The Pain of Change

READY…  "There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self.” ~Aldous Huxley

AIM…  Until the pain of change is greater than the pain of staying the same, people will choose to do what they know.  Sigh.  I know.  I have realized that I am no longer a spring chicken.  I’m starting to feel my season in life: emotionally, physically and financially.  I guess that means I need to make some changes in order to feel differently. 

Change is hard, though.  I don’t know about you, but I like it when I feel comfortable with my life, my routine, and my environment.  I don’t like it when my schedule gets shaken and stirred.  However, I do know, that when my life starts turning upside down, it’s time to embrace the new change that’s about to happen.  Yes, this mid-life mama has got to take time to care for herself and tackle some of these necessary changes head on.  What are you facing in your life that is pushing you to embrace a new change?

 

As we step out of our comfort zones to grab ahold of our new changes, remember it’s often helpful to enlist a friend who wants to change too.  Sure, it’s easy to tell yourself you are going to make the necessary changes to move ahead, but the accountability of another partner might be just the key to push you into making the next step forward and maintaining your commitment. So how ‘bout it?  Let’s stop procrastinating and start today making a baby step in the right direction for the positive changes we need in our lives.

FIRE!  Ask a trusted friend to help you start, and maintain, momentum toward achieving a new goal in your life.  Give her permission to ask you regularly about your progress.  Whether it’s making a career change, adjusting your budget, starting an exercise program or simply taking time each day just for yourself, you are worth every step that places you that much closer to victory.

 

Be Excellent!

Lori

One Moment

 

READY... “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but the moments that take our breath away.”

 

AIM…  Twenty-four hours a day.  Seven days a week.  Can you do it?  Can you stop long enough to hit the pause button in your life for just one moment?  One moment.  How long is that really?  Is one moment the same as one second or is one moment one minute?  No matter how you interpret it, one moment is all it takes for you to realize your life could be over in one moment.  One moment is all your need to recognize you are blessed with many of life’s conveniences that others cannot afford.  One moment is all you need to give thanks to God for the loved ones you are surrounded with who care for you day after day.  Yep, that’s all it takes is one moment. 

 

Life is zooming by at lightning speed.  It could all come to a screeching halt in one moment.  Let’s take one moment to breathe; be thankful; think of those who are less fortunate; love with all our hearts.  And maybe, just maybe, we’ll realize that moment by moment, life is just too precious not to appreciate our moments and savor every single one.
FIRE!   Here’s your one moment.  What will you do?  Ready?  Go…

 

Be Excellent!

Lori

Garbage

READY… “Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.” ~ Oscar Wilde

AIM…  All of us have encountered a few folks who have been less than lovely to us at one time or another.  Perhaps you even experienced a short burst of road rage on the way to work this morning.  The following short story is a great illustration of what might be causing those not-so-nice attitudes.

 

~ The Law of the Garbage Truck ~

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car just by inches!

The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy ~ I mean he was really friendly.

So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call:"The Law of The Garbage Truck."

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run all around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointments. As the garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you.

Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, resentments, anger, and frustration; so...........

Love the people who treat you right; pray for the ones who don't. Life is ten percent what you make it, and ninety percent how you take it.

 

FIRE!   If you run into a “garbage truck” person today, smile or wave and keep walking or quickly and quietly exit on the nearest detour.  Here’s wishing you a blessed and garbage-free day!

 

Be Excellent!

Lori

Things That Make You Go Hmmm

READY... “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”  ~ Dr. Wayne Dyer

AIM…  Every once in awhile I’ll stumble across a situation that really makes me scratch my head and think.  I must admit, while these scenarios certainly stretch my brain, they also make me snicker or laugh really hard.  See for yourself and let me know if you figure out any of the answers or if they have you wondering hmmmm as well.

·         If nothing ever sticks to Teflon, how do they make Teflon stick to the pan?

·         What do people in China call their good plates?

·         If the police arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to remain silent

·         What was the best thing before sliced bread?

·         How come there aren't B batteries?

·         How is it possible to have a “civil” war?

·         If the #2 pencil is so popular, why is it still #2?

·         What happens to an 18 hour bra after 18 hours?

·         Why do tourists go to the tops of tall buildings and then put money into telescopes so they can see things on the ground close-up?

·         What happened to the first 6 "ups"?

·         Why do hot dogs come 10 to a package and hot dog buns only 8?

·         How do you know that honesty is the best policy until you have tried some of the others?

·         Can you buy an entire chess set in a pawn shop?

·         What if someone died in the living room?

·         Where in the nursery rhyme does it say Humpty Dumpty is an egg?

·         Why do people tell you when they are speechless?

·         Why do we have hot water heaters when hot water doesn't need to be heated?

·         Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

·         Why are hemorrhoids called "hemorrhoids" instead of "asteroids"?

·         What if the Hokey Pokey IS what it’s all about?

FIRE!   Admit it, you laughed and actually recited the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme to yourself to make sure there wasn’t any mention of an egg, right?  Great!  At least now I know you enjoyed a laugh or two to start your day.  Feel free to forward and share these scalp-scratching scenarios with your friends so they can laugh with you!

Be Excellent!

Lori

Which Half?

READY… “A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties”  ~ Harry Truman

 

AIM…  Your approach to life can vary from day to day, and it can change based on your circumstances and attitude.  So, are you a glass half full or a glass half empty kind of person?  I know several glass half empty folks.  I can say loads of positive things about most of them.  However, no matter what happens, they expect the worst in all situations.  You know the ones; they just know nothing good is going to happen. Even when things are going well for them, they are waiting for the tide to turn. 

 

I hate to admit it, but I get into those slumps occasionally; although, my glass is usually half full.  Yes, I am an eternal optimist.  I believe that something good is going to happen in every situation.  I, like other glass half-fullers, expect that life is going to work out positively and that God makes sure everything happens for a good reason. You might be saying to yourself, “Self, that is just an unrealistic approach to life.”  Yes, that may be true.  However, I guess if I’m choosing my attitude, I’d rather step up and face life head on with my outlook on the sunshine, up side of things rather than to stand with one foot ready to plunge into the depths of a blue funk.  You know, it’s never too late to change directions--even in the midst of the plunge. If you haven’t hit rock bottom, there’s time. If you have hit the bottom, there’s only one way to go--up.  It’s never too late to take a different attitude to your circumstances.  What do you have to lose?  You can either feel excited with anticipation about life or you can worry with despair about what is to come.  So I ask you again, are you a glass half full or glass half empty kind of person?

 

FIRE!   Ok, so there’s something interesting and joyful about this having a glass half full attitude.  My advice to you comes from a great friend. If there’s a time when you get to feeling not so positive, be sure your glass is at least half full of an incredible beverage!

 

Be Excellent!

Lori

Welcome To The Human Race

READY..."I am not a human being; I am a human becoming.”  ~Author Unknown

AIM…Have you ever met someone who’s got it all together?  You know the one.  Her life is wonderful: her hair is always styled; her lipstick is always on; her children are well-behaved, and her husband is a great provider.  Yep, you know her.  We all know her. However, behind all the wonderfulness is a living, breathing human being.  Behind those accessories and well-matched outfits is a woman with feelings and emotions and probably dealing with the same problems that the rest of us deal with. However, from the outside, you’d never know it.  She hides her imperfections so well.  Her mantra is “a place for everything and everything in its place.”   So, when life happens and all those things that used to fit so neatly inside her life box come spilling out, it’s almost surprising to us, the casual on-lookers. Secretly, we savor a moment of satisfaction knowing that perfect lives do not exist for anyone. Real life does indeed happen to all of us every single day. The only difference is that some folks are better at going with the flow when life throws them a curve ball. Some folks need an entourage and a pity party when life happens.  

No matter what, grace is the best gift to offer when you recognize that yep, she’s human too.  Life doesn’t have to be perfect anymore.  What a relief!

FIRE!   The next time you encounter a difficult situation with someone, pause, redirect and give her grace.  Perhaps there’s more to her life story than you realize.  Oftentimes, a those perfect closet doors are hiding a mountain of problems.

Be Excellent!
Lori

God Intervenes

READY… “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."  ~ Marcus Aurelius

AIM… Today, we remember 9/11.  You know where you were.  You remember exactly what you were doing.  It was a chilling event that rocked our world to the core.  However, what started out as a regular day for most of us, turned into a nightmare for others. We have listened to the life-altering stories from survivors who didn’t make it to work that day at the World Trade Center Towers because life’s ordinary delays or even a few strange hold-ups prevented them from being caught in the midst of American’s most tragic event.  I’m talking about things like several folks getting stopped in unusual traffic jams, or how one fella spilled coffee on his shirt and had to take extra time to change his clothes, and even one gal who dropped her shoe in the toilet of all things.  The stories go on and on about the reasons various people did not arrive to work on time, forever changing their very fate.

We can grumble when God intervenes in our lives, or we can rejoice in the detours and delays.  We have no idea what’s at the other end of our journey, but God knows.  My mother sent me this amazing dialogue she received from a friend recently.  Perhaps it will give you a different perspective and some patience when God intervenes in your life next time.

 
Just Askin'
Me: God, can I ask you a question?
God: Sure.
Me: Promise you won't get mad?
God: I promise.
Me: Why did you let so much stuff happen to me today?
God: What do you mean?
Me: Well, I woke up late.
God: Yes.
Me: My car took forever to start.
God: Okay.
Me: At lunch they made my sandwich wrong and I had to wait.
God: Huummm.
Me: On the way home, my phone went dead, just as I picked up a call.
God: All right.
Me: And on top of it all, when I got home I just wanted to soak my feet in my new foot massager and relax, but it wouldn't work!!!Nothing went right today! Why did you do that?
God: Let me see, the Death Angel was at your bed this morning and I had to send one of the other angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that.
Me: (humbled): Oh...
God: I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that would have hit you if you were on the road.
Me: (ashamed) Hmmm…
God: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick and I didn't want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn't afford to miss work.
Me: (embarrassed): Ok...
God: Your phone went dead because the person that was calling was going to give false witness about what you said on that call. I didn't even let you talk to her so you would be covered.
Me: (softly) I see, God.
God: Oh and that foot massager, it had a short that was going to throw out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn't think you wanted to be in the dark.
Me: I'm sorry, God.
God: Don't be sorry, just learn to trust me.....in all things, the good and the bad.
Me: I will trust you.
God: And don't doubt that my plan for your day is always better than your plan.
Me: I won't, God. And let me just tell you, God, thank you for everything today.
God: You're welcome child. It was just another day being your God, and I love looking after my children.

FIRE!   Richard Bach said, "Here is the test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: if you're alive, it isn't."  If you are reading this, congratulations!  You are alive!  God isn’t finished with you yet, so set forth today giving thanks for the opportunity to move mountains, serve others and make a difference in your world.  And if you find yourself in the middle of an interesting twist of events, be grateful God is intervening.

Be Excellent!

Lori

The Dark Knight Rises

READY… “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” John 10:10 NIV

AIM… I was mortified when I heard the news about the massacre in Colorado over the weekend.  Innocent people who were excited to see the new Batman movie were met with a twist in the plot of their own fates.  Sadly, Satan, the real dark knight, arose in the form of a shooter and lives were lost, bodies were injured and souls were emotionally shaken all over the world.  Yes, friends, Satan is constantly on the prowl looking for ways to ruin our lives; to prevent us from following God’s path of success and love. We all have free will to choose our lot in life, however, look at the ways we are constantly diverted, misdirected and just plain halted from successful progress.  It’s not karma; it’s the dark forces working against us.  Scary, but true.

As we recover from the shock of such a devastating event, we must remember this scripture from Genesis 50:20: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” That’s a lot to digest so soon after such a tragic event, but there will be justice served on earth and eternity.  Perhaps this incident will spark a movement to provide better security measures in public locations.  In the meantime, we must not live in fear and trust that our Maker is the one who is ultimately in control as our shield and safe haven.

FIRE!   Take a moment this week to pray for the victims and their families of the Colorado shooting.  Never underestimate the power of prayer, whether it be individual or as a collective group.  It is one of our strongest weapons and most powerful means to affect the world around us in a positive way.

Be Excellent!
Lori

Break A Leg

READY… “Life is not a dress rehearsal.”  ~ Rose Tremain

AIM… Day after day, we are living on a stage where people are watching our performances.  Those performances are controlled by our emotions, past experiences and level of maturity, and, yes, our level of maturity can change from day to day. But most of us take life for granted. We assume we’ll get up tomorrow and do the same thing all over again, just on a different day.  However, what if we only had a few days left to live?  Would we act differently?  Would we do things we wish we could do?  Why does the realization of death change our outlook and approach to life?  If each one of us embraced every day as if it might be our final performance, I guarantee that most of us would choose to act differently. We would give our very best for every person we encountered, and we would make sure to give credit to those who have made a difference in our lives.  Perhaps we simply need to wake up each morning with a different attitude about life. We need to approach each day as if it were an encore performance requested by God. Maybe then we’d love bigger, take more chances, make time to be together, smile more often, appreciate what we’ve been given and perform to the best of our abilities because we really enjoy being alive.  The world is your stage; so what are you waiting for?

FIRE!   Since life is not a dress rehearsal, break a leg!  I challenge you to give it all you’ve got and do your very best every single day.  Enjoy every opportunity and life so enthusiastically that everyone would agree that you deserve God’s encore requests.

Be Excellent!
Lori

Balancing Act

READY… “Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance.” ~ Brian Tracy

AIM… I apologize to all my loyal readers for my unexpected two-week absence. Thank you to all of you who checked in to make sure things were okay and made sure I was going to continue writing my Arrows of Integrity messages for you to read. I needed to take a break to enjoy a few days of fun with my children as summer kicked off, but I also needed to observe how out of balance my life gets from time to time. Life is good; no worries, I assure you. However, I’ve been innately aware of the need to reprioritize how I address my daily activities and my approach to family life. Sometimes you just need to be able to take a step back and look at your situation from a different perspective. I’m happy to say that I have good intentions of moving things around in order to accomplish all I want to do on a daily basis. But I also realize that my life is never going to be perfect, look perfect or have complete and total balance. It is at those moments when the balance is off that I will need to pause, reflect and take action to keep my life in order. Ahhhh…a life in balance is true bliss. Perhaps one day I will feel as such, until then, here’s to my feeble attempts at creating harmony in my heart and home.

FIRE! Make a list of all the things you do on a daily basis. What activities get the majority of your attention? If your priorities are out of balance, start today by adjusting your schedule and redirecting your focus. Feel it? There is peace in a balanced life.

Be Excellent!
Lori

Life Isn't Fair

READY… “Life is not fair; get used to it.” ~ Bill Gates

AIM… I hear this complaint come up in conversation over and over again; “People in today’s society think they are entitled to _____________.” You may fill in the blank with whatever applies to your situation. Some folks think it’s a generational problem. Some people think it’s a parenting issue. I don’t know the answer or the solution to the problem, but perhaps we can shed some light on a few theories and help retrain those young, impressionable minds around us.

One theory I’ve heard about entitlement is that young adults think they should just get what they want because their parents GAVE them everything they wanted. It’s a parenting thing. Parents want their kids to have a better life than they had. This causes them to give their kids anything and everything they say they want. I think in another life that would be called “spoiling.” Needless to say, those kids are growing up not knowing how to work hard in order to receive their rewards. Sadly, they expect to make loads of money in order to support their outrageous lifestyle right out of school. Reality check: hard work + good attitude + responsible attendance = a pay check!

Another theory is that at some point, everyone felt badly for the child who lost the party game. Suddenly, we are ALL winners, right!? I think there is a place and time for this theory; however, it has created a bunch of sore losers who don’t know how to deal with rejection and encourage their peers. Again, because they were always dubbed a winner, when the reality sets in and they lose out on a job interview and get passed up for a better candidate, they don’t know how to cope or keep their eyes on the prize. Ultimately, this all falls back into the faces of the families and everyone else receives the backlash of the disappointed, entitled person….because we all know, “Life isn’t fair.”

I’m not really sure how to change an entire generation or population of entitled people. However, I do know that by taking a special interest, in one or two close people, perhaps you can be a good influence, demonstrate what a good work ethic looks like and teach how to deal with life’s disappointments. It’s tough, but hey, “Life isn’t fair.”

FIRE!   Is there a younger person in your life who you can agree to be a good role model and mentor? Take the time to get to know him, develop a relationship and begin teaching and leading by your example of excellence. You will receive intangible rewards of satisfaction while watching this young person grow and blossom.

Be Excellent!
Lori

This Side UP

READY… “Life is fragile, handle it with prayer.” ~ Arthur Christopher Benson

AIM… I’ve heard from many of my friends lately that they are finding it is very difficult to carve out time in their busy schedules to pray. I can relate because it seems I’ve been looking for that dedicated time in my crazy days, and I just can’t seem to be consistent or disciplined enough to pray at the same time every single day. Outside of mealtimes and bedtime with our children, anything and everything is vying for each moment we have to offer. It’s so easy to give in to all the other demands and opportunities we are presented with. So, what’s a busy gal or guy to do?

1Thessalonians 5:17 says “Pray without ceasing.” Seems simple enough, right? The best way I have found to deal with my dilemma is to literally pray without ceasing all day long; to steal short moments and send my thoughts UP to heaven. I do my best to try and find small moments to pray at different times during my day instead of feeling bad about not dedicating a half an hour to continuous prayer. For example, I pray in the shower; it’s my alone and quiet time. I pray in the car while driving because I can turn down the radio and be silent with my thoughts and concerns. I pray in thanksgiving when I am scrubbing toilets for running water inside a warm house. I pray when good things happen during the day and share my gratitude with God. We make something as simple as prayer so complicated when really God just wants to join us on this journey called life. So remember, life IS fragile, handle it with daily prayer.

FIRE!   Find a trigger during your day that will serve as a reminder to pray. Maybe it’s brushing your teeth, taking a shower, stopping at a red light or grabbing a cup of hot coffee. Whatever you choose, make an attempt to be consistent with your snippets of prayer time and watch your blessings overflow.

Be Excellent!
Lori

What IS Normal?

READY… “Normal is nothing more than a cycle on a washing machine.” ~ Whoopi Goldberg

AIM… Do you ever feel like you’re not normal? Truthfully, I’m not really sure what normal looks or feels like anymore. As a parent, I have high expectations of the manners, morals and behaviors I want to see displayed by my children. My husband and I have rules we expect our children to follow. We also have limitations on some of the conveniences and freedoms we allow our children to enjoy. However, after talking to our children and listening and observing their peers, I often feel like we are not normal. Perhaps we are the minority: setting limits, commanding respect and not saying yes all the time. There are days that I feel guilty about our parenting decisions. Then there are days when my children are complimented for their politeness and good behavior and I know our “abnormal” choices are paying off.

I think in our ever-changing world, normal simply has to be defined by what’s expected and comfortable for YOUR family and your environment. Being normal doesn’t mean being the SAME as everyone else. Being normal is doing what is best for your family, whether in your home or out in public, as well as staying within your financial means and your personal limits. What’s best for your children isn’t always what’s best for their friends and vice versa. Embrace the responsibility of parenting and enjoy knowing that whatever decisions you make for your family is what normal looks like.

FIRE! Stop worrying about what everyone else thinks is normal and do what you feel is best for yourself and your family. Choose to set yourself apart by stepping up to stand firm in one area of importance for your family this week.

Be Excellent!
Lori

On Purpose

READY… “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9 NLT

AIM… I decided a few months ago that I was going to do something amazing for my 40th birthday. Yes, I enjoyed a few modest celebrations with close friends and family members. However, instead of focusing on receiving birthday wishes, I decided to bless someone ON PURPOSE for the forty days leading up to my 40th birthday. I sat down and wrote a list (because I can’t operate without my list) of forty different ideas on how I could bless others and make them feel extra special. Little did I know how incredibly blessed I would feel and what wonderful things would happen to me as a result of my blessings on purpose.

Many of you have inquired about what kind of things I was doing to bless others so you too could have different ideas to incorporate into your lives. The following is a sampling of the things I did throughout those forty days: I mailed several cards with encouraging messages, bought Starbucks coffee treats and breakfast or lunch for friends, counseled and prayed with troubled friends, made chocolate covered pretzels for my neighbors and cupcakes for my husband’s employees, paid for coffee for the person in the car behind me, took a bubble bath with my daughter, had a date night with my husband, took my son out to lunch, sent flowers to a friend, French braided hair for two young girls’ dance recital, sent a pizza dinner to a friend, gave away a few inspiring gifts and books, took lunch to my mom and dad, gave away a gazillion hugs, sang at church, gave appreciation baskets to my bank tellers, school secretaries and my AOI editor, paid for the grocery order of the lady behind me who forgot her wallet...and many other amazing things. As you can tell, some of these opportunities were planned and some were created by God. In return, I have felt so full of life and haven't been happier in ages. God has truly blessed me and my family so we can bless others. I dare you to try it, even for one day. You will be amazed at how great you feel and how wonderful you make others feel in the process.

FIRE! Choose to bless two people ON PURPOSE this week: someone you know and a random stranger. Use one of the ideas above or create something on your own. Honestly, you will feel fantastic and so will the person receiving your blessing.

Be Excellent!
Lori

Living In The Fast Lane

READY… “Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.” ~Will Rogers, Autobiography, 1949

AIM… Zoooooommm! Recognize that sound? It’s the sound of your life rushing past you. Before you know it, it’s midnight and you’re still plugging away on that project for work, typing a report for a new class or attempting to clean the dirty dishes from the past few days. We fill our days with so many obligations and activities that we don’t allow for any down time. We have become so accustomed to shifting our lives into overdrive that when our bodies give us that uncomfortable check engine light signal, we choose to ignore that warning and continue operating on cruise control, or just shift into a higher gear. Sooner or later, if we don’t heed those warning signals, our bodies will literally shut down and stall out. Surely you’ve been in this situation before: You are coasting along at high speed and you just KNOW you need to slow down and shift into a lower gear, but you simply don’t know how to make it happen.

Friends, if we do not re-evaluate our life schedules and our commitments, our over-drive lifestyles will drive us right into an early grave. Heed the warnings. SLOW DOWN!! A speeding ticket is an expensive reminder to back off the throttle. A hospital or doctor’s bill is an expensive reminder to shift your life into low gear and reprioritize your commitments. If you don’t start taking time to slow down, rest and enjoy life, your body will come to a screeching halt whether you want it to or not. Look at your schedule and pencil in a 15 minute break to breathe today. You deserve to put your life in neutral for a few moments. As important as it is to schedule time for others, it is equally as important to schedule time for yourself. In a short while, life will be zooming past you again. Make time to back off the throttle and coast.

FIRE! Start carving out time each day, or initially each week, to rest. Your mind, body and spirit need to recharge their batteries to perform at their maximum potential. You car requires regular tune ups and maintenance, doesn’t your body deserve the same attention?

Be Excellent!
Lori