Finally My First One

   For a long time I have talked about doing this. I even started the process a few times. For some reason I was not ready. Either that or it was not important enough. Regardless, I am really excited about doing this! I hope you will get as much out of it as I do. This arena will allow me to share with you what goes on inside of my head. I promise that it will not be every thought because that could be a little dangerous. My goal is for this to be a place where I can challenge, inspire, influence, encourage, lead or even teach you. Hopefully I can do at least one of those things. It will also allow me to learn. I want to learn through this blog and hear what you think. Look at this like it is a conversation. I write and you read. You e-mail and tell me what you think. Your take is important to me. Your perspective is original just like you. Do we have a deal? I hope so. My pledge is to be real and transparent. For me there is no other way.

   Recently I wrote on my Facebook page that I had started to dream again. Have you ever read the book "Dream Giver" by Bruce Wilkinson? I recommend it if you have not. It changed my life and taught me that our dreams never stop. We stop them. Interesting, huh? I know there is more inside of me and you. We live in a world with great need. I love to hear stories about how people do things using their God-given gifts and talents to make a difference. It happens all of the time. It is happening right now. When I dream I feel a surge of new ideas going through my mind. Once again I began taking stock of who I am, how I am designed and what on Earth I am here for.  It happens every so often. I want it to happen more regularly. This blog is all part of the process. My hope is that it intersects with your life and dreams. Let's help each other. Sound good?

   You may be wondering about the name of my blog. Here is the story. I read a lot and had read "Chasing Daylight" by Erwin McManus. In the book he wrote something that has stuck with me. One night a group of us were doing a study surrounding this book via DVD. In one section of the video (and in the book) he asked this question: "What are you doing with your dash?" He went on to define the dash. It follows your year of birth and precedes your year of death. Mine looks like this: 1971-year. Insert your birth year. Does it make you think just a little? It does me and I hope I never stop thinking. He was asking us to look at our lives and see what has come of it. It is not about beating yourself up but rather inspiring yourself for more. It made perfect sense to me at the time. It still does today. What are you doing with your dash?

   So, it begs the question. Are we living for selfish reasons or selfless ones? I am sure for all of us it is a little of both. Maybe for you it has been more selfish. No problem. You are here and there is still time. What we do is significant. Change is hard but necessary. Trust me I know. I look at it this way. We all have potential to be great. Sure, not all of us will be president or sell a million records. Life is not all about prestige or fame. It is not about position or titles. It is not about holding on to our potential either. I would hate to leave this life where people talked more about what I could have done than what I did. Let's make a pact, okay? We all solemnly swear to uphold the office of our lives and give everything we have to make our world better than it was before we were born. We solemnly swear to discover our gifts and talents and use them for good. We will never stop dreaming. We will never live our lives satisfied. We will never think we have arrived. I promise. Do you? Imagine what could be done if we all did that. Wow! The possibilities are endless.

   The blog title represents your life and mine. I hope it spurs us to think and take stock of our lives. It is meant to challenge. I want your best. You have to want your best too. Your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers want your best. The world needs it. Change happens when we put into action the tools we have been given. Talk is cheap and people need more. You are important and you have value. One of the songs that comes to mind as I write this is an old Switchfoot tune. We were meant to live for so much more. It's about the dash.