I Forgot...

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I made an appointment with my dentist to have my teeth cleaned today. It's an almost-every-six-month ritual that let's me know if there is any deterioration of my teeth and gums. Plus, it keeps my teeth looking bright(er). Hey, it's free with my dental insurance!

In a kind, yet chastising way the receptionist indicated that the last time I was in for a cleaning was in May of 2010. She backpedaled a bit though when she saw on my chart that I had a crown put on one of my teeth in November. I guess that qualified me for a pass on missing my almost-every-six-month cleaning.

The funny thing is, I had forgotten about the crown. If I had remembered, I would have told her why I wasn't sitting in the hygenist's chair getting flossed in November.

Why did it slip my mind? Because it wasn't bothering me. Back in November I was very aware that I needed dental work because of the broken tooth and the pain that accompanied it. Today there's no pain, and I guess no reason to dwell on the tooth.

Maybe there is some psychological explanation for this, but I like to think simply. Bottom line: It wasn't an inconvenience, so therefore it wasn't on my mind. Call it what you want. I forgot about it.

Where am I going with this? Well, think about your dreams for a minute. Not the sleep ones where you are being chased through your high school while wearing only your underwear (am I the only one who has that one?), but the dreams you have for your life.

Have you forgotten them because they don't bother you anymore? Have you become satisfied with your lot in life, and are ready to abandon your dreams for the acceptance of dreariness?

Allow me to encourage you to re-kindle your dreams, and the vision you may have once had for your life. Consider them again! Act on them! Let them inspire you to fulfill them!

Concerning your dreams, don't say I forgot...

Question: Are there any dreams for yourself that you may have forgotten? Share your thoughts below in responses.

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Seeing Through The Ice

This morning we awoke to a beautiful (?) layer of ice on everything from a Maryland snow-turned-ice-storm overnight. It wasn't bad. My Mini Cooper was encrusted in only 1/2 inch of ice that required a few patient minutes with my door handle as I attempted to open the door.

As I carefully walked down the steps of my good friend's house where I am staying this week (see previous Blog post) I noticed something on the edge of the street. Under the layer of ice that covered the road at the curb, water was flowing. The top of the ice was solid, but the bottom was liquid.

I thought that is very similar to our creativity and ideas: on the surface, there may not be much to offer, but underneath, there is a wealth of flowing water, ideas and creative thoughts if you will.

The key for us is to break through the hard shell that is sometimes dangerous, sometimes rigid, and sometimes transparent, and to pull out what's underneath.

And when we do...well the possibilities are endless.

Question: How do you break through your ice to get to the creativity that flows inside of you? Share your thoughts below in responses.

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Re...

Regift, rehash, recycle, repeat, return, reform, replay... The list is almost endless. Life is full of second chances.

Think for a minute how many second chances you have gotten in the past year. Or maybe in the past week. Or even today.

We all need a second chance. That's one of the beauties of Christianity. It's all about second chances.

The key is how we leverage that second chance to our advantage, having learned from our first chance, and having moved forward from the last time.

Here's where our creativity comes into play. Allow yourself to take an entire new perspective on your second chances, and make them work for you!

Question: How will you do with the second chances that you receive? Share your thoughts below in responses.

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Recalculating Route

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I have had a portable GPS device for my car for a few years. I kind of like it because it confirms where I thought I ought be going to get to where I want to go.

Sometimes it chooses a different route then I would chose, and if I ignore it, my GPS device tells me it is Recalculating Route. Many times it will tell me to "turn around when possible". But sometimes it picks up where I am and determines a new way to get to my destination.

As we go through our lives, there are times when we choose a different route than others or even ourselves had planned. When this happens, we must become creative and begin Recalculating Route if we want to arrive at our intended destination.

Choosing a different path isn't always bad. Sometimes necessity requires it. Sometimes we just want to take a different path. The key is that we continue on to our destination.

So don't be afraid to get off the main road and try a new way of getting to where you are going. Allow your Recalculating Route to kick in.

Question: When have you changed your "route" and chose a different way of arriving at your "destination"? Share your thoughts below in responses.

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