you... You... YoU... YOU!

Hi Max!

This is an actual letter I wrote to a friend today. This friend has let the media get in her head. This friend is worried about the world's economy so much that it has affected her personal economy. She's knocked down and not knowing where to turn to next. She's not suicidal, but just down and out. With her permission, I am compelled to share this with you today.

"Dear friend,

Today, I want you to think about something. I can not change your life, only you can change your life... but perhaps I can change the way you look at your life. Right now, you are just feeling like you - lower case you. you are seeing the negative, you are mired in misery, and you are thinking only about yourself. your thoughts are on survival, your motivation is desperation, and your results are minimal at best. Shake it off. I've got the cure to your ills and it's easy - and it won't cost you a dime. Help someone else. Get your thoughts off yourself and help another. Then do it again. Then do it again. Help one person today. Help them across the street. Help them smile. Help them by connecting them to an influencer. Help them by introducing them to a friend. Don't reach out for a hand out. Reach your hand out to help. I promise it will help you. That's the beauty of the Generosity Generation and helping. You can't help another without helping yourself! Trust me on this. Take a moment to think of someone you could help (and that is anyone). Think of how you could help them. Then do it. Do it now. Because, you see, this is what you were meant to be. This is your Y.

Your why is what motivates You. In fact, once you discover your Y, you go from you to You. You are strong, secure, steady, and steadfast. You are loyal to yourself. You can make decisions easily and quickly because You know what makes You tick and what makes You... You. What is YOUR why? Write down these questions: Why did I choose my profession? Then write down, "What is important about _____ ?" and then ask yourself, "What is important about ______?" Give yourself some really strong alone time to find out what makes You tick. How do you want to be remembered when you die? What is your "life's slogan"? What will your epitaph be? What 12 words will go on your tombstone? A great coach can help you with this. Once You have established your Y, You begin to see the world differently. You begin to ask why not You. YoU. (o = zero = not).

So YoU? Since YoU know your Y, you see that anything that aligns with your Y should be yours. Why not YoU to get that promotion? Why not YoU to get that new subdivision? Why not YoU to get that award? Why not YoU to be successful? Why not YoU to get that girl? YoU start to see life as a world full of opportunities rather than a world full of obstacles. YoU start saying Why not me and it starts to come out like this, WHY NOT ME?!! YoU DESERVE SUCCESS. YoU DESERVE RESULTS, REWARDS, AWARDS, HAPPINESS, HOPE, BEAUTY, TALENT, INTELLIGENCE, LOVE... Why not YoU? Seriously. After continuously seeing that the fruits of your labor should come to YoU and DO come to YoU, YoU become YOU.

YOU is where the light shines so brightly that everyone is attracted to it. YOU is this beacon of beauty, this lighthouse of love that gives and gives and gives so much value that it could never be re-paid. And yet when you might have cared, might have wanted to take, might have wanted to keep score, or might have wanted to see the reciprocation, YOU doesn't care. YOU just continues to give. The light shines brighter, the love comes easier, more are attracted to YOU, YOU are attracted to YOU, YOU don't have time for pettiness, drama, or gossip. YOU have time for brilliance, excellence, ideas, and implementation. YOU have time for learning, failing, and evaluating. YOU think. YOU work. YOU help. YOU give. YOU love. YOU live.

YOU realize that YOU were born for a reason (you were born a winner, you beat millions of others to become YOU). YOU were born to serve the world and drowning in self-sabotage, participating in self-pity, gabbing the gossip, or dragging others into drama does not serve the world. Giving, loving, and LIVING your life to its fullest and most beautiful serves the world. Helping others, bringing value to others, and being a friend serves the world. Shining your light as bright as possible by filling your mind with brilliance, your heart with love, and your life with positive people serves the world. YOU is who I know. YOU is who I see. YOU is inside ready to burst out. When is now the time for YOU? NOW is the time for YOU.

you, You, YoU, YOU. How can I help YOU?

To Your Success,

Michael"

Hope you enjoyed this note.

To YOUR Success,

Max's Dad (Michael)

A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson & Letting Your Light Shine...

A Return to Love

by Marianne Williamson

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,

we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,

our presence automatically liberates others.”

Bay-Bee says, "Let your light shine! Your playing small does not serve the world. Get out of judgement and into curiosity as I am. I see the world as a source of wonderment, this wonderful place of miracles. How do you see the world?"

Bay-Bee says, "I was born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. You were also born to manifest that glory. There is a miracle inside of you, a passion that is begging to burst out, YOU ARE THE BRILLIANT ONE! Let it shine! Let your light shine."

You might say, "But, but... but I don't want others to feel intimidated or bad or think that I am over-bearing or coming on too strong. It's easier to just be meek and mellow."

Bay-Bee says, "Let your light shine! As you are liberated from your own fear, you AUTOMATICALLY GIVE OTHERS THE RIGHT, THE PERMISSION, THE INSPIRATION to DO THE SAME! By liberating yourself, by being strong, by overcoming your fears, you are being an example, a role model for others to do the same! We can all be inspiring!

Which would you rather do: summon the strength to overcome your fears OR live a life full of regret?

Aren't you tired of playing small? It's time to sit up and be counted, stand up and be strong, and open up and be heard. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. Serve the World! Serve it. You see, your new worth is in direct proportion to the amount of value you deliver to the people of the world. The more you serve, the more you give, and the more you master the skills, talent, and knowledge necessary to serve, the more you will receive."

God is going to give Bay-Bee a brain, a heart, and a body. It's up to Bay-Bee to maximize what God gave him. That includes staying away from destructive drugs, foods, and drinks. That includes staying away from destructive people as well. My father always said that you are the average of the 5 people with whom you spend the most time. Are your friends raising your average or lowering your average? It comes down to weightlifting. :) You are either a weight or a lifter. Which are you? Which of those two are the four of your friends with whom you spend the most time? Do you need some new friends?"

Listen, I know the readers of this blog. You are special, very special people. You have a light that burns so bright in you that it could light New York for a week, but for some that light is shaded by doubt, hesitation, fear, or friends.

Today is the day to wipe away the shade and let your light shine. Let it shine bright and let others know that you are no longer going to live a life of fear. You are going to do the things you need to do to fuel your body, your heart, and your brain. You are going to pick up the phone or visit those who raise your average. You are going to read, study, visit with family, share your happiness, and you are going to remember, YOU ARE THE BRILLIANT ONE!

Stimulus --> (Gap of Time) --> Response

You are going to CHOOSE HAPPINESS on a daily basis. You see, life is a choice (thank GOD we aren't just reactive animals with NO CHOICE!). Between Stimulus (WHAT HAPPENS TO US) and Response (HOW WE CHOOSE TO ACT), there is a gap of time (whereas with animals, it is stimulus-react based on instinct). We HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE. We have the right to choose HAPPY or the right to CHOOSE miserable. It comes down to: only YOU can make YOU miserable! That's right. They can do whatever they want to do, but you can CHOOSE how you deal with that stimulus. I CHOOSE HAPPY! Say it with me, "I CHOOSE HAPPY!" Say it with me, "I CHOOSE HAPPY!" Don't you feel better already? I choose happy on a daily basis and I've found life chooses to smile back at me.

Inside each one of us, including Bay-Bee, there is a brilliant, bright, and powerful light just ready to blossom to light the air around us with a sparkle and magic. Perhaps you've lost a little of that sparkle. Well rejoice! Rejoice, because that sparkle can be re-kindled, no matter your age, gender, situation, or finances. Smile, laugh, be happy, because they can't take your mind, your knowledge, your talents, or your skills away from you. Nobody can take all of these blessings that are yours away - your sight, your hearing, your toes, your fingers, your mind, your smell, your health, your smile, your choice... Be thankful for the blessings, the many, many, many, many blessings you already have.

If you can read this, you are more privileged than 50% of the world's population. Think about how much power comes with the ability to read! Are you using that power?

Within you, each of us actually, there is a glow. It's been proven scientifically. That's where I truly began to believe in God was in my study of quantum physics. You see, you take the world around us and you look through a microscope and you see molecules. These are the small pieces of the world that make up the big pieces of the world. In between each of these molecules is space.

Take a stronger microscope and look at the molecules and you see that they are made of even smaller pieces called atoms. These atoms had a nucleus, a proton or more, and some electrons. The smallest pieces of these small pieces were the electrons.

When you look through an electron microscope (yes, this is a very, very high-powered instrument), you can see that the electrons are made of pieces called quarks. Look further and what you see is that these quarks are made of ENERGY! Energy, yes. Not pieces, but light (or pieces of light). We are all made of light. Call it God, call it energy, call it what you will, but when you look at us to the nth degree, we are a person full of "glow". In some people, this glow is brighter than in others. The brightness of that glow is determined by you.

Take it upon yourself to CHOOSE HAPPY this week. Let your GLOW be OUTWARD as well as INWARD and when one or two people try to shade your glow, tell them to smile and let their glow shine through. Tell them to read www.LittleMaher.com. Then they'll get it. They'll quit trying to squelch the glow of others and start letting their light GLOW! They'll start being the lifter and not the weight.

Let your light shine, Bay-Bee! I can't wait until you see the light and we get to see your light. Stay healthy little guy. We're waiting with open arms for you.

To Your Success,

Bay-Bee's Papa (Michael)

P.S. Who do you know who needs to read this? Please pass this on to them. Be the inspiration. Be the role model. Let your light shine. Choose Happy! :)