A lot of folks hitch their star to that of someone in a powerful position with the hope that the powerful person will pull them into a successful future. These people no longer have a personal set of values and foundational principles. They sold them for the values and foundational principles of the one they’ve hitched their star to. When asked, who are you, they don’t know. Those who choose to figure it out for themselves discover more deeply who they are and what they value. They may not make it to the red carpet, but they have something much more valuable. They are authentic, real, and chiseled by their own hand.
think
Something to Think About
Winter hasn’t arrived, yet, I’m already looking forward to spring. I have a bit of a wait. Spring is the stuff of hope. It is the stuff of new life, new dreams, and the start of new adventures. We all have winters in our life. The winters in our life are the periods of waiting, holding on to hope, and believing that which we can’t see, will once again happen. Winter requires us to have faith that spring will return. Winter requires us to have patience. Winter requires us to trust the inevitable flow of life. We may as well accept winter and roll with it. I’m going to try to that, but I’ll keep an eye open for signs of spring.
Something to Think About
It puzzles me why some get depressed when they can’t have what they want. Why get depressed when life offers so many other options and opportunities. I recall a moment when a great disappointed happened to me. An old man took me aside and said, “Ray, you’ll get over the disappointment, better things are waiting for you. Try thinking about how you can make this disappointment work for you.” I didn’t seek his advice, he gave it freely to me. I took it and it made all the difference. I learned life is filled with options and opportunities . Some days I get what I want, other days I don’t. Opportunities abound, I only have to search for them.
Something to Think About
Some days I think about my dad. He was tough and I had to walk a straight line. Most times it was only the look and I knew I was about to cross a line from which there was no return (LOL). I remember the thousands of times he tossed a football to me. I remember being taught how to hit a curve ball. I remember going into the swamps to pick blueberries (I always ate more than I picked). I remember going into the woods in the fall to search for mushrooms. He only got to the 8th grade when his dad died. He quit school to go to work to help support the family. He wasn’t perfect, but what he gave me far outweighed any father-son hangups I may have collected. Here’s to you, dad! Cheers!
What If . . .
What if you dared to ask, ‘why not?” You’d quickly change the conversation. Some will take offense that you dared challenge the status quo. Others will stop and think and begin to look for solutions. When I was young our Sunday meal was always macaroni and meatballs with chunks of pepperoni cooked in the sauce. It smelled wonderful as it cooked all morning on the stove top. I still recall the taste. No one thought of asking why not have something different That is, no one thought of asking why not have something else until my dad needed a triple by-pass and the doctor told him to change his diet. Why not is a good question to periodically ask. It forces us to challenge our fixed way of thinking.
Something to Think About
A cold front raced through south Texas yesterday plunging the temperatures nearly 30 degrees. The morning chill let my neighbors and me know winter is not going to skip us this year. It will be a short winter compared to northern areas (that’s good). It is a good reminder that things change. There’s not much we can do about many of life’s changes except to adapt, adjust, and learn to roll with it. When we fight things we can’t change, we waste our emotions and energy that could be better spent working on things we can change.
Something to Think About
You ever had a day when nothing seems to go your way? I have. I’ll look back and say, ‘I didn’t see that one coming.’ Whatever it was, it came roaring in like a runaway truck cascading down a steep mountain grade. All one can do is hold tight knowing it’s going to be a wild ride. It eventually ends and makes way for the days where everything falls into place. Both kinds of days are part of the fabric of life. They happen. Some days we dance and other days we run for cover.
Something to Think About
It’s a poor bet to delay going after our dream. No one knows how long their life will be. When we decide to wait, we’re betting that whenever we set out to chase the dream, everything will be set and the timing will be perfect. One thing we can count on, there will never be a perfect time to chase the dream. There will always be mountains in our way. The sooner we set out to climb our mountains, the sooner we’ll realize our mountains are not so tall, and we’re well on our way to our dream. Don’t deny yourself the chance to go for your dream by delaying your decision. Now is the time. Where you are at is the place. It’s the perfect time to start.
Something to Think About
When I walk through my neighborhood I notice that some folks have no room in the garages to park their car. Their garages are packed with stuff. There is a deep sense of clutter. I’m sure they have a mental organization set that allows them to find any small item amidst the chaos. It’s the same way with our closets. We collect clothes that we never wear. The clothes hang in our closet unused, collecting dust. It’s the same way with our minds. We collect useless information and let it clutter our minds. Is it time to toss away the stuff that clutters the garage, attic, or spare room? You’ll feel better as you clear the stuff that clogs up your garage, attic, spare room, and mind.
Something to Think About
If we’re always asking permission or seeking approval are we really free? When ask permission or make decisions based on what we believe others like, we forfeit our freedom. We end up serving many masters and never serving ourselves. There comes a time in life, where one has to assert one’s independence. Asserting our independence is a courageous act. On one side of the coin when we assert our independence we risk alienating those close to us. On the other side of the coin we act independently and take responsibility for our actions. We have to live with the consequences. We can’t lay the blame for failure on others. Are you ready to be free and no longer seek approval or permission before stepping out?
