Are You Grateful for Those Who’ve Guided You to Greatness?

We all have some place we’re trying to get to, we all have something we’re trying to become…

Along the way to where you are in life right now, there have been people who’ve shaped your life, who’ve made you stronger, smarter, made you aware of your greatness…

They believed in you even when you didn’t believe in yourself…

They gave you a chance, gave you an opportunity, gave you that one break that got you to the next level…

Life is about moving forward, about looking ahead, but every once in a while shouldn’t we stop for a moment and look back and recognize these people and say…

… “THANK YOU” …

 … to offer our heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for what they’ve unselfishly added to our lives?

Think of…

The parent…who wasn’t perfect but was always trying to do their best for you…

The teacher…who took the extra time to be sure you understood the lesson…

The coach…who pushed you harder because he knew you could be more…

The boss…who took a chance on you…

The friend…who has always been there…and always will be…

Are there two more beautiful words than “Thank You”?

We all hope we are appreciated, we all hope that what we do matters to those whom we do it for…

Appreciation and gratitude create a spark…a positive energy that creates physiological changes within the receiver and the sender…

When was the last time someone told you that you matter…that you are important to them?

That’s the point.

The greatest gift is expressing gratitude to those who’ve helped us become all that we are, and all that we’ve yet to become…

All it takes is a phone call…a letter…a card…

From your heart…to their’s…

“Thanks for making a difference in my life.”

Go ahead…let them know.

Create a spark…that touches the soul.

“It’s a great day to be you.”

What’s The Point of Dreaming If You’re Never Going To Let Your Dreams Come True?

Will our potential ever be anything more than something we’ve failed to live up to?

Thankfully, that’s up to us.

My Honda can go 160 miles per hour. That’s it’s potential, according to the speedometer. For various common sense reasons my car has never reached 160 MPH. Not even close, actually.

Something about a speed limit.

There are a lot of limitations placed on driving. Signs tell us how fast we can go, which lanes we can drive in. Enter Here. Do Not Enter. One Way. A lot of restrictions placed upon our desire to get where we are going.

I understand the need to regulate the rules of the road. (Ever drive in Massachusetts?) For the common good I can appreciate all the limitations and restrictions placed upon us.

But what about the limitations and restrictions we place upon ourselves?

Continue reading “What’s The Point of Dreaming If You’re Never Going To Let Your Dreams Come True?” →

9/12/01

We woke up to such a different world that day, didn’t we…

I remember the hugs that morning being a little longer, a little tighter. We found comfort in each other as we collectively embraced this new paradigm of uncertainty.

As the dust settled everything seemed suddenly fragile.

On a recent visit to a local glass museum I noticed a most exquisite piece of hand blown glass in the shape of a butterfly, artistically crafted in such beautiful detail.

A glass butterfly, life is. Beautiful, yet fragile.

So very fragile.

To fully respect the inherent nature of human fragility is to fully appreciate the gift of human life. For when we grasp our own temporal nature we acknowledge the preciousness of each moment, of each breath. It is only in this very moment that we can live, love and be loved. Future moments are never guaranteed.

Looking at life through a lense of fragility gives us the perspective that reframes everything.

We are all glass butterflies, beautiful yet temporary gifts to each other.

There is no better time to give the gift of you away to the world.

It’s a great day to be you.

Guess What? Your Life Is Over and You Missed It

Dude, where’s my summer?

Remember when summer used to last forever? September was so far away it was never going to happen. Of course that was back in the days before kids and a mortgage and all those other grown up responsibilities.

This summer has already come and gone, and it feels like it never even started.

Or was I just too busy to notice?

Life’s greatest joys are usually found in the details. It’s the little things we notice when we actually take the time to notice them. Fully immersed in the present moment. But with the pace of life these days, who has time for details?

There’s always some place we’re trying to get to. There’s always something else to be done. Life sometimes feels like an all-you-can-eat Continue reading “Guess What? Your Life Is Over and You Missed It” →

Why The World Needs You To Be A Three-Year-Old Again

My three-year-old drew this picture for me today at school. She enthusiastically tells me it’s a picture of a “grab hopper”. I have no idea what a grab hopper is.

But it really doesn’t matter.

I love her art. Because it’s art in the truest sense. It’s her innocent untainted expression of what was inside of her, her vision, beautifully showcased on a canvas of 20 pound multipurpose paper with a cheap brown felt-tipped marker.

I’m certain that during the creative process she was never once concerned about what anyone else at her table thought about her drawing. They, too, were far too busy expressing themselves as well, gleefully showing each other their unique masterpieces.

Art. Without the art critics. Just art.

How much of the art that lies within us is never shared with the world simply because we fear it will be harshly measured, judged, evaluated, compared, criticized? How much of what we really are – our voice, our vision, our passion – remains suppressed simply because we’ve empowered the critics and cynics around us? You know, the ones that will lovingly tell you all the reasons why things probably won’t work out anyway?

The best way to silence the critics is to dive in anyway. Then just keep on swimming. At your own pace.

Within each one of us lie unique gifts that only we can offer to the world. A gift that makes the world better. Wouldn’t today be a great day to again start sharing them?

C’mon. How often do you get to act like a three-year-old?

It’s a great day to be you!

If You’re Gonna Hate Me, Please Do So at Noontime

This is my very last blog post.

Ever.

OK, this probably isn’t my last post ever.

But it could be.

Who knows? Some things are well beyond our control.

If this were to be the absolute last thing I was ever to write I’d want it to be memorable. I’d want it to move you. But most importantly, I’d want to make sure you knew exactly how I feel. Black and white, because there wouldn’t be a chance for me to ever Continue reading “If You’re Gonna Hate Me, Please Do So at Noontime” →

Ambient Toxicity and The Defiant Face of Love

What if you took an inventory of any toxic energy that may be surrounding you at this very moment…the economy, frustrations, unmet expectations, disappointments, resentments, isolation, lack of acceptance…

What if you took that inventory of all that was getting in the way of allowing you to become the best you were created to become, and then decided to become the very best you were created to become anyway?

So much of what holds us back isn’t the toxicity that surrounds us; rather, it’s any toxicity within us. What makes the toxic stuff in Continue reading “Ambient Toxicity and The Defiant Face of Love” →

How I Lost 50 Pounds on the “Beer, Pizza & Donut Diet”

“Absolutely amazing results!”

“And it will work for you, too!”

I’ve discovered an eating program that allows you to eat absolutely anything you want to eat and still lose weight. In fact, not only can you eat anything you want to eat, you can eat as much as you want to eat and still shed pounds.

How liberating…walking through the never-ending aisles of my local grocery mega-mart free to throw anything I want into the basket. Or sitting in my favorite restaurant free to choose anything I want off the menu.

Continue reading “How I Lost 50 Pounds on the “Beer, Pizza & Donut Diet”” →

The Transformative Power of Getting Stoned on the Beach

 “Your divinity and magnificence are already there. Always have been. You just have to decide to see it.”

Some people go to the beach hoping to find sun, sand, and water.

I find metaphors.

On my desk beside me is a collection of small stones I’ve gathered on my many visits to the beach. Each stone shaped differently than the other, no two exactly the same. What has always amazed me about these stones is not so much their individual shape, but rather how each one was shaped in the first place.

The stones next to me were not created in the exact shapes that now define them. Their current shape is a result of external forces which altered their original form. Over time crashing waves and churning oceans have transformed these stones into what they are today. The evolution is slow, subtle, imperceptible. But the constant and unrelenting force of the ocean creates an erosive environment that eventually will reshape even the hardest of all stones.

Recently I began to see something deeper, something more meaningful in this collection of stones. The story of their transformation Continue reading “The Transformative Power of Getting Stoned on the Beach” →

Life Lessons from the Number 643

“…A united self moving forward towards fulfilling our own unique divine promise…”

There were many things I learned in school that at the time made no practical sense to me. You know, the “am I ever going to use this in real life?” question. Several decades later I can confirm that for the most part time has not made what I considered then to be impractical anymore practical.

As a dad with school-aged kids I actively get involved in their studies. I like to be aware of what they’re working on. I like to be there to help out if they get a little stuck. Dad 101…here for the kids. A more secretive motivation is to see if ol’ dad still remembers the stuff, especially when it comes to math. My math skills back in the day weren’t that good to begin with, and the newer methods of Continue reading “Life Lessons from the Number 643” →