It's day 9. I'm feeling wonderful today, because it's Saturday and I don't have to work, and I can just relax.  I can allow my brain some time to chill out....one of my very most favorite things to do in this world is laugh!  Yep, I love talking with someone and having a great laugh.  I was at work this week and I went to speak with a friend in another department.  She was telling me she was having one of those days when she didn't feel like being at work.  We all have those days!  She is one of the funniest people I know.  We started talking about things that I knew would get her worked up and laughing.  Before, I left her department she was almost in tears laughing.  She then thanked me for making her laugh, because that made her day.  We were laughing about raw chicken legs and this one you just had to be there to understand, so in the middle of the day I emailed a picture of a raw chicken leg and I knew she had to be at her desk cracking up!  Laughter can brighten the worst of days, so use it.  Laugh and make the heart happy, make someone else laugh and make the soul happy.

What's on my mind is this week I was sitting in a training thinking about how we are taught at a young age that being number one is the best.  That we should aspire to be number one and if we aren't then we have failed.  This is really a cruel teaching.  Think about it; little kids line up and fight over who's going to be first in line.  My kids are always fighting over who's going to get to the car first, so they can get the best seat which happens to be upfront.  At work people compete against each other to be the best. As humans we need each other, but everything is one big competition.  However,  no one can run a successful company by themselves.  Why don't we teach partnership and networking?  The funny thing is that this is were the break down is, because we are so busy competing we don't want to share information.  Because someone might get ahead of us with our own information.  We tend to care a lot in this upside down world about things that are petty.  Being the first and being the best can ruin relationships.  God even says that who is first must come last.  With the premise that being last you are watching out for others not just yourself.    The challenge today is not to compete with others, but compete with yourself.  Work hard for self improvement, not with the desire to be the best standing alone.  I don't know, but I imagine it would be a great feeling to climb the highest mountain and reach the top with your best friend then by yourself.  Some people climb that mountain and end up by themselves, because in the scheme of things they left everyone behind or worse stepped on people to get to the top faster.  I challenge you to not just be the best, but help someone else to be their best as well. I will leave you with a verse and a laugh!

Mark 9:35
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all."

He had a bad day, but he's still smiling.

Keisha