“What If?” Seems like a pretty simple question doesn’t it? Well, I guess it is, but it is also one of the most powerful questions we can ever ask.  Just like everything else “What If” can facilitate a good outcome or a bad one. Words matter and in this case, words REALLY matter! By asking “What If,” we can chart the landscape that life has laid out for us. Once we seem the possibilities, we can develop a plan of how to make our way through.  Pay attention not only to what you’re asking yourself but HOW YOU’RE ASKING IT!  The power of “What If” comes down to 2 things… 1- Are we courageous enough to even ask the question in the first place? 2- Are we asking it in a positive or negative way? “What if I do this thing something bad happens?” isn’t a question, it’s a self fulfilling negative prophesy. Instead, “I need something good to happen so What if I do this thing? What are the potential outcomes” It’s a question that can and should be used for  Awareness– “What if that notification from my phone means I should keep an eye out for my Uber?” Security– “What if there’s danger around that corner? How’s the best way to handle it?” Life lessons– “What if that happens to me again? How would I handle it then?” Understanding– “What if I were in their situation? What would I want?” Visualization– “What if I reach that goal? I will feel such a sense of accomplishment and happiness when that happens.” These are only a few examples of the hundreds and hundreds of “What If” questions we should ask everyday. Like everything else in life, we have 2 choices… Positive       or Negative  If you find yourself asking “What If” often and in situations that you wouldn’t have imagined a while ago, then you’ve succeeded! I hope and pray that happens for you.  What if by simply asking this 2 word question more good things are waiting for you and those you love than you ever imagined? What if….? Peace      …..Gregg

Assess ~Adapt ~ Overcome ~ Repeat! I think it was my dad who first told me this long time ago. Since then, many others in my life at many different times have repeated it. It’s not rocket science but accomplishing these 4 things in this order can be life altering.  •Assess…  This ones pretty simple. Take the time to look around and really get a good idea what’s going on before you adapt or for sure before you act!  •Adapt…  Once you’ve assessed the situation, take the time to determine what you have to change as you plan your next moves or for sure before you act!  Overcome… Once you’ve assessed the situation and adapted your plan, now is finally the time to put your plan into action and overcome whatever challenge is in front of you!  •Repeat…Congratulations! You’ve succeeded! (…or maybe you didn’t. Either way…) Now you simply have to constantly do it again and again and again and again… You know what the steps are and you know why they must be done. Ask yourself if you are worth coming out on top of the challenge in front of you. If the answer is yes, then repeat the process. Sounds pretty simple doesn’t it? Well, sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t, but it is always effective and beneficial.  I can’t begin to count the number of times these simple 3 words have “saved my bacon!” I hope that this simple reminder might help you say the same thing in the not too distant  future too.  Peace       …..Gregg

“N E V E R F O R G E T” Thats the motto that we attached to 911. Well plain and simple… WE’VE FAILED! We’ve not only forgotten but we’ve let down all of those souls lost as a result of 911 over the past 20 years. Oh we still remember the date and we remember that we were attacked and that people died, (although most Americans would be hard pressed to tell you the number who died that day much less the number who have died over the last 20 years as a result.) but we’ve forgotten the most redeeming thing about that fateful day. We’ve forgotten how America came together as one. On that day and a few days after, we were truly The UNITED States of America. We’ve not only forgotten that, but we’ve lost it. The America of today is one that was unimaginable on 911 and it’s our fault.    We’ve gone from one America, The United States of America, to an American that is deeply divided. An America that just had an attempted coup on January 6th. An America where our highest elected officials, still to this day promulgate false and dangerous conspiracy theories. An America that can’t even come together long enough to put on a mask to protect ourselves and our neighbors from a worldwide pandemic. An America where difference in color, creed, sexual preference seems like an uncrossable and dangerous chasm. An America where science and facts don’t  matter…if your political party tells you they don’t. An America where if you don’t agree with something then it’s fake. An America that seems to have concluded that our arms were made to reach out and accuse others instead of sometimes protecting us and other times wrapping them around those who desperately need our help and compassion. An America that is unrecognizable when viewed from just a few years ago.  No, we’ve definitely forgotten what made us so strong, so noble, so great. The sad truth is that if we don’t remember it soon, it will be lost forever, not even to be read about in history books because they’ll be changed by the eventual winners.  We owe it to ourselves, our families and certainly to those souls lost as a result of the last 20 years to reestablish the America we deserve, the one those America those souls I spoke of saw 20 years ago.   Peace       …..Gregg