During the seasoned-citizen years of our life I’m told that one of the most important assets we will possess is not necessarily our retirement nest-egg or free & clear house.  And it won’t be that retirement bonus or new, jazzy sports-car that gets crappy gas mileage either.  All these things will pale in comparison to this one asset that has been declared priceless time-and-time again by those who have had the good fortune of reaching their golden years.  What is this priceless asset you ask?  Well, it’s simply your “Memories”.

The memories of the first things you’ve had in your life,
Like the first time your kid’s ever road a bike. 

The memories of the picture show,
Or the trips to the local rodeo.

The theme park with the fun rides,
Or when the kids were seekers and they wanted you to hide.

The first time you got that meaningful hug,
Or the unforgettable time you first fell in love.

The time you had more work to do,
But you took the day off to take your kids to the zoo. 

No money are material things can ever take the place
Of these memories that will hopefully never be erased.

So if money over memories ever crosses your mind,
Pause for a moment and remember my short rhyme.

Be ambitious and make as much money as you can,
But forget NOT creating the memories with your woman or man.

Memories will keep you warm in those winters of life. 
So, Money over Memories? Not for me. Not tonight.

My unsolicited advise today is, please don’t be deceived into compromising the best years of your life by chasing the all-mighty dollar at the expense of delaying and deferring memory creation.  Time can be a lot of things, but it can’t be regained.

We only get one time through this “life” thing, no do’over’s, so go ahead and delay your gratification, but don’t delay your memory creation.

Let’s make it GREAT!

I was laying in my bed in my most inspirational position this morning, which is flat on my back staring at the ceiling, when I suddenly had what I call a “Hallelujah moment of inspiration”.  So as usual, I reached over to my nightstand and grabbed one of my trusted-ole journals and started to write out my thoughts.

The idea that came to mind was a new, contemporary, acronymic definition of “Adversity” that I think you might get some value from.  My new definition of “Adversity” is, “the Ability to Develop Via Experiencing Rough Situations that Involuntarily Train You.”  If you really break this definition down you’ll find that adversity really does give you the ability to develop by experiencing hardships and struggles in situational life events that are designed to make you stronger and help you to grow rather you want to encounter these experiences or not. 

So I invite you to think of adversity as a welcomed opportunity to grow and get better.  All things that are great and worthwhile were no doubt realized on the other side of “Adversity”.  Be encouraged today if you’re experiencing a bit of discomfort amidst a struggle and know that you’re in training and a new and better you is coming right around the corner.  Continue to lean forward and make it GREAT!  GREAT WEEK !!!

Got ADVERSITY?

Years ago I wised up and stopped aggressively giving people a piece of my mind because eventually I had very little mind left for my own use.  So now I just lovingly share my thoughts and comments and opinions with those who are willing to lend an ear.

I invite you to lend an ear today and consider that in this life we can’t afford to let our time pass us by as time passes by.  I’ve noticed that many of us have been inflicted with what I call the “I’m Gonna” disease.  Many of us have become accustom to saying, “I’m gonna do this and I’m gonna do that…” but at the end of the day our empty actions have once again made our words useless and inconsequential. 

Urgency rules the day and takes precedence because it’s not what’s important “next”, it’s what’s important “Now”.  I believe that planning for what comes next leaves room for inaction and procrastination and the principle protagonist of prosperity is non-procrastination.  So don’t just plan for what comes “Next”, plan for what comes “NOW” because the last time I checked I confirmed that tomorrow is still not promised to us.   All we ever have is this infinite moment in time and that time is “NOW”.

Warning!  The “I’m Gonna” disease appears to be highly contagious and it’s rapidly infecting millions if not billions of us in epidemic proportions.  But take heart today because the cure is quite simple and you can keep your money in your pocket because it won’t cost you a dime.  This sure-fire cure is what I call “The M.A.N. Plan”, “MASSIVE ACTION NOW! Plan”  You don’t need to figure out how you’re going to get started, you need to just GET STARTED!

I’ve also discovered and realized that opportunity is never stagnant, it’s always in constant motion and those who suffer from the “I’m Gonna” disease will be repeatedly passed over by it again and again and again.  So my good word to you today is don’t “Get ready”, “STAY READY” and in a constant state of forward motion.  Stop, drop and roll into your opportunities and commit to take “MASSIVE ACTION NOW!” as you attempt to make this good life a GREAT life!  MAKE IT GREAT !!!

Took this picture last night with my bride.  What’s the special occasion you may ask?  Well, today is not our 15^th wedding anniversary, that’s not until June, and no it’s not Karen’s 45^th birthday, that’s not until July.  But today is just as special, in fact, everyday is special because I have a special bride who accepts me in spite of all my faults, fallacies, habits and hang-ups.

I’m not one that uses the word “Lucky” often, but I have to honestly say that I definitely got lucky when our paths crossed and our worlds collided on that 28^th day in the month of May.  It was the year of 1994 and days before OJ Simpson would have his infamous slow-speed chase down the notorious 405 Freeway inLos Angeles.  He was running away from the law and we were running away together.  I’m not sure if he did it or not, but I know I did it.  I sure did do it alright.  I got “LUCKY”!  I won’t bore you with the details, but talk about right place at the right time.  

A good-ole Texasboy and an old fashioned “PK” Californiagirl meeting in the entertainment capital of the world.  It had all the distinct makings of a happenstance chance meeting at a dimly-lit club called “The Metz” on the Las Vegas Strip sandwiched in between the Great MGM Grand Hotel and a FatBurger joint.  Brought to my attention by my good friend Daren Castain, I took the plunge and rolled the dice and it came up Lucky #7.  I was probably the 7^th guy that asked her to dance, but for some unknown reason she chose me and we’ve been dancing every since. 

We became the exceptions to the rule of “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”  We happened in Vegas, but we didn’t stay in Vegas.  I may have lost in the game of Check-Mate at the casino but I won big in the game of Life-Mate at the club.  We started as good friends and grew into a great family and I find myself smiling big and often because of my Lucky take-home winnings from Vegas.  Yes today and everyday is indeed a special day because of my special gal, Karen.

I invite you to reflect back on the story of your encounter with that special someone that’s in your life and revisit those feelings of excitement and romance regularly.  My good word today for you couples out there is to abandon not those things that brought you together in the beginning.  And, always remember that the perfect relationship is not without its’ imperfections.  The best of relationships require routine maintenance check-ups to make sure they continue to function at their optimum level. 

So keep your fingers on the pulse of that relationship and be sure to stay close to that mate as you both attempt to make it GREAT!

After all these years I’m glad to say that I’m still feeling Lucky.  LOL