STARTING POINTS

“Many times we are defeated inside our own heads before we even get started.”

Jeff Johnson March 2008

The story is not original when we speak of the 90 pound weakling getting sand kicked in his face from the beach bully. The 90 pound weakling starts a super conditioning program (all without steroids of course) and becomes this super strong man. Then the showdown with the beach bully is immanent. The once picked on 90 pound weakling approaches the bully and draws a line in the sand daring him to cross it—a challenge is created.

Life brings us challenges. Not all challenges are bad, some are positive, but require us to push beyond reasonable limits. But to often we draw headlines—the same lines that are carved in the sand only mentally placed. Some common 'Headlines' are: "It is to hard," I am not __________(you fill in the blank i.e. tall enough, smart enough, pretty enough, just not enough etc.), and my favorite--I just can't do it." When we make the headlines our human nature shuts us down and we stop. In other words, the fight is over, the game reads 'tilt,' and we lose our quarter. Conversely, when things are going well or when we reach a major goal--we stop with, "I have gone as far as I can go." We create our own internal battle before the fight. Now we face the life challenge and our own challenge--two against one.

We are wired by millions of years of evolution in development to overcome challenges. In the face of death, in the heart of war, through the most perilous times imaginable---we are designed to OVERCOME! Looking at challenges causes us to place a value on our inner and outer strengths as WE perceive them in a given moment. However, The most significant factors in overcoming challenges are identifying the fear we have with the challenge, developing a sense of control over the feared environment mentally, and envisioning alternatives to the anticipated negative outcomes. Instead of looking at the challenge as a welcome mat to fear--why not look at the challenge as a doorway to a new hope, a new dream to obtain, a new path that may lead others to avoid, or to follow out of their fear in a similar situation, or to grow stronger. Instead of stopping at the top of a mountain--why not seek a bigger mountain to climb?

Life has presented us challenges in the past and we have defeated them. Our previous experiences with success are tools to use to sharpen the weapons we need now. STEP FORWARD FORWARD STEPPERS--sharpen your weapons necessary to defeat the present challenge---forgetting the headlines. Besides, headlines are just as soft as the lines in the sand--one small wave and it is just sand.

I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,

Jeff
PS: I am off on Friday, please read my Saturday BLOG & Sunday's inspirational BLOG.

CHANGES

"When things are bad we feel bad, but when things are good we feel good. We should look for good in everything so we are feel-IN-good all the time."
Jeff Johnson March 2008

Everyone likes to feel good. It is impossible to have things go right all of the time--except in Pleasantville :-). Each day and night in our life brings opportunity for good and bad things to occupy our attitude. When good things happen to pass our way, do we spend time looking at them to see ALL of the good we can in this event? But, when the bad times come we can not analyze it enough. We have actually practiced studying the bad and really ignore all of the good except for the occasional thank-you card responsive items. Truly, we enjoy feeling good and having good things happen to us versus having bad happen to us and feeling terrible.

Many times we hear the phrase, 'count to ten to calm down before acting out,' when anger is in our path. Sometimes I need to request a double take on this--the first take is the traditional 1-10, my second take is 11-100 LOL. How many times do we take 'ten' when good is in our path so we can act out more expressively, reflect on it, and absorb a deeper meaning? If it is true to hold our thoughts and wrap our emotions around anger prior to acting out then the converse would be true for good things. We have actually practiced dwelling on anger and bad things and take good things for granted--SOME OF THE TIME.

Today, take time to list 5 good things that have happened in your life in the last week. Spend 5 minutes looking at how wonderful it made you feel to have the good things happen to you. Consider what life would be like if those things were absent, and try to locate a deeper meaning from the good--a life lesson to carry forward. Put the 'good' to the same test we put anger. The title of this article is "feel-n-good,' this can be a new beginning and a chance to grow.
Step forward you forward steppers--learn how to feel good in all things--practice makes perfect.

I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,
Jeff

FOLLOWING LIGHT PATTERNS

"Light can travel infinitely--but headlights and flashlights only provide light to a specific point. Knowing you have unlimited potential and stopping at a particular point can teach us to lift our lights to another point---we have more room to travel--stretch the lighted path."
Jeff Johnson March 2008


Ever plan a trip to a foreign place? Maybe not out of the country or far away, but a new place for you? When you planned the trip did you plan to go farther than the destination or to stop at the end of your plan? Many times we plan to go to a certain point and when we arrive we stop--like in the trip analogy. Sometimes we stay to long at one point and sometimes the original destination where we stop was never intended to be our final stop. We just became comfortable and stopped.

I would like to share a story I heard from someone else--THIS IS NOT ORIGINAL MATERIAL-- I DO NOT KNOW THE AUTHOR--SO HERE IS MY CITATION--the best I can do.
"There was once an African American grandmother in the deep south. She had a large family and everything she made was from scratch. The families favorite item for her to bake were her homemade biscuits. So, one after noon grandma kneaded the dough, formed the biscuits by hand, and placed them in the oven while everyone watched. It was not long and the smell of homemade biscuits filled the house and raised anticipation to a frenzy. When the time came to pull them out of the oven grandma called everyone around. The tray was filled with biscuits, but instead of being high and full they were flat as pancakes. One of the children asked, "What happened to the fluffy biscuits grandma?" Grandma looked at the family and said, "Well the biscuits squatted to rise and then they ended up getting cooked in the squat."" Many times we are like the biscuits--we start out in a beginning position to get started, then just stop--even though our destination is within reach.

We have reachable destinations within our potential. We are created to thrive and succeed. Do not look at where you are as the only place in life that will allow you to stay--look at your place in life as the step you are on now getting ready to move into something else. The stepping stones that lead upward sometimes have flat spots so we can sprint to the finish. Start reaching for new things with enthusiasm and willingness to make it. Set your goals a little higher and when you reach them--set new ones. If the path to making it to where you want to go is dull, boring, old, or covered in "I can't do it," find a kick start today.
Let your light shine in the farthest direction because even though you may not be able to see the end--it does come when we walk towards it long enough. Step out and up forward steppers.

I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,
Jeff

CHANGE PATTERN

"Looking for things is a good way to find things. Looking intrinsically at ourselves may do the same thing. " Jeff Johnson--Feb. 2008


Yes, I write sayings. I may have about 20,000 of them--most of which I will never use again--some are repeats. I enjoy writing sayings that touch hearts, minds, and me. I plan on posting my motivational sayings too.

So, how do we change?

Everyday we do things that has value in our lives. Maybe we have a job we like, or maybe we value the money only. Perhaps it is a place or activity we frequent because of the value we perceive it brings us. But what if this place or activity brings us severe negative consequences?

I have one of those places--the buffet line. I love food--more importantly, I love food that is sweet. The value I get is that it taste good, it is filling, and it is abundant in choices--I can choose something new daily. The problem is I don't like to gain weight. Eating sweets by itself is not what puts on weight. Lack of exercise, lack of control on portions and number of servings, and the total amount consumed before the 'sweet spot'--all contribute to weight gain. So, if we know all of this why do we continue to indulge? The answer is we value the weight gain more than measuring the other considerations first. Our overall plan is to go eat without regard to outcome--until later.

When we really see change begin is when we place more value on the new behavior and consequences than on the old behavior and outcomes. I am not going to give a dissertation on how to change in this blog. My point is change starts with a new 'owned' perception in values. Many times the hardest part of change is not goal setting or finding the right intervention to make it happen--but accepting ownership and belief we will succeed.

Before I start on a change in my life, I set realistic goals with a lot of support and advice. This is the easy part--the hard part--accepting success of this change in my head and heart. I keep thinking of how many times I have started and failed, how many promises I have broken, and how many plans are laid to rest because I got what I valued most---quitting and giving up.

What is it that will make you accept, "I can succeed at anything." What are the barriers to building successes in your life? How do we change? Read the saying/quote I wrote above--the answer is partially there. Look at changes that have succeeded in your life, look at the positive in your life and grow on the elements that made those succeed. Do not be afraid to accept hard times, but find strengths already existing inside you to keep you working towards new values and changes. We change by:
1. Identifying things (1 at a time) we want to change
2. Believing in ourselves that we can change--owning the new changed value
3. Using our strengths already developed inside us to NEVER GIVE UP.

I Believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,
Jeff

PICKING SIDES

"We should love people because they are just like us--SINNERS; don't hate them because their sin is different than ours."
Jeff Johnson March 2008

In keeping with my blog format, Sunday will be an inspirational message.

I am not a Bible expert. In looking at a particular story where a woman had sinned (the sin is not important here) was taken outside of the city walls by her peers. The purpose was to judge her then stone her to death. Everyone gathered around while the sin was discussed and while the stones were being picked up--since this was the custom. I am sure not all picked up stones. I am sure some picked up stones, most probably threw them, some threw them very hard, some threw them very lightly--just to fit in. Some came to watch--some came to change their life since they may be in the same sin, and some wondered why they were there in the first place. Everyone had a reason to be there and everyone left with a reason on how they would return home. Many would feel like they rid the world of evil, a few would see the consequence and change their life, someone would find a way to help others avoid this scene.

Today we pick up stones in more sophisticated ways, but the end results are the same. We all know someone who is having problems. Maybe the problem is financial, marital, children, grief, homelessness, work, working through a particular issue that is unknown, or just in living a particular lifestyle. Most of us lean towards ignoring the situation under the guise, "I have enough problems of my own", or "I do not have enough time." Can we be real for just a minute...maybe we say, "they deserve everything they are getting and more," or "I hope they suffer for what they have done--look at the hurt they have caused." I am sure you and I can think of our favorites. We don't call them stones anymore, but 'barbs' and isolation and prejudices---HATE with rejection for short.

Jesus tells a new story--a story of HOPE, PEACE, LOVE, UNDERSTANDING, and FORGIVENESS with RESTORATION. In Matthew 23:37, we read,
37"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." Jesus is disappointed, but HE wanted to gather to protect, to save, to assist those who were causing harm and destruction. In modern terms--they were hurting others and causing destruction. Jesus answer was not going to stone them, to harm them, to ignore them, but to gather them up for FORGIVENESS with RESTORATION. How can we help those we are stoning?

We pick sides--always--even silence is a side--maybe the wrong side at times. We learn in
Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." We can not hate and love at the same time. I do not want to ignore the saying, "I love the person and hate the sin," but here the question must be asked, Which feeling will help me to help them or even motivate me to help them? In our attempt to 'walk a thin line' we must understand the person hurting can not separate the two. While we walk the 'thin line' we must look at both sides very closely to make sure we are on the line evenly. If we are firmly on one side or the other we focus on the side in which we stand. Can we ever separate tea from water, or pain from sorrow--impossible! Walking the 'thin line' does not commit, walking the thin line is the same as carrying the stone and throwing it short hoping to look like the 'in' crowd but trying not to cause any damage. But to the person looking at the stones--does it matter which ones fall short--or who is in the line throwing them?

The person who has sinned--all of us, yes even me, needs love through the sin, despite the sin, over the sin, not because of the sin. The desire to help should be humans helping a person in need not curing a sin--JUST A SIMPLE LOVE TO A PERSON. Can we walk with Hate (stones) in our hand and have an open (loving) hand at the same time? I have not been able to do it. The first step to helping is to learn how to love blindly. Learning how to see people through our heart, trusting GOD to guide us during the first few miles of the journey--so we can learn how to love more effectively. Learning how to let hate go and embrace love is to give our talents no matter what the outcome--just to love giving help--people to people--sinner to sinner.

Take that first step FORWARD STEPPERS--not to cast stones but to look at our hands. Are we holding more stones or opening them up to gather in? Open hands drop stones.

I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,
Jeff

85 PILLS & COUNTING

"Round and round I go spinning until I fall on my knees. The room is still spinning, faster, no it is not the room spinning it is me, but I am on my knees and I am not moving. What is spinning, what is it that makes me feel like this--I see straight again--I stand up--I walk--I see clearly what happened. I turn around and around and around and around again--I know what is going to happen--I will end up on my knees again. I stop, get on my knees, and think about how I am spinning---there is comfort on my knees. Relaxed, I bow my head and pray. I realize I do not have to spin to see I am dizzy or to get on my knees."
Jeff Johnson March 2008

Sometimes I wish I could just take a pill and I would be able to sing or think better or learn how to play an instrument. Not long ago I said, "I wish there was a pill to make the dog not bark so loud"--or so frequently--then my headache went away and I didn't care as much about the dog barking. Yes, I did take a pill to make my head stop hurting. Have you ever wanted to just take a pill and make something happen: like lose weight with just one pill, or gain weight, or walk faster, or not hurt, or make an "ex" be nicer:-), or make a teenager act--well not like a teenager? I have in my life asked for all of those things and more.

The other day I stopped and counted all of the pills I wish I could take to change or make things happen differently. I counted 85 pills then I got tired of counting. Just think of the time, money, and emotions that would be altered if this could happen. The other side of the coin is what if someone was taking a pill to change me--into something I would not like or want to be. In the end, I was glad I did not have pills to change all of the things I wished for in my magical world. I was glad I had choices, I was glad I could choose to become not 'morph' into something out of my control. I was glad changes in my life--good and bad came slowly at times, and fast at times. I was happy where I was today--but not that I have 85 and counting, things to change or be changed 'in my own likeness and wisdom.'

Everyday is a day when we can make choices about how we want to live our day. We can, to a large degree control our outcomes and influence our environment. We all have past experiences with consequences called 'baggage'--both good consequences (baggage) and bad consequences (baggage) because of our choices. Some of the baggage we did not initiate, but it remains a part of life nonetheless. Focus on the future today, take steps away from the baggage that haunts us, measure the time and distance each day takes you toward another direction--focus on changing yourself. Maybe 1 minute at a time is all you can focus on changing yourself, maybe 15 minutes at a time or 30 minutes-whatever time it takes you to change--take it. Looking at all of the pill bottles filled with all of the change pills would not be as much fun as looking at all of the "pills"
I am leaving behind as I change my journey to be better. March forward today because
you are a forward stepper.

I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,
Jeff

TENNIS OR ORANGES=CHOICES

"It was just a ball and a racquet and all we had to do was hit this little ball with the racquet--yeahhh--how hard. It ended up taking a lot of focus--maybe the lesson is if we have something that looks so simple we should focus on the outcomes more than the appearance."
Tennis anyone?
Jeff Johnson March 2008

This blog is not going to be about self disclosure--full time. I use examples starting with "I" but the purpose is for motivation. But, if I may, I would like to share a story--still holding true to the blogs purpose. Today, I played tennis with a friend for the first time in 10 years. Can I describe it with a 5 letter word and still have a PG blog rating---yes---my game sucks. I had a blast watching the ball go by as my friend waited for a return shot--he was very patient. Life is like that for us sometimes. We all know the object of some of the games. The tools we use look like it will be simple to succeed or at least play O.K.--but when we set the life movement at warp speed, the tools we have appear smaller than they appear in our hands---we lose more shots than we gain. All is not lost or bad--we still have played the game, gained experience, and yes---we like the Angels (O.K. Dodger fans) we still have tomorrow or next year LOL.

Take time to look at the tools you have in your life. Now this next line will crowd the PG blog rating I want to maintain--so if children are in the room, please use caution-------a 4 letter word is coming----------------------STOP!!!!! Try this as a warm up exercise. Get your calendar out--mark off 20 minutes of time for YOU--and show up on time with an ORANGE. Now follow these directions very carefully and precisely---STUDY THE ORANGE. Look and study the shape, feel it with your eyes open, then closed. Before you open your eyes--smell it--slowly--remember you have 20 minutes--take all 20 minutes--don't skimp. Study the dimples--are they all the same size--or are they like snowflakes or Dodger games--different. Test the feeling when you lightly apply pressure or press it against your face or hand or roll it. Now peel it--slow--what does the first pee look like--the meat--continue this process until you have consumed the orange. Then think about the beauty, the things you observed, the feelings you are having now experiencing it all again. Take the entire 20 minutes and enjoy it. What have you done---in most cases you have now spent more time exploring an orange, analyzing, smiling, smelling, focusing on, and learning about an orange than you have taken on doing the same thing about yourself. Next lesson---you are the orange--repeat as necessary.

Will this help your tennis game or mine---NAAHHHHH--but who needs a good tennis game when we can enjoy an orange and learn about us and life. Take a forward step you forward steppers.

I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,
Jeff

WELCOME BACK

"Welcome Back! What a greeting. When we hear this we smile, wait to feel a pat on the back, a hand shake, and maybe a hug—we are welcome—we are accepted. " Jeff Johnson June 2008

It is to often when we can not accept ourselves for something we did in the past, something we are doing now, or even thinking we do not have hope to succeed in life issues being planned out now. What if we looked in the mirror every day and said, Welcome back you work horse you, or Welcome back you__________, and fill in the blank. Maybe the door to our pathway would appear more inviting than the one we prepare now.

BE A FORWARD STEPPER and make the welcome mat to victory more acceptable to us instead of something we steer clear. Pave a way to victory, plant the seed to succeed, and march forward to a smile from victory lane.

I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,
Jeff

KIDS SPEAK on MARRIAGE

Everyone knows I get a huge kick about kids comments. It not only makes me very happy, but I usually smile all week over these comments--ENJOY!

How do you decide who to marry? (written by kids)
(1) You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you

like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she
should keep the chips and dip coming.
- Alan, age 10
(2) No person really decides before they grow up who they're going
to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out
later who you're stuck with.
- Kristen, age 10
WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
(1) Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person
FOREVER by then.
- Camille, age 10
(2) No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get
married.
- Freddie, age 6 (very wise for his age)
HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
(1) You might have to guess, based on whether
they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
- Derrick, age 8
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MUM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
(1) Both don't want any more kids.
- Lori, age 8
WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
(1) Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to
know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long
enough.
- Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)
(2) On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that
usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
- Martin, age 10 (who says boys do not have brains)
WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?
(1) I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the
newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.
-Craig, age 9
WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
(1) When they're rich- Pam, age 7
(2) The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to
mess with that.
- Curt, age 7 (good point)
(3) The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should
marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.
- Howard, age 8
IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
(1) It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need
someone to clean up after them.
- Anita, age 9 (bless you child)
HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
(1) There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?
- Kelvin, age 8
HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
(1) Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a
truck.
- Ricky, age 10

3 MEALS

"The bread was broken and passed around--silence filled the room--everyone had their own idea of what this event would mean to them, but in the end--all except Jesus got it right." Jeff Johnson March 2008

Easter, the death of Jesus on the cross, the resurrection, all of this is so very important to us. But today, this HOLY DAY, I want to discuss three very important meals and their roles.
The first meal--the last supper in the upper room. Luke 22: 19"And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." 20In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." Missing in the room was Thomas, one of the disciples and Judas. Oh yes, Judas was there in body, but missing in spirit and mind. He had his own agenda, bought and paid for! Judas was there to see his own plan through already leaving Jesus with money in hand. Thomas, was absent in body, but present in mind and spirit--wondering about the entire experience--living in fear of what it would mean in the long term message--scared to participate. Which one of these disciples resemble you and I. Are we on this HOLY DAY looking in our hearts and knowing Jesus is there, knowing Jesus is real, having HIM near us feeding us and we are either absent in mind and spirit because we are scared to participate in association with HIM, or absent in mind and spirit because we are participating in our own agenda? During the first of the three meals Jesus mentions "Do this in remembrance of me"--where are you as you remember HIM? The disciples, humans just like you and I, coming to Jesus, remembering HIM, following scripture, just like you and I in more ways than meets the eye.

The second meal is with Thomas. John 20: Thomas is explaining to the other disciples about how he must see the risen SAVIOR before he believes. Thomas and the disciples are eating together in a locked room and Jesus just appears, 27"Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."28Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"29Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Talk about just passing through a neighborhood and dropping by--Thomas is face to face with Jesus. Jesus offers Thomas exactly what he needs to believe--all doubts are eliminated--all fear is gone now--conviction on which I stand was transformed from loose sand to solid steel and concrete. The problem with being skeptical is you must consider both sides. On one hand Thomas had to consider his friends view--the other disciples would not have a reason to lie about the resurrection, but on the other hand--he doubts. Where are we at this meal--HOLY DAY after JUST DAY BY DAY we walk the same walk-- we consider during life circumstances how Jesus fits in--is HE real or is there room to doubt. If we believe one word of the Bible--like Jesus died and rose again, then we must take Thoma's story and believe. Jesus said, "In remembrance of me," but in which direction are we going with Jesus as we remember? Both Thomas and Judas had purpose in their direction--do you or I have purpose in our direction with Jesus?

The third meal is found in Revelations 3:
20"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."
This verse is not time dated--it does not expire, and this meal would be worthless without the other two. This meal has no value without the cross and the resurrection--but with those two events IT IS THE MEANING. Jesus wants to sup with you and I--in our hearts--forever. The food is unlimited and filling to overflow. During the three meals--where are you and I with Jesus--near HIM but absent in some way because of agendas; doubting issues but considering both sides equally; or ready to sup with HIM, accepting HIS open invitation for a meal already paid in full? Just knock on the door--Ask HIM into your heart today--WALK 'TOTALLY' BESIDE HIM---YOU ARE A FORWARD STEPPER--do not walk alone anymore, Jesus is there waiting. Come--this year--this day--lets share a meal together! I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT, Jeff

HOPE

Hope is like a bonfire that has burned a long time: you feel the heat, you see embers fly into the air knowing there is life under the ashes, and you hear the popping of life trying to form again. Stir up the ashes, place new wood on the ashes, and see that hope has been there all the time."
Jeff Johnson March 2008

The saying, "the sky is the limit," or "you are only limited by your dreams,"Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope implies a certain amount of perseverance — i.e., believing that a positive outcome is possible even when there is some evidence to the contrary."

Hope can be passive in the sense of a wish or a prayer - or active as a plan or idea, often against popular belief, and to many times against personal belief. We need hope to sustain ourselves or raise ourselves to a new level in our life. One thing is certain--we need hope to live. We need to think positive about circumstances more than negative. We need to search for good outcomes versus bad--look up more than down and seek others to surround us who do the same.

So how do we get hope when things are hopeless, when we are feeling low or worthless? Look at models, people or things that own successes you are looking for in life, in business, or most importantly in areas of sickness and healing. Find examples of how failure ( I am not comfortable with the word failure--I like to call everything we do as steps for someones benefit to either follow or avoid) in someones life has that resulted in a huge turnaround of their life--then copy some or all of the steps to find your success. Looking at someones success in an area of similar concern brings hope. I call this the HOPE MODEL. We all have them, areas where we have needed to change and then did it. Many times we just needed to put a new log on the fire or stir old embers to see the glow of light--just enough to start our fire again--just one spark.

Where ever you are in life, whatever is going on in your life that needs change or healing there is hope for you today. Today is a day of choice--we can choose to allow life's actions to lead us down a path that we do not like or we can choose to take persistent, personal action to execute a plan to prove the idea that there is HOPE for CHANGE based on a HOPE MODEL.
Find someones light today, a path already created for you by someone else and light your path with it--spark your journey to success. Search for new positive meaning and start learning how to adapt it. Share all of your successes so others can follow--SHARE SOME HOPE WITH SOMEONE WHO NEEDS IT TODAY. Then, pick some up for yourself along the way. Everyone has a time to give or receive--do one or both of them today and help someone get their life back--maybe yours.

You are a forward stepper.

I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,
Jeff