All my life I’ve heard the comment, “Money doesn’t make you happy”.  The interesting thing was that most of the people who were repeating this statement never really had much of it in their lives and they spent most of their waking hours chasing more of it.  Well, I wanted to find out for myself.

During the height of the real estate boom during the years 2002-2007 the city of Bakersfield, CA was in the top one and two spots for property value appreciation in the country.  Just-so-happen my wife and I had made our part-time business in the area of real estate and had several dozen properties before and during this time.  Almost over night we saw our small six-figure a year business increase to a six-figure a month business.  Our smart work had finally paid off and people thought we were geniuses, but the only thing we had done was position ourselves to benefit from the enormous real estate growth.

At this time money became overwhelmingly plentiful.  The more we made, the more we’d give to our church, family, schools, our tenants and even perfect strangers in need.  My wife and I then accomplished the goal of designing and building our own multi-million dollar luxury dream home.  We started to take more family trips to see my family inTexasand fun trips to exotic places and theme parks for fun and taking people along with us.  During this process the things that made me the happiest was watching others experience happiness and knowing that I had a little something to do with making it possible.

Finally, I had found out for myself first hand that it’s not the money that makes you happy, it’s what you choose to do with the money that matters most.  Money will come and go but true happiness is what I know.  We don’t have anywhere near as much money as we once did, but happiness has not eluded me.

Simply put, money is just a tool and can be used for good or not-so-good means.  Having money just gives you the option to do more of the things that make you happy, like giving and creating for those who are less fortunate.  Don’t abuse your money tool.  I invite you to choose to put it to good use today.  It really is your choice so choose wisely.  Let’s make it GREAT!

I remember driving home toDallas,Texasfrom my college at theUniversityofUtahinSalt Lake Cityto pay my parents a surprise visit during my summer break in the year of 1992.  I did the 1292 mile drive in just under 20 hours straight.  My little charcoal grey colored Hyundai GLS 4-doorSedandidn’t have an air-conditioner, but dollar-for-dollar it was one of the most reliable vehicles I’ve ever owned.

I remember I would always carry my fake toy gun underneath my seat just in-case I ended up in a bad situation.  The original color of the gun was bright orange when I bought it at Smith’s Grocery store inUtah, but I later spray-painted it a flat-black color.  It really did look convincing from at least three feet away.

After making the long trip home without incident, I arrived at about 4:30 am and I was still wired up on the NoDoz caffeine pills that I had been popping along the way.  So, I snuck into the house and just sat there on the couch staring at the ceiling waiting for Mom and Dad to wake up to find me in the living room.  My little brother found me first so I was still able to preserve the element of surprise for my parents.  I always got a kick out of seeing their faces when I just walked into the room and jumped into the bed with them.  Ahhhh, those were Great times…

I hung out with my little eleven-year-old brother Patrick all day and at the end of the late night we found ourselves at a Burger King drive-thru located on the corner of Singleton andIndustrial Blvdnear the edge of downtownDallas.  After ordering our usual Cheese Whoppers with fries and strawberry milk shakes, we noticed a strange man approaching my car.  He appeared to be a homeless man with the usual tattered clothing and long scraggly beard and afro with a raggedy ball cap.

He stumbled over to the passenger side of the car and asked the usual question, “Can you spare some change for me to get a bus ticket to Oak Cliff?”  He was about three feet away from the car but even that distance couldn’t mask the odor of booze and BO.  I immediately said, “Hey, we’re headed that way so why don’t you just hop on in the back seat and we’ll take you on over there with us.”

The look on Patrick’s face was priceless.  Knowing that we live in West Dallas and this guy was trying to get to Oak Cliff which would be across town from us, Patrick looked over at me and abruptly exclaimed in a whisper, “What!?  Noooo man…  Are you serious!?  I smiled and quietly re-assured Patrick that everything would be alright.  After all, I had a gun just incase I needed it.  Well, Patrick got the surprise of his life that night.

I would love to share the rest of the juicy details of what happened that night, but I don’t have enough space to do it here.  You’ll just have to get my book, “Make it GREAT”.  Its stocked full of lessons learned, bridges burned, tables turned and wisdom earned on this life journey of mine.  It’s finally scheduled to be released this November 2012.  The initial printed copies will be limited, so be sure to reserve yours right away. 

You can pre-order today and before November and receive one of my free bonus CD’s with some great tips and content for overcoming the F.A.C.T.S. of Life (Fear, Adversity, Change, Trials & Struggles).  The reviews have all been AWESOME!

For a complete description of the book and/or to pre-order, click on the following link:  http://www.cedriccrawford.com/the-book/

I can’t wait for you to see and hear what I’ve seen and heard in this “life” thing.  You’re going to LOVE IT !!! Let’s all continue in our noble efforts to Make it GREAT!

Although the words “Chance” and “Change” are closely related in spelling, they’re not related at all in terms of life.  Simply replacing the “c” with a “g” can make a world of difference in the grand scheme of life.  No one ever becomes successful by chance or a mild CONTRIBUTIVE effort to a cause, it’s only by change and an intentional COMMITMENT to a cause that true success then becomes possible.

To understand the distinct difference between “Contribution” and “Commitment”, you need look no further than your common bacon and eggs breakfast plate.  The chicken made a mild contribution for your breakfast this morning, but the pig gave his life for your morning breakfast, commitment doesn’t get any stronger than that.

So commit today to drop the “c” and add a “g” on your journey of good intention through this “life” thing today and don’t just make it good, make it GREAT!

As I look back over my life I must shamefully admit that I grew up with what I call a “Win the Lottery” or “Hit the Jackpot” mentality.  I was foolishly looking for a way that would allow wealth and significance to come quick and easy.  For years I thought that I was in the “know”, but I later figured out that I was actually in the “Don’t Know”.

Winning the lottery are hitting a quick monetary jackpot or windfall may bring instant wealth, but there will be no inspiring story or significance tied to it because there would be no lessons learned or character earned during the process.  It’s no surprise that the overwhelming majority of people who “get rich quick” end up right back where they started, or even worse, less than five short years later.

Simply put, obtaining may be by Chance but maintaining must be by Change, a significant change in you.  It’s not about the money you gain, it’s about who you became.  I invite you to consider the fact that this delicate process of change is not microwaveable.  So put away the popcorn dreams and pull out that old crock pot and be prepared to let those goals and dreams marinade as you work through your necessary process to become better today than you were yesterday in every way.

Let’s make it GREAT!

It doesn’t matter how far or how fast you run or where you run to, you can never get away from you.

It doesn’t matter where you go or what company or business organization you change to, what matters most is if a change is made in you.

Positive results in what you say or do will never come true unless there’s a real positive transformation that happens in you.

We may consider a change of venue, but nothing will really change until there’s a significant change within you.

A better family, better friends, better finances and better fringe benefits start with a better “You”.

The most important factor in the equation of life and business is “You”.

So don’t waste time assigning blame or pointing the finger at your crew.  Point that thumb back at “You” and commit to do what you need to do to make a better you. 

Commit today to make “You” your daily project for the better, OR don’t be surprised when you get more of the same results down the road.

We only get one time through this “life” thing, let’s not spend it chasing an illusive dream without paying attention to the main thing, “You”.  Let’s make it GREAT!

A Better You  =  A Better Life