And for Today's Headline: "Mission Grounds Exceeds Sales Expectations"

Wouldn't it be nice to open the front page of the morning paper and be inundated by nothing but positive headlines? Imagine watching the evening news and getting a sense of pride in our national and global achievements. A sudden change from negativity to things positive could have some enormous implications...especially in regards to the media that we are surrounded by.

I pulled this article from a tremendous site called "HappyNews.com." This site is filled with articles that focus on positive stories that provide inspiration and hope. It is now bookmarked on my computer so that I can reference it daily to get my "news fix." This story is especially fitting in today's troublesome economic times:

"Mission Grounds Exceeds Sales Expectations"

By Press Release

OCTOBER 31, 2008

Atlanta, GA

The rollout of Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee this fall will provide support to help homeless children. Sales were double expectations and have propelled Mission Grounds as one of Kroger's top selling gourmet coffee. All the proceeds from the gourmet coffee sales will go to support and provide back to school for homeless children in Atlanta.

Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee is proud to announce all the proceeds from the coffee sales will go to benefit children in local homeless shelters around Atlanta and that it is partnering with the Georgia Coalition to End Homelessness to provide this support.Both are hoping sales will be strong enough to help all 4500 homeless children in Atlanta. All three are planning on using the proceeds to provide school supplies, shoes, toiletries, clothes and necessities. All the sales from July till September will go to help the homeless children with back to school supplies.

Kroger rolled the Costa Rica gourmet coffee to all its Georgia stores this past July. Sales have been through the roof as customers love the great tasting coffee, its reasonable price, and the opportunity to help less fortunate children. “We really hope the coffee does well and we are able to help thousands of children” quoted Southeast Vice President Jerry Moreton. Furthermore he noted, “Kroger is all about community and supporting wordy causes while also promoting local vendors and suppliers. This is a home run for us as we are able to help a local coffee vendor while also helping the community and local homeless shelters. Kroger agreed to handle distribution so MG Coffee could go into more stores and our customers will support it.”

We will never be able to overcome the dire challenges that we face nationally and globally until we start believing that positive change is possible. The power of the mind is substantially greater than we often credit it for. The longer we focus on the negative economic, political, global and personal challenges that we face...the longer we will continue to face them.

Take some time today to reflect on the positive things that you have accomplished this week; take time to reflect on those things you are thankful for. I am willing to wager that life is not quite as dreadful as we are made to believe.

The powerful link between creativity and play: Tim Brown on TED.com

After discussing play and the creative process in my posting yesterday, I stumbled across this lecture that I wanted to share! Tim Brown from Ideo speaks about how crucial play is when dealing with creativity. Although the clip is somewhat lengthy, I hope that it inspires you with a new perspective! It is filled with tremendous insight. Enjoy!

PLAY!

"The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with objects it loves."
-Carl Jung, Swiss Psychiatrist

In the creative leadership seminars that Ahden and I administer in Change University (www.changeuniversity.org), one key component to every session is play. I was driving past a school this afternoon and swarms of children were engaged in this fundamental part of creativity. I saw a small girl transporting herself to an imaginative kingdom of princesses and fairies, and two young boys were assuming the roles of Captain Hook and Peter Pan under a barren aspen tree. Dispersed around the school yard were wizards, professional basketball stars, astronauts, movie stars and other artists of creativity.

As I watched these children, I started to wonder when we, as adults, lose the ability, time or passion for creative play. Later this afternoon, I closed my eyes and I began to envision my life as a professional musician. Each imaginative detail slowly began to grow in my mind. From the time I stepped onto the make believe stage to the moment I was surrounded by thunderous applause, my make believe world seemed to expand into a surreal vision. A smile began to creep onto my face as my dream became a creative reality.

The truth is, the more time that I spend in the world of my imagination, the more relaxed I become. Most importantly, as I ease into a state of mental relaxation, I become more receptive to new ideas, new possibilities and creative spark moments. As noted in Stimulated! by Andrew Pek and Jeannine McGlad: "The more we integrate play into our daily lives, the more we will increase our chances for creative success and put ourselves in a relaxed state where all things seem possible."

In order to change, we must be receptive to new ideas, to creative impulses and to new possibilities. Let me ask you this question....when was the last time that you played? When was the last time that you envisioned swashbuckling as a pirate, floating in a lagoon with mermaids or casting wizardly spells? Perhaps you hold the key to the creative roadblocks that are holding you back from personal or professional change. The truth is, the answers lie within your own imagination.

Take time to play today.... take time to imagine!

Thought for the Day

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
-Reinhold Neibuhr

I have read and heard this quote thousands of times throughout the course of my life. However, especially in today's times, it certainly takes on a more poignant meaning to me. Letting go of the things that are out of my control is sometimes a very difficult thing to do. However, when I read this passage today, it reminded me that it is an essential element in the changing process. Much like taking a breath, the most important part is always the exhale....the release.

Is there anything that you need to let go of in your life? Are you forgetting to exhale? If so, I hope that you too can find the serenity to move forward in a direction that is abundant and full of positive change!

Your Attitude Needs an Adjustment!

This clip puts a whole new spin on having a bad day! Aside from having a great laugh this morning while watching it, I also began to reflect on how angry people can get when things don't quite go their way. Over the past couple of days, I have encountered more "angry" people than I can even begin to tell you about. While waiting in the grocery checkout line yesterday, I was taken back by the amount of rage that one woman had as she got into a heated argument with the clerk over some deli meat. I'm not quite sure what the content of the argument was or if the ham was worth it for that matter, but pure rage was certainly evident.

Last evening, as I drove home from work I was witness to a collage of road rage unlike most normal commutes. Fists waving, shouting, horns honking and an occasional upturned finger seemed to paint quite a visual for me as I drove the lengthy 5 blocks of my commute!

Complaining. Whining. Yelling. Stress. What are we all so mad about? The more I think about this question, the more I believe that change, on a basic level, begins with our attitudes. In any given day, at least half of the people that I come into contact with are angry, frustrated or upset about something. Judging by their attitudes, its no surprise to me that life isn't going so well for them (after all, we attract that which comes into our lives).

At the end of the day, its important to remember that life isn't always a carnival ride. We all experience certain ups and downs as we journey down this path called life. Every day, there are deadlines, circumstances and encounters that we have no choice but to face. Unfair as it may seem, it is life. And although we cannot choose the daily obstacles that we must face, we CAN choose our attitudes as we face them!

Give your attitude a check today. Are you reflecting a positive light of change to those around you? Or, is your attitude toxic to those who come in contact with you!! The choice is yours.

Something to Think About Today

“You must constantly ask yourself these questions: Who am I around? What are they doing to me? What have they got me reading? What have they got me saying? Where do they have me going? What do they have me thinking? And most important, what do they have me becoming? Then ask yourself the big question: Is that okay? Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.”

-John Rohn

Isn't it funny how easily we begin to take on the beliefs, the mannerisms, the attitudes and often the desires of those around us? One of the key risks that I can identify with the changing process is the process of separation that sometimes must occur between someone seeking to change, and the individuals that surround that person. Going out on a limb, daring to stand alone or speaking up against the norm is not an easy thing to do. However, when one commits change to action, it becomes easier to move forward in a new direction.

In my own life, I have had to (at times) separate myself from some of the individuals that I am closest to in order to truly realize my potential. Although the process of separation for me was certainly not an easy one, it forced me to spread my wings and to find my own current! Everyday, I find it necessary to assess the influences that some people have on my life. If an influence is good...great! However, if it is holding me back from being my best self....it's time to clean house!

As you move through your day today, take a close look at the people that have the most vital influence on your life. Is it positive? Is it moving you in the direction that you would like to go? What do they have you saying? What do they have you thinking? If the influence is positive, embrace it and be thankful for it. However, if it is not, remember that "life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change!"

Seasons of Change

I just came in from a brief walk outside, and while I was enjoying the beauty of a crisp Denver afternoon, I noticed something very peculiar. Mixed in with the earthy scent of the colored leaves crunching beneath my feet was a subtle sense of serenity. Feeling the late Autumn wind on my face, it was clear that nature has peacefully begun to prepare for a fast approaching winter season...a change. However, as I began to think of this change of seasons I discovered a bitter irony between how nature accepts change and how we as individuals accept it.

Peacefulness. Tranquility. Beauty. These are all terms that come to mind when I think of the passing of Autumn into Winter. However, the meaning of change in my own life often conjurs up very different emotions and descriptions. Painful anticipation, unwelcomed sacrifice and hardship are distinct emotions that I can identify when dealing with personal, professional and social change. But why?

I believe that we as individuals often forget that change is a very natural process. Every moment of every day, our bodies, our minds and our emotions are constantly changing. Although some changes do require sacrifice, there is almost always a promise of something beautiful at the end of the journey. As demonstrated with the change of seasons, we too move through seasons of change in our lives. Although some may be dismal and others may be vibrant, each offers a significant opportunity for beauty and self discovery.

As you face the day, begin to think of challenges and situations in your own life that may require some form of change. Will you embrace the opportunities that will arise from facing them, or will you disdainfully resist moving forward? At the end of the day....the choice is yours!