Just wanted to take a moment and thank Steve for his inspiration.  Working at Apple was a gift and a catalyst for me professionally.  Thank you Steve for putting it in perspective.

“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” – SJ 6/12/2005

Maintaining a steady course, in the midst of a social and materialistic catalyst for confusion.

What is there to hold onto?
A belief, a person, a group, a book, a lesson learned.

Climbing the mountain, ensuring that your hold will maintain, making sure not to slip, and with each step climbing higher and higher.
Order.

by Lauren Sweetland
4 March 2008

We welcome in the new, pushing the old to the far corners of our minds.

Reach for a new day, and understand that this is your gift.

Love your friends and family, remembering that we are all together on this vast journey called life.

Admire nature, the beauty of the world around us, and respect it.

Take notice of other people’s creations and projects, for that is what builds our world.

by Lauren Sweetland

photo by Lauren Sweetland taken Dec 31st 2007

The most gut wrenching cry that ever you heard,
Is frustration that follows the misunderstood word,
The child is restless and can’t sit quite still,
He’s nervous and angry and feeling quite ill.
He wants to go home or go play in the sand,
His pencil is shaking inside his right hand,
He’s blank and washed out and not present or there,
He’s kicking the desk and he’s pulling his hair,
He’s yawning, distracted and won’t settle down,
Instead of a student he’s now the class clown,
He can no longer read so he’s playing the fool,
He’s got no more attention or focus for school.
PLEASE make him look back – oh – a sentence or four,
And clear up the word so he’s bright and RESTORED!
If you don’t know the strength of a dictionary,
The psychiatrist will move in and SCREAM, “A.D.D.!”
Then watch as your child takes a nice little pill,
That darkens his spirit and dampens his will,
You’ll be sorry years later when he hasn’t a thrill,
Well look at it this way – at least he’ll sit still.
The lesson’s so easy it might seem absurd,
But all that needs fixing is ONE LITTLE WORD!
Do you hear me? You get it? Please tell me you heard:
NEVER LET YOUR CHILD PASS A MISUNDERSTOOD WORD.

Based on the Study Technology of L. Ron Hubbard

• Run through it, paying attention to only those things that bring you pleasure. Ignoring or pushing out of your way anything that could or would attempt to get in your way.
• You can do the exact opposite … putting all your attention on what is in your way.
• Or you can experience life … confronting the things that are trying to get in your way, look at them for what they are (barriers) and move them or go around them and continue on your way focusing on what matters.

My advice … Dream big and never loose sight of those goals.  That way I think the bumps in the road become a little more obvious.

1. One to sit on your feelings and continue to feel that way.

2. To talk to the person and deal with them in an upfront manner, despite what your inner voice is telling you to do.

What I am about to say is what I suggest that you do:

Stop for a minute and look at the person and find ONE thing that you like about them.  Decide for yourself that you can come to an understanding with that person’s point of view. Then try to work it out, sure there might be some yelling or tears … but work it out.

You are a force that makes things happen and you create things for yourself and for others around you. You are powerful and you generate power.

That power or force is what makes LIFE.

This LIFE FORCE is divided up into 8 different directions. These 8 different forces are called the Dynamics of Life. I am going to break them down for you here:

Dynamic 1
That is Y O U. Whatever defines who you are.

Dynamic 2
This breaks down into SEX, CHILDREN and FAMILY

Dynamic 3
Your groups … school, work, church, sport team … and all the people you like to hang with.

Dynamic 4
All mankind of whatever race, color or creed

Dynamic 5
ALL L I F E … including animals, flowers, trees … if it is living and can die it is included in this dynamic.

Dynamic 6
The material or physical universe … the ground, buildings, bridges, cars, trains, planes, clothes, shoes (you get the point)

Dynamic 7
This is the power (spirit) that is you and I … that makes all LIFE.

Dynamic 8
I call it the Author of the Universe … others might call it God. This dynamics represents the allness of all.

Or check out the following link with further information on the Dynamics.

by moi – written today

What is wrong is if you are going to stand in judgement of that thing and criticize or if you are going to take effective action in order to help it. To point out the faults in something only aids in making those faults stand out further.

Too often in life we become critical and ignore or use harsh words or attitudes towards the person in an attempt to bring about a change. Or worse tell someone else how we feel about that person or thing’s faults.

We all have our problems and I think the more we can work to improve our own problems and help where we can to improve the problems that we see around us we will help to make the world a better place.

There is an old saying “You have to clean out your own closet before you criticize another for not having their’s clean.”

Take a look next time you feel critical and see if there is something you can do to help or if there is something that you can improve in your own self.