Daily Inspiration 4-30-14

"If you are losing your peace 

in your quest for peace, 

you are not on the road to peace. 

The road to peace is peace." 

 -- Alan Cohen 

When I saw this quote, I was amazed. Such simplicity, yet so profound. It makes perfect sense and though I have felt that I know this and have known it, it still felt like a new bit of wisdom. Consider removing the word peace and making it a blank underline that we can write something else in. How about these?

If you are losing well being in your quest for well being, you are not on the road to well being. The road to well being is well being.

If you are losing patience in your quest for patience, you are not on the road to patience. The road to patience is patience.

If you are losing love in your quest for love, you are not on the road to love. The road to love is love.

If you are losing compassion in your quest for compassion, you are not on the road to compassion. The road to compassion is compassion.

If you are losing _____________ in your quest for ______________, you are not on the road to ___________. The road to ____________ is ____________.


Matching Our Attitude With Our Desires Is Worthy Of Awareness And Alignment. 

Spread Some Joy Today--The road to joy is JOY!

Daily Inspiration 4-29-14

"Anything worth doing 

is worth doing poorly 

until you learn to do it well." 

 -- Zig Ziglar 

If it weren't for this appropriate quote, I would still be back in grade school. I have an extremely long list of things I was willing to try and willing to do poorly at until I could learn to do them better.

I've started businesses that I knew very little about. I've started new positions at jobs that I had no experience and little knowledge of. In fact, almost all of them were this way. Guess what? I got better. I succeeded. Or, I changed something to make it work. It's just the way it is.

Thank goodness.


"Life Is A Helluva Lot More Fun If You Say Yes Rather Than No." -- Richard Branson 

Spread Some Joy Today--Break the rules. Have a great time all day long today.

Daily Inspiration 4-28-14

"The most difficult work many professionals do

is getting someone else to agree with their point of view. 

The second most difficult work professionals do 

is developing a point of view in the first place." 

-- Seth Godin 

A brilliant quote from the marketing master, Seth Godin. Of course, getting others to buy in, believe in, or otherwise accept our point of view is a great goal. And the goal is only complete when they take some kind of action.

These might actually be reversed in need, although are correct in the way we want things to happen. And, it is true that we often may want things to happen without much going on from us. Who wouldn't want that?

I was talking with someone about commercial truck inventory today and how many keep ordering the same things over and over without any strategy whatsoever other than they stock x-number of units total. That would be like a grocery store only being concerned about the number of items and not having a strategy for the mix, quality, brands, selling habits, traditional sales patterns, and more. You know they do. I'm sure they have it down so that they don't miss things very often. Yet commercial truck dealers haven't got a strategy very often. How could they? They don't keep track, so where would they get the information for an improved strategy?

Of course, this applies to every kind of business or enterprise, for-profit and non-profit. Each needs to have a strategy in order to learn how to change, to grow, to improve. This will also require some kind of statistics. We need not drive ourselves crazy with them, but we should at least have some worthy information to help us make better and better decisions as we move forward.

Otherwise, we just keep doing the same things and getting the same results.


"In The End, It Is Important To Remember That We Cannot Become What We Need To Be, By Remaining What We Are." -- Max DePree

Spread Some Joy Today--by seeing how many things you can appreciate and enjoy today. There is so much going on and we just don't pay much attention a good part of the time. Pay attention today.

Daily Inspiration 4-27-14

"If you want to build a ship, 

 don't herd people together to collect wood 

 and don't assign them tasks and work 

but rather, teach them to long for 

the endless immensity of the sea." 

-- Antonine de Saint-Exupery 

While teaching philosophy and global objectives is worthy, it only affects a certain percentage of people the way it is intended.

I attended a training session today for some "disadvantaged youth." I'm not sure I agree they are disadvantaged, but there were a number of professional people on the panel each giving a bit of history of their career lives and much more in hopes of widening their knowledge and encouraging the sharpening of their goals. All are in high school and about ready to move into the working world.

There was a lot of philosophy from personal stories presented and it was enlightening to me to hear all of them and appreciate their positions and see a bit of their path to whom they have become today. It will be interesting to see if any of the young people were convinced of anything, yet it created in me an appreciation of what many others have gone through, where they started and how they have overcome the odds.

Here was the closing end of my remarks. See if any of it resonates with you thinking about young adults: 

Throughout my life, I encountered resistance, some from others, but much of it from myself. I used to call them problems. Sometimes it was called drama. As I grew, I began to call them challenges. And, now, I call it contrast. Still, the one thing that stands out is the fact that all of them were helpful though I may not have had eyes to see that immediately. The contrast has caused within me a desire for something else, something more, and I made new choices, or course corrections which has led me quite perfectly to where I am today. 

Here's some of the best advice I can give from my own experience:

1. Be willing to try and fail. Take chances. Change the word work to play.
2. Never fear losing your job. Have confidence in your ability and abilities. Change is a given. Be the best you can be.
3. Always be looking ahead, while enjoying the present fully. Discovery is meaningful and valuable.
4. Invest and reinvest in yourself throughout your life. Become more every day.
5. Be a life-long learner. Educate yourself. Leaders are readers!
6. Do what you love, and love what you do. Follow your heart and passion. Be your own counsel.
7. Develop and expand constantly an attitude of gratitude and appreciation.
8. Learn to express yourself and your value. You are worthy and important.
9. Give willingly and openly. Become a generous person.
10. Enjoy yourself. Seek joy. Decide on purpose every single day.

Remember, the American Dream is not about money, things and position. It is, and always was, about freedom--freedom of choice, freedom to move, freedom of speech, freedom to grow. And, it has nothing to do with where you start because everyone starts somewhere. There is no way. There is your way, my way, and their way. Everyone has a way. You and you alone are in charge of your choices, decisions, and actions. You are worthy. You are loved, and you matter.


Words Don't Teach, Yet We Often Hope They Will.

Spread Some Joy Today--by appreciating whomever you are around today.

Daily Inspiration 4-26-14

"Be at peace

with all your choices. 

They all serve you." 

-- Alan Cohen 

I love this quote because I have found it to be so true. A good part of my life I was so concerned about making the "right" choice and not making the "wrong" choice. The truth for me now is that it is simply a choice. Every choice will have results of some kind and every result will have an effect. Labeling them right or wrong or otherwise doesn't help at all. In fact, doing that is counterproductive.

About 25 years ago, I wrote a piece called Choices. It was about 150 pages of choices I had made in my life and the results of each choice. Along with that was a lot of detail about how I felt about each choice and each result. It was fascinating to write it in order to understand this idea of choices and results. Back then, I was still labeling and lamenting certain choices. Today, I find that to be not only a waste of valuable time but taking me off the path.


My Choices Are Perfect For Me Now.

Spread Some Joy Today--Choose joy today. Start by releasing any interest in worry.

Daily Inspiration 4-25-14

"Your people are a direct reflection of you. 

They watch you. They follow you. 

 They measure you. They listen to you. 

If you want them to be dedicated to you, 

you have to be dedicated to them." 

 -- Jeffrey Gitomer 

This is just one tidbit from a wealth of insight by Jeffrey Gitomer in his wonderful book, Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Book of Leadership - The 12.5 Strengths of responsible, reliable, remarkable leaders that create results, rewards, and resilience. It is a perfect book that is easy to read, easy to review, and easy to share. Here are a few more tidbits you might enjoy:

"Manage yourself. . . Lead Others." There is a definite difference between a manager and a leader and it is also true that a leader can be a manager, but mentally it is best to choose one. I choose leader.

"It's not morale; it's attitude. Many leaders look at it backward. They say, "We have a morale problem." Morale is not a problem. Morale is a symptom."

"Are you a leader or a coach? YES!"

"To be a great leader of people--inspire them to follow you, not your rules."

I have had management positions most of my life, but my goal has always been to be a good leader. I feel that I have done that for the most part, and yet I am always learning more.


"Not All Readers Are Leaders, But All Leaders Are Readers." -- Harry S Truman

Spread Some Joy Today--by knowing how to create joy in yourself, do it on purpose, and do it as often as possible.

Daily Inspiration 4-24-14

"Complacency is 

a disease of familiarity, 

which is compounded 

by boredom." 

 -- Albert K Strong 

Wallace D Wattles had some perfect advice when he said that, "you can advance only by more than filling your present place." I don't know if you have ever read his book written in 1911 titled, The Science of Getting Rich, or not, and if you have not, I highly recommend it because it is a wealth of excellent ideas. You can advance only by more than filling your present place is just one, yet it is such a powerful statement.

If you're a person who is managing people, you must have seen the likes of the quote I began with about complacency. And, I'm sure it must also make sense how the rest of that quote speaks the truth. When you tie that together with the Wallace D Wattles quote about more than filling your place, it is easy to see how people get into positions and then settle into a routine, or a rut, depending on the point of view.

As a manager, you can't really motivate anyone. They have to motivate themselves. But, a manager has a huge amount of influence when it comes to familiarity and boredom. And, a manager can inject enthusiasm into an organization, along with a new, or renewed sense of purpose. Of course, this would require that the manager motivate him or herself to their original task of more than filling their present place.

It is often easier to think of replacing those complacent ones, especially if they are longer in the tooth. I recall the first auto dealer I worked for who was a wise man. He had this phrase, "the new broom sweeps the cleanest." He was Irish to the core, and it wasn't until over 35 years later that I found where that idea came from. It is an old Irish saying that says, "A new broom sweeps clean, but the old broom knows the corners." 

As people near or pass typical retirement age, as managers, we need to think about how the organization will continue into the future and continue to grow. It is probably good at this point to begin bringing in new people without necessarily replacing the old. It is true that if the older ones are complacent and nothing is done about it, they will negatively affect the newer ones. I've seen that happen. However, it need not be that way. If you consider the full Irish saying quote and have the brooms work together, that floor could be spotless.

Yet underlying all of this is something else that Wallace D Wattles said so well. It is this:


"The Very Best Thing You Can Do For The Whole World (including your organization and yourself!) Is To Make The Most Of Yourself." [Parenthesis mine] 

Spread Some Joy Today--"To become enthusiastic, act enthusiastically." -- Frank Bettger

Daily Inspiration 4-23-14

"I can't imagine anything worse 

than being required to have fun." 

-- Scott Westerfeld 

Yes. Just imagine being required to have fun. What a heavy load to bear. Can you imagine going to work and being required to have fun? It's ridiculous, don't you think?

NOT.

I tell you this. I am having so much more fun now in what I do than I've ever experienced before. It's been building and building and I have no idea when it will taper off. In fact, I don't really expect that any time soon.

I even do silly things, just to experience it. I make my office into a vacation resort area. Whatever. It's all just a whole bunch of fun. I have fun driving to visit clients, going for a leisurely walk. It really doesn't matter what I'm doing anymore. I find a way to thoroughly enjoy myself.

One of history's richest men, Andrew Carnegie said this: "There is little success where there is little laughter." I have to agree.


Life Is Short. Have Some Fun. You Get To Choose. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by raising someone's spirits. There's nothing so wonderful.

Daily Inspiration 4-22-14

"What is powerful 

is when what you say 

is just the tip of the iceberg 

of what you know." 

-- Jim Rohn 

In preparation for a training consulting job and another of speaking to some teenagers who are just beginning to consider careers and jobs, I've had a lot of things that I've learned running through my brain. As a sales manager in one form or another since 1975 and my observation of people in sales positions wherever I've traveled, that gets mixed into all that I know on the subject of influence and sales.

Of all that I have learned and taught for so long, I can bring down to one short sentence my entire philosophy of doing well in sales, management, or any other endeavor. Here it is:

Be the best you can be.

I didn't say THE best. I said the best YOU can be. Not the best anyone could be, but only and exclusively the best that you can be. Whatever that is.

I deal with and have dealt with a lot with auto & truck salespeople. One thing that I noticed that is common with far too many is their lack of sincere interest in wanting to be the best they could be. They just want to get through it without too much effort from them. Many of them didn't survive long with that philosophy.

When it comes to learning a job or career, the very first thing on my list of expectations and instruction is to know what you're selling. And, I mean know it so well that you seem like an expert on the product or service. This is the foundation of doing well. I see 20+ year veterans who can't give a walkaround presentation on a vehicle. That amazes me. But, there was an old phrase I learned long ago that says, "he had 20 years of experience--one year, repeated twenty times."

Jim Rohn said on a set of tapes once that you don't need to talk about but 5 or 6 things to sell a car. And, he's right. The more you talk about in numbers of things, the more the prospect can be confused. However, you have to know which 5 or 6 things to talk about from the 250 things you know. If you don't know the 250 things, you are very limited in your influence.

I recommend to every person doing any job, and especially in sales, to know your product and service as an expert in it. When you know all that about your product and service, what you say will be the tip of the iceberg of what you know, and just as with an iceberg, you can only see about 10% of what it really is in size, people will get that feeling from you, and have confidence in you, sensing the depth of your knowledge.

"Lack Of Homework Shows Up In The Marketplace As Well As In The Classroom." -- Jim Rohn

Spread Some Joy Today--"Sometimes I just think funny thoughts!" -- from the movie, Arthur. It is a great philosophy.

Daily Inspiration 4-21-14

Mrs. Travers to Ralph, the Chauffeur: 

"Nobody walks. . ." 

Ralph to Mrs. Travers: 

"A leisurely stroll is a gift." 

-- From the movie, Saving Mr. Banks 

Ain't it the truth! It is very much a gift--a gift to ourselves. There is little that would be as pleasant as a leisurely stroll. Don't you agree?

I loved this movie, just watching it for the first time this weekend on DVD. Such an interesting and challenging history to the making of one film.

Out of the entire movie, this quote above washed over me like a wave. I think it is interesting how that works.


Have An Awesome Day Today! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by doing something that brings you joy!

Daily Inspiration 4-20-14

"How wonderful 

that no one need wait 

a single moment 

to improve the world." 

-- Anne Frank 

Today is Easter, and for Christians, it is the single largest church day and celebration of Jesus. He made a difference then and thousands of years later is still making a difference to millions.

There is a very, very long list of celebrity--people who became well known, even if for only a short time, who made a difference, and books written by them or about them continue their legacy now and beyond. There are current celebrities as well doing the same.

Then there's you and me and so many of our friends and acquaintances who are not famous or celebrities except to a very tight group. And yet, each and every one is worthy of similar celebration with the likes of Jesus, and the thousands of celebrities and famous people that have gone before and live now.

Each and every one of us makes a difference. Just by being alive, we make a difference. The effect of that difference might be beneficial, or at least we hope this, but it can also be otherwise. Of course, we are the only ones who choose this as it is never forced upon us.

Celebrate the difference you make in others lives today. If you're going to church, don't forget to lift yourself up as worthy too. Feel the love that you release from yourself to so many others in the workplace, or the family at home. Consider the ways in what you do helps others, whether it is in your chosen career, or as simple as a smile of interaction with anyone in your path.

This is not an ego trip. It is not being selfish the way most would apply that term. It is acknowledging the love you give in so many ways though kindness, accomplishment, building things, growing things, fixing things, soothing things and people, and a thousand other ways we affect one another.

Today, I celebrate you! You are worthy! You make a tremendous difference.


Celebrate How Your Own Value To Improves The World. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Share your value.

Daily Inspiration 4-19-14

"Prosperity is 

very simply, 

and most pleasantly, 

a state of mind." 

-- Albert K Strong 

Yesterday I realized just how much of an attitude prosperity is. It was one of those a-ha moments that Oprah talks about. I looked up the definition of prosperity, which said it was the state of being prosperous, and the definition of that said that it was a derivative of the Latin word prosperus, which means doing well. And, just as happiness is purely a choice and a state of mind, prosperity is exactly the same.

Though most often, people think of being prosperous as being well off financially. After all, money is just an idea. As well, to one person rich would be to another poor, and the relativity of that alone speaks to attitude, perspective or point of view, and choice of individual meaning.

So, if you want to be more prosperous, the first thing to do is decide to feel that way. What makes you feel that way? Feeling good is a great start. The best way to feel good, is to become grateful, thankful, and to appreciate that which is outside of you and at the same time, and perhaps more importantly, that which is inside you. As you feel more prosperous, you are.


It All Comes Down To How I Want And Choose To Feel. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by choosing to feel joyous!

Daily Inspiration 4-18-14

"We are kept from our goal 

not by obstacles 

but by a clear path 

to a lesser goal." 

 -- Robert Brault 

I love this quote. We make a decision. It's a firm decision. I'm going to do this, I am going to do that, I will stop doing this and so on. Intentions are wonderful, and strong intentions seem logically more powerful than lesser intentions. So it seems, but stronger intentions, more important goals don't operate in a vacuum. Decisions, firm or otherwise do not create completion on their own. Although, it may be that we sincerely hope this is true, time proves otherwise often enough.

Aristotle said it this way: "All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire." I have no idea how he rated the power of these seven attributes or opportunities, but I would choose desire at the head of the table, with passion and habit as their powerful partners.

As Robert Brault so clearly points out that it isn't so much the obstacles, adversity, disappointment, or any such blockage that takes us off the hunt, but an easy, pleasant, and convenient side trip. What makes me laugh at this a bit is that we end up getting somewhere, though we may have missed our intended target.

What is true for me is that if (and it is a big "if". . .) my desire is strong enough, I will absolutely find a way. A decision doesn't do that. I make all kinds of decisions that I don't follow through on. I've already admitted to being an artist at procrastination. If I don't follow through, I know it is my desire. It is weak and more related to something I feel I should do for a variety of reasons (one of the seven!).

I am beginning to realize this difference and stop beating myself up about making decisions and then not meeting the goal. I need to focus on my desire, and with my strong enough desire and my partners, passion, and habit, I cannot fail. Without sufficient desire, it is another story to tell.


Cranking Up The Desire! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by enjoying yourself. Life is short. Have a great time.

Daily Inspiration 4-17-14

"It is an interesting question 

how far men would retain their relative rank 

if they were divested of their clothes." 

-- Henry David Thoreau 

Our relative position in life is so often based on a comparison of others and/or what others may have, be, or appear. This is virtually always the ego wanting desperately to be in charge, and most often, this approach is not self-serving.

The quote above may help put our place in better perspective. Yet, here is something better:

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." -- William James

Yet one better. . . by changing this last quote ever so slightly, yet it becomes so much more:

Act as if who you are makes a difference. It does.

Perspective is about learning I think, and R Buckminster Fuller said that so well when he said, "you can never learn less, you can only learn more."

The healthiest perspective is to accept ourselves as fully worthy and not in need of anyone else to verify us. By virtue of the fact that we are here, we are worthy. If someone wanted to bring God into this, it would remain that by virtue of the fact that we are here, we are worthy.


Allow Yourself To Love Yourself. You Are Enough.

Spread Some Joy Today--by realizing and celebrating that as a goal of life, that to experience, enjoy, and spread joy is as worthy a goal as I can imagine. Everything else is superfluous.

Daily Inspiration 4-16-14

"Peace of mind comes from 

not wanting to change others." 

 -- Gerald G Jampolsky, 

from his book, Love Is Letting Go of Fear 

Following up with yesterday's post with the video of Oprah and her guest on a show, Gerald Jampolsky, I looked at some of his quotes. The one above jumped off the page at me.

As with yesterday's quote, this one resonates so well with me too. However, I would like to change one word in it so that it resonates even more. Here is the change:

Peace of mind comes from not wanting to change anything. That would include things, circumstances, events, and of course, others, and it would also very blatantly, include ourselves.

Yesterday was about forgiveness, but forgiveness in all its potential glory is a pale shadow to peace of mind. Forgiveness certainly moves us in the direction of peace of mind, and that might help us to see that we not only need to forgive ourselves but to release our desire to change anything. Or, as Eckhart Tolle might say it, to release the past and future and live only in the present.

It's funny, but until tonight, reading this quote by Gerald, it never made more sense that peace of mind would be not having a desire to change anything at all. All that has been was, all that will be will, but all there is that we can have any effect on would only be in this moment.


It's Not Even About Having No Regrets. It Is Much More Of A Release Than That. It's More Like Allowing Fully. 

Spread Some Joy Today--I just did. I hope you feel it!

Daily Inspiration 4-15-14

"Forgiveness is 

giving up the hope

that the past 

could be any different." 

-- Oprah Winfrey 

I saw a YouTube video today put on one of our clients' blogs by our head blogger, and I had to share it here. It is powerfully true.

Part of the video is from 1990 when the author of Love Is Letting Go Of Fear, Gerald Jampolsky, was explaining to Oprah's audience what he thought forgiveness was. In the quote above, Oprah distilled his explanation into a perfect package, and she talks about how it totally changed her life. Here was his response in the video regarding his definition of forgiveness:

"It really means letting go of the past. It really means letting go of our perception that we need to hold a grievance the rest of our lives. If we really want to hold onto grievances, we'll never really be happy. It's really a willingness to see the person in the light of love rather than in the action that happened. So it's really changing perception, and it really means letting go of the past we thought we wanted, and we can't really change that past, so it means really releasing the negative perception of it and coming back to the present."

On the video posted on YouTube, it states, "After 25 years and more than 30,000 guests, it was one man's definition of forgiveness that changed Oprah's life. Watch Oprah's Aha! moment and listen to her reflect on what it truly means to forgive." Enjoy.

Letting Go Is The Road To Peace. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Do something nice and unexpected for someone today.

Daily Inspiration 4-14-14

"The greatest step 

towards a life of simplicity 

is to learn to let go." 

-- Steve Maraboli 

It seems clear to me now that I have spent most of my life complicating it. Now I am on a path of simplifying it. And, it is very clear to me that Steve Maraboli says it very accurately and quite succinctly in the quote above. I am learning to let go.


It Isn't Just Things. There Is Much To Let Go Of. 

Spread Some Joy Today--When you talk about someone in your head--your self-talk, say only uplifting and joyous things. Better yet, tell them aloud!

Daily Inspiration 4-13-14

"Inside my empty bottle 

I was constructing a lighthouse 

while all the others 

were making ships." 

-- Charles Simic 

A lighthouse in a bottle. Interesting. It is amazing the variety of thoughts, ideas, and accomplishments all around us. While we're sowing, some are reaping, while others are irrigating, and the world is eating. Some are venturing out to sea, while others help guide them safely to shore, as others are in the supply chain helping make the voyages possible. Some are building trucks, sell them, while many drive them, work on them, build bodies for them, and in the grand scheme of things, who does not benefit from them?

There are so many perspectives. Try this one: "Won't you come into my garden? I would like my roses to see you." -- Richard Brinsley Sheridan.


We All Play Some Valuable Part In The Whole. 

Spread Some Joy Today--There's only really one way to do this: By being joyous.

Daily Inspiration 4-12-14

"Nature does not hurry, 

yet everything is accomplished." 

-- Lao Tzu 

I've been traveling all week here and there talking with clients and one thing has stood out very clearly in my travels. That is that there are a lot of impatient people on the road. It seems that regardless of how much over the speed limit I might be driving, there is someone on my tail, so I pull over in plenty of time to allow them the space they seek.

Does it really matter who gets there first? Or second? Or last? Often the differences are marked in seconds. 

I like how Soren Kierkegaard put this in perspective: "Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it." I sure saw a lot of that this week.

I'm out of practice, but it was interesting to watch.


What's The Real Hurry? Enjoy The Travel And The Time With Your Thoughts. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Let everyone do as they will in whatever way they choose, while you may choose your own peace and joy.

Daily Inspiration 4-11-14

"To accuse others 

 for one's own misfortunes

is a sign of want of education. 

To accuse oneself

shows that one's education has begun. 

To accuse neither oneself nor others 

shows that one's education is complete." 

-- Epictetus, 55-135 AD 

It seems logical and appropriate to see external circumstances, happenstance, and unwelcome personal influence as a cause for our own condition. Somehow we think that it helps us to understand the world around and within us, and we may think that it will cause us to feel better about our place and person.

Instead, as is my own experience, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, a habitual ritual of denial and blame, and does nothing to help us understand or feel better.

The attempted solution has been used in reverse. If, on the other hand, we tune into the emotion as a guidance tool, and at the same time, have a desire to feel good, we can then find small ways to feel better, and better yet as a method of change and improvement.

This solution will naturally cause us to look at everything around us and within us differently.


I Have Only One Real Goal: Joy. In This Endeavor, I Am In Total Control. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by helping someone else along their way.

Daily Inspiration 4-10-14

"It's never too late 

to be what you might have been." 

 -- George Eliot 

Mahatma Gandhi said it so well when he said to make a decision, and take action, and "be the change that you wish to see in the world."

When I was a kid we used to say, "wishes are for fishes." I'm not clear where that came from, but I think I get the point that being busy isn't enough of an excuse. The real problem isn't the doing of the deed, but the desire to do the deed.

When people have a desire to achieve something, they just seem to find a way to make it happen. Everyone else either doesn't give it any attention, or they make a bunch of excuses that they think will sound good and important to someone else.

There are two decent options left. One is to realize that "it is never too late to be what you might have been," and get off the excuse-0-round by making a decision and making some moves. And, two, develop the desire to change by creating reasons and benefits that surround the change, helping it to become more of a priority.

Oops. There is one more. Forget all about it, refuse to participate or discuss it any further.


"Do, Or Do Not. There Is No Try." -- Yoda 

Spread Some Joy Today--Let go of the excuses, the overwhelm, and the guilt. Just say no. Or. . . just say yes! Whichever holds joy is the perfect decision!

Daily Inspiration 4-9-14

"It will never rain roses: 

when we want to have more roses, 

we must plant more roses." 

 -- George Eliot 

It would be a real challenge to say it any better than this. Roses, love, joy, compassion, or any of those other kinds of not so good feelings. Sowing and reaping. Great stuff.


What Is On The Planting Schedule Today? 

Spread Some Joy Today--Plant some, reap some, spread it around.

Daily Inspiration 4-8-14

"Once you make a decision, 

the universe conspires 

to make it happen." 

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

I have come to understand this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and believe it as well; however, I will need to add something to the quote for practical purposes. The philosophy is good, yet allowing the universe to complete the task is a challenge with so many of us.

The key is, after the decision, to stay with the decision, and allow it to unfold without mucking it up with input from all that is around us, people who challenge the incorrectness, or impossibility of our decision and so on. 

There are few things as powerful as a decision. It is freeing. It puts thoughts in motion. It attracts the most powerful forces known. If known, it can also attract critics.

It is best to stay with the decision and learn to think of it often, and most importantly, to ENJOY the unfolding of it like a child opening that box with the pretty ribbons under the Christmas tree.


There Is None As Wise As Your Own Counsel. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by sharing yourself with others today. You are highly valued.

Daily Inspiration 4-7-14

"Authentic human interactions 

become impossible 

when you lose yourself 

in a role." 

 -- Eckhart Tolle 

I had an interesting night tonight. I haven't been attending fundraisers, mixers, and the like for a long time, and tonight I broke out and went to one. I knew only a couple of people in the whole group, but I got to meet some of those I've never before had the pleasure of meeting.

What was also interesting is reconnecting and expanding the connection with the two people I knew the most. With the man part of that duo, it was the first time I think we have really connected at all. Prior to this it seemed very superficial and I never really got to know much about him as a result. This time, we chatted it up and had some fun sharing things. We're both musicians, although, I've not played since 2006 and he plays all the time, yet we still had much to talk about and agree on.

I recall another person whom I knew superficially, and we met at a yogurt shop of one of my clients and that has led to an ongoing deep friendship.

One never knows for sure where the next really good friend will come from. Maybe it will be someone totally new, and maybe someone you knew of for years, but never really knew at all.


Be Wide Open To The Possibilities! It Could Be A Life-Changer! 

Spread Some Joy Today--Send some joy. Over-tip. The brightness that you bring with a little extra money is incredible.

Daily Inspiration 4-6-14

"Have patience with all things, 

But, first of all with yourself." 

-- Saint Francis de Sales 

I was thinking about patience and how I've made such wonderful progress learning to have and practice patience with other people and events, and I often forget to do the same with myself.

As I thought briefly about that, I have made some progress, and I want to have more. On March 3, 2014, I added what I think is a great definition of patience. Here it is again: "Patience isn't tolerating, putting up with. It is allowing things, or situations, or people, to be as they are, without any insistence that they be anything else." This applies as much to me as it would to anything or anyone else.

Here are some questions. Do you accept yourself the way you are? Where you are in your life? What you have in your life? Where you're heading? Or, do you quietly pick at yourself for things that you "should" change, do, do over, do better? Ever make a so-called bad decision that continues to have effects on your today's and tomorrows? Ever eat that glorious fattening stuff and then beat yourself up for enjoying it? Choosing it? Failing to make a better, more healthy choice?

I think patience begins with accepting what is. I love how Eckhart Tolle puts it in perspective when he said, "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."


Take A Deep Breath. Say Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. . . 

Spread Some Joy Today--"In today's rush we all think too much, seek too much, want too much and forget about the joy of just Being." -- Eckhart Tolle

Daily Inspiration 4-5-14

"Heaven on Earth 

is a choice you must make, 

not a place you must find." 

"You'll see it when you believe it." 

-- Wayne Dyer 

I had such an awesome day today. Today was Friday, and I went to the bank this afternoon and the branch manager noticed my smile and cheer and said, "you look like a person who enjoys a lot of days." And I said, "every single one of them!" So, he said, "well, you look like it."

Today, my partner closed two new accounts, and I got to tag along on one and it was so much fun. We were initially concerned about this account, because we like to perform and we weren't sure that we were on the same page, and that they understood what we do. All that went away today. We were all excited about this new partnership in promoting a great non-profit entity that I have been fond of for a huge part of my life. Now it will be totally FUN!

Tonight, I went to hear a friend's group, called Whiskey & Honey to help celebrate their new CD, buy a few, and have a spectacular dinner as they played at Fuso's Italian Restaurant, who is a valued client. The dish was so good, that I was enjoying with with sound coming from me, and it's a good thing there was music. I had such a great time all by myself and even dressed up a bit just for the heck of it. I was especially touched with joy when my friend played a James Taylor song that he knows I have a special fondness for called, Sweet Baby James. And, it sounded wonderful. Thank you, Phil. That was the topping on one awesome day!


I was thinking today of enough. I will paraphrase something from Wayne Dyer, who said essentially, that life changes dramatically when you feel that you are enough; that you have enough. I feel like I am enough, and that I have enough. In fact, I feel like I have plenty. I feel rich today. Someone else might judge that differently looking at the numbers, but today, I feel rich. I feel as if I have more than enough and enough to share. So, I did a bit of sharing today as well.

I have come to believe that Heaven is not a place so much as a state of mind, or an attitude. And, I love the sign on my office wall from Abraham and Esther Hicks that spells out how to develop that state of mind, or attitude. It is this:

"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." Isn't that beautiful and powerful at the same time. We truly do get to choose what we are wanting to see, how we are wanting to feel, who we are wanting to be.


Today, I Celebrate Enough. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Can you drop any preconceived notions, and just love everyone you see today? It doesn't matter if you know them. It does matter if you love them.

Daily Inspiration 4-4-14

"Be good to your work, 

your word, 

and your friend." 

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Yesterday, I spoke about a client and friend who called me for advice. There were actually two distinct things that were important in this call, and yesterday I spoke of one of them. Today, I will speak of the other.
He sent me a small project to do and when I found out it was outside my skill box, I said so, but I said that I would try to figure it out. The truth is that I didn't want to do it because I don't know how and it seemed like a learning curve I had no current desire to go through. I failed to say anything about that.

Several weeks passed and on this phone call, he asked how I was doing on the project. I said that I didn't want to learn how to do it and I didn't know how and basically was trying to make excuses. I could hear the disappointment in his voice and I felt poorly for the delay and then my inept response. But, he said he understood, and that was that.

On the drive home from where I was, I'm thinking that he called me on my stuff and I was definitely exposed. So, I felt a leak in my integrity. A major leak. So, I wanted to remedy that and as soon as I got back to my office, I began to learn how to do it.

It's amazing when you decide you're going to do it even when you don't know how. What before seemed like a mountain, now seemed quite possible and in a short time, I figured it out, completed the project and notified my friend and client.

Sometimes we all get a bit off our integrity walk probably. I know I did. But, I am also very grateful that he called me on it ever so politely. He could have said, "you told me you were going to do your best to figure it out, and is this all you've got?" He would have been right, of course, but fortunately, he has more tact. And, even though we may trip off the trail, we only have to get back on the trail and follow through.


It's Amazing What We Can Do When The Priority Is Moved To The Top Of The List For Whatever Reason May Be The Motivation. 

Spread Some Joy Today--How's your generous spirit? Feeling generous? Share that joy!

Daily Inspiration 4-3-14

"Quit trying to make 

what's not it, "it," 

and "it" will 

 reveal itself plainly." 

 -- Alan Cohen 

A client and friend called me today and was out of sorts, off-kilter, overwhelmed with things, and wondering what to do about some things. He wanted some advice. And, although I love such an opportunity, I'm not sure people really, really want to hear what I might say.

I listened. It's best to try to understand what is going on. It was obvious that he was not feeling very good today and seemed to me to be out of alignment. Chiropractors talk that way too. Alignment is everything in Chiropractic. And, it is everything in the rest of our lives too, except we just don't think of it that way usually.

Some might say that under these conditions, we should forge ahead and just work through it and it will all be okay in the morning. But, I didn't say that. My advice was to chill and find some things to be thankful for and to focus on those things exclusively for a while. In other words, get your mind off the problem and get to work (or play) on the alignment. Alignment is always our job.

So, how does one get back into alignment? First of all, though almost no one ever wants to hear it, our thoughts about the problems or the situation is the culprit, not the problems or situations. If you were to take the thinking away, everything would be neutral. There would be no overwhelment, no disappointment, no concerns at all because those are all thoughts and interpretations of data.

Make no mistake. The thoughts are the problem, so the only thing to do to get on the track of alignment is to choose better feeling thoughts. Too simple? Not. It's really the way back. Finding things to be thankful for is a purposeful way to get on the alignment trail. It's like the Chiropractor making an adjustment, then another, and another, and in time, it is all back in alignment. A better feeling thought, then another, and another, and pretty soon you're feeling good again.

What is necessary here is the desire to feel good and knowing that we all have the ultimate power of our own alignment, and also, our own misalignment. We know where we are by how we feel, then we can choose to want to feel good, and begin the process of adjustment.

It's the only thing that really works and I now know to practice it all the time. Here's how Abraham said it with Esther Hicks in 2003: "Since nothing matters to you other than your personal alignment with your individual goals or desires, then that is where our work is. . . your life can be as wonderful or as horrible as you allow it to be. It all depends upon the thoughts that you practice. And therein lies the basis of anyone's success: How much do I practice thoughts that bring me joy, and how much do I practice thoughts that bring me pain?"


Emotion Is A Response To Your Alignment. Paying Attention Puts Us In Charge And Control. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Feeling good is extremely important. Spreading that joy is a natural response.

Daily Inspiration 4-2-14

"Common sense ain't common." 

-- Will Rogers

My partner told me a funny thing today that reminded me of how many times we just respond to things without even giving the response any thought at all. He was talking with a guy and was suggesting some things to do to help him with his business, and the guy said, "Yeah, that sounds good. We should do that. Give me a call and we'll set an appointment." So, my partner is thinking to himself, "maybe I should hang up and call him right back? I'm on the phone with him now, what kind of response is this?" So, tactfully, he made an appointment.

People often ask you how you're doing and so often we might say, "Oh, fine." As a salesman I used to have fun asking a stupid question (stupid for any salesperson to ask, that is) such as, "Can I help you?" Of course, the common answer is, "no thanks, just looking."

The best strategy is to avoid questions where you know people typically will answer thoughtlessly. Or not. Sometimes it's fun to ask stupid questions.


Or, If You're On The Receiving End, Throw A Change-up! You Might Even Wake Them Up! 

Spread Some Joy Today--Have some fun today. Silliness is underrated.

Daily Inspiration 4-1-14

"When it comes to life 

the critical thing is whether 

you take things for granted 

or take them with gratitude." 

-- Gilbert K Chesterton 

I am taking a pause today to thank all the people who read these Daily Inspirations whether by subscription, the blogs, social media or referred or forwarded by a friend. I appreciate your reading and the comments I receive from time to time.

I find myself amazed that this has gone on as long as it has (over 1,646 posts) and amazed further that I still have the passion and purpose to continue to do this every single day since mid-2009. I also have to admit to selfish motives to become a better writer, and to teach things that I most want to know for myself, while hoping to uplift anyone who might enjoy that feeling or might be attracting these messages.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to look at these efforts. I love you all, whomever you are.


I Am Blessed And Grateful. Thank You. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Pay it forward.