Don't judge a book by its cover. Not everybody fits the part

It has been far too long since I have posted on here so I thought I would take a moment and post something. Two times today I have thought to myself that I don't have the time to do something and realized we always can make time for anything.

I just received an email from my brother with a link to a youtube video and a confession that he is an X Factor fan. My first thought was "how does he have time to watch X Factor?" ( I am assuming DVR) And my second thought was "I don't have time to watch this 9 minute clip, I need to get a lot of work done." But for some reason I decided to watch the clip...and I am glad I did. The clip is of a guy named Chris Rene and his audition on X Factor. I don't know who this guy is and I don't know what will come of him. However, his story and this clip really touched me. As you may know, I love success stories and inspiring topics. This story also taught me once again not to judge a book by its cover.

Here is the clip if you'd like to view it:

As I experience more in life and continue to add to my family, I realize more each day the value that each individual brings into this world. My father as my greatest fan and teacher once (or thrice) told me that "God has invested a lot in you and knows your potential. It is up to you to realize your own potential." Not only are those incredibly inspiring words but there is a lot of wisdom in them as well. We all have a lot to offer and I hope I can remember that not everybody "fits the part". But that doesn't mean that they aren't right for the part.

If somebody tells you that you can't accomplish something or that something needs to be done one way. Reply to them "Who says?" My father's words of wisdom make it possible for us to create our own reality and I believe that this is the purpose of life....to reach our potential even if we don't "fit the part".

New Baby New Life

Tomorrow morning at 7am we will enter the hospital and my wife will give birth to our fourth child...a baby boy. As I sit here I feel completely calm and blessed. If you are a parent then you know how incredible it is to bring a new child into your world. Although it has been perhaps the most stressful time of my life, I also realize it is the best time of my life. I believe God blesses us with more as we take on more responsibility.

I have had many new opportunities come my way in recent months and some are completely overwhelming. I chose to not let anything get in my way of accomplishing my big dreams and goals. Instead of running away from things bigger than me....I am running straight at them. Each person has their own goals in life...but greatness comes when we pursue them with complete faith that we can accomplish them.

Can't wait to meet my little guy tomorrow morning. I'm sure he will come out yelling "bring on the world!"

If we don't hit the moon....we are sure to land on the stars. That is the purpose of our journey on earth...and don't try to convince me otherwise.

Past obstacles lead to future opportunity

How many opportunities are lost by not sticking to something? Too often we give up on things if they don’t workout right away. And too often we fail to recognize the importance of past events in creating our future opportunities. The phrase “Rome wasn’t built in a day” comes to mind. If something is truly worthwhile, shouldn’t it take a while to build a proper foundation?

I am currently working on a new business that I had not anticipated working on. At first, I viewed this opportunity as a distraction to my other business, so I initially turned it down. I believe we can be guided in life by our feelings and emotions. When I said “no” to this new business, I suddenly felt very confused as if I had turned down an opportunity that God had given to me. Because of that feeling, I decided to take it on as a challenge and perhaps an answer to past and current prayers.

During this process I have thought about what had led me to this point. I realized that many experiences I had in the past actually prepared me for this moment in time. Businesses or experiences that I have had over the last 9 years that I had viewed as “failures”... were actually building blocks for a proper and stronger foundation. If we stop and take the time, we will recognize the many puzzle pieces of life that came together to fill an incomplete life puzzle picture.

There is always a way to get around obstacles. Let’s work harder on learning from difficult circumstances and realize that if things were always easy, then there would be no growth. God needs us to grow if he is to place more responsibility on our shoulders. Everything you have been through has prepared you for bigger and better things.

“A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him”. - David Brinkley