What if tomorrow never came?

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This is not a thought that crosses too many minds in a given day, but what if tomorrow never came?  If you knew that you only had twenty-four hours left, what would be going through your mind?  If you are like 99.9% of the population you're probably thinking about telling your employer that you're out of there and you are going to do something you've always wanted to do.  You might think about that far off place that has always intrigued you and dream of what it would be like to be there.  Most everyone would tell those closest to them that they love them and that they have provided you with endless joy and love in your life.

Here's your chance to do each of these things while you have an undetermined amount of twenty-four hour days in front of you.  There is nothing worse then looking back at things and wondering what could have been.  What if you had taken those chances and done something completely out of the norm?  There are so many people that are stuck in a pattern of wanting something different yet they never seem to be willing to do what it takes to get out of this pattern and then wonder why life has seemingly passed them by.  Well life doesn't have to pass you by and you need to believe that your dreams and desires are just as valid as the other person's.

I've spent the last five or six years thinking about destiny.  I've written about it, talked about it, dreamt about it, and yes I have been so blessed to have been able to live it.  What I desire for each of you right now is that you take the steps required for you to step into your destiny and experience the life that was always there for you.   Ask yourself this simple question:  are you really happy with your life right now?  When I say happy I mean that happiness that only comes when you know you are doing what was meant for you to do.  Sadly there are many people who still have not been able to step out into their destiny because their dreams have been smashed by others around them.  If your passion is something a little outside of the norm, who cares?  People may laugh at your desires, they may mock your dreams, but what they can't and should never do is strip you of what is at your core.  I've worked many jobs in my life and while I have loved many of them, I have never found contentment until I began doing what I knew was at my core.  What is at your core?  What one thing, if presented to you right now, would change your life forever?  There is not a single person on the face of the earth that does not have this "One Thing" and today is the perfect day to begin to recognize what it is in your life.

I used to say that I wasted so much time doing other things, but then I realized that what I have gone through in my life was not a waste, but a lesson.  If you can learn from each lesson, then waste is not a word that will ever be used to describe what you have gone through.  Not every lesson is going to be knee slapping happy times, but each lesson has a purpose and the sooner you can grab hold of this the sooner you will take the next step forward in your development.

I've had the opportunity to speak to thousands of people about destiny.  Sadly there have been only a minimal amount of those people who feel they are walking in their destiny.  If I had to venture a guess, and mind you this is only my intuition talking, but I would say that less then five percent of the  population of this planet is walking in their destiny.  Now there are many, many who are heading in the right direction, but there are so many who are still stuck in doing what they feel they have to do just to get by, and by getting by I mean simply surviving.  I'm so sick and tired of just surviving.  I've been there and let me tell you it takes far more energy to simply survive then it does to really live life to the fullest.

If you only do one thing new today let that one thing be thinking about what you would do if you knew that tomorrow was never going to get here.  Now some wise ass will say they would go out and buy an expensive car writing a check that is never going to clear because quite frankly they will not be around to worry about it.  I'm not advocating something dumb like that.  What I am saying is why not start out by being honest and really being open to those things that have been buried deep within your heart.  When I think about writing, when I think about giving a speech in front of thousands my heart soars like a hawk.  It brings me immense joy to think about touching a life and getting that person to see that there is so much more to life then simply staying put and doing what everyone else expects you to do.

St. Francis once said when asked the question what he would do if he knew he was going to die tomorrow, responded that he would continue to tend his garden.  Why?  Because he knew he was doing what he was created to do.  If I knew this was my last day then I would continue to write, continue to talk about destiny and I would smile because I have the opportunity to do what I love.

It's time to find the one thing you truly love and take a step toward it.  Your destiny awaits you and once you begin this journey your life will change forever.  Life is indeed a journey of discovery and that discovery is what your new mission must be.  You can do this, and when you do, you will never ever worry about what tomorrow will bring you.

New Seasons, New Beginnings!

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Well it's the first day of Spring.  Granted there's still plenty of snow out there, but if you are constantly looking at what is going on around you, you are going to miss all the fantastic stuff that is going on in the inside.  Spring time is that very special time when we get to get back to basics.  We begin doing those things again that we had put away for the winter months.  Certainly there may be some dust and things will have to be cleaned up, but soon it will be as good as new, and life will progress through yet another season.

Through out my years Spring Time has always brought me a sense of newness.  It always seems like the perfect time of year to begin new ventures.  Spring brings with it a new clarity, new purpose, and to many the shedding off of old things that haven't worked and the putting on of new things with the hope that this will be the beginning of something just perfect.  Spring also represents that time when we shake off the Winter Doldrums and our thoughts are occupied with almost anything other then what we just went through. Today is the perfect day to ask yourself, what do I really want out of life?  What is the one thing that if placed in front of you would change your life forever?  What is the one thing that if you were doing it right now would bring instant peace, joy, and happiness?   Now if you can't think of anything, then maybe you have to do some more shaking off of things.  Trust me, your hearts desire is never going to change, because you hearts desire is all about your destiny, and no matter what you do, what you feel, or even what you may say, your destiny is never going to change because your destiny is why you are here in the first place.

I was thinking the other day about what newness means.  I was thinking about what was taking place around me even if what was taking place was yet able to be seen with my own eyes.  I know that the spring flowers are doing their thing, even if those things are still buried beneath the ground.  I may not see what is happening, but I know for a fact it is.  The same can be said about things in your life.  You may not be seeing all that you want to see in the moment, but rest assured the Universe is orchestrating things in your life right now that need to be.  What you have to do is accept what is being designed and realize that it is happening for your betterment.  Enlightenment is not merely being opened to things that are right in front of you, but rather being opened to things that have yet to be seen, but yet you have a sense that they are still very real, and very much for you.  We are entering into a new period of enlightenment, and if you desire to be a part of this season they you are going to have to let go of some of the conditioning you have been subjected to and look at things just a little differently.  Enlightenment is knowing something even when everything around you is saying something else.

What are some of the things you are hoping for in this season of your life?  If you had the ability to snap your fingers and poof there it was, what would the "it" be?  This is a time when you are going to have to be specific as the Universe loves specifics and quite honestly we have gotten away from being specific in lieu of simple generalities.  The Power of Intention can not be overstated.  There have been so many times in my life where I have painted myself into a corner simply because of the words I've used or the feelings that I have sent out.  Hard as it may be to believe, but we do in fact dictate much of what goes on in our life by the words we say, and by our beliefs, either limiting or unlimited.

I want to encourage you today to allow this change of seasons to be the start of change in your life.  Set your expectations and don't let others talk you out of them.  You are the one who has to live your life.  Of course there are things we do for others because that is what we do, but when it comes to your own destiny, there is no one who knows better then yourself, and you need to listen to what your heart is telling you.  I understand that there will be times when you are seeking out answers and those answers seem to be miles away.  I get how frustrating it can be at times when you're waiting for the perfect time to do the perfect thing, in the perfect way, and yet you have made no forward progress.  The simple truth is you can't change a thing that happened yesterday, last week, last year, or even five minutes ago.  What you can do is set things up for what is going to be coming to you in the next five minutes, five days, five weeks, or even five years.

So as we enter this new season, let this be the season that you open up to the newness of opportunity and possibilities that are out there for you.  I've said this so many times in the past, "You have not because you ask not, and You ask not because you don't believe."  It's time to start believing in your dreams, your desires, and your destiny.  Each of these things are in you to get you closer to the place you were always meant to be.  I love the newness of each season, not only the seasons of the year, but the seasons of our life.  Boldly step out into those things that are there for you and watch as the Universe opens doors for you that you quite frankly probably never thought possible.

The Last Hoorah!!

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As I sit here this morning our region of the country is eagerly awaiting yet another Noreaster.  Well eagerly may not be the best descriptor of what awaits us, but what is one to do?  As hearty New Englanders we have grown accustomed to the late winter storms that seem to never give up.  I've always said that there are bragging rights for those of us who go through each winter, and after each winter we are always asking the question, is this the year we finally decide to high tail it out of the North for more tolerable weather in the south?

The seasons will ultimately change and after all is said and done, this winter will simply be a memory.  Where am I going with all of this?  That's a great question and here is my answer:  in order to have a true harvest we have to go through the planting process.  After the planting we go through the trimming, the weeding, and finally we are the recipient of the harvest.  Such is life for every individual.  Have you done what you need to do to get yourself to your own harvest?  I was taught as a very young boy that if something is worth having then it's worth working for.  Face it, the average person is not going to have their dreams simply handed over to them on a silver platter.  Most people have to work for what they want.  Sometimes things come easy and other times it's like pulling teeth.  The key to any successful endeavor is your own willingness to work through each process.

I understand that there will be times when all you want to do is give up.  There comes a time when the struggles, the despair, and the fear have gripped you so firmly that there doesn't seem to be anything that can be done to rid yourself of this awful existence.  Trust me, each event, each step is an opportunity to learn a valuable lesson.  Certainly there are lessons we would rather not go through, but learning is learning no matter how often you are forced to go through something.  Sadly most people focus on the negative and not the positive.  Believe it or not there is always positive even when things seem negative.  If you can find the joy in any situation, then joy is what will come back to you, the Universal Law of Attraction will see to that.

There are so many people today who find themselves at a crossroad.  If they do one thing then the outcome will be this way, and if they do another thing, then the outcome will be entirely different.  The problem with being at a crossroad is not so much making the decision what direction to go in, but rather just making a decision.  You can sit and watch, and sit and watch until the cows come home, but if you refuse take a step, then continue to be at the crossroads you will be.  Don't allow the possibility of making the wrong move stop you from even trying.  Once again even a bad experience is a learning experience.

There have been many instances in my life when I was ready to thrown in the towel.  I had fought and fought, and fought some more, only to be left standing in the very same location I started at.  There have been times when the journey seemed to be endless, and yet the ground I was occupying was not changing in the slightest.  Now this can get a person down, after all we are human, but the one thing that will never change in my life is the knowledge of what I was sent here to do.  It's amazing to watch the times we are in and as I look at individuals I realize that this time is one of joyful expectation and exuberance.  Why you ask?  Because the opportunities and possibilities for each of you is endless, and with endless opportunity and possibilities comes a newness to each of you.

I'm not looking forward to the storm that is bearing down on us, but what I know is this:  after tomorrow and the next day we will be that much closer to spring, and after spring we get to enter summer.  The thoughts of nice warm nights watching the ocean roll up against our shores is certainly something to look forward to.  If you find yourself in the middle of a storm right now, then know that after a storm comes calmness and in that calmness comes a new clarity.  It might be a clarity of purpose, it might be an enlightening of who and what you are, it might just be a little nudge that says you are heading in the right direction and bravo to you for taking the next step.  When you look back on the Winter of 2017 what will you remember?

Let me leave you with this little golden nugget, and it is my hope that this little bit of insight will put a smile on your face, a snap to your step, and a feeling in your heart that all is not lost and the hope for a better tomorrow is just as real to you today as it ever was.   The simple fact that you are still hear on this earth is proof positive that there are still things left for you to do.  You have all you need to be the person you were created to be.  Your talents, your gifting, and yes even your little idiosyncrasies are what make you special and who you are.  Your dreams of what you want to do are there because you are fully equipped to accomplish them.  The Creator of the Universe is not prone to folly so what you have been charged to do you have been equipped to do.  As you move forward each day, then you will understand that you are one day closer to your destiny.  We will get through this storm and after we have shoveled out, after we have warmed up, we will look back and be grateful that we have had the opportunity to brag about our great abilities to overcome, to adapt, and to move forward even in the wildest of time.

A Tale of Two Cities.

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To every yin there is a yang.  I grew up with curly hair and always wanted straight.  There are those who love living uptown, and others who thrive in the quiet countryside.  Yes, to everything there is an opposite, and each of us will come to a place when we will have to make the decision as to what side of the coin we are going to fall on.

I could easily go in two different directions with today's blog.  If I desired I could write ten thousand words on our country's political environment, but I feel I would only muddy up the waters even more, so I shall leave that one alone for the time being.  The other direction I could take today is talking about a conflict that many, many people have to contend with each and every day of their lives.  This conflict is centered on what one is doing verses what one would love to be doing.  Sadly the two are generally heading in opposite directions, and herein lies the problem.  We have two cities trying to occupy the same space, and that just isn't going to work, at least not the way one would like it to work.

By definition conflict basically means two opposing views, or actions, or even ideas.  You have conflict when two things don't line up, or two people don't see things the same way, or even when you are torn between what to do, i.e. what is expected vs. what you desire.  Here's a simple conflict:  it's a bright sunny warm day and the beach is simply calling your name.  Friends are all packed up and ready to go and yet you are looking at your work schedule and the beach is not listed as the main event.  You're conflicted because you probably know what you want to do, and that is probably the opposite of what you know you should do.  Now this may be a conflict on a smaller scale but it is conflict none-the-less.  Let me give you an example of a major conflict, and see if this does not cut to the core of the matter for many people.  You find yourself in a job or profession that is anything but what you truly desire to be doing.  I think if you took a poll today and asked the question, do you like what you're doing for work, the vast majority of people would tell you NO!!  People are in professions simply because they have bills to pay and obligations that need to be handled.  I deal with people daily and without exception I can tell you when someone is out of place and not doing what they truly love.

A Tale of Two Cities is a tale that is being played out in so many lives today and if we are ever going to make things right then each individual who is playing out this game is going to have to decide what is most important to them.  I know how difficult it can be to completely change direction when it comes to life's decisions.  I know the fear that can grip someone.  I also know the freedom that can and will come to someone when they finally decide to do what is best for them.

Imagine a day if you will when you simply get to do the things you love to do.  The pressure of life seems to fall away and the only thing that remains is peace, tranquility, and joy.  Imagine if you will a day when everything falls into place, I promise you the cares of this world will simply fall away.  When was the last time you had a day like this?  When was the last time you simply laid your head on your pillow at night and smiled because this was the perfect day?  Alas so few people are experiencing this, and sadly many do not know how to get out of this cycle.

Let me let you in on a little secret.  Those who find themselves in conflict, those who are asking themselves is this as good as it gets, they are the ones who are about to make a change, and this change is what will bring them into enlightenment.  Being conflicted as to what you want verses what others want for you is your opportunity to do what is right, but it has to be what is right for you.  We have been taught that we need to put others needs in front of our own.  This may be correct to a degree, but if you are constantly ministering to the needs of others, who is going to minister to your needs?  If you are not in the right place, then you will not be able to do for others what others need you to do.

There comes a time in everyone's life when they have to decide to fight for what is right.  There comes a time in everyone's life when they have to be honest and say this isn't what I want.  There comes a time in everyone's life when who you really are will take center stage and all the rest will fall to the side.  Being true to who you are is what will stop conflict.  Being true to yourself is what will stop division.  Being true to yourself is what you need and what the world needs.  There cannot be two of you.  For far too long people have tried to please everyone else at the expense of themselves.  There is only one you, and the one you needs to do what you were placed here to do.  Trust me, conflicts will stop when you finally decide to be just you.