My younger self would hate me for saying this, but I love being up before the sun comes up. I don’t always enjoy getting out of bed at first. However, when I actually get off my butt and out the door for a morning walk I find the same thing to be true every time. This is amazing.

There are so many different sounds that the morning makes. This morning I hear the birds, the trees, train whistles, crickets, and even some annoying traffic off of the road not too far away. Everything is waking up and it is very nice to be out here with it.

I also fine when I start my day this way, my day usually goes much better. There are things that I need to do every day they really should be done first. If I don’t do them early there’s a good chance they won’t get done at all.

I read a book along time ago by Brian Tracy called Eat That Frog. In the book he advocated starting with the hardest tasks first. He advocated this for a few different reasons.

1. By tackling your hardest task first in the day, you’re able to bring your best energy and your clearest mind.

2. Your hardest task is usually the one that has the most reward. The task would not be hard otherwise.

3. When you finish your hardest task early, the rest of the day stands no chance. Your productivity is through the roof.

What tasks do I consider my most important ones of the day personally? Every morning I read my Bible, I exercise, and I write. Or, at least this is what I intend to do every day. Do I always accomplish this? Um…no. Just as the sun rises with each new day, there is a chance to start again.

I find when I do these things consistently over time that I don’t even notice how far I’ve come. I’ve been blogging now for about six months and I’m amazed at how many posts I’ve been able to make. I’ve read my Bible every day for several years and I’ve read it all the way through more than once. I started exercising seriously last May. I may not have dropped all the weight I want to, but I feel so much better than I would have.

It all starts with getting up before the sun comes up. Getting out and experiencing the morning as I start my day is essential. This is amazing in so many ways.

The older I get, the more I come to realize I do not like fake. I don’t like drama in relationships. I would far rather know you for who you are and have you know me the same way. Is it OK to just be real? What does sincere mean?

Sincere – free from pretense. Being genuine.

How do I interpret this? If you’re a nice person I wanna know that you’re a nice person. If you’d prefer to be a jerk, then do your thing. We can still get along if I know your intentions. If you are in your 40s and still love to play video games all day long, I want to know about it. If you still listen to Kenny G and pretend like it’s the 90s, there’s no judgment here. Whatever it is that makes you you, I want to see it. That’s the beauty of having a friendship with someone.

Only when we can admit who we really are are we able to make progress. We all have things that we love about ourselves. We all have things that were not so fond of too. It can be overwhelming when there is no one to share the good and bad with. But, we have conditioned ourselves to live with the Facebook filter. We only let people see a portion of who we really are. I’m not sure that’s OK.

I am in no way advocating over sharing. This is not a post about telling strangers too much about you. However, as we meet and encounter new people are there potential friendships that we overlook because of our insecurities and hangups? Are there people that need us that aren’t being honest with themselves? How do we cut through all the crap and just be sincere?

I’m going to shoot straight here, I didn’t expect to be in my 40s and it be hard to make new friends. I’ve never figured out why this is so. When we were teenagers, making friends was very easy. We accepted everybody, or at least the people that I ran with did…If I am remembering things the right way. I can look back over the years and I can identify a few friendships that could have been amazing that blew up over lack of sincerity or being real. it makes me sad.

I also have to express gratitude in this post. There are a few people in my life that are the best friends I’ve ever known. I know that one of the keys to these friendships is sincerity. We get to be who we actually are and it’s OK. If you are reading this, you know who you are.

It’s my hope that if you have called me friend over the years you have always found me to be sincere. If you’ve ever called me fake, or pretending to be something I’m not, I sincerely apologize. Do you need a friend now? Shoot me a line. Let’s be real.

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. – Walt Disney

It is a choice we get to make. It is the right one. Gratitude is just better.

Today on my lunch break I took a few minutes and flipped through my Facebook app on my iPhone. There wasn’t much going on, but one post grabbed my attention. A lady I knew from high school posted the video link to “Stay” by Sugarland. I made a note to watch it when I got home. I knew the song, but had never seen the video. Whoa. That one rips your heart when you watch it.

I had a whole bunch of thoughts after I watched this one:

One, no woman needs to go through this. You deserve much better. You may not see it, but you do. If you are in this situation, there is very little chance it will get better. Men who do this to women are not worth the tears or the heartbreak. You were created in the image of a God who loves you. Living like this is beneath your dignity.

Two, I love the portion of the song where she decides to get up and stand up for herself. The look on her face when she makes the choice is awesome. It is heart wrenching, but it awesome. You see the fire ignite in her mind. Though the pain of it would crush her, she stands up and declares that she doesn’t have to live that way. There is a long journey ahead, but that was a great first step.

Three, any man who does this to a woman needs to grow up. Man up, make a choice, and take care of the one you choose. Real men don’t cheat. I have been in love with my wife for almost 22 years now. I don’t want another woman. I would be stupid to throw away everything I have built for something as dumb. I told my wife before we were married that I was all in. No games. She has my heart completely.

Lastly, this song is a reminder to cherish the woman I love, who loves me in return. I am forever grateful