Daily Inspiration 6-30-10

"He who obtains has little. He who scatters has much."

-- Lao-Tzu

Receiving and giving are both important aspects of life. The thought that giving is better or more fulfilling than receiving is a common thought expressed in the Bible and thousands of other places. I especially like this quote of Lao-Tzu because it uses the word scatters rather than giving and though they achieve the same result essentially, the method of scattering says giving more clearly to me. Pretty cool, don't you think?

I'm Not Scattered. I'm Scattering!

Spread Some Joy Today--There are millions of ways of giving. Try just a few of them today. The joy that it will bring will be so great, and you will get the major benefit.

Daily Inspiration 6-29-10

"Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal."

-- Earl Nightingale

"The only person who succeeds is the person who

is progressively realizing a worthy ideal.

That's the person who says, 'I'm going to become this'

and then begins to work toward that goal."

-- Earl Nightingale

I love these quotes by Earl Nightingale. The reason I love them is one word in both quotes: progressive. He says that 'success is a progressive realization,' not that it is a destination but more a journey toward a destination. The destination is the worthy ideal. The success is the progressive realization of it. It really is the journey!

How many times in your life have you had a goal and you succeeded in accomplishing it, only to realize that now that you achieved it, it wasn't nearly as satisfying as it was anticipated to be. But, one thing is for sure, you will remember the journey toward it. And as we look back, we connect more to the journey than ever. The destination was nice, but the journey was the experience!

I'm going to put that quote on my wall so I can see it every day to remind me that the journey IS the success, that it is already a success in the willingness to go on the journey at all and that will help me put any stumbling blocks into perspective.

I Am On A Journey Of Progressive Realization.

In Other Words, A Successful Adventure!

Spread Some Joy Today--We're all moving toward something. Let this help us remember to savor and celebrate the adventure of the journey! Cowabunga!

Daily Inspiration 6-28-10

"You don't have to be a person of influence to be influential.

In fact, the most influential people in my life are

probably not even aware of the things they've taught me."

-- Scott Adams

When the student is ready, the teacher appears. . . or is it, when the teacher is ready, the student appears? I think it is both. There is a time to learn and a time to teach and although we think about those things as opposites like giving and receiving, I think they are really all the same thing. I think that mostly because I know that when I am teaching (as I am doing now, I suppose), I am learning at the same exact time, for it is in the act of teaching that I learn what I know and learn how to express and indeed, receive learning.

I think other people influence us when we are ready to be influenced. I know that is true because two or ten or a thousand people who might be listening or watching the same thing will see and hear it very differently. Many may be influenced, while others are not moved at all.

This shows how much of a participatory world we live in.

So how do you influence others? You do. Much of the time. You can't help it. They can't help but receive it when they are ready for it either. I think that the best we can do is to be the best we can be--to be the most you that you can be--and to be the truest to yourself you can be. That is a powerful influence for you and the rest of the ready-to-be-influenced planet.

I Am Ready To Be Influenced. Teach Away!

Spread Some Joy Today--Being a teacher without at the same time being a student is like being a friend without being friendly. Just be yourself today. Rejoice in your own, special and awesome uniqueness! YOU ROCK! The world rocks with you!

Daily Inspiration 6-27-10

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful."

-- Denis Waitley

"Never let yesterday use up too much of today."

-- Will Rogers

Do you think these two quotes go together? At first glance, maybe not, but thinking a bit more, it is clear that they do. As we fuss and fume and worry about what happened yesterday, it is pretty much impossible to notice the beauty that surrounds us today. Of course, the opposite is also true. The more we focus on the beauty that surrounds us, the less yesterday means to us, has power over us, or is carried in our thoughts.

So, logic would dictate that one method of letting go of what happened yesterday, or even what is happening now that we may not like very much is to seek to see the beauty that surrounds us. It makes it an easier decision to change our focus to what is beautiful. A much more fruitful one as well.

I See Beauty Around Me Every Day.

Spread Some Joy Today--As you go through your day, make the choice to see what is beautiful right in front of you. The more you do that consciously, the more you will do it without thinking. That will be an awesome day!

Daily Inspiration 6-26-10

"Nothing external to you has any power over you."

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"We are no longer puppets being manipulated

by outside powerful forces;

we become the powerful force ourselves."

-- Leo Buscaglia

We all have this power.

The difference is choosing to accept and use it consciously,

or observe it on autopilot.

I Choose What To Think About Everything. Period.

Spread Some Joy Today--Flex your power muscles today and feel the power you have deep down. The joy that comes from that realization will fuel your entire day!

Daily Inspiration 6-25-10

"Coming together is a beginning;

Keeping together is progress;

Working together is success."

-- Henry Ford

"We cannot live only for ourselves.

A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow-men. . . .

-- Herman Melville

"Help thy brother's boat across, and lo!

thine own has reached the shore."

-- Hindu Proverb

At first thought, I thought it was a silly pastime, but I have grown to love Facebook. I don't spend very much time there, but what I love about it is that I can connect to people I've worked with in the past, went to school with, other people I've met or known and it helps me to think of them, think fond thoughts of them and sometimes even communicate on Facebook with them. My fond thoughts are communication, of course and that is enough sometimes. I know thoughts are transmitted and I know that in some way, they are felt.

I also love the fact that I can share what is going on in my own life, or what I'm doing and others can see that and benefit by it. Sometimes people will communicate back on Facebook about a post and then a mini-dialogue will result. It makes it kind of fun.

Sometimes I will meet someone at an event and they might say they saw something on Facebook that I wrote like these Daily Inspirations since I post them there too. It's always interesting to find readers you didn't know you had and how they were pleased and enjoyed the posts. It's rather inspiring.

In our business of website design and Internet Marketing at www.upwardtrend.org, we help businesses use Facebook and other social networking sites effectively in promoting their business in a soft, fun way. So in that, Facebook has become a partner and an effective tool. And, Facebook is barely six years old. What an amazing trip they have been on!

It is an inter-connected world now and will only get more so. What each of us does can affect many more people now than ever before. I think that is awesome and wonderful and it is also a way for us to stay connected.

I Love The New Ways We Connect With Each Other.

Communication Changes The World!

Spread Some Joy Today--Celebrate all these wonderful ways to communicate with each other; i.e., cellphones, Facebook, Twitter, email, and so much more. What an awesome time to be alive!

Daily Inspiration 6-24-10

"As the fletcher whittles and makes straight his arrows,

so the master directs his straying thoughts."

-- Gautama Buddha

"If you only care enough for a result, you will almost certainly attain it. . . . Only you must, then, really wish these things, and wish them exclusively, and not wish at the same time a hundred other incompatible things just as strongly."

-- William James

The Power Of Focus.

'I want better job that pays a lot more money, but. . . I don't want to work weekends any more.' 'I want to do this kind of work, but. . . I don't want to commute.' 'I want to be wealthy, but. . . I don't want to work all the time.'

I've heard many of these kind of statements and even made many myself. It's the old, 'Yes, But No' routine, or more commonly referred to as lack of focus or canceling the request before the request could be considered.

Rules.

We have so many rules and rules will generally, in my experience, limit. Truly, I think that's what they are really designed to do, don't you think? The more rules, the less freedom, the more rules, the less opportunity.

We are all about choice. We do get to choose, and choose we must, and many times we make the same choice over and over again when we think we are choosing something different. The main reason is statements like in the first paragraph. We say we want something, while we say we don't want something at the same time. If we choose what we want and go with where ever that might take us, we can change. If we limit our choices with a list of reasons why we cannot, we automatically choose to remain where we are. While seemingly stating we want something else, we are choosing where we are. Why?

Partly it is belief. We are always trying to figure out how. But how, is not even on the radar. If it were, we would just walk over to it and pick it up. So, we say we want something, search our limited memory banks, determine that the way to have that would give me things I don't want, so I state that I don't want those things and thereby cancel the want. If we let go of who, where, when, and how, we can focus on the want and follow the path toward its conclusion--or at the very least, to new opportunities we didn't know existed. This is how doors are opened that would not open before, or people are put in your path, or circumstances change to meet you.

It's the Power of Focus.

I Am Focused On What I Want, And Open To All The Interesting Ways It Will Come To Me!

Spread Some Joy Today--Think back to the times you wanted something and remember how you cancelled it at birth by adding rules to the desire. Try ditching the rules. Get your desire in mind and focus on it's conclusion as if it is already done, then let go and enjoy the ride! It's like being on the Pirates of the Caribbean for the first time!

Daily Inspiration 6-23-10

"There is no such thing as a problem without a gift. . . .

You seek problems because you need their gifts."

-- Richard Bach

"Welcome every problem as an opportunity. Each moment is the greatest challenge, the best thing that ever happened to you. The more difficult the problem, the greater the challenge in working it out."

-- Grace Speare

"Try to regard every problem that comes your way as opportunity rather than opposition, as opulence rather than oppression."

-- Russell J Fornwall

It's that old 'glass half empty, glass half full' thing again. . .

It's really funny to me how many times I have heard this phrase from someone. And, my answer is YES! IT IS! It absolutely is. Which of course, if they really thought about what they were saying, they would realize that they are acknowledging the very thing which I promote the most: that we get to choose our own thoughts and our thoughts bring us the results we have in our lives. So they are acknowledging the fact that the choice is there. So. . .

My question is, why in the world would someone consciously choose a half empty thought rather than a half full thought. In writing, I get to answer my own questions, so the answer is easy: habit, observation and accumulated learning from half empty teachers, including parents and friends. Where else could it come from? Maybe we are walking down the street one day, minding our own business, when, out of the blue, a lightning bolt of negativity strikes us and we begin to develop a pessimistic attitude toward everything. . . right.

Think of some of the not so positive phrases that your parents used about various things, like money, your skills, your opportunities, your neighbors, your ______, the ______ and the ________. Then think about some of the key phrases piled on at school, from your friends who learned it from their parents and school, and then there is the television--especially the sitcoms and commercials. Funny, maybe, but teaching, no doubt about it. This is where that stuff came from and continues to come from.

There is a way out.

Decide today to have half full thinking and that whenever you have a half empty thought, that you say to yourself, 'that's the way I used to think, but now I think this.' With the decision and the practice, if I can do it, anyone can do it.

The grass really is greener here. . .

I Am A Practicing Optimist. . . YES!

Spread Some Joy Today--Try for one day at work to just listen to how your co-workers talk. Pick up on the pessimists and see if you find any optimists. Hear the tone, the words, phrases, inflections and emotion. See if you see a pattern.

Daily Inspiration 6-22-10

"If you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be."

"Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors

for you where there were only walls."

-- Joseph Campbell

The hard questions that I've always had about this until recently was this: 'How does this happen? How do I get lucky enough to do what I love for a living? What will I do?' Here's some things I've learned about that.

First and foremost is, that if I ask questions that I cannot answer, frustration is a result and fear is right behind it, and these will kill all enthusiasm. So, when I ask things like how, when, where, and who, these are questions that I will not normally have the answer for and I will strain to figure them out and it will end in disappointment. The only two questions I can answer for sure and for certain are these: What and why. If I know what I want and why I want it, that is really all I need to know. I then focus on those and build them and expand them and think of them often and speak of them often and give no energy or thought to how or when.

I know we were taught that we should plan and we should know how to do a thing and we should develop the plan and all that stuff. There won't be any bliss in that. Yet, if the focus remains on the bliss--the what and the why--all the rest will come and it will come in interesting ways. As Joseph Campbell said, 'the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.' It's true. The more I let go of how, when and where, while I focus and expand what and why, the more doors open. When I get in there being nervous and impatient and start messing with the how's and their friends, the doors remain closed. It is interesting to say the least.

Following my bliss is really an act of faith. It is releasing need and accepting help from outside (or really, it's inside. . .); letting go of the desire to control and expecting the things I want to be. Part of doing that is focusing on feeling good and experiencing joy. Almost nothing upsets me anymore. I find something good in every situation and I am coming to expect more good things to happen daily.

I'm making this sound easy. It hasn't been, but yet it has. I am yet a practicing bliss follower. The hard part for me was focusing on what I want instead of what is currently happening, such as focusing on how I want to feel and look rather than what I see in the mirror today. It is only hard in that I have to keep bringing my mind back to what I want when my mind wants to go and think about what currently is. I have to forget about the current and past. There really isn't anything I can do about them anyway. What I can change is my thoughts. At the same time, I need to be thankful for where I am, who I am and what I have become. I cannot be unhappy with myself and bring joy. It reminds me of Eric Berne's "I'm okay, you're okay." I have to be okay, let everyone else be okay and then focus on what I want next. That's where it all starts. Here is the beginning of my bliss and it all expands from there.

There has been nothing more joyous in my life than realizing these ideas. Realizing them has changed everything about me for the better in that I know that I have the power to change whatever I want to by learning how to feel good about myself and my situation and focusing on what I want, not how I'm going to get it. And, it has only just begun. Indeed, I feel like a kindergartner in this--totally excited and ready to learn and grow. Awesome.

What I Want Is What I Get When I'm Ignoring How, When, Where and Who.

Spread Some Joy Today--Following your bliss is more a matter of letting go of things than it is accepting or reaching for things. There is the speedy, easy way. Let go, and let it be. Reminds me of a Beatles song. . .

Daily Inspiration 6-21-10

 Quotes that I disagree with. . .

"There is no gains without pains."

-- Benjamin Franklin

"There is no success without hardship."

-- Sophocles

"No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne;

no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown."

-- William Penn

I'm sorry, but I can't in my right mind go along with these masochistic quotes. It is saying essentially that bad things have to happen BEFORE good things can be.

Total rubbish!

And, having heard this kind of sentiment over and over again is perpetuating more pain and more misfortune for it becomes accepted that this is a "normal" way that accomplishments are ended. It's all that "walking through the valley of death," and all that. It's all rubbish to me. . . now. . . for I used to believe it too. . . until I found it UNNECESSARY!

The first thing--and this is where everything starts--is our thoughts. If I think there is no gain without pain, then there will be no gain in my life without some kind of pain. Indeed. Then, pain is just my interpretation of an event, and that came from memory and belief from previous thoughts. Change them and change EVERYTHING.

I realize these well meaning and very famous people are trying to encourage people who fall down to get back up again and I appreciate that sentiment, but I have to disagree with their method.

Gain DOES NOT require pain.

Success DOES NOT require hardship.

Unless. . . that's what you want to experience!

Start here with some affirmations:

My success is assured! I gain in my success everyday and enjoy the process.

Every day I gain in ways I couldn't have imagined.

I start with success and continue to grow in my success.

Success is my natural state.

It is so easy for me.

I Enjoy My Journey Toward That Which I Want. That Is My Ultimate Success.

Spread Some Joy Today--Just because someone famous said it, doesn't mean you can't disagree with it. Who needs pain? I'm thinking that it is something to avoid, not accept as necessary.

Daily Inspiration 6-20-10

"More powerful than all the success slogans ever penned

by human hand is the realization for every man that

he has but one boss. That boss is the man--he--himself."

-- Gabriel Heatter

"A man carries his success or his failure with him. . .

it does not depend on outside conditions. . ."

-- Ralph Waldo Trine

This is perhaps one of the hardest things to finally, really get hold of--that our success or failure does not depend on outside conditions and that we are ultimately in charge of success and failure.

It is also in the top ten things to learn in my experience. Because getting this and really deep down understanding it is all powerful in realizing the capabilities we all have hidden from view. We are more than we show most of the time and we have reserves and access to such vast knowledge once we seek to acknowledge it and accept our own genius.

Letting go of outside conditions holding responsibility is the first step toward genius.

I Accept That I Am Responsible. No Excuses.

Spread Some Joy Today--There is such confidence that comes from being in charge. I alone determine what I want and I alone control my own thinking.

Daily Inspiration 6-19-10

"What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity.

They are but trifles, to be sure; but, scattered along

life's pathways, the good they do is inconceivable."

-- Joseph Addison

That's the ticket.

Smile. A Lot. Some Will Wonder What You're Up To.

The Rest Will Just Bathe In The Glow!

Spread Some Joy Today--There is nothing that spreads joy so fast and so easily as a genuine smile. Share it often!

Daily Inspiration 6-18-10

"Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires avid faith in yourself. That is why some people with mediocre talent, but with the inner drive, go much further than people with vastly superior talent."

-- Sophia Loren

As a sales manager for over 30 years, I have seen this quote by Sophia Loren prove to be accurate. Inner drive is far more important than skill, looks, a cool resume, how many smart friends you have on Facebook, or any other thing or combination of things. It is purely a decision and commitment to the challenge.

One of my favorite quotes along this line comes from our 30th President, Calvin Coolidge:

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.

Talent will not;

nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.

Genius will not;

unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.

Education will not;

the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."

I Can If I Want To Enough, And Try Enough, And Believe Enough.

Spread Some Joy Today--Next time you think you might not have enough talent, pull this Daily Inspiration out and read it again. You have more than you think.

Daily Inspiration 6-17-10

"We can't solve problems by using the same

kind of thinking we used when we created them."

-- Albert Einstein

Not so long ago. . .

I would get an advance on a credit card

to pay some other credit card bills. . .

I'm learning as I go to have different thinking!

. . . making progress too!

If I Stop Enough Others From Doing What I Don't Want Them To Do, I Can Do What I Want To Do.

Wrong. . .

Spread Some Joy Today--It takes courage and tenacity to change your thinking. But it is the only thing that will change the results. Here's to change!

Daily Inspiration 6-16-10

"The only opinion about your dream that really counts is yours.

The negative comments of others merely

reflect their limitations--not yours."

-- Cynthia Kersey

There is a powerful force that is yours to control when you amass the level of confidence in what you want that allows no other opinion to alter your course.

The view from here is mind-blowing!

Yes, You Can-Can, You Know You Can-Can, Yes, You Can-Can! Ain't It Blissin'?

Spread Some Joy Today--Just when you thought that others were controlling your life, you had a better thought. Heck with them, it's your life! Well. . . not heck with them. . . let them have it their way. . . BUT your way is the coolest!

Daily Inspiration 6-15-10

"There is not a more pleasing exercise of the mind than gratitude. It is accompanied with such an inward satisfaction that the duty is sufficiently rewarded by the performance."

-- Joseph Addison

While searching for something else, I found a site about psychology and someone was stating what a loser they were and how everything goes wrong and how terrified they are and how depressed they feel and they are 25 and unemployed and living at home and on and on and on. Then there were all these responses to the lengthy statement of how bad things are and how hopeless life is right now. The responses were all over the place, some recommending psychotherapy, others to stay away from self-help books and others trying to cheer him up by just being positive and upbeat. It was an interesting read.

I have an easier answer and a much more effective one too. Get ready. . . here comes the wisdom of the world. . . to solve almost all of life's problems, turn your life around and turn your life on. . . Here it is: gratitude.

The other day I had a sort of revelation while driving. I was thinking about some people who have told me that they have a hard time being grateful for so many things. I always suggest that they not worry about that aspect and just pretend to be grateful and that the practice of pretending will bring it to you in reality. I know this because I did it myself.

So in the car, I was thinking about those responses and it came to me that the whole purpose of gratitude is to get out of yourself! Wow. I thought that was pretty powerful, simple, and very enlightening. It's so simple that it is taken for granted.

We're into ourselves 24/7 because we are inside ourselves and everything else is outside. We think thoughts so fast and we've accumulated so many habits and beliefs. Sometimes the only way to get some perspective is to find a way to get outside of ourselves, even if only for a few short minutes. The benefits can be life-changing. And, the way to do that immediately and surely each and every time is to be grateful. Find things to be grateful for. Express gratitude for people, things, and events. Seek thankfulness and enjoy the rewards of that outward expression of an inward thought.

If you ever feel down, seek to be grateful for being there. If that doesn't work, find something else to be grateful for. It doesn't matter how big or small. To God, I don't think there is such a thing. Just find something, anything. Then begin adding things. It could be that the sky is blue or that water comes out of the faucet, then it could be gratitude for the family, the home you live in. Believe me, the list will grow and grow and grow. There is so much to be thankful for. Make a list today!

There Is Always Something. . . To Be Grateful For!

Spread Some Joy Today--I know it for a fact and have proven it to many others: become grateful and your life will always be full--beginning with the day you become grateful.

Daily Inspiration 6-14-10

"You're not going to make me have a bad day.

If there's oxygen on earth and I'm breathing,

it's going to be a good day."

-- Cotton Fitzsimmons

Cotton Fitzsimmons says it very well: Having a bad day is purely a personal choice. It is an interpretation of a day and we all have the same power of choice. Choosing to have a good day regardless of circumstances, events or other people will insure you are enjoying life.

That'll work!

I Always Have A Great Day!

Spread Some Joy Today--If you're having a great day, you are spreading joy! And, it's rubbing off on some of those that have habitually chosen to let things decide for them. Keep it up. They may want to join you sometime.

Daily Inspiration 6-13-10

"I think and think for months and years,

ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false.

The hundreth time I am right."

-- Albert Einstein

If someone as smart as Albert Einstein was gets it wrong so many times before he gets it right, who are we to be putting ourselves down for getting it wrong a few times.

Celebrate your genius!

You Are Your Own Genius. Celebrate Often!

Spread Some Joy Today--Lighten up. We often make too big a deal out of things that don't mean diddly squat. Celebrate your successes often. Even old ones.

Daily Inspiration 6-12-10

"Never say anything about yourself you do not want to come true."

-- Brian Tracy

I've heard people say they don't believe in affirmations or the power of affirmations. Well, that's sort of like saying I don't believe in gravity. Belief is only your acceptance of the fact, and has nothing to do with the fact that affirmations are real and they are, indeed, very powerful over time.

So, what you say about yourself, to others, and to yourself matters--a lot. Matter of fact, if you want to change your life, the most power to do that will come from changing the things you say to yourself all day long. The most powerful phrase on the planet is, 'I am.' Whatever comes after that is significant. Say it often enough or with the power of emotion and it will work very quickly.

The best thing is to always say things about yourself that you want to come true, or the way you want them to be. There's no point reinforcing something negative about yourself.

You are a rock star. I don't care what instrument you play.

Get On With Your Great Self.

Spread Some Joy Today--Who wants to be around someone who is putting themselves down, complaining, feeling sorry for themselves? Everyone wants to be around a confident, joyous and positive person.

Daily Inspiration 6-11-10

"It is in quiet that our best ideas occur to us. Don't make the mistake of believing that by a frantic kind of dashing around you are being your most effective and efficient self. Don't assume that you are wasting time when you take time out for thought."

-- Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone

No matter how busy I might be, I always find time to just think and be open to inspiration. I have found that I can do that any time I want and in any location or space. It doesn't require me to be in a certain place or at a certain time. There are always ways to make time for thinking. One is even while I'm driving to a destination, or waiting for someone, or any number of times when I'm in between something else.

I might take 5 minutes now and a half hour later in the day. I have no set agenda except that I find time to just think about my businesses or clients or future possibilities, or any number of topics. The only rule I have is that worry is not welcome, so if it shows up unannounced, I just reject it and move on.

I like to take long walks and that is a wonderful time to think, thank and praise.

Thinking Required. Time Frame Is Optional.

Spread Some Joy Today--Nothing brightens my day like being thankful for every thing, event and situation in my life. If it brightens mine, it has to brighten others.

Daily Inspiration 6-10-10

"People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success

because they don't know when to quit.

Most men succeed because they are determined to."

-- George Allen

Most of us haven't got a clue what it means to fail 10,000 times like Thomas A Edison in trying to create the incandescent light bulb. Or how about how many times Babe Ruth struck out, yet we know him as a home run king.

We think of Thomas A Edison as a very talented man, so how much talent does it take to fail 10,000 times on one single project? Maybe yes, maybe not so much, but one thing is for sure and for certain, it does take a super-achiever at persistence.

Just imagine you're in sales and the sales manager says after your 10th failed sale, 'no problem! We all know that Thomas A Edison failed 10,000 times, so keep goin' kid, you got some catchin' up to do.' Right. Dream on. I'm sure it is more like, 'you keep doing that and you're out a here!'

I remember in one of my favorite books when I started in sales, How I Raised Myself From Failure To Success In Selling by Frank Bettger. He had failed badly and was clearing out his desk when they had a sales meeting in the room and he overheard the manager saying that it doesn't take more than someone with average ability to make a success in selling. What it takes is a willingness to try and keep trying and keep getting better. He took it to heart and made another go and became the top producer throughout his company and several others too.

Maybe sometimes we just tell ourselves that it takes more than we have when in reality we have more than we think.

I Can When I'm Convinced I Can.

Spread Some Joy Today--Go pump two or three people up today. It will pump you up.

Daily Inspiration 6-9-10

"Our self image and our habits tend to go together.

Change one and you will automatically change the other."

-- Dr Maxwell Maltz

I can sure relate to this quote. After 38 years of quitting smoking, I finally had to change my self-image and it automatically changed the habit. I had to start seeing myself as a non-smoker. My actions were different then and that changed the habit patterns. It was so ingrained in me that I had a hard time seeing myself as not smoking, let alone as a "non-smoker."

This works the same regardless of the situation. Whether it is finding a different career after doing the same one for a very long time, going into business for yourself, or becoming married instead of single, etc. Sometimes those transitions can be challenging, but change the habit or change the self-image and you can master it quickly. Regardless of which is first, the self-image will have to change. As with the smoking, I had to change the habit pattern for a few days first, then the self-image change was much easier, but it is the self-image change that has made it permanent.

I See Myself As. . .

Spread Some Joy Today--Giving thanks for yourself is a great place to start. God doesn't make mistakes. See yourself as you would like you to be--the best you. As you do that, you will automatically spread joy to others.

Daily Inspiration 6-8-10

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs;

ask yourself what makes you come alive.

And, then go and do that.

Because what the world needs

is people who have come alive."

-- Howard Thurman

I love this quote because it helps me to remember to be myself. To forget all the should's and could's and advice about how I'm supposed to be or act or behave. Those are all someone else's idea of how they think I should be. In reality, I shouldn't be anything. I just am.

As each of us is as unique as snowflakes are unique, I think that the more we learn to "feel comfortable in our own skin," the more interesting and rewarding our life will become. I don't know about you, but that has been a long process for me, and though I don't quite feel like it is fully mission accomplished, I have made such strides in this area, that I am loving myself.

We used to talk when we were kids about people loving themselves as being conceited. They weren't conceited so much as arrogant and immature, but I have come to believe that loving yourself is a wonderful and most desired place to get to. From that vantage point, loving others is a natural.

I know for me, that this place of loving yourself is a coming alive party that lights up the your world. Forget about what others want you or expect you to be. Be the special unique you that has no equal. Different is good. Heck with conformity.

We're Each Unique Like A Snowflake.

Spread Some Joy Today--Next time you look in the mirror, start saying some really good things to yourself. Don't pick apart your flaws--you don't have any--you're unique. They aren't flaws, but beauty marks. Start praising what you see and you'll start seeing a way cooler you. So will everyone else. Let's party!

Daily Inspiration 6-7-10

"Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long.

We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things,

because we are curious. . . and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

-- Walt Disney

This is one of those great quotes that speaks many things to me. I think of business and those that I have experienced and how reluctant so many of them are to be creative through their curiosity. I think of how I get into a rut myself and sometimes just languish there in my comfortable comfort zone, doing things almost automatically from habit. I think of Winston Churchill and others who said that if we don't remember history we are bound to repeat it. Some can even make a life there--in the past. Don't need a time machine, we can go there at will mentally.

Then I think of the excitement of the new thing; the new way; the new time and how I love that feeling and the fun of it. It is invigorating to say the least. Then I see a business grab hold of a great idea and run with it and they transform themselves before my eyes. How exciting. Then I think of the world and how far it has come and with the excitement of the future being shown in so many ways. Look at the Internet and mobile communications and how that has changed the entire world. The horizon is full of promise and very interesting changes.

Two ways of looking at a thing, and I love Walt Disney's example and I love his vision and especially his tenacity and belief. Fantasize! There is always a bright future if you have sunglasses.

Life Is A Curious Thing. How Fun!

Spread Some Joy Today--Daydreaming is a wonderful thing to do most of the time, especially if it gives you pleasure and an optomistic attitude. That is impossible not to share with others.

Daily Inspiration 6-6-10

"Follow your bliss. If you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while waiting for you, and the life you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in the field of your bliss, and they open the doors to you. I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be. If you follow your bliss, doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else."

-- Joseph Campbell

Another way of saying, if it feels good, do it! I say, yes and amen!

Struggle Is Way Overrated. It's The Bliss!

Spread Some Joy Today--Stop remembering how hard life is supposed to be and all the trials and problems and rocky slopes and cliffs and all that crap. Start enjoying each and every moment of this blissful life! The difference is just the choice and the choice is everything!

Daily Inspiration 6-5-10

"I like nonsense; it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living. It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities."

-- Dr. Suess

How fun! Absolutely!

Life Is A Fantastic Fantasy!

Spread Some Joy Today--Take a skip break. Go for a little walk and do some skipping. How long has it been? It will feel weird now, but also very fun.

Daily Inspiration 6-4-10

"We cannot tell what may happen to us in the strange medley of life. But we can decide what happens in us--how we can take it, what we do with it--and that is what really counts in the end. How to take the raw stuff of life and make it a thing of worth and beauty--that is the test of living."

-- Joseph Fort Newton

Stuff happens and some of that stuff may not have been consciously ordered, and what happens within me as a result of the stuff is everything. I have come to believe after over 40 years of study, that life is meant to be enjoyed; that the experience of it is the value and the interpretation of the experience is entirely personal. At the very same time, I believe that we all have a great deal of control in how our lives function and that we choose more than we know and that we can know to choose if we choose to know.

It has been my experience and that of so many I see and know that we learn a certain thing, attitude, point of view, routine and we do it again and again from the habit of doing it past. And that we learn to define words, phrases, events, circumstances in our own way from this learning and that it is our definitions that determine much of how we experience life. Of the thousands of quotes I have seen, one stands apart and is all encompassing to me: "Tis nothing good or bad that thinking makes it so." --William Shakespeare. We define everything personally. In this one thing we have complete and total control of our lives.

Our emotions are just indicators of how we are thinking. We normally say that differently. We usually say, our emotions are indicators of how we feel. But really, our feelings are a result of our thinking. We choose them consciously or unconsciously, but they are chosen nonetheless. Therein lies the secret of change--to change the thought that creates the feeling--assuming it is a feeling that is undesirable. It is incredibly simple as laws are, yet not necessarily easy. It requires intent to purpose, but that is the only work involved. The rest is pure pleasure.

Once learned and practiced just a bit, there is nothing that you will interpret other than as you want it to be. You also get to choose whether others see that in you or you keep it to yourself, and I assure you that being in the pilot's seat consciously is the most pleasure you will ever have.

I Am A Qualified Pilot. I Have My Wings.

Spread Some Joy Today--Choose your intent today as you intend to choose. Your joy awaits you. You are the master pilot. F-16's are just child's play to you.

Daily Inspiration 6-3-10

"This is my depressed stance. When you're depressed, it makes a lot of difference how you stand. The worst thing you can do is straighten up and hold your head high because then you'll start to feel better. If you're going to get any joy out of being depressed, you've got to stand like this."

-- Charlie Brown

Charlie is absolutely right and it is absolutely true what he says here. Anthony Robbins taught me this many years ago. What he taught me was essentially this: if you're depressed, you're getting something out of that--a payoff. Like Charlie Brown said, ". . .if you're going to get any joy out of being depressed, you've got to. . ." It sounds like an oxymoron, but people really do get joy out of being depressed. I know it for a fact because I used to experience that. It actually felt good to me, and it justified other things like drinking, smoking, hiding, and more. There is a payoff.

The other thing I learned from Tony was that changing your mind is sometimes very difficult. Once you're depressed and you're getting joy from it, to change your thinking is hard, but there is another way out: physical change. You could call it the tail wagging the dog I suppose, but it works like magic. As Charlie says, "When you're depressed, it makes a lot of difference how you stand. . . you've got to stand like this." And Tony taught me that one of the fastest ways to change your mind is to change your stance--your bodily position and attitude. So, like Charlie says, "The worst thing you can do is straighten up and hold your head high because then you'll start to feel better." That is the perfect thing to do and it works perfectly. It is impossible to feel depressed and straighten up and hold your head high, just as it is most difficult to feel real joy in a depressed stance.

Body language is real and it speaks to others what we are thinking, or at least what our overall attitude is. In this case it is reflective. It can also be a controller, so in that respect, we just change our bodily position--our body language--and wallah! we change our thinking automatically. This is why physical exercise is so valuable to the health of the body and the mind. You could have some depressed thoughts when you're exercising, but they wouldn't have any power until you took the depressed position and stopped exercising.

Very interesting stuff and also so very true.

Moping And Hoping Require Different Body Positions.

Spread Some Joy Today--Try it. Next time you're feeling down, change your body position. Stand up and hold your head high and you'll see the instant change. Help someone else understand this too. You might change a life!

Daily Inspiration 6-2-10

"Everything is possible for him who believes."

-- The Bible, Mark 9:23

"Faith is the power to believe."

-- Prentice Mulford

This is a universal message in everything that we do. Of the amazing and stupendous things done in this world, I doubt any were done by not believing they could be done, for that is a sure fire way to not do them. The great reoccurring theme in success is believing it can be achieved--even not necessarily knowing how it would happen. If you knew how it would happen, there would be no need for belief.

Faith and belief are often used interchangeably, yet I think belief is the decision and faith is the commitment. Think about it.

Faith Is A Commitment To Belief.

Spread Some Joy Today--Make some belief decisions and turn them into faith. What a difference that will make.

Daily Inspiration 6-1-10

"To judge between good or bad, between successful

and unsuccessful would take the eye of a God."

-- Anton Chekhov

Recognizing contrast and judging are two different things. The first is seeing what I like and what I don't like and not making any judgement about it other than I like it or I don't like it. The second is seeing what I like or don't like and then in turn thinking that it is either right or wrong, good or bad, appropriate or inappropriate. These judgements diminish others because they cause me to put myself above others as some kind of authority and at the same time it diminishes me because it separates me from my brother and sister.

Recognizing my likes and dislikes is a natural part of life and making choices. Judging is not an appropriate place for me to be in, so I will defer that to God who really could be the only real authority since the hardware and software was designed exclusively by Him.

What I Like Or Don't Like Is Purely Personal.

Spread Some Joy Today--See if you can see what you don't like today without making any other judgements about it. Practice makes perfect!