Show Your True Colors

Show Your True Colors

What are your true colors? Most people are only vibrating at a pastel hue when they could be a vibrant orange, red or blue.

Come alive. It takes not only knowing but acting on what makes you come alive that makes your true colors shine. Unfortunately what holds people up is the belief that what they want to do or be won’t be liked, accepted, respected or acknowledged. That is a shame because then it’s fear that is holding you back from being who you are and thereby letting your true colors come shining through.

The song True Colors sums it up quite nicely.

“You with the sad eyes
Don't be discouraged
Oh I realize
It’s hard to take courage
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all
And the darkness inside you
Can make you feel so small

But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow

Show me a smile then,
Don't be unhappy, can't remember
When I last saw you laughing
If this world makes you crazy
And you've taken all you can bear
You call me up
Because you know I'll be there

And I'll see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow”

So what colors will your rainbow be?

It’s More Important to be Right

Is it?  Thank about how many arguments and disagreements, whether personally, professionally or even by governments have escalated and continued on simply because one or more individuals made it more important to be right? Even after the agreement is long over sometimes and individual wants to have the last word by either out right saying or it or by implying that they were right.  Take it for what it is, insecurity.

Instead of looking at the disagreement from a broader perspective and being diplomatic the person is focused on his own viewpoint and insists his way is correct. Of course, if he’s right than you must be wrong and must be smarter than you, none of which is true.  It just makes him better. Instead of taking his emotions out of it and doing what is best for all concerned he’s made his emotions and viewpoint more important.

It takes a wise person to rise above the chaos of disagreements and tactfully convey to those involved to see the broader perspective.  It can’t be achieved in a lecture, shouting, telling tone of voice but in a confident, calm rational and objective voice.  Ghandi, Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa are examples of people who calmly state with conviction their point of view and still got results.

When you find yourself in and argumentative tone, ask yourself what you’re making more important.  Ask yourself, “If I took out my emotions so that I had no involvement in the content of the discussion, would I react the same way?”

It’s something to think about.  However, it’s far more likely that you won’t think to ask yourself that question in the heat of a discussion but likely later when you have time to reflect on it.  That’s okay. That’s how you learn.

Have you found yourself making your viewpoint more important than the broader perspective? If so, please share your experience.

Please! Try and Keep Up

Please! Try and Keep Up

Try and keep up with where your true awesome self is trying to take you. Seriously, sometimes you can be your own worst enemy.  There are enough people out there trying to stop you from being your true self. You don’t need to buy into it.  It’s just their way of keeping you small so they can feel better about themselves.

Remember when you were young and had a dream.  It was a really big dream.  You could go on and on about it.  The more you talked about it the more grand it became.  Details started to emerge and then you’d add even more to this grand plan of yours. 

And then what happened?  I’ll tell you what happened.  Some well meaning adult likely shattered your dream by throwing their version of reality in front of you. They told you that it wasn’t possible or started asking you how you would go about making it happen thereby forcing you to see all the obstacles in the way. 

The Universe doesn’t work that way.  It takes care of the how.  You just have to think about what you want, believe that it will happen and bit by bit you’ll start taking steps to make it happen.  The Universe provides the tools and contacts for you.  What you have to do is take advantage of the opportunity placed before you. Oh, and it’s not always going to show up all peaches and cream without a hint of struggle.  Sometimes those struggles are what you need to go through to prepare you for the next step.

It sounds so simple, doesn’t it?  Can it be that easy?  You’ll never know unless you try.

So get busy and start dreaming big.  And for Pete’s sake, try and keep up with what the Universe keeps giving you. It’s for your own good.  

Follow your heart. Follow your impulse.

Satisfaction Factor 101

Follow your heart. Follow your impulse.

Steve Jobs, Apple Inc Founder has a great quote about this very thing. He says, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.  Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice, and most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.  They somehow already know what you truly want to become.  Everything else is secondary”

Basically he’s saying to be true to yourself, YOUR heart, YOUR dream, YOUR desire and not someone else’s.  You’ll never find happiness chasing someone else’s vision of what they want and desire for you.  Only when you follow you own vision will you find the satisfaction and happiness that you not only desire but deserve?

You need to listen to you inner voice of wisdom and follow the impulse where it leads.  How do you know if it’s right for you?  That’s easy.  It feels right.  Pay attention to how it makes you feel. If you have even the slightest hesitation or negative gut reaction it won’t make you feel good about yourself. It means you’re not being true to yourself.  Follow your impulse, instinct call it what you will.  Only by following where it leads will the happiness and satisfaction you seek be yours. 

Are we Breeding Responsibility or Dependency?

Are we Breeding Responsibility or Dependency?

People will rise up to the expectations that you set for them.  Ask any good coach, manager or parent and they will tell you the very same thing. Sometimes athletes, employees and children can’t see the potential that lies within them but someone else can.  So the coach, manager or parent inspires and sometimes pushes the individual to aim higher, to be all that they can be.  Isn’t that what we’re here for, to be the best that we can be, to become better than the generation before us, to leave this place better than how we found it?

So what happened that a growing number of people think they’re entitled to government hand outs? What happened to honor, pride and self worth in working to provide for yourself and family? Remember when children were raised to become productive members of society, to give more - expect less, to have a sense of honor and integrity in what you do, to take responsibility for your actions, to strive to live up to your full potential and become a self-supporting adult, to ask what you can do for others not what others can do for you, where conning the system or any other entity was shunned, where being self supporting was respected and a badge of honor?

Oh! There are still people like that around however it’s become more acceptable to see what you can get away with than being a responsible adult. What’s in it for me has become more important than what’s best for mankind.

Now this didn’t just happen overnight.  It’s been brewing for quite some time.  The exact time frame is up for debate.  It was likely a combination of events and a mind shift that changed the core essence of what the US was founded on.

It happened slowing, bit by bit, whittling away a parent’s confidence that they needed to bow to the pressure of the so called professionals.  Parents feared they were damaging their children if they were too strict or disciplined them too harshly.  Worse yet, the children started hearing this type of thinking and used it as emotional blackmail to keep their parent’s from parenting. Some wise parents saw it for what it was while others bowed to their children’s threats and demands.  They were afraid they would lose their child’s love but instead they lost their respect.  Alas there went the best form of education, setting the example.  Let’s not forget that it’s the parents that have the greatest influence in a child’s life.

Now we have a growing number of our society that believes they should be taken care of.  Any slight discomfort is cause to blame someone or something else for their own lack of personal responsibility.  Hey! It’s easier to blame than actually doing what needs to be done. It’s a cop out.  In the long run the person looses out on building their self-esteem and growing as a person. They miss out on feeling good about themselves.

Teaching someone to be responsible is a never ending process. It takes patience and guidance to see it through but the rewards are well worth it. It not only benefits the individual but society as a whole.

My question is, with such a growing number of people believing they are entitled to hand outs, what happens when the number of responsible contributing members of society is outweighed by the entitlement society? Who will provide for what they believe they deserve?

It’s time to raise the expectations of all members of society, to stop asking what the country can do for you but what you can do for your country. 

You were born an original. Don’t die a copy

“You were born an original.  Don’t die a copy” ~ John Mason

We don’t need another Einstein, Lincoln, or Bob Hope. They were originals. They shined when it was their time to do so.  They were original in their thinking, delivery and persona.  It’s what made them unique. They were classic and you don’t mess with a classic.  You cherish, learn and hopefully get inspired to also be an original.

Eleanor Roosevelt is quoted as saying that good women don’t make history.  A similar phrasing could be said for being an original, unique individual. Copycats don’t make history, only originals.  It’s the people who insist on amplifying their uniqueness that shine not the copycats.

The Beetles, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, BB King and Michael Jackson were way ahead of their time in musical talent.  They were each unique in voice, phrasing, delivery and style of music. Each was or still is an original that has inspired others to go beyond their comfort zone.  That’s why they are considered classics.

Copying someone else my help you get started in expressing yourself.  By copying someone else you are complimenting them because you can relate to them.  However, use the copy technique as a tool to find your own voice.  Discover how you can take what you’ve learned and add your own unique spin and flavor to it. Make it your own because there is nothing better than the feeling you get when others like what you love to do.

(This is a snapshot of my book, Pick Me Up – Inspirational messages to make you jump for joy. You can find it on Amazon and iTunes) 

Make the Most of What You Have

Make the Most of What You Have

Making the most of what you have is exactly what Michael Oher the NFL player did. Who would have thought that scoring within the 98 percentile for protective instincts would lead to an NFL career?  That 98% instinct is what gave him the ability to protect the quarterback’s blind side.

Of course his journey didn’t come easy. He certainly didn’t start out life on easy street, on the contrary. It takes a lot of discipline and morals not to succumb to the pressure of the streets. It takes a lot of self perseverance to continue to move on with your life when you have no family to financially and emotionally support you. What kind of driving force does a person like that have to keep moving forward?  If those obstacles weren’t enough, he still had to overcome his lack of education before he could even think about playing any kind of sport. But with the help of the Tuohy family and some key educators he became more than what he thought he could be.  So many people could see the heart behind the man that they took it upon themselves to help him out. 

Football didn’t come naturally to him because he didn’t understand the game and what was required of his position.  Once he tapped into what he needed to do he was able to activate the key ingredient that makes him stand out, natural protective instincts.

Protective instincts are one of his greatest talents and he’s found a way to capitalize on it.  What’s your natural talent. What’s your key ingredient that makes you stand out and how can you tap into it to shine like Michael Oher has on the football field?

4 Keys to Creating Joy in Your Life

4 Keys to Creating Joy in Your Life

The 4 keys to create joy in your life are closer than you think.  It’s within you.  Yes, you can create the space for it to happen.  All you have to do is bring it out.  However, it’s easier said than done.

1)   First you must discover yourself.  By that I mean you need to become consciously aware of what makes you unique, what makes you stand out.  What gives you the most satisfaction?  What is it that you get a kick out of doing?  Could you do it all day long and not get bored? Do you get excited about it? Would you do it even if you didn’t get paid to do it?

2)   The next step is to believe you have what it takes to become who you are born to be.  No excuses.  No fear, just do it.  Accept your divine self for all your known and unknown attributes.  It’s being able to envision yourself doing what you love to do.  This is the hardest step.

3)   The third step is creating your desired goal.  It’s the nuts and bolts of the desired outcome.  It’s the “how”.  It’s bringing into fruition what you desire.

4)   The last step is living your dream.  Sometimes when people achieve their dream they can’t believe they deserve it and end up sabotaging their own efforts.  They go back to step two and start over again from there.  It means step two wasn’t fully completed.  They didn’t truly believe it was possible so that is where they go back to.  When you embrace the last step you are living your true authentic self.  Isn’t that what you want?

What is Right and Real and the Truth for You?

What is Right and Real and the Truth for You?

“The way to choose happiness is to follow what is right and real and the truth for you” ~ Oprah Winfrey.

How true.  The key phrase here is “right for YOU”. That means not comparing yourself to someone else. You won’t find happiness comparing yourself to others or believing that the grass is greener on the other side.  If you do, you lose your opportunity for happiness.  Happiness is discovering what’s right for you and that takes getting to know yourself well.

It means you need to be authentic, to be the true you.  How many times have you stopped doing, being or saying something because you were afraid you weren’t going to be accepted, respected or loved if you did?  In those moments, the fear becomes more important than expressing who you are.

The reason unconditional love, God’s love, is so comforting is that supreme love accepts your true nature.  It is seeing the true intention behind the words and actions.  It’s seeing you on a deep spiritual level, not just the physical level, and loving you no matter what you do or say.

When you get to what’s right and real for you, you will embrace the truth of the spirit of God in you and your true essence will shine.

(This is a snapshot of my book, Pick Me Up – Inspirational messages to make you jump for joy, now on Amazon.com and iTunes. You can also purchase it from my web site).