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Displaying blog entries 101-110 of 256

Morning Coffee

Monday, August 1, 2011
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Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"If someone wrote a book about your life . . .
would anyone want to read it?"
 
- TV Recruiting Ad (U.S. Navy)


FICTION OR NON-FICTION?

Fast-forward your life 20, 30, even 40 years. Now . . . imagine someone writing a book of your life story. Think of the possibilities. Would it be motivational, a mystery perhaps, or even science fiction? What about reference, a novel, true crime, short story, or an expose? Would it be found in the children's section of the library, the reference section, or under biographies?

Wow - the possibilities are endless. The good news is - YOU are the lead character, and get to make all the choices! Close your eyes and visualize how it would read. Assume that the author is an unrelated third-party who knows every detail. That's a scary thought, isn't it?

If the chapters were written in chronological order, which ones would make the best reading? Undoubtedly, the ones from age 12-20 would provide some interesting material. From 20 to 40 would be excellent transitional chapters with lots of "Ah-ha!"s and course changes. The final chapter may be the most revealing, however. Think how many readers like to skip to the end to see how the book ends.

If you could skip to the end of your own book, how would it read? Summarizing the entire book, would you say it was a thriller, a shocker, a spell-binder, a tragedy, a romance, or an inspiration?

Your life is a book waiting to be written - write it well!

 

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Morning Coffee

Monday, July 25, 2011
by
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"If someone wrote a book about your life . . .
would anyone want to read it?"
 
- TV Recruiting Ad (U.S. Navy)


FICTION OR NON-FICTION?

Fast-forward your life 20, 30, even 40 years. Now . . . imagine someone writing a book of your life story. Think of the possibilities. Would it be motivational, a mystery perhaps, or even science fiction? What about reference, a novel, true crime, short story, or an expose? Would it be found in the children's section of the library, the reference section, or under biographies?

Wow - the possibilities are endless. The good news is - YOU are the lead character, and get to make all the choices! Close your eyes and visualize how it would read. Assume that the author is an unrelated third-party who knows every detail. That's a scary thought, isn't it?

If the chapters were written in chronological order, which ones would make the best reading? Undoubtedly, the ones from age 12-20 would provide some interesting material. From 20 to 40 would be excellent transitional chapters with lots of "Ah-ha!"s and course changes. The final chapter may be the most revealing, however. Think how many readers like to skip to the end to see how the book ends.

If you could skip to the end of your own book, how would it read? Summarizing the entire book, would you say it was a thriller, a shocker, a spell-binder, a tragedy, a romance, or an inspiration?

Your life is a book waiting to be written - write it well!

 

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Morning Coffee

Tuesday, July 19, 2011
by
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Riches do not consist in the possession of treasures, but in the use made of them."
- Napoleon


SEPARATE TRASH FROM TREASURE!

Written by Dr. Fred Craddock, the following story was passed along to me:

One of my schoolmates spent many years ministering in China. He was under house arrest and the soldiers came one day and told him that he could return to America. The family was celebrating. The soldiers said, 'You can take 200 pounds with you.'

They had been there for years! Two hundred pounds. They got the scales and they started the family arguments - two children, wife, and husband. Must have this vase . . . Well, this is a new typewriter . . . What about my books? . . . What about our toys? They weighed everything and took it off, until at last they had it right on the dot: two hundred pounds.

The soldiers asked if they were ready to go and they said, "Yes!" "Did you weigh everything?" They said, "Yes!" "Did you weigh the kids?" "No, we did not." "You will have to weigh the kids." In the blink of an eye, the typewriter, vase, books, all became trash. Trash. It happens.

***************************************************

Talk about a paradigm shift. How often have we all weighed our goods without considering our "kids"? Think of the times we placed value on our "stuff," only to be swiftly reminded of the value of a loved one.

This concept is confirmed with the story of a man who showed up at the pearly gates with a wheelbarrow full of gold bars. St. Peter explained that he could not "take it with him." Nevertheless, St. Peter consulted with God about the man being allowed to bring the gold bars. God answered with a simple question: "Why does he want to bring in paving materials?"

 

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Morning Coffee

Tuesday, July 12, 2011
by
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"I always wanted to be somebody. Now I realize I should have been more specific."
- Lily Tomlin (from her "One Woman Show")


AGE DOESN'T MATTER!

Whether you're 23, 43 or 73, ask yourself this wonderfully refreshing question: "What do I want to be when I grow up?" Regardless of our age, it's so easy to lose sight of the specific "somebody" we always wanted to be. What's more, the "somebody" we had in mind in our 20's may be someone different in our 50's.

Worse yet, maybe we grew up to be the "somebody" someone else had in mind - like our mother or father. The influence of those around us often prevents us from even asking the question "What do I want to be . . . ?" We try so hard to be their somebody that we don't allow ourselves to grow up at all.

So . . . going back to the matter of age, it doesn't matter WHEN we decide who we want to be so much as that we DO decide. It is at that moment that a catharsis takes place, and we rid ourselves of everyone else's determination of our identity. We are free . . . free to become the person of our dreams.

Is it easy to develop and maintain our new identity? No. Our day-to-day activities will still attempt to distract us from our new persona. Nevertheless, as artist D. Morgan points out in one of her paintings, "The impossible dream - isn't!" Take a quiet moment today, just for yourself, and ask, "Am I the somebody I wanted to be?"

 

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Morning Coffee

Monday, July 4, 2011
by
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"If you take too long in deciding what to do with your life, you'll find you've done it."
- George Bernard Shaw

"Before enlightenment - chopping wood, carrying water. After enlightenment - chopping wood, carrying water."
- Buddha

FEELING STRESSED?

Oh - the frustration of it all. The first quote for today deals with the importance of having direction - goals - in your life. You know - we've all heard it for years - our life will be happier, more prosperous, more meaningful if we have a plan, know where we're going, and work systematically at getting there.

If you've tried to do that, you've undoubtedly met with a great deal of frustration along the way. It's like the expression "Life is what happens to you while you're planning other things." No matter how hard you work at your plan, there are those constant interruptions that get in the way, and make it seem so difficult. You are not alone.

As important as the first quote is, think about the second one. A modern paraphrase might go like this: "Before setting and achieving your goals, and having control over your life, your days are filled with trivia, interruptions, hassles, disappointments, family responsibilities, etc. After working your plan and achieving all your dreams and goals - your life is filled with trivia, interruptions, hassles, disappointments, family responsibilities, etc."

Taking control of your life can result in great personal satisfaction, provided you understand it does not bring you to perfection. Intertwined in our desire to achieve peace, success, and enlightenment, there is still plenty of wood to chop and water to carry. The day-to-day responsibilities of life do not disappear. We simply gain the strength to bear them more readily - and with a smile.

So - carry on with your plans and your dreams. They are vital to a great life. Yet remember the words of Jules Renard, who said, "There are moments when everything goes well; don't be frightened, it won't last."

 

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Morning Coffee

Monday, June 27, 2011
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Competition will always place your life in the hands of others,
while initiative gives you the freedom to choose your own destiny."
- Willard & Marguerite Beecher


BEAT THE OTHER GUYS!

From childhood we learn to win by competing. If one marble player wins, the other loses. If our football team wins, the opposition loses. If we earn top honors for the greatest sales volume or number of transactions, our fellow associates don't. We are taught to be competitive - and we learn the lesson well.

In being competitive, however, we must always measure our success in relation to others. First we choose the leader whom we must surpass. Our objective is to exceed the performance of that individual - the current Number One. Then, when we become the leader, we live in constant fear of having our performance exceeded by those striving from below to surpass us.

By always competing, then, we are not free to focus on doing our very best. Everything we do is related to what others have done or may do. A refreshing alternative is to put initiative to work. You freely choose your own destiny, then work to achieve it - totally oblivious to what others around you are doing.

Initiative begins with a delightful vision of yourself achieving what you think is important. Followed up with action, you achieve not only your objectives, but also the thrill and satisfaction of knowing you are in charge

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Morning Coffee

Monday, June 20, 2011
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Life is not always what the brochure promises."
- Amb Alon Pinkas


AWAKE THE SLEEPING GIANT!

So . . . which brochure have you been reading? Maybe it's the one that promises "clear sailing" or "romantic sunsets" or "excitement guaranteed!" Maybe you're into the financial brochures that read "no money down" or "financial freedom in 30 days" or "sell a million dollars a month without leaving home."

For many years now, the brochures of our lives have promised and delivered success, satisfaction, and wealth. It's been a good run. There's another brochure many of us have signed onto - "for better or for worse." Notice that the "for better" comes first, and so it has been for a long time.

Nevertheless, our country experiences cycles, as do our lives. Few of us living today have ever experienced a serious "for worse" part of the national cycle. Yet, it has been those periods in the history of our country that have brought out the best in us. The Great Depression of the thirties was the catalyst for the strong work ethic of the baby boomers. Two world wars taught us to value our freedom.

So, maybe life isn't always "what the brochure promises." If we're entering one of those periods when we are to be tested, so be it. We are a resilient people. While we may have been dozing at the internal security wheel, lulled by the smooth purring of our national economic engine, we are also able to awaken in an instant. Our purpose and principles can quickly be brought to full throttle.

No matter the threat, we are a people united by the brochure's great promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - ready, willing, and able to serve. Be alert and be of service!

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Morning Coffee

Monday, June 13, 2011
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"All that Adam had, all that Caesar could, you have and can do . . . Build, therefore, your own world."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson


IF I WERE A CARPENTER . . . !

Picture a builder hiring a new framing carpenter to help construct his new homes. The first day on the job, the new carpenter shows up without a tool belt . . . and without any tools . . . and asks, "Where do I begin?" How much progress do you think would be made by the end of the first day?

Most of us at some point in our lives are like the unprepared carpenter. We show up, but have no tools, and haven't the slightest clue what we want to build. Within us, we have the power to build any life we choose, yet at day's end, nothing has changed.

Oh sure, we actively pursue the day-to-day activities of our chosen career, yet we don't take time to visualize the finished product - our life. Thoreau said it best: "Live the life you've imagined." Steven Covey said it this way: "Begin with the end in mind."

To "build your own world," begin by deciding what that world will be like. Next, gather the tools required to begin construction. Finally, begin practicing until you are an accomplished master.

If you want to be a renowned musician, choose an instrument, take lessons, and practice eight hours each day. If you want financial independence, determine a method, learn how others have achieved wealth, and mimic their approach and techniques.

Just remember, the world you get is the world you chose. It's an awesome responsibility - knowing that what you become is the result of the choices you have made. It's also an awesome opportunity to enjoy all the peace, contentment, freedom and riches life has to offer.

Carpe diem! Seize the day!

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Monday Coffee

Monday, June 6, 2011
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Never think that God's delays are God's denials."
- George-Louis Leclerc de Buffon


WHERE THERE'S SMOKE . . . !

A lone shipwreck survivor on an uninhabited island managed to build a crude hut in which he placed all that he had saved from the sinking ship. He prayed to God for deliverance, and anxiously scanned the horizon each day to hail any passing ship.

One day he was horrified to find his hut in flames. All that he had was gone. To the man's limited vision, it was the worst that could happen and he cursed God. Yet, the very next day a ship arrived. "We saw your smoke signal," the captain said.

Hmmm! Ever have a big sale fall through? Been disappointed when a friend or loved one failed to come through for you when you needed them? Have you wondered why a goal or objective wasn't achieved as expected?

If you're over the age of 18, you've probably noticed that we don't get everything we would like, exactly when we think we should. Yet, it's amazing how certain things just show up in our lives when we least expect to see them - like the rescue ship.

It is often said that we "shouldn't get too attached to outcomes." We can set objectives, believe they can be achieved, and work to make them happen, but it's best not to get too attached to the outcome. What appears to be a worthy goal may go down in flames, only to be replaced with a magnificent result we had not anticipated.

When you find your hut in flames and fear the worst, think back to this oft quoted reminder: "Fear knocked at the door - faith answered - no one was there!"

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Monday Morning Coffee

Monday, May 30, 2011
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

Everyone says it differently, but the message is the same.
Here are three oft-quoted thoughts on "thinking":

"You are what you think about all day long."
"Your life is what your thoughts make of it."
"As you think, so shall you be."


THINK!

What is a thought? Scientifically speaking, it is nothing more than a random electrical impulse in the brain. If you are relaxing, not focusing on any particular thoughts, your brain continues to fire off those random impulses which, in turn, are triggering random, unfocused thoughts - like the itch on your arm, how hummingbirds fly, or your Aunt Ellen's new car.

What's interesting is that everything in sight of you right now is the result of someone's focused thoughts. The computer screen, the window nearby, and the chair in which you are sitting came into existence as the result of a single focused thought. Henry Ford thought about a V-8 engine for his cars, and then insisted that his engineers create it. Jonas Sauk thought about eliminating polio - and did.

Whether you choose to focus your thoughts or not, your day will be filled with them. They just don't stop. But wait - there's an "Aha!" or a "Voila!" in here for you. Just think of the possibilities when you realize the power of thought - and put it to work for you. The amazing thing about thoughts is that you have complete control over them. You either put these electrical impulses to work for you through focused attention - or they happen anyway, but in a random, impotent manner akin to a static electrical discharge.

Everything tangible in our world today was created by an action, preceded by someone's thought - from a straight pin to a Pentium processor, from a blight-free American chestnut tree to your garage-door opener. So - what thoughts will you be having today?

They don't have to be life-changing or global in scope to make your personal world better. They need only be focused. Just remember, you control your thoughts - and their possibilities are endless.

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Displaying blog entries 101-110 of 256

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