Have you ever had a day when a real tragedy was juxtaposed with something made out to “look” like a tragedy?  That happened to me the other day.  It reminded me of what’s truly important in life and how often we forget.

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On This Episode

Rhythm of Life – Unexpected Company
Random Riffs –As If the Presidential Election Isn’t Scary Enough…
Feature Segment – 3 Life Lessons From Tragedy and a Silly Facebook Post

Rhythm of Life – Unexpected Company

I had unexpected company the other day.  They came right in through the kitchen door like your family or best friends do.  Except they weren’t my best friends.

Who were they?  Not who you'd expect.  Listen to find out more.

When these unwanted guests come calling, turn them away.  Give them the boot.

Random Riffs – As If the Presidential Election Wasn’t Scary Enough

Believe it or not, there’s something even more scary than that going on in the government.  According to an article put out by the Associated Press in May, the US government is spending 75% of its technology budget maintaining aging computer systems, some of which are more than 50 years old!

And they aren't minor systems.  How about nuclear weapons and Social Security! With the age of these systems, it's a disaster waiting to happen.  Listen to the facts if you dare.

Feature Segment – 3 Life Lessons From Tragedy and a Silly Facebook Post

I went to a funeral for a friend who died in a tragic fire.  Thinking about her life, and how suddenly it was snuffed out, juxtaposed against two Facebook rants over something trivial, caused me to record this important episode.  Here are three life lessons I've learned through my years of experience and as I've faced death myself.

• Every thought and every action matters.  Andy Andrews talks about this in his book The Butterfly Effect.  You don’t know what consequences your actions can have – even small ones.

Every thought you have is building wiring in your brain to strengthen either positive or negative connections.   The Bible says to take every thought captive.  You can’t control the thoughts you have, as they come unbidden.  You CAN control the ones you choose to focus on – the ones you dwell on.  And it matters.  A lot.

A large part of healing from my 2011 illness involved training my brain to think differently.  Shawn Achor says in The Happiness Advantage that positivity helps you see the truly negative stuff for what it is, rather than colored by everything else negative.  It’s why I created the 14-day Beauty in EVERYday Free Challenge.

• Life is too short to wait to do what matters. You know that thing you’ve wanted to do for years – that’s been burning inside you, and you’ve never done because it hasn’t been “the right time”?  STOP WAITING!!!!!!  Stop postponing your life while you wait for a golden invitation.  A perfect moment.  It’s not going to happen.  And while you wait the clock is ticking.

For almost everything you want to do there’s a way to modify it so you can start now, do some kind of version of it now.  Take tiny steps toward that thing without throwing out the life you already have.

Your life won’t wait forever.  Whether it’s a creative project, a career, an adventure, or anything else, don’t wait for the perfect time.  There IS no perfect time.  Now’s the perfect time.  Don’t just dream – do.

• It’s all about love.  How often do we make life about other things?  Competition, anger, being right.  Money, dying with the most toys, pleasure.Manipulation, punishment, coercion.  Or what about these – which may hit closer to home?  –judgement, sarcasm, or snarkiness.

Whatever else you may think life is about, it isn’t.  It really IS all about love.  Love in compassion…and justice.  Love in sentimentality…and toughness.  Love in grit…and grace.

Wherever you are right now, record your commitment to yourself.  Are you going to work on your thinking?  Start working toward a dream or a fun project?  Are you going to grow in love?  Choose and make a commitment to yourself.

Think of it as a new page, new chapter, or whole new book.  And if you'd like help, I'm here.  I have a few spots open for the right person to work one-on-one with me.  As we said in Episode 045, if you’d like to turn your “What now?” into “What’s next?” and are committed to making it happen, I can help you figure out what and how.  Become a Groovemaker.

Here's what you do:

• Click the link
• We work together on your customized plan
• You are on your way to a new chapter, a new groove.

See ya there!

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