Daily Inspiration 12-14-15

"I wanna know what you were like growing up. 

What was your favorite pair of shoes? 

What was your favorite cereal? 

What was the first car you drove? 

I mean, I'm just getting started here. 

I wanna know everything about you." 

-- Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper) 

to Captain Ng (Emma Stone) 

in the movie, Aloha 

I'm almost done listening to Carole King's autobiography, A Natural Woman. I have been really enjoying it and learning so much about her that I would have never known. What a special treat this is.

Having breakfast on Sunday with a dear friend, I told him how much I was enjoying the audiobook, and then said something I didn't plan on. I said, "You know, I just realized that listening to this book and the autobiography of John Fogerty has caused me to appreciate every other person on this planet more."

I have always loved biographies and autobiographies. Some are so fascinating that it is almost sad to get to the end. And yet, at best, each one is a few snippets out of a much, much longer life full of experiences.

Part of what fascinated me is that Carole, John, and all the others who wrote autobiographies took the time (lots of it) and the energy (lots of that too) to stop what they were doing in life and focus on writing down their stories. That is powerful.

The other thing that I said at breakfast was, "Every person on this planet has interesting stories about their lives, and I would love to hear all of them."

I was married for 16 years the first time and knew her for five years prior to that, and 26 years the second time, and in spending that much time together, I learned much, but I also realize that there is so much more about them that I did not know. That would be true especially about how we felt about things we never talk about and more.

Some say that God experiences life through all of his Creation. Can you imagine the fascination with that? Wow.

After these realizations, I don't think I will ever look at any other person the same again. I will now realize that each and every individual has wonderful and fascinating stories inside them. How delightful it would be to take the time to get to know them more.

We have this tendency to deal with the immediate, talk in superficial language that is meant to be light and remain unattached, yet beneath that in every single life on this planet is so much depth and so many experiences. I could learn from them. I would love to learn from them. I would love to read the autobiography of everyone.


This Has Caused Me To Have A Whole New Appreciation Of All That I See And All That I Meet. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by appreciating that which others bring to your experience.

Daily Inspiration 12-13-15

"It's easy to be a critic, 

but being a doer 

 requires effort, risk, and change." 

-- Wayne Dyer 

The whole quote from Wayne Dyer is this: "A non-doer is very often a critic; that is, someone who sits back and watches doers, and then waxes philosophically about how the doers are doing. It's easy to be a critic, but being a doer requires effort, risk, and change."

Let me ask a question. You see a young black man driving a brand new top of the line Lexus or Mercedes. What is your first thought about that? I think a high percentage might think, drug dealer, or some other lucrative, yet seedy, and probably illegal enterprise.

Was your answer different? We have a tendency to make quick judgments from our collective knowledge and our collected prejudices. Some might say, "I'm not prejudiced!" But, prejudice simply means expressing an opinion prior to actually knowing. We pre-judge without actually knowing for sure.

Now consider this from Abraham, Esther Hicks: "Feel appreciation for those who provide examples of financial Well-Being. How would you know prosperity was possible if there was not evidence of it around you? It is all part of the contrast. Money is not the root of happiness, but it is not the "root of evil," either. Money is the result of how somebody lines up Energy. If you do not want money, do not attract it, but your criticism of others who have money holds you in a place where things you do want such as wellness, clarity, and Well-Being, cannot come to you, either.

We love seeing you applauding someone else's success because when you are genuinely thrilled by another's success, that means you are right on the track of your own. 

Many think success means getting everything they want. And we say that is what dead is. and there is no such thing as that kind of dead. Success is not about getting it done. It is about still dreaming and feeling positive in the unfolding. The standard of success in life is not the money or the stuff--rather, it is absolutely the amount of joy you feel." 


Joy And Appreciation Are In Alignment And Interchangeable With Love. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by finding your appreciation of that which is all around you and within you.

Daily Inspiration 12-12-15

"Sometimes we are feeling off, bad, not good, 

 not alive, and we don't know why. 

Then something awakens us and makes it clear

as if we have been blind to it all before, 

 and then we come alive again. 

What a special moment that is." 

-- Albert K. Strong 

There are so many ways to learn something. I was watching the movie, Jenny's Wedding tonight and I enjoyed it very much. Jenny's sister, Anne, played by Grace Gummer found herself after being lost for a long time. Her dialogue was so interesting that I had to record it:

"When I looked at the dead grass, I realized I was unhappy. Happy people don't have dead grass. And then it was like the chicken and the egg--I couldn't figure out which came first, happiness or green grass? 

So I started watering it, and the more I started watering it, the happier I felt. And then it came back to life." 

Later, she said this: "When I move away and sell that house, that grass will die. I know it will. But my grass--the grass that is inside of me, will always be green." 


Wow. That Spoke Volumes About Life. Volumes. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by coming alive again.

Daily Inspiration 12-11-15

"I had put so much time and hope

into being able to keep my parents together, 

but I couldn't do it. 

I was just a child." 

-- Carole King 

I am listening to Carole King's autobiography, A Natural Woman, and when I heard her say the quote above it hit home with me. My parents were divorced when I was five and I was the eldest of three kids at the time. There were more marriages and divorces to come until I left home for good. So, I can relate to trying to keep parents together, and also to wanting to see them find happiness somewhere and stop taking it out on we kids.

Throughout my life, there were many situations and other people I wanted to change for many reasons, but alas, it was all a waste of time and energy. It wasn't until much later that I learned that there isn't anything that any of us can do to really change other people. Of course, there have been hundreds of generations of attempts and they still continue to this day for many, but I have learned that it simply isn't possible. That isn't our job and never was.

There is only one person that we can control in that way. It is ourselves. And, that project can take a lifetime of trial and error, leaving zero energy left for working on others.

Our best hope at change is to focus on what we can change and that is our own thinking, which creates our actions, which creates our circumstances and outcome. That's it. That's all there is. The rest is not our concern.


If You Consider That Selfish, You're Right. I Serve Others By My Attention To My Own Alignment.

Spread Some Joy Today--by finding the thoughts that create that joy within ourselves and in the finding of it, the sharing is no longer a concern. It can't be helped.

Daily Inspiration 12-10-15

"To solve any problem, 

here are three questions to ask yourself: 

First, what could I do? 

Second, what could I read? 

And third, who could I ask?" 

-- Jim Rohn 

Here is some excellent advice from Jim Rohn. Guess which one of these three questions is the most challenging?


Great Guess! 

Spread Some Joy Today--Happy Thursday to you all!

Daily Inspiration 12-9-15

"The truth is, 

every human being on this planet 

is ridiculous in their own way." 

-- Gordy, played by Billy Connolly 

in What We Did On Our Holiday 

I just watched a delightful movie with an interesting story that just hit DVD called, What We Did On Our Holiday.

The family is gathering from all over for their father's 75th birthday and he is terminally ill. Three grandchildren spend the last few hours with grandpa and some magical bits of wisdom came forth that I had to write down.

For example, one little grandchild asks, "How do people know what they are?" The conversation started around the new knowledge that grandpa's friend is a lesbian and the child is very curious. Grandpa answers, "Ah, they just kind of find out. We all find out eventually what we are. Then, the world has to lump it."

The oldest girl was saying that her parents make her so angry because they were always yelling at each other. Grandpa lets off some perfect wisdom here:

"I used to feel that about my lot too until I suddenly realized that there was no point in being angry with people I loved for being what they are. 

The truth is, every human being on this planet is ridiculous in their own way, so we shouldn't judge and we shouldn't fight because in the end. . . in the end, none of it matters--none of this stuff." 


So Perfectly Stated, Don't You Think? 

Spread Some Joy Today--by living with love in your heart, and kindness on your lips.

Daily Inspiration 12-8-15

"We never really grow up, 

we only learn how to act in public." 

-- Bryan White 

I've lived a lot of life. I consider myself intelligent, well-read, good at what I do in my various careers, and at 66, I know that I have not yet grown up. How do I know? I know this because farts are still not only funny to me but hilarious. I can think of situations I've experienced or seen and just by thinking it, I'm laughing.

I can hear my mother now. . . or it might have been someone else's mother saying, "Grow up!" Of course, I had intentions of doing just that since I assumed that was what should be done as I became older, but, alas, not true in the end.

Any time I want to really laugh, all I have to do is think on this subject. In fact, today, I've laughed so many times and am laughing as I write this too. I can't help it. I never grew up. And, it looks hopeless now. You would have thought I would have risen above this nonsense by now, but I haven't.

I mean how can you get through the campfire scene in Blazing Saddles without falling off the couch? Or The Pink Panther 2 with Steve Martin in the "soundproof" vocal booth in the recording studio? The list is quite long, especially when I add my own experiences, so there is plenty to keep me laughing for many years to come.

And, now you know just how little I've grown in all this time. . .


Thank Goodness! 

Spread Some Joy Today--and laughter is a great way to prime the pump.

Daily Inspiration 12-7-15

"To be conscious of being poor 

 while praying for riches

is to be rewarded with that
which you are conscious of being, 

 namely, poverty. 

Prayers to be successful

must be claimed and appropriated. 

Assume the positive consciousness 

of the thing desired." 

-- Neville Goddard 

Moving from poverty into abundance, bad choices of mates, into soul mates, boring jobs into exciting careers, self-sabotage to self-confidence is child's play. You know how children play, right? They pretend. They imagine they are whomever they decide they want to be.


Moving Into The New House Requires Leaving The Old One Behind. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by allowing that inner child to come out and play.

Daily Inspiration 12-6-15

"Everyone is responsible 

for the thoughts they think 

and the things that they choose 

as their objects of attention." 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

Well. . . if you must, you must. Soldier on! 

George Bernard Shaw said, "Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything."

We are often lulled into believing that it is always our action that creates, but that is way off base. It is absolutely our thoughts that create, which will become our beliefs when thought about often enough because a belief is just a thought we continue to think. Our actions or our body is the physical embodiment of our thoughts. You could say that it demonstrates what our dominant thoughts have been.

Yesterday, while out walking Charlie, or better said, as he was out walking me, on the final leg of our little journey, I saw a man whom I've seen several times in his three-wheel low-riding bicycle that he uses for exercise. Each time I've seen him, he seemed pleasant and upbeat. One time he was talking with a woman jogger and asked me to take their picture on her phone. But today, he was just beginning his trek and he asked me my name. Then he told me his as we shook hands. About five minutes later, all I said was my name. He was talking fast and non-stop all about him.

As I left him, wanting to remember his name, Vincent. I thought, Vincent the innocent. That's a good way to remember it. I came up with that because in his entire conversation with me, he was innocent and the world dished out bad things to him in many ways.

All the time he talked and got into detail about his surgeries on his back, taking a bone out of his leg to fix a toe, how the doctors messed that up and now he lives in non-stop pain. How he was told he needed another operation on his back, but after talking to someone who had that operation and ended up paralyzed, he has refused that treatment. The paralyzed person told him that he is better to live with the pain than end up like him.

He told me about his grown daughters, all college graduates who are doing various things in various parts of the country as he and his wife live in this apartment complex.

There was more about the pain, and especially the struggle, and he talks as if he has resigned himself to that kind of life and has become okay with it. All the while he is talking, I am looking intently into his eyes. All the time he is talking, he smiles and laughs here and there as if to indicate that he is happy enough even though he was dealt with this ugly hand of cards.

I sent him my love of acceptance, of encouragement, of allowing. For me to have said anything would not have been helpful. Sometimes we are better to say less and just love them the way they are right now.

But Vincent the innocent is gaming himself. He's trying to act like he's okay with his lot in life and all the time complaining of how his life has become. Even with so much unnecessary detail. Anyone could see that he is trying, and he talks as if he is proud of his strength and determination to deal with his bodily issues. There's no need to speak of any of that, yet he can't help it. This is where he is focused.

As Abraham has said, "Everyone is responsible for the thoughts they think and the things that they choose as their objects of attention." We may not often believe that about ourselves, but we can instantly see and hear it in other people. That is one of the most beneficial things about human interaction--that we can see ourselves or what we once may have been in others.

It is only a mirage to be happy and complain at the same time. It is only a mirage to struggle and have peace at the same time. Overcoming the struggle is not powering through, it is finding a way to enjoy that journey by releasing the resistance of the struggle allowing the enjoyment of the living to come through clearly.

Consider how many times, and even if it is also now, that you pretend to be happy around others--your coworkers, family, spouse, friends--and speak of complaints at the same time. Consider the physical issues too. Consider the thoughts running around in your head and pay attention to them. What are they saying? Consider the words coming out of your mouth. What are they saying? What are they meaning? More importantly, how are you feeling during these times?

Happiness speaks of happy thoughts. Pain speaks of pain thoughts. They don't speak to each other. They are in different places entirely.


Heart With Your Speak? 

Spread Some Joy Today--by loving people just the way they are as you choose for yourself that which satisfies you.

Daily Inspiration 12-5-15

"Our past may explain 

 why we're suffering 

but we must not use it as an excuse 

 to stay in bondage." 

-- Joyce Meyer 

I just finished reading aloud John C Maxwell's new book, Intentional Living yesterday, and in the epilogue, he said that he once asked Coach John Wooden if he had any regrets about decisions he had made throughout his life. The coach said, "I have none." When I read that, it caused me to ask that question of myself.

I have lived with the regret of things I said, decisions I made, allowing my ego to rule when I could have chosen a path of love instead, and much more. There was plenty to regret in my life, and I would often ponder those situations and how I would have done it differently if I had it to do all over again. 

I was out for a walk with Charlie yesterday after finishing the book, and a thought came over me that there are two schools of thought about the past:

1. The past cannot be changed because it is in the past; however, there are plenty who imagine having a time machine and have the desire to go backward in time and have a do-over of all those things that cause them pain in the present.

2. The past can be changed. Just remember it differently. Rewrite the script. Rehearse it for a time and then the past is changed to something more desirable.

I think most of us who have regrets would be in category #1. We keep thinking that by thinking about it, we might be able to find the value in that past event and have closure so that we can feel better about ourselves.

To me, regret is thinking about the past and wishing it were different while being helpless to do anything about it. Thinking about it more simply expands the regret.

I'm sure that Abraham, Esther Hicks would say that regret is simply a negative emotion which is an indicator that we are thinking about something in a way that is opposed to our Inner Being, or our Source within. Our Source is not thinking about our past that way because our Source is essentially love, or God, or whatever word has you feeling good. When we are in alignment with our Source--our Inner Being, we feel good emotions which indicates that alignment. Feeling bad emotions like regret indicates being out of alignment. You could say accurately enough that in regret, we are disagreeing with God.

God doesn't look on our past with disdain or regret. Love doesn't do that. Love accepts whatever was because in whatever is or was there is of value. Often we might think that in regret there is no value, but that is not true. In everything there is value. In everything then, there is love.

Doing #2 above is hard work. It can be done, but it simply isn't necessary. And, of course, #1 is a complete waste of time, energy, and emotion. If we look upon all that was before and only consider the idea of alignment or out of alignment, that takes all the pain away, which is regret's best friend. If in what we did in the past we realize that when we made that choice, we were out of alignment, and had we known that then, we might have chosen better feeling thoughts, or a different choice entirely. No matter. You can't have known something in the past that you just learned today. Do it now.

I was out of alignment with my Inner Being when I did those things, said those things and I realize that now. I am in alignment now, and in that alignment, I see that there was value gained when before I thought there was none. I am loved unconditionally by Source. Source always has my best interests, my highest good in mind. It is Love. And, Love Allows. Yes, love allows me to choose out of alignment. I will know when I have done that now. I didn't then. It doesn't matter then. It only matters now. I choose alignment now. I have no regrets. They have been erased. If I go out of alignment today, I will know it by the way I am feeling. That is the value, and it is a massively beneficial value. Why?


Because It Always Leads Me Back To Love. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by spreading love instead of fear.

Daily Inspiration 12-4-15

"In the sales profession 

the real work begins 

after the sale is made." 

-- Jim Rohn 

In my experience, Jim's quote is the key separator of the pro and the amateur. But, hey, let's not limit this to sales. Doesn't it also apply to a marriage? How about a career? It certainly applies to a job where after the hiring, that's where the real work begins. I wonder how many things in our lives this same philosophy can apply?


And, When You Love Your Work, Life Flows Abundantly. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Find someone to compliment today. There's nothing quite so special as being recognized and uplifted by others.

Daily Inspiration 12-3-15

"One of the greatest gifts 

that you can give to anyone 

is the gift of your attention." 

-- Jim Rohn 

Have you ever been with a multi-tasker who pays attention to everything and nothing at the same time? They are there physically, but not mentally or spiritually. You're talking with them and they allow interruptions, or they take phone calls as if their life is so busy and so dang important.

I hope you're not that person, but just in case, here are some suggestions:

• If you have a meeting with one or many, leave the cell phone in your car. 
• Focus on who is in front of you. 
• Listen with both ears. 
• Stop thinking about what you're going to say next. There will be plenty of time for you to pause to reflect and then answer. Besides, your pause to reflect shows that you were paying attention to what they said. 
• If the meeting is in your office, close the door and turn off the phone, or ask to not be disturbed. 
• Find things to appreciate about the person or persons in front of you. 
• Enjoy the moment and communication. 

It's simple respect and yet so profound when given: The gift of attention.


It Costs Nothing But Means A Lot. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by simply enjoying yourself today. You don't have to tell anyone. They will know.

Daily Inspiration 12-2-15

"Remind yourself that you cannot fail 

at being yourself." 

-- Wayne Dyer 

Wow. How easy was that?


All This Being Yourself Stuff Is Easy-Peasy! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by letting that self out. Take it for a walk. Enjoy.

Daily Inspiration 12-1-15

"You get what you think about 

whether you want it or not." 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

We partially manage somewhere around 140 facebook pages and profiles for our clients, and I guess you could say that I am the overseer of all of that, so you would think that I spend a lot of time on facebook. That would be logical. I probably average less than a half hour on average. Many days way less than that.

We also 'manage' around 85 twitter accounts. But I spend about one fourth the time there than on facebook. Same with linkedin.

I take the daily newspaper here in glorious Fairfield, California and I spend about 3 minutes looking at that, mainly for any articles or ads of our local clients.

I haven't watched network television for many years. I long ago shut off the cable. I see no TV shows and zero news shows. I do like movies, so watch them.

I don't surf the web for news. Well that is a funny word--news. When they (they being the people who produce it) talk about news it is so biased toward the negative things and events in the world that one might as well add the word negative or bad to the word news: I'm Paul Trevor with the bad news of the day! Here's the top stories. . .

You spend time and thought on all of these things I've just mentioned and you can become so bogged down in the troubles all around the world and how the world is going to hell, and that the terrorists are taking over the world, and that the __________ is causing the __________, which is making the world __________ and we've got to protect ourselves from the _________.

I used to pay attention to all that shit. And, yes, it is shit. It never helped me in the slightest except to be able to converse with someone else about how bad things have gotten and what in the world are they going to do about it, and on, and on, and on. It's all a self-defeating prophecy. And every bit of it is fear.

Yes, I have become ignorant. I'm delightfully ignorant. Look at the first five letters of that word, then add an 'e.' Yes, I ignore it. I am ignorant of it. I did not hear about it, do not want to discuss it with anyone including my own thoughts. I do not want to see it over and over and analyzed to death on the network. It is poison that I took on purpose. But, I changed my mind and chose to live, so I let it all go. I am now blissfully ignorant of the bad news of the world.

Now, I look for the good news of the world. I look for the inspiration. I look for the making something out of nothing and benefiting hundreds, thousands, millions stories. I look for it locally. I look for it regionally, and globally. It used to hide from me because I was so drawn in to the bad news that the world was rather dark, but now I see that is not true. The world is rather bright and growing brighter every single moment.

I look for things to appreciate and there they are. I look for things that inspire me and there they are. I look for things that help me feel good and there they are. The world is so full of goodness and wonder and awe that to think about bad news now, I see that the bad news of the world is but a blip on a radar screen compared to the whole planet. In other words, good news, goodness, love, spirit, joy, compassion, serving, building, creating so outweighs what they call news that it seems absolutely mad to pay any attention to that when there is all of this.

What's really interesting is that the more I see the more I see. The more I feel it , the more I feel it. The more I think it, the more thoughts of it come. It is everywhere, all around me, every single day, every single moment I choose to think it, feel it, look upon it, enjoy it, delight in it.

This is now the world I live in. It is my reality. It is the world I created, and it is real.


To Infinity And Beyond! 

Spread Some Joy Today--because it begins inside of us, and sharing it is purely natural.