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Daily Inspiration

40 Days to a Better Me: Day 11--Welcome Diversity

Written by Dan | 23 March 2011

40 Days to a Better Me: Day 11–Welcome Diversity

40 Days to a Better Me: Day 11-Welcome Diversity

“Paw-Paw, you white.” These were the words of my two year old granddaughter spoken directly to me eye ball to eye ball. Well, she was seated her car seat and I was making eye contact with her via my rear view mirror. Anyway, the statement made me stop to figure out what she was saying.

Children call things like they see them. They speak with unfettered language what the gather from the world around them and many times this is done with brutal, yet innocent, honesty. We adults on the other hand have been conditioned by culture, family, peers, and religion to camouflage what we really want to say. So, being an adult I felt I had to find out what she was really saying before I responded.

The fact that I am indeed white is no news flash. I have been this way all of my life and the lily white skin goes to the bone. I have been informed that I will be this way the rest of my life. It is a cross that I must learn to bear. So, was she stating the obvious or was there more to her racial remark? I responded sheepishly, “yeah…” Then she says “Nana white too.” She was on a roll and I had no clue where this conversation as heading. And again I said; “yeah.” Then she says something that let me know where she was coming from; “grandma brown and grandpa brown.” That’s when it all clicked. My two year old bi-racial granddaughter (white and Hispanic) had noticed the racial differences of her family. My grandkids will grow up accepting diversity as a normal part of life.

We live in great big world filled with people of numerous cultures, languages, religions and points of view. And, the more technology increase the smaller our world is becoming. We find ourselves coming in contact with people from every part of the globe. This has caused fear to rise in the hearts of people. The reason they become fearful is they are faced with something they do not understand. And, when people become afraid they have one or two responses: fight or flight. So, even our modern world of ever increasing technology, ignorance still has a foot hold!

There are those who believe that ignorance is bliss. Well, ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance is just…ignorant! Is it bliss when a church is burned to the ground in Pakistan? Is it bliss when a mosque is bombed in Minneapolis? Is it bliss when a mix-raced couple has a cross burned in their yard? Is it bliss to hear that a homosexual man was beaten to death by gay haters? How is any of that blissful?

Like it or not, the world we live in has gays, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Blacks, Caucasians and Arabs! Like it or not, it’s just the way it is. There is no need to hide in fear or take up stones. Trying to force uniformity on the world does not make the world a better place. Colonialism taught us that. Our world is an assortment of diversity. Seek to understand it. I mean what is the worst thing that can happen when we can accept and love people for who they are?

In my grandkids world paw-paw and nana are white and grandma and grandpa are brown. And in their world, that’s ok.

40 Days to a Better Me: Day 09--Get Rid of Fear

Written by Dan | 21 March 2011

40 Days to a Better Me: Day 09–Get Rid of Fear

40 Days to a Better Me: Day 09 Get Rid of Fear
A hurricane was on a collision course with Iberia Parish Louisiana. That was not uncommon. Numerous hurricanes have pummeled this portion of the Gulf Coast in the past. People in the low lying areas of Cypremort Point, Louisa and Weeks Island and moved further inland to evade the surge and flooding that would becoming that way. There was one road from New Iberia to the “Point” and if you waited to long that road would be under water and you would be unable to get away to higher ground.

Jesse was the bridge tender at Louisa for years. His job was to raise and lower the bride each time barge would move up and down the inter-coastal canal. He and his wife lived in a small modest home not far from the foot of the bridge. They had been through many storms before and maybe they thought they could ride this one out too. If things got really bad they would call their son in law Henry to come pick them up and bring them to his home in Lydia about 10 miles further inland. And things did get worse.

They call Henry to come get them, but before he could get to Louisa the road was impassable. Henry finds a friend of his who owns a boat and the tow of them take off and head down to Louisa to fetch Jess and his wife Agnes. The wind is howling. The rain is drenching. Yet, these two men push further on to rescue this elderly couple from the rising storm surge.

Jesse’s house now has water in it as the storm surge comes in from Vermillion Bay. Henry arrives to retrieve his frantic in-laws and bring them to safety, but the wind is so strong that his friend has trouble getting the boat close enough to the house to get them in. Henry jumps out of the boat into nearly ten feet of water and secures the anchor to keep the boat in place. He comes back up. Gets the boat over to the house and loads up his in-laws, goes back down and unties the anchor, climbs back in the boat and they head to safety.

Once Henry gets back home, he goes to shower and get on some dry clothes. He looks in the mirror and starts trembling. He was shaking and nearly vomits. He had placed himself in harm’s way to rescue Jesse and Agnes braving hurricane conditions and even putting his life at risk. What got him was that he had jumped into ten feet of water to secure and untie the anchor of the boat during a hurricane. And, is the kicker: Henry never learned to swim. He faced down fear.

Too many have allowed fear to steal their hopes and dreams. Too many have settled for less than what was rightfully theirs because of fear. If you want to improve the quality of your life, get rid of the fear. Learn to squash it like a bug and never allow it to further dominate your mind. Mark Twain said; “If you do the thing you fear then the death of fear is certain.” To get where you want to go and become what you truly want to be, you must face down fear! If Henry could do it, so can you!

40 Days to a Better Me; Day 08--Get Inspiration

Written by Dan | 18 March 2011

40 Days to a Better Me: Day 08—Get Inspiration

In an attempt to sell everything from dog food to cosmetics, we are inundated with a constant barrage of marketing. Advertising tells us that real luxury is driving this particular car. The magazine ads tell us that the fragrance they are promoting will make us as sexy as the person in the photo. And then there are the cute little kittens, puppies and kids who are pimped out to advertizing agencies to create emotional appeal so we will buy their stuff. $412 billion a year is spent on advertizing in the United States. Oh, yes. Advertizing is a big bucks industry.

With the billions spent on advertizing each year—there is no better selling ploy or technique than that of a personal testimony. Most of the ads you see on TV use actors pretending to be doctors, homemaker, or just an everyday Joe. You know that your neighbor Herb is the epitome of the blue collar working man and he doesn’t speak with such clarity and perfect diction. So, you can see the snow job that advertizing is attempting to pile on you. There is no substitute for the real deal.

The stories that move and compel us the most are the ones we can relate to. These are stories of how individuals in similar situation as yours, who overcame obstacles to achieve success. The person who was penniless and living in a car and became a millionaire is a story that grabs our attention. We marvel at the story of the person who was three hundred pounds and is now the image of health and fitness. The story of the man with no arms who can drive, hunt, and make a living using his feet, will make you stand up and cheer! When you hear the stories like these of a people, who beat down the adversity, hardship, difficulty, obstacle or insurmountable odds it really stokes your passion to try! Because you know that it is real!

To achieve the better you that you desire to be, you must have inspiration. You must be inspired to change. You must see that it can be done. And, when you do find that inspiration, it will rock your world. Because you will know that if they can do it—you can do it!

It is great to have a dream. Dreams serve as a catalyst to change. You gotta have a dream to have a dream come true! You must have the right people in your life. A safe network of friends and associates is vital to your success. But, if you have no inspiration, there is no motivation to really change. If there is no spark that ignites the dream you will sit on the sidelines as a shadow of what you could be!

Find stories of people like you who became what you want to be. Read their books and buy their audios. Enlist them as mentors in your life. Use their stories to fuel your passion to be what you want to be. Believe with all of your heart that if they did it so can you! Get inspired!

40 Days to a Better Me: Day 07--Get Around the Right People

Written by Dan | 17 March 2011

The old saying “birds of a feather flock together’ is true. There is nothing that will speak more about person than whom they associate with. Therefore, it is imperative that you build networks with people who will propel your life forward. The reason for this is because the people who you allow into your life on a personal level will either help to build your dreams or they will destroy them.

How many stories have you heard of someone who got mixed up with the wrong people? I know of individual who had a promising future. This young man had dreams and aspirations. He was one of those people who would have been voted most likely to succeed. But, he had some friends.

These friends did not share his desire for success. They did not labor and toil to achieve the academic marks that he did. They did not possess the commitment to personal excellence that he did. His life was going somewhere while their lives were going nowhere. Still he had known them from childhood. They shared similar upbringing and lived in the same neighborhood. He loved his friends and did want to appear that he was rejecting them. So, from time to time he would hang out with them.

One particular evening he was out riding around town with his friends. They stopped at a local convenience store, got out of the car and went in. While this young man went off to get a cold drink, one of his “friends” got into an argument with the store clerk.

The argument escalated to the point that the friends drew a pistol from under his jacket and pointed it at the clerk. The young man and his other friends were now standing around the counter with their pistol waving friend. The friend then demanded the money from the register, to which the clerk complied. The friend stuffs the cash in his pocket as his companions attempt to get him out of the store. The young man and another of his friends leave and rush to the car, leaving their pistol packing buddy and another companion in the store.

Before they could get in the car they heard the first of several shots. Looking back at the store, these young men witnessed his friend shoot and kill the store clerk. He swallowed hard and could not believe what he saw played out right before him. He stood there stunned in disbelief. He and his friends jump into the car and sped off.

Shortly thereafter, this promising young man found himself being handcuffed and arrested. He found himself being tried as an accomplice. And, then he hears the guilty verdict. How did this happen? Why did this happen? It seemed to him that it was all some sort of a bad dream. But it wasn’t.

This was a costly lesson for this young man. The life he had dreamed of was destroyed. His college hopes were gone. That promising career was gone. He allowed his dreams to be ripped from his heart just so he could keep it real with his friends. Was it worth it?

There is an old proverb that says iron sharpens iron. This emphasizes that building strong positive relationships with good people serves to make us better. People will either be dreamer builders or dream stealers. Which would you rather associate with?

To realize your dream of a better life—you gotta get around the right people. Some may feel that severing long relationships with people we have known for years is cold. No one is suggesting that you sever relationships. What I am suggesting is that you limit the influence of such people on you. Invest your time and energy into making you better. Time is the currency of life. Don’t let a fool spend it for you.

Invest in building friendships that celebrate you. Spend your time building networks that will serve to make your dreams a reality. You are the best thing you have going for you. Build better relationships and you will become a better you.

40 Days to a Better Me: Day 06--You Gotta Have a Dream

Written by Dan | 16 March 2011

40 Days to a Better Me: Day 06—You Gotta Have a Dream

40 Days to a Better Me: Day 06—you gotta have a dream!
The lyrics to an old song say “If you ain’t gotta dream, how ya gonna have a dream come true?’ The sad reality is, millions of people wander through life with no dreams, no hopes, no aspirations for anything better than what they currently have. That is truly sad!

Becoming the person who you want to be will not just fall into your lap. It is not something that automatically will happen. Personal development must be more than just a passing thought. It has to be more than just a stated preference. To become the person you want to be, the person you were destined to be, you must have a dream to be better! It all starts with a dream!

Call it a goal, dream or whatever. The fact is you will never become something that you have no vision of being. What is it that turns your crank? What is it that you see yourself doing with your life? If money were not an issue what would you do? If you were guaranteed absolutely no risk of failure, what would you do? These are questions that provide us with clues as to who were are and what our purpose is. By asking these questions, you will discover what you real dreams are.

So, the first order of business to becoming a better you is this: rediscover your dreams. Life is too short to be caught up in the nine to five. Your time is too valuable to spend it doing something you despise. Don’t you feel that is time to stop making a living and start making a life? Life becomes drudgery when we live it without any dreams.

Get a dream and make it a big one. Better to dream to lofty and accomplish most of it than not to dream at all. Will never accomplish anything without a dream! Have a dream so grand and noble that will get you excited just thinking about it. Big dreams will bring about big changes!

Some may be asking; “What if my dream does not come true?” It is fear that holds us back and will seek to undermine our destiny. Fear causes to ask such questions of failure. My response to that question is; “but what if it does come true?”

Tell yourself: Somebody is going to develop a million dollar idea. It might as well be me. Someone is going to touch and impact lives in a positive way. It might as well be me! Someone is going to be fit and healthy. It might as well be me! No matter what your dream is if someone is going to do it or have it, it might as well be YOU! Keep telling yourself that over and over again and see what happens.

I believe with all of my heart that we were placed on this spinning blue marble for more than just working a job and paying bills. There is something bigger than us, something divine, waiting to be released into existence. It is simply waiting for a dreamer. Will that dreamer be you?