Independence Day

July 4, 1776

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

The Declaration of Independence.  Can you imagine, Kelvin, how the founding fathers of our 13 original colonies must have felt, as they prepared that document to deliver to the King of England.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

These words are all we typically hear of the declaration of independence.  After this passage, the volume usually lowers on the voices, the music gets louder and we're left to "remember" (or imagine) what the rest of the document says.  I've included a link here so you can go read what the rest of it says:  http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/  Even if you're not American it's worth reading in it's entirety... at least once.

A lot has changed in the past 236 years.  We don't talk like that now. The written words have not changed, but I think some of the definitions of what was written have changed --  via usage or convention or interpretation.  So the words are pronounced the same, but they don't necessarily mean the same things they did then.  In some cases that's good, and in others... not so much. But I'm not going to debate that here.

What I do say is that this document launched our nation, and I think it's wise to reflect on who we were and what we stood for as a nation in the beginning, because all of our greatness -- and any of our shame -- is an outgrowth of this document and the way we have interpreted or re-interpreted it over the past 236 years.

In any case, I am an American, and am intensely positively proud to be an American and to celebrate our Independence Day, today. And nowhere better in the world can you master your mindset to master your life, than here.
 

Have an awesome day.

Kelvin

Step by Step

In the "dreams come true" department -- or at least the goals set and accomplished -- we have the first anniversary (we're calling it birthday) of my daily dose of positive -- Vitamin K Daily! launched on October 18th, 2010 !

A couple of years ago one of my photographer friends made a comment about my positivity on Facebook and asked "what would you charge for a daily dose of positive?" I smiled (virtually) and told her I'd let her know, at that time not really "planning" to make that happen beyond the little positive updates I made on Twitter and Facebook but the idea kept gnawing at me -- it wasn't the first time I'd gotten the question.  I fought all kinds of self-doubt thoughts: "why would people care what I had to say?" "I can't charge, there's so much out here for free;" "Wow, I couldn't think of something to say every day and what if I missed a day?"  Just because we're positive, doesn't mean we escape the self-doubt self-talk. Positive people aren't immune to negative self-talk, we're just not immobilized by it.  We acknowledge it, put it into perspective and move on because negative self talk is the smoke and mirror game of fear.

In this case I already had a couple of hundred people subscribed to my other e-writings, so I knew that people liked what I had to say.  This was just a bigger test; bigger for me, really, moreso than my readers, because THIS choice would obligate me to producing a positive piece every single day (Monday through Friday; I gave myself Saturday and Sunday off), 52 weeks a year!  With my other writings, publication had been more a whim than a schedule.  Consistency had not been one of my writing/blogging strong suits and committing to that kind of consistency, quite frankly, frightened me.

There's much more to the story, and maybe I'll vignette some the other "obstacles" later, but I'm pleased to say that I *did* lauuch Daily Dose, it was subsequently dubbed "Vitamin K" by one of my readers and great friends, and I'm pleased to say that in the past year I have not missed a single day of publication.  The technology tried very hard a couple of times to give me a reason to fail, but I didn't take the out. Once, my computer crashed so I typed the daily message on my iPhone and uploaded it that way. so it would launch on time."

So step by step -- in this case, day by day -- goals get accomplished. Break it down into smaller pieces and handle them one at a time. Know what the big picture looks like, but concentrate on placing the puzzle pieces one at a time and the picture will gradually materialize.

Now for the next year!  Incidentally, Daily Dose is only $24.95 a year.  That's only 9.5 cents a day for a better attitude. The accolades I've been getting... daily... tell me it's worth it.  What is YOUR attitude worth?

Have a beautiful day!
Kelvin
http://www.vitaminkdaily.com

I Think the iPad is Changing My Life

iPAD

It's bizarre.  When the iPad first came out, I was one of THE most adamant "that's ridiculous" skeptics out there. That whole tablet thing just smacked of commercial b.s. for hard core gadgeteers... techno-freaks. And the money... for "that?"  Oh my gosh, how ridiculous !

That was then -- before so many of my photographer colleagues had them and told me the incredible things they were doing with them; the energy saving, productivity boosting things they were accomplishing. That was before I went to a two-day photo workshop by my friend Tasha Prescott and watched her run the whole thing from her iPad, interfacing with her mac and that big screen TV, running slide shows from the iPad wirelessly and seamlessly.  That was before I saw how perfect those apps were for niche tasks... and all the things the iPad could do with the apps -- thousands and thousands -- developed for it. THAT was before I held one in my hands... where upon I promptly lost the "that's ridiculous" battle and started drooling uncontrollably.  Luckily, another photographer friend told me about price reduced, refurbished units (generation 1) I could get from the Apple Store at the time (just after the iPad 2 came out).

No one has ever accused me of being an early adopter, but once I'm sold, I'm a heck of an evangelist, and I am absolutely sold on the iPad. Now wondering... how did I ever get along in life without it. I SHOULD have known, since the iPhone -- when I got my 3G just after the iPhone 4 came out -- was the first cell phone I'd owned in 10 years where I didn't want to take it back to the store (or throw it against a hard surface) within 24 hours of getting it fully charged.  The iPhone just worked "as advertised." At this point Apple could sell me just about anything because they make good on their promise. Period.

But enough hyperbole (that's for my friend Mitch).  The iPad for me is a great mix of technology, ingenuity and selective focus, not to mention it's just plain beautiful. It's about as comfortable to take around as a pad of paper.I'll sit up and browse the news sitting on my couch, watching tv and get informed.  That's big for me, since I don't watch the news. But I can pick a specific app that does exactly what I want it to do -- and that's all it does -- and it makes it easy. It makes so many things pleasant. And you might say, "but Kelvin, you could do that with a laptop..."  No you can't. Comparatively, the laptop is big and bulky, inconvenient and SLOW.  When I want news, "touch" and it's there --NOW.  A dedicated, specialized app for nearly any purpose. Browse the web, see something, print to my wireless printer from the iPad.  Snap!  Done. On the PC, it took 15 minutes to install that printer software, and program it, and set it up to wireless operation.  iPad app, downloaded in about 30 seconds for that manufacturer.  Tap the app, it FOUND the printer in about 10 seconds, and when I hit print, it printed. No muss; no fuss.

AND NOW... with the upcoming iOS 5, Apple is making the iPad completely self sufficient via the cloud and I won't even need to hook it up to iTunes to sync it? That's just too slick for words, and I don't even NEED the other 200+ enhancements.


So the iPad is changing my life. It's making cumbersome things easy, tedious things fun and it replaces my computer for about 80% of the things I use a computer for, and let's me do them with the ease and comfort of flipping through a magazine. And I'm reading this on the iPad that I said I'd never do -- like news (ugh) but only in small doses (see 6 Steps to Being Positive) It just makes it easy.

But that's me. Unless I need to do some heavy duty writing (like this blog post) when I want a full sized keyboard, or I'm editting images from a photo shoot and need the disk storage space for the images and the power to run a program suite like Photoshop and related programs, the iPad lets me do my other stuff -- quick stuff -- quickly, and simply, and conveniently.  And that's all I have to say about that (sorry, Forrest.)

Have an awesome day.

Kelvin

Point to Ponder

Most people have dozens of reasons to fail; when all they need is ONE good reason... to succeed.

I know Christmas is over, but...

Many years ago when he was very young, my baby boy, Michael, was wrapping a Christmas gift for someone. At his (then) tender age, he considered it an expression of himself to "artistically" wad the wrapping paper around the gift, put a little tape and a ribbon on it, and call it a day.

Because I knew who's gift he was wrapping, I suggested to him that he might take a little more care in wrapping it, because if he were receiving a gift from that person, it would be lovingly and meticulously wrapped, and presented to him as a near work of art, and tried to impress upon him that sometimes the care and affection we put into something isn't to necessarily reflect our own desires, but rather to somehow recognize and show our appreciation for the love or care the other person would have put in it for us.

Pictured here is beautiful decoration for my tree, given to me by a loving friend who doesn't celebrate Christmas (at least, not usually) but because of our friendship, sent it to honor our friendship and my celebration.

It means a lot to me, on so many levels, and is one of the purist offerings of affection and appreciation I've ever received. 

To my friend, thank you for your affection and friendship.  I know you didn't expect any such recognition, but I wanted you to know how deeply appreciative I am of your gift, and that I will treasure you -- and it -- for all time.  May your upcoming year be as beautiful and kind and loving...as you are.

And that acknowledges -- in book --  yet another  Christmas Miracle.
 

Good day, my friends,
Kelvin

A Poem for 2011

Greetings, my friends!
This went to my Vitamin K subscribers this morning.  I got such great feedback from it, that I decided to share it with the world!  Enjoy it, send it to your friends, put it on your walls and wallpaper and the inside of your notebooks and planners, but whatever you do... take action ;)

Happy New Year!

 

The New Year's here!

The cards are stacked

2-0-1-1 is clearly packed

With opportunities galore

To win, to rise, and even SOAR!

 

What is the goal, fixed in your gaze

It cannot be obscured by haze.

Must know, for sure, without a doubt

Then walk by faith, within...without

 

Toward the dream that is your goal

That fires the embers in your soul

It might take WORK--but that's okay

That makes the victory sweeter - yay!

 

Just plan your work, then work your plan

The map will change as you cross the land

But later when the journey's done

You'll think that trip was so much fun. 

 

Go ahead and ROCK 2011 -- I'll be cheering for you all the way.

------------------

 

Note:  Final chance for free subscription to "Vitamin K"

http://forms.aweber.com/form/81/232897381.htm 

Offer Ends: Friday, 1/7/2011

6 Days Before Christmas and...

Six days before Christmas and all through the house...LOL. Fooled you -- no poem.  Maybe next time. But a couple of days ago I published a Vitamin K (Daily Dose of Positive )-- and wished everyone a relaxed, stress-free weekend. One of my friends (you know who you are) wrote me back and said, "Relaxed? Stress-free? It's 7 days before Christmas; are you daft?"  Hmmm.  Well, first I had to look that up (sometimes it's the little words that get you).  Definitions were: senseless, stupid, or foolish, insane; crazy, merry; playful; frolicsome." And my answer is YES! All of the above :-), but NOT stressed!  And perhaps not stressed for the first time in my life, at the this time of the year; but for whatever reason, I'm not.  

Perhaps it's the retired status, or perhaps it's just my awareness that I can only do what I can do.  Then again, perhaps it's because this year I'm not so concerned about other people's expectations and more focused on my piece of mine (<-- that was for my friend Mitch. He likes to catch my mistakes. Make that "peace of mind.")

But, we're smack dab in the middle of THE season of peace, tranquility, love, appreciation, gratitude and good will for all mankind. Somehow, "stress" just seems so out of place.  Perhaps I am just fortunate not to be living a stressful life right now, or perhaps... I've just chosen to be stress free. Don't get me wrong... I KNOW there are people in the world who are deluged in stressful, painful situations right now and they can't be totally stress-free life at present, but for most of us... most of the people I know... the stress is optional... but for the "things" we're focusing on, and the meaning we are voluntarily assigning to those things. LOTS of people are giving gifts this season that are attached to so much stress they can hardly see.  But, I'd like to suggest that... no matter what you BUY this Christmas... that the gifts you GIVE are love.. warmth... appreciation... gratitude... and acceptance.  Those will go further than the material thing(s) you attach to them, and I guarantee you'll feel better about you.

Incidentally, you also need to give yourself the gifts of love, gratitude and acceptance; because despite what most marketers and some of your acquaintances might tell you... you're okay. Even precious diamonds have imperfections. Then again, it is we who define imperfect...  And if you're having some challenges with that... perhaps you might enroll in my Daily Dose of Vitamin K. We cover those points often. It was planned  to be on sale now, but it's not yet... so take advantage of it for now and we'll just call it my Christmas gift to you (and anyone you pass that link onto between now and when I finally get the sale page online.) You can check out a few comments here. And who knows, maybe by the time you get there...there will be a few more.

So that's it, my friends. I wish for you a stress-free holiday season; focused on the things that really matter, as you give the gifts of  love, gratitude and acceptance... regardless of what "physical" gifts you attach to them.

Have a beautiful week.  And incidentally... there's an excellent video on Mitch's blog that it would be good for everyone to see, this time of year especially. So if you didn't click it, go ahead and click on his name / link and watch it. Take a stress-free 16 minutes and check it out.


Love and Light to you ;-)
Kelvin

The Trouble Tree

Here's a nice little story that was passed to me.  I do not know who the original author is, but I like what it has to say. Enjoy it.
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I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse. After he finished a rough first day on the job, a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric drill quit and his ancient one ton truck refused to start.

While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches
with both hands.  When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation. His face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.

'Oh, that's my trouble tree,' he replied 'I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, those troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of them. Then in the morning I pick them up again.' 'Funny thing is,' he smiled,' when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before'.
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We should all have our own Trouble Tree. Sometimes, just laying our troubles down to tend to themselves for a while, or just putting some distance and breathing room between us and them, they'll seem lighter when we  go pick the up next time. Sometimes our perspective changes, sometimes -- after a good night's sleep -- we just start to realize that mountain wasn't as high as we thought it was.

However you practice it... every now and then... just hang your troubles up and forget them. Pick them back up in the morning.

Have an awesome day.

Kelvin

It's What's Inside!

Recently, I spent over 13 hours with Dr. Wayne Dyer -- not in person, but it may as well have been. Mother's Day weekend, I drove the 13+ hours round trip to visit my mom in Maryland, and stayed to celebrate my oldest sister's birthday on Monday, and my mom's 82nd birthday on Tuesday. On the drive I listened to Dr. Dyer's The Secrets to Manifesting Your Destiny CD set.

A lot of things caught my attention, but one of the 9 steps he spoke of was developing unconditional love, and after listening to him, I conclude that very few people on the planet are really acquainted with unconditional love -- on either the giving or receiving end. I consider myself to be a very loving person... but I discovered I've got some distance to travel.

He used the metaphor of a simple orange: "When you squeeze an orange, what happens?" You get orange juice.  If you squeeze it hard or soft or with various instruments or devices, does it change?" No; you still get orange juice.  "How about if it's hot or if it's cold when you squeeze it?" No difference... it's always orange juice. "Okay, but I squeeze if versus YOU squeezing it, what then?"  You still get orange juice, because that's what's inside.

So it is, he explained, with unconditional love. Unconditional love exists without condition, or return, and is independent of life's circumstances. If you're the orange and someone squeezes you in a negative way, what comes out of you? If someone we're dealing with is kind to us it's easy to love, but when they're not... does our orange juice turn sour?

When life squeezes us, what comes out? Hate, anger, distrust?  Doubt, fear, uncertainty? Whatever is inside of us at the core -- at least me -- is what comes out when we get squeezed and as nice as I (think I) am, some days I'm much better than others. If we need some role models, Dr. Dyer presented some powerful examples of people who -- when squeezed hardest -- their unconditional love came out: Jesus, Ghandi, Buddha, Mother Teresa... and more.

And insofar as our destiny is concerned... the point he was made was that these negative emotions and feelings -- this orange juice -- sets up a vibration that blocks the abundance and good fortune we seek in our lives, and as the law of attraction goes, we attract what we focus on and have the most energy / emotion for.

What is coming into your life right now? Whatever it is, is being brought to you by your thoughts and your emotions and by what's inside.  If you're happy with that, you're in good shape. If you're not... maybe some introspection is in order.

The quality of my orange juice isn't as consistent as I'd like it to be, so I'll be working on me even more. I'm a work in progress -- so, don't squeeze me too hard just yet.

Have an awesome day.

Kelvin

In this groundbreaking audio program there’s an amazing, ancient 20-minute technique that will enable you to create anything you want in life, whether it’s love, money, improved health, a better job, or anything else you want or need.

A Gift for You for 2010

This morning, I woke up at about 7:30.  Typically, I roll over, look at the clock, take a deep breath, then get up and start doing something -- coffee, turn on the laptop, walk around the house and find my planner so I can plot my day, kick the cat (just kidding; I don't have any animals -- not even a mouse; yay!).... just something besides waste time laying in bed. This morning was different.

This morning, I looked at the clock, took a deep, leisurely breath, turned back over, laid there, quiet, cozy and relaxed. As I did, I noticed the warmth of my bed (I'm probably the last remaining human on the planet with a heated waterbed) while I listened to the quiet of my house. Sometimes "quiet" has character.  I noticed that I was breathing slowly and deeply; and I felt my heart beating, strong but quiet. Then I noticed that I wiggled my toes, and I tuned into that feeling; and felt the blood moving through my system. I felt the texture of the covers on my skin and listened to the soft, rustling sound they made when I moved under them.

I opened my eyes and looked around my room and became aware that I could see things. [Normally we just "see" things, but we really don't take an active appreciation of the process.] The light through my bedroom windows had "life" and substance, and weight, and I contemplated the wonder of eyesight and how that all worked, and considered what magic really happens in my mind and body that allows me to feel the textures of those covers over me.

Minutes later, the quiet, muffled sounds of street activity seeped through the walls and floated into my consciousness as I heard -- actually felt -- the low vibrations of the distant vehicles driving down my street. Still noticing my breathing, and the textures on my skin, and my skin itself, I enjoyed the awareness that I was alive -- smiling with each new revelation. Was this meditation? or just relaxation? or what ?

Altogether, I laid there for about 10 minutes -- maybe fifteen -- then got up, and headed for the kitchen to make coffee. I made an aromatic pot of freshly ground "Vermont Maple Nut Crunch". I realized tonight -- as I was cleaning up my kitchen -- that the pot was still FULL. After all that, I didn't pour a single cup. That's how relaxed I was when I got up. I forgot I wanted coffee!!

I know what you're thinking... but there was no alcohol or foreign substance of any kind :) involved -- I just turned my attention inward and focused on "me" with new awareness.  Marcel Proust said, "The real voyage of discovery lies not in seeking new landscapes but in seeing with new eyes."

We are often taught, in our society, that it is improper to turn our attention to ourselves. We are taught that turning attention to ourselves is SELFISH. I submit that that concept is in error. I submit that we NEED to turn some of our attention -- and sometimes ALL of our attention -- inward, to ourselves, in the manner I've described here, so that we can realize what truly magnificent creatures we are -- YOU are.  Even the most "messed up" of us.  If we spend more time tuning in to the miracle of us, many of our self-image issues will disappear; and this year, I PLAN to spend some time pointing out the miracle of you and helping that happen.  But not now -- this post is already longer than I intended, so we'll have to wait until I write more, to hear more.

In the meantime, here is a gift you can give to yourself for 2010: WAKE UP, Slow Down, and TUNE In... to the miracle you are, and see yourself with new eyes.

That's it for now.  Have an awesome day.

Kelvin

Where Seldom Is Heard...

It's December 27th, and I'm reflecting over my year.  2009 has been an incredible year for me. It was a record year for accomplishing goals, some of which I'll detail in my next Ramblings. 2009 has also been a year of self-discovery, of awakenings and realizations regarding myself and life in general. I took some major steps this year, some of which I wasn't sure in 2008 that I would actually take, but having done so I've been richly rewarded, not necessarily with money, but with peace of mind and contentment. I wish for you the kind of peace and contentment that I feel in my life, right now.

Being content... is not to say that I'm done :-)  In my favorite book, Illusions, a passage reads, "Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't."  And, I am s-o-o-o alive :-) and ready to face 2010 with unprecedented faith, appreciation, and expectation.  Being content is also not to say that I've encountered no negative in my life. There has definitely been negative in my life, but I've learned to notice and acknowledge negative, deal with what I need to deal with, then move past it, just like we move past a traffic accident. But our major focus must remain on our destination, and at the end of every day, what's foremost in my mind are the positives and empowering events I've encountered, while the "other ones" fall quietly by the way side and give way to my gratitude list.

In the enlightenment category, 2009 has also been a year of forgiveness. I discovered I was holding on to negative feelings for a couple of people and situations in my life -- past and current.  With the help of some excellent coaches and friends, I was able to release those feelings and free myself from that huge energy drain, because it takes a significant amount of energy to feed a negative thought process; and if you examine it, you'll find that you are constantly feeding it to keep it alive. And in THAT process, one of the most important people I ended up forgiving was ME! and that was an emotional and enlightening experience.

So as you wind down your 2009, I encourage you to think about and incorporate these important things into your life:

1.  DEVELOP AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE!  If you've made it to the end of a day, there is SOMETHING there you can be grateful for.  CHOOSE to be grateful for the small things; a smile given, a near miss, each and every pain-free breathe you take, any kind word received, the car you drive, the cardboard box you don't have to live in because you have a house. If you can't think of something, write me and I'll give you some suggestions ;)

2.  BECOME YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND. Be good to you!  Society tries real hard to convince us that we shouldn't like or appreciate ourselves.  The truth is that we MUST like, love and appreciate ourselves, or we have nothing to give to anyone else.  If you do not value yourself, your intelligence, your generosity, your abilities and talents, your good nature, your warm hand or whatever it is, how can you give away something that your don't value?  If you don't love yourself, how can you give love you don't have?  Be good to you. 

3. LET IT GO -- let go of those negative feelings you're holding onto.  Forgive whoever it is for whatever it is.  When you hold that grudge, you're only really hurting yourself. You are feeding those feelings with life energy you need to sustain yourself and your well-being.  Let it go.

4. FORGIVE YOURSELF.  Go back through your mind and look for those things that you haven't let yourself off the hook for.  Go long -- some of these things you could be holding onto since childhood.  Forgive yourself and give yourself permission to move on, make amends and corrections.

5.  PLAN FOR A BRIGHT FUTURE. Focus pocus! Your energy flows where your focus goes.  I don't know who said that first, but it is true, and it is the law of attraction. If you focus on lack, you will have more lack.  If you focus o turmoil, you will hve more turmoil. If you focus on a BRIGHT FUTURE, you will move toward a brighter future.

6.  FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER!  I know; this one seems egotistical, right?  If you think so... refer to #2 above.  I'm not saying it to be egotistical; it's the feedback I get from many people on Twitter.  Positive, Upbeat, Motivational and Uplifting <-- that's me.  If you need some of that? follow me.  I was once dubbed "The Prince of Positive :-)"  Where seldom is heard ...a discouraging word!  LOL. I like it. 

So that's my 2009 wrap-up. But sign up at http://ramblings.ringold.net/ for my Ramblings Gold Edition so you don't miss my annual cheery, upbeat, challenging beginning of year, Goal Setting issue.

As always, thanks for listening.  BTW, you can sign up to receive these in your e-mail box using the sign up form on the right. 

Take care and have an AWESOME day.

Kelvin

When the student is ready...

On October 5th, 2005, I attended a leadership seminar at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY, where I was an administrative assistant. The speaker was Bob Danzig, former CEO of the Hearst Newspaper empire -- quite an accomplishment for a kid that spent his early years bouncing from foster home to foster home.

Bob was soft-spoken and personable, and as people sauntered into the auditorium and took their seats, he walked around the room and met each one; shook their hand warmly, shared a smile and had a moment's conversation, until attendees were coming too quickly to continue. Later in his presentation he called several of those people by name.

Quietly but passionately, he spoke of leadership, of being a foster child, and how he rose to the pinnacle he had achieved, and he left us with a message: "You are full of promise !"

Somehow I won a CD set that day called "You Are Full of Promise - Life Lessons from Leaders" which I took home and put away to listen to later. "Later" turned out to be nearly 4 years later on August 23, 2009, just 5 days before I was to retire from my day job at SUNY. I was driving to Rochester for my 2 year old niece's birthday party (she's not really my niece, but my good friends Hai and Karen Tran let me be uncle Kelvin) I wanted some different music than was in my car so I looked through my collection and the CD set I received 4 years prior kind of fell into my hands. I decided it was a good time to listen to it, on my 2+ hour round trip to Rochester.

An incredible message -- the perfect message I needed to hear just 5 days before I struck out on my on. I remembered why I was moved when I first heard him, and his words managed to touch me deeply as I listened to that CD all the way there, and all the way back. So touched was I, that I emailed him when I returned home... late on a Sunday night, to tell him what effect his words had on me that day. To my great surprise... he wrote me back. I could hear his voice in his typed words as clearly as if he was sitting beside me, and somehow I was absolutely certain that he remembered me from that auditorium 4 years ago, and had been waiting for me to write.

I tell you this story, because I have come to believe -- or perhaps, to realize-- that there are no coincidences in life. Part of my note to him read, "Maybe it wasn't until today that I truly needed to hear the message you had to share..." and truly had I listened to that CD when I got it, it would not have had the same meaning, and would not have had the same effect. There's even more to the story, but that is for another place and time.

Right now, however, I'd really like to recommend this CD to you. If you are a leader, or you aspire to be a leader, I believe this CD is something you NEED to hear, and I defy you to listen to it and not be moved. You Are FULL of Promise -- near the bottom of the page. $15.95 including shipping.

Here's something you need to know:

• this is NOT an affiliate program, and I receive zero benefit -- other than feeling good -- if you buy the CD or any other product on his site
  
• all proceeds from the sale of any of his products go to support one of two charity causes -- click this link if you'd like to know what they are.

I try not to recommend a lot of things, but in my opinion, this CD is a must-have if you seek to lead. This CD set does not motivate. This CD set INSPIRES. It inspired me, and if you are -- or aspire to be -- a leader, it will inspire you; because you, too, are full of promise.

Have an excellent day.

Kelvin

Prime the Pump

When I was child -- until I was 10, I think -- in the summer we used to go stay with my grandparents "in the country." Mom-mom and pop-pop lived on a farm, raised hogs and chickens, and all that. The house they lived in was in the middle of great fields, and each year there was a different crop. My grandfather drove a tractor -- or a combine or whatever he needed to -- to help harvest whatever crop was planted.

It was kind of fun, most years. Back then, we kids didn't realize it was WORK going out in the fields to pick baskets of peas or corn or potatoes to bring back to the house for my grandmother to cook. We were under the impression that we were having FUN! We didn't even realize we were getting exercise running through those fields, we thought we were playing :-) It's amazing changing how you look at something, changes how you feel about it. So we played, and had fun, and ate really well, and slept very peacefully each night.

But back then, the farm house -- 1960 or so -- had no running water, per se, but out on the back porch, there was a hand pump, so whenever we needed water, we went "out back" to pump it. But sometimes when we got there, the pump would be dry and nothing would come out, so we'd have to prime the pump. This meant taking some of the water we had left, and pouring it into the top of the pump while we kept pushing the handle. That created a seal around the plunger, which created suction, to pull the water up through the pipe from the well, and we'd pump as much as we needed for the day, or the morning, and life was good.

Later, if we needed more water, we'd go back out and pump more. If it was dry again, we'd prime the pump again to get what we needed (laundry day was another FUN day, as we kids got to pump all that water and still didn't realize it was work! Perspective!)

Did you ever go to tackle a new task or project, and your pump was dry? You just didn't have the energy, or confidence, or maybe even the strength... but somewhere along the line you got what you needed and you made it happen and ended up feeling great about it. All you did, was "prime the pump" and got your energy moving. That's what winners do! Winners constantly prime the pump.

NEW project, BIG project, short deadlines, and you don't know how you're going to do it. The pump is dry! But you know you've done this kind of thing before, so you reach back into your memory and grab some mental water, and your start pouring it into your pump. You think about how savvy you were on the last project you thought you wouldn't get through. You realize that you'll need those same skills and talents for this one, and you pump that handle. You remember how you broke the problem down into pieces and took it step by step and you pump that handle. You recollect the people you called, the resources you're privy too, you keep that going until you remember that victorious feeling you had when you finally got it done, even though you originally thought you wouldn't be able to handle it, and when you get to the point where you are replaying the victory... the pump is primed, the water is flowing and completion is a done deal. At that point you've already won "in your mind" and that's where the real victory takes place! Everything after that is just process. "If you can see it, you can be it "(Craig Valentine)

If you don't remember your last victory, then pre-member your next one :-) Of course you have victories! You couldn't be reading this if you didn't. Replay your past victories and, as TonyRobbins says, put yourself in that winning "state", that state of empowerment. Recount the tools, resources, and processes you used to win last time, take a deep breath, hit replay and step boldly into your next victory. You've already won.

Listen carefully. Can you hear that? Yes...? Sounds a lot like the theme to Rocky, doesn't it? Prime your pump, and go get 'em, champ.

Have an awesome day.

Kelvin

Who's Your Competiton?

I'm talking "personal" competition.

Are you competing with the person down the street or "over there", so you can have what they have?

Or are you competing with you, because you know you can better and are capable of more...

If it's the first, I bet you have headaches...

Kelvin

I Reserve the Right... To Change

This morning, I had breakfast with my friend Josh Shear (@josh_shear on Twitter). Josh is exceptionally well read and informed, has great insights, and we always have great conversations. Plus, he's a bit direct, so when he has something to say he tends to get to the point without a lot of fanfare.

For example, I noticed a couple of guitar cases in the corner of his living room, and I made an exceptionally astute observation, "Hey, Josh; you've got TWO guitar cases." Josh, in his Josh-like manner, said "Ya got two guitars, they won't fit into one case." That kind of direct (I smiled.).

When I walked into his kitchen, I was greeted by some very appetizing aromas. He'd prepared an excellent breakfast, timed to serve as soon as I arrived, so after some pleasantries he delivered this feast to the table and we chatted and consumed. I drank the lion's share of his double-brewed coffee, then after clearing away the breakfast dishes, we retired to his living room to finish catching up.

Having been duly informed regarding guitars, cases and the limitations of time and space, I asked whether he played guitar in any of the local establishments, and he said no. "I had a CD in 2003... sold them all and just have a few left." I held out my hand expectantly, saying, "well...what's up? I don't have one" and waiting for him to give up the bounty, and he stated quite matter-of-factly, "No."

"... that music is no longer representative of who I am."

I was stunned! but not for the apparent reason. I was not stunned that he said "No." I was stunned by the elegant simplicity of his statement!

How many people are TIED to an identity that no longer reflects who they are? TRAPPED inside identities they feel they cannot change? How many people do you know who are stuck in "that's just the way I am; I can't change it" or "people know me; this is what they expect of me..." How many people are saddled with an identity that is "no longer representative" of who they are -- or more importantly, who they want to be? Are you?

If you are, perhaps this is your own personal independence day. Anthony Robbins says, "the past does not equal the future." Who you were is not who you have to be!

So, repeat after me:

• "I reserve the right to change."
• "I reserve the right" to NOT be the person I was years ago.
• "I reserve the right" to be someone other than the person you thought I was back then.
• "I reserve the right" to become different, stronger, learn more, grow more, and get better.
• "I reserve the right" to leave behind an identity that does not empower me.
• Dear self: I am not that old self-limiting person I used to be. That image of me is no longer representative of who I am."

What a powerful, incredibly freeing concept. The next time you start to doubt yourself or feel a pull to do something that's not you anymore, go to your mirror and look into your own eyes and say, "I'm not that person! That stuff is no longer representative of who I am." Then pat yourself on the back for noticing ;-)

That's your first step. Stayed tuned for more.

Have an awesome day.

Kelvin

It's Your Attitude, You Know

I had a meeting today. I hate (most) meetings, and this one in particular, because 99% of the time (I feel) it has no relevance to me. Worse, I had to walk 10 to 15 minutes, in the Syracuse c-c-cold, to get there!

So I got my grumpy self up (as grumpy as I get, at least) from my desk, donned my coat, hat and gloves, and headed out. It was cold so I walked briskly -- picked up the pace. Crossing the street, dodging cars, walking fast, up the hill, jump over that pothole... when I noticed that I was humming a catchy little tune, thinking pleasant thoughts and... and... enjoying the walk -- cold and all! I laughed at myself.

My morning would have been much more pleasant if I had chosen that attitude -- instead of the one I did. You might say, "but you didn't choose" the attitude, but in fact... I did. I didn't want to go to the meeting, I intentionally adopted that attitude, that mind set, and then I fed it... kept reinforcing the feeling, telling myself how much I hated meetings and how silly it was and staying annoyed. Then, during the walk I got side-tracked and forgot to feed it and my natural (habitual) mind set took over and there I was... happy, enjoying the walk and the exercise, the brisk winter air and the beaming sunshine.

Be aware of the attitude you choose, and be aware of what you tell yourself to feed it and keep it going! If you're angry over something, listen to your self talk and see if you're not continually feeding that anger. If you've been sad about something for a while, listen to your inner conversation and you'll discover that you're constantly telling yourself how sad you are and why, and how "whatever your circumstance" is unfair and ... actively blocking any thoughts to the contrary, because... that attitude must be feed, to live.

So, take control of your mind ! It's your attitude -- choose one that's better for you, and and feed that one!

Let me know how you do.

Kelvin

Theory Versus Reality

I received an email, recently, from Nightingale Conant. It read -- in part -- like this:

Well said, Yogi. There are two versions of you that exist.

There’s the “theoretical you” that exists somewhere between your wants and desires and your worthwhile intentions. Perhaps that part of you got up at five this morning and ran six miles or got to work an hour early or made a five-course dinner for your family last night.

Then there’s the “real you.” The one people see every day. The one that produces real results.

Your best advice to improve your life: Introduce the “real you” to the “theoretical you.” The more you learn from each other, the further in life you’ll go.

Good advice, don't you think?

The Pursuit of Happiness

When we're running the race to be successful, sometimes we get so wrapped up in the pursuit that we forget about the happiness part. It has been said that happiness is not the destination; happiness is the journey. The journey should leave us energized, invigorated and excited about life and it's possibilities.

If your journey (pursuit) is leaving you drained and unhappy and unpleasant to be around... something is out of whack. Maybe your goals, maybe your "why", maybe your expectations, or your balance. Or maybe you're just running so hard that you forget that every once in a while your batteries need re-charging.

Take a day off from the pursuit; take an intentional moment to sit and relax, concentrate on and enjoy the parts of your life that are good. Get back in touch with -- appreciate and be grateful for -- the good and positive things, people and circumstances that already exist in your world. Take a day to enjoy your existing happiness... then get back to the pursuit "tomorrow."

It will be a good thing. Trust me.

Kelvin

Born Leader... or not?

Born Leaders! They're out there, you know. We all know one -- resourceful, likeable, everything they touch turns to gold! Always on top of things, nothing ever phases them, nothing is ever a problem, nothing ever stands in the way of them winning; the epitome of "rags to riches" and "lemons to lemonade."

But, not all of us are so empowered, and if we happen to have that kind of success in one area of our life, we wonder why we don't have the same kind of success in the other areas of our life -- at least I do. How do I get off "pause" and press "play", and make my life work the way I want it to ?

A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled across something called ThinkTQ. It was an AdSense ad, really, on my friend Mitch's site. I don't remember why I went there, and have no idea why I clicked on the link -- I'm not a clicker. Yet, I clicked, and once I was there I became intrigued... then engrossed.

I've studied lots of success programs, read lots of books, listened to lots of tapes, yet somehow this one was different. It struck a different chord. Intentional Excellence! they call it, and they have a daily Lesson in Excellence - FREE. Intriguing. Not just a "motivational quote" but a complete daily lesson... with tips on how to make a difference "now." I don't know if it will have the same effect on you, but the first person I shared it with also became intrigued... then engrossed... then energized!

SO... I'm passing it on. I liked it so much that I incorporated their Daily Lesson in Excellence on my web site, and subscribed to their daily TQ.

So, if there's someplace you want to go, and you just can't quite seem to get there, but you really want to get off pause and get to "play", check it out. I'm not telling you to buy anything, I just want you to look around, kick the tires a bit. Check out the free stuff, the tests, read what they're all about... see how much you know about yourself.

I'm betting that you'll feel this is "something different." If you do, let me know.

ThinkTQ!

Kelvin

All that from making a cup of tea...

I had a visitor this weekend who "taught" me something (speaking of the boxes we operate within...) and they don't even know it. My friend wanted some very hot water for her tea, so she got one of my pans, put water in it. placed it on the stove, then turned the burner (electric) up on VERY HIGH, and in short order -- seemed like just a few seconds, really -- the water was boiling feverishly and begging for attention.

In all the years I've used that stove to heat things up, it never dawned on me to turn the burner up on HIGH or VERY HIGH to heat it up quickly, then re-adjust the heat to the "operating" temperature I needed. I've always just turned it to medium and waited... and waited... and waited... until it crawled it's way up to where I needed the temperature to be.

Do you realize how much time I've wasted standing in front of that stove waiting for a pan of *something* to boil, or get hot... just using medium heat? (sigh)

I'm looking at other areas of my life, and realizing that I'm using just medium heat and waiting for something to happen when what I really need to do is turn it up on high and get it heated up quick... Then I can adjust my effort back down to where I need it to be to sustain it and keep it going.

Wow. Definitely a V-8 moment. And all that from just making a cup of tea.

Kelvin