Have Hope / Give Hope

 Have Hope / Give Hope

Do you have hope? Does it bubble up in your heart? How are your dreams? They are first cousins to hope, you know.

Some word pundits say, 'Hope is not a strategy'. However, I wouldn't want to go through life without hope.

Remember this:

Man can live ...

Forty days without food

Three days without water

Eight minutes without air

Only one second without hope.

(Unknown)

If this quote is true, and I believe it is, then I don't want to live one second without hope.

Hope whispers of what might be. Hope offers the seed of a promise in waiting, perhaps.

This quote by Mr. Emerson is significant. Talk about hope. It is the essence of which we speak.

"Our chief want is someone

who will inspire us to be

what we know we could be."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

How about that? A could be in the making. I like that a lot.

We seek a savior who dispenses hope. We seek someone who will come along in our lives and say the magic words that we all long to hear. Those life-giving words of esteem and good will.

Oprah said it so well on her last televised show.

"I've talked to nearly 30,000 people on this show, and all 30,000 had one thing in common: They all wanted validation. If I could reach through this television and sit on your sofa or sit on a stool in your kitchen right now, I would tell you that every single person you will ever meet shares that common desire. They want to know: 'Do you see me? Do you hear me? Does what I say mean anything to you?'

They all had hope. Hope that someone somewhere would recognize them as valid and worthwhile individuals. Hope that they were living a life of significance or could live a life of significance.

Oprah goes on to say. "Try it with your spouse. Try it with your kids. Try it with those with whom you are in a relationship. Validate them. 'I see you. I hear you. And what you say matters to me.'"

That action alone gives a person hope. Great hope.
I remember a story Dale Carnegie wrote in his book "How to Win Friends and Influence People."

One day he walked by a man standing outside his office building. The gentleman was holding a sign begging for a handout of any kind.

Rather than give the man money, Mr. Carnegie looked him over and finally commented, “My goodness. You surely have tied your shoelaces nice and neat."

Mr. Carnegie thought no more of that incident.

The next morning Mr. Carnegie's secretary announced that a gentleman was there to see him. Dale showed the gentleman into his office, who was dressed in his Sunday best, wearing a fresh shirt and tie and shined shoes. And his hair was neatly combed and his face cleanly shaved.

The man began. "Perhaps you don't remember me but yesterday I was standing outside your office building begging for money. You walked by, looked me over, and then commented on how nicely my shoelaces were tied. You wouldn't have known this, but I had already decided that I was going to go and throw myself into the river unless I got some kind of sign that somebody somewhere might still care about me."

He continued.

"Your words gave me hope. I reasoned that if I could do that one thing of tying my shoelaces neatly then perhaps, I could still find other things I could do with success. I decided then and there that I would clean up and make something useful of myself. You gave me hope in those few words, Mr. Carnegie. Thank you."

I think Dr. Seuss might be onto something with this memorable quote.

"A person's a person,

no matter how small."

~Dr. Seuss

~Every person should have
  a chance to have hope.
        ~Every person has worth.
                ~Every person needs
                  some kind of recognition
                  that they exist.

I want to be a dispenser of hope. How about you?

P Michael Biggs 

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

What Will I Accomplish Today?

 What Will I Accomplish Today?

Mary Oliver once said,

“I wonder what it is I will accomplish today?

I am 73 years old. Some might say I am in the sunset years of my life. I suppose death could overtake me at any moment. I hope not.

You see, I still dream dreams, I still have blogs to write, podcasts to produce, new friendships to court, and old friends whose lives I’ve not yet completely explored.

I can do things, I can think thoughts, I can speak and meditate on the good in this world, and I can still love. I’m not through loving Carolyn yet. I still enjoy holding her hand, having light and fluffy conversations, and when we have those heart moments when we go a bit deeper – well, it’s simply the best. We talk about each other, and about our kids and grandkids, our siblings, and all others close and dear to us.

I want to live and keep living. Life is good, despite what we’ve faced these past five years ago.

Heart surgery was no fun, but we’ve gone way beyond that.
Three amputation surgeries were horrible to endure, and thankfully we’ve moving beyond those as well.

I’m seventy-three. I can still see some distant horizons that excite me. There are places I want to go. There are skills and experiences yet to be brought to the light of day.

Can I accomplish anything with my life at seventy-three? Oh my, you better believe I can. And so can you.

A friend of mine posted the following on Facebook recently. I shared it on my page and have received an unusual number of likes and hits.

"A study in the U.S.A found that the most productive age in human life is between 60-70 years of age.
~The 2nd. most productive stage of the human being is from 70 to 80 years of age.

~The 3rd. most productive stage is from 50 to 60 years of age.
~The average age of NOBEL PRIZE winners is 62 years old.
~The average age of the presidents of prominent companies in the world is 63 years.
~The average age of the pastors of the 100 largest churches in the U.S.A. is 71.
~The average age of the Popes is 76 years.

This tells us that the best years of our lives are between 60 and 80 years. A book review published in NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE found that at age 60, you reach the TOP of your potential, and this continues into your 80s."

For those of us above the age of 60, we are in the greatest and most productive time of our lives.

How about that!

Let’s go accomplish something today.

Morning Notes Blog Site

P Michael Biggs Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

This is my morning reflection.

Imagination

Imagination 

I found a quote that needs expanding. Here goes.

Imagine everything you can imagine, 

then keep on going.

That is the seed of creativity if there ever was one.

What if the industry of flight had stopped with the Wright brothers first successful 12-second flight at Kitty Hawk? Thankfully mankind didn’t stop there, and we now have a space station, and probes to Mars and beyond.

Think of the medical advances we now experience, and imagine life if those ‘steps beyond’ had never happened. Some of us wouldn’t be alive today but for medical advances beyond even thirty years ago.

Charles Dickens didn’t write A Christmas Carol as his first book. Oh, no. We are richer for his persistence and for the fact that he kept on going.

And think of Alexander Graham Bell’s invention, and compare that to that mini-computer in your pocket called a ‘Smart Phone’.

My friend Ken is one of the finest musicians I know, and yet he is not limiting his creativity to just music. He is one of the most highly regarded music editors in the business and now he has turned to authoring a book. Ken is living up to this thought and he is continuing to keep going.

What is your imagination begging from you? What fresh thoughts continually stream in your conscious mind? Perhaps you have an idea that just needs a bit of imagining. Perhaps you need to keep on going.

Go a bit further. Dig a bit deeper. Tinker a bit more.
The end is not in sight yet. All the good ideas are not taken. There’s room for your imagination.

Morning Notes Blog Site

P Michael Biggs Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

This is my morning reflection.

Don't Turn in Your Heart

Don’t Turn in Your Heart

Bill Gaither, noted icon in Gospel Music circles, related this story recently and I grabbed onto it.

Larry Gatlin, another noted singer, song-writer and music icon in Nashville was having a conversation with a young musician friend of his recently.  She had been in Nashville for three years, had become known for her singing voice but her song-writing was yet to be acknowledged, and that was her real passion.  She was ready to pack it in, give up on her dream, and leave Nashville behind.

Larry listened, and asked … “But where are you going to turn in your heart?”

That grabs me somehow.  You see, if we have a strong vision and passion for some achievement, and our hearts have fully embraced that dream and desire, I don’t think that vision ever goes away. 

We may be tempted to give up and walk away, but as Larry asked, “Where are you going to turn in your heart?”

I’ve not found a place that specializes in broken hearts.  There is no re-sale value in them.  The dreams never die. 

I guess that just leaves us with one option.  We keep trying.  We keep singing, writing, building, inventing, practicing.  We keep TRYING.

I have yet to achieve my major goal of writing the blog heard around the world, and yet I keep writing.  I’ve had some good blogs with some large numbers of clicks, and for those clicks I’m thankful.  I’ve been at this now for ten years.  Surely, many would think, in ten years’ time one would have more to show. 

I don’t think that way.  My take … I still have something to say, and I must write, or be a highly frustrated man.  This is an outlet for me, you see.

I hope you don’t ever think about parking your heart and dreams somewhere on a deserted road and then try and walk away.  I believe your heart might just break into.  This I do know.  That dream and passion of yours will always call out to you.  ALWAYS!

This is my

morning reflection.

Morning Notes Blog Site

P Michael Biggs

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

Why Were You Born?

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Why Were You Born?

Wow! I can’t believe I’m tackling this thought.  It is huge.  HUGE!!!

And so, in 470 words, here we go. 

I just finished listening to Melinda Gates’ book – The Moment of Lift. 

I don’t think Bill and Melinda would say, “We were born to create Microsoft.” 

As huge a success as that company is, I think their lives far exceed Microsoft.  For now, Bill and Melinda are doing amazing work around the world through the Gates Foundation.  They are changing lives, changing cultures, extending lives by providing health supplies, clean water, and fresh ideas on doing life in remote villages and large cities around the world.  Of course, Microsoft helped fund these projects, but for the Gates’, their lives are all about bettering others’ lives and providing solutions where there have been ignorance and traditional thinking, harmful as some of it has been.  They are doing an amazing work, through their partners and employees.  It is work that gives life!

I’ve had a few different careers in my lifetime.  In some of those jobs, I felt I found my calling, my life’s work.  I didn’t have the complete picture.  Yes, I was doing some good.  However, I needed to open my eyes a bit wider to see a bigger picture of what my life should be all about.  In a nutshell … my aim in life is to offer hope, encouragement and inspiration to mankind.  I do this mostly through the written word, and occasionally through speaking. 

Billy Graham was a man who knew why he was born.  He was the most focused, most dedicated, and best-of-the-best speaker/evangelist of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He never wavered from his gifts nor his calling.  He knew why he was born and  knew how to go about fulfilling that mission.

Why were you born?  What beats inside of your heart and mind that drives you to get out of bed every day?  I hope you know that answer.

If not, consider this.

Know thyself.  Read some great books.  Spend alone time in thinking and considering your life.  What are your strengths?  What are your weaknesses?  What would you do even if you were not paid to do it?  Do you have supportive key people around you who can help you achieve your life’s ambitions?  Do you need more education?  Do you need new friends?  Do you read books?  Are they the right kind of books?  What is your self-talk?  Are you kind to yourself?  Do you believe in “you”? 

This is not a full treatise on this subject … just a starter kit.

Happy hunting as you search for your “One Thing” that is your golden ring.

This is my

morning reflection.

Morning Notes Blog Site

P Michael Biggs

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

Think the Unthinkable

Think the Unthinkable

I can’t leave this idea alone.  We have a lot of good in our

world today simply because someone dared think the unthinkable.  

It started with fire and the wheel.  Some caveman or woman in some long-forgotten cave saw a spark from a flint wheel, or perhaps from some lightning strike.  That was all it took.  And the same for the wheel.  Maybe someone saw a rock rolling down a cliff and he or she began to put two and two together.

And today … because some somebodies decided to think of what was possible instead of barriers, we have such gadgets as computers, the telephone, cell phones, trips into space, Velcro, giant companies like Amazon, and beyond.

Just today, Carolyn and I paid a visit to a Sprouts grocery store.  There are a dozen grocery stores within a one mile radius of the one we visited, yet their take on doing food stuffs exceeds much of what the other stores do and how they think.   

They think the unthinkable.

What can you think of that is, before now, still locked and unknown.

We need your thinking. 

We need the constant inflow of ideas.

It’s called creativity.

It’s called ‘asking why, or why not.’

This is my

morning reflection.

Morning Notes Blog Site

P Michael Biggs

Words of Hope

Encouragement

Inspiration