Quote(s) for Thursday January 12, 2012

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." Winston Churchill 

Quote(s) for Wednesday January 11, 2012

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no help at all." Dale Carnegie 

Quote(s) for Tuesday January 10, 2012

"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another." Walter Elliott 

Quote(s) for Monday January , 2012

"Man is only truly great when he acts from the passions."Benjamin Disreali

Quote(s) for Friday January 6, 2012

“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.” – Unknown

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar

Find Your Passion

I always knew what I wanted to do. What I wanted to do changed over time, and at any particular time I wanted to do more than one thing — and sometimes I wasn't sure if any particular thing that I wanted to do would turn out to be satisfying or remunerative. But there were always things I wanted to do. It turns out that this is not universal.

Some people really don't know what they want to do. Since I always did, I'm not sure that I'm really the person to ask about how to figure out one's passion in life. But when I talked recently about ways to arrange your life so you can follow your passion, more than one person asked in the comments about how to find your passion. I did some thinking about it, and decided that maybe I had an idea or two after all.

Editing too early

I used to think that the main reason people couldn't figure out what they wanted to do was not because they didn't have any ideas, but rather that they had ideas, but figured they were impractical. The things they wanted to do (playing video games, snowboarding, going backpacking) seemed to offer no hope of making a living.

In fact, of course, there are people making a living doing each of those things. There are admittedly few professional video game players, but there are plenty of jobs testing video games, as well as jobs designing them, coding them, writing the stories, and drawing the art. Likewise snowboarding and hiking support very few as professionals, but do offer opportunities for guides, instructors, writers, and so on.

There are many ways to follow any passion. If the problem is time, maybe you can start small and make incremental progress. If the problem is money, maybe you can barter for access to the expensive stuff you can't afford. If the problem is complexity, maybe you can follow a few narrow side branches now and work your way toward the main branch. The key is simply that you shouldn't assume your passion is impractical without giving some real thought to all the many ways you might follow it.

If this is what you're doing, the solution is easy: brainstorm. Make lists of things you want to do without editing. Don't paralyze yourself by trying to figure out your one true calling in life, just write down two or three dozen things that you want to do. Start with easy stuff. Maybe you want to visit your family or scuba dive off Grand Cayman or learn pottery. Then broaden your thinking: What do you do when you have control over your own schedule? What list of activities for the day makes you jump out of bed? If you had enough money that you didn't need to work, how would you choose to spend your time?

Go for quantity — this stuff is the raw material of what you want to do with your life. Get a day or two of distance from the list, then go through it and categorize the ideas. Some are just things you want to do once. Some will likely be things that you don't really want to do at all. But among the others are likely things that you have a passion for, even if you haven't realized it yet.

At some point, think about what you do that's of value to other people. That's important in two ways. First, it's something you might be able to get paid to do. Second, something that's important to others has a greater chance of being deeply satisfying.

What if your passion really is impractical?

Some passions are fundamentally impossible. We don't know how to go faster than the speed of light or backwards in time.

Other passions are simply beyond our capabilities. Most of us will never play major league baseball, no matter how strong our passion. I would argue, though, that this is simply a matter of being too specific. If playing baseball is truly your passion, then play baseball without worrying about what league you get to.

Most passions, though, are totally doable, they simply aren't adequately remunerative, which brings us back to where we started, choosing between a dream job or a day job.

Quote(s) for Thursday January 5, 2012

Today — do not be angry.
Today — do not worry.
Today — be kind to yourself and others.
Today — be honest to yourself and others.
Today — work diligently – Usui Sensei, 1865-1926

25 Ways to Be a Better Person Today

On the whole, these principles would make you a better person. But they're a bit intangible, and adapting them into your life right away could be overwhelming. What I like about them is the focus on today — just today. There are so many things we can do just today that can inspire some amazing life changes. Changes that will not only make you a better person, but can enrich your life, save you money, help others and the environment, and instigate a true sense of happiness. 

Here are 25 practical ways to apply the above principles and be a better person — today.

1. Say thanks — and mean it. 
2. Smile at a stranger.
3. Learn to lean into vulnerability and express your true self. 
4. Perform one senseless act of kindness per day.
5. Take a sabbatical and learn something new about yourself in the process.
6. Do something you've never done before.
7. Set goals wisely — and reward yourself for making progress.
8. Start a conversation with a random stranger (in line at the grocery store for example).
9. Create a vision board to visualize — and achieve — the life of your dreams.
10. Help somebody.
11. Reflect on the amazing moments in your life, and figure out how to replicate them.
12. Be 100% honest for an entire day.
13. Be generous — but not to your own detriment.
14. Express disagreement towards injustice.
15. Learn something new. For example, learn how to change your life and design the lifestyle you want.
16. Interact with nature. Go for a walk using all your senses, start a garden, or just admire a beautiful sunset.
17. Have fun with a brainstorm session of 100 ways to change your life in 20 minutes.
18. Cook a meal for somebody.
19. Save money.
20. Try letting somebody in line in front of you or driving consciously and kindly, and see if it actually makes you late. (You might surprise yourself).
21. Give your kids a leg up in life and make finance a family affair.
22. Learn about a worthwhile cause, and get involved.
23. Choose three ways to be nicer to the environment and implement them. 
24. Create your own definition of financial freedom, and inject a dose of passion into your budget.
25. Regain your youth, and play with some children.

This is just a start. How can you become a better person today?

Quote(s) for Wednesday January 4, 2012

"I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing." ~Marsha Doble

10 Easy Ways to Make Exercise a Habit

Try these tricks to become one of the fitness faithful

Let's face it: it's not all that difficult to start a fitness routine. After all, most of us have done it more than once.

The trouble, of course, comes with sticking with it. All too often, our initial enthusiasm and energy wanes, we get distracted by other things going on in our lives, or we don't think we're seeing results quickly enough -- and we throw in the towel.

1. Do a variety of activities you enjoy. And remember, there's no rule that says you have to go to a gym or buy equipment.

2. Commit to another person. "The social aspect of exercise is important for me," says Wanda Stevens, a stay-at-home mom in Austin, Texas. "I'll let myself off, but if I've agreed to walk with a friend after dinner, I won't let them down."

3. Make exercise a priority. "It has to be a non-negotiable," says Roy Stevens.

4. Exercise first thing in the morning. Experts agree that a morning schedule is best. "If you go to a gym, it should be located between your home and work," says Klein. "Exercise, take a shower, and you're energized for the day."

5. Or, exercise on your way home from work. The next best thing to exercising first thing in the morning is to do it on your way home from work. 

6. Exercise even when you're "too tired." Chances are, you'll feel better after exercising.

7. Log your activity. Write down the things that are important to you. Some people make a game of it. You may have heard of runners calculating the miles it would take to run from their homes to Boston (home of the famous marathon), figuring how far they run in an average week and setting a target date for "arriving" in Boston.

8. Be aware of all the indicators of progress. It's great when your clothes fit better and you can lift heavier weights or work out longer without getting exhausted.

but there are a slew of other progress indicators, such as:

• Getting a good night's sleep.
• Thinking more clearly.
• Having more energy.
• Realizing your muscles aren't screaming after you've helped a friend move furniture.
• Seeing your resting heart rate drop over time.
• Hearing your doctor congratulate you on improved cholesterol, blood pressure, bone density, triglycerides, and blood sugars.

9. Walk -- with a pedometer (or a dog). "If you enjoy walking and haven't exercised for awhile, 10 minutes three times a day will give you 30 minutes,"

10. Reward yourself. Are you telling yourself that you don't deserve a reward for something you should be doing anyway -- or that once you can zip your jeans without lying on the bed, that will be reward enough? Well, honestly, how inspiring is that?

Experts say that making behavior changes is hard, and rewards motivate. So decide on a goal and a reward, and work toward it. You might buy yourself a video you've wanted after you stick to your fitness plan for one month, or buy new walking shoes when you achieve 5,000 steps a day. Do whatever works for you.

Quote(s) for Tuesday January 3, 2012

I'm living so far beyond my income that we may almost be said to be living apart.
-E.E. Cummings...

Where Would You Cut Your Household Budget First?

Here's an interesting question for the New Year:

If you had to save money (for whatever reason) but you couldn't increase your income to do so, what would be the first area of your budget that you'd cut?

That's the question Consumer Reports Money Advisor asked 548 people in a recent survey. Here were the top four areas people said they'd cut (and the percent that said they'd cut the particular area noted):

• Cut back on dining out: 42%
• Give up or scale back your vacation: 20%
• Drop cleaning or lawn service: 10%
• Decrease charitable contributions: 10%

With a New Year, this is a great time to re-look at our finances.  

How about you? 


Here are some ways that I found other's are saving.

1. Look at changing cell phone plans to "Family Plans".

2. Look at combining insurance policies (take it to the bare minimums, if you can)

3. Instead of eating out for lunch everyday, treat yourself to once a week.

4. Downgrade your cable services (do away with premium channels).

5. Oil changes for 2 new vehicles ever 5,000 miles verses 3,000 miles 

6. Turned down the water heater temperature by 5 degrees. 

7. Replace light bulbs with "High Efficiency" bulbs.


Whatever your situation is, these ideas are at no cost to very little cost to make some changes that could have a big impact on your savings.  

Quote(s) for Monday January 2, 2012

We will open the book.  Its pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.  ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

***Happy New Year***

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.  ~Benjamin Franklin

Quote(s) for Saturday December 31 , 2011

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
~Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850

Yesterday and Tomorrow

            There are two days in every week about which we should not worry.
            Two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.
            One of these days is yesterday with its mistakes and cares,
            Its faults and blunders, Its aches and pains.
            Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.
            All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday.
            We cannot undo a single act we performed.
            We cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone.
            The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow.
            With its possible adversities, Its burdens,
            Its large promise and poor performance.
            Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.
            Tomorrow's Sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds,
            but it will rise.
            Until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is yet unborn.
            This just leaves only one day . . . Today.
            Any person can fight the battles of just one day.
            It is only when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternity's -
            yesterday and tomorrow that we break down.
            It is not the experience of today that drives people mad.
            It is the remorse or bitterness for something which happened yesterday
            and the dread of what tomorrow may bring.
            Let us therefore live but one day at a time.

            ~ Author Unknown ~
(Possible author Jennifer Kritsch)

Quote(s) for Thursday December 29 , 2011

Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.  ~Hal Borland

Quote(s) for Wednesday December 28, 2011

People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas.  ~Author Unknown

Quotes for Tueday December 27 , 2011

Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve.  Middle age is when you're forced to.  ~Bill Vaughn


An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in.  A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.  ~Bill Vaughan

Incite Feature:

Eric Cooper

CEO, San Antonio Food Bank

Operating on an annual budget of 81 million dollars, San Antonio Food Bank CEO Eric Cooper feels the main ingredient of his middle class childhood up bringing was love.  The 1^st born by 20 minutes, Eric, a fraternal twin, was born in Santa Claira, California, his mom a housewife and his dad an airline industry worker.  Eric’s parents along with their 6 children; 2 older brothers, his fraternal twin, a younger brother and sister, made their way to Dallas by the time Eric was 12.  When asked if he himself has ever used a Food Bank service, he replied no but does remember a time when his dad was on strike and he and his siblings had to utilize the free school lunch program.  While growing up Eric looked up to his older brother and uncle who were both in law enforcement and dreamed one day of becoming an FBI agent.   Graduating in 1987 with a public education from Northwest High School in Justin, TX, Eric began attending Kansas Weslynn College on a football scholarship.  Two years later Eric left college for a two year missionary assignment on the Islands of Samoa.  After returning to Dallas, Eric had renewed spirit on finishing his education.  He enrolled in Cook County Community College in Dallas.  He then transferred over to Salt Lake Community College where he obtained his Associates degree in Business Administration / Finance.  He then attended the University of Utah where he graduated in 1997 with a Bachelors in Sociology in Social work.  When asked what jobs he had in college he said he was a bit of an entrepreneur, working days at a Real Estate Leasing Company, Travel Agency and Dry Cleaners, all that he started with a good friend and business partner.  His routine was attending college at night, studying and completing his schoolwork whenever he could.  It was while he was attending college he got his first real taste of wanting to help others.  While starting his adult life and courting the person who would ultimately become his wife, his parents lives were unraveling.  After the divorce of his parents, Eric’s mom knew about poverty first hand as she struggled to keep the light and water on and feed his 2 younger siblings still living at home.  Eric helped out by sending money back home to help support them.  When Eric found his dad homeless and living on the streets that reinforced the idea of we are all connected and now had passion to help people in need. Eric asked himself what could he do to make a difference.  Seeking a volunteer job at the Utah Food Bank, Eric walked out with a paying job and the title of Volunteer and Food Drive Coordinator.  Working at the Utah Food Bank from 1993 to 1999 while still earning his Bachelors’ degree he did everything from fundraising to finding volunteers to warehouse help.  He then transferred to the North Texas Food Bank in Dallas and was there from 1999 to 2001.  In 2001, the San Antonio Food Bank board of directors recruited him to come on board as the CEO and has been in this position ever since.  He now calls San Antonio home with his wife of 19 years Erinn and their 5 children; daughter Madison 15; son Morgan 14; son Gabriel 12; son Elijah 10 and daughter Meredith 6.  When asked how he likes to spend his down time, he simply replied, with family and his Mormon faith.  After taking a high school aptitude test, his counselor advised him that according to the test results, he should become a farmer; he dismissed the findings at the time.  Now somewhat of a modern day farmer his experience and faith guide him to feed 16 south Texas counties, which accounts for 230,900 individuals annually, including 83,000 children and 32,500 seniors, roughly 25% of the San Antonio population.

Charles Arriaga, INCITE Blogger

Merry Christmas

I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.  
~Charles Dickens

Quotes for Saturday December 24, 2011

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree:  the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. 
 ~Burton Hillis


One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day.  Don't clean it up too quickly. 
 ~Andy Rooney

Quotes for Friday December 23, 2011

**This Monday December 26, 2011***

 Incite Blogger will feature:

Eric Cooper

CEO San Antonio Food Bank 

I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included.
-Bernard Manning


If you haven't got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.
Bob Hope