Just dance!

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. ~ An elderly woman by the name of Rose.

I received the following inspirational story in an email this morning, and it really made me smile.  We all know that we only have one life to live, but how do we really choose to live that life?

Do we dwell on the past, on the sorrow, on the things we cannot change?  Or do we dream of conquering the world, and making each day the best it can possibly be?

Have you ever noticed there are some people that just ALWAYS seem to be negative, and when they see others trying to be positive, they often criticize or look down on those people for being that way?  Perhaps if everyone just put a little more spring in their step, and allowed themselves to laugh and dream a bigger dream, we’d all be living in a much happier world…  And who knows, it might help them to start aging backwards, too…ya never know?!

I know that’s why I often force myself to read positive quotes and messages – especially in the morning.  It can often turn a gloomy morning into a much brighter day.

Here’s the story that put a smile on my face this mornng:

“My Name is Rose”

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being…

She said, ‘Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?’

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, ‘Of course you may!’ and she gave me a giant squeeze.

‘Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?’ I asked.

She jokingly replied, ‘I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids…’

‘No seriously,’ I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

‘I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!’ she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.

We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this ‘time machine’ as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.

Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, ‘I’m sorry I’m so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I’ll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.’

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, ‘ We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.

We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it!

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.

Anybody can grow older! That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.

The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.’

She concluded her speech by courageously singing ‘The Rose.’

She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year’s end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be.

When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they’ll really enjoy it!

These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. We make a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give.

Technorati Tags: Inspiration

The Weaving

My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I do not choose the colors,
But God works steadily.

Often God weaves sorrow,
And I, in foolish pride,
Forget God sees the top
While I the underside.

Not until the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas
And explain the reasons why.

But, the dark threads are as needful
In the skillful weaver’s hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern God has planned. ~ Author Unknown

Well, I remember after reading this poem, I really had to step back and think about what was really going on.  For whatever reason, I just wasn’t meant to have a baby at that particular time in my life.  And really…who was it for me to question?  After all, it’s not really “up to me.”  Not only was it this poem that made me realize that, but also my dad.  He has always been such an inspiration in my life, and he also reminded me that it wasn’t “my choice…”  It just wasn’t meant to be.

We all go through difficult times in our lives.  We have ups as well as down times.  So the next time you find yourself in a situation where you’re asking yourself “why me?” – think about this poem.  For whatever reason…whatever is going on,  it’s not up to you. It’s just meant or NOT meant to be.  EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON, just like people come in and out of your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.

Technorati Tags: Inspiration, Random Thoughts

View from my bedroom window

Let us rise up and be thankful,
for if we didn’t learn a lot today,
at least we learned a little,
and if we didn’t learn a little,
at least we didn’t get sick,
and if we got sick,
at least we didn’t die;
so let us all be thankful. ~ Unknown.

Sometimes we forget to say “Thank You” for the many blessings we have in our lives.  However, when you open up you window shade and are presented with a gift like this, how can you forget?  Thank you, Lord for blessing me, my family & my friends!!

Technorati Tags: Inspiration, Random Thoughts

Push your way to success!

First you make your habits, and then your habits make you.

Break those habits that can break you.
Adopt those practices that will become the new habits that will help you achieve the success you desire.

Your habits are a form of exercise.
The harder you work at something, the harder it is to quit.
The easier it is to do, the harder it is to change.

Your habits are either the best of servants or the worst of masters.
You are what you repeatedly do. ~ Max Steingart

Have you ever heard the expression it takes 21 says to make or break a habit?  Well, just think…in less than a month, you can actually be doing whatever it is you REALLY want!  Go for it!  You CAN do it!

Technorati Tags: Inspiration, Quotes

My niece, Marissa

Often people attempt to live their lives backwards; they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier.  The way it actually works is the reverse.  You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want.  ~ Margaret Young

What really makes us happy?  Personally…I define success by happiness.  It doesn’t matter what your house looks like, how much money is in your bank account, or what your “job title” says.  To me, if a person is happy then, YES…they are also successful!

So stop waiting to have kids, or to get married, or to finish school, or to retire.  Whatever you’re waiting for – until you think you’ll finally be happy -  don’t wait for it any longer.  Decide that YOU are happy, and I bet before you know it, you WILL be!

Have an AWESOME day!

Technorati Tags: Inspiration

My youngest son "getting in the game..."

I believe an entrepreneurial spirit is one that some people are born with, and  there are certain things that “just make sense.”

It’s a desire to be all that you can be and do the very best at what it is you do.  You’re not afraid to take chances, and you tend to be a leader in whatever it is you set your mind to.  In fact, I mentioned a few of the  “Top I AMs of an Entrepreneur,” in an earlier posting.

This morning I received the following excerpt in an email, and I had to share it with my fellow “entrepreneurs.”  I just know that it will make as much sense to you as it did to me!

Have an AWESOME day and a great weekend!

GET IN THE GAME AND STAY IN THE GAME
by Jeffery Combs

As a personal success coach and mentor to entrepreneurs from all walks of life, I have had the privilege of spending thousands of hours with clients who are just getting started in free enterprise as well as those who have been in numerous entrepreneurial endeavors.

I have coached people who have achieved no money, people who have achieved millions, people who have gone from zero to hero and people who have struggled to just “make ends meet” yet refuse to go back to the j-o-b and Corporate America.

I have coached professional athletes, actresses, movie producers, and stay-at-home moms. I have a very diverse client base, but one situation all of these people have in common is that they have had to “GIG” get in the game in order to begin realizing success as an entrepreneur.

Getting in the game means making a decision that you will not settle for living an average life in someone else’s dream because you are going to create an exceptional life by living your own dreams.

Most people have the greatest challenge making a decision and if you are going to succeed as an entrepreneur, you will be required to make multiple decisions every day.

I believe most people avoid making decisions because they do not want to be held responsible for the resulting situation. Most people associate responsibility with a negative outcome, but in reality claiming responsibility lead to both positive and empowering results.

Take a Chance and Participate

In many of my events I play a game with money where I stand on the edge of the stage holding up a one hundred-dollar bill and ask, “Who is responsible for this?” At every event, the first reaction of my entire audience is to freeze. Everyone looks at each other, waiting for someone to react, wondering what to do next.

I repeat the question until a few people begin to say “I am.” I nod my head and keep repeating the question. Eventually, one person finds some courage and begins to move toward the stage, which then allows about four other people to come to action.

Suddenly, all four are racing toward me, each more anxious than the others to claim responsibility. In the end, one person reaches me first, takes the “C-note” from my hand and claims responsibility. The result is the easiest hundred dollars ever achieved in the five-second journey from chair to stage.

My point here is that making decisions will require you to get comfortable with the idea of being responsible for both the desirable and less-desirable outcomes your decisions create.

Realize that your decisions do not have to be perfect and that in five years you will probably look back at many of the decisions you make today thinking if I knew then what I know now I would have decided differently. This is true for all of us, no matter our vocation.

What matters to you now, as you begin to claim your destiny and take back control of your present, is that you decide to get in the game and to make the best decisions you are capable of, knowing that you have many great lessons ahead of you and that you are on your way to manifesting your vision.

Participation Makes a Difference

Getting in the game means committing to learning a new set of life skills that will allow you to hone your craft so that you can get paid what the free market bears for the value and service you bring to the marketplace.

It means becoming comfortable with the knowledge that success is a process and having the courage, the guts, the intestinal fortitude to dive into that process each day, leading with your heart, knowing that the lessons you learn will prove invaluable in a future situation.

Each day you have an opportunity to grow from the people you meet, situations you encounter, lessons you learn, challenges you turn into triumphs, and risks that you take to earn the rewards that you seek. The game of free enterprise and entrepreneurship is really the game of your life, and the question is: “Are you ready to play?”

Are you ready to start? When the whistle blows, will you be ready to take off from the starting line, or will you be sitting on the bench tying your shoes? Are you ready to get in the game of free enterprise?

YOU DESERVE TO HAVE IT ALL!
Jeffery Combs

My nephews - Joseph giving Gabriel advice

“Making changes in your life is never an easy task. The key, however, is not to get caught up in the distance you have to go to get to where you want to be. Nor should you despair over the amount of control you have over your circumstances. Progress is made in the small, intentional steps, and chances are, you have more power than you think. By focusing on little steps you can take every day, the progress you make will motivate you to continue your journey, and eventually, you can go wherever you want to go. The important thing is simply to begin.” ~  Stephen Cherniske, M.S.

Another AWESOME quote from Lucy MacDonald this morning!  I definetly recommend you subsribe to her daily quotes if you’re not already doing so.

When I read this quote this morning, I immediatly knew that I had to post this!  We each have our journey in life, and we will never know where exactly we’re headed.  However, if we just take each day in stride, we’ll get exactly where we’re meant to be.

Enjoy your day have have a GREAT week!

Technorati Tags: Inspiration

Photo taken near St. Elmo, CO

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” ~  Winnie the Pooh

After a nice three-day weekend it’s nice to know that there’s time to rest and step back out the normal rat race of everyday life.  I hope you took some time to dwell on and appreciate what’s important in life.

We all have our own goals to meet on a daily/weekly/yearly basis, but make sure you take that little time for yourself.  Stop, smell the roses, and take everything in stride.  It will all come when the time is right – don’t rush.

Have a great week!

Technorati Tags: Inspiration

"Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability." ~ Roy L. Smith

“The secret of living a life of excellence is merely a matter of thinking thoughts of excellence. Really, it’s a matter of programming our minds with the kind of information that will set us free.” ~  Charles R. Swindoll.

I spent this past weekend in Orlando, attending Marshall Sylver’s Turning Point conference, and talk about a weekend to remember!  It was a weekend of eye-opening experiences, extreme motivation, and learning how to re-program my thoughts to eliminate fears and self-doubt.

The most exciting part of all, is that I actually ate fire!  Now THAT’S what you call mind over matter!  During that entire walk up to the stage, and even when I held the blazing torch in my hand, I had the confidence to do it, and not think twice about any fears I might have!

Over the course of the weekend Marshall explained things such as the quality of our lives are based on the quality of our communication, and that there are certain words that MUST be dropped from our vocabulary, including:

• “try” – which implicates failure
• “can’t”
• “but”

This was definitely a conference that’s a “must-attend” for anyone wanting to learn how to motivate themselves…especially if they have an entrepreneurial mindset.  In fact, here were some of the “Top I AMs of an Entrepreneur,” as stated by Marshall Sylver:

• I am totally responsible
• I have great self-management
• I am a great risk-taker
• I have a manic need to succeed
• I am a winner
• I know my own limitations
• I am massively organized
• I am decisive
• I am open-minded
• I am always creating
• I am a powerful leader
• I am irresistibly influential
• I have a joyful spirit

If you can say yes to any of these “I AMs” – then I highly recommend you take a look at Marshall Sylver’s Prosperity Alliance video seminar training, and experience the amazement for yourself!  After all…think POWER, POWER, POWER and who knows you TOO might eat fire!

Technorati Tags: Inspiration, Random Thoughts

When you carry out acts of kindness you get a wonderful feeling inside. It is as though something inside your body responds and says, yes, this is how I ought to feel. ~ Harold Kushner

Photo by *D A R I N K A*

Ah yes, Lucy MacDonald has provided yet another great message for us today.  I strongly encourage you to visit her website if you haven’t yet done so.

Random acts of kindness is what triggered my latest endeavor.  Sending out cards. Random cards to my friends, family, colleagues, etc. In fact, anyone that has touched my heart in one way or another.  It’s amazing the feeling I get when someone picks up the phone just to say THANK YOU!

These cards are actual “snail mail” greeting cards that are sent out via the US Postal Service – with a first class stamp.  I’ve been able to add gift cards, my own photos, and even my own handrwriting fonts to make it even more personal.  So personal infact, that the very first person that received my card actually cried because they were so touched by the gesture.

Sending someone a card for a birthday, an anniversary, the purchase of a new home, or even just a way to say thank you, can have amazing effects on those opening their mailboxes and finding that gift of inspiration.

I encourage you to take a look at this site and go ahead and send out a free card yourself, just to see how great it will make you feel.  Consider this to be my little gift of inspiration to YOU!

Have a GREAT day!

Technorati Tags: Inspiration, Quotes