Sunday Evening Thoughts on Our Time is of the Essence 04/14

Sitting here relaxing and reflecting on a Sunday evening is probably exactly what I needed right now. Life continues to amaze me with how it presents opportunities for you to learn about yourself and others. At the beginning of every day, believe it or not we all have the same opportunity. The thing that’s different for all of us is how you choose to embrace your opportunity. What does the number 86,400 mean to you? Quite often, I think that we forgot that we all wake up with the same 86,400 seconds every day. It’s how we choose to spend that time that differentiates the successful people from the unsuccessful people in this world. Which one have you decided to be? Take a moment and think about how you spend your day. What takes up the most of your time? What takes up the least amount of your time? What do you think it is that makes you allot your time in a certain manner? Does your passion have anything to do with those decisions? Time is probably one of our most valuable assets and once we’ve lost it there’s no opportunity to get it back. Have you ever missed a moment? What were you doing that caused you to miss it? Were you simply not paying attention at the time? I am probably guilty of this like most people of being reminded about how precious time is when a tragic event occurs. What would our lives look like if we really valued our time and the moments that we have to make an impact in this life? As I think about what I need to do with my time from this moment forward, a quote that I heard recently comes to mind; “Look up, get up, and don’t ever give up!” There’s no better time than right now to realize your potential of making this life phenomenal for you and all those around you. Question is are you up for it at this time? “Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.” Harvey MacKay “Time goes by so fast, people go in and out of your life. You must never miss the opportunity to tell these people how much they mean to you.” “Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.” Andrew Jackson “Life is all about timing… the unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable become available, the unattainable… attainable. Have the patience, wait it out It’s all about timing.” Stacey Charter “Don’t count every hour in the day, make every hour in the day count.” “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” Steve Jobs

Saturday Afternoon Thoughts on Your Circle of Selflessness 3/9/13

Finally, sat down to put a few things on paper as there have been quite a few thoughts floating around my head recently. I am beating myself up a little bit as I vowed to write more in 2013, so I guess I am playing catch up now. Life happens and when it does, it never fails that you realize something that may have been there all along. The last week and a half has been a pretty long after learning about the unexpected passing of my classmate Marco McMillian. For me a reminder of how precious life, relationships, and time is. For the last week and a half, the conversations that my classmates and anyone who knew Marco opened our eyes to even more about who he was and who we are. His selfless acts from college until now, have helped so many people and I like so many others were truly honored to have known him. For me, so many reflections and an appreciation for what I have learned from this tragedy. Thinking about my friend and what his life has taught me about being selfless, humility, and your circles. Well, over time I have confirmed and believed that our circles are a direct reflection of who we are. As I think of people who are truly selfless people, they often associate themselves with other selfless people. Do you find that you are more selfless? Or selfish? Yourself? With your time? Your talents? These are very good questions to ask yourself as you examine what you surround yourself with daily. This would be a great exercise to help you prepare for tomorrow. Have you reached your full potential? Have you ever thought that your selflessness is actually here to help you grow? As we give of ourselves we learn more about not only others, but ourselves. Its a process and it is that thing that must continue in our lives and our circles. If you get nothing more than this statement, then I can't be mad as it is pretty powerful. Cherish every moment, every interaction, and every chance meeting as no one knows what the next moment may look like. Appreciate what the past has taught us, do whatever you have to do to enjoy this moment, and live today for tomorrow is not promised to anyone. I ask that prayers continue to be sent up for the family and friends of Marco McMillian during this time. Even during sadness, positive thoughts and actions still need to be present. #PositiveMovementsForward no matter what. “Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life's deepest joy: true fulfillment.” Anthony Robbins “Our task must be to free ourselves...by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.” Albert Einstein “We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. Joy follows them like a shadow that never leaves them.” Buddha “In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us.” Flora Edwards “Real love is when you become selfless and you are more concerned about your mate's or children's egos than your own. You're now a giver instead of a taker.” Sylvester Stallone “The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are” C.S. Lewis “without selfless service, no one ever receives the fruits of their rewards.” Sri Guru Granth Sahib “When our eyes see our hands doing the work of our hearts, the circle of Creation is completed inside us, the doors of our souls fly open, and love steps forth to heal everything in sight.” Michael Bridge

Sunday Afternoon Thoughts on Being in the Right Place 01/06/13

The calendar has turned and it is now 2013. I close my eyes and wonder where did 2012 go. The older I get I swear the faster the years go by, so its even more important to take advantage of every moment. Yesterday, I celebrated another birthday, and I can't help but be humbled by all of the warm birthday wishes from my family, friends, and loved ones. I am truly at a very happy place in life right now, but I still have to ask if I am at in the right place. As I reflect on my learnings from 2012, I can't help but be excited about the opportunities that are before me in 2013. I have been thinking about several things that will allow me to continue to move forward to the place that I am destined to be. If you know anything about me, you can probably figure out what I may just start writing about. Preparing to watch the NFL Playoffs today and I can't lie and say I wasn't moved by ESPN's piece on former Ravens player OJ Brigance.(If you haven't seen it, please youtube it) OJ Brigance was stricken with a disease called A.L.S. which over a period of time caused him to lose the ability to utilize his extremities as well as his voice. At the time of his diagnosis he and his family were told the life expectancy was anywhere from 2 - 5 years, and here in 2013 they are enjoying moving past year 5. OJ became a member of the Ravens staff as an advisor and has been inspiring the organization daily even after being confined to a wheelchair and losing the ability to speak. Watching this made me think about a lot of things in my life, but most importantly what am I doing in my current place. I started to ask myself a few more questions about my place. Where is this place that I am? How did I get here? Is this the place I want to be? Am I moving or just running in place? Take a moment and think about things that have been placed in your life. Why have obstacles been placed in your path? Why have certain people been placed in your life? What are the blessings that have been placed in your life? You hear it all the time that everything happens for a reason, but often times we don't embrace what has happened as we are so concerned with the why it happened. What would happened if we understood our place and moved forward to exist in the place until we outgrew it? Maybe sometimes we are still in the same place because we are still the same and nothing has changed about us, our circle, or our thoughts. Just something to think about. As I live my life from this day forward, I know that I am traveling on the road to the place that I am supposed be. Still finding my way, but thankful for the people along they way that are helping me get there. Here's to much success in the New Year as you get to your place. Live life, enjoy the moment, and be phenomenal always! “When we lose one blessing, another is often most unexpectedly given in its place” CS Lewis “Sometimes the best way to figure out who you are is to get to that place where you don't have to be anything else.” “There is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself.” Henry David Thoreau “You must try to generate happiness within yourself. If you aren't happy in one place, chances are you won't be happy anyplace.” Ernie Banks “Each moment is a place you've never been.” Mark Strand “In the wild struggle for existence, we want to have something that endures, and so we fill our minds with rubbish and facts, in the silly hope of keeping our place.” Oscar Wilde

Sunday Evening Thoughts After Thanksgiving - "Am I living?" 11/25/12

Whew, is pretty much the first thing that comes to mind after the Thanksgiving holiday. It never fails that after all the friends, family, and food that you are just exhausted in addition to being stuffed. When Thursday arrived, there were a lot of conversations about what we are thankful for, but this day shouldn't have been any different than the previous days.(Only difference is plenty of family and friends around) I welcome the holidays as it gives me an opportunity to fellowship and engage in conversation with others. It never fails that face to face or with a simple phone call or text that I am reminded me of how blessed we are. All it took was one Happy Thanksgiving phone call to ask how I was doing and why haven't I written anything in awhile. It was a good question and the only way for me to answer was to say, "hmmmm, I need to be inspired by something." And just like that I think my wheels were in motion and I started formulating a few thoughts. In keeping with the theme for the weekend and the thoughts of being thankful, I had to be honest about why I was really thankful every day. It's as simple as waking up and having the opportunity to live. Yup, knowing what it means to live is what I am thankful for daily. A good conversation with D-Nice(another brother from another mother) about how difficult the holidays can be sometimes missing loved ones that are no longer with us. As sad as it may be sometimes its important to remember that their memories and spirits live on in us. I have started to realize that we all have a purpose that we have to live up to in life. Look at where you are right now versus where you desire to be in every aspect of your life and ask yourself these questions. Am I living? Or am I merely existing? Do I know the difference between the two? What's keeping me from really living? Simple questions that when answered could potentially change your attitude about the life you are aspiring to live. As you move forward to start a new week, remember that #POSITIVEMOVEMENTSFORWARD will take you far in life. Live life and be phenomenal! “When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others.” Peace Pilgrim “Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless.” Jamie Paolinetti “The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.” Flora Whittemore “I don't want to earn my living; I want to live.” Oscar Wilde “Live your own life, for you will die your own death” “Life wastes itself while we are preparing to live” Ralph Waldo Emerson “I do my thing and you do yours. I am not in this world to live up to your expectations, and you are not in this world to live up to mine. You are you and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, then it is beautiful. If not, it can't be helped.” Frederick Perls “Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You're going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don't try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.” Anthony Robbins

Thursday Night Thoughts on Discipline 10/11/12

Whew! Yup, that's what I have to say after the last several of weeks. I haven't written in awhile and I am further reminded that sharing my thoughts with the world is the balance that is needed in my life. I am thinking the transition into my new role has played a part in the delay as well, but I am making it a point to get things back into balance. In most parts of the country it is fall, but here in the Valley of the Sun I believe we have finally seen the last of our 90 degree days for a while. Well, you know the saying, "If you can't stand the heat, then get out the kitchen." Guess, I must enjoy it cause I am still right here in the thick of things. Not surprising that I have a lot on the brain all of a sudden after a light went off in my head about a week ago. With me you probably have figured out that it doesn't take much for me to run with something. So I attended this meeting last week at work and surprisingly enough at the start we talked about the Monday Night Football game that the Dallas Cowboys appeared in. The conversation didn't really hinge on the game, but more or less what transpired over the years for them to become America's team. After going around the room talking about why the Cowboys aren't successful even with all the talent that they have currently, we reflected on their championship pedigree. You mention the names Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson, and Barry Switzer and those coaches won championships and were known for discipline. Is discipline something that the Cowboys are lacking? Maybe? Maybe not, but it did generate some good conversation. So I started thinking a little more about discipline and what it has meant for me in my life. I remember little things from my track coaches like no matter what is going on around you to stay disciplined and run your race. Things will always happen around you, but how do you remain focused to reach your goals. Is discipline something that is ingrained in us? Is it learned at a young age? Can it be taught as we get older? I posed a few questions as I look at the state of our country and see that a lack of discipline growing up definitely shows later on in life. How disciplined are you? Are there areas in your life that you are disciplined? Where do you lack discipline? Do you find that you are more self disciplined? Or find that you are better disciplined when others are holding you accountable? All these questions still have me thinking about how I need to continue discipline myself in different areas of my life. Recognizing that discipline is necessary is probably one of the most important things we have learned. As you move closer to the weekend, remember to enjoy yourself and everything in your life. Smile in the face of good times and bad knowing that your faith is always being tested. It's the discipline in tough times, that will keep you pressing on in a valley while you are headed to your next peak. Be disciplined in whatever your approach to life is as long as you are living life and being phenomenal. #PositiveMovementsForward Always!! “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” Jim Rohn “Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.” Buddha “It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.” Zig Ziglar “Many of life's circumstances are created by three basic choices: the disciplines you choose to keep, the people you choose to be with; and, the laws you choose to obey” Charles Millhuff “With self-discipline most anything is possible.” Theodore Roosevelt “Discipline and concentration are a matter of being interested.” Tom Kite “The secret of discipline is motivation. When a man is sufficiently motivated, discipline will take care of itself.” Sir Alexander Paterson “Without discipline, no matter how good you are, you are nothing! One day, and I might not be around, you're going to meet a tough guy who takes your best shot. He'll keep coming because he's tough. Don't get discouraged. That's when the discipline comes in.” Mike Tyson “It takes tremendous discipline to control the influence, the power you have over other people's lives.” Clint Eastwood

Friday Morning Thoughts Before Day on "What your attraction says about you" 7/27/12

They say the early bird gets the worm and this morning I am probably getting the best selection based on what time it is. When I laid down to sleep last night, I just knew that I was down for the count at least until the sun started to rise. So clearly we can see that didn't happen as my brain again was in overdrive even in the wee hours of the morning. I was reminded recently about my thoughts and how it is much more than me clearing my head, but sharing with others to help them gain perspective also. Lately, it seems like a lot of my thoughts and interactions have revolved around attraction. From energy to relationships to thoughts there is something to said about what you are attracted to and what is attracted to you. I am sure you are familiar with the term that positive thoughts breed positive actions. How have you seen this played out in your life? Have you ever gone into a situation with the mind set that there's no way this is going to work and to no surprise things didn't work out? Overlay the thoughts about attraction and the energy that is constantly in your life. Are you an upbeat person? Do you have mood swings? Is there any consistency in your demeanor? What kind of energies are you attracting everyday? What type of energy are you sending into the world? As easy as I am asking these questions here I am asking myself many times over. I begin to think about my circle of influence as well as the people that I find myself gravitating toward. Why do I gravitate more toward some and not others? I believe that it has a lot to do with their spirit and ability to accept me for who I am today. As I look at everything that I am attracted to it is all about growth for myself and individuals around me. Your attraction to many different things in life allows anyone who is paying attention to learn more about who you are. Take a moment and look at where you are in life and ask yourself a few questions about several areas of your life. What are you attracting? Why? If you were to step away and look at yourself as others see you, what does your attraction say about you? As you prepare to enjoy your Friday and welcome the weekend, I challenge you to become attracted to all things phenomenal. That is the foundation for you embracing the phenomenal things that are just waiting on you already. “The secret of attraction is to love yourself. Attractive people judge neither themselves nor others. They are open to gestures of love. They think about love, and express their love in every action. They know that love is not a mere sentiment, but the ultimate truth at the heart of the universe.” Deepak Chopra “Successful people make money. It's not that people who make money become successful, but that successful people attract money. They bring success to what they do.” Wayne Dyer “When a man dwells on the objects of sense, he creates an attraction for them; attraction develops into desire, and desire breeds anger.” The Dhammapada “When we create something, we always create it first in a thought form. If we are basically positive in attitude, expecting and envisioning pleasure, satisfaction and happiness, we will attract and create people, situations, and events which conform to our positive expectations.” Shakti Gawain “Faith always contains an element of risk, of venture; and we are impelled to make the venture by the affinity and attraction which we feel in ourselves.” Dean Inge “Plant the seed of desire in your mind and it forms a nucleus with power to attract to itself everything needed for its fulfillment.” Robert Collier “Our minds become magnetized with the dominating thoughts we hold in our minds and these magnets attract to us the forces, the people, the circumstances of life which harmonize with the nature of our dominating thoughts.” Napoleon Hill “If you have zest and enthusiasm you attract zest and enthusiasm. Life does give back in kind.” Norman Vincent Peale “What if you gave someone a gift, and they neglected to thank you for it - would you be likely to give them another? Life is the same way. In order to attract more of the blessings that life has to offer, you must truly appreciate what you already have.” Ralph Martson

Sunday Night Thoughts on "Seeing the Signs" 7/15/12

In any other place in the country, I would be enjoying a wonderful Summer evening, but that is not the case with me set to embrace temperatures headed back into the triple digits very soon. The last couple of days have been almost unbearable with the rain leaving plenty of moisture in the air to go along with the heat. I am probably several weeks behind in bringing some of my thoughts to life, but I think the extra time has allowed me to develop them a little deeper. With every breath that I take I can see the growth in my life as my world becomes more clearer. There have been a few things on my mind that most people probably experience on a daily basis as well. In everything we encounter in life, there are indicators/signs around us in many different areas of our lives. Think about heading out to your car preparing to go somewhere. What happens every time you stick the key in the ignition and turn it? You probably see an ABS indicator light, seatbelt warning light, and an airbag light just to name a few. What else do you see and what other things can you think about before you put the vehicle in gear? As you drive does your vehicle tell you anything? I thought about the vehicle example as it is something that most of us can easily relate to, but what are some other things that give you indicators/signs before you proceed further? No matter what we do or where we turn there is some sort of indicator/sign that's telling us something. It could be a welcome sign or a warning sign, but it is up to us to know where we are currently to figure out what the sing is telling us. Has there ever been a time that you where questioning something that you see only to realize later on that it was a sign for you to do something? Could have been a sign to make a move, make a decision, or just to remain steadfast in your actions. By a design greater than my own, I believe that I wasn't supposed to stop thinking about signs before because these thoughts still needed to be developed. No matter what we do we can not escape the signs that are meant for us, but it is always our choice to embrace or ignore them. As we think about signs, I want to pose a question that maybe you can answer for yourself and maybe me as well. As we think about character, what are the signs that let you know someone is of good character? Are there signs in their conversation? Or are all the signs in their actions? Sitting back reflecting about what I have typed brings me to the realization that have chosen to ignore many signs over the course of my life. The experiences I wouldn't trade for anything, but I would hope that I am still maturing in reading the signs. Over the last couple of days, I have seen some more serious signs that have reminded me of how precious this breath I am taking is. The next moment is not promised and we must all do a better job of letting people know what they mean to you while you can. I can't stress that enough to you. As you prepare to start your week, I would like to ask if you wouldn't mind to send your thoughts and prayers up for two families that I am close to as cancer has entered the body of their loved ones. “The signs of outstanding leadership appear primarily among the followers. Are the followers reaching their potential? Are they learning? Serving? Do they achieve the required results? Do they change with grace? Manage conflict?” Max De Pree “Some people believe that holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength...however, there are times when it takes far more strength just to let go.” “Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality . Wake Up and Live!” Bob Marley “Mankind is notoriously too dense to read the signs that God sends from time to time. We require drums to be beaten into our ears, before we should wake from our trance and hear the warning and see that to lose oneself in all, is the only way to find oneself.” “A really great man is known by three signs: generosity in the design, humanity in the execution, moderation in success” Otto von Bismarck “When we become aware that we do not have to escape our pains, but that we can mobilize them into a common search for life, those very pains are transformed from expressions of despair into signs of hope” Henril Nouwen “Don`t be fooled by the signs. Don`t read in between the lines.” “Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.” Robert H. Schuller