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Jay Patel's Blog

Jay Patel

Blog

Displaying blog entries 1-10 of 194

A Blue Ribbon Effort!

by Jay Patel

Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Trouble creates a capacity to handle it."
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. "What one has to do usually can be done."
~ Eleanor Roosevelt
 

A BLUE RIBBON EFFORT!

Have you ever surprised yourself with a moment of creativity or lucidity, just when you were sure you didn’t have it in you? Last fall there was a garden club show, and one of the members who always performed well was considering not entering. She had just returned from vacation the day before to discover that unwelcome pests had ravished most everything in her garden.

Trying to back out, she explained that there was nothing in her yard but weeds, but a friend insisted, “I’m sure you’ll find something.” Lacking inspiration, she headed out to the yard with her tools and bucket anyway. She worked, recalling the words of her mother. “You will not always have the things you would like, but you can always make do with what you have.”

She discovered a vine with little blue flowers crawling up the trellis. She realized how pretty the bright yellow dandelions were. Wild daisies and pansies appeared in unexpected places, “sown” by bird droppings.

She headed back to the house and began her arrangement, hiding a coffee can pot inside a sewing basket. She then rushed over to meet the submission deadline. Glad that everyone else had already deposited their entries, she sneaked in her less-than-blue-ribbon quality candidate. She didn’t even stick around for the judging.

When she returned to pick up her contestant, she was shocked to discover a blue ribbon pinned to it, with a note that read, “This entry gets the blue ribbon because it meets all the test requirements for proportion, suitability of container to the contents and beauty, and also is very original.”

So she did “make do” with what she had, although she thought she didn’t have a chance. So remember that your own strength and creativity are always there, you just never know just how much you’ve got until you are called upon to put it to use! 
 

 

You Can't Have It Both Ways!

by Jay Patel

Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"There is a law in psychology that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be, and you keep and hold that picture there long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking."


- William James (1842-1910)
 

YOU CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS!

Walk into a totally dark room. What do you see? "Absolutely nothing," you say. Now, turn on the light. Where did the darkness go? Really - where is it now? Hopefully you will agree that darkness cannot exist in the face of light.

During a lifetime, we experience many types of "darkness." It may appear in the form of discouragement, fear, hopelessness, grief, ignorance, or poverty. Yet, in every case, there is a "light" in which such darkness cannot exist.

Fear, for example, cannot exist in the face of courage. Education denies ignorance any chance of survival. Grief disappears in the presence of peace-of-mind. Discouragement ceases when hope prevails. Wealth denies poverty its chance.

No matter what form darkness takes, it cannot exist when faced with its opposite. That also means we have the ability to send darkness on its way at any point in time. No matter how overwhelming the darkness appears, it is our thoughts and our minds that ultimately control the outcome. How powerful is that?

In the words of several favorite authors: "Think you can, think you can't, either way you're right." "Your life is what your thoughts make of it." "We are what we think about all day long." Finally, in the words of Tom Bodett, from one of his Motel 6 commercials: "We'll leave the light on for you!"

 

PERSONALITY TEST

by Jay Patel

Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Gardner's Law: Eighty-seven percent of all people in all professions are incompetent."


~ John Gardner
 

PERSONALITY TEST!

Let's hope today's "inspiration" isn't actually true, although we've all probably felt that way at one time or another. Regardless of the percentage, however, it cannot be denied that incompetence really does exist in every profession, even those like physicians, attorneys, school bus drivers and stock brokers.

Some people do a great job no matter what it is they do, while others can't seem to succeed even after trying several careers. Sometimes it's not really a matter of competence so much as matching a job to specific abilities, interests and personality. An introvert who enjoys working alone probably shouldn't pursue a career in communications, while a creative person who enjoys the outdoors likely wouldn't be happy in accounting. No matter how hard you try, you just can't force yourself to love brussels sprouts!

How much of the "incompetence" that we encounter is simply the result of a person who is mismatched for their job? We all have certain skills and personality traits that better suit certain types of careers, but we often start down that path before we've ever gotten to really develop and know ourselves. We believe our parents, guidance counselors, and spouses more than we do ourselves sometimes.

Realizing your true personality is challenging. Applying that knowledge to your choice of career is even more difficult, but absolutely necessary if you want to be happy in your choice. If you're feeling dissatisfied, try to find at least some small aspect of your job that you find enjoyable, and aggressively apply your personality to it to produce more satisfying results.

If that's not working for you, perhaps it's time to take a long hard look at where you've been and where you are and why you don't like it there. Matthew Arnold said, "Resolve to be thyself; and know that he who finds himself, loses his misery." You've probably learned a lot about other people in your lifetime. Aren't you ready to know yourself?

 

 

Fill in the Blank

by Jay Patel

Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Opportunities are seldom labeled."
- John A. Shedd
 


FILL IN THE BLANK!

 

From "Wellsprings of Wisdom" by Ralph Woods comes this story:

A successful businessman was invited to address a group of young executives on the subject of opportunities. He began his talk by tacking to the wall a big sheet of white paper and placing a black dot in the middle of the sheet. "What do you see?" he asked, pointing to the paper on the wall. "A black spot," called out everyone in the audience. "Yes, I see a black dot too," replied the speaker, "but none of you saw the much greater expanse of white. This is the point of my talk on opportunities."

While it is so easy to focus on the "black dots" - the immediate tasks that face us each day - how often do you grasp the opportunities that no one else notices in the white space? Don't answer that you haven't the time to notice the white space. Do you ever find yourself daydreaming? When you do, you're visiting that white space. The question is: Do you recognize your ability to bring those daydreams to fruition?

Look around you. Do you find yourself envying what others accomplish? Perhaps you can learn from their example. All they have done is to act on their dreams - to recognize the value of their white space and put it into motion.

So - what's missing in your life? Why not try filling in the blanks - the white spaces - with the achievement of your dreams? Maybe a legal pad and pencil can help. Try making a list of every dream you've ever had. Write them all down, all of them. When you finish, place an asterisk next to the five you would most like to accomplish or experience.

Finally, make those five items the "black dots" upon which you will focus until completed. Once identified, it becomes much easier to concentrate your attention on them. Opportunity knocks!

 

 

NO FEAR

by Jay Patel

Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY
"Men are disturbed not by things that happen, but by their opinions of the things that happen."

~ Epictetus

 

NO FEAR!

A well-known motivational speaker once said, "No one knows enough to be a pessimist."  He also quoted statistics showing that a very high percentage of the things we worry about are either A) things that never happen, or B)
things over which we have no control anyway.  His point?  Not only do we not have enough information to justify our worries, we also are virtually unable to alter the outcome of most situations.

Our worst fears are generally of the unknown (not enough information).  Our imagination runs wild, conjuring up worst-case scenarios.  We become fearful, anxious, and even overwhelmed - yet the source of our fear is
non-existent (except in our minds). Consider these oft-quoted phrases:

"Think you can - think you can't - either way you're right."
"As a man thinketh, so is he."
"Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they're yours."

In other words, by your thoughts alone, you control the outcome.  Although there exist many risks to our peace-of-mind during uncertain times, we still have the ability to pursue our very best hopes and dreams.  We may find that
their achievement requires more effort than usual.  Doubt may creep in. Nevertheless, as you have heard many times, "It's all in your head."

 

 

 

The Waiting Game

by Jay Patel

Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY!

"I keep waitin' for my ship to come in, but all that comes in is the tide."

- Lyrics from "Hard Time Losin' Man" by Jim Croce

 

THE WAITING GAME!

The well-known Nike commercials have hammered into our heads the phrase "Just do it!"  Regardless of how you view their advertising, there is magic in the words "just do it."  The real key to the message is "doing it," a.k.a. taking action.  Anything you have ever desired is available to you if you will it.

Now, consider those who are constantly washed over by the "tide."  Note that the lyrics in Jim Croce's song say, "I'm WAITING for my ship to come in . . ."  and then, "but all that comes in is the tide."  That sounds like a victim's lament, as in, "Oh poor me, here I am ready and excited, waiting for my ship to come in, and I get dumped on by the sorry tide.  Bummer.  How unfair."  Duhh!  Helloooo!

It's easy to see that "action" is the opposite of "waiting."  Yet, it's so easy to do nothing - waiting passively.  Action requires energy, enthusiasm, movement, and objectives, while waiting requires not even a thought.

Whether your desire (your "ship") is a relationship, wealth, a healthy body, or a new car, you must be the captain, not the port - the "master of your fate," not a tide-washed, sand-covered beach ball.  Life is great!  On your next trip to the beach, buy a boat, a map, and a compass, and then choose your own port of call.  You'll dine at the Captain's Table every day!

 

 

 

Judge Not...

by Jay Patel

Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY!

"Whoever gossips to you will gossip of you."

- Spanish Proverb

 

 

JUDGE NOT . . .

You know the type - there's a gossip in everyone's life.  It may be a friend, an acquaintance, or a total stranger.  Regardless, it is the person who shares with you any amount of information about another, either about what they have accomplished, or more often, what they have not.

Why does a gossip perform his or her service so readily?  Self-aggrandizement is often the culprit.  Knowing such valuable information about another as to be able to share it, reasons the gossip, reflects favorably on the provider of such knowledge.  In fact, however, gossiping is nothing more than the act of judging others.

When a friend passes judgment on another, might it be that, in your absence, they also pass judgment on you?  In most cases that is true.  Thus, one measure of another's character might be the presence or absence of such a tendency.

Steven Covey (of "Seven Habits..." fame) offers a solution when he says, "If you do not judge others, they will not judge you."  In other words, if you are of such character as to never discuss the merits or actions of others, unless they are favorable, it is highly likely that others will reciprocate in kind.  If someone makes a negative comment about another, Covey suggests that your reply might be, "That's interesting.  He has always spoken very highly of YOU."

Many wise men, in many languages, over many centuries, have repeated and paraphrased the maxim "Judge not, that ye be not judged."  It's easy to neutralize the gossip's sting by practicing such clear advice!

 

 

 

BUILD A WALL OF HAPPINESS!

by Jay Patel
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts."
- Henry David Thoreau

"To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition."
- Samuel Johnson

"Before I built a wall I'd ask to know What I was walling in or walling out."
- Robert Frost


BUILD A WALL OF HAPPINESS!

To affect the quality of anything first requires action of some sort. Affecting is the opposite of passivity. In a passive state we can only BE affected, but we ourselves have no effect on our surroundings or other people. Hold that thought for a moment and consider next the result of your "affecting."

Ambition leads to action. Your ambition leads you to affect the quality of the day through some action. So what is the ultimate result of your ambition transformed into action? Johnson suggests it is "to be happy at home."

If, as Johnson recites, being "happy at home" is the ultimate result of your ambition, then why are you working so hard? Is there a way to avoid working evenings and weekends? Could you schedule your child's soccer game into the week's plans? Is that next appointment more important than celebrating life with your spouse at anniversary time?

One way to affect the quality of your day, which in turn may result in happiness at home, is to "build a wall," to paraphrase Frost. Keep in mind that walls may limit you if they are constructed of heavy gauge steel and mesh rimmed with concertina wire. Walls can also be formed as a low hedge or a split-rail fence - even more simply as a line in the sand. Rather than limiting us, they become a mere reminder of how far we are willing to go.

As we affect the quality of our life and push our ambition to the limit, we may also make choices about the boundaries of our lives. By choosing sound principles of living, for example, we may say "No" to friendships with those who operate outside our boundaries of accepted activities. We may decline meaningless activities, or the occasional committee appointment, which robs us of our valuable time.

In the end, WE are solely responsible for affecting the quality of our individual lives. We must choose wisely. 

 

GOT A LIGHT?

by Jay Patel

Monday Morning Coffee

 

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle."

- Father James Keller (1900-1977)

 

GOT A LIGHT?

We all love a compliment.  Your manager says to you, "I noticed that your last sale was handled very smoothly.  Thanks for offering your customer such excellent service!"  Your wife or husband tells you, "I'm so proud of the way you encourage our children!"  Your grown child returns home for a visit and says, "Thanks for making it possible for me to get my degree!"  Those are "feel good" times, aren't they?

If you live a more or less normal day-to-day sort of life, compliments are always welcome, but aren't absolutely critical to your sense of well-being.  You don't have to get them to make it through the day.  If you are fortunate enough to enjoy high self-esteem, why not consider becoming a "candle" to others?

There are many around us each day, both children and adults, who suffer from mild to extreme "compliment" deficiencies.  They may have never been told that they are good, or attractive, or intelligent.  As children, they may have never experienced the exhilaration of getting a base hit, or making an "A" on a test, or receiving an "Honorable Mention" in art class. As adults, they may have lost a job, a spouse, or their health.  In short, many around us have never even had their "candle" lighted once.

You can become the greatest philanthropist of all time without giving away a dime.  All it takes to make a life-changing difference in someone's life is to share the light from your candle.  Each day, look for opportunities to encourage, compliment, or offer your knowledge to those who are "candle deprived."  Think back to when you were a child.  Was there some special person who took that time with you - someone you've never forgotten?

Sharing your candle by lighting many others can warm both hearts and souls.  Make a difference - starting today!

 

 

THINK YOU CAN?

by Jay Patel

Monday Morning Coffee

 

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"First of all, you must find the right track, so you can start right away and not be held back.  But which track is yours? Well, that all depends on which way it's going, and where it might end."

- Craig Dorfman in "I Knew I Could!"

 

THINK YOU CAN?

Regardless of your age, you were probably introduced as a child to a wonderful book entitled "The Little Engine That Could."  If you will recall, it was the story of a small red locomotive personality who believed it was possible to pull a very heavy load uphill - a task that was shunned by other larger locomotives.  The little engine huffed and puffed up the hill, all the while repeating the mantra, "I think I can!  I think I can!  I think I can!"

It was a cute story that contained a very powerful message about persistence and the ability to overcome adversity.  Now there's a sequel entitled "I Knew I Could!"  A quick ten-minute read, it clearly outlines our ability to make our own choices in life.  Using illustrations of train tracks and those cute little locomotives, you are easily led to the understanding that we choose the life "tracks" upon which we travel.

The book suggests that before picking one of those tracks, we should determine the direction it might take us, and the destination we might reach by so choosing.  Sounds like real life, doesn't it?  How many times, and in how many ways, must we be taught this lesson?  If we fail to make our choices wisely, we have consciously made the choice to live at the mercy of happenstance - as did Alice in the following excerpt from "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland":

"Cheshire-Puss...," said Alice, "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.  "I don't much care where -" said Alice.  "Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.  "... so long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an explanation.  "Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."

Life - it's your choice.  Toot! Toot!

Displaying blog entries 1-10 of 194

Contact Information

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Jay Patel
RE/MAX Professionals
15003 W. Bell Road, Suite 100
Surprise AZ 85374
(623) 451-0443
Fax: (623) 321-0165