Thought For Day - Gratitude - A Daily Habit

"Make Gratitude a Daily Habit"
JD



I've made it a regular habit for a while now to take the time every day to be thankful and grateful for all I have in my life. Recently I received the Irish/Celtic bronze stone as a gift from my cousin and I use it to remind myself every day of all the blessings in my life especially being reunited with my family in Ireland and Europe. I try to share this attitude of gratitude with my daughter as well.

I know there are those who believe that we attract that which focus on and I would say it seems true in my life. But even if it wasn't true it is still worthwhile to put things in perspective and recognize all that is great in your life every day.

Today given the financial challenges the country is facing might be especially a good day to remind ourselves of what we do have and recognize that there is always a spring after a cold winter.

So what are you grateful today? Maybe it's your family or friends or health or so many other things. So take the time and make it a habit.

Thought For Day - Keep Your Priorities In Order

"First comes my God, second comes my wife, third comes my kids and fourth comes my job. I know if I lose a football game on Sunday I have a lot left over."
Dallas Cowboy's Coach Tom Landry
Are your priorities in order?

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 2 - Led Zepplin

I remember this song from a "People's Concert" we sponsored in Poe's Park in the Bronx. it was played by a local band and that night I hooked up with my first girl friend. Long time ago.... colorful memories......

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 1 - Gypsy Kings

Thought For Day - Time

Don't be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in a year as you make use of. One man gets only a week's value out of a year while another gets a full year's value out of a week."

- Charles Richards

Rumba & Street Music Blogs - A Colorful History of the Bronx and New York

My best friend who I grew up with in the South Bronx is sharing his 35 years as a conga player and his experiences with Rumba and percussion music on a couple of new blogs.

It's a fascinating history. I look forward to reading his stories. looking at his pictures and listening to the music videos of Rumba, Salsa and Latin Jazz on the blog site.

The blogs are taking us back to some some very colorful times and a colorful life....... The blogs are the work of a few lovers of the music. Check them out I'm sure you'll enjoy them.......



http://streetlevelproductions.blogspot.com

Rumba / Folkloric percussion site

http://sentimientomanana.blogspot.com/2008/09/rumba-university-of-streets.html

Thought For Day - Broad Shoulders

"Ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders. "
Jewish Proverb


Now is a good time to have broader shoulders and an understanding that better days are still ahead of us. Keep working to find the opportunity in the middle of difficulties.....

Thought For Day - Run Hard

"Run Hard When No One Is Watching"

"I try to apply this lesson to everything I do in life. I try to always behave as I would if people were watching"

Harold Ford Jr.

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Thought For Day - Never Too Late

“It is never too late to be who
you might have been.”
— George Eliot

Thought For Day - Your Past is Not Your Future

Your past does not not equal your future.

Thought For Day - It's Up to You

“Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent what you do with what
happens to you.”

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 2 - Against All Odds

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 1 - Blind Faith

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Thought For Day - Time for Departure

"there is a time for departure, even when there is no
certain place to go."
Larry Agresto

Hmm. Interesting thought makes you go Hmmm. I guess sometimes in life you have to depart and leave the old or comfortable behind even if you haven't worked out your final destination. Or it's like that quote about jumping off the cllff and hoping you'll fly before you hit bottom. Taking risks are necessary to get to the next level. Where or what do you need to leave behind?

Thought for the Day - Be the Change

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
Gandhi

Be that Change!

A lot of people quote this but how many carry it out and walk the talk. Think about this one long and hard. If you can't walk in someone else shoes and learn to listen before you talk. If you can't respect those you disagree with not just those who you agree with. If you can only be comfortable with those who are just like you but not with those who are different. If you demand others to change but think you have nothing you need to change. If you feel superior to others with different points of view then you might want to check yourself out a little deeper. Or you might not be so quick to throw this quote around. So think about your actions not just your words....

Thought for the Day - Put Your Ideas Into Action

Put your ideas into action. "Success is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. I don't care how good you are, how many good ideas you have-a great idea on the back of a napkin is worth the price of the napkin. A thought has zero value without execution behind it. You've got to start putting the pieces together. It's the middle of the sandwich that makes the sandwich what it's worth. The bread is the ideas, the concepts, how it looks from the outside. The inner workings differentiate true winners."
Dr Oz - Success Magazine

Thought for the Day - KISS & DI - Daily Improvements

I'm a big fan of KISS, Keep it Simple Sammy. I know you might know it with a little cruder word but the meaning is the same. We all have a tendency to complicate life rather than find common sense solutions and strategies.

I came up with DI short for Daily Improvement as a simple strategy for all areas of my life. The first and main area where I use it is in my fitness program. I realized that it was easy to fall into a comfort zone and sense of complacency regarding fitness and health. So I decided that I needed to find a way to challenge myself on a regular basis. So I applied DI to my work outs. Every time I work out I must raise the bar and either do more repetitions or add more weight to every exercise every time I exercise. The result is I am always getting stronger and fitter and never falling into a comfort zone or plateau. Now it doesn't matter what your level of fitness is today if you are willing to keep doing just one more repetition, walk 1 more minute, lift 5 more pounds and over time you will see the positive results.

You can apply it to your diet, your finances, your relationships or any area of your life. Keep raising your standards, keep raising the bar, keep doing just a little more, a little better and the simple application of DI - Daily Improvements will lead to a better life.
So join me in challenging ourselves to make the Daily Improvements that will keep us on the road to a more satisfying life.

So Keep it Simple..... and adopt a strategy of DI.....

JD"s Fifteen Rules to Master Your Life (or at least make it better than it is now)

I decided to recycle these and renew my earlier post of them. They are a reminder to myself as well as my blog readers of some suggestion on how to master your life.

1. Solutions, Solutions, Solutions. Okay, I heard the problem
now what’s the solution? There’s always a way and an answer.
Your job is to find it.

2. Daily Improvement (DI) - Decide – Resolve – Act. Everyday do
just 1 more thing to improve.
What if you improved 1 thing every day?

3. Take Action and then takes some more. Get in the game.

4. Never Quit. - Promise yourself you will never give up.

5. Be A Leader. Step Up. Life needs more leaders not followers.

6. It’s all about Choices. You always have choices, make the right ones.

7. Gratitude, Gratitude, Gratitude and then some more Gratitude.
We all have so much to be thankful for.

8. You can either get Results or make Excuses. You can’t do both. Your choice.

9. Put everything in Perspective. Things can always get better and
they can always get worse. So no whining, just make it better.

10. Laugh at life, laugh at yourself. Life ain’t all that serious until it is.

11. Celebrate Success. Don’t follow the culture and knock the successful.

12. You are responsible for your life, so take responsibility.

13. Go for your Dreams. No, I mean REALLY go for them.

14. Understand Life is not Fair. So what, just more challenges
to overcome. The stronger the wind the stronger the trees.
Be Strong

15. Master the 3 F’s (Family, Fitness & Finances) and the 1 C (Career)
and you”ll get an A at Life. And life will reward your effort.
So, Just Do It!!!!!!

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 2 Buena Vista Social Club

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 1 - Spanish Harlem

Can I Borrow $25

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year
old son waiting for him at the door.

SON: 'Daddy, may I ask you a question?'
DAD: 'Yeah sure, what is it?' replied the man.
SON: 'Daddy, how much do you make an hour?'
DAD: 'That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?' the
man said angrily.
SON: 'I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an
hour?'
DAD: 'If you must know, I make $50 an hour.'
SON: 'Oh,' the little boy replied, with his head down.
SON: 'Daddy, may I please borrow $25?'

The father was furious, 'If the only reason you asked that is so you
can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then
you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why
you are being so selfish. I don't work hard everyday for such childish
frivolities.' The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's
questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? After
about an hour or so, the man had calmed down , and started to think:
Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $25.00 and
he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of
the little boy's room and opened the door. 'Are you asleep, son?' He
asked. 'No daddy, I'm awake,' replied the boy. 'I've been thinking,
maybe I was too hard on you earlier' said the man. 'It's been a long
day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $25 you
asked for.'

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. 'Oh, thank you daddy!'
He yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled
up bills. The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get
angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then
looked up at his father. 'Why do you want more money if you already
have some?' the father grumbled. Because I didn't have enough, but now
I do,' the little boy replied. 'Daddy, I have $50 now. Can I buy an
hour of y our time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to
have dinner with you.'

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he
begged for his forgiveness. It's just a short reminder to all of you
working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our
fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to
us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $50 worth of
your time with someone you love.

If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily
replace us in a matter of hours. But the family & friends we leave
behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

Can I Borrow $25?

Brett Noel

"California's Success Coach"

Glass is 3/4's Full - What it is and What it Isn't.......

Glass is 3/4's Full Blog:

My life and identity is a Melting Pot, a Gumbo, an Eclectic Mix,. All American with Irish roots, throw in a pinch of Salsa, a dash of Soul, a shake of Rock, a little old school , a little common sense, a little street sense, a little ghetto, a little success, and some common ground,

it's New York, the South Bronx, Hollywood, Puerto Rico, Ireland and mix it all up and shake...

It's writing, and learning and acting and film making and business and friendship and parenting and overcoming all obstacles and a whole lot of motivation.

I've turned a lot of corners... recreated my self many times, walked across hot coals and through the fire. I've explored my life and I attempt here to share it with family, friends and anyone who is interested..... I feel like I've lived at least four lives already.... if reincarnation was true I think I'm trying to get a lot of my lifetimes covered in this one

Glass is 3/4's Full Blog - What it's about:

Motivation - Personal Growth - Transformation
Positive Thoughts for the Day
Book Reviews
Sunday Eclectic Music Videos
Film Production
Entrepreneurship
Ireland & Irish American
Fitness & Health
Financial Management
Personal Journal & Personal Journey
Contribution and Giving Back
Parenting
Cutting Edge Ideas
Life Coaching
Promotion of Friends work
Links and Resources for good books and good ideas
And wherever my curiosity will take me....

Glass is 3/4's Full Blog -What it isn't :

Negative
Political
Cynical
Whining
Defeatist

Thought For The Day - Challenge Yourself

" The measurement of a personality is not in conditions of comfort but in conditions of challenge."

Sept 11 - 2001 - Never Forget

Sept 11, 2001, My city New York and my country America was attacked. I took it personal as I believe many of us did. It changed me forever. I came back to New York City and visited Ground Zero that December and I felt the incredible loss and pain but also saw the strength and resilience of my fellow New Yorkers. Hard to believe it has been seven years ago......
I will never forget and hope we always remember....

Tribute to all the victims of 9/11

Sunday's Eclectic Music Video -# 2 Down in the River to Pray

Sunday's Eclectic Music Video -# 1 Paul Simon

Be World Class - Robin Shawma

Thought For The Day - Keep Learning - Keep Growing

"Keep Learning - Keep Growing"
JD
Watching my daughter standing excited outside her school this morning waiting for the gate to open I thought about my experience as a kid. I wasn't as excited about school when I was her age. It took some hard knocks some growing up and some changing before I gained my passion for learning that i am lucky to have passed on to her. So it's never too late to keep learning and keep growing.

Thought For The Day - Never Give Up

"Never Give Up"
Dr. Ben Carson

Hope is knowing your best days are still ahead of you. So never ever give up.

Thought For the Day - Hang with Winners

"Who you hang around and who you learn from will have a profound affect on your life."

Promotion - Paul Jackson - Production Designer

It's always good to promote the work of others who do great work. I highly recommend him.

If you are looking for a Production Designer for a feature film, commercial, music video etc check out Paul Jackson's web page


http://www.pauljacksondesign.com

Thought For the Day - Masterpiece

"Make Your Life a Masterpiece"
Anthony Robbins

Thought For the Day - Aim High

"Most people don't fail in life because they aim to high and miss, but because they aim too low and hit."
Les Brown