Strength of Trees

In windstorms, when trees are close together and close to the same size, very few trees get damaged by the wind.  When those same trees are thinned out, what happens when the winds come?  Even when the wind is far weaker, many of the remaining trees are damaged or destroyed.  It is amazing how much more resilient trees are when grouped together, and the same thing is true of us.  When we group together with others who share our beliefs, goals, and values we are far less susceptible to failure and temptation.  We have others around us to help us stand up to the ‘winds’ of negativity and peer pressure.  We can and will succeed when we stand beside and support each other.  

And once there, invite others to join you, that they too may both be strengthened by and add strength to your group.

 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.   1 Thessalonians 5:11

Create your Culture

The horrible 'D' word: Discipline!  It's actually a pretty fantastic word when you add 'self' to the beginning of it, because it is through self-discipline that the most important battles in your life will be won.
My post today isn't actually centered on self-discipline, although it really is a great topic to ponder and apply to daily life.  No matter what facet of life you consider (physical, spiritual, mental) self-discipline is where results and success are planted, cultivated, and maintained.  But today, it is the culture of discipline that I would like to discuss.
The word culture has many different meanings, and can be applied to many different situations.  One great definition I found is: the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc. 
Culture, by this definition, is applicable to both an individual and to a group.  And this culture (as a quality) is developed out of concern or belief in what is good, desirable, or 'excellent'.  

• What is important to you?  
• Would your life be better if you could communicate more clearly with others?  
• Is health important to you (and if not, why not)?  
• Are you happy with your career/business/job situation?  Could (and possibly should) that situation be better?

A culture of discipline deeply effects everything in your life.  Having the discipline to obtain great training and education in a field that you love will open up doors of opportunity and fulfillment 'not available' to others.  Having the discipline to eat right and exercise regularly will both keep you out of the doctor's office (and subsequently from having to take multiple prescription medications) and increase your quality of life.  Having the discipline to speak with love and care to those you love and care for (and to others you will grow to love and care for) will hugely increase the chances that they too will love and care for you (or continue to do so).

Remember, that your culture is up to you.  And that it is both a personal culture (who you are and what you do when you are alone or independent of the group), and a group culture (the types the groups you choose to be associated with as well as those you choose to avoid)

Your Own Personal Culture of Discipline:

God designed us with an incredible capacity to do, to be and to become!  See in your mind who you can be, and why, and remember that God created you with the ability to make miraculous changes in your life.  You can lose weight (if you both need to and want to).  You can start your own hugely successful business, or transform your struggling business into a fantastic success.  You can find great peace, love and joy in life, and even share that peace with others.

 The Group Culture of Discipline:

As a business owner and employer, I have had many group culture experiences over the years and I have seen both extremes when it comes to a culture of discipline in 'my group'.  There have been times when life couldn't have been much better, which was a direct result of the great attitude and moral character of the whole group, (a wonderfully positive culture of discipline).  The individual members of the team had the discipline to show up on time, put in an honest day of work, keep their language and attitudes positive, treat others with respect (both inside and outside of the company), and encourage the same characteristics in others.  What a happy place to work!  It didn't matter if it was Friday, Monday, or even the occasional Saturday, we all enjoyed being there, and looked forward to work!  Then there were times when one or more members of the group did not have that self-discipline.  Foul language, drug/alcohol abuse, disrespect of others, disregard of company policies/rules, and bad attitudes really create havoc and quickly destroy the culture of discipline in any group.  Those who were thriving, growing, and enjoying the group dynamic, began to lose interest and any sense of fulfillment they once had.

Don't be the flat tire in your group!  And don't let the flat tire drag down the rest of the group!  Practice self-discipline in your personal life, and associate with others who do the same!  You will attract others who want to become better, and you will be attracted to groups that help you become better.  If you own or manage a business, create that culture of discipline with disciplined people who think, speak, and act with discipline.  You will need the discipline to hire those who will fit into your culture and enhance your culture.  And sometimes the more difficult task: get rid of those people who don't and won't support your culture of discipline so that they don't drag everyone else down with them.

The Success Habits

Before I get the negative feedback from the female population, let me OPENLY admit, that the same principle above applies to Home Depot/Lowes for men! (and likely to a greater degree, how many nail guns does one guy really need?!?!?!)  I can't even begin to guess how many times I have walked out of those Mega stores with a cart full of stuff that I didn't need or intend to buy.  But I also want to share my experience from the past three visits to either Home Depot or Lowes.  I walked IN, looked for what I NEEDED, didn't find what I WANTED, and walked OUT without buying ANYTHING!!!!  SUCCESS!!  And the few visits before that, I bought exactly what I went there for, and nothing else.  That feels great!  And in the last year, I haven't been to those stores more than 6 times.  Of course, living 90 miles away from the nearest Home Depot or Lowes helps (even though I drive by them weekly), but what has made the BIG difference is a change in habits, decision, and determination.  HABITS!!  Before, my habit was to go to HD and no matter what I was 'looking' for, I would check out the tool sections (power tools, hand tools, etc..), discount sections, flooring section, and everything in between before making my way to look for the paintbrush I needed.
A couple of days ago on his radio show, Dave Ramsey said 'Negative habits create problems, Positive habits create wealth'.    Simple and true!  When you are in the habit of putting things on credit cards, whether you can 'afford' it or not, you are creating a problem.  When the end of the month rolls around, and you can either pay off the credit card or buy groceries, chances are you will buy the groceries, because a minimum payment on the credit card is no big deal, right?  No big deal to pay a few extra dollars in interest for something you probably didn't need in the first place.  And 6 months later, the hundreds of dollars in interest you may end up paying could have bought way more than the groceries the first month!  That is a problem!  And so is a house, closet, garage, shed or storage unit full of JUNK that you don't need and really didn't even want.  
What are some Negative financial habits that you have?  

• Are you addicted to your credit card?  If you have a credit card and use it, you are probably addicted to it.  Even if you 'pay it off' every month, you are creating a huge potential problem.  It only takes a small emergency for that credit card balance to rocket out of control, and cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars in interest.   'I need it for emergencies' isn't even a good rationalization.  What we NEED for emergencies is CASH!  Make your new habit to not even have a credit card (bank/debit cards can do pretty much everything a credit card can, without a bill or negative interest).  Instead of the credit card, your real habit should be to ALWAYS have an emergency cash fund:  Never less than $1000! (and build it up to at least 3-6 months of expenses)  
• Are you in the habit of spending everything you make every month with nothing left over? 'But we just don't make enough to cover our expenses and needs, and still have anything left over'.  That was my excuse for years!  What that really means is, I am avoiding a budget at all costs!  Or, I need the 6000 channel cable/satellite package and the netflix account and the multiple DVD rentals from Blockbuster and I need to eat out several times a week and, and, and..... and these are NEEDS, not WANTS!  The Habit we need to have, is the BUDGET.  Budgeting is telling your money where to go, instead of wondering where it went.  What do you really need, and what can you accomplish with the money you 'save' instead of blowing it on the junk?  With a budget, you can see the light at the end of the debt tunnel, and what a beautiful light it is!  
• Do you continue to buy the newest car, or worse yet, lease one?  Even if you pay cash for the newest car, you still take the biggest hit in depreciation as soon as you drive it off the lot! And if you are leasing the car, you lose money all the way through the process without anything to show for it at the end (except for the next leased car..YAY!)  Any time you buy something on credit, what that really means is that you bought something that you can't afford, so obviously it is a great idea to pay even more for it, right? New Habit: Pay cash or don't buy it.  Buy and drive a beater until you can save up for a nicer, but still used, car/truck/SUV (there are lots of reliable beaters out there, and even if it breaks down, you didn't lose much because you didn't pay much!)

 We have all rationalized and justified our way into these holes, but will we stay there or get out?  And when we do get out, will we stay out?  You may need a mentor, adviser, coach, or program to help you start to adopt new habits, but it WILL be worth every bit of effort you put into making those changes.  And when those positive habits become YOUR habits, you won't ever want to go back.  In fact, you will wonder how in the world you ever got by without them!

The Habits of wealthy people are what made the vast majority of them wealthy.  And those same habits can make you and I wealthy.  And when we are wealthy, we can serve both God and his children with much greater force, love, and with the greatest asset of all: Time!

Commitment and Honor

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh  Genesis 2:24


I often wonder why some married couples seem to be a beautiful extension of the couple they were when they first began dating (happy, excited, in love, optimistic about their future together) while others seem to undergo an almost instant change to quite the opposite within days or weeks (if not minutes) after being married.  I have been so hugely blessed in my life to continue strong in the first category.  I am still awestruck at the beauty of my wife! 5 kids and just shy of 13 years after marriage she continues to amaze and inspire me.  She makes me want to be a better person.  I am not bragging or exaggerating here.  I don't feel like I have all the answers and solutions.  I admit humbly and sincerely that I have been blessed immensely with a great wife and a wonderful family.  I do strongly believe that there are some very clear and distinct reasons that we have not only maintained our love and friendship, but indeed both love and friendship have grown and flourished since we were married.  And I know that these are Godly principles that can be applied to any and every marriage, relationship (family or otherwise), and friendship to achieve similar and even greater results!  Honor your friendships and relationships, and you will receive honor from them.

1.  Friends and Partners.  Why is it that so many people quit being friends after they get married?  It's like they cannot fathom being friends and partners.  And you can see the trends and results in both marriages and business partnerships.  WAY too often they end quickly with no shred of friendship remaining.  Friends first, friends always, is so important in marriage.  True friends will always be there and keep your best interest in mind, and your spouse not only can be, but should be your best friend.  Always put them first on your list, in your heart.  And friendship will support, not tear apart, your marriage.  
2. Commitment.  This can be a scary word for both men and women (for different reasons generally).  But commitment is a wonderful concept and an even better reality when it is an integral part of your relationships.  It turns a casual friend or acquaintance into a partner and an ally.  I heard a great statement about commitment that really helps put it into perspective:  When problems arise, if you are committed you look for a solution to the problems; if you are not committed you look for an escape from the problems. Be committed, seek for solutions and not escapes or excuses.  Marriage is a chance to become true allies, true friends, truly happy!  
3. Cultivate!  I am a poor gardener.  Not because I don't know how to garden, but because I don't garden.  I don't tend to the garden, fertilize, water, weed, and generally care for those plants that I want to grow while keeping the unwanted plants away!  But symbolically, I am a good marriage gardener, and so should you be!  Don't allow contention into your marriage, and when it tries to become rooted, don't just ignore it, DESTROY IT!  Go out of your way to 'say something nice or don't say anything at all'.  "Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment." — Benjamin Franklin  And sometimes you may need to point out that you are 'not saying anything at all' because you want to destroy contention; you want to nourish love not hate.  Water your marriage with compliments, flirting, dating, love notes, gifts, and smiles!  Seek out the 'weeds' daily that are hurting your relationships and remove them.  Hold hands, open doors, give praise and share gratitude.  These seemingly small gestures are great fertilizer for a happy marriage.
4. Share.  One of the biggest divisions in a marriage or business partnership is that of finances.  Generally, either accounts and income are kept separate or all the 'bills' and budgeting is dumped on either the husband or the wife.  And with the dumping of the budgeting responsibilities blame and shame are too often included. 'Where did you spend all our money?'  'Why can't you get the budget under control?'  Separate accounts and income are just as destructive to a relationship, if not more so.  'My money' and 'your money' should never exist in a marriage:  they shall be one..!  You cannot be one and separate at the same time.  You cannot serve God and mammon.  One of the greatest ways to become one, is to share equally in matters of budgeting and finances, regardless of who makes the money or who makes more money.  You are one, all money is shared as are all bills, debts, investments, and plans.  If not, then you are not 'one'. 

 Commit to your friendship, share in the cultivation and responsibilities!  And watch the garden of joy and enjoyment grow in your relationships!

To keep your marriage brimming,
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you're wrong admit it;
Whenever you're right shut up. - Ogden Nash.

What a great opportunity!

Yes, that is the Washington Memorial in D.C., and yes, those are real people 'scaling' the exterior of the structure! (lucky!)  I took this photo last year shortly after an earthquake struck portions of the east coast.  Structural engineers were hired to inspect the tower for damage, and they had to visually inspect every square inch.  I thought to myself 'Those guys are so lucky to be able to scale the Washington Memorial!'  Really, how many people can honestly say 'I repelled from the Washington Memorial'?  To the best of my knowledge, that is not one of the tourist attractions in our nation's capitol.  In fact, I am fairly certain that you would be quickly escorted to '3 hots and a cot' for even attempting to do so. Yet those few engineers were given that rare and unique opportunity, and even got paid to do it!

I read a statement several months ago given by Winston Churchill about optimism (and being quite the optimist, I rather liked the statement).  He said: "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty" 


That is so true.  Now regarding the optimist/pessimist divide, I want to be sure to point out that people are not inherently either.  You are not born optimistic or pessimistic.  Both are attitudes that are learned by practice and more practice.  So practice being optimistic, and you WILL become great at it!  Great musicians became great by...playing music!  Great runners became great by.....running!  And you can become a great optimist by...practicing optimism!

When an optimist gets laid off (downsized, let go, fired, or any one of the other great terms used for booted to the curb), he/she does not say 'Why does everything bad always happen to me?'  Instead the optimist is grateful for the opportunity to advance to the next level in another great company or venture!  And having an optimistic attitude creates the environment in which that great opportunity will be found.  I had a wonderful experience (series of experiences) over 10 years ago.  I was blessed to be let go from a great job I had, where I had contributed to much growth and success for the company where I worked.  3 days later I started another great job where I learned some awesome skills that provided for our family for much of the past 10 years.  Less than a week into that new job, my appendix ruptured giving me a great opportunity to rest for a month or so (which is not easy for a get up and go kind of guy).  When I was finally able to get out and work again, I did so with great zeal and excitement!  And a month into it the owner called a surprise company meeting early one morning.  He gave us all (10-12 guys) the opportunity to, as he put it, 'work at Burger King' through the winter months until construction picked back up in the spring!  I was literally overjoyed at that news!  And I really mean that!  I got home that day and excitedly announced to my wife that I had been laid off (she was 8 months pregnant with our 2nd child, and we were in the middle of having our mobile home moved out to some property we had just purchased).  And the next day, I got a business license, a ladder, a compressor, and printed up some business cards.  By the end of the day I had multiple jobs line up and hired 8 of my previous co-workers and we ran hard for over two years before I sold the business and moved on to other ventures.  That truly was a great blessing!

See the opportunity in every difficulty instead of the difficulties in every opportunity.  Great things are in your future, starting now!

What does your sign say?

Intro-humor: A priest & pastor are standing by the side of the road with a sign that reads, "The End is Near! Turn around before it's too late!" They hold up the sign to each passing car. "Leave us alone you religious nuts!" yelled the first driver as he sped by. From around the curve they heard screeching tires & a big splash. "Do you think," said one clergy to the other, "we should put up a sign that says 'Bridge Out' instead?"

Clearly communicating is tough! We all have messages that we try to get across, but all too often what we try to say isn't what other people actually hear.  And as easy as it is to blame the listener for not listening (which may occasionally be true), chances are what you said, or the sign you were holding up, did not convey with clarity or accuracy what you wanted others to understand.

Think in terms of a foreign language.  We all have experiences with people who speak a foreign language (and often when we are the ones speaking the foreign language).  No matter how slow or loud you talk, if the other person does not speak the same language (or speak it very well), you will have a very hard time communicating.  Hand gestures and theatrics can only go so far! (although such things can be fun and entertaining)  

Much the same principle applies to communicating with people in your native tongue!  Everyone has different backgrounds, upbringing, education styles/levels, cultural complexities, and numerous other factors that will change how they both speak to, and understand what is said by, others.  So more than likely what needs to change is your 'sign', and not your audiences ability to understand your message.  Go out of your way to make your message clear, and present it in a way that others can both understand it and benefit from it.  And maybe then, they won't end up in the river!

Lift me up!

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.  John Quincy Adams

We all have some level of leadership within us, and the great thing is that we don't need a title to go along with it.  Are you a parent?  A teacher?  A friend?  A mentor?  A neighbor?  A volunteer?  Do you interact with others even occasionally? (it's kind of difficult to go through life without at least some interaction with others...)  If you answered yes to at least one of these questions, then you are some form of leader, and have the potential to lead others to great heights or down steep and slippery slopes.  Remember that you are a leader and that you can inspire others to dream, learn and do more!  And when you inspire others to be more, you become more too!  So get out there and inspire someone!  

Bloom because you can...

If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

Proverbs 24:10

This poppy 'resides' in our front yard.  And not because we planted it there, or because we have encouraged it to stay.  In fact, very little actually grows in our yard, including grass!  Our yard seems to be a death sentence to all things green, except dandelions and this poppy (and a rhubarb plant that I planted to prove that things just don't grow in our yard...and it too pops up every year).  I don't know a whole lot about plants or gardening, nor can I explain why this particular plant only blossoms once a year while looking like an unwanted weed the rest of the year.  In the winter, the plant appears to die off completely, and on several occasions I have made considerable effort to completely remove the plant, roots and all.  Yet every year, it pops back up and produces these beautiful blossoms.  

I have decided that this plant lives on because it wants to live.  It knows what it is capable of accomplishing, and will not settle for less.  Regardless of the unfavorable conditions, adversity, and the cruel 'gardener' who keeps cutting it down, this plant continues to not only survive, but thrive and produce beauty.

There is a great lesson for all of us in this poppy's success.  Adversity IS NOT a reason to fail.  Adversity instead makes our success all the more incredible.  No matter what the world hands you; no matter what others say, think, imply, or expect of you; No matter what you have or have not accomplished in the past, BLOOM because you can!  There is a truth that is both essential to our eternal progressions and undeniable: You are a child of God, and as His child you not only can, but should Bloom!

'How can I do that' you ask? 

Try the following, then let me know about your incredible success!  Your success story will be a great strength and beacon of HOPE to others (including myself!).

The 'I am' List

Prepare an 'I am...' list.  The purpose of this list is to remind yourself of who you really are AND who you really can be.  Society and outside pressures often tell us who we are, and when you hear something enough you begin to believe it.  The 'I am' list is a great tool to 're-write' who you are from the inside out!  I have used this in the past, and I still use this today.  I have known many great leaders and mentors who use this type of technique to make those changes in their lives that most would consider impossible.  I will give some examples of what you can put on this list, then explain how to put this list to use.  Think in terms of personal, family, spiritual, and business/career.  What are your strengths, and how can they be improved upon?  What are your 'future' strengths (what pessimists might call weaknesses)?  

• I am... a loving husband and father.  I lead my family in kindness, gentleness, and patience.  I am a Man of God, and as such I work everyday to learn His will for me, and make changes in myself to become who he wants me to be.  
• I am... an inspired leader, who leads with a positive attitude and by example.  I maintain my hope and vision by reading GREAT books and associating with positive people who lift me up and inspire me to be GREAT!  And I do my part to inspire and lift up others EVERY DAY.
• I am... HIGHLY self-motivated to succeed in all worthy endeavors (spiritual, financial, family, personal, etc..).  I know I can accomplish great things, and I know I have friends, family, and most importantly God on my side.

There are so many things you can put on this list, it could be PAGES long, but I suggest you keep it to a few short sentences.  Put those things that are most important to you, and that you most want to be/become.  This list both can, and SHOULD, change every few weeks or months as needed to reflect the 'new' you and the new challenges in your life.  You can write this on a small card, or into your planner, or put it right into your smart-phone/i-pad.  Here is the 'how' of the list: Read this list to yourself every morning when you first get up and going, and every night before you lay down.  You may even want to record yourself reading that list and listen to it several times a day (wear headphones if you don't want to attract too much attention, but realize that people will notice the changes you are making in your life!)  And visualize yourself BEING those traits on your list, because that is WHO YOU ARE!  Carry this list with you and read it several times throughout the day, and I promise: You will start to become who you tell yourself you are, instead of who 'the world' tries to convince you that you are.  And you are AWESOME!

WARNING! HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS!

It is nearly impossible to see such excitement and enthusiasm and not start to feel the same way!  This is our 2nd child (she is now 10, so this was a few years ago), and still she can let her energy flow out and lead others along.  I guarantee that you know people like this.  Wherever they go, people begin to act and feel like they do!  That can be either a great experience or a brick wall, depending on how they feel at any given moment.  I get to travel a bit, and meet new people almost every day.  I met a lady yesterday who was everything that the above picture is NOT! There was no enthusiasm, no positive attitude, no HOPE, no silver lining.  In fact, I can best describe her attitude as a Black Hole of Despair!  I gave a bit of counsel, shared some hope and humor got some smiles on her face, and then....CRASH!  She fired up the black hole again and all was lost! (and she did so ACTING and TALKING as if she was continuing the positive conversation I had begun, OUCH!)
 
When was the last time you smiled BECAUSE you wanted to be happy, instead of waiting to smile UNTIL you were happy?  When was the last time you shared your excitement and enthusiasm with others BECAUSE you wanted to be motivated, instead of waiting to be hit in the head by the club of motivation? By the way, the only real and lasting motivation is SELF-Motivation, and self-motivation comes from....wait for it...wait for it....YOURSELF!  Smile to BE happy!  Laugh to BE joyful!  Pray to BE spiritual!  Start doing and being what you want to do and be, and don't wait for the in-existent fairy of good fortune to visit you in the land of make believe and magically turn you into the YOU you want to be.

Psalms 32:11

 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

Liberty (and the crashing kite)

I spent a few weeks just outside of Washington DC last year on a work assignment, and decided to spend a day seeing the sights of our Nation's capital before heading back home to Montana.  On the side of the Robert Taft Memorial Bell Tower, was the above inscription (Liberty has been the key to our progress in the past and is the key to our progress in the future.  If we can preserve liberty in all its essentials there is no limit to the future of the American People).  Compared to the Washington and Lincoln memorials, the Robert Taft memorial is a bit obscure and off the beaten path (it's tucked in the trees between the capitol building and Union Station), and you don't hear an awful lot about Senator Robert Taft, but I found this statement to be rather profound and insightful.
Liberty, which can also be referred to as freedom (of choice, of religion, of government), has so many levels and meanings.  How well I remember being 18 years old, and wanting freedom to mean I could do whatever I wanted and be happy as a result.  Yet, the more I did what I thought I wanted, the less 'free' and happy I felt.  In a struggle to be 'free' from God, commandments, rules, guidelines, and restrictions, I had really missed the bus completely.  I was like a kite wanting to be free from the string, altogether unable to understand that it was the string that was allowing me to fly!  And like a kite cut free from the string, I was doomed to fall to the ground.
So what is Liberty?  How can we be truly free?
When God created this earth (what, you mean it wasn't a big bang and evolution?), and put plant and animal life upon it, He did so with a plan.  And a central part of that plan was Free Agency (the ability and responsibility to choose) for His children.
So like Peter Parker (spiderman), we have a great power bestowed upon us and a great responsibility.  The power to choose for ourselves what we will do every day, how we will act, how we will treat others, and whether we will strive to change for the better.  But it gets a bit tricky (of course, can't be too simple or it might not be fun!).  Since we 'choose' what we will do, we also accept the consequences of those choices (whether good or bad).  And our Nation was set up after a similar manner.  The laws governing our Nation, our States, and our local communities give us choices.  The law says, don't steal, don't kill, don't make fun of President Obama (some of these are easier to follow than others...) and if you CHOOSE to obey the laws, chances are you will not see a negative consequence.  However, if you decide that freedom to choose (liberty) gives you the right to take the life of another (or his car, wallet, etc..) then you also choose to loose other freedoms/liberties.  Like freedom to go to work in the morning.  Or freedom to travel, collect guns, be a professional snowboarder, or any number of other things that you cannot do from behind bars.
Now that example was a bit more extreme than most of us will likely encounter personally (but if you have been there, you know how real that loss can be).  Even the 'little' choices we make can have a huge impact on our future!  Choose to use vulgar, offensive language and soon you have a hard time thinking happy and positive things! And just try sincerely communicating with God when your mind is filled with vulgarity, it's worse that trying to make a phone call after dropping your cell phone into a port-a-potty that should have been emptied weeks earlier!  Choose to 'steal' time from your employer, or complain constantly about how much you hate your job, and you will likely find that either you don't have a job to complain about (or steal time or anything else) from or you wonder why your peers are getting promotions, raises and bonuses and you are not!  The choices we make, make us who we are!
Now the BEST part is, WE CAN CHANGE!  We can change who we are by beginning to make better choices.  We perform regular self-inspections, and pick out those areas that we need to change or improve, and begin to make different choices to become who we truly want to be.  We can become who God wants us to be.  And luckily, we are never too young or too old to make wonderful changes in our lives!

A little Liberty Math for you:  Liberty + Bad choices = less liberty!   Liberty + Good Choices = More Liberty!

 '...if we can preserve liberty in all its essentials there is no limit to the future...'

Failure IS Success!

Failure is Success.  And sometimes success is failure.  Let me explain what I mean.
Often in life you will experience what many consider to be failure.  You don't accomplish what you set out to accomplish.  You start a business and it doesn't take off the way you hoped it would.  You start a new job and realize that you have no idea what you are doing.  You take a class and fail miserably.  The list can go on and on, but to avoid sending you into a spiral of doom remembering all of your failed attempts in life, I will purposely leave my list short.
For me, as long as I grow, learn, and change for the better, failure is success.  I succeed in finding a better way to do something, I succeed in avoiding stupid mistakes in the future, I succeed in knowing how not to do something the next time.  The only time a failure is a failure is when I give up and give in.  I am not a failure, and neither are you, we simply gained invaluable life experience and knowledge, and will use that to forever better our lives.
And looked at from that perspective, without the emotion and drama, Failure really does become Success.
What is Success?
According to Wikipedia:

Success may refer to:

• a level of social status
• achievement of an objective (goal)
• the opposite of failure   

Instead of the opposite of failure, I declare it to be a positive result of failure.  I maintain as an ongoing goal that I will learn from my mistakes.  Pause what I am doing, review the outcome of my decisions, determine what worked and what didn't, and course correct for the next round.  And so, even in 'failure', I succeed.

Let me give you a couple of 'Clayisms' regarding success and failure:

1.  Success and Failure are Choices we make. (I will write more on this in a future post)

2.  Both success and Failure should be motivation to succeed (or continue to succeed).

What!?!  When I fail to accomplish a goal, I get competitive with myself!  I have a very competitive nature when it comes to many things, and I don't like to lose.  In fact, I don't know many people who do like to lose.  One of my daughters cannot go on with life when she gets beat on a video game by her siblings, while another tries harder and channels that loss to fuel her competitive nature so she can win the next game.  When channeled properly, I believe that being competitive is a great attitude to have.   I used to love playing basketball.  I used to love to go up against the best players in the league!  And when they would out maneuver me, I would use that as fuel to push harder, try harder, and in all cases, win!  I actually believe that they were likely better players than I was, but my competitive determination to win ruled the day!  The same concept applies, or can be applied, to any and every situation.  Don't let so called 'failure' stop you in your tracks.  Throw that failure into the competitive furnace, and let it fuel your success!  

What would have happened to the Israelites if Moses had given up after any one of the 'failed' attempts to convince Pharaoh to let them go?  God sent us here to learn, and 'failures' are a great learning experience and an even better springboard to much greater future success!

Focus on the target!

There is an amazing 'phenomenon' that is both predictable and reliable.  When you focus on something, and it can be absolutely anything, you suddenly get more of it!  You can focus on a character trait that you want to gain or strengthen in your life and you begin to find opportunities to practice that trait.  The world seems to provide instruction from every unlikely source to inspire you and carry you toward your desired target.  Friends and strangers suddenly have such inspiring advice, tips and encouragement to offer just at the right time.  And if you focus long enough with unwavering determination, you HIT the target!
Now, there are two sides to every coin, and that which is true in the positive sense of focus, is also true of the negative focus.  Focus on the problems you have, your shortcomings, weaknesses, inabilities and so forth, and they too get stronger.  You will be 'encouraged' negatively to continue strengthening those very traits that you so detest and abhor!  And just why is that?  What you focus on is what you get.  The target you aim at, is the only target that you can hit.

'Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.' 
Thomas Jefferson

Several weeks now into my motivated and inspired journey, I got a call last night from a church leader asking if I could teach a lesson today to the men's group.  He apologized for the late notice, and I gladly accepted the opportunity!  (I am focusing on helping both myself and others learn. grow, be inspired and motivated and here is an opportunity beating down my door!).  We have a great group here at church, and I was super excited to inspire them to learn and inspire them to action!  And the subject of the lesson was: 'We are all enlisted' referring to the Army of God and our commitment to carry the work and word of Christianity forward.  What a great and exciting chance to motivate, and what a worthy cause!  

I shared with the group my own love of the gospel, and how much I am blessed continually by taking part in it.  I shared my vibrant enthusiasm for the work, and you should have seen the excitement spread!  Now, let me point out: this is not a high energy loud evangelical church (and I am NOT putting down such churches).  We have a very calm and loving spirit in our church with very inspiring discussions and well prepared and completely uniform doctrines being taught.  I believe, as many Christians do, that God is organized and wants us to be the same.  That there should be order, uniformity, and consistency in His church.  And so in this setting, we got excited!  Faces lit up, experiences and testimonies were shared, and we all became edified and inspired in our callings to serve!  And after church I overheard several of the men passing that same enthusiasm on to others! 

Focus on those things that are good, praiseworthy, and positive, and THAT is what you become, THAT is what comes to you!  And do your best to avoid strengthening those things that you would rather not be associated with.    So, what is it that you want more of?

Inspired!

A few months back (maybe a little more than just a few...) my wife and I started looking over our finances with a level of intensity that we had never before considered.  Up to that point, my philosophy on finances was, if things were tight, I just needed to work harder and make more and ignore the fact that we had no plan, budget or goals.  Of course, my incredible wife had tried without success on numerous occasions to talk some sense into me and convince me of my greatly lacking abilities with regards to financial matters (I made and make way more than your average high school graduate, to the point of making quite a number of college grads quite jealous and resentful, but that's another story..).  And I, for my part, ignored her, and worked harder to hide my 'stupid'.  And it seemed to work...sometimes.  We would get way ahead with all the credit cards paid off, the cars paid off, great equity in the house, and everything would seem awesome in our world.  Then I would come up with some new wacko business venture/idea and say to myself 'It always works out, let's jump in over our heads again'.  And out come the credit cards, and some car/truck/vehicle suddenly seems like something I can't live without, and line of credit loan seems to be the ONLY solution to getting things rolling, and and and and and.... Back in the hole we go.  My 'work harder' mentality takes over, and things eventually start to be less painful, credit card balances usually go down (sometimes not as fast as I pretend they do), and we almost get back to square 1 before my next 'Big Idea' surfaces to set us back on the roller coaster.

I would call it the circle of life, but it's definitely not a life I would choose when I look back and perform an autopsy on the outcome/results of the cyclical mess.  And where do we go from here?  I (we) were utterly sick of making quite decent money, and having little more than debts to show for it.  So I finally allowed my wife to begin to talk some sense into me (did I mention that she is amazing, smart, incredible, and extremely patient with me? I definitely married up!).  She pulls out a Dave Ramsey book (The Total Money Makeover) and suddenly my (our) financial world changes overnight.  Everything I have always 'known' about money, finances, debt, interest, etc.. is laid out in such a straight forward, no-nonsense, motivational, and inspirational way that I cannot look at debt without hatred and utter animosity ever again!  And that is just the tip of the iceberg!  As we gained (and continue to gain) a grasp on budgeting and debt annihilation, everything in my life is gaining such great clarity and momentum.  Business, family, church, you name it, I am gaining such focus and intensity that I feel like I could fly!  You know those great dreams you had when you were a kid, the ones where you could fly?  And as you grew older, it became more and more difficult to fly or control flight, until finally you were 'grounded'!  I realized a couple weeks ago that I was flying in my dreams again!  Not all dreams, and not every night, but the Hope and Joy filling me again are having a profound impact on my life, and I have great visions and aspirations again!  Life is no longer just about working harder to hide my stupid financial shortcomings.  I feel a passion and excitement that have been waning and/or gone for years!  And it just keeps getting better!  So starts a fabulous and eternal journey, come FLY with me!