Daily Inspiration 2-14-14

"Our highest value; 

our highest ideal; 

our greatest emotion;

our best projection 

is love."

 -- Albert K Strong 

I love each and every one of you, 

whomever you are, 

wherever you are, 

whatever your path. 

 It is pure joy 

to be a part 

however small 

in your life. 

 Thank you! 

Gee. . . And It's Friday To Boot. . . Happy Today! Create An Awesome Weekend! 

Spread Some Joy Today--Sharing love is as good as it can get. Joy to you.

Daily Inspiration 2-13-14

"Words can have a great deal of power, 

but only as we associate them with 

our own meaning, feeling and beliefs." 

 -- Albert K Strong 

Yesterday, I wrote about walking away or quitting. I used this wonderful quote by Robert Tew, "Sometimes walking away has nothing to do with weakness, and everything to do with strength. We walk away not because we want others to realize our worth and value, but because we finally realize our own."

Since writing about this yesterday, I thought about the word quit and quitting. Some words have a power that we may not realize. I think it is because we have many associations about the meaning of these words, and it may even have several meanings for us. The word quit or to quit, or quitting, or being a quitter, is one of those words with many variations that can have a powerful influence on our ability to make a decision, and certainly to follow through on it. We may feel remorse and then question our own integrity, authority, and actions based on how we are feeling about the beliefs that these words remind us of.

There are many words like this. One that is used so much is losing, or to lose, or loser. We say we are losing weight, but this is a terrible word to use here. In a similar way to being a quitter, to become a loser is something we avoid and that we've been taught not to do or be. On the surface when we talk about losing weight, it all sounds so benign, but under the surface we know that we aren't losing it, because we always, or most of the time, seem to find it again, don't we? We're trained to find things that we lose. We're trained to be upset about losing. We're trained to fear being labeled a quitter.

Some better choices for these situations might be to stop or cease or even better, make a different decision, a course correction, choose differently. As in losing weight, we might say to let it go, I don't need to have this anymore, I feel light and it feels good, etc.

Walking away sounds like hurting someone else, relinquishing responsibility and so on. Choosing to have more joy, to make better decisions sounds like building a life. How we say these things to ourselves about decisions we know inside we need to make matters. New age people call that spiritual work. It's also calling coming into alignment with your inner or higher self. Traditionally, we call it following your heart.


"Don't Be Too Hard On Yourself. There Are Plenty Of People Willing To Do That For You. Love Yourself And Be Proud Of Everything That You Do. Even Mistakes Mean You're Trying." -- Susan Gale 

Spread Some Joy Today--Ready, Aim, Decide. The best decision is always more joy. Truly, what good is anything with out joy?

Daily Inspiration 2-12-14

"Sometimes walking away 

has nothing to do with weakness, 

and everything to do with strength. 

We walk away not because 

we want others to realize 

 our worth and value, 

but because 

we finally realize our own." 

 -- Robert Tew 

Sometimes I run across a quote that says something I know so well, yet says it so much better than I could say it myself, and better than anyone I've ever heard. This quote above is one of those rare and exciting quotes to me. I just want to underline the last part: We walk away not because we want others to realize our worth and value, but because we finally realize our own.

Walking away because we want others to realize our worth and value is martyrdom. It's an ego sandwich. It is a poor decision and for all the wrong reasons in general. But when we finally realize our own worth and value and we love ourselves enough to say enough, that is a life giver, and it would be impossible not to grow from that place.

I've been in some of those places, such as, working for the people who never have anything uplifting or positive to say. I've even seen that in church. I've been in places where I wasn't really wanted and felt like I had to walk on egg shells as I passed by. I've been there where my days were crap and then I took that home and complained all night about all of it. I've been in relationships where I didn't want to be.

Now, I know now that I attracted all of that. I accept full responsibility now. But, back then, if someone would have told me that, I might have punched them out. It's not something that you accept and adapt to overnight, but I surely encourage getting on the path.

Nonetheless, there has to come a time when you value yourself enough, respect yourself enough, and love yourself enough to call it quits. Everything doesn't go on forever like me might have learned in kindergarten. Things change. That's a good thing in the end for everyone involved. I suspect that if you're unhappy in a relationship or with your job or your coworkers, that the feeling may very well be mutual.

One thing I've learned about leaving. The people who stay have determined that you could never do anything right ever again. That's why going back is a waste of time usually. However, you can do things right on your end. Move forward and get back into growing again instead of running and hiding and complaining. Who cares what they think? This is the best place to get to. Let them think whatever floats their boat while you're moving on.


"There Is A Time For Everything. And A Season For Every Activity Under Heaven. . ." -- Ecclesiastes 3:1 

Spread Some Joy Today--Allow the joy of your tough decisions to drive you. I have never experienced such joy as some of those decisions and actions.

Daily Inspiration 2-11-14

"We must assume every event has significance 

and contains a message that pertains to our questions. 

This especially applies to what we used to call bad things. 

The challenge is to find the silver lining

 in every event, no matter how negative." 

 -- James Redfield 

Today, I am sharing a guest post by one of my clients, Gary Rohmann, of Ultimate Life Services, who has become a good friend. This little piece he titled, Something Powerful About Momentum. I hope you enjoy it as I did.


If you have a dream to go into any particular area, consider the opportunity, no matter how small, to move in the direction of your dream.

Don't be afraid to take small steps. There's something powerful about momentum. Many times what may seem to be impossible, is simply the untried.

I can remember a season in my life when I was immobilized with fear, consumed with what I thought I was supposed to do, and beating myself up about it, yet making no decisions and having no movement. Finally, a close friend suggested, "Just DO something!" It was the push that I needed at the perfect time, and as a result, I began taking some small steps. Those small efforts layered one upon the other created a momentum that not only propelled my professional life, but my personal life as well.

If you are ever at a point of paralysis in your life (and we all have been there at some point in our journey), just do something. Often any decision is better than no decision, and by taking the first step, the next will be easier and soon momentum will create a flow toward accomplishing your desires.

There is no better example of what I am trying to convey here than the life story of Shay Eskew. Shay lives in Franklin, Tennessee, just down the road from where I live in Spring Hill. I was privileged to meet Shay at a recent Spring Hill Rotary meeting where he shared his incredible story.

Shay is referred to as "the one ear wonder--one man, one ear, one passion, living life to the fullest." He is a thirty year old man that has overcome serious burn injuries that he experienced at the age of eight to become an inspiring influence to everyone that comes into his life. He just completed the World Ironman Championships in Kona, Hawaii, which is undoubtedly the most difficult challenge of a man or woman's physical and emotional endurance. After finishing the race, Shay shared the following:

"God has a plan for each of us and we have to have the courage to let go of the safety rail and trust in Him. The first step starts with not fearing failure and realizing we experience growth through suffering."

You can see more about Shay Eskew at http://oneearwonder.wordpress.com.

No matter your circumstances, take the first small step. With each step, you will be able to see more of the road ahead, and momentum will be your friend, helping you to keep going, while experiencing the great joy of moving forward.


Sometimes Even A Mistaken Decision Holds Great Benefit. Consider Thomas A Edison And The 10,000 Failures That Led To Electric Light! 

Spread Some Joy Today--Worry not. Love yourself. Find joy first and the rest will be easy.

Daily Inspiration 2-10-14

"I am only one, but I am one. 

I cannot do everything, 

but I can do something. 

And I will not let what I cannot do 

interfere with what I can do." 

 -- Edward Everett Hale 

I was having breakfast with a dear friend this morning. It's an interesting story about how we met and came to be friends. He is also an avid reader of these Daily Inspirations. Recently, he introduced me to one of his friends and at that meeting, his friend expressed thoughts about his knowledge in his industry and how his perspective was interesting and helpful to others. So I suggested that we could do a Trend Setter Package for him that would give him the platform to spread that knowledge in a professional and effective manner.

As I was remembering that this morning (you know how one thought leads to another and so on), I recalled a gala event I attended in Indianapolis, Indiana two years ago. There were hundreds of people seated around large round tables scattered all around the ballroom. I don't recall exactly how it came up, whether I mentioned something or someone else did, but it came to be that there were about six people at my table and the table next to mine who were long time readers of my Daily Inspirations messages. They were pleased to meet me in person and I, them.

Here we are, me being about 2,000 miles from home at an event and then meeting these people. What I think is interesting about this is that I do almost nothing to expand the reach of these Daily Inspirations. I put a little sign up box on a few websites, and once in a while offer to sign someone up if they have a mind to. I do publish it in various ways however, so it mainly goes out via this email program from Constant Contact. It is also published on a blog where every post is available to see at www.ctsdaily.net. . It is also posted on two facebook pages, Tumblr.com, Twitter and Linked-in. It is also shared by others to their friends in various ways.

My point with this information is that I put it out there for those who want it to be able to see it. I am only one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. This I have done and it is pure joy in the doing. Who knows who will benefit from it? I don't know. I didn't know those people I met at that event, yet they were very complimentary about how it touched them in a positive way.

So, the value is in the sharing--having a willingness to put yourself out there and take what comes. Whatever my friend's friend has to share I am certain would be of value to others. The only thing is that it needs to be shared. We need to take action and make a commitment to doing it to the best of our ability. I am only one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And, I pay no attention to what I cannot do. I just do what I can.

This we can all do. We all have something to share. I say, let's hear it! Or read it. There is much value in the doing for ourselves, as may be in the receiving of it by others.


Who Knows What Uplifting And Positive Things You Can Do Until You Actually Do Them?

Spread Some Joy Today--Bust a move!

Daily Inspiration 2-9-14

"I have never let my schooling 

interfere with my education." 

 -- Mark Twain 

And, neither have I.


Here's To All The Life-Long Learners Out There! 

Spread Some Joy Today--Have a wonderful time today. On purpose!

Daily Inspiration 2-8-14

"Let history be what it was, 

with its blessings and errors. 

The only reason to pay any attention to history 

is to make the now and the future better." 

 -- Alan Cohen 

Alan Cohen is a prolific and inspiring author that I only found in the last two or three years. He and John C Maxwell in their writings share a lot of stories that they pick up in their travels and I love the way that all works in presenting the meat of the message.

I also subscribed to a years worth of daily messages called Wisdom for Today from Alan Cohen, and so many of them resonated in various ways with me in my own travels. The quote above came from one of these called, Leave the Note in History.

In it he quotes two musicians. One is Dominic Miller, a guitarist with Sting's band, and he is quoted as saying, "Life is like playing a piece of music in concert. If you make a mistake, you can't go back to replay it and you can't afford to grind about it. Any time you spend thinking or worrying about it will only detract from the note you are currently playing and possibly lead to more mistakes."

Then, he quotes my favorite songwriter and musician, Sir Paul McCartney, who said, "Some people thought the White Album could have been better. But I'm not the kind of person who goes over things already done. Come on, it was the Beatles' White Album!"

Then Alan talks about his own books by saying, "Sometimes I read books I wrote earlier in my career and I realize that I wouldn't make certain statements now in the way I made them then, and there are passages I am tempted to correct and update. Then I realize that that book was a sincere and perfect expression of where I was on my journey at the time. Moreover, there are people reading that book for the first time now, and it is a match to where they are on their journey today, and it is helpful to them."

I absolutely loved this last quote and his statement resonates very nicely with me in several ways. One, I have just read one of his very early books that isn't even in print anymore that is available on the Kindle. It is titled, Joy Is My Compass, and it is a wonderful book for me where I am right now. I have enjoyed it so much, I am reading it again.

Two, I have published two books. One was self-published and I have often thought of rewriting it since it was written and produced in March of 1990 and I am so much more skilled as a writer and thinker now than I was then. I recently found a copy of that book titled, Accepting the Sales Challenge. I've offered a pdf version for free on one of the Commercial Truck Success websites, www.comtrk.com under Training Resources. Yet, I've just now allowed myself to let that stand as it is and never again think about rewriting it because it was perfect at the time. It was the best I had in me at the time, and according to others who have read it, the book had an impact on them.

Whatever we have done in the past is done. We are constantly making new choices today and will do so in the future when it becomes today. If we can just let go of what was as it was and celebrate that, allow it to be okay, and even perfect the way it was, it is more powerful for our lives today because it frees up our focus to enjoy the present as fully as is possible. What a blessing that is for all of us.


Today, Right Now Is Where We Are. Be There. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by allowing yourself the luxury of personal joy. That is even more important than spreading it; however, when you have personal joy, it is impossible for that to not have an effect on others.

Daily Inspiration 2-7-14

"It's better to fail in originality, 

than to succeed in imitation." 

 -- Herman Melville 

The last few days I seem to be having a number of memories about the car business which I spent 25 years in directly and for the last 16 indirectly. I think the auto business is a great teacher--at least it was for me. I learned a ton.

One thing that I learned stands out and apart from much of the rest, and that is the idea of competition. I call it the 'C' word, and I don't believe in competition anymore, but the car business and other businesses I've been around seem obsessed by it more often than not.

Many dealerships seemed to have a policy about not trading with other dealers too close. The fear (and that's really the right word for what it is) is that a tentative customer (a prospect) may come in to our store, then go to the other store and want that dealer to get this unit so they can buy it there. Now, to me, if that is the case, we had nothing to begin with except a vehicle that someone desired. We didn't have anything we could have lost because we had nothing to begin with.

Another way to handle it might be to just be straight and honest with each other. I've done that with close by dealers where I said, 'you know, I have had this customer for a long time and they just happened to see this unit on your lot. Would you mind trading with me so I can satisfy their desire?' It usually worked out perfectly.

One of the issues that becomes what I call, 'competing over the lowest gross profit' becomes a negative when we're trying to sell the same thing as the other guy and all that is left is knocking the price. There are no real winners here.

The 'C' word that I do believe in is creativity. I also like the 'I' word, innovation. There's room enough for everyone to share and attract.

I see a lot of commercial truck dealers stocking the same exact products as the other dealers all around them. What is the sense in this? Innovate. Take charge. Think about it. Strategize. Be purposeful. Those are excellent words to live by to change perspective and profits. If everyone is stocking the same 8' service body with a rack and hitch from the same suppliers, there isn't much left except price, is there?

One of the many commercials with Lee Iacocca back in the 1980's was him saying at the end, 'lead, follow or get out of the way.' I love that. I choose lead.


What Is Your Choice In Your Business? 

Spread Some Joy Today--Tell someone you love them--someone other than your spouse or family!

Daily Inspiration 2-6-14

"I will act as if what I do 

makes a difference." 

 -- William James 

It does.

It is a very beneficial thing to realize that you make a difference. The only thing better than this is to act as if what you do makes a difference. Realizing it is like school learning. You learn about something and you can approach an understanding of the subject, or at least a better understanding than you had before, but it isn't until you apply the knowledge that it becomes real to you. By acting as if, you put it into action.

This doesn't mean successful accomplishment is immediate, but by practicing the activity and the knowledge behind that action, success is just a matter of time.

Believe that you make a difference to other people. You do. It is virtually impossible to interact with other people and not make some kind of a difference. You will.

This leaves only one thing. What kind of a difference will you make? This is a great question and here's a better one: What kind of a difference would you like to make? Intention is important. Think of the action as the car and the intention as the fuel that feeds it.

One last point. There are a lot of things that you do. If you will act as if whatever you do makes a difference, you will find that it does. Apply the question of what kind of a difference would you like to make to each.


There Is Love And There Is Fear. They Both Make A Difference. What Kind Of Difference Would You Like To Make? 

Spread Some Joy Today--Believe in yourself and that you do make a difference.

Daily Inspiration 2-5-14

"Argue for your limitations, 

and sure enough they're yours." 

 -- Richard Bach 

I was thinking today of the car business and being a sales manager. Car and truck inventory was always a fascination to me and I was also amazed at how other sales managers viewed inventory. Since no dealer can be big enough to stock everything, trading units with other dealers is a very common thing, and at one point I remember averaging about 25 dealer trade calls a day. That's a lot of work and time spent looking stuff up and if they actually decide they want it, working out the trade details.

I'll never forget one sales manager who wouldn't take a unit I had in stock. This is what he said to me: "brown, brown, stays around. I have no use for brown." I burst out laughing thinking he was just joking around, but I found out how serious he was about never stocking anything brown. I guess he will just have to miss all the profit from those brown ones I was selling.

Another dealer wanted only one truck. It had to be a 4x4 Extended Cab 1/2-ton. And, the kicker is that it had to be white and only white and it had to have gray interior. I could just see his fleet of white Extended Cab trucks and nothing else on his lot. Of course, all the profits went to me and our dealership on all the other colors we were selling besides white. . . and brown.

I used to have so much fun with inventory and learn more possibilities. One dealer wanted a unit and I asked him in return for the morphodite he had on his lot. I wanted the unit that everyone refused to sell or couldn't sell. I got a pretty strange truck, and I challenged my staff to see if they could sell it when the other dealer couldn't. It was gone in less than two weeks and at a nice profit too. You just never know what can be done until you do it.

Later, working for a truck body company, I took an order for two 8' service bodies with a cargo bed enclosure to cover the cargo area. Our wires were crossed somehow and they were produced as "low pro units," meaning the top of the side boxes was lower than the standard body. I do admit that this combination with the cargo bed enclosures was unusual, mainly because dealers didn't order them that way. The manager at the dealership who I had known for some time was so upset. I was surprised how upset he was. I agreed to work on getting them out of his inventory, but within two weeks, he sold them both to one customer. He refused to replace them thinking it was a total fluke. But, I have learned over the years that everything sells if you don't stop it from selling.

Isn't it interesting how we argue for our limitations? We take a thought and by repeatedly thinking of it, this becomes a belief and then we say it can't be done. But, it can be done by those who think that it can be done.


In What Ways Are You Creating Your Limitations? 

Spread Some Joy Today--Yes. Do that. It will be amazing how that returns like a boomerang.

Daily Inspiration 2-4-14

"Practice doesn't make perfect. 

It just makes you better." 

 -- Tawa Suleman 

This is the seventh post in a series of posts on gratitude and thankfulness.

The following quote by Rabindranath Tagor is one of my favorites and it is a place that I have arrived at which brings me much joy. "Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky." I do believe that it is gratitude that brought me to this place, and one other thing: practice.

Becoming aware is good, and what is better is putting that awareness into action in my life. One day it occurred to me that I needed to practice it. It's sort of like having the workout machines in your house and never using them. It doesn't make sense and it doesn't help. Practice makes use of that which I have learned and in the practice, my learning is expanded.

My ego is still intact. I still have those ego thoughts. However, the difference now is that my ego is no longer in charge. I used to think that I was supposed to feel that way, and I have learned that I am in charge when I choose to be. Practicing being in charge has brought this to fruition.

It is one thing to know a thing and another to put it into practice. So, I have learned with joy to practice all the time. I do it now everyday, even all day long. Here are some examples.

When I'm driving somewhere, I practice the intention that I will enjoy my travel, that it will be safe and efficient travel and that I will arrive in a timely manner. It is calming as I was rushing to an appointment in the next city. Yet, my ego jumps in an I get tense and my heartbeat increases speed and negative thoughts about being late wash over me. I sense this immediately, and now I take a deep breath, and repeat my intention and I am calm again. It is amazing how many times I have arrived on time when that seemed impossible.

I'm at the grocery store, or some other place where I am getting in line to check out. Just this morning, I had a guy cut in line quickly in front of me and I welcomed another opportunity to practice my patience and joy. Sometimes, I offer people to go ahead of me just for more practice. It is fun and interesting and I never get upset anymore in lines. I don't seek lines out; however, I don't worry about them.

A client hasn't paid their invoices for a few months, or a client leaves our services owing a balance, even sometimes a significant balance. This would have made me very upset in the past, and I might even watch my ego try to upset me for a few minutes, but then I take charge (practicing) and talk myself through it. I have not paid people in my past sometimes, so I cannot be the judge here. If they no longer want our services, that is okay. If they won't pay the balance, that is okay. I will ask for it, but I refuse to pursue it, for in the pursuit of it, I am the one upset, and I choose peace. In fact, this has become our company policy. We put our focus on those who do and want our services.

These are but a few of the real world ways I practice my gratitude. I no longer have storm clouds in my life, and those clouds that come passing through instead offer contrast and interest. It is gratitude that allows this to be and it is pure joy as far as I am concerned. People can be upset all around me and I still get to choose.


And I Choose Peace, Love, Joy, Appreciation, Enjoyment Through Practice. 

Spread Some Joy Today--It has to start with you and me. We must serve joy to ourselves, then others will see it and want it for themselves.

Daily Inspiration 2-3-14

"You are the only one 

 who creates in your experience--no one else. 

Everything that comes to you

comes by the power of your thought. 

If there are changes you would like to make,

 it will be of great value 

to begin telling a different story-- 

not only about your body, 

 but about all subjects 

 that have been troubling to you." 

 -- Abraham & Esther Hicks 

Today is the sixth post on the subject of gratitude and thankfulness.

This post is about self-talk mainly and how the only way to make changes you would like to make is to tell a different story in your head and to others too. It is so a part of becoming a grateful person. I'll give you a couple examples.

Since my wife died just less than 6 months ago, I've been living a lot of memories in my head and in my sight too. I've gone through thousands of photographs, chosen a strong number of them and have pasted them on my cabinets in my office. It has been all part of coming to terms with the last few years of our lives together. I remember similar situations in the past whenever there was a change from something that has been for a good period of time.

There was a tendency for me to think of things I should have or could have done to make things better. What could I have done differently that would have changed things? You probably know the drill. It's not feeling sorry for myself, but thinking that somehow I wasn't enough.

So, I began telling a different story on purpose. I began thinking how good a husband and provider I was. I began thinking about all the good things I did; the positive things; the important things. I began talking this out as if I were talking to her about how I did this and that and how much this meant to me and that and so on. It was perfect and it turned me around toward such gratitude--not only more gratitude for her and all that she brought to the relationship but gratitude for all that I did as well. When I might think of something she was upset, angry or unhappy with about me or something I did or failed to do, I would mentally speak back of what I did do and that I did what I knew and was capable of and so on. In other words, I rejected the idea that I had failed in any way.

It's about experience. We can't grow forward ten years and then take that wisdom back in time with us to make better decisions. It was what it was. If we are doing the best we can with what we have to work with, then that is exactly what it was. What I would do today is of zero importance. It is not possible to merge the two, but what I can do is praise her for her choices and me for mine. I can see the love that was the foundation under it all. And, last, I am the only one in charge of me and I can choose to change, grow, become a grateful person even if she may have chosen otherwise.

These kinds of things happen not just with losses of loved ones but in business with old bosses, old friends that may not be in favor today and so on.

The tendency was for me to find myself blameless by affixing blame on my boss, my wife or some other person. My self-talk was always justifying what I did or didn't do and how the other parties were the ones to blame for anything off kilter. Now, my self-talk is finding what they did right and well and how much I appreciated them for all that they brought, and equally important, that I appreciated myself in the same way. I began seeing scenarios working perfectly instead of previously being problems or ugly situations. As I focused on appreciation and gratitude, all the other things faded away.

In this process, I have found more love and respect and admiration for Nancy and for the other important people in my life. I have at the same time found love enough for me to be enough.


Gratitude Changes Everything. It May Require Practice. No. It Does Require Practice. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by changing your self-talk to appreciate yourself and all those on your path.

Daily Inspiration 2-2-14

"We can't really praise God

without being thankful

for the thing we are praising Him for. 

And we can't really be thankful

without being happy about

whatever we're thankful for. 

Praising, then, involves both gratitude and joy." 

 -- Merlin R Carothers 

Today is the fifth post in a series about gratitude and thankfulness.

I talked about regret and yesterday was about mistakes and how we label things good and bad, etc.. Those were easy compared with what I would like to offer up today.

I don't talk in religious tones much, but about ten years ago, my late wife gave me a copy of a book to read. It moved me deeply. I've shared it a couple of times because I think it is a very powerful book and especially for a religious person to contemplate deeply. It is called, The Power In Praise by Merlin R Carothers.

On the very first page of this book, Merlin gets right to the heart of the matter. I'll quote part of it. It starts where Jim's father was an alcoholic for over 30 years and he got angry when anyone talked about religion. The family was praying for his healing and nothing happened.

It continues, "One day Jim heard me speak about the power that is released when we begin to praise God for everything in our lives instead of pleading with Him to change the circumstances that hurt us."

Jim brought home a tape of the meeting and played it over and over again for his friends. Then one day it struck him; he had never tried praising God for his father's condition." He shared with his wife and they decided to "thank God for his dad's alcoholism and praise Him that the condition is part of His wonderful plan for dad's life."

It was the beginning of an unexpected and very uplifting change in Jim's dad, and in Jim and his wife too.

It is easy to praise God or the Universe or Higher Power for things that bring us joy, but so many of us have grown up thinking that prayer is set aside to ask for God's help to fix something wrong (or at least wrong in our minds) and then wait and see what happens. It is a foreign thought to think to praise God for the so-called problem or wrong situation because somehow we think God had no part in the bad thing and only does good things. A really good question to consider about God is this: Where is God not? When you get your head around that, it opens a whole new world.

So, today about gratitude is to be grateful for EVERYTHING always. Whatever label we give something is not necessarily true for everyone, but withholding our gratitude harms no one but ourselves. Got fired? Praise God! Lost a loved one? Praise God! Got a speeding ticket? Praise God! The blessing has a hard time finding its way through when we are holding on to unhappy experiences and finding someone else to blame. And, there is always a blessing. Sometimes people even blame God. Praise instead of finding fault will change all of that and it will change your life too.

Before I found The Secret or many others that have helped me grow into a whole other understanding, my transition began with this book. I found that by praising God I uplift myself and have found peace in the process. It also completely changed prayer for me. I no longer ask God for things or situations but thank Him instead for the blessing that I may not yet see, yet I've come to know is absolutely there.


"We Praise God, Not For What We Expect Will Happen In Or Around Us, But We Praise Him For What He Is And Where And How We Are Right Now!" -- Merlin R Carothers 

Spread Some Joy Today--by finding praise-worthy things all around you today.

Daily Inspiration 2-1-14

"To err is human. 

To make a mistake is unforgivable. 

But, I could be wrong." 

 -- Albert K Strong 

Today is the fourth post in a series of posts on the subject of gratitude.

It is so easy to become grateful for the "good" things. Those things and events that feel good, or positive, or bring us joy are easy to love. This requires no practice. It is something everyone does. However, to become grateful for things we don't agree with, feel crappy about, or just don't feel right is a serious challenge to most.

If we were to look at this detour from our trip to become grateful as a problem, the problem would be our beliefs. A belief is just a thought we keep thinking over and over again and a belief can be changed by changing the underlying thinking that creates the belief. In other words, we have to change our minds and think differently. The symptom of this problem is labeling. When we call something good or bad, mistakes or success, positive or negative, and so on, these are just labels we have assigned to these feelings. They are judgments.

If we are going to become a grateful person, we need to change our thinking and our labels or our judgments. An easy way to do this is to call all things experiences. When we do this, it eases the judgment and allows us to consider gratitude for the experience and the outcome. After all, the outcome is the outcome. Whatever it is or was, is or was. It isn't really good or bad except in our thinking and labels.

Mistakes in the past cannot be corrected or put behind you. They cannot be done over. They cannot be fixed or repaired. They are what they are. If we call them mistakes, we give that event or experience far more power than it deserves. Our best hope is to release our hold on it. It isn't holding on to us, we are holding on to it. We do that for a variety of reasons but rest assured, we are always in charge even when we say we are not.

As with yesterday's post, I think the metaphor of letting go of the rope is so appropriate and effective. Just drop the rope. Let go completely. Rename this thing an experience. You might even say, "I had this experience and this was the outcome. It is what it is and it was what it was. It has no hold on me. I release my attention to it right now." Lay the rope down and do not pick it back up.

Now see if there is anything you have learned from that experience. Find something you have benefited from, anything. Begin to appreciate the experience. Be grateful that it happened and praise yourself for making that choice then. There is always a benefit. Every experience has value and importance. Accept responsibility for making the choices, and allow it to be.

One day I was fired from a really good job. It was the happiest day of my life. It was sheer joy and elation. It changed my life for the better and released me to make the changes that have led me to where I am now. This is always true and would be accepted this way if people would allow this thinking. Instead, they are often depressed, or lost. But remember, we are always in charge. I created my own firing. It wasn't something that happened to me. I arranged it consciously or unconsciously, but I arranged it nonetheless.

With this approach, you can become a grateful person for everything in your life regardless of what you or others have previously labeled things. The calm contentment that follows is amazing.


You Get To Choose Your Labels And Your Thoughts On All Levels. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Isn't it joyful to realize that you are so in control of things? It is a joyful thing.