My best Father’s day ever

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soupornuts is moving!!! In order to have more control over my blog (how it looks, plugins, etc.) I have decided to move soupornuts.wordpress.com to soupornuts.com. When you come to soupornuts.com, you will see my new postings along with updated and edited versions of most of my old articles. Don’t panic if the site looks different the first couple of times you visit. I am trying different themes to see which I prefer.

I had a great Father’s day. Probably the best ever.

• My wife and two daughters cooked me the most fantastic breakfast of bacon, eggs and cinnamon rolls.
• I was able to go see my father and spend some quality time with him.
• I was able to visit my father-in-law and let him know how much we all care about him. (on Saturday)
• I took my wife and girls to see the new “Nancy Drew” movie. We all enjoyed it.
• We went for an ice cream cone and then sat outside to eat it.
• I received some “special” news just before the day ended. I’ll let you know more later.

Everything was absolutely the greatest – except for one thing. When we were getting into our vehicle after the movie, I saw a scene between a father and son that literally broke my heart.

The situation was obvious. A son, who no longer lives with his father, had come to see him and spend Father’s day with him. It was apparent that the day had come to an end. I witnessed the son making sure that his dad had the card and gift he had brought for his dad. All the while, the son was crying and hugging his dad. I guess the son was about 9–10 years old. You could tell that the father was miserable with the situation as well. The scene ended with the son getting into a truck with his mother and her friend while the father left in another car. I almost cried.

I have come to realize that I am truly blessed.

• I have a loving and devoted wife who makes sure to let me know how special I am in her eyes.
• I have two daughters who think that I hung the moon.

Thank you God for my wonderful life.

Tags: Father’s+day

Lack of intelligence is almost never the true reason for inaction

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soupornuts is moving!!! In order to have more control over my blog (how it looks, plugins, etc.) I have decided to move soupornuts.wordpress.com to soupornuts.com. When you come to soupornuts.com, you will see my new postings along with updated and edited versions of most of my old articles. Don’t panic if the site looks different the first couple of times you visit. I am trying different themes to see which I prefer.

It seems as though every other day someone will approach me and ask what kind of projects I am involved in. Being the obliging sort that I am, and because I like to help other people reach their potential, I will begin to explain what I’m working on and why in hopes of inspiring them to action.

After listening for a few minutes, question start coming my way. How did you get the idea? How did you know where to start? What are you going to do next? Do you think it will work? Is there a market for your idea? So forth and so on. I try to answer as best and honestly as I can.

At some point in the conversation, the person I am talking with will remark, “I’m just not smart enough to do anything like that.” In reality, lack of intelligence is almost never the reason for a person’s inaction or lack of accomplishment. Most often this is an excuse that is hiding a:

1. Lack of commitment.

No matter what the likelihood of success, some people just will not buy into a project. They like the sound of the potential return on investment, just not their investment of time, effort or finances. You simply cannot motivate them to do anything. They want to be involved, but only to the extent that they can reap the profits.

2. Negative attitude.

Some people can see nothing but problems with every project, whether those problems are real or imagined. You can recognize them by their constant catch-all phrases, “but what if such and such happens?” or “I just don’t see how we can do this or that”. Their favorite words are: don’t, can’t, won’t and any other word that can convey a negative meaning.

3. Poor work ethic.

These people are positive and committed. They are positive that someone else can do the job better than them and they are committed to letting them do it. These kind of people are and will always be a “thorn in your side”.

Tags: lack+of+committment, negative+attitude, poor+work+ethic

The buck stops here – accept responsibility for your life

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soupornuts is moving!!! In order to have more control over my blog (how it looks, plugins, etc.) I have decided to move soupornuts.wordpress.com to soupornuts.com. When you come to soupornuts.com, you will see my new postings along with updated and edited versions of most of my old articles. Don’t panic if the site looks different the first couple of times you visit. I am trying different themes to see which I prefer.

Do you remember the little old lady in the Wendy’s commercial? The one that was always asking everyone, “Where’s the beef”? I’m going to tell you! Are you ready? O.K. Here’s the beef – you are responsible for your life!

I know for a fact that “bad” things have occurred in your life. Well guess what, I know because “bad” things happen in everyone’s life. Most people spend their lives blaming someone else for their lot in life. Maybe we should all have a “pity” party and moan and groan to each other about how bad, hard or difficult our situation is.

If there is one person who has faced the same (or worse) trials that you face and they were able to overcome those trials, then you do not have a valid argument for wallowing in self-pity. If they succeeded then you can to. How?

1. Make up your mind to overcome – the first step is the hardest step, but you only have to take it one time. It is also the most rewarding step because with that step, you realize that you can accomplish the next step. You will begin to rebuild your life into the kind of life you want, one step at a time. The key is to make progress daily. No matter how small that progress is. Eventually you will be where you want to be.
2. Establish or find a support system – find a group of like-minded individuals (people who share the same issues as you). Learn when and where they meet. Go to their meetings. Sit in. Become accustomed and participate. Tortured souls typically find peace with each other because they can relate. Allow yourself to be helped, then in turn help another.
3. Share your experience – Once you’ve crossed the abyss, give something back. Record your thoughts and share them. Look for opportunities to listen and be available to those who remind you of your former self. It is when we are giving that we are truly human.

Tags: responsible+for+your+life

Call your Momma

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soupornuts is moving!!! In order to have more control over my blog (how it looks, plugins, etc.) I have decided to move soupornuts.wordpress.com to soupornuts.com. When you come to soupornuts.com, you will see my new postings along with updated and edited versions of most of my old articles. Don’t panic if the site looks different the first couple of times you visit. I am trying different themes to see which I prefer. 

Today is Mother’s Day and mothers everywhere are remembering the day, hour, minute and second that each of their children entered the world. Our mothers brought us into this world, fed us, clothed us, hugged us, loved us, taught us, disciplined us, nurtured us, read to us, chauffeured us, waited for us, worried about us, advised us, helped us, loaned us money, preached to us, cried with us, cried for us, cried about us, coddled us, pushed us, held us, comforted us, sang to us, rocked us and much, much more.

Regardless of how you feel about your mother, you would not be here without her and you would not be you without her. One half of your genes are derived from her. Yes, you are one half of your mother. Whether we like to admit it or not, we are what and who we are because of or in spite of our mothers.

Stop whatever you are doing and call or go and visit your mother today. If you have children then you can relate to the message that I am trying to get across. Call her. Tell her you love her and that she is special. One day you won’t have the opportunity. Don’t live to regret missed chances.

Remember, you did not come with a handbook. She did the best she could and she will always love you.

Tags: Mother’s+day, Mom, Mama, Family

Your Power’s of Influence

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soupornuts is moving!!! In order to have more control over my blog (how it looks, plugins, etc.) I have decided to move soupornuts.wordpress.com to soupornuts.com. When you come to soupornuts.com, you will see my new postings along with updated and edited versions of most of my old articles. Don’t panic if the site looks different the first couple of times you visit. I am trying different themes to see which I prefer.

I am constantly awed and humbled by the things that my daughters notice, whether it’s something seen or heard. The fact that they’ve noticed these things is often revealed to me in either a quiet one on one conversation or while observing the two of them playing together. Here’s a news flash. They see and hear everything I do or say, they adapt it to whatever it is they are doing and then over time, if allowed to go unchecked, they adopt it into their lives. I’m sure that if you have children, at some point, your child repeated a word, phrase, idea or thought that took you a little while to realize where it came from.

The eye-opener is that I understand my influence only because I am constantly exposed to my daughters. I make it a point to talk with them and treat them as intelligent, partially grown human beings. They respond by eagerly developing into two smart and inventive little girls.

I realize the effect of my influence on my daughters only because of my continual exposure to them. This made me begin to wonder, “How many people to we influence that we don’t know about and how do we influence them?” I’ve decided to call these ways “our Powers”.

1. THE POWER TO INSPIRE AND MOTIVATE

When others see us attempt and then accomplish a task, meet a deadline, overcome an obstacle, go back to school, learn a new skill or go beyond what is the status quo, they realize that “it” can be done. They are inspired to “do more” and “go beyond”. By our attitudes, character and actions we have the power to move others. We have the power to motivate them to pursue their goals because we show them that a worthwhile goal can be achieved.

2. THE POWER TO LEAD

Some individuals are natural born leaders while others have the role of leader thrust upon them. Who looks to you for leadership? Your friends, co-workers, children, spouse, others? You would be surprised. We may not see ourselves as leaders, but the odds are the someone looks up to us as their leader. Are we exhibiting good leadership qualities? Do we demonstrate integrity, a solid work ethic, preparedness or a host of other qualities that we expect our leaders to have? Remember, never expect more from others than you are willing to give. It is a sobering thought to know that someone is watching and emulating what we say, what we do, what we think, how we act and the attitudes we portray.

3. THE POWER TO TEACH

You have skills. You know things. Perhaps you:

a. know a shortcut for doing a particular job

b. know a tip or technique for doing a task more efficiently, quicker or more economically

c. know who to contact to get that “certain something” done

d. have devised a system that others are unaware of

e. know where to go for the answers

Tell someone about your unheralded skills. It will make you feel good to share plus you will help someone else become more productive. Rest assured, 99% of the time, they will give you the credit for developing their skills.

4. THE POWER TO LEARN

If you want a new skill, then learn it. It doesn’t matter whether is is becoming proficient with a new software package or learning how to use a handplane (a woodworking tool), you can learn. Your mind is like a muscle, it never loses it’s ability to increase it’s functions. You can develop new skills and abilities through hearing, observation, imitation and deduction. The only realistic limitations we have are the ones that we place on ourselves.

5. THE POWER TO ENCOURAGE

It is truly amazing when you stop to realize how much affect a few words of encouragement can have. A simple “good job” or “nice try” lets others know that we see and value their efforts and accomplishments. One of the largest complaints that I hear in my position is, “no one respects or appreciates what I do”. Studies have shown that workers in general are more likely to perform better, quicker and more efficiently if their efforts are noticed. Continual improvement is more reliant on this than even financial gain.

Stop to encourage others with a word of appreciation or a smile. The benefits will be long lasting.

Tags: thepowertoinfluence, influence

Mr. G: a 3-D success story!

Mr. G is an extraordinary individual. He is an expert craftsman, a highly skilled technician, a college instructor, an entrepreneur, a business partner and my friend. He is active and responsible on all these fronts professionally while at the same time being very conscious of his family’s needs and his responsibilities to them.

Recently, Mr. G has become something of a 3-dimensional success as well. Since the fall of last year, he has been able to reduce his weight by over 70 pounds. Being his friend, I have been able to see his progress and how he tackled this tremendous task. Never once have I heard him complain about the foods he is missing, the extreme effort this has taken, or the time he has devoted to exercising.

Because of his attitude and effort, I have used the term 3-D as an acronym to describe the characteristics he has exhibited during his journey to a healthier lifestyle. The three D’s that set him apart are:

1. Decisiveness

Mr. G is a decisive person. At some point last fall, Mr. G decided that he would change his lifestyle. Now any of you who have embarked on journey of change know that there are many obstacles along the way to success. However, the first step is never taken by many because of they fail to make a decision and then to remain committed to that decision. The first step in obtaining any goal is deciding that your goal is what you want and is worthy of your pursuit.

Mr. G decided to change his lifestyle. Notice that the initial step of his journey began in his mind with a decision. Change your mind first and then your life will change. Your thoughts determine both the quantity and quality of your life.

2. Dedication

Mr. G dedicated himself to learning how to be successful in his endeavor. He did not leave things to chance. He obtained the necessary information from experts in the areas of nutrition, physical fitness, exercise and motivation. He dedicated himself to acquiring and using the knowledge necessary to distinguish himself from the masses who seek to become healthy and fail.

Once he became more educated, Mr. G dedicated himself to developing a plan of attack with subgoals and ways to monitor his progress along the way. He has left nothing to chance. He knows when, what and how to eat. He knows how many calories a certain food has and if it is eaten in combination with another food, how it will affect his insulin levels and thus fat production and storage. He dedicated himself to starting and maintaining an exercise program because he knew this was a mandatory step in the realization of his goals.

Mr. G dedicated himself to obtaining his goals and having produced in his mind the vision of his future self, has not wavered along the path to success.

3. Determination

Determination is the unwillingness to quit, falter or give up, keeping your eye on the goal and forging onward, unstoppable. Mr. G has made steady progress. I have never heard him complain once of the effort this must have taken. I’ve never heard him complain about what he could or could not eat. I’ve never heard him complain that he has to get up a 4:00 a.m. to go workout.

Mr. G’s determination has been an inspiration to me and to many more that have watched his progress.

Mr. G decided that he wanted to be healthier, he devoted himself to learning how to become healthier, he applied his knowledge to the acquisition of his goals and he remains determined today.

Last night, a mutual friend commented to me, “You know, Mr. G seems to hold his head higher. He seems to stand taller.” I agreed with him and I realized that Mr. G may be smaller on the outside, but he is much, much bigger on the inside.

He is a real-life, 3-D success story.

 

 

 

Filly update

O.K. here’s the scoop. So far, so good, but this is really a lot of work. I never imagined how much time a newborn foal could take.

My wife, parents and I spent all day Saturday partitioning a section of one of our paddocks to accommodate our newborn. Then we went around and around baby-proofing it. We also put her dam into the paddock to see if we could get them to bond. No such luck. Although Rosie, (the dam) would tolerate her, she would not allow the filly to nurse. I left them together all day, but again, no bonding seemed to occur.

I returned Rosie to the connecting pasture Sunday and am continuing to monitor them to see if there is any progress. So far, nothing. This concerns me as I know that this filly’s social development will be hindered without contact and exposure to her dam.

My daughters are having great fun. They are beginning to listen to me and are starting to understand how to act and handle yourself around horses. Before now, it has gone in one ear and out the other.

My wife is becoming very attached to this baby and has expressed her concern about her chances. My thoughts are that the longer she goes without taxing her immune system, the better her chances for survival. I am currently updating my opinion of her survival to 70-30%.

Any helpful thoughts or ideas would be welcome.

Today’s choices produce your destiny

We are where we choose to be.  Where we are today is the result of the choices that we’ve made in our past.  This is not something that most people want to acknowledge, but nonetheless, it is true.  Each day we make life altering choices.  Oh, they might not alter our immediate situation, but each choice begins a chain of events that ultimately determines our destiny.

How we interact with a stranger could be huge or not.  Suppose that you are introduced to someone and by choosing to find out more about this new person, you discover that he/she knows someone that may be able to produce that new product that you’ve been trying to get to the consumer.  You chose to take the time to find out about this person, and therefore to discover that this new person was in a position to alter your future.  But the choice was yours.  You choose your destiny.  Destiny does not just happen.  A million  little, seemingly insignificant choices have culminated in placing you right where you are today.

Once you realize the magnitude of each day and of each encounter of each day, you begin to understand that you can control where you will be tomorrow.  If what you do today affects where you will be tomorrow, why not make better choices today?  Why not choose your tomorrow?  If you knew of one action that you could perform today that would increase the likelihood of your success tomorrow, would you hesitate to perform it today?

Whatever your goals are, resolve right now to do one thing,  no matter how small that thing is, that will bring you closer to the realization of your goal.  If you can do this, then today will be a success and tomorrow will be a success as well.

The choice is yours.

Success starts small.

Success.  Give it to me.  Let me have it.  How can I get it?  What does it mean?  Why do I want it?  Where is it?  How will I know when I get it?

Success has a different definition for different people.  My opinion is that success is the combination of excellent personal relationships, a financial position that allows for the least amount of stress while providing your necessary accoutrements and a healthy relationship with God.  Your definition is up to you.

Success is really just a series of individual actions that you take each day.  If you make a conscious effort to be successful in each task that you attempt each day, then at the end of the day you will have had a successful day.  If each day is successful then you have had a successful week, and so forth.  The point is each small, insignificant, unimportant, meaningless task is important when you consider that their combination results in determining your success for each day.  Start small and build a string of successes today.  Your day will then be successful.  String enough days together and the result is that your life will be successful.

Daddy’s girls for now

Having two daughters can be quite a bit of fun. With the first child, you want to experience every new thing that occurs. When the second one comes along some of those unique pleasures get pushed to the side. Case in point: My oldest daughter is six and I have been asking her from the time she could talk, “What are you going to be when you grow up?” There have been a myriad of answers. From “a doctor” to a “dog walker” and everything in between.

Recently, I realized that I had never asked my younger daughter who is approaching four, what she wanted to be when she grows up. However, I was able to remedy this situation recently. I dropped my older daughter off at school and on the way home asked my younger daughter, “what do you want to be when you grow up”? With only a moments hesitation, she replied, “a vegenarian”. I said, “Don’t you mean a veterinarian”? She told me “no, a vegenarian”, but gave me no explanation. I left it at that until today. We had a little quiet time – just the two of us and I asked her if she still wanted to be a vegenarian. She quickly told me, “no, I’m going to be a country music girl.”

I got no further explanation, but I really didn’t want one. It was just nice to share a daddy -daughter moment. Soon she’ll be to busy to tell me what she’s going to be and all I’ll have are these little memories. No, it really doesn’t matter what she wants to be as long as she wants to be with Daddy.