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

What Are You Waiting For?

 
READY… “I've always found that anything worth achieving will always have obstacles in the way and you've got to have that drive and determination to overcome those obstacles on route to whatever it is that you want to accomplish.” ~ Chuck Norris
AIM… The bell rings: “And they’re off!” But wait; you’re left standing at the starting gate. Why? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? C’mon, get moving! But there’s a huge cloud of dust ahead of you, and you cannot see through it, and you cannot see around it, and, so, you’re left standing, motionless, waiting for the dust to settle so you can take a step ahead.

Have you been thinking about where you are in life? Are there personal goals and dreams you want to accomplish? Do you want a promotion at work? Have you been trying to achieve financial success? Are you looking for good grades, a spot on the team or even a scholarship? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Seriously, what is holding you back? Is there a dust cloud in front of you where you cannot see through it to determine what your next step should be? Forget the dust! Take that first step toward making things happen for yourself. No one else can or will take that step for you. Just do it! Once you step out of the gate, the dust that surrounds you will start to settle. Your eyes will acclimate and you’ll be able to gaze beyond the cloud. With every step toward your goal, your vision will become clearer and your movements much easier. Soon you’ll be leaving the starting gate behind you and someone else will be eating your dust. And eventually, you will be able to look back and see that your starting gate is a mere speck in the dust scattered on the ground because YOU will be so far ahead on the path toward achieving greatness. Can you see it? Can you taste it? Can you smell it? Yep, it’s your victory and I can’t wait to celebrate with you at the finish line.

FIRE! Take a moment to visualize yourself in the successful position you desire. You need to see all the details, smell all the scents and hear all the sounds of success. You can do it. If everyone else has told you no, today I am telling you that YOU CAN DO IT! Now, go out there and make it happen. What are you waiting for?

Be Excellent!
Lori