"And He has given us a treasure called right now, And this is the only moment we can do anything about"~Steven Curtis Chapman

When I look back over my life so far, the best and worse decisions that I have made have always been preceded by that feeling of “there is something not quite right here.” You feel your stomach start to sink, your heart rate increases, and it’s as if you need to change something.

It’s the first morning of 2011. There you are sitting in front of your computer, sipping your favorite brew, and catching up on your social networking. It really hasn’t hit you that today is the first day of the new year. It hasn’t quite sunk in that time is up on the “New Year’s Resolutions” that you made last year. In fact, you may not have even realized that you have not accomplished one of those pesky resolutions. The intentions were there, but the effort was not. The thoughts and dreams were there, but the motivation was not.

So now you are getting a little angry thinking about resolutions. The thought goes off in the back of your head, “This year will be different, I will make this year count.” You dream those dreams, you have goals and things you would like to accomplish. You know this year you will get the motivation to do the things you say you are going to do. Maybe this year. . .

We have all been there, we have all made “New Year’s Resolutions.” We just know at the beginning of every year that this will be the year that we will soar to new heights. Odds are, you are making the same resolutions and setting the same goals that you did last year. At the end of 2010 you will make the same resolutions and goals again. What’s wrong, where’s the drive and the motivation.

I know, some of you are saying to me that life gets in the way. Unexpected curves get in the way. Yes, life does happen and we fall down. In Batman Begins, Thomas Wayne tells young Bruce Wayne, “Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.” So, we fall, we get up and we learn.

The problem is that most of us get frustrated and stop. Some curve ball comes our way and we want to get out of the batter’s box. Charles Swindoll says it this way, “I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.”

I hope that at the dawn of this new year, you take to heart that, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” (Walt Disney) God created you to be a dreamer, He created you to take risks. As I have to keep telling my self; when you step out, you will either find a place to step or He will teach you to fly. Each day is a new beginning, you can choose to change everyday, not just at the beginning of the new year.
Happy New Year everyone!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! ! ! Enjoy the movie below courtesy of http://jibjab.com

The '”fear of the unknown.” You have probably heard that phrase your whole life, and odds are you have used that phrase as an excuse not to do something. As children we explored and were curious about the unknown, but now as adults we are afraid to take the risk for “fear of the unknown.” To get right down to it, many of us do not have the courage to take the risks that were put in this life’s design.

In every stage in life there are unknown variables.

Life is full of choice. All risks are not as big as they seem. A risk may be deciding that one parent is going to stay home with the kids, they down size to have more family time. A risk is deciding to start living below your means so you can begin to live a debt free life one day and take away money stresses. A risk is when a person finds their “calling” working a normal job so they can spend more time with their family and do the activities together that they really enjoy.

My Dad took a risk as an entrepreneur and started his on business and was able to do more for our family and spend more time with us. It is taking a job that may pay less and gives you more free time, but you don’t have to work 50-60 hours a week where your free time is spent sleeping, eating and exercising.

Life comes down to risks and the choices that you make. We have freedom to maker our choices and to pursue happiness. “You are now free to move about the country.” It doesn’t mean that you have to make high dollar amounts and live a life of luxury to be the envy of your friends. It is about being able to live the life that you choose.

One resounding truth that I have heard over and over is that if you do not like something in you life, make a plan to change it. Life is too short to be doing something that you hate or don’t like. The consequence of doing something that you hate drains the life out of you and your family gets the leftovers.

One thing is critical though, do not make a decision based on the fact that it will make you happy. Happiness is elusive, it is an emotion. We are not promised happiness. In the Declaration of Independence we are promised the “pursuit of happiness.” No where in the Bible are we promised happiness, and anywhere you read it is more concerned with your character (Prov 22:1).

The reason you do not do something based on a “happy” feeling is because what we like and dislike change so much. A simple illustration is Top 40 music. We here a song and we say it’s the best song, but a month down the road we turn the station when we hear that song.

So what do you base your decisions on?

A few years ago I was at a leadership dinner at Belmont University and the speaker said that you need to do what you are ENTHUSIASTIC about, what EXCITES you. He explained that enthusiasm comes from the Greek word ENTHEOS which means God in you, God breathed God inspired.

So spend sometime figuring out what sparks your enthusiasm, what excites you. Write down interests. What would you do if money wasn’t an object? Where would you live if you could? What trips would you take? What charities touch your heart? The more you uncover, the more you will learn about what God has inspired within you and what He has breathed into you.

So slow down, discover yourself and discover your passions. Figure out where you are before you begin to move forward. Get your life GPS out.

Also, figure out your values. Write down your values, write a mission statement for yourself, this will be your compass/GPS. Is what you are doing right lining up with your values and mission statement? Does the decision that you are about to make line up with your values and mission statement.

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”- Walt Disney