Meaningful Mondays

Watch this Video, Or Search YouTube: Dave Ramsey: You only need to know these 5 rules. "If you sow corn, don't expect beans to grow." It just might change your life. It could change your family tree.

TransforMOTION... TIME HAS NO QUALITY! Success is peace of mind that is a direct result of the self-satisfaction that comes in knowing you are doing your best to become the best you are capable of becoming." - Coach John Wooden M.O.T.I.O.N. = Moments, Opportunities, Things, Inspiration, Others, New. I knelt to pray when day was done and prayed, “Oh Lord, bless everyone. Lift from each saddened heart the pain and let the sick be well again.” And then I woke another day and carelessly went on my way. The whole day long, I did not try to wipe a tear from any eye. I did not try to share the load of any brother on the road. I did not even go to see the sick man just next door to me. Yet once again, when day was done. I prayed, “Oh Lord, bless everyone.” But as I prayed into my ear, there came a voice that whispered clear. “Pause now, my son, before you pray, whom have you tried to bless today? God's sweetest blessings always show by hands that serve him, hear me lo.” And then I hid my face and cried. “Forgive me,

Gratitude requires making more of the good we have than the good we don't. Gratitude celebrates blessings received. As long as we're consumed with blessings we haven't received, we'll never possess it.

Think to Thank. We owe a debt of gratitude to those who give so much of themselves, so we might have so much for ourselves. -- Think Family "Take things with gratitude rather than for granted." "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we get." - Winston Churchill

"Make your intentions clear. The universe does not respond well to uncertainty." "What you do today can improve all your tomorrows." - Ralph Marston

What two daily questions can you ask that will empower future generations that follow you?

Even in difficult times, perhaps especially in difficult times, we need the blessings of gratitude. The blessings come from acknowledging and vocally sharing. “Our first noble deed of the morning should be a humble prayer of gratitude." - Russell M. Nelson

What if you were 16 years old and you could have any car in the world, but it would be the last car you could ever own? When you have true gratitude (arrows out), you are more inclined to exercise regularly, sleep better, eat better, and live a fuller more meaningful life. People who display gratitude have: 16% fewer physical symptoms 10% less physical pain 25% increased sleep quality

An "attitude of gratitude" generally falls short when it comes to considering how to seed and nurture this attitude. "It is a foundational trait upon which all else can be built as it allows you to be open to continuous improvement and learning and to win the trust, support, and effort of everyone you work with." - Richard Shrapnel Achieve -- Creating a Life of Enduring Success. Humble people are great leaders!

Stop - Look - Go!! Before you get out of bed do this... "Lift the corners of your mouth" Before you get dressed do this... Express Gratitude to... God, self, and... Before you leave your room do this... be intentional consciously and unconsciously.

In Bhutan, they say contemplating death 5 times daily brings happiness. "The unexamined life is not worth living."  - Socrates Time without energy is nothing. Time does not have quality. Energy does. "If you think that finding your purpose is about you, you will never find it." FROGG - Fully Rely On God's Grace

"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." Those seemingly insignificant small decisions influence how we use our time, what we view on the internet, what we read, the art and music with which we surround ourselves, what we seek for entertainment, and how we apply our commitment to being honest and truthful. Another seemingly small and simple thing is being civil and cheerful in our personal interactions. None of these desirable small and simple things will lift us to great things unless they are practiced consistently and continuously." - this excerpt is from a quote from former Senator Dan Coats of Indiana.

“The army needs leaders like the foot needs a big toe.” - Bill Murray “Empowering stability is true gratitude aligned with a vision supported by principle-based leadership that leads to predictable results.”

Is happiness the ultimate goal? "Like fear, anger, worry, and other fleeting emotions, happiness is an emotion that comes and goes, but cannot last." Happiness is more externally driven, leaving us at the mercy of outside forces or changing circumstances. Fulfillment is internally driven. It is the process of living a valued life, where the pursuit is about BECOMING, not arriving. We determine what is meaningful to us and then we have the power to live our lives in a manner that is consistent with what we value.

"How you choose to invest your time is either a deposit or withdrawal from your future." - Lee M. Brower "The key is not spending time - but investing in it." - Stephen Covey "The way we spend our time defines who we are." - Jonathan Estrin

"Looking for the good in others doesn't make you naive. It means you're not cynical. Recognizing people's strengths doesn't deny their flaws. It reveals their potential to overcome their flaws. Those who refuse to see the good in others fail to bring out the best in others." - Adam Grant "What the human being is best at doing is interpreting all new information so that prior conclusions remain intact." - Warren Buffett

We were bombarded with love, kindness, selflessness, and joy. What a weekend! Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that. - Martin Luther King

"Gratefulness arises when we experience something that is valuable and freely given." - Brother David Steindl-Rast TED Talk "Helping one person might not change the world, but it could change it for that one person." "By becoming the answer to someone's prayer, we often find the answers to our own." - Dieter F. Uchtdorf

In January 2015, seven-year-old Sailor Gutzler and her family were flying from Florida to Illinois in a private airplane. Sailor's father was at the controls. Just after nightfall, they developed mechanical problems and crashed in the pitch-dark hills of Kentucky, upside down in very rough and isolated terrain. Everyone but Sailor died in the accident. Her wrist was broken and she also suffered many cuts and scrapes and lost her shoes. The temperature was 38 degrees - it was cold and rainy - and Sailor was wearing only shorts, a T-shirt, and one sock. What can we learn from how she survived? "My vision of the future is that there is a light- and knowing that light is there inspires me to be in and stay in motion." Sailor chose not to let fear paralyze her, but to be in motion and seek the light - and it saved her life. Likewise, we must give place for the hope that we will find the light by embracing belief rather than choosing to doubt. Our actions are the evidence of our belief and become the substance of o

The only thing worse than being blind is...