Big Change

"Are we big enough to shift our hearts and minds to accept change?" - Jill Sweetman

If we go about our day, living in a protected world; do we truly live a fulfilling life?

The idea that we can protect ourselves from all that might be bad in this world is to prevent us from experiencing all of the good that exists. To step out of that 'protective bubble' requires us to accept that it might be hard.

Change has a price and many people will never attempt to find out what the cost is.

While we sit and dream of big things and have visions of a new life, change is happening all around us. The world rolls onward towards new and exciting greatness. In stepping out and accepting change, we become part of the future...our future.

To accept change, we have to be "big enough to shift our hearts and minds" to truly begin the journey.

Allow yourself the ability to be big enough and realize change can happen. It will change your life for the better. Stay inspired my friends!

Throwing Stones

“We can throw stones, complain about them, stumble on them, climb over them, or build with them.” - William Arthur Ward

Social media is a daily and common communication thread for a vast amount of people these days. Whether it be Twitter, Facebook or any of a number other outlets, people love to talk. There are conversations ranging from art, babies and cooking to politics, sports and weddings.

The level of talk can also bring complaint and disagreement. I have a habit of starting conversations to try and bring people on opposing edges of belief into a rational conversation. There are many more times when I simply have to bite my proverbial tongue when reading many of the posts.

What I really wish people could do is look beyond what are sometimes very zealous beliefs. Having a strong belief is a good trait to have. But having the ability to compromise and adjust those beliefs are also a very good trait.

Many times I see the stones being thrown with nothing but complaint tied to them. We hold so steadfast in those beliefs, that the stones we are throwing are coming from the house we live within. Sooner or later, the house is gone and all we are left with is nothing.

If we take those stones and build something better with them, all of us live a better life.

Stay inspired my friends.

A Cup of Coffee

“Life is a beautiful and endless journey in search of the perfect cup.” ― Barbara A. Daniels

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases, it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups. And then you began eyeing each other's cups. Now consider this, life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee life has provided us. "Life brews the coffee, not the cups.......... " Enjoy your coffee!

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything."

To Choose Kindness

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” ― Desmond Tutu

Ask yourself one question. A question that is simple enough to answer if you are honest about it. There are no points awarded, no right or wrong answers, just a way to reflect on what it is you do on a daily basis.

Ask yourself, "Do I impact all of the people I come in contact with in a positive way?"

If you stop and think about it, say for two or three minutes each day, your life will automatically begin to conduct itself in a positive manner.

You may find yourself at first realizing you don't act with others in an uplifting way. But when you constantly ask the question of yourself, it start a process inside causing you to reflect upon the reasons you did not. It isn't a bad thing being in a bad mood from time to time. All of us go through it and some days we treat other people very indifferently.

To ask the question of yourself is to acknowledge that you have good days and bad days. Doing this on a consistent basis will enable you to assess why your mood was either good or bad on a particular day. Over time, you will find ways to avoid those unkind, bad mood days just a little more often.

Today, I feel good about those I have and will come in contact with.
Tomorrow I will ask myself, did I accomplish that task.
Forever I will try to be kind.

The world will come to your door if you do. Stay inspired my friends.