Grab onto opportunity now!

When you think of the word opportunity, what you see? Is there something that you've always wanted to do, but the time wasn't right? Somewhere you wanted to go, or something you wanted to say to someone? What if I told you that you do have the opportunity to tell a person how you really feel, or go where you really wanted to go right now!? Would you take the opportunity, or would you say that something ELSE has to happen in order before you make your move?

I am a person who once thought this way, and most of the people around me do too!  I had a shift in my thinking, and now the opportunity for me to do something right is always perfect!  Now is the best time to tell a person you love them, now is the perfect time to say good job to someone, now is the perfect time to be truthful, encouraging, charismatic, uplifting, financially responsible and everything else that you can think of!

Do the things that you would never do, get outside of your comfort zone!  If you do it for a good reason and with GOOD intention good things will happen!  What's even better is that if you do GREAT things for the good of others (and yourself), then GREAT things will happen too.  The thing is, you have to TAKE the opportunity, that you've always had to do them. Forget about your current situation, don't worry about the money...sever your emotional attachment to things, and pursue all good opportunity from a place of love and faithfulness, and you can't go wrong!  

The thing to remember to is that taking opportunity and doing bad with it, will also yield bad results.  And sometimes the effects of a good opportunity may yield results that seem bad at first.  You need these experiences, so that they can teach you to be faithful and steadfast to the journey, more than anything else.  And even if you get bad results, opportunity is there to turn them around and MAKE them good!  

Finally, the only thing that keeps opportunity from working at all, is a person not even lifting up to grab a hold of it.  So let's make today about that.  Looking opportunity square in the face, and saying, "I am going to take you, and do great!"  Opportunity is the only way to live the life you want to live!  This link is a great way to do it!  So what are you waiting for!? Grab Your Success Now!

You can find the Savior in your work!

As children we dream, and we often dream really big!  We aspire to do great things or to help a lot of people.  If we believe that we don't have enough as children, then we tend to hope for having enormous wealth in our adult lives.  Some of us will even begin to map out a way as children to live our dreams.

But as we get older and it is necessary for us to take on responsibility, we can start to become disconnected to what's really important and as a result, we lose the memory of the dreams we had as children.  Our minds become so cluttered with things of only surface importance and we can even forget how to dream.  While in this dreamless state, we often do one of two things: Either we become so complacent that we simply settle for the life we have (though subconsciously it's not the one we want), or two we get restless enough about our situation to make a change.

I have found myself representing both groups in the past. Being a part of the latter group is what changed my life for the better. The biggest dissatisfaction that I had with my life way back then was that I wanted to work for myself. I wanted to be able to live life on my terms all the time. My biggest fear was that without a job where I depended on someone else to write my paycheck, I would wind up with nothing, being forgotten by the world. Until one day, while working at the worst job I have ever had, it hit me! All of the anguish I had while working there was a lot of work! I was tired all the time. I didn't still didn't have all the things I wanted, and there was nothing that the company I worked for was going to do to change that. Those were my problems, not theirs.

I was able to rationalize with myself and say, "Hmm...if you are going to work hard for someone, let it be for yourself!  What do the people in charge here have that you don't have or can't get?"  I took a giant leap of faith, and here I sit.  A successful business owner, working way successfully through a multitude of projects.  I am now happy to get to bed late at night, and can rise early in the morning refreshed, because I decided to go out and do what I love.  We get so caught up focusing on the results of something, that we never realize what a wonderful journey we took to get there!  Sure, I have made mistakes and will undoubtedly make more...its okay...because I am doing what I love to do it doesn't feel like work...and even if it did, it sure still beats the heck out of "working hard" with anguish and disgust for someone who doesn't appreciate it.  As long as you remember that you can take God on your journey, wherever you choose to go- you will find that arriving at the destination is not nearly as enjoyable as is being touched in a powerful way by our Lord and Savior because you "worked" to get there.

Look for your blessings and then count them!

Happy Monday!

Here in the town that I live in, it's a beautiful sunny morning.  There are wonderous things happening all around me in nature, and I appreciate every sight, smell, and sound.  If you can see the glory in watching the trees sway slowly in the wind when there is no breeze in the air, you are watching a blessing from God. The person jogging down your street each morning, listening to their i-pod and glistening sweat is a blessing from God.

Most of the time we look for God's blessings to be of a material or financial kind.  We are so busy working hard to get the latest "thing" that we don't even take the time to be thankful for having the opportunity to work for it....that is the real blessing from God.  Being able to share something wonderful with another human being, whether it be financial, spiritual, emotional, or otherwise- the blessing is in the sharing. 

We also expect God's blessings to just fall in our laps sometimes.  The chances of this happening ALL the time are slim to none.  Now let's look at this from a different perspective.  Say that you DID want to be blessed with a car, and if fell into your lap--chances are you wouldn't be able to drive it right away....the blessing would then become sort of a curse, even if it is only temporary because somehow later, you regained the use of your legs.  Is it not much better to GO and SEARCH for the car you want, and once you find it, you can do what you need to do to obtain it, and drive it away?  I like this idea much better too....

So my message today is to consider, putting in work, and searching for your blessings instead of waiting on them to come to you.  Blessings are all around us, floating right by us-  we just have to seek the ones we need and put in work to get them.  There is reward in the search afterall too.  The appreciation for the thing you yearn for is much more prevalent when you go out in search of it- the work helps you to develop a deeper connection to it...and to God, who helped to see you through the work...the blessing becomes much sweeter!

Positivity Is Contagious....

I love being a positive influence on others!  It makes you feel so good when someone comes to you and says, "Hey!  You made a great impact on me when you did....and because of you I am now doing...Thanks!"  If you've ever heard the saying, "You become like the five people that you spend the most time with", then chances are you agree with the statement.  Before I was the happy go lucky blogger whose desire is to bring a little sunshine to your day, I was the pessimistic "is this all I will ever amount to in life" person.

I used to wonder why nobody wanted to be around me, and now I am glad to know that there are people who want to be like me.  I am possessed with the full belief that it is because I changed my perception of my own life.  I made the decision to be a happy and motivated person.  While my decision was an internal one, the external results have been so tremendous.

People now look forward to seeing me, to being in my space.  They ask me what they need to do to get some of the joy they see in me.  They want to do what I am doing. They want to stick with being positive energy because they see that I try to stick with it, even when the going gets tough.  Being positive has brought me plenty of surface opportunities that I appreciate.  But the one that I appreciate the most is the opportunity to spread positivity to others and watch them strive to pass that positivity on to someone else.  It simply makes my life more worth living.  I know for sure that the line in the peom is true, "That when you let your own light shine, you unconsciously give others permission to do the same!"

My commitment to myself....

A friend and I have been having an ongoing conversation about stress and unwanted baggage.  We've been talking about why she can't seem to let go of all the stress and unwanted baggage that she has.  She is always asking me why I don't seemed to be as stressed as other people around us.  She asks me why is it that I seem to cope with things, even death, differently than most other people.

I tell her that I made a commitment to myself.  I made a commitment to just do my very best every day in every situation, if I can.  I am not always successful, as I am not a perfect being.  But I have learned to be aware of my feelings and I am committed to making a conscious effort to be sure that they are not misguided.  I spend a lot of time (as much as I can get) communicating with God, my higher source of power.  I am also trying really hard to respond in difficult situations with a calm, respectful, loving, and enlightened approach.

Instead of letting my angst get the best of me, I try to think of ways to beat it.  Practical ways that everyone can use.  For example, if I have a lot of things to take care of in a short period, I assess my tasks and delegate where I can.  Its much easier to follow up on the progress of some jobs than it is to try and do 100 of them simultaneously by myself.  If I am involved in a verbal conflict, sometimes I find it ends sooner, if I do the listening instead of all the talking.  Finally, no matter how I am feeling, I always steal a little alone time for myself to sit and let my mind relax and also to be thankful for all that I have and for having the chance to chisel away on the work in progress that is myself.

This commitment I made to myself is one of the first steps I took in looking at life and my place in it from a better perspective.  I am happy to renew my commitment with each passing day, knowing that it will help me to be a happier, better person this instant, than I was a second ago.

He's Been the Best!

Dad, you've been the best!
You've given me love,
Encouragement,
Advice.
You gave me
Healthy Punishment,
Understanding,
Confidence,
Belief in God,
Belief in myself.
You've helped me
To unlock my own power and
Shown me how to share
My Light with the World!
I love you Dad, Happy Father's Day


"Black Neck Tie Car Magnet""Black Neck Tie Bag"

Develop This Mindset and You can Accomplish ANYTHING!

Not too long ago, I was the epitome of a pessimistic person. I always saw the glass as being half empty.  And things always went as I expected them to go, horribly!  I bought into a lot of other people's bad experiences as well.  I churned other people's problems over in my head, taking their issues and making them mine.  What did that get me?  You guessed it!  More bad feelings...about myself, other people, and the world.  

Until one day, a really nice woman, a good friend, gave me a CD to listen to at a meeting.  She encouraged me and all the other people present at that meeting to listen to the CD, and to reflect on how it made us feel afterward.  I am not sure what the others who listened to the CD thought, but I was inspired!  I decided then and there that I was going to change my thinking, to see if it would help me to change my life!  It was hard at first, but practice makes perfect!  The CD was a part of the Success Magazine (isn't it awesome to be able to subscribe to a magazine and get a free CD each time with it?)!  The CD was called "Sales Success with Chris Wallace".  I know what you're thinking...."A sales CD? I'm not in sales!"  That's perfectly fine!  You don't have to be!  These 12 affirmations can lead you to the success you seek, regardless of what that is!  Commit to putting these in your memory bank and use them at every opportunity!  I am sure that a whole new world will be opened unto you, one that you will thoroughly enjoy!

1. I am always optimistic!

2. I have vision!

3. I always pursue personal growth!

4. I welcome competition's push!

5. I relentlessly pursue excellence!

6. I am on a quest for leadership!

7. I am leaving an awesome legacy!

8. I prioritize and execute!

9. I focus on building relationships!

10. I don't make excuses!

11. I understand that "good" is the enemy of "great"!

12. I dare to dream!

Let's Make Being Nice the way to be....AGAIN!

My sister and I were traveling to our local fitness club to work out.  We were making a right hand turn, but had to stop at the red light in front of us, as there was traffic zooming through the intersection during the mad evening dash home from work that so many Memphians participate in.  While we were sitting and waiting, another driver, a woman talking on her wireless phone decided that she was going to go around us and she almost hit us!  Instead of her apologizing to us for almost damaging our car, she instead yelled at us, calling us every obscene name that she could think of.  She was so busy yelling at us, that she ran  the red light that we were sitting at and almost hit another car.

I immediately pondered the question, "Why did the woman act that way toward us?"  We were following all the traffic rules and we were not being nasty towards her.  I thought to myself, maybe the woman was upset about something else and took it out on her.  Maybe she hadn't learned any manners growing up.  I was always raised to be polite to others and in my adult life I have been really focused on how I treat other people.  I try to go out of my way to be good to people and to help them out.  I thought, if the woman had simply honked and asked if we could let her by, then I would have happily obliged her and there would not have been an issue.

In contemporary society, where there is already so much negativity, it would be great to see more people be nice.  There are so many perks to having  a positive and pleasant attitude towards others.  Most people never get what they want in life because they don't want to ask for it.  Many young people that I have these pleasure of speaking with, say that being nice can get them accosted by their peers.  I am now asking the question, "When did it become taboo to show courtesy and respect towards another human being?"  When did we start allowing it to be okay for bullies to hurt people and get away with it?  At what point is it okay to spread rumors and lies about celebrities (without even considering how it will affect their children) for the sake of making a buck?  

Even though, there are some who don't think that being nice will take you far in this life, I am a firm believer that it can take you very far.  After all, employers are not going to hire an unpleasant person.  Unpleasant people can be arrested if they are less than cordial to the police.  Being mean spirited can make you lose your friends and loved ones very quickly as well.  We have all seen it happen, and we wish that we didn't have to deal with unpleasant people, regardless of the circumstances.  I call upon all of you to help me to make being nice hot again!  By being nice to someone you don't know, you could very well change their perspective on life.  Our being nice to someone, just may give them the will to keep on living.  But we will never know unless we try.  With that being said, I am going to set out tomorrow, being even more passionate about being even nicer to people.  As I do so, I hope to inspire you to do the same thing.  

Two Ears and One Mouth

A few days ago, I received a phone call from someone asking my opinion about something.  I was trying to share some information with the person, and made one statement, that they didn't fully understand.  Instead of allowing me to explain my statement, they immediately became agitated and kept getting cut off during our talk.  The person wanted to debate everything after that, and really wouldn't let me get a word in edge wise.  My initial response was to become upset and try to "keep the floor" by speaking louder and faster.  But then I remembered something that I learned a while ago that helped me to change my perspective in this particular situation.  I remembered that I had two ears and only one mouth. 

Once I remembered that, I was able to calm myself down and listen to the other person's perspective. Granted, they gave me a perspective on what "they believed" to be true and then ended the conversation, believing that we had engaged in a fair exchange of knowledge (when I all I really said was hello)!  I went on about my merry way, thinking, how could I have made that conversation better.  What could I have done differently?

Well, I finally got my answer today!  That same person called me, and to my surprise, with an apology!  They said that they regretted they had not listened to me, as they were working on a project with another group for a college course.  The person stated that instead of disagreeing with me about the one statement that I made in our first conversation, they were quick to condemn me because my view wasn't their view.  They were thinking about the topic from an emotional standpoint, forgetting that in college coursework, a lot of time you have to have an objective point of view.  Another person in the course, whose project was about the same subject, did showcase a difference of opinion, but the student found scholarly articles to challenge the opposing point of view.  That person received a better grade than my friend, with a message from the instructor written on it in big red writing, "You have not supported your opinion with scholarly information, nor have you presented a difference of opinion, to show both sides of your argument!" 

My friend was given the opportunity by the instructor to do the assignment again, in an effort to try and get a better grade.  This time, SHE was the one who had to remember that she has two ears and one mouth for a reason.  While we are all experts on some subjects, we still have to be respectful, and listen to other points of view regarding that subject.  If we drown out what our two ears are hearing because we have an uncontrollable urge to use our mouth, we can miss out on some major blessing and we may not always get the chance to have a "do over"!

The American Dream

Good afternoon readers,

I started this Saturday out as I usually have for the past few months, and that is by spending quality time with my daughter.  She's at that age now where she's learning how to drive, look for a part time job, and she's starting to think about what she wants her future to be like.  For some time now, I have been telling her that she can do anything that she wants to do in life, as long as she is not hurting herself or anyone else.  I also ask that she not break the law and to be a good person.  

My sweet daughter does not know exactly what she wants to do as of yet, but she does have many great talents and character traits.  She's musically and artistically inclined, athletic, intelligent, sensible, and honest (sometimes brutally)!  She also wants to enjoy being a kid as long as she can.  She sometimes feel caught in a tight spot when she discusses her future with her dad's side of the family.  They are all accomplished in what I like to call "typical" high-yield occupations.  There's a risk manager, a doctor, and a few federal workers.  They try to convince her that the only way to be happy in this life is to play it safe.  Get a "good paying job" with "benefits" and conform to the standard of living that was once thought to be the way to get the American dream.

I teach her differently, because I see differently.  If my daughter's dream is to become a pop sensation, why is that wrong?  If she dreams of being the best high school janitor she can be, why is that wrong?  Who did the original idea for what many believe is the American dream come from?  Who's ever really described what it is supposed to be?

I went to college and earned a masters degree.  I thought that getting a great job with "benefits" was going to help me fulfill the whole in my heart where happiness was supposed to be.  I worked so hard to get those pieces of paper, and I even found a few good  jobs.  I still was not happy and feeling like I had found my true purpose in life.  I have sense come to believe that I can be successful and filled fulfilled, by sharing a positive attitude and outlook in the world by sharing good information, my skills, and my life in hopes that it will inspire someone else to be the best that they can be.  In my quest to do that, I will in turn receive the best things that are needed for me in my life abundantly.  I will do that by blogging, writing, and using video to practice and perfect my craft, hoping that the world will enjoy my gift to them.  That is my American dream.  And I hope ultimately my daughter and all of you decide that by giving the best of yourself to the world is the only way that you will get the best from it.

Love,

Kaye