Today's Path: Are You Meeting Life's Challenge?

"Life Is A Challenge - Meet It! Life Is A Song - Sing It! Life Is A Dream - Realize It! Life Is A Game - Play It! Life Is Love - Enjoy It!"

~ Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

"There are people who put their dreams in a little box and say, 'Yes, I've got dreams, of course I've got dreams.' Then they put the box away and bring it out once in awhile to look in it, and yep, they're still there. These are great dreams, but they never even get out of the box. It takes an uncommon amount of guts to put your dreams on the line, to hold them up and say, 'How good or how bad am I?' That's where courage comes in."

~ Erma Louise Bombeck

"A dream can be nurtured over years and years and then flourish rapidly. . . . Be patient. It will happen for you. Sooner or later, life will get weary of beating on you and holding the door shut on you, and then it will let you in and throw you a real party!"

~ Les(ter Louis) Brown

Contrary to what it may seem the past few posts, I am not trying to become the quote queen. I am sure there is someone else who has far surpassed me on the quote quota. But to the real post...

It always seems to amaze me how many people will say they want to do or be one thing, but as you watch them you don't see them achieve it. It's not their intentions were that it wasn't what they truly wanted. They didn't take the dream or goal by the horns and dig in.

Life and dreams are meant to be successful. But like anything else you get out of it what you put into it. If you are always on the sidelines watching others do things you want to do, you won't have the feeling of I accomplished something today or this week or this year.

Maybe it's the fact that I enjoy knowing that I did something I wanted to do. Maybe it's that I had fun doing it or I learned something from it?

It takes more than just saying "I have a dream." The great Martin Luther King, Jr. took his dream held it up for the world to see. He made the world hold him accountable to his dream.

Who's holding you accountable? Is it your children? Even when you think they are in bed asleep, they listen to you. There were nights I acted as if I were asleep just to hear what was going on.

Is it your friends? People listen at the strangest times. When I was interning with KMOX, I had said something once in passing about wanting to ride and ostrich. The one statement spurred conversations for two weeks about what people wanted to do.

Is it you? Do you look back and see what you wanted to do and see if you are any closer to doing it than when you said it?

Hold your hand to the fire. Bite the bullet and do it. Honestly, what is there to loose? At the end of the day, it you still have your name then you have come out ahead.

Good luck in all your goals and dreams!! Accomplish them because you never know who is holding you accountable!

Peace and happiness,

~Lane J~

Free Advertising and a New Slogan will Make Me Better, right?

Name the company (a few of these are local, some may be the same company):

1. Mmmmm...toasty!
2. Freaky fast, freaky good.
3. We build strong kids, strong families and strong communities
4. More than Y more than Z
5. Your momma wants you to eat here
6. Like a good neighbor
7. The Voice of St. Louis
8. St. Louis moves with us
9. Expect more pay less

And an easy one
10. I'm Lovin' it

How many do you think you got right? The reason behind this is because there is one specifically that just bugs me...It just doesn't seem to me that you would use it because it is free advertising for two of their largest competitors. And there's another that at one point I was confused on what the slogan really was.

The answers:

1. Quizno's
2. Jimmy John's
3. YMCA
4. Movin' 101.1
5. Jimmy John's
6. State Farm Insurance
7. KMOX 1120
8. Movin' 101.1
9. Target
10. McDonald's

So here's my issue...

Movin' 101.1 is giving advertising to it's two biggest competitors, Y98 and Z107.7, with the slogan "More than Y, More than Z." Why are they doing this? This is no way to win over the listeners that are the channel flippers, like myself. I have three stations I listen to, Z107.7, Movin' 101.1 and Y98. Granted I listen to Movin' the most, but every time I hear this, I want to change the station.

Movin' here's what I have to say, "Quit giving free advertising to competitors!!!!"

Then my other issue...

Jimmy John's why are you changing your slogan all the time. In the past year I have heard, "Subs so fast you'll freak," "Freaky Good, Freaky Fast," and "Your momma wants you to eat here." There was even once that I heard all three in one commercial, and I asked myself, "What is their slogan?"

Jimmy John's here's what I have to say, "Pick one, and use it!!!"

If you are ever looking for a slogan remember to find something that will (1) be memorable, (2) is short, sweet and to the point, and (3) Stick to it!!!

Make Yesterday and Tomorrow Great by Living in Today!!

Today well lived makes yesterday a dream of happiness and each tomorrow a vision of hope.

-Ancient Sanskrit Poet

How many times have you found yourself daydreaming about what happened yesterday or who is going to ask you out tomorrow? Maybe you just find yourself lost in everything but the moment.

I have been there, and I know what it's like to want to get out of the daydreaming moment. Recently a friend of mine said he couldn't focus on the moment.

The above quote is for you. Remember if you cannot live in the moment yesterday becomes a dream of sadness and tomorrow becomes a vision of fear. Living in the present allows you to look back on the past and be excited about what you have done.

Everything becomes a vision of today, yesterday and tomorrow. Live the moment to the greatest.

Yet another reason to want to move away

It is Easter Sunday and the third day of my Spring Break. But that is not the reason to hate the weather. The reason to hate the weather is...

Yes, that is snow. It is on it's third time snowing today.

When I was younger, all I wanted was for it to snow. Well, I have had more than my share of snow for a lifetime or at least the next 4 years.

Spring Break is suppose to be a time where you can be outside and enjoy the change of seasons. Not this year, at least in Missouri.

Any of you who had the chance to go somewhere warm for the week, I hope you get sunburned!!! (I really don't mean it, but I am stuck here with rain and snow this week.)

Today's Path: "Get a Tattoo" - Check

Me and Angie

Disclaimer: Mom, if you are reading this, Angie made me do it!!!

Disclaimer #2: If anyone tells my parents, I kill you!!!

I am still working on crossing things off My 50 List.

Yesterday, we were out to lunch at Tortilla Joe's, in Downtown Disney. For some reason we started talking about tattoos. Well, one thing led to another and Angie remembered that was on my list.

We asked a few people working at the Tortilla Joe's were was the closest Tattoo Parlor. They all said that there was one close but not within walking distance. We went back to the hotel to look it up online. Yellowpages.com said Fanatic Tattoo was about 1.4 miles away.

To us that was still within walking distance, so we took off. I had an idea of what I wanted, but Angie wasn't 100% sure.

In my head, I was telling myself that if they were playing heavy metal music, I was going to leave, and the tattoo would have to wait.

We got to Fanatic. There was no heavy metal playing so I picked out mine. Angie had them draw one out for her.

I was up first. Paul was my tattoo artist.

Paul and Me

I was a little nervous, but I was going to do it. Angie told me the entire time she was going to hold my hand. She did. I don't know if she regrets it now because of how hard I squeezed.

Paul finished, and as I was paying, Angie said she was going to punk out. What a wimp!! Thank goodness she knows I can kick her butt. Let's just say she got one.

So for those who want to know what I got here you go:

It is Kanji for Happiness.
One way to look at it is I will always have happiness.

Disneyland Disneyland Disneyland

Yesterday we spent all day at Disneyland. We were there at about 10:30am and left at midnight. We road everything we wanted to with the exception of 2 rides, It's a Small World and Dumbo. Dumbo was closed because of the fireworks, and It's a Small World was closed for remodeling.

Disneyland rocked!! I don't know if it was the place or the fact that I was able to go with my friends...I will go out on a limb though and say it was the friends.

The Gang

Tracy, Erin, KC (in back), Beth, Tim (in back), Angie, Josh, Neal

We did find out that it is possible to put 5 college students in one tea cup and spin it fast enough to almost get sick.

The Tea CupDoug, Angie, Me, Josh, Erin

I hope that you will take the chance and come to Disneyland,
Where dreams come true...for $370.

P.S.-We did find out that if you don't have reservation on a Friday night out here, then you will not get into a restaurant.

Today's Path: A World Wide Adobe Evangelist

Today I had the chance to meet and hear Jason Levine, a World Wide Adobe Evangelist. Jason was speaking this week at the NBS Convention. He lead workshops on the entire CS3 Suite with a few workshops on specific programs.

I was able to hear him speak on Photoshop today. AMAZING!!! I cannot wait to get back and start trying the new tools he showed.

By the way...this trip Rocks!!!!

Welcome to Disneyland!!

Today we made it to California. It is a nice 77 degrees currently on the campus of Disney Paradise Pier Hotel...sorry, I forgot I wasn't on the radio.

It is exciting to be on the West Coast. This is the first time I have every been on this side of Dallas, TX. A big step up in the world now for me.

The best part of being out here has to be the sun right now. But there is a downside to that. It has been so long since I have seen the sun for this many hours at a time that it hurts my eyes a little, but I will deal with it.

We spent some time exploring Downtown Disney, and I think I burned the back of my arms a little.

Besides all the fun of being on the coast, we are attending NBS National Convention. That starts tomorrow though. So we are going to enjoy the time exploring something new.

Enjoy the time in the STL, because I am LOVING the time I am having here.

Today's Path: Dreams

"Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow." -Langston Hughes

Things have been going a lot better since my last post. Tomorrow morning I am going to Anaheim with some friends for the week, and I mentally checked-out about three days ago.

But back to dreams.

As the end of college comes closer and closer...2 months 6 days ish to be more specific...I am trying to dream a little more. Day dreaming more than anything, but still dreaming.

I dream of the house I will have one day and a successful job and completing My 50 List, of course.

The quote from Langston Hughes reminds me everyday to keep those dreams coming. After the winter we have had here is St. Louis, I do not want my life to be "frozen with snow" or a "barren field." I want the colors of spring and fall, the heat of summer, the fun days of playing outside...I dream of these things translating into my life.

Dreaming can be hard to do because of having too much on your plate, school, work, family, bills, etc. Take some time and let your mind flow from one bright idea to the next. Enjoy a lunch break daydreaming.

This week I won't have to daydream about Anaheim, but I will still be daydreaming about something.

Enjoy the week!!

-Lane J