INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"There is a law in psychology that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be, and you keep and hold that picture there long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking."  -William James

You're The Photographer

Most people, when they have their camera in hand, take snapshots of other people or things. The focus is on anything and everything outside themselves. What many don't realize is that they also have a super high-resolution camera in their minds.

The words of William James are not new. They've been said before in many forms, i.e. "As a man thinketh, so is he," or "You are what you think about all day long," or "A man is what his thoughts make of him."

By simply framing a

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INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it!"  - Anonymous

Which One Are You?

Some of the best minds suggest that when you have a dream, you should keep it to yourself. You should set about quietly achieving your dream, but without sharing it with others. Their reasoning is that when you share your lofty goal, you open yourself up to the ridicule and criticism of those who say, "It cannot be done." This is distracting, and can negate your efforts.

Avoid the crowd who says, "It cannot be done." Instead, spend time alone giving your dream a form. Imagine what it will feel like when your dream has been achieved. Picture it happening. Decide what actions you must take to set your dream in

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INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Until one is committed there is hesitancy,
a chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.
Concerning all acts of initiative and creation,
there is one elementary truth,
the ignorance of which kills
countless dreams and splendid plans.
That the moment one definitely commits oneself,
then Providence moves too."  - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

The Rich Get Richer

In "Rich Dad's Guide to Investing," the author talks about taking risks. As an example, "Rich Dad" says, "There is risk driving a car. But driving the car with your hands off the steering wheel is really risky." With regard to driving a car, his point is easily understood.

His real message, however, goes a little deeper. He's really speaking of the risks people

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INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle."

- Father James Keller (1900-1977)

Got A Light?

We all love a compliment. Your manager says to you, "I noticed that your last sale was handled very smoothly. Thanks for offering your customer such excellent service!" Your wife or husband tells you, "I'm so proud of the way you encourage our children!" Your grown child returns home for a visit and says, "Thanks for making it possible for me to get my degree!" Those are "feel good" times, aren't they?

If you live a more or less normal day-to-day sort of life, compliments are always welcome, but aren't absolutely critical to your sense of well-being. You don't have to get them to make it through the day. If you are

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INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true."
-James B. Cabell

THE SKY IS FALLING . . . NOT!

"The glass is half-full." "The glass is half-empty." "Looks like a beautiful day!" "I think it's going to rain." "I'm happy." "I'm depressed." "I'm an optimist!" "How can you be an optimist with things the way they are?"

OK, we all know the difference between an optimist and a pessimist - right? In some of Steven Covey's material, he states that "no one knows enough to be a pessimist." Pessimism, more often than not, is generated by inner fears, most likely fears "of the unknown." Hence, "No one knows enough to be a pessimist."

Consider the child about to learn the art

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INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Whoever gossips to you will gossip of you."
- Spanish Proverb

JUDGE NOT . . .

You know the type - there's a gossip in everyone's life. It may be a friend, an acquaintance, or a total stranger. Regardless, it is the person who shares with you any amount of information about another, either about what they have accomplished, or more often, what they have not.

Why does a gossip perform his or her service so readily? Self-aggrandizement is often the culprit. Knowing such valuable information about another as to be able to share it, reasons the gossip, reflects favorably on the provider of such knowledge. In fact, however, gossiping is nothing more than the act of judging others.

When a friend passes judgment on another, might it

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INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us."
- Marcel Proust"

ON MY HONOR . . . !

The Boy Scouts have long espoused the same set of principles. It goes like this: "A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent." How simple life could be if we all practiced just that short list. Each in itself denotes a wonderful trait. When put into action, all can make the world a better place.

So, what happens between the age of scouting and age 30, 50, or 75? How is it that we turn from being a friendly 12-year-old to a suspicious, stand-offish adult? How do we turn the corner from being…

 

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"I keep waitin' for my ship to come in, but all that comes in is the tide."
- Lyrics from "Hard Time Losin' Man" by Jim Croce

THE WAITING GAME!

The well-known Nike commercials have hammered into our heads the phrase "Just do it!" Regardless of how you view their advertising, there is magic in the words "just do it." The real key to the message is "doing it," a.k.a. taking action. Anything you have ever desired is available to you if you will it.

Now, consider those who are constantly washed over by the "tide." Note that the lyrics in Jim Croce's song say, "I'm WAITING for my ship to come in . . ." and then, "but all that comes in is the tide." That sounds like a victim's lament, as in, "Oh poor me, here I am ready and excited,…

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"The path you're on looks different when you turn around." 
- Cynthia Copeland Lewis

LOOK BACK TO THE FUTURE!

Life has been described as a path, a direction in which we travel over time - rather than a single event. Each of us gets to choose the direction our path will take us. By making those choices, we also clear the way to achieving the objectives we've set for ourselves.

When we fail to choose the path we will travel, that is also a choice. In that case, the path we travel becomes less distinct with more twists and turns than we would have liked. Each side path we encounter tempts us to change direction. Lacking any roadmap of objectives we might have chosen, we often end up somewhere - else.

Regardless of the quality of

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