Slow down.  That's it.  Just slow down, breathe deeply, enjoy an extended moment.  Be still and slow down.  After all, it is Friday.

     Would you rather go through life fearing failure and thus not attempting anything worthwhile?  Is it better to play it safe and not take any risks because you are afraid of what others will say?  Odds are that the risk is worth the reward.  Don't go through life regretting things that you never did or never tried.  As Lucille Ball once said, "I’d rather regret the things I’ve done, than regret the things I haven’t done."  If you fail in your efforts, the worst thing that can happen is that you are back where you started.  However, if you, when you succeed you will have achieved more than what you originally sought after.  You will have gained the confidence to continue to reach for previously thought unreachable dreams and goals.  The great English poet Alfred Lord Tennyson pointed out that, "Tis better to have loved and lost, then to never have loved at all."  So believe in yourself and your ability to make that image in your head a reality.

     The little dreams can be just as important as the really big dreams.  It those little victories that happen everyday, if you're observant enough to notice them happening, that can boost your confidence and belief in the possibility of the big dreams coming true.  Little miracles happen everyday.  Just think of all the little things you get done everyday without even putting forth much effort.  Just think of all the big things you could accomplish if you did focus your thoughts and efforts.  As the great painter, Vincent Van Gogh once said, "Great things are done by a series of small things brought together."  Today, just take time to notice all the little dreams coming true instead of stressing about the big ones that have yet to come true.
 

     My son recently wanted a piece of french bread.  He asked me, "Can I have the beginning of the bread?"  I said, You mean you want one of the end pieces?"  "No.  The beginning pieces," he clarified for me.  I suddenly realized that he was right.  There really are no "ends" in reality. The end of one thing is always the beginning of something else.  There is no end to life.  There is no end to the world.  There are only transitions, new possibilities, and new beginnings that awaits us every moment of every day. Here lies another path to inspiration and happiness: See the beginning in everything.

     Everyday is an opportunity to start something new. Everyday and every moment is filled with unlimited potential for anything to happen.  Everyday is never just an another ordinary day, but a day filled with opportunities to be extraordinary.  Everyday realize that today is the only day that matters in the timeline of your goals and dreams.  Yesterday is over, tomorrow has yet to happen, but what I do today can change the course of history.  If you seem to mess up along the way, no worries.  Tomorrow will again be one of those seemingly ordinary days filled with moments to be extraordinary.

Be sure to check out the Children's Story page for more inspiration.

     When in pursuit of dreams and goals, sometimes we work too much, worry too much, and search for too much inspiration.  An attitude of surrender is often needed before dreams manifest.  This is not exactly the same as giving up.  To surrender is more an act of faith that things will work out.  Many times when you are trying too hard to accomplish something, the attitude behind your efforts is still one of worrying that you won't succeed.  Stop worrying and just let things happen.  Eventually, they will.  Like the couple who got pregnant two years after giving up on all the fertility treatments.  Like finding that house you really wanted five years ago, suddenly up for sale again.  Like waking up and realizing that child, or that car, or that shiny thing in your hand that you prayed and prayed for years and years ago has been in your life and in your hand for months and months before you suddenly realized that "Yes, didn't I ask for this to happen?"  It did happen before, and it will happen again if you have faith and just surrender to the process of letting it all happen.

Check out this week's addition to the Children's Story page: The Man Who Could Change Anything Into Something

     When pursuing a dream or a goal, we often defeat ourselves when thinking about the total magnitude of what must be accomplished to reach the end of the journey.  However, doing just a little bit everyday towards your goal can go a long way.  There are many cliches to this effect.  "Rome wasn't built in a day" or "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." But the fact that just doing a little can go a long way is undeniable.  Consistency is the key to achieving anything.  Whether it's losing a tenth of a pound a day, writing one page a day, or running an extra 100 feet a day, eventually you will have lost a hundred pounds, written a book, or ran a marathon.  It may take a little time, but what were you doing with that time anyway?  Don't waste those little moments.  If you do a little something everyday, one day you'll realize that you can do anything. 

     Watching the Food Network inspired my son this weekend.  He set all his energy towards manifesting himself a churro.  He just knew that his mouth would be chomping one soon.  He had no doubt. A churro is a tasty Spanish/Mexican treat coated with sugar and cinnamon.  It is almost like a big donut stick.  The snack gets its name from the Churro breed of sheep found in Spain for you history buffs.  Anyway, my son immediately fell in love. He went to bed with images of churros dancing in his head.  He woke up wanting churros for breakfast.  He asked his father and mother all day, "Are we going to go get a churro now?"  Even his crying baby sister and his misadventure of clogging the toilet and flooding the bathroom did not deter him from his goal.  "Churro?" he cried as I washed the toilet water and feces off of his body.  Needless to say, shortly thereafter, we did find some churros at the local Latino grocery strore.  Dream achieved!  This is just a small daily example of what a little patience, persistance, and faith can accomplish.  Not to mention a churro craving dad as well.

Check out this week's addition to the Children's Story page, The Bee Who Couldn't See.