Author: disciplinedforsuccess

We are 18 years beyond the terror of September 11, 2001, when two hijacked planes hit and destroyed the World Trade Center Towers, another downed in Pennsylvania, and a fourth plane hit the Pentagon.  Almost 3,000 people were killed and 6,000 injured that day. 

I was the director of Travelers Aid at Newark Liberty International Airport at that time, and as I went to work that morning, I remember seeing Tower One on fire as I prepared to exit Interstate 78 to enter the airport.  After arriving at my office in Terminal B, it was devastating to hear that in less than two hours both trade centers had fallen, and thousands were dead.  The days and weeks following the attacks found the nation and the world in mourning.  For a moment, churches, mosques, and synagogues were filled, and the nation seemed to be uniting.  Perhaps even old wounds would have healed if we had continued the mourning and healing process.  Our need for revenge took hold of the nation and we merely covered over our wounds.

Today our nation and the world have become more polarized.  It seems to me that it takes less discipline to fight than it does to mend bridges and heal old wounds.  Unless we begin to see that the future of humanity is more dependent on our unity, we will strengthen the divisions in our world which will inevitably lead to war or super control by a group, person, or persons who will rule the world through the control of technology and currency.  The wake-up call which must be made for all nations today is one that recognizes our complicity in the polarization of the world and calls each human being to bear some responsibility in restoring relationships.

Setbacks, failures, and disappointments are inevitable in life.  The greater the setback, the greater our tendency to give up or move in a different direction.  Determination and commitment are tested by failure and disappointment.  The stronger the commitment, the more likely we are to return to the place we failed and try again.  Failure and disappointment cause students to change their area of study, even if their passion was in the area they failed.  Failure and disappointment also cause us to give up on relationships, businesses, great ideas, and our hopes and dreams.

Setbacks, failures, and disappointments are powerful game changers.  Depending on how we deal with them, they will either push us forward, hold us back, or paralyze us.  If our mission, vision, and goals are established, and we are determined to succeed, disappointments, setbacks, and failures, will become fuel for our success and not our kryptonite (Superman’s nemesis).  Spinach worked for Popeye, anger awakened the Hulk, and Jesus used prayer.  What works for you?  When we find out what brings out the superhero in us, and activate it in every struggle, we no longer view ourselves through our limitations but through our possibilities.

When we discipline ourselves in the areas of our strengths, we build up a resistance to discouragement and develop the resilience to return to the drawing board, the battlefield, and to every place that threatens to hinder our success.  When we are disciplined to succeed in this way, we will bounce back from every setback, and every comeback will put us back on track for success.   

Every fighter needs a good sparring partner.  A sparring partner is one who gets into the ring with you and helps you prepare for a fight.  A sparring partner will attack and expose your weaknesses so that you can become strengthened in those areas.  The hits of a good sparring partner are not fatal because their goal in not to defeat you.  Sometimes in life we fight against our sparring partners as though they were our real opponents.  Sometimes we forget that we are sparring partners for others and attack them as if they were our enemies.

The wounds that cause breakups, divorces, betrayal, and murder are often rendered by those who once loved or befriended one another.  If I am a good sparring partner, I will applaud your strengths, point out your weaknesses, and constantly remind you and myself that we are on the same team.  If my friend, partner, spouse, or anyone else whom I consider close to me, never tells me of my weaknesses, and only applauds me for my strengths, I am left vulnerable to any opponent to take advantage of my weaknesses.  If we are going to be disciplined for success, we must have honest sparring partners who applaud our strengths and reveal our weaknesses. 

Remember that you and your sparring partner are on the same side, even if they land a blow that hurts.  The wise fighter will be grateful that the weakness has been exposed in training, because if exposed on the battlefield, in the ring, or in the conflicts to be faced in life, it could prove to be fatal.  We must discipline ourselves to always distinguish between our adversaries and our sparring partners.  Greater wisdom may be found outside of the ring, when both our sparring partners and our adversaries can become our friends. 

It may be a little thought of fact that the human body carries and conducts electrical charges like other sources of electrical power.  If our heart stops beating, or experiences irregular heartbeats, a process called defibrillation, which sends an electrical charge to the heart, can be used to restart or regulate it.  The technician will say “clear” before applying the defibrillator pads to make sure no one is touching the body because we as conductors of electricity can receive the charge through their body.  Yes, we are electrically charged with energy, and we like car batteries may sometimes need a jump-start to get moving again.

Just as our bodies are conductors of electrical energy, we are conductors of spiritual, emotional, and psychic energy also.  When someone is spewing out negativity, anger, or hatred, perhaps an alarm should go off in our heads that says, “Clear,” so that we do not become charged with the same negativity.  On the contrary, we should make sure that we are so charged up with wisdom, kindness, fearlessness, and love, that anything negative will be overcome by the positive.  If we are supercharged with the love of God, and love for humanity, even those who hate or dislike us, even the demons of destruction will have to send a warning to their partners in crime saying, “danger, high voltage area.”

If we can remain clear of the negativity, discipline ourselves to have control over ourselves, and remain plugged in to the power source, we can create a power surge that will change the atmosphere homes, cities, and nations.  We will jump-start weak and dead hearts along the way.  It is time to become disciplined for success!  

Life has been described as a journey from the cradle to the grave. I like to think of life in terms of a mission given before birth and to be completed at death.  It requires discipline to discover our mission, discipline to maintain the course, and the utmost discipline to complete the mission.  The undisciplined person will compromise the mission at any stage.  Fortunately, we are given signs and clues along the way to help us discover, maintain, and complete the mission.  Just as a driver going to an unfamiliar place on an unfamiliar road must pay close attention to the road signs, those who are serious about fulfilling their life’s mission must pay close attention to signs and clues along the way. 

If we treat our life’s mission as if we were on a ‘Top Secret’ assignment, we will quickly recognize anything that takes us off mission. When you know your mission, paying close attention to signs and clues, will let you know if you are on the right road and in the right state of mind.  Perhaps one clue to our shared mission is that, though we may be from different parts of the world, have different skin colors and nationalities, and may see life very differently, our blood can be transfused across the human family.  There are signs and clues all around us to help us find our way through the maze of life.  Perhaps some of the greatest clues are found in our mental, physical, and emotional illnesses.  Sometimes we ignore the signs of impending illness and fail to listen to the voices of reason which point us in the direction of our mission.  The discipline and success of previous generations can be seen in the signs and clues they left for us to follow, some even on their death beds.  Our success may just depend on our discipline to leave signs and clues for those who come after us.

From the time I was a child, my mom and dad always had a home improvement project underway.  I remember at one point they had a list of major improvements they wanted to make, one of which was the remodeling of the kitchen.  My dad promised my mom that he would do it upon his retirement, which he did at the age of 62.  It was a major undertaking which required moving the sink to a different position under the window, putting in new cabinets, flooring, ceiling, walls, outlets, and more.  When completed it was a beauty to behold.  For a few years it was one project after another until they completed their list.  It seemed that they could sit back and enjoy their home, which they did, but it wasn’t long before other projects were underway.  Fifteen years after he retired, my father found out that he had cancer and that his days were numbered.  He asked my mom to make him a list of things she would like to have done.  He worked steadily to complete them up until the day he no longer had strength to work, completing all but one.  My mom lived in their home for twenty-two years after his death, never wanting to move because she always felt his presence through his handywork and the projects they worked on together.  They passed away in the same room, in the month of June, twenty-two years apart.  In the same room where, I remember kneeling around the couch in family prayer.

Today I thought about how their projects invigorated their lives, and I thought to myself, perhaps the real joy of life is found in working on projects that bring joy and meaning to your life with those you love.  Perhaps we are most alive when we find a cause that brings out the best in us, even if it is a cause that we must ultimately die for.  Are you working on a project?  If you knew that your time was limited to a set number of weeks, months, or years, what would you be doing?  Would you pick up the pace, or slow down?  Would you narrow your list, or expand it?

Rugged individualism, self-reliance, and self-sufficiency are terms associated with wealth and success in the U.S. and throughout the world.  They led to the use of terms like, ‘self-made millionaires’ and ‘self-made men’.  I ask, is It even conceivable that any wealth or success can be achieved alone?  The early wealth of the U.S. came from taking or acquiring land, information, and resources from the people who lived here before the settlers came from Europe.  The labor of men and women brought here forcibly from the continent of Africa to work as slaves produced great wealth for plantation owners, manufacturers, and the nation.  The cheap labor of Blacks after slavery was abolished, and the cheap labor of the Chinese, the Irish, and other immigrant groups created the wealth of the railroad, shipping, and manufacturing industries.  The wealthiest people in the world must know that their wealth could never have been generated alone.  The industrialists made great wealth employing men to work fourteen hours a day, six days for pennies a day, under harsh and unreasonable conditions.  Women were paid less than men, children paid less, and sometimes families were hired for one wage. 

It was the tireless efforts of many that brought about the labor laws and produced regulations that changed unfair working conditions and unfair compensation.  When you consider the fact that so much of what we use every day comes from so many parts of the world, and that so many instructors taught us along the way, it does not seem logical that anyone can consider themselves self-made.  Does anyone ever succeed or fail alone?  Whether you are wealthy or poor, you did not get there by yourself.  With our emphasis on individualism we have lost the ability to see just how dependent we are on one another.  With our greed for self-wealth we have created an atmosphere that says, ‘every person for themselves.’

Wealth and poverty are created in interaction and interdependence with others.  While it may be impossible for anyone to be self-made, self-reliant, and totally self-sufficient, we can be self-disciplined.  When we are disciplined for success, it can never be our success alone. 

Pebbles thrown in a pond will cause a ripple effect on the water.  Earthquakes under the ocean can cause tsunamis.  Whatever moves under the surface will influence the surface.  Similarly, atmospheric shifts can cause hurricanes, tornadoes, and wind, rain, and snowstorms.  Just as atmospheric and climatic changes in nature affect the world around us, mood and ideological changes within us can drastically change our lives and the lives of those around us.

One person can shift the atmosphere of a room, a city, a nation, and even the world.  The shift can be to help or hurt others. The shift may have short-term consequences or long-term ramifications.  The atmosphere can be shifted by a person in a good or bad mood or with good or bad ideas.  A person driving a car, experiencing road-rage, may cause death and permanently change the lives of many people.  On the other hand, a person with a positive outlook and an upbeat personality can enter a room and shift the atmosphere dramatically.

Inside all of us is the potential to create emotional and social tsunamis or hurricanes.  Yet we all possess the power to create an oasis in emotional and social deserts.  Fairness, kindness, and non-judgmental acceptance can bring about atmospheric shifts.  Each of us can have a ripple effect on our environment.  If we find the good in those we hate or dislike, we will cause an atmospheric change that may bring about a long-lasting change in the world.  If we discipline our hearts and minds, the changes that occur in us, under the surface, will surface in our environment and have a positive impact on others.

Today is a good day for a face-lift!  You will never find a better price and you will never find a better time.  I think you will agree that sometimes life can cause you to frown, be upset, and just feel down.  If you follow these simple steps, I believe you will be surprised when your frown is turned upside down.

First, you will need a mirror.  Second, you will need a keen eye. Third, you will need to be totally honest.  That’s all you will need.  Now, let’s get started.  Ok in the mirror and deeply into your eyes.  Ask yourself if you like what you see and who you see.  If your answer is “No,” don’t panic, the person in the mirror was probably feeling the same way.  If your answer is “Yes,” relax, have a good smile and laugh, because the person in the mirror more than likely feels the same way.  Be it “Yes” or “No,” tell the person in the mirror what you like or don’t like.  Be honest!  Now just talk to each other and share some things you haven’t talked to each other about in a while.  Make up with each and forgive each other if there are any hard or hurt feelings.  Before you end the conversation, make sure you have a good cry or laugh together.

Now, look deeply into the eyes of the person in the mirror and I believe you will see that they look and feel younger.  How’s that for a priceless face-lift?  Being disciplined for success is always about keeping in touch with ourselves.

Newton’s First Law of Motion states that a body at rest will remain at rest unless an outside force acts on it.  Have you ever been stuck in your thoughts or immobilized by depression? Yes, there are external forces that can get you moving physically, but not necessarily internally.  There are many drugs that can get you moving in zombie-like motion, but often only serve as aids to internal motivation.  Inanimate objects and chemical reactions do need external stimuli to get things moving.  Human beings, however, can be internally stimulated and motivated.  If you are disciplined for success you exercise your power to make things happen.  You activate an internal stimulus, sometimes with your words alone. 

Often when I tell myself to do something, I immediately get up and begin the process.  When I was younger my father would tell me that I needed some “get-up-and-go-power.”  I finally discovered that I had the power to override lethargy, fatigue, and even depression from within with my ‘get-up-and-go-power’.  Many times, it has served as a catalyst to get me moving, and sometimes even against my own will.  I can move a chair, kick a rock, or start an engine, as the outside force, but I can move myself, jumpstart my mind, become a self-starter when I am motivated from within to achieve.

We can do great things when we are pushed by others, motivated by rewards or things, or forced to do something, but the greatest levels of success are achieved when we decide to do something, and get up and get it done.  Talking about it, thinking about, or dreaming about it will keep you as a-body-at-rest, but with a good dose of get-up-and-go, you will become disciplined for success.

Perhaps summer is your favorite season, or Sunday is your favorite day of the week.  One problem with favorites is that often we spend too much time bemoaning their passing and celebrating their arrival that we neglect to enjoy the other days and seasons.  Each season has its beauty and everyday is a new page in our lives with opportunities to write new lines and experience new life.  Favorites are comfortable places but if we are not careful, we will lose our spirit of adventure and miss opportunities to grow, go new places and do new things.  Favorites, however, give us a needed base of security and familiarity so that we are not lost in the chaos of adventure.  We need familiar places and well-known faces. 

If we think of life as an adventurous journey we can always venture away from the comfortable and return to safe places.  To test your adventurous spirit, think of times you have been in new settings or in new groups, were you willing to meet and talk to new people or venture out and see new territory? Do you have a favorite aunt, uncle, friend, or child?  Do you spend so much time with them that you neglect to see the beauty and uniqueness of the others? 

Discipline comes with routine, but discipline also helps us to routinely change the routine.  Grow, success, and progress involve routine and expansion.  Growth is stretching from favorite and familiar places.  Perhaps the real discipline for success is making the season you are in now your favorite and today the favorite day on your journey.  The Psalmist of the Bible said, “This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

One part of the body needs every other part of the body for the body to function at its best.  Where there is unity, there is strength and harmony.  If you have ever heard an orchestra tuning up before a concert, every sound is dissonant and out of harmony.  However, once the director takes the platform and gives the signal, all instruments and musicians in their respective roles and places bring forth the most harmonious sounds.  Each person is responsible for their domain, but they must also know their role in the orchestra.

In any musical arena, or any arena in life, harmony is achieved when the individuals, or individual parts, work in timing with everyone else or every other part.  Although soloists and solo pieces highlight an instrument, sound, or individual, apart from the orchestra and the audience they would only be like a lone voice singing in a shower.  If we look at our physical, mental, spiritual, financial, and social health as an orchestral concert, perhaps we can see how disharmony and disunity create sickness. 

If you take care of your feet, your feet will support your legs better.  If you take care of your finances and resources, they will take care of you and others.  When we discipline ourselves to see ourselves as important players in an orchestra on the stage of life, we realize that we cannot afford to be sick or out of place, because our sickness affects the entire orchestra, and we cannot afford to leave others sick because our health is dependent upon their health.  If we train well, remember that we are part of a whole, tune up each day, and always follow the directions of the Director, we will begin to function like well-oiled machines interacting with and within well-oiled machines.

Perhaps we have all had moments when we just knew something, without prior knowledge, warning, or evidence.  Intuition is something that is often talked about but seldom followed.  Yet lives have been saved by it, and tragedies avoided when it has been trusted.  Intuition is defined as “knowledge or belief that is obtained neither by reason nor perception; instinctive knowledge or belief; a hunch or unjustified belief.”  Sometimes we describe it as a cautionary voice within.  We refer to it when we say, “something told me…,” or “I should have followed my first mind.”  Whether you call it a ‘sixth sense’ or by another description, it is apparent that there is something we have that we do not consciously exercise and use on a regular basis. 

Our minds are capable of knowledge and insights that we have not developed.  Even governments have studied the capabilities of the mind to determine the extent to which we can access knowledge intuitively.  In fact, years ago both the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. funded research in parapsychology.  Whether we call it prophetic in the religious sense, or psychic in the realm of the psyche, we all possess abilities that we do not use.  Perhaps your mother or grandmother, like my mother, could know things before they happened, or could tell you things in advance that made you wonder how they knew. 

Don’t simply dismiss that first thought that came to your mind.  Just as our senses can be sharpened through discipline, we can sharpen our ability to hear and know the voice of our thoughts, and the voice of God.  You may discover that you have access to knowledge and insight that you are not using, and that you know more intuitively than you previously thought.  If we discipline ourselves for success in this area, we may discover that we have an internal ‘google’ to rival the external one.

The minutes, hours, days, weeks, years, and decades, tick and roll by, sometimes without our conscious awareness.  In fact, I would venture to say that most of the time we are not conscious about time.  The importance of time in everything we do, and experience, is often overlooked.  Music is measured in time.  Light is measured in time. Energy and work are measured by time.  In the short space of a few centuries our world has been totally transformed by the scientific discoveries of how time relates to sound, light, energy, and so much more.  We can travel in minutes what used to take days, weeks, and years.  Communication from one part of the world to a distant land at one time took years, now we can communicate with each other around the world in real-time with only millisecond delays. 

While our time expectancy on earth may be limited to roughly a hundred years, give or take a few, each human being has for their use 24 hours a day.  Whether they are in a wheelchair, hospital, prison, classroom, boardroom, barbershop, or on a street corner, we all have 60 seconds in every minute to use.  We have measured the speed of light and the speed of sound.  We can measure energy in nanoseconds.  Who can measure the speed of thought, and how can we harness the power of our thoughts like we have harnessed solar, wind, electrical, nuclear, and other forms of power? 

Our power of thought and the relentless nature of our spirits has enabled us to harness the powers of science and nature.  Yet, it has been our weakness in these areas that is allowing our technology and witty inventions to master and control us.  If we are going to use our internal resources to the same degree of excellence that we do our external resources, we are going to have to ‘seize the day.’ Each one of us can process information faster than some of the fastest computers but we have not learned how to maximize the space on our hard drives or understand the capability of our processors.  To become disciplined for success requires the use of our spirits and our minds with a greater understanding of how to maximize our time.

It would be unrealistic for a boxer to get into the ring and not expect to be hit.  Likewise, it is unrealistic for us to think that we will not suffer disappointments or take hits in life.  I have seen boxers lose several rounds, take blow after blow, appear to be defeated, and come back and with the fight.  A well-known watch manufacturer used to have an advertisement with the slogan, “takes a licking and keeps on ticking,” to describe the durability of its watches.  The most persistent of us have been known to go through major setbacks, upheavals, and losses in life and yet live to see major victories.

You will never know your strength until it has been tested.  When you have been tested in life and continue to persevere, you learn that you are strong enough to keep going even with obstacles and setbacks.  No one wants to be disappointed, hurt, or wounded, but life will serve you a healthy portion, if you live long enough.  The key to success is being disciplined to take the hits but keep moving forward with determination.  Of course, there are those who may oppose you, and sometimes you will inadvertently oppose yourself, but absorb or deflect the hurt and look for today’s and tomorrow’s victories because they are sure to come if you keep reaching. 

Yes, it is difficult to smile, talk, hope, or move forward when you are in pain.  Nevertheless, the pain will win if you give in to it, and your smile will be drowned by your sorrows unless you can see victory beyond the blows.  Perhaps you have heard the saying, “grin and bear it,” if so, it may be time to smile because you now know that you can take the hit and still see the victory.

Life can hit you with a myriad of problems, some big and some small.  The greater power can be given to the problem or lie in your response.  Some people view problems as puzzles, and immediately begin looking for the other pieces to put the picture together.  Others view problems like storms and their first inclination is to look for shelter.  Some look at problems with a mathematical mindset and immediately think in terms of setting up an algebraic equation to solve the problem.  Still there are others who see problems through a scientific and explorative eye, always looking for new discoveries and experiments.

Whether you take the posture of an investigator solving a crime or an astronaut exploring space, the method you use to handle the small problems in life will generally be the method you use to address the bigger problems as well.  As we understand how we generally deal with problems, we can identify new problem-solving strategies.  One size does not fit everyone, and one formula does not fit every problem.  As our lives become more complicated and our world more intertwined, we face new problems and challenges every day. 

If we are going to successfully navigate the new and unfamiliar terrain, we must develop a new discipline.  The discipline of the problem-solver, and an evolving discipline of problem-solving, may open new vistas of success for us personally and collectively.  Our confidence and competence in addressing problems will affect, and often determine, the outcome.  Our lens not only determines how we see a problem but also the solutions we see as well.  What do you see?

Perhaps you have heard it said, “if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.”  Taking a stand is not just having an opinion, but having an opinion, belief, or position that you hold before anyone, anywhere.  Taking a stand is believing in something strongly enough that opposition will not change your mind.  When we speak of the integrity of a building, structure, or system, we speak of its ability to stand under adverse and varied conditions.  Engineers and architects now know how to build tall buildings which can withstand earthquakes and storms. 

Our character as human beings can be measured by our ability to maintain the integrity of our beliefs in difficult times, through challenges, and amid strong opposition.  Two tall buildings can appear to be built the same at visual appearance, but only the one that stands unchanged after an earthquake will determine whether it was built earthquake-proof.  If you want to evaluate your character, look at the number of times you modify your beliefs depending on who you are talking to, or according the challenges you face.  The strongest foundations are those that are strengthened with new knowledge but unchanged by opposition.  

Ultimately, integrity must be tested by death.  If the fear of death or loss can change your position, your position or belief was only a means to an end.  The greatest contributors to our survival where those who were disciplined with beliefs that were ends, and not just a means to an end.  When I think of earthquake-proof character, I think of Jesus who maintained his integrity in life and in the face of death.  According to the record, he did not fall to the temptation to save his life at the expense of his position, but stood alone, defied death, and even caused an earthquake at his death that is still having aftershocks around the world.  In order to achieve our greatest success, we must discipline ourselves to have earthquake-proof integrity in our day-to-day activities.

Although everyday marks a new beginning, we often look at new days with old eyes. Today is a day that we have never seen before, with new opportunities and possibilities that were made possible by our yesterdays.  However, without fresh eyes and a new outlook, all our days begin to look the same. Anything is possible today and everything can change in an instant.  Change can happen to us, or we can make changes in the way we live, act, and interact with the world around us.  The power of perspective is amazing, and we have the power to change our lives by changing our perspective.

Yes, fresh eyes are needed to see today’s potential, so get the red out, clear the sleep from your eyes, and see today in all its splendor.  Yes, some things may not be going well, and you may not have all that you feel you need to survive and thrive, but today you have another opportunity to change and rearrange things in your life.  Don’t give in to the pull of yesterday, and don’t simply hope for a better tomorrow, but use your power to begin and finish today well.  Each day will begin and end, but our challenge is to discipline ourselves to begin and end well. 

Our challenge is to approach each day as an opportunity to have a new beginning.  Do something new today.  Look at old problems through new eyes.  Look at your relationships with new love and appreciation.  Discard old things, habits, and viewpoints that keep you stuck in past pain and grief, and let’s discipline ourselves to see the gift of today.  It is never too late to have a fresh start, and our success depends on our disciplining ourselves each day for new beginnings.

Every now and then we find ourselves in stressful situations.  While it is easier said than done, the best thing to do is take a deep breath and relax.  It is difficult to think when you are stressed but when you remove the emotional trauma, it becomes easier to think and respond under pressure.  How many times have you been stuck and unable to move forward because stress left you standing still like a deer in the headlights?  Stress slows our response time and our ability think. When you lose your ability to think, you lose your ability to plan or act. 

Take a few deep breaths.  What have you been putting off because of feeling overwhelmed or stressed?  It doesn’t have to be perfect, just begin.  Someone said to me at a time when my desire for perfection left me actionless, “done is better than perfect.”  Is there more on your plate than you can handle?  Begin with small bites.  The more you do, the less you have on your plate.  Slowly but surely, your stress levels decrease, and your plate will be manageable.

The key to being disciplined for success is not just taking things off our plates but learning how to manage how much we allow to be put on them.  Sometimes we take on the stresses of others, or the responsibility to do for others what they could or should do for themselves.  If you suffer from the it-won’t-be-done-right-unless-I-do-it syndrome, you may have already entered the ranks of the overly stressed.  Often the excess on our plates was put there by others, and we did not have the strength or courage to say “No, that is something I cannot or am not willing to do.”

Have you ever seen a person that just seemed to hate their life?  They always seem to be angry with the world, disappointed, and full of complaints.  Most days of the week they hate to get out of bed, their life is characterized more by frowns than smiles, and their speech focuses on what they don’t have, could’ve had, or lost.  Are you that person?

Sometimes our misfortune can blind us to our fortune.  Sometimes in life we become overwhelmed by our liabilities and forget about our assets.  Today is a good day to check yourself and take inventory of your assets.  Is there anyone in your life, living or deceased, for whom you are grateful for their influence in your life?  From whom in your life did you receive pain or hurt, but now realize that it has come to be a blessing rather than a curse?  Every blessing can be a curse and every curse can be a blessing depending on your attitude towards it, and your response to it.

An attitude of gratitude will see every misfortune through a telescopic lens, seeing the blessing in, and beyond the struggle.  Trouble doesn’t last forever, and out of all trouble come the possibility of new knowledge and progress.  Yes, a new attitude can turn your world upside down and move you from trouble to triumph.  Your success is dependent upon your discipline.  Do you view your life through hateful or grateful eyes?