The Strangest Secret...by Earl Nightingale

Why does a person become the person he becomes?  Why do you grow up to become who you become? 

Estimates are that we use 5% of our potential of our entire day.  Most people desire to succeed, but what is success?  Success is nothing more than a progressive realization of a worthy ideal.  Any person working towards a goal is a success...because he knows what he is doing and why.  If you don't know what you are working towards, you are unsuccessful. 95% of people are not successful.  If everyone is doing it, you probably won't make a mistake by not.  Check your references, are the people you following going where you want to go?  You are thinking, acting, talking like people around you, and assuming they know where they are going.  Even without trying to or actually thinking about it, you are trying to be someone else. 

You need a checklist: 
1. A Goal - a man without a goal is like a ship without a rudder
2. Attitude - our attitude toward our world toward all the people in it that will determine the worlds attitude and all the peoples attitude towards us.  People will react to us according to our attitude.
3. Think - Think deliberately and with a purpose.
4. The Law of Laws (by Emerson, Cause and Effects) - our rewards in life will be in exact proportion to our contribution and service.
5. Truth - if it's not based on truth we are building on sand and you can't stand
6. Research & Development- your future depends on this; something to make you better, love a little more, hate a little less, do a little better job than a year ago...what are you pumping back into yourself and your future?
7. The Strangest Secret - your genetic pool and environment have influence on you, but you become what you think about most of the time.  This is why thinking is so vital and a goal is so important.  You will become that.  You have to establish goals to achieve them. 

A man's environment will change as he changes.  You must never conform to the big group, be an individual.  Be choosey in whose steps you follow.  Remember to think...imagination is everything.  Put your heart into your work and you will get the supreme joy out of life.

Part 1 of 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajIRxdeCRZM only 6:35 minutes long
Part 2 of 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es7UjzlSRcU&feature=related only 8:34 minutes long
Part 3 of 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuPdzHd8idk&feature=related only 6:24minutes long

Quotes

Live like no one else...so later you can live like no one else.
-Dave Ramsey

your birth year

Ever wonder:  What happened in my birth year?  Chck it out!http://whathappenedinmybirthyear.com

day spent hanging with my girlfriend...

Monday, I scheduled a day off with my boss for today as I made plans to spend it with my girlfriend, Jennifer, doing whatever we pleased.  Her husband had plans to be out of town on business and she would be able to do something with me. 

As things turned out, she texted last night to say he was going to be intown, but to go ahead and sleep in and come over whenever I wanted.  When I arrived mid-morning, she was kicked back on the couch not feeling very well, experiencing an awful spell of dizziness.  We ended up just being couch potatoes all day...chatting and catching up on sooooooo many things.  I did some research on her lovely Mac computer as to treatment for her dizziness and vertigo in all liklihood due to ear rocks being misplaced.  She has had this happen once before and it took weeks to recover.  I ordered sushi to go for lunch and went and picked it up.  We enjoyed the Scallop Dynamite roll, Mt Axiom roll, Spicy Yellowtale roll and the Louisanna roll.  So yum!!!  Blair played with my hair and put it in curls on the back of me head.  It was very cute!  I ended up skipping meeting because we were still chatting. Once I left, I had to go deliver work to one of my employees and then went home to crawl in bed.  All in all, it was a fun day of doing nothing! 

Seriously...must I go back to work tomorrow?

Old Chair - still in process

yes, in process...it is a LONG process, largely since I work so many hours and have little "me" time.  I am still working on my Old Chair that I am in process of doing a complete redo on (check the link above for the original post if you missed it)...

I sanded for hours and hours this last Saturday, working on those hard areas that the stripper didn't get to or do a very good job on...you know, the corners, underside of the arms, the arm posts, etc...yah...lots of hard effort and it was hot!  I must tell you what I did to manage the heat though...I spent some time in the pool and decided to stay in my swimsuit while I worked on my chair in the garage with the garage door up just a portion to create air flow.  I periodically would go cool off in the pool and then come back dripping in my wet swimsuit and work some more.  It felt so good!!!!!!!  It kept me working probably much longer than I otherwise would have in one setting.  Boy was I exhausted after the day was done! 

I am getting much closer to moving to the next phase, so now I need votes and oppinions from you...which of the 4 swatches below to you like???  The colorings are close, not exact, but it gives you a pretty good idea of what I am contemplating right now. 

Clockwise -  #1 linen;  #2 dark tweed;  #3 cream & tan check;  #4 light tweed

I have 2 that I am leaning towards of the above 4...can you guess which 2???  Please tell me which one you are drawn to!  Help me decide...

To help you invision my chair with the fabric, here is what I bought this past Saturday, "Jacobean" Minwax stain...it was on sale 30% off! oh yah, perfect timing!  I think it looks a bit more brown here then the sample in the store, but who knows for sure how accurate it is!

Give me your vote!

Real Simple Daily Thought

It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.
~J.K. Rowling

Quotes

We’re so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don’t take time to enjoy where we are.
― Bill Watterson

thoughts on development in relationships

I am currently facing some struggles with relationships. 

I find that when you try to give things a perspective in a different light, something away from the current scenerio, many times it provides answers to the actual issue so that you can have a new, better, revised, alternate game plan. 

What I mean is this:  I have tried to imagine what it would be like if I were a parent and how I would relate to my child...how I would coach, train, encourage, discipline, instruct, what my expectations would be & why - and MORE!  I think that some of what I am experiencing would be similar and probably much like that of a parent in relating with their child.  I am sure there are times when you are...

• excited when things are going well & progress is made
• frustrated when things are not good & you seem to be taking steps backward
• not sure what to say to get something thru their thick head, especially when you have said it over and over and over - what more is it going to take?
• when to be firm, unbending with the risk of being harsh
• when to be gracious, knowing you had learning curves & growing spurts too
• when to be understanding and just be a bit more patient
• when to say enough is enough
• how not to be perturbed when you have tried everything and things are still not working and you have no more ideas
• when to let go
• when to sit down and talk things out
• when to give space
• when to demand a response and when to let the person think, hoping that they are
• etc

All of this is a learning experience for me...and I want to allow God (who knows all about me and all about this person) to work in me and thru me so that I can help those that need help and we both may be pruned and grow. 

Do you ever think of things in a different perspective?  What would you add to this list?  What strategy do you use in relationships?

verse to reflect on...

A heart at peace gives life to the body...
Proverbs 14:30

Real Simple Daily Thought

Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.
―Eleanor Roosevelt

Quotes

The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them.   - Mark Twain

drive to Houston...

Today, I drove to Houston with Jackie for her weekly visit.  We had a good time as usual visiting, sharing ideas on how to spend less on groceries and other expenses, discussing aspects of current trials we both are working thru, areas we are blessed and plans for the upcoming week.  I always enjoy my trip with her!

I hung out at Panera Bread and did some banking stuff and worked on one of my clients accounting also.  I didn't get to my audio book or some other paperwork that I brought with me, but I can't complain, a good amount of work was accomplished in the meantime.  We stopped at a Taqueria on the way back for dinner and now I am off to the cushy pillow for some zzzzzzzzzzz's.

thanks for the help Lord...

Yesterday - I decided to do something I haven't done in awhile...head to Goodwill to try to gather a few things to replinish what has been ruined in the last few weeks either by holes, rips, stains or age.  It isn't that I didn't like to go Goodwill shopping, but I have gotten out of this pursuit because of work/time constraints and the fact that when you are in NEED n.o.w. (aka not tomorrow or a day next week or when it will be on sale at the end of the season) for something and come away with finding nothing in your size, the color you want, or that looks good on you...you get really depressed and it is easier to just go new shopping to achieve that than hunt for a long time just to save a little money...and still end up empty handed.  Well in my revived old quest to be thrifty in all aspects, I am determined to do everything for less!  I didn't come away with the same colors of things that got ruined, but I got 2 pairs of shoes & 4 tops that will mix and match with things I already have so that is a HUGE start.  Thank you Lord for being with me today and giving me the things I needed at such a bargain!  Along with a Goodwill coupon to save $5 for a $20 purchase, I had the deal of the day and just had to share that with you.  Want to go shopping with me next time? Come on!  Let's go...

yah - I didn't need that!

Part 2 of original post:
Yes, in case there is a question, I didn't need that!!!  At lunch today, I took care of the enevitable.  $172.00 (OUCH) and 2 months probabion = not on my record

a thought to reflect on...

Greater is HE who is in us than he who is in the world. 

Strong words if we believe them . . . true words if we know Him.

Meaning takes hold only when we know that He is in us; and His presence is the power of God to change us. The accuser may whisper, cast countless doubts and lead us down blind alleys, but if we know that we are in Christ and He is in us, then hope lives in our hearts.

Run to Jesus - whatever my/your situation may be today - and find true hope. We are filled with hope because He is greater and He is in us.

some days...

Do you ever just want to start over?  Tell the day you won't let it have an attitude with you like this?  Well, my day started like that today.  I decided to treat myself to breakfast this morning from Sonic.  A supersonic breakfast burrito (w/no jalapenos) and a carmel iced latte.  The sad thing is, I never got to drink my beverage.  The lid was not on tight and it slipped off the cup when I crabbed it as I was getting out of the car to come into the office, split all over the shotgun side floor!  I hadn't even had one sip of it!  $2.99 wasted. down the drain into the carpet.  ice and cream and carmel sticky mess all over the place.  Yah...I remembered to count my blessings:
The car now smells really nice!
I didn't get any of this mess on me!
I will treat myself again to another iced latte when I run errands for the office because I had my heart set on it, even if that means the impact of the cost is now $5.98 in the budget!

An update @11:00am:
I ran errands for the office and ordered myself another carmel iced latte and asked them to make sure they put the lid on tight as the one I ordered on my way to work ended up all over my car and I never even got a sip of it.  Guess what?  They comped it to me...I like businesses that want to keep your business and make you a happy customer!  Good job Sonic!  (and yah for the budget).

oops...I didn't need that!

I was on my way to work this morning...driving down FM731, talking on my cell phone, zoning in the sense I was just cruising down the road, really not paying attention to my speed.  But in some ways I was because I knew I was going 52 and I thought I was in a 50mile an hour zone.  Ugh, nope!  Cop does a complete u-turn, blazing his lights and pulls me over.  No mercy...ticket issued..."Ma'am please sign here, this is not stating you are guilty.  Have a nice day!"...huh?  A nice day when you just issued me a fine at probably $200?  Yah, thanks sir! 

PLEASE NOTE: 
I did confirm I was speeding - I backtracked to make sure it was a 40mph zone. 
I am guilty. 
But sure didn't want to give you my hard earned money.

update on Terry

Terry begins work again on Monday, August the 2nd with Goodwill.  This is a very good step in his recovery process from the detour he took back in May.  Please pray for him that he will keep his focus on being a servant as unto his master for the Lord.

Quotes

Forget your mistakes, but remember what they taught you.

Real Simple Daily Thought

In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don’t.
―Blaise Pascal

verse to reflect on...

be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
1 Corinthians 15:58 (NLT)