Daily Inspiration 4-14-15

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

Have you used one to say "thank you?" 

-- William A Ward 

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

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

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

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


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

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

Daily Inspiration 4-13-15

"The task of a leader 

is to get his people 

from where they are 

to where they have not been." 

-- Henry A Kissinger 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Spread Some Joy Today--by leading the way.

Daily Inspiration 4-12-15

"No matter what "they," say, 

and no matter what they do, 

and no matter what 

they don't say or don't do, 

they actually love you. 

I know because they told me. 

I love you," 

The Universe

-- a.k.a. Mike Dooley 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

Daily Inspiration 4-11-15

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

We do not know what is in store tomorrow, 

or, whether there is a tomorrow, 

or even a tonight! 

But still, we have the golden present. 

Now we are alive and kicking. 

What should we do now? 

Love all, serve all." 

-- Sri Swami Satchidananda 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daily Inspiration 4-10-15

"When you listen generously to people 

they can hear the truth in themselves, 

often for the first time." 

-- Rachel Naomi Remen 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

Daily Inspiration 4-9-15

"Your hands are tied in action, 

but your hands are not tied in imagination-- 

and everything springs forth from the imagination. 

Everything." 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is where I met Nancy for the first time. 

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

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


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

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

Daily Inspiration 4-8-15

"The most valuable possession

you can own

is an open heart. 

The most powerful weapon 

you can be 

is an instrument of peace." 

-- Carlos Santana 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

Daily Inspiration 4-7-15

"The only real value of competition

is the challenge it may present

that causes excitement within us. 

This then causes us to become more creative." 

-- Albert K. Strong 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Spread Some Joy Today--Absolutely.

Daily Inspiration 4-6-15

"Remember, 

happiness doesn't depend upon 

who you are or what you have, 

it depends solely upon 

what you think." 

-- Dale Carnegie 

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

Daily Inspiration 4-5-15

"Can we care enough

to say what we're thinking? 

Can we expand that conversation

until we have more clarity? 

Can we take down the protective walls 

and be brave enough and open enough 

to trust each other for a while?"

-- Albert K. Strong 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

Daily Inspiration 4-4-15

"There is no better way to earn money 

than to do the thing that you love to do." 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

A day later, I'm still all a buzz about a Commercial Truck 101 training class I did yesterday at a dealership. It is easily in the top five I've ever experienced, and I've done a lot of these over the years. And, you know what? It's still fun for me! I've done them since 1995 and it's still fun. Go figure.

There were supposed to be four people in the class and when I got there, eight came to the class. It was a mix of retail salespeople and commercial salespeople and manager, and the retail salespeople outnumbered the commercial guys. For a small dealership (only in size), that was incredible. I got there early and we had a leisurely time meeting each other exchanging cards, and what an interesting group they were. I enjoyed meeting them very much and I love them all already. They are all great guys.

No one was required to attend this, yet they were eager to attend. That always makes the best group of students for a teacher. We had fun. We started late because of a minor glitch, but we finished on time and then they didn't seem to want to leave, so we talked some more, then we all had lunch. It was also in one of the best training rooms I've ever seen. The whole separate commercial truck building was also the best I've ever seen.

What was also interesting was that this dealership is in a small town off the beaten track, is a small town looking store, yet with a large commercial truck building on the same property, with all but three or four of their commercial trucks in a separate location about a half-mile away from the store. And as you might look at it from the outside, you might be amazed about the separate commercial building, but otherwise, you would just think, little dealer, little town, making a living, selling a small number of vehicles--especially in comparison with larger stores in larger cities. But, that would be a wrong assumption. They are the number one dealer for their brand in northern California.

And, I was there to train them? I was honored for the opportunity. Did they learn anything? Absolutely. They always do since 1995. The class is 2.5 hours long, but the time flies by because everyone is participating.

It seems that in every class I do some people come in with an attitude of resistance. There were a few resisters yesterday too. One was especially resistant-- sort of like, "I don't expect to learn anything here, so let's just get this over with, okay?" Some might be saying, "I've been doing this for a long time and I know my stuff, so I expect that I will know everything you try to teach." At the end of the class, all those that came in with resistance were smiling, appreciative, and more knowledgeable. As a teacher, that is the best I could hope for in helping turn that attitude in the opposite direction.

It was a great day. I came prepared. I even spent time meditating the outcome prior to walking in their door, and that always pays off. They came prepared to be there, and most of them were eager to learn something new. They all did. And it was all, every bit of it, fundamentals. And I could see they loved working there and loved what they were doing. In fact, I saw quite a number of people yesterday who loved what they are doing as a means of earning money, and that delightfully includes myself.


What A Way To Make A Living! What A Way To Enjoy A Life! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by deciding when you get up to find things to appreciate and love all day long.

Daily Inspiration 4-3-15

"Today is the perfect day 

to fall in love with yourself, 

your beloved, and your life." 

-- Alan Cohen 

Adding to this wonderful, insightful quote from Alan, here is a delicious bit from Abraham, Esther Hicks:

"Appreciation and self-love are the most important tools that you could ever nurture. Appreciation of others and the appreciation of yourself is the closest vibrational match to your Source Energy of anything that we've ever witnessed anywhere in the Universe." 


Appreciation Is The Path Of Least Resistance Into Love. Indeed, Appreciation Is Love. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by exercising your appreciation. It is joy in action.

Daily Inspiration 4-2-15

"Other people's ratings and opinions

are entirely personal to them. 

Taking their advice may cause one

to miss many new joys. 

It is completely beneficial 

to make up one's own mind." 

-- Albert K. Strong 

I saw the preview, I put off ordering it on Netflix. I'm not sure why. Then I ordered it and it arrived, and I let it sit there for a couple of weeks. I almost repackaged it and sent it back unwatched, and then I thought, what the heck, give it a shot, so I just watched, Hector and the Search for Happiness. I see the ratings in a Google search are not kind, but I've seen that before on movies I really enjoyed, and this one was another one of those that I enjoyed very much in spite of the ratings and opinions of others.

The little happiness lessons on Hector's journey are quite interesting and so true. What I liked was that many were different than I might have thought, and one that I want to focus on for a bit here was this: "Sometimes happiness is not knowing the whole story." 

Frankly, I think not knowing the whole story will often be a grand benefit. This allows us to see others as we choose to see them, like looking through the eyes of innocence. It helps us to create a new story, even if it may be a short one. It helps us to see something fresh.

We all have loads of experience, and I could easily call much of that, baggage. So, to see without all of that is of benefit.

Another thing is that it allows us to learn in bits more about another person. I think it is always exciting to get to know someone, to find common threads, and allow a relationship, however brief, to unfold in its own time.

This lesson naturally leads to one of the others: "Making comparisons can spoil your happiness." We are all unique. Being open to a relationship is being open to accepting and appreciating that uniqueness.

Two others stood out for me. One is, "The basic mistake people make is to think that happiness is the goal!" So true. Happiness isn't something we can find, it is something we choose and allow. It's not the pursuit of happiness that matters, it is simply the acceptance of happiness.

The other one is, "Many people see happiness only in their future." There is no future, and there is no past really. There is only now. When the "future" comes it will show up as now. So, hoping for or waiting for happiness in another time and space defeats the whole idea of being happy. There is only one place in time that happy can exist and that is right now, this second, then another, and another, and another.

Daily Inspiration 4-1-15

"There's no more important

criticism than self-criticism. 

 And negative self-talk is hungry

for external corroboration. 

The remedy for negative self-talk, then, 

is not the search for unanimous praise

from the outside world. 

The remedy is
accurate and positive self-talk. 

Endless amounts of it." 

-- Seth Godin 

I enjoyed a blog article by Seth Godin, from which the quote above was drawn. And I related to it immediately since most of my life no matter how positive someone might have thought I was, there was droning negative self-talk going on in my own head that until recently riddled my life with problems.

The day after receiving Seth's blog post via email, I received another related blog post from Pam Grout. Pam is the author of 17 books and the last two are the best sellers, E-Squared, and E-Cubed, both of which I have enjoyed and shared with many others.

In her post, she told a story that reminded her of two magical words she uses in her life all the time, so I thought I would share her comments here. She calls it "The Two Magic Words That Can Change Your Life Forever:

"No matter what. No matter what is happening to you, it's important to acknowledge that, "it's okay." 

No matter how you feel, "it's okay." No matter what you think, "it's okay." 

Most of us, instead of being "okay" with our lives, get all balled up with judgment and fear. We exhaust ourselves trying to make things different. 

Our thoughts emit an electrical charge. And when the thoughts are busy "not being okay," we put up a roadblock to our good. 

"It's okay" is the energy of love. So whatever is happening in your life, simply say, "It's okay" and let the loving flow of the universe do the heavy lifting." 

[See more about Seth www.SethGodin.com, and more about Pam at www.PamGrout.com] 


It's All Okay. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by going with the flow and not swimming so hard against the current. Easy is okay.