1-28-05

"How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world." -- William Shakespeare

Motivator: When 1 approach is not working 2 reach the desired goal, that's not a reason 2 abandon the goal. Instead, it is time 2 devise another approach. Sometimes the objective & the means 2 that objective becum so intertwined that it is difficult 2 imagine 1 without the other. Yet there r many different ways 2 reach any particular goal, given enough persistence & creativity. That's why, 4 those who r able 2 consistently get things done, there is no such thing as failure. There r only approaches which have been proven ineffective. There is a way 2 achieve whatever u desire, even when u've already fallen short of the mark. There is a way 2 do it. That way may not b obvious. It may well require some skillful, creative thinking. It's there, though. Learn from each attempt, learn from each approach & YOU'll surely discover 1 that works spectacularly.

1-24-05

"If there is one thing upon this earth that mankind love and admire better than another, it is a brave man, -- it is the man who dares to look the devil in the face and tell him he is a devil." --James A. Garfield

Motivator: 4 the most part, life is not an emergency, though 2 many of us live each hour of each day as if it is. Whatever u r doing, whatever deadlines u r working against, relax. Agitation & anxiety accomplish nothing other than raising ur blood pressure & making u more prone 2 mistakes. Sure, u have a lot 2 get done 2day, & the list continues 2 grow. So take a deep breath, relax, & get 2 work at a sure & steady pace. Relaxation does not require a lack of activity. Just about anything that can b done in a state of anxiety can b done even more effectively in a state of relaxation.Whatever u're doing, relax right now, & find true enjoyment in getting it done.

1-23-05

"He is a man of sense who does not grieve for what he has not, but rejoices in what he has." -- Epictetus

Motivator: Have u ever noticed how much ur own thinking can often interfere with ur awareness? U've probably had the experience of failing 2 hear what some1 is saying 2 u because u're busy thinking of how 2 answer them. There is a time 4 thinking, 4 questioning & judgment, 4 analyzing & strategizing, & there is a time 4 opening urself up 2 experience the world around u. U r well equipped 2 think, & u r also equipped 2 listen, 2 feel, 2 see, 2 experience. Thoughts can b powerful. The absence of thoughts can b powerful as well. Many things r annoying, 4 example, simply because u think they're annoying. What grand & beautiful things might lie hidden underneath the relentless noise of ur own thoughts? Pursue ur thoughts with vigor, & when the situation calls 4 it, let ur thoughts b still. Strength & wisdom cum not only from excitement & complexity, but also from a quiet & peaceful awareness of what is.

1-21-05

"Be the change that you want to see in the world." -- Gandhi

Motivator: Simple answers r usually powerful & effective, yet challenging. Easy answers r usually appealing, but not very effective, & can even b dangerous. Let's say u need 2 lose weight. The simple answer is -get more regular exercise & eat a more nutritionally balanced diet. That's simple enough, & though often difficult 2 follow, usually effective. The easy answer is -take this pill & eat anything u want. Very appealing, but it probably won't work. U can spot an easy answer because it is something u want 2 hear. Even though it may not make much sense, if u want 2 hear it badly enough u can make urself believe it. U can spot simple answers because they seem so obvious, even though they may b a bit challenging. Go 4 simple; it's probably what YOU need 2 do.

1-20-05

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." -- Norman MacFinan

Motivator: Does what u're doing need 2 play any role in how u feel? What if u could b filled with joy no matter what the situation, no matter what u were doing? Is that really possible? Of course it is. Ur capacity 4 joy is not dependent on any particular situation, activity or outcum. Certainly there r conditions & results which u desire. Yet they do not make u or break u as a person. U can rise above the conflict, u can detach urself from mere circumstances. & when u do there is a blessed freedom which gives power, focus & effectiveness 2 all u do. Don't ignore reality or run away from it. Simply transcend it. U r more than ur circumstances, more than ur problems, more than ur possessions, more than ur burdens; YOU're able 2 make the very best of them no matter what they may b.

1-19-05

"The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time." -Jack London

Motivator: A mate almost made me mad coming 2 work, but this is what I have 2 say....2day is the result of reasonable, visible & even predictable influences. Though many of 2day's circumstances may seem unfair, unjust or cruelly random, 2 throw up ur hands & curse them as such will only blind u 2 the positive possibilities. Look thoughtfully @ how u arrived @ this point. Those same influences which combined 2 make this day what it is can b harnessed 2 bring u 2 wherever u wish 2 go. 2day has a cause & today has an effect. 2day u can plainly c what has already happened & u can directly affect what is 2 b. Put everything u have 2day in2 advancing & fulfilling those positive possibilities which r uniquely embodied in this irreplaceable moment.

1-18-05

"When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound. Rebuild those plans and set sail once more toward your coveted goal." -- Napoleon Hill

Motivator: Imagine how it would b 2 go through this entire day without ever thinking of urself. Think of all the concerns that would suddenly drop away. U'd b free 2 speak & act without worrying about what others would think. There would b no time wasted in b-ing angry or taking offense or worrying. The limitations u've placed on urself would completely disappear. Just think of how much u could accomplish. Just think of the clear & refreshing sense of freedom it would bring. The fact is, u can do it 2day. U can indeed b free of ur own limitations, free from useless anger, worry, & despair. Decide 2 expand ur focus b-yond those familiar old self concerns which hold u down. Lose urself in ur own positive possibilities, & c what great things u can make happen 2day.

1-17-05

"We must combine the toughness of the serpent with the softness of the dove, a tough mind with a tender heart." -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Motivator: Don't wait 4 some1 2 give u permission 2 succeed & achieve. Get urself busy & do it. Take it upon urself 2 figure it out. Don't wait 4 just the right situation. Don't count on b-ing lucky. Do what it takes 2 make ur own good 4tune. Learn from others. Seek the advice, input & feedback of those whose opinions u respect. But don't depend on any1 or anything 2 do it 4 u. Make the best of fortunate situations, but don't depend on luck or chance. Depend on those things over which u have the most direct control -ur own thoughts & actions, ur ability 2 make the choices which will lead 2 precisely where u have decided 2 go. Ur destiny is in ur hands. Think like it & act like it with each passing moment. Take hold of that destiny & make it the best it can possibly b.

1-16-05

"Every man has an obscure respect for courage in others, especially if it is moral courage, the rarest and most difficult sort of bravery... It makes the very brute understand that this man is more than a man." --Passage from Life of Christ

Motivator: Paint the masterpiece of 2day with wide & brilliant strokes. Make every moment count. Treat this day as the priceless opportunity that it is, so that when tomorrow comes, u can look back with satisfaction as u continue 2 look forward with eager anticipation. U've spent ur life preparing 4 2day. Now has cum ur chance 2 live it. U're better than u've ever been. Though the challenges u face r formidable, so 2 r the opportunities 2 make a real & lasting positive difference. U can truly c & understand that life is beautiful even in the difficult moments. 2day is indeed ur next masterpiece, taking shape even now. Make it better than YOU can imagine...anecdote from my mom (2day 2 yrs. RIP)

1-14-05

"The road to happiness lies in two simple principles: find what it is that interests you and that you can do well, and when you find it, put your whole soul into it -- every bit of energy and ambition and natural ability you have." - John D. Rockefeller III

Motivator: The more highly focused, the more amazing the accomplishment.Yet we must b careful not 2 confuse focus with narrow mindedness. We must indeed stay focused, & we must also b aware of, open 2, & accepting of the opportunities that cum our way. Opportunity rarely comes in the form we expect & plan 4. The challenge of successful living is 2 gather the many & varied opportunities which cum 2 us on a daily basis, & direct them toward the objectives we have defined. 2 do that requires discipline, confidence, belief & commitment. Life will flow ur way if u let it. This is not a magical, mystical notion, but rather a very practical concept. The "raw material" 4 success cums in each moment of living. Spend those moments, & their accompanying opportunities, toward some definite purpose. Marco

1-13-05

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you will help them become what they are capable of becoming." -Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Motivator: What can u do 2day that will make the most difference 2morrow? What can u do 2day that will improve ur performance over yesterday? What can u do 2day that will have the biggest positive impact on the most people? What can u do 2day that is above & beyond what's expected of u? What can u do 2day that will help u grow? What new things can u learn? What can u do 2 apply the lessons u've already learned? Excellence cums not from boredom & good intentions, but rather from days & moments lived with the sincere & committed effort 2 b YOUR best.

1-12-05

"Justice is a certain rectitude of mind whereby a man does what he ought to do in circumstances confronting him." -St. Thomas Aquinas

Motivator: Is there something that could bring success & accomplishment, but u just can't bring urself 2 do it? Y not? Is it really so bad? Or have u just b-cum so used 2 avoiding it, that u've created a block against it? Habits & attitudes perpetuate themselves. & often we find it necessary 2 break free. Chances r, whatever u're avoiding, u've probably done many other things that r just as risky or unpleasant or difficult. It's not the thing itself that's stopping u -it's u. In fact, some of the actions u take 2 avoid it, r probably just as uncomfortable as doing it in the 1st place.Whatever needs 2 b done -do it! Break free of ur own limiting attitude.U can handle whatever challenges cum ur way. Stop holding urself back, & learn 2 enjoy the actions that lead 2 success....believe.

1-11-05

"If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient attention than to any other talent." -- Isaac Newton

Motivator: What do u expect of urself? What do u expect of others? In most cases, what u get is very close 2 what u expect. U'll rarely earn more than u expect 2 earn. & u'll rarely earn less. Other people will usually deal with u the way u expect them 2. 2 improve ur results,1st improve ur expectations. When u truly expect 2 earn more $$$, u naturally find a way 2 do so. When u respect others enough 2 expect the best of them, they'll come through with a great performance. Base ur expectations not on what has happened in the past. Rather, let ur expectations b guided bi what u desire 4 the future. Set ur expectations free of the artificial limits imposed bi previous disappointments.

1-10-05

"Don't wait for your "ship to come in" and feel angry and cheated when it doesn't. Get going with something small." - Irene Kassorla

Motivator: There r plenty of great opportunities in this world, & new opportunities cum along every day. Making the most of those opportunities requires preparation. Success is not dependent so much on access 2 opportunity as it is on the amount of preparation that has preceded the opportunity. Preparation is not usually very exciting. In the short term it can b tedious & uninspiring. Yet is pays off in BIG ways. When u r prepared, u can make the most of the good times. When u r prepared, u can thrive even in the difficult times. 2morrow will cum, R u doing anything 2day 2 prepare 4 it? As the months & years pass bi, & they surely will, the preparation u do right now will bring much added value 2 ur life.

1-7-05

"The best portion of a good man's life is the little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love." --William Wordsworth -In other words do good without any expectations; do it from the heart! Remember that people will forget what you said. People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Motivator: 4 anything worth having, anything of value, there is a price 2 pay. If there were no price, there would b no value.The price is in fact a big part of what gives it the value. If diamonds were scattered around on the ground everywhere, they would b worth no more than pieces of gravel. The rarity of diamonds, & the resulting price that must b paid 2 obtain them, r what make them so valuable. Trying 2 obtain something of value without paying the price will only lead 2 frustration & disappointment. Much of the misery in the world 2day is the result of such misguided quests. 4 anything of value, b willing 2 pay the price. B grateful & enthusiastic about paying the price. B-cause without the price 2 pay, there is nothing of value.

1-6-05

"The way to get things done is not to mind who gets the credit for doing them." - Benjamin Jowett

Motivator: Energize ur life bi starting each day with gratitude. When u wake up, b4 u do anything else, stop & count ur blessings. Then find something special about each day 4 which u can b thankful. It's a great way 2 get each day started on a positive note, & it can make a major difference throughout the day. Actively practicing gratitude on a regular basis will keep u in touch with the very best of ur possibilities. It will enable u 2 c opportunities & utilize resources which may otherwise have remained hidden or forgotten. There r many good things in ur life. It makes sense 2 fully appreciate & enjoy them. When u do, those positive things will grow even stronger. Begin each day bi counting ur many blessings. Bi so doing YOU'll attract many more, believe me.....

1-5-04

"Not the owner of many possessions will you be right to call happy: he more rightly deserves the name of happy who knows how to use the Gods' gifts wisely and to put up with rough poverty, and who fears dishonor more than death." --Horace

Motivator: What u need, others need as well. What u desire, so do others desire 2. Following ur dreams is not greedy. Pursuing ur most deeply held desires is not selfish, 4 in so doing u also serve 2 fulfill the dreams & desires of those around u. When u sincerely examine ur desires, u'll find that u have at least as much, & probably even more desire 2 give of urself as receive. Surely u have yearned 2 b of use, 2 make a difference, 2 express urself. & how would these b possible if not in the service of others? B the best u can b & u make ur world the best it can b. Truly make a positive difference & u'll fulfill YOUR greatest possibilities...from experience..words of Marco

1-4-05

"To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity." - Donald A. Adams

Motivator: Ur perception of urself b-cums reality through the thoughts, decisions & actions of every moment. R u kind? R u loving? R u honest? R u successful? R u wealthy? U r when u truly think u r. Every day a thousand decisions greet u. They overflow with opportunity. They can take u 2 any place imaginable. How do u choose? How do u decide? Who do u think u r? It is revealed in every moment, in every action, in every decision, in every thought & opinion. The great thing is that u can b whomever u decide u will b. It is ur choice. It is ur life. So who do u think YOU r?