Don't Be Afraid to Dream Big

What is keeping you from really getting what you want out of life? Are you dreaming big and if so .........are you acting on your dreams? Most people have a vision for themselves that they are not pursing. Or if they are pursuing it, they are not giving it all that they have in their soul. Many of us make so many excuses of why we are not moving our lives in the direction that we dream of being in.

The difference in the people that are successful and the people that are not successful is the fact that the successful person had a dream and dared to act on it.

Be different! Be a trendsetter! Dream big and pursue it with everything that you have in you.

Mind Clutter

Sometimes it is necessary to silence your mind. In the busy lives that we all lead, it is hard to take a much needed break. You would be amazed at how rejuvenated you feel after you have been able to start with a clean slate. Take time to pray, meditate, or to just sit and do nothing. The benefits could be life changing!!

The Power of Positive Thinking

Are you a negative thinker or are you surrounded by people that think negatively? If so, it may be in your best interest to change your thoughts and to remove that negative energy from your day to day life. Negativity can be a cancer if you let it. Many that are successful say that a positive mindset can make all of the difference in ones' success or failure. If you do not believe in yourself, then why should anyone else believe in you.

Joel Osteen gave an excellent sermon on Monday, May 11th 2008 on 'Freedom from Wrong Mindset.' In the sermon he uses the analogy of a computer getting infected with a virus and the fact that the virus can easily spread, slowing down your entire computer system. Negativity is a virus that spreads quicker then the flu. He also talks about hitting the delete button on the negative thoughts of the past and moving positively into the future. If you have time to visit his website, it is well worth your time (www.joelosteen.com).

Many of us may have negative thoughts in our heads about why we are where we are at this moment in our lives. Your thoughts may center around your race, your age, your gender, where you were born, etc. Now is the time to accept who you are and to stop making excuses. As Joel stated in his sermon, everyone was made in the image of God and we all have a particular purpose to fulfill while we are here on this Earth.

Follow your passion!! Do not let excuses stop you from following the path that you choose to follow. Sometimes, it is necessary to make your own path. As Hip Hop Mogul Jay Z stated, "I came to a fork in the road and I went straight." People will always have something negative to say when you are trying to fulfill your dreams. That can no longer get in your way. It is time to shake the haters off and start living the life that you want to design for yourself and your family. When you come to that inevitable fork in the road, do not be afraid to take the road that has not yet been traveled. You never know where you may end up.

You only get one shot ............................

Take Control of Your Own Happiness

We all know that we are not guaranteed another day on this Earth. But, the real question is……are we living that way? With the coming of a new year, we all make new years resolutions to do better in some way. Some of us want to loose weight; some of us want to be in a better financial position, and so on and so on. The problem is that more then likely we will not stay committed to that idea of ‘it is a new year, so I need to create a new me.’

Let this be the year that you make the necessary changes in your life to improve your self, your soul, and your well being. At the end of the year, you want to be able to answer the question, ‘Am I better off now then I was one year ago?’

Stress can be detrimental to making an effort towards progress. John 14:27 says, ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.’ Did you know that 90% of all doctors’ visits can be attributed to stress? Many times, the reason an individual is having trouble sleeping, plagued with back aches, feeling tired, or depressed has a lot to do with being over stressed.

Proverbs 14:30 says, ‘A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. So, here are some final thoughts on making 2008 a better year then 2007:

Do not give in to circumstances.
Control your approach to life.
Do not take life to serious.
Do not spend time around toxic people.
Do not give someone else the power to steel your joy.
Do not continue to feed in to those negative emotions.
Do not even, for one second, waste time having a negative attitude. It can always be worse.

And, yes…..I am going to have to listen to my own advice.

If you had 24 hours to live .......

Can you imagine getting the news that you only had 24 hours to live??? What would you do, who would you tell ‘I LOVE YOU’ to and what would you eat??

Typically life is not kind enough to give us any type of warning as to when our time is up here on this Earth. So, the best thing to do is to live each day as if it were your last. Think about what you did today, what you wanted to do, who you got angry at, who you said ‘I LOVE YOU’ to, who you forgave, who you helped…..would you be satisfied with your day if it were your last?? For many, the answer will be no.

I think that the challenge is to now figure out how you can live your best life. How you can live your life without regrets. Not worrying what anyone else thinks or says about you. Life is way to short and you only get one shot!!!

Life Questions ..........

Let me ask you a question.....Would you live your life differently if you knew that there was no such thing as Heaven and Hell? Would you live your life differently if you knew that the idea of God was the figment of someones imagination in order to keep society in line?

Church and religion have now become very big business. It almost takes away from the true meaning of religion. When trying to determine your purpose in life, one typically aligns that purpose with goals and ideas of success. One also considers how they are going to reach their goals and the level of success that they are hoping to achieve. But, if you are trying to walk the straight and narrow to obtain your definition of success and you know that many have not walked the straight and narrow to achieve their success...........is it OK to question the theory of God and the idea that just because you act in a moral and ethical way that God will reward you with the success that you would like to achieve and that God would reward you with the ability to live out what you feel is your purpose in life. Does God owe you the success that you think that you deserve?

Are we really suppose to believe that God, as kind as he or she is, would want so much suffering to take place? Are we to believe that faith is the only answer when there is not answer?

Maybe, just maybe, the answer is to create your own success.......by any means necessary.

Now, I am not one that is going to take a chance on the idea that the theory of God is a hoax, but there is nothing wrong with being a little inquisitive when it comes to things such as your soul and eternal life.

Co-written By: Marquis Henderson

The Diving Tayler

Take a look at my oldest child. Time goes by so fast. It is hard to believe that she was just on the inside of my stomach six years ago. As a mother you really want to give your child the world and protect them from everything. Each time she would take a leap into the pool, it really would make me extremely nervous. I could just forsee something bad happening that I do not even want to put into words. But, I do realize that as a good parent you do have to know when to let go. So, although this is small, this is a moment that a mother is letting her daughter grow up.

The Passing of a Queen

Although her last name was King, she was truly a Queen. Her passing really touched me more than I realized. This world is a different place now and different tactics must be taken in order to make this world a better place. In Mrs. Kings' interview with Tavis Smiley, she said that the elements of the Peace Movement would still be successful from now until forever. Is this really true?

This was her passion........so, was she clouded by the vision of her passion? Or is the Peace Movement the answer.

A Simple Question????

How do you find your passion? How is it that one discovers their life purpose?