One of our sons had a long drive to his workplace each morning.

While driving along, he always had his favorite music or sports radio station going full blast.

During one morning’s drive, he decided to turn the SOUND OFF!

And he found a new, wonderful serenity in the midst of silence.

How about you?

Is your life filled with noise?

Today’s rapidly changing events boggle the mind.

We don’t make good decisions with a boggled mind.

May I suggest that you deliberately eliminate some of the noise in your life so that you can just think?

Take the quiet time to think through your current challenges with a minimum of distractions.

You owe yourself that much.

Turn the SOUND OFF!

If not today when?

We are boaters and we keep our boat in a large harbor with hundreds of other boats.

During boating season, we love to jump on the boat and go for a ride.

The harbor has “dock boys” who help us cast off when we leave and tie up upon our return.

They tell us that we’re the busiest boat in the harbor.

We’ve noticed that most boats never go out during the entire season.

What a waste of money if the boat is never or hardly ever used!

Now, let’s talk about you.

Are you reaching your potential or do you stay in the harbor?

People who DON’T take risks end up working for those who DO!

If not today, when?

Our destiny is the ultimate result of our character.

The decisions we make throughout our lives are the ultimate expression of our character.

Actually, we make many decisions every day.

We decide what to do and what not to do.

We decide what to say and what not to say.

And all these decisions and how we implement them are the bottom line on who and what we are.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines GOOD CHARACTER as: People who have good traits such as INTEGRITY, HONESTY, COURAGE, LOYALTY and FORTITUDE.

Surely, these are personal traits we can all aspire to.

Our lives are a “work in progress.”

God will help us smooth out our rough edges if we ask!

If not today, when?

FBI Director Christopher Wray:

“Tragically, the FBI lost two of our own today.

Special Agent Daniel Alfin and Special Agent Laura Schwartzenberger were shot and killed this morning in the line of duty.

They were executing a federal court-ordered search warrant in a crimes against children investigation in Sunrise, Florida.

Three other agents were shot and wounded; two suffered injuries requiring hospital care, but both are now in stable condition. The third injured agent did not require hospitalization.
 
Every day, FBI special agents put themselves in harm’s way to keep the American people safe.

Special Agent Alfin and Special Agent Schwartzenberger exemplified heroism today in defense of their country.

The FBI will always honor their ultimate sacrifice and will be forever grateful for their bravery.

We continue to stand by our FBI Family, and the families of these special agents, in the days to come, bringing every resource we can to get through this together.”

R.I.P.

It is one of the few truly satisfying opportunities of our lives!

Unfortunately, however, many us would rather carry our fears than experience the ultimate triumph over them.

In 1962, I was a senior in college while the Vietnam War was raging.

Because I was a full time student, I was exempt from being drafted into our military until my graduation in May of 1963.

I volunteered to join the U.S. Navy with active duty beginning in August of that year.

I had been fearful of the possibility of going to war, but am glad that I faced my fear.

My years with the Navy were most gratifying and a tremendous learning experience.

How about you?

Are you carrying a fear or fears that have become a burden?

Consider setting yourself free! You are the only one who can do it!

If not today, when?

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life.

“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.

“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.

One is EVIL – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”

“The other is GOOD – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

“The one you feed.”

(virtuesforlife.com)

An Austrian man who died in December has left an undisclosed fortune to the French village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon. (Pictured above)

He did this to thank the residents for hiding his family from the Nazis during World War II.

Erich Schwam was a Jewish refugee who arrived in the village with his mother and father in 1943.

He bequeathed a sum thought to be at least a few hundred thousand euro to the commune in south-central France, according to the notary in charge of his will. (CNN)

It is a great feeling to be able to give back!

Actually, it feels good to both the giver and the receiver.

So, it’s a win-win.

How about you?

Is there someone or some cause you’d like to repay for a former kindness?

If so, hopefully it’s not too late to find them and reciprocate with your own act of kindness.

If not today, when?

These times are challenging for us adults.

The lives of our kids, however, have been turned completely upside down!

All the normal routines of their daily lives have been interrupted for a year.

I think the younger kids live in the present moment.

Your teens begin to worry about their future particularly in times like these.

I don’t know how to advise you on the best parental approach.

But, I do believe one thing is essential!

You must prove to them that you are a very willing LISTENER!

They won’t talk if they think you’re too preoccupied to LISTEN to their problems or unbiased in your opinions.

Spencer Smith, pictured above, was a very happy football player at his high school until he learned that football season was being cancelled by the pandemic.

He also wasn’t doing well with distance learning.

Spencer just ended his life at the age of 16 years.

You must get your kids talking!

If not today, when?

These rapidly changing times call for a certain degree of flexibility.

It seems that we are seeing, hearing and experiencing new realities daily.

Hopefully, some of these new experiences are fun and gratifying.

Others, however, are worrisome.

So, in order to take good care of ourselves, we must develop coping skills that work for us.

I’m not saying that we must sacrifice our values.

But, we can’t be unwilling to face a constantly changing reality with some flexibility.

This is really a discussion of protecting your mental health.

We are all experiencing the trauma of Covid-19 and the recent political turmoil.

How well have you come through all of this so far?

And how about your loved ones? How are they doing?

We must try not to allow external trauma to affect us internally.

Practice flexibility!

If not today, when?

What ever happened to the motivating force called “character”?

Do you remember the old saying, “Doing the right thing is the right thing to do?”

I guess the U.S. Senate will give Trump a pass for attempting to convert America into a dictatorship by violent means.

How about the employees who steal from their employer or don’t give a honest effort?

How about the habit of lying?

How about one spouse cheating on the other?

How about going along with the crowd when you know it’s wrong?

How about looking the other way when someone is in need?

Aren’t we supposed to hold ourselves to a higher standard?

I’m thinking of certain values that are not negotiable like:

PATRIOTISM–LOYALTY–HONESTY–COMPASSION

If not today, when?