Different Religions are Like a Lamp of Light!

Interesting flight to London from Cairo recently. I was seated in economy next to two young girls my daughters age - 21 & 22 years old. One of the girls mother was up front in business class and the girls decided I was just the person to talk to.

A four hour flight and I enjoyed every minute of this conversation. The way they engaged in conversation was to lean over to me and ask if I was a mother. When I said "yes," they asked if I had a son or a daughter and what her age was. After we shared information about each other - they were attending a semester abroad in London, and I told them all about Jessica, then came the big question. Are you Christian or Muslim? I told them I was Christian and they both shared that one was Christian and one was Muslim. We proceeded to talk and they said, here is our dilemma...the Muslim girl explained that she is in love with a Christian boy from Cairo and her parents are forbidding her to see him and now that she is leaving for London she wants to call him to say goodbye. I continued to just listen and then they asked me what she should do.

Now let's remember that I don't know these girls at all and I am certainly not going to tell them what to do, but listening to their story made me feel bad for the Muslim girl who is in love with a Christian boy. Life is strange and each move we make changes our lives for ever. Her best friend seated next to her who is Christian and dating a Muslim boy said - go ahead and call him - use my phone and your parents won't know. The the Christian girl said something I will always remember... "After all religion is like lamps." "You can change the shade but the light is always bright underneath each shade!"

Remember this today - who are you, what are you and why do you do what you do? - we are all lamps with different shades - maybe we should all learn to shine some light!

Time to Turn Over a New Leaf!

It is the last few days of September and it seems like yesterday it was January. I know...where does the time go? So let's think about that. Where does the time go? How many of you have completed your to do's, hit your targets and are ready to begin turning over the new leaves for the next year. Yes, I am serious. Autumn is a great time to begin planning for 2010 - not just your corporate budgets, travel plans and targets for work, but your personal goals as well. What have you accomplished this year? Make a list of your accomplishments and brag out loud. Don't wait for someone to thank you for what you have done - thank yourself by feeling good about yourself and planning new challenges for next year. 2009 was tough for everyone - business, families, and students all struggled to make the most of a bad year. But we are turning over a new leaf. We are entering the last quart of 09 and I believe what I said in January - those of us who marched forward through this chaos are thriving and those who buried their heads in the said are just surviving. Which are you? What changes did you make in your life and in your business? What is your plan for 2010? How will you actually have made this recession work for you?... and finally ~ my suggestion to each of you reading this is to "just get on with it." This is our time to prove what we can do. Don't let the politics, the negativity or the economy get in your way. Go out and make a name for yourself in whatever field you are in. This is our time to shine!