Today marks 23 years of marriage to my most beautiful wife, Tami. As I was thinking about what to say here about our time together, I decided to include something I had written about her in a book that has yet to be completed. It really does express my feelings about our relationship. Enjoy!
“Beauty can only get you so far, but she had it all. When I met her that day, my heart felt a connection that words could not describe. As I said before, I never really believed in love at first site, but mine was really love at first smile. She remains the most beautiful person I have ever met because her spirit is so pure. She may not believe it all the time, but that doesn’t make it untrue. She has more beauty, style, grace, poise, charm, personality, charisma, character, and spirit than anyone I have ever met. She is the kindest, loveliest woman that there ever could be.
“She is my greatest teacher. She has taught me love, friendship, self-esteem, confidence, courage, self-worth, honesty, forgiveness, and how to be a better person. She has taught me more than any one person could ever teach me about myself. She is my light, my joy, my happiness, my friend, the love of my life, and most of all, my one true soul mate.
Happy Anniversay Tami! I love you!
Love and gratitude,
Bill
Fill In The Blank
Life is ___________________________________. I was listening to Tony Robbins today in my car and he said a few things that really got me thinking. In his particular audio Tony was talking about metaphors. Specifically how we use them in either empowering or destructive ways. Take a few minutes to fill in the blank. I suggest to write down 10 things that you believe life is. Try to do this without thinking too much. Just put down what you normally say or hear others saying. Then look for anything that has a negative connotation to you and cross them out. It is time for a new metaphor. For example if you wrote, “Life is a struggle,” mark a line through it. Then change it to something softer. Maybe something like this, “Life is like the spring. Sometimes it storms but other times it springs beautiful sunny days.” You see, that just feels better, doesn’t it?
Life is ____________________________________. Fill in the blank now, mark off the negative ones, and watch your life “Spring” into a brilliance.
Peace, gratitude, and sunny days!
Bill
Happy Valentine's Day Gift
Please enjoy a gift from us at IDontSTINK this Valentine’s Day.
Click the heart below or go to https://idontstink.com/index.php?p=valentines to get the eCard designed specifically for this site. Feel free to send it to as many people as you like. The eCard contains a short cartoon designed to put a smile on your face and anyone you send it to. Make sure to turn your sound up!
After you send the card to your friends and family, go to your personal kindness meter and log this kind deed. Go to https://idontstink.com/index.php?p=idontstink_kindnesschallenge to log this kind act.
Peace, love, and smiles,
Bill
February's Picture Frame
The 8x10 Picture Frame Hanging On My Wall
In keeping with my fearless focus challenge in last month’s newsletter, I created a new mini vision board picture frame. One thing that i noticed right away was that my emotional state was positively influenced as I was creating it. For this one, I wanted incantations that I typically do (THANK YOU Tony Robbins!) plus some other text on this frame. I really could feel my spirit lift and when it put me in a new state, man, my days have been FILLED with focus, creativity, and gratitude. Those just happen to be the themes of the 3 8×10 picture frames hanging in my house that I see at least 20 times a day.
If you haven’t created your own picture frames to put on your desk, I strongly encourage you to do so NOW! It will raise your spirits and make you feel good.
On My Desk: The Frame Made for This Month
Click here now to check out the software I used to create my vision boards and picture frames.
Kindness Today
Today is a good day to do something kind for yourself. I know that it is probably easier to do something kind for someone else, but today, do something for yourself. I am going to do a few things. First, I am going to do one thing that I have been putting off for quite some time. Then I am going to create my mini vision board picture frame for February. In considering what I would do today, I wanted to make sure to do something that was fun. I realized that haven’t played any games (xBox, online, etc) in a long, long time. So with that in mind, I am going to take an hour or so and play a game. I cringe as I think about the wasted time that I could be doing something productive but you know, it is productive when you think about it. Doing something fun puts you in a good mood and it really is a good thing to do something that lets your mind rest for awhile. When you are relaxed and happy, you will automatically be helping others with your good attitude.
Peace, love, and FUN!
Bill
Setting Goals
From the beginning of 2006 I have had a daily ritual that has served me quite well. It is outlined in my 7 Days To Inner Peace book and if you are not using some sort of To Do list, you really need to reconsider. It has been a tool that has helped me achieve more success than just about any tool I have tried. Yesterday, I got the idea to change it up just a bit and thought I would share it with you.
For the past 3 years I create a daily To Do list that covers what I will do that day. About a month ago, I changed it up to include weekly goals along with daily tasks. Now I am re-evaluating that to include something even better. I created goals for: 1 month – 3 months – 6 months – 12 months. Now, when I create my weekly goals, I will first look at the 12 month goals, then 6, then 3, and finally goals for the month. this allows me to stay focused on what I want to create for the year.
I believe that just by identifying what your goals are for the year will serve as an affirmation in and of itself. If you don’t know what you want, how do you know if you got it? Breaking things down into smaller tasks will certainly keep me focused, thus creating what I desire. Remember, what you FOCUS on EXPANDS so stay focused on what you desire and what it show up in your life.
Peace, love, and gratitude,
Bill
Gratitude Day!
I am making today a Gratitude Day. I am challenging myself to give gratitude at least 1,000 times. Some of the things I will do is say “Thank You God, Thank You” many, many times as well as think of as many gratitude thoughts as I can. I will review some notes that I made last month as I reflected on all of my accomplishments of 2008. I will read the list often and I will give gratitude to God for such a wonderful day!
Thank you God, Thank you! (See, I already have 2 with 998 more to go!) 2009 will be my BEST year EVER!
Peace and gratitude, (997 left)
Bill
The Fog of the Day
This morning I was driving to the health club and watched as freezing fog invaded my town. As I thought about the fog, I knew there was clear sky above it and it got me thinking. Many of us get smothered in negativity and negative thinking. Sometimes it is so persistent we can’t see the good in anything. It is kind of like that fog I saw this morning.
One thing about positive thinking is that sometimes you have to trust that there is something good going to happen to you. When I get into any kind of negative state, I see it as a signal that I need to change my thinking because if I don’t, I am destined to have a miserable day.
Sure, some days are more difficult than others but when that happens to you, think about this fog example. Realize that there are blue skies awaiting you if you can change your thoughts. Before you know it, things will clear up and you will discover that you had nothing to worry about at all.
Peace, love, and positive thoughts,
Bill
Oh What A Concert!
Back in December, on my wedding anniversary, my wife and I went to see Brave Combo in concert with the Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra. It was a Christmas show that I will always remember. Brave Combo, a new wave Polka Band, had people dancing in the aisles, dancing in the seats, and even had some dancing on the stage. I have been to many Christmas concerts in my time but nothing like this. I will say that I have been to some fabulous Christmas concerts but what Brave Combo provided cannot compare to anything I have ever witnessed.
I had no idea what to expect because everyone who had ever heard of them told me, “Well, they are different.” They did not say it in bad way or anything like that. I think it was because Brave Combo is so hard to explain exactly what they do. Even now, I find it very difficult to give specifics about their concert other than to say that I left concert feeling so good. Who would have thought that I would be doing the “Twist” and the chicken dance at a Christmas concert? How do your really explain that where others would understand? That should tell you enough. The positive energy displayed through the evening was exactly what my soul needed. What a great way to spend my anniversary!
THANK YOU Brave Combo for such an AWESOME performance and THANK YOU Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra for having them perform. PLEASE have them back next year! One last thing I want to repeat here is that this was BY FAR my favorite Christmas concert ever.
Peace and gratitude,
Bill
Fearless Focus
For those of you who received my eNewsletter last week, I thought I would share with you how I am doing the exercise this month. For those of you who have not signed up for my eNewsletter, not to worry. I will recap the exercise right now:
My 3 Frames for 2009
January’s Fearless Focus section of my newsletter challenged you do the following:
1) Create (3) 8×10 Picture frames based upon themes you want to accomplish in 2009. Mine were: Focus, Creativity, & Gratitude. (See image below)
2) Decide which theme you want to work on this month.
3) Create a 8×10 mini vision board each month of this year based upon the theme from those frames. (See my January’s FOCUS mini vision board below.)
My FOCUS Mini Vision Board
My Desk
Happy Anniversary Baby!
Today marks 23 years of marriage to my most beautiful wife, Tami. As I was thinking about what to say here about our time together, I decided to include something I had written about her in a book that has yet to be completed. It really does express my feelings about our relationship. Enjoy!
“Beauty can only get you so far, but she had it all. When I met her that day, my heart felt a connection that words could not describe. As I said before, I never really believed in love at first site, but mine was really love at first smile. She remains the most beautiful person I have ever met because her spirit is so pure. She may not believe it all the time, but that doesn’t make it untrue. She has more beauty, style, grace, poise, charm, personality, charisma, character, and spirit than anyone I have ever met. She is the kindest, loveliest woman that there ever could be.
“She is my greatest teacher. She has taught me love, friendship, self-esteem, confidence, courage, self-worth, honesty, forgiveness, and how to be a better person. She has taught me more than any one person could ever teach me about myself. She is my light, my joy, my happiness, my friend, the love of my life, and most of all, my one true soul mate.
Happy Anniversay Tami! I love you!
Love and gratitude,
Bill