Summer!

Here we are at the half-way point. With the first several weeks of summer behind us, only a few precious weeks remain. We’re slowing moving toward—should I mention the word? Fall. There I said it.  Why does summer always seem to fly by so quickly? The weather, in my opinion, has been perfect. Sure, we’ve had a few hot and humid days here and there, but that’s summer! I hope your summer To-Do list includes some familiar favorites as well as some new adventures. I wonder if these places show up on your list:

                                          http://youtu.be/6N7AlgAuHZA      

I know. You feel like reviewing the video again to fully absorb the breathtaking images. Of course, you may not have an opportunity to visit Bolivia or Beijing, but don’t let that prevent you from making the most of the summer. Be creative, get inventive, go out and find an adventure. Do something different and new. What's going to make your summer special?    

      

 

This Is How We Roll

One night, while driving down a side street lined with tidy lawns and comfortable homes, we saw a ferocious animal race into the street and chase the car in front of us. This scene might sound normal except the ferocious animal that chased the car was a cat. I’m not sure what caused the confrontation, but the car kept going and the attacker retreated to its lair. For whatever reason, a little, white kitty decided to harass a passing car. Animals don’t always do what we expect. Take a look:

                                          http://youtu.be/y__iU-TgHCY

We couldn’t see who drove the car that the cat chased. If it was anything like the driver in the video, then it all makes sense. Some animals can perform or appear to perform amazing feats, while other animals astonish us simply by acting on instinct. Our cat will chase a tossed ball like a dog, but she won’t retrieve it. We trained her to run to us for a treat when we ring a bell, and she understands what it means when we say no. But what about you? What do you do that might be considered normal by some people, yet abnormal by others?   

           

I Wanna See You Be Great

Footsteps rumbled overhead at all hours of the day. Back and forth, back and forth. It sounded like the World Cup games up there. At the end of the week we saw a member of the family who stayed in the unit above us moving a stroller and toddler equipment from our vacation resort. Maybe a future Olympian trained above our heads all week. I suspect other vacationers have experienced the overhead rumbling of a young athlete honing his or her skills. Let’s see what it takes to be great: 

                                       http://youtu.be/BIqVvRh_cEY

He practices for four hours every day. Now that’s commitment! As a youngster, Jashaun set big goals and he’s working to achieve them. He could spend his time doing other things, but he’s sacrificing for greatness.  What will you sacrifice to be great?               

Not A Bad Thing

Last week’s bird collision seemed like a fluke, but after this week’s incident I’m beginning to wonder if our wildlife is suffering from navigational issues. While cruising along the road, a beautiful, black butterfly flew across our windshield. Unfortunately it wasn’t quick enough to avoid hitting the left corner of our car. In the rear view mirror we could see the butterfly, somewhat dazed and confused, fluttering on the road behind us. I hope it crawled to safety before the next car rumbled by.

Last week a bird got sucked into my car’s bottom vent and Les Brown offered us advice about aiming high. This week the butterfly flew higher than the bird, yet it still ended up on the ground. Here’s the take-a-way for this week:

                                       http://youtu.be/NfAV3BGXF7c

If you’re floundering, rather than staying down, consider changing the path you’re taking. As the video implies, a failure can be the beginning of a successful, new direction. Everyone has failed at something. Following a failure, what course correction will you or have you made?