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Displaying blog entries 71-80 of 104

Morning Coffee

Monday, November 1, 2010
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds."
- Francis Bacon


SOW GOOD SEEDS!

James Bender, in his book "How to Talk Well," tells of a farmer who grew prize-winning corn. Each year he won the blue ribbon at the state fair. When asked how he did it, the farmer explained that he shared his seed corn with his neighbors.

Pollen from ripening corn is carried by the wind from field to field. If the farmer's neighbors grew inferior corn, he felt that cross-pollination would steadily degrade his own prize-winning variety. If he was to grow good corn, the farmer felt he first had to help his neighbors grow good corn.

Having a good attitude and achieving your goals works the same way. How you view the world is affected by the attitudes of others, and vice-versa. Surely you can think of a time that someone else's dark outlook on life caused you to have a bad day. Your positive, can-do attitude can be easily cross-pollinated by the negative thoughts of others.

So . . . why not share your award-winning, success-oriented approach to life with your neighbors? By simply sharing a smile and a kind word with those around you, you can improve everyone's outlook. That thought can be carried a step further, too.

Can you imagine a farmer purposely planting corn in a field adjoined by a field full of briars, thorns and thistles, owned by a farmer with no intention of improving it? While it's a noble cause to improve the lives of others by sowing good seeds all around, it is sometimes necessary to do your farming elsewhere. By spending your time with others who share your aptitude for excellence, your own personal value will increase.

When picking a field in which to grow your dreams, choose your neighbors wisely - then sow only seeds that improve everyone involved. It's your choice.

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Morning Coffee

Monday, October 25, 2010
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."
- Goethe


BE ALL THAT THEY CAN BE?

On an A&E Biography segment, Oprah Winfrey was being interviewed. She was asked whether she considered all the competing talk shows to be a threat to her own daytime show. She answered with a personal story about running in a marathon.

It seems Oprah had always had a dream of running in a marathon. She trained for two years to get ready, and she ran her marathon. Oprah explained that, to her, competition was like that marathon. As long as she was hitting her stride with her goal of winning in clear focus, there was no time to consider the competition. She added that just turning her head backward to see how close competing runners were to her position was enough to rob her of energy needed to win the race.

Oprah's view of the competition brought to mind the U.S. Army recruiting slogan: "Be all that you can be!" Note that it doesn't say, "Be all that THEY can be!" Even when your competition has a recognizable face, why would you want to be them? If you want to improve yourself, speed up your achievements, or earn more money, why not just better your own time? Comparing yourself to others is a waste of precious time and energy.

Realizing your dreams requires a roadmap. First, you decide on a destination - your dream. Next, you choose a route. For Oprah, that involved hiring a personal trainer, improving her aerobic capacity, and adding strength training to her daily regimen. It also helps to identify some stops or landmarks along the way to help you measure your progress. Finally, you apply all your energy to running the race - and achieving your dream.

Oprah's dream was to run a marathon. What's yours?

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Morning Coffee

Tuesday, October 5, 2010
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"There is a law in psychology that if you form a picture in your mind
of what you would like to be, and you keep and hold that picture there
long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking."
- William James


YOU'RE THE PHOTOGRAPHER!

Most people, when they have their camera in hand, take snapshots of other people or things. The focus is on anything and everything outside themselves. What many don't realize is that they also have a super high-resolution camera in their minds.

The words of William James are not new. They've been said before in many forms, i.e. "As a man thinketh, so is he," or "You are what you think about all day long," or "A man is what his thoughts make of him."

By simply framing a picture in your mind of the person you would like to become, then acting like that person - you ARE that person! I believe it was Zig Ziglar who said it this way: "Fake it 'til you make it!" In other words, just by "acting" like the person you want to be, you actually become that person.

Likewise, we often create our own limitations by creating small pictures of who we are. In the words of Michelangelo (1475-1564), "The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."

Why not take a closer look at the image you've created of yourself? Is it in focus? Does it portray the person you really want to be? Should you "zoom" in for a closer look, or go "wide angle" to broaden your horizons?

Your life is whatever you imagine it to be. Create a masterpiece!

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Morning Coffee

Monday, September 20, 2010
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"If ever I go looking for my heart's desire, I won't look any further than my own backyard!"
- Dorothy (from the The Wizard of Oz)


HAVE NO REGRETS!

Have you ever made big plans to strike out in a new direction? Maybe you've dreamed of a better education, a new career, or the magic of some far away wonderland where life seems to come alive. You checked out your idea, researched all the possibilities, made plans, told your friends and family, and took the risk.

Soon after beginning your quest, however, maybe you realized it wasn't for you. Guilt or embarrassment may have set in, and you weren't sure what to do. After all, you already told everyone about your grand plans, and now what would they think of you for making a 180¼ turn in midstream?

John Greenleaf Whittier, in his well-known poem "Maud Muller," wrote "For all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: It might have been!" His message? Take a risk! Strike out on your own if that be your desire. Give it a try! Don't be afraid! In other words, don't let fear rob you of the opportunity to learn what "might have been."

Better to take the chance and have no regrets, than to fear giving it a try. If you later find, to your chagrin, that the new direction is not right for you, try looking, as did Dorothy, in your own backyard. Very often, everything you needed to be totally fulfilled already existed at your beginning point.

Remember - "There's no place like home!"

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Morning Coffee

Monday, September 13, 2010
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

THE SIX MISTAKES OF MAN

1. The illusion that personal gain is made up of crushing others
2. The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected
3. Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it
4. Refusing to set aside trivial preferences
5. Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit of reading and study
6. Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do

~ Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 B.C. - 43 B.C.)


COULD YOU IMAGINE?

Imagine that you lived 50 years before the birth of Christ. What if one of the educated sages suggested that if you traveled to the ends of the known world he could still carry on a conversation with you? What would you say to him? No doubt, "That's impossible!!!" would have been your answer. Yet, even then, radio sound waves existed. They were undiscovered, but they existed.

What if someone said it were possible to travel to the moon and back? Same answer - "Impossible!"

Would your answer to those questions be the same today? Think how often we fail to set goals for ourselves because we believe them to be "impossible". We won't even dare to try because of the artificial limitations we place upon ourselves. Just because we haven't seen or heard of something being accomplished before, we assume it to be impossible.

So . . . what would you like to accomplish? What steps would you need to take to bring your objective to fruition? The solution, the realization of, the path to your objective already exists - it just lies hidden at the present moment. Because it is not in sight, however, is no reason to assume it is not within your grasp.

Sometimes it is necessary to "let go" of the limitations that hold us back. In letting go of the need to control the outcome, we allow our desired objective to approach us without hindrance. If it sounds a little deep and complex, it's really not. For more on this fascinating concept, pick up a copy of Wayne Dyer's "Wisdom of the Ages."

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Morning Coffee

Monday, September 6, 2010
by Liz Warren

Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Begin to be now . . . what you will be hereafter." 
~ St. Jerome


TAKE THIS QUIZ!

Here's a short list of questions. Take time to answer them and today's message will be crystal clear. It needs no further explanation, so enjoy!

Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
Name the last five Heisman Trophy winners.
Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are not second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

List four teachers who aided your journey through school.
Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
Think of five people you enjoy spending time with. 
Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.

Easier?

The lesson?

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.

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Monday Morning Coffee

Monday, August 16, 2010
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"If you're gonna go, go like hell.
If your mind's not made up,
don't use your spurs."

From "Don't Squat With Your Spurs On!"
("A Cowboy's Guide to Life" by Texas Bix Bender)


LIVE WITH PASSION!

When you're ready to ride, don't wear your Nikes. Put on your boots and spurs, and let your horse know you mean to ride hard. Then - ride with passion.

How many times have you thought of achieving a dream - only to spend more time in the dreaming and planning than in the doing? No problem - we all do it from time to time. The old nemesis - fear of failure and the unknown - haunts all of us occasionally, keeping us from reaching our objective.

Think back to the last time you took action with a burning passion! Were you competing for a gold medal, fighting for your life under adverse circumstances, or vying for the heart of your beloved? Something was motivating you to the limit, and you refused to quit.

So, what's your passion right now - today? Maybe it's an education, a new career, getting in shape, having more freedom, money & status, or closer family ties. Whatever your desired direction in life, put on your spurs, mount your horse, and hit the trail! There's no greater joy in life than putting everything you've got into an achievement - and then realizing you've overcome all the obstacles.

Ride hard, buckaroo!

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Morning Coffee

Monday, August 2, 2010
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best."
- Epictetus


GIVE YOURSELF A LIFT!

Have you ever aspired to be deeply depressed? On your list of major life's achievements, have you included becoming an itinerant ne'er-do-well? Does your daily task list include hanging out at the local pub, gossiping over the back fence with nosy neighbors, or spending time with a loser who does nothing but grouse about how the world has dealt him a lousy hand?

Did that first paragraph seem to pull you down? Did you say, "Ridiculous! Who would want to do those things?" If so, congratulations, you've already received this week's message.

Now, let's give this message a lift.

Have you ever met someone with a bright inspiring spirit about them, and thought to yourself, "Wow, I'd like to know them better!" Have you noticed that when you attend a community education course, you leave with many fresh new ideas and a powerful boost in your attitude? A well-known quote says, "You are what you think about all day long." If you hang out with the losers, your thoughts are likely to be dark and depressing. Spend time with those who possess magic in their attitude and enthusiastic vitality in their work ethic, and your thoughts are likely to soar.

Take a close look at your list of goals for this year. Have you included the addition of positive new personal relationships in your work and play environment? Remember that "to have a friend, you must first be a friend." Consider expanding your sphere of contacts to include those who would inspire you to greatness!

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Morning Coffee

Monday, July 19, 2010
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"It's OK to build castles in the air . . .
so long as you build a firm foundation under them."
- Henry David Thoreau


WANT TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING REALLY GREAT?

Ever dream of becoming a U.S. Senator? Want to become an anonymous benefactor of youth programs in your community? Want to rise to the top 1% of your profession? Inspirational artist D. Morgan puts it this way: "The impossible dream . . . isn't!"

So - how do dreams become reality? Once your dream becomes your passion, you can begin building the foundation that will support the eventual structure of your dream. Begin by reading and studying how others have achieved similar dreams.

For politicians-to-be, there are plenty of biographies that reveal the long road to election. For those who aspire to achieve peak earnings, mentors are plentiful. Hang out with, attend courses with, and "shadow" the real stars in your chosen field. Ask how they began their rise, how they blend their work and family, how they attract and retain clients and customers.

In most cases, you will find that the models you choose have also made hard choices. They have first adopted certain principles upon which their decisions are made. Their actions are congruent with those principles. They are not duplicitous in their dealings with others. Their "word is their bond." Their foundational character sets the tone for the structure of their dreams.

Finally, with the foundation in place - they just build. They create plans, they implement strategies to achieve those plans. They understand that their final success does not occur in one fell swoop. It is the result of many footsteps in the direction of their dreams.

So . . . go ahead and dream! Remember - destiny is not a matter of chance . . . it's a matter of choice!

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Morning Coffee

Monday, July 12, 2010
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Happiness is like a butterfly. The more you chase it, the more it will elude you.
But if you turn your attention to other things, it comes softly and sits on your shoulder."
~ Anonymous


DRAW YOUR OWN MAP!

Imagine you've planned the trip of your dreams - say from North Carolina to Colorado. You've charted all the roads, have a fist full of maps just in case, and have your priorities straight in your mind. You get started on a beautiful sunny day, and begin enjoying the ride.

Late in the day, as you approach the Mississippi River, you drive straight into a bank of heavy fog. You turn on your lights, but still cannot see 10 feet ahead. Just because the highway is out of sight doesn't mean you've lost your way. Continuing on the path you've set for yourself, you soon break out into the sunshine again - still headed in the direction of your dreams.

In perspective, consider that the trip represents your life's goal - your first priority. Steering your vehicle down the highway hour by hour represents your efforts to reach your goal. The fog bank illustrates the momentary interruptions and obstacles encountered on your journey.

As day #2 begins, you find that you've come to an unexpected intersection - one that's not on your map. Confused, you pull over and examine the map closely. Stay to the right and you'll end up in Colorado. Take a left and you may arrive at an unanticipated, yet equally wonderful destination.

OK, let's cut to the chase! Sometimes your priorities change, don't they? Just as you think your goal is in sight, a new opportunity arises. Remember the saying that "life is a journey - not a destination"? What's exciting is that YOU are in control of the steering wheel, and whatever destination you choose is OK - so long as it's YOU who has made the choice.

Happy motoring!

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Displaying blog entries 71-80 of 104

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