Fountains of Life

Fountains inspire and delight us with their beauty. Streams of glistening water particles catch the sunlight and sparkle like fine crystal. The purity and intricate design of the spray fascinates us and mesmerizes us. The fountains throughout Europe are particularly ornate and plentiful.

Fountains present an image of serenity. How much of your life resembles a fountain? Are you sitting back as a casual observer watching the hours and days shoot up as streams of potential only to fall into the pool of water at the end of the day and dissolve into oblivion? Each hour possesses its own magic potential and yet we let it slip away almost unconscious of its passing.

Each one of us receives 24 hours per day. How we manage those hours determines the results of our day and ultimately our life. We profess the goal of happiness and yet far too often we sacrifice the long term happiness by indulging in momentary pleasure. Aristotle declared that the ultimate purpose of human life was to achieve your own happiness. I agree. The pointed question is what you are willing to sacrifice right now in this moment in order to achieve long term happiness.

You hear the auto mechanic or even your doctor say “pay me now or pay me later.” Focused concentration on your goals today will require some temporary lack of fun. Nothing worthwhile is delivered to you on a golden platter. You must work for it.

Either you eat nutritious food, exercise and maintain excellent physical and mental health now or pay the penalty of enormous medical bill later. Pay now or later. Either you perform minor routine maintenance on your vehicle or pay large repair bills later.

Vehicles and health represent essential elements of life for most people, but the most important element of career is swept under the door mat. How happy are you with your career? Do you truly feel fulfilled or are you just getting through the days in exchange for a pay check, a check which probably does not even cover your basic needs.

Gaze at the fountain again, are you allowing your life to shoot up as you awaken every morning and fall into oblivion every night? Unless your thoughts, feelings and actions are aligned, your life is slipping into obscurity as the droplets of water from a fountain.

Stephen Covey said, “Be sure that, as you scramble up the ladder of success, it is leaning against the right building.” When you reach the end of your days, will you sink into the “what if I can” thoughts or the “win or lose, I reached for all of my dreams” feeling? Everyone has been given a dream. Whether or not you stuff it in a corner or fill it full of hopeful warm loving intention is totally your choice. More people regret not having even tried than pedal to the metal effort regardless of the outcome.

As we begin this New Year, new decade and new week, listen intently to your intuition, your “whispering inner voice.” Determine what is truly important to you and design a plan to bring it into reality. Dare to dream big dreams. Dare to stretch for something which makes your blood churn with a red hot heat of passionate desire.

Bring that fountain of beauty and majesty into your soul and thrill to the excitement of new challenges and new potential. Allow the particles of enthusiasm to shoot up through your heart and mind and spread out to every part of your body.

Fountains represent beauty and potential or waste. You choose one or the other every day – by design or default.

To explore your true potential and goals, join me at www.Elaine4Success.com.

Endless Possibilities

Picture a young woman caring for her niece and nephew. They drove a seriously mechanically impaired car from town to town. Even though they had very little money and were essentially homeless, they held a deep love for each other.  At the request of the children's hospitalized mother, the young woman technically kidnapped her niece and nephew to prevent them from going into foster care.  She loved them so much that she put herself at risk with the law in order to love and care for the children. Deep in her heart she knew that her love and tender care of the kids would be more beneficial to them than any foster care. Though I never advocate breaking the law, I understand her motives were pure. Of course as many Disney type stories evolve, she fell in love with the local sheriff and he fell in love with her and the kids.

The message of the story came from the sheriff speaking to Lanie, the little girl, and telling her that “anything is possible” in books. The kids had experienced such a rough life before their aunt took over to care for them that they had lost hope. Lanie no longer believed that anything good was possible. Of course, Lanie learned to read and explore the world of imagination and possibility through her books. She learned to feel the comfort of love for the first time in her young life. With love and peace in her life, she learned to believe that indeed not only good existed for her and her brother but “all things were possible.” What a beautiful gift. She learned love and hope and positive possibilities.

In this season of Thanksgiving, dwell on hope. Focus your energy on your imagination and the realization that “all things are possible.” Despite the economic situation, the political situation and even your individual financial situation, all things are possible.

First create a positive image firmly in your mind about the exact circumstances you desire for your life. The gift of dreams and imagination can never be taken away from you without your permission. No one and nothing can ever strip your dreams away from you. Within your imagination all things are possible.
Walt Disney created the entire Disney experience in his mind first. Pen did not touch paper nor does a spade touch the dirt before he visualized the complete project in his imagination. Every creation, every product, every company, and every service were once the glimmer of an idea in the imagination. Dare to dream and imagine the future you desire and deserve. Dare to touch that creative spirit within your soul which knows that all things are possible. Touch that child-like power within you which knows no limits.

Ronald Reagan spoke before Congress when he was President. Reagan reminded them that the Republic was a dream and that without dreams, the Republic would die. Our great country, United States of America, was once just a vision in the eyes and minds of our founding fathers. All things are possible in the imagination.

Tap into your dreams and goals. What dream still looms in your mind and heart? What is it that you truly, passionately desire? What is holding you back from beginning? You do not have to be good to start, but you must start in order to be good.

All things are possible in the imagination. Everything starts as an idea in the imagination. All things are possible. The key to true success and the realization of dreams and goals starts with a dream in the imagination. Unless you take action to begin the process of turning those dreams into reality, the dreams die. Don’t die with your music still in you. Dare to begin making your dreams come true.

“Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

All things are possible. Dreams and imagination produce ecstasy when placed into action.

For more inspiration, hope and the creation of possibilities, join me at www.Elaine4Success.com. Tap into your potential. Create a future you are proud to claim as your own.

Dream Stealers

Martin Luther King had a dream. A dream he expressed very passionately to everyone. What is your dream? What lights your heart, soul and mind on fire with excitement? What inspires you to bound out of bed in the morning with joy and purpose – truly anxious to take action? Deep in the very fiber of your being a fire, or maybe at this point just an ember, burns waiting for you to fan the flame. Or have you allowed someone or something to steal that dream away from you? What threatens your dreams? Low self-esteem, day to day circumstances, the people in your circle of influence, or your own lack of dedication to your dream? Focus on that vision and imagine it as a reality at this very moment. How does it feel? Savor that feeling of accomplishment and joy. Napoleon Hill reminds us “Whatever the mind of a man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

Explore, dream, question, and discover that special desire. Once you absolutely identify your dream, it is easier to determine how badly you want it and exactly what you are willing to do to achieve it. If you absolutely knew you could have anything you wanted, what would it be? Visualize yourself already possessing that goal. Most people hesitate about reaching for their dreams because they don’t know how they are going to achieve those lofty goals. Don’t settle for what you think is possible or what other people tell you that you can or should expect. Go for what you truly want. Do you believe you deserve to have it? If so, why or why not? Explore your feelings and you will determine your level of self-esteem. Your self-esteem is closely tied to your feelings of deserving to receive your dreams. Don’t give up on yourself and smother your own dreams?

Revive that fire of passion. Live that dream even if only in your imagination. Now what are you willing to do about it? Nothing great arrives without some time, effort and sacrifice. Fried chicken does not fly in the window. Dreams do not arrive fully achieved. They start with an idea, a bud, and develop into a full petaled flower. What price are you willing to pay to realize that dream? Are you willing to water and nurture and weed and tend that dream? When will you awake that goal and decide to do whatever it takes to bring it forth into reality? Start living your dream. Wayne Dyer talks about thinking from the end – seeing and feeling that dream as if it is already in existence.

We each have a special desire deep within us. Sometimes, far too often, we allow day to day circumstances to dictate mediocrity and mundane existence. Yes, we allow, our time and our days to slip by without setting aside any time to work on our dream. Set aside some golden time – time just for you. The people around us squelch our dreams by telling us we can’t have or don’t deserve or can’t afford. Remember this is not about what they want for us or for themselves. They have their own path. You have yours. Live your own life. Dream your own dreams. You are what you think. You are what you decide. Make the vision on the inside become the reality on the outside. No, not “I’ll try.” Trying is failing with honor. Don’t try – decide and achieve.

Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise,

Risking more than others think is safe,

Dreaming more than others think is practical, and

Expecting more than others think is possible.

Start and end your day with positive thoughts, gratitude and affirmations. Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams and your future. You have a responsibility to yourself. Letting circumstances or someone outside of you to steal your dreams hurts you and everyone who truly cares about you. Feel that dream. Experience how it will feel to accomplish it. Enjoy the moment in your imagination when it really comes true. Reach up on the shelf of your dream storage closet; dust off the hopes and plans you have stored away for so long. It is your dream.

Allowing something or someone outside to steal your dream is criminal but the worst tragedy is when we give up on ourselves and our dreams.

Find that ember deep inside your soul, fan the flame and bring it to a roaring inferno.

Ok, so there will be times when someone tries to pour water on your dream or there will be spring showers that dampen your dream. Stay focused on your progress and little victories along the way. Each step moves you closer to your goal. Hold that dream tenderly and protectively. Decide to keep it alive and glowing. Shelter it from the wind of daily events. Use that wind to fan the flame, not put out the fire.

It is your dream. No one has a right to steal it – not anyone around you and certainly not yourself. Don’t steal your own dream. Instead find a way to make it glow and burn for all to see. The secret of the law of attraction states that your current work is not the way to reach your largest dream. Thinking consistently and positively about them coming true; that is how dreams come true. You deserve to realize and live the fulfillment of your dream.

Always Be Growing – Reach For Your Dreams

As I open my emails this morning there is a reoccurring theme from Brian Tracy, Napoleon Hill, Bill Harris of Centerpointe, and Mike Litman. They are all speaking on courage to follow your passion. Why do so many people let their dreams wither and die? Is it fear of failure or crazy as it many seem, fear of success?

It is so easy to stay in our little comfort zone of known friends, known jobs, known neighborhood and even common complaints. Many people find it easier to complain about what they do not like about their life or situations than to actually go out and do something about improving them. Some people would rather stay with something they know, even if they don’t like it, rather than rock the boat by even considering something new.

It all comes down to what you want from your life. Would you rather be safe but miserable with the known or look for a way to make it better? You may be thinking, what gives her to right to tell me to shake up my world?

I grew up as a very poor Kansas farm girl. It would have been less effort to obey my father and stay right there on the farm. I had a dream of going to college and actually doing something with my life. Out of my graduating class only 3 of us went to college and one of those dropped out after the first year. What gave me the courage to say I deserved more? Perhaps it was my teachers. Maybe it was just aw persistent voice inside my head saying, “get out of here and go find out what you can do with your life.”

I am so very grateful that I listened. Talk about a stretch out of the comfort zone. I had not been allowed to learn to drive, had never had a job, and did not have any money. In fact, my possessions were few and not very nice at that, but I wanted more from life.

Now I am NOT recommending that anyone follow my lead and run away from home, but I am so thankful that I did stretch my limits and go for the gusto. What I learned in college has benefited me every day of my life. The classes were very intense and informative, but what I learned outside of class was even more important. I learned to not only survive but thrive. I learned how to interact with various people from many different backgrounds. I learned how to network and locate not just a job, but a good job where I learned as well as being paid.

I grew so much as a person in those three and a half years. It made such an impact on me that I held the goal of a Masters degree in the back of my mind for decades. It was actually 30 years after my Bachelors degree before I was able to go to the University of Denver and start working on my Masters degree. Once again, it was not easy. I worked until 2 pm and drove to Denver, 170 miles, once a week for 3 years to earn my Masters degrees. I went to class from 6 until 10 or 11pm and then got up at 4 and drove back to Steamboat to be in the office by 8 am to work a full day.

Was it easy or comfortable to obtain either the Bachelors or Masters degrees? NO. Was it worth it? Absolutely Yes. It meant giving up weekends and evenings to study as well but I have never regretted a minute of it. Was I scared and nervous and unsure of myself both times? Yes. Did it stop me? NO

What is it that you want very badly? Badly enough to step out of your comfort zone and reach for your dreams? You can make excuses or find a way to make it happen. Your choice.

Always Be Growing - Live Life to the Fullest

Growing means stepping out of your comfort zone and learning something new. It is not about doing something because you think you should, but genuinely because you choose to stretch and grow.

New Years Resolutions fail because people are declaring something they think they should do rather than having the passionate commitment to really make it happen. Without the passion, it is easy to give up at the first bump in the road.

Remember when you were a small child and “anything was possible.” Then we allowed life to strangle some of our dreams until they almost died. I say almost, because somewhere in the back of your mind and heart that dream still flickers. We have thrown cold water on it so many times that it may only have one ember left. If you fan the flame and believe in yourself again, that ember can become a flicker and then a full roaring flame.

Do you really want to arrive at your last days with a ton of regret? Or do you want to smile a tired but happy smile and declare “Wow, what a ride. I really gave my dreams a chance to thrive and blossom.” You never know what you can accomplish unless you give yourself a chance.

When we were young, some of us made a list of 100 things on our goal list. We wrote down the names of places we wanted to go and things we wanted to do. How many do you still have on your list? If you haven’t made that list yet, start writing or typing right NOW. Let your mind roam free and record all of your dreams and goals.

Take yourself back to that childlike “anything is possible” mindset and put your dreams on paper. Just the act of allowing yourself to dream and feel and fantasize about accomplishing them will put a smile in your heart.

Now pick out one and decide to make it come true.

Napoleon Hill wrote, “What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” You deserve to have joy and peace of mind and accomplishment in your life. Yes, YOU. You deserve to live a full rich life. Allow yourself to dream a little and picture yourself accomplishing whatever it was that you chose. Feel the feelings of accomplishing that goal. Experience the joy. It starts in your conscious mind and then your subconscious mind and then your reality. If you truly want it and believe you can have it, you will find a way to do exactly that. What could it possibly hurt to dream a little and live a little – even if it is just in your mind and imagination for now?

Grandma Moses started painting in her 70s after her hands would no longer allow her to crochet. John Glenn flew the space mission Discovery to the moon at the age of 77. Wipe that “age” excuse off the slate. Be creative. Have fun. Live life to the fullest. You deserve to be happy and fulfilled.

I am not even close to a rocking chair unless it is to rock a tiny grandchild to sleep. I love my life and I love living life to the fullest. I am still learning and growing. How about you?