The other day I wore a white shirt with large light blue squares on it. I was rushed this morning and ended up going to Jack in the Box for a breakfast sandwich and cup of coffee. As I get out of the car, I noticed I spilled a drop of coffee on my nice shirt. The spot was still wet, so I patted it down with my fingers.

Later in the day, as I prepared to shoot a video, I looked down to find the stain. I couldn’t find it. Was it still there? I squinted, trying to find it and – oh – there it is. I knew I had a stain. It was so faint, so I asked Lindsay if she could see it. At first, she couldn’t see the marking, and then after pointing it out, she could barely see it.

That’s a lot like life, isn’t it? In life, we take care of little mistakes quickly by patting on it with our fingers. The stain is still there, although very lightly, you have to look carefully to see it. Sometimes even squinting. You remember the mistake clearly, though.

To create extraordinary content, include the following:

· Publish content you know something about. An exception could be content asking for feedback from your audience. Either way, it’s a field you are growing in.

· You content should be consistent. We, as humans, like following patterns. Whatever your plan is of publishing content, be consistent.

· Always benefit your audience. Be confident in your expertise however only publish content benefiting others.

· Keep it as short as possible. If content is king, micro content is the emperor.

· It should be relevant to what’s going on today.

I had to return some shoes yesterday. The line was very long, so I started my stopwatch.  One of the reasons why I’m an audience engagement expert is my ability to learn from others by people watching.  As the line moved, I watched the actions of others. Some walked while staring at their phone (I call them phone zombies) bumping into the dividers. Fifteen minutes had passed, and I looked behind to see the line was longer than when I arrived.

While we were waiting, someone walked past the line up to the front to ask the clerk a question.

“Excuse me. I just have a question.” She asked the clerk.

Politely the clerk said, “just one minute.”

When the clerk finished helping the customer, he turned to the lady who had a question, while the next customer walked to the front.  There wasn’t an easy answer to her question. The clerk had to leave his post to look something up for the line jumper. Meanwhile, the customer in the front and everyone in line was irritated.

"We should all get back to work! Back to school, church, and haircuts!" I said, frustrated with discussions of a phased approach to reopening the economy.

A friend of mine who works in the insurance industry asked, "why's that?"

"When the time is right, we should get the country back to some sort of normalcy," I answered.

"All it takes is one parent, of one student, who becomes infected and blames the school. You'll have a major lawsuit on your hands."

I started chuckling, "I always forget that perspective."

Estimates reveal that over 40 million lawsuits are filed every year in the United States.  Some predator-attorneys look to transform suits into a lawsuit lottery for both them and the plaintiff.

This mindset of "sue you" instead of "screw you" will paralyze some small businesses, or organizations, in deciding how to reopen in a post-COVID-19 world.

Of the 100 books read in 2019, the number one book was, “If You Want to Write,” by Brenda Ueland. What I loved about the book was the simple call-to-action to any aspiring author to write. She also made a call-to-action for those who didn’t think they were fortunate enough to be an author.

Written in 1938, Brenda makes a plea to write without regard to getting published. Her point was to write because we all have a unique voice.

It’s been almost a month since I finished my book, You Got It; Now Go Get It. The writing is good; the selling of the book is terrible. Guess what matters most in today’s world?

So many experts have asked the following questions of my book: 

And on, and on, and on.

It’s not about writing a book. It’s about selling a book.

If you’ve ever talked to successful people, you’ll find their journey to success was just as good or better than achieving success.

Let’s call “success,” having your dreams come true. If successful people point to their journey as the most rewarding part of achieving success, you need to follow your dreams.

The joy is in the journey.

I’ve written a book and asked others for their feedback. Some transfer an underwhelmed feeling. I start to question my abilities as an author. Does that mean I stop polishing my book? No. Of course not.

When I started a band in college, my so-called friends, talked behind my back about my inability to sing. I wasn’t good enough. In their minds, I should do the world a favor and stop.

I never made it as a singer. Were they right? I may never make it as an author. Are others right in their assessment?

What they think is irrelevant to you following your dreams.

Dreams are essential. Even if they don’t come true, having a dream to hope for will improve your mental health.

If your dream comes true, who would benefit besides you?

When Martin Luther King Jr. gave his, “I have a dream,” speech, we knew it would benefit the country.

My dream of becoming a filmmaker is to provide high-quality storytelling that gives viewers hope of forgiveness. No matter what they may have done.

Take some time today to look at your dream. Who does it benefit? If you share your dream with others, will they get behind you? Will they support you?

If your dream doesn’t benefit anyone other than yourself, reevaluate your motives. Look at the world through the eyes of others. How can you help them when your dream comes true?

You have a dream. You may have ignored it and pushed it down deep into your insides; it’s still there.

One of the clues found in successful people is their ability to share dreams and visions.

There is an additional step of courage when you share your dream out loud.  As the words come out of your mouth, forming a picture, it cuts through your thoughts of doubt.  Your ears hear what your mouth speaks, further reinforcing your belief.

The importance of sharing your dreams isn’t only for you. Others will find hope and

value when they understand what you see as your future.

Our pastor this Sunday said, “Humans can’t flourish without hopes and dreams.”

The definition of hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

The meaning of a dream is a cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal.

Without hope, you have no feeling of expectation, no desire for a certain thing to happen.

When you don’t have a dream, there is nothing to cherish, no ambition, nothing ideal.

When you are hopeless, there seems to be no possibility of a better situation or success.

Are you feeling hopeless today?

Have you lost your ability to dream?