getting fired and other blessings.

Where are you right now?

Are you currently working at a fantastic company that you have dreamed of being a part of and contributing to your whole life, or are you between jobs, or are you, perhaps, still in the midst of juggling ideas around and half-heartedly trying one thing after another hoping something eventually sticks that you can earn money at this month?

Wherever it is you are physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, intellectually, and financially – wherever it is you are right now in this moment – what matters most are the actions you choose to take (or not take) each moment of each day forward.

You are where you are as a result of what you have chosen to do (or not do) in the moments that make up your life.

Talk is expensive. You can waste hours upon hours each day chattering on the phone to whomever you can get to listen to you complain about your life and your current circumstances until another call comes through and then you can start the whole “pour me” mantra all over again on a new set of ears. Or perhaps you’ve taken yourself on a weekend getaway to talk about all the things you want to do with other like-minded individuals (yet another excuse not to start right now).Lots of people do that. And while that pour me attitude can certainly (and probably does) lead to “the financially, spiritually, and emotionally poor” you, it most assuredly leads to the “pour me another glass of wine” you. Or, maybe your vice of distraction from doing what it is you know God has compelled you to do is not the idle chatter or a box of wine snagged at the local drive-thru corner store. Maybe your vice is the internet. Social networking. Texting. Maybe you sleep with the phone at your side so you don’t miss a drunk-typed text from an old flame who is still not quite divorced yet. Maybe you tell all your 750+ friends on facebook what you do every moment of every day – because you think THAT matters – that affirms you – that makes you important, real, worthy.

What I know for sure is that actions speak louder than words. I can dream about a six-pack abdomen while cranking a six-pack, or I can do some sit-ups and crunches every day – every single day – leading to that goal. I can tell a friend in need how much I care about him and his family by calling him a hundred times a day to let him know what I AM DOING and what is going on IN MY LIFE (!), or I can make time to go and be with him – to make dinner for his dad, to ask how I can help.

You might dream about starting your own business some day and “working for yourself” but unless you put some ONE thing into action each and every day toward that goal – the likelihood of that coming to fruition is slim. While I was earning my baccalaureate in both English and Communications at John Carroll University AND becoming certified to teach high school English AND starting a Master’s program in English, I was working toward one of my dreams – to earn my living as a writer. Although, at the time, I wasn’t quite sure exactly how I was going to be able to support myself, be of service to others, and help my family and friends as I earned my living as a writer, I knew that that was going to be my profession. Granted, during my college years I wrote for others and got paid with dinners with the clients or a six pack of St. Pauli Girl with the clients (and now I earn money for my God-given talent and can choose with whom I want to dine, converse, and share my time!)

That was over 20 years ago.

When I graduated from college, I secured a corporate office location where I began writing resumes, academic papers, speeches, eulogies, love letters, business plans, feature articles, and whatever any client needed written. Decades later I am still doing what I love, have built a portfolio of beautiful, disparate projects for clients from all walks of life, and am able to be of service to others through my God-given gifts.

Whatever you choose to do EACH AND EVERY DAY of your life here on earth – however you choose to spend those same 24 hours that each of us are graced with – make it count. Be in the moments. Don’t waste your time or other people’s time. Do something creative each day. Read every day – from a book you can (be)hold in your hand. Hug someone. Do some sit-ups. Start writing that chapter. Finish that project. Turn off the TV and turn on the music. Start a journal. Ask someone else if and how you can help them bring one of their dreams to fruition. Be kind. Laugh. Drink water. By the time you do all that – it’s nearly noon! What I know for sure is – God has blessed me with many gifts. How I choose to embrace them and use them to be of service to others is up to me.

Make your actions and your choices count. Do something today that will lead you to achieving your life’s goals.

For a gut-wrenching story on what happens to a dream deferred – when one’s dreams don’t come to fruition as a direct result of poor choices made along the way, check out this book or DVD. I have both read the book and watched the movie; the movie was the best true-to-the-story rendition/interpretation of a novel I have ever experienced! Both are chilling.

the book: