Start Tomorrow By Starting Today

#FallbackFriday

"I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day." - James Joyce

Each of us are a product of what we did yesterday. The things we did, what we ate, what we read, and how we treated people created the person who woke up today. It changed big things and little things about us and now in today's light, we must live with those changes in us.

The same thing will happen based upon how we approach today.

The news we read and the books we finish change us just a little bit. What happened to us at work or on the drive home modifies our personality slightly. How we reacted to all the events and people who passed through our world during the day have an impact.

We can make a resolution to change something about our life today.

But then we tell ourselves it can wait, tomorrow I will change. But tomorrow comes and you believe yourself to be the same person, but something has changed. You have created a person will to accept changes by putting it off. Even though we continually say we are going to do something with our life, it feels that change never happens.

To put off today until tomorrow.

But something did happen....you lost one more day, one more opportunity, one more chance to do something with your life. The you today might be similar to the you of yesterday, but there is less to show for it; less of what you want in life.

Yesterday creates nothing more or creates the start of everything for you.

Forget about yesterday and take hold of creating your tomorrow, today. Grab hold of the opportunity so that tomorrow when you wake up, a different you is slipping into those shoes and heading out the door. In order for that to happen, you must take steps today. It begins with making that first step.

One change today, changes the you of tomorrow.

Stay inspired my friends.

Dream of Things

“The best endings are the ones that lead to new beginnings.” ― Mathangi Subramanian

Once upon a time there was a young family, raising children, building a new home in a place they called home.

A typical tale of hard working individuals who were now one, living their dreams of things to come. For years and years they raised these children in this home, saw them leave to have children of their own and they retired dreaming of things to come.

Once upon a time there was a young man, raised in this home, who left to marry a woman of grandeur and grace.

The typical tale of hard working individuals, raising two daughters and lived their dreams of things to come. For years and years raised these children, watched them marry, retired and moved to another country as missionaries dreaming of things to come.

Once upon a time there were two young daughters, married to fine men, living their dreams of things to come.

The typical tale of hard working individuals, each beginning their own families and dreaming of things to come. For years they will build their homes, their families and lives in great and wondrous ways. And they will continue to dream of things to come.

Once upon a time there was a long time retired couple, having lived many of their dreams, building a new home.

Our lives are filled with dreams of things to come and of living those dreams. We are given the opportunity to always dream and to chase those dreams for as long as we can. Nothing says we get only one dream in life.

Dream, live your dreams and dream of things to come.

Stay inspired my friends.

The Greatest

"Your most precious, valued possessions and your greatest powers are invisible and intangible. No one can take them. You, and you alone, can give them. You will receive abundance for your giving." - W. Clement Stone

We are constantly trying to define the greatest thing ever in our lives.

Whether it be for promotion or debate, the discussion ends up being about the greatest of something in our lives.

There is the greatest singer ever; Aretha Franklin
There is the greatest song ever; Let It Be - Beatles
There is the greatest athlete ever; Muhammad Ali
There is the greatest beer; Trappist Westvleteren 12
There is the greatest year; 1960
There is the greatest professional wrestler; Rick Flair
There is the greatest movie; Casablanca
There is the greatest painter; Vincent Van Gogh
There is the greatest band; The Beatles
There is the greatest pet; Dog
There is the greatest ski resort; Whistler/Blackcomb, British Columbia
There is the greatest city; New York
There is the greatest beach; Hamoa Beach, Maui
There is the greatest looking woman; Sophia Loren
There is the greatest looking man; Cary Grant

We list anything and every which could be considered the greatest thing since sliced bread. The designation of 'the greatest' makes for fun and lively debate.

There are criteria people use to establish, judge and evaluate various  great things.  Chances are you disagree with most lists because labeling something the greatest can be very individualistic. Any person who makes a list of 'the greatest' should consider it an honor.

What we fail to see many times while we are labeling other things as 'the greatest', that each of us individually are pretty great.

We fail to give ourselves credit for our own greatness.

We busily go around labeling and making lists of the best and most wonderful things out there.  Again, we fail many times to believe in ourselves.

It is a bad habit we have to break.

You are good at what you believe in life.
You are good at what you act upon in life.
You are good at what you realize in life.

You have to believe in the greatness inside of you. 

Greatness is not reserved just for others. Greatness lives inside each of us. Greatness comes in tiny small ways as it does in huge grand ways. It exists for each of us if we will only start believing what we can each do.

Now here comes my faith statement.

When you start making a list of 'the greatest' things in life, put yourself at the top of the list. In my belief, I am created in God's image, so therefore would I not be the greatest thing God has created?

Do not get me wrong, I am not God. I am not greater than God. What I am doing is giving God the credit and thanks for creating me.

So start believing in yourself.

Watch as greatness comes into your life. Even if you don't share the same faith belief, just know that greatness begins inside.

Believe it.

And stay inspired my friends!

Leopards At Your Backdoor

“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.” ― Og Mandino

There are days when we feel the entire weight of the world has just been placed upon our shoulders. Your boss or co-workers seem to be making your life miserable. There are people in cars, those other drivers, on the road purposely getting in your way, caring not to help you to get somewhere faster. Your friends don't seem to call any more, the house has another roof leak and everyone in your family are constantly arguing.

The reality of what life is offering you at this moment isn't very pleasing.

You begin to ask why you have it so bad and why all of these things are happening to you. You tell yourself, "I'm a good person, I smile at other people, I stay positive. If I'm doing all of these things, why is it happening just to me?"

Life is what is happening; as simple of an answer that I can give.

Circumstances occur everyday to to everyone in life. It may certainly feel like you are the only one with these issues, but lots of other people are going through the same thing. The reason it feels like only you is circumstance causes you to narrow your focus in life.

We narrow our focus on just those things that are associated with your life. A survival technique I suppose, but is a way for our brain to allow itself to cope with all that is going on. This narrow focus can be both good and bad.

Good in that it forces us to take account of what is happening around us. It takes away the distractions of other people and events so we can concentrate on solving the issues before us. Bad in that it disconnects us from other people, from those who can truly help us through those rough times.

To know that you are not alone.

The feeling of being alone when trying to overcome a problem can be demoralizing. But if we surround ourselves with family, friends and other people, words of encouragement are sure to follow. When you begin to hear the encouragement, advice and ideas, you begin to see life may not be nearly as bad as you think.

In a suburb of Mumbai, India, living can be stressful as well.

In a metropolitan area with the population soaring to 18 million people, you can imagine the kinds of issues faced in any big city. You might even think that living in the suburbs is quite nice. As with many of our suburbs in the US, the city of Mumbai has caught up with this suburb called Mulund which is northeast of Mumbai. Like any major metropolitan city most anywhere correct?

Yet most of us living in the suburbs do not have to contend with leopards.

This suburb of Mumbai borders the Borivli National Park. As one may see deer in our garden on an early morning, think of encountering a leopard sunning on your patio in the afternoon. A resident was mauled a few years ago.

You see, it is all a matter of perspective.

So you think you have things to worry about? Yes, I am sure you do. I would not want to say your issues are any less important. Problems, circumstance and those things we confront are very individual in nature. Each of us, no matter where we live have issues to deal with in our lives.

Just do not shut your self out from the rest of life.

There is so much help and support out there for you. It is difficult at best when you try to do things all on your own.

Seek the support you need.

Surround and connect yourself with others at all times. Those connections will help you get through the worst of times. those same connections will also be there to share with you the best of times.

Stay inspired my friends.