Start with Yourself

Dream.
Inspire...Encourage one person at a time, starting with yourself!

Autumn Leaves

"The falling leaves drift by the window
The autumn leaves of red and gold....
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sunburned hands, I used to hold
Since you went away, the days grow long
And soon I'll hear ol' winter's song.
But I miss you most of all my darling,
When autumn leaves start to fall."
- Johnny Mercer, lyrics, Autumn Leaves

Eva Cassidy singing Autumn Leaves....truly haunting!


Eva Cassidy_Fields of Gold

The Storyteller's Creed by Robert Fulghum

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge,
That myth is more potent than history,
That dreams are more powerful than facts,
That hope always triumphs over experience,
That laughter is the only cure for grief,
And I believe that love is stronger than death.

Words of Wisdom (wish I had said that)

(this pic is a mandala called Wisdom Pearl by Richard A. Waters )


"Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em, 'certainly I can!' - and get busy and find out how to do it."
Theodore Roosevelt, 1858-1919, Twenty-Sixth U.S. President

"Obstacles can't stop you. Problems can't stop you. Most of all, other people can't stop you. Only you can stop you."
Jeffrey Gitomer, Author and Sales Trainer

"I live by this credo: Have a little laugh at life and look around you for happiness instead of sadness. Laughter has always brought me out of unhappy situations. Even in your darkest moment, you usually can find something to laugh about if you try hard enough."
Red Skelton, 1913-1997, Comedian

Today I Will Make A Difference

Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of their thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.

I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.

I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It's OK to stumble - I will get up. It's OK to fail - I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.

I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends.

Today I will make a difference.

Max Lucado
From On The Anvil

"Living consciously involves being genuine; it involves listening and responding to others honestly and openly; it involves being in the moment."
Sidney Poitier, Actor and Author of The Measure of a Man

"Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think."
Benjamin Disraeli

"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, 1706-1790, Scientist, Publisher and Diplomat


"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant."
Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850-1895, Essayist, Poet and Novelist

"You are, at this moment, standing, right in the middle of your own 'acres of diamonds.'"
Earl Nightingale, 1921-1989, Syndicated Radio Announcer and Author

"The world cares very little about what a man or woman knows; it is what the man or woman is able to do that counts."
Booker T. Washington, 1856-1915, Educator and Reformer

"Our self image and our habits tend to go together. Change one and you will automatically change the other."
Dr. Maxwell Maltz, 1899-1975, Author

"My father used to say to me, 'Whenever you get into a jam, whenever you get into a crisis or an emergency...become the calmest person in the room and you'll be able to figure your way out of it.'"
Rudolph Giuliani, Former Mayor of New York City

The Last Lecture..."Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"

Many of you may have seen this lecture long before I did.
But for those who haven't or if it has been awhile please watch it again.
It is obviously very popular judging by the 4,221,441 hits it has had on Youtube.
I loved what Randy Pausch had to say.
It may not be new (yes, others have said the same or something similar) but it never hurts to hear these things again.

Randy Pausch died yesterday, July 25, 2008, and he has obviously left a wonderful legacy.
Here are some of the things that he said that hit me when I watched this vid.

"Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want."

"The Brick Walls are not there to keep us out. The Brick Walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something."

"Get a feedback loop and listen to it."

"Show gratitude."

"Be good at something. It makes you valuable."

"Find the best in everybody; no matter how long you have to wait for them to show it."

"Be prepared: "Luck" is where preparation meets opportunity."

"What am I doing to Enable the childhood dreams of others?"

Please enjoy this vid!