Below is a list of inspirational words from various people that have inspired me to be a better person over the years. I hope they effect you in similar way.

Wisdom comes only when you stop looking for it and start living the life the Creator intended for you.

- Hopi Indian saying

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.

George Bernard Shaw

Realize deeply that the present moment
is all you ever have.

- Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle - Misc. Words of wisdom.

The book "The Power of Now" changed my life BIG... for the better. He has taken the Buddhist philosophy as well as other religious beliefs and restated them in a way that made it easier for me to apply to my life.

Excerpt from the Power Of Now
"be present as the watcher of your mind -- of your thoughts and emotions as well as your reactions in various situations. Be at least as interested in your reactions as in the situation or person that causes you to react. Notice also how often your attention is in the past or future. Don't judge or analyze what you observe. Watch the thought, feel the emotion, observe the reaction. Don't make a personal problem out of them. You will then feel something more powerful than any of those things that you observe: the still, observing presence itself behind the content of your mind, the silent watcher."

The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.

Rabindranath Tagore

Find what makes
you happy & do it.

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you
have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.

-Carl Sandburg

He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how

- Neitzche

The words of our grandmothers and grandfathers have taught us
Respect for the web of life and the interdependence of all things in the Universe.
The stories passed down through oral traditions remind us that we are all connected.

“When despair for the world grows in me, and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be -- I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought or grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.”

- Wendell Berry

Do not follow where the path may lead.
Go instead where there is no path
and leave a trail.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children.
We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children."

- Ancient Indian Proverb

The Four Agreements
by Don Miguel Ruiz

A while back a friend gave me a little piece of paper with a these words on it. After reading it a few times, I agreed these were good principles to live by.

Be Impeccable
With Your Word

Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

Always Do
Your Best

Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstances, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

John Wooden

The past is history, the future a mystery, but the present is a gift, which is why it's called the present.

- Allan Johnson

A friend told me this quote while out to dinner tonight. I couldn't' agree more with this thinking.

Meditations on Compassion and Being Compassionate

"So... Let us meditate on compassion today. Begin by visualizing a person who is acutely suffering, someone who is in pain or is in a very unfortunate situation. For the first three minutes of the meditation, reflect on that individual's suffering in a more analytic way – think about their intense suffering and the unfortunate state of that person's existence. After thinking about that person's suffering for a few minutes, next, try to relate that to yourself, thinking 'that individual has the same capacity for experiencing pain, joy, happiness, and suffering as I do'. Then, try, to allow your natural response to arise – a natural feeling of compassion towards that person. Try to arrive at a conclusion: thinking how strongly you wish for that person to be free from that suffering. And resolve that you will help that person to be relieved from their suffering. Finally, place your mind single-pointedly on that kind of conclusion or resolution, and for the last few minutes of the meditation try to simply generate your mind in a compassionate or loving state."

- Words of the Dali Lama

When you say you're going to do something, do it the best you can, as soon as you can.

Be respectful of others
and don't be late.

Life is the School
Love is the Lesson

Time, which changes people, does not alter the image we have retained of them.

- Marcel Proust

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
- Mark Twain

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
- Eleanor Roosevelt

7 Secrets of Success...

I found the answers in my room.

Roof said: Aim high
Fan said: Be cool
Clock Said: Every minute is precious
Mirror said: Reflect before you act
Window said: See the world
Calendar said: Be up-to-date
Door said: Push hard to achieve your goals.

Text from unknown source

"The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity... and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself. "

- William Blake

" Was du erlebst, kann keine Macht der Welt Dir rauben. (What you have experienced, no power on earth can take that from you.) Not only our experiences, but all we have done, whatever great thoughts we may have had, and all that we have suffered, all this is not lost, though it is past; we have brought it into being. Having been is also a kind of being, and perhaps the surest kind."

- Excerpt from the book Man's Search for Meaning, wrtten by Viktor E. Frankl

Kindness isn't a one way street

When someone passes you some kindness,
why not pay it forward and pass it to someone else?

The roots of our youth decide the growth of our adulthood

Old Farmer's Advice

Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.  

Keep skunks and badgers at a distance. 

Life is simpler when you plow around the stump. 

A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.

 Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled. 

Meanness don't jes' happen overnight. 

Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads. 

Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you. 

It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge. 

You cannot unsay a cruel word. 

Every path has a few puddles. 

When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty. 

The best sermons are lived, not preached.

Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway. 

Don 't judge folks by their relatives. 

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer. 

Live a good, honorable life.. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time. 

Don 't interfere with somethin' that ain't bothering you none. 

Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a Rain dance. 

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'. 

Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got. 

The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'. 

Always drink upstream from the herd. 

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment. 

Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in. 

If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.. 

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. 
Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

The Success Manifesto
200 Powerful Ideas for an Extraordinary Life
By Robin Sharma

Be kind, considerate and courteous.
But also be shrewd and know when to be tough and courageous. This is the mark of a well-defined character and you will surely command respect. It is most useful to read books on friendliness and enhancing relationships by being a good listener, showing others sincere appreciation and refining other inter-personal skills. But, to truly succeed, one must also recognize that worldly wisdom and shrewdness are essential skills to foster. Become an expert in human psychology and be able to read the essence of people. Never be taken advantage of and be aware of the politics around you. Stay above petty gossiping and office politics but appreciate that they indeed exist and know what goes on behind your back. Every great leader does.

Create your identity in the world as a highly competent, strong, disciplined, calm and decent individual.
Find that crucial balance between working on the image that you project to the rest of the world and your inner character. The successful citizens of this world think twice before they speak because a word uttered can never be retrieved. Speak only good things and people will flock to you. Never speak ill of others and all will know you will not malign them behind their backs. Build your character and live a highly principled life. Shine.

Familiarity breeds contempt is a very good rule.
The stars remain far above the Earth. You must keep a distance from all but your closest of relations. Once people see everything of a leader he loses his aura and with it the authority and mystique he may have created. For example, Ronald Reagan was known to many as an excellent leader. He carefully cultivated his image of a folksy, considerate politician who kept the interests of the United States first and foremost in his mind. At gatherings of world leaders, he commanded attention and respect in his dark suits, surrounded by the trappings of power such as political aides, security officers and a convoy of limousines. As soon as he appeared, thoughts of authority and power came to our minds. Did you ever see the President with his shirt off swimming at his pool? How about in his dressing gown after waking up after one of his long sleeps, hair tousled and beard grown? Reagan’s handlers never allowed such glimpses because they detract from the perception of authority. The American nation was not exposed to these sights. In the Clinton Era things changed and you saw the President eating Big Macs and wearing baseball caps with a full business suit. Whilst these scenes may be endearing to the public, there is little doubt that President Clinton was more familiar to us, merely another one of us and, unlike the stars above, much closer to the ground.

Learn to organize your time.
It is incorrect to say that by becoming a meticulous time manager and living by a carefully defined schedule you become rigid and non-spontaneous. Rather, proper organization allows one to accomplish those goals which are truly important as well as enjoy leisure time. Good time management offers more time for fun and relaxation - not less. These important periods are scheduled into the week just like other commitments which may appear more pressing. Neither are sacrificed. Also, discipline yourself and stop wasting time on all those immediate and pressing but unimportant tasks (i.e., the ringing phones) and concentrate on the activities that are truly meaningful to your life’s mission. Such activities include time for self-renewal and reflection, time forging relationships built on trust and mutual respect, time for physical fitness, time to read and think deeply and time serving others in your community.

Be a world-class thinker.
Keep well-informed about current events, the latest books and popular trends. Many peak performers read five or six papers a day. You don’t have to read every story of every paper. Know what to focus on, what to pass by and what to clip out and read at another time (many successful people scan scores of magazines and papers, clipping out articles of interest; these articles go into a file folder which can be read in your down time). Knowledge is power. Whether you are an entrepreneur, a corporate leader or someone leading a family, you can profoundly change your life and the lives of those around you with a single idea. Just ask Gates, Edison and Bell.

When choosing your life partner,
remember that this is the most important decision of your lifetime. The marriage relationship offers 90% of all your support, happiness and fulfillment so choose it wisely. Consider qualities such as affection, sense of humor, intelligence, integrity, maturity, temperament, compatibility and that indescribable characteristic of chemistry. If these are present, your relationship stands an excellent chance of great success. Move slowly and let no one press you into an uncomfortable decision. Be true to yourself.

Today, raise your standards.
Step into the highest version of your best self. You can transform your life with a single choice.

Schedule relaxation time into your week and be ruthless in protecting it.
You would not schedule another activity into the time planned for an important meeting with the president of your company or your best client so why would you put off a period to invest in yourself? We must have time for ourselves to reflect, unwind and recharge our batteries. These are the renewal activities that allow us to maintain peak performance and are exceptionally valuable periods.

83% of our sensory input comes from our eyes.
To truly concentrate on something, shut your eyes and you will remove much distraction.

Be the master ...
... of your will but the servant of your conscience.

Make A List ~ Just Do It (Things that inspire us to get things done!)

When I get overwhelmed with things to do. I make a list (that's doable) and then go down the list crossing items off one by one as they're accomplished. The act of doing this I find to be very fulfilling.

Dali Lama - Instructions for Life

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R’s:
   Respect for self
   Respect for others and
   Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back,
    you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones deal only with the current situation.
    Don't bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each
    other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

2009 > GOALS

> Stay healthy by
eating health food and exercising.
• try and break a sweat once a day by running,
walking, lifting weights, hiking, biking...

I've found in the past that keeping an exercise calendar to track you fitness program, helps keep a more balanced body and mind. Sometimes I find it difficult to follow a ridged exercise plan, but it's always harder to "get back into the swings of things" after you've taken a "break" from exercise. You find yourself making excuses why you can't exercise. I liken it to going back to work after a long vacation. So I think it's important to keep at it, even when you're on vacation... go for a walk or a hike, this way you won't find it so hard to get back to your workout routine after you return from vacation or a long break from it.

> Create one photograph or image a day that's positive

> Take more people pictures (portraits, weddings, events, etc.)
I think people photography is the most challenging, so by doing more of these kinds of photo shoots, I hope to learn to be a better people photographer.

> Reduce the clutter around me by:
• Keeping job files & negs. organized & archived. (don't let the dust build up)
• Donate old clothes you don't wear anymore to a charity.
• Clean out the garage. (isn't that everyone's goal though?
• Take care of your things and keep them in working order. If they're broken or you don't have the time to fix them, give them away to someone who can.

> Read More - 1 book a month by:
• Revisiting the books/magazines in your bookshelf.
• Borrow, check out or buy new books that interest you currently.

> Learn the meaning of patience and apply that thinking to your life