Defeats are Temporary – Determination is Permanent

Determination is a God-like quality.  And each of us is created in His image.  The challenge is to dig deep and find that quality buried beneath our defeats.  My digging time is higher than most.  The reason for this is because I refuse to leave the playing field no matter how many mistakes I make.  I will keep digging until my last breath.  What am I looking for?  Solutions.  A better way to solve life's problems.  An unstoppable winning attitude that shows the world I am determined.  Are you with me?  If the answer is yes, please join me.  Cut the anchor attached to all your past mistakes and sail away with a new attitude.  The next time someone laughs at you because you failed at a task, tell them, "Defeats are temporary – Determination is permanent."  If they ask you, "Who said that?"  Tell them, "Michael Mulligan."  Send them a link to today's blog story.  And if they ask, "Is that the Mike Mulligan guy with the steam shovel?"  Tell them, "no, this Michael Mulligan is a blogger and he's so determined, he digs with his bare hands until he finds what he's looking for."

It's Official: One Quarter of a Million Pageviews

My wife and I were chatting about our goals this morning and I told her, "I'm gonna reach 250,000 pageviews on my blog sometime today."  Then I fired up my computer to write this morning's story.  Minutes later I took the above screen shot.  It's official:  one quarter of a million pageviews!  At current trends, this blog will hit 1,000,000 in less than two years.  When I started blogging, I dreamed of reaching the million mark during my lifetime.  Whatever language you speak, I have this to say – Thank You!

It means so much to me that you take the time to read these stories and share them with your friends.  I'm the man on an island who pens a message, wraps it up, places it in a bottle and casts it into the sea hoping someone will discover it and read it.  There are over 1,700 bottles floating around in cyber-space and it warms my heart knowing they're washing ashore in places as far away as Indonesia.  Thanks to Google Translate, these messages can actually be understood in almost any language.


The next step is to figure out a way for non-english blog readers to interact here in the comments section.  I would love to read your comments and be able to communicate with you in your native language.  Thanks again for stopping by today.  And don't forget to share your goals.  Remember, a dream will only remain a dream until you decide to take action.  Then it becomes a goal.  And when you work on your goals daily, those goals turn into reality.  Thank you for visiting and for helping me make my dreams come true.

Where is Your Spotlight Shining?

When it comes to lighting, it's a great idea to become a turn-around specialist.  What I mean by this is that the less time the spotlight is shining on you and the more you turn it around and shine it on the crowd, the more satisfying and fulfilling your own life becomes.  It also prevents blindness.  You can see the world so much better when the spotlight is shining on others and not in directly into your eyes.

If your having trouble shifting the light, remember this:  you are not the source of the spotlight – only a reflection of the light shining upon you.  Acknowledge the source.  Give the lighting director all the credit.  All the world's a stage.  You are a participant.  Yes, you have many roles.  In my opinion, the best one is supporting actor.  Do your best to help the other actors learn their lines and salute them for their amazing performances.  Give them the spotlight as much as possible.

How to Be Happy in One Step

Happiness is a one-step process.  It's as easy as tying your shoes.  If you're missing out on happiness, today's blog message is for you.  Are you ready?  Repeat after me:  "I am happy."  Yep.  That's it.  You said it.  Your brain heard you.  And now you're happy.  You made a decision.  The world will notice.  Others will ask you, "why are you so happy?"  Go ahead.  Share your secret.  Watch that smile on your happy face multiply. 

Why You Need To Stop Grading Your Life on a Curve

Would you rather be the big fish in a small pond or a little fish in a large pond?  This is a trick question.  It implies you're evaluating your life based on what all the other fish are doing.  It means you're grading your life on a curve.  It diminishes your own accomplishments and contributions.  Stop comparing yourself to others and decide today you're going to focus on being you.

Competitive people like to look at charts that measure performance.  They focus on rankings.  The challenge for these people is that no matter how much they accomplish or how well they perform, there is always someone better.  I found peace when I decided to focus my own competitiveness on one target – myself.  Every morning when I wake up, I ask myself, "how can I live up to my potential today?  How can I be better today than I was yesterday?"  This has nothing to do with the people around me.  My personal preference is to swim in a pool with fish who are striving to do better because these individuals inspire me.  Life is much more satisfying when you stop grading it on a curve and simply concentrate on being the best version of you that you can be.

Who is Thomas Morgan?

Thomas Morgan is a figment of my imagination.  I invented him when I needed a fictional character for my latest writing project, The Caveman in the Mirror.  Every Friday at 8:08 AM, Pacific Time, I release a new chapter about Thomas.  If you're interested in meeting Thomas, you can stop by my writer's blog and get to know him.  You're invited to make an appearance in a future chapter.  If you would like to become part of the adventure, just click here and send me an email.  Include the name of your fictional character and a brief description about the role you want to play.  I'll send you an email and let you know when your character will be added.  Sorry.  This is not a paid position.  I don't even serve real coffee at the Cyber-bistro.  What I'm offering you is a chance to make your character world-famous.  Thanks to Google Translate, readers from all over the world are following Thomas in their own native language.  Come join the fun.

Open the Door to Daily Inspiration

Inspired – definition:  of extraordinary quality, as if arising from some external creative impulse.

How many extraordinary days have you lived?  I'm referring to the kind of days where you're "in the zone."  Everything seems magical.  Ask yourself, how can I have more days like these?  I believe the answer is found within the definition of inspired.  It's like plugging in your power chord to an invisible power source not of this world.  When I discovered this external power supply, it changed my life forever.  It turned every day into an extraordinary day.  It's the secret to staying inspired.  And it's free to anyone who asks for it.  Are you ready to flick the switch?  Are you ready to open the door to daily inspiration?

I need to caution you about the source of my inspiration before you give it a try.  Plugging in to the Holy Spirit won't make all your problems go away.  What changes is how you perceive the world around you.  Your senses become heightened.  You see opportunities when the world sees despair.  You gain a bounce in your step.  Others will accuse you of being lucky.  And when you share how you stay inspired, some may even walk out of your life.  They refuse to believe in an all-loving, all-powerful, all-knowing God who will move Heaven and earth to be close to them.  Believe anyway.  Trust your power source.  Stay plugged in, especially on days when you are under attack for what you believe.  Yes, it is possible to stay inspired daily.  Don't ever allow anyone to cut your power chord.  Go ahead.  Open the door.  Take the hinges off so it stays open forever.