The power of being focused, can exude many types of benefits that can have far reaching effects.  I was a witness to a great example of this ability last weekend, when I was judging a public speaking competition.  There was a young man who was representing a middle school, so he must have been in the 7th grade.  His topic of his speech encompassed his life goals and how education would be the catalyst to him reaching what he had set for himself to accomplish.  He eloquently described how he pushes himself to do the best that he can in achieving high marks in his educational classes.  However, he also was very precise in describing his goal of obtaining not just a college education, he also spoke about his goal of obtaining a masters degree and becoming an attorney.  When you think about the age of a 7th grader, which is about twelve or 13 years old, I can certainly recall in my own life how I thought those years were among the most awkward years in my life.  That was that period when I did not necessarily posses my own voice or was sure about my convictions in life.  I was amazed at how this young man walked through a situation like this one, with three judges that he has never met and proceeded to communicate part of his life vision to the panel.  As an adult with many years under my belt now, I still come to those points in the road where I still wonder about what the future holds for me, although I am much more comfortable with the unknown.  I kept wondering to myself how life could be different if at such a young age, you are able to articulate what you want in life and have a road map built with the directions on how you will achieve that particular trip.  The aptitude of having better focus in our lives is something that many of us could benefit more from.  Our ability to achieve small milestones and turn them into part of our lifelong goals as part of our continuous focus, should be part of our daily living formula.  Although it is never to late to focus on achieving something in your life, it can be even greater if you were to begin this process earlier and on a more consistent basis.  Remember to direct your attention and be specific in your actions if you want to achieve your desired outcome.

"Optimism is like a muscle, the more you use it the stronger it gets", these were the words from Robin Roberts who was speaking about her journey through her recent illness that she endured in the public eye.  I watched the special that focused on what she went through as she battled MDS a rare blood disorder that occurs to people that have undergone chemotherapy.  We all know of people around us and in our own family that have battled illness at various points.  Some have been quite successful, while others still may struggle to regain some sense of normalcy with their health.  I don't believe that it is an accident that a person with a positive attitude can endure and overcome anything, including poor health.  This is not to say that a person with an opposite belief system could not do the same, however, I do feel that if you create the conditions for what you want manifested, it can then occur sooner and more expectantly. I like that people can liken a belief system that has the capacity to get stronger or perhaps that you can grow along with it.  We all have faced those periods of time in our lives when we were challenged by a circumstance that we thought might be insurmountable.  If you look at what happens in the world constantly, the number of examples of what people in other countries go through in order to achieve democratic or religious freedom, can be such a model for what heroism may look like.  Therefore I do believe that if we were to exercise more of our optimistic muscle, that it could certainly get stronger, even if it is a little bit at a time.  Just like working out in the gym, we would develop greater spiritual endurance while capable of resisting or bouncing back from sudden unforeseen circumstances.  What ever your situation may be, remember that things are rarely permanent.  A positive perspective can allow you to flex your optimism muscles and as a result, your mind, body spirit connection will begin showing those toned results that you may have been looking for.  

There is a great novel written by Rudolfo Anaya, that I read in one of my college literature classes that left such an impact on me, that it remains one of my all time favorite books.  For me it was one of the first times that I read an award winning novel that touched greatly on traditions and folklore that have transcended time in Latin American people.  The book is called, "Bless Me Ultima" and it was released yesterday as a feature film.  After reading some reviews by some well known movie critics along with the L.A. Times, they have given the film great reviews, that I hope will enable a good cross section of movie fans to be exposed to this great story.  The truth is that even if the film had received bad reviews, I would probably still have gone to see it, as I am such an admirer of the book.  The protagonists in the story happen to be a seven year old boy, an old woman who has deep respect for the earth with non-traditional healing concepts that end up placing a stigmatic label on her and the boy's family whom she ends up living with.  There is a quote from the book where Ultima is sharing her wisdom with the young boy as they bond in the story, about the concept of good versus evil.  Among her most prolific advice is, "the smallest piece of good can stand against all the evil in the world".   This entire statement could be the film's motto and something that I remember quite vividly about why it was one of the many of the great qualities associated with this piece of literature.  It is no different than when in our childhood years we rooted for a super hero to defeat a well known villain.  We grew up hailing the good guys or gals who would defend those that needed defending and became our heroes that we all wanted to be when we grew up.  At the core of all of this was the age old concept of good being triumphant over bad.  I am very much on the side of the author of this book and among the many who feel that a little bit of goodness can conquer the world and make it a better place.  I would like to think that we need more examples of when this occurs to combat the constant barrage of messages that show examples that the opposite could be true.  So today after I complete some volunteer work, I will be headed to a theater in the afternoon, to relive and take in this new film.  My expectation is to enjoy the words that created a magnificent book which now transcend into an entertaining and cinematic achievement on the big screen.  If only all great books that have meant something to us could see the same fate, it would be another avenue to receive great doses of joy.      

I was driving home from work today and I was sitting at a stop light next to a young guy who was driving, with his dog in the back seat which looked as if it had the biggest smile on its face.  It was rather cold outside and at first I did not know if the dog was making this face because of how the wind was whipping by him as it brushed against his happy fuzzy face.  As we began to move forward and that car picked up speed, the dog looked over to see me and shook its head really quick, as it continued smiling out the window as if to savor the rest of its journey.  Since the dog looked like it was smiling at me, I felt the need to smile back.  I never know if that type of connection exists via human and animal, however, my feeling is that I should acknowledge that it brought some happiness to me in that moment.  When you think about the drive going home from a long day at work, I don't think most people are present in that moment, to see what possibly could help make their day. Most people are probably more concerned about the traffic moving and ensuring that they get home at a decent hour.  This is why I believe that we should challenge ourselves to look for these opportunities that exist daily that can help make an average day sparkle.  I only need to look outside my windshield or window, to see that I have lots of gratitude for a myriad of things that are part of my life.  The fact that I am able to drive in a car and I am not waiting on a corner for a bus, is an easy start.  I can remember very vividly when I was in college and had no car.  I had a trusty beach cruiser bicycle that took me from my apartment through out the university campus.  There were many other students that bicycled everywhere, so I was just part of the norm and never that not having a car made me less than.  I do remember during those periods of time, when I would go to visit my family back home and the trip that would take a couple of hours via car, took me between five to six hours.  In order to make the trip I had to take public transportation to the downtown Greyhound station and then endure a slow trip home over the mountains.  In retrospect, I appreciate all of those trips as they taught me to be grateful for having a car in later years and to not take for granted that it could be a luxury to many other people.  The next time you are driving home, think about where you are today and where you were in your early twenties.  Your memories will serve as a measure of not only the growth that you have achieved, but it should also provide you with a good reminder of how blessed you are now.  

To meditate can be defined as the following: continued or extended thought; reflection; contemplation.  These days you find many websites that are dedicated to helping people achieve a higher state of this, as this practice provides plenty of positive residual effects.  You have to wonder if this is so popular, maybe there is something to be said about this line of thinking.  The practice of yoga, has also achieved rock star status in the world as people are gravitating not only to a new way of exercising their bodies, in addition, there are those that want to fill a spiritual void in the process.  The way I look at it, I believe that we can always use more tools to flex when it comes to achieving a mind, body and spirit balance.  I have not yet gone to take a yoga class, however, it is on my to do list in the imminent future.  I personally enjoy going for walks outside and I find that this period of time, is part of my own meditative process.  I feel fulfilled when I see nature at work outside and all around me.  Among these moments are when I walk by a place where one day a calla lily is barely blossoming and the next day it is fully developed looking up to the sky, while exuding a content quality as it takes its place on nature's stage.  Perhaps on a different day it is a hovering hummingbird that I see gliding over blossoming flowers as it marches on as a soldier in nature's army.  All of these types of things frequently make my day. The examples are many, as every day brings me a different experience that I thoroughly enjoy.  My mind set was established some time ago, when I realized that I needed to be more determined to enjoy lots of little things through out a day or week, as I began to string these experiences together in my pursuit of daily abundance.  It is interesting as time has gone by with regard to how much I am able to filter in a given day, similar to a fisherman who throws out a net hoping to catch more than one fish.  Comparable to when you work out your muscles and they begin to get toned, so too does your muscle that focuses on exercising harmony along with balance in your daily life.  Remember to take advantage of those down periods in your day, when you can give yourself these opportunities to reflect on something that has brought you some joy, as you fill up your inner tank with those things that will add happiness and longevity to your life.  

When things get tough, we need to get tougher.  This is a varied take on a famous saying that goes back many years.  Life gives us thick skin, due to the variety of trials that we all have faced.  I know that there are some individuals that seem to skate through life and never seem to have a care or worry.  I was reminded of an example of this when many years ago in my early 20's, I remember one of my neighbors whose parents were both judges and he never had to struggle financially.  He was on course to go to law school himself, as he was going to follow in his parents foot steps.  I would think out loud sometimes and wonder how it would be like to have that kind of life.  In retrospect, I think I longed for my neighbor's lifestyle more so than his actual life.  One of the things that I did notice was that he never mentioned his parents or family during any of our conversations.  I on the other hand always spoke about my family and where I was from, as it was very deeply rooted in who I was.  As I think about all of this now so many years later, I am actually glad that I went through the struggles that I did.  I appreciate having worked for those things that I was able to purchase on my own and stopped taking things for granted many years ago.  Also, my appreciation for family and friends grew from the fact that I had some losses to deal with earlier than most of the people that I knew.  What that allowed for me, was the opportunity to help someone else to get through their tough period of time.  So having some hurdles to overcome as you grow, definitely gives you the ability to have that resiliency that can enable people to handle greater things, that others could not.  The next time you find yourself in one of these situations, just think about how much growth you will incur as a result.  Trials will will get less tougher because you will be well conditioned to jump over those hurdles as if they were small stepping stones on your way to your purpose driven life.  

Today I watched a video four times and I may end up watching it one more time before I go to bed.  It was not only one of the most inspiring pieces of video that I have seen in some time, it literally made my heart happy.  Louie Schwartzberg is an award-winning cinematographer and he is speaking at a TED conference in San Francisco, where he also shows a short film on gratitude and happiness.  There are spoken words in the short film and an elderly man speaks about why we should be grateful.  In his words, he tells us that in the morning when we open our eyes, we should be grateful that we have eyes to open.  It begins there and goes deeper along with more examples of what we sometimes miss an opportunity to be thankful for.  The spoken words in this message along with the visual images that are shown, provide a powerful and simple message about what the threshold of happiness is.  Part of my daily motto is to be thankful everyday and that includes in particular those days where things are not always going right.  It takes some practice but it can be done and once it becomes part of your daily routine it also serves as your solid foundation in which you build a great day from.  If you think you are having an issue or a problem that appears to be unsolvable, then I suggest that you take stroll through a shelter for the homeless or lend your assistance at your local soup kitchen.  Your perspective about the problem you may be having may change in matter of minutes.  I recall when I went to the hospital last year to visit my newborn nephew/Godson, I was waiting for the elevator to take me to the nursery floor.  In the elevator next to me was a family that looked grief stricken as they waited along with a frail older gentleman who appeared to be very ill on stretcher.  In that moment I realized that a hospital plays host to happy beginnings when people are born and it also is the place where some people leave a heart broken family that is never fully prepared to say goodbye to a loved one.  Remember that we have choices daily of how we react to our surroundings and although we may face some tough challenges, other people are enduring more profound difficulties than you would think.  Being grateful daily can be the catalyst for long term happiness, which in turn we can share more of with those that matter most to us.

The catalyst that can change your life and move you in a different direction can be determined by so many varied things.  These days we are in constant phases of change that is more visible as the world of social media, along with the internet speed up the process of how information travels to us.  Therefore we may be changing more times and more frequently than we think.  People may think that they are a creature of habit and that change is not something that they adapt well to. However, all of us make decisions about what to purchase or spend our discretionary income on based upon what messages we may be receiving via these communication methods.  In thinking back to my younger years, I never would have that you could have dinner to be delivered via a website and now even more convenient via a hand held electronic device.  We make purchases without going into stores and have become more comfortable in making monetary transactions via the web, which has thus eliminated a large amount of work for the now struggling postal service.  I remember very vividly growing up and knowing the exact hour in which our mail would be delivered by the postal delivery person.  It was like clock work and now it is a long forgotten memory to most.  Electronic mail and adapting to the constant barrage of messages that can come at you within a one hour period can be a job all unto itself.  Yet in all of these examples, we have all adapted and changed along with technology.  Again, our change is constant and how we proceed as a result of those changes is entirely up to us.  Whether we adapt or get left behind as a result of our ability to change is entirely up to us.  We have many choices to make on a daily basis that affect our lives along with our joy and happiness.  We should all make a concerted effort to not let change bother us, rather be accepting that it is part of our daily lives.  The quicker you get on board with small changes around you, the sooner you will be able to address the larger changes that need to be made in your near future.

If you were a flower and able to bloom in the midst of adversity, you would be considered most rare and beautiful.  This is the essence of a quote from a famous Disney animated film that had at its core a key message about how inner strength can persevere in any circumstance. If you find yourself in the midst of a tumultuous period, consider the amount of growth that you are undertaking as you become more focused on what your outcome should be.  Sometimes we may not think that we are fully prepared to take on a particular problem or issue, due to our own assessment of potential success.  History is filled with many people that failed more than once and some for many years before they were able to achieve that lucrative validation from the public, that they had arrived to such a level of accomplishment.  In some cases, the individuals that achieved fame did so almost at the end of their careers.  Vincent van Gogh, Emily Dickinson, Paul Cezanne and Claude Monet are among those now world renowned artists that did not see much fame through most of their lives.  The majority of them struggled through much of their lives as they pursued their passion of painting art.  Artists of any genre will always be the example of how you do the work because you love it, not because of the pay or the adulation that may come from having an audience.   The lesson for all of us is that we too can endure what may come our way, whether we feel that we are prepared or not.  We also have to be passionate about our own convictions and what truly motivates us. Chances are that we can always rely on our instinct and resilience when faced with tough circumstances to get us through.  We are usually more prepared for what comes our way than we give ourselves credit for.  If a flower is able to bloom in a difficult environment, then this should be our reminder that we can also flourish when others may think that we cannot.  In the end, our own definition of beauty and strength can be the end result of what we find given any occasion we happen to be in.  

A shift can happen at any moment that can bring you much needed joy and peace to your heart.  This was the message I heard last week from a minister of a famous church, who had me mesmerized with his frank talk about expecting good things in your life.  His name is Joel Olsteen and he not only has one of the largest congregations in the country, he is a much sought after motivational speaker and life coach.  I love a message that is so full of positive energy that it can fill you up in that moment and allow yourself to feel void free.  There are those people that go through life with their ingrained  philosophy that their glass is half empty.  I am sure that you can recognize who these people are, as they are constantly waiting for validation that when something bad happens, they are the one's to point out that they told you so.  They have been preparing for the worse to come and have a good amount of fear driven decision making that speaks to how they operate.  There is much to be said for being prepared for emergencies and for being a good planner in the event that something out of the ordinary occurs.  However, I am much more attracted to the other people that have lived with the philosophy that their glass is half full.  I learned many years ago to appreciate what little I had and to be respectful of others who may not have as much as I did.  This is attributable to having a great mother and grandmother with solid beliefs and values.  I would also like to think that the glass half full people are always looking for a positive shift to occur in their lives, when something good happens to them that they in part had the ability to manifest it in their lives.  The size of the good things that happen is what I have learned the most about in my recent years, as wisdom has taught me that the littlest of things can mean the most.  I expect something good to happen to me everyday and it is part of my daily motto that walks with me in my daily living. More recently I have also come to the realization that my motto needed to be updated with the added expectation that I may be of use to someone else.  One's talents or gifts should be used to their fullest potential and that is when others around you come into the formula with this expectation.  What ever your philosophy about life is, my hope is that you embrace the good and look forward to those positive things that are coming your way.  As you patiently wait for your breakthrough moment, remember that others can benefit from your talent and if you exercise to use them for others your breakthroughs happen at a much quicker pace.

At the conclusion of a poem by Bonnie L. Mohr, there is a line that reads; "Recognize the people you have been blessed to know".   The poem, "Tree Of Life" and this particular line I enjoy re-reading every time I see this work.  We have all been around some pretty spectacular people through out our lives and if you live long enough you can take a inventory of who some of those special people are or were, along with how they touched your life.  Sadly, we tend to run out of time sooner than we think when it comes to the actual act of recognizing some of these individuals.  Hearing the words from someone who says "I love you", "You make me proud" or "You touched my life", is affirming when you realize that there is someone that has such deep affection for you that it fills your heart.  Today I had a meeting with a person that I am mentoring and when we got the chance to sit down and talk, he mentioned to me that he had told some people that he was coming to meet me.  The people that he spoke to were old acquaintances and co-workers that have been part of my life through out my career.  The reactions and comments from some of these individuals that he had informed, made me smile fondly at the early stages of my career.  It was a moment that provided me with some recognition of the fact that I had some sort of impact in the lives of these people, who felt that I had added value to them and the organization.  This allowed me momentarily to reflect on the fact that I have been blessed to know so many of these great people that have been part of my life.  Some of them I worked with closely at the very onset of my career and others were peers from afar.  My recollection of them was that they were warm and friendly individuals who worked hard to provide excellent products and services with a cheerful smile.  As children, we may feel that our parents are going to be around forever and will always be there to offer their children positive reinforcement.  Parents may also tell their children that they mean the world to them along with the words "I love you", which become more meaningful as time goes by.  We have friends that we have grown up with and others who have been with us through good times and bad ones.  We have to be mindful that we are truly blessed by those special people that are part of our inner circle.  Finally, we should not miss an opportunity to recognize someone that has honored us with their support, recognition and affection.  A simple note, a phone call or looking at that special someone in the eye the next time you see them to let them know how you really feel can be a refreshing occasion. Not only will you make their day, it will also give you some peace of mind to know that you were able to convey this to someone without regard or apprehension that your time to do so may have run out.    

This afternoon, I ran across a great article that spoke to the fact that your home is a reflection of yourself and is your source of your support.  The actual article is titled; "Change Your Home; Transform Your Life", by Laura Carlin & Alison Forbes.  As I read the rest of this piece it discussed how our home or where we live is a true reflection of may be happening in your life.  It made me wonder a bit about the days when I get home from work late or just tired, that I don't feel like cleaning up after myself in the kitchen or picking up the newspaper that I just finished reading.  When this happens I quickly convince myself that I would be doing myself a great favor by picking up or cleaning up right then, as I jump over the potential hurdle of procrastination.  I sat thinking about the rest of the rooms in my house where some offer complete order and then there those areas that can use some sifting and perhaps throwing things away.  I think the term Spring Cleaning is not really meant for a once a year activity.  Cleaning a closet or perhaps the drawer that is filled with what you thought were documents that may be important one day, are more than likely things that you have not looked at since the day you made that statement.  If you live in a cluttered space and you are losing things like your keys, remote controls or other often used items, then perhaps it is time to add a little dose of order.  I think we can all use more of this in our lives and if you have things that are always getting in the way because you are waiting for the right day to take action, then pick a day this week and put some of this on your short term goal list.  I also went through a process not too long ago, where my bank sent me some information about decreasing personal debt.  They asked some good questions that made me do some research with regard to knowing what you pay for in interest rates on your personal credit cards or lines of credit.  I had not realized it until I went through all of my accounts that there were some glaring differences.  This revelation would be a catalyst to help prevent me from making decisions about which accounts needed to get paid off first and then not making any further purchases due to eliminate higher than average interest rates.  Since where we live and how we maintain that space can have a direct correlation to our state of being, then I certainly encourage everyone to take another look at where you can make those needed changes.  If we had a place to come home to that was clear and uncluttered, then perhaps we could also sleep better at night knowing that our lives are closer to achieving the state of true balance.    

This morning I saw a great quote by Paulo Coehlo, which stated "If you are brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello".  A powerful statement that captures the essence of our ability to grow and transform if we are willing to let go of something that no longer is moving us forward.  It does take strength and bravery to say goodbye, whether it is to your past or something that you felt had a hold on you. The potential of being vulnerable is a great deterrent for not wanting to change.  We get comfortable in our surroundings and knowing the familiar, when in actuality it may be time to move on to new things that will change our perspective and ultimately our lives.  Anyone can generate that strength that is needed by beginning to imagine how the change will look like in your life along with how you may feel as a result.  The visualization process is great and can be perceived as dreaming by some, however, in actuality it is very different from imagining without limits.  Careful and focused thinking is more in line with what visualization consists of.  What we have to understand is that change of all types can cause apprehension even in the most confident person, yet, it is the impetus for making your way to another destination.  Many of us have constant mental battles about making those decisions that can have an impact in our lives.  We are usually much better at telling others how they could benefit from changes or being a support to an individual involved in making these adjustments.  When it comes to planning for ourselves, we are usually left behind in the process.  The fact that we need to make ourselves a priority is a something that we should all get better at.  What happens when you do say goodbye is that you allow yourself that great possibility of a new hello.  Be bold and choose to say goodbye to something that needs to be part of your past and stop letting it cloud your bright future.  You will sleep better at night knowing that you are moving in the right direction.

There is a lot of preparation going on as people begin to celebrate as early as possible the upcoming Superbowl game on Sunday.  Many people take this event very seriously and embrace it with much tradition, almost like another national holiday.  For football fans this is the annual holiday that they have been waiting for, as the top two teams collide in the last game of the season.  Whether you are hosting a viewing party at your home or will be preparing something to take to another person's house, there is always a lot of attention that encompasses this national pastime.  Can you imagine if you spent the same type of detailed preparation on something that was really important to helping you in your own personal growth?  If there is something that you want to tackle as a personal challenge to yourself, perhaps it is time to revisit your approach.  If you are the type of person that has a lot of ideas, yet, have trouble executing them, then part of your preparation should include a plan of action with a timeline by which you will hold yourself accountable with specific dates associated with this.  Goals are great, however, if you do not attach criteria to them that is; specific, measurable, achievable and realistic, then you may be repeating aspirations that fail to see a result.  Think of your life as the great game that you need to plan for, with the exception that it does not happen just once a year.  You need to work on conditioning, stamina, strength and strategy in order to have a fighting chance in winning the game of life.  The people that you surround yourself with can be seen as your coaching team or personal trainers that will aide in you looking at different strategies to achieve a winning result.  Then there are those individuals that you take valuable information from that are authors, speakers or other enlightened individuals that can play the role of a consultant, when you need to have new information or a different point of view.  The ability to win at anything means that you in fact are capable of achieving such a result.  That also means that you have to believe in yourself and can envision yourself as the winner holding the treasured trophy.  Remember that you are in fact the big game and every day should be approached with some thoughtful preparation, as you seek to hold that winning trophy in your imminent future.