Gordon Moore has said, "You can pretend to care but you can't pretend to show up." Going out to that ledge to connect with someone whom is paralyzed by the edge is just as important.

All of us can use connection in our life. Whether it be with one person or many, it helps us live a great life. It brings meaning and purpose in to our daily existence.

You can be lonely and pretend not to want anyone else in your life. But down deep it is connection that we all desire.

You can pretend to care about those living out on the edge. But until you reach out and make the connection, it is just words.

Connect with someone today, be it the first time or the one hundreth time.

Crayon Life

"Your attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world. Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak. Try adding some bright colors to the picture by including humor, and your picture begins to lighten up." ~Allen Klein

All it takes is a single cloudy day and the color of life seems to fade away. The greyness of the day simply takes over and it takes over our attitude. It is an odd thing but then the sun comes out and the light reflects wondrous colors.

The sparkling green of the grass or the deep blue of the sky, each does something to us. The red of the roses and the yellow pine pollen seem to jump out and grab hold of us. Colors that we had forgotten about in one day reclaim our attention.

The changing weather is almost like our ever changing lives. The ups and downs of circumstance that enter and exit our world. The dullness of the day replaced by joy and excitement the next. It is an ever shifting pattern that can frustrate you endlessly.

But if you always try to look at the goodness of the grey sky. The rain that follows that dampens the ground. There is something positive to be gained from those times. The rain feeds the ground which nourishes the flowers. The trees draw from it and the cooling shadow of the clouds gives retreat from the warm sun.

These days in our life will and are followed by the shining sun. We do come out of the greyness. We do get to stand again in the warm light of the day. The colors of our world return to fill our life.

Never despair, never give up; never allow the yourself to use only the grey colored crayon. Use all of the colorful crayons you have been given and brighten even the cloudiest day. Color your life with magical wonder to share with those around you.

No More All Fools Day

Foolish Questions #36

"There comes a morning in life when you wake up a new person; that is to say, you wake up the same person but you realize it's your own fault." ~Robert Brault

Here it is the first of April, well known as April Fools Day. Did it come from a copying error of the manuscript for Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in 1392? Did it come from the tale of Londoners being tricked into going to the Tower of London to see the Lions washed in 1698? Or maybe all of us have been fooled over and over these many years into believing it had something to do with anything at all.

Interestingly enough, we do have that ability which allows us to fool ourselves into believing what isn't true. In other words, we can get good at pushing the truth into darkness and living what isn't true. This type of self-deception can be partly explained by what psychologists call "confirmation bias" and also referred to as Morton's Demon.

Morton's Demon was a thought experiment created by the Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell. A hypothetical demon sits at the gate of our mind and if and when he sees supportive evidence coming in, he opens the gate. But if he sees contradictory information coming, he closes the gate. In this way, the demon allows us to believe we are right and avoid any of the contradictory information.

Dr. Stephen Diamond writes, "Consider the ordinary example of some heated conflict with a spouse, lover, relative or close friend. How is it that after the fact, each participant can have a completely contradictory version of what happened? Objectively speaking, first A happened, then B occurred, then C was said, D followed, etc. But what if the objective facts or our own behavior don't comport well with how we see ourselves? We distort the facts to support our particular point of view and to sustain our beliefs about the kind of person we are or want to be."

But enough with the medical terminology and explanations. We simply have the ability to fool ourselves. We fool ourselves so much we forget whom we really are at its worst.

Look in the mirror again today and rediscover who you really are. Find the real you inside. Robert Brault also said, "Looking back, you realize that a very special person passed briefly through your life, and that person was you. It is not too late to become that person again."

Do not let that person slip by without getting to know him/her. Know yourself and let the greatness of you come to the surface.

Believe It

"We are what we believe we are." -C. S. Lewis

It can be hard, really hard, to believe in yourself and in the greatness of your life. Life has a pretty nasty way of throwing circumstance and events at you. Just when things seem to be going pretty good, you stumble on a rock or the rain washes away your bridge.

Things happen and holding onto belief can be downright impossible at times. But something is only impossible if that is what you believe in. If you believe you will never succeed, you won't. If you believe you will never achieve what you want in life, you won't.

Try turning that belief into something good for your life. Believe in you and your dreams. Believe that you will get that new job. Believe that you will lose those 20 pounds of weight.

Believe that you can and you will.

Quiet Good

"You don't have to know somebody to do good for somebody."
-Mennonite Woman

I was watching a nightly news story about Mennonite's from Central Pennsylvania that went to Diamond, Louisiana to assist those still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. They are rebuilding homes for many folks, which in turn is helping rebuild lives. All without payment, all without banners and celebrations. Quietly going about doing something good.

It is something that happens more often than you might think. There are individuals doing good things quietly. Many times people are helping those they know from family, church or work. Maybe a friend or other person through your child's school are being attended to. People helping other people within the community.

But as the unknown Mennonite woman said, "you don't have to know somebody to do good for somebody." It is giving for your fellow human being. It is helping out someone in need. It is doing all of this for the sole purpose of just doing good.

So many people have their stories of doing something for another; quietly and without trumpets and horns heralding their deed. If you would like to anonymously share your story, let me know. Send me a private email to josephprimm@bellsouth.net and I'll share the stories with others.

When No One Is Watching

DigitEL - Shadow Tree

"Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." -Abraham Lincoln

I was, putting it in a very uncool phrase,"surfing the web" for information on the subject of this article. Normally I pick a subject and then look for an accomodating quote. Today things happened a little backwards.

As I was "surfing the net" (much cooler phrase), I happened upon the above image created by DigitEL. The illusion of the tree's shadow on the hedges caught me right away. It really made me think of how we project an image to others but the real us is revealed when no one is watching.

The quote happened to follow pretty quickly, sort of a serendipitous discovery. I get lucky that way when writing some days. Things just come together. It works well as I like to write in private, quietly and all alone. All of this I do when no one is watching.

As you conduct the business of the day, the nice suit and tie exuding confidence. Your smile and friendly aura fills the office and lives of others. But what happens when you go home, in the privacy of home with your spouse and children. Do they get that same attention and care. What happens when no one is watching.

You might ask if we all need perfection? I wish we could but we should try to strive for it. The person we are in public should be the same person we are in private as best we can. The stress of the day can mount and tire you until you come home and it all releases when no one is watching.

But guess what, your kids are watching. Your wife is watching. The neighbors at the very least can hear it. More importantly, you can see it yourself. Look in the mirror to see whom is the real you when no one is watching.

I try to apply all that I write. I try to be the person both in private and publicly that these words encourage you to be. I know that others are watching me. I know that my family is watching. I know that I strive to be a better person even when no one else is watching.

We can live the two lives of a tree and its shadow, or we can be the rock solid tree with our one identity. Like the tree, we will go through our seasons of wonderful color, the loss and the budding new green of life.

But those things will be the real us and not a shadowing attempt at something which isn't. We will always be that tall and strong oak tree, even when no one is watching.

Thunderstorms

"We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Early one morning, I was awaken by the crashing boom of thunder. It was the type of thunder that rattles the very walls of the house. There was very little lightening to warn you of the coming thunder. At first is was odd not to see the lightening followed by the thunderous sound.

Quickly though it lulled me back to sleep. That in itself would amaze many of my siblings. I am unsure how it developed, but I had a deathly fear of storms when growing up. And since I grew up on the plains of Nebraska, large thunderstorms were common.

The mere thought of a raging storm filled with lightening and thunder raised fears of great proportion in me. There were times in which I felt so afraid and would cower in a basement corner. The fear holding a tight grip on me in a way I couldn't explain.

Fear can have a debilitating effect on you in ways that can crush your ability to do anything at all. It stifles and takes hold of your entire life. Fear basically keeps you from moving on with your life.

Take the news stories of the telecommunications giant AT&T agreeing to purchase T-Mobile for $39 billion dollars. A staggering sum of money, but with many individual people affected. I know many of those people that work in many various positions. They range from sales associates, to managers and even regional directors. Each of these people will be affected; both in good and bad ways.

One of these folks is a store manager and recently admitted that she at first could have gone to fear with the news. She could have thought the worst; allowing doom and gloom to cover her life. But she resolved to trust first in her faith and secondly in her ability to push through whatever happens.

You may think that is a naive way of thinking. But it is always easier to go to the negative. It always takes more effort to remain positive. Success and achievement take effort.

When the storms come crashing through your window, will you allow fear to rule? Or will you face the fear with resolve to overcome it?

I can tell you that my fear of thunderstorms caused me sleepless nights. Storms ruled the day until I realized that it wasn't the storms; it was the fear that I was allowing to rule my life.

The first crack of thunder still wakes me at night, but it also lulls me back to a gentle sleep. Fear remains outside to fend for itself, far from the life you are building.

Walk the Distance

"Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time." -Steven Wright

Recently I had a Twitter exchange with @LaughNYC. Originally he had tweeted, "I've got a frog in my mouth and it's making me horse <----lots of animals going on in there." And being the wise guy that I can sometimes be retweeted it with the comment, "Galloping frogs legs Batman!"

Humor, dry at times or outright guffaws, has a place in our life. It is a way to ease the tension and a way to simply make you feel good. Humor can make a point about life in a light hearted way. Or it can be very piercing and spirited in the punch line.

Either way, humor has its place in our life. As noted by the comedian Steven Wright, the road we are on is long, but only if we have enough time to walk its length. His dry wit has always amused me but his point is well taken. You can get to any place that you want by walking; that is if you have enough time.

Achieving our dreams or goals are just as achievable. You simply need to have enough time and persistance to get to them. But it means getting up now and moving towards it. That along with time and a little humor will get you most anywhere you want.

Blade of Grass

“You could cover the whole earth with asphalt, but sooner or later green grass would break through.” -Ilya Ehrenburg

It seems at times that we are surrounded by thick walls. Walls that have no clear way of getting through. They are too high and too strong. No windows, no doors and no way to get to the other side. So we quit trying. We sit on our hands and lament the impossible.

Yet even a single blade of grass never quits trying. It keeps working at the covering above it. A weak spot here, a crack over there; searching for a way to break through.

You are that blade of grass. You keep trying, you keep searching, you find a way through. Eventually it happens. Like that blade of grass covered by ashpalt, you break through the wall. You find a way to get past what confines you. You experience the sunshine, you experience greatness.

Just Start

Whatever you want in life, start today.
Not tomorrow - today.
Let it be a small beginning - a tiny beginning.
Your happiness depends on starting today - every day.
-Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Along with all that life is throwing at us, kids in school, a busy work schedule and a spouse's surgery; we decided to remodel a good share of the house. All at the same time and all culminating in our time being filled to the brink.

I would not say it is overwhelming for all of us (me, you and everyone else) as each of us has the capacity to do more then we give ourselves credit for. I would say that we took this on because waiting just wasn't in the cards. We were ready to move on all of it even if we didn't think we were completely ready.

What I mean by that is all of us have something we want or want to do in life. But inevitably we procrastinate or reason that the timing isn't perfect. Yet now is the perfect time. Now is when you should be starting to get on with your life.

For us, an opened wall between our dining room and living room will create a grand space for family and friends. Fresh paint on the walls will brighten rooms in which we gather. The new carpets will comfort our feet as we dance away the days. Yes, getting on with life in spite of all that happens is a good thing.

Take a moment to breath a short sigh and then get on with it. Start moving forward with your life. Start the makeover, start the new class, start with starting as opposed to waiting. Your life will be so much grander for having done so.

Care

"We are afraid to care too much, for fear that the other person does not care at all." -Eleanor Roosevelt

I am limiting my writing this week in order to spend my time taking care of someone special. My wife had surgery last Friday and is now at home recuperating. Since I place her well being very high on my list of priorities, I have taken the week off to care for her.

The word 'care' is defined by Merriam-Webster as a person or thing that is an object of attention, anxiety, or solicitude. It is to direct ones attention or concern towards.

Which really means to disregard thoughts of self and direct them towards another. It is a moment or period of time in which we stop worrying about just ourself. It is a moment or period of time in which we start living outside of ourself.

As humans, we can become very 'self-absorbed' in our own life. So much that we fail to see our connection with others. The bonding of our lives with others that only comes from caring.

There are those that would argue that, "I give money to charity" or "We sponsor a local kids soccer program" is enough. Those things are well and good, but where is the caring connection? Where is the personal touch of your life within theirs?

Our lives become great and fulfilled when we interact with others. The connection of caring for others becomes greater then self. When all of this happens, we raise the level of our own lives; we raise the self.

When you take time to go outside of 'you', amazingly that caring will come back around to 'you'.

A Day Off

I will be back next week. Just taking the day off and paying attention to other more important things.

Have a great weekend!

Prepare

"I will prepare and some day my chance will come." ~Abraham Lincoln

You get up in the morning, shower, dress and eat breakfast. Some then start the car while others head off to the bus stop. You arrive, grab a coffee or other drink and sit at your desk. Or you put on gloves and a hard hat, making your way towards the task at hand.

Lunch arrives, you open your lunch pail or the menu. Maybe a personal phone call or two and then back to work until the time to leave arrives. So back into your car or to a bus ride home. The dog needs to be walked, the supper cooked, maybe a school meeting or catching up on your reading.

The time for bed comes around finally and pajama dressing, teeth brushing and setting the alarm for the next morning. All of this happens day in and day out, most times without even thinking about it.

But everything you do or have done required some level of preparation. It took some planning, some thought and some decision making. You then put each of those things into action.

Now think about your visions or dreams. Have you prepared? Have you planned? Have you put them into motion?

Paperwork of Life

"We can lick gravity, but sometimes the paperwork is overwhelming." ~Wernher von Braun

Recently I spent a day with my wife going to her pre-operative medical visits. She was going to have surgery in a few days and these visits were a necessary part. So together, we bravely marched on towards the day.

Now I will admit that previous medical visits required numerous forms to fill out. We know that a visit to the doctor is probably also a date with paperwork. Even in today's 'electronic' age of computers, the need for paper still exists.

And again, as we made our way to each of three appointments, additional paperwork to read and sign. I am certain there are legislators, regulators and lawyers out there earning a very good living by the looks of it.

But in all of the ink and pulp, the human factor remained. People in a profession (medical) doing a professional job and being friendly. Each and everyone of them, happy, pleasant and just enjoying the work. We may have been 'another patient and husband' but we certainly didn't feel that way.

Do you project a positive image in your daily work? Will people get the impression that they matter and that you enjoy your work? If not, then one of two things need to happen. You either need to change your attitude or find new work. It isn't worth being miserable just to earn a paycheck. It isn't worth living your life in that manner.

Change the way you approach your work. Make it an enjoyable experience not only for you but for those around you. If you can not do that, think about finding something that does bring joy to your daily work life. Most of us are going to spend nearly forty years or more working.

That is at least half of your life time. Don't spend those years in a miserable way. Spend those years enjoying the days.

You are the only one that can make that change. It is not your boss, it is not your co-worker, and it isn't even the money. It is you that controls your own attitude.

Get on with the paperwork that will always be there. But also get on with a great and enjoyable life. It is your choice. Initial those pages, sign at the bottom and get on with it.

Tuesday

“I always give 100% at work:
13% Monday
22% Tuesday
26% Wednesday
35% Thursday
4% Friday”

Not really.

It is 100% all of the time because that is how you live life. You give 100% to work. You give 100% to your relationships. You give 100% to yourself.

You live life and you work at it. Whether it is Tuesday or Friday, you live life to its fullest. You live life at 100%.

Compassion For Others

"Compassion brings us to a stop, and for a moment we rise above ourselves." ~Mason Cooley

Each of us have witnessed on television the devastating images from Japan. The earthquake and then a large scale tsunami wreaked widespread death and destruction. One can not help but be moved to compassion for those people affected.

The Wednesday before this natural disaster, I was flying through Tokyo on my way home. During my four hour layover, I learned that I had just missed the rumblings of an early morning earthquake. Little did I or anyone sitting around me was was about to happen.

It is in our hearts to spill over with compassion when others are hurt. This compassion not only extends to great disasters, but should be an everyday piece of your heart.

There are people all around you in need. Some more then others and some with just a little need to get them through the day. This does not mean that I am ranking need. I am only saying that when you rise above yourself, the compassion for others will naturally flow from you.

Individually we can not solve many of the problems of the world. But start small, start with yourself, start by simply having compassion where its needed. Eventually you will find yourself among others doing great things.

Here Today

"My today is both my yesterday and tomorrow." ~Joseph Primm

Recently I returned from a two week business trip to Asia. It was a very good trip and successful in what I was able to accomplish. As always though, it is good to be back home.

When traveling to that part of the world, the clock is roughly thirteen hours ahead of my normal time zone. So for the length of my stay, I tend to be half a day ahead in time. In the practical sense, you are a day ahead of those you normally hang around.

The change can have a dramatic effect upon your body. There is an appropriate scene in the movie "Lost in Translation" in which Bill Murray is sitting on his bed looking out the window. It is the middle of the night in Tokyo, but he is wide awake as if still sitting in the U.S.

The movie itself is not my wife's favorite, but I like it only because of the lost feeling one experiences during a dramatic time change.

Writer's note: The movie does not depict the writer's beliefs in how one handles the situation.

The feeling is one of not being in one's own present time. The balance of past, present and future is out of whack. You push through and do the right things, you tell yourself that its simply a time adjustment. But deep inside you feel you have missed something.

Upon returning home, my adjustment is normally pretty quick. Sure, a few nights of sleeping extra and getting back into the swing happen. Yet the feeling of slipping back into the normal comes quickly.

Its the idea that where you are now is where you are supposed to be. It is the balance of what has happened to you and the direction you are headed. We each live our lives the best we can.

We are products of our past but we should not live there. Also, we can not live in the future until we have fulfilled the present. Learn what you can from what has happened in your life and use today in preparation for a greater tomorrow.

Choose The Life

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

So how do you make a great life? Is there a procedure manual laying about in some box that someone forgot to give you? Can we perform an internet search and find the perfect blog? Or maybe there is a college course we can take that wasn't listed in the general catalog.

Unlikely and very impossible to achieve without just living life. Getting up every day and putting yourself out there will teach you the most. It is likely you will get hurt along the way. It is likely that you will make mistakes. But it will be the life you make it.

I had always thought there was some secret to all of this. A well kept secret that no one would ever tell me. A secret so hidden that if only I found it, my life would achieve greatness.

Then it happened on a rainy day, sitting on my back porch. It was my life and it was mine to determine how I felt about it. It was a pact between my God and myself to make it a great life.

You have the ability to create a great life as well. It is up to you to change the way you think, the way you feel and the attitude you choose. It is your choice. Make it a great one.

Millions To Love

"If you want to be loved, be lovable." ~Ovid

In a city of twenty-two million people you can start to feel lost among the sameness of it all. You can begin to think you are actually alone while so many people pass you by. In moving through a crowd, it becomes easy to avoid eye contact with others. Especially when in a foreign land and unable to understand the language, you want to close down.

What I found though was the more I opened up, the more smiles I got in return. The same tends to happen with any one and any place you go. If you open up your heart to people, you may find them opening up to you.

But start at home, with your family, your friends and those close by. In time you will find others opening up to you. We can hate each other or we can love to be around each other. Like the huge number of bicycles to ride in this mega huge city, the same number of people are out there to love. Why not get on that bicycle and start pedaling. You may just find a whole lot of love waiting for you.

For me it starts with one person, my wife. It all gets bigger from there.

For Every Nickel

"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." ~Albert Einstein

If I had a nickel for every mistake I have made in life, my riches would be boundless. And without those mistakes, I would not be nearly the person I am today.

We all make mistakes at one point or another in our life. some of us make a lot of them while others seem to have a perfect track record. The amount of mistakes is not what is important though. It is how you handle those mistakes which is important.

If you never learn or grow from a mistake, then it is the mistakes which control your life. But with each misstep or failure, if something new is learned then it only improves your life. It puts you closer to a greater life. Certainly it can feel like one step forward and two steps back. But in reality a mistake is just the opposite.

One step back and two steps forward should become your way of thinking. Learn from those mistakes and try to never repeat them. You will of course repeat mistakes from time to time. Again its all about using those mistakes to move your life forward.

Maybe now is the time to put a nickel in a jar for all the mistakes you make. Allow those mistakes to add up in your favor. A jar full of nickels is not a jar full of mistakes, but a jar full of life.

Burning Bright

"People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society." ~Vince Lombardi

There is a lamp on the desk where I am writing this article. A long chrome lamp that uses an LED bulb. This type of bulb is one of those in which several, thirty-six in fact because I counted them (inside joke for those that know me).

What interested me was that I could take my finger and cover any one of those LEDs and the light still shined brightly on the desk. So I tried covering several and the overall light remained very good. I could even touch each of them individually without burning my finger.

Try covering an older incandescent bulb, or touch it for that matter. The older light bulbs burned very hot, used a lot of energy and burned out in a short amunt of time. The LED bulbs together burn cool, use less energy and last much longer.

Sort of an example that working together can benefit the individual as much as the entire group. With everyone working as one, the light of success can still shine through.

The world has problems from global sized events down to the smallest of personal strife. When we work collectively on these issues, we can overcome them. We can solve things by working together.

The light will burn longer, brighter and cooler then any single individual bulb. Be part of a larger solution in life and make it a greater life.

Miracle of a new Day

Walk To Beautiful

"The miracle is not to fly in the air, or to walk on the water, but to walk on the earth." ~Chinese Proverb

The sun has come up and the fog begins to burn away as life awakens to a new day. Fresh coffee brews and the smell of breakfast emanates from the kitchen. The activity of this day comes to life and a new miracle begins.

Life gives us this miracle each and every day. Its a chance to experience the greatness of our lives. Its a chance to experience the miracle of a new day.

Get up and walk the earth. Get up and live the miracle.

Travel with Purpose

Pilgrim statue by Jose María Acuña in front of Parador de San Marcos - LEON, SPAIN

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends." ~Maya Angelou

I am fortunate enough in life that my job gives me the opportunity to travel all around the world. It certainly isn't every week or even every month that I travel abroad, but so many places I have seen.

Some of these places I have been able to share with my wife. Others I have had to document in pictures and stories for her and those that I know. The world is still quite large in spite of how small it seems at times.

The statue above reminded me of the pilgrimage all of us are on. The journey to something in life that requires us to sit and reflect at times. A short rest from the travel we endure each and every day.

It could be your daily pilgrimage around your hometown or possibly across state. Where ever the road leads you in life, I have found people are pretty much the same as you and I are.

People all around the world, from where I am today in Shenzhen, China across the globe to my home in Atlanta, Georgia; all are living life the best way they know how. Each of us get up in the morning and get ready for work. If we have kids, we are getting them off to school. We are battling traffic to get to our job or running to catch a bus or train.

The work goes on, the lunch time routine and back home to make supper or shop for groceries; it remains the same for all of us. If we look beyond ourselves, we'll find that our similarities outnumber the differences. The languages might be different, the cultures not understood, but the act of living is the same.

I might be the only red-headed Irish-German within 100 miles of Shenzhen. Although there was the teen with brightly painted red hair walking down the street. But as you can see, even young people go through their phases across the cultures and generations.

If we take the time to look beyond ourselves, to look beyond the distance and cultural differences, maybe we can work things out. The arguments and disagreements will still occur; even our own families argue. Yet to understand each other a little better could go a long way in making life a little better.

Travel with purpose to understand those near to you and those far from you. The journey will take us to a better life, a better way of living and a better tomorrow.

Communicate

"Communicate, communicate, and then communicate some more." ~Bob Nelson

It happens to each of us, a situation comes up between two or more people and feelings get hurt or misunderstandings arise. One person thought the other knew something or another didn't give the whole story.

The problem normally is caused by a lack of communication. Its a pure and simple explanation for many of the problems that occur in our life. The lack of communication could be intentional and at other times inadvertent.

But in the end, if we just keep talking to each other we'll avoid many of the misunderstandings that get in the way of a great life.

Keep talking, keep communicating and life will be a whole lot easier. Can you hear me now?!

After All

“Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragement, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak” ~Thomas Carlyle

Thirteen years ago on a quiet Monday morning Lawrenceville Georgia Police were called to a family restaurant called Tanner's. It was a nice and friendly place that specialized in chicken dinners. What police found was a horrible double-murder carried out in a cold and brutal fashion.

A manager named Marc Ratthaus was killed and when the day chef, Adolfo Gonzales showed up, he too was shot and killed. Two young men with different stories and different lives with the same ending. It was heart breaking all around. The killings impacted many, many lives; the restaurant closed, people moved on.

Two brothers were arrested and found guilty of the robbery and murders. They each claimed a third man was the trigger man although one of the brothers was found to have killed at least one man. This third man escaped and it was felt by many that he would never be found or that he ever existed.

You have likely guessed correctly already. They found William Zepeda. They captured him, and now a court date will result and William Zepeda will have to confront this awful crime.

But what of the law enforcement officials? Their persistence in pursuing this case didn't end thirteen years ago. When the third suspect disappeared, they didn't give up, they continued the search. It is this persistence that defines their work. It is this persistence which defines their character.

I had thought of many ways to talk of persistence in our daily lives. To never give up and to keep pushing forward with our lives. It was when I picked up the newspaper today, February 23, 2011 my mind changed about the actual application of the word persistence.

It made me think about the word in a different context. It also gave me a chance to honor not only the Lawrenceville Police Department, but also any of the folks in law enforcement. You see my son worked at that restaurant. My son had been in the store that same morning to pick up his pay check. My son was not hurt and the persistence of law enforcement people comforts me.

Persistence can do quite a bit for your life. It can capture a suspect after thirteen years but it can also capture a dream. Remain persistent in your life and things will work out eventually.

A Brick

"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him." -David Brinkley

I guess you figuratively are not walking down the street with people throwing bricks at you. But it can certainly feel like it at times. The oddity is that it also feels like you are picking up those same bricks to carry.

It is sort of a "double-whammy" in that you are being pelted with bricks and having to pick them up carry them away. You could say it is very similar to a wagon full of rocks. An ever increasing load that you allow others to put upon your life.

The weight and size of this load slows your progress and eventually might break you down. It is a terrible thing to see a load of brick or rock come tumbling down upon someone's life. When it happens, there are only two possible results; complete destruction of the persons life or fighting renewal.

I have seen the destruction in people's lives. The kind in which they never recover and no matter how much you want; they are buried forever. It is a heart breaking process to watch but one that I learned from. No matter how heavy or burdensome, there is hope and possibility as long as life exists within you.

Start laying the bricks down, stop shouldering them and let them lift you. The foundation you can build can serve a couple of purposes. One is give you greater footing and raise you above the soft ground. A foundation that creates a means for you to reach greater heights.

These same bricks can be used to build a path for others to follow. A path that serves as an example to your spouse, your children, your friends, or others that are watching. Because the choices we make, the decisions on how we respond are being watched. Other people are learning by seeing how you respond and the path you lay for them will be everlasting.

Are you going to leave a pile of bricks or a nice brick path behind?

Ageless

"How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?" ~Satchel Paige

Our family has a Fox Terrier named Snickers but also goes by the Twitter pseudonym of @nacholibredog. This dog is full of energy and excitement when the time is right. Her rapid movement reminds me of those videos in which you are walking slow but the whole word is moving at lightening speed. It can be a real whirlwind of excitement.

What I managed to do the other day though was to start chasing our dog around the house. Up the stairs, around the dining room table and back. The burst of activity caught up to me faster then it would have a nine year old. But even at my age, I still felt like a nine year old during those moments.

Age had nothing to do with the fun during those moments. I did get a reminder of my age, but it won't deter me from doing it again. I continue to float between many different ages. It comes down to trying to have an ageless attitude.

It sounds like wishful thinking but it does work. Just because you may age in terms of years, your mind can have limitless dreams. An article about aging in Forbe's indicated that "only 1% considered age a barrier to achieving their goals." This tells me that the mind wants to continue doing all that it can regardless of our physical age.

All of this comes with the inevitable need to maintain a healthy level of weight, exercise and many of those other aspects to keep your health. But it also takes the right kind of attitude. If you think you are old and act like you are old then chances are you will live life old.

Does all of this mean we will live forever? Of course not, the cycle of life has its hold on us.

Does all of this mean we will be forever youthful? Of course not, the body physically ages.

What it does mean is that you can live an ageless life with the attitude that you carry inside. Your attitude about life can generate a great life beyond the physical aging. Your attitude can carry you further then you might expect.

Try changing your attitude about your age. Change the way you live.

Full Moon

"Light gives of itself freely, filling all available space. It does not seek anything in return; it asks not whether you are friend or foe. It gives of itself and is not thereby diminished." ~Michael Strassfeld

Every time it happens I'm simply amazed by the wonder of it. The beauty it casts upon the landscape can be breathtaking at times. I have yet to see a photograph that truly captures the view. While there are many excellent pictures and paintings, none captures it more then just seeing it for yourself.

What I'm talking about is a full Moon, shining upon the night and lighting up the dark half of the earth.

Moon light could be considered a harbinger of hope, that a new day is coming. It is something that is inside each of us. Some little light that others may call a burning ember. But it is that little light that grows and gives us the ability to see some greater.

You might feel that you are much too alone. That the light is too small for me because your problems are much too large. If so, then think about it from the perspective of the Moon.

Here a small object, orbiting around by itself in a cold and hostile space. Heck, only twelve people have actually visited the moon in the last 100 million years.

But during all of that time, a huge and beautiful Earth has been shining its light upon the Moon. So the light inside of you is not the small Moon but a huge light filled with people that care. The light comes from so many others that are a part of your life.

While the Moon lights the night darkness for us, from the perspective of the Moon, imagine how grand the light is coming from Earth.

Allow the light to grow inside and fill you with hope and greatness. The darkness will vanish and your eyes will see all that is in and around you.

Overcoming Anything

"Fear is your greatest obstacle - so question your fear. If it does not serve your greatest life then do not make it your master." ~Joy Page

As you go through life, there are going to be obstacles attempting to weigh you down. There will be things that try to slow you down. There will be 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. She married a man named Willie who drove a beer truck for the Schaefer Brewery. It was through his mother's new husband that a whole new world opened up. Willie had a record collection of Jazz and Broadway musicals that vastly changed the way Barry Pincus viewed his world.

As he grew up, Barry Pincus worked his way through Julliard's School of Music and worked in the mail room at CBS Television. Like many others, he started at the bottom in the mailroom and worked his way up. Life probably couldn't get any better for Barry Pincus some thought. But he kept his dreams intact and there was nothing that was going to keep him down. Even after marriage and an emotional divorce that would set many back, Barry Pincus ventured on.

He started work at composing music and performing at small gigs. He even wrote jingles for commericals to support himself and to feed his vision. Eventually he connected with a person by the name of Bette Midler and the two performed with Barry being the musical director. The two became a very successful pair and Barry Pincus gained popularity as well.

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

Barry Pincus could have 'folded his cards' many times when others set out to criticize and place those obstacles in his path. Your life faces many of the same challenges. Never give up. Always believe in your dreams, believe in your visions.

Overcome the obstacles in your life and find your greatest life.

Memories

"Things that were hard to bear are sweet to remember." ~Seneca

There are three dates that cling in my memory like many others.

20 Oct 1989

14 Oct 2008

04 Jan 2011

These dates mark the passing of a sister, a mother and most recently a brother. Each of them were mournful and hard just like the ones you have or may have to go through. But each of them also were and remain a celebration of the lives that they lived.

I remember the days of large family picnics where our large family got together with cousins and aunts and uncles. It seemed in those days everyone had large families. So the gatherings were large and wild and tiring and ... yes, I have some fond memories of those events.

I remember our own family gathered whether it be at a picnic table or at the dinner table. All of us together, even with the childhood bickering that could happen, I still relish those memories. The gathering of our family was always an event in my mind. It solidified who we were as a family. It made us a family.

After a day of flowers and cards, sweet chocolates and kisses, I'm reminded of the love and great time with those that have gone before me. It brings a smile to my face to remember each of them. It brings a smile to my face believing that the three are together with others at a large picnic. It brings a smile to my face knowing they are peacefully in my mind.

You have the ability to create memories that are lasting and loving. We create them each and every day. It does not happen just on Valentines Day. It happens each morning when you kiss your loved ones before heading out to work. It happens when you hug your kids when you see them. It happens when you sit down to a meal.

Memories are stored inside each of us, meant to be brought out as a reminder of the love we have and have been given. Yes, the bad memories do exist but are overpowered by the loving ones. Create memories for your life and in the lives of others.

Dean Martin sang a song called "Memories Are Made Of This" that is a nice reminder. Enjoy and then make some memories to be cherished and remembered for a very long time.