Daily Inspiration 7-31-15

"You don't have to justify 

the good that flows to you; 

it is a given. 

You are of more value 

in the joy of your cross-stitching 

than in the struggle 

of your ironing." 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

We don't really need to justify anything. And, we certainly don't need to justify the good that flows to us. That is natural when we allow it, yet often we may not, thinking that we should show that we've done something to deserve it. Rest assured. We deserve it. As I said, it is natural. As Abraham said, it is a given. 

I love the second sentence in this quote: "You are of more value in the joy of your cross-stitching than in the struggle of your ironing." You are of more value in your joy! Of course. You are of more value in your creativity. You are of more value in the joy of expressing your creativity. You are of more value in the joy of your own uniqueness.

Your value is you. It is the allowing of the inner you to come out and play. It is allowing yourself to be the unique person that you are. You have a unique set of skills and attributes. You are of immense value. It is in your joy that you are releasing this and in your joy that your good flows to you.

The struggle of your ironing. I love that line. We're so busy pushing hard on that iron, pressing it down, hitting the steam button, getting out the spray starch and we're gonna make this thing perfectly flat and creased in just the right places, and. . . Jeez, I can feel the tension as I write it, let alone think of it, or express it. And yet, so often, this is what we are focused on. We are making it happen! We are doing it. We are taking charge. We are making it do what we want it to do. We are changing it. We are making those stupid wrinkles go away. We are on guard. We are in control.

Not.

Your value is not in the ironing, no matter how good at it you think you might be, or how anal you are about the creases being just right. Your value is not there. That is pure resistance and you know it because it is easy enough to feel that tension. The feeling of that is an indication--no, it is direct and certain guidance that though you think you can control that stuff, it cannot be controlled. It only multiplies. The Law of Attraction insists on it.

Your value is you. Your value is exposed by allowing the inner you, the joy within to come out and play. Your value is always in your joy. Joy is another word for love. Joy is another word for freedom. Joy is another word for peace. You are joy. You are love. You are freedom. You are peace. Your good is a given. As Abraham says, "Ask and It Is Given." This is part one and two of the three-part manifestation process. Part three is allowing. We allow our good. We allow our joy. We turn off the iron and allow our joy. And, when we are focused here, it only multiplies. The Law of Attraction insists on it.


When Was The Last Time You Skipped Rather Than Walked? Do You Still Remember How? 

Spread Some Joy Today--What else is there worth spreading?

Daily Inspiration 7-30-15

"Peace requires us to surrender 

our illusions of control." 

-- Jack Kornfield 

I used this same quote yesterday. It is very rare that I use a quote twice. I have tens of thousands of quotes all on paper in many files and I notate when and how I have used them to attempt to use them only once; however, this quote is really special to me because it says so much about what peace really is.

Sure it is a letting go of; a release. But, what is special to me about this quote is the phrase, "surrender our illusions of control." It doesn't say our control. It says of control. This quote by Jack Kornfield is now easily in my top ten quotes of all time: "Peace requires us to surrender our illusions of control." 

Yesterday and the day before, I've spoken of peace. It is interesting that one of my favorite books, of which I have bought and given away over a hundred copies, is Love Is Letting Go Of Fear by Gerald Jampolsky. In this book, he suggests having one single goal of peace. It makes perfect sense. Inner peace is love. Inner peace is joy. Inner peace is freedom. In fact, I think that is the best way to describe freedom.

But, I have a slightly different point to make today. I was thinking yesterday about this quote and the piece written yesterday, and I felt that I left one very important part out. The part that I left out is our illusion of other people's control of us.

Surrendering our illusions of control of others is one thing, and a very valuable idea, yet more important I think is surrendering our illusions that others have control over us. When we surrender this illusion, our own inner peace is assured.

I like how Abraham, Esther Hicks said this at a workshop in 1997: "No one can deny you anything. Only you deny it through your vibrational contradiction." So it is with peace. No one can deny you peace. Only you can deny your peace through your vibrational contradiction. In other words by not surrendering the illusions of their control.

I will end with this quote from Abraham, Esther Hicks from a workshop in 2005: "You are the creator of your own reality, and so you are not in jeopardy. You do not need to control the behavior of others in order for you to thrive. Your attention to things that you think they do that keeps you from your thriving is, in fact, what keeps you from your thriving. . . It is not what they do to you; it's what you do to you in fear of what you think that they will do to you."


Surrendering My Illusions Of Control--Other's And My Own. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by relaxing, remembering to breathe deeply, and pick the better feeling thoughts.

Daily Inspiration 7-29-15

"Peace requires us to surrender 

our illusions of control." 

-- Jack Kornfield 

This flows with yesterday's post, and I love this quote by Jack Kornfield. Here's the whole quote: "Peace requires us to surrender our illusions of control. We can love and care for others but we cannot possess our children, lovers, family, or friends. We can assist them, pray for them, and wish them well, yet in the end, their happiness and suffering depend on their thoughts and actions, not on our wishes." 

There is so much in this one quote. First, peace and surrender. To me peace is surrender. It is letting go. It is allowing. That is a better way to see it: allowing. Allowing others to be as they will, do as they choose to do, think as they choose to think. When we are allowers, we are empowering ourselves with peace, love, and freedom. We are free from all.

Next, the illusion of control. There is a wide range of beliefs that we can control so many things including people. We think we can control how others think, what they do, how they do it. We think we can control our children, our employees, and more. We have the ultimate model of control in prisons, of which we lead the world in quantity. Once we realize that we really don't have the control we think we do, then control is meaningless. It is an illusion. Letting go of that illusion is required to have peace, don't you think?

Then, we can be of assistance. We can pray, wish others well. We can see them succeeding, being healthy, thriving. We certainly can be of assistance and that assistance can make a difference. Our attitude or rather our positive uplifting feelings for others in whatever their situation can be of definite help, and it is loving to do so. If we cannot come with this attitude, we are better and they are better that we leave it all alone.

And last, whatever we think, and whatever we may do is of little consequence in the end as to the other person's situation. Whether they continue to suffer or have happiness is not dependent on anything that we do in the end. It is 100% their choice of what they choose to think, how they choose to feel, what they choose to do or not do. If we are to be truly loving, we will absolutely respect this last bit. People will think what they choose, feel how they choose to feel, do or not do what they choose regardless of what we choose to think, choose to feel, or choose to do or not do. There is great power in this knowing.


Peace Is Allowing And Yet Surrender, As Is Unconditional Love, As Is True Freedom, As Is Pure Joy. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by becoming a better allower.

Daily Inspiration 7-28-15

"Intelligent people 

are those who agree with you." 

-- Alan Cohen 

Having someone disagree with me used to set off a flood of defensive thoughts and scenarios in my head. Criticism of any kind isn't all that wonderful to listen to. I prefer people who agree with me and like what I do and how I do it. I prefer people who compliment me and build me up. And yet, there are not nearly enough of those kinds of people around when you need them sometimes.

I had a meeting today. I anticipated that there may be some kind of confrontation. No need for details, as they are not the least bit important. What is important is that I was feeling apprehension the past couple of days when I thought about the meeting. Of course, I wanted the meeting to be positive, upbeat and work out perfectly, but my defenses were on alert because my ego was trying to be in charge.

After my morning regular 15-minute meditation, an hour or so later, I decided to sit and meditate specifically on the good outcome of this meeting. After I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, this thought came to me clear as a bell: I am at peace with disagreement. I was surprised and amazed. I thought, wow! That is interesting and profound. I kept repeating, I am at peace with disagreement.

Then, other similar thoughts began tagging along: I am at peace with disappointment. I am at peace with other people's anger. I am at peace with problems. I am at peace with what I do and how I do it. I am at peace with my skills, my uniqueness, my work, my values. I am at peace with what I do and I am at peace with who I am. I am peace. I am love. I am joy.

I have never met the person who would be in the meeting, but I envisioned everything going well and me being at peace. During the meeting after getting some feedback and feeling a tinge of defensiveness, I opened my briefcase and wrote on a piece of paper: I am at peace with disagreement. I am at peace with who I am. I am at peace.

The meeting went very well. I was pleased, and I owe it to the energy balancing an hour before the meeting. We have such a tendency to just act, to think that everything is about action, and I have learned that the state of mind is more important. I don't do this often enough, but I am renewed in my desire to match my energy with my intentions before I act whenever I can. As I do so, the outcome will be so much more to my liking. I'm certain of it.

Try it yourself. Next time you are meeting with someone and you have any defensiveness going on, or apprehension about the meeting for whatever reason, do a short meditation on how you want that meeting to end. See it already successfully accomplished. See how you are feeling after the meeting. Feel the feeling. Then rest in your inner confidence and watch what happens.


I Am At Peace With All. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Or spread some peace or love today. They are very nearly the same thing.

Daily Inspiration 7-27-15

"You get what you feel 

about what you think about." 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

"Some are beginning to acknowledge: You get what you think about. But we would like to clarify that statement further by saying: You get what you feel about what you think about."

To explain that statement briefly about the subject of money, for example, they continue: "So where are you on the sliding scale of possible vibrations relative to the subject of money? You may often say that you want more money, but if you consistently feel disappointment, or even fear, about not having enough money, then your vibrational offering regarding money does not match your statement of desire."

It doesn't matter what the subject is, whether it is about being overweight, having a bad relationship, children that are not doing what you want them to do, a job that is causing issues, it's all the same. It's about our focus.

They say that we cannot have a happy ending in an unhappy journey. And, for me, that statement really helps put it into perspective. Being unhappy and wanting to be happy are two completely different and opposing feelings.

Those who go to the gym and maintain slim, healthy bodies, are successful at that because they don't go because they want to lose weight, but because they enjoy health. They enjoy the exercise, the movement, the feeling during and afterward. They feel good. If they went with the feeling that they hated doing it, their program would fail very quickly.

We need to find a way to feel good about what we want while giving little or no attention to where we are now if we are not where we want to be. And, we will know where we are by how we feel. We could be saying what we want, thinking of what we want, but if our feelings don't match what we want, it isn't going to be what we say we want. Our feelings tell us whether we are in alignment with our desire or not.

So, a better way is to get happy first! Then move. Know what we want and feel that excitement and enthusiasm about what we want, then act. Focus on where we are going and not on where we are now.


Creating An Enjoyable Journey For Every Destination. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by borrowing someone else's joy if you're a little short.

Daily Inspiration 7-26-15

"We all have a little larceny in us. 

Some make use of it, others leave it be. 

Of those that use it, some just play with it, 

while others make it a career." 

-- Albert K. Strong 

I've learned a funny thing about seeing people do things that I think are wrong. I guess you could say it might be less wrong than I used to think. My thoughts about that have softened significantly. And, today, I realized part of why that is. It is because I can speak about what others are doing wrong from experience. The pot calling the kettle black, and all that speck in the eye or log in the eye stuff. I'm no goody-two-shoes, but I've been known to act innocent as I criticize others for so-called "bad behavior."

There's nothing like a slap in the face with your own stuff to wise a soul up. And some people like me have needed it more often than others. I'm better for wising up and that's for certain.

I wonder how many times I've tried to kink the system? Not blatantly, of course. It's not like I want to get caught, you know, but I've been known to look out for number one from time to time. I've been known to manipulate and pretend I wasn't home at the time.

One of the sure signs of larceny is in the desire to punish those who have been caught in their larceny. JUSTICE! We want justice! And, all the time, we've got our secret closet locked and the key is in our underwear. That's where we hide all that stuff we've schemed about over the years, broadcast to unsuspecting accomplices, created plenty of fouls and called it fair, and much more.

Even after getting on the wagon, I've been known to fall off in the most interesting places. Then, one more time, I'm awakened from my sleepwalking and brought back to the reality that I'm human. Oh so human. And, I know that is just an excuse, but there you go. It's all I have.


The Answer The Lasts Is More Love, More Love, More Love, More Love . . . More Unconditional Love. 

Spread Some Joy Today--It's the right thing to do.

Daily Inspiration 7-25-15

"Long questions deserve short answers." 

-- Alan Cohen 

So, here's a long question: What is the purpose of life? Here's the deserving short answer: JOY.

I've studied life in earnest since I was a youngster, and joy is the only answer that makes any sense. The more I learn, the more I see that is the desired result. Why do we like sex? For the joy it brings. Why do we buy shiny new things? The joy it brings. Why do we work at excelling at what we do to achieve mighty objectives? The joy it brings to have done it and to bask in that joy for as long as we can feel it. Whatever we do, we are hoping, wanting, expecting (or not, because it certainly is a choice!), desiring to feel good, to have more well-being, to be happy, to have and experience more joy.

To me, joy is like being super happy, yet at the same time not flailing about. Yesterday was Friday and I went to the bank to make a deposit. The bank is 2.5 miles from my home office. There are 10 stoplights between here and there. Having made this trip hundreds of times, it is very rare that all the lights are red when I get there. It is equally rare to find them all green.

At stoplight number two, I'm petting Charlie while waiting, and I have been in joy for most of the day already, and am still. A flashy custom, loud motorcycle goes in between our two lanes to the front of the intersection. It's a beautiful bike with deep red metallic paint. He's five cars ahead and he's revving his engine many times with increasing impatience. Then the light turns green. He's off. First gear, second gear, third gear, fourth. He's way down there.

I'm cruising on down and we come to the next red light and there he is revving his motor. The light turns green and he's off like a rocket! I'm cruising casually at the 35 mph speed limit (or close enough), and here's another red light. And, there he is at the front of the intersection.

Now the odds of this are pretty dang high, but he raced from one stoplight to the other and he won the First One At The Stoplight prize for sure, and I met him at nine of the ten stoplights on red. I think that was fricken amazing. I was laughing and enjoying the whole scene so much, that when I parked and went into the bank, my joy was spilling out of me all over the place. I announced boldly when I walked in at 5:30pm, "Thank God It's FUN!" (My version of T.G.I.F.) I found nothing but things to compliment, nothing but smiles and joy in return. You give joy and joy is returned!

This feeling of joy is a feeling of connectedness with all of life. That's why it is deeper than simply being happy. Joy is equal to love. I am so enjoying myself and those around me and if there were something that I would not be liking, it is not even on my radar. Even silly things like the motorcycle guy racing to the next 9 stoplights fill me with joy. And, the best thing is that this is the way I am most of the time now.

This paragraph from Abraham, Esther Hicks speaks to how I have arrived at this place and how we all can do the same: "You will never reach the place where you will not need to be diligent about your choice of thought. Because you live in a world that is determined to show you every pocket of despair. So you must diligently choose. But it gets easier and easier and easier to do so. Right now, it may feel to you like those moments of Connection are the rare ones. There will be a time when those moments of Connection will feel so normal that it will shock you when you get into a place of disconnection." 


Choosing Is Always Our Choice. I Choose Joy! 

Spread Some Joy Today--and watch it come back at you.

Daily Inspiration 7-24-15

"We often confuse our value 

with our circumstance." 

-- Dr. Steve Maraboli 

People may say things to others, but more likely to themselves, such as, "I'm too fat!" Or if not that blatant, "I'm overweight," or things like, "I'm poor or I'm broke, or I can't afford that," or "my job sucks," "I hate this or that." But, none of those things are us. We are not our circumstances or our condition. When we think we are our circumstance, we are often powerless to change because we feel like a victim, that this thing has landed on me and I don't know what to do.

I think the first step is to realize and celebrate once we realize, that we are not our circumstances. We are independent of it. It may have a current effect on things in our lives, but it is not us. We are the powerful ones, not our circumstances.

In fact, circumstances can be downright inspirational once we realize that we are independent of them. It can help us to get moving and make changes so that our circumstances will be as we want them to be. Broke is a temporary condition, and feeling or being poor is a mindset. Overweight is a temporary condition, fat is a mindset. We always get to choose and we always have power over all of our circumstances. Even if we can't immediately change the actual circumstance, we absolutely can change how we see it and what we think about it.


That's All The Power We Need. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by realizing your own inner power to change.

Daily Inspiration 7-23-15

"We don't serve the world by shrinking, 

but by shining." 

-- Dr. John F. Demartini 

How many of you have ever been talking with someone, researching them on Google, LinkedIn, or in other ways see information about them that makes you think they are superior to you? That they know more than you? That they are vastly more skilled than you? That they have far more formal education and degrees than you?

Maybe you've been doing something for 20 years and then you meet someone who has gone further and faster in far less time than you have. Maybe they also make a lot more money than you. Maybe you think they have it all or at least a corner on a bunch of it.

Here's the best thing to remember any time you might feel that way about yourself. They are also people. In more ways than you might imagine, they have similar experiences and they also have thoughts and feelings about themselves that may not always be self-uplifting. Maybe they too may put themselves below others they see or meet or find online.

Everyone has value. They have value. You have value. When we realize and accept that each of us has value, that each of us is loved equally by our Creator (which is true!), we can allow ourselves to give others praise as we would love to receive praise. We can uplift them and compliment them on their choices, as we would love that someone else makes those same observations about ourselves. We can celebrate their success without diminishing our own.

I have found that when I celebrate others and their accomplishments, the achieving of their goals, living their lives on their terms, I unconsciously celebrate myself. When I look for fault in others and find myself to seem inferior to them, I unconsciously become less in my own mind. Once I saw this happening, I began to do more celebrating of others.

We all make choices. We cannot help but make choices. This is a world of contrast, causing us to know more about what we like and want, which causes us to choose. Some chose long college times getting multiple degrees, others went straight to work and began families earlier. There are hundreds, thousands, or even millions of other choices and each is worthy of celebration from the one making the choices and those watching the events.

The more we celebrate others, the more we open ourselves to the celebration of ourselves. Whatever the choices are, no one is better than another. They each have different results, for sure, but none are better than another.

Which brings me to celebrating ourselves brightly without any thought of we being better than anyone else as a result of that. We delight in our own celebration of our decisions and the outcome, whatever it may be. All choices should be celebrated.


There's Always A Reason To Celebrate Others, And To Remember To Also Celebrate Ourselves. 

Spread Some Joy Today--It's a celebration of joy!

Daily Inspiration 7-22-15

"Reach out and touch someone." 

-- AT&T commercial message 

Today, I had several people on my mind and I acted on that message. I gave them each a call. And, guess what? It was perfect timing for all included. That is quite interesting and telling. There are days where I have those urges and do not act on them. It would have been perfect then too, but I wasn't at home. I was somewhere else.

The more I get into all of this stuff about knowing myself, the more I see that I just need to follow the guidance in front of me. It seems to always work out. The only roadblock is me.


Thank God My Guidance Is Tenacious. 

Spread Some Joy Today--What else would you like to spread? I think joy is a great choice.

Daily Inspiration 7-21-15

"Who in the world 

wants to hear actors talk?" 

-- Harry Warner, 

Warner Bros Pictures, 1927 

Has anyone ever said something like the quote from Harry Warner to you? Maybe it was stuff like, "who do you think you are!?" or "what makes you think you can do that?" or "you'll never make any money doing that." or "you're just not smart enough for that." or "you have to be in the right place at exactly the right time and what are the odds of that?" or any number of misleading and false thoughts about you.

It's easier to reject what other people have to say after you've maybe been defensive about it for a while, but what if these kinds of thoughts are coming from within? That relentless self-talk, that overly important ego that thinks he or she knows everything that is right and wrong, good and bad for you. In other words, fear.

Well, have high hope. There are a lot of people that are happy to tell you what's wrong, how it cannot possibly be done and a thousand other obstacles offered up for your consideration. They mean absolutely nothing. In fact, they are not even worth the attention span it requires to hear what they have to say. It means nothing because it is not you, it is about them. It is their fears, their insecurities, and their problem.

It's the same thing with the overly active ego. Who's in charge here? No, who's really in charge? The ego thinks it is in charge, likes to be in charge, craves being in charge, but when it comes down to it, the ego is a big blowhard. It has its usefulness, but only a tiny fraction of what it tries to control.

So, who's really in charge? That would be you. The real you. The you that can see the ego as something that is not you. The you that can see that others are not always encouraging and often ignorant and fearful. The you that has the ultimate inner guidance who is the all-powerful You.

The really good news is that when you are in alignment with You, allowing that guidance to flow, whatever comes via thought or action is perfect for you. Not perfect for anyone else, but perfect for you. It is as it was meant to be from the beginning. It is often now called awareness, or enlightenment, which only means that you've discovered it for yourself, and are now aware of it, and enlightenment only means that you've accepted it and now make use of it. Everyone has it. Not everyone chooses to become aware of it or to make use of it. That is the only difference between any of us. We are all-powerful as we choose to accept that power.

I'll leave you with a quote from Abraham, Esther Hicks from a workshop in Asheville, NC on May 1, 2005: "When you find vibrational alignment with You, you personally thrive. You feel good; you look good; you have stamina; you have energy; you have balance; you have clarity; you have wit; you have an abundance of all things that you consider to be good. You thrive in all ways when you come into Energy Balance with You. Vibrational Relativity--that's what it's all about."


Nobody Knows Better Than You. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by relaxing that tension, and focusing on something to appreciate. Anything will do.

Daily Inspiration 7-20-15

"And they lived happily ever after. . ." 

-- Storybook ending 

Too good to be true? Did you stop believing that fairy tale after finding out about Santa Claus? It's only in stories but not real life?

Abraham, Esther Hicks gives us some uplifting advice: "We encourage you to decide, as early in life as possible, that your dominant intent and reason for existence is to live happily ever after. That would be a very good career choice: to gravitate toward those activities and to embrace those desires that harmonize with your core intentions, which are freedom and growth--and joy. Make a "career" of living a happy life rather than trying to find work that will produce enough income that you can do things with your money that will then make you happy. When feeling happy is of paramount importance to you--and what you do "for a living" makes you happy--you have found the best of all combinations."


It's Never Too Late To Get Happy. 

Spread Some Joy Today--and it will be returned to you in kind.

Daily Inspiration 7-19-15

"A warm smile 

is the universal language of kindness." 

-- William Arthur Ward 

In a world that always seems to be moving faster, seeking our attention and communication through texting, talking on the phone while doing whatever we may be doing, media everywhere, it is easy to forget to smile. When you are feeling good about yourself, or whatever may be in your vision or on your mind, a smile is a very natural response. Yet we may be going through our day focused on things that don't encourage a smile, and it seems that in that state we are alone in a crowded room.

As I'm driving, I am looking at people out walking, or in other cars. It is an interesting thing as the eyes of whomever I am looking at--even for only a moment or two--and my eyes meet. It reminds me of that stuff about a surface to air missile when it is said to have 'locked on' its intended target. As our eyes meet each other even for a split second, I feel some kind of connection. I feel as if reams of information have just been exchanged, yet I know none of it consciously. It is a fascinating feeling. It doesn't happen often even though I am looking and they may casually look back. The difference is the actual 'eye contact.' I also think there is a big difference in that connection if I am smiling at that moment or not.

Wherever I am moving through my day, whether walking or driving, I am wanting to be present. I am focused on enjoying myself and enjoying my surroundings, the weather, the traffic, the interesting people in every size, shape, color, all their different clothes, their attitude, and by that, I mean relative to their environment. How are they carrying themselves, if they seem to be enjoying themselves, and so on?

As I do all of this and while I am focused on my own enjoyment, I am smiling. Sometimes it is a joyous smile, and other times a warm smile, a waning smile, and so on. I'm curious, but not focused on who may be receiving my smile. How many times during your day does someone's smile brighten your day just a little bit? What an easy way to make a difference and lift others up.

Since I've decided that my predominant goal in my life is to simply enjoy myself, I find myself smiling, laughing, feeling joy so often. Whether I am at my computer doing Internet work for our clients, driving around doing errands, walking about, I am focused on enjoying myself. Yesterday was a glorious day and I was reveling in its glory. Each and every day is feeling much like that now. I find myself grateful and giving thanks for the perfect shady parking spot so Charlie won't get too hot, seeing the long line of traffic and having no real need of getting in there with them, appreciating my car and my truck and how well they perform, the scenery of Northern California, the weather whatever it may be. I find myself giving thanks and finding so many things to be in appreciation of. 


All Of This With A Smile. I'm In Heaven Right Here. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by smiling at everyone you see today. What a perfect way to share your true wealth.

Daily Inspiration 7-18-15

"To know, and not to do, is not to know." 

-- Leo Buscaglia 

Tony Robbins has a great way of saying the same thing that may make even better sense to so many as it did to me: "A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided."

Oh, how many times I have made a decision and did not seal it with an act. In the hot rod pop songs of the 1960s that would be like a 'no-go showboat.' That's like going around revving my engine in a parade while being pulled along by another car. Flash and show. All talk and no go. How many times? . . Heck, I quit smoking at least 3,000 times. But, who's counting? 

I'm guessing--just spit-balling here, (love that line from A Few Good Men) that a few of you have done the same. Making decisions is easy. Taking action on them is a little bit more challenging.


"It's Not Knowing What To Do, It's Doing What You Know." -- Tony Robbins 

Spread Some Joy Today--by making a decision to be joyful and share your joy, then following through by actually doing it.

Daily Inspiration 7-17-15

"If you intend to be of assistance, 

your eye is not upon the trouble 

but upon the assistance, 

and that is quite different." 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

When you give, what thoughts and feelings are attached to the gift? Let's say you're giving money to a beggar with a sign at the driveway to a business exit, which is a common sight in almost any city. Let's say you decide to be of assistance. How much do you give? How much relative to what you have on you? Is it sort of like trying to figure out how much to tip when you eat out? What else are you feeling? Are they positive, uplifting thoughts, or are you may be unhappy with all the beggars around and you would like them to go away?

Continuing with Abraham, "When you are looking for a solution, you are feeling positive emotion--but when you are looking at a problem, you are feeling negative emotion." Sometimes maybe we throw money at the problem. . .

"You can be of great assistance to others as you see what they want to be, and as you uplift them to what they want to have, through your words and through your attention to that. But, as you see one who is down on his luck, as you see one who has great poverty or great illness, and as you speak with him in pity and sympathy about that which he does not want, you will feel the negative emotion of it, because you are a contributor to that. As you talk to others about what you know they do not want, you assist them in their miscreating because you amplify the vibration of attracting what is not wanted."

They say that it is not the gift, but the thought that counts, and what Abraham said now bring new meaning to that old phrase. Can we give a gift and at the same time is actually doing harm? Yes. It depends on what is behind or attached to the gift.

Abraham adds a bit more: "You will not uplift others through your words or sorrow. You will not uplift others through your recognition that what they have is not what they want. You will uplift them by being something different yourself. You will uplift them through the power and clarity of your own personal example. As you are healthy, you may stimulate their desire for health. As you are prosperous, you may stimulate their desire for prosperity. Let your example uplift them. Let what is in your heart uplift them. You will uplift others when your thought feels good to you. . . You will depress others, or add unto their negative creating when your thought makes you feel bad. That is how you know whether or not you are uplifting."


How Does It Feel When You Give? 

Spread Some Joy Today--by giving it freely without any reasoning.

Daily Inspiration 7-16-15

"Twenty years from now

you will be more disappointed

by the things that you didn't do

than by the ones you did do. 

So throw off the bowlines. 

Sail away from the safe harbor. 

Catch the trade winds in your sails. 

Explore. Dream. Discover." 

-- Mark Twain 

What a great quote to ponder. When I was younger, I would often look back on my life and feel disappointed that I didn't make decisions, develop disciplines that would have had me in a better position in the place I was then. Yet today, as I look back twenty years to age 45, or 35, or 25, or 15, I no longer think of disappointments, bad decisions, things that could have been, etc.

The answer for me lies in a quote by J. M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan and much more. He said, "The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one does." I see a world apart in those two connected phrases.

Probably, many people are seeking that secret to the happiness of doing what they like or love rather than what they are currently doing. I even spent a good deal of time in that space myself over the years. Another way to say that is that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. It's always somewhere else and not where we are now.

What I learned that changed all of that was the second part of the two-part phrase, by learning to, or rather allowing myself to, like what I was doing. In liking what I was doing, I could see the past differently. Things that I've done became stepping stones across streams, pathways through the forest, shade trees in the heat of the summer.

Rather than waiting for something to come along that I liked, I began liking where I was and what I was doing. Instead of wishing and hoping, I was doing and allowing. I love how one of my favorite mentors, Jim Rohn said it: "If you don't like what you're doing, change it. You're not a tree!"


Enjoy Yourself And Enjoy Every Step On Your Journey. 

Spread Some Joy Today--because joy is your natural state. Just uncover it.

Daily Inspiration 7-15-15

"Your point of attraction 

predominantly occurs 

from the day-to-day things 

that you are thinking as you 

are moving through your day, 

and you have the power 

to direct your thoughts 

positively or negatively." 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

In a very short conversation at the teller window at the bank, the girl responded to something I said by saying, "It's hard to stay positive. I need to work on that more." I thought about that for a nanosecond and replied, "It takes no more effort to think a positive thought than a negative one, and in fact thinking negative thoughts doesn't feel very good, does it?"

I have to work at being positive? It seems to me the opposite is true because I think thinking positively about things has more to do with letting go than pulling harder. It has been my own experience that it is the negative thoughts that create tension, resistance, and my body is at work as much as my mind. But with positive thoughts, my body is relaxed, and my mind is coasting in peace.

I still love the life-is-like-a-river way of looking at this. Putting my boat in the river and rowing upstream is a lot of work and has mixed results at best. No matter how good you get at rowing, it is a never-ending struggle with the elements that are doing what they do and not giving us any mind whatsoever. Yet, in ceasing to struggle, rowing is unnecessary, and effort is not needed. As we flow with life rather than resist, we are empowered.

We don't like the decisions the boss made? We can row upstream by ourselves in our mind, or create a Facebook group to fight the injustice of those decisions, tell all our friends and coworkers all about it, feel terrible and unhappy too, or, we can accept that the boss is in charge and make the best of whatever decision he or she makes and go with the flow of it all. Or, the wife or husband, teacher or student, and every other relationship and situation we encounter.


The Power To Choose Is Our Own. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by letting go, because joy only comes this way. There is no such thing as struggling for joy.

Daily Inspiration 7-14-15

"We make a living by what we get, 

but we make a life by what we give." 

-- Winston Churchill 

Anyone remember that Bible passage where we may be "entertaining angels unaware?" I've thought of that many times since I first read it and the synchronicity of certain situations fascinates me.

Today, I filled up my truck with fuel and ran it through the car wash at the station. They recently repaired it, and it still needs some work because it wasn't cleaning the rear window of my camper shell. So, when I drove out, I briefly parked, took out some paper towels and cleaned the rear window and wiped off the front one too. Normally, I would have just driven out

As I got back in my truck, I saw a man about 30 feet away pointing at me and coming over. He had an apologetic story of need and someone he just asked gave him a dollar. He was on his way about 50 miles away and found himself in need of fuel. He was driving a minivan and said his wife was in the vehicle.

I didn't have hardly any cash on me, so I told him I don't have much cash. He said he didn't want cash, he needed gasoline. So, I said, "well, I can help with that. Pull up to a pump." He did so, I filled his tank, which came to $50. He was very thankful. I said, "I'm happy to help a fellow inmate." He laughed. He also gave me his business card saying he would be happy to repay me in landscaping or handyman work, and that he specialized in Japanese Gardens. I said, "Very good! As soon as I attract money, I'm calling you! I love Japanese Gardens." I also gave him my card about our Internet business.

They went their way, and I went on my way. At a stoplight, I looked at the back of his card listing his services. I started laughing and laughed all the way home. It was just so funny to me. Though I would recommend ordering new cards that are spelled correctly, I was very pleased to get this one today. It was delightful, and it was worth way more than $50 in the joy the card brought me this afternoon. 

Later, I showed it to a teller at the bank, but she didn't find it nearly as funny. I said, "It's the little things in life that bring me so much joy."


I Guess You Could Say That I Was Paid In Kind By Getting A Good Plumping Today. I'm Still Laughing. 

Spread Some Joy Today--It is the little things. . .

Side note: If he specializes in Japanese Gardens, why do you suppose that is nowhere on his card?

Daily Inspiration 7-13-15

"Perception is a mirror, not a fact." 

-- A Course in Miracles 

I was looking at the kitchen overtaken by a lazy bachelor. It was my kitchen. So, I said to myself, "I've got to do the dishes!" Then it immediately struck me that I was saying that poorly. It came to me that I should be saying, "I get to do the dishes!"

It is amazing the difference a few letters make in the perception of the thing. One way it is a task I would much rather procrastinate on, and the other, an opportunity for a nice look, organization, and order. Even though that is so unlike me, I loved the new way of looking at it, and in short order, the kitchen was in much better shape. I think that I'm going to be playing with all kinds of things where I've used the phrase, "I've got to _________," and changing them to "I get to ________." It feels so different, and isn't that half the battle--how we feel about doing something?

Have you ever said, "I've got to _______"?

Try changing it to, "I get to _________"!


Perception Is Everything. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by your awareness of the joy around you.

Daily Inspiration 7-12-15

"If we do not change our direction, 

we are likely to end up 

where we are headed." 

-- Chinese Proverb 

A couple of days ago, I was listening to an online radio program called, Get Real by Alan Cohen on Hay House Radio. He picks a subject and then talks very briefly and then takes phone calls from listeners.

What I found fascinating was how the callers would complain about a current situation looking for solutions, he would offer several, and hear them argue instead for their limitations. It reminded me of something I've taught salespeople over the years: To sell and avoid buying it back. Many salespeople would do a great job presenting the product and then keep talking long after the point the prospect was ready to make a decision to buy. This would often happen until the prospect left frustrated and unfulfilled.

For most of my life, I would talk about being good at what I do and all the things I tried and yet money never came to me in the quantities I would have loved. This is such a common complaint that I hear from a lot of people. We get what we focus on.

Alan Cohen says, "Money is not the answer to our prosperity problems. Wisdom is the answer. The only thing more valuable than money is knowing what to do with it."

Where is my attention? Is my attention and focus on growing the money I have, or wanting more money than I have? Is my focus on the many ways that I do not have enough? Or, is it on the abundance that surrounds me? In other words, am I focused on what I want or what I don't want lack or abundance?

I know in my life that I could have been a multi-millionaire many years ago had I focused my attention on that and learned how to save and invest and make the best use of growing money. Instead, I was focused on where I was. I was often selling the idea of being wealthy to myself, and then immediately buy it back with my "Yes, But" appeals arguing for my current limitations.

Jim Rohn said that you have to start with what you've got and then develop the disciplines that will lead you to wealth. He was very big on giving ten percent away as if sowing seeds along his path. He said that it is easier to give ten cents out of a dollar than $100,000 out of a million. Yet, it's all the same thing really. One has to begin where one stands with a focus on, or intention of, where that will lead. 

In how many ways have you stated your desire and then argued for your limitations? The power of our attention, or like Wayne Dyer's book, The Power of Intentions, is more powerful than we realize. Yet, their equal adversaries are a belief in lack and limitation.


We Get What We Focus On. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Think of it as seeds being sowed on your path.

Daily Inspiration 7-11-15

"Nothing stops 

 without something else beginning." 

-- Alan Cohen 

Somewhere along our travels, most of us have picked up expectations of how things should work. For example, how long should a marriage last? Until death do you part, right? Well, for sure for some and surely not for others. A better answer to the question might be until we choose otherwise.

Once I start my business, how long should it stay in business? Forever? Answer: Until is doesn't any longer. I grew up thinking Macy's was a forever store, then they went out of business. Well, let's say it is still there but it ain't the same.

I opened a musical instrument store and had it for a year and a half. Does that mean it failed? That could certainly be an assumption, but that would not be the truth. It didn't fail. I no longer had the desire for it. I had a desire for something different. So, I stopped one and started another. As far as I was and am concerned, it was a huge success. If nothing else, it was a grand educational experience which is useful in my life and that of others 35 years after the fact.

We have all manner of expectations that have been handed down to us, but you know, the only thing that really matters is our own experience and how we choose to view that experience. So, what might be some of the values of a short-lived enterprise or relationship?

• Creation. We take nothing more (which is really everything) than an idea and then take that thought and breathe life into it (it was already alive there) and cause it to be created in our reality. In other words, it went from the non-physical into the physical. 
• Co-Creation. We did it with others. It was not a single person's creation, but all who participated helped shape the outcome. 
• The economy moved. Money changed hands. Funds were raised, expended. 
• Education. We learned. There is much to learn every single day. 
• Change. We changed. Others changed. Nothing is static. 
• Difference. We made a difference. What we did mattered. What kind of difference may not be measurable from our own perspective. We cannot do anything and not make a difference. 
• Improvement. We made some improvements. However small or large they may be, improvements are a given. 
• Benefit. We provided a benefit, or many benefits to the community, to others, to the world. 
• Friends. We find new friends. Maybe even lifetime friends. 
• Passion. Beginnings are so often about passion. 
• Love. We get to share our love. We get to expand and enrich our own love. 

This is just a shortlist, and this process of thinking about things in this way is very helpful. Everything we do is a choice. We choose here, choose that, choose an idea, choose participants, convince others, promote our ideas, all choices. We choose to begin, to continue for a time, and then we choose to let go. If it continues to float on its own for a time, so be it, and if it doesn't, it is done for now, and on to another choice.

The most important choice we have is how we want to feel about our experiences. It is as easy to feel joy in having done something as it is to feel sad that it is no longer. Time is such a poor concept on the judgment of our experiences, and time is only an idea. Our living is always this moment, this moment, this moment. How we choose to feel is this moment, this moment, this moment.

I have found from a lifetime of study that to find ways to appreciate, love, and celebrate enhances our experience immeasurably. We all get to choose that or choose otherwise.


"In A Gentle Way, You Can Shake The World." 
-- Mahatma Gandhi 

Spread Some Joy Today--by making it your choice to do so.

Daily Inspiration 7-10-15

"Anytime what someone else thinks 

about you becomes more important 

than your own balance with self, 

you are in a less-than-healthy position 

because you are replacing your own 

Guidance System with their opinion." 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

A long-time reader sent me a note asking me to address a situation of how to reframe their mental state when it is now in a negative state due to someone's belittling and ranting about how horrible they are or have been. I said I would write about that today as I have had more than my share of experience in this area over a lot of time.

This kind of situation seems to most often occur in parent/sibling and romantic relationships. In my case, they were all in marriage. At some point, I did not meet the expectations (whatever they may have been) by doing something they disapproved of, or wanted to be involved in, or made decisions without them, and more. Then anger would cause them to rant and yell and generally be upset.

What do you guess the very first thing someone on the receiving end of this would do? They would become very defensive. When you are attacked, you automatically defend yourself. Then the argument escalates and many, many things are said in the heat of the emotion that perhaps would not have been said in cooler moments. Feelings get hurt, the pain deepens. There is never relief in this scenario. It is always more pain and it creates a further separation from the other in both the offensive and defensive position.

In Transactional Analysis or T.A., they call this transaction, Critical Parent and Adapted Child. The only thing in T.A. that breaks this circle of pain is the non-emotional Adult (reason, compassion), or the Nurturing Parent and Natural Child combination.

For years I wanted it to end. I finally took the tack that I learned in my twenties about 'owning my own feelings.' In other words, those attacks on me are not my feelings, it is theirs. I can choose to think differently about myself.

I learned that whenever someone is yelling, belittling, verbally abusing you, that it is never about you. It is about them. They are trying to express themselves, but not realizing how much harm they are trying to cause at the same time. Some used to say, "Oh, that's the Italian in me." It's just someone who doesn't know what else to do except explode like a volcano. And, in a so-called loving relationship, that is nowhere near love. It is fear. The opposite of love.

Sometimes people say, "I do this because I love you." I say, "please stop loving me right now!" No, it isn't even close to love. It is way on the other end of that stick.

In the most recent episodes of anger, yelling, belittling, and more that I was on the receiving end of, I worked on not plugging into it. I just refused to accept it. I got good at that. But there was something else going on too. My wife was ill. Two years before her diagnosis of ALS, she was vocally belligerent many times to the point that was way more than anything like normal. One day she ranted at the top of her lungs for about an hour and fifteen minutes. It was ridiculous. Toward the end of that one, I had to take off and go for a ride, but it was her illness getting traction. As her illness progressed, she couldn't talk, so she wrote her nasty comments.

Let me say that this kind of verbal abuse is not something that one gets used to. And, in situations, like I had, leaving wasn't the right option, so I was forced to find a different way to come to terms with it and be okay in myself.

It is said, that you cannot love others until you love yourself. I never really understood that inside. Superficially, yes. Internally, no. But, I came to understand it. When you can't escape the abuse, you have to open your mind. I began to love myself.

That is probably easy for some, but loving myself was not easy for me. I had to play with it, study it, learn about it, and allow it. I'm still on that trail. Now I understand how if you don't love yourself, you really don't love someone else in the way that is truly loving. You can appreciate them, respect them, serve them, but loving has to begin with ourselves.

When we love ourselves--truly love ourselves, the opinions of others have less meaning. Someone can say all they want in whatever manner they choose, but it is all rejected as if it is bouncing off a rubber barrier. When we look to our own inner guidance, our God within, our inner being, or whatever words you like to use, that entity loves us as God loves all creation. Others opinions have no value here. It is only our inner source and our own love of ourselves in total harmony. Once there, no one gets through to cause any pain.

We are best served by seeking only our own inner guidance and loving ourselves, and at the same time, because that is the love of God, we love those who attack us too. This doesn't mean we need to hang around and accept abuse very long. We can exercise our ultimate choice of who we enjoy being around. As we accept none of what others have to dish out, they stop dishing it out soon enough. Either way, we are the ones who are always in control. If we can't change the circumstances immediately, we always have the power of how we choose to think about them, and consequently, how we feel about them, and the other person.

The short answer is to learn, or rather remember to love ourselves as God loves us, and that love is without any condition, without any reason, without any need. It simply and beautifully is.


It Has Been Said, 'Love The One You're With.' What That Really Means Is YOU Because You Are ALWAYS With You Wherever You Go. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by letting go of the resistance of trying to satisfy others. Be yourself. The best you could ever be is to be your best self.

Daily Inspiration 7-9-15

"Life is less about 

getting somewhere, 

and more about 

being somewhere." 

-- Alan Cohen 

Here's a question for you: Who's in charge? Let's improve on that question just to make sure: Who's REALLY in charge?

How often do things happen that frustrate you? How often do you blame others for events in your life? And, here's a more telling question: How often do you beat up on yourself for decisions in the past, not doing what you said to yourself you were going to do, and the list can get very long here. 

I've figured out in my life that my biggest problem, strongest adversary, most persistent naysayer, and most critical voice is my own.

The best question I learned is to consider who's really in charge here. It certainly isn't the real me. It's that other guy. When I remember who is really in charge--the real me, the spiritual me, the part of everything me, the portion of God me--I can see clearly the tug-o-war rope I'm holding in my hands and what a struggle it is just to stay in one place. Once I see the rope and the resistance I've been clinging to, I know that the real me is in charge, and I just drop the rope and relax.

I've gotten much faster at recognizing what is going on through frustration, impatience, disappointment, initial-response anger, worry, and more. Now, I pay attention to how I am feeling. Am I feeling tense? Fearful? Worried? Frustrated? When I recognize that I'm not feeling good, I remember that the other guy is temporarily in charge. As quickly as I can, I choose to feel better because I want to feel good. In this process, I begin to relax.

I might close my eyes and just breathe for a bit, or look at and appreciate something in nature, celebrate what a nice day it is, put on some Jim 'Kimo' West slack-key music, move around, any number of things that will bring me back to the reality that the real me is now in charge. As I am there, I feel better, I am relaxed, I am peaceful, and I am refreshed. Then I laugh at how good it feels to be the one really in charge.


Who's In Charge? Who's REALLY In Charge? 

Spread Some Joy Today--by feeling your joy.

Daily Inspiration 7-8-15

"The truly wealthy 

dwell in the consciousness

of enoughness." 

-- Alan Cohen 

Yesterday, I wrote about chapter one in the book, Relax Into Wealth, by Alan Cohen, and today, I want to write briefly about chapter two. In this chapter, he discusses enoughness. When is enough, enough? He says that "every thought you have falls into one of two streams of energy: enough or not enough. The more you observe and affirm enough, the more enough you have. The more you observe and affirm not enough, the more not enough you have.

He says to "expand your sense of prosperity by focusing on the riches you already own. You can find wealth in good health; the beauty of nature; rewarding friendships; a loving family; bubbling creativity; your spiritual source; stimulating ideas; the kindness of people you meet; and much, much more. Right now in many ways, you are a billionaire! You may be richer than many people with lots of money because you give your attention to wealth rather than need."

To those who think contentment is a bad place to be, he says, "Does contentment mean that you must just stop where you are, never desire more, and never change anything from the way it is? Certainly not. A great way to position a contentment attitude is: happy and hungry. You appreciate what you have and enjoy the adventure of expanding your world. . . Everything wants to grow, and everything is perfect in its stage of growth. Perfection is not a place you arrive at; it is an attitude you enjoy as you go."

Abraham, Esther Hicks calls that, appreciating what you have and being eager for more. Enough isn't a place, it is an attitude.

Again, at the end of the chapter, he asks some great questions:

1. What do you feel you have enough of?
2. hat do you feel you do not have enough of?
3. Take a few moments to focus on the elements of your life that make you feel rich. How rich are you? How do you feel after you focus on your wealth?
4. Find within yourself the delicious balance of happy and hungry. . . and these last questions jumped off the page for me:

What are you happy with? What are you hungry for? Notice how you feel when you let yourself be whole where you stand while reaching for higher.


"When You Realize That Nothing Is Lacking, The Whole World Belongs To You." -- Lao Tzu   

Spread Some Joy Today--You attract more joy from your joy and more lack of joy from your lack of joy.

Daily Inspiration 7-7-15

"Successful people 

ask better questions, 

and as a result, 

they get better answers." 

-- Tony Robbins 

Have you ever read a book, loved it, put it on the shelf and then a few years later, pick it up again, knowing full well you've read it, yet it seems so new to you? It's kind of amazing how many times that has happened to me, and it happened again today.

I've been reading some great fiction books of late. The last ten books were all fiction and so today I thought I'd pick up something different. I was drawn to Alan Cohen's book, Relax Into Wealth. A few years ago I bought a bunch of these and sent them to my team and many friends. It's a wonderful book and picking it up again only compounded that opinion.

I made a commitment early this year to read aloud. Don't ask me why. It's one of those weird things that come over me. There is something more powerful about reading aloud than to myself. Call it an exercise for my mouth, tongue and vocal cords. Anyway, as I began reading, I was amazed. I said aloud, "Wow!" I say it again, "Wow!"

Each chapter starts with a quote and ends with a few questions. Think of it like a course where you can cheat all you want, or not.

The first chapter is about the abundance that we more often than not, take for granted. He mentions big things like there are 70 sextillion stars in the visible universe, in 125 billion galaxies, then common things, like 13 billion gallons of water flow over Niagra Falls every single day. Wow. Our heart beats over 100,000 times a day. Then he mentions very small things that we cannot even see without the aid of specialized equipment. In all of this, he is saying that the universe is full of abundance. In fact, it is extravagant abundance. And more important than the abundance is that nothing is wasted. One thing is used to create another substance that is renewed. Energy just changes its form, but it never is used up.

Each chapter is very short, and he presented three questions at the end of this chapter:

1. Sit right where you are or go to the window of your room. Name five things you can see that exist in great abundance right before you.

2. Mentally survey the world beyond your current view, such as your home, places you have visited, read, heard, or thought about, and photographs you have seen. What are the most abundant things you can think of?

3. Complete this sentence at least three times, with a different response each time:

     If I knew I lived in an abundant universe that supplies all my needs,
     I would ____________________.

These are some good questions to ponder and answer. The reality is that we often don't think of the world as abundant. Instead, we think of it lacking what we want and need. Yet, as he makes clear, abundance is all around us all the time and it is we who choose to view it less than it really is.


How Many Blades Of Grass In Your Lawn? How Many Cells In Your Little Finger?

Spread Some Joy Today--Start counting!

Daily Inspiration 7-6-15

"The most important thing 

in communication 

is hearing 

what isn't said." 

-- Peter Drucker 

Even though I've read many of Peter Drucker's books and I love many of his ideas on management and business, the quote above is one of those that I like because it is interesting, and dislike because it creates more problems with no solutions.

I think, "Oh, good! There's another thing I have to get training on, to learn more about, to try to figure out what people are saying when they aren't talking. Yet another skill I need to find a book about."

Hearing what isn't said. . . hmm. Is he saying that people say one thing but mean something completely different? Is he saying, they are telling lies? Is he saying that they're just making stuff up? Is he saying that they want to say something else but they don't know how? How in the world do I go about knowing what people are not saying when they are saying something? Sounds pretty mystical to me.

Well, bringing this back down to earth, we all know that people don't say everything that can be said. We know they hold back things for a wide variety of reasons, mostly fear-related. We also know that from a different perspective that some people say a lot of things to enhance their own agenda or position. So, how do we wade through all that? "

First answer: We are smarter than we allow ourselves to be sometimes. Our intuition is a mental and spiritual device that can aid us in seeing the smoke on the screen and getting behind the screen. Many times we may distrust it, but it is certainly worthy of trust.

Second answer: Don't pay so much attention to the words. Pay more attention to the vibration. You might be saying, "Oh, there's another word, vibration. What the heck do I know about vibration?" A lot. Certainly a lot more than you might think. Instead of thinking about vibration, think about how you feel.

Tie it all together by paying attention to how you feel by what others are saying. Open the pathway to use your intuition to "feel" how if what they are saying is ringing true with your inner knowing, your intuition, your inner guidance. Feeling good is good. Feeling bad is not good. Everything can pass that filter and be cleaned perfectly for your own understanding.

I might say that instead of hearing what isn't said as being the most important thing in communication, it could certainly be paying attention to the vibes--or rather, how you feel when it is compared with your own inner guidance via your intuition.


Can You Repeat That Please? I Didn't Quite Get The Feeling Yet. . . 

Spread Some Joy Today--Let go and ye shall find.

Daily Inspiration 7-5-15

"To see within ourselves, 

we need to close our eyes." 

-- Albert K. Strong 

In October of 2009, I bought and read a very informative book. I find myself reminded of it from time to time and then I pull it from the shelf and look at it again. I did that again this morning. The book is by a man named Vincent M. Roazzi, and the title is, The Spirituality of Success. I love this book because it is written with a great deal of insight and common sense in common language.

I opened to chapter 7: Expectations Are Excuses. Vincent was a national trainer traveling all over the country, and he said that "whenever I did an initial introductory training session, I would ask the trainees to share with the group their expectations of training. What did they expect would be covered during the training session? What did they need to learn about in order to become successful?" Then he said, "Of the hundreds of training sessions I conducted, the list of training expectations were always basically the same:

1. The Company 
2. The Product 
3. The Sales Leads 
4. The Competition 
5. The Customers 
6. Pricing 
7. Paperwork 
8. Management 
9. Sales Techniques
10. Underwriting (We sold an insurance product.)" 

He continues, "As the group said each item, I would list them on a whiteboard in the front of the room." And, here's a couple of key phrases he said next: "I was always amazed that no one ever included themselves, the salesperson, on the list! The salesperson, according to studies, is 85 percent of the sale, and yet no one referred to the 85 percent as what they needed or expected to learn about." 

Finally, he said, "One day, as I was standing in the back of the room, I looked at the list and realized that all their expectations were also the excuses they would give if they failed. Now the fact that they never mentioned themselves and what that meant was even more amazing."

I think this tidbit from Vincent's wonderful book is telling. And, I don't mean only for salespeople in a training class. I mean for all of our interactions in our personal and business lives. What are our expectations? Where do we fit in those expectations? If what Vincent said is correct, and I'm sure if not that it is mighty close, that 85% is within, not without, then we may need to close our eyes much more often in reflection and personal assessment.

Are We Looking For A Way In, A Way Out, Or A Way Through? 

Spread Some Joy Today--The past and the future cannot have access to you when you are in the present. All joy is in the present.

Daily Inspiration 7-4-15

"Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. 

It is won by disregarding things

that lie beyond our control. 

Stop aspiring to be anyone 

other than your own best self: 

for that does fall within your control." 

-- Epictetus 

Abraham, Esther Hicks has often said, "You are so free, you can choose bondage." And so we have, in many ways. The author, James Patterson said, "People kind of want to be manipulated, but they want it done well." That one brings a smile to my face in its succinct and wise observation.

Freedom is not a thing. It is an idea. It is not something to achieve. It is a feeling. We choose or not. We are manipulated or think independently. Napoleon Bonaparte long ago shared, "Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious than to be able to decide." We choose, or through manipulation or choosing not to choose, get what we get, think what we think, feel what we feel.

Friedrich Nietzsche said, "Freedom is the will to be responsible to ourselves." And, so it is. I like how he used the word, 'will' here, which is another word for choice or choosing, only with a bit more oomph.

The best quote I've ever seen to so perfectly describe freedom for me, I used just a few days ago, and since it is so perfect, here it is again from Edward Abbey: "Freedom begins between the ears." It is an idea, and as so many other ideas, develops into a feeling. Through the thought (the idea) and into the feeling, that is everything that freedom is or can be, and since that is what it is, it is our choice to choose it or not; to experience it or not; to exude it or not; to share with others or not.


I Choose Freedom. I Feel Free. I Am Free. I Am Freedom. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by focusing on the best aspects of everything you see today.