The First Mile Marker of the Year

The best time for course adjustments is at the beginning of the journey.  How are you doing on your 2015 progress report?  If you haven't committed your goals to writing, today is a good day to get out your pen and paper.  The week one mile marker is already here.  If you feel good, keep going.  If not, it's time to make the necessary adjustments.  The best advice I have to offer is to make sure you're enjoying the ride.  Make your goals fun.  Here's an example from my personal life...

When my wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I told her I wanted gifts that would help us to make better food choices.  The Vitamix was under my tree this year.  I've been juicing every day since I unwrapped it, sometimes twice a day.  It's fun.  I love creating new recipes, such as making ice cream using spinach. The best part about juicing is the ease of clean up.  It only takes about one minute to clean and rinse the Vitamix.  I'm having so much fun juicing that I forgot it was a New Year's Resolution.  It's really a way of life.  I feel better and I have more energy.  I'm excited about mile marker two and beyond.  There's no way I will ever digress.  That would be like taking my Disneyland tickets away from me.  No, it's not going to happen.  I'm staying on course.

Make your goals fun.  Give yourself small rewards for reaching your weekly mile markers.  Make the adjustments today so you can stay on track.  Please share what you're doing to achieve your 2015 goals in the comment section below or send me an email.  I'd love to hear from you.  Have a great day.

Life Quote for the Day

I woke up to about 7" of snow on our driveway this morning.  It looks like I need to modify my writing time in order to dig our way out so my wife and I can make it to our day jobs.  While I'm shoveling, I'm going to ponder the quote on top of this post.  It sure would be fun to build a snowman this morning but I need to take care not to stay outside too long.  Today's low is -10º.  The snowman will have to wait until another day.  It's time to bundle up, live with intention, play with abandon, laugh, appreciate my friends, do what I love – and yes, love as if this is all there is.  Have a great day.

Be Still

My backyard is going to look like the picture you see above in the next day or so.  There's already a light layer of snow on the ground and a couple more storms are on the horizon.  Snow has a strange way of muffling outside noises.  You can't hear the snowflakes fluttering to the ground.  Everything is quiet.  I'm feeling a strange sense of peace.  That's what happens when you let go.  It's time to be still.  I'm going to reflect on Psalm 46:10... Be still and know that I am God.  Peace be with you.

3-2-1, Blastoff

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The moment of truth has arrived.  Last night, our youngest son led the family in prayer as we held hands and gave thanks.  Shane's prayer confirmed what I already knew – he's ready for the adventure of a lifetime.  An army sergeant will be knocking on our front door this morning.  Shane will answer the call of duty to serve as an infantryman.  His bag is packed.  He's traveling light.  I hear Gladys Knight and the Pips in my head.  They're singing their hit song, Midnight Train to Georgia, while I pen today's story.

The Bible verse you see above was given to me by a friend who posted it on Facebook yesterday in response to my challenge about living in the "zen zone."  She wrote, if your challenge involves this quote, I'm in.  "Yes," I responded, "it is about this verse."

The best gift you can give your children is to let go of them at the appropriate time and let them reach for the stars.  They have dreams.  They have hopes.  And God has a plan for them.  I've seen glimpses of the plan during my parenting years.  Now the plan is becoming a reality.  I'm thankful for every day I was granted temporary custody.  I rejoice that our son is living his dreams.  Starting today, I begin my new role – army dad.  That position includes one vital component – pray continually.  I promise to do my job every day.  It's time.  3-2-1, Blastoff.  ¡Vaya con Dios, my son!  My prayers are with you.

Let's Accept This Challenge Together

Challenges are more fun when you have someone to share them with.  Here's one we can do together, no matter how far apart we may be physically.  This challenge has no limitations on the number of people who participate.  You can remain anonymous or add a comment at the end of the story if you want to be a public participant.  Ready?  Here goes:

This is a commitment to "Zen Zone Living."  Anyone who wishes to join me agrees not to let anyone or any specific life event take them away from the happy place which exists inside the brain.  This is a support group for anyone who desires to be content in all circumstances.  This challenge is meaningful for me at this moment in my life because I'm twenty-four hours away from a major lifestyle change and I believe my attitude will play a significant role.  I'm in.  I'm not going to surrender my Zen Zone.  I pledge to live every day to its fullest with no regrets and no looking back, except for periodic reviews to help me make adjustments.  I'm going to focus my energy on all the possibilities that are in front of me moment by moment.  I accept the challenge and pledge to be here for anyone else who wishes to participate.  I call on the Holy Spirit to be with us and to guide us.  Will you join me?

Michael Mulligan

Got Plans?

The world I live in seems a little upside down right now.  My friends in Arizona and California are posting snow pictures on their Facebook pages.  We haven't seen snow in Iowa since before Thanksgiving.  The San Diego Chargers blew their chance to make the playoffs when their destiny was in their hands.  I'm becoming an Empty Nester in 48 hours.  Three people I know already broke their New Years resolutions.  I wonder, are my 2015 goals really possible?  The answer is found in Jeremiah 29:11.  Take a look at the highlighted verse above.

If you aren't sure about your plans for the New Year and beyond, take a few moments and ask God to share the plans he has for you.  They are plans for good and not disaster.  God doesn't care who wins the Super Bowl.  All God wants is for you to reach out to him.  When you get a hold of his playbook, your life will begin to make sense.  You won't break resolutions.  You will no longer feel trapped.  And you will come to believe that with God, all things are possible.  You will walk and not grow weary.  And you will not be afraid about how long it takes to reach the finish line.  God's plans for you will be accomplished according to his timeline.  Be bold.  Step out of your comfort zone.  If you're uncomfortable about your plans for this year, you're right where God wants you.  Just believe.

Happy New Year, 2015

I did it.  I squeezed every last precious moment out of 2014 before the stroke of midnight.  I started the final day of the year in the morning with a designated driver at 10:30 am.  Our youngest son drove for my annual eye exam with Dr. Amber Aria so I could get my pupils dilated and use up my insurance benefits before they expired.

"December 31st is the busiest day for optometrists all over the United States," she told me, shining a bright light into my eyes.  I shared how much time I spend staring in front of a computer screen.  It was the first time in three annual visits I revealed my secret life as a writer.  Dr. Aria pulled out a notepad and asked me for my blog name.

"If I like your stories, I'm going to share them with all my friends," she said.  Then she asked, "why didn't you share this before?" 

I'm usually the one who asks questions and wants to know all I can about the people I meet.  And I like a certain level of anonymity.  In fact, the folks at my day job have a "no media" rule, meaning we are not allowed to share anything publicly about our company.  For me, that's like telling a fish not to swim in water.  It can be done but it takes a great deal of restraint, especially because I'm on the marketing team and my job is to promote.

That's enough about 2014.  It's over.  I have some bold plans for 2015, including self-publishing two more books.  Look for "The Caveman in the Mirror" on March 17, 2015 and "Break the Chains of Debt Bondage" on the 4th of July, 2015.  Bookmark this blog and check in for a new story every day at 8:08 AM, Pacific time.  Last but not least, I'll be visiting my newest blog reader in December for my annual eye exam.  Thank you, Dr. Aria, and all my friends and family, for your continued support of my writing adventures.  It's a pleasure to share my life with you.  Happy New Year!