Hidden Chapters

Everybody has a story to tell.  Some of my favorite chapters are the ones not read out loud.  Access to these hidden chapters won't be granted until you first show others you care.

I'm saluting the anonymous ones today who privately share their stories with me.  These people are my inspiration.  If you are one of these people, I just want to say thank you.  Have a great day.

The Most Valuable Currency

Many people don't take comedians seriously.   Their job is to make you laugh.  Every once in a while, one of these performers shows up with something important to say that can possibly change the world.  I noticed one of these moments in a YouTube video my mother asked me to watch.  Jim Carrey says something really profound in between jokes at the 13th minute... "the affect you have on others is the most valuable currency there is."

Would you like to see the entire clip?  Here you go:

Thanks, mom, for sharing this with me.  Thanks also for being such a positive influence in my life.  Yes, the affect you have on others is the most valuable currency there is and I would like to acknowledge just how important you are.  I hope my readers enjoy this video.  Have a great day.

Keep Paddling

There's a certain comfort in the serenity prayer.  If you're not familiar with it, it goes like this:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.

For me, the greatest challenge in the prayer is the wisdom part.  How far do you paddle before you realize that goal you're striving for is too far out of reach?  I don't know.  But I do know every moment is my opportunity for adventure.  So, I keep paddling and I never cease praying.  May your day be filled with adventure today.  Have a great day.

It's Time to Live

Stop fooling yourself.  It's too soon to stop living because of what you fear.  Take control.  Plan a funeral for your fear and bury it today.  Walk away from the gravestone and never look back.  It's time to live.  Have a great day.

Your Vision Gives You Direction

Have you ever experienced a time in your life when you felt like a wanderer in the desert?  I know this feeling well.  It's like losing your sense of sight.  It's a feeling of helplessness.  Your vision is what gives you the ability to find your direction.  How do you find your vision when you're blind?  I have a thought for you to consider that may help.  It has to do with a relationship.  Get this right and you will be able to see all the way to the edge of eternity.  In fact, no obstacle will ever be too big to keep you from your destiny.  Ready?  The answer is in Psalm 37:4 and it has to do with your relationship with the Creator, the One who programmed your own special and unique road map long before you were born.  Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.  These desires are your seeds.  He planted them within your soul for your benefit.  Connecting to your Creator is the best thing you can do to correct your vision.  Have a great day.

Imagine Your Writing Endeavor is a Rubik's Cube

Maybe you've been pondering it for a while but you're having trouble figuring out how to get started.  I believe the secret to accomplishing your writing endeavor or any major life project is to imagine it as a Rubik's cube.  There are sequences and patterns.  Play with it.  Experiment.  Don't stop until you solve the vision you created in your mind.

My current work in progress is a hot mess but I know there's a solution somewhere in the editing process and I'm going to keep moving things around until I get it right.  My prior assignment, The Caveman in the Mirror, started with just two sides of a Rubik's cube at opposite ends.  All I needed to do to publish was figure out how the two main characters were related.  When I got stuck, I turned to Divine assistance for clues.  Eventually, all the colors lined up properly and I released my first novel.  The lesson I learned is to never give up.  You can do this.  Take it one step at a time until your Rubik's cube is complete.  Have a great day.

Milestone Ahead

My how time flies when you're having fun.  It seems like yesterday when I started this blog.  The next milestone, blog story number 3,000, is now within reach and I should pass that mile marker just before Thanksgiving.  They say it takes 30 days to form a habit.  It helps when you find something you love and this is one of my favorite passions.  Thank you for taking the time to visit.  Consistency matters.  It brings you to new heights.  Choose something fun and stick to it.  Have a great day.

Gratitude Defined

I found a great definition of gratitude this morning that goes beyond what the dictionary offers.  It's from the Harvard Medical School...

“a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives … As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals – whether to other people, nature, or a higher power” 

I would like to acknowledge all the good in my life today, both tangible and intangible.  I'm especially thankful for the connection we have.  That's what all these messages are about – connections.  Thank you for taking time out your busy life to connect with me.  And thank you for giving me the opportunity to develop a sense of purpose.  Have a great day.

Autumn is Here

Summer is officially over.  Today is the first day of Autumn.  Go outside.  Take a hike.  Bask in the colors.  This is especially important because your body needs vitamin D and it's harder to get this time of year when the sun pays less and less attention to the northern hemisphere.  I'm going to take advantage of the record highs we're experiencing this week and soak up some sunshine before the temps start falling.  Have a great day.

Skip the Diet

Diets don't work.  Eating healthy is what it's all about.  This is a lifestyle.  I don't even need to think about this when I'm home because everything in my kitchen is healthy.  Lunch away from home is usually from my kitchen so there's no tough food choices to make.  The only real challenge is when I'm eating out which I limit to about one meal a week.  If I can pick something on the menu that is healthy, I'm batting 1000 for the week.  That's it.  There's no diet, just healthy eating choices.  Keep this in mind the next time you're grocery shopping.  Shop healthy and eat healthy.  Have a great day.

Great Life Ahead

It's mood check time.  How is it?  My hope for you is you find yourself in a great mood.  If you're anything below a ten, probe deeper.  Take a good hard look at your attitude.  I do find things go wrong 9 times out of 10.  That's life.  The game changer is how you deal with those wrong turns.  It's really about having a great attitude day in and day out.  That sets the stage for a great mood.  At the end of the day you will find yourself saying, "hey, this is a great day."

Great attitudes set the stage for great moods, great days, great years and a great life.  It starts right now.  Go for it.  Have a great life.

I Found My Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow

I shot these pics last night after a brief storm passed through our neighborhood.  For me, the beginning and the end of the rainbow are significant because they are both located in my home town.  That's where my pot of gold is.  It's where the grass is the greenest I've ever seen.  It's where the color changes in Fall are so brilliant it makes me feel like I'm in Heaven.  No, it's not really Heaven but it's a close second.  I have everything I need here.  My prayer for you today is that you find your pot of gold at the end of your rainbow.  Hint:  you may find it outside in your own backyard.  Have a great day.

A Recipe for Good Thoughts

Your thoughts are what feed your brain.  How do they taste?  Did you ever notice how one bad thought can change everything?  It's all about the ratios.  For every negative thought, you need at least ten positive thoughts to get back on track.

When dining with others, check your menu carefully before speaking.  Negative thoughts can affect the mood.  Watch facial expressions on your guests so you can spot a negative thought before it spills into the conversation.  The best way to beat a negative thought to the punch is to ask a question.  I like this one:  "why do you feel that way?"  If you can get others to spit out what's bothering them, you can change the flavor of their negative thoughts because you're showing empathy.

The best recipe for good thoughts is the one free of contaminants.  Avoid negative thoughts and all your meals will be amazing.  Have a great day.

New Beginnings

The DJ asked all the couples to remain on the dance floor until he called their anniversary number last night at our niece's wedding reception.  I whispered in my wife's ear, "we're gonna be out here for a while."

"Five years," he said, sending about 25% of the crowd back to their seats.  The crowd thinned out as he raised the number in five year increments.  The song ended and we were still dancing.  The DJ played another song and kept raising the bar on number of years married.  We sat down when the DJ called thirty years.  The remaining couples still dancing held each other closely.  I knew their secret to a long marriage.  It's waking up every morning to a new beginning.  It's the willingness to look at all your failures as an opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.  This lesson applies to every area of your life.  Find the rhythm.  Apologize when you step on someone's toes and don't ever fear failure.  It's only a dance step that requires practice.  Have a great day.

Best Method for Becoming a Better Person

Want to be a better person?  Check your surroundings.  Take a good hard look at the top five people you're spending the most time with.  Ask yourself, "do these people impact my life in a positive manner?"

I'm thankful for the top five people in my life.  I'll keep their names private for confidentiality reasons.  These people inspire me to improve on a daily basis.  If you're not feeling inspired by the people in your circle of friends, look for new friends.  Have a great day.

Hidden Figures

I watched Hidden Figures last night with my wife.  It's all about breaking barriers and overcoming challenges.  My biggest takeaway from the movie is to never give up no matter how many obstacles you face.  Dream big.  Believe in yourself.  If you haven't seen this movie, check it out.  Have a great day.

Elimination Game

Want to win at life?  Consider it a game.  The rules are simple – advance.  Don't worry about your pace or where the other players are located.  Concentrate on your own moves.  I would like to offer a hint for you based on my own personal experience.  I used to think it was better to drag stuff along in case I faced a rainy day.  This thought process only slowed me down and left me stranded in some pretty intense storms.  A voice inside my head said, "let go." 

Funny how life teaches you so many valuable lessons.  I'm light-footed now.  Yes, there are rainy days but they don't bother me.  In fact, I'm dancing in the rain because I'm not holding on to anything.  The more I eliminate, the swifter my advancement.  Ask yourself, "What's holding me back?  Is there anything I can eliminate today to enhance my advancement?"

Have a great day.

Angels in Disguise

Her career in food service nearly ended prematurely when the arthritis in both wrists caused unbearable pain.  Our food server at Market House Restaurant in Galena turned to her sister for help and decided to give her food advice a try before resorting to surgery.  "My sister owns this place," our server told us.  "She doesn't eat gluten, dairy or soy products.  My sister suggested I eat like her for a while to see if my pain might subside."

"What happened?"  I asked.

"One day my sister noticed I wasn't rubbing my hands together, something I did to ease the pain of my arthritis.  The marble-sized lumps in my wrists virtually disappeared.  I can stand all day without any pain in my feet and I feel better than ever.  It's been two years since I followed my sister's advice.  She saved me from undergoing surgery and there was no guarantee my wrists would restore me."

I would like to thank both sisters for taking care of my wife and me while we were on vacation and for sharing their food journey with us.  Stop in at the Market House the next time you're in Galena and check out some healthy food options.  The people running the place may call themselves sisters but I know better – they're really angels in disguise.  Have a great day.

Crystal Ball

"There's the grotto," my wife yelled, looking out the window. 

I had no clue what she was talking about but she asked me to pull over and stop the car.  The word grotto means an artificial cavern or cave.   We found ourselves standing motionless and staring at this odd building that appeared to be covered in sea shells.  We captured the photo above during an unplanned visit to the grotto in Dickeyville, Wisconsin last week and it happens to be my favorite shot from our mini vacation.  If you look closely inside the crystal ball, you can see the grotto behind us in the reflection.  There are multiple religious and patriotic shrines on the property where Holy Ghost church is located, all constructed without the use of blueprints.  The materials used to create the grotto are from all over the world and include colored glass, gems, antique heirlooms of pottery or porcelain, stalagmites and stalactites, sea shells, starfish, petrified sea urchins and fossils, and a variety of corals, amber glass, agate, quartz, ores, such as iron, copper and lead, fool's gold, rock crystals, onyx, amethyst and coal, petrified wood and moss.  I've never seen anything like it.  It's worth checking out, especially in late September when the Autumn leaves are showing off their vivid colors.  Have a great day.

Take a Knee, Boys

It took 45 days of training to get these Clydesdales ready for one of the most important tributes ever.  Our country was deeply wounded.  Budweiser took the risk knowing the sixty day window of time from the 9/11 tragedy to airing was nearly impossible to pull off.  The trainer went to work immediately and the creative team moved heaven and earth to accomplish just what our country needed to honor the memory of the fallen.  I tip my hat to the St. Louis company who put our country ahead of profit to air this message one time only.  Here it is again.  We will never forget.  Have a great day.

Low Tide

Do you ever get the feeling you're living in one of those "low tide" moments?  We all have them.  It's part of being human.  The tides are just like seasons.  I'm living in a place where Nature shows more brilliant colors as the tides recede this time of year.  Today is the final day of a four state adventure with my wife.  For us, low tide means the nest is empty.  We don't hear those voices asking, "are we there yet?"  Instead, it's the two of us experiencing a new season of our lives.  Autumn is approaching.  I'll be back in my cave soon and plan to use low tide to complete my writing project.  Use your tides and your seasons wisely.  Have a great day.

Beware of Lab Rats Who Speak

Ever wonder what your pet is really thinking?  Maybe it's better to leave it to your imagination.  Your pet has it made.  You give it love, attention, and free room and board.  Why ruin a great relationship by giving your pet the power of speech?  The next thing you know, you're arguing about politics, race, religion and other topics debated on the nightly news.  Silence is golden.

I happen to be a lab rat and I've been known to speak my mind in the past.  Good thing I learned to bite my tongue.  Today I have two words I'd like to share with my readers:  Happy birthday.  This goes out to my cousin who inspires others to "go caveman."  I was his first lab rat and he showed me how I could be healthier by getting rid of artificial foods and focusing on mostly fruits, veggies, nuts, beans and seeds.  Today my cousin is celebrating his birthday and there are many lab rats around me who are thriving because they gave his food experiment a try.  If they could speak they would all be saying the same thing, "thank you."  Yes, these lab rats are slender, happy and more active than ever, thanks to my cousin, John.  Happy birthday, cuz.  Have a great day.

You Can Only Lose What You Cling To

You can apply this quote to anything or anyone.  I always thought holding on meant being strong.  There's a different way to look it and I'm finding it much more rewarding.  It's letting go, especially if what you're grasping doesn't belong to you.  Your clinging means captivity for whatever you're holding.  How would you feel if someone did that to you?  Learn to be empty-handed.  This is what freedom feels like.  It leaves you open to new experiences.  Try it.  Have a great day.

You Have Blank Pages to Fill

A professor gave her students a pop quiz.  She presented them with a piece of paper with a black dot at the center and asked them to write a story.  Everyone in the class focused on the black dot.  Not a single student wrote about the empty space around the dot.  That's where your opportunity is.  It's not about the negative things that already happened.  It's about what's ahead on the blank pages you have to fill.  Will your story end happily ever after?  Have a great day.

Safe at Home?

We all know the rules of the game in life.  They're like baseball.  You go through Spring Training (Kindergarten through college), do your best to get in the big leagues and find lifelong friends you can trust to be there in tough situations.  It's a combination of playing good offense and defense.  We hope to arrive safe at home and get one more run than the other side.

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty certain my uniform will be tattered and dirty and my body will be roughed up from all my years playing the game of life when I round third and head home for the final time.  I'll leave it to the umpire to decide if I'm safe.  The only thing I know for sure is I want to be in the game and I'm not afraid to go into extra innings.  I have my rally cap on and I'm remembering the slogan from my days watching the San Diego Padres, Keep the Faith.  Yep.  It's easy to get disheartened when your team is down but don't ever give up.  Go all in.  Have a great day.

Stick a Fork in it

You may have your reasons for not sticking a fork in it.  I'm referring to something most Americans don't see on their plate often enough.  I eat at least one a day and I don't even add the croutons, the dressing or the cheese on top.  No portion controls are needed.  This is my secret weapon for improved health.  If you're not eating a salad a day, you need to stick a fork in it at your next meal.  Make it a habit.  And when your friends ask you what you're doing differently to look so healthy, tell them, "I stick a fork in it."  Have a great day.

Time to Get Gritty

I took a grit test last night after watching a TED talk featuring researcher Angela Lee Duckworth.  Click here to see her video, Grit: the power of passion and perseverance.  If you like what you see, click here to find out where you rank on the grit scale.

This subject resonates with me because I do believe anyone can get grit if they're willing to pay the price.  Grit can get you to your goals when everyone else thinks you don't have a chance in Hell.  Grit can reward you with a life well lived.  Grit can be your best friend when your compass is broken and nothing in your life is going according to plan.

Angela wasn't sure how best to teach grit to others.  I have an idea.  Be gritty.  Start today.  Let your loved ones learn grit by your example.  Have a great day.

More or Less

In Spanish, the term is "más o menos," meaning more or less.  In life, it's the difference between peace and disturbance.  How does it stack up for you?  Do you have balance in your life?  Are too many things weighing you down?

Imagine there are two rooms in your home.  One is painted in your favorite color.  The pictures on the wall remind you of all the times when you were surrounded by family and friends doing your favorite activities.  The other room is dark.  Every time you visit you feel your life energy being sucked out of you.  This room gives you a headache.  If you stay too long, you get sick to your stomach.  Analyze how you spent your time this last week, last month and last year.  How much time was in the "positive" room and how much time was in the "negative" room?  If you're feeling drained today, odds are you spent too much time in the wrong room doing things you don't even like to do.  What room are you going to choose today?  Remember, there's a third choice and that's what I'm doing.  Go outside.  Looking at pictures may be okay, but doing your favorite activities with friends and family is even better.  Have a great day.

Stand Out in a Negative World

We all have our days when things and people around us seem to be falling apart.  The challenge is to keep that negative energy on the outside and not let it interfere with those positive thoughts we generate on the inside.  Keep smiling.  Never let your environment affect you.  Have a great day.

Quote of the Day

William Shakespeare's words of wisdom are what I need to hear today.  I'm going to soak this up and apply it to my life.  The good news is I'm turning my own doubts into the additional chapters I need to get this overdue writing project done.  Some of these doubts leaped over the outer walls of the maze and found some forbidden cheese in the outside world.  I had to hunt them down, one my one and coax them back to lab.  Whatever you do today, don't let your doubts rule your life.  Trust what Shakespeare has to say:  our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.  Have a great day.