Tag Archives: growth

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Out With The Old And In With The New!

The new year is here and started, so how is it going so far? I always have the best of plans, the neatest ideas and the grandest of goals, but some where along the way to getting started, something happens and before I know it, I’m distracted and what looked so amazing and cool on paper, well, there is just not enough time to figure out how to manifest it all.

Most people now a days don’t even fool with making resolutions, setting goals or making a plan, because after so many years of disappointment, self frustration and mindless conversations in the mirror – we eventually say: “Enough is enough!” “It is what it is!” and any other good catch phrase we can use to justify inaction and a continuation of the same ole same ole.

It may be that you have already hit that spot or it may be, you just decided to avoid it all together, but before you throw the baby out with the bath water, take just a moment, while we are still in the dawn of this new year to think for just a moment about taking a few simple steps that will make a big difference in getting your life heading in a direction of blessing fulfillment and success.

They used to say: A New Year – It’s Out WIth The Old And In With The New! I think that is a pretty good idea and even though, it is winter time and not spring maybe a little spring cleaning is not such a bad idea??? We all have some things we need to get rid of and I am pretty sure that most of us can find a few things that we need to grab hold of as well, so jump into the three steps below and make a mini plan to get your new year headed in a positive direction of blessing…

1. OUT WITH THE OLD! I want you to think about three things you need to get rid of? It may be an attitude, some junk in your garage, or clothes you’ve outgrown in your closet. Seriously take a few moments to create a “PURGE” List. You can make this list as long as you want and I would encourage you to think and add to the list until it becomes a challenge.

Now with this PURGE LIST in hand, look through the list and identify the three things that you need to get rid of the most. The three things that would free up some room in your space, mind and life… Now make a plan to get rid of these three things. If it’s physical stuff – sell it, donate it, bless someone with it or trash it! If it’s mental stuff – do what you have to do – cry it out, write a letter, have a conversation, get honest with yourself and kick the negativity out of your life. If it’s spiritual stuff, then get real, get right and get free…

Now that you have freed up a little space in your life, go ahead and make a plan to do this same process again next month. That’s right – put it on your schedule and make it a priority. It’s amazing what these little steps will add up to in a year, if you will simply follow through.

2. IN WITH THE NEW! Now I want you to think about three things you need in your life and living? You may need a certain kind of positive attitude, a productive habit, meaningful connection or spiritual discipline. Take a few moments to make a list of “BLESSINGS” that you would like to see come into your life. Again, you can make this list as long as you would like and I would simply encourage you to keep listing until it becomes a real challenge to come up with meaningful items to add.

Now Divide this list into three areas: 1.) Physical, 2.) Mental/Emotional and 3.) Spiritual. Pretty much everything you’ve listed should fall into one of those areas. Now pick one new blessing from each of those areas to invite into your life during this first month of the year. I want you to think about these three positive blessings everyday. In the morning ask yourself: “What can I do today to make these blessings a reality in my life? And in the evening when you lay your head down to go to sleep, I want to challenge you to think about all the opportunities – those seized and those missed, you had to make these blessings a reality.

I believe if you do this as I have challenged, that by the end of this first month of the year, you will see some amazing progress and experience some incredible blessings. Go ahead and schedule time at the beginning of next month to add to this list and stay true to the process of adding and you will be amazed to see the Spirit at work in supernatural ways.

3. THIS LIFE IS GOD’S GIFT TO YOU AND WHAT YOU DO WITH THIS LIFE IS YOUR GIFT TO GOD! With all of my heart, I really do believe it’s true. We are spiritual beings getting to expereince a human life and this is such an amazing and incredible gift. I challenge you to join me in enjoying and growing in every moment of it. Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your journey and thank you for being a part of mine. God Bless & Grow On!

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Are You Happy?

I used to have a friend that would ask me a simple, but powerful question on a fairly consistent basis. He would ask: “Are you happy?” I would answer: “I guess?” I mean, I wasn’t sad, so the opposite is happy, so I must be happy, right? Every now I then, I would wonder to myself: “Are you happy?”, but something else would come along and take control of my thoughts and I would drift onto something else.

I see and hear a lot of people in our world today that are not happy. I think if you asked most people, they would say: “I would like to be happy, but I’m not so sure how to get there. I think a lot of folks spend the first half of their lives, just trying to figure out what “happy” is. We think we know, get it rounded up and discover that what we thought it might be, turns out to be a wrong guess. Which is exactly why I think that a lot of us tend to give up and become satisfied if “happy” just kinda crosses over our tracks every now and then.

But the truth is, we were created for so much more than that. I think one of the problems with the idea of “happy” is that we think it’s a place to be, a destination to arrive at, but it is so much more than that. One of my favorite teachers, Wayne Dyer, puts it this way: “There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way.” I really do like that:  “HAPPINESS IS THE WAY!”  We just have to get our definition and understanding of happiness right and then the rest tends to fall into place.

So what is happiness? Happiness is a lot of different things and it really depends on who you are talking to. Happiness is a choice, a decision of direction that we choose for ourselves, regardless of the situation or projected outcome. Some are happy going and some are happy sitting at home. Some are happy in a noisy crowd and some are happy enjoying quiet time alone. Some are happy with abundance, while some are happy with very little. This actually gives us a clue as to what happiness really is…

HAPPINESS IS  A CHOICE!  Abraham Lincoln said: “We are just about as happy as we make up our minds to be!” That is why you can see two people go through identical situations and one will be happy and up on cloud nine and the other will be down in the dumps and ready to die. So, the one most important thing we can learn about happiness is that happiness is a choice that we get to make for ourselves.

There it is, YOU GET TO DECIDE FOR YOU! You cannot decide for anyone else, but you can decide for yourself and you, yourself can make a difference in helping others to get there for themselves. If you are going through something hard, difficult or challenging, you can be happy knowing that it is making you stronger, revealing wisdom to you and showing you a side of yourself that you never knew existed. If you are going through good times, blessings and success, you can be happy knowing that what you’ve dreamed of and worked for is a reality that makes life better, sweeter and easier.

Choose to by happy, regardless, you will be glad you did!

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Change Your Perspective And Change Your Life!

Do you ever get to the place in this human existence where you are just kinda tired of it all? You feel worn out, beat up and like no one really cares. And if truth be told, you are not so sure that you care anymore either? You seem to live under a mountain of stress and under an unrelenting and continual bombardment of negativity. There are so many people living miserable lives and they actually have the power to do something about it, but feel trapped, useless and defeated. That may be you, but I have discovered some good news that helped me to dig out from under all “the stuff” and that I believe can help you as well.

Live life long enough and you will discover that there are some things you can do something about and some things you can’t do anything about. And so, if you paying attention, you eventually come to realize it’s not so much about what you do, but how you see things that really is the point. One of my favorite teachers and mentors Wayne Dwyer used to teach it this way: “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” In other words: ”Perspective Matters!”

What is perspective? Perspective is seeing things from a particular point of view. If you don’t like what you are seeing, then change your point of view and keep changing your point of view until you get to where you need to be. Is it really that simple? Of course it is! We just love complicating things. You are in charge of your perspective. You decide who or what, you will allow to influence your day and the way you see things. Once you realize the incredible power you have at your disposal, your life will begin to change in miraculous and beautiful ways.

Here are a few tips to help you begin changing your perspective in a positive way:

1. Learn From Yesterday! Many times in life, we get stuck in the “could’ve, would’ve, and should’ves of life. We all make mistakes, commit sin and miss the mark. It does not do you or anyone else any good to continue beating up on yourself about your mistakes. I like to say: “If you learn from your mistake, then it was an education, not a waste.” Learn whatever you need to learn from yesterday, let it go and move on. This is one of the reasons that it is important to build quiet times for meditation, reflection and rest. We need time to think about and process what we are facing and dealing with. Carve time into your everyday life to go for a walk in nature, enjoy some time outside on a park bench or enjoy an afternoon nap.

2. Look For The Good In Today! There is something good in everyday, we just have to search until we find it and when it comes to digging out from under the heaviness that weighs us down, this is work that is very worth doing. One of the big things that helps me to find the good is GRATITUDE. Simply taking the time to think about all I have to be thankful for is a game changer. I encourage you to make a list and check it twice, three times if necessary. For me, this is where journaling comes in. It does not have to be complicated or technical. All you need to begin is notebook with a place to write down what you are grateful for, a space to record meaningful quotes that have spoken to you, a safe place to think about and plan the tasks you need to get done. This simple discipline, made a part of your daily ritual will pay off in very big ways.

3. Live Forward To Tomorrow! There is great power in having something to look forward to. And there is always something to look forward to. It may be the sun that is going to come out. It may be the work that is going to be finished. It may be the person we are going to see. It may be the goal that is achieved. The list could go on and on. The important thing is to think about and know “all of God’s children” have things to look forward to. Replace your negative thoughts with positive thoughts. Look for and focus on the positive, the more we practice, the better we get. One of the things I’ve found that helps me move from negative to positive is “helping others”. There is just something about sharing an encouraging word, giving a pat on the back or taking the time to listen that not only blesses others, but makes my day better as well. We should always be on the lookout for how we can make someone else’s day better and then do it.

We can change our perspective and live much more positive and productive lives, if we will simply begin with the choice to change the way we look at and see things. Give it a try, you will be glad you did…