Even the Longest Journey Must Begin Where You Stand

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step." - old Chinese proverb

I recently reread a "kid's" book on basic logic...Joseph Spider and the Fallacy Farm by David B. Grant. Chapter Seven is about a snail named Shawn, who believed he could never begin a journey because he had no hope of ever completing it...so why even start.

How many of us suffer from this same state of mind? How many of life's awesome journeys have we sacrificed for fear of taking that first step? Once, many years ago, I took a client on a midnight hike on Bryce Canyon's Navajo Trail. As we hiked under the full moon, the light was awesome. We took some really exciting photographs. In addition to the night sky, one thing was especially clear that night.....as crowded as that popular hiking trail was in the daylight, nobody else took that same journey and nobody else enjoyed the same rewards. If you fail to take that first step, you cannot hope to enjoy the great outcome which lies at the other end of the adventure!
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What FALLACIES do we allow to rob us of our life aventures?

We Are Expected to Prosper!

A few years back I published this story. I wanted to revisit the concept in light of current political undertones........

Somehow there is an undertoe in our society today that "social justice" teaches us that it is evil to succeed financially. I recently reviewed a story that leads me to believe that it not only OK to succeed and prosper......it is expected by God that we do so. Most of us have heard the parable shared in Matthew 25, regarding the servants caring for their Master's resources. Have you ever considered the meaning and application in today's world?
A talent is, in this regard, a unit of weight approximately 80 pounds. In normal usage of the time, it was typically a measure of silver, equivalent to one's earnings over a 16 year period.
The Master, knowing the abilities of his servants, called upon three of them to manage things in his absence. He placed an amount of his resources under the control of each, according to that individuals's capabilities.
In reviewing these events, I don't see any specific instructions regarding how to manage things. I suspect that the servants knew their Master well enought to figue the details on their own.

The three sevants proceeded to deal with their stewardships as they saw fit......two of them doubling their investments through prudent business practices. The third servant was not as confident. Worried more about the possibility of losing in his efforts, he buried his treasure.
After a long time the Master came home. The time of reckoning had arrived.

Point to ponder here.... Which of the three sevants do each of us most closely resemble?

As the servants met individually to report on their stewardships, the Master was very pleased with the initiative of the first two, that he rewarded them with control over some of his businesses! In effect, they became partners with him.Sadly, number three, having made no effort to improve that which his Master had placed in his care, lost what he had and was sent away!

Are You Motivated More By the Carrot or the Whip?

Whether you realize it or not, motivation is a huge force in your life, and it needs to be harnessed in order to excel and actually enjoy whatever it is that you’re doing on a daily basis. If you find yourself thinking, “I need motivation,” there are specific steps you can take.....
Unfortunately, we often overgeneralize the word motivation. We think of being either motivated or unmotivated as a simple “yes” or “no” state of being. But motivation is not a switch. Motivation is a process. To feel motivated, you need to move beneath the surface. Just reading a motivational quote, being encouraged by your friends, or writing out cute affirmations won’t help you build sustainable motivation (they do help in the process!)
You can think of the motivation that we want to achieve like the Sun (self-sustaining and long-lasting), which supplies a constant influx of energy to all life on Earth. Just like the Sun, our “motivation engine” has different layers, starting from the core and spreading out to the surface. The surface is what you see, but the real process is driven from the core (your internal motivation); and that’s the most important part. Once we can create a self-sustaining motivation engine, we’ll be able to find more meaning to our lives and enjoy every minute of what we’re doing, which will make our roles and responsibilities less of a chore.

Let's examine the motivation process to better understand it by breaking it down into 3 parts:
1 ~ Core – Purpose
2 ~ Support – Enablers
3~ Surface – Acknowledgement

Let's look first at the Third Layer, the Surface

The outermost layer, also known as Acknowledgement, encompasses any type of external recognition or reward (the "Carrot") that might give you motivation. It may come in the form of respect or recognition, such as compliments and praise. Or it could be emotional support through encouragement, feedback, and constructive criticism. It could also be affiliation, where you have mutual companions or buddies sharing the same goal or burden with you. Unfortunately, it is at this same layer that the opposite force can engage! Both the "carrot" and the "whip" are only temporary motivators. The carrot (reward) must continue to increase in size. The whip (threat of negative consequence) will cause a calous to eliminate the pain, thus becoming ineffective! The carrot is more of a “pull” approach to motivation, while the whip is more of a “pain, push, or prod” approach. With the carrot you move towards something, while with the whip, you move away from something. The resulting behaviour is the same!

The seond layer comes into play here! In essence, this layer of the motivation engine (also known as Enablers) is what supports your goals. It can magnify the motivation core you are developing, or speed up the momentum as you build. Basically, it can create favorable circumstances for things to go smoothly. This could include friends and family, affirmations, uplifting literature or any support network you’ve created in life!

The true driving force behind your motivation process, is the innermost core, your Purpose. Your purpose is what differentiates the motivated from the unmotivated, the achievers from the underachievers, the happy from the unhappy. Your motivational core is your Purpose, and it is sustained by two things: having meaning, and forward movement. With these two as a foundation, you’ll have a power source that will feed you motivational energy indefinitely and without the "carrot" or the "whip"!


To learn to motivate yourself, ask yourself a question..."WHY?"

Who Sets Your Opportunity Clock?

I recall hearing Zig Ziglar many years ago, discussing the "alarm clocks" in our lives.
Ziglar, being a salesman, was never lacking for a catchy slogan. The difference though is that he used his skills to change people’s lives. When you listen to Zig, you will walk away inspired and riveted. I even remember an occasion when he advised his audience not to come up after his presentation just to tell him of the "nice warm feeling" his words provided you! His reply would likely be to recommend going home and taking a nice warm bath! He would certainly rather hear of the actions inspred by his words!

As I consider Zig’s view of alarm clocks, he points out that alarms are intended to caution us, to warn of dangers, like fire alarms, burglar alarms and such! The alarm goes off when something bad has happened, right? Why think of the beginning of your day as a bad thing? The beginning of your day is an Opportunity to do great things! The function of an alarm clock is to scare us into punctuality, a fairly negative way to begin the adventures ahead for us today!

As an opportunity clock, it signals a new dawn in our life and sets the day in motion. The fact that we go to bed at night and wake up in the morning is nothing short of a miracle. Where was the guarantee that we would wake up? Should we not make the best use of the outcome of this miracle?

When we apply the "opportunity clock" metaphor, it can change our lives. We will no longer wake up in the morning cursing at the clock for disrupting our sleep, pounding the snooze button, or throwing the clock across the room!. Personally, it has helped me to see life from a new perspective. Here are 3 suggestions to follow as a matter of discipline on waking up to the opportunity clock:

*Acknowledge the divine – The miracle could have happened only through some divine intervention. Our first order of business is to acknowledge the divine who continues to breathe into each of us life and makes the connecteion to the surrounding universe.

*Smile – For me, this was not difficult. I began practicing this aspect of smiling at everyone I encounter! Many folks practice smiling into a mirror as soon as they wake up.We each must understand that our health and wealth, knowledge and power are all in our hands. Wake up knowing that you are not alone but connected to a powerhouse of abundance.

*First things first – Perhaps we could map out three or four activities to be done in the first couple of hours of the day. Even if they are routine, we should go through a mental review. This action gets us on our feet and also puts the much needed mental energy needed for the initial surge. It gives us confidence and interest to pursue the activities and then go for it.



Each day brings opportunity to do great things!

Are You a Go-Getter?

Many years ago I encountered a story about being a "go-getter". It's story about a man named Bill Peck, a former soldier, who is put through a test of obtaining a “blue vase” by his new employer. The story relates how Cappy Ricks, the retired owner of Ricks Logging and Lumber Company, encourages the new President of the company, Mr. Skinner, to hire Bill Peck after discovering that Mr. Peck is a go-getter. Against his will Mr. Skinner agrees to hire Mr. Peck, all the while believing that Mr. Peck will not be able to carry the load of the job. In the beginning of the story Mr. Peck proves Mr. Skinner wrong and gives Cappy Ricks and Mr. Skinner reason to believe that he may be worth a promotion.

To verify that their instincts are correct about promoting Mr. Peck, Cappy Ricks decides to put him through the test of the “blue vase”, the ultimate test of the go-getter. The four promary lessons to be gained from the test of the Blue Vase are:
*Believe in yourself. Mr. Peck provides a great reminder that we all need to believe in ourselves. If there is anyone who could consider themselves down and out it is a war vet with a leg limp and only half of an arm on one side. However, Mr. Peck does not let this get him down. He approached his first meeting with Cappy Ricks with all the belief in the world, and sold himself to the business owner by refusing to take no for an answer.
*Act with determination. Throughout the book Mr. Peck displays his determination time and time again. From the beginning of the book when he was so determined to get the job that he had already had business cards made, to later in the story when he refuses to take no for an answer and vows to do whatever it takes to obtain the “blue vase” for Cappy. Mr. Peck is a man on a mission, determined to deliver the “blue vase” to his employer.
*Don’t take “No” for an answer. Time and time again Mr. Peck reaches a point where it seems as if he is being told “no.” He meets resistance in many situations in his pursuit of the “blue vase”, but rather than packing it in and going home he finds ways to rethink his approach and create a new path towards the “blue vase.”
*Tell yourself “It Shall Be Done.” This is the saying that Mr. Peck shares with Cappy, a saying that he picked up from his commanding officer, who just happens to be an old employee of Cappy Ricks. It is the belief that even in times when you don’t know how to do something, you say “it shall be done” and then work to find a solution to the problem. It may not be easy, but if you truly believe you can achieve something your mind will help you create a plan to achieve it.

There is in this breif writing more wisdom in these few pages than there are in many books of much greater length. It would e great to make it a habit to re-read this book on a regular and basis and pickup new lessons from each reading.


"How could I reject a person who simply would not be rejected?"

How to Remain Motivated Even After a Failure…

Failure is something which we have all have experienced over time! Many are very well acquainted with it. Failure's something we have faced or are facing in our life.

But, what actually matters the most is keep going, even after failing, motivating yourself to finding new ways to solve the problem even after failing at it.

Failure is often more than just embarrassing to us, it brings back us to the beginning, from whence we started. But, this step should be used to teach us some great lessons. Failing and giving up is NOT the best action to follow here, rather finding new ways to succeed must be the path to follow! Failing is OK if follwed by GETTING UP...not giving up!

Many very successful examples easo;y demonstrate the benefits of gettong up and keeping moving forward. I like the story of J. K. Rowling! Before the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling was actually clinically depressed. Rowling spent a few years struggling to meet essential needs!

“I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor, as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless,” — she said in her commencement speech at Harvard. There came a period, when her depression took a dark turn, and she considered herself a big failure. She felt stuck. She even contemplated suicide. But she did not stop finding the solution and found something which actually changed her life. The idea for the Harry Potter came to her, and she struck gold. Today she is one of the best selling authors.

Don't let your failures define you! You are not what your failures show. If you once failed in doing your work, it’s not necessary that you will fail again. Falling once or twice in your work, doesn’t make you a failure. But we must try to find ways to build from our failures. The failures that you go through, are, in reality, actually the beginning of your new journey, the journey to success. Failure is nothing but a part of success. It is the stepping stone which takes you one step forward to success. It is a process to begin with. After facing failure, you start fresh with a positive mindset, with a new thinking, new tools to work with!
What others think of you should not detour your thoughts and actions! Their perception of you is not what you are, so let go off their thinking for you. Never let the judgement of others, deviate you from your path to success. Criticism is something which everyone faces, all you need to do is keep moving forward rather than paying attention to all the critics.
Michael Jordon is quoted as telling us, "I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying."

I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.
~~ Thomas A. Edison~~

What Legacy Are You Building?

Let's talk about LEGACY. Legacy is about life and living. It's about learning from the past, living in the present, and building for the future. Legacy is fundamental to what it is to be human. Research shows that without a sense of working to create a legacy, adults lose meaning in their life. Exploring the idea of legacy offers a glimpse not only into human relationships and building strong communities, but also the human spirit.

Michael and I were running errands few years back, one of them was to photograph "Big Daddy" Roth's headstone. While at the Manti, Utah cemetery, I asked Michael to provide a brief and extemporaneous talk on Legacy. This video was the result!

The concept of legacy is a powerful life tool for all ages and a catalyst for change! The world isn't connected by molecules. It's connected by stories, traditions, memories, hopes, and dreams. We are connected by the legacies passed down from those who came before us and the legacies we pass down to those who come after us.
"Paradoxical as it may seem, to believe in youth is to look backward; to look forward, we must believe in age." said English writer Dorothy Sayers,

For children, legacy means learning from the past. It separates the timeless from the transient. Children have a feeling of security and continuity that comes from knowing that there are adults who care about them. They come to realize that we all face choices in our lives, often difficult ones, which helps them prepare for whatever may come. They start developing a life plan as they see their life as a whole. Learning about the whole of life as well as its end also helps them establish their values and priorities. And instead of directly telling children all of this, we need to tell them our life stories and our choices and how we made our decisions. That's the way you get children to learn from you and about you.

For adults, legacy means hoping for the future. It means developing and passing on a timeless part of yourself. We feel valued and useful no matter how old we get. We remember our priorities and make life choices based on them. We come to terms with our accomplishments and our disappointments. We create personal meaning and purpose. We realize that as we do our bit in the grand scheme of things, our tiny gestures multiply in significance. We understand that the world we leave behind is the world our children and children's children inherit. We know that we have an obligation to help make the future a little bit better than the past. For both young and old, the power of legacy enables us to live fully in the present. You understand that you are part of a larger community, a community that must remember its history to build its future. There is caring combined with conscience. There is also wisdom to be found in each other – linking action and reflection to deal with complex problems.

Legacy is very much about life and living.

Life-Long Learning vs Life-Long Education

What is the difference between life-long learning and life-long education?

Lifelong learners are motivated to learn and develop because they want to: it is a deliberate and voluntary act. Life-long learning can enhance our understanding of the world around us, provide us with more and better opportunities and improve our quality of life.


There’s always something to learn. Whether you’re picking up a hobby or starting a new career, you’ll need to acquire fresh knowledge and skills. And you should be eager to embrace the challenge, because lifelong learning has many benefits. Here are a few:

*It Can Help Your Brain Stay Healthy

Continuing to learn does good things for our brains. Recent research has found that learning keeps brain cells working at optimum levels, which can limit cognitive and memory decline as we age.† The best part is, the learning can come in any form. As long as we’re acquiring new knowledge, we’re keeping our brain healthier.

*It Can Help You Stay Connected

From participating in continued education at colleges and universities to attending art classes at the rec center to studying and debating important issues in online groups, many forms of adult education allow you to meet new people and connect with the ideas of today. If you want to keep making friends and avoid becoming out of touch with the modern world, one of the best choices you can make is to continue learning.

*It Can Help You Be Happier

Lifelong learning doesn’t just increase the likelihood we’ll feel fulfilled, it can improve our emotional balance and help us avoid depression.§ For older adults, this is particularly beneficial, as depression often comes with aging. While there is no cure for getting older, lifelong learning can help us stay happier as we progress through the stages of life.

*It Can Help You Succeed at Your Job

Only 15% of hiring managers say most job seekers have the skills their company is looking for.* If you want increase your chances of getting a good job, you want to be in that 15%. Which means you want to take the time to acquire the skills employers are looking for. You can do this through experience or you can earn a college degree or graduate certificate in the field that’s most closely associated with your preferred career. Graduate certificates and bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees can all be beneficial.

Life-long Education, on the other hand, speaks more of social programs and expectations, rather than a personal desire to learn and improve!
Upwards of 15 million people a year in the United States and Canada are known to have taken an informal or formal lifelong learning class each year. The rewards of personal and professional development for our advanced societies only strengthens the need and desire of people for lifelong learning, adding to the benefits of personal development, mental health, longer life, changing lives and the next as yet undiscovered benefit of lifelong learning.

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"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young."
Henry Ford

Have You Found Your Acres of Diamonds?

As I was reviewing my readings over the last 40 years, an interesting speech made popular in a small book over a century ago came to mind! "Acres of Diamond" by Russell Conwell was originally the content of a speech Mr. Conwell delivered over 5,000 times. After his military service as an officer during the U.S. Civil War, he studied law, but chose to serve as a minister and public speaker! The message is a simple parable.
The full text is available at Gutenber.org (available under "Public Domain") If you're interested in Conwell's biographical detail, it can also be found at Project Gutenberg.

Conwell had been traveling through modern-day Iraq in 1870, when he first heard the parable related to him. Following is a brief summary of the speech and it's application to each of us even today!

The story centers on a wealthy man named Ali Hafed who lived near the River Indus. “Ali Hafed was contented because he was wealthy, and wealthy because he was contented.”
One day a priest visited Ali Hafed and told him about diamonds. Ali Hafed heard all about diamonds, how much they were worth! Ali Hafed went to bed that night a poor man. He had not lost anything, but he was poor because he was discontented, and discontented because he feared he was poor. Ali Hafed sold his farm, left his family in the care of neighbors, and traveled to Palestine and then to Europe searching for diamonds. He did not find them. His health and his wealth failed him. Dejected, he cast himself into the sea!

One day, the man who had purchased Ali Hafed’s farm found a curious sparkling stone in a stream that cut through his land. It was a diamond. Digging produced more diamonds — acres of diamonds, in fact. This, according to the parable, was the discovery of the famed diamonds of Golconda.

The point of the story is that we often dream of fortunes to be made elsewhere. We ought instead to be open to the opportunities that are around us.

He illustrates this concept with several other stories, including that of the discovery of Gold in California.

Another is a farmer in Pennsylvania who sold his farm for $833 and went to work for his cousin in Canada, collecting oil. Shortly after, the man who purchased the farm found oil worth millions of dollars.

Where will you find your Acres of Diamonds?

Being the Answer to Someone's Prayer

Allow me to relate an event that happened several years ago. I was reminded of it in the local grocery store just a few years later. It is actually multi-faceted in relation to the topic of being an agent for the Lord in answering someone's prayer. It goes back more than 30 years. A new baby entered this life in the "usual" way, except baby arrived to a single mom, with a non-paternal boyfriend. "Mom" disappeared, leaving the baby with her now former boyfriend, who moved from Texas with the baby to Las Vegas. When Baby Michelle was about four months old she was seen in the ER of a local hospital for flu-like symptoms, treated and released to the former boyfriend. He returned the next night, deposited her and disappeared, never to be seen again. The docs diagnosed her new symptoms as shaken baby issues. In a moment of frustration, the guy had scrambled her brain. After sufficient hospital "recovery". Nevada DCFS placed her into the care of a loving, caring and qualified foster home.

Michelle was totally immobile and required total care. Her foster family consisted of three adults no longer living at home, four daughters ranging from 8-16 and one son, 17, plus mom and dad (a federal agent) This relationship went on for eight years. When the dad retired from is career position, the family moved to their native state of Utah. That kind of spoiled the foster home opportunity for Michelle. Nevada had difficulty in locating another private home situation willing (or able) to meet her total care needs. Located within twenty miles of her former foster family, Michelle was placed in a youth care facility. .I became acquainted with Michelle when I began courting the eldest daughter of the Foster Mom. In 1990 their daughter and I were married. When the youngest daughter went looking for a job as a CNA, she applied and went to work at the very facility where Michelle resided, discovering her "sister" living there. She would take Michelle home for family events, to movies, etc. So, my kids even got involved with her. As Michelle approached her 18th birthday, Nevada was searching for options for this soon to be young adult in a juvenile care system. Their first answer was to place her in a state-operated adult long-term care facility. This was met by objections from the only family this young lady had ever known. Thus, on her nineteenth birthday, Nevada made her a ward of the Utah courts, who granted guardianship of Michelle to my family. How many example have we seen just to this point of BEING THE ANSWER to other people's prayers?

We're going to skip forward five years. Although those years would expose many more folks becoming answers to prayers With this move, she acquired the love of several new brothers, an older sister, many more AND kept all the original foster family. With Michelle now in our care, we needed a van with a lift! A local doctor gave us a van, with the agreement that we would give it back when we no longer needed it. Then we acquired a former state vehicle fitted with a lift for $10,000.
Early in her life the doctors had estimated her life expectancy to be into her mid 20s. So, on December 24th, 2011, with her original foster mother, two of her original foster sisters, and several of my boys surrounding her bed, we held a family prayer. At the conclusion of this prayer, Michelle took her final breath in mortality, passing peacefully into Eternity!

With Michelle's passing, we had a fully paid for Dodge van that was not meeting its purpose. We had a good friend a few miles away, who had a daughter with severe disabilities, approximately same age. They had a similar-sized van which was nonfunctional. So, with no hesitation my spouse and I decided to offer them our van. For five years, as I had seen that van around the region, (it's easily identified by a mismatched driver door) I had only thought, "Glad to see they are still using it." Never in that time frame did it ever come to my a remembrance that we had GIVEN the van to them. Now, that reference to the local grocery storre.....
The husband parked a little ways from where I had just parked at the local market. As we exited our vehicles, I thoughtlessly stated, "I know that van!" Nearly in tears, he related the backstory of the day they received the van from us. His wife had just arisen from her knees, discussing with God their urgent need for a functioning van, and their lack of available funding. Their mortal phone rang and it was my spouse offering them the van. My point in sharing this is, in no way an effort to make my exwife and me look special. It is, however, a testimony that God DOES answer prayers, often using mortal beings to bring that answer! Further, that same day another good friend, totally unaware of our earlier action, offered us their 2005 Suburban. You could, I suppose call these coincidences. I call them blessing directly from God.

Check out this music video from Alabama!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_sevfQ7N70&sns=fb


Look around you for ways to be the Answer to someone's prayer!

Feathers In the Wind

There is a 19th century folktale about a young fellow who went about town slandering the town’s wise man. One day, he went to the wise man’s home and asked for forgiveness. The wise man, realizing that this man had not internalized the gravity of his transgressions, told him that he would forgive him on one condition: that he go home, take a feather pillow from his house, cut it up, and scatter the feathers to the wind. After he had done so, he should then return to the wise man’s house. Though puzzled by this strange request, the young man was happy to be let off with so easy a penance. He quickly cut up the pillow, scattered the feathers, and returned to the house. “Am I now forgiven?” he asked. “Just one more thing,” the wise man said. “Go now and gather up all the feathers.” “But that’s impossible. The wind has already scattered them.” “Precisely,” he answered. “And though you may truly wish to correct the evil you have done, it is as impossible to repair the damage done by your words as it is to recover the feathers. Your words are out there in the marketplace, spreading hate, even as we speak.” I've also heard it compared to firing a gun....once you hear the sound of the bullet firing, you cannot take it back!

In an article on the WebMD website the question is asked about how Rumors, Gossip, and Fake News can influence your health. While most consider them harmless, they can affect your health. Learning to tell the difference between fact and fiction can be a real boost -- both mentally and physically!
Quoting from WebMD, "Rumors are defined as widely spread talk with no reliable source to back it up. They aren't always bad. Some rumors can even seem positive, like promotions, engagements, or awards. But until proven otherwise, they are just that -- rumors.
Gossip is when you take rumors -- those unconfirmed pieces of information -- and pass them along, spreading what may be “fake news.”
What may be surprising is how difficult it can be to tell rumor and gossip from truth. Even people who are Internet-savvy can have trouble telling what's real and what's not. It can also be tough to tell the difference between news and advertisement. As a result, people sometimes give more weight to what they see in their social media feed than what they get from more credible news sources."

As we have seen playing out even today, when it comes to "fake news," the effects can be both immediate and long-lasting. In most cases, a "fake news" story can rile up your emotions and change your mood. Depending on the strength of your feelings, the story, and the reaction it gave you, can stick in your head, even after you find out it's false.

While so many folks consider rumors and gossip as harmless and perhaps even a fun pastime, it is far from an innocent, simple comment. Some of the actual results of rumors and gossip may include....
Bullying
Damaged reputation
Employment challenges
Depression
even Suicide!
....the list is too long to cover here!

It’s time to realize the reality of Rumors, Gossip, and Fake News and to decide you don’t want to have any part of it.

Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
Proverbs 4:24

What Makes Being Right So Important, Anyway?

Wouldn't it be really great to discover why it is so darn critcal for us to be right all the time?

It's interesting how strongly we fight to defend our thoughts and beliefs!. Why is it so critically important to be right? Well, to begin with, if you're not right, then you are indeed wrong, with all the accompanying sense of humiliation and failure. I really don't like to be wrong. How about you? Does it have to be this way? Could we accept being incorrect without any loss or embarrassment?

If we consider that, in children the need to be right is likely a major influence in their lives we can understand why most of us remain attached to our need to be correct. This is true of so many people, whether due to demanding expectations of parents, a humiliating moment in a classroom, or being taunted by friends.

Being right is so overrated, especially when it comes at the expense of basic human kindnesses. Inherent in the need to be right is the desire -- consciously or not -- to put ourselves above others, to make them wrong in order to appease our own insecurities and our ego's need to be perfect.

When we find that we need to be right -- whether in an argument, a discussion or a casual conversation -- we should program our minds and our hearts to appy some of the following virtues.....
1. Openness
We don't always agree with each other, nor should we try to.There is so much to learn from the ideas and opinions of others when we are open to listening to them. When we give up the need to be right, we communicate and listen on a deeper level.
2. Detachment
It really is possible to be passionate about what we're trying to express without being attached to how it's received. When we are attached to what we're saying, and to the need to be right about it, we often end up forcing our ideas on others, or distorting our beliefs simply to gain the approval of others. Detachment gives us the freedom to communicate without the pressure of needing to be seen as right. Through detachment, we can find peace with however our comments are received and with whatever direction a conversation takes. Who's right and who's wrong becomes irrelevant.
3. Humility
The need to be right is rooted deeply in the ego, and one thing our egos are not is humble. We need to swallow our pride when someone says something we believe to be wrong. Even more, we need to be willing to be wrong ourselves. It's not about compromising our truths, but about being humble within the expression of them. It doesn't matter whether we're right or wrong. What's important is how we handle ourselves in either case.
4. Kindness
Dr. Wayne Dyer wrote, "When given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind." We all struggle with the insecurities of our egos, with the insecurity of being wrong. And a threatened ego will almost always lash out. When we make an effort to prove someone wrong by establishing ourselves as right, we're being unkind in the process, whether we intend to be or not. Only the ego cares about the distinctions between right and wrong. The heart simply loves and accepts whomever is on the other side of the conversation. Let's operate from our hearts, with kindness.

There are so many healthier choices we can make rather than needing to be right. Let's start making them!

Are We Storm Chasers?

"I am asking that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight." ~Gordon B. Hinckley, Standing for Something

The Pursuit of Nature's Fury is the primary reason given by people engaging in Storm Chasing! Most of us experience enough of Nature's Fury without chasing it down. Gordon B Hinkley further counsels us, I have little doubt that many of us are troubled with fears concerning ourselves. We are in a period of stress across the world. There are occasionally hard days for each of us. Do not despair.
Do not give up. Look for the sunlight through the clouds. Opportunities will eventually open to you. Do not let the prophets of gloom endanger your possibilities"

From the 1944 hit song, Accentuate the Positive, we are directed further to Eliminate the Negative. Here are the lyrics:
You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
You've got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene
To illustrate his last remark
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they do
Just when everything looked so dark
Man, they said we better, accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
No, do not mess with Mister In-Between

This song was sung in the style of a sermon, and explains that accentuating the positive is key to happiness.

In the world today "journalists", radio and television commentators, and even high tech companies have difficulty dealing with balanced truth as they focus on the negative and, in many cases, caricature the facts and distort the truth – at least the whole truth. The tragedy is that this spirit of negativism seems to prevail throughout the our society, infecting the atmosphere on university campuses and the workplace. Gordon B. Hinkley goes on to counsel that we need to "accentuate the positive, look a little deeper for the good, still the voices of insult and sarcasm, and more generously compliment virtue and effort. "What I am suggesting and asking is that we turn from the negativism that so permeates our society and look for the remarkable good in the land and times in which we live; that we speak of one another's virtues more than we speak of one another's faults; that optimism replace pessimism."

Sadly there will always be Storm Chasers! But, for each of us there IS a better way!

We must cultivate the art of complimenting, of strengthening, of encouraging those around us!

Are You Drinking Poison?

“Holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die”

When someone you care about hurts you, you can hold
on the to anger, resentment and thoughts of revenge
— or embrace forgiveness and move forward.

We've all been hurt by the words or acions of another fellow human being! We have little control over that happening. But - what comes next is totally within your control! Yes, you can certainly justify your angrer, perhaps even seeking revenge.But if you don't practice forgiveness, you might be the one who pays most dearly. By embracing forgiveness, you can also embrace peace, hope, gratitude and joy. Consider how forgiveness can lead you down the path of physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
Although "forgiveness" will mean different things to different people. it generally, involves a decision to let go of resentment and thoughts of revenge. The act that hurt or offended you might always be with you, but forgiveness can lessen its grip on you and help free you from the control of the person who harmed you. Forgiveness can even lead to feelings of understanding, empathy and compassion for the one who hurt you. Forgiveness doesn't mean forgetting or excusing the harm done to you or making up with the person who caused the harm. Forgiveness brings a kind of peace that helps you go on with life. I've hear it put in another way..."Holding a grudge is like allowing the other person t oliver rent free inside your brain." Forgiveness sets YOU free! There are many benefits to practicing forgiveness. I will list a few below Letting go of grudges and bitterness can make way for improved health and peace of mind.
Forgiveness can lead to:
*Healthier relationships
*Improved mental health
*Less anxiety, stress and hostility
*Lower blood pressure
*Fewer symptoms of depression
*A stronger immune system
*Improved heart health
*Improved self-esteem

We could certainly find a long list of damaging aspects to holding onto the anger!
But, we need to focus on the beneficial aspects of forgiving others! Forgiveness is a choice and a commitment to a personalized process of change. To move from suffering to forgiveness, you might:
*Recognize the value of forgiveness and how it can improve your life
*Identify what needs healing and who needs to be forgiven and for what
*Consider joining a support group or seeing a counselor
*Acknowledge your emotions about the harm done to you and how they affect your behavior, and work to release them
*Choose to forgive the person who's offended you
*Move away from your role as victim and release the control and power the offending person and situation have had in your life
As you let go of grudges, you'll no longer define your life by how you've been hurt. You might even find compassion and understanding.

LET IT GO! LET GOD PREVAIL!

Scatter Sunshine!

Most hymns we know are simply sacred poems set to music, often by someone other than the poet. One of my favorites is a really great poem by Lanta Wilson Smith.....

Scatter Sunshine

In a world where sorrow
Ever will be known,
Where are found the needy
And the sad and lone,
How much joy and comfort
You can all bestow,
If you scatter sunshine
Ev'rywhere you go.

Scatter sunshine all along your way.  
Cheer and bless and brighten
Ev'ry passing day.
Scatter sunshine all along your way.
Cheer and bless and brighten
Ev'ry passing day.
Slightest actions often
Meet the sorest needs,
For the world wants daily
Little kindly deeds.
Oh, what care and sorrow
You may help remove,
With your songs and courage,
Sympathy and love.

Scatter sunshine all along your way.

Cheer and bless and brighten
Ev'ry passing day.
Scatter sunshine all along your way.
Cheer and bless and brighten

Ev'ry passing day.

When the days are gloomy,
Sing some happy song;
Meet the world's repining
With a courage strong.
Go with faith undaunted
Thru the ills of life;
Scatter smiles and sunshine
O'er its toil and strife.

Scatter sunshine all along your way. 

Cheer and bless and brighten

Ev'ry passing day.

Scatter sunshine all along your way.

Cheer and bless and brighten

Ev'ry passing day.

We may never know the effect our smile and upbeat attitude will have in the lives of others. Most often,the effect becomes contagious, with the positive outcome rolling forward for others we don't even know! I love this quote from Charles Dickens.....

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.

A House is Built One Brick at a Time!

To make your dreams come true, you must take action, but that action needn’t be huge....just one simple step at a time!

In reviewing some articles today, I encountered a story shared by Eric Sevareid in Reader's Digest in 1957......

“During World War II, I and several others had to parachute from a crippled Army transport plane into the mountainous jungle on the Burma-India border. It was several weeks before an armed relief expedition could reach us, and then we began a painful, plodding, march ‘out’ to civilized Inida. We were faced by a 140-mile trek, over mountains, in August heat and monsoon rains. In the first hour of the march I rammed a boot nail deep into one foot; by evening I had bleeding blisters the size of a 50-cent piece on both feet. Could I hobble 140 miles? Could the others, some in worse shape than I, complete such a distance? We were convinced we could not. But we could hobble to that ridge, we could make the next friendly village for the night. And that, of course, was all we had to do…
When I relinquished my job and income to undertake a book of a quarter of a million words, I could not bear to let my mind dwell on the whole scope of the project. I would surely have abandoned what has become my deepest source of professional pride. I tried to think only of the next paragraph, not the next page and certainly not the next chapter. Thus, for six solid months, I never did anything but set down one paragraph after another. The book ‘wrote itself.’”

As we persue our dreams and goals, we begin to see the need to cultivate relationships. The people within our circles of influence are critical to our success and happiness. Here's a simple step in bulding these connections toward success....

Follow the Golden Rule and Be Human. Treat others how you’d like to be treated. Everyone craves appreciation, respect, and recognition. If you center your life on being kind, considerate, and human to everyone you come in contact with, you’ll get ahead much faster. With your family, friends, and neighbors, not to mention coworkers and people you come into casual contact with, impress on yourself that they matter. Make it a habit to remember names and birthdays. Smile, as you give each person your full attention. Let them know that they really matter to you.


Success is yours...just make it to that next ridge!

Does Mental Imaging Truly Work?

I knew a man who had a very profitable and comfortable career in Texas. On his office wall was a large framed photograph of the snow covered Rocky Mountains. He loved the mountains in any season. Bit, he really loved to ski, but Texas is not known for its snow-covered slopes! In fact, I had a relative living near Dallas, who often commented that she cound not live on "Snob Hill", because there were no hills. Rather, she lived on "Snob Flat"
Without intentionally persuing a change in my friend's location and scenary, a business opportunity fell into his path requiring him to relocate to Park City, Utah! He now enjoys the "Greatest Snow on Earth"!

For generations, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale has tried to teach the critical importance of the "Power of Positive Thinking". In 1982 he took that concept a bit deeper in his book "Positive Imaging", indicating our ability change every aaspect of our lives based upon what we regularly visualize! One area which Dr. Peale focused on is the concept that we were created in the image of God. With this truth in our minds, we can obtain "a deep sense of God in our lives and image ourselves walking alongside the Power that created the tiniest flower, yet holds the constellations in their places!"

By employing the potent mental process of “imaging,” we can eliminate problems and take firm control of our lives. By keeping a clear and vivid picture of a desired goal in our minds until it becomes part of our subconscious, we will be able to actualize our objectives by releasing previously untapped inner energies. With Positive Imaging we can banish fear and loneliness, strengthen and gain new confidence in our interpersonal relationships, improve our health, and eliminate many financial worries. The path to mental and physical wellness, spiritual well-being, and overall success in life is opening up right in front of us!

Combining positive imaging with sincere prayer will enhance our lives!

Who's Your Puppet Master?

“Mediocrity finds safety in standardization. So, dont compare and follow others… Be a non-conformist. Live your own life because no one is even remotely like you in terms of your innermost feelings, thoughts and desires."

— “PULLING YOUR OWN STRINGS.” Dr. Wayne Dyer

Many of us were raised to say 'YES' all the time. Often that is a great way to maintain a positive attitude. However, that can also easily lead to a "victim" mentality. One author has even referred to it as The Disease to Please! (Dr Harriet Braiker)

Being on the receiving end of manipulation isn’t nice, so how can we deal with manipulators in everyday life? Let's consider some strategies we can employ to stop manipulative people in their tracks and resist the victimization issues.

*No means "no" ~ When it comes to manipulative people, learn the power of saying “no” in a calm and diplomatic way. You don’t need to qualify your “no” with a reason. In fact, providing a reason just gives the person information that they can use to get around your defenses and make you say “yes”. No matter how much they push you, keep saying “no” and they’ll eventually get tired and give up.

*Don't apologize automatically! ~ Sometimes it’s tempting to apologize just to keep the peace, but you’re only giving them more control over you. Manipulators will often refuse to take responsibility for their own actions. Don’t take responsibility for something you know you didn’t do.

*Don't react emotionally ~ The more emotional you get, the more it makes them look like the calm and collected one. They create drama and chaos around them to make you look “crazy” and them look sane. Refuse to engage. Simply say, “I’m sorry you feel that way.” then walk away!

*Establish and maintain clear boundaries ~ Boundaries in human relationships are really important, but manipulative people tend to prey on people-pleasers who have very weak boundaries. If you have weak boundaries, try to write down things that you will and will not accept in your life. If the manipulative person keeps crossing one of your boundaries, know when to walk away and disengage. Decide ahead of time what the consequences will be if they don’t respect your boundaries.

The action list can be much longer. But, if you begin with small steps...change one habit, alter your thoughts a little, change how you feel about things! But most of all...take action!


Begin today to become your own puppet master!

Ever Heard of "Gamification"?

I met a man while attending a business training conference in Waco, Texas in the early 80s. His name is Chuck Coonradt. His business is developing business leadership orgainzations for many successful companies of varying sizes. Chuck wrote a book entitled "The Game of Work". The question is posed as to how to enjoy work as much as play.

in an interview with Forbes Magazine in 2012 Mr. Coonradt in describing the Gamification system asked himself, "Why would people pay for the privilege of working harder at their chosen sport or recreational pursuit than they would work at a job where they were being paid?" Here are the main points of his response....
*Clearly defined goals
*Better scorekeeping and scorecards
*More frequent feedback
*A higher degree of personal choice of methods
*Consistent coaching

Are there benefits to these "diversionary" activities? How can "Gamification improve our work productivity and the success of our employers?Perhaps Atari and Nintendo realized in the 70s that they were creating a generation of millenial focused on gaming for gaming's sake! That said, how can we turn this into a productive function? In the 60s we used simulators, primative as they were, as a first step to driving a real car on a real road.

Airlines use flight simulators to teach real-world situations in a safe environment.The United States militay uses video gaming and simulations to train for artillery, pilot training, drones, and so much more, teaching real-life skills through gaming applications.

If, in the course of training our people, we can add those five elements to their life skills....clearly defined goals and measurable objectives, appropriate and immediate scorekeeping with feedback, a reasonale level of oersonal choice, along with regular coaching for success, they will bring a much happier, more productive self to the team!


Look for ways to enjoy the work you have chosen as much as your play!

Paying It Forward Through Random Acts of Kindness

In October 2000, a movie, "Pay it Forward", was released in theaters The plot centered on Trevor, a 7th grader in Las Vegas, Nevada. His social studies teacher gives the class an assignment to devise and put into action a plan that will change the world for the better. Trevor's plan is a charitable program based on the networking of good deeds. He calls his plan "pay it forward", which means the recipient of a favor does a favor for three others rather than paying the favor back. However, it needs to be a major favor that the recipient cannot complete by himself! Trevor does a favor for three people, asking each of them to "pay the favor forward" by doing favors for three other people, and so on, along a branching tree of good deeds.

The phase, "random acts of kindness" is believed to have originated from a comment written on a restaurant placemat in 1983. The comment, in total, was, "practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty" and later became a book entitled "Random Kindness & Senseless Acts of Beauty", written by Anne Herbert in 1993.

There is a saying, "One good turn deserves another." That means if you do someone a favor, chances are you'll be repaid in kind. The same can be said for random acts of kindness. They can create a "ripple effect" whereby the person you help may be inspired to do the same for someone else, and so on in a virtual cascade of kindness. Karma is a good friend to have on your team! In fact, according to some psychologists just witnessing an act of kindness can prompt someone to follow suit, by "paying it forward"!

Yet,even though these random acts of kindness are intended to benefit the people receiving them, studies have shown that the people doing the good deeds also feel pleasure and happiness as a result. Although the phrase, "random acts of kindness" may have been coined in 1983, it has been around much longer!
In high school Driver's Education (AND THAT WAS MANY YEARS AGO), we watched many films, intending to scare us into proper driving habits. One film with a very different approach, entitled "Courtesy is Contageous", taught that through OUR courtesy to other drivers, our simple act has immeaurable benefits!

While the list is actually infinite in nature, here are a few ideas for acts of kindness:
br> 1~ Send someone an unexpected Thank You note
2~ Have lunch with a new coworker.
3~ Bring treats to work or random meetings
4~ Offer a ride to a coworker
5~ Compliment someone on their social media or front of their boss
6~ Share your skills with coworker with challenging projects
7~ Volunteer with EMS or Fire Department
8~ Ask a friend or colleague about their family and LISTEN to their reply!
9~ ALWAYS SHARE A SINCERE SMILE


What a different world this would be if we would build the habit of performing random acts of kindness in our everyday activities!