Welcome To Day 22 - Who Surrounds You
Today I want to talk about this quote, "I will seek wisdom. I will choose my friends with care. I am who my friends are. I speak their language, and I wear their clothes. I share their opinions and their habits."

I would share this several different times a day. This is what I would share with my god-children when they would tell me about friends or significant others. You have to be very careful about who you surround yourself with. There is guilt and praise by association. Let me be clear, you should not keep people away from you. We are created to be relational beings. We thrive together, and need each other to operate at peak performance.

With that being said you should be very careful about who you allow into your inner circle. Your inner circle really has a tremendous influence on who you are. Surround yourself with people that build you up, people who help you dream, people who inspire you to grow. The worst thing you could ever do is be surrounded by people who are negative, who immediately tell you why something cannot be done, who remind you of how hard it is.

I used to have a group of guys that I would talk to who were way ahead of me, in my opinion. Listening to them made me want to be a better husband, father and business man. I had another group of guys that I studied biblical leadership with. We were all headed in the same direction and held each other accountable for growing. When we moved away from Texas that was one of the first things that I sought out. I found some guys who I respect that inspire me with their actions. Are the perfect? No. But that doesn't matter. I am very selective so it will take time to rebuild my former network, but that is ok.

I recommend that all of you evaluate the relationships in your life and see who you are surrounding yourself with. I know that this is a hard subject but I hope that you can see the wisdom in what I have shared. It was hard for me set boundaries on people who were used to full access to my life.

I Will Seek Wisdom

Knowing that wisdom waits to be gathered, I will actively search her out. My past can never be changed, but I can change the future by changing my actions today. I will change my actions today! I will train my eyes and ears to read and listen to books and recordings that bring about positive changes in my personal relationships and a greater understanding of my fellow man. No longer will I bombard my mind with materials that feed my doubts and fears. I will read and listen only to that which increases my belief in myself and my future.

I will seek wisdom. I will choose my friends with care. I am who my friends are. I speak their language, and I wear their clothes. I share their opinions and their habits. From this moment forward, I will choose to associate with people whose lives and lifestyles I admire. If I associate with chickens, I will learn to scratch at the ground and squabble over crumbs. If I associate with eagles, I will learn to soar great heights. I am an eagle. It is my destiny to fly.

I will seek wisdom. I will listen to the counsel of wise men. The words of a wise man are like raindrops on dry ground. They are precious and quickly used for immediate results. Only the blade of grass that catches a raindrop will prosper and grow. The person who ignores wise counsel is like the blade of grass untouched by the rain—soon to wither and die. When I counsel with myself, I can only make decisions according to what I already know. By counseling with a wise man, I add his knowledge and experience to my own and dramatically increase my success.

I will seek wisdom. I will be a servant to others. A wise man will cultivate a servant’s spirit, for that particular attribute attracts people like no other. As I humbly serve others, their wisdom will be freely shared with me. Often, the person who develops a servant’s spirit becomes wealthy beyond measure. Many times, a servant has the ear of the king, and a humble servant becomes king for he is the popular choice of the people. He who serves the most grows the fastest.

I will become a humble servant. I will not look for someone to open my door—I will look to open the door for someone. I will not be distressed when no one is available to help me—I will be excited when I am available to help.

I will be a servant to others. I will listen to the counsel of wise men. I will choose my friends with care. I Will Seek Wisdom

Hopefully this message is not too confusing. I had very little sleep last night and my mind is foggy. Great having you running along with me.

Go Go Go

There comes a point where we have to decide if we are going to think about our dreams or pursue them. Have you decided that this is it for? Have you totally sold out to your goal for this 30 Day Trial? If you don't then this will be a very challenging 10 days. When we have committed to our dreams we make decisions that are consistent with them. If not than we will find excuses.

I started this week with a Word to get your play and run with it. Now is the time. This is the place.

Have you started to think about where you will be once this is over? Will you pick a new goal or keep your existing streak going. What have you learned? Did anyone notice what you were doing? Does it matter?

Here is today's Quote Taken, again, from the Travelers Gift. It is about Having a Decided Heart.

A wise man once said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Knowing this to be true, I am taking my first step today. For too long my feet have been tentative, shuffling left and right, more backward than forward as my heart gauged the direction of the wind. Criticism, condemnation, and complaint are creatures of the wind. They come and go on the wasted breath of lesser beings and have no power over me. The power to control direction belongs to me. Today I will begin to exercise that power. My course has been charted. My destiny is assured.

I have a decided heart. I am passionate about my vision for the future. I will awaken every morning with an excitement about the new day and its opportunity for growth and change. My thoughts and actions will work in a forward motion, never sliding into the dark forest of doubt or the muddy quicksand of self-pity. I will freely give my vision for the future to others, and as they see the belief in my eyes, they will follow me. I will lay my head on my pillow at night happily exhausted, knowing that I have done everything within my power to move the mountains in my path. As I sleep, the same dream that dominates my waking hours will be with me in the dark. Yes, I have a dream. It is a great dream, and I will never apologize for it. Neither will I ever let it go, for if I did, my life would be finished. My hopes, my passions, my vision for the future is my very existence. A person without a dream never had a dream come true.

I have a decided heart. I will not wait.

I know that the purpose of analysis is to come to a conclusion. I have tested the angles. I have measured the probabilities. And now I have made a decision with my heart. I am not timid. I will move now and not look back. What I put off until tomorrow, I will put off until the next day as well. I do not procrastinate. All my problems become smaller when I confront them. If I touch a thistle with caution, it will prick me, but if I grasp it boldly, its spines crumble into dust.

I will not wait. I am passionate about my vision for the future. My course has been charted. My destiny is assured. I Have A Decided Heart

Every day I end this the same way. Today I mean it more than any other.

GO GO GO

Today I want to talk about being happy. Happiness is one of those desires that people have but it seems to elude a lot of them. One of the Seven Decisions in the Traveler's gift gives the key to really understanding happiness. If you embrace this one thing it will change the way you look at the circumstances and situations in your life. What is this key? The key to finding this hard to find happiness is the realization that you have the choice to be happy.

Choice is such a simple thing. Note that I didn't say that it was easy. It is not. Your mood may not lead you to embrace happiness. Your situation may not "be" a happy one. However you have to power to decide how you will respond to it. You can choose to be happy. The opposite is also true. You can choose to be sad, frustrated, angry. Which one make the most sense to you. If you had the power to choose, which one do you want?

So no matter what you spouse may say. No matter what you children might do. Regardless of what situations you may find yourself in. Tell yourself, I Choose To Be Happy.

Beginning this very moment, I am a happy person, for I now truly understand the concept of happiness. Few others before me have been able to grasp the truth of the physical law that enables one to live happily every day. I know now that happiness is not an emotional phantom floating in and out of my life. Happiness is a choice. Happiness is the end result of certain thoughts and activities, which actually bring about a chemical reaction in my body. This reaction results in a euphoria, which, while elusive to some, is totally under my control.

Today I will choose to be happy. I will greet each day with laughter. Within moments of awakening, I will laugh for seven seconds. After even such a small period of time, excitement has begun to flow through my bloodstream. I feel different. I am different! I am enthusiastic about the day. I am alert to its possibilities. I am happy! Laughter is an outward expression of enthusiasm, and I know that enthusiasm is the fuel that moves the world. I laugh throughout the day. I laugh while I am alone, and I laugh in conversation with others. People are drawn to me because I have laughter in my heart. The world belongs to the enthusiastic for people will follow them anywhere!

Today I will choose to be happy. I will smile at every person I meet. My smile has become my calling card. It is, after all, the most potent weapon I possess. My smile has the strength to forge bonds, break ice, and calm storms. I will use my smile constantly. Because of my smile, the people with whom I come in contact on a daily basis will choose to further my causes and follow my leadership. I will always smile first. That particular display of a good attitude will tell others what I expect in return. My smile is the key to my emotional make up. A wise man once said, “I do not sing because I am happy; I am happy because I sing!” When I choose to smile, I become the master of my emotions. Discouragement, despair, frustration, and fear will always wither when confronted by my smile. The power of who I am is displayed when I smile.

Today I will choose to be happy. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit. In the past, I have found discouragement in particular situations, until I compared the condition of my life to others less fortunate. Just as a fresh breeze cleans smoke from the air, so does a grateful spirit remove the cloud of despair. It is impossible for the seeds of depression to take root in a thankful heart. My God has bestowed upon me many gifts, and for these I will remember to be grateful. Too many times I have offered up the prayers of a beggar, always asking for more and forgetting my thanks. I do not wish to be seen as a greedy child, unappreciative, and disrespectful. I am grateful for sight and sound and breath. If ever in my life there is a pouring out of blessings beyond that, then I will be grateful for the miracle of abundance.

I will greet each day with laughter. I will smile at every person I meet. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.

Today, I Will Choose To Be Happy.This concept of choice is so very important to your success in the 30 Day Trial Challenge. Everyday you have to choose whether to get it done our not. I hope that you continue to see this through to the end.

Go Go Go

The first time I read this book I could not put it down. I read it almost nonstop over the course of a week. Some of the decisions had more of an impact on me than others. Yesterday's discussion on being a person of action is the one that still means the most to me. Today's decision is the next. It is also the first one in the book. It is entitled, The Buck Stops Here.

It is important to remember that we are responsible for what we do and what we feel. No one can make us do anything. Even at the point of a gun you still have a decision to make. If you understand, and most importantly, apply this then you will never be a slave to your emotions again. You can choose to let something bother you or not. You can choose to go or to stay. You can choose to act in love or hate. You Can Choose.
Choose today to make a decision and stick to it. Don't choose to let things happen to you. Not deciding is just as much a choice as deciding.> The Buck Stops HereFrom this moment forward, I will accept responsibility for my past. I understand that the beginning of wisdom is to accept the responsibility for my own problems and that by accepting responsibility for my past, I free myself to move into a bigger, brighter future of my own choosing.

Never again will I blame my parents, my spouse, my boss, or employees for my resent situation. Neither my education or lack of one, my genetics, or the circumstantial ebb and flow of everyday life will affect my future in a negative way. If I allow myself to blame these uncontrollable forces for my lack of success, I will be forever caught in a web of the past. I will look forward. I will not let my history control my destiny.

The buck stops here. I accept responsibility for my past. I am responsible for my success. I am where I am today—mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially—because of decisions I have made. My decisions have always been governed by my thinking. Therefore, I am where I am today—mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially—because of how I think. Today I will begin the process of changing where I am—mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially—by changing the way I think.

My thoughts will be constructive, never destructive. My mind will live in the solutions of the future. It will not dwell in the problems of the past. I will seek the association of those who are working and striving to bring about positive changes in the world. I will never seek comfort by associating with those who have decided to be comfortable.

When faced with the opportunity to make a decision, I will make one. I understand that God did not put in me the ability to always make right decisions. He did, however, put in me the ability to make a decision and then make it right. The rise and fall of my emotional tide will not deter me from my course. When I make a decision, I will stand behind it. My energy will go into making the decision. I will waste none on second thoughts. My life will not be an apology. It will be a statement.

The buck stops here. I control my thoughts. I control my emotions.

In the future, when I am tempted to ask the question “Why me?”, I will immediately counter with the answer: “Why not me?” Challenges are a gift, an opportunity to learn. Problems are the common thread running through the lives of great men and women. In times of adversity, I will not have a problem to deal with, I will have a choice to make. My thoughts will be clear. I will make the right choice. Adversity is preparation for greatness. I will accept the preparation. Why me? Why not me? I will be prepared for something great!

I accept responsibility for my past. I control my thoughts. I control my emotions. I am responsible for my success.

The Buck Stops Here.Go Go Go

I want to applaud all of my 30 Day Trial Challengers. Those of you who update everyday and those of you who are silently running along. I appreciate that you are doing this with me and for yourselves. Today I want to talk with you about the second best time to start any endeavor... NOW.

I'm sure all of you have heard this said by someone before, "If not YOU then WHO? If not NOW then WHEN?" I am glad that in one way or another, this challenge has made you say that It will be YOU and while you put it on the line 15 days ago you make it happen NOW!

I thrive in an environment where I there is action. Where decisions are made and things get done. I am so anti-meeting it is crazy. I was asked how do you survive in a company where meetings are a way of life. The way that you do it is by controlling the environment. If you must have a meeting than set an agenda, stick to it and stop anyone who attempts to derail it.

So how do you live a do it now lifestyle. One of the practices that I do is what I call the 60 Second Decision. When faced with a decision you come up with the 4-5 serious yes or no questions about the situation. If someone is asking you to make this decision then pose your questions to them. If it is an internal decision then ask yourself. Be honest and direct in your answers to yourself. Once you have you answers than decide and get moving. The greatest cause of failure is inactivity. Analysis Paralysis is a very real thing. Don't let it get you. I'll close off by sharing my 2nd favorite decision from The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews
I Am A Person Of ActionBeginning today, I will create a new future by creating a new me. No longer will I dwell in a pit of despair, moaning over squandered time and lost opportunity. I can do nothing about the past. My future is immediate. I will grasp it in both hands and carry it with running feet. When I am faced with the choice of doing nothing or doing something, I will always choose to act! I seize this moment. I choose now.I am a person of action. I am energetic. I move quickly. Knowing that laziness is a sin, I will create a habit of lively behavior. I will walk with a spring in my step and a smile on my face. The lifeblood rushing through my veins is urging me upward and forward into activity and accomplishment. Wealth and prosperity hide from the sluggard, but rich rewards come to the person who moves quickly.I am a person of action. I inspire others with my activity. I am a leader. Leading is doing. To lead, I must move forward. Many people move out of the way for a person on the run; others are caught up in his wake. My activity will create a wave of success for the people who follow. My activity will be consistent. This will instill confidence in my leadership. As a leader, I have the ability to encourage and inspire others to greatness. It is true: An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep!I am a person of action. I can make a decision. I can make it now. A person who moves neither left nor right is destined for mediocrity. When faced with a decision, many people say they are waiting for God. But I understand, in most cases, God is waiting for me! He has given me a healthy mind to gather and sort information and the courage to come to a conclusion. I am not a quivering dog, indecisive and fearful. My constitution is strong and my pathway clear. Successful people make their decisions quickly and change their mind slowly. Failures make their decisions slowly and change their mind quickly. My decisions come quickly, and they lead to victory.I am a person of action. I am daring. I am courageous. Fear no longer has a place in my life. For too long, fear has outweighed my desire to make things better for my family. Never again! I have exposed fear as a vapor, an impostor who never had any power over me in the first place! I do not fear opinion, gossip, or the idle chatter of monkeys for all are the same to me. I do not fear failure, for in my life, failure is a myth. Failure only exists for the person who quits. I do not quit. I am courageous. I am a leader. I seize this moment. I choose now.I Am A Person Of Action.
Go Go Go

PS. In case you were wondering what the best time to start something is RIGHT NOW!