I was once told "if you don't take responsibility for what enters your mind, you risk allowing others to educate you. And they may not have your best interests at heart." Think about this. It is so important to take responsibility for what you allow into your mind. Eliminating negative inputs and focusing instead on positive, life-enhancing feeds which take you closer to your goals is vital.

Taking personal responsibility is a big step - somewhat frightening initially. No more crutches to lean on, no more "I could've been something if only...", no more hand holding from well meaning but misguided souls who fuel your fears and stop you from taking action. From this moment on, accept that you are Captain of your ship. You plot course, you select landmarks and ports you need to stop at en route to final destination: real you who lives your dream life.

Personal responsibility means you give yourself power to command. Yes, it means you will make mistakes as you learn to become master of your destiny. But don't let fear stop you from taking command. Seize it. Plan. Act. Learn. Plan. Act. Learn. Refuse to be blown off course. Resolve everyday that no matter what happens, you will handle it and overcome it. And you will learn from experience and use it all as stepping stones towards your destiny.

Look at it this way: world is full of people who do same things week in, week out. Through no fault of their own, they will never ever achieve their full potential because they've been educated to conform. Why be like everyone else when you can be unique, inspired and fulfilled person living life on YOUR terms instead of terms of masses?

The world is crying out for your special talents. Why keep it waiting any longer?

Until next time.

So with that, I throw a challenge to everyone. Take time out to say thank you for a job well done. If you have a rush printing job and shop you take it to turns it around in record time, or a co-worker pitches in to help with a project just say, "Hey, I really appreciate what you did".

If you want to take your appreciation to a more personal level an excellent way is to do that is to send an E-card. It’s free, but it shows you care enough to take time to think of someone, and say "thanks". If you are in a position where you are able to budget recognition gifts, a simple gift basket is a great idea as well! People find it easy to point out negative but many times positive aspect of someone's work is over looked or just taken for granted. A simple thought can go a long way. Perhaps your company can take an innovative approach and start an award program. Create a type certificate and approach management to use them!

If we all start with ourselves and show our appreciation and our thanks, hopefully others will follow. What harm can it do to try? I appreciate you for taking time to read this.