lporcano's blog

"Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus."
--Alexander Graham Bell

"Concentration is the secret of strength."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered - either by themselves or by others."
--Mark Twain

"Every day we slaughter our finest impulses. That is why we get a heart-ache when we read those lines written by the hand of a master and recognize them as our own, as the tender shoots which we stifled because we lacked the faith to believe in our own powers, our own criterion of truth and beauty. Every man, when he gets quiet, when he becomes desperately honest with himself, is capable of uttering profound truths. We all derive from the same source. There is no mystery about the origin of things. We are all part of creation, all kings, all poets, all musicians; we have only to open up, to discover what is already there."
--Henry Miller

"If you want to be happy, be."
--Leo Tolstoy

"With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

The past and the future have a way of sometimes robbing us of the present. It is in the present where we live, so when that happens we are really being robbed of life itself. Always live in the present, keep you mind and your focus in the present and on the present task at hand. Pay attention and focus on the people you are with now, not the people you were with yesterday or the people you may see tomorrow. You can be aware of the yesterday and tomorrow, but you must focus on today. Every "today" offers you a unique chance to live out your dreams.

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."

--Harriet Tubman

"All successful people men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose."

--Brian Tracy

Your dreams are one of your most precious possessions. Share them with those that support you, but guard them from people who might try to rob you of them. Write them down, and read them each morning to keep them in the forefront of your thoughts. Do one thing each day to move your dreams forward. Do this and success and happiness are inevitable.

"Any fact facing us is not as important as our attitude toward it, for that determines our success or failure. The way you think about a fact may defeat you before you ever do anything about it. You are overcome by the fact because you think you are."
--Norman Vincent Peale

"If you don't like something - change it. If you can't change it, change the way you look at it."
-- Maya Angelou

Our attitudes or the way we choose to see the world, the way we choose to interpret the events that impact us, is a critical ingredient in success and happiness. Too often we, as humans leave this most critical tool sitting unused in the toolbox, where it can do us no good. When you say "that person gets me angry" or "the traffic got me frustrated", you can be sure that this critical tool is sitting unused in you toolbox. Your response and attitude towards something should always be an active choice on your part. Declaring ownership over your emotions and reactions is a critical step to success and happiness that can not be missed.

"All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom."
--Albert Einstein

"But there is suffering in life, and there are defeats. No one can avoid them. But it's better to lose some of the battles in the struggles for your dreams than to be defeated without ever knowing what you're fighting for."
--Paulo Coelho

When you are moving in line with your purpose, life becomes easier. Obstacles shrink in the face of a greater purpose. Pains and hurts will diminish. You will have energy where you did not before, and unexpected resources will flow in your direction. Doing what you love and what inspires you brings you closer to God, and that has the effect of smoothing the path and clearing the brush in front of you.

“Love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart and the senses.”
--Lao Tzu

"Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love."
--1 Corinthians

At it's most basic, all our actions are motivated either by fear or by love. Every action and every thought is either in response to fear or love, you are either moving away from something you fear or towards something you love. Love is often portrayed as being soft, yet here in two very different religious texts it is called the most powerful force of all. Martin Luther King and Gandhi both pointed this out as well. No matter what any situation looks like today, in the end the forces of love will win. When you are faced with a difficult situation, always make sure that you are acting out of love and not fear. If you do this, you have already secured a victory.

"I don't want to live. I want to love first, and live incidentally."
--Zelda Fitzgerald

"Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why."
--Eddie Cantor

Always remember that life is about the journey and not about the destination. Savor every moment of your life, as well as every relationship, and opportunity. Material successes will mean nothing in the end, if you have not enjoyed your life and enjoyed others in your life.

"Imagination is the true magic carpet."
--Norman Vincent Peale

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
--Albert Einstein

Stepping outside the world of the known, of "reality", is one of the most important steps you can take. As children we step into the world of our imaginations naturally. As adults we have often been conditioned out of it, through one too many admonishments to stop day dreaming. Make a commitment to yourself to spend a little time each day in the world of your imagination. It could be 5 minutes, or an hour, or more. The important thing is that you spend time inside your imagination, your creative side regularly. Every great accomplishment, breakthrough, and discovery was preceded by a great imagination and a great deal of day dreaming.

"The words "I am..." are potent words; be careful what you hitch them to. The thing you are claiming has a way of reaching back and claiming you."

--A.L. Kitselman

"3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark."

--James 3:3-5

Our words have a tremendous power, often far greater than we realize when we use them. We learn early on to be cautious in how we use them as they relate to others. We learn to not gossip, and not to talk bad about other people. What we must always remember though, is that our words have more power over ourselves than over anyone else. What follows an "I am" should always be something you feel good about being.

“Everyone Is God Speaking. Why not be polite and Listen to Him”
-- Hafiz - Sufi Poet

“……listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant. They too have their story.”
-- Max Ehrmann

Sometimes it is difficult to listen to others. Perhaps we feel too busy to take the time to listen. We may, at times, feel needy and just want others to listen to us. There may be times when we feel that the one speaking has nothing worthwhile to say. Remember that we are all connected to each other and all connected to the Universe. Hafiz said “Everyone is God speaking” That includes the teenager with the strange haircut. It includes the man down the street with the differing political views, the irritating neighbor, the questionable employee, and the little child that frequently interrupts you. “They too have their story.”

Learn to silence your thoughts as well as your words long enough to hear what others have to say. If you really listen you are paying respect to someone who has a connection to God - The Universe - Source. You may receive surprising new insights if you listen with a receptive attitude. These insights may help you in day to day life as well as your spiritual growth.

"Make up your mind to be happy. Learn to find pleasure in simple things.”
-- Robert Louis Stevenson

“Never lose sight of the importance of a beautiful sunrise, Or watching your kids sleep, or the smell of rain. It’s often the little things that really matter in life.”
-- Unknown

Why do you want that new car and the bigger house? Why do you want that powerful job?
Oh – to make you happy. I see. Have you looked around and counted your blessings lately? As long as you strive for those material things to make you happy you will n ever attain the happiness that you seek. Look at your family, your friends, and what you currently have. Look at a mountain, a river, the ocean, or a tree. Feel the power of nature and the joy that you are connected to that power. It is certainly not wrong to want nice things in life, but unfortunately most of us seek to attain our happiness through “things”. That will never happen. You can choose to be happy or you can choose to be unhappy.

“First I was dying to finish high school and start college. And then I was dying to finish college and start working. And then I was dying to marry and have children. And then I was dying for my children to grow old enough so I could return to work. And then I was dying to retire. And now, I am dying ….. and suddenly realize I forgot to live.”
--Anonymous

“It’s only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth – and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up – that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had.”
--Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

It is so true that life is not about the destination but about enjoying the journey. Take time to smell the flowers. Count your blessings daily. Be happy. Be grateful. Gratitude is important not only for your spiritual growth but for your physical health. Tell your loved ones that you love them all the time even if you are having a bad day This I promise you – in your last moments as you pass from this life you will not be wishing you had worked harder or accumulated more things or achieved more power. Your thoughts will be on your quality of life and on your loved ones. Live each day to the fullest.

“Old age has a great sense of calm and freedom. When the passions have relaxed their hold, you have escaped not from one master but from many.”
--Plato

“Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.”
--Max Ehrmann

There is a great emphasis, particularly in the Western World, on the physical body. Great importance is placed on strength, size, beauty, etc. Those individuals who over the years have learned to identify with their real self (instead of their physical shell) grow older with ease. They have that sense of calm and freedom of which Plato spoke. They find it easy to “surrender the things of youth” because those things are not their true identity. Possessions, physical attributes, and even our physical bodies are not forever. The beauty of your spirit and your spiritual growth is forever. Let that be your identity.

"If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates m>your energy, and inspires your hope."
--Andrew Carnegie.

One of the things we get to decide in life is where we want to go. Choosing your destination or goal can be transformative. Imagine taking a taxi, and instead of telling the driver where you want to go you only told him when you did not like where you were headed. It is unlikely you would get anywhere, and even less likely you would enjoy the ride. Setting your goal and direction sets the stage for your environment, thoughts, and actions to begin moving in the right direction. Life seems easy and joyful at this point, as everything works together and nothing is in conflict.

"What you think of yourself is much more important than what others think of you."
--Seneca

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
--Eleanor Roosevelt

How often have you let others dash your self esteem and your pride? If you listen to others and allow them to make you feel diminished and inferior, it is as if you have given them a “remote” to control your self esteem. Take back that remote. Take back that power. Think of yourself as powerful, successful, and loving and that is what you will become. Do not allow anyone to have the power to diminish you.

"I must govern the clock, not be governed by it"
--Golda Meir

"You can kill time or kill yourself, it comes to the same thing in the end"
--Elsa Triolet

There are few things that are of such value that you must truly guard them throughout your life. Your thoughts and your emotions are such things, but so is time. Your time in this life is a limited resource, and it is your job to make the most of it. Start by not giving in to time wasters which give nothing back to you or the world. Live each day as if you could die tomorrow, and as if you will live forever, since both things are true.

"This I know. This I believe with all my heart. If we want a free and peaceful world, if we want to make the deserts bloom and man to grow to greater dignity as a human being ... we can do it."
-- Eleanor Roosevelt

"The faultfinder will find faults even in paradise"
-- Henry David Thoreau

Our ability to shape the world into the thing we want depends absolutely on seeing the world as a positive place of opportunity. A place where we have the power to partner with the creative force of the universe to bring more beauty, more wonder, and more grace about. If you focus on the dark, or believe the world to be hopeless it will be. Yet if you see the world as a place that begs for your contributions to shape it into a thing of beauty, nothing can stop you from accomplishing everything you desire.

“If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live"
--Martin Luther King Jr

The reality is that we are spending our life every moment. If you are not spending it or devoting it to "something" then you are spending it on "nothing". Your life is to precious to be spent and get nothing in return. Your life and it's moments here are the most valuable thing you have. Spend it wisely.

"When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it-always."
-- Mahatma Gandhi

It is easy to sometimes forget the truth that is at the heart of Gandhi's words. Indeed it seems like it was difficult for Gandhi sometimes as well, so we are in good company if we do sometimes forget. But as much as possible we need to remember that the world is in fact good and full of love. And that in the end if you act out of love, you will triumph. Begin by knowing that and you have already triumphed, and eventually as time unfolds that truth will become evident.

"What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say."

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is has been said countless times that actions speak louder than words, but how often do we actually put this into practice? Often times we get caught up in trying to meet the expectations we believe that people have of us. This leads us to try and communicate something about ourselves that is in conflict with who we are, with the inevitable result of then giving the impression of someone who is inauthentic or unreliable. It is enough to be yourself first and then to be the best you possible. Set aside any belief you have about what the world expects of you, and instead be the person you dream yourself to be. That is the authentic you. When you do that, your actions will speak for you. You will be at once more authentic, more successful, and more attractive to those around you.

"If I could have convinced more slaves that they were slaves, I could have freed thousands more."
--Harriet Tubman

"If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else."
--Yogi Berra

The two things you must know for every journey is where you are starting and where you are going. This seems obvious, yet it is something we often miss. Know who you are and where you are, then decide who you want to be and where you want to go. Once you do this, the path of your journey will make itself clear. Frustration comes when you try to see the path before knowing these things.

"The entire population of the universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others."
--John Andrew Holmes

"A man is called selfish not for pursuing his own good, but for neglecting his neighbor's"
--Richard Whatley

When you help others, you align yourself with the universe and with God's will. This is not a selfless martyrdom I suggest, but simply working with the way things are. We exist as a part of a rich intertwined ecosystem. If we forget that, our actions and thoughts will tend to be in conflict with the universe. So whether it is smiling and being kind to someone who is having a bad day, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or making sure that in your work you are providing more value than you take in compensation, do something today for somebody else. You may be amazed at how it transforms your own day. Always remember you are not on this journey alone.

"No" is a word on your path to "yes." Don't give up too soon. Not even if well-meaning parents, relatives, friends, and colleagues tell you to get "a real job." Your dreams are your real job.

-- Joyce Spizer

Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to develop the picture...Do not build up obstacles in your imagination.
-- Norman Vincent Peale

"Your dreams are your real job", that sends a chill up my spine. How often are dreams and dreaming treated as a negative, and yet that is our real purpose. We are here in this world for a reason, and it is not to get safely through to death. Dreams are a pointer to your purpose, and your purpose is your real job. Well meaning people may try to talk you down from your dreams, but don't let them. They are like a parent watching their child climb a tree, learn to ride a bike, or drive a car. Or like a friend watching you fall in love. They may see risks and fear for you, but if they could see your dreams they would never question you. Only you can see your dreams fully, and so when well meaning people try to help talk you down from your dreams, thank them for their concern but don't ever turn back.

“When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure”
— Peter Marshall

It is not the events in our life or what happens to us that shapes us, but out response to those events. Look for the good you can take away from everything, look for the lesson and discard the rest. Be greedy in never discarding or rejecting an event or anything else without first finding something good, however small, for yourself in it.

"The sun shines and warms and lights us and we have no curiosity to know why this is so; but we ask the reason of all evil, of pain, and hunger, and mosquitoes and silly people."

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

"When you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears"
--Anthony Robbins

Sometimes the key to making progress is seeing how much you already have, and how far you have already come. Look for things to be grateful for this morning, and give thanks for them. Being in a grateful state will make you much more receptive to more of the good life flowing to you.

"Hope is a vigorous principle .... it sets the head and heart to work, and animates a man to do his utmost."
-- Jeremy Collier

"Hope is not a dream, but a way of making dreams become reality"
--L.J. Cardinal Suenens

Hope should be taught in school. Without it we never achieve anything. If you seeking to undertake something, stop and make sure you have the right hope and mindset about your goal before you begin. Without it, your efforts will be futile. Having the right hope and mindset is what will propel you to your goal. Filling yourself with hope before you begin, is like filling your fuel tank before a long trip. It is how you make sure you reach your destination.

"Whatever you are, be a good one."

— Abraham Lincoln

Often the only way to move past something we don't like is to master it. As we pass through life, we have lessons to learn and tasks to complete. When we apply Lincoln's advice, we open ourselves up to moving through life more freely and with less stress. The problems arise when we resent where we are and what we are doing, which leads to us not being a "good one" at what we are. This gets us stuck in the current situation, which is exactly where we don't want to be. Striving to be the best at whatever you are, and wherever you are, will open yourself up to new opportunities which may be exactly what your heart craves.

"If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes."
— Andrew Carnegie

How often are we afraid to set a goal high out of fear of failure, when in reality it is the high goal which will command our attention and inspire us to achieve it. Big audacious goals motivate, inspire and bring joy. In this way we are more likely to achieve our outrageous goals, than the smaller more mundane ones which are easy to forget. So on this day, pick a big goal and impress it on your subconscious.

"You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."
--Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sometimes, we have to leave room for the unexpected in life in order to fully experience all life has to offer.

One of the most memorable vacations I have had was a trip sailing along the coast of New York and New Jersey. My wife and I had a small 25' sailboat, and an idea that we wanted to take a 2 week vacation cruising along the coast. That was about as much detail as we put into the plan. The lack of a detailed plan might seem like a prime ingredient for anxiety, however what it did was leave us open to opportunity.

We planned to leave our home port of Peekskill, NY on July 3rd 1992. In the days leading up to our departure we diligently stocked the boat with whatever provisions we might need. I spent a day going over the boat doing safety checks, and making any repairs needed before we left. My wife at the time was 5 months pregnant with our second child, and while I think many of our friends and family thought the idea was a little crazy, thankfully nobody tried to talk us out of it.

We set sail early on the 3rd, and made our way south along the Hudson River. The weather presented