Jesus Calling

I would like to thank my precious daughter for the Christmas gift she gave me, "Jesus Calling," by Sarah Young.  I just completed 31 days of daily reading designed to merge Bible verses with daily thoughts by an inspirational writer.  Most of the January thoughts were about trusting Jesus and letting go of anxiety.  What a great way to start a new year and a new decade.  If you're having any trouble at all navigating the world around you, give Jesus a try.  It's amazing how spending just a few minutes a day communicating with Jesus can change your view of what's going on.  Have a great day.

You Need This to Explore the Uncertainty Zone

Uncertainty scares people.  It's the darkness in the unknown that raises anxiety levels.  Thank God we all had ancestors willing enough to explore even when the prevailing thought was that the world was flat and we would certainly die if we went over the edge.

I found a solution to overcome the fear of uncertainty.  It works just like a flashlight.  It functions on a need to know basis.  The range is approximately 24 hours which is perfect because tomorrow has its own set of challenges and shouldn't be explored until today is complete.

There aren't any visible power buttons on this device.  It works internal voice commands and it's also listening for your command similar to Alexa.  Alexa may be fine for answers about the weather but she can't help you with uncertainty because that's outside her realm.  You need something much more powerful.  Ask the Holy Spirit for travel tips into the uncertainty zone.  I'm also consulting and the Holy Spirit helps me keep my anxiety levels about today at low enough levels so that I'm not afraid to open the door and seize the day.  It works better than a Luke Skywalker light sabre and it's much more powerful.  Take the Holy Spirit with you everywhere you go, especially on trips in the uncertainty zone.  Have a great day.

Bible Seeds

Do you remember the parable of the sower?  Jesus talked about the four places where seeds were scattered by a farmer.  The first three didn't turn out very well...a path with no soil, rocky ground with little soil and a place where there was good soil but also a bunch of weeds.  The fourth place was just right.  The soil was fertile and the yields were thirty, sixty or a hundredfold.  So, maybe you're asking, "I'm not a farmer, what does this have to do with me?"  I beg to differ.  You are a farmer.  Every day you're planting thoughts in your brain, the thoughts that hopefully lead to longlasting habits that will sustain you for the rest of your life.

Think of your brain as a field where you're sowing your seeds.  Your brain looks remarkably similar to the places where the ancient farmer in the Bible sowed his seeds.  The place with no soil is where some of your thoughts go.  They die because they can't take root.  The rocky area is where your thoughts die because there's not enough soil and you don't tend to your thoughts long enough for them to grow.  The area in your brain where your negative thoughts live is also the place with too many weeds for your seeds to live so they die.  So, maybe you're curious about the fertile soil in your brain and you desire to sow your new habits there.  It's great that you have a place in your brain where you can plant new thoughts but good soil is not enough for these thoughts to turn into habits.  A wise farmer makes sure his thoughts get daily attention until it's harvest time.  Do the same with your freshly planted habits.  Stay with them day after day until they're so strong that your habits become you.  By the way, it doesn't hurt to get farming tips from your Bible.  Tending to your thoughts is a serious business and the Holy Spirit is your perfect guide for this.  Have a great day.

Does Your Dream Have a Name?

Once you give your dream a name, it suddenly seems more real.  It's like naming your kids before they're born.  Or naming a boat before you become a boat owner.  Or picking out a name for your future adventure home on wheels before the adoption is formalized.  Lucy won't officially be a part of our household until all our debts are paid off in a couple of years, but now that she has a name, we can already see her as a member of our family.  I can't wait to walk in the door, kiss my wife and say, "Lucy, I'm home."

If you're having trouble making your dreams come true, sit down and pick out a name before you do anything else.  Life is too short to miss out on an adventure.  Have a great day.

Who Survives?

Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt you were right on the edge of death?  Did you do something special to survive?  Can you think of how you may handle a future catastrophe?  Maybe it's a health issue.  Perhaps it could be news of a tragic event.  Will you survive?

Charles Darwin had an interesting approach to this question.  He said it's not necessarily the strongest who survive.  He said it's not necessarily the smartest.  Darwin believed survival depends on the willingness to adapt or change.

One of the greatest moments in my personal life happened late last year when all five of my siblings got together with me in Mexico to celebrate our mother's 80th birthday.  Without getting too personal here, I think it's safe to say all of us are survivors.  Since I'm the only one in the family who has permission to share any details, I believe my own survival was due to recalibrating my life in a new environment completely foreign to anything I experienced growing up.  I needed to let go of many things.  I'm thriving now because I was willing to adapt.  I salute my family members for doing the same.  Have a great day.

Love Wins

No matter how many times I feel defeated, I always know the ultimate outcome – love wins.  I believe this with every fiber of my being.  Please don't ever lose hope.  Stay in the race.  Do something today that will enhance someone's life.  You have something to give.  Your best gift is love.  Love is the best medicine I know.  Share your medicine.  Have a great day.

Find Your Happy Place

Picture yourself in a happy place.  It may be a secluded beach, a mountain peak in the Rockies or a snow-covered driveway.  Wherever you find yourself, it's a happy place because you choose happiness.  You may be listening to the sound of ocean waves gently wooshing on the shore or the ice crackling as you scrape remnants from the last storm.  A young neighbor girl walks up loaded with tools to assist you and offers to help because it's a snow day and she wants to do a good deed.  She could do anything she wants but her choice is to share her happiness.  Yes, happiness is best when it's shared.  I'm thankful for those who share their happiness with me.  Have a great day.

How to Defeat Your Inner Voices

Your inner voices also seem to be loudest when you're trying something new.  If you want to test this idea, think of something you would like to try, like learning a new language.   Your inner voices will begin their interference like an annoying backseat driver.  Your brain may be saying "Sí," while your inner voices are shouting, "No."  If you persist, they get creative.  Their "No" turns into "Mañana."  These voices behave like spoiled children who refuse to eat their spinach.  I know how to defeat these inner voices.  If you're tempted to stop reading, be careful.  You may be under the influence of the inner voices who really want you to get off of this blog immediately.

Still with me?  You're already winning.  The best way I know how to defeat your inner voices is to be the parent.  Step up.  Take charge.  Make a commitment to try something new and stay with it until it becomes a permanent part of your life.  You can do this with any new habit you would like to add.  Make sure you only work on one habit at a time so you don't overextend your willpower.  You need every ounce of focus you can muster to defeat your inner voices.  They are going to be with you for the rest of your life.  Teach your inner voices good manners so they stop interrupting you while you learn new habits.  They will calm down once you show them who is in charge.  Be wary.  If you give your inner voices one iota of influence, they may attempt a coupe.  You need consistency.  Be cautious about your surroundings.  Inner voices love to travel in packs.  If you find yourself around others who let their inner voices run wild, run.  Seek those who are masters of their inner voices and learn from their success.  Have a great day.

Doing the Happy Dance with Mother Nature

My neighbors in my neck of the woods are really angry with Mother Nature right now.  Not me.  I understand her role in my life.  She has her seasons.  That's what she does every year with remarkable consistency.  My job is to embrace her ways rather than resist.  In fact, why not be asking her to dance in every season?  Those who restrict their happy times to the seasons that offer ideal temperatures are missing out.  Sure, getting up at 4:45 to shovel my driveway may not sound like fun to my warm-weather friends but for me, it's an opportunity to tone my muscles.  My body told me it had enough toning after three hours on the courts last night but I told it to embrace the opportunity to dance with Mother Nature while most others are still sleeping.  It worked.  According to the weather report, I'm dancing a couple more days in a row before the week is over.  Have a great day and enjoy whatever Mother Nature offers you.

Prep Your Brain for a Lunar Landing

If you're like most people, you went big on New Year's Eve with bold resolutions and goals for a brand new decade.  That was your blast-off.  Today is day 22.  How is your rocket ship doing?  Think of those goals as a lunar landing.  If your goals were able to travel at the speed of light, you could have achieved your lunar landing in less than two seconds.  You could accomplish a landing in about three days with a rocket ship.  Unfortunately, you aren't able to travel at light speed and odds are pretty good that you can't afford a rocket ship.  How about we make this trip a virtual one?

When I'm working on my goals, I like to check the trajectory and make daily adjustments so I don't veer too far off course.  My focus is on my supply ship.  Do I have what it takes to get to my destination?  The right mindset is my fuel.  If I'm running low, I seek help.  This help may come in the form of YouTube videos from others that successfully performed their own lunar landings.  Sometimes, inspiration comes from people I respect who find creative ways to stay motivated on their journey.  That's why I enjoy reading books about self-improvement.

I would like to take a moment here to thank my cousin, Dr. John Mulligan, for his assistance in getting my body healthy so that I can continue my voyage free from past issues like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides,  and excessive body fat around my belly.  His caveman food experiment was like offering me a course correction in my trajectory and I followed his advice to avoid tragedy.  You will be able to read more about it in "Live Long and Prosper."  For now, I would like to express my thanks by sharing today's blood pressure reading, perhaps my lowest ever, in my entire 59.5 years of life on this planet.  Drum roll, please... 117/73.  By the way, the next time I visit my physician for an updated lipid panel reading, he may want to know why I took myself off of the only prescription medicine I was on.  I don't really want to get into a debate with him about all those permission slips we think we need to be healthy, but I'm going to tell him my body is responding well to living like a caveman.  The lab rat/caveman star traveler lives!  Thank you, cousin!

Whatever plans you have for this year, my hope for you is that you don't give up on your mission.  If you need a restart, take a mulligan and go back to the launchpad.  Aim high and make adjustments after takeoff.   Make sure your brain is prepped well and that you have everything you need to complete your journey to the moon and beyond.  Have a great day.

What's on the Other Side of Your Obstacle?

That obstacle in front of you may be there for an important reason – to protect you from the unknown.  Have you ever considered who put it there?  Is it possible that your own brain constructed it?  Maybe your friends built it because they're afraid you will change if you ever figure out a way past it?  I know something about obstacles.  Once you discover what's on the other side you will never be the same.  If you really want to discover what's waiting for you, I have an idea for you to try.

Imagine you're already on the other side.  Take a good look around and pay attention to every detail you observe.  How does it feel to be free?  Soak it in.  Ask yourself how you pulled it off.  What did your future self do to escape?  If you really want to be bold, stand in front of a mirror as your future self and look at your face.  Notice the expressions of joy and happiness.  You are glowing.  You are free.  When you're ready to come back, make sure you are armed with all the instructions you need to conquer your obstacle.  Then, get busy.  Follow the instructions.  Let the anticipation of freedom be your inspiration.  Put in the daily effort necessary to break free.  Have a great day.

Where Does Your Magic Happen?

Imagine a place where you're happy.  It's a magical place.  There are no negative thoughts because there's simply no reason for them.  You're surrounded by serenity.  Where is this place?  Is it some kind of an exotic location?  Is the weather just right?  What do you imagine yourself doing?  How long are you visiting this place where all the magic happens?  Is it a family vacation or an overnight stay?  Who is with you?

My magical place may appear different to the outside observer.  I planned to wake up this morning next to the beach but the severe weather in the area caused an overload of passengers who also desired to travel.  I was nearly 100% certain I was going to get a seat yesterday morning at 4:45am when I observed the sheet of ice covering the airport parking lot.  My temperature gauge read -3º and the wind was howling at about 30mph.  These are the kinds of conditions that normally keep travelers home.  I walked inside and noticed overwhelming crowds lining up to check their bags.  One of the reservation clerks spotted me checking in at the self-checkout monitor and asked where I was headed.  She urged me to move quickly because the doors were closing soon.  Once I cleared the long line at security, I scurried up the escalator carrying my shoes to save time and made it to the gate as other passengers were boarding.  Unfortunately for me, there were no empty seats and every flight for the rest of the day was completely sold out.  I shuffle stepped back to my car pretending that the weather was tropical but my mind resisted.  What a relief it was to get back to my vehicle and turn the heat on.

I'm in my happy place this morning.  A couple of nights ago I recall taking our son's pet chihuahua outside at 2am to do her business.  Normally, we put a leash on her but I felt safe knowing she wouldn't wander since it was so cold and windy.  I opened our sliding door and let her outside while I watched.  Roxy ventured over a snowdrift and slid all the way down the slope to the trees bordering our backyard like a beginner cross country skier trying to hit the brakes.  Her 6-pound body was too light to puncture the layer of ice that covered the fresh snow.  She finally came to a halt and looked back at me unsure what to do.  She was a deer in the headlights.  My steps to retrieve her were slow and methodical.  Each step broke the ice and sent out loud crunching sounds throughout the sleepy neighborhood.  I picked her up and brought her back while I was dreaming about my upcoming trip to a place where the magic happens.  I may not be at that beach I was dreaming about but I'm definitely where the magic happens.   I don't have to be somewhere else to be happy.  The weather doesn't need to be tropical in order for me to be happy.  The magic can happen anywhere at any time and in any condition.  How about you?  Have you discovered where your magic happens?  Have a great day.

Rest and Recovery Time

The trip I planned for today turns out to be virtual-only.  All flights for today are sold out.  That means my travels are confined to what I picture in my mind until I'm able to fly again and explore the world around me.  Today will be a rest and recovery day.  Have a great day.

Living the Paradox

Everything is upside down today.  There are semis flipped over on the interstate.  A sheet of ice is on top of the snow and my day job somehow turned into a night job, at least for the next 24 hours.  I read a report that they shut down O'Hare airport due to the storm that has the Midwest in a frenzy.

These are the days and nights when the uncertainty is so bleak that we should have trouble seeing what's ahead.  Not me.  I'm using this time to close my eyes and picture myself on a sunny beach soaking up huge doses of vitamin D.  Is it really possible to get a tan when the state of Iowa is pretty much a frozen tundra?  I see something in this great paradox I appear to be tangled up in today where dreams and reality are somewhat distorted from the blizzard passing through.  I see paradise right smack in the bullseye of my paradox and I'm running (perhaps sliding is a better word) to it as soon as I punch out at my day/night job.  My reality will never again be certain.  That's okay.  The one I follow will show me the way.  The only thing I know for certain is that I'm so far away from my comfort zone that the shadow of fear creeping behind me got lost.  Have a great day.

The Greater the Crisis, the Greater the Opportunity

I'm learning something about crisis, something I always tried to avoid at all costs.  There are levels.  Think of the radiator in your vehicle.  When that gauge starts moving up, what happens to your thoughts?  I bet the higher the reading, the more attention you pay to it.  And when it blows, you're stranded on the side of the road.  Add some bad weather like the kind we're expecting today, and you have a huge crisis on your hands.  So, maybe you're asking, "Hey Michael, where's the opportunity in this picture you're painting today?"

I'll share my answer using an example that happened yesterday at my day job.  I found out my cushy hours for tomorrow have been modified and that I'm working an overnight shift in order to assist with some post-audit work.  This schedule change put me in crisis mode for a few minutes while I pondered how this was going to affect my life.  I felt the temperature gauge on my internal thermostat suddenly going into crisis mode.  That's when I suddenly saw an opportunity – an opportunity to catch an early morning flight as soon as I punch out and take advantage of three days off in a row, a result of my unexpected schedule change.  I shared the idea with my wife this morning and she encouraged me to go for it.  I'm going to the beach.  And that's how you turn a massive crisis into a magnificent opportunity.  Have a great day.

Why Daily Effort Matters

Yesterday no longer matters.  Tomorrow is still far away.  This morning I find myself on the financial freedom golf course searching for a way to get back on track.  I'm playing a game I created called Par for the Course.  The idea is to complete the 36 months on par and retire our mortgage early.  My first drive of this year hooked terribly and I was already in trouble.  Then my wife showed up and offered me hope I could make par if I followed her advice.  Debt reduction is a serious daily effort and I'm feeling inspired knowing my wife is willing to go the distance with me.

Any skill worth learning requires daily effort.  I'm realizing the importance of continuous improvement, one day at a time.  Slow and steady wins the race.  I'm focusing on eliminating the bad habits that lead to the sand traps while creating new habits that get me closer to financial freedom.  I'm asking myself, "What can I do today to stay on course?"  I'm going to listen to my wife and go for it without any fear of failure.  How about you?  Do you believe daily effort matters?  Look at small choices you're making today and make them count.  Have a great day.

Find Your Sweet Spot

My emotions are a bit elevated this morning while I'm penning today's story.  I'm doing something out of the ordinary.  It may not seem like much to the outside observer but for me it's enlightening.  I'm listening to Hans Zimmer.  The headphones I'm using are a gift from a couple of years ago that I set aside and forgot about.  The music emanating from these headphones is so deep and penetrating that I almost feel like I'm in a different world right now as my fingertips are typing.  My wife popped in and told me her boss phoned her to tell her the interstate is littered with stranded semis from last night's ice storm.  Yep.  Mother Nature has a sweet spot and when she hits it there's this magical combination of water and ice that makes all the trees and surrounding objects glitter like a scene from Heaven.  This requires precise temperatures.  Too warm and you have rain.  Too cold and snow appears.  When the temperatures hold steady at the exact sweet spot for an extended duration you get a portrait of something out of this world.  The Hans Zimmer music is adding the icing to the cake I'm baking inside my head for my book projects.

I'll be driving through the interstate in slow motion this morning on my way to my day job.  The interstate will be deserted except for the abandoned semis.  Here's the strange thing about today – I'm totally 100% anxiety-free.  This is because I took the time to free my mind from my traumatic memory of a past event that occurred when my vehicle slid into oncoming traffic on an icy road.  I found my sweet spot.  My mind is free and I'm out of prison.  Thank you, Hans, for your inspirational music that set off fireworks in my brain this morning.  My emotions are amplified and I feel creative energy surging through my body.  This is the perfect sweet spot to create content that I will deliver when it's out of the oven.  Have a great day and remember to find your sweet spot.

Why Uncertainty is Good for the Soul

I'm not sure when this is going to happen but when it does I have this feeling it's going to lift my spirits to new heights.  It's something I've never done before.  My wife is on board.  All we need are a few days off to implement this idea.  We will wake up, pack our packs and head to the airport without knowing where we're going or what we're doing.  Does that sound scary to you?  This is exactly what our souls need to keep life interesting.  The only thing I'm certain about is that we will create memories that will last a lifetime.

Challenge yourself to do something different from your regular routine.  I'll let you know about my unplanned adventure when it happens.  Have a great day.

Fear Training 101

Fear is most dangerous when it's out in the wild.  I know this firsthand.  It can appear at any time and in any place including your own mind.  I know what fear feeds on.  You have a choice today.  Allow fear to confine you and limit your own potential or tame it just like you train your own pets.  Today's story is only meant as an introduction, like going on a first date that may lead to a long term relationship.  Consider how your friends and family members deal with fear.  Is fear an unrestricted free agent that demands all your time and energy without any regard for how you want to live your life?  Are those demands so high that you can't even leave your own home without always looking over your shoulder?

Fear training 101 consists of being aware of how fear eats and functions.  If you are to win at domesticating fear you must be willing to become the master.  You must corral fear.  Get your lasso and go outside into the unknown in search of your wild horse named fear.  Bring him home and put him in confinement with a clear set of boundaries.  Commit yourself to work with fear every day until he understands you're in charge.  Watch what you feed him.  Negative thoughts will make him strong enough to break free and terrorize you until you confront him and bring him back to a place where you can stand guard over him.

Visualize the day when fear becomes your prized horse that listens and obeys your every wish.  Some day you will ride this stallion and the crowds of people will admire your courage.  That is your future life.  It begins today.  It's time for your first date.  Happy trails.  Have a great day.

You're Entering the Anxiety-free Zone

Yesterday we got hit with one of those overnight storms that start with rain and gradually turn to freezing rain culminating with sleet and snow.  It makes the road conditions precarious.  I prepared well by parking my Ford Escape with the front of the vehicle facing the street to maximize the front-wheel-drive on the icy driveway.  The thick layer of ice on my windows was too daunting to remove so I opted to drive my wife's SUV to my day job.

My morning commute was a test to see if my anxiety was really gone from a serious auto accident I suffered nearly two years ago.  The road conditions were hauntingly familiar.  I'm happy to report I passed the test with flying colors.  I concentrated on the beautiful scenery all around and ignored the overturned semis on the side of the interstate.  Many of the people we serve decided not to venture out so I seized the opportunity to return home early and spend most of the day with my wife.  I'm so thankful to be anxiety-free.  It's really easy to get trapped looking in the rearview mirror because of a tragic event from the past but I refuse to be a prisoner.  If you're struggling with anxiety, get help.  Come back and visit often.  I'm declaring this blog as an anxiety-free zone.  Thank you for visiting.  Have a great day.

Why Good Lighting Matters

The best photographers in the world are experts at something most amateurs overlook – lighting.  Good lighting matters because when the dimmer switch is too low or too high, quality suffers.  The same is true in life.  Most of us are amateurs.  Our lives are so dimly lit that we can barely see the world around us.  We are blind to opportunity.

I found a way to enhance the quality of my life.  It requires leaving the lights off every morning after my alarm goes off.  I close my eyes and take a look at my mind with nothing but a flashlight.  The flashlight keeps me focused on one room at a time.  I look for the dimmer switch in each room and turn up the brightness so I can see more vividly than when my eyes are open.

Most people I talk to want to know how I'm able to remain so focused on my goals.  I tell them about the time I spend every morning to get the lighting right.  They balk.  The response is always the same, "Who has that kind of time?" These are the same people who complain about their lives.  The photos are out of focus, the lighting is never right and they are the ones who blame others for the bad quality when they refuse to admit where the real problem is – themselves.

Please do me a favor.  Decide today you are going to make the daily effort to improve your photography skills.  Commit to a minimum of thirty minutes a day and use your flashlight to observe what's going on inside your mind.  Experiment with the dimmer switch in each room until you can see clearly what your life could be like when you get the lighting right.  You deserve a quality life.  Have a great day.

'Tis the Season for Healing

It's day 10 of a new year and a new decade.  Does it feel new to you?  If not, maybe today is a good day to take a look at what's hurting inside.  There is no better day than today to give yourself some healing.  Most of the people I know who are struggling are people who somehow got stuck living in the past.  For them, this year is no different from any other.  The best way I know to break free and live for today is to find a way to forgive every person in your life for all the hurt they caused.  I know.  I know.  You earned those grudges you're carrying around.  Letting go means you can no longer complain about how unfair the world is or how much pain you suffered.  The only way you can be free is to stop living in the past.  Come on.  It's day 10.  Please don't let another day go by that is wasted because you refuse to forgive.  Isn't that bag of grudges getting heavy?

Here's another good idea to help you make this your best year ever.  Start praying for the negative people in your life to be abundantly blessed.  And when you see their lives getting better, be happy for them.  Not fake happy.  Genuine, authentic gratitude that your prayers for them are answered.  Make sure that not one single person is on your grudge list.  Let go.  Be happy.  Have a great day.

Your Future is Calling

Imagine the phone ringing.  You answer the call.  It's your future self.  Why is your future self calling you at this moment?  Is it to beat you up for breaking all the resolutions you made?  Is it to thank you for your willingness to make positive changes in your life and give the future you something really special, like a new body and a new mind?

I have this strange feeling I already know what my future self would say.  It would go something like this, "Hey Mully, nice work on that Par for the Course Game you and I created.  2019 seems like such a long time ago from my point of view but I want you to know I still remember how we both stumbled through that first year filled with so many bogeys at the beginning of the game.  Don't beat yourself up too much about that bogey you're going to make this month.  You really love to win and Par for the Course is one of those games where you simply can't make a par or an eagle every month. You chose to buy new tires for our lovely spouse and that set you back a few pesos but just wait until you see those storms in your future.  Thank God you did the right thing and put our love's safety first.    I'm calling you today to thank you for never ever giving up.  Happy New Year!"

By the way, Par for the Course is something I came up with to make debt reduction more like a game than some kind of boring chore that you don't want to do because instant gratification is so much more appealing.  I want my future self to live in abundance and this will only happen if I make the daily effort to improve my shot-making skills on the financial freedom course.  Have a great day.

All Things New

Jesus said, "Behold, I make all things new."  What does that mean to you?  I have this feeling in my gut that all things new seem foreign to most.  What if you could change one thing today?  If we take the time to look at our daily routines, aren't most days simply a repeat of the day before?  How does one break out of "all things old"?  Awareness is a great starting point.

I'm a big believer in routines that produce consistently positive results.  What may be missing are new routines that can be stacked on top of what is already working in your life to enhance what's already working well.  Or perhaps eliminating old patterns that are preventing you from being your best and replacing them with fresh approaches.  Ask yourself, "is there a better way?"  Seek out something new today.  Be bold.  Be adventurous.  If you're stuck, ask Jesus to give you something new.  Have a great day.

Give Thanks Always

It's easy to be thankful when things are going your way and all is well.  What about those days when the wheels fall off?  Or when someone with overwhelming negative energy confronts you while you're quietly seeking peace?  I've seen many of those days.  One night when I woke up to this ominous glow of light beyond the surrounding foothills of our sleepy Southern California community, the first sign of a catastrophic wildfire rapidly approaching.  The Santa Ana winds spewed volleyball-sized fireballs all around us at dizzying speeds as we hurriedly exited with nothing but the clothes on our backs and photos of our past lives.  The next morning my brother-in-law and I snuck back into our neighborhood after attending Mass on Sunday morning to give thanks for our safety.  The church was nearly empty because our neighborhood had turned into some kind of a scene from a wartorn third world country and most of the roads were barricaded.  We got close enough to see black plumes of smoke from the mountaintop where our cedar home overlooked our community.  The only things visible were several warped steel pillars that once supported our next-door neighbors home.  According to the firefighters, some kind of fire chimney from our neighbor's burning home miraculously drew the flames away from our home and protected it from disaster.

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus – 1 Thessalonians 5-18.    Be thankful when it's not easy to be thankful.  Jesus is with you always.  When all else fails, be thankful he is standing with you in every trial even when you feel you are all alone.  Have a great day.

Space, an Interesting Frontier

New experiences are something every mind, body, and soul needs.  One of my projects for this new decade is to explore space.  Not the out-of-the-world type only reserved for astronauts.  I'm talking about something much closer in proximity.  There are billions of strands of nebulous rarely explored by others because most visitors don't see enough to captivate their attention so they exit vowing never to return.   For me, time ceases while I'm traversing this inner galaxy of my own mind.  It's a complicated place.  The longer I remain, the more I learn about myself.

Here's an interesting proposition for you to consider.  Ask yourself, "how can I make this year different from all previous years?"  Stop reading and think seriously about how to answer this question.  Give yourself five minutes and then come back.  I'll share my challenge with you.  Give inner space exploration a try.  I want you to try it for 30 days and see if you find an improvement in your sense of well-being.  Give yourself 10 minutes a day.  This is your time.  Be selfish and don't let any other priorities get in the way.  If you tell me you're too busy, I challenge you to double your allotment of time to 20 minutes a day because I believe busy people like you need this most.

What do you do with this 10 to 20 minutes a day of inner space exploration?  Nothing.  Your only job is to shut off the outside world and explore your own mind with your eyes closed.  Seek out the places in your brain where happy memories are stored.  Pretend you're at the movie theater.  Concentrate on how you feel while you view childhood scenes with your family and friends.  Pay attention to how you breathe.  Don't open your eyes until your time is up.  I use a timer to remind myself to unfasten my seat belt and come back to earth.  For me, staring at a blank screen for up to two hours a day is life-changing.  Space is an interesting frontier.  You may find when your 30 days are up that you may have a new perspective to view the world around you.  See for yourself.  Have a great day.

Day 5

Christmas is behind us.  The new year is five days old.  Some resolutions may already be in the past.  What is your new decade looking like to you?  Is it another repeat of the past decade?  I hope not.  For me, it's like departing from the port and heading into the uncertainty.  The unknown can be a scary place.  The harbor is safe and right now there may be people who hear voices in their heads saying, "I don't feel comfortable out at sea."  Maybe there's this urge to go back to your old ways.  That new body you were dreaming about on New Year's Eve requires more effort than you realized and you feel a temptation to crawl back under the covers.  I have a feeling those voices are going to get stronger as the coastline behind you fades away.  It's like those family vacations when the kids in the backseat kept asking, "Are we there yet?"

I recall watching Lost in Space when I was growing up.  The Robinson family was focused on one thing – going home.  They had an opportunity of a lifetime but all they could see in their future was the rearview mirror.  Imagine for a moment what your life can become if you keep moving forward toward the uncertainty.  Imagine all the potential you have.  Day 5 is the perfect day to decide you're going to stick to your plan to introduce new habits and you're never going back to your old ways.  Fill up your new year with experiments.  Try new things.  Seek adventure.  Tell those kids in the backseat to look out the window and enjoy the view without worrying about how long it takes to get where you're going.  Your brain is a pet and it's time to train your thoughts to sit and stay while you sail into your future on your boat, starship or a Promaster named Lucy.  What you need to focus on for today is this day only.  Your journey is a long one.  Be patient.  Keep moving forward.  If nothing else works today, make sure to reprogram that robot who is flailing his arms while yelling, "Danger, danger, Will Robinson." I recommend you turn the flailing into clapping.  Danger means opportunity. It's the icing on the uncertainty cake.  Go ahead.  Put those 2020 glasses back on from your New Years' celebration and go look out the window in your future.  Isn't it beautiful?  Have a great day.

Back to the Tennis Courts Today

Yesterday was a family reunion day in Arizona to celebrate my Uncle John's life along with numerous cool cousins and my uncle's amazing siblings.  Today is a tennis reunion day with my teammates for a home match this afternoon, followed by a team dinner.  I've been away so much that I've missed nearly a full season of men's 40+ tennis in Iowa.  I'm excited to be in the lineup today.  My team performed well during my absence and we head into today's final match of the season undefeated.  I attribute this to great coaching from our captain and a commitment to continuous improvement by every member of this team.

I would like to thank my mother and all my relatives for spending time with me yesterday.  I have a feeling all that positive energy they exuded will inspire me to play my best today.  There's nothing better than being surrounded by caring people who encourage you to be the best version of yourself you can be.  One of my best early memories of playing tennis was when my uncle John asked me to hit balls at my high school, the same place where one of my uncle's grandkids became a state champion in badminton several years ago.  I'll be thinking of my uncle today while I'm on the courts and plan to dedicate the match to him.  Have a great day.

Why I Refunded My Ticket on the Excuse Train

We all know people who mainly travel via the excuse train.  I admit to this mode of travel and now I'm done for good.  It's unreliable, almost always late and all the passengers do is blame others for all their troubles.

I'm in Phoenix today to celebrate the life of my dad's younger brother.  He bought a one way ticket to Heaven and today we say goodbye.  The only reason I'm here is because I got my refund for my seat on the excuse train.  All I can say is I'm making a commitment to stay off the excuse train in the new year and beyond.  Have a great day.

Give Yourself the Gift of the Slight Edge

One of the most influential books I read last year was given to me as a gift while I was helping with our day job expansion efforts in Indiana.  "The Slight Edge" is about a daily commitment to improvement.  I didn't realize how powerful the impact was until I shared this book with our adult children and watched them flourish at a high level.  Perhaps what's most difficult is doing the daily work without really seeing significant results.  What I gleaned from this book is that the rewards are multiplied exponentially as long as you do the daily tasks necessary to accomplish your goals.

If you would like a sneak peek of one of the secret weapons that helped me make positive changes in my life, check out the video from Jeff Olson of "The Slight Edge."  Have a great day.

Happy New Year

Today is a great day to go fishing.  I plan to fish every day for 365 days.  One of the best lessons I learned about fishing is that you can't catch anything unless you make the effort.  What you catch depends on the type of bait you use, the approach you take and your expectations.  It also depends on your consistency.  Confidence in your abilities to fish plays a significant role as well.  Ask yourself what kind of fish you would like to catch today.    Is it improved physical fitness?  A slimmer body?  Perhaps a family vacation?  Have you ever tried to catch these fish in previous years and failed?  What's going to be different about this year?

Before we get too deep into my fishing story, I would like to ask you to please bookmark this blog and come back regularly for fishing tips.  I can't guarantee how successful you will become but I'm willing to share my failures with you to help you improve your own fishing skills.  There is one fish I've been trying to catch for years and it's the big kahuna.  Actually, this fish looks more like a seven-headed sea dragon who shoots fireballs from its nostrils.  I've been burned to a crisp a few times in prior encounters.  This fish is my debt dragon and I have a plan to haul it in.  I believe the best way to defeat this debt monster is to chop off one head at a time until only one head remains, then it's going to be mano y mano for the final victory.  I'm down to two heads remaining.  If my fishing efforts are sustained, my hope is to cut off one more head by the end of this year.  That will set up an epic battle for 2021.  Once this sea creature is removed for good, I can enjoy a life of sport fishing.

Whatever your fishing plans for this new year may be, please don't give up.  Commit to daily effort.  Be consistent.  Try new bait.  Fish with a friend to be accountable.  If you happen to see some chopped off dragon heads in the water, don't freak out on me.  I'm chumming the waters to attract sharks.  It will make our adventure together more exciting.  Have a great day.