chance...or choice?

luck. to some it stems from superstition, to others it's merely chance.  but if you ask me, luck isn't either of these. luck comes simply from acting upon opportunity. and doing so can exert tremendous influence over your life.

the luck factor lists four main principles to increase your luck. here's the gist:

1. make your own luck - "lucky people create, notice and act upon the chance opportunities in their lives." the lucky ones tend to be more extroverted, relaxed and open to variety, and all these factors increase the likelihood of having a chance positive encounter....so get out there and build a strong network of luck!

2. go with your gut - "lucky people make successful decisions by using their intuition and gut feelings." listen to your hunches...because lucky people just seem to know when a decision is right. don't second guess yourself!

3. expect the good - "lucky people's expectations about the future help them fulfill their dreams and ambitions." anticipate rad things. go for the gusto and persevere in the face of failure. lucky people are convinced that the future is going to be amazing. this attitude attracts interesting, happy and fun-to-be-around individuals to your circle. so expect interactions to be successful, and chances are they will be!

4. fix your luck - "lucky people are able to transform their bad luck into good fortune." lucky people see the positive side of bad luck, and are certain that any ill fortune will, in the long run, work out for the best. so don't dwell on your misfortune, instead believe that the best outcome is still working its way to you.

go get lucky already!

Y.O.L.O.

You Only Live Once. Also pronounced yolow.

There's a great quote that was posted somewhere a few days ago:

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. ~Robert Brault

When you think it about it, it can be a bit daunting. We've got, ish, a decent 80 or so years on this Earth. And we can do whatever we wish with it. Anything.

The power of the human being is infinite. Truly. And that may be the most powerful statement ever uttered. If everybody knew, for a fact, they could accomplish anything they wanted to - where might the world be today?

Would the human race be better off?

Would the world be a safer place to live in, from a perspective of violence and of natural resources?

Might there be more billionaires, less poverty, and more freedom?

Might people be happy?

Think about it. You just might find the answers you come up with quite astonishing.

It's Time to be Happy.

There are two things for certain in life. Change and physical death.

They will come both expectedly and unexpectedly.

Enjoy life. Live every second to the fullest. Find the beauty in the people, places, and things around you.

It's everywhere.

Be happy. Everybody on this earth deserves it.

the unexpected

strange things happen.

people come into our lives that we think will always be there, but then they do the unexpected - they leave. others come into our lives for what seems a fleeting moment, and the unexpected happens - they stay.

we can try to predict all we want. we can hope for, believe in or bank on certain circumstances, but in the end, life will always offer its own element of timing, serendipity and surprise...regardless of what we have planned.

it's not a bad thing. if you think about it, it is this element of the unknown that makes life oh-so fascinating.

i mean, let's face it. predictability is boring. if we all knew exactly how things would play out, we would probably lose interest in our own lives. we'd be destined for a certain end, and we'd know it all along. where's the fun in that?

we get into trouble when we fail to value the unexpected. sure, it can break our hearts; it can make us cry; it can make no sense; it can hurt. but the unexpected can also bring us joy, rejuvenate us, surprise us and connect us.

the next time something bad unexpectedly happens, trust the process, have patience and let time do its thing. the clarity will come once we're open to it. they say "time heals all wounds," but that's not all it's good for. it also allows for growth, reflection and improvement...so take advantage of it. besides, we never know when the next good unexpected thing might cross our path.

don't stare so long at a closed door that you fail to recognize and appreciate the breeze from an open window. whether we realize it or not, sometimes the unexpected is just what we need.

half full or half empty?

this age-old philosophical question simply boils down to choice.

although seemingly inconsequential, your answer to this question is present in your attitude, your decisions, your reactions, your aura. it can actually influence outcomes, persuade others and dictate your path in life.

so what? i mean, sometimes it just seems easier to see the glass as half empty, right? maybe things aren't going your way or you feel you can't catch a break, so why feel anything but pessimistic? because perceiving life negatively is a self-fulfilling prophecy. and because you have a choice.

having hopefulness and confidence about the future can help reshape the world around you. it can change your outlook and put you on a path where new experiences and opportunities await. simply put, emanating positive energy into the world influences the positive energy and experience you receive back.

so how do you choose to see the glass?

Flight

Meet Leslie. 40-something. Plane ride pal from Nashville to K.C.


Leslie is a traveling sales representative for fine China diningware. Leslie also has two children - one on a production tour of "Oklahoma", and the other a student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.


Leslie is concerned. Her son seems to 'float through life, and just gets along'. 'He's happy, but he can't make plans. He plays video games. He texts. He rarely has a phone conversation with anybody other than his girlfriend.'

Leslie has worked hard in life. She percieves her son does not.

What's the deal?

The current generation of 20-somethings is a new era of humankind (in the U.S.) - 'generation Y or Millenials', some call them.

What some people might note as a lack of productivity is often times apathy in disguise.

The thought behind Leslie's son is certainly this (based on the rest of the conversation) - Why spend time planning and prepping when you know it's all going to work out in the end? He "doesn't want to be stressed out like his sister", and "wants to live life relaxed."

Don't we all? Wouldn't it be nice to enjoy life - live stress free, sleep easy, and smile frequently?

You can. And apathy is not the answer.

Discover what it is that makes you tick. In Leslie's son's case, Leslie offered the suggestion of Japanese martial arts - something her son has studied fervently (on another note, her son also has had a burning desire to go to Japan for as long as she can remember).

If Leslie can combine her love of travel, her son's love of the Japanese culture, and adopt a 'how can I help him discover his passions, rather than forcing him to find out what he wants to do' mindset, there will be a winning combination for success.

An excerpt out of Three Feet From Gold :

((Passion + Talent) x Association x Action) + Faith = Your Personal Success Equation

A lil' sumn' sumn'

Life is great.

The energy in everything around us connects us. We feed off of it. We can share it.

Take a moment to feel what your surroundings are doing. What are they saying? What do you notice?

Steven Covey suggests 'sharpening the saw' as a habit of highly effective people - sharpen it with your mind and the energy around you.

Short. Simple. Sweet.