Learning From Yesterday

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

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

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

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

1. Make hindsight your mentor

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

2. Trust your sixth sense

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

3. Integrate hindsight with foresight

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

4. Let yourself make mistakes

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

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

Learn from your past, live a greater tomorrow.

Stay inspired my friends!

Opening Different Doors

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

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

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

Change prepares us in ways we can never foresee.

~~~~~~

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

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

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

~~~~~~

Never be discouraged by the closing of one door.

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

Stay inspired my friends!

Change Today Changes Tomorrow

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay inspired my friends!

Where Did Time Go

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

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

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

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

All of a sudden, time has slipped away.

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

Try not to miss our opportunities in life.

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

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

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

Stay inspired my friends!

Youth Sports At What Cost

"She was 15 years old. Her crime? Her coach thought she didn’t play very well in the first half. Her punishment? Total humiliation." - Mike Giuliano

How often have you sat in stands of a local youth sports game and heard parents disparaging the umpires, the players or coaches. I am sure each of us have possibly yelled something in defense of our own team or child.

Many times it can become very offensive in language or just in the verbal abuse the parent is shouting. We certainly are either embarrassed after the fact by our words or even for the person shouting so loudly.

Most people would not stand idly by and may say something. In the world of sports at many levels, umpires or referees have the authority to remove that person from the facility because of the abusive language.

So much of this goes on that law enforcement is hired to attend and be a presence during these sporting events from young children playing soccer, middle and high school well into the college and professional ranks.

Why then do we allow coaches to abuse our children?

In a recent article, Mike Giuliano writes about this phenomenon in which we allow many (not all) coaches verbally and sometimes physically abuse our kids.

Mike is a teacher and girls soccer coach at Greater Atlanta Christian in the Atlanta area. He and his family moved to Atlanta so that his wife Barbara could take a job fighting domestic minor sex trafficking.

Previously Mike was the head soccer coach at Wheaton College (men), San Diego State University (women) and Westmont College (women). His teams have won four national collegiate championships and he has a Ph.D. in communication studies from Northwestern University.

The stories he tells of the mental, verbal and sometimes physical go well beyond what would be accepted of teachers in the classroom, or of parents in the stadium stands. But we allow coaches to do so.

Why? All in search of that elusive sports scholarship.

The reason is a very simplistic one and does not encompass all of the various reasons. But Mike explains, "...there is so much fear of the price of college, that any coach who may increase our children’s chances of securing an athletic scholarship is treated with reverence, regardless of his or her demeanor."

And the price our children pay long term is more devastating. As adults these kids have a higher percentage of serious self-esteem issues, more apt to wed abusive spouses or abuse their own spouses.

What we are teaching our kids by allowing these types of coaches into their lives is that verbal abuse unleashed for a “good cause” is always justified as explained by Giuliano.

Is this how we should be raising our children?

There will be those who justify the abuse and respond by saying we are coddling our children. I have even heard a parent tell his son after losing a club wrestling match that he needs to "grow a pair" in a not so friendly manner.

Are we over-protecting our kids? No, I am not talking about that kind of treatment. This is the real thing and we need to open our eyes to the impact it has on our kids and what it does to society long term.

If not for society, then for your own child. Give them an opportunity to learn and love sports. So much can be learned about life, competition and leadership with the right kind of experience.

Stand up and protect your kids when a coach or anyone is being abusive. There will be more games played with both wins and defeats occurring. Just don't let either come at the cost of your child's long term well-being.

Stay inspired my friends.

(Thanks Mike Giuliano for the great article as guidance for this article)

Dark Chocolate World

“The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can't be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it.” ― Elbert Hubbard

The quote is a variant of what Elbert Hubbard said back in 1913. It was a long time ago and if people felt the pace of things was going fast then, what would they think today?

Which brings me to a less intense subject of chocolate.

The pace of technology and invention continues on many fronts. The digital age, medical advancement, transportation, manufacturing ... you name it and someone is always out there inventing, improving and tinkering.

It is no different in the world of chocolate.

Take for instance this story from a few years ago. Chocolate records to be played and then eaten. Was he the first, probably not, but man's pursuit to perfect those things in our life constantly goes on.

Or how about a nice new pair of shoes?

And if you need a set of tools you could try these.

Or maybe go back to 1930 and the accidental invention of chocolate chip cookies.

Either way, “All you need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt” (Charles M. Schulz).

Stay inspired my friends!

Kanpai Everyone

“I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I'll go to it laughing.” ― Herman Melville, Moby-Dick

A serious week of news has been filled with serious issues confronting our global society. For many the anxiety of what is occurring and of the unknown can be overwhelming. Others will dig into their respective stance on both ends of the spectrum.

There will be arguments and exaggerated solutions and reasons given. The answers will not come easy and many will end up in conflict, tears or pain over what seems like an impossible future to overcome. The direction we are headed on is not in agreement.

Our future is never ensured, so kanpai everyone!

In history, people had the same fears, disagreements and uncertainty. All felt the same anxieties and of possible doom as the only future left for them. Think of the dark ages after fall of the Roman Empire when society had to reinvent itself.

There were structures of organization, leadership and even invention and art which needed to grow anew. People were looking for ways to govern themselves, feed themselves and care for the sick. It was an uncertain future each were trying to survive.

Yet their future was not ensured, so kanpai everyone!

The industrial revolution brought great advancement, jobs and new skills. It also brought abuse of the working class, sickness related to new technologies and pennies paid for labor borne on the backs of many. The struggle for a better life continued.

Immigration brought hope to so many but it also brought failed dreams, crowded living conditions, disease and crime. All ere struggling to understand and build a new future the best way they could. It was a future they wanted today and for their children.

And we know the future is not ensured, so kanpai everyone!

The great world war, Nazism and near mass destruction of a whole group of peoples dimmed the hopes of so many. Death, pain, abuse and being subjected to unimaginable horrors were a part of the landscape for a long period of time that even the future was hard to believe in.

Society was near an end and hope seemed impossible but society fought on and through the times. And time did pass even as we argued with each other, fought together and defeated those things which kept us from looking forward to a better time. The struggle was as real as it was in any time in history.

The future was not ensured, so kanpai everyone!

Now we see ourselves today, struggling with a widening economic divide, between the violence of those who use a twisted view of their religion, between opinions of who or who should not be trusted, of us against whomever your favorite them is. A deepening of our distrust for each other.

The struggle is real most certainly and the answers are not easily defined in a tweet, social media post or cute meme. The conversation is that we are worse off then ever in our history but history would beg to differ. It is just a struggle and all struggles are relative only to the present time.

But the future will occur, so kanpai everyone!

Let us laugh and cheer at life no matter what the struggle is. We will find a way to get ourselves into the future. I know so because the future will bring us there regardless of what we do. So kanpai (cheers) for life and our future.

Stay inspired my friends.

Would We?

“Americans no longer talk to each other, they entertain each other. They do not exchange ideas, they exchange images. They do not argue with propositions; they argue with good looks, celebrities and commercials.”
― Neil Postman

Would we normally shout in the face of our friends?

If you stood in front of those same friends, would we?

In the normal course of social media, we have different ways to express ourselves through heated opinion. It can be easy to rage about what is wrong with others.

Take a look at your Facebook account. When you add people to your account, you proclaim them as a friend. This is called "friending" and we do this in order to share our lives with those we call friends.

We then begin to shout in the face of our friends.

If you stood in front of those same friends, would we?

So many good things can come from social media. It can be the sharing of one's life with those we are too far from. A way to share a picture of that great meal or the vacation hot spot we enjoyed so much.

Before the advent of smartphones and readily available computers, we invited people into our home for coffee and cake. A movie projector or photo album was then revealed to share our memories.

Would we shout our rage about the other travelers?

If we sat in front of those same friends, would we.

Yet social media causes us to do just that ... shout and yell of the divide that we ourselves are creating. It clouds those posts we want to show which are the good things.

All of it gets lost in the noise of the provocation we so easily post. The political and religious extremes and intolerance whether perceived or relative divides us.

Would we rather unite or is it division we seek?

If we gathered our friends, would we?

This very article will likely get lost in the noise of division created. Facebook and other social media outlets will continue to be as crowded as the highways with road rage.

My hope is we can see through the darkness which keeps the sides so far apart. That maybe we can bring more light into the conversation and possibly closer to an agreeable disagreement.

Would we speak in more friendly tones to each other?

If we sat with our friends and just talked, would we?

Stay inspired my friends.

Relax Is The Translation

“Nothing lasts. Everything changes. But the changes are the same. Winter will always turn to spring.” ― Susan Trott

Recently I returned from a business trip to Tokyo, Japan. It was a very good trip and the time change going there rarely gives me any problem. It is upon returning that can sometimes play havoc with my internal clock.

This time was no different with two nights of well adjusted sleep and on the third night Tokyo catches up with me. Thus I was laying awake at 2:00 AM knowing well my mind was thirteen hours ahead trying to make sense of it all.

During these moments, the mind will run to many different topics of things going on in life. It ran from our kids and grandchildren to various work related projects. Yet nothing would lull me back into sleep with a calmed mind.

And then he appeared, Bill Murray.

Yes, that person from movies such as Caddy Shack, Ghostbusters and Lost In Translation. He was sitting there in present day, on a couch chatting with me. The mind was starting to go for sure.

We spoke of his movies, my grand children and the many musings this life has to offer. It was a grand conversation with humor, intrigue and general good nature.

Bill then said to me, "just relax."

It was then I realized sleep had found me. I woke the next morning from a very peaceful sleep. It also meant I had to look up quotes attributed to him and found the following quote from a 2012 interview in the New York Times.

“The more relaxed you are, the better you are at everything: the better you are with your loved ones, the better you are with your enemies, the better you are at your job, the better you are with yourself.”

It does seem odd having Bill Murray turn up in my thoughts and dreams. Mostly it occurs to me that my recent trip to Japan and the wide open circadian tricks being played upon my mind likely conjured him into my night.

But it was a good lesson for me whether directly from Bill or a random collection of brain synapses.

The message was clear.

Relax.

Stay inspired my friends.

To Do Something

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." - Anne Frank

Today is not a day to bring us down with bad news. It is a day to shout out to the world the hope of new things, of miracles, of comfort and of goodness that comes from everything we encounter. It is with this hope we move forward and accomplish great things amid the pain and anguish life presents us at various times.

Both of the following requests are for your support, in any size you can to help ease the burden the family of a nephew and the family of my fired are going through. While we can offer our thoughts, prayers and good words of encouragement, each of them can use financial support as they embark on their journey.

Please take a moment, click on the links and read of each and then act if you will in support of them.

Thank you and stay inspired my friends.

Taylor Primm Medical Fund

On May 22nd Taylor was injured in a very horrific accident.

Taylor was melting aluminum in his kiln, as he had done many hundreds of times. After the metal was boiling hot he removed it from the kiln and turned to dump it into his molding pan when a bubble exploded into his face, neck, shoulders, chest and upper torso area. He suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns to over 18% of his body. Taylor has been very lucky to be able to retain, at least at this time, his whole tongue.

His eyes, however, are not as lucky. When the molten metal flew into his eyes he instinctively closed them. this also did severe damage to the underside of his eyelids. It is unknown at this time if Taylor can see at all, or if he ever will again.

As Taylor continues to remain in an induced coma in Swedish Hospitals Burn Unit in Englewood, Co, his bills begin to mount. Taylor is a homeowner and landlord who never fails to pay his bills. He is a hard worker and takes care of his responsibilities. We are trying to raise funds to keep his bills paid up while he is unable to work, to meet his insurance deductible, and to repair the damage to the home from a fire that started as a result of the metal which flew all around.

Please help Taylor during this difficult time and to get back onto his feet easier in the weeks and months to come.

Baby Shane Tremper Medical Fund

Shane Kavanagh Tremper was born on Friday, May 6, 2016. He was born on his due date - 8 pounds even and 20 inches long.

Mary's pregnancy was smooth and without complication, but shortly after going into labor on Friday morning, it became clear that Baby Shane was having some difficulties. His heart rate was dropping with every contraction and the ultrasound completed that day showed swelling and fluid in his brain. In a meeting with the Neurology and Oncology teams, Mary and Jamie learned that Baby Shane had been born with a brain tumor in the left side of his brain. The tumor had done extensive and irreparable damage to most of his brain at some point during the pregnancy.

There have been many questions that are difficult, if not impossible, to answer. Mary's pregnancy was healthy and uncomplicated, and there were no signs of the tumor at the 20 week routine ultrasound. It is extremely rare for a baby to be born with a brain tumor and for it to have caused such extensive damage so quickly. The doctors have said the tumor could likely be cancerous, but they won't/can't do a biopsy to determine for sure; even if the tumor was able to be removed, Baby Shane will still have severe developmental, motor, visual, and cognitive issues due to the damage already done before birth.

There is no telling how the tumor will play out and what will happen, nor is there an estimate for a prognosis or timeline. There will be an idea of how rapidly and aggressively the tumor is growing once a repeat comparative MRI is done in June, but doctors are unsure what will happen before that point.

Until then, Mary and Jamie have decided they want to focus on maximizing Baby Shane's quality of life - to keep him comfortable, give him lots of snuggles, and to count each day with him as a blessing.


Your assistance by donating a few dollars is greatly appreciated by myself and the families.

And thank you.

Spreading Out

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now."
- Chinese Proverb

Spread your life.

Reach others.

Spring and summer are upon us.

New relationships can begin.

Watch and see how your life moves out in so many directions,
touching others and giving joy to their lives.

Coming back to life once again, each and every day.

“You are the tree; Your branches have blossomed forth. From the very small and subtle, You have become huge and manifest.” - Sri Guru Granth Sahib

Stay inspired my friends.

So Many Sign Posts

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

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

Sometimes it feels that way.

You want to make a decision on choosing a course to take.

Yet you look for a path, signs leading every which way make the decision much harder.

But you must choose one of them.

Standing there looking at them over and over will not get you to where you want to be.

Choose one and if it is not the one you really wanted, remember where the signs are.

Choose another because failure is merely an education in reality.

Be persistent and have faith in your selection.

If it does not work out, choose a new one because life always has opportunity.

And stay inspired my friends!

A Journey Continued

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
- Winston Churchill

His home appeared much more quiet then normal. Through the living room to the dining room and kitchen one could tell people lived here. There was proof of existence but yet no one to be found. For an hour he sat in the quiet of the house, contemplating what had become of his life.

Darkness had fallen when the lights of a car pulled into the driveway.

His wife had returned from some place, he couldn't remember where it is she had said. Think, what was it she had told him but the memory was not there. When entering the darkened house, she began to turn on the lights, startled to find him there in the darkness. Pleasant exchanges of 'how was your day' occurred but no warmness.

They were two boats upon the water drifting steadily apart.

He asked where the kids were and she reminded him of what had been said that morning. None of what she said could he remember. Was he living life on auto-pilot, letting the world around him drift by as he worked so hard to provide for them? His family was floating away and he was starting to see the last traces of his current life.

There are many different outcomes to trouble within a marriage or family.

Some people are able to work and resolve their issues. Some get the help needed to correct the wrongs. While others end up on the end of a broken relationship the complications associated with it. There are many avenues to a solution and how each of us conduct ourselves through that process determines our level of pain and recovery.

This man's relationship disintegrated and his life was falling in around him. Everything he had worked so hard for was gone. He had forgotten to live a life of giving to those around him. Not just money and things, but of himself to family and friends.

Now what was he going to do.

Even the momentary light of a partially open door did not seem to warm him anymore. Was this the end or just the beginning? All of us find a way to move on from pain and heartache. It is not easy and some take longer than others, but we do get to pass through that open door.

Keep pushing along, taking those daily steps, forgiving yourself and forgiving the pain caused. Talk to people if only to have them listen. Get the pain out in the open where the light of day will wash it slowly away. Your strength to survive and find a new and better life is greater than we give ourselves credit for.

Be more than a survivor.

Be a better person with a greater life.

It happens because I am proof of it.

Stay inspired my friends.

Remember Forever Loved

“There is no death, daughter. People die only when we forget them,' my mother explained shortly before she left me. 'If you can remember me, I will be with you always.” ― Isabel Allende

re·mem·ber
verb
have in or be able to bring to one's mind an awareness of (someone or something that one has seen, known, or experienced in the past).

Most people will associate this weekend, referred to as Memorial Day weekend here in the U.S., as the start of our summer vacation season. The school year is completed and all we want to look forward to is a vacation, time at the beach or traveling to places only read about in brochures.

The highways will be filled with cars, the airports lined with people and every imaginable fun time reservation will have already been taken. Our time spent will fill us with memories of the time spent together and enjoyed. All of this will remind us of our love of each other and of life.

This weekend is also something more.

Memorial Day weekend is also a time to remember those who died in the service of our country. Those who have gone out in front to protect the very things we take for granted during our holiday summer vacations. An ultimate sacrifice that we honor by remembering each of them.

U.S. flags will line the streets as parades pass by with patriotic music. The cemeteries will be adorned with flags honoring the monuments to men and women who served and died. Tears will be shed by those who lost loved ones and tears will be shed by those service personnel who made it home.

In honor we take our moment to remember.

As you grill your hot dogs, hamburgers and other fine foods. As you drink a cold beer or sip a refreshing drink. And as you hold your loved ones during the day. Remember those who made all of this possible.

Remember those who watch over us and are forever loved.

Stay inspired my friends.

Friday Freedom

“Relax and be free. You don't have to prove anything.” ― Marty Rubin

Friday is upon us and the stress of the week sees relief in terms of the weekend being close at hand. Would I actually take a keyboard and start hitting things? No, but the stress of a week can certainly make us feel that way. The work environment can bear down upon us.

The weekend frees us to think of things not work related.

And while many of us get these next two days off to enjoy, recharge and renew our attitude, remember there are others who are still working. You just might be encountering them in the middle of their stressful work week. So cut them a break while you enjoy your days.

Now, let the weekend begin and stay inspired my friends!

People Change

“No one can tell what goes on in between the person you were and the person you become. No one can chart that blue and lonely section of hell. There are no maps of the change. You just come out the other side. Or you don't.” ― Stephen King

We each have hidden dreams belief in something bigger.

It permeates our mind and soul reminding us daily of all our desires.

Quiet moments of the day it intensifies.

You think of how things could be different, of a life changed in a great way.

All of our dreams would would be wonderful if only things changed.

Things don't change, people do.

Only you can make those changes needed to fulfill your dreams and visions.

It starts when you begin to create movement.

Once movement is created, your life will turn towards that which you want.

Be a person of change.

Be a person who achieves new wonders in your life.

And stay inspired my friends!

A Canon For Wednesday

Johann Pachelbel
1653-1706

Stay inspired my friends!

FTL Is Still Here

“A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.” ― Nelson Mandela

These guys celebrated a one-year anniversary recently of their show which started back on May 4, 2015. One year later they have not been kicked off the air or created any major incidents. No protests outside their studios high above Buckhead in Atlanta the everyone's surprise.

And guess what? They are still here!

FaithTalk LiVE with Rick & Dan is (as described by their genius marketing people) an entertaining, informative and inspiring radio hour that showcases Atlanta’s Christian community in a brand new way. Each day Rick & Dan sit down with area pastors, ministry leaders, actors, authors, influencers and artists—discussing the things that matter most. Faith, church, family, ministry and culture.

You can catch their show each weekday on AM 590 at 10:00 AM and AM 970 at 3:00 PM If you want, check out previous shows by browsing through SoundCloud for shows such as mine.

Yes, they were brave enough to have me on not once but twice. I am still not sure what they were thinking but sure enough they remain on the air. I would like to say these guys propelled me to huge fame and fortune but no, I remain famous only in my mind.

But I will say this show does in small ways what all of us do in small ways. They make a difference in the lives of those who listen. It only takes spreading some good news, some good conversation and life is just good for a portion of the day.

Just as we make a difference in the little things we do.

So give these guys a listen and have a laugh, have moment and let your day be better just because of them.

Stay inspired my friends.

One Harmless Cigarette

“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.” - Jim Rohn

You have seen this same thing most anywhere you go. Cigarette butts laying near the intersections of our roads, along the curbs of sidewalks and tossed down the alleys of our cities. It is a regular habit of many people to toss these out their window.

Do these particular cars come without ash trays?

We have also seen those who do use their car ash tray, pull up to an intersection, open the door and dump their ashes and cigarette butts on the ground. Could it be that all of these people believe cigarette filters are biodegradable. In fact cigarette butts are not biodegradable in the sense that most people think according to folks at CigaretteLitter.Org. It can take acetate filters many years to actually decompose.

They go on to say, "What happens after that butt gets casually flicked onto the street, nature trail, or beach? Typically wind and rain carry the cigarette into the water supply, where the toxic chemicals the cigarette filter was designed to trap leak out into aquatic ecosystems, threatening the quality of the water and many aquatic lifeforms. Cigarette butts may seem small, but with several trillion butts littered every year, the toxic chemicals add up!"

In the compiled results of a shoreline cleanup day published by The Ocean Conservancy, volunteers in 68 countries covered a combined 34,000 miles of shoreline and collected 7 million pounds of litter, 80 percent of which had been washed from land into the water. Of the 7.7 million items of debris collected worldwide in 2006, cigarettes and cigarette butts accounted for roughly 1.9 million, the sixth consecutive year they have topped the list.

Within cities the cost to clean up these small and seemingly insignificant eye sores is astounding. In San Francisco, annual clean up costs run close to $11 million; a cost that is shared by taxpayers. It is $11 million that could have gone to parks, school funding or other needed public services.

But there are many that only consider themselves.

In surveys, many smokers blame their littering behavior on a lack of well-placed bins for cigarette butts. Yet, would these same people toss a cigarette out at the curb of their home. There is no handy trash bin available along their driveway at home, so is it littered with cigarette butts? Somehow I doubt that is the case.

Ashtrays have been available in cars for quite a few years. The excuse of no nearby trash bin does not work for the car driver. Although the mindset not to dirty their own property is the same one which keeps them from dirtying the ash tray in their car.

Yet no thought is given to tossing, also known as littering, a cigarette butt elsewhere. My point is not to single out just cigarette smoking as there are plenty of other examples. All of us share in many seemingly harmless bad choices.

There are many acts of responsibility which go undone.

A German pastor, theologian, and anti-Nazi dissident, Dietrich Bonhoeffer said “action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility.” Each of us need to take on responsibility for life around us. To look beyond our own self and see that everything we do impacts others.

By taking others into consideration when making our decisions improves life for all.

It is not just about you. It is about all of us.

Stop for a moment and think about your actions. Take responsibility in these small areas of your life will mean added responsibility in bigger areas of your life. Take on both the big and small responsibilities and see it change your life for the better.

Stay inspired my friends!

Sweeping With An Attitude

To end this fine week, there are two great quotes I often repeat a few times per year. Each speak to much of what I believe and how I try to conduct my own life.

Please read them and be inspired to live your life the same.


"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well." - Martin Luther King Jr.


"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think or say or do.

It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break an organization, a school, a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play the string we have. And that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you." - Charles Swindell


Stay inspired my friends!