In Memorial: Nicholas Cooper

What can you say when a person who was beautiful both inside and out has left this worldly existence?  We may never know the exact reason for his departure, nor the thoughts and feelings that were present in him at the moment of his decision.  What we do know is that his spirit is still around us, and for that we can be thankful and it is what I will hold on to.

In his short time that he was present among us, Nick brought with him an energy and a smile that seemed to go on forever.  I first met him about four years ago when he was interested in my writing career and wanted to know what it was like to write a book.  He had a story to tell, and even though he may never had put it to paper, we can, and we will learn from his story.

I will not pretend to understand what he was feeling.  I will not pretend to understand his motives.  I will not judge his life based on how it ended.  What I will say is that the world still gained for him being here, albeit not long enough for those who loved him and were closest to him.

It is so easy for people to come to different conclusions as to why this happened, or that happened.  Some will say that he may have been a troubled soul, some will say that his time was up and he completed the task at hand for his lifetime.  No matter how you look at, when someone you know is gone, there will be a void, and emptiness, that will not be filled for quite some time.

Even though Nicholas was a beautiful man, his spirit was far more beautiful and that is how I choose to remember him.  I know that the spirit of a person is eternal, and whether or not you believe this, is your choice.  I know that I can call to him and now in the place that he occupies, he can provide to me wisdom and guidance, that comes to him from a pure place, a place of deep knowing, and a place that is not controlled by human existence or experience.  I choose to believe that he can and ultimately will teach me some of the things I will need to know to continue on my path to my destiny, and just as he showed me kindness while here in body, he will continue to do the same in spirit.

There are many who will feel this loss, and probably deeper and more acutely than I.  To you who are having to deal with this loss let me say this:  focus on the life and not the end.  How one departs this life is never the way we should remember them, as difficult as that may be to remove from your memories.

Nick touch many lives, and those lives are better for having had the opportunity to be around this bright shinning figure of a man.  I am not sure what Nick's destiny was, nor whether he ever walked in it during his life.  What I do know is this.  There will be a time when you run into someone again in the future who will remind you of him, their eyes, their smile.  It may be a smell, a feeling, or even a knowing that you know this person, but not knowing why.  If you experience this then look up to the heavens and thank Nick for reminding you that he is still here, and the love you had for him is still real.

Nick you touched my life, and other's lives, and we have all been saddened by your departure.  You now reside in a place of peace and tranquility, and I look around knowing that you will still be present and now more than ever, able to assist others in their time of need.  Be at peace my good man, and know that what you have learned in this life will prepare you for your next experience.

Soaring high; there really are no limits to what you can do.

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You have a vision, a dream, a desire.  You can see what you hope to do.  You can feel the excitement of doing the one thing that will bring complete happiness and joy to your life.  Inside the deepest part of you, you know that you know what it is you are supposed to do with your life.  OK, now go.

Immediately you begin to hear the responses:  "It's not that easy", "I would if I could", "Don't be an idiot, it doesn't work that way", and "It's just a thought, nothing more."  But is it just a thought?  Is it something that is just there to temp you and in reality there is nothing that you really need to be doing with these thoughts, these dreams, these visions?  Are these feelings, these emotions, these seemingly tiny whims, really anything to get excited over?

I lived many years pushing down these very same thoughts and ideas simply because I never thought I was worthy of them.  I never thought I had what it took to complete them and I certainly didn't want to leave myself hanging out on a limb looking like an idiot, hanging onto an idea that although it had merit, I could not see myself being able to bring it about.  I had made the same mistake that countless people before me made,  I talked myself out of the one thing that would have brought me happiness and joy in a measure that was virtually immeasurable.  And then, after many hours, days, weeks, and months was able to come to terms with who I was, what I was, and most importantly, why I was placed here on this planet, in this time.  My journey to discovery was no different from those who came before me, and it is no different from those who will come after me.  My journey is no different then your journey, and my outcome can be your outcome.  All you need to do is accept the truth that these visions, these dreams, and yes those desires, are actually inspired by your creator, put into you so that you will achieve all you were designed to achieve.  Now just in case you have not figured it out yet, you have a divine purpose in this life.  It really doesn't matter what that purpose is, what matters is that you walk in it.  Forget about how this measures up to someone else's purpose.  Trying to keep up with the guy next door or down the street, is not what should motivate you.  The motivation must be to soar as high as possible with those gifts and talents that have been placed in you in order for you to accomplish the things you were placed here to accomplish.

Our goal is not to see what is in it for me, but rather what is in it for the rest of humanity.  Success is not measured by stuff, but rather by those lives you touch and those lives you change by being the person you were created to be.  The happiness and joy you experience in life will me measured by the joy and happiness you help others to walk in.  If your focus in life is to simply make yourself happy and become a hoarder of all that this world uses as a measuring stick for success, then I will tell you that there will come a time when you realize that there is still a void in your life.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but true happiness is not measured by stuff, but by what you are able to share with others.  If you want joy, sow joy.  If you want love, sow love.  If your desire is for others to experience and walk in their calling, then you will walk in yours.

You can soar with the eagles if you will help others soar as well.  There is no limit to where you can go simply because there are no limits to your ability to understand that others need what you have.  I know what it is like to have dreams and visions, wants and desires, but I also know that what I have is not just for me, but for others as well.  Don't make the mistake that so many before you have made, that feeling as though your needs will go unfulfilled if you don't focus on you.  Those who simply focus on their own needs, doing only what will benefit them, always seem to need and want more.  What they have is never enough and so begins the process of having to accumulate more if for no other reason then to protect what they already have for fear that it will go away.  If you sow into someone else's life I can assure you that you will never have to worry about going without.  Once again those things that you give away will by default come back to you in greater measure.

There is no limit to what you can do if you will help others discover the limitlessness of their abilities.  There is no limit to the joy and happiness you can walk in, if you will help others enjoy joy and happiness.  There is no limit to your destiny if you will help others discover their destiny.  We as humans have been conditioned to look out for number one.  We have been taught that there is nothing more important in this life then to make a name for yourself and then if there is time remaining maybe you might help someone else in need.  Let me be frank, if you hold this mindset then I can assure you that you will never completely soar high above the rest, simply because you will be trying to hang onto those things here on earth that really mean very little in the total scheme of things.  You have the ability to soar as high as possible, never having to worry about your place in history, your reputation, or your legacy, if you will give to others a part of who you are.

Joy begets joy, happiness, happiness, and love turns into more love.  If you will give these things away they will come back to you.  As you begin to soar take others along for the ride.  Allow them to experience the freedom to be who they are and what they are.  If you will help others it will only return to you in ways that you never expected, but in ways that will make you understand that you have just understood one of life's great mysteries.  It is time for you to take to flight and while you are up there know that this is the place you were always intended to be.

For whom the bell tolls: it tolls for thee

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This title comes from Hemingway's 1940 novel, by the same name.  The reason I have used it today is not to delve into Hemingway's thoughts, but rather to get you to realize that now is the time to pursue those things that were destined for you at the time of your creation.

I am at a crossroads right now as I write this morning.  I can either head in the direction of my destiny, or I can take another course, one that I have been on before, but that road will never lead me to the place that I was intended to be.  I know in my heart what my desires are, I know what I have been gifted to do, and I can see the end result, which is the first step in setting the intention.  What I also know is that I have allowed past fears, past hurts, and past failures to stop me in my tracks.  I have allowed the doubters who are on the peripheral to dictate my actions and thoughts, and that has been of no benefit to me.  Try as I might to overcome these words from others, I all too often have let them reside inside of my head, and then I pay the price for allowing them to enter.

The main focus I want you to see this morning is that you are not what others say you are, think you are, or even want you to be.  You are in fact the person you were created to be with all the abilities to accomplish what you were put here on earth to do in this life.  The biggest reason most people are not walking in their destiny is because they have bought a bill of goods that others have been pushing that says one can dream about it, think about it, and even have visions of what life could look like, but until such time as the planets all line up, don't even think that you will be able to accomplish anything.  It seems to me that we have the classic haves and have nots once again.  Only select people will ever be good enough to have what God has Promised.  The truth of the matter is that it does not matter one iota who you are, where you come from, whether you are good or bad, short or tall, handsome or ugly, you still have a destiny and you deserve to walk in it.  What I want you to see today is that there has never been a better time to step out into your destiny and test the waters.

I often hear about the fear of the unknown, but truth be told, there is no unknown when it comes to your destiny.  First and foremost, the creator of the universe has a perfect understanding of your destiny.  If you dig deep into your heart then you would have to admit that you probably have an inkling of your destiny, but for what ever reason have not been moved to put words to those dreams and visions that have been floating around you for years.  I understand, I mean I really do understand, the fear that comes along with walking or even acknowledging the things that lay buried in your heart.  There have been numerous people who would do almost anything to kill a dream before it comes to fruition, and often these people are closer to you then you would like to admit.

The bells are tolling because it is time to come out of your fog and acknowledge that there are things that you should be doing, that you were created to do, and all the putzing around is not going to change what you were placed here to do.  I have seen people squander their calling simply because they allowed others to talk them out of it.  I have seen fear, doubt, worry, and every manner of deflection used to delay what is the inevitable.  I'm am an expert on fear, doubt, worry, and deflection because I have used it for years or have been guilty of it for decades.  Please hear me, fear, doubt, worry and any other form one uses to stay away from their destiny will only work for a short period.  When all the dust settles you will still have a destiny and quite frankly you will still be drawn to it without regard to what you try to replace it with.

In some upcoming blogs I will tell you that I will be taking off the gloves.  Not because I want to harm you or beat the daylights out of you, but because I need you to take the steps required to move forward with your destiny.  There are people who are depending on you to accomplish those things that you were created to do.  With out your piece of the puzzle others will have to figure out another direction to go in.  Is the creator capable of helping out these people, certainly.  But your destiny was placed into you because your part is the part that they will need to discover and ultimately walk in their destiny.

I know all this may seem like a big waste of time, but if just one person gains insight into their true destiny then I have done what I have been tasked to do.  If I did not speak about destiny with my writing then I would have let a perfect opportunity to help others drift away, and I do not want fingers pointed at me declaring that I fell short.  I could walk away from my destiny, but what would my life be like if I did that?  I would be miserable, empty, and there would be very little that would be able to take away these feelings.  Trust me I have tried to fill that void in the past and it is nothing that will ever be filled accept by my own destiny and me walking in that destiny.

I strongly encourage you to take some time and ask yourself what truly would make you happy right now.  Once you are able to admit it then set the intention that you will walk in it.  I set the intention each and every day, not because I doubt, but because I understand the power of intention and I want to share my destiny with others.  The bell has begun to ring, will you make the next move and simply acknowledge that there is probably more to life, your life, and it is time to go after it.  I stand committed to helping each of you get there, and when it is over we will all celebrate the grandness of your calling and the wonders that will come from it.

To be or not to be, that is the question!

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When faced with uncertain odds, are you still willing to be yourself?  When what you do or who you are is contrary to mainstream thinking, are you still willing to be who you know you are?  When others mock and ridicule you for your quirkiness, are you still willing to show the world what you are made of?  These are the questions that I and others ask each and every day and with each day you are required to take a stand and hold true to who and what you are.

Let's add an element of truth today: most of us would like to say we will remain true to self, but in reality it is sometimes the most difficult if not seemingly impossible thing to do. This is very much the case when you are facing a constant stream of "you're nuts", "you're insane", or my favorite, "God, what's with you?".

Most of us can remember those young kids when we were in grade school who seemed to walk to the beat of a different drum.  The clothes they wore were different, and much more than just making a fashion statement.  Their actions were a little off center, and maybe even classified as odd.  We would make fun of them, if for no other reason then to fit in well with the others who were also making life miserable for this person who dared to go against the norm.  Most of us have watched the movie where the nerd who never ever made it to the cool table in the lunch room has now blossomed into this gorgeous person and has discovered the formula for success and is very much walking in it.  Is this end result something we would call justice?  The dweeb gets the girl, the loaner gets the success, and the jock, star player is now some hack who is someone else's lackey.  I'm not saying that everyone will fall into one of these categories, but what is certain is that many of us have forgotten what it is like to be ourselves without regard to what others think, say, or expect.

Once again, lets be truthful, sometimes it's easier to roll with the punches than to stand there and take them head on.  I've been there and I've morphed into someone I was not because I so desperately wanted to fit in, or at least feel as though I was part of the cool table in the lunchroom.

Being true to self is not always easy, and at times we question our own sanity as to whether it is worth in in the long run.  The bottom line is that it is always worth it to be yourself and to show others who you are.  Ralph Waldo Emerson said this, "A man must consider what a rich realm he abdicates when he becomes a conformist."  What have you given up when you give into the pressure to become or to be something you are not?    Your quirks, your uniqueness, your differences are what make you who you are, and if you are unable to own these things you will forever be trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.  It is time to take what and who you are and show the world that you fit perfectly into the world just as you are right now.

We have created a generation of robots.  If you want to be successful you must act this way.  If you want to fit it then you have to wear this and say that.  If you ever want any hope of running with the in crowd then you had better change your ways and get with the program.  Let me ask you this, has getting with the program ever gotten you to where you really want to be, doing the things that you really want to do?  I refuse to become just part of the status quo, because quite frankly, the status quo has done nothing to help me along my journey to discovering and walking in my destiny.

Certainly there are characteristics in others that I admire and at times will try to emulate, but that is only because these characteristics are based on helping others and not just helping self.  I've tried to do things like others do things, but in the end, it was not who I was and it certainly wasn't what I was designed to do.  Maybe my resume is full of accomplishments, but to be honest, none of my past accomplishments can even compare to the thrill of what I am doing right now.  For the first time in my life I am where I need to be, doing what I need to be doing.  I am no longer moved by what others expect of me, but by what I expect of me.  I desire to walk in my destiny, even if that destiny is something that others cannot understand.  I know what it is like to want to fit in, but I also know what it is like to be my own person and walking in my own destiny.

Will you be true to your own calling?  Will you reject the will of others for the security of walking in your intended purpose?  Yes we can continue to try to jam that square peg into the little round hole, but it will not be perfect, and your destiny, along with your abilities and personality are perfectly matched.  No longer should one change a thing in order to create change in the world.  Let us accept the differences in people and come to the understanding that differences are necessary if we want to step forward and take up our call, be in our place, and live our own life.  Destiny awaits those who dare to be different.  Maybe I'm an odd duck, but the world has been fashioned by odd ducks, and the sooner you can step out and be who you were created to be, the sooner the world will benefit from all your quirkiness, oddities, and simply marvelous qualities that make you who you are.  After all, it's who you are that I want to see, not what others think you should be.

The wonder of it all. Seeing beauty in all that you do, in all that you are, and everywhere you go.

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We have always said that seeing is believing.  Often if we cannot see it, feel it, touch it, smell it, or taste it, then we can't believe in something.  I know there is an element of faith in almost anything and everything that we do, but sometimes we need that concrete "I know that I know" and remove any doubt that might be lingering about.

The first step in removing any and all doubt is to begin to see the splendor that is you and the wonder that you are right now.  It's not the "greatness" that may eventually rise to the top, or the "simply marvelous" that is just waiting to be discovered, the wonder of it all is in you right now.  If you never accomplished all those things that you had hoped to accomplish in life then you would still be a thing of wonder, and there is nothing that is ever going to change that.  If one can come to terms with the wonder that is you, then all other things will begin to fall into place and the doors that had once seemed closed and locked, with no possibility of ever opening up again, will magically re-open and all the dreams and desires that have been laying dormant for too long will begin again and newness will come to you.

I spent many years dreaming and dreaming.  I spent many years envisioning and thinking about all the great things that I wanted to accomplish.  It wasn't until I could see the wonder of who I was that my locked doors began to open.  Now seeing myself as wonderful does not make me full of myself.  Seeing myself as wonderful is nothing more than realizing the wonder of my creation and the love that was behind me being put here on earth at this appointed time.  We have been so conditioned to not think more of ourselves then we are, but in doing this, we have dampened, and in some cases killed off, any and all possibility of success in our life.

I can look at a beautiful mountain range and see the beauty that exist there each and every day.  This range has done nothing in and of itself to create beauty, it just is.  I can observe the birds flying about and building their nest each year in preparation for new life.  This wonder, this beauty, is simply a part of who they are.  I can see the beauty in each person I come in contact with, with out regard to whether they see the beauty in themselves.  Until such time as you can accept that you are a wonderful creation, own it and walk in it, then there will be things that you will never be able to accomplish.  I am not saying you will not be successful, what I am saying is that the destiny that was placed in you at the beginning of time will never come to maturity.  You will miss out on many, many things that you were intended to have, but because of your lack of knowledge, you will not fulfill all that you were intended to fulfill and because of that others will miss out on some pretty important stuff that was for them.

I must always keep in mind that what I do will impact others and equally important the things that I do not do, that may have been part of my destiny, will also affect them.  Once again, we are all connected and what the right hand does will eventually affect the left hand.  Were it not for our feet we could not walk.  Were it not for our hands we could not grasp.  Were it not for our eyes, no sight, no ears, no hearing, and on and on it goes.  All of our body works together so we might function in the world today.  The sum total of our being works together with others to bring about those things that we all need.  If one fails to achieve their destiny then there will be those who miss out on things that they need to achieve their destiny.

You are a thing of wonder, a thing of beauty, and in that wonder and beauty is your destiny.  Everything you have gone through, everything you will go through is there to get you to your destiny.  If you are unable to see this then you will make the mistake of always seeing bad in bad and not the good in bad.  Even a bad experience is a teaching experience, and with new teaching comes growth and with growth comes freedom.  It is time that you begin to see and accept the wonder in you.  It is time to put away the doubt, the hurt of the past, and the fear of tomorrow, and simply accept that you are in the right place at the right time, and you will discover and walk in your destiny.

I see more clearly now then ever before, not because my vision has improved, but because of my acceptance of who and what I am.  I now longer have to measure myself against someone else.  It is no longer a competition, it simply is being me and seeing the wonder in me.  Take some time and let this all sink in.  Begin to see the wonder of your creation and then you will begin to accept certain things that have evaded you in the past.  It is in knowing who you are, what you are, that will allow you to be who you are.  You are a thing of beauty and when you begin to see this, you will be on your way to discovering and walking in your destiny.

Around around it goes and where it stops, nobody knows.

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Yep, hard to know where a circle ends or where it starts.  Harder still, is it just keeps going and going and going, but yet you seem to end up in the same place.  Take a gander at the Ferris Wheel:  your vantage point might change, which changes the view, but in the end, you still end up at the same place.

It seems as though that life, or life's journey, can seem this way from time to time.  We go about our day, doing the same thing day in and day out, and of course we get the same results.  After a while one would think that changing things up might be the preferred method if one is looking to obtain a different result.  The real issue is:  do you indeed want a different result?  Many people like the comfort that comes with the known things in life.  If you do this, then you get that.  If I play it safe, then I never have to worry about getting out of my box, and therefore I can keep things as they are.  The questions arises then:  what happens when you want a change, but you have no idea how to change things up?  Now this is a place that many people find themselves in, just going around in circles, and it is a place that most would give everything they own to get out of.

Please allow me to share what I have learned and maybe this will help you get off this never ending cycle of lack, fear, and doubt.  I had been trapped on this never ending, never changing circle for quite some time.  This wasn't anything that I planned to do, it just happened.  I could not for the life of me understand why things never seemed to change or why I could never make the jump to change what was going on in my life.  I made the same mistake as so many before me, and most likely will happen to others in the future, I was comfortable in my misery.  I had found ways to soften the blow when it came, and boy did it appear frequently.  I could adapt to almost any situation and I become an expert at robbing Peter to pay Paul.  For the longest time this was my reality, as bad as it was, it was still my reality.  I always thought that there was something wrong with me.  Why was everyone else experiencing happiness and joy?  Why did everyone else seem to have the perfect job?  Why was I the only one who had to content with feelings of low self-worth and self-hatred?   I know I'm not the only one who has felt like this, but at the time, I felt as though I was the only one on the planet going through what I was going through.  It took a radical change in my own thoughts, my own beliefs, to turn things around.  It is the same change in thought and belief you will have to make if you ever want to change the circle, thereby changing your path.

I first thought that when I discovered my destiny that all would be well with the world and that I would progress on my path with hardly a hiccup.  I was destined for greatness and I could finally do what I had dreamt about, talked about, and wrote about.  Problem was, I still had not totally believed what I was saying to others.  I could share with people how they deserved the best in life and should expect it.  I could encourage others to go after all they could envision and believe it would come to pass.  I could even see great progress in other's lives.  What I could not do was believe that the same was there for me as well.  I just did not feel worthy of such a great life and because of that, it escaped me, or should I say I let it escape me.  It was not until I truly saw myself the way the Creator of the Universe saw me that things began to change.

My circle was a prison cell in which I never saw myself getting out of.  I was sure that I would struggle for the rest of my life, albeit doing some of the things I loved, things I believed in, but none-the-less still struggling with my unworthiness.  It has taken me quite sometime to learn that I am worthy.  I am worthy not because of what I do, but simply because of who and what I am.  I know many will probably be rolling their eyes right now because I have said this so many times in the past, but it needs to be said again, and again, and again, until you pick up on it.  For me it had to be said a million times and still I contend with feelings that I would just assume not pick up again.  You were created out of love and because of love, and through this love, you are unique, special, and worthy of all the things that have been placed into your heart.  Your worthiness is not based on what you do, what you desire, or what you have or haven't gone through.  Your worthiness is solely based on the fact that you are divine in nature and there is nothing, and I mean nothing in the known universe that will ever change this fact.  You can never do anything that will change the Creator's love for you, nor will it ever change the reason you were put on this earth.

Our circle is full of trying to be someone we are not.  Full of trying to replicate what you see in others even if what you see is not supposed to be you.  We have all been guilty of trying to be like someone else because if we could we might achieve some of the same things they achieved.  I've been there, so it's no surprise to me when I see others making the same mistake.  Please, please, please hear me: you are you for a reason and you never have to be something, or someone, you are not.  Your destiny will never change, so there is no need for you to change who you were created to be.  If you want to stop the cycle, if you want to change the size or scope of your circle, then all you need to do is come to an understanding of your worthiness.  Grasp what others have not been able to grasp and believe with all your heart that you have to do nothing to gain worthiness, you simply have to accept it.  Today can be a day of liberation, of freedom, of release if you will simply come to terms with your worthiness.  If you ever want to talk about this reach out to me.  My destiny is helping others discover their destiny.  Once you can understand that you are worthy of walking in your destiny, then the journey to it becomes a whole lot easier and I dare say a whole lot more pleasurable.  You can do this.  Acceptance  of your worthiness is as simple as 1-2-3.

At the center of it all is me.

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This may seem like a self-centered statement, but trust me, when you get done reading this today, it will all make sense and you just may wonder why you never saw this before.

I have been forced to dig deep as of late to come to grips with certain things.  Things that have been hanging on me like a noose around my neck.  I have been caught up in all the pit falls that I have written about over the last four years, and as I'm sure you can guess, I am wondering how I fell into this trap.  No one is immune to falling into these traps simply because we are human and we allow our human minds and egos to control us, which is why we get into trouble from time to time.  I will tell you that today's blog might be slightly longer than normal, and I have been warned not to go on too long in any one blog as people will loose interest, but this topic is of such importance I hope you will be able to tolerate my wordiness today.  That being said, lets move forward and get things going.

I'm sure everyone at one time or another has been told that they have made their own bed now they get to sleep in it.  We hear this statement and most of the time just discount it as cliche, but the truth of the matter is we are the bearer of our own histories.  We have limited ourselves, or even trapped our self in a prison because of our own thoughts, words, and deeds.  Sure it's easy to blame others for our failures, but in reality we have no one to blame but ourselves.  Now this is not about beating yourself up for past failures or setbacks.  What I am trying to get you to see today is that we can control what goes on around us.

I have spent the better part of the last three years with expectations and desires concerning True Destiny and what I want to do with this company.  I have had visions of what it will look like, what I will do with it, and what others will gain from being a part of it.  At the same time I have had to deal with my own feelings of inadequacy and doubt.  It wasn't until recently that I came to the conclusion that the reason things were not going in the direction that I had dreamt about was because of my own limiting thoughts.  I had never truly believed that I was deserving of such accomplishments and because of this I have almost sabotaged the entire thing.  Now I could sit here and blame others for past hurts and failures, but lets face it, would that do me any good?  I'm sure that there have been people along the way that may not have helped me, but to blame them for what I am going through right now would be pointless and for the most part idiotic.  No, I have to place blame where blame needs to be placed, and that is on me.  I had never fully understood the importance of understanding my place in the universe.  Why was I put here now and why did I have these thoughts and ideas?  Even more important then understanding my place in the universe was coming to an understanding of my divinity.  To most people, when you use the word divinity, they will automatically begin wondering what planet you came from to think that you are a divine being.  I can't make anyone believe in their own divinity, they need to accept it.  All I can do is state what should be obvious and hope that each and everyone of you will accept these words.

We are divine beings by virtue of our creation.  If we were created by the Creator and Designer of the Universe, then we are in the very image of our creator.  Much like you have qualities and characteristics of your earthly parents, you also have qualities and characteristics of the one source that ultimately was the deciding factor in you being here right now.

What is it that you would really like to accomplish in life?  What is your motivation for wanting these things?  If you are walking in these things right now, perfect, if you are not, then why not?  What is stopping you from accomplishing the things that would truly make you happy, and I'm sure would be a blessing to others as well?  If you have yet to accomplish these things in your life then how are you handling it?  Is it beginning to drive you mad?  Have you given up on certain things, and just filled that void with other things that will only bring you temporary relief?  Trust me, you will never be able to replace what is your True Destiny with other things.  Certainly you may have a degree of success with other things, but the void will still be there.

Here's the bottom line: if you are fixated on all the bad that has happened to you, all the setbacks, and all the "why me, why now" scenarios, then you have taken your eyes off of what is really important.  You have not seen yourself the way God sees you and if you cannot do this, you will never get to where you want to be, or where you should be.  If you find yourself complaining about lack in your life, then all you will be doing is setting the stage for more lack.  You have to figure out that you are deserving of the best in this life.  Until such time as you can accept this very defining truth, it will evade you, and you will continue to wonder why everyone else is experiencing joy, peace, and happiness and you are not.

Each of us are one of a kind, and yet we are all connected.  The universe is the sum total of her parts, and without you, the universe would not be whole.  You are the center of it, I am the center of it, and everyone else is the center.  I encourage you to rethink your position, and come to the understanding that there are things for you to do, and things for you to have, and in accepting this, you just may experience the joy, peace, and happiness that has eluded you thus far.  My destiny is helping you discover your destiny.  My joy is in you experiencing joy.  Without you I cannot have what I desire.  It is time to put the past behind you and step out into a new world, a world that was designed for you.

What is the road to discovering your purpose in life?

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Are you at a crossroad?  Have you tried a million different things in an attempt to get some clarity in your life?  Have you just gotten to the point where you are wondering if what you hope to achieve is ever going to be achieved?  If you are like me, and so many other people in the world today, you have asked yourself these questions.  Why am I here and what am I supposed to do with my life?  If I had a dollar for every time I have asked myself these very same questions I could retire the U.S. debt.

Whatever you do don't loose heart, you are in good company because there have been countless people who have asked themselves these very same questions and they are still around, albeit, doing what they love and what they were placed here on earth to do.  I am all too familiar with feeling like I have something to offer the rest of the world but never quite sure how to pursue it or even if it was meant to be pursued.  I know what it is like to lie in bed at night crying to the point of having no more tears because you want something so bad and you just can't seem to figure out how to get it.  I guess the best term that would describe how I have felt is hopelessness.  Wanting so bad, and yet not feeling as though I will ever be afforded the opportunity to do what I truly love.  It is enough to drive a person mad, and if you are like me you have also had those moments of just wanting to say to hell with it.  I have asked God to take away the desire if the intention was never to let me walk in those things that I desired to walk in.  What kind of Divine Creator would put such a desire in me and yet not allow me to walk in it?  That's just it, God would never give you a desire, a dream, or a vision, if the intent was to keep it from you and just tease you with it from time to time.

I have to fight negative thoughts each day.  I love writing and to be a writer and a speaker is all I want to do.  I have been given a great gift but there are times when even I have thoughts of doubt that creep into my mind.  I didn't go to college to be a writer and when I look at all the other writers out there I constantly ask myself what right do I have to think that I would be put into the same category as those who have come before me.  I have fought with these thoughts and fought some more.  It took a long time to realize that my gifts are unique to me and to measure myself against others is unfair and unwise.  I know where my gift comes from and the minute I realized this everything changed for me. I was no longer measuring myself against others I simply did what I had inside me to do.

Your desires, dreams, and visions were given to you simply because they are what you should be going after, and just in case you think otherwise, you are completely equipped to accomplish those things you have deep in your heart to accomplish.  We have all been created out of love, and love is what will get you moving in the right direction.  I want you to think about what this world would be like if every single person alive today was walking in their destiny.  Think about how things would be different because walking in one's destiny was all they focused on and not on all the other things that have plagued this world for far too long.  I realize that I cannot change the rest of the world, at least not by myself, but I can change the part of the world that I am responsible for and in those changes, I will see other things come about that need to happen.

We all have a purpose for being here, and once you decide to discover your purpose many of the questions you have had will be answered, even if it has taken you years of waiting to get those answers.  The one thing you will need to discover and believe in before you will ever walk in your destiny is that you have a destiny and you are just as deserving as the next person to walk in your destiny.  I don't care where you came from, who you know, what you do for work, or even if you have failed a thousand times before, you still have a destiny and you have every right to walk in it.  We can second guess our abilities until the cows come home, but the simple truth of the matter is this:  the Creator of the Universe would never design you for something and not equip you to be able to do what you were designed to do.  The dreams you have, the visions, the desires were all placed in you so you would know what direction to go in.  Yes there are many crossroads in our life, but there is only one true path to your destiny, to your purpose for being here.

The road to discovering your purpose is knowing that you are worthy of walking in your destiny.  You are loved and that love, which was the basis for your creation, is also the love that should motivate you to accept the unchangeable reality that you are here for a reason and only you can accomplish those things that was the motivation behind your creation.  Do not measure your desires or your destiny against anyone else's.  Your vision is unique, your dreams are unique, and only you can accomplish them.  You see, you are special in so many ways, and in this uniqueness you will come to an understanding that you deserve to discover and walk in your destiny.

There are many paths and many roads out there, but only one will lead you to the discovery that will be the most important discovery of your life.  I have walk many a mile trying to figure out things in my life.  I have been over rocky roads, hills and valleys, and an occasional dead end, but I finally stepped out on to the road that has lead me to my destiny.  You to have the ability to traverse many different roads, but in the end, there is only one right road for you to walk down. You will discover your purpose and when you do, things will change in a big way, and you will then realize that life is an adventure and you get to enjoy every minute of this adventure.  Put on your walking shoes and begin your journey with me.  Life is a journey and there is never a reason to go it alone, ever!

Find the greatness within you, and begin to share it with others.

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I had a completely different vein that I was going to go in this morning, but I was in a time of meditation and like a lightening bolt I was moved to write about this topic today.  I have learned, sometimes the hard way, to follow the leading of Spirit.  I hope this speaks to many of you who may be going through some tough times, but you have to decide to believe what I am about to share with you.

One of the greatest mistakes people  make is thinking that who they are and what they do is somehow only related to them.  I have seen people who are so driven to achieve greatness but the reason for all the effort is to leave a legacy of their greatness.  How they are perceived by others is the main thrust of their efforts.  What will the world think about them after they are gone, and what type of monument will be erected in their memory?  I desire in all that I do to help others come to terms with the greatness inside of them, not so I can feel better about myself, but so they can achieve those things that will enable others to move forward with the things they were designed to accomplish.  My greatness is not about me, but rather about others, about humanity as a whole, and what can I do to help humanity.  I don't care about accolades or fame, I care about destiny and helping those in search of their destiny find it.

Benjamin Disraeli said this, "A great person is one who affects the mind of their generation."  I can almost guarantee you that if your main focus is to bring the spotlight only on to you, then you will never ever achieve the greatness you desire.  Yes you might find success, but the true level of success that you might have found had it not been focused on just you, will forever remain dormant.  You can look back at history and those who were focused only on their place in history more often then not lost it all.  They came onto the scene like a bright spectacular light, but by the end it had all but faded and the hopes and dreams they once had never fully came about.  If however, you will put others first, and not always wonder what is in it for me, then you will have jumped at least one hurdle that many never ever seem to get over.

There are so many people out in the world today who have not been able to see the wonders of who they are.  They have let the world define them, and because of that they have not taken their rightful place in the world.  You are no different from anyone else and if they can succeed then so can you.  Why do some succeed and others do not?  It's pretty simple, some believe and others don't.  If you cannot accept the greatness that is in you, then you will never walk in it, period, case closed, end of story.  We have been told that we must keep a low profile, don't bring attention to ourselves, it is vulgar and crude to think more of you then you are.  Well if you hold to this thought, then you will never have to worry about accomplishing the things that were destined for you to accomplish.  My greatness is not about me, my greatness is what I desire to do for others.

Let me ask you a question, and only you will be able to answer it:  Aren't you tired of being put in a box and having to be what others tell you to be?  Aren't you tired of never really fitting in?  Let's face it, how can one fit into a box that was never designed for them?  You were never intended to be molded and shaped by others, by society, or by what someone says you should or shouldn't do.  You were intended to be the person that God created you to be.  Who cares what others think, they have their own issues to deal with, and you need not worry about that.  If I can not be true to who I am and what I am, then I will be that second-rate version of somebody else, and I can assure you that is not why I am here on this planet.  There is no one on the planet who has the ability to do what you were sent here to do, because it is your calling not theirs.  People make the mistake of thinking that we all have the same calling, the same purpose in life, and that just isn't the case.  Yes, we all should be doing things that will help the rest of those around us, but how you operate and function is going to be different from the way I operate and function.  Napoleon said this, "Great people are meteors designed to burn so that the earth may be lighted."  Your greatness is a shinning light for others, leading them to their destiny.  It is not about what you can accrue in this life, that will be your own personal monument to your success.

Your birth is the Creator's testament to your greatness.  You must change your thinking and not be swayed by what others expect of you.  The only expectation you need to focus on is your own knowledge of the greatness that resides in you.  We are only small minded because others have made you feel this way.  You were never intended to be small, you were intended to change the minds of those in your generation.  It is time to put an end to what others define you as and walk in those things that you were placed here to do.  Your shoes will never ever be filled by someone else, and you will be the person you were destined to be.  Be proud of your greatness and begin to walk in it.  Once you have achieved your destiny, then you will have set something in motion that will never be altered and that the rest of the world will benefit from.

Stupid is as stupid does! Why stupid can be good for you from time to time.

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Yep, we've all fallen prey to either doing something stupid, or seeing something stupid, and then scratching our heads in wonderment.  Events happen each and every day that cause us to wonder what planet some of these people come from, and whether or not they can generate enough brain matter to move both of their feet.  I will say that many of these actions or situations occur without those who are perpetuating them even realizing how ridiculous they are.  Now just in case you think I'm picking on these people please know that I am just as guilty of my own screw ups as anyone.  I have said and done some pretty stupid things through out my life.  I have had to accept the fact that I am prone to stupid is as stupid does from time to time and I have just had to laugh at myself.  Having the ability to laugh at one's self is pretty much a necessity if one wants to survive.

The main point I want to make this beautiful Monday is maybe we need to take ourselves a little less seriously and just roll with the punches.  People have a tendency to get so wrapped up in things that they have lost the ability to laugh at themselves and free up some much needed energy that may very well come in handy at a later date.  Let's face it, when we do stupid things it's not as though we planned to do them, they just happen.  As long as man has been around on this planet, man has managed to do some pretty stupid things.  The vast majority of time it is innocent and without much thought.  The media is full of examples of stupid is as stupid does.  Messed up message boards, funny worded ads in the paper, you name it, it happens everyday.  The thing we have to do is enjoy the moment, because let's be real here, there is some pretty funny stuff out there to laugh at.  When I laugh at something I am not laughing at the person responsible, I am just laughing because it is funny.  We have taken things way to seriously in life and maybe funny is what you need right about now to forget about some of the situations you have found yourself in.

There have been times when I just needed a good laugh, if for no other reason then to get my mind off something that had been bothering me or making my day less then what I would like it to be.  In times like this I will turn to my friend "YouTube" and bring up some of the old Carol Burnett clips with Harvey Korman and Tim Conway.  I love the dentist skit and laugh each time I see it and I have watched it hundreds of time.  Harvey Korman is not able to keep a straight face and his inability to stop the laughter is infectious.  How one could not laugh along with this is any one's guess.  I will look at some of the auto-correct text that come from people's smart phones and then look at the responses from those receiving them.  How you could not laugh at some of this is amazing.  I am not laughing at the people I am laughing at their reaction.  We're not laughing at people because we are mean, we are laughing because we know we are just as prone to do these things as they are, we just happen to be on the other end of the deal this time.

Stupid is not always bad, it can break up a situation that is far too serious, and were it not for the stupid, could take a turn for the worse.  We as humans tend to be far more serious about things then we often have to be.  I guess that comes from the conditioning we have all been put through since time in memoriam.  There are just some days when we have to let our hair down and realize that there is a lot of stupid out there and stupid is what will help us get through a very trying day.  I know for me personally that laughing at something off the wall, or out of the norm, is just what I need to pull myself out of a funk.  We all get down from time to time and often laughter is the only thing that will bring us out of it.  If we are all the time worrying about things, the question you have to ask yourself is what has all that worrying done for you?  Has it made the bad situation go away?  Has it added one moment of peace or joy into your day?  Has it changed anything?  My advice to you is to find the stupid in the world and laugh about it.  Find the innocent foul ups and chalk it up to some one's brain cramp.  As I said earlier most of these stupid things are innocent and yet they are often the thing that will help you navigate the day and get though it with just a little more ease.

When I laugh at other's blunders I am not laughing at them, I am realizing that there are others out there just like me, and I am not alone in some of the stupid things that I have done.  If you think you are immune from these things, then think again.  You may not want to admit that you have had your share of stupid is as stupid does, but I assure you, you have.  Why not just admit it, roll with the punches, and realize that you are in some pretty good company.  The one thing I want to caution you about is don't take this too far.  There are some people out there who are just plain mean spirited, and to those people I would not want to be on the end of the Karma stick when it smacks them right in the face at it will one day.  My laughter is because what I saw or what I heard hit my funny bone.  There is never any malice and I hope that those who have been the designer of the stupid can realize that they have helped me get through the day and put a smile on my face.

Stupid is going to happen, both to you and me, so might as well own up to it and share the wealth.  The sooner we can laugh, let go of pride, the sooner we can release the real power of stupid.  There are good people out there who will walk right into stupid, not because they are less than human, but because they are human.  Get off your high horse or the stupid you display will mark you for many years to come.  Find some stupid today and then share it with others, but share it in the spirit that was intended, to heal, to bring peace, joy, happiness, and love to those that need it most.

Hope: sometimes it's all we have, but that's OK, we are human you know.

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I just want to cry right now. I want to bury my head in the sand and not come out until things are better and I am where I am supposed to be, doing what it is that I am supposed to be doing.  I want the madness to stop and I just want to feel like I have some value to this world.  If you are like me, then you have said these very words at some point in the past.  I know all too well the sound of these words for I have said them, and I will admit that I have said them not long ago.

There are days when hope is all we have to lean on.  There is an old Scottish Proverb that says that were it not for hope the heart would break.  It is those times when you have been knocked down in life, time and time again, that we need to remember that hope springs eternal.  I wish I could tell you how many times I have clung to hope, if for no other reason then the alternative would be to end it all and just die.  Face it, life sucks sometimes, and even though most of what we go through is a learning experience, some of these experiences are ones that we never want to go through again.  Hope says let me live to fight another day.  Hope says there is something out there for me.  Hope says that no matter what I am going through I will be the person I was intended to be.

Erik Erikson said this, "Hope is both the earliest and the most indispensable virtue inherent in the state of being alive.  If life is to be sustained hope must remain, even where confidence is wounded, trust impaired."  We each have a hope for a better tomorrow, and even though our trust may have been tested, our confidence shattered, or our faith massively tested, we hold on to the only thing that hopefully will never be shaken, our hope.  There are so many people who have given up hope.  They have attempted to achieve greatness only to be thwarted with each and every attempt.  The storms of life have come and washed away any thought of success or fulfillment.  I know how devastating this can be, but I also know that I can never give up hope. No matter what life has thrown at you, you must hold on to hope.

Charles Sawyer made a statement once and it is so freeing that I just needed to share it with you.  He said, "Of all the forces that make for a better world, none is so indispensable, none so powerful, as hope.  Without hope men are only half alive. With hope they dream and think and work."  Hope is what will allow you to fall asleep at night with thoughts of success and fulfillment thus allowing you to tackle the next day with a new focus.  Were it not for hope I can assure you that I would not be in the place I am right now and I certainly would not be doing what I am doing.  I have faith, but I will tell you that my faith has been tested and were it not for hope I would have thrown in the towel long ago.  I have experienced more set backs then I would like to admit, but I also never lost hope. I never gave up on my dreams, I never walked away from my destiny.  I knew I was never alone because I am a divine creation and my destiny is why I was put here.

During these last seven or eight years I have experienced the highs and lows of life.  I have battled and at times have wished it could all be over and I could find peace and rest.  Had it not been for the hope I had I would have given up and that would have been the greatest mistake I could have ever made, and trust me I have made my share of mistakes.  I need you to hold on to the hope that I know is inside of you and know that tomorrow brings new opportunity.  I believe in destiny and I believe that you have a destiny, and if you have not discovered it yet and began to walk in it, soon you will do just that.

I want to leave you with this last and final quote.  I know I have used many today, but why re-invent the wheel when someone else has said it better than I could.  This final quote comes from Gilbert Chesterton, the famed English Writer, often referred to as the "Prince of Paradox".  G.K. Chesterton said this, "To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless."  You may be facing a hopeless situation, but it is in this time that hope must spring up from somewhere in you.  You cannot fall prey to others who have given up hope.  When one loses hope they have pretty much lost everything.  When one clings to hope, no matter how tattered it may be, or how hard times have gotten, then there is an expectancy that things will improve and the joy and peace that has been missing will finally come home to roost.

Hope may be all that you have left, but having just a little hope is better then nothing at all.  Hope will turn to faith, faith will turn to trust, and trust will turn into the discovery of your destiny.  When you begin walking in your destiny you will be able to share the story of hope with others and you will help others achieve their own destiny.  Hope is the promise of tomorrow and tomorrow is yet another opportunity to share your story of destiny in the hopes that others will discover theirs.  Hope is your foundation and it is a solid foundation that cannot be shaken apart.

Fear, it doesn't belong in your life, so stop letting it control you.

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Fear is a paralyzing emotion.  It can come in many forms and at many different times in our life.  When we were children we feared the dark, the monsters that certainly were under our bed or in our closet.  As young teens we feared never being asked to a dance or worse never having our first kiss.  As adults we feared that time that was certainly around the corner when those closest to us would be departing this life and we would never see them again.  There are so many things that we can fear in this life, and if we continue to focus on them then fear is exactly what you will be living your life in, and I am here to tell you that this is no way to live.

Fear is a tough topic to tackle simply because I could go on for days talking about it.  I know of very few people who have not had to overcome some type of fear in their life.  One could be afraid of snakes, or spiders, others fear flying or high places.  Fear comes in many forms and at different levels, but no matter how you look at it, fear believe it or not is all based on illusion.  We are the fabricators of fear in our life.  Now much of it can come from past experiences, but those past experiences should have taught you something.  Problem with most people is they have not learned from the past and because of that they are doomed to repeat it at some point in the future.

Fear and faith kind of go hand in hand, or should I say, are kind of reciprocal.  If you are showing fear then faith has taken a back seat. Conversely, if you are walking in faith, then it is doubtful that fear will ever rear its ugly head.  I wish I could tell you that I have never been afraid or fearful.  I contend with this daily and daily I have to remind myself that faith is the only alternative that will get me past the fear or moving forward.  Many of the things we fear are really based on the conditioning that one has been subjected to since they were born. We fear not having enough food, not enough money, not enough of this or that.  We have seen those who have been in this situation and you fear that one day you might be in a similar situation.  We allow fear to dictate our actions, or in some cases we allow fear to stop any type of forward progress toward our dreams and goals.  I know all to well what fear can do to a vision or dream.  I allowed fear to stop me for many years because I let fear rob me of my true self.  I let what others said or thought dictate many of my actions, and when that happens you have lost control of your destiny.

Fear comes to us because we have yet to grasp the significance of our own divine nature.  If one were to truly understand and accept who and what they are, then fear would never have the opportunity to come into the picture.  One of the greatest enablers of fear is our own ego.  The ego will tell you that you have to have tons of money, or a successful business or job if you are ever going to be truly happy.  You live in fear of not having enough money or not reaching the pinnacle of your chosen profession.  Your ego will have you do things that will not only stop you from achieving your destiny, but it will keep you locked into past fears.  The ego will tell you that you must keep up with everyone else, because if you don't then you will have shown everyone else that you are a failure.  The ego will force you to take actions that are never going to get you to the place you are supposed to be.  If you want to escape fear then it's time to put your ego in a box, bury it deep in the ground, and begin to understand your greatness.

I have dealt with fear my entire life.  I've let fear dictate what jobs I took, what jobs I left, and what I could or could not do.  I despise fear, and yet I let it back into my life from time to time.  On my computer, the one sitting in front of me as I write this, is a sticky back with the words written on it "No worry".  I have it there because like almost every breathing human I tend to worry about things, but I worry about things that really should not be worried about.  Worry is nothing more than fear, and once again fear is not going to get you where you want to be.  I have to make a decision everyday to not worry, not fear, and everyday I will struggle with it.  I have to make a conscience decision each day to speak out to the universe who and what I am.  Now it may seem foolish for you to do this, but trust me, it will work.  Everyday I say things like "I am a published author", "I am a gifted speaker and lecturer.", and "I am loved and in a loving relationship."  I don't say these things because I doubt them, I say them because I want to send out into the universe my intentions and then I know that they will come back to me.  It is the law of sowing and reaping, the law of attraction.  If I sow fear or doubt, then how can I expect anything else to come back to me besides more fear and doubt.

You cannot live a life that has a foundation formed from fear.  I've heard many people claim that fear is a great motivator.  That is such hogwash, and trust me fear will never motivate.  Fear no matter how little it may seem at the start, will sooner or later build up to something that will overtake you.  You must cut it off at the root and never accept it back into your life.  Face the fears and once you do you will come to the realization that what you feared in the past was nothing at all.  When we face our fears we disarm them and then they have no ability to harm us again.  I no longer fear what is under the bed or in the closet when it is dark at night.  Face your fears and turn it into faith.  Faith that says you will walk in your destiny and you will have all that has been promised to you.  You are so deserving of having the best in life and fear will rob you of the best if you do not get it under control and stop letting it control you.  Faith, faith faith and not fear.  All you need to do is turn it around and realize that you are a divine creature of faith and not fear.

It only takes a moment. Why time is something we all contend with, but should we?

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Time, it is either our nemesis or our friend.  We either have too much time on our hands or not enough. Time can move too fast for those who need to get something done, or far too slow for those who are anxiously waiting for something to arrive.  No matter how you look at it time never seems to be on the right side of history, at least your history.  Time is something that we allow to dictate our actions or the lack there of.  Time however, is an illusion and it is something that we use as a measuring stick, and that is when we will get ourselves into trouble.

If you believe as I do that everyone has a destiny inside of them, then you must also believe that your destiny will play out in the appropriate time.  When we try to manufacture something out of the perfect timing that has been set in stone, we are certainly going to foul things up.  I am not saying that you should just let things go along without any understanding of time, but when you set unrealistic time constraints then you have boxed yourself into a timeline that may or may not be what was intended.

When I set out to write my first book I knew that it was the perfect time.  Had I written it, or attempted to write it, when I first thought about the idea, I certainly would have missed out on some very important life lessons, which ultimately helped me with material for writing the book.  Each time I sit down to write a manuscript I wait for the go ahead and then it seems to flow out of me with very little effort.  If I try to manifest something out of the perfect timing of God, then I struggle with virtually every aspect of the book.  I am no different then the rest of those attempting to do something important in life.  I desire to change the world, but that desire has also been tempered by an understanding that if I go full speed ahead without looking at time, then I am doing for me and not for humanity.

We as humans have a tendency of setting unrealistic expectations when it comes to time. You have to be a millionaire by the time you hit thirty years old.  You have to win the gold medal by such and such a time.  If you haven't been to this place by a specific date then the rest of your life is somehow going to be much less fulfilling.  I get it, trust me, I do understand.  I've set time lines for so many things in my life, but then I was a slave to those time lines and things never seemed to move in the direction that I had hoped.  I am not saying that time is something you should ignore, but when you make it the basis for every decision, every action, and every thought, then you have just boxed yourself in, and you leave no room for what has been ordained to happen to happen.

I wish I could have written my first book twenty five years ago.  I wish I had begun walking in my destiny thirty years ago.  I say "I Wish", but in truth I am so thankful for those years of learning that has brought me to the place that I am in right now.  I do not count these last twenty five or thirty years as lost years, rather they were proving grounds for what I am doing right now.  Truth be told, I have been walking in my destiny since the day of my birth and you have been walking in your destiny since the day you were born.  Destiny is full of learning.  Your destiny is ripe with squeezing and pulling, twist and turns, ups and downs.  Everything you have gone through has been orchestrated to get you to the place you are at right now.  Every learning experience has prepared you for what you are about to do.  We never stop evolving and we never stop learning.  Each day brings you opportunity to learn something new and experience something that you will use to help others, teach others, or share with others.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that you have wasted years.  If you think this then you have never fully understood what destiny is nor are you walking in yours right now.  I do not say that to be mean spirited, but rather to get you to begin to accept the fact that all things work in divine order.  Face it, we all know when we have done something, and after we have completed it we recognize that it wasn't the right time to do it.  We allowed others to dictate our actions based on their timeline and not ours.  Forget about the expectations of others and follow your heart and understand that the timing of all things is perfect when you are walking in your destiny.  It only takes a moment to realize this, but in that moment all things will make sense and you will know that time is never going to end until you have completed your task for this life.

Let me end with this, and I hope it speaks to you.  Many, many, many people feel as though life has passed them by.  They look at their life and wonder what life could have been like had they done this or that.  If I never walked fully in my destiny until the last year of my life, that last year would have been so fulfilling that I would never even give thought to the previous years.  The reason people look back at time with regret, with feelings that they have missed out on something, or that they have wasted all those years, is because they are not aware of, or walking in their destiny.  Your life began with a destiny and it will end with you walking in your destiny.  Do not worry about time, you focus on discovering your purpose and let those things that are destined to happen, happen.  When it is all said and done you will never have to worry about time again, because time will never be able control you again.  You can change your life in a blink of an eye by simply realizing that time is not a box, it has no chains to bind you.  You are free to explore all things without fear of time running out.  Now this is a good day.

Take a deep breath and realize you have made it.

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You've just crossed the finish line and you are still able to walk. That was the longest 26.2 miles in the history of the world, but you did it and no one can take that away from you.  It was an epic event, 5000 plus spectators looking at your work and listening to your words.  How you managed to get this put together in the short time that was allotted to you is still a mystery.  You must make a mental note to thank all those who stood with you and helped you get this showing put together.  You did it, the 8 course meal with 24 guest.  It was sheer genius, and that glass of Pinot is something you will truly savor as the last guest exits your house and now you can just take a deep breath and realize you made it.

The simple fact is that no matter the size of the accomplishment, whether epic or just run of the mill, there is still joy in taking that resting breath and knowing that you did your best, and that is all one should ever ask.  No matter what you accomplish the one thing I would like you to consider, and this is where people often slip up, don't forget those who were there to help you along the way.  In all the time I have been on this planet I have yet to meet anyone who has been able to do great things without great people around them.  Now there is no doubt that you probably did the lion's share of the work, but let's be real, you didn't do it all by your lonesome.  The help may have come in the form of supportive and comforting words from a loved one, but they are just as important as the energy you exerted doing what it was you were doing.  Please allow me to give you just one additional bit of advice and this has served me well and I hope it serves you equally as well.  When you have accomplished something, instead of going right out and starting your next project or that always dreamt about super achievement, just rest for a bit and enjoy the moment.  There are times when moments of joy and that sense of accomplishment are far and few between, why not relish in it for a moment.  There will be time for your next conquest, simply enjoy this one for at least a minute or two.

I can remember when I had just finished my undergraduate degree and for weeks after I felt guilty if I spent time watching TV or just lounging about.  I had been going so fast for so long that it just was a part of my daily activities.  I literally had to tell myself it was OK to relax.  We as humans have been conditioned to believe that if we are not going a mach plus then somehow our existence will not mean as much.  That drive to accomplish something, that desire to do more than someone else: I am not saying this is a bad thing, but when you do not take the time to appreciate what you have done and only think about the next thing on your to-do list, then you have really lost track of what is really important.

Achievements in life are very important, but the most important part of achieving something is the reason behind the initial desire to achieve something.  If your motivation is solely for the purpose of building up your own personal esteem, then I will bet you will be the one who is always going after the next endeavor and never taking the time to appreciate what you have just completed.  On the other side of the coin, if your motivation is to help the rest of humanity, then my guess is you won't mind taking that deep breath and just enjoying the moment you are in.  I know there are people out there who only care about themselves.  This saddens me, not because they are selfish egotistical jerks, but because they will never fully reach their potential.  They will never truly understand destiny, nor the place that destiny plays in our lives.  Once you have discovered your destiny, then the desire to complete things simply because it will bring you joy and provide you a sense of worth, will go the way of the dinosaur.  Destiny is never about what's in it for me, it is all about what does it do, or what will it do for the betterment of the rest of the world.

If discovering your destiny has avoided you up till this point, maybe you have been going about it all wrong.  Maybe your quest for destiny is not about how many things you can accomplish but rather slowing down and understanding the signs that have been sent to you.  If you are continuously going here and there, doing this and that, then you haven't taken the time to see or even recognize the signs left for you so you can discover your own destiny.  I have been there so I know the feeling of going full speed ahead, but traveling at light speed with out the proper direction is going to get you lost and lost is not what you want when in search of your destiny.  Maybe it's time for you to slow down and just enjoy a slower pace of life.  I don't want to hear the excuses, and trust me I have heard them all, because I have said them all myself.  "If I don't do it, who will?"  "I know I can't trust anyone to do it right, so I have to do it."  This was nothing more than my inability to let go of things.  Control is a wicked thing, and one you should consider giving up if you know what is good for you.

It is time to take a step back, enjoy the fruits of your labor, and just relax.  What have you got to loose if you simply take a break and enjoy the moment?  Is the world going to come to an end because you have taken a little extra time to enjoy those around you, to enjoy the success you have helped come to pass, or to enjoy the simple things in life like friends, family and loved ones?  If you put everything else in life in front of enjoying a few peaceful moments then you will ultimately lose something far more valuable.  It is time to step back, take a deep breath and realize you have made it, and now you can enjoy some much needed time away from doing anything.  Think about this and please take your time doing it.  When it is all said and done, it will be the best time you have ever spent.

I've fallen and I can't get up. So now it's time to display the strength you have.

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Yep it's one of those days when nothing is going as planned.  The thoughts you had of a day void of conflict, void of stress, and void of other things that go bump in the night, have flown out the window and staring you in the face is conflict, stress, and every kind of distraction you can think of.  It has become one of those days in which you would have been better staying in bed and taking a mental health day.  Oh I know the feeling well, and I will say that I found myself in just this very place this morning.  I received some news that quite frankly knocked the wind out of my sails and I wasn't quite sure what to do next.  I went to my office, shut out the rest of the world and just meditated for an hour.  I knew that I needed to write and I was not going to let this news keep me from what I do and who I am.

We all face huge mountains from time to time.  Those huge obstacles that never seem to end and there appears to be no way to get over them or around them.  It is in those situations when you have fallen down and you feel as though you will not be able to get up off the ground, that you must remember who and what you are.  Oh I have been there before, and I will be there again, if for no other reason then I am just as human as you and I face these types of things almost daily.

I could have given up today and let what happened derail me for the rest of the day, but that is not who I am, and that is not what I have come to accept in my life.  As a writer I have the wonderful opportunity to share my thoughts and feelings with the rest of the world.  No matter what I am going through, no matter what tries to stop me, there is no one on this planet that can deny me the opportunity to share what is in my heart, nor the desire to share it.

"Rain drops on roses, whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles, warm woolen mittens", although these might not be some of my favorite things, when faced with bad news or situations that seem to knock you down, I do think about some of my favorite things.  I think about the ability to write and my desire to share with others.  I cannot fixate on what may have transpired, but rather make the decision to focus on those things that I know to be true, those things that I know I have been destined to accomplish, and those things that I have been gifted to do.  I focus on those things that bring happiness to me and I allow that energy to go out into the universe and by virtue of the Law of Attraction expect happiness to come back to me.  I may not know what form that happiness will take, but I know that I know that happiness will come back to me.  It is in your time of distress or uncertainty that you must find happiness, send it out to the universe and expect it to come back to you.

It would have been so easy to get bogged down in the bad news and just say to hell with writing today and bury myself in self-pity.  OH, don't get me wrong, I will admit that I did give that some thought, but then I also realized that doing that would have been of no benefit to me, and if you chose that route it will be of no benefit to you.  Claude M. Bristol said this, "Every person is the creation of himself, the image of his own thinking and believing. As individuals think and believe, so they are."  Without regard to what may be going on around me, I am still a writer and I still have a destiny.  You to have a destiny, and no matter what you may be going through, your destiny will not change.

During my meditation this morning I was asking the normal questions: why is this happening, what am I doing wrong, and what do I do now?  I was asking, not because I didn't know the answer, but because I was looking for comfort in my situation.  We all need comfort, we all need answers, and we all need to know that we are not alone in what we are going through.  What came back to me is that things happen for a reason and there are no coincidences in the universe.  Would I have liked a different outcome?  Well yea, but I have also grown to a point where I must accept that I do not have all the answers and that God is never going to place me in a situation that I cannot handle or that is not what is best for me in this given moment.  It's never easy to miss out, or come up short, or even be told that what you had hoped for is not going to be as you had wished.  What is important is that you realize that things do happen for a reason and once again all things are there to teach us something.

When situations come about that get you wondering why, how come, or even is it me, stop what you are doing and know that you are exactly where you need to be.  Find the joy in knowing the perfection of your life and that even in the midst of a difficult or lousy situation, you are just exactly where you need to be.  Falling down and deciding not to get back up is what defeat is.  Getting back up is showing character, determination, and it is coming to an understanding that those things that have been placed in you to accomplish are not easily stopped.  If you will not let go of your destiny then I assure you that your destiny will never let go of you.  I am a writer and there is nothing that will ever make me believe otherwise.  I may get knocked over every now and again, but no matter how many times I may have to pick myself back up, I stand tall knowing that the writer in me is there for a reason and I will not stop until I have had the opportunity to reach millions with my words.

We all have fallen, but if you are reading this, then you have also picked yourself back up and you are still moving forward.  Your destiny awaits you, no matter how many times life wants to knock you down.  Together we will accomplish some great things, and together we will help others off the ground and back to where they belong.  There is strength in numbers and together we will help others achieve what is in their heart to achieve.