MY THURSDAY THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK - I’ve discovered that when it comes to individual’s reactions to life circumstances, people, adversity, opportunities, etc. there are two types of people inside-out and outside-in. Let me explain with two examples. No one - You are on your way to an important appointment and you get a flat tire. An outside-in person starts blaming the road, the tire, the weather, the whatever. While in blame mode they also start whining, complaining and even screaming at whatever or whoever. An inside-out person just starts changing the tire. No two - A peer received a promotion that you felt you deserved. How do you think the outside-in person reacted? The inside-out person? Who do you think lives longer? Who do you think is more successful? Who do you think tends to be happier?  Which one do you think you are? If you asked some close friends or relatives which one would they say you are? Know any outside -in people? Like being around them? Listening to them? Know any inside-out people? Learned any valuable lessons from them? Look forward to spending more time with them? If you are an outside-in person - I’ll wager you don’t like or agree with this concept. If you are an inside-out person - I’ll wager you wish the article were a bit longer. Go figure.

MY THURSDAY THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK – Endings and new beginnings. A new beginning – you were born and the final ending you die – and in between, there are hundreds of new beginnings and endings during your life; a new job, a new relationship, a new home and the loss of a loved one, saying goodbye to your favorite car and retirement and so many others.  The question I want to ask you is this – when a new beginning starts can you let go of the ending with clarity, ease and emotional maturity or when an ending happens can you start a new beginning with hope, optimism, faith and no regrets from the past? A common saying is that whenever a door closes a new one always opens but here’s the issue – just because it opens doesn’t mean you have to go through it.  And just because one closed doesn’t mean you have to accept it and move on, quit or give in. It often takes courage and so much more to let go of anything due to an ending and just as much to embrace a new beginning that is filled with uncertainty and unknowns.  But one thing life has taught me is every beginning sooner or later has an ending and every ending brings with it the potential for a new beginning – so I’ll leave you with the real question - can we deal with either with trust, belief, faith and hope, wisdom and confidence or do we stay stuck in blame, regret, anger, resentment or fear?

MY THURSDAY THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK – When was the last time you looked in the mirror?  Not to shave or put on your makeup but to reflect on who you have become, who you are or who you are not yet? Did you ever think your life would turn out this way?  Did you ever think you would be this old?  Did you ever think you would have accomplished so much or so little? I could go on but the real question here is this – ten years from today when you look in the mirror again, what will you see that will be; different, better, worse or the same? How will you spend the next ten years – growing or stuck, getting wiser or falling behind, gaining respect or losing it, accomplishing more or just settling and looking back on happy memories or regrets? And finally – in the past ten years what have you deleted from your bucket list, added to it or just given up on the whole idea of bucket lists as a stupid idea? Or, I could make this even harder by changing the word from ten to twenty or even thirty. Whether you are thirty, fifty or seventy it’s simple – where you end up is based on one simple concept - the direction you are traveling every day.

MY THURSDAY THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK - As someone with more on his bucket list than is possible to ever accomplish in the time he has left, I have to ask you – are you putting off doing anything in your life; travel, activities, starting something, ending something, new relationships, etc. and feel you have a good excuse or common sense rationales or reasons?  Well, let me tell you as one who did this more than I care to admit – it’s a stupid life approach and here’s why.  I don’t know if there are tennis courts, beaches and restaurants in heaven but we have them here – and sooner or later we are all leaving.  One of life’s biggest regrets in life is living with regrets.  A quote from my mentor Mark Twain once said, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do that the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, leave the safe harbor and catch the winds in your sails.”  You are waiting why – the right time, the best weather, the right person, enough money – get over it – there is never a RIGHT time for anything but there is always A time to do it. Stop waiting.

MY THURSDAY THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK – what are you taking for granted in life today. Here are few statistics just to get you thinking – in 2019 in the US; there were over 500,000 homeless, over 2 million people diagnosed with cancer, over 55 million people died, over 40,000 fatal car accidents and one more in case you think you deserve a raise - more than one-third of the global population earns less than two dollars per day.  I could go on for pages with this stuff and I’m not trying to be morbid – I’m just asking you what do you take for granted every day?  Regardless of your age, race, status, religion, education or gender, I’m guessing you are not in any of the previously mentioned categories. So – Got - a roof over your head, have three meals a day, got a job, in good health, have people who care about you, have a car that still runs, have a heart that works – want me to keep going or have I made my point?  So, let me leave you with just two questions as you go about your daily routines today – what are you taking for granted in life? Is it time to seriously reconsider all that you take for granted every day?