Time.

Time continues whether you are ready for it or not. Simply put... time is. We never feel that we have enough of, but the truth is time is a commodity. Time can be bought and sold. Everyone has time and everyone puts a value on it.

This idea isn't an easy one to understand. Everyone has time. Time is given to people. We all need more of it at times and we all have too much of it from time to time. The only thing that exists is how much we value it. How much do you value your time?

Life is a process. You don't have all the answers but eventually you hope to learn them. Time can be bought and sold. If you need more time, you can buy it and if you have too much time, you can sell it. Time has a price. Time is a commodity.

Do you have too much time? When this is the case, you sell your time for money. It's call getting a job. Someone who needs time buys yours for a price. This price falsely determines your self-worth thus falsely defining you. Your time is given to the highest bidder... think about that the next time you apply or interview for a job.

Do you need time? Sometimes in life you need more time. When a scenario like that occurs, one simple step is needed... outsourcing. If you have deadlines, you need more help. If you are doing two things at once, pay someone to tackle one of them. Money can buy you time. If you want to get to the front of the line at the world's hottest club, pay the bouncer. If you want to stay home and work but need things, hire a buyer.

Time moves and we can't stop it, but what I'm saying is that you can manipulate it. Times doesn't only have to fly when you are having fun... sometimes when you are having fun, the correct play is to buy more of "time" and bask in the purchase. It's your life... keep smiling!

Choices...

One thing we forget as we get older is our ability to makes choices. So many things consume us and we feel like we have too many responsibilities. We fail to remember that we are in control of our lives. We are not robots nor are we controlled.

Everything is our lives are not planned for us. Either we made or committed to the plans already or we forget that we have the power to say no to things. Our jobs, paths, goals, plans, dreams were not given to us, but things we chose. Those things not only were not given to us, they aren't final either. They like all of us are simply works in progress.

Freedom is the understanding that life is simply a series of choices. If happiness is habit don't forget anger is too. If you get bored with the things in your life remember you can change. The person you were at ten wasn't the person you were at eighteen, furthermore, the person you were at twenty-one isn't the person you are today. If we change, why wouldn't our goals. If we change, why wouldn't our outlooks. If our outlooks are different, wouldn't we assume our dreams couldn't be the same.

Routines make things easier but may leave things mundane. If you are unhappy with the outcome change the action. It's never too late to become the person you wanted to be. It's never too late to become the person you deserve to be. Life is a process and your life is a series of choices. Enjoy your freedom...

The power of reaction...

You affect the people around you and the people around you affect you. The goal is to limit the affect people have on you. Your actions do cause effect, but you can't control the behaviors of other people. They will react as they deem necessary, it's really up to them. If you use sound judgment in the action, you don't have to worry about the reaction. The behaviors of others is out of your control, the reaction of others is out of your control... but your actions and reactions are yours.

Conversely, you must remain calm when interacting with others. You can't control other people's reactions, but you surely can control yours. This you can control. Enjoy what you can control and dismiss what you can't. Actions cause consequence and reaction.

Reactions involve two parts. Immediate react and logical reaction. You can't control other people reactions and you can't worry about that immediate reaction. Call it impulse, emotion, knee-jerk, gut... what ever you want but it comes down to an instant reaction. If you can't control theirs, control yours.

Remain unaffected. The people who anger you control you. We all have emotion, check it. We all instantly react, curve it. Give it time. Even if you have to force it... gain perspective.

Take other people's feelings into account when you behave. This will limit conflict. Don't be petty,spiteful, or hateful with others and don't surround yourself with people who are that way with you. Life only happens once, treat others kindly.

Control the things you can and discount the things you can't. If you worry about the things you can't control and fail to control the things you can... you have no power over yourself. Maintain power and good luck. There is no handbook for life, just trial and error... so do you best.

Challenges...

Obstacles come in many forms and unfortunately always at the wrong time. It's not about being able to stop obstacles because you can't, life is about dealing with them. You can't stop the rain, but you can wear a coat. You can't always have thing ideal, but you can deal with them in an appropriate way.

Life doesn't exist in front of you rather inside of you. It's not your brain that tells you how to live, it's your mind. Within your mind you determine your actions. Life revolves around perception and not necessarily fact. Things are only how you see them. You are only as happy as you let yourself be. Things are only as bad as you believe them to be.

An obstacle doesn't need to be a obstacle if you don't let it bother you. A challenge is an obstacle you are ready to tackle. Life is unpredictable, preparation is only half the battle... attitude is the other half. Convince yourself that you can and you will be able to. It's your mind that limits you. Correct your mind, finish the job.

You are your worst enemy... yet you are your greatest ally. It's really how you see things... smile everyone, today is the most important day of your life. Today is the day you can control.

the two paths...

Life consists of choices. A choice is a decision that weighs pros and cons relative to the individual. When you have a choice to make, the choices may be wide and the options plenty, but your decision is up to you.

I went for a hike the other day and realized a few things. Our paths are independent to ourselves and vary from time to time. Sometimes people wanted to take an easy route, then grew into a more tenacious course... and others digressed from hard to easy. Others just oscillated between both extremes. It made me consider life.

If all consequences are acknowledged, a person's choice is left up to them. It's truly up to them to weigh their pros versus cons. We all value things in different ways unique to our own experiences, thus making it impossible to comment on someone else's selections... but people still do it.

I'm here to say that there are no wrong decisions. There are no easy paths. Some people's paths are "harder" but perhaps "shorter". Other people's paths are "longer" but "smoother". A "roadblock" to some is a "challenge" to others. It really comes down to how much do you want to bite off and how much do you want to chew... at the moment. At the moment, as long as they had the cause and effect handy, it was their right decision at the time.

Walking in the shoes of another is difficult. Judging others is impossible. Their is no handbook to life... just trial and error. Make informed decisions, challenge the mind and spirit, and raise your arms at the finish line. Today is going to be a good day and even if your path is longer than you thought it might be... you are tough enough to handle it. Smile everyone :)

Boundaries and limits...

We all live under the constraints of two different boundaries, one that is actually real and an imaginary one that we think exists. We limit our actions to the boundaries that we impose on ourselves and not necessarily the boundaries we actually have. In a nutshell, we stop when we think we have to instead of stopping when we can't go any longer.

Pushing boundaries is an important step in growth. As a child we established boundaries to understand right and wrong, develop our maximums, and to see what is possible. As we grow older, people lose sight of growth. People tend to fall into routines and habits, while forgetting to explore their own personal limits.

While living in comfort, people tend to find excuses why things are impossible. Falling to even trying, they've already discounted the possibility. It's a lot easier to say "no" than it is to say "yes". A "no" doesn't change your lifestyle, while a "yes" might create change. Change to some people is a dirty word. Sadly enough, most people forget that from change emerges growth.

Self imposed restrictions or failing to try doesn't necessarily negatively affect an individual, but it doesn't add to them either. Life is a process, challenge yourself and increase your limits. Find your boundaries in life and work harder to expand them. Life has no handbook... try until you fail and then try again.

Most of all, keep smiling...

Dynamics involve movement...

Perception is reality and change is inevitable. It's not simply the changes within ourselves, but also the changes in others, that allow us to grow as individuals. As others grow and blossom, our reaction to these change help shape us. Therefore their growth may alter you.

Everyone has a different interpretation of life. Our eyes do not see... they simply absorb photons. Our ears do not hear... they simply receive pressure waves. It's our brain that interprets these signals.

When other people grow, it's up to us to accept it. The person who you once viewed in one manner may no longer be the person you envision. The other person may have changed and grew so your perception of them is now false. If the person you once viewed as needy, no long relies on you, it's up to you to accept the change in the relationship because even if you know it or not, it has changed.

Our brains interprets our stimuli, but our brains are simply a body part. Our thoughts and actions are derived from our minds. It's our minds that influence our decisions... it our minds that give us our perception.

Change is not easy for everyone to accept. Some people value the past or their perception of the past too much to want it changed. Some people live in an environment or culture based on tradition and are simple content with their existing comfort. Others surround themselves with like-minded people who are rigid and are unwilling to change.

Relationships of every kind are dynamic. Expand your mind and allow for change. Have a wonderful day everyone and always remember to keep smiling...

Active Listening...

Active listening is not the art of hearing, but the art of understanding. You are focusing on the other person and not the next words you are saying. Everyone can hear, but most people do not listen. Become a listener.

Communication comes in many forms so be open to it. It may change from time to time, but it's usually the same message repackaged. One technique I try to use is repeat back what I have heard. Repeat back "I understood what you said... and what I heard was you are mad because..."

Anything can be justified. You can take someone's candy and when they call you on it... you can find an excuse. You thought it was yours. It was old. You were preventing them from eating it to help them. Excuses are a dime a dozen. Excuses are common, but apologies are not. Appreciate the people who hear and value the one's who listen. It's the people who listen and care that matter...

Have a wonderful day everyone and keep smiling...

Your path...

In college, I used to write and correct resumes as well as prepare people for interviews. The dreaded interview question that people often take too lightly is the question regarding our weaknesses. Most people give a canned response but rarely do people honestly think about it. No one is perfect. With the understanding that we all excel at different things, we all have things that we need to work on.

I was talking with a friend this afternoon. We both are entering in new careers so I have an easy time relating to her plight. She began talking about her weaknesses. I found value in that. To identify the things you need to work on in a large portion of the battle. She spoke of these self-imposed roadblocks she often puts in front of herself that so often derails her. She doesn't understand how to get rid of them.

I explained to her that she doesn't necessarily have to get rid of them now that she is aware of them. Identifying weakness and learning from mistakes help you to prevent them as well as knowing how to deal with them if they come up. It might be hard to remove all the roadblocks on your path to your ultimate goal, but handling them every time is just as efficient.

We all take different paths. The most dominant athlete of the early 1980s, Edwin Moses, handled hurdles gracefully and efficiently routinely on his way to the finish-line. We must remember our goals may all differ and our paths will all be unique, but we must not be discouraged, rather we must stay focused and determined.

We may not be able to remove all our roadblocks in our paths... maybe our paths are the roadblocks.

Yesterday...

Your past is a prologue to where you are right now. Some people want to recreate the past and others can't let go of it. Truth of the matter is... your past created you. Value and appreciate your past. It's a stepping stone to who you are to become.

Your future is in front of you, face forward and attack. People in your past are in your past because they aren't a part of your future. Walk away from your past and run towards your future. Holding on to your past equates to running in circles. If you ever want to get anywhere, you need a direction.

Life is lived forward and rationalized backwards. Live life. Make the most of your opportunities and keep striving for more. Don't look back on today and regret. Look back on today and smile... you can't buy time.

Goals...

As I grew older I believed that goals could be obtained. In order to achieve my goals, I first needed to identify them. The way I learned to identify my goals was to put them in writing. If I wanted to run 5 miles by the end of Summer, I would put that in writing. I figured that goals should be defined and not ambiguous. Don't write "I want to lose weight"... instead write "I want to lose 20 pounds". Writing them down made them very tangible and extremely real.

The next step I used was to look at it everyday. Constant reminders kept me focused and dedicated. Understanding that the more I saw my goals in writing, the more I would remember them was critical to achieving them. Waking up to a sign that read "5 miles by the end of summer" helped me stay on track. You must stay focused.

Once it was in writing and while constantly pounding it into my head, I went one step further. I began to tell everyone about it. Talking about it and informing others created a bit of pressure to get it done I wouldn't have felt otherwise. I was being held accountable by every person who asked me about it. I wouldn't only be embarrassing myself but letting others down. Hard work and determination will accomplish anything.

I used this three step concept of writing things down, embedding it, and telling others continually. I then proceeded to divide seemingly unobtainable goals into obtainable goals. For my example of wanting to run 5 miles a day by the end of summer, I created smaller daily goals that I would accomplish. I would strive for 2 miles a day that week, write it in a journal, look at it, and tell my partner and friends. By achieving a series of smaller goals, I was able to achieve my ultimate goal before I knew it.

Goals were meant to be accomplished. Good luck and make dreams come true...

Random story...

People's character is revealed not when things are going smoothly, but when times are darkest.

One vivid memory I have burned into my brain was coming home from a pretty fun night out. I was a passenger in a car with three others and we were joking and having a great time. The topic of my serious girlfriend at the time arouse kind of out of the blue. The conversation quickly turned into a little attack on her and then into an even larger attack. I've always been one to defend people who are not there to defend themselves so I began to defend her. I felt like I had my back against the wall because I was in their car a little bit at their mercy. They were pretty good friends of mine, so I was trying to be tactful, but they really weren't. I could have bit my tongue and allowed the insults, but honestly, if I wasn't going to defend my girlfriend, even against my good friends, then who should?

I asked for them to pull over. I got out and walked. About two seconds later the car again pulled over and another guy got out of the car. He walked up to me and told me he thought I was right. I was respectful in my statements, but I wasn't going to silence myself. He and I walked home together and it was amazing. I was proud of his friendship and honored by his support.

When people don't speak up, it doesn't benefit the victim, it helps the oppressor. It's ok to take a stand. People who walk in the middle of the road usually get run down. Personally I don't mind standing up for what I believe in... even if it rocks the boat a little. Without core values and if you can't stand up for yourself... What do you really have?