Leaping for New Opportunities - How Good are You ?

A superb lesson in determination and perseverance no matter what from Callie. How good are you at leaping for new opportunities in spite of seemingly invincible odds stacked against you?
More wonderful food for thought from Bob Proctor's Insight of the Day.

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, 'I'll try again tomorrow. -Mary Anne Radmacher

How many times have ideas occurred to you, simple and straightforward that felt right but because they were outside your normal frame of reference you procrastinated until you killed it and your shivery excitement about it?

How many times has an opportunity presented itself to you and due to the spurious reasons you created to stop yourself from doing it, like where I am going to find the time, what will people say, my "family/friends" won't approve, and more crap like that and you let it die?

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy. -Dale Carnegie

Let me tell you something people, if you do not dare to dream you will never get anywhere in your life. You will stay stuck living the life and remain unfulfilled living what someone else planned for you, be they parents, husband, boss etc.

Dare to demand what you want, step out of that box you are squeezed into and spread your wings!

Nothing great has ever been achieved except by those who dared to believe that something inside them was superior to circumstances. - Bruce Barton
Leap for New Opportunities
Callie, the little kitten we rescued from the brush, walked across the back of our sofa and looked anxiously at me. Her eyes were wide with anticipation. I slipped my hand under the blanket we use for naps. My fingers wiggled under the soft cloth. Callie prepared herself. Her furry bottom twitched. Callie swished her tail back and forth, as she focused on the moving blanket. I watched carefully, ready for her attack.
Callie twitched her rear end one last time, leapt into the air and with her paws spread like the wings of a bird, landed on the scary moving blanket. Armed with sharp claws and teeth, she fearlessly attacked the ferocious moving cloth. She sank her dagger sharp teeth and claws into fabric and shook her head to make sure she made the kill.
The blanket was not ready to give up. My hand, slightly protected by the blanket, fought back. Callie tumbled to the left, got a new grip on the evil blanket and was thrown to the right, where she landed on her back, but continued to do battle. The fight seemed to be over, but Callie did not give up. She withdrew her claws, ran to the end of the sofa and planned a new attack.
She dropped to the floor and watched the blanket from a new angle. Her eyes followed every movement it made. She waited for an opening in its defense and leapt on it again. She landed hard and gripped my hidden hand with a vengeance. Her claws and teeth pierced the fabric and my skin. I screamed and pulled my hand away.
Callie won! She always does.
I wish I had her fearlessness. Where would I be today, if I did what she does? I've looked at many scary moving blankets in my life. There were a few I had the courage leap on, like taking a new job in another city. Mostly, I've seen the blanket move and ran away, afraid of the challenge.
We saved Callie from a life of dumpster feeding and that little furry girl taught me a life lesson - have no fear! Accept the challenge. Leap for new opportunities.

Michael T. Smith
Michael lives in Caldwell, Idaho with his wonderful wife Ginny. He writes in his spare time and is completing a collection of his stories to be called, From My Heart to Yours. To read more of his stories, go to:


http://ourecho.com/biography-353-Michael-Timothy-Smith.shtml#stories

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Thought for today - Inspirational Dissatisfaction after an Achievement

Do you suffer from inspirational dissatisfaction?  Here is Napoleon Hill's advice to us all and it is definitely worth thinking about then acting on it, immediately!

This is a fine world for the person who knows precisely what he or she expects from life and is busy getting it.

We are happiest when we are striving to achieve a goal. When we achieve one goal, it’s a natural human tendency to set another, usually bigger, one. W. Clement Stone calls it inspirational dissatisfaction — the letdown one experiences after a goal has been achieved and before the next step toward a new one has been taken. When you begin to experience that nagging feeling, it’s time to get into action! Make sure you have a long-range plan in place so that when one short-term goal has been achieved, there is a natural progression toward the next.

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Do You Have Something Worth Dying For ?

Here is a superbly edifying story about love and perseverance in the face of terrible odds from Bob Proctor's Insight of the Day. What do you have that is worth dying for?

Something Worth Dying For


As Valentine's week draws to a close, my mind wanders to Nell and Jim Hamm, who in 2007 celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. A month before this milestone the couple decided to take a hike in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park situated in Northern California. There, on this walk, just days before their 50th wedding anniversary, Jim was attacked by a 200 pound, eight foot long mountain lion.


This lion, pouncing seemingly from the sky, pinned Jim to the ground. Nell, age 65, didn't even hear the animal. She turned to find Jim, 70 years young, underneath the lion with his head partially in the animal's mouth. "He didn't scream," Nell later said. "It was a different, horrible plea for help."


The next few minutes were a fight for life. It was seeing everything important to the couple flashing before their eyes. It was pain and blood and sweat but most of all, love. Nell could have run. She could have gone for help, but she didn't. There, before her was the most important thing in her life, something worth dying for.


With that in mind she reacted, grabbing a log and begun beating the animal. When that didn't work, she took a pen from Jim's pocket and tried to stab one of the eyes of the mountain lion. She poked until the pen was bent and unusable.then she picked up the log again and beat. She beat and beat.


It worked, the lion finally backed off. He looked at Nell one last time and disappeared into the foliage. Nell was afraid to leave her bleeding and dazed husband. She was able to move him about a quarter of a mile to a trail head where she covered him with branches, to protect against another attack then waited for help.


"She saved his life, there's no doubt about that" said a spokesman for the Department of Fish and Game. When asked if she was a hero however, Nell shook her head no. "You hear remarks of hero. It wasn't that. We love each other very much."


In that moment, Nell found one thing in her life worth dying for.she was willing to go toe to toe with a powerful animal and risk her own life for her husband and for their life together.

And some do lay down their lives for powerful and positive purposes; some of these purposes are saving another, for our freedom, for a child.But dying for most of us isn't about literally wrestling mountain lions to free a loved one.

Instead, dying might be confronting our fears and anxieties to help our loved one. Dying might be doing something we don't like, because he/she does. Or, dying might simply be biting our tongue instead of speaking out and hurting another's feelings.


Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. may have said it best, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." Die a little today for something powerful and positive that is worth dying for.and in so doing save your life and another's along the way. Happy Valentine's week!


Matt Forck, CSP & JLW


Matt Forck is a keynote speaker, author and columnist. Matt and his family reside in Columbia MO. Check out Matt's motivational books, Check Up From the Neck Up-101 Ways to Get Your Head in the Game of Life and Gutsy - - Go Until Time Stops You! by clicking this link; http://www.thesafetysoul.org/Matt%20Forck%20Safety%20Speaker%20Review%20Books.htm . And, contact Matt through the web, http://www.thesafetysoul.org/.

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We Play The Hand We Deal to Our Selves

Life is not about what you know. It is really about how you experience the ups and downs of your journey and the bumps, boulders, barriers and fender benders along the way.

We all have such a long way to go and I recognise that it is all about choice - those we make every day - even the seemingly mundane one.

There is no bad decision. We deal the cards - yes, we do - and we play the hand we dealt to our selves. We are the only ones here people. This is a classic case of our right hand (open, honest, bright) not knowing what our left hand (our sub-conscious) is doing.

When we say "I don't have a choice" as I have so many times during the past months, that in itself is a choice. I have been asked when I complained "why don't you leave" and I hesitated because I dislike others knowing my business.

I usually responded by saying I did not want to live with my brother nor did I want to experience New York winters again. And that was and still is accurate.

The fact is I am broke, bankrupt which is why I had to return to the country and ended up living in a hostel for socially displaced persons. I am presently homeless but you cannot tell by looking at me which is good so my excuses were really to maintain the illusion.

All that sounds great doesn't it but the truth is even simpler. I did not feel confident in my abilities at the age of fifty-one, despite my incredible resume, to face the new job market in a new country (my own by birth). I felt completely lost.

A stunning vision appeared during one of my meditation sessions. I looked back and saw a magnificent and incredibly long bridge, very modern which crossed many gorges and chasms going through lots of rough terrain, through mountains and so on and I understood immediately that that it was symbolic of my journey up to the point.

I felt so grateful at having achieved something significant on this part of my soul journey which was harrowing and extremely painful. My feeling of maturity is palpable.

I love who I am today, right now because of my experience over the past two years! I am more focussed on the present, much less doubtful, full of love for myself, gladly open and vulnerable because I know nothing can harm me.

Despite the hand I dealt myself with the crippling doubts and refusing to face the fears which materialised because that is what I was living in my head, I would not change one damn thing.

I am love, confident, resourceful, assertive and unstoppabe; a beacon called to share my light and talents with the world, and to be real, generous and inspiring, and that is exactly what I intend to continue doing through whatever comes next!

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You in Six Word Memoirs

You must have heard of  the Six Word Memoirs at Smith Magazine. Well, our lovely Oprah has a take on it in her magazine of February 2012, YOU IN SIX WORDS from her reading public which deserves to be shared.

Surfing life’s ripples, waiting for waves. Might as well eat that cookie. Still fit into high school earrings. Fat. Thin. Fat. Thin. Fat. Thin. I still have time to fix this. Every 20 years I reinvent myself. Abandoned at 5. Learning to thrive. Life gives lemons but no juicer. Was hot. Raised kids. Lost cool. I live my best life now. Survived the divorce. Learned to live. Stage IV cancer, me live. Recipe for failure. Changed my ingredients. Car totaled. Lives spared. Forever grateful. Sorry I’m not married yet, mom. Zen gardener. Can you dig it? I’ve made all the best mistakes. Write mother, sleep. Repeat as needed. Best move ever? I married her. Fired Sherpa but still saw Everest. I refused to be a victim. Falling gracefully. Hoping there’s a mattresss! Loving heart for sale. Like new. The good child – until I wasn’t.  Former doc now wears art smock. Mission accomplished – but will consider reincarnation.

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Go The Extra Mile with a Positive Attitude

What others think of you is important, as long as it coincides with what you think of yourself. If you are recognized by others as a positive person who always makes an important contribution, you will be in demand, for there are never enough such people in any organization. Your co-workers will value you, your customers will appreciate you, and your boss will recognize and reward you if you stick with it. You may not become an overnight success, but neither will you fail instantly and permanently. Make it a habit to go the extra mile with a Positive Mental Attitude. Napoleon Hill

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Action is the Greatest Means of Self-Praise

Actions, not words, are the greatest means of self-praise.


There are times when you will be asked to put yourself forward, to compete for a position or a contract, and you will have to speak about your accomplishments. Naturally, you will want to put the best foot forward. Be certain, however, that when you do so, you are confident that honest inquiry will support what you say about yourself. If your actions have been wise and responsible, the record will show this. Leaders in any organization are those who say, “Let’s get going. Let’s do something rather than wait around to see what happens.” When your past actions demonstrate that you are a person who accepts responsibility and shows others the way, your career and relationships will benefit you accordingly.

 Napoleon Hill

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The First Cause of Failure is Having No Plan for Your Life

Drifting, without aim or purpose, is the first cause of failure.

Without a plan for your life, it is easier to follow the course of least resistance, to go with the flow, to drift with the current with no particular destination in mind. Having a definite plan for your life greatly simplifies the process of making hundreds of daily decisions that affect your ultimate success. When you know where you want to go, you can quickly decide if your actions are moving you toward your goal or away from it. Without definite, precise goals and a plan for their achievement, each decision must be considered in a vacuum. Definiteness of purpose provides context and allows you to relate specific actions to your overall plan.

Napoleon Hill

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Decide Now To Live Your Life With Unconditional Love

This gorgeous story about love is not for the faint of heart and it is not to be missed my friends. Read it in its entirety and decide now to live your life with unconditional love. It came to me via Bob Proctor's Insight of the Day and I repeat again, sign up and receive these goodies at your front door.

Don't Hope, Friend...Decide!



While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in Portland, Oregon, I had one of those life changing experiences that you hear other people talk about. You know, the kind that sneaks up on you unexpectedly? Well, this one occurred a mere two feet away from me!


Straining to locate my friend among the passengers deplaning through the jetway, I noticed a man coming toward me carrying two light bags. He stopped right next to me to greet his family.


First, he motioned to his youngest son (maybe six years old) as he laid down his bags. They gave each other a long, and movingly loving hug. As they separated enough to look in each other's face, I heard the father say, "It's so good to see you, son. I missed you so much!" His son smiled somewhat shyly, diverted his eyes, and replied softly, "Me too, Dad!"


Then the man stood up, gazed in the eyes of his oldest son (maybe 9 or 10) and while cupping his son's face in his hands he said, "You're already quite the young man. I love you very much Zach!" They too hugged a most loving, tender hug. His son said nothing. No reply was necessary.


While this was happening, a baby girl (perhaps one or one and a half) was squirming excitedly in her mother's arms, never once taking her little eyes off the wonderful sight of her returning father. The man said, "Hi babygirl!" as he gently took the child from her mother. He quickly kissed her face all over and then held her close to his chest while rocking her from side to side. The little girl instantly relaxed and simply laid her head on his shoulder and remained motionless in total pure contentment.


After several moments, he handed his daughter to his oldest son and declared, "I've saved the best for last!" and proceeded to give his wife the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing. He gazed into her eyes for several seconds and then silently mouthed, "I love you so much!" They stared into each other's eyes, beaming big smiles at one another, while holding both hands.

For an instant, they reminded me of newlyweds but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn't be. I puzzled about it for a moment, then realized how totally engrossed I was in the wonderful display of unconditional love not more than an arm's length away from me. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if I were invading something sacred, but was amazed to hear my own voice nervously ask, "Wow! How long have you two been married?"


"Been together fourteen years total, married twelve of those," he replied without breaking his gaze from his lovely wife's face. "Well then, how long have you been away?" I asked. The man finally looked at me, still beaming his joyous smile and told me, "Two whole days!"


Two days?! I was stunned! I was certain by the intensity of the greeting I just witnessed that he'd been gone for at least several weeks, if not months, and I know my expression betrayed me. So I said almost offhandedly, hoping to end my intrusion with some semblance of grace (and to get back to searching for my friend), "I hope my marriage is still that passionate after twelve years!"


The man suddenly stopped smiling. He looked me straight in the eye, and with an intensity that burned right into my soul, he told me something that left me a different person. He told me, "Don't hope friend...decide." Then he flashed me his wonderful smile again, shook my hand and said, "God bless!" With that, he and his family turned and energetically strode away together.


I was still watching that exceptional man and his special family walk just out of sight when my friend came up to me and asked, "What'cha looking at?" Without hesitating, and with a curious sense of certainty, I replied, "My future!"


Michael D. Hargrove


© Copyright 1997 by Michael D. Hargrove. All rights reserved. Used with author's permission. Visit Michael's website at: http://www.bluinc.com/

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Find The Courage to Say "No"

"We need to find the courage to say 'NO' to the things and people that are not serving us if we want to rediscover ourselves and live our lives with authenticity."



Barbara De Angelis

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