When we think about making a difference we often think about the grand scheme of things. We think about the end result, the ultimate goal, the destination we are working so hard to reach. The downfall of this way of thinking is that we overlook the small victories that we achieve in the interim. The things we accomplish every year, every month, every week, and every day that really don't seem like that big of a deal. It's usually not until something ends that we consider the impact it has had on us, you don't appreciate the struggle it took to get the work done until the day of graduation. In the same way it's when we lose people that we recognize how much they've meant to us and, if they can, they tell us how much we meant to them. 

There's a saying that goes "give me my flowers while I'm still breathing", I can relate to that saying today. As I prepare to transition from living in one state to another there has been an outpouring of love, support, and well wishes. Some, however, I never expected. People who I've barely had conversations with have come to me and shared memories of times we've shared, things that they noticed about me and admired about my character. I've received messages about the impact I've had on youth who I didn't even think were watching. It's a humbling experience for someone to tell you that they admire you but, unfortunately, most people don't think to share those feelings while you're actually being admired. It's usually when their front row seat to your life is ending that you find out they were watching all along.

Today I encourage you to give your flowers to the living. Tell the people you love that you love them, tell the people you look up to that you admire them, tell the people who inspire you that you're uplifted by the example they set. Don't wait until the final moments to let someone know they've impacted your life because you never know how much more they could have done had they just known that you cared. 

Hey Legends! I'm pleased to announce that my book has been reviewed and accepted for publication!!! This is such a huge milestone for me both professionally and personally. Keep an eye out in the coming months for the book launch and ways to purchase and support.

Dreams are coming true, make this season count!

From birth we all have a desire to achieve the things we set out to accomplish. This doesn't have to be taught, it's an innate human characteristic. Have you ever watched small children trying to do something independently? They try over and over and over until finally they are able to do it with no concern for how many times they failed befored it was achieved. Somehow life experience teaches us that failure is a terrible thing and that we should avoid it at all costs. We're taught that we should feel ashamed when we fail and, after a few more unsuccessful attempts, that maybe we should just stop trying. If I surveyed a large group of people I'm certain the majority consensus would be that failure is a bad thing. However, a recent television interview gave me a new perspective on failure and I'd like to share it with you.

Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, is one of the wealthiest women in the US and was named in Time Magazine's list of the most influential people in the world. In a recent interview Blakely was asked about her opinion on failure and she shared that while growing up her father encouraged she and her brother to fail at something every day. Every night at dinner her father would ask them what they failed at during the day and he would be disappointed if they had nothing to report. To Blakely's father failing meant that they had actually tried something outside of their comfort zones and Blakely attributed much of her success to this daily habit. Ultimately the lesson learned was never to give up, to never stop trying, to be comfortable in discomfort, to step out on faith believing that you can actually achieve what you set out to achieve. Somehow Blakely's father had figured out a way to help his children sustain their innate determination so they wouldn't have to accept the world's view of failure.

If you listen to the stories of most influential people you'll see this same trend. Almost all of them were faced with some opposition that they were determined to overcome. Their desire to achieve outweighted their fear of failure to the point that, like for Blakely, failure became a positive because it meant that they actually tried. I welcome you to join me as I also transform my opinion of failure and step out to achieve my personal and professional goals.

Let your legacy be a story of perseverence, not a tale of surrender.

Positive Thinking takes conscious effort as you retrain your mind to minimize negativity. Trying to see good in everything and everyone can be a struggle some days so I want to highlight small moments of positivity that I see as I live day to day. These moments are featured as "Heart Smiles".

It's been some time since I posted a Heart Smiles​ so I decided to share a recent experience.

I had some car trouble while I was at the post office which resulted in my car blocking half of the entrance to the parking lot. While there was plenty of space for others cars to get around my car I was still parked in an inconvenient spot. I saw the worst in people that day as some folks yelled and honked their horns. I also saw the best in people as many others came over to offer assistance. Despite all the help that was offered there was nothing anyone could do to help. Even the first tow truck that arrived was unable to tow my car because the gear shift was stuck so the car could not be sifted into neutral. One lady in particular came over to help and after I told her I had been sitting there for hours she offered to bring me lunch. I declined her offer so as not to cause anyone else any inconvenience however, to my surprise, she came back about 15 minutes later with food and a drink. I asked her about the cost and she waved off my question and wished me a merry Christmas. I gave her a tearful hug as I had long been pushing myself to stay positive while I held back the frustration of being in the way and having to explain the situation a dozen times as new people offered to help. My heart still smiles when I think about her gesture even weeks after it occurred. She embodied the Spirit of Christmas that day and I am glad she was able to share it with me,

Hey Legends!!! 
In the hustle and bustle of life I  missed the opportunity to wish you a "HAPPY ANNIVERSARY"! I made my very first post to this blog on November 10, 2015 and, I'll be honest, it has been a both a challenge and a blessing. Over the past year I've shared with you a few of my struggles and a few of my victories but, above all, I have been forced to look  my own words right back in the face. I have truly had to ask myself if I really believed in what I post here and I was tested in every area of my life to see if I could follow my own advise. Well folks, I'm still here and the best is yet to come.

Cheers to the  remainder of 2016. We have 18.5 more days, DON'T WASTE IT!