Daily Inspiration 10-25-12

"Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don't." -- Steve Maraboli Overwhelment is one stop on the way to powerlessness. It's not a pleasant place to be and I'm sure we've all felt it from time to time. In that feeling we may not know what to do, feel things are coming at us more quickly than we can handle and there is a general sense of indecisiveness.   Maybe you try to think more positively and that may not help much if any at all, so the feeling may get stronger until wishing and hoping is considered an action, and we even know it has no value.   I know this place and the only way out I've found is to make a decision. Sometimes, it may seem that any decision at all will work. And, it's true, there is a certain power we feel in taking control. We can correct later, but the first thing needed is to decide something!   We may find ourselves coming back to the things that we really want to change, and then must realize that nothing can be done right there right now. Yet, what can be done is sufficient and builds our strength and gets us moving again.   A most awesome place to be. . . now.

Isn't Powerfulness So Much Better? That's What I'm Talkin' About!   Spread Some Joy Today--Focus on what you can do today. Give the rest to God to deal with. It's called teamwork!

Daily Inspiration 10-24-12

"The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change." -- Carl Rogers How many of us have opened our mouths and stupid fell out. It wasn't intentional, and it is possible we may not have recognized it at the time, but it just happens. It happens to me from time to time, and it happened just a day or two ago.   I was calling a relatively new client long distance, and I got his voice mail, so I left a message and said something at the end like, '. . . and if you have a mind to, give me a call.' It wasn't flip, it was stupid. It wasn't a good thing to say, and as soon as I hang up, I knew it was stupid to say that. I can only think that I had stuff on my mind that shouldn't have been there and I let that stuff affect my communication with someone who is not only a client but has become a friend.   Then, I did the second stupid thing: I didn't call back immediately and change the tone of that ending. I let it go and went on to the next thing. What is that quote above? Learning how to learn and change?   So, naturally, he calls back and is concerned about my message, and I told him then that as soon as I hung up I knew it was not cool and apologized.   As they say, stuff happens. But, the good news is that I learned from this silly slip. I will endeavor to be more in the moment and less thinking about other things and pay attention and be the encourager and uplifter that I profess to be. I will lay my petty annoyances down and focus on who I'm calling and why. I am learning every single day, and that day was a red letter day of learning for me. And, just in case, if it happens again, I'll immediately call back and repeal the previous message and leave one that is more appropriate!

Thanks, Gary For Your Understanding!   Spread Some Joy Today--Ever had a garage sale and gave everything away instead of selling it? Hmmmm.

Daily Inspiration 10-23-12

"You can't get a right-brain answer to a left-brain question. Ask your heart, not your mind." -- Alan Cohen How many times have you heard that you should 'do the right thing.' Yet, in all the times I've heard that said, there was nothing about the judgement of how to make that decision that made any sense. Sometimes it might be said to be a 'moral' decision as in doing what is 'morally right,' whatever that is.   The real problem comes when we think there is one right answer and all the rest are the wrong answers. That's a bit of craziness. What do people seriously expect us to be? God?   Another problem comes by trying to think it into being, by logic, or deduction, reasoning, or even random choice. The trouble I've found with this is the constant, never-ending second guessing that comes after the decision, let alone the what if I make a mistake preliminary dance.   No. I've found only one thing that I can count on every time. I ask my heart what feels best and then that is the decision. Sometimes it even seems that might not be the best choice, and then it somehow is. It's kind of funny how that works.   Another way to say that is to do what feels good to you. This applies equally in business and our private affairs. Only you will know how your heart feels, what feels good or right to you, and I think we all have that same exact guidance.   The only other unsolicited advice to add to this is that I've found is not to be the least bit concerned how someone else judges your decision. Rest easy. I know that you will find as I have that it is always the best and most satisfying choice.

We Are Our Only Best Judge Of Our Own Judgements.   Spread Some Joy Today--Hug someone. There is nothing quite so special as a hug.

Daily Inspiration 10-22-12

"Confidence sells. People believe in those who believe in themselves. No one wants to be stuck in a room with other people who feel like they don't deserve to be there. Stop wondering if you're good enough. Know you are, and start acting like it." -- Simon Black We've all probably heard that phrase that we should, 'fake it until we make it.' The idea is to pretend you know until you do know, but often I've seen people get just good enough at faking it that that don't want to bother following through on the work of actually knowing. They develop a swagger which to some may appear they are confident, but it is a shallow cover. Knowing is the source of confidence. There is certainly some value in getting out there and doing and being willing to make mistakes in order to learn to grow. I'm all for that, and it can eventually build confidence to the level that you believe in yourself and what you are doing. It certainly may take some time, but if you're willing to go through the motions and study your craft or expertise, I think you will find it worthy of all your effort. There is nothing quite like having confidence in what you know. My experience as a sales manager for many years tells me that confidence is the single most important attribute I want in a good salesperson. It doesn't come with years, but with study and practice. It is more rare than it should be and the only reason is that the majority that I have seen are not willing to do the study and invest in themselves. Yet those that do stand apart. They are the ones you notice right away and that you want to deal with because you can feel their confidence and see their skill. Getting confidence is simple, but not easy. Study your craft or expertise, and get out there and practice. In my opinion, you have to be willing to fail--even eager to fail in order to learn. It's much like learning to ride a bicycle. Reading about it only helps some, then you've got to go do it. I recommend learning all you can learn. Buy the books and tapes and go to seminars, or classes. Then, go fail some more. I'll bet you find that it takes less time than you think if you apply yourself fully to the task. Then one day soon you will feel that confidence building inside you. You will also discover that there are many levels of confidence, but once inside sweet delight of confidence, you'll enjoy that next layered journey with a fresh enthusiasm.

Confidence Sells. Sell Yourself First. Believe In YOU.   Spread Some Joy Today--Give everyone you meet today the gift of your kindness.

Daily Inspiration 10-21-12

"The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion or ethnic background, is that we all believe we are above-average drivers." -- Dave Barry I don't see how this can be the case. . . I know I am an above average driver, but based on what I see going on the road around me, I find there are plenty who are just making that up!

Even In India? OMG. . .   Spread Some Joy Today--Have some fun today. After church, of course. . .

Daily Inspiration 10-20-12

"As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world. . . as in being able to remake ourselves." -- Mahatma Gandhi The longer I live, the more I see that it all comes down to us, what we think about ourselves (our internal view) and the world (our external view). To say that we create our own world within and without us seems to be so accurate. Greatness is simply more influence, and is generally thought of as an inspiring influence. Or, as the late, great, Michael Jackson put it: The Man in the Mirror.

We Not Only Have Control, We Have All The Control.   Spread Some Joy Today--Celebrate your control over your own thoughts and actions.

Daily Inspiration 10-19-12

"A professional is a person who can do his best at a time when he doesn't particularly feel like it." -- Alistair Cooke I used to believe as this quote states, but have changed my mind. I don't remember where I got this idea. Maybe I saw this quote a long time ago, but somewhere along the line I adopted this attitude and even promoted the idea that being a professional is doing it anyway even when you don't feel like it.   The trouble came with the results. When you don't feel like it, I don't care whether you are a professional or an amateur, it isn't going to come out like it will when you DO feel like it.   Consequently, a better way is to find a way to FEEL like it rather than to cover it up with extraordinary effort and stodgy sticktoitivness.   Maybe you need to go to the bathroom and meditate for a few minutes, but whatever it is, the mind must come to a better conclusion than to work through it.   I have found in the last few years a far better method: choose a better feeling thought and keep choosing a better feeling thought over and over again until you are feeling better. It need not take longer than a few minutes. It is easy and it works like magic. You can go in dinky little increments, but the key is that it has to be better than the previous thought.

I Feel Better Already. . .   Spread Some Joy Today--Gratitude is a good tool as well. . .

Daily Inspiration 10-18-12

"There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: One is roots. The other is wings." -- Hodding Carter, Jr. What a great quote this is. It seems to be almost opposing ideas, but the more I think on it, the more sense it makes.   It's always about learning to let go, isn't it? We have to learn to let go of a lot of things over time, and as we learn to let go, we are able to grow, or fly as the quote says.   Yet throughout it all, it is so rewarding and comforting to have been built from a solid foundation, or barring that, have created one of our own.

Roots and Wings. Hmmm. . . I Like It.   Spread Some Joy Today--What's the latest book you read? Time for a new one?

Daily Inspiration 10-17-12

"The key to success is to focus our conscious mind on things we desire, not things we fear." -- Brian Tracy I suppose this quote from Brian Tracy seems obvious. It is obvious, but I don't think I've ever seen it said exactly this way, and when I saw it for the first time, it was as if it jumped off the page.   How often do we spend time thinking about what can go wrong? What we fear? What might happen? What others will think? How it will work? The plan? The plan for the plans? The news? The economy? The bills to pay? The lack of _____ or _____?   It's not that any of us would consciously focus on those things, right? We all know that focusing on these things won't help, right? Yet, we do. We pay attention. We were taught to pay attention. The radio, TV, Internet, newspaper, friends, co-workers all tell us to pay attention.   Who has time to focus on what we desire? But, what if we did? How would that change things if we focused on our desires and ignored the fears? Hmmmm. Maybe we're on to something here. . .

Ain't No Sunshine When It's Gone. . . Only Saddness Every Day. . . NOT!   Spread Some Joy Today--Choose your focus rather than the other way around.

Daily Inspiration 10-16-12

"Usually the customer's always right. At the parking lot the customer's only sometimes right and even then it's still a judgment call." Scott Meiggs Parking Lot Attendant 1996-2000." -- from the movie, The Parking Lot Movie What I love about Netflix is that it suggests movies to me that I would never, ever have seen. Some are not so good, but others are just wonderful. I love it when the latter happens. It's like some sort of secret match--maybe a bit like winning the lottery.   Tonight I was prompted to try The Parking Lot Movie. I know that doesn't sound so interesting, but it was marvelous and funny, and even inspiring. Enjoy!

Laugher Is The Best Medicine--Even When You're Well.   Spread Some Joy Today--Have some fun today doing whatever you choose to do.

Daily Inspiration 10-15-12

"Real persuasion comes from putting more of you into everything you say. Words have an effect. Words loaded with emotion have a powerful effect." -- Jim Rohn My partner and I have been preparing six training 'talks' or instructions for a presentation this week. We've written them out and practiced them getting each others feedback and modifying the outlines each time.   At one point I was a bit frustrated by the way we were presenting the material and it had more of the outline in it and less of us. So, I took it down to the most basic premise of why I was doing this to begin with and why I chose to teach on this subject. I became animated, moving my arms, talking more loudly, with a whole lot of passion of the subject and the thing I would like to achieve by doing the talk, and all of a sudden, we both lit up. That was what was missing. The passion that we both share for the subject, along with the personal experiences were subdued and the focus was on the outline of covering each point. It was a wonderful turning event in our preparation for this meeting.   Now these presentations are going to be far better than they would have been and it is all due to putting us in them. When you are communicating something worthwhile, make sure and include YOU and your passion!

Emotion Is A Wonderful Tool. . .   Spread Some Joy Today--Treat yourself like the super person you are today. Take yourself out for lunch. Maybe even invite a friend!

Daily Inspiration 10-14-12

"It is not insult from another that causes you pain. It is the part of your mind that agrees with the insult. Agree only with the truth about you, and you are free." -- Alan Cohen Everyone has an opinion, and maybe sometimes that opinion might be negatively directed toward us. Or, maybe it is from us directed toward another. . .   What is interesting about human beings is that we have the ability to choose to not accept evaluations of others and insert our own instead. It is an incredibly healthy thing when we are in charge of its use.   Becoming upset and disagreeing with the opinion of another is an egoic response by activating the defense mechanism that is supposed to protect us, but it doesn't do that. Instead, it adds fuel to the fire so to speak, when quelling the fire immediately by choosing another thought is a far better action. The only issue with this is that it does require conscious choice and action on our part.   All the healthy things require conscious choice and action on our part, don't you agree?

Thank You For Your Opinion. I Appreciate Your Courage To Speak Your Mind. Pardon Me If I Don't Mind Your Speak.   Spread Some Joy Today--Can you say and mean it that every single day is a gorgeous and wonderful day? If not, it's time to begin. What a difference it will be!

Daily Inspiration 10-13-12

"Generosity is more than an attitude. It is an activity!" -- Albert K Strong Tonight I was reading a quote by Mercedes McCambridge which said, "A rich man can afford to be generous to many." There are many quotes about money related to generosity, and that is nice, but it isn't very encouraging. Generosity is something that any one of us can practice every minute of every day. It is an activity, and though it can be related to things, it is more often no-things that is the driving force around the planet.   I like to relate to something that anyone from any station in life can do and being generous is something that fits that bill. It requires no money. It is more an attitude that leads to the activity.   It doesn't need to be altruistic. It often isn't even recognized at the time it happens. And, it can be done is millions of different ways. A smile is generosity in action. A wave, a hug, a loving glance, a bit of admiration, a mental wish of good will, a handshake, a shared experience, a helpful hand, a listening ear, a comforting voice, being a mentor, giving encouragement, sharing love. All of these are generosity in action and all can be done by any one, any time, for any one.

Thank You For Your Generosity To Me!   Spread Some Joy Today--Think loving thoughts all day. Just for the fun of it.

Daily Inspiration 10-12-12

"We've all seen job ads that say, "Five years of experience required." That may give you a number, but it tells you nothing. . .   How long someone's been doing it is overrated. What matters is how well they've been doing it." -- Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson from the book, Rework. A long time ago, I heard something that has stuck with me ever since. It was about someone who had 20 years experience--one year, repeated 20 times. As a manager who has hired a lot of people, I could so relate to that as being generally true. And those ads that require a certain volume of time of experience, are missing out on a lot of potential, because potential exists in everyone, regardless of experience.   A little experience can be helpful, and a lot can also be a detriment. I know that in the auto business, I generally had an aversion to hiring people with car business experience because in my own hiring experience, I found it harder to untrain their previous experience in order to instill what I wanted. It was easier, and more effective at the same time, to hire people with no experience at all. Maybe a better way to state it is, "we are looking for a few people who have a desire to learn and a passion to serve. We will help with the rest!"

Seeking Harmony With Purpose. . .   Spread Some Joy Today--How is your 'Book of Positive Aspects' coming along? Daily entries? Hourly?