Meet Bernie — The Man Who Torches Your Dreams

Dream killers are arsonists.  They lurk in the shadows of your dreams.  They have one purpose — to intentionally and maliciously set fire to anything and everything you care about.  Dreams are their specialty because they are highly flammable and wreak havoc.  These dream killers wait until there is enough kindling before they strike a match.  Most people never get the opportunity to confront their arsonist face-to-face.  This morning I decided to give my dream killer a name.  The man you see in the composite sketch above was spotted in the Iowa City area not far from my day job.  He is wanted by the local police for questioning.  He matches the description in my mind of what my dream killer looks like.  I'm nicknaming him Bernie because he likes to burn things up.  If you look closely at the clues, I believe you will find evidence of someone just like Bernie in your life.  Here are some tips to snuff him out of your life for good:

1. Fight fire with fire.  I learned this technique when I got an opportunity to bring food and water to the firefighters in our community during a wildfire.  The firefighters appeared in twos carrying blow torches and radios.  Their job was to wait until the winds were blowing in the right direction so they could set backfires.  These backfires kept the blaze from spreading.
2. Give your arsonist a name.  It's easier to fight him if you know what he looks like.
3. If you can't find your Bernie in the shadows, look in the mirror.  Listen closely to the voices inside you.  If you hear someone telling you that your dreams are silly or impossible, that's not you talking — it's Bernie.  Call him out.  Tell Bernie his arson days are done.  Evict him.  Do it today.

Who will be the one to set your dreams on fire?  Is it Bernie, the arsonist who wants to destroy your dreams?  Or you — the visionary who wants your dreams to shine like a wildfire in the forest on a dark night?  You decide.  Please share your answer in the comments section below.

How to Keep Those Plates Spinning

Life is like a bunch of plates spinning in the air.  Every plate represents one part of your life.  Each plate needs attention or it falls down.  Have you ever noticed how the female gender rocks in the plate spinning category?  They keep the checkbook balanced, the house clean and the children fed before they head off to their full-time jobs every morning.  Then there's the opposite sex.  We get one plate spinning and we want the world to marvel at our performance.  Or someone interrupts us with a question and we say, "not now, I'm spinning this plate and it requires my full attention."

My wife is planning a get-away with her girlfriends next weekend.  While she's away I'll get an opportunity to spin more than one plate at the same time.  I have a plan.  Here's what it looks like:

1. Make a list every morning of all the plates that need attention.
2. Decide which plate to spin first.  Focus on the plate until it's spinning properly.
3. Move on to the second plate.  Use peripheral vision to watch the first plate while giving plate #2 what it needs to get in motion.
4. Keep working on the list until all the plates are spinning.
5. Don't interrupt the wife while she's away on her get-away.  She doesn't need to hear the sound of all the plates crashing to the floor while I'm on the phone with her.
6. Make sure the blog story publishes on time while my spouse is away.  This lets readers know I'm not starving,  the kids got their homework done, I didn't burn the house down and I learned how to keep those plates spinning for 48 hours.
7. Replace all the broken plates before the Mrs. comes home.
8. Hide the emergency room bill for that visit I made because I forgot to put my shoes and socks before I started spinning the plates and I needed stitches when the plates fell down and smashed my big toe.
9. Bribe the neighbors so they keep quiet about the taxi I hired to get the kids to school on time and the maid I hired to clean up the mess from all the broken plates.
10. Praise God I'm married to a professional plate spinner.  And when she comes home and asks about the weekend, tell her I appreciate her more than ever.

This upcoming weekend will be my first major test as a daily blogger.  The story I wrote a couple of days ago, "How Long Does It Take To Complete Your Destiny," is the 1,500th consecutive daily post.  It's the first plate I spin every morning.  If you don't mind, please check back on Saturday and Sunday to make sure I'm surviving without the Mrs. — and if you don't see my stories next weekend at 8:08 AM, Pacific Time, send a prayer my way that my wife comes home to find me in one piece.

Please share your ideas about how you keep those plates spinning in your life.  Thanks for the tips.

Ordeal or Adventure?

 The jury returned to the courtroom.  They deliberated for hours before rendering the verdict.  Both sides delivered a compelling argument.  The prosecution used its opening statement to persuade the jury this was an open and shut case.  "Look at the facts," the prosecutor said, pointing to a chart.  The evidence is overwhelming.  You must find the defendants guilty on all counts.  This family gave up their home, their livelihood and their community.  They loaded up the moving truck and headed into a land filled with uncertainty.  Clearly they are guilty of committing a class 5 ordeal."

The judge looked at the jury once they were all seated.  "Are you ready to present your verdict?"

"Yes, your honor," the foreman replied.  "We the jury find this family not guilty on all counts of committing an ordeal.  We find that their new lives in the Midwest can only be labeled as an adventure.   This family has proved to us beyond any reasonable doubt that their attitudes played an important role in this case and prevented them from committing any acts resembling any kind of ordeal."

"Is this unanimous?"  the judge asked.

One by one, each member of the jury nodded affirmatively and said yes.

"This family is free to live out their lives in the Midwest.   Let them go," the judge said.

The family hugged one another and left the courtroom.  Outside a news reporter shoved a microphone in front of the dad and asked, "why do you think the jury found you not guilty of committing an ordeal?"

"Attitude," the man replied.  "It's all about attitude.  We all face the same struggles and the same set of circumstances.  One man's ordeal is another man's adventure.  Our family sees adventure in every situation.  Thank you for your question.  Pardon me, I need to get back to my life."

How Long Does It Take To Complete Your Destiny?

I remember asking my dad how far away the moon was.  He was barbecuing his world famous bacon burgers in the backyard.  He looked up at the night sky, paused, then answered, "son, you take half the distance and double it."  I'm pretty sure his answer would be the same if he were around for the question of the day — How long does it take to complete your destiny?

Maybe the moon question is easier to answer than the destiny question.  Half the distance to the moon is 119,450 miles.  And half the distance to your destiny is half a lifetime.  That leads to the follow-up question — how long is a lifetime?

The best answer I have is this:  a lifetime is the amount of time allocated to each individual to complete all tasks deemed necessary by the Creator.  You have specific assignments.  Only you can complete them.  The challenge is to discover what your purpose is.  When you discover it, everything makes sense.  Doors open at the right time.  The people you're supposed to meet show up in your life at the right time.  All the puzzle pieces fit together.  You see the big picture.

I wish you well on your journey.  Take it one day at a time.  You have a lifetime to figure everything out.  Don't rush it.  Enjoy the moment.  If you feel like contributing to the conversation, please add a comment below.

How to Have More Peace In Your Life

The last few years of my life are like touring It's a Small World at Disneyland.  There's  one exception — instead of floating in a boat, I'm traveling on a combination of a Merry-go-round, a roller coaster and a Ferris wheel.  I'm moving so fast that law enforcement may pull me over and say, "license and registration, please."  Is it possible to have peace when you're surrounded by chaos?  I say yes.  Here are some ideas to have more peace in your life:

1. Understand that the ride is broken.  Everyone has their own ideas about why it's broken and how it should be repaired.  They fight.  The only one capable of restoring the ride isn't here right now.  Let the world fight about the ride and stay out of the argument.  Keep your seat belt buckled and fix your eyes on the horizon to avoid vomiting.
2.  Remember what happens at the end of your ride.  Jesus tells us in John 14:3, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
3. Get to know the other people on the ride.  It's comforting to know we're all in the same boat.  The person seated next to you shares the same struggles.  Encourage the other passengers.  Make new friends.

Now it's your turn.  Please share your thoughts on how to have more peace in your life.  Add your ideas in the comments section below.  Peace be with you.

The Buck Stops Here

I own every single one of my problems.  They don't belong to my wife, my children, my boss, my creditors, or anyone else I interact with.  They're 100% mine.  I decided long ago not to play the blame game.  Guess what happens when you decide the buck stops with you?  Solutions find a way into your life.

Perhaps the most painful lesson I learned is about "leverage."  This is using other people's money to increase the potential return of an investment.  The most common example of this is using a mortgage to pay for your home.  I met with my mortgage broker and shared my idea to remodel our California house.  The plan was simple — cash out all my investments and borrow money against my 401k to pay cash for the renovation.  Once construction was completed, my broker would give me a bigger mortgage.  We hired a contractor and paid cash for everything.  When our construction was complete, we got our new mortgage.  The tax bills and early withdrawal penalties were more challenging to repay than expected.  The banks got nervous about our bigger mortgage and decided to revoke our lines of credit.  Business declined while monthly expenses escalated.  I never repaid my retirement account and ended up paying a 10% penalty for cashing it out.  The cash was needed to pay monthly expenses.  There was no way to "leverage" my way out.  And there was no one to blame but myself.

The one thing that increased when everything else seemed to be decreasing was my prayer life.  Looking back I think God was getting a pretty good laugh at how I attempted to manage my own money.  Everything else I turned over to God was going great.  The one thing I decided to remain in charge of was the money.  It was disappearing in the blink of an eye.  There was this twinge of guilt when I finally said, "God, everything belongs to you now, including my financial statements.  Sorry there's nothing there but a bunch of liabilities."

The next step was to contact my creditors.  I promised every one of them I would pay them back.  Most creditors don't believe anything they hear.  God heard me.  My prayer resembled Psalm 61:1-3 ~ O God, listen to my cry! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed.  Lead me to the towering rock of safety.

He heard me loud and clear.  I stand on my rock with my sign held high — the buck stops here.  One by one, my creditors are getting repaid.  I avoided bankruptcy.  I replaced the word "leverage" with "cash."  I also eliminated "excuses" from my vocabulary.  My hope is that today's story inspires you to take ownership of your problems.  May you find the towering rock of safety.  And if you have time, please add your thoughts in the comment section below.

It's All About the Seeds You Plant

It's harvest time in the Midwest.  Farmers are working overtime to get their crops to the market.  Their rewards are directly related to the quantity and quality of the seeds they planted in the Spring.  I see many similarities in my own life as a husband, father and writer.  There can be no harvest without planting the seeds and working the fields.  Here are some farming tips to help you increase the yields in your life:

1. Plant seeds daily.  These are your ideas, your creativity and your dreams.  Deposit them in the fertile soil of your mind.
2. Water the seeds.  Ideas need attention.  Give them tender loving care so they can grow to maturity.
3. Keep the weeds out.  They may be criticisms from others who don't understand why you spend so much time tending to your garden.  They don't understand how your crop will feed others.  Don't let them stop you.
4. Join a co-op.  There are others in the community who are just like you.  Some have been farming all their lives.  Get to know them.  I gained confidence as a writer when I attended regular meetings with my critique group.  My wife belonged to a Mother's group.  Find a group that specializes in your area of interest and you will thrive.
5. Don't worry about the weather.  Farmers expect some years of bumper crops and other years where Mother Nature fails to cooperate.  The key is to be consistent every year.  Don't give up just because you had a bad season.

I'm committed to my long-term goals.  That means planting one new seed every morning when I wake up.  My time working in the fields yields new Twitter followers, new visitors to my blogs and opportunities to make new friends.  As of today, my Twitter garden includes 942 followers.  I'm hoping to reach 1,000 by the end of this year.  If you like my daily stories, please consider following me on Twitter.  Click here to be a part of the Twitter garden.  And I hope all your future harvests are your best ever.  And if you have time to plant a seed for other readers, please add a comment below.  Thanks for stopping by today.