A subjective person came along and said, “I feel for you down there.”
 
An objective person came along and said, “Well it’s logical that someone would fall down there.”
 
A Pharisee said, “Only bad people fall into pits.”
 
A mathematician calculated how the individual fell into the pit.
 
A new reporter wanted an exclusive story on the person in the pit.
 
A fundamentalist said, “You deserve your pit.”
 
A Calvinist said, “If you’d been saved, you’d never fallen in the pit.”
 
An Armenian said, “You were saved and still fell in that pit.”
 
A charismatic said, “Just confess that you’re not in that pit.”
 
A realist came along and said, “Now that’s a pit.”
 
A geologist told him to appreciate the rock strata in the pit.
 
An IRS worker asked if he was paying taxes on this pit.
 
The county inspector asked if he had a permit to dig the pit.
 
A self-pitying person said, “You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen my pit.”
 
An optimist said, “Things could be worse.”
 
A pessimist said, “Things will get worse.”
 
Jesus, seeing the man, reached down and took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.
 
Let’s keep in mind that God loves everybody.  Treat people the way Jesus would treat them.  Do that and others will always feel encouraged.

Examples of my current muses:

• Miniature books with awesome titles – “Follow Your Dreams”, “You’re the BEST!”, and “Shoot for the Moon”
• Ivory and brown marble sculpture of a person reading the Bible – it’s one of my favorite books about wisdom and wholesome living
• Red, spherical and heavy paper weight – the interior contains bubbles suspended in space
• 45-minute sand timer – it helps me to focus and ignite my imagination

Hope my experience sparks ideas that help you to pick the muses which will inspire you to your creative best.

• 1832  Lost his job.
• 1832  Defeated for the Legislature of Illinois.
• 1833  Failed business.
• 1836  Suffered nervous breakdown.
• 1838  Defeated for Speaker of the House.
• 1843  Defeated for nomination for Congress.
• 1849  Rejected for appointment to U.S. Land Office. 
• 1854  Defeated for U.S. Senate seat.
• 1856  Defeated for nomination for Vice President.
• 1858  Defeated for U.S. Senate Seat.
• 1860  Elected President of the United States.

Use the W.O.W. and W.I.N. methods.  Whatever your dreams may be ask yourself this question:  what is my WOW?  Which means what is the first action you can take within one week to kickstart your dreams?  Then take the next action and continue to the following action after that.

During your journey ask yourself this question daily:  what is my WIN?  In other words, what’s important now?  This will help you to focus on the activities which will move you forward to reaching your dreams.

The Vietnamese and Chinese traditions use twelve different animals to represent each year of the twelve-year-cycle.  The animal order remains the same with the year of the Rat at the beginning and the year of the Pig ending the cycle.  2008 was the Year of the Rat.  2009 is the Year of the Ox.

For people born in the Year of the Ox, the following are positive traits and characters influenced and inspired by this animal.

• Leadership qualities
• Loyal
• Dependable
• Great organizers
• Patient
• Honesty
• Strong work ethics
• Creative
• Loyal
• Eye for detail
• Responsible

In the Vietnamese and Chinese cultures, this is the time to gather with family members and friends, honor the ancestors and celebrate with a big banquet of tasty foods that symbolize prosperity in the New Year.

The experiences you collected from these pursuits become priceless treasures that form the beautiful the tapestry of your life.  They are also great resources when you need solace and support.  Be adventurous.

Greeting to President Barack Obama.  May God bless you with wisdom and courage as you lead the United States of America through the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Get a mentor and leverage other people’s experiences, ideas, and time to help you travel your success journey.  Then return the favor, and be a mentor for someone else. 

May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts.
May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!
May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy.
May the problems you had, forget your home address!

In simple words …………

May 2009 be the beginning of the best of your life!!!

• Self-confidence
• Smile
• Optimism
• Generosity
• Compassion
• Patience
• Diligence

“Nowadays, people can be divided into three classes – the Haves, the Have-Nots, and the Have-Not-Paid-for-What-They-Haves.”

No matter where you are in the game, no matter how successful you might be, there will always be others out there who are more talented or more beautiful or more connected than you.  Get used to it!  If you start dwelling on everybody else’s genius, it’ll become a huge tidal wave of doubt. 

Yes, there is an entire universe of brilliant people out there, but they probably don’t have the exact cocktail of smarts + style + initiative + right-place-right-moment timing that you can have – if you stay positive.  There’s an Arabian proverb, “Compete, don’t envy.”  A desire to compete gets you in the race, but envy leaves you green and sick, sitting on the side.

For unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder.  These will be his royal titles:  “Wonderful,” “Counselor,” “The Mighty God,” “The Everlasting Father,” “The Prince of Peace.”  His ever-expanding, peaceful government will never end.  He will rule with perfect fairness and justice from the throne of his father David.  He will bring true justice and peace to all the nations of the world.  This is going to happen because the Lord of heaven’s armies has dedicated himself to do it!

God grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

As it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

If I surrender to His will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy with Him

Forever in the next.

For toothpaste, Healthy Mouth gel by JASON is an excellent choice.  It contains CoQ10 for gum support and periodontal protection. Enriched with Certified Organic Tea Tree Oil and Aloe Vera Gel to help soothe and heal gums. It also blasts away bad breath with natural flavors of Tea Tree, Clove, and Cinnamon.  Available at Whole Foods or http://www.jason-natural.com. 

For dental floss, reach for Glide by Crest.  Its minty flavor and shred resistant properties make flossing quick and easy.  Available at grocery stores and pharmacies.  

For mouthwash, Thera Breath by Dr. Katz offers a gentle, fast and effective rinse without any stinging or burning sensation.  Available at Wal-Mart or http://www.therabreath.com/.  

For after meals and snacks chew any of these gums below for fifteen to twenty minutes to freshen your breath.  The saliva produced while chewing the gum will also clean your teeth and reduce plaque build-up.  Available at pharmacies, convenient and grocery stores.   

• Dentyne ice
• Trident Xtra Care
• Stride

Now go mix and mingle.  Speak up confidently.  Breathe freely.  Have a fresh and fun time.

One of the people featured is a 94-year-old heart surgeon, Ellsworth Wareham, who can still be found performing surgery in the operating room.  He said, “I think it’s important for an individual to have some security and peace in his life. And I get that from believing in a loving, caring God, you see. And so if he’s in charge of my life, why sit around and worry? I mean, he takes care of the universe, he can certainly take care of me, so I don’t worry.”

What’s the secret to live long and prosper? 

• Eat nutritiously. 
• Exercise regularly. 
• Live purposefully. 
• Give generously. 
• Work diligently.
• Have fun daily. 
• Believe in a Holy and loving God.     

This past Sunday JoAnn Hummel, the Teaching Pastor at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship, preached a sermon about suffering.  She told of her trip to one of the countries in Africa where she saw a three year old boy whose only clothing was a plastic grocery bag.  His arms went through the two openings of the bag’s handles.  Two holes were punched through at the bottom of the bag for his legs.  When JoAnn held up the flimsy plastic bag, it visually brought home the message that there is much suffering in this world. 

Although we cannot snap our fingers and instantly make suffering disappears, there is much we can do starting at our home, neighborhood, city, state, country, and the rest of the world.  Realize that when you reach out to help, no matter how small a gesture or effort, you are making a difference.  When you see people suffer, do what you can – be it prayers, money, time, or a hug.

Remember that the miracles from God work through the caring hands of willing people.

I observe that successful people and those who have accomplished so much with their lives use this strategy of delegate and conquer.  We have all been given twenty four hours in a day – no more and no less.  So if we want to have thirty six or forty eight hours in a day, we must beg, borrow, and buy.  Having done that, let’s treat other people’s time as a precious gift and its owner as a partner in the quest to achieve a common mission.

If you want phenomenal success and happiness, learn to use your time and talent wisely as well as those people whose money, skills, and experiences which are available to you.