the start of it all...

To start it all, I truly feel that life is not planned out for us. We write our life story every day by the choices we make and the chances we take. This blog will be about life- everyday life... what has led to this chapter in my life- today as it is... and where I go from here. Hopefully it can and will be inspiring to at least one person.

I have been accused of being overly optimistic or seeing the glass as half full in a time when all indicators determine it should appear half empty. All I can say is it helps keep me in a better place mentally, so it seems to work. Not to say that there are not hard times. Gosh knows we have seen our fair share... but I truly do believe the 'ol cliche.. "life is 10% what happens and 90% how we respond." The reaction defines the outcome.

Webster defines life in many ways...

1- The physical, mental, and spiritual experiences that constitute existence...
2- The interval of time between birth and death...

with both of these in mind- I have to believe we determine the outcome for the most part. Maybe not how we would choose it, or how we would have it in a perfect world... but we shape our world with every action and every interaction.

So how do you know if your life is successful? It certainly is not about how much money you make, or how beautiful you are, or having 2.5 kids and a picket fence... We all define success in our own way. Here is mine...

A successful, happy life is when the good times outweigh the bad times. We will all have storms to face and mountains to climb... It's all about how we choose to face these obstacles and challenges.

No matter what you are facing... always know that someone else has it worse than you, and there is always another story to make your problems look minimal.

Every life is a good life. Enjoy it every day.