On the road again.

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And so begins a new adventure.  There are people to see and places to go.  There are roads that have been less traveled and roads that have the pavement worn down to almost nothing.  You might be going through land as flat as a pancake or as mountainous as the top of the Himalayans. No matter what the terrain looks like, getting back on the road is always a good thing.

My question for you today is this:  if in fact getting or staying on the road is such a good thing, why then are there so many people who refuse to do it?  I mean, there are people all around who simply refuse to move forward in anything.  To say they are stuck in their own ways is an understatement.  Come hell or high water they are bound and determined to stay put, and there is not a single thing in the world that will get them to move off the spot they currently occupy.  Now this is all and good if in fact you are in the right place.  If you know that you know that you are walking in your destiny, then great, there should be nothing that would take you off course.  However, there are far more people who are still waiting on their destiny verses those who are currently walking in it.

We are entering a season where opportunity will make itself known to you if you will simply open up and listen.  Too many times people doubt that still small voice that is in each of us.  I have said this many, many times in the past,  the heart is incapable of lying to you.  When in doubt always follow your heart.  Certainly there will be times when the direction of the heart is not going to make any sense to you, but follow it you must, or suffer the consequences.  I dare say that the heart is never going to tell you to simply sit back and never move forward.  Complacency is death to a vision or dream.  There should never be a time when we forget about our dreams and simply let them wilt on the vine.  If you are unwilling to get moving, to get back on the road again, then your dreams will wither up and die, and that my friends is an absolute travesty.

I have sat on dreams and sat on dreams, never moving forward, and what did that get me?  Nothing!! I guess I sat on dreams because I was afraid.  I guess I sat on dreams because I was not confident in my abilities, nor was I comfortable admitting the grandness of those dreams.  I had let my low self-image dictate what I could or couldn't do, and the only thing that got me was stagnation and a whole lot of sadness.  It wasn't until I took the time to get to know the real me that things began to spring forward.  I took the time to understand the foundation of who and what I was and then like a lightening bold things began to happen.

Getting back on the road is taking the time to understand the real you.  It is knowing without a shadow of doubt that you are here in the right time, and that there is nothing that could change the fact that you have something that you are supposed to accomplish.  I talk to people every day who know there is more to them then simply living each day doing the same thing, and never having or experiencing the true thrill of life.  These same people have been trapped on a continuous circle, like a round-about, simply going in circles and never getting to the final destination.  After a while people will simply park the car, get out of it, lock the doors, and never move again.  These very same people are the ones who wonder why life sucks so bad.  Well hell, you've given up on your dreams, how else is life supposed to be if you give up on your dreams?

It is time to get back on the road again, and this time head out with the understanding that the adventures you are about to undertake will change your life forever.  How many people do you know who simply get into a car and not have a destination in mind.  If you got up this morning would you step out of your house, into your car, and simply wait for direction?  Probably not.  If you decide to get up, get ready, and then step outside to get into your vehicle, it's probably because you plan to run to the market, do errands, or maybe have brunch with a dear friend.  You know what the plan is, and when you start the car, you proceed to the first destination.  Certainly there may be times when you throw in an extra stop or two, but the basis for your trip is laid out before you put the car in drive.

You know what the destination is, you simply need to start moving in that direction.  If there is a bump along the way, a distraction, a detour, simply navigate it and get back to the original plan.  I've hardly ever had things go 100 percent as planned, but that doesn't mean that I completely threw out the original plan and simply stood still.  I moved forward and eventually got to my destination.  Well this is what you need to do, get started and as they say, roll with the punches.  If something comes up, make the decision in the moment what you will do, but by all means don't just sit and wait for the time to be perfect before you set out on your trip.  Waiting for the perfect time is nothing more then a formula for stagnation, and ultimately the death nail on your dreams.

It's time to get back on the road, and this time allow your heart to set the course.  Allow your intuition to lead you in the right direction.  Allow your dreams to open up in front of you and show you a vista like no other.  It is your time to experience the thrill of the open road and then who knows where you will end up.  I can tell you this:  where ever you end up is probably going to look a whole lot nicer then the place you might be in right now.  Safe journeys and know that there is always someone looking out for you.

I am not a doormat.

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Kindly do not use me as a doormat!  I am not a "kick me around the place, anytime you want to" kind of person.  I have value and I have a right to be the person I was intended to be.  If you don't like who I am, well tough crap.  I don't have to be you, and you certainly don't have to be me.

Wow, people must think I'm about to go on a tirade.  Truth be told I'm perfectly fine, but what I want to talk about today is that we have allowed others to dictate our own actions for far too long and it is time for you to take the stand that you are no longer going to be any one's "doormat".

We all know the saying "Do as I say, not as I do" is the height of hypocrisy.  It is the double standard of all double standards.  If you want to get on my bad side, not that I really have a bad side, simply a figure of speech, but if you want to get my dander up simply make that statement.  Someone so foolish as to use that statement to get stuff done around the office or workplace is simply not worthy to have that position.  I really look on with amazement when I see people who act this way.  They gain their worth by the position they hold instead of having worth in who they are first.  I have said this so many times in the past, but I'm going to say it again anyway: If you do not see yourself as good enough when you are a bottom of the ladder employee, then you will still not see yourself as good enough even when or if you occupy the CEO's chair.  We are not what we do.  Let me say that again just in case you didn't get it.  You are not what you do.  You might be a function of what you do, but that is not who you really are.  Until such time as you grab onto and hold on to the fact that you are a divine creation, you are going to be used as a doormat.

I received a very hard driving email from a friend the other day.  I have been following her progress as she navigates the very treacherous waters of being a very dynamic women who knows who she is and isn't afraid to show it.  When I first got the email I was a little taken back, but after some reflection what she was saying to me was correct, albeit with minor corrections, but we won't go there right now.  Anyway, she realizes that a strong dynamic women is more often than not labeled as a "bitch" or something similar as a descriptor.  She's not a "bitch", she simply has a great grasp on who and what she is, and she isn't going to let others take away what is rightfully hers.  I applaud her for her efforts and I am overjoyed at the progress she is making walking out her destiny.  It would have been so easy for me to take a defensive posture over the email, but what would that have done for me?  She was speaking to me out of love, and if I took it any other way, then I would have been operating out of something other than love.  Heck, sometimes love hurts, but sometimes you need a little kick in the ass to remind you of who you really are.

Each person is going to have to face this sooner or later, and I recommend that you do it much sooner then later.  I have allowed people to walk over me for way too many years.  I allowed that to happen because I had such a low opinion of myself and I figured bad behavior toward me was better then no behavior at all.  I have since learned over the years that I don't deserve to be treated like someone's lackey, and I refuse to accept that position.  So now my response is "Go away."  Simply go away, and don't come back until you can see who I really am, and that I just might have something of value to share with you if you will lay down your pride for a minute and simply be human.

You are not a doormat.  Your worth as an individual is beyond description, and I can tell you that until the cows come home, but until you believe it for yourself, you will continue to be walked on, and that is going to leave you matted and dirty.  So here is my question for today: what are you going to do with this new insight?  Are you going to continue on doing things the way you may have been doing them, or are you going to tell those who want to push you around to simply "go away"?  There comes a time in everyone's life when they are going to have to answer this question for themselves.  I hope and pray that you are coming to that point in time when you are going to ask yourself if being a door mat is all that it's cracked up to be.

We all have value, and even though you may not have discovered this truth yet doesn't change the fact that you have value to the rest of humanity.  Your value begins with knowing who and what you are.  Those people who have not taken the time to get to know you are the same people who will try to wipe their feet on you.  They don't know any better, and they don't know any better because they really don't have a clue as to who they really are.  I guess you have to give them a little benefit of the doubt, but let's face it, people like that often refuse to change.  Don't become one of those.  Take some time and come to a firm conclusion of your worth.  Stand tall and proud and refuse to be anyone's doormat.  It may cause friction in the interim, but rest assured when the dust settles you will be the one who is victorious and those who want to trample on you will ultimately be the ones who get trampled upon.

When the end is just the beginning.

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It's the end of the line.  You've done all you can do, tried everything you could think of, given it your all.  What do you do next?  You simply move on knowing that you are at the beginning of a new adventure.  There is no such thing as an end.  Many people profess that they are at the end of their rope, the end of their journey, the end of whatever it is that they were hoping for.  Truth be told, what many classify as the end is nothing more then a launching pad to your next thing or endeavor.

I am reading a wonderful book right now and  it is about the ability to let go of things.  Release the past, whether it be hurt, failure, pain, even some of the good that may have come to your life.  When we hold on to things that no longer serve us it only keeps us locked in places that we really don't want to be in.  I for one have had to learn this the hard way, but I am making strides in this area each passing day.  But I digress.

If you believe as I do that time is nothing but an illusion, as Einstein said, then can you ever be at the end.  I mean if time is nothing more then something that man created to provide him a reference point, then isn't it safe to assume that you can create your own timeline, even if it is in direct contradiction to what the rest of society thinks?  We have so screwed ourselves by trying to adhere to what other people feel is the right time to do this or do that.  We have abdicated our rightful place and instead we have lined the streets with a lot of worry, fear, uncertainty, doubt, and then we continue to go down the same street each and every day.  It's a wonder more people don't go mad, but I digress again.

So what do I mean when I say that the end is simply the beginning?  It's really simple:  we keep going, and going, and going.  We never stop.  There will never be a time in our lives when we stop evolving.  There will never be a time in our lives when we can simply just sit back and say that it is finished.  Even at the time of our eventual death we continue to exist.  We are spiritual beings, and that means that we are eternal.  We have always been and will always be.  Certainly the day will come when this mortal body gives out, but then we are on to our next adventure.  The same can be said about our earthly experience.  When we finish one task, one lesson, it is time to move on to the next one.

I will give you that not everything we experience in life is pleasant.  There are things that we all go through that we would like to forget about.  No matter what we go through, it is always a learning process, and with each new experience comes understanding and growth.  So even if you are at the end of your rope, simply find the good in what has transpired and use it to move you forward.  Moving forward is really the only option you have since there is no such thing as an end.

Let me give you an example and see if this does not hit home.  You are traveling on a train to a certain destination.  You are about to come into the last stop on the line, what do you do?  If in fact this is the end of the line, you can either get out of the train and merrily go to the place you were destined to go, or you can simply sit on the train and do nothing.  If you do nothing, then I guess maybe you have come to the end of the line, but is it really the end of the line?  I mean, you have a place to go, otherwise why would you have gotten on the train in the first place.  The train you just traveled on was nothing more then a vehicle to get you where you wanted to be.  Even though the train has come to a stop, that doesn't mean your adventure has.  Are you beginning to see what I am saying?  There is no end.  We use the train to get us to our final destination, but if you never get off the train, then you never get to where you were first intending to go.

Even if life has tossed you situations that have been lousy, that does not mean that all is lost, and it certainly doesn't mean that you are going to be stuck on the train forever.  You need to pick yourself up, stop off the train and simply continue to move toward the final destination.  When I take the train from Portland to Boston, I am not taking the train just to ride to Boston.  There are things that I am planning on doing while in town.  When I get off the train in Boston, that's when my adventure really begins.  This is life.  When you have been tossed about by every manner of crap in your life, simply realize that this is the end of the line, and it's time to get off the train and really let the adventure begin.

So what's next?  Will you simply stay put and refuse to move, or are you going to step off the train and really experience those things that you need to experience while on this journey?  You can stay put, but then you will have traveled a long, long way for nothing.  If I simply stayed on the train in Boston and never got off, I would have wasted an awful lot of time for nothing.  Instead I step off the train and now I get to experience all that Boston has to offer, and I really get to enjoy my time there.  The decision is yours.  Will you stay seated, or will you do the only logical thing and step off the train and into the excitement that comes when you arrive at your destination?  You see, the end is really the beginning, and what an adventure you will have when you allow yourself the opportunity to step off that train that has reached the end of the line.  Have a great trip, and let me know how it goes.

Seasons

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We all go through different phases in our life. We begin as babies, move up to adolescents, and ultimately make it to adulthood.  Within each of these different phases of life, there are also different seasons that each of us go through.  Some of these seasons are sunny and warm, and others are like the winter we are having here in Maine this year, cold, piles and piles of snow, and no let up in sight.  There is however, a time for each season of our life, and we need to accept these seasons and learn, or as the picture says, accept the gift that each season has for us.

Most every person I know has a favorite season during the year.  Some like Spring, as it is a time of new life and growth.  Others like the hot summer, if only to forget about the cold, cold winter that just happened, and will happen again in only a few short months.  I for one love fall.  I love the changing colors, the crispness in the air, and of course the New England Patriots.  Sorry, just had to throw that in there.  No matter what season is your favorite there are reasons you prefer one season over the other.  It would be great if we could freeze either time or weather patterns, and just lock ourselves into the one season we like most.  We all know that this is not an option, but we should also realize that the seasons we go through in life, even if we are not thrilled to have them thrust upon us, are things that we need, and from them will come knowledge and wisdom.

I have been through many difficult seasons in my life, but I would not trade any of them, for they have brought me to the place that I am in right now, doing the things I am doing right now.  It's not always easy to see the good in the seasons we go through, but they do serve a purpose.

I was walking out of my house yesterday to run a few errands and as I was going down the front steps I felt that drop of melting ice run down my neck.  I hate that more than anything and I just stood there wishing that winter was over.  I despise the cold, but at the same time I realize that it is a necessary evil.  As I got into my car to head out I began to think about what each changing season meant.  Each season does bring about change, change that needs to come at certain times to continue the life process of this planet.  I began to see more clearly that the seasons we go through are also there to help us with our own life process, and without these changes in season then sooner or later things would come to a screeching halt.

Now it's impossible to pinpoint when each season begins or ends.  I know that it began to get cold here in Maine toward the latter part of November, but the exact date escapes me.  I know that I have been through many periods in my life that have been there to teach me something, but I can't give you a date as to when those lessons began or ended.  The dates are not what is important, but rather the knowledge that you are going from one season to the next.  With each successive season we leave one phase of life and enter another one.  If you think that the time will come when you no longer have to deal with the changing seasons in life, then you are mistaken.  I am looking forward to spring, and we all need to look forward to the changing seasons in each of our lives.  If you are able to gain knowledge and wisdom from the changing seasons, then that should be your motivation to accept the changing seasons you will go through.

The question most people ask is why.  Why am I going through what I am going through?  Why can't things just be normal for a while?  So I guess that leads me to this question, what is normal?  Is it normal to have piles of snow in my front yard that are nine feet tall?  I mean in the last ten years we have never had this, but does that make it an abnormal winter here in Maine?  It is what it is, and what you are going through right now is what it is.  Find the lesson, the knowledge, the wisdom, for these are truly gifts.  Certainly it may not seem like a gift when that drop of water falls down my neckline, but it just proves that the temperature is changing, and soon the nine feet of snow will melt away and once again I will see grass.

Seasons are here to get you to the point or place you need to be in.  They may not always be pleasant, but there is a purpose, and with purpose comes resolve, and with resolve comes change.  Given the option to move from winter to spring, or to stay in winter, what do you think I am going to choose?  Going from one season in your life to the next is your choice.  You can choose to stay right where you are at, but if you do that, you are making a monumental mistake.  Even if the season you are in right now is not of your choosing, you can choose to accept the wisdom that will come from it.  I did not choose for there to be so much snow here this year, but I can look forward to the spring all that much more each time I see the piles in my front yard.

Embrace the changing seasons in your life and accept the fact that because you are going through them you are gaining invaluable knowledge and experience for things that may not have been revealed to you yet, but that are on the horizon.  Sometimes we are not given the entire picture of our life for fear that you will run away from things.  The seasons we go through are there to prepare you for what lies ahead.  Accept these seasons and embrace what will come after they depart.  Don't be afraid, we all go through these times, and with each new season comes newness of life.

Embrace the changing seasons and know that only good will come from them.  I know that spring is right around the corner and then this winter will be just a memory.

Somewhere over that evasive, almost lost rainbow.

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Why have so many people given up on their dreams?  Why have we let others rob us of the one thing we want most in life?  Why, if we dare to dream, do we not see the end result the way we dream of seeing it?  I have to think that one of the greatest travesties in this life is leaving this existence never fulfilling the dreams we had.  You talk about walking around empty, I have to believe that most of that emptiness is because you have yet to fulfill the dreams you have, and there is nothing that can ever occupy the space that your dreams occupy.

I am such a believer that we have dreams for one purpose and one purpose only, to fulfill them.  It would be ludicrous to think that the Creator of the Universe would bury us in dream after dream, if we were not intended to have what we dream about.  And yet, there are people who give up time and time again, never realizing a single dream.  That is sad, oh so very sad.  Well today is a new day, and with each new day comes new opportunity and possibilities.  To that you should be jumping up and down for joy.

What have you dreamt about?  What is the one little secret you have that you have never shared with anyone for fear they would think you mad for desiring such a thing?  What is the single most important thing to you in your life, that if it were to appear in this very instant, you would be changed forever?  These are questions that only you can answer, but the sooner you answer them the sooner you can get that monkey off your back, that wants to tell you everyday what a failure you are, and why you will never have what you want most in this life.

I'm going to make a few statements here, and some will like what I have to say, others will be mad as hornets, but maybe getting mad about something is just what is called for right now.  First: dreams are divinely inspired, and you have them because they are for you.  Second:  the single most limiting factor, when it comes to dream fulfillment, is your unbelief.  Yep, you simply don't believe the dream is for you.  That being said, I have to ask the question:  if the dream was not meant for you, then why are you having it?  Dreams come from the subconscious mind out of reach of everyday fodder.  Thirdly: if God placed this dream in you, then you are worthy of having it, period, case closed, end of story.  It saddens me beyond belief when I see or talk to people who feel as though they are not good enough to have the things they hold deeply inside.  There is this disconnect that says that dreams are for everyone else on the planet besides them.  The sooner you realize that you are worthy, simply by virtue of your existence, then the sooner you can grab your dreams and run with them.

Somewhere over that rainbow is a land of beauty, a land of plenty, and a land of fulfillment.  Do you believe that, or do you feel as though it is for someone else and not you?  Worthiness is not predicated on your pedigree, it is not based on where you live, or where you come from.  Worthiness is not set aside for only a select few.  Worthiness is not based on some merit system where you gain points for doing good, or receive demerits for every, "shit", "damn", and "hell" that comes flying out your mouth, thank God LOL.  Worthiness is your birth right, and once you realize this, then it is easy to believe that your dreams are your birth right as well.

I live each day with my dream of helping others achieve their dreams.  I am in love with people, so much so that not a day goes by that I do not think about destiny and how to help those in search of their destiny find it.  Oh how I wish everyone walking the planet knew their own worthiness and why the dreams they have are there for a reason.  The look on the face of someone when they finally realize their dream is priceless.  The energy that comes forth from those who are realizing their dreams is so thick you could cut it with a knife.  Conversely, the negative energy that comes from those who cannot believe in, nor even recognize their own dreams, is palpable.  

You see, the "dreams that you dare to dream, really do come true.", but not until you know that they are for you, and you are so special that no one else can have your dreams.  Each dream is as unique as the person that has them.  Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly, and as the song goes, why can't you?  What a great moment to realize that you will fulfill your dreams, not because of what you do, but because of who and what you are.  Destiny picks you, and you should shutter each time you realize just how powerful that is.  Your dreams were placed in you to get you one step closer to your destiny, and your destiny has been planned out since the beginning of time.  It is time to grasp the enormity of your being here right now.

Dreams do come true, not because of luck or anything like that, but because dreams were manufactured for one reason only:  to place you where you need to be when you need to be there.  Funny how things work out, right?  Hold on to your dreams and realize that they will come to pass, and you will have all you dream in a manner that will blow you away.  Dare to dream, but be more daring by helping others fulfill their dreams as well.

Am I my brother's keeper?

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Just what are you responsible for while walking on this planet?  Granted you may not be responsible for a war that is taking place halfway around the world.  You certainly had nothing to do with the tornado that was ripping across the mid-west.  So what are you responsible for?  Some would say that our responsibility rest in doing what is best for ourselves, and making sure that we take care of those who we are responsible for.  So that leads me back to my original question, who are you responsible to?  If you have a family, certainly you are responsible for providing your children what they need to live each day.  There's a certain responsibility to your aging parents.  How you decide to handle those issues is up to you, but there still is a sense of responsibility that you should be there for them in their old age.

Aside from immediate family and close associates and friends, is there anyone else you are responsible for?  I guess if you own a company or business you would say that you are responsible for your employees.  They deserve a safe and secure environment in which to work, and an honest day's wage for an honest day's work.  They deserve to know that you stand behind them and that you see things much the same way they do, that this company is important and they are just as big a piece of it as you are.  OK, so besides those we have already mentioned, who else are you responsible for?  Or more aptly put, what else are you responsible for?

The very first thing you are responsible for is knowing the real you.  Failure to do this makes everything else in this world a mute point.  I know I go on and on, and on about this, but this is the foundation that everything else you ever do will be built upon.  Once you have come to the conclusion that you are divine, and that you are here for a real purpose, then and only then can you become to others what they need most.  What is it that they need most?  They need you to be authentic, real, not some made up person that you think you should be, or that you think others want. No, you need to be who you were intended to be, with every mistake you ever made, with every missed opportunity, with all the ups and downs that you have experienced in life.  This is the person the rest of the world needs you to be, and this is the person who in fact will be his or hers brother's keeper.

You see you do have a responsibility to the rest of humanity.  No matter what you do in this life, there is always going to be someone who is depending on you being the person you were intended to be, doing the things you were intended to do.  We do, we teach, we give, and all of this comes from what others have taught us, what we have picked up from them, and what we have witnessed.

There is no doubt that there are many different beliefs in this world.  Many of these beliefs have led to conflict and war, and others have simply left us wondering what in the world is going on.  Until such time as individuals learn who they are there will always be conflict because conflict emerges because of ego, and ego is the destroyer of all that is good or intended to be good in this world.  The only way we are ever going to get out of this trap is to get the ego under control, and the only way that is going to happen is to know who and what you are.

You are your brother's keeper inasmuch as you are responsible for knowing the real you.  You are your brother's keeper in displaying the authenticity that is you.  You are your brother's keeper because you have something that others need, and that something will help them become the person they were intended to be.  There is nothing insignificant about you, and whether you run a huge company, or simply smile at someone walking down the street, you bring to this planet the key to other's destiny.  There can be no missed opportunities when it comes to being the real you.  You may never see the outcome to what you have done for someone else, but rest assured what you have done for someone else will certainly come back into the mix down the road as they step out into their destiny.

Here is a simple truth:  you, the real you, has a task to fulfill.  You are the only one who can do it, and there is no one who was ever intended to take your place.  Certainly this is a big responsibility, but it never would have been given to you had you not had what it takes to complete the task.  Forget about trying to measure up to someone else's expectations of you.  They may have designs on what they feel you should do, but ultimately you are the only one who can be the person you were meant to be, touching the lives of those you were intended to touch.  There is nothing small about you, and there is no reason to measure yourself against anyone else.  The time has come for you to take a step forward and accept your charge.  There are people who need what you have, need what you do, and need who you are.  Yes, you are your brother's keeper, and like it or not, this is a responsibility you will not be able to get out of, and for that I am truly grateful.

Releasing the past, so one can enter the future.

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Releasing the past is often the most rewarding thing you will ever do, especially when your past is not allowing you to walk into your future.  I have been so guilty of this, and only recently have I been able to release some things that truly needed to be let go of.  I would hold on to things in the hopes that what I thought I really wanted or desired would come back to me.  I learned the hard way that the only way to get what you want is to be able to release it. I know that may seem counter-productive to many people, but it is the only way to get out of the trap of always living in the past, always wondering what could have been, and always being behind when all you want is to be out in front of it all.

I don't claim to know or even understand what every single person walking the earth is going through at the moment.  What could be life changing to one, is simply a blip on the screen for someone else.  We all tend to handle situations differently, and that comes from being unique individuals.  There is however a constant with most people, and that constant is the inability to set things free.  Those chains that you continue to allow to bind you up, hold you down, are the chains that need to be cut away.  Unless you are able to do this, you will forever be in a prison cell without any possibility of parole.

I will say that most people who are unable to let go of the past, are the very same people who have yet to fall in love with themselves.  Now I'm not talking about falling in love like one does with their partner, husband, wife, or significant other.  What I'm saying is that there are countless people who do not love themselves.  This lack of self-love is what keeps them in a constant state of always needing to hold on to things.  The truth of the matter is that if we understood our greatness, then love would come easy, and then letting go would be as easy as melting butter on a hot skillet.

Now here is where it becomes complicated and almost like a catch-22.  The reason most people can't love themselves is because they have yet to let go of the things of the past, and they can't let go of the things of the past because they don't love themselves.  Quandary?  You bet it is, but there is an answer and if you will think about what I am about to say, then you will be on your way to solving many of the issues that have plagued you thus far.

Self-loving is nothing more than knowing who and what you are.  I know I am beating a dead horse by talking about who and what you are again, but when it comes down to it, knowing your divinity and accepting it, is the only way you will ever cut away those chains that have been draped over you for far too long.  Let me give you an example and see if this does not shine some light on things.  It's a Thursday afternoon, and you know that tomorrow is Friday which means the weekend is just around the corner.  Is there any doubt in your mind that Friday follows Thursday?  Do you ever wonder if the weekend is going to go away?  Of course not.  You have lived every Thursday of your life and Friday has always showed up on time.  There is not a doubt in your mind that it will continue  this way forever.  If you can believe that the days of the week will never change, because you have always lived it, then why can't you believe that you are a product of love, created by the Creator of the Universe, and divine in every aspect?  When you can believe in your divinity with the same degree that you believe that Friday will follow Thursday, then you will be able to release the things of the past and move into your future.

Just for a moment I want you to think about a life that is free from worry, free from fear, free from the past, and free to explore the future.  How would life be different if you were able to do this?  This is the life that you should be experiencing, and this is where I want to take you.  Most people who are unable to release their past are doomed to continue on this destructive loop.  They go from one crisis to another, and instead of trying to get out of it, they only think in terms of when the next crisis will show up.  I'm telling you that when you are able to accept that you are love, brought about by love, and are free to love and be loved, then you will know without a shadow of doubt that nothing from your past will stop you from walking in your future.

Love is patient, love is kind.  Love is yours, and you are love.  It is time to release the past and walk into your future.  You are deserving of every manner of goodness.  You were created with perfection and in that perfection you were placed here for a specific reason.  Why not accept these truths and begin to let go of your past worries, past hurts, failed love, and missed opportunities.  You can infect wipe the slate clean and begin fresh, and let's face it, a fresh start is something very, very special.  Begin to accept the love in your life, the fact that you are loved, and that there is nothing that will ever change that.  As sure as Friday will follow Thursday, so to are you loved.  Hold fast to this and see if your future does not come to your bright, shining, and full of all you ever wanted or ever dreamed of.

Isn't it about time?

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For the gazillionth time you are sitting at your place of employment just wondering why you are still here.  You can't wait for the weekend so there is just a small amount of relief from the stress you feel each day as the four walls of your office seem to get smaller and smaller with each passing day.  Sunday afternoon rolls around and the only thing you can think about is that you have to do it again tomorrow and what you wouldn't give for it to be Friday again.

This scenario plays out daily in the workplace.  There are so many people out there today who hate what they do, yet feel trapped and don't have the foggiest notion how to change things up.  In a recent survey over 70 percent of the respondents said they hated their job, what they were doing for a living, and wished they could be doing something else.  Truth be told I think 70 is a low number, but I won't argue with the findings.  Suffice it to say there is a crisis in the workplace when over 70 percent of the workers would gnaw off their own arm to get free from the trap they are in.  Isn't it about time that you make the decision that life is too short to be spent doing something you hate, all the while knowing that there is more to you then a simple 8 to 5 thankless job?

When I speak about destiny I'm talking about your passion.  Finding the one thing that would make you happy beyond belief and bring fulfillment to an otherwise unfulfilled life.  Having a boat load of money is not fulfillment.  Neither is having the biggest house, fanciest car, yet that is how most people measure success and fulfillment.  I've had the money, the house, and the car, and still there was an emptiness.  Fulfillment can only come to you when you are doing the one thing you were placed here to do.  If you think you are on this planet simply to take up space, then you are delusional.  If you think there is not a purpose for you being here, then you are as crazy as a shit house rat, pardon the vernacular.  What I am saying is that you have a purpose, and if you will finally admit that you are passionate about something, you just might find that the two go hand in hand.

I've encountered so many people, since I began my journey, who have given up on their dreams.  They have allowed the careless and thoughtless words of others rob them of the one thing that would make them most happy.  I've said this so many times in the past, if your passion is to be a professional bungee jumper, then by god become the best jumper there is, and don't worry about what others might say or think.  It's not their life, it's yours, and the only way you are ever going to fully walk in your destiny is to come to grips with what you are passionate about.  We have to get away from this mindset that in order to be seen as successful then there are certain jobs you have to go for.  Doctors, lawyers, engineers, the list goes on.  Fall into one of these categories and you have increased the odds of success.  Be foolish to do something else and you are only asking to remain on one of the bottom rungs of the societal ladder.  I will tell you that I am so tired of those who look down their noses at others who might be doing something outside of their perceived "norm".

Isn't it about time that you allow yourself to get lost in your passion?  Isn't it about time that you came to the conclusion that you are just as worthy as anyone else to be happy doing something that you love?  I know there are people out there who think I'm crazy for writing this blog three times a week.  They can't understand the thrill I get each day I sit in front of my computer and simply write.  I have the ability to get lost in my passion and when I am writing I'm never thinking about the things I wish I could be doing, because I am doing exactly what I was created to do, to the very best of my ability.  You must come to the place where you are doing the very same thing.

The day will come when you will have to decide: do I continue doing what I hate or do I take the chance and move forward in the one thing that will change my life forever?  You are the only one who can make this decision.  You are the only one who has the power to change what you are doing right now.  Destiny awaits you if you will be honest with yourself and make the hard choice.  You can continue on doing what you are doing right now, or you can take a leap of faith and begin doing what you were created to do.  Be it bungee jumper, writer, doctor, lawyer, you name it, there is a job for you to do.  Outside of the world's norm is a new panorama just waiting for you to experience it.  There is adventure, thrills, and a knowing that you are finally in the right place.

Isn't is about time that you put yourself in the place you were always meant to be in?  Think about it and let me know what you come up with.  The world will be a much better place when you are in your rightful place, on this you have my word.

If you're on the merry-go-round, then go for the gold ring!

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Life is like a Merry-go-round every now and again.  I see people who constantly complain that they are going through the same old, same old all the time.  It's as if life is just one continuous cycle, with no hope of ever getting out of the vicious cycle, or in some cases off of it.

Now I haven't been on a merry-go-round for many many years.  As a very young boy I remember going to Santa Cruz California, and riding on the merry-go-round there.  I would go with my parents and grand parents and I remember my grandfather teaching us how to reach out for the gold ring.  As someone would reach out and grab the gold ring, another one would slide down into place.  I was thinking about that this morning as I was shoveling out yet again from another Maine snowstorm.  What struck me this morning was the difference between sitting on the inside of the merry-go-round, where it was safe and there was no expectation of going after the gold ring, or sitting on the outside and taking the path of greater resistance.

I use this analogy because often that is what life portrays.  There are many people who are unwilling to take the path of greater resistance, rather just sit back and play it safe.  Certainly it can be an enjoyable ride, but the reward, in this case the golden ring, is something you will never experience.  On the other hand, if you reach out and take a few chances, you just might get that gold ring, and then life as you know it will change forever.

I want to go back to the merry-go-round for just a second and use it to show you something, and it is my hope that you will make the determination that maybe it's time to take some risk.  From a purely physical aspect the inside of the merry-go-round is far less forceful.  I mean you are still going around in a circle, but just for a moment think about the force difference from the inside to the outside.  If the merry-go-round was going at a much higher rate of speed, then you would feel less force on the inside seats then you would the outer set of seats.  Hence the closer you get to the edge, the more risk involved.  However, if one is not willing to take those risk, reach for the golden ring, then all you have is a ride that simply goes around in circles and there is never any kind of change taking place.  If you want anything in life then you are going to have to make an attempt at reaching for that Golden Ring.  There may come a time when fear grips you, but I assure you that the first time you reach for it and realize that you are still safe and sound, then the second attempt is just as easy, and you will get closer and closer to being able to grab the ring and capture it.

There will come a time when you are going to have to decide, do I take a chance, or do I just sit back and take the easy way out?  If you choose to take the easy way out, most people won't even know you opted for that route, but you will.  If you choose to take the easy way out, you probably won't loose anything, but just think what you might have gained had you decided to really take the path less traveled.  It's like the merry-go-round: on the inside it's slow and easy, and even thought you get to see pretty much what others see, there will be something you will miss.  No doubt the inside is safe, but it takes very little effort to sit there and just go along for the ride.  Now sitting on the outside, that takes some effort, but think of the reward.  The gold ring is just waiting for you to go after it.  The gold ring is there for those who are willing to take a chance, bet it all, put it all on the line.  Question is, will you put it all on the line?  Will you bet it all?  If you choose not to go after it, heck been there done that, but in the end just think of what could have been.

I know from the bottom of my soul how tough it is sometimes to go after the one thing you want most in life.  I know the power of sleepless nights, the wanting, the dreaming, and the wonder if what you really want is ever going to manifest in your life.  Thee are days when you simply don't know what to do.  If you have to go through one more day of wanting you just might go mad.  I know those thoughts, I know those feelings, but this I know also: if you stay on the safe course, the inside seats of that merry-go-round, you never have to worry about reaching for the Gold ring.  Is that what you want? Is living a life of always wondering what could have been the way you want to go through life?  Given the option to go after that gold ring or simply sitting on the sidelines, there really appear to be only one alternative.

I know how frightening it can be at times when you are faced with a major decision, but not making a decision is the worst thing you can do.  If you simply sit back and do nothing, then nothing is what you are going to end up with.  I don't think you want that, and I know I don't want to see you end up that way, so why not switch seats, move to the outside of the merry-go-round and go after that Gold ring.  The time has come for you to decide.  You can go along and enjoy the ride, make no effort to move to the outside, or you can jump into the seat that will ultimately allow you to achiever your goals.  I leave the decision to you, but I hope you will make the right one.

A solid foundation, there is no other option.

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You can ask any building contractor what they feel is the most important aspect of any job, and most will tell you setting a firm, stable, and unshakable foundation.  There's a reason for that: a rocky, unstable foundation will eventually crumble down and then you are left with nothing more than a mass of nothing.

The same can be said about life, how we go about setting our life up, and even more importantly how we build our own foundation for things to come.  In any speech or seminar that I have given, I always begin by laying a foundation.  I don't want my audience to get lost, and the surest way of getting lost is never providing the audience what they need from the get go.  Whether it's telling a story, sharing an idea, you must always have something to build upon.  A house built on sand just isn't going to make it through the wind and rain.  A life that has not built a firm, sturdy foundation will be tossed about by every manner of trivial things.  What is almost inconsequential to most people becomes this huge issue for those who have no foundation.

So with all that said the next logical question is:  what is a solid foundation?  Now I will say that everyone is different, so every foundation is going to be different.  There should be some similarities, but just as each of us are individual, each foundation will have it's differences.  Keep in mind, that just because something works for someone else, doesn't mean it is meant for you.  I say that because just like we each have a different destiny, so too will be how we reach it, prepare for it, and ultimately walk in it.  None-the-less there are a few things that everyone needs to grasp hold of before they can sit and know that their own foundation is stable and secure.

One of the first things we need to accept is that we are divine creatures.  No matter what you may have gone through, your divinity should never be questioned.  I want you to think about the Royal Family in England for a moment.  Just the title "Her Majesty" or "His Royal Highness" stirs thoughts or grandeur, pomp, privilege, and a certain station in life.  Well then, if you feel this way about a Royal, why haven't you felt the same way with the title "Divine"?  I will take divine over royal any day of the week.  If being Royal is a birthright, then so to is Divinity.  The reason most people don't see this is because they have fallen victim to, and here I go again repeating myself, they have fallen victim to the conditioning of man.  That mind set that says we need to go through this and that as a proving ground for our station in life. You may not recognize your divinity, you may not understand it, or even know how to walk in it, but that doesn't make it go away.  The sooner you can accept this part of your life, the sooner you can get on with life, and live the life that was always intended for you to live.

Your foundation is built upon rock solid ground.  There is nothing that will ever change the fact that you are a divine creation and because of this you are entitled to all the rights and privileges there of.  I see people everyday who haven't the foggiest notion of this concept and they are the same people who are constantly complaining about their life and the fact that it is going no where fast. The saddest part of that last example is that they are missing out on what is their inheritance, their birth right.  I'm not sure how many other ways I can say the same thing:  you are not of this world.  Yes you live in it, but that doesn't mean you have to fall prey to all the garbage that so many others have fallen for.

The conditioning of Man over the centuries has lead this world to wars, it has caused poverty, illiteracy. It has kept people bound up in lies, that need not be so.  If you are tired of always struggling financially, if you are tired of going to a job that brings you no satisfaction, if you are simply at the end of your rope, then I suggest you take to heart what I am saying here.  Start by accepting certain truths that the rest of the world has allowed to go unheard.  Your passion needs to come out, your dreams need to come to fruition.  The only way you are ever going to be truly happy is when you are doing the one thing that will make you happy.  Destiny is not simply a new buzz word for the upcoming year.  Destiny, your true destiny is what will bring you to the forefront of who you are, and it will open your eyes to what is possible.

It is time to lay your foundation and when you do, there is nothing in this world that will shake it.  The surest way to building your foundation is to know inside who and what you are.  Then and only then will you be able to be who you were intended to be.  So let it be written, so let it be done.

To err is human, to forgive divine!

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We all make mistakes from time to time.  We all fall short of the mark from time to time.  We all have a difficult time forgiving from time to time.  If you think that there is a single person who is walking the planet today who hasn't had their share of mistakes, then you are mistaken. I would say that we are in some pretty good company when it comes to making mistakes.  What I want you to do is put yourself ahead of most other people by allowing yourself the opportunity to forgive yourself when things don't go as planned.

Now there are a fair amount of people who will tell you that they never have an issue with forgiving themselves.  If they make a mistake they dust themselves off and move on.  That's a good thing, but what about those who have not learned to do this?  What are they supposed to do?  Failure to forgive is nothing more than holding yourself from any future progress.  Being unable to forgive yourself is nothing more then putting yourself in a jail cell and throwing away the key.

Being able to forgive is not always easy, and when you have been hurt by someone else forgiveness is almost impossible.  I'm not saying it's impossible because you don't want to forgive, what I'm saying is, is that it is darn near impossible because often we don't know how to forgive.  To truly allow forgiveness to operate in your life you need to do two things.  First is the forgiveness part.  If you hold something against someone who may have hurt you, you are the only one who is going to continue to suffer.  Forgiving is letting it go.  The second phase of forgiveness is the forgetting aspect.  Now forgetting is probably the hardest of the two steps, because we often want to hold on to things for a later date just in case we need some sort of ammunition for later on.   If you truly want to forgive then you have to forget.  When my daughter was younger she would on occasion do something that required discipline.  What I could not do was hold something against her if she had in fact done it before and was punished before.  It would be like having a running tally of incidents and never zeroing it out.  If you forgive something then that needs to settle it.  There's no holding it in reserve to be used against the person at a future date.  Forgiveness is not always easy, but it sure is necessary.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks that people face is the ability to forgive themselves.  They want to beat themselves up for messing up, and this is nothing more then double jeopardy.  First you have to suffer through the mistake, and then you force yourself to suffer through the un-forgiveness by not being able to let go of the mistake.  I've seen people beat themselves up for making a mistake.  I will tell you that beating yourself up is never going to solve anything.  If anything it is simply going to keep you mired down in the garbage of your past mistakes. Once again, if you can't let go of the past, then there isn't going to be a future for you.

As I have shared many times in the past I have had my share of mistakes.  Some big, some, small, but no matter the size or the gravity of the mistake I have made a point of not holding it against myself.  I have learned to forgive myself and in doing so allowed me to move forward in my endeavors.  Those who are unable to forgive will never move forward, and then they will be unable to forgive themselves again for not being able to move forward. It is a vicious cycle and it is one that you do not want to find yourself in.

Forgiveness is truly divine, and forgiveness is something that will set you free, no matter what the situation is.  If each of us were to be paid a dollar for every mistake we had made in life then we would all be millionaires.  If each of us were charged a dollar for each time we were unable to forgive ourselves then we would all be paupers digging around the trash for scraps of food.  Forgiveness is the only way to live, and once you are able to understand this, then and only then will you be able to be the person you were intended to be. I have seen so many people sacrifice their future because they were unable to forgive someone for something that they did, or because they were unable to forgive themselves for something they did.  Either way, forgiveness is the key to your future.

I have heard people tell me and others that there is no way they could ever forgive someone for the thing they did to them.  This is dangerous ground to be treading on I assure you.  If you are unable to forgive, the day will come when you will bring down upon yourself such a reckoning it will make your head spin. All you will be able to do in that moment is wonder what in the world just happened. I know that forgiving someone for something they have done to you which hurt you, and hurt you real bad, is hard to do.  But I also know that forgiveness will open yourself up for blessings.  Given the two options, which one makes more sense?

So here's the bottom line: forgive others, forgive yourself, and forget.  Forget about past hurts, past failures, and past events.  Certainly learn from them, but don't hold on to them.  Past hurts that are not thrown into the deep seas will eventually latch on to you and take you down.   If you know there are people who you have yet to forgive, then simple release the hurt, forgive them, and see if things do not change for you.  You don't have to make a big production out of it, so that others can see you making the grand gesture of forgiving someone.  No, simply release the hurt, release the person, and go on your merry way.  If you can begin to do this, then you will begin to see change in yourself, and when that happens everything else will change for you as well.  Forgive, forget, and move forward.  It is the only way to live.

And they lived happily ever after.

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Oh to have that fairy tale kind of life.  We dream about it, think about it, and yet for many if never seems to come the way we desire it. Why is that?  Why can't we have the fairy tale kind of life?  What is it that stops us from having all we desire, all we dream, and all we think.  How do we get to the point where we can say that we lived happily ever after?

Today I want to share a few things that may just help you along your journey to "Happily Ever After."  Some of these things you will have heard about before and some may be new to you.  No matter what the case, these are things that will help you along the way.

First things first:  you have not, because you ask not, and you ask not because you simply don't believe.  I have said this so many times in the past, but for many of you, you need to hear it again.  We are in fact the creators of our life.  When I say "life" I mean what goes on each day. What we experience, what we go through, how our days are, are all dependent on how we set them up.  If you are constantly bemoaning how things are, then you can pretty much bet that things are going to remain the same.  If you can get out of the mindset of always finding the dark thunder cloud hovering above you, then you can begin to see things the way they should have always been.  Secondly:  thoughts become ideas, and ideas become our reality.  Good, bad, or indifferent, our thoughts are the foundation to what will happen in the future.  The future might be five minutes from now, five days, or five years.  The sooner we can grasp the concept that we design the types of lives we will have by the words we speak, the thoughts we have, and the actions we put to things, the sooner we can have the life of Happily ever after.

How often do you reflect on the past?  There always seems to be a tendency to wonder how things would have been had you done something different.  What we loose here is an opportunity to learn something.  There is not a thing that goes on in our lives that was not meant to teach you something.  Often what we go through is not always pleasant, but it is there for a reason and once you can find the joy in all things, then you are on your way to having a life full of joy.  I can't sit here and tell you that everything I have experienced in life is something to write home to mom about.  There have been moments when all I wanted to do was cry, and then cry some more.  It wasn't until I could see that everything was meant to teach me a lesson that I was able to find the joy in everything.  When you are able to find that joy then your life will turn around, and then Happily ever after will be the constant that you experience in all that you do.

One of the great lies told to us as children is that you can't expect everything in life to turn out as you desire. This is nothing more then the conditioning of man, and least I sound like a broken record, the conditioning of man has done nothing but keep you bound up in chains, and those chains are what will kill you in the long run.  The truth of the matter is this: you can expect things to turn out the way you want them, if the way you want them is something you are willing to speak life to.

Do you believe that you are worthy of having all the good things in life?  If I asked that question to a thousand people most of them would tell me yes.  Sadly, if you looked at the lives of those thousand people, the surface of their life would indicate otherwise.   There are those who might profess that they are worthy of goodness in their life, but in the absence of seeing that goodness, I would have to question the validity of their statement.   The time has come to finally decide what is most important to you.  The time has come to forget what others expect of you and follow your heart and do the things that you desire most and don't worry what others think or say.

To live a life happily ever after is going to require you to change the way you think, the way you speak, and the way you feel.  It may seem impossible at first but trust me, things will change quickly for you and then it will be easy to watch your words, watch your thoughts, and get a grip on your feelings.  Most of us have heard the saying that you reap what you sow.  I will tell you that whether you believe this or not is not the issue.  Just like you will never change the law of gravity, you will never change the law of sowing and reaping.  That being the case, then I might advice you to watch those things that you are sowing in your life.  If you desire joy, then try to sow a little joy into the lives of others.  If you desire love, sow love.  If you are wanting to step out into a new adventure then help someone else with their own adventure.

To live a life happily ever after requires you to live your life.  Not the life someone else has planned for you, not the life that others think you should have, but your own life.  To live a life happily ever after means you are going to have to decide what is important to you and go after it.  The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step, and your live happily ever after is going to need you to take the first step.  If you desire this, then you can have it.  The question is, do you desire it?  If you don't well that's OK.  There will be people who will not be able to make the leap.  If you are willing to take that first step then I assure you that your life will begin to change.  The decision is yours to make and yours alone.  Think about it for a moment and let me know what you decide.