Motivation

"If you want the best the world has to offer, offer the world your best." Neale Donald Walsch Author of The Only Thing That Matters  

"So great has been the endurance, so incredible the achievement that, as long as the sun keeps a set course in heaven, it would be foolish to despair of the human race." -- Ernest Woodward, Publisher

Over the years I've been teaching kids about a simple but powerful concept—the ant philosophy. I think everybody should study ants. They have an amazing four-part philosophy, and here is the first part: ants never quit. That's a good philosophy. If they're headed somewhere and you try to stop them, they'll look for another way. They'll climb over, they'll climb under, they'll climb around. They keep looking for another way. What a neat philosophy, to never quit looking for a way to get where you're supposed to go. Second, ants think winter all summer. That's an important perspective. You can't be so naive as to think summer will last forever. So ants gather their winter food in the middle of summer. An ancient story says, “Don't build your house on the sand in the summer.” Why do we need that advice? Because it is important to think ah...

"Should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks." -- Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, CEO

"Bottom line: if you show a genuine interest in learning about how others became successful, you can open up a world of opportunities." -- Armstrong Williams, Political Commentator

"Progress always involves risks. You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first." -- Frederick Wilcox, writer

Once upon a time a pink elephant was born. He was so clearly different from the rest that soon the grey elephants started to distance themselves and ignore him. The little pink elephant felt very sad and rejected. He realized that in order to fit in with the rest of the herd he had to be just like them. So, he covered himself with mud and dirt until he became a dirty grey. Throughout the years he kept covering himself and hiding behind the dirt. Then one day, rain began pouring down and washed away all the mud and dirt from his body. He was pink again! The grey elephants turned and started laughing at the sight of his obvious pinkness. As the laughter grew louder he realized that he was trying to fit into a group that would never understand him. He knew that he was different and that he needed to find a group of pink elephants just like him, where he would be accepted and learn to love himself as he was. Imagine yourself as an “ Elephant”, the largest land animal on...

A young boy was walking with his father along a country road. When they came across a very large tree branch the boy asked, “Do you think I could move that branch?” His father answered, “If you use all your strength, I’m sure you can.” So the boy tried mightily to lift, pull and push the branch but he couldn’t move it. Discouraged he said, “Dad, you were wrong. I can’t do it.” His dad said, “Try again.” This time, as the boy struggled with the branch his father joined him and together they pushed the branch aside. “Son,” the father said, “the first time you didn’t use all your strength. You didn’t ask me to help.” This is an important lesson. There are many things we can’t do alone, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get them done. We all are surrounded by resources that can be mobilized to help us achieve our goals including family, friends and faith. Sometimes we fail to ask for help because of pride or stubbornness. Sometimes we think it’s a sign of weakn...