Daily Inspiration 12-31-14

"It's Wednesday. 

I'm alive. 

I am breathing. 

God has given me another today. 

I am thankful. 

I am blessed. 

God is Good. 

 Just for today. . . 

I will look for joy in all things. 

I will enjoy what is beautiful. 

I will listen. 

I will learn. 

I will believe." 

-- Lori Homeyer 

Hmmmm. Coincidentally, it IS Wednesday and it happens to be the last day of December of the year 2014.

I hope that you find a few moments to celebrate the year that has just come to an end. I have a good sized list so I am very grateful for all of the wonderful things, the increased knowledge and awareness, and my own personal growth and expansion. My business grew, my life took on new meaning, and my love grew exponentially. And, even as I celebrate this year into the accumulation of years, I see a bright and exciting future ahead for 2015. I am eager to experience all that will be and become more of the deliberate creator I've come to be. It is pure joy in action.

I share Lori's sentiments above. I will look for joy in all things. I am thankful. I am celebrating my life more than I ever have in my entire history. I sincerely hope that you join with me in celebrating yours.


Happy Old Year! Happy New Year!

Spread Some Joy Today--by releasing any resistance that you have today. As resistance is released, your natural state of joy is exposed for all to see, including you!

Daily Inspiration 12-30-14

"Creativeness often consists of merely

turning up what is already there. 

Did you know 

that right and left shoes 

were thought up only 

a little more than a century ago?" 

-- Bernice Fitz-Gibbon 

As appalling as this sounds to me, after some basic searching, it seems to be true about producing right and left shoes. There is also a shoe museum called the Bata Shoe Museum in West Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In addition, the first sneakers were made in America in 1916 and were not called sneakers until much later. They were called Keds. I can remember as a kid going to the shoe store to get some Keds. I had no idea.

The first lady's boot was designed for Queen Victoria in 1840, and in Europe, it wasn't until the eighteenth century that women's shoes were different from men's. There's a lot about shoes that I had made assumptions about.

What's interesting to me is how much time went by with so little improvements in common things. Transportation is another subject that boggles the mind in how long it took to move faster than walking or running or riding on horseback.

Some years ago I read an absolutely fascinating book by Stephen Ambrose titled, Nothing Like It In The World about the building of the first Transcontinental Railroad in America. I am revisiting this in the audio version as we speak and it reminds me of all this and how things were so slow to change.

Yet, here is the other interesting part: Once they began to change, they morphed quickly into better and better versions and then into other things. Considering the long past, it was a very short time from the invention of, and introduction to, America of the idea of the train and locomotives. Once here, they began a steady improvement and expansion that was nothing short of amazing.

The world moves faster all the time. If you've studied any history before 1900, you found that the world changed so radically after 1900, and even more as time went on. The airplane, then air transportation is a perfect example along with the electric light, appliances, computers, and so much more.

The Internet is not old, it is a youngster. Yet it has changed all of our lives quite dramatically. I remember using the first computers at work in the car business and they didn't even have hard drives. Then when hard drives came out they were 1 MB, 5 MB, and such. As programs became better, they needed more space and more speed and the expansion race was on. Now I have more than 1 GB just for my email. I also remember modems and how new they were, but so slow. Transferring 1 MB would have taken more than a day. Now it takes a second or less. Crazy differences in speed.

As the world gets faster and faster, we take more and more for granted. We even get upset with the slowness of things because we've sped up faster than the technology, or at least the operator sense of the technology. In other words, we become impatient so quickly, whereas in the past we didn't have those issues or the stress from that impatience.

I watched a movie last night where the female dance coach said to the male dancer about to go into a contest: Breathe! It is wonderful advice for us all. Let us pause now and then, breathe, feel for some peace as we absorb and celebrate ever more and faster changes in our future days.


The Pause That Refreshes. Breathe! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by practicing your patience and enjoying the journey wherever you are moving to and from.

Daily Inspiration 12-29-14

"Everything you are against weakens you. 

Everything you are for empowers you." 

-- Wayne Dyer 

It's easy to make a decision that the world needs fixing, but it doesn't. It's easy to see things that are going on somewhere in the world that you don't like or hate or disgust you, but that doesn't mean the world is broken. In fact, if you look for just a little while, you will find plenty to push against; things that you are opposed to, that you may judge as being wrong or bad. But, that is simply a choice of focus.

I went to the grocery store today for some fresh produce and a number of other things. There is a plethora of food in the grocery store. But they also sell poison. In fact, they have plenty of poison for sale. Today I ignored the poison and bought the food, but I felt no need to push against the poison or to tell the store manager to remove it so I could shop in peace. I just had no interest in it.

There were thousands of things in the store that I did not want. There are thousands of things in the store that I probably will never, ever want, and yet I go to the store in comfort knowing that I can choose what I want and freely leave the rest for others to choose if they desire. Next time, I may choose other things, but I have no need to push against anything that I'm not interested in having or using or eating.

If there is something that we feel a strong desire to try to change for whatever reason, we have the option of focusing on that change to take care of it. In other words, by focusing on the solution and not the problem. If I see a problem and I want to solve it, I will never solve it by focusing on the problem. I must focus on a solution.

The contrast of differences is all around us all the time. Pushing against anything unwanted will never change the thing. But, focusing on what we are for and doing what we are inspired to do in that vein, empowers us to make a difference.


Here's To Your Own Empowerment. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by deciding that at least for today, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Today is Free From Worry Day.

Daily Inspiration 12-28-14

"Your task is not to seek for love, 

but merely to seek and find 

all the barriers within yourself 

that you have built against it." 

-- Rumi 

With my increased awareness, I am finding that my joy and love is far more in letting go, or the releasing of my own resistance, than in trying to make it happen. I now believe that joy and love, or well being is our true natural state and that we have built all sorts of barriers that keep it under control and under wrap, almost as if we are trying to protect it.

Most of it comes from growing up and learning from those around us, and even within our families for so many of us. We see how people respond to us and when they are nice and when they are not and when they like us and when they do not and so on. We learn as we go, and in the absence of being taught how to let go of resistance, to accept that others may choose and that we may choose ourselves, we build walls and dig trenches and otherwise learn to fit in or be left out.

All of that learning then becomes habitual, and it is ongoing throughout our lives. This is true in our own brain and the self-talk that we are constantly listening to.

As I have become more aware of that self-talk, I find myself wanting so much to shut it off and the only way I can find is to focus on this moment, because the self-talk is about the past mainly, and predicting the future based on the past. Also, many of those thoughts, scenarios, and ramblings are so odd how they just pop in from many years ago.

I was walking the dog yesterday, and into my head pops a scenario from 2009 when I was doing a full-time consulting project with a truck dealer. As this played for only a few moments, I began defending myself on some decisions that I made as if the owner was calling me on them. He wasn't, but my ego was directing this and planning for the worst and desperately trying to overcome that in advance. As I said, it was only a few moments, and as I realized what was happening in my mind, I immediately focused on the trees around me, the blue sky, and came back to the present.

I now find myself doing this all the time. I cannot shut off the ego, and trying to change the thought from negative to positive is a lot of work, so releasing the resistance--and it is resistance because you can feel the tenseness in your body--is my goal and the path of least resistance or the easiest way is changing my focus to something around me in the now that is pleasant to look at.

This is also why my desk that I spend a lot of time at is facing a large window. I can look up at any moment and see the sky, trees, and other pleasant views and come back to the now at will. It doesn't take effort. It is much more a sense of letting go which is the opposite of effort.


I Am So Empowered Knowing All I Really Need Is To Put Down The Rope. Just Let Go. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by looking around for things that please you and focus on them for a few moments. Then, find some more, and more. What a wonderful day it will be for you.

Daily Inspiration 12-27-14

"Criticism begins as a choice, 

and some make it a career." 

-- Albert K Strong 

Criticism is simply a choice, to begin with. I don't like this. Then it can often turn into a fault finding mission. Of course, when you're looking for faults, they appear. The more you look, the more you find. It's the Law of Attraction at work.

As we find these faults, we categorize and label them so that we can keep score and keep track. This is bad, this is really bad, this is disgusting, this is unfathomable, this is horrific, this is . . . and it goes on.

This can become such a habit that we don't even realize it is happening, or how we sound when we write it out or speak our criticisms out loud. Just listen to people talking, open facebook, twitter, YouTube, go to work, in your kitchen. It sort of becomes natural to do this, but it is anything but natural.

Some of this criticism or finding of fault, blaming, labeling, is relatively benign, and sometimes it becomes a career, a mission, a self-righteous purpose, a crusade. It is the length of time doing it and the depth of the feeling that makes the difference.

Yet, let me bring this back to the basics again. It is simply an observation and a choice. You see something you do not like and that is perfect. This world could not work without the contrast with which to make choices. However, rather than focusing on the things you don't like about that, you may choose the real reason the contrast is there: to help you make a decision to choose what you do like and focus your attention there.

We all know it's true that the more you focus on the fault, the more you will find. We often do not pay attention to the fact that the opposite is true as well: the more you focus on what you want, what is good, what is desirable, what is pleasing to you, the more you will find. The real question then is this simple: do you want to feel bad, or do you want to feel good.

We know that when we focus on the faults, we can become enraged, angry, upset, disappointed, discouraged, frustrated, and more, and none of those feel good. So why do we persist in doing it? Habit. We see others around us doing it, we see it in the newspaper, on the radio, on TV, on YouTube, and Facebook and, well, it is hard to avoid.

At the same time, when we turn and focus on what is pleasing to us, what we want, what we like, we feel good. We may feel love, appreciation, joy, enthusiasm, optimism, passion, and all of those feel very good. When we decide that it is important that we feel good, we can then allow all our emotions to guide us to better choices of focus, and enjoy our lives far more while the rest of the world may choose as it will.


We Have The Ultimate Power: It Is Purely Our Own Choosing That Directs Our Lives. 

Spread Some Joy Today--How are you feeling? Joy feels good.

Daily Inspiration 12-26-14

"My dog is worried about the economy

because Alpo is up to 99 cents a can. 

That's almost $7.00 in dog money." 

-- Joe Weinstein 

Not really. . . but the reason I went with this funny quote is that I never, ever see my dog worry about the economy. He doesn't worry about getting fed. He doesn't worry about getting love. He doesn't worry about calories or getting fat, or losing weight. He doesn't worry about the news. In fact, he doesn't read the paper or watch the news, or use the Internet. He just doesn't worry at all.

He is eager. He's eager to play. He's eager to go for a walk. He's eager to go for a ride. He's excited and eager to get his food when he decides he's hungry.

He doesn't stress over things or circumstance. If I'm taking too long to get ready for a walk, he simply lays on the floor and looks at me curiously, or if he tires of that, he takes a quick nap. After he eats, he takes a nap. When he's bored, he takes a nap. His solution for any kind of potential stress is taking a nap. Works for me too when I do it.

He's content to walk down the same path every day, yet eager to see a new one. He seems to find lingering scents to spend many moments regardless of the terrain, although he is infinitely more interested in other dogs have been down this path in the recent past.

Dogs bark at him from behind fences and he doesn't seem to give a rip about that. Some sound big and mean and certainly loud, and he goes on as if it was nothing at all. He shivers when it's 67 degrees, but it can be 40 degrees and if he is on a walk, he's not paying any attention to shivers (Charlie is a little toy Chihuahua).

He never gets tired or bored with love touching, caressing, petting, pampering. I think he could fall asleep with soft caresses and wake up wanting more. Hmmm. Sounds good to me. . .

He gives me love by just looking at me working from across the room. He's always encouraging me to exercise, with him of course, and he dotes on my presence.

Maybe some of these things would be good for we humans to emulate and incorporate. No stress? Seems like a wonderful idea! No worries? Seems unheard of yet potentially life-changing. Always eager? There's nothing like fresh enthusiasm! Patient? I don't know any humans who couldn't benefit from more of that! Always open to being loved? Why the heck not? Always present and always exuding love? Eckhart Tolle would be proud (well, no, he wouldn't ever be proud, would he?).


It's Amazing What We Can Learn When We Pay Attention. Even From Our Friendly Animals. 

Spread Some Joy Today--It's the second largest shopping day of the year. I hope you find some joy there too.

Daily Inspiration 12-25-14

"Our world has many superheros. 

But they have the worst 

 of all superpowers: invisibility." 

-- Mundano 

I was compelled to share this TED video with you today. It spoke to me in a number of ways. It is about seeing a larger picture and at the same time seeing much detail. It is about expanding ourselves in an unexpected and yet very grand way. It is about giving others a voice. It is about helping others to build self-esteem. It is about fun and joy and color and humor. It is about how a need gets taken care of without us even noticing it. It is about entrepreneurship, being of value, being creative and resourceful. It is about a bit of life magic in the normally mundane. It is about passion and love.

It is about one person who has an idea that is different from what he normally does and this idea expands and expands and becomes even more. Then the idea is shared and expanded more until it becomes something that is spread around the world and is shared so that others can join and participate. It all began with a simple idea. . .


In Brazil, "catadores" collect junk and recyclables. But while they provide a vital service that benefits all, they are nearly invisible as they roam the streets. Enter graffiti artist Mundano, a TED Fellow. In a spirited talk, he describes his project "Pimp My Carroça," which has transformed these heroic workers' carts into things of beauty and infused them with a sense of humor. It's a movement that is going global.

(See video transcript here.)  Check out the website at http://www.pimpmycarroca.com/en/

Looking At The Common With An Uncommon Eye. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by thinking of some ways you can share your value.

Daily Inspiration 12-24-14

"As we grow older, 

our Christmas lists get shorter, 

because the things we want 

can't be bought." 

-- GrowingBolder.com 

I must be really old because my list is nonexistent. In things, that is. In those things that can't be bought, I am a picture of wide open arms.

For the last few days, you may have noticed that I gave some focus on the idea of abundance. Although there is an abundance of things at the mall and on the Internet, it is those non-things that hold more meaning to each of us and that includes people of every age.

W. Clement Stone was an early mentor of mine. He founded the Success Magazine at the beginning of the last century, was a self-starter and huge business success, and shared his positive beliefs with the world through books and in other ways. Here is a wonderful quote from him that is worthy of sharing:

"Your most precious, valued possessions and your greatest powers are invisible and intangible. No one can take them. You and you alone can give them. You will receive abundance for your giving."


May The Gifts That Only You Can Give Bring You The Abundance You Rightly Deserve. 

Spread Some Joy Today--because you can and as you do so, you will be swept along in all its glory.

Daily Inspiration 12-23-14

"When I think about creating abundance, 

it's not about creating a life of luxury 

for everybody on this planet; 

it's about creating a life of possibility. 

It is about taking that which was scarce 

and making it abundant." 

-- Peter Diamandis, 

founder, and CEO of the X-Prize Foundation 

We are all natural choosers. If everything we wanted and needed was just given us at will without our even asking, there would be no value and no life either. Trying to change the world so that everyone has luxury would kill the world. When people decide on their own, or with some inspiration from others that they want luxury, they will find it.

As natural choosers, we all have talent and abilities and even more important than this, we all have the capacity. I would call that capacity an abundance. We all have an abundance of possibilities within us along with an abundance of capacity to respond to that as we focus our intent from our desire.

The value of a teacher to me is to inspire within me the desire that is inborn and allow that desire to see just enough light down the tunnel that it piques interest and intent. "Words don't teach. Life experience teaches," as Abraham often says, but words do have the power to inspire should someone be nearby hearing them, or reading them. With even the smallest amount of inspiration as a seed, what then becomes a life experience or movement toward that experience is the holy grail of return for the teacher, and the joy of student and teacher.

People rise to the occasion from places of the utmost despair and challenge. We never know the depth and breadth of the power within inspired people. Take a candidate who may not be the image of the perfect candidate and give them the opportunity and just enough inspiration, and it is amazing what they can do. Everyone responds in their own time, and if we don't give up on them; if we stick with them and out of love stand near and ready to serve, their spark will ignite a grand display that continually extends their possibilities.


Here's To Everyone's Own Unique Possibilities! It May Not Feel Like A Gift, But It Is A Gift. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Enjoy a few moments of awe and wonder today. It will change your entire day for the best.

Daily Inspiration 12-22-14

"Abundance is not something we acquire. 

It is something we tune into." 

-- Wayne Dyer 

If I had no resistance to abundance in certain areas of my life, it would be the most natural thing to have abundance. After all, I have abundance in several areas of my life, and though I want it in all of my life, I seem to have pockets of resistance holding it away from me.

It is often beliefs that we may have held on to, sometimes for most of our lives. Many are so old and from childhood. I know this is true about money and so I have this resistance to abundance in this area. I have only recently realized this, and I no longer want it, so the path then is simply to release the resistance and accept and receive the abundance that I know is there for me.

There are some tools to help release resistance, and many of them are just plain fun. It should never be work to release resistance. In Esther & Jerry Hicks book, Ask and It Is Given, there are a wonderful series of processes in the second part of the book. The one I want to share with you today is called The Prosperity Game. It is a powerful tool in releasing resistance surrounding the idea of money.

If you have an iPhone, there is an app in the iTunes store for $1.99. It's a stupid bargain. If you don't have an iPhone, then you can do it manually. Here's how it works:

You start off receiving $1,000 income on day one and every day thereafter, the income rises by $1,000. So day two is $2,000, day three $3,000 and so on. The idea is to spend the money each day on whatever you want. You could use an old checking account where you have checks left over, or a program like Quicken, or just on plain paper. Again, the goal is knowing that you have more coming tomorrow, so feel free and totally at ease spending what you have today. Spend it any way you like for whatever your heart desires.

It could be to buy something for yourself, give a gift, pay off a bill, help a charity or whatever you can imagine. The key is to imagine and feel how it feels to spend the money and feel how it feels to have it coming in so regularly. On day 50, you will be receiving $50,000 that day. On day 300, you will receive $300,000. If you continue for one year, you will have received and spent $66 million.

So, I'm having such a blast with this. I'm on day 55 tomorrow so I will receive $55,000 to spend. I've learned several things about me that surprise me some and delight me as well. I am amazed at how little I have spent on myself. I have done so many things for other people and organizations that are of interest to me. I've done magnanimous things here and there, and it has helped me to realize some things that I had let go of that are still important to me.

I began tithing on day five or six and increased it to double tithing about day 15. That is the first money spent each day. The app keeps a record of what you spent money on but not the amounts or the dates, but if you do it manually, you can see that if it matters to you.

This whole thing has become a joy and I can feel that it is changing my attitude about money and abundance in particular. You will also find as I have that it starts to become challenging to spend all the money. That's good. Part of the value of this is exercising our imagination. If I can't seem to think of something right away, I just close the app and come back later. It's supposed to be fun.


Abundance Is A Game, And Available To All. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Leave your stress in the shower and allow your day to soar.

Daily Inspiration 12-21-14

"When you are grateful, 

fear disappears 

and abundance appears." 

-- Anthony Robbins 

It's interesting to find this quote when just the other day I mentioned that when I let go of fear, even in steps or pieces, what fills that space is gratitude, and what also comes with that gratitude is a sense of the abundance that we already have.

Many years ago, my wife had a computer program that was a teaching program to share how people around the world lived. It was particularly focused on their material possessions. I remember going through it and seeing a family in rural Africa standing outside their mud hut of a home with all their possessions around them, along with a list of what those things were. All of their possessions would fit in one of my closets. Each country and number and selection of possessions changed, but in all of them, the number of possessions and the cost of those possessions was so small compared to the average person in the United States.

I look around my office, or around my home and there is an abundance of things. I gained pleasure or satisfaction of some kind of gathering them over the years, but now they hold so little value except the very small number of things I use all the time.

Yet, many of us in this country, and I have to include myself in that, think we have so little. Some people are challenged living in a 4,000 square foot home. I live in a 1,250 square foot home and if you add my office which was once a garage, it is 1,850. To me, that is plenty and has been for almost 30 years, but you can't even find new homes that small anymore.

This isn't about that it is not good to want more. Desire is the stuff of life. What it is about is realizing the abundance we already have. In other words, to be grateful for what we already have, for the abundance that we already have. There is plenty more abundance all around us, and because it is abundance, it has no end, so going for more of it is awesome. And, at the same time, I think it is good to put things into perspective from time to time, find that gratitude, release that fear and see the abundance there now.

I am so very grateful for all of this around me. I value my ability and desire to find more abundance.

And, one more thing on this. It is equally valuable, and something I've only recently learned, to find gratitude and joy in other people's abundance. Now when I see someone with much or a very expensive car, or a large home with a finely manicured property, or healthy children, I mentally express my joy for them and the abundance that they have found. As I do this, I see more of the abundance that I already have and had had all my life.


Celebrate Your Abundance. Celebrate Everyone Else's Too. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Let joy be a part of your abundance.

Daily Inspiration 12-20-14

"One of the milestones every entrepreneur passes 

is when she stops thinking of people she hires 

as expensive ("I could do that job for free") 

 and starts thinking of them as cheap 

("This frees me up to do something more profitable.")." 

-- Seth Godin 

Seth continues from his blog post by saying, "When you get rid of every job you do that could be done by someone else, something needs to fill your time. And what you discover is that you're imagining growth, building partnerships, rethinking the enterprise (working on your business instead of in it, as the e-myth guys would say). Right now, you don't even see those jobs, because you're busy doing things that feel efficient instead."

I understand this point of view and it is exactly the point of view I had when starting my business and where it is now. I'll never forget when we hired the first person and how nervous we were about that, and that it turned out to not only be good but was absolute perfection. It was Jean and she is our head web designer and has been with us since 2008. What a blessing to us. I'm constantly thanking you, Jean. Constantly loving you too. You have helped take us far beyond what we thought was possible.

Several years ago, the delegating began in a similar way, which allowed me to focus in other areas, and now there are eight people. It's amazing what you can think of when you have the luxury of not trying to be efficient all the time.

This is not only true of entrepreneurs, but it is also true of any manager. And, Seth's statement is pretty much the way I looked at myself as a manager, which I did for others most of my life. It's so easy to get caught up in the busy aspect, or the important aspect of the position and forget about what the real goal of a manager is and that is to get work done through others.

If I were hiring a manager, I would look for that quality of creativity and entrepreneurship. I would look for the same thing in the entrepreneur. Come to think of it, this is not a bad thing to find in an employee. Initiative and creative use of time is a grand combination. That is in the best entrepreneurs, managers, and employees.


The Bigger Picture Is Always The Best Strategy. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by enhancing your ability to receive. "You enhance your ability to give by enhancing your ability to receive." -- Alan Cohen

Daily Inspiration 12-19-14

"Adults are always asking children 

what they want to be when they grow up 

because they're looking for ideas." 

-- Paula Poundstone 

And so am I. Yes, I am still wondering what I'm going to be when I grow up. There's been a good number of things I've tried, and even some for a reasonable period of time, but there is so much more out there.

But, one thing I have learned is this: It ain't over until it's over. There's plenty to do, plenty to learn, an abundance of love to share and experience. There's far more than I could ever get around to. I can choose to change any time I want. And, I have many, many times.

Who knows what tomorrow may bring? I eagerly anticipate knowing that and then experiencing that.


I Pray I Never Grow Up. Whatever Up Is. . . 

Spread Some Joy Today--Try just one single goal for today. How about just enjoying yourself whatever you do and wherever you find yourself.

Daily Inspiration 12-18-14

"Power over others 

is weakness disguised as strength." 

-- Eckhart Tolle 

In yesterday's post, I talked about an epiphany I had that moved me to higher ground. It was about the ego talk we have in our head. Some have called it worry. Someone says something or someone you imagine is going to do something. Maybe you imagine you're going to be fired, or maybe it is being criticized, or hundreds of other things we might worry about. So, in our head, we go over it and over it and we are often acting it out in our head as if it is actually happening.

In all of the thousands of cases where I have done this, the theme is always the same: I am not to blame. It is they who are to blame. Consequently, I find the most logical things I can to defend myself and convince them that I have acted perfectly and that they have actually been the one who has dropped the ball. We have to be right. We seek to justify our position in every case. And, every bit of this is the ego talking and it is not really us.

When this is happening, I might pace the floor and I am feeling all sorts of emotions, and not one of them is a feeling good emotion because worry is fear and I am in fear looking for a way out. It never comes via fear or worry. It is a never-ending circle or like a tape playing the same thing over and over again. In the past, I might spend time throughout the day in this place, perhaps even into several days.
But guess what? Those things that I worried about hardly ever happen.

I know that is true, but it didn't ever really help. What I really wanted was to feel good and not feel worried, fearful, distressed. That was the epiphany. I found a way to stop the fearful mind movie by simply realizing or being aware that I was doing this again, then decide to find a little better thought. As I chose to think of something that felt better, and as I would consider it, I would find another thought that felt just a little better, then another and so on.

Once I started on this path, the fear evaporated, and as I said yesterday, I was a little surprised to find gratitude filling the space as the fear left.

As the gratitude came, I realized that I cannot make anyone do anything. Not by reason, not by my being right, and certainly not by showing them how they are wrong. As I let go of the control that I thought I had and was losing and trying to regain--as I let go of that, I was instantly grateful for the opportunity to have served, to have tried. Whatever job it might have been, I did what I knew to do and that is all I could have done. The rest isn't in my control really, so letting go of my imaginary control was powerful.

Then as each improved feeling thought came, I found more gratitude. I found love and in loving the other party, they were perfect as they were and in any decision they might choose to make. I no longer had a need to convince them of anything.

In the end, it doesn't matter what they do or don't do or what they think or don't think about me or anything else. What matters, and the epiphany was that I found a way to feel good and to remember that all I really want is to feel good, to love and appreciate and to be at peace in my heart.


Now I Can Do That At Will. THAT Is Empowerment! 

Spread Some Joy Today--Let the worry move on past you. Seek joy instead.

Daily Inspiration 12-17-14

"I always liked those moments of epiphany, 

when you have the next destination." 

-- Brad Pitt 

We all have epiphanies. I had another today. Each one changes my direction just enough to get me going on a new track, or maybe it could be seen as getting back on track. I love Brad Pitt's way in that he says, "when you have the next direction."

To some people, I am sort of "Mr. Positive." I certainly want to be positive, and obviously, these Daily Inspirations are intended to be uplifting or inspiring in some way. Yet, for me, the philosophical part has come fairly easy for me because I've been studying various leaders in this field for a long time.

Understanding it is one thing, and practicing it in my own life daily is another. I am and have long been willing to practice, but much of that is philosophical in nature too. So, I have these little epiphanies which wake me up to my commitment to live by what I espouse. Not so that I can be qualified to speak on the subject or that I might be seen as having made it, but so that I get the benefit that is stated in the philosophy in my life right now.

Of all the teachings that I have studied, it is the teachings of Abraham by Esther Hicks that speaks to me so clearly. In this, the idea of paying attention to your emotions (they call it the emotional guidance system that we all have) and when something is causing you to not feel good, that is a clue to do something, think something different that will cause you to feel better, until eventually, you can feel good. So the negative emotion isn't bad, but it is good because it gives you the information you can use to change.

Yet it is so easy to fall into the negative egotistical scenes played out in my head when something happens or someone says something. I begin to justify myself talking in my head. I begin to build a case for my rightness. I go over scenario after scenario of what I would be saying to defend myself. These have always been common in my head and I'm sure I am not alone.

The teachings say to pay attention to how I am feeling and when I have those scenarios, they always cause nervousness, fear, defensiveness, and all of those are not feeling good. I used to go on and on and the only escape was to escape into some distraction. But, that only put it off for a while and then it was back.

All those justifications have never ever helped and they are simply the ego trying to save itself and look good by tearing everyone else down. The only real solution is to change the thinking and the goal is to feel good. Often it must be taken in steps. Maybe even baby steps. It isn't something where a leap will work, so the idea is to think a better feeling thought. Maybe it is only a little bit better, but it is in the right direction.

Today, I went beyond the philosophical aspect and realized where my head was at the moment and I began choosing slightly better feeling thoughts until I turned a corner and felt better. I didn't feel good yet, but better and that was enough to cause significant movement.

I call it an epiphany because it is a new direction in that I've gone beyond the philosophy to the awareness to the actual practice. It felt so good to be in this place, I can tell you. I never want to go back to not paying attention, to not be aware, and to not be empowered by this.

As I felt this place, I felt so different. I wasn't fearful about anything. Instead, I was grateful. Grateful for the circumstance that I was mulling over in my head and grateful for the empowerment to change.


It's Fascinating How Gratitude Is Exposed When Fear Is Released. I Never Saw It From That Perspective Before. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Gratitude causes joy.

Daily Inspiration 12-16-14

"By appreciation, 

we make excellence in others 

our own property." 

-- Voltaire 

I want to tell you the most powerful change in me in all my years. It is becoming someone who appreciates. I look around me and find things to appreciate. I listen to things and find something to appreciate. I do business with people and I find things to appreciate. I now find things all around me all the time to appreciate.

I want to tell you the next most powerful change in my in all my years. I tell them. I find ways to express my appreciation. Maybe it's a bigger tip, or maybe it's a note, or maybe a phone call, or maybe I say it in person. No matter. I find things that I appreciate and I express it.

These two things alone have changed my life dramatically. I cannot express well how much joy it brings me to have these feelings of appreciation and then to let them be expressed to others directly or indirectly.

Yesterday, I went on Amazon.com's Facebook page and wrote out how much I appreciated them and not just the CEO, but all the way down to the person who fills the boxes for shipping. They are at the top of my list of companies I love to do business with and they always meet or exceed my expectations. On Facebook, they have 26 million likes, so they have a lot of praise, but I gave them mine anyway.

I told my friend, Phil how much I enjoyed and appreciated the work he and his band members put into making their debut record album. I am amazed at how much I enjoy it and I enjoy it more every time I listen to it. I know how much went into that because I have recorded an album and have written songs and such. It is a fantastic contribution and I so much appreciate it. At the same time, I bought a lot of them to share with others, which helps him, but it helps me more because I get to share.

I've never communicated with so many people that I have appreciated over the years. I remember something that a woman that shared an adventure with me in 1986, whom I love and recently reconnected with said.

She said that she imagined that whenever she was thinking of me, that I was thinking of her and vise versa. That caused me to think that as I am appreciating and loving that fantastic album, Frenesi by Linda Ronstadt that she is receiving that love somehow. I hope so because that would be so cool.

I somehow know that we are all connected even though we consciously think we are all so separate. So, it makes sense that if I am appreciating someone or something they had a hand in making or being a part of, that they might feel that love. Yet, saying it aloud to someone is so much more appropriate and helpful in this separated world of time and space. All the more reason to reach out and express ourselves.

The more you find to appreciate, the more you will find to appreciate. The more you express your appreciation, the more opportunities you will find to express your appreciation. 

Try it today. Reach out whether by email, actual mail, telephone by voice, or texting, or some other form of actual communication and express how someone has brightened your life just a bit by what they have done. I think you will find it an amazing experience and so rewarding at the same time that you will want to continue doing it for the rest of your life. Even if you've never done anything like this before, I think you will find what I'm saying to be true and a huge blessing all around.


Just Tell Them How You Feel And What You Think And Don't Forget A Few Details. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Just do it.

Daily Inspiration 12-15-14

"Good thoughts bear good fruit, 

bad thoughts bad fruit."

-- James Allen, 

As A Man Thinketh

Labeling things 'good' and 'bad' is totally a judgment call of the person naming them. In reality, there is no such thing as good or bad, only results, circumstances, events and people. How we label that is totally up to how we think about them. It took me a long time to learn this, but it is a turning point, for sure.

I think what James Allen is saying so well in the quote above is that the fruit we create is an absolute and direct result of our choice of thoughts. We cannot think of things we do not want and get what we do want. Think about that for a moment or two.

Have you ever been broke, low on cash or had bill collectors calling you? You cannot think about those things all day and then expect prosperity. More than anything, prosperity is a mental attitude. It certainly is that prior to the money actually showing up.

How about thinking about all the things you dislike about your job and then expecting to get promoted or get recognized? That won't fly. All you will get is more of what you are thinking about so you will find more things to dislike about your job.

It was really hard for me to accept this concept at first, but I do now understand it and have gotten pretty good at implementing it; i.e., creating better results by changing my thinking about things. For example, instead of focusing on what I dislike about my job, I focus on what I do like about it. This allows me to be grateful.

When I am grateful, I create joy for myself and I get more of what I like about my job to the point that what I previously didn't like about my job fades away. Indeed, it not only fades away, but in my habitual gratitude, I find myself being grateful for things that I used to dislike, but no longer feel that way about.

I know that is a tough concept at first, and it is so true. Try it in earnest and you will agree. "Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bad fruit." Yes, and Amen!


Every Day Is An Awesome Day!

Spread Some Joy Today--You Will Get It Back Tenfold!

Daily Inspiration 12-14-14

"Every thought-seed sown

or allowed to fall into the mind, 

and to take root there 
produces its own, 
blossoming sooner or later into act, 

and bearing its own fruitage 

of opportunity and circumstance."

-- James Allen, 

As A Man Thinketh

When I read this I am reminded of a brief conversation I had this morning about the definition of insanity: Doing the same things and expecting a different result. How many times have we all done that!

In this case, I see a similar situation: Having the same thoughts and expecting better results. Of course, the quote is indicating that whatever the thought-seed that is allowed to grow will bear that fruit, good or bad, in act, opportunity, and circumstance.

It matters not whether those thoughts are intentional. If you think about that, it would seem that choosing your thoughts would be so much more productive in a positive act, opportunity, and circumstance.

I underlined the active part: "blossoming sooner or later into act." We generally don't think about that aspect, but thoughts do become things.

This all leads me to this: Better thoughts produce better acts, and more positive opportunities and circumstance. The best place to start is with gratitude. It just gets so much better from there.


Expand Into An Awesome Day!

Spread some joy today--Because it is contagious!

Daily Inspiration 12-13-14

"If you would perfect your body, 
guard your mind.

If you would renew your body, 
beautify the mind.

Thoughts of malice, envy, 
and disappointment, despondency,

rob the body of its health and grace.

A sour face does not come by chance; 

it is made by sour thoughts."

-- James Allen,
As A Man Thinketh

Know any devil's advocates? Who wants them? Naysayers, complainers, gossipers? What good do they do? People who are always having things "happen to them" with no fault of their own? Victims. Persecutors. Rescuers. Around and around they go and what good they do, no one knows.

Know someone who sees everything that is wrong and almost nothing that is right? Like a newscast, only in person? Should, should, should. Worry, worry, worry. What good is it?

See any sour faces as you travel your day? "A sour face does not come by chance; it is made by sour thoughts." Forget about them and all their petty little (monumental, catastrophic) problems. Ask yourself, do I want to be like them? Of course not! Not when you can see the cause and effect so clearly. And, you know that there is a cause for every effect and an effect for every cause.

"There is no physician like cheerful thought for dissipating the ills of the body; there is no comforter to compare with goodwill for dispersing the shadows of grief and sorrow."

Ever walk around smiling most of the day just because you feel great today? Ever had anything really good and special happen that just filled your mind and heart with love and gratitude?

Remember those thoughts and create some more! Do it daily. Your smiling face depends on it. Look for something right and praise it. Learn to be thankful regularly. Here's a real treat: find a sour face and tell them something you like about them. Give them some praise. I tell you this--they will respond to that as if they were dying of thirst in the desert and you just gave them a drink from your canteen. Do it often and you will find a new friend. Such a simple thing and oh so rewarding! It is life changing for both of you.


Ain't Life Grand?

Spread Some Joy Today--Tell Several People Something You Notice and Like About Them. You Choose, Then Tell Them!

Daily Inspiration 12-12-14

"There is no physician like cheerful thought 

for dissipating the ills of the body; 

there is no comforter to compare with goodwill 

for dispersing the shadows of grief and sorrow.

To live continually in thoughts of ill-will, 

cynicism, suspicion, and envy, 

is to be confined in a self-made prison hole.

But to think well of all, to be cheerful with all, 

to patiently learn to find the good in all--

such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven; 

and to dwell day by day 

in thoughts of peace toward every creature 

will bring abounding peace to their possessor."

-- James Allen,
As A Man Thinketh

Perhaps you know someone who always seems to have something going wrong with their body. They have this symptom and that disease and take several types of pills to keep things in control. They complain of feeling tired, sore, worn out, overworked, stressed, and persecuted. And, I will bet that you rarely hear a cheerful word from them.

They love the drama, the excuse that the "reality" of illness (because a "doctor" prescribed something, or acknowledged a name for their condition) makes it legitimate to complain because they have officially diagnosed symptoms, perhaps with statements like it is hereditary and such. That takes the blame clearly away from themselves they think, but it is a self-made prison. Almost anyone who is really watching and listening can see that because it is easy to see it in others.

Now, think about someone who is almost always cheerful, upbeat, complimentary, excited, enthusiastic, or generally grateful and happy. They complain about little or nothing and their health shows it with a glow that is unmistakable.

Is the difference genetics? It is the choice of thought. I know it extremely well because I changed mine and it changed me.

In today's world, there are so many things each and every day that could get you down if you would let it and many do. Those same things can also give one a grateful attitude, a cheerful disposition, or even joy. The things did not change, but only the thoughts about the things. We have absolute control over but one thing: thought.

I underlined one sentence in the quote above: "to patiently learn to find the good in all. . ." because it is a powerful tool to lead one toward being cheerful and happy. It isn't easy necessarily, but it is very doable. I now strive to be thankful for and find the good in every person, situation and thing. I can assure you that some are a serious challenge to my commitment, and some take longer, but I am getting there step by step. It takes practice. You don't just wake up one morning and find yourself there. You decide to be there and accept the challenges with the easy. The good news is more are easy and less are challenges as time goes forward!

Bob Proctor taught me a good way to help this along. He said, "React? Respond!" If you allow yourself to react to people, things, and events, you will be challenged often. If you respond instead, you have control. When I was a kid, my mom used to tell me to count to 10. Some take more than 10, but that strategy works too.

All in all, the best way is to spread joy yourself. It catches people off guard and is a powerful strategy for you as well. It is delightfully contagious!


Choose Yourself A Perfect Day!

Spread some joy today--by spreading those thoughts that feel good. It's a safe bet they will feel good to others too.

Daily Inspiration 12-11-14

"Man is buffeted by circumstances 

so long as he believes himself 

to be the creature of outside conditions,

but when he realizes that he is a creative power, 

and that he may command the hidden soil 

and seeds of his being out of which circumstances grow;

he then becomes the rightful master of himself."

-- James Allen, 

As A Man Thinketh

The powerful messages of this book continue to excite me. As I was on a walk a few days ago, I recalled something my ex-wife said to me many years ago. She said, "If you ever truly start believing in yourself, there will be no stopping you." I never forgot that moment. You see, I thought I believed in myself then, but it was obvious to her that I was just putting on a show, yet she could see enough to see that the power was there waiting for direction and focus. That was 30 years ago. . .

The time has finally come all this time later and even though I took my time, I am so grateful for that remark. To me, it was a huge encouragement and I have remembered it many times through the years--not ignoring it, but thinking about it.

The truth is that I didn't really know what believing in myself really meant. Hell, I taught it every day as a sales manager and I was going through the motions, but it took until a little over seven years ago to finally cross the threshold and go for it. Though I am learning more every day, I think I really get it now and in that, I can be a more effective teacher as well.

"Man is buffeted by circumstances so long as he believes himself to be the creature of outside conditions. . ." I sigh a relief of having passed this on to understanding so clearly now that I wonder how I believed the old way. I look around and see so many who complain of circumstances which are controlling their lives and I see myself. It was always something, you know. Always somebody in the way, somebody's attitude, the boss, the weather, the stock market, the interest rates, gas prices, strikes, whatever. No more.

". . . BUT! WHEN HE REALIZES THAT HE IS A CREATIVE POWER, and that he may command the hidden soil and seeds of his being out of which circumstances grow. . ." So here's the line that does it. Get a strong understanding of this line and you too will believe in yourself. You have such awesome power to control and create circumstance.

The good news about that is that you can choose what to create! You have control! You have the power! I guarantee that understanding will rock your world! You will make decisions that you have never had the courage to do before. You will open the floodgates of your creative thinking and the world will never be the same. Does one person have power? How about Abe Lincoln? Theodore Roosevelt? Bill Gates? Andrew Carnegie? Absolutely they have the power and you have the same exact power. They just believed.

". . . he then becomes the rightful master of himself." Amen and amen. I wish that for you--even if it takes you 30 years. . .

You are an awesome creation. Go rock the world! TODAY!


Have an awesome World Rocking day!

Spread some joy today--smile!

Daily Inspiration 12-10-14

"None but himself can alter his condition."

- James Allen, 

As A Man Thinketh

This is so, so true. For many years I tried changing other people to no avail. When I realized that the only person I can change is me, it was a revelation. As a result of that, I have focused on my own learning, mental and spiritual growth.

At the same time, we absolutely do have an effect on other people. The question is what kind of an effect? We have total control over that effect since we are in total control of our own thinking.

Here's an example of what I mean. I realized some time ago, one of my main passions, and it is this: I am an encourager. I love that about me and that is something that gives me energy and drives me and fulfills me. I love lifting others up. If I can brighten someones hour or day with a kind word, I am thrilled. If I can offer a thought that helps someone to think better about themselves, I am overjoyed. When I can encourage someone to see how powerful they really are but are not currently recognizing, I am ecstatic.

We don't all have this passion, but I know that everyone has one or more passions which if not now recognized, are under the surface waiting to be exposed to the light. Once exposed, exposing it will change them forever. I can only be a catalyst, but the change is up to them, for truly, I can change no one but myself. And, yet I know that I can be an influence. I take that seriously, and. . . boldly.

What kind of influence are you? "None but himself can alter his condition."


Help Someone Else Have An Awesome Day By Recognizing Your Own And Sharing Your Own Joy!

Spread Some Joy Today--Smile a lot. People will wonder what you are up to. If they ask, tell them it's JOY!

Daily Inspiration 12-9-14

"The subconscious mind. . .
makes no distinction
between constructive
and destructive thought impulses. 
It works with the material we feed it, 
through our thought impulses. 
The subconscious mind 
will translate into reality 
a thought driven by fear 
just as readily 
as it will translate into reality 
a thought driven by courage, or faith."

-- Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich

If you think you are beaten, you are,

If you think you dare not, you don't

If you like to win, but you think you can't,

It is almost certain you won't

If you think you'll lose, you're lost

For out of the world we find,

Success begins with a fellow's will--

It's all in the state of mind

If you think you are outclassed, you are,

You've got to think high to rise,

You've got to be sure of yourself before

You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go

To the stronger or faster man,

But soon or late the man who wins

Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!

-- Walter D. Wintle

Yes, I Can Because I Think I Can!

Spread Some Joy Today--Give Praise To God (or whatever name you like) For Everything You See Today!

Daily Inspiration 12-8-14

"O. Henry discovered the genius 
which slept within his brain 
after he had met with great misfortune, 
and was confined to a prison cell, 
in Columbus, Ohio. 
Being forced, through misfortune, 
to become acquainted with his "other self," 
and to use his imagination, 
he discovered himself 
to be a great author 
instead of a miserable criminal and outcast."

-- Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich

I absolutely love these kinds of quotes and stories of people who became very famous, yet some were very late bloomers. It ain't over, till it's over!

Long ago, I bought a huge collection of business books on tape and most were biographies of famous business people like Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, and famous businesses like Xerox, IBM and so on. There is one that stood out for me with this aspect of late bloomers. It was Col. Harlan Sanders and Kentucky Fried Chicken. He didn't even begin to become successful until he was 65. He failed so many times that he stopped counting and just kept going. It's an amazing story.

Abraham Lincoln failed at everything he tried until after age 40. Edison, Charles Dickens, Helen Keller, Robert Burns, they were all failures until they were successes. And the list goes on and on and on.

Just because you fail at something, that is no reason to believe that you will fail again. Failing is not a problem. Giving up is. Edison tried over 10,000 times to make the electric light he dreamed of in his head a reality. He failed that many times and more before he succeeded. Reggie Jackson is a star baseball player who happens to lead the pack in career strikeouts at 2,597. Nobody talks about his strikeouts.

You will be served well if you allow yourself to fail. If you are willing to fail, you have a far greater chance of succeeding. I have made and continue to make mistakes. I used to brood about them, now I learn from them. Yet, I am willing to make more of them because I know that each failed attempt or missed target is an opportunity. I learn and grow and become more.

There's an old saying, "wisdom comes from experience and experience comes from making mistakes." And, of course, learning from the mistakes.

Give yourself the gift of hope and patience, along with a good dose of eagerness. Be willing and keep trying. Some of the world's greatest people were still trying at a late age and I'm sure that we are all glad they kept trying.

It's all good. You're covered. Take a deep breath and pat yourself on the back!


There's Always A Way!

Spread Some Joy Today--Treat Yourself To Something You Want. People Will Notice That Look On Your Face!

Daily Inspiration 12-7-14

"A quiet secluded life in the country, 

with the possibility of being useful 

to people to whom it is easy to do good, 

and who are not accustomed to have it done to them; 

then work which one hopes may be of some use; 

then rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbor; 

such is my idea of happiness." 

-- Leo Tolstoy 

Yes, and amen!


It's Amazing What We Can Learn From Other People's Desires And Dreams--Maybe Even Our Own.
Spread Some Joy Today--by choosing the best feeling thoughts you can all day long.

Daily Inspiration 12-6-14

"Do you want the problem 

or do you want the answer?"

-- A Course in Miracles 

How often have I focused so much on the problem that this is all I would see. I couldn't see the problem solved, I was far too busy repeating and even exaggerating the problem to keep it alive and well. Though I would outwardly state that I wanted a solution, I would often fight anyone who wanted to help me find a solution. The fact remained that I was getting something from the problem that the solution could not provide.

Then, other times, I might be ready to solve the problem and stop yakking about it to everyone, but my stinking thinking was like a dog chained to a post. I just couldn't get away from the problem.

Albert Einstein's great quote about problems is still helpful even today. He said, "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it." In other words, I have to find a new way to think and act and be focused far more on the solution than on the problem.

It's amazing how many problems can be solved when we let go of them. In some cases, that is all we need to do--just let go--and in the letting go, the solution is immediately apparent. At the very least, just turning away from the problem is enough to get on to a new kind of thinking that will help us solve it.


This, Of Course, Assumes That You Are Ready To Have The Problem Solved. Not Everyone Is Ready. 

Spread Some Joy Today--It's Saturday. Have a wonderful day.

Daily Inspiration 12-5-14

"Hello. Yes, this is Mr. Kadam. 

I'm the chairman of Kadam Enterprises." 

 -- Papa Kadam 

from the movie The Hundred-Foot Journey 

I just watched The Hundred-Foot Journey movie which was just released a couple days ago for video. I really enjoyed it and the characters.

With Papa Kadam's quote, I thought how interesting that statement was, and how profound at the same time. He was absolutely right. He was the Chairman of Kadam Enterprises. I am the Chairman of Minion Enterprises, you are the Chairman of (Your Last Name) Enterprises. It could be a large family as in this movie, but each is the Chairman of their enterprises. Each is in charge of all the direction and action and activity. Each is in charge of the choices and decisions. Each is in charge of how they want things to be.

There are times when even the Chairman must make compromises, go slowly over speed bumps, drive cautiously through school zones and such. It is a co-creative endeavor, this life, yet fully we each are in charge of far more than we give ourselves credit for.


So Go For It. You're In Charge! You Are The Chairman Or Chairwoman. 

Spread Some Joy Today--When kissing your loved ones, linger a few moments longer. Allow it to register completely.

Daily Inspiration 12-4-14

"The goal of planning: 

Making choices and decisions 

about what you want 

rather than waiting 

to see what's available." 

-- Albert K Strong 

I've always rather known what is coming than to wait and find out. I've used this as a strategy in all my positions of employment. In 1997, after 25 years in the auto business and the last 8 of it in commercial trucks where I also used this strategy, I went to work for a major west coast truck body manufacturer. I started at the end of July 1997 and created my own position with the approval of the owner.

In the first seven months of that year, they had sold $188k worth of truck bodies in Northern California. In the five remaining months of the year, I sold $1.4 million. How could that be? I had a strategy.

Before, they would just show up once every six months and see if you wanted anything. I used to be a customer of theirs, so I know how it was done. I went to dealers and took my own strategy of planning for what I wanted rather than waiting to see what's left and created a whole new market of pre-orders, which I then managed for them and created reports so they knew on a weekly basis what was where in the pipeline. They always had the opportunity prior to release into the production of making changes or rearranging priorities. It was a strategy that paid off handsomely to Harbor and equally to the dealers.

Just to show the potential of that, in the first 5 months, I took one order from one dealer for 110 units which was never even thought possible. I took a whole year's worth of orders in one day at a lunch meeting. This is not a brag, but an example of how this planning strategy can work.

In my current business, we started out selling websites and we had other things like a newsletter, etc. that rarely sold. It was hand to mouth living. I hated it. Then, I had a planning moment. What did I want? Constant cash flow. How could I achieve that? By changing my business to a monthly service with long-term increasing value. It was like turning on the floodlights in a small dark room.

Many wise teachers say that we create our own reality two ways. One is by default and the other by choice. Much of the world creates by default. I still see dealers doing this by seeing what is available rather than making choices through planning. Both are a reality. The only question is which works for you? I know which works for me.

I would rather take my time and plan what I want than to rush and take what is currently available. There is a far more pleasing outcome.


"Spontaneity Is One Of The Joys Of Existence, Especially If You Prepare For It In Advance." -- Alan Dean Foster 

Spread Some Joy Today--by making some choices and decisions.

Daily Inspiration 12-3-14

"The ego wants to want 

more than it wants to have." 

-- Eckhart Tolle 

As I look around my house, I see things that I think I wanted, and actually not so much, when the reality of it came into being. This is the traditional gift-giving season and many of those things I thought or stated that I wanted ended up in gifts to me, and there they sit. Maybe I used it once, and even in a few things, not at all. How strange is that? I'm thinking it seems odd.

I've always loved watching others with radio-controlled aircraft and helicopters and such. My late wife knew that and bought me an electric radio controlled helicopter. It went up in the air once, came down and went in a box, and there it is on my shelf. The battery might even be corroded by now a few years later. I haven't looked. It seems silly that it sits there. I need to just give it away, along with a lot of other unused, not really appreciated things.

I suppose whether I bought it thinking I wanted it (which happens often enough), or whether someone gave it as a gift because they thought I wanted it or might like it, doesn't really matter. The result is the same.

I wonder also if it is true that this applies as much to giving gifts to others as it does when people give me gifts. When I'm thinking of giving something to someone, I'm imagining that they will like it and use it. The best case scenario would be that they loved it and it changed their life, and I'm sure that it runs the gamut of emotional responses.

So what to do? I think it is just to give from the heart and forget entirely about how it will be received. If we are aligned within ourselves and have the delightful urge to share and give to another, that in and of itself is love and is perfect. We can never accurately predict how something will be received. That is not our job. Our job is ourselves and only that can we control.

What about the other end? Receiving. I think the best we can do is delight in the thought behind the gift whatever the gift may be. It matters not whether they got us something that we wanted or didn't care about. It only matters that they had the heart and desire to give something. It isn't even about turnabout is fair play and giving gifts back. It is important to become an accepting receiver, even a joyful receiver. It isn't about us in this instance, it is about them, and if we focus on what they were trying to do, that is all that matters.

As for those things that my ego thought I wanted and the other things I didn't have a clue about, yet go unused or less than cared for, they need to go away now. I am going to pack them up and let them find a new and more welcoming home.


Give From Your Heart And Your Own Alignment With Yourself, And Receive In Appreciation The Same Way. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by simply and exquisitely enjoying yourself.

Daily Inspiration 12-2-14

"Deficiency motivation doesn't work. 

It will lead to a life-long pursuit

of try to fix me. 

Learn to appreciate what you have 

and where and who you are." 

-- Wayne Dyer 

Often my learning is bits and pieces, answering part and yet still lacking the fullness of the "ah-ha" kind of understanding that comes when all of a sudden those pieces come together and form a new perspective. I had one of those today, early this morning when I first looked in the mirror in the bathroom.

For a couple of years now, I have been looking in that mirror and finding affirmations of praise on what I see. Louise Hay of Hay House taught that and it helps, though it isn't a quick fix, but a travel in the right direction.

The trouble is that it isn't or wasn't real enough. Instead, after my affirmation in the mirror, I would go back to thinking of how much weight I've gained in the last couple of years (or is it 3 or 4 years, I forget), and then thinking I need to do something like watch calories (which I do as they go down my throat), go on a diet (not another one), actually get on my exercise equipment rather than hang shirts on it, actually use my gym membership, and well, you know, maybe you can relate, or not.

And, if it isn't weight management, maybe it is finances, getting along with co-workers, getting a better job, or any number of a hundred things that we might beat ourselves up about on an hourly basis over long periods of time. How's that working for you? I know how it works for me, it just makes it harder and more of a problem. I try to meditate and let go of the resistance of it, and then I get it back. It's much like an addiction.

The "ah-ha" experience this morning gave me a whole new perspective, and it is so closely tied to this quote above by Wayne Dyer because I've been and many others I know have been using deficiency motivation, or trying to, on ourselves. It doesn't work, and if there is any progress from it, more than likely everything goes back to the way it was before all too quickly.

Here was the new realization I had: I'm perfect at this moment. There is nothing wrong with me at this moment. I accept myself as I am in this moment. I accept that I have created myself the way I am in this moment. And, it is good. I am perfect just the way I am, with what I have, with where I am and who I am in this moment.

Eckhart Tolle says it this way: "The moment that judgment stops through acceptance of what it is, you are free of the mind. You have made room for love, for joy, for peace." That is how I felt this morning and it is a very different thought than I have had about myself, ever.

To think that we have to be unhappy with ourselves in order to change has been a bad message. We don't. What works better than deficiency motivation is love. We can be perfect in this moment and in the next moment make a change if desired. Accepting ourselves and circumstances, or our environment is the best place to start. By acceptance, the judgment is gone. This does not stop us from exercising a choice at any time. It's a higher jumping off point than being beat down and trying to rise.

I accept the perfection of this moment and of me and all that this entails at this moment. I accept that I have chosen whether by default or on purpose. I am here this moment because I have chosen it. I am responsible and I delight in that perfection at this moment. Whatever comes in the next moments will come in its time. Right now, right here, I am well, and I feel good.


"Everything Is Perfect In The Universe--Even Your Desire To Improve It." -- Wayne Dyer 

Spread Some Joy Today--Delight in your own perfection. Accept where you are and who you are right now. As Eckhart Tolle said, in so doing, "you have made room for love, for joy, for peace."

Daily Inspiration 12-1-14

"Don't fake it 'til you make it. 

Fake it 'til you become it." 

-- Amy Cuddy 

About two years ago, Amy Cuddy did a wonderful TED talk on the subject of Empowerment Through Body Language. The original talk was 21 minutes long and certainly worth watching; however, I found a shorter version that is only 6 minutes covering the essence of the talk.

I am a huge fan of the concept of acting as if. Act as if I am in that position, etc. It is a legitimate path to success, and often a shorter one to boot. I have faked things so many times and firmly believe her quote about faking it until I become it.

The more interesting aspect of the video is the power stance theory. Well, it's not a theory anymore. She has proven that it is real and it is effective. Tony Robbins has been teaching a version of this for a very long time. I hope you enjoy the video and the excellent message it contains.




Amy Cuddy Short TED Video - Empowering through Body Language  Top Tips on Essential Assertiveness 

Here's a link to the original 21-minute talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc

It's More Than Attitude, But There Certainly Is Some Of That. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by leaving your insensitivity at home. Don't worry. Be happy.

Daily Inspiration 11-30-14

"To praise the sun 

is to praise your own eyes." 

-- Rumi 

Yesterday morning as I was stirring to wakefulness, I repeated several times a couple of phrases that I learned from Abraham and Esther Hicks. The first is, "today, no matter where I'm going and no matter what I am doing, it is my dominant intent to see that which I am wanting to see." The second, and more important of the two is, "nothing is more important than that I feel good." And, I shouldn't be surprised, but I found such good feelings and pure enjoyment throughout the day. The power of intention at play.

I was in a state of appreciation so much through the day, and I'll share one section with you. In recent years I find that I don't listen to music but rarely. I have thousands of songs in my library and then I discovered Spotify.com where I can pretty much find anything I want and even create playlists. In the last few months, I find myself listening more, but with much larger ears.

One of the things I love about Spotify is that it is like Netflix in that it suggests things I might like, and much of the time, I do. I adore Tommy Emmanuel as the peak of acoustic guitarists, and Spotify recommended a few like him. I found Martin Tallstrom there and what a find he was. He's a Swedish guitarist and I so relish an album he did in 2009 called Acoustics.

I listened to the album again and I found myself with eyes closed floating around in clouds and blue sky moving in rhythm and joy to each and every single note. Appreciation is an interesting thing in that it has no end that I have found. I was, and still am in fact, so deeply appreciating many things.

I was appreciating Martin's talent and dedication to improving his skill to form the presentation that I was hearing. I was appreciating the guitar maker who crafted a fine instrument for him to play. I was appreciating the guitar amplifier that adds such a depth to the sound. I was appreciating the recording; the recording studio that someone created; the skilled recording engineer; the record company; the stereo amplifier and the speakers that allowed me to listen to this. I was appreciating that Martin put himself out there and was willing, and perhaps even eager to share his blessings with me. The list goes on and on and on.

I play guitar so I can perhaps more fully appreciate what it takes to be as good as he is and the nuances that make the sound so perfect. I used to own a recording studio and have thousands of hours of recording time so I can appreciate the skill and knowledge it takes to record music so well. I own a business so I can appreciate what it takes to create that studio, market that music and more. Maybe now in looking back, this is why I learned what I did just so I could appreciate in a better way and to listen with larger ears. Or, maybe that didn't matter at all. It could just be that I was intent on feeling good and finding things that I wanted.

Abraham and Esther Hicks state that if you focus on something in appreciation (or in any other way too) for as little as 17 seconds, another thought joins it and then another and another and so on, drawing more to you that you are focused on. Yesterday I was focused on feeling good, I found things that I wanted, I began appreciating one aspect, then in my joy, I found another, then another and another until I was appreciating hundreds of things that surrounded this one piece of music I was listening to.


It Was A Day Of Pure Joy And Love. I Think I Will Go For A Repeat Today. . . 

Spread Some Joy Today--Share your joys and your joys are instantly increased.

Daily Inspiration 11-29-14

THANKSgiving Week Thoughts 

"The thankful receiver 

bears a plentiful harvest."

-- William Blake 

Today is the last day of Thanksgiving week and this last post will be about who gratitude is for. It is not for the benefit of the thing or person that you are thanking. It is for YOU.

You could think of this as being selfish, and if you want to do that, fine. It is true. The real benefit of becoming a grateful person and in finding anything and everything and everyone something to be thankful for is not appreciating of it or them. Of course, that certainly doesn't hurt and it obviously may have a benefit to them; however, it is the act of being thankful and finding the good, or rather, those things that we can be thankful for that really matters. It is being the receiver of the gratitude that we give out.

If you want to get really simple, fine. We FEEL better when we are thankful. We feel wonderful in our appreciation. We rise above in our gratitude. As far as I'm concerned that is not only reason enough to be grateful, but the all-important reason.

This is how we become more grateful as we begin our path of thankfulness. We feel it, and it feels good. We feel right. We feel aligned. We feel one with God. We feel blessed. We feel that our heart is full. It is that feeling that creates the desire for even more thankfulness and gratitude. It is why we do what we do whatever we do. We gain. We grow. We become more. We rise.

What anyone else feels when we are this way is strictly and blessedly, a side benefit.


Go For The Feeling Of Joy And Heartfelt Wonder. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by just being alive and knowing it. How could you not?

Daily Inspiration 11-28-14

THANKSgiving Week Thoughts 

"I'm too grateful to be hateful. 

I am too blessed to be stressed." 

-- El DeBarge 

The quote above is so good because that sequence and outcome is exactly how it works. When one is thankful and lives in gratitude for all that is, hatred is impossible. At the same time, when one is feeling blessed by the gifts that come their way, or just by the sunshine of a new day, there can be no stress.

Real love is full of gratitude. These high emotions are all in a similar plane of vibration: love, appreciation, feeling blessed, peace, gratitude, thankfulness.

When I was young, and then again as a teenager, my parents went through a nasty divorce. I think they were bent on teaching me that love can turn into hate. For a time, I went along with that idea because they were the role models, but as I thought about it, I came to the conclusion that love cannot turn into hate. And as a result of my decision about that and even though I went through a divorce myself, there was nothing but love and appreciation and gratitude and the whole thing went as smoothly as I knew it would.

Stress comes from fear. Hate comes from fear. Distrust comes from fear. And fear comes from the ego. They all feed on each other. These states are debilitating and destructive. It can go from bad to worse to terrible easy enough, and it is all too common in much the world.

Yet, here is an interesting thing--those other attributes like love, appreciation, gratitude, peace, and such also feed on each other. They are empowering and energizing. They go from good to great to spectacular.

And, here's the most interesting thing of all: We are fully in charge of the choices that we make and all those feelings are choices. How cool is that?


Thankfulness Puts One On The Path Of Least Resistance. 

Spread Some Joy Today--If you go shopping today, take some patience and joy along with you. You'll be amazed how valuable they can be. It's better than money.

Daily Inspiration 11-27-14

THANKSgiving Week Thoughts 

"Thanksgiving, after all, 

is a word of action." 

-- W. J. Cameron 

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you this day. I stand in gratitude of all that is and hope you find a similar stance in your day.


"Thanksgiving Was Never Meant To Be Shut Up In A Single Day." -- Robert Caspar Lintner 

Spread Some Joy Today--by just being yourself. You are joy!

Daily Inspiration 11-26-14

THANKSgiving Week Thoughts 

"When eating bamboo sprouts, 

remember the man who planted them." 

-- Chinese Proverb 

A lot of people celebrate Thanksgiving and don't know any of the history of it. So, in case you haven't seen it, or forgot about it, here it is from Wikipedia:

"Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has been celebrated as a Federal holiday every year since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens", to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November. Thanksgiving was also celebrated nationally in 1789, after a proclamation by George Washington. As a federal and public holiday in the U.S., Thanksgiving is one of the major holidays of the year. Together with Christmas and New Year, Thanksgiving is a part of the broader holiday season.

The event that Americans commonly call the "First Thanksgiving" was celebrated by the Pilgrims after their first harvest in the New World in 1621. This feast lasted three days, and it was attended by 90 Native Americans (as accounted by attendee Edward Winslow) and 53 Pilgrims. The New England colonists were accustomed to regularly celebrating "thanksgivings"-days of prayer thanking God for blessings such as military victory or the end of a drought."

Whatever Thanksgiving Day means to you is wonderful. Some just enjoy the feast and getting together with relatives and friends, watching some football, enjoying each others company and the day regardless of the weather. So I hope that you enjoy your day in whatever way you choose.

Several years ago, our Pastor at church told us of the history of Thanksgiving, particularly the Pilgrim's portion. He suggested that the congregation get some dried corn, seeds, popcorn, or you could use small stones, buttons, whatever. Then pass 5 to 7 of these out to each person on Thanksgiving. If it is a large crowd, the smaller number. Then, one by one, each pushes out one of their tokens and states aloud something or someone that they are thankful for and why.

Doing this just before the food is served, just takes a small portion of the day, but it changes the way we think about the day and brings us all to focus on thankfulness. After all, when we call a day a day of thanksgiving, giving thanks would be such an appropriate thing to do. Keep a box of tissues nearby. . .


"Feeling Gratitude And Not Expressing It Is Like Wrapping A Present And Not Giving It." -- William Arthur Ward 

Spread Some Joy Today--by giving thanks.