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Last Installment
Posted Thursday, April 20, 2000
The following is the last installment until I return from Ozyorsk, Russia with the River Watch program.
Dasvedanya,
Dave

BUILD THE DREAM
Posted Thursday, April 20, 2000
Build the dream -- You can call it whatever you wish, a dream, goal,
life plan steps. The list goes on and on, but the important thing
to remember is that whatever we decide to call it, for some reason
or another we have been called to see it to manifestation. Does
that mean that we're going to be able to make it happen easily?

Probably not. In many cases it's going to take a lot of hard work.
Perhaps at times your goals will appear as though they're out of
your grasp. Trust me on this when I assure you that you're not
alone in this feeling. It's a perfectly normal phase of the
achievement process.

One way of looking at this is to say that if achievement were easy
we'd all be driving around in $100,000 Mercedes and living in one
million dollar homes and there certainly wouldn't be anyone homeless
or living in poverty (as this is one of the goals I work on as well.).

Alas, the old saying "Rome wasn't built in a day" holds true. You
see we have to begin by 'building the dream'. Often it starts out
small. That is we take that first step towards what we want to see
happen in our lives (or the lives of others), then another, followed
by another. Over a period of time these same small steps and actions
that we take begin to become ingrained in who we are. It is at this
very point that the 'dream begins to build us'. May you find a dream
that you believe is worth building.

Josh Hinds

The Life We Choose
Posted Wednesday, April 19, 2000
Here's the premise: We are all, right now, living the life we choose.

This choice, of course, is not a single, monumental
choice. No one decides, for example, "I'm going to
move to L.A., and in five years I will be a waiter in a
so-so restaurant, planning to get my 8-by-10's done
real soon so that I can find an agent and become a
star," or "I'm going to marry a dreadful person and
we'll live together in a loveless marriage, staying
together only for the kids, who I don't much like,
either."

No. The choices I'm talking about here are made
daily, hourly, moment by moment.

Do we try something new, or stick to the
tried-and-true? Do we take a risk, or eat what's
already on our dish? Do we ponder a thrilling
adventure, or contemplate what's on TV? Do we walk
over and meet that interesting stranger, or do we
play it safe? Do we indulge our heart, or cater to our
fear?

The bottom-line question: Do we pursue what we
want, or do we do what's comfortable?

For the most part, most people most often choose
comfort - the familiar, the time-honored, the
well-worn but well-known. After a lifetime of
choosing between comfort and risk, we are left with
the life we currently have.

And it was all of our own choosing.

Peter McWilliams
Do It! Let's Get Off Our Buts
Prelude Press

A KITE FLIES UPON A STRING
Posted Tuesday, April 18, 2000
Rising against gusting breeze, the kite flies. Tethered but by
a simple string, wind caressing its face, trailing tail behind,
up...up...up it climbs. Flittering side to side. Dipping, lilting,
skirting...ever taunting its line, "Higher...higher...higher..."

Let the string roll too rapidly from its spindle, and the wind
loses its grasp. Hold on too tightly, and the kite can’t possibly
rise. Loose and hold at the ‘just right’ moments...the kite soars.
Effortlessly...serenely...flirting with the very heavens. You see,
when it comes to kite flying, the secret’s in tending the line.
It’s in sensing the shifting gusts. It’s in being flexible...in knowing
when to hold on...and when to let go.

And so it is...with life.

Challenges. Opportunities. Ups. Downs. Endings. Beginnings.
Each one crafting its own adventure (or misadventure) along your
way...each paving a small piece of your journey. To rise, to
succeed, to be fulfilled...to reach the heavens...commands finesse.
It’s dynamic. It’s never ending. While surely there are times to
be steadfast with resolve, life’s mostly a matter of adapting...of
being flexible.

Obstacles have reared their heads amidst most every worthwhile
effort since the beginning of time, and (as best as I can tell)
will forever continue to present themselves. Call them ‘tests’,
call them ‘trials’, call them ‘challenges’, ‘barriers’, or simply
‘irritations’. If you find yourself currently facing one (or perhaps
more), take heart, for as Frank Clark put it, "If you find a path
with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere."

The key is to look in the mirror.

You see...it’s not the problem that’s the problem...it’s how you
handle the problem. When faced with any kind of challenge, consider
the advice of Gunnery Sergeant Tom Highway (from the movie
"Heartbreak Ridge"), as he so often prodded his troops,
"Improvise...adapt...overcome!" Do so, and you’ll soon find yourself
rising to the other side of your dilemma. Dig your heels in...and
you’ll discover very quickly why rocks don’t fly.

Success in every piece of your life, whether career, financial, with
your children, in your relationships, even in your moment-to-moment
attitudes with yourself, requires a proper blend of control...and
flexibility. It’s just like skillfully tending the string of a
soaring kite. Winds shift. Gusts rise and fall. (Almost)
everything changes. Such is not a bad thing. The lowly caterpillar
grows beautiful butterfly wings only through change. So...pay
attention. Be flexible. You see, a life well lived is an ongoing
culmination of recognition and response...of loosing and grasping...
of holding on...and of letting go. Think about it. A kite flies
on a string...not on a stick.

Until next time,

Tim

The 10 Principles of Success
Posted Monday, April 17, 2000
These rules apply no matter if you want to succeed in the classroom, in the boardroom, on the playing field, on stage, or any other place . . .

1. Show up.
2. Pay attention.
3. Ask questions.
4. Get help before you really need it.
5. Willingly help others.
6. "I can't" is not synonymous with "I don't want to."
7. You don't have to "like" a task to excel at it.
8. Curiosity always beats intelligence.
9. The problem isn't the problem. How you handle the problem—that's the problem.
10. Don't even think of quitting!

From the Success Online listserv. Founder: Pat Lavalle; Publisher

WHY ASK WHY?
Posted Friday, April 14, 2000
A question that naturally comes to mind when something goes wrong
is "Why?" But it's a question fraught with danger. Research has
repeatedly shown that the human brain is designed to answer a
question with whatever knowledge it has (no matter how little)
and come up with a plausible answer (however wrong). Self-blame
or victimhood is a frequent side effect.

For example, you can ask why you're overweight and, without any
problem at all, your mind will come up with answers. But all it
can give you are theories. What's the "real" answer? Is it because
you weren't loved as a child? Is it a genetic weakness in your
family? Is it an evolutionary holdover precaution against famine?
Is your mouth simply bored?

The problem with a why question is that you get too many answers
you can do nothing about. You can't change your childhood or a
genetic weakness.

There is only one good thing about asking why: It can be
entertaining. It's intriguing. It's like a mystery and mysteries
capture our attention like nothing else. But if what you want is
to handle the situation well or solve the problem and get on with
the business of living, ask how not why. It's more efficient.

Since your mind will try to answer any question you put to it,
the kind of question you ask makes a big difference. So ask
what you really want to know: "How could I get slimmer?" Or
"How can I avoid this problem in the future?" Or "How can I
solve this problem now?" Or "How can I make things a little
better?" Let your mind go wild on one of those questions.
The answers will be more productive.

With how, you go straight for a useful answer. You avoid
getting sidetracked into what can become an endless search
for "understanding." With how your answers lead to actions.
And it is actions that solve problems and produce real change.

Adam Khan

The finish line
Posted Wednesday, April 12, 2000
Imagine how completely frustrating and confusing it would be to run a race in which there was no clearly defined finish line. How would you know which direction to run? How would you keep from wasting your efforts? How would you find the drive and motivation to go forward, if you didn't even know where forward was?
With no finish line, not only would you not know where you were going, you'd also have no way of knowing how to get there. To run the race, you must know where the finish line is and you must follow a course that will get you to that point.

The same is true for any accomplishment. It's crucial to know exactly where you are going and to determine the precise course of action which will get you there. A vaguely conceived finish line can never be crossed.

Do your efforts today have a clearly defined finish line? Are your efforts moving you along the course which will reach that goal? Or are you just running around in circles? The only way you can win the race is by knowing exactly where to run.

-- Ralph Marston

Some Fun
Posted Tuesday, April 11, 2000
MORE SAYINGS FOR THOSE WHO TAKE LIFE TOO SERIOUSLY

If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.

A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism.

Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.

No one is listening until you make a mistake.

Success always occurs in private and failure in full view.

The colder the x-ray table, the more of your body is required
on it.

The hardness of butter is directly proportional to the softness
of the bread.

The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the ability
to reach it.

Fifth Important Lesson ~
Posted Monday, April 10, 2000
Giving When it Counts

Many years ago, when I
worked as a volunteer at a hospital,
I got to know a little girl
named Liz who was suffering from a rare
and serious disease. Her only
chance of recovery appeared to be a blood
transfusion from her 5-year
old brother, who had miraculously
survived the same disease
and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the
illness.
The doctor explained the situation to
her little brother, and asked
the little boy if he would be
willing to give his blood to his sister.
I saw him hesitate for only a
moment before taking a deep
breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do
it if it will save her.." As the
transfusion progressed, he
lay in bed next to his sister and
smiled, as we all did,
seeing the color returning to her cheeks.
Then his face grew pale and his smile
faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a
trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"
Being young, the little boy had
misunderstood the doctor; he thought
he was going to have to give
his sister all of his blood in order to
save her.
You see understanding and
attitude, after all, is everything.

Fourth Important Lesson ~
Posted Friday, April 07, 2000
The Obstacle in Our Path
In ancient times, a King
had a boulder placed on a roadway.
Then he hid himself and
watched to see if anyone would
remove the huge rock. Some
of the king's wealthiest merchants and
courtiers came by and simply
walked around it.
Many loudly blamed the king
for not keeping the roads clear,
But none did anything about
getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along
carrying a load of vegetables.
Upon approaching the boulder, the
peasant laid down his burden and
tried to move the stone to the
side of the road. After much pushing and
straining, he finally succeeded.
After the peasant picked up his load of
vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the
road where the boulder had been.
The purse contained many gold coins
and a note from the king
indicating that the gold
was for the person who removed the boulder
from the roadway. The peasant
learned what many of us never understand.
Every obstacle presents an
opportunity to improve our condition.

Third Important Lesson ~
Posted Thursday, April 06, 2000
Always remember those who serve you

In the days when an ice cream
sundae cost much less, a 10
year old boy entered a
hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A
waitress put a glass of water in
front of him.
"How much is an ice cream
sundae?" he asked.
Fifty cents," replied the
waitress. The little boy pulled
is hand out of his pocket
and studied the coins in it. "Well, how
much is a plain dish of ice
cream?" he inquired. By now more people were
waiting for a table and the
waitress was growing impatient.
"Thirty-five cents," she
brusquely replied." The little
boy again counted his
coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he
said. The waitress brought
the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked
away. The boy finished the ice cream,
paid the cashier and left.
When the waitress came back, she
began to cry as she wiped down the
table. There, placed neatly
beside the empty dish, were two nickels
and five pennies - You see,
he couldn't have the sundae,
because he had to have
enough left to leave her a tip.

Life Lessons Continued - Second Important Lesson~
Posted Wednesday, April 05, 2000
Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 PM, an
older African American woman was
standing on the side of an
Alabama highway trying to endure a
lashing rain storm. Her car had broken
down and she desperately needed a ride.
Soaking wet, she decided to
flag down he next car. A young
white man stopped to help
her, generally unheard of in those
conflict-filled 1960s.
The man took her to safety,
helped her get assistance and
put her into a taxi cab.
She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote
down his address and thanked
him. Seven days went by and a knock came on
the man's door. To his
surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered
to his home. A special note was
attached. It read: "Thank you so much for
assisting me on the highway the other night.
The rain drenched not only my
clothes, but also my spirits.
Then you came along. Because of
you, I was able to make it to my dying
husband's bedside just before
he passed away. God bless you for helping me and
unselfishly serving others."
Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

Some Important Lessons Life Lessons
Posted Tuesday, April 04, 2000
1 ~ Most Important Lesson
During my second month of
nursing school, our professor gave
us a pop quiz. I was a
conscientious student and had breezed
through the questions, until I
read the last one:
"What is the first name of
the woman who cleans the
school?" Surely this was some kind
of joke. I had seen the cleaning
woman several times. She was
tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but
how would I know her name? I
handed in my paper, leaving the last
question blank. Just before class ended,
one student asked if the last
question would count toward
our quiz grade. "Absolutely," said the
professor. "In your careers, you will
meet many people. All are significant.
They deserve your attention
and care, even if all you do is smile and
say 'hello'." "I've never forgotten that
lesson. I also learned her name
was Dorothy.

You Shall
Posted Monday, April 03, 2000
You shall not worry, for worry is the most unproductive of all human activities.

You shall not be fearful, for most of the things we fear never come to pass.

You shall not carry grudges, for they are the heaviest of all life's burdens.

You shall face each problem as it comes. You can only handle one at a time anyway.

You shall not take problems to bed with you, for they make very poor bedfellows.

You shall not borrow other people's problems. They can better care for them than you.

You shall not try to relive yesterday for good or ill, it is forever gone. Concentrate on what is happening in your life and be happy now!

You shall be a good listener, for only when you listen do you hear ideas different from your own.

You shall not become "bogged down" by frustration, for 90% of it is rooted in self-pity and will only interfere with positive action.

You shall count your blessings, never overlooking the small ones, for a lot of small blessings add up to a big one.

Author Unknown

Choices
Posted Friday, March 31, 2000
Any day we wish; we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish; we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish; we can start a new activity. Any day we wish; we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.

We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, "The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves." We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today. Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.

We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.

And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life—If you don’t like how things are, change it! You’re not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life—and it all begins with your very own power of choice.

To Your Success,

Jim Rohn

Posted Tuesday, November 09, 1999