The Path to Perfection

I don't know if anyone still follows this blog seeing as how I haven't posted in over 15 months, but my wife and I had some interesting thoughts and insights into the topic of New Year's Resolutions and I wanted to share them with any that may stumble back this way.

I don’t know if you are into setting resolutions or not. I know many people have given up on the practice due to past frustrations. Personally, I believe they are an important practice due to the commandment the Savior gave us when he said: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). The thought of even attempting to be perfect can be an overwhelming one, but the translation of the Greek word for perfect means “complete, finished, fully developed.” To me, that means we should do our best to become the best person we can be; our version of perfect. How then can we become perfect, or more like our Heavenly Father except by continually setting and working towards resolutions or goals that can help us become so?

As I was thinking about making resolutions, I realized it is very much like the conversion process of faith, repentance, baptism and enduring to the end.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said "Faith is for the future. Faith builds on the past but never longs to stay there. Faith trusts that God has great things in store for each of us and that Christ truly is the 'high priest of good things to come' (Hebrews 9:11)." (The best Is Yet to Be, Ensign, January 2010) So to me, faith is the forward-looking principle that we can be and do better than we have been or done in the past.

Repentance is the change of heart we must experience to let go of our poor habits in order to replace them with better, more Christ-like habits that will serve and strengthen us.

Baptism is making a commitment to a new life. As you are buried in the water, you bury the old you and all the sins you have committed. When you rise up out of the water, you come up a new person committed to living the commandments and following the Savior. Like baptism, setting a resolution is burying the old you of yester-year and committing to arise a new and better person in the New Year.

Enduring to the end is pretty self-explanatory. Just like living the gospel is full of challenges and temptations, so is living your new resolution. It will take daily discipline, and, more than likely, frequent repentance at first as you work to continually improve until your resolution has become a habit; a new way of life. Jim Rohn taught that there are two kinds of pain: discipline and regret. The difference between the two is that discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons. Don’t get discouraged and hang in there when times get tough and you will overcome in the end.

Each week we take the sacrament to renew our baptismal covenants. By doing so we are reminded of the commitment that we have made to follow the Savior and to keep his commandments. I recommend that you read your resolutions on a weekly, if not daily, basis and renew your commitment to them. This will help you to always remember them and stay true to them when you face the daily decisions of life.

Gordon B. Hinckley issued the challenge when he said: "This is a time to make resolutions that will be binding upon you." I hope everyone who reads this will take up the challenge to make 2012 their best year yet by setting resolutions that they are committed to that will help them be better and do better than they have ever done before. I wish you the best in this New Year!

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For more tips on how to make and keep your New Year's Resolutions, I invite you to visit The Millionaire Marathon blog and read the Celebrate 2008 blog series.

A Little Weirdness...

I was feeling a little weird this morning so I decided to do a search for weird quotes. This is what came back. Enjoy!



“It’s a secret, religious, weird, ceremonial rite of passage for girls that women know. Hopscotch, it was bizarre for boys, ‘cause they never played it, and as a boy, I was behind walls, going, “What- what happened? What did they do? What do they do here?” And they had a track laid out with numbers, mystic numbers- 1, 5… 7, 8, you know… A bit of a broken doll there, some girl keeping lookout with a skipping rope…”
~ Eddie Izzard




“I'm feeling so good. I feel like a million bucks. I'm focused, I'm alert, I'm zippy and top of my game.. I've never felt better! I'm sharp as a tack right now. And what's weird is that I didn't get a good nights sleep last night. And they say that's the most important thing..Or is it breakfast they said?..That's the most important meal of the day, breakfast...yes. And then it's 'i' before 'e' I know that..Um.. diamonds are a girl's best friend. Dog is a man's best friend.. What was I talking about?..Oh that's right, that I feel great and I'm at the top of my game. And it's odd because I didn't get hardly any sleep last night. And, they say that's the most important thing.”
~ Ellen DeGeneres




“We could learn a lot from crayons; some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others bright, some have weird names, but they all have learned to live together in the same box.”
~ Anonymous




“We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”
~ Anonymous




“Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You're going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don't try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.”
~ Anthony Robbins

Old Dogs!

My dad e-mailed this to me and I just had to share it...

One day the old German Shepherd starts chasing rabbits and before long, discovers that he's lost. Wandering about, he notices a leopard heading rapidly in his direction with the intention of having lunch.






The old German Shepherd thinks, 'Oh, oh! I'm in deep doo-doo now!' Noticing some bones on the ground close by, he immediately settles down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat. Just as the leopard is about to leap, the old German Shepherd exclaims loudly, 'Boy, that was one delicious leopard! I wonder, if there are any more around here?'






Hearing this, the young leopard halts his attack in mid-strike, a look of terror comes over him and he slinks away into the trees. 'Whew!' says the leopard, 'That was close! That old German Shepherd nearly had me!'






Meanwhile, a monkey who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree, figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the leopard.. So, off he goes, but the old German Shepherd sees him heading after the leopard with great speed, and figures that something must be up.






The monkey soon catches up with the leopard, spills the beans and strikes a deal for himself with the leopard.






The young leopard is furious at being made a fool of and says, 'Here, monkey, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that conniving canine!






Now, the old German Shepherd sees the leopard coming with the monkey on his back and thinks, 'What am I going to do now?', but instead of running, the dog sits down with his back to his attackers, pretending he hasn't seen them yet, and just when they get close enough to hear, the old German Shepherd says...


'Where's that damn monkey? I sent him off an hour ago to bring me another leopard!






Moral of this story....






Don't mess with the old dogs... age and skill will always overcome youth and treachery! BS and brilliance only come with age and experience.






If you don't send this to five 'old' friends right away, there will be five fewer people laughing in the world.










Of course, I am in no way insinuating that any of you are old, some are just more 'youthfully challenged.'






You did notice the size of the print, didn't you?

Stress-Free Living

Hey, everyone! Long time, no blog, eh? I know it has been a while since I have posted anything and I hope that not everyone has given me up for dead. I have missed blogging and sharing all the things that are happening in my life. Not that there is a whole lot happening now, but I am planning to become more consistent on here and I hope you will join me.

I know you are expecting an update on my life, but that will have to wait. I had to get on here today and share one thing with you really quick that I read on Darren Hardy's blog. Darren is the publisher of Success magazine and is an individual who has really impressed me over the past year and a half. He did an hour of training at the International Training Event for my company in San Jose, CA last month that was simply amazing. Even though he makes his living in the personal development industry, he is one of those few people out there that seem to care more about helping people than helping themselves by convincing you to buy their latest product that is guaranteed to solve all your problems in 30 days or less.

In his blog post yesterday, he shared an experience of a social event he attended where he had to listen to constant complaining by a group of people about the economy, Obama's performance, the healthcare plan, etc., etc. I hope you'll follow the links in this message to see how he handled the situation when he got fed up with it because his response is awesome for dealing with complainers who are bugging you ... and for dealing with yourself if you fall into that category, too.

I'll blog again soon. I promise!

Holiday Humor

I saw this in today's newspaper and thought it was hilarious:





When I found the picture online, I also came across the following funny:



Christmas Carols for the Mentally Infirm:


Schizophrenia – Do You Hear What I Hear?

Multiple Personality Disorder — We Three Kings Disoriented Are

Dementia — I Think I’ll be Home for Christmas

Narcissistic — Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me

Manic – Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Trees and…..

Paranoid — Santa Claus is Coming to Town (He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake!)

Borderline Personality Disorder — Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire

Attention Deficit Disorder — Silent night, Holy oooh look at the Froggy - can I have a chocolate, why is France so far away?

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder — Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,

Agoraphobia — I Heard the Bells of Christmas Day But Wouldn’t Leave My House

Senile Dementia — Walking in a Winter Wonderland Miles From My House in My Slippers and Robe

Tourettes – Dashing through the {bleep} snow. On a one {bleep} horse open {bleep} sleigh. Over the {bleep} {bleep} {bleep} {bleep} … {bleep}

Alzheimers – On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me… ummm….

Narcolepsy - Jingle bellssssssss {whistle} {snore} {whistle}

Which Story Do You Want to Read?

A little over a year ago, I had a two-part post about how I was Living the Dream. In the second part, I explained about a month of craziness call National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short) where people consume enormous amounts of caffeinated beverages and induce huge amounts of stress by accepting the challenge to try and write 50,000 words or more in 30 days. Why do they do it? For the same reason people climb Mt. Everest - just to be able to say proudly that they did it ... that's all. There are some who have gone on to become published authors, but most don't.

I made my first attempt and generate a whole whopping 1,836 words. That's right! I lasted one whole day.

Well, November 1 is fast approaching and I am gearing up to give it another go. I think I can break last year's record. It shouldn't be too hard. All I have to do is last two days instead of one. But, really, my goal is to reach the 50,000 word mark. There is no better time to do this than right now. Okay, if you really knew my schedule you would think I am totally insane for even considering doing this, but I have procrastinated this goal for way too long as it is.

The first major obstacle that I am facing is deciding what to write about. I have a number of ideas in various stages of development and I am having a hard time choosing between them. This is where you can help. Read through the various descriptions below and let me know what your top three favorites are by taking the polls at the right of this blog. I would really like to know what interests you the most.

• What if Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy had become friends that first day at Hogwarts instead of enemies? (Potter)



• What if the unwilling human host of a cyborg woke up mid-way through his assasination mission? This one has political intrigue, a love interest, and more! (Cyborg)



• What if a retired marine tries to protect an old college buddy that is on the run from a black ops assassination team and his college buddy turned out to be a terrorist at the end of the story? Can he undo the damage he has unknowingly done before hundreds, if not thousands, of people die? Major plot twist potential! (Terrorist)



• What if Santa Claus, depressed because of the over-commercialization of Christmas and the dwindling of the true spirit of Christmas throughout the world, loses faith in himself and, with it, his Christmas magic and decides to hang it all up? Will he find his way again before Christmas comes and goes? (Santa)



• What if a vampire worked the night shift of the police force in an effort to atone for what he has become? Can he protect his secret and maintain his control enough to only prey on those who would prey on others? (Vampire)



• What if a warrior travels back in time to kill the boy who would one day become a blood-thirsty warlord and fails? Do his actions give the child the knowledge he needs to change his future or do the warrior's actions set in action the chain of events that will bring that future to pass? (Warlord)



• What if a man fears he is losing his mind when a stranger that convinces him to not follow through with a suicide attempt keeps popping up in his life at random moments and he is the only one who can see him? Are these the delusions of a mind pushed to the breaking point or is he a guardian angel sent to put him back on the right path in life? (Guardian)



• What if the lost female heir to the throne is returned to the palace 10 years after the murder of her parents but the mastermind of their assassination is still at large and very, very close? Will she uncover the plot that made her an orphan before those who carried it out determine her usefulness is at an end? (Heir)



• What if a man is hired by a high-tech research and development company uncovers a plot to replace high ranking government officials and high-level executives of major companies with clones that will progressively transfer power and financial assets to a very small group of people that want nothing less than world domination? (Clone)



• What if a military genetic-enhancement program goes horribly wrong and ultimately leads to the near-elimination of the "normal" American population and their last chance of survival may rest in the hands of the man who was the prototype of the blood-thirsty ultra-humans that want to destroy them? Can the humans trust him not to betray them and can he trust the humans not to try and kill him at the first opportunity once he helps them? (Ultra-Human)



• What if, in a world of increasing terrorist attacks and atrocities, the U.S. education system is taken over by the military and converted to a system of realistic medieval living and warfare to train the youth to be tomorrow's warriors? But what if the televised footage of the devestating attacks that persuaded the nations to convert to the new system was nothing more than fabricated media? What if the battle training had no other purpose than to determine the best candidates for gladiator-like games that are televised to a society that has an endless thirst for violent entertainment? (War Games)



• What if three "gifted" women who have the respective abilities to stimulate adrenalin production, to stimulate the pleasure centers of the brain and to read strong feelings of emotion in others pool their abilities to solve the murder of a mutual friend while the murderer they seek is actually looking for them and getting closer? Will they be able to find the murderer before the murderer finds them? (Gifted)



• What if an NYC police man gets caught in a centuries-old battle being waged by the children of the Norse gods? Can one man make a difference in preventing the end of the world? (Ragnarok)

As you can see, I tend to lean towards action and adventure stories with some suspense and intrigue. If you have a good idea for a story that you would like to see written, put it in a comment and I will add it to the list ... or join me for NaNoWriMo and write the story yourself. I could always use more writing buddies!

To follow my progress after November 1st, keep tuning in to this blog or check out the word count for NiceGuy at http://www.nanowrimo.org/!

What Do You Give Your Life To?

"I know this now. Every man gives his life for what he believes. Every woman gives her life for what she believes. Sometimes people believe in little or nothing yet they give their lives to that little or nothing. One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. And then it is gone. But to sacrifice what you are and live without belief, that's more terrible than dying."

~ Joan of Arc

Lonely Mornings

It's funny how you never really realize how much you enjoy and appreciate the simple things in life until they are gone. Just think about all the simple things you take for granted on a day to day basis that you would miss the minute they are taken away from you ... refrigeration ... electricity ... running water ... indoor plumbing!!! Take any one of those away for a single day and you quickly realize how much you appreciate those simple conveniences.

I have recently realized how much I appreciate a small convenience that I have enjoyed each day as I get myself ready for work. I still have running water in the shower. I still how electricity to power my lights and heat my water. I still have indoor plumbing for ... you know. And my food is still chilled as I pull it out to prepare my breakfast and lunch. What I miss is my morning bathroom buddy.

My five year old son is the "early" riser out of my three boys. He would wake up every morning between 6:30 and 7 a.m. just as I was getting in the shower. He would come in the bathroom, crawl up on the counter and sit there as I got myself ready for the day. He would pull razors, shaving cream, deodorant and other items I use as I get ready out of the cabinet and put them back when I was done with them; all the while asking questions and making idle conversation. He would even volunteer his cheeks for any aftershave that was left on my hands so that he could smell just like me. After I was done getting ready he would say, "Let me smell you, dad!" As I leaned down close he would inhale deeply and then say, "Mmmm, you smell good!"

After we were done in the bathroom, he would follow me into the kitchen, still chattering away, and watch me prepare my breakfast and lunch. When I was ready to head out the door he would give me a hug goodbye saying, "I like you, Dad," and sometimes even adding in a "Have a good day!" He would then watch me get in my car and then wave to me as I drove away.

Starting this week my hours have been changed from five 8-hour work days to four 10-hour work days and I am required to be at work by 6:30 a.m. making it necessary for me to leave by 6 a.m. The house is dark, quiet and lonely as I am forced to get out my own personal care items and put them back when I am finished. Any excess aftershave is wastefully rinsed down the drain. There is nobody to chat idly with and nobody waves to me from the window as I drive away.

But there is an "up" side to all of this...

Due to the rotating nature of my shift, every other weekend I get a four-day weekend as I get both Friday and the following Monday off. On these days I get to hang out with all three of my boys and help them get ready in the mornings. I get to make them breakfast; chattering idly with them the whole time. And then, when the time comes, I get to walk my two older boys to their bus stops and wave goodbye to them as they ride off to their schools where they will satisfy their "yearnin' for some learnin'". Then I get to spend the rest of the day playing with my youngest and with my wife while I wait for them to return. These long weekends ought to help make up for all the lonely mornings I have to endure.

Don't We All?

I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work.

Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a bum. From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other times that you just don’t want to be bothered. This was one of those “don’t want to be bothered times.”

“I hope he doesn’t ask me for any money,” I thought.

He didn’t.

He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn’t look like he could have enough money to even ride the bus.

After a few minutes he spoke.

“That’s a very pretty car,” he said.

He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly blond beard kept more than his face warm. I said, “thanks,” and continued wiping off my car.

He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never came.

As the silence between us widened something inside said, “ask him if he needs any help.” I was sure that he would say “yes” but I held true to the inner voice.

“Do you need any help?” I asked.

He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget. We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from those of higher learning and accomplishments.

I expected nothing but an outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me.

“Don’t we all?” he said.

I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge shotgun.

Don’t we all?

I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those three little words still ring true.

No matter how much you have, no matter how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help.

Even if it’s just a compliment, you can give that.

You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all. They are waiting on you to give them what they don’t have. A different perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from daily chaos, that only you through a torn world can see.

Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe he was more than that.

Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and wise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves.

Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, then said, “go minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help.”

Don’t we all?

-Author Unknown

The Best Treat of the Week

My boys were unusually quiet and well-behaved in church yesterday which afforded me the rare moment of quiet reflection while taking the sacrament instead of the usual crowd control efforts to keep my youngest two from disturbing everyone that was unfortunate enough to sit near us. I had just taken the bread and passed the tray down the row when my three-year-old, who was sitting on the far side of my wife suddenly pops up his head and says semi-loudly, "Treat!"

After sharing a smile with my wife, I settled back into my thoughts and was suddenly struck by how right my youngest child was. It was a treat to take the sacrament! It is the one time of the week when I get to renew my baptismal covenants with the Lord to take upon myself the name of Christ, to always remember Him, to keep the commandments and serve the Lord until the end. And in return, the Lord renews his covenant with me to forgive me of my sins as I repent of them and to bless me with the companionship of the Holy Ghost. What greater treat is there than that?

I have been guilty on many occasions of taking the sacrament without much thought of how sacred and important that act is. I am thankful to my youngest for that reminder of what a treat it really is. I hope that the next time any of you are about to take the sacrament, in whatever congregation you may find yourselves in, will smile and think to yourselves, "Treat!"

My Wife ROCKS!!!

For those of you that know my wife, I am sure that many of you are well acquainted with how awesome she is. If you don't think of her that way, then you really don't know her because she really is amazing. I definitely married well above myself when I convinced her to marry me after much begging and pleading.

The reason I feel the need to shout her praises from the rooftops today is because she is a brand new...

Mary Kay Director!!!
This has been a goal for her for a couple of years now and she finally did it! It was an uphill battle to get it done, but she did it in two months rather than the four that they allow you and I couldn't be more proud of her.


For all of you who have supported her through the years by being a client or even just a cheerleader, I thank you for your contributions. To all the amazing women who are a part of her team, you ladies are the best and I look forward to seeing you accomplish equally amazing goals and more!

Everyone who comes across this post, whether you know her or not, I encourage you to stop by her blog and leave a comment with your congratulations as well.

The Great Conflict That Divides Our Homes

I think that most of you will agree that the most popular films and books through the years have been those who have conflict as their main themes. It doesn't matter whether it is good vs. evil, popular vs. unpopular, parent vs. teenager, alien invaders vs. a tee'd off Will Smith, and the list goes on and on. In recent years, a new conflict has arisen from the media itself that greatly divides our nation.

No, I'm not talking about the recent presidential elections or the debates over whether the government's attempts at "bailing out" the economy are a good idea or not. No, this strikes much closer to home. In fact, the conflict has even taken place within our homes. The conflict I am speaking of is the loyal Twilight lovers vs. non-Twilight lovers. (By Twilight lovers, I mean fans of books by Stephanie Meyers, not the time of day people, well, you know....)

The female gender, from teens to mature, married women, have fallen head-over-heels for one Edward Cullen; a dashing young vampire who has fallen for a young, teenage girl that he finds inexplicably irresistible. And I do mean irresistible because one moment he wants to drink deeply from her lips and the next he wants to bite her neck and drink even more deeply there. It is another literary tale of forbidden love and a teenage male who, after 108 years of being a teenager, still wrestles with impulse control around a teenage girl.

My wife happens to be one of those more mature women who have been smitten by Twilight-Fever. She read the books, which really surprised me since she was never a fan of vampires and werewolves. Quite the opposite, in fact. But she fell head-over-heels for Edward and his rock-hard abs that glisten and glitter in the sunlight. She even expressed to me at one point that she wished I was more adoring of her like Edward is of Bella. While I was tempted to joke that most married men are like Edward - one minute they want to kiss their wives, the next they want to kill them - but after nearly 13 years of marriage I have learned it is wiser to keep such comments to myself.

The reason I even bring up the topic of this undead, thirsty heartthrob is my wife came across a website last night in her search for all things Twilight that serves as a support service for men whose wives have fallen victim to the wooing ways of the Cullens. It is called Twilight Widowers Anonymous* and it is hilarious. It offers everything from tips on handling the Twilight-obsessed to encouraging, motivational posters such as the one below to get you through your own personal ordeal.



The post that had both my wife and I roaring with laughter was My Lame Obsession Could Totally Beat Up Your Lame Obsession where the author pits ten icons that men have obsessed over through the 70's, 80's and 90's against Edward Cullen in a knock-down, drag out fight and evaluates who would win. I laughed so hard it hurt over the verdict of Edward vs. Optimus Prime.




VS.




It doesn't matter if you constantly return to the "Twilight Zone" as often as you can or if you tend to "zone out" whenever someone brings up Mr. Rock-Hard, Sparkle-Butt, you will get a kick out of this blog.

*If you do go to the Twilight Widowers Anonymous blog, be forewarned that there is some inappropriate language and an occasional inappropriate reference. Rated PG-13 for lack of original language and imagery.

Are You Real?

I came across a blog posting today where there was some concern about whether we should share our religious preferences and ideals on social networking sites like Facebook or just keep that separate. The reason the question was asked is because these sites link you to many people who would very well be outside your faith and there was some concern over them dropping you from their "friends" list or blocking you if you tend to share things that they don't believe in and/or agree with.

It is not my intention to raise that debate here. I have my opinion and you can follow the link above and visit the comments section to see how I feel on the matter if you wish. What I was curious about is how honest people really are about who they are when they post their blogs and network on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other popular social networking sites.

Please take a quick moment to share with us how real you are when you are online by answering the survey question in the margin of my blog. Please invite others to come and share their response as well!

A Little Funny...

Who Do You Think You Are?

I was reading a book today that really made me think about my life and the way I live it. It caused me to think about the way I think about and treat others, the way I think of and treat myself and the decisions I make each day. I have considered my life in these terms, but for some reason it really struck me today. So, I just want to throw it out there for any who comes across this to ponder and reflect on and hopefully to share further with others:

How do you see yourself?

As a human being having an occasional spiritual experience?

... or ...

As an infinite spiritual being having a temporary human experience?

Think about it for a moment. The way you answer this question makes all the difference in the world!

Proof that the Law of Attraction Works!

I don't know about the rest of you but I have noticed that whenever I choose to water the lawn, no matter how clear the sky is at the time, it rains within 24 hours. Now, if I were on irrigation it wouldn't bother me so much. It would already be covered by the $200+ that I pay to the Kennewick Irrigation District every year. But, even though I am forced to pay for it, I don't have irrigation anywhere near my property. So every time I water my lawn I have to use city water which is an added expense. So watering the lawn just before it rains is pretty much like throwing a wad of dollar bills out into the grass for whoever wants it.



What does all this have to do with the law of attraction? Hold on a second. I'm getting to that.

I finally had the opportunity to mow my lawn last night for the first time in three weeks because it rained or was raining during the only available times I had to mow. Because it was so tall it took me right up until it was dark to finish. When I woke up this morning I thought, "I should probably water the lawn now that it is short."

I checked the sky and it was looking a little overcast. I went on weather.com and checked the forecast and it showed that there was a chance of rain about mid-day for an hour or two. I decided to wait and water the lawn tonight if the rain didn't happen to pan out.

I read from the scriptures for about 15 minutes before heading out to play basketball and when I opened the door ... it was raining!!! And it kept raining for most of the morning. So now all I have to do is think about watering the lawn and it will start raining.

LoA Principle: What you think about, you bring about.

My wife now thinks I have an attractive mind and an attractive body!

Family Night Fretting and Fun

Every Monday night is family night in our household where we reserve time to enjoy one another's company while working together, playing games, etc. Last night I dragged my kids out into the front yard to assist with a small yard cleaning project before we played an outdoors game. I'm sure you can imagine just how enthusiastic my boys were.

In our front yard is a tree with which I have a love/hate relationship. I don't know exactly what kind of tree it is, but it provides nice, cool shade in the summer time. In the winter, however, it drops these spiky seed pods that, with the help of the snow and rain, become embedded deep within the grass. So, come springtime, when the grass is green, the weather is warm and bare feet are an absolute must (no exceptions - it is the law), these little pods of pain lie waiting for the unsuspecting foot.

In order to appreciate the experience, take a box of 100 bulletin board tacks, toss them all over your family room carpet and then proceed to try and cross the room with your eyes on the ceiling and your feet bare.

So the task I set my kids to was to pick up the piles of the little spiky devils that I raked out of the grass. I was the one breaking my back with the rake trying to extract the little demons from their grassy lairs, but you would think I had assigned them to clean out someone's septic tank with their bare hands with all the complaining they did. All I could do was encourage them to hurry so that we could play a game when we were done.

I finally called it quits after only getting have the front lawn done (a good general always knows when he is fighting a losing battle) and introduced them to croquet. When I was five years old, my neighbor used to invite me over to play croquet all the time during the summer and I had a blast. So I bought a croquet set that I found at a discount store four years ago and it has been collecting dust in my garage ever since (mainly because I have always struggled to keep up with mowing the grass to where it was short enough for us to play).

I brought out the set anticipating all the fun we would have. I figured, being boys, they would love the fact that they got to hit a ball with a mallet. It was perfect ... until my three-year-old decided that the ball was just a little too small and difficult for him to hit so he went after bigger game ... the neighbor kids bike ... the tree ... his brother ... me!!! I guess I should have seen that one coming. I predict he will have a very bright future in house framing. Just give him a hammer and point him in the right direction and he will pound anything you ask him to ... and probably a few things you didn't ask.

We did have a lot of fun, though. My five-year-old had the lead for most of the game with his mom following close behind him, but I managed to shake the dust off my mallet swinging skills to edge them both for the win. (That's right! I've still got it!) At this point the whining and complaining began again as we cleaned up the game and proceeded with the nightly torture session of feeding them dinner. I'm still not sure who is being tortured more - the boys for having to eat delicious, healthy food or the parents for having to listen to them complain about it.

How to Start Your Day with a Positive Outlook

I know there are many people out there like me that don't exactly look forward to going in to the J-O-B every day. Part of it may have to do with having someone dictate to you when you have to work, how long you have to work and what you can and can't do while you are at work. Well, here is a quick, simple process I found on the internet that can help you start your day off with a more positive outlook:

Open a new file in your PC.

Name it as "Boss".

Send it to the RECYCLE BIN.

Empty the RECYCLE BIN.

Your PC will ask you, "Are you sure you want to delete Boss permanently?"

Answer calmly, "Yes," and press the mouse button firmly....

Feel better? Have A Nice Day.

Double Your 2010 Tax Day Refund - Seriously!

Congratulations! You made it to April 16th - the day after Tax Day! You can now rest easy for the next 291 days until you receive your next W-2. I want to share with you a real quick strategy on how to guarantee yourself a refund next year or possibly even double it by April 15, 2010. It is simple, it takes practically no time at all to do and it makes much more sense than what you are currently doing.

The American public have turned the income tax refund into a type of status symbol - the bigger the refund you get, the more forunate you are. What we have forgotten is that the refund is nothing more than the federal government telling you how much of YOUR OWN MONEY you get to keep. And the current average tax refund on individual tax returns is in the neighborhood of $2,345. That means you are giving the government an interest free loan of $45 every single week. Who is the fortunate one - you or the government?

Here is a way to potentially double the amount of money you will have to spend this time next year. The only reason I say potentially is because the tax laws change each year along with people's family size, filing status, etc. But I do guarantee you will have more money to spend next year than you do now by practicing a very simple discipline.

Take the amount of the refund you are receiving or have received this year and divide it by 52. Then round that number to the next highest $10 amount. For the average taxpayer this would equal out to $50. The strategy is simply this, take $50 and put it into savings every week until April 15, 2010. Using a very simple savings account with a 2% interest rate, within one year's time you would have deposited $2,600 and earned interest in the neighborhood of $26.

Some of you may argue that you don't have $50 to deposit each week - I beg to differ. You currently pay an average of $45 every week (more if you count medicare and other deductions) without batting an eye and you still manage to pay your bills. Why? Because it is taken out first!!!

The wealthiest people in the world have become wealthy because they learned the concept of paying themselves first. As soon as you get your paycheck, deposit the $50 first and then live on what's left. You will quickly realize that this isn't very difficult to do. If you are paid biweekly instead of weekly, deposit $100 every two weeks instead of doing it weekly. Just make it the first priority payment of every check.

Here's a way to make it even more exciting. You know you are paying approximately $45 too much each week to the federal government. Meet with you Human Resources/Payroll person of your company and submit a new W-4 so that this $45 will be left in your paycheck. Add this to your deposit and watch your tax day refund grow even faster. By the end of 52 weeks you will have deposited $4,940 and earned interest in the neighborhood of $50.

If someone is going to earn interest on your money, it may as well be you, right? And the best part is you won't have to guess whether or not you are going to get a refund and how much it might be. Just check your savings account to see! And even better, if you happen to end up owing on your taxes next year because of changes in your situation or tax laws, you won't have to scramble to come up with it. Just pay it out of your savings account and pocket the rest.

Doesn't this seem like the more intelligent way to get a tax day refund? I challenge you to give it a try. Let me know if you do!

Now, if you are worried that you wouldn't be disciplined enough to leave that money in the account, especially if an emergency comes up (like that big screen T.V. you have always wanted going on sale at Best Buy), there are simple ways around that, too. For example, open your savings account in a bank that is not convenient for you to get to like, perhaps, one on the other side of town. Set yourself up so that you can only make manual deposits and withdrawals - no debit cards and no online banking. This way you will think twice about making untimely withdrawals.

Remember, this will only work if you leave the money in the account. Treat your savings account as if it was the National Treasury. You can only take out the money on Tax Day 2010 and not a day before!

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Other ideas on how to increase your refund for next year include:

- Save money by having an experienced and educated friend help you prepare your tax returns and pay them less than you pay a professional tax preparer

- Deposit your savings in an account with a larger interest rate like, perhaps, a money market account or mutual fund. Just make sure it is a low-risk account.

- Educate yourself on the tax deductions available to business owners and the advantages they bring. Start a business next year to take advantage of these benefits. Home-based businesses are a great way to earn extra income and reduce your tax rate!

A Last Minute Tax Tip

April 15 has rolled around again and people all across this great nation of ours will be breaking the sound barrier as they rocket to the local post office in time to get the sacred 4/15 postmark. I wonder if the whole concept of electronic filing came about as a result of postal employees being hit and run over by rushing tax filers trying to beat the midnight deadline.

Next to being shot at and missed, nothing is really quite as satisfying as an income tax refund.
~F.J. Raymond

The tax season is an exciting time of year for most people. It is the one time of the year when the government tells you how much of your own money you get to keep.

Did you ever notice that when you put the words "The" and "IRS" together, it spells "THEIRS?"
~Author Unknown

Personally, I think I should only be held as accountable to my promises to file and pay my taxes on time as the politicians are accountable for their promises to balance the budget, cut government spending and reduce the tax burden of the American public. What do you think?

Today, it takes more brains and effort to make out the income-tax form than it does to make the income.
~Alfred E. Neuman

I have actually thought about making some extra money by writing a book on all the secrets people don't know about filing their income taxes, but I gave up on that dream when I realized it has already been done (not to mention the government would tax the living daylights out of it anyways). It's called The U.S. Tax Code. Unfortunately, very few of has have the super-secret decoder ring that will help us make any sense out of it.

The best things in life are free, but sooner or later the government will find a way to tax them.
~Author Unknown

Now, if you are stressed out tonight trying to finish your taxes and you happen to get stuck, allow me to share this one tip for getting through it ... guess! It works for 99% of the American public when they file their taxes so it may as well work for you, too.

Income tax returns are the most imaginative fiction being written today.
~Herman Wouk