Daily Inspiration 11-28-19

"Life is less about 

getting somewhere, 

and more about 

being somewhere." 

-- Alan Cohen 

New: Audio version

[Classic post from 7-9-15]

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Spread Some Joy Today--by feeling your joy.

Daily Inspiration 11-27-19

"The truly wealthy 

dwell in the consciousness

of enoughness." 

-- Alan Cohen 

New: Audio version

[Classic post from 7-8-15]

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

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

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

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

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

1. What do you feel you have enough of?

2. What do you feel you do not have enough of?

3. Take a few moments to focus on the elements of your life that make you feel rich. How rich are you? How do you feel after you focus on your wealth?

4. Find within yourself the delicious balance of happy and hungry. . . and these last questions jumped off the page for me:

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


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

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

Daily Inspiration 11-26-19

"Successful people 

ask better questions, 

and as a result, 

they get better answers." 

-- Tony Robbins 

New: Audio version

[Classic post from 7-7-15]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Spread Some Joy Today--Start counting!

Daily Inspiration 11-25-19

"The most important thing 

in communication 

is hearing 

what isn't said." 

-- Peter Drucker 

New: Audio version

[Classic post from 7-6-15]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

Daily Inspiration 11-24-19

"To see within ourselves, 

we need to close our eyes." 

-- Albert K. Strong 

New: Audio version

[Classic post from 7-5-15]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daily Inspiration 11-23-19

"Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. 

It is won by disregarding things

that lie beyond our control. 

Stop aspiring to be anyone 

other than your own best self: 

for that does fall within your control." 

-- Epictetus 

New: Audio version

[Classic post from 7-4-15]

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

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

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

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


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

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

Daily Inspiration 11-22-19

"The thought that

you should be doing

something else

is a distraction. 

Be fully present 

with what you are doing, 

and it will lead to better." 

-- Alan Cohen 

New: Audio version

[Classic post from 7-3-15]

Here's an interesting question: Where does 'should' come from? Here's the answer: Not from us. In other words, it comes from 'outside' of us. It comes from two places, and sometimes they work in unison. It comes from our own ego, which is absolutely outside of the real us, and it comes from other people.

I like how Alan Cohen said, "It's easy to get people to follow a person. It's harder to get people to follow themselves." It seems like it could be a matter of confidence, and that is close enough. But, it is a bit deeper than this, as confidence is a result.

Nana Veary is quoted as saying something very profound and enlightening to me. She said, "The only problem facing you in life is your belief in separation from the Source. Solve that one, and all the others will vanish."

When we believe in our own inner power; our own inner Source of being; our own internal guidance, we are connecting to that Source. It is our source of true strength. And, we would never be connected to Source and put others down, think we are better than anyone else and such. We would be uplifters of others AND uplifters of ourselves. We would realize our own value, our uniqueness, and at the same time, we would see the value of others, their uniqueness, and even all of our sameness.

I believe that every single person and every single thing is connected to Source, or you could use many other words, many of which are loaded with baggage. Everything is connected; however, we can and most often are disallowing that connection. We do that by looking outside of ourselves. Maybe we are looking at the past or the future, and both of those are outside of us.

Abraham Maslow said, "I can feel guilty about the past, apprehensive about the future, but only in the present can I act. The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness."


"If A Man Plant Himself Indomitably On His Instincts, And There Abide, The Huge World Will Come Round To Him." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Spread Some Joy Today--Let go of the rope. Allow your natural connection through.

Daily Inspiration 11-21-19

"Freedom begins between the ears" 

-- Edward Abbey 

New: Audio version

[Classic post from 7-2-15]

I've recently told several people that I have had such a wonderful, and delightful sense of freedom in my life. I've never felt this kind of freedom before. It's like something that I have wanted all my life and now I have arrived. It is magical. I love it. Every second of that feeling. It is the equivalent of unconditional love. And, by the way, sharing unconditional love doesn't mean that it always must be focused on others. It could and should be focused on ourselves as well.

I got up very early today to drive almost 3 hours to a meeting. It was a very hot day. I experienced the most delightful trip up and trip back and time spent there. I listened to a wonderful reading of The Litigators by John Grisham. It is a very long book, but today I thoroughly enjoyed--and I mean IN-joyed almost 5 hours of it. The reader is delightful, and I found myself laughing at so much of this great book on the way up to the meeting. The trip would have been perfect with that alone, but I got to enjoy so much more while at my destination. What a glorious day!

Freedom is indeed between the ears. So is happiness, joy, love, and every other emotion. We only have to choose what we want and we will be there. My number one goal in life which I have stated several times now is simply to enjoy myself every single day, every single hour, and every minute and moment possible. I get to choose that. It doesn't happen to me. I choose it. From the audiobook choice to the choice of my thoughts, to whether I focus on delight or pain. It is all within my domain.


I Am Not Alone. It Is All Between The Ears. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Choose as you will and joy is always an excellent choice.

Daily Inspiration 11-20-19

"I have found the best way 

to give advice to your children 

is to find out what they want 

and then advise them to do it." 

-- Harry S. Truman 

New: Audio version

[Classic post from 7-1-15]

Sounds like superb advice to me. Maybe it applies to everyone in our lives. Who knows better than they?


Sounds A Whole Lot Like Unconditional Love. . . 

Spread Some Joy Today--by simply enjoying yourself.

Daily Inspiration 11-19-19

"Forget not that the earth delights 

to feel your bare feet 

and the winds long 

to play with your hair." 

-- Kahlil Gibran 

New: Audio version

[Classic post from 6-30-15]

Just when we thought that we were experiencing everything around us, a wise soul reminds us that we are also the experienced. I think that makes us the experiencer and the experienced.


Hmmm. An Interesting Perspective. . . 

Spread Some Joy Today--because you're going to be spreading something, and joy seems like a highly beneficial thing to share. Not everyone will accept it, but enough so that you cannot be discouraged.

Daily Inspiration 11-18-19

Life's Biggest Lessons 

"The biggest lesson, in a sense I got, 

is the power of unconditional love. 

I think there is no power on earth, 

like unconditional love." 

-- Warren Buffett 

New: Audio version

[Classic post from 6-29-15]

What does unconditional love mean? It means simply this: To love. Regardless. Absolutely. To fully accept.

Can we worry about someone and love them? Those two things vibrate at such different frequencies that it is like trying to get the music on 101.9 FM by tuning to 740 AM. Not even close.

Can we be disappointed in them and love them? Be angry at them and love them? Feel jealousy about them and love them? Feel grief and love them? Feel discouragement and love them? Be frustrated with them and love them? Have impatience or irritation and love them?

Not even.

In really loving them, this emotion is at the top of the scale, and fear, grief, and despair are at the complete opposite end of that scale. They are completely and totally incompatible.

If we truly love someone, it would be without any condition and without any negative emotion. We just love them. We want the best for them. We want them to love others the way we love them. We cannot be loving and feeling negative emotions at the same time. It cannot be. The frequencies don't match.

Can we allow those we love to make mistakes? Especially those situations that we know to be mistaken? Yes. Imagine your own life without so-called mistakes. We learn by thinking and doing. Besides, in unconditional love, it isn't really a mistake, it is purely a result.

Another word for unconditional love is freedom. By loving you are giving freedom. You know what freedom really feels like. You want that for others too.

Another word for unconditional love is empowerment. By loving you are empowering others. You know how being empowered feels. You want that for others too.

Another word for unconditional love is joy. You know what joy feels like. You want that for others too.

Another word for unconditional love is appreciation. You know what it feels like to appreciate. You want that for others too.


There Is Nothing So Empowering, Uplifting, Freeing, Joyful, And Appreciative As Unconditional Love. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Hmm. . . that would be done mainly by loving without condition. . .

Daily Inspiration 11-17-19

"We ask ourselves, 

 'Who am I to be brilliant, 

 gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' 

Actually, who are you not to be?" 

-- Marianne Williamson 

New: Audio version

[Classic post from 6-28-15]

I used this photo a few days ago and I cannot get it out of my mind. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words and I know that is true, as this one speaks volumes to me. Here's some of what this photo says to me--even screams to me with delight:

I'm fabulous! I feel fabulous! I feel like a star! I feel joy! I love my perfect hat. I love my choice in shades. I can be anybody behind some cool shades, and right now I'm fabulous. I've got beautiful, naturally curly hair. I love my hair. My great summer dress with the yellow borders clicks with my shades as do the other colors that blend so nicely with my great hat. I feel alive. I feel good. I feel free. I feel wonderful. 

I'm in love with me right now. I love me. I love myself. I feel like I'm showing off the real person inside me that so often I have tried to hide. I am hiding no more today. I am feeling too good to be concerned about any of that. I am feeling like I have a smile on my entire body. I feel like a wave of deliciousness has covered me giving me even more joy. I am fabulous. I feel fabulous. I am so enjoying this moment as if there were no other moments to be concerned about. 

And, while I am loving me and feeling fabulous today, I am loving every single person and thing that I see through my eyes and my perfect shades. I see them as fabulous too. In fact, we are all fabulous today. The sky is fabulous, the air is fabulous, the animals are fabulous, the ground is fabulous, the people I see are fabulous, everything around me is fabulous. Isn't fabulous so divine? I love it. I want to feel this way all the time, or at least as often as I can because it feels so delightful and fun. 

It isn't the things I'm wearing. I love them, and they are fun, but it isn't the things on my body. It is me. It is how I feel deep inside. I adore this feeling. When I add these beautiful and fun things to my body, I feel like that feeling deep inside that I don't pay attention to very much is allowed to come up to the surface and have fun with me. The things I'm wearing just enhance the feelings that are already within me. It is so marvelous when I allow this to happen. I want it much more often. I love being fabulous, feeling fabulous, and sharing my fabulousness with the entire world. 


"If You Allow Yourself To Feel Fabulous, You Are Fabulous!" -- Natalia Kills 

Spread Some Joy Today--Be Fabulous!

Daily Inspiration 11-16-19

"Begin challenging 

 your own assumptions. 

Your assumptions are
your windows on the world. 

 Scrub them off 

every once in a while, 

or the light won't come in." 

-- Alan Alda 

New: Audio version

[Classic post from 6-27-15]

Some challenging questions to scrub off our assumptions:

Where and when did I learn that?
When did I learn to feel sad about that; those kinds of things or situations?
How many things do I feel sad about?
When did I learn to hate that or them or it?
How many things do I hate?
When did I learn to worry about that, this, them?
How did I learn to be jealous? Envious?
When did I learn to feel guilty?
Why do I feel insecure?
Where did I learn that?
How often am I unhappy? Why? When?

I heard this story long ago and perhaps you have as well: A mother and daughter were in the kitchen cooking a holiday meal of ham. The mother cut the ends off of the ham, and her daughter was very curious about that and said, "mother, why do you cut the ends off the ham?" She thinks about it and says, "well, I'm not really sure. I've always done it. I think I learned it from my mother." Since this is a holiday gathering, the mother finds her mother and asks her why she always cut the ends off the ham. Her mother said, "well, I don't know why except that my mother did that and I guess I learned it from her." So, they ask the great grandmother why she did that, and she said, "Oh, when I was first married way back, we had a very small kitchen and a very small oven and the ham wouldn't fit, so I cut the ends off."

Sometimes, and probably often, we just don't know or seem to be aware of what we are doing day to day, situation to situation, event to event. We learned something and never questioned it. We assumed that was the way to do it and so we do it that way, at that time, during this part of the year, under these circumstances, with these people, with these choices. It became a habit. Now it seems to be part of us. We see it as truth, the right way, the way it should be, the only way, my way. We own it.

A good question to ask from time to time might be, "is this assumption, this truth, this way serving me? Or is it not serving me?" Another great question is, "how do I feel about this or that?" If it doesn't cause you to feel good, the questions can help bring awareness and then the opportunity to change the assumption. Because they used to believe that the world was flat. In fact, the list of things that people used to believe as truth has changed so much, that today we question how they could have ever made that assumption, to begin with. We can't even fathom believing it now. Now it is false. It used to be the truth.

The truth may not be as solid as we once thought. Just like the planet, we stand on. We think it is solid, but there is much more going on underneath than we realize. It's okay and even good to challenge our own truths and assumptions, why we do things, how we feel about things, what allows happiness within us and what causes unhappy feelings.

When I was going to church, I heard the Senior Pastor say many times that "you know it when you know in your knower." Well, on the surface, that may sound silly, but I knew it as profound. We all have an inner knower, a Christ consciousness, a Universal Mind, a God within. When we line up with that, we know. When we follow others, we may have to challenge that learning. The place to challenge it is by seeing if it lines up with our 'knower' or not.


All Scrubbed Off And Feeling Good Again! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by loving more. Just love. Leo Tolstoy said it so well when he said, "If you want to be happy, be."

Daily Inspiration 11-15-19

"A friend is someone 

who knows the song in your heart, 

and can sing it back to you 

when you have forgotten the words." 

-- Donna Roberts 

New: Audio version

[Classic post from 6-26-15]

Yes! Having this kind of friend is among life's greatest gifts. That's the kind of friend I want to be. I want to be an uplifter, a reminder of self-value, an encouraging influence.

I don't want to be the kind of friend who commiserates, one that allows you to feel sorry for yourself in front of me. I don't want to sympathize with you or blame others on your behalf. I don't want to discuss the problem or problems over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. I don't want to be that kind of friend. I don't want to feel bad along with you or about you.

I want to sing your joy back to you. I want to talk about all that you are and all that you are going to be. I want to boost and bolster you. I want to strengthen you, reassure and reinforce you. I want to lift you up, and never fail to recognize an opportunity to root for you, smile upon you, and pull for you.

I know who you are and I want to remind you of who you are. You are more powerful than you know. You are more in charge than you think. You have more love than you realize. You have more abundance than you acknowledge.

I want to be a friend. A real friend. Even to people I have never met in person. I have chosen this on purpose. It is what I want. This is what I am.


I Am A Friend. I Am Your Friend. I Love You. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by singing your joy within you, then sending it out to others.