I am confident that as we scan our personal corridors of memory we can all recall lessons that we learned in our youth.  Some memories may be pleasant while others might be disheartening.  Despite the circumstances that our lessons came in or the situations in which they were made we all have the power to choose if our lessons are empowering or disempowering.  Do they cause us to grow or to shrink?

Glen Stratton

My Grandpa, Glen Stratton, always told me that if you see something that needs to be done, just do it.  I don’t know if he took this from Nike or if they took it from him but it did make a lasting impression on me.

He also taught me that today is the first day of the rest of my life.

On my eighth birthday my grandpa gave me a framed quote, entitled Believers Creed, which I still have today. I suppose that he saw potential in me that was not limited to my age or circumstance.

Believers Creed: Today is the very first day of the rest of my life. This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it…or use it for good, but what I do today is important, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something that I have traded for it. I want it to be gain, and not loss; good and not evil; success, and not failure; in order that I shall not regret the price that I have paid for it. I will try just for today, for you never fail until you stop trying.

I suppose that I would ask what lessons are we teaching our children, if we have any, or even those with whom we associate with?

Regardless of what you religious or spiritual convictions are, the video below reminds us that we are all part of something that is greater than ourselves.

As always, after watching the video share the lessons that have been the greatest worth in your life and the lesson they taught.

Self esteem is all about the way a person thinks of himself. A person possessing high self esteem feels good about himself, while person having low self esteem feel worthlessness. Self esteem is vital and a keystone for having a positive attitude to live a better life. Self esteem is a vital aspect of your life because it has an effect on your thinking and acting process. It also determines the way you relate yourself to people. Low self esteem can result in lowering your confidence level, which can initiate the negative thinking process.  This, in turn, can hamper the happiness and well being of a person. This article discusses a few ways to develop self esteem in you. These tips can help you develop a positive thought process leading to success.

Imagine Things Which Make You Feel Good…About You

If you are in a state where you feel that your self confidence as well as self esteem has hit the bottom, you will start imagining yourself in a negative fashion. In such a stage, make sure that instead of criticizing yourself try to seek out the positive aspects in you. Whenever you think about yourself, make sure that you concentrate on your strengths and not your weaknesses. Visualize yourself in a positive light in the future always. These things can definitely boost the level of your self esteem.

Take Proper Care of You

It is a general phenomenon that people who possess low of self esteem as well as self confidence tend not to provide enough care for oneself. Such people care about others and what others do, but minimal care is provided for oneself. This can hamper the way you project yourself and in turn, leave a negative stamp about you. So make sure that for giving your self esteem a boost, pamper yourself with proper care.

Associate With the Right People

This is perfectly true. Being in the presence of a good company always yields you good results. So make sure that your friend circle is full of people who can radiate happiness, cheerfulness, confidence and esteem. Staying in a company of people who are really high on self esteem and self confidence can do wonders to your self esteem and self confidence.

Set Goals Which are Realistic and Focused

At any point of time, if you are feeling low on your self esteem, evaluate the goals which you have set for yourself. Any goals that are focused and realistic will definitely help you improve your self esteem. This is because you will develop the confidence that you will be able to achieve those goals. Accomplishing the goals can increase the level of your self esteem.

Education in Positive Energy

It is good to read positive quotes or articles to give you positive vibes. If you have the habit of maintaining a diary, then make sure that you read the positive aspects of yours from the diary often. Every successful incident of your life can help build your self esteem. Never feel low that you were not able to achieve something. If not this time, next time you will be able to do that.

Replication Equals Duplication

Replicating what you do on a daily basis has a vital impact on your thinking process. Think about the positive things which happen in your life on a daily basis. Never think of anything which has hurt your or is negative in any way. Being positive will add to your self esteem and self confidence.

By following these tips you will definitely be able to improve your self esteem and do well in professional and personal life.

Recently as I was waiting to board my flight from Salt Lake City to Dallas I had the privilege of witnessing something that was very sobering and caused a lot of reflection. A member of our armed forces walked and stood by me waiting for the same flight but he was not alone. He stood there with his wife and three daughters, I’m guessing ages 9, 6 and 4. The soldiers’ wife and children were there to see their husband and father leave for another tour in Iraq. I watched in silence as his daughters clung to their fathers’ leg giving him their last embrace, and taking their last photos together, for what would be a 12-18 month separation from his family. It touched my heart and I couldn’t help but offer a simple prayer that he would return home in safety and that his family would also be protected and strengthened in his absence.

When the boarding call came I made it a point to be the last person to board so that I could further expand the impression that this scene was having on me. As the soldier boarded the plane his three daughters waived to their dad for one last time and then stood there at the window with their mom waiting for the plane to taxi which must have seemed like an eternity for them.

After boarding the plane I thought of the drive home for this mother of three and what must have been going through her mind. I am sure that when she arrived home the silence there was deafening; after all she would be a single mom in many aspects for the next several months ahead. I don’t believe that this was the first time that her husband had been sent away but I also don’t believe that it gets easier with each deployment.

Since yesterday I have had some time to reflect on what I was a witness too. I thought about me and the soldier; here was I boarding a plane to provide my family with a comfortable living while the soldier was boarding the same plane, to possibly be placed in harms way, while his wife and daughters living just became increasingly uncomfortable.

I have thought about what I am doing every day to honor this soldier along with countless others who have served and given their lives in the pursuit of freedom; not to mention the wives, widows and children whose sacrifice is greater in many ways. It led me to commit myself to live each day a little better, try a littler harder, smile a little longer, listen a little more empathetically, anonymously give a little more, hug a little tenderer, and shine a little brighter; to recognize that there is a bigger purpose to life that has little if nothing to do with my own agenda or ego.

On my eighth birthday my grandpa gave me a framed quote, entitled Believers Creed, which I still have today. I suppose that he saw potential in me that was not limited to my age or circumstance.

Believers Creed: Today is the very first day of the rest of my life. This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it…or use it for good, but what I do today is important, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something that I have traded for it. I want it to be gain, and not loss; good and not evil; success, and not failure; in order that I shall not regret the price that I have paid for it. I will try just for today, for you never fail until you stop trying.

The question is then what can we do today to lift hands that hang low, bring a smile to a strangers face, reconcile a broken relationship, and just try a little harder, because true success doesn’t come from what we do for ourselves but what we can do for others.

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