Late last night I was thinking about a recent statistic I heard about how approximately 90% of the general public in America don’t read on a regular basis, and if you don’t count fiction books the number is even more shocking.

Well folks, I think I’ve come up with a pretty good simple solution that’s sure to decrease the number of non-readers and significantly increase the number of readers in a relatively short period of time.  Would you like to hear it?  Ok, I’m going to assume you said “Yes”.  So here it is.  Drumroll please………..

Make reading non-fiction books outside of an educational institution illegal!!!

Give it some thought.  If reading was “illegal”, like at one time it used to be for certain people who were considered inferior or lower class, people would beg, borrow, steal and kill for the opportunity to do it.  The mere act of barring someone from engaging in such an activity would eventually make others think that there must be something pretty good in these books that’s attempting to be concealed.

Well, SURPRISE!  There is something that’s NOT just pretty good in many non-fiction books out there, there’s something GREAT!  So, now you’ve been officially put-on-notice that there’s something special in those pages of the books of the world, but you have to open-up one or two or twenty-two to find out for yourself.

Oh, and if you commit to intentionally engage in this act on a regular basis, don’t be surprised if you eventually find yourself separating from the rest in mind, body and spirit and Making it GREAT!  Just a thought, so don’t plot to kill the messenger today please because he loves ya.  😉

www.MrBreadCrumb.com

You can start with my book:
“Bread Crumbs to Making it GREAT”
www.MakeItGreatNOW.com

Twas the week before Christmas and half the Crawford’s were filling ill.
The dreaded Flu was the culprit and we kept popping pills.

Suffering from sick stomachs and feverish-stuffy heads,
The new popular places in the house became the bathrooms and the beds.

My wife Karen and Little “C” are still feeling Okay,
And Monique dodged a bullet because she’s in College far away.   🙂

Little Chance has spent two days in his favorite night-time robe.
And Chayse Marie keeps on complaining about her tummy and stuffy nose.

Now for me a Flu like this I’ve never experienced before.
Feeling hot & cold flashes and sleeping on the toilet-room floor.

But it takes more than just the plain-ole’ Flu to get Mr. Bread Crumb down.
Even if I’m in a fog or a daze when I get up to walk around.
Or, I’m coughing up stuff that looks a lighter shade of brown. (sorry for the visual)
Or, being afraid to eat anything because I can’t keep it down.
Or achiness all over is trying to force me to wear a frown.

So I opened all the blinds to let the bright sun shine in.
Then I retrieved my journal and laptop and my favorite blue Pilot pen.

Yes, the old cousins doom & gloom are never allowed to occupy this soul.
So I pour into my Passion and eventually take back control.

My writing and content creation always helps me to get through.
And inspiration can come from the toilet-room floor too.  LOL  🙂

So what’s your Passion today my friends, what helps you to overcome?
What gets you up with a smile on your face at the rising of the sun?

Only a true Passion can make you do things that your body doesn’t want to do.
And though your Passion may be to help others, it also may help you to recover too.

As for Mr. Bread Crumb he’s just trying to be productive even when he’s not feeling his best.
And you can count on the Crawford’s still making this Christmas better than the rest.

Rather coughing, sniffling, sneezing, stuffy-head, feverish, upset-stomach or hot & cold flashes, cling to what makes you smile and make this Christmas Season FAL-LA-LA-LA-LAWESOME!!!

www.MrBreadCrumb.com

You can cuddle up with my book these holidays to stay warm and inspired @:  www.MakeItGreatNOW.com

My friend Eugenie from Africa contacted me today with some great news that caught me completely off guard and reminded me of perspective. “My dear brother, my dreams have come true.  I now have a salary of $200.”  She said.  “Congratulations!  Is that $200 per day or $200 per week?”  I asked and her answer was like a slap to my face.  She said that her salary had increased from under $100 to $200 per MONTH…  Needless to say I was so dumbfounded and stupified that you could’ve knocked me over with a feather.  $200 A MONTH, OMG ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! (I thought to myself).

Nine hours a day, five days a week is her work schedule.  Yes that’s right folks, do the math.  She makes a whopping $1 an hour up from less than fifty cents an hour and she still manages to keep on coming early and staying late hoping for a break to Make it Great and yes her break did finally come for her.

Well the even bigger surprise came when she accredited my encouragement and motivation with her success.  It never ceases to amaze me how simple moments like these can really bring things back into perspective.  Yes it’s hard for most of us to imagine a dollar an hour as being somebodies “Dream come true” because our standard of “Dreams” is so much higher.  But it’s really all about perspective because a dream for you may be a world of difference then a dream for me.

Well, in case you were wondering what Eugenie’s planning to do with her new increase of income, she’s planning to further her education so she can increase her chance of promotion and better provide for her two kids.

So what’s your “Dream” today?  Big or small I encourage you to go for them all and don’t give up until you WIN!  Now get-on out there and keep thriving and striving to Make it GREAT!

My daily devotional style book “Bread Crumbs to Making it Great” just might be able to help encourage and motivate you too.  It definitely can’t hurt, ask Eugenie. 🙂  Order your copy today at www.MakeItGreatNOW.com  and see why so many who own a copy keep it close by for easy reference and inspiration.  Oh, it makes a GREAT gift too.  Don’t wait to Make it GREAT!    www.MakeItGreatNOW.com

www.MrBreadCrumb.com

www.52BreadCrumbs.com

One of the most under-utilized commodities and resources in the world is our amazing capacity and ability to Love.  Yes my friends this valuable asset doesn’t cost us a dime but yet it is priceless and hails as the most commonly broken commandment down through the years.

Yes my friends, to ”Love one another,” was not a suggestion or a subtle recommendation, it was a specific command issued by the one who is commonly referred to as “Love”.  That’s right folks, God “is” Love and many of the Christian Faith believe that we were made in His image and likeness.

So how are your “Love” muscles looking these days?  Are they suffering from a severe form of atrophy or does it look like your busting out from a severe case of steroids?  Hmmm…  No need to answer out loud, just make me proud by giving your Love to the crowd.  Don’t worry, you can’t run out because it just keeps on going and going and going.

So get-on out there and Love one another and be extra-kind to your sister and brother even if you don’t share the same last name.  Flex your Love muscles today in every way and Make it GREAT!

www.MrBreadCrumb.com

www.52BreadCrumbs.com

www.MakeItGreatNOW.com

I was helping out in my daughter’s elementary school 4^th grade class today having a ton of fun with the kids making holiday-specific crafts and stuff and I suddenly and unexpectedly had my little world rocked by an unlikely dude under 4 feet tall.

I made a special point to interact with all 30 of the students over my short one hour stay and they were super-surprised when just before the end of class I was able to call all 30 of them by name, one-by-one.  Even the three other parents there were impressed that I even included their names too.

I learned a little known secret several years ago about names and it never fails to create a huge connection with people, because a person’s name is said to be the sweetest sound to anyone in any language.

Minutes before I left the room I was blindsided by one of my daughter’s classmates when he approached me in confidence with the following statement.  “Man, I wish you were my Dad.”  Caught off guard a bit, I paused for a few awkward seconds then said, “If your Dad found out that I was your Dad he would probably be pretty upset.”  Then he smirked and giggled nervously as he said, “Nahhh…  He wouldn’t care, I never see him because he lives in Vegas and he never talks to me.”

Well, needless to say folks, that comment broke my heart.  I wish I could say that I’m surprised by his plight and situation, but unfortunately I’m not.  You see my friends, our country and world is littered with these types of kids.

I have several group-home boys and other “spare” neighborhood, absentee fatherless kids that I commit more than 18 hours of my time to every week and I always wish that I could do more but even I have my own limitations with only 24 hours in a day and 7 days in every week.

So today I say to all of those within eye and earshot of my message please reach out, reach over or reach down to scoop one or two of these “casualties of an absentee” up and sow some quality time into them.  They’ll be glad you did and you may just be surprised what it actually does for you too.  🙂

Let’s make a little time to help others to Make it GREAT!

www.MrBreadCrumb.com

www.52BreadCrumbs.com

www.MakeItGreatNOW.com