The world needs more billets-doux

A good friend of mine (she's actually more like a sister to me), sent me an exciting message the other day.  She was elated to find out the meaning of billet-doux (pronounced "bil-lay doo).  She asked me, "Why do you think that people don't participate in passing along billets-doux anymore?"  While she stomped me with that question, she did raise a very valid point afterward.  She stated, couldn't the Bible be considered a billet-doux?  After careful thought, I concluded that sure it could!

For those of you who don't know what the term billet-doux means, it is the way to say love letter in the French language.  The French started using the term sometime betweeen 1666 and 1675.  These "notes" were passed between lovers and good friends, as a letter of love could and should be shared with everyone that you feel the emotion for, whether it is romantic or plutonic.  While, the practice has lost its luster over the centuries, and especially in contemporary times (probably due to the invention of the telephone and the advancement of technology as it relates to computers- email in other words), putting it into practice again could begin the process of shifting those who lack the ability for whatever reason back to openly sharing love for one another, more often.  A billet-doux can be kept by the receiver as a reminder of another's affection, opening their minds and hearts to better understanding when their love one makes a mistake and could be used for reconciliation and repair of a previously damaged relationship. 

In addition, they could also be used to deepen the ripples of love that could be permeating in the hearts of a person that you admire, and since it is not practiced as often, could make you appear unique in a good way to the object of your affection.  Even a simple billet-doux with just a few well thought lines could carry you a long way in capturing the object of your heart's desire--and keeping them going could help you to build an unbreakable bond with each other. 

Back to the idea that the living word from the Holy Bible could be considered a billet-doux.  It could in fact be called this, as the good book is God's immaculate attempt to show us how much he loves us and wants a relationship with us.  He expresses his deep desire for us to be with him, by sharing the story of how he gave his only begotten son's human life, so that we could have the life that is required to be in his presence--to experience his love first hand.  Of course with any relationship, work is involved.  But in a standard love-based relationship between two humans, you are not given any specific instructions on how to strengthen that love.  God loves us so much however, that he has provided explicit instructions on how to develop the best kind of love affair imaginable--and that is one with him.  Further, we received a directive from the book of life to love each other as God loves us.  Why not fashion our methods after those of our mighty father.  Write a billet-doux or a letter of love to a special person in your life.  It doesn't have to be a boyfriend or a girlfriend.  It can be your mother, your children, or your next door neighbor.  Take the time to tell them why you love them and appreciate them.  Remind them of the great qualities you see in them, and your belief that they can reach any dream and overcome any obstacle.  Doing that will definitely make their day, and it will strengthen their love for you!

Tips for developing a successful mindset

People ask me all the time what I do to keep myself motivated.  They often say to me, " You do so much! How do you keep it all together? Aren't you afraid you won't stay motivated?  What happens if you fail?"  I say to them, "There's no way I can fail, if I keep going!"  After I say that, people tend to look at me as if I'm crazy!  They then proceed to tell me things like, "People are different, you are the type of person that has always gone after certain things, I am not like that." Or I hear, "Yeah, but you're more educated, or more outgoing, etc."

These people, as I once used to, have a defeating mindset.  I don't have that mindset anymore.  I trained myself to get past the negative things that we inherently tell ourselves.  For most people, when we have a big idea, we often talk ourselves out of going through with making them a reality because we allow the negative thoughts that will crowd our minds to take over.  I was one of those people, until someone unexpected told me that I could train myself to get past the negativity.  They pointed me in the direction of literature that explained how to do this.  This person gave me a list of old and contemporary literature pieces that I could read, and reminded me that the Bible says that, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he", Prov. 23:7.  And while we shouldn't need any other confirmation, than the words written in the Bible, there have been countless other literary works that have proven the point to be so.

Here are some tips that you can utilize to change your mindset, and in essence change your life!

• Tell yourself in the mirror, that you are deserving of great things.  Remind yourself often throughout the day that you are going to achieve great things....It takes on average 21-30 days for a person to form a habit.  If you get into the habit of telling yourself that you deserve greatness, then you will be sure to accomplish it!
• Focus your attention on the thing that you want to accomplish and take action!  Keep going until you get there!  There is a natural law that never fails, which says what you think about, you bring about...whether its positive or negative!
• Tune out those people who say you can't do it!
• Keep your head by following a specific plan that is going to get you what you want!  Action, is KEY to making your dreams come true!
• Expose yourself to things (literature, things on t.v., the radio, or the Internet) that are positive.  What you expose yourself to the most, is what your mind will determine is important for you to remember.  If it's all good, then so are you!

By doing these things, you will change your thinking.  You will turn the negative switch off in your mind, and activate the positive switch.  If you believe in what God says in the Bible, then you must know in your heart that you can't fail!  Finally, track your progress.  You need to see yourself reaching the goal- it motivates you to keep going!  Go right now to a mirror, and practice it!  If you are in need of money, say "I have more money than I know what to do with" to yourself, instead of saying, "I wish I had more money!"  Because if you keep telling yourself you wish you had more money, you will be doing just that...wishing!

If you are ready to make a financial change or any other change for that matter, it all has to be set in motion in your mind first!  

Cutting out the middle man



Money is all around you!  Just reach UP and grab it!

 When people think about entrepreneurs are only successful if they live in a huge mansion and drive a big car. They get their idea of a successful business person from television typically, where they see the finished product. Their favorite personality already has a huge home, can take fabulous vacations, and live as if they are a regular on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous!  They don't consider what the person was or how they lived before they became immensely successful.  Being an entrepreneur myself, I've heard this advice a million times, "You should go and get a job!"

What people don't realize, but should think about,  is what the true meaning of success is!  I am positive that you've heard someone say somewhere that they were successful because they had a job that paid good money, or they live in a nice home and drive a nice car.  Their home could be in a modest suburban neighborhood, and they may drive a Lexus (which is really just a luxury Toyota), and be able to shop regularly at the local mall.  Yet, they are seen as successful simply because they earn their living by going to a job where someone else pays them.

An entrepreneur who lives in the same modest neighborhood and drives an Infinity (the luxury Nissan), should also be counted as successful.  In fact, he should be counted more successful, because he has done something that the corporate person has not done...he's cut out the middle man!  There is no difference in how the entrepreneur and the corporate person get their money.  The corporate person reports to work, does his job, and gets paid by an employer....who was paid by someone else for the employee's work!  An entrepreneur also goes to work, does his job, but gets paid by his client directly.  

An entrepreneur doesn't have to share the fruits of his labor with a boss.  He is free to take it all for himself!  And as he continues to grow his business, he can create a corporate job for someone who's not confident enough not to hire a middleman to tell him what to do!  I mean most of us look for a company to hire us, and when they finally do, we've hired them too!  We've hired them to tell us when to come into work, and when to leave.  We've hired them to tell us how much they are going to pay us, and when we can take vacation.  We've hired them dictate a significant portion of our lives. When you look at it from this perspective, doesn't it make you want to cut out your middle man?

Make plans to be successful

Today, I was thinking about all the things that I have accomplished in my time on this planet.  I always hear people say, "I want to do this or that, but I don't know where to begin".  So my purpose today is to hopefully help you begin doing the "this or that" that you've always imagined yourself doing.  One of the things that set the "haves" apart from the "have nots", is their ability to plan their destiny effectively.  They follow specific steps in an effort to guarantee their success.  Even God made plans in the Bible, and began doing so in Genesis, right after he separated the heavens and the earth.  Here's the plan for man:
"Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth,” (Gen.1:26).

This verse and some others from the Bible have all of the elements of making an effective plan.  Here are the steps for you to remember and to follow:

• Step One: Identify your long term and short term goals.  In the verse above, God stated the short term goal, which was to complete the making of man in his likeness.  The long term goal, to let them rule over all the other "animal" beings on earth.
• Step Two: Figure out what you need and what it would take to set the plan in action: God figured that man needed to be created in his image in order to be able to effectively rule the animals. God visualized what he wanted man to be like and he got to work on making that vision a reality.
• Step Three: Determine what is standing in your way.  Of course, the Lord God, didn't have any barriers standing in his way.  But there is instruction given to us by Jesus which states, "For which one of you when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it", (Luke 14:28-32)? 
• Step Four: Take Action! There is a very familiar saying amongst those who are super successful.  They believe that you should plan your work, THEN work your plan!  Don't just talk about it, BE about it!  Act as if you are living your dream now as you are working for it.  Eventually, what you are dreaming of and working toward will come to pass.  The promise is there for you to read yourself in the living word.  It says, "In all labor there is profit, but mere talk only leads to poverty" (Prov. 14:23). 
• Step Five: Determine the success of the plan.  Everyone needs a way to determine if their plan is working.  You can analyze your plan from a financial standpoint for example.  Or you can use different tools, depending on what your plan and its purpose is to determine if it is successful.  You can create milestones- to look at the work that you have completed thus far and list the pros and cons of the things that you have implemented, or even a software program that plots the different tasks you have by level of importance, due date, etc.  If something in the plan isn't working, you don't have to throw it away altogether...sometimes all that is needed is a little tweaking!
• Step Six: If it keeps you from working on your plan, avoid it!  There are times when things will come up which will grab your attention, even if they have nothing to do with your goal!  It can be as simple as a friend calling with a juicy story, or your favorite t.v. show is on in a minute.  These are times when you will be faced with a decision.  Do you put off work that you need to be doing now to be a chatty Kathy with your friend or to tune into that t.v. show now, even though you will see it on youtube later?  The decision is always yours, but so are the consequences!
• Step Seven: Keep going until you make it!  The Bible also warns us about giving up too soon!   Galatians 6:9 says, "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."  So in essence you are obeying the living word when you keep going!  And if you are faithful, the promise is that you will reap from the seeds you sewed!

So now that the TRUE secret to being successful is out, what are you going to do to reach yours?  Are you just going to keep sitting there, or are you going to make plans to have something great happen?



Open your mouth!

People often forget the promise that if we ask, we shall receive.  They could care about something very deeply, but fear will keep them from sharing their conviction.  People in general, are often considerate of what people think and how they will react to them.  For this reason many of them don't open their mouths when they need to.

Due to their fear of not feeling that they measure up, people will miss many opportunities which may come their way that have a huge potential to enhance their lives significantly.  There are a plethora of avenues available in the contemporary world, where people could make huge spiritual, financial, or health conscious shifts to something better, but they feel they can't do it.  People are afraid of the idea of selling!  They want to run a successful business or do something else that they dream of, but they never take a leap of faith because they feel they are not the sales type.

What exactly is the sales type anyway?  Is a good sales person not someone who simply demonstrates their expertise about a product or service in order to help a buyer to make a more informed decision?  Are they not people who enthusiastic about what they do?  Do they not greet you with a smile, and work often to get you exactly what you need?

I am here to tell you that sales people are all around you!  The nice waiter at your favorite restaurant tells you all he knows about the new entrees on the menu.  He tells you which one he likes best sometimes, and more often than not, people go with the waiters choice.  Doctors and Lawyers are sales people too.  They sell you their knowledge of the body or the law, to keep you well and out of jail!  In fact, YOU are also a sales person!  You sold your experience, education, and other qualifications to get your job (even if now you realize that you hate it)!  You sell your friends on why they should shop in a certain place, or why they should  not use a certain product or service. In fact, most successful businesses get their start via word of mouth advertising!

So really, the only difference between you and a successful sales person is that they open their mouths and tell others what they have to offer, more often!  Good sales people practice having charisma, they study the ins and outs of what they sell, so that they can help you make a more informed decision.  They practice using their charisma and charm.  They make mistakes along the way just like everyone else, but they have the faith to keep on going until they have perfected the skill.  Consequently, they change their lives as a result.  You can do the same thing!  Set a goal for yourself and keep working to achieve it, being happy in the work, until you reach the goal.  Have the faith to step out of your comfort zone.  Learn what works best for you and what doesn't.  Before you know it you will be on your way!  After all, if you don't use it, you lose it- and you'll be stuck wondering what could have been.  Start by simply saying hello to someone.  It may seem hard at first, but just like riding a bike, it gets easier and easier.  You can do it!  Find that thing you want to do more than anything...and regardless of how crazy it may seem, get to work on finding the best way to sell it and then do it!  You will be so glad in the end that you did...and the faith you develop as a result will take you a long, long way!

The children are our future

When I was child, my parents pushed me always to be the best and most productive person that I could be. They encouraged me to get a good education. They taught me the value of a dollar. I learned that success came from hard work and the proper application of education and skills that I acquired through formal education and life lessons. While I did have a social life, my parents played a major role in the choices I made when it came to hanging out with certain groups and/or engaging in certain activities. My parents believed in supporting me and they also believed in solid and quality family time being spent with the children.

I believe that the foundation that my parents gave me afforded me the opportunity to grow up strong and with sound morals and values. And even though life can sometimes throw me major curve balls, my goal is to still hit them all out of the park! Being the mother of a teenage daughter, I am exposed a lot to other teenagers and I see the stark differences in the way I was raised, versus how a lot of them (not all of them) are being raised now. They are exposed to way too much inappropriate material by way of the television and radios. Parents sometimes take a less active role in helping them make good choices about who to hang out with and what functions to attend. Where I had to be inside my house before the street lights came on, I see children now of all ages being allowed to stay out til the wee hours of the morning. Left to their own vices, and to make adult choices with immature minds. I often hear parents complain about the task they are faced with in raising children. They say they are uncontrollable, stubborn, lazy, and sassy. When I ask these parents how much time they take up with their children, they say, they have to work long hours, or really can't afford to do much with them.

As a result, more and more children are making bad decisions. They are losing their desire to have more, to be better, stronger than the generation that came before them. Instead, they are regressing. They are backtracking and falling in those societal traps that are meant to imprison them mentally and eventually physically. They are becoming more violent, and have less respect for their bodies and their minds than ever before. It's alarming to see that children have such a different mindset than I did growing up. What's even more scary is that these are the people who will run the world when we are too old to do so. Answer these questions for in your mind:

Can you imagine what kinds of decisions that some of them will make as leaders?
How many of them will actually break from the bad habits they developed when growing up being mostly unattended?
Are you confident that the young people around you have a good chance of growing up to be responsible, caring, open-minded and positively driven to want to and put action behind changing the world for the better?
Are you sure they won't make it worse for you? When is the last time you asked a teenager what they wanted to be when they grew up? Did you ask them how they were going to accomplish their goal?
If your answers to these questions alarm you, then why don't you take some action too?

Try mentoring a child? Help to expose a them to something great that they wouldn't otherwise be. It doesn't have to be expensive, and it's very possible that you will be exposed to something that will change your life too! We must remember that we are taking care of our futures too, when we make sure that the children can see one. By preserving their quality of life, we preserve our own.

Everyone needs a good support system

Sometimes, people get angry and say, "I don't need you!"  And out of that anger, they sometimes push away someone that could really help them get to where they want to be in this life.  We sometimes say those words to a dear friend or family member, and because of our own selfishness, we lose the opportunity to reconcile with them, and cherish with them the last great moments that either they or we have on this precious earth.

Who are we to think that we need no one?  Who are we to believe that we can make in this world without asking someone for a favor, even if it's a stranger, and even worse, believe that we can get all that we want out of life without being of assistance to someone else. So many of us profess being Christians and doing our best to live by the example that Jesus set for us, but even Jesus couldn't fulfill all the tasks that our father laid out before him alone.  He needed 12 disciples to help him to get the job done.  Sure, he did do the biggest task on his own, which was to give his life so that we could have an everlasting one, but in Jesus' 32 short years on this earth, he was surely not going to be able to spread the gospel all over the world to the people present during his time, and most definitely, the task would have been impossible after life was removed from his physical body!

The same is true today.  Most of us wanted to do something special when we were children (and many of us still do as adults).  But without a good support system, its really almost impossible to accomplish a great feat.  Take Henry Ford for example, he had less than a sixth grade education, but he was able to revolutionize the automobile industry, and the foundation that he laid, still exists today in Ford Motor Company.  He didn't do it alone either!  He went out and found people who were more educated than he, and motivated them to get to work on his dream!  The same is true for Thomas Edison, who used a think tank to perfect many of his inventions.  When the founding fathers of the United States decided to become an independent nation, they called on regular citizens from the 13 colonies to hold back the British Army, and even though they were not skilled in the art of warfare, they defeated them and became an independent nation.  And there are countless others, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Ghandi, and Mother Teresa, just to name a few- who found people who believed in what they were trying to do enough to encourage them and even join them in their quest to accomplish great things.  

Your support system doesn't have to be just family, it can be friends, co-workers, and even strangers who believe enough in what you may be trying to do, that will want to encourage you, offer ideas, and in the best case join you!  The best thing is that you can seek out people in the same way, find out what they are passionate about and share your passion with them if you feel the same way about it.  Two heads are always better than one.  I encourage you to get started on that great feat that is rambling around inside of you, and keep searching until you find the people that will stand by you until you finish it!  You will be so happy that you did, and even happier to lend the same level of support to them!

Your Gift Will Open the Way for You and Others

"A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great." Prov. 18:16

Did you know that each one of us was blessed with a special gift to bring to the world.  We are supposed to use our gifts to do a profound work, one that should uplift and enlighten others.  A few weeks ago, I was having a conversation with a very dear friend of mine, who told confessed that they were wondering about what the true meaning for their life was and how they were supposed to make a difference.  This friend suffered a great tragedy, and said to me as we talked, "I wished I knew what my purpose for being on this earth is.  I want to fulfill that purpose, as now I realize that nothing material will truly make me happy."  I went on to tell her finding her true purpose is as easy as asking God to reveal it to her, and then to set about the task of looking for the answer to be revealed to her.  I did tell her to that once her gift was made clear, she had to immediately get to work on making a plan to share her gift with the world.  Some of us have some pretty obvious gifts...maybe you have a great singing voice, or the the ability to make people laugh.  Other gifts may not be so clear, or may not thrust you into a spolight right away. All true gifts from God that are possessed by people, will however, open the way for the giver, and puts him or her in the presence of other great people who will appreciate what they have to offer.  More than money, or anything material, a true gift when shared properly, will bring a peace and sense of satisfaction to the giver that no amount of money can compare to.  If you keep your eyes on what's really important, which is giving the best of yourself, and being infinitely thankful for every experience you have while sharing your gift, you will soon find that you will be changed for the better.  Those around you will notice the change too.  Oftentimes, they will be inspired to be better also.  This is how change in the world is really made.  It comes from people like you, realizing their higher calling, not being afraid to operate in that calling, and encouraging others to do the same.  Don't be afraid of finding out why you were planted in this earth, at this time.  If you keep the faith, your gift will not only put you in the presence of the great, it can will also help you to become one of the great!

Have we no compassion anymore?

What happened to the good old days, when people felt something for other people?  When families banned together with their neighbors in a time of need, and everyone helped everyone else out.  What has changed so much about the human race that we can no longer offer understanding to another who’s faced with a difficulty.  When we can’t help an elderly person by cutting their grass or even bringing them a hot meal?  What has happened to make ours a culture of such purposeful indifference, ignorance, and indecency- that we no longer care about the family that is losing their home, or helping out the person who has been looking for work for months with no luck, but instead pay attention to the most vile and clearly degrading, flagrant and subliminal messages that are thrown at us all day long?  How  can we return to the state of cultural cadence that we once knew?  What will our future be like without it?

On my journey to become the best person that I can be, I have become ultra sensitive to how often we take for granted the well known fact that having compassion for others is necessary in order to become the highest and best form of yourself.  It is the left arm of love, the one that is always eager to help another.  Compassion comes from passion, the kind that loves all mankind. Compassion is the passion of Jesus. It can be such a blessing too! Compassion is also a boomerang.  It will surely come back to you when you need it most, as all positive emotions can.  But the best part is that you can receive its full benefit with no strings attached…from a stranger- after only having done the one work of giving it to another.

Click here for an exciting work from home opportunity!

Just BE honest....

When you are building a relationship with someone, whether it is business or otherwise, honesty is the best attribute you can exhibit.  This characteristic builds all of those things that make a relationship work.  "Back in the day" as we so often say now adays, a person's word was usually all they had to stand on in order to get a job, credit, and even a date with someone.  While charisma and charm may take you a long way, if you are exposed for being dishonest, then the other attributes that you worked so hard showing off become dishonest too.  Unless you can own up to your dishonesty, after getting caught, then chances are, the relationship is damaged....and more often than not, it's damaged forever.


If you are going to brand yourself as being a person of integrity, then its important to be truthful from the very beginning.  Don't promise things that you cannot deliver.  Don't pump yourself up to be extraordinary, when you know you are not at a state where you can show that yet.  Don't worry about keeping up with the Joneses.  But most importantly, don't use the "things" that you have as a way of impressing someone.  At the end of the day, material possessions do not mean a thing, if your integrity is not in check.

Don't hurt someone's heart if you are not ready to commit to an honest relationship with them.  Don't string people along, making them believe something about you, that is really not true.  A person who becomes damaged by your lack of truthfulness can bring much more harm to you than you could to them in the end.  There is nothing wrong with saying, "I can not do this for you at this time" or "I am not ready for this kind of commitment", if you truly are not.  When you are honest with a sensible person from the beginning, you free them to make a better choice for themselves if they have to.  They will appreciate you in the end for giving them honesty, even if they are upset by it at the beginning.

By being the man or woman that God intends us to be at this moment, is the best way to win a client, friend, or an object of your affection's trust- and remaining true to who God wants you to be will help you to keep it.  Everyone in the world is not as interested in any shallow accomplishments you may have achieved, as they are interested in knowing what is truthful about your heart and soul.  So today, make the committment to God, yourself, and those living in this universe with us, that you will be honest.  Honesty is one of the strongest qualities you can possess to push you towards having the support of those you need in your life and the next step to enlightenment.

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