My daughter, nearly 15, couldn't resist this opportunity...sidewalk chalk, and an empty street with lots of "STOP" marks. When I saw this photo on my computer, it made me think about the times when we DO stop believing...in others, in our dreams, in ourselves. I'm thinking my daughter (and Journey) had it right...Don't stop believin'!

There are more than enough negative voices in the world. Few of us need another person telling us where we are messing up. What we need is to hear (and believe) in the positive ones! And we need to turn that little critic in our heads into a force for change and good in our lives. The effect of giving ourselves and others positive feedback is more than just a pep talk. When you have something good to say or share, and you take the opportunity to make it real by saying it aloud, you give it power. You make it more than just noise in your mind...you give it direction and allow it to influence your path as well as the paths of others around you.

When I reach the end of my existence on this earth, what I hope people will say about me is that I tried to uplift and encourage others. (I'm still working on how to do this for myself!). What I hope they remember about me is that I made them see and feel their own genuine worth. Now I'm not talking about meaningless, pump-up-the-ego nonsense, nor that false self esteem from empty compliments. I'm talking about really seeing both the reality and the potential in others, and speaking those things that are both true and meaningful. When we are more positive with others, they can pass that positive energy along to those they encounter, and together we can create a wave of goodness, kindness, and truth that builds up the greatness in those we meet. We can help people believe in themselves and in their dreams.

In the process, we may even discover that we facilitated our own dreams. Now wouldn't that be something worth stopping for!!