Storms Reveal

"Storms reveal what a sunny day conceals." - Jill Sweetman

When the day begins, I get into my car and drive off down the road to work. In the breaking morning light, I look to the sky in order to get a sense of what the weather will be that day. I have done this from my early days of being raised on a farm. Over the course of my many years, I have learned to appreciate and curse what awaits over the horizon.

I could look to a weather forecast the day or days before and make a judgement on what kind of day might be in store. But I would rather wait upon the change, the gathering light in the morning, to see what is revealed.

Many times, if the day starts out sunny and mild, the expectation of a great day sets the mood for many of us. We tend to be more pleasing to others and in our attitude. When things are going well such as family, work and other parts of our lives; our true ability to weather a storm is easily concealed.

But when weather is bad, when 'storms' in life come along, our true nature can be revealed.

Think of your morning drive to work. If storms are filling the early day with rain, wind and miserable conditions, do you allow your spirits to dampen? If you do, those feelings will translate into stress, shortness with others and just a lousy attitude.

If you learn to accept the rain and adjust your own reaction to it, the drive isn't so bad. Your attitude can bring a certain amount of 'sunshine' into the gloominess of a rainy day. Very easy for me to state the obvious, but you need to examine your own attitude when things are bad.

When things are going well, it is easy to be positive about things. It is easy to be nice, friendly and helpful to others.

Yet when things are not going so well in your life, this will be the true measure of your inner attitude.

Stay strong, stay positive, stay happy and stay inspired my friends!

Life's Challenges

"Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you,

they are supposed to help you discover who you are."

- Bernice Johnson Reagon -

Stay inspired my friends!

Posting Online

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.” - Warren Buffett

Have you ever considered how big and wide the Internet is today.

It is growing exponentially.

It is estimated that in 2013, nearly 2,769,000,000 people were using the Internet.

Global Internet Usage - Wikipedia

The original ARPAnet connected users at only four locations with perhaps a few hundred users. By 1972, there were 40 sites connected to the ARPAnet. Today, the Internet far exceeds the wildest expectations of those first developers.

It is estimated that the Internet is growing at a rate of 65 percent every year!

The image above represents a hierarchical structure of the Internet, based on the connections between individual nodes (such as service providers). In an article titled Mapping the Internet, we get a view into just how connected our world is today.

So why is it that so many people, young, old people and everyone in between will post things to the Internet that they wouldn't otherwise display on their front door?

Could it have to do with anonymity or the belief in not being found out?

By now, everyone should be fully aware of the fact that once you put something out on the Internet, it is there for the rest of time.

The next time you think about posting graphic pictures, language or things that simply might be embarrassing when you go in for that new job interview (yes, prospective employers are checking you out online). We sometimes forget that plenty of stuff sits out on the Internet which can destroy a person's reputation if they are not careful.

If you think about it, maybe you will do things differently.

Stay inspired my friends!

Set Your Goals

“Success will be within your reach only when you start reaching out for it.” ― Stephen Richards

There are articles I have written and others you have read where we speak of setting goals in your life. Sometimes we do a good job of explaining why and how to do just that. Sometimes we do not do a good job doing that as well.

Setting goals can be hard, frustrating and difficult. Achieving those goals in the end will seem effortless in comparison to just getting started. Again though, how should you even start?

The author and blogger Michael Hyatt wrote a very good "Beginner’s Guide to Goal Setting" to help each of us get started. I recommend you reading his short article. To give you a glimpse into the article, he states the five basics shown below.

1. Keep them few in number.
2. Make them “smart.”
--- Specific
--- Measurable
--- Actionable
--- Realistic
--- Time-bound
3. Write them down.
4. Review them frequently.
5. Share them selectively.

The questions become;

...will you write your goals down?
...will you remind yourself of what you wrote down?
...will you allow yourself to actually achieve them?

Each of us can benefit by setting goals. They can be five, ten year long goals. But they can also be short, one or two month goals. Achieving the short term ones when aligned with your long term goals will send you down a path of success.

Try it.

Take the challenge and write down one realistic one-month goal. Tape a copy on your bedroom mirror. Place one on the kitchen refrigerator. Tape one on your car dashboard. Tack another to your office work desk. Put reminders in places where it will remind you of the goal set.

Now achieve it.

Small goals will lead to bigger goals achieved. You can achieve.

Stay inspired my friends.