Let your talent speak for you

“When your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt.”

~ Henry J. Kaiser

If you are talented at something and people validate your talent through their words and gestures, don’t make the mistake of ruining their opinion of you by opening your mouth. The only way to excellence is to consistently improve yourself every single day. The real challenge to this statement is HOW do you change yourself. What methods do you need to incorporate into your life to be the best you can be? There are many excellent books written about this subject. Read some and learn from them and start becoming the person you thought you could never be – someone who others admire for their talents. Then, you won’t need to tell everyone how great you are; they’ll be able to see it in your silence. Remember, we have two ears and one mouth. Therefore, we should listen twice as much as we speak. Let your talent shine on through you and on to others without any words spoken. Create it today!

Creation Creature

Special thanks to Tim Coffey for use of his illustration.

Shaping your world

“This is your world. Shape it or someone else will.”

~ Gary Lew

Most of us spend our lives in reaction mode. We sometimes do things without giving much thought to the consequences. But you can change this habit and begin taking control of your life. Your destiny belongs to you, and you only. If you don’t choose your own paths and methods for arriving at your desired destination, then someone or something else will. Take charge of your life everyday by structuring it with a list of goals that are attainable and feasible for you to reach. Get others involved who can support you in any way possible so that you are more able to get where you want to be in life. Choose people who can be trusted, who are loyal and devoted to helping you reach your goals. Then, together, you will shape your  own life WITH their help and not BY them. Once you begin doing this, your passion and soul energy work together to give you the tools to create an extraordinary life by YOUR design. 

Magic Mushrooms

Special thanks to Tim Coffey for use of his illustration.

Time is life

“If you love life, then don’t waste time; for time is what life is made up of.”

~ Bruce Lee

Ever since I saw Bruce Lee in his pinnacle role in “Enter The Dragon,” I have been a huge fan of his. He was an incredible human being. He was smart, strong, creative, clever, philosophical, honest, a family man, a devoted husband, a good actor, and a true master of the martial arts. His life as an athlete, martial arts expert, actor, businessman was no mystery because millions of people were able to see his body of work. His short-lived life was a great mystery though. Fortunately for his fans and followers, his work still lives on through recorded film. Most of us don’t have this ability to effect so many people for so long like Bruce did. Live your life in such a way that people will remember you even after you have expired from this world. What can you do that will make people always keep you in their minds and hearts as long as they live? Be yourself always. Improve yourself always. Be sure and make the time to always do your best to show how much you love the people who matter the most to you. Time is limited; love isn’t.

Bruce Lee w/ his son Brandon Lee and wife Linda Lee

Changing me; changing you

“Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you’ll understand what little chance you have in trying to change others.”

~ Braude

“You cannot expect to achieve new goals or move beyond your present circumstances unless you change.”

~ Les Brown

Start doing something new in your life that will improve your overall outlook on life and bring you closer to the ones you love the most. Beginning today, you can improve yourself by making changes that will make you a better person and more attractive to those around you. Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously. Choose wisely. Choose honestly. Choose happiness.

Following is a list of the Top 5 things people regretted most before they died:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

Be sure not to allow yourself to experience any of these regrets. Take time to show the ones you love how important they are to you and to your well-being. Just like a flower is to a bee.

Friends for Life

Special thanks to Tim Coffey for use of his illustration.

Marry well and you’ll be well

“A mother should give her children a superabundance of enthusiasm, that after they have lost all they are sure to lose in mixing with the world, enough may still remain to prompt and support them through great actions.”

~ Julius C. Hare (1795-1855)  English Cleric

Children need lots of encouragement everyday to get through their lives. If they are blessed with a mother (and father!) who raise them up in a manner that others admire and desire, then they will most likely go on to have successful families. To accomplish this, you must “marry well.” While the phrase “marry well” is typically used to describe people who marry someone rich, I am talking about something entirely different: genetics. Apparently, longevity genes can be inherited. According to a February 2005 study in Mechanisms of Aging and Development, exceptional longevity and healthy aging is an inherited phenotype across three generations. So, for you single people out there, pick a spouse whose grandparents are still alive. This won’t make you live longer, but it might help your children. Then you’ll have a better chance knowing that your children will care for you as you get older. Bless all the mothers and fathers of the world. Let them know today that you love them for all they have done for you.

Nurturing Flower

Special thanks to Tim Coffey for use of his illustration.

Life is rosey

“Continuous challenge produces continuous improvement.”

~ Paul B. Thornton

“To be tested is good. The challenged life may be the best therapist.”

~ Gail Sheehy

You never will be the person you can be if pressure, tension and discipline are taken out of your life. If you don’t know what it feels like to experience pain and suffering, how can you ever know what the feeling is like of experiencing pleasure and excitement? For example: To get to the magnificent beauty of a rose, you sometimes need to endure the pain from the thorns attached to that beauty. So, try to look at the difficulties in your life as opportunities that strengthen you in so many ways and prepare you for the great things that will come to you. Remember this: If you focus on the good things in life (the rose), then the painful instances (thorn pricks) you experience will soon subside and you will be healed of them. Let nature abound in you in every way, everyday!

Thorn-filled Beauty

Special thanks to Tim Coffey for use of his illustration.

Today brings a new horizon of hope

“If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry. Worry never fixes anything.”

~ Mary Hemingway

“Worry is like a rocking chair: it keeps you moving but doesn’t get you anywhere.”

~ Corrie Ten Boom

Don’t worry, be happy. After all, it’s a conscious choice you can easily make if you just decide to do it. Doing so will help you forget about what you’re worrying about and will also help you live longer. Laughter reduces levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. It also releases endorphins that work as pain killers and gives your blood circulation a boost. Not to mention it relaxes blood vessels and keeps a person from being angry–a significant predictor of heart disease. “The higher you score on anger and hostility, the greater the likely hood you’ll have a heart attack,” say medical experts. Everyday brings another opportunity for a bright new horizon, even if it’s just for a moment. So remember to laugh more and worry less. Be sure and make someone (including yourself!) laugh today.

New Horizons

Special thanks to Tim Coffey for use of his illustration.

Showered in meditation

“Originality and the feeling of one’s own dignity are achieved only through work and struggle.”

~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1881) Russian Novelist

Struggling with difficulties in some sort of way is one of the necessary evils we must accept in our lives as we aspire to reach our personal and professional goals. One of the best methods to overcome these difficulties that you will face each and everyday is meditation. According to experts, the most powerful healing tool for stress and prolonged life is meditation. It clears the mind of thought and lets a person concentrate on tranquility. Fifteen minutes of meditation has been shown to produce a much more relaxed state of mind than one hour of the deepest sleep. Even starting the day with just two minutes of meditation can be beneficial. Sit with your spine erect and try to quiet your thoughts; it may help to concentrate on one word. So, starting today, help yourself reach your goals while maintaining your health and spiritual balance by meditating at some point during the day. If you already meditate, then encourage someone else you know to start doing the same. Instead of singing, I’m going to start meditating during my shower time. La la la, hum, la la la, hum, hum, la la…

Meditation Shower

Special thanks to Tim Coffey for use of his illustration.

This is an old post I reworded with the addition of one of Tim Coffey’s illustrations he created for me.

Learning to Live & Love

“Many of our fears are tissue paper thin, and a single courageous stepwould carry us clear through them.”

~ Brendan Francis [Behan] (1923-1964) Irish Author

Taking the first step to do anything in life is usually the most difficult because your mind tells you that there is some danger involved in doing so. You must overcome your fears. You can do this by asking others for help if you need it; reading self-help books; attending seminars; praying; and/or self-motivation. It’s important not to let your fears (often unfounded) keep you from taking the first steps down life’s many paths you will have the opportunity to travel on. Just don’t look powerful…become powerful!

Special thanks to Tim Coffey for use of his illustration.

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What religion are you?

“True religion is the life we lead, not the creed we profess.”

~ Louis Nizer (1902-1994) American Lawyer

Religious Symbols

Religion is many things to many people. It’s what you want it to be no matter what god you believe in. The most important religion is the one that leaves a good impression on others. One that motivates people from any ethnicity to listen to their soul instead of their flesh.  If your religion makes you a better person who serves others, is concerned for others, cares for others and desires to make the world a better place, then that is the best religion. As long as you don’t hurt yourself or anyone else, then you are living an honorable life that is moralistic and humane. Go live your life with love and honor, because it’s a gift. Share it with someone today!

Manufacturing good thoughts

“Be curious always! For knowledge will not acquire you: you must acquire it.”

~ S. Back

If you want to be smarter than most people, then you need to be like a factory producing knowledge. If you want to be happier than most people, then you need to produce optimism. Researchers have found that optimistic people had a 50% decreased risk of early death compared with those who leaned more toward pessimism. The researcher’s results make sense: Those with a positive outlook on life are probably less stressed, better equipped to deal with adversity and, consequently, healthier. Optimists also tend to have lower blood pressure than pessimists, which, again, is most likely related to how positive thinkers respond to stress. So therefore, you must produce good thoughts that lead to a happier and healthier you!

Flower Factory

Special thanks to Tim Coffey for use of his illustration.

Managing your stress

“One of the greatest victories you can gain over someone is to beat him at politeness.”

~ Josh Billings

“The more anger towards the past you carry in your heart, the less capable you are of loving in the present.”

~ Barbara De Angelis

Have you ever held a grudge against someone just because they angered you about something? Do you get bothered at work easily?Whether trivial or not, don’t fret over someone or something and let it affect your health, but rather manage it. Everyone stresses to a certain degree, but not everyone knows how to manage it. The key to accomplishing this is to recognize what the big factors are in your life and how to mitigate them. Constant stress produces high levels of cortisol, which has been shown to impair cognitive functioning and weaken the immune system. I believe that stress kills more people than just about anything else. So, before you move to anger and bitterness toward someone or something, relax and have a ball. It’s a lot more fun and healthier for you.

Having a Ball

Special thanks to Tim Coffey for use of his illustration.

Do what you want to do

“Do what you feel in your heart to be right. You’ll be
criticized anyway.”

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Doing what you want to do in life is your prerogative, so don’t let people get in the way of the choices you make; it’s your life, not theirs. Whether your choice turns out to be a good one or bad one rests entirely with you which is something you should bear since you made the choice. If someone else influences your decision in any way, then you will more than likely point blame their way or have regret. So, do as you like to do and do it on your own.  If you want to get what you want in life, you must be powerful even when you appear weak or feel inadequate. Believe, and you will be strong!

Power Flower

Special thanks to Tim Coffey for use of his illustration.

Be who you really are

“It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you
really are.”

~ EE Cummings

We are very much a part of nature as we live in nature. We come from a seed and grow from daily nurturing and nutrients, just like a flower that sprouts from the earth as a germinating seed. As we grow – just like a lovely flower – we bring beauty to the world in so many ways. Collectively, our body, mind and soul are beings that have the capability to do great things to as many people as we desire if only we can bloom into something beautiful like a spring flower. Each day as you live your life, make it your purpose to add something beautiful to the world. All it takes is enough courage to be who you want to be when you’re all grown up. Life is a gift.

Thanks to Tim Coffey for use of his illustration.

 

The secret to happiness is…

“In the hopes of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet.” 

~ Albert Schweitzer

I am convinced that there are no “secrets” to happiness or success. As much as authors, publishers and our own minds would like to convince us that shortcuts exist, they do not. Living a successful life is pretty simple. You create a vision for the future, formulate a strategy and then work hard to achieve it. There are no shortcuts or secrets to this formula. Accepting this will get you much further down the path to happiness than anything else. So, choose to be happy and watch your world blossom into something beautiful.

Happiness Flower

Thanks to Tim Coffey for use of his illustration.

New year…new you

“I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.”

~ J.B. Priestlet (1894-1984) English Author

Start the new year with a new you by opening your mind and letting your spirit run free. Go places you’ve never been before and do things you’ve never tried. Read a new book or write one if you’re so inspired. Make new friends and rekindle friendships you that you have been wanting to renew for so long. Approach each new day as a gift that is opened with excitement and wonder as you search for the magic in the 24 hours you have to make a difference in yourself and the world around you. Be happy, healthy and wise as you go about your life in this new year. Happy New Year to all.

Thanks to Tim Coffey for use of his illustration.

Merry merriment and happy happiness

“A good conscience is a continual Christmas. “

~ Benjamin Franklin

“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.”

~ Calvin Coolidge

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.”

~ Norman Vincent Peale

“Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.”

~ Dale Evans

Wishing everyone a joyous Christmas season filled with lots of love, happiness, prosperity and good health. Remember to do something nice for someone you haven’t talked to in a long time and fill them with your joy.

Possessive impulses

The creative impulses of man are always at war with the possessive impulses.

~ Van Wyck Brooks

Van Wyck Brooks

If you want to do amazing things in your life, then you’ll need to let go of some or most of the things that are holding you back from true creativity — your possessions. It’s impossible to move freely about if you’re burdened by the things that you’re attached to emotionally and physically. Let go of the stuff that doesn’t really matter in your life and focus on what does: your survival, health, friendships, spirituality and career. Letting go will get you going and doing things you never imagined you could ever do. Soar above the clouds and fix your eyes on what is most important in life: self-enlightenment. Once you find it, you will have found what no possession in life can offer. So, try being more creative with your impulses and less possessive with them and you’ll be on your way to greater achievements.

Sure, it’s possible!

“When nothing is sure, everything is possible.”

~ Margaret Drabble (1939-)  English Novelist

Not sure what you want in life or how to get it? Having a clean slate with regard to what is possible or not is the first step in finding what you want. Another very important element to getting what you want in life is a positive attitude that gives you the momentum each day to persistently progress. To do this, you need to treat everyday as if it is a party and you’re celebrating all the opportunities you have in life. Since everyday your alive is a gift for yourself and others, be sure and invite your friends and loved ones to your party everyday and celebrate life. Remember that it’s OK to get drunk on life and love because the hangover is healthy and heals whatever ails you. Party on!

Having a Ball

Special thanks to Tim Coffey for letting me use his illustration in this post.  You can view his blog at: http://timcoffeyart.wordpress.com

Which way to progress?

Great is the road I climb, but the garland offered by an easier effort is not worth the gathering.

~ Sextus Propertius (50BC-16AD) Roman Poet

“Progress has little to do with speed, but much to do with direction.”

~ Unknown

Lose or Win?

It’s not how fast you go in life that defines progress but more about where you go while on your way there. Making the right choices in life makes all the difference between reaching your goals and dreams and ending up at a dead end. If you choose a path that leads you into a trap, then getting there no matter the speed you travel will most likely lead to trouble and perhaps, even tragedy. It’s always best to ponder over the choice of paths that are before you in life and give careful consideration to the motivation behind your choices before choosing which one to follow. After making your choice, move at a steady pace and allow yourself to make any necessary course corrections due to any detours you may encounter along your journey. Remember that the more tempting road or the one more traveled is not always the best one. Think long and hard before taking a step on to a new path. Life is accomplished one step at a time always doing your best to move forward and not go backward.