Daily Inspiration 10-31-13

"There's always a spot for the best in the market."

 

-- Seth Godin

Seth Godin, marketing expert and leader says there is room at the top. He began with the quote above: "There's always a spot for the best in the market. Not the most expensive, but the one that most ideally suits the needs of those that care." He goes on to say, "It's easy to get lost in the chaos of mediocre, of discount, of close and cheap. But if you're the best, among the people who care to find and talk about the best, no market is too crowded." He finishes this up with this statement: "The hard part is figuring out what 'best' means."

There is a line in this that might escape attention, but it clearly caught mine. It is this phrase, "of those that care." The more complete quote was, "Not the most expensive, but the one that most ideally suits the needs of those that care." Believe it or not, and if you're in business, I bet you believe it, but there are a number of people who don't care. Trying to sell them or keep them sold is often a challenge. Hence, the best strategy I've found is not to place much attention below that line. The people who care are going to know. They feel it. They understand. They may not remember everything, but they feel comfortable and confident in your hands. And, for a business owner and for the client as well, that is perfection.

I lead an Internet business called Upward Trend and my objective has always been to be the best by providing value far beyond the relatively small cost for our services. I think we have succeeded in this and the clients who 'care' see it as well. I like doing business with people who intend the same kind of philosophy, and I do.

I've often said that I don't believe in competition. I see people take shots, try to move clients from us to them and so on. The ones that care won't be going any time soon. Besides, I'm not scared. We worked up to this place, but if someone wanted to start from scratch and copy it, they would have to be crazy. Just saying. . .


There's Always Room. Just Focus On The Value And The Service.

Spread Some Joy Today--Do you remember what it is like to skip? It's just silly enough to see adults doing it to make it more fun than it was as a kid. Try it. You'll see.

Daily Inspiration 10-30-13

"What would you be doing differently

if you had faith in your choices?"

 

-- Alan Cohen

There is nothing in language quite as powerful as a really good question. It may cause us to ponder, consider, examine, and perhaps result in change. It could be just enough contrast to see a light shining through that may lead us exactly where we meant to be all along. There is artistry in certain questions.


I Thought This One Was Interesting. . .

Spread Some Joy Today--When was the last time you skipped while going somewhere on foot? It's fun!

Daily Inspiration 10-29-13

"It was only a sunny smile,

and little it cost in the giving,

but like morning light

it scattered the night

and made the day worth living."

 

-- F Scott Fitzgerald

It is the simple things and the pleasant simple things like a smile that makes the day worthwhile. It's true, isn't it. Can you imagine days on end without seeing a smile on someone's face, or feeling it on your own?


I Could Enjoy That Smile All Day Long . . .

Spread Some Joy Today--What an easy way to spread some joy!

Daily Inspiration 10-28-13

"You don't see other people as they are.

You see your idea of who they are."

 

-- Alan Cohen

This quote is simple enough and I'm sure that we all sort of get that, but yet we don't. Other people probably have a similar list of idiosyncrasies that we do, except they may not be the same. They have their likes and dislikes as we do, but they may be totally different likes and dislikes. When we think of all that is going on in our own lives, we can imagine that there is a lot going on in other peoples lives, although those many things may be similar or different.

If we can appreciate the depth and complications of our own lives, we may very well give more slack to our view of other people and what they have to deal with. It is one way to define compassion. We appreciate and respect that depth that we know in ourselves in others and we're totally okay with whatever the differences may be.

Knowing all that is going on in our own lives, I'll bet that you really appreciate kindness when it comes your way from another, and because of that and how you feel in receiving it, the best way to repay such love is by your own kindness to others.


"I Will Be Generous With My Love Today. I Will Sprinkle Compliments And Uplifting Words Everywhere I Go. I Will Do This Knowing That My Words Are Like Seeds And When They Fall On Fertile Soil, A Reflection Of Those Seeds Will Grow Into Something Greater." -- Steve Maraboli

Spread Some Joy Today--Great idea!

Daily Inspiration 10-27-13

"The cure for boredom is curiosity.

There is no cure for curiosity."

 

-- Dorothy Parker

Tell me I'm not the only one on the earth who focuses in on how many times people push the street crossing button. I'll be stopped at a light and watching someone at the crosswalk who is pressing the button to get the light to cross safely. The curious part is how many times pushing that button is optimal.

I see some press once and let life come as it will. These are the bold and they are also the few. I see some who press about once each second until the light changes. These are the worried, the unsure, the insecure. They hope that by pressing so often, it is a guarantee that there will be no malfunction to keep them waiting for another light change. Who wants that?

Then I see some who press several times--beep, beep, beep, beep. Then they wait a short burst, then, beep, beep, beep, they go again. This was like the couple with the child today. They were riding bicycles and the child was on an extension of the father's bike (I'm assuming it was the father), then the second bike was the female partner. He beeped, four or five times, then looked forward in anticipation, then reached back again and beeped four or five more times, then again forward in anticipation. Then once more, beep, beep, beep, beep, and finally the light changed and they were on their way.

Who knows what the optimal number is, the frequency; that is, the timing, and then timing of the whole event. Did they get there late or were they at the optimal time? Who knows if these city things work or don't work? There must have been a time for the multi-pushers when the thing didn't work according to plan. Or maybe, a friend told them that they had to press the button numerous times or it wouldn't work right.

Who knows? What is your crosswalk button pushing theory?

It's amazing the time I burn with such interesting curiosity. . .


Impatient Are We?

Spread Some Joy Today--Press once and trust. Who knows? It could work. . .

Daily Inspiration 10-26-13

"There are three kinds of men.

The ones that learn by readin'.

The few who learn by observation.

The rest of them have to

pee on the electric fence for themselves."

 

-- Will Rogers

I love my library, my Kindle, my audiobook library. . .

It keeps me safe and out of harms way.


The Learning Is The Key, However It Is Done.

Spread Some Joy Today--Find some laughter today and share it with anyone near you.

Daily Inspiration 10-25-13

"Being happy is the cornerstone

of all that you are!

 

Nothing is more important

than that you feel good!

 

And you have absolute control

  about that because you can choose

the thought that makes you worry

or the thought that makes you happy;

the things that thrill you,

or the things that worry you.

 

You have the choice in every moment."

 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks

I'm so into practicing this year. I don't know why I didn't practice more often in years past, but the past is gone, so I practice now. I said during the last week or so that in my day planner, at the top of my to-do list is two words: Enjoy Myself! And, I have to tell you that in practicing this and putting my main focus of my day on this, I am absolutely amazed at the results. I AM enjoying myself. I am having a good time, and I am loving every second of it!

It's funny how simple things can be. We have such a tendency to complicate everything, but the really powerful changes are simple. No ten step, twelve step program. Don't have to write a 300 page book to explain it. No, it is so simple it can be explained in one phrase: Make it your daily goal, at the top of your list, to simply enjoy yourself. It would never make a best seller on the New York Times list because it is too darn short.

I am finding with practice that even things that I previously committed to that I might rather not actually do, by just focusing on enjoying myself that I actually follow through and enjoy the process. There is something silly about that. Could it actually work that well? Absolutely.

I challenge you to try it for a week and find out for yourself. If you use a day planner (electronic or paper) or you are a list maker, put at the top of your list, Enjoy Myself! Don't forget the exclamation point. It means with enthusiasm! If you aren't a list maker or use a day planner, take out a piece of paper and write that on it and tape it to your bathroom mirror so you see it when you get up.

Go ahead. I predict that you will also be amazed.


If I Had Only ONE Goal, It Would Be To Enjoy Myself.

Spread Some Joy Today--by enjoying yourself. Or maybe it should be Injoying Yourself!

Daily Inspiration 10-24-13

"All of your past is gone,

except for the blessing it has left you."

 

-- A Course in Miracles

When I was a teenager, I had a girlfriend that I loved. We dated for a few short years, and she lived over an hour's drive from where I lived, so I didn't see her as often as I might have had she lived closer.

She was sort of my first real love and we would write each other in between visits. She had such beautiful handwriting and was a very good writer. At some point, the relationship came to a close. She wrote me a letter that I will never forget. In the letter, she wrote that "Love is like a snail. It comes and it goes, and it leaves a silvery trail."

That phrase has stuck with me all these years, and it became a foundation that I built my own personal philosophy of love on--at least, that's how I see it now looking back. It resonated with me completely in the part of the silvery trail. Love doesn't really come and go, it always is. It is just that in can feel like it comes and goes, such as being in love and then out of love. That's not true either. I think it is just our focus of attention changes and there can be a lot of reasons. We change. Others change. The world changes. Yet, my foundation became the idea that love never dies; that it is always alive, although we change.

This foundation has given me such joy all my life since. If I had chosen the philosophy of my parents, who were divorced twice by the time I was 16, it would be that you fall in love, then learn to tolerate, then learn to dislike, then hate, then divorce and then do it all over again. They were terrible examples, or rather, contrast to my choosing a more peaceful and loving way. In this respect, it is as the quote at the top says, "all of your past is gone, except for the blessing it has left you." The blessing left me was the contrast for me to choose differently.


My Love Never Dies, Nor Does It Decrease Ever. I Rejoice In That.

Spread Some Joy Today--How do you view love? Does it bring you joy throughout?

Daily Inspiration 10-23-13

"Don't find customers for your products,

find products for your customers."

 

-- Seth Godin

Today will be simple. Consider the quote above and I think, perhaps you will find it as perfectly stated as it could possibly be, and a far better approach to business.


The Point Of View Is So Important. The Cart Before The Horse?

Spread Some Joy Today--Today is joy day. Spread thick and often.

Daily Inspiration 10-22-13

"Do what brings you life."

 

-- Alan Cohen

I was watching and listening to a talk with Alan Cohen, one of my favorite authors, and effectively, one of my favorite teachers. I highly recommend his books and I especially love the simplicity of how he makes such sense. He uncomplicates what others have a tendency to complicate.

In this talk, he said, "do what brings you life," as something to place major focus on and have as a guide for everything that we do. He goes on to say, "Joy is not situational, it's attitudinal. There are two ways to change your experience. You can change your environment, or you can change your mind."

Of course there are a lot of times when changing our environment is not an option at the moment. He goes on to say, "sometimes you can change your environment, but always you can change your mind." In other words, we have total control over only one thing: how we choose to think or perceive things.

But, here's the best part. He says, "Quit resisting. When your doing something and you're grinding against it, that's what fatigues you." You know how when things are going on and you're making choices and going through your day, and then you just get so tired? It's the resistance. It's pushing through; it's toughing it out; it's trying so hard to change the environment when it is not ready to be changed.

He adds, "Our real power is in ease, not strain. It's the opposite of trying. It's allowing." I have a visual and philosophical reference that I use in my own mind about life being a river and I put my boat in the stream and so often think that by rowing harder and harder upstream that I will achieve what I want. Somehow, I think that all I want is upstream. I have to work to make a living. I have to make money. I have to this and I have to that and if I don't work hard then I will be poor and on and on the ego goes with the story.

I have learned from Abraham and Esther Hicks and Alan Cohen that what I want is truly downstream not upstream. As I learn to allow instead of try, as I learn to relax instead of strain, as I learn to accept rather than fight, I find joy. I find it with ease, for it is not to be found in strain.

From the simple philosophical teaching of Alan Cohen, this is a good one to write down, put on your wall, desk, mirror, or other place that you will see it to be a daily reminder: "Do what brings you life!"


Go With The Flow.

Spread Some Joy Today--Do several things today that nurture you and that give you joy. Spread some joy on yourself today.

Daily Inspiration 10-21-13

"Ku-u-i-po,

I love you more today

more today than yesterday,

But I love you less today,

less than I will tomorrow."

 

-- First verse of the song Ku-u-i-po from the movie Blue Hawaii

written by Luigi Creatore, Hugo Peretti, and George David Weiss

I was a bit stuck in memoryland yesterday afternoon and evening, and watched a couple of movies off the Internet connection. As I was surfing for something that I wanted to watch, I saw Elvis Presley's Blue Hawaii. So, I watched it. It certainly isn't the cream of the crop as movies go, but entertaining enough. Yet, it was way more to me.

I told the story of how I met my late wife, Nancy, in Hawaii, so that was a connection certainly. I think I also told the story of our wedding with the Hawaiian theme and flowers flown in from Hawaii that day, and that a dear friend brought a musician who played my own guitar and sang the Hawaiian Love Song to us. I have a photo of that moment too.

It was a sucker bet that I would have tears flowing while the Hawaiian Wedding Song was playing on the movie, but the song that I woke up with in my head this morning was the one quoted above. It's such a beautiful song and the lyrics are equally so. I'll probably have it going in my head all day long. Does that ever happen to you? You just hear a song or remember a song and then it is on constant replay all day long. In this case, that is a good thing.

But, this movie was somewhat more than memories of Nancy. It was memories of my late mother too. My mother was a HUGE Elvis Presley fan. In the fifties, she saw Elvis at the Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles. I was too young to go, but I heard plenty about it with that dreamy look on her face. Then, though we were not well-to-do, my mother found a way to buy every album Elvis came out with, which was quite a few. She played them over and over and over again. I did too, but not nearly to the degree she did.

As I was about 12 years old when Blue Hawaii came out in 1961, my mother took me to see it with her. It was very crowded and we arrived late, so I ended up sitting behind her and watched her swoon through the whole film. We have both seen every Elvis movie and many of the filmed concerts. I'm almost done, I promise. . .

Then when I was about 25, and I think it was 1974, my mother I went on Mother's Day to Del Webb's Sahara Tahoe and saw Elvis in person. It was the second time for mom, but my first to see him in person and it was spectacular. I will never forget that moving experience and it was a great Mother's Day present.

As I skipped lovingly through memoryland, I enjoyed every moment.


Ku-u-i-po, I Love You More Today, More Today Than Yesterday. . .

Spread Some Joy Today--That was some of my joy. Now go spread yours!

Daily Inspiration 10-20-13

"You can be the most beautiful person in the world

and everybody sees the light and rainbows

when they look at you,

but if you yourself don't know it,

all of that doesn't ever matter.

Every second that you spend on doubting your worth,

every moment that you use to criticize yourself,

is a second of your life wasted,

is a moment of your life thrown away."

 

-- C JoyBell C.

Another beautiful quote on the theme that it matters not what anyone else thinks about you. Ultimately, it matters most what you think of yourself.

You are beautiful. Take heart.


You Are The Only Person You Need To Please. All The Rest Come Along For The Ride.

Spread Some Joy Today--Spread your smile and joy of life wherever you go today. Watch people's eyes lighting up on your travels.

Daily Inspiration 10-19-13

"Pick the day.

Enjoy it--to the hilt.

The past, I think, has helped me

appreciate the present--

and I don't want to spoil any of it

by fretting about the future."

 

-- Audrey Hepburn

Appreciating the present. . . it is the best place to be. . .

As part of a massive reorganization and change in thinking about me and how I deal with things in my office, I find that I get more done with lists of things to do along with appointments. This time I'm doing it with a bit of a twist. At the very top in large letters is "Enjoy myself!"

My first goal in every day is simply to enjoy the day and my experience in each moment. It sure makes the day more interesting. If I don't get anything else done on the list, I always enjoy myself. Simple. Effective.


What Is Most Important Every Day On Your List?

Spread Some Joy Today--Enjoy yourself.

Daily Inspiration 10-18-13

"Today, recognize and accept your beauty--inside and out.

Take stock of what you think you need to make you attractive,

and take stock of how you are already attractive.

Self-worth is the most attractive ingredient of all.

Own you beauty now, and you won't need to

buy a tube of anything to make you something you are not."

 

-- Alan Cohen

I love this quote. "Recognize and accept your beauty. . . Self-worth is the most attractive ingredient of all." It really doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about you. It doesn't matter if it is your mother or father or spouse or children. It matters so much more that it stands alone what you think of yourself.

When I was a kid, it was all the rage to tell someone they were conceited; that they thought too much of themselves. We had it all wrong. We need to think more of ourselves, appreciate ourselves more, appreciate our value, our values, our potential and our actual contributions to the whole of life.

As a kid, it was about being a braggart; a fake; a fool. But, in reality, speaking highly of yourself is a good thing and not done often enough by anywhere near enough people. It's not about being better than others; e.g., making them low so you can be high, but about each of us possessing grand talents and abilities and seeking to maximize our own potential, which is so huge it is hard to imagine. So, a little imagination is a good thing.

"Self-worth is the most attractive ingredient of all."


Own It. Recognize And Accept Your Beauty.

Spread Some Joy Today--Whatever you can do to help someone feel better about themselves is the perfect thing to do, even if it is the only thing you do.

Daily Inspiration 10-17-13

"Don't be too hard on yourself.

There are plenty of people

willing to do that for you.

Love yourself and be proud

of everything that you do.

Even mistakes mean you're trying."

 

-- Susan Gale

How often do you get encouragement or praise from others? Most people might say, not often enough. While getting praise and encouragement from others is wonderful and helpful, it is far more important to our own well being to have those uplifting words coming from ourselves about ourselves. Instead of being what many would call our own worst enemy, what would it be like to be our own best friend?

In the past 20 years, I've made decisions that are still having an effect right now. On the surface, or from someone viewing from the outside, many of those decisions might be commonly looked on as bad decisions. Yet, I've come to look at them differently, and that is their lasting positive effect on me. Those decisions caused situations that created contrast that caused me to look at things differently.

The benefit is that I changed my thinking and how I view things like problems. I have learned to take life far less seriously--even to the point of it being much more like a game than the real thing. This change alone has been worth it. I used to get into such a stew about things and now even if I get upset, it is very short and I'm laughing at it all very soon. In other words, I've learned to not be so hard on myself.

Guess what the benefit of that is? A side benefit of not being hard on myself is that others aren't any more either. It's a more pleasant world all around.


What's The Big Deal Anyway? It's Not All That!

Spread Some Joy Today--Give yourself a little party. It's Thursday. It's YOUR day. Enjoy yourself.

Daily Inspiration 10-16-13

"I hope you enjoyed

giving us the business

as much as we've enjoyed

taking you for a ride."

 

-- Southwest Airlines pilot 3-4-12

You never know where the next funny line or story will come from. A day without laughter is a bland day.


Enjoy Today. Laugh Often and Much.

Spread Some Joy Today--Laughter is such a great spreading agent.

Daily Inspiration 10-15-13

"No one can make you feel inferior

without your consent."

 

-- Eleanor Roosevelt

According to Alan Cohen, "who you see outside yourself and what they say and do to you are reflections of who you see inside yourself and what you are saying and doing to yourself."

He goes on to say, "If you are loving and appreciating yourself, you will attract people and events that bless and honor you. If you are judging and demeaning yourself mentally and emotionally, you will attract people who do the same to you."

As you think about that, I'll bet, as I have, that you think this is true in your own life.

Finally, Alan says, "Ultimately no one does anything to you that you are not doing or have not done to yourself. So if you wish to change what is coming to you from others, the place to start is in the domain of what you are giving yourself."

All of that is so much more clear to me than it ever has been. It starts with ourselves, our own thinking, our own emotions and we draw to us that which is likened to itself. There's an old saying: "It takes one to know one." This is true. And it is the source for change too. Change the way we treat and think about ourselves, and the rest of the world will follow suit.


What We Get Is What We See. . . Or Something Like That. . .

Spread Some Joy Today--How long does it take you to go from zero to joyful? Practice makes perfect.

Daily Inspiration 10-14-13

"The more you focus

on why things are not working,

the more things don't work.

The more you focus

on what is working,

or how things could work,

the more things work."

 

-- Alan Cohen

Whether we want to admit it or understand it or not, many of us have a tendency to focus on the problems and not the solution. On the fight against _______, rather than moving toward __________. Whatever we give our attention to grows.

Sometimes people say, 'times are tough,' and so they focus on the tough times. They watch the news, read the stories in the paper, join the crowd of people that are focusing on what is wrong, how it went wrong, who's to blame and how could it have come to this, and so on.

When business is down, we want to look at the problems. See what is wrong, correct what is wrong, lament about what is wrong, cut back to demonstrate what is wrong. It's wrong, it's not fair, there ought to be a law.

This is October, it's the pink month, we've got a government crisis going on regarding the standoff in Washington, see the list, listen to the latest dribble coming through the radio, TV, Internet sites, and newspapers and magazines. There is plenty to focus on, and there will be plenty more in November, December and January. We will not run out of problems and issues and crises.

In fact, as we focus on them, they are increased. Focusing on them is a surefire way to see them increase. Even waging a war on _______ will not create anything except more of __________.

We could change and focus on the solution, but that is not the point. The point is and the way out is to focus on what is wanted, rather than what is not wanted. We won't get well by focusing on disease. We get well by focusing on health. We don't lose weight by focusing on diets, special drinks, exercise and such. We focus on being thin and being healthy and being active and enjoying life and the other can no longer compete.

Contrast is a good thing, but the only thing that makes it good is that it turns us toward what we want now. We won't get there by focusing on the contrast. We get there by focusing on what we want now, how it feels as if it were already, and becoming it.


Focus On That Which You Want, What Is Right And Good. Let The Rest Fall Away.

Spread Some Joy Today--It's your world. You get to choose. Choose joy!

Daily Inspiration 10-13-13

"There are only two ways to live your life.

One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as though everything is a miracle."

 

-- Albert Einstein

I have never loved life and living as much as I do right now. I can only imagine that the future when it becomes now will be even more of that feeling.

Since I have come into awareness in recent years, I now see more of the miraculous every day. It came to the point yesterday, where I now see that every single thing in and around me is as much a miracle as a miracle can be. The more I think about it, the more miraculous it becomes.

I see the leaf of a plant and how it lives, thrives, moves, wilts, falls. The changing of the seasons and the responses of nature that are so predictable and perfect. My body and how it functions without my thinking about it, or directing it most of the time. Interactions with other people. Building things from an idea in our head. Sharing thoughts with the magic of type and computers and cell phones. Talking to people on the other side of the earth--even those who in time are in the future while I am in the present. An artist at work. A musician creating music from an instrument or their vocal chords. Exchanging value for services and services for value. Breath and breathing. Sex and intimacy. Caressing and loving. Caring and providing. Supporting and encouraging. Helping and hoping. Touching and listening. Connecting with spirit. Being alive.

What I look at now, I have seen before, but I did not see it as I see it now. It is changed. It is different. It is new. It is a miracle. All is miraculous. I now live my life in the second way according to Albert Einstein--as if everything is a miracle.


I Awoke And I Saw Life Anew.

Spread Some Joy Today--"When you learn, teach, when you get, give." -- Maya Angelou. Spread your joy today.

Daily Inspiration 10-12-13

"Kindness is a language

which the deaf can hear

and the blind can see."

 

-- Mark Twain

I kept my cool, but I was almost overwhelmed by the kindness of a government agency worker today. In fact, she was so comforting and helpful, making sure that I had all the necessary details to get a task done. It was incredible.

I often find people so helpful and kind. I find them more and more and more. It seems that in the past, I used to get the most unhelpful people, and now things are always working out for me. I don't understand the difference, but I can assure you that I am rolling around in it, getting it all over me, just like my little dog Charlie does when he smells something wonderful in the grass.

Then I went to another place and found virtually the same attitude: nothing but kindness and helpful information and insights. It was absolutely wonderful. Henry James said this about kindness: "Three things in human life are important: The first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind."

Bravo! What a glorious day!


How Much Does It Cost To Be Kind? What Are The Benefits?

Spread Some Joy Today--"You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Daily Inspiration 10-11-13

"Enthusiasm is the divine particle in our composition:

with it we are great, generous, and true;

without it, we are little, false, and mean."

 

-- Letitia Landon

I think of the word enthusiasm as being the same as the word, loving. If you have enthusiasm for what you do, you are loving what you do. If you have enthusiasm for your life, you are loving your life. From the original Greek, it also means to be inspired, and with God, which is a good reason that we feel so good when we are enthused, inspired, and in the action of loving.

It is good and helpful to listen to our own talk sometimes in order to hear the tone in how we say what we say as well as the content. Sharing complaints with others is a sure sign of lack of enthusiasm. As Steve Jobs said, and I paraphrase slightly, "too many days of that and I need to reconsider what I am doing."

I'll never forget hiring an experienced salesman when I was a young sales manager. He was somewhat older and had been in the business for a number of years. Within a couple of days, I could overhear him complaining about the dealership out on the showroom floor. I immediately called him into the office and fired him on the spot. The last thing I needed was someone bringing that mood and tone into my organization. He was shocked, but I'm sure it was temporary and I don't think it changed him, but I wasn't going to allow him to change us.

My grandmother used to tell me, "if you can't say anything nice, better to say nothing at all." As good as that statement is, it is not the best answer. The best answer is to do what pleases you. If life is anything, it is to be enjoyed. What is the point of going to work in an industry you don't like, a job you don't want to do, and then complain about what your situation is? If you don't like a part of it, perhaps you can sell off that part, hire someone to do that part, renegotiate so you don't have to do that part anymore. If it can't be parted out (car talk), then something new is appropriate and in order.

Life is way too short to do what you have to. Do what you want to. Find a way. There is always a way when you make the decision to move toward what you love.


Be Enthusiastic. Enjoy Your Time On This Wonderful Planet. It May Not Seem This Way, But It Is Always Your Choice To Choose.

Spread Some Joy Today--Enthusiasm is so contagious.

Daily Inspiration 10-10-13

"By three methods we may learn wisdom:

First, by reflection, which is noblest;

Second, by imitation, which is easiest;

and third by experience, which is the bitterest."

 

-- Confucius

I have learned wisdom by all three methods and I prefer them in the same order as Confucius has them.

I don't have to get bitten to learn, yet sometimes my choices have been to not choose, and more often than not, I feel the bite of that indecision. It is also often "repair-mode," where it is now broken and I have little choice but to fix it or find another way out. This might be a good place for a savior to arrive . . .

I sort of like the imitation place. I'm making decisions, trying things out, learning from others and learning from myself. Yet, this is often the place that I call "reality." I practice here. I play here. The more I play, the better it feels.

As I reflect, I am empowered in a very different way. Though I have learned wisdom, I am more in tune with my own inner wisdom, which I call the God-connection, or going online with the Universe. It is here I would love to spend more time, where there is no time and where all that I could know is ready for me when I am ready for it.


Experience Is The Best Teacher; However, It Need Not Be Physical, Or Painful.

Spread Some Joy Today--There is nothing so sweet as kind words. Lift someone up today and spread your joy.

Daily Inspiration 10-9-13

"To ignore the unexpected

(even if that were possible)

would be to live without opportunity,

spontaneity, and the rich moments

of which life is made."

 

-- Stephen Covey

Planning has always been in my mind, even when I procrastinated until time was short. However, for the last many years, I have been more allowing of the unexpected, or acting more on impulse. I might call someone to have lunch on the spot or something like that. The only thing that I have found is that many people are not so spontaneous. So, I have to consider being on my own, or perhaps I will meet someone new.

I have to say that it is more interesting, very erratic sometimes, but ultimately most enjoyable. The more I do this, the more free and alive I feel. I'm even trying much of it in my business life with good results.


Spurring The Spur Of The Moment? It's Rather Like Letting Go Of The Oars On The River. Going With The Flow.

Spread Some Joy Today--When you enjoy your own company, joy is so easily spread.

Daily Inspiration 10-8-13

"Sometimes I lie awake at night

and ask, 'why me?'

Then a voice answers

nothing personal,

your name just happened to come up."

 

-- Charles M Schulz

Do we need to be reminded that we take everything so seriously--especially ourselves? The answer is YES! At least until we cease the seriousness.

There's nothing quite like having someone close to you die to remind you that life is not only short, but that all the problems and situations, hard feelings, misunderstandings, sour looks, or other such nonsense, is exactly that--nonsense. As soon as that person is gone, all of the important reasons for holding on to that stuff is completely gone. It is not only no longer important, we often may think how we thought it was important to begin with.

At least two or three other people on the planet have less money than you, more bills than you, lost their job a long time ago, lost their home, all their possessions, perhaps even family members. And here we are brooding over nonsense.

All we need is a change of attitude and attitude is simply how you choose to see your life and relate to where you are in it.

A while back I suggested an affirmation that has made a huge difference for me and at least of couple others I know. It is, "things are always working out for me." Regardless of what is happening, simply say aloud, to yourself, to the world, "things are always working out for me." Maybe embellish it a bit: "You know, I don't understand it. Crap is falling all around me, and yet, it seems like through it all, things are always working out for me. I must be on somebody's A-list!" And, just keep doing it. I'm sure in every day, you could find a place to say that affirmation many times. You will find it becoming true very quickly. I'm certain of it.

The other thing to remember that keeps us on track is to remember that God loves us all. Yes, all. It doesn't matter what we've done, not done, plan to do, failed at, succeeded at, whatever. It's just love. If we can remember that in all our seriousness, it will inject a bright and comforting squirt of sanity and peace.

One last tidbit. Humor. Charles Shultz again: "My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I'm happy. I can't figure it out. What am I doing right?"


"Life Is Like A 10-Speed Bicycle. Most Of Us Have Gears We Never Use." -- Charles M. Shultz

Spread Some Joy Today--Be there. . . in the present. . . with a grateful heart and appreciation on your lips.

Daily Inspiration 10-7-13

"We wait all these years

to find someone

who understands us,

I thought,

someone who accepts us as we are,

someone with a wizard's power

to melt stone to sunlight,

who can bring us happiness

in spite of trials,

who can face our dragons

in the night,

who can transform us

into the soul we choose to be.

Just yesterday

I found that magical Someone

is the face we see in the mirror:

It's us and our homemade masks."

 

-- Richard Bach

How many times have we said. 'yes,' when we wanted to say, 'no?' We want to please. We want to look good. We want to be helpful. We want to help others. We want to keep our job. Because ______. When we say, 'yes,' when we want to say 'no,' we are not pleased in the doing, but feel obligated. We do this often enough and instead of obligated, we feel troubled. We feel overwhelmed. I've been there many times. Each time it was my own doing, but that didn't change how it felt.

When I think I should do something when my current schedule or my current frame of mind isn't receptive, should becomes and obligation that carries a burden. There are so many 'should' messages. Of course, we want to please. We want to look good. We want to be helpful. We want to help others. We want to keep our job. Because _____. You know the drill.

It all comes down to wanting to be somewhere that we cannot, have more money than we do, wanting this instead of that. We become disappointed, weary, unhopeful, frustrated, and more.

Now here's a good question: When all of this is going on, where are we in time? Are we in the past? The future? We are absolutely NOT in the present. In the present, none of these issues exist. There are no problems, disappointments, issues that we cannot deal with.

That is all gobbledygook to most. I know that it is a challenge to live mostly in the present. I know because I practice it a lot. However, here's the really easy way to get there in a moment: Find something, anything, anyone to appreciate. Then expand that appreciation, then find another thing or person to appreciate, and keep appreciating. Become grateful and the way to become grateful is to appreciate.

Whatever peace of mind I have now, and it is light years ahead of where I was even just a few years ago, came from learning to appreciate everything that I possibly could--even things that some may consider 'bad' or negative. It automatically comes from the act of seeking things or people to appreciate.

Are you down? Find something or someone to appreciate, right now, this minute. No need to wait. Was it short-lived? Don't stop. Find another and just keep going. Can you learn to appreciate everything and everyone? I say, YES! Of course, it will keep you busy for a while and what the heck, you weren't really enjoying being overwhelmed or frustrated, were you?


I Am Never More Than On Thought Away From Joy, Appreciation, Love, Peace.

Spread Some Joy Today--Start an appreciation book. Make long lists. You'll stop making the lists at some point, but it is a good way to start.

Daily Inspiration 10-6-13

"Adversity has the effect

of eliciting talents which,

in prosperous circumstances,

would have lain dormant."

 

-- Horace

Is adversity given to us? Does it come upon us from without? Sophocles said, "The keenest sorrow is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities." With the benefit of hindsight, I have to agree with Sophocles. Every adversity that I have had that I can recall was self-inflicted. No matter how much I want to blame circumstances, or other people, or even be mad at the world, if I am to be true to my feelings, I must admit that I alone am the fault.

Of course, that's not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I think it is a good thing. It is good to recognize that I am responsible. It is good to realize that I have the power to change myself and situation. It is good to realize that I may often have made decisions by default that caused a cruise along a course that I may not have chosen on purpose.

And, it is good to have the advantage--yes, I claim it an advantage--to have adversity in my life. I claim it an advantage because it clearly causes me to notice that I am in a place that I don't really want to be, that I created and followed that path by not paying attention, and more importantly, that now, I can choose something else. It also has a way as Horace said of eliciting talents which have lain dormant.

If I have the power to get here, I have the power to go there. If I have the power to cause adversity, I have the power to cause prosperity, well-being, health, joy.


Come To Think Of It, Adversity Could Be A Marvelous Opportunity. I Could Come To Love Adversity!

  Spread Some Joy Today--You have the power. No one else can do it for you. Only you can do it for yourself. Choose joy. Spread your joy. Feel your joy.

Daily Inspiration 10-5-13

"Finish last in your league,

and they call you an idiot.

Finish last in medical school,

and they call you a doctor."

 

-- Abe Lemons

Just sayin'. . . it is very beneficial to keep a bit of perspective as we move along. . .


That Huge Failure Was Probably A Success In Someone's Eyes . . .

Spread Some Joy Today--Have a good day. Make it a good day. Choose a good day. Enjoy yourself. There really isn't anything more important probably. So choose joy!

Daily Inspiration 10-4-13

"A wonderful realization will be the day

you realize that you are unique in all the world.

There is nothing that is an accident.

You are a special combination for a purpose--

and don't let them tell you otherwise,

even if they tell you that purpose is an illusion.

(Live the illusion if you have to.)

You are that combination so that you can do

what is essential for you to do.

Don't ever believe that you have nothing to contribute.

The world is an incredibly unfulfilled tapestry.

And only you can fulfill that tiny space that is yours."

 

-- Leo Buscaglia

This stands alone and is worthy of being posted on the bathroom mirror!


You Are. That Alone Makes You Worthy And Special.

Spread Some Joy Today--Feel your inner connection to all that is. Allow it. Stay connected as much as possible.

Daily Inspiration 10-3-13

"You will never find time for anything.

If you want time you must make it."

 

-- Charles Buxton

One month ago, I made a decision of decisions to organize my life. I have lived a long time being disorganized. In my office, filing has always been easy for me. It is a method I learned somewhere that I cannot seem to remember. It is a strategy called piles. I look at something, print something, think that I should or want to save it, don't know where it should be put, or don't have a good place to put it, so in a nanosecond of frustration, I put it in piles to my right, my left, on top of anything that is flat so that every flat surface in my office is full of piles and clutter. To an organized, good filing person, my office would be a disaster. And, it is. I admit it. And, I am done with it. Finally.

So, one month ago, I bit the bullet and hired a consultant to come in an help me develop systems and procedures that make sense to my unique way of thinking and previous habit patterns. She listens at great length so that she could understand my current strategies and habits and all that is going on in here with several businesses and more. The first meeting was 90% me talking and I thought that this was an interesting strategy on her part. We set an appointment for a month out for me to declutter the office to the point that any better system could potentially work.

The month went by and I did nothing until that last two days before the appointment. I thought about procrastinating and calling her to reschedule, but I remembered that I asked for her help and that I was committed to getting organized. I got it done and yesterday, she spent four hours helping me go through things, change my thinking about what needs to be kept and what doesn't, how to file things and where and why.

It is here that I have to inject that she didn't tell me any of these things. Instead, she sort of had me telling her and she just gently guided me to the conclusions that I'm sure she had long ago. What was special and great about this is that is became more like me and not like her. Frankly, I don't know how she does things and that doesn't matter at all. How I do things and how I can change to do them better or more efficiently does matter, and the key to the whole thing is creating a new habit pattern so that it will stick.

Now, I must follow through for the next few days to finish what we started, and I am fully committed to seeing it through. I WANT to be organized. I WANT to be uncluttered. I WANT less stuff. I WANT files that work and having better reasons for keeping things and when to finally let them go.

This was more of a process of letting go, than in gaining anything. I think that is an important key to change: a willingness to let go; of past habits, ways of doing things, thought processes. I am learning to let go.


Change Is Good. I Am Eager To Change.

Spread Some Joy Today--by seeing what you want to see.

Daily Inspiration 10-2-13

"Be content not with your lot in life

but with being here in the flow of life.

The glories of creation are in your very cells;

you are made of the same mindstuff

as angels, the stars, and god himself."

 

-- Deepak Chopra

Sometimes at the bank or other places, people will tell me that I always seem happy and that I notice things, that they appreciate my presence. I can tell you that this is among the best compliments I ever get. I am happy.

I may not always be content with my current lot in life, but neither am I uneasy about it. Instead, I would have to say it as Deepak Chopra has said it--that I am content with the flow of life. Or, at the very least, I am more attuned to that aspect that what is not right yet. I get to choose each and every moment in each and every day how I will think and how I will look at life and the world.

No two days are alike. It might seem that way, but the cloud patterns are different, or there may be no clouds, but the air is dryer or more moist, etc. The seasons are changing, days are shorter or longer, but always moving. In fact, everything in me and around me is in a constant dance.

I like the word dance to describe that. I love how Wayne Dyer talks about dancing: "The purpose of dancing isn't to end up at a particular spot on the floor. The purpose of dancing and of life is to enjoy every moment and every step, regardless of where you are when the music ends."

Enjoyment. Or, a better way might be Injoyment. When I think about my problems, or what is not pleasing, or anything off the path of enjoying myself, I am experiencing outjoyment. This causes me to want to get back in where it feels so much better. It's as good a place to be as I have ever found and there are a lot of ways I find to help me get back in when I am experiencing outjoyment.

Nature. Nature always brings me back. My courtyard brings me back. The birds in the birdbath bring me back. Looking out the window in my office as I am right now seeing the tree in the neighbors yard and the blue sky above with some long skinny white clouds. I'm smiling right this minute and my eyes are lit up as if I am totally at peace and content. Sometimes a movie helps me, or a great YouTube video, a friend on the phone, lunch with a friend as I enjoyed today. This list gets longer all the time.


As A Result Of The Ever-Longer List, I Am Injoy Far More Often. Outjoy Hasn't Got A Chance.

Spread Some Joy Today--Love the one you're with.

Daily Inspiration 10-1-13

"Each experience in your life

was absolutely necessary

in order to have gotten you

to the next place, and the next place,

up to this very moment."

 

-- Dr. Wayne W Dyer

Yesterday I talked about thinking that everything was perfect, and that all the events, situations, and scenarios in my life have led me to where I am and where I am is perfect as if I had chosen it to begin with long before today.

It might be easy to think of this as manifest destiny, but consider it a more free flowing way. Consider that each movement was purely a choice. It wasn't God's Will or from anyone else, but yours alone. You chose. I chose it on purpose. And, the results are the results and they are perfect.

What would life be like thinking this way. What happens isn't the fault of anyone else, or circumstances beyond our control, or not paying attention. Instead, it is purely a choice we made and whatever came of that choice was perfect. Of course, at the same time, if the choice wasn't exactly what pleased us the most, we could also change the decision and choose something else.

Consider that we are always in control. What would that be like?


 It's All Good.

 Spread Some Joy Today--by taking charge of your joy. When you have it, you can share it.