Damn You

“Nobody looks good in their darkest hour. But it's those hours that make us what we are. We stand strong, or we cower. We emerge victorious, tempered by our trials, or fractured by a permanent damning fault line.” ― Karen Marie Moning

I can only sit in awe of the man I know faced with burdens that simply seem unfair. This man has been given a wagon of burdensome rocks too heavy to be carried by most people. A series of issues including health, job and grief have hung over and around him for quite some time.

And he still exhibits great faith in his God and remains ever positive in what life has to offer.

Damn you for making me realize my own faith and attitude have a long way to go.

Damn you for making me want to be a better person, more like you.

Each of us will have our trials, our tribulations and just bad moments. But each of us will have our triumphs, our success and glory in what we do. I just wish I could be more like this man through both the joy and pain.

And I will stand shoulder to shoulder with him in his darkness but also within the light he brings to my life.

Damn you for making me see greatness in possibility regardless of the circumstance.

Damn you for standing with me when all along I thought I was standing for you.

No matter what happens, we will see each other through to the other side of whatever lay in front of us. There will be great times to be had, a great life to be lived. All through it I will say thank you. Thank you for making me want to be more like you.

Stay inspired my friends.

Look Inside To Get Outside

"There are deep, changeless connections inside of us that help us to manage change. Part of our inner self-care involves remembering those very loving people who will always inspire us with their values and courage." - Steve Brunkhorst

There are days days in which nothing seems to go correctly. All of the world seems to be crushing down upon you with no end in sight.

Each of us know those days will happen and that those days will be overcome. Yet while we are in the midst of all the havoc, it is difficult to keep our heads up and see past the current situation.

Take the man suddenly losing his job for reasons out of his control, trying to find new employment, yet every step being hindered by circumstance. Those 'hindrances' seem much like a concerted effort to keep him down.

What of the woman with young children, finally seeing her way out of an abusive relationship, only to find the going very tough. Wondering each hour if she made the right decision, looking at her kids and trying to find answers.

Each person must find some level of inspiration to keep them moving forward. It takes good and supportive people to be in their lives, but it takes an inner strength to remain positive.

This is when you must look to those around you that can inspire with love and encouragement. To give give you the courage, the strength and the will to keep moving forward towards a better life.

Look inside to the good things that have always been in and remain in your life.

Work through the pain and doubt while you gather up those good things.

Build a better future while using the support of others. Then go out and inspire others, it all comes back to you eventually.

As always, stay inspired my friends.

Dancing Shoes

"Your big opportunity may be right where you are now." ~ Napoleon Hill

Some time ago I had an opportunity, huge in fact. It was one of those things that stare you right in the face and you fail to recognize it. So big that you look back at it and wonder how you did not seize it right then and there.

My very young grand daughter was dressed up in order to get her picture taken. I told her she looked so pretty that I wanted to be the first one to take her dancing. I had this thought of when she was older I would teach her to dance. She even asked me when we would go dancing together. But off she went with her mother to the picture studio and I had lost that moment of opportunity.

I thought quite a bit about that.

It reminded me of a story my own mother told me years ago. When she was quite young, her own grandfather C.V. Boden would let her dance with him on his feet. In her final days, this was one of her fond memories flashing back, making her smile.

Think about how huge that moment was in her life of dancing upon the shoes of her grandfather. That dance would be one of her enduring memories of him. It was the opportunity he took in order to leave a lasting impact on her life.

A simple dance between a grandfather and his granddaughter.

The next opportunity that comes around, I plan on dancing with this little girl. I will not miss the opportunity to leave a lasting memory of happiness. And I will work to be more cognizant of the many other opportunities that stand in front of me.

These are the same opportunities that stand in front of you. The people in your life, the ones you do and the ones you do not know. The opportunity exists to leave a lasting memory in their life. It is greater then all of the money in the world. Money eventually loses its value in our life. But a happy and lasting memory will last a lifetime. Those memories will be passed on from generation to generation.

Do not lose that opportunity in your life.

And stay inspired.

Choose a Path

“If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.” - Lewis Carroll

Making a choice when you come to a crossroads is not an easy thing to do.

You look down each road and wonder which to take.

You stand there faced with only three real choices;
...choose a path.
...stand where you are forever.
...or go back to where you came from.

You already made a choice that placed you at this crossroads.

Choose any one of the roads and let change take place.

If you find the choice isn't right, you can always change.

That's the great thing, change can take place.

Stay inspired my friends!