Read life like a book

Inspired Thought...
One of my favorite past times has always been reading. I've read thousands of books: mysteries, fantasies, adventures, biographies, historical fiction, realistic fiction, nonfiction; I've read thick books, thin books, tall books, short books, red books, blue books( that one's for you Dr. Seuss!); I even enjoy the look, the feel, and the smell of books! As a writer, I even go so far as to write down excerpts of books that I like to give me ideas for my own writing. So why all this talk about books? Well, if there's one thing I've learned about reading, it is the beautiful fact that a book is the only place in the world where you can escape your life for a few minutes and share in the emotions and experiences found within the story. If you're like me, you would probably do or say something in the realm of a book that you would NEVER do in real life. That's part of the reason why I enjoy reading so much. But my challenge for you today is this: What would happen if you handled your life with the same confidence that you experience in the realm of a book? For example, in books the good guy always gets the bad guy. Well, if you know you're the "good guy", you better get started on defeating that "bad guy". Or if the princess always finds the prince of her dreams in books, maybe we can be more hopeful for our own dreams to come true. Read life like a book and become a knight in shining armor or a beautiful princess!

Inspired Action...
Remember doing roleplay as a young child? Try handling life's problems in the same way by determining who is the "good guy", who is the "bad guy", how does a situation like this usually play out in stories, and how you can defeat the "bad guy". For example, if you are suddenly diagnosed with cancer or some other illness, you would determine yourself as the "good guy" and the cancer as the "bad guy". You can be comforted by the fact that in stories, it is usually the good guy who defeats the bad guy. Ways of defeating the "bad guy" might include: chemotherapy or another treatment, getting lots of exercise, eating healthy, having strong relationships, a good faith life, etc.

Inspired Living...
By having the confidence and courage of a knight in shining armor, you are benefitting not only yourself, but others as well. If it weren't for the confidence and courage of those fighting for their country, America would not be as safe. If it weren't for the confidence and courage of those who start projects that support the poor and the homeless, many more people in the world would be suffering from poverty. Now I'm not implying that you should quit your job and join the military or start a multi-million dollar project, I'm just encouraging you to step out of your comfort zone and do a good deed for someone else. Take a deep breath and invite your newest co-worker to lunch. Roll those shoulders back and write a sympathy card to a neighbor. Yes, we owe a debt of gratitude to those who sacrifice their lives for our country, but I believe that those who perform simple, loving tasks for the benefit of others deserve our gratitude just as much.