Thankfulness in a thankless society.

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It's Thanksgiving week, and since this will be the only blog for this week, as I will be taking a few days off from writing, I thought I might give you my thoughts on thankfulness and why thankfulness is so vitally important in the world in which we live.

I know that Thanksgiving is the one day we set aside each year to be with family and friends, and to give thanks for those things we are so happy to have in our lives.  I will not bore you with the list of things that I am thankful for this year.  Suffice it to say it is lengthy, but it is a list of things that I try to think about daily and not just once a year.

I was thinking about what I wanted to say today and the thought that kept coming to me was that in the absence of thanks, there can only be regret.  I mean, if you aren't thankful for something then that only leaves you with regret for something that is not present in your life.  Now living with regret is never something I recommend.  In fact, regret is nothing more then a submission to the world's expectation that you can't have what you want.

However, regret is not what I want to focus on today, rather thankfulness. What are you thankful for? Have you voiced this thankfulness recently?  Thankfulness begins with one, but can end with many.  Thankfulness is not predicated upon anyone else but yourself.  I can see others who are thankful and show that thankfulness, but unless I chose to follow suit, their thankfulness is for them and them alone.  I do believe that showing thankfulness is contagious, just like laughter.  So once again, what are you thankful for this time of year?  Are you thankful for the friends you have?  Thankful for the health and prosperity in your life?  Are you thankful that you are able to get up every morning and do something that you love to do?  If you are thankful for these things, when was the last time you said it aloud?  Thankfulness is a lot like fertilizer: it doesn't do much good until you spread it around.  You can think about thankfulness all day long, but until you give voice to it, it is still just a thought.

I wish I had the ability to tell people what to be thankful for.  I don't so trying to pretend is an act of futility.  I know what I am thankful for, and you will have to come to the place where you know what you are thankful for.  Giving thanks is nothing more then saying thank you for those things that come into your life, good, bad and indifferent.  Should we be thankful for those things that we do not choose, but that have chose us?  The answer is yes.  Yes because in all things we can learn and in learning we are moving forward in those things we have been designed to go forward in, thereby fulfilling our destiny.  I am thankful for the difficult times in my life.  Without the difficult how could I appreciate the simple?  Were it not for the bad, I could never appreciate the good.

When we are able to voice our thankfulness we are then setting our self up to receive more.  Have you ever run into those ungrateful little brats who feel as thought the world owes them something?  They don't appreciate what they have simply because they have not had to do anything to get what they want.  There is very little value placed on those things they have because they feel there is a never ending supply of stuff and that they will always be on the receiving end of things.  I try to show thankfulness in all that I do, in all that I get, and all that I am able to understand.  I never want to take things for granted.  I know that blessings follow me, but that doesn't mean that I have to take if for granted.  Thankfulness is next to godliness as far as I'm concerned.  If you will take the time to say a simple thank you for something, how much more is the universe likely to keep heaping blessings on you?  I like the odds of that continuing.

Thanksgiving should be celebrated each day of the year.  Sharing what you are thankful for should be a daily occurrence.  Helping other's discover thankfulness will change lives and this planet. I know how corny it must sound to show that you are thankful, after all it is not something that is common place in this society, but then again, that is why it is so needed right now.  If you are able to be thankful for the little things in life, then you set yourself up to be thankful for the big things as well.  Let thanks be your daily motivation.  Not motivation just to get more, but motivation to help others obtain the things in life that will make them truly thankful and happy.

As we enter the magical holiday season be mindful of those around you.  Reach out to offer words of encouragement.  Words of thanks go a long way, and often mean the most to those in need of a little pick me up from time to time.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day and let this be the start of a daily offering of thanks for those things you have been blessed with.

The Gift goes on.

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So much has changed over the years, yet there is something that has never changed, will never change, and it is something that I am eternally grateful for.  This something is something that every one craves, it is something that everyone needs, and it is something that everyone already has.

This simple, often unassuming gift is the gift of love.  Love comes in many shapes and sizes, just as the gifts we receive throughout the year.  There is no right or wrong way to send love to someone as long as it is true love and not something manufactured to look like it.  Love is something that often goes un-noticed until such time as we realize that we are lacking it, and then quite often there is nothing we won't do to get it back.  Love is, as many have said before me, timeless.  Love can take the mundane and make it magical.  Love can create an atmosphere were achieving the impossible is now commonplace, where possibilities abound, and where limits are nothing more then a footnote at the bottom of the page.

Why am I writing about love again today?  Because there are people out there who have forgotten that they were created from love, because of love, and for love.  We have allowed the cares of this world to muddy up the real meaning of love, and the real reason you are here in the first place.  It is difficult to feel love, understand love, and be love when you are being trampled on by every manner of daily expectations from others.  When you are hip deep in problems it is darn near impossible to feel that love is already in you and all you need to do is accept it and move on.  When you have given your all and someone says your all is not good enough, it is then that most forget that love abounds, and that love is the great equalizer.

I was thinking about love the other day, not that it is ever far from my mind, but in this particular moment I was reflecting on love and the significance it has to each of us.  I mean were it not for love none of us would be here.  When was the last time you felt unconditional love?  Love comes in many different forms, and at different times in our life, at least the love we have come to know.  Real love, the love that put you here in the first place, is not a love of proportion.  It does not depend on the amount you give back, or don't give back. It is not predicated upon whether you accept it or not.  The love from God is endless, spaceless, and timeless.

What I want you to see today is that this love is what is at our center, and until such time as you can accept the premise that you are unconditionally loved, you will always be looking for love because you feel as though love has forgotten about you.  There are so many people in loveless relationships and instead of looking within to figure out why love escapes them, they look for love in all the wrong places.

We are about to enter into the holiday season.  Thanksgiving is right around the corner and after that Christmas and New Years.  Most people will be with family and friends over the holidays, but how many will really feel the love that these occasions are known for.  If you cannot love yourself, if you cannot accept the love from the Creator of the Universe, then all the holidays in the known world will not bring you to this point of knowing true love.  Knowing that you are loved is the only thing that is going to help you accept other forms of love into your life.  I know I sound like a broken record, but love is the foundation of everything we do, everything that we are or hope to be in the future.  Without it, life is in fact meaningless.

There's a song from many years ago that says what the world needs now is love, sweet love.  If everyone knew and accepted the unconditional love that was theirs, then this world would be a better place.  If everyone understood the foundation that love played in their life, this world would be a better place.  I hear all the time that people are waiting for love to find them, how about you find the love.  The love you are looking for has always been there, you have just gone after the false love that the world has conditioned you to believe is all there is.  I am not discounting the love that a spouse provides, or the love from a child,  family member or friend.  This is love, but as I said before if you are unable to love yourself, like God loves you, then eventually the love the world says is true love will leave you as well.

If you want to share the gift of love with others, then you are going to have to accept the gift of love that was given to you the moment you were created.  Isn't it fantastic that the love that brought you into this world, is never going to go away, and you never have to question its authenticity.  All you have to do is accept it.  It is time to recognize where your love comes from, why it comes to you, and that it is only for you.  When you can do that, then the love you have been missing will suddenly find you and it will never leave you.

Time to take a stand.

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If ever there was a time to stand up for what you believe, now is that time.  If ever there was a time to speak about your desires now is that time.  If ever there was a time to believe in yourself, now is that time.

There comes a time in everyone's life when they have to make the final decision to either stand up for what they know to be truth, or forever be tossed about by what others say or think.  I guess the question that I have for you today is, is today that day? Is today going to be the day that you finally take a stand?  A stand that most have known they need to take, but as of yet, have not felt pressure enough, or desired change enough to take it.

Everyone, and I do mean everyone, is going to be faced with this decision at one time or another in their life.  It is as inevitable as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west day after day.  One would think that they would want to do it on their own terms and not be dictated by someone else when or if they should take this stand.  I am not trying to tell you that you have to take the stand today, or tomorrow, or even the day after that.  What I am saying is that you will have to take one sooner or later so why not do it on your own terms.

There are all kinds of things that people will draw a line in the sand about and tell others "it stops here".  There's not a day that goes by that we are not bombarded with news from across the planet of things that are going on and things that need change.  Do you take a stand and say that it stops here and now, or do you just keep watching and waiting for someone else to do something? I am not saying that you have to be the one to stop all the world's woes.  What I am saying is that the time has come for you to be in that place you were created for and take up your calling.

Why is it that some people walk around in what appears to be ultimate success while others are walking around in failure? What separates the two?  It is nothing but dumb luck?  Did all the planets line up in perfect order for one, but not the other?  Or did one of them draw that line in the sand and say it stops here?  What is it that you believe in and what is it that you want?  If you cannot speak about it you certainly will never walk in it.

It has taken me years to understand, in part only mind you, my spirituality.  I used to pay it lip service, never really believing what I was reading, hearing, or even feeling.  It took me hitting rock bottom to finally decide that I had to do something and thank god that little ember inside was still alive and I finally began seeing what I had been missing all those years.

I will say this again, if you are unable to stand up for what you believe, then what else do you have?  I mean really, you control what you allow to happen.  I guess the next question I would ask you is how bad do you want those things that you believe you want?  Are they just a passing fancy, or are they those things that keep rolling around in your mind day in and day out?  Are they those thoughts that will not leave your mind and you think about them thousands of times each day?  As corny as this may sound, but like Superman do you stand for truth, justice, and the American way?  Are you willing to fall on your sword for what you believe?  If you are really going to take a stand for what you believe in or for what you want then falling on your sword is the only viable option.

It's easy to tell others that they need to make a decision.  It's easy to offer up advice.  What isn't easy is hearing someone tell you that it's time to crap or get off the pot.  Your calling, your purpose is never going to come out until you take that stand and speak it forth.  There are not magic little nymphs out there supernaturally creating a utopia for you to simply walk into and occupy.

So let me ask you one more time, is the time right to finally take a stand?  I can't make anyone take a stand, if they aren't ready to take it.  Sure I can try to motivate them to do it, but the decision is theirs to make and only theirs.  What I try to do is shine enough light on the situation and kind of force their hands into making the decision that ultimately has to be made.  Taking a stand is sometimes easy, sometimes hard, and sometimes you just have to take a stand in deciding to take a stand.

Taking a stand is really about your beliefs, your hopes, and your dreams.  If you don't stand up for things in your life who else will?  It's easy to blame others for some of the stupid things they do, but what you can't do is blame anyone else for your inability or failure to take your own stand on something you believe in, hope for, or dream about.  It is time to think about a few things and decide what you are going to do.  No one ever said that taking a stand would be easy, but it certainly will be liberating and liberating is not a bad thing.  You think about that for a minute and let me know what you come up with.

Just imagine it, but please play responsibly!

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Let's admit it: most of us have done it.  We have bought that lottery ticket when the craze has hit and there are 500 million reasons to lay down your money and just imagine.  All of a sudden there are dreams of what you would do with such a huge payout.  Pay off this debt, buy this new thing, take care of friends and family. The list is almost endless and if you don't think this is what will happen then you are in fantasy land.  It is almost impossible not to let your imagination run wild when you plop down your money, pick your numbers, and grab your winning ticket.  No sooner have you parted with the two or three dollars and the imagination runs rampant.  I'm not finding fault with this, I get caught up in the craze just like so many others, and yes my imagination runs wild when I buy my ticket.

What I want to tell you this morning is that the imagination you have when you purchase this little ticket is the same imagination you have to really manifest the things you want in life, and the odds of you getting what you want are far better then the odds of winning the lottery.

I know people who are so bent on winning the lottery that they have placed all of their hopes and dreams on it, and until such time as their winning numbers come in, have placed all of their hopes and dreams on hold.  Now this I do find fault with.  You mean to tell me that the only way you will ever have the things you want, do the things you want, is if you just so happen to be the lucky one out of a gazillion people to pick the right sequence of numbers?  Now that is lunacy, and if that hurts a bit to hear it, good.  Imagining what you will do when you win is fine, but imagining what you can do in the mean time is far better, and that imagination will make it so the need to win the lottery never comes into play.

I've written about imagination in the past, but something told me to bring it up again today, and this time really make the pitch to get you to begin to imagine what you want in life, and then take the steps to bring life to those things in your imagination.

One of the great things about imagination is that it's limitless.  I mean, there really is no end to it.  Imagination is not limited by your station in life.  It is not limited to the genealogy you were born into, or the place you come from.  Imagination comes from you inner-self, and it is in this place that dreams are born, dreams are realized, and winning life's lottery is very possible and real.  Someone, somewhere said that if you can imagine it you can have it.  I tend to fall into this group, and I find that I am far more optimistic by holding on to this belief.  Besides it sure beats the alternative of only seeing the negative in things, and simply waiting around for your numbers to come in.

You have choices when it comes to imagining things.  You can choose to think about things that will bring you happiness and contentment.  You can imagine a day when you are walking fully in your destiny, fulfilling your purpose in life.  You can imagine a world free from conflict.  A world that knows nothing of poverty, nothing of sickness, and nothing about being the big kid on the block.  On the other side of the coin, you can imagine always being a little late to something, always a little short on needed cash, or just a tiny speck away from getting to where you want to be on life's stage.  Your imagination is the generator of your future, so with that in mind, what serves you better: thinking or dreaming good things, or always waiting for the other shoe to drop?

When I write I imagine the people opening up to my words, and changing what they may have done in the past, allowing for a brighter future.  I imagine those that I speak to being freed up to pursue those things in life that they have only dreamt about, and maybe for the first time walk toward their hearts desire.  I imagine all this, not because I have to, but because I am drawn to it.  The things I see in my imagination are the things that I want to feel. They are the things that I want to do, and they are the things that I was placed here to fulfill.  Imagination is not for the "gee I hope this happens someday" crowd.  Imagination is for those who truly want to walk in what life was designed for them to walk in.  Imagination is for those who desire to be a catalyst for change, for good, and for all those who need what you have, but haven't found a way to get it yet.

Imagine doing what you always dreamt of doing.  Imagine having what you always wanted to have.  Imagine the home you want to live in, the car you want to drive, the country you always wanted to visit.  Now let me ask you this:  if you had to place odds on obtaining that house, that car, or seeing that country verses winning the power ball, which one is better odds for you?

Your imagination is a valuable gift to yourself.  Your imagination are the things that dreams are made of.  I can imagine winning millions of dollars from the lottery, but I can also imagine what life will be like in the meantime walking in my destiny and doing the things I love to do.  Certainly I would take the 500 million dollars, I'm not a fool, but I much prefer being the writer and speaker that I am.  So imagine what you want, but be responsible and don't be flipped.  Your imagination is as real as you will allow it to be, so think on good things.  Your numbers will come up, just make sure they are the ones you really, really want.

Seasons of our life.

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It appears that the last vestiges of summer have left the Coast of Maine, and now we face what everyone is saying is going to be a very cold, very snowy winter.  Seasons come and go, and with each passing season the earth prepares and rebuilds itself for the next season.  Such is life as we know it as well.  With each new season of our life we prepare and build for the next season.

The question I have for you today is this: are you one who looks forward to the different seasons of life, or are you, like so many others holding on to the vestiges of things from the past?  There are things that you know you should let go of, but because they bring comfort, because they bring a certain familiarity, you just can't cut it loose.  If you are prone to this you're not alone.  Many, many people find it difficult to let go of things, myself included, but the seasons of our life are there to do just that, to help us out of what ever rut we might find ourselves in and onto a different adventure.

Today I want you to think about the different seasons you have been through and try to figure out what you have taken from each one.  What were some of the lessons you learned, and if you haven't learned from it, then why not.  I woke up this morning and we had gotten a tiny bit of snow, not unlike the picture in today's blog.  There was a difference in the feeling of the day, but that was not the only difference.  I was feeling that there was a newness to the next season of my life.  Since this new season was facing me, I wanted to look back and figure out what I had learned from the season that had just passed, or is about to pass.  I could write volumes about the changes in my life over this past season, suffice it to say it has been monumental, and with those changes have come new insights, new recognitions, and a new freshness to what I desire to walk in.  Such are the things that you should experience when you enter a new season of your life.

If you look at the four seasons that this planet goes through each year there are things that happen each year preparing itself for what is about to take place during the next season.  Nature's design is perfect and there is no need to worry about what is about to take place because what has already taken place has happened to prepare for the next season.  In your life the same can be said.  Without those seasons of fear, doubt, and loneliness you would not be able to appreciate the times of courage, certainty, and love.  Now having to go through periods of fear, doubt, and loneliness is not the best of times, but it does allow you to appreciate the opposites that will follow.  You can however learn from those down times and in this knowledge come to an understanding of what you do not want in your life.  When we are about to enter the winter months here in Maine, I think about what it will be like in just a few short months when spring finally comes back to our coast.  Each season here in Maine brings with it opportunity to participate in various activities that can only be done during that season.  Finding what you like in each season helps to navigate these times, and there is always a knowing that things will change again in the appointed times.  This is the same for the seasons of our life.  With each season we learn, we do, we experience different things, but there must be a knowing that it will all lead us to the next season, and then the next one after that.

No longer should we dread what is ahead of us, instead we should grab it with everything inside of us and realize that we are facing these seasons for a very specific reason.  I no longer fear what is about to come, because what is about to come is necessary.  If we never had winter we could never see spring.  Without a summer, then no fall.  All things happen in the perfection of the Creator, and so to are the seasons we go through in life.  If you can accept this premise, then you can accept those things that you are about to experience.  I would hate to think that I would never be able to see the changes in the seasons again.  Even thought I dislike the cold of winter, I know that just around the corner are new flowers, warmer days, and new life.  In each season of your life you should be looking forward to the growth, the warmth of new ideas, and new ways of looking at life, your life, your destiny.

It is time to embrace the changing seasons, and know that goodness comes from it.  As FDR once said the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.  Never fear the changing seasons of your life.  As I said earlier, were it not for winter, we would never get to spring.  If you are fearing the next season of your life, all you will do is curtail what has to happen.  One way or another the seasons will come, and the sooner you can accept this the sooner you will be able to bask in the newness of each season, learning the lessons of each season, and rocketing your way to the season that will follow.  I am looking forward to the next season of my life because I know that growth will follow and I will have a new appreciation for the things of life.  Seek out opportunity to grow and set the intention that this season will be like no other and out of it will come a newness of why you are here and what you are supposed to be doing.

Changing times

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Yes the times, they are a changin'!!  An understatement if I've ever heard one, but so true in the days we live in right now.  The question I have for you today is what are you going to do with all the changes that are probably going on all around you?  Are you accepting them with open arms, or are you running from them as fast as humanly possible?

If you are like most people, you resist change.  Change however is what makes the world go round and change is one of the only constants in the universe.  Today's blog is not necessarily about change itself, but rather why you should be seeking out change, especially in light of the fact that you want to grow spiritually.

I have witnessed people who are stuck in the place they are in.  They may desire change, but the last thing they want to consider is changing up what they are doing in the moment for fear that the change will alter whatever preconceived notion they have of what is supposed to be going on with life right now.  That's a real head scratcher as far as I'm concerned.  Someone hates the situation they might find themselves in, but they are unwilling to change things up in order to get out of the situation.  Well today I am going to shed some light on this quandary and with any luck, get you out of the situation you might find yourself in.

If I were to poll a thousand people today and ask them if they were content in the place they were in today, my guess is that a majority of them would say "No".  The next question I would ask is, "what are you doing about it?"  Now contentment is a broad term.  To some contentment is having a job, enough money to pay the bills, and maybe tuck a little away for retirement.  Others look at it a little differently and say that contentment is knowing that what they are doing in the moment is exactly what they were intended to do and that no change is required.  Contentment to another group is waiting to see what plays out and rolling with the punches.  No matter what group you might fall into, or placing yourself in an entirely different group, matters not.  What matters is that you understand that if change is going to come to any situation then you are going to have to take certain steps to get there.  Today's blog picture spells out what I am talking about pretty well.  In order to change the place you are in right now, you have to recognize the time is right for a change.  You have to change the way you think about things, and when you can do that then the future will change for you.

I have allowed my fears to stop me dead in my tracks.  I wanted things to change, but until I was so uncomfortable in the situation I was in, the possibility of change was nothing more then a flag blowing in the wind.  I could see it, watch it, but to grab hold of it was nearly impossible.  It wasn't until I made the decision that the time was right for change, that I was able to begin the process.  If you want to get from one place to another you are going to have to change.  There is no other way to look at it.  Certainly there might be some concern about any movement, but what is the alternative?  Staying in the same place is never going to move things forward, and that is just stupidity, especially when all you want is to get out of the situation you find yourself in.

If I had allowed fear to control me the last few years there is no way I would be doing what I am doing right now, and trust me I love what I am doing right now.  Your desire for better things in your life is what will move you forward into the change you need to make.  When you are able to say that it is time to leave this place, then and only then will change begin.  I hear it all the time that "I don't know what I want.", OK, so what is stopping you from understanding what you want?  I mean really, you hate the situation you find yourself in, you hate what you're doing, and you hate the thought of never being able to change things up.  Seems to me that you are a prime candidate for change.  You may not have all the answers as to what you should be doing in the moment, but I can pretty much bet that something inside of you knows what you desire most.  You may not have spoken about it out loud, but deep inside you know what your passion is.  Change your thoughts about your passion and accept the fact that you should be doing something with it.  If you want to change the future then you have to change your thoughts.  Once you change your thoughts then the actions will change, and once the actions change, then it's a sure bet that your situation will change.  You can go forward or backward with the process, but when it's all said and done, the outcome will be pretty close to the same.

The days we live in require change if you ever want to take your rightful place in the universe.  The question you need to ask yourself is are you ready for this change and do you want it?  If you do then change the place, recognize the time for change is right, and then bring your thoughts in line with what you want.  Then and only then will your future change in the ways you desire.  I love change, and once you can accept that change is for you, then you can grab it with both hands and enjoy the results.  Grab for it now and watch things change right in front of your eyes.

The path to discovery.

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The paths to discovery, the paths to understanding our uniqueness in the universe, are as varied as the stars in the heavens.  If anyone tells you that there is only one way to discover who you are, then run from that person as fast as you can.  As individuals we are different. We like different things, we see different things, and we operate differently from others.  It is in those differences that the world is a better place to live.

There is a path to the discovery of who you are, but it is your path.  Just as there will be differences in the color of your eyes or hair from others in your circle of friends, so to will the path you must go to discover who you are.  Certainly there may be times when what you experience is similar to what others may have gone through, but different none-the-less.  What I want to share today is that your path to discovery will make itself known to you in the appropriate time, and in the appropriate way.  I wish everyone I knew had an understanding of who they were.  I wish everyone around me was enlightened to the point where nothing stood in their way of manifesting what they desired in life.  Alas such is not the case, so I will continue to inspire others to take the steps required to understand who and what they are, and be there to help any way I can.

The questions I get asked a lot are what does this path look like and when will I know when to begin my journey, and ultimately where will this journey end up?  All good questions, but sadly you are the only one who will be able to answer them.  First and foremost you need to accept the fact that there is indeed a path for you.  Too many people are under the impression that they simply go through life and what ever happens happens.  These are the very same people who will be standing around years from now wondering where life has been.  If you are able to set the intention that you will discover the path to your discovery then that is what will happen.

There is one very important fact that I need you to understand, need you to hold tight, and need you to accept.  Your spirituality should never come into question.  You are as much a spiritual being as anyone on the planet.  Those individuals who have gained enlightenment over the ages are no different then you.  They were able to understand the basis for which they were put here on earth and you have the same ability as them.  If Christ could understand his divine makeup, then so can you.  Enlightenment is not reserved for a select few, it is yours as well.  Enlightenment is not only for those who have accomplished great things, it is for you.  Enlightenment does not come to those who have prayed enough, done enough good deeds, or any other things that organized religion says is the prerequisite for such things.  Enlightenment comes to those who are open to the prompting and guidance of the Creator of the Universe.

I spent years wondering why I seemed to be left behind when it came to spiritual understanding.  I somehow was under the impression that it wasn't for me.  I never had a real good opinion of myself.  I would always say that I was a day late and a dollar short when it came to obtaining those things that I believed everyone else was getting but I was on the loosing end of the proposition.  I had set myself up for failure with my thoughts and words and didn't even realize I was doing it.  When I started down my path of discovery I was finally able to take the first step when I realized that the first step was my choice and only my choice.  All the prompting in the world was not going to make me begin my journey any sooner then I decided to begin it.  During my journey I was often faced with paths that seemed to head in two different directions.  The question then arose, what direction was I supposed to take?  Every individual who has begun their journey will eventually have to decide what path to take.  If your path forks to the left and right, then what is the right path to take?  More often then not the paths we take will show everyone else just what is important to you.  If you choose the path that is simply going to provide you with all the luxuries of life, then OK.  If you choose the path that will benefit the rest of humanity that's OK as well.  I will never tell someone what path to take.  My role is not to play God. My role is to make you aware of your options, what can come about with each choice you make, and be there if you need comfort when or if you make the wrong choice.

Paths can be tricky, but no matter what path you ultimately decide to go down you can rest assured that it will be a learning experience.  Life's lessons are there to teach.  These lessons are there to mold and shape you and help you become the individual you were intended to be in this life.  Each path we take toward our discovery is there for one thing, to get you to understand you.  When you can understand the reason for you being here right now, then I can assure you that each path you take will take you even closer to that perfect state of being.

It is time to open yourself up to new possibilities, new horizons, new paths to walk.  In this journey of discovery you will experience new things.  I encourage you to look at the paths in front of you and decide to take the first step.  Your life will change when you decide to step out into your new path of discovery and then you will be able to help others make the leap as well.

Bullseye

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How many times in life have we attempted to do something and we were just slightly off the mark?  It would be wonderful if everything we put our hands to would in fact be perfection each and every time.  If you are anything like me you will know that this is not the case.  That being said, just because it has happened in the past does not mean it has to continue into the future or even now in the present.

What I want to share with you today is that hitting the bullseye is a lot easier then you might think, and thinking about it is surely a part of what will be your success.  Our thoughts are the beginnings of our actions.  Now these actions may not come for years and years, but a thought is still the beginning of anything and pretty much everything that we do.  I have learned this the hard way, and trust me if you can learn from my experiences you will be better off in the long run.

I was having dinner with a very close friend the other night, and we were talking about where both of us had been over the last few months.  Both of us have had our own issues to contend with, but both of us have grown through these issues.  As we were talking I kept picturing what the future was going to look like.  I could see the multitudes who would be learning from what I have written, learning from what they were hearing from me.  I could see it as clear as day.  I had set the target and what I needed to do was begin to hit the bullseye.  I could sit here all day and wait for everything to be perfect and then and only then step out into those things that I know await me.  However, waiting for the perfect time to do anything will leave you holding the bag and when all is said and done, nothing will get done.  If one is ever going to step out into their destiny then one needs to take steps to do this.  I have learned that hitting the mark is always going to begin with how you see yourself doing whatever it is you desire to do.

If you are not able to feel the joy that will come with you completing your task, then it is doubtful that you will ever have to worry about completing it.  Wayne Dyer, one of my favorite authors, and someone who has taught me a great deal over the last few years, says that the beginning begins with the end in mind.  In this case, being able to feel what it will be like when you are in the middle of your destiny, doing those things you have always dreamt of.  If you cannot feel the joy, then the joy will never come to you.  I know how difficult this can be at times, especially when you have come face to face with those barriers to your dreams.  When one is faced with countless obstacles to their desires, it is difficult to think or feel from the end, but in all honesty that is what you are going to have to do.  I see the throngs of people attending my events.  I see the completed books, those that have not been written yet.  I can feel the excitement of those who have been set free to walk in their destiny.  All of this comes even before anything is in its place.

The reason people miss the bullseye is because they can't see themselves hitting it.  They have let what others have said, what others have thought, and what others have done in the past, dictate how they see their own desires play out.  A change must take place.  That change is as simple as feeling as though you are already where you need to be, doing what you need to do, and allowing yourself to feel the emotion of having it all right now.  In the past many have wanted something, but they were not able to feel the joy, the peace, the happiness that comes with what they were desiring.  If you are not living in joy, peace, and happiness, then what you have is fear, sorrow, and more often then not anger.  Now fear, sorrow, and anger are very much present in our world today, but because someone else might be experiencing it does not mean you have to.  Just because someone you know is having problems obtaining what they desire does not mean that you have to follow in suit.

Here's the bottom line:  if you want to hit the bullseye, then you are going to have to see yourself do it, feel yourself do it, and above all else, expect it to happen.  When the expectancy is equal to the desire, then I will tell you that great things will happen.  Part of expectancy is feeling what it will be like when you have completed your task.  I know this may sound redundant, but far too many people have never felt what it is like to be successful.  If you have not felt this, then my guess is you have not experienced it either.  Feeling the emotion is so key to you having what you desire.  I wish I could put it a different way, but I can't.  You must feel the joy, the happiness, the overall thrill of having your hearts desire, if there is every going to be a chance of you obtaining your hearts desire.

Set the intention of feeling from the end in mind.  What will you feel like when you complete your dream?  When you determine what you will feel like, then begin feeling it.  If you are able to start doing this, then things will begin to change in a very positive and in a very quick way.  One last thing:  the bullseye is not small to make it more difficult to hit.  The bullseye is small because it requires more focus to see it.  The more focus the better the end result.  Think about that last little nugget for a while and see if you don't change some of what you may have thought in the past.

A stitch in time saves nine.

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Yep, putting in a little extra effort into things today will definitely ease things in the future.  This little saying, a stitch in time saves nine, and others have been spoken for years and years, but have you ever given any real thought to what it is saying?  Typically people put in the extra effort, but only as a last resort when other stuff they have been trying hasn't worked.  Now this is not about one being lazy or anything like that. I am not here to call people out on what they do or don't do.  What I want to show today is that a little extra effort in certain areas of your life will certainly pay off dividends in the future.  In addition this little saying also speaks about putting off or procrastination.  Don't do that, putting off what you know inside you should be doing is only going to cause craziness later on.

What things are most important to you?  Items of importance often get all the effort they need to bring them to fruition.  It is those things that may not be to your liking that seem to get minimal effort, but things that we don't necessarily care about often need that little something extra as well.  I have always said that passion will drive people.  It will drive people to give that little extra effort because when it comes from passion the effort is effortless.  It is no surprise that things we dislike or have no passion for are those things that we tend to put minimal effort into, but that can cause all kinds of problems down the road.  It is almost impossible to give 100 percent effort to things that you have zero desire for, or for things that just don't seem important to you.  I'm not finding fault with this, but it is what it is.  On the other side of the coin, those things that you love, hell it takes little effort to get you to go all in on these things.  I completely understand that, so the answer is to make sure that everything you do is seen as important.  Is it important for everyone to be a good parent?  If so then it's fairly easy to give parenting 100 percent of your efforts.  Is the job you go to each day important to you?  If so, 100 percent effort.  Here's where the disconnect comes in.  What happens when what you like and what you do don't exactly match up?  Is it possible for you to give it your all?  In most cases I would say that many don't,  and in some cases, can't give it their all.  Once again not finding fault just stating the obvious.  The key is to give it your all no matter what situation you might find yourself in.

When you are looking for your destiny, would you be better served if you did it with everything in you, or is it better to just give it a passive try?  Now if discovering your destiny is no big deal for you then by all means just give it lip service.  If on the other hand discovering your destiny and ultimately walking in it is important, then just giving it lip service is not going to be enough.  The effort you put forth today to discover your calling, to unlocking your passion, and walking in your destiny is effort that will come back to you a hundred fold.  Putting the time into self-discovery is never wasted time.  Putting time and effort into those things that define your highest self is never wasted time.

I see people all the time who know they have a destiny but for some reason are unwilling to do what it takes to walk in it.  Now this could be because they fear certain things.  It might be because someone has already told them how stupid their dreams are.  It might be as simple as they don't think that what they want to do is important and they had better figure out something else that will change or better humanity.  Don't worry about the importance or perceived importance of your destiny.  Your destiny is important whether it touches the lives of millions or a single solitary individual.  We need to get away from measuring ourselves against others, and simply be who we were created to be.  When I sit down to write it takes little effort on my part to do what I do.  When I say effort I mean it in the sense that it's never like pulling teeth to get me to write.  Yes it takes time and energy, but it is time and energy that is well spent, and it always comes back to me in large measure.  You must find your passion because then almost everything associated with walking in it will be effortless.  I love days when all I have to do is write or speak to a crowd.  If I had to speak at four or five different venues each week, and do that every week of the year, I would still do it.  Yes I might get tired, but boy would I sleep well at night knowing that I have completed part of the task in which I was created to complete.

Do yourself a favor and begin to put a little extra effort into discovering your reason for being here.  Stop procrastinating, there is no time like the present to get going on things.  If you already know your purpose, your destiny, then put in the effort to begin walking in it.  If you are already walking in your destiny, then put in the extra effort to help others discover theirs.  If you have helped others discover their destiny then do it again, and again.  If you are able to help someone sidestep the barriers or blockades to their destiny, then you have sewn a stitch and that will help them save nine, and that will help untold others to do the same.  As they say what goes around comes around.  Begin to sow and you will reap good things.

The end of another cycle, thank God!!

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Cycles: they come , they go, but the one constant is that most people will never be able to predict the exact outcome of any of them.  This country just ended a political cycle, and all I can say is "Thank God".  The only constant in the political arena is that there will never be a time when one party is not seeking to lambaste the other party in the hopes of either maintaining power or obtaining it.  Trust me, that will be the extent of my political commentary on what took place yesterday.

The main topic of discussion this morning is what do we do with the cycles we go through in our life? I would like to think that I have grown very adept at navigating the cycles in my life, but who am I kidding, I am just as prone as the next person of screwing things up.  What I endeavor to do is learn from each cycle, so if or when I enter another one I have the tools in which to handle the situations that I will face.

The cycles we go through are no different then the "Oh here we go again" moments in life.  They are those things that you swear you are never going to go through again, yet they seem to creep back into your life and then it's "here we go again" all over again.  There are some cycles that are predictable, but even in the predictability of them, changes occur which more often then not will change the outcome.  It's almost impossible to know when a cycle will end or begin, suffice it to say they will be around you when you need them, and even if you don't need them, they will be around.  The second constant in the universe, besides change, is that you can almost bet that the cycles you are going through in your life are there for a very specific reason, and the sooner you can accept this and not fight it every step of the way, the sooner the cycle will end and you will take from it what you need to take from it.

I have had cycles in my life when I was tested beyond belief.  No matter where I went a testing.  I could hardly step outside my home without something hitting me smack in the face in the form of a test. I chalk all that past experience up to having to learn a lesson.  I have also had those cycles in my life when things just seemed to manifest with little or no effort and I was very content to stay in this environment the remainder of my life.  The problem with contentment is that we tend to get lazy and forget that what we go through both good and bad is there to teach us something.  If you are not desiring to learn each day, i.e. being content where you are, then there will be a time when things begin to slip away.  Keep this in mind, the cycles we go through are not always just about us.  There are things that we need to learn in order to be of service to others in this thing we call 'humanity'.  I know that the cycles of my life have lead me to the place I am at right now.  I know that my life is not simply about what I can do, or what I get, but rather what can I do for others or give to others.  It took me a long time to get to this point, in fact, many cycles have passed throughout the years to get me to the point that I am at right now.

Some cycles are worthy of praise, and others are nothing more then a forgotten memory, at least we hope we can forget about them.  Still, we need to learn from each cycle.  We need to fully accept each cycle.  We need to understand that you have very little control over the cycles of your life, and you would be better served trying to learn from a cycle verses trying to manipulate it's outcome because it may not be what you were hoping for.

Just as there are cycles to our seasons, there will always be cycles in each of our lives.  They key to navigating them is to be as open as possible to them, and realize that this is yet another opportunity for growth.  Not always easy to remember when you are being overtaken by emotion because of something bearing down on you, but growth is growth no matter how you obtain it.

Now the downside to cycles: they are never ending.  The moment one ends, you begin another one.  Perfect example is the elections of yesterday.  Most everyone I know is so happy that they will not have to live through any other political commercials.  Yet, I will bet you dimes to donuts that the political machine is already spinning and it will only be a matter of weeks, maybe just days, before someone jumps into the ring preparing for 2016.  And as the saying goes, "here we go again".

My advice to each of you is this: embrace the cycles of your life.  Learn from each cycle, and share that knowledge with others.  The is always a reason for the things we go through, and once you accept this fact you will be poised to handle almost any situation that may come from what ever cycle you might be going through in your life.  Enjoy the race...

Today I choose to be me.

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Life is a series of choices.  You can choose to go left or go right. You can choose to stay home or go out.  You can make the choice between boxers or briefs. No matter what we go through in life we have the choice as to how we will react, how we will do something, or even how we will handle any situation that we face.

What I want to talk about today is something that we will all have to choose sooner or later, but the sooner you do it the better off you will be.  I want to encourage you today to choose to be you.  It doesn't matter if the you is flawed, perfect, unsure, or whatever.  Too many people out there have decided not to be who they are and instead try to be like someone else.  Being like someone else may work for a while and it may get you some of the things you desire in life, but when it's all said and done you will be missing out on a ton of things in your life.

I realized a long time ago that there were things that I wanted to complete in this life.  There were things that I felt drawn too and quite frankly knew that I needed to do.  I also figured out after many years of beating around the bush that I had to choose to be me, and not worry about what others thought or said about me.  We have a tendency as humans to care more about what others think or say about us then what we know to be the truth in our own lives.  Truth: you are a divine creation.  Truth: you are amazing and there is nothing that is not amazing about you.  Truth:  only you can make the choice to accept you for you and be who you were intended to be.

Deciding to be you is not a magic formula for escaping the trials of life.  Deciding to be you is no guarantee that things are always going to come out the way you want them.  Deciding to be you is simply not worrying about where things come out and knowing that things will be how they need to be, when they need to be, and why they need to be.

I wish I had a good understanding of why people have made the choice to forget who they are and instead pick up the persona of someone they feel is more hip, more acceptable, or more loved then they.  This all stems from not accepting who you are.  I know how hard it is to love yourself.  I spent years hating me.  I mean I could not go through the day without putting myself down, tearing apart every aspect of my life, and utterly desiring to be anyone else but who I was.  Face it, if you are unable to accept yourself then does it really matter in the long run what or who you try to emulate?  I mean when all the crying has stopped you will still not know the real you.

I chose to accept me.  You need to make the choice to accept you.  Certainly there are areas in each of our lives that need work, but that shouldn't stop you from accepting yourself and in accepting yourself accepting the calling on your life.  There is not a person on this earth that could not tear apart certain aspects of themselves.  I look at me and even though I would love to loose the reseeding hairline, that is the card that has been dealt to me so go with it.  If one sits down and starts nitpicking every possible flaw or imperfection in their life, there will be zero time left to do what they were sent here to do in the first place.

The decision to accept who you are is solely your decision to make.  There is no one else who can make it for you.  Deciding to accept you for you is the only way you will ever move forward and accomplish those things you desire to accomplish. I know I am repeating myself but there are times when you need something beat into your head.  I can hope that you will see what I am saying, but if I need to force feed it to you to get you to understand it then I guess I will do that.

Today I want you to choose you.  I want you to see yourself in all of your glory.  I want you to feel what it's like to know that you know that you are special, that you are marvelous, and that you have something that the world is in desperate need of.  Forget about trying to measure up to others, and simply see how God sees you.  There is nothing wrong with you.  You are who you are because that is what was intended from the very beginning.  Accepting you for you is what has to happen.

I have tried to be someone I'm not and the only thing I got out of that was misery.  Today I love who I am, I love being me, and I love that I no longer have to worry about what others say or think.  You are wonderful in your design, you are fully able to accomplish the things you have been sent here to do, and you can do all you hope for if you will make the choice to choose you.  Make the choice and then watch things almost magically come into focus.  I chose me, and you must choose you.  I know you can do it, and I will know joy and happiness when you do.