How to write a Cover Letter

Why do you need a cover letter?  Shouldn't your resume be enough?

Research has proven that your cover letter is extremely important. It is an introduction, like a movie trailer.  It tells the hiring manager just enough to make them want to know more. 

Here is an example:

Darrell Gheen

3441 Owls Wood Way                                                                                   cell: 321-544-1635

Titusville FL 32780                                                                                 darrellgheen@gmail.com

September 29, 2011

Dear Hiring Manager,

Are you ready to hire a highly creative professional who can add immediate value to your organization?  If so, then I believe that I would be an excellent choice.

I know that you could hire any one of a thousand applicants who could perform adequately, but don’t you want more?

My passion has been Aerospace as far back as I can remember.  When I was asked to become an electronics technician working on the Space Shuttle I thought I was in heaven!  Then many years later I was asked to become a Flight Controls Engineer!  My career has been amazingly successful because of my hands on experience and my engineering abilities.

But these abilities are not my “Claim to fame”.  What makes me even more successful is that I “improve things.”  Whenever I am given a job to do, then I do it to the best of my ability… then I find ways to improve the process.  

My passion is innovation!

I have saved the space program millions of dollars by inventing tools and improving processes which have directly resulted in meeting critical milestones and providing on time launches.

My technical “hands on” abilities and engineering know how, are directly transferrable skills which would benefit your company.  The biggest benefit to you however would be my continuous improvement abilities and philosophy.  “I don’t just do the job- I improve it”!

Now that the Space Shuttle program has ended, I am available, and looking for another challenge.

I want to dare something worthy.  I want to contribute. I want to make a difference!  I am looking for a company that wants to excel, and from what I see, that company is yours.

I am very interested in meeting to review your needs and possible solutions that I could bring to the table.  I am confident that my skills and experience can be of direct benefit to your company.

If you are interested in what I can provide, then please call me at your earliest convenience.

I look forward to meeting with you.

Thanks in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Darrell Gheen

321-544-1635

darrellgheen@gmail.com

As you can see, the cover letter is less than one page in length, and tells what you can do for them (not that you just want a job)!  You gotta tell your story, interest the reader, and ask for a meeting.  This letter is actually rather long, but it tells a story in a personal way that leaves the reader wanting to know more.  The objective is to get your resume read- not just skimmed!  And when they read it you have a far greater chance of getting the interview. Most resume's are dry and boring!  People don't hire boring, they hire a personality.  Find a way to show who you are.  If the hiring manager can see that, then you are certain to get the interview!

My PERFUME cost me a job!

So -Your resume and business card are amazing, your cover letter superb, the elevator speech was perfect, and now you finally got that interview and you are ready!  You arrive 10 minutes early wearing your new dress - which says you are a business professional with juuust a hint of sexy!  Everything is just PERFECT!

Then you go to into the interview smelling like the perfume counter at Dillards!

Are you KIDDING ME?!

The hiring manager is smiling and asks you the required questions (between polite coughs). You wonder why his eyes are watering...Hay feaver??? and then the interview is over.  Days later you get the email… Sorry, but the position has been filled by someone more…"qualified".

Surprised?

Don’t be! If your perfume arrives before you do then GUESS WHAT?

YOU WON"T BE HIRED!

Don't you realize that perfume and cologne are designed for arousal, not nausea!  It is NOT to announce your presence!  I know, I know… YOU can’t smell it!  That is because your olfactory nerves are overloaded!

If you are a chain smoker addicted to nicotine- go get the patch!

Love onion and garlic sandwiches… NOT TODAY!  You may look good, and sound good, but if you smell bad – forget it!

Don’t let your perfume (or cologne guys!) cost you a job!

Make a good first impression!

Use your head…AND your nose!

Inspirational Movies

I love inspirational movies!
No matter how bad things can get in your life, you can always find a ray of hope.

Find out what inspires you and then SURROUND yourself with it!
This is a short listing of movies that I think most people would find inspiring.
I used to rent them, but I have found that you can buy them through Amazon.com for sometimes less than it costs to rent them!

It is amazing to know that if I am having a bad day I can pop in a movie and chase the blues away!

So what are you waiting for?
Be INSPIRED!
.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow - download music that inspires you!

Make a list of the music that inspired you and then download it to your mp3 player! I get mine from Amazon.com

My daughter LOVES Itunes, so here is a link for the Itunes fans!

Unbreakable

Our mission in life does not come from a voice outside ourselves telling us to become something that we are not.

It comes from inside us, calling us to become who we were meant to be.

Fulfill the mission that GOD gave you!

Accepting the truth of who you really are is far more difficult than choosing to be someone else.  We fear this truth because it is a call to action!

 

In the movie “Unbreakable”, David Dunn (played by Bruce Willis) was offered the truth of who he really was, but he denied that truth.  He kept on saying “I’m only a man- I’m just a security guard.”  His life was in shambles.  His marriage was failing, he was unhappy, and darkness filled his mind.  He knew that “something” was missing, but he didn’t know what that something was, or what to do about it.

It was only when he listened to his inner voice that he decided to seek the truth. He decided to test himself and sure enough, there was the truth he had been running from his whole life.  His purpose was revealed. 
He wasn’t just a security guard- he was a hero!

Is your life is filled with darkness and indecision?

Do you feel that “something is missing” in your life?

Stop looking outside yourself for the answer!

Go someplace where you can be alone.  Close your eyes and be still and quiet.  The answers will come, but you must be patient.  After all, we been taught our whole life that we learn from others.  Go ask an expert… right?  Well how can someone else tell you what is inside of you if you can’t see it for yourself?   

THEY CAN’T!   

Only you can find your true path.

If you are looking for a guide then make it a SPIRIT GUIDE! 

The one that lives inside you.

Stop wasting time looking in the wrong direction.

Become who you were meant to be!
UNBREAKABLE!


I bought the movie from Amazon.com
It was cheaper than renting it!

Unbreakable (Two-Disc Vista Series)

Believe in what's important!

“If you want to believe in something then believe it.  

Just because something isn’t true doesn’t mean you can’t believe it. 

Sometimes the things that may or may not be true

are the things that man needs to believe in the most. 

That people are basically good. 

That Honor, Courage, and Virtue mean everything. 

That money and power mean nothing. 

That Good always triumphs over evil. 

True Love never dies. 

Remember that. 

It doesn’t matter if it is true or not. 

A man should believe in those things because 

those are the things worth believing in.”

– Robert Duvall as “Hub”  in the movie 

Secondhand Lions

This is one of my favorite movie quotes.

If you have not seen the movie, then go rent it!

Or better yet- Buy it from Amazon,com - it is cheaper to buy it than rent it!

Who do you want to be when you grow up?

That is the question most Space Shuttle workers are asking themselves right now. Being laid off from work is a difficult thing, and most people start by updating the resume and looking for a job which is similar to the one they are leaving. The problem is, that an equivalent job may not exist locally. Being "forced" to move to keep doing the same kind of work is also painful.

Maybe it is time to be honest with yourself and start asking better questions.

The first question is what do you WANT to do? If you are like me you just stumbled into your old job because of circumstances. Somebody offered you a job because they saw you were good at something. It may not be what makes you happy, but it pays the bills and your good at it - so you keep doing the same thing. If it feels like a JOB, then your in the wrong place.

Do you look forward to going to work? Or do you count the hours till Friday when you are "FREE" from the pain of work? If you hate Monday morning then it is time for a change!

Is there something out there that you would love to do, but just don't know how to go about making it a "JOB"?

Find out what you LOVE, and then figure out a way to do it so you can be happy. You don't need another JOB... you need a VOCATION! A Calling... Do something that inspires you! What "trips your trigger"? What do you do that "makes time stand still"? What can you work at doing that invigorates you?

Stop living a life that is not what you want. Doing something for 8 hours a day that you don't enjoy is crazy!
Life is too short for the wrong job!

Find your passion and start living it- NOW!

Precognition, Manifestation, or just plain coincidence

I frequently ask myself the following 3 part question:

Is what just happened precognition, manifestation, or just plain chance?

What's the difference?

1.  Precognition (knowing something will happen before it happens).

2. Manifestation (making something happen by thinking about it).

3.  Coincidence- nothing but chance.

Here is an example:

This morning I opened my door, intending to go for my "daily vacation" - an hour long bike ride.

As soon as I touched the handle bars on the bike I had a vision of riding my bike and the back tire going flat.

Now when I say "I had a vision" I mean the image just popped into my head- simple as that. Nothing like you see in the movies, just the image playing through my mind.  The suddenness of the thought in context with what was happening at the time is what took me off guard- that is why I call it a vision... anyway, you get the idea.

I have learned to accept these things for what they are - opportunity!  Somehow I have a chance to do something about what I see.  Usually it is something as simple as the feeling of wanting to drive a different route to work. If I take the "advice/warning" I just "received", and take a different path, I avoid an accident on the 1st road. Who knows, I could have been IN the accident, or maybe I just avoided the delay due to the traffic jam. Sometimes I find out about the accident later and sometimes I don't. But if I hear nothing, then that doesn't mean there wasn't a good reason. 
A friend of mine says that "someone was watching out for me".  Whatever the cause, I have learned to listen.  There have been many times in the past when I ignored a vision/warning- whatever you call it, and paid the price.  I have learned the hard way that "something" tells us to LOOK OUT for something that can happen. Now I always listen!

Anyway, back to my story:

When I had the vision of getting a flat I did what anyone would have done - I inspected the tires! No nails, air pressure OK, nothing wrong.  So what should I do? Not go for a bike ride?  Change my route?
OK  I told myself, if I do get a flat tire it will be no big deal.  I will just have to push the bike home, and that just means more exercise- which is the whole point of the bike ride anyway- so off I went.

The whole time I was riding I kept asking myself about the vision.  Why would I think about getting a flat? What did it mean... if anything? And where did the vision come from?  Well I had been riding for a half hour and was enjoying the ride.  I turned around for the return trip home and - you guessed it - Pthhht! The tire went flat!

NOW WHAT?!
There was no nail, or any indication as to why it went flat, but it was definetely dead!
As I pushed the bike homeward I wondered... did I somehow see that this would happen (precognition)?  Or did I make it happen by thinking about it (manifestation)?
OR

was it a coincidence?  Or... did an Angel whisper in my ear (my friends explaination)?
I don't know which one is correct, but this kind of thing happens to me so frequently that it really doesn't matter in the long run.
After all, the result is the same.

One of my friends always tells me the same thing "It's only a coincidence!", but then he says "But why do they happen to you all the time?!".

In reality "coincidences" happen to everyone, but most people don't pay attention.  They ignore it.

So what can you do with a coincidence?
What do you do when one happens to you?

Start listening to these "impulses", or "hunches", or whatever you want to call them. Try to make them happen.  Who knows what they are.  The subconsious mind processes so much data that your consious mind doesn't even know about.  Maybe it correlates a bunch of facts and the "vision" is the way it tells you what you need to do.  Maybe this is the way that the subconsious mind gives you advice!

So start listening!  I know, you don't need to tell anyone about it because they might think your weird.  You can keep it to yourself, but start acting upon that "hunch".

USE IT!
You will never know how much you can accomplish until you try.
What if this is all just my imagination?
Well I say then FANTASTIC!  If it is my imagination, then it is smarter than I am, and I will listen to whatever it tells me!
It has improved my life in more ways than I can count.

Look at these things as advice from a very good advisor. 
What about you?
Are you smart enough to act on good advice from someone much smarter and more experienced than yourself? 
Does it really matter if  the advice comes from coincidence, manifestation, precognition, your subconsious mind, or an Angel whispering in your ear?

If you want to take control of your life then you have to choose.
Choose to follow the good advice you have been given and you can improve your life.

OR - you can ignore it all and live a life of chance.

As for me, I choose a life of action.

Want a better life? Then imagine it happening and it just might.
Choose a better life.

The best diving vacation ever!

The best diving trip I ever took was by mistake!  My wife wanted to go on vacation to the Sandals resort in the Turks and Caicos islands.  When she told me I said "Fine" because she is usually a frugal shopper.  She made the reservations and then when she told me the cost I almost passed out!  Then she told me that the price was "all inclusive"... in other words plane flight, transportation, lodging, food, everything.  Since I told her OK, I planned on how to pay for the trip. I told her we needed to save X dollars per day - and we made it!

I am glad we did because it turned out to be the best trip ever!

When we got there I found out the diving was also included!  2 dives every day in one of the top 10 dive spots in the world!  We never dove the same spot twice and each one was better than the last!  One of the sites was called "the aquarium".  The reason was obvious.  There were more fish there than I had ever seen in my life!  It was like a National Geographic TV show!  Thousands of fish swimming in huge schools that I actually got to swim through!

The other best thing is that since everything was included I didn't carry a wallet, or a cell phone!  The only thing I carried was the plastic room key!

The food was fantastic, the kids had a blast, and I had the most enjoyable vacation imaginable.

I spent the entire time in swim trunks (except for when we went to one of the fancier restaurants).  My favorite one was the Japanese steakhouse- WOW, what great food! I would have gained 20 pounds except I was so active swimming, scuba diving... I am ready to go back!

If you love to dive, or just want a relaxing, hassle free vacation, then Sandals resorts is the place to go.

Exclusive offer for Scuba Divers at Sandals Resorts!

Meditation: the way to a better life

If your life is filled with stress and confusion, then you should meditate.  It is by far the best way to calm your mind and improve your day.  In fact, 10 minutes of meditation for me is like getting 3 hours of restful sleep.
Most people think that meditation is hard, and to get good at it takes along time, and for some this is correct.

I have been meditating for a very long time, but I got away from it because of work, and family... you know how it goes.   I foolishly let other things keep me from taking care of myself, so I would meditate only occasionally - usually when things got stressful.  Anyway, a friend of mine knows I meditate and asked me about
"Holosync meditation" (which I had never heard of).  He had a demo cd and he wanted my opinion so I took it home.  That night I meditated like I always did for 30 minutes.  I then meditated while listening to the Holosync CD.  My response was WOW!  I was able to meditate easier and go deeper than I ever could before!  I felt like I used to feel when I meditated every day.  All the stress I felt just melted away.  The next day I asked my friend for more information, so he directed me to the  Holosync website. 

I know that when I meditate, my brain waves go to a certain frequency.  The website said that the Holosync CD produces music with the left and right ear hearing a slightly different frequency, and that the brain syncronizes to that difference in frequency. I am amazed at how good this thing works.  Whole brain syncronization is achieved by people who meditiate for many years- advanced meditators, Yogi's, and spiritual teachers.  Holosync helps your brain get in sync quickly.  Using Holosync is like having the worlds best personal trainer helping you, instead of you trying to get good at something all by yourself.

You should try it, and the best thing is that the disc is FREE!

click here to get your free disc, you wont regret it


HOLOSYNC FREE CD

My most given gift- The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews

I love to be inspired!  It is one of the best things you can do for yourself and for others.  When I find something inspiring I try to share it- especially books.

Books are my favorite gift to give, and Andy Andrews books have been my most given gift.

I love to read, and I have to tell you about a very good book.  It’s called The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews

I read the book in one sitting- It was THAT good.  The next day I bought the audio version (book on CD).  I have listened to it 17 times in the last 5 years! (I didn’t know that till I started writing this and decided to check… and Yes I DO keep a record of what I read… if you want to know why, then you will have to ask me about it!). 

WHY would I listen to the same book 17 times?
3 reasons come to mind:

1. Because it is a GREAT story which is very inspiring and speaks to my heart.

2. The author tells the story in such a way that I can see it happening in my mind.
    I actually feel myself being IN the story. That is what I call “visually descriptive”!

3. I feel inspired every time I hear it, and who wouldn’t want a habit of inspiration?!

I have a lot of insiring CD's that I listen to whenever I am driving my car.  Can you think of a better way to get where your going?   I arrive happy and motivated!

I won’t tell you what The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews is about because I LOVE surprises and want you to feel the same sense of wonder when you read it!

I like every Andy Adrews book I have ever read, but my favorites are
The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews, and The Lost Choice by Andy Andrews. 

His is latest book The Final Summit is set to be released April 12th 2011 and can’t wait to read it!

If you only read one book this year, I would recommend Andy Andrews.
If you like to read inspiring, thought provoking stories, then you should check out Andy Andrews.

http://www.andyandrews.com/affiliates/idevaffiliate.php?id=322

The Top 10 reasons you should NOT hire me.

The Top 10 reasons NOT to hire me.

1. You don’t want to improve your processes.

2. You don’t like innovation and creativity.

3. Effectiveness scares you.

4. You want to be surrounded with “yes men”, not leaders.

5. You don’t want to make more money.

6. You like your employees unmotivated. Anyone who LIKES their work must be weird.

7. You like it when you have to keep a close eye on your employees.

8. You think that “employee loyalty” is a myth.

9. You don't know how to deal with someone who has personal integrity.

10. You think that teamwork belongs on a football field, not at work.

If any of these statements resonate with you, then don’t even think about hiring me.

Better to let your competitors have to deal with innovation and creativity than to burden yourself. Let them have to figure out what to do with the added savings and income.
Keep working long hard hours with “average” employees because you are used to that.

There’s nothing wrong with your fear of improvement. After all, change is a scary thing. Running an “average” business isn’t so bad. Why change when you can stay marginally efficient? The status quo is pretty comfortable.

However-
If you DO wish to hire me, then you need to understand something.

I am a Flight Controls Engineer working on the Space Shuttle and I am loyal to the Shuttle program, and to United Space Alliance. 
I launched the first Shuttle and I intend to launch the last one!

SO-
I will be available for hire only after my present company no longer requires my services.

You can expect the same dedication and loyalty if you decide to hire me.

Thank you for your consideration.

Darrell Gheen
(321) 544-1635

http://www.linkedin.com/in/darrellgheen

I wrote this to show that you can make your point in a creative way.

I love my job (and work in general) and this is one way to show it.  A prospective employer can read your resume and it will probably look just like the hundreds of others they have seen - with minor exceptions.  How can they tell what you are like from that?!

If your not memorable, your invisible!  Well guess what?  I have spent my life trying to be invisible.  I do my job the best way I can, but I don't brag about it.  I'm too busy rowing the boat to worry about such things.

If you need to get a new job, then you need to learn how to sell yourself - a VERY tall order for me as I have never had to do that before!  People have always seen what I can do, then they ask me to join them. That's how I have gotten every job in the past.

How about you? 
What makes you a great employee? 
How do you deal with looking for a new job when the old one goes away?

"Let's make a deal" life

“Let’s Make A Deal” Lifestyle

Do you have a “Let’s Make A Deal life”?
Do you remember the TV show where Monty Hall would ask contestants to choose between 3 curtains to see which “prize” they would get.

It could be a new car, or a vacation package… or a donkey! Each time the contestant would win, they would be given a chance to win a bigger prize, or keep what they have and quit. If they get the bad prize then they are finished! They loose- they get “ZONKED”!

Life is a lot like this show. If you don’t plan your life then you are stuck choosing unknowns. Curtain #1 may look like the way to go, but curtain # 2 looks ok too. Which way do you go?.

You need to just rip down the curtains in your life so you can see what your doing- this way your choices make sense.

There are 3 curtains that hide your choices:

1. Your lack of a solid plan – You don’t know what you want so you pick blindly, taking whatever comes along.

2. Habits – You are used to doing things a certain way so making a different kind of choice is avoided… even when it is the best way to go.

3. Fear – You fear what might be behind the curtain because you could loose what you have and be worse off than you are right now.

The best thing you can do is to tear down these curtains so you can see which is the best choice.

3. Get rid of your fear – It is the “mind killer”. It keeps you from making rational intelligent decisions.

2. Change your habits – Understand what you do and why you do it.

1. Plan your life – Choose what you want and make steps to achieve your goals.

By planning your life, you can build a new habit – one of success. With a habit of success, you can overcome your fears. As you can see, this is a cyclic process (plan- habit – success).

You will go from:

Blindness – to – vision

Bad habits – to – success habits

Fear – to – fearlessness

Getting ZONKED! – to – winning the prize!

Stop wasting you life away making blind decisions… or not making any out of fear!

Rip down the curtains, and WIN!

Two Wolves

Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson

about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said,

"My son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance,

self-pity, guilt, resentment, Inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness,

benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,

"Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied,

"The one you feed."



The battle within each of us is rarely a violent one. In fact, it is usually so subtle that you don't even realize it is happening.  The problem is that every decision you make... or don't make feeds one wolf or the other. 

Most people don't pay attention to these decisions because they are little things. They don't see that each decision builds upon the one before it. They soon become a habit, and you know how hard it is to break a habit.

Have you ever done something "out of habit" and only realized what you did afterwards. THAT is a scary thing, especially if what you did was wrong.

don't fall into this trap. 

Choose your decisions carefully.

Feed the right wolf.

Time travel experiment #1

Imagine that right now, you have arrived here in the past in your younger body.  You only have a short time in which to tell your present day self what you know of the future.  You must write down your message so that it won't be forgotten and you only have 2 minutes to do it!

What would you change about your future?  What is important?  What could you say that could improve your life?

Get some paper and a pen and write yourself a letter right now.  This could be the most important letter you ever get!

STOP reading this and write that letter!

...
...
Did you write it?  If not- GO DO IT!

OK, now that you have a letter from your future self, sit down and read it.  Pretend that you don't remember writing it (your FUTURE self wrote it, not your PRESENT self).

What did you tell yourself?  Do you believe what you wrote?  What are the things that your future self says to do to fix your future?  Remember that this letter was so important that you found a way to travel back in time to warn yourself!

Are you satisfied with what you wrote?  Could you improve it?

OK, now go think about it for an hour, then come back and try the experiment again.

Here is a copy of the letter that I received from my future self.  I know that If I did not follow what my future self wrote then my future would turn out to be less than it could be.  I can avoid so much pain and suffering if I follow his advice.  You know what?  I have been doing what the letter says since I got it 2 weeks ago and I feel great!  I am getting healthier and happier.  I have written plans for my future and defined steps to get me there.  I WILL make the world a better place!

Thank you... me!

Dear Darrell,

This morning I climbed into a time machine and travelled 20 years into the past.  I woke up here in your present and am writing you this to tell you about your future.  There are things that you need... MUST do!

1. Start exercising every day!  Make it a daily habit that you enjoy- if you don't, your future will SUCK! Trust me!

2. Be Happy- You have always been a happy person, but the future holds a lot of painful experiences.  You gotta stay positive if you are gonna come out on top.  If you are happy, then those around you will be too!

3. Give- your time, your talents- everything you have will not be too much.  The more you give, the more you get.

4. Love!  Your heart is bigger than you know- FILL IT UP!

5. GOD - HE is ALWAYS with you. FIND HIM!

Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid!

There is a REASON you are here!

You have a PURPOSE!- you are on a QUEST!

So many things to do!

I    m   ou  t o f     t me

DARE SOMETHING WORTHY

fr m yo ur futre selff

Darre  l__

                  \__ .

My favorite animal

This is the funniest thing I have seen in a long time!
It reminds me of my son and the times he got into trouble for "telling the truth".

My Favorite Animal

Our teacher asked us what our favorite animal was, and I said, "Fried chicken." She said I wasn't funny, but she couldn't have been right, because everyone else in the class laughed. My parents told me to always be truthful and honest, and I am. Fried chicken is my favorite animal. I told my dad what happened, and he said my teacher was probably a member of PETA. He said they love animals very much. I do, too. Especially chicken, pork and beef. Anyway, my teacher sent me to the principal's office. I told him what happened, and he laughed too. Then he told me not to do it again.

The next day in class my teacher asked me what my favorite live animal was. I told her it was chicken. She asked me why, just like she'd asked the other children. So I told her it was because you could make them into fried chicken. She sent me back to the principal's office again. He laughed, and told me not to do it again.

I don't understand. My parents taught me to be honest, but my teacher doesn't like it when I am. Today, my teacher asked us to tell her what famous person we admire most.

I told her, "Colonel Sanders".

Guess where I am now...

Remember that when you teach your children to be honest, you are going to have to accept the truth- no matter HOW FUNNY it is!

The friendship oath

I don’t know the origin of this poem as I received it as part of an Email chain letter so it has probably circulated the globe several hundred times!

If you know who wrote it please let me know.

I add it here as a point of inspiration. Please reflect upon it.


MY OATH TO YOU...

When you are sad.....I will dry your tears.

When you are scared.....I will comfort your fears.

When you are worried......I will give you hope.

When you are confused.....I will help you cope.

And when you are lost...and can't see the light,
I shall be your beacon...shining ever so bright.

This is my oath.....I pledge till the end.

Why you may ask?....Because you're my friend.

Signed: GOD


Think about your own friends… are you angry with them for some word or deed?
Isn’t your friendship worth fighting for? Aren’t YOU worth it?
To have a friend is to BE a friend. So what are you waiting for?
Go help someone. Believe me, it will do YOU more good than it will them.

The cost of a Miracle

I was speaking to a friend of mine about the power of faith yesterday.  She was facing some tough times and didn’t see how it could all work out.  I told her that with faith anything is possible.  She was skeptical but she said she would “try it”.  Today, just before she opened her Email she decided to “test the ability of faith” by asking for a “sign”.  The first Email contained the following short story and was sent to her by an old friend that she had not seen in years.

After she stopped crying she forwarded the Email to me asking “HOW DOES THIS WORK?!”

I told her that HOW is none of our business! Don’t question it, Just do it!

So start believing and have faith!

The cost of a Miracle

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet.

She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even.. The total had to be exactly perfect.. No chance here for mistakes.
Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment.
Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

'And what do you want?' the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice.. I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages,' he said without waiting for a reply to his question.
'Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,' Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. 'He's really, really sick....and I want to buy a miracle.'

'I beg your pardon?' said the pharmacist.
'His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?'

'We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you,' the pharmacist said, softening a little.

'Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.'

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, 'What kind of a miracle does your brother need?'

' I don't know,' Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money..'

'How much do you have?' asked the man from Chicago . 'One dollar and eleven cents,' Tess answered barely audible. 'And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.'

'Well, what a coincidence,' smiled the man. 'A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers.' He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said 'Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need.'

That well-dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.

'That surgery,' her Mom whispered. 'was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?'

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost....one dollar and eleven cents...plus the faith of a little child.

In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need.

A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law.

Miracles are purchased with faith, not with coins.

The richest person in the world is the one with the most faith.

“ASK and it shall be given.”

New Years Resolution...

Are you avoiding making a resolution because you are tired of failing to keep them?

Tired of disappointing yourself?
Well maybe it is because you are intentionally setting yourself up to fail.  That's right INTENTIONALLY....
Sound crazy?  Well it isn't.  Most people do this to avoid pain, they THINK that loosing weight, or getting into shape is gonna be painful, so they do things so they will give up.  They give themself an easy out and find ways to justify being unhappy. 

Blame someone else- "I can't loose weight because I'm Italian... It's genetic, everyone in my family is fat!"  This was a good friend of mines excuse.  He weighed 295 pounds... and he was only 5 foot 7 inches tall!  His height IS genetic, he is the tall one in the family, but his weight was a result of his environment.

The only thing genetic about them being fat is they all eat HUGE meals together as a family!  After dinner they couldn't do anything because they were about to explode!  Sure they have fun while they stuff their faces, but give me a break!  The only thing they did together was eat.  Their whole life revolved around food, and why change that when it gives them so much pleasure!  I loved having dinner with them because it was just like an "Olive Garden" commercial!  My face actually hurt afterwards from laughing so much!  The only problem was that my stomach hurt too- not from laughing, but from eating soooo much!

So why did he choose to loose weight?  He had a heart attack and almost died... at 35 years old!  That wake-up call gave him a new perspective on life- "Change your ways or die!"... so he changed... but not overnight.  He was smart enough to know that change takes time.

How did he do it?
He still ate with the family, but he ate slower, and gradually reduced the size of his portions.  He still went back for 2nds... and even third helpings, but they were smaller.  He also drank a lot of water.  A glass of water for every glass of wine... and he used to drink a LOT of wine!  These were not massive changes to his lifestyle, in fact, most people didn't even notice his initial weight change- but he did.

He expanded his family fun away from the dinner table.  "Food is still very important to us" he told me. "Don't get me wrong- I still eat the same foods, but just not like it was my last meal!"  "Instead of 2 hours at the dinner table, we split it in half.  One hour eating and having fun, and the other hour playing in the park, pretending we are kids again.... and you know what? - WE ARE KIDS!"

 People then started asking him what he was doing because he seemed happier.  That is what excited him the most.  His friends noticed his ATTITUDE change BEFORE they saw the weight loss!  In a months time he bought a shorter belt, and in another month he needed smaller pants... and this weight loss was just by reducing his calorie intake to a human scale.

He then started taking walks in the park after dinner with his wife and kids.  Pretty soon he started an exercise program which included swimming at the YMCA.  Today his whole family is healthier and happier.
His new years resolution saved his life: 
"Loose weight and get healthy". 
If he can do it so can you!

So make a resolution.  Make it a daily habit, and take baby steps.  Don't try to run a marathon the first day! Walk to the mailbox twice a day. Think about it and you will find a plan that works.

Here's a personal example that works for me:
 I have a bad habit of setting at the computer and getting so focused on what I am doing that I loose all track of time.  The next thing I know 8 hours have gone by!  I missed lunch, and my back is killing me!  How did I fix this?  I set a reminder on my computer so it tells me to get up and move every 30 minutes.  When the timer goes off, I get up and do something- even if I just walk to the bathroom and back!

Do SOMETHING little each day.

What if you chicken out and don't make a resolution?
YOU LOOSE!

A famous basketball player once said: "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take".
So start shooting!
If you miss, then adjust your technique and shoot again.
don't let a missed shot stop you from having fun!

You gotta remember that LIFE IS A GAME!
You make the rules, so why are you making it so hard for you to win?

Change what you think is required for you to enjoy life... THAT"S RIGHT, it's a CHOICE!
Choose to be happy and your whole life will change.  Stop looking at life as though you are the last dog in line of a dog sled team! The view from back there isn't very pretty! Put yourself in the front of the line!

Make a resolution!
DO IT!
Make one right now!