Jet Lag - 07/31/07

I haven't had any journal entries for six days.  My last entry was Wednesday night.  I got on the plane to leave India Thursday night for an early Friday morning flight.  Since then, I have had serious jet lag.

I got home at 11 am on Friday morning and I took a nap.  I was then up all night.  I guess my body was still on India time.  I finally fell asleep at 4 in the morning.  On Saturday, I tried to stay awake, but I did take a short nap.  I was able to sleep, but I woke up at 4.

On Sunday, I fell asleep about 6 and then woke up at 3.  I had to go into the office on Monday.  We also had to go out for dinner Monday, so I didn't get to bed until 11 that night.  I figured that I would be able to sleep a full night, but once again I woke up a 4 o'clock.

Everyone keeps telling me that it will take me about a week to recover.  It is making it difficult to get back into a normal routine.  I haven't been reading every night.  I hope to get back to reading a little bit every night and making sure that I write a journal entry every day.

Akshar Dham - 07/25/07

Yesterday was a very long day.  I got back late last night.  I wasn’t feeling well, so I didn’t write a journal entry.  I wish I could have written about my experiences yesterday because although it was a long day and tiring by the end, it was a very uplifting and spiritual day for me.

 

After work, we went to visit the Akshar Dham temple in Dehli.  The Akshar Dham is a spiritual temple that was built by the BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha).  BAPS is an organization within the Swaminarayan faith.  The Swaminarayan faith was started when Bhagwan Swaminarayan began his life in 1781.  The Hindus believed him to be the manifestation of God.

 

At the temple, we visited an exhibit that went through the life and teachings of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.  Although I don’t agree with everything that was said, I believe that the many parts of the message that he was delivering is very relevant to everyone of us today regardless of our faith.  Swaninarayan preached of love, peace, purity and non-violence.

 

Tomorrow is my last day in India.  I came here for one main purpose which was for business.  I hope to that the money that my company spent for me to come here will add some value for them.  However, the value that it has added to my personal life cannot be measured in dollars or rupees. 

 

It will be an experience I will never forget.  I met some new friends and strengthen the friendships of those who were just otherwise aquaintances beforehand.  I experienced a new culture.  I eat new food.  I will cherish these two weeks for the rest of my life.

 

I am now ready to go home.  I miss my wife and kids, and I look forward to seeing them and holding them in my arms again.  Good bye to India.  It’s been fun.

Rules of the Road - 07/23/07

Because of the large population in India, there are a lot of people on the roads.  Jaipur and Agra are also the two most popular tourist destinations close to Dehli.  However, it does not appear that they were ready for the influx of cars on the road.  On our trip to from Jaipur to Agra on Saturday, most of the roads were two lane roads.

The distance from Jaipur to Agra is about 240 kilometers.  If you don't pass stay behind the cars behind you and don't pass them, it would take you about 8 hours to get there.  We had a video player in the van.  The movie that we were watching was Cliffhanger.  I don't remember much about the movie because frankly the drive was much more thrillling than the movie.

Our driver never passed up the opportunity to pass another vehicle.  There were many close calls.  If it looked liked there was an opening in the other lane, he was going to take it.  Because of the high traffic on the road, the government is trying to build divided highways.  However, they haven't done a very good job of directing the traffic to let them know that a divided highway is coming up.  The scariest moment came when we were actually on a divided highway.  We were passing another car and a bus was coming from the other way.  Since we were on a divided highway, the bus should not have been on our side.  It was at that moment when I just looked up and said a prayer for God to just watch over me.

In India, there are two main rules of the road.  The first one is "The right of way goes to the one who gets there first."  The second one is "If someone honks, get out of the way."  These two rules are pretty much followed by everyone.  There are some stoplights, but when there are not, everyone follows the above rules.  Even the trucks say the following on the back of them "Please Honk. Wait for Side."

Taj Mahal - 07/22/07

Much of Agra, India is dirty.  The buildings are old and many are falling apart or have not been kept up.  Many of the shops have dirt floors.  For most of us that live in the United States, this world would be a hard world to imagine.  There was nothing in the area that could even resemble one of the seven wonders of the world. 

We had to park about a kilometer away.  They don’t let any vehicles with gasoline within a kilometer of the Taj Mahal.  When we got out of the van, immediately there were people trying to sell us merchandise.  They see any tourist (especially an foreigner), and they are relentless and do not stop asking you if you would like to buy their product until you are out of their sight.

We boarded the bus to go to the Taj Mahal and when we got off of the bus, the crowd of vendors was even worse.  The only way to get them to stop was to tell them to that you would buy something later when you came out because they would definitely ask you again on your way out. 

That all changed when I walked through the gate.  The Taj Mahal is such a beautifual majestic structure.  It is a stark contrast to the world outside of it.  Many of you have probably seen pictures of the Taj Mahal.  It has a large dome in the middle with four domes, two in the front and two in the back.  On each corner are forts.  The Taj is known for its symmetry.  No matter where you are, it looks the same from each side.

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I went to the Taj Mahal with three of my friends from India.  We took many pictures and had lots of fun.  It was a great experience that I will never forget.  I not only got to see one of the seven wonders of the world, I also made three new friendships that I will cherish for a lifetime.

 

I arrived back at my home away from home tonight feeling great.  I miss my family very badly, but my week here in India has been a wonderful experience from both personal and a professional level.

Packed and Ready to Go - 07/19/07

I just finished going through my clothes.  First, I had to go through my dirty clothes and pick out which ones I need to send off to be washed so I will have clothes to wear next week.  I also had to pick out which clothes I am going to wear this weekend for our trip to Jaipur and Agra.

This is my full weekend in India.  When I planned the trip in India, I did not realize that I would actually be taking another trip over the weekend.  I thought that we would just get up on Saturday and go sightseeing and then come back to the hotel I am staying in and do the same on Sunday.  Much to my surprise, I was informed that we are leaving tomorrow (Friday) to go to Jaipur and we will stay the evening in Jaipur.  After activities in Jaipur Friday evening and Saturday, we will then leave to go to Agra. 

We will stay in Agra Saturday evening.  Agra's most famous landmark is the Taj Mahal.  We will visit the Taj Mahal on Sunday before returning to Gurgaon on Sunday evening.  At first, I was nervous again.  I was finally getting comfortable being here in India and being in my hotel.  Now, I had to pack up some of my stuff and get ready for another trip.  However, my nervousness has turned to excitement.

I will be traveling with two companions who are natives of India.  Both of them work for me.  One of them just joined my team several months ago, but the other one has worked for me longer than any other employee.  With them being so far away, I really have only been able to get to know them on a professional level.  I am excited to get to know them more on a personal basis.

Lack of Discipline - 07/18/07

I mentioned last week that I plan to try the Seven-Day Mental Diet that is suggested in the Discipline chapter of PIVOT.  So far I have only accomplished two of the seven days.  They are "Try Something New" and "Feed Your Mind". Parts of those days have been filled with negative thoughts like fear and nervouseness.  Other days have been filled with excitement.  Other days have been filled with jet lag.  I have had a general lack of discipline however when it comes to doing the Seven-Day Mental Diet. 

I have an excuse as to why I haven't been as disciplined.  I am in India on business.  My Saturday and Sunday were basically just travel days and the rest of the time I have been working.  When I haven't been working, I have been pretty tired due to jet lag. 

However, having discipline is about not having excuses.  If I truly am going to be disciplined enough to go through the mental diet, I have to be disciplined no matter what the situation.  Even if I wasn't traveling, I could probably find another "excuse" as to why I didn't do one of the excercises that it suggests in the book.

However, as I look through the mental diet, I do notice that I have been more positive since I have begun my journey.  I have a better attitude.  I have been giving more gratitude to others.  I have been thinking more positively.  I will do the Seven-Day Mental Diet.  I just need to pray to God to help grant me the discipline to do it every day.

No More Negative Thinking - Is That Redundant? - 07/17/07

In The Winning Attitude by John C Maxwell, he goes into detail as to why negative thoughts lead to negative results and why we should think positive thoughts.  He give six basic reasons why negative thinking and living can do so many detrimental things to our lives.  They are outlined as follows:

1. Negative thinking creates clouds at critical decision times.

When we have negative thoughts, we become tense instead of relaxing.  We don't think clearly during these times.  Instead our thought processes are clouded and we tend to make bad judgements in our decision making.

2. Negative talking is contagious.

When we are negative, we affect others around us.  What we say and what we do can adversely affect others.  Sometimes we don't realize the effect that we have on other people.  We should watch how we act around others and try to be a positive influence in their lives.

3. Negative thinking blows everything out of proportion.

When we think negatively, we think everything is worse than it really is.  This is when we try to make mountains out of molehills.  We look at a situations and imagine that the worst case scenario is going to happen.

4. Negative thinking limits God and our potential.

When we think negatively, we don't let the full power of God work in our lives.  We exclude him because we are letting our own selfishness get in the way.  We have to clear our minds of the negativity to have a true relationship with God.

5. Negative thinking keeps us from enjoying life.

If we think negatively, we will never enjoy the good moments in life.  We will always be wondering when those positive moments will last.  We will never be able to just stop and enjoy the life that we are living in because of the worry of what will happen next.

6. Negative thinking hinders others from making a positive response.

If we think negatively, many times people will just accept that it can't be done.  It won't give others an incentive to explore new ideas.  We need positive thinkers to believe that the impossible is possible. 

I have tried to be a positive person in my life, but I always let negativity creep in without putting up any resistance.  Before I started my journey, I never really understood how damaging my negative thoughts could be.  My prayer is to have more awareness of my negativity, and my goal is to have the discipline to control it.

I Feel Like a King - 07/16/07

In the airport before the flight, I bought some new books to read.  The first one that I started to read is called "The Winning Attitude".  I got this book because it is another book that can help me on my journey to have more positive thoughts and a positive attitude.  However, the thing that I like most about it is that it approaches the winning attitude from a biblical perspective.

Today was my first full day in India, and it was a very good day.  I spent most of the morning in the hotel room even though I was up before 6 a.m.  I was able to just relax this morning and rest.

This afternoon, I visited the company that is doing some software development for us.  They came and picked me up from the hotel.  When I got to the office, they greeted me with a dozen roses.  They were very courteous the entire visit.  At the end of the visit, they presented me with two gifts.  One of them is a replica of the Taj Mahal and the other is a book called "An Inspired Journey".  The book talks about the Cultural Heritage of India.  I think it will be very interesting to read.

In the hotel, everyone says hello every time I walk by.  They open the door for me.  I feel like I am royalty.  My nervousness has definitely turned to positive thoughts.

I wish everything was positive however.  On the drive back from the office, there were girls walking from car to car begging for money.  There are a lot of poor people next to luxury.  I wish I could have done something physically to help.  However, I can help by praying for them. They are God's children just like I am God's child.  In God's eyes, those girls are just as much a queen as I am a king.

It's Been a LOOOONG Day - 07/14/07 & 07/15/07

Today's journal entry is two-day entry.  My goal is to have a journal entry each and every day.  Even though it has only been a week so far, I have disciplined myself so far and have written every day. 

This weekend is a little different.  I left for the airport on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.  My flight left about 2:00 p.m.  I had a connecting flight in Chicago which didn't leave until about 7:30 p.m.  We landed in Dehli, India at 8:30 p.m. Sunday evening.  So my two days really seem like one very long day.  As I am writing this, it is 11:50 p.m. in India, so I just barely got this one written today.  (Although it is only 1:20 p.m. back home)

As I mentioned before, I was pretty nervous.  I think my nerves have calmed down a little bit, but they aren't gone completely.  I got about 5 hours of sleep on the plane.  I didn't want to sleep too much because if I did then I don't think I would be able to sleep tonight.  I am plenty tired right now, so I think I should be able to get a good night's sleep and avoid too much jet lag.

For the most part, the trip was pretty much uneventful.  That is a good thing when flying.  The flight in Chicago was delayed about 20 minutes which is very good for Chicago.  Thankfully, I work for a company that allows us to fly business class, so I was very comfortable for the entire flight.  The actual time in the air was just over 14 hours, but it didn't really seem that long.  I had some books that I bought to read.  They had a personal TV at each seat, and they kept me well fead.  So the flight went real well.

When I got to the airport, it was a MUCH, MUCH shorter line then London.  I stood in the passport line for only about 5 minutes.  My luggage also didn't take very long.  Compared to the other times that I have flown internationally, it was probably the fastest I have ever gotten out of the airport.

When I got to the hotel, the staff was very, very courteous and didn't let me handle any of my luggage.  The difference between the United States and India is here they tell you not to tip.  They suggest leaving one tip at the end of your stay so they can spread it among the entire staff.

I ordered room service and had a very delicious mushroom ravioli and a very rich brownie.  I then called Penny (my wife) who had just gotten home from church and that brings me to this journal entry.

That was my day (or should I say days - although it just seems like one day to me).  I am going to bed.  Good Night.

The Day Before - 07/13/07

Well, the day is almost here.  Tomorrow, I will leave to go to India.  I am very nervous about leaving.  Mostly because I am unsure about going to a country that is very different than the United States.  I am also nervous about leaving my family for two weeks.  The longest I have ever been by myself away from all of them has been a week.

Today was also a very busy day at work.  I haven't decided whether it was a blessing or not.  I got my mind off of the India trip, but I don't think it calmed my nerves.  I had a phone call that I had to take at home this morning before I went into the office.  After I went into the office, I was pretty much in meetings from the time I walked into the office until I walked out of the door.  I didn't even have the opportunity to eat lunch.  Luckily, one of my co-workers gave me some of her grapes to snack on to hold me over.

When I got home, I packed for my trip.  It helped calm me, but since I got (almost) everything packed now, my nerves are starting to come back now.  I am hoping that I can get a decent night's sleep because I have never been able to sleep well on airplanes.

There are going to be some difficult days for me like today.  Everyone has difficult days.  I know that I will get through it though.  I know that I will be able to look back on this trip as a great experience for me.

Potpourri - 07/12/07

One of my goals when I started writing my journal is to make sure that I write an entry every day.  So far, I have been able to have one subject to write about.  I have been sitting here trying to decide what to write about and many different ideas come to mind, but when I try to expand on them, I am having a difficult time thinking of what to write about.  Therefore, I thought I would just write about each of the things that I have been thinking about today.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

This morning, we had an "All Hands Meeting".  This is a meeting  in which the senior leaders of our department go through our accomplishments so far this year and then talked about some of our future plans.  After the meeting, I sent out an e-mail to some of my co-workers giving them a "recap" of the meeting.  In this "recap" was actually a Dilbert cartoon of an "All Hands Meeting".  The Dilbert cartoon shows a picture of Dilbert sitting in a room with just hands.  Then later Wally asks Dilbert how the "All Hands Meeting" went.  Dilbert answered "Creepy".  Work can sometimes get very stressful, so I like to add a little humor into it.

Home From Camp

My son came home from camp today.  He didn't want to go to camp in the first place, so his attitude about camp was negative when he went.  I told him that if I saw an improvement in his attitude when he came home, I would take him to the store and buy him a video game.  Unfortunately, he was still complaining about camp when he got home.  When I told him that he wasn't getting his video game, he started complaining that it was his cousin's fault that his attitude was negative.  This reminded me of a statement that Dr. Zimmerman made in PIVOT.  "Every  morning you get to choose to rise and shine or rise and whine.  That's right:  You are responsible for your attitude."  He is only 12 years old.  I can understand why it is difficult for him to understand because there are many adults that have a difficult time understanding this.

Lack of Preparation

In yesterday's journal, I mentioned that I was planning to do one of the strategies on the mental diet each day.  I found out that I need to actually prepare the night before if I am going to actually achieve one of the strategies.  Because I didn't adequately prepare last night, I didn't really achieve any of the strategies today.  I did a few things from a few of the strategies.  I was more conscious about giving gratitude.  I did think more positive thoughts.  However, I didn't really do everything I needed to do.

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - 07/11/07

In Dr. Zimmerman's book, he presents a recipe for a "positive attitude diet".  This "diet" is a seven day program where he has the reader perform a different strategy each day.  You then repeat these strategies again and again until the positive attitude is just a constant part of your life.

The seven strategies are:

1) Feed Your Mind

2) See All The Good Around You

3) Speak Words of Gratitude

4) Think Positively About Yourself

5) Speak Only The Positive

6) Do Positive Things For Others

7) Try Something New

I plan to try each one of these strategies each day.  Today I started with #7.  I tried something new.  Dr. Zimmerman states that trying something new has three main benefits.  First, you learn something.  Second, you have more fun.  Third, you'll probably live a longer, more positive life.

The main reason I chose #7 today was because Who Wants To Be A Millionaire was holding auditions in Kansas City.  I have always watched games shows wondering what it would be like to be on the game show.  I would talk about it with my wife, but before today, I never actually went beyond just thinking about it.

So today, I went to the audition.  The first part of the process was standing in line.  I arrived at 7:30 a.m. for a 9:00 a.m. start.  I was 114th in line when I arrived.  They gave each of us an application to fill out while we waited.  We then each got a number printed on the back of a magnet.  Once it was time, they let the first group in to take the test.  I think it was around 200-300, but not sure exactly how many got in the first round.  We took two tests.  The first one was specific to movies.  The second one was more general questions.  Each one was 30 questions and we had 10 minutes to complete each one.  After a brief period in which the computer was grading the scantron cards, they then announced the numbers of the people who had passed.

If you are one of the lucky ones that pass, you then get an interview with the staff.  They then decide from all of the interviews who they would like to add to the contestant pool.  If you are lucky enough to be in the contestant pool, that means you are now eligible (but not guaranteed) to be on the show.  Only those in the contestant pool will be called to appear on the show.  If you are called, theywill give you a date and you have to confirm whether you are available or not.  If you are not available, they will put you back into the contestant pool.

Unfortunately for me, I did not pass today.  However, I did learn something and I did have fun.  I will use this as a learning experience.  I plan to try out for Wheel of Fortune when they come to Kansas City.  I am going to apply for Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?  There is a possibility that I may never make it on any of these games shows, but the only way to make it is to try.

Vision Board - 07/10/07

In The Secret, they talk about the concept of a Vision Board.  The basic premise of a vision board is that you place pictures of things that you would like to have or achieve on the board.  They may include things like a new car, a promotion or losing weight.  If you visualize it then you are more likely to achieve it.

In the book, John Assaraf tells the story about the vision board that he created.  He had put a picture of a house that he had the vision that he wanted to live in.  During a move, he had packed this board in a box.  Three moves and five years later, this vision board had still been packed in a box.  His five-year-old son asked him what was in the box.  He opened up the box and on the board was a picture of his house.  Not just a house like it, but his actual house.

John had a vision of what he wanted his house to look like.  He kept this vision in front of him long enough that even though it was three moves and five years later, he was still able to make that vision a reality.

What the vision board will do for you is help keep your vision in the forefront of your mind.  If you take the board and hang it somewhere where you see it everyday, then you will think about your vision every day when you wake up and every day when you go to bed.  That vision will be in your thoughts as you go through your daily routine.

If you vision is just a thought that you think about occasionally, then you are less likely to accomplish that vision.  You are less likely to be thinking about that vision and focus on what you need to do to achieve that vision.

You don't have to have an actual board.  As long as your vision is visible and in front of you each and every day, it has the same effect, but a board is an easy and compact way to see your visions.

After I graduated from college, I began my pursuit in an actuarial career.  To become an actuary, I had to pass many actuarial exams.  Many of these exams required over 300 hours of study time to pass.  My "vision board" was my many study materials.  I took them everywhere I went.  I took them with me back and forth from work to home.  I had a constant vision of passing the exam in my mind every single day.

For the past year, I have gotten much busier at work and I have really been struggling to keep up.  I have felt very overwhelmed at times. I had not felt a clear direction of where I am going in my professional career for a while.

After reading The Secret, I decided that I was going to set a goal for myself.  My goal is to get a promotion by the end of 2008.  I didn't put a promotion up on a board.  I am not sure what a promotion looks like.  However, what I did do was visualize myself as being more organized.  I went to the office supply store and spent about 30 minutes searching for a daily planner that would help me get more orgainzed.  Since I have done this, I have been able to remain much more focused and feel like I have a more clear direction.  My "vision board" is the daily planner.  It is sitting in front of me every day reminding me of my goal.

Yesterday, I met with my boss, and we talked about my focus on getting more organized, my focus on having a more positive attitute and even about me keeping a daily journal about my journey.  Today, I got a call from HR.  I was told that my boss had recommended me as a future high potential acheiver, and they wanted to talk to me about my career aspirations.  I am excited to see where my vision takes me.

Worry - 07/09/07

Yesterday, our son Theron went to his first summer camp.  He is 12 years old and has spent very little time away from us other than staying with grandparents.  He was very nervous about going to camp because of this.

Tonight, the camp nurse called and told us that Theron was having an asthma attack.  Theron does not have chronic asthma, but when he is involved in physical activity or if he is around dust or smoke, it will set him off.  Unfortunately, we had not prepared well and he did not have an inhaler with him.

I worry about Theron.

On Saturday, I leave for India.  I have traveled overseas before.  I went to London in 2004 and 2005 and went to Switzerland last year, but going to India will be a whole different experience for me.  I am excited about the opportunity, but I also am very nervous.  I worry about what will happen when I am there.  I worry about being away from my wife and kids for two weeks. 

Dr. Alan Zimmerman in his book PIVOT: How One Turn in Attitude Can Lead to Success has an entire chapter on worry.  Basically he says that worry wastes our lives in four ways.  It wastes our time, energy, health and spirituality.

I think the most important comment he made in this chapter is that worry and faith are incompatible.  He states that worry and faith that sits on opposite ends of the same teeter-totter.  This is why prayer is so important in our lives.  Prayer puts God in our lives and helps us replace the worry.  If we put our faith in God, we do not need to worry. 

I believe this, and I have faith that God will help Theron through this week.  Even though it will be difficult for him at times, this week will give Theron some of the best experiences that he will remember for the rest of his life.  I have faith that God will be with me during my trip to India.  He will watch over me during the flight and protect me while I am in a foreign land.  I still have those momentary lapses where the worry does overtake me.  I just need to stop and ask God to help me in those situations.

Reap What You Sow - 07/08/07

Have you ever started watching a TV series in the middle of the series and had the feeling that you were missing something?  You might watch the show and then go back and watch the re-runs so that you can catch up on what you missed.  Or you might just decide to not watch it at all because you missed the beginning.

My journey didn't begin yesterday.  I only started writing about it yesterday.  Therefore, I will not be starting at the beginning.  I will be writing about where I am at today.  Unfortunately, life is not like a TV series.  I just can't stop it and go back and re-play my yesterdays.  If I go back to the beginning, I will never get caught up.  Therefore, my journey that I will take you on will be from this day forward.

And this day was indeed a challenging one on my journey.  As I mentioned in my introduction, my goal is to think positive thoughts.  This morning, I failed.  One of my goals is to have more patience.  I lost my patience with someone I love.  I can rationalize it in my mind and say that I had very good reasons to be upset.  That is negative thinking.  I would like to be able to react in a very different way in the future.  This is something that I will need to work on.

I am always amazed at the way God works in our lives.  I don't believe in coincidences.  I believe that God pairs events in our lives together at just the right times, but it still never ceases to amaze me.  Some of these events are rather large.  Some, like the following, are small, but no less significant.  The following was on the back of our bulletin at church this morning:

"Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow.  If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.  So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest-time, if we do not give up." -- Galatians 6:7-9 NRSV

The scripture itself didn't jump out at me.  But there was a commentary written by John Wight who is a Seventy of the Community of Christ that followed the scripture.

"I have enjoyed planting gardens since I was a child.  But as I have gotten older, I have found less and less time to indulge in this pleasure.  Last year, in my desire to plant some peas, I pulled out an envelope of seeds that were left over from two to three years earlier.  They looked awful, but I decided a seed is a seed and planted them anyway.  Some of them came up; most didn't.  The ones that did were sickly and produced few peas.  Indeed, I reaped what I had sown.

The experience brought to mind the scripture passage from Galatians - a scripture I have heard and used primarily as a negative reminder that if we choose lesser, self-centered behaviors, we will experience short-lived, lesser results.  It is a shame that this scripture has been relegated to such use, focused on the negative.  When we choose instead to practice godly behaviors (such as those demonstrated by Jesus), wonderful, long-lasting blessings can be harvested.  Had I chosen to "not grow weary" rather than take the easy way out when planting those peas, my family could have enjoyed a crop of healthy vegetables.

What a wonderful, positive promise this scripture offers us.  Rather than using the phrase, "Well, you reap what you sow," as a negative, perhaps we should joyfully proclaim, "Yes, we can reap what we sow" and then strive to plant healthy, godly "seeds" rather than the withered, sickly ones of self-possession and self-indulgence."

It is amazing how God gave this commentary to me about turning a negative into a positive right in the middle of my journey to do the same with my life. 

Introduction - 07/07/07

Several weeks ago, I read a book called "The Secret".  The main focus of this book is a principle called the Law of Attraction.  Basically the Law of Attraction states that we attract what we think about.  Therefore if we think positive thoughts, positive things will happen to us in our lives.

Since then, I have been trying to focus on more positive things in my life.  However, my life is pretty good to begin with.  For the most part, I have had a positive attitude in my life.  There are a few things that I would like to improve on however. 

I would like to be more patient as a husband and father.  I would like to be more organized on the job.  I would like to visit my family more.  I would like to get out of credit card debt.  I would like to put in pool next summer.  I would like to socialize more with my friends.  I want to have a closer relationship with God.

So I have been thinking of a book idea.  The book is called "My Life Isn't Broken, So Why Should I Fix It".  I think that many people who are in the same situation as me.  They generally have a good life.  They may have a good job, good marriage, good friends, good family, good relationship with God.  But very few if any of these are great. 

My first goal is to start keeping a journal each day on the progress that I am making in my life each day in thinking positive thoughts.

I think that this will be a struggle for me because even though I have generally been successful in life, I have always been the type of person that has always braced myself for disappointment.  I have this belief that I can succeed, but I in the back of my mind, I am thinking about how I will feel if I don't, so I will be prepared if I don't.  I need to start to change this mindset so that I believe 100% that I will succeed.

I plan to start reading books that will help me to start replacing the negative thoughts with positive thoughts.  Currently, I am reading a book by Dr. Alan Zimmerman called "PIVOT: How One Turn in Attitide Can Lead to Success".  It talks about how a positive attitude is the most crucial component to success.  It is more important than knowledge and background.  There are many excercises in the book that you can do to help you have a better attitude.  I am reading the book straight through the first time and then I will go back through the second time and work on the exercises.

After I finish this book, I plan to read books on Meditation and Prayer.  Meditation will help me focus my mind.  I want to look for a book on power of attraction through prayer and how prayer can heal.

I am not a writer by trade so I will also need prayer to help with my thoughts about my goal in writing my journal because this does not come naturally.  I hope this will inspire those that in my situation to seek improvement in their lives.