Saturday Evening Thoughts on the Intention of Your Actions 09/28/13

‎Fall has arrived and we can all welcome the temperature change that this season brings. In just a matter of months 2013 will be history and I can only ask where did the year go. It seems like just yesterday, that we were embracing the new year. If you know me you know that it really doesn't take much for my mind to get to racing. For the last couple of days there have been some conversations and some things I've experienced that really made me say Hmmmmm. Somehow or another, actions and intentions have stuck in my head as I have developed some very deep thoughts on the subject. Take some time and think about this, "Why is it that you do what you do?" How do people view your intentions? How do people view your actions? Do you know how you lose your audience when your intentions and actions differ? “Good intentions are at least, the seed of good actions; and every one ought to sow them, and leave It to the soil and the seasons whether He or any other gather they fruit” William Temple “The more you are willing to accept responsibility for your actions, the more credibility you will have." Brian Koslow “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Maya Angelou “Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny." What is it that you said that you were going do but haven't yet? The intentions are there, but what is keeping you from taking action? Do you believe your intentions are self-serving? Or are they to serve others? “For an athlete to function properly, he must be intent. There has to be a definite purpose and goal if you are to progress. If you are not intent about what you are doing, you aren't able to resist the temptation to do something else that might be more fun at the moment." John Wooden “I never worry about action, but only about inaction." Winston Churchill “Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one's thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world." Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe Maybe you are like myself and life has taught you to be a little skeptical about people based on your past experiences. Am I the only one that has thoughts in the back of their mind when the phone rings or someone randomly stops in to say hello? I am really starting to think that I am not the only person that questions every little thing that people do as so many people are so self serving that it makes you want to distance yourself from them. Don't get me wrong, I do understand that you have to be self serving to a point because at the end of the day you have to lookout for yourself. “The man who is intent on making the most of his opportunities is too busy to bother about luck.” B. C. Forbes “Before speaking, consider the interpretation of your words as well as their intent.” Andrew Alden “A truth that's told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent." William Blake Believe it or not based on your purpose in life you can still be self serving and impact other people's lives positively. Self serving isn't always a bad thing as think of this example of your purpose in life is helping others and you create opportunities to give back and do things that make you feel good. When it's all said and done no person will be judged on his intentions, but our actions will be how we will be remembered. How does life look for you when your intentions and actions correspond with one another? How does life look for others when your intentions and actions match? “Let your intentions be good - embodied in good thoughts, cheerful words, and unselfish deeds - and the world will be to you a bright and happy place in which to work and play and serve" Grenville Kleiser “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me.” Erma Bombeck Look around and see who you have surrounded yourself with. Does your circle reflect the life that you are ready live? Are the people you have around you the right ones to check your intentions? Your actions?? “Sometimes the people whom we've know for only a short amount of time have a bigger impact on us than those we've known forever." “A gentleman is one who never hurts anyone's feelings unintentionally." Oscar Wilde ‎This is the only life that you will ever be given, so go out and live it the best way you know how. Take chances and live with no regrets as it is your time as it always has been. Live life, be phenomenal, and remember #positivemovementsforwardalways. And I ask you again, "Why is it that you do what you do?" Maybe your answer is a little clearer now.

Thursday Morning Thoughts on Being at the Intersection of Anticipation, Preparation, and Determination 9/19/13

‎So this weekend was pretty amazing as this is truly one of my favorite times of the year. Cooler temperatures are ahead as well as football is starting to heat up. I can honestly say that both my Crimson Tide and Arizona Cardinals definitely gave me a reason to smile as they both were victorious. If you know anything about me there's nothing that I look forward to more than football season and football food. You should have known that I was going to work food in there one way or another. It's by no surprise that hearing all the hype and commentary before, during, and after the highly anticipated Alabama Vs Texas A&M football game put a few thoughts in my mind that had me in deep thought for awhile. Not really sure if I have connected all the pieces in my life right now that lead me to think about life at the intersection of anticipation, preparation, and determination. What are you anticipating? What are you prepared for? Why are you determined? “Such is the state of life, that none are happy but by the anticipation of change: the change itself is nothing; when we have made it, the next wish is to change again. The world is not yet exhausted; let me see something tomorrow which I never saw be" Samuel Johnson “For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.” “Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe." Gail Devers Believe it or not the concepts are probably intertwined in many aspects of our lives if we take a step back and look at things. Was it worth the anticipation? Were you prepared for it? How determined were you to see things through? “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race" Calvin Coolidge “Luck is a crossroad where preparation and opportunity meet” “Our and our behaviour are always in anticipation of a response. It is therefore fear-based." Deepak Chopra Let's be honest, we all have the same amount of time in any given day, but how are you using your time? What is it that separates you from some of the most successful people in the world? Were they more prepared? “Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.” “If your're not practicing, somebody else is, somewhere, and he'll be ready to take your job."Brooks Robinson “An intense anticipation itself transforms possibility into reality; our desires being often but precursors of the things which we are capable of performing." Samuel Smiles Sometimes in life I have found that we have anticipated things that we may have been ill prepared for, but for one reason or another we remained determined to have those things. Maybe it worked out or maybe it didn't, but you can't say that there wasn't an opportunity to experience something that you could learn from. Do you ever think that maybe we focus so much on what didn't happen that we lose sight of what actually did? What does being at the intersection of anticipation, preparation, and determination mean to now? What have you realized or what are you starting to realize? “Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences." Norman Cousins “You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else." Albert Einstein “Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity." Henry Hartman Stop and take a moment to appreciate this moment for what it actually is, cause no matter how bad you want to see it again you won't. Live life and enjoy every moment. I can't tell you enough to enjoy time you have with your family, friends, and those you care about as life is truly too short. I say this as I ask you to send prayers up for my friend Tammy and her family with the recent passing of her sister.

Saturday Evening Thoughts on the Intersection of Your Wants, Your Needs, and Your Willingness 9/7/13

The week of Labor Day always ends up being one of the longest shortest weeks of the year as we begin the transition from summer to fall. It's yet another great time to put things in perspective as we prepare to end the 3rd quarter of the year and prepare for the last push of 2014. I don't know about you, but I have to ask the question about where has the year gone. Regardless, of where it has gone I can tell you that I am still more than ready to enjoy the balance of 2013. Doesn't really take much these days to get my mind racing in a few directions and maybe I'm about to drop something that really makes you think. Have you ever thought about where you are this very minute? Do you even realize that maybe 20 years ago you made some decisions that ultimately contributed to arriving at this very place? Digest that for a minute and just think about what has transpired over the course of your life. ‎What is it that you want? In your personal life? In your career? Within your family? “What most people need to learn in life is how to love people and use things instead of using people and loving things.” “If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.” Albert Einstein “Courage is simply the willingness to be afraid and act anyway.” Dr. Robert Anthony What is it that you need? Personally? Professionally? Spiritually? Within your family? Financially? “When we think of failure; Failure will be ours. If we remain undecided; Nothing will ever change. All we need to do is want to achieve something great and then simply to do it. Never think of failure For what we think, will come about.” Maharishi Mahesh “I don't want to earn my living; I want to live.” Oscar Wilde “Love is the ability and willingness to allow those that you care for to be what they choose for themselves without any insistence that they satisfy you.” Wayne Dyer What are you unwilling to do? What are you willing to do?‎ What do you wish that you were willing to do, but for one reason or another aren't able to? What's stopping you? “Any so-called material thing that you want is merely a symbol: you want it not for itself, but because it will content your spirit for the moment.” Mark Twain “You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need” Rolling Stones “The gift of friendship... a willingness to listen... a pair of helping hands... a whisper from the heart. That someone cares and understands.” Is there somewhere that you would like to be? Then why not get there?? Life is all about taking advantage of moments and the opportunities that are there for you. It's up to you to make the decision that you will embrace what's in front of you. Live a life ‎that is free of regret and no wondering 20 years from now what if or what could have been. It has always been your choice and only yours to live a phenomenal life, so what’s really stopping you. Enjoy the things that you love, love the people you enjoy, and do it all with a smile on your face. Positive thoughts breed positive actions and #positivemovementsforward will take you where you need to be. When you arrive at the intersection of your wants, your needs, and your willingness, you should be prepared to get to the next level. “What we call the secret of happiness is no more a secret than our willingness to choose life.” Leo Buscaglia

Thursday Night Thoughts on Living in this Moment 08/22/13

nickjr39206@yahoo.com Woke up this past Saturday morning and did what I needed to do in order to be strong for the people that needed me. This was definitely a Saturday filled with an abundance of love and hope as we attended the Homegoing Celebration for my Aunt Gail. I was moved to tears several times, and they weren't tears of sadness, but tears of joy that I was able to spend a part of my life with someone who was so loved. I can honestly say that I was blessed to call her my aunt. Hearing from her church members, former classmates, friends, and co-workers was just a reminder of the impact that her life had on others. I was touched by the words and also the act of kindness from the Lanier High School Class of 1970 who honored my aunt with a resolution as at least 20 of her classmates were present. After hearing reflections about my aunt and words from the pulpit, there were some things that stuck with me and got my thoughts going. 1). So what do you do when the thing that you fear most happens? Often times we have fear about certain things for one reason or another, but are we prepared after the thing we fear happens? Was the fear because we are unsure of how we should or will proceed? Our faith should provide us the necessary strength to embrace things and move forward. We can't forget that He wouldn't put more on us than we could bear. “Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future.” Fulton Oursler “Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing.” 2) In times of loss and sadness, where is your faith? This should be the time when we have the strongest faith, but often times we don't. 3) What a man says is not what he/she is measured by, but the fruits that they bear. This statement and ensuing words really had me in deep thought reflecting upon my own life. What type of fruit am I bearing? Good fruit? Bad fruit? How will I be remembered when the breath of life is gone from my body? “Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions. You may have a heart of gold -- but so does a hard-boiled egg.” “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.” James D Miles “I admire men of character, and I judge character not by how men deal with their superiors, but mostly how they deal with their subordinates, and that, to me, is where you find out what the character of a man is” Gen. H. Norman Schwartzkopf 4) What does friendship mean to you? I ask this question as one of my aunt's closest friends got up to speak about her and their friendship over the years. Thinking in this day and age that some often lose sight of how important friendships are to carrying us through the ups and downs of life. I know that for me I truly care a lot about those that I have chosen to call friend. Over the several weeks, I have been reminded about who my friends are and that they truly are there for me and my family. Constantly encouraged and supported through it all I know that my friends are a reflection of me. “A true friend is one who knows all about you and likes you anyway.” Christi Mary Warner “A friend is someone who helps you up when you're down, and if they can't, they lay down beside you and listen.” “Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.” Albert Camus With every second that we live, we are reminded about how we should enjoy every moment as we are not guaranteed the next. Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed with those that you care about and love. I challenge you to live the phenomenal life that was destined for you. Are you up for it? Remember positive thoughts breed positive actions and keeping #positivemovementsforward at the forefront of every thing that you do will take you to the next level in many areas of your life.

Sunday Night Thoughts on Recognizing Why its Perfect for You 08/11/13

On the tail end of another weekend and preparing to embrace another week. The weather wasn't as bad as it normally was here in the Valley and I almost enjoyed it, but my mind was elsewhere. When life happens it does and there's nothing you can do but roll with it. At any given moment you can choose to be an optimist or a pessimist as those are really your two only choices when dealing with anything. Even prior to Friday, there were quite a few thoughts floating around my head about a lot of things but I reeled them in a little as the word/concept of perfect stuck in my head. Tell me what you know about perfection. What does it mean to be perfect? What does perfect mean to you? Let me tell you what I was thinking initially based on conversations I have had with people about the perfect man/woman. Honestly, there is no such thing as a perfect person as we all have imperfections. As we learn about the imperfections in ourselves and in others it is possible to find a man/woman that is the perfect complement to the person that we are. If we are mature enough in the mind to see that we have already built a solid foundation to a successful relationship. “We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly” Sam Keen “We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love.” Tom Robbins I often hear people talk about doing something when things are right or the situation is perfect. That time is not in the future, but is in the very moment that the opportunity presents itself to think about making a move. Time waits for no man, and tomorrow is not promised so why is it that we don't believe that things aren't perfect in this moment? How much better can things get? Right now, you are alive, you are breathing, with sound mind and body, so why not take action to put you closer to where you want to be. There's no more perfect a moment than right now, because believe or not things couldn't be more perfect. “When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky” Buddha “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 Just as we are all unique in our own ways, our perspectives afford us an opportunity to see what is perfect in different ways. What are some things that you can think of that we all see as perfect no matter what? “A hug is the perfect gift; one size fits all, and nobody minds if you exchange it.” What about you seems to be perfect? If there is one thing that should be perfect, it should be your faith. Doesn't matter what you have faith in, but that should be one area that you have a belief that your faith in whatever is perfect. “The reason birds can fly and we can't is simply that they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings” James Matthew Barrie My thoughts were probably all across the board, but surely there was something here that may have made you take a deeper look at something you have experienced, are experiencing, or plan to experience in the future. My life isn't perfect and surely a large majority of my decisions haven't been perfect, but they have been perfect for the life that I am destined to live. As you move forward in this new week and prepare to get closer to living the life that is perfect for you and your family, I ask that you reach out to your family, friends, and loved ones as often as you can. No man or woman knows the day nor the hour when you won't be able to pick up the phone, send a text, or reach out to let someone know you care. I ask a small favor that you send up prayers for my family and extended family as we deal with the terminal illness of a loved one. Next couple of days are going to be rough and we are going to need the strength. Only thing that I know for certain right now that every thing that you want or need can be perfect for you if you: Live life, Be phenomenal, and remember #Positivemovementsforward always. “Just because nobody complains doesn't mean all parachutes are perfect.” Benny Hill “''Now'' is the operative word. Everything you put in your way is just a method of putting off the hour when you could actually be doing your dream. You don't need endless time and perfect conditions. Do it now. Do it today. Do it for twenty minutes and watch your heart start beating.” Barbara Sher

Thursday Night Thoughts on Getting There, Being There, and Staying There 8/1/13

Seems like just a short time ago it was July 1st and I can only ask where did the month of July go. Here we are staring right in the face of a new month and that much closer to closing out 2013. A mere 5 months remain and hopefully you are on track to hit all your goals for the year. Today was a great day for me as I started it in one of the best ways imaginable talking to my mother sometime around 4 am considering we are still nine hours apart. I don't know about you, but when I talk to my mother it seems like I don't have a care in the world. Must be something about being the 1st born child and knowing that she is always there for her baby boy.(Yup, I will always be my mother's baby boy) Over the last several months, I have been having a lot of good conversation with my family, friends, and extended family about what it means to be there for one another. Without question, life happens and in the midst of our living there are opportunities for us to be there or not there. There are a ton of different directions that I could take as I think about getting there, being there, and staying there that deal with so many aspects of our lives. Relationships? Career? Are you there yet? Where is there? Why do you want to be there? Where is it that you are striving to be? Who is there for you? Who are you there for? Why have you decided to be there? What does it look like to be there? Kind of interesting how I ended up asking myself these questions after making what appeared to be a simple phone call to wish Deacon Alvin Battle a happy birthday this morning. Here I was calling to celebrate his day, and he is asking me questions about what I am doing and why I was still holding back on sharing my talents with the world. Deacon Battle also left me with this nugget to think on; "Sometimes the blessed tend to be more selfish than selfless." Funny how even when you aren't around people, thoughts of you keep a presence in their lives. The same is probably true of you when people aren't around you. I am blessed in the fact that I know even when I don't believe I need someone that they are always there for me. It's a great feeling when you know that not if you need someone, but when you need someone they are there for you. Look around and ask yourself do you really know what's there? Are you appreciating the place where you are? Are you appreciating the people that are there with you? As you prepare for the weekend ahead, I can only challenge you to live life and be phenomenal. In everything that you do, don't forget the #PositiveMovementsForward lifestyle. “I like to think that the moon is there even if I am not looking at it” Albert Einstein “Somewhere there is someone that dreams of your smile, and finds in your presence that life is worthwhile, so when you are lonely remember it’s true, someone somewhere is thinking of you.” “For every beauty there is an eye somewhere to see it. For every truth there is an ear somewhere to hear it. For every love there is a heart somewhere to receive it.” Ivan Panin “There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart...pursue those.” Michael Nolan “Leaders establish the vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there; they cause change. They motivate and inspire others to go in the right direction and they, along with everyone else, sacrifice to get there.” John Kotter “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” Beverly Sills “There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” Denis Waitley “To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.” Jim Valvano

Sunday Morning Thoughts on What Are You Leaving 7/14/13

Another good week and I know for certain that I'm beyond blessed for many different reasons. The people that I have surrounded myself with continue to validate more and more what my purpose in life seems to be. I am truly humbled by what I appear to be called in the direction of. Life gives us all confirmation and reminders every minute of every day, but it takes the right mindset to see it at times. Not sending out the PQOD for two days was something I didn't think anyone would really notice, but boy was I wrong. I must say that yesterday afternoon I received an email from a young man named SJ and these were his words: "Nick, Lemme get some quotes man.. They still keep me on my feet man..." That message reminded me that I can't slack because I've fostered something over the last several years that has become a part of a lot of people's lives. I guess I forget that even this small thing does make a difference more than I realize. I guess timing is everything considering that there have been a few thoughts on my brain the last couple of days, and my interaction yesterday cemented that I was on the right path with my thinking. Not sure how I arrived here this week, but I started to wonder about what I might be leaving with people after every interaction. Or even what people were leaving me? I know a lot of us think about the impressions that we make on people and the impressions they make on us, but what about what we leave with people or what they leave with us. May take a little bit of thought to transition to this as we have been conditioned for so long to deal with impressions. As we mature we begin to think in terms of value for everything that we do, so it only makes sense to think of the value of every interaction. Are you following where I am headed it. In every aspect of our lives beyond an impression, we are leaving something behind with every action. Are you leaving something good/bad? Are you leaving something of value? Maybe even when we leave something behind still puts us in growth mode because we have learned to get by without something. Who knows, not leaving something behind is something that could be hindering us from getting to the next level. Is there something that you aren't quite ready to leave? Think about your career? Relationships? Your life period? I know that as I thought about these things how much clarity I received about what I have been prepared to leave in this life. I do know that most of the time I leave people with the thought of there is a reason why our paths crossed. A lot of times the reasons are confirmed at a later date, but nonetheless there is value seen in the interactions. Life is too short and I am thankful that I have learned to take full advantage of everything here. I strive to live so that there is mutual benefit for all of my relationships. While we all have different things to give/receive in this life, I trust that over time we are leaving the necessary things with the right people. So again, I ask what are you leaving with the world? What have you left As you prepare to start a new week and embrace new opportunities, I can only ask as always that you live life and be phenomenal. “Spread love everywhere you go: First of all in your own house... let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness.” Mother Teresa “The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he's always doing both.” James Michener “You never really leave a place or person you love, part of them you take with you ,leaving a part of yourself behind.” “Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.” Marian Wright Edelman “Traveling is not just seeing the new; it is also leaving behind. Not just opening doors; also closing them behind you, never to return. But the place you have left forever is always there for you to see whenever you shut your eyes.” Jan Myrdal “False friends are like our shadow, keeping close to us while we walk in the sunshine but leaving us when we cross into the shade.” Christian Nevell Bovee “The fatal metaphor of progress, which means leaving things behind us, has utterly obscured the real idea of growth, which means leaving things inside us.” G.K. Chesterton “Every person has the power to make others happy. Some do it simply by entering a room -- others by leaving the room. Some individuals leave trails of gloom; others, trails of joy. Some leave trails of hate and bitterness; others, trails of love and harmony. Some leave trails of cynicism and pessimism; others trails of faith and optimism. Some leave trails of criticism and resignation; others trails of gratitude and hope. What kind of trails do you leave?” William Arthur Ward

Hump Day Thoughts on What Have You Prepared For 7/10/13

Another weekend has come and gone and we are now on the top side of the 2nd half of the year. Now is the time to get things in gear if you aren't already geared to make your 2013 count. I love the fact that I have surrounded myself with people whose conversations always make me think and leave me with a feeling that it was time well spent. Over the weekend, I spoke with several individuals that reminded me of every moment preparing us for our next moment. It's funny how we can look back in time and now see the things that we were being prepared to do. I never would have thought when I was introduced to the Positive Quote of the Day in 2006, that my big brother VAT was preparing me to create a platform to inspire and touch peoples lives. It's funny that as I talked to Brother Thompson, he thanked me for sending out the daily inspiration as he has been sharing with others along the way. Needless to say, he wasn't surprised that one of my brothers, mentors, and closest friends had inspired me in away that I have taken to a whole new level over the years. There's levels to this thing we call life and opportunities for growth in every moment for us. To grow we have to be prepared for change, but that is something not every one has matured enough to do. I have to ask myself a few questions; What have I been prepared for? What have my past relationships prepared me for? What are my current friendships/relationships preparing me for? Most importantly what have I prepared myself for? Great questions to pose to myself as I begin to see things across the board a little more clearer. I often think about how many people wish to be positioned in a certain place in life, but aren't willing to take the necessary the steps to get there. Ever heard the phrase "luck is when preparation meets opportunity" or "everyone wants to sit at the table, but no one wants to do what it takes to get there." Just for example, we often hear that we are living in the NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND age, but how are we preparing the children to not be left behind? Are you yourself doing anything to prepare them? I guess I used that example considering my thoughts on life preparing me to make a difference in the lives of young people through mentoring. Life prepares you for a lot if you are willing to learn, but do you even see what life is preparing you for? Maybe you have been called to do something? Are you ready to answer the call? Or do you even see it? Do you have an idea of what you are preparing yourself for? Maybe the questions posed here made you think or even change your approach to a few things in the future? I know this for certain that you are prepared to live life and be phenomenal. The choice is yours and always has been. “If you want a place in the sun, you had better be prepared to put up with a few blisters” Abigail Van Buren “People only see what they are prepared to see.” Ralph Waldo Emerson “Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe “The door of opportunity is wide open if you are prepared.” “To be prepared is half the victory.” Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra “If you are prepared, you will be confident, and will do the job.” Tom Landry “A discovery is said to be an accident meeting a prepared mind.” Albert Szent-Gyorgyi “I am prepared to go anywhere, provided it be forward.” David Livingstone “It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.” Whitney M. Young, Jr

Saturday Evening Thoughts on Feeling Special 6/29/13

The first half of the year is just about complete and I can honestly say that 2013 has been one for the books. The last couple of days, I figured I was going to melt with temperatures peaking in excess of 116 degrees. I can't lie and say this wasn't another great week because it was. When I tell you what made it so great, you are probably going to be like wow I can see how that makes you feel that way. Believe it or not there are just a few things that really inspire me to live the life I live and my relationships with the special people in my life is probably the most important. The highlight of my week was talking to one of my nieces Thursday on her 9th birthday. Its actually funny that with all the stuff I have going on that when I woke up, my most important task on June 27 was making sure I set aside some time to visit with this amazing 9 year old. As I thought about it, with the exception of one year that I was out of the country, I have always shared some special time with her even if just over the phone on her birthday. While I am highlighting how excited I was to visit with her, I began to realize how often I take time out for those that I care about to recognize these special occasions. Define what special means to you. What does it mean to feel special? Do you ever feel special? Do you ever make others feel special? As I thought about those questions I began to think about people that I have encountered over the years and how they have been placed in my life. For me it basically broke down like this. 1) People who know me 2) People I know 3) People I associate with 4) Acquaintances 5) People I just be emailing, texting, Facebooking, or tweeting 6) Friends 7) Family Amazingly enough, over the years I have learned that a lot of the people I consider family don't even share the same blood with me, but they have proved to hold a special place in my heart. There's just something about the way people make you feel when you are around them that makes everything about the relationship seem special. Maybe there's a word or phrase here that inspires you to live tomorrow differently than you did today. I challenge you to create special moments with every opportunity that you have cause you just never know if the opportunity may come around again. Don't ever forget that you are special yourself. Live life and be phenomenal in all that you do. Hopefully you realize if you are reading this right now, that you are special to me for one reason or another. PositiveMovementsForward always! “To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.” Jim Valvano “Distance never separates two hearts that really care, for our memories span the miles and in seconds we are there. But whenever I start feeling sad cuz I miss you I remind myself how lucky I am to have someone so special to miss.” “Life becomes precious and more special to us when we look for the little everyday miracles and get excited about the privileges of simply being human” Tim Hansel “No matter what age you are, or what your circumstances might be, you are special, and you still have something unique to offer. Your life, because of who you are, has meaning.” Barbara De Angelis “The friends who grew up with you deserve a special respect- the ones who stuck by you shoulder to shoulder, in a time when nothing was certain, all life lay ahead, and every road led home.” “Will you ever? I don’t think you will ever fully understand how you've touched my life and made me who I am.I don't think you could ever know just how truly special you are that even on the darkest nights you are my brightest star.” Erica Jong “Never neglect the little things. Never skimp on that extra effort, that additional few minutes, that soft word of praise or thanks, that delivery of the very best that you can do. It does not matter what others think, it is of prime importance, however, what you think about you. You can never do your best, which should always be your trademark, if you are cutting corners and shirking responsibilities. You are special. Act it. Never neglect the little things.” Og Mandino

Sunday Afternoon Thoughts on Seeing Through the Blindness 06/23/13

Let's take a look at where we are right now; spring is in our rear view mirror, the beginning of summer is in our midst, and we are almost halfway through 2013. Surely, some of us have said that 2013 is going to be our year and that may be true if we strayed away from all things that didn't work for us in years past. I have probably had one of my best weeks in a long time and I think it has a lot to do with my family and extended family; Father's Day last Sunday, Big Brother & Sister T celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary, and my Sister Melle Mel appearing on The Price is Right. While I wasn't present for everything that was going on, it was beyond exciting just to know what they were experiencing. This past week I was reminded that sometimes you have to lose one of your senses in order to appreciate everything that you have in your life. How would we see things if we experienced some sort of blindness? Have you ever experienced a moment of blindness that helped you see things clearly? Losing sight even temporarily could possibly be one of the best things for our vision. What have I learned even if just only for me is that we are so dependent on what we see with our eyes that often times we fail to see the right things with our hearts and minds. We are very visual people, but rely solely on what we can actually see and touch. What about those things that we can't see and touch, where do we get our visions from? How well is your sight? What about your vision? Sometimes merely closing our eyes for a moment brings the right visions to life for us. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen and should never be far from your mind. As we move into a new week, I challenge you to appreciate your moments of blindness to learn more about where you are in life. You may see something that you haven't seen before in your career, relationships, and even within yourself. Position yourself to live life and be phenomenal as the #PositiveMovementsForward mindset will carry you through anything that life can throw at you. “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see” Mark Twain “Love is not blind; it simply enables one to see things others fail to see.” “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” Helen Keller “You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It's just a matter of paying attention to this miracle.” “I have always thought it would be a blessing if each person could be blind and deaf for a few days during his early adult life. Darkness would make him appreciate sight; silence would teach him the joys of sound.” Helen Keller “A blind man knows he cannot see, and is glad to be led, though it be by a dog; but he that is blind in his understanding, which is the worst blindness of all, believes he sees as the best, and scorns a guide” Samuel Butler “What spirit is so empty and blind, that it cannot recognize the fact that the foot is more noble than the shoe, and skin more beautiful than the garment with which it is clothed?” Michelangelo

Saturday Morning Thoughts on Being Worth the Investment 05/25/13

My, my, my I woke up this morning feeling quite a bit more refreshed than I have felt in awhile. Not sure what it was, but I feel like I don't have a care in the world right now. As I look around I can easily say, that things could be worse or so glad I don't have to deal with that. For about 2 weeks, there have been a few thoughts on my brain that I was struggling to wrap my mind around. So basically, I put some things down on paper and left them in draft status. The last 24 hours it seems like I have been in living in the midst of an ongoing epiphany revolving around this question, "Am I worth the investment?" Like most people that exist in the world today, there are so many ways of staying connected or in tune with what's going on. I have to ask, have you made an investment in something that is worth checking in on ever so often. If you know me and understand how much I value my relationships with the people that I care about, you know sharing my thoughts is therapeutic for me and its how I grow. Over time, I have learned that if I am not sharing my thoughts that I becoming stagnant with no growth. I have to thank my pro bono therapist Dora G for adding some additional insight on who Nick Jr. actually is.(Doesn't hurt that I have been a patient of hers since '96 lol) Here's an exercise that I am still working on, but is extremely healthy for your overall well being. Stand in front of a mirror and ask yourself, "Am I worth the investment?" Sit down with a blank sheet of paper and write down a list of things you have accomplished in life thus far and ask yourself, "Was it worth the investment?" And last, but certainly not least, count your blessings and you may realize that HIS investment was more than worth it. It's up to us to make the decision that whatever we choose to do is a worthwhile investment that gives us the return that we desire. We all have different reasons as to what, when, who, and why we invest our time, energy, and efforts into. What has been your greatest investment thus far? I would be willing to bet that your answer would be yourself, but I could be wrong. Would you believe that at some point in your life you have been someone else's biggest investment? The thing about it is that you have to be confident in knowing that you are worth the investment and then some at all times. When life happens, you learn a lot about yourself and those around you. I challenge you to go forward, live life, and be phenomenal. “Take time to gather up the past so that you will be able to draw from your experience and invest them in the future.” Jim Rohn “The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes. If you foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it. Your life will be impoverished. But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life.” Frank Lloyd Wright “If you want to be truly successful invest in yourself to get the knowledge you need to find your unique factor. When you find it and focus on it and persevere your success will blossom.” Sidney Madwed “Invest three percent of your income in yourself (self-development) in order to guarantee your future.” Brian Tracy “When you make a commitment to a relationship, you invest your attention and energy in it more profoundly because you now experience ownership of that relationship.” Barbara De Angelis “Invest in the human soul. Who knows, it might be a diamond in the rough.” Mary McLeod Bethune “The question is not whether we can afford to invest in every child; it is whether we can afford not to.” Marian Wright Edelman Sent from my Blackberry on the nation's best wireless network. Can you hear me now? #Boom

Sunday Evening Thoughts on Finding the Joy in Your Connection 04/28/13

Finally, an opportunity to take a break to relax and reflect on this Sunday evening. This was quite the long week with all the thoughts and emotions that were running through my head. Just one of those weeks that you are truly grateful for the problems that you do have as there are so many out here that have it worse than you do. From brain surgery of a member of my extended family to a motorcycle accident that left a young man I know in critical condition for several days, living the life you have was put in perspective for me yet again. At this point in life, I get my strength from my relationships with others. My mission now is all about finding the joy in the connections that I have. Have you ever wondered any of these things? Why did we cross paths? What is it I am here to learn? Or what is it that I'm supposed to be teaching? Or are we supposed to be building something together? Why this connection? Why now? I think back to a conversation that I had with a customer a little over a week ago that really brought things to the forefront about the connections we have. He came in to get his girlfriend's vehicle serviced and he was shocked to see that I remembered what both he and his girlfriend drove. He told me that he rarely remembers peoples names because he is getting up in age, but was surprised that when I see him I do reference our previous conversations as there was a connection there. The customer loves automobiles and has a vanity plate that says "CAR NUT" so he is not an easy one to forget. We have an appreciation for automobiles so finding the joy in the connection in this case was pretty easy. Lately, it seems like the majority of my conversations and thoughts have centered around our networks and relationships with others. I decided to peel back yet another layer of it all and figure out what is it about our different connections that bring them to life. You are probably like me in the fact that there are some connections that seem to come to life in an instant and stay that way all the time, and then there are others that are only alive in certain situations. Do you find joy in most of your connections? Is there pain in some? Why is that? Is it due to a lack of communication? Whatever the reason for your joy in any connection, do whatever you can to hold on to it and the feeling it gives you. Whether it be a smile, a kind word, or a listening ear there's always an opportunity to appreciate a connection. Seems like pretty simple stuff, but you would be surprised at how much we really do take for granted. If you haven't done so already take some time out find the joy in your connections and acknowledge people for what being connected them has given you. Believe it or not sometimes we go through life and never know what just being connected means to someone else. As you prepare to embark on a new week, I trust that you live life to the fullest and welcome the phenomenal things that life is sending your way. And if you didn't know it already, there is a tremendous amount of joy that I have received from being connected to you. “A hidden connection is stronger than an obvious one.” Heraclitus of Ephesus “Joy is not in things; it is in us” Richard Wagner “a good friend is a connection to life- a tie to the past,a road to the future,the key to sanity in a totally insane world” Lois Wyse “Joy is increased by spreading it to others” Robert Murray McCheyne “When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another - and ourselves” Jack Kornfield “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” Thich Nhat Hanh “Communication--the human connection--is the key to personal and career success.” Paul Meyer “There is no hope of joy except in human relations.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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