Daily Inspiration 12-31-11

"Treat those who are good with goodness,

and treat those who are not good with goodness.

Thus goodness is obtained.

Be honest to those who are honest,

and be also honest to those who are not honest.

Thus honesty is attained."

-- Lau Tzu

A philosophy such as in this Lau Tzu quote escaped my understanding until recently. I was taught or learned rather to respond in kind. And even though I then lose my place and position, it was the fair thing to do--an eye for an eye and all that sort of thing.

Now I realize that in so doing, I've given up the thing that I thought I valued, such as the goodness, or the honesty to fight the evil-doers and liars, only to become as they and ultimately show how little I valued the previously held ideals.

It makes perfect sense to me now that treating all with goodness maintains the value of goodness. It also means that I make the choice by choosing goodness.

How does this apply in real life? I've worked a few jobs where things my boss told me to say or do were against my values, yet because they were my employer, my source of income, my livelihood, I folded and did as was requested or instructed feeling crappy about it, yet doing it nonetheless. I could see how the client was looking at me and thinking about me, but I felt that I had no choice. I mean, it wasn't exactly like breaking the law or anything, it was just not right in my mind--more like a difference of opinion or outlook. Yet, no matter how I tried to justify it or whitewash it, it was still distasteful to me.

Today, I would respond differently and take the risk. This is probably one of the big reasons that I am in business for myself because I can make the decisions and feel good about them and do what I think is right. Now if something doesn't feel right to me, I am in total control of changing it until it does. Thus rightness or integrity is obtained.

"If You Don't Change Direction, You May End Up Where You Are Heading." -- Lao Tzu

Spread Some Joy Today--Love yourself first and foremost.

Daily Inspiration 12-30-11

"Our attitudes control our lives. Attitudes are a secret power

working twenty-four hours a day, for good or bad. It is of

paramount importance that we know how to harness

and control this great force."

-- Irving Berlin

I teach sales and have done that since 1975, and yet I'm continually learning about this subject, even today. What I have found by asking and by observing is that most salespeople that I've been around want silver bullets and magic genies to aid them and they almost all want to know more about closing sales. They want the right lines to say, the right sequence to say them in to speed up the process and help them be more successful. They typically rank closing the sale as the most important step in a sale.

To me, the close of a sale is a forgone conclusion to a well thought greeting--and even before we even meet the potential customer in our attitudes about what we do and how we do it.

If we have an attitude of desiring to improve our skills and be the best that we can be at what we do, we will learn with an eager mind and the skills will flow accordingly. This helps us believe in ourselves and in our own abilities. Let's call this preparation.

Then, it will be in our best interest to have an attitude of sincere and helpful service thinking what will be best suited for our new customer. It should be obvious that it is far more important what the customer wants than what we might want. We are the servant as salespeople, not the customer.

Next, is learning to pay far more attention to asking good questions, than in making a presentation. We can't be of service if we aren't clear what our customer wants. Once we are clear on what our customer wants, and can supply that, a presentation is like a bit of icing on a cake.

Last is all encompassing and the single most important quality in a good salesperson: Confidence. This comes from all of the above and I call that a momentum maker. It is this place of feeling good about yourself, what you do, how you do it and your focus on service and integrity.

With this, there is no need to learn much about closing sales. There are only a few things that make a really good salesperson in my opinion. These are desire, attitude, and confidence.

Manipulation Is So Yesterday. . .

Spread Some Joy Today--choose your own attitude. No one else is qualified.

Daily Inspiration 12-29-11

"I think love has something to do with allowing

a person you claim to love to enter a larger

arena than the one you create for them."

-- Sting

Love is such a fascinating thing. I am continually amazed at love and the various aspects and values of it. It's like I'm observing and participating at the same exact time.

One aspect I've seen that is so interesting is that sometimes I can love someone from afar more than I could if they were near. I think it is as Sting is saying, it is allowing the loved one to be more than I might have them be. As Gerald Jampolsky said, "love is the total absence of fear. Love asks no questions. Its natural state is one of extension and expansion, not comparison and measurement."

Do you ever just think of someone from the past, or someone who you haven't seen in a long time and have a strong outpouring of love for them? Do you think they feel that? Somehow I think they do. Have you noticed how you feel about them when you do see them and how that same feeling and outpouring is only enhanced, yet still may be mostly internally shared? In other words, the external expression is too little to show how you feel?

I've also heard it said very poetically by Wayne Dyer, "love is the ability and willingness to allow others that you care for to be what they choose for themselves without any insistence that they satisfy you." The only way this happens is without fear, and allowing them to enter that larger arena than the one we create for them.

Sometimes Not Being There Can Be More Powerful And Loving. By Letting Go, We Gain So Much More.

Spread Some Joy Today--by loving everyone you can whether near or far.

Daily Inspiration 12-28-11

"The art of living does not consist in preserving

and clinging to a particular mode of happiness,

but in allowing happiness to change its form

without being disappointed by the change."

-- Charles Morgan

I love this quote by Charles Morgan. I have learned it well; albeit, most of my life, I clung to a great many particular modes or requirements. Now I think I could choose to be happy under almost any circumstance, and I believe this because I've been practicing doing just that.

To me this quote speaks of unconditional love and also allowing or being very flexible.

It is so darn easy to love the lovable. It is so darn easy to be happy under pleasing circumstances of my choosing. However, to have plans change mid-stream, or have others inject their preferences, it could be an opportunity for a little pouting, or attempted manipulation, or just plain being a disagreeable person.

What really sets our love apart, demonstrating to all our flexibility and allowing is to have changes come unexpectedly and yet consciously change our thinking to choose happiness and joy based on the new criteria.

If you're an avid pouter as I was, people will be very surprised by your new flexibility and cheerful demeanor under recognized trying circumstances. And, you will know better than anyone what a joy it is to have that full level of control in choice and response.

How Easily And How Curiously We Go From Plan A to Plans D, E or F Is A Very Important Skill.

Spread Some Joy Today--Changing is easier when you do a little at a time. The key is to keep going.

Daily Inspiration 12-27-11

"This is the true joy of life--the being used for a

purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one,

the being thoroughly worn out before you are

thrown to the scrap-heap. . . ."

-- George Bernard Shaw

"A mind always employed is always happy.

This is the true secret, the grand recipe, for felicity."

-- Thomas Jefferson

"Happiness. . . it lies in the joy of achievement,

in the thrill of creative effort."

-- Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"Do you want my one-word secret of happiness?

It's growth--mental, financial, you name it."

-- Harold S Geneen

"There is joy in work. . . .There is no happiness except

in the realization that we have accomplished something."

-- Henry Ford

I've had a wonderful trip away from home base and was thinking about happiness, so I looked at a few pages of quotes in a book I have and have shared a few samples above from some famous people.

What made me think about happiness, was thinking that something needs to be a certain way in order for happiness to be a result and I've always had a problem with this because these things are illusive and seemingly selective.

Though people may choose to be happy under a lot of circumstances, it can also be a burden to try to line those things up in hopes of the desired result.

I've chosen to forget about external things, or in fact, any things to lead toward happiness. I have found the simplest way to achieve happiness under any and all circumstances. It is as easy as choosing to be happy and the way to that is choosing happier thoughts at any given time.

What is interesting to me about this is that I am in 100% total control and another interesting thing is that other people are noticing and saying they notice such a difference. Though I may find things that I enjoy, it is not the thing that creates the happiness, but the enjoyment.

"How Simple It Is To See That We Can Only Be Happy Now, And There Will Never Be A Time When It Is Not Now." -- Gerald Jampolsky

Spread Some Joy Today--Don't worry. Be happy.

Daily Inspiration 12-26-11

"If you don't love something,

then don't do it."

-- Ray Bradbury

I have come to believe the essence of this quote by Ray Bradbury and it has had a powerful effect on me. I would modify it to have it be even more important to me by stating it this way: "If I don't love something, I need to relax in it for a short time to see if I might change my mind about it, then act according to my desires."

Sometimes we might be wanting things to be a certain way and then outside influences may want something else of us and we have a conflict within us. If we focus on our desire to have things a certain way, we are then focusing on the conflict and we are not in a happy place. But, if we allow the suggested changes to settle in a bit, we might find they are more desirable than they first appear. Or not.

We still have time to stick to our guns, so to speak, or we can choose a different decision that includes the outside influences. Either way is perfect because we will then be following our love rather than resisting it. Sometimes it is perfect to say no. Sometimes it is perfect to change our mind. It is always perfect to love and to make our decisions from the nurturing vantage point of love.

Love Is Our Connection To The Infinite.

Spread Some Joy Today--Do what you love and love what you do. It just doesn't get any better than that.

Daily Inspiration 12-25-11

"We shall see but a little way if we

require to understand what we see."

-- Henry David Thoreau

"I know this world is ruled by infinite intelligence. . .

Everything that surrounds us--everything that exists--proves

that there are infinite laws behind it. There can be

no denying this fact. It is mathematical in its precision."

-- Thomas A Edison

Merry Christmas!

"Faith Is Not Belief Without Proof, 

But Trust Without Reservations." 

-- Elton Trueblood

Spread Some Joy Today--by sharing yours. It's the only way. . .

Daily Inspiration 12-24-11

"Joy is not in things, it is in us."

-- Richard Wagner

This afternoon, on December 23rd, I went into a Wal-Mart to get a few things while on a trip and it was quite busy as you might imagine a couple days before Christmas. The weather outside was 66 degrees and clear, so it was an awesome day in December. I looked at every single person that I could see in the store. Not a single one out of the hundreds of people had a smile on their face.

That seemed very odd to me. I thought for sure there would be some, or a few at least. I was having a wonderful time, and thought that I would look directly at some of them as I walked through the store. Hardly anyone even made eye contact. I kept smiling and even tried smiling more brightly, and it didn't seem to make a difference.

Sometimes the more of us that are in a space, the less we have any meaningful interaction. One very easy thing that can change that is simply to smile at one another acknowledging them. Or, maybe getting those things is so important that we can't be bothered.

Merry Christmas! Have A Great Time.

Spread Some Joy Today--practice your smile and your own joy. If others follow, fine, but we are all responsible for our own joy.

Daily Inspiration 12-23-11

"Kind words do not cost much. . .

Yet they accomplish."

-- Blaise Pascal

On a long driving trip, we stopped at a chain burger place, and placed our order. The order came out a bit slower than it might normally and there were other people in line, yet this young man who took the order was unfazed, calm, cool and collected.

After we enjoyed our food, I decided to walk over and get that employee's attention and say something to him. What I said was this, "I just wanted to let you know that when we were in line and you took our order, I felt there was an aura about you that spoke calm confidence, and I can tell you that that is one super quality for managers. Keep up the good work."

He wasn't a manager. . . yet, but I was impressed in such a short few moments. So how did he take it? He was beaming as if I just made his day and he thanked me.

The reason I tell this little story is that you probably have done as I have and have had people impress us in one way or another and then in our busy-ness, we move along and do nothing. Maybe we thought about saying something, but doing it is way more interesting than just thinking about it.

I've begun doing this quite often with almost identical results, and it is so rewarding to the one I tell and to me as well. Yet, I don't do it for me. It's fun. Try it. Next time someone impresses you, or there is just something that you feel is special about them, let them know. See what happens.

Reach Out And Touch Someone!

Spread Some Joy Today--Always keep a keen eye for any opportunity at any kind of appreciation, however insignificant it may seem on first thought. Then appreciate liberally.

Daily Inspiration 12-22-11

"We have to live today by what truth we can get today

and be ready tomorrow to call it falsehood."

-- William James

I remember reading many years ago a statement attributed to Confucius. It was, "mind is like parachute--function only when open." Whomever it came from, matters not. It makes good sense.

In history, it wasn't but just a few hundred years ago that the majority thought the world was flat and that if we ventured off into the distance on the ocean, we would go off the edge into oblivion. In even less time, we used to laugh at the idea of man flying through the air. Even less time than this was the reality of the affordable personal computer. And now look at us dropping truths like cast away empty seed shells of a truth that is no longer.

William James said it another way: "Truth lives, in fact, for the most part on a credit system. Our thoughts and beliefs pass, so long as nothing challenges them, just as bank notes pass so long as nobody refuses them."

I think William James nails it. We accept what we can today, all the while being ready for something that will challenge its validity.

 

"Truth Is What Works" -- William James (For Now. . .)

 

Spread Some Joy Today--Call someone you've been meaning to call and conveniently forgetting. Make their day.

Daily Inspiration 12-21-11

"To say, "well done" to any bit of good work

is to take hold of the powers which have made the effort

and strengthen them beyond our knowledge!"

-- Phillips Brooks

Some time back, I gave up on big changes, looking for the epiphanies as life changers. Tonight I realized something profound in the smallest of changes that becomes a seriously powerful agent for positive change--appreciation and praise. Now, I've known this for some time, so it really isn't new, but what I realized tonight was that I have begun doing it as a habit instead of consciously deciding to do it. I realized that I was doing it as I became conscious of my doing it. I can't tell you how powerful that is--to be doing in unconsciously as a matter of course.

Those cartoons in the newspaper when I was young that had a chaotic situation going on with the caption, 'What's wrong with this picture?' along with other things like that including teaching by parents, etc., created this idea to find things that were wrong or seemingly out of place and then focus on those. It is one of the least powerful things we can do and it creates a world that is full of flaws and always in need of repair.

A far better scenario is to find the things that are worthy of appreciation and praise and they would be in serious quantity with a bit of practice. Tonight I was just driving across town about 2 miles on my way home and I was appreciating and praising all the way home about how nice the new building looks where there was something not nearly so nice before, how this improved and that, how much I enjoyed the blue sky, the truck I was driving, the amazing transportation most of us have, how long some businesses have been around and still doing their thing and so much more. It was kind of amazing to catch myself in this rampage of appreciation.

How fun! How rewarding!

Isn't That The Real Value Of Practice? To Get So That You Don't Even Think Much About It Anymore?

Spread Some Joy Today--Begin practicing appreciation of things in your life today at work, while you're out and about, at home, about the world in general. Do this often and watch the change in you!

Daily Inspiration 12-20-11

"The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white.

Neither need you do anything but be yourself."

-- Lau Tzu

Tonight I was watching a DVD by Esther Hicks and something came into my awareness with gusto. She said, "I am where I am and it is enough. It is enough because I am where I am." It was all about making peace with ourselves and where ever we may be at this point in time.

So much of the time I might be focusing on my current reality, or what is happening right now. Maybe it is an issue, a problem, a not knowing what to do or such, and that has a tendency to cause me to be not pleased with my current state of affairs, or where I am at this moment. As I continue to think about these things in this place, they expand and become more and it won't be long on this path before I am overwhelmed with it, or worse.

The only way things are going to change for the better is as I have better feeling thoughts about them and where I am. As I do this, I find that the solutions come, or the problems seem to vanish with little or no effort from me other than changing my thinking about them.

As I beat myself up about where I am that perhaps I shouldn't be or didn't want to be, or didn't ever want to be, I expand the problem. When I apply this affirmation that 'I am where I am and it is enough, and it is enough because I am where I am,' I begin to allow more pleasing thoughts to get me realigned and back on track toward making things better.

It is amazing how this works. . .

 

Gray Skies Are Gonna Clear Up, Just Put On A Happy Face. . . Seems Trite, But Is Powerfully True.

 

Spread Some Joy Today--Find every reason you can today to feel good.

Daily Inspiration 12-19-11

"Most people who ask for advice from others

have already resolved to act as it pleases them."

-- Khalil Gibran

 

Surely we don't really want advice. What we want is agreement. What we want is support. What we want is encouragement, but just the right kind.

I found another interesting quote along these lines from Pierre Corneille: "When the patient loves his disease, how unwilling he is to allow a remedy to be applied." So many times, like many patients who seek advice from doctors, second, third, fourth opinions, are holding their position where they are looking for answers that please them or reinforce their position. I've seen this resistance first hand and it is fascinating how one will hold on to the disease or the problems arguing vehemently against ideas that might move them away from where they are. It's as if it is a comfortable place to be in disease.

Often we want to help and yet we cannot because we are not allowed to. That could be frustrating if we focus on our not being able to complete our desired objective. Many times, we must let it go and let them deal with it--even so much as to walk away from it in order to maintain our own well being. It is strange and yet true.

It is only ourselves we can change and not another. If we focus on our own well being and yet be open to the possibility of encouraging another who is open to it, we do ourselves and everyone else the best service.

This Brings New Meaning To The Phrase, Live And Let Live.

Spread Some Joy Today--The truest love is allowing others to be what they choose for themselves. Be an allower.

Daily Inspiration 12-18-11

"Man is a tool-using animal.

Without tools he is nothing,

with tools, he is all."

-- Thomas Carlyle

All my life I've had tools. Early in life I was an auto mechanic, so I used tools, yet I've never owned the tool sets that a lot of mechanics have, all branded the same, many polished metal or chrome plated tucked into gargantuan tool chests on wheels gleaming in the sunlight ready to do battle.

As I was thinking about all the tools I've owned over the years and the ones I own today, it came to me that about 95% of them never see the light of day. Yet there are a very few tools that are what I would call indispensable. I thought I would share my two favorite and most used tools:

This is my most used tool drawer except for the hammer drawer, and these two tools are my most used and well-worn trusted workhorses: A 40 year old pair of side cutters with orange plastic sleeves, and my most respected tool of all: RoboGrip! It is flat amazing what I've used my single pair of RoboGrip pliers for. Some of the other pliers in the drawer haven't seen use in many years.

It just goes to show that we don't need nearly as much as we think we do.

Some Things Don't Need To Change That Much To Be Way Better Than They Were. . .

Spread Some Joy Today--Buy a pair of RoboGrips for your favorite friend! They'll love you for it.

Daily Inspiration 12-17-11

"A good wife is one who serves her husband

in the morning like a mother does,

loves him in the day like a sister does,

and pleases him like a prostitute in the night."

-- Chanakya

I remember when I was in my late teens, at work my boss said something very similar to this quote by Chanakya. It is a popular idea, and I probably subscribed to it for at least part of my life, but not for some time.

I would say it differently today:

I want a partner who is of similar mind, yet not so similar that we complete each other's sentences, and have interests and challenges that help cause curiosity and excitement. Someone who is alive, full of life and appreciative of life and living. Someone who is fun to be with, who makes me laugh and is full of love. Someone who encourages and wants the best for me and her at the same time. Someone who is willing to risk in order to expand and be more than yesterday. Someone who enjoys touch and is sensual. Someone who enjoys friends and is generous in nature. Someone I look up to and look forward to. Someone without jealousy, and never ever uses the word 'should.' A valued partner, and enriching friend, a lover of life, and a liver in love.

That's all. . . of course, in order for that to work, I must be those things as well. I cannot expect others, no matter their title, to do that which I am not willing or interested in doing or being.

Happiness Is Being Happy! That Was Easy!

Spread Some Joy Today--Think about this: What are the rules for you to have joy? What needs to happen? How do things need to be? The more rules you have, the less joy you can have.

Daily Inspiration 12-16-11

"Always continue the climb.

It is possible for you to do

whatever you choose,

if you first get to know who you are

and are willing to work with a power

that is greater than ourselves to do it."

-- Ella Wheeler Wilcox

As You Go Through Life

Don't look for the flaws as you go through life;

And even when you find them,

It is wise and kind to be somewhat blind,

And look for the virtue behind them;

For the cloudiest night has a hint of light

Somewhere in its shadows hiding;

It's better by far to hunt for a star,

Than the spots on the sun abiding.

The current of life runs ever away

To the bosom of God's great ocean.

Don't set your force 'gainst the river's course,

And think to alter its motion.

Don't waste a curse on the universe,

Remember, it lived before you;

Don't butt at the storm with your puny form,

But bend and let it go o'er you.

The world will never adjust itself

To suit your whims to the letter,

Some things must go wrong your whole life long,

And the sooner you know it the better.

It is folly to fight with the Infinite,

And go under at last in the wrestle.

The wiser man shapes into God's plan,

As water shapes into a vessel.

-- Ella Wheeler Wilcox

A Bit Of Poetry For This Wonderful Day!

Spread Some Joy Today--Choose to see what pleases you and choose to ignore and not recognize anything that doesn't. This alone will change your life!

Daily Inspiration 12-15-11

"Stop stewing and start doing!

Take action TNT.

Today, Not Tomorrow."

-- Denis Waitley

I was looking for a quote on something else and this one jumped off the page at me. How many times I have said, 'I'll start tomorrow,' or 'I'll start fresh on the first of the month,' or 'On January 1st, I'll begin anew,' and so many more BS statements. I say BS because they never seem to happen when I do that. There always seems to be something that gets in the way--especially the fact that I don't feel the way I felt when I decided to delay in action by making a decision that has no power.

All of our power is in the NOW! It is what we think now, what we do now that will affect the future, not the other way around.

It seems to me that the only time anything of importance was changed was when I made the decision to change it NOW, this minute, this day, and go from there. Once in motion, there can be a bit of momentum to help things along. Heck, I quit smoking thousands of times, but it didn't get done until I just got started now. That was almost ten years ago now, and I'm so glad I made that now decision back then.

Whatever you want to get done for real, make your decision and get moving right now, whatever it is and I'm sure that alone will make all the difference.

There's No Time Like The Present!

Spread Some Joy Today--Enjoy yourself whatever you are doing for your personal pleasure only. Others can't help but notice.

Daily Inspiration 12-14-11

"Bad times have a scientific value.

These are occasions a good learner would not miss."

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I hear a lot of people say these are bad times, and I'm certain that same sentiment is expressed in the media regularly. The real truth is that this is just a perspective, an opinion that may or may not be shared universally. Indeed, I don't think these are bad times, but great times.

I don't mean to intimate that there are not certain financial challenges in today's business environment, but to call them bad evokes a certain attitude toward those challenges that cannot in any way shape or form improve them. The best someone with this attitude can get is to wait long enough for things to change, then perhaps it is possible they might then call those times good.

Regarding challenges to business, I love how Henry Ford says it: "Business is never so healthy as when, like a chicken, it must do a certain amount of scratching around for what it gets." He should know, living through the toughest of financial challenges many times successfully.

In addition, there are thousands of businesses that are growing every year for the last several years including our own. In spite of challenges, people can find a way when they want to.

How We Look At Things Has EVERYTHING To Do With What We See!

Spread Some Joy Today--Do a random act of kindness today. Pass up the close-in parking place and let the person behind you have it, be exceptionally generous to a beggar, stop and offer to help someone. These are just a few ways. . . It's big fun!

Daily Inspiration 12-13-11

"When once a decision is reached and execution is

the order of the day, dismiss absolutely all

responsibility and care about the outcome."

-- William James

I study people, including myself all the time. I'm an observer and watch people especially in business. There is one thing that I have found to be something that truly sets leaders apart in life and business. It is the ability to make decisions quickly and then let go and move on.

I know many who fret about making decisions and want to create committee's to study the subject. They are so afraid of making a bad decision that they end up rarely making one at all. In a leader, this creates a bottleneck of work, so that the work must slow to the pace of the decision maker--or, go around him or her. Often this is the case.

I believe that the highest paid people in business are those who can make calculated decisions very quickly and then delegate the implementation of them immediately. If the decision maker doesn't clear the decks and keep them clear, they can't do what they are so highly paid to do: make decisions.

I know many who make decisions and then hold on to them. This will not serve well. This is micro-managing in extreme. No one knows what is going on from one day to the next. This is fear in action.

I also know those who make rash decisions. They are able to make decisions, but forget to take into account the bigger picture of how those decisions will affect others, the operation, etc., and how it will affect future decisions. The trouble here is called chaos.

Whenever worry or fear are involved in the decision or after the decision, it will turn out poorly. We need to make decisions from a point of inspiration rather than necessity. This will make letting go of them much more fruitful.

Personally, I don't make decisions as fast as I would like and am working on that aspect of my habits, but once I make one, it is easy enough for me to let go of it. The delegating part is a bit sticky too, and I will continue to make that more effective.

How are you at making decisions?

"All My Life, Whenever It Comes Time To Make A Decision, I Make It and Forget About It." -- Harry S Truman

Spread Some Joy Today--"Peacefulness follows any decision, even the wrong one." -- Rita Mae Brown

Daily Inspiration 12-12-11

"I think the most important thing you need to

understand about the power of technology,

is that you can also turn it off."

-- Tiffany Shlain

I had another awesome day, yet different from yesterday. Today, I was inspired several times by watching some YouTube videos.

I do several blogs and on one called Terry's Thoughts and Things, I post mostly videos that have touched me in some way and the vast majority of them are from the TED organization, which in the last few years has exploded around the world through their TEDx program.

In one I watched today, Tiffany Shlain, a film maker, gave a talk and showed a 4 minute video at the end and the talk is all about connecting and interdependence. It is a very uplifting talk in that to me, she believes the world is getting better, not worse. So many think the opposite and it is refreshing to hear it said differently. During her talk, she said, "If we want this world to be better, we have to believe in humanity."

She also spoke of technology and how "technology is just us." Technology serves, and it also commands.

As an owner of an Internet business, I am using technology so much every single day, and sometimes it is a bit overwhelming. This is why what Tiffany said in her talk about the ability to unplug or turn it off struck a chord with me. So, I am going to try it this coming Saturday and unplug from every screen in my life for 24 hours. It will be interesting to see how that feels. She claims that it slows the day down dramatically. I could use a little of that from time to time.

Below is a video link to her talk and her organization address is www.LetItRipple.org

"We Have To Believe In Humanity." -- Tiffany Shlain

Spread Some Joy Today--Give a loving hug for more than 6 seconds.

Daily Inspiration 12-11-11

"There's no reality except the one contained within us.

That's why so many people live an unreal life.

They take images outside them for reality and

never allow the world within them to assert itself."

-- Hermann Hesse

I love this quote by one of my favorite authors, Hermann Hesse. On the surface, it seems heavy, but is so simple and true. Today was a perfect example to me how true it is.

Today, I had the most wonderful day. People that read the Daily Inspirations probably aren't impressed with that because I pretty much have a good day every day. Yet, today was dramatically better, and the thing that made it better is that I woke up this morning with a firm intent to fully enjoy myself and my day--to seek joy and to love life. And, so it came to be as I desired it to be. . . exactly.

You know, sometimes we eat food, even food we love in such a way that no one could know that this was true. At breakfast this morning I was enjoying some sourdough french bread and butter with the same relish as Bill Murray did in What About Bob? I stood there in the kitchen with the toast and some coffee and just had a love affair with it all. It was glorious.

The rest of the day went the same direction, and I enjoyed every second of it. It was magical. I felt rich today. I was far more generous than normal. I helped others in ways I normally wouldn't do, and even enjoyed some work time at a leisurely pace.

For the last couple of years, I've been focused on finding ways to feel better on purpose as a strategy to have a more joyous life. I've practiced it generally, but nothing like today--or maybe now I'm just getting good at it from the practice. Today it made such a dramatic difference, so I will duplicate it tomorrow to prove it isn't a fluke.

Wouldn't It Be Nice To Have A Glorious Day Any Time You Choose?

Spread Some Joy Today--Choose to today. See what happens.

Daily Inspiration 12-10-11

Making A Difference Week

"Act as if what you do makes a difference.

It does."

-- William James

Final installment on the Making A Difference Week thoughts. This one comes full circle to this: We all make a difference! We can't help but make a difference.

Think of it as the smallest pebble or droplet that falls into a smooth and calm body of water. It matters not if it is a bowl two inches deep and a few inches wide or whether it is the Pacific Ocean. When that drop touches the surface there is a ripple effect that expands outward for even a great distance.

Probably the real difference is twofold. One, we may not realize that we make a difference. William James makes that clear with the quote above. Two, we may not realize that we have the power to purposely make a difference. In his quote above, he says to "act as if." This is to purposely choose to recognize the power that we can make a difference to others, and the way to get started is to act as if what we do, say and think matters. It does.

It comes down to a question of what. What kind of difference am I making? What kind of difference do I want to make? A good answer is another question: What makes me feel good? When I find thoughts to think, things to do that cause me to feel good, I am on the right track of making a difference actively. Doing things, thinking the way other people want me to be or think won't do that. It must be driven by what makes me feel good.

So, whether we choose on purpose, or choose by not choosing, we all make a difference in this world. Viva la difference!

"Your Thoughts, Words And Deeds Are Painting The World Around You." -- Jewel Diamond Taylor

Spread Some Joy Today--Enjoy making a difference because you do!

Daily Inspiration 12-9-11

Making A Difference Week

"I choose to believe I can and will change

the world with my words and thoughts."

-- Rod Williams

Making a difference can be as strong or stronger in thoughts, words, and music. The quote above came from Rod Williams, a musician. Here is one of his songs: Beautiful Again.

I know that words, thoughts and music has changed my life in several ways. One, I became a songwriter, and musician sharing many of my own thoughts through music and word. I was greatly influenced by the music and words of others. At the very top of that list is Paul McCartney along with the McCartney/Lennon combination. Under that I have a long list of artists, songs, music that has touched me and moved me throughout my life and continues today with new artists.

The song is a unique thing in that this combination of music and lyric has much more power together than apart. It has the power to move us to action, the emotion, to joy, to sadness.

Of course writers have the power to make a difference in the written word. I can produce a very long list of written works that have made a dramatic difference in my life including The Bible, Dale Carnegie, Mark Twain, John D Martini, Stephen R Covey, Andrew Carnegie, John Grisham, Jerry & Esther Hicks, James Allen, and hundreds more. Each have contributed to who I am and I call that making a difference! They and others continue to this day to make a difference in me, who I am and what I do, all of which helps me make a difference in others.

"Thousands Of Candles Can Be Lighted From A Single Candle, And The Life Of The Candle Will Not Be Shortened. Happiness Never Decreases By Being Shared." -- Buddha

Spread Some Joy Today--How about sending Christmas cards in July? Sounds like fun!

Daily Inspiration 12-8-11

Making A Difference Week

"Two roads diverged in a wood and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

and that has made all the difference."

-- Robert Frost

I've been writing this week about making a difference and how many people can do that for their lives and in the affect on others. Robert Frost's excerpt above made me think about how making a difference is achieved by our decisions. Whether we travel the road more traveled or less traveled is simply a choice, but the choice will always have far reaching aspects that have an accumulated effect on us and others.

Here's another way to look at the aspect of decision by a quote from Heidi Wills, "we can choose to be affected by the world or we can choose to affect the world." This speaks to me of making a difference by choosing to do so on purpose through decision.

"There's A Difference Between A Philosophy And A Bumper Sticker." -- Charles M Schulz

Spread Some Joy Today--Get excited about your power of decision. Choose.

Daily Inspiration 12-7-11

Making A Difference Week

"It's easy to make a buck.

It's a lot tougher to make a difference."

-- Tom Brokaw

Some of us may be focused so much on the making a buck aspect of life; i.e., maintaining what we have, expanding what we have, servicing what we have, like a juggler keeping several balls in the air without dropping them, that there is little time or energy left for making a difference in other ways.

Of course, making money and providing a level of functionality is important and valuable. It is one way to make a difference. Yet, I know from experience that sometimes it becomes a burden instead of making a difference by putting a shadow over more important aspects of life, including family.

Sometimes we may get confused about the value of money in the scheme of things. Yet this I know for sure: money doesn't buy or create happiness. If anything, it would be the other way around. Still sometimes we think we will be happier or happy when, and so on, but it only becomes extended to the next thing or things or level.

To me, making a difference is so much about being whole and sharing that whole-ness, and the good news about that is that money has no bearing on it at all. Sure I can give more money if I have more money, and that can be good, but that is the least of requirements to make a difference anywhere.

It's really the little things that we can share that make very big differences. I know of a cute little card that one of my bosses at a job I had was and is one of the most valuable "things" in my life, also a plaque with a poem and all my sales staff's names engraved on it that I love. It might be that little note inside the cover of a book that I was given.

It's not just things either. It's sometimes just a knowing. Like seeing someone you love and giving them a hug because you love them and you just feel connected even when they aren't there or you don't talk for a long time. Or some things that you might hear that someone else said about you that felt so good to hear reinforcing your hard work or vision. It might be just thinking about someone that is special to you and giving them a mental hug without them knowing a thing about it.

All of these "little things" make a difference and they don't cost a dime, require a big house, late model car, good credit. In fact, they are free.

"How Wonderful It Is That Nobody Need Wait A Single Moment Before Starting To Improve The World." --Anne Frank

Spread Some Joy Today--Send some loving thoughts, give some virtual hugs, buy a card and send a lovely note, thank someone. Appreciate often.

Daily Inspiration 12-6-11

Making A Difference Week

"The world is moved along, not only by the

mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the

aggregate of tiny pushes of each honest worker."

-- Helen Keller

Volunteers are the salt of the earth I think. There is so much in this world that would not be done if it were not for the unpaid efforts of millions of volunteers.

I have been a volunteer in many cases. In one case my volunteer efforts consumed approximately 30 hours per week for 9 years, while I worked a full time job besides. That's about 14,000 hours. Zero dollars, but amply rewarded.

Some might say, how can I get experience? and I will say that one way is to find a way to volunteer your services and get the practice that causes experience. If we always look to be paid for what we can do, we are somewhat limited.

There are so many places and ways to volunteer. You won't have to look far to find them and if you just engage with people, I think they will find you soon enough. I recommend being very choosy. Do what you love, for in so doing you will be more of a help to others and have a good time doing it.

Today, I continue to do volunteer work in many ways and hours in different ways, and I highly recommend it. Part of it is helping others and that is great, but I think that the majority of it is helping ourselves, and I think that is grand. There is nothing better than to be selfish in this way because we are serving ourselves in a fulfilling way and at the same time serving others in a helpful way.

"In Giving You Are Throwing A Bridge Across The Chasm Of Your Solitude." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Spread Some Joy Today--People know you care, but still like to hear it now and then. One good way I learned is to say this: "Have I told you that I love you lately?"

Daily Inspiration 12-5-11

Making A Difference Week

"You give but little when you give of your possessions.

It is when you give of yourself that you truly give."

-- Kahlil Gibran

I believe that we all want to make a difference and that desire is a driving force. Often we may not know how or when we will make a difference, but I now believe that if we are being our truest self and relaxing in this, that we cannot help but make a difference.

Many years ago, a salesman that worked at a dealership I worked at called me out of the blue to tell me what a difference I had made in his life and how his life had changed for the better as a result. I didn't work directly with this man, and according to him, it was a few sentences of encouraging words I gave him at the perfect time.

With some people--probably people you are in direct contact with on a regular basis, it is easy to make a difference just by loving them, caring about them, and encouraging them. What was so interesting to me about this incident is how it opened my eyes to how we can be an encouraging spirit in ways we didn't realize, or that what we do and say can have far-reaching effects more than we might have imagined. Included in this is the fact that people may not ever call you up and say anything to you about what a difference you may have made, yet the deed is done anyway.

I don't mean to open this up to having a feeling of responsibility here. We can't really change people, only they can do that for themselves. I love how Benjamin Disraeli said this by saying, "the greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own." I think we all have the answers all the time within us, yet sometimes it takes something from an encounter with someone else to help them be revealed.

Now with the publication of these Daily Inspirations, I hear from total strangers how something has made a difference. I rejoice it that, and in the fact that I helped reveal it to themselves, as I rejoice in those who also have done and continue to do so for me. I am inspired and encouraged by so many, and even many who have long been dead, yet their words linger on to continue to inspire and encourage. How I am blessed that they chose to make a difference to others.

"My Life Is My Message." -- Mahatma Gandhi

Spread Some Joy Today--Encouragement is love. Help someone else see their true self.

Daily Inspiration 12-4-11

Making A Difference Week

"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life

with a catcher's mitt on both hands.

You need to be able to throw something back."

-- Maya Angelou

Giving is such a complicated thing sometimes. This is the Christmas season and it is traditionally a time of giving gifts to family and friends. Then, this time of year the Salvation Army red kettles are out in force, along with lots of sign-holding people in the major driveways. There's the big organizations, the churches, homeless shelters. There is no shortage of the needy. In fact, there never has been.

Each of those are the tangible aspects of giving and usually involves money, and it seems that they are all competing for the dollar during this spending time. I think giving in these ways is a good thing.

I think of how we can give back, or rather share ourselves, our abundance, throughout the year, week in and week out as a habitual part of our lives. We can volunteer. There will always be plenty of openings for volunteers. We can share our resources, or our abundance with others regularly. As good as all these are, they are things.

Here's another way we can give regularly that is more than meaningful--it is life itself. Mother Teresa said it well: "There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread, but there are more dying for a little love."

Thinking about giving back from the life that was given by our Creator, however, we perceive this, I can think of only one single way that fits into every religion and is also the one way that makes any sense. What can we give to the Lord (World, Universe, Buddha, God, etc.) today or any day? We can give the Lord (World, Universe, Buddha, God, etc.) away. And the way we do that so that it is meaningful is by giving love.

The best that we can do as Christians is to love one another. The best we can do as Buddhists is to love one another. The best we can do as Muslims is to love one another. The best we can do for God is to love one another. The best we can do for ourselves is to love one another.

Just Imagine This Kind Of World Where Everyone Loves Each Other. It Must Start With Me.

Spread Some Joy Today--Want joy? Become a lover of people and all that is happening in your life. Wanting more is great from a place of loving where you are, what you are doing, and who you are.

Daily Inspiration 12-3-11

"Wisdom is learning what to overlook."

-- William James

I absolutely love this definition of wisdom by William James. I've always known it was discernment and that is easily expressed as a choice in my mind, and as well, learning what to overlook follows in that same way.

The main reason that I love this definition of wisdom is that I've come to believe that having wisdom is equal to love and where love is concerned, I think knowing what to overlook speaks perfectly to this subject.

Love And Wisdom Are Perfectly Aligned

Spread Some Joy Today--Find some ways to laugh a good deal today. Watch a funny video online, read something funny, or better yet, laugh at yourself. It softens everything else in your day.

Daily Inspiration 12-2-11

"Celebrity gives us delusion of self importance."

-- Al Goldstein

The photo above is one of my favorites to help keep me in proper perspective to the vastness of the world and beyond. There I am but a dinky speck above the huge Pacific Ocean--a small bit of it at least.

It's easy to live in our own world, up close and personal, become engaged in reacting and responding to the stimuli around us. It is a very good thing to step outside of that comfort zone or war zone for just a few hours to realign with the grander scheme of things.

It also makes God so much more than we many times make Him out to be.

The World Knows I'm Much More Important To Myself

Spread Some Joy Today--Get away a bit and change your perspective for a few hours.

Daily Inspiration 12-1-11

"Why should we think upon things that are lovely?

Because thinking determines life.

It is a common habit to blame life upon the environment.

Environment modifies life but does not govern life.

The soul is stronger than its surroundings."

-- William James

Stuff happens. Sometimes even coming with physical feeling and mental trauma, yet continuing to placate those symptoms with like minded thoughts will only prolong the effect and then it turns into an endurance run.

How can we think of something more pleasant when it is throbbing? Sometimes the situation is so close or so loud that the best thing to do is find any kind of relief. Take a nap, a bath, a day off, or something like that. From that new vantage point, you can begin working, or rather playing, with considering things that are lovely and other better feeling thoughts. Maybe it is a little at a time, moving to better thoughts and then better and so on.

If this is practiced with awareness of the need, it won't be long before you find it a piece of cake to move from feeling bad to feeling great. Or, we can choose to remain where we are. There are really only two choices: to feel better or to feel worse. We always have the control box in our own hand.

We Are Far More Powerful Than We Realize.

Spread Some Joy Today--Decide today that there is nothing more important than that you feel good, and choose thoughts that cause that feeling.