Today's Daily Motivation

FOLLOW THE PATH OF OTHERS TO SUCCESS

You can learn from other people to make up for your lack of experience in any area of life.

Be open and receptive to the people around you. They have things to teach you.

Take advantage of the people that have made the journey ahead of you. Try to pick the right role models. Don't look for people that make you feel good or entertain you.

Look for people that can help you. Role models are more than people you like and admire.

The key is to look for people that will help you to be more successful.  You can learn from the mistakes of others.
You can learn different approaches to overcoming challenges.

Learning "what not to do" is as important as learning "what to do."

Ballad of The Green Beret (1966)

SSG Barry Sadler


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y5GDvN9_OE


Fighting soldiers from the sky               
Fearless men who jump and die
Men who mean just what they say
The brave men of the Green Berets


Silver wings upon their chest
These are men, America's best
One hundred men, will test today
But only three win the Green Beret


Trained to live off nature's land
Trained in combat hand to hand
Men who fight by night and day
Courage big from the Green Beret

Silver wings upon their chest

These are me, America's best

One hundred men, will test today

But only three win the Green Beret

Back at home a young wife waits
Her Green Beret has met his fate
He has died for those oppressed
Leaving her this last request

Put silver wings on my son's chest

Make him one of America's best

He'll be a man they'll test one day

Have him win the Green Beret

In Remembrance

The GreatWar 1914-1918

In Flanders Fields

by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Inspiration for the poem — In Flanders Fields

During the Second Battle of Ypres a Canadian artillery officer, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, was killed on 2 May, 1915 by an exploding shell. He was a friend of the Canadian military doctor Major John McCrae.

John was asked to conduct the burial service owing to the chaplain being called away on duty elsewhere. It is believed that later that evening John began the draft for his famous poem 'In Flanders Fields'.

I Do Not Want To Be A Hero

I do not want to be a hero

Why did they shoot at my good friend

His body lies beside me it is time for us to go

Screaming people running to and fro

Crying fearing terror will not end

I do not want to be a hero

Pride and courage I must show

Though my buddy’s body will not mend

His body lies beside me it is time for us to go

My rifle spits a deadly blow

Against the horror they would send

I do not want to be a hero

The tears will drench my pillow

I fear the nightmares will not end

His body lies beside me it is time for us to go

Dodging bullets my head stays low

Chopper landing screeching in the wind

I do not want to be a hero

His body lies beside me it is time for us to go

Paul Mize © 2011

For Copyright Purposes Dating and Time Etc.

Hey Hey Nancy who the hell are you

Hey Hey Nancy who the hell are you
Telling us elections shouldn't matter like they do

She said elections only matter when they make her the boss
I didn't vote for you and thank the Lord that you lost


You used to swing a gavel as big as your head
Nancy your words made America vote red


Hey Hey Nancy who the hell are you
Telling us elections shouldn't matter like they do


You thought you were the queen of the nanny state
Hey Nancy you make me puke in my plate

You ain't the power telling me what to do
My rights came from God sure as hell not from you

Hey Hey Nancy who the hell are you
Hey Hey Nancy who the hell are you

Hey Hey Nancy who the hell are you
Telling us elections shouldn't matter like they do


This is the land of liberty for free men like us
You forgot your job was to serve the public trust

Taxing and spending was all that you could do
So I'm gonna vote to say goodbye to you

Hey Hey Nancy who the hell are you

Well Hey Hey Nancy who the hell are yo
Telling us elections shouldn't matter like they do

You're just a politician over DC way
I live in the country and mean what I say


You sold my job and helped ship it to China 
Quit your moaning bout us building cars in Carolina


Hey Hey Nancy who the hell are you
Hey Hey Nancy who the hell are you


Hey Hey Nancy who the hell are you
Hey Hey Nancy who the hell are you

Lyrics by Paul Mize & Hauk Heimdallsman © 2011     Music by Hauk Heimdallsman © 2011 based upon an original poem by Paul Mize                  

Today's Daily Motivation

YOU MUST ACT ON YOUR DREAMS

You have to make your own opportunities. Your future is not a matter of chance. It's a matter of your choice.

It's not something you wait for. It's something you must actively pursue.

Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. Opportunity can come disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat.

Start today, right where you are. Distant fields will always appear greener. Yet, golden opportunities are all around you.

You can live a great dream if you pursue it.

Today's Daily Motivation

People are definitely a company's greatest asset. It doesn't make any difference whether the product is cars or cosmetics. A company is only as good as the people it keeps.
Mary Kay Ash

Today's Daily Motivation

People who don't take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year.
Peter Drucker


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1lB3CRe3Gg&feature=related

What do you think about that risk/reward continuum?

Food for Thought

During my eighty-seven years I have witnessed a whole succession of technological revolutions. But none of them has done away with the need for character in the individual or the ability to think.
Bernard Baruch

Today's Daily Motivation

Just what future the Designer of the universe has provided for the souls of men I do not know, I cannot prove. But I find that the whole order of Nature confirms my confidence that, if it is not like our noblest hopes and dreams, it will transcend them.
Henry Norris Russell

The Pitcher

I grew up on baseball.  I cannot remember not having a ball in my hand.  This is spring and baseball has begun again.  This is my tribute to the position that makes the game go round.

The Pitcher

See him there upon the ten inch mound

Watch his gnarled fingers grasp around

A ball red stitched horsehide covered yarn

Far from winter practice in a barn

Like a stallion metal spikes scratch the clay

Preparation to put the ball in play

The tempoed turn of toe on rubber

The wind, the stride, the plant, the hummer

Past the swing into the beckoning mitt

Toward the dugout to rest he stops to spit

His coach ignores his presence there

Nine men tonight have swung at air

He sits, a breath, towel covered shoulder

Returns to field this game is far from over

Touch not his foot the powdered line

Three strikes, three times, back to the pine

Worn bench where heroes sat

Cheers, jeers he strides like a cat

Near halfway now the nine is done

This Koufax piece this throwing gun

Again he strides upon the diamond green

Presents tonight an historic scene

Perfect is his pitch location

Sounds of awe from across the nation

Sweat drops from his battered cap

He rocks, he pivots, and lightning zap

The crowd is hushed they stretch and stand

Though gray his jersey respect he demands

Twice again to gain this feat

His spikes will again the rubber meet

Even though he’s made one hundred throws

Radar gun reveals his velocity grows

Ball in glove before his chest

Deep breath he takes and pirouettes

His mates tonight have got him one

Perfection and the game is done

Paul Mize © 2011

Today's Daily Motivation

Today will be two short quotes that are related........Just a bit different........
I know you will be able to see the daylight they shed upon today although they were first stated over 70 years ago............
Thank you,
PM




Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.
Winston Churchill

Some people regard private enterprise as a predatory tiger to be shot. Others look on it as a cow they can milk. Not enough people see it as a healthy horse, pulling a sturdy wagon.
Winston Churchill

Today's Daily Motivation

No one can keep you down but yourself.

Have you ever felt that sometimes you are your own worst enemy? We all have moments when, no matter how hard we try, things just don't seem to work out right, when everything goes wrong, and we have no one to blame but ourselves. But, just as you may sometimes be your own worst enemy, you can also be your own best friend. The transition usually occurs when you realize that the only person on earth who can determine your failure or success is you yourself. You may discover your best friend when you develop the maturity and strength of character to accept yourself for the person you are and to take the actions necessary to become the person you wish to be. When you analyze yourself objectively, you can begin to build upon your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses. When you do, you will realize that the only person who stands in the way of your success is you. 


Napoleon Hill Foundation

Today's Daily Motivation

So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.
Christopher Reeve

Today's Daily Motivation

You sit at the board and suddenly your heart leaps. Your hand trembles to pick up the piece and move it. But what chess teaches you is that you must sit there calmly and think about whether it's really a good idea and whether there are other, better ideas.
Stanley Kubrick

Today's Daily Motivation

Man's unique reward, however, is that while animals survive by adjusting themselves to their background, man survives by adjusting his background to himself.
Ayn Rand

Today's Daily Motivation

Somehow, suddenly, a musical idea occurs to you; either a whole phrase, or three notes, or a series of chords, something that seems pregnant with possibilities for development. Once you have the kinds of ideas that fascinate you, you're no longer in a position to decide the nature of the animal. It's going to take its essence from the musical ideas that occur to you....Some musical ideas are too short, they don't seem long enough to carry you through ten minutes of music, so you have to start searching about for other ideas; contrasting ones that seem to fit with the original ones.
Aaron Copland: the Life and Work of an Uncommon Man

Today's Daily Motivation

This American system of ours ... call it Americanism, call it capitalism, call it what you like, gives to each and every one of us a great opportunity if we only seize it with both hands and make the most of it.
Al Capone

Made me feel like Lindsay Lohan

Went to LA for a nice vacation

Now I’m leavin and I’m on probation

Tell you what they weren’t even jokin

Made me feel just like Lindsey Lohan

When I got here thought I’d made the big time

Shootin shots with a twist of sweet lime

Hangin out where Arnold pumped his iron

Getting hungry smellin eggs a fryin

Across the street was a local diner

My stomach said it wouldn’t get no finer

Stuck my hand into my empty pocket

My plastic watch couldn’t even hock it

Ran in the street just to get away

Only knew that I was there to play

Went to LA for a nice vacation

When I left I was on probation

Hurt like hell when they cuffed me

Made me drop all my healthy green tea

Tell you what they weren’t even jokin

Made me feel just like Lindsey Lohan

That man the judge he just slammed his gavel

For ninety days I’ll be shovelin gravel

Leavin LA and I’m on probation

All I wanted was a nice vacation

Tell you what they weren’t even jokin

Made me feel just like Lindsey Lohan

Went to LA for a nice vacation

Now I’m leavin and I’m on probation

Went to LA for a nice vacation

Now I’m leavin and I’m on probation

Paul Mize © 2011

 Till we meet again

My Momma

I admit it. I am a terrible son. I missed my first Mother's Day with my Momma back in high school. What organization would schedule an event over Mother's Day weekend? Interestingly enough it was Tri-Hi-Y, a high school Christian group.


Then I went to college. There I discovered the three B's. You know... the three B's? Babes, beach, and beer. The three things that ultimately destroyed my baseball career....


What fraternity or sorority would ever schedule their spring dance over Mother's Day weekend? Mine did ........


My Momma always understood.  I bet yours does also. Because of all those intrusions my Mom and I developed this great phone relationship. Like a clock it is my responsibility to call on Sunday. That of course means late afternoon or evening because my Momma will be in church like the good southern lady that she is.


Although my baseball career was sidetracked by the B's, I managed to discover another athletic outlet that incorporated the B's into the endeavor. That was men's softball. What a fun sport. Play a game, have a beer, flirt with a local girl and repeat.........
Of course tournaments were played on the weekends. And again I managed to miss Mother's Day.  Fortunately my parents liked to watch me play so they would show up. 


That was great because even though it was Mother's Day Momma always brought me a picnic lunch. Usually fried chicken and potato salad sometimes with chocolate chip cookies, or brownies, or a piece of apple pie. My Momma was special. I bet yours is also.


Then I went into the corporate world and I traveled.  Became a road warrior. Again when Mother's Day showed up I was someplace else. Since I was 15 years old I have been at my Momma's for Mother's Day less than five times. I told you I was a terrible son.


But I love my Momma. And even though there will be almost 1000 miles separating us this Mother's Day I will rekindle that relationship and I will call. I know that I will ask her, "Did you make banana pudding today?" And even though it is Mother's Day I know she will have done something special. Because she is.


In today's world I probably need to teach her how to Skype!


Till we meet again