How many times have you done something that you wish you hadn’t? Did someone warn you, but you chose to ignore it? We don’t always know the outcome and sometimes we have to learn a hard lesson. This makes our decision on whether or not to take other people’s advice difficult, but we’re happy it was offered.

The next time you see a friend in need of some advisement, without being high-handed and imperious, offer them the recommendation. It may cause your friend to become irritated or annoyed, but at the end of the day they will appreciate the thought.

Take it easy — but take it.
~Woody Guthrie

Yesterday I went to the post office to ship a D-CoT t-shirt for one of my members. I approached the desk to make the purchase. I reached into my shorts for my wallet and my wallet was not there. I left it at home!

I told the lady behind the counter I don’t have my wallet and that I would have to drive home to get it. She said “OK” and was going to hold onto the package. Right before I left, a woman waiting in line behind me walked up and said “I’ll pay for this”. I was SHOCKED. She said, “Just remember to do this for someone else when they are in this situation. Someone helped me, and so I know how it can be.”

I told her I definitely will. I will always remember to “pay it forward”.

The shipping was $3 and change, but the random act of kindness was priceless.

Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the and the blind can see.
~Mark Twain

Have you ever wanted to spend a year in another country and see the world from a different perspective? I hear complaints from people along the lines of “Man, I really want to move out of this state,” or “I need to get out this town”. And guess what? They never do. Why not? If you believe in yourself and have the self-discipline you can do anything.

The next time something comes up that’s out of your comfort zone, embrace it.

Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.
~ Brian Tracey

Did you ever give a friend a ride who needed one without question? Did you ever lend a helping hand to anyone without expecting something in return? If so, I guarantee you that person will not forget your good will. Here is an example.

I just moved to the Orlando area and met a few of my neighbors within the first 2 weeks I was here. A week later I received a call from one of them who asked me to do a “solid” and give him a ride to get his car from the shop. His wife had to stay home with their two kids so he had no way of getting there. I was eating lunch with my fiance so I told him I wouldn’t mind just as long as I could finish my lunch. I only spoke with this man twice in my life and here I am doing him a “solid”. I didn’t mind it and expected nothing in return except for maybe a handshake and a thank you.

Even a small favor can really mean a lot and in this case, it turned out I did not do a favor for just one person but I did one for their family of four.

Your life’s tasks determine your place in it. You can make a difference.

Setting your mind to something starts with self-discipline and self-motivation. Without that, you have no fuel to energize yourself to meet the goals you set. Without any action there will be no reaction. I know, Newton’s Third Law of Motion: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Let’s think about this for a moment; if you don’t take that first step in reaching your goal, nothing will happen. When you practice self-discipline you feel like you are in control of your life. You feel content and motivated because you’re moving toward your goals.

You may ask yourself “Why are some people more successful than others?”.  The answer is success is tons of discipline. Self-discipline is the key to personal greatness.

With self-discipline, any person can rise above and beyond and achieve anything they want. But without it, regardless of a person’s background, education and opportunity, they will seldom rise above mediocrity.

No stream or gas drives anything until it is confined. No Niagara is ever turned into light and power until it is tunneled. No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated and disciplined.
~ Harry E. Fosdick

Life’s a gamble. There’s no way around it. We need to take risks.Yes you can play it safe and dodge those risks, but then you decrease your chances of gaining something rewarding. You will never know good luck unless you take the risk of bad luck.

The first thing that comes to mind when talking about taking risks are small business owners. They take the risk of failure, but are giving their dreams a chance. If successful, they will be their own boss and see their hard work blossom.

Those that are afraid of bad luck will never know good.
~ Russian Proverb