Daily Inspiration 4-30-15

"There is only a 

Source of Well-being-- 

which you are allowing 

or not." 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

Here's the whole quote from Abraham, Esther Hicks:

"You have your hand on the switch. You are the allower or the resister. And your emotions tell you which you're doing right now. It's easy once you understand the formula: When you feel good, you're allowing good. When you don't feel good, you are not allowing good. We didn't say, when you feel good you are allowing good, and when you feel bad you are allowing bad (although it may translate into your experience in that way). There is only a Source of Well-being--which you are allowing or not."

It's one thing to accept and understand the philosophy behind a teaching, and quite another to actually put it into practice; however, putting it into practice is what we all really want and the reason we even are open to learning. I believe that we have been doing so many things on auto-pilot seeing and experiencing and reacting to what comes after it has come into our lives, and what we really want is to understand a formula that helps us do things on purpose to achieve what we really want. So, practicing is the key to fully accepting our role as a deliberate creator.

I was in the office of a friend and client a few days ago and he shared something that he said he learned from these Daily Inspirations. He had received a phone call about doing some work and it was explained on the phone the cost and what was involved, and they wanted a written quote. So, that is more work, but he did it. Then the requesting party stated that they were surprised how high his cost was even though they had discussed it fully on the phone with no objection at that time.

My friend's initial reaction was one of anger for doing the work of the quote and then being treated with this disdain (Of course, he was also feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the other work he's been doing). So, he wrote a lengthy nasty note back to the prospect, then he paused, remembered the "pivoting" process from the Daily Inspiration. He turned and erased what he had just written, opened up to a new point of view, offered the prospect a coupon, thanking them for the opportunity, and they both felt so much better. My friend was excited to have remembered and put that pivoting lesson into practice because he could imagine what might have happened had he sent the email, and now by pivoting, it caused him to feel good instead of not good, and as a side benefit, the prospect felt good too.

You can tell by how you are feeling what the outcome is going to be with any activity or even any thought. By paying attention and noticing the negative emotion going on, the opportunity is then to realize that you would rather feel good, and then pivoting and choosing better feeling thoughts creates more pleasing actions, and the ultimate benefit is more pleasing results. And, it was all about wanting to feel good.


It's Amazing What Comes From A Simple Desire And A Choice To Feel Good. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by making it your choice to see that which you want to see and to want to feel good all day long. Think of the joy you will spread with that.

Daily Inspiration 4-29-15

"I don't need a vacation. 

I'm always on vacation now." 

-- Terry Minion 

Most of the time now, when I actually get dressed, I wear a Tommy Bahama shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes. That's my uniform now. If I dress up, I will put on some slacks and wear a different flavor Tommy Bahama shirt, or I might try to be business-like and wear a logo shirt of my company of which I own many.

At the bank today, as I walked in, the girl teller said, "you look like you're on vacation!" I said, "I am." I said, "You know it is a really cool thing to just decide to be on vacation in my mind anytime I choose. I don't have to go anywhere." Tommy Bahama shirts aren't cheap but compared to going on vacation to the islands, it's a stupid bargain.

And I heard another person say that about how I was appearing to them. But, you know, as I thought about that a bit more, it seemed a bit profound to just go on vacation in your head regardless of where you are or what you're doing. Dressing the part is cool, but, the dress isn't required. Nor are the Mai-Tai's with the little umbrellas in them. In fact, there aren't any physical things required. It's simply a mindset and a decision to focus on feeling that way.

Think about how you feel when you're on vacation in the first few days. You're probably relaxing, letting go of the cares and concerns about work, or about the home front, or any of the other cares we drag around with us. You're focused on enjoying yourself (at least I sure hope you are!) and you're choosing to think good thoughts because you are surrounded by interesting things and maybe even some new experiences.

You can do that in your mind, and enjoy it equally.

Pretend you're on Maui, Hawaii on a beautiful beach north of Lahaina where the water is lapping gently on the almost white sand shore. You're sitting in a low beach chair. The waiter just brought you your favorite drink with the pineapple chunk and obligatory umbrella. It's a plastic glass. After all, we're on the beach, no glass allowed. There's a big umbrella over you giving you some shade, and some sun, and a little table you put your drink down on. You have your best swimsuit on and you're in perfect shape. Your sunglasses help you be mysterious and sexy and cool. You put your hands down on the warm sand. You grab a handful of sand in each hand. If feels so good as you squeeze it and it filters out between your fingers. There is the faint but sure sound of a band playing in the near distance and you just happen to love the steel drum music along with the Hawaiian guitar sounds, and the faint rhythm of the drums. (I'm listening to Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar music as I write this) You are smelling the light sea breeze and thinking of what delectable joy awaits you for that special dinner you and your companion are going to delight in later, let alone what else may be in store. You're thinking how rejuvenated you are feeling already. You wish it could last forever, with no cares about anything. Not money. Not work. Not family drama. Not anything. You're on vacation right now. All of that other stuff will just have to wait. It simply isn't important right now.


Well. . . There You Go! You're On Vacation! You Can Multi-task, Right? Do it. Be On Vacation, And Do What You Normally Do, But With A New Attitude. And A New Style! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by choosing your own thoughts. You want to feel good, right? Choose GOOD feeling thoughts!

Daily Inspiration 4-28-15

"Don't let your learning lead to knowledge, 

or you'll become a fool. 

Let your learning lead to action, 

and you can become wealthy. 

There's nothing more pitiful 

than a guy who is smart and broke." 

-- Jim Rohn 

The idea behind yesterday's post was profound to me. I am changing all the time and my view of the world becomes clearer and clearer.

The last paragraph in yesterday's post is what I have learned and how I now feel, and the quote that I would have agreed with above by Jim Rohn, I no longer line up with.

I just finished an absolutely wonderful book about being an entrepreneur. The title is The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster by Darren Hardy. The book just came out and I devoured it with delight with very few exceptions. I loved his stories and learned much from his accumulated wisdom as an entrepreneur himself. I highly recommend it for anyone in business and especially for anyone contemplating going into business.

And, I've read a lot of these kinds of books, and in fact, I studied Jim Rohn for many years too. Darren Hardy, in the Final Word section of the book, just before the Jim Rohn quote above, said, "I warn you: Knowledge is not power. It's potential power." I've also seen it written in many different ways that it is our own goal and that of every person on the planet to seek to reach their potential. It's as if when we die we are judged by how close we came to fulfilling our own God-given potential.

Screw that!

Except for those who want to go there on purpose. No problem then. We're simply here to be alive, and to live we cannot escape making hundreds of choices every day. Whatever comes of that is the result of the choices alone, unless we or others around us add judgments to the outcome. It is what it is.

I think as I said yesterday, that a great and wonderful thing to do is to see the power each of us has to decide, to do or not do, to live. If we need or want information, great. If we choose to do nothing special (according to others) with our lives, that is a way of using our power. We each get to choose. There is no one, true way. There is no brass ring to grab. We just get to live and choose every single day. 

What I can do to be an encouragement and uplift others is simply and profoundly to love them as they are, appreciate their own inner power, and to allow them the dignity of accepting that they alone are qualified to choose for themselves. I can have an opinion of what I might do, and if they wanted to hear that, they may even accept some of that, but in the end, it will always be their choice.

When I look at others with unconditional love, which is allowing others to be and choose who they are and who they want to become, and what they may choose to do, I empower them. When I see or point out something they 'should' do, I dis-empower or make them less-than in my eyes. Should is one of those words that is best to let go of as if you've never known it before. It takes practice because it has been used on us most of our lives. Allow others their own dignity and inner power by loving them without condition.


My Potential Has Gone Missing. Has Anyone Seen My Potential? How Will I Succeed Without My Potential? Maybe I'm Not What I Could Be, But If I Could Just Find My Potential. . . 

Spread Some Joy Today--Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Feels better already. . . Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe. . .

Daily Inspiration 4-27-15

"There is nothing 

in a caterpillar 

that tells you 

it's going to be a butterfly." 

-- Margaret Fuller 

I think it is pretty much impossible to know who will do what brilliant act, dent the universe, create the next big thing. Every single person has the potential to rise to as high status or status of accomplishment as anyone else. It really comes down only to what their own desires are, and many times those desires are unspoken, or not even recognized by those potentials.

Often enough, things seem to happen by mistake that leads on to something special. Indeed, there are hundreds of products that were "discovered" by accident, that went on to become household names and staples in our lives.

Other times, people grow into things. Just like a caterpillar grows into a butterfly, what started as something different rises to a new level.

If only we could look at each other with all the respect, dignity and confidence that we would look at anyone who has changed the world and put a significant dent in the universe. If only we could see that potential in our children, or children's children, and every child we see, without trying to make them see it, but by simply having assured confidence in their own internal power to decide to use or not to decide to use it.


Celebrate The Butterfly In Everyone You Meet. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by loving people for who they choose to be regardless of what we might think they could be.

Daily Inspiration 4-26-15

"Real love stories 

never have endings." 

-- Richard Bach 

Once I realized this fact, I immediately dropped all the baggage I was carrying around. It was the source of my freedom. . . and joy.

Consider all those that you have loved in your life. If it was love, to begin with, it is love now.


Besides, All There Really Is, Is Love. The Rest Is Just A Story We Made Up. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by letting your love flow freely.

Daily Inspiration 4-25-15

"It doesn't matter

where the information comes from. 

It only matters 

how you feel about it after receiving it." 

-- Albert K. Strong 

Sometimes we get caught up in the source of information rather than the information itself. Jesus proclaimed the same things in his own homeland as in other parts of the world, yet in his homeland they did not listen because of the source. "Who was He to speak this information? We've known Him all His life and He is nothing special."

Fear, disbelief from familiarity, focusing on the source and not the information, can all lead to missing the value of the information. It might even be the other way around, as with famous people like movie stars and rock stars, where we focus on the source, and only because of the source would we even consider the information. In other words, if they say it, it must be true!

There's a better way in all of this. Focus on the information and pay attention to how you feel about it. But don't look for the truth or the lie. That matters little. Look only to see if it resonates within you in a positive way or a negative way. Do you feel good reading or hearing it, or do you feel bad about it, fearful of it? How you feel about it determines two things: One, whether you will know it as truth to you or not, and Two, whether you even allow it in at this time. You might not be ready to hear it and then at another time, you will.

My best advice to myself is to open up when it resonates. Roll around in it, splash it over me, stir it up a bit, feel all the bits of it. Some parts may resonate and some parts not? No problem. I accept the parts that resonate with me and leave the rest for another time or a not-ever time. If I feel bad, fearful, distrustful, disbelieving, or any of a bunch of other negative emotions, I just let it be and move on.

We've been learning all of our lives. In that process, we've often picked up the views of others and accepted them in ourselves. It may be totally misinformation, yet right now it is affecting us in what we let in or don't let in. It's okay. As we find things that will resonate with us, we might even realize that we've heard this before a long time ago and at that time we rejected it. But, now it resonates. Everything in its own time. Everything unfolds perfectly.

They say to follow your heart. Well, that's the same thing as opening up to what resonates with you.

It's sort of funny that not too many years ago, I would not have allowed in the things that I now teach fluidly. Yet that is perfect. The timing wasn't right, but it came around again, and this time it was perfect. I celebrate that perfection.


I Celebrate That Which Resonates Or Is In-Tune With Me At This Time. I Feel The Alignment Of It. 

Spread Some Joy Today--because feeling good has become so important to you that you seek it every minute of every day, and because it resonates with you so clearly, you cannot help but share it with others in your demeanor, body language, and speech.

Daily Inspiration 4-24-15

"If you want to lose wait, 

begin by reducing 

the size of your "But. . ." 

-- Alan Cohen 

This post ties perfectly with yesterday, and I'll begin with a quote from Abraham, Ester Hicks from a workshop in Napa CA on February 27th, 1997:

"If you had one goal, and that was to feel good, you would never again need to hear another word from anyone. You would live successfully and happily and in a way of fulfilling your life's purpose ever after."

This whole idea has radically changed my life, and as you might recall from yesterday, I realized that I was feeling negative emotions and paid attention so that I could use that as perfect guidance to move from that to feeling good. I did some things that aided in that process, but the main point is that I used my emotions as guidance to move toward what I know I want, and let go of what I know I don't want.

And, people say, "But. . . it's true, or, But, this is the way it is, or, But, these things actually happened, or, But this is reality, or, But, I'm supposed to feel bad when this happens, or, But, they need to _______, or, But, it's not my fault, or, But, fill in the blank."

Each of these objections leads to no change at all. They simply stay where they are at. And, don't get me wrong, that is okay if you know what you are doing. If you really want to feel bad, that is a personal choice, and who am I to take you away from your personal or professional pain? Keep it if you will. However, should you not really want to keep it, then getting your "But" out of there would be beneficial.


Decide If You Will: There Is Nothing More Important Or Beneficial Than Choosing To Feel Good. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by choosing it on purpose.

Daily Inspiration 4-23-15

"Is the world you are looking at see-worthy?" 

-- Alan Cohen 

Yesterday was a fascinating day. I got up feeling "off." As I moved through my morning, I felt more off. As I was recognizing the negative feeling within me, I wanted to feel better. So I began trying to find better feeling thoughts, yet this off-feeling was persistent. So, I sat down, put my headphones on and played my 15-minute morning meditation CD. Then, I did another, then another.

I was feeling better, but still not where I wanted to be. Now I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with physical possessions around me, so I took a short nap escaping the thoughts for a few minutes. Sometimes I just need to chill for a bit and let go of that rope, so to speak, and taking a nap often helps to let it go.

As I persisted on wanting to feel good, I began looking for things around me to appreciate. I put on some favorite music that helps me feel good and that helped too. Then I began appreciating sound and how I respond to certain sounds positively.

This caused me to think about one of my favorite sounds in the whole world: A spring afternoon and listening to the birds chirping. I could enjoy that for hours. There is nothing quite like it. This caused me to think about the courtyard right outside my office and how nice it is all messy with leaves and such. The birdbath where I can watch all different sizes and types of birds pause for a drink, or splash around bathing themselves.

Then I looked around at the stuff in my house that was previously bothering me and my thoughts of being overwhelmed by it all, but now I was seeing it differently. I was seeing all manner of things and remembering when I bought them or how I acquired them, and how special they were at that time. I began appreciating them all over again, and that if I wanted to, I could let them go at any time and that it would be okay.

Then I...well, I don't want to make this too long. Let's just say that I turned myself around and I began to feel good again. I began feeling appreciative. I began feeling valuable. I began to feel whole again. I kept finding more things to see that helped me to feel these improved feelings. My world became see-worthy again.

Here's a great bit from Abraham, Esther Hicks on this subject:

"As you hold to your intention to look for evidence of Well-Being and thriving and success and happiness, you will tune yourself to the vibrations of those things--and so those kinds of good-feeling experiences will dominate your life. Today, no matter where I am going, no matter what I am doing, it is my dominant intent to look for what I am wanting to see." 

"You cannot be in a place other than where you are right now, but you do have the power to begin to express your perspective about where you are in increasingly better ways. And as you do that consciously and deliberately, you will see the evidence of the power of your focus on every subject to which you turn your attention."

"As you make the decision that you want to feel good and you consciously look for positive aspects within the subjects that you are involved in every day, and as you deliberately identify and focus upon what you do want regarding these subjects, you will set yourself upon a path of Eternal unfolding satisfaction and joy." 


Help Your World To Be See-Worthy By Telling A Different Story. Tell It The Way You Want It To Be. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by creating joy for yourself through appreciation.

Daily Inspiration 4-22-15

"Why freelancers [or, we] 

get so frustrated at clients 

who won't pay enough, 

argue for low prices, 

are really difficult, 

don't pay on time? 

I think it starts with the way we behave." 

-- Seth Godin 

I've been a Seth Godin fan for a long time now. I've read most of his books, and get his almost daily emails. Today, he offered an online course for a silly bargain, so I immediately bought it. It is called the Freelance Course, but you don't have to be a freelancer to benefit from it. In fact, I think every salesperson can benefit from taking this course. [Here's the link to the class: Specially priced Freelance Class ]

I completed it in just a few hours, and it was quite valuable to me. There are 87 very short segments. On number 28, this message reached out and grabbed me to get my attention. Immediately I saw some wonderful insights for anyone in sales, which is pretty much everyone on the planet.

After the quote above, he begins asking some questions. He asked, "the last time you did a brochure, did you do it yourself or did you hire a very expensive freelance designer to do it? And, when you hired that designer, did you insist on paying that person early, in advance, because you know their cash flow is tough? And, there are photos in your brochure. Did you go online to a cheap stock photo service, or download something for free? Or did you hire a professional photographer because, hey! It's worth it? Do you have any music on your hard drive that you didn't pay for?"

Aren't these wonderfully insightful questions?

I used to teach my salespeople that if you're going to sell new cars and you never buy one, you are shortchanging your future. Most auto salespeople think they're so knowledgeable about the market and would never buy a new car because of the immediate depreciation. That's not a negative, but it is a fact. It has to be a fact because now it would no longer be new.

However, there is a much larger picture to consider. If you've never bought a new car, then you've never had the experience of buying a new car and owning a brand new car. It is a very special experience. It isn't about the money or the depreciation. It's about the experience. It is magical.

I practiced what I preached and I have bought many new cars over the years. I know for a fact what it feels like to buy and own a new car. When I became an auto salesperson in September of 1972, within less than 8 months, I bought my very first new car. It was a 1973 Chevy Malibu SS 2-door coupe with swivel bucket seats. I bought around ten new cars over the years. Each was uniquely special.

Zig Ziglar taught the same thing. Speaking from experience has great value to the prospect and they can see if you mean it or not.

Seth Godin goes on to say, "We're telling ourselves a story about what kind of work is worth paying for. When you were busy talking to the client, and you're saying to yourself, "why don't they value my work? Can't they see how hard I worked at it?" There's a voice in the back of your head that says, "you know what? I'd be doing the same thing." Because over the years, people choose which path to go down."

He adds this at the end: ". . . if someone's already walking around with a world view, a story in their head about what to expect from this interaction we're about to have, you're not going to be able to change it."

We need to be real. If we believe that we only would buy really late model, low mileage vehicles so that we don't experience the initial depreciation, we are also missing the unique experience of the brand new car. When we expect others to buy what we sell, but we aren't willing to buy it ourselves, we short change our future.


Speaking From Experience Holds High Value. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by being honest with yourself.

Daily Inspiration 4-21-15

"They say that nobody is perfect. 

Then they tell you practice makes perfect. 

I wish they'd make up their minds." 

-- Wilt Chamberlain 

As a manager who has had the distinct opportunity to hire many people over the years, I agree with this interesting and oh, so accurate quote:

"The closest to perfection a person ever comes is when he fills out a job application form." -- Stanley J Randall

Even more so, that applies to almost every resume I've ever seen. I never hire based on a resume! Never.

So, I was thinking about perfection. Nobody's perfect is a very common quip. It is more often than not used as a shield against other people's fault-finding. I thought about that phrase, nobody's perfect. Maybe it's true. Maybe nobody is perfect.

Yet if that were true, what is all this striving for perfection stuff that is going on all over the planet? Practice?

Then, I thought, well. . . if nobody's perfect, maybe everybody is perfect. But, then people are always finding fault, especially the outside-looking-in crowd. Bodies come in all sizes, shapes, and so on and so on.

Some say that we will never be perfect, or that there was only one perfect person and he died 2,000 years ago.

All this stuff about perfection is just stuff. It just doesn't matter. We're all perfect, or we're all not perfect, or we will never be perfect, or we all could be perfect if we worked at it hard enough. It's all simply perspective. Who's looking, who's interested, who's opinion is it? What is their criterion? Who are they to judge? What does it all mean, anyway?

That is all so much work and such a cauldron of stress. Let it go. Let go of the rope. Perfect? Not Perfect? Who cares. Just live. Enjoy yourself. Play with the kids or the dog or cat. Watch a funny movie. Kick back. Have a cocktail. Or herb tea. Eat something delicious. Smell the air. Feel your body. Have more sex. Laugh at work. Sing in the shower. Enjoy yourself, or better said, INjoy yourself.

Find some joy. If there was anything other than love that was perfect, it is being in joy.


Love A Little. Love A Lot. Allow Your Inner Light To Shine Brightly. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Yes. Spread it all over yourself. Roll around in it. Slide down the hill on it. Let it melt on your body. Rock n' Roll in it.

Daily Inspiration 4-20-15

"Resistance is thought

transformed into feeling. 

Change the thought 

that creates the resistance, 

and there is no more resistance." 

-- Robert Conklin 

Here's one of the best things that I've learned from the Teachings of Abraham and I play with it every single day now:

"You can't take sides against anything. If you would just leave the "against" part out; if you would just be one who is for things--you would live happily ever after. . ." 

The news is bad enough with negative things exploited, but facebook is worse, I think. It seems there are so many posts where someone is replaying a video and exclaiming how awful this or that is, whether it was police brutality caught on camera, or something far worse.

There is a lot of pushing against things on social media. "Ain't it awful?" "We need to rise up against this outrage!" "Share this post if you care about changing this!" "This person needs to go to jail!" "We need to stop this from ever happening again!" "Join our "against that" campaign." "Let's all fight this together! Together we can win." "If it's important, it is worth fighting for." "Join the war on _____."

Whatever we resist persists. These people are actually spreading the negativity. Who needs the news?
I let them do as they will, but I choose to not plug into it. Even if it might be an outrage, I will let someone else push against it, fight it, recruit troops to fight for the cause and all that stuff. They can have it. I don't want anything to do with it.

I choose to have my own personal reality--one filled with joy and fun and peace. That is exactly how we create our own world, by simply deciding to do so. We used to call people crazy who created their own reality, but who really wants the reality that is being spread by the media and those fighters on Facebook and other places?

Peace is not won by violence. Peace would be the opposite of that. Joy is not created by justice. It doesn't even go there. It is absolutely as simple as deciding to be joyful, to seek joy, to look for things to appreciate, to refuse to plug into all the stuff that some people want to fight about.

I was thinking about that cigarette commercial way back that showed the guy with a black eye puffing on a filter cigarette and saying, "I'd rather fight than switch." Looks like he dd so. For a cigarette? OMG!

I have stopped pushing against things, situations, world events, and so much more. Now I look for things to appreciate and I walk around most of the day with a silly grin on my face, and joy in my heart. That's my new reality. 


You Can Have Some Too. As Much As You Want. Just Look For Things To Appreciate. 

Spread Some Joy Today--There is absolutely nothing like it. Yes!

Daily Inspiration 4-19-15

"My singular goal in life is that of being in joy." 

-- Terry Minion 

Yesterday, I gave away 16 copies each of two short books that are without a doubt in my top five books I've ever read. In the last year, I've easily given over 80 of each of them away to people I do training classes for, speaking to youth group, and just casually as the opportunity presents itself.

One of those books is a classic originally published in 1903, and because it is now public domain, it has been republished by scores of people and is still a popular seller in 2015. It is As A Man Thinketh, by James Allen. You can read it in about 30 minutes or so, but this book to me is like a favorite bit of smooth milk chocolate that I put on my tongue and enjoy the slow melting of it coating my tongue and my throat. It is one to savor.

The other is also worthy of savoring: Love Is Letting Go Of Fear by Gerald Jampolsky. I've given hundreds of copies of this away over the years. You can also read this one in about an hour. Most of us have short attention spans, so short is good.

The biggest thing I took from Love Is Letting Go Of Fear, was that rather than juggling so many different kinds of goals, to have a single goal in life. I will quote from that short page, subtitled, Singleness of Goal, in the book:

"Peace of mind as our single goal is the most potent motivating force we can have. To have inner peace we need to be consistent in having peace of mind as our single goal. Instead of having a single goal, we are all tempted to try to juggle multiple goals. Juggling can only serve to deflect our focus and increase our conflict. We can achieve consistency in keeping this single goal in mind by reminding ourselves of the singleness of purpose we would have if we suddenly found ourselves drowning in the ocean. We would, in that situation, put all of our attention into the single goal of staying afloat and breathing for survival."

In the last two years, I've come to the same conclusion and practice, except I use the word joy. My single goal in life is now joy. If something comes where I make a choice, I choose the one that will bring me joy. If joy is not available to choose, then I choose not to act. I follow that which brings me joy.

Last night I had two choices that would bring me joy, and that was lovely. Either one would be joyful. I chose one without the slightest issue of not choosing the other. What a wonderful kind of choice that is. Joseph Campbell said to "follow your bliss," and that is as close to joy as I can think of. Gerald Jampolsky said to have a "singular goal of peace of mind," and that is not only in the ballpark but inside the infield.


Joy, Bliss, Peace Of Mind. Those Words Are Soothing Just Looking At Them, Saying Them, Writing Them. But, Living Them Is Even Better. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Hey! That's an idea! Let's spread some joy today!

Daily Inspiration 4-18-15

"You can lead a horse to water, 

but you can't make him drink." 

-- a very old saying 

This week, I gave away a lot of books. How many do you think will get read? I haven't got a clue. I certainly hope that they all would, but that seems highly unlikely. But, I have learned that it isn't my job to decide, nor can I spend any serious time being concerned about whether they get read or not. If I was concerned, I might rather not spend the money it cost to buy them, to begin with.

One of the significant mentors in my life, Jim Rohn, said that in America (this was around 1979), only 3% of the population owns a library card. I've also heard it said and seen it in writing that only 3% "succeed" in life. Their definition is those who are financially well enough off that they can "retire" comfortably without relying on supplements such as Social Security.

I used to plug into all that stuff. I don't anymore. Life is all about choices, and each of us chooses. Not all choose consciously, but they all choose. And, we are choosing all day long every day we are here living our lives on this planet.

The most significant thing I learned about this is that it isn't my decision to make for them. The only person I can decide about is me. Everyone has to make their own choice.

Can I influence? Sure. To what degree is not up to me. Ultimately, I can only lead myself, and whatever I offer to others has to be a gift without strings. If I think they should do something with that gift, that means I'm trying to decide for them. Even when people are, based on my own opinion, choosing poorly, I cannot decide for them. I might influence them, but that is all.

So, really what I was giving out this week, was a number of opportunities. "Here's an opportunity, do with it as you wish. It is a gift that I only hope could bring value to you."

How many times have you had opportunities that you blew off, didn't care for, didn't want? How many times have you had opportunities that seriously changed your life? We've all had both. The choice of what to do with them was ours alone.

The reason I'm writing this is that I think sometimes as parents, teachers, managers, leaders, that we might get frustrated that some are not responding to our teaching in the way we would like. Sometimes we see people wasting their talent--in our opinion, of course. Sometimes we simply put too much energy into what decisions others make or should make or didn't make. It just doesn't matter. I think we just need to give from our heart and mind and leave the rest up to everyone else. If we influence positively, excellent, and if we miss the mark in our own estimation, that's okay too. 


The Other Persons Decision Is Not Ours To Make. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by letting go of the rope.

Daily Inspiration 4-17-15

"Your thoughts are powerful, 

and you have much more control 

over your own experience 

than most of you realize." 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

Yesterday, I was talking with a friend sharing something that I had stumbled across. We were both just a bit excited and unnerved by it because we both care about the subject and want it to be as good as it can be. But, in this case, we were addressing more of the unwanted than the wanted aspects.

Sometimes, even though I have learned so much to know better, I drift back to old habitual patterns of thought and discussions. One thing is true: I don't get anywhere close to as upset or angry as I used to in the not so distant past.

So after some reflection, I came back to my senses so to speak and saw clearly what I was doing and participating in and that doing those things doesn't serve me or the situation at all.

Here's a few bits from Abraham, Esther Hicks on bringing sanity and better results:

"When the way you feel is controlled by a condition, you can never influence a change in the condition; but when you are able to control the way you feel within a condition, then you have the power to influence change in the condition."

"While almost everyone is aware of how they feel in varying degrees, there are few who understand the important guidance that their feelings or emotions provide. In the most simple terms: Whenever you feel bad, you are in the process of attracting something that will not please you. Without exception, the reason for negative emotion is because you are focused upon something you do not want or upon the lack or absence of something that you do want." 

In this case, we were discussing both something we did not want, and the absence of something that we did want. And, in the process, the more we discussed it, the more it didn't feel good to say it. 

So this morning, I realized what was really going on in that conversation, and decided to take the perfect guidance of my negative emotion about the subject and pivot toward what I do want instead of what I don't want. Another way to say that is to pivot and focus on the solution instead of focusing on the problem. My feeling about the whole thing has changed to positive emotions, and now solutions are on the way.


As We Gather Knowledge, And Then Fail To Practice It, We Remain Where We Are. However, When We Practice It, Then It Can Become Part Of Us And Positive Change Is Assured. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by practicing doing just that.

Daily Inspiration 4-16-15

"Continuing to tell stories of shortage 

only continues to contradict 

 your desire for abundance, 

 and you cannot have it both ways: 

 You cannot focus upon unwanted 

 and received wanted." 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

I've been doing some classes this week and talking to truck salesmen. Two of them stood out reminding me of how I used to be, or rather how I used to talk, or rather how I used to complain in various ways. Mostly I would complain that I could succeed if they would just do this or that, or I could do better with this or that, or why don't they fix this or that?

As I studied and learned from some wise teachers, I learned that this transference of responsibility for success to anyone and anything outside of me was not serving me at all. In fact, it was holding me back from the very thing that I said I wanted.

And after studying the teachings of Abraham, all of that has come into such a clear view that I am astonished at how much easier it is to understand and make better choices.

They say that every subject is two subjects: That which is wanted and that which is unwanted. They say it is like looking at a stick that has two ends. One side may be abundance, and the other is scarcity, one side is health, and the other is illness, one side is joy and the other side is despair, and so on. And, they say, the only thing that matters is which end of the stick you are focused on. 

This makes it so simple to see that if I am focused on what is wrong, I cannot very well have what is right. We cannot focus in two places at once. So, if I am wanting more money, I cannot focus on the lack of money and have more money, if I am talking about illness, I am focusing on illness and I will not have the health that I really desire.

As a salesperson, if I am focusing on any of the perceived roadblocks to my success that these other people have been putting in my way, I cannot succeed. If I say that I would be happy to do that if they would only pay me to do that, I cannot do what may be the very thing that will help me have more money, sales, and success. It is simply a matter of which end of the stick we are focusing on by talking about it, telling stories about it, sharing it with others, thinking about it silently.

The only way out of this place of unwanted, is as easy as turning our attention and focus on what is wanted. If I want more sales, I focus on more sales coming to me. If I want more money, I talk about the benefits of more money, if I want health, I stop talking or thinking about illness and focus on how it feels to be healthy. It becomes even more effective to expand on that new focus by explaining to ourselves, others, in our journal, our book of Positive Aspects, why we want what we want, what the benefits are, or why we want more money, why we want better health, and so on. As we expand there, the Law of Attraction brings more of the same kind of thoughts, and more, and more helping us to achieve what we are wanting.

In other words, we have to tell a better story. We need to stop telling it like it is or like it used to be, and instead, tell it the way we want it to be.

Even though I have this wonderful knowledge and understanding, I need to practice it every day. Fortunately, all I really need do is simply pay attention to how I am feeling at any given moment. If I am feeling down, or negative emotion, I am out of alignment with what I want and heading toward more unwanted, and if I am feeling good, I am in alignment and heading toward more of what I want. Truly, it is this easy.

This is not the kind of thing I can tell people and expect that it will change them. First, it isn't my responsibility to change anyone. Second, I can only lead by example.


We Can Only Lead By Our Own Example. Words Do Not Teach. Experience Does. Let Others See That.

Spread Some Joy Today--by focusing on your own joy first, then by your example, you spread it wherever you go.

Daily Inspiration 4-15-15

Here's some love for you today:

 "We would like you to release the word "achieve" or "earn" from your vocabulary and from your understanding, altogether, and we would like you to replace those words with the word "allow". You're wanting to allow your Well-Being, not achieve it. It's not something that you need to earn. All you have to do is decide what it is you would like to experience, and then allow it in order to achieve it. It isn't something you have to struggle for or try for. You are all worthy beings. You are deserving of the Well-Being."

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks, July 8th, 2000


Struggle? What's that? I'm Allowing. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Relax.

Daily Inspiration 4-14-15

"God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. 

Have you used one to say "thank you?" 

-- William A Ward 

A client called me on the phone today. She asked how I was in the first part of our communication. I said, "I'm off the chart!" She paused with a giggle, then said, "Wow. That's wonderful." It's not a gimmick. I am off the chart today. And, the best reason I suppose is that I like that and want more of it. Why would I keep that joy to myself with some bland, and boring answer like, "I'm good, how are you?"

I'm going to be speaking to a group of young people this Saturday, and as I was thinking of that, I wondered what wisdom I might offer. It was really clear to me. It is appreciation. It is being grateful for everything. It doesn't matter if it feels good at the moment or feels bad, but be grateful for everything. And, everyone. One of the Bible passages that have always stuck with is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks. I tell you that this one idea has brought me infinite amounts of joy. As I grasp it more and practice it more, I am a changed man living in a state of appreciation, or constant rejoicing. As I am there, I am praying without ceasing, meaning that I am unceasingly appreciating my connection to Source for all that I am experiencing. As I accept the grace and ease of this, all having been provided by the Universe, I can do nothing else but give thanks, for all has come on my behalf. I ask it is given, and I allow it.

If you wanted to try something that would change you like this, you don't have to start a blog. Simply open your spiral Book of Positive Aspects and turn to a blank page and start thinking about someone and thanking them. It doesn't even matter if they hear it or read it. The benefit is more yours than theirs anyway.


"Gratitude Makes Sense Of Our Past, Brings Peace For Today, And Creates A Vision For Tomorrow." -- Melody Beattie 

Spread Some Joy Today--by taking the time to recognize and share your gratitude.

Daily Inspiration 4-13-15

"The task of a leader 

is to get his people 

from where they are 

to where they have not been." 

-- Henry A Kissinger 

A few days ago, I was talking with someone in a commercial truck department and we were talking about when we got into the business, and where we've been and that sort of thing. It wasn't a long conversation, but we started in a similar time frame.

I told him about the last dealership where I created a very successful commercial truck department and when I left. He knows that the department is no longer, and so he asked what happened. It's a fair question. My answer was that "they had no leader, only a successful salesperson, finally they hired what they thought was a leader, who was not, and the entire department came apart and was no more."

As the leader and founder of that successful department, I know what I'm talking about, and at the same time, I have never enjoyed the idea that something I built from the ground up was wasted like that. But, once out of control, it is not up to me anymore.

It's interesting how many times I have seen this kind of thing happen, not only in commercial truck departments but in a lot of businesses.

A business needs a leader. A commercial truck department is a business within a business and it needs a leader as well. There is no effective substitute for this position and someone who knows how to lead or knows what to do in order for it to rise.

A successful salesperson "managing" the commercial department is okay if all you care about is one person's production and capacity. That is like a skilled worker going into business for himself. He is simply creating a job for himself, and this applies to the commercial department. They are focused on what they can do. The best they can do is expand their capacity a bit, but one person is not a team and a team will get better results. But, the team needs a leader. It can do with a manager for a while, but if the department or the business is going to rise to its potential, we will need a leader.

This person will have a vision of what can be done, and a plan to move toward it. This person will negotiate and create partners to help it get done. They will keep the department sustained with support even before there are results to show. This person will create an atmosphere of mutual respect within the team, along with individual relationships to foster a creative and productive spirit. This person can create something from nothing, something more from something less, and eagerness of things to come.

Every department needs a leader, and every business or organization needs a leader. And, the best scenario when moving on, is that you have found, trained and nurtured a replacement for yourself so that the leadership remains intact. It will never be exactly the same, but it must have a leader who can lead.


"The Quality Of A Leader Is Reflected In The Standards They Set For Themselves." -- Ray Kroc 

Spread Some Joy Today--by leading the way.

Daily Inspiration 4-12-15

"No matter what "they," say, 

and no matter what they do, 

and no matter what 

they don't say or don't do, 

they actually love you. 

I know because they told me. 

I love you," 

The Universe

-- a.k.a. Mike Dooley 

Mike Dooley has been pretending to be the Universe for a long time. I've been getting his 5-day a week emails for many years, and they are all good. Then, once in a while one really gets me thinking, like the one above.

I received this one on Friday morning, and I couldn't get the thought out of my head that everyone on the planet loves me. 

Think about it. What if everyone on the planet loves you. That would include so-called terrorists, crooks, and all manner of "bad guys." Of course it for sure includes everyone you know. This was a fascinating thought for me.

What if we are all living in our own dream of our own creation? I think we are.

What if we were completely certain that every person on this planet actually did love us? Would you act differently? Would you look at everyone outside of you differently? Would you be more loving by knowing this regardless of how they might seem to be acting right now? These and many others were questions I was asking myself all day Friday and into Saturday.

I think we only act the way we do, respond the way we do, say thing things we say (whether in our mind or aloud), because we don't think much about the possibility of them loving us, except, of course, those in our inner circle.

Even though we may be dealing with someone who is obviously angry and upset with us, saying nasty things, or just being a pain in the ass, wouldn't it be so interesting if we saw through all of that, knowing full well that underneath that facade, they loved us unconditionally?

We might also consider the opposite. What if we actually loved everyone on the planet?


It Might Be Fun To Think This Way For A Few Days And Try It Out. It May Be A Game Changer.

Spread Some Joy Today--This would be one way of spreading joy!

Daily Inspiration 4-11-15

"Death can come at any minute, in any way. 

We do not know what is in store tomorrow, 

or, whether there is a tomorrow, 

or even a tonight! 

But still, we have the golden present. 

Now we are alive and kicking. 

What should we do now? 

Love all, serve all." 

-- Sri Swami Satchidananda 

This is good advice to remember often. I would add one more thing: Enjoy yourself and enjoy your time.

Steve Jobs said, "My favorite things in life don't cost any money. It's really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time."

Is there really a time where being upset, angry, especially at a loved one, worth it? I have learned that it isn't worth anything.

How about all the stuff? I was looking through an old trunk today which had things from back in the '70s and beyond. There was a list of possessions that I made, and I had a value next to each one. I was in the Air Force in 1971 and living in a trailer off base and this list had no furniture on it because we didn't own any. The entire list was valued at what we paid for it, not what it was worth. Even so, it was less than $1200, and two guitars and an amp was $825 of the total.

When I look at what I own today that is all so silly, and yet what I own today means almost nothing in comparison to living and enjoying life. Some of the things I own can add to that enjoyment, but most do not. They are just things and they are there.

I'm listening to a wonderful new album, Cool Waters, by a Swedish acoustic guitarist named Martin Tallstrom and I am in bliss just listening to this beautiful musicianship. The smile on my whole face says so. That is worth it.

What is worth it to you? More stuff? I doubt it.

I recommend enjoying your time whether you are at "work" or at "home" or wherever you happen to be. I recommend loving your loved ones like there's no tomorrow because there might not be one. Love. Serve. Enjoy.

Have A Blessed Weekend. Allow Joy To Wash Over You. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by being present right now.

Daily Inspiration 4-10-15

"When you listen generously to people 

they can hear the truth in themselves, 

often for the first time." 

-- Rachel Naomi Remen 

I like to talk sometimes, but something I've really opened myself up to in the last number of years is listening intently. I learn from talking and I learn much more by listening.

In today's fast-paced world, it is common to multitask, almost as if it is required of us. This often causes us to listen superficially because we are thinking about other things, like what we're going to be doing next, our next appointment and what time it is, what I'm wanting to eat for lunch or dinner, what we want to say next, and a very long list of other trivia that keeps us from listening intently.

Karl A Menninger said, "Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand."

When I have the opportunity to talk and share some ideas, often those thoughts are forming, ideas are forming right then. They might even be things I haven't thought about quite that way, and so the act of talking is a creative thing too--IF, someone is actually listening with interest. If they are not, I may as well be home alone talking to the wall. However, just like a performer can excel as never before because they have an attentive audience, my own ideas and thoughts excel when I have one too. Even when it is only one person.

At the same time, I love listening. Or, I should say, I have grown to love to listen to other people talking, sharing ideas, and their own thoughts. I have had many great conversations where I said almost nothing, and certainly nothing memorable. They say a conversation should be two ways. Well, the best two ways is one talking and one listening fully. That completes a conversation. If you want to take turns, that's okay too.

If you think that you have not been a good listener, and you know who you are, try this. Try listening intently with anyone who talks with you today. Maybe try it for a couple of days. Watch what happens. They will think you're a great conversationalist. At the very least, watch how good it makes the other person feel. It's an amazing lesson.

If you're in customer service or sales, try really listening. Ask a few questions here and there to get them to expand further and watch what happens. I think you will be amazed.


"The Best Gurus Are Disguised As Regular People." -- Alan Cohen 

Spread Some Joy Today--by listening well and fully.

Daily Inspiration 4-9-15

"Your hands are tied in action, 

but your hands are not tied in imagination-- 

and everything springs forth from the imagination. 

Everything." 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

In my memory, whenever I succeeded at something that was seemingly very hard or unlikely, it was my own imagining of doing it that brought it about. It wasn't really the effort or action. It was seeing myself doing it.

I remember a long time ago in 1973 after only being in the auto business for about six months or so, Chevrolet had a contest for the top two salespeople to go to Acapulco, Mexico. I was not very good at sales yet, and I won second place and went on the trip. Then in 1974, they had a trip to for two salespeople to Bermuda and I won first place above the best sales guy in the store, and then every trip after that I won except one. In all the trips I won, it was my imagining myself there, watching films of the place, and generally thinking of how nice it was being there that caused me to win the trip. It certainly was not the effort.

As a result of my imagination, I've gone on free trips to Acapulco, Bermuda, London, British Columbia, a cruise in the Bahamas, Kawai, Oahu, Maui (twice), and one which didn't offer a place I wanted to go, so I took a diamond ring instead (it appraised for $6,500 I found out later), and Sydney, Australia.

Now to make all of that even more eventful. On the trip to Oahu, I met my late wife Nancy in 1987, and in 1986, the diamond ring plus $2,000 became the down payment on the house I live in today. We will have to call that creative financing. . .

This is an aerial shot what was the Turtle Bay Hilton on north shore Oahu. 

It's the big triangular building on the point which includes a huge resort area. 

This is where I met Nancy for the first time. 

Less than one week later, we decided to get married. 

Sometimes, you get far more than you first imagine. . .


"If I Have A Belief That I Can Do It, I Shall Surely Acquire The Capacity To Do It Even If I Do Not Have It At The Beginning." -- Mahatma Gandhi 

Spread Some Joy Today--You don't need much. A little goes a long way.

Daily Inspiration 4-8-15

"The most valuable possession

you can own

is an open heart. 

The most powerful weapon 

you can be 

is an instrument of peace." 

-- Carlos Santana 

I am a work in progress. Except it is better to say a play in progress, because who likes work?

I had a dream early this morning, and in it, I was asked, "why are you so happy?" The answer is easy and I can put it in one short sentence: I let go of the rope.

That's it. I just let go of the struggle, the concerns, the worries. Abraham says that "Worrying is using your imagination to create something you don't want." Wow. Isn't that spot on!

Yet, to define it just a bit more, I've made peace with where I am. This quote by Abraham, Esther Hicks spells it out accurately: "When we say to you, make peace with where you are, we want you to make peace with where everyone is; we want you to make peace with the world events; we want you to make peace with where your friend is in relationship with where your friend wants to be. We want it to be all right with you where anybody is."

This last paragraph is easily one of the most powerful things I have ever learned. I make peace with where I am, wherever I am, doing what I do. I have become an allower. It is what I came here to learn and to teach: Allow people and circumstances to be what they are without any concern that I need to join them where they are. I choose what I focus on, and allow them to do the same. This is also the same thing as unconditional love.

As a result of these things, I have a different view of the world around me. I don't plug into things like I used to. I don't pay any attention to what is going on in the world, or what other people are upset about. I don't join groups that fight things. I do my best not to push against anything at all. I simply refuse to participate in things that are all about resistance. I don't talk about illness or diseases, or terrorism, or politics of any kind, or religion even. I'm not blind to the news, but I pay no real attention to it. Getting upset about anything doesn't serve me at all. So, I just let all that be and let others get as upset as they choose, and I am okay with all of that.

Yet, the number one thing that has caused me to seem so happy is that I've changed my entire idea and definition of success. It used to be something that I thought was all about money or lining up with a certain number. I used to chase it everywhere I went, then I simply changed my definition and now allow success to wash over me. My definition now matches this Abraham, Esther Hicks statement: 

"The standard of success in life isn't the things. It isn't the money or the stuff. It is absolutely the amount of joy that you feel."

I've now had more joy in my life in the last 5 years than all of the 60 years previous to that. I see no end to it and it is expanding, becoming more joyous all the time. There are thousands of levels of joy. I'm tasting them all.

To recap, why am I so happy: 1. I changed my definition of success in life. What is important. What I want most. It is joy. 2. I let go of the rope. I don't worry or fret much at all about anything. and, 3. I allow others, the world, circumstances, and events to be what they are. I allow others to choose whatever they choose without me being concerned about their choices. I've made peace with where I am and with the world.


Oh, And One More: I Practice It Every Single Day, All Day Long. It Is Joy To Simply Practice These Things. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by deciding that joy is important to you. Choose what you will. I choose joy.

Daily Inspiration 4-7-15

"The only real value of competition

is the challenge it may present

that causes excitement within us. 

This then causes us to become more creative." 

-- Albert K. Strong 

Some people are afraid of competition. They might think that someone else or several others are coming in and taking over and that they are going to lose ground, lose business, be driven out of business, or otherwise be damaged by others in the same market doing the same or very similar things. Some then focus on that and do whatever they can to fight the competition, to beat them, to drive them back. And, it is usually to no avail. It's sort of like fighting life itself.

If only those would let go of the fear and see the value based on the quote above. The so-called competition can cause excitement in us, get our juices flowing, and cause us to become creative again, or from a life point of view, to come to life again. The ultimate value of that is growth--becoming more than you were before. If this could be your view of the idea of competition, then competition is a wonderful thing indeed.

It's all about abundance and whether we see and experience abundance or lack of abundance called scarcity--as in not enough to go around. It's whether we see a limited pie that we are trying to get our share of or a larger share of, or whether we simply help create a larger pie so there is enough for all who desire it. It's about where we choose to focus, or our point of view.

In all of the hundreds of books I have read, Esther & Jerry Hicks' book, Money and the Law of Attraction is my top favorite. My copy is so marked up with notes and highlights, paper clips and sticky notes because it is simply a wealth of wisdom and knowledge to help us find that perspective of abundance and so much more. As well, it is about so much more than money. Here are some tidbits on abundance, work effort and more:

"Many people focus upon unwanted things, with no deliberate attention to the emotional Guidance within them, and then they try to compensate for their lackful thinking with physical action. And because of the misalignment of Energy, they do not get results from their action, so then they try harder by offering more action, but still, things do not improve.

Like the air you breathe, abundance in all things is available to you. Your life will simply be as good as you allow it to be. 

If you believe that you must work hard for the abundance that comes to you, then it cannot come without hard work. But in so many cases, the harder you work, the worse you feel, and the worse you feel, the more you disallow the results that you wanted to receive from your hard work. It is no wonder so many people are discouraged and do not know which way to turn, for it seems that no matter what they do, they do not thrive.

Appreciation and love, and alignment to that which is Source is the ultimate "giving back," so to speak. In your pain or struggle, you have nothing to give back. Many complain of unfairness or injustice when they see some people receiving greatly but offering seemingly little effort, while others who work very hard often show very little success--but the Law of Attraction is always consistently just. What you are living is always an exact replication of your vibrational patterns of thought. Nothing could be more fair than life as you are living it, for as you are thinking, you are vibrating, and as you are vibrating, you are attracting--and so you are always getting back the essence of what you are giving. 

The majority of action that is offered today is offered amidst tremendous vibrational resistance, and that is the reason why so many people have come to believe that life is a struggle. It is also the reason why many believe that success and freedom are at odds with one another, when, in reality, they are actually synonymous. It is not necessary to take money out of the equation, but it is necessary that you make your quest for joy be the most dominant part of your equation. When you do that, abundance in all manner will flow to you."


"Seek Joy First, And All Of The Growth That You Could Ever Imagine Will Come Joyously And Abundantly Unto You." -- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

Spread Some Joy Today--Absolutely.

Daily Inspiration 4-6-15

"Remember, 

happiness doesn't depend upon 

who you are or what you have, 

it depends solely upon 

what you think." 

-- Dale Carnegie 

I was looking through many of what is now tens of thousands of quotes that I've saved and printed over the years for a bit of inspiration to write today. I found two things. One is the perfectly stated quote above by the man who pretty much started the self-help genre, or at least was its leader, Dale Carnegie, who's most famous book first published in 1936 is still a large seller today: How to Win Friends and Influence People.

The subject of happiness is interesting in that so many people are looking for it outside of themselves. One of my favorite authors, Alan Cohen, says, "Seeking is not the same as finding. Seeking engenders more seeking, and finding engenders more finding. The end of seeking is finding. Not because it just happens. Because you choose." Seeking happiness is a total waste of time and energy. Finding happiness is so easy. You simply choose it. You choose to be happy. You choose thoughts that cause you to feel happy. It costs nothing, nor does it take any effort.

I was reading over another short piece from Alan Cohen where he was talking about the movie, Legally Blonde, a favorite of mine. Toward the end of the movie, Elle Woods ends up as the defense student-lawyer for Brooke whose claim to fame was having a fitness studio in Los Angeles. So, Elle says to the daughter on the witness stand, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands. They just don't."

Alan Cohen adds this: "People who are happy don't need to hurt anyone else. They feel good enough that they don't give the power of their joy away to others and then grow angry when others do not fulfill their needs. Happy people find the source of their joy inside themselves and free others from the responsibility to make them happy."

He continues, "Take a few moments today to consider if you have given your power away to someone by defining him or her as the source of your happiness. Then consider how good it would feel to be happy no matter what that person says or does. Behold the door to true freedom."


Make Your Own Individual Choice About How You Will Feel In Every Minute Of Every Day. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Joy comes from endorphins. Fill a bag with them and sprinkle them around all day long. They're contagious. You're contagious. Joy is contagious.

Daily Inspiration 4-5-15

"Can we care enough

to say what we're thinking? 

Can we expand that conversation

until we have more clarity? 

Can we take down the protective walls 

and be brave enough and open enough 

to trust each other for a while?"

-- Albert K. Strong 

I watched a movie last night (no surprise there!) that touched a profound chord in me. It's a young people's movie you would think on the surface. It was released in 2014 and it is called Two Night Stand. It's a love story with an interesting twist and its message was so powerful that I think every single couple in the world could benefit from watching this one or more times.

And yet, this flick is not just about couples. I think it applies in all of our relationships all through our lives, and so the power of the message that I received from this movie became that profound chord. 

Here's the synopsis from the DVD sleeve: "After an ill-considered one-night stand, two young New Yorkers are obliged to extend their time together when a paralyzing snowstorm strikes the city, confining the pair to a small cramped apartment."

Here's my synopsis: "Two young seeking people are brought together to satisfy a temporary itch, then through strange circumstances, they are stuck in a small apartment and after a lot of bantering, they finally decide to speak their mind, share their feelings, and open themselves to a different and better world."

To me, this film is all about being open to communicating. I might have used the word honesty in the past, but I don't use that word much anymore because it doesn't mean what I thought it did. Honesty indicates that there is a right way and dishonesty would be the wrong way, but in relationships, it is never about honesty. It is about a willingness to communicate, to speak our minds, to withhold judgment, and to trust a better outcome, with each party growing in the process.

In the movie, it was mainly about sex. That's a place we've all had a lot of experience probably, and how they opened up and talked to each other about what pleased them and what didn't please them, and how they were willing to learn from each other in this way, enhanced both of them to expand to new levels of joy and confidence. That is why I think it was so good for couples. Maybe you are the exception, but I know in my life, I would have loved to do more of this. It's so easy to make assumptions, and at best those are 50/50 in results.

So this was a powerful sex movie, and it was powerful because of the opportunity for them to communicate with one another and learn from one another and grow in the process. It is a powerful relationship movie because unless we are a confirmed hermit, we are in relationships wherever we go. We are in relationships at work with co-workers, supervisors, bosses, and others. We are in relationships as business owners or doing business with others. We are in relationships whenever there is another person and we have the opportunity to communicate.

In all of those relationships, I think most people have walls around them often raised to protect, and we let out only what we feel is required for the situation. This works fine for many relationships because they are superficial. When it comes to relationships where we are working together, trying to accomplish something together in co-creation, that is not superficial and the willingness to communicate with each other makes it work or not according to how open we can be to learn from each other, how much we can trust each other to speak freely, how much we care about each other in that there be no winner and loser. Both parties or all parties must win.

Sometimes we are so afraid to hurt someone's feelings. That is our own fear, and fear begets more fear as we should already know. It's not about truth or honesty because there is no such thing as that, or if there were, it would be only our own. It is simply about caring enough (loving enough) to want to communicate what we want, what we do not want, what we are thinking, how we are feeling. Of course, this needs to be mutual with the other or others. This doesn't happen on its own in the union, so someone may need to step forth and get the conversation going.

Once it is going, growth is assured. Learning is assured. Better results are assured. More love and respect for each other or others is assured. And, when it comes to sex and business too, more joy is assured.


If You Care Enough, Take A Chance To Be Free. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by speaking and sharing your joy. It's wonderful to feel it yourself, and by spreading it, you get to see it grow into so much more.