Halloween Smiles

"You have to have a certain persona to be a star, you know, and I don't have that. I'm a banana." - Harvey Korman

A few years back on the day before Halloween night, I had spent most of the day dodging misting rain attempting But late in the afternoon I put away my paint brushes, cleaned up and donned my banana suit. For that night was the night of Trunk or Treat.

Many places have these annual events. Churches, local neighborhoods or businesses invite people to, park their car in the lot, decorate the trunks of their cars and hand out candy to all of the miniature ghosts and goblins.

My role turned out to be comic relief for the kids.

I worked the money box for the "hot dog, chips and a drink" meal we were selling to raise money for charitable events. Sitting their dressed in a banana costume, I had a difficult time convincing the small kids I was actually an apple. It appears our school system had done an excellent job teaching these kids.

There was no fooling the kids and for one enjoyable evening, I could play the fool and get others to smile and laugh. To see a smile light up the face of another person, child or adult, is truly a magical thing to see. Even if a few adults enjoyed themselves at my expense, it was well worth it.

I can smile, they can smile and the evening is a success.

Every day we have an opportunity to put a smile on someones face. It does not mean you have to put on a banana costume to do it. Many times all it takes is a smile upon your own face to cause another person to smile also. Much of the weight of a sullen day can be lifted when we smile.

For me, having been wet and moving a large ladder around all day trying to paint my house was a distant memory once the smiles started. Your own day can be lifted when you smile and pass it along to others. Do not let another day 'slip' by (Did you catch the reference to banana peels?) without putting a smile on your face and the face of countless others.

It may not solve all your problems, but it will make them a bit easier to face.

Stay inspired my friends!

Dancing For The Bus

“If only his mind were as easy to fix as his body.” ― Han Nolan

The news story above can at first be amusing or even easily pushed aside with one excuse or another. Certainly the individual has some type of issue whether it be drug-related, just having a bad day or quite possibly a mental illness.

Many of us including myself have in some way been touched by others with mental illness. It hurts to see someone you love go through the daily struggle. And to see others brush off the affliction as if only a bandaid were needed to repair them.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), is an organization dedicated to helping people build better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

All of us can do a little bit to help as well because mental illness is just that, an illness. It is not laughing at the man dancing for the bus.

Mental Illness ― Emm Roy, The First Step

People assume you aren’t sick unless they see the sickness on your skin like scars forming a map of all the ways you’re hurting.

My heart is a prison of Have you tried?s
Have you tried exercising?
Have you tried eating better?
Have you tried not being sad, not being sick?
Have you tried being more like me?
Have you tried shutting up?

Yes, I have tried.
Yes, I am still trying, and yes, I am still sick.

Sometimes monsters are invisible, and sometimes demons attack you from the inside.
Just because you cannot see the claws and the teeth does not mean they aren’t ripping through me. Pain does not need to be seen to be felt.

Telling me there is no problem won’t solve the problem.

This is not how miracles are born.
This is not how sickness works.

Stay inspired my friends!

Blue Sky For A Dreary Day

“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, Rejoice, for your soul is alive.” - Eleanora Duse

There is a great song many of you are probably familiar with. It is called Mr. Blue Sky and was written by Jeff Lynne and performed by his group Electric Light Orchestra.

In a BBC Radio interview, Jeff Lynne talked about how he came to write this particular song. He recalls he had been staying in a Swiss chalet trying to write his bands next album after having just released their New World Record album.

As he says, "It was dark and misty for 2 weeks, and I didn't come up with a thing. Suddenly the sun shone and it was, 'Wow, look at those beautiful Alps.' I wrote Mr. Blue Sky and 13 other songs in the next 2 weeks."

Yes, a blue sky can lift and inspire when life seems most dark and dreary.

A blue sky is like the smile upon someone's face when they greet you. Kindness can make your day better. Kindness can once again make the sky blue in your life.

And while the sky might be overcast with clouds where you are, maybe I can put this song into your playlist as an act of kindness. And quite possibly make your day a "blue sky" kind of day.

Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra

Radio announcer: Warning! today's forecast calls for blue sky's
Sun is shining in the sky there ain't a cloud in sight it's stopped raining,
Everybody's in the play
And don't you know it's a beautiful new day, Hey, Hey
Running down the avenue, see how the sun shines brightly,
In the city, on the streets where once was pity,
Mr. Blue Sky is living here today, Hey, Hey

Mr.Blue Sky, please tell us why,
You had to hide away for so long (So Long),
Where did we go wrong
Mr.Blue Sky, please tell us why,
You had to hide away for so long (So Long),
Where did we go wrong

Hey, you, with the pretty face, welcome to the human race
A celebration, Mr. Blue Sky's up there waiting,
And today is the day we've waited for, Oh-Oh

Hey, there, Mr. Blue, we're so pleased to be with you,
Look around, see what you do, everybody smiles at you
Hey, there, Mr. Blue, we're so pleased to be with you,
Look around, see what you do, everybody smiles at you

Mr. Blue Sky, Blue Sky, Blue Sky, Blue Sky, Blue Sky, yi
Mr. Blue, you'll get it right, but soon comes Mr. Night,
Creepin' over, now his hand is on your shoulder,
Never mind, I'll remember you this, I'll remember you this way

Mr.Blue Sky, please tell us why,
You had to hide away for so long (So Long),
Where did we go wrong
Mr.Blue Sky, please tell us why,
You had to hide away for so long (So Long),
Where did we go wrong

Stay inspired my friends!

Overcome The Obstacles

“If I had to select one quality, one personal characteristic that I regard as being most highly correlated with success, whatever the field, I would pick the trait of persistence. Determination. The will to endure to the end, to get knocked down seventy times and get up off the floor saying, ''Here comes number seventy-one!''” - Richard M. DeVos

When the will to overcome an obstacle in our life becomes stronger then the obstacle itself, anything is achievable.

Perseverance will take hold as you battle setbacks to achieve a dream you've placed in your heart.

Take the story of Andy Kadavy, a senior football linebacker at the University of Nebraska. He always had a dream to play for his beloved Huskers while playing high school football in his hometown of Seward, Nebraska. When a few other large schools offered him scholarships to play, he developed a belief and vision that he could also play for Nebraska.

With that vision, he decided to walk-on and attempt to make the team's roster. But during this same time he began to develop a problem in his right eye. He kept this condition from most everyone including his coaches. He struggled, he had successes but then was let go. You can read more about the details of his story on Lincoln Journal-Star.

His story is one of perseverance, of never letting go of his dream. He stayed with his goal and his circumstances changed; opportunity came again. His reward for sticking with it was a scholarship earned in his senior year of university.

He believed in his vision, he acted upon his vision and finally realized his vision.

When it comes to your dreams, your visions, your goals - persevere and you too can achieve that which you seek.

Stay inspired my friends!