HODGEPODGE BLOG

What is the #1 secret to being happy?

We often try to make it complicated, but it’s really very simple…and the secret is captured in this beautiful 3 minute movie.

Learning to Dance In The Rain with Free DVD
And if you like it, share it with everyone you know. It’ll make the world a better place!

To Life

As we move our attention to starting another new year, we often find ourselves asking questions like, “What can I expect in the coming year?” or “How can I achieve my goals in 2010?”

You’ve heard the quote, “To achieve something you’ve never achieved, you have to do something you’ve never done.” To live a life of purpose, you have to live intentionally. You have to know where you’re going and stay on that path.

In Paula Fox’s book,The Second Mile, we learn that everyone can live with purpose and a promise of victory in the new year. This book also helps answer the questions I raised earlier…and perhaps the answers are simpler than we think.

As you start the new year, remember that God is right beside you. He has already walked a Second Mile for you and if you let Him, He will develop you into a Second Mile person!

Below is an excerpt from The Second Mile. Enjoy!

Anticipating great things ahead in 2010!

An Excerpt from The Second Mile: “The Second Mile…Is a Promise of Victory“

“He gives us the VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ…
So stand strong…Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,
because you know that your work in the Lord is never wasted.
(I Corinthians 15:57-58 NCV)

On the wall in front of my treadmill hangs a beautiful poster entitled VICTORY. It’s a picture of a group of sailboats racing on the water, with their colorful sails billowing in the wind. The caption beneath it reads… “You can’t control the winds. The race can only be won if you have the ability to adjust your sails.”

I love this daily reminder 

that victorious living is all about making the right choices… We can’t always control the circumstances in our lives, but we can control how we choose to respond to them…

We can choose to be a “victim” and feel sorry for ourselves… or we can make the empowering decision to be a “victor” as we adjust our sails and go the Second Mile… “Let us throw off everything that hinders us…and run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1 NIV) We can choose God’s promise of “VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

An inspiring story of a Second Mile victory is the true life adventure of Pete Goss, an expert yachtsman whose dream was to win a solo, non-stop, round-the-world yacht race. His extraordinary story of triumph over adversity is told in his book, Close to the Wind.

Over a period of ten years, he made many personal sacrifices in order to achieve his dream, including selling his house and his car to help finance and build his boat, the Aqua Quorum. Finally, on November 3,1996, he set sail in the race of his life, the Vendee Globe.

He was doing well in the race, overcoming incredible challenges and dangers, and managing high winds with waves as high as six-story buildings. Then, a third of the way through the race, his radio picked up a message that 160 miles away, one of his competitors was in desperate trouble and needed help. At this point, Goss made the heroic decision to give up his chance of winning the race, “adjust his sails” and go the Second Mile.

He turned his small craft into a deadly hurricane in an attempt to find and rescue this man he barely knew… a stranger lost on a life raft somewhere in the midst of a vast ocean. Somehow, unbelievably, he managed to rescue the man and was able to complete the race. When he finally reached the finish line, he was welcomed home by a crowd of 150,000 people who had gathered “to cheer not the race’s winner but its hero!”

Pete Goss came in fifth, but he won the VICTORY by going the Second Mile!

Real VICTORY is not about winning races… It’s about living a life of significance. When faced with the choice of whether or not to give up his dream and attempt a dangerous life-threatening rescue, Pete Goss said, “I had to go, I knew that. It was that simple… When someone is in trouble… you help.” He was committed to Second Mile living.

Watch the inspirational short movie, The Second Mile. Pay it forward and share this with your friends and family. It’s a perfect way to encourage others or yourself!

For all of us there are times when we’re overwhelmed. There is too much to do, and too little time to do it! This, of course, causes stress; and we all know…stress is not good!

When I was a freshman in college, I learned a simple lesson that I never forgot. And to this day, when I have too many things on my plate and feel stress raising its ugly head, I repeat to myself what I heard over 40 years ago. It worked then, and for me….it still does!

I’ll share the story from my book, The Nature of Success in the chapter titled: Set Realistic Goals. I hope it helps you as much as it did me!

Excerpt from: The Nature of Success
Set Realistic Goals

When I was a freshman in college I learned an unforgettable lesson.

I was having a rough week when there was a lot to do and very little time to do it. I was overwhelmed. I panicked.

That night a friend stopped by my dorm room. When I told him my problem, he said, “Mac, I’ll share something with you that my grandmother told me a few years ago. She said to always remember: ‘Inch by inch, life’s a cinch. Yard by yard, life is hard.’”

I said, “Bob, here I am drowning in work and your lifeline is a quote from your grandmother. Come on!”

After he left, however, those twelve little words kept dancing in my head. I took out a piece of notebook paper and listed all the things I had to do in the next three days. That night I began knocking them off one by one.

Three days later I took out that paper and marked through the last thing on the list. It felt great! And then I took out another piece of paper and wrote down the words: “Inch by inch, life’s a cinch. Yard by yard, life is hard.” I then folded the paper and put it in my wallet. As many of you know, I’ve been collecting quotes ever since.

You see, over the years I’ve learned that success doesn’t come cascading like Niagara Falls; it comes one drop at a time through short-term, realistic goals.

Experts on motivation disagree on a lot of things, but one thing they all agree on is that your levels of motivation are directly tied to your expected probabilities of success. In other words, if you believe you can do something (the goals are realistic), you’re likely to be highly motivated. If, however, you think you can’t (because the goals are unrealistic) your motivation level falls greatly.

The lesson here is to continue to dream big dreams, but realize that the short-term goals that take you to the next plateau are the real keys to success.

To learn more or to watch The Nature of Success movie, just click here>The Nature of Success

To Life,

Mac Anderson
Founder, Simple Truths

People often tell me motivation doesn’t last, and I tell them that bathing doesn’t
either. That’s why I recommend it daily.
                              Zig Ziglar
This year start each day with a motivating thought to inspire you throughout your day.
Zig Ziglar is a legend when it comes to motivation and the Simple Truths gift book and
movie, Inspiration 365, is a compilation of Zig’s favorite life quotes. Take a few
minutes to watch this movie and be inspired!

Great things ahead in 2010!

Kind regards,

Lombardi! Perhaps no single word in the English language communicates such strong visions
of excellence, discipline, commitment, and of course, winning. The Lombardi philosophy,
however, transcends football. He had the unique ability to articulate the fundamentals of
success for football, business and life unlike any leader. Enjoy
this three minute inspirational movie that shares Lombardis keys to success in an
unforgettable way with vintage photos, great Lombardi quotes, and the rare audio segments
from Lombardi giving his famous speech  What It Takes To Be #1.
What it Takes to Be #1 with Audio CD and FREE DVD

“All you need is love.  But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”
                         ~Charles M. Schulz~
A few laughs a day are a welcome stress reliever! Add some joy to your day as well as a
boost to your health by taking a few minutes to watch this 3 minute movie, “Laughter
Is An Instant Vacation.” The movie is a compilation of humorous quotes and
photography that will bring a smile to all.

The date was July 16, 2008. It was late in the afternoon and I was sitting in my hotel room in Louisville, Kentucky. I was scheduled to speak that evening for the Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA). I was a little “down in the dumps.” I hadn’t gotten to exercise lately because of my traveling schedule and recently I’d experienced some mild bouts of vertigo (that inner ear condition that can cause the room to start spinning.) You got it…speaking and “spinning” are not good partners!

My keynote presentation was scheduled for 7:00 PM, but I had been invited to show up at 6:00 to see a performance they said I’d enjoy. Little did I know that I was about to see something I would never forget.

They introduced the young musician. Welcome…Mr. Patrick Henry Hughes. He was rolled onto the stage in his wheelchair, and began to play the piano. His fingers danced across the keys as he made beautiful music.

He then began to sing as he played, and it was even more beautiful. For some reason, however, I knew that I was seeing something special. There was this aura about him that I really can’t explain and the smile…his smile was magic!

About ten minutes into Patrick’s performance, someone came on the stage and said…”I’d like to share a 7-minute video titled, The Patrick Henry Hughes story.” And the lights went dim.

Patrick Henry Hughes was born with no eyes, and a tightening of the joints which left him crippled for life. However, as a child, he was fitted with artificial eyes and placed in a wheelchair. Before his first birthday, he discovered the piano. His mom said, “I could hit any note on the piano, and within one or two tries, he’d get it.” By his second birthday, he was playing requests (You Are My Sunshine, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star). His father was ecstatic. “We might not play baseball, but we can play music together.”

Today, Patrick is a junior at the University of Louisville. His father attends classes with him and he’s made nearly all A’s, with the exception of 3 B’s. He’s also a part of the 214 member marching band. You read it right…the marching band! He’s a blind, wheelchair-bound trumpet player; and he and his father do it together. They attend all the band practices and the half-time performance in front of thousands. His father rolls and rotates his son around the field to the cheers of Patrick’s fans. In order to attend Patrick’s classes and every band practice, his father works the graveyard shift at UPS. Patrick said…”My dad’s my hero.”

But even more than his unbelievable musical talent, it was Patrick’s “attitude of gratitude” that touched my soul. On stage, between songs, he would talk to the audience about his life and about how blessed he was. He said, “God made me blind and unable to walk. BIG DEAL! He gave me the ability…the musical gifts I have…the great opportunity to meet new people.”

When his performance was over, Patrick and his father were on the stage together. The crowd rose to their feet and cheered for over five minutes. It gave me giant goose bumps!

My life was ready to meet Patrick Henry Hughes. I needed a hero, and I found one for the ages. If I live to be a hundred, I’ll never forget that night, that smile, that music, but most importantly, that wonderful “attitude of gratitude.”

I returned to Chicago and shared Patrick’s story with my wife, my friends, and our team at Simple Truths. About two weeks later, I received a letter from a friend. He said, “Mac, I don’t know who said it, but I think you’ll love this quote.”

“Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass…
it’s about learning how to dance in the rain!”

I thought…that’s it! We all face adversity in our life. However, it’s not the adversity, but how we react to it that will determine the joy and happiness in our life. During tough times, do we spend too much time feeling sorry for ourselves, or, can we, with gratitude…learn how to dance in the rain?

It almost sounds too simple to feel important, but one word…gratitude, can change your attitude, thus, your life, forever. Sarah Breathnach said it best…

“When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present….we experience heaven on earth.”

What I just shared is the introduction to my new book, Learning to Dance in the Rain…The Power of Gratitude. My co-author is BJ Gallagher and she is one of the most talented and creative writers I’ve every known. It was an honor to work with her on this beautiful book that can truly change the way you think about life.

To watch the movie or to look inside the book, just click here.

To Life,

Mac Anderson
Founder, Simple Truths

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. At least it’s supposed to be, isn’t it? I realize there is very little “white space” left on your December calendar, and there are only 23 shopping days left before Christmas.

That is why Inspired Faith wants to make it easy for you to find value-driven gifts that inspire and encourage yourself and others at affordable prices—allowing you to give the gift of inspiration this holiday season.

The Simple Blessings of Christmas