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Displaying blog entries 51-60 of 104

Morning Coffee

Tuesday, May 3, 2011
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"I am looking for a lot of men who have an infinite capacity to not know what can't be done."
~ Henry Ford


EVER BEEN CRITICIZED?

If you've ever had a dream - you've also had critics. It seems they show up right on cue every time that special new dream begins to form. Critics come in the form of family members, employers, friends, and associates.

Interestingly, the only opinion worth listening to is your own. The opinions of others simply reflect their own limitations - and have nothing to do with the achievement of your dreams. Just imagine how shallow the world would be today if the following individuals had listened to their critics:

Arnold Schwarzenegger's family said, "How long will you go on training all day in a gymnasium and living in a dream world?"

Mary Kay Ash's attorney advised two weeks before her first store opening, "Liquidate the business right now and recoup whatever cash you can. If you don't, you'll end up penniless."

His teachers to Ray Charles: "You can't play the piano, and God knows you can't sing. You'd better learn how to weave chairs so you can support yourself."

What Diana Ross heard her teacher say when auditioning for a high school play: "You have a nice voice, but it's nothing special."

Have a dream? Live it, pursue it, and achieve it - with a passion!

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Morning Coffee

Monday, April 25, 2011
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.
Now put the foundations under them."
- Henry David Thoreau


BUILD YOUR OWN!

"Follow the yellow brick road," sang Dorothy and her unusual entourage in The Wizard of Oz, as they marched toward the Emerald City. The road was clear and their direction set. What they didn't know was that the good witch and the joyful munchkins had sent them down a road leading to a wanna-be fake wizard behind a curtain.

Have you ever had friends or family direct you to take a "yellow brick road" of their imagining? If you blindly followed their advice, you may have ended up in your own Emerald City of disappointment. The truth is that you have the power to create and follow a yellow brick road of your own, one that leads to the realization of your dreams.

The hard part is that YOU must also lay the paving stones of that road. You must first decide on a destination, and then be certain that each brick faces in that direction. Along the way, you may be distracted by winged monkeys or a wicked witch of your own making. If you succumb to those distractions, you may look back to find that your paving stones are uneven and lead in the wrong direction.

Only by having your destination clearly in mind will you arrive unscathed by life's many dead-ends and hairpin twists and turns. You must also be committed to the work involved - choosing only the right bricks, having the patience and perseverance to lay them straight, and the strength to avoid life's temptations as you work.

In the words of Thoreau - "If you have built castles in the air . . . "

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Morning Coffee

Monday, April 18, 2011
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"The tragedy of life is not so much what men suffer, but rather what they miss."
~ Thomas Carlyle


TAKE A SIESTA!

When setting goals and planning our future, we sometimes fail to look far enough ahead. Consider the following story:

An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, "Only a little while." The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" The Mexican said, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs." The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, then stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life."

The banker scoffed, "I'm a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. You would eventually open your own cannery and control the product, processing and distribution. You could leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles, and eventually New York where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."

The fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?" To which the American replied, "15 to 20 years." "But what then?" asked the fisherman. The banker laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions."

"Millions? And then what?" The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos." (!!!)

So . . . what are you working for? The IPO or the good life? Stop working toward "someday," and appreciate your success on this day. Take time to enjoy the siesta!

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Morning Coffee

Monday, April 4, 2011
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Temperance in all things!"
- Harry S Truman


Extreme or Temperate?

You can see it on TV almost every day - extreme football, extreme wrestling, extreme police chases, extreme everything. The TV networks seem to be competing to capture our attention with one-upsmanship to the extreme.

If you're in your 20's to mid 30's, doing things to the extreme may be attractive to you. If you're 35-45, you may be starting to question whether it's necessary to carry things quite so far. If you're over 45, your age of wisdom may have set in - leading you in another direction - towards temperance. The good news is that it's beneficial at any age.

Recently on TV, there was an old interview with Harry Truman at the age of 77. The interviewer David Susskind asked, "To what do you attribute your energy and vitality at age 77?" Truman shot back with noticeable conviction, "Temperance in all things. I take plenty of rest, sleep well at night, and eat the right foods. That leaves me ready to face the challenges of being president."

What a simple word - "temperance." Webster defines it as "moderation in action or thought; restraint; marked by moderation, as in keeping within limits." It does not mean total abstinence or prohibition of action. It is merely a concept that takes into account reasonable, self-imposed limits.

Some see temperance as "clean living." By whatever name, it can bring peace, tranquility, good health, high self-esteem, satisfaction, and financial freedom. What are your self-imposed limits?

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Morning Coffee

Monday, March 21, 2011
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Just because you're the lone voice in the wilderness, it doesn't mean you're wrong."
- Ghandi


ME, MYSELF & I - A GROUP OF ONE!

Remember this tune from the protest era? "One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do." The poignant lyrics call attention to the reality that being alone, being a group of one, can be a very lonely, uncomfortable, and sometimes challenging situation.

When it comes to the important issues in your life, it's much more comforting to know that others are standing with you. You stand up for a student issue at a PTO meeting, and others stand with you. You call attention to a social injustice, and are backed by a majority of the members in your organization. Together, the group gives strength and credibility to the views of its leader.

What, then, if the leader and followers are a group of just one? What value is there in taking a position with no one to back you up? What's more, acting alone often stimulates inner questioning, self-doubt, and ultimately self-defeat.

So, where do you stand when it comes to defending your own principles of living? When you witness cheating, dishonesty, or unfair criticism of others, do you stand up as a group of one when no one else cares to stand with you? Do you then feel like the "lone voice in the wilderness?"

Our world has few leaders and many followers. The stand you take alone may provide the inspiration needed by followers who agree, but who do not have the ability to speak out on their own. As Ghandi counseled, just because you're "the lone voice . . . doesn't mean you're wrong."

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Morning Coffee

Monday, March 14, 2011
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Your imagination is the preview to life's coming attractions."
- Albert Einstein


YOU'RE THE STAR!

Do you believe Orville & Wilbur were first to fly because they had a hammer, nails and a free weekend? Think the television was created by accident? Did Bill Gates just stumble upon the software code that has changed the world? Not a chance!

The Wright brothers created the previews of their first flight in the theatre of their minds. Naturally, there were no limitations to their imaginings as they dreamed of flying. Who knows how the dream of television became reality . . . how it was transformed from a mere visualization into vacuum tubes, knobs, and channels?

What went through Bill Gates' mind prior to his early experiments? Surely his first visions were not of a colorful package entitled "Windows 2000." Nevertheless, his vivid imagination took us all from the concept of "1's" and "0's" to today's monumentally complex world of computer software and internet browsers.

What about you? What goes on in your mind's eye while no one is looking? What do you see yourself doing in one, three, or five years? Do you hear a special future beckoning you to create an action thriller from the previews running through your imagination? Is there a stirring inside you that begs to be brought to fruition?

Why not grab some popcorn, a soft drink, and settle quietly into your favorite chair to enjoy the previews of your own imagination? Then, with a clear picture fresh in your mind, create the main attraction - your life!

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Morning Coffee

Monday, March 7, 2011
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"If thou wouldst keep money, save money;
if thou wouldst reap money, sow money."
- Thomas Fuller


HOW'S THE FAMILY PURSE?

In George Classon's classic "The Richest Man In Babylon," he urges readers to "set your purse to fattening." His other advice? Pay off your debts - live debt-free. With those two simple bits of advice, he lays out a wealth of financial advice guaranteed to keep the wolf away from the front door - forever.

He has the audacity to suggest that a part of all you earn is yours to keep. Put $100 a month into your "purse" beginning at age 20. Invest it at 10%. At age 65, you will have a purse filled to the brim with $1,048,000. How difficult is it to convince yourself to put away $100 each month?

Poverty is not our fear. It is the insecurity of being vulnerable that we fear - of not being able to meet our obligations. The "fat purse" does not pay our bills. The amount we earn over and above the part "that is ours to keep" does that. The part we keep - our "fattening purse" - is what gives us the confidence that we are okay.

By the way, according to "The Millionaire Next Door," the "haves" spend twice as much time planning their financial success as the "have nots." Forget setting aside $100 a month, the "haves" set aside up to 40% of their pre-tax income for fattening their purse. That also means they live on just 60%. The "have-nots" are hyper-credit users who do no budgeting whatsoever.

Want to set your purse to fattening? Want to give your children a heads-up on being financially independent? Pick up a copy of Suze Orman's best-seller "The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom". More importantly - put her financial roadmap to work. Don't worry - be happy!

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Morning Coffee

Monday, February 28, 2011
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"If you don't know where you're going, you'll probably end up somewhere . . . else."
- David Campbell, PhD


WHO ARE YOU?

In the book "Unstoppable" by Cynthia Kersey, a cartoon appears showing a ship loaded with unkempt, bearded galley slaves rowing their life away at full-tilt. One of them says to another, "I always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific!"

Chances are good that you work 8-10 hours each day, have 6-8 hours of discretionary time, and sleep 8 hours each day. Whether or not you choose to be specific about your direction in life, it's highly likely that the sun will come up and go down every 24 hours anyway. In other words, "If you don't know where you're going, you'll probably end up somewhere . . . else."

The alternative is really so much easier. In fact, it's downright exciting to think that you can be any "somebody" you want, just by deciding who that somebody will be. Really.

Instead of just fantasizing or daydreaming about the person you'd like to be, start acting like that person. Ask yourself how that person would act, talk, and walk. Begin taking on the characteristics of that person in your daily life, and then be passionate about it.

So often, we create our own limitations but simply fail to be more specific about our direction. We're like the farmer who placed a small growing pumpkin in a mason jar, then rediscovered it at harvest time. When the farmer broke the mason jar, he had a pumpkin which had grown to the exact (limiting) shape of the jar.

We are as limitless as our imagination will allow. When we break the mold - the mason jar - in which we have contained our growth, we will finally learn to fly. In the words of Richard Bach from his book Illusions, "In order to live free and happily, you must sacrifice boredom. It is not always an easy sacrifice."

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Morning Coffee

Tuesday, February 22, 2011
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt
the impossible - and achieve it, generation after generation."
- Pearl S. Buck


REMEMBER YOUR YOUTH!

Ever watched a healthy smiling child try to walk? For each step attempted, a dozen result in miserable failure and a bump on the head. Does the child admit defeat and stop trying? Never! The child doesn't know enough, doesn't have enough information or experience, to understand the concept of quitting. The child attempts the impossible, and succeeds.

So - what happens over the years that stops us from attempting the "impossible?" Og Mandino reminds us in "The Greatest Miracle In The World":

"You weep for all your childhood dreams that have vanished with the years. You weep for all your self-esteem that has been corrupted by failure. You weep for all your potential that has been bartered for security. You weep for all your individuality that has been trampled by the mobs. You weep for all your talent that has been wasted through misuse."

To paraphrase Og's words, we let our life's experiences rob us of the innocent optimism of our childhood. We come to know too much about life's hard knocks - making us prudent, cautious, afraid, and wary of trying. We avoid failure by not attempting.

OK - so it's too late for us to return to the innocence of the cradle. So . . . what now? We must identify the source of and overcome our fear of failure. By developing courage and faith, we can deny fear a foothold in our lives. As someone once commented, "Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. No one was there!"

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Monday Morning Coffee

Monday, February 14, 2011
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Always remember the distinction between contribution and commitment. Take the matter of bacon and eggs.
The chicken makes a contribution. The pig makes a commitment."
- John Mack Carter


HOW'S THE FAMILY?

OK, sure - you prepare the meals, maintain the yard, balance the checkbook, take the kids to soccer, wash and iron the clothes, tune-up the car. You take care of all the daily needs of the family. So - is that your contribution to them, or a contribution to your commitment to them?

Our world today is frantic. As adults, our responsibilities are awesome. Our careers require long and odd hours away from family. Our children are lured by television towards needs and desires for more and more material possessions, i.e. logo clothing, "gaming" accessories, makeup, or cool vehicles. Our spouse wonders why there's never enough time for "us." Where will it all end? How can we slow down?

If your family is moving at the speed of life, and there seems to be no end in sight, maybe it's time to take a look at your commitment to all involved. A great place to start is time alone with your spouse - away from home. If possible, that means an overnight or weekend trip. It's a time to re-examine your values, your goals in life, and the direction you would like your family to take. Finally, it's a time to re-commit to the health of your marriage.

You may quickly realize that it's a time to simplify your life - and that of your family. That's easy to say - more difficult to accomplish - yet attainable with a firm commitment. If you like the idea of simplification, there are three excellent books that can move you in that direction.

First is a great primer, Anne Morrow Lindbergh's "Gift From The Sea." Next, for both men and women is "The Simplicity Reader" by Elaine St. James. Finally, and especially for women, is "Simple Abundance" by Sarah Ban Breathnach. Why not make a new commitment to your family, beginning today? Your contributions will be much more enjoyable!

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Displaying blog entries 51-60 of 104

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