Daily Mood Quotes - January 23, 2012

Daily Mood Quote
Day 244 – January 23, 2012

“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is far worse than the suffering itself, and no heart has ever suffered when it's gone in search of its dream.”
~Paulo Coelho from The Alchemist

It's no secret that the past several months have been very difficult for me and my family, 2011 ended with a goodbye and 2012 has begun with a very rough start. The one thing I keep in mind is my husband's saying, “things that start out rough end up great” lately that's been more of a wish than a proven axiom, I have to believe, I just have to believe.

I Ching (hexagram 3) says (I paraphrase), “Difficulty at the beginning works supreme success...” One interpretation is “Times of growth are beset with difficulties. They resemble a first birth. But these difficulties arise from the very profusion of all that is struggling to attain form. Everything is in motion: therefore if one perseveres, there is a prospect of great success, in spite of the existing danger.” Like a plant springing from the soil, and so this year may yet yield great success, but not if I give up and quit (I've got to tell you, I thought about it), so this leads me to my next quote. John F. Kennedy said in his September 1962 Rice Stadium Moon Speech, “If this capsule history of our progress teaches us anything, it is that man, in his quest for knowledge and progress, is determined and cannot be deterred.” Determination is the key, it is the “don't stop,” plow ahead, never stop innovating, never stop adapting, never stop period, mind set that helps us to achieve, individually, together and as a country.

Now, it is my time to achieve, I enjoy writing the Daily Mood Quote, it is who I am. But I must pare back some, because it is time for my Master's capstone project and this project is massive in its size and scope. It requires a lot of hours, interviews, research, analysis and writing to prepare for the presentation to experts in my field of study that will determine my grade and acceptance into the PhD program. Yes, I have decided (that's what I have been doing over the past several days, making a decision) to pursue a PhD in the study of leadership and its principles. The study of leaders and leadership has become a passion of mine, it's a mindset of “can do” and positive perseverance. That said, here's how I plan to manage my time for Daily Mood Quotes; I will post a quote every morning to the daily mood quotes blog, and occasionally some commentary, as time permits, along with a movie reference, if it applies. The commentary and movie quotes won't be everyday, but I'll put them in when I can. It takes a lot of time to make sure they're right. I have not made it a secret how important my education is to me. I believe, education is the cornerstone of success, successful communications and successful relationships. I love learning and my end goal is to someday write books on leadership and teach leadership principles. That goal requires me to buckle down to work and focus right now, not tomorrow.

I want to thank everyone in the 100 plus countries who read daily mood quotes and I hope you will continue to read, while I pursue an even higher education. I'll keep you posted. Have a great day.

Are you achieving your dreams? If not now, then when?

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Daily Mood Quotes - November 13, 2011

Daily Mood Quote

Day 193 – November 13, 2011

“Dreams and dedication are a powerful combination.”

~William Longgood

When the unattainable becomes achievable...

“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.”

~Jesse Owens

It's never too late to make dreams come true. It's not easy, but someone once said to me, “Isn't something worth having, something worth working for?” So to all the roadblocks, all the nay-sayers, step aside, because determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort are at work...

Enjoy your day.

No movie quote today.

What dreams will you work for today?

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Daily Mood Quotes - September 28, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quotes

Day 148 – September 28, 2011

All compromise is based on give and take, but there can be no give and take on fundamentals. Any compromise on mere fundamentals is a surrender. For it is all give and no take.

~Mohandas Gandhi

When you are looking for work and its been a while, it is very easy to accept something beneath your skills and education; an underpaying job, or a position at an under performing company “just to have a job.” Financial pressures can needle at you and make you believe you are forced into making compromises, and so begins the slow decent. Slowly, job by job, self-esteem, self-respect, and your reputation begins to erode. It is an exception, not the rule that an excellent employee can change the path of a company's fortunes if his/her bosses are “status quo” people. Like Longfellow Deeds (played by Adam Sandler) said in the movie Mr. Deeds, “Its hard to soar with the eagles when your surrounded by turkeys.” The point is, compromise can be a dangerous game, especially when you begin to accept less, then you begin to compromise the fundamentals of your dignity. Negotiation, is one thing, surrender is quite another.

The decent has many steps: step one is settling for less in the hope that something better will “come along” sooner or later. That kind of thinking is like a cold and desolate, desert road... nothing ever “comes along.” At least not before the traveler withers, compromises and takes the second step. That is when on the job, you begin to settle for “acceptable results” then blame it on budget, deadlines, other people in the organization. Whatever! The facts will be they settled, and so that step is tread. Slowly, over time, step three shows up; “compromise” on the quality of your efforts. “Just do the job and take the money.” Self-loathing shows up grinning on this step and it begins to whisper into your ear, a litany of negativity and so the fall continues... Well, you get the point.

When we give up and give in for short-term gains and/or compromise our skills and dreams, then long term goals and our dignity begin to suffer. Dreams fade and the reality of now is all that is left. It can take us into some very, very sad places. Another great quote, also by Longfellow Deeds (Adam Sandler), that goes right to the heart of the matter is, “We all had these dreams, and then we got jobs to achieve those dreams. But we wanted more money, and we got rid of our dreams. You know, if your nine-year old selves saw you guys the way you are, you'd get your butts kicked right now! I mean, look what's happened to us!” When we compromise dreams, dignity, or moral compass, to make money we are letting down more than just ourselves. We let down the dreamers we once were. Do they really deserve that? Our spirits will not accept cash in lieu of honor. I guess what I'm trying to say is; Dream big, never stop reaching and don't ever settle for less than you can be. Hold fast to your dignity and believe in your gifts. “Never give up, Never surrender!” (thanks Tim Allen as Commander Peter Quincy Taggart from Galaxy Quest).

How will you reach for your “dreams” today?

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Daily Mood Quote - June 28, 2011

Daily Mood Quote

Day 55 – June 28, 2011

Do not worry if you have built your castles in the air. They are where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.

~Henry David Thoreau

A few days ago my husband made a statement in public that has stuck with me ever since he said it. He said, "You're either fortunate or your not. You can be prepared, you can be educated, you can be intelligent, but things can still go wrong." He continued to say, "Those who believe that their good lives are by there own doing, don't understand that they are fortunate." He went on to say, "you can do everything right and still things can go wrong. Fortune makes the difference and I don't mean money."

If you look at the history of the world, you have intelligent people, working earnestly, with good intent all over the globe and by accident of time, geography, civilization or culture, there are those who are fortunate and those who are not. It has nothing to do with who they are, or whether they are good or bad. It also has nothing to do with their dreams. There is a saying "crap happens" (my husband has a stronger word, I don't want to use that one) and it happens to the educated as well as the uneducated, the intelligent, the prepared, the rich and the poor. The question is, are you fortunate or not? This can change in an instant and without your consent. I had a good job, but another company bought the company I worked for and I lost my job, in one of the toughest job markets around. It happens. There it is, crap happens.

In the new movie Larry Crowne with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, (scheduled to be released this Friday, July 1, 2011), a yet to be identified actress (I have only seen her profile in the trailer) said, "you are never to old to learn." Sometimes that means going back to school like Larry Crowne and "me." Sometimes that means learning from the unfortunate situations that life brings us. We may need to learn empathy, understanding, or even compassion for those to whom we formerly didn't give a second thought. The official movie descriptions says, "sometimes clouds have silver linings” and my husband says, "sometimes the rains those clouds bring, help us to grow." Although that's cold comfort when you are being poured on. Remember the rain too shall pass. Be patient and press onward and don't allow the dissenting opinions of others, who may be fortunate now but lack understanding, to stop you from building your castles in the air. Even if that means starting with only a dream.

What "castle" will you dream of today?

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Daily Mood Quote - June 23, 2011

Daily Mood Quote

Day 50 – June 23, 2011

“Hold your head high, stick your chest out. You can make it. It gets dark sometimes, but morning comes. Keep hope alive.”

~Jesse Jackson

I decided on this quote today because this week has been a difficult week for me and my family. Jobs we interviewed for (perfect interviews), decisions we made and every step we took seemed to be for nothing. We work very hard to keep our dreams alive and push forward, but every step we make seems to be greeted with a brick wall and a Monopoly™ card that says, “Move 10 steps back please, no one wants you.” I have been unemployed now for nearly two years. June 27, 2009 was my last day of work. I graduated from college with high honors in December of 2010 and yet, despite good interviews, still cannot get hired. My husband lost his job last August. Fortunately, he has an ability and a career that permits him to work freelance from anywhere. But, still it's hard to keep the attitude “onward, upward and ever forward” when things are tight and life can be very expensive.

My mother had a saying, “If things get any darker, I will need a seeing eye dog.” I wonder if she knew just how accurate that statement would be? I've noticed something, it is so easy to give up, be negative, and allow the behaviors of others to influence your situation and attitude. But, it only takes one person to smile, to believe to keep things moving forward without giving up. Every day is a new day, a new opportunity to hold your head high, keep on pushing past the memories to get to your dreams, to achieve, to succeed.

In the movie Erin Brockovich, (played by Julia Roberts) said to Ed Masry (Albert Finney), “I don't need pity, I need a paycheck. And I've looked. But when you've spent the past six years raising babies its real hard to find somebody who pays worth a damn, are ya getting every word of this down honey or am I talking too fast?” I have spent many years raising children. I also went back to school to get a current education B.S. Business Management (where I live that doesn't matter) and after two years of looking, still no job. I was offered a job by Macy's and told they would send over the paper work via e-mail, several days later, they rescinded the job offer through e-mail, no class there.  I had another job interview with a bank that had previously interviewed my husband and they told me, they have no men working in their marketing department and they like it that way. Isn't that discrimination? Well, at least I understand why my husband didn't get the job, he's a man. We considered suing for EEOC violations, but “two wrongs don't make a right.” Anyway, these are just two of the job interviews I have had. Other interviews got even weirder, with questions like, “Where did you go to high school? The implication was that it should be local. I've been out of high school since 1982, does that really matter? Seriously, these people need a life. Maybe I should take a page out of Erin Brockovich's book and just show up at a place and start...force them to hire me. It's a thought! Jesse Jackson also said:

“Our dreams must be stronger than our memories. We must be pulled by our dreams, rather than pushed by our memories.” There ya' go!

How will you push through to your dreams today?

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Daily Mood Quote - June 11, 2011

Daily Mood Quote

Day 38 – June 11, 2011

A #2 pencil and a dream can take you anywhere.

~Joyce A. Myers

Except these days, the #2 pencil has been replaced by a keyboard. I am a dreamer, a realist and all around practical person. But, the hope of my dreams coming true keeps me from giving up. You see I love to write, I have been writing since I was nine years old and dreaming about becoming a writer for many decades. However, in the pursuit of that dream, life must be lived and sometimes those dreams can be and occasionally are, replaced by better dreams, or at least more attainable ones. I'm not completely certain about that. But, what I do know is that I have spent a lifetime changing a negative perspective into a positive one. Julia Roberts (who played Vivian) in the movie Pretty Woman with Richard Gere (Edward) said it best, “The bad stuff is easier to believe. You ever notice that?” 
 

Marcus Aurelius and Napoleon Hill agree, what you think about your life is what your life becomes. Unfortunately, that thinking, if a product of a negative upbringing, can be difficult, but not impossible to overcome. It takes work, a lot of hard work. Much of that work is internal and it is on attitude. I understand, because my entire life has been about dumping a negative attitude and replacing it with the positive, by developing understanding, education and love. Nothing is impossible if we set our minds to it and sharpen our mental #2 pencils.

As I look back on my life, I realized I could have been writing all along. Instead I allowed people within my sphere of awareness to influence and alter my true trajectory of life. Everyone has “the dreams of their heart”, what they truly were meant to be in life. Regrettably, we all to often let others attitudes over ride our hearts. I am no different, others have changed the course of my life with their opinions and it has taken many years, actually decades to get back on track. As the narrator in Pretty Woman says at the end of the movie, “What's your dream?”

What “dream” of yours will you rediscover today?

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Daily Mood Quote - May 31, 2011

Daily Mood Quote

Day 27 – May 31, 2011

“Don't be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.”

~Unknown

Everyday is an opportunity to make your dreams come true. With every opportunity comes challenges and achieving those dreams takes time and effort. My husband is an amazing artist, he has a gift, a true talent. But somewhere in his life, he set aside the patience to sit down and perfect a painting. Life in the face-paced advertising business has changed his approach to art. But the fact remains, things of great quality take time to craft. This also applies to peoples lives; It is one thing to aspire to a quality “life dream,” but it takes time, patience and more than a fair amount of dedication, to achieve that dream.

We are living in a frenetic world, often dictated by advertising messages that more, better, faster and bigger will give you a good quality life, it's the “Just do what I say, and you'll be happy” theory. Someone else's dream, usually the person who is trying to sell you something and that's the problem. In many cases that problem “pushing” is what leads to real problems. Far too often our dream is set aside for the urgent version of what we should be doing, or where we should be going. At the end of the day, it's someone else's dream that is being realized and our dream can get lost in the shuffle of the urgent.

Dreams don't happen without a reason. We're not talking about the everyday daydreams, but the BIG life calling dream. Sometimes the reason is bigger than you and sometimes the life calling dream will seem crazy to people around you. Practical folks will usually argue against it. But, like Ray Kinsella (played by Kevin Costner) in the movie Field of Dreams, realizing that dream has a rolling positive effect on those you know and some that you don't. In the movie, Ray's baseball field, not only helped him resolve a life issue, but also Terrance Mann's (James Earl Jones), "Shoeless" Joe Jackson's (Ray Liotta), "Moonlight" Archie Graham's (Burt Lancaster) and the dream of Ray's father, John Kinsella (Dwier Brown). The dream spoke, “Build it and he will come” and Terrance Mann later reiterated “Oh, they most certainly will come.” They and the financial solution did. Following the dream and building something remarkable, also built the solution to Ray's problems. Conversely, when you are pushed by problems, chances are very good you will only be pushed into more problems.

Not everyone is meant to build a baseball field in the middle of Iowa. I guess what I'm saying is, when you reach for your dream, you better yourself, and those around you... perhaps in ways you don't yet know, or understand. When you let your problems push you around, nobody ends up happy.

What steps will you take towards your "life dream" today?

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