"The past can explain the present, but it should never be an excuse for the future." - Ken Blanchard & Wally Armstrong from 'The Mulligan.'

Some organizations die because they change what they shouldn't, while others die because they refuse to change what they should. -Dale Burke

"When your memories are more exciting than your dreams, you have begun to die." - H. Dale Burke

"We need to learn to set our course by the stars, not by the light of every passing ship" - General Omar N. Bradley

In all of our preparations for any trip or endeavor, it is often the first step which catches us off-guard and knocks us on our butts.

Anticipation. The more it grabs you, the more you feel like busting out. Like with Heinz Ketchup, bust open the bottle and get on with it.

The Power of One. Today, you shape the fabric of our nation. You choose who. The choice is yours. Use your power wisely, but please USE it!

People tend to forget the path from where they are to where they want to go is seldom without obstacles and turns.

It doesn't have to be Christmas to be a time of giving. If we give to others often we can enjoy the loving warmth we feel in return all year

Often the difference between success and failure in anything is a single moment. The moment we decide to quit is often the moment we fail

Chaos abounds. The unplanned becomes routine. To navigate this ever-changing landscape we need to ground ourselves in the Word of the Lord.

Dark times happen. Clouds may block out the sun, but that doesn't mean the sun is gone. Eventually the sky and our problems will clear.

Pretty much any problem can be solved by systematically removing one confusion or error after another until you reach a clear solution.

Here is a surefire way to make yourself more attractive in less than one second........SMILE!

1 month, 3 days, 5 minutes, 7 seconds. This about how long we can live without food, water, air & hope. Never give up hope! -Chuck Swindoll

Joy is having someone thinking about you when you least expect it and most need it. Like a call from a loved one or letter out of the blue.

The right tool makes a task easier. A hammer for a nail or knowing algebra for a math problem. Love is the best tool of all. Use it often.

Share the love. Many things in life are more enjoyable when shared with loved ones. Accomplishments, birthdays, fun times, & even sad ones.

I met a 76 year old grandmother who loves rollercoasters & zip-lining. Its amazing to see someone so full of life, energy with love to share

Having Faith means being willing to let the Lord drive. Even when the road gets bumpy or you can't see around the bend. Let go and let God!

Being too focused can sometimes close the door on out-of-the-box thinking. Being unfocused can lead us in circles. We must walk a fine line.

Great way to look at trials & tribulations-look a temporary setback squarely in the eye, laugh at it & then do something about it.-D Steward

That which doesn't kill me serves to make me stronger...or teaches me something new...or gives me something to relect on. Or all the above.

Some barriers to achieving our goals reside within us. Our own dark feelings and thoughts tie up our focus, causing us to fail more often.

We all make choices in life. Some good, some bad, some life changing and others life ending. With that in mind, lets make our choices wisely

There is joy even in the middle of a storm. When times are rough, drama is high, there are always pockets of joy there if you look for them.

Feeling the joy of helping others. No matter how little a deed, the joy puts a smile on my face. I'm looking forward to help others tomorrow

My friend said you can find happiness in the simplest things. A smile from his infant daughter, or a hug from his wife. Happiness is nearby!

Happy Birthday America! Its an honor and privilege to be a citizen. Thank you to all who have made it and still make it possible to be free!

The world's natural resources are dwindling, but love is one resource that will never run out so long as we share love thats in our hearts.

The freedom to speak our minds does not include the freedom to control how others react to hearing our thoughts.

Sometimes the best helping hands, in our time of need, are the ones at the end of our own wrists.

"Set goals, visualize the results of these goals, and then be determined to succeed by overcoming any obstacles in the way" - Chuck Norris

"Perseverence accomplished what at first seemed impossible" - Henry Knox. A good reason to keep the faith and keep trying in whatever you do

Belittling someone to make yourself feel more important creates a fake, short-lived high. In reality you end up only belittling yourself.

An Optimist looks at the world seeing what could be if we would just try, knowing that not all things may be possible today, but tomorrow...

Do what you feel in your heart to be right. You'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do and damned if you don't - E. Roosevelt

It was a HOT, muggy & sunny day. Now drained and sunburned I can say seeing the smiles of those people we helped made it all worthwhile.

Living without personal values is like driving a car blindfolded. You don't know where it will take you or what you'll hit along the way.

People can surmount what seems to be total defeat, but it requires a capacity to readjust endlessly to the changing conditions of life.-E.R.

We all have had bad experiences. The challenge is finding the good when we remember them. This strengthens us rather than making us bitter.

We are the sum total of our life's experiences. We can shape ourselves by the choices we make, things we do and the people we do them with.

A simple kindness like a warm smile, a pat on a back or saying 'Good Morning' may seem like inconsequential acts. They're often far from it.

Making a difference in the lives of others starts from within us. All we need to do to get going is to simply care. After that it's easy.

Attainability. This is one factor often forgotten when setting goals. The fix is simple. Just ask yourself 'Can this really be done?'

Get caught in a trust wave. Unlike tidal waves, trust waves form as we trust others enough to go all out knowing these folks have our backs.

Wisdom is where it is found. Where we find it is limited only by how open we are to learn from any source or person at any time or place.

The power and impact of our words are amplified by the amount of integrity we show daily. Simply put honesty makes our messages stronger.

Winning Combination: Know but don't fixate on your limitations while at the same time don't stop working to increase your capabilities

If we keep our eyes fixed on the past, our glory days, instead of looking forward to our future, we can trip ourselves up along the way.

Some things are just not we think they are. Just like grabbing a jelly-filled doughnut and when taking a bite, tasting lemon filling.

If something isn't hard to do, it just might not be worth doing at all. Easy things lose their value because of how many people can do them.

Odd is often educational. That which we don't understand often forces to learn new things. And can be entertaining at the same time.

Friends helping friends creates a warm feeling reminding us how much we're loved and how much we matter to others.

Watching people work together to make something good always warms my heart. www.starbucks.com shows poeople creating art while saving trees.

Thrill of anticipation! Its time for Thunder over Louisville and the first fighter jets have made their way to the city. I love the air show

Sometimes we can't help others because we, ourselves, need the help. This is ok. As it is important to remember ourselves every now and then

Anger is powerful. It can break barriers and unclog bottlenecks. Anger is also chaotic and causes collateral damage. It is a dangerous tool.

My dream is my reality. That statement from a rock song is a powerful driving force in achieving our goals. The challenge is to believe it

Truth is like an onion. Unfortunately core truths are often covered up in successive layers of lies, misdirection, omission and half truths.

When you reach a milestone in anything you do, the next step is often the start of something new: like my odometer.

Random Thought: If it is the thought that counts, then why don't we spend more time thinking things through before we take an action?

Trust & not fear
Say little do much
Receive each person with a friendly face
Love kindness
Do justice
Walk humbly

Happy B'Day in Heaven Mom

If the economy is so bad, why can't I find a parking spot at most retaurants on a Saturday evening?

Network with a purpose. Getting together to share ideas with others is not as effective as when you do it for a cause, like for a charity.

Researchers say gut-wrenching laughter can add 17.5 seconds to your life each time you laugh hardily. Does this make comedians life-givers?

Listening is an important part of effective communication. Too bad we often spend more time talking about listening than actually listening.

Being courageous. If you want to show the world that you have courage, you can do it with one action. That is, in all things, be yourself.

Happiness comes from within you. There's no point in looking for it outside of you for it doesn't work unless you bring it inside of you.

Great Quote: "It takes as much energy to fail, you know, as it does to succeed" - Og Mandino. So being busy does not guarantee success.

We are the product of our thoughts, the work we do, where we live, what we learn and who we associate with. We create the product that is us

When networking look for ways to help others. Looking out for #1 is overrated. Helping others makes a positive difference & is more fun also

Great Quote: "Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people" - Admiral Hyman Rickover

One of the greatest forces in the world is Girlscouts selling their cookies. They are nearly impossible to resist. And they are everywhere!

Mr. Roger's once said: "The world needs a sense of worth, and it will achieve it only by people feeling that they are worthwhile".

Great Quote: It always helps to have people we love beside us when we have to do difficult things in life. - Mr. Rogers

We are more than who we are now. We are also who we have ever been. Additionally will be all who we will be in addition to who we are now.

Committed. Many of us fail to follow through. We blame processes, tools and others when instead we should focus on staying the course.

Having courage doesn't always mean facing fear. It also means moving foward even if there's no fear. The key is always moving onward.

Avoiding Sensationalism. Our lives are hard enough with the realities we face. Why complicate or lives further with embellished drama?

I got more from shoveling a neighbor's driveway than doing my own. Must be the joy of helping others!

It's only wisdom if you use it.

We are labled many names through life: son, mother, friend, lover and others less appealing. Let's be the name we wish want to be known by.

Random thought: Having pride in being humble defeats the purpose.

If you want to improve yourself: hang out with people who challenge and stretch you to improve and avoid those who live for mediocrity

Time. It's time. Time for happiness, time for sadness, time for joy. It's time to do, time to learn, time to grow. Isn't it time we started?

We tend to believe what we want to believe. 1 speech, same words, are seen as meaning a dozen different things. Who then is right? Confusing

Miss days of yore? With our race with the Jones' we've lost some joys of youth, ex: Yogi is no longer a gay ole' bear. One Cure: slow down

All work and no play makes for dull people and scary movies. Let's get goofy every now and then and laugh with/at ourselves. Life will wait.

Today is ours! We may not be able to make all the choices we wish today, but we DO choose how we feel about these choices. Today is ours!

Just finished reading 'Linchpins' by Seth Godin. I really enjoyed it and share my thoughts in my blog: http://ping.fm/si9mh

Kindness is a force multiplier. Kind acts inspire other people to do kind acts and so on. One kind act can impact thousands. Are you ready?

At our best. Some events bring out the best in people. Seeing legions of people lining up to help the people of Haiti is heartwarming.

Burning the midnight oil. Kicking it up a notch. Taking it to the next level. Any way you say it, the more you put in, the more you get out.

I like simple. Simple though isn't common today. Time saving devices, multi-tasking & change make it hard to be simple. Fight for simplicity

At first little ever seems simple, yet after a lot of practice and dedication, the same complex tasks appear much more simple and mundane.

Welcome to 2010! Some are named it ZOLO. Whatever you call it, realize that this year is the best year of your life. If you allow it to be.

It may be cold outside, but it is always colder when we are alone. The warm thoughts of others always lift our spirits and give us warmth!