Midyear at a Glance

It's been an interesting year so far, hasn't it?  Some may be rejoicing that we're at the halfway point.  Others may be wondering if this year can get any worse.  I look at the year in daily increments and do my best not to stress over the challenges that come my way. 

Take a quick glance at the last six months.  This is a great time to make your halftime adjustments so you can build on what you've learned.  If you're like me, you find many lessons from these last six months.  Just remember, take it one day at a time and you can get through anything.  Have a great day.

Mother Nature is Rumbling

This photo was taken last night while we were undergoing a tornado watch.  Today the temperatures are expected to soar even higher to 99 degrees. I'm up early for a 6am start so this is going to be super short.  Have a great day.

Today is a Scorcher

I'm super thankful the afternoon tennis seesion I was invited to today got moved up to an early morning time slot.  I got a 90 minute practice seesion in before the heat wave expected this afternoon.  My body is fatigued and I'm staying indoors most of the day.  Have a great day.

Tennis on the Road

It finaly happened.  I got to play tennis.  Even though I'm separated from my teammates, I found a place to work out while on the road at my day job. I'm excited to say these North Dakota folks are rolling out the red carpet for me.  Not only did they set up the ball machine for me to use, they charged something like 8 bucks for the indoor court and the ball machine.  The head pro came over and introduced himself.  When he found out I needed a lot of help getting back in shape for our team's  state championship match next month, he invited to be a part of his clinic at no charge.  I got over 3 hours of hitting in this morning and I'm invited to play with his top players tomorrow.

Here's what my time away feels like.  I came to North Dakota on Monday about ten pounds over my ideal weight and with pale skin from a lack of sunshine. In six days I got my tan back, started losing the blubber around my waist and turned myself into  Tom Hanks Castaway look alike.  He needed four years to transform.  I needed six days.  I'm wondering if my family will recognize me.  We'll see.  All I can say is I'm feeling super strong.  Have a great day.

Why Consistency Beats Random Action

What does your daily routine look like?  Tho older I get, the more value I place on consistency.  There is a time for random action but I limit this to the times in my life when I'm at a dead end.  For me, consistency will keep me at the dead because I'm merely repeating the same mistakes that led me to the dead end.

Once you find yourself in pursuit of long term worthwhile goals, this is prime time for consistency.  Consistency leads to progress.  If you let random action creep because perhaps boredom is setting in, you will eventually find another culdesac.  You will get stuck.

I'm a big believer in long term goals.  For me, winning consistently is a daily habit.  It works.  Do something worthwhile for 30 days in a row and watch your results soar.  Have a great day.

Thriving in Uncertainty

I'm on the road for a bit.  Much of what's going on around me is uncertain.  My assignments are on a day-to-day basis.  In my opinion, this is good for the soul.  Maybe I enjoy chaos.  Working in a pandemic is unusual.  There are curves balls coming at me and my job is to adapt.  All I can say is I'm having the time of my life.  Stay tuned.  Have a great day.

My Space Aliens Experience

I'm in the first week on assignment at my day job.  They told me yesterday to go to Space Aliens.  I had so much fun spending the day in their parking lot that I went back for dinner.  The experience was out of this world.  I have no idea what today brings but the bar is high here in North Dakota.  Have a great day.

Good News from Erin

Wilson is on a solo mission to spend time with a long-time friend who is now battling Stage IV terminal cancer in New York City.  She reported today that after 16 weeks of weekly chemo, today's scan results show the tumors are so small/diffuse that they cannot be measured.  She made my day with her good news.  Wilson's too, although he never says much.

I must admit that I really don't know what to say or do in situations like this.  Erin reports on her FB page that her type of cancer cannot be cured and the life expectancy is anywhere from 3-5 years.  She is 2 years into her journey.

Erin cautions the rest of us not to advise her to have a positive attitude or tell her, "you can beat this."  I'm listening because I care and want to be present to her journey as difficult as it may be.  My hope is that she keeps up her "can do" spirit for as long as possible and that she continues to make an impact on the world around her.  Erin's time with Wilson will be the final chapter of the book I'm working on.  "The Adventures of Wilson" will be dedicated to her.  Please join me in her happiness today as she celebrates a victory.  Have a great day.  Erin, thank you for being such an inspiration.

First Flight in COVID-19 Era

The masks are on.  Every employee at the airport has one.  So do all the passengers.  There are storm clouds encircling the airport with only one slim patch of clear sky just north of the airport.  Boarding is in ten minutes.  I have just enough time to check in before departure. It's an eerie feeling to see everyone so spread out.  This will be the lightest load of passengers I've ever seen.

I'm on my way to Bismarck, North Dakota for another day job adventure.  This is the first time in our company history that we are expanding during a pandemic.  I'm excited to be a part of this.  All aboard.  Have a great day.

A Salute to all the Dads on Father's Day

They come in all shapes and sizes.  Without them, none of us would be here.  We never really know how long we will be graced with their presence.  I'm thankful for the time I had with my dad, especially the precious final thirty-five days we had with him before he departed this world.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads.  I salute you.  Enjoy your special day.  Have a great day.

Your One Minute Miracle

Do You believe in miracles?  If so, how long do you believe it takes for a miracle to occur?  Do you believe you can witness a miracle in less than one minute?  I'm referring to the minute you're living right now.  Yes, this minute.  Before you answer, consider how quick a single thought enters your mind.  It's like a flash of light, isn't it?  What if this single flash of light carries with it everything necessary for the miracle.  In my opinion, this event needs an ingredient that cannot be measured by traditional standards.  This ingredient is faith.  Another name for faith is belief.  If you can find evidence of just one single one-minute miracle, then perhaps you can repeat the miracle in your life once you possess the ingredient.

The next time you open your Bible, take a look at all the miracles Jesus performed, and ask yourself how long you think each miracle took.  How long did it take for the blind to be able to see?  For the lame to walk?  For the woman to stop bleeding?  For Lazarus to awake from the dead and walk out of the tomb?

I would like to share my "one-minute miracle" with you.  The reality is I didn't even have a minute.  The miracle needed to happen in a split second.  My car slid off the road and was headed back into oncoming traffic.  I was 100% helpless, just like the lame man, the blind man, the woman who couldn't stop her bleeding, and Lazarus who was dead for multiple days.  The passenger side of the vehicle was aimed at the oncoming vehicle.  All I wanted in my miracle was for our daughter to be spared.  She was sitting in the passenger seat.  I cried out for help.  The car spun 90º before impact.  Even though I ended up with an injured spleen and seven broken ribs, our daughter was unscathed except for a cut on her lip from a shard of glass from the driver's side window that exploded on impact.  Even though I could barely breathe or speak upon arrival to the trauma center, the doctors released me within 24 hours of the accident.  Yes, I do believe in miracles and I do believe they can come to you in a minute or less if you ask properly.  If you need a miracle in your life, just ask.  And if you are having trouble in the faith department, just ask Jesus.  Have a great day.

Virtual Auction Site for Your Dreams

Imagine you've been invited to a virtual auction site.  Every dream or vision you have ever had for your life will be auctioned off, one dream at a time.  There's plenty of visitors to the site and you need to be cautious.  Bid too low and you lose.  Bid too high and you may end up without enough resources to bid for your remaining dreams.  Will you R.S.V.P.?

Take a look at the other bidders around you.  Do you recognize your competition?  In my opinion, we all have the same opponents.  I know these people very well.  Top bidders for some of my dreams are Inaction, Laziness, Worry, Self-doubt, and my number one nemesis, the Prince of Lies.  I don't know why the Evil One pays so much attention to the dreams I have.  Perhaps it's because he knows these dreams are Heaven-sent and they are capable of making the world better should I be willing to be the highest bidder.

If you're serious about paying the price for your dreams, remember one thing.  Deciding to outbid all others who are competing for your dreams is only one step.  You must fight every day for all of your dreams to come true.  You must stand up to the Evil One.  Be bold.  And whatever you do, please don't let Regret outbid you.  I know too many people who are no longer around.  Before they left this world, they warned me about this bidder.  Regret is one of the most formidable opponents you will ever encounter.  Have a great day.

Expect This When You Practice

I can't declare victory yet.  This journey I'm on is a long one.  The obstacles have been massive.  Some surprises showed up along the way.  I'm fairly certain new challenges will show up in the future.  The interesting lesson I'm learning is that even though the obstacles don't get any smaller, learning to overcome them does get easier with one thing – repeated daily effort.  It's all about practice.

Is there a challenge in your life you would like to tackle but you're not sure when to begin or what to do first?  Take the first step.  Don't worry if you don't have the skills to accomplish your task.  Jump in.  Practice every day.  Learn from your mistakes.  It's going to be a while before I declare victory.  That's okay.  Life really is a series of practice tests.  I'm doing my best to prepare for the final exam.  Have a great day.

Winning is More Possible When You Do This First

Those voices in your head will tell you all the reasons why you can't win or won't win.  The truth is, winning is mostly a head game.  Listen to those negative voices proclaiming doom and gloom and it's already game over.  Somewhere inside your head is a small voice that says you can win.  This is the voice you have to nurture.  This voice needs to be trusted when all those negative voices are yelling and screaming.

I learned to become deaf to the voices outside my head from other people telling me I can't do something.  There seems to be this group mindset that others follow because the numbers appear so large on the other side.  Imagine if you were around when everybody was walking around telling you the world is flat and if you venture too far, you will fall off.  Just because everybody thought this was true, it doesn't make this statement true.  The same is true about those voices in your head.  High negatives don't negate what you can do when you trust yourself.

I'm learning something about the negative voices in my head.  When I prove them false, they shut up.    Pay attention to the voices in your head that give you hope.  Winning is more possible when you listen to the positive voices.  Have a great day.

Life in an Up and Down World

It's inevitable.  There will be high tides and low tides.  Summers and Winters.  Life and death.  Sickness and health.  There will be periods of growth and decline.  I'm learning how to keep my attitude steady no matter how upside-down the world around me becomes.  Those living in my home state laugh about the weather.  They say if you don't like, just wait a little while – it will soon change.

If you can learn to expect change, you won't be disappointed.  This is a great coping skill.  Learn to be flexible.  Have a great day.

Rise and Shine

It's 5:15AM right now on this beautiful Monday morning.  I'm sitting in my basement composing this blog message.  There was a time in my life when I dreaded getting up so early in the morning.  The snooze button was my best friend.  Not anymore.  In fact, snooze is out for good.  I discovered that snooze was really an enemy of all the good I wanted to achieve.  Snooze meant to surrender to my dreams.  It's 5:20AM now.  This paragraph took five minutes to compose.  I'm feeling pretty good about that because I recall all the times in my life when a paragraph took an hour.  Sometimes longer. A page of writing wouldn't come until days later.  Now my life is all about "rise and shine."  I have eight minutes left to finish up this message, shower, and head to the airport to drop off our daughter before the early morning shift at my day job.  One week from this moment I will be on my way to another assignment in another state.  The to-do list for this week is massive.

I'm learning how important "rise and shine" is to my goals.  Time is now my greatest ally.  I'm learning I can get important tasks done if I get up as early as 4am every day and meditate.  It seems counter-productive to meditate because on the outside it looks more like hitting a snooze button.  No, it's quite the opposite.  It's 5:27AM now.  Three minutes to close so I'm not late for the early morning drop-off at the airport.  The day is already choreographed.  This is what rise and shine look like.  It's doing the small things right every minute of the time you allot for specific tasks.  5:29 AM. Time to sign off.  Have a great day.  Stay tuned for more adventures ahead.

Why Your Comfort Zone May Be Hazardous

Have you ever asked yourself why your comfort zone exists?  Is it some kind of layer of protection you created to keep you safe?  I know a few people who will never leave their comfort zone.  In my opinion, they're missing out.  They don't even notice the opportunities that are out of reach.  That's why I believe comfort zones are hazardous.  They promote yesterday over and over until death.  I just can't imagine living my life without opportunity.  Yes, opportunity and change are twins that you can't separate.  They both live outside the comfort zone and they want to be your playmates.

The next time opportunity and change coming knocking on your door, go outside and explore a whole new world that is waiting for you.  Be bold.  Don't worry about failing.  The twins know all about failure and they don't judge.  You will never be the person you were created to be unless you leave your comfort zone.  Have a great day.

Try This When Fear Creeps In

Are you noticing that fear is doing everything in its power to creep into your life?  The simple act of going outside your home is now dangerous.  Perhaps you find yourself wondering if you're going to encounter someone who is sick.  Your favorite vacation spot is now out of reach unless you want to take a chance and get arrested for violating stay-in-place orders.  Is there anything you can do to fight fear?

If that fear monster is holding you back, try this.  The idea is to make this monster smaller than what your mind sees.  You may not be able to completely wipe out fear but you can cut him down to size by using the power of your mind.  There are seven days in your week.  Forget about the next six days for today.  With the way things are going, that fear monster is occupying a lot of space in your week.  By blocking out the next six days and all the days that follow those six days, you have just reduced your fear monster to today.  Now, divide your day into 24 one hour periods and set aside the next 23 hours.  Wow!  Look how small your fear monster has become.  He has shrunk to just one hour of your life.  Is he small enough to face now?  There you go.  You have an opponent that you can manage to outmaneuver as long as you stay in the moment.  Enjoy your hour.  Take your life back.  Do this every hour, every day until fear no longer gets in your way.  Have a great day.

Why You Need a Measuring Stick for Your Goals

The older I get, the more I realize the value of having the right tools to get things done.  The same is true with goals.  Your measuring stick helps you to size up your project before you begin.  Once started, use your measuring stick to keep track of your performance.

For many, measuring sticks may appear boring.  Maybe that's why some projects never get started.  They seem unappealing.  I got creative when it came to measuring my progress on a three-year quest to gain financial independence.  I happen to be exactly in the middle of the thirty-six-month span and I'm not giving up even though this may be the most challenging goal I've ever set for myself.  I use my "measuring stick" to track monthly targets which are set up to look more like a virtual golf course than a spreadsheet.  This may not be a traditional approach but I can tell you I'm hooked because I'm having fun while hacking away at my debt.  According to my measuring stick, there are now very few bogeys and I'm seeing my first back-to-back pars.  My caddy thinks I can obtain an eagle or two in the coming months of the game.  All I can say is to make sure you find a way to measure your goals and make sure you have fun while you're sizing up your performance.  Have a great day.

Take a Ride on the Confidence Train

If someone offered you a free ride on the confidence train, would you accept?  Your mind is probably already throwing out objections.  The less confident you are, the more you need a journey like this.  I can hear your questions from the other side of cyberspace.  Where is this train going?  How long is the ride?  What's going to happen?  Can I get off the train if I don't like the ride?  Are there strings attached?  Most of your questions are based on the uncertainty of a ride like this.  Has anyone ever heard of a "confidence train"?  Well, probably not.  I just made it up this morning.  I see a need to help people get through these troubling times and the doubts seem to be surfacing all around me.

I've been on the confidence train all my life.  The longer I ride, the easier it gets to be in challenging situations where confidence helps me.  A few months ago, my train was hijacked by a novel virus that disrupted my personal life.  Some of my confidence I spent years developing vaporized.  I remember asking myself, "How can I do my job effectively if I have a mask on my face all day?"  One day they put up shields to protect people from the spread of COVID-19.  I asked myself, "How am I going to be able to communicate with all these obstacles"?  I needed to get the confidence train moving again and that's exactly what I did.  It wasn't easy but I forced myself to adapt.  That's what confidence really is – modifying your thinking to accept whatever challenges life throws your way.  This blog is your free ticket to building confidence.  I'm here every day at 8:08, Pacific Time.  When I get enough confidence to share some videos with you, that will be something you can check out during your daily train ride.  Have a great day.

Your Grudge Under a Microscope

You never really know the value of something until you bring it in and have a knowledgable person examine it.  Family heirlooms are passed on for generations.  I've noticed something peculiar about people who possess grudges.  The owner of the grudge holds on as if he is a character in "The Lord of the Rings."  The grudge mesmerizes the owner.  What is the real value?  Let's put it under a microscope and see what can be found.  Are you ready?

The first step is to find your most valuable grudge, the one you've been holding longer than any other grudge in your possession.  Let go of it for a few moments and examine it as if you were using a microscope.  What do you see?  What is the composition of this grudge?  Ask yourself one question:  What would happen if I let go of this grudge and just walked away?  Is it possible that your grudge is really some kind of Kryptonite that renders you powerless when you're holding it?  I have a feeling that once you part with your most valuable grudge, you will find that it's easy to give away your entire collection.  The choice is yours.  Have a great day.

How to Use Cruise Control for Your Financial Goals

I'm learning something about my financial goals.  The more I automate them, the more attainable they become.  My paycheck from my day job goes into two separate checking accounts, the one I use to pay my everyday expenses, and the one I pretend doesn't exist unless an emergency pops up.  This second account is like cruise control.  As long as I don't touch the settings, I can reach my financial goals without any effort.  The challenge is to avoid any temptation to alter my preset amounts.

If you're interested in giving your financial goals a boost, try cruise control.  Open up a separate account and start with a small amount so you don't miss it.  It's even easier if you can find something in the monthly spending you can live without.  Cut this out and instead of paying someone else, put this in your separate bank account.  As you get more comfortable, increase the cruise control to higher amounts.  Have a great day.

Remember This When You Struggle with an Identity Crisis

One idea my wife and I worked on together when our kids were young was presenting a united front. As Abraham Lincoln once said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand."  This is true in parenting, team building, and in general life situations.  In my opinion, much of the challenges we see in our world today come from forgetting our identity.  There are two places we need to examine.  The first may be the most difficult because it involves looking in the mirror.  I believe we fail to see Jesus when we look in the mirror because we're too busy focusing on our flaws.  We look for ways to cover up those flaws so others don't see them.  If you can honestly look in the mirror and see Jesus, you are halfway to a great solution for solving some of the greatest problems in our world.

The second place to examine is in others.  Do your best to take your attention off the flaws and search for something inside them that is a reflection of Jesus.  It's there.  It's always there.  Most people choose not to search deeply enough to find this reflection.  Once you find it, it's really difficult to keep judging or hating the way they act because deep down those other people you have trouble getting along with are just like you.  They are created in the image of God.  Maybe that's why Jesus commands us to love our enemies.  Every time I struggle with my own identity, I think about Jesus.  Every time I come across someone who pushes my buttons the wrong way, I remember who created them and that they, like me, have a purpose, even if neither of us has discovered what that purpose is. Do your best to present a united front even during those times when you feel lost.  Have a great day.

Your Response Doesn't Need to be Fight or Flight

The way we are wired served us really well in the dinosaur days.  Anytime something dangerous approached, we could run and hopefully escape.  These days, our fight or flight response seems to be in overdrive which is wreaking havoc on our wellbeing.  I found a third response that appears to be helping me with my peace of mind.  It's simple.  Just close your eyes and go inward.  This calms the mind, body, and spirit.  I've been doing this daily since September.  Meditation is a powerful way to cope, especially in dangerous times.

My wife and I did a joint meditation this morning.  I found a guided meditation that helps us avoid outside distractions.  There are plenty of these on YouTube.  My recommendation is to pick one that doesn't insert commercials during the meditation.  Save your fight or flight options for those times when you encounter a modern-day dinosaur situation and use your meditations for all other times.  Have a great day.

Why I'm Thankful for the Times I've Fallen

For me, life is mostly about lessons.  We all have those coachable moments.  I'm thankful for the mentors in my life who helped shape me.  This is a lifelong process.  As I look back on nearly 60 years of life on this planet, I notice a pattern.  It's those most challenging moments in my life when I fell down that I learned some of my best lessons.  Without these falls, I wouldn't be the person I am today.  Falling down is painful.  It's embarrassing.  These are the times when those inner voices of doubt are the loudest.  Can you relate?  I'm sharing because I hope that you may understand you're not alone.  These days, it seems like the whole world is dealing with one giant knockdown.  Well, it doesn't have to be a knockout punch.

My hope for you today is that you are able to take whatever steps are necessary to reach your potential.  I pray that you get up when you fall.  And I wish you wisdom from the lessons that come with every fall.  May you use your wisdom to help make this world a better place.  Have a great day.

Mother Nature in Action

The photo you see here was shot last evening prior to sunset near our backyard.  Mother Nature has been displaying stunning pictures for us to enjoy here in the Midwest.  I passed through a hail storm on my way to my day job yesterday and I need to leave early again this morning to make my way through another fast-moving storm that's packed with lightning and roaring lightning.  Yes, Mother Nature is in action.  There are times when I wish I could outrun her but her arms are far-reaching.  I'm praying for my neighbors in low-lying areas who are in danger of flooding.  Have a great day.

Mind Hurdles

In my opinion, mind hurdles are some of the most difficult obstacles to overcome.  They don't exist when you're born.  That's why babies are such great explorers.  No one taught them what they can't do.  They don't even understand the concept of failure.  The fear of failure is self-taught.  It becomes a mental hurdle.  Once you teach yourself that your obstacle is permanent, it becomes permanent.

The best way I know how to teach others to overcome self-taught barriers is to show them by my own example of how I'm overcoming mine.  It's amazing to me just how easy it is for others to defend their mind hurdles because they truly believe something is impossible.  I like to ask, "Why do you think that is your belief?"  This is a process.  It takes time to construct a mental hurdle.

When you tell Jesus you can't walk on water or move mountains, I wonder what's going on in his mind.  Does Jesus simply walk on water to demonstrate that this is possible or move a mountain to prove the belief false?  Perhaps the disbelief in Jesus is one of those mental hurdles some people have been stuck in for most of their lives.  Maybe that's why Jesus says you have to become like a child to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  Children don't have mental hurdles.  The Kingdom of Heaven is right in front of you.  Take away your mind hurdle and you can enter right now.  Have a great day.

Home Movies Getting Better with Kinemaster

If my dad were around today he would be astounded at all the improvements that have come along in the software editing department.  I recently discovered a free app for my cell phone that allows me to edit my own clips and turn them into amazing movies.  There is a learning curve but the effort is worthwhile when you see boring shots turn into high-quality visual stories.  You are only bounded by your own imagination.

I won't open my birthday gift until the 4th of July but when I do, I will be more than ready to raise the bar and take my movie editing to great heights.  All I can say is I'm really excited and can't wait to share some fun clips with you soon.  Have a great day.

A Good Question to Ponder

Here's the question of the day to ponder:  Is there a better way to do what you're doing right now?  We don't usually ask this question because we're in such a routine that we don't even think about the possibility of a better solution.  I'm always asking myself this question because I seek continuous improvement in my life.  When I'm stuck, I push myself to get started even if the solution may not be the best one.  Over time, I know I can gradually improve.

Find an area of your life you would like to enhance and then remember to ask yourself every day if there's a better way.  Dig deep.  Be creative.  Seek mentors who already figured out a better solution and follow their example.  Have a great day.

What would Jesus do?

Imagine Jesus is next to you for the next 24 hours.  He's not saying anything.  He's not judging.  He's simply watching.  Would you do anything differently?  Would you change your words or your actions?  I believe he wants to be active in your life but he won't interfere unless you ask for help.

I learned a long time ago not to worry about what's going on around me.  There are enough challenges to deal with when I look in the mirror.  If I have trouble figuring out what to do next, I imagine what Jesus would do.  Give this a try and see if it helps you get through your day.  Have a great day.