Recognize the Summit

                                                      
                                                  Recognize the Summit



What does this mean to recognize the summit? When I first asked myself this question I began to understand that I did not have a clue. Beyond this I did not really have a viable plan or even a road map of how I was going to get there, that personal bar that I had set for myself. More importantly I did not have a clear understanding of what would be involved in reaching my summit and what it would be like once I got there. In my own mind I had always envisioned myself obtaining my goals by arriving at that apex in my life and by accomplishing this I would live happily ever after. Would I? After a few years and some serious soul searching it became clear to me that without a carefully thought out and established plan in place my chances of achieving my ambitions were slim to none. I began to comprehend that there is more to just having a good plan. It became clear to me that I must first have the tools in place to work my plan. This began my journey of self-examination and a search for truth in my own life. I began to identify areas that I needed to bring into balance in order to equip myself for the journey. These areas included my relationships, spiritual, emotional, financial and physical well being. I understood that by leaving anyone of these out could seriously jeopardize the outcome of my plan. This looked like a pretty tall order. If you are like me you may be asking yourself these questions. Am I up to the challenge? Is it worth the sacrifice? Will I be able to endure disappointments and setbacks along the way? Am I able to delay gratification in fulfillment of my goal until I have all the tools I need to get there? If the answer is yes to all of these then there is only one more question you need to ask yourself. When do I start? There is no better time than right now. One decision like this can be a life changer. Procrastination is an empty promise that breeds a false complacency. There will always be another tomorrow, although there are no guarantees, but there is only one today. You do not have to wait until you feel that you have obtained balance in every area of your life before you begin. These areas will come into fruition as you consciously make an effort to build and strengthen them everyday during your journey but remember that by leaving any one of them out may jeopardize the final result of your climb. You may reach your summit without one or two of them but at what cost? What kind of life will you have? Your success and happiness may be short lived. You may arrive at that personal or financial pinnacle you set for yourself but the price tag may be higher than you anticipated. The trade off could be your health, your emotional well being or maybe even your family. I do not lay claim to having all of these areas in my life brought into a perfect equilibrium but I do have a plan. My plan is to include building a healthy and strong foundation in each one of them along the way. I believe that the highest summit that we can possibly reach is not measured by monetary wealth or personal achievements but in what we can give or plant into the lives of others. This establishes a lasting legacy that lives on long after we are gone. I believe that a person can be wealthy and still have all of the other areas in their life fulfilled. By not centering on just one area brings the bigger picture into focus. I recognize that we are only trustees and stewards of God’s possessions. Love, Peace and Joy are the highest achievements we could ever hope to obtain in our lives. Our search for true happiness is in recognizing this highest point of accomplishment in its truest form. To help meet the needs of another above our own is the highest summit we could ever hope to attain.

Have a blessed day,

Terry Earp




                                                        

Vision Quest

Vision Quest

Have you ever had a dream or vision that kept coming back to you? What do you usually do with it? Do you entertain the thought of this vision for a little while and then just put it aside for another day? What is it that may be holding you back from pursuing your dreams? Is it lack of confidence or money or is it something else? What ever the reason a vision just remains a vision until we act on it. Some refer to this as a calling. Do you feel you have a calling on your life that sometimes consumes your thoughts? You see I believe that we are all given visions or a purpose which are fueled by dreams in order to fulfill a void or a need of some kind in the world. Where would we be if it were not for dreams and visions? The world would be a pretty boring place don’t you think? Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. once said, “Many people die with their music still in them”. When I first heard this something stirred within me. I began to ask myself, what if I pass from this life without realizing my dream, without even trying to make my vision a reality? I soon recognized that my biggest obstacle to living my dream was me. Down deep inside I believe I have always known this but was unwilling to admit it to myself. I began to realize that fearing failure was a very poor excuse for not reaching for my dreams. Failure is not an event but merely an opinion. We do not fail until we stop trying and not trying at best is settling for a life of mediocrity. Look at history. Some of the greatest pacesetters of our time failed more than they succeeded. When Thomas Edison was asked about his past failures he replied, "I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb." It is said that Henry Ford went broke five times before he finally succeeded. Louis Pasteur was only a mediocre pupil in undergraduate studies and ranked 15th out of 22 students in chemistry. Oprah Winfrey early in her career was fired from her job because she was told she was unfit for TV. We do not remember these great trendsetters for their failures but for their success. Can you imagine what would have happened if they just decided to give up after a few tries? If any of them would have given up pursuing their vision I believe that someone else would have stepped up to fill that void. I am of the belief that a vision waits for no one. As long as there is a need in this world someone will rise up to meet that need. Could it be you? Do you have that fire within to pursue your passion in fulfilling your dreams? Action is the catalyst for success. Life is too short to just lie around dreaming it away. What choice will you make?

Vision

Visions are fueled by dreams
Of the way that things could be.
And dreams give birth to change
Which help fulfill a void or need.

Innovations create the change
Which are then laid upon the heart
Which then sustains and propels the dream
But this is just the start.

Sacrifice is to deny oneself
For the greater good of all,
To face persecution and rejection
In pursuit of a higher call

Integrity is having the courage
To do what you know is right.
It may not be the most popular thing,
But it is always worth the fight.

Optimism spawns a passion
Toward a noble deed.
It inspires those around us
To be all that they can be.

Need is always key
To those that live without.
And one that will stand within the gap
Is what love is all about.

Terry Earp
November 3, 2005



 

My Father’s Legacy

Lessons my father taught me have left a lasting impression on my life.  I may not have gotten them right the first, second or sometimes even the third time around but a do over in my father’s book is OK.  He used to teach my three brothers and I that if you don’t get it right the first time you get back up, dust yourself off and try again.  You keep getting back up until you get it right. 

Growing up on the farm I remember the time my dad put me on my first pony.  I wasn’t very old at the time.  The pony jumped up and down a little bit and I fell off.  I didn’t get hurt, my father was there to make sure of that, but just the same I cried.  I cried because I did not want to get back on that pony.  My dad just smiled, picked me back up, dusted me off and put me back in the saddle again.  I didn’t fair any better the next few times I tried but I went away with a valuable lesson that day that stayed with me for the rest of my life.  When I was a little older I was still to small to crawl up on the horses myself so I would sneak carrots out of my mother’s garden, climb a tree in the pasture and coax some of them over.   When one got close enough I would hop on its back and there we would go off to the rodeo.  I’ve been thrown off, knocked off and rubbed off a horse more times than I can count.  I was once thrown off onto our barbed wire fence and when I came to the house cut up and bleeding I thought I was going to be in loads hot water with mom.  She took it better than I thought she would as she doctored me up.  My poor mother put up with a lot of my cowboy antics and had the patients of Job with me.  I did eventually learn to ride though I still carry some of the scars I received while gaining the skills.  I was not going to quit until I did. 

The main theme in my blog has been about making choices and hopefully making the right ones.  Many of us pick up some emotional scars along the way but unlike the physical ones these scars are not as easily seen and sometimes take longer to heal.  We do not always get it right the first time around and occasionally stumble or fall flat on our faces.  This is not the end and we are not down and out unless we choose to stay there.  Let’s say you have a dream or a vision of something that you would very much like to accomplish in your life.

 

You should ask yourself these questions:

·         Is it a meaningful venture?

·         Is it worth the sacrifice?

·         Will it help make me a better person?

·         Does it help others meet their needs?

·         Does the outcome have merit?

This involves stepping outside of yourself and giving an honest assessment of what you are about to do.  Now it’s decision time.  Something may be telling you – what if I fail?  Just remember that you never fail until you stop trying and if it is a worthwhile dream then it is worth going after.  If you answered yes to the questions above then I think you have a worthwhile dream to pursue.

My heavenly father like my earthly father has taught me the difference between right and wrong but more important than knowing was doing what is right.  He taught me about integrity.  He taught me that integrity is something to be valued.  Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is looking.  No one can take your integrity from you but you can give it away.  If you have ever lost your integrity can you get it back?  I not only believe you can but I know you can.  Have you ever heard of the Butterfly Affect?  It states that, “There are generations yet unborn whose very lives will be shifted and shaped by the moves you make and the actions you take today and tomorrow and the next day”.  I think the key word here is today.  Today is something we can take part in making a difference.  Today we can volunteer for a worthy cause.  Today we can we can talk with a senior that may feel alone and forgotten.  Today we can make contact with that friend or family member that we keep putting off. Today you can begin mending fences of broken relationships that were once thought to be lost.  I believe that the actions we choose to take today will leave a lasting legacy for your family and for future generations.  Today is never too late to recognize a wrong and make it right.  What will your legacy be?

Have a blessed day!

Terry Earp         

New Beginnings

 New Beginnings

Here we are again starting out a new year.  Do you find yourself reflecting, as I do, on the past twelve months and contemplating the promise of the New Year?   This has always been a time for reflection for me along with the anticipation and the promise that the coming year will bring.  I believe that this will be the best year yet.  I know that the news of the economy may be telling us a different story with higher gas prices, high unemployment, foreclosures on the rise and the stock market being on a rollercoaster ride.  My wife and I also took a big hit like most everyone else did.  What are we going to do?  We can either throw up our hands and give in to the doom and gloom of the economical forecasts or we can set our own course and blaze a new trail.  I am not suggesting that we bury our heads in the sand and pretend that our financial system isn’t in a bit of a mess right now but we do not have to get caught up in its undertow.  We do not have to let this economy define our future and our families’ wellbeing.  When I sometimes feel that things are hopeless and heading south real fast I think of what my parents had to endure during the Great Depression.    They were not wealthy by anyone’s standards and both came from humble beginnings yet they managed to make it through one of the most difficult economical periods in our country’s history.  My parents worked when ever they could find it but at the same time they worked at becoming self-sufficient entrepreneurs by starting and operating their own businesses.  They found a need and carved out their very own niche.   They started out with nothing but a dream.  Their dream became a reality and they did very well for themselves.   The poet Carl Sandburg once wrote, “Nothing happens but first a dream.”  Sometimes in the wind of change we find new direction.  Perhaps this is the time to chart a new course for a new beginning.  All we need is a dream and the courage to try something new.  Keep in mind that courage does not always come on us like a roaring lion.  Often time’s courage is that gentle whisper in the evening saying we’ll try again tomorrow with a new day filled with all new opportunities.  The only things that stand in our way of what we want in our lives is the will and the courage to try something new along with the faith to believe in our dreams.   

Have a blessed year,

Terry