Daily Inspiration 4-30-10

The Best Is Yet To Come

Optimism Week

"I am a cynical optimist. Big opening weekends are like cotton candy. The films you will remember over time are the films that stick in the consciousness of the audience in a good way."

-- Robert Redford

"Pessimism, when you get used to it, is just as agreeable as optimism."

-- Arnold Bennett

Have you ever met someone who speaks positive words and does the opposite? Ever met someone who speaks like an optimist but is often depressed and pessimistic? I have. At one point, it was me, and I see in some others, that me that I used to be. Arnold Bennett's quote is just that way. Pessimism can be very agreeable once you get used to it. For many it is the way it is. It is reality.

I was like the 'cotton candy' in the Robert Redford quote, but somehow after a lot of years of trial and error, I started believing the positive messages I used to say but not live. I started acting on them and living in them, and my life changed over time. Then, there was a catalyst--something that made a dramatic change almost overnight, that took me to a whole new level of optimism and even higher to joy. That, for me, was The Secret audiobook by Rhonda Byrne. That audio gave me some answers that were so dang obvious that I was amazed and instantly transformed.

It wasn't anything I didn't already know. Many of the things in the audiobook were things I had spoken of for years and that I had heard so many others say in my study of positive principles. You probably know what I'm talking about in that you have knowledge of something and then you hear it said a certain way, and then all of a sudden, you get it. All of a sudden you know it like the back of your hand, and you might even laugh knowing that you knew it all along, yet you didn't quite understand it. That's how it was.

It changed my life as nothing ever has. Now, I saw with clarity and looked forward with enthusiasm and became a joy seeker and much more. Since listening to The Secret, I have read probably a hundred books that have clarified many things to the point that I now know it. I am so grateful for that seed and for this knowledge because it has brought more joy into my life in the last few years than all the years prior combined. That is so powerful and and so wonderful. No more cotton candy.

I wish for you a tenth as much joy.

My Optimism Is My Joy. My Joy Is My Optimism.

Spread Some Joy Today--Let something be a catalyst to your skyrocketing joy! You might try The Secret. I recommend the audiobook highly. The DVD version is good, but the audiobook is much better I think. Or, send me an email and I'll give you a suggested list. Or, go to the bookstore or library and look for yourself. One will surely lead to another if you're open to it.

Daily Inspiration 4-28-10

The Best Is Yet To Come

Optimism Week

"Optimism is the foundation of courage."

-- Nicholas Murray Butler

"The obstacles you face are. . . mental barriers which can be broken by adopting a more positive approach."

-- Clarence Blasier

"Reality is something you rise above."

-- Liza Minnelli

Can you even imagine having courage without optimism? Laughable.

Almost all of our obstacles or problems are self-created, and self-perpetuated. This is also what many call 'reality.'

I've read where people who have had a near death experience say they came out of their body and were floating above the scene and they were watching with detached interest of all that was going on. 'Reality' was back down there with the body. So Liza Minnelli's quote is particularly accurate here.

We need the courage to rise above our 'reality;' our problems; our obstacles. These are not mountains with courage and optimism, they are barely molehills. It is never what happens to us that really matters, but what we choose to think about it instead. That's our optimism--realizing that whatever happens is working for our good, no matter what it looks like to others.

The fastest way to rise above reality is to become thankful for everything in and around your life. That is also the fastest, most reliable way to optimism. With gratitude, nothing is a roadblock. And, last, the way to make that effective is through daily practice.

Rise above your reality!

My 'Reality Show' Is Not A Bunch Of Stupid Problems Making Me Act Foolish. It Is A Joy-Fest!

Spread Some Joy Today--What's real about reality?

Daily Inspiration 4-28-10

The Best Is Yet To Come

Optimism Week

"Being an optimist after you've got everything you want doesn't count."

-- Kin Hubbard

I suppose that a better way to say it than Kin Hubbard's quote is, waiting to be optimistic until you have what you want is an oxymoron. Optimism, as with hope and vision and belief is all about the journey. Of course, once you really accept that idea and massage it a bit, it morphs into the concept that there really is no destination, there is only the journey and that the journey is always continuous and all we can do it slightly modify the direction of travel. Whew! That was heavy.

Heavy or not, I do believe that concept now. There is no place to arrive, for though a goal is a thing we strive toward, once we come to that place, it will have moved. Hence, enjoying the journey takes on a whole new meaning. It means enjoying life every moment in pursuit of what we think we want. The pursuit is valuable, and the enjoyment is valuable. The pursuit is movement, and there will always be movement for everything is moving somewhere. So we are all in pursuit. We are not all in enjoyment, and that is something that we all have 100% choice in.

Here's the key: enjoying the journey is an optimist. Not enjoying the journey is a pessimist. That's the only real difference. It doesn't matter what you have or what you don't have. It's not about the destination, but the journey.

Working a job you hate just so you can keep the balls in the air? That's a pessimist in action. All you have to do is listen to them for a while. Finding a job you love in order to enjoy your journey? That's an optimist. They say very different things.

How's your journey?

Optimism Is Enjoying The Journey. Period.

Spread Some Joy Today--Begin enjoying your journey today. Look across the road and see the trees swaying in the wind. Find some things to get excited about. Pull out your wallet and look on the photo of someone you love. Let the unimportant stuff all around you fall on the floor without any effort to catch it.

Daily Inspiration 4-27-10

The Best Is Yet To Come

Optimism Week

"Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out."

-- Vaclav Havel

"Things turn out best for the people who

make the best of the way things turn out."

-- John Wooden

Optimism to me is much more powerful than hope in the way the word hope is generally used. The way hope is generally used is more like a wish, a desire, a 'what I want' thing. The word hope as used in religious context, means belief. This last definition of hope and the word optimism are much the same to me.

I love how Vaclav Havel says, 'it is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out." I think that is a brilliant view of life. And John Wooden is saying the same thing in a different way.

This reminds me of a sign I saw in an auto repair shop and I've never gotten it out of my head. The sign read like this:

1. If you're going to be a bear, be a Grizzly.

2. Shit happens.

I think that is an optimistic and enthusiastic and realistic sign. It says to me to go for it and be bold and give it my best shot and do all I can do and be strong and brave and look on the horizon, not the ground. Then, whatever happens, go with it and you will find that it all works out just fine. Number one is the 'certainty that something makes sense, and number two is 'regardless of how it turns out.'

Go be a Grizzly!

No worries, mate!

GGRROOOOWWLLLL!

Spread Some Joy Today--Look at Nature today. It will restore your optimism. Trees are very optimistic. Think about it.

Daily Inspiration 4-26-10

The Best Is Yet To Come

Optimism Week

"There is no sadder sight than a young pessimist."

-- Mark Twain

"If you see yourself as prosperous, you will be. If you see yourself as continually hard up, that is exactly what you will be."

-- Robert Collier

"The barrier between. . . success is not something which exists in the real world: it is composed purely and simply of. . . doubts about. . . ability."

-- Mark Caine

Mark Twain's quote above hits home with me. I see so many young people who are pessimistic about life and work and success. I see people struggling constantly to make ends meet, loaded down with circumstance and self-pity. Many of these that I know have virtually given up on life as it could be, having come to totally accept their lot in life as "what it is, is."

These same people are also unwilling to study and really work at doing better, and prefer to do the minimum to get through the day in order to "get off work." These are also the same people who began and continue to perpetuate the "thank god it's Friday" mindset. All of this as if work was something to be avoided and partying was the goal.

Now all that sounds pretty harsh coming from an optimist, yet it is as Mark Twain so eloquently stated, "no sadder sight than a young pessimist." To be beaten before life has really even had a chance to blossom is indeed sad. Many in their 30's still lost and not knowing what they want to be when they grow up.

I want to save them all, but I cannot. They have to save themselves. The best I can do is my best at encouraging them to renew their spirit, chase their blues away with enthusiasm and kill their pessimism with optimism.

It's easy to get discouraged. But, here's the part that is more important: It is just as easy and far more rewarding to be excited and enthusiastic. They are just personal viewpoints.

I have chosen to mentor some young people because I believe in them and what they can accomplish. I influence many more through my positive attitude and enthusiasm and joy. I write about it so that others that either are there or know someone who is there will be encouraged and uplifted.

If you agree with Mark Twain, won't you do what you can to mentor a few yourself? If we each take a couple, we can change the world!

Be a mentor to a person who needs a bit of encouragement. It will change your life.

In Nature, There Is Nothing But Optimism.

Spread Some Joy Today--If you've got success; if you've got joy; if you've got enthusiasm for life, you can't help but share it with those around you. Maybe it is time to be really specific with someone who will challenge you. Be a mentor.

Daily Inspiration 4-25-10

"What is truth? Truth doesn't really exist. Who is going to judge whether my experience of an incident is more valid than yours? No one can be trusted to be the judge of that."

-- Tracey Emin

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

-- Mother Teresa

"I don't like that man. I must get to know him better."

-- Abraham Lincoln

Judgement is just our opinion of something as it relates to something else. It is not THE truth, but our own truth, and our truth is just our opinion of something as it relates to something else.

There are two ways to have the tallest building. One is to become known as a builder, and the other is to become known as a destroyer. Which is your truth?

I Must Get To Know Him Better. . . Powerful Advice!

Spread Some Joy Today--Judge not lest ye be judged. Seems like I read that somewhere. It is good advice, isn't it? People who live in glass houses should not. . . Heard that one too I think. Also good advice.

Daily Inspiration 4-24-10

"The author himself is the best judge of his own performance; none has so deeply meditated on the subject; none is so sincerely interested in the event."

-- Edward Gibbon

"I don't judge myself by what someone says."

-- Sydney Schanberg

"Just make up your mind at the very outset that your work is going to stand for quality. . . that you are going to stamp a superior quality upon everything that goes out of your hands, that whatever you do shall bear the hall-mark of excellence."

-- Orison Swett Marden

It's very nice when someone notices, and I get compliments when I do something well; or at least, it spoke to them in a meaningful way. I don't even mind occasional criticism that I've missed the mark for someone, especially if they explain that. And although I would really like to please everyone and have what I do touch them in a meaningful way, I really don't do it for them as much as I do it for myself.

When I please myself; when I hit the mark in my own mind; when I feel really good about producing something--that is the highpoint for me. I seek to do this every time, and as I continue to try and expand, I hit it more often, but I don't hit it all the time. Know the feeling? You're seeking to do your true best and sometimes you actually do it. That's a great feeling, isn't it? You're not really doing it for someone else, they're just along for the ride, right? That is good.

It is this drive; this motivation that creates excellence.

Here's what I've learned about excellence: it is not a destination so much as a journey. One days excellence is another days mediocre. Excellence is something to strive toward continually. Stop at any point and the excellence stops too. At the same time, it is something that you achieve when you feel that you have done your level best effort at this space and time. There can be no more than your best, so your best will suffice as the definition of excellence.

When you define excellence in this way and take it out of the lofty clouds and bring it down here so we can touch it, now the whole world can have it and pursue it.

No more excuses. . . dang!

It Isn't Worth Doing If I Don't Give It My Best.

Spread Some Joy Today--Try giving more today than you get paid for. Just for the fun of it and just for the feeling of doing it. It will rub off on others!

Daily Inspiration 4-23-10

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club."

-- Jack London

"Do not wait; the time will never be "just right."

Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along."

-- Napoleon Hill

"Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working."

-- Pablo Picasso

I love these quotes because I have learned a thing or two about inspiration. One is that it is powerful and mysterious. It is often as if someone from outside the world I see, is speaking it through me. It's the kind of thought that I instantly feel I must listen to, and it is a thought that has legs--it's a catalyst to accomplishment or completion. It may not be the whole answer, but is enough to get me going.

The other thing I've learned about inspiration is that I don't wait around for it, but seek it out. It is more like asking it to come and being open to its arrival, and the best way to have it come is to be already in action, not languishing and making assumptions. I love Napoleon Hill's quote in that there is no perfect time; or rather, more appropriately, anytime is the perfect time, and none as perfect as this very moment.

A few years ago I was writing a a lot of songs and I found that my inspiration came when I decided I was going to do just that--set aside the time, find an appropriate environment and go to work. As I worked, the inspirations just flowed through me and I could hear the song in my head as I was writing out the words. There was something magical about it.

Sometimes now, when I'm working on a business idea, project or problem, I might go for a long walk or I frequently pace the room. Although pacing is normally referencing anxiety, and this is not the case when I pace, but it just kind of makes me more focused, yet relaxed. I think it's the physical movement. I've heard people say when they are exercising that good ideas come to them.

You probably have those things you do that seem to bring out your inspirations. It is indeed a thing that is best done on purpose, rather than by accident. Whatever you find working for you is great. Or just start toward your goal even if it isn't yet clear, the inspirations will catch you in due time.

Finding the inspirations is an active sport. They won't stand for intimidation, so you can't force them; however, they respond fully to expectation. Your inspriations will find you when you are ready. They are always ready.

I Find My Inspirations Find Me When I Seek Them.

Spread Some Joy Today--Isn't it joyful when you're inspired? Just think about how that spreads joy to those around you. If you feel that way, others will feel it through you! Purposely seek inspirations daily. Practice makes perfect. Plus, it's a rush!

Daily Inspiration 4-22-10

"People who live the most fulfilling lives are the ones who are always rejoicing at what they have."

-- Richard Carlson

"When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around."

-- Willie Nelson

"You won't be happy with more until you're happy with what you've got."

-- Viki King

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."

-- Epictetus

I want more. It's really a natural thing. It has been said in training I've received in the past that in order to move forward, or get more, you have to become dissatisfied with what you have and where you're currently at and that this provides the motivation to move toward that something that you want that you don't now have.

Baloney!

That philosophy is like having a child and then deciding to be unhappy with them because they aren't yet what you want them to be. This then should give you the motivation to get that done, right? Yeah, sure. Unhappy parent and an unhappy kid. Terrible philosophy.

I've unlearned that stuff. Where it is at, is being grateful for what you have while desiring something more. There's no more motivation in being unhappy than being happy. Motivation is just a decision of what you want and a desire to have it.

So, now back to the parent and child. You're happy and you're thrilled that your child is where they are and you also know they are going to grow and change and become more and want more and you are full of encouragement to enjoy the process and you're so complimentary as it unfolds. Happy parent, happy child, lovely life.

This I know for sure and from long experience: being happy is so much better. Encouragement is a grand gift. Don't you agree? So there's no point in being upset about anything that is happening right now, is there? Happy parent, equals happy child.

Be thankful for what you have, who you are and where you are. It's the best way to enjoy life and your pursuit of more happiness.

I Am Thankful For All That I Have This Moment. It Serves Me As I See More Than I Want.

Spread Some Joy Today--Share the joy of being happy with what you have with someone who needs a friend. You'll make two.

Daily Inspiration 4-21-10

"Motivation is what gets you started.

Habit is what keeps you going."

-- Jim Ryun

"Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired."

-- Jules Renard

"Yet habit--strange thing! What cannot habit accomplish?"

-- Herman Melville

This probably never happens to you: I get in my vehicle and drive off to my destination. I'm thinking of things I need to do, ideas, other thoughts. About a mile away from home, I suddenly realize that I am not going where I intended, but somewhere I go often instead. This scenario does seem to happen more as I age.

Well, it's worse than this I'm afraid. There have been a few times where I was about 40 miles from home realizing I've gone the wrong direction toward the wrong destination. And even more ridiculous than this, ofttimes, I go to the refrigerator forgetting why I went there.

I have to laugh each time this happens, and of course we all know that the reason it does is twofold: One, it is a habit pattern to do a certain thing, go a certain direction, and two, our thinking of thoughts has taken us on a very enjoyable, yet distracting journey as we allowed our habit to guide us on its own. Oh, lovely thoughts. . . Wake up!! Pay attention!! You're doing it again!!

It's just me, isn't it? I was afraid of that. . .

Habit is an amazing thing that can help or hurt, yet we create them both. I'm motivated and really want to change, yet my habits keep me procrastinating and restarting when I feel I should be further down the road. I never thought of it as laziness because I work very hard and long, until after I read the Jules Renard quote: "Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired." Oh. . . my oh my what a powerful, insightful and truly amazing quote this is. It explains so much about why I don't accomplish more.

It does seem hard to tighten up the body if I am unwilling to work up a sweat. Not that effort is everything--frankly, I think thought is more powerful. Yet it is the willingness and even desire to rest before I get tired that slows my progress. Isn't that an interesting observation?

Of course, I am only talking about me. . . it doesn't happen to you. . . does it?

Habits Serve Me. Or Not. I Like It When They Do.

Spread Some Joy Today--Check your habit portfolio and see if there are some that need a little sprucing up. A habit is just something we repeatedly do. We are certainly machines in that respect--but with a brain that controls when we choose it.

Daily Inspiration 4-20-10

"People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don't know when to quit. Most people succeed because they are determined to."

-- George E Allen

"The difference between the impossible and the possible

lies in a person's determination."

-- Tommy Lasorda

"My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging."

-- Hank Aaron

We used to say when we were kids, "no brain, no pain," when referring to someone who succeeds without apparent ability. Of course, we were the judges and jury when it came to apparent ability. What we were good at was putting other people down, and when we did this, it automatically made us better, more fortunate, smarter. Or so we thought. Little did we know that we were creating limitations on ourselves and belittling ourselves.

The truth is that some people with a tenth of our own ability (again, our own view), will succeed because they don't know any better. They just think they can and they do. They just go and try and they succeed. They are willing to fail and we were not.

That reminds me of when I was a kid and I just loved playing baseball, but I wasn't one of the "in crowd" of known ball players. So, I would watch some of the better players and they didn't make any less mistakes than I did, but somehow they made it look "cooler" when they did. I thought that was fascinating. It is absolutely perception and perception IS reality to each person.

So, Hank Aaron kept swinging. Great strategy. Does how many times to do a thing help you do it better? Does practice indeed make perfect? You betcha. It's all part of the determination thing. You want it; you want it bad; you aren't as good at it as others, so you practice more, and learn more, and read more books, and try more things, and listen to successful people of how they do it, and try, and practice it, and improve it and practice that.

How determined are you? On a scale of one to ten? A better phrase than "no brain, no pain," would be, "no risk, no reward." It's not ability, or intelligence, it's determination. Write this quote down and keep it in your wallet or purse:

"Nothing can resist the human will that will stake even its existence on its stated purpose." -- Benjamin Disraeli

I Alone Determine What Is Possible Or Not.

Spread Some Joy Today--Whatever you've been thinking you couldn't do because of ______ or ________, today, right now, is the only time you can change that. It matters not what anyone else thinks, but it matters all what you think.

Daily Inspiration 4-19-10

"Nurture your mind with great thoughts,

for you will never go any higher than you think."

-- Benjamin Disraeli

"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."

-- Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Ever heard this phrase, "who do you think you are?" It is usually a question that is meant to put you back in your place and keep you where others think you should be. How about some of these: "How dare you think you can achieve that? Have you forgotten who you are and where you come from? Get your head out of the clouds and put your feet back on the ground. You can't do that. You're not qualified to do that."

Well, these statements are plentiful by those insecure and unadventurous souls. They don't want you to grow beyond where they are because it makes them uncomfortable. This could be a parent, a friend or even your boss at work.

It could be YOU.

I truly believe that we as humans can do anything we set our mind to and believe we can do. History has shown amazing changes and what took so long for many was the resistance of others to those ideas. Think about the helicopter. Leonard da Vinci had the concept of the helicopter and made a drawing of the concept in about 1493, it was over 500 years later that one actually was made and flown, in 1906. It was still later in 1942 before they were produced in any quantity. The earliest concepts of the helicopter come from the Chinese circa 400 BC.

In today's world, we don't even flinch when an idea goes from idea to product in weeks or months instead of 2,500 years. What an amazing period the 20th century has been when you look at the whole of human history.

Thinking big and highly of yourself as a creator is the way things get from ideas to reality. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something. Make your own decision. You can do anything you set your mind and determination to do. The only thing stopping you is your own limiting beliefs.

I Am What I Believe About Myself.

Spread Some Joy Today--If you've heard those negative questions and comments about what you can and cannot accomplish, it is high time that you bring yourself to the top of your priority list. Step one: Ignore other people whenever they speak limitation to you. Step two: Decide you're worthy. Step three: Dream boldly. Step four: Act with confidence. Step five: Have a thankful heart.

Daily Inspiration 4-18-10

Opportunity Week

"I believe in professionalism, but playing is not like a job.

You have to be grateful to have the opportunity to play."

-- Wynton Marsalis

"The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude."

-- Friedrich Nietzsche

"I'm thankful for every moment."

-- Al Green

Though in a previous Daily Inspiration, I said that my life was all about being an encourager, and it is, and I would like to add one element to that idea: Of all the concepts that I might like to discuss and promote, there is one that stands out so clearly as if it is a guiding star guiding us to safety. It is gratitude. If I could encourage you to become more grateful and to begin a life-long path of increasing gratitude, there could be no greater encouragement than this.

I've had some life-changing events in recent years, and none is greater and more rewarding than becoming and growing as a person of gratitude. Frankly, it changes EVERYTHING. My entire outlook on life has changed. My daily outlook, even moment to moment outlook has changed. I now love my life, when before, I used to long for a life. To say this is huge is a gross understatement.

To encourage others, I talk about gratitude and being thankful more than any other topic. It is a game changer; a life changer. And, it opens your eyes to opportunities that you didn't even know existed. Harry Truman said, "a pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties." What makes an optimist is gratitude. It is appreciation. It is art.

Many people say, 'God is good. . . all the time!', and then so many turn around and say, 'God, why me? Why did you do this to me?' A dichotomy? For sure, but what is really missing is a belief that God really is good all the time instead of just some of the time. I have learned as I have become more and more grateful for everything in my life that God is indeed good all the time. I praise God for the opportunity of this life every day now and for everything in my life including the things that are not what I want right now. I now see so clearly what gratitude will do for a person. It is flat amazing to me.

So, wherever you are on your life path, I would love to encourage just one simple thing of you: learn to be grateful for everything in and about your life. Praise God, the Universe, the All-Knowing, or whatever you want to call that which created all that is here. Practice growing in thankfulness every day, so that you never ever complain about anything ever again, but give thanks for it instead. I guarantee you that this will be the most important and the most powerful and the most rewarding thing you will ever do. Ever.

I Grow Ever More Grateful Every Minute. Will It Ever End? I Sincerely Hope Not! It Is Way Too Cool.

Spread Some Joy Today--Now that you're a person of gratitude, or committed to becoming one, it is time for you to share that with others. They've already noticed the difference in you. Now they need to know why and how easy it is for them too.

Daily Inspiration 4-17-10

Opportunity Week

"I had the opportunity to be around my kids a lot. I guess I could have kept working, but I had them when I was 47. You only get to see all this stuff once. I just chose to work at home and watch them."

-- Bob Seger

"The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose."

-- J Martin Kohe

"You can do what you want to do. You can be what you want to be."

-- R David Thomas

More than ever in history, you have the power to do what you want, and so many choose something else. With all the influences all around, it is so easy to live your life to someone else's idea of success, or what would be a good life. Too many times, that is focused on money and things.

Don't get me wrong, money and things can be pretty nice and help make one comfortable, but they are not the holy grail. Bob Seger decided to travel less, make less money and stay at home to watch his kids grow up. That's what he wanted, and it made him feel good. And, that is success--for him.

People must define their own success and opportunities help them do that. Of course, so do problems, but the outcome is what matters. Does it feel good and right? Or, does it feel otherwise? That will always answer the question.

I Have Way More Power Than I Think I Do.

Spread Some Joy Today--This is the only life you have at the moment. Why would you want to do a lot of stuff you don't want to do? Live the way you don't want to live? You wouldn't. You don't. Right? So choose. Start small, work up to the really cool things. You'll know when it feels good and right. Don't like your job? Find another one now. Don't waste another day. You have so much more power than you think.

Daily Inspiration 4-16-10

Opportunity Week

"Opportunity is as scarce as oxygen; men fairly breathe it and do not know it."

-- Doc Sane

"There is far more opportunity that there is ability."

-- Thomas A Edison

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."

-- the Bible, Matthew 7:7-8

"There's not enough to go around."

"You've got to get yours while the gettin's good."

"Getting your fair share is getting harder all the time."

"There's no jobs out there."

"The government needs to stay out of the economy!"

"The government needs to come in and fix this economy, NOW!"

"If it weren't for President _________ (Obama, Bush, Clinton, Kennedy, FDR, Lincoln), and all the bad decisions, this country would be doing well."

"Now is not the time to take any chances because the economy is so bad."

"The world is going to hell in a handbasket."

"We're gonna wait until the economy turns around before we do that."

This is just a tip of the iceberg sampling of the kinds of comments I have heard all my life. They have nothing to do with the current economic conditions, or even today's date and time. I call them timeless pessimism because it doesn't matter how good things are or how bad things are, the people who make these comments do not see opportunities, they see problems.

When all you see are problems, there is little hope in the world. So, such a common thing as an opportunity hasn't a chance to be recognized. And, when someone who used to look at problems changes their point of view, it is amazing how many opportunities just come out of thin air. Truth is, they are always here and always around and always opportunities, whether we see them as such is purely our own perspective, which is our current view of our life.

It is a fact that people who focus on problems, continually find more problems to focus on and conversely, people who focus on opportunities, continually find more opportunities to focus on. It is interesting the way that this works, don't you think?

Those who would like to change to be able to see more opportunities can easily do so by letting go of problems. Here's some steps that will help:

1. Stop watching all the news on TV, Talk Radio, Newspapers and the Internet. A little of that goes a very long way. It is a serious challenge to be positive in a negatively projected world and the mass media offers a negatively projected world.

2. Be grateful. Start becoming grateful for everything. Start with the easy stuff and then work up to the other stuff. Expand your gratitude every day. When you're grateful for what you have, that is a very, very powerful place to get to.

3. Get excited. The Internet is only about 15 years old! Personal computers are only about 30 years old, and only really popular in the last 20. Facebook is only a few years old, and Twitter even younger. There is so much going on in the world that is good. Cell phones with video. I just saw a statistic that said that the average cell phone is less than 2 years old! Wow. That's a lot of cell phone sales. When one thing goes away, there is always something to replace it and many times, many things to replace that one thing. The opportunities are coming faster than ever!

4. Be willing to change. When you really think about it, the only thing that is absolutely certain is change. Everything is changing. Nothing rests. If you are not wanting things to change, you are looking for the impossible. Get over it. Change is the name of the game and you are the player. So play! Become a change embracer. As Anthony Robbins says when change is upon him, "What's good about this?"

The seat belt sign has been turned off. . . and. . .

You are now free to move about the cabin. . .

My Opportunities Are Endless. So Many To Choose!

Spread Some Joy Today--Begin today where you are and become more grateful for everything in your life. Turn off the news and start praising instead of complaining. Opportunities will start popping up all around you.

Daily Inspiration 4-15-10

Opportunity Week

"I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity."

-- Oprah Winfrey

"Unless you have prepared yourself to profit by your chance, the opportunity will only make you ridiculous. A great occasion is valuable to you just in proportion as you have educated yourself to make use of it."

-- Orison Swett Marden

"When ye are prepared for a thing, the opportunity to use it presents itself."

-- Edgar Cayce

Luck is preparation meeting opportunity. I've heard that phrase so many times, and I've even said it myself so many times, yet somehow, I have always wanted to have that thing, or that situation, without any preparation. I just want the opportunity--NOW! You, know. . . I'm sure I'm not alone on that one.

They say, 'first get the schooling and learn the way it has been done before you go off trying to change things. It'll be so much better for you.' Yet, I've gone off trying to change things before I've ever set foot in class. O.J.T. (on the job training), is always my favorite--or at least, it used to be. Still, I've little patience for having to wait so long just to have a shot.

Now, looking at the way I've come through life, I have to admit, that had I spent more time and energy preparing, I would have had an easier time. . . I think. I left college early, but a good college education would have helped speed things along probably. Although, I have had that and much, much more through self-study without the papers to prove it. Consequently, I probably have had to work harder than I might have. . . I think. I think.

You know it's all so good to look backward and say whatever you want about what happened. It's a fact that we all have perfect hindsight, though our conclusions may still be inconclusive. This I do know: we must prepare for opportunities if we want to be able to make good use of them. If I wanted to get 'found' as a singer, it would have paid for me to have had a lot of practice, and coaching at that art. All these talent shows like "The X-Factor" and "American Idol" are looking for someone who has prepared for the opportunity. Those that haven't go quickly.

There are many things in my life I've offered to do for free just in order to learn how to do them and to be able to practice, and as far as I can remember, all of them have paid off in one way or another.

Preparation meeting opportunity is the name of the game. For sure.

I Have All Kinds Of Luck When I'm Prepared For It.

Spread Some Joy Today--Whatever you really love to do--and you'll know it because you lose track of time and excel at it--find a way to practice it often. You just never know. Watching the Masters this week, showed thousands of hours of preparation and the opportunity was met!

Daily Inspiration 4-14-10

Opportunity Week

"The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment; it is not in luck or chance, or the help of others; it is in yourself alone."

-- Orison Swett Marden

"Most successful men have not achieved their distinction by having some new talent or opportunity presented to them. They have developed the opportunity that was at hand."

-- Bruce Barton

"The lack of opportunity is ever the excuse of a weak, vacillating mind. Opportunities! Every life is full of them. . . . Every newspaper article is an opportunity. Every client is an opportunity. Every sermon is an opportunity. Every business transaction is an opportunity,--an opportunity to be polite,--and opportunity to be manly,--and opportunity to be honest,--and opportunity to make friends."

-- Orison Swett Marden

It is fairly common to think of opportunities as something on the outside that you either attract or seize, and though I think some may be like that, the majority of the opportunities that we have come from within ourselves. The really cool thing about that is that we all have those opportunities every day of our lives.

We have the opportunity to be kind and thoughtful, cheerful and uplifting, sincere and truthful, enthusiastic and encouraging, focused and assertive, learned and wise, and a host of other opportunities to serve each other and at the same time, ourselves.

That might be too mambly-pambly for some, so you also have the opportunity to be inspired and to attract ideas and plans.

Some might think that they want the opportunity to come flying into their lives and land in their lap. Now, I think that is mambly-pambly.

Your grandest opportunities are within you and all you need do is realize the power that you have and be open to the inspirations as they come. It is only your resistance that has held them at bay to begin with. Release the resistance and let them flow again. The best way to release the resistance is to become a person of gratitude. Be thankful for what you have now and what you will have later. Resistance comes from a lack of gratitude and a lack of belief in your own worthiness and your own power. Begin being grateful for everything in your life and the resistance must disappear and your opportunities will begin to flow again like the river it once was.

For you dyed in the wool, hard core cases of resistance, just give it a test for a month. You will be convinced from then on.

As I've said before: YOU ROCK!!

Believe In Your Own Power! You Really Do ROCK!

Spread Some Joy Today--Send yourself an email today saying how much you rock and how awesome you are and how focused and how thankful you are. Do it up nicely. Then read it as many times today as you can. What a difference it will make.

Daily Inspiration 4-13-10

Opportunity Week

"Change brings opportunity."

-- Nido Qubein

"The entrepreneur always searches for change,

responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity."

-- Peter Drucker

"Change always comes bearing gifts."

-- Price Pritchett

"Our only security is our ability to change."

-- John Lilly

Change does bring opportunity, and it has been my perfect 20/20 hindsight experience that change always comes bearing gifts. I have also learned that life is movement; it never stops moving; it is constantly changing, that there is nothing we can do about that, nor would it even make sense to try. As John Lilly says, "our only security is our ability to change." I would add the word embrace, like thus: our only security is our ability to embrace change, for there is nothing but change, consequently, our only real struggle would be to resist change. It's a little longer, but more accurate.

Change could be like the kind of change in the music business like going from records to 4-track tapes to 8-track tapes to cassette tapes to CD's to MP3's. Change could be noticing that the weather is different each day. Some days more different than others, but different. Change could be getting fired from a job you've had for 20 years--or 6 months. It could be winning millions in the lottery. It could be watching in the mirror every morning as your face changes slightly each day as it ages.

The opportunity is embracing the change and seeing the benefit in it. Sometimes, the benefit is not noticed until much later, but it is there. I remember so well, the last time I was fired from a job (not like there's been that many. . . firings, I mean. . .). It was one of the happiest days of my life! Seriously! That created an opportunity to do something different and that led me to another and to what I do now. It was absolutely the best thing that could have happened and perfect timing to boot.

I think I have finally (I'm a late adopter for sure) not only accepted change, but embraced it. Now, I even look forward to it. What a difference that makes in my confidence as a life surfer, and as a person. What a difference it makes in my stress and anxiety levels.

The easiest way to state it is going with the flow of a river. No more paddling upstream. A much more enjoyable journey, don't your think? I highly recommend it.

I Love Change. I Like Fifties And Hundreds Too.

Spread Some Joy Today--Help someone else who struggles with change to make the transition to going with the flow. Helping each other is a very caring thing to do.

Daily Inspiration 4-12-10

Opportunity Week

"I wouldn't have wanted to miss the opportunity to make those three films that didn't do well. They were really important to me, and the things I learned doing them were important to me."

-- Michael J Fox

"Every situation, properly perceived, becomes an opportunity. . ."

-- Helen Schucman and William Thetford

Opportunities are always so interesting to me. What may be perceived as a temporary setback or mistake, can just as easily and more than likely turn into the best learning experience that one could have hoped for.

I remember the Hansel & Gretel story with the pebbles through the forest. One pebble leads to another to another and all of them leading down the trail to the destination, and though the destination is not yet in sight, the path is true to the goal.

You just never know how an opportunity embraced today will turn out to be a huge stepping stone toward a better future. Keep your mind on the goal and be flexible enough to embrace the opportunities as they come. It will work out very nicely--maybe even far better than you imagined.

I Am Open To All Opportunities That Come.

Spread Some Joy Today--Feel the confidence that comes from knowing that opportunities are all around you all the time and that you embrace them better and better as time moves forward.

Daily Inspiration 4-11-10

"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional."

-- M Kathleen Casey

"The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief."

-- William Shakespeare

You pull up behind another car in line at the light. You know it is a notoriously short light. The light turns green and the car in front just sits there. What do you do? The car in front of them has already entered the intersection. What do you do? Honk! Right? You honk. Maybe even say a few pointed words at the idiot in the car in front of you. Who the hell do they think they are holding you up today? You say, 'don't they realize what a short light this is and I am going to have to sit through this stupid light again if you don't get your _____ moving.' That's about it, isn't it? Sounds pretty familiar to me from my memory.

Well. . . that's one scenario. That's one way. What about a different way? How about, you say nothing, are not the least bit irritated and that you may even be slightly fascinated by how long it is taking for the driver in front of you to realize what is going on. How about if the people behind you are honking, that you could care less, and even find it laughable that they are so rattled by a temporary pause in the traffic flow. How about if you just smile and enjoy the time waiting for the movement to begin again?

Me ruffled? Used to be ruffled quite regularly--daily in fact. Now it is the second scenario. It is wildly fun! In fact, I've ended up sitting through a few lights again without the slightest complaint. No stress. It is a very enjoyable change, and anyone can do it if they wanted to. But, most that I know like honking, getting upset, saying some quaint phrases, pounding on the steering wheel and stressing their passengers. And, for what? A few seconds? Another minute and a half?

Suffering is optional. We all have the power to choose it, or not. I vote not.

Ever had anything stolen from you? Remember how angry and violated you felt? Remember how you told everyone you knew and spoke of it often as if the story you got from the act of the theft was somehow validating your existence? Remember how you wanted to start a group, a petition, make calls to the law enforcement advocacy to get more cops on the beat so that crime could go down? Maybe you talked about it on Facebook or at work to all your coworkers. Telling the story over and over of your vast loss and getting vaster by the telling. The sympathetic outpouring was understandably in your favor since you were the victim and all.

Or, maybe there is another way. You aren't upset at all. Maybe you even pray for the thief, or send positive thoughts to help them along their path, realizing that this was a desperate act by a person who became desperate. Maybe you realized how much you have and how you may not even miss the thing that went away. Or, maybe you are just neutral about it, matter of fact and move along to more important things.

Indeed, the robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief. How interesting and poignant that can be.

I Choose How I Will Feel About Any Circumstance Or Event. I Choose, Not Another.

Spread Some Joy Today--Take charge of how you feel by deciding how you want to feel. Don't let others dictate that to you. Me either. You choose. They are your feelings. If it works for you, it's good.

Daily Inspiration 4-10-10

"People who ask confidently get more than those who are hesitant and uncertain. When you've figured out what you want to ask for, do it with certainty, boldness and confidence."

-- Jack Canfield

"People don't buy for logical reasons. They buy for emotional reasons."

-- Zig Ziglar

Having spent over 38 years in the sales game, most of it as a sales manager, I can say without the slightest hesitancy that the number one asset of a very good sales person is summed up in one single word: confidence.

Strangely enough, it is not an inborn skill, but a learned one, and the strange part is that so few really learn it, and it is something that every single sales person needs.

The other thing I learned about this from all these years is that the method to achieve confidence can be summed up in one word: boldness. If one has a degree of boldness, one will try things that others shy away from. Boldness, then will create the trial and error, and the results of the trial and error will create the confidence.

It doesn't require any more intelligence than good common sense would dictate, what being good at sales requires is desire, a willingness to put yourself out there, learn from trying and doing and failing and succeeding, and improving to the point of being confident in ones ability to succeed.

That's as simple as it gets.

All the rest is sharpening the saw and lubricating the parts.

Confidence Is The Result Of A Trial & Success Game.

Spread Some Joy Today--Put yourself out there today. Get some trial and success play going. It'll do you good!

Daily Inspiration 4-9-10

"Education is not the filling of a pail,

but the lighting of a fire."

-- William Butler Yeats

I had never seen this quote from William Butler Yeats, but I love it dearly. It is so descriptive of what I think education is meant to achieve. My own experience, and that of many I know is that the lighting of the fire part comes from self-education, not formal education. All the more reason to keep learning after school is done.

I Light My Own Fire Through Self-Education!

Spread Some Joy Today--Go buy a new book and get going!

Daily Inspiration 4-8-10

"I praise loudly. I blame softly."

-- Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia

1729-1796

Catherine the Great's advice is timeless and full of wisdom of the ages. It is still the most excellent advice today, whether in our homes with our families, outside with our neighbors, at work with our associates. This is a particularly good quote to write down and carry around for a while to hold its wisdom in our hearts and in our minds.

I Find Plenty Of Reasons To Praise Others. . . Like I Actually Needed One. . .

Spread Some Joy Today--Find three people to praise today. That should be easy and quite rewarding for everyone involved.

Daily Inspiration 4-7-10

"You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins."

-- Jim Stovall

"Remember, man does not live on bread alone:

sometimes he needs a little buttering up."

-- John C Maxwell

If I get to choose what goes on my tombstone, or how I am remembered in the years after I am gone it is very short, and it is this: Terry Minion, Encourager.

My desire to be an encourager is from a simple source: I never got enough of it as a child from my perspective, and whenever I did get it, I was instantly ablaze with excitement and strong desire to do even better. I have recognized that it is one of my spiritual gifts to be an encourager. I find that I don't require the encouragement I used to crave anymore by giving it away all day, every day to others. Strangely enough, that in itself is encouraging to me and fulfilling at the same time.

What I highly recommend is each of us to encourage each other. There is nothing quite like it to show your caring, your love, your interest and it even boosts performance dramatically in business. It must be sincere, and that will be easy because there is so much potential in each of us, that we have barely scratched the surface in all of man's time on earth.

It's far better to catch someone doing something well and compliment them, than to catch them missing the mark and chastise them. In many business environments, too many look for what is wrong. That same thing happens in the home as well--especially with children. We are all better served as encouragers rather than correctors.

I could give you a list of stories of how much people have changed just from a little encouragement and I've even received communications years later of how it benefited them. That reward is so awesome to receive, but the real reward was watching them grow and become more, seeking more of their vast potential.

That is how these Daily Inspirations got started. I saw a number of people that needed some hope and some encouragement, and started a daily email to them, and it has expanded from that to serve hundreds. There are all kinds of ways to encourage each other, and the easiest is just saying something nice and uplifting to people you live with, work with or meet. Compliment something about them, tell them something they did or are doing that is special and good, or well done. Something as simple as, 'you have a beautiful smile' is good. It doesn't take much, but it holds huge meaning to them. Get started today. You won't regret a single second of it.

I Am An Encourager To Everyone I Know And Meet.

Spread Some Joy Today--Start today being encouraging to others. Compliment their dress, their shoes, their smile, their enthusiasm, their hair. Make sure it is something positive is the only rule. How many times have we thought how nice someone looked today, but said nothing? Today is the day to change that.

Daily Inspiration 4-6-10

"Rule A: Don't. Rule A1: Rule A doesn't exist. Rule A2: Do not discuss the existence or non-existence of Rules A, A1 or A2."

-- R. D. Laing

"If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun."

-- Katharine Hepburn

"I define nothing. Not beauty, not patriotism. I take each thing as it is, without prior rules about what it should be."

-- Bob Dylan

The word 'should' is a word that I have tried fiercely to remove from my vocabulary. It is a highly parental-oriented word to me and it is used so frivolously by so many to indicate rules about behavior and events. You should do this, you should do that, is all so distasteful to me, and it is used to indicate that there is an old, wise authority that has laid down rules that must be followed in order to remain in sync with the norm. It's all a bunch of hooey (I like that word, hooey. . . it's so lame!).

Rules for this, rules for that, rules for everything. Katherine Hepburn is right. There is no fun in rules. Who reads rules anyway? Ever read the list of rules at the public swimming hole? Of course, don't pee in the pool, is a pretty good rule, but rules never really stopped anyone anyway. Remember that old saying, 'rules are made to be broken'? I like the way Douglas MacArthur said it: "Rules are mostly made to be broken and are too often for the lazy to hide behind." Easy for him to say. . .

Check your list of rules and regulations. Check your 'should' list. See if you can lighten the load. Maybe reduce it to one rule: breathe. As long as you follow that one, you're good to go. Everything else is pure experience.

Others Rules Are Not Meant To Help, But To Control. Heck With That! You're In Control! You Rock!

Spread Some Joy Today--Live today rule free. Give all the shoulds back to your parents. Let them be the should keepers. Say, 'I AM!'

Daily Inspiration 4-5-10

"Procrastination is something best put off until tomorrow."

-- Gerald Vaughn

"Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week."

-- Spanish proverb

"Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow."

-- Mark Twain

I am a superstar at planning and executing tomorrow. It's just today that I have issues with. Yesterday, it all looked so good and everything turned out so perfectly, and today. . . well, today. . . let's just say that it wasn't the same. Much of the time, it wasn't even close. And, most of that is fully and completely my own fault. I could-a, and in my head I did-a, and even did-a well, but when the time came I should-a, and though I could-a, I did-not-a.

It's tomorrow. That's the problem. Tomorrow has issues that I can't see today, so that when tomorrow comes, the rules have changed and I didn't know it at the time, otherwise I could have planned for the change and performed properly. But tomorrow changed everything and so I have to start over again and plan for tomorrow again hoping that tomorrow will be more cooperative this time. I mean, really. . . it has no business changing all the time. How is a person expected to succeed, anyway?

Yet, I think I have found the answer! It's TODAY. If I do all I can do today, tomorrow won't matter so much. Then, when tomorrow comes, I will just focus on it as if it is today (which it is--or will be, depending on which day it is. . .).

Yeah. That's it. All there really is is NOW!

What a relief!

If I Could-A, Should-A and Would-A, I Might-A.

Spread Some Joy Today--What are you going to do right now? Begin this second.

Daily Inspiration 4-4-10

"The things I want to know are in books; my best friend

is the man who'll get me a book I ain't read."

-- Abraham Lincoln

"These are not books, lumps of lifeless paper, but minds alive on the shelves."

-- Gilbert Highet

"Read an hour every day in your chosen field. This works out to about one book per week, 50 books per year, and will guarantee your success."

-- Brian Tracy

"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island. . . and best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life."

-- Walt Disney

Reading books is far better than watching the movie. The thing that makes it better is the active use of my imagination. The words in the book create a picture in my mind. I can even "hear" the different accents the people may have as they speak their lines. The better the writer, the more vivid the imagery. It's like an exercise program for my imagination.

In my early twenties, I developed an affection for books and began building my own library, and it grew into several thousand books. Not a good idea if you move a lot, but I have always loved having books around.

They take up space, yet they add a certain kind of warmth to a room. I do like the idea of the Amazon Kindle or other new readers, but haven't made that transition yet. I'm sure it won't be too long before I join the club. All in all, I think I have benefited greatly from the reading and collecting of my books.

I also have a little book business and a couple years ago, I bought the complete library of an 81 year old gentleman who was downsizing his life. He had quite a collection and I was thrilled to be on the receiving end of that deal. I suppose at some point, we just need to let go of them, but, not too soon I hope.

In the meantime, I keep reading and learning and sharing, and adding to my collection and my knowledge. It's been worth every second, all the expense, and even moving them many times. What a bargain a book is, and what a blessing.

I Love Books. Each One Is A Valuable Treasure.

Spread Some Joy Today--Join the book club. It will expand you and you may find treasure as well. Worst case. . . you'll find knowledge.

Daily Inspiration 4-3-10

"A talent is a combination of something you love a great deal, something you can lose yourself in--something that you can start at 9 in the morning, look up from your work and it's 10 o'clock at night--and something you have a natural ability to do very well."

-- George Lucas

"Get excited and enthusiastic about your own dream.

This excitement is like a forest fire--you can smell it,

taste it, and see it from a mile away."

-- Denis Waitley

The people I look up to and really admire are those who have realized what their talents are and are making use of them. They are following their dreams, excited about life, look forward to what will come next and are generally some of the nicest people I have ever met. It seems like all that just goes together.

Many of us left dreams behind to focus on making a living and doing things that others expected of us. We accepted the logic and history pretty much without question. After all, it is what people do and fitting into the world is important, or so it seems.

I know it's not logical--it's more emotional, I suppose--but, I want to encourage people to find their talents and go follow them. That doesn't have to be done all in one episode like quitting your job and leaving the country, but one can learn their talents, build on their talents, make use of their talents in many ways. Making a living financially from them is only one of the ways. Perhaps you will set a goal to do that at some point. Others can do it on the side as a way of giving to others and being of service, while growing an becoming all that you are intended to be.

So there. Get excited and enthusiastic about your own dreams. Find a way to express them. You could write a book. You could volunteer your talents to those that would benefit most from them. You could partner with others. You could start a business. You could become the artist you've always dreamed of. You could be a big brother to someone, or a big sister, or just a very good friend. You could be a rock star at night and teacher by day or visa versa. And, of course, you could also live your dream and have that be your income source too.

Here's what I highly recommend. Don't worry about how. That's not really your job. Your job is the decisions and what. Then, get started. Baby steps, big steps, just make sure they are steps. Focus on expressing your talent and be totally open to opportunity and inspiration. They will both come, sometimes independently, and sometimes together. You will be amazed at how well that will work for you.

Go for it. Be all you can be. Express your talents. You are creative and special. We all are. Live your dreams. You can do it. You will love yourself for it.

I Have My Dreams And Express My Talents. Life Is Good And Getting Better Every Day.

Spread Some Joy Today--Okay. Research time. Make a list of everything that you love to do; that fires your rocket; excites your passions. Start the list: I love. . . and just fill it in as fast as you can for 5 minutes. Then look at it. Your talents are there. Make some decisions and get moving. You won't regret it.

Daily Inspiration 4-2-10

"Be master of your petty annoyances and conserve your energies for the big, worthwhile things. It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out--it's the grain of sand in your shoe."

-- Robert Service

What can be done about the petty annoyances of life?

Change the rules. Stop having rules. Realize that there is no right or wrong, except what you decide to make up. It's just judgement, pure and simple. So, get over it. I guarantee that when you do, your joy meter will spike and continue to soar.

Don't sweat the small stuff--especially since it truly is small stuff.

I'm Working On Not Sweating ANY Stuff.

Spread Some Joy Today--Probably several things will come up today that in your recent past would have really ticked you off. Today, you get to laugh when they pass by, realizing how freeing it was to let go of the judgement of them. Nice work!