Turn Right

Each decision you make today will take you closer to your goals or further from them. That is not particularly profound, but it is true. When I get up each morning, I go through a simple exercise - I make a list of things I need to accomplish that will take me closer to my goals.

Each day is filled with decisions that will take you closer to where we want to be or farther from your dreams. Do I turn right, or left when I come to a fork in the road? Let me give you a simple example from this week. About a week ago I bought a couple of Kit Kat candy bars. I ate one and left the other in the fridge at work. Over the weekend I decided it was time to get serious about my eating habits and get back to the gym. This morning I went to the fridge to get a bottled water (that I spike with Hydroxycut) and staring at me was the abandoned Kit Kat bar. A simple decision right - eat it and move further from my goals, give it to a co-worker and move closer to my goals (not that it helped their diet any). Fortunately I also had 100 calorie Slim Fast bars in my drawer making my decision easier.

Making a series of small, but RIGHT decisions makes an impact. Here is a list of decisions I made this week to move closer to some of my goals:

1. I opened an Amazon resllers account so I can sell some old books gathering dust (made $32.50 the first day). I also plan to sell fundraising guides designed for the Kindle Reader.
2. I added three new books to my personal development list to read and started the first one.
3. I ordered P90X to suppliment my workouts (or as I  understand - it becomes the workout).
4. I didn't eat that candy bar today and gave it away so I wouldn't be tempted.
5. After this blog I will return to writing the first fundraising guide designed for high school bands, sports teams, or any agency needing to raise a few hundred to a few thousand dollars (as a group or individually).

How about you? Are your decisions moving you closer, or further from your goals.

Integrity

"The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them." (Prov.  20:7).

We exert a lot of physical and emotional energy trying to please other people. Whether it is keeping up with the Jones'; trying to impress our boss; or just generally concerning ourselves with what somebody else might think - I wonder how much time and energy is spent in living up to others expectations.

We need to live our lives with character, integrity, honesty and values; but those values should be based on who we are deep down inside, not the values that someone else tries to impose upon us. Years ago a friend and business colleague shared this poem with me. I think it conveys this idea of being true to yourself.

The Man in the Glass

When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day,
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say.

For it isn’t your father or mother or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass.
The fellow whose verdict counts most in you life
Is the one staring back from the glass.

You may be like Jack Horner and chisel a plum
And think you’re a wonderful guy.
But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye.

He’s the fellow to please-never mind all the rest,
For he’s with you clear to the end.
And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.

Typos

I was reading through some old blogs this morning and noticed there were some typos in some (o.k. most of my blogs). It may have been a misspelled word, or the omission of the proper conjunction, but in most cases it didn't do too much harm to the overall content.

My first reaction was to go back and correct all my blogs, but I reconsidered and here is why. A few years ago I wrote and published a book. I proofed the book about a dozen times, then I had three other sets of eyes proof the book (all with exceptional writing and grammar skills). As soon as the book was published and during my first read through, I found typos.

I decided to leave the typos in my blog because they are indicative of two things:

1. We all have "typos" in our lives. There are things we wish we could go back and correct, but in many cases there isn't much we can do about them - they become part of our developmental DNA.
2. More importantly, the typos in our lives (the warts and blemishes) tell us a lot about others. Do they always see our mistakes, our flaws, our missteps, or do they look for what is good, honorable and decent?

Many of you may be thinking - "thats just lazy" or "you don't care about quality." Not true, but thank you for making my point. Life is similar in many ways to the blogs I write, you can judge them on grammar, or you can judge them on the content (or both). I prefer you look at the heart and intent of the writer, rather than weather I dotted all my (i's) and crossed all my (t's).

Sunshine

This year I have reconnected with a lot of old friends from the past. Re-establishing those old friendships has been a mixed blessing. While it is fun to recall all the high school antics, and remember the "good ole days," there has also been the reality that life is very uncertain.

At least three of my friends are having serious bouts with cancer, two are battling Lupus, and suddenly I am reminded that tomorrow is tenuous at best. I think this is one reason Jesus told us not to worry about tomorrow...  Can worry make you live longer?   Can worry make you any taller? Don't worry about tomorrow, it will take care of itself. (Luke 12:25-34).

I think that all my travels to places far and wide have ruined me for any kind of "normal" life. Every year I long for a simpler existence. I have friends in Africa and Central America who are content with a small plot of land, their daily bread on the table and the simple necessities of life.

Today I road through the backroads around Nashville, soaked in the sunshine and thought about the simplicity of life when we cast off all the cares, worries and STUFF that consumes us. This week a friend reminded me of the simple pleasure of just laying out in the sunshine and how lucky we are to be able to stop and smell the roses.

Boundaries

Boundaries are those troublesome obstacles that we want other people to live by. We set boundaries for our children, establish "personal space" in relationships, and put up walls for those that irritate or annoy us. Walls, boundaries, establishing our territory is all fine until someone wants us to live within the confines of their rules.

This is one of those sticky topics where I don't have any clear answers. I never liked rules. I war against those who try to tell me what to do or how to live. Don't tread on me! Don't fence me in! Don't tell me what to do! My personality leans strongly in the direction of Libertarian ideology, but my sensibilities don't. I realize what chaos, anarchy and confusion there would be without rules.

So for now, I continue in that endless struggle of doing what is right and doing what I please. I guess the answer is bringing those two concepts into harmony with one another.