Ever been confused? This week’s withdrawal of hope comes from the word “confusion.”

con•fu•sion /con few shun/ n. 1. lack of understanding. 2. the state of being bewildered or unclear in one’s mind about something.

On the other end of matters there is “order.”

or•der /or der/ n. 1. the arrangement according to a particular sequence pattern or method.

One of my favorite poets, Robert Frost, said in response to other’s criticism that he “wasn’t confused” but that he was merely “well mixed.”  Another thought is that the word confusion merely labels another order, patter, or method which has yet to be understood or accepted.  Finally confusion is the welcome mat below the door to creativity according to Michael J. Gelb.

Peace

“The Future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” Unknown attribution.

One of my very favorite quotations, from Disney, says “A dream is a wish your heart makes.”

Dreaming big and taking chancy risks associated with believing in the those wishes can be a frightening prospect. Denying your dreams, sequestering your heart’s wishes, and chasing away your chances are good strategies for reducing risk and avoiding loss and any related disappointment.

“The moment you stop taking chances is the moment you have no chance at all”  Unknown Attribution.

A reader once wrote me that “change occurs in all our lives – day to day.  With that change comes obstacles and choices — decisions we must make.  Stepping out on a limb and making a choice, right or wrong, is a necessary evil.  Learning from the mistakes is an advantage we carry over those who do not take chances.”

remember to take a chance on yourself and to believe in yourself.  Always believe in yourself!

If you force two things together
that don’t belong together
they will fall apart.

Just think about this next time you decide use tomato pasta sauce on your french toast instead of honey or syrup.  It won’t work any better than boating to the shopping mall.  All kidding aside, the principle applies to work, school, family, love, and everything else too.

A professional learns every aspect of the job. An amateur skips the learning process whenever possible.

A professional carefully discovers what is needed and wanted. An amateur assumes what others need and want.

A professional looks, speaks and dresses like a professional. An amateur is sloppy in appearance and speech.

A professional keeps his or her work area clean and orderly. An amateur has a messy, confused or dirty work area.

A professional is focused and clear-headed. An amateur is confused and distracted.

A professional does not let mistakes slide by. An amateur ignores or hides mistakes.

A professional jumps into difficult assignments. An amateur tries to get out of difficult work.

A professional completes projects as soon as possible. An amateur is surrounded by unfinished work piled on top of unfinished work.

A professional remains level-headed and optimistic. An amateur gets upset and assumes the worst.

A professional handles money and accounts very carefully. An amateur is sloppy with money or accounts.

A professional faces up to other people’s upsets and problems. An amateur avoids others’ problems.

A professional uses higher emotional tones: Enthusiasm, cheerfulness, interest, contentment. An amateur uses lower emotional tones: anger, hostility, resentment, fear, victim.

A professional persists until the objective is achieved. An amateur gives up at the first opportunity.

A professional produces more than expected. An amateur produces just enough to get by.

Peace

“My favorite animal is the turtle. The reason is that in order for the turtle to move, it has to stick its neck out. There are going to be times in your life when you’re going to have to stick your neck out. There will be challenges and instead of hiding in a shell, you have to go out and meet them!” ~ Ruth Westheimers

Okay all, I’m looking for motivational and inspirational summer stories and quotations. Send them my way and I’ll make sure you get a shout out online

Peace

Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Listen sincerely; communicate effectively.

This week’s withdrawal of hope comes from HI – Chicago’s social lounge.  Where they have decorated with hopeful and motivational messages like the one pictured here.

We live for nothing if not to make life better for others. Striving to understand before explaining yourself is a simple way to put others first and hopefully, in turn, make life better for others.

It is hardest to understand someone who is different from us. The more different another person the harder it can feel to understand them. Success in this area starts with a sincere eager desire for learning about other people.

Here is my chance to give a plug for Hosteling International, Inc. and hosteling in general. When you hostel you live, for the short term, with complete strangers from all over the world. On this trip I met several Canadians who had fantastic stories about the Olympics in addition to a myriad of travelers with an even wider array of stories.

The next time you are thinking about a trip please consider Hosteling as a good way to get a better understanding of all the people in our wide wide world.

Peace.

Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. – Albert Einstein

Richard writes, “they say I shouldn’t worry about the outcome so much and just enjoy the experience of the present moment and the possibilities of the future.” Ya’ll know that running joke? Protagonist says, “when was the last time you made a mistake?” All in a sarcastic voice. Antagonist responds with a thoughful demeanor, “Ah, I think it was summer… no, the winter of 1980…” Unable to recall the full memory, “well it was so long ago!”

Next time a smart Alec tries to pull that one off now you have the perfect comeback!  All kidding aside though, I recommend trying something new this week.  That is this week’s challenge.  Find something you’ve been doing the same way for a long time and do it differently to see what happens.  Then, send me a note to tell me about what, if anything, you learned!

Peace.

Get out there and give real help! Get out there and love! Get out there and testify! Get out there and create whatever you can to inspire people to claim their divine being and origin. This is what has to be done now. There is no time. There has never been any time for dallying and being depressed. Attributed to Mother Teresa.

Ask yourself, “why do you do what you do?” The simplest answer might be to afford food, clothing, medicine, housing? But, why do you do what you do? There is more than one way to afford food, clothing, medicine, and housing. You choose to earn your basic necessities through your vocation and for most there are a choice of vocations. Why do or did you choose the vocation you chose?

Based on this week’s quotation I think Mother Teresa might have said that she chose her vocation, she did the things she did, because she wanted to “inspire people to claim their divine being and origin.”

This week’s challenge is to do what you always do. Find a way to give real help and to love through the work you already do. Don’t change who you are, not because of this email, but ask yourself why it is that you do what you do and if you can’t seem to find an answer beyond survival then find a way to give help and love through the work you already do.

Someone in your world needs a hug. Hug them. Someone in your world needs a smile. Smile for them. Someone in your world needs a compliment. Compliment them. Someone in your life needs help. Help them. Someone in your life needs love. Love them.

Originally published April 20, 2009

Did you wake up this morning and celebrate Monday? Did lay your head to rest last night thinking you can hardly wait to fall asleep because the sooner you do the sooner Monday will be here? Email me to tell me your story if you did.

Getting ready for today’s withdrawal I found these words by some the English poet John Dryden:

Happy the man, and happy he alone,
Who can call today his own;
HE who, secure within, can say
Tomorrow, do they worst, for I have lived today.

Life is good when you can relish a day gone by yet relish the days to come with more excitement and enthusiasm than the previous day. Life is good when you know the best is yet to come. Life is good on days like that.

What kind of day will your day be? What will you do today to prove that no matter how astonishing or momentous was that the best truly is yet to come?

Peace.

The Missing Piece Meets the Big O

Peace