Well I had posted what I thought was a great blog yesterday, only to find out that it didn't post and now I can't find the draft. This sucks, but like a true professional I will try to re-write it and see if I can't get it up today. If you believe in Destiny as I do, you also must believe that things happen for a reason. Maybe the blog from yesterday is meant for someone today. Maybe, just maybe, it was meant to teach me something, although I have no idea what it is supposed to teach me except to accept bumps in the road and realize that the sun will still come up in the morning no matter what I am going through at the moment. So here we go and I will try to reconstruct what I wrote as best I can.
John Wooden, the Legendary College basketball Coach, has two quotes that I positively live by. I have a daily calendar of his, and on occasion I will post them in my cubicle at work to keep in front of me because they mean so much to me. Normally I just rip them off and toss them in the trash, but these two are worthy of keeping, and hopefully they will mean something to you as well. The first one goes like this, "Success is never final, failure is never fatal, It's courage that counts." Success to people comes in many different forms, and I am not here to tell you what success means to you, because I haven't even determined what success means to me yet. When I was younger success meant earning millions of dollars and being at the top of the ladder. Today making millions is not my motivator. I would rather speak to others and help them achieve the dreams that reside inside of them, and release the destiny that they were born to walk in. I have seen people who appear to have everything and yet there is something missing in their life. They may have money, nice cars, big homes, and yet there is still something missing in their life. Maybe the love of their life doesn't exist, or they are unwilling to let the love in. Maybe they are trapped in a profession that has brought them riches, but not passion. Maybe they have done it all and still there is something that eludes them. I am not one who thinks that success is something that once you have it you can't loose it. On the other side of the coin I also believe that failure, although often people feel it is fatal, it is temporal. Failure today does not mean failure tomorrow. Failure to me is the opportunity to try it again, and with some modifications can become success. The part of Coach Wooden's quote that inspires me is the courage aspect. Do we display courage when failure has come to try it again? Do we display courage when everyone around us has labeled us a failure and yet in the deepest part of our being we know that success is right around the corner? Courage is knowing that no matter what we face, no matter what obstacles are in front of us, no matter how bad we have failed in the past, there is a reason to get out of bed tomorrow and try it again. There is nothing worse in life then giving up on your dreams before you have had a chance to go after them. The only time in your life when you should stop going after your dreams is when you are about to take your last breath. Until that time dreams should be in the forefront of your mind.
I believe that dreams are the stepping stones to reaching our destiny. A destiny mind you that is there for you and for others so they can achieve their dreams and destiny. That leads me to Coach Wooden's second quote, "You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you." Man when I read this I literally smiled and realized that I had been doing this. Now I don't do things for people because I expect anything in return. I do because that is my nature and I can't stand to think of someone who is hurting because they lack something or need something and no one seems to care about it. Now I know I can't heal the whole world's woes. I can barely heal my woes, but that doesn't mean I don't want to help. If I had an endless amount of money, and unlimited talent, then maybe I would try to heal all the hurts out there. Alas, I do not have either, so I can only do what is within my ability to do. Now that doesn't mean that I wouldn't do it if I could. I hate seeing pain and suffering. Now there are those occasions when people bring pain and suffering on themselves and they need to walk in that a while to learn a valuable lesson. But there are other occasions when bad things happen to good people and the devastation is huge. The loss of a child, the death of a loved one, the destruction of property due to natural disasters. All these things can and do affect people on a daily basis. If I could snap my finger and instantly take away the pain and suffering I would do it in an instant. I think compassion, in many cases, is a lost form. I for one never want to lose the compassion I feel for others. Of all the traits we have in us, compassion for others is right up there with love. I do not know if one can truly love if they are unable to feel or show compassion.
So what does this all mean? Take a few moments today and think about the time when you felt alone and hopeless. If you have never had these feelings, well you are one lucky individual. If on the other hand you are like most of us, you have felt these emotions often and they have left you wondering why. Hopelessness is an awful feeling and more often than not followed by despair and dread. I think the key here is to reach out to those who know you, love you, and support you, and tell them you need help. I know very few people who when looking at a desperate situation involving a friend or loved one would not do all they can do to help. If you have friends who are unwilling to help out in a time of distress and despair, maybe they were not as much a friend or loved one as you thought.
Today is a day to display "Courage". Courage to take the first step toward your destiny. Courage to look at a failure and be willing to try it once more. Courage to know that tomorrow brings new opportunity and possibilities, and that you are deserving of both. I think, therefore I am!! If you can not see yourself as a success, it's doubtful you will ever get there. But don't think that simply thinking about something is going to be the magic elixir to life. Show some courage today, and do something for someone without the expectation of getting anything in return. You know a smile shown to someone could be the one thing they need to know that there is kindness in the world and that kindness is just as much for them as anyone. Think about it......
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