New. Day. New Beginnings.

No one thought it would end this way. Greg's computer and camera were stolen. End of story.

Goes to show. No one can predict the future.

As I was walking back from a meeting yesterday I passed another staff member on the street.

"Have you heard?" he excitedly asked. "Greg got his equipment back." Earlier in the day, the same staff member had come to my office to ask if he could set up a fund so that anyone who wanted to could contribute money towards new equipment for Greg. He's a former client. Young guy. Works on our maintenance team. "It makes me so angry," he said. "Greg's a good guy. He helps us out all the time. I want to help."

Help was not necessary. The culprit was arrested at a computer shop where he had tried to convince the staff that his friend had lent him the computer and he needed to change the password as he'd forgotten it. The employee was suspicious. Checked the serial number and called Greg to confirm he'd lent the guy his computer. "No way," said Greg. "He's a thief." The computer shop employee called the police. They came. They saw. They arrested. And later that day the equipment and CDs were returned to Greg.

He's out taking pictures already.

"With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts." Eleanor Roosevelt

What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?

On Monday, after his equipment was stolen, Greg didn't want to bother to go to the police. "What's the point?" he asked. "There's no insurance. They won't do anything."

"At least if you file a report, should the equipment turn up in a pawn shop, they'll know it's stolen and you have a better chance of getting it back," I said.

Eventually, he decided to go and file the report. It was something he could do, something that had value. Because his report was already on file, it was easy for the police to take action and return the equipment.

Today, Greg will awaken to once again having the equipment of his trade ready and waiting to be put to work. In having taken action while he was down, he's lifted himself up. He couldn't fail in filing the report. He had nothing to lose and now, he's gained everything back -- and then some.

Last night I had dinner with a friend who challenged me to think about the purpose of writing this blog every morning. "Isn't it a bit self-indulgent," he suggested. "It's great, but it's an hour of writing time where you could be working on your book."

With a new day comes new beginnings, new thoughts, new hope and strength.

I was a bit irritated with my friend when he suggested I reconsider the blog. "You've proven you have the ability to make a commitment and keep it," he said when I suggested that was what the blog was about for me. With 466 posts, there's no doubt about my discipline and commitment. Question is, does the blog inhibit or promote my success? Is my strength turning into my weakness? Where once writing here was an integral part of getting me writing, getting me going, has it now become the inhibitor to my continuing to write, continuing to work on my book?

Perhaps I need a different set of glasses. A new day. New beginnings.

Perhaps the point of the blog is to get my fingers moving across the keyboard -- and I now need to get my mind into shape by going back to where I left off on my book and start writing on it everyday. With my life coach on Monday evening, I committed to writing half an hour a day on the book. Here's my chance to shift the scale -- a half hour max on the blog, an hour minimum on the book, every day.

New day. New thoughts.

On Monday, Greg went to sleep believing his equipment was lost, but not his talent, not his passion for taking pictures. Yesterday I had a meeting with a friend and business associate about a conference that he is organizing, Dare to Soar, (check it out. You will be inspired.) When he heard about Greg's loss he said, "You know, you can steal the equipment but you should never steal the dream." The dream was in Greg's CD's. The thousands of images stored on the computer. Last night, when I got home, he had emailed to say he would be willing to buy Greg a new computer or camera so that Greg could keep his dream on track. Whether or not Greg had his equipment returned, there were people like my co-worker and my friend who were willing to step up and keep the dream alive.

How many dreams die in a day? How many dreams go unrealized.

New day. New thoughts. New dreams.

I have a dream. It's up to me to make it come true. And the only thing that can do that is action. Commitment. And a willingness to BE. committed to DO. what it takes to HAVE. what I want.

Be. Do. Have.

Does this blog inhibit my writing?

Rather than thinking of it as the end of my morning writing time, it's important I change my glasses and see it as the beginning of my writing time. A half hour warm-up exercise.

New day. New beginnings.

And for today -- those thoughts will carry me into my next five days as I dive into a place where my heart flies freely as I soar on the inspiration of being surrounded by a group of people eager to become all they're meant to be.

It's Choices week. And I won't be visiting here much as these are the days of fast sleeps, short nights, long days. Days filled with love and caring. Inspiration and magnificence. Days of miracles coming alive in the hearts and minds of everyone I meet.

See you on Monday!

The question is: What new thoughts will you awaken to today? What new beginnings will you unravel? Will you plant seeds of hope, of love and joy? Or will you dig into the soils of regret, holding yourself rootbound in the past?