Inspiration

Just as a river smooths and refines jagged rocks into smooth stones, our challenges and life struggles act like sand paper, smoothing our weaknesses, honing our skills, and polishing our personality until we are transformed into something better than we could ever have become on our own.

This past week I was reminded of one of the most important lessons in all of life; in order to live life you have to say yes to life!

As our society becomes more and more turbulent, we need to take time to be calm, to be quiet, to cultivate peace. You can learn to be calm by cultivating personal solitude and peace in a troubled world.

What are your core beliefs and values? Are they hidden under the cacoon of your daily grind?

Examine each of the beliefs that you espouse on a regular basis.  Ask yourself if it is your true belief or if you are simply nodding without thought.  Eventually you will discover beauty of being at peace with your beliefs.

His teachers said he was "too stupid to learn anything." and was fired from his first two jobs for being "non-productive." Thomas Edison's 1000 inventions came during the Panic of 1873 -- 6 years -- and the Long Depression -- 23 years.

Love is not a feeling, love is a decision you make and continue to make in order to create an experience that is described as love. Love is an action that if you don't use it you lose it. Love is like any communication, if you never send it out, you won’t get a return. Love is something you give to others not something you feel because something happens to you.

It seems that change is all around us. Business approaches, technology, social trends, fashions -- all change regularly. These changes are occurring at an ever increasing rate. Many of them are positive advancements: needed to compete in a global economy. But, change is not always progress. There are some things that should remain constant.

Whether you strive to be the next Michelangelo, Bill Gates, or teacher of the year, you can achieve it if you believe it. All it takes is desire, vision, faith, action. And a whole lot of guts. Excerpt from the Introduction of "Finding Your Purpose In Life (Practical Advice From The Trenches)"

As the dead of winter gives way to the renewed life of spring, nature begins a new season of growth and prosperity. If you have experienced disappointments and heartache in your life, just remember that you too can begin again, the past is over and done with, you can make a fresh start and become a new creature -- the one you were meant to be.